Flowers and Frills

Hi Beauties,

Dolled up in this pretty feminine dress, with just a touch of vintage glam, I could easily have gone to a garden tea party.  The top is very sheer, so I had to wear a camisole underneath, but this is another great way to style pear-shaped bodies, as the top accentuates my bust, cinched in at the waist with a very flattering skirt.

 

 

 

 

Dress:  Mr Price

Shoes:  Mr Price

Handbag:  Mr Price

 

I hope you enjoyed this outfit post!

 





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The Body Shop: Christmas Collection

Hi Beauties,

I adore this time of the year, not only is it my birthday month (hoorrayyy), but all of the shops and brands are releasing their Christmas collections, and I honestly can't believe that Christmas is only 7 weeks away.  I adore the vibe and atmosphere this time of the year, it's so festive and everyone generally seems in a better mood.  One of my all time favourite shops is The Body Shop, with my firm favourites that I continue to buy being their body butters. 

So imagine my delight as I walked into their already decorated shop to find some amazing new Christmas goodies just waiting to adorn my bathroom shelf.

 

 

 

 

Here's a couple of reasons why I support The Body Shop:

 

*  Against Animal Testing

*  Support Community Far Trade

*  Protect the Planet

 

It's really hard to find a brand who has such amazing ethics and values, and on top of that products that leaves me wanting more!  So if you're into animal rights and saving our planet as much as I am, please do visit their stores soon.  Also invest in one of their customer loyalty cards, I've received a couple of discount vouchers, and they regularly have promotions like 3 products and the cheapest one is for free. 

 

Ginger Sparkle Body Butter

With ginger root extract and community fair trade shea butter.

 

How gorgeous is the packaging with the cute ginger-bread man on the cover?  The ginger scent is very strong once I've opened the lid, it smells like Christmas in a tin, so really, what's not to love?  The scent really lingers on your skin, so I do suggest if you're not a fan of strong smelling products that you don't try this, but if you do, then this little beauty is perfect for you.  There's no sparkles in the butter at all, and as with all of the other body butters it's very rich and moisturising, and a little goes a long way.

 

Cranberry Joy Shower Gel

Soap-free cleaning with cranberry extract and community fair trade honey.

 

Oh, what a joy it is to smell this shower gel, it's sweet and fruity, and an amazing Christmas combination with the above body butter (although they're not the same scents they smell really good together).  It lathers really nicely and overall a firm favourite.

 

Ginger Sparkle Lip Balm

 

This is such a cute lip balm, it's a no fuss product, basically just take the balm to your lips, apply and voila.  The fragrance is exactly the same as the body butter, it doesn't have any colour pay-off and is super moisturising.  Must have handbag-essential.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post, let me know if you have any Body Shop favourites?

 



 

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Retro Chic

Hi Pretties,

This outfit gave a definite 70's retro vibe with thick-heeled platforms and a flirty lace dress, layering is the perfect way to survive in our current weather conditions where it seems hot the one moment and having a hail-storm the next.

If you're pear-shaped like me, so you have a tiny upper body with a slim middle but a curvy bum and hips, outfits like these are the perfect way to create an hourglass effect, and this is also how leggings should be worn.  Please ladies {leggings are not pants} always ensure that unless you have the perfect built, that you wear appropriate tops to cover all your lady bits.



Black Blazer:  Legit

Lace Dress:  Mr Price

Printed Scarf:  Mr Price

Shoes:  Mr Price

 

I hope you enjoyed this look beauties, if so please remember to subscribe to my blog?

 





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Review: October Rubybox and Eye Lash Curler

Good Morning Pretties,

I'm not into doing a whole beauty box review whatsoever (but will do the products I've tried and tested and feel are Dressed In The City review worthy), and initially I wasn't going to do a review on any of the products received in the October Rubybox, and I'll get to the reason now, but I feel that it's important to give credit where credit is due. 

I've been a loyal subscriber of Glambox SA, and recently they collaborated with Rubybox, I feel when two companies melt together, it's to bring something even more exciting and bigger to the table ~ however, this collaboration has been nothing but a let down.  If you've been a loyal follower of my blog, you might know that I'm big into packaging, it's the same when you receive a present, when someone has taken the time and effort to give your pressie in a beautiful bag or wrapping, it makes one super excited to rip it open and see what's inside.

The new beauty boxes leaves little to be desired for, the boxes firstly are shaped in a rectangular form, which I find odd, it's also not good quality and inside you find the products wrapped in a teeny bit of scrappy papers.  Honestly, the look is enough to put me off even wanting to find out what they've sent me, and when opening the undesirable packaging, I'm met with a couple of scraps of samples/products.  I sincerely hope they're going to read all the criticism on the net and improve the next box, I wanted to unsubscribe but thought let me give them one last chance, so here's hoping we're met with a glamorous November box filled with out of this world goodies :)

Onto something that pleasantly surprised me, the box contained an eye lash curler, and first I thought okay, that's not a biggie, I mean it's just an eye lash curler right?  Totally not true, I have short and straight eyelashes, this is what I have to deal with everyday:



I'm always on the lookout for that magic tool that will give me va-va-voom lashes, and this little beauty did not disappoint.  It curled my lashes in the fastest time, about 10 seconds each eye and I had beautifully curled lashes ~ I then coated them with two coats of my L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara, let it dry and then only at the base pressed for another 5 - 7 seconds, and these are the results (they lasted the whole day) ~ I know some people heat their eye lash curlers, but I don't think that's healthy for your lashes and I certainly don't want to end up with even more sparse lashes than I already have:

 

 

 

The eye lash curler comes with two additional sponges, I've tried looking on their website to see what the pricing is, but can't find it anywhere, so if you're interested in one of these perhaps just contact them here





Hope you enjoyed this post beauties, and please subscribe to my blog and always stay fabulous?

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Review: Kiehl's Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish

Hi Beauties,

After what felt like forever, Kiehl's finally made their much awaited appearance in South-Africa, and I couldn't wait to visit their store at Edgars in Sandton City, and on top of my list of goodies to review was one of the Creme de Corps products.

 

 

 

 



Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish
with Luffa Fruit and Jojoba Butter

The packaging is stylish and classic and the tube is 200ml (6.8fl. oz), and once you pop open the cap, the most amazing buttery fragrance hits your nose, it really smells lovely and expensive (well it is), it's a very concentrated formula, and a little goes a long way, so although on the more pricier side, you really only need the smallest amount to get a good scrub.

The consistency is quite thick with rough granulated particles, it left my skin baby soft, smooth and moisturised, and you don't even need to use a moisturiser afterwards, as this product seem to give it a boost of moisture, but of course that is only if you want to skip that step in your routine.  Although moisturising, it did not leave any oily residue on my skin, and is the perfect scrub or polish to use before applying a self-tanner, I used a gradual self-tanner afterwards and it made my skin look really glowy and even.  Not to mention soft to the touch with an amazing lingering scent. 

I can't wait to buy the Creme de Corps moisturiser, as I didn't want to invest a lot of money in such expensive products without really knowing if it's going to work, but after this nifty little body polish did such an amazing job, I feel it definitely worthwhile to invest in more of their products. 

Have you tried this product range and which one is your favourite?

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Preppy in Teal

Hi Pretties,

Last year on my trip to London I got the most gorgeous chiffon dress from Primark, it's so dainty and lady-like with just the right amount of vintage meets modern.  The length of this dress is also perfect for work-wear, and the shape is very flattering on womanly curves with a small belt slightly cinched in at the waist.

Dress:  Primark

Shoes:  Rage

Necklace:  Mr Price

Pink Ring:  Mr Price

Yellow Nail Polish:  Sass Diva

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this look beauties?!

 

 

 

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Let's Talk Skin # 1

Hi Pretties,

I will be doing a series of skincare posts called "Let's Talk Skin" ~ I hope you'll enjoy exploring the way to perfect skin with me.

One of the very first things I noticed when hitting the big 30, was a difference in the look and feel of my skin, little lines started appearing out of nowhere, well I'm sure it was there before of course, I mean lines doesn't just appear in a day, but I honestly only really took notice of them then, skincare will adjust and change as you change.

South-Africa is know for our hot and beautiful summers, and as a kid from the 80's sunscreen and skin-cancer were not a concern at that time, and our yearly trips to the coast ended up with lots of sun-burnt skin and I ended up with freckles by the time I went to primary school, sun-damage and a bout of acne in my teenage years resulted in less than perfect skin.  I've heard so much about the Placecol brand before my first consultation, and I will do a full post on my experience and consultation.  These products have been recommended by the beauty therapist:



 

 

Placecol Advanced Facial Care Multi Vitamin Facial Wash

~  Contains concentrated natural extracts and vitamins

~  Stimulates tissue regeneration and helps promote natural DNA repair

~  Suitable for sensitive skin

~  Dermatologist endorsed

 

It says that it is a foaming cleanser, however, no matter how hard I try it actually does not foam, however, that has no negative impact on the results though.  I use the cleanser with yellow cleansing sponges, and it effectively removes about 97 % of make-up.

 

Placecol Advanced Facial Care Alcohol-Free Toner

~  Contains concentrated natural extracts and peptides

~  Leaves skin refined and toned

~  Suitable for sensitive skin

~ Dermatologist endorsed

 

Just one or two spritzes is more than enough, and the therapist told me it's a vital step in our cleansing routine, not only does it remove any leftover residue the cleanser didn't remove, but it evens out your skin so when you apply a serum or moisturiser, it penetrates evenly throughout your skin so it isn't moisturised or treated in patches.  This is a very refreshing toner.

 

Placecol Special Treatment Collagen Restoring Serum

~  Helps restore collagen and elasticity

~  Suitable for normal to very dry skin types

 

This is  really lovely serum, the smallest amount is enough, it looks like a thinned moisturiser and gives instant moisture and glow, and completely evens out my skin.

 

Placecol Special Treatment Anti-Ageing Eye Balm

~  Fragrance Free

~  Prevents lines and wrinkles

 

A very watery eye cream, it's extremely soothing and non-irritating on the eyes, it does help as a moisturising agent, but I still need an additional product to help with under-eye circles.  As far as helping with fine lines and wrinkles, I haven't seen a massive difference, but perhaps it's one of those products that will improve the appearance with long-term use.

 

Placecol Liposome Moisturiser

A light, yet effective moisturiser reinforced with locust bean gum and a special blend of emollients and humectants to nourish and condition the skin, leaving it feeling soft, supple and silky smooth. A special blend of active ingredients helps the skin to attract and retain lost moisture, thereby improving skin relief and restoring youthful appearance. Plant extracts such as chamomile and calendula ensure a soothing soft feel.

 

This is an amazing moisturiser, it has improved my complection, gives a smooth finish and I can see the difference when applying my foundation, together with the serum I feel that this is a really effective product combination to use.  My skin feels very moisturised and plump.

 

Placecol Special Treatment Gentle Exfoliating Serum

~  Intensive clarifying serum for clear problem and oily skin

 

This is the best exfoliator I have ever used, it contains natural fruit acids to gently but effectly remove dead skin cells to renew and brighten your complexion.  The smell is really nice and it makes the 15 minute treatment go by in a flash.  I have been advised by my therapist to use this in conjunction with the mask twice a week.

 

Placecol Stimugenating Mask

Stimulating and rejuvenating mask formulated to help alleviate the visible signs of premature skin ageing. 

 

I love this mask, and I've always used it after the exfoliator and then left it in overnight to give me maximum use of this product.  My skin feels baby soft the next day, and I can see a huge difference in the overall appearance and feel of my skin.  The only thing I don't like is the smell, it's not bad or overly strong, but it does linger a while, it kind of reminds me of the smell of flour (the one you bake with), so it's definitely not the worst kind of smell.

 

COSTS:

 

I don't have a breakdown of the individual product costs, but the whole range was around R1700.00, which is absolutely worth it!  It is one of the most affordable product ranges to have, and most of the products was around the R200 mark per product. 

 

OVERALL VERDICT:

 

My skin had a reaction within a few days of starting the products and after the treatment, my skin appeared more red than usual, and I had a complete breakout on my chin and jaw-line with pimples and bumps, basically the therapist advised that this might happen because all of the "bad stuff" was hiding underneath the layer of skin that had now been removed, and now had the opportunity to come out in all it's glory ... not very pleasant at the time.

 

I also experienced some stinging/burning sensations when applying products for about a week after my treatment.  I made the mistake of applying the serum and normal moisturiser on the sensitive eye area, although the product clearly tells me not to do it, so I had dry and itchy areas around my eyes until I realised I'm not supposed to use it around these areas, and when I stopped doing it the irritation went away completely within a couple of days.

 

Apart from the redness and pimples, my skin also felt dry and flaky, as if irritated, which made me stress a little bit as I though I might have an allergic reaction to it, I continued using it and by the 2nd week I could see a huge difference, the reaction started fading, and by the 3rd week my skin had settled completely and started looking really glowy and radiant.  The star moment of it all?  When my hubby commented that my marks are starting to look lighter!  I definitely saw the scarring and freckles fading by at least 10 %, and my skin was dewy and overall felt amazing!  Together with my new skincare regime, I also upped my intake of water, and I now see the results of moisturising from the inside out, and highly recommend you do that too if you don't already ~ if you do struggle drinking water, why not add some fruits to it like strawberries, lemon wedges or even mint, it makes it taste so much nicer and you'll trick your brain to think your drinking a nice cool drink.

 

Hope you enjoyed the post, and let me know of your favourite product skincare range?

 

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Out of the Blue

Hi Fashionistas,

There's a whole array of beautiful summer dresses waiting to be adorned with a golden tan and pretty sandals in my closet, but I have yet been able to wear them due to crazy Johannesburg weather, so I settled for blue leopard print skinnys with a cute satin blazer to make it a bit more work-wear appropriate, and keeping all shades of blue I added a pop of blue-smokey eyes to finish off the look.

 

 

 

 

 Black Satin Blazer:  Legit

Blue Leopard Print Jeans:  Mr Price

Heels:  Mr Price

Baby Blue Bag:  Mr Price

Cuff/Bracelet:  Mr Price

Silver Rings:  Sass Diva

Nails:  Essie in Jam N'Jelly

 

FACE OF THE DAY:

 

 

Sleek Face & Body Highlighter in Peach Shimmer - Available at Red Square

Essence I Love Style Liquid Eyeliner - Available at Clicks

Chanel Glossimer in 139

MAC Eye Shadow Frost in Deep Truth

MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

 

 

I absolutely adore both these eyeshadows from MAC, and Deep Truth is the perfect shade to create a smokey eye if you don't want to use black, and you can use this colour with purple, brown and turquoise/blue ~ it's really very versatile.  It's got the perfect amount of shimmer to create an amazing depth and is very pigmented.

 

The paint pot in Bare Study I use daily, I use it as an eyeshadow base, an all over lid colour and can be used as a highlighter.

 

For the most part, I'm not a huge Sleek cosmetics fan, but this little beauty is absolutely gorgeous!  It's a blush and highlighter in one, it's the perfect shade of peach with the slightest amount of shimmers in, seriously, if you want va-va-voom cheeks invest in this beauty.

 

I'm not a big fan of colour on my lips, and love anything nude(ish). This Chanel lipgloss is one of the most beautiful shimmer lipglosses I own, and although the swatch doesn't do it justice at all, in the tube it has a slight pink-ish tone to it, but once on your pout it adds volume and gives you kissable lips.  Although a bit on the expensive side, no make-up kit will be complete without this lippie.

 

One of the most inexpensive eyeliners I own, it has a felt-tip applicator, but the most pigmented eyeliner, and the easiest to create a winged eyeliner with.

 

 

 

 

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! x x

 

 

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Review: Kangol Kolour Time to Shine Bronzing Powder

Hey Beauties,

Bronzing powder should be a staple in your beauty bag, and if you don't know why well let me tell you the secret ~ finding the right bronzer for your skin tone not only means that you will look like a bronzed babe with a summery glow all year round, but you can sculpt yourself some Victoria Beckham cheekbones, if you haven't been naturally blessed with those of course. 

So find yourself an angled brush, suck in those cheekbones and with a light hand brush some bronzer on the hollows of your cheeks with light circular movements, blending upwards and into the hairline (blending being the keyword as you need to blend .. blend ... blend to avoid looking streaky or your contouring being obvious), working all around your hairline to your forehead.   A little goes a long way, and it's best to have to use more to deepen or accentuate the effect you're trying to achieve, than looking like a disaster.  An amazing link on how to properly contour your face, and full instructions here.



There isn't any colour specified on the product, so I'm assuming this might be the only colour in their product range.  The packaging is really gorgeous with it's bronze mirror surface, and I love how they've designed the powder to have a sun-ray effect, the packaging and whole feel embodies a bronzing powder.

 

It's a light and fluffy powder, with a very fine shimmery look to it, which only adds dimension to your face, so don't worry that you'll end up looking like a disco ball.  It is extremely pigmented, and I guess this little beauty shall last you for years as you literally need the smallest amount.

 

Overall I loved the look of this product, and it went well with my everyday look.  If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive bronzing powder, and have a light/medium skin tone, this will be the perfect companion to get you sunkissed and glowy.

 

If you enjoyed my post, why not subscribe and always stay fabulous?

 

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