Posts Tagged ‘freebies’
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Challenge: Spend a whole day in London without spending a penny
Now this one is easy. Too easy, in fact, as London is one of those brilliant cities which is actually chockers with free stuff to do.
One of the most obvious places to start is London’s world-class museums and galleries, which unlike other cities around the world, offer free admission to many of their permanent collections. You could easily spend days wandering the capital’s great galleries without spending a penny. But there’s a chance you could suffer from a serious case of gallery fatigue. Plus there’s loads more to see and do. Here’s a sample itinerary of a full (free) day in London:
11am Free 80 minute yoga class
Dermalogica, KensingtonThe Dermalogica store in Kensington hosts a whole line-up of free health and well-being classes and workshops. Check online to see what’s coming up and book in advance.
1pm Take a packed lunch and picnic in the splendour of Kensington Gardens. People-watch, squirrel-watch and bird-watch for free.
2pm. Take in some culture and visit a free gallery or museum. The V&A Museum is nearby and houses an extensive collection of art and design.
4pm Get ready for a big night out with a free makeover at The Body Shop.
6pm. Go to a free taping of a TV show and spend the night with your favourite celebrities. Some of them even give you free booze! Apply well in advance for free tickets at the BBC or at Applause Store. Just keep in mind that you need to queue up very early for tickets on the night, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get in.
9pm. Time to hit the (free) night clubs! Death Disco in at Notting Hills Arts Club is my pick of the bunch –with guest DJ sets (including the likes of Courtney Love, Tim Burgess, and Mercury Rev) and free live acts as well. (Wednesday nights only)
Posted in Beauty, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, Travel
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How much free beauty booty can you score? [Part 3]
Remember that (rather humiliating) day when you challenged me to blag as many freebies as possible from department store beauty counters? And I discovered that quite a few brands (with the exception of Clarins and Biotherm) were a wee bit mean and unforthcoming in their bid to secure ultimate customer satisfaction?
Well, I’ve just (re)discovered The Body Shop, and I’m giving myself a big kick for not paying them a visit on my day of torture and mascara-tainted tears. Serves me right – I really should have remembered that The Body Shop is usually ahead of its game when it comes to enhancing the customer experience. They believe that customers really should try before they buy, and actively encourage you to request samples of products you’d like to test at home. In fact, they’ve got a store of empty 15ml bottles (for liquids) and 5ml pots (for creams) which they’ll fill with the product(s) of your choice. They will also hand-write the contents of each pot or bottle in the designated space on the bottle. Neat-o!
On my visit, I sampled Satsuma Shower Gel, Vitamin C SPF Daily Moisturiser, Vitamin C Intensive Night Treatment and Seaweed Pore Perfecter. Such a clever move on The Body Shop’s part as it’s a brand I’ve tended to stray from in recent years, and I probably wouldn’t try the products if I hadn’t been able to test them first.
Another good reason to drop by The Body Shop is that they offer free in-store makeovers (with no requirement to purchase product). It’s also extremely worthwhile joining their loyalty program, which not only offers a generous 10% off all purchases, but you can also earn stamps to receive free gifts (and there’s an extra free gift on your birthday). Definitely an Oola Moola favourite.
Posted in Beauty
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Wanna free trip to Denmark?
Those clever clogs over at Visit Denmark sure know how to get our attention. They want to put Danish holidays to the test, so they’re offering UK couples and families free flights and accommodation. You have until 31 March to apply to be a guinea pig, and holidays must be taken in 2009. Be sure to read the full terms and conditions, and take note that only certain dates are available. Run, don’t walk.Posted in Travel
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How much free beauty booty can you score? [Part 2]
I’m back – with a bag full of beauty booty! Though not nearly as much as I had expected – the recession seems to have hit the beauty counters as well. Some counters claimed they had no samples at all, and at times I had to sit through a one-hour skin analysis/lecture/critique just to get one sachet of face cream.
Posted in Beauty
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How much free beauty booty can you score? [Part 1]
I’m half-scared and half-excited by the prospect of this challenge. The idea of trying to score free stuff is certainly alluring, but the notion of spending an entire day schlepping around department store beauty counters fills with my dread.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my beauty products. Adore them, in fact. The thing is, I’ve been editing and writing about beauty for women’s mags over the past 10 years. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what works for me. So I have managed to avoid any “analysis” at the hands of the department store beauty counter for a very long time. If I ever need to stock up on product I swoop in and out as quickly as I can.
Then there’s that idea of coming across a bit, um, opportunistic, greedy and a total freeloader. And I’m not the most ideal blagger at the best of times.
But I see this as an opportunity to really put beauty companies to the test. After all, times are tough, and they really have to win me over these days to part with my hard-earnt cash. And there’s an overwhelming amount of product out there. How are you meant to know what really suits you without trying it first? I really think all beauty companies should offer samples so you can try – at home – before you buy.
So how will I get on? Which company is generous with samples? What will be my best freebie-scoring tactic? And will I actually get anything I really wanted? Find out in part two…
Posted in Beauty
