my go to lip product

Just had to share my favourite lip gloss of the moment with you: Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Fame. It's the perfect deep pink for cold winter days.

hair dream

This girl's hair is my dream - dark chocolate locks with the perfect amount of curl/bed head effect and an oversized fringe.

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my beauty loves

It's been a whole year since I chatted about my favourite beauty products! Seriously, where did all the time go? Do you have some of those products that you don't know how you ever lived without? These are some of mine as we move from summer to winter...

1. Dermalogica's Skin Prep Scrub, for making my skin deliciously smooth.

2. Dior Addict gloss. I am all about easy lips at the moment. My fave colour is number 684 - a subtle pink that makes my lips look perfectly kissable, even if I say so myself.

3. Davines shampoo and conditioner. I love Davines sustainable philosophy.

4. Smashbox Photo Finish foundation primer. This does wonders underneath your foundation and I can feel the difference the whole day.

5. Clarins Delicious Self Tanning Cream. Do you use self tan? I am vowing to use it on my legs all winter long!

6. Essie nail polish in Ballet Slippers. I love the look of perfectly manicured nails but in a neautral, soft colour. Ballet Slippers is spot on!

7. Estee Laude's Pure Colour Blush in Brazen Bronze. I picked this compact up at a beauty sale and now I am obsessed. I love that the colour isn't too pink and perfectly defines my cheek bones.

8. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick. I am a huge Eight Hour Cream (the original) and use it for everything but I am pretty sold on this lip stick too... it makes your lips super smooth.

9. Bobbi Brown eye shadows... so easy, so quick! 

guest post: beauty product love

I never thought of myself as a beauty product obsessive but my job allows me to experiment with some awesome products. Although I use many more products, these are my everyday must-haves:

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara: when I started using this mascara my mum thought I had eye lash extensions. Reason enough? I think so.

Toni & Guy's dry hair shampoo: We unfortunately can't get this here but whenever anyone I know goes to London I get them to bring me a can home. It's so convenient. I learnt about this product when I was interning in the fashion industry in London and everyone above me had a can of this in their work drawer... life saver!


Dermalogica's Clearing Skin Wash: I have used Dermalogica since I was a zitty teenager and love it! I have always used the Special Cleansing Gel but recently I was recommended the Clearing Skin Wash which I am finding fantastic. It has a bit of a clinical smell which I find refreshing.


Clinique Chubby Sticks: Not quite lipstick, not just gloss. These babies are fab and so easy, somehow they are easier to apply than lipstick and they do all sorts of moisurising along the way!

Essie nail polish in ChinChilly: This is the perfect grey. I love grey on my nails, perfectly neutral but not too ordinary and since we are mid winter it goes with all my outfits. Every now and then I go Gellish on my nails in which case I use Temptation which is a really similar colour.

Nivea moisturiser: Best tub ever!

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream: I know this is a popular choice but I could never live without a tube of this in my bag, next to my bed, in my make up bag, car, bathroom... blah blah blah.

The perfect red lipstick. My fav: MAC's Russian Red. It's matt and it's fab. A red lip really transforms an outfit.

I couldn't live without cuticle oil, especially in our Jo'burg dry winters. OPI's Avoplux Cuticle Oil On the Go is so easy. 

Autumn beauty

Autumn is here. Good and proper. And, while I welcome most Autumn thing with open arms, the dry air of Jo'burg is not one of them. Since I have been pregnant, I have been using Jojoba Oil at morning and night I can highly recommend this luscious, non greasy oil in the combat against dry skin. I add a touch of grape seed oil to make it go further.

Well I am not the biggest beauty know-all (read: pretty low maintenance when it comes to products), I am also loving these things which certainly hep with maintain smooth and creaminess throughout the cold months.

Clockwise from top:
1. This colour lipstick is perfect for fall - not dramatically dark yet definitely not shouting summer
2. I am obsessed with Davines hair products, and this NouNou conditioner smells so good you want to eat it
3. I blogged about Kiss My Face sun lotion in the midst of summer, but now try the lipbalm (because it's natural, your lips don't come dependent on it and a little stick lasts forever)
4. Now my favourite of all favourites, Burts Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme. The sad thing is I haven't found this in SA so savouring my last jar I bought in NY. It's amazing.

What are your fave products for the dry season?

xoxo

You smell nice.

Tonight Cheska and I are going to experience a sensory exploration of Tom Ford's new fragrances. Yum (that yum is more for Tom Ford than the fragrances). The theme: Uber (what to wear!?). I am rather excited.

And did I mention that I heart Tom Ford? (Yes, yes, I know he won't be there, but still...).

 {Hello Mr Ford}

Kiss My Face

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Last week Cup of Jo did a post on natural sunscreens, emphasising the dangers of regular sunscreens. Being a fair skinned lass living under the hot African sun, I wear sunscreen every single day, come rain or shine, so this really hit home. Joanna recommended Josie Maran's sun protection lotion which is available at Sephora but unfortunately neither Sephora, nor Josie Maran, ship to South Africa.

On the look out for an option available to me here, I came across Kiss my Face at my local health shop, HealthWorks. This lotion rubs in nicely (you do not feel like you are wearing white some natural remedy on your face) and comes in SPF 30 and SPF 50 (perfect for those beach vacations). 

So for all of you who have similar concerns but still don't want to get sun damage, give it a try!

Guest Post: Lips

I need some lip service. Red, pink, orange, oh my!

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Guest Post: Top Knot

I am obsessed with wearing my hair in a top knot, which for me is like the secret weapon of style.

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Guest Post: Beautiful Beauty

I am not usually a beauty product girl, I am way more likely to spend my money (and time) on clothes, shoes and things for my home but after seeing these best beauty picks from NY Fashion Week, I think I need to start experimenting a bit more

Using eye liner to make the perfect cateye: Ports 1961.

And I love these metallic eyes too: Altuzarra

Gwen Stefani with the perfect soft updo and her signature lips.

How cute are these loopy updos, I think they look delicious, and the bow is pretty cute (Monique Lhuillier)

I love this: Luca Luca

Twisted pouf at the Peter Som show

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Hair today

I got a hair cut today. After growing my fringe out when I got engaged (what we do for weddings!) I decided it was time to get another one. This time it is quite different (I miss Sai my hair stylist in NY!) and has a distinct seventie's vibe.

It looks kind of like this:

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The husband doesn't know. He is picking me up in an hour- hope it likes it ;)

LaZy BoNeS

I used to be an avid Yoga-goer. My apartment in New York was literally around the corner from the most wonderful yoga studio, East Yoga so there were no excuses for being lazy. It was the perfect start to a Saturday, and a perfect end to a Tuesday (after which my yoga-buddy and I would usually end up at some little neighborhood tapas bar like Pata Negra or Mercadito Cantina and undo all the good effects!). On most weeks I would go two or three times.

Since I have moved to Johannesburg I have not been such an avid class attendee, depsite finding the perfect replacement studio just up the road from me, Yoga Warrior. However, with three classes expiring at the end of the month (that is in one week time!) I have decided that today is the day I re-embrace my inner yogi and make yoga class a regular thing. Namaste.

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Of course, class attendence would be a lot easier were it to be accompanied by Stella McCartney's 2010 Adidas yoga collection. My favourite get up is this one, but check out this cool video promoting her entire 2010 Adidas range.