CALL IT SPRING FOLLOW UP

Have just opened its 5th store in SA and its in Gateway and as they promised it is                                                      home to the latest footwear and accessories.

Call It Spring reflects up to the minute trends that are easy on the purse, 

so check it out on the 

1st Floor Entrance 7, 

Gateway Theatre Of Shopping.

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GUERLAIN FOLLOW UP

Just to follow up on a previous post:

La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain was launched recently in South Africa,

 but unfortunately it wasn't my "cup of fragrance" I'm afraid. 

I was so intrigued by the name,the bottle and the ad and the fact that it had only previously been available in their Paris boutique, I was really expecting to fall in love with their latest creation.

 

In fairness Guerlain is a true fragrance house and has created over 300 fragrances in their long history, so they are really not appealing to the masses with any of their fragrances.

La Petite Robe Noire has olfactory notes of Black Cherry, Almond, Rose, Liquorice and Black Tea and is very unusual..to me that is, but I can imagine that if this is your type of fragrance, then you will absolutely fall head over heels "in love" with the "Little Black Dress"

It is available in Eau de Parfum sprays 30ml R640 to R1330 for the 100ml sizes

from selected Stuttafords and Woolworths country wide.

NOT ONLY FOR PREGNANT LADIES!

During my rummage around the Mothercare section in Woolworths last week I came across several "Cheap n Cheerful" products that can be used by anyone and not just reserved for pregnant ladies....

The one product that attracted my attention was 
"It's Your Body Leg And Foot Cooling Spritz" 
and has been specially formulated with menthol, lemon and horse chestnut extracts to help reduce inflammation and to cool and revive tired and aching legs and feet.

Well! I am sure we have all needed this at some time or another, I know I have on many occasions, especially after those long days where we have been on our feet all day or trundling around the shops..imagine how refreshing this would feel if you kept it in the fridge 
and sprayed onto your legs and feet during those hot and sticky summer days...
 or just kept in your bag to "Spritz" whenever required.
The fragrance of the lemon and menthol come through and was actually very refreshing...

The product is Dermatologically tested and hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin.

It retails for R79.99 for 100ml and makes my list as a CnC (cheap n cheerful)

CK ONE COMES OF AGE

CKone  Calvin Klein

Can you believe that it has been nearly 18 years since the cK one fragrance was launched...and I feel like one of my children is about to "come of age". I was involved with the launch in South Africa...and what a launch it was!.. and without taking away the "thunder" from any other perfume launches in SA, the cK one still stands out within the industry, as one of the best ever!

Kate Moss in the cK one launch ad in 1995

Looking back though, it consumed the lives of all those involved for months, however on the "up" side the demand for the fragrance was there long before it landed on our shores, so we were sure of a "hit"....and it became the "must have" fragrance for him or her! So much of a "must have" item that we had endless problems with the stock being stolen before it reached the retailers for the "big launch day"....The one delivery truck was hijacked on the way to Durban and numerous shortages were discovered upon delivery to other stores around the country. Despite boxes and boxes of stock going AWOL the launch was both fantastic and very successful....

Now that cK one is all grown up...Coty Prestige are busy expanding the unisex fragrance range to include make-up. As always with the cK brand "expect the unexpected".

Research has shown that more and more males are wearing colour products, so the cK colour collection will also be unisex..

Packaged in black and white it also will offer a few new different categories, which will also include several multi-task products. I can't wait to see the reasonably priced collection at selected Edgars stores soon!

www.calvinklein.com

GREEN TEA EXTRACT - SOLAL

As you know I am not a tea or coffee drinker, but I am aware of the benefits for ones health and well being by drinking herbal teas....several years ago I did manage to drink a cup of Green Tea everyday for six months,which for me was a huge achievement. Alas that "taste" and that morning dread of "downing" a green cuppa was so unbearable that I eventually had to give up the daily green tea....So you can imagine my absolute delight when Solal came out with Green Tea Extract capsules....yeah!

Green Tea was originally discovered in China and the health benefits seem to be endless. Green Tea is an excellent source of Polyphenols, (Plants contain a large number of compounds that work as antioxidants to protect the cells in your body from free radical damage. There are three major groups:the largest group, the polyphenols and they are found in many different foods) Green Tea also improves heart health by helping to lower Cholesterol,reducing blood stickiness and slows down the formation of blocked arteries.It also has a broad anti-oxidant and immune system enhancing effects,which may explain its effects on reducing the risk of many cancers. Studies have suggested that drinking Green Tea may increase the rate of fat burning during exercise.(that's always useful) It may also reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease by helping to protect brain function in ageing individuals.

Green Tea Extract Capsules

For the past two years I have been taking the recommended one "caffeine free" capsule daily,which is equivalent to drinking 5 cups of green tea...."Thank You Thank You" Solal...

I couldn't stomach the one cup let alone five cups...

60 capsules which is 2 months supply retails for approx R128, which I think is a great price for all the benefits this little capsule has to offer...

(Info sourced from) 

http://www.solaltech.com 

& 

http://www.fitday.com

NEW OFFICE ADDITION

How cool is this....Do you think the 8 glasses a day rule still applies?

K MICRO MIST....GENIUS

Ask any woman about their hairdresser and the words "she has done my hair for years" will crop up in most of the conversations....we trust these professionals to cut, colour, treat or perm our "tresses" and in the process they become our friends...and mine is no exception! Joyce has lovingly nurtured my hair through all of its "ups and downs" thankfully more ups than downs.....

I have always used either Redken, Kerastase or the L'Oreal professional range of products on my hair and a couple of years ago I "used to" treat my hair to the Kerastase Micro Mist Treatment during my six weekly visits. I say "used to" because I haven't had one for some months...but today my "tresses" were given a wonderful treat! 

This treatment is a must for Dry, Damaged, processed and generally hair in bad condition.

The Micro Mist generates mist by ultrasound to improve your treatment. The mist particles made by Micro Mist are much smaller and lighter than those of steam and penetrate the cuticle of the hair to a greater depth. This means the Micro Mist pushes the pre applied Kerastase treatment product deeper into your hair where it is needed. At the end of the treatment, Micro Mist's cooling system comes on and cools the hair, closing the cuticle and trapping the treatment product inside. This gives a much stronger and longer lasting result.

This treatment really works wonders on your hair leaving it softer,visibly smoother and shinier...all of which, was sadly lacking in my hair. It's better to keep up with the Mist treatment monthly or bi monthly to maintain these fantastic results , but if your hair is far from its peak then, this is most definitely the treatment to get "hair things" back on track. 

I do know that this machine is an expensive purchase for a salon, so not too many salons can offer this Micro Mist option. Joyce owns the salon below and the treatment+mist costs R390 and adds approx and extra 25-30mins on your salon visit time.:

Sands Hair & Nails 

1st floor

Umhlanga Sands Hotel

Lagoon Drive

Umhlanga Rocks

031 561 5663

The Sands Hair & Nails Salon is running a great promotion

Buy 3 Kerastase products & get the Mist treatment will be free!

If you normally buy Kerastase hair products then do yourself a favour and take advantage of this offer and experience the Mist for free....your hair will most probably love you for it!

The Micro Mist....truly is a Genius!

WEIRD SHOES

Match your Lipstick Shoe

Sling Shot Shoe

Female Shoe

Tickle Me Pink Shoe

Driving Shoe

Seductress Shoe

Don't Cross me Shoe

I WAS A MOTHERCARE BABY!

As it's the weekend, I like to blog about something "Retailey" I don't think there is such a word but there is now....

Mothercare is a specialist retailer of products for mothers-to-be, babies and children up to the age of eight. Mothercare opened its first store in 1961 in Surrey. 

Initially the business focused on pushchairs, nursery furniture and maternity clothing, but it subsequently expanded its range to include clothing for children up to the age of five and later up to the age of eight. It now offers a wide range of maternity and children's clothing, furniture and home furnishings, bedding, feeding, bathing, travel equipment and toys through its retail operations in the United Kingdom.

Mothercare celebrates over 50 years of taking care of both expectant mums and their babies and that makes me

 a "Mothercare Baby".

Mothercare over the last 50 years had been through the hands of many of the UK high street retail giants like Habitat,Boots and Bhs (British Home Stores). Mothercare purchased Early Learning Centre in 2007.

In the UK Mothercare is known by all... and over more recent years they have spread their "mothering" arms around the world through franchises in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East under the 'Mothercare' brand name.

Last year on a trip to Cape Town I saw a selection of Mothercare products in a Woolworths store.The trial stores for the Mothercare brand were Sandton and Canal Walk and I am happy to say that they have recently rolled out the distribution to include more of the larger stores and Gateway is one of them...

They have a dedicated branded area and includes far more products than I originally saw in Cape Town a year ago.....even though my "babies" are no longer "babies" (soon to be 19yrs & 14yrs) I couldn't help but try out a few of the pushchairs and check out the baby grows..."broody" you may ask...NO!, but maybe grandchildren will come along in the distant future.....

At the time I had my eldest the selection and range of baby goods in South Africa was..I thought, very poor...thankfully Mothercare and a family friend came to my rescue. 

The Mothercare catalogue was posted to me and my order returned and then I waited with excitement for the cot/bed, baby bedding, 5 in 1 high chair and other goodies to arrive...

Arrive they did and they have stood the test of two boys and the test of time! 

The Cosatto cot/bed is stored away as a family "heirloom" and will hopefully some day herald the third generation of Mothecare babies in my family... 

Oh! how I wished we had Mothercare in South Africa back then...
luckily for all South Africans you now will have the opportunity to have a 
"Mothercare Baby".

For more info re Mothercare items sold in Woolworths visit

 www.woolworths.com

BISCUIT BABIES

How cute! and to think someone has handmade these from biscuit dough....

OH NO! FRAGRANCE PAST ITS BEST

Please do not "save or hoard" your favourite fragrances for wearing on the
"High Days & Holidays" of life...
they have been created to be worn daily and for you to enjoy!

How do you know if your fragrance is
"Past its Best" ?

The smell is the key indicator...so ask yourself the following:

Does it smell good or is it starting to smell different?
The intensity of a fragrance will fade gradually with age but if it's smelling unpleasant or sour then its "Past its Best"

Has the colour of the fragrance changed?

 Some fragrances will start to turn darker or even fade in colour as they age.
Citrus, fresher fragrances don't generally tend to last as long as their more Spicy, Oriental counterparts.
If yours is a very dark brown or transparent in colour? then its most probably
"Past it's Best"

Has the fragrance thickened? If it has, then its
 "Past it's Best"

The quality of a spray format does tend to last better than open bottles e.g. Perfumes or a
Splash On, as they are less open to contamination.

Fragrance does not last forever....as much as we would love them to, they just don't!
A good branded fragrance made with quality ingredients will have an approximate 2-5 year shelf life.
The problem is that consumers have no idea how long the product has been on the retailers shelf for, as fragrances are not required to have a manufacture date on the packaging or the product, so ensure that you buy from a retailer that has a good turn over of stock.
If you are not a daily user of  "smellies" then consider buying the smaller sizes, like the 30mls of 50mls rather than the more economical 100ml sizes.

So if you have several bottles of "age unknown" fragrances then start using them and
"Who Knows" there could be many memories just waiting to be created! 

MY LITTLE BIT OF PROVENCE IN JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA

If ever you are looking for accommodation in the Rivonia area of Johannesburg I can highly recommend the Bellgrove House....tired of staying at the usual chain hotels I decide a change was needed. I actually ended up staying at Bellgrove due to an overbooking in the nearby Bed & Breakfast where I had stayed several times before....I must say after a long working day I wasn't impressed when I arrived and the receptionist explained the situation, so me being the accommodating sole that I am.....tongue in cheek! I made the short journey to Bellgrove where they had booked me in as my replacement home for the week.

As soon as I arrived and was very efficiently welcomed by Rhoda, I knew immediately that this was a good alternative...which now meant that the previous B&B had lost a regular...sorry!

The "cherry on the top" for me is when you are sitting in the peaceful, Lavender fragrant garden you could quite easily be mistaken into thinking you were in Provence France...and that feels good....

There are seven spacious suites that are spotlessly clean and beautifully decorated by the owner Irene Bell who hails from Scotland....You can see that attention to detail is Irene's forte... .and she really does make every guest feel very welcome with all those extra little touches that the larger hotels fail to offer.

Your "delish" breakfast is cooked to order and can be served out on the patio amongst the beautiful rose bushes & overlooking the pool ...what a great way to start your day!

I have stayed several times at Bellgrove & Irene and Rhoda really do go the extra mile, as nothing is too much trouble....for females travelling on  their own "its a must place to stay".

Oh! I nearly forgot to mention, they can also organise a wonderful male masseur/reflexologist called Quintin to visit in the evenings.....this is a must for me during every stay, as in the evenings I have the time whereas back at home its more difficult... but that's a post for another day!

Prices start at 

Standard Suites (Inclusive of a full breakfast & vat)       For more info and rates visit       http://www.bellgrove.co.za

Single R865.00 per night Sharing R545.00 per person per night

CHANEL ON WHEELS..

Chanel Taxi

If you were lucky enough to be in London recently you may have spotted one of the twenty five "Chanel" Taxis zooting around painted in the most popular "Chanel" nail and lipstick colours....you could hardly miss them I'm sure.

It was all in celebration of the launch of the first of its kind "Chanel Pop up" store that opened  in July in the Covent Garden Piazza

If  you were lucky enough to hail one of the taxis and you greeted the taxi driver with the words:

"Chanel at Covent Garden" 

you would have been issued with 

a voucher for a complimentary make-over or a nail shape and paint

and a 25 pound discount voucher to spend on your favourite "Chanel" products at Covent Garden store,on that specific day.

What more could a girl have asked for?

What a novel marketing idea.....but somehow I don't think it would work in South Africa...

P.S.The bad news is the promotion ended on the 17th September but the good news is...the pop up store is open until the end of December.....

Pop Up store in Covent Garden

YANKEE CANDLES YEA!

I am so excited to write about these next products....Every time I go overseas my suitcase never returns without some of the Yankee Candle products squashed and squeezed into the "nooks and crannies" of my luggage!

The Yankee Candle Company is the largest U.S. manufacturer of scented candles and was established in 1969.. The company is located in South Deerfield, Massachusetts and has over 1200 outlets around the US.

So you can imagine my absolute delight when I recently went to a local shopping centre and this is what I saw as I pass "Mobelli" an upmarket outdoor furniture shop.

My stilletto's have never performed such a quick, controlled 180 degree turn before, it was like seeing a long lost friend....

but in my haste to get to the wall units crammed with all their goodies, I tripped through the door. 

I could sense that I was quickly loosing control of my "Kurt Geigers" but luckily with the help of some garden furniture on display, I didn't actually go down! 

Albeit my entrance was rather "un" lady like and looked more like a rush for a 5 minute special in a discount store! but I wasn't worried as "Yankee" was just a few feet away....

The Yankee Candle Company markets an array of products, including candles of various scents and sizes, scented wax tarts, candle accessories, votive candles (Samplers), votive candle holders, tart warmers, jar toppers (for use with the Housewarmer line of candles), reed diffusers, Pot Pourri's, Electric Home Fragrance units (scented wall plug-ins), car scents, room sprays, Good Air products, and more.

Jar Candles R145,R250 & R299,Pot Pourri R150,Room Spray R120,Votive R35

What is the attraction of these Home products you may be wondering...

Well! its simple, they have a choice of over 200 fragrances...and the fragrance is authentic and true to life, of a good quality & fragrant your room beautifully....and as an added bonus the prices are good!

How can anyone resist trying some of these :

                                                               

Clean Cotton

French Vanilla

Fresh Cut Roses

Fluffy Towels

Mango Peach Salsa

Pink Sands

  Beech Walk

                                                                      

Tarts Wax Melts R30..The burner is R45

The "Tarts" are one of my "Must Haves" as they are placed on the top of the burner and the heat from the tea light candle melts the tart slowly releasing its fragrance...

Upon cooling it hardens until you are ready to re light. 

They last for such a long time and the above makes a lovely gift for under R100.

My personal favourite Tarts are Mango Peach Salsa,French Vanilla,Fresh Cut Roses & of course the Strawberry Buttercream.

A limited range of Yankee Candle products are available only at the following Mobelli branches and John the manager and his team at the Durban branch are very helpful and will arrange to send to all parts of SA  :

Shop 112 The Crescent Shopping Umhlanga Ridge, 

Durban 031 566 5996

92 Regent Road Sea Point, 

Cape Town 021 434 2280

For Yankee Candles full range visit

 http://www.yankeecandle.com/

FRAGRANCE EVOKES MEMORIES

This is so true as fragrance has the ability to take us back in time as we often associate a particular fragrance with a certain person or events in our lives...We all have a memory of the first fragrance that made an impression on us whether we liked it or not.I am sure you can all remember the fragrance you were given by your first true love or the perfume you wore on your wedding day.

One of my early and most vivid recollections of a perfume was one that I didn't like or dislike, but it is just a memory and an association with a relative..It was worn by an Aunt and every time she visited it would linger in the air,on the furniture where she had sat, her clothes would always smell...the perfume was just  "HER".

I remember seeing the bottle one day in her open handbag and it was Estee Lauder's Youth Dew Bath Oil, hence the intensity.Youth Dew was originally launched as a Bath Oil only! 
Looking back this heady, oriental, spicy fragrance suited her and will always remind me of this larger than life character. I wonder if she is still wearing her trademark fragrance wherever she goes or has she moved on?

Youth Dew when launched in 1953 as a Bath Oil

My favourite fragrance as a teenager was "Charlie" by Revlon....and along with thousands of other teenagers and young women around the world, we all wanted to be just like the confident Shelly Hack strutting her stuff across the t.v. screen and across the pages of the magazines...
Every year in December I would get the special Christmas Charlie gift set for my birthday and that  would be my supply the following year. It usually contained a 100ml Eau De Toilette spray, body Lotion and a soap. 

However the one year I remember fondly, the goodies were packed in a large blue and white Charlie Hat Box with a white rope handle. It also contained a Charlie Talc shaker, that resembled those large sugar shakers... just writing this makes me reminisce back to those carefree innocent days.That Charlie Talc Shaker got re filled over and over......I just loved my talcum powder shaker..shake,shake and out the Charlie talc would come and waft into the air.Most probably more went over the carpet than onto my body, but I would have been totally oblivious to this...as I would have been dreaming that I was that, carefree, glamorous girl in the ad....

Shelly Hack was the Charlie model 

By the time I reached twenty one years of age, it was time to leave my faithful friend & companion "Charlie" and become a "grown up" and wear a more sophisticated fragrance. In celebration of my coming of age I was given a gift of

 "Rive Gauche" by Yves Saint Laurent. I fell in love with this warm woody floral fragrance.....even today if I smell someone wearing Rive Gauche it takes me back to being twenty one again......

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Pregnancy brings back another vivid recollection of a fragrance...the year was 1993 the year my eldest son was born and the fragrance was "Foud'elle" by Ted Lapidus. I was busy selling, this soon to be launched female fragrance collection to the retailers, so several times a day I had no choice but to spray in order to allow them to experience the delight of this fruity floral fragrance......How I coped with the "sell in" day after day...I just don't know, as just the thought of it now still makes me want to vomit....Shame! it wasn't that the fragrance was that bad, but I was pregnant and it was just too fruity for me! 
The fragrance was discontinued some years later but the aroma is still imprinted in my memory.

I am feeling nauseous looking at the bottle!

Over the years I have loved, then unloved and even disliked intensely many fragrances but one thing I am certain of, is that my career path was mapped out for me long before I realised....so "Thank You" to the Youth Dew in the1960's , Charlie in the 70's and Rive Gauche in the 80's.....for making such an impression on me, as without your help I may have taken a different path in my career that wouldn't have been so memorable....
So next time you feel like being taken back to a time that you remember with affection, just have a quick spray of the fragrance that evokes those memories..and enjoy!

I would love to know which fragrance evokes memories within you...so please leave a comment..