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A Peek Inside… My Little Cosy Box

This month’s theme is ‘My Little Cosy Box’. I was so excited when I heard of the theme, as like every other person in existence, I love Autumn. Autumn to me is a month to cosy up at home and relax, and I was so hoping that this month’s box would reflect that feeling…


What was inside My Little Cosy Box?
– Illustration by Kanako
– Espresso Cup designed by Kanako
– Tsumori Chisato ‘Hot Water Bottle’
– My Little Beauty Mascara
– Essie Nail Polish
– Star Liner Kohl Pencil
– My Little World Magazine


What did I think?
Unfortunately I don’t have too much to say about this month’s box as I am rather underwhelmed by it all. At first I was giddy at the sight of Tsumori Chisato’s name, but that quickly turned to disappointment when I realised that the ‘hot water bottle’ was no more than a relaxation pillow. After a long day at work it was a novelty for all of 5 minutes…before I realised I’d never use it again. The print was also a bit of a let down – it didn’t scream Tsumori Chisato like a lot of her work does – it just seemed very generic. As for the beauty products; I don’t use kohl eyeliner, and the Essie polish shade is off-season and just outright hideous (for my personal taste). I thought I had found my saving grace in the mascara though. It adds amazing length and volume…but smudges like no one’s business, which is a big turn off. Kanakos illustration and the ridiculously cute espresso cup are the only items I can see myself making use of. I don’t actually drink espresso but I have used it to store a candle on my office desk, whilst the print will go up on my wall. Overall this month’s box was a real let down, which says a lot when I hold My Little Box in such high esteem. It’s a shame, but hopefully December’s box will remind me of why I love the brand.


If you fancy subscribing yourself, head to My Little Box.

bloomzy /

Wish List: Santa’s Little Helper

Every year friend’s and family ask me to publish a wish list on my blog. So this year I decided to try out something a little different – The Greedy Book. What is it? “Described as the home of the wish list, they’re an amazing discovery platform that provides you with your very own corner of the internet to collate your ultimate wish list, an eclectic mixture of your favourite things.”

I liked the look of the platform as it allowed me to add items easily, whilst simultaneously adding the price and notes. I personally used the notes section to add any sizing or colour preferences I had, which will hopefully offer some help and also open up a new spectrum of gifts. I had a lot of fun putting my items together and into their own little books, and if I wasn’t so blasé about Christmas gifts (for myself) I imagine I’d be able to spend hours adding items to them. I actually prefer giving presents at Christmas, which TGB is also useful for. The site gives you the option of making your books private, meaning you can hide your gift ideas away somewhere safer (and a lot easier) than your bookmark bar. I’ve only created a few books so far; using the option to separate my wish lists into different categories – fashion & beauty, accessories and home. Even so, this makes it easier for friends and family who may want to buy me something specific. All in all, it’s been super helpful, and although I think the site would be better with a bit more customisation, it works perfectly well. I can see myself using this long after Christmas for friends/family birthdays…maybe even for my birthday in January too?

You can view my Christmas wish lists at The Greedy Book.

bloomzy /

OGX Hair Lunch at The Gilbert Scott Restaurant

Both food and beauty in one sitting…what more could I ask for? OGX must be able to read minds, as they recently invited me for a sneak peek of some of their up-coming launches, over lunch at The Gilbert Scott Restaurant. The venue for the press event was the perfect choice. TGS is a part of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, and much like it’s counterpart it is incredibly stunning.

We were sat in a private dining room lined with products from the OGX haircare range. I recognised some old faithfuls, and some new shiny products. I was impressed to see that some of the American team (OGX is an American brand) had flown over especially for the event. What better way to find out about a brand than through their own people? I’ve been using OGX’s shampoos and conditioners for several years. I even remember when they were called Organix. The ranges are fun and vibrant, and allow you to mix and match – something that most haircare brands don’t offer. We were given a small presentation on the brand and what we could expect from them in 2015. OGX always stay up to date with the latest haircare trends and ingredients, and their latest ‘Coconut Water‘ range mirrors this perfectly. They knew that people loved putting coconut water into their bodies, so why not on their bodies hair too? The shampoo and conditioner are currently available in-stores, however the Coconut Water Hydrating Oil will be released in January, and I know you’re all going to love it. The Lemon Highlights range is another sneak peek that you’ll find hitting UK stores in the new year. It uses coconut oil to give highlighted hair a healthy, shiny glow. It smells divine and I can only imagine how sun kissed hair will look after using it. Finally, we were told all about the Kukui Oil range, something that spoke to me personally – a shampoo/conditioner that reduces frizz and locks in moisture. There is a God! I’ve made a mental note to put the coconut oil and kukui products in my basket next time I visited Boots.

I’ll be reviewing some of the latest OGX products on the blog soon, so keep an eye out on here and in stores! You can purchase OGX products in Boots and Superdrug. 

bloomzy /

A Little Something from Wrap.me to You…

I don’t know about other people but there’s one thing I dread at this time of year – wrapping presents. I always end up wrapping everything at once, and it’s usually in paper that I’ve hurriedly bought at the last minute. So you can imagine how elated I would be if someone were to bring a bit more excitement to an otherwise menial task. Step in Wrap.me, a service that provides wrapping paper with a difference.

Imagine your Christmas tree lined with presents…and what’s that? They’re all wrapped up in paper that features your amazing photographic skills, or selfies with your friends and family?! Yes your heard me right! Wrap.me offers customised paper made up of handpicked photos from your computer, phone, Instagram, or Facebook. The site (which recently launched on November the 17th) allows you to follow the design process as you choose your photos, border arrangement and how much paper you’re going to need for all those fabulous presents. It’s printed out onto the paper size of your choice and then all you have to do is sit back with a cup of tea and wait for it to be delivered. The whole experience takes away the hard work behind choosing the perfect wrapping paper, and instead allows you to relax, whilst creating something very special indeed.

I was sent a little gift from Wrap.me, all wrapped up in my own personalised paper. The photos had been taken from my Instagram account, and honestly it was quite sweet to see them printed out onto paper. True, it was a bit weird having photos of myself on it, but everyone at work loved it and I jokingly told them that my Secret Santa would receive their present wrapped in it…I wasn’t joking. My present turned out to be a pair of socks that were made for someone with feet around 10x larger than my own, and were hurriedly snapped up by one of my male colleagues. Still, when the paper is this fun it doesn’t really matter what’s inside…does it?

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

bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London: The Cicchetti Bar, at Piccolino

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The Cicchetti Bar, at Piccolino* | Dinner/Bar | Mayfair | Website
– reservations available –

Like most Londoners I avoid Oxford Circus like the plague. Pair that with living in East London and you’ve got one little lady who does not often venture into the dark realms of tourist hell – aka Regents Street. However that all changed when V.A (of Chopstickpanorama) invited me along to Piccolino’s new Cicchetti bar. An Italian friend had actually been recommending cicchetti (Italian tapas) to me a few days earlier, that had to be more than a coincidence, right?

Piccolino itself is nestled amongst a small set of restaurants in Heddon Street, just off Regent Street. The quiet courtyard feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of the main road, which accompanied with the fairy lights hanging above, gives it an almost fairytale-like quality. When we arrived at Piccolino we were greeted by the hostess who kindly showed us down to the cicchetti bar in the basement. The bar has just been renovated in a somewhat contemporary take on art deco. One wall is covered by large sections of mirror, which reflect the bar taking pride of place in the centre of the room. The dark green, black and gold accents won me over straightaway.

We were offered a selection of cichetti as we waited on two bellinis at the bar. I started with the ‘bruschetta con burrito e fichi’ (Turkish black fig on mozzarella and toasted ciabatta), which was refreshing, but slightly bland. However we followed it with a slice of crispy ‘picante pizzette’ (spicy calabrian sausage, roast red pepper, tomato and mozzarella pizza slice), which had tons of flavour – namely spice. It sat on the verge of being too hot for me to handle, but that made me enjoy it even more. Of course you can’t have Italian without Arancini, and the ‘Arancini Bolognese’ (Sicilian risotto rice fritter, beef ragu, peas and mozzarella cheese) was not a let down. The ‘spiedini di pollo’ (skewered chicken wrapped in pancetta) was tender, juicy, and perfectly salty. It was my favourite, alongside the ‘zucca fritta’ (crispy fried pumpkin and sage) which was so incredibly delicious I was left craving more – the foodie’s sign of a perfect dish. Oh yes, the bellinis! I’d almost forgotten about them amongst the heaps of food I’ve been fondly recalling for you. As far as cocktails go, it wasn’t the best bellini Ive ever had, but it wasn’t the worst.

For my first taste of cichetti I was pleasantly surprised. The experience left me wanting more, as did the menu. I love sharing food and connecting over it, so I can’t think of anything better than heading to the bar after an evening of press events. I’ll certainly be going back, and I’ll be bringing my friends with me.

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London: Ping Pong Dim Sum

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Ping Pong Dim Sum* | Dinner/Bar | Stratford Westfield | Website
– reservations available –

Don’t let the name fool you, dim sum at Ping Pong is no game. A few months ago I fell for their cocktails, and some particularly delicious chicken and cashew nut dumplings. I knew that a masterclass wasn’t enough, so when they invited me back to try out their new Autumn/Winter menu I squealed with excitement.

The idea of adding and removing dishes based on the season may not come as much of a surprise to most food lovers, however I still delight at the sight. This time round Ping Pong have added 4 new dim sum dishes, 1 dessert dish and 2 new cocktails to the menu. Naturally we wanted to try them all, but we decided to just go for the lobster dumplings, the vegetable fun guo and the forbidden martini. We also chose a few other nibbles, such as the extremely photogenic soft-shell crab and the black prawn dumplings…alongside some well-known favourites (yes I did order the chicken cashew dumplings again). We rounded off our visit with a couple more cocktails (who ever thought wasabi would work in a beverage?), some coconut mochi and mango pudding.

The Forbidden Martini certainly lived up to the high expectations I have for Ping Pong – this is a restaurant that I often tell people to go to purely for the cocktails – and it was a great start to our meal. The beautifully presented lobster dumplings arrived first, with the rest of our dishes following shortly after. The dumplings were topped with a chunk of lobster, with the rest of the mixture hiding inside the sticky cases. The pink parcels of seafood were both delicate and delicious. Unfortunately the vegetable fun guo failed to excite us, as we both decided they were bland and under seasoned. However the black prawn dumplings were seasoned perfectly (a must for garlic lovers) and the soft-shell crab tasted as good, if not better, than he looked. Although the accompanying sauce tasted as though it had come straight from a bottle – I will leave it for you to decide whether that’s a good or bad thing. The dessert dishes were underwhelming in size (only just big enough for 1 person), but the mango pudding was full of flavour, and the coconut mochi tasted authentic.I realise I haven’t mentioned everything that we ordered but if I had then I’d be here all day, and you’d no doubt be bored before you’d even read half of the post. Nevertheless that doesn’t mean that the quality and taste wasn’t as superb as the dishes I did mention.

I love the whole experience that comes with eating dim sum, and Ping Pong have captured that surprisingly well for a chain restaurant. The service is impeccable and the waiters/waitresses (at the Stratford location) are incredibly friendly. Some dishes are hit or miss, but overall the quality is above average and the cocktails are a must. The only downside is the price – the bill for 2 people came to £70+ which is considerably more than I would usually spend on a casual meal out with a friend at a chain restaurant. That said, I would definitely visit again. There’s not much more you could ask for then sharing delicious food with friends/family. So if my photos and words haven’t convinced you enough (oh the insanity), take a peek at the Ping Pong menu or find a restaurant near you.

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

bloomzy /

The Sisterhood of The Travelling Jacket

When Marlene first told me she was working on a secret project I knew it had to be something special. I’d been reading her blog for a long time, and after meeting her in person I could tell that everything she did was with conviction and dedication. Yet when The Sisterhood of the Travelling Jacket was finally announced I was blown away.

As I sat on the sofa next to Ben watching the video I burst into tears. The stories struck such a chord with me. Myself and several of my family members had been through the topics being mentioned, but the tears weren’t because of the memories, or even from the empathy I felt. My tears were for the strength and bravery these women have to tell their story. I’ve only ever been able to confide in Ben about what I’ve been through, and even though I’m still struggling I do realise that it’s important that these topics are talked about. So many people suffer in silence, and if this message can reach out and help just one person, then it has done something spectacular. I hope that one day I will be able to make a difference and help people like this too. That is why I want to help spread the word.

You can read the The Sisterhood of The Travelling Jacket series on Marlene’s blog: Chocolate Cookies and Candies.