New in | Chelsea Boots

Chelsea boots used to be used for horse riding, and they were generally only spotted on the girl in your high school class who had a plait down to her bum and always wore her jodhpurs to civvies day.
Apparently that girl is getting her sweet revenge now because her shoe of choice is the shoe du jour this winter.

Image | Source

Style it with black tights, or some rolled-up/cropped skinny jeans and throw on an oversized coat to finish off the look. Or try them with a skirt and chunky winter knit.
I am loving the jelly ones, which are waterproof and perfect for rainy winters in Cape Town. I love my Hunter boots, but they can get a bit bulky. So finally I have some easy going 'style-in-a-hurry' black jelly ankle boots. Now I actually can't wait for the rain and bit of puddle stomping.

Animal print jelly boots | R149,99 | Mr Price

Isadorra burgundy leather boot | R1119,20 (on sale) | Country Road

Black jelly boots | R149,99 | Mr Price

Grey buckle details boots | R539 | Superbalist

Beige low cut suede boot | R450 | Truworths

Chocolate D&g textile boot | R1899 | Lilikoi

New in | Oakridge denim

Good 'ol Mr P has launched their latest range of denim as well as some amazing in-between season wardrobe staples. Think basics like lightweight parkas, slouchy extra-length blazers, and striped easy fit knits, and of course, some must-have denim.

I am loving the sexy tight fitting dungarees and the high waisted skinny jeans. I already have so many pairs of boyfriend jeans, but considering this pair won't exactly break the bank, I think I'll take those too.

Click on the images to shop up a storm.

*Mr Price affiliated. Please see my ABOUT page for more info.

Beauty Banter | Babor Reversive

You know how so many people only buy German cars, because lets face it, they know a thing or two about engineering? Well I recently learnt that you can trust that country with your skin too.

I attended a beautiful event, bedecked in flowers and sweet treats, for the launch of the BABOR ReVersive range. We were handed our flower crowns and while stuffing our faces with pretty pink macarons and fluffy cupcakes, we learnt all about their new technology. Using some next-level medical research, and combining plant-based stem cells and active marine ingredients, they've developed a miracle product that aims to reactivate and maintain youthful skin.

The range comprises of a serum, anti-aging cream, rich anti-aging cream and an eye cream. I opted to try the anti-aging cream - because well, 31. Thirty years plus one more. That still scares me silly. I am basically turning to dust. Moving on...

So far I am loving this product - which scares me somewhat because they don't come cheap. Upwards of R1000 to be exact. But considering the intense mix of active ingredients, you're getting serious bang for your buck, and its a decent size bottle, so it'll last months. As far as the active ingredients go,  Telovitin keeps cells younger for longer, Agicyl helps defend against ageing, Lumicol is responsible for luminance and radiant skin, while Epocyl smooths instantly.
A ton of science for you, most of which you don't care for, and you really just want to know if it works. And yes, yes it does. I don't have much in the way of wrinkles just yet (thank you merciful skin gods), but I do have uneven skin tone, a couple of fine lines and crows feet that while you can't see, I certainly can. And since popping this bottle three weeks ago I am delighted with the results. My complexion is noticeably brighter and I am loving the plumped up skin around my eyeballs and lips.
It also has this enchanting rose smell which worried me at first, because for a girl with sensitive skin, anything that smells nice is bad news - so I am happy to report that it caused no irritation whatsoever and you can enjoy having a face people might want to lick without consequence.

For more information on stockists, head to the BABOR Facebook page

Investment Handbags

If I could play some background music that you could listen to while reading this post, it would be Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl". So lets pretend shall we?
"If I was a rich girl, nanananananananana......."

I've been thinking about this topic for a while now. We are bombarded with fast fashion daily. All we ever hear about is new season, pre-season, new trend, some or other era's revival and what the "it-bag" of the moment is. Yet when I look to the style icons that inspire me - from actresses, bloggers, and businesswomen world over, I notice that they all stick to classic, well designed handbags. It makes sense to spend on shoes and bags, and save on clothing. These items pull an outfit together and if you pair your Mr Price dress with a Prada bag, I can guarantee the whole outfit will look expensive.

After doing some research, I found that certain handbags actually hold their value, or even appreciate in value over time because they've become such a cult classic. Second-hand Chanel bags sell for the same price as new ones due to the common folk not being able to procure a new one. And limited editions sell for even more than the original price.

So I started looking for some tips on what to look out for when 'investing' in a designer handbag, and these were the ones that came up over and over again:

1) Go neutral. I read this as go black. Just buy a black one. Maybe beige, tan or blush - but when it comes down to it, I'd say classic black will always be beautiful and chic, and will definitely hold value.

2) It must be in leather. Vegan friends, look away now, because you won't like this. Leather lasts forever. It is durable, and even looks better as it ages. This is a non-negotiable when it comes to forking over your savings for a handbag.

3) Stick with structure. Your lifetime investment needs to withstand wear and tear and being used. A lot. Because if you drop R30k on a bag, best you use it daily right? So go for one that will retain its shape over time.

4) Keep logos and hardware to a minimum. Trends change and you don't want a massive logo emblazoned down the side of your bag, only to have that kind of brand styling go out of fashion in 6 months. Minimal will always be in style. Choose a reputable brand, with a small logo. The same idea applies to hardware. Studs and chains are great, but the upkeep is a pain and the hardware details won't last as well as the leather of the bag. If your heart lies with a Chanel Boy bag or Classic Flap bag, keep those chain handles clean and take care of them. 

Now lets get real. No handbag is actually an investment. You will not make money off it. It will not aid you in retirement in any way. You may be able to sell it one day, effectively borrowing the bag for a minimal price, or even for free if you're lucky. Or if like me, you're a sentimental type and merely want to collect pretty things to look after for your future daughters. So don't go trying to justify the extravagance to your other half by saying it is an investment. I've tried. He didn't buy it.

My picks for 'investment' bags would be, in my perfect, limitless budget world, the following:

Clockwise from top left:

YSL cross body bag | Mulberry Alexa satchel | Givency Antigona | Dior Lady Dior bag | YSL Monogramme small shoulder bag | Chanel Boy bag | Prada Saffiano | Chanel 2.55

Let me know on Twitter/ Instagram or in the comments section which one would be your dream bag.
I think mine would be the Givenchy or the Chanel Boy bag.....or the Prada...or the YSL......shit. Who needs a retirement fund anyway right?  (kidding Dave, only kidding)

Shop the ramp

Today Gert-Johan Coetzee is showing at Fashion Week. I would love to have gone up to Jhb for it, but work commitments and all...here I am behind my desk. So my rockstar friends at Spree are going to be live Tweeting and Instagramming the whole thing to keep me, and all of you, updated. It gets even better - each of their social media posts will have a link to the item being shown so you can quite literally shop off the ramp. Live. As it happens. You can own the item before the lanky bean pole model has made her second turn on the catwalk. Sheer genius if you ask me. Follow the convo with #spreeshoptheramp

*UPDATE* You can win running  a R250 voucher to shop the collection! All you need to do is tell me on Twitter or in the comments section, which is your favourite item from the collection. 

What are you waiting for? Click here and have a browse... You have until tomorrow at 5pm.

If you don't know much about Spree and their awesome work with local designers, here is a bit more info, from the team at Spree...

Launched in September 2014, Spree Boutique is a part of Spree’s on-going campaign to support and shine the spotlight on local designers by providing a platform for them to retail online and be more accessible nationwide. “Our ‘Shop the ramp’ initiative is another great opportunity to make Spree Boutique designers accessible to our customers. With this collaboration we are making Gert-Johan Coetzee’s very latest designs instantly available. We want all women to feel a part of the show and be dressed in the ready-to-wear GJC collection quicker than ever before.”  says Karen Dempers, Head of Customer Interaction at Spree.

The range, his fourth collection to appear in Spree Boutique, is dedicated to strong women who form the bedrock of our society and is a celebration of the power, creativity, compassion and beauty of the feminine spirit. Coetzee comments: “We want GJC to be a range for every woman, not just runway models, and with Spree we are so excited to offer South African fashion lovers the opportunity to really shop the ramp… SA women will now be able to order what they see at the show in real time, and have it delivered to their door. This will change the way we view fashion in South Africa and its testimony to the vibrancy and the growth of the industry.” 

Trinomic Tuesday

Every week the PUMA Twitter account posts a picture or three of the latest covetable pair of Trinomic sneakers, which I obsess over, send to friends and contemplate yet another purchase. I just had to collect a few of these from their PR team and post them together.

With the statement sneaker trend going nowhere fast, you may as well accept that your current plain white ones need an upgrade. Your best bet is the PUMA Select store on Bree Street where you can find limited edition stuff and designer collaborations. I am still the happiest of sneaker heads for snapping up a pair of Alexander McQueens last year. I love going on First Thursdays for a mini street party vibe and perusing the new stock over a craft beer.

Have your eyeballs take in a few of the options from collabs with Vashtie and House of Hackney, amongst others.

New In | Poetry A/W2015

I told you last week that I'd been to see the winter collection preview for both Old Khaki and Poetry stores. If you didn't see that range, go have a look here.

Today I've got some of my favourite pieces from Poetry's collection to show you. Poetry is aimed at a slightly older woman in my opinion, but I never discount them completely because they always have something delightfully pretty and feminine, or they manage to make a very practical jacket or shirt look very delicate. They also know how to do a cosy cable knit jersey like no one else.

Everything I loved from the collection is all neutral hues and monochrome, with a spot of animal print and stripes for good measure (obviously).
The range is already starting to trickle into stores, so go and have a look for yourself.

Insta Life

March so far has been fantastic. I have been flitting between product launches and new-season collection viewings, and I couldn't be happier. I took some time out before relaunching the blog to decide if it was something I really wanted, and boy did I miss it all. I love being the first to see collections and try trends, or to play with new products, especially makeup. And I love sharing it all with you guys. I leave an event with a million ideas and thoughts on what to tell you first.

Of course, with all of these seasonal events, comes a lot of sweet treats. The constant lure of macarons and cupcakes is around every corner so it has become a constant battle of willpower. When it comes to sweet things, I have a "once you pop, you just can't stop" approach. So I am fighting a mild case of blogger bulge at the moment.

March also brings with it a rather busy sale season. All my favourite retailers have been having massive markdowns so it has been a good time to snap up some basics. But at the same time, these same retailers are starting to put their Autumn/Winter collections out - so my wallet is currently suffering from the exact opposite of blogger bulge and is feeling rather lean. I'm not even a little bit sorry though.

It is so great to be back, reading your comments and sharing all things pretty with you again. You have all been so kind about the new look and I am thrilled that you love it as much as I do.

xx

Beauty News: The Balm

You may already know this, especially if you're a makeup junkie, but The Balm cosmetics are now available in South Africa, thanks to RetailBox. *Cue angel song and happy dances everywhere*
I love working with this company - they never stop working their tush off to keep things new and exciting. They asked for input on which makeup brands we wanted to see land in SA, and they made it happen. I could open mouth kiss them sometimes. (Yeah thats right Nicole, watch yourself).

To celebrate, they are running a little competition via their blog and it is super easy to enter.
Visit the Retail Box Blog and find the article about the Balm. Comment on the blog post with the link to your favourite The Balm cosmetics product available on Retail Box in the comments section, and like and share the Facebook post. To clarify, you need to do this on their blog and Facebook page, not mine.

Easy enough no? To help you along, here are my top 3 products.

 The Cabana Boy blush has the most beautiful colouring. It gives a natural flushed look that is too pretty for words.

 The Mary-Lou Manizer is the best highlighter in the world. Simple as that. You need it.

The Nude Tude palette is on my radar purely because of the variety of shades. Most palettes stick to nudes, blush tones, or smokey tones - yet this one has all of those. So its wonderfully versatile.

Hope that helped you with your choice. Good luck!

Beauty Buys | Retail Box Secret Box

I really enjoy a clever idea and I love trying new things. For these reasons alone, I love the RetailBox Secret Box concept. You click on over to RetailBox, pay R199 and then excitedly wait for a box packed with premium hair care products to arrive at your door. A premium shampoo brand will generally set you back at least R250 per product, so you can see why this Secret Box idea is so very appealing.

The Secret Box 10 (available as of this morning!) is for my fellow thin-haired ladies. My solution to my problem was hair extensions ultimately, but to keep the little hair on my head that I had happy, I was using NIOXIN. My other half still does. There is no other brand that works like this one, and you can walk into just about any salon worldwide and they'll have this product on their shelves.

NIOXIN does everything it promises. Lets call it the yoga of haircare (because yoga really does change your body, but thats a post for another time). It revitalises, volumises and refreshes the scalp, while getting the moisture balance right. The NIOXIN Hair System Kit 3 for Fine, Chemically Treated Hair is a unique system of complementary products that work in unison to achieve resilient, thicker looking hair and a refreshed scalp. 

This set contains the following products:

NIOXIN System 3 Cleanser Shampoo 

NIOXIN System 3 Scalp Revitaliser Conditioner 

NIOXIN System 3 Scalp Treatment 

Recommended retail price for all of this is normally R536. This is without the fabulous NIOXIN paddle brush they've popped in the box as well. So you're looking at over R600 worth of product, for a third of that price. 

Don't say you weren't informed. This one is going to be gone in a flash.

Splurge vs Steal | Beauty Edition

I normally compare fancy pants shoes, bags and investment item clothing in this segment, but this week I want to share some little gems that I've found lately.

Lets start with the eyeshadow palettes.
I own the Naked 3 palette and I love it. It is my favourite of the three by Urban Decay by a mile, because I am a sucker for blush and nude shades. But it is a mission to get your hands on it in South Africa, and if you do, you'll be forking up between R800 and R1500 for it, which is stupidly expensive. (I got mine on sale while on holiday overseas)

Dischem stocks a brand called L.A. Girl and it is ridiculously cheap. I mean, it really and truly is going for a steal. Not all of the products are winners, but I can honestly recommend their concealer, and now their eyeshadow palettes as well. I picked up three, seeing as they were ONLY R69,95 each. I bought the Nudes, Smoky and Ultra and still had change for a sneaky chocolate bar at the till.
I rushed home to compare the Nudes to my Naked 3 palette and was shocked at how close the shades are - its virtually a direct copycat. And it works almost as well. While you aren't going to get the soft, buttery luxury of the Naked range, the colour payoff is as good and for that price, you may as well go for it. If nothing else, it makes for a perfect travel companion.

Now for the brush cleaners. It is quite simple. It is a job we all hate doing, and quite honestly, these products all do the same job. So why pay R180 when you can pay R69,95 at Rubybox? I also prefer the spritz bottle.

So for R200, you can grab a new eyeshadow palette and a brush cleaner, and still have some change for a cocktail with your girls. Perfect.

Winter 2015 | Old Khaki

I know that yesterday I had you thinking about Autumn and you were probably rolling your eyes at me.
On the hottest day in recent history. I know, I know.

But I love Winter, and I won't be dissuaded. So to carry on with that train of thought, I have some more to add to your shopping list. Yes, I am an enabler. But the change of season is so exciting and I have just left the Old Khaki Autumn/Winter '15 collection preview and it is fantastic and I just needed to share it with you. Each year I stock up on their basics like their chambray shirts, cotton vests and casual knits. I also keep promising myself that I'll splurge on their buttery soft leather biker jacket. I am still upset I didn't get the navy blue one last year - so the old saying goes, nothing haunts you like the things you didn't buy...

Here is a tiny preview of some of my favourites from the new season's range. All items will be dropping in stores between this month and June. So keep popping in to see whats new.

Love all of it, and the items that are definitely coming home with me (leather jacket remains on the wish list) are the black pencil skirt, tassel knitted snood, and that adorable beanie with the faux fur pompom.

xx

March Edit | 9 must-have Autumn wardrobe updates

I love this time of year. The stores are changing up their windows to feature comfy layers, as well as some teasers of what we can expect this Winter. Each year I use Autumn as a chance to invest in some great quality basics, that will see me through the season and on to colder days. So instead of latching on to whatever colour/print is on trend, I stick to black, camel, white and beige, and just about anything with stripes.
I have been searching for weeks for the perfect tailored navy blazer, which I found in Zara (another great option here). And that Mango coat is too beautiful - although you may want to take a size smaller as I thought it looked a bit boxy in my normal size.

As much as we are all so tired of hearing it, Cape Town really does surprise you with four seasons in one day, so you really don't need the chunky knits just yet. A coat over a t-shirt will do. And ballet pumps and statement sneakers will easily see you through to June before you need to whip out the knee-high boots.

Here are nine beautiful and effortlessly chic items to get you started.

Stripe scoop neck t-shirt: R199, Cotton On
American Apparel floppy hat: R699, Superbalist
White ribbed knit: R999, Country Road
Studded clutch bag: R199 at Spree
Camel coat: R1799 at Mango
Beige leather ballet pumps: R750, Cinnamon
PUMA Trinomic sneakers, R1500, PUMA Select
Olivia Burton double strap watch: R1299, Superbalist
Navy Blazer: R899, Zara

Levis foldables

I am back in the game! I really hope you like the new look and feel of the blog. It looks just as hot on your phone or iPad as well which is something I've wanted to get right for a long time.

So lets get back to the business of shopping shall we? With it being a scorcher of a week ahead, you'll want to have some sunnies on hand all the time. Levi's have brought their A-game this summer and I previously raved about the collection here. I ended up with the pair of gold/orange reflective aviators and have lived in them all summer long.
Now they've added foldable wayfarers to the collection. I love the idea of a pair of sunglasses so compact, they could fit into a clutch bag. Or if you're feeling like the boy needs a spoil, these could pop right into his pocket.

While I am loving anything with bright reflective lenses right now, my favourite in this collection is the all-black. I definitely think the boy needs a pair of these, which he'll be forced to share, of course.

For information on stockists, hop on over to www.moscon.co.za and they'll point you in the direction of your closest stockist.