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

Welcome back to this crazy blog of mine. Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year. I cannot believe how fast the holiday season flew by us. I feel like we were just preparing for Christmas, I blinked and now it is all over. Time truly does fly when you not paying attention. I have no complaints though, as I had a very relaxing and super chilled vacation. I think it's my most stress free one to date. Most of my holiday consisted of me stuffing my face with food on the couch but I did enjoy the great Summer weather that my beautiful city Cape Town had to offer. Below is a list of all the little things I enjoyed this Summer 2019. I say little as my list is nothing spectacular or exceptional. It is in those content little moments where you find your soul is at its happiest moments.

1. Summer Sunsets in Cape Town:
Sunsets in Cape Town are always a spectacular site to see. The ombre colours in the sky looks like a beautiful masterpiece painted by God. I love admiring the views on hot summer nights overlooking the mountain or ocean. It's a priceless scene that will be etched in your heart forever.

2. Baking Christmas Cookies with Mom:
My mom and I did some epic baking this Christmas. We made butter cookies, pecan nut biscuits, chocolate romany creams filled with a real chocolate centre and South Africa's favourite hertzoggies which are jam tarts. We too made chocolate mousse and Oreo cookie cheesecakes for our desserts. My mom is amazing in the kitchen and she did all the hard work. I was her little helper decorating everything and taste testing of cause, LOL. I love sharing these moments in the kitchen with my mom. They are memories that will be cherished.

3. Bath and Body Works At The Beach Range:
I absolutely love the Beach range from Bath and Body Works. I have been slathering the shower gel and lotion all over my body almost every day. The scent as a mix of sweet coconut that reminds me of all things Summer. It is moisturising too without leaving the skin greasy and therefore great to use after a long hot day. I have done an in-depth review on it here.

4. Elie Saab L'eau Couture Perfume:
If there is one fragrance brand that represents my true scent, it would definitely be Elie Saab. There is something about their perfumes that enhances my natural essence. The L'eau Couture collection is a fresh, fruity and beautiful scent, consisting of green almonds and vanilla. I have been wearing the perfume and shimmering body lotion whenever I stepped out the house. It is feminine, gorgeous and encapsulates me in a bottle.

5. Beach Hair and Sunkissed Skin:
Embracing my natural roots and tanned skin has been so freeing this Summer. I wanted to give my hair a break from all the heat damage of blow dryers and straight irons. I opted for light serums and leave in conditioners to create perfect beach curls. To enhance my tan skin, I used shimmering bronzers on my face and shoulders for an intense glow.

6. Shorts and bright Sandals:
Don't you just love when you find staple fashion pieces that will never go out of style? I love adding clothing items to my wardrobe that are fashionable but no limited to fading trends. This is exactly how I feel about my yellow River Island shorts and Pick n Pay diamante sandals. They are chic items that represent my style and will never look outdated and old. I have been loving pairing them in different styles and wearing them in all sorts of ways. I purchased these items on a sale too, which is a big win in my book.

7. Copious amounts of Ice Cream
Summer and Ice cream goes hand in hand. They are like Ying and Yang. You just cannot have one without the other. I took full advantage of the holiday binge season and went a little crazy with my sweet indulgence. Every single calorie I put in mouth was worth it and I have no regrets! YOLO!!! Now back to my 40 minute HIIT workout sessions, I go.

*****
To start off the New Year, I always love to do a little giveaway on Diva Desle. I will be giving away this beauty hamper filled with fun cosmetic treats:


 
Rules to enter the giveaway:
1. Follow Diva Desle on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
2. Like the Giveaway post and tag one friend
3. For extra entries comment on any of my blog posts.
4. This giveaway is open to South African residents only and will end on the 31st January 2019. 
All the best!


Thank you so much 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

Favourite Diva Smoothie Recipes

Hi Divas

Welcome back to my blog! This week I have something very different from all my beauty reviews. I am bringing to you recipes packed with healthy benefits. I am seriously known as the smoothie queen. I make smoothies all day everyday as they are a great way to get your 5 fruits into your system. I have been especially on a smoothie craze in the last four weeks as I have been very busy. I hardly have the time to sit down at a table and eat a healthy breakfast. Smoothies are a wonderful option as a healthy on the go meal. The best thing about creating your own smoothies at home is that you can control the ingredients and make it according to your taste. There are seriously no rules. Buying smoothies at a cafe are very over priced. You can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost. I have rounded up three of my favourite smoothies which I have been enjoying. Here are the recipes:

Banana And Date Smoothie

Ingredients: Two Bananas, 4 to 6 Pitted Dates, Cup of Oats, Two Cups of Water/Milk/Almond Milk, Cinnamon, Pinch of Nutmeg. Blend everything in a blender.

This is my favourite smoothie of life! Not only are bananas high in potassium but one date is filled with twice as much. Dates are a great source of fibre too. Oats and cinnamon will make your blood pressure remain stable throughout the day. This is one drink that will keep you full and your blood stabilised until lunch time. You can add water or almond milk instead of cow's milk if you are lactose intolerant. The pinch of nutmeg gives a lovely woody spicy flavour to the smoothie. This recipe makes two servings and clocks in around 250 calories per serving. Yummy!!!

Banana And Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients: Two bananas, a Tablespoon Peanut butter, a Cup of Oats, a Teaspoon of Honey/ Golden Syrup, Milk/ Almond milk, Cinnamon. Blend everything in a blender.

This is one power packed smoothie. If you are looking for a high energy drink that is packed with nutrients to help your muscles work at its optimum, then this is an excellent option. The bananas give an awesome source of potassium, oats are amazing for fibre and glucose while the peanut butter serves as your protein option which contains magnesium, antioxidants and good fats. People love to drink this smoothie before or after a high intensity workout. I love this in the mornings when I have to perform on stage and need lots of high energy. Plus, did I mention this smoothie tastes just like a milkshake? It's so darn good!!!

Oranges And Oats Smoothie

Ingredients: Two Oranges, 4 Strawberries, A cup of oats, One Banana or Apple(optional), Honey or 4 Dates, Milk/ Almond Milk, a Half Teaspoon Turmeric, a Pinch of Cayenne Pepper, Cinnamon. Blend everything in a blender.

This smoothie is a bit of a weird one and has an acquired taste. I kind of made it up myself because I was suffering from very bad sinusitis and needed some extra nutrients. I was performing last week and I needed my congestion to clear quickly so that I could sing my lungs out on stage. Oranges and strawberries are of cause great citrus fruits which are packed with Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamins B1 and are high in antioxidants. Mixing the citrus fruits with milk and oats creates a lovely creamy paste that tastes so lovely. The added turmeric and cayenne pepper are of cause optional. If you have no problems eating Cape Malay samoosas and Indian Butter chicken curry then you won't have a problem with these spices. Turmeric is known as a super spice because it contains high antioxidants and anti inflammatory properties. It helps clear congestion in a jiffy. Cayenne pepper is famous for relieving allergies, cold and flu fevers and sore throats. I swear this smoothie helped me pack in all these power punching nutrients to give me a speedy recovery. It works!!!

Hope you enjoyed my recipes. Let me know any of your favourite smoothie recipes below. 

Lots of 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

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

Hi Divas!

It is officially August! Can we just take a moment to contemplate where the time is flying off to. Gees, universe slow down. Hope you are all having a good year so far. This month of July has been a little busy for me with work because it was the school holidays which meant more theatre shows for me. Besides work I have been embracing the cold Winter days. I don't particularly like Winter, my favourite season is Summer time. Nevertheless I have been making the most of these chilly days and finding little pleasures in the month of July. Here are 10 things that made me smile this month. You can let me know below whatever brought happiness to your heart this month too.

1. Pink Makeup Brushes: As most of you know I am a pink freak! When I saw these brushes for sale online they were seriously calling my name. I just had to have them. They are so beautiful and make me so incredibly happy when I apply my makeup in the morning. It just makes the process a lot sweeter when I have cute pink brush handles in my hand. They are as soft as bunny tails too. I am in love!

2. Milkshakes In Winter: I don't care how cold it is. It can be minus 40 and I won't resist a yummy chocolate milkshake. I just love that initial chilly feeling you get when you first sip your ice cold milkshake on an ice cold day. That feeling makes me smile ;-)

3. Korean Cosmetics Haul: I am totally gaga about Korean beauty products. I know I promised a haul post a long time ago but I promise it is coming soon. Any way I recently received three packages filled with Korean cosmetics. The packaging alone makes my heart skip a beat. How can makeup be so pretty and super cute all at the same time? Just look at that bright pink lipstick in the photo above. It looks like it belongs in a my Little Pony series. So cute!

4. Good Hair Days: So it's full blown winter in South Africa and Cape Town is especially wet and windy during these months. Cape Town winter weather is not kind to hair. The moist and windy air always makes my hair into a frizzy mess. Thank goodness for Argan Oil and Macadamia Oil shampoos and conditioners. My hair has never felt this luxurious in winter months. Good hair makes for a happy lady.

5. The Sea On A Cold Rainy Day: Have you ever noticed how beautiful the sea looks on cold grey days. It as a unique and mysterious beauty to it. Absolutely gorgeous and gives me warm and fuzzy feelings inside.

6. Devdas, My favourite Bollywood Movie: Guys!!!! This is my favourite Bollywood movie of life! I swear I could watch this film over and over again and never get tied of it. The story line is so heart wrenching, the costumes and cinematography are absolutely breathtaking. If you have never seen this movie, I urge you to watch it. I want to read the book too but I am struggling to find a English translation online, since it is written in Hindi.

7. Reading in Bed With A Latte And Chocolate: There is nothing better than cosing up in your pj's and fluffy socks in bed with a great book and some yummy chocolates and a latte to warm you up. The best me time ever!

8. Dressing Up In Bear Costumes: I have really enjoyed stepping out of the normal daily routines of life and shaking it up with a fat suit and some heavy bear makeup. It makes me so happy to dance around in a bear suit now and then. I also enjoy the process of putting on my bear makeup. I swear I could give all those YouTube beauty gurus a run for their money with my bear makeup tutorials. Lol!

9. Homemade Butternut Soup: I am not really a soup person but butternut soup is always a winner in my book. I especially love it when it's homemade and made with lots of love and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Mmmm ;-)

10. Brown paper packages tied up with string!: Lastly, what made my heart extremely happy was receiving packages from overseas that I have been waiting more than two months for. Thanks to the South African post office and their crappy service, my parcels have been stuck at customs for ages. I finally got my gifts this month. I am still waiting for one more package though, so I am holding thumbs. Big Yay, for mail! (Hashtag: #ThirdWorldProblems)

Thank you for reading.
Much Love!
Xxxx

Easter Diva Bunny

Hi Divas!

I hope you are all having an amazing week. As you know Easter is coming up this weekend and I thought I would do a little post to celebrate this holiday. Easter means much more to me than the Easter Bunny and all the delicious chocolate treats. Besides eating tons of yummy Easter eggs and hot cross buns, I will also be going to church to honour my Lord and Saviour. My mom made two big bowls of Pickle Fish, which is a traditional dish to eat in Cape Town during the Easter period. I will be devouring that in the afternoons too. As most traditional holidays at my house are spent eating and spending time with family ;-) Sounds good to me! For this post I have dressed up as the Easter Diva Bunny to spread some love, happiness and ideas to get us all excited for this weekend. I have a manicure and some yummy treats to share with you. Hope you enjoy!


Oh look! It's the Easter Diva Bunny ready to drop off cupcakes at your door! Big Kisses to my mom for helping me with the cupcakes and taking this pictures! ;-)




Easter Manicure

For this manicure I used 5 nail polishes, 4 of which are from my favourite nail varnish brand called Tip Top. Sadly this brand has been discontinued in stores though. For my Bunnies, I used Tip Top Cha Cha Cha as my blue base coat. I then drew on the bunny heads with a dotting tool using the white nail polish Cream Puff by Tip Top. For the ears and nose I painted it pink with Get the Party Started by Tip Top. To draw on the whiskers and eyes I used a nail art tattoo pen by Essence. For my index finger I painted the lavender colour On a Trip by Wet n' Wild and drew on colourful waves and white dots to resemble Easter egg designs. I did the same for my middle finger except I used a pink base coat this time which is Get the Party Started. For my pinkie finger I painted it yellow with the shade Walking on Sunshine by Tip Top and drew a cross using my nail art tattoo pen. I then added a gold rhinestone in the middle. I sealed my designs with the clear nail varnish base coat by Sally Hansen called Complete Care Extra Moisturizing 4-In-One Nail Treatment. Once that was dried I used my favourite top coat of life also by Sally Hansen called Mega Shine.

Easter Cupcake Basket

These cupcakes are perfect for Sunday tea time. They look so pretty and festive. Bake your favourite vanilla cupcakes. You could use a ready made cupcake box mix. Once the cupcakes are done baking and have cooled mix some colourful icing sugar together to swirl on the cupcakes. You can choose as many colours as you want or keep it plain with vanilla icing. To decorate the cupcakes Easter style, place some delicious speckled eggs on top. As you can see my vanilla cupcake in the photo above, you could even sprinkle some pieces of flake chocolate on the cupcake first and then add the speckled eggs to resemble a birds nest  Once the speckled eggs are secured take some colourful sweet strips/ belts (you can use thin strips of licorice too), twist and fold them so that they start to resemble basket handles. When they are done being twisted, secure them firmly to the inside of the cupcake so that the cupcake starts to look like a little basket. You can use some of your leftover icing sugar and secure the sweet twist strips firmly to the cupcake. When they are done they will look so amazing and taste delicious too ;-)



I want to wish you all a very Happy Easter!!!
Lots of love!
Xxxx