Hi Divas

Personally 2019 was a very difficult year for me. I had to face many hurts, emotionally challenging situations regarding my family, career and financial losses. I too had to bury my grandma in June, and in the midst of that time it was a very tumultuous period. I honestly thought this year couldn't get any worse and it did. I am a very private person and hate spilling my intimate problems online. Just know that it was emotionally draining and tough. I felt very dejected about my present and future and hopelessness slowly crept into my heart. Thankfully God is always faithful and just when you think your whole life is falling apart and there is only despair and no hope, the Lord sweeps through in a miraculous way. I can honestly say that I'm grateful and thankful for 2019. God has truly shown his love, mercy and power. I couldn't have gotten through this year without holding onto his hand very tightly. I want to tell you that if you are going through a difficult period in your life and you feel as if there is no end in sight, keep praying and pressing on in faith. Sunshine will slowly come through the cracks of your darkest moments. Despite all the setbacks and that some of my problems are still not resolved, I have a thankful and grateful heart for the blessings I received this year. I would like to share some of them with you in this post. Below are the wonderful highlights of 2019. Hope you enjoy them ;-)


Table Mountain Adventure
I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and with it comes the iconic Table Mountain. Voted one of the seven wonders of the world, this mountain will follow you wherever you go in Cape Town. It stands as a beacon and a symbol of home. My dad always told me, that even if you are lost on the road, always drive in the direction towards the mountain and it will guide you home. This is so true, as when I step out my house, I see the mountain, I can drive anywhere in the city and the mountain stands tall looking over me. As a resident we sometimes take these beautiful things for granted and forget to stop and admire its wonder once in a while. My mom, sister and I decided to take a trip up again to enjoy the sites and views, as it has been many years since I took the cable cart trip. It was such a stunning day and the walk through the rocks, breathing in the scents of the Fynbos plants and taking in the magnificent views of my coastal city and the little animals was truly breathtaking. I will always cherish these sweet moments enjoying nature with my family. If you ever come to Cape Town, this trip is an absolute must. You will never regret it. Below are photos of my mom and I, the cable cart and the stunning views.


Running Wild in Qatar
I have never travelled on my own before, and when my boss presented me with the opportunity to run wild and free all by myself for a few weeks in Qatar, I was excited and a little fearful too. Exploring the Middle East as a woman all alone can seem very daunting. The key is to be streetwise, confident and understand your surroundings. I know Doha really well as I have been going there for six years with a crew but on my own, I needed an extra boost of confidence. I learned a lot about myself during that time. I realised that I don't need to rely on people to make me happy, I have grown to love myself and be confident in who I am, also I can do all things through God who strengthens me! I honestly enjoyed this time on my own and I felt that I was connected and appreciated things more by myself. This trip was truly a blessing in disguise. Below are pictures of me exploring the Islamic Art Museum and the famous Souq Waqif; taking in the gorgeous sunsets and getting my henna done.


Super Bike Championships in Qatar
I will tell you a secret. I have never been to any major live sporting match before. When my boss presented me with exclusive tickets to see the international motor bike finals, I jumped at the opportunity. What an exhilarating night it was for me. To see world champions battle it out on a track which was broadcast live around the world was truly an amazing experience. I even got the VIP walk through in the pit to see them service the bikes and get pics and autographs with the riders. I can say that I am now hooked on all thing's motor sports and the thrill of hearing the engines roar. I have never seen such fast racing in all my life. It was absolutely thrilling and I dream of taking my mom to such an event as she would totally adore it. All things are possible!



Fairy Tale Queen
Most of you may know, that I am a performer and with it comes many challenges. The main one is actually booking work. I have been rejected so many times at casting calls and auditions, I genuinely lost count. Despite this, the flame inside me to be on stage has not diminished in the slightest. I am always grateful for every job I book and it is a true blessing for me to do what I love. This year I saw myself playing three major roles being Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood and my favourite Princess Jasmine. This is remarkable for a woman of colour like myself as most fairy tale characters skip right over my skin tone. I am happy that I can be a representation to girls who struggle to see themselves in story books regarding complexion and facial features. Playing these characters are such a blessing to me and I am grateful for the opportunity.


Despite this year being an absolute emotional wreck, I can end off 2019 standing tall thanks to the Lord. I give Him all the glory and praise for carrying me and my family through. I recognise all the blessings that I have experienced this year and for this I am really thankful. I hope you enjoyed my post and find some encouragement, that no matter what you are going through there is always someone out there going through something worse than you and praying for the things you already have. Take a moment and count your blessings, keep holding on to hope and you will see a light shining through. I send you so much love.


Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Hi Divas

It feels like ages since I sat down to right a blog post. I have been so busy lately and literally all over the place that I had no time for Diva Desle. I recently came back from my 10th trip to Qatar. I cannot believe that I have been to the Middle East 10 times in the last four years. It actually feels so surreal. I remember the very first time I flew overseas in 2013. I was so nervous and excited, not knowing what would await me. Fast forward to 2017 and I still get butterflies whenever I fly to the Arabian Gulf. This was truly one of the best trips I have ever been on. It was so magical and I have made long lasting memories. To start off my boss gifted me with a gorgeous hotel suite looking over panoramic sea views. My hotel room was a dream come true and I still fantasize about laying on that King size bed watching the sunset through my window. The crew that I traveled with was the best travel buddies I could ever ask for. We had so much fun and went on so many crazy adventures together. I saw and experienced places and moments that I have never felt or seen before. I want to share some of my highlights with you. Just so you know, I did go there to work, so it was not all fun and games, LOL.

Katara Cultural Village

Katara is one of the must-see attractions within Doha. It is a cultural centre that celebrates Middle Eastern art, music, literature and history. From glorious Islamic architecture to a magnificent amphitheatre that overlooks the gorgeous city, this place is not to be missed. Your soul will be richly blessed by the skillful fine art on display and take in the glorious well-crafted buildings. You can also take a walk along the beach and enjoy the delicious Arabian cuisine at many of the restaurants and cafes there. When my crew and I went, we managed to catch the sunset and take in the beauty as it was getting dark. We relaxed along the beach with a cup of Karak (Qatari Tea) to end off the day. 

Museum Of Islamic Art (MIA)

On my last day in Doha, we visited the famous MIA. This museum is housed in a beautiful building overlooking the Corniche (Doha Bay). The museum is filled with Middle Eastern and Asian art, historical artifacts and spiritual texts dating back over 1400 years. This gorgeous place totally blew my mind away. I learnt so much about Middle Eastern history and art. There are so many beautiful ancient art pieces that really gets you thinking. How did they create such skillful exquisite pieces of pottery, tapestry and tools with the limited resources they had? It truly boggles the mind when you see the beauty that the ancient world created. There are four floors to explore so you have to go early in order to take in all the museum has to offer. Unfortunately, I did not get to see everything as I was flying home that very night. I definitely want to go back to finish what I started.

Camel Bonding!

If you follow me on Instagram (divadesle), you would have seen all the camel love I was receiving. This trip was definitely all about the camels. These wonderful animals are really a site to see. They are huge, have the most diverse personalities and are so super intelligent. We managed to bond with them at the famous Souq Waqif ( Qatari market). We were even present at the camel's dinner table. They chowed down on some strange looking hay while we took photos.

*****

I had the most amazing time and I thank God, every day for the many blessings and opportunities that have come my way. This trip was truly unforgettable and I loved every moment of it. I am happy to be home for the festive season though. As you know home is where the heart is and my heart is definitely in Cape Town, South Africa! Thank you so much for reading and for being apart of the Diva Desle craziness. I appreciate each and every one of you who supports this little blog of mine. I want to take this opportunity to say a BIG THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

May you have a wonderful festive season.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! See you in 2018 :-)

Divalicious kisses.

Xxxx

Hi Divas!


This is my long awaited Too Faced Born This Way Foundation review. Too Faced is my absolute favourite brand at Sephora. If I could own every Too Faced product ever sold at Sephora I would have lived a happy and full life. No jokes! When the foundation first launched, my heart was aching to get my hands on it. The foundation is described as a 'I woke up like this' coverage. Yes honey, sign me up for that FLAWLESS look! Before I move onto my review, I want to send a huge shout out to Kim from Avery Sweet Blog. I literally stalked her Too Faced foundation blog post till I was blue in the face. Read her foundation review here! I purchased my bottle at Sephora in Qatar. I had a strategy before I went in. After stalking Kim's blog post and figuring out my foundation shade, I decided to walk in Sephora with confidence, pick up my shade and walk straight to the till. Why am I telling you this, you may ask? Firstly, Sephora consultants are sometimes known to give people wrong shade advice. I know this because it has happened to me before. Some are not truly trained and end up guessing what your shade is, like the rest of us. Since I was in a foreign country I couldn't afford to make any shade mistakes with my Hard Earned Money and No Return Policy since I will be more than a 1000's of kilometres away in my own country when I finally break open the bottle. Hence, I did just that! I walked into Sephora picked up the bottle and walked straight to the till. NO REGRETS!

On to the Review:


Born This Way foundation promises to give medium to full coverage while still looking like a second skin. It claims to blur imperfections, and give an undetectable makeup base, hence the 'Born This Way' and I woke up like this' name and tagline. The product is infused with Coconut water to hydrate the skin, Alpine Rose to brighten the face and encourage elasticity. It also has Hyaluronic Acid for a smooth and vibrant appearance. The foundation is packaged in a gorgeous 30ml frosted bottle with a black cap and pump with touches of gold. Too Faced is known for their beautiful packaging and this product deserves full marks in that department. There are 24 shades in the range and I have it in Warm Beige. This is truly the most exact shade match I have ever had in my life. I usually struggle to find my true shade in foundations. I almost always have to mix and match base colours. This foundation shade matches my skin tone to perfection. When I apply the shade you cannot tell the difference between my neck and face, it just blends into one. I am super impressed. In Winter I do have to lighten it slightly. I would mix my Catrice foundation or my Peripera BB cream for a lighter colour.


The texture of the product is like a yoghurt. It is not too stiff and not too runny. It has a creamy consistency. I adore that the foundation has a pump. It definitely gives a mess free application. One pump is enough to cover the whole face for an everyday natural look. I usually do one and a half pumps for a full face. It covers well while still looking natural. With two full pumps it gives me super full coverage to the point where I don't feel like I need to wear concealer sometimes. I have applied the foundation with my hands, brush and a makeup sponge. My best application is with my hands. I prefer this method as I get full coverage while still looking natural. The sponge absorbs way too much product and this foundation is like gold to me so I cannot afford to waste a drop. The brush gives a lovely finish too. If I apply two pumps, I definitely buff it in with a brush for even coverage. On an everyday basis I use one pump and use my hands for a natural look. Once applied on the face it blends well onto the skin. It does not sit on top of the face giving a mask like appearance. It truly looks like your skin but better.


As you can see in the photo above my face looks flawless and so natural. I just love the coverage this foundation gives me. It feels so lightweight on the skin, yet covers dark areas and imperfections. The foundation dries down to a matte and sometimes semi matte finish, depending on your skin type. I have combination skin, therefore I always set my face with a powder. It blends well with cream products and powders too. It does not transfer or move throughout the day. I found that whether my face is dry, oily, or whatever moisturiser or primer I use, my foundation still blends effortlessly and sits comfortably on the face. I have no dry patches, or problems with it sinking into fine lines. I have worn this product in the heat of Summer and the cold chilly Winter and I have to say it has never given me any problems. The coconut water and hyaluronic acid truly help in giving a smooth, radiant and healthy face. It truly is remarkable. I once asked my mom if she could tell if I was wearing anything on my face. She said my face looked perfect but she couldn't tell if I was wearing foundation or not.

 Final thoughts:
There are so many mixed reviews online regarding this product. Many people love it while many hate it too. I am totally in love with it, cannot live without it spectrum. I have no idea why, but this foundation has truly worked well for my skin. I am going to come out and say it, this is my holy grail foundation. I have not used anything to date that has impressed me this much.I loved it so much that I bought a second bottle. If I ever get the chance I would buy a third bottle for safe keeping, LOL. Let me know your thoughts down below. Do you love or hate this foundation? Is it on your wish list? Thank you so much for reading.


Hope you found this review helpful.
Lots of love.
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Sephora Collection Makeup Haul

Hi Divas

As most of you may know, I have been to Qatar many times. On each trip I do a crazy shopping haul and purchase things that are not available in South Africa. One of my first and most important stops is SEPHORA!!! I remember the first time I was in a Sephora store back in 2013. I was so excited and overwhelmed, I didn't know where to start and what to buy. I was on a budget too and had to be wise on what I spend my money on. The Sephora Collection brand stood out to me because they had an array of cosmetics all at affordable prices. Each time I went on my little trips I would buy a product from the Sephora counters. The Sephora Collection brand never disappointed me. I feel that this brand has excellent quality and deserve more hype and praise than what they are getting now. I would like to share some of my absolute favourite products from the brand with you.This is going to be a LOooooong review, so get your coffee and your snacks! ;-)



Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Face Powder: This is one of my favourite products from the Sephora brand. I love it so much that I am on my second powder compact. The product is described as an ultra light foundation that gives a smooth and air brushed complexion. This is a baked powder infused with green tea extract and radiance boosting minerals. It is designed as a powder foundation that gives a flawless finish with a no makeup, makeup look. I have the shade Light Nude as I bought it as a brightening setting powder and not to be used as a foundation. Since the actual pigment powders are so finely milled, I prefer to lightly sweep this under my eyes on the top parts of my cheeks and top of my forehead and chin area. All the places I like to highlight I would dust this powder on my face for a natural radiant glow. It truly is amazing. It gives my face an airbrushed look and sets my makeup without caking up. The packaging is solid and with 7g of product it lasts a really long time.

Sephora Shimmering Bronzing Powder: I admit that I bought this bronzing compact mainly for the packaging at first. I couldn't resist the beautiful orange sunray design on the compact and inside the case. To my surprise, this turned out to be a wonderful multi purpose bronzer. I chose the shade Light Seychelle Cruise as I didn't really know what to expect and I am not much of a bronzing person since I am tan already, LOL. I use it to give a sun kissed glow to my cheeks and as a lovely warm toned eyeshadow. The bronzer comes in three different colours. There are two tones of brown and a lovely shade of a rosy pink. There is also tiny specks of shimmer in the product. It is so small that it hardly shows up on the face. It does give a pretty radiant glow though. When you mix all three pigments together you get a natural warm sun kissed colour on the skin. The bronzer works perfectly on the eyes as a transition shade too. I have already mentioned that the packaging is beautiful but the compact is great for travel as it is durable and comes with a good sized mirror. I definitely recommend it and would buy another one if I ran out.



Sephora Colourful 5 Shadow Palette: If my memory serves me correct, this was one of the first products I bought from Sephora. The eyeshadows are from the Colourful 5 collection. There are 8 palettes in the range all consisting of 5 shadows. I chose the Pale to Rich Taupe palette which is a neutral toned compact filled with brown and skin toned eyeshadows. There are no names for the eyeshadows so I will refer to them by colour. The darkest shade is a rich matte chocolate brown great for the crease and lower lash line. There are three satin shades consisting of a golden brown with slight glitter specks in it which can be used on the lid or crease for a smokey eye. There is a beautiful satin taupe shade that has purple and brown undertones and looks lovely on the lids as a sultry look. The next satin shade is a creamy champagne shadow that would look flattering on any skin tone. It is my favourite eyeshadow in the palette. The last shade is a full on glitter pearl eyeshadow which can be worn as a topper over the champagne satin shade or as an inner corner eye highlight. The quality of the shadows are wonderful. They are pigmented and blend easily. I will do a more in depth review on this palette at a later stage.

Sephora The Mascara Volume, Length & Definition: This is a mini version of the actual mascara. I picked this up while waiting in the queue at Sephora. They usually have travel size products at the till area and I just couldn't resist this little cutie. This mascara promises to give length, volume and define your lashes all in one sweep. I have the colour 03 Ultra Black. This size is really great to travel with and throw in your purse. It gives lovely volume and definition to my lashes. The shade is a true black and coats the lashes really well. I like the size of the wand. The brush is thick and filled with bristles which grab the lashes easily and gives good volume and lift. This is not a waterproof mascara and has a tendency to smudge before it dries. Make sure your mascara is completely dry before you attempt to place any eye makeup on the eyes or setting spray. I have exercised in this mascara and it does not run or flake. It also removes easily with a cleansing face wash. I recommend this mascara for travel. It's a good mascara for a quick fix but not for a glam night out.

Sephora Rouge Cream R61: I love Sephora lipsticks. They are seriously good quality. They have an array of shades to choose from. Each colour is highly pigmented and rich in texture. The formula of the creams are beautiful. It glides on the lips effortlessly without it bleeding or smudging everywhere. The creams feel comfortable on the lips and give a slight shine. Your lips will look plump and vibrant. I have the shade R61 Lucky One, which is a deep pink rose. It's like a browny pink tone and looks very flattering on the lips. This is my second lipstick from the Sephora Collection and I totally want to purchase more. The packaging is a sleek black plastic case with the Sephora label in bold silver letters. The design is stylish yet sturdy. It won't break easily and looks lovely displayed on a vanity table.


Let me know if you tried any of these products below. Thank you so much for reading.
Lots of love.
Divalicious Kisses!
Xxxx

Juicy Couture:

Viva La Juicy Gold Couture

Perfume Review

Hi Divas!

I know that I have been missing in action on the blog lately. With all the travelling I have been doing and the end of year almost drawing to a close, things have been a little hectic lately. I like to take my time in writing a blog post and bring quality content to you. I don't want to blog just for the sake of pushing posts out and they are rubbish. I know blogs like that and they are the worst! Quality above quantity will always be the motto of the day. Any way in this post I want to do a review on a lovely product I received in Qatar. My Qatari boss gifted me this beautiful Juicy Couture Gold Couture perfume to say thank you for all the hard work I did in his country there. How generous and sweet is he? If only all bosses were this generous and kind. I was so shocked by the surprising kind gesture that I think I thanked him like a 1000 times. I have always wanted to own the original Juicy Couture perfume. Everything about the brand scream 'Diva!'. To finally own a perfume from the Viva La Juicy collection is an absolute dream come true.

The Gold Couture perfume is packaged in a gold box with an intricate black rim pattern and the Viva La Juicy words embossed in bright pink. The box got a little beaten up while travelling in a suitcase by the way. If you know anything about me you will understand why I am dying for this gorgeous packaging. I mean did you see the bottle? The perfume is packaged in a gold bottle with a clear top cut like a diamond. The base has a cute black polka dot ribbon around it. The gold and pink couture motif on the bottle is the masterpiece of the whole look. Again the packaging just defines Diva Desle right there. It is glamorous, charming, fun and bold. The pink and gold colours are captivating and such a pleasure to look at. I cannot wait to display this on my desk next to my other cosmetics. I own the 50ml bottle and it feels quite heavy in my hands. The actual gold glass bottle is very sturdy and feels quite regal.

On to the scent! This one smells similar to the original Juicy Couture perfume but it is a lot warmer. The main notes are Wild Berries, Caramel and Vanilla. The base notes consist of Honeysuckle, Amber and Jasmine Sambac. On the first spritz the perfume has a deep warm scent with the amber and jasmine notes shooting through. After a few seconds the sweet caramel, vanilla and fruity wild berries start warming up on the skin. It has a mixture of a sweet, woody scent with a hint of citrus. It is very inviting and sultry. I think this perfume is perfect for a night out on the town. It's deep and sexy therefore it might be a little too overwhelming for day time. It's not a seasonal scent though, so you can wear it on hot summer nights or stormy winter nights. It lasts a fairly long time before fading after 5 hours. I like that this scent is not overbearing. It has just enough punch and charm to be captivating but not sickening. If you liked the original Juicy Couture scent you would definitely love this one.

I think this edition to Juicy Couture is super fun and flirty. Although it is sweet, it has a mature quality to it. It does not smell like a teenagers room spray, LOL. A 20 something and 40 something woman can rock this fragrance with confidence. Even the bottle packaging although fun and glam can transcend any age. It would look good on any vanity table whether a young or mature lady. I absolutely adore this packaging. It is so stunning. I definitely recommend this perfume if you like sweet and fruity scents. I love that this perfume will always have a strong and pleasant connotation for me. When I see or think of this perfume, I will remember the beauty of Qatar and the kindness and generosity of the Middle East. ;-)

*****

Thank you so much for reading. 

You can see my Instagram photos @divadesle for more insight into my recent trip to Doha, Qatar.

Lots of love.

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!

I am back from my little travelling adventure and ready to blog again. I really missed blogging and I have so many product reviews to post. Thank you for all the well wishes on my trip. I had a wonderful time in the Middle East. Even though I was working I did a few tourist activities which I will share with you below. This week, I thought I would do a travel tag as it seems appropriate since I wanted to do a little more than just show off some of my recent adventure photos. Hope you enjoy it and feel free to do the tag on your blog. I would love to read your answers as well.

Flying over beautiful Cape Town. What a stunning view!

1. How many countries have you visited?

I have only been to Qatar and the UAE.

2. Why do you travel?

I mainly travel for work purposes. I perform and do theatre shows in other countries. I am very fortunate that my job allows me to travel abroad. I really wish I could travel for pleasure though.

3. Favourite City or Country?

I am biased but my favourite city is my home town, Cape Town. Sorry, but nothing has stolen my heart like Cape Town yet. ;-)

4. Most memorable experience abroad?

It would have to be riding a camel in the middle of the Qatari desert. It was such a surreal experience. Like something out of a book or movie. I loved every minute of it.

5. Best item purchased abroad?

Wow, this is a hard one as I tend to do tons of shopping when I am overseas. I think my favourite item is my beautiful teddy camel which I named 'Jasmine'. I bought Jasmine at the Abu Dhabi airport when I was stuck there for nine hours back in 2013. It was my first time going overseas and they had a problem with my visa. I bought Jasmine to cheer me up but also to have an item as a remembrance of how great God was in sorting out my visa and taking care of me on my first flight overseas. Whenever I look at Jasmine I am reminded of that experience and God's goodness.

6. Favourite travel accessories you always pack?

I love my travel neck pillow which I use on the plane to have a peaceful and comfy sleep. I like to take my mini cosmetics bag and pack my Maybelline Clear Smooth Powder and Maybelline Baby Lips lip tints to keep the dark puffy eyes at bay and the lips looking plump and cute. Along with that I have my mini eau de toilette spray from The Body Shop to keep me smelling fresh after long haul flights.

7. Advise for those who want to travel but think they can't...

For me travel takes a lot of faith. You have to mentally prepare yourself as well as financially prepare yourself. You have to take a leap of faith and put some money aside and time for your trip. You have to plan and believe that everything will work out in the end and you will have a great time.


*****


Photo's of my Qatar February 2015 Trip: 
I went on a boat ride around the city and experienced a beautiful sunset. We had a mini party on the boat singing karaoke songs, dancing and eating snickers chocolate ice cream desserts till we were blue in the face. It was very cold and windy on the boat. It was surprisingly chilly in Qatar this time round. There were quite a few sand storms in the evenings.


 

 I went out to dinner with my fellow cast members and as we were driving we spotted this beautiful skyscraper building. We decided to stop and go inside and take a look. This is the Torch hotel and it is the tallest hotel in Doha with 51 floors. It looks really spectacular at night as the building lights up in an array of colourful lights. We went to the Tea Garden restaurant in the hotel and had high tea. I ordered a lovely Arabian Masala Chai Tea which was served with freshly baked biscotti biscuits. This tea was so delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

When I am in Qatar I have to go to my favourite mall, Villaggio and shop up a storm. I swear, it's like I have a complete black out moment when I shop there. My mind goes into a shopping trance and I end up swiping my credit card every where. Talk about no self control! Lol ;-) I bought many makeup products at Sephora and went completely crazy at Bath and Body Works. They even gave me a free pink bag because I bought so many goodies there. I also stocked up on my favourite chocolate and date brands at the airport. This time we stayed in the beautiful Zubarah hotel. Everyday they packed the bathroom with travel size L'occitane products. I threw all of them in my suitcase and took them home with me. Score! ;-)

Have a fabulous week!!
Divalicious kisses.
Xxxx

Hi Divas

I am so sorry that I was M.I.A once again on the blog. I spent a week in Doha, Qatar working there and didn't get a chance to do any kind of blogging activities. It was quite a last minute trip that was organised by my work, so I had very little time to prepare. Nevertheless I made it to the Middle East in one piece and had an awesome time in the short space I was there. I thought I would share some of my travel photos with you. I was working most of the time, rehearsing and performing, but I managed to sneak in some fun things to do. The weather this time was really nice. I could walk outside without feeling like the sun was going to scorch me. It even rained a little bit which was very welcoming. Hope you enjoy my photos.

I took the two above pictures on my way to work. It was 7:00 in the morning and the stores and restaurants won't open yet in the souq. As you can see the old Middle Eastern architecture are really beautiful and ornate. The two photos below are of the stage we performed on and me and my coworkers fooling around taking selfies ;-)

We had dinner at my Qatari bosses house. His mother cooked a whole sheep for us as you can see in the bottom left photo below. We all sat on the floor and ate the food with our hands in a traditional Arabic dinner setting. I really enjoyed the meal. The spicy fragrant rice was the best! They served us the most delicious Arabic tea which had saffron in it. It was so good I kept wanting more tea. I inserted a random picture of my shopping haul because besides eating up a storm, I did some shopping at my most loved mall in Doha called Villaggio. I stocked up on all my favourite brands that you do not find in South Africa like, Starbucks, Too Faced, Sephora and Bath and Body Works.

One of our last nights in Doha we went on a beautiful boat ride that took us around the city. The buildings in Doha at night light up like Christmas trees. It is really spectacular to see. Some of the buildings constantly change colour to make it look like fireworks. Doha is really beautiful at night. The boat ride was so much fun. We ended up singing and dancing on the boat too;-) In the photo below on the right are very cute Qatari children waving their flags waiting for the Qatari soccer team to drive pass. They had won a match earlier in the day and they all lined up to welcome the soccer team home. They were too adorable!

On my flight back to South Africa I had a window seat and snapped some photos of the plane flying over Africa on the top left. The other two photos are of the plane flying over Cape Town. The last photo I put on Instagram before my trip of some of my travel essentials. 

 *****

This is the third time that I have been to Qatar and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately there was no time to go to the desert but I enjoyed shopping at the souq, eating delicious Middle Eastern Cuisine, the Doha night life and of cause shopping again at the mall ;-)

Thanks for reading Divas

Much love. Xxxx

Hi Divas!

I have a jam packed review and tutorial for you this week. I am featuring one of the iconic Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palettes in Ammo. I bought this at Sephora on my last trip to Doha and have only recently started playing around with it. The palette comes with 10 eyeshadows that are a favourite in the Urban Decay range. With the palette is a mini eyeshadow brush and travel size Eyeshadow Primer Potion. The palette is encased in a really pretty metallic grey and purple casing. It is the size of a small pocket book and can be easily tucked away in your handbag or makeup bag. The palette opens up like a book to reveal the 10 bold eyeshadows and mirror which is a perfect size to do makeup on the go.

 I was very excited to use the Eyeshadow Primer Potion for the first time as many beauty vloggers have been raving about this gem on YouTube. The primer potion I have comes in a little 11ml tube, but a little really goes along way. I squeezed a tiny bit onto my fingers and rubbed the primer all over my eyelids. The consistency of the primer is creamy and spreads effortlessly across the eyelid. Only a tiny amount is needed to prep your eyes for makeup. I used 5 out of the 10 eyeshadows to create the look down below.

I don't even know what to call this eyeshadow look I did. I was inspired by Arabian makeup on YouTube and Pinterest and decided to do my own Diva Desle version of it. Firstly I prepped my eyes with the primer potion to make the eyeshadows pop and last longer.

1. I used the lightest shade of the palette called Polyester Bride, which is a white glittery shade, and swept it across the inner corners of my eyes and brushing outwards all over the rest of my lids. This will brighten your eyes and make them seem big bold and beautiful.

2. I took my base colour which is Last Call and brushed it all over my eyelids. The eyeshadow is a glittery purple and plum shade. I love this colour as the glitter is not very shimmery. It is just enough to give my eyes a pretty glow. As you can see in the pictures above it looks really great on my eyelids.

3. I then applied a metallic gold shade called Copper to the inner crease of my eyelid and blended it out really well with the Last Call shade. The key to making your eyeshadow look beautiful and natural is the blending. Always make sure that you blend your colours well into each other. Harsh eyeshadow lines look terrible and unprofessional. When in doubt just blend!

4. Once everything is blended in, I lightly applied the black eyeshadow called Oil Slick to the outer corners of my eyes in a V- shape. This is just to create a little bit of shadow and depth on the eye lid. The black eyeshadow has tiny particles of glitter in it but it is more matte than the rest of the eyeshadows so it's great to line your eyes with as well.

5. I used my finger and rubbed a little Polyester Bride, which is the glittery white colour to my brow bone. This is a great way to highlight your eyes and again make them stand out and look bold.

6. I applied black eyeliner to the bottom and upper part of my eyes. The line on the top is much thicker than the bottom. I tend to freestyle when it comes to applying eyeliner. I like to follow the pencil with my lash line and as I get to the end of my eye I make the line a little thicker. On the bottom of my eyes I applied a thin line of eyeliner to my water line.

7. To round it off I coated my lashes in tons of my favourite mascara. Right now I am loving Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara. It elongates my lashes and gives it lots of volume without drying it out.

8. Lastly, I lightly dusted the purple/plum shade of Last Call at the bottom of my eyelashes just to keep the base colour as the centre of attraction.

 Voila! All done. :-)

So this is the end result of my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palette. I am very happy with this little palette. The 5 colours that I have used so far have really proved to be excellent quality in pigment and are long lasting. I would recommend using this palette at night or when you are going to a party or special occasion. The colours are very bold and pigmented with some glittery shimmer. It is really great to use when you want big bold and dramatic eyes.

 I am not done playing around with this gorgeous palette yet. I will do another eyeshadow tutorial soon and include swatches of all the eyeshadow colours in the palette.

Thanks for reading ladies!

Divaliscious kisses. 

Xxxx