london Archives - Page 7 of 12

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!

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

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.

I’d really recommend getting the diffuser as well as a choice of your favourite oils- I’m quite keen to try out the Cinnamon flavour next

If you’re looking for a beautiful feature for your home, Essence of Arcadia is definitely something to add to your shopping list!

Saharasplash X

If you like this lifestyle post, check out what happened at Niche gluten free restaurant this month!

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

saharasplash18 February, 2016

The only way is Niche

For coeliacs and those who are gluten free, it sometimes sucks when all you’re craving is a gorgeous burger or some fried chicken. Even living in one of the world’s most popular cities sometimes has its limitations when it comes to living gluten free. It’s not easy when you’re out unless you have scoped out the area you are travelling to to see what’s about. So here’s where Niche comes in. Located just a 5 minute walk from Angel, Niche is a completely gluten free restaurant. I want to tell you all about my visit there and why, for me, the only way is Niche!

So we (my partner in crime Paul) arrived for around 7.30 and were immediately seated near the window. It is a quaint place that can seat around 25 people. The lighting is relaxed and chilled and the music is lovely so it’s a perfect place to take your gluten free bestie or your partner.

The menu is laid out on the table so you can begin to feast your eyes over all the possibilities as soon as you are seated. I went straight in for the starters and ordered the Parmesan and cheddar doughnuts. As I said, fried food is a tough one to find as a coeliac! Paul had the soup of the day which was tomato.

Both were really lovely and flavoursome and the presentation flawless- we each paired the starters with homemade lemonade. For the mains, I had to go for the Cheeseburger with extra avocado. It’s not every day I get to order a burger with the bun! It was so beautiful when it came out, I didn’t want to eat it… but I did 😉 Paul had a fantastic sausage and mash- I nipped a bite from his plate too, it would be rude not to sample his dish!

By this time we were both feeling full as the generous portion sizes settled, but I had my eye and heart set on ordering a cheesecake and so that’s what I did. The passion fruit cheesecake was lovely. Sadly my dessert was far too much for me to finish it all off after the first 2 courses, but somehow Paul polished off his chocolate brownie with ease. I must say that both desserts were delightful and I wished I could have finished mine!

Needless to say I really recommend Niche to all gluten free Londoners and travellers as it is such a fantastic place. The service was sublime, the food divine and not a drop of wine in sight! Go check Niche out now and see for yourself how great the dining experience can be for coeliacs. We sometimes forget that our diet does not control us, we can decide where we want to eat. The only way is Niche when you’re looking for some extraordinarily good gluten free food so thank you so much Niche for hosting us!

Saharasplash x

For more things to do around London, I went to a spectacular rooftop not long ago- find out where it is by clicking here!

saharasplash15 February, 2016

You don’t know me | Jawbreaker Clothing

I have been meaning to do this post for a while now. I have had such an incredible start to the year and have worked with some fabulous brands from Colette Green to Kent and Fraser, but I want to show you that I have many more sides to me than what you’ve seen so far. I have shown you my love for brands like Karen Millen and Boohoo, but I have a darker side also for brands like Jawbreaker. Here is something a little different to show you that you don’t know me… just yet!

Here are some facts which I haven’t mentioned on my blog to start things off:

1- I am a massive sci-fi fantasy fan. Everything from the latest Marvel movies to old school Star Trek.

2- I have an Astronomy GCSE. I love the stars and I also know why they twinkle… scintillation!

3- I have a darker side. This includes loving vampyric mythology and gothic trends, and so this is what inspired my brand new hairdo and wanting to work with Jawbreaker Clothing!

Jawbreaker are an alternative clothing brand who I had the pleasure of meeting at this years London Edge show. I love how their clothes are aimed at all ages and they have a real variety which includes bright designs like this Mexican Skull bag or more traditional gothic styles like the Silencio Dress.

I really wanted to time this post right as I think it really ties in with my new hairstyle. Paul and I took a trip on a bloody cold Sunday afternoon to the rooftops of One New Change which gives you stunning views of the London City skyline and is pretty darn close to St Paul’s Cathedral too.

Above I am wearing the Wild Idol Vest from Jawbreaker and have paired this gorgeous vest top with some wet look leggings from Black Milk Clothing and the best faux fur jacket from Forever 21.

Below I am wearing Spin Your Web Top which I wore out to London Edge and also before I had my hair done! The lace up detail at the back is just divine.

We know we all have a wild side to us, and I hope that this post and the Jawbreaker brand has shown you that it’s ok to go with different styles. Be a chameleon with a hundred different looks and passions.

That is why you don’t know me and why you should stick around to see what I do next!

Saharasplash x

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