As you know, I am an avid traveller, but I do not get to travel nearly as much as I would like! I have found the best way to curb my wanderlust, is to have a Travel Wishlist. Last year I shared an article on My Top Dream Destinations, I have already ticked Thailand off the list, which we visited last year and I am hoping to be able to explore Italy later this year! A destination not too from home I am dying to explore is Réunion Island. [Read more…]
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Arabella Country Estate
During the last school break we decided to take a road trip up the coast towards Knysna, it has been quite a while since we ventured through the Overberg. We love the area so much and it has lots to offer the avid traveler! Beautiful beaches, breath taking mountain ranges, amazing accommodation and restaurants – not to forget the awesome wine estates!
One of our first stops on our road trip was Hermanus and we were fortunate to be invited to overnight at the stunning Arabella Country Estate. For those of you who have never been, the Arabella Country Estate, is one of Cape Town’s most luxurious golf estates. It boasts panoramic views of the Palmiet Mountain Range, and the tranquil Bot River Lagoon. It really is a piece of paradise!
A bit about the Estate:
The estate is approximately an hours drive from Cape Town and 28 km from Hermanus and 7 km from Kleinmond. It is the perfect retreat if you want to get out of the city buzz but don’t want to drive too far!
The golf estate property spans a total area of 113 hectares and has a 1.6 kilometre front, leading out onto the most breath taking lagoon. The property is located within the Transitional zone of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and the adjacent Bot River Lagoon, which is a designated Buffer zone of the Biosphere Reserve.
Arabella Country Estate is comprised of 236 freehold lifestyle estate properties, which have been developed to conform with prescribed architectural guidelines. It would really be an amazing place to live, I absolutely adore the beautiful surroundings and love the thought of secure estate living! There is also a Curro Private School in Hermanus, so if you were thinking of relocating {me dreaming} it would be perfect!
The estate is all about tranquility and community living, if you love the outdoors then it is the perfect place for you. As well as an 18-hole golf course, the area boasts mountain bike tracks, hikes and not to forget the amazing wine farms.
Our Stay:
As well as having residential accommodation Arabella Estate boasts a 5 Star Hotel and Spa. The Arabella Hotel & Spa, forms part of the African Pride Hotels brand, a Superior-Deluxe range of hotels, lodges and country houses.
Our accommodation for the night was a gorgeous Suite, with pananoramic mountains and lagoon views plus a bathroom to die for! The highlight for my youngest daughter was a TV above the bath!
Although the weather was a bit miserable when we arrived, we would not let it deter our enjoyment. It did unfortunately mean, that we could not make use of the amazing pool area in the Estate, the water was just a tad too cold! 😉
After lunch my hubby and I enjoyed a tour of the Estate, while the girls enjoyed the luxury of our suite and a snacked on a few decadent nibbles delivered by the staff.
Next on the agenda, for me, was a much need Hot Stone Massage at the hotels spa – HEAVEN!!!
While I enjoyed my pampering my hubby and the girls played a round of mini golf, which they all thoroughly enjoyed.
After a wonderfully relaxing bath it was off to dinner. We decided to eat at the Jamani Restaurant in the hotel, which was a lovely end to a great day!
I would like to thank both Arabella Country Estate and the Arabella Hotel & Spa for great attention to detail and making our stay with them extremely comfortable.
If you would like to find out more about the estate please visit the Arabella Country Estate Website or if you would like to book hotel accommodation you can visit the African Pride Website.
Disclosure Ranking: 4
Emy Our Summer Makeover Winner
I recently shared our Summer Makeover Reveal, which you must admit was amazing! Well I asked Emy our summer makeover winner, if she would like to share a few words about her experience, here is what she had to say:
Firstly I headed off to Edge Hair Salon, in Cavendish Square and was met by Fiona and Ardila. Being the typical busy working mom that I am I have used box color on my hair for as long as I can remember. So before we would even start coloring my hair we had to remove all of that color which seemed to take forever. But Ardila worked a miracle and my hair came out looking and feeling amazing.
Kirsty then joined us and we went shopping for clothes and accessories for the shoot. This was by far the hardest part of the whole experience. I am super self conscious since having my daughter and never really losing all the weight. I tend to go for clothes that hide everything and trying on clothes that I would not normally try on, in front of Fiona and Kristy (who are 2 of the most gorgeous people) was really difficult. I don’t regret it though, I feel that being put in that position and out of my comfort zone was good for me. I know that I have more confidence now and my self-image is much better than it used to be. Thanks Ladies!!!
Next I was off to meet Dominique at the Hout Bay Manor (which is gorgeous!). We were joined by Fiona and drank champagne whilst I tried on clothes and went through my wardrobe. Ladies, I would suggest that you all contact Dominique, my whole outlook on clothes has changed. And even though we couldn’t go through my entire wardrobe, as I had to drive in from Paternoster, I got a very good idea of what works for me and what doesn’t. I will certainly be meeting up with her in the future, even if it’s just for a quick clothes shop.
Afterwards I was left to enjoy Hout Bay Manor. Let me just say (and my husband will back me up on this) that I am the fussiest person when it comes to accommodation. Being in the Guest House business has ruined me for life, as I have ridiculously high standards. I can honestly say that I could not find fault with anything at this Hotel. The staff were amazing, the room was to die for! If Dominique is reading this I took that long bubble bath, with champagne! And it was heavenly! As a mom I was so looking forward to a few hours of peace and quiet. Which I did enjoy, but must say that my bed felt really empty without my family there.
I was up early the following morning for some breakfast and a quick shower before everyone arrived. Kirsty was my makeup artist and stylist and what an amazing person. Not only did she transform me completely but she was so much fun to be around and was constantly giving me makeup tips. Fiona ran around making sure we all had enough coffee and carried my clothing changes, while we ran around taking photos.
I was so nervous about having my photo taken and was convinced I would look all stiff and fake in the photos. Alison has this way of capturing you and making you feel so at ease. The photos are truly amazing.
Thank you again Fiona, Ardila, Kirsty and Alison as well as all the sponsors.
Vita Liberata Available in South Africa
Last week I attended the launch of Vita Liberata, which is the world’s leading organic, luxury sunless tanning range. It is sold in 22 countries and is currently the number one tanning brand, sold by cosmetic giant, Sephora in Europe and the USA. This award-winning brand is now also available in South Africa!
Vita Liberata South Africa
Vita Liberata have just received an award as winner of the Best Tanning Product, in the 2014 Natural Beauty Awards UK, which is run by Natural Health UK magazine. The range was developed seven years ago in Ireland, by an expert team of pharmacists and formulators under the direction of Vita Liberata’s passionate founder, Alyson Hogg. Today Vita Liberata, is used and endorsed by global celebrities such as Kelly Brook, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sofia Vergara, including establishments such as The Ritz Carlton, Regis and Four Seasons Hotel Groups. .
I must admit I have always been too afraid to try spray tanning, mostly because of the fear of turning orange! Luckily I have a naturally olive complexion but there are always those “areas”, which could benefit from a bit more of a healthy glow!
Amazingly the Vita Liberata products are organic, non-toxic and odourless – something I did not think was possible when it came to spray tanning! They are also free from parabens, perfumes and alcohol and bursting with natural extracts, such as raspberry, ginseng, grape, pomegrante to name just a few. These natural elements are sourced, specifically, for their healing and skin enhancing attributes. Vita Liberata tans are quick drying and a patented moisture lock system, effectively draws moisture to the surface of the skin, locking it there for up to 72 hours to ensure a smooth, moisture rich skin and a flawless fade.
“Finally, South Africans can embrace a completely natural looking, sun-kissed hue throughout the year, in a safe and natural way”, says Mylene Wait, co-owner and founder of Bella Me, the exclusive distributor of this luxurious new tanning range. “Vita Liberata is Latin for “a fresh start or new direction”
One of the added benefits of these products, especially for South Africa, is that beautiful, darker, African skins, can also be enhanced and enriched by using Vita Liberata’s Skin illuminators. So no matter what your skin colour, there is a product in the range to give you the healthy tanned glow you desire – it truly is the perfect tan for all South Africans!
Vita Liberata offers an extensive range of at-home tanning and skin care products, ensuring there is a product to suit all. The ground-breaking pHenomenal 2-3 week tan is the first and only tan, in the world, to last up to 4 times longer than regular tanning products.
Vita Liberata also offers two different types of professional spray tan formulas, Tinted, with a cosmetic bronzer as a guide colour, and Invisi, which is applied with a clear formula (to avoid any marking on clothing or bed sheets). Both spray tan formulas come in three different shades, again ensuring that there is a spray tan to suit all.
There is also a BB (blemish balm) cream available, which is perfect for smoothing skin with a subtle hue and a radiant finish. This can be used on the face and body.
We actually got to see a model sprayed first hand at the launch and I was amazed at the amazing result. Her tan looked completely natural and was dry to the touch almost immediately! There was definitely no odour and no orange hue – just a beautiful golden glow!
I will be trying a Vita Liberata spray tan first hand soon and will let you know my thoughts. We also received a mini spray tan kit to use at home, which I will try out before we go away next week! 🙂
For more information on the products or if you would like to purchase any of the tanning products you can visit the Vita Liberata Website.
Summer Makeover Reveal
Last month I spent a wonderful 2 days with our Summer Makeover winner Emy Clarke! As I promised I am sharing the Summer Makeover Reveal with you. You get a peek behind the scenes, as well a look at the professional photographs, taken by Alison from Inspired Exposure, on location at Hout Bay Manor.
Emy’s makeover experience started off with a trip to Edge Hair Salon in Cavendish, where the wonderful Ardila worked her magic on Emy’s tresses! After getting her hair just right, we whipped Emy off to do a bit of shopping at Old Khaki and Zuri, in Cavendish Square.
Once we had exhausted ourselves shopping we headed off to Hout Bay Manor, where Emy would be spending the night. It was also the venue for our photo shoot the following day. At the manor we met up with the amazing Dominique Luck, our wardrobe consultant. Bubbly was ordered – very necessary after all the exhausting shopping! 😉
Dominique then began her style consult with Emy. She had asked Emy to bring a few of her own clothing items with her, from home. We worked through all of Emy’s wardrobe concerns, as well as styling the outfits which we would use for the shoot the next day.
After a long and adventurous, but rather tiring day, we left Emy in peace to enjoy the luxury of her surroundings and a bit of alone time.
The morning of the photo shoot dawned, rather grey and gloomy, which worried me slightly – considering the day before had been beautiful and sunny! Our makeover team descended on Hout Bay Manor bright and early, to get Emy prepped and all glammed-up for her photo shoot. Kirsty, from Kirsten Murphy Makeup, started off with Emy’s hair and make up, while Alison scouted the best places to take the photographs. Alison assured me that the weather was not an issue and that shooting on a cooler day would in fact be better!
Kirsty did an amazing job on Emy’s hair and make up! Emy’s make up was subtle but oh so pretty! I think the transformation was amazing!
Once Emy was dressed we made our way downstairs, with additional outfits and make up, for any touch ups, in hand.
Alison began the photo shoot outside, in the gorgeous covered walkway, which leads to the hotel restaurant, Pure. Hout Bay Manor was a wonderful venue for the makeover photo shoot – from the pretty outside areas to the eclectic interiors. We could not have picked a better location!
Below you can see all the professional photographs taken by Alison from Inspired Exposure. She did an excellent job of capturing Emy’s natural beauty and radiance!
What a wonderful experience and what a deserving winner! I loved working with Emy and I think she looked beautiful! I would like to say a special thank you to all the sponsors involved, especially Hout Bay Manor for providing both the accommodation and the venue for our makeover. Listed below are all the wonderful sponsors who made this makeover possible.
Hair Makeover – Edge Hair Salon
Casual Wear – Old Khaki
Occasional Wear – Label Collections
Accessories – Zuri
Hair & Make Up – Kirsten Murphy MakeUp
Stylist – Dominique Luck
Photography – Inspired Exposure
Additional Prize Sponsors: Essence, Kiehl’s, Naturals Beauty and Pantene
Behind the Scenes Photography by Ian Rossiter & ©FAR Photography
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