Delivery Delays due to Adverse Weather Conditions - UPDATED 17th December

With fresh snow on the ground and more on the way, it seems that winter is going to cause more problems for the nation's posties.  

Severe weather conditions and high volumes of seasonal mail have resulted in deliveries by Royal Mail and other worldwide carriers being delayed - we apologise for any inconvenience caused by these factors which are outside of our control.  We despatch 99% of orders within 24 hours to ensure your items have the best chance to getting to you in time.  However, we are no longer able to guarantee delivery before Christmas.  
 
We recommend UK customers  select the Special Delivery option as these  items are prioritised by Royal Mail.  However, as Royal Mail has suspended their next day delivery guarantee since 1st December, we are unable to promise next day delivery.

If you have placed an order recently and are still waiting to receive it, please note that some first class items are significantly delayed.  Royal Mail have drafted in extra staff to clear the backlog and will also be operating Sunday deliveries in certain areas.  We welcome your patience and have our fingers crossed.


For more information on how the snow and ice is affecting postal deliveries, please visit the Royal Mail's Service Updates page.

Disney Couture Jewellery - Christmas shopping ideas

Sometime we think we should rename ourselves the Disney Store as our Disney Couture jewellery range is so popular!  However, as we don't want to be sued by the behemoth that is the Disney brand, we'll just retain our current name (which I actually quite  like as it reminds me of holidays and sunshine....)

Sentosa Island, Singapore - sun, sea and satay...

As official stockists of Disney Couture jewellery since 2007, we have built up quite a huge collection of designs, both new and old.  We have retained classic lines such as the Believe necklaces (as worn by Paris Hilton) and the "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" bangle, as well as introduced the latest styles such as those from the gorgeous Inspiration collection.

With Christmas coming, we have found that the demand for Disney Couture jewellery is greater than ever, especially for stocking filler items.  Disney Couture jewellery is a premium brand and therefore priced as such but there are still lots of styles which come in at the under £20 mark.

And if your budget allows, our Disney Couture Kidada Blossom Leather Wrap (as seen on Nicole Richie) has now been discounted to just £49.00!

Visit www.zentosa.com for more Disney Couture jewellery

Happy Shopping xxx

Lola Rose Spring Summer 2011 Collection - a little preview!

I don't know about you but this dull, grey weather is getting to me already and there are still months of it ahead of us.  British winters are long and cold but there's always light at the end of the tunnel.  Lola Rose's spring summer 2011 collection will arrive with us early next year and there will be plenty of new, stunning colours to cheer us all up.

When I visited the showroom in London a couple of weeks ago, I fell instantly in love with the new collection - I have to admit, I think this is the prettiest season I've seen! 

2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the Lola Rose brand and its founder, Nikki Gewirtz, celebrates this by revisiting her favourite, best-selling pieces and re-invents then with new colours and sones.  The overall feeling of the collection is that of curves and femininity - lovely, tactile shapes in vibrant hues including our new favourite Coral Quartzite.

By popular demand, Zentosa will bring you lots of new bracelets including the ever-popular Sydney in three new colour schemes.  We are also excited about the new range of elasticated cocktail rings - pocket friendly and suitable for all sizes! 

To commemorate 10 years of creating fabulous jewellery designs, Lola Rose will also be bringing out a limited edition anniversary "High Rose" ring featuring a carved flower centrepiece.  

With so many lovely styles arriving soon to banish the winter blues, roll on the new decade!

Mrs Obama wears her St-Erasmus Necklace again!

Here at Zentosa HQ, we love Michelle Obama - not just for her superb taste in jewellery (she first wore the Begum2 St-Erasmus necklace back in 2009) but because she wore it again last month whilst on the campaign trail!  With tough economic climes ahead, it makes sense to recycle accessories, especially ones as gorgeous as the handmade piece designed by jewellery genius, Pieter Erasmus.  Prudent and fashionable - we can't imagine a better style icon to follow!

For those of you unfamiliar with this opulent necklace, it is the creation of South African Born Pieter Erasmus, the brainchild of the St Erasmus Brand.  It draws its influence from 18th Century India. Skilfully handcrafted by artisans in India, this opulent necklace features Swarovski crystal detailing, fresh-water pearls, faceted acrylic stones and gold Zari thread. The centrepiece is a pink crocheted crystal flower.  Intricate, yet wearable, it's one of our favourite pieces.

I recently wore the necklace at a black tie event and it drew loads of admiring glances and compliments.  If you like to be centre of attention (and who doesn't every now and then!), this amazing necklace will make you feel really special.

Announcing our prize winner...

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition.  Now that it has closed, we can announced the answers!

 

Bestselling Butler & Wilson - small silver crystal skull adjustable ring

Bestselling Disney Couture - Kidada silver Cinderella dream is a wish bracelet

Best seller overall - gold tone "Love" key ring by Zentosa Jewellery

 

Quite a few of you got these correct so there must have been either some trawling through our website or some lucky guesses!

So it all boiled down to the tiebreaker, the answer to which was the Oreo Cookie (as you can get them in bulk from Costco... nom nom)

 

One lucky person got it correct, L. Johnson from Rugby.

 

Because we were so impressed by the number of you who got the first three answers correct (a very determined lot, clearly!), we've decided to draw at random three runners-up who will each receive a Disney Couture Cinderella Heart Charm.  They are:

 

L. Hadland

C. Remeika

N. Stanley 

 

They will be contacted by email to claim their prize.

If you weren't lucky enough to win this time, we will be running more competitions in the future.  Why not follow us on Twitter or "like" us on Facebook to find out about the next giveaway.... x

Disney Classic Beauty and the Beast is re-released on DVD!

Even though we sell a huge range of Disney-themed jewellery, I must confess that I've only seen a handful of Disney movies.  The one that I love the most is without doubt, Beauty and the Beast - so much so that we've amassed a capsule collection of Beauty & the Beast themed jewellery.

Originally released in 1991 (wow, nearly 20 years ago!),  this Oscar-winning, cinematic masterpiece is Disney's most acclaimed film.   Now restored and remastered, Beauty and the Beast is due for release in November as a Special Edition DVD.  And we can't wait to watch it all over again.

Disney Couture Enchanted Rose Necklace

The story is a classic fairy tale - an enchantress disguised as an old beggar woman offers a young prince a rose in exchange for a night's shelter. He turns her away so she transforms him into an ugly Beast and turns his servants into furniture and other household items. He is given a magic mirror and an enchanted rose which will bloom until his 21st birthday. If he does not learn to love and be loved in return before all the petals have dropped, he will remain a Beast forever.  Fortunately for the Beast, he meets feisty and beautiful Belle who falls in love with him just before the last petal falls...

Disney Couture Crystal Mrs Potts Necklace

So why the popularity?  Admittedly, the colours are amazing and vibrant, the songs catchy (everyone must surely know the words to at least one song in this film!) and the characters are loveable - Mrs Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip et al.  But most importantly, I think the enduring appeal of Beauty & the Beast is down to the story -  that love conquers all and that beauty is what lies beneath.  It is a true fairytale in every sense, one with a happy ending and which keeps each new generation that watches the movie as enthralled as the last. 

Win £100 to spend at Zentosa!

£100 to spend at Zentosa!

To celebrate the launch of the our spanking new website, we're holding a competition with our biggest prize ever - £100 to spend on jewellery at Zentosa.  To win, answer the following three questions:

• What is our bestselling Butler & Wilson product?
• What is our bestselling Disney Couture product?
• What is our bestselling product overall on the Zentosa.com website?

Then answer the tiebreaker question "Which biscuit (commonly available in UK supermarkets) is the snack of choice in the Zentosa office?"

Email your 4 answers to competitions@zentosa.com with "Zentosa Competition" in the subject line.  Please also state your full name, town and country of residence and if you have one, your Facebook or Twitter ID.

Simple huh?  To make it easier, you will find the answers to the three questions on the new website so happy browsing and keep your eyes peeled!  For the tiebreaker, you'll just have to guess!

The competition will close on Monday 4th October at 10pm and the lucky winner will be contacted by email to claim their sparkly prize.

Terms & Conditions:

• No purchase necessary
• Competition closes Monday 4th October 2010 at 10pm
• The winner will be the entrant with all the correct answers to the first three questions, plus the correct/closest (independently judged) tiebreaker answer
• Winner will be notified by email within 7 days of closing date to claim the prize.  Prize must be claimed within 14 days
• Prize is £100 to spend on www.zentosa.com in the form of an e-voucher - there is no cash alternative
• Promoter: Zentosa Ltd, Harriet House, 118A High Street, Birmingham, B23 6BG

Good luck! xxx

Zentosa launches new website!

As you may have noticed, it's been a bit quiet on the blogging front at Zentosa!  This is due to summer holidays (now a distant memory) and the fact that we've been working hard to bring you our completely re-designed website.  After three months of development, designing and uploading, plus about 5000 cups of tea, the new website has launched!  We hope you like it as much as we do!

 

Although our last website served us well, as a rapidly growing business, we recognised the need for a site with more features to make shopping at Zentosa much easier.  As well as changing the overall look of the site, we have introduced lots of browsing options - by theme, by colour and by designer.  You can now also see if an item has a low stock status so you know to snap it up before it sells out!

Existing customers of Zentosa will have to open a new account with us - the new customer accounts will allow you to track your order and create wishlists, very important with Christmas coming up - if you want to make sure you get something other than Boots toiletries....

Our international shipping options have also been simplified with one rate for all outside of the UK.  We now also offer an international courier option using UPS for virtually every country in the world.

To coincide with the launch of our spanking new website, we have a huge selection of newly arrived jewellery by Kenneth Jay Lane, Zentosa Jewellery, Butler & Wilson and Disney Couture plus new up-and-coming brand, Love Hearts & Crosses!  LHC is a hot new British brand, specialising in the cute, kitsch and unusual at pocket friendly prices - we adore the gorgeous designs including their je t'aime love letter necklaces - adorable!

So we bid you happy browsing!  If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the new website, why not post us a message on Facebook or send us a tweet on Twitter - we'd love to hear from you.

Cheryl Cole wears Kenneth Jay Lane

Celebrity Spot..... Cheryl Cole wears Kenneth Jay Lane's fabulous coral cabochon bauble earrings when she met with our then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown a couple of months ago.

The gorgeous statement earrings by the legendary NYC designer Kenneth Jay Lane can be spotted a mile off! These magnificent earrings are available from our store while stocks last.

Facebook Giveaway!

Here at Zentosa, we adore Disney Couture jewellery. As one of world's largest stockists of this fabulous designer range, we love nothing more than hearing from other like-minded Disney Couture fans and there's no better way to do this than through Facebook.

If your Facebook friends also like jewellery, we would love it if you invited them to join our Facebook page www.facebook.com/zentosa where you will hear about the latest new designs arriving on the website, as well as the promotions and competitions we will be running. All you have to do is use the "suggest to friends" button (underneath our profile picture).

As a big thank you for helping us increase our fan base, when we reach 800 fans, we will give away a fantastic goody box containing some yummy Disney Couture jewellery. The prize has a retail value of £100! The box will contain the following and a winner will be selected at random from our Facebook fans.

Kidada Disney Couture Treasure Chest Ring (in small/US size 6/UK size "L")
Kidada Disney Couture Magic Castle Earrings
Alice in Wonderland by Disney Couture Silver ID Key Bracelet
Official Disney Pink Minnie Mouse Glitter Bow Necklace
Best selling Zentosa Love Keyring

Win £30 to spend on fabulous jewellery

To celebrate this FANTASTIC weather, we're going to hold another competition! The outright winner of our poll is Disney Couture (no surprise there!) but the prize will be £30 to spend in our store www.zentosa.com on anything you like! To win, just post a message on Facebook or Twitter to tell us your favourite piece and why! Remember to invite your Faceback friends or retweet on Twitter so everyone can join in the fun.

Eg: My fave piece @Zentosa is the Kenneth Jay Lane Multi Garden Ring because it reminds me of summer even when it is raining!

A winner will be picked at random on Bank Holiday Monday night. Have fun and good luck x

Rules:
£30 prize will be in the form of an e-voucher (excludes delivery charges if applicable)
Winner to be drawn at random on Monday 31st May at 10pm

Zentosa sells fabulous designer jewellery by Butler & Wilson, Disney Couture, Lola Rose, Kenneth Jay Lane, Dogeared, St-Erasmus, CC Skye and Sex and the City!

Katy Perry loves CC Skye

It's always fun to see what avant-garde outfit Katy Perry is wearing when paparazzi'ed! We were delighted to spot her looking rather chic and understated in the fabulous CC Skye triple suede studded wrap. Perfect for toughening up any outfit, we love it!

Disney Couture's Kidada range - last chance to buy!

We've just found out that Disney Couture's collaboration with Kidada Jones has come to an end! This means that certain classic designs will no longer be produced.



Actress and fashion designer, Kidada, has produced some fabulous designs for Disney Couture since 2005, many of them worn by celebrities including Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton. Inspired by classic Disney films including Alice in Wonderland, Beauty & the Beast and Snow White, her collection of bangles, necklaces and earrings has a been incredibly successful.




We still have many of the Kidada designs (Magic Castle necklace, Princess suede wrap bracelet, Cinderella Dream Bangle and more....) but this will not last forever. If you wish to add a Kidada piece to your Disney Couture jewellery box, then this is your last chance to buy!


Never fear though! This does make the Kidada Disney Couture range very collectible. In addition, Disney Couture HQ plans to introduce some amazing new designs in 2011 - we cannot wait to see what's in store!

Volcanic Ash Cloud - Delays to International Orders

On Thursday 15th April, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland started erupting, resulting in an vast ash cloud that has grounded all flights in the UK and most of Northern Europe. As a result, international airmail and UPS services will be significantly delayed. Please take this into account when placing your order. We will inform you of any updates. If you have any queries, please contact us.

For more information about the ash cloud situation, please see the BBC news website

Updated: 21 April - airspace is now open but there will be still delays for the time being for international orders. European shipments are being made overland and USA shipments (posted on 15-21 April) will be carried by sea. Shipments to other destinations will be awaiting the earliest available flight. We hope normal service will resume but in the meantime, we appreciate your patience.

Zentosa loves Sex and the City!

As crooned by Alicia Keys - "Let's hear it for New York, New York, New Yoooork!"

There's nothing I like more than a bit of fun and frivolous entertainment and for many years, the Sex and the City series gave us just that. I avidly watched the antics of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte on telly, gossiped about the show with friends over Manhattans, coveted Manolos, cried when Carrie broke Aidan's heart (yes, I'm on Team Aidan), bought the mega box set when the season 6 ended and stood in line with legions of other SATC fanatics when the first movie came out. With the sequel to the movie due for release in a few short weeks, (27 May to be precise) we are really excited to launch the official, licensed Sex and the City SATC jewellery range. This is designed by cool Californian brand, Dogeared.
Each of the charm necklaces is inspired by the Sex and the City ladies and are presented on the signature Sex and the City Dogeared cards with luxurious pink and black satin pouches - just fabulous! We love them all!

Happy Birthday to us plus Disney Couture Competition time!

Here at Zentosa, we love an excuse to slice up some cake, especially one as delicious as this chocolatey creation from Druckers Patisserie. On the 15th of April 2010, we will be double-celebrating - not only is it my mum's 60's birthday (happy birthday mum!), it is also one year since we launched the current www.zentosa.com website. The time really has flown by!

Launched originally in 2006 as an eBay hobby business, we started selling trend-led, imported fashion jewellery. We had a measly feedback rating of 160 which has since increased to over 6000! Our biggest break was becoming one of the first stores in the UK to stock Kenneth Jay Lane's fabulous jewellery. This was followed by becoming a stockist of Butler & Wilson jewellery and the up and coming Disney Couture brand in late 2008. By early 2009, we decided that our then rather basic Zentosa.com website needed a transformation - the new website took a few months to be developed and was launched in mid-April.
Despite all the growth, we are still a little unit (just me and Mr Z plus the occasional packing pixie) and it still amazes us how far we've come since those early days. To thank you for letting us do what we love and to celebrate the re-stocking of our key Disney Couture lines, we are holding a competition to win a £50 voucher to spend on Disney Couture jewellery in our store. Hurray!


Entering is simple - a winner will be drawn at random at 10pm on Saturday 17th April from all the entries. To get an entry, you can:

1) Become our Facebook Fan on http://www.facebook.com/zentosa If you're already a fan, just tell us what is your favourite DC piece on our wall and you'll be entered into the competition.

2) Become a follower on Twitter http://twitter.com/zentosa

3) Click on the Facebook ‘suggest to friends’ link to invite your friends. If you do this and they join, let us know on our wall and you'll get an entry for each new fan you've referred. Your friends will get an entry too by joining!

4) Post a fan photo of you wearing your favourite Disney Couture piece on our Facebook Page and you'll get a triple entry!

In the meantime, why not browse our extensive Disney Couture collection including the amazing Alice in Wonderland range at www.zentosa.com

Good luck! xxx

Terms and Conditions:

Entries must be received by 10pm on Saturday 17th April 2010. One winner will be chosen by Zentosa Ltd and notified by email on or before Monday 19^th April 2010. The winner will receive a code to use on the website to spend on Disney Couture jewellery to the value of £50. The competition is open to over 16s only. Our decision is final. No cash alternative is available.

Zentosa's Adventures in London

Running an internet-based business means I really don't get out much. When there's torrential rain or sub-zero temperatures outside, this isn't really a complaint. However, sometimes it is nice to put on a coat, get on a train and head to London to see some of our suppliers. Although we can deal with most of them over the phone or email, it's only by visiting their showrooms that we can see the latest arrivals or even better, future arrivals! Plus, with most of them located fairly centrally, there is always time for a spot of shopping and copious amounts of tea and cake!

Our first stop was to see what new goodies are arriving soon from our bestselling designer, Disney Couture. As you will no doubt know, the Alice in Wonderland collection has been overwhelmingly popular. The collaboration of Disney Couture jewellery with esteemed designer Tom Binns has produced a fabulous range of stand-out pieces. In the showroom, I had the opportunity to drool over some of the signature Tom Binns pieces (we do not stock these as they cost £££ but if you wish to order, drop us a message) which were breathtakingly detailed.


There are some exciting new styles coming soon from Disney Couture - in May, they will launch a range of charm necklaces. These will come in a branded gift box covering several Disney films - Snow White, the Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, and more. Each box will contain a necklace with a pendant on which you can attach a number of charms - three themed charms are included in each box set but you can also add the standalone charms such as the heart charm or pumpkin charm which we also stock.

After a quick lunch (of shawarma and falafel), it was a hop on the tube to visit Lola Rose to see their Autumn/Winter 2010 (yes I know it's still only March!). There will be lots of fabulous new shapes and colours as well as some old classics. My favourite shades are the deeply-vibrant aubergine and the subtley spakly blue sandstone. Absolutely gorgeous, I'm sure you'll agree - these new Lola Rose styles will be available from the end of August. Here's a little taster....



Finally, it was off to visit Butler & Wilson to pick up some lovely new designs. A very tanned Simon Wilson was in the shop, just back from Thailand. We stocked up on some core lines (the iconic eye and lips jewellery) as well as picked up a load of new designs like the peacock and butterfly jewellery. These are already on the site with more new Butler and Wilson styles arriving soon.

After all the stock shopping, it was time for some real shopping in Selfridges where I picked up some sea salted caramels from Artisan du Chocolat (delicious - if you've never tried them before, you really should) and had a well-deserved red velvet cupcake from the Lola's Bakery cafe. Well, there must be some perks to this job!

Zentosa's Sex and the City collection

As huge fans of the Sex and the City series, 2010 is a very exciting year for us with the movie sequel being released in May. We already stock some fabulous pieces inspired by the 2008 movie and television series - our Love word keyring is a massive seller, as is the fabulous large gold butterfly necklace by Kenneth Jay Lane - Carrie wore this spectacular piece in series 2 and it's been flying out (excuse the pun) since.


Furthermore, to coincide with the release of the sequel to the SATC movie, Californian jewellery brand Dogeared have officially licensed the SATC brand from HBO and produced a gorgeous collection of Sex and the City pieces inspired by Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha.

The range will be available in sterling silver or gold-dipped versions and will feature charms on necklaces to represent iconic themes from the award-winning series including a stilleto shoe, a diamond and the Eiffel Tower.


These will be presented on specially designed cards, printed with New York's famous skyline and a memorable line from Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha including "Single & Fabulous" and "Hopeless Romantic" They will be presented in branded pouches are would make the perfect accessory or gift for any SATC fan. These are available to pre-order now with delivery around mid-April. As with anything associated with the movie, this range is going to be big or should I say Mr Big?

Alice in Wonderland Fever hits Zentosa!

I think the world has gone a teency bit Alice in Wonderland mad! After months of anticipation, the film is nearly ready for release in its full 3D-effect glory! With Mr Jonny Depp and his star-studded cast mates appearing in Leicester Square this Thursday for the premiere and Selfridges filling their displays with Alice in Wonderland themed fashion and goodies, it seems like the UK has gone Alice crazy! And who can blame them when, judging by the trailer, it's going to be a visual masterpiece! My tickets are already purchased....

Our Disney Couture Alice in Wonderland collection has been available for just over a week now and it has been our fastest selling collection ever! And we should know, having one of the world's largest selection of Disney Couture jewellery. The popularity has taken us a little bit by surprise and several lines have sold out or are close to selling out after just a few days - and this is even before the movie has been released...In the meantime, we have just taken delivery of new Alice in Wonderland themed charm bracelets from the Tom Binns for Disney Couture collection. These collectible pieces are made in the USA. This is a gorgeous collection of beautifully crafted jewellery - the detailing is absolutely amazing. I love them both but for me the tea party bracelet has an edge, mainly because it features cake and who doesn't love a bit of cake?