Hey 2019

Hi reader(s). It's 2019. Living Coral is Pantone Colo(u)r of the year and 5^th of Feb it's the year of the Pig.

Last year was a super fail year for my blog. I tried and posts just didn't work out. But here we are and it's a new year, new existential crisis.

There are a few things I have read up on, researched or just flat out decided immediately. With these changes and notes I'll be making, I don't want you to feel forced to do what I say or feel like I'm judging others (or you). I feel like low key educating you to make your own decisions and challenging myself to make better options is good. I want to be better. (All YouTubers 2018)

WhaT aRe ThEsE cHaNgEs AlReAdY?

With favourites and products I want to indicate Cruelty Free, Vegan and South African made product.

Cruelty Free will be 🐰

Vegan 🌱

South African Made ZA

Am I a vegan now? Nope. Does that mean that I with completely stop featuring non Cruelty free not Vegan products. We'll see. Some brands I completely stopped buying from especially like cosmetics and personal care items. All my personal care and hygiene items are cruelty free and mostly vegan. Before anyone climbs on their Kat Von Soapbox, eliminating items does not mean I'm 100% perfect, I am trying and that is better than doing just nothing. (If you want to do nothing, you do you boo. You are your own boss.)

Note that if I still have non cruelty free items, I will be using it up and not repurchasing. Not finishing and not using stuff is wasteful.

I also think there needs to be a bigger focus on South African made products. Companies who manufactures and employs in ZA. I want my money to stay in South Africa to enrich and employ more of our own people.

That is all,

Michellé

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

é

2017 ~ The Green Year

I think Pantone hit the nail on the head when they chose Greenery as the colour of the year. Slowly people are practicing mindfulness (at least the ones who are aware because let's be honest we still live in the age where media tells us excess is the secret of happiness.) Everyone chases other peoples fake Instagram lives.

This year on é, I will be doing 'green' experiments. Using more natural cleaning products, doing tips on saving and reducing waste.

Essence Cosmetics The Gel Nail Polish in Good Limes

If you do read regularly you will see the blog changing as I'm trying to revamp a bit.

I have a few series of posts planned like On-line shopping reviews, a 'must love' series once a month and home organization posts.

Let me know if there are some crazy things you would like to see.

Have a good year. We hope.

é

2016 is here. . .

Yeah well it's January and like most people, last year didn't pan out as I thought. I'm having trouble getting my ish together and basically FAILLED. I started this year thinking of all the achievements I wanted to reach:

Goals met = 0

I think I just lost my way with what I wanted to achieve and forgot my blog's purpose. I think it's like most resolutions. You start great, you see others doing better and you stop because what's the point.

The point is that every person and situation is different and that you shouldn't stop because of one misstep or failure. If it is living a healthier lifestyle. Don't stop your good eating habits because you had a wild food weekend. Or you were sick so you stop exercising. Someone (especially an internet someone) disagreed with a story you posted or your art you shared. It's time we stopped that shit.

With my blog I also forgot about me. I was trying to protect myself but that meant taking personality out of the blog. Yes its a brand thing but I got bored reading the same generic blogs. Like little robots chasing the same thing. You need to remember your goal is for you. If it's not you are not doing it for the right reason. I hope 2016 is truly the year of self care because you can only look to yourself to help others.

Get tools to help you achieve your goals:

I want a cat so I downloaded Neko Atsume

And sticking to my brand of free to cheap is my Arthur Ashe Quote:

Use Pinterest, Instagram or phone Apps to assist you. Want to draw better? Read more? Lose weight? Write more? Save money? Travel more? Learn to cook? It's all waiting for you to better yourself.

So Michellé what is your deal with all this?

Good question. (I imagined you asking me this in a very <Dose of Buckley> condescending way). Recently I paged through magazines, so weird I know. This one specific one was always an every woman magazine. After seeing a beauty layout with a R5995 La Mer product on there I realised why my mom stopped buying it.

Closest I ever got to a La Mer product

Another is the ultimate stereotype of women's magazine. These models whose job it is to try and sell me this over priced bikini and also here are normal sized women they call plus size. All of the shit cost money and I personally don't know a single woman you would entertain the stuff they are trying to smear off that they got free from companies. (Maybe one, but she doesn't read magazines)

I live in a different world to some magazines. You may say but I am not their target market. Well show me a magazine that is. Even these teenage magazines and other media spend the rich parents' money.

I want you to read my blog and see things you can afford, to buy or creatively to do. I don't have time for R6000 cream when in the end of the day you can't pay the rent. Ef that shit.

This is either thinking of how you don't need to eat for the rest of the month or contemplating every decision you've ever made. At least you have the cream from the magazine that Chrissy Teigen uses.

This is the light of a very real serious situation. Some folks (including me) feel like you need all this money to do all these great things because main stream media told you so. You forget all the great things you can do.

Let's do great things.

 

É

Now you're like: Great campaign speech. How you gon' back that up?

Well reader, every month I'm managing my posts in a magazine article way. I'm going to circulate on topics like cooking, beauty and DIY. Tuesday known as Chooseday are usually stuff in the news/ pop culture/ social issues. Thursday's are going to be my big post. I'll probably post in the evening. Also stay tuned to my Insta, Twitter and FB for BTS and other cool stuff. #MaskMonday I'll review a face mask, store bought or home-made. #ReviewWednesday will be something cool and unusual that I will review. It's a rough schedule BUT I will do my best to keep that up.

Okay I'm really going to stop typing now.

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?

é

That time I went to . . . Chinese new Year

Every year for the last few years I’ve been going to the Chinese new year festival in Cyrildene and this year it’s the year of the Horse! 

Here is a quick guide to my way of doing Chinese New Year:

 

Do

• Go for the cultural experience. It feels like I’m transported to another country
• Check out the shops. There are things imported that you probably never thought we got in South Africa
• Be respectful. There are going to be food stuffs you’re not use to in our Westernized country
• Enjoy more Pak choy
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Take photos. It’s all super Instagramable
  
  
  
  
  

Don’t

• Go if you’re against fireworks
• Go if you’re planning to make trouble (They have extra security and Police for that evening
• If you are a picky eater. That evening most restaurants have set menus of the most delicious foods. MMM Pak Choy
• Take your small children or animals sensitive to loud noises

É’s top tips:

• Most shops trade with cash. I usually have a few R100 to pick up a few things
• Follow the dragons or wait by the shops with the most fireworks. (The dragons eat the fruit offering walk through the shop then they fire off the fireworks.)
• Take earplugs
• During the night book a table
• There are no real bathroom facilities so keep drinking to a minimum (I won’t usually say that)
• Go back during another time and walk through the shops
• Eat a mooncake at the Bakery
• Eat five of those pork sticks they braai next to the road.
• Buy a bubble tea
• Keep yourself and your bag safe. I have seen 3rd degree burn stories of people who got in the way where they clearly shouldn’t have been. And you for sure don’t want to replace all your stolen stuff
  
  
  
  
  Which Lunar new year festivals do you go to?
  
  
  é