The Big You IV

This was already the second time we were invited for The Big You and now at least one of us was in the country, we be jet-setting all the time. So while Sabrina was living it up in Venice, I was finally enjoying everything that UPR had to offer. I'm sure you can expect some belle immagini coming your way in the near future. 

The event. We were welcomed in the beautiful loft were it all started for UPR back in 2001. I definitely wouldn't mind placing my desk down there. It was very nice to finally meet the faces behind the weekly press releases ☺.

First up was Zalando. Can you hear faint shrieks in the distance too? Ah it's just my television. We had the chance to take a closer look at the new Zalando FW13 collection. Already in webstores as we speak. The best way to describe this collection is wok 'n' roll. You'll get the idea after seeing some pieces. I'm fan! 

Bloggers & tattoos = match made in heaven. I'm sure that at a given time I'll get one, but for now I'm still busying myself with endless contemplation. In the meantime LACLAIRE offers the perfect solution: fake tattoos. Obviously I wanted one and how could I resist a hipster triangle?

Next, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Pepe Jeans. UPR went all out and brought London to us, I could almost smell the thee. Confetti, balloons, pompons, flags, paper serpentines,... Need I say more? Partaaay! To celebrate their own birthday, Pepe Jeans launched a patriotic mini-collection (limited edition!).

Secretly I was hoping for a nail booth, time management is not really my strong suit so I didn't have any time left before the event to pimp my nails. Pronails to the rescue! I went for some black nailpolish with a purple-gold-blue glitter topcoat; instant party nails. I left the real nail art to my fellow bloggers, clumsiness is my middle name. Pronails has a huge range in embellishments though: string tape, tattoos, velvet fluff, glitter, coloured flakes, studs, pearls,.. You name it, they have it! Maybe I just have to get over myself and get on with it already. (I'll throw on some glitter if my attempts fail)

L'Occitane brought us to the flower fields of the Provence. I swear I could feel Jean-Baptiste Grenouille breathing down my neck. La Collection de Grasse consists of fresh flower smells like Jasmin, Magnolia, Narcisse,.. Obviously I recommend to smell it for yourself and enjoy the soothing aromas.

After all that experiencing, a fruity drink was more than welcome. Most of you probably know the Sodastream sodas (ha!) but sometimes you just don't feel like drinking strong-flavoured liquids. I really enjoy my gallons of water, nevertheless water can get quite boring at times. Recently I've been adding some drops of lemon juice to my water, fresh & yummy! Sodastream spied on me and came up with MyWater flavour essences. Just a few drops to ad a light fruit taste to your water. Now I have even more possibilities to spice up my water, score! You can already find the flavour essences in most places that offer the Sodastream assortment.

Illy made us reminisce about our most happy moments because in their book coffee is an invitation to relax and experience a moment of pleasure. The most obvious one I could think of was my biology trip to Tanzania. Discovering rainforests, savannas, the African seaside, all in the company of friends and wild animals. At night while we were sleeping, hyenas and lions would roam between our tents wondering what laid inside. I assure you, it was an exciting trip! You can read more about the Coffee Surfing project here.

Nikki's happy place is London while Marijke is happy every Sunday during brunch

Veritas offered a very weather-appropriate workshop: make your own beanie! We could choose between knitting and crocheting, when I saw the pink crochet needles my choice was made instantly. A couple of friendly and helpful Veritas ladies helped us through the whole ordeal. Alas, I'm not a natural, what did you expect? But I'm not going to despair, because Veritas is planning on placing some handy DIY videos online. Thank you very much! In the meantime you and I can already have a look at the written explanations.

One thing was still missing from this event: jewellery! Thank god Swarovski filled this void perfectly. They presented the new FW13/14 collection 'Secret Treasures'.  This collection stands for big statement pieces as well as fine and elegant pieces. Our inner pirate was aroused by the large treasure chest in the middle of the room. What-o-what was inside? Noémie from Le Chat Noir was the lucky discoverer. Her new beetle necklace is gorgeous! How do you like my bling?

Finally, we did a little karaoke with Sennheiser. Well I don't know if you could call it singing but Maya, Marijke and I sure had a lot of fun! You can see a small clip on my Instagram account (@aardbeienroomijs). Seriously, those headphones are sick! Once you put them on, the rest of the world turns silent and all that exists are the beats rocking your core. In my case: Beyoncé's Countdown! I sure know what's going on my Christmas list this year.

The event reached its climax with some delicious food (I want the name of that caterer!) and Sodastream cocktails. Yes they do alcohol too! Is it obvious that I had a blast? I really want to express my gratitude to UPR for inviting us humble bloggers and giving us a day to remember. Keep doing what you're doing because you're doing it well!

Also thank you Inez, Maya, Monica, Ruby, Kim, Nikki, Marijke & all others for the lovely company!

If anyone wonders I was wearing: Evil Twin dress (via Zalando), Zara cardigan, Thomas Sabo clover necklace, Simple comme Bonjour heart ring, Converse sneakers.

Cheers!
Naomi, x.