Dining Out: Urban Chocolatier

A few weeks ago, a new shopping centre opened up on Green Street. Not all the shops inside are open yet (I'm eagerly waiting for the Aab store opening!) but towards the back of the East Shopping Centre, are doors to the Urban Chocolatier Dessert Lounge. Their first branch is in Whitechapel, but the new one is literally a 5-10 minute walk from my house, so of course, I had to go along and have some dessert! The store has some seating downstairs, with room for more upstairs (there were 9 of us, so we took up two booths upstairs). The nearest underground station is Upton Park and it's about a 10 minute walk from the station to the shopping centre.

#nom

The menu at Urban Chocolatier has plenty to choose from including waffles, sundaes, hot drinks, mocktails and cakes. I went for the Choco Loco, which was a rather large waffle, smothered in chocolate sauce and topped with milk and white chocolate curls, served with vanilla ice-cream on the side. This was truly a case of my eyes being bigger than my stomach and I only managed to eat 3/4 of the dessert and had the last bit packed up for take away. In terms of pricing, I think it's very reasonable, considering the portion sizes and the fact that the food is fresh (no store bought waffles over here!). The menu is currently unavailable on the website but you can view it on the Zomato site here.

I know it won't be long until I'm back at Urban Chocolatier again!



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You Beauty Discovery Box - February (Red Carpet)

This month's YBD box is all about products that are that little bit more indulgent and ready for the red carpet (very fitting considering it's awards season!). The products are all about radiant skin and finishing touches to keep you looking your best.

From the selection of products available, I chose the In.fused Coconut Body Scrub (100g) and the Proto-col Moisturising Facial Gel (20ml). The extra's included in this box were Lindor Milk Truffles (already eaten...Ooops!) and a sample of the Bare Minerals Bare Skin Serum Foundation.

I know I've chosen another body scrub this month, but the In.fused scrub is completely different to the Afyna one from last month's box and I'm looking forward to using this before I'm back at school (currently enjoying the half term). The body scrub is 100g which is half the full size product which retails at £18.99, making this sample approximately worth £9.50. The scrubs are vegan friendly and made from natural ingredients. They're also not too coarse, which makes them perfect for applying on the face (avoiding the eyes of course).
The Proto-col facial gel is a product I randomly chose, thinking it would be a little bit like my tube of Hydraluron. Obviously this is not the case, as the product is more of a gel-lotion hybrid, rather than a clear gel. It does keep my skin hydrated but seeing as it aims to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, it's more suited for mature skin. The 20ml tube retails for £9.50 on the Proto-col website.

With a box worth £19, I'm pretty pleased with my picks and the fact that the YBD box is only £6.95. Plus, the addition of Lindor truffles are always a way to my heart =D



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You Beauty Discovery Box: December

My YBD December box got delivered over the weekend, and I was pretty excited as this one was going to be based around Party Prep (especially with it being the festive/holiday season!). As always, it's great value at £6.95 including delivery, and you get to choose 2 products to go inside =)

 

 

This time around, I chose the Lanolips 101 Ointment (9g) which at full size (14g) retails for £10.99. I love the Lanolips that I received in the first BBB beauty box and it's definitely a must have product in my bag during the winter. I know that this one will be going into another one of my bags, so that I'm never without Lanolips. I chose the Elegant Touch UV Gel Polished Nails in Red (approx. £6) as the second product. I'm not one to wear false nails on a regular basis, but as a nail biter (trying to get out of the habit), these will come in handy for any parties/events coming up soon. Also included in the box was a Flash by Jimmy Choo perfume sample and a miniature Green & Blacks Raisin and Hazelnut chocolate bar. 

 

What do you think of this month's YBD box? Have I tempted you to subscribe yet?

 

 

 

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Beauty Boxes: March 2013 Birchbox

I've never subscribed to a monthly beauty box before. Mostly because I know that there might be some products in the selection which would not suit my skin type at all. I've previously ordered the Little Beauty Boxes from Latest In Beauty (as well as a few of their collection boxes), however the March Birchbox will be my first actual subscription beauty box. Birchbox (previously called JolieBox), costs £10 (plus £2.95) per month, which is pretty much the same as most subscription beauty boxes available.

 

So what actually arrived in my Birchbox? The March box contained:
Laura Gellar Beauty Inkwell Gel Liner - I'm excited to try this out as I find that gel liners work best for me when I want my liner to last from morning til night. It'll be interesting to see how this compares with my all-time favourite gel liner, the ELF studio cream liner (which doesn't budge at all!)
RMK Cleansing Balm - I've never tried a cleansing balm before so this will definitely be a new experience.
La Sultane de Saba Body Lotion With Argan Oil - I'm not too keen on body lotion samples, because I tend to stick to products that I love. I will be keeping this aside for when it gets warmer because during the winter, I prefer to use thicker products (like body butters and balms) on my skin.
Molton Brown Valbonne Fine Fragrance - I have a large collection of perfume samples, but another one won't hurt.
Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream -  I previously got a sample of this in a Latest in Beauty box some time ago. The cream is really thick and you only need the tiniest amount. I've used it before as a cuticle conditioner, as it can be massaged in and the tiny tube is perfect to carry around in my bag (when I remember to put it in). Not sure if I would purchase the full size tub though.
Sanctuary Thermal Transformation Face Mask - I am in need of a good facial, particularly with wedding season coming up. This is a two step serum and clay mask which will hopefully improve my skin appearance.
There was also a lovely little tin of Lindor Chocolate Truffles included as the lifestyle extra. Perfect for a chocoholic like myself =)

 

 

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the products that I've received as it means I'll get to try new products that would never normally pick out for myself.

Will I stay subscribed? Yes and no. For the meantime, I'm staying subscribed, but I would like to try out other subscription beauty boxes, so I'm not sure when I'll be unsubscribing from Birchbox. For now, I'll be trying out the products from this box and waiting for next months box =)


Have you subscribed to any beauty boxes? Which ones would you recommend?




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Chocoholic Hijabi Turns Two! [CLOSED]

(not me personally, but the blog!)

I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who reads my blog, and follows me via GFC/Bloglovin/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram etc. Another year (and more) of blogging awaits!

Apart from sending some virtual birthday cake your way, here's a little blog-versary giveaway to say thank you! All you have to do is comment below with what you would like to see more of on Chocoholic Hijabi. And any particular products you'd like to see in the giveaway prize! This giveaway is for UK readers only unfortunately, but international readers please do comment with what you would like to see more of on the blog! =) 

 

The giveaway prize is still a bit of a mystery, as I'll be putting together my very own personalised Cybercandy Mystery parcel (filled with lots of edible goodies) as well as a few other treats that I've been saving for this giveaway =)

 

The usual rules apply:
- Follow the blog via GFC.
- Answer the question in the comments box below.
- Please leave your email address in the comment so that I can contact you!

- Giveaway is open to UK only.
- Giveaway ends on Tuesday 25th December 2012 at 10pm GMT

 

 

Note: All products in the prize will be purchased by myself. This giveaway is not sponsored by any brands/companies/stores. etc.

 

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Cybercandy - Saving the World from Dull Candy [haul]

Whenever I'm out and about in Central London, I always try and stop by at one of the Cybercandy stores that are dotted across the city. I'm not sure when exactly I came across Cybercandy, but I can't seem to stop taking a detour whilst on my way to uni/lunch/shop etc. Cybercandy is the UK's largest retailer of American sweets, drinks and more, as well as stocking favourites from Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan (and a few other countries too).

My most recent purchase comes from the Cybercandy store in Covent Garden, conveniently located near the London Graphics Centre (where I get my art supplies) and the Beadworks London shop (where I go for jewellery making supplies). A rather small purchase but it was enough to satisfy my craving for Wonka Nerds and I got to try out the Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses (two of them got eaten before I had even made it to Leicester Square Underground Station).

Giant Gumball dispenser in the middle of the shop floor

 

Mini Cybercandy Haul

I also had a 20% voucher to use on the Cybercandy website. Having never ordered online from them, I thought this would be a great opportunity to save the travel fare (and spend it on more goodies of course). And here is what I bought (although this should probably be classed as a haul!). If you follow me on Instagram (username: asmaa17) then you'll have already seen my box of goodies =)

 

 

Goodies!

 

What I ordered: Flipz (large and small packets), 2 x turtles, Wonka Nerds and a Mystery Parcel

What's inside the mystery parcel?

All of this!

Personal favourites: Reeses cups, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans and Wonka Nerds.

Looking forward to trying: Milka with Oreo and the Hello Panda

 

 

The great thing about the mystery box is that you don't actually know what you'll recieve! This is great for me because I never know what new treats I should try out, and always end up buying only my favourites. This mystery box was great because I've actually tried a few of these products before and I'm looking forward to trying the one's that I haven't. Unfortunately, the Pop Tarts contain gelatin, so these will be going to someone who can eat them. The small packet of Flipz and the Reeses cups have already disappeared (as well as one of the Turtles packets).

Cybercandy also have 3 other stores in London (located in Islington, Camden and Shoreditch) as well as stores in Brighton and Birmingham. Of course, if you can't get to any of the stores, then there is always the option of ordering online and having your goodies delivered to your door =)


Also, I'll be doing a giveaway for my 2nd blog-versary soon, so check back near the end of the month to see what's being given away =)




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A Bar of Chocolate Covered Popcorn

Cadbury's have recently come out with quite a few new chocolate products (perfect for a chocoholic like me) and I picked up the Dairy Milk Toffee Popcorn bar (currently 2 for £3 in Tesco). What is there not to like about a chocolate covered popcorn bar? Although it is a pretty big bar! I've also spotted (and been told about) the chocolate covered pretzels, which I am now on the hunt for =)

 

Nom!

What do you think of a chocolate covered popcorn bar?






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Chocoholic Hijabi bakes: Monkey Puzzles

Every Eid without fail, my mum, sister and I do a lot of baking. Most of which is distributed to friends and family on Eid morning. Some of the recipes come from cookbooks (the most used one is Busy Biscuits by Hafsa Kasak) and other recipes are ones that my mum has collected over the years in a number of notebooks. The Monkey Puzzles recipe is one of these, and I'm not too sure where the name comes from. Anyway, this recipe is short and simple (and you may want to double or triple the mixture, as I did!).

As you can see, this recipe is very popular judging by how stained the page is!

Monkey Puzzles
(click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 oz Plain Flour

1 and 1/2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

3 oz Margarine

3 oz Golden Syrup

1 oz Cornflakes  (crushed coursely)

To decorate:

Plain/Milk cake covering chocolate

Sprinkles

 

Method:

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder twice.

In a separate bowl, cream the margarine and golden syrup together.

Add the flour, cocoa powder and cornflakes to the mixture and stir until well blended.

Place spoonfuls of the mixture (walnut size, although mine were bigger) onto a greased tray and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Once baked, place on a wire tray to cool (note: the monkey puzzles will still be soft, but they will harden slightly once cooled).

Melt chocolate according to instructions on the packet

(I do mine on the stove as I somehow always burn the chocolate in the microwave).

Dip the tops of the monkey puzzles into the chocolate and decorate with sprinkles.

Enjoy!

Let me know if you decide to make these and how they turned out!

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One chocolate that I wish was still around

The Nestle Double Cream Egg

Launched in 2003 and sold predominantly during the Easter period (hence the egg shape). Sold in boxes of three or individually wrapped. Last seen in 2006 (according to various people on the world wide web). I personally loved the filling, a combination of sweet cream mixed with tiny cocoa bits for a slightly bitter taste. Highly addictive.

Anyone else remember this chocolate egg?




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Want to know the cure for pretty much anything and everything?

It's Chocolate! 

Chocolate Collage by .x.asmaa.17.x.

What's your 'cure'?


=)
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