Penny Blacks relaunch at The Mailbox Birmingham

Just before I headed off on my summer holidays, I dropped into the launch of the newly refurbished Penny Blacks in The Mailbox.

Baileys cocktails in mini milk bottles

In homage to The Mailbox's history as a Royal Mail sorting office, the interior of Penny Blacks features quirky slogans and images that touch on the history of the building. Coupled with retro cool neon signs, comfortable booths and rustic wooden details, the revamp has definitely given the bar and restaurant a new edge.

Sliders for days...

As well as the interior, we were lucky enough to be able to sample the fabulous food and drink on offer too. Every new dish that came out was met with gasps and awe; little did we know that the new food and cocktail menu was so retro and fun!

Bubblegum cocktails with popping candy

Here's a few quick snaps from my phone; I can never remember to take my camera out with me!

Picnic jug cocktails

We were lucky enough to enjoy treats such as loaded potato skins, 3 foot long stone baked pizzas, an assortment of sliders such as Chipotle Pulled Pork and Goats Cheese and Red Onion as well as cocktails such as Bubblegum cocktails and a picnic jug!

Loaded potato skins

Perfect Friday night food right? I'll see you there!

Murad Travel Kits: Balance and Protect Review

At this time of year, naturally our thoughts turn to holidays. Since I've already been on mine, I was thinking about sharing some outfits, tips and advice with you before you jet off.

First off, let's talk about skincare. If you're anything like me, my make up, hair products and toiletries end up taking up half of my suitcase. 

Murad have just released three cabin sized skincare kits that are perfect for packing. Available in Smooth and Soften, Youthful You and Balance and Protect, I was lucky enough to receive the latter for review.

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit available here 

The Balance and Protect kit contains 5 individually wrapped Clarifying Wipes, Oil Control Mattifier SPF15 10ml (even more essential when you're in hot climates) and Skin Perfecting Primer 5ml.

Enough for a 5 day break, the size is just fantastic and at £10, it's a great way to trial the products too.

So how did I get on with these?

First of all, the clarifying wipes are really good at removing all your make up and leaving skin refreshed. Although I'd usually cleanse using micellar water and a wash off cleanser, I always seem to end up with a wet washbag as something always leaks! Wipes are most definitely the most convenient way to cleanse whilst travelling and the individually wrapped wipes make them even more perfect for the job. They do smell a little medicinal and don;t get them in your eyes, but otherwise, these are fab!

Next up, the Oil Control Mattifier. Again, this is a great size and super moisturising lotion that was easy and to use. It did a great job of moisturising my skin and left it feeling soft and comfortable. As an oil control product, I noticed less sebum on my nose and chin too.

Murad Clarifying Wipes, Oil Control Mattifier and Skin Perfecting Primer 

Finally, the Skin Perfecting Primer. A skin coloured primer, this "can be used under or in place of foundation". Sadly for me, it wasn't enough coverage for even a good skin day so I used it under a medium coverage foundation and concentrated the application on my nose and chin. After a full days work, I can find my make up slipping in these areas but with the primer, this was noticeably reduced.

During the five day trial I didn;t have any new blemishes and afterwards I still had some primer left.

This is a great kit for any overnight or travel bag. The clear bag is perfect to reuse once your products have been used up too. I love being able to try samples before I commit to a full sized product and these are great for anyone wanting to sample Murad products too; I'm already eyeing up my next kit.

The kits are exclusive to Marks and Spencer.

NOTD: Urban Decay Nail Color Chaos and Urban Decay Launch in Selfridges Beauty Hall

Following on from my review of Urban Decay Bang, here's this season's other standout nail colour, Chaos. 

A tough, opaque, vivid blue, Chaos is an intense and highly pigmented nail polish and perfect pairing with the new Electric Palette.

A real cobalt blue, like Chaos, the formula is smooth, the brush is thin but precise and the bottle itself is seriously sexy. I love the quality of these polishes and would definitely purchase them again. Even better, they are toluene, formaldehyde or DBP free. The colour is much more accurate in the first picture.

Urban Decay Limited Edition Nail Color in Chaos available here

Speaking of Urban Decay, the brand hosted a special event this evening at Selfridges Birmingham Beauty Hall. Working with a UK grafitti artist on a live canvas spray, guests were able to have a picture taken in front of the finished canvas and come back for a complimentary makeover. 

If you've been to Selfridges Birmingham recently, you may have noticed it's had a shiny new makeover. Now twice the size, it's home to new brands including Charlotte Tilbury, Tom Ford Colour and Chanel Espace. 

Urban Decay is known for experimental shades and innovative, high performance products. Established in the mid 1990's, Sandy Lerner, David Soward and Wende Zomnir unleashed a 

line of lipsticks and nail enamels inspired by seedier facets of the urban landscape. 

Producing one of the biggest shade ranges in the industry as well as the cult Naked Palettes, I can't wait to try out more of the range, in particular the Naked Complexion foundation.

Keep an eye out for more reviews coming soon!

Event: Henry Wong Harborne Tasting Evening

I was lucky enough to be invited to Henry Wong Harborne to try out the tasting menu as well as the extensive Laurent Perrier Champagne selection.

Ahmed Ahmed from Dine Birmingham

As you can imagine, I'm not too sure which I was most excited about...

Henry Wong Harborne is a Cantonese restaurant that has rcently passed the 25 year milestone. Serving up a la carte delicacies, it is one of Birmingham's best known and much loved restaurants.

After a Champagne cocktail reception, we moved into the main dining area for an intimate meal in the company of bloggers, a representative from Laurent Perrier to guide us on our Champagne journey, the lovely girls from Rewired and the owners of Henry Wong.

To say that we were treated well would be an understatement; we were positively spoilt! The evening was leisurely, relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable as we made our way through countless courses, dishes and bottles of Champagne, all expertly paired with our meals. It took nearly six hours to make our way through the special menu and there were so many dishes that I had to look at the menu to remind me of this Cantonese voyage.

On the evening we sampled:

Reception

Laurent-Perrier NV Brut French 75 Cocktail with gin and lemon juice
Laurent-Perrier NV Brut with brandy, star anise and brown sugar  

Small Starters

Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut with:

Steam Scallop with Spicy Soy Sauce, Ginger & Spring Onion
Mixed Vegetable Tempura
Vegetarian Crispy Won Ton
Butterfly King Prawn with Wasabi Sauce Dip
Soft Shell Crab with Chilli & Garlic

Soft Shell Crab

Steamed Scallops

Palate Cleanser

Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut with Elderflower and Pear sorbet

Pear Sorbet

Starter

Laurent-Perrier Rosé with Aromatic Duck with pancakes 

Main

Laurent-Perrier Rosé with:

Honey Pepper Chicken
Sweet & Sour Sea Bass
Char Siu Cantonese Roast Pork
Stir Fried Wild Mushroom with Bamboo Fungi
Rack of lamb finished with a lightly stir fried seasoning of herbs
Singapore Noodles
Shanghai Fried Rice with Pak Choy & Mushrooms

Mixed Vegetables

Seabass and Honey Pepper Chicken

Dessert

Laurent-Perrier Demi Sec with Mango & Lychee Fritters served with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream

Mango Dessert

From reading this, I'm hoping you'll get an idea of the sheer variety of dishes we were able to try. My absolute favourite dish on the menu was the Honey Pepper Chicken, whilst the Steamed Scallop was full of flavour. The dessert was absoutely heavenly, and so often we skip this when eating at a Cantonese. However, I would definitely recommend trying this out if you can as it was a sweet delight. The Champagne was definitely bubbly and the Rose was infinitely drinkable, whilst I think the Ultra Brut was a firm hit with the guests.

I took a few photos on my phone which I've posted above, apologies for the quality!

Charlotte from Lil Miss Chickas

I had such a fabulous and memorable evening, a big thank you to Sam and the team as well as Henry Wong Harborne for intiving me; I'll definitely be back!

Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Juvenate Revive Hand Cream Review

Everyone knows that Hotel Chocolat makes chocolate, but did you know they have a whole range of creams and toiletries too?

Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Juvenate Revive Hand Cream* available here 

Cocoa is not just good enough to eat, but it's also 'rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and feel-good happinness' too. 

According to Hotel Chocolat, the cream will 'help protect, renew, enliven and uplift, all with an invigorating scent inspired by freshly cut cocoa pods with notes of bergamot, green tea, lime, exotic florals and warm sandalwood.' It is also made with 'Organic West Indian cocoa butter, shea butter and mango seed oil to help soft, smooth and rejuvenate skin'.

Directions

Apply a small amount whenever required. Massage gently into skin and cuticles to nourish and protect. Instantly absorbed it will leave hands soft, silky, nourished and protected.

Verdict

I love the minimalist white and black packaging of this cream, whilst the convenient flip top means it's easy to close using just-moisturised hands.

The scent is completely different to what I first expected. Since it's made with cocoa, I was expecting a rich, chocolate scent, but instead I got something seriously zingy! The bergamot, green tea and lime are all sharp, lively scents that create an uplifting aroma. A thick cream, this rubbed in quickly and easily, didn't leave any residue and left hands soft and well moisturised. 

It definitely lives up to the claims and is definitely a no-calorie pick me up!

Find Hotel Chocolat in the Bullring Birmingham

*PR sample

NOTD: Urban Decay Nail Color Bang

Before I even start talking about the nail polish itself, can we all take a moment to appreciate the fabulous bottles? Yes, they're tall and skinny, yes they feature a lush mirrored bronze applicator lid, but they also feature mini skulls on the top, that's right, mini skulls. Genius.

Urban Decay Limited Edition Nail Color in Bang* available here

The Hype

"Ultra-sophisticated and EXTREMELY limited edition, these decadent (and very UD) colors feature complex shade work, super-rich pigments and dynamic micro-sparkle. Long-wearing and chip-resistant, our formula has a high-gloss finish that's tough and durable, yet flexible. And each shade is 3-free - formulated without toluene, formaldehyde or DBP."

One coat

The Verdict

Anyway, back to the nail polish itself. Named bang, this vibrant orange shade is bright and loud in the bottle, and yet once on appears to mellow out. The polish is infused with a very subtle micro particle glimmer than is difficult to see once on the nail, but visible in the bottle, and the brush is super-thin, for a mess-free application.

A truly tangerine shade, the pigment was so dense that even after one coat, nails look done. This glides onto the nail easily and after a second coat, is glossy and vibrant.

Two coats

Overall

Besides the dressing table worthy bottle, the super quick and easy application, speedy drying time and an intense, pigment rich formula make this one of the best nail polishes I've ever tried. I adore this colour and it will look perfect on toes with a tan!

At £10 for 9ml, the price point is pretty average for a premium brand.

Have you ever used an Urban Decay nail polish?

*PR Sample

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream - Product Review

Have you ever picked up a pot of Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream? If you have, did you notice the writing on "Greenland First Ascent" and wonder what the story was behind it?

Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream* available here 

"Kiehl's chemists are known industry-wide to go the extra mile by "tortute-testing" their highly effective formulas in some of the most remote plaes on earth. To ensure it hydrates even the most parched skin, Keihl's has sent its Ultra Facial Cream to the uncharted peaks of Greenland, 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley, 13,000 vertical feet to The Mount Whitney Portal - and this year, across the frozen sea ice of the North Pole.

"Most skincare products claiming 24-hour hydration are never exposed to real environmental elements to prove their all-day endurance. To test the performance of Ultra Facial Cream, Kiehl's partnered with adventure explorer and polar guide Doug Stoup, on his recent expedition to the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean. Amid waters that are almost permanently covered with constantly shifting sea ice, The North pole has some of the harshest conditions in the world with temperatures reaching as low as -43 degrees C.

In his own words, Doug has said "I feel it really improves my skin from drying and chapping... I depend on it to provide all day continuous hydration."

So how does this iconic cream measure up to the claims?

This thick white cream looks and feels rich in texture and consistency before you've even put it anywhere near your face. As rich as it is, it's also suprising light, almost whipped, and not at all greasy. Once spread over your skin, this instantly leaves skin feeling super soft and comfortable. This feels so light on the skin, without any residue or greasiness, and it's also fragrance free. Light enough to be used under make up in the day, it can be used day and night.

The Verdict

A great all round moisturiser for men and women, that can be used day or night for instant comfort and hydration. For normal skins, especially in the winter months, that don't require additional benefits such as blemish or redness control. At £24 for this 50ml tub, the product does a great job of hydrating skin and lasts a pretty long time too.

*PR sample