This is Beauty Bible Executive Assistant Amy's on-trend sailor-striped bag of swag from the what is definitely the most frenzied night in a beauty editor's calendar:  the preview night at which industry insiders swoop upon products to trial, before voting in the CEW Awards.  (NB  You have to be a paid-up member of CEW UK - the beauty world's networking organisation - to get an invite...) For us, though, it's completely brilliant - like speed-dating beauty brands, to see what's new, which might have escaped our notice.  We already receive literally TONS of beauty products every year, but there are is always fresh excitement discover, as well as 'classics' we may have forgotten over time...

And because beauty PRs are among the nicest people in the world, it is always a pleasure to catch up.  Even if we do have to sharpen our elbows beforehand.  (We are honoured to go to the pre-preview preview, but it's like the first day of Harrods sale when the gates open for the main session...!)

Amy will be slathering her way through the booty, above (Jo went home with an equally groaning bag) - but here's a look at some of the brands and faces that we encountered on Beauty's Big Night.

The Color Wow stand - showcasing the extraordinary new root-disguising hair powder from John Frieda and Gail Federici (as featured in our own SHOP section here)

It's not ALL women - the occasional chap creeps in, like this guy, who was encouraging CEW members to try the Famous Dave's tanning products, renowned for being super-easy to apply.

A true beauty classic, of course:  the world-famous Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream.  (And how thrilled were guests to take home a full-size jar of THAT, in its 15th birthday year...?)

One of our favourite hand cream finds in a long, long time - you can read about Yes, Nurse Protect Your Lovely Hands Cream on Beauty Bible Loves, here - demo-ed by its co-founder, Antonia Stevens.  (Making its CEW debut...)

Always thrilling to see our own Beauty Bible awards logos turning up all over the place - here, for OSKIA's fab Micro-Exfoliating Balm, proudly being dispensed by the brand's founder, Georgie Cleeve.  (There were so many brand founders present - because it's a great opportunity for them to network with journalists and buyers...)

By the time we reached the finishing post we weren't really surprised to discover that the hordes had stripped bare the Benefit They're Real! Mascara display - but we're always cheered by an encounter with their vivacious Head Make-up Artist, Lisa Potter-Dixon...

NB The entrants are now being voted on by CEW's members - and will be announced late April. Watch this space...!