lifestyle Archives - Page 2 of 4

saharasplash17 August, 2016

Lee Stafford CoCo LoCo Haircare

I’m glad I had you all guessing about today’s post and it was really great to see what you thought this post was all about from my hints on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Now that you are here and ready to read, I’m talking about some new additions to the Lee Stafford CoCo LoCo Haircare range! These include two insanely amazing products which I’m reviewing for you today plus one from the original release. I’m a huge fan of coconut and have done several blogs on coconut products from oil pulling to Palmer’s products, but I’ve never really blogged about haircare and coconuts. Until now!

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First up, the CoCo LoCo Coconut Dry Shampoo

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This is such a great dry shampoo I cannot recommend it enough. I love the smooth texture it provides when I spray this into my roots, and it’s not as powdery as other dry shampoos I’ve tried. The coconut scent is an added bonus so I can go around feeling like a tropical babe! This is available for £4.99 and the can is a good size so long lasting.

Now moving onto the CoCo LoCo CoConut Hairspray

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Again this is such a great quality product which I use time and time again, especially when I want my hair to maintain its volume and bounce! I curled my hair using a curling wand and gave my springs a quick spritz with the hairspray. 5 hours later and not a single one had fallen out!

I also need to mention that this hairspray contains silk protein to reduce any frizz and also UV absorbers to protect your hair in the sun. Now isn’t this a steal at the price of £5.99 a bottle?!

Once more product from the Lee Stafford CoCo LoCo Haircare range which I use all the time is the CoCo LoCo Conditioner

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I used this conditioner before styling my hair for the photos in this blog post and I think that my hair (although at war with my dark roots right now) is looking fabulous and so healthy. The conditioner works so well to maintain my natural oils and gives it that all important shine.

Lee Stafford CoCo LoCo Haircare products are available to purchase from Boots in store and online so get browsing and go CoCo LoCo like me!

Saharasplash x

Head on over to my latest bridal post where I’m talking fragrances!

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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!

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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

saharasplash25 July, 2016

The Real Greek Lunch

Just two weeks after my last day at my office job, I found myself heading for Westfield Shepherd’s Bush at 1 o clock on a Friday afternoon. I was so excited as this was to be my first blogger’s lunch and boy was I in for a treat! I’m sure you have all seen one of The Real Greek restaurants if you are local to London, there are 9 in total and I was about to experience The Real Greek Lunch celebrating the launch of their new book. This inspired cookbook is written by the restaurant’s consultant and expert in all things Greek- Tonia Buxton. I was so surprised when the menus came round to see the incredible variety of things which I could eat as a coeliac. Over half the menu is gluten free and so I was thrilled to see what was going to be brought to us, ordered all by Tonia who looked after us so well.

It was lovely to meet the Blink Publishing team along with Tonia herself and a handful of bloggers too. It was great to chat blogging and food while we waited for our starters to arrive.

We tried pretty much everything from the starter menu, my favourite was the Melitzanosalata, an aubergine dish which I have recreated in my own kitchen and photos are at the end so you can see!

We tried a range of wonderful mains too, a lot of the fish I didn’t eat just because I’m not a fan of things from the sea, but the others certainly enjoyed the dishes.

I had the most amazing greek salad and chicken skewers with peppers. The stand out dish for me was a vegetarian dish called Gigandes Plaki. Giant beans in a tomato sauce went down a treat.

Speaking of treats, I tried something new which I had never even considered to be a dessert until this was put in front of me. It looked like yoghurt and mushrooms, but Tonia explained that it was candied walnuts. I tried one and fell in love!

The sweet nut paired with the greek yoghurt was so moreish, it was lucky we were sharing this as I would have eaten the entire thing.

The tea was also a big hit, it’s a herbal blend called Greek Mountain tea and was so good, I have been back since just for this alone!

What I discovered at The Real Greek Lunch, aside from the amazing tastes, was a new found repsect for Greek culture and the great importance food has for it. I loved how simple the dishes were and how we shared them out to try a bit of everything- this is definitely something I will be going back to with friends and family to show them the way of the Greeks!

As promised, here is a little something I cooked recently using The Real Greek cookbook. The Melitzanosalata recipe on p29 was so simple and easy to follow, I made the most amazing accompaniment that gave my turkey steaks and quinoa rice the perfect zing!

Here is a little outfit detail for those of you wondering what I wore to The Real Greek Lunch:

Boohoo crop and H&M skirt

The Real Greek recipe book is out now, buy it from Amazon here to bring some Greek style to your kitchen!

The Real Greek have posted all about our blogger’s lunch, so check this out here to see more photos and who was there 🙂

Saharasplash x

saharasplash15 July, 2016

I Love Connock London

I’m sure you all remember I hosted a really fun carnival party last month, if you didn’t see the post I blogged about it here. At the party I had MyShowcase come to show us a really lovely range of products, and one in particular stood out to me straight away. This brand (and post) is about Connock London, a lovely brand with a rich and vibrant history. Its founder, Amanda Connock, has developped a truly inspired selection of products as she follows in her father’s footsteps to bring a little piece of heaven to your doorstep- here’s why I love Connock London:

I have 2 products I want to show you in this post, both are made with the wonderful kukui oil. Kukui oil helps to lock in moisture and it keeps your skin feeling smooth and hydrated.

Hydrating hand and body lotion

This is perfect to keep in your bathroom with its sleek and sophisticated design. I use this on my hands daily and the scent is so lovely. You really do have to try it if you are a fan of exotic aromas. I can smell spices and flavours which are so addictive I just can’t stop smelling this lotion after I use it!

Radiant Glow Body Oil

This body oil is a best seller and I love this product! I spray this oil on my arms, shoulders and legs for a radiant glow if I’m going out. It doesn’t feel oily at all as my skin absorbs the wonderful liquid instantly. All that’s left is the amazing scent of the kukui oil mixed with a fabulous shimmer and glow. This is perfect for sensitive skin and for those of you who prefer a softer scent to using an EDT spray.

You simply have to try these out for yourself, I love Connock London products as they look great and smell even better too! The scent is consistent across the products so if you love one, you will love them all! Purchase the Kukui Oil lotion and radiant glow body oil here

Saharasplash x

Got time for one more read? Get colourful with my summer wishlist here!

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saharasplash8 July, 2016

Bloggers Hangout Summer Heatwave

Another month, another fabulous Bloggers Hangout event. This time the location was Charing Cross and the venue was The Strand Gallery. I had been looking forward to this as I do every BH event. Danielle (the founder) always goes the extra mile and certainly puts on one hell of a shindig for the bloggers as well as the brands attending. The Bloggers Hangout Summer Heatwave (as I am calling it) was a 3-day extravaganza of which I managed to attend 2 days. I can’t wait to give you all the juicy details about my fav brands there and who I went with!

On the first day, I went with a lovely blogger called Kendra. She is an American blogger over in London for a few months so we met up and I showed her just how amazing being a blogger in London can be! It was so hot in the venue we both were glad we wore summery dresses!

We visited KB Hair and took this epic snap, KB Hair Extensions had some lovely colours to show us, including grey!

Sass and Belle, a homeware brand with so many lovely things, had a chat with us and talked us through their range of amazing summer products. I adore my pineapple cup which I featured in my Karma Cola post!

We met a fabulous nail wrap designer who was displaying her amazing collection of Dinkibelle wraps. I can’t wait to try mine out and show you!

The Perfume Shop was located downstairs at the venue and they had the most amazing display of all their favourite fragrances old and new. My absolute favourite of the day was Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb, it’s to die for! Floral fragrances and the stunning setup definitely had me in the summer mood at the Bloggers Hangout Summer Heatwave!

Onto Day Two. This time I took with me my best blogger bud Merrell-Ann from TrousseauDiaries to explore some more!

We met Pink Parcel who are a fabulous brand helping girls from all over with their ‘Classic Period Drama’ It’s a monthly subcription service to help us girls through our stressful times every 28 days and they include not only femenine products but makeup, skincare products and best of all- chocolate!

I met with Faust’s Potions on the 2nd day who were just great. They have come up with some lovely remedies to help wake you up in the morning (which tastes like orange juice) and also they have one to help relax you before bed at night time. I’ll be fully reviewing these products on the blog very soon so not going to give away anything else!

Regenerate were great to see at the event, they are a dental care company who have created products which help to restore your enamel. I must say I’ve been using the toothpaste for just over a week now and there is no sensitivity anymore when I eat cold things which is wonderful. I will definitely keep you all posted on how I progress with the advanced toothpaste and boosting serum.

I also took some shots of three gorgeous bloggers wearing DaSilva London clothing outside the venue. It’s the perfect spot for a blogger to stop and take some photos if you don’t want to trek all the way to Kensington!