ITS "RAIN" ING GIFTS THIS CHRISTMAS

If you are looking for gifting this year, whether it be for Teachers Gifts, Secret Santa's or for those special people in your life (male, female or babies) then can I suggest 

that you visit your nearest rain store.

This African brand has a special place in my heart, as I have tried and written about many of their products over the past couple of years. 

The helpful consultants in store can custom make a gift to suit your requirements, just give them some details of the recipient and a budget and "Hey Presto" a beautifully presented gift will be made with "rain" Love!

You will be surprised as to how much your budget will buy in comparison to other similar imported brands, as being "local" they are not subject to fluctuating exchange rates.

You can order on line or visit their website for store locations and if you live in the USA don't despair, as rain can now be found in New York and for the rest of the US you can order from their US website.

Here are some of my "faves" for gifting and I would be thrilled to find any of these under my tree this year!

Chocolate Box of Soaps Small

Six guest size glycerin soaps in a handmade fabric covered re-usable box.

R165

~~~~~~

BEE ESSENTIALS JAR:

Body Polish - for a healthy body glow (40g)

Honey & Buttermilk Olive Oil Soap (80g)

Lip Balm (10g)

Honey Hand Lotion (40g)

Hand Salve - for hard working hands (60g)

All packaged in a handy re-usable jar.

R425

~~~~~~

BIOLOGIE JAR:

Peppermint Foot Scrub (50g)

Pulse Point Balm - for tension and headache relief (30g)

All natural Hand Lotion (60ml)

All Natural Travel size Shampoo (50ml)

All Natural Travel size Conditioner (50ml)

Facial Rehydrator - for refreshing relief while travelling (50ml)

R295

~~~~~~

TREAT YOUR FEET :

Foot Scrub (90ml)

Foot Soak (100g)

Foot Cream (90ml)

Foot Soap Glycerine

Foot Pumice Stone

Foot File

R430

~~~~~~

Talc with Brush Savannah

Fragrant talc in linen bag with feather brush. 

R139

iwantmycoffee {REVIEW}

Iwantmycoffee opened only 3 months ago and is already causing a "stir" (excuse the pun) in the world of coffee culture cafe's and best of all, its right on my doorstep!

The creators of iwantmycoffee Ard Mathews (songwriter and musician of Just Jinger fame) and his partner Deborah have nurtured their "baby" from conception to birth and should be proud of how this "toddler" is maturing and surely its a positive sign for the birth of some siblings!

You will find this "babygem" on the ground floor of "Mayfair on the Lake" behind the Chris Saunders Park overlooking both the park and the Gateway Theatre of Shopping.

What does this new kid on the block have to offer?

Its one of those inviting, friendly and want to linger longer kinda places.

The menu focuses on the coffee and drink selection, with a few "delish" sweetie and organic sandwich options, rather than focusing on food choice and the coffee being the add on.

Two experienced Baristas work their magic with the local "Bluff Bru" selection.

 They also offer a South African decaf called Racemosa believed to be the only naturally occurring decaffeinated bean in the world.

Add to this a radio station (iwantmyradio) which is located at the back of the cafe and you have a unique,cool place to chill,enjoy good coffee,meet friends or just people watch. 

For those of us that need to work there is free Wifi.

My BFF and I shared a yummy, huge beef roll (R40).I couldn't resist the "dreamy" Belgian Hot Chocolate (R25) and my well travelled friend chose their Frappachino equivalent Coffreezo (R30) which she rated as one of the best she has had.

iwantmycoffee is a "must place" to visit and for those of you that live far,far away, then I hope for your enjoyment the siblings come soon!

Open weekdays and Saturday mornings and on Wonder Market Sundays.

iwantmycoffee 

MAMAS AND PAPAS

I am so envious of the mums and future "mums to be" in South Africa, as you will now have another International nursery goods retailer from which you can buy everything for your baby and toddler. Maternity clothes and nursery furniture choices have been somewhat poor over the past few years in South Africa, but not at Mamas & Papas, as they have great ranges.
Mamas and Papas really does cater for everything a new mum needs for both herself and her new bundle of joy!

Just one of the many ranges of nursery
 furniture
 

Some of the Maternity fashions that are designed to be
worn post pregnancy also!

Great selection of buggies,prams and cots and cot beds

 Mamas and Papas was started back in 1981 by husband and wife team David & Luisa Scacchetti, even though their roots originate in Modena in Italy, their first store was opened in, of all places, Huddersfield (Yorkshire) in the UK.

David and Luisa

This family owned business have over 60 stores around the UK and Mamas and Papas stores are literally opening up in every corner of the world,including South Africa. M&P have joined forces with the luxury clothing retailer, The Surtees group and have plans to open nine stores across South Africa over the next five years. The first opened recently in Sandton Johannesburg and the second store has just opened in the Crescent shopping centre in Umhlanga Rocks, which just happens to be on my doorstep.Its a pity it wasn't around nearly 20 years ago when my eldest "kiddiewink" was born, but hey! it will be around for when my grandchildren are born, not that any are planned just yet!

Toys,Highchairs and all baby accessories

Prams galore

There is plenty of clothing to choose from

They also have a third store planned for Cape Town (V&A) for later in the year.
I visited the Crescent store today and what a delight, it was spacious, bright and wonderfully merchandised. I have seen the brand overseas and it was great to spend time and wander around a store here in SA, I was like a kid in a candy store and it actually made me feel broody for grand "kiddiewinks".
Do yourselves a favour and visit a Mama's & Papa's store and then tell me that you didn't feel the same way!
A word of warning though....don't expect to find anything "cheap n cheerful" at M&P'S, as this is quality and the prices reflect that.

If you cannot visit a store then visit their website and check out all the beautiful things they stock.

Mama's & Papa's

MOTHERS DAY SHOPPING LIST

There is no "Friday Finds" post this week as it is Mother's Day on Sunday 12th May and the post below is all for "Moi"

This post is especially dedicated to my husband and two teenage boys....equals three males, need I say anymore?

Actually if the truth were known, it's for the attention of my 14 year old, who is the computer boffin in the house. My hubby is completely computer illiterate, so he won't see this post and my 19 year old has other more important things on his mind, and they have two wheels.....So my darling Scott, you must read and take note of the below. I am counting on you to pull this off....

Woolworths are always stocked up with such beautiful gifting ideas and Mothers Day this year  is no exception,

 so here are some of my "wish list" goodies for Sunday....hint hint!

1.

BRACELET ROPE & STONES

 R69.95

This will suit me nicely thank you....

~~~~

2.

 "I LOVE MOM" MUG

R25

This would be great for my winter "Hot Chocs"....

~~~~

3.

PRÉVOIR BIRD CAGE GIFT SET

R199.95

 Prévoir's luxury gift set includes:

room spray: 260ml

body wash: 95ml 

foam bath: 260ml

I don't care how this fragrance smells, as I just think this is so pretty and would look great in my bathroom....

~~~~

4.

PRÉVOIR WILD IRIS & MIMOSA BATH FIZZERS

R120

I lovely all things bubbly and fizzy for my bath, so this is a "must have" for this mum....

Woolworths

CRABTREE & EVELYN ONLINE SALE

I must just pass on this info to you all, especially if you are a lover of Home Fragrance, 

which I am!

Crabtree & Evelyn are having an ONLINE SALE, but hurry, as it ends on the 18th February.

All online orders over R1000 do not pay for any standard delivery charges....

The candle, room spray and the diffuser in the Rosewater, Lavender and Iris collections are all reduced....but remember its online only!

These collections will fragrance your room, office or home beautifully and all for less money!

Room Sprays R260 Now R104

Diffusers R800 Now R320

Candles R700 Now R280

Rosewater Room Spray, Candle and Difuser

To view more ONLINE SALE items click here

LANCOME HAPPY HOLIDAYS COLOUR LOOK

The Lancôme Happy Holidays Look focuses on beautiful eyes, with star products including three beautiful limited edition mono eye palettes. How beautiful does this palette look? 
The outer packaging comes in the Gold lamé,which carries on the theme of the 2012 Holiday Box which I blogged about recently.

To read Lancôme Glitters click here

I will be going along to see Zama the consultant at Edgars Gateway this week to check out the whole collection for myself,but these items below have really taken my "fancy"....

Ombre Hypnôse Mono R340

Shimmering loose powder
R250

Ginger Swing Nail colour R175

Lancôme’s ambassadress Hanaa Ben Abdelssem, with her cheerful look and radiant smile, is the perfect ravishing beauty to embody Parisian joie de vivre.

With this beautifully light look,Lancôme celebrates the world’s most beautiful city: Paris, where gilding, crystal chandeliers and city illuminations resonate with enchanting shimmer. Light glistens in the night full of laughter and cheer... This wave of made in Paris joie de vivre forms the very heart of a joyfully radiant Christmas collection. From the city lights to lamé evening dresses... infinitely precious Gold sets the tone for festive make-up. It is reinvented in elegant, contemporary style across three subtle variations: golden taupe, golden bronze and golden garnet. Shades infused with light, for simply resplendent beauty.

Lancôme Happy Holidays Colour Look will be on counter this week, so if you are a Lancôme fan or just looking for a beautiful new festive look for those year end Christmas and New Years Parties then look no further!

Available at selected Edgars, Red Square, Stuttafords, Woolworths and Truworths stores around South Africa.

L'OCCITANE VERBENA SORBET

I love sorbets especially as an alternative to ice cream and there is nothing nicer than a bowl of cooling, refreshing sorbet on a hot, humid summers day! Another great way to enjoy a sorbet is in a glass with champagne or sparkling wine poured over....mmm...."delish".

Ok.. let's get onto the new "Limited Edition" fragrance collection from L'Occitane called Verbena Sorbet. Yummy it already sounds good enough to eat! "focus, mind back onto the article and off food..Hazel!"

For the past six years L'Occitane have launched an annual limited edition fragrance collection as an extension to their very popular unisex Verbena Range.
The green Verbena leaf is harvested in June and gives off a fresh lemony scent and around this time in the markets of Provence the scent from baskets of Verbena leaves fill the air and smells wonderful!
In summer the locals use the leaves to make herbal iced teas and refreshing sorbets and this was the inspiration for their 2012 Verbena Sorbet Collection.

I personally love fresh,citrus,refreshing fragrances and the new Verbena Sorbet is no exception, especially in the Durban heat and humidity of summer. Verbena Sorbet has a minty twist to the Verbena in that it contains spearmint and peppermint with a top note of green lemon and grapefruit and the base notes of musk.
This unisex range has just arrived in South Africa and consists of the following products:

• Verbena Sorbet 100ml Edt spray (R495)
• Verbena Sorbet Body Ice Gel 250mls (R325) Great in summer to keep in the fridge which will enhance the cooling effect on the skin.
• Verbena Sorbet Exfoliating Shower Gel 200mls (R215) which contains lemon peel extracts which act as a gentle exfoliator.

To read other posts on L'Occitane products Click here and click here

FRENCH & SPANISH VINO'S

I know that we have some wonderful wines that are "Home Grown" here in South Africa, but Woolworths have just added the following Spanish and French wines to their range at affordable prices....I feel that these are perfect to accompany our summer braai's and alfresco summer dining, so if you fancy a bottle of "vino" that perhaps brings back memories of a holiday to Spain or France or maybe you just fancy trying something different then check out the below...


1

Spanish White R49.95 (750ml)

Crisp and refreshing with a unique floral-herbal aromas. On the palate, it displays a vibrant minerality, silky and waxy texture with delicate, fruity layers of pineapple, pear, almonds and melon. 
Great as an aperitif and a perfect match for fish, seafood, appetizers, chicken, rice and pasta dishes.


2

Spanish Tempranillo Red
R49.95 (750ml)

Bright, fresh hints of raspberry cream and black cherry with soft tannins and a spice-driven finish. Dry red wine-wood matured.Easy to drink, an ideal complement for pork chops, spare ribs and sausages on a braai as well as grilled vegetable and medium-ripe cheeses.


3

French Sauvignon Blanc
49.95 (750ml)

Fresh and crisp with floral fruity notes and citrus flavours. Crisp and dry. Enjoy as an aperitif or with seafood and grilled fish. 

4

Spanish San Pedro Rioja Red Wine
R49.95 (750ml)

Intense and fresh aromas of strawberry, cherry and liquorice supported by a silky and polished hint of leather at the edge. Dry Red Wine. Easy to drink, good with Chorizo salami and ham, savoury first courses and stews, excellent with meat and cheese. 


To find out more visit www.woolworths.co.za

TRIND COLOUR

Trind Cosmetics is a Dutch company which develops unique products in the field of hand and nail care and is a range that I love! 

The Trind Caring Color Line offers a fascinating palette of fashionable shades for fabulous nails. Color Lacquer that has specially been developed as a maintenance system. 

They have recently launched a Limited Edition Spring/Summer 2012 Colour Range and I tried the lilac colour. 

The colour goes on nicely, but as with most pale colours you need to apply two coats for overall even coverage. It also seemed to dry quicker than other brands that I have used and "so far so good" with regards to the "chip" factor.

They will be launching any day now, another 48 nail colours in their top Edgar's 

Trind doors and they will retail for R123, so look out for those...

R95

To read other Trind posts:
Click here
Click here

NAIL WHITE PENCIL

I have not seen one of these, a Nail white pencil for many years! I actually thought no one made them any more! Well Trind do!....and as you know I am a real fan of Trind products.
To read previous review click here

This pencil is especially useful if you suffer from "gardening nails" or yellowing nails. It couldn't be easier to use, as you literally crayon under your nail with the white pencil. This will not only whiten, but camouflage and hide stains. Also if used in conjunction with your French "mani" look it makes the white tips of your nails stand out even more..

Retails for R70
Trind is available only at selected Edgars around South Africa.

Click here for more info on Trind www.trind.co.za

TRIND TREAT

I had never really taken much notice of the Trind stand in the Edgar's stores and even though I knew they did nail products, I knew very little else about this nail care range. That is, until I recently met Michele, an old colleague from the beauty industry....who just happens to now be the Sales Manager for Trind. An impromptu and delightful manicure in the store plus briefing soon enlightened me on the full "In's n Outs" of Trind. 

"Trind Cosmetics is a Dutch company which develops unique products in the field of hand and nail care. Trind products are distinguished from other hand and nail care products, as they are based on the natural consistency of the nail, cuticle and hands. Trind products make the nails stronger and beautiful, without disturbing the structure of the nail while nourishing the cuticles and hands. The basis for this success is the Trind Perfect System, a set which contains only 6 products for a perfect manicure. A perfect hand and nail maintenance system for beautiful strong nails, perfect cuticles and hands".

Trind is only available in selected Edgar's country wide and complimentary "mani's" are offered by trained consultants to introduce you to the range. In store demo's are vital when either launching or growing the awareness of a brand and my manicure definitely achieved the desired result for Trind. Fortunately my nails are strong and in a good condition,however I was so impressed that I made the purchases below. (Well Done Michele) Believe me when I say "I am not a push over" when it comes to being sold to!

Nail Brightener@R199 Nail Magic Buffer@R51 French Manicure@R245 Professional Glass File@R245 I have only touched on a few of their products & there is so much more to this range, so either visit your nearest Edgar's store that stocks Trind or visit their website for more info www.trind.com

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!

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