OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloom.com, a photo sharing site and mobile app for beauty is bringing the beauty inspiration experience full-circle by allowing mobile users to shop the looks they want to recreate. It's no secret, image sharing apps are becoming more and more popular, but consumers are also gravitating toward niche social sites that provide a steady stream of photos appealing to their personal interests.

"Bloom is the central source for all things beauty," says Bloom founder and CEO, Julie Mahloch. "Consumers are loving it because it brings their favorite beauty brands, trendsetters and professionals together into one powerhouse beauty source. You can be inspired by a look and then be instantly directed to purchase the products that will help you get that look."

Mahloch says the site is making the world of beauty immediately available with new looks created constantly and over 50,000 products available either on-line or from nearby local stores & salons. It has already established retail relationships with the likes of Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy's, Beauty.com, and Drugstore.com.

"Bloom is making it simple for users to find what they're looking for by organizing looks into specific subcategories. If you have a wedding coming up and want to find the perfect updo or makeup look, you can browse the latest bridal looks. We've categorized every type of style and hair length for the user's convenience. If you're looking for nail art, dramatic eye looks or every day looks, you can go directly to that specific category, find your favorites, save them to your own lookbooks and then get instant access to the products used.

"Beauty brands are also excited, because their products are coming to life on Bloom's Be Inspired pages every day," says Mahloch. "We're giving consumers their own personalized beauty magazine to create inspiring content with the products they love. They can then share those looks out to other social networks and friends who can shop the looks themselves."

Bloom's iPhone application was recently featured as Gizmodo's App of the Day and it's expected to release the Android version in late February. Both photo sharing apps put the world of beauty at the user's fingertips, allowing them to:

• DISCOVER THE HOTTEST BEAUTY TRENDS
  Explore inspirational photos of hairstyles, makeup, nails and skincare! 
• LEARN HOW TO GET THE LOOK
  Photos are tagged with how-tos and the products used to get the look
• SHOP THE PRODUCTS YOU DISCOVER
  Be instantly directed to the products you love – buy online at Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy's, etc. or at nearby stores and salons.
• FOLLOW TRENDSETTERS
  Follow people whose looks you like and stay up-to-date with their latest styles.
• SHARE YOUR STYLE
  Add your own inspirational photos and tag them to trends and products used.
• FIND A PRO 
  Find beauty professionals by the services they offer and their locations! 

With more than 50% of US consumers now searching for product information on a mobile device, beauty is one of the hottest categories. Bloom's new Bloom iphone app has already been a huge hit, being downloaded by thousands of consumers who are calling it the "best place to find inspiration for makeup and hair looks."

About Bloom.com: Bloom.com was founded in 2010 by Julie Mahloch, an entrepreneur with over 14 years of experience revolutionizing ecommerce business and world renowned for co-founding HayNeedle.com, one of America's largest online home furnishing companies. Mahloch's desire to make the world of beauty easier to navigate evolved into a new passion. Realizing there was no other site like it, Mahloch is proud to provide a unique outlet to support the Bloom.com mission – inspiring consumers with the hottest trends and then instantly showing them how to create their favorite looks with access to the products and services necessary. Joining Mahloch in this endeavor is a leading team of industry experts including Nick Hudson, a veteran in the beauty industry for almost 20 years, whom she has appointed CMO of Bloom.com. He began his career in business development at The Boots Group, Europe's largest health and beauty retailer, where he was responsible for launching dozens of brands and establishing new creative retail and branding partnerships in over 40 countries across Europe, Asia and the US. Hudson went on to co-found Excelsior Beauty in 2004 where he developed new masstige beauty markets in the US and expanded distribution of international consumer brands to mainstream retailers in the US including CVS, Target and Walgreens. He is responsible for merchandise, marketing and business development at Bloom.com, which is poised to change the way in which women shop for beauty products.

SOURCE Bloom.com