Hi Divas!

I hardly ever do fragrance reviews on my blog. If I do, it has to be something worth mentioning about or something that is very special to me. In last week's post I mentioned one of my favourite Winter fragrances for 2016. I thought I would do a thorough review on the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Couture as it is quite a beautiful perfume. Guerlain is a brand known for its absolute luxury and elegance. From their packaging down to the actual quality of the product, their brand is worth every penny. Yes, their products do sometimes break the bank and have your wallet crying out for mercy but if you love beautiful things like me, you won't mind saving up and splurging on the finer things in life.

I am not much of a perfume collector. I only own two perfumes right now. This beauty happens to be one of them. The packaging of the Guerlain fragrance is so exquisite. When choosing a perfume, the bottle as to be aesthetically pleasing to me. For me a perfume has to look good on the outside as well as smell great on the inside. When I splurge on something expensive the whole package needs to be appealing to me. The Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Couture does just that. It comes in a pink and white box with the stylish black evening dress printed on it. Inside the bottle design is a mix of classic and glamour all rolled into one. It has ornate curves on the top of the bottle as well as the cap. There is a pretty pink ribbon attached to it with the Guerlain logo. The black evening dress and perfume name is printed on the bottle too. Everything about this packaging is stunning, sophisticated and graceful.

The charm of the perfume is of cause in its fragrance. The main notes of this Guerlain scent is Bergamot, Rose and Raspberry. The base notes consist of  Patchouli, Tonka Bean and Vetiver. The mix of the citrusy Bergamot, fruity Raspberry, spicy Tonka Bean and woody Patchouli gives this perfume a sexy, fun yet classy tone. It strikes a wonderful balance between sweet, fruity and woody. The fragrance for me is best worn during cold months or on evenings out to complete your glamorous look while not being over the top. Once sprayed it starts out fruity but overtime softens to a sweet smell and fades into a woody scent. I love that it is not overpowering but gives enough punch to make a statement. It lasts well throughout the day and I only need to touch up at the end of the night. I adore this graceful and stylish fragrance. It really is something to cherish and behold.

If you love fruity and sweet scents then do look out for this lovely bottle in a department store near you. Definitely write it down on your birthday and Christmas wish list. Elegance will never go out of style and this 50ml pretty bottle embodies all the charm and elegance that is Guerlain. Have you tried this lovely scent? Let me know below.


Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Hi Divas!

So Winter is almost coming to a close in the Southern Hemisphere. I feel like Cape Town could not decide whether she wanted to be fully committed to Winter or not. There were many bitterly cold stormy days but there were also gorgeous hot sunny days too. Nevertheless I am happy that Summer is on its way because South Africans don't do Winter well. We love our sunshine! To end off the season, I thought I would do a ''things I loved'' kind of post. If you remember I usually do a ''things I have been loving this month'' blog post but I think I will wrap three months into one this time round. 

1. To start off I have to mention my favourite Winter perfume for 2016. It has to go to Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire, Eau De Parfum Couture. Long name, I know! The bottle design is absolutely stunning. The scent has floral and fruity notes with just the right amount of warmth for a lovely Winter fragrance. It is sweet and woody at the same time, giving it a sense of elegance about it.

2. Who said you cannot eat ice cream in Winter? Ice cream on cold Winter days are such a treat. I honestly feel like a rebel when I indulge in it. I recently discovered a quaint ice cream cafe right next to a hotdog stand at the Waterfront in Cape Town. They sell the most delicious toppings. So yum!

3. To keep my skin from being dull and losing that inner glow, I used the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl. I would mix a pump of it into my daily moisturiser and apply it all over my face. The results of this combo are amazing. My skin looks so radiant and youthful. When you apply your foundation over the moisturizer and highlighting combination, you literally get a lit from within look.  Read my review on the Becca product here.

4. I feel like I have drunk more Bubble tea during Winter than I have ever drunk in the Summer time. My favourite go to flavours are Rooibos tea with cranberries and blueberries, along with Rooibos tea with lemon and passion fruit. Bubble tea is refreshing and delicious. Plus it is so much fun to drink. If you haven't tried it yet, then do yourself a favour and get to a cafe now.

5. Sheet masks have been such a special treat to use during Winter. It kept my face moisturised and nourished. I love to use it at night and wake up to gorgeous flawless skin in the morning. I am seriously addicted to sheet masks. I even got my mom hooked!  Follow me on Snapchat @divadesle, to see more of my sheet mask madness and the different brands I use. You can also read my sheet mask post here.

6. The Too Faced Peach Palette was basically the only palette I wore these past months. I love it sooooo much. There are many varieties of eyeshadows to choose from. This is a warm palette that can be worn all year round. I have been wearing a lot of the rustic brown shades during the cold months. Plus the palette smells amazing and puts me in a good mood when I use it. Favourite palette of life right now!!! Read my review on it here.

7. My favourite Winter lipstick for 2016 has to be Sephora Rouge R17 in Mmmm. I bought this lipstick at Sephora in Qatar. I love the formula of this lipstick as it is hydrating and has a semi matte finish, though it glides on like a cream. The colour is a mix between a sandy pink and lavender shade. I wear it almost everyday and it never leaves my handbag.

8. I got back into the nail art groove again, which is quite surprising since it is Winter. I usually don't do nail art in Winter because my hands are always dry and my nails go brittle and break easily. I started nourishing my hands with The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil (review here) to save my hands from becoming crusty. It did wonders and my nails grew strong and healthy. My creative juices started to flow again and I managed to paint some fun designs. Follow me on Instagram to see more @divadesle ;-)

9. The beach or anywhere near the sea are my favourite places to hang out and enjoy life. Taking long walks on the beach or going for a run along the promenade on a sunny Winter's day is especially enjoyable for me. I swear, you could take a thousand pictures of the sea and not one will be exactly the same. There is so much beauty in the ocean and the horizon. It is just breathtaking and warms my soul! 



Let me know what you loved these past few months below!
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxxx

 7 Deadly Sins of Beauty

Hi Gorgeous Divas!

 

I want to take a break from beauty reviews and do a fun makeup tag. I found this one on Youtube and thought it would be perfect to do it on my blog. Beauty products are very subjective, as what might work for you might be and look terrible on me. I remember back in high school my friend and I were playing with her mom's makeup one day after school. We found this really bold blue mascara and decided to try it and see if it will match our blue school uniforms. I will never forget that day. I looked like an absolute clown with that blue mascara on my eyes topped with a bright red blush on my cheeks. We both laughed so much at how crazy we looked. From that day on I vowed to never touch another blue mascara ever again. Lol, I definitely stuck to my promise. Blue mascara is an all time deadly sin for me. Do you have certain products that make you cringe when you think about wearing it? Please let me know below! ;-)
I hope you enjoy my answers to the 7 Deadly Sins of Beauty Tag. Here we go...

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
My most inexpensive beauty product is a yellow eyeshadow by Essence. I paid R22($2) for it as it was on sale. It has really great pigmentation, so it was quite a bargain. My most expensive beauty item is my eyeshadow palette by Guerlain called Ecrin 6 Couleurs Tailored Harmonies. You can read my review here. This palette retails for about R1100 ($100). Super duper crazy expensive!

2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?
The product that I have a love hate relationship with and is the most hardest to get is my actual foundation shade. Foundations are usually too light or too dark for my complexion. I always have to mix foundations to get my perfect shade. That is why I have always used BB Creams as they oxidise to my skin tone throughout the day.

3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?
What a strange question! I would have to say my EOS and macaron It's Skin lipbalms. They both smell good enough to eat. I adore my Too Faced Chocolate palette as well. Read my full review on it here. The palette smells exactly like chocolate and all the eyeshadows are named after decadent chocolate bars. Yum!!

4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?
In my skincare routine I used to always skip using toners. I would wash my face and apply cream afterwards. I could never find a toner that didn't burn my face or leave a residue. As I have gotten older, I realise how a good three step skin care routine is essential for healthy and glowing skin. I found a Korean toner that worked for my face and am using it religiously.I love using Clarins toners too, as they are very gentle on the skin.

5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?
This is a hard one to answer as I don't have one particular product. I have too many! Lol. I think mascara and lipstick gives me the most self confidence. I love accentuating my long lashes and full lips. If I have these two products on my face I feel that I am ready to take on the day.

6. LUST: What beauty product has the sexiest packaging?
It would definitely have to be The Balm Nude Dude palette. You can see my review here. It has six sexy naked men covered by eyeshadows in all the right places. Hell YES!!! ;-D

7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?
 I adore eyeshadow palettes and holiday makeup sets. Holiday gift sets always have the most fun and pretty packaging. I enjoy opening up pretty gifts and having fun goodies to play with.



Thank you for reading Beauties!
Much love.
Xxxx

Guerlain Super Aqua Serum

BB Hydra + Review

Hi beautiful Divas!

I have had this BB cream for almost a year and I am only doing a review on it now. This is one of my favourite BB Creams by Guerlain called Super Aqua-Serum BB Hydra+. Shoo, what a super long name! Basically the name explains it all; a BB Cream mixed with Guerlain's famous Super Aqua serum and it's really hydrating. Review over! I am only kidding, I have lots more to say. As many of you probably know by now BB Creams, also known as Beauty Balms, are like tinted moisturisers on steroids. They are packed with skincare benefits, such as moisturising, reducing pigmentation and scars, while providing flawless coverage for an even complexion. The BB Cream comes in a 40 ml squeeze tube in the blue Super-Aqua packaging. The Super-Aqua serum which is infused in the BB Cream promises to give maximum hydration to the face, while combating fine lines and wrinkles. The skin will appear more plumped, youthful and hydrated.
The product as a SPF 25 PA++, which is quite low for the hot summer sun but not that bad if you are going to be sitting in an office all day. There is a mixture of a perfume and sunscreen scent which is quite pleasant to me, but for those who are sensitive to fragrances might not enjoy it.

The texture of the BB Cream is very light and has a consistency of a lotion. I prefer to squeeze a little product onto my hand and blend it all over my face with my fingers. The coverage is very light, so you can build it up to a medium coverage as much as you want as it won't look cakey or overbearing. The product blends wonderfully onto the skin and gives a natural and radiant glow. It is very moisturising and would be perfect for people who suffer with dry skin. I love to wear this BB Cream on long haul flights, as I get decent coverage as well as the skin care hydrating benefits of the serum. Long haul flights air con can really dry out your skin, so this product is perfect for overnight flights. The staying power of the product is pretty decent. I noticed that the product broke down around my nose area at the end of the day but the rest of my face still looked flawless. I have combination skin and get oily around my nose so I expected for the product to wear off around that area.


 The BB Cream has a light texture and coverage. It does not cover up scars and blemishes. You will definitely need concealer for that. The biggest con about this product is that it only comes in two shades, which is Light and Medium. I have the shade Light which is obviously too light for me. Luckily like all BB Creams, it does oxidise on my face to suit my skintone. Those with deeper complexions will definitely have a problem finding something that matches their exact shade. If you want a product to even out your skin tone and give you a hydrating radiant glow that is light in consistency then you will love this product. As I said I love to wear this on long flights or days when I want to have minimal makeup but still have an even glowing complexion. To me this product is more like a glorified tinted moisturiser than a heavy BB Cream because it is so light in coverage. Nevertheless I still love it and would want to own another tube when this one runs out. Can I mention that my mom's complexion looks amazing with this BB Cream?! It works magic on her face. She definitely looks more youthful and glowing. Big thumbs up from my mom! Lol ;-)

Thank you for reading.
Much love!!!
Xxxx

Hi Divas!


This week I will be reviewing one the most luxurious eyeshadow palettes I have ever owned. When I think of the brand Guerlain there are two words that come to my mind: Pure Luxury. That is exactly how I would describe the Ecrin 6 Couleurs Tailored Harmonies palette. At a first glance, the palette doesn't look anything like makeup packaging. The case resembles an elegant jewelry box for a diamond necklace or bracelet fit for a queen. This is the heaviest palette I have ever come across as the casing is made out of metal. The eyeshadow palette comes in a sleek black box with a black velvet pouch. Inside is a beautiful metallic case with an ornate cut out pattern design and an engraved bee on it. It looks so elegant and regal, hence the doubt of could this really be an eyeshadow palette? Once your heart has stopped skipping a few beats and you can come to terms with the opulent packaging, when you open the case you find 6 eyeshadows, a mini brush and a flap open mirror too. The palette comes with an instructional pamphlet, explaining the different eyeshadows and diagrams of how you can create three different looks using this palette.There are 6 eyeshadow palettes in this collection to choose from and I have the shade #93 Rue De Passy (super fancy title). I feel like a medieval queen when I use this eyeshadow palette. The packaging is totally on fleek! This gets a 100% rating in the makeup packaging awards department.

This palette deserves 10 gold stars for packaging!!!

This particular palette comes in brown, taupe, and grey purple shades. There is a black eyeshadow as well to create the perfect smokey eye. Three of the shades are matte, which is the black shade on the far right, the light brown shade on the top left and the taupe shade which is a perfect crease colour on your far left. At the bottom right is a satin brown shade. On the top right is a greyish purple shade that is gorgeous for a sultry eye. In the middle is a frosty pink shimmer shade that can be used as a brow highlighter or to dust over the lid area. All of the shades are very pigmented and blend easily. In this particular palette the colours are pretty neutral and safe. You can create an everyday look for the office or you can go dark and sultry for a night time look. The eyeshadows are very elegant and the colours are timeless. Any age group from a teenager to a more matured lady would enjoy this palette and create a look that is unique and classic. I love to use this palette on my mom's eyes too. I feel the shades look amazing on her and make her look glammed up without overdoing it on the shimmer as other palettes tend to do.

Romantic Smokey Eye look

As you can see in the photo above, I opted for a subtle and romantic smokey eye look. I think this look would be perfect for a date night. Not that I go on any of those, anyway! I absolutely adore this palette and love wearing it in the Autumn and Winter months. To be honest with you, at first I was afraid to use it as it was so luxurious and I didn't want to mess it up. I soon got over that fear and started playing around with the pretty shades. I suppose you can get these particular shades in other palettes as they are nothing new or unique to speak of. The wow factor about this palette is definitely the packaging. If you are looking to splurge a whole lot more and want to add something beautiful to your growing makeup collection, then I urge you to visit a Guerlain counter close to you.

Hope you enjoyed this review. 
Sending lots of love your way.
Divalicious kisses.
Xxxx

 Valentines Day Vibes 2015

Hi Divas

 This week I have succumb to all the Valentines hype and bringing you a Valentines Day post too. I know super cliché, but what the heck. I thought I would just run with it since February is known as the month of love. I did a makeup and nail look for you to spark some inspiration for Saturday. So whether you going on a romantic date, going out with friends or crying on the couch with a tub of ice cream (ME!), you can still look good while doing it. I know there are a lot of people that despise Valentines day but I really don't mind it. There are a lot of gimmicks and advertises have a field day with it but I think it's a cute and fun to give some flowers, chocolates and hearts to those you love and adore. Back in the day at university my room mate and I used to buy each other roses and walk around on campus all day with them pretending they were from a secret crush. Haha, super duper lame! Do you have any fun Valentines stories you want to share? Please comment below!

Valentines Makeup

For my face I used my favourite bb cream by Guerlain called Super Aqua BB Hydra+ (Will do a review on it soon) to even out my skin tone and give a natural radiant glow. On my eyes I used my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette and my Urban Decay Ammo palette. I placed the eyeshadow Venus under my brow bone, the brown shade Faint in my crease and dusted a beautiful cool toned gold shade Maui Wowie on my lids. As you can see in the photo above the gold shade really pops and brings out my brown eyes. I then added my favourite NYX Super Fine Liner and Miss Manga Mascara by Loreal for sexy lashes. I dusted Faint on my lower lash line to warm my eyes up a little bit. For cheeks I kept the look subtle and lightly dusted a pink blusher from my BH Cosmetics That's Heart palette. I went slightly bold with the lips and used Fuchsia Flash by Maybelline. This lipstick is a really pretty pink and I think it looks perfect for Valentines day. The makeup look is not to overbearing or sultry. I think it is light and playful for a romantic date out or as I said eating ice cream alone on the couch (ME!!!).

Valentines Manicure

For my manicure I used four nail polish colours and some stickers and gold heart rhinestones. I wanted to create something fun and girly so I focused my attention on cute little hearts and added white polka dots on my index finger and ''XOXO'' on my ring finger which turned out kind of whack, lol. For the pink polish I used Get the Party Started by Tip Top, The white polish is Cream Puff  by Tip top, The glitter gold polish Gold Fever by Sephora and to write the ''XOXO'' on my ring finger I used Black Forest by Tip Top. I drew the pink heart in the middle with a dotting tool. I am actually surprised that it didn't turn out into a messy blob as I was freestyling and hoping it would turn into something that resembles a heart. Whoop! I will be doing more heart manicures from now on ;-)

Have a great week and enjoy your Valentines Day.

MWAH Xxxx

Spring Makeup F.O.T.D 

Hi Divas!

Last week I did the Spring Fling tag on the blog which you can read here. This week, I thought I would use some of the products I mentioned in that post and do a fun makeup tutorial. Of cause you don't have to have the exact same products that I have used to create this look.I thought I would get you inspired for spring and you can use whatever is in your makeup bag for a fun bright makeup look. The weather in Cape Town has really been depressing. It has been grey and raining a lot lately. How I wish Cape Town would wake up and smell the flowers! It is Spring people!!!

Makeup Tutorial:

1. Firstly I covered my face with the Guerlain Super Aqua BB Cream. I prefer using BB creams rather than foundations. It gives my face a more natural and glowing appearance.

2. I filled in my eyebrows and set them with the Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set and Essence Lash and Brow Gel Mascara. I applied the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk all over my eyelids to prime them and create a white base as I am working with bright colourful eyeshadows.

3. I took the Yardley Suntorini Eyeshadow palette and used the lightest matte brown shade and dusted it all over my eye lids to warm it up.

4. I added a warm shimmery brown shade of the BH Cosmetics That's Heart palette and lightly applied it in my crease just to warm up the eye a little.

5. I then applied the pink shade of the That's heart palette and the deep pink shade of the Yardley Suntorini palette and mixed them together to create a pretty pink eyeshadow on my eyelids. I then blended everything with a fluffy brush.

6. After that I took an angled brush an applied the turquoise eyeshadow of the That's heart palette and glided it across my lower lash line.

7. For eyeliner I used the Nyx Super Fat Marker on my upper lash line and volumised my eye lashes with the Loreal Miss Manga Mascara.

8. For concealer I used the Catrice Coverstick under my eyes and set my face with the Maybelline Clear Smooth powder. To contour my face I applied the blush, bronzer and highlighter using the That's Heart palette.

9.Once that was done I mixed the Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips Talk lipstick in RD304 and Maybelline Fuchsia Flash lipstick for bright pink lips.

Final Thoughts:

If you love colour and not afraid to wear it this would be a great bright spring look to rock. If you want to tone the look down a little bit, you could skip the turquoise eyeshadow under the eyes and apply a pretty pink gloss instead of bright pink lipstick. I really hope you enjoyed this look. Let me know what you like to rock in spring: bright lips, floral accessories or dresses?

Have a fabulous week Divas! Xxxx

 Hi beautiful ladies!

So this past week in South Africa Autumn has shown its pretty face. The nights are getting colder, the wind is becoming chillier and the sky has been filled with grey puffy clouds. Cape Town especially has been chilly these past few days. With that being said, it is now in with the winter wardrobe and out with the summer one. I am a summer baby, so I always feel reluctant to let go of my pretty summer dresses and bright tops. A big bonus though when it comes to a change of season is that it's a great excuse to go clothes shopping. Big yay! So I trekked to the mall this past week to see what was in store. Boots, scarves and colourful leggings were all out on display in the shop windows. I found some really great winter pieces and ended up with a big fashion haul to spruce up my autumn/winter wardrobe. 

Now, I don't pretend to be a fashion blogger guru and I am definitely not one to follow trends for the sake of being trendy. I love to buy fashion pieces that look interesting, timeless and chic to me. I use fashion as just another way of expressing my personality. I love to dress up. You will never see me leaving the house in old sweat pants and a ragged t- shirt. I think it stems from my granny and watching her dress up when I was very young. My granny never left the house without looking 'together'. Whether it was a little bit of red lipstick, shiny shoes or a bold hat, my granny always looked her best when she left the house. I think she passed that characteristic on to my mom, my sister and me. We just can't leave the house without looking semi decent and with a little bit of lipstick on the lips. Hell, I even dress up when I'm just going to the post office! Ssh, let's keep this secret between us. *wink* ;-)

So I thought I would do a little look post on the blog to show you what I got and get you excited for Autumn/ Winter fashion. It's been a really long time since I did a fashion post and o.o.t.d on the blog. Hope you enjoy this one....

What I'm wearing:

-Leopard print top from Mr Price

-Black leggings from Pick n' Pay Clothing Store

- Black pixie boots from Woolworths

- Polka dot scarf from the Old Biscuit Mill market

- Star necklace from Mr Price

What's on my face:

- Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

-Naked 2 Palette

-Guerlain bronzer in Terracotta 00

-Clarins Instant Definition Mascara

- Maybelline Sensational Vivids Vibrant Mandarin lipstick and Stila lip glaze in Melon

Nails: 

-Revlon nail varnish in Sparkle Aplenty

These are just some of the items I purchased these past weeks.. Let me know what interesting fashion trends you are loving or have bought recently. Wishing you a beautiful week. 

Divalicious kisses.

Xxxx