Neal’s Yard Remedies- Bloggers event Manchester

I was lucky enough to be invited to Neal’s Yard Remedies blogger event last night in Manchester, thanks to my internship at ilovemanchester.com. This was a great experience for me as I am a new blogger; I could chat to some of the other bloggers and get my blog noticed.

On arrival I received a lovely glass of champagne decorated with a strawberry and was spoilt for choice for free luxury and relaxing treatments. I opted for the hand massage which was amazing.  The lady who gave me a hand-massage used Neal’s Yard Remedies rich moisturizing cream which left my hands feeling smooth and helped me feel relaxed.

As I have never heard of the product before Sue Pow, my hand masseuse kindly gave me an insight of the product, she says, “Neal’s Yard Remedies are a natural British brand .They understand holistic health inside out, and anyone is welcome into the shop for advice, especially if they have a skin condition which needs treating properly.”

Neal’s Yard Remedies began in Convent garden on the 4^th December 1981 in Neal’s Yard a forgotten area in London. They believe in using only the best of ingredients including flowers and oils to achieve a high quality product which is free from parabens and synthetics fragrances which can be found in other products on our high streets.

Now in 2013, Neal’s Yard has 42 stores around the UK. They have even won an array of awards including She beauty awards winner 2011, and The Sunday Times Style beauty awards 2010, winning with their best natural product Frankincense hydrating cream.

Maya Collins, medical herbalist in the shop told me; ‘The Frankincense hydrating cream’ is their best seller. The cream retails at £24.75, although it may seem a tad dear to some people, needless to say you get what you pay for ladies.

Due to the hydrating cream being such a hit, a Frankincense intense cream will be joining the range on the 28^th August for you to buy.

Molly Willsher, area manager at the company who has worked there for 11 years says, “Neal’s Yard is an ethical company, a lot of research has gone into our products to ensure they are of high standard. It’s amazing how much time we spend doing quality control as if the product isn't right, we don’t want our customers buying it. What I love about Neal’s Yard Remedies is that it’s a family run business. We treat our customers as one of the family.”

It’s safe to say, I will be thinking twice about what make up I put on my face from other brands on the market, as it can cause real damage in the later years of my life including pre-mature ageing. Speaking to different people associated within the brand at the event showed their true passion for the products they sell, and too right because Neal’s Yard Remedies are an individual brand who care about what we use on our bodies.

After meeting some lovely people and having a whiff of some lovely products, I managed to haul a goody bag full of some of their products, including organic facial wipes to remove make up, lip-gloss, face mist spray, eye shadow, and wild rose beauty balm, plus a £5 off voucher for a holistic treatment of my choice.

I will be posting a review of the products in the next few days when I have tried and tested them all.

Did you know about Neal’s Yard Remedies?

Lots of Love

Miss Vintage Vibe

xoxox

Elvis Jesus fragrance launch, Manchester

Thanks to my internship at IloveManchester, http://ilovemanchester.com/ an online lifestyle magazine ‘for people who love Manchester’. I was lucky enough to be invited to The Elvis and Jesus fragrance launch Thursday 20^th June at Sakura bar, Deans-gate, Manchester.

On arrival I was greeted by a luxury red carpet and was handed a goody bag once I confirmed I am from IloveManchester. The theme for the night was masquerade, which gave me an excuse to wear my masquerade mask. Once inside, tall models wore masquerade masks and sequinned lingerie to fit with the theme. A burlesque dancer entertained the guests by dancing in a life-size martini glass.

As it was my first launch party I didn’t know what to expect, but I was made very welcome and received free drinks all night at the bar, such as cocktails, and vodka and cokes. I also munched on some very yummy chicken and red pepper skewers canapés. I did try the vegetarian sushi canapés but unfortunately I still dislike the rubbery taste of them.

When I managed to sit down in a secluded booth, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the goody bag to find two 50ml bottles of his and her fragrance. I also found a 50% discount voucher off their well known Manchester, clothing brand, founded in 1997, which is dedicated in selling quality clothes.

I managed to speak to the director of the perfume, Mark Earnshaw, He told me, “Both fragrances have been in the making for 2 and half years, so we could make sure, it smells perfect. The womens scent has a very masculine smell, as we wanted to represent the Elvis and Jesus fragrance, as the rock and roll brand everyone knows. The box is shaped like a bible, which offers a chapter inside of how the brands origins began”.

The first sentence inside the box reads:“Embracing  a rock and roll philosophy born out of the counter culture musings of the likes of Kinky Freidman, Hunter S Thomson and even Karl Marx, Elvis Jesus epitomises the anti capitalist dystopian rock and roll rumblings subverted the establishment far back as the people think, write chant and sing their passions”.

The synopsis of the Elvis and Jesus brand, inside the perfume box gives you a real feel of what the brand is about. I adore how it is set out, like a chapter from the Bible as it adds to the brands religious name ‘Jesus’.

The fragrance for her is presented in a glass bottle with the iconic guitar logo which is coloured in a rose gold. The smells contrast from fresh bursts of Cherry, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Elemi and Peppermint which is blended with a woody backdrop of Nutmeg and Rose, Jasmine and Cinnamon. The woody blend with Cedar, Vanilla, Tonka bean and the all important rock and roll smell of leather gives the floral scent a powerful masculine smell.

I have been using my fragrance, every day since the launch and I must admit I have fallen in love with the scent. I am on the go a lot of the time, especially with my new internship, so I want a perfume that will last all day without having to re-spray. At £39.00 a bottle, I think it is well worth every penny. The bottle and box alone make it stand out from any of the other fragrances on the market. It brings out the old inner rock-chick in me.

I will be taking a trip to the Trafford centre, Manchester very shortly to see if I can bag my- self a bargain with my 50% voucher off the Elvis and Jesus clothing line.

Both fragrances retail at £49.00 100ml or £39.00 for 50ml and can be bought exclusively from The Elvis Jesus store, The fragrance shop and selected Elvis Jesus clothing retailers.

www.elvisjesus.co.uk/// www.thefragranceshop.co.uk

The top two images are taken by Craige Barker Photography. The other images are my own.

What’s your favourite fragrance?

Lots of Love Miss Vintage Vibe xo