bloomzy /

Christmas Presents from Germany & Japan

Christmas gifts from Rae, in Germany

Christmas gifts from Miyuki, in Japan

Christmas came a little early for me last week.
I was lucky enough to receive not one, but two packages through the post.
One was from the lovely Rae of Love from Berlin who is an amazing person that I met through blogging.
The other package was from one of my best friends in Japan who I studied with a couple of years ago.
Both gifts were amazing, and so very cool in their own ways.
I loved how both seemed to represent a little bit of the culture too.
Rae sent me some German chocolate (we all know it’s the best), magazines and make-up.
I can’t wait to try out the eyeshadow palette, it’s so very seasonal and the colours are gorgeous!
She also knows me very well by including some gorgeous glittery nail polish, which I will have already applied by the time this post goes live. I can’t help it, I’m an addict! 
Miyuki often asks me what I would like and I said I would like to try some new Japanese beauty products.
She also knows that I’ve just moved into my first apartment so sent me a few home items to decorate and relax with.
The nail polish, once again was a delight to receive, especially the Majolica Majorca glass polish – review soon!!
I also loved the Dior products and make-up bag. They’ve already been stashed away in my handbag.
I feel so lucky to know such wonderful people and I am very thankful ♥
bloomzy /

OOTD: Black Baroque

(Sweater: Glamorous*, Skirt: Topshop, Shoes: Urban Outfitters, Belt: Primark)

I’m back, with a fabulous new baroque look!
Well not exactly, but this baroque style jumper by Glamorous is pretty fabulous (rhyme not intended).
Luckily I have free reign over what I wear to work, and this jumper and skirt combo just seemed perfect.
Smart casual is totally my thing and the gold glitter detail adds a little bit of pizazz for the Christmas season.
The jumper itself was pretty warm and soft, not itchy as I’d feared after seeing the glitter threading.
I did however pop a long sleeve top underneath as I feel the cold a bit too much, but it didn’t obstruct the silhouette.
The jersey skirt I bought from Topshop a couple of months ago has been such an investment.
It really does suit so many looks and I’m able to layer it with jumpers, dresses and tops etc.
I finished off my baroque look with my gold panther heel detail shoes from Urban Outfitters.
Unfortunately they don’t sell the black any more but they do now have black-glitter & burgundy versions.
I’ve missed doing OOTD posts, so I’m going to do a couple in a row this week!
bloomzy /

A Christmas Wish List

Christmas Wishlist

 

 

Long sleeve velvet dress, $62 / Velvet skirt / Topshop , $48 / Studded ballet flat, $35 / MICHAEL Michael Kors leather tote bag, $270 / 
Christmas is coming, and you know what that means.
Yep, it’s time for another ‘Christmas Wishlist’ post, sorry guys.
I wasn’t actually thinking of doing one this year but then a friend and the fiancé specifically asked for one, so…I guess you could say that I’m leaning more towards accessories and clothing right now.
There’s the odd bit of homeware thrown in but what surprised me most was the lack of beauty products.
Honestly I couldn’t think of anything beauty related that I REALLY wanted, so I just didn’t bother with it.
Right now I’m just after lots of velvet clothing (and shoes!) and some amazing accents to go with.

The usual offenders are there: Topshop, Marc Jacobs, Regal Rose and Tatty Devine.
I know the MK bag is a bit of a long shot, but hey this is a wish list, and a girl’s allowed to dream.

bloomzy /

Store: The Dairy

Purple Nebula Galaxy iPhone 4 Case*
A few weeks ago the lovely Cam from The Dairy sent me the most amazing iPhone case.
I’ve written short reviews on iPhone case stores before so I definitely wanted to add this one.
The Dairy is an Australian company run by Cam who prints iPhone cases from one of the many amazing collections that are featured on the site. There are plenty of designs to choose from – the Star Gaze collection is my favourite.
I choose an added extra and went for the ‘Armoured Case’ which includes a rubber insert.
The rubber insert is very much like a silicon case and the plastic case fits over top of it, to offer extra protection.
It doesn’t take anything away from the look of the case but you can see it on the front – check out the pic above.
I kind of love it as it makes me feel like my iPhone has become a tiny, impenetrable tank…or something like that.
As for the case itself, I’m so happy with the design I chose. I’m also mega impressed with the gloss and colour.
Thanks to Samispoon who originally introduced me to the brand, and I hope to see a review on her case soon!
The Dairy make cases for: iPhone 4/4S/5 and Samsung Galaxy S2/S3 you can view the designs here.
bloomzy /

Review: Joliebox

Joliebox gift box from the Birchbox event*
When I attended the Birchbox champagne afternoon tea event last week I was gifted with a Joliebox.
If you didn’t see that post then you might be confused, but this is because Birchbox have taken over Joliebox.
If I remember correctly the box wasn’t a particular month, it was a mixture of products & previous month’s boxes.
The box contained samples from previous boxes and new items, such as:
– Twistband –
– Ritessens Exfoliant –
– RMK Cleansing Balm –
– L’Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream –
– Dr Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap Pillows –
– Redken Protective Straightening Lotion –
This box was a great way to introduce someone to some of the wonderful brands that Joliebox has worked with.
It also shows you an example of what you might receive in a box; beauty, skincare, hair & lifestyle products, travel essentials, and even full size samples. Birchbox allows you to create a personal profile which your samples will be based on – which is a great feature, I hope they keep it when the takeover happens in January. The magazine is something which is unique to Joliebox and is very popular with a lot of subscribers, so it was nice to receive one with my box.
Joliebox will soon become Birchbox, and is a monthly beauty box service.
For £10 (plus postage) a month you will recieve 4-5 beauty samples to your door.
You can sign up and subscribe here.

bloomzy /

Style: Staying Stylish & Cozy

(Sweater: Oasap*, Leggings: Oasap*, Shoes: Primark, Bag: Topshop, Necklace: Wavy Jewellery)

This Winter I’ve rediscovered my love for big chunky sweaters.
I feel the cold easily so I’m constantly trying to stay warm but stylish when choosing an outfit.
It isn’t always so easy, but luckily there are plenty of cozy sweaters out there this season to help.
The bat-wing sweater above is from Oasap and has an irregular hem, which makes it stand out from regular sweaters. I wouldn’t usually pair a sweater and leggings but luckily due to the irregular hem and length it means it’s longer at the back and I don’t have to worry about showing off my bottom in leggings (a style peeve of mine). The leggings are mixed material (faux leather front & fabric back), which creates a contrast and tricks the eye into making your legs appear skinnier – always a plus! When I wore the two together I chose to pair the them with a simple leather bag and some studded slipper shoes to keep the comfy vibe going.
I wore this out at the weekend and I am in love with the feel of this sweater, it is so soft and cozy.
I often find that a lot of sweaters made with this material make me itch, but this wasn’t the case here.
I managed to stay warm but also felt quite stylish, in an understated way – let’s hope onlookers felt the same.
Don’t forget to visit Oasap and use discount code: ‘bloomzy’ for 35% off!
bloomzy /

Photo Diary: Tatty Devine Sugar Skull Workshop


Tatty Devine Sugar Skull Workshop, Brick Lane
Last weekend a very good friend came down to visit me in my new pad.
We’d already made plans to visit the Rekorderlig event on the Friday, but we also needed to fill up our Saturday.
It so happens that I follow Tatty Devine on Twitter (big fan, as you know) and they mentioned a workshop they were holding to make and design your own Sugar Skull necklace, much like the ones they had on sale this Summer. You probably remember how much I wanted one of their Sugar Skull necklaces, but actually I didn’t end up buying one as I was too busy saving for the big move to London. So this was the perfect opportunity for me to make my very own unique Tatty Devine necklace! After some persuasion from my friend – he wanted to make one too – we decided to go.
The workshop itself is quite small so the event only had around 11 people (2 being TD staff members).
My friend was the only guy there, but the ladies loved him, and we all had a lovely time. Everyone was super chatty and very friendly – I think the atmosphere in Tatty Devine helped, it was very welcoming and laid back. We got to play with spray paints, stencils, crystals and a whole manner of shiny & sparkly objects. Everyone’s design was completely unique and it was fun comparing them along the way. Some went for shockingly pink, Barbie inspired skulls, others went for ALL the bling, while I finally decided on a dark gothic inspired sugar skull – it was that or purple.
My final design is the one on the left and the one on the right is my friend’s.
I had a brilliant time and met some lovely people. The TD staff were wonderful – funny, helpful and kind.
If you get the chance to attend one of their workshops please do! The experience alone is worth the money.
Spaces sell out very quickly though so keep an eye out (here) and book as soon as you can!