I love Rihanna, she’s gorgeous and her music is catchy. She is no doubt one of the most succesful women in music right now. That being said, she is no Role Model. A while back Rihanna invited a group of journalists to join her on tour where all she did was get high and drunk on purpose. There were even reports of her barely trying to sing on stage. I know, that many stars are not role models, but Rihanna is particularly worse because she says it’s OK to go back to a guy who choked you and love him and plus then encourage reckless behaviour. I have no right to judge her or really question whether Chris Brown loves her, but millions of teen girls are looking at her and saying ‘OMG Rih and Chris <3′ without realising what it really means.

Also, these limited edition MAC collections aren’t really limited anymore. I used to get pretty excited when there was a new collection. I freaked out for Gareth Pugh and absolutely loved the Marilyn one, but I will definitely not be trying the Rihanna. These collections just look like gimmicks to get the younger market to buy from MAC. It’s obviously just my opinion, but Rihanna is almost like a cheap tactic. The twenties market loves her, everyone wants to be her, she represents a ‘don’t care rebel’ that most women wants to be deep down. The lipstick apparently sold out three hours after the collection went on sale. It’s probably going to be really successful

It’s just not me to support that.

Image credit.

I received the Essence Gel Tint in Pink Exposed (04) and have to say that I am very undecided about how I feel.

The gel tint comes in a small tube with a silver lid that seems sturdy and perfect for small handbags. Essence claims that this will provide long-lasting and intensive colour. They also claim that the product has a cooling effect on the lips.

My experience:

1. On application, the product does have a very cooling effect on my lips, but it doesn’t last long. It applies like a stickier lipgloss and dries very quickly.

2. It was very easy to build up the colour. The first swipe created a sheer pink. I would then wait a minute or so and apply another layer. 3 of these layers created a very pigmented dark pink lip that I actually loved.

3. The colour did last for a long time, but only an hour or two, especially if I was eating or drinking. Because my lips are  a little dry, I didn’t like the way it looked when most of the colour had run off, it left a darker patch closer to my lips.

4. The applicator is annoying. It really makes it harder to apply a consistent amount of product. I end up with a clump of product on my left arch which is hard to fix up without getting some on my hands.

Where this product really won for me is as a blush. I would just swipe it once or twice on either cheek and blend it quickly. It created a natural look that I love. I haven’t actually used much powder blush since. It lasted the ENTIRE day on my cheeks.

If you don’t mind the drying effect, for the price this is really worth it. But, otherwise I wouldn’t repurchase, except if I was looking for a blush.

A few weeks ago I got sent some goodies from Shiseido and I freaked out. I am in LOVE with Asian cosmetics and am so glad to finally get a chance to share some with you.

Included in my package was the Shiseido Perfect Hydrating BB Cream which I promptly applies to my face. I regularly trawl International blogs looking for reviews of Asian BB creams and I had finally gotten my hands on one.

The Shiseido Perfect Hydrating BB cream claims to provide significant skin coverage, moisturisation and contains spf 30 and Rose Apple Leaf and Thiotaurine extracts to help fight oxidation.

What it did for me:

1. The coverage is medium to sheer. It was actually impressive.

2. It is very hydrating, my now, my skin is no longer dry and I found that I had to blot this during the day if I didn’t set it with a powder. I still had to powder it even if I had used Nanoblur to set it.

3. It stayed on for a good few hours, it does get slippery if I don’t set it.

4. The smell is STRONG. It’s a really great smell don’t get me wrong, but some might find it overpowering. I love it, I keep asking the boyf if he can smell my face. I’m crazy like that. It smells like a fragrance.

5. The bb cream itself is  little runnier than expected. It’s not like a foundation, but very close to it. This would only be a problem, if it resulted in very sheer coverage.

I have the Dark shade and it is a little too dark for my face but gives my face a nice warmth. I swatched it below so you can see what it looks like. My skin is Nc 43.

The Shiseido Perfect Hydrating BB Cream retails for around R395 so it si definitely one of the luxe bb creams around.

I got my hands on a GHD Eclipse nearly a month ago and haven’t yet had a chance to review it. I did have the chance to use it though. I don’t think I could use anything else on my hair anymore. You see, I had a cheapie straightener which was perfectly fine for my mostly straight hair so the difference was huge when I started using the ghd correctly.

My hair is just thick and mildy wavy naturally. I have some fine curly hairs near my ear. That is the extent of my hair. GHD claims that this styler is made to tackle unruly and generally challenging hair. I’ve also seen it being used successfully on ethnic hair. My hair should have been really easy and it was.

The first few times I used the GHD Eclipse I barely saw any difference compared to my cheap styler. I then realised it was all about technique;

1. Instead of just grabbing at pieces I sectioned my hair and styled small sections at a time. You would think that this makes the process take much longer, but it really doesn’t add that much time. The result is also substantially better.

2. Make sure that you hair is absolutely dry before you style it.

3. Run the styler slowly through your hair. And I mean slowly. If I do it as slow as I can handle, one swipe gives me the straightest and sleekest hair. Running the styler quickly through your hair won’t heat the strands up enough and you will have to go over the hair once or twice more.

Back to the Eclipse:

I love this styler. This styler gives me absolutely sleek hair in around 10 minutes, and have you seen how much hair I have? It never really burns my hair and I’m left with soft, silky and shiny hair. I have tried to curl my hair with it, but have not been successful AT ALL. That might just be me though.

I really like the design, the old GHD looks cheap and lame compared to this one. It also came in a beautiful box bag and a large heat- resistant mat. It also comes with a rubber cap to keep the plates closed which I love.

Is it worth it to upgrade?

If you are looking to shell out some money on a styler, this could be a really good bet. It works so well and looks so good.

The ghd Eclipse retails at R2899 at authorised dealers around South Africa.

Last night I took my mum to the opening night of The Greatest Love of All, The Whitney Houston show at the Joburg Theatre starring Belinda Davids. I’m going to say it right now. It is THE best Mothers Day gift.

Belinda David’s a South African native wowed the crowd with her perfectly blissful voice. She sounded and looked like Whitney. It was exceptional. She performed all the classics and the crowd went crazy when it was time for I will Always Love You. We danced, cried and really joined in the fun. The four dancers that were part of the show were also exceptional. I didn’t see one fault. Everything was fully rehearsed.

I snapped a few photos, but I’m still getting used to my camera so they aren’t as good as they could be. I guess if you want better images, go yourself

Get tickets for the show from Joburg Theatre. It runs until the 2 June, so you don’t have that much time left!

Yesterday I was invited to attend the launch of a new South Africa Nail Polish Brand. I know what you’re thinking, don’t we already have enough? How different can nail polish really get? I felt the exact same way. If anything, I was really excited to see the bottle. The press shots showed a beautiful square glass bottle and I was dying to get my hands on some.

The brand was ICE BOX, a South African company with a factory right here in Johannesburg.  No, it isn’t going to be a budget brand. ICE BOX colours are creating quality nail polishes that have a gel-like consistency.

What you need to know:

1. ICE BOX comes in two sizes. Every single shade will come in a small bottle and a large bottle. I can’t tell you how convenient and helpful that is. I never really want a full size trend colour.

2. The smaller bottle doesn’t come with the amazing wide brush. When I say wide brush, I mean one swipe covers most of my nail. I cannot tell you how easy application is with that brush.

3.  The polishes are made with good quality pigments. I learnt at the launch why some polishes stain our nails – and it is just that. Cheaper pigments stain the nails.

4. The range is 3-free. obvs.

5. ICE BOX can produce a shade in two weeks. That is, from inception to shelf. I had ZARA flashbacks when hearing that. It’s so much easier to be on trend when you can produce quickly.

6. COST: R99 for the large bottle and R65 for the small one.

7. The bottle is cubic so that it doesn’t fall down AND all the bottles have a rubberized grip. I can’t tell you how much I am loving that.

The star of the show: ICE BOX have created a UV nail polish that changes in 3 seconds when you step out into the sun and changes BACK to the original colour when you get back inside. The first shade in this range is Metamorphose that changes from a cream to pink under UV light.

For the launch, we got to create our own unique shade of nail polish. A station had been set up and we got to chomp on amazing cupcakes from Belle’s while learning about how nail polish is actually made. Our group chose a tomato red which we aptly name ‘Not Quite Coral’. How gorgeous is that shade? I can’t wait to wear it!

I couldn’t resist and I got home and painted my nails with Viola Ice from their new collection. I am in love with the brush. It’s very similar to the Bourjois 1 Second coat brush. I’m wearing two coats and no topcoat in the photo. I’m quite impressed so far, I mean I didn’t expect excellence, but I’m happy. The polish went on smoothly, quickly and two coats created the perfect colour. Full reviews and swatches are coming soon!

You can find Ice Box on Facebook as well. –> ICE BOX Colors on Facebook

Photos from the launch below

Yesterday I attended an exceptional launch of the new Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Oil Elixir range at the Saxon. Why was it exceptional? Because I absolutely love The Saxon, the food there is just incredible. I even know that Chef David Higgs is in charge there. I got to the launch expecting to be spoilt and we were!

Schwarzkopf is a German haircare brand that specialises in both professional and consumer haircare products. As expected, they spend a large chunk of their money on research and development. They really pride themselves on being the best or the first to develop a product  Schwarzkopf has been around for a very long time, so long that powder shampoo was their first product.

The most recent launch is their Ultimate Oil Elixir range for very stressed and strawy hair. So if you have overly damaged, dyed and well hair that doesn’t seem to recover - Schwarzkopf claims that this is for you.

The Ultimate Oil Elixir range is the ‘Gold Standard of Repair Care’ and will control 95% of breakage. I’m really excited to try this out and I’m already on it . This range also comes with the first Schwarzkopf serum that adds a nice final step to the routine.

The range will be priced at the same price point as the rest of the Gliss range and the serum will be R99.99.

Zomato is a Foodie network that just launched in South Africa. For a long while I just scoffed at it and didn’t take any note, thinking it was just some fly-by-night. It really isn’t. Zomato is legit.

How it works – all the restaurants in a city are lists;

Foodies will review and rate the restaurants. Foodies will follow other Foodies.

Once you go through the ranks, you progress from being a Foodie, to a Big Foodie, then a Super Foodie and finally the coveted Connoisseur. At the moment Zomato will be giving away iPads to the first 2 connoisseurs in South Africa and a few of them are already gone.

This is where I need you. Join Zomato, read the good reviews and follow me. I;m not there only for the competiton, I’ve actually been doing Tripadvisor reviews for a while. I think I’m switching over to Zomato.

Why should you?

If all the information you’re looking for is food, then join.

Here’s a big PLUS for my muslim readers. Zomato has a halal search. Yes, you can search by restaurants that serve halal meat. It is a real winner. I will be reviewing and mentioning in all my reviews whether the meat is halal or not as an aside

Follow me (pretty please, with a huge cherry on top and I will love you forever) I promise. There are many iPads, so I’ll follow you too

And join, I really feel that there might be value in it

They have apps for all operating systems. Including Blackberry!

I spoke all about the Indeed Labs launch in a post recently. If you’ve read it, you’ll know how excited I was about Hydraluron. Indeed’s ridiculously hyped Hyaluronic acid serum that bloggers overseas have been raving about.

Hydraluron contains the highest grade of Hyaluronic acid available and is 100% free from animal-derived raw materials and organic-solvent remnants.

What does Hyaluronic acid do?

Hyaluronic acid has a low molecular weight (big science) that allows it to penetrate further into your skin. It is not a moisturiser. Once you apply it, it will sink into your skin and allow your other products to penetrate better. It helps the skin hydrate itself better and you should be left with plump, smooth skin and as a result, lines should be smoother. The  box does say that Hydraluron should not replace your topical moisturiser and it will not feel like it should.

My experience:

I have dry eczema-prone skin, so Hydraluron was perfect for me. The serum itself is an odourless, colourless gel. I apply a small amount onto my fingers and massage it into my face. I then followed with my usual routine. The first morning I woke up after using Hydraluron, I noticed the difference immediately. My skin was soft, smooth and looked more radiant. it also didn’t feel like any product residue had been left on the skin.

I loved it. I do also have dry areas around my mouth and since using Hydraluron, these areas seemed to have calmed down.

The Packaging.

All Indeed Lab products are packaged in the exact same way. This white box and white tube. The only identifiers are the colours and name. I personally love it. It’s still chic and effective. I honestly feel that over the top packaging is more suitable for makeup. I don’t want my cosmetics to mask what  skin I have, in the same way, when I buy cosmetics I want to know what I’m going to get.

Would I repurchase?

Definitely. The difference Hydraluron makes is not out of this world, but it makes my skin feel smoother, plumper and healthier. Which is good news for me.

Hydraluron will go on sale at Clicks on the 25th June for R399. Just in time for the thick of winter.

I’m completely off the mark this week because I’ll be kicking it off with a male fragrance review. It is my first and I know there are quite a few men that read my blog, also – fragrance makes a great gift for any man so I definitely will be doing these in the future. Also, wearing male fragrance will really help my Man Repelling cause!

So, Armani Eau Pour Homme – the essential Armani fragrance has made a comeback, it’s come back with a  new bottle, a new box and a new campaign that features mr Armani himself. Eau Pour Homme has been around for a very, very long time and in my mind, it was time for an upgrade. The new bottle brings the fragrance back into the limelight.

I was given a bottle of Eau Pour Homme and Eau De Nuit, the darker, more serious fragrance. Both these fragrances are definitely for the older, more sophisticated man. Eau Pour Homme is fine from the late 20s and especially for working men, but Eau De Nuit didn’t tickle my fancy at all. I’m thinking it might be best for the serious CFO with a greying beard and yacht. Just saying.

I wore Armani Eau Pour Homme for a day and the boyfriend then snatched it from me. (Fine, I gave it to him) and we trialed it for a while longer. It also got sampled on Girls Night. (We were Man-Repelling at our Pizza party). It does take a while to get used to Eau Pour Homme, but it really grows on you.

About the Fragrance:

It starts off with Bergamot, Bitter Orange and Coriander, then flows into Nutmeg, Lavender and Neroli and ends off with Pachouli, Cedar, Vertiver. It’s definitely very deep and spicy, but not overly so. It starts of very citrusy and I definitely get the Bergamot and it just deepens into the rest. It lasts forever. My boyfriend wore it for a full day (including a workout) and afterwards I still smelt it on him, faintly, but it was there.

About the Bottle:

I love it. It is quite a classic bottle still, but it feels like quality. (I;m really a fan of that, but sometimes that costs a good amount of money needs to feel like it!). I don’t really like the lid, it does feel plasticky and cheap. It is quite a nod to older times though. I love the bottom of the bottle though. I just can’t get over the embossed text.

Price?

This is available at selected Edgars, Red Square, Foschini, Truworths and Stuttafords stores

Eau Pour Homme 50ml RRSP 769.00
Eau Pour Homme 100ml RRSP 1019.00
Eau de Nuit 50ml RRSP 769.00
Eau de Nuit 100ml RRSP 1019.00

This is definitely a GREAT gift for fathers day. Coming up at some point

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