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OOTD: Black Out the Sun

Sweater* – Glamorous | Jeans – Topshop | Shoes* – Glamorous

After a somewhat successful, colourful run, my wardrobe has reverted back to it’s darker ways. The reason doesn’t matter as much as I’m enjoying embracing black again, especially for this outfit. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if I’m wearing dark colours as long as I have fun with it. Broadgate may seem like a stuffy boring place set aside for bankers and business men and women, but I decided to make it my playground on a quiet Saturday afternoon.
bloomzy /

Review: The Micro Nail

When I attended the Pegasus Showcase a few months ago there were whispers of a new secret nail product being tested on the press and bloggers, from the makers of Micro Pedi. The lovely ladies offered for me to test the product out but as I would have needed to take my nail polish off (and I’d just had a manicure) I declined. Still, I was intrigued to find out what this mystery product was and so they promised to keep me up to date. Fast forward to last week whilst I was in France – I received an exciting press release revealing the secret and offering to send me along one of the products to try out. Of course I jumped at the chance, and now I’m going to share that secret with you.

The Micro Nail is a revolutionary new nail care product set to take the nation by storm. The innovative device claims to gently smooth, buff and polish your nails quickly yet effectively.

“MICRO Neil leaves your nails with a gorgeous natural shine lasting for up to two weeks. Using two micro mineral rollers it gives the illusion of a glossy top coat when you are actually nail varnish free, also helping to smooth ridges, reduce staining and improve the appearance of dryness. Battery powered, it takes the hard work out of buffing, with rollers that rotate up to MOO times per minute you can have a salon smooth manicure in seconds. The MICRO Smooth roller buffs away ridges and stains while the MICRO Shine roller works instantly, to leave nails with a beautiful, natural shine.”


What did I think of it?
I wasn’t sure what kind of product to expect when I first heard all of the hype behind the now announced Micro Nail. If I’m going to be honest I’m not sure if this is really needed. I can’t say I’ve ever wanted a battery powered buffing/shining device. That said the product does work, and I was very pleased with the results [See before and after photos]. I’ve been playing around with negative space nail art lately, and it’s good to know that after using this, my nails are shiny enough by themselves and no top coat is needed. If you wear a lot of nail polish you’re probably not going to be too bothered by this, which is why I think I’m on the fence about it. However if you’re the opposite to me, but you’d still like to add a bit of shine to your nails, then this would be perfect. The device itself easily fits into a handbag, and although I’m not a fan of pink I do like the kitschy appeal of it. As for price, the Micro Nail retails at £39.99, which is certainly not pocket change. It is an investment though, as you can buy replacement rollers (£12.99 for a pack of four) so you won’t need to throw it away once you’re done with it.

Fancy giving it a go yourself? You can buy the Micro Nail in-store and at Boots.

bloomzy /

A Peek Inside… My Little Parisienne Box

The package read ‘from France’ and my heart skipped a beat. It came, it finally came. There’d been no dispatch email so I hadn’t been expecting it. Something which added to the mystery of the whole process. Yes, I’m talking about my first monthly subscription box from My Little Box.

This month’s theme is ‘My Little Parisienne Box’. An arrangement which I myself was incredibly happy with. Before I opened my package I told myself that I had been waiting for this (for the brand to come over to the UK) for years, so I shouldn’t hype it up too much. As soon as I opened the parcel and saw the box itself, all my logic went out the window. It was adorable, and that’s just the outside. As for the inside…

What was inside My Little Parisienne Box?
– Illustration by Kanako
– Notebook (including an introduction to the brand)
– Parisienne 3D stickers
– Laptop sleeve
– Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
– Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse
– My Little Beauty highlighter pen
– Drawstring pouch

What did I think?
I know the first box to a new subscription always tries to impress, but I can’t believe the effort gone into this one. Everything from the outside to the inner flows, mainly helped along by Kanako’s delightful illustrations. As for the contents of the box, I thought they fit the theme wonderfully. Chic stationary for the busy lady? Check. French beauty favourites? Check. Happy? Check. Separately the items don’t seem to add up to much, but together and put alongside the theme, they really are lovely. I wasn’t sure if I would use the stickers, but after reading the suggestions I added a few to my laptop and I’m overjoyed with how fabulous they look on it. I am beyond excited at the prospect of using all of the beauty products (although I’ll be keeping the Nuxe oil as an extra to the one I already own), and I’ve already placed my illustration on my wall, and the notebook in my handbag. If the rest of my ‘My Little Box’ subscriptions are half as good as this, I will be more than satisfied. It’s whimsical, it’s chic and most of all it fits perfectly into my lifestyle.

If you fancy subscribing yourself, head to My Little Box.

bloomzy /

ASOS #BeautyChat and AW14 Beauty and Fashion

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ASOS know how to throw a party. The HQ building itself (a glorious combination of art deco and cats) is the perfect indicator of the decadence awaiting you inside. I headed there with Brogan. Walking into the beautiful building we were greeted with cocktails and nail art (by Reecey Roos) – thanks to the lovely ladies at ASOS. As we headed further in we bumped into some of the people behind Google Glass. Combining tech and beauty is a sure fire way to get my attention, so of course I had to pop a pair on and have a go. I think the glasses have a little way to go before the consumer will fall for them, but I like the idea. After staring at one tiny screen it was on to another as I snapped away at the beauty products and fashion that will be on offer this Autumn and Winter at ASOS. I was excited to see some opulent accessories sitting alongside some divine beauty products. I can’t wait for everything to hit the site. Finally it was time for the beauty chat! We gathered around as Patricia Bright took to the adorned stage and answered our questions and gave us some beauty tips. The first question of the night? From yours truly of course! Watch the video below to see what I had to ask Patricia.

bloomzy /

French Pharmacy Favourites

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It’s safe to say that when I’m travelling I have my go-to favourite French pharmacy beauty products. French skincare is renowned as some of the best in the industry, and I’ve been swearing by it for years. So it only made sense that on my recent trip to France I took along some travel size versions.
I brought products from Avène, Klorane and Nuxe, all of which are brands I’ve featured on the blog before. Spoiler alert: they all came from UK stores.

My French pharmacy travel size favourites:
Avene Light Hydrating Cream with SPF20*
Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray
Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream
Klorane Extra-gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk*

 

bloomzy /

Chamonix Travel Diary: The Foodie Factor

One day in particular I found myself taking more than my usual share of food photos, so I thought I’d round them all up in one post. Whether it’s a sweet snack, or a regional speciality I always have time for French food.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day (although I beg to differ) but it’s not always easy to choose what to eat. The typical French breakfast is simple; croissant, maybe a pain au chocolate, bread, butter and jam. It’s a carb overload, but boy is it satisfying. Fresh French bread can not be beaten, and even though I’m not a convert to croissants, I don’t mind this particular offering.

Bread does leave me slightly full though, so instead of a ‘proper’ lunch I opted for an English take on a French favourite – macarons with tea. The French supermarkets may carry a wide selection of teas, but I can never find a particularly decent one, usually having to settle for imported British tea. How English is that? I can’t even last a week without a cup of tea. Anyway, I do enjoy pairing teas with sweet snacks such as cake or chocolate, but macarons have to be one of my all time favourites. Can you believe I originally discovered this amazing treat in Japan, not France? I don’t know how I’d managed to miss them for all those years, but it was the Japanese who wowed me with their own unique versions. True, matcha and sakura are not your typical flavours in France, but I can always go for pistache, cafe, or chocolat.

Now as for dinner…

The overuse of cheese to some, is complete heaven to me. I’ve always loved cheese and would gladly give up all other foods for it. So of course a fondue was on the cards whilst we were in Chamonix. In fact fondue is always on the cards in this particular region. It’s a speciality, and you’ll find it in almost every restaurant. Some do it better than others (I speak from experience), and it doesn’t just come with bread (I always recommend potatoes and ham). You’ll probably want to share with someone, although I’ve tackled one by myself and come out alive on the other side. Speaking of the other side… after all that cheese you may want something a bit sweeter, and my personal favourite is Coupe Mont Blanc – an almost sickeningly sweet ice cream dessert topped with pureed chestnut and cream. It’s safe to say I’ve been hunting it down in London since I first had it several years ago. Alas I have had no luck so I knew I had to have it during our trip. Our waiter winked at me as he place the dessert in front of me. It was as if he knew I’d waited a whole year for this…so he’d given me a whole years worth to eat. Everyone around me laughed (with me), but little did they know I’d easily demolish it…and demolish it I did.

bloomzy /

OOTD: Monochrome Madness

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Top* – New Look | Jeans – Topshop | Sneakers* – New Look | Bag* – Oasap
 
I could so easily fall into the crowd in London whilst wearing this outfit. I’d disappear and all that would be left is the tale of a girl with too many striped shirts. Thankfully in Chamonix there is a distinct lack of monochrome (oh hey super bright sports gear), and stereotypes aside, I’ve not spotted anyone wearing Breton stripes…unless I count my own reflection. Truth be told though, I’m not one to care if someone is wearing the same outfit as me. There are far more important things in life to worry about, such as if I have any Camembert left in the fridge.
I have begun to worry though that once A/W hits I’ll be left with no striped tops to wear (as they’re all short sleeved), which I can only imagine would drive me to madness. Note to self: go shopping for more long sleeved striped tops when you return home.