bloomzy /

Inspiration: Japanese Beauty Trends

After my Japanese fashion trend post, it only made sense to compliment it with a beauty post too. Most Japanese fashion magazines have a feature on complimentary beauty looks and tutorials. I’ve always loved the in-depth tutorials and product recommendations Japanese magazines offer. So I flicked through some of the latest issues of Vivi, Jelly and CUTiE looking for inspiration.
It didn’t take long before I found some gorgeous looks that I’d love to imitate. There’s a lot of emphasis on ‘natural’ make-up lately and that suits me just fine. As of late, I’ve come to love a natural look with nude shades and a prominent lip. I also liked the variety of hair styles, from straight, to wavy, to bouffant, it’s all there. I’ll certainly be trying out some of the shorter wavy hairstyles, and the up-dos. Throw in a cheeky nail art tutorial and I’m sold; no need to to show me twice!
You can buy Japanese fashion magazines on eBay or from the Japan Centre.
Unfortunately they’re usually overpriced online, but there are resources to view them online.
bloomzy /

Tutorial & Review: Collection Eyebrow Kit

Collection Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit*

My eyebrows haven’t seen the light of day since I was about 10 years old. Due to having a full fringe (and loving it) I’ve never bothered with primping them either. For me, there just doesn’t seem much point. Did I just revoke my beauty blogger membership? Well Collection, and a wonderful MUA by the name of Francesca Neill, were about to change all that. Phew! Now you can stop screaming at your computer screen and wondering what’s wrong with me. Seriously though, if you’re like me and don’t want to touch your naturally gorgeous brows, don’t worry about it!

Collection will be releasing their new Eyebrow Kit in April, and I thought I’d show you how it works. I took inspiration from Francesca, who showed us how to use the kit at the Collection S/S 14 press day. It’s pretty simple and everything is laid out for you, making it super easy for a beginner like me to use it. I found that the shadow stayed on my brows all day and kept the shape and style after using this little kit. The shadows have are highly pigmented but blend well. Francesca even recommended paler ladies use the lightest shade for contouring – and she used it on me to show me how it would work. So if you want perfect brows in just a few easy steps, take a peek below and you’ll find out why this is for you! Please note I am a complete beginner so this is a very simple tutorial to show how the kit works, and to help anyone else out there who may want to have a go.


1. Use the angled end of the brush to apply the darker shadow to the middle/outer part of your brow.

2. Whilst still using the angled end of the brush, apply a lighter shade to the inner part of the eyebrow.

3. Use the other end of the brush to blend the shadow together and, if needed, to help shape the brow.

4. Finally use the clear brow mascara to define the brow and lock the look in place.

This can be done to match the natural shape of your brow, or to create a more angled & defined look. You can also use the clear brow mascara separately on your untouched brows, to define and shape them. It’s also important to remember that you should use the shadow/s best suited to your natural brow colour.

Collection’s Eyebrow Kit will be available from 9th April in Boots and the 16th April in Superdrug for £3.99.

bloomzy /

Pink Hair, Don’t Care!

Yesterday I stopped by Bleach in Dalston to get my hair topped up. Now by ‘topped up’ I mean darkened at the top and lightened at the ends. As I had such a vivid red before it’s going to take a while to get rid of it all.  So Carl matched my roots again on top with a dark brown and bleached the ends.  My tips are slowly lightening but are going to need more bleaching before they’re blonde. In the meantime he suggested having a colour on the tips that would wash out over time. So he convinced me to go for the pink-purple tips that you see above, and I love it! I’ve never had a colour like this before and the gradient on my hair is just perfect. It’s fun not having a ‘natural’ colour as I always want something vivid and different. 
What do you think?
bloomzy /

Haul: Sugarpill Cosmetics

Sugarpill Brush Set and Cold Chemistry Eyeshadows in Diamond Eyes & Subterranean 
I have followed Sugarpill since the brand started, and love their products. So when I won a $100 gift voucher from Shopify I already knew what I wanted.
Sugarpill have recently released a new set of brushes and I happened to be in need of some. All 4 of the brushes are Vegan friendly, and the set includes a lip brush, precision eyeliner brush, a tapered blending brush, and a large eyeshadow brush. They’re sold separately but I bought the set, as I needed them all, and you end up saving a bit of money too. The brushes are adorably branded and are great quality. Of course I couldn’t be without some make-up from Sugarpill, and the cold chemistry shades were calling me. I did consider the palette but knew I wouldn’t use the purple or black shades, but luckily for me they’re also sold separately – I choose Diamond Eyes (a bright, satin white) and Subterranean (a gorgeous, peacock green). I’ll be reviewing them soon, so keep an eye out!
I did also order another item for a blog giveaway (I wanted to share the love), but there was actually a mistake and it wasn’t put in with my package. I have to commend Sugarpill here though because I sent them an email as soon as I realised, and they replied the same day apologising and letting me know it had been sent out. Now that is excellent customer service, and the perfect way to deal with a problem. So you guys will get your giveaway soon!
You can purchase all of these items at Sugarpill.
bloomzy /

Review: Witch Blemish Stick

Witch Naturally Clear Blemish Stick*

Witch is a well established skincare brand in the UK, and I’ve been using their products for years. For over 40 years, Witch have been using witch hazel as the main ingredient in all of their products. A naturally clever ingredient that helps cleanse, soothe and tone skin, leaving it perfectly balanced.  The Witch Blemish Stick claims to fight the bacteria that causes spots, getting to work instantly. I’ve used their blemish stick previously but not for several years, so this was a long awaited reunion. 
Pros:
+ Easy to use
+ Simple, cute packaging
+ Main ingredient is natural
+ Didn’t dry my skin out
+ Good price point
+ Works well
Cons:
– Strong medicinal smell, when first applied (gone after about 10secs)
Notes:
This product worked the same as I always remember it working. I felt a spot coming under the skin so I popped some of this on and it brought it out. Luckily though this products helps you skip that awkward, gross stage where your spot is all inflamed and gets a head. Instead it goes straight to the calming down stage, where the spot is beginning to fade. It’s a good product and does what it says. Of course it’s not a miracle worker and won’t rid you of spots entirely. Once you realise that, you’ll also realise that this product is worth adding to your collection. This is usually priced around the £2 – £3 mark (depending on where you purchase it), which isn’t bad at all.
You can purchase the Witch Blemish Stick at Superdrug and Boots.
bloomzy /

Review: The Lacquer Lab Nail Polish

The Lacquer Lab Pool Party, Clarissa Explains It All and Joy Ride polishes*
The Lacquer Lab is a new nail polish brand about to make big waves in the beauty industry. I immediately fell in love with their colour collection, and their simple yet stylish branding. It also caught my eye that their polishes are high quality whilst being free from toxins. I was sent a trio of their polishes to try out, and here’s my review!
Swatch of Joy Ride, Clarissa Explains It All and Pool Party in natural light.
Swatch of Joy Ride and Pool Party together, under artificial light.
 
Pros:
+ Opaque in one coat
+ Easy and good application
+ Great collection of colours
+ Stayed on for 5 days without chipping
+ Fair price point
 
Cons:
– Started to crack after 5 days of wear
 
Notes:
For a new nail polish company I am impressed. The Lacquer Lab have managed to create a high quality, pigmented polish, with amazing coverage. These tick all the boxes: opaque in one coat, easy to apply, good brush and stays on for days. My only con is that whilst it didn’t chip, it did start to crack after wearing it for 5 days. For me that’s not a massive problem though as I change my nail polish once (sometimes twice) a week – 5 days is also quite impressive compared to some brands. At £7, these are more expensive than ‘drugstore’ brands, but I think are fairly priced for the quality of the item. You won’t find this kind of high quality polish from cheaper brands, in fact it’s difficult to find from even more expensive brands. The Lacquer Lab has won me over with their polishes.
You can purchase these shades and more at The Lacquer Lab.
bloomzy /

Review: Collection Work The Colour Nail Polish

Collection Work The Colour – Raspberry Pink & Sonic Blue*

I can never have too many nail polishes. In fact last week I received 5 new ones to add to my collection. 2 of those were these lovelies from the new Collection range coming out in April. The new Work The Colour range by Collection will feature 24 new nail polish shades. I was lucky enough to receive a manicure with a couple of the colours during the press event. So I thought I would give my views on the new polishes and colours coming out soon.
Swatch of Raspberry Pink & Sonic Blue.
Along with swatch on nails of Baby Blue & Fairy Dust (layered).

Pros:
+ Opaque in one coat
+ Great range of colours
+ Applies easily – good size brush
+ Love the new packaging
+ Good price point

Cons:
– Chipped after a day or so
Notes:
I am so excited by this range because the shades and colours they have coming out are wonderful. There’s a great variety of colours, and the polish itself isn’t too bad. The polishes apply easily, mainly thanks to a very good brush. Apart from the shimmer/glitter polishes in the range, these are opaque in one coat – two coats gives an even better colour pay off. The colours were pretty much exactly what you see in the bottle, although the raspberry pink looks slightly red when photographed. Unfortunately though these chipped after a day or so, but I am putting that down to the top coat that the manicurist used. It wasn’t bad, but I think we all have our own tried and tested ones that we love. I think these would last fine with a better top coat. Priced at £1.99 these won’t break the bank and will easily work their way into your collection.
The Collection Work The Colour Nail Polish range will be available in Superdrug from 9th April.
They will also be available in Boots from 16th April.