*All That Glitters*: B Never

Well I'm certainly not the first to be announcing this really sad news, but I wanted to let those of you who may still not know. Georgie of So Full of Twilight Dreams That Glitter broke the bad news just under a week ago. You may remember my post on the magic of B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful - Lush's sister makeup and beauty brand? Well unfortunately after this Christmas B Never will be no more : (

The company have made the decision to pack up shop after all these years, they won't be going into liquidation, administration or anything nasty like that but instead Lush will be absorbing all the assets. I'm really going to miss this brand - I loved everything about them - their awesome products with amazing names and super gorgeous and fun packaging, philosophy, branding and the stores were like candy shops!

But in true B Never style this Christmas all the stores will be going out with a bang and celebrating their wonderful six years of trading with YOU their loyal fans - so gets yourselves down to your local store and if you're not very local to one then it should still be worth the trip to your nearest. Their UK stores are in Covent Garden, 332 Oxford Street (the one off Carnaby Street isn't there anymore so don't go over there by mistake!), 29 High Street, Poole, Dorset and 21 Commercial Street, Leeds. And if you're in Tokyo, Japan or Vienna, Austria then you too can find your way to your local store for a fun-packed Christmas/Goodbye Do!

In the meantime if there's anything you would like to stock up on before B says goodbye then get online or head to one of the stores because as their website says all their products now really are collectable!

I'll be stocking up on the glitters, concealer and bath products, yes please!

www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.co.uk/

My boyfriend introduced me to this store two years ago when we stumbled upon it in London nextdoor to my favourite MAC store just off Carnaby Street (a friend of his had worked there for a while and she sang its praises constantly!) When I first went in I thought I'd travelled back in time - the store's decorated and furnished with very beautiful and vintage decor and reminds me of little old English sweet stores... but obviously houses makeup instead!

B Never... is the sister brand of Lush and you'll soon realise this as you walk around and notice that a lot of their ingredients are natural and some of their cosmetics are even suitable for Vegans! The packaging, products on offer and branding are also very similar to that of Lush with bright colours and unusual names to boot. You'll soon notice that most of their colours on offer, whether those of eyeshadows, mascaras, blushes or foundation shades are named with the letter B.

The packaging is also very unique: Glitters for instance come in tiny handcrafted wooden pots that look like they fell off a lorry full of Far East Asian pottery! The eyeshadows sit in the most beautiful, elegant bejewelled containers, all differing in design, colour and materials. The foundation bottles look like they should only ever sit on the most elegant of dressing tables as they have ornate gold decorations trailing up the glass of the bottles. Nothing is done by halves by any means!

B Never certainly fulfil their name - they not only sell makeup and cosmetics to make a girl faint, but they emphasise the importance in feeling your best and taking relish in it! How could you not enjoy it with all of the beautiful packaging, fantastic shades and brilliant selection to choose from at your fingertips?!

However B Never may not be for everyone's budget! An eyeshadow will knock you back £8 and you'll find that the pan is rather on the small side. The liquid foundation is £20 - more than most retail foundations on offer, however perhaps you can take solace in the fact that most of the ingredients are natural and therefore very beneficial for your skin!

Another disadvantage is that there are very few B Never... stores around the UK at the moment. It's still early days as far as expansion here is concerned so if you don't live in London and you're not fortunate to live in Poole (B Never's hometown) then you won't easily be able to take a look at all their wares. However they do have a great website, plus one for all of you makeup lovers in Japan and one for Austria, where you can buy everything you need. So if you're unable to sample in-store you can email them and ask to try out some of the products they have to offer. They'll be more than happy to send some your way.

I know I've waxed very lyrical about this brand, but I can't wait to see what they offer next and if they expand around the UK, plus maybe offer more of you from abroad a taste of their delights. I'll be giving a range of their products a try in the next few months and reviewing as I go so watch this space... One thing's for certain - their approach to beauty is very unique and exciting - exactly what getting ready should be all about!

Go and see what all the fuss is about by visiting www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.co.uk!

Image Source

All images courtest of B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful.