Airport Shopping with World Duty Free

*contains sponsored content*

Hey Owlets,

If you've been reading The Owlet for a while you'll know that I REALLY like shopping - I'm one of those people for who "retail therapy" is a real thing, and the only thing that improves it is getting a bargain. Since I started travelling I've managed to save a lot of money by waiting until I'm in Duty Free to top up on my favourite things.

Those of you who have been paying attention will probably be really confused about what I was doing in an airport when I've never flown. If you're thinking "Finally! She's finally stopped talking about it and gone on a plane!" I'm really sorry to disappoint you, that's not the case. However, I have been working on a project behind the scenes to do with flying, so World Duty Free invited me for a look around their Bristol Airport store so I know what to expect (read: know to save up) when I do get to take my first flight.

Having seen the inside of a fair few Duty Free stores in cruise ship terminals, I thought I knew what to expect so didn't get overly excited.... oh how wrong could I be? Having navigated my way through security (it was like a toddler in an office, I had NO IDEA what I was doing!) we walked round the corner to be greeted by a "shopping cathedral". A path snaked around the open plan store with  sections for alcohol, makeup, fragrance, sunglasses and gifts; the floor sparkled, the stalls were lit up like Christmas trees and most brands were ready to offer you a complimentary beauty treatment to get you feeling fresh before the flight - it truly was one of the most luxury experiences I've had in a store.

Most notably, Mac and Jo Malone have recently set up shop in Duty Free - I've loved Jo Malone for a very long time so will be taking advantage of this in the future but for now I was on a mission to find the perfume that Mum's always wanted.

One of the things that stood out to me was how friendly all of the sales assistants were. From previous experiences of shopping in cruise terminals you're completely left alone and the staff are only there to put your items through the till. In World Duty Free it was the complete opposite - in fact the lady on the Dior stand had the patience of a saint because when I text Mum to ask which Miss Dior fragrance she wanted, the response was "the pink one" (spoiler alert, they're all pink). Having navigated that minefield, I moved on to try to find myself a new perfume (well, when in Duty Free!).

As well as discovering new products, Duty Free is a great place to stock up on your essentials. In my mind I expected it to mostly be travel size products, but a lot of brands took advantage of the reduced prices and offered bumper "travel packs" of their products - I got Mum a top up of Armani Si which came with a free travel size bottle which itself was a great size. I also managed to pick up a huge tube of my ride-or-die Benefit Porefessional which is the entire reason you comment on my Instagram photos telling me my skin looks great - seriously, it's all this product.

I was invited to visit World Duty Free as part of an event with a few other bloggers so it was great to see what different people picked. At the back of the store was a huge wall of sunglasses with a small Pandora stand next to it - I'm short-sighted and wear my same Merci Maman necklace and Apple Watch every single day so both of these were wasted on me but the other girls said that the prices were great and I saw a lot of sunglasses cases and Pandora boxes in their bags so if that's your thing you'll be very pleased!

I realise I've left one of the most important factors until last - the price. For me the price is a benefit but not the most important factor; because each stand has a sales assistant you get to try the products without being rushed like in city centre shops. For me the price also contributes because when it's cheaper I don't mind trying something new because if you don't love the product it's not as much money wasted. A lot of the things I got were travel exclusive editions so I can't give you a definitive "I saved this much" but in case you've read through this looking to see how much I saved, here's a few things that I could find like-for-like in normal shops:

Benefit Porefessional Value Size: 

Online: £46

World Duty Free: £36.40

Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil Fragrance:

Online: £82.50

World Duty Free: £68.70

Miss Dior Rollerball:

Online: £34.85

World Duty Free: £27.80

The one thing I would warn you is to do your research. Duty Free is cheaper than in-store prices but you may find cheaper online so if you've saved up to do some airport shopping check that you're getting a good deal before you buy so you're making the most of the airport savings. For example, I bought an Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray for £21.25 when the same size is currently on offer for £20.60 in Debenhams. I was kindly given some vouchers so it made sense for me to use those to stock up, but it's worth using the free wifi to do a quick price check first.

I know I'm a shopping addict so you'd expect me to say this, but if you're going to be flying from Bristol Airport anytime soon I'd absolutely recommend going early and taking time to find some deals - I know that when I eventually get to fly I'll be there doing some retail therapy first!

I realise I haven't actually told you what I got and there's a good reason for that - I'm going to be filming a haul video later this week, so keep an eye on my YouTube channel for that going live. In the meantime, take a look at what I thought of the hotel, Hampton by Hilton at Bristol Airport.

What's your "go to" section in duty free? Leave me some inspiration for my next shopping trip in the comments below!

Love and Feathers,

The Owlet 💜

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest

This post was created in collaboration with World Duty Free and I was given some vouchers to go shopping with. This does not affect my opinion and all thoughts are my own.