MAVALA Via Veneto

I have a new crush...it's name is MAVALA Via Veneto!!

My new crush ;) 

This colour is beautifully elegant aaand has a hint of sassy-ness! I can imagine Cinderella wearing a shade like this to go with her stunning ballgown and unforgettable shoes. Just imagine what The Prince would have said if she was trying to pull off grotesque coloured nails. This proves that nail polish matters, when trying to make a statement.

I must say, I didn't think much of the colour by looking at the bottle but once it was brushed onto my nails, I couldn't stop staring!

The shade is washed out pink-caramel colour but it was the stunning shimmer-gloss finish that got me so worked up. It has a certain 'feel' about it, making it irresistible to stare at all day and admire

Due to my carelessness, the polish started chipping from day 2 but was only really noticeable from day 4 because it is quite a light shade.

I used a Mavala base and top coat which I will be reviewing next. I am convinced these products helped add the beautiful finish to my manicure.

I have many light/neutral colours in my polish collection but this one by Mavala is so unique I don't actually want to compare it to the others. It is for this specific reason, I love nail polishes. Even though there are thousands of colours out there, they are all unique and you can never have enough!!

Follow Mavala South Africa on Twitter to get new on fab releases. You can also follow me here as I will be reviewing more Mavala products next week!

Live Healthy: Update #7

So it has been quite a while since my last Live Healthy update because life happened! But I haven't forgotten my live healthy ways so here's what I've been up to:

My latest gym session and some snacks. I really needed a pick me up so I treated myself and my colleagues to bright cupcakes! I have found that adding fresh fruit like banana's and apples to plain oats, makes it taste much better.

Fruit shake time!! The best way to boost your immune system is by giving it tons of fruit. 

Have you ever been to Fruit and Veg Food Lovers Market? They are in most major cities. Fruit and Veg on steroids as I call it. They have dirt cheap specials that change every week. In the beginning of June we bought a veg special which was 7kg potatoes, a pocket of oranges, a pocket of butternut and a huge box of tomatoes for just R100. 

This weekend I bought their fruit special (hence the fruit shake). A packet of banana's, apples, oranges, two punnets of strawberries and one large paw paw for R50. Crazy right!? 

I always saw buying food was an expensive attribute to living healthy but after seeing these specials it is definitely do-able!

Gym wise, I've been a terrible girl! I have only been going once a week as it is year end at my firm and once I get home I just pass out. This week I am hoping to play a little catch up. I have my gym contract through our medical aid so in order for me to save money I need to go at least 3 times a week.

I also have to start running my little behind off for the Spar Women's race happening on the 31st of August which I noted in my last update. 

Later this week I will be announcing a possible 2014 resolution that will be a sequel to my Live Healthy 2013 resolution. I am really excited for this!

Here's a motivational poster that has kept me going these past few weeks :)

Follow my Pinspiration board here.

TTFN

Clean fun with The Beauty Factory's new "Originals" range

As soon as I hear the word originals, I think of Vampire Diaries (addict right here) and that leads me to a very philosophical thought. Originals are the base of everything. Without the originals, things would not be as they are today and it is very important to give originals the respect they deserve.

The new Originals range from The Beauty Factory definitely has my respect. 

Remember when soap was just soap? This new range from The Beauty Factory reminds us that sometimes our body just needs the plain ol' good stuff. No added ingredients to confuse our skin into thinking it needs something it doesn't. 

Here they are:

 The Body Polisher - 

My favourite of the three products which were sent to me by Beauty Factory. This 'polisher' has the most divine scent, just like clean PJ's that have just come out of the tumble dryer on a cold winters night *Bliss*. It has small little micro beads that lightly exfoliate your skin giving it a soft, polished, feeling. 

One thing I find extremely irritating about body exfoliators (the ones I've used) is, they don't have a 'soapy' texture so you end up using 2 products to satisfy your skins needs (cleaning & getting rid of dead skin). This is not the case with the Originals Body Polisher. It's soapy and polishes away any nasty dead skin clinging on for no reason. Perfect!!

The Hand Mask - 

I am still getting to know this product. I'ts unlike anything I've tried before. It's almost like the cream version of a waster-less hand cleanser. You know, like the ones you buy at clicks. It absorbs in like three seconds which totally messes with my mind. Usually you fight with creams, and skin, for up to 15 min before it completely absorbs. I guess this 'deep moisturises' your skin, giving it a jolt of moisture. I like it!

The Hand and Nail Cream -

This is a very simple cream that does what it needs to. It smells fresh and it is perfect to keep in your draw at work. 

I am really impressed with this fresh approach to skin care from The Beauty Factory. It's good to see that the technological advances has not affected their products. This balances nicely with the great brands who do use the new technological advances. The best of both worlds which you get to choose from. If it's plain, clean fun you're looking for then The Beauty Factory has something for you.

Like The Beauty Factory on Facebook for news on their products or pop over to their newly launched online store and shop your heart out!

#COSMOpolished

If you follow me on Twitter (if you don't, why not!?) then you would have seen that last week Wednesday I was invited to a night out on the town, Kramerville/Sandton, for a "Polished" event hosted by Cosmopolitan magazine and Revlon SA.

Here are some snaps from the night:

The Rooftop Venue view, posh seating area's and the stations where we got to do our nails.

Fellow beauty bloggers Nicola and Zaahira. Nicola got a huge Revlon hamper for her stunning nail art!

The awesome Revlon products we got to use on the night.

I got to meet an awesome Miss Claira-Bella reader, Hildegarde, we were serenaded while we got to try some great nail art techniques.

The delicious food we got to munch on and the champagne was flowing

Thanks so much to Cosmo and Revlon for inviting me to this event. I will be doing a full event review next week and tell you exactly what went down so keep posted :)

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram

Don't forget about Daddy!

Dads also need some TLC and what better way than to give him a gift voucher to The Laser Beautique this fathers day (16 June 2013)!

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Luminous Lip Gloss

Just hearing the name Elizabeth Arden makes me squirm with joy because it can only mean one thing; spoils! That’s exactly what the BB ladies did by sending me the new luminous lip gloss. I was utterly spoilt!

 Elizabeth Arden’s packaging is never too much for the eye to handle but still has elegance about it. Less is more! This Luminous lip gloss is very similar if not exactly from the same factory as GOSH’s light n shine lip-gloss. Square shaped with a handy mirror stuck on the side. It also has a thick applicator, covering more of your lip when applying.

The colour I received was "Latte" which is a yummy hot chocolaty colour and the scent is almost edible. The consistency of the gloss is sticky but firm (meaning it won’t just fall off your lips like syrup) and won’t really budge whilst drinking your morning coffee upon arrival at work. Your boss will walk in and your lips will still be shining *Que Rihanna’s “shine bright like a diamond” song*.

I was worried the chocolate colour would make me look a lil pasty but it actually turned out to be quite transparent. If you have good blood flow and your lips are bright pink, you will have a rosy tint after applying the gloss. You can also put a small amount on top of your lip stick to get versatility from the gloss.

Read my review on Beauty Bulletin for more details on what I thought.

Thanks to Elizabeth Arden and Beauty Bulletin for allowing me to review this amazing product!
If you want the chance to get some free goodies to review then sign up as a VIP member on Beauty Bulletin and you might be picked to receive next month's product send out. Literally anyone can sign up from anywhere!

Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook where I share my latest reviews and other blog news!

RIP my sweet princess

This past weekend was awful. Besides being flat broke after our car broke down twice in two months, my sweet little gerbil girl had to be put down :(

She had a tumor on her one kidney which was quite aggressive. On top of the tumor were cysts which were popping one by one, filling her stomach with fluid and squashing all her other organs. I didn't want her to suffer anymore so I decided to put her down.

I'm not sure if there is a gerbil heaven but wherever she is now, I hope she is happy.

RIP

Nails Inc "Porchester Square"

I'm back for another Nails Inc review and this time its on the very original lilac-grey colour called Porchester Square.

Need to refresh your memory? Read my previous Nails Inc reviews here.

I am starting to like this brand more and more after my not-so-great experience with their leather effect  nail polish. I really love the quality of this polish. It did not streak and after applying two coats, I realized that I could have gotten away with only one. 

My manicure lasted 5 days with a top coat which is a little above average for nails polishes I wear, but chipping was quite visible from day 3.

This colour is really stunning and can compliment any winter wardrobe. I love that it has a slight lilac tint to the grey as plain grey can be rather monotonous. This is definitely a one of a kind polish!

You can find all Nails Inc products at Edgars and Red Square stores. Follow them on Twitter and like their Facebook page for news on products.

Thanks to Nails Inc for letting me try this pretty polish!

Yardley's Midnight Fever sparkle polish

I have been really excited to do this 'pretty polish' review because this has very quickly become my favourite winter polish and I really wanted to share it with you. This is the 4D polish from Yardley in the colour "Midnight Fever".

 To be honset, I dont really like the 4D claim because it isnt really 4D but none the less, its still pretty awesome.

My first love-factor would definitely be that its purple and it has tons of sparkle. Its perfect for winter but it still gives me a pick me up feeling on cold days.

The durability of this Yardley polish was pretty impressive. It lasted a solid 4 days without a top coat and faded rather than chipped (but everyone's nails differ). 

Colour pay off was so-so. I had to apply 2 coats to achieve the colour in the pictures above but it could  do with 3 coats. Seeing as the colour is so pretty, I don't mind investing the time applying 3 many coats!

This polish got me tons of attention at the office. So much so that I actually had to bring the bottle of polish and paint 2 co-workers' nails. They "just have to have it". I will definitely be wearing it again!

Let me know what your current favourite polish is in the comments below or on Twitter. You can also use the new tagging feature on Instagram to show me your pretty polishes!

Simple French Manicure

I was in a 'playing around' mood a weeks ago and did my nails (by "did" I mean try do something other than just painting them a solid colour like I usually do). I don't normally do french manicure designs because they are such a mission to do and it turns into a big mess. Then I found a very handy white tip painter by Essence and gave it a try. Here is what I came up with (as shared on Instagram);

View the original design here.

What I used:

1. After filing and buffing my nails I applied one coat of ZOYA's Anchor Basecoat. This is my current favourite basecoat.

2. Then I used Essence's white tip painter pen (R29.95). This pen is so simple to use and gives a really precise line from it's thin tip. I made my french manicure tips free handed but you can always go ahead and apply those strips if your hand isn't too stable.

3. I mixed some acrylic paints to make my coloured stripes. I wasn't really going for a specific colour so I just played around a bit until I was happy. I used a striping brush from my nail art brush collection to paint the stripes. Very simple. (I actually forgot what the original design looked liked so I made a star instead of a pretty flower. I might redo it later)

4. After that was all dry I applied my Rose French manicure topcaot from Rimmel. This adds that pretty seal to french manicures.

5. Luckily I had some diamante drops from my Nails Inc Rebel set (review coming soon) so I stuck one at the base of each star and voila!

I love how simple this design is and it is rather inexpensive. I will try do more simple ideas that anyone can do at home. Let me know what you think in the comments below or Tweet me!

My every day cosmetics

I have a system in place to make my mornings less stressful and enables me to get ready for work pretty quickly. I have a box which houses all my essential cosmetics that I wear everyday. That way I can just haul my box out and apply my makeup without having to search for items that get lost in a big collection in unorganized storage.

My essentials box (excuse the dirty fingerprint marks)

Seeing as I use these products every day you can consider them in my 'favourites' category. Here they are starting with my base/clear canvas.

I'm not a huge fan of foundations so I only use BB creams and tinted moisturisers unless it's a special occasion. I am still madly in love with Essence's stay all day concealer! I use it for the dark bags under my eyes and as an eye primer.

Essence's My Skin tinted moisuriser, Ponds flawless radiance BB cream, Essence's All-in-one BB cream and Essence's stay all day concealer.

Next are my shading/colouring cosmetics. I like wearing a simple face so I don't really go crazy with bright blushes and crazy contouring. I use Physicians Formula's mineral glow pearls (2P translucent Pearl) to add a bit of shine to my dry winter skin, Gosh's Multicolour Blush (51 Bronze Pie) for a teeny bit of cheekbone contouring and Catrice's cream blush stick (C02 birds of paradise) for rosy cheeks and I set it with Yardley's Stayfast Velvet blush in 'Cashmere'.

Physicians Formula mineral pearls, Catrice's Cream blush stick, Gosh's Multicolour blush, Yardley's stayfast velvet blush.

Lastly I do my eyes! I use Gosh's brow kit to define my brow shape and set them in place. For my eyesahdow, I have been using NYX's Jazz Night 10 colour eye shadow palette because it has some great winter shades. I highlight with Gosh's smokey eyes palette (just the white) and I finish off by curling my lashes and applying mascara. I vary between Rimmel's Scandal eyes mascara, Rimmel's brand new lash accelerator endless mascara and Yardley's Luscious lush lashes mascara, all depending on my mood.

Gosh's Eyebrow Kit, Gosh's Smokey eye palette, Rimmel's Lash accelerator endless mascara, Rimmel's Scandal eyes mascara, Yardley's Luscious lush lashes mascara, NYX's Jazz nights eye shadow palette.

These seem to be my winter staple cosmetics so I will do an update in spring. Let me know if you like these collection type of blog posts and I'll start doing more :)

Feel free to click on the links I have provided above. They go to the reviews for each product!

Essence All-in-one BB Cream

Lets do a quick head count on the brand-passengers on my BB cream train. So far I have reviewed Garnier's miracle skin perfector BB Cream, Essence's my skin tinted moisturisers (I consider them to be the same as a BB cream) and Ponds' newly released flawless radience BB cream. 

One guest that I have been wanting on the train ever since I heard about it, is Essence's All-in-one BB cream and I am finally here to welcome it on board with open arms!

Finally, a BB cream that matches my skin tone almost 100%! I don't have to blend out any lines near my jaw line to avoid the dreaded "mask" look. This really made my girl problems better and that's all I really need.

The moisturising properties were really enjoyable. My skin did not feel dry or tight, in fact it gave my skin a slight glow. This is fantastic to liven up dull winter skin but might be a problem on hot summer days. Luckily I don't need to worry about that now and it works just fine!

I am also loving the SPF 30 in each tube of Essence All-in-one BB bream. Don't forget that even though it's cold, the sun can damage your skin and give you horrible dark sun spots. I honestly don't think I would buy a BB cream if it didn't have an SPF. *High-five to Essence*

More awesome news? This is the cheapest BB cream you'll find on the shelves right now. Retail price is only R54.95 for a 30ml tube. Yes please!

One major downer is that it smells terrible. The Essence All-in-one BB cream is oil and perfume free which is fantastic for your skin but can be rather grotesque once it's applied and it's stuck to your nostril area. This scent (or lack thereof) does fade within like 30min but might be too much for some ladies to initially overcome.

This is a great BB cream because the quality you get for the amount that you pay, is totally worth it. 

Thanks so much to Essence for sending this BB cream my way. I am so glad that I get to use it on a daily basis. Follow Essence on Twitter and like their Facebook page to keep up with their fab products and new releases!

Live Healthy: Update #6

It's been a while since I did an update post, (Read update #5 here) but here I am for my newest news and check in.

Last week Tuesday's snack (kiwis ftw!!), side stepping machine, my floor setup and a little indulgent snack (bacon and cheese roll *yum*)

Sunday's home-made fruit salad, blissfully empty gym, progress pictures and me trying to concur the side plank.

I am getting a hang of this gym thing. I am gym-ming 4 times a week on average which I never thought I'd do so I'm impressed with my determination. I have a nice routine going and I feel comfortable with the machines which I was worried about when first joining. Those things are really daunting. 

I have been eating a little more unhealthily these past two weeks. We now have the most amazing butterscotch syrup in the house which goes on everything it can! But hey, its winter, I need the comfort food (small amounts though).

I am really excited to enter the 2013 Spar Most Beautiful Woman's race. I have participated the past 2 years and really want to set strict goals for this year. In the past I have seen this event as a 'fun walk' but I would really love to run it this year (just the 5km). I'll be entering the Pretoria race which is happening on the 31st of August. There will be a sea of purple in the streets this year as this is the colour of the shirts *Yay, my fave*. Entries open in the 4th of June.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for my update images and other Live Healthy news.

Red Square understands the 'Digital Diva'

I received a really unexpected gift from Red Square store containing tons of samples. I was a tad confused but after reading the note it came with, I waited with anticipation to receive more details and once I did, I liked what I saw!

I'm not one for online shopping myself but I do admire Red Square's new online sampling program. You get to choose three samples when making an order online which will give you the opportunity to try products out before your next purchase (just like the ones in the picture above). This proves that they understand the digital diva. We want to know what products to commit to by testing it out first!

You're probably asking yourself, "what am I going to do with three tiny samples?". Let me tell you ladies, end of the month, just before pay day, I live off samples! It's just the way we get beauty on a budget.

Image provided by Red Square PR

You will also get the opportunity to review/comment on products you have purchased from Red Square to create a community of ladies who help each other with shopping advice.

Gone are the days of ladies knowing less than men. Nowadays women are dominating the social media and online shopping platforms.

Keep an eye out on www.redsquare.co.za to find out how you can get a piece of the cake!!

Nails Inc - Take 2

After posting my review on Nails Inc's leather effect polish, I received a call from the PR company who explained why I had not received any blogger send-out yet. It was at that moment that I realized, every now and then we need a reminder that we are all just humans and it is impossible to work like machines.

Due to some constraints at the PR company, they had to hand deliver all the blogger send outs themselves. Having to deliver 20 packages to 20 different addresses, as well as still try keep the offices under control and complete their workload, can be horrifically stressful at the least. 

Here are some fantastic Nails Inc products I finally get to brag to you about:

Kensington Caviar Base Coat

Caviar reminds me of three things, the Titanic, giant ball gowns and beautiful crystal chandeliers.  Summed up, utterly indulgent and very classy. Would I want that on my nails? Hells yeah!! 

Base coats are important for improving nail strength, durability of nail polish and helps prevent staining. This base coat did all that and it gave me great protection but it isn't my favourite. I'm just really picky and feel that the 'base-coat-to-nail-polish' strength was stronger than the 'nail-to-base-coat-strength' (I hope that makes sense) which made my polish chip in bigger chunks. I still got a few days from my polish which is all we really need.

"Baker Street"

Over my Kensington caviar base coat, I applied this absolutely gorgeous shade of blue called "Baker Street". I haven't liked a blue this much since Avon's "Arctic Waters". I applied two coats to my nails which did not streak or blotch. This colour makes a big statement because its so bright. It's full of life and simply, puts me in a good mood. A very original shade to welcome to your collection!

Kensington Caviar Top Coat

The Kensington caviar top coat is great! You can see an immediate difference between the two above pictures. This base coat sealed the polish really well and provided fantastic shine that lasted 3-4 days. Again, caviar is indulgent so using the Kensington caviar base and top coat makes a neat little caviar sandwich to compliment your nails.

Vitamin E cuticle oil pen

My new handbag must-have; Nails Inc's vitamin E cuticle oil pen. How pretty is the floral design on the  pen itself? I love the attention to detail and it has the best scent I have ever smelt in a cuticle oil. Haul this out during lunch with your girlfriends and you'll get tons of attention! I encourage all my readers to use cuticle oil. It really helps your nails grow strong and longer!

All these Nails Inc products can be found at selected Red square and Edgars stores for under R200 per item.

Follow Nails Inc South Africa on Twitter and like their Facebook page. Do the same for me here and here!

Thanks so much to Nails Inc South Africa for these fantastic products. They really are great!

Rimmel London's Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara

This recently landed onto my doorstep to try and let you ladies know what I think;

Me wearing the pretty new Rimmel mascara (excuse the baby eyebrow hairs)

What exactly do I think? It's the first mascara from Rimmel that I haven't completely hated! 

I was not such a fan of the Scandal'eyes period with the huge applicator brush that felt impossible to control. Rimmel has now put their brush on a diet and made it a lot skinnier *Thank goodness* making it much less scarier to bring near your eye. There was also the 'weirdly shaped brushes' phase which seems to have passed for now.

Rimmel have not gone traditional and used fiber bristles, instead they have gone with a more 'rubbery' material that makes up the bristles. These rubber bristles cling to your lashes easier, making sure each lash is coated with formula. This is very similar to Avon's Super Extend Extreme Masacara which is still my favourite mascara because its so easy to apply.

As for the formula, it was a bit too 'wet' so my lashes did not separate as much as I'd like. However, the 99% longer lashes claim is a tad true as my lashes did appear to be much longer than they were thanks to the micro fibers they add to the formula. The formula also contains Grow Lash Complex which is like steroids for your lashes and makes them grow longer in just a month (apparently by 127%. We shall see).

The Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara from Rimmel London comes in black, brown and extreme black (mine was just black) and can be found at Foschini, Edgars, Clicks, Dis-Chem and leading pharmacies as of the 23rd May 2013 for R99.95.

Final thoughts? This is the first Rimmel Mascara I would consider repurchasing in the future. The colour pay off is great, your lashes will appear longer and the brush makes application super easy. A successful new release from Rimmel London!

Tickle me pink!

Here are some pretty pink products that can easily brighten up an otherwise dull face/outfit. Pink isn't just for spring and summer anymore. Add a pop of colour to your winter outfit and you can really make a big statement!

Here are some pretty pink products that I recommend:

1. Essence's XXXL Shine lip gloss - This is the prettiest pearl lip gloss in my collection. It has tiny shimmer particles in the formula that will deem your lips absolutely irresistible. I love that you can dab a bit of this gloss over any lipstick or lip balm making it 100% versatile.

2. Pond's flawless radiance BB cream. Read my review here. A must-try for the BB cream craze!

3. Physicians Formula Mineral Powder Palette - This is an amazing powder to lightly dust over your face after applying your foundation. One thing that I miss about summer is the natural glow the heat gives you. In winter we all look cold and lifeless. With this beautiful powder palette, you can get your glow back! The multi-coloured glow minerals wont make you sparkle like a vampire but rather give you a natural hint of glow and help even out your skin tone. It comes with a very handy mirror and the softest application brush I have ever used...ever!

4. Essence lip liner in "Cute Pink" - I am a huge fan of the Essence brand and each new product I try out, ensures that I never change my mind. This is such a handy little lip liner pencil. It isn't horribly difficult to apply. I have had bad experiences where lip liners have cut into my skin because you push so hard before the colour transfers onto your lips *ouch*. This was not like that at all, it actually melted a bit in the car on the way home (not badly though).

In the image above I actually coloured my whole lip with the lip liner pencil and topped it off with the XXXL shine lip gloss. Pretty hey?

You can find all these products at most Clicks and Dis-Chem stores :)