beauty Archives - Page 5 of 5

saharasplash11 December, 2015

Hooray for LaRoche-Posay

I couldn’t wait to hear the news that LaRoche-Posay was to hold an end of year Christmas party for us beauty bloggers. I missed out on their event earlier on in the year so when I received my invite I knew that an exciting evening was ahead of me after seeing the snaps from their previous event. I am thrilled to report all about my evening which really was an exquisite affair, so hooray for LaRoche-Posay!

My friend Lissa (Girl at the Rock Show) and Luisa (Eat Sleep Luisa Repeat) were also on the guest list, so we teamed up and met after work at the Carousel near Baker Street for the event. I had been following LaRoche’s successes ever since the launch of the serozinc range for acne and oil prone skin. The LaRoche team had some amazing new products on display for us to try, exciting times!

The venue itself was stunning. Snow-topped forest pines surrounded the room and a festive feel was in the air. The products were displayed on crystal shelves and a dj supplied even more atmosphere. It was a small event but it felt really exclusive, something which I think is really important when planning events for bloggers.

Top marks for effort, presentation and food/drinks too! I enjoyed a non alcoholic mojito made with blueberries and elderflower and I had a glass of prosecco to wash down some gluten free tortilla!

Sarah and the team gave a great welcome speech, and introduced us to Dr Tabi Leslie, an expert dermatologist who was on hand all night to answer any questions we had about our skin.

The product of the night was the brand new Effaclar BB blur primer. The primer is different from others with its mousse-like texture and its ability to absorb sweat and oil/sebum. This translates to no more shiny face at 2pm in the afternoon! I have to say I’ve been using the primer every day now since the event and I’ve noticed a big difference. Before I used to have to dab my face with a tissue around lunchtime in the bathroom to get rid of my shine, but with the BB Blur on there is no need. Hooray!

Back to the event now, I was really impressed with how things ran. I got to mingle with several other bloggers including Lily and also got to talk to the LaRoche-Posay team as they came round to us all. I loved this cute little post box too for an added festive feel. We wrote to Santa asking for something special, so crossing fingers he gets our letters!

Featured image, hooray for laroche-posay post box

We each got to take home a bag with the new BB Blur primer, the serozine spray and their new Hydraphase intense serum which was also showcased on the night.

I want to thank the Dowal Walker team and LaRoche-Posay for hosting such a wonderful Christmas party, and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for us next year!

If you’d like to try the BB Blur primer it is on preorder now so get it here and save 1/3 off!

I thought I would also add a little video when I got home of me opening up my gift bag too!

Saharasplash X

If you liked this post, take a read of my review of Instanatural’s Dead Sea mud mask right here before you go

saharasplash1 December, 2015

Dead Sea Mud Mask Review- Instanatural

I really was excited to review the Dead Sea Mud Mask from Instanatural as I had read reviews about how it can dramatically reduce your pores. As a blogger I love trying out beauty products that I haven’t tried before to test and review, so last weekend I gave it a go. I followed the instructions and applied a thin layer to my face, avoiding my eye and mouth areas.

It was cool on my skin and was a smooth application. It says to leave on for 10-15 mins, and as the minutes go by the soft mud turns to a hard texture as it dries.

I really liked the process but before the mask could dry 100% it started to tingle and get a bit uncomfortable, 15 minutes in. I took it off using warm water and cotton pads, and unfortunately my skin had a minor reaction to the mask, leaving my skin quite red where I had applied it, especially on my forehead. (see video below for more pics!)

The Dead Sea Mud Mask from Instanatural definitely did leave my skin feeling tighter and very smooth, but I think that people with sensitive skin should be wary and maybe get a sample sent so you can do a patch test before using. Watch the video of the whole process from start to finish and also find out what I rate it out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to other people who have used dead sea products before who know that they are ok with the minerals the mud contains.

I received this product for free for my honest and unbiased feedback.

I’d love to know if any of you had tried similar mud masks or products from Instanatural. I might try and review some of their other products which don’t contain Dead Sea mud, and I hope you found this review helpful my lovely readers.

If you liked this, please check out my latest jewellery review on snows curiositites bracelets!

Saharasplash X

saharasplash6 October, 2015

Beauty Blogger Awards

So last Sunday was the Beauty Blogger Awards at Kensington Olympia. I had been to the Olympia just last week for the National wedding show but never before for the BBloggerAwards. I set my alarm for 6.30am to allow enough time for a full bath, hair wash, blow dry and makeup routine and managed to leave the house at 8.30am what a miracle! The tube was lovely and quiet, giving me time to think about the day ahead and what to expect. I was mostly excited about Nyx Cosmetics after seeing an IMATS haul YouTube video from Diamonds on Deck

I arrived half an hour before opening and found Style Lingua and Girl at the Rock Show. We got a great goody bag full of treats and made our way to the Nyx stall. We didn’t have to wait long to talk to the PR manager and Emily of @Vanityvenom. They gave us so many tips and advice on their products and I found a few favourites without much looking- the Wonder Contour stick and the Jumbo pencil in milk.

I’ve uploaded a short video of me trying out the Wonder Stick to YouTube- check it out here! https://youtu.be/N_oPELG8NaU

Below are the Nyx goodies I picked up which I will be trying this week and choosing my top 3 to blog about:

We also saw beautiful brows who kindly gave us a brow-over. It’s a semi permanent powder which lasts longer than the benefit brow kit I have been using and there are more colours available. The kit comes with stencils too so if you have trouble with a steady hand this will help your precision. I have posted my result on Instagram but here it is again if you missed it:

Another brow company that had a stand at the blogger awards was lash perfect. They do brow kits as well as lash extensions but their brow kits can last up to 3 weeks. They gave me a sample of their eyelash conditioner to try so we shall see how this goes! We then found Luisa made our way to the much larger trade arena. We were let in with our blogger name badges and proceeded to manoeuvre around the gigantic hall filled to the brim with luxuries and ladies. Here are a few snaps of the things that caught my eye:

All the brushes from crown!

All in all I had a marvellous day out with my blogger babes, and for a free event it is definitely worth going even if you don’t want to buy anything. I think I did pretty well for £12 on 3 brushes!

Saharasplash x

saharasplash10 September, 2015

Bloggers Love Fashion Week

Oh my oh my. What can I say other than what a fantastic day I had at the Bloggers Love Fashion Week!

Organised by the bloggers hangout, the day featured 2 sessions (afternoon and evening) of networking and fashion shows.

I started by meeting my good friend Lissa of Girl at the Rock Show at the venue, The Oxo Tower. I had been there before for a Cosmopolitan event and love the place. It’s just perfect for pop up events with different stalls.

We started by saying hello to Paul & Joe who had the most gorgeous eyeshadow kitty strips, or as Lissa likes to call them, eye-pads! They are so unique, I’ve never seen anything like them before. Perfect for clutches if you don’t want to take out a bulky eyeshadow palette! These strips peel back and reseal so you never have messy powder in the lining of your bags!

Next, we went to say hi to Motel Rocks. This year Motel Rocks is fast becoming one of my favourite brands. I will be posting a Motel Rocks haul soon of things I’ve collected at two of their sample sales recently. I always get complimented when I’m wearing motel and so was delighted to see them at the bloggers love event with some pieces from their new collection. I’d recommend joining the motel family, it’s a way to hear about things first and have access to exclusive news and competitions.

I really could go on to write about all of the companies that were at the bloggers love event, but instead I’m going to pick my top 5. I will then be doing smaller features on the others over the coming months, as it will take a while to see results from some of the beauty products I want to try out.

1. Miglio

Miglio were by far my favourite jewellery company at the event. The striking rose gold and silver bracelets caught my eye instantly and as I spoke to the reps I fell more in love. Miglio is a South African company and prides itself on empowering women around the world by offering them commission based jobs to sell the jewellery. The necklaces are similar to pandora, where you can buy separate pendants, clip them on, and you can wear the chain in many ways to match your look of the day/night in a matter of seconds. I am hoping to to on to use some of the pieces in a petite model Photoshoot later on this month!

2. Boadicea

Boadicea are a perfume company originating from Great Britain. As soon as I walked up to the table I could smell the oud, one of my favourite scents! Oud comes from the wood of the tropical Agar (Aquilaria) tree, believed to have originated in the Assam region of India. I picked out my favourite scent “Glorious” and was more than happy to take a sample away with me!

3. With Love Lilly

With Love Lilly were one of a few lingerie brands at the bloggers love event. Truth be told, I had never heard of them before but I am always glad to come across brilliant new designers. Each bralette was like a work of art, they used incredible colours and patterns to create the sets. My absolute favourite was the EVE set, picture below!

4. Tru Brit/ Little Ondine

Now I feel I have to write about both of these nail polish companies, as they are both up and coming and different in their own way. True Brit London is great for flashy colours, and I had my nails done at their bar. 4 days on now and not one chip on my two coats. The colour was called ‘Heirloom’ and is a lovely warm metallic colour. In some lights it just looks silver, but in others almost rose gold. Pic below!

The Little Ondine stall is also one to mention. They have twin packs which come like this. I really liked the look of these, as they are a way of taking more options with you when you travel without having to worry about space in your makeup bag or having the weight of 4 different bottles. They also have an easy peel off function, so no chips either! My favourite colour on the day was Copper Spark.

5- Magnitone

I think I’ve saved the best till last here. I had never heard of the magnitone before the bloggers love event, but I am so glad they were in the lounge with their amazing product. The magnitone is a sonic exfoliator which you use in circular motions on your face with your cleanser each morning and night. There are different options for different skin types, and the brush head needs changing every 3 months or so (much like your toothbrush) depending on usage. I loved the colour options and design of the magnitone. Although I have yet to use it I have spoken to other bloggers who have started using theirs from the event and all are crazy about it. I got mine in a wonderful pastel orange, and will be trying it out at the weekend, so I will do an update on how this goes next week!

I would highly recommend following the Bloggers Hangout for the latest news on future events, and also I would love to know your thoughts if you went to this event or have tried any of these products- get in touch! For now, have some more pics including catwalks! My pineapple bag was such a shout 🙂

saharasplash8 September, 2015

My daily makeup regime – work

Hi all,
I’ve been thinking that I’ve done a lot of posts about events and photography, but I want to bring something about beauty and fashion to the table too. I thought that I would start with my daily regime Monday to Friday to get things going!

So I’m not really a morning person at all. I find it really difficult to wake my body up and raise myself into getting dressed. Once I’ve checked my emails and Instagram I manage to somehow get myself out of bed and to the bathroom, where I have my lovely box of beauty products to help set me up.

I start by using a vitamin C skin reviver from the body shop. This citrus wonder will brighten up dull skin and the smell is zesty enough to wake your senses up at least! I apply very small dots to my cheek, nose, chin and forehead and rub it in circular motions using my hands. This makes my skin feel energised and smoothed, ready for primer!
I use Laura Mercier’s tinted primer in Radiance with a brush and apply in strokes to my full face. This helps the foundation to stay on longer and it has a tinted glow so if I’m not using foundation this will suffice.

My foundation is Nars. I have recently made the switch from Mac to Nars. It wasn’t because I didn’t like Mac, I still use their other products, but I found that the colour didn’t quite match my skin tone well enough. After taking a trip to selfridges in August, I had the Nars counter match me to light 2 and I am much happier with the colour now. It looks more natural which is the look I love.

I apply the foundation with a Mac brush first to the full face, I dab it on, and blend in with a sponge. I get my sponges from poundland or cheapy stores, as they are £1 for 30 disposable sponges- that’s a whole month!

After this, I use the Nars vanilla concealer under my eyes and to any dark areas. I also use to highlight my nose and blend again with the sponge.

I’m not big on contouring, but I do like a bit on definition on my cheekbones. I apply a Mac cream blush shade bamboo to my cheeks with a Mac brush.

For lips, I love using just lip liner and gloss. At the moment I’m loving my Nars liner in Morocco and my gloss of choice is a French brand I got in my July glossybox called Délicieuse.

Eyes- urban decay 3 palette!

I apply the lightest shade to my lids, then just choose a random colour each day to go round my brow bone with. Some days it’s bright, some days dark, but all still natural and neutral perfection.

I use a benefit brow kit in dark to shape my brows and lengthen them at the ends. To finish off, I simply add some Mac powder to my nose and cheeks to help set the makeup, and I find that it doesn’t need any touching up throughout the day.

I’d love to hear what you think, if you use similar products or are looking to switch your regime up. Comment below!

Saharasplash x

saharasplash18 August, 2015

petite model update

Petite model update!
I am absolutely thrilled with the response I have had over the past few months about my new modelling company: Petite Model Management
I have just completed the final test shoot and I am so happy with the results so far! I have a grand total of 19 girls ready to be signed in September.
I will be working with the models to build up their portfolios if need be and will be organising various shoot days so that we can all get together and have some fun in different locations around London.
A few ideas put forward already are:

Bath and flowers shoot

Calvin Klein wet hair shoot

Asian bridal style shoot

Alien makeup (inspired by the new Star Wars campaign for Max Factor)
I’d love to show you a few of the models on here, but for more please see the Twitter page here and the Facebook page here

If you would be interested in joining the petite model management team as a model, please submit a clear headshot with no makeup plus any work from your portfolio to [email protected]

To be eligible you must be no taller than 5″7 and must be able to travel to London if you are invited for a test shoot. Size and age does not matter

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