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

Becca 2 in 1 Base Coat and

Becca Dancing BareFoot Nailpolish

Review

Hello Divas!

Did you know Becca sold nail polishes? Well neither did I! I have only ever seen their amazing highlighters and skin perfectors on the interwebs. When I won a Becca hamper back in the day I was so surprised that they threw in some nail products. I was excited and a bit hesitant to try them as I have my holy grail nail polishes and didn't know if they would measure up. Some high end brands make really atrocious nail varnishes and I was hoping this would not be the case with Becca. I received a base and top coat in one, along with a peach nail polish in Dancing Barefoot. They are both packaged in a standard nail polish bottle along with a brown matte top to match the Becca cosmetics theme. Each polish contains 15ml of product and comes in a cute brown box.

Becca 2 in 1 Base Coat/ Top Coat
Let me start off by saying I was pleasantly surprised by this base and top coat in one. When I applied it as my base coat, it covered my nails as a lovely protective primer. It has just the right consistency and sheen to wear under a nail colour or on its own. Some base coats are thick and lumpy which make the nail polish difficult to dry and causes bubbles. Other base coats have a dry and matte appearance and therefore chip easily under your nail varnish. This one has a perfect consistency to strengthen nails and adhere to you nail polish. When I used it as a top coat it gave an amazing finish to my manicure. Firstly it did not make the colours of my nail polish run as some top coats do. This can be a real pain if you do nail art like me, and your designs get messed up by smudging and colours mixing together. Again, this has a perfect consistency to seal your manicure and lock in the design. It gives a lovely shine and dries fairly quickly.


Becca Dancing Barefoot Nail Colour
This is a pretty pastel peach shade that would look flattering and elegant on any skin tone. The nail polish is quite thin in texture. It can be painted sheer with one layer or build it up with three coats for an intense shade. This one dries quickly too and applies evenly on the nail. The brush is a perfect size to coat your nails without causing a mess. The colour has a lovely glossy finish. These varnishes are especially formulated to last up to 5 days with no chipping. I was thoroughly impressed with this product. My manicure in the photo below lasted at least three days on my nails without chipping. It would have lasted longer if I didn't have to do housework. What can a girl do? I clean the house with perfectly manicured hands ;-)

I am so super impressed with Becca's nail polish range. Both the base/top coat and Dancing Barefoot nail colour are fabulous. I used the base/top coat with other nail colour brands and it works just as well. It is important to note that they are also Formaldehyde, Toluene, Camphor and DBP free.I think these are worth every penny. Have you ever used Becca nail products? What do you think of my manicure? I really like it;-) Comment down below!

Lots of Divalicious kisses.
Xxxx

Hi Divas!

I am excited to do another makeup review for you. I don't own many products by Becca and have only recently started using the brand. The brand hasn't been very accessible to my fellow South Africans until now. I did a review on their famous Shimmering Skin Perfector which you can read here and I wrote a review on a lovely sunscreen which you can read here.  As most of you know Becca is very famous for their stunning face highlighters. These are still on my wish list and I would love to purchase one soon. Besides gorgeous illuminators Becca has a lovely makeup line. This week I will explore some more products in their makeup realm. I own three face products which are a shimmering eyeshadow, a lip and cheek creme tint and a juicy lip gloss. All the products come packaged in the same dark brown box with the elegant Becca silver logo.

 The packaging for all three products are very sleek and sturdy. I love the silver accent on the lip and cheek product as well as the eyeshadow. The lip and cheek creme has the same packaging as their highlighters, just smaller. It is really cute and compact, which is great to pop in the smallest clutch. The eyeshadow is held in a plastic square pot with a twist top. This too is very cute and not too bulky to put in your travel makeup bag. The lip gloss comes in a 7ml tube with a doe foot applicator. The top is very sturdy and won't leak or break in your bag.

Becca Jewel Dust in Laila

The eyeshadow pigment I own is in Laila. It is a gorgeous duochrome loose pigment with white, silver and specks of iridescent blue glitter. It looks stunning on the eyes and reminds me of a mermaid's tail and the White Queen look from Alice in Wonderland. This is a loose shimmery pigment that works best by applying it with your fingers onto your eyelids so that the glitters won't get lost in the brush fibres. The pot comes with a sifter. This is great as you can be fully in control of how much eyeshadow you want to use without it spilling everywhere. The lid of the pot is deep enough to deposit eyeshadow in there and lift it with your fingers onto the eyes. You should definitely use a eye primer when you wear these loose pigments. If you want a bold shimmer effect glitter glue would also be a great option. I love this eyeshadow for a very dramatic look. You should wear this if you totally want your eyes to stand out and be the focal point of your face.

Becca Lip and Cheek Creme in Petal

I don't own many cream blushes as I prefer powder ones. This compact is perfect for travel as you get a two in one product and it comes with the cutest mini mirror inside. This is especially great if you are stuck at an airport and you want a lovely flush of colour on your lips and cheeks without too much fuss. I have the shade Petal which is a pretty peach shade. This actually looks darker in the compact than when swatched on my skin. It kind of has a pastel peachy colour with bubblegum pink undertones on my skin tone, if that makes any kind of sense! I use my Real Techniques stippling brush and dab it lightly into the product. I then gently tap it on my cheeks. This technique gives a gorgeous flush of colour on the apples of my cheeks. My skin looks like I have a natural peachy glow. It is so feminine and pretty and I love it so much. The cream is definitely buildable and you can increase your blush intensity from a subtle glow to a ''Wam Bam, Hello Ma'am'' look! On my lips, it is a whole other story. This as lip colour does nothing flattering to my skin tone. It is too pastel and too peachy. I look like I stepped out of the 80's when I wear it on my lips as a full on colour. I think it is too cool toned for me. If I were to wear it on my lips, I would dab it on the centre and add a gloss over it. I think this would be my best option. If you are lighter in skin tone than me then I am sure you can rock the peachy lips. The best part about this product is that it does not rub or fade or feel sticky on the skin. It sits surprisingly well throughout the day and does not flake off. Yay!

Becca Ultimate Colour Gloss in Malibu Punch
This gloss is absolutely rightly named as it is packed with so much punch! This is a vibrant and juicy coral lip gloss. I love that it is so opaque and it smells good too. It has a viscous consistency which I prefer in a gloss. I do not like runny lip glosses that drip everywhere when you apply it. The formula of this one is pretty good. With one swipe of the doe foot applicator your lips is coated in juicy colour. This is quite a sticky lip gloss, so if that is not your thing then you probably won't like this one. I don't mind it though. I hardly wear gloss and when I do I make sure it is not on a windy day that my hair gets glued to my lips ;-) I think this is a good one to have in my collection, since I only own like three lip glosses, LOL.

Becca Makeup Look
I used all the products to help create my look below. I have the Jewel dust eyeshadow in Laila on my eyelids. For my cheeks I used the Lip and Cheek Creme in Petal applied with a makeup stippling brush. I tapped the same product on my lips and topped it off with the vibrant lip gloss in Malibu Punch. I also added the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector on the high points of my cheeks and the bridge of my nose. I finished off the look with a dramatic winged liner and lots of black mascara. I think the look came out beautifully. I would definitely wear it to a nighttime event.


Let me know what you think of the products and makeup look below. Have you tried any Becca products and what are your favourites? Visit Becca South Africa for more details on how to purchase the products;-)


Thank you so much for reading.
Lots of love
Xxxx

The Blush Addict Tag

 Hi Divas, welcome back to my blog!

This week I wanted to do something fun and take a break from all the reviews. I decided to do a blush tag as I haven't done anything in this line before. I do not own too many blushes as I am more of a lipstick and eyeshadow palette kind of girl. I would love to expand my blush collection in time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this tag below and leave me recommendations of blushers I should put on my wish list ;-)

1. What colour blush suits you the most?

 I love wearing soft pink blushes on my cheeks. Almost baby pink in shade but a little brighter. I find that these shades suit me the most. They make me look pretty, young and feminine.


2. Pressed/cream/loose blush?

 I prefer a pressed blush as it is less messy and I find it easier to control how much I apply on my face. Plus most pressed blushes have really beautiful designs. I always look at the pretty packaging before I buy a blush or any makeup product for that matter.


3. Favourite shimmery blush?

 I love my Too Faced Sweethearts blush in Peach Beach. It has three tones of gold, pink and bronze. It gives a beautiful hint of shimmer on the cheeks that looks classy and pretty,


4. Favourite matte blush?

I have a deep red blush in Renesmee Red by the Essence Twilight Breaking Dawn collection. It is a lovely red blush that looks matte but not flat on the cheeks. I hardly wear it because it's a deep red shade and it is more suitable for vampy looks.


5. Favourite cream blush?

 I only own two cream blushes and I love them both. One is from Becca in Petal and the other one is by Sonia Kashuk in Petal as well. Both are easy to blend and give a natural look on the face. Maybe I should do a comparison review of them in another blog post.


6. Favourite drugstore blush?

 I loved my Catrice blush in Tickled Pink. It was a perfect bright pink blush that gave a beautiful flush of romantic pink hues on my cheeks. My mom stole that blush from me that is why I am using the past tense words: 'was', 'gave' and 'loved'. Lol ;-)


7. Favourite high-end blush?

I adore my Clarins Blush Prodige blusher in Miami Pink. It comes encased in a beautiful gold case that has a mirror and brush. It looks very regal and sophisticated.


8. Favourite bright blush?

 This blush actually comes from my BH Cosmetics That's Heart palette so it is not a free standing product. The blush in that eye and face palette comes in a bright pink shade that is perfect to wear everyday. I am almost hitting pan on that blush as I love it and use it so much.


9. Biggest blush disappointment/regret?

 I don't think I was ever disappointed in the blushes I have purchased or have a regret buy. I honestly cannot answer this question right now because I don't have one yet.

10. Best blush packaging?

 The Too Faced Sweethearts blushes wins hands down!!!! The gorgeous heart shaped vintage boxes are just stunning.

11. What's on your blush wish list?

 Oh my gosh, for me a blush has to have beautiful packaging before I even look at it. I don't care about the fantastic product. If it does not come in a pretty pan or box it will get rejected, Lol. My blush wish list includes:


1) Too Faced Love Flush Blush in Justify My Love
2) Missha Signature Dramatic Rose Petal Blusher in Pink Rose (Korean brand available on Ebay)
3) Guerlain Rose Aux Blush duo in Smile


12. Number 1 holy grail blush?
My holy grail blush is definitely my Too Faced Sweethearts blush in Peach Beach. I would buy that blush a thousand times over again. Packaging is 10 out of 10. The product itself and the colour combos are 10 out of 10. You could use it has a bronzer, highlighter, blush or eyeshadow. It's just the best blush of life!!! 

BECCA Mineral Face & Body Sunscreen SPF30+

Hi gorgeous Divas!

I hope you had an amazing weekend and are ready to take on the week. In this blog post I will be doing my first product review for the year. Since it has been very hot in South Africa these past few months I thought I would do a review on a new Sunscreen I recently came across. The Becca Mineral Face and Body Sunscreen in SPF30+ greatly surprised me as I had no idea that Becca was into the zone of skincare. They are most known for their stunning makeup products such as the famous powder highlighters and liquid illuminators. So when I got my hands on this gem I was extremely delighted to try it out. It is always very hard to find sunscreens that work both well for the face and the body. While most sunscreens may work well on the body can make the face very oily, shiny and ghostly white looking. Try putting a hint of makeup on all that mess and you will get disastrous results. This sunscreen promises to protect the face and body from sun exposure and is suitable to wear under makeup and use on sensitive skin.

The product comes packaged in a beautiful 75ml teal blue tube with a screw on silver cap. The sunscreen is easy to squeeze out and has a creamy texture. It blends comfortably into the skin and a little goes a long way. It leaves the skin with a slight healthy shine. The finish is smooth and subtle with no oily residue. It looks like you applied normal lotion on the body. When applied on the face the cream dries to a semi matte finish. There is no grease or streaky white residue on the face. Foundations and eye products apply effortlessly over it. I like the overall feeling of the sunscreen. It does not feel heavy, sticky or slimy. This cream will not rub off on your clothes or cause streaks. The product does come off in water though so it is best to use a water resistant sunscreen instead of this one if you are going swimming. The only con I have about this product is that the SPF is only 30+. As you know in South Africa if you are going to be spending your days lounging around on the beach all day in the sun then sadly this SPF will not be sufficient for you. I think this product is great for a everyday sunscreen if you are going walking or having a braai (barbecue) out in the sun.

What I enjoy most about this sunscreen is that it is a non-nano zinc-oxide based product. Many sunscreens on the market contain nano zinc-oxide which contains harmful nono particles that once absorbed into the bloodstream can cause high blood pressure and contribute to cancer. Therefore it is very important to read the ingredient list when buying skincare products that especially contain SPF. The scent of the cream is quite pleasant too. It has a subtle sunscreen smell with a hint of sweetness to it. The sunscreen smells feminine and light. I doubt that it would interfere with your perfumes and body spritzers chemistry when mixed together on your body. To conclude this post I really enjoyed this sunscreen and recommend it if you are looking for a everyday product to wear out in the sun. You can find more information on the product and where to buy it on the Becca South Africa website here.



Thank you so much for reading.
Hope you found this review helpful
Much love. Xxx

Hi Divas!

I hope you are doing well and had a great weekend. I want to share a very exciting product with you on the blog this week. Firstly I have to say that I love to shine. I am not much of a bronzer kind of girl. I adore highlighters and illuminators and I love to shine bright like a glittery unicorn. Becca is very well known amongst makeup lovers for their gorgeous highlighting powders. I would always watch Youtube Becca haul videos and dream about one day owning a Becca highlighter. Thus I was very excited when I finally got my hands on a Becca highlighting product after winning a competition on Life Retreat. The product that I have been using almost everyday is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector. This is a liquid illuminizer that contains light reflecting pearls which add a luminous glow and radiance to the face. It comes in five shimmering shades and I have the lightest shade in Pearl.

The Shimmering skin Perfector is described as a ''sheer liquid highlighter and moisturiser that veils skin in a soft pearlised glow''. This is an illuminizer and light moisturiser in one. The product contains an SPF OF 25 + and the consistency of the product actually feels like a light lotion on the skin. One pump is all you need to cover your whole face. A half a pump would be perfect to highlight the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose. What I love most about the product is that it is very versatile in application. You could wear this on it's own as a light moisturiser on your face. Or you could mix the highlighter into your moisturiser or foundation to give your face a natural glow. You could also place a few drops on the high points of your cheek and blend it out for a sheer glow. I prefer to mix it with my foundation for a luminous all over glow on my face. 

The product blends easily onto the skin and you definitely notice a difference when you use it. The skin is much more glowy and radiant like the J-Lo glow that we all want. The product contains no glittery chunks or traces of fake glitter. It is literally tiny specks of pearls that illuminate the face in the most natural way ever. I did notice that the product does not sink into the skin like a foundation. It sits on top of the skin and would be best if you set it with a highlighting powder or pressed powder so that the product does not move around. I usually set my face with powder anyway, as I am combination skin, so this extra step is not inconvenient for me. The illuminizer is definitely buildable. You can go for a subtle glow or pack the product on along with a highlighting powder and get your unicorn shine on!

The product is packaged in a 50 ml glass bottle with a silver pump and a sturdy bottle cap. The bottle feels quite light weight in my hand so it won't be bulky or heavy in my travel bag. A little really goes a long way with this highlighter so the product will last you for ages. The product has a slight sunscreen scent, but it is very subtle and nothing too overbearing. I think this is an excellent shimmering liquid highlighter as it is versatile and can be used in many different ways to highlight the face. It is also great value for money as the illuminizer will last a very long time in your makeup kit. If you love to glow and shine bright like a diamond then definitely give this product a try. For more info on where you can purchase Becca products in South Africa visit the Becca Facebook page here or their twitter page here.

Hope you found this review helpful!
Divalicious kisses. 
Xxxx