A lovely new addition.....

...to my perfume collection arrived on my desk a couple of weeks ago.

I discovered my love for fragrances when I was 18. It started with 'Dazzling Silver' by Estee Lauder and it was my signature scent for many years. Then I met Annabel when I was in my early 20s and she is a perfume fanatic and a great friend. She has the most amazing collection, one for every mood and occasion. Annabel taught me that it's okay not to have just one signature fragrance, but a few or in her case quite a lot. At that point 'Dazzling Silver' was so much part of my identity that it was a little scary when I tried new fragrances.

All of that has changed of course and when you open my medicine cabinet now there's quite a few perfumes in there and a good range of brands. They all smell amazing and have become my signature scents at different moods and stages of my life. All with a story behind them and their own little personalities.

L'Oreal was very generous to send me a bottle of 'Catch me' by Cacharel a couple of weeks ago. What a lovely surprise. Let's face it, you can never go wrong with a good bottle of perfume. I have been wearing it for the last couple of weeks to get a feel for it and also for it's character. Most importantly, test how my pH levels deal with it. Sometimes a perfume smells amazing on someone else or in the bottle but doesn't agree with you so well.

I am pleasantly surprised as at first I didn't think the fragrance was quite 'me'. I gave it a try however and I'm actually quite fond of it. It is fresh, light and girly with the typical Cacharel undertones which always conjures up images of Paris as their perfumes have a certain whimsy and romance to it.

All in all I am quite chuffed with the new addition to my collection and will continue to wear it when I am in a whimsical mood.

Caviar/Micro Bead nail tutorial

As mentioned, I am obsessed with the latest nail trends.

Here's a tutorial on how to do the caviar/micro bead trend.

Enjoy :)

Easy peasy tricky nail polish removing

My latest obsession is the nail trends that are going around. I love it, I am practically obsessed with it. I went from the girl who always has a pedicure, but had a manicure maybe once a month, to the girl who has a different nail colour or trend every couple of days now. And I just have to tweet about it; it is a compulsion I tell you. 

There’s so much going on, glitter, ombre, sprinkle beads, accent nails, nail art etc. So much fun really! And there are no rules. 

As much as I love it I must say my least favourite part is getting rid of the beads, glitter and the like. They are a mare to get rid of and a little always remains behind and don't even get me started on how long it takes or how thin my patience is with this. 

Fear not! I stumbled on this video that shows you how to get rid of it easy peasy. Now, I don’t hate any part of it any more. You can thank me later :)

http://www.refinery29.com/remove-glitter-nail-polish

Competition time with Garnier

Nutrisse Ultra Color has a great competition on the go. Make sure that your hair is your best fashion accessory with these vibrant colours. 
You stand a chance to win Foschini Fashion for you and four friends to the value of R50 000. How do you enter this great competition, I hear you ask. Simple....just click here.

Good luck! 

Acqua for Life

It was that time of year again when we all rallied together in our gorgeous white outfits and have fun for a good cause. This year's Acqua for Life party hosted by Marie Claire and Giorgio Armani was held at the beautiful Monroe Boutique Hotel in Houghton Estate which has the most beautiful view of Johannesburg. With champers in one hand and synchronised swimmers in the infinity pool, the scene was set with celebs and do gooders for a wonderful evening. 

It truly is a great cause to conserve water, if you want to learn more about this, please go to their website:

http://www.acquaforlife.org/

Suzaan Heyns - Doors of Perception

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week A/W 2013 descended on Johannesburg these last couple of days again. I was fortunate enough to attend the Suzaan Heyns show, which delivered in every single way. The show was inspired by doors and labyrinth alleyways and a procession of doors were part of the runway......intriguing.... 

Drone-like models strutted down the runway to a narrative soundtrack especially created for the show. Cork as a fabric was incorporated into the clothing as well as in the handbags and shoes. The colour palette of the collection was peapod green, deep blues, titanium, white and chocolate and was accented by hues of blue, muted yellow, peony and russet. 

The structured jackets and coats in blues and greens were my favourites and the gorgeous leggings and skirts make for a great addition to any wardrobe.

 The show was an all round sensory experience, which was enjoyed by all. I cannot wait to see what this talented South African designer has in store for us in future.   

I heart this

I discovered Offbeat Melody jewelry last week. It is the most original, handcrafted jewelry I have ever seen. It is going to bankrupt me as I want the entire line!

Have a look: www.offbeatmelody.com 
You can buy these in South Africa from http://hellopretty.co.za/offbeatmelody 

This will be my first purchase.

Thrift Shops

By now I am sure everyone is familiar with the song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. I woke up with it stuck in my head yesterday. Personally I think djs are doing that thing where they're killing a really cool song at the moment. Even though the song is huge, thrift shops are even bigger right now. It is a great place to find one of a kind treasures and it is fantastic on the pocket.

Have a look at this video for some tips.