bloomzy /

Review: Murine Bright & Moist Eye Drops

Murine Bright & Moist Eye Drops*

Since the release of eye drops that claim to ‘brighten’ or ‘whiten’ your eyes, I’ve been quite intrigued.
As I suffer from allergies most of the year my eyes can sometimes be dry, itchy and slightly red.
So you can see why I might be interested in these.
Murine’s eye drops are made from a special liquid gel, which include moisturisers and a brightener.
They aim to refresh and soothe the eyes, whilst adding a bit of a sparkle.
I’ve used several eye drops from different brands, so my review will be based on comparing Murine’s drops to my previous experience and also by looking at what the drops claim to do.
Top: Before drops
Bottom: After drops

Pros:
+ Soothing
+ Refreshing
+ Kept my eyes hydrated
+ Slight brightening of my eyes
Cons:
– No drastic brightening of my eyes
– The gel felt a bit odd to start with
– Can’t be used with contact lenses
Notes:
I wasn’t really expecting anything amazing with these, so the results didn’t really upset me.
I loved the refreshing effect of the drops, they definitely soothed my eyes when they were dry/itchy. I only applied the drops (2 in each eye) once for a whole day (you can apply them up to 4 times a day), which is a first out of all the brands I have previously used. However I didn’t find the whitening effect to be that…well…effective. Even so, I did notice that the usual red-ness I sometimes suffer from (due to allergies) was slightly less noticeable.
For the price, and the refreshing/soothing effect alone, I would buy these.
If it was purely for the whitening/brightening effect, I’d probably try something else.
You can buy Murine Bright & Moist 15ml Eye Drops at Boots, for £4.49
You can also purchase it online, here.
bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London 2

The Icecreamists | Ice Cream Parlour | Covent Garden | Website
– reservations not available –
Dream Bags & Jaguar Shoes | Dinner/Bar | Shoreditch | Website
– reservations not available –

Aubin Cinema | Cinema with Bar/Snacks | Shoreditch | Website
–  ticket bookings available  –

The Diner | All-day Menu | Shoreditch | Website
– reservations may be available –

Lola’s Cupcakes & Pinkberry Frozen Yoghurt |  Selfridges Food Court | Website 1 & 2
– reservations not 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 two posts (you can find the first one here) as I just had too many places and photos I wanted to feature – even then I didn’t get to include them all. 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: Lush Colour Supplement

First off I’d like to excuse the state of my pot of Jackie Oats.
I was recently asked by some readers to review Lush’s colour supplement, after I mentioned it was one of my favourites in my ‘Basic Make-Up Must Haves‘ post. It is an item I use everyday, hence why mine looks very used. I’ll try to update the post with a nicer picture when I buy my next pot.
Lush’s Colour Supplements are an amazing addition to the natural beauty market.
I went into my local Lush store to try out their supplements, as I’m a fan of natural beauty products and the brand itself. The lovely staff lady helped me pick my shade. We tried out the pale pink and yellow shades, but they didn’t work out and eventually we settled on ‘Jackie Oats‘. Jackie Oats is the palest of the 5 shades that Lush currently offers, and is aimed at ‘English Rose’ complexions. As it is aimed at those with pale skin, it also includes sun block to help those with sensitive skin – it also includes aloe vera and oatmilk to help reduce redness, which is one thing I have found to be very effective.

Swatch

The great thing about Lush’s colour supplements is that you can use them in several different ways:
1. Straight out of the pot, as a foundation.
2. Dabbed onto the skin, as a concealer. 
3. Mixed with your favourite moisturiser, as a tinted moisturiser.

Notes:
Lush’s Jackie Oats is the first ‘foundation’ that has matched my skin tone enough that it isn’t visible.
By this I mean that it isn’t too dark or orange, and it blends well with my natural skin tone.
It covers any red marks I might have, and helps to even out my complexion. I usually pair it with Collection 2000 powder, as it holds it well. Since I started using Jackie Oats as a foundation people have been complimenting my complexion. Someone even said it was flawless a few days ago. 
I’m definitely sold!
You can find Lush’s Colour Supplements in-store and online, here.
bloomzy /

Review: Avon Nailwear Pro+ ‘Star’

Avon 12ml Nailwear Pro+ in ‘Star’
A few weeks ago I entered a nail art contest with Avon, and I was luckily one of the first 200 entrants.
This meant that I was sent one of the polishes from their new Nailwear Pro+ collection.
The Avon Nailwear Pro+ collection comes in 10 shades and is fortified with acrylic gel – to add extra strength, and Dura-Plus Complex – I have no idea what this is and when I googled it I only got results for Avon. Anyone? 
Anyway the product claims “12 days of lasting colour, 10 days of shine and nick-resistant finish.”
Avon Nailwear Pro+ in ‘Star’  – 2 Coats

Pros:
+ Nice big bottle
+ Easy application
+ Only needed 2 coats
+ Can be worn sheer or opaque
Cons:
– Started to chip after 3 days
– Colour was a little lacklustre 
– Didn’t live up to the hype
Notes:
For a polish that claims to be strong and chip resistant I felt a little let down.
I don’t do anything where I use my hands more than the average person so I felt a bit sad when it started to chip after only 3 days. I have used other brands of polish that lasted longer and they haven’t been ones to claim long-lasting ability. Even so I really liked that the polish was opaque after only 2 coats and that I could also wear it sheer, or layer it over other polishes. The colour wasn’t something I would choose myself, but maybe that’s a good thing as it has let me try something different.
All in all, it was good for a free polish and at [currently] £2.49 you can’t really complain.
You can buy Avon Nailwear Pro+ polishes here.
bloomzy /

Review & Giveaway: Skin79 Gold VIP BB Cream

Skin79 Korean Gold VIP BB Cream

If you’ve read the beauty posts on my blog over the years then you will know that I am constantly on the search for a foundation that will match my skin tone. So a few years ago I turned to the Korean bb creams that were slowly becoming more and more popular, across Asia and the rest of the world.

It’s safe to say that apart from a certain colour supplement (that I shall be reviewing shortly), I have had the most luck with BB Creams over Western foundations. After the lovely ‘Smokey Eyes MUA‘ recommended I try Skin79’s Gold VIP BB Cream I rushed off to buy some, in the hopes that it would be the miracle I had been waiting for!

Swatches – straight from bottle, and blended.

Unfortunately this bb cream was too dark for my skin tone. 
It did change tone slightly after I applied it, but it didn’t match my skin enough.
Actually it was quite visible that I was wearing it, even after I had blended it and added powder etc.
The coverage wasn’t bad and it did make my skin look smooth, and didn’t feel cake-y but it was just too dark.
I decided not to do such a lengthly review this time as the product just didn’t suit me or work with my skin, 
so I don’t feel like I could write a proper review on the product.
However I have decided to do a giveaway for the above bottle of Skin79 Gold VIP BB Cream from Korea.
THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London 1

Koya | Japanese Udon | Lunch/Dinner | Soho | Website
– reservations not available – 
Tina, We Salute You | Cafe | Dalston | Website
– reservations not available – 
Frae Frozen Yoghurt | Shop | Shoreditch | Website
– reservations not available – 
Laduree | Shop/Cafe | Burlington Arcade | Website
– reservations not available – 
All Stars | Diner & Bowling Alley | Lunch/Dinner | Brick Lane | Website
– reservations available – 
The Breakfast Club | Cafe | Hoxton | Website
– reservations not 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 two (maybe three) posts as I just had too many places and photos I wanted to feature.
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 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: Glossybox 1 Year Anniversary Box

Glossybox 1 Year Anniversary Box
This month saw Glossybox have their 1 year anniversary…birthday? 
I’m not sure which is more fitting, but they celebrated anyway and sent out a ‘special’ box.
I received:
+ Noble Isle – Summer Rising Bath & Shower
+ Lolita Lempicka – Eau de Parfum & Si Lolita
+ Apivita – Cucumber Express Beauty Masks
+ Osmo Berber Oil Hair Treatment
+ Eldora False Eyelashes
+ Glossybox Mirror & Balloon
What were my thoughts on the box?
Honestly I was underwhelmed. I’m sorry to say it.
I thought this was supposed to be a celebratory box, but it just seemed like any other.
I suppose the balloon and mirror added a little something extra, but it didn’t win me over.
I just bought myself a new mirror, which wasn’t cheap, so I have no use for this one unfortunately.
I always love perfume samples, so I was happy to receive a couple in this box.
I also liked the addition of the cucumber facial mask and hair treatment oil.
I already have a full bottle of Argan Oil which will easily last me, but it’s difficult to take when I travel. 
So that was very welcome.
As for the eyelashes, they’re not my style, but if they’re yours I’m selling them here.
And finally another shower gel?! There has been a shower gel in the last 3 boxes I’ve received – last month’s box even included a full size one. I’m not sure if the Glossybox team are worried about our hygiene now it’s getting hotter but really? Overall I was unimpressed, and felt that the 3 items I liked weren’t worth the money. As I’m moving back home now and also need to save up for the future I have cancelled my subscription.

However, if you would like to sign up to Glossybox, you can do so here.
Glossybox has also just hit the States! Sign up here.

UPDATE 1
After reading some of the comments on the Glossybox Facebook page about the perfume samples (some people were claiming that theirs were only half full) I decided to double check mine. Well mine weren’t half full…they’re only 1/3rd full!! Utterly ridiculous and very annoying. For samples that I could have received free from a perfume counter, I would at least expect them to be full in a box that I am paying good money for.
UPDATE 2
I want to thank Glossybox for replying to my email about my perfume problem.
They were kind enough to explain the situation to me:
“These are 08.ml samples in a 2.0ml container…these are the full samples we were provided.
It was due to them being that way that we provided two”

I understand Glossybox’s situation here, and I think it’s nice that they included two because they weren’t completely full. However I think the company were bad to send samples that are less full than those that you would receive free from a perfume counter, and I think Glossybox should not have included them – these are not the kind of samples I would expect to receive in a beauty box that includes ‘luxury product miniatures‘.