August 2016 - Page 2 of 2

saharasplash15 August, 2016

Top 5 Bridal Fragrances

I cannot begin to fathom how it’s now into double digits until my wedding day. It has been a very short engagement, announcing to everyone only at the start of June but time seems to be creeping closer and closer now to the big day. Now that time really is of the essence, I’m going to be ringing those wedding bells and kicking things off with a post all about my top 5 bridal fragrances brought to you from The Perfume Shop. The Perfume Shop is the best place to go when looking for something special. They have branches all around the UK and you know you will be spolit for choice when shopping in their stores or online. I’ve hand picked 5 delicious scents that you simply must go and sample.

1: Black Opium Nuit Blanche by Yves Saint Laurent

I absolutely loved Black Opium when it first came out, and now there is Nuit Blanche- its smokey vanilla twin. Choose this EDP by YSL if you want to smell as good as your wedding cake!

2: Dolce Rosa Excelsa by Dolce and Gabbana

Dolce is perfect for those wanting a really lovely floral scent on their wedding day. It’s a classic choice for a classic bride and you’ll be coming up roses with this perfume.

3: Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez

Take Narciso as my wild card in my top 5 bridal fragrances. This gem is quite exotic and so may be perfect for those getting married abroad. Think sensual jasmine by a moonlit lake, bottle it and this is Narciso!

4: Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture

Juicy Couture have had some fabulous scents over the years but this one is just divine. This classy and playful fragrance will definitely leave its mark as you move close to your newly beloved for that first dance.

5: Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf

Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf is a brand new discovery of mine and I am in LOVE! It is so light and floaty that you will just wear it all day long without having to feel overpowering or concious that you’re going to cause a sneezing chain in your front row of guests! It is floral but also musky- maybe for those indecisive brides?!

So now you’ve seen my top 5 bridal fragrances! Which one would you pick? Have you tried any of these or do you have any other reccommendations for us brides to be? I’ll be keeping my choice a secret until the big day, mostly because I haven’t made up my mind yet on which one I’m going for!

Saharasplash x

Stick around for one last read, I guarantee you’ll learn some new things about me in my previous post!

PR Samples

saharasplash11 August, 2016

Never have I ever inspired by Nerve!

Out today in cinemas, I am doing a ‘never have I ever’ inspired by the brand new film Nerve. This one is hopefully going to be quite interactive, I want to know from all you readers out there the things you don’t have the nerve to do! It could be anything like going to the cinema by yourself for instance, I want this to be fun! Keep reading to find out what inspired me about the movie to do this post as it will make a lot more sense once you find out the summary of this particular film! Ok so here it goes:

Never have I ever… ridden a motorcycle by myself

Motorbikes really scare me, and I have never even had a go on a moped! I’ve been on the back of one as a passenger about fifteen years ago and really didn’t like it. I did however have the coolest pink electric scooter which was more than enough for the adrenaline junkie within me!

Never have I ever… been drunk!

Yes I know this is a very unusual one! I don’t have the nerve to get drunk, partly because I guess I wouldn’t know what to expect from myself. I wouldn’t want to be the friend who has to be put in a taxi home at the end of a night and not know how I ended up home! Of course I have no problem with anyone else drinking around me, and I do like a cocktail at a party, but as soon as I start to feel any effects I have to stop straight away and that’s me done for the night. I am proud to say that I have never been drunk though, and I hope you will raise a glass to that with me!

Never have I ever… truly experienced being single

This is also quite unusual I think. I had my first ever relationship when I was 14, and we stayed together until I was just about 20 years old. 3 weeks later, I meet my current husband to be Paul! So I never really had any period of time to get used to a single life. I didn’t plan it this way, it was just one of those things that happened but I don’t regret it at all. I’d like to think that I would have the nerve to be happy and single, but I hope that I don’t have to find out as I love my life with Paul!

Never have I ever…eaten shellfish

By shellfish, I mean any seafood with a shell like clams or muscles. I simply don’t have the stomach for anything fishy besides cod, tuna or salmon, maybe this is one thing I have to try soon or I may not ever face my fear! It’s definitely a mind over matter thing because I like the smell of lobster in a nice restaurant, so I think I just need to man up on this one!

So now the ugly truth is out the way, I want to share a little about the film which this post is inspired by. Nerve is a social media thriller which is right up any blogger’s google map app. Set on the streets of New York City, a secret and dangerous game has gone viral, much like pokemon go has! You can pay to be a watcher or become a player to win. Either way Emma Roberts and Dave Franco find themselves drawn into the game as players, and we watch them do incredible (and stupid) things to earn a lot of money. The more watchers they gain, the higher the stakes, and it really opened my mind up to the world we surround ourselves in on the internet and on our phones. Of course I use social media for positivity and would never consider being a part of nerve if the game did exist, but we all should be more aware of the danger the web poses and try to help fight against the darkness which we all know comes with the territory.

DAVE FRANCO Q AND A

Dave Franco was kind enough to stop by after the movie to talk to us about his thoughts and views on his role in Nerve. Dave does not use any form of social media which is why he was drawn to the role of Ian. He answered all our questions with a great thoughtfulness and we could see how much he loves doing what he does- I wish him all the best and no doubt his career has only just begun! I hope you all go and watch Nerve and let me know what you think of it!

Thanks for reading Never have I ever inspired by Nerve! Comment below for me with one of your own ‘never have I ever’ confessions!

Saharasplash x

saharasplash9 August, 2016

Garden Party Essentials Luscombe Drinks

Us Brits don’t have much luck with our weather, and it can change from day to day no matter what time of the year we are in. This is why when the sun comes out we need to take the opportunity and make the most of it, which is exactly what I did recently! Paul and I went to visit his parents to discuss all things wedding related, and so I thought it was the perfect time to take a collection of Luscombe Drinks with me and do a little shoot in the garden. The flowers were in full bloom and the sun was high in the sky. These drinks are a definite must for your garden party essentials this summer!

I am a big fan of Luscombe Drinks as they have some wonderful flavours which you don’t see in your regular supermarkets – take the Damascene Rose Bubbly for instance:

This drink is non-alcoholic and is made with Muscat grape juice and organic Damascene rose water. It is the perfect garden party essential if you have a younger crowd or those who would prefer a lovely non-alcoholic beverage. This is my go-to favourite out of the Luscombe Drinks! Next up is a classic Sicilian Lemonade:

This is a still lemonade which will have your thirst quenched even on the hottest of days. I love the sweetness of this drink which contains organic raw cane sugar, a better choice than plain lemon squash! Moving onto something fizzy and fruity- Strawberry Crush!

I love this flavour so much, it is an absolute must for a quintessentially English garden party. Even with Wimbledon over, we are still craving the strawberries all summer long and this is how you can make sure that all your guests are strawberry satisfied! Last but certainly not least is a dainty number called Wild Elderflower Bubbly:

This is also another carbonated option and has a lovely subtle taste of elderflower and lemon. I’m such a lover of elderflower in drinks, and you could mix this up with a touch of prosecco too just to make all the difference if you are toasting to health and happiness.

Luscombe Drinks are available from Abel and Cole and Riverford Organic Farms and you can contact them directly here: [email protected]

I hope that you’ll give Luscombe Drinks a try when hosting a garden party or an event this summer, and there are many more drinks to the range which you can find on their website here

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading, find my latest post on beauty and mermaids here!

PR Sample

saharasplash5 August, 2016

Keeping it Sassy with Spectrum Collections

I had the pleasure of attending a very exclusive event last month, and I had been wanting to check these guys out for a while after the social craze going on with their collections. Spectrum Brushes hosted a fantastic launch party for their brand new range- The Bomb Shell by Chloe Lloyd and it was amazing! I had met a new blogger friend (as I always do) earlier on that day, and so we went together to the venue in Soho. Her blog is HelloMissJordan and you must check out her blog after you’ve finished this post! Here’s how we were keeping it sassy with Spectrum Collections…

The vibe of the whole event was mermaid, so bloggers were arriving with the most fabulous hair colours and dressed to impress. Jordan and I went for purple and pink!

So now I’m going to show you some of the wonderful brushes on display from the new Bomb Shell collection, and in case you don’t know much about Spectrum Collections all their brushes are cruelty free and vegan friendly!

How beautiful are these brushes? The have pink handles with rose gold detail. This setup gave me some serious inspo as to how I’m going to be displaying my brushes from now on! Any recommendations for rose gold cups like this leave me a comment below! And now onto the piece de resistance, the one you’ve all been waiting for:

eee! This Bomb Shell drops in September 2016!

Now it wouldn’t be a complete blog post without sharing with you the amazing display of food from the Spectrum launch. I would describe it as a feast fit for a unicorn and a mermaid tea party- just look at all of it!

Everything sparkled and looked so gorgeous! Of course no donuts or cupcakes for the coeliac, but I certainly enjoyed the clam macarons and the pearly merringues! So there’s one more thing I’d like to show you, and this is the pure definition of keeping it sassy with spectrum collections. We met a very talented artist who goes by the name of DOM & INK. He was fabulous and turned both Jordan and I into mermaids!

We definitely channelled our inner Disney princesses for these!

I had such an amazing time and want to thank Spectrum and Avant PR for hosting such a magical launch party, I cannot wait to trial the brushes out!

Wearing In One Clothing and necklace from Tatty Devine

Saharasplash x

Thanks for following merbabes! Now go check out Jordan‘s blog!

saharasplash3 August, 2016

Testing out Aviela Hair Butter

On the blog today I’m testing out Aviela Hair Butter. What is hair butter you ask? Well let me tell you! It’s a bit messy but super fun and you only need to try it once and you will love it. The brand is Aviela, and they are a great company founded by Patricia in 2007. She has a wonderful story to tell about why shea butter is so important. It has amazing properties if unrefined and it helped Patricia’s baby daughter (who couldn’t walk at 2 years of age) to regain the strength in her ankles by helping the cartilage to become less stiff. Shea butter is used in all Aviela products and is the heart and soul of the brand. Another thing is that all Aviela products are BUAV approved, none of it is tested on animals. Here’s what I tested out for myself:

Aviela Healthy Hair Butter

This fine product smells like citrus and coconut, I couldn’t wait to put it on my hair! The consistency is quite hard, like a wax, but as you scoop it out with your hands it gently melts and is easily workable into your hair strands.

The instructions say to leave on your hair for 30 mins before showering and shampooing off, so guess what I did to pass the time?!

I had such fun with that last shot 🙂

So it feels very greasy, naturally, so I would avoid laying down on any pillows while this stuff is in, of course you can remove it sooner than 30 mins too if you just can’t wait. After 30 mins I then took a bath to wash it all out, I continued with my normal shampoo and conditioner routine, and once towel dry I used my favourite Envy Professional Serum before blowdrying. Here is the result:

Fabulously smooth and totally nourished!

The Aviela Healthy Hair Butter retails at just £16 and you can get plenty of uses from just one tub. The range doesn’t sop there, Aviela has products from bath, body and skincare as well so you are bound to find the perfect product or gift online here.

I’ll leave you with one more fact about Aviela- it’s a word from Northern Ghana meaning ‘it’s beautiful’ and I certainly agree when it comes to testing out Aviela Hair Butter!

Saharasplash X

I received this product for free for my honest opinion and review

1: Black Opium Nuit Blanche by Yves Saint Laurent

2: Dolce Rosa Excelsa by Dolce and Gabbana

3: Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez

4: Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture

5: Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf

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Never have I ever… ridden a motorcycle by myself

Never have I ever… been drunk!

Never have I ever… truly experienced being single

Never have I ever…eaten shellfish

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