bloomzy /

Review: Little Mix Collection Jade Lipstick

Collection x Little Mix Collaboration – Jade’s Lipstick*

You all know by now that red is my signature lip colour.
In fact it got to a point where it felt odd for me to wear another colour.
So I took a plunge and decided to try out this lipstick from the Collection Little Mix range.
I loved the look of it and it gave me that push I needed to try something different.
Swatch on hand in natural light, and on lips in artificial light.

Pros:
+ Creamy formula
+ Soft and smooth
+ Good application
+ Didn’t dry my lips out
+ Great price point

Cons:
– Packaging could be better

Notes:
I was very, very surprised with this lipstick. I didn’t think it would be easy for me to switch to wearing colours other than red, but I really liked this one. It has a red-brown base, and came out as a darker neutral shade on my lips. It applies easily and has a very creamy texture to it, so it feels quite hydrating. I have found in the past that cheaper lipsticks dry my lips out, however this didn’t dry them out at all. It didn’t last through a meal, but then I’ve come to realise that only a miracle can make that happen. However I didn’t use a seal on top as I wanted to see how it stayed by itself first. 
I am really won over by how good this lipstick is, and at only £2.99 it’s a steal! 
You can buy Jade’s Lipstick at Superdrug and Boots.
bloomzy /

OOTD: Strawberry meets Lime

Dress – Primark | Boots – Topshop | Necklace – Tatty Devine | Bracelet – Whistles | Drink* – Rekorderlig
You wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that one of these photos is unlike the rest. That’s because Rekorderlig recently contacted me about an interesting little style challenge. They asked me to style an outfit centred around, and inspired by, one of their Spring collection flavours. Why? To celebrate LFW, of course! No not London Fashion Week – London Flavour Week! 
Rekorderlig is a delicious cider and it was certainly my drink of choice last Spring/Summer. Their new Spring collection features 3 fruity flavours: Stawberry-Lime, Pear and Passionfruit. It’s no wonder a great product would come up with such a great way to interact with bloggers. In fact Rekorderlig love working with bloggers, such as Swedish beauty Caroline Blomst. So I knew I was going to have a good time styling this challenge.
I was most inspired by their Strawberry-Lime Cider for my outfit. As soon as I opened my wardrobe this dress screamed strawberries at me! Ok, well not literally, but you get my point here – it just seemed to fit perfectly. The colour reminded me of strawberries and I knew exactly which lime green bracelet to pair with it. It may still be Winter but it felt like a wonderful Spring day when I took these photos. The sun was shining, it was lovely and warm, and I couldn’t help but feel happy. For me, this is the perfect Spring outfit – it’s casual, comfortable, flow-y and fashionable! It was also really fun matching my outfit to one of my favourite drinks.
For your chance to win Rekorderlig’s Spring Flavour Collection upload an image of your Spring flavour inspired outfit to Twitter or Instagram using #LondonFlavourWeek.
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This post is in collaboration with Rekorderlig but all views, photos and words are my own.
bloomzy /

Review: Birchbox February 2014 – New Subscription!

You may have thought I’d sworn off beauty boxes forever – especially after this debacle.
Well as the title of this post confirms, you’d be wrong – last week I started a new subscription with Birchbox.
I’d been wanting to start up a subscription again but didn’t know which beauty box brand to choose.
The answer was really there all along though as Birchbox have impressed me in the past.
Inside my box was…
Nail Rock – Nail Glitter
Beauty Protector – Protect & Oil 
Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner
Urbanveda Radiance Exfoliating Facial Polish
Gilchrist & Soames The London Collection Shower Gel
Green & Black’s Dark 70% Mini Chocolate Bar
Thoughts?
Birchbox didn’t resort to the usual Valentine’s theme, which I appreciate.
Instead they’ve released a box full of genuinely good products that I can’t wait to use.
They included one full size product – Nail Rocks, which retails at £6.99 – great value.
Also included is a 1.2g Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner (usually 2g for £12), which works out about £7.20.
With those two products alone you have made your money back, with a little bit of pocket change too.
Both are products I’ve been wanting to try for ages, and am very excited to receive in my Birchbox this month.
I can take or leave the shower gel, as it’s useful to have travel size, but it won’t get used all too often.
The hair oil falls under the same category as the shower gel, useful but really only for travelling.
I’m looking forward to trying the facial polish as it’s a product I’ll definitely be happy to use.
And finally, who is ever going to complain about receiving chocolate? It’s always a good thing!
I loved this box and can’t wait for next month’s special collaboration with Lulu Guinness!!
You can subscribe to Birchbox here – using my link will give you (and me) £5 worth of points to spend.
bloomzy /

Press Event: Collection Spring Summer ’14 Range


Yesterday I woke up bright and early for a very colourful breakfast with Collection.
I was excited to hear all about their Spring/Summer 2014 collections, and to check them out.
Amongst the adorable mini eggs florentine, and the delightful macarons was something even more wonderful.

The new Collection range for Spring/Summer 14 features a whole new range of products.
The most inciting for me is the new range of 24 nail polish shades that will hit stores soon.
With neons, pastels and colours ranging from sea green to nude, there’s a colour for most tastes.
I was really impressed with the selection of shades and the colours they had chosen to work with.
There are some great fun, basic shades but there are also a few gorgeous hard-to-find shades included.
It’s always good to see on-trend colours, but I like unique shades too, and Collection have delivered.
The Lasting Perfection range was also on show, and I got to find my foundation match – not easy!
I have used the concealer and powders before, so I have a lot of faith in this particular range.
The new Bronzer range, will leave you looking super sun kissed, even if we don’t see the sun.
The stand-out product for me though is the soon to be released Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit.
The set includes 3 eyebrow shadows, a combo angled/blending brush and a clear eyebrow mascara.
The possibilities are endless with this little kit and the demo held by Francesca Neill sealed the deal.

These are products to keep an eye out for, and I know I can’t wait to try them all!
The Lasting Perfection range is in-stores now, as are the Work The Colour Eyeshadow palettes.
The Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit, nail polishes and bronzers will be available from March/April.

You can find Collection products in Superdrug and Boots.

bloomzy /

Giveaway: MyOptique London Retro Glasses/Sunglasses

Today I have a very cool giveaway for you all, in partnership with MyOptique. They are offering one of my readers the chance to win a fabulous pair of glasses, or sunglasses, from their new London Retro range of frames. You may have noticed, from the photos above, that I was also sent a pair for myself. They are the cutest glasses I’ve had for a long time, and are also super comfy. As someone who doesn’t need to wear glasses all day, everyday (just for reading/working) I never really bothered finding a pair that were fashionable. I have had so many compliments on these though that it has shown me just how much a difference a good pair of frames can make. I choose the Westminister frames as I love tortoishell and the shape. You can view the full London Retro range here.
What can you win?
1 Pair of MyOptique Glasses/Sunglasses from the London Retro range.

How to enter:
+ Be a follower of ‘Bloomzy’ via Bloglovin
+ Earn extra entries on Twitter, Facebook etc.
– Entrants who do not follow the rules will be disqualified.
– Twitter accounts created purely for giveaways will be disqualified.
This giveaway is open internationally.
Running for 2 weeks (ending 5th March at 12am).
The prize is provided by and will be sent out by MyOptique.
Good luck!
bloomzy /

Review: Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Hand Cream

Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Hand Cream*
 
I’ve not reviewed many hand creams on here, which is odd as I’m always using one.
I’ve used face products by Australian Bodycare before so that’s why I thought I would review theirs.
This particular cream is for all skin types, even sensitive, and includes tea tree and Argan oil.
There are no added perfumes and it is completely paraben free.
Pros:
+ Paraben free
+ Moisturising
+ Leaves my hands hydrated for several hours
+ Applies well and soaks in after a minute or two
+ Strong smell of tea tree oil
 
Cons:
– Strong smell of tea tree oil
– Leaves hands slightly greasy for a few minutes after applying
 
Notes:
You may have noticed one of those pros and cons is the same in both categories. That’s because I can’t stand the smell of tea tree oil (after using it for years as a kid). However my fiancé absolutely loves the smell. As a hand cream to use at home I really like this as it moisturises and leaves my hands feeling hydrated for several hours. The only reason I wouldn’t carry this with me though is because it does take a minute to soak in, and you are left with a slightly greasy feeling on your hands for a few minutes after applying it. This just makes it a little difficult if you want to handle something straight away after, like your phone. Still, this is a good basic hand cream and is definitely one for those who love tea tree oil as a main ingredient. Priced at around £7, this is a bit too high for a cream that I’m not won over by the smell of. That might sound odd but smell is a big seller for me in hand creams. It is a little hard to find in stores, and you’re actually more likely to find it in your local spa. However you can find it online.
You can purchase Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Hand Cream at Feel Unique.
bloomzy /

London Fashion Week: My Favourite Looks from Topshop Unique

Topshop Unique is one catwalk I tune into for London Fashion Week.
The clothing may be slightly more expensive than the usual Topshop wear, but it’s accessible.
This year, as well as being available to view online, Topshop also took to the world of virtual reality.
A few lucky fashion lovers were able to pop on their headsets and become immersed in the show like never before.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t one of them. Instead I sat and watched the show on my iPad, from my sofa.
That didn’t mean I couldn’t still see all the awesome creations that Topshop Unique will be releasing this A/W though.
This collection mainly brought blues, mustard yellows, blacks, greys and browns.
Their previous collections have bored me slightly with their use of whites and nudes.
Yet I love the colours they’ve used this year and I think they’ll sit happily in a lot of wardrobes.
Some of the creations were reminiscent of something I’m almost certain my mum owned in the 70s.
That doesn’t mean they weren’t fabulous though, and only a few brought to mind some older styles.
Most of the collection featured Unique (see what I did there?) takes on modern styling though.
There was also a lot of oversized items, faux-fur and leather littering the bodies of the models.
Nothing too adventurous, but again, easy to layer and work into a lot of different styles.

I’m excited to see these hit the Topshop stores and website later this year.

Source: 1