bloomzy /

It’s a ‘Life Experience’…

Remember that ‘life experience’ I was talking about the other day
Well that is the name that my tutor likes to give to the activities and field-trips that we have been taking part in during our stay here in Paris. And this one, was er…certainly interesting…
I’m not a fan of anime or manga, although a lot of people on my course are. Therefore, our tutors thought that they would give us a few days off classes to enjoy one of the biggest expos in Europe related to Japanese pop culture. Yep that’s right, they sent me to ‘Japan Expo’
Originally I wasn’t planning on going for the reasons above, however some of my friends managed to talk me into coming along after talks of silly costumes and other things. I also wanted to give it a chance and ‘experience’ something new…I like to give things a chance before I say I dislike them
So for those who have also never experienced this kind of thing and for those who are just curious, this post is for you!

I didn’t dress up especially for the expo, but it did mean that I was able to add a little drama to my make-up, compared to what I have been wearing latelyNatural, simple make-up is favoured here so anything else tends to turn a few heads.

Tshirt: JSG
Shorts: H&M
Thigh high socks: Donki
Boots: Topshop  
I wore my Jeffrey Campbell dupes which went better than I had expected. I also got a lot of compliments on them which was nice.
  
The friend who managed to persuade me into coming decided the night before that she was going to ‘troll’ everyone by turning up as Nyan Cat (the latest internet phenomenon), complete with speakers looping the infamous tune. Everyone loved her costume and she was constantly stopped by people wanting her photo. Not bad for a costume made from a cardboard box.
But that’s enough chit-chat for now, enjoy the rest of my photos from the event…
Click images to enlarge!

I think a lot of the expo was lost on me as I didn’t understand much, but the Japanese culture sections were good and I found an interesting stall that I think I will mention in a later post. I also found someone stocking Candydoll cosmetics, but they weren’t selling that day and I didn’t want to return the following day just for that…shame

 Puri with Nyan Cat
I love the comparison!
I also managed to buy ye ol’ Tsubasa’s blog book – a book full of her blog entries, fashion/make-up tips and lifestyle items. It’s almost 5 years old I think haha
…and the new issue of Popsister, which is really growing on me lately
bloomzy /

Paris Meet!!

A couple of weeks ago, the lovely Ananya and Emmie came to Paris for the SM Town concert and whilst they were here we managed to meet-up!
I was so happy as I haven’t seen Ananya for maybe 3 years (is that right?)! It was also the first time for me to meet Emmie, which I had wanted to do for a while.
Hair
…and make-up
I had to be up at 7am to get ready for 6 hours of classes, so I didn’t do anything amazing with my hair/make-up. I went for a nude eyeshadow with some simple top & bottom lashes. I just wanted something simple & stylish, it was also important that it would last the whole day.
Outfit

I wanted to wear my new favourite shirt, so I paired it with some ripped-lace shorts and my favourite necklace…which broke later that day, nooooo~
In fact one girl liked our outfits so much that she stopped us and asked if she could take photos. She was a fashion student who also wanted to post them on her friends blog.


Shirt: Egoist
Shorts: Zara
Socks: Topshop
Shoes: Primark
Bags: JSG & Primark
Necklace: Liz Lisa
They asked for their ‘derp’ faces to be cut out,
oh you guys!

Both of my gals were looking gorgeous and I was so envious of Emmie’s Litas. I was planning on wearing my dupes but Paris is not Lita friendly, trust me…and I’m pretty clumsy too haha

I just adore Emmie’s extensions, it really made me want to get another set. I also loved Ananya’s dress and belt combo, isn’t it lovely.

We went to a restaurant that Ananya’s dad had recommended but they hadn’t started serving food so we waited and had drinks. Unfortunately we were given the snootiest waitress possible and she refused to let us have a table when they did start serving. I definitely won’t be visiting again, thanks to her. It’s a shame because the place had a pretty cool vibe and it looked good.
I did get to enjoy some yummy ginger beer though!
New purchase!

I also purchased the most gorgeous pair of sheer trousers from H&M. I had been wanting a skirt for a long time but then saw these and automatically fell in love~ ♥
It was a great day and I had a lovely time with Ananya and Emmie, I just wish it could have lasted longer. Oh well, I’m eagerly awaiting the meet we talked about for when I return from Paris!!
bloomzy /

Say hello to GLiA!

ハロー！
My copy of GLiA arrived today from my lovely Japanese friend (thank you~), so I thought I would do a little write up about it…
So what is GLiA? It’s the lastest Gal magazine to hit the shelves and it comes from the makers of EGG to which it is the ‘older sister‘. That may sound a bit odd, I mean how can a magazine be an ‘older sister’?! 
Well it’s quite simple actually. It’s a more mature version of what you would usually find featured in Egg, and is aimed at 20+ rather than the ‘teen’ crowd Egg usually goes for – like PopSister is to Popteen.

Click on pictures to enlarge!

Who are the models? The makers didn’t want to stray too far from their roots, so they picked a handful of well-known models from Egg and a few other gorgeous Gals. Like PopSister, they carried over one of their most successful models to be the spokeswoman, and that was…ろみひ, of course!
She has been with the magazine for years and has always been a fan favourite. Recently her style has matured, along with herself and so she was the perfect choice for GLiA.

Yumachi and Aina join in along with other models such as; Anna Fujita, Yenah Hirano, Iena Hirai, Reina Kizu and more.


And the content…the content is great!!

FASHION



I thought ‘night snaps’ was a nice idea.
I wanna know what people are partyin’ in!

 Plenty of street snaps (9 pages!), categorised in ways such as;
shop staff, outer, hair pieces etc.

MAKE-UP

HAIR 

How to wear this seasons hair accessories.

With 14 pages worth of hair and make-up tutorials, I was sold!!
I don’t think many Gal mags offer enough tutorials, and even though some of the make-up in GLiA did look a little similar there was still plenty to choose from and practise with. The hair tutorials were great and had a range of styles for long and short hair.

– final thoughts? – 

As it’s a new magazine on the scene it has been compared to other more well-known ones, which is a little unfair. Even so I felt that GLiA holds it own against the other rivals. Slight warning though, don’t expect the content to be like EGG because it really isn’t…apart from the models. It’s more along the lines of Jelly and Happie Nuts. Although I think it has a more refreshing and appealing layout to some similar magazines that like to cram in as much as possible.

If it manages to keep up with the same layout and content it brought out in this issue I think it will soon become a firm favourite~♥

And with a slogan such as; 「Glia is… no rule woman’s style bible」 I think it’s certainly going to try it’s best!!


Disclaimer: I didn’t upload the whole magazine as there were so many great pieces that it’s definitely worth investing in for yourself. I also apologise for the photos – I don’t have a scanner here in Paris.

bloomzy /

Check out my room!

Thank you to all of those who entered the poll – and for those of you who didn’t, well you still can!

As some of you who follow my twitter may know I was given a very small baggage allowance by my university when travelling to Paris – ONLY 14KG!! I swear my suitcase weighs about 4kg by itself…so I had to pack lightly!
Then when I got to Paris I was placed in a rather awkward accommodation situation…But you have to make the best of things, right?
So anyway, how about taking a peek at my room & some of the stuff I took?!

 

 

 

 

 


bloomzy /

Life in Paris!

I thought I’d create a series (similar to ‘Life in Japan‘) for my time in Paris.
I’ll also try to update regularly whilst I am here, with goings-on and of course the usual gal news etc. 
 A quick code snap for you.
Wearing the scarf from this post.
…and on me, in front of the ‘Arc de Triomphe’
 Louis Vuitton on ‘Champs Elysees’ 

 Made my first Sephora purchase – yay!!
And thought of Jenny ;D
 
Sephora nail polish. 
The PERFECT nude!!
Notre Dame 
Green Tea and Hibiscus ice cream~ 
 Is this not the cutest thing?
These two were sleeping together by a park – picture perfect moment.
Macaron!! 
 The school I am studying at took us to an exhibition on ‘Characters of Japan’.
 To be honest it wasn’t very good. 
Apart from these guys XD
 Of course, they had ‘Hello Kitty’
 Dessert @ Haagen Dazs
And of course, the Eiffel Tower!
bloomzy /

What’s in my make-up bag?

[click images to enlarge] 

Well that’s my make-up bag – It’s from the Japanese brand ‘Swimmer‘, and was a present from my boyfriend who knows I love their items. They’re not a Gal brand but they stock plenty of cute things that appeal to a lot of Japanese girls, regardless of their fashion choices. 
So what’s inside??

Skin
  1. Natural Collection face powder (need more!)
  2. Collection 2000 Concealer
Lip
  1. Carmex
  2. Happy Bath Day lipgloss
  3. MAC ‘Quite Cute’ lip pencil
  4. MAC ‘Lady Gaga’ nude lipstick
  5. Anna Sui ‘Dolly Girl’ lipstick
  6. Jill Stuart lipstick
  7. Chanel lipstick
  8. Chanel lipcare stick
  9. Maxfactor ‘vibrant curve effect’ lipgloss
Eyes
  1. Barry M bronze ‘dazzle dust’
  2. CANMAKE eyeshadow base
  3. Chanel eyeshadow palette
  4. CANMAKE ‘Gradation Wink’ eyeshadow
  5. Dolly Wink grey & pink eyeshadow palette
  6. Dolly Wink eyelash case
  7. Maxfactor gold & silver eyeliner
  8. Benefit highlighter pencil
  9. Maxfactor kohl pencil
  10. Maxfactor ‘xperience volumising’ mascara
  11. KATE liquid liner pencil
  12. Dolly Wink pencil & liquid liner
Cheek
  1. CANMAKE cream cheek
  2. CANMAKE powder cheek

For those of you who remember my original post, you’ll notice that my ‘everyday’ collection (I alternate items, I don’t wear them all at once haha) has expanded.
I have more palettes, lipsticks/glosses etc. that I keep in another case (& my handbag) but these are my usual go-to items!!
I still don’t use foundation because I want to take care of my skin, but lately I have been thinking of going back to it (after 3 years – shock, horror!).

You’ll also notice that I was such a big fan of some of the items that I have continued to buy and use them. That means I really do love them, as I am constantly buying new products and chucking out old ones!

bloomzy /

Review: Eyeshadow & Blush Palette

This post is sponsored by KKcenterhk
Recently I was sent the ‘10 Shimmer Eyeshadow-Blush Palette‘ to review, by kkcenterhk. And here it is…

Shimmery, no? The colours range from neutral to almost neon and it all comes in a handy black case – like this. The first thing I thought when I opened the package and saw the case was DECO PROJECT! It sounds a little strange but all I could see was a brilliant blank canvas…so I’ll keep you updated on that.
As for the colours…

[ignore my arm hairs haha] 

As you can see the colours are very vibrant, which I was really pleased with. I hate palettes that offer pale shadows, because I always end up trying to apply more and more with no real result. However these went on easily, cleanly and left a great colour!

I played around with a few of the colours and I was able to create a ‘pink’ look, inspired by Popteen’s love of pink make-up from last months issue. The 4 colours I used in these pictures were these ones. I also used the lightest shade as a highlighter and the darkest to shade underneath my lower lashes (that didn’t show up well on camera, unfortunately).

 [No lashes/Mascara] 
[Accent lashes & Mascara]

Overall I thought the colours were brilliant and shimmery (without being too glittery), with the shadows being easy to apply. The shadows are a good quality and texture, whilst still managing to keep the colours vivid – I can’t wait to try the rest out soon. I also want to test out the pink as a blush and combine it with the light cream as a highlighter. When I do I’ll make sure to link back to this post so you will all know!

The only downside is that the palette is rather large, however that also means you get a decent amount of shadow too, so there’s a silver lining. 

Want to order this palette for yourself? –


They ship worldwide and delivery is super fast~

KKcenterhk also sell cosmetics, wigs, hosiery etc. so be sure to check them out!!

Mie has also done a review of a similar palette from the same sponsor on her blog.