#UDALLNIGHTER

TL’s Beauty Editor, along with five beauty influencers, took to London for an all-night adventure with funky beauty brand Urban Decay.

FRIDAY, 23 MARCH

TIME: 18H30 We meet at Virgin Atlantic’s international check-in desk at OR Tambo International Airport, Joburg. We soon discover who is part of the team, and share hugs, selfies and passport boomerangs for the ’gram. After checking in successfully, we are ushered to Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse Lounge where we snap, sip and eat to our hearts’ content. Then the gifts start coming. We are hooked up with UK sim cards and data from b4iTravel, so that we are connected the minute we land! At 9pm we gather our belongings and make our way to the boarding gate to start our two-day escapade.

(PS If you’re planning on getting away soon, Virgin Atlantic has a new affordable offering, Economy Light, which is their lowest fare, specially structured for a millennial traveller.)

To kick off the trip, we receive the Urban Decay All Day All Night Travel Spray Duo (R350), made up of the Quick Fix and All Nighter Setting Spray to spritz during the course of the flight and set our make-up in place.

SATURDAY, 24 MARCH

06:20 The #UDAllNighter squad disembarks and everyone quickly makes their way through immigration and collects their luggage. We gather and wait for our shuttle to take us from the airport to our hotel in the east of London.

09:30 We arrive at our destination, the funky Moxy London Stratford, the perfect home for the #UDAllNighter girl. It’s quirky and cute, with eclectic decor for cool IG shots.

10:00-12:00 As I enter my room, I see a chic tote bag that contains the Urban Decay All Nighter Vault. Inside is the All Nighter Concealer (R395), Drop Shot Oil, All Nighter Foundation (R490), and All Nighter Setting Spray (R450), which keeps your make-up in check for up to 16 hours. Rebound quickly the next day by spritzing the collagen-laced, radiance-boosting Rebound Collagen Spray (R450).

12:00-15:00 We all gather in the foyer, looking brand new with our face beats and dressed to the nines.

What would a London adventure be without using the Underground? We zip through the city to have lunch at Breddos Tacos, Carnaby, a cool Mexican restaurant, to chat, snap and vlog. Cynthia, Brett and I sneak off for a little walkabout and discover Liberty. After stuffing our faces, we race off to the next location…

15:00-17:00 You guessed it – the Urban Decay Boutique store on Carnaby Street. Nothing could have prepared us for this beauty candystore. The decor is so edgy. We’re taken to The Lounge – a private downstairs area for masterclasses. We witness a masterclass by UD senior make-up artist Levi-Jade Taylor, who creates a gorgeous nighttime makeup look on Lorinda. The look features sparkly blue eyelids, dewy skin and a glossy nude lip. As soon as she’s done, we all rush to the lit mirrors so we can test the tricks we’d just learned. We head back to Oxford Station to catch our next train to the next destination.

18:00-20:00 After jumping on and off a couple of trains, we finally reach the most instagrammable neon bar ever, Tonight Josephine. We all keep checking our make-up in the mirrored ceiling, and it’s not moving at all. Everybody looks as perfect as we did when we left Moxy Hotel. In between all the dances we are

treated to the Troublemaker Duo (R420), which includes a mascara and eyeliner. You can’t give beauty girls make-up and expect them not to test it immediately! The night is far from over so a coat of mascara won’t hurt, right?

20:30 We leave Tonight Josephine and make our way to the Trapeze Bar for some more leg-shaking. There is still no need to touch up our make-up. The most you could have done was redo your lips after messing them up with all that food and drinks… The time to go home approaches too soon and we gather our belongings, down our drinks, and bid the Trapeze Bar a sad farewell. SUNDAY, 25 MARCH

00:00 According to the reflection on the mirror inside the lift, my make-up has not moved an inch… I step into my room and spot a message that was left for me in true Urban Decay style. Another purple gift bag swinging from the shower door carries the UD Meltdown range, which removes long-lasting products. I change into my PJs and spray my face with the Meltdown Dissolving Spray. There’s another note instructing us to meet upstairs for a PJ soirée, and the entertainment continues as we jump on the bed like little girls and watch the London skyline from the balcony…What an awesome night!

06:00 I prepare my day 2 ensemble for all the walking we’re going to do. I pair my laidback outfit with subtle make-up, and finish it with the All Nighter Pollution Protection Setting Spray (R450).

08:00 After breakfast, we hit the road. We use the tube to catch the London Red Tour Bus to experience the city in true tourist style. At Oxford Street, Sarah, Melody, Cynthia and I visit Selfridges. I almost cried when we walked into the fashion and beauty mecca.

13:00 Sob! The time has come to congregate at the designated meeting spot to make our way back to the hotel to round off the trip and head back to SA.