Beauty Review | The Body Shop Shade Adjusting Drops

I don't lose my mind over beauty products. I have my staples and I love trying new products, but not many have made my jaw drop like the ones I have to tell you about today.

Actually they straight up annoyed me. Only because they made me so mad that I didn't think of this idea first!

Everyone needs these Shade Adjusting Drops from The Body Shop.
Seriously. Us girls are forever trying and buying every new wonderful foundation on the market and spending a small fortune on the habit too. Then the seasons change and our favourites end up being a shade too light or too dark after a few sessions at the beach. Money wasted. Down the drain. Because lets be honest, you don't stash it for the following summer-  by then you've bought a ton of new products to play with. We all do it. Its okay ladies, this is a safe space to confess your sins.

The Body Shop invited me to their launch and sent me these drops afterwards to test out and I know I'll never be without them forever more. They work with every single foundation and BB cream I tested them with. A drop changes your current foundation by a half a shade according to the official press release, but I am quite careful and prefer dotting gently and mixing half a drop at a time. Waste not, want not - just like gran says.

The Lightening Drops have a concentration of white and pink pigments which neutralises yellowness while lightening the shade of your foundations/BB creams/tinted moisturisers.
The Darkening Drops have a concentration of black and red pigments which helps with foundation that makes you look too light and ashy. They darken while keeping the natural depth. I've had my fair amount of buyers remorse after buying foundation in the wrong lighting. I don't know about you, but the introvert in me never goes back to a store to return stuff. So now I don't have to.

If you're struggling to find whatever new and wonderful foundation has launched this month, in the perfect shade for you, you can simply create it using these drops. I am utterly obsessed at the genius of this idea.

I've also been using it for highlighting and contouring. A few dots of the lightening drops up the nose and across the forehead and under the eyes do wonders for a tired complexion. And then you add some dots of the darkening drops along your jaw line and you've got supermodel cheekbones in a flash. They blend so easily and the finish is flawless.

Here is a rare image of me getting my face in front of the camera for you all - but this is how badly I wanted to give you a demo of how well these work. They are suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin - which is important for me as I turn red and blotchy if you look at me too hard. My camera is having a timeout for whatever reason so I attempted these on my cell camera. I apologise for the average quality, but you get the idea.

 Grab them in store or online quickly - on my last trip to pick up some of my Body Shop basics, stocks were selling out!. They are R300 each and will save you hundreds in the long run.

STYLE | THE BEST OF THE POETRY WINTER COLLECTION

I always shop for winter as early as possible - thats when you get the good stuff. I find that from June onwards, the replenishment stock is basic and boring.
So as soon as a brand launches their Autumn/Winter collection, that is when I head to the shops and start picking out my favourite pieces.

Poetry is South Africa's answer to Anthropologie. The fashion, accessories and homeware are so effortlessly feminine and chic, that almost anything you buy there is an instant classic. This year they teamed up with local artist, Andrew Sutherland. His work was printed onto the softest blend of silk and cotton and made up into the comfiest tunic dress you'll ever let caress your bod. Because of the classic shape and that it looks equally great with sandals as it does with boots and a trench, you'll have this in your cupboard for years.

Here are few other of my coveted items from the collection. Its all in store and online already, so get going before it sells out.

BEAUTY REVIEW | CLINIQUE BASICS

As I've said before, this is my year of focus and drilling down on what I want and what I don't. It means whittling down my wardrobe to quality basics and doing the same with my skincare. I am tired of bouncing between products and trying every single new "miracle" product that launches. I am always happy to play with makeup, but now that I am in my thirties, my skincare regime is precious.

This is why Clinique is the perfect fit for me for 2016. I signed on as an ambassador without needing to think twice. I'd used their products for years and they'd always worked in my twenties. Then we parted ways for a while. Even their cult classic, the City Block tinted moisturiser gave way to BB creams in my life and looking back, I should have stuck to what I knew worked.

So here I am, back together with Clinique and I've changed up my 3-step system to suit my old-lady skin - riddled with adult breakouts and pigmentation - and I am delighted to report that my skin is in love. My pesky and painful breakouts on my chin have cleared and I've noticed a massive improvement in hydration. I also have dry skin that gets nice and oily by 2pm and since using their Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion for dry/combination skin, I haven't reached for my blotting powder in weeks. Between this moisturiser and their Even Better foundation (more on this later), I have found my routine. My balance. My focus. And clear skin - at last!

For those who've never given Clinique's 3-step system a bash, I'd recommend popping in to one of their skincare counters in Edgars, Foschini, Truworths and Stuttafords stores. Get a skin analysis done and get some trial products to suit your skin type. Their face wash is the perfect mild foaming wash (they also have a non-foaming options if you hate foam washes. I personally love it. I don't really have a reason why). It is gentle and non-drying which is ideal if you're struggling with dryer skin like I am.

The next step is toning. I know many beauty bloggers advise that you can skip this step, and maybe you can. But I've always been a fan of some extra cleaning. The big kicker with Clinique is that their toner is actually a mild exfoliator. The one I am using, Clarifying Lotion 1 was developed for dry and flaky skin, so the ingredients working away at your skin are good 'ol Salicylic Acid and Butylene Glycol. However, the Clinique Clarifying Lotion 1 also includes Witch Hazel, to tone the skin; and Acetyl Glucosamine, for skin healing.

Now for some makeup. My friends in the beauty blogging industry have been raving about Clinique's makeup for ages and yet I'd never tried any other than my staple tinted moisturiser. The consultant in-store had one look at my pigmentation and recommended their Even Better foundation which evens out and corrects. It works like a bomb I am pleased to report. It provides a medium coverage, which is easily buildable if you need to. I found that with my stippling brush, it blended seamlessly into my skin and I didn't need more than one good layer. The finish is more on the matt side, which I prefer. 

The lovely team at Clinique also treated me to one of their brand new Clinique Pop™ Lacquer Lip Colour + Primer. I was given Cocoa Pop to try out and it has turned out to be the perfect pinky/nude combo. A little darker than the "your own lips but better" kind of nude, which I think is ideal going into winter where I go darker and richer with just about everything. The formula is lightweight, and because of the built in primer, it really does stay put for at least 6 hours. So it perfect for everyday workwear.

I hope you found this review helpful. If you have any questions on Clinique products you'd like me to research for you, or do a review on, please let me know in the comments section. I've linked to the Clinique online store for each product so you can shop from the comfort of your desk. But I would always preach that you try some out in-store first. 

Travel | Bliss up the West Coast

Pack some snacks and make yourself comfy, because this is a long post!

Few road trips beat a leisurely drive along the West Coast. You're spoilt for views of field of flowers, sea views and long stretches of farmland either side of you. Not much farther along the road through Veldrif, you'll find Rocherpan. Tucked away and so rustic you'd almost miss it. Or you might actually miss it and drive halfway to Namibia like I did.
Pro tip: when someone gives you very specific directions, turn off your lame John Mayer mix CD and actually listen.

Photo: Alfred for The Good Holiday

Once you arrive at the reserve, you're confused. You expected rustic, which it is. But not to the point of camping. You'll find yourself quite impressed by how modern and chic the facilities are. I'll be honest. I did not expect such comfortable accommodation. The chalets are simple, clean and comfortable and they all face the breathtaking view of the water. And that little body of water houses a massive flock of bright pink flamingos that gracefully wade along the edges each morning and evening. The architect of these adorable eco-cabins is Justin Cooke from Architecture Co-Op. He did a fantastic job of ensuring they blended seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, while also using environmentally friendly materials. The cabins functions almost entirely off the grid with solar water heaters, gas stoves, and solar panels. You can't really ask for much more.

Photo: Alfred from Vuurtoring

The reason I went along on this trip was to play stylist and part-time model for CapeNature's latest online campaign. Our mornings started at 5am to get our shots of the flamingos and other bird life. I've never been a big nature person, and I was (embarrassingly) the cliched city girl asking an absurd amount of questions on the possibility of being carried away in the night by snakes and spiders.
Rocherpan actually shifted my narrow perspective somewhat, and I relaxed into nature and stopped fussing and worrying enough to really enjoy it. And you're actually forced to. The day moves at a slow pace after a bright and early sunrise, inviting you to come in after a morning of bird spotting, to a big breakfast fry up, and then to take to the balcony with a good book for the rest of the morning. I slipped on a comfy long dress and sandals and moved through the day at my leisure.

Photo: Alfred for The Good Holiday

Photo: Alfred for The Good Holiday

You can find the sandals (you'll see them when you scroll a little further down) HERE and a similar dress, even more perfect for lazy lounging HERE. I love finding cheap and cheerful holiday outfits from Mr Price!

Once the weather had warmed up enough, we made for the beach. We had kilometres of uninterrupted coastline at our disposal and after some beach reading, strolling and posing, we set up a picnic which was well oiled with some amazing wine from Avontuur.

The next day started much the same and I can officially be considered "outdoorsy". After spying on those long legged pink birds, we had a go at some biking through the reserve. Initially I'd wanted to go for a trail run - but after discovering it was snake 'mating season', I decided that I wanted to be off the ground.

The next evening we decided to put together a massive feast of a braai, and whip out the really good wines. Avontuur had spoiled us again with a selection of their finest wines. After our feast we ended up roasting marshmallows, all the while clinking our glasses and laughing very late into the evening. We then extended our evening into the early hours of the morning to do some star gazing. And when you are so far away from city lights, you get to see the best views our galaxy has to offer.

Photo: Alfred for The Good Holiday

Photo: Alfred for The Good Holiday

I hadn't expected to be won over by rustic cabins, environmentally conscious and nature-crazed hosts, bird watching and the general tranquility of the surrounds (I am a city girl, 100%), but to be honest, I will definitely be back Rocherpan. You're a total gem and when I need a break from the madness of city life, I couldn't think of anything better than a weekend with you.

Photo: Alfred for The Good Holiday

To get the full experience, check out the video we worked on all week - shot and edited by the phenomenal Dee Lourens from The Good Holiday. She was assisted by some of the best action and nature photographers in the biz, Alfred from Vuurtoring and Louise from Green Girls in Africa (Check her blog post on Rocherpan for a beautifully detailed post on the inner workings of this clever eco-friendly hideaway!). Go show them some love - I promise you'll find yourself inspired!