Bronx Woman #StyleDiary

It is that crazy time of year again. You know, the one where you're supposed to be buying gifts for others - but because there are so many year-end functions, Christmas parties and general merriment, that you end up spending a fortune on outfits for yourself.

This year, I needed to think smart. I wanted to find items that I could use again and again, and even after party season has come and gone, I'd still be able to use them for life in general.
Big call isn't it?

Well, I teamed up for a little Christmas Party look with Bronx Woman and Miss Port form YDE. They challenged me to do a little StyleDiary post using some of their shoes and clothes and I turned it into a little Christmas themed bash of my own.
Instead of choosing a dress, I went for a big white lace midi-skirt that flatters every shape and helps us short girls look a little longer. I paired it with a sleeveless, structured white shirt that looks great with this silhouette - but is also perfect to use again and again after party season.
The white skirt can be dressed down too - or paired with other tops for a completely different look. So all in all, mission accomplished.

I paired the all-white look with some seriously out there tropical print pumps from Bronx Woman. It is summer and I felt like this added some colour and a whole lot of fun to the ensemble. I am involve with the gold stiletto heel!
Plus, in sticking to my versatility theme, these babies are going to look killer with skinny jeans and a black came for more casual summer soirees.

My accessories are from Tessa at YDE and my hair was done at Sorbet Dry Bar - a perfect option to level up your regular blow out. My makeup is all from Benefit - how amazing are the  lashes? Its the They're Real mascara - I am obsessed.

Now for the fun bit - you can score a massive prize in time for Christmas! A hamper consisting of an outfit form Miss Port or X&O of YDE fame, a pair of Bronx Woman shoes, some Benefit Cosmetics makeup and a blow wave form Sorbet Dry Bar.

You just need to vote for my look on the Bronx Woman page over here:
https://www.facebook.com/BronxWoman/?fref=ts
Just comment and vote for the look you prefer - which obviously better be my one!
You have until 14 December so hurry on up! Voters who pick me will also go into a draw run my me on the side for a little something extra. You know, I'm all about incentives ;)

PUMA BY RIHANNA CREEPER

Yep its a pretty odd name for a shoe - but Rihanna isn't exactly well, not odd. She's the queen of strange and all things street so its not really a surprise that PUMA collaborated with her on a range.

There are 3 new colour ways and they are all available right now! I am obsessed with the white ones. Remixing the iconic PUMA Suede, the PUMA Creeper exudes a little bit of punk and rebel with its notorious creeper platform sole and suede upper. This month’s drop features NEW colour variations of peacoat/cool blue, off white/gum, and coral cloud pink/green/oatmeal.

I have been deliberating on a pair of platform sneakers for a while now. I am terrified that they'll make me look short and chunky. But I like the neutral colour of these platform soles, they're somehow less daunting and definitely less "Spice-Girlish" than ones with white soles.

The PUMA Creeper will be available at PUMA SELECT stores in Cape Town, Bree Street and Johannesburg, Braamfontein.

Life Via Phone

I haven't done one of these posts in so long. Maybe not even all year.
What inspired it is that I am getting a little disillusioned with blogging. Part of me thinks it may be dying out. Which is scary given that I am soon to be launching a new blog - but that is a project close to my heart and is far more practical than a fashion and lifestyle blog. So it will run on passion and practicality and I have every faith that it will be well received. But more on that another time.

I know we live in an instant world. Instagram and Snapchat are killing the lifestyle blogs, and we have no need to go to their actual sites to get the information we want. RewardStyle hasn't really got to the SA blogs yet, but it will only be a matter time before we start being more Instagram focussed when it comes to information and shopping.

I then had to sit and ponder on why I started blogging. The reason was a creative outlet, and to document my life and also to share information on pretty things. I love shopping and I love sharing that with all of you - who doesn't love talking about shopping actually?
The blog has grown and taken on new twists and turns, but I really want it to retain more of a focus on fashion, travel and what is going on in my life. As for makeup and beauty posts? Well, I am not a beauty blogger in the traditional sense. I only share with you what has worked for me and what I love. I couldn't pick apart the chemical components or decipher an ingredient list, I just like what I like, and will let you know if it works - for me anyway. All I can do is hope that you find the information useful.

I have some amazing partnerships coming up and I've worked hard on keeping things as true to me as possible. I am also going to bite the bullet and get in front of the camera more, and show you how the clothes I spend so much time and money on actually look on me - probably helpful on a style blog no? I'll figure out a way of getting over my camera shyness. You know, grow as a person or something.

Now that was a whole lot of waffling on about nothing in particular. I just wanted to get personal again. Because I miss you guys.

So here's what has been going on. Rocco. My whole world and whole heart consumed by a ball of fluff. Dave and I have had him for just over 3 weeks now and it has been a total upheaval. We've lived pretty cushy and selfish lives up until now. Sleeping in, travelling, going out for dinner a few times a week. Now we are up at night letting Rocco out to pee. Then up again at 5am when he wants to pee again and then play, and eat - and then has the cheek to go back to sleep while we get ready for work. Eventually he'll be fine left at home for an hour or three - but as a puppy we have to take him along with us, or forego those dinners. Travelling means arranging sitters for him. I've spent hours researching pet friendly restaurants and accommodation so we can take him with us as much as possible - so watch this space for 2016. Pet friendly travel will be my game!
But it is completely worth it. Puppy training, puppy creche, vet runs and what seems like millions spent on toys and treats has been more rewarding than anything I've experienced yet. A cuddle from this fur-kid could cure anything from bad days, to broken hearts. He is just that wonderful. So wonderful in fact, that he has his own Instagram account @thatdogrocco. This is more for documenting his life and not annoying my own followers than it is a hope for pet Instagram fame. But hey, Mr Price Home already featured him, so maybe there is stardom on the cards for my boy wonder.

Other than being obsessed with my dog, I've been trying to get into shape. For summer, and in general. I've been so good with training and running. My eating outside of my incredibly elaborate and healthy breakfasts leaves much to be desired however. And that needs to change. I am even contemplating hypnosis to get rid of my chronic sugar addiction.
Weight training with my trainer Torie has seen a massive change in my body. I don't jiggle as much and I am stronger than I've ever been. Even after taking a 6 week break from running, I was able to finish a 6km without a problem - a first for asthmatic, sad-act me.

 This weekend past, we took a little break with some friends and went to Sun City. I hadn't been for years and years, and I'd also never been to the Lost City or Valley of Waves. I was completely blown away by the opulence and the incredible attention to detail. It felt as though we were in another world completely. I totally get the hype. I am not really that into big resorts and prefer boutique hotels, but this is a South African institution and definitely one to experience. I also had a slush puppy for the first time in forever (not counting the Fanta ones in Singapore - but those are completely different). I now have a full blown addiction that I will need to wrestle with - especially given my complaint with sugar above. As the occasional treat though, I will be indulging in one of these. Movie date anyone?

I got quite a bit of sun, and I'll definitely talk more about the Lipidol suntan oil in another post. I would never have thought an oil would protect me from the sun as I spent my teens slathering it on to fry myself - but with a SPF of 25, it did the trick and I came home from our trip without any damage. And there is a heat wave over there at the moment so we're talking serious sun.

Thats me for now. I want to get back into these posts again. I know they are not particularly glamorous, or packed with professionally shot images. But I want to go back to sharing and engaging with you, and having the feeling of just sitting down with old friends over coffee and catching up. 

xx

Summer staples under R500

Superbalist may as well hire a delivery guy just for me. I order something every week. I wish I was joking but I get sucked into the vortex that is their "New" section every damn time. As for the apartment stuff, don't even get me started.

The thing is, they're becoming tough to beat when it comes to finding exactly what I want. You need a donut lilo? Sure thing, they have it. Vinyl, headphones, or the latest sneakers? Done. Really slim shelves because the space on either side of my bed is ridiculous and I can't have bedside tables - no problem (the struggle is real).
Although what I seem to have collected the most, is dresses. They keep updating their site with perfect summer staples, or the prettiest prints, and everything that is bang on trend that your fashionable little heart could hope for.

Being an old bag, and not particularly trendy, I stick to staples. I'll dabble in whatever current styling is chic, like the off-the-shoulder look this season, or a bit of fringe here and there - but it'll always be in simple colours like black, chambray, nudes or khaki. So neutrals basically. I find these easy to pair with pretty sandals and I am out of the door in 15 minutes. (Okay Dave is reading this and eye-rolling so I'll correct it to 30 minutes, in the interest of full disclosure).

With the festive season creeping up on us, I'm limiting spending on myself, or trying to anyway. So I've found a few must-have dresses that are easy to style for under R500. Winning!
Actually the most "winning" part about it is the free delivery and the fact that I didn't have to step into a mall. With women just about mauling each other at certain retailers this past week, I am more than okay with doing all my festive shopping online. I'll be posting more on that next week with a few online gift guides, so that you too, do not have to brave the wild.

TOP ROW:

Left: Khaki dress, R329 | Middle: Chambray scrappy dress, R329 | Right: Black slip, R399

BOTTOM ROW:

Left: Black Off Shoulder dress, R499 | Middle: Stripe shirt dress, R329 | Right: Nude shirt dress, R399

All of these just need some gladiator sandals or thongs and a denim/leather jacket and you're out the door. They're also perfect to pair with sneakers which is some brave styling, but something I am loving lately.

Happy shopping!

BALMAIN X H&M

Thursday the 5th of November sees the worldwide launch of the Balmain for H&M collection. Us lucky Capetonians thankfully had a store open in the nick of time. Joburg fashion girls will have to wait a little longer until the Sandton store opens on the 7th.

The pieces aren't priced like the rest of H&M, and many are well over the R2000 mark - but I suppose it pales in comparison to its actual Balmain equivalent which would be more like R20 000. I've put together my rich-girl wishlist of what I'd love to own from the collection. Realistically I'll probably have to narrow it down to one, in which case I'd be choosing between the green handbag or the leather jacket. Given that Christmas is coming, I might actually have to just settle for the t-shirt.

Le sigh.

What are your favourites from the collection?

#ONEPERFECTWEEK X TOTALSPORTS

This is one for my fit ladies! I have been so excited about this giveaway for weeks and finally we get to do this!

So many of my readers joined me in my 50 days of exercise a while back and it meant the world to me to have the support. Summer is here now and it is also party/wedding/year-end season. And cocktails season. And ice cream season. And also the season that new places open in Cape Town that you absolutely MUST try. So keeping things tight for the beach are not always easy. But life is about balance and if you can keep your cheat meals for the weekend you'll be just fine.

On that note, this giveaway. It is perfect to motivate you to get to the gym or onto the promenade because you'll want to show off this gorgeous gear. Totalsports have given me R2500 worth of their amazing range to share with one lucky reader. If you haven't seen their online store yet, go and have a look. Their in-house brand, called TS, is affordable without skimping on quality and great design. Since they launched I've bought a few of the tights because i love the pretty patterns, quality and also that they used their brains when designing pockets and zips, and realised that my iPhone is not the size of a matchbox (I'm looking at you every other brand out there!). See there TS range online HERE. 

Because this is a giveaway designed to help get you into shape, we're not doing a little tweet-and-go number here. We're going to work. Together. For a week.

The challenge is called #oneperfectweek which you may have seen on Instagram. The idea is to commit to 6 days of clean eating - no alcohol, no sugar, no nasties. Just good, clean, fresh food. Ideally no caffeine either but I'll stick to that part loosely and do decaf as much as I can - just not that first cup. Never the first cup.  Oh, and don't forget to drink loads of water. The Kayla's Army folks do all 7 days of clean eating, and you are more than welcome to - but I am a realist. 6 days of being on your best behaviour is a damn perfect week to me. Hello? Wine Sundays!
Then you need to commit to 6 days of training too. I am going to break it down as follows: 2 days with my rather fabulous personal trainer Torie Alexandra (follow her blog for inspiration on food and being hot in general), then I am going to get back into running (le sigh. arg. oh dear) and do that 3 days this week. I use the PUMATrac app for this - it really helps with logging km's and seeing how I'm improving. And they make you sign a commitment to yourself via the app and that helps too. No one wants to lie to Usain Bolt.
Then I'll be doing a SWEAT class on Saturday to round out the week.

What you need to do to win is join me. Follow me and Totalsports on Instagram or Twitter, and on either social platform commit to #oneperfectweek. Then between now and Sunday, tag me in a picture of you exercising, or a shot of your healthy meal and please use the hashtag #TotalsportsOnline. For every day you tag me, you get an extra entry - with a maximum of 6 entries obviously. Winner will be drawn on Monday next week.

So here's a breakdown of the prize: 3 pairs of tights in the amazing prints in the picture below - 2 are long length one one pair is capri length. 2 vests, one burnout style and the other with mesh detail (they are soooo pretty), 1 long sleeve top with open back. Sexy for a little yoga or just looking hot at gym in general. Then we've got some gym gloves and a jump rope for you Kayla BBG girls.
So it is the perfect little starter kit for looking damn fine while getting damn fine.

Get cracking ladies, today we begin!

Disclaimer: Open to SA residents only. We will obviously endeavour to send the exact items featured, however items might sell out so if that is the case we will send the winner an item (of clothing) of the same value if the one featured has been sold out. 

Superga X Poppy

Poppy Ntshongwana's new range for Superga has finally launched and it is amaaaaazing. I love it when our local girls get scooped up by international brands for collaborations. It makes me giddy with happiness actually. She is such a rockstar - fashion forward, a media sensation and a fantastic role model. Who doesn't want to be like Poppy when they grow up? I bloody do. I know I'm gushing but this lady is probably my favourite SA celeb.

So lets take a peak at the range. Its glam. Its edgy. Its gorgeous. It'll be ready for you to shop at the end of October at Superga Concept Stores nationwide, or on Superbalist.com.
I'm eyeing the light pink satin numbers. Whats your favourite?

Beauty Blitz

This week I have sort of a turquoise themed Beauty Blitz for you. I've had all of these products for about 2 months now so I've really given them a good trial and I am so excited to share them with you. Again, some products are new to market and others are new to me or have been recommended by one of the girls. So I hope you find something useful out of these reviews!

Phillip Kingsley Waterproof Hairspray: R515

This stuff was put to the test in Bali and Singapore recently. I would never have previously been tempted to spend this amount on hairspray, and for the sake of disclosure I must mention that this was a PR drop - but I am definitely repurchasing. I wore my hair in a top knot most of our trip because of humidity - but my hair is just too short to stay up. This stuff kept my bun in place and my stray shorter hairs styled up just fine. All damn day. It was never sticky and it never failed to wash out nicely at the end of each day. I'll have a good rant in a travel post about the weather in Singapore but for now all I'll say is that anything that worked in Singapore, will work anywhere, and is worth every penny!

Coola UV Makeup Setting Spray

Why has no one thought of this before? Or why didn't I? I suffer from pigmentation quite badly so I am holy about wearing sunscreen. Any product that has a decent SPF rating get tossed into my shopping cart without a second thought. I use a makeup setting spray every single day, so one that doubles up as extra protection from the sun is a must-have in my books. I really made this baby work when I spent the day cycling in the boiling NYC sun two months ago - and my makeup stayed put all day, and I didn't even get the slightest colour on my face. Normally I'll get a little red on the snorkel if I don't reapply sunblock on a long day in the sun. So I am impressed. Very impressed. It isn't available here in SA, so beg a friend who is anywhere near a Sephora to bring some home for you.

Kate Spade Walk on Air fragrance: $75 - $95

This was an impulse purchase after being swept up by all the pretty things in their flagship store on Madison Avenue. I went in to buy a handbag and came out with this as well. I normally love sweeter scents like Narcisco/Tom Ford Black Orchid - but this fun and fresh scent felt just like a spring day near the seaside and I just had to have it. Its clean, light and feminine with notes of lily of the valley, magnolia, linden blossom and jasmine.
I promised myself I'd save it for spring/summer but I've probably worn it at least twice a week since I bought it because I love the freshness.

The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Essence Lotion: R195

This, along with the revitalising cream, was sent over a few weeks ago. I've been testing both - however this one has been easier to add to my routine as I am pretty set in my ways with my moisturiser. The oil is light enough to add before my moisturiser even for daytime. Just a drop warmed between my hands and patted on to my skin after cleansing and toning is more than enough. I am enjoying it especially for this transitional weather. Cape Town takes until December to decide if its summer or not, so this is handy for hydration and keeping skin plump all day long.

 Cafe de Bain - about R60? I wish I'd bought more!

I regularly panic and go on bubble bath binges. Instead of stocking up routinely, I buy a ton of bubble bath products and then use them all, and ultimately go for almost a month without my beloved bubble baths. Then I get to a mall and buy one form almost every store I go in to. This was a sweet surprise find at Pick 'n Pay of all places and I only picked it up because I grabbed the matching bubble bath first. After smelling it I was hooked and grabbed the body wash too. I only wish I'd stocked up because I've been back since and haven't found these again! If you see these anywhere in Cape Town, please let me know. The smell takes me right back to Laduree in Paris.

Your H&M shopping list

H&M launches this weekend on the 17th of October. The store is staying open until midnight on Saturday and Sunday to allow you to shop up a storm.

They also have their products listed online - you can't shop online just yet, but it is still great to peruse all the clothes and homeware and make a little wishlist. I am so happy that the price point is on par with everywhere else I've been - and in the last year I've racked up a few H&M hauls in London, Chicago and Singapore. So I am thrilled we aren't being penalised with import duties and ripped off like some other foreign retailers have done.

I got to attend the media event last night where we were allowed to do some shopping. I picked up basics mostly and I plan to go back when the Balmain for H&M collection launches in November. They have also recently launched a beauty line which is getting great reviews abroad, so I'll be stalking that situation here.

I thought I'd put together a little post to give you some shopping ideas and to get an idea of the price point. Here are some of my favourites from the stock in store at the moment.

R749

R499

R349

R499

R899

R499

R399

R349

R229

R749

R399

R399