blogger Archives - Page 7 of 11

saharasplash20 March, 2016

Blonde Hair Pale Skin – an incredible night!

I really have had an incredible few weeks recently with blogging. I have been to so many wonderful events and also had some fabulous experiences too. This post is all about blonde hair and pale skin as I visit RUSH hair and beauty salon and attend Em Ford’s fan event at YouTube headquarters all in one night.

BLONDE HAIR PALE SKIN FEATURE IMAGE SAHARASPLASH

I recently went to RUSH on Piccadilly Circus to have my hair done and after the incredible results I really wanted to do something with them again. RUSH have opened a brand new salon in West Hampstead and so I was invited along to their opening week to get my hair done. I tied this in with a very exciting event hosted by Em Ford of My Pale Skin Blog.

After work I headed to the new RUSH salon, it’s a 5 minute walk from West Hampstead station so really easy to get to. The salon is brand new and so classy. It is fresh and open with plenty of space. I was greeted by the staff who took my coat and we discussed what style and treatment I was going to have. We decided on loose waves to go with my glam dress.

The hair wash and treatment using the Kerastase products was divine. The treatment was massaged gently into my scalp, such a relaxing feeling! After this my hair was curled using the roll and pin technique. This gives the hair extra volume and bounce.

I had a lovely green tea, sadly no chocolate as it’s not gluten free, but RUSH really do go above and beyond when it comes to your appointment.

Fluffed, prepped and dried I was ready to hit the city just in time for Em Ford’s fan event!

I was so thrilled to get an invitation to this event, I love Em and My Pale Skin Blog so this was turning into a very special night.

I arrived at YouTube space London just in time to get to Em’s Q and A where she answered all our questions about her blog and her skin progress. It was great to see her and how far she has come from such hard work. She is a real inspiration to the blogging I want to do and so I am looking to get stuck in and start doing some makeup and beauty videos on my YouTube channel very soon!

After Em’s Q and A I headed over to the makeup station. Guests could have their hair, nails and makeup done so of course I had to do my makeup!

I met a lovely mua called Aine, she did such a fab job, and here are the results!

It really was an incredible night which I won’t forget thanks to RUSH and Em, and to finish off here is a quick bathroom selfie!

Dress: Boohoo.com

Boots: JD Williams

Saharasplash x

For more beauty, see what happened recently when I went to KISS and ImPRESS gel manicure’s pool party with Leona Lewis!

saharasplash14 March, 2016

I’m doing a KISS and tell!

Hey all you beauties, I hope you are all ready for a very EXCITING blog post! It will be worth your while to stay tuned till the end to find out how you could get your hands on one of 4 amazing prizes too! I’m doing a KISS and tell today, as I want to share the news from a very special event I went to recently…

So Alex Silver PR kindly invited me along to their incredible party at the Haymarket Hotel to celebrate the launch of a brand new range of products from KISS and imPRESS nails. They also wanted to share the news on having a new celebrity brand ambassador, Leona Lewis. Leona was there on the night to have fun and party with all of us beauty addicts, she really is a perfect fit for the brand with her fun personality and incredible style.

The venue itself was stunning. The pool was all lit up and decorated with beautiful flowers, and there was a band on the night who were singing everything from Uptown Funk to classic Earth Wind and Fire. I made my way around all the tables to see all the new products on display-

I had my lashes done by one of the lash technicians and they are the best lashes I have worn. I am wearing ‘Lily’ and they felt so light like a feather, and they were easy to take off too when the night was over.

I couldn’t get my nails done as they were too long for the imPRESS nails but I managed to take some home and a few days later here were my favourites (Acrylic Nude):

Here is a video from the night which you should really check out before reading about the competition below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHzJVS_fzmk

I had such a wonderful time at the event, and to keep you all happy so you feel like you didn’t miss out I have teamed up with KISS and imPRESS nails to give away 4 massive prizes! I have sooo much stuff to give you!!!

Here are the details:

I will be giving away a heapfull of prizes to 4 lucky winners. There are 4 ways to enter and it is up to you how many you do. I will be selecting one winner at random from each channel/site:

1- Comment on this post with your name and email and say why you would like to win

2- Retweet my competition tweet and follow me on Twitter

3- Like and share my Facebook competition post

4- Comment on my Instagram competition post and say why you would like to win

Simple! So you can enter up to 4 times and if you’re lucky you could be drowning in nail and lash heaven soon! The competition will run until Monday 21st March 2016 and I will announce the winners shortly after this.

Saharasplash x

If you want more, check out what happened at Makeup Revolution’s 2nd birthday party recently wearing my JD Williams boots

saharasplash11 March, 2016

Good shoes take you to good places with JD Williams

I am really excited to share this post with you. Not only is it full of events and the most gorgeous boots ever, it is also a feel good post. I really hope you enjoy my thoughts and my outfits as I tell you why good shoes take you to good places with JD Williams.

JD Williams is a long standing and thoroughly reputable brand for shoes and accessories, so when I saw these babies on their site from their Lorraine Kelly range I knew these were the perfect shoes to do this post in! I love the striking heel and they are so comfy- perfect for my current adventures…

So recently I have been thinking a lot about life, what I want from it, who I want in it and how I can make the most out of it as possible. I feel like since I have started to blog this has opened up so many doors and I have tried out so many new things I don’t want it to end. My blogging has taken me to places all around London, and in this post I managed to get to three more locations, all within the space of four days. I really hope that you will read this and come away thinking a little more about your life too, what you have done, and what you want to do as well this year. I know how precious time is and the importance of seizing the moment, capturing that moment and keeping it for a lifetime by posting it out there into the expanding universe. I think on my decisions every day, and how these decisions have taken me to such good places. So let me show you another moment that took place at Hackney Picturehouse on Monday:

I won tickets to the Zootropolis premiere on Twitter, and had the opportunity to see the film and Idris Elba too! It was a small gala screening but still had paps and a red carpet. It was fantastic and I have blogging to thank for this for making me such a social media whizz!

I wore a bright yellow skirt from TU Clothing to make the red marble heel of the boots really stand out.

The following day, my good shoes were taking me to another good place. This time a little more central London to the Forest on the Roof! For anyone who hasn’t been here, it is a definite must for a thoroughly brilliant dining experience. The restaurant and bar is on the top floor of Selfridges and is never busy during the week. My partner and I took some friends there who were visiting from Germany and we had a wonderful time. The forest atmosphere made for a perfect shooting location with my JD Williams boots…

The food is exceptional, not to mention I get to have gluten free fish and chips! I discovered this restaurant over Christmas when my blogger friend Lissa and I took a stroll around London one evening and I have been meaning to go back ever since. They have glorious little cabins outside on the rooftop as well so you can cosy up with a blanket and a hot drink after dining inside.

I love how they had a marble table- it was the fitting place for my second location with my JD Williams boots! For this shoot I am wearing a Karen Millen dress and a grey Cardigan from Apricot.

Onto the third and final location!!

So Thursday night I was off to the Cafe de Paris for Makeup Revolution’s 2nd anniversary celebration. One of the first beauty YouTube videos I did was with Makeup Revolution and I use their products every day, so this was going to be a great event. Taking my boots along with me, I decided to go all out with a red faux leather dress from Pretty Little Thing:

The event was held at the glorious Cafe de Paris near Leicester Square and what an event it was! Makeup Revolution is founded by Adam Minto and he invited his partners, sponsors and the bloggers they work with along for an evening of makeup and entertainment. We had Scott Mills set the party atmosphere with a fabulous DJ set and I met up with my friend and blogger Vicki of Vickisbeauty.com. I met a new friend too- Mona of monaseyes.com

My boots kept me in good spirits all night as we danced, took selfies and tried out some of the new range out next month. The cocktails were on point and so was the atmosphere. It truly was one of the best parties I have been to in a long while and I will continue to support such an amazing brand that really deserves its successes.

So my boots took me to 3 completely different events and I am grateful for all of them. I loved how each event is connected to my blogging and I really can’t wait for what the future holds on saharasplash.com this year. I hope that my good boots bring me good luck as I travel in them on my next venture- you will have to keep reading to find out if they do!

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading, if you want some more check out how awesome my macaron making skills are here

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

saharasplash4 March, 2016

Mon Dessert Macarons for Mother’s Day

This one is for all the sweet-toothed mums out there and for all the cool kids who want to bake something extra special for their mummas. On Wednesday night I successfully baked my first batch of macarons thanks to Mon Dessert. So get ready for some seriously awesome baking skills as I’m making Mon Dessert Macarons for Mother’s Day!

Mon Dessert is a fabulous patisserie owned by Samina who is a London based baking queen. She has honed her skills through time and effort and has managed to create her own business which caters to big weddings and events as well as small gifts such as this beautiful Macaron Kit.

This is available to buy from Fortnum and Mason as well as online here. It comes with everything you could possibly imagine, right down to the icing bag and the macaron mat. It is a wonderful little gift that you can use to make something for your mother this weekend. The Macaron Kit can also work as a gift itself if you want a little less work! I found the kit so beautifully designed and decorated, each item was carefully packaged and wrapped so neatly, and the instruction booklet was so easy to follow.

So, onto the baking! First I made the white chocolate and raspberry ganache:

Then onto the macaron mixture! I had a little trouble getting my eggs to peak for some reason, though I am putting this down to either my whisk or my skills. At least my hair looked good from this angle!

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About ten minutes later it was ready to go and so I folded in the almond powder and the icing sugar as instructed.

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The mixture was so colourful after adding the beetroot powder! Next it was onto the piping!

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It was really easy to pipe out and after a bang to get the bubbles out and a few shakes to even the mixture out, here are the results!

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20 minutes later…

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Look how they’ve changed! I was so happy with how they rose, and the colour change to a lovely burnt orange was a nice surprise. I decorated them with rose petals which came in the kit for a professional effect. They popped off the mat with ease, and so I turned them over to cool as instructed.

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Once ready, I used my pre-made ganache for half, and the other half I used Jim Jams raspberry spread– it’s the best jam ever!

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Here are the final results, just perfect! I used the macaron tin to lay them gently onto a bed of ripped paper and they were ready to send off to my mum!

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She knows they are coming and is very excited to try them- I really enjoyed making these macarons for Mother’s Day and want to thank Mon Dessert for giving both me and my mother such a great gift.

Give making macarons for Mother’s Day a go this year, and make them with Mon Dessert!

Saharasplash X

If you want more gluten free goodness, head over to read my review of London’s best gluten free restaurant- Niche!

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

saharasplash3 March, 2016

Chantelle Beauty Box Review

So I hope you all saw my unboxing video a few weeks back on my YouTube channel. If not, go and watch it right now before you read this post! I gave you all a little peek inside my Chantelle Beauty Box. So after using all the products it is now time for my official Chantelle Beauty Box Review! Chantelle has just started her own subscription service which is 100% vegan and cruelty free. I jumped at the chance to review the box as I recently want to make the switch to as many animal friendly beauty products as possible.

I have been receiving Glossybox for a few years now and so I think it is time for a switch up, and what a better way to do this than to start supporting a smaller supsription service that goes to bigger efforts with its products. I want to show you all the wonderful things I’ve tried out from Chantelle’s beauty box, and read on till the end to find out how you can order yours too!

First up we have ‘Sweet Like Sugar’ scrub

This is an organic scrub which is perfect for exfoliation. Its ingredients include dark sugar, organic olive oil and is infused with citronella and lavender oils for scent. It is the perfect scrub for sensitive skin and doesn’t contain any chemicals which can induce a reaction. It left my hands feeling so silky smooth when using it after cooking to get rid of dirt and bacteria.

Next, and has to be my definite favourite, the Fantasy Cream!

This bright body butter was so amazing. It contains avocado & coconut oil and organic shea butter- I absolutely adored it. I used this on my dry areas such as elbows, fingers and feet and what a difference it has made in such a small space of time. It instantly rejuvenates my skin and I cannot get enough of it! For a sample size, this goes a long way too! The scent is mild but really great, I think the ylang ylang comes through the most.

Onto our next product- a little Glory Oil!

This little pot is filled with a unique blend of plant oils and olive oil. It smelled so wonderful and I used this in a hot bath to make it smell amazing. Alternatively you can apply straight to your body also. Chantelle sells a 200ml bottle for £10 and it’s perfect if you are after an oil which is light and which smells amazing too.

The final product in the beauty box was a little packet of Pink Magic Bath Soak.

This product is a must for fans of bath salts and body scrubs, as you can use this for both! I took mine with me to the bath and loved the aroma that the Himalayan salts created. I used some on my skin as well as letting some soak into the tub, and it was the most relaxed I had felt in a long time.

So now for the details!

The Chantelle Beauty Box is available for £13 per month and you can contact Chantelle via her website here. Each box will contain one full size product and 3 sample size products. These can be ordered separately too if you try them out and like them and all the details on pricing of individual items are included in your box and also on the website.

I can’t thank Chantelle enough for sending me my first box to try out, I will definitely be back for more cruelty free and natural goodies next month!

Saharasplash x

If you’re up fore more natural goodness, click on over to my post about the Essence of Arcadia oils and diffuser set!

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

saharasplash23 February, 2016

Let’s do lifestyle with Essence of Arcadia

For me, a blog has to be whatever you want it to be. Some bloggers like to stick to one route such as travel or beauty. But I like to change it up depending on the companies that I reach out to, or who reach out to me. A few weeks ago I was contacted by a lovely company- Essence of Arcadia. They wanted me to try out one of their diffuser sets with essential oils. I have never done anything like this before, but after reading up on their website I found that I just had to review their products! So, let’s do lifestyle with Essence of Arcadia!

I live with my partner Paul in an East London flat. It’s great for us with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, but the living room is always something which has been lacking in the space department. It is a joined kitchen and living room so we just have a dining room table, a sofa and the TV. About a year ago, we took a trip to Ikea and bought some fabulous shelves to go up on the TV wall with sleek glass doors, but due to life and other stuff we have only just got round to putting them up! Needless to say this was the perfect time to get a diffuser now we have a brand new feel to our living area.

A bit about the Essence of Arcadia products. You have the option to buy 2 diffusers on their website- a lovely crystal effect diffuser which is golden and looks like this:

Or a round flat pebble design which has a smooth wood effect, this is the one I went for and is pictured below:

The diffuser comes with a set of three different oils- I got eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender in my box, though if you want to go oil crazy you can also buy the oils separately from the site. These can be used not just with the diffuser, but you can add a few drops to your bath to create a similar environment.

I put the diffuser on our newly-built shelves, and am so happy with how great it looks! I am now on the hunt for some more wooden features to put on the opposite side!

The diffuser is super easy to use, all you need is water and your essential oil of choice and you’re set! I also love how the diffuser has a lighting option too so you can have a lovely scent and a warm glow to go with it.

The mist slowly escapes from the top of the pebble, and we have tried out all 3 oils now. My favourite is the lavender with its relaxing properties; it’s just perfect after a hard day at work to put on and unwind.