My Guide to Black Friday

If you know me 'in real life' or if you follow me on Twitter then you will know that for a week in November I become obsessed with Black Friday and to date I have a 100% success rate in grabbing deals. I've lost track of all the questions I've had on it so far this year and we're only halfway through Tuesday.

Black Friday is traditionally a sale that takes place in America on the Friday after Thanksgiving. People queue for days in advance outside Target, Best Buy and other stores to get the deals. Sometimes shops have a special freebie for the first 100 people through the door. This could be a free digital camera, extra discounts or another kind of incentive. If you've not witnessed the phenomenon of Black Friday in America then I urge you watch some videos on YouTube.

Black Friday in the UK first became popular in 2010. There were £50 Xbox and Wii consoles on Amazon but the deals weren't widely known about. In 2011 it was mainstream knowledge and this year it's even bigger. The general concept is this - Amazon will advertise a deal (I'll use a TV as an example) by saying that at 2pm a TV will go on sale. You can click on that TV, like you would on any other Amazon product, and you'll get all the item specifics such as size, brand, reviews and current price. What you won't be able to see is the price of the Black Friday deal. That will only be revealed at 2pm and on the Black Friday section of the site there will be a timer underneath the TV counting down until the deal goes live. When it hits 2pm the price will be revealed and a 'add to basket' button will appear. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase you have 15 minutes to check out otherwise you lose the TV. If you're not fast enough to click the 'add to basket' button you might see a 'join waiting list' button. If you click this you will be put in a queue and if a TV becomes available, ie if somebody doesn't check out before the 15 minute window, then you will be given the option of buying it. If you're on the waiting list for something you must stay by your computer because a little window will appear and you have only a couple of minutes to say yes or no and then you have to check out. Once a deal is live there will be a stock bar underneath the item showing you how much stock is left. The deals are live for a short period of time and is usually under 3 hours. After that they disappear.

Black Friday offers are called 'lightening deals' for a reason. They disappear faster than lightening. If you want something you have to be ready. It's no good having a casual look through the offers, seeing something you want that goes up at 1pm and then going off to walk the dog because if you come back at 1.15pm the item will probably be gone. If you really want something you have to be at your computer watching the timer go down with your hand on the mouse poised and ready to hit the buy button.

There is no rhyme or reason behind which items sell out and which items don't. Yesterday a £6 dry dog shampoo which had £1.05 off the usual Amazon price completely sold out in under 30 seconds whereas a Lego Star Wars kit which usually retails for £60 and was on sale for £20 didn't get above 20% of stock being purchased. Last year the Lego offers were gone in under a minute. You might think that the item you want isn't going to be popular and that you can get away with being a few minutes late but today a brown bamboo lamp sold out in 10 seconds so don't underestimate what people are after. There's also no way to know how much something will be discounted. Yesterday I bought a Moshi Monster talking plush toy for £7.99. It usually retails on Amazon for £16 so it was a 50% saving but today a friend asked me to keep an eye on the Just Dance 4 video game and the discount was only 33%.

Every day there will be a mixture of products but you can pretty much guarantee that there will always be watches, jewellery, video games, kids toys, blu-ray/dvd, electronics and clothing. The majority of deals will be advertised throughout the day but occasionally one will appear without warning so it's worth taking a scroll through all the items at least once an hour to make sure you haven't missed anything. Most of the items will have a picture and a link to the product page but a small percentage will be cryptic clues. Last year there was a clue about garlic bread and the item was a Peter Kay dvd. This year there are barely any mystery items so far but they are in there so keep an eye out.

If you see something you want, research it. If you're thinking of buying a new razor and you see that at 4pm one will go on sale, use the time in between to have a look at it. Find out what people think about it by reading the reviews, check what it is being sold for elsewhere and then make up your mind. Have a maximum price in your head and when it goes live if it's under your limit you can buy it.

Team up with friends if you have to. This year I have exchanged lists and maximum prices with a friend and we have the authority to purchase the products on behalf of each other if we see them. Each morning we will be having a look through the deals for the day and making a note of what we're interested in and the time it goes on sale and updating each other on what to look out for. If you know somebody who is desperate for an item, offer to watch it for them. Today there was a Lego Woody from Toy Story clock going on sale and I knew two people on Twitter who were trying to get it. Unfortunately neither of them got it but I did so I was able to pay for it on behalf of one of them, use their address for delivery and they sent the money over by PayPal. I did the same thing yesterday with some One Direction headphones and some earrings.

Try to ignore the negative naysayers. Every year folk bleat on about the deals being rubbish but that's only because they haven't seen something they want to buy. If you're a parent and your kid has asked for Lego and you manage to get it for £20 instead of £60 then that is obviously a good deal. If your girlfriend has asked for jewellery and you can get a necklace for half price then again, it's obviously a good deal. Nobody is forced into buying anything from Black Friday. If you don't like it, sit down and shut up.

So, in summary:

Look through the items before 8am each day to see what will be on offer.
Research any items you like the look of and decide a maximum price you're willing to pay.
Be at your computer before the sale countdown on your chosen item runs out.
Click the 'add to basket' button as quickly as you can.
Check out before your 15 minutes runs out.
If you're on a waiting list, do not leave your computer.
Refresh your browser and scroll through all deals at least once an hour.
Help your friends!

Good luck!

Recycling Beauty Boxes into Vintage Keepsakes

I've been receiving She Said Beauty boxes since April and I thought it would be a shame to throw the packaging away so I've been keeping them safe for Christmas. I've been decorating them using vintage images I've found online and the results have been wonderful. Each one is unique as no two are alike.

My first step was to find the pictures. I did an online image search of "vintage Christmas" and "Victorian Christmas". I pasted them all into a Publisher document, converted it to a PDF and printed them off. 

The second step was to cut the images out. There were 10 sheets of pictures for each box and to stop me getting in a muddle I kept the cut outs for each box in a plastic wallet.

When it was time to start decorating I gathered my small list of supplies; pva glue, paint brush, images and the box. 

I found it helpful to sort the pictures into sizes as it made things easier when decorating the boxes. I also put images I particularly liked at the top of the pile so they'd definitely be used.

The decorating was really simple. Using the brush I painted on some glue and put an image on top. I then went over the image with additional glue to smooth it out and get rid of any lumps and bumps.

Ensure your images go right into the corners and edges of the box.

I found it helpful for the images to slightly overlap in places and to go over the edges of the box, this ensures there are no bits that don't get covered and it also means the box has an even finish.

Don't worry if you get some wrinkles, you can smooth them out with additional glue when the first layer has dried slightly.

Getting a good layout can be tricky at times and I found it helpful to put the images on without any glue to see how they look next to each other and then I'd take a photo so I could refer to it.

Keep on gluing until you've covered the whole box. You'll have to take breaks so the glue can dry in places before moving on to the various sides of the box but eventually you'll have a box completely covered in vintage images.

We know how many goodies She Said Beauty pack into the boxes each month so you can fit a lot inside. I'm using them as Christmas presents that I'll be filling with all kinds of surprises. It's better than going into a shop and spending money on massed produced packaging. While I'm excitedly counting down the days to Christmas when I can give them to my friends I'm using them to store my ribbons, gift tags and other bits and pieces that I use for wrapping gifts.

In terms of monetary cost, these boxes are incredibly thrifty for something that is one of a kind. The glue was £1.50 and will be more than enough to do all 6 of the boxes I'm making, the paintbrush was £1 and the boxes were free. I printed the images at home but to try and put a cost on it, where I work charges 3 pence for each page of colour printing and there are 10 pages so that works out as only 30 pence per box. In total it will have cost me £4.30 for all 6 boxes - less than a pound each! Even if they were triple the cost it would still be worth it and your friends who receive one will know that you've taken the time and effort to hand craft them a one-off present.

Beauty Boxes - Are They Worth It?

I've been subscribing to beauty boxes for almost a year now and it's something that comes up all the time in conversation. I get asked about them a lot on Twitter because I always post excited tweets and pictures whenever one arrives or when I've found a new wonder product in a box. The general concept is that each month a box containing 5 beauty products is delivered to your door. The main question is always "Are they worth it". My only answer can be a resounding YES!

I originally subscribed to the Feel Unique beauty box back in December 2011 and I was thrilled when it arrived. It contained Tigi Bed Head Sugar Dust, a mini Nails Inc pink polish, Figs & Rouge lip balm, Clarisonic cleanser and Annik Goutal Mandagore perfume. There was also a bonus flyer with 3 tiny samples from a new beauty company in New Zealand. I felt it was a really good mix of products; hair, nails, lips, skin and scent. After that however things went a bit down hill for Feel Unique. My second box in January 2012 was very disappointing as it contained anti-aging cream, cleanser, a tiny face mask sample, shampoo for coloured hair, body lotion and a salt scrub so apart from the shampoo, which was useless for me since I don't dye my hair, all the products were for skin care. The third box arrived in February 2012 and was better as it introduced me to Nuxe oil which, when mixed with foundation, is simply life changing. I also got a huge bottle of Elemis hand wash as well as a hair elasticizer, nail polish, exfoliating cream and bonus sample of Jean Paul Gaultier's Kokorico for men. However, soon after the February box arrived the announcement came that Feel Unique would be discontinuing their beauty box.

I quickly subscribed to Carmine just in time to receive their February box. It was very different to Feel Unique as it was mainly make-up. I got an Andrea Fulerton nail polish, Daniel Sander eyeshadow, Frat Boy blusher and Diego Dalla Palma lipstick sample. Also included was some White Glo tooth paste and a bonus Yardley fragrance sample. I had mixed feeling about this box because whilst the nail polish was fantastic and I've gone on to buy other Andrea Fulerton products, the lipstick sample was completely useless. It was tiny, the wrong shade and the packaging wasn't robust so you couldn't have worn it for a day and carried it with you for reapplications. Then came the news that Carmine would also be discontinuing their beauty box.

I decided to give beauty boxes one more try and after researching both Glossybox and She Said Beauty I went with SSB. That's when everything changed.

Thanks to Carmine leaving it until mid-March to deliver the news that they wouldn't be sending out a box I missed the cut off point to get the SSB March box so I had to wait until April but it was worth it. My first box contained Mischa Barton lip tint, Filthy Gorgeous nail polish, Bella Pierre shimmer powder, Bharti Vyas face and neck polisher and a multi-pack of Comfort Zone samples. It also included a bonus pack of Erno Laszlo samples AND a Lindt chocolate egg. The Comfort Zone set of samples is one of my favourite things I've ever received in a beauty box. Inside a handbag shaped packet were generous samples of exfoliator, shower gel, body cream, remodeller, leg cream and tranquility cream. In March I went back to work after a break of 2.5 years so by the time this box came I was in need of a little TLC. The Comfort Zone pack covered all bases.

Since April I've looked forward to my SSB box coming through the door. The only product I've not been happy with was a Kim Kardashian perfume but that's more to do with the person than the product and it wasn't wasted because I was able to post to a friends sister who happens to be fan. A couple of months ago a nail polish wasn't included in my box and the customer service was second to none. SSB are on Twitter and always reply to any of your inquiries or comments and a new nail varnish was promptly delivered to me. The rapport they have with their customers is invaluable and I think they are leading the way when showing how having a social media team can benefit your business and keep customers happy and interested.

Each box always has a good mix of products, it's never too heavy on creams or make-up. SSB also send out beauty equipment - I've had eyelash curlers (amazing), the S shaped nail file by Tom from the Apprentice (also amazing) and blotter sheets (yes, you've guessed it - amazing).

Since April I've had a fabulous variety of goodies from tanning to vitamins, primer to nail wraps, cleansing oil to BB cream, false eyelashes to vegan lip whip. Brands have included St Tropez, Mischa Barton, Elemis, Vintage Cosmetics Company and Nails Inc. Each month you get your standard 5 items but SSB always include a 6th bonus item. There are at least 2 full sized products in your box (the photo I've used at the top of this blog is from the June box and has 4 full sized products) and the sample sizes are generous.

I've used most of the items I get but I have given a couple of things away. My mum is a sun worshiper so I gave her the tan accelerator cream that came in May's box as well the bronzer that came in the most recent one. I actually like being able to share things so I don't see this as a negative. The only item I've received since April that I haven't been able to use at all are the vitamins but that's only because they were green tea based and would interfere with my transplant medication but that information isn't in my online profile so SSB couldn't possibly have known about it. Everything else has fitted my beauty profile - no ghastly blue eyeshadow like the one my friend got in the August Glossybox. Despite being blonde and fair skinned she also got a dark brunette HD brows kit in the July Glossybox.

The SSB packaging is lovely too. The boxes are a soft shade of bluey-green, the padding inside the box is straw rather than shredded paper which I really appreciate and everything is wrapped up in pink tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. Beautiful.

The cost of beauty boxes varied in the beginning but they're all pretty much the same now. When I signed up to Feel Unique it was £10 including p&p but now all companies providing beauty boxes charge for p&p. She Said Beauty are the cheapest as they charge £9 per box with £2.95 for p&p making it £11.95 each month, Amarya charge £10 per box with £2.50 for p&p and Glossybox and JolieBox both charge £10 per box with £2.95 for p&p making them £12.95 each so they're all fairly evenly priced. There are discounts available for buying subscriptions in bulk too. The contents of every beauty box is worth a lot more than the price you pay for it. It's often at least double what you've spent, sometimes almost triple.

I don't wear a full face of make-up every day, I don't spend a fortune on the latest lotions and potions and I'm not an experienced beauty blogger. I'm just a normal girl who likes to pamper herself every once in a while and make the best of what I've got. I would wholeheartedly recommend beauty boxes to everyone because at a maximum cost of £12.95 they hardly break the bank. They're a wonderful little treat to look forward to each month and even if you do get something you don't particularly like you can share it with friends.

You can run but you can't hide

It's going to happen. No matter what you do, no matter how hard you protest, no matter how many tantrums you throw, no matter the lengths you go to in order to avoid talking about it. It is going to happen.

You can whine about it, you can cry about it, you can piss and moan and swear and stomp and stress about it but it won't change a thing. It is going to happen.

People will despair but it will still happen. People will lament but it will still happen. People will scowl but it will still happen.

It. Is. Going. To. Happen.

Christmas is coming and you can't stop it.

Every year around this time you get the usual crowd of grinches trying to halt the onset of the festivities. Like Christmas Canutes they attempt to stop the tides of time. United they may stand, grim resolution etched upon their determined faces as they chant "bah humbug" but united they will fall.

They will fall.

Instead of embracing the inevitable they begin an unwinnable battle. With a steely glint in their eyes they ignore each passing week. Their war cry can be heard across the land "It's not even December yet".

Some may relent slightly and give in to the temptation of a yuletide latte, others may be unable to resist the temptation of the lebkuchen that begins to appear on supermarket shelves but there will be no ground given in terms of presents or wrapping.

By the beginning of December the weakest troops will have given up their fight. Bullied into submission by partners wanting to get things planned, kids writing letters to Santa and the office elf bringing in mince pies.

Mid-December will arrive and by now only the strongest will remain. The decorations in every window and festive songs playing from every speaker in the land will have seen off the lesser scrooges but the crusade will continue for the hardened ebeneezers. THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME. NO I DON'T WANT A MINCE PIE. GET THAT TINSEL OFF MY DESK.

Soon enough it's Christmas Eve and thus begins the yearly defeat. Begrudgingly they traipse into town armed with pointy elbows, a snarl and a hopeless sense of misery. They'll have no idea what to buy, which shops are doing offers or how much things cost. Despite sharing the shopping battleground with their fellow cold hearted comrades there is no spirit of solidarity only a ruthless desperation to get things done. Buy the presents, get the wrapping paper, stop off at the butchers to beg for whatever they have left, resist the urge to murder the people hogging the cheese aisle at the supermarket, get home to wrap the gifts, remember you haven't bought sellotape, scream, head back out to find the only tape available is masking tape, buy it anyway, hastily scribble the gift tags, remember you haven't bought anything for your nephew, stick a tenner in a card, collapse exhausted, realise you've not finished everything, scream again, declare that you hate Christmas.

By this point the rest of us will be looking on with a sense of pity. We'll have thought of all the ideal presents to bring a huge smile to our loved ones faces and we'll have wrapped them all beautifully. Our fridges will be full to the brim of delicious treats, the veggies will be prepped, the turkey will be wrapped in bacon and we'll be sitting down relaxing with a Christmas tipple looking forward to waking up the next morning.

It's going to happen so do yourself a favour and accept this fact. There's nothing wrong with starting early. Save yourself the hassle of leaving everything to the last minute. You might find that you realise what you've been missing and that you actually love Christmas. Eliminate the stress, enjoy yourself.