bloomzy /

Video: A Date with Viktor & Rolf Bonbon

I was sent the new Viktor & Rolf Bonbon perfume, and I fell in love with it! So I decided to make a little video about our first date together. I will also be posting a review on the blog soon!
You can purchase Viktor & Rolf Bonbon at Debenhams.
Check out more of my videos and subscribe to my Youtube channel – if you like.
bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London: Onthebab

Onthebab | Korean Streetfood | Lunch/Dinner | Old Street, Shoreditch | Website
– reservations not available –

Onthebab is a lone Korean restaurant in the heart of Shoreditch. I headed there around 12pm on a Tuesday with V.A of Chopstickpanorama.

Onthebab is a tiny restaurant located on Old Street, yet they’ve managed to fit in as many tables (and a bar) as possible, without it feeling uncomfortable. The interior matches the exterior, making sure the minimal chic feel of the restaurant stays in touch with it’s Shoreditch roots. We were greeted by a very welcoming waitress, and an empty restaurant. I gave a sigh of relief that we had made it before the lunchtime rush. We had a hard time choosing which dishes to have, not because there were too many, but because they all sounded delicious. We finally decided on the Spicy Pork Buns (to share) and a Bulgogi Bibimbap (each). I started my meal with a refreshing Cinnamon Punch – a Korean soft drink that I don’t see often. I was a little worried when the pork buns arrived, with their almost glowing red innards. No matter how much I try, my tolerance for spice is extremely low. They were spicy, but just under my barrier, and boy were they delicious. The flavour inside one of those tiny little buns is immense! I imagine this was partly due to the cut of pork and the way it had been cooked to perfection. I found myself fearful at the impending last bite. Unfortunately it came, but I was eager to try my Bulgogi Bibimbap so I recovered pretty quickly. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish with vegetables and gochujang (chilli pepper paste), usually served with a fried egg and meat. Well at Onthebab you get the whole shebang! We chose the bulgogi beef as it’s a favourite of ours. The dish was large and came with plenty of meat, egg, fresh vegetables and rice. It didn’t taste spicy, so I added a little more gochujang to mine, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Towards the end of our meals the lunchtime rush had hit and the restaurant was almost full. Still, the service was fast and impeccable. I left satisfied, and impressed with the food and the lovely people running the establishment.

It’s not often that I crave a particular dish, but I can honestly say that I will be back to Onthebab for the Spicy Pork Buns alone . Of course I’d also love to try out more of their delicious dishes too. This is one restaurant you can not overlook!

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

bloomzy /

OOTD: East London Calling

Sweater – H&M | Trousers – H&M | Bag – Zara | Sandals – Primark | Watch – Marc by Marc Jacobs | Sunglasses* – Ray-Ban

Hanging around East London isn’t anything new for me, I know. So you’d think that I’d be getting a little bored of the area by now, right? It becomes all the more exciting though when I get to share it with someone else. That’s exactly what happened when I met V.A (of Chopstickpanorama) for lunch at Onthebab. We had been meaning to meet for a while so we decided to take advantage of our time. Of course that meant an impromptu photoshoot around Shoreditch in East London. As if it could mean anything else when two bloggers are involved.
It was so nice having another blogger there to take my photos. V.A is a wonderful photographer so she knew exactly what to do. I very much appreciated her guidance and telling me to “stand straight.” I learnt a lot of things from that lovely little lady – thank you V.A. I think I’ve caught the photography bug all over again!
Photos taken by Chopstickpanorama
bloomzy /

Review: 3 Concept Eyes Lipstick #204

3 Concept Eyes Lipstick #204 – Come to Me*
I was introduced to 3 Concept Eyes lip markers recently, so I was eager to try their lipsticks also. I was sent an orange shade, which I’m sure will be very popular this Spring/Summer. It was my first time using this kind of shade, so I had my serious review hat on.
Swatched on hand in natural light, and on lips in artificial light.

Pros:
+ Creamy texture
+ Didn’t dry my lips out
+ Highly pigmented
+ Easy to apply

Cons:
– Transfers when eating/drinking
– Not long lasting
– Creamy but not moisturising

Notes:
I was a little unsure about this colour because I’m actually quite scared of orange shades. Still, I thought I’d give it a try and see what all the fuss was about with these lipsticks. Luckily I was impressed from the moment I laid eyes on it. Although the poorly applied manicure on the packaging (done on purpose or not?) bugs me, the lipstick itself comes in a classic black tube. The formula is very creamy, so it applies easily, but doesn’t bleed at all. When applied, the colour was pretty much the same as that in the tube – highly pigmented and very orange. It was slightly intimidating. Whereas the lipstick didn’t dry my lips out, it also didn’t stay on my lips after eating/drinking, so it wasn’t exactly long lasting. I love the texture and pigmentation these lipsticks offer, and although this shade isn’t exactly to my taste I’d happily purchase another. For £13.25 this isn’t ‘drugstore’ prices, but if you fancy splurging it’s well worth it. 
You can purchase 3 Concept Eyes Lipstick in Come to Me at Lunatu.
bloomzy /

Review: Birchbox April 2014

Birchbox April 2014 Box
This month’s Birchbox has a food theme.
Products are inspired by natural ingredients, candy colours and more.
You know I’m a foodie so this box is incredibly enticing for me. 
Inside my box was…
TheBalm Cosmetics – Cheek & Lip Cream
Lord & Berry – Kohl Eye Pencil
Color Club – Gala’s Gem Nail Polish
Tommyguns – Pomegranate & Orange Flower Shampoo
One Love Organics – Skin Saviour Waterless Beauty Balm
Propercorn – Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sundried Tomato 

Thoughts?
I’m going to give you the bad news first: It’s my third month in with my Birchbox subscription, and how am I feeling? This is the first box that has left me on the fence, and feeling a little bit “meh.” I have far too many lip balms/stains already and I don’t like cheek creams so I will probably gift the ‘TheBalm Cosmetics’ product. The packaging is cute though and reminds me a bit of Benefit. Next up, the ‘Lord & Berry Kohl Kajal Eyepencil’: I haven’t used an eye pencil since high school, and after converting to liquid eyeliner I probably won’t be going back to them. It’s a shame as I have wanted to try out a Lord & Berry for a while. Now I love ‘Propercorn’, so was glad to see them included as the ‘lifestyle’ item this month, however I can’t handle spice…at all, so these were too much for me. Sadly the other Propercorn option was my favourite – Sweet & Salty, but it was a 50/50 chance I’d get it, so I’m not upset. It’s not all bad though as the fiancé said he will gladly take it off my hands.
Now, for the good news: I am always happy to add another nail polish to my collection, especially when it’s a cute pastel shade. So the ‘Color Club Nail Polish’ was a welcomed addition. I also loved that we were able to choose the shade that went in our box this month. Usually you end up with a generic shade (like red) that everyone else also got. That’s not how Birchbox roll though. They asked us to choose which colour we would like to receive, out of 4 possible pastel shades. I choose the baby blue as I don’t have a similar shade – I know, shocking! This month introduced me to ‘TommyGuns Shampoo’, which smells amazing. I already have a ton of shampoos but I’m eager to try this. Now if only I had the conditioner too…! Birchbox have also introduced me to ‘One Love Organics Beauty Balm’ with this box. The packaging is simple and is different from what you receive if you buy a full size version, but it’s cute. It sounds like a pretty awesome product. I love natural, organic products, and I love skincare – it’s a match made in heaven.
So as you can see the box is pretty much split 50/50 for me this month. I may have received 3 products I’m not keen on/won’t use, but I also received 3 that I will! I understand that I won’t always receive a super amazing box with 5-6 products I adore, so I’m cool with this. Even then, the products I won’t use are still good quality samples that will make someone else very happy. Of course I do wish I’d received items I would get some use from, but I’m sure my friends will be happy. After all, what I don’t use gets given to them or donated to charity. After all folks, you’ve got to look for the silver lining!
You can subscribe or buy a one off box at Birchbox.
Using my link will give you (and me) £5 worth of points to spend in the store.
bloomzy /

Video: French Pharmacy Goodies

I went to Avène & A-Derma’s bloggers breakfast last week and received a personalised skincare goodie bag* full of products from the popular French pharmacy brands. I decided to open up the goodie bag on camera and share what was inside with you all. All of the items in the video can be purchased from Boots, and are in selected Boots stores.

Check out more of my videos and subscribe to my Youtube channel – if you like.

bloomzy /

Giveaway: Win a Pair of Ray-Ban Sunglasses

Ray-Ban 2132 Wayfarer Sunglasses*
Thankfully after a few days of rain and clouds, we’ve been seeing the sun again. So what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway for a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses? I have always wanted a pair of Ray-Bans. They’re the crème de la crème of sunglasses, so I was very happy when The Sunglasses Shop sent me a pair my way. I chose the Ray-Ban 2132 Wayfarer Sunglasses because I adore tortoiseshell, and it matches my glasses. You get to choose your size, which I didn’t think would make much of a difference. I went for small and when they arrived I was very aware of the size – sunglasses usually fall off my face and look a bit too big, but these were the perfect size for me! The logo on the front/side is subtle, but adds a little something to the sunglasses. The quality is apparent, and I have found myself browsing the site for my next pair already. My fiancé has already tried to steal these from me, so I know they’re a hit. I love them, and I’m so happy to finally have a pair.
What can you win?
1 Pair of Ray-Ban Sunglasses from the Sunglasses Shop.

How to enter:
+ Be a follower of ‘Bloomzy’ via Bloglovin
+ Earn extra entries on Twitter, Facebook etc.
– Entrants who do not follow the rules will be disqualified.
– Twitter accounts created purely for giveaways will be disqualified.
This giveaway is open internationally.
Running for 8 days (ending 19th April at 12am).
The prize is provided by and will be sent out by Sunglasses Shop.