bloomzy /

How I Fight My Eczema – Eczema Remedies

Korres Fig Showergel & Fig Body Butter, and Avène Rich Skin Recovery Cream
I suffered from eczema a lot as a child. 
It would often cause me a lot of pain and discomfort, and I would usually bleed due to the severity of it. I remember my parents trying all sorts of remedies to get rid of it, but nothing really worked, until one day…it just disappeared. 
I had pretty much forgotten about it until September 2011, when I saw my eczema return, with a vengeance. I had returned from my holiday to Provence and suddenly my whole stomach, leg and breast area was covered in dry, sore, itchy spots. I visited the doctor and they confirmed it was eczema. I was given an emollient cream to help, but it didn’t work. I was then given a steroid cream that I could only use for 2 weeks. My eczema disappeared…then it came back a week or so later. The doctor didn’t know what to do and told me to relax (as it can be caused by stress) and continue using a moisturiser and the original cream. I would have a shower and then look down at my body and burst into tears. I felt embarrassed and grossed out by my own skin. My fiancé tried to console me time after time but it had worn me down. I’d had enough. None of the medications worked well enough to solve the problem so I decided to try out something a little more natural and sensitive. Surprisingly they worked a lot better and even got rid of most of my eczema.
My eczema remedies are:

Korres’s Fig Showergel (90.4% natural content) & Fig Body Butter (93.5% natural content).
These products have been my saviour and I 100% believe they are the reason for the eczema on my stomach, legs and breasts disappearing. I had heard from a friend that these were great at combatting eczema and even psoriasis! She wasn’t wrong because I now use these daily to help keep my skin hydrated and to combat my eczema. I first used these until I ran out, then my eczema came back and Anna bought me some more. Now it’s slowly going away again. 
I swear by these products.

Avène Rich Skin Recovery Cream.
You all know I am a big Avène fan and use it in my daily skincare routine. Well when my eczema started appearing on my face for the first time I didn’t know what to do. It actually coincided with my trip to Chamonix, so I figured that since I was in France I’d try out a cream by one of my favourite French skincare brands – since they recommend it for those with eczema. I used it for a week on my face, and by the end of my holiday my eczema had cleared up. This is free of parabens, fragrance and colouring agents – and they’ve used as few ingredients as possible, making it perfect for sensitive skin. 
This is now my daily moisturiser for face & neck.

Eczema can be a very uncomfortable, painful and sometimes embarrassing illness.
I don’t want anyone else to suffer so I’m hoping these remedies might help others also.
Let me know your own personal remedies in the comments!
bloomzy /

OOTD: Am I a Cat or Bag Lady?

Tshirt – Topshop | Jeans – Uniqlo | Bag* – Oasap | Necklace – Topshop | Bracelet – Rêves D’Hiver

As soon as I saw this t-shirt I knew I had to have it. The cute cats. The Breton stripes. It’s just absolutely perfect!  Look at it. Look at it!!
It’s also a really cute t-shirt to pair with plain jeans or a black high waisted skirt. I paired it with my Uniqlo jeans and my new Céline inspired tote bag from Oasap. Lilac has quickly become one of my favourite colours, so I had to go for this colour way. It also comes in mint which was a close second, but the lilac was just perfect for me. Hey, it’s affordable enough that you could get it both colours if you can’t decide! Minimal accessories and my cozy Winter coat finished the outfit off. I headed out to brunch wearing this ensemble and I felt subtly chic.
Don’t forget you can get 20% off with code ‘bloomzy’ when you visit Oasap!
bloomzy /

Let’s Talk About…Boobs & Bras

I recently bought a couple of new bras after suspecting that my bra size had changed and thought it might be a good idea to chat a little bit about bras and finding the right size etc. on here. 
It turned out I was correct and after a fitting I left with two new very comfortable bras. I am just over the average end of the bra spectrum at a 34E and have had back trouble in the past because of poor fitting bras. These new ones felt so comfortable that it was almost odd. I soon realised I’d been wearing the wrong size for about half a year, which is worrying. It’s not that I didn’t care, in fact I’d been meaning to get fitted for a new bra for more than half of that time, it’s just that life and work took over. How silly is that? The majority of women wear a bra everyday, so it’s pretty important that we are wearing the right one. 

Now how about some horror stories to prove my point?
When I was 13 years old I actually had a member of a very well known, established high-street store tell me that wearing underwire bras can cause cancer. Yes that actually happened, and I was a very impressionable teenager at the time. I was so worried I tried to find non-underwire bras, and stopped wearing the ones that I had. Obviously I soon found out that this wasn’t true after I told my mum a few months later. Several years on and I finally went back to the same store to be fitted for a new bra. The woman looked at me, and without measuring me, told me I was a 32C. Up to this point I’d been wearing a 32E so I knew this wasn’t true. I tried to tell her this but she refused to believe me and told me to try on the C cup bras she had brought me. I was quite upset but tried them anyway, because “Hey, this is her job so she must be able to do it properly, right?” Wrong. The bras were painfully uncomfortable and I left the store very annoyed and with no new bra. 
I haven’t been back since.
My point here is that there are a lot of myths and silliness concerning bras and your size, so it’s important that you know what is best for you, and that you get the best fit. If I had let these people leave a long-term impression I would be wearing the completely wrong bra for me, and I’d also probably have long-term back problems. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when buying a bra such as the size, fit and style of the bra – not all styles will fit in your particular size or offer you the support you need. That’s why I think it’s important to be fitted, because you can discuss sizes and styles with the assistant. They’ll tell you which will fit you best and which ones to stay away from. Alternatively you can try finding out your bra size yourself at home. This method can be flawed, but is helpful for those who aren’t comfortable with doing it in a store.
I have since been to several other high-street stores that have offered great bra fittings, which I would highly recommend. These are House of Fraser, Ann Summers and Boux Avenue. All 3 stores offer something different but have impressed me with their services. I buy my regular t-shirt bras from Boux Avenue (sizes A-G) and at only £18 each, they are a bargain! I have a couple of lacey bras from House of Fraser, which are a little more expensive but offer great quality. Finally if I fancy something a bit sexier I go to Ann Summers, who have some gorgeous bras for larger busted women – something that is not always easy to find. 
So here’s to finding the perfect bra for you – good luck!
bloomzy /

Irregular Choice Spring Summer 2014 Collection

Irregular Choice


Irregular Choice are a brand that you remember long after you’ve seen their shoes.
I’ve loved the fun and flare of the brand ever since I first spotted them a few years ago.
Never one to conform, Irregular Choice like to stand out and do their own thing.
For their Spring/Summer 2014 collection, they’ve done just that!

It’s all about cats and unicorns, sequins and other adornments.
Anyone else think that these are gonna make it big on Tumblr?
Seriously, these are some of the best shoes I’ve seen come from Irregular Choice.
The use of cats and unicorns as heels makes me laugh, but also fall in love a little bit.
I also fell for the Rococo/Baroque-esque style of the more ‘normal’ shoes from S/S 2014.
I picked out my 5 favourite pairs above and I can’t wait to try them on in-store when they hit.
Of course the usual iconic IC shoes & handbags will also be making an appearance.
The unicorns will be the first of the collection to hit the Carnaby street store.

Keep an eye out for these beauties as they start dropping on the 31st January!
You can find shoes and accessories on Irregular Choice (in-stores also) and in Schuh stores.

Source: 1
bloomzy /

Little Mix by Collection Make-up Line


Lipstick, eyeliner, mascara and eyeshadow palette: Little Mix by Collection Make-up Line*

Remember when I bought that infamous One Direction lipstick?
Well that didn’t give me much faith in band-related make-up lines.
Thankfully Little Mix were round the corner to bring back my hope.
Whenever I see the Little Mix ladies their make-up is always on point.
So I was pleased to hear that they had a lot of personal influence in the collection.
Whether you like them or not you’ve got to appreciate their hard work and personal styles.
Jade, Jesy, Leigh-Anne & Perrie each created products based on their favourite items, colours etc.
So if you ever had a favourite Little Mix(er?) and fancied imitating their make-up look, now you can!
All of the products are different from the next, and together represent styles from natural to sultry.
Products include: mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, palettes, lipstick, bronzer, lipgloss and nail polish.
Each Little Mix lady has a different colour for each item – meaning you have plenty of options.
Of course you can mix up styles and products, but it’s always helpful to have some inspiration.
My personal favourite looks have to be Leigh-Anne’s and Jesy’s though – they’re gorgeous!
I was sent a few items from the collection:
Jesy’s Trio Palette
Jade’s Lipstick & Rock It Liner
Perrie’s Lengthening Full On Mascara
I was also sent Perrie’s Rock It Liner but forgot to take it out of my bag for the photo (bad blogger).

I’m quite excited by all of the colours and the quality feels and looks good.
I think I’ll be picking up Jesy’s Lipstick and Leigh-Anne’s Trio Palette.
Prices start at £1.49 and you can purchase the collection in Superdrug & Boots.
bloomzy /

Sale Finds Series: Collectif

ve decided to do a small series on some of my online sale finds this month.
That means I’ll be posting mini-wishlists or recommendations from various online stores.
It’s quite simple really, if I find an amazing sale I want to be able to share it with everyone!
This seems like the easiest and also best (I enjoy making wishlists too much) way to do it.
You can find the series here.

Collectif Sale Wishlist

Who? Collectif
What? 40s & 50s vintage style clothing
How much off? Up to 75% off!
Running until? Undisclosed – new items are still being added
Collectif is a 40s & 50s style vintage clothing brand I have known of for a little while.
I went to their Spitalfields store last weekend, and immediately checked out their online sale after.
I saw some of the pieces from their in-store sale and a few others that they didn’t have in the shop.
I like vintage style items, but I like to fit it into my own personal style so I don’t want to spend lots.
I featured Collectif’s Skull Print Dress on my Instagram at the weekend and a lot of people liked it.
So I decided to share their sale with all of you, in the hopes you might find something too.
You can view the full Collectif sale here.

Source: 1
bloomzy /

Review: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Just before New Year a friend recommended a brand to me that I hadn’t tried before.
That brand was Liz Earle, and her argument was pretty solid, as she has perfect skin.
She’s been using the brand for years and swore by their products, especially their cleanser.
I’ve never really been a fan of hot cloth cleansers but I decided to give this a go, considering the evidence.
I had also actually just run out of my micellar water so I went to my local Boots to check it out.
The woman on the counter had perfect skin and also told me she used the product.
I really didn’t need anymore persuading than that and I picked up this special gift version.
It comes with 2 x muslin cloths and a small travel bag, to keep everything together.
It’s the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, and here is my review:
Pros:
+ Love the set
+ Cloths can be machine washed
+ Packaging is simple but cute
+ Lovely smell
+ Removes make-up well
+ Good for sensitive skin
+ Leaves my skin smooth & supple
 
Cons:
– Cloths need to dry naturally after (and before) each use
– Price point is slightly high
– 100ml lasted only a few weeks
 
Notes:
I have no massive complaints about this product, more like a few niggles. Maybe I was looking for something to complain about because the whole cloth drying thing sounds silly now I’ve written it down. Of course they need to dry Emma! The set does come with 2 cloths though so if the one you’re currently using hasn’t dried in time you can always alternate, which is also a plus. I won’t repeat the majority of what I wrote above, but I really like this product. It smells good and leaves my skin feeling good – that’s all you can ask for really. I’m hoping that after a month (I’ve been using it for almost 2 weeks) I’ll start to see some results on my long-term skin pangs. At £15 this isn’t a product you would pick up without considering. I do think it’s worth the money, but I’d like to maybe see some offers or different sets to add more value.
You can buy Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser at John Lewis and in Boots stores.