ASOS Haul - My Wedding Guest Outfit

Hello readers! :)

As summer comes around there happen to be a lot of wedding invites being sent out, and I know I've had a few this year, including my sisters wedding in August. Exciting!

I wanted to share with you a particular wedding guest outfit I am so gutted I didn't actually get to wear! I bought this outfit from ASOS, waited over a week for it to arrive, and then on the day of the wedding I was told they were having courier issues and that it wouldn't arrive on time :(

I was pretty disappointed with the whole ASOS experience to be honest, as nobody from their Customer Service department got back to me for ages and then when they finally did it was too late. However, I have shopped with ASOS for SEVEN YEARS (they told me that in an email recently, I haven't been keeping count!), so I can't really complain as every other order has been on time.

I actually returned this outfit, so it may seem strange to do a blog post on a haul when I actually returned everything, but although the outfit was gorgeous, I was so disappointed with my ASOS experience, especially when I had paid over £100, and I didn't really want to keep any of it, especially when the sole purpose of buying it was wasted.

However, this outfit is too good not to blog about, although I have to apologise that the images are not great as my camera had broken so I had to snap the photos on my iPhone, so I will also link you to the items so you can see what they look like online- they're all from ASOS!

My wedding guest outfit idea was actually inspired by a blogger I saw online, I can't remember who she is but I saved the photos of the outfit she wore and absolutely loved the look:

I think this is a really elegant look, and I know monochrome is in fashion at the moment- and you can never go wrong wearing black and white!

The dress itself is the Stripe Swing dress  from ASOS for £75:

Then the crop top I found to wear on top was the ASOS 90's Crop Top, £5 (was £10):

And finally the shoes I bought are the ASOS Stanley Pointed Heels, Now £20 (were £32 when I bought them!):

The photos I took of the outfit are sadly no where near as good as the blogger's photo above, they mainly show what the dress looks like rather than what it looked like on me, but I will post them anyway!

The dress felt so beautiful on and was really flattering with the horizontal stripes. The shoes felt comfortable enough- and I'm not a big heels fan, and you can never go wrong with black shoes! The crop top was really comfortable too and is also available in petite!

I have a new camera now so I'm looking forward to sharing more hauls with better photos, again sorry for the awful quality of these photos, but I had to share my haul with you even if it was using awful iPhone photos!

I hope you enjoyed this post, why not leave me a comment to let me know if you liked the outfit or not, I'd love to hear from you :)

Lots of love,

Samantha Dawn
xoxo

Feel Unique Hair Care Haul July 2014

Hello!

Last week I posted an Instagram showing my order arriving from Feel Unique, and my excitement at the opportunity to review these new products. This was the first time I’ve placed an order with Feel Unique, and I have to say I’m very happy with everything and will definitely be using them again. I didn’t place a big order, believe me I wanted to, but I just wanted to see how my first order would go, but now I’ve shopped with them once, I want to order more things! Everything from FeelUnique was bought with my own money, and I was not paid to review any of the products mentioned below.

The first item I chose to buy was the Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 Complete Nutrition Shampoo (250ml) for £12.75. I’ve always wanted to try Kérastase products but I’ve just never got around to buying any, so I was really excited to try this shampoo out. There are so many Kérastase products out there that I really had to think about what type my hair needed.

As I colour my hair a lot, I’ve really dried my hair out, so the Complete Nutrition Shampoo seemed ideal for fixing my dull, dry hair! You can read my Kérastase Nutritive BainSatin 1 Complete Nutrition Shampoo review here.

I was going to buy the matching Kérastase conditioner, however it didn’t seem to have the best reviews on Feel Unique, so instead of spending money on that, I decided to buy the Kérastase Nutritive Masquintense Cheveux Epais Treatment for Dry Hair for Thick Hair (200ml) for £20.62. I have really thick hair, which I struggle to keep hydrated. 

I’ve always wanted to try out a Kérastase mask, ever since Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were raving about them years ago in an interview I read, (yes, I loved HSM and Zac, shhh.) If you want to find out what I thought of this product, check out my review of the KérastaseNutritive Masquintense Cheveux Epais Treatment for Dry Hair for Thick Hairhere.

My final purchase was a Tangle Teezer Original Professional Detangling Hairbrush which cost me £8.67, usually priced at £10.20. I was in desperate need of something to sort out my tangled hair! Having long thick hair and two toddlers, makes for days where I struggle to get dressed let alone sort my hair out, which results in tangles! I will be doing a review on this brush as part of my hair care routine soon, stay tuned for a YouTube video featuring this brush too!

As you can see, this Feel Unique haul was all devoted to hair products, as my hair has been long neglected and was in need of some good products to sort it out! I have to say since buying all these products my hair feels better than it has in years, it is now in such great condition and I’m so happy! Don’t forget to check out my reviews to see what I thought of each of the items. Also if you haven’t already you should check out my YouTube channel as I’ve stopped neglecting it and am back to uploading videos again. If you like what you see, please subscribe and don’t forget to leave me a comment – I’d love to hear from you!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I look forward to sharing more future purchases with you guys!

Lots of love,

Samantha Dawn

xoxo

Kérastase Bain Satin 1 Shampoo and Nutritive Masquintense Reviews

Hello!

I recently received an order from Feel Unique containing a couple of Kérastase hair products that I had been eager to try out. It’s been a week since I tried out each of these products, and whilst I don’t use these items every day, as I don't wash my hair every day, I feel like I can comment on how I feel about them already. If my continued experience of these products changes I will add my later thoughts in this post, but if you don’t hear from me again it’s because I feel the same about the products as I did when posting this originally.

Something I find really odd about Kérastase products is that they don’t seem to have any instructions. I’m not saying a shampoo should necessarily have an instruction leaflet with them, it’s pretty obvious what you need to do, but especially with the Kérastase mask. I didn’t really know how long I needed to keep it on my hair for, and as the packaging didn't mention what to do, I just did what I felt was needed to get the best results.

Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 Complete Nutrition Shampoo Review

The first item I want to review is the Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 Complete Nutrition Shampoo (250ml). Now when it comes to shampoos I’ve always been the type of person to switch up my shampoo on a regular basis. My main shampoos are L’oreal Elvive, Pantene (any), Herbal Essences, Aussie products (all), and if all else fails then I have a bottle of Head & Shoulders, although I try and avoid using this as much as possible as it’s so harsh on my hair. But as you can see from the other types of shampoo I use, I tend to just get a standard price bottle and don’t really spend too much. This Kérastase shampoo is priced at £12.75, which is more than the usual bottles I get, and over time could amount to quite a lot, especially if you buy the conditioner as well. 

The first time I used the shampoo, I have to be honest and say I felt disappointed. I didn’t feel like it made any difference to my hair, and it dashed my high expectations quite quickly. Since that first use I have used it twice more, and I definitely feel a difference to my hair now. I have very thick, heavy hair, and I do believe that the first time I used this shampoo I used it sparingly, and so not all my hair had a good amount of shampoo. The second time I made sure I used more shampoo and gave my hair a good lather, and then I left the shampoo in for a few minutes so that it was absorbed by my hair, then washed it out thoroughly.

I don’t think I’ll be using Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 Complete Nutrition Shampoo as my sole shampoo from now on. I’m too fickle to stick to just one shampoo! However, I think if you hair is in need of some repair, and if like me, you dye your hair a lot, or if you have dry hair, then this really will give it a bit of nourishment and make it feel healthier. This shampoo does seem to work over time too, so if you feel a little disappointed the first time you use it, give it a week or two and I’m sure you’ll feel a lot happier with it.

Kérastase Nutritive Masquintense Cheveux Epais Treatment for Dry Hair for Thick Hair Review

I bought the Kérastase Nutritive Masquintense Cheveux Epais Treatment for £20.62 from Feel Unique, and was so excited to try out this product. It’s been a long time since I used a hair mask, and having never tried any Kérastase products before, I had heard great things about their mask treatments. Well, I was certainly not disappointed as this mask let my hair feeling so soft and nourished, you would never know that I had suffered with dry hair as it now feels so silky soft! If you are looking for value for your money, then this product is definitely for you. I have only used a very small amount so far, and have very long hair, so I am definitely getting my money’s worth and this treatment really does work well.

To get the best results, and as the product has no real instructions on how to use it, I applied the mask to my hair after my shower in the morning, and by the afternoon I washed it out. I wanted to mask to really set into my hair and give me the best results possible, although you don’t have to do this at all, I’m sure a lot of people just leave it in for 5-10 minutes and then rinse it out. I will most likely use this product once a week, or every other week and I really do feel like it will keep my hair sleek and healthy. I can’t praise this product enough, and if you are looking for a way to turn your dry thick hair into glossy, healthy hair, then this is the product for you!

If you have tried these products before, or if you are going to try them after reading this, then don’t forget to leave me a comment, I’d love to hear what you think of them!

Lots of love,

Samantha Dawn

xoxo

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Emma Willis Style 2014: Get The Look

Out of all the female presenters on television right now, Emma Willis is definitely my favourite. Not only is she a confident, beautiful lady, but she also knows exactly what to wear, and she wears it well.

Having got quite into Big Brother this year, I’ve been eyeing up the outfits Emma wears on each eviction night, and I just couldn’t hold back from dedicating a blog post to her! So here is a post on how to get Emma Willis’ look, with some exact matches to what she wears, as well as similarities if you want to achieve Emma’s look without breaking the bank!

The first outfit was one Emma wore on a recent eviction night, and it is BEAUTIFUL! It’s this gorgeous Jonathan Saunders Yellow Floral Tulip-Print Dress, and Emma looked fantastic in it.

The dress is a yellow textured cotton-blend dress with a black, cream, orange and red tulip print, featuring a slim-fitting mini dress with a round-neck, half-length sleeves and a concealed zip centre-back fastening. This dress comes with a matching belt featuring a front buckle closure.

Now, do you want the good news or the bad news? The good news, is that the dress is in the sale! The bad new is, that it’ll still set you back £377, however original price was £755! Sadly,  even at sale price this dress is a little too steep for me so this will just be a dress to dream about!

If you’re looking for an alternative that won’t break the bank, why not check out this Yellow Floral Shift Dress from Warehouse:

I know it's not the exact same style dress, however at £48, it's a fraction of the price compared to the Jonathan Saunders dress, plus it's still beautiful with a gorgeous floral print. 

Here's another fab Emma Willis outfit, where she is wearing a Monochrome look, with a Black Blazer, white shirt and Striped black and white skirt.

The skirt is from Neiman Marcus and is sadly sold out, you can find similar ones for a fraction of the price at H&M here.

The closest blazer I could find to one that Emma wears in the photo above is from Zara, you can view it here, and here's a picture:

Unfortunately this blazer is in the sale and appears to be sold out. However you could buy similar ones at Topshop here, and here. We would guess her white shirt is a standard Zara shirt, although you could buy one of them from anywhere really!

Having done some research on the type of high street outfits Emma wears, she seems to wear a lot of Zara and Topshop. For her red carpet looks, or special occasions, Emma seems to wear more expensive designer clothing that looks fantastic on her.

What I love most about Emma is that she seems so down to earth, and is a mother, a wife, but also a very hard working independent woman. At the moment Emma is pretty much presenting most programmes including Big Brother, The Voice, Girlfriends, and has a segment on This Morning, Loose Women, as well as Big Brother's Bit on the Side. Not only does she do ALL THAT, but she also has a Sunday Morning show on Heart FM! How on earth does she find time to sleep, eat or brush her hair!? I struggle to do those things now being a mum, and I don't even have such a busy schedule as her!

Anyway, I hope I helped any of you looking for some Emma inspired outfits! Here are some fantastic Emma Willis looks to give you some inspiration for your next outfit - notice how she wears the same shoes in all three outfits!

Lots of Love,

Samantha Dawn

xoxo

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Tips for Travelling with Toddlers (Twins or Singular)

You might think we’re crazy to even try and have a holiday when we have twin toddlers who are 18 months old, but we were in need of a break and so chose Brighton as our destination hotspot (very luxurious I know!) You can read more about our trip here, including where we stayed, what we did etc, and why Brighton is the perfect holiday for toddlers.

This blog post focuses more on how to travel with two under two year olds, or even one, which can be a challenge enough. If you’re going on holiday, please don’t let having children put you off, it can be done and you can travel well with young ones, you just have to plan and prepare. So read more on how we survived travelling with two under two year olds:

1. Packing

When packing for your holiday, make a thorough list of things you need, and when you go to pack your bag make sure the urgent things you’ll need – nappies, milk, dummies (soothers), snacks etc. are at the top of your bag. There’s nothing worse than struggling to find what you need whilst holding a wriggling toddler.

2. Prepare

Your toddler is going to need distractions while you’re travelling, this includes snacks, so make sandwiches, or for ease take less messy handheld snacks such as breadsticks or basically anything that doesn’t contain sugar. There’s nothing worse than feeding your toddler sugary snacks when they’re meant to sit still for an hour or two. Don’t forget your toddlers favourite water bottle so they don’t get dehydrated, and I know how fussy some toddlers can be about drinking from cups or bottles with different teats so bring your own if that’s the case! It may seem obvious, but it’s so easy to forget to pack things and then have an upset, hungry toddler. If you have a baby who is drinking milk I’ve heard that feeding your little one their milk as the plane sets off helps them not suffer with their ears popping and so could reduce the crying.

3. Technology

Just the other day a man stopped us on the train to say how well our boys were being while on our two hour journey home from Brighton. Well it’s a big thanks to technology, as my iPhone or iPad provides a great distraction either before or during a toddler meltdown! I would definitely recommend downloading the Cbeebies playtime app, and also another great free app for toddlers is Bubble Pop, which is basically where you pop the bubbles when they appear on the screen and it tells you the number of bubble you’ve popped. My 18 month olds are bubble popping pros! One last thing to mention is remember to pack a charger and charge before you go, as the man who stopped us on the train mentioned, there’s nothing worse than your battery dying mid journey with a toddler, as he mentioned had recently happened to him!

4. Nap Times

You might be worried about your toddler napping while you’re out and about in a new place, but I have found that when a child is tired, they will eventually sleep. Whether you’re in a completely different time zone, or if you’re just a few hours away from home, a toddlers schedule can get thrown out of the window completely. A great way to combat this is to buy a Koodi Sun/Sleep Cover. Not only will it protect your little one from the sun, but it’s also a perfect cover to get your little ones to go to bed. Simply cover them in the pram and they should go to sleep. They’re available in both single and double covers.

5. Food

If you have a toddler, unless you’re lucky, you’ll know that sometimes they just want their favourite food and won’t be willing to try anything else. If you’re able to take a few of your toddlers snacks with you, or at least check that there are restaurants or shops that you can get things for them from if they are being extra difficult with their food while away then that is one great way to make sure you have a happy toddler. It’s very important toddlers get their snacks and so having some packed with you will guarantee you’ll keep their tummys content.

6. Weather

Preparing for all kinds of weather is just something we as parents have to do. If you’re going somewhere that’s very hot, preparing sun cream and hats is vital, as well as swimsuits, sandals and towels! It’s always good to prepare for a rain shower, even in the hottest places and so don’t forget to take your rain cover for your pushchair, there’s nothing worse than being stuck in a storm with no rain cover! As mentioned in point 4, a Koodi is also a sun cover so it might be worth buying a sun cover, or a parasol for your pushchair.

7. Don’t worry

Even in the worst circumstances when your toddler is screaming and hitting the chair of the person in front of you, take a deep breath and know you aren’t alone. We’ve all been there, we’ve all had the stares and the eye rolling from people who’ve never had children, and those who probably have children but either have forgotten about this difficult stage, or paid someone else to deal with those times. You may feel that everyone around you is sighing or getting fed up, but you can just remember that one day it might be them struggling and realising just how difficult and unpredictable toddlers can be!



If you have any tips or any experiences please feel free to leave me and comment below, I’d love to hear about it!



Lots of love,

Samantha Dawn

xoxo

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