bloomzy /

5 Fashion/Beauty Instagrams You Should Be Following

Instagram is my go-to place for fashion & beauty inspiration on the go.
The hashtag feature makes it quick and easy to find anything and everything.
Even so, I prefer to find specific users I love and know I can go to again and again.
Lately I’ve found some amazing users who have really inspired me with their photos.
So I wanted to share some of them with you in the hope that you might find some new users too.
Who? @keikolynn Blogger/Designer
Where? Brooklyn, USA
Why?  Keiko’s Instagram is full of colour and fun. Every photo has it’s own life. Not only is she a gorgeous lady who loves to share her outfit and beauty looks, but she also posts beautiful photos of what she’s up to and where she’s at. It might seem a little cheesy but when I look at her photos I really feel as if I’m there with her. Her simple yet sophisticated beauty looks inspire me the most!
Who? @itokyome Designer
Where? Tokyo, Japan
Why? itokyome is such a sharp contrast to my previous inspo with 99% of their photos being in black & white. Still I love the raw style and feel of their photos. Each photo is like a mini piece of art that they’ve actually spent time working on before they upload it. They prove that style can be simple and strong.
Who? @lawrawr Blogger/Model
Where? London/Hong Kong
Why? Lawrawr is such a sweety and is very genuine in her personal style, nothing seems forced. Her love for travelling and fashion shines through with photos that make you wish you were there too, hanging out with her over a bowl of ramen etc. Her in-depth ootd shots always call out to me.
Who? @yaptus
Where? Manila/Brussels
Why? I’ve been following Yaptus on her blog for a few years now and whereas her personal style has changed quite a bit, her love and enthusiasm for fashion hasn’t. You all know I’m a sucker for black clothing and I tip my hat to Yaptus because this lady can style like there’s no tomorrow. Fans of more urban/alternative looks will love her too. 
Who? @m_o_m_o_e Shop Staff/Model/Blogger
Where? Tokyo, Japan
Why? Momo works for the Harajuku based store Avantgarde, so you know her Instagram is bound to be full of cool and wacky photos – and she doesn’t let you down. It’s colourful and she always puts up snaps of whatever fun adventure she’s currently on. Her style is unique and screams with personality – I kinda wanna be her friend.
Do you have some favourite Instagram users?
Let me know in the comments!

Source: Please see the individual Instagram accounts listed above.
bloomzy /

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips ‘Cherry Me’

This review has been a long time coming.
I know you’re probably all thinking “Oh not another Baby Lips review”.
I know, and I agree with you. Wait, what? Yeah, I think they’re overhyped too.
At the base of it all, they’re just a tinted lip balm, nothing fancy, nothing unique, right?
Well here’s what I had to say about the ‘Cherry Me’ version…

Pros:
+ Love the tube packaging
+ Nice hint of colour
+ Moisturising

Cons:
– Dated outer packaging
– Colour comes off easily
– No lasting hydration

Notes:
Honestly even though I knew what to expect from Baby Lips I was disappointed.
My disappointment started when I couldn’t find one large Boots or Superdrug store that was stocking the lip balms – not that they were sold out, but the stores weren’t stocking them. This went on for several weeks, and I didn’t want to buy them online as I didn’t fancy paying the postage. Now I’m not a business woman but it seems odd to me that a large store wouldn’t carry an item that has this much hype around it. Anyway, I finally found them in Superdrug and I was slightly appalled at the packaging, it was dated and looked like an advert that had been left in the sun too long (deteriorated). Still I like the packaging of the tube (very cute) so I grabbed the only one I knew I would use – Cherry Me. The colour is nice, I like that it’s only a hint but others shouldn’t expect great pigmentation. The colour doesn’t stay though, neither does the moisturising (which was good when first applied) – it came off easily and didn’t last. 
Sorry Baby Lips but this is one hype that just doesn’t live up to it’s reputation.
It’s a bye bye from me – I won’t be re-purchasing you.
If you fancy buying Baby Lips, you can find the full range here.
bloomzy /

Haul: ASOS & Maybelline Baby Lips

Shoes, Anatomicals: Sleep Balm & Eye Patches, OPI Matte Top Coat, Maybelline Baby Lips

A couple of Friday’s ago I won an ASOS voucher. I wasn’t after anything particular (that they had) so I saved it. I knew I needed a pair of plain black sneakers (for this & that) but knew they would be cheap. So after choosing those and seeing that I had a considerable amount left I headed to the beauty section. I am seriously impressed with the selection of products that ASOS carry on there! They have such a great variety and some really good deals.

Since I wasn’t spending my own money I bought things I’ve wanted to try for a while but wasn’t too sure about wasting money on. Anatomicals is a brand that I have seen a lot of and wanted to investigate further, especially the sleep balm – so I picked that up and paired it with some eye patches (for to an upcoming post). Then I headed to the nail varnish section. Honestly I have so many polishes it’s hard to find a shade I don’t already have by another brand, so I was looking for something different. That’s where OPI’s Matte Top Coat came into play. I am so excited to try this and play around with it, I feel like it’s Christmas already! I knew I had picked the right products as I was really looking forward to receiving them and was still happy when I ripped open the parcel – that’s always a good sign for me.

As for the Maybelline Baby Lips, they kind of tagged along in this post. I have been searching for them for a couple of weeks now and had no luck until last Friday. I managed to finally find all of them in Superdrug, but was actually left feeling a bit uninspired. I picked up ‘Cherry Me’ though as I knew it was a shade I would use often.

You can find links to all of the products under the photo at the top of the post.

bloomzy /

OOTD: Go heavy on the accessories

Shirt* – Oasap | Necklace* – Oasap | Bracelet – Rêves D’Hiver | Watch* – FCUK | Rings – Oliver Bonas | The Bohemian Collective*
Lately I’ve been dressing a lot simpler, more casual. I wonder if it has anything to do with what’s going on in my life right now? I’m going through a difficult uncontrollable situation, so I’m simplifying the stuff I have control of? Even so, just because I’ve been dressing simpler doesn’t been I haven’t been putting effort into my look. Anyway, let’s not get too philosophical and ruin the feeling of this post, just a little food for thought.
Yesterday the fiancé & I headed out to brunch – a new weekend routine. I went for a monochrome polka dot-inspired look, to keep it casual but fun. I loaded on the accessories though, they’ve been my saviour lately, helping me dress up a simple outfit. My new watch is from French Connection. It’s all gold & silver (& sparkles) so I wanted things to flow with it. That meant lots of silver rings (I don’t seem to own many gold ones) and a gold bracelet & necklace. I think it suited what I was going for and it made me feel good, and that’s what matters, right?
What did I have for brunch? A Spanish chorizo & cambozola cheese omelette – delicious!
Don’t forget to visit Oasap and use discount code: ‘bloomzy’ for 20% off!
bloomzy /

Video: Say hello to my new camera

Here’s a short video filling you all in on a big purchase I made recently. 

I invested in a Samsung NX 1000 to replace my faulty Olympus. 

It’s amazing and you should check it out!

Remember to watch in 720p HD for the best quality.

You can follow me on Youtube here.

bloomzy /

Review: One Direction ‘I Want’ Liam’s Lipstick

One Direction Lipstick ‘I Want’ by Liam…apparently
First off, a small disclaimer.
I’m not a One Direction fan and I don’t know much about the band either.
I just wanted to get that out there so you all know that I’m not bias in anyway.
The collaboration this time is taking place with MUA a brand I’ve reviewed on here previously.
To be honest I was a bit appalled at the idea of a boy band/On Direction releasing a line of make-up.
Why? Well I don’t like it when celebrities bring out items that they don’t use themselves.
Now I can’t speak for the boys but I can’t say I’ve ever noticed them wearing make-up.
Nevertheless I liked the shade of one of the lipsticks so I decided to give it a go.
Pros:
+ Pigmented
+ Moisturising
Cons:
– Shimmery
– Leaves a stain
– Came off quickly
Notes:
So the pros and cons are pretty much 50/50 here, unfortunately though one of the cons is a big problem for me.
The shimmer. It’s horrendous. Whereas I loved playing around with the cheap make-up set my Uncle bought me from Debenhams when I was 13, it’s not really something I want to relive. In my opinion, this lipstick is far too shimmery to be taken seriously – unfortunately shimmer is a not the easiest thing to catch on camera, as I’m sure most of you will know. That said, the pigmentation is great and I love the colour of the lipstick itself. It felt pretty moisturising when I put it on, but unfortunately it came off pretty quickly too, and then it stained. This is obviously not the right lipstick for me and for £3 I’m not going to moan that I wasted my money either. At least they put a bit of effort into the packaging of the lipstick…even if it did go under-appreciated with me.
You can buy Liam’s ‘I Want’ Lipstick in Superdrug stores, or online here.
Browse the rest of the collection here.
bloomzy /

Haul: Amazing Primark Goodies

Last pay day I had a hospital appointment so I decided to cheer myself up with some window shopping. Well…that window shopping actually turned into a haul as soon as I stepped into Primark. The store was littered with items from their new A/W collection, and since Autumn is my favourite season I grabbed at everything and headed to the fitting rooms.
This season Primark are mixing fabrics (which I love) and are featuring some flattering cuts.
I didn’t end up buying everything I tried on but I did buy a few pieces.
I picked up:
+ A grey mixed fabric skater dress
+ Pyjama style ‘silk’ shorts
+ Velvet flatforms/platforms
+ Vintage style chain earrings
If I’d found a shirt too I’d have an entire outfit, right?
I love everything and I can’t wait to take some outfit shots for the blog.
Don’t forget that you can follow my Instagram for sneaky peeks at hauls & my ootd.