36 Hours in London - What I Wore and Loved at Stylist Live

I must admit, I hadn't heard of Stylist Live before this summer. An annual event, it is held over a weekend in London with guest speakers, various workshops, opportunities to win self care goodies and get talking to some other like minded people.

This year it was held in White City, and with the line up including Elizabeth Day, Julie Smith, Marie Kondo and Aimee Connolly I was very intrigued. As an avid podcast listener many of the speakers are people I have heard interviewed so I was very keen to hear them speak in person. That along with the promised goodie bag (more of that later) and an opportunity for a little self care - I was in. My friend was also keen so off the two of us went.

What to wear?

Determined to travel light I have to say it did take me a little while to decide on what to wear. Lots of rain was forecast and I did not want to be walking around with damp trousers/jeans/trainers. It was tricky, I can't deny...

What seemed most practical were my trusty Dr Marten black boots. A certain amount of waterproof-ness and comfort for walking around lots. With those boots in mind I decided to wear skirts on both days (this also avoided getting cold in damp trousers). One outfit was a bit subdued (for travel), whilst the other a bit more fun (worn to the event itself).

Rightly or wrongly, I decided against a long rain coat as I didn't want to have to carry it round with me once at the venue (for future reference, there was a cloakroom) and brought an umbrella instead.

I carried everything in my handbag (toiletries, pyjamas, etc.) and relied on layers to keep me warm.

I wore my bomber jacket and midi skirt (both Topshop) on the Sunday with a bit of lippie to elevate.

How much does Stylist Live cost?

I paid £97 for my Sunday ticket. The event is over 2 days, but I was swayed by the speakers on the Sunday. The £97 was an early bird price so prices do vary.

But, I have to say, I really thought it was great value. This price included:

• A free workshop - I booked in for pottery which was painting a ceramic coaster

• Access to all the live talks

• A goodie bag with loads of freebies

• A guaranteed prize on the Big Wheel (I won a cleanser which I later saw has a RRP of £42)

• Lunch

• Another goodie bag with treats from the tuck shop

• 3 drinks (g&t, wine, etc)

So really, quite a lot.

Were the talks any good?

Yes! As I said, I'm slightly biased in that these are all speakers who I enjoy listening to anyway. First up was Dr Julie Smith giving some really useful insights into managing burn out, anxiety and stress. She also shared some personal experiences which always adds credibility.

Elizabeth Day is just so engaging. Like Dr Julie Smith, she also has a new book out (although Elizabeth's latest is fiction) and I'll probably be purchasing it in the future. I found her really eloquent and clearly interested in the topic of self acceptance and personal growth.

Unfortunately we missed listening to Oti Mabuse who I'm sure was equally likeable.

Lastly was the legendary Marie Kondo. Funnily enough I got talking to 2 women in a queue earlier in the afternoon who believed it wasn't going to be the actual Marie Kondo but a representative discussing her process and method. But, it was in fact the real Marie Kondo speaking via her translator. She had such a calming presence and it felt so soothing listening to her speak of the merits of tidying. There were also moments of humour though when she shared how her approach has had to change since having children!

What were the workshops?

As I already mentioned, I did the pottery one. I wish I had planned what I might do because mine turned out very, well, average. I couldn't think what to do - so went with an attempt at my new logo. Thankfully we were allowed to take home our paints, so I can always try again sometime!

There was also flower arranging, poetry, doodling and manifesting workshops.

I also did a breathwork one later in the afternoon as there were spaces. I enjoyed that, it was a useful reminder to stop and take 5 regularly.

And the goody bag?

Yes, there are things in there I'll be passing on, but all in all, I was really impressed. I'm a sucker for a face product and have recently run out of serum - thankfully there was one in the bag. There was mascara, colllagen sachets, glow tonic, cleanser, face mist, a hair brush and more. Here's a photo of what it came with:

The goodie bag was promoted as being worth over £300 - it did include a £50 voucher for the Stylist advent calendar which bumped the value up somewhat. But I'm pretty happy with the contents - not really any "fillers" which can sometimes be frustrating.

So, all in all, a brilliant day. I'd definitely recommend going to the Stylist Live event. There were clearly many people there who had made a day out of it and were using it as a lovely opportunity to spend time with a friend (myself included). It was great value, I was impressed with the speakers and it was a nice day of a bit of self care. I'll absolutely be looking out for their dates for next year.