March 2017 Favourites

 

Hey! Here are my favourite things of the 3^rd month:

LA Girl Strobe Lite in 120 Watt:

This is their brightest, most sparkly one. I bought it just to test and I can't stop using it. It can be a mute splendour or you could add more and more to go full glazed doughnut. Yasss *in Jeffree Star Voice* 

Left: Applied once. Center: Like 3 coats Right: Phone photo

Garnier Ultimate Blends Bee Propolis Serum:

My hair has been screaming for hydration. So after I pat my hair dry I apply this. It cuts drying time of my hair in half and makes it more manageable.

Monochrome Fashion:

Because of my bright pink hair a.t.m. there is such a thing as too mush colour. When I had normal coloured hair, especially blonde, I'd wear pastels or jewel tones. Lately I've been loving grey with black accent pieces like a bag or a shoe.

Sunny Anderson's Dry Dredged Chicken wing Recipe:

On any day I LOVE Sunny Anderson. She is one of my KWEENS! She works hard, has an awesome dream car, has rescue cats and dogs and is an all round BAWSE on HER terms. She has a lot of 1-2-3 and nunya business recipes. This one is no exception.

Here is the recipe I like the dredge in. Instead of adding multiple spices I add some of those premix spices like chicken spice or BBQ spice. It's not the mess that happens when you make a coating with egg or buttermilk and you need bread crumbs.

For the real (wink wink) Buffalo wing experience, melt butter/ marge and add an equal part hot sauce. Tabasco is what I have. I also love this with the Chipolte Tabasco which is more spicy than hot. Toss the wings in that. Eat forever.

Follow Sunny on Instagram.

Fitbit:

Wow really Michellé? Only now.

Yes. I really started using the whole Fitbit and app to it's full this last month just as the Charge is starting to come apart (And is now off the market). I've been getting my active minutes up, as well as using the food log (though they don't have a South African Food Database I select the UK because it has more options for meals I cook at home).

Can't do the wearable fitness watch. Samsung Health is an app that counts steps as well as log similar data to Fitbit. The app is preloaded on most Samsungs also available in the Google App Store FREE!

Instagram:

No lies this app costs a lot of data but I cannot stop. I need the 'gram. I need to see a cat thatcosplays with food and The Dogist. I need to stalk Badkid Bebe and the Girl Gang. I need to watch Michelle Phan's stories. I need to see Nayeon serve new looks and dog stories (Stalker level: I know she foster failed a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Mix, Gooby Potato). I'm following 507 accounts on my personal. I have a problem. They have a new function to their bookmarks that you can make like Pinterest boards. Bookmark all mermaid hair.

Monday has become my New Year:

Imagine having 52 new starts to the year. Some only pushes reset once a year and most fail immediately. Imagine to be able to reset more than once. Monday has become my reset. If motivation fades by like Thursday there is a Monday to start again. Monday I make sure I drink enough water, work out a little and eat different with Meatless Monday.

Better late than never

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7 Eastern beauty tips you can start doing right now.

The Asian skincare industry is one of the largest in the world. Everyone is buzzing about South Korean beauty product and the western market wants these products as well. Though most women of the east have at least 10 products on there face from the morning and before bed.

Another big thing is the whitening chemicals that rule their products in India and China. I'm not about that. My one friend loves to bleach her skin and at the end of the day her dark spots looked even more prominent. Yet when she put on a simple BB Cream it just lit on her face. So flawless.

Here are my favourite Eastern beauty tricks:

1.Wash your face for longer.

Easy as that. Sounds dumb but it is that simple. Wet your face and wash yo' face for at least two minutes. Clarisonic is launching in SA but I don't have the R3000 for that. Just concentrate to really washing your face. Rinse it really well too. You will feel the difference.

2.Warm the product before applying them to your face.

Take your face cream and rub it between your hands/ finger tips and apply. Heating it helps absorption into the skin.

3.Pat skin product into your skin

Don't smear or rub it. Lightly tap it on to your skin. This stimulates blood flow and also assists the skin with soaking up the product. Recently I went away for a weekend break and had to move away from the ablution block to apply my cream. I didn't want to scare the small children.

4. Use an eye cream

I see many people my age who neglect their eyes. Don't get the most expensive one. Clicks & Dis-chem both have for under R50 and it lasts for up to 5 months as you really only do need a few specks. I like using African Extracts' Rooibos anti-ageing eye cream. I can really feel it work. Good burn.

5.Face massage

This helps circulation and puffiness. Follow my dodgy eyeliner arrows. Start at your neck and push up lightly. I usually do this with my face cream. Do it for as long as you have time.

6. Face masks

Here are a few options. Let's talk sheet masks. I first saw Bubzbeauty using them and then Michelle Phan as well. Living in ZAR I can't quickly pop in by Etude House and load a basket. I had to look for them. There are some awesome cheap ones but I don't want any whitening agents in them. There are ones that will tug on your pocket but this one from Dis-Chem at R14.95 (In the picture) was easy throw my money at them. It came with a serum enriched cream. Or make your own with tissue and rice. They are less messy than the muds and pastes in those tomato puree pouches. Though you could look alien:

I liked how this mask covers the neck as well. That's hawt

Another cool trick form India is a turmeric mask. Turmeric is the stuff that colours curries. In ZAR we use it in bobotie and yellow rice with raisins. The yellow brightens up skin.

I saw Promise Phan do a mask but Pinterest suggested this (also inspired by Promise):

http://www.healthbeckon.com/turmeric-face-mask-recipe-glowing-skin-acne-rosacea-eczema-dark-circles/

7.Do that sunscreen thing

Yup. Best anti-ageing thing you can do for your face. Driving in your car to work, sitting by a window, even jogging exposes you to the sun. One popular Chinese actresseven uses it while work in her laptop. I dunno if I'd be that fanatic. Choose products with SPF. BB Cream or foundations, even some day creams. When you are going out for a walk or a picnic apply day cream, sunscreen then foundation or BB. Sandwich the sunscreen between the two so your face isn't sunscreen shiny.

These are my favourite Eastern skincare rituals that I use. And they all are free to R15. Okay turmeric is R17 if you don't have in your cupboard already.

Ever tried a sheet mask?

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Haulling like a trucker

My hauling has become slower because of my wedding issues. I don’t twit as much either but when I did this is what I tweeted :

Full on Queen bedding from Mr Price Home.
 

I’ll be for reals with you. I don’t what I’m doing but I have inspiration and a Pinterest Board with a name : For the Home. I don’t have a house nor an idea what it looks like inside but I had to have 5 star hotel white bedding. It’s neutral and I can add any pop of colour. I also see it’s Aloe “infused” (there were anti bacterial ones too)


 Silk pillow case:

Everywhere I read about growing hair they recommend silk pillow cases. I bought this one also at Mr Price home for R39.95. (That awkward moment it’s the same material as your My Little Pony’s princess dress . . .)

Dischem add buys:

Dquip Facial cleaner: I enjoy YouTubing BubzBeauty and she raved about Clarisonic. I can’t throw my money at them because I enjoy eating and mascara. I picked up this at Dischem with my gran’s Christmas voucher (Last year’s was a NYX pallet). What a cool machine. My skin texture already feels different. I actually buffed out my one zit. It started getting red and ‘hatching’ but that thing just washed it out before it became an issue. Buy two AA batteries.

Basics heated eyelash curler: 15 years ago there were annoying infomercials with a heated eye lash curler. I bought this one. When it’s heats up, the rubber pads turn white. Don’t worry, it won’t fry your eye balls. I’m still out if I like this concept. I’m use to seeing through the curler so it feels awkward.

Compact mirror: Because Leopard print.

Gingerbon

Something about this sweet makes me feel super healthy. Maybe it’s the ginger, maybe it because I can actually understand what the ingredients are.

Have you tried any of the above products?

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Honey coconut milk Hair mask - bought at Spar

The friendly Spar isn't really a place you think of when you think of hair mask and beauty. Dig a bit deeper in any thing and you'll find awesomeness. I saw this blog entry and found ALL the ingredients at my up the street, I buy there every day Spar.

1 Can of Coconut milk (just a normal one because you want the fat) this is usually by the deserts and box cakes.
1 Tablespoon on Honey
A vessel to mix it in. I bought a water
a shower cap also bought at Spar

Before I used the mask

All you need to do to prepare this is pour the coconut milk in the bottle. I smooshed the cream in with my hand. To get the honey off the spoon better leave the spoon in some hot water. Add the honey and shake. You can store it in the fridge for a few weeks or freeze it for a few months every time after use.

To use squirt a small amount of the mixture, like a R5 size, in your hand and work it into the root of your hair. I do this in five sections. (top/ fringe part, middle of my head, back/ neck, then left and right) be sure to really massage it in until you get an 80's hair style. I also add some mixture to my ends. Don't rub them together or ring them. 

Put on the shower cap an leave for an hour. Some times I do my nails or Farmville 2 and leave it on for longer.

I found that my shampoo was extra sudsy washing the mask out.

This is my hair after 3 applications:

Spar is really my Swiss army knife of beauty.

What unusual beauty items do you buy at your local store?

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