blogger Archives - Page 9 of 11

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

saharasplash6 December, 2015

What’s inside Brick Lane’s Jewellery Box this season

I always love following bloggers on Twitter. In my opinion Facebook is becoming more obsolete, and even though Instagram seems to be king this year for sheer number of users, Twitter remains to be my strongest social media site above all others. I am always searching through hashtags on Twitter such as #blogger #event #london, and this is how I found out about the Jewellery Box blogger event organised by Scarlett London. I’ve written this post with all you jewellery addicts in mind, so read on to find out what’s inside Brick Lane’s Jewellery Box this season!

Scarlet London never fails to put on a great event, and always thinks of every last detail to make it special for the brands involved and the bloggers. I usually go to events with other London bloggers, but due to unavailibilities I decided to take my partner Paul along. Just what every man wants, to be taken to a jewellery shop!

We actually had a really good time, he likes taking photos and so with my new camera in hand he was away! And the results aren’t bad :p

So the store is located on the trendy side of London in Brick Lane. We headed over there after work and almost missed it going past on the other side of the street. It’s just on a corner on the right hand side, and the place looks just as inviting from the outside as it does on the inside.

The store has a lovely glow to it, and even though it’s a quaint little place, it is full of plenty of finds which will have you browsing for hours for yourself as well as looking at gifts for others! I got talking to a lot of other bloggers there, including Maryam and Steph who are just lovely. We will be working on some projects together in the new year so very excited about that!

We were greeted by the wonderful staff of Jewellery Box on the night and given goody bags to take home. Each bag had a lovely charm inside and we got to hand stamp our initials onto the charm using a presser, such a sweet gift idea!

I picked up several rings which you can see below, one rose gold, the other a twisty silver and then a snake ring, plus I had to get some of the gorgeous rose gold snowflake earrings too. These were such a bargain at £3.60! The prices at Jewellery Box are really good, yet the quality of the products does not reflect the price at all. Each of the items I’ve bought are super fine and look like they will last a lot longer than Primark!

The Christmas music was playing, the drinks were flowing, and so we ended up taking around 300 photos! It was so hard narrowing down to just a few for the blog, so I hope you take a trip down there yourself to see many more things other than the photos you see on here.

Maryam and I were featured on Jewellery Box’s Instagram page this week, how exciting! Check the snap out here.

If you liked this, you are sure to love my post on Snows Curiosities personalised bracelet, take some time to check this post out too for some great shots and to find out how to order your own!

Saharasplash x

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

saharasplash29 November, 2015

Getting cosy with Snows Curiosities

I’m really excited to introduce you to a brand new start up business called snows curiosities. I was thrilled when I saw the designer Shana post online about her homemade bracelets and I want to thank her so much for sending me one to review. I did a photoshoot this weekend to show you all about how I am getting cosy with snows curiosities in my bedroom, and thought that my new sheets provided the perfect cosy Christmas setting for this post (as well as my Xmas jumper!).

Snows curiosities bracelets are a perfect gift to give as you can personalise them to say whatever you want. Of course I got one with my blog name ‘saharasplash’. The bracelets are made in Shana’s home in Kent from silver aluminium. The packaging is super cute and I loved the little bag and charm it came with.

As well as choosing whatever you’d like for the engravement, you can also choose the bracelet width. I loved shooting with the bracelet- the silver went so well with my grey Christmas jumper (from Amara Reya). Here are a few shots showing off my gorgeous new accessory:

Shana will be adding more to her collection very soon and you can get in touch with her on her Facebook page here to place your Xmas orders!

Each bracelet is just £10 which is a fab price for the quality and the personal touch you get with your bracelet. I hope you all will join me in supporting Shana with snows curiosities and get one this Christmas, for yourself or as a present too!

Saharasplash X

If you loved this you are going to love my Golden Gift guide for xmas 2015 post!

saharasplash23 November, 2015

Golden gift guide for xmas 2015

We all want to give the best gifts to our loved ones and somehow still outdo those gifts we bought from last year. I’ve chosen a super easy theme to help you guys out when buying for your group of girls, and that theme is gold! My golden gift guide for xmas 2015 is here to help you nice and early so you’re not stuck for any last minute gifts this year.

Gold is a colour that is always around for the Christmas season so you can’t go wrong with it. Every girl wants to unwrap a present with a bit of sparkle and I’ve chosen 3 clutch bags and 3 necklaces to get those eyes glimmering with joy! My choices range from £10-£80 so whatever your budget, I’ve got you covered with some of my favourite golden gems you can find online right now. Whether you need help buying for a female friend, girlfriend, family member or treating yourself, look no further than my golden guide featured below!

Boohoo- Katie Glitter Pom Clutch – £14

So I picked this cute little clutch up at the Boohoo xmas party this month. This bag caught my eye as I was browsing through their seasonal collection and I didn’t want to put it down. Fortunately Boohoo were kind enough to let me take it home, and I just love it so much. The pom on the front is faux fur and for £14 it’s such a steal.

Together from Kaleidoscope- Golden Snake Clutch – £29

Another amazing bag which I happen to also have in my possession is this wonderful snake print clutch from Kaleidoscope. I met with Kaleidoscope’s team this month at Flemings Mayfair for a little get together with the brand and bloggers. I fell in love with this bag as well as a blue faux fur coat at the event, and was so thrilled to receive the bag from them in the post last week. This retails at the great price of £29 and would go perfectly with a slip dress from my last post on Motel Rocks!

See the complete partywear range here for even more inspiration!

Love Moschino from House of Fraser- Gold Embossed Clutch – £60

For someone really special, I’ve chosen this Moschino embossed clutch bag. This is a great statement bag and would be perfect for gifting a fashionista this Christmas. The bag is on sale right now with £15 off, so I’d really recommend getting this one quick before it sells out.

Boohoo- Natasha Statement Gem chain Choker – £10

This choker is perfect for an unusual gift as there aren’t many like these in the high st stores. The choker sits gracefully around the neck and would be ready to wear day or night to spice up your ootd. Its detailing is simple yet effective and will bring some Christmas cheer no doubt. I’d recommend getting this for a best friend.

Tatty Devine- Shooting Star Necklace – £25

Tatty are a favourite of mine, simply because the materials they use never wear down like you get on other gold and silver accessories. This shooting star necklace is an acrylic hand cut piece that screams Christmas from starpoint to starpoint, and guaranteed you won’t find something like this in stores either this year!

Swarovski Stardust Necklace – £79

Lastly we come to the devine jewellers that are Swarovski. I think that they are a timeless company you can buy for little angels or your dearest nan and it just works. The Stardust necklace is brought on by the success of the multicoloured wrap bracelet campaign this year featuring Miranda Kerr, and what a way to end the year with this golden gem. I would buy this for my mother without a doubt, but obviously now cannot as she’s probably read this post! But what’s to stop you from getting this for your mum this Christmas???

So there you have it, my golden gift guide whatever your budget. If you’re anything like me then you’ve probably already got a spreadsheet and colour coded it! Relax, we’re officially at the last week of November this week so break out the mince pies and mulled wine already!

Stay warm and think golden thoughts,

Saharasplash

x

PS- Now is a really good time to subscribe to my blog, as the next few weeks I have some amazing posts lined up for you…

If you liked this, head on over to my blog post all about sexy sparkly slip dresses right now!

saharasplash3 November, 2015

Monochroming in the city with Lindex!

I have been dying to write a post all about Lindex ever since attending their store launch at Westfield in September. I heard about them through Fashion Foie Gras and after checking their site out I was on that guest list pronto! I would say that their style is h and m meets forever 21, but they are all about sustainability which is great. They have a fabulous range of autumn colours and are on trend with culottes, polo necks and more.

On the night of the launch, they were holding an Instagram competition which I happened to win, but didn’t see the direct message until 3 weeks later! I blame my crappy iPhone 5 for not sending out notifications, I’m due an upgrade and the iPhone 6 is calling my name!!

Anyways, I contacted Lindex, apologised for not responding and they had the gift voucher sent out to me, what darlings! So off I went to Lindex one day after work to see what took my fancy.

I picked up an oversized monochrome jumper, as my wardrobe is needing some long sleeves right now, a grey longline cardigan and also a pair of knee high cable knit socks- all for under £25!

I can’t wait to show you the results, so without further delay, here are the shots and short clip of me monochroming in the city with Lindex- tres chique I think!

We went to Trent Park for the lush scenery in the video- let me know how you would have styled this jumper up!