I’m going to be conservative here and say that I completely and UTTERLY love goodie bags. There’s no hiding that fact.
I would be lying if I said that getting a goodie bag at the end of an event wasn’t my highlight (although meeting lots of lovely bloggers and snapping some pictures is also a highlight). I think my love (obsession) with them started at the age of 8 (well, it probably started much before but I can’t quite remember that far back) when at the end of a fantastic party, I was promptly handed a rather smart looking party bag, filled with the most magical items.
Aged 8, a packet of haribo, a mini milky bar, a balloon, a tube of glitter, some googly eyes, a slice of cake and a mini puppet was though all my christmasses had come at once. It just didn’t occur to me previously that by attending an event, you could receive your very own goodie bag of gifts at the end of it. And so, my obsession began.
Yes, I appreciate it might seem rather shallow and slightly besides the point. You don’t go and meet up with you friends to get a goodie bag at the end of it. You don’t go to work expecting to leave with a bag of treats and you certainly don’t receive a package of goodies after every activity, every exam or every school day. However, since becoming a blogger, my eyes have been opened to the world of goodie bags a little more. Whilst I’ve never quite experienced an A-List packed goodie bag yet (I’ve heard the BRITs goodie bag contained an iPhone, jewellery and a night for two at the Shard), I have been lucky enough to experience my fair share of fantastic ones. So I thought I would dedicate a whole post to them!
The GREAT
The majority of blogger events I have been to, have always had AMAZING goodie bags at the end. Whilst I don’t necessarily use all of the products in every goodie bag (I tend to give them away to friends and family), the novelty of seeing them in the bag, is good enough for me (I’m very strange, I know). However, if I had to pick a favourite, or two, then it would be these:
The Cosmo Awards Goodie Bag
Although I didn’t win the award my blog was nominated for, attending the Cosmo Awards back in October meant that not only did I meet (and have stayed in touch with) several fantastic bloggers, but I also came home with an amazing goodie bag. Filled with vouchers, socks, beauty products, chocolate, face masques, toothpaste and even a clutch bag, I was thoroughly impressed.
The Glam LFW Rimmel Lounge Bag
I didn’t officially attend LFW in September 2012 (it was only this season that I properly went along), but I did visit the Glam Media LFW Rimmel lounge, expecting to meet a few bloggers, meet the Glam team, have a bite to eat and then mosey on home. I didn’t quite expect to receive the entire Rimmel collection in my goodie bag. So, I was pleasantly surprised with the beauty haul above. I haven’t needed to go make-up shopping for quite some time.
And, the ‘you shouldn’t have really bothered’
Goodie bags, I feel, are often falsely advertised. Whereas I used to jump at the opportunity to go to an event which lured me in with a free goodie bag at the end, I now tend not to bother as much (unless, it’s an amazing event which I can’t afford to miss). I remember attending a ‘preview’ night at one of my local shops a few years back (I won’t name the brand, but it’s a high street one) which advertised a ‘an amazing jam-packed goodie bag’ or something along those lines.
After paying the £10 entry fee, and enjoying the nibbles and champagne on offer (which is always a hit with me), I was hotly anticipating what I would receive in my ‘jam-packed’ goodie bag, only to find (once I was home) that it contained around 20 leaflets, a sample sized perfume and a sachet of face cream. Well, I could hardly contain myself. The excitement.
Similarly, an event I attended last year had a gorgeously decorated exterior (again, false advertising ha ha) but once you delved inside, your heart sunk a little as it revealed a small booklet (with yet more adverts), a small bag of ‘love’ glitter and sequins (well, I suppose I would have appreciated this when I was 8), a brownie (favourite part) and some business cards. They’d really pushed the boat out.
So, all in all, this may appear to be quite a shallow post, however this wasn’t the intention at all. I just wanted to express my love for goodie bags (in the hope that some of you might agree with me too) and to divulge a few of my favourites, and least favourites. I know bloggers are privy to A LOT of free goodies and goodie bags, so it’s not about bragging or ‘showing off’, I promise!
Q’s: What’s the best goodie bag you’ve ever had? What do you think about them – should people bother? Are they just another means of advertising? Have you ever experienced a really BAD goodie bag? What would your dream goodie bag consist of?