bloomzy /

Guest Post: Top 5 Nail Polishes for Summer

Today the wonderful Sophia of Tattooed Tealady will be guest posting. I’m very happy to have her guest posting on the blog today and I can’t wait for you all to read all about her nail picks for this Summer – enjoy!

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I’m very happy to be writing this guest post for the lovely Emma today! 
I am going to be sharing with you my top five nail polishes for summer.

Over here in the UK there isn’t much sun this summer. In fact after warnings of a water shortage and an expected drought, we’ve actually had the opposite, with torrential rain & flooding throughout the UK. Horrible, horrible weather! I like to think that when the weather is dull & glum the best thing to do is brighten yourself up & add a little bit of colour to your life! Particularly where nails are concerned, as you can make such a colour impact with the right choice of nail colour!
The five nail polishes I think are best for brightening up your summer are:
Models Own Tropical Sun
Models Own Indian Ocean
Models Own Mystic Mauve
Bourjois shade 26
Max Factor Fantasy Fire
4 of my 5 summer polishes have a glimmer effect to them. I think polishes like this are great for catching bits of sunshine and giving off a beautiful sparkling effect, making your nails look hypnotic! The Bourjois polish is a nice mix of pink and purple! I like both pinks and purples, but I prefer when they are a little mix of both, rather than your standard pink!

You can wear these polishes alone, or combined, or even use one to finish a look by using it on your accent nail. Nail polish is a remarkable thing, allowing you to create a variety of looks!
Here are my top tips for keeping your nails and nail polish in tip top condition:

Look after your nails! I use a hand cream and cuticle butter throughout the day and especially before bed. It keeps my hands, nails and cuticles in great condition leaving my hands and fingers looking and feeling lovely. A moisturising hand lotion is best, and I recommend Lush Lemony Flutter for a brilliant cuticle butter which not only does an amazing job, but smells divine and lasts an absolute age!
File your nails often. If you keep your nails nicely filed they will stay in better condition and are less likely to break or become uneven. A perfect nail file for this is the S-file!
Give your hands and nails a little pamper! You can easily give yourself a mini-manicure at home. All you need is a bowl with warm water to soak your hands in, a nail buffer, a nail file and your hand cream and cuticle butter! I do mine about once a week! You can easily pick up mini-manicure kits on the high street or even online!
Use a base coat and top coat. A base coat will stop your nail polishes from staining your nails and a top coat will keep your nail polish in place, preventing it from chipping. I also like to run each along the edge of the nail too, to seal it all in.
I hope you have enjoyed my little guest post! 
A huge thank you to Emma for letting me do it!
You can find my blog (here) and Twitter (here).
I can also be found on many other social networking sites which you can find on my blog!
Have a lovely day!
Love, Sophia xo
bloomzy /

Announcement: Away on Holiday

Hey guys!
This is just a quick post to let you all know that I am going away.
I will be on holiday from 22nd July to 2nd August, with little or no internet access.
I’m afraid this means I won’t be physically updating the blog or Twitter during this time.
However I have scheduled some posts ready for the blog for whilst I am away, and I also have a couple of guest posts
lined up from some lovely bloggers, which I can’t wait to share with you all – I know you’ll love them!
I will be taking comments off moderation during this time, but there may still be problems with IntenseDebate (the reason why I put comment moderation on), so if your comment doesn’t show up don’t worry, I will try to clear it in a few days.
So that’s that. I hope you will all enjoy the posts coming up.
I’m off to Beaumes de Venise in the South of France, to hopefully catch some sun.
I’ll be back with plenty of photos and stories to tell.
See you all soon!!
bloomzy /

OOTD: Leopard print creepers

(Sweater: Bought in Japan, Dress: Topshop, Tights: Primark, Shoes: Oasap*, Necklace: Topshop)

I’ve been waiting to post an outfit with these shoes.
These are Oasap‘s version of the popular underground creeper shoe.
I’ve wanted a pair of creepers (especially the new wedge ver) for a while, but can’t justify the money.
The quality isn’t as good as the Underground version, but then I don’t think anyone would expect it to be.
So until I convince myself to save the money for some, these will have to do, and they’re not a bad substitute.
As you can see I’ve gone back to black, once again because of the poor weather.
I did feel like the heart print tights cheered the outfit up and made it stand out a little bit more.
Thankfully I am off on holiday next week, so I am hoping I will be able to get the shorts and bright colours out again!
Don’t forget to visit Oasap and use discount code: ‘bloomzy’ for 35% off!
bloomzy /

Giveaway: DropGifts & Illustrated People

Tie-dye Illustrated People Crop Top* and the Giveaway Prize

DropGifts is a new online service (& mobile app) which allows you to send gift cards (vouchers) to friends & family.

They offer a variety of vouchers from well known stores such as Illustrated People, Urban Outfitters, John Lewis, Various cinemas and more. Some of these are free to send to friends, whilst you have to pay for others. Once you have chosen your voucher and sent it, it will appear on your friend’s Facebook wall. By clicking through the link they will be taken to the DropGifts site where they can find all the details they need in order to receive/use their gift!
What can you win?
The white Illustrated People t-shirt pictured above on the right hand side (seen here).

How to enter:
1. Follow ‘Bloomzy’ via GFC/Bloglovin
2. Send a free Illustrated People giftcard via DropGifts (here) or via the app (here).
3. Earn extra entries by liking Facebook pages/tweeting about the giveaway.

This giveaway has now ended!
Congratulations to Katrina, I have sent you an email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

bloomzy /

OOTD: Kira Kira

(Blazer: H&M, Dress & Belt: Primark, Accessories: Swarovski)

The rainy weather has come again, putting a bit of a blot on the British Summer.
It’s a shame because I had been enjoying wearing fewer layers, and brighter colours.
The weather really is reflected in my clothing, it’s a bit odd but I’m sad to say it’s very true.
I bought this dress earlier this year, and I really do love it.
There’s something about the simplicity of it, paired with the thin red belt.
This time I decided to match my lipstick to my belt as well, as if I need a reason to wear red lips.
I wore this just for an evening out, and I paired it with the blazer to dress it up a little bit.
This is from a little while ago, but I forgot to post it – my apologies.
bloomzy /

Summer skin goodies

(Aloe Vera Lip Balm*, Tan Tablets*, Aloe Vera Wet Wipes*)
A few days ago some goodies turned up in the post for me.
I was quite intrigued as they all seemed to be centred around ‘Summer Skin’.
Honestly, at first I was a little dubious when I laid eyes on the ‘tan tablets.
The whole idea and concept just seems a bit odd and weird to me, but after reading up on them and finding out how they work I felt a bit better about the whole idea. They basically contain all the key vitamins that you need to achieve a deeper tan. Just remember that if you do buy these, you do still need to protect your skin against the sun – so don’t forget the sun cream! I may be tempted to try them, however with my fair skin and lack of tan (I’ve never tanned), I don’t think they’ll be much use. However if you can tan then these may be for you!
Luckily I have a friend who does tan and she has offered to try them out and write a small review for me!

As for the Aloe Vera lip balm and wipes – so happy!
I’m a bit of a lip balm hoarder and this one contains SPF15, so I will be taking this on my holiday in a couple of weeks when I head off to the sunny South of France. It will be perfect for moisturising my lips and keeping them safe in the sun. 
I think the wipes will also be quite handy to carry in my bag for removing my make-up or just freshening up.
These would also be great for anyone planning to head of to the festivals this Summer.
If you’re interested in any of the items you can purchase them from Holland and Barrett (online here).
bloomzy /

OOTD: Orange & Gold

(Cardigan: ARK, Top: Topshop, Shorts: Topshop, Necklace: Oasap, Earrings: Topshop)

Here is a rather more ‘Summery’ outfit for you.
I’ve been enjoying the recent heatwave that hit home, even though it didn’t last for long.
Even so, I managed to get away with just wearing this lovely peachy-orange cardigan with no coat!
I think those that know how unpredictable the weather has been in England lately will know that’s quite a feat!
This cardigan is one of those items that lifts your mood whenever you wear it.
It just feels and looks like Summer to me, so I guess that’s why it caught my eye.
I felt that this outfit was a bit basic when I was putting it together, but I think the cardigan & necklace add a little something extra that I wouldn’t have got with just the top & shorts alone. Surprisingly orange & gold are growing on me!
ARK Clothing have become a quick favourite of mine.
I can not step into the Norwich store without wanting to leave without one of everything.
Their items are on-trend and fun! I would seriously recommend them for quality and price too.
Don’t forget to visit Oasap and use discount code: ‘bloomzy’ for 35% off!