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I’m my own Galentine! The 2018 Edit

So this year I thought, why the hell not focus a little on myself for Valentines Day? I’ve written this post from my very own heart and I’m impatient to show you some products I am absolutely loving right now. This post has a bit more pink in than I’m used to, but hey when it’s the 14th Feb, the time is right to spread some passionate pink all over my blog!

I have ordered my favourite brownies from Gower Cottage, I’ve booked my favourite girls, Paul and I tickets to go see 50 Shades of Grey number three (as has been tradition on this day for the last few years) and I’ve picked out exactly what I’m going to be rocking tomorrow for the occasion. See below how I’m my own Galentine! The 2018 Edit:

Eyes: Blank Canvas Cosmetics

A super sexy palette with some gorgeous shades and deep tones.

Nails and lashes: KISS products

These are my top picks for the ‘finished touch’ effect. Pair with attitude and flair.

Body: Hempz

If you’re going out, better be smelling as sweet as a pomegranate with Hempz body wash.

Brows: Eylure x Fleur de Force

My brows will be packing some force with these delights from Eylure.

Face: XIP

Adding some serious glow to the mix with XIP sculpting palette and brush.

Outfit: Coconut Lane

Last but not least, I’m going out in style wearing this banger from Coconut Lane’s new sweatshirt collection, and it couldn’t be more fitting! PS, get 20% off your next Coconut Lane order by using my discount code saharasplash20 at the checkout. ?

Be your own fabulous Galentine this year- wear what makes you feel great, eat whatever your heart desires and definitely don’t let anyone put you down!

Saharasplash x

If you’re up for entering my latest competition, head over to my Image Skincare post to win a bottle of the best hyaluronic filler worth £75! Ends 28th Feb.

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Talking about my skin saviour Image Skincare AGELESS total pure hyaluronic filler

Today I’m going to be talking about my skin saviour Image Skincare AGELESS total pure hyaluronic filler. Wow, that’s a lot of words to take in, but trust me I shall explain all and it’ll be worth it! So Image Skincare are a cruelty free, pharmaceutical- grade company that offers treatments and top of the range products that get remarkable results. The AGELESS total pure hyaluronic filler is perfect for dehydrated skin and for those looking for a filler without actually having to deal with needles! As a 27 year old woman, I have been struggling with my fine lines for a couple of years, especially two that are prominent (to me at least) on my forehead. I really do not like them, but I don’t feel I’m comfortable with having any injections either.

This product came into my life around about the time my daughter Alice was born. Needless to say she has been a life-changer, and I’m guessing that having a child doesn’t do your lines much help what with all the smiling and crazy faces you just love to make at them.

The hyaluronic filler (18% concentrated botanically-derived hyaluronic acid) helps to plump and fill those irritating lines without the hassle and price tag of actual dermal fillers. It’s infused with an apricot essential oil for hydration (so it smells so divine) and includes vitamins B5 and E.

The topical filler definitely delivers an immediate, noticeable boost of hydration to dehydrated or irritated skin, which goodness knows my skin needs these days!

Apply morning and evening, or whenever you feel your skin needs a hydrating boost.

Just look how luxuriously thick the serum is- a sweet wonder in a little bottle!

Image Skincare’s AGELESS Total Pure Hyaluronic Filler, 29ml, retails at £75, but I’m giving you the chance to win your very own one because I love you my fabulous readers! Enter by commenting below why you need this in your life. For extra entries, share this post on Facebook or Twitter and tag me so I know you’ve entered!

Saharasplash x

PR samples included. Competition is UK only, ends 28th February. Winner will be contacted via Facebook, Twitter or email. Talking about my skin saviour Image Skincare AGELESS total pure hyaluronic filler first appeared on Saharasplash.com 

 

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Makeup Dupes Challenge with Beauty Base

Do you struggle when buying makeup? Maybe you’re not sure what foundation shade or coverage will suit your skin, or perhaps you are doubtful as to which brand will produce the best result. There are adverts flying around everywhere these days claiming that their brand is the best, with ‘proven results’. But what does that even mean? Do you believe that the higher end price tag will be longer lasting and a better quality product? I’ve recently written an article all about this from a fashion perspective, and now I’m here to show some rather interesting results in the beauty department! Here is my makeup dupes challenge with Beauty Base.

Beauty Base is a great site for many must have purchases in your makeup bag. I put three essential products from my own makeup bag to the test when I paired them up with similar items from the Beauty Base website.

Here are my regular products:

  • Vichy Dermablend Foundation: £19.99
  • Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette: £39.50
  • Kylie Cosmetics Lipkit: £32.25
  • Total: £91.49

Here are my makeup dupes:

  • Milani conceal and perfect Foundation: £12.95
  • LA Girl Eye Lux Eyeshadow: £6.99
  • LA Girl Matte Lipstick: £2.29
  • Total: £22.23

I applied each set of products to only one side of my face. Below I used the Urban Decay palette on one eye and the LA Girl palette on the other side- can you tell which is which? My face similarly has two types of foundation- budget brand on one side, higher end brand on the other.

Again for the lips, half my lips have the Kylie lipkit, the other half has LA Girl Matte lipstick. I was seriously impressed at my matching skills as well as the quality of the budget brand- just £2.29 for the lipstick and literally the same effect as the £30+ lipkit!

I had my face on for about 5 hours after applying and the lips, eyes and foundation stayed on perfectly from both sides.

Here is the reveal, my left side camera facing had the three budget products and my right side had my usual brands. The total saving works out at £69.26 difference which is a fair few pennies saved in your pocket.

If you are looking to try some different brands on a budget, head on over to Beauty Base and get yourself some damn good bargains while still looking hella good!

Stay tuned for a YouTube video of my makeup dupes challenge with Beauty Base on my channel at the end of the week to see how I did the look!

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading! Head back to the homepage to make sure you haven’t missed any more February posts!

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An insight into my wardrobe featuring Hawthorn International

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with clothes. I remember going shopping with my family, friends and even by myself from a teenager, and the sheer thrill of new garments has never worn off. Every time I enter a store, my hands naturally go for the fabrics. Different textures and colours are enticing me in, calling me to take a closer look.

Personally, I think I am a very picky shopper, though most people who know me will say I buy the whole store. But that’s just not true. When I shop, I am usually looking for a specific item in mind which I am determined to find at the best quality as well as price.

Price is one of the most important factors when going shopping. We all set out with a budget in our minds as to what we can and can’t afford, so this sort of acts as a compass to what shops we browse through. One of my favourite stores is Karen Millen. Their colours, designs and top grade fabrics make the clothes so desirable and I now have quite the KM collection. However, I always tend to wait for a sale or find an outlet or sample sale where the items are usually 50%-75% off. The quality of the garments don’t change over time so I am happy to wait until I find what I am looking for at a nicer price!

One of my favourite online retailers is PrettyLittleThing. The clothes from here are very different in terms of quality as well as price, but they create designs and patterns that just draw me in, so I am happy to relinquish my standards for a piece that I feel just calls to me every once in a while.

So, we’ve talked about price, designs and quality- and these essentially are the main reasons why we get our wallets out in exchange for the goods. So what is the most important to me when shopping? I would have to say the budget. If I find exactly what I’m looking for but it costs twice as much as what I am willing to spend, I am more than happy to sit back and wait for the sale or find a similar item elsewhere.

My passion and love for what’s in my wardrobe is how it all started you could say, and the reason behind why I started up a fashion and lifestyle blog. Recently I virtually met CCO Tom Lovelace of Hawthorn International, a leading clothes manufacturer, to talk about the different factors that determine if clothing is quality. Tom tells me “there are two main factors- fabric and construction. When it comes to fabric, there are different grades of cotton- that’s the reason why you can purchase a 100% cotton tee shirt from anywhere between £5 to £100. The £5 tee shirt is essentially made from the same material as the £100 one, but the quality and grade of the more expensive fabric will be higher. Next, is the construction- as far as stitching goes, handmade is always best. This is because the operative actually putting the item together can quality check their work as they go along and ensure there are no defects.”

What factors are most important to you when searching through the clothes racks or scrolling through reams of pages online? Do you head straight for the sale or filter by price- lowest first?? Keep the conversation going by commenting below or reaching out on Twitter. Thanks to Hawthorn International for collaborating on this article.

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading! Now it’s time to see what we got up to on our first family getaway with Alice! 

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First Family Getaway to Alveston Manor

Though most of you can’t wait to see the end of January, I have got to say it’s been great. Each day seems to go by so quickly now that Alice is in our lives, and I bet that 2018 will be no different. One fine January day, we set off on an excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon for something rather exciting. Keep reading to find out about our first family getaway to Alveston Manor.

It seems that Alice is giving us an excuse to do some travelling around the UK, and so far in her first three months of life has ventured far and wide. Alveston Manor, part of the Macdonald Hotel Group, was kind enough to welcome us through its beautiful doors to explore what it had to offer.

Our room was a treat to behold. The bedroom come living room had a wonderful seating area which we made full use of. You could see how the hotel had been transformed from the old wooden beams still a prominent feature throughout. The bathroom was sleek and modern, while the bedroom outside took me right back to my childhood- like staying the night in my nanny’s cottage.

There was plenty of pampering on our first family getaway to Alveston Manor. Paul and I took it in turns to have a hot stone massage each. When it was my turn, I took Alice down to the Elemis spa to switch over, and she got to have a look around the chill out room, though no massage for her just yet!

Fully rested and relaxed, we made our way down to the hotel’s restaurant at 7pm. We each had a three course meal which made the evening so tasty. Alice sat and enjoyed watching all the goings on, and loved the look of my beetroot carpaccio with goat’s cheese starter!

Steak with potato purée and rosti

Warm chocolate brownie with ice cream

We took our desserts back up to the room and the staff were more than happy to accommodate this. Alice was well and truly done after such an exciting day!

The morning started off just as fantastic as the night finished. We were brought breakfast in bed- need I say more?

I enjoyed a cup of earl grey while looking out onto the manor’s gardens.

This was such a perfect first getaway to Alveston Manor, we all were so impressed with the rustic yet fresh venue.

Find your perfect room and book a stay at Alveston Manor this year.

Saharasplash x

Up for another blog post? Here’s what I got in the Aldi Baby and Toddler Event this month.

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What I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event

If you’ve seen the preview post I did last week on what to expect from the Alidi baby and toddler event, you are ready for what’s below! Aldi always goes above and beyond to bring its customers baby gifts and essentials at a fabulous price. Alternatives to the Sleepyhead have seen items sold out across the board, and this month it’s no different. See what I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event below, and make sure you head to your local to find your favourites!

It’s all about dinos!

I was super excited when I saw these matching dino pieces- the sleeping baby bag is a fraction of the price of other popular branded bags at just £9.99, and the matching cloths are £2.99.

Alice’s first books

Of course I couldn’t resist getting Alice her very first set of books- all are 99p which is insane. She’s going to love reading them with us after bath time for sure.

Some essentials

I’m a big fan of the Aldi nappy range, and Alice has just reached the age and size to need the size threes. These are good for 9-20lb babies, and Alice is currently weighing in at 13lbs. 98 nappies for £4.99 works out at 5p per nappy, win!

Something pretty

Something pretty indeed, and something we are always needing more of- tights! This two-pack was a steal at £2.49, even beating similar items I have seen in Primark recently.

All in all, I got everything for under £30, that’s a mighty fine price don’t you agree? Try and match what I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event and give yourself a £30 spending limit- see what you can get and don’t forget to let me know in the comments below!

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading, head back to the home page now to find more blog posts to read!