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 :)

Live healthy: Update # 5

I'm going to start this update off by saying you are really awesome for reading my updates! I love the support and I hope you start sharing your live healthy stories with me soon. 

Missed anything? Read update number 3 and update number 4 to catch up.

Great! Now for some check-in pictures (And yes, there will be some 'skin' progress photo's in the future)

Last Wednesday's gym outfit, weigh-in, breakfast and snack.

Last Friday's blood pressure recordings, gym snacks and gym activities.

Sunday's private studio time, stunning sunset and gym gear.

Remember that I share most check-in pictures on Instagram and Twitter so follow me there to see what I'm up to, when I'm up to it.

This week I reached two big milestones which has made me so proud of how far I have come in such a short space of time. I dropped my body fat percentage by 0.8% and I can now RUN 1.5 min longer on the treadmill before needing a break. These wouldn't seem like big achievements to most people but for someone like me, who is pretty unfit, this is a big deal.

I have a mini gym routine worked out where I do about 25 min cardio, 15 min core and back strengthening, and 15 min messing about and exploring new exercises and machines. This gives me time to work on my biggest problems (my lungs and core strength) and keep reaching my live health goals.

Meal wise, I have not been following any strict diet or watching what I am eating. My main focus is fitness not weight loss so this is not an issue for me right now. However, I have been keeping an eye out on my calorie intake as this will help my gym recovery and make sure I have energy to burn.

I have also been doing research on world move for health day which is this Friday (the 10th May 2013) so I will be dedicating a special post to that this Friday. Keep your eye on my blog!

TTFN

My Winter Nail Polish Collection

Here are some of the nail polishes I plan on wearing throughout winter (with links to my reviews on each polish, if I have done a review for that polish) to compliment my wardrobe and to appear a little 'trendy'.

 From left to right: "Random category" Tip Top Nails - Brownie Points, Rimmel London - Reality Chic, Tip Top Nails - Night Rider

 "Purple category" Essence - Where is the party, Yardley - Midnight Fever, Tip Top Nails - Funfair Madness, Rimmel London - Chic cherry

 "Nudes and browns category" Nails Inc - Porchester Square, Essence - Mother Earth is watching you,  Chanel - Beige, Ralo - 39, Wow - 312, Nails Inc - Soho Mews

 "Blue category" La Lu Nails - Fortune teller, Rimmel London - Rock Royalty, Essence - Crack me! blue, Catrice - Alluring Night

"Red category" Cherimoya - C89, Nails Inc - Shoreditch lane, Bobbi Brown - Valentine Red, O.P.I - Woka Woka

What colours will you be wearing this winter?

Live Healthy: Choosing the right place

I'm adding another first world problem to my list, there are just too many options out there! Like honestly, why do we need five different brands of corn flakes!? And don't even get me started on cell phones. Geez! 

This post is for all the eager beavers like me. I will be giving friendly advice on how to choose the best gym for your needs and why you should wait before jumping into a contract.

I have had a nightmare of problems since joining my "un-named" gym and have decided to change to a different 'health club'. Looks can be ridiculously deceiving as this is how I got caught by said gym. The machines were in great condition, the facilities were always spotless and it had an overall appeal to it. However, once my signature was on the dotted line, all the problems unfolded. Disgusting service by reception, trainers and general management. Overall lack of assistance! I feel that if I pay for a service, I better get the best frikin service ever. Simple as that!

Here are a few tips I wish I had been told whilst shopping around for a gym.

1. Never settle on the first place you see. Look around and don't always stick with the big branded gyms like Virgin Active or Planet Fitness. Smaller, private gyms can also be just as good.

2. Ask for a week free training voucher. This will give you an idea as to what you may expect when actually joining. It can also assist you in estimating whether or not gym-ing can fit into your daily schedule. You wouldn't want to join and realize you don't actually have time for it.

3. Don't feel guilty to ask for free stuff. I see it as a little welcome gift and it is imperative if you want to feel a part of the gym. A gym towel, bag or water bottle that has the gym logo on can boost your motivation. It means you 'belong' somewhere. Also, if you are starting out, you might not have equipment such as a towel or gym bag so getting this as a 'starter kit' can be a much needed bonus. (I would totes join a gym if they gave me free stuff)

4. Make sure the staff are friendly, helpful and willing to go the extra mile to help you. It seems like a trivial, happy-clappy request but it really does make a difference. Having piece of mind knowing there is always someone to assist you, can help your whole gym experience.

5. Lastly, don't gym where everyone else gyms (this excludes best friends and close relatives). There's nothing worse that sweating like a pig, panting like a race horse and then bumping into someone you know, who then wants to chat for the next 30min! Then you start making up excuses not to go because, "I don't want to bump into her again". Rather make 'gym friends' who have already seen you at your lowest low.

I must say I am much happier at my new gym and it would have been my first choice if I had some tips like the ones above.

Ralo Champagne Nail Polish Review

Ralo cosmetics is a fun, innovative brand that produces cosmetics and accessories in South Africa. As far back as I can remember (std 8/grade 10) I purchased basic cosmetics from Ralo, so you can say that our relationship goes quite far back. 

Not being able to wear makeup at school, limited me to beige face powder (to cover oily pubescent skin *gross*), clear nail polish and a light pink lip gloss. After high school I got to play around with Ralo eye shadows and tons of mascara which was exciting but since blogging, I have only purchased nail polishes from Ralo, seeing as there were tons of other brands that I had to be introduced to.

Here is my most recent (about a year ago) purchase from Ralo. A stunning champagne nail polish for 20 bucks!

The Ralo polish in the shade.

The Ralo polish in the sun *So shiiiiny* 

For a 'cheap' polish I really love the colour pay off and durability. I only had to apply two coats to get this sparkly shine and I only had to take the polish off after 5 days.

This is an almost nude champagne shade so I consider it to be an office friendly polish to wear. The colour is number 39 (*sigh* no name, what a bore) but not sure if it's still available seeing as I bought it a while ago.

I have found myself reaching for more nude, gold and brown colours to kick off the wintery vibe.

Look out for Ralo's big comeback as they have just redone their website aaaand opened an online store. Yes please! Check it out here. They literally have every cosmetic and accessory you can think of!

You will definitely hear me talking about Ralo cosmetics again in the near future.

Essence's New Gel LipTint

Hey ladies! I'm here to bring a fab new product to your attention that will leave your lips looking beautiful and wont break your, already broken, bank.

Essence has just started stocking their Gel Lip Tint at most Dis-Chem and Clicks pharmacies. The water based gel tint will give your lips colour for hours. I'm not one for heavy lipsticks and sticky gloss so this is a perfect in-between-er. Lip tints are all the fashion nowadays and after using Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, I reckon that lip tints are a neat investment.

These pretty Gel Tints from Essence comes in 4 shades, red, reddish-brown, pink and apricot. They also come with a very pretty price tag of only R29.95 each. Bargain!

So what are you waiting for? Use some of that 'pay-day' money and go shopping at your nearest Essence stand (At Clicks and Dis-Chem stores). Read more Essence reviews here before you do, so that you can get some advice on what to buy!

Follow Essence on Twitter and like their Facebook page for more news and product launches.

Live Healthy: Update #4

Read my previous update here.

This past week and a half of living healthy have been pretty frikin awesome! My horrid throat infection is gone, I am back to visiting my gym often and I am loving every minute of my workouts! Here are some "check-in" pictures (remember to follow me on Instagram).

Last Thursday's workout with my bright gym bag and healthy 'after gym snacks'

Monday's gym outfit

As you can tell, I'm not one to really dress up for gym. Comfy gym pants that don't ride up your butt when your run, a strong sports bra to keep them girls stable and a loose shirt to mask your sweat patches. Honestly, that's what I love to wear and all the fashion forward gym bunnies can judge away, I don't care.

I'd love to know what you wear to gym? The whole entourage or your old track-suits that are really only good to wear whilst out gardening?

The two weeks that I was sick gave me time to remember and review my live healthy goals. This is a very imperative step to do throughout any goal. Sometimes you get too overwhelmed by what you want to achieve and you get caught up in the whole process. Taking time out is always a good thing.

Great news is, I'm seeing results! One of my biggest health concerns is my lungs. I had a period of bad asthma as a kid and since then, my lungs have been weak. Running on the treadmill at gym has helped my lungs strengthen. I can now run that 30 seconds longer whereas before I wold almost pass out. I plan to continue helping my lungs strengthen until I can breathe easily during cardio sessions.

I am also starting to be more conscious about what I am feeding my body. As soon as I started doing proper workouts, I felt my dietary needs change and in order for my body to be at its best, I have to pay attention and feed it properly. That's one thing I admire the most about our bodies. If we just pay attention, we'll know what our bodies want and how to take care of it.

That's it for this update. Let me know in the comments below, if you have any questions or tips for me to test out. I love to hear from you!

Oh and...

April Photo-a-day Challenge

View my previous Photo-a-day Challenge and find out what its all about by clicking here.

Here were the prompts for April

Here are the photo's I shared on Instagram and Twitter :)

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter if you'd like to see which photo went with which day.

I have decided to do the challenges once every 2 or 3 months. My Instagram feed will be ridiculously full if I take part every month. If you would like to take party in the May FMS photo a day challenge then click here to view the prompts.

TTFN

Fresh Face with PONDS BB Cream

Here is a quick snap of me rocking my PONDS BB Cream in "Beige". Curious as to what I am talking about? Read more about the launch event here and the actual BB Cream review here!