bloomzy /

Guest Post: Top 5 Nail Polishes for Summer

Today the wonderful Sophia of Tattooed Tealady will be guest posting. I’m very happy to have her guest posting on the blog today and I can’t wait for you all to read all about her nail picks for this Summer – enjoy!

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I’m very happy to be writing this guest post for the lovely Emma today! 
I am going to be sharing with you my top five nail polishes for summer.

Over here in the UK there isn’t much sun this summer. In fact after warnings of a water shortage and an expected drought, we’ve actually had the opposite, with torrential rain & flooding throughout the UK. Horrible, horrible weather! I like to think that when the weather is dull & glum the best thing to do is brighten yourself up & add a little bit of colour to your life! Particularly where nails are concerned, as you can make such a colour impact with the right choice of nail colour!
The five nail polishes I think are best for brightening up your summer are:
Models Own Tropical Sun
Models Own Indian Ocean
Models Own Mystic Mauve
Bourjois shade 26
Max Factor Fantasy Fire
4 of my 5 summer polishes have a glimmer effect to them. I think polishes like this are great for catching bits of sunshine and giving off a beautiful sparkling effect, making your nails look hypnotic! The Bourjois polish is a nice mix of pink and purple! I like both pinks and purples, but I prefer when they are a little mix of both, rather than your standard pink!

You can wear these polishes alone, or combined, or even use one to finish a look by using it on your accent nail. Nail polish is a remarkable thing, allowing you to create a variety of looks!
Here are my top tips for keeping your nails and nail polish in tip top condition:

Look after your nails! I use a hand cream and cuticle butter throughout the day and especially before bed. It keeps my hands, nails and cuticles in great condition leaving my hands and fingers looking and feeling lovely. A moisturising hand lotion is best, and I recommend Lush Lemony Flutter for a brilliant cuticle butter which not only does an amazing job, but smells divine and lasts an absolute age!
File your nails often. If you keep your nails nicely filed they will stay in better condition and are less likely to break or become uneven. A perfect nail file for this is the S-file!
Give your hands and nails a little pamper! You can easily give yourself a mini-manicure at home. All you need is a bowl with warm water to soak your hands in, a nail buffer, a nail file and your hand cream and cuticle butter! I do mine about once a week! You can easily pick up mini-manicure kits on the high street or even online!
Use a base coat and top coat. A base coat will stop your nail polishes from staining your nails and a top coat will keep your nail polish in place, preventing it from chipping. I also like to run each along the edge of the nail too, to seal it all in.
I hope you have enjoyed my little guest post! 
A huge thank you to Emma for letting me do it!
You can find my blog (here) and Twitter (here).
I can also be found on many other social networking sites which you can find on my blog!
Have a lovely day!
Love, Sophia xo
bloomzy /

Summer skin goodies

(Aloe Vera Lip Balm*, Tan Tablets*, Aloe Vera Wet Wipes*)
A few days ago some goodies turned up in the post for me.
I was quite intrigued as they all seemed to be centred around ‘Summer Skin’.
Honestly, at first I was a little dubious when I laid eyes on the ‘tan tablets.
The whole idea and concept just seems a bit odd and weird to me, but after reading up on them and finding out how they work I felt a bit better about the whole idea. They basically contain all the key vitamins that you need to achieve a deeper tan. Just remember that if you do buy these, you do still need to protect your skin against the sun – so don’t forget the sun cream! I may be tempted to try them, however with my fair skin and lack of tan (I’ve never tanned), I don’t think they’ll be much use. However if you can tan then these may be for you!
Luckily I have a friend who does tan and she has offered to try them out and write a small review for me!

As for the Aloe Vera lip balm and wipes – so happy!
I’m a bit of a lip balm hoarder and this one contains SPF15, so I will be taking this on my holiday in a couple of weeks when I head off to the sunny South of France. It will be perfect for moisturising my lips and keeping them safe in the sun. 
I think the wipes will also be quite handy to carry in my bag for removing my make-up or just freshening up.
These would also be great for anyone planning to head of to the festivals this Summer.
If you’re interested in any of the items you can purchase them from Holland and Barrett (online here).
bloomzy /

Sugarpill Cosmetics

A selection of Sugarpill eyeshadows and false eyelashes
Today I want to introduce my new affiliate, the American brand Sugarpill Cosmetics.
I’ve been a fan of the brand since their small beginnings, which have now lead to a very big hype.
I remember following the founder Amy (Shrinkle) on her blog and eBay, where she first started selling her creations. The brand itself was only born though in 2010 when Amy decided to take more control, and things expanded from there. 
If you’ve followed IMATS in the last couple of years and managed to miss Sugarpill…shame on you!
Sugarpill sell amazingly pigmented pressed and loose shadows (in matte & glitter) along with crazy dramatic false lashes.
I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to bright shadows, but I am absolutely in love with their loose shadows!
So even if you’re not a fan of bright, dramatic eye make-up there is a colour and shadow for everyone.
As a long time fan, I’m very happy to be a part of the Sugarpill affiliate team.
You can find their banner (featuring the gorgeous Amelia Arsenic) on the sidebar.
You can browse the website here.
Sugarpill ship worldwide!
bloomzy /

Review: Murine Bright & Moist Eye Drops

Murine Bright & Moist Eye Drops*

Since the release of eye drops that claim to ‘brighten’ or ‘whiten’ your eyes, I’ve been quite intrigued.
As I suffer from allergies most of the year my eyes can sometimes be dry, itchy and slightly red.
So you can see why I might be interested in these.
Murine’s eye drops are made from a special liquid gel, which include moisturisers and a brightener.
They aim to refresh and soothe the eyes, whilst adding a bit of a sparkle.
I’ve used several eye drops from different brands, so my review will be based on comparing Murine’s drops to my previous experience and also by looking at what the drops claim to do.
Top: Before drops
Bottom: After drops

Pros:
+ Soothing
+ Refreshing
+ Kept my eyes hydrated
+ Slight brightening of my eyes
Cons:
– No drastic brightening of my eyes
– The gel felt a bit odd to start with
– Can’t be used with contact lenses
Notes:
I wasn’t really expecting anything amazing with these, so the results didn’t really upset me.
I loved the refreshing effect of the drops, they definitely soothed my eyes when they were dry/itchy. I only applied the drops (2 in each eye) once for a whole day (you can apply them up to 4 times a day), which is a first out of all the brands I have previously used. However I didn’t find the whitening effect to be that…well…effective. Even so, I did notice that the usual red-ness I sometimes suffer from (due to allergies) was slightly less noticeable.
For the price, and the refreshing/soothing effect alone, I would buy these.
If it was purely for the whitening/brightening effect, I’d probably try something else.
You can buy Murine Bright & Moist 15ml Eye Drops at Boots, for £4.49
You can also purchase it online, here.
bloomzy /

Review: Lush Colour Supplement

First off I’d like to excuse the state of my pot of Jackie Oats.
I was recently asked by some readers to review Lush’s colour supplement, after I mentioned it was one of my favourites in my ‘Basic Make-Up Must Haves‘ post. It is an item I use everyday, hence why mine looks very used. I’ll try to update the post with a nicer picture when I buy my next pot.
Lush’s Colour Supplements are an amazing addition to the natural beauty market.
I went into my local Lush store to try out their supplements, as I’m a fan of natural beauty products and the brand itself. The lovely staff lady helped me pick my shade. We tried out the pale pink and yellow shades, but they didn’t work out and eventually we settled on ‘Jackie Oats‘. Jackie Oats is the palest of the 5 shades that Lush currently offers, and is aimed at ‘English Rose’ complexions. As it is aimed at those with pale skin, it also includes sun block to help those with sensitive skin – it also includes aloe vera and oatmilk to help reduce redness, which is one thing I have found to be very effective.

Swatch

The great thing about Lush’s colour supplements is that you can use them in several different ways:
1. Straight out of the pot, as a foundation.
2. Dabbed onto the skin, as a concealer. 
3. Mixed with your favourite moisturiser, as a tinted moisturiser.

Notes:
Lush’s Jackie Oats is the first ‘foundation’ that has matched my skin tone enough that it isn’t visible.
By this I mean that it isn’t too dark or orange, and it blends well with my natural skin tone.
It covers any red marks I might have, and helps to even out my complexion. I usually pair it with Collection 2000 powder, as it holds it well. Since I started using Jackie Oats as a foundation people have been complimenting my complexion. Someone even said it was flawless a few days ago. 
I’m definitely sold!
You can find Lush’s Colour Supplements in-store and online, here.
bloomzy /

Review: Avon Nailwear Pro+ ‘Star’

Avon 12ml Nailwear Pro+ in ‘Star’
A few weeks ago I entered a nail art contest with Avon, and I was luckily one of the first 200 entrants.
This meant that I was sent one of the polishes from their new Nailwear Pro+ collection.
The Avon Nailwear Pro+ collection comes in 10 shades and is fortified with acrylic gel – to add extra strength, and Dura-Plus Complex – I have no idea what this is and when I googled it I only got results for Avon. Anyone? 
Anyway the product claims “12 days of lasting colour, 10 days of shine and nick-resistant finish.”
Avon Nailwear Pro+ in ‘Star’  – 2 Coats

Pros:
+ Nice big bottle
+ Easy application
+ Only needed 2 coats
+ Can be worn sheer or opaque
Cons:
– Started to chip after 3 days
– Colour was a little lacklustre 
– Didn’t live up to the hype
Notes:
For a polish that claims to be strong and chip resistant I felt a little let down.
I don’t do anything where I use my hands more than the average person so I felt a bit sad when it started to chip after only 3 days. I have used other brands of polish that lasted longer and they haven’t been ones to claim long-lasting ability. Even so I really liked that the polish was opaque after only 2 coats and that I could also wear it sheer, or layer it over other polishes. The colour wasn’t something I would choose myself, but maybe that’s a good thing as it has let me try something different.
All in all, it was good for a free polish and at [currently] £2.49 you can’t really complain.
You can buy Avon Nailwear Pro+ polishes here.
bloomzy /

Review & Giveaway: Skin79 Gold VIP BB Cream

Skin79 Korean Gold VIP BB Cream

If you’ve read the beauty posts on my blog over the years then you will know that I am constantly on the search for a foundation that will match my skin tone. So a few years ago I turned to the Korean bb creams that were slowly becoming more and more popular, across Asia and the rest of the world.

It’s safe to say that apart from a certain colour supplement (that I shall be reviewing shortly), I have had the most luck with BB Creams over Western foundations. After the lovely ‘Smokey Eyes MUA‘ recommended I try Skin79’s Gold VIP BB Cream I rushed off to buy some, in the hopes that it would be the miracle I had been waiting for!

Swatches – straight from bottle, and blended.

Unfortunately this bb cream was too dark for my skin tone. 
It did change tone slightly after I applied it, but it didn’t match my skin enough.
Actually it was quite visible that I was wearing it, even after I had blended it and added powder etc.
The coverage wasn’t bad and it did make my skin look smooth, and didn’t feel cake-y but it was just too dark.
I decided not to do such a lengthly review this time as the product just didn’t suit me or work with my skin, 
so I don’t feel like I could write a proper review on the product.
However I have decided to do a giveaway for the above bottle of Skin79 Gold VIP BB Cream from Korea.
THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!