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Beauty, Beauty Products

My Favourite Fragrances for 2013

Favourite-Fragrances-2013

Wow what a busy end to the year! Here we are slowly easing into 2014 ~ a New Year brings with it many new and wonderful possibilities! It also gives us a chance to reflect on the year gone by and the things that worked for us and the things that did not.

Favourite-Fragrances-2013

I thought I would reflect on some of the things that I loved in 2013 and share them with you, starting off with my favourite fragrances for 2013:

Modern Muse

Modern Muse

Modern Muse by Esteé Lauder, is a “Chic New Vision of Femininity”. It embraces the “duality” of the modern woman, who are both strong and confident, as well as soft and feminine. The definition of a “muse” is – “a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist”. Modern Muse captures the essence of the modern woman – your style, your confidence and your creative spirit. It is an alluring contrast of sparkling florals and sleek, sensual woods.

My favourite accord of the fragrance is the “sleek wood” scent, with wonderful vanilla, which is one of my personal favourites when it comes to fragrance. I am not a lover of overly floral scents but Modern Muse is so beautifully balanced and I find the floral accord is subtle and pretty rather being over powering!

Elie Saab Le Parfum

Elie Saab Le Parfum

Elie Saab Le Parfum had been on my wish-list for a while, when my hubby came to and surprised me with a bottle! I have to admit this is definitely my favourite-favourite for 2013! The bottle is jewel like and the rosey liquid inside is simply heavenly. The woody top notes, give way to zesty orange blossom and base notes reveal a deeply addictive cedar-honey rose accord. In simple terms it is both sensual and feminine and when I wear it my hubby cannot get enough of the smell 🙂

Catch Me by Cacharel

Catch-Me

Catch Me by Cacharel, is a typically summery fragrance! It reminds me of holiday time, which is probably also because I bought on my way home, from my trip to Thailand. This is a wonderfully feminine perfume, which although floral, it has notes of citrus and almond, making it refreshingly youthful. It is such a pretty fragrance and one of my favourite bottles!

So those are my favourite fragrances for 2013 – what were yours, please share below!

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Beauty, Beauty Products

Summer Nail Polish Shades

Summer-Nail-Polish-Shades

With summer around the corner I thought I would share some of my go-to summer nail polish shades. Two of the colours featured, are from my existing collection, which I bought earlier in the year and the other a new purchase.

Personally I love bright colours for summer especially on my toes, which you may have noticed from previous beauty posts! I do on occasion wear pastels in summer but much prefer bright shades 🙂

DJ Play That Song by Essie

The latest addition to my ever-growing nail polish collection is a gorgeous neon plum colour, called DJ Play That Song. I love, love, love how super bright this polish is, personally I prefer it on my toes but it looks equally as good on my hands.

DJ Play That Song by Essie DJ Play That Song by Essie

 

DJ Play That Song by Essie

I have paired DJ Play This Song, with a few different clothing items, to give you an idea what you could wear it with. You could match it up with similar plum colours or offset it with gorgeous green and gold. This colour would also work wonderfully with white during the day or look super sexy against black for an evening look.

DJ Play That Song by Essie

Watermelon by Essie

The reddish pink shade above, Essie Watermelon, is a flirty and fun shade perfect for summer. It is a deliciously refreshing juicy red polish, much like the beautiful, sweet, ripe flesh of watermelon.

Watermelon by Essie

I actually bought Watermelon after a mani and pedi at Sorbet, to take along with me on my recent trip to Thailand. It looks amazing against golden-tanned skin and is definitely a shade I will be wearing often this summer!

Tangerine by Essie

Last but not least is an old favourite, Tangerine, also by Essie. This zesty orange-red polish is so pretty and yes as you may know, I am slightly obsessed with coral or orangy colours, so this is a firm favourite.

Tangerine by Essie

There are many more beautiful summery colours available but these are a few of my favourites and colours I consider to be summer essentials.

Essie Protein Base Coat

Beauty Tip ~ To stop your nails from yellowing, caused by constantly wearing nail polish, I recommend that you use a Protein Base Coat, like the Essie one featured above. It really does stop your nails from yellowing, as well strengthening your nails!

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Accessories, Fashion, Fashion

Summer Fashion Essentials

Summer-Wardrobe-Essentials9

I love summer! Especially the warmer weather, which means spending more time outdoors and more importantly changing over to your summer wardrobe!

There is always that transition time between seasons, when you are not quite sure whether you should pack your winter woolies away but once summer is here in earnest there is nothing better than swopping your winter boots for strappy sandals and a pair of jeans and a jumper for a gorgeous summer dress.

With the help of Dominique Luck I did a spring/summer wardrobe sort a few weeks back. Once we had sorted all my existing clothing and decided which items would make the donation pile, we made a list of the summer fashion essentials, which I need to  add to my wardrobe.

These are a few of the Summer Fashion Essentials, which were on the list:

Statment Trousers

  • Trousers: Pleated, printed,tapered or wide leg its all good! I find that I tend to live in jeans but often I need something a bit smarter for evening wear or I simply want to achieve a different look. Dominique’s advice is no matter what style you choose ensure they fit well and make a statement! A few great trends for this season are preppy cotton trousers or statement printed wide leg or tapered trousers. To find similar style printed trousers click here. I managed to find the pair below, from Trenery at Woolworths, which are perfect for an evening out or an event and you can wear them with heels or flats.

Black Trenery Trousers

 

LuluPulani

  • The ballet pump: Pumps are essential for spring/summer, especially during the transitional weather when it is still too cold for flip flops or sandals but too warm for boots. There are so many styles and colours to choose from in the shops at the moment, we are spoilt for choice but it is also so good to have at least one neutral pair. I especially love handmade pumps like the pair above from Luli Pulani. On my search for a new pair for everyday wear, I found the pair below at Old Khaki, they are part of their Rare Earth range – they are super comfy and look great with just about any outfit!

Summer-Wardrobe-Essentials7

Summer-Fashion-Essentials

  • Strappy sandals: The best part of summer is getting your tootsies out! Donning a pair of strappy sandals or wedges, with a bright and summery colour painted on your toes – perfect! My sandal collection is a bit sad at the moment, so I opted for a very versatile silver pair from Aldo to start off my summer sandal collection. I am still on the hunt for a sexy pair of high wedges for summer!

Summer Wedge Sandals

Summer-Wardrobe-Essentials3

  • Dresses! I think I love the idea of dresses more, than dressed themselves but I think my apprehension lies in finding the “right” dress – one that makes me feel and look sexy and feminine! Last summer I found two pretty pastels lace dresses, which I loved wearing, they are both shorter in length and make me feel super sexy. If you prefer something longer then opt for a statement maxi dress, there are so many gorgeous prints available – a few new maxi dresses are definitely on my shopping list! To find summer dresses click here and here.

Summer-Wardrobe-Essentials5

  • Scarves!!! I love scarves, much like shoes and bags, if I walk into a shop I HAVE to look at the scarves they have on display, whether I need one or not! Florals, pastels, geometric brights it does not really matter!! Mix match and or clash – just have a bit of fun 🙂 I found the gorgeous scarf above at Old Khaki and have had so many compliments when I wear it. {I had to go back and buy the cardi, which is also from Old Khaki. I did not buy it first time around as I have quite a collection of cardi’s but coral is one of favourite colours, so I had to have it :)}

A few fashion tips to remember:

~ If you find a classic clothing item, which fits you well, then buy more than one!

~When buying a T shirt ensure that you remember the secret formula – 95% Cotton and 5%Lycra or Spandex, this will help it hold its shape and last longer.

~When buying denim, especially stretch denim, buy a size smaller because it will stretch and lets face it there is nothing worse than a saggy-butt!

~Keep a scarf in your bag or car – it will perk up any outfit and take your look from ordinary to fabulous!

There are many other items which are essential to complete your summer wardrobe but these are a few of the basics.

Items Featured: Black Trousers R599 Trenery at Woolworths, Nude Rare Earth Pumps R599 Old Khaki, Silver Thong Sandals R499 Aldo, Coral & Pink Scarf R160 Old Khaki, Coral Cardigan R350 Old Khaki, Floral Dresses bought on holiday in Thailand.

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Beauty, Beauty Products

Pantene Moisture Renewal Review

Pantene-Moisture-Renewal-ra

A few weeks back I received the Pantene Moisture Renewal Range, of hair care products, to try out and review. Pantene is not the range of products I normally use but I have been struggling with dry ends, so I was keen to see if these products would help.

Much like our skin, our hair requires devoted loving care, nutrients and most importantly, conditioning, especially during the dryer months of the year. The weather can play havoc with your hair, especially the extremely cold winter weather but there are other factors, which can contribute to dry and lifeless hair.

I thought I would include some hair-care advice in this review, from Dr John Gray, who is an expert medical practitioner and internationally acclaimed trichologist. He explains that temperature is not necessarily a leading factor for caring for dry hair, but rather a combination of the following habits:

• How processed is your hair?
• How many times a week do you wash and heat style your hair?
• How often do you condition and add a moisture treatment to your hair care regime?
• How often do you make an appointment with a professional stylist, to keep split ends trimmed and your hair shaped in an attractive and easy to maintain style?

My hair is in fairly good condition and not over processed but I do heat-dry it on a daily basis hence the dry ends. I find it vital to condition my hair each time I wash it but because my hair is extremely fine, I cannot use products which are too moisturising and leave my hair feeling oily.

Pantene Hair Care

The Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal collection works to re-hydrate and replenish the driest of dry hair, with targeted micro-moisturisers. By supporting the control of moisture movement, the hairs’ natural lipid layers are protected, which ensures your mane looks and feels silky smooth, glossy and radiant, for up to 24 hours.

These are a few tips from Dr Gray to banish dry unmanageable hair:

  • “Condition, condition, condition! Hair must be conditioned after every wash. Protection against moisture loss works best after working a conditioning cure or masque treatment through the hair such as the Pantene Intensive Moisturising Masque.
  • “Wash ‘n rinse: Many of us subject our heads of hair to rigorous washing and styling on a daily basis. Through our devoted attention, we lose precious moisture, which ultimately leads to damage.”
  •  “After using a rich shampoo such as Pantene’s Moisture Renewal Shampoo with micro-moisturisers, which targets the driest areas of hair to help protect the natural lipid layer, towel-dry your hair. This is an important step before completing the drying and styling process because a hairdryer, by way of example, can boil the water in your hair because it delivers dry heat temperatures of around 140°C.”
  • “Ensure you pay regular visits to a professional hair stylist. With over 100,000 strands of hair on the average human head, two centimeters of split ends, actually equates to two kilometers of damaged tips. By maintaining the right length of hair, your style will be easy to control and maintain, and ultimately, your hair will be enabled to hold its moisture content.”

My Pantene Moisture Renewal Review:

Pantene-Moisture-Renewal-Sh

Moisture Renewal Revitalising Shampoo and Conditioner:

After our recent trip to Thailand I have really been struggling to get my hair back to its natural soft silky state and have tried various different products to add more moisture. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical at first, when I was offered these products to review but I have really enjoyed using both the Shampoo and Conditioner. These products are not over moisuturising and do not weigh your hair down at all. I found my hair soft but not fly-away, which tends to happen to my hair. My hair was manageable and easy to comb through making styling it a pleasure.

Pantene-2-Min-Intensive-Moi

2 Minutes Intensive Moisturizing Mask:

This is an awesome treatment but because my hair tends to become oily quite easily, I have only been using it once a week. It is light and does not weigh your hair down or make it tacky after using it. My daughter who has curly hair, which tends to dry out, has also been using the treatment but twice a week. You can apply it after you have washed your hair and leave on for two minutes, while you shave your legs or use your body scrub. Then rinse as per normal, it is super quick and easy to use and is definitely a product I would buy!

Pantene-Deep-Moisture-Souff

Deep Moisture Soufflé:

Last but certainly not least, the Deep Moisture Soufflé, leave in treatment, which looks like pipped meringue, is truly amazing. It is a blend of four moisturises, which help protect your hair against heat damage. It looks a bit like regular styling mousse but it does not have the same sticky texture that mousse does. You only need to apply a small amount to towel dried hair before you style it, for perfectly silky tresses!

*Disclaimer – The Pantene Products were sent to me for review purposes but the views and opinions are my own.

About Dr John Gray:

John qualified in Medicine from St George’s Hospital in London. He ran a family-based primary care practice and trichology clinic before moving to South Africa in 2010.
As well as being a senior consultant to P&G, John is a member of the European Academy of Dermatology, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the European and North American Hair Research Societies, the Royal Society of Medicine and the Institute of Trichology.

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4 Things..., Be Inspired

4 Things

4-Things-I-am-loving4

I have decided to revive a series which I shared on the blog a while back, called 4 Things. In this series I share things I love, new things I am trying, places I have gone, things I have learnt or they could simply be, things I would like to share with you.

Typo2

1 Typo ~ I am loving all my new Typo goodies, especially my Golden-Apple Pen Holder. My bit of “bling” for my desk! All the girls in our house love Typo so it is usually a fight over who gets what! 🙂

Lingerie-Letters3

2 Lingerie Letters ~ My favourite type of mail to receive! Truth be told my hubby probably gets more excited than I do 😉 It really is such a fun subscription and only costs R95 per month. This months lacy pink pair is so pretty – don’t you agree?

Catch-Me-by-Cacharel2

3 Catch Me by Cacharel ~ Officially my new favourite fragrance, which I bough on my way home, from my trip to Thailand. This is a wonderfully summery perfume, which although floral has notes of citrus and almond, making it refreshingly youthful. It is such a pretty fragrance and what a gorgeous bottle – need I say more!

Hey-Gorgeous2

4 Hey Gorgeous ~ I am loving the new goodies I am trying out from Hey Gorgeous. My eldest daughter and I are trying their Banish and Repair range, which we are both enjoying and best of all – their products are “made with love”!

What are your favourite items at the moment? I would love you to share so please leave a comment below this post!

If you would like to read more posts in this series please click here...

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Meet Fiona Rossiter

Hi, I am Fiona Rossiter, from Cape Town, the writer and photographer behind Inspired Living SA Blog. If you love good Food and Wine, reading amazing Travel Adventures, keeping Fit and Healthy, as well following Decor Trends – then Inspired Living SA is just the place for you! Read More…

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