bloomzy /

Roller Lash is a Curl’s Best Friend

benefit-curls-best-friend-parlour-roller-lash-mascara-birchbox-birchbloggers-bloomzy-1 benefit-curls-best-friend-parlour-roller-lash-mascara-birchbox-birchbloggers-bloomzy-6 benefit-curls-best-friend-parlour-roller-lash-mascara-birchbox-birchbloggers-bloomzy-7 benefit-curls-best-friend-parlour-roller-lash-mascara-birchbox-birchbloggers-bloomzy-2 benefit-curls-best-friend-parlour-roller-lash-mascara-birchbox-birchbloggers-bloomzy-4 benefit-curls-best-friend-parlour-roller-lash-mascara-birchbox-birchbloggers-bloomzy-5 benefit-curls-best-friend-parlour-roller-lash-mascara-birchbox-birchbloggers-bloomzy-3

Last week I headed to Benefit’s Curl’s Best Friend Parlour for an evening of beauty talk with some of my fellow Birchbloggers. We were also joined by some of the Birchbox team who greeted us with cupcakes and cocktails – forget curl’s, this place was a blogger’s best friend! We mingled in the 1950-esque Noir Bar, surrounded by glamorous ladies, and a mirror that spouted cheesy compliments (yep, that’s a thing). 

After some networking we were given a make-up masterclass by Lisa Potter-Dixon and Jessica Dinner. Lisa gave us some great tips on how to achieve the latest catwalk beauty looks, but it was the tips and tricks of the trade that I was after. Luckily the evening didn’t disappoint. Lisa told us several of her favourite beauty hacks, such as using Benefit’s Hoola to contour the sockets of your eye (to make your eyes look bigger) and using your lipstick as a 3-in-1 beauty tool (on your lips, eyes and cheeks!). After our mini masterclass we headed down to the salon to have our hair and make-up done. I tried out the new Roller Lash mascara, which Benefit claim to be made for people with straight lashes, and had some curls put in my hair. Unfortunately the make-up looked a little too harsh on me (life story of a pale person), so all photographic evidence has been burnt…and by that I mean deleted off my phone. I loved what some of the other ladies were having done though, especially Jpoppy’s gorgeous hair-do. All in all I got to meet some lovely bloggers and learn some new beauty tips, so I’d call the evening a success.

If you’re interested head over to Benefit and Birchbox to find out more about the new Roller Lash mascara.

bloomzy /

What’s In My Handbag?

Sally Leather Cross-body Bag – Marc by Marc Jacobs
Work Phone: Apple iPhone 5c | Personal Phone: Apple iPhone 5s | iPhone 5s Case: Cavendish Cases of Bath
Business Cards: Goodprint* | Nikon 35mm f/1.8G Prime Lens  | Case: Wonderound
Earphones: Happy Plugs | Eye Roll-on: Simple | Velvet Matte Lip Pencil: NARS | Pen: WC（ダブルシー）

Remember how I said one of my resolutions for 2015 was to minimise my wardrobe? Well I’ve been doing pretty well, and recently I continued that winning streak by downsizing my handbag. Just last year I couldn’t go anywhere without a bag big enough fit a small dog in – no I’m serious – so this is a big step for me. So a bag of this size is just the incentive I need. Of course this has also meant putting less items in my bag, meaning I have to stick to the essentials. It’s been a tough transition, but a good one.

bloomzy /

Wedding Planning Made Easy

I’m not sure as whether this post will surprise anyone or not, but the fact of the matter is I will eventually be getting married at some point in the near future…at least that’s what I’ve been told this whole engagement malarky equals out to. Joking aside, I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is getting married this year and is currently planning everything, when the realisation hit me – I’m gonna have to do this at some point too! Booking venues, tasting cakes, finding the dress. One thing I’d never thought of before though was stationary. According to my friend this is no easy task, and actually you have to put a lot of thought into it. That means save the dates, invitations, place cards, thank you cards…the list goes on and on. Suddenly I began to sweat a little bit, wondering if I’d ever be able to understand something so foreign to me. Please note I don’t own a handful of pens and notepads, which I don’t even use. Stationary is not something I fully understand.

Luckily for me I discovered printed.com – an online printing company that does everything from posters, to yes you guessed it, wedding stationary. They sent me out a sample from their Wedding Collection so I could get an idea as to the paper, colour and texture options. Honestly I was so impressed with the quality of the paper, and the variety of colours and textures available. I never knew so much thought and effort went into everything. The Sirio Pearl Oyster (reminiscent of freshwater pearls) had to be my favourite by far – clean and pearlescent, it seems perfect for any wedding stationary – because if you can’t go a little fancy on your big day, then when can you? As for place cards the Tintoretto Gesso paper has a lovely hammered texture and is strangely satisfying to hold in your hands – perfect for a wedding invitation, no? As for thank you cards, the more simplistic Kraft paper (reminiscent of brown paper and wooden tabletops) fits my day-to-day aesthetic perfectly. 


I may not have fully decided on everything for my wedding, but at least I now know that I don’t need to worry about something as confusing (for me) as stationary. There are so many options and possibilities to personalise the wedding collection (one of the widest ranges of stock available in the UK by the way), so any soon-to-be married couple or stationary geek will love checking it out.

——————————–

This post is in collaboration with printed.com but all views, photos and words are my own.

bloomzy /

OOTD: And it was all Yellow

Coat: Zara | Jumper: Oliver Bonas | Skirt: Zara | Boots: Topshop

Lately I overlooked my monochrome wardrobe rule for one special coat. This yellow parka from Zara called out to me as I walked into the store, and I knew there and then that I had to have it. Coming from a girl whose wardrobe is as black as a witch’s cap, that’s saying something. Not only have I fallen in love with it, but it seems everyone else has too. I genuinely think I could conduct my own psychology experiment involving this coat. People smile at me more now, and tons of people have commented on my “lovely/bright yellow coat”. If anything it has been a great conversation starter.

It was also the perfect coat to take a walk down Columbia Road Flower Market in recently. I paired it with my flouncy (that’s a great word, isn’t it?) black skirt and a simple Breton stripe jumper. It was a lovely Sunny day. So much so that I regretted not bringing my sunglasses to finish off the look.

Spring is definitely on it’s way and I plan to help it along with my daffodil yellow coat.

 

Photos of me by V.A (chopstickpanorama)

bloomzy /

Kuriya Keiko: A Masterclass in Sushi

kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-2 kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-1 kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-4 kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-3 kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-5 kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-6 kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-7 kuriya-keiko-zomato-review-japanese-food-restaurant-london-islington-bloomzy-8

I love re-creating my favourite dishes at home, but some of them are more intricate than others. Sushi is one of those dishes. The California roll may not be authentic Japanese sushi (not surprisingly) but it is a great lunch staple, especially in the hotter months. In fact in the Summer you’ll find me rolling sushi most evenings, as it’s as healthy as it is tasty. So when Zomato invited me to a sushi-making masterclass at Kuriya Keiko – a Japanese restaurant-come-cookery workshop space in Islington – I was eager to learn more.

We started the evening with a plum wine cocktail (heavenly) and an introduction by Keiko, who told us all about her background as a chef, and her love for sushi. She proceeded to teach us all the best way to prepare sushi rice (1.15 cup of water to 1 rice), before giving us an in-depth tutorial of how to make a California Roll, and an Inside Out Roll – the latter being the more technical of the two. Keiko was vibrant and energetic, offering us words of advice and encouragement as we battled with our rice (key tip: keep your hands wet!). We were given ingredients to place inside the rolls, such as smoked salmon, avocado and ham. Yes, ham! Keiko told us how she loves experimenting with flavours, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that one of her favourites is Italian ham and olives – certainly not your usual Japanese flavour combo.

After we were all finished with our creations, we were told to tuck in. They always say something tastes better if it’s made by your own hands, and I would have to agree. My sushi tasted so much more tangy and refreshing than any I had made before. It reignited my love for the simple California Roll, and I made a pact that from here on out I would always make it this scrumptious. As we ate, Keiko gave us a presentation on how to make another Japanese favourite – gyoza. Afterwards we were given some freshly made gyoza to try, accompanied by a traditional sake from Kyoto. I love gyoza so much that I actually burnt my mouth as I shovelled in one of the delectable dumplings. The moral of the story? Wait for your food to cool down before you eat it!

Kuriya Keiko often holds cookery workshops and you can get involved at a great price! I would highly recommend it for food lovers, and fans of sushi. Doing it with a friend or group is even more fun too.

We also enjoyed a lovely meal after our masterclass, but that’s another story for another post.
You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

bloomzy /

Review: OGX Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner

OGX Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner*

No I haven’t started washing my hair with coconut water, like some rich eccentric old woman. OGX (formerly known as Organix) did notice though that people were loving coconut water for it’s hydrating abilities, so they they asked the question on everyone’s (read: mine) lips – why can’t it work outside of my body as well as inside? OGX’s Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner was born.

Pros:
+ Stylish packaging
+ Smells nice
+ Shampoo lathers well and washes out easily
+ Conditioner isn’t heavy

Cons:
– Took a while (a week or so of using it) for my hair to feel hydrated

Notes:
Coconut water/oil is known for it’s natural hydrating abilities, so it only makes sense that OGX decided to add it to their growing collection of hair care products. The packaging on the products is stylish and simple, and I love the blurb stating the benefits. The shampoo lathers well and washes out easily, whilst the conditioner is light and doesn’t weigh my fine hair down. Usually I would only apply it to the ends of my hair, but this conditioner is light enough to put all over. Unfortunately at the begining I didn’t find that the two worked well enough together to hydrate my hair as much as I would like. I put this down to my naturally dry hair, so I used them alongside the OGX coconut water hair spray to perk up the dry bits. At £6.99 each they are averagely priced. However I would have to think about whether I would purchase them as I need to use them with another product.

You can buy OGX’s Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner at Boots.