bloomzy /

Check Out: China Doll Boutique @ Box Park

China Doll Boutique, Box Park, Shoreditch
This weekend was pretty eventful, and all kinds of wonderful.
Firstly I got to eat lots of delicious treats, and secondly I got to meet some lovely ladies.
You’ll be seeing more on both those things later, but for now I’m going to chat about the first lovely lady I met this past weekend – Nhuc Tran of China Doll Boutique. 
I’ve followed Nhuc on Twitter for a while and I’m a big fan of CDB.
She is always so sweet and really knows how to represent her brand..which is also wonderful!
The amount of times I’ve been on the China Doll Boutique website and had to stop myself…
I don’t really ‘do’ clothes shopping online unless I’ve been able to try an item on in-store – I’m too fussy.
So when I heard that Nhuc was going to be opening a pop-up at Box Park I rushed down! 

Photo stolen from @chinadollboutique instagram

The lovely lady herself is just as sweet in person as her online persona.
I was so happy to be able to finally meet her, and browse (and try on!) her items.
It’s safe to say that it is a store where you can find an outfit for any occasion.
There were plenty of items to match my variety of tastes, which is impressive!
Nhuc was incredibly kind showing me around her store and even gifted me a little present.
I can’t wait to visit again, and spend all my hard earned money!
Check out China Doll Boutique’s Spring Collection online here.
Or pop in and see the goods for yourself, at Box Park.
bloomzy /

OOTD: Black & Red

(Hat: Topshop, Jacket: Primark, Top: Pull & Bear, Skirt: Topshop, Tights: Primark)

This weekend was all about the hair!
I re-dyed it with my favourite Colour Restore for Redheads, if you hadn’t guessed.
My hair is actually brighter than when I first had it done at the salon with this stuff.
Anyway, I love it and I wanted to show it all off.
Without even thinking about it I unknowingly matched my tights to my hair.
Looking at the photos now though, I love the contrast at the top and bottom.
Even with my clothes being black it meant I could still stand out, thanks to my hair.
I wrapped up in layers to take the fiancé for a post-Valentine’s Day lunch at one of our favourite spots.
I guess I did look very Valentine-y decked out in red, not that it was intentional at all.
I also wanted to dress to impress as I was meeting with some wonderful people – more on that later.
What do you all think of the new bright hair?
bloomzy /

Trend: Shine Bright

S/S 2013 Trend – Shine
 
It’s a trend post – long time no see!
As London Fashion Week started yesterday it only seemed natural.
I feel like doing more trend posts lately, so I thought I’d start with one of my faves.
The catwalk saw models shine as they went down the runway this season.
Thankfully that’s going to translate to the high street too, so we can all stand out!
That means we’re going to see lots of iridescent & holographic fabrics, as well as foils, glitter & precious-metals.
This trend hasn’t made as big a splash on the high street as I had hoped, but it’s there!
It can be worked into most styles and whether you go all out, or add accents, you’ll shine.
My favourite example on the high street has to be H&M’s Iridescent High Tops, which I had been lusting after for a good month or more. They hit stores and went into the New Year Sale – lucky for those who knew that they would be perfect for one of this season’s big trends. I managed to grab mine for only £5 – I’ll be rocking them soon!
Designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Lanvin, Alexander Wang and Versace paved the way.
If you want to recreate the trend on the high street stores such as ASOS, Urban Outfitters, H&M are representing.

 

bloomzy /

Introducing: The Lazy Ones

The Lazy Ones
I briefly mentioned my new favourite store The Lazy Ones in this post.
Their items are made and sourced in London, which is a pretty big deal in my opinion.
The flagship store on Brick Lane, has been opened since 2004 and is run by Nat & Diego (makers of the womenswear fashion label Des Moines). Brick Lane/Shoreditch is the an amazing place for a boutique to be located and TLO suits the area well. I love to browse the stores on Brick Lane and then stop by Fika (for some Fika) and rest my weary legs.
Why do I enjoy visiting The Lazy Ones? Because I always happen to find something new!
Not only that, but I always find a bunch of items to fall in love with, which is not an easy task.
The clothes and accessories you’ll find in TLO are unique, yet on-trend, and very eye catching.
I choose some of my personal favourites above, which you can find online and in-store.
Des Moines has attracted stars such as Beyonce, Alexa Chung and Kate Moss.
So if you fancy taking a peek in their gorgeous boutique, you can find them here.
Alternatively you can browse their online store here.

bloomzy /

Photo Diary: Celebrating in Style

Photo Diary Catch-up – Celebrating in Style
I’ve been accessorising like crazy lately!
That’s all thanks to the lovely people who bought me these lovely presents.
The neon accent leather cuff (Whistles) is from my parents and the studded bracelets (Zara) from a friend.
My Tatty Devine crowns look amazing layered, thank you to Dodo & Randa, as well as my grandparents!
I’ve also been nibbling on treats from Japan.
Zak bought me some leopard print chocolate & banana sponge cakes.
You can purchase them in the Tokyo Sky Tree – Tokyo’s latest tourist attraction.
Of course I have to nibble whilst having perfectly manicured hands – I used Mavala polish & glitter.
For my birthday I visited the Victoria & Albert Museum.
We had a look around and had lunch in the amazing food hall.
The same friend who bought me the bracelets also bought me macarons.
They were gone in only a couple of days – and that was after holding myself back!
I also took my parents to The Breakfast Club, who haven’t stopped going on about it since.
Finally, a big thank you to Nintendo who sent me a Nintendo 3DS XL and a copy of the new Style Boutique game.
Expect a review soon, because I can’t get enough of it!!

bloomzy /

Review & Nail Art: Mavala

Mavala Spring Trend Nail Polish*
You guys know how obsessed I am with nail polish by now.
So I was very happy to receive these lovely spring shades by Mavala, a Swiss brand.
I’ve not tried the brand before but have heard good things and I completely agree with those views.
The bottles, although small, hold quite a bit of polish.
I prefer to do a couple of coats myself but really only one is needed with these.
I was actually very surprised at how opaque it was, as I thought the shades would make it difficult.
The colour of the polishes themselves are very pastel & spring like, but I still felt they were quite vibrant.
I was inspired by Mavala’s nail art for Holly Fulton’s S/S 13 Collection and tried out my own nail art.
I used:
1. Manicure Stickers
2. Mavala Polish in Lemon Cream
3. Mavala Polish in Lagoon
4. Mavala Polish in Aquamarine
5. Mavala Polish in White
I used the White as a base for my nails, and then once it had dried, placed manicure stickers over top. I did this is several different ways so that no nail was the same. Then I took my polishes and painted over top of the white, making sure to only paint over part of the nail and stay within the border of the manicure stickers. I think the final result wasn’t too bad.
I’ve never been much of a fan of white nail polish but I didn’t mind this one paired with other colours.
I still don’t think I would wear it alone but I would definitely layer it with a glitter polish or other shades.
The polish applied easily, and very well and was opaque with just one coat.
The Mavala Spring Trend Shades will be released later this month.
You can purchase them from various UK stores, find your nearest here.
bloomzy /

Grrr I’m a Dinosaur!

Dinosaur headband, from Universal Studios Japan

How amazing is this birthday present from my good friend Zak!
He knows me far too well because when he headed back to Japan he picked up this.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I knew he had bought me a birthday present in Japan.
I was even more confused when I opened the wrapping and found a Universal Studios bag.
I promised Zak I would work this into an OOTD.
I wonder if I can work this into an outfit for London Fashion Week?
It could probably be done, although I’m not sure that it would be as appreciated by others as it is by me.
Anyway, I think you guys can see how amazing this headband is, and I love it to pieces!
What do I name him? Send me your suggestions!