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Drink No Evil Karma Cola

I was immediately drawn to Karma Cola drinks not just for their great design, but also because of the story that goes with the brand. Drink No Evil Karma Cola is all about doing good and enjoying some great drinks in the process. The brand currently has three amazing beverages for all walks of life, and I am in love with all of them! Let me tell you a bit more about them…

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The Karma Cola foundation aims to produce fizzy drinks which stand for a cause. Every drink purchased helps a village in Sierra Leone, Africa and the proceeds help to support a number of Sierra Leonean communities by maintaining local areas to sending young people to school.

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Flavour 1- The original Karma Cola

This is made from a cola nut (yes cola comes from a nut!) all the way from Sierra Leone. It has a unique blend including ginger and lemons which makes for a thirst quenching delight.

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Flavour 2- Lemony!

This is a great mix of organic lemons and fair-trade sugar cane which makes the farmers smile. It makes its drinkers smile too as the lemon bursts out and hits all those taste buds.

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Flavour 3- Gingerella

Gingerella is perfect for those wanting a fiery taste. It is quite strong and bursting with notes of vanilla and ginger.

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Pour and Enjoy!

Here are some more shots courtesy of my sister Evie. You should get in touch with her here if you are needing a blogger photoshoot! She captured the drinks in action, which I’m sure you agree look so tempting during the hot summer season! We chilled the drinks before pouring each for a clean and refreshing taste…

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This cute pineapple glass is from Sass and Belle DSC_0271 DSC_0272

So good in more ways than one- don’t forget that the more drinks Karma Cola sells, the more help they can do! Why not join the Drink no Evil Karma Cola campaign and host a great BBQ with some amazing drinks for July?! These drinks are available to purchase at Waitrose right now

Saharasplash x

For tips on how to host your own party, I’ve got you covered in my latest post right here!

 

PR Samples included

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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!
Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert
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.

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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:

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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
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Why choose L’Occitane for that perfect gift?

So we are all feeling that post-Christmas lull and are back to reality. We’ve got that January paycheck and we are already allocating budgets for those friends with February birthdays, Valentine’s Day and if you’re as forward thinking as I am, you’ve probably given a few thoughts to Mother’s Day in March too! I want to give you a little helping hand and answer the question-

why choose L’Occitane for that perfect gift?

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L’Occitane has a very rich history; I’m talking heart and perseverance rather than papers. Celebrating their 40th birthday this year, they started out with one location in Provence (south of France) making traditional soaps in 1976 and within 2 decades had branched out to the Americas and to China. After this L’Occitane reached out to Europe and the brand now has an incredible 2700+ stores all over the world. Hard to think they just started from an old soap factory 40 years ago- I love it!

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So for Christmas just gone I received a shea ultra rich lip balm from L’Occitane pictured above and cannot sing its praises enough. The quality of the product as well as its delicate design definitely earns it a top spot in my everyday essentials. It is this dedication to its products which is why I have a penchant for L’Occitane, and I know that the perfect gift can be found if you are looking to get something meaningful for someone special to you. I’ve carefully researched L’Occitane’s gift section on their website and I have hand-picked a few of my favourites below –

 

Limited Edition Shea Butter Tin

shea butter tin l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/limited-edition-shea-butter-tin,83,1,29776,865519.htm

This shea butter collection has your hands and lips covered during the cold and dry season. The nourishing power of shea butter is no secret, so why not gift a friend or loved one with this beautiful set for just £25

 

The Voyage Set for him

Voyage set l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/l’occitan-voyage-set,83,1,39632,856157.htm

For the gentlemen, we have the Voyage Set. It comes with the classic soap/shave/shower products that all men need to have them scrub up and smelling fantastic before a romantic Valentine’s date or night out. At the affordable price of just £22

 

Hugs and Kisses Set

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http://uk.loccitane.com/shea-butter-hugs-kisses,83,1,29776,865428.htm

I had to have my favourite lip balm in here- seriously you need to get this as a gift and one for yourself too! This little set is perfect for Mother’s Day and the packaging is just lovely. For the smaller budget at just £16

 

The Cade Classic Collection for him

Cade Collection l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/cade-classic-collection,83,1,29810,856243.htm

The Cade Classic Collection is the gift you want to give to indulge that special man in your life. Be it father, boyfriend or husband, this wood- scented gift set infused with juniper will definitely impress whatever the occasion. Priced at £48 but worth £65!

 

The Delightful Collection for her

Delightful Collection l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/delightful-collection,83,1,29819,825291.htm

Last but by no means least is a best seller- the Delightful Collection. This set includes some L’Occitane favourites like the roses and reines shower gel and the ever popular shea vanilla hand cream. This gift is a star buy at £35 and contains 6 amazing products and comes with a cosmetic bag too

I hope that these little L’Occitane luxuries will help inspire you when finding that perfect gift for whoever you are buying for. Don’t forget to check out the L’Occitane website for even more gift ideas too!

heart

Saharasplash x

 

If you liked this, you are sure to love my post featuring Colette Green!

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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.

goldmember 1Gold 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

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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

Together Kaleidoscope gold snake clutch bagAnother 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

Moschino golden clutch bagFor 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

Boohoo Natasha statement gem chain choker

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 Devine shooting star necklaceTatty 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

Swarovski stardust necklaceLastly 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!