The 'Zit Kit' : How to clear up a breakout fast

Do you have a set of go-to products when your skin breaks out?
Today I want to share mine. It has taken me a long time to get my skin-clearing strategy right. So after some trial and error, internet research and advice from other bloggers, I've got my perfect "zit kit" (is that a thing? Should I trademark that term quickly?).

In the mornings, I wash my face with The Body Shop's  Tea Tree Cool and Creamy face wash. I love the tingle and feeling so squeaky clean afterwards. I use it with my Clarisonic (you ALL need one of these - now at Stuttafords) and it is gentle and moisturising but still helps treat the blemishes. Feeling so fresh makes for a great start to the day actually.
I follow with my regular moisturiser, and then I use my Smashbox Photo Finish Blemish Control Primer (available at Woolies). This stuff is fantastic for blurring imperfections while still treating the skin and keeping it hydrated - and most importantly, it is oil free hydration so it helps keeping you from looking like a grease ball by 11am.

Then I use an Almay foundation - yep, you didn't see that one coming, I know. It seems to be a brand that is often overlooked, but for this amazing product, they should be winning awards. The foundation in question is their Clear Complexion liquid makeup. After reading about it online, I eventually managed to find it in Foschini. It contains a little bit of salicylic acid which really helps treat the pimples you're covering, and the liquorice and aloe extracts soothe the skin. It gives medium coverage with a matte finish (which I prefer, especially during a breakout). It is around R200, depending on where you shop. I've started seeing it everywhere now. I am so beyond impressed with this product, that I am definitely going to give this amazing budget brand some more attention.

In the evenings, I remove my makeup and then use Dermalogica's Medibac clearing skin wash. It clears oil and bacteria like nothing else and is packed with the skin-clearing hero, salicylic acid. Other ingredients like menthol, camphor and eucalyptus cool inflammation and help prevent bacteria build-up.
My dermatologist said I don't need a night cream for my skin, so I just use an eye cream and a serum every other day - but not during a breakout obviously.

Now to burn the little buggers off my face (just kidding). I treat blemishes by dotting some Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick on the affected areas and hop into bed. I used to have to hoard masses of these home in my suitcase each time we travel, but you can now get this brand in South Africa via Biovea.

I'd love to know if you have any hints, tips and tricks to handle a breakout. Who knew we'd still be fighting the battle of the blemish this late in life?

xx

Chicago Part 2

We only had a few days in Chicago, and yet so much we wanted to do. So before we left SA, we made our bookings and bought our tickets and pretty much jam-packed our schedule.
On top of this, there were so many foodie things we wanted to try out, so we just made peace with the  fact that we were going to have the odd donut for breakfast, and dessert for dinner. Because this is America after all.

The weather was still rather foul, and colder than we could have imagined. It honestly was almost as cold as London was in December. Thank goodness for tossing in a pair of Chelsea boots into my suitcase at the last minute. They saved my toes. My fingers and nose were not so lucky.

Bundled up, we went to warm up with a cup of coffee, before heading off in search of the hugely popular Doughnut Vault. We took a detour via the park to stretch our legs and 'earn' our sugar-laden breakfast.

After stopping for another warm drink at yet another coffee place (did I mention it was really cold?), we eventually found our way into a quiet part of the city and thought we'd gotten lucky and were first in the queue. Until we walked around the corner. And found the rest of Chicago braving the chill for their fix too. So I broke one of my life rules, and did the most American thing I've done to date, and I queued for junk food.

Most flavours had sold out, so we settled on vanilla glazed regular, plus a buttermilk vanilla donut (which they're famous for). The vanilla glazed was the size of my head and delicious. But we agreed that the buttermilk one just tasted like it needed to be baked for a few more hours until it was an Ouma rusk, that could be better used for dipping in a cup of tea.

We walked back toward Magnificent Mile to grab lunch and something that resembled a vegetable or an actual meal and failed miserably. We ended up inside a Garrett's Popcorn store and walked out with some Garretts Mix instead. Garrett's Mix is caramel popcorn and really, royally cheesy popcorn mixed together. Which you would not think would work at all, but it does and its instantly addictive. However, it is worth nothing that your fingers will be yellow for days.

We decided to write the day off in terms of our health and grabbed a taxi to our next stop, United Centre, for the Chicago Bulls game. We'd been following the play-offs for weeks leading up to our trip, hoping that we'd get to see a game while in Chicago. And the b-ball gods smiled upon us and we were able to see the Chicago Bulls against the Cleveland Cavaliers (yep, that team with LeBron and some other guys who don't get to play much).

We toured the stadium and bought some cheesy souvenirs, grinning like idiots the entire time. We couldn't believe we'd been so lucky with how the play-offs worked out, and that we'd managed to find tickets. But it only got better.
Watching the Bulls at home meant a vibe and a show like no other. Complimentary Bulls t-shirts awaited us at our seats. Beer flowed. Shouting "Defence, defence" until our voices were gone. Cheerleaders and pyrotechnics at each timeout. And then, Kanye...

Yep, Mr Kim Kardashian himself gave us a little impromptu show during one of the timeouts. It was phenomenal. And the game couldn't have been closer, keeping us on the edge of our seats, high-fiving strangers when we were ahead, and cursing LeBron when we were behind. Ultimately, that lanky bugger pulled off an amazing final shot that clinched the game for the Cavs. So, heartbroken, we went in search of the legend himself, Michael Jordan.

We paid our respects to the Lord of basketball and headed back uptown. After the heartbreaking loss, there was really only one thing that was going to lift our spirits, and that was chocolate. We'd noticed a Ghirardelli store around the corner from our hotel and had made a mental note to pop in if we had a chance. Its not at all on the 'Chicago must-try' list of foods, but we fell in love with Ghirardelli when we were in San Francisco two years ago, and if you ever have a chance to try their warm brownie sundae, you absolutely have to do it.  And never share one, it should be all yours.
That is also one of my life rules, by the way.

Sharing the secret

If you haven't treated yourself to the famous RetailBox 'Secret Box' yet, you've been missing out. For only R190 you get a mystery box sent your way with full size, salon brand, haircare products sent your way. Most salon shampoos cost R200 alone.

This month has been my favourite one yet. Courtesy of RetailBox, it arrived earlier in the week and I have been itching to share whats inside. I was told to keep it hushed until today - so best you read quickly and then hurry up and snap one of these up before they sell out.

Inside you'll find the Schwarzkopf Oil Miracle range. The range is brand new in SA and to RetailBox, so we all got first dibs on trying it out. The range is aimed at those with dry, damaged and dehydrated hair. So if you've been more of a sinner than a saint with your straightening iron, and those monthly highlights, this is for you.

Barbary Fig Seed oil is rich in fatty acids, smells like sweets and does wonders for your hair and scalp. The keratin smoothes the frizz and keeps those ends looking fresh. So like I said, if you've nuked your hair with styling aids too much lately, you must try this out. For R190, you are getting the Restorative Shampoo, Restorative Conditioning Mist AND the Treatment. Together they are worth R620. Its a no brainer really.

My favourite item in the bunch is the leave-in conditioning mist. I have very fine hair, and thick, gloopy conditioners are just way too heavy. All I need is a light spritz and a comb through before I start with my styling. The smell is heavenly and lasts all day.

Get yours over here at Retailbox - while stocks last.

xx

Chicago Part 1

I have finally sorted through my travel photos and have been dying to share my adventures in the USA with you. So here it goes.

We landed at JFK earlier than expected (nicely done SAA - the direct flight from Jhb is a winner. No more 7 hour lay overs in Dubai/Heathrow/wherever) so we managed to grab an earlier connecting flight to Chicago, giving us almost the whole day there, as opposed to only arriving in the evening like we'd originally planned.
Once we arrived in Chi-town, and stepped out of the cab, we were greeted by clouds, thick mist and an icy breeze straight off of Lake Michigan. This was also when we realised we had under-packed for this kind of weather. Poor Dave didn't even have closed shoes in his suitcase. *Note to self: all future Chicago trips must be in July.

Undeterred, we layered up as best we could and went exploring. Our hotel was right off Magnificent Mile so we simply had to choose between left or right, and go walking. Being somewhat over-excited and maybe a little jet lagged, we decided to walk all the way down to see the famous Cloud Gate, more famously known as "The Bean". Of course, we went weaving in and out of shops and a Starbucks or two on the way. (I even managed to find a Rebecca Minkhoff handbag on sale at Nordstrom Rack - within hours of touchdown, so I was incredibly chuffed with myself. I'll show you some of the goodies I picked up on my travels in a another post, promise.)

"The Bean" as far as must-see landmarks go, is fantastic. It is huge, and while completely unexpected, it fits in with its surroundings seamlessly. From one side you have the incredible cityscape as a backdrop, and from the other side, the lush Millennium Park. The entire area was crawling with tourists, but we managed a few decent snaps of the famous oversized sweet. Nothing climbing on a table with a selfie stick can't manage ;)

After we'd taken in enough of the park, we decided to brave the icy breeze and walk back toward our hotel along the river. This made us turn almost blue with cold, but it was worth it, just to take in some of the unforgettable architecture that Chicago is so famous for. Each skyscraper is more impressive than the last, until you reach Trump Tower, one of the tallest of the bunch. We couldn't see the top tier through the dense mist, but what from what we could see, we loved. And we crossed fingers and toes the weather would clear up so that we could see it, in all it's glory, on a clear day.

Considering that we'd obviously burnt a million calories walking so much in the chilly weather, we figured that we'd earned our dinner, so we went straight for the deep dish! Conveniently situated right next door to our hotel, we had a quick shower and change to warm up, and then skipped over to Gino's East. There are a few famous deep dish pizza spots to try in Chicago, but we settled for proximity and convenience. 

We went for the cheese and pepperoni medium size, to share. Well. We managed a slice and a bit each. Maybe it was being so tired from the long haul flight, or we are giant wusses, but we didn't stand a chance. To be honest, I prefer NYC style - the whole extra-thick pie crust and masses of marinara sauce aren't really my thing. And it really is just too much food. But I'll let the photos tell you the rest.

*Photos are all with my iPhone. It was far to cold to take out my camera.

Splurge vs Steal

Image: Source, Source, Source

Almost every single international style blogger has been rocking a variation of the Chloé Drew handbag and isn't gorgeous? While I was in New York last month, I thought I'd pop my head into good 'ol Bergdorff Goodman and peruse the designer handbags. It felt oh-so-good being the presence of Chanel, Balenciaga, Prada and Chloé  to name a few. And I made a list of 'investment' pieces that I'd love to own - but to be honest, the Chloé didn't make my list. At around $1450 (roughly R17 000), it is pricey for a trendy and rather impractical bag. It is tiny, so your standard wallet, smartphone and sunnies are going to have a hard time squeezing in - and thats before makeup, keys and whatever else us girls travel with on the daily.

So while it is incredibly beautiful, its really not a day-to-day bag and you'd only really use it for a night out or event. So instead of R17 000, I spent R299. Oh yes, under 2% of the designer price! This Riley bag from Superbalist caught my eye the other day, shortly after I landed, and I couldn't help but notice how similar it was to the Drew. So wisely, I snapped it up for myself. I think you should too.

Who to follow on Instagram | Travel

For fuelling my wanderlust, these are the Instagram accounts I follow for inspiration. They also induce extreme jealousy. You have been warned.

Parisinfourmonths – Everything Paris. The streets and cafes and architecture, all beautifully photographed. As if I don't spend enough time dreaming about Paris, this IG account makes me want to rush off and buy the first ticket out.

Triangleswimwear – Inbetween bikini shots, they post images of THE most beautiful beach destinations that have me dreaming of sand between my toes and salt in my hair.

Travelpanties – I met this amazing chicken while she was touring SA. She is based in NYC and I love seeing her pics of her life out and about in NYC, or all over the world as a luxury travel blogger. Tough job.

Tailsofamermaid – local travel blogger with beautiful pictures and a witty and wonderful way of storytelling.

The Londoner – If there is one blogger whose life I would steal any day, its Rosie Thomas. She flits all over the world to stay in the most luxurious hotels, or cracks a nod to the most glamorous events. If not travelling, she is sampling food from the London restaurant scene – her burger shots are drool inducing. While Rosie says she is a lifestyle blogger not a fashion blogger, girlfriend has amazing taste and I love seeing what she’s wearing.