Sparkling Jewellery: Celeb Faves & Charlie Hedge's Festival Fun

Those who know me, will know I truly am a jewellery addict. I am not in jewellery addicts anonymous however, so when Sparkling Jewellery approached me about sending me some pieces how could I refuse?! So with music culture and festivals increasingly growing in popularity, we're always on the search for new outfits and accessories. Weather you're just heading for a vacation, camping with friends or going to Bestival, Charlie Hedges Festival Collection is totally for you! You will most likely know Sparkling Jewellery for their Double Coin Necklaces & the brand has been spotted on celebs from Michelle Keegan to Katie Piper.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 One of the original celebs to be adorned with the SJ necklace was Holly Willoughby (if you watch This Morning close enough I guarantee you'll spot it!) and appropriately this design is named Holly. There is a range of coin and sovereign variations over on the website but this is the Classic Two Coin Holly Necklace which retails at £29.00 & free next day delivery on all UK orders over £10.

 

 

 

 

 

I love the detail of the name stamped onto a gorgeous dainty tag near the clasp. The little details make all the difference!

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have honestly worn this necklace so many times with numerous outfits which I can now see why they are so popular. In a rush? Throw on a Sparkling Jewellery necklace (weather its the Double Coin, Sixpence or the Karma) it will transform your look effortlessly. I would recommend carrying in your handbag to upgrade your look from work wear to evening in a flash.

 

 

 

 

 When Sparkling Jewellery gifted me with these items I was excited to see what the Charlie Hedges range had to offer. This is the Love Bracelet in black. It is a great size for me and I really love the hook clasp which is a nice unique detail instead of a standard lobster clasp! This also comes in red and blue and is down to £1.00 online!

 

 

 

 

 

For the gypsy souls out there, this one is really for you! The Charming Brow Band really is the festival lovers wardrobe staple. I always think these kinds of headbands give a real 70's feel to an outfit. The alternating rose & diamante charms really do add a touch of glamour without being too much. With an elasticated section, this headband stays in place perfectly (which is a must if you're dancing out to your fave band!) And, this is also available in silver if gold isn't your thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Gypsy vibe not your thing? Then perhaps the Gold Earrings are for you. These really are the perfect addition to your festival back pack. Pop these on and turn your outfit from festival acceptable to rock chic in no time.  Such an effortless piece to switch up your look weather your working loose waves and wellies or a polished up do on holiday.

 

 

 

 

 The flower headdress really is the original festival piece and the Charlie range doesn't disappoint with the Festival Hair Garland! These have been worn for years and really never fail to go out of fashion in the festival scene. Which is why I think this would be a great investment piece if you're a regular festival go-er.

 

 

 

 

 Besides the Double Coin Necklace... this Ear Cuff Stud Cuff Stud really is my favourite piece. With a gold stud which connects to a cuff via 3 gold chains this is the ultimate edgy chic piece. For the fierce look.... This wouldn't look out of place paired with a fringed suede jacket, embellished dress or leather mini skirt! This little gem vamps your outfit from a 5 to a strong 10 on the fierce scale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Don't forget to follow Sparkling Jewellery!

 

 

 

 

Until next time...

 

The Original Redhead

 

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TOM FORD Scent Lust & Pure Luxury

With the new release of the Orchid Soleil luxury fragrance, and Tom Ford holding a launch... how could a girl resist?! Knowing Tom Ford for all things luxe I didn't expect anything different from this launch.

 

 

 

 

On arrival we were greeted with the lovely girls on the Tom Ford counter in Fenwick, Newcastle. We were then handed a glass of champagne which was just what I needed after a long day, and this only added to the TF experience.

 

 

For any beauty and fragrance lovers who haven't yet discovered the black sorcery of the magical Tom Ford brand, for every fragrance from this range the TF team have created a make up look to sit alongside it. I feel like this is a great facet to the launch and also kind of encapsulates the "Tom Ford woman" look and what is cohesive with the scent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This look is a beautiful rose gold glowy look with a focus on the rose gold element of the packaging of Soleil. The TF glitter shadow is pressed on to the lid after the cream shadow has been buffed in to create a soft and subtle sparkle eye look. Pressing a shimmer shadow helps it to stay in place and avoids fall down (in comparison to overloading a make up brush.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The perfect contour and summer glow is added with a big contour brush and swept under the cheekbones. The bronzer compact really is not compact as it's pretty big but I think that's part of the charm. And the compact has a decent sized mirror for make up on the move!

 

 

 

The contour is completed with this beauuuuu - ti - ful rose tinted liquid highliter. This is similar to macs strobe cream in the sense that it is multi functional. Shimmery primer, glowy highlighter and you could even pop this on as a bb cream just for a quick coverage in a rush.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Zoe for being a hand model for me haha, sometimes you just need a blogger friend when you run out of hands! Pink toned lipstick finishes of the LA glowy look. It's the perfect sun kissed, chic and effortless make up look. (And was created in about 15 minutes)

 

 

As a redhead with blue eyes, I've got to say the best colours for an eye look on me are browns and golds because they really make my eye colour pop and stand out. And again, you can see on Jess, this look works for blondes and no doubt brunettes and can we appreciate how blue her eyes appear with the TF touch?!

 

 

 The Orchid Soleil really is a summer branch from the 2014 Black Orchid fragrance. A fresher, more tropical scent to predecessor. On first meeting with this fragrance you really pick up the floral, vibrant notes of orange tuberose, orchid, cypress, and patchouli.... then when you think that's it the deeper notes of chestnut and vanilla fill your senses wrapped in a red spider lily kiss. Despite the initially summer floral scent, the animalistic feminine hint is unmistakable. This scent has a very empowering way of overcoming you in a way which is indescribable. What is your favourite from the Tom For fragrance selection? I feel like the more I smell them all, the more I fall in love with them all and really cant decide which I like more! The attention to detail in the Ford fragrance is truly what strikes me about this brand. The devil really is in the details, and every time your nose gets a suggestion of the scent, you smell a different note each time.

 

 

 

Just when you think the Tom Ford girls have really indulged you with time, knowledge, and champagne... we were left with a gorgeous little goody bag with samples to try out.

 

 

 

I mean aren't the bottles enough to make you lust over them, never mind the perfectly feminine scent which will mess with your sense of smell?! You can buy the full range from Fenwick or similar department stores. Or if you love online shopping, the Tom Ford official website also stock it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until next time...

 

The Original Redhead

 

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Restaurant Hoppin'

So with Sunderland's Restaurant Week quickly approaching, I was lucky enough to be invited to a Safari Supper to have a taste of what is on offer.

We started at Café Purple and seated in a booth, which if you're heading out with a group, this is a lovely little intimate section. We were served us up with a big range of their cocktails. If you're a cocktail kinda gal, this place is for you! The staff were really lovely and talked us through each drink as we all tasted. They had really got experimental with the drinks menu and they range from your iconic cosmopolitan to a Sour Cherry Cola Bottle which is new to the menu & the Eden Gardens (hints of elderflower, gin & cucumber.)
 

 

 



Raspberry Love Heart

 

 

 

I have to hold my hands up and say that my favourite was the Frozen Passion Fruit Daiquiri. Basically an adult slushy (if you close your eyes, you could almost be on a beach somewhere with this one.)

 

 

 

 

 

Still taking in the array of drinks, we were then surprised with what I can only describe as one of the best cheese boards I've ever seen. I mean, just take a moment.

 

 

 

 

With a selection of dipping cheeses, crackers, olives, sliced vegetables and grapes besides the usual range of cheeses what more could you want. These are more so available for corporate events and meetings but I'm sure if you wanted to order one they wouldn't hesitate to oblige. We really were spoilt for choice...

 

 

 

 Then we headed to the next venue for our selection of starters at Port Of Call. Port Of Call is right next door which was great if you wanted to check out the cocktails and then head for food! They served us up with a selection of bitesize treats including salmon, pastrami and cream cheese pieces and ever a mini cheeseburger, in amongst 2 clusters of mussels. They are known for their seafood, meat based dishes & rum drinks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mussels were 2 different flavours which were a tomato based one and a creamy based one. I loved the creamy flavour and think these would be lovely to share as a starter.

 

 

These guys also brought a selection of cocktails and this one was hands down my ultimate favourite and who couldn't love this in that pretty glass?! This is the Gingerbread Martini and I would totally order this just for pure Instagram photogenic bragging rights but it was seriously delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

Espresso Martini Hazelnut

 

 

On for more starters at Scavi & Ray // The Funky Indian. This venue was a little walk from Port Of Call but really not too far! Scavi & Ray is a Prosecco Bar so if you're heading out with your girls, this could be the perfect venue. The upstairs of this place is the bar and the downstairs is The Funky Indian. Such a clever idea to merge 2 experiences into one venue. We were greeted with a glass of prosecco and then talked through the menu.

 

 

 

 

The Funky Indian is a tapas style Indian kitchen so there is a big selection of dishes on offer and some are available to order as a full dish (look for the plate icon on the menu.) Prawns, lean meats, beef all feature on the menu as they are inspired by cooking from all regions of India. This is a great way to get a taste of many dishes without having to order a full meal. Each dish is £4.20 or £16 for 4.

 

 

 

 



Masala Fries - they certainly hold a kick for your spice lovers

 

 

I think their deep fried cauliflower was greatly loved by all of us. I am a veg lover so this really spoke to me, but for those not keen on cauliflower even gave this the thumbs up! I'm not a huge fan of Indian food but they do serve up some lovely food. If you're looking for a fusion of flavours, I think The Funky Indian are playful with their dishes not afraid to offer something unique.

 

 

 

 

On for the main! Angleos serves up delicious Italian food so I was excited for this one. It's been a while since I've had Italian food so I had high expectations and they didn't disappoint. Traditional Italian food is what was on offer and I was excited.

 

 

 

 

The first thing we were served with was a sausage and broccoli based pasta. The sausage is homemade in their kitchen and the broccoli is shipped in specifically as it only grows in Naples. A true testament to passionate cooking, when only the original ingredients will do!

 

 

 

 

That dish was nice but I really fell in love with this truffle and mushroom dish. The pasta was cooked al dente which I really don't mind and the truffle sauce was to die for. I could have ate a lot more of this! For lovers of creamy based dishes, you really would enjoy this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next dish to taste was this steak on a bed of salad with parmesan. I really don't eat steak unless its slow cooked but I did enjoy this. It was cooked perfectly and drizzled in balsamic. Just enough to spike your taste buds combined with the parmesean, tomatoes, meat and salad.

 

 



Margherita pizza - moreish but I would normally order a more adventurous topping

 

 

Last but totally not least.... Sweet Tooth Delivery. I heard cake and I was very happy. The perfect end to the evening. This place is seriously cool. They serve up a host of cakes, ice creams, lemonades, milkshakes (the list really goes on...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After drooling over the cabinets longer than I should have, I settled for a slice of red velvet to go and a watermelon and lemon frozen lemonade. Firstly, the frozen lemonade tasted exactly like watermelon. So yummy! Secondly, the red velvet was moist, a generous portion (so much so I shared this with someone) and the cream frosting had me savouring every bite. Totally recommend this place if you live in Sunderland.... Now which way is the gym?? (They also have a branch in Durham if that's closer to anyone reading.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Now, time to do some excersize as this really was a food filled evening! So if you're looking to head out for Sunderland Resturant Week, check out what deals are on offer as I feel like we discovered some hidden gems in this city.

 

 

Until next time...

 

The Original Redhead

 

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