the girl gang Archives - SAHARASPLASH

saharasplash24 October, 2017

Simplistic styling and brave choices featuring PrettyLittleThing

This October has been one of the most incredible Octobers of my life. Not only did I have the most fantastic 27th birthday with my family, it also brought and end to my pregnancy and welcomed a brand new arrival! I’m sure you have seen by now that I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who we called Alice Iris. It’s been a tough first week to say the least, and I thought that this would be a great opportunity to talk about being brave- in more than one aspect of life. Having the courage to stick with your guns and make your unique voice heard is such an important thing, so here is my piece on simplistic styling and brave choices featuring PrettyLittleThing.

I feel that I have grown up a confident person, always going for what I want in life. Even at school I remember being the one always speaking out and eager to have my say, so having strength and courage definitely stemmed from a young age. Confidence and being brave may not come naturally to everyone, but I’d like to try and persuade you to come out of yourself just that little bit today. Whether that means doing that task you’ve been putting off for days or saying something you have been holding back from someone close to you- I say you are going to do it! And once you do, you’ll feel amazing.

So, how does being brave work it’s way into another part of your life- your wardrobe? PrettyLittleThing are here to help with their new season coats and jackets range. PLT are one of my favourite brands, so getting to collaborate with them on this project was definitely a big fat tick off the blogger bucket list. I did this shoot two days before giving birth, so this will definitely be one of those memorable weekends not only for my blog but for my family too. This sage green floral maxi kimono worked effortlessly with one of my plain black dresses. Pregnant or not, it’s a simplistic style for anyone not wanting to brave a whole new wardrobe just yet. Just one stunning jacket like this can make you feel confident and ready to take on anything life throws at you- you’re in a kimono for god sake, rock it!!

Much like this kimono, I took the leap of faith and braved my labour without any pain relief. We did it together, Alice and I, along with some super support from my husband, sister and mother. I took my strength during labour by focusing on all the reasons why I was doing it, and who I was doing it for. The list was long- my husband and my late mother in law who she is named after were the top two faces in my mind- and it worked brilliantly. Being brave for another person I find boosts your confidence levels like nothing else- I’m sure you can remember exactly how you felt at a time where you have stood up for something or someone that you believe in- it gives us that fire and purpose.

This next coat was a little out of my comfort zone, but I just had to jump in with two feet. That item you’ve been looking at online but not sure it’s ‘you’, just go for it, just like I went for this bright yellow longline puffer jacket.

Again, I’ve paired this with black which is a smart choice for anyone out there struggling with splashing colour into their autumn winter collection. Sporty stripes are heavily trending throughout the high street, so a pair of wide leg stripe trousers like this create a cool but chic balance to the powerful puffer.

Simplistic styling and brave choices go hand in hand- it’s just one small change that makes a lot of difference.

Tell me about a time you made a brave choice in the comments below- and for this week I want you to face any fears you have (wardrobe or otherwise) with a deep breath and a strong focus. You won’t get a baby at the end of it, but you’ll be self rewarded with a new found sense of accomplishment!

Until next time,

Saharasplash x

Find out all about my experience at Seckford Spa with a pregnancy massage!

PR samples included

saharasplash13 October, 2016

London Fashion Week Day Two

London Fashion Week Day Two had me visiting one of my favourite places- The Grooming Room. Forward PR never disappoints at pulling out all the stops for bloggers, press and special guests at The Grooming Room and this season was no different. I had an afternoon appointment with the Sasoon hairstylists and a nail appointment too. This had me prepped and ready to go before hitting the road to my catwalk shows!

My Outfit

On Day Two I wore a floral co-ord and nude duster coat from Boohoo. My necklace was Butler and Wilson and my bucket bag was from Today I’m Me.

Special Details

I had some lovely orb earrings to complete my look which were from the Vivienne Westwood collection available online at Tessuti, one of my favourite sites for those special pieces. I paired the earrings with a bright lip and some lashes from the KISS collection. My hair was styled so that the earrings were on show at all times, I just love them!

Catwalk Highlights

Morecco

London Fashion Week Day Two took me to the Morecco show. I think all the colours were used for this season’s show as each look was as vibrant as the next. A lot of flowing materials and wrapped designs were displayed during the show. It was good to see Morecco as this was my first time viewing this specific designer. The show was a part of Fashion Scout at Freemason’s Hall.

Stay tuned for Day Three coming soon!

Saharasplash x

Missed Day One? Check it out right here!

PR Samples included

saharasplash23 August, 2016

BeBeautiful Lunch with Beauty Expert

I’m going to take you back a few weeks now, as this is something I have been working on reviewing for a while. Not only are you going to read about a fantastic place called the Ivy London, but you’re also going to learn about some top quality brands which you can get all in one place at the click of a button. This is my BeBeautiful Lunch with Beauty Expert.

It was one of those impossibly hot July days in London as I made my way into the centre of the city to Covent Garden. There I was greeted by the team from Beauty Expert as well as some of the brands launching with Beauty Expert’s new collection- The Rose Edition.

I saw some familiar bloggers at the event and met with some new faces too which is always nice. The tables were set out for all the bloggers with personalised place names and we each had a lovely rose waiting for us too accompanied by some Ren Skincare goodies.

The Ivy London took such great care of us, and were happy to provide me with gluten free rolls and modify the dessert to make it coeliac friendly. We had the most amazing salmon starter, followed by chicken and corn purée, then strawberry sorbet and fruit to finish.

It was lovely to be sat amongst other bloggers and representatives from the brands. After lunch, we had presentations from each of the brands involved to tell us a bit more about their key products and why they were included in this first collection inspired by roses.

Here’s what you can expect when you purchase the Rose Edition from Beauty Expert, which I must add here that it’s collectively worth £134 but is priced at just £50 for the whole collection!

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil (30ml)

This BioRegenerate oil will help keep your skin looking so radiant. It is vegan and cruelty free which I just love to hear and it can help to cleanse and repair skin prone to irritation. I love using this twice a week in the evenings and I always wake up to brighter skin when I’ve used it.

Monu Gentle Cleanser (180ml)

Ths cleanser contains Geranium, Rose and Aloe Vera to make one perfect gentle product. Also cruelty free, Monu are an inspiring brand which I cannot wait to discover more of their range. The lotion glides on smoothly with a cotton pad and I like to remove with a hot cloth so that it really opens my pores up for a deep cleanse.

Ark Body Beautiful Conditioning Oil (250ml)

This conditioning oil is such a great all rounder. It comes in a very genrous size of 250ml so you will get a lot of use from this product which can be applied to your bath, body or hair. I love massaging this into my legs, hands and feet after a bath as it helps to destress and detox.

Balance Me Rose Otto Body Cream (200ml)

The first thing I picked up when using this body cream was the scent of heady violets. It took me right back to my childhood and when I used to share a packet of parma violets with my nan, so I just love this product! I’d recommend only using small amounts as it is quite rich so again, it will last you a good while. It’s also 99% natural and made in the UK.

Korres Japanese Rose Shower Gel (250ml)

Although this contains hydrolysed wheat gluten, don’t be deterred if you have a gluten allergy. A lot of coeliacs tend to stay away from cosmetics and beauty products which contain gluten but there’s no need. Unless ingested, you are completely safe to use this japanese rose shower gel, and believe me it’s so worth it.

REN Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Brightening Beauty Shot Eye Lift (15ml)

This is by far my favourite product from the range. I have recently featured this wonder shot in my latest YouTube video- my August favourites. It has worked wonders around my eye areas in the past 3 weeks and the product gets to work instantly for immediate results.

The first collection from Beauty Expert couldn’t have been better in my opinion, it has a lustful range that will be coveted by most beauty addicts I am sure. Get yours today right here and let me know what is your favourite from the Rose Edition. I cannot wait to see what’s coming next, thanks ever so much for reading all about my BeBeautiful Lunch with Beauty Expert!

Saharasplash x

If you liked my Bebeautiful lunch with Beauty Expert, you will love my gluten free afternoon tea!

saharasplash5 August, 2016

Keeping it Sassy with Spectrum Collections

I had the pleasure of attending a very exclusive event last month, and I had been wanting to check these guys out for a while after the social craze going on with their collections. Spectrum Brushes hosted a fantastic launch party for their brand new range- The Bomb Shell by Chloe Lloyd and it was amazing! I had met a new blogger friend (as I always do) earlier on that day, and so we went together to the venue in Soho. Her blog is HelloMissJordan and you must check out her blog after you’ve finished this post! Here’s how we were keeping it sassy with Spectrum Collections…

The vibe of the whole event was mermaid, so bloggers were arriving with the most fabulous hair colours and dressed to impress. Jordan and I went for purple and pink!

So now I’m going to show you some of the wonderful brushes on display from the new Bomb Shell collection, and in case you don’t know much about Spectrum Collections all their brushes are cruelty free and vegan friendly!

How beautiful are these brushes? The have pink handles with rose gold detail. This setup gave me some serious inspo as to how I’m going to be displaying my brushes from now on! Any recommendations for rose gold cups like this leave me a comment below! And now onto the piece de resistance, the one you’ve all been waiting for:

eee! This Bomb Shell drops in September 2016!

Now it wouldn’t be a complete blog post without sharing with you the amazing display of food from the Spectrum launch. I would describe it as a feast fit for a unicorn and a mermaid tea party- just look at all of it!

Everything sparkled and looked so gorgeous! Of course no donuts or cupcakes for the coeliac, but I certainly enjoyed the clam macarons and the pearly merringues! So there’s one more thing I’d like to show you, and this is the pure definition of keeping it sassy with spectrum collections. We met a very talented artist who goes by the name of DOM & INK. He was fabulous and turned both Jordan and I into mermaids!