Cosmo's Media Masterclass: An inspirational evening...

Last night I took a much needed break from dissertation writing to attend The Cosmo Media Masterclass in Manchester! 

Cosmopolitan held their first ever Careers Masterclass on tuesday evening in London, however, they didn't leave out us aspiring northerners, bringing the event to Manchester the following evening with a fabulous (and extremely knowledgable) panel of experts with them! 

The panel- lead by Cosmo's Editor Louise Court- consisted of: 

Lizzi Hosking, Cosmo's Entertainment Director

Sarah Hall, senior publicist at Sony Music, which represents Pink

Rachel Burke-Davies, breakfast show co-presenter for Capital FM Manchester 

Rachel Hardy, communications manager for Lime Pictures (Hollyoaks, TOWIE, Geordie Shore) 

Pat McNulty, Cosmo's Digital Editor

If I had to sum up the event in one word it would have to be inspiring. 

With the end of my degree fast-approaching it was great to hear how successful women in the industry started off. The fact that the majority of the panel began in unpaid placements and worked their way up definitely gave me a much needed boost that I am on the right path to success! I also learnt some top tips on how to stand out when applying for placements/jobs both in your C.V and interviews. This is all really relevant to me right now as all I am doing in my spare time is job-hunting, and obviously I am not alone with graduate unemployment rates predicted to reach "crisis" levels in 2013 (read about it: here). Events such as Cosmo's careers masterclass are fantastic opportunities as you get advise first hand from the actual industry experts that we are actually trying to reach via our C.V's, cover letters and applications. 

So, what are the top tips I picked up from last night?

1.) Make your C.V concise: Bullet point everything and make key words stand out. Publicist Sarah Hall advised most of the time she is so busy she can only skim read C.V's, so those key words are an essential to get onto the shortlist!

2.) Do your research: Know the industry and the brand you are applying for inside out. Keep up to date with important campaigns within the industry and relevant journalists and editors. This kind of knowledge will impress in an interview and show that you are passionate about the industry and after the job for the right reasons.

3.) Go the extra mile: Yes, we probably aren't being paid but we choose to be there and we know the score. We are getting valuable experience and access to the best people in the industry, so make yourself indispensable, offer to stay late, sacrifice the odd lunch hour, and do it with a smile on your face... it will get noticed! 

4.) "Have Balls": Cosmo Editor Louise Court said her biggest regret when starting out is that she wasn't more confident in her initial placements. She also mentioned that she loves it when her interns introduce themselves when they take on their placements at Cosmo as this makes them more memorable when they leave! This comes down to making the most of a placement when you get it. Its the perfect opportunity to make connections- you never know who can help secure you a future job, so get to know as many people as you can to really make an impression. This also applies to when you are actually trying to secure a placement- don't be afraid to send an email to an editor or get on the phone and chase up a job- persistance is key and shows how much you really want the job. 

5.) Don't get disheartened: Its a competitive industry, so unfortunately the risk of rejection runs high. However, don't get put off applying for positions just because you think you might get a no. At the end of the day a no isn't the end of the world and everything happens for a reason, so keep trying!

Fingers crossed armed with my new found knowledge I'll bag myself a top placement pretty fast! Good luck to everyone else looking out there too!

Arrival to the Cosmo Masterclass!

Checking out the goodies!

The Panel! (From L-R: Louise Court, Rachel Hardy, Rachel Burke-Davies, Sarah Hall, Lizzi Hosking Pat McNulty)

Sarah Hall giving more advice!

Louise Court poses for a photo with a fan

A big thank-you has to go out to the Cosmo team and panel for all the amazing advice they gave throughout the event. Afterwards some panelists stayed back to speak to guests individually and give out more 1 on 1 advice which was really great and such a fantastic opportunity. Cosmo will be hosting their second masterclass next month (14th May) which will be their Superblogger Masterclass (V. exciting for all my blogger buddies!!). This event will just be taking place in London, however they have a fantastic panel made up of:

Pat McNulty, Digital Editor of Cosmopolitan.co.uk 
Vicki Fogwill, Social-media manager for Next 
Dominic Smales, Founder of social-media agency Gleam Digital 
Kat Williams, Blogger who runs cult wedding site Rocknrollbride.com 
Andreas Pouros, COO of Greenlight Digital
Emily Johnston, Founder of influential style blog Fashionfoiegras.com 

For more info on the event check out the Cosmo website here.

On a quick final note, I couldn't finish the post and not mention the ah-may-zing goody bag we picked up at the event. It was full of some great beauty products- fantastic sizes and definitely one of the most generous goody bags I have received! 

• Little White Lie: Tanning Lotion (125ml)
• DHC: Deep Cleansing Oil (70ml)
• Umberto Gianniini: Frizzi Miracle Worker with Argan Oil (125ml)
• Palmer's: Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E (250ml)
• Bronze Ambition: Fake Don't Bake Tanning Cream (75ml)
• Velvotan: The Original Tanning Mit
• Kleenex: Shine Absorbing Sheets (x50)
• NYC: Expert Last Lip Colour in Flirty
• Miners: Dip & Define Eye Powder in Cloud 9
• DenTek: Complete Clean Floss Picks (x1)
• Popchips: Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips (23g)

I will have lots of fun checking out all these goodies properly, so look out for future reviews! 

I am off to finish up my dissertation now folks, (and apply for jobs of course!) 

However, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the post! Where you at the masterclass? If so, what did you take from the event? Or are you going to the Superblogger event next month? Let me know!!

Ciao for now!

Kate xx

The Harvey Nichols Beauty Spectacular, Late Night Beauty Event!

It feels like a while since I have done a post on anything beauty related, and indeed it has been some time since I have been able to treat myself to a brand new product. However, I attended the Harvey Nichols Beauty Spectacular event at the Beauty Bazaar store, here in Liverpool on Wednesday evening, and it was impossible not to have a little splurge!

The event itself was just like a late night lock in, starting at 5:30pm and ending at 9pm with Champagne and nibbles being offered to guests. It was £10 entrance fee into the store, however, this was fully redeemable on any purchase made at the event and is valid until next weekend. I thought this was quite a clever idea, as I knew I was bound to make a purchase and this took the sting out of the tail when I got £10 taken off the ticket price!

Event Ticket, (excuse the chipped nail! Tsk!)

Beauty Treatments at Aveda

Treatment Area

Guests even had their hair done!

Lipstick fun... Check out that hand palette!

Champagne Nail Bar at Nails Inc.

One for the wish list??

Fab lipbalms froms Espa

Brand New Benefit Product: Fake Up Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer

I really enjoyed the beauty event, it was great way of browsing the products in a relaxed and sociable atmosphere. Almost everyone at the event walked away with a little Harvey Nichols bag (including myself!) so it must have been a really successful night for the store and all of our favourite beauty brands too! I think they could have called a spade a spade with the event title as it was basically a lock in shopping event, similar to those that the likes of Topshop etc. have, which is fine but I was expecting some sort of beauty demonstration that never really came around. However, it was a really enjoyable evening and I hope to attend more in the future!

Check out my post on what I purchased here.

Have you attended any beauty events lately? I'd love to hear about them!

Kate xxx

Last night's #MCRFW Blogger Meet and Event Line Up!

So, last night was my first ever official blogger event!

Still being fairly new on the blogging scene this was a fantastic opportunity for me to meet fellow bloggers in the North West, and of course find out some fab new blogs to read!! 

The event was hosted by Manchester Fashion Week to give all the official MCRFW bloggers a chance to meet before the event itself (only 26 days away!). We sipped champers and enjoyed some scrummy MCRFW cupcakes surrounded by fabulous artwork in the beautiful Castle Gate Galleries in Manchester's Deansgate. Head of Fashion for Manchester Fashion Week, Kirsty Attwood attended and greeted us all, filling us in with details of the event and revealed some little teasers for what the future holds for Manchester Fashion Week, which I can tell you sounds really exciting! It is definitely one to watch (look out London...) 

Blogger Meet at Castle Galleries, 26/03/13

Fellow Bloggers: Irene of irenadworld.blogspot.co.uk : Martyna of elmartina.blogspot.co.uk : Alex of alexdphotography.co.uk 

 Me with lovely fellow bloggers Irene and Alex. I am wearing Monochrome dress from River Island, £28.00

At the event, we also received a fab goody box filled with fabulous treats!

The box contained the following:

1. A free facial and £10 off voucher for the Skin Health Spa in Manchester

2. Firefly, Natural Drinks in Orange and Passion Fruit Flavour, 500ml (Yum!)

3. Seascape, Island Apothecary Refresh Hand Lotion 300ml

4. Anatomicals: Tanatomicals, the Holy Grail for the deathly pale instant +self tan mousse, 150ml 

5. Jelly Belly, jellybeans 3x 10g bags

Lucky me! I am loving this months selection of goodies and really looking forward to giving them a proper try out! (The Jelly Belly jellybeans did not last long! I hadn't eaten jellybeans for years and they brought me straight back to my childhood, yummy!) 

I am particularly pleased to have received the Seascape hand lotion as I have recently been doing lots of shifts in work on my Jon Richard concession counter in Debenhams and the pesky air conditioning is really drying out my skin! I have particularly noticed me hands have been getting much drier so this is the perfect product for me to try out right now! I have never used a Seascape product before, either, so really interested to see how they work!

Of course I am also over the moon to have received a Tanitomicals fake tan, being from Liverpool, we are known for our love of this particular product so this did put a smile on my face! I am heading out to a fancy dress party this Sat so may try it out prior to this event! 

I am also loving the Firefly's 'simple' philosophy of just wanting to quench my thirst! I love the Ornage and Passion fruit flavour and this is definitely a drink I will be purchasing next time I am a little bit parched! 

Finally a big Thankyou to the Manchester Fashion Week team for putting together such a great event! I am EVEN MORE excited for fashion week than I was before... if that was even possible!! It is shaping up to be a fantastic event!! 

The line up for the first four days of the event was released this week on the MCRFW website, mcrfashionweek.com,  and tickets are now available to buy online (Buy them here)

They are flying out fast and it is set to be a sold out event so snap your tickets up fast before they go!! This is definitely not one to be missed!! 

Screen shots from mcrfashionweek.com featuring the event lineup

So, which events are you most looking forward to?? Let me know, I'd love to know which events everyone is attending and look forward to seeing you there!! 

Much Love

Kate xxx

Movember Shaving Party!

As we should all know by now, the month of November has become all about MOvember, the charity movement that has swept the globe encouraging guys to grow the best Tashes they can in support of cancer research- specifically those that affect men such as prostate and testicular cancer.

Last night I became a true 'Mo Sista' and attended the Movember Monday Shaving Off Party to celebrate all the 'Mo Bros' out there and of course their fabulous facial hair!

The event took place at 62 Castle Street Bar and Restaurant in Liverpool's City Centre in conjunction with White Haus Hair & Beauty. Chris Johnson White from E4's series Desperate Scousewives, who owns White Haus with his partner Mark, attended the event and hosted a competition to find who had grown the best moustaches for the top prize- 'Miss Movember'- and some free teeth whitening at their salon! (Just to clarify- Miss Movember was in fact a man!) I have not yet visited the salon, but my hair is in dire need of a chop so may check it out soon!

We were greeted into the venue by friendly staff all of whom were sporting a Tash of course! (Even the ladies!) Plus plenty of free wine and prosecco along with live music followed by a live DJ set. We were also treated to some lovely canapes later in the evening and- my favourite treat of the night- Moustache shaped biscuits.. yum!

I had a really good evening and was definitely impressed by the efforts made by all who organised the event. It was also for a really good cause and with December looming it is almost over for another year- but there is still time to donate! Check out the Movember website to find out more on how to make a donation, sponsor a Mo-Grower or how to get involved next year!  

Live Music 

Fun and Friendly Staff!

 

 

Top Secret blend..Movember Cocktail

Tash On-- No one was left out of the fun

 

Who else has been involved in Movember this year?? I'd love to see some of the best moustaches out there so feel free to share!!

Also, follow up posts on the She Said Beauty box goodies will be coming this week along with more on #MCRFW of course!

...but right now I will say Ciao Fallowers!

Much Love Xxx