FRIDAY FINDS

If you are on a tight beauty budget then don't despair as you may find my Friday Finds post interesting... 

Woolworth's Everyday Body & Bath range is on promotion:  

 WREWARDS BUY ANY 2 SAVE 30% 

This range consists of 9 various everyday essential products and its well worth a further look.I am just highlighting five of their products, which seem to me offer great value for money and with the buy 2 and save 30% its a steal.  

This range is available in various scented formulas and are colour coded:

Dream - soothing gentle floral  (Lilac)

Energy - revitalising ginger tonic  (Pink)

Calm - rich creamy oat milk (Yellow)

Fresh - invigorating cool mint (Green)

Awake - invigorating citrus blossom (Orange)

and all the products are:

Approved by Beauty Without Cruelty 

Formulated with vegetable oil based ingredients 

 No harsh ingredients

Approved by a toxicologist 

Everyday Foam Bath Formulated with mild ingredients

R69.95 (1 litre)

Everyday Body Lotion Nourish and protect the skin in lotion form

R55 (500ml)

Everyday Hand & Nail Cream Formulated to nourish the skin

R39.95 (100ml)

Everyday Glycerine Soap This gentle nourishing glycerine soap with anti oxident vitamin E

R19.95 (150gr)

Everyday Body Butter To nourish and protect the skin in a richer Butter form

R55 (250ml)

                                                   You can view the complete range either online or in store. 

WOOLWORTHS

MONTHLY FAVOURITES {OCTOBER}

October where did you go?

Here are some of my "faves" for the month, two of which come from Clarins.

Enjoy!

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At the top of this months list has to be the Clarins 3 Dot Liner, 

which I am loving, so glad I discovered this product.

Clarins 3 Dot Liner

To read my Clarins 3 Dot Liner Review

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I have used the Clarins Eclat Minute (Instant Light) for a couple of years now and only recently realised that I have never posted a review...oops! 

So this is long overdue as a monthly favourite.

Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector

To read my review Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector

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Woolworths over the last couple of years have introduced some very tasty seasonal fresh soups 

and this year is no exception. 

I have featured several on my Monthly Faves post in the past, but this fresh and light 

Summer Creamy Bweetcorn & basil Soup is made with real cream, 

is full of flavour and seriously "moorish". 

I do have a problem however with these seasonal soups and that is...

I want them to be available all year round!

R34.95 (600gms)

SUNDAY SAMPLE

I have decided after a couple of months of no Sunday Sample posts, 

to dip into my sample jar again. 

My Sunday Sample jar has been added to over the weeks and as a reminder I only have samples in there of products that can be reviewed after a couple uses.

There are some bloggers that will review a moisturizer, night cream or even an Anti - Ageing product after using a free sample and those that read my blog regularly will know that the more specialized treatment products need a minimum of a months trial, but in my case it's usually 3-6 months depending on the product and this ensures that a complete and thorough review is posted on my blog.

Next Sunday I will be reviewing the 

Cellular Mineral Body Exfoliator by the Luxury Swiss brand La Prairie.  

     

As you know I am a huge believer in weekly face and body exfoliation, so let's see what my thoughts are on this "high end" body exfoliator.

Review on La Prairie Mineral Exfoliator for the Face

Review on La Prairie Swiss Radiance

CUPPAFORCANSA EVENT 2014

This past Saturday I attended a Cuppa For Cansa event organized by Viveshnie from Madame Macaron and held at the

 #Hashtag restaurant Durban, the theme for the tea was 

Pink, Black & Bling.

As I am sure you all are aware that worldwide, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it also brings greater awareness to many other cancers. Unfortunately this year to date I have lost a relative, a friend and three acquaintances to a variety of cancers. I am not sure if cancer is on the increase or if it's the age group that I now find myself in (mid 50's), but the big C word is making an appearance more in my life, so I was only too happy to contribute to an event of this kind.

The afternoon was well attended by ladies wearing lots of pink, which as you know is my "fave" colour and I think most people brought both an open heart and purse as requested on the invite. 

The following Guest speakers were lined up for the afternoon

Linda from the Durban branch of the Cancer Association of SA

Dr. Nishani Maharaj – Aesthetic Makeover Studio

Products and gift vouchers were kindly donated for the raffles and the auction, which is always a fun way to raise money, and how could a good time not be had when delicious

 sweet baked goodies were on offer courtesy of 

Madame Macaron 

and yummy savoury eats, courtesy of 

Boutique Boulangerie. 

and as if that was not enough sweetie and packets were supplied by

Polkadots and Jellytots 

Every guest went away with a goodie bag

and it really was a great afternoon and more importantly it was all for a good cause.

At least one in 29 South African women will get breast cancer!

However early detection means that there are more treatment options available

for a better chance of survival.

If you would like to know more information or make a donation then visit

www.cansa.org

SUNDAY SKETCHES - FRENCH MACARONS

 This weeks Sunday Sketch post focuses on French Macarons and the most 

famous in the world are the ones from Ladurée . 

On my recent trip to Paris I paid a visit to its flagship store on the Champs Élysée. 

However with our poor Rand these beautiful pastel, sweet delights were, to say the least, expensive. Luckily they don't rely on South African trade, as it was extremely busy...

in fact busy would be an understatement, as there were queues to enter the shop, queues to choose and buy the macarons and there were even longer queues to go into their restaurant. 

I had to be content with just looking and taking photos before moving on to my next Paris landmark, but I couldn't help noticing a beautifully served Hot Chocolate being taken to a table...mmm definitely on my next trip I must make time to experience the 

Hot Choc and a pink macaron.

Enjoy!

FRIDAY FEEDBACK

It's time to give you some feedback on products that I have reviewed or purchased over the past few months.

This feedback goes back to February when I did a review on the Clarins Instant Concealer, which I am still using and enjoying. I have been using daily for over 7 months now and it's showing no signs of coming to an end anytime soon.

This product,so far is offering great value for money.

Clarins Instant Concealer Review

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Back in May I included on my "Mothers Day" wish list a pair of slippers from Woolworths, which I did receive from the "Kiddiewinks", but I have to report back that after a few months of normal wear they are looking very shabby and I doubt very much that they will see another winter.

I love the Polka Dots booties, but the unfortunately the quality is not the best!

Mothers Day Wish List

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This next report back is a foodie one and I really am disappointed with Afros Chicken.I reviewed it back in April and have revisited several times since and its always been an enjoyable 

CnC (Cheap n Cheerful)

However on our last visit we had terrible undercooked chicken burgers, oily pale chips and the service was way longer than normal, so guess what we haven't returned. 

Normally the owner is around, but on this particular day someone else was in charge and there lies the problem. It's so important to have good reliable staff that you can depend on to run your business as you would, when you are not around.

Afros Chicken


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Sad news...my favourite frozen M&S apple pie, that I reviewed back in February, has been discontinued and is no longer being imported by Woolworths!

Kentish Bramley Apple Pie

RAIN BIOLOGIE SANITISING HAND GEL {REVIEW}

Recently rain have introduced a very handy sized (44ml) Sanitising Hand Gel, 

which forms part of their Biologie Range.

(BIOLOGIE is an eco ethical range, formulated using organically certified botanical ingredients and wild harvested plant oils and extracts) 

There are several hand sanitising, waterless, gel type products on the market most of which I have to admit are not very good. This type of product is becoming more and more popular and personally I never go anywhere without one, not that I have an OCD problem, but often situations arise where I need to wash my hands and water is not always on hand.

For me it's imperative that the gel:

• Leaves no sticky residue behind after you have applied. 
• Most contain alcohol, which is the sanitising part,so therefore must include some moisturising ingredients.

 The key is not to use too much, otherwise they do leave your hands feeling sticky.

I am pleased to report that the rain Sanitising Hand Gel, which by the way contains, soothing Lavender and Tea Tree oil, passes my "test". 

I also like the size and convenience of the packaging with its flip lid, which fits easily into your handbag, gym bag or nappy bag.

I have to admit that my personal favourite is the

 L'Occitane Lavender Hand Purifying Gel, 

which permanently has a place in my bag, but the rain Sanitising Hand Gel is a close second and at R49 its well worth a place in any ones life.

Rain Biologie Sanitising Hand Gel R49

Order Online

My reviews on other Biologie products:

Biologie Mustard Ginger Bath Soak 
Biologie Body Butter Review
Biologie Manketti Starflower Body Scrub
Biologie Winter Therapy Bath Soak

COSMETIC BAGS

Over the years I cannot tell you how many make-up bags I have had, whether they have been bought or given as free gifts from the cosmetic or skincare houses. Branded Cosmetic/toiletry bags have always been a popular choice as a gift with purchase and having worked in the industry for 35 years I have tried them all. It's important to chose the correct size, shape and fabric for what you want to use the bag for. 

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For travel you really can't go wrong with a set of clear PVC bags,which enables you to see and locate exactly what you are looking for. I know they are not particularly pretty, but they are practical and so easy to clean.(It's always advisable to decant your skincare products into smaller plastic bottles to save on weight or better still take deluxe or sachet samples of your products)

Cosmetic Bag Set

R 130.00 

This bag-within-a-bag, 3-in-1 cosmetic set is handy for storage and even more useful for packing up your grooming products when you're on the move.

Multi Purpose Toiletry Bag

R 220.00

This is a great travelling investment,as the one side houses 4 refillable bottles for shampoos, etc. while the other zip opens up to two more sections  for all your other grooming goodies.

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For my toiletries like toothpaste, shampoos,conditioners and my skincare products I prefer to use a larger, zip around, sturdier type bag. (Again buy travel sizes if weight and bulk are a concern,especially if you are flying)

Rose Print Toiletry Bag

R 170.00

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For my handbag I always prefer a prettier smaller bag to keep my make-up "touch up" items in, like lipstick,lip gloss,mascara etc. Be sure to wash regularly, as it really isn't cool to bring out a dirty, grubby bag for all to see.

Peppertree Toiletry Bag

R 220.00

Quilted Cosmetic Bag

R 180.00

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Rather than have my brushes on my dressing table I have a long slender shaped cosmetic bag to keep them in, this helps prevent the bristles from being damaged and attracting dust.

Plain Cosmetic Bag

R 45.00

Ideal for your handbag, this zip-up cosmetic bag is perfectly sized to hold make-up pencils and other small essentials.

Patch Print Cosmetic Bag

R 99.95 

If you are feeling like you need to invest in some new cosmetic bags then check out the extensive collection that Woolworths have on offer, and at the moment they are running a promotion, 

 BUY ANY 2 SAVE 20% 

www.woolworths.co.za

L'OREAL GENTLE MAKE UP REMOVER EYE {REVIEW}

As a beauty blogger I should be trying new products on a regular basis, 

but occasionally when you "hit" on a product that you really enjoy its difficult to move on in search of something different or better.

 A couple of years ago I stumbled across the Express Eye Make-Up Remover by the French brand Yves Rocher and having tried so many eye make up removers over the years, 

I instantly knew this was perfect for me. 

To read my review

Yves Rocher Express Eye Make-Up Remover

Unfortunately I have been forced to try another remover for my eye make-up and the reason I say "forced" is because I had no choice, as it was a desperation move. 

After several weeks of visiting the Yves Rocher counter in Woolworths Gateway 

they still were out of stock...Off to Truworths I trot to find the same "out of Stock" situation. Now this could be a result of poor planning by either the store cosmetic buyers or by the importers of Yves Rocher South Africa, but either way, I went off to Clicks to find a reasonably priced temporary replacement and that's how I ended up with the L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make -Up Remover.

L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover EYE

For me it was ticking all the boxes on paper as it was:

Reasonably priced R95 for 125mls

Suitable for Sensitive Eyes

Opthamologically tested

Bi Phase Lotion

Enriched with Allantoine

I think you can tell from the tone of this post that the worst is still to come, as I have several issues with the product and its packaging:

• This is a warning to any one who uses it for the first time, don't hold onto the body of the plastic bottle...(like one would normally do), as the flip lid is not easy to grip onto when you want to open, hence you end up squeezing the bottle, when the air is released,and guess what.....out shoots the product, which didn't go down too well with me, as there was quite a bit of wastage. I suppose on the positive side, it goes to prove that its a good product to travel with, as there is no chance of any leakage.

• In my thirty odd years in the business I have never ever seen such a large hole for the product to come out of...and no matter how much I tried to control the amount of product I dispensed onto the cotton wool pad, it always resulted in too much. At this rate of wastage this product will not last me a month, which makes it rather an expensive product.

• I found the effectiveness of the product to be poor and considering I do not wear excessive eye make-up...this is a huge fail for me.

So all things considered, I feel simply "ripped off" with this product, so Woolworths please hear my plea and order stock of the Yves Rocher Express Eye Make-Up Remover for your Gateway store, just so I don't have to endure this useless product any more.

L'Oreal is available at Clicks countrywide.

CLARINS INSTANT LIGHT COMPLEXION PERFECTOR {REVIEW}

Clarins in my opinion have definitely captured the market when it comes to creating products that enhance the skin by using light reflecting and smoothing technology,which every mature women embraces and I am no exception.

 Simply explained - with age the skin loses its ability to reflect the light due to the lack of smoothness (caused by the change in texture,lines and wrinkles) 

A smoother skin reflects the light better and makes our skin appear more radiant and younger.
(This is one of the reasons why it is so important to exfoliate weekly in order to keep the skin smooth) 

Clarins have several "Instant light and smooth perfecting" products.

I have used Clarins Éclat Minute - Instant Light Complexion Perfector for a couple of years now and for me it certainly adds much needed radiance to my skin. 

This lightweight, protective fluid smoothes and illuminates my skin and has been a handy addition to my beauty regime. 

Only a small amount is needed and its suitable for all women and skin types.

It's a multi functional product ,as it can be used under your normal foundation or mixed in with your foundation to help fix your make-up. 

It can be used alone, which is my favourite method, as it illuminates my skin allowing me to go "sans" foundation on those relaxed and easy days.

You can even apply "post" foundation to enhance your make-up or to just to highlight above the cheek and brow areas.

Another bonus for me is that Instant Light Complexion Perfector is also a protective skin care, thanks to Clarins Anti-Pollution Complex which protects against free radicals and environmental aggressions.

I give this little "treasure" of a product a big thumbs up.. 
Thank you Clarins and may you long continue to do R&D into these types of light and smooth enhancing products. I for one appreciate all the help I can get.

Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting

More reviews on products from Clarins light perfecting range, will follow soon.

Other reviews on Clarins products:

Clarins Instant Concealer Review

Clarins 3 Dot Liner Review

Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Radiance

Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream Review

Clarins Home Fragrance Collection

Clarins Hydraquench Tinted Moisturizer

New From Clarins

30ml

R335

Available from Clarins stockists around South Africa 

Order Online

www.clarins.co.za