The Cohorted

Looking back, I don’t think I can ever remember a time when there wasn’t online shopping. It’s weird to think of a life without Ebay, Amazon, ASOS, Net-a-porter and all the online giants that are around today.  I was thinking about this whilst walking through town with my shopping bags in hand as I mumbled to myself: “If I ordered this online, it wouldn’t even be here for a few days.” Granted, online shopping has become faster, but I’m so impatient when I buy my goods, I want them now. When I order online, I’m gripped into checking my dispatch notes and my heart pulsates faster when I get the text: “Your product will arrive today.” When I’m shopping in store, I have the buzz of getting the item there and then and trying them out soon as I get home. I’m such an old fashioned shopper; I like seeing and feeling the physical product.

 In some rare circumstances, there are times I opt to shop online. This is when I know I can get a better deal, save some money or if there isn’t a shop near me that sells the item I would like.  There are so many ways of online shopping these days and there are more and more opportunities to buy items that you wouldn’t always buy on a spree in your local town. As well as the online shopping becoming more expansive, it’s also becoming social. We’ve all told our Facebook friends what items we have recently bought or have done a sneaky plug to a store on Twitter. If you’re a blogger, you’re socialising about your shopping most of the time.

With shopping becoming more of a social experience, it’s no wonder that brands are getting in on the action too. The Cohorted is a brand new online, social shopping experience that allows people to save money by shopping socially.  The aim of the game is to get as many people interested in the product on offer and by buying in small groups with other shoppers the prices are pushed down. This benefits the company as they have a bulk of orders and the buyers get the products cheaper than retail price. 

The Cohorted website is due to be released  later this year, but to get us all excited they have launched ‘The Mini Cohort’ exclusively on Facebook. The Mini Cohort is a smaller version of the website, but with all the same benefits.  Shoppers can look forward to a great selection of brands: 

·         MAC cosmetics

·         Dior cosmetics

·         Estee Lauder cosmetics

·         Lancôme cosmetics

·         TIGI hair care

·         And much more…

The current offer on the Mini Cohort is a TIGI Combo set which includes a 200ml Dumb Blonde Shampoo and the Urban Antidotes Re-energizer shampoo. 

I’ve used TIGI quite a lot in the past when I worked as a hairdresser and I’m in love with the brand. Every Christmas I make it a priority to go to the Clothes Show Live and grab a bargain on TIGI products, but I think I’ll try bidding on these products first to see how much of a discount I can get. Over all I think the idea of social shopping sounds like a fab idea. It sounds very much like an updated, more vibrant QVC.

Will you be trying out the MiniCohort?

Also, remember to check out my giveaway! 

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Great Gatsby Inspired Outfit

Since I watched the Great Gatsby in the cinemas a few weeks ago, I've been craving a glittery dress. The whole film showcases the most elaborate sequins, beautiful flowing 20s style dresses and lots of bright colours. Whilst watching the film, I felt like I wanted to be transported to those parties and join in the fun. Unfortunately this is not the 1920s, so i'll have to find some glittery ensemble and recreate a Gatsby party myself.  A delightful PR lady dropped me an email to show me their latest Great Gatsby inspired clothing lines and I instantly felt drawn to this dress. Sometimes you have a gut feeling when you see a picture that the dress is meant for you and you know that it's definitely going to suit you. I've searched for a lot of glittery dresses in the past and apart from my beautiful French Connection Samantha dress, I haven't found another one I like. I'm really picky as when it comes to glitter dresses, there's a fine line between tacky and spectacular. The majority of the time, unless you can splurge a decent amount of money on a glittery outfit, you're stuck with something that looks a tiny bit shabby. 

I received this dress in the post on Thursday - having ran down to answer the door in my underwear to prevent the delivery driver taking it to the depot. It was quite an embarrassing moment and full of cheesy chat up lines from the rather embarrassed male, but alas, it was all worth it. Tacky? Falling apart? Of course not, this dress looked sewn to perfection. On my first introduction to Bon Prix, my initial stance was that the dresses suited a more mature lady and I probably wouldn't shop there myself. However, when my previous purple dress arrived, I was really happy with the quality and pricing that my opinion completely altered. The dresses are a little more demure - they cut below the knee and offer sophistication rather than a tight little mini skirt and I like that. I haven't had a bad experience with the company or their pr team and its become top of my bookmark list that I check almost every week. 

This sequinned bust dress can be purchased from Bon Prix for the affordable price tag of £29.99. On initial inspection of the dress, none of the sequins seemed lose - something I tend to find with a lot of sequin dresses, the sizing is pretty spacious and the dress overall is really well made. The only thing I would comment on is that fact that it is a very roomy size 6 - 8. I would never consider myself a size 6 and although I own a few size 6 items, I'd say they are more verging on a size 8. This dress seems to fit me easily, but I could see it might be a little big on a size 6. Apart from that, yet again, Bon Prix scores 5/5 for their clothing again. Having worn this at my partners garden party the other day and the sun shimmering off the gold, I was left with confidence. The dress was comfy and felt like a second skin - something that all clothing should feel like. 

http://www.bonprix.co.uk/

What do you think of the dress?

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