review Archives - Page 2 of 2

saharasplash5 April, 2016

The Owl and The Huntsman

The owl and the huntsman went to Claridges for a beautiful braided crown. Okay not really the huntsman, but I certainly did! This post is all about the owl and the huntsman and of course my braided hair!

I was so excited to see the second instalment in The Huntsman series, this time it was all about a winter’s war between two sisters. Snow White was far far away as we got to learn more about Eric’s story (Chris Hemsworth). We arrived at Leicester Square for 6.30pm and were kindly greeted by the Feref team just inside the Vue Cinema.

We had front row seats in the theatre and enjoyed a glass of wine as we watched the film. I loved it even better than the first one, which is quite rare for a sequel! It was reminiscent of the Hobbit in so many ways. The quest to destroy an evil golden object and they even did battle with goblins. Plus the fact that the majority of the film was spent in the woods. This is in no way a criticism of The Huntsman: Winter’s War though, it was a thrilling journey full of surprises and had the perfect balance of humour, adventure and heartthrobbing moments.

The adventure, however, did not end with the movie. I was lucky enough to get invited to a magical mirror room lunch in celebration of the film’s release at Claridges Hotel:

On Thursday I set off for Bond Street station on my lunch break for a wonderful experience. The magical room was filled with scrumptious gluten free delights and a few more surprises too.

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The Braid Bar from Selfridges were there to give us the most amazing hair styles plus they had organised nail and makeup sessions too. I went for the Claudia braid from the braid bar baes and it was so beautiful! I felt like a queen straight from the fairytale, all I needed was a huntsman to come rescue me!

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The star of the show was a real life snowy owl. Not many of us wanted to touch, but we did have our cameras at the ready for some photos. I spoke with his carer and he loved the attention from the press and the bloggers!

I met 3 new blogger buds too, the Mandeville sisters and Joy Ogude– say hey to these girls on social as they are brilliant at what they do.

I can’t thank the Feref team and Universal enough for such a magical experience, from seeing the owl and tea at Claridges to seeing The Huntsman: Winter’s War preview screening of the film. I also came away with this awesome huntsman hoodie which I will be styling up very soon no doubt!

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The Huntsman: Winter’s War is in cinemas now so go see it on the big screen over the next few weeks

Saharasplash X

To get more action on my latest events, see what I got up to recently at the Her Boutique Sip and Shop!

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

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!

saharasplash2 February, 2016

A Twist on Toast with Kent and Fraser

It’s time for a good old gluten free blog post! I am raving about these new toasties from Kent and Fraser. Kent and Fraser are a London-based bakery who specialise in creating fabulous gluten and wheat free treats. These vary from biscuits and shortbread, to the all new toast range which I am so thrilled to talk to you guys about. Here’s to gluten free goodness as I look into a twist on toast with Kent and Fraser.

I have always been one for a chocolate or five during those days where you wake up and then carry on with your day as usual. It is fairly safe to say that I love it, sometimes a bit more than I should. So what really got me was how Kent and Fraser managed to turn a savoury snack into my new favourite guilty pleasure. Instead of reaching for the belgian seashells, I have been happily munching away on my crunchy toast slices. They are so unique and innovative as they put together flavours which you never think could work- but they really do!

Kent and Fraser have three mouthwatering flavours to choose from-

Cherry, Pecan and Poppyseed

Cranberry and Almond

Olive, Walnut and Pimenton

All three have such a luscious and rich flavour, you can eat them au natural or they are great served with traditional cheese and butter. The cherry pecan and cranberry almond really do satisfy my sweet tooth and I’m finding that I don’t need to reach for anything else after my main meal. They are chewy and crispy at the same time and the fruit really comes through to compliment the twice-baked toast slices. I like to eat these as they come- you don’t need anything extra as you can see, each slice is packed full of nuts and fruit.

Olives and walnuts are not two ingredients that I have in my cupboards, and it’s safe to say that I have never eaten a walnut on its own in my life. But I cannot get enough of these little green beauties. The pimenton comes through too but it’s not a harsh taste at all. The ingredients are perfectly balanced to create an artisan masterpiece, and for gluten free food that is definitely worthy of a hearty commendation. I love the olive and walnut toast with my favourite soft cheese- applewood cheddar. The smokey flavours of the applewood on the toast makes for one scrumptious snack!

I decided that I would have a little shoot in my London kitchen. I had so much fun eating the remainder of the toast snacks while photos were taken for about half an hour- aren’t the boxes just so colourful and bright? And then they were gone, oops! I’ve not enjoyed a gluten free snack like this in a long time, and Kent and Fraser are definitely worth trying out for gluten/wheat free goers and coeliacs.

The packs are only £3.35 each and are available to buy from the Honeyrose bakery website here. I really recommend trying all three out even if you are not partial to certain ingredients used in the toast. They really did surprise me in the best way by creating this wonderful twist on toast- so thank you Kent and Fraser! They also have a wonderful selection of biscuits, cookies and shortbread too!

Saharasplash x

If you liked this post, go and check out what else I’ve been up to recently by visiting the homepage to see what’s trending 🙂

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

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

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