About six months ago my paws got hold of a foot balm from SKNLogic and following this, I received another footbalm from SKNLogic in a goodiebag from #BWB. I had not yet used the first footbalm given to me in December last year at an end of year function because I was busy using another. Anyway, roll on winter time 2014 which is peak season for me to do some serious foot/heel TLC before embarking on a whirlwind overseas adventure and I quickly grabbed my stash of SKNLogic foot balms.


 I have been using it religiously once a day after showering/bathing and if I’ve had a long day in heels a good slap of this wonderful stuff on my feet before bed is just what is needed! In a short and sweet summary – my feet feel fabulous!

I have just started on my second footbalm after cutting the tube open of my first one because I didn’t want to waste any of the amazing moisturising concuction which soothes sore feet (especially after long days of plodding along in heels).
 
The SKNLogic Renew footbalm contains amazing ingredients like cucumber extract which hydrates while removing dead skin cells, Vitamin E which protects the skin assists with maintaining the skins oil balance, Orange Oil which works as anti-inflammatory and improves the skins elasticity, Shea Butter providing intense hydration, accelerates healing and soothes the skin, Fig Extract which promotes new cell growth and hydrates regulating trans-epidermal loss and not forgetting the sunflower oil, wheat germ oil and steric acid.
The SKNLogic brand is growing on me, even more so when I learnt that the products are manufactured locally in South Africa with packaging and printing being done here too. 

If they are not an incentive to support local, then I don’t know what is. To find out more and view their other products visit their website, Facebook and Twitter @SKNLOGIC.

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I mentioned in Friday’s post about how much I love baking.  Saturday’s BWB (Bloggers Who Bless) meet was held at the African Pride Hotel (15 on Orange) in Cape Town and it was by FAR the best meet we have had – it was a Macaroon Workshop (or as I like to call it, being taught the art of a perfect macaroon). The lovely folks over at the African Pride Hotel invited us over to come and experience the joy of making your very own Macaroons.  For those of you that don’t know what a macaroon is, Wikipedia explains it as:
A type of small circular cake, typically made from ground almonds or coconut (and/or other nuts or even potato), with sugar and egg white.  Macaroons are often baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray.

I am embarrassed to admit that before Saturday, I had never had a proper macaroon and I can absolutely say that I will definitely have them again.  I am not sure however, if they will come out of my own kitchen.
They were absolutely fun to make, especially in the company of some great woman.  The recipe is simple enough but it does take some skill and some insane arm muscles to mix it all together and then do all the piping.

I am not sure if you have ever been to the African Pride Hotel at 15 on Orange before, this was my first time and the place is gorgeous.  When you walk through the main doors you get greeted by the concierge who automatically showed us where to go in order to reach the workshop.  When we (I mention we because Lisa-Jade & myself drove together and then found Leana parking her car at the same time as us and then we found Jen looking a little frantic since she couldn’t find the meeting room).  Eventually we made it into the meeting room which was set up beautifully and full of some lovely ladies I am lucky enough to call friends.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun I had and if you have never baked a macaroon yourself then you should definitely give it a try.  An even better option would be for you to get a group together and arrange for a macaroon workshop all of your own.  I believe that they do the workshops for groups of 12 or more and the rate is R295 per person (don’t quote me on that amount though).

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Heather who arranged the workshop as well as to EC Sanel & Chef Retha for enduring our constant photography, comments, cheering, boos and my occasional swearing.

Lipglossed Ninja

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Oh So Heavenly truly make the most wonderful products, or at least all the ones I have tried have been nothing less than lovely. Their entire range is huge and you should check it out at Clicks sometime!

At a Bloggers Who Bless event, in a goodie bag I was given part of the Oh So Heavenly Beauty Sleep Collection, Wish Upon a Star Soothing Pillow Mist. The product is as it says, a mist you spray onto your pillow or bedding and the blend of aromatherapy with Lavender, Orange and Patchouli oils makes magic in your senses by calming your mind in order to inspire peaceful beauty sleep.

I have only been using my pillow mist for the past 2 weeks and I can truly say I love it and I never want to be without it. I sleep with 2 pillows, so before I go to brush my teeth and wash my face I spritz 2 sprays of the pillow mist onto my pillows and it makes my room smell gorgeous. The lavender is very powerful and luckily one of my favourite aromatherapy smells. I then proceed to the bathroom to do the admin of night time skin care routine and cleaning of teeth before retreating back into a heavenly scented room ready for some serious sleep.

Call it coincidence or the placebo effect but since I started using this little gem I have found that once my head hits that pillow it doesn’t take long for me to wind down and get sleepy and before I know it pass out entirely. I believe the bottle will last for ages and I would seriously recommend this to anyone that battles with sleeping, as there is nothing worse than lying in bed when you’ve been stressed and your body is exhausted but that mind won’t wind down and let you have peaceful, undisturbed sleep. So far, so good and I will be taking this spritz-bottle of happiness wherever I find myself on my extensive adventures over the next few weeks in order to get the best possible sleep.

Soothing Pillow Mist is available at Clicks nationwide and is R19.95 for 100ml.

x flea143

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I like a challenge, but nail art has never been my forte. But hey, at least I can say I gave it a go :)
At our most recent Bloggers Who Bless event we were challenged to create nails in the colours of the iconic red, white and blue (we had a biker/USA theme going).
These are the polishes a used:

essie Really Red, Accesorize Sapphire & essie Marshmellow

This was the end result…

What do you think?
MUCH respect to all the nail art girls and nail bloggers out there! Jeepers. Not easy at all.
xoxo

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The last #BWB breakfast (which I sadly had to miss out on as I was sick) was themed stars and stripes so we were challenged to do nail art themed with the iconic red, white and blue.
I am might be artistic but nails are so not my forte unless it’s a single colour application but I will admit I had a bit of fun with this. Just a bit ;)
Here’s my submission…

About these ads

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{BWB} On why my life will never be the same again…

Saturday was our 4th #BWB (Bloggers Who Bless) get together.  This one was hosted at Hudsons Burger Joint in Claremont and themed USA Bikers so everyone came through dressed in boots, jeans and jackets which was rad.  Also, not sure if you have ever been to Hudson’s in Claremont but holy shitzers guys… my life will never be the same again.  I had one of their Salted Caramel milkshakes (and by milkshakes, I actually mean a fishbowl filled with awesomeness).

Salted Caramel Milkshake

Salted Caramel Milkshake

Salted Caramel Milkshake

Upon arriving in the pouring rain, Heather, Fi, Jensen (my kidlet) and myself tried to warm up a bit and then started getting the tables put together.  Jensen of course ran around like a headless chicken, demanding things to play with as well as any amount of free sweets that he could find.  Luckily, we had one of the most amazing waitresses in the world and she enticed him to follow her around, help with the delivery of food, shakes and cutlery and he was also assisting as door man for a good portion of the day.
I was so relieved when Lisa-Jade arrived with her little girl Libby in tow as it gave Jensen a little bit of kiddy companionship.

My gorgeous boy…

Libby – Lisa-Jades heart and soul

J talking to the natives and pretending to be Spider Man.

Libby – displaying her art work which is “way better than his”

It was so lovely to catch up with all the ladies on Saturday as well as welcoming a new member to the group, Elzanne from Klets en Kook. We had such a great time talking about anything and everything and then we got to the good part.  We have been issued with a #BWBNailed Challenge where we need to use 3 colours (blue, red & white) on our nails and whoever comes up with the best design will win a hamper from Dermalogica (*squee*).

Leana – always full of smiles

Jenn – always beautiful.

Lisa-Jade enjoying her Salted Caramel Milkshake

Elzanne

The gorgeous Heather

Nicola & Rushda enjoying a giggle

Jenn and her head sized milkshake

I’m sure I heard Leana utter the words *nom nom* here…

Fi attacking Heather :)

For lunch we all had a selection of sliders which were absolutely to die for!  I chose to go with the TriBeCa Selection which was a choice of 3, namely The Player, The Shroom & The Boom Boom Burger – you can have a look at their menu over here.

Possibly the most amazing pizza slice ever!

TriBeCa Sliders

After much eating and even more socializing we all went on our separate ways (well, besides myself, Heather & Fi who drove together).

I can’t wait to see all the submissions for the #BWBNailed Challenge and I will definitely do a full on post about the entries and which products I used as well as my final submission.

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Crabtree & Evelyn are a brand which silently but proudly portray luxurious British heritage. The brand stemmed from a family run business that made home-made soaps with an international themes which has since grown into a huge international company which is known for quality toiletries and they have stemmed into fragrances and even food. Crabtree & Evelyn are the ultimate hipster company as they made “natural” cool before “natural” was the in thing to do. Working in harmony with nature their products are inspired from a time when the garden played an important role in daily life and they use plant, fruit and flower essences for natural fragances and soothing solutions for the skin.

From two of the recent #BWB or Bloggers Who Bless Cape Town meets – we have been totally spoilt with their wonderful handcreams. The one I’ve been using on my paws is the Iris Hand Therapy. Firstly, it is small enough to carry around in your handbag, they certainly pack a punch in these harsh winter months. They touch your skin and are absorbed leaving you with wonderfully smooth and soft hands that have no left over residue or greasiness. A real winter-must have. On top of this they leave your hands smelling absolutely gorgeous and long after use they leave a very faint scent of beautiful iris. These hand creams are award-winning and its not hard to see why. They certainly win my vote for best winter handcream for 2014 that I’ve used so far ;) Have a look at the entire handcream range over here at their website.

For 50g this product retails at R180 but you use such a little product it can last you for ages so, its well worth the investment!

Crabtree & Evelyn are not only an easy solution for a gift for the special ladies in your life as their products will happily work in harmony with everyone, they are a healthy and smart choice for daily use.

What is your favourite Crabtree & Evelyn product?

Don’t forget to visit Crabtree & Evelyn’s website, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @Crabtree_SA

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Dermalogica products have been around for years, this is however the first time that I have ever used them and I have to tell you, I am loving them.  Yes, I know, I haven’t tried their full range or even a complete range but the 3 sample products that I received from the #BWB goodie bag have definitely left me wanting more.

I received  the following samples for review:  1 x 22ml Skin Hydrating Masque, 1 x 50ml Multi-Active Toner, 1 x 30ml PreCleanse as well as a sample eye cream which I sadly lost when I was away in Johannesburg.  I have been using the 3 products listed above over the last couple of weeks and I can tell you the following:
The Skin Hydrating Masque is a refreshing mask that hydrates and replenishes dehydrated skin.  I have been using it once a week for the last few weeks.  The application is easy enough, you simply apply it over your already cleansed face and throat and then let it absorb for 10-15 minutes, thereafter rinsing it off thoroughly.  I personally found that it definitely does hydrate the skin and I love the supple feeling that gets left behind after the rinse.  You can pick up a 75ml tube for R590.00.

The  Multi-Active Toner  is great at refreshing and hydrating your skin. The first time I used this was after flying to Johannesburg – my skin was dehydrated and felt incredibly ‘icky’ and this completely perked me up (even over my makeup). The directions state that it’s a refreshing facial spritz which hydrates and smooths the surface for application of your moisturiser which would follow.  The toner includes soothing lavender, balm mint and arnica and is free from all artifical frangrances and colours.  You can pick up a 250ml bottle for R520.00

The PreCleanse is absolutely phenomenal.  It’s a deep-cleansing oil which melts away anything and everything (impurities & makeup) from your skin, leaving it feeling amazingly soft, clean and nourished.  Basically you use your clean, dry hands, massage a few drops of the PreCleanse oil over your face until it creates a light, milky emulsion and from there you rinse your face with lukewarm water.  I just can’t even explain to you how much I love this product and if I could afford it, I would ensure that I am never without it, but alas, for R520.00 for a 150ml, it just isn’t in my budget.
You can find Dermalogica products at all good salons or you can click here to find a salon nearest to you.  Dermalogica can also be found on the following platforms:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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First off… I am officially the mastermind behind this …

My smugness would be unflawed had this picture not been such an affirmation of my dorkiness. That being said, “Live long and prosper“.

I’ve had the pleasure of trying some uh-mazing Dermalogica sponsored products. I’ve never tried them before and I probably wouldn’t have made an effort to buy my own either, but now that I have, I’m rocking back and forth like a tik-koppie thinking about my next fix.

The brand low down:

Dermalogica sprouted from Jane Wurwand’s desire to see a product line that embraced her belief that skin care is a health issue as opposed to a “beauty” issue, and in 1986, it all began.

Jane wanted products that were free of irritants and ingredients that usually causes breakouts that would improve the health of the skin, and now, over 20 years later, Dermalogica is the number one choice of skin care professionals worldwide.

All the products are manufactured in the US and what’s most impressive is that they’re probably one of the first brands to never have tested their products on animals!

The products

I’ve been blessed with the following Dermalogica products:

• 50ml Multi-active toner – 250ml retails for R520
• 3ml Ultrasmoothing eye serum – 15m retails for R760
• 22ml Skin Hydrating Masque – 75ml retails for R590
• Sample sized Pre-cleanser – 150ml retails for R520

 

 

Multi-active Toner

This spray on toner helps to condition the skin and prepare it for proper moisture absorption. I used the toner after I cleaned my face with a facial sponge and hot water. I absolutely adore spray on facial products as they’re super quick and easy to use. I felt a little tingle on my skin thanks to the Balm Mint and Arnica. It also contains soothing Lavender, so you can imagine how amazing it smells.

UltraSmoothing Eye Serum

This little dynamite encourages collagen-producing activities to help smooth fine lines and targets the signs of ageing around the delicate eye area. Not knowing what consistency to expect, I squeezed the tiny tube and almost spilled all the liquid because of my over eager pinch. If I only get one Dermalogica product, it will be this one.

Precleanse

Once again, my heavy hand left me with too much product on my face and with Dermalogica, a little goes a very long way. The precleanse is a lovely oily cleanser that smells amazing – almost citrusy. “Thoroughly melt away layers of excess sebum (oil), sunscreen, waterproof make-up, environmental pollutants and residual products that build-up on skin throughout the day with skin fortifying Olive, Kukui and Apricot oils.” Leave it on for a little longer to double up as a face mask. Also… try not to get it in your eyes (based on a true story).

Skin hydrating masque

Got dry skin? Well, you’re in luck, because this hydrating masque will annihilate scaly, dry skin. Again, a little goes a very long way. All you need is a 20c sized dollop to do the trick. Spread it evenly over the face, leave it on for 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly. It left my skin feeling crazy soft and hydrated too. It was such a treat to use.

Conclusion: These products fall way out of most people’s budgets and, sadly, not too many people are able to truly understand how amazing they are. That being said, should you dive in the Dermalogica pool, your initial spend will be about R2000 to R3000 which will hold you for a couple of months because you’ll only use a tiny amount at a time. From there, you’ll just replace your products as you need them. Because the products are free from harmful chemicals and because they really work, you should, in truth, consider it an investment in your skin’s health as opposed to a beauty treat.

Details

You can keep up to date with their latest products and news in the field on Facebook and Twitter – @dermalogicasa and make sure to visit their site for more information.

Final word: I will be scraping my pennies together for my first full sized Dermalogica skin care routine very soon. :D

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You know that movie Cocktail? Starring Tom Cruise?  
Well, who cares!  I don’t need to go to a tropical beach and stare at a brunette dude sans six-pack wearing dark shades as he shakes up a Margarita when all I need to do is open up my freezer, whip out my  frozen pouch of Original Cocktails Margarita, pour it into a glass and climb into my pool a mere 20 feet away!

Original Cocktails have been making South African woman and men happy with their amazing variety of pre-packed, ready to freeze and drink cocktails since 2008.  Their range started with 3 mixes – Strawberry Daiquiri, Pina Colada’s & Margaritas and has now been extended to include an extra 4 mixes, namely Cosmopolitan’s, Mojito’s, Singapore Slings & the absolutely amazing Gluhwein.

Original Cocktails are made with real fruit juice and 5% alcohol and are packaged in 300ml servings which are the perfect amount for you to unwind.  

 

You simply freeze your cocktail for 8 hours, squish up the pouch and pour into a cocktail glass (or like me, a wine glass since I don’t own any cocktail glasses).  Also, I should mention, you can also get 2L boxes of cocktail mix which you can freeze before a party too.

At our last #BWB meeting I received an amazing frozen Mojito pouch to enjoy and trust me, AWESOMNESS!  

Original Cocktails were also one of our sponsors at the #CPTBloggerMeet earlier this year where we were able to spoil each blogger to a couple of cocktails at the venue, trust me, they loved it.

You can find Original Cocktails on the following social platforms:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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In my most recent Bloggers who Bless goodie bag, I received a Nimue Vitamin C moisture mist. This little gem is the sole inspiration for my “Use the fancies, dammit” challenge. 

I took one look at it and knew that I’d enjoy using it – I wasn’t wrong. The bottle is as classy and fabulous as the 15 on Orange hotel:

 

The brand low down:

Nimue was initially aimed at the medical market for application before and after surgeries. Since then, it has become a globally recognized brand and today we can find their innovative products in leading salons.

Nimue knows their stuff as far as skin care is concerned and is renowned for their skin classification concept whereby skin is categorised as follows:

1. Environmentally Damaged Skin
2. Hyperpigmented Skin
3. Problematic Skin
4. Interactive Skin

Their methods of treating skin are simply based on Rejuvenation, Restoration, Antioxidation and Sun Protection.

This makes more sense than chucking skin into “age groups”. I’m sure you can agree that nobody “ages” the same and that skin damage can result from a magnitude of factors ranging from diet to exposure to the sun.

This is why you want to use the Vitamin C moisture mist:

Besides the obvious hydration factor, this mist freshens the skin as well as act as a natural UVA protector. Vitamin C is a key ingredient in many “anti-aging” products as it acts as a stimulator for the production of collagen, which means better skin elasticity and a radiant and hydrated skin.

The short term benefit: it immediately makes you look refreshed.

The best part of it all: all 4 of the skin categories can use it and you can use it over your makeup without worrying about it messing up all your hard work.

On a personal note: Don’t be a blondie like me and spray your face while breathing in. Also, (and I’m sure I don’t really need to say this, but if I did it, others might do it too) close your mouth and eyes when you use the mist on your face. That being said, it doesn’t taste too bad and it doesn’t burn your eyes so much… so…

*scuse me while I gather myself … I LOVE YOU TOM*

Cost and contact: At first, I was afraid, I was petrified, but very happy to see that it will be raining Nimue products from here on forward because they are very affordable. This bottle retails for R150 but check your local stockist, because I’ve seen them going for an impressive R139.00 each.

You can find your nearest stockist here.

You can like their Facebook Page here

Follow them on Twitter – @NimueSkinSA

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Hey Gorgeous!  No, not you silly, the company, Hey Gorgeous!
They are absolutely amazing and have seriously been making the rounds for a while.  Their products are absolutely divine in both scent and quality.

I took a few minutes to run through their website and on their home page they list 10 things about them which I found really interesting and would like to share it with you:

♥  Everything we make, we make with love.
♥  Hey Gorgeous is family run. Real people. Real products.
♥  We source locally and use only natural ingredients.
♥  Our planet is important to us. We try to keep our carbon footprint small.
♥  Our products are cruelty free! We only test on our friends.
♥  Our testimonials are all 100% true. We stand by this.
♥  We stand by our products. They really work.
♥  We love helping people feel confident and gorgeous.
♥  We’re relatively young, but we have big dreams and amazing friends.
♥  We are based in South Africa, but we now offer worldwide shipping.

So with those 10 points, who wouldn’t want to try out some of their products?

At the last BWB meeting we received an awesome Cupcake Bath Bomb from them and at first, I really didn’t want to use it because… it’s a cupcake darn it.  But, after our Rain Expedition I decided that after a 6 hour drive, too little caffeine and a couple of bee stings that I needed to climb into a hot, steaming, cupcake bath bomb filled bath and just relax with my Kindle.



When I took the Cupcake out of the packaging and breathed it in, the first scent I got was floral, possibly rose and then I held it under the running water for a few seconds before my fingers started to burn off and then dropped it into the tub.

The scent took over the room and I imagine that that’s what it would smell like if I was in a rose garden, spinning around like that chick from The Sound of Music.

 

Also, it turned the water pink, so I totally felt like a princess.

When I finally managed to pull myself out of the bathtub I was so completely relaxed and my skin felt as though I was wrapped up in angel wings #TrueStory!

I absolutely adore Hey Gorgeous!  and can’t wait to get my hands on some more of their products!

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