Severn Wishes One Year of Blogging and Big Giveaway

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Sabrina

♡ One Year of Blogging, Over 100 Posts Celebration and A Giveaway ♡

When I realised I was getting close to a year of blogging I knew that I wanted to hold a giveaway to thank everyone who has been supporting me this far. Whether you follow me on a social media or you just read my blog regularly, it’s you who have helped me to be a better writer and photographer. I have been collecting items for this for quite some time, so I hope you’ll like the selection that I’ve gathered…

I have been so lucky in my first year, I have worked with many companies including Spectrum Brushes, Gift Company and many more. Not only that but I already have so much lined up for the Spring and Summer of 2017 to share with you all as well.

During the past thirteen months of Severn Wishes being live, I have posted more than 105 articles, most have been reviews and reveals, but other posts have been about my Lifestyle and Travel experiences.

During the next year I hope to continue writing in my honest fashion and to bring you even better photography as my knowledge and learning increases.

What can you expect over the Summer months from Severn Wishes?
Jewellery, Makeup, Homeware, Games, Fashion, Cooking and Craft posts, and so much more besides.
I am already speaking to some companies who want to collaborate with me, and I cannot wait to bring all of this excitement to my blog for you all to enjoy!

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me and my blog.
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

✩♡✩♡✩ Giveaway ✩♡✩♡✩

Without further ado I am going to tell you exactly what you can win in this new and latest Severn Wishes giveaway!
If you saw some of my recent posts you will have read the clues that I left revealing some of the items you could win!
Featuring Soap and Glory, Primark, Nivea AND Makeup Revolution!
I give you my One Year Giveaway bundle!!!!

✩♡✩♡✩ What You Can Win ✩♡✩♡✩

✩ Marble Soft Cover Bag ✩
✩ Nivea Lip Butter – Vanilla and Macadamia ✩
✩ Soap and Glory – Super Tonic ✩
✩ Makeup Revolution I ♡ Unicorns Unite Mini Gem Brushes ✩
✩ ‘Flawless’ Makeup Mirror and Keyring ✩
✩ Heart and Stars Hair Bands Selection ✩
✩ Marble and Rose Gold Stationary ✩
✩ Wooden Craft Flowers – Be Creative ✩
✩ Lots of Sweet Treats – Yum! ✩

If you don’t know the drill by now click the link below to enter on rafflecopter, and all of the terms and conditions can be found at the end of my post!

♡ Good Luck! ♡

Severn Wishes One Year Blogging Celebratory Giveaway!

✩♡✩♡✩ Enter Here ✩♡✩♡✩

✩ Sabrina ✩

Terms and Conditions
This competition is running from April 23rd until May 31st 2017.
The winner will receive their prizes in June 2017.
This giveaway is only open to entrants from the UK.
Severn Wishes reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice.
No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason, and all entries subject to verification.

Lee Stafford Chopstick Styler Review

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Sabrina

Today I am bringing you my review on the latest Lee Stafford Chopstick Styler. I have naturally curly hair, but it is not curly all over, more curly at the ends. I treated myself to this styler before Christmas when I saw it on sale, and thought I would give it a go.

As someone who adores having naturally curly hair, I’m always on the look out for products and tools to make my look better. With that being said, I can be quite lazy some days, and don’t do a lot with my hair, for anyone who has curly hair, you will know it needs a lot of maintaining. So I’ve decided that in 2017 that will all change, I don’t want to take my curls for granted, I want to look after them, and on ‘bad hair days’ I will style them appropriately.

I use all manner of curly haired products, and I have a wonderful Remington Pearl Wand Curler from around five years ago that I still absolutely love. But the curls I add with that tool just compliment my already unique curls, and I was looking for a bit of a change.

What do we get with the Lee Stafford Chopstick Styler? How easy is it to use? And, Is it worth the money?
First you need to ask yourself if the look you want, is what this tool will give you. Tight curls and defined spirals, and quite a bold look. When I did mine the first time I then took twenty minutes trying to tame them because it looked like I had had a perm, or a mild electric shock 😉
The great thing about this styler is its versatility, for both short and long hair, because the barrel is skinny and easy to manipulate through the hair. One thing to watch out for though, I found you needed to unravel the hair once you had placed the curl on the tong, it won’t just pop off once you let go. Be aware of how long you’re holding the hair in place. My thin hair only needed 5 seconds before I started to unravel it, and medium hair I would recommend no longer than between 7 and 10 seconds.
The chopstick heats up to 200’c which is salon temperature, but for me I would’ve liked a way to alter it. On previous stylers like my pearl wand, it has an adjustable heat, and I normally don’t use over 160’c for my hair type. Make sure you’re using a heat protective spray no matter what the temperature!
The barrel might be skinny, which allows for more defined curls, but that also means you have to separate more hair strands, use less per curl, and therefore it’s more time consuming to use this tool. Bear this in mind if you only have a short time window to get ready.
I was happy with the price that I paid, in a sale, under £18, but you have to ask yourself if you’ll be using this product or will it just be for parties a couple of times a year…
(Retail Price is often around £19.99).

Here is a photograph of me once I had curled my hair with the chopstick. I chose to take the first 4 strands either side of my head and pull them back out of my face, and have their defined curls falling at the back of my head. It took me around 50 minutes to curl all of the hair on my head.
I was happy with my look but not sure about how much length I lost doing such tight spirals. I think with practice and some teasing out of the more spiraled curls, it would look a little better. This styler is long so I was able to curl far up on my head without doing strands in two parts, this was a thumbs up moment for my long hair.

Facts about the Lee Stafford Chopstick Styler
Ceramic Coated with unique Rectangular Barrel
On and Off Switch with LED Light Indicator
(Almost) Instant Heat Up – Salon Heat to 200’c
Swivel Cord and Hanging Loop
Chopstick has a Cooling Tip and Safety Stand at base
(When Registered) 2 Year Guarantee with Lee Stafford Electricals

My Thoughts
I loved the skinniness of the barrel of this tong, for small defined curls
I liked that it was almost instantly ready for use
But I didn’t like that there is only one heat setting at 200’c
I really liked the length of the barrel, long enough to curl my long hair
I wasn’t keen on having to ravel and unravel every curl, very time consuming
What is great is the 2 year guarantee with Lee Stafford
What could be improved would be the colour, because not everyone likes pink
I would love to see changeable heat settings and a smoother barrel in the future

There are pro’s and con’s to this tool, and only with trying one will you know if it’s right for you or not. I am glad that I bought this styler and I will be using it in the future. It isn’t the best styler that I have purchased, however it will get used, I do like the looks that can be created, but practice is needed to perfect the best look for yourself.

Thank you for reading this review today, I know my thoughts won’t be the same as other peoples but that is the nature of a review, and honesty is the best policy.
I hope that if you have had any stylers over the Christmas holiday that you will be testing them and creating unique looks for yourselves.

If I have inspired you to get a Chopstick styler then you can find Lee Stafford products at most retail stores and larger supermarkets, or search the keywords to find the best prices online.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Vita Coco Coconut Oil Review

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Sabrina

VitaCBox

Vita Coco – Coconut Oil – 100% Raw and Organic

I have been lucky enough to trial out a product recently that I have never used before. Not knowing what to expect, but having heard great things I was excited to see the results.
VitaC Vita Coco sent me this fabulous box with a sample for me to use. Its description reads, ‘Eat It • Wear It • Swear By It’. Even before it arrived to me I already knew how I first wanted to use the coconut oil.

VitaCinBoxSW My hair is naturally curly and can be quite dry. I have read about a number of celebrities who swear by regular coconut oil hair treatments. After doing some reading I decided on the best way to test if the product would work on my hair. I would photograph myself during the initial day of testing to determine visual differences. What I hoped to see was shiny and smoother hair after the first use.

VCHair6

The following set of images show the status of my hair during each aspect of this review, and I will then describe the final look and feel after the experience of using coconut oil.

VCHair1

This is how my hair would normally be, a mixture of waves and curls, and it usually has quite a lot of volume. It can often look messy and I have to tame it most mornings with spray.

Prior to applying I brushed my hair teasing out all of the curls and any knots so that it was easy to smooth the oil through. This next photograph shows my hair after the brushing; as you can see it’s quite frizzy and is certainly dry to touch.

VCHair2

Now for the product. I first applied the coconut through the lengths of my hair focusing mainly on the ends because that is where a lot of dryness occurs in my hair. I then tied my hair up and left the oil on my hair for the next 4 hours so that it could nourish it. I have considerably long hair but I didn’t use a great deal of the oil, it went a long way which was a nice surprise.

Once the 4 hours were up I washed my hair with my regular shampoo and conditioner and took gentle care when rinsing it.

When blow drying my hair I used a medium heat, and like I normally use with my hair type, a diffuser. Just scrunching my hair lightly as it dried, I could immediately feel the variation from a few hours earlier. This is the image I took after my hair was thoroughly dried.

VCHair4

As you can see from my images the difference is clear, my curls are more defined and the hair surface is shiny. I was also impressed with how soft my hair felt, even two days later it’s still soft to touch and I have found it to be more manageable.

I will definitely continue to use this product on my hair and I have decided that that will be once every fortnight, that should be enough to maintain the softness in my hair now that the warmer months have arrived.

VitaCJar So what else can you use this coconut oil for? Cooking is one option, and I have a wonderful curry recipe that I plan to use it on. I would normally buy dried coconut but I think that the raw coconut may mix better and be more cost effective, because it’s so versatile in this state.

Another use is on the skin, if you have dry patches, and I will no doubt give that a try as well at some stage. I can imagine it being very handy in Winter. And I do plan to use it on my skin once I’ve finished making my hair look all the more amazing!

Not only that but I have also heard of people using this raw coconut as a makeup remover for more stubborn aspects of makeup, as well as for use when shaving your legs to achieve smooth and supple skin. Well in my opinion both of these things are worth a go regardless of the outcome, but there isn’t smoke without fire, people are using this stuff for all sorts.

The great thing about coconut oil in this form, is that it can go such a long way, a jar of this size will last you a while. And because it’s uses are so many, a jar of this product can live in your bathroom, your bedroom and your kitchen!

I want to thank Vita Coco for sending me this fantastic product, it will be a firm purchase of mine for the foreseeable future, and I’m so happy that I have had this opportunity to review it. It is fast becoming one of my regular products to use.

If you’re interested in purchasing this wonderful product you can find it at a majority of Boots stores.

I hope you have enjoyed this review, I know I have enjoyed trying something new!

★ Sabrina ★

L’Oréal Paris Préférence Glam Bronde No5 Review

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Sabrina

Deciding to change your hair colour can be quite a daunting process, especially if you are very attached to your hair as I am. Not only do I have natural curls, but I have naturally auburn hair through my ancestry. This can mean that certain colours will always turn into a red tint, especially if I’m trying to go blonde, it just doesn’t work.

So what I wanted to do was highlight my hair for the springtime, a subtle change rather than a bold new look. When I saw the ‘Bronde’ boxes last summer I kept hoping to try one, and now was the right time for me to do so.

LorealParisHairDyeSW With help from my husband (for the strokes at the back of my head) I decided to use this hair product. Being L’Oréal Paris Préférence I was expecting great things. The brush that is used to apply the mixed product to your hair is really great. It allows you to safely and precisely work with your hair, as you would when brushing it, putting the highlights in where you want them. I thought it was a genius piece of kit and I have kept it (thoroughly washed) for future hair dyeing escapades.

I was pleased with the overall look of my hair, though after the full 45 minutes of developing time I would’ve expected a little bit lighter result. I even put extra product on just the ends of my hair in the hope that at least I would end up with an ombre effect even if the highlights weren’t very noticeable.

I took this selfie in natural light by a window and even though the colour difference is noticeable, you can also see that my natural colour has altered the final look. The product is designed for medium brown hair and although mine is a little darker than the woman shown on the box, I always take that with a pinch of salt; you don’t know how much processing has been done to the photographs. I would have hoped of a lighter highlight, even if it did go a hint of red with my hair colour, it’s still not how its advertised on the box.

Hair Sabrina March So that is my new look for spring and the end of my review. The pros are that as far as applying the product goes, the brush makes it easy, and providing you’ve got lots of mirrors or someone to help you with the strands at the back, it’s easy to achieve. The con is that it really did stink, you need a much ventilated room, and I’m not sure how much lighter it has gone on other people but it didn’t do much on my hair.

Finally would I recommend this product?
Yes I would, but I would say the next one I would try might be the red shade of highlights rather than the ‘Bronde’, I might need to realise that this is as light as I can highlight with this shade without a progressive hair dyeing every few months.

If anyone has used this product and would like to leave me their thoughts in a comment I would love to hear others experiences.