bloomzy /

Review: Mariaveronica @ ASOS marketplace

Skull, feather and spike necklace from Maria Veronica @ ASOS Marketplace*
Recently the lovely Maria Veronica of Diamond in Rouge contacted me and asked if she could send me something. 
What was that? Well she wanted to send me one of the skull & spike necklaces from her collection on ASOS Marketplace.
I was so happy because I’d been browsing her items when the store first opened, and fell in love with them!
Maria’s store currently features necklaces and bracelets.
The silver necklaces are lovely, especially the ones with turquoise accents.
The stars of the collection though have to be the spike skull feather necklaces, like the one above.
They come in 3 different colours; black, pink and blue. I personally love them all, but the black & gold suits my style best.
Unfortunately a few of the feathers fell off mine in transit, so it looks slightly different.
Everything in the collection is £10 or under – that’s an absolute bargain!
The skull necklaces, like the one I was sent, are right on trend!
So many brands are using skulls and spikes in their collections right now
I can’t wait to start coordinating mine with my winter sweaters and leather skirt.
I deliberately didn’t take a photo of me wearing this because I know you’re going to see it in tons of OOTD posts.
You can find Maria’s store on ASOS Marketplace, here.
Use code ‘bloomzy’ for 20% off all purchases until 25th December!
bloomzy /

Review: Trilogy Daily Defence Moisturiser

Trilogy Daily Defence Age Proof Moisturiser with SPF15*

Trilogy is not a new brand to the beauty market, some of you may even remember the review I did earlier in the year of their facial exfoliant. I am a fan of the brand, so I was excited to try out their daily defence moisturiser.
What does it do?
Trilogy say; “This lightweight formula contains a new generation SPF to provide effective UV protection from the sun’s harsh rays, while 100% pure plant oils offer long-lasting hydration for soft, supple skin. Provides the perfect base for make-up.” They also boast that it is used by Strictly Come Dancing’s latest edition, Denise Van Outen.
Does it do it?
Well obviously I can’t comment on the UV protection as Winter has now hit and we barely ever see the sun. However I will take Trilogy’s word for this as I’m always happy to see a moisturiser/foundation that contains an SPF – especially for my pale complexion. As for the perfect base for make-up, I would have to disagree. It goes on slightly dry and needs to be worked in. I didn’t find it much of a base but that may be down to my skin type.
As for my skin, well it is soft & supple.
What is it like?
The texture of the product is quite dry to be honest, and a little like putty. Trilogy have suggested adding a little rose hip oil to the product (with good results). That’s fine if you have some handy, but it’s not ideal for most people.
That aside, for my combination – sensitive skin type this is a wonderful moisturiser. It’s not too rich or creamy and it doesn’t weigh my skin down. I was really impressed as it didn’t cause me to get dry patches or break out, which is always a possibility for me when trying a new moisturiser.
Would I buy it?
The price tag is a bit hefty for me at £28.50 so I don’t think so.
I would consider it if it were slightly cheaper…or I had more money.
You can buy Trilogy’s Daily Defence Moisturiser in Boots stores and online here.
bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London 3

a little bit of what you fancy | Dinner | Dalston | Website

– reservations available –
The Tea Rooms | Tea Room | Stoke Newington | Website
– reservations not available –

Las Iguanas | Bar/Dinner | Stratford Westfield | Website
–  reservations may be available  –

Busaba Eathai | Lunch/Dinner | Stratford Westfield | Website
– reservations available –

I’m a pretty big foodie, if you hadn’t already guessed, so I wanted to post a bit about food in London.
There are some amazing places to eat and pick up food, and these are just a few of the places I visited on my last trip.
Kind of like a Where to Eat in London – I have included the name, type of restaurant/cafe/store, the location of the place I visited, and a link to their website, as the bigger places have more than one location.

I had to split this series into what is now 3 posts (you can find the series here) as my love for food and discovering new bars, restaurants etc. continues to blossom. This time round all of the restaurants, apart from Busaba (I’ve now been to two of their locations – both wonderful) are all one offs – meaning they can’t be found in multiple locations in London. If you’re curious about what I ate feel free to ask but I didn’t write it as I think it’s self explanatory from most of the photos.

I wouldn’t have included these places if I didn’t love and recommend them.
So if you have the chance you should definitely check them out!

bloomzy /

Review: John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight

John Frieda Frizz Ease – 3 Day Straight Styling Spray for curly hair*
Trying to keep hair straight (after a blow dry/using straighteners) can be quite difficult.
Myself and my mother included both straighten our hair and whereas mine usually keeps for a day or two, my mum (who works most of the day) finds that her hair can kink up easily – especially when it’s warm weather.
So the idea of John Frieda’s Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight spray is a saviour to people like us with curly, out of control hair.
After reading reviews online I knew it might be hit or miss.
Some people thought it was a miracle products and others said they showed no results.
I decided to test it out on my mum who has short, thick hair that kinks easily – especially at the ends.
Why my mum and not me? Out of the two of us, she has a lot more trouble keeping her hair straight. 
It was also kind of fun having a willing victim testee who I could really see the results on.
This was my mum’s hair after applying the spray to towel dried hair, a blow dry and straightening. 
It’s definitely worth mentioning that my mum’s hair has never been so straight! The spray performed absolutely wonderfully on her hair and not only did it keep it straight, it looked super glossy too. So the big question – did it stay straight for 3 days? Well…yes it did! In fact I didn’t even bother taking an ‘after’ photo as it looked exactly the same. It didn’t kink up after 2 days work, and she was so in love with it she was raving the whole time about how wonderful it is.
My mum’s verdict? 10/10 – would definitely buy!
My verdict? For only £6.99 this is a must have for anyone who has trouble with keeping their hair straight.

You can buy John Frieda’s 3 Day Straight Styling Spray from Boots.
They also currently have a 3 for 2 offer in Boots, so make the most of it!
bloomzy /

Dupe: MUA Undressed vs. UD Naked Palette

MUA Undressed Palette & Urban Decay Naked Palette
I love seeing dupe posts on beauty blogs, and I recently acquired MUA’s Undressed palette, 
which is supposedly a dupe of Urban Decay’s Naked palette, so I thought I would do my own. 
From the start it’s easy to see where MUA got their inspiration from.
With Urban Decay’s palette at almost 10x the price (£36) of MUA’s (£4), I was certainly curious. 
After putting the two palettes side-by-side I was shocked and also a little amused at how similar the shades are.
True, MUA’s palette does not look as ‘high end’ as Urban Decay’s but it’s simple and clean – it also comes with a double ended applicator, but no primer unlike UD – although MUA’s primer is only £1.50.
Also, the UD palette is heavier, and not as easy to transport as MUA’s.
Anyway, onto the reason why you’re all here…
The following swatches come courtesy of my fiancé who allowed me to use his forearm as a model.
MUA’s £1.50 eyeshadow primer was used as a base before applying these.
Top row: MUA Undressed Palette
Bottom row: Urban Decay Naked Palette
The proof is in the picture.
Honestly, apart from a couple of the matte browns, the MUA shadows are pretty much identical.
A primer is needed with the MUA shades, but I don’t think anyone would expect anything else from a £4 palette.
I am incredibly impressed with how similar these are, and with previous experience with MUA palettes they are definitely worth the money. When used with a primer, they are long lasting and the colour stays as clear and fresh as when you first applied it. Both palettes have some amazing colours, perfect for this seasons nude make-up trends.

Final decision: This is an amazing dupe, and I would definitely use the MUA palette as a replacement for my UD one.
MUA Undressed Palette is available in Superdrug stores, and online here (worldwide shipping available).
Urban Decay’s Naked Palette is available in Debenhams & House of Fraser (UK) stores, and online here.
bloomzy /

Review: Mudd Face Masks

Mudd Face Masks: Sea Clay, Peel-off and Original*

Recently I was sent a lovely pink package, and what did it contain? It contained a set of the new Mudd face masks – sea clay, peel-off and original. I love putting on a face mask once or twice a week. It helps me relax and is great for my skin. So of course I was very happy to see that I had been given a selection of the masks to try out.

Mudd are quite smart in the way they’ve decided to package these. They come in single packs (1 application) and packs of 5 or 10 applications. The 5/10 application packs have a handy flip lid so you can squeeze out the perfect amount and then replace it. No need to worry about the mask getting everywhere or drying out!

I tried out the Hydrating sea clay face mask, as you can see. This really was hydrating and left my skin feeling super soft and light (does that make sense?). After application the mask dries and tightens…oh does it tighten. It felt a bit odd to start with but I got used to it. After 15mins 99% of the mask had dried and it felt like I’d had botox – I removed it with warm water and a cloth. This was a lovely mask and I can’t wait to try out the others, especially the peeling mask!

You can buy Mudd Face Masks in Boots and online here.
Prices are £1 for a single, £3.05 for a 5 pack and £4.99 for a 10 pack.

bloomzy /

Review: Tanda Zap – Acne spot treatment device

HoMedics Tanda Zap – acne spot treatment device*
HoMedics Tanda Zap is a new handheld blue light device to help fade or clear acne.
The great thing about Tanda Zap is that it is an on-the-spot treatment, which means you can do it at home, in work etc.
It easily fits into your bag, or on your dresser so you can grab it for a treatment whenever you fancy.
What does it do?
It uses blue light technology, along with sonic vibration and a gentle warming to open the pores, help destroy bacteria and reduce swelling/inflammation. It even claims to help clear or fade blemishes within 24 hours.
It can also help to prevent future breakouts.
For use on all skin types and tones.
How do you use it?
By pressing the big orange switch on the front, the blue light is activated.
Hold the Tanda Zap gently against the affected area and let it run its course – 2mins.
You can end the treatment before the time is up, or it will turn off after the 2mins has passed.
You can use it up to 3x a day on the one blemish, and on other blemishes.
It is battery powered and lasts for 1000 treatments.

 

My Personal Experience
I usually suffer from one or two breakouts during my period, but am generally spot free the rest of the time.
Luckily I had a nasty spot for this same reason, when the Tanda Zap arrived at my front door. These tend to last around a week and fade with my usual skin care routine but I decided to try out Tanda Zap instead. I used it as part of my normal skin care routine day & night, as well as once in the afternoon. After 24hrs I definitely noticed a difference – actually the spot was more inflammed, but I think this was due the treatment bringing out all the bacteria etc. After 48hrs I was really happy as the spot was noticeably smaller and less inflammed.
I’m impressed and will definitely continue to use it when a spot pops up!
Before use I would suggest you read the instructions as some medication such as antihistamines apparently don’t work well with it (can cause skin irritation and redness), however I take them occasionally and haven’t had a problem.
You can buy Tanda Zap in Boots stores, and online here.
For those who suffer with long-term acne problems, Tanda Clear+ is also available, here.