bloomzy /

Review: BK Nail Polish & Nail Foils

 This post is sponsored by born pretty
Recently, bornprettystore sponsored me with some of their new matt nail polishes and their new nail foils. I don’t actually own any matt polishes/foils so I was pleased to try these out and add them to my collection…

The two colours together~
One of the best things about this polish is that it dries super quickly!
The white went on especially well and gave such a great colour. I was in love with it as soon as I had applied it. The maroon was also nice, but not really my kind of shade – oh well, you gotta take a chance.
With some decoration.
I think this shows the colour off well.
Nail foils are popping up everywhere and can be bought in stores and online. However they can be rather pricey but bornpretty have managed to offer a great set of foils for a very cheap price.
They’re simply stickers in various colours and designs which you can attach to your nails (be them real, or fake) as a whole or as part of a design…
My first attempt~

 

The foils were difficult to cut-out and put on to start with, but after the first few I got the hang of it. I didn’t want to go for a full nail, instead I opted for a design. I don’t think I did too bad, no?
If you can cut it out of the foils you can put it on your nails!!
The foils lasted about a week (due to washing hands etc.) and the polish almost two with minimal chipping!! I was really impressed by the quality and life of the two products, and would certainly buy more of the polishes! As for the foils, they’re not exactly for everyday use as I change my nails often – therefore a pack would last me for quite a while.
Want to order some of these or more?!
Then visit born pretty store now!!
Worldwide shipping is available!
Born Pretty also offer wholesale prices on all their products and if you spend over $200, EMS shipping is free!! 
bloomzy /

Life in Japan; Donki & Purikura

I may have had to leave Japan temporarily, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep making the ‘Life in Japan’ picture posts. I have plenty of images stored up, especially from my travels to Hiroshima and Kyoto and I mean LOTS!! 

This picture post includes: 
– Akihabara Donki
– Purikura Advertising
Location: Tokyo & Hiroshima
Click on pictures to enlarge.

Donki are well known for their costumes.
It’s fake breasts all around with these costumes.

Men need fabulous wigs too…right?!
Donki always offer cheap but cute glue-on nails. 
I think I know why these eyelashes were in the bargain bin – nasty~ 
A new purikura booth offers a ‘moistened eyes’ effect – yay?! 
The advertising for the ‘Essence’ machines is always so gorgeous. 
Shock, horror!! Gals reading MANGA!! on their phones haha 
bloomzy /

Review: Bornprettystore Nail tips

This post is sponsored by born pretty 
When Born Pretty contacted me about a sponsorship I was so pleased to receive something from a nail art & nail products store. I really do love doing different things with my nails and since I can’t always afford gels or acrylics I enjoy experimenting with my own. 
Born Pretty offer everything from nail polish to uv lamps and much more! I choose a simple selection of a few different products; false nail tips, wooden stick nail art tool, nail glue, cuticle oil AND Swarovski crystals.

Onto the first product…

These were recommended to me by the store owner – I think they understand my interests pretty well. Chanel is a logo that pops up on a lot of Gal nail art so I was excited to try these out. As you can see I wore a full set at once, however I am already planning on mixing it up and wearing a few tips only with other nail designs.

I think they looked simple but effective. They would work with most outfits and styles, from Murua to Cecil McBee – the Chanel logo and a simple black nail is something that won’t go out of fashion.

The wooden sticks (more commonly used in manicures for cuticles) I choose because I was interested in doing some nail designs – plus they would also be useful in the future when I used the Swarovski crystals to decorate. They may not seem like a big deal but they’re so helpful and a must have for anyone starting out with nail art or needing supplies.

In the picture above you can see that I did a simple polka-dot & stripe design. The wooden tips were simple and easy to use and helped me create an effect I wouldn’t have been able to do with just a brush. I am also planning on doing a Sakura design soon with the same colours and of course, I shall be using the sticks!

Everyone knows it’s important to look after your nails, especially when you’re often getting acrylics, using tips etc. I love products like this so I jumped at the chance to try it. There are also a variety of types to choose from inc: apple, strawberry, rose, aloe vera, peach and more! 
I choose the Jasmine one, although it was difficult as I was so tempted by the full set (beauty products, especially sets, are one of my weaknesses). The pen is very simple to use, you just twist the end until the oil comes out and then you massage it into your cuticles. I am quite forgetful so I haven’t used it the recommended 3-5 times a week, however I have still noticed that my cuticles are a lot softer. I mainly noticed around an hour after I had applied it – they looked and felt a lot better.

I have yet to use the Swarovski crystals, but I have planned some nail designs already which I shall blog about soon, with a link back to this post, once I have done them. The great thing about these crystals is that you can also use them in your deco designs too! I know a lot of my readers and fellow Gal fashion bloggers also love deco and it’s just over $7 for 144 pieces – bargain!

As for the nail glue, I think it’s pretty obvious what that’s for. The store actually offers a variety of nail glues (inc. stickers for tips) but I choose the cheapest and it was pretty effective. I didn’t have any problem with the nail tips falling off. The only problem was it was a little hard to remove the residue from my own nails afterwards but that’s expected.

Want to order some of these items or more?!
Visit born pretty store and quote ‘BloomzyK31’ for a 10% discount!!
Yep, the lovely people at born pretty have offered my readers a special 10% discount which is valid until May 1 – so hurry over to bornpretty and pick up a great deal!!

Worldwide shipping is available!
Born Pretty also offer wholesale prices on all their products and if you spend over $200, EMS shipping is free!! 


Also for all you fans of extravagant nails, these gold electroplated tips are only $0.50 until 30/03!! 

bloomzy /

Recent coordinates…

Here is a small filler post with some recent coordinates, make-up and nails…

Look at me with my photography skills ;D
Fur Boots: エフエーコレクション, La Foret
Bandage Skirt: H&M
Lace Tights: Miss Selfridge
Bag: Murua
I wore this Mode inspired coord to meet with my two gorgeous Gals Mitsu and Hana. Thanks for a great afternoon ladies, can’t wait to do it again!
I thought I had taken a full shot of this outfit, but I can’t find it.
Sorry!!

Hat: ACZA BONITA, Ikebukuro – Sunshine City
Dress: Pop Girl, Nippori
Bags: Topshop & Murua
Phone charm: Chiara, 109
This is my most recent coordinate that I wore for a trip to 109 with Mitsu. I really liked it and I received a few compliments that day, so maybe other people liked it too?!
However it did also warrant some unwanted attention on the train journey home. Note to self: wear shorts underneath next time!!

Pop Girl is another cheap Gal store. However I personally wouldn’t put it in the same category as Gal Fit (see below).
The majority of clothing in Pop Girl looked cheap (this was my first time to visit), and extremely poor quality. I was also disappointed as they had t-shirts with a blatant Kumatan (W♥C) rip-off design – not impressed!
This dress was the only thing I found that looked of a decent quality/design.

I love that the maxi dresses in Japan are the right length for me…aka SHORT!
Maxi: Gal Fit
Lace Crop top: Gal Fit
Gal Fit is located in Harajuku, Takeshita Dori and has current trends at affordable prices.
It’s not always the best quality but if you’re careful with what you buy I don’t think there’s a problem. I’ve bought a couple of things from there and they have been fine. To be honest sometimes the quality in 109 isn’t even that great, so if you’re on a budget check it out.
Simple coord for heading to the shops – such a glamourous lifestyle I lead XD
Leopard print Cardigan: Forever 21
T-shirt: Delyle
Denim Skirt: Topshop
I wanted to show another simple coord with the same t-shirt…
Hat: ACZA BONITA, Ikebukuro – Sunshine City
T-shirt: Delyle
Leopard print skirt: S.I2.C, 109-2
Leggings: Present

Just some simple eye make-up.
I keep forgetting to take photos of my make-up, sorry!!
I’m not really impressed with how my photos came out here, so I apologise for the quality. I must start taking more pictures of my make-up, that way I can only improve…right?! ;D
The top make-up was just a simple style with eyeliner, mascara and top & bottom lashes.
Bottom style was bronze eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and top & bottom lashes – I was trying out some new lashes here, and I liked them on but they look kinda weird in this picture o.O

Finally, my nails!
Nails: Donki
Since I am trying to stay on budget until Christmas I decided to invest in some glue-on nails, as opposed to gel or acrylic…which I would have preferred to be honest. However I am kind of glad I did as these will last much longer (if I don’t lose them) and I can take them on and off as I please.
Donki actually had a discount on their nails, so these were around 2,500円 (£19/$31) – much cheaper than visiting a salon. I really liked the simple ethnic vibe and they look really good on too.
bloomzy /

Shibuya 109 Press…

Just a quick update…
The new issue of the Shibuya 109 Press was released recently and I thought it brought up some interesting points with the staff-chans and upcoming Autumn trends.
Staff-chan questions
MA*RS Staff-chan
In the recent issue of the Shibuya 109 Press, a selection of 109 staff-chans were asked some interesting questions about nails, hair, eyelashes and their work life.
Do you paint your own nails?
Surprisingly 85% of the staff-chans said yes they do.
This is probably due to the current vivid and nude trend which has made fashionable yet easy nails more accessible this season. NAIL CRAFT in 109 are even offering simple nail courses for around £19 ($31), where you can learn tricks to achieving gal nails. I’ve not been to NAIL CRAFT but they have reasonable prices and their work looks good, if a little less eccentric than most nail salons.
Some simple but cute nails by NAIL CRAFT
Do you use fake eyelashes?
Not so surprisingly 95% of the staff-chan said yes, they do.
I am a recent convert to eyelashes, and now I can’t get enough. They really are a Gal essential…so unless you have the most amazingly long and luscious lashes, please invest in some.
Brands currently favoured by 109 staff-chan include: MAC, CANMAKE, RMK, Dolly Wink and SBY – Yesstyle and Ichibankao carry some of the mentioned brands.
Dolly Wink; Dolly Sweet lashes
What is your current hair style?
Out of the 20 staff-chan interviewed the results looked like this:
  • Long hair – 10 staff-chan; milk tea colour, curls, super long, two tone, thick hair with extensions and wigs are popular with this length.
  • Medium – 4 staff-chan; Some Gals find this style easy to maintain – and I agree XD
  • Bob cut – 4 staff-chan; bleached hair and wearing heavy wigs are big right now.
  • Short & Very Short – 2 staff-chans; It can be done, just look at Emina. Gals with short hair are favouring blonde colouring right now.
Emina workin’ the short-do
What is your next ideal hairstyle?
Once again some varied answers, but I love this because it shows that not every Gal MUST have long, blonde, curly hair.
  • Long – thick fringes and side partings with a fringe are on the rise.
  • Medium – layers, and lots of them – let’s see some volume.
  • Bob cut – light and bouncy.
  • Very short – Red, with a side parting and a fringe.
I really loved some of the answers the staff-chan gave to working in 109 – ‘I wanted to be able to stand in front of others…’ – and the things that made them happy – ‘when you see a customer really happy after buying clothes that suited them’.
I hope that the 109 press continues to do items like these for their English readers as well as Japanese. It’s always great to see what the people behind the brands wear, and what they think will be trending soon.
Autumn Trends
I was going to write a little something about Autumn trends, but I think Mitsu has done such an amazing job with it that I wouldn’t be able to compare ;D
Once I get to Tokyo and visit 109 again I’ll probably make a post about Autumn trends and my likes/dislikes. But for now enjoy these latest posts by the gorgeous Mitsu:
Sources; 1, 2, 3, 4
bloomzy /

Nail woes and site update…

First off I would just like to mention that I have made a small change to comments.
From now on whenever I make a new post you will be able to sign in with you name, website or using an openID or wordpress account etc. You will also be able to subscribe through email to replies to your comment, or the post. EVEN BETTER you will now be able to reply to peoples comments – so keep them coming 😀
Nail Woes
Now onto the real reason for this post, my nail woes.
I was inspired by Samispo0n’s post about her own nail woes, and also Mitsu’s recent nail trend post.
You may remember my previous post about getting my nails done professionally (acrylics) with Samispo0n, Mininie Mouse style. They were so~ cute and I got a ton of compliments, even from the old Chinese man at the oriental store haha. So I couldn’t complain, as they were reasonably priced.
However, taking them off was where the trouble began. I looked around a few places and went to a small store in the mall where the guy tried to convince me that ‘those Chinese places’ mess up your nails and they just ‘leave you sitting there all day’. I didn’t believe any of this but I just wanted them taken off so I stayed there.


These were my nails after. Short and boring D:
My troubles didn’t stop there though.
The woman taking my acrylics off left my nails in the solution for far too long and then failed to take all of it off. This meant that my own nails were deprived of oxygen and had turned a nasty shade of purple/blue. She then filed my own nails down further than I asked and also ruined my cuticles, making my cuticles bleed badly – which have now scabbed over, attractive D:
She then asked me if I wanted them polished, to which I agreed as sometimes a manicure/polish is included in the price – and I had just bought a new bottle of Barry M. So I gave her my polish and she did them for me (see above image), not a bad job but nothing special.
Finally when I went to pay they charged me an extra £6 ($9) for her polishing my nails, with my polish, which took a minute at most. So needless to say I was rather annoyed.
So it just goes to show that not all nail endeavours go down so well. But please, don’t let this put you off just be careful where you go ;D

My nails are now slightly healthier but they’re still not long enough for me to try any real design or even round with a file – I dislike having my nails filed into a square but she did this anyway.
I did the above design myself, with the 2 new Barry M polishes I purchased. I am wearing their new Strawberry & Berry colours, from the Ice Cream range. I loved the subtle pink and purple – going to buy the blue and green next

bloomzy /

April gets….

I apologise for my recent absence. This month and the beginning of May are full of deadlines, exams and social events haha. But I am back and I thought I would update with a few of my recent purchases/coordinates…

Whilst I was back home for a few days I hit up the big H&M, and surprisingly I didn’t buy much. I checked out the Garden Collection Jenny has been blogging about, which was cute but they didn’t have anything that really caught my eye. So I only ended up buying two items;
Hair Braid – see it worn.
Ready-made Scarf Bow Headband.
I also bought a plain black dress (New Look’s ‘Skater Dress’) as I don’t actually have one without embellishments of some kind. And as everyone knows the LBD is a girls best friend ;D
It looks great by itself but I also tried pairing it with a belt, and of course the current trend topper, the denim shirt. For a casual everyday look for uni, I quite like the dress-shirt combo and it looks perfect for Spring with the scarf headband.
And then yesterday I went out with my girl Samispo0n and we got our nails did;
I was inspired by EGG’s Nemoyayo (whose new hair I am loving), and her red and white polka dot nails. I went for my own take on it, with crystal polka dots on one finger.
Samispo0n was going to go with these originally but opted for some Gilfy staff-chan inspired nails instead, that suit her look perfectly.
I was surprised to see that the salon actually did 3D designs as well, which is hard to find outside London…and even the ones in London are scarce, and nowhere near as good as those in Japan. Although Koneko has had a few nice sets done.
Finally, here is some simple hair and make-up that I did last night.
I was going to a leaving party and just wanted a cute casual look. I wish my make-up hadn’t looked so bland close-up though. I just used top eyeliner, glitter liner and white liner – to be honest I was running late and wanted to do it quickly haha.
I have also been trying out a different style with my hair, as it is naturally wavy and I usually straighten it like crazy. I’m not sure if it looks a little too messy, and it makes it look shorter when I leave the curls in D:
What do you think?