Considering Voucher Codes UK invited 50+ fashion-hungry bloggers to a Most Wanted Swap Shop Party and fuelled them with cupcakes and cocktails, the evening was far more civilised than I was expecting! I was geared up for battle, Confessions-of-a-Shopaholic-style, expecting a least one or two tiffs over new season Topshop. However, the party was very chilled out and sophisticated and there were no tug ‘o wars to be seen.
I was greeted by the beautiful Fleur Elliot who swiftly explained the ins and outs of a Swap Shop. Basically, you trade your five items at the start of the party for a variety of stamps. My pastel pink Primark blazer (new with tags on) earned me 1 stamp while my white chiffon Zara skirt earned me 2 stamps. Anything high-end high-street would have earned me 3 stamps but unfortunately I didn’t dig far enough into the depths of my wardrobe for that luxury! The rails were divided up into sections depending on their worth and each item had a tag to let you know how many stamps you’d be losing by purchasing it.
As I was one of the first to arrive, I indulged in a few laps around the rails before treating myself to a Most Wanted mojito from the cocktail bar. Is there anything better than cash-free shopping, mojitos and cupcakes? That was a serious question. I can’t think of anything.
As the evening evolved more and more bloggers flooded through the doors with arms full of their old favourites, ready to trade them in for new ones. The rails were being updated every 10 minutes so you really had to be on the look-out for stand-out pieces. I found myself running laps around the room pretty much continuously, only stopping to stock up on cupcakes and mojitos! While we shopped, there were other exciting things going on such as uninterrupted manicures and an amazing DIY station where we could customise our new finds.
I sat chatting with the beautiful Natasha from Girl in the Lens while she customised her new Topshop blouse by adding gold studs around the neckline. She managed to turn something quite plain into a piece worthy of the new season and the studs looked as if they should have been there all along!
As well as the fab customising table, the huge array of sweets and cupcakes and the manicure station, there was also an amazing photo booth courtesy of Say Fromage. We were left to get creative with wigs, masks, hats and other props or to simply show off our new wardrobe wonders. I am pictured below with the amazing Clare Astra from Rainbows and Fairy Dust and the wonderful Laura from That’s So Yesterday.
Fleur did an amazing job putting this event together and on behalf of Scarlett London I can’t thank her enough for the invitation. Not only did I get the chance to meet some of my all-time favourite bloggers, but I took home an amazing Fiorelli handbag, which hasn’t left my side since the event! Below is the very beautiful Kristiana and I having our photo taken at the customising table. (How cute is my bag?!) She is so lovely and I hope we meet at similar events in the future.
As if we hadn’t been pampered enough, the evening came to an end and we were given a rather large goodie bag filled with exciting products. Thank you so much Boden, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, AX Paris, Paul’s Boutique and In Love With Fashion for contributing to the amazing treats inside. I had such a fantastic time at the Swap Shop and I am already looking forward to the next one! *hint hint*
