{Source}
Hello Lovely Followers
So I am back from my holiday, and just about recovered from jet lag. Had an absolutely amazing time, and didn't want to come home.
Anyway I just wanted to do a different post for a change; duty free, following a conversation I had with Rosa Bello on twitter! Now we all love a bargain especially when we hit the departures lounge at the airport. I have only ever flown from Heathrow Terminal 3 (T3), and I know the shops in there are immense, it truly is a bloggers paradise (shoes, makeup, perfume and etc). However on this occasion I was so disappointed to find out that I wouldn't be flying from T3, instead I was flying from Gatwick North Terminal! Now I think I have only ever flown from this terminal once when I was a child, but when you're a kid you're far more interested in watching the planes coming into land and taking off or nagging your parents ''Mum/Dad, I need the toilet''! lol Haha. Anyway when I passed security (OMG I got such a thorough search, no kidding -_-), I entered the land of duty free. Because Gatwick is a small airport I wasn't expecting to see many shops or a great selection, but to my surprise the variety wasn't bad.
The first store I looked for was Chanel, unfortunately there wasn't one apart from a small boutique in the two 'World Duty Free' sections.
Anyway I just wanted to do a different post for a change; duty free, following a conversation I had with Rosa Bello on twitter! Now we all love a bargain especially when we hit the departures lounge at the airport. I have only ever flown from Heathrow Terminal 3 (T3), and I know the shops in there are immense, it truly is a bloggers paradise (shoes, makeup, perfume and etc). However on this occasion I was so disappointed to find out that I wouldn't be flying from T3, instead I was flying from Gatwick North Terminal! Now I think I have only ever flown from this terminal once when I was a child, but when you're a kid you're far more interested in watching the planes coming into land and taking off or nagging your parents ''Mum/Dad, I need the toilet''! lol Haha. Anyway when I passed security (OMG I got such a thorough search, no kidding -_-), I entered the land of duty free. Because Gatwick is a small airport I wasn't expecting to see many shops or a great selection, but to my surprise the variety wasn't bad.
The first store I looked for was Chanel, unfortunately there wasn't one apart from a small boutique in the two 'World Duty Free' sections.
{This is Glasgow Chanel boutique, but it is exactly the same at Gatwick North Terminal. Source}
Of course, I felt like a kid in a sweet factory, didn't know where to look, what to sample or buy (haha), but I went straight for the fragrance; Coco Mademoiselle. I already own the Eau de Parfum spray 100ml bottle which I received as a christmas present from my parents last year, and I decided to top up seeing as my signature D&G Feminine perfume has now become extinct! :/ After a long natter with the Chanel lady, I ended up walking away with the Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Toilette Spray 50ml for £39.10 (high street £48.88). Nice little saving of £9.78.
I then reluctantely dragged myself away from Chanel and headed for D&G, and came across 3 fragrances; The One, Rose The One and L'eau The One. If anyone has smelt these fragrances you will know they are incredibly similar and if I am honest, hard to distinguish between all 3 of them. I couldn't make up my mind between any of them so I left and headed for MAC.
{MAC counter at Gatwick is similar to this. Source}
I wasn't expecting to see MAC in Gatwick North Terminal so was a surprise to see a counter with such a wide selection. Of course, I was very good and I didn't go crazy as I didn't want to leave myself skint for my holiday but it was so hard not to blow all my money lol! The consultant I dealt with was so lovely; she asked where I was flying to and what my purpose for going to Jamaica was. I mentioned wedding, what colour the dress was (and what I was looking for) and she kindly matched my dress colour to a lipstick that was suitable. The lipstick shade 'Sheer Plum' was £12.25 (high street £13.50). A little saving of £1.25, which isn't that great, but a saving is a saving, right?
{Haha I know there are some of you who fit this label well. Source}
Moving on from there I then found a shelf that had fragrances at 40% off the high street price. Of course nothing really took my fancy apart from the Burberry Touch; 100ml for £37 (high street £62.67). I spent ages debating whether or not to get it, and I decided not to as I felt it was a little expensive, and I was pretty sure I could get it from a well known website for a few quid cheaper. And viola I was right; CheapSmells sell the same genuine fragrance for £30.50 (free P&P). Kinda proves duty free isn't always cheaper than the highstreet!!
After I dragged myself away from World Duty Free I proceeded to look around the terminal, and there are quite a few shops, such as WHSmith, Next, Jo Malone, Accessorize, Fat Face, Dixons, Mango, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, JD Sports, Ray Ban, Ted Baker, The Shoe Studio, Tie Rack, and more. Although duty free is supposedly meant to be cheaper, some of the stores were heavily overpriced, for example Ted Baker. But I guess that's airports for you!!
I took a quick look around Accessorize, and I didn't find much although I left with a purse that cost £11, which at that price I thought you can't go wrong. And I then darted quickly into a bag shop that sold travel accessories where I got myself a beanie neck pillow for the plane. Costing £8.67, all the other stores wanted £12+ for exactly the same thing.
{Purse is a teal colour, but hasn't pictured very well in this snap}
I decided to stop spending before I got carried away, so I headed straight for the gate before boarding my plane and jetting off. On my flight home I caught the duty free bug mid flight. British Airways, as with any airline (I presume?) hold their own duty free. Flicking through the book I came across Liz Earle and more Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, but this time it was the travel handbag size. It comes in the form of a spray pump with 3 refills, which I thought was amazing as it's discreet, neat and cute for a handbag. This cost £47.50 (highstreet Boots £60.00), saving of £12.50, decent lil bargain I say!
So that's it for my duty free natter (and purchases). Hope you found it interesting and informative to know what is sold at Gatwick N terminal duty free).
So that's it for my duty free natter (and purchases). Hope you found it interesting and informative to know what is sold at Gatwick N terminal duty free).
PS. Apologies pictures are not all mine, I couldn't find my camera whilst I was in the duty free lounge.
you must have money to burn lady!! two lots of coco mademoiselle!?!
ReplyDeleteI do love that perfume though, my mum always used to wear it and I used to love stealing it!.
Hopefully my trip to Manchester Airport will be just as successful!
I really like the purse, it's cute. What is the MAC lipstick like shade wise? :)
ReplyDeleteThis post doesn't make me feel so bad about making a Duty Free shopping list for when we fly out of Manchester T1
ReplyDeleteI'm always so tempted at duty free shops it's crazy lol. Love all your buys! xx
ReplyDelete