Friday 28 July 2017

Blow LTD Launches in Birmingham - Hair and Make Up Services Direct to Your Door

Ever wished you could have a team of experts come to your door and make you over, Cinderella style?

Well now you can, thanks to Blow LTD. Offering hair and beauty services such as manicures, pedicures, blow dries and up do's, Blow LTD brings you hairdressers, make up artists and nail technicians straight to your home or workplace.


I was lucky enough to receive a blow dry and makeover, just in time for my birthday lunch a few weeks ago.

Working backwards from my arrival time of 1.30pm, I booked my hair and make up appointments from 10am on the app to ensure I'd have plenty of time to get ready.

First up, hair! I had been advised to book my hair first, followed by make up. I washed my hair early in the morning and when my Blow stylist arrived, she wasted no time in setting up the hair station on my kitchen table!



I then picked from the menu of 8 Blow Dry Looks, and opted for the Luxe Blow. 40 minutes later, the Luxe Blow was complete.


In no time at all, my make up artist was at the door ready to go, and quickly set up the table ready for action.


Again, I chose from a menu of 4 options, but was able to adapt this slightly as I wanted a stronger look than the Day look, without being as heavy as the Evening look. Mine was more in the middle ground of Cocktail, featuring a gorgeous cateye.


As you can see from the pictures, my hair and make up transformations took place on the kitchen table, in the kitchen itself! It was so convenient to have a team of experts come straight to the door and deliver some fast glam, not to mention time saving.



The team was really professional too and very friendly, making it a really fun experience.


Prices start at £40 for a Blow Dry and £40 for a Make Up. Manicures and Pedicures are available too starting at £40 and £45 respectively.

*With thanks to Blow Ltd for the complimentary treatments and EV Agency.





Monday 24 July 2017

Food Review: Siamais Brindleyplace Thai Food and Cocktails Review

What's Siamais? The name Siamais is taken from 'Siamese twins', to reflect the dual nature of Brindleyplace Birmingham's only Thai restaurant.

A restaurant and bar, the two areas are quite separate meaning you can enjoy an evening at the bar or in the restaurant without needing to do both.

I was able to enjoy an evening at the restaurant courtesy of Brum Bloggers and met up with Kerry from Brum and Beyond for a Bloggers Dinner Date.


Taking a seat in the main restaurant, myself and Kerry were matched up for a blind date and hit it off like a house on fire. My date had already started on the cocktails so I quickly caught up and ordered the Oriental Orchid, mainly because I tried this at the launch and have craved it ever since. Served with a smoking flask, the cocktail itself is stunning; a light combination of peach and vodka that I could simply keep drinking.


We ordered our starters of Weeping Tiger Sizzling Steak and Crispy Duck Salad and decided to try both. The Sizzling Steak was gluten free but the Duck salad was served with the sauce on the side for my benefit as this part was not.



Both dishes were beautiful, with the steak being rich and full of flavour, whilst the salad was exceptionally light and refreshing.

For our main course, I opted for Green Curry with Chicken which comes served with Jasmine Rice, whilst Kerry chose the Massaman Curry. Again, my curry was gluten free whilst Kerry's Massaman was not.

The server was very helpful when it came to helping me pick what was suitable for a gluten free diet, and checked with the kitchen to ensure I ordered the right dishes!

I adored my Thai Curry, and since Ekachai in Selfridges has closed I've found it difficult to find somewhere that matches up. Thankfully though, I can safely say that I would come back repeatedly for this dish, and that's before I even get started on the cocktails.


Kerry enjoyed her Massaman and similarly to mine, felt that the flavours were just right and rich enough to carry everything in the dish, without tasting like a wash out of coconut milk.


We also shared a cocktail called the Bang Pai Falls, which I highly recommend for the social media pictures alone. This is a sharer that comes served in a skull head glass, complete with steaming top. The drink itself is bright red and delicious, and comprises rum, cherry, vanilla and cranberry juice.

We were both far too full to enjoy a dessert, especially since we'd tried a few cocktails too and picked some sweet options! However, if you're not drinking then definitely try three courses.

The atmosphere whist we were there was lively and it has an almost electric feel at the moment as it is one of Birmingham's hottest restaurants/bars. The restaurant was full and the seating means you can come either in a couple or large group, with the restaurant being able to accommodate both. If you were after a quieter experience, then I'd recommend coming at lunch time to try out two course for £12.95, which is fantastic value for the quality of food.

The cocktails were all imaginative and fun, and the waiting team were really knowledgable on the menu so were able to recommend drinks based on our preferences. This meant that we were happy with each cocktail we tried and I'd order everything I tried today again.

The food was well crafted, well put together and full of flavour, as well as offering good value. My beef starter was £12 and the Green Curry was £14.95 including rice, making it an affordable treat.

No matter what the occasion, a casual lunch, a few drinks after work or a celebration with friends, Siamais ticks all the boxes. The food, drink, service and atmosphere are all to a high standard, as well as the value for money offered by the dishes.

Time for Thai? Yes please!

*My meal was complimentary and courtesy of the team at Siamais.