Hi Divas

What an absolutely strange year this has been. I can only thank God and give my Lord Jesus all the praise for carrying me and my family through these turbulent times. I am grateful for so many things but most importantly, that I can celebrate Christmas with my loved ones. Many people around the world have experienced great loss, and if you have, I send my biggest hugs to you. This time of year, always reminds us that the treasures of life lies in the love and fellowship of those most close to us. Even though Christmas will be a bit different this year, some traditions shall remain the same in my house. Firstly, I decorated the Christmas tree and lounge, which was a workout of note. Secondly, I will be helping my mom bake some delicious festive cookies and cook up a storm for the huge Christmas lunch. Thirdly, I will be enjoying my Christmas Eve pamper rituals that I love to do every year. I will be sharing these with you in this post. Christmas Eve is a wonderful day that is always filled with joy and excitement for things to come. These are my relaxing diva traditions that ushers me into the festive spirit.

Hi Divas

It has been a wonderful Summer in Cape Town. I have been enjoying being out doors and taking advantage of the sun. In Cape Town, the vibe during the warmer months are always very joyful, relaxing and adventurous. We love to be out and about exploring different places and having fun experiences. My absolute favourite thing to do during the Summer time is going to the beach. I could stare at the sea for hours. I love the feeling of warm sand between my toes and the sea air blowing through my hair. It's one of the most wonderful feelings to me. When I saw the Bath and Body Works At The Beach collection in Qatar, my heart skipped a beat! To have the beach experience in a fragrance bottle sounds like total bliss to me. I just had to purchase it and take it back to Cape Town.

At The Beach Fine Fragrance Mist

The body mist is packaged in a beautiful 236ml sea blue plastic bottle. It reminds me of clear cyan ocean waters. It has a very tranquil and classy aquatic style to it. I love the fine touch of the gold cap as it gives a sophisticated look. The packaging is chic and serene therefore any age can appreciate it. The fragrance is described as a vacation scent with Frangipani, Coconut, Bergamot and Sea Salt as its main notes. At the first spritz the scent of frangipani and coconut definitely burst through. The white flower, frangipani is soft and sweet whereas the coconut has a fresh and tropical scent. The blend of these two aromas transports us into a paradise holiday destination. The citrus bergamot and the savoury sea salt scents are base notes that subtly seep through. They make a great combination in toning down the sweet and fruity main notes. This fragrance has a wonderful balance of sweet summer mixed with refreshing and cooling waters. I love that it is not overpowering or weak. It strikes just the right notes to make this a graceful yet fun holiday fragrance. The only gripe I have with this mist is that it is not long lasting. After a few hours the scent fades and I have to spray one or two times again. I wish Bath and Body Works made this into an actual perfume. I would be all over that fragrance as it would last longer too. If you love scents that transport you to tropical beaches and paradise destinations, then this one is for you.

At The Beach Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel
I bought the travel size in 74ml. How I wish I purchased the full size tube. I adore this shower gel. It has a similar cyan shade to the fragrance and the consistency of the gel is perfect. It has a very moisturising feel to it and it lathers well. Thanks to the shea butter and Vitamin E, your skin will feel soft and refreshed after using it. It will refresh tired and sun kissed skin. The gel as a soft coconut beach scent but the shea butter definitely tones it down and overpowers it. The packaging is so cute too. Anything with seahorses and starfishes immediately makes my heart happy. This tube draws inspiration from the gorgeous coral reefs in design.

At The Beach 24 Hour Moisture Ultra Shea Body Cream

I too bought the body cream in the 70g travel size. How I regret this decision so much! Please remind me to always purchase full sizes at a Bath and Body Works store next time. Unlike the other products, the cream is packaged in a white tube with fun summer motifs on it. This is a lovely shea butter cream that has hints of coconut and frangipani. It is great to use after a long hot day as it moisturises and soothes the skin. I would apply this all over my body at night and I would wake in the morning smelling like a sweet fresh coconut. I love that it is not the tacky artificial coconut scent that everyone hates. This one smells like a real fresh coconut with a blend of citrus and sweet aromas. The cream as the perfect consistency for hot days. It makes the skin soft without feeling too heavy.

***Have you tried any of these products? Please let me know below. I hope you found this review helpful. ***

Thank you for reading.
Divalicious Kisses!
Xxxx

Diva Spring Favourites 2017

Hi Divas

Happy Spring to all my fellow South Africans and everyone living in the Southern Hemisphere. Even though Cape Town hasn't really been playing along with the Spring weather I am still excited and grateful for the season change. The Western Cape has been experiencing a serious drought this year so I shouldn't be frowning when Cape Town has more rain clouds than bright sunny days. I know that we are all praying for rain and stocked up on some water reserves. We already have 30 Litres of water reserved in my house hold and we are planning to purchase some more. Even with the terrible water crisis, it is so wonderful to see so many flowers that have naturally bloomed this year. God is so good! Spring is such a lovely season for me. It gives us new hope and a promise of growth and happiness. I have put together a few of my Spring favourites below. Hope you like them and let me know what your favourites are too.

1. Beautiful Flowers In Bloom: When I think of Spring, pretty flowers definitely comes to my mind. My late grandfather had magical green fingers. He would take any little space in the garden and turn it into an enchanting piece of art. He used to plant all types of seeds in the Winter months and come Spring they would bloom into the most exquisite colours. As children, my sister and I would enjoy playing in the wonderful garden that he created. 

2. Pastel Nail Colours: I know it's a cliche but pastels and Spring really do go well together. Nail polishes are especially flattering in peach and baby pink shades. After the cold months my hands are very dry and my nails are brittle. I like to use this time of the season to moisturise my hands and make my nails healthy again. Pastel shades look beautiful on short or long nails. They are great to wear in those in between lengths when your nails are trying to recover and grow. I love the South African brand Sorbet. They make the prettiest nail polishes with affordable prices.

3. New Adventures: During Winter I hardly want to leave the house. Laying on my bed with a cosy blanket and some hot coffee seems way more appealing than driving endlessly in the rain. Most outdoor activities and places are closed during this time, but come the start of Spring and everyone is open for business. It is such a great feeling. I love seeing how the environment changes just by a little bit of sun peeking through. It is subtle changes but it truly is remarkable.

4. Bright Pink Lipsticks: Big YES, for all things pink and girly. I love my pink lipsticks, rosy blushes and whimsical eye looks. Goodbye to dark eyeshadow and emo trends. Lipstick is a wonderful invention. It completely changes your whole appearance. It can create a specific mood and make you look put together without even trying. Etude House knows how to make a pretty lipstick. From the packaging to the shades, they all scream cute. I have mine in the limited Etoinette collection. You should check them out on Ebay.

5. Feeling The Sun On My Skin: I'm done being a vampire. Although, I would like to glisten like diamonds in the sun as Edward did in Twilight. Staying indoors a lot can really darken your soul and make you feel depressed. As I said above Spring brings a promise of hope and happiness. I find when I am out and about in the warm sun, my soul feels joyful and my mood becomes cheerful. Everyone always looks more radiant and happier in the Spring time. Have you noticed that?

6. Getting Rid Of Winter Fuzz: Honestly, I am tired of being a werewolf. Winter can turn any one into a beast, Hahaha. Come Spring the shedding of excess hair begins. It is a daunting task for any dark-haired girl, but every razor blade burn is worth it. I love using exfoliating scrubs to get rid of all my dull dry Winter skin cells. Have you tried the sugar body scrubs from Bath And Body Works? They are amazing. I have them in peach and guava. They both smell so fresh and fruity.

7. No More Frizzy Hair: Winter can be pretty harsh to us ladies. We spend two hours perfecting our sleek hair, only to be outside for 5 minutes and it's all ruined. The damp hair and gale force winds make our hair look like floor mops sometimes. Hence, we hide it all away under hoodies, beanies, buns, oversized hair bands and more. Thankfully Spring gives us a chance to give some extra love and care to our tresses. We can wear it out with pride while rocking a cute accessory too. We know it won't blow away or get tangled in a mess. Plus, a little ray of Vitamin D can do wonders for your hair growth and over all hair condition.

8. One Word, Food!: I love food through every season. I really don't need any excuse to eat a doughnut or gobble down an ice cream, LOL. I just love that my doughnuts have prettier decorations now and my ice cream has more flavour toppings. YOLO!

9. Wardrobe Change: Lastly, I can finally put all those heavy coats away and show off my newly ''defuzzed'' legs in a pretty bright dress. Even though I am sporting a few extra curves from all the Winter doughnuts I have been eating, I can still flaunt my floral tops and cute pastel shorts with confidence. I am happy remember. The sun is out and flowers are in bloom. I want to look the part too. *wink*

Thank you so much for reading.

Divalicious kisses!

Xxxx

A Merry Diva Christmas!

Hi Divas!
It is the most wonderful time of the year indeed. I love Christmas and all the good vibes and festive cheer it brings. This year my family and I are very prepared for the upcoming day. We have done all our Christmas cleaning, hung up new golden curtains, finished all our crazy Christmas shopping and decorated the house. The only thing left to do is cook up a storm on Christmas Eve. In this blog post I decided to do a post on my top 5 favourite things for Christmas this year. And if you are wondering whether I was naughty or nice in 2016, then keeping on reading below.... ;-)

1. Favourite Christmas Decorations

2. Favourite Christmas Beauty Products

 I love getting all glammed up on Christmas day! I usually start with a gorgeous smelling body wash and lotion so the scent lingers on. I love the Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar range. It smells like Christmas indeed. For my face I love to wear my absolute favourite makeup to make me feel special. This year I will wear my number one foundation right now which is Too Faced Born This Way. For the eyes I will use the pretty Too Faced Bon Bons palette for some sparkle and shimmer. On my cheeks I will be warming them up with my Too Faced Sweethearts Peach Beach blush. I love wearing bright red lipsticks on Christmas day. My most loved is the Etude House Etoinette red lipstick. To top it off I will be spritzing the sultry Victoria's Secret Angel Gold fragrance all over my neck and decollete.

3. Favourite Christmas Gift Collections

4. Favourite Christmas Treats
 My favourite treats for 2016 would have to be chocolates! From the gorgeous and cute packaging to the different mouth watering flavours and caramel or nougat centres. They make excellent Christmas gifts for loved ones, great for Secret Santa games and just pure indulgence to eat on your own. Big Yessss! ;-)

5. Favourite Christmas Music

 Christmas music always reminds me of my late grandfather because he had a Nat King Cole carols tape (back in the day when we still had cassette tapes) that he would play and sing along with. That memory will always be a favourite of mine. Like her father, my mom adores Christmas carols too. We play an array of different Christmas songs in our house. We love rocking to Elvis, feel playful with Bing Crosby, get all cozy with Buble and feel sentimental and blessed with Il Divo. My most loved Christmas song is O holy Night.


6. Was I NAUGHTY Or Nice This Year?

 I was plain blank NAUGHTY! LOL ;-D


*****
I want to wish you all a blessed and wonderful Christmas and Festive Season. Thank you so much for supporting me and being true Divas this year! I love you lots. Let me know below what some of your favourite Christmas things are and if you were Naughty or Nice this year? ;-)
Divalicious Kisses

Xxxx

Qatar 2016:

Souq Waqif, Shopping Haul, Doha Road Trips

Hi Divas!!!

Welcome back to my blog. Sorry that I was M.I.A last week and didn't post any blog posts. Most of you who follow me on social media would have known I was getting my freak on in the Middle East. Well not really, I did go there to work and get my freak on, LOL! It was a quickly planned trip so I had to pack my bags in a jiffy therefore I didn't have time to schedule a post. This was my sixth trip to Qatar in the past three years and I must say it was one of my best trips. I had so much fun and have a lot of funny stories and experiences to share. Not all my stories are meant for a blog post to be read all over the world though. Some are a little private and only if we are very close you will get to hear about it ;-) It was very hot in Doha this time as it is Spring. Most of the days the temperatures reached a maximum of 45 degrees. Luckily Doha is a very generous city when it comes to free water, so I was always fully hydrated and made sure I stayed in air conditioned areas. I would love to share some of my adventures with you on my blog. I tried to add as many pictures as possible. I took a whole lot of snap chat videos on my journey and shared some on Instagram. Follow me there at @divadesle if you want to see more.

We did a lot of road tripping this time around due to the fact that we did shows in various schools and we weren't stuck in a theatre. So I got to see a lot more of Doha than I have ever seen in the past three years. We even travelled to Al Khor and Dukhan, which are towns situated outside of Doha. I love to see and experience new things. I sometimes think of myself as Dora the Explorer ;-) So I was totally in my element when we were road tripping across the desert. It is great to see how people live their daily lives in a place that is so different to where you come from. I absolutely loved it.

Recently I started calling myself the Souq Diva. I was constantly hanging out there and even made friends with the shopkeepers. They gave me discounts upon discounts and one even gifted me a free purse. Whoop! If you don't know what a souq is, basically it's a local Middle Eastern market where you can buy all sorts of goods and never pay full price for anything because you are encouraged to haggle with the shopkeeper on a price you like. The more friendly you are the more they are willing to knock off a few notes on the product you are buying. My favourite souq in Doha is Souq Waqif. The souq is a huge maize but I totally know my way around it and love shopping there. There are some lovely restaurants and quaint cafes. Plus there are ''street vendors'' that have large pots of food where you can buy a big plate of yummy biryani for QR20. The gorgeous middle eastern architecture and great vibe makes Souq Waqif a must see place if you ever find yourself in Doha.

My Qatari boss gave us a treat and took us to the Pearl for dinner and drinks. I had an amazing time. We had a Mediterranean cuisine with a very sexy Arabian band serenading to us all night. The Pearl is a man made island that is filled with opulence and grandeur. The island is huge and you will need a few days to see every little nook. There are many designer shops, upmarket restaurants and James Bond type cars on sale for days. To tell you the honest truth, I probably could only afford a bottle of water there. The Pearl is a place for the most fabulous, wealthiest and glamorous person. I was happy that I could feel like Beyonce for a night and enjoy the magnificence that is The Pearl!

 

While travelling and trying to live like Beyonce for a day a diva can get a little hungry. Through the whole trip I probably ate most of my body weight and more. I ate so much that at the end of the trip I was screaming for a diet. The food in Doha is so good and they are very generous with food portions. There ice teas and mocktails are amazing, their burgers are juicy and there cakes are to die for. I over indulged on Baskin Robbins because that ice cream shop is nowhere to be found in Cape Town. Needless to say when I got back home I put on my running shoes and exercised for days.

Lastly, you can't leave Doha without a massive shopping haul. My roommate and I cleaned out the souq and Villaggio mall in 10 days. I bought all the products that I can't get in South Africa. As you can see I bought all sorts of dates. Some with nuts, some plain and some chocolate covered. I went crazy at Bath and Body Works because that 3 for 2 special was calling my name. When I got to the till the shop assistant asked me: ''Is this all for you?'' I said proudly: ''Yes!''. Truth be told I went crazy for my mom too ;-) I bought scarves, purses and magnets at the souq. I had to calm myself down when I walked into Sephora because I have a tendency to lose my mind in that place. So I only bought a Lotus face mask and my beloved Too Faced Bon Bons palette. It's so beautiful!!! I also bought chocolates because I am a chocoholic. This is just some of the stuff I brought back. I couldn't fit everything in the photo but there are more stuff hiding out in my room. Hehehe ;-)

I apologise for the long blog post. I had so much to share. I love going to Qatar. I always have a lot of fun and learn and experience new things. 

Hope you enjoyed this blog post.

Lots of love.

Xxxx

Qatar Trip October 2015

Hi Gorgeous Divas!

I recently got back from the Middle East and wanted to share some of my travel experiences with you. This was my 5th time travelling to Qatar. We performed Aladdin at the National Qatari Theatre and I of cause played Princess Jasmine. I was the only girl on the trip this time and the rest of my crew were males. It always feels like such a surreal experience when I travel to Qatar as life and customs are very different in the Middle East compared to what I am used to. Nevertheless I always have tons of fun when I travel to Doha. The weather was very hot this time round and walking around in the street during the day was not an option. Hence, most of my extra curricular activities took place at night. Below are a few snaps that I took on phone of what I got up to in the few days I was there. Hope you enjoy them. ;-)

So you cannot got to the Middle East without visiting the souq. It's a local market filled with Arabian restaurants, shops and stalls. My favourite souq in Doha is Souq Waqif. I know all the stores there and already made good friendships with some of the store owners. When buying something you are encouraged to barter with the shop owner and get discounts on your purchases. I feel like I have perfected the art of bartering at the souq and never buy anything full price. This time I bought more scarves for my family and delectable Arabic baklava (sweet desserts) to take home.




On of my first night off, my Qatari boss treated the crew to a lovely dinner at an Iranian restaurant called Shebestan Palace. It is one of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever been to in Qatar and the food was absolutely delicious. If you ever happen to visit Doha, do make a reservation at this beautiful Arabic restaurant. You will not be disappointed. Please excuse the horrible picture of me in the far right corner. In my defence nobody looks good while stuffing their face, hehehe ;-) As you can see in the photo above I had a huge platter in front of me decked in succulent chicken and lamb kebabs with fries and salad. Later on we visited the Corniche along the Doha Bay area and I found another pretty restaurant all decked out in pink lights looking over the waterfront and a huge Oryx mascot guarding it. So pretty!




I went on another boat road in the Doha Bay area too. I love these boat rides at night as you get to see the skyscrapers light up like Christmas trees. The view is very beautiful and sailing on the water is exciting. The weather is a little cooler at night as well, so the warm sea breeze is quite enjoyable. We always end up turning our boat into a disco because we usually plug our phones into the music system and pump some jams. We love to dance and sing on the boat. I don't know if it's the bright neon boat lights that always has us turned up or what?!

If you don't know me by now, I will let you know that I cannot leave Doha without shopping up a storm and eventually making my credit card cry. I love going to my favourite mall in Doha, which is the Villaggio mall that has an actual canal running through it. This mall has all my favourite shops and brands. I usually stock up on Starbucks coffee, Hershey's chocolates, Toblerones and Dates. I also raid the Bath and Body Works store as well as Sephora. I swear I go crazy in this mall. It's like I am an animal that escaped the zoo. Besides the shopping my diet goes out the window when I visit the Middle East. The food is just too mouth-watering to let it pass by. This time I loved eating at T.G.I. Fridays in the mall and the hotel I stayed at made the most yummy cappuccinos with a different design every morning.

Thank you so much for reading, Beauties.
Much love!
 Xxxx

Hi Divas!

This week I want to share my Bath and Body Works haul and some mini reviews on the products with you. This post is long overdue as I have had these products for almost a whole year now and have been using them religiously. I have acquired some empty bottles in my stash too. Bath and Body Works are not available in South Africa unfortunately. When I travel overseas I love trying out new products that are not available in my country. I wanted to share this haul with you to share my favourites from the brand so that you can have a clue of what is good at a Bath and Body Works in case you travel overseas and shop at a store or the brand miraculously decides to come to South Africa. Now wouldn't that be wonderful?!  ;-)

My first impressions of a Bath and Body Works store is pure amazement. There are so many different kinds of scents, bath products, fragrances and candles on offer. I really felt like a kid at a candy store smelling and testing out all the different products. The shop is visually appealing too as everything looks so pretty and girly. I absolutely love Bath and Body works packaging. It reminds me of Christmas time when everything in store comes beautifully wrapped. On my trip I bought candles, shower gels and some body mists. I was especially excited to try the Bath and Body Works candle range has they are raved about by many YouTube Beauty bloggers. I shopped so much at the Bath and Body Works store in Qatar, they even gave me a free pink tote bag. I will put the photo up on Instagram page. Besides Sephora, this is one of my favourite stores to shop at in the Middle East.

Bath and Body Works Shower Gels

Beautiful Day: The Beautiful Day range is my absolute favourite range from the Bath and Body Works store. This shower gel has a fruity sweet scent that lingers on your skin long after you have taken a shower. It smells like Spring and Summer all rolled into one. It is truly a beautiful scent that uplifts your mood when you use it. The shower gel is very gentle and lathers well. A little goes a long way. I swear I want 10 bottles of these.

Sweet Pea: The Sweet Pea scent in the body wash does not smell anything like the fragrance mist. To me it wasn't sweet enough and smelt a little off centre. I really don't know how to explain it, but it felt like there was a fragrance note missing. It did a good job in the shower but it is nothing to go crazy about. I wouldn't purchase this shower gel again as I feel there are better scents out there in the range.



Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mists

Beautiful Day: This is my favourite fragrance of life! It has a much deeper scent than the shower gel but it  still has a fruity and sweet fragrance. The top notes are apple, pear and blackcurrant. It has a warm fruity inviting smell. It reminds me of fun summer nights. I bought a bottle for my mom too and she loves it as well. These bottles come in 236 ml, so they will last a long time.

Sweet Pea: I absolutely love this scent just as much as the Beautiful Day fragrance. It is such a pity that the Sweet Pea shower gel doesn't smell anything like this. The fragrance is light, fruity and smells like spring time. The top notes are sweet pea, water pear and black current. I got a lot of compliments when I would wear this body mist to work. These last on me all day too. They are body mists packed with a lot of punch.

Bath and Body Works Candles

Paris Amour: This is a sweet and very light floral fragrance. Top notes are strawberry, tulips and apple blossom. When I burn it, it reminds me of white open spaces with a touch of pink. It is a very clean,  feminin and pretty scent.

Dark Kiss: This is a deep and warm black current candle scent. Top notes are bergamot, blackberry, Incense and Mirabelle. It has a smokey, sweet and fruity scent to it. This would be great to burn at night in your bedroom.

Warm Vanilla Sugar: I love all things vanilla as some of you may know. This candle is beautiful, warm and very inviting. The vanilla scent is soft and not overbearing. It has just the right amount of floral and vanilla notes mixed for a perfect candle fragrance. This one is great to burn any time of the day too.








Thank you so much for reading.
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx