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

Hi Divas, Welcome back to my blog ;-)

I have no idea if the Fuji Green Tea range is a permanent line of the Body Shop or a limited edition range. I decided to do a review on it anyway because this was one of my top scents this Summer and I couldn't pass it up by not sharing it with you. The Fuji Green Tea range is inspired by the Green Tea Ceremony from Japan. This is the art and cultural performance of making green tea. The ceremony is very sophisticated, beautiful and peaceful. These qualities have all been incorporated into the Fuji Green Tea line. The light blue and mint green packaging of these products have a serene, tranquil and classic beauty as the green tea ceremony embraces. The Green Tea leaves are sourced and infused into these products from the Mount Fuji region in Japan. These leaves contain anti- oxidants to rejuvenate and create healthier and radiant skin. The whole range promises to revitalise body and mind with it's Green Tea detoxing leaves. There are about seven products in this line and I have two which are the body butter and eau de cologne.

Fuji Green Tea Eau De Cologne
This is my absolute favourite product from this range. It is a soft body spritzer described as a cologne. The notes include Green Tea, Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange with hints of Camellia, Jasmine and Violet. This is a gorgeous light citrus scent. It has a very clean and fresh smell which lasts quite a long time. It sprits on the skin pretty strong and the green tea and lemon notes initially hit your senses. After a while the fragrances calms down to a soft green tea and flowery scent. Whenever I wear this I imagine myself to be walking on the heavenly beaches of the Seychelles. I get a feeling of beauty, serenity and being transported to paradise. For me this scent is quite earthy and reminds me of being at the beach or walking in a peaceful nature reserve. I absolutely love this scent and if you are a fan of citrus and fruity fragrances this would be a perfect Summer day body cologne for you.



Fuji Green Tea Body Butter

The body butter comes in the usual 200 ml tub. It promises to give intense 24 hour dehydration and it is suitable for all skin types. The fragrance of this cream is much softer than the cologne. Upon opening the tub the scent is filled with Green Tea, Jasmine and Violet with a hint of citrus. This scent is a lot warmer and more flowery than the body spritzer. I too found that this body butter is a little lighter than the cranberry and apple body butters. It sinks quickly into the skin and it is not dense at all. This is a great summer cream that gives maximum moisture without feeling heavy on the body. Once applied and rubbed into the skin the Bergamot, Lemon and Orange Mandarin notes come through. I guess it depends on the chemistry of your skin to activate the citrus notes. This is a lovely body butter with hydration and a soft summer scent that will leave you feeling refreshed . I found that these body butters can expire or ''go off'' if exposed to excessive heat and air for too long. Be sure to store these products in a cool  place and seal the lid tightly so that the air does not contaminate the product. 

I really like this range. My favourite would definitely be the eau de cologne. I would love to try the body scrub and body sorbet if my local Body Shop store still has stock. Have you tried this range? Let me know below.

Lots of Divalicious kisses.

Xxxx

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

My Favourite Christmas 2015 Collections:

The Body Shop, Essence and Clarins

Hi Divas!

It is the most wonderful time of the year!!! The festive season is surely upon us and I am super excited. I just love the holidays and all the happiness and joy that it brings. I hope you have all completed your Santa shoe boxes or gifts for those less fortunate than yourself. You know it is more blessed to give than to receive. This year I teamed up with my local church and we made some Santa shoe boxes filled with goodies for an orphanage close by to our area. I cannot wait to see the surprise and happiness on the children's faces. Speaking of giving, are you done with you Christmas shopping yet? I sure am! I hate leaving Christmas shopping to the last minute. It really stresses me out. I thought I would do a post on my favourite beauty Christmas collections for those of you who are still struggling to find the perfect gift. Hope you enjoy!

The Body Shop Frosted Plum, Glazed Apple and Frosted Cranberry Collection:

Each Christmas season The Body Shop comes out with a limited edition scent filled with body washes, body butters, room sprays and candles. For the past two years I really enjoyed the Glazed Apple (fruity, sweet and fresh scent) and Frosted Cranberry (fruity and spicy scent) range. These two scents are my absolute favourite and I cannot resist buying a few items when the festive season comes along. This year I bought body washes, body butters and a delicious Glazed Apple candle that just delights all my senses. It seriously smells like heaven! The Body Shop added a new scent to their 2015 Christmas collection too called Frosted Plum. I am not a huge fan of this scent so I only bought the shower gel. If you love deep plum scents then you will surely love this range. These products would make excellent gifts for your best friend, sister, mom and granny. You can buy them individually or in a lovely gift set.

The Essence Merry Berry Collection:

I reviewed this collection last week. You can read it here. These products would make perfect stocking stuffers for the beauty and makeup lover in our life. Or you can be like me and just buy the collection as a Christmas present to yourself. After all you know you deserve it! Hahaha ;-) My favourite products from the Merry Berry collection are the lipsticks, nail polishes and the gorgeous starry highlighter powder. Don't you just love the packaging? It is so pretty and everything is under a R100 ($11). Score!!!

Clarins Christmas Collection: 

Clarins is my holy grail skincare brand. Every year they come out with various Christmas gifts packaged according to your skin care needs and age. Each gift comes with a free toiletry/ makeup bag along with two or more skincare samples. I bought the Clarins Multi-Active range as I am not getting any younger and need some anti wrinkle ingredients in my life. These gifts are on the higher end side of your beauty budget. They would make excellent gifts for the ladies in your life who appreciate skin care products and love to pamper themselves. You can visit the Clarins website here for more information of the gifts on offer.




Thank you so much for reading Beauties.
Happy Shopping!!!
Xxxx

Hi Divas

With the change of season, I have started a new skin care line from Clarins and thought I would give you my thoughts on it. The Bright Plus range from Clarins have been designed for women who suffer from pigmentation problems, dark spots and a dull complexion. It comes in three products which are a serum, day lotion and a night cream. Each product has Sea Lily extracts, Alchemilla extracts and Vitamin C to reduce the production of over produced melanin and prevent hyper pigmentation. I do not suffer from hyper pigmentation but I do have uneven skin tone around my mouth area and a few temporary spots from pimples that have left slight marks on my skin. I can tell that these marks are not permanent but wanted to use this Clarins range to make those spots clear up faster.

CLARINS Bright Plus Intensive Brightening Smoothing Serum

The serum comes in a 30 ml plastic tube with a pump. The formula is very creamy and luxurious. It melts beautifully into the skin leaving it feeling soft and pampered. The serum is quite moisturising and soothes the skin. I like to apply it to my face and neck area in light circular tapping motions. It has a pleasant clean floral scent to it as well. I have to say that this is my favourite product from the line. It definitely brightens my skin after the first application. Serums are much more concentrated than creams and absorb quicker and more effectively into your pores. Therefore I feel that this product would work best and be more successful in reducing dark spots and pigmentation problems. You could use this serum on it's own or with any other skin care product. If you really want to try something from this line this product is a big thumbs up for me.


CLARINS Bright Plus Skin Care Range Brightening Hydrating Day Lotion SPF 20
The lotion is a 50 ml plastic tube which comes with a pump as well. I am very surprised by the low SPF that this lotion has. You would think that Clarins would give this product a higher SPF since the range is trying to combat hyper pigmentation problems and reduce melanin production. Nevertheless it would be perfect to use everyday if you are constantly in an office or closed area where you won't be hit by the sun a lot. I prefer to use this in the autumn and winter months, since SPF 20 wouldn't be helpful during the summer in Cape Town. The consistency of the lotion is light yet quite hydrating. I use two pumps to cover my face. It is not greasy at all and looks great under makeup. It has the same properties as the serum except it has an SPF 20 and of cause because this is a lotion it takes longer to absorb into the pores. You would definitely want to use this lotion in conjunction with the serum if you want to experience faster results.

CLARINS Bright Plus Skin Care Range Brightening Repairing Night Cream

The product comes in a 50 ml glass jar which is quite bulky and not great for travel. The night cream is meant to soothe, hydrate and slow down the process of melanin production at night so that you wake up to brighter and radiant skin in the morning. The cream is quite light for a night cream. Most night creams I have used in the past have been richer in consistency. I have found that I end up using much more from the jar than I probably should because my face just didn't feel moisturised enough. The product does a good job in soothing my skin and keeping it hydrated throughout the night but I didn't wake up to a visibly brighter complexion in the morning. I suppose it did help to reduce pigmentation inwardly but to the naked eye I didn't see much of a difference in a brightening effect. I guess I was hoping to look little more radiant in the morning than like my usual Shrek troll face. Lol ;-)

The serum is definitely my favourite product of the line and coming in second is the day lotion. These products are super pricey so I would suggest getting samples of this range at your local Clarins counter to test them out first before you make a big purchase.Thank you so much for reading and I hope you found these reviews helpful. Much love!

Divalicious Kisses

Xxxx

Hi Divas!

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I certainly have and must admit that this time I bought more things for myself than anyone else. Oops! I always love this time of year as it is very festive in Cape Town. I love hearing the Christmas music, seeing the beautiful lights and looking at the pretty Christmas displays. I have a confession to make though. I think I am an addict and my addiction has been coming on for a long while now. I can't get enough of The Body Shop. I am seriously addicted. I would walk past the store and I have to go in and purchase something. Their pretty packaging and lovely scents keep calling my name. This past month I took advantage of their 3 for 2 special and went full force crazy in the store. I went about three times these past weeks purchasing goodies like there is no tomorrow. I love their shower gels and body butters the most. I can't use bubble bath so I use their soap free shower gels as a lovely pampering alternative. The body butters always smell heavenly and are rich and are very moisturising.


Below is a break down of my haul....

Glazed Apple Shower Gel
This is my absolute favourite shower gel right now. It smells divine and the scent lingers on your body long after you have used it. It is so pampering and gentle on the skin. I love to use it after a very long day. It definitely soothes tired skin. 

Glazed Apple Body and Room Spray

I prefer using this as a room spray. I spritz it all over my house and the rooms smell like Christmas! It has a sweet apple scent that is very refreshing and uplifting.

Glazed Apple Body Butter

I haven't used this body butter yet since I bought a travel size and am keeping it for when I go road tripping again. I really love the smell though. It is a warm apple fragrance which is very inviting and comforting.

Vanilla Bliss Shower Gel
I love all things vanilla scented. This is a creamy body wash that is great to use every day. It lathers well and a little goes a long way.

Vanilla Brulee Body Polish

My absolute favourite body exfoliant. It has a deep vanilla fragrance and it feels like I am washing myself in a vanilla smoothie. The extracts work well in exfoliating my skin. This is a limited edition product so get your hands on it as soon as possible.

Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel (not pictured above)

The shower gel has a fruity scent and is great to use after a long day at the beach. It smells like summer for sure!

Frosted Cranberry Body Butter

This is quite a heavy body butter. I prefer to use it in the colder months when my skin needs extra moisture. It has a warm cranberry smell. This is a limited addition that they usually only sell at Christmas time. I like to stock up and keep it for the rest of the year.

Indian Night Jasmine Fragrance Mist

I bought this bottle because of the 3 for 2 offer. I wanted to try a new scent. This one smells spicy and warm just like Jasmine.

Japanese Cherry Blossom Fragrance Mist

This is my favourite fragrance mist from the Body Shop. The 10ml is a perfect size to pop in your handbag, and use it to freshen up throughout the day. It is great for flights as well. I had it in my handbag on the plane and used it in Dubai airport after a long flight.

*Do you have any favourite scents or products from The Body Shop? Let me know below...*


Happy Shopping Divas!
Xxxx

Hi Divas

I thought I would start an international Series on my blog since I have many overseas brands in my beauty stash that are either not available or hard to find in SA. I want to do reviews on these products to help you make informed decisions when you buy these products online or you go overseas and have a crazy beauty shopping spree, like I did ;-) It is always good to know what is out there and know what to look out for when you travel. 

First up, we will be travelling to the U.K for the awesome Soap & Glory brand.

About Soap & Glory: 

Soap & Glory was founded by Marcia Kilgore in England. This brand not only comprises of bath and body products but has an extensive makeup range too. Their products are packaged in baby pink colours with slogans that will either make you laugh or blush. This brand is very playful and sometimes cheeky as well when it comes to product names. They draw inspiration from vintage pin up women mixed with 21st century humour.

Products I used:

- The Righteous Butter: What can I say about this butter? It is everything I ever wanted in a body butter plus more. Firstly it comes in a big pink 300ml tub. You ladies know I love all things pink so this is a serious bonus for me. Secondly the scent of this body butter is so amazing I could just sniff it all day long. It consists of mandarin, rose, jasmine, peach and warm vanilla notes. Thirdly this body butter is super moisturising. I would lather my skin with it in the evening and the next evening my skin would still feel soft and moisturised. This is perfect for dry winter skin as it contains shea butter and aloe vera. The butter formula has a moisture trap matrix to keep the skin hydrated for longer. I usually use this twice a week because it is so moisturising on the skin. I can understand why this is an award winning body butter. It is amazing and I want more.


-Clean On Me Shower Gel: Ladies!!! Hide this shower gel away from your husband, sisters, kids and everybody in your house hold. I swear to you this is the best shower gel I have ever used in my whole life. Take it from me, you wouldn't want to share one little drop with anyone. The 480ml tube of shower gel has a built in body lotion and mandarin peel extracts. The body wash is thick and creamy and lathers wonderfully on the skin. I can't get enough of the beautiful sweet fresh scent. I sometimes open the bottle just to take a whiff of it. Once you use this bath time will never be the same. My skin always felt clean, luxurious and moisturised. I need to buy 10 bottles!

-Flake Away Body Scrub: I have the travel size tub of this scrub. It is a thick sticky paste with shea butter, sweet almond oil, peach seed powder, sea salt and sugar. I rub the paste all over my body with my hands until the sugar dissolves. This sea salt and sugar exfoliates the skin while the shea butter and sweet almond oil leaves your skin feeling soft and glowing. This is a lovely scrub that is gentle enough to use every day. The scent is made up of Soap and Glory's famous original pink scent which is sweet with a little orange citrus twist. I would definitely buy a bigger tub of this scrub.

-Hand Food Hand Cream: The hand cream consists of Shea butter and Macadamia oil to moisturise and nourish dry hands. I must say that I was a little disapointed with this hand cream. I was expecting the hand cream to do wonders for my hands. Unfortunately it has a very light consistency and does not work well for dry winter skin. This would be best for summer time when your hands need a little moisture. This is my least favourite scent from the range. The smell is a little artificial and not soothing or calming. I probably would not purchase this again as I love hand creams that can be used all year round.

My favourites and absolute must haves:

It has to be the Clean On Me Shower Gel and the Righteous Body Butter. I truly feel like I don't want to live without these two products. They are the best in the range.

Things I still want to try: 

I would still love to try their makeup products and their Sugar Crush body range.

Soap & Glory is available at Rubybox.co.za in South Africa. Thanks for reading ladies. Hope you will find this series useful and informative.

Lots of divaliscious kisses.

Xxxx

I received this mini body butter and lip butter for Christmas last year. They were packaged in a cute Santa box. The products are from a range of Body Shop travel sizes in different scents. I am not a fan of the actual mango fruit so I was really surprised at how much I love this mango scent. It is a mixture of a mango and peaches fragrance. It smells really decadent, almost like a fruit smoothie. It is especially tempting to not lick the lip butter off my lips as the lip butter has a beautiful summer fruity scent that I just want to eat. Let's face it. Who does not love The Body Shop? Their products are always amazing when it comes to pampering the skin.

Mango Body Butter

The mango body butter has a creamy texture yet it is not heavy in consistency but melts wonderfully into the skin. If you are looking for a light body butter that deeply moisturises without leaving your skin greasy this one is the best. It has ingredients of cocoa butter and sweet almond oil which is renowned for softening and soothing very dry skin. I like to lather this on my body at night and wake up to beautifully moisturised skin in the morning. Since the Southern Hemisphere is moving towards winter this body butter is perfect for keeping the skin soft as the colder days approaches.

Mango Lip Butter

The mango lip butter comes in a really cute 10ml tub. The scent reminds me of those fruity chewy sweets that I used to eat when I was a child. I absolutely love the scent of this lip butter. It smells good enough to eat. It contains Shea butter and beeswax to deeply moisturise dry cracked lips. The texture of the lip butter is a soft, rich, creamy paste that glides effortlessly on the lips. Be careful to not apply too much as the butter is quite soft in consistency. I like to rub a little on my lips and let the butter warm up and melt into my lips. My lips are left feeling soft with a slight glossy shine.

These products are absolutely perfect for travel, as they are compact and can fit into any clutch or toiletry bag. I love moisturising my lips on the plane with the lip butter as my lips tend to get very dry on long haul flights, due to the aircon. The body butter is great to apply on at night after a long stressful or adventurous day.



Thank you reading!
Divalicious kisses
Xxxx

Avocado Olive & Basil Body Wash and Lotion

Crabtree & Evelyn are well known for their luxury skin care products and gorgeous packaging. I received the body wash and body lotion in a beautiful vintage green suitcase as a gift along with a hand lotion. You can read my review on the hand lotion here.These are one of the first products I have ever used from Crabtree & Evelyn and I have to say that they have turned me into a fanatic.

Avocado Olive & Basil Body Wash
This body wash smells so divine, like you are being draped in shower gel touched by angels. I am not exaggerating when I say this. As you squeeze the golden liquid onto your shower sponge the gorgeous scent hits your nose and you immediately feel like you are in the clouds. The basil extracts in the body wash rejuvenate the skin and is a natural anti-bacterial ingredient for the skin. Your skin feels clean and energized after you use it.


Avocado Olive & Basil Body Lotion
The body lotion is perfect for dry winter skin but can be used throughout the year, as it is light in texture but very creamy and moisturising. Avocado and olive oil have amazing benefits when it comes to dry skin. Both oils are excellent for relieving dehydrated skin, soothes skin irritations and making skin look supple and radiant. The smell is heavenly and relaxes the body. I always feel pampered and my skin feels beautiful after I use it. 

***

I definitely recommend this range from Crabtree&Evelyn. It is truly beautiful. Go ahead ladies and pamper yourself. Even better put it on your birthday or holiday wish list and let your loved ones spoil you :-)




Hope you found this review helpful.
Much love.
XXX