Running has always formed a significant part of my fitness regime. I recently decided to kick it up a notch and start training towards a 10km race. For me, the thing that makes distance training bearable is listening to vibey music. I have tried a few different types of in-ear, earphones with varying levels of success. When I was approached to try a pair of Ifrogz Charisma Wireless Earbuds, I was super keen to find out how they compared to the other brands I have used. [Read more…]
Daniel Wellington Dapper St Mawes Watch
To many people, a watch is simply used for timekeeping, but to me, it has always been so much more. I have developed a particular affection for watches and have collected quite a few over the years. When Daniel Wellington contacted me about a possible collaboration, I could not have been more excited. In fact, I have had my eye on one of their watches for a while now! [Read more…]
Maybelline Superstay 14H Megawatt Lipstick {Beauty Review}
Maybelline Superstay 14H Megawatt Lipstick
I recently received a few new Maybelline lipsticks to review and among them was this gorgeous foursome. They are from the Maybelline Superstay 14H Megawatt Lipstick range. These lipsticks are an addition to their existing Superstay 14H range.
If you are looking for super charged electric pigments to create a statement, in your face, bold lip, then these colours are perfect! The four Megawatt colours available in SA are Neon Pink 120, Flash of Fuschia 135, Burst of Coral 455 and Red Rays 575. I must admit I have become a bit boring with my lippie of late, opting for either a nude or soft pink lip {I can hear some of you shout BORING!} Well these shades are anything but boring!
First impressions – I love the bright summery shades and the packing is cute and compact, perfect for popping in your handbag. The Maybelline Superstay 14H Megawatt Lipstick has a delicious fruity sent, which while I am not sure why, is hugely appealing to me!
Before we explore the colours a bit more lets talk about the formulation. The Maybelline Superstay 14H Megawatt Lipstick has a light-weight formulation, which when first applied, has a waxy almost lip balm like feel to it. It does however set with a matt finish.
Another note about the formulation and application, which may just be personal opinion, as I have quite dry lips but it tends to emphasise the lines on my lips. It does not have a very smooth texture, which I am used to in other matt lipsticks I wear. I will definitely need to wear a lip primer or lip balm under these lipsticks. I must admit am not a lover of “longwear” lipsticks, as I do find them quite drying.
As far as the staying power, they are highly pigment and the colour definitely lasts, even with eating and drinking, which is great. Whether it lasts 14 hours I am still to find out 😉 The colour does stain your lips, so be warned you will need either a beauty wipe or makeup remover on hand, to remove your lippie. I also think that wearing a lip liner, with the Maybelline Superstay 14H Megawatt Lipstick, creates a more even looking application but again that is personal preference!
On to the colours…
Flash of Fuchsia ~ This gorgeous hot pink is definitley my favourite out of the four! Both because of the colour and application! For some reason this particular shade looks much smoother on my lips, than the others and as you all know pink if definitely my colour!
Neon Pink ~ I do love this shade but it is the most drying on my lips and over emphasises the lines on my lips. So yay on the colour but not so yay on the finish!
Burst of Coral ~ I love coral lipstick and have had a vague obsession with it for a while! While this is not my favourite out of the four, I do not dislike it. It is also more of a pink coral, than an orange coral, which I do prefer.
Red Rays ~ Last but not least is Red Rays, which I really like! When I first had a closer look at it, I thought maybe the red was too orangey but once on, I am enjoying it more and more! I think I will definitely get a lot of wear out of this colour especially in winter.
So in closing, I really love the bright colours of the Maybelline Superstay 14H Megawatt Lipsticks and possibly I just need to get used to the slightly different formulation. Why don’t you give them a try for yourself and let me know what you think. They are available at selected Clicks, DisChem, Foschini and Edgars stores countrywide, RRP R134.95.
Disclosure Ranking: 2
Kyoto Garden Sushi
Kyoto Garden Sushi Review
I have read and heard so much about Kyoto Garden Sushi recently. I must admit the name is rather deceptive because is not just a simple sushi bar! In fact it is what I would consider to be Japanese fine dining. Kyoto Garden Sushi is situated in Kloof Nek, in the heart of the Cape Town CBD.
The evening we picked for dinner was a typical Cape winters night. Picture it, howling wind and driving rain, we actually lost our umbrella walking to the restaurant! I know most of you are thinking, an umbrella in Cape Town, in winter, why bother! Needless to say, we were happy to eventually arrive at our destination and be out of the rain, which naturally stopped once we were inside!
Kyoto Garden Sushi is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner for two. The dimly lit, elegant, zen inspired interior, is welcoming, with a wonderfully relaxed ambience. After a rather stressful day, it was exactly what we both needed! The only negative with the dim lighting, is the poor quality of my photographs!
Happily ensconced at our corner table, we poured over the drinks menu. Kyoto offers a wonderful selection of innovative cocktails, Japanese Beers and wines, which would please most connoisseurs. I opted for a delicious sounding Kyoto Cosmo and the hubby a Japanese beer.
With our rather limited experience of Japanese cuisine, we took the lead from owner and waiter for the evening, Scott, who interestingly enough hails from LA but spent quite a bit of time in Japan, perfecting his menu ideas for Kyoto. Scott guided us through the menu and gave us his recommendations. I must admit I felt rather overwhelmed and wanted to taste everything but we eventually narrowed it down and ordered a few dishes.
We started with the freshest Tuna Tartar, served with Daikon Radish and Wakame, Fresh Oysters with three flavours and Fresh Japanese Coleslaw with Crayfish. All three dishes were amazing, all the ingredients were extremely fresh, which Kyoto is renowned for. We decided on a crisp Paul Cluver Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the rest of our meal.
Next we ordered The Sea, one of the soups off the menu. The Sea is a clear broth with prawns, clams, octopus, mussel, scallops and seaweed. I can honestly say this dish is like nothing I have ever tasted before. It does in fact taste like The Sea! Delicious!
Scott recommended that we try a tempura dish, which happens to be a favourite of mine. I chose the Vegetables, Prawn and Bay Scallop Tempura, as my main meal. The batter was wonderfully light and I loved the combination of seafood and vegetables.
For mains Grant decided on the Steamed Fish in Bamboo Pot. To be honest this was probably my least favourite dish {yes I taste everything} of the evening but he really enjoyed it!
You will probably be amazed but we did not try any sushi. I have heard that the sushi is delicious but there were too many other dishes, which we wanted to try. Next time!
Although full I had to try a desert! In fact we ordered two. I had the Toasted Tofu, with Ginger Ice Cream and a hint of lime. Admittedly I am not a tofu lover but Scott said this was his creation, so I had to try it! It was amazing – the Tofu was unlike any that I have tasted before and I love ginger, so it was the perfect combination.
Grant ordered the Black Sesame Seed Ice Cream, which sounded as intriguing. Both deserts were amazing and I would go back just for those!
To round off the evening Scott suggested we try some Sake. I have had Sake once before and was not keen on it. He brought us a selection of three to taste: the House Sake, Raspberry Sake and a Refined Sake. To be honest I do not think Sake is something I will be making a habit if drinking in the future but the Refined one was definitely the best.
A rather interesting discovery I made at Kyoto, is the fact that there is such a thing as Japanese Whiskey – who knew! Kyoto offers quite an extensive selection of Japanese Whiskey but I am afraid I was not brave enough to sample any.
Our evening was truly a unique taste experience, one which I thoroughly enjoyed and we will definitely be going back. The highlights for me were the stunning Tempura, such a light batter and the rather unusual Tofu desert with Ginger Ice Cream. The only thing I must warn you about, is it is not a budget evening out and you can look at spending at minimum of R200 for a three course meal but in my opinion it is worth it!
Contact Details: Tel: 021 422 2001, Address: 11 Lower Kloofnek Road, Cape Town, Dinner: Open 5.30pm-11pm. Twitter @KyotoSushiCT
Disclosure Ranking:2
The New Inissia by Nespresso
As you may already know I am a bit of a coffee junkie, as well as a bit of a coffee snob! I have been known haul our coffee machine on holiday with us or call ahead to ensure that there is either a machine or at the very least, a french press available at our destination! Crazy I know but my day is not complete without at least one cup of “proper” coffee 🙂
I was super excited when I was offered the New Inissia by Nespresso to review! The timing could not have been more perfect, as we were off on our road trip to Knysna and compact Insissia machine, is the perfect travel companion.
First a bit about the Inissia:
The new Inissia machine from Nespresso is simple, with a chic design and is available in a palette of playful colours. It weighs a mere 2.4kg making it the lightest Nespresso machine yet but there is no compromise on quality, as it features all of Nespresso’s advanced technology! Streamlined for maximum efficiency, this machine lives up to Nespresso’s reputation for high end technology and quality is guaranteed by the Inissia 19 bar pressure extraction system.
As well as all the usual Nespresso functionality, it has a nifty folding drip try, which makes storage and transport very easy. You can buy the Inissia as a stand-alone machine or as a bundle, which includes the new Aeroccino 3, milk frother.
Nespresso has thought of everything, from automatic pre-programmed coffee buttons, which ensure the perfect coffee serving size each time to speed at your service with fast heat up in just 25 seconds. The Inissia might be tiny treasure but it boasts a water tank capacity 0.7L and a large capsule container which can hold up to 11 capsules, what’s more is that it is categorized in the A Energy Efficiency Class thanks to an innovative automatic shut-off after 9 minutes.
The launch of Inissia, includes four permanent colour options including Ruby Red, Vanilla Cream and monochromatic glam in White and Black. For a pop of bright colour you can also look forward to two trendy limited edition colours, which include Summer Sun and Sky Blue (available exclusively from Nespresso Boutiques only).
I absolutely loved traveling with the Inissia, it is small and lightweight but still delivers great coffee in no time at all!
It was great to have the convenience of great tasting coffee, wherever we went, obviously the only necessity for traveling with the Inissia is access to electricity. The machine heats up super fast and as well as great functionality, it looks really good as well.
Nothing beats a great cup of coffee especially in the morning! The cup above was enjoyed on our deck in Kynsna 🙂
The Inissia is available from Nespresso boutiques worldwide including the Sandton Nespresso Boutique in Sandton City Shopping Centre and the Cape Town Nespresso Boutique at the V & A Waterfront as well as online at www.nespresso.com for a RRP of R1500.00 (incl. VAT) and R2450.00 for the bundle option including the new Aeroccino 3.
Disclosure Ranking: 2
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