Hair Trends... Hot or Notsomuch?

I'm guilty of it too. I want my hair to be trendy so I don't look drab and middle-aged before my time. 

Currently, I'm sporting ombre'd hair - but very subtle lightened tips...

A little more THIS

Than THIS 

In a year's time some of us will still be rocking the below trends, but then again, some of us wouldn't be caught dead sporting these styles sooner OR later...

Let's have a look at the some of the things we're doing to, and with our hair...

THE TOP- KNOT 

Start by making a tight pony tail and then back comb and tease your hair into a wild mess, before shaping your desired bun -size. Use another thin hairband to keep it in place, and some additional clips if necessary 

PASTEL DIP -DYE 

Horror of all horrors, why would any woman do this to herself.  Thank goodness most of these dyes are semi-permanent. Are we in the circus, I don't get it. #notafan


HAIR ACCESSORIES 

Nicole Richie you are the queen of everything hair-wise...But these other stars do the sparkly accessory to an outfit well too. Such a nice was of fancying up an otherwise tousled pony tail or updo.

Bold headbands also falls into this category. They're kind of reminiscent of a bygone era -  a little Great Gatsby when I look at Michelle Williams with her pixie cut, wearing her black headband...

FRENCH BRAID/ FISH BRAID 

Sadly, mainly for the girls with long hair and without pesky fringes which add to the layers in the hair. So many different areas to plait your braid from - side pony style like Kim K, with your fringe, like Jen or into an updo, like Sarah Michelle Gellar. Very pretty and just adds some extra femininity! Boys can't do French braids! You've got to have quite some skill to do a perfect French braid as it involves a lot of 'adding hair into plait' at different stages 

...and sadly, I think blunt fringes are OUT OUT OUT 

Sorry Zooey and Carly Rae. 

 

ASOS ( ... and long-lost Summer )

It's ridiculously cold in Jo'burg this week. 

My skin, under all of these layers is a nice shade of lil-white and I can't help but long for Summer to return. I'm done with pants! Jeans! And these stockings! No matter what brand or make I get, they all ladder or aren't as opaque as advertised on the box or they grow legs and never make it back into my stocking-drawer. Ja, you know it's a pretty long Winter when you have an entire drawer for stockings only! 

The huge ASOS sale is on and I've been making myself sick looking at all of the gorgeous dresses at marked-down prices!

ASOS is an amazing online shopping site for men and women, which offers FREE shipping to SA! This is within 6 - 12 days, standard shipping...You can always pay a fee if you want your pretty dress NOW NOW NOW and they can get it to you quicker if need be. 

So, like I said, massive sale on at ASOS.com - up to 50% off whoop whoop.

Below are a few awesome dresses I found for between £12.50 and £55.00 ...the 

exchange rate could be better, I won't lie: it's currently around R13 for £1 BUT if you want to walk around seeing everyone else in your Cotton On dress, that's cool ...;) 

 ( Seriously that does SUCK a lot though when that happens. ) 

Tuxedo Dress 

Shirt Dress with Collar 

Oasis shift dress with belt detail 

Maxi Bandeau 

Mini colour block pencil dress 

Cute butterfly dress in cream 

Asos dress with 'sport' detail 

Darling Era dress 

Browse www.asos.com for yourself 

A Cute Video and a Rad Song to Cheer Up Your Monday

AWOLNATION - Not Your Fault 

You've probably heard it on 5FM but have you seen the video? No probably not! 

Happy Monday! 

Friday!?!

That.Is.All. 

Rachel Zoe Passion... and Healthy Hair Nutrition

I love Rachel Zoe so much it makes my heart ache. Serious life-envy happening here...

She's gorgeous, works hard, has a lil baby boy and is the Number 1 stylist to the stars. She's launched her own clothing & accessories line and can do NO WRONG by me. Perfecting the boho-chic look and iconic with those blonde waves...she's so striking! Give me 10 minutes and her wardrobe would have NOTHING left in it. 

I hope that room has a door that locks, just sayin' 

To get a little bit closer to her I watch The Rachel Zoe Project ( Season 4 is on Vuzu on Wednesday nights at 20h30 ) and her website is pretty awesome too ... Find The Zoe Report here for pretty pretty things! 

I saw a fab article on her site ( which also covers beauty & health topics ) about how to eat right for luscious locks! So if you want good hair this is what you should be eating! I'll try anything once! 

RECIPE FOR  HEALTHY HAIR! 

FOMO? Then read on...

1. Lean Red Meat - and other iron rich foods like egg yolks, dried fruit, whole grains and beans. People who experience hair loss are usually iron-deficient! 

2. Eggs - peanuts, almonds, wheat bran, salmon, low fat cheese and avo's are high in Biotin which promotes hair growth! 

3.  Bananas, Oats, Beer and Raisins! These all contain silica which can improve the hair's thickness! 

4. Spinach & broccoli are full of vitamins A & C which help to produce sebum which acts as a natural hair conditioner 

5. Oysters are rich in zinc and zinc regulates the production of androgens. Low androgen levels are associated with hair loss

6. Sweet potatoes and other beta-carotene packed veggies like carrots, butternut, asparagus and pumpkin.  Your body converts beta-carotene into Vitamin A which nourishes the skin and hair. 

7. Fruit and Veggies are full of vitamin C which helps your body absorb iron! Broccoli, leafy greens, green peppers, citrus fruit and strawberries are the best sources! 

8.  Sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids like salmon, sardines, herrings, flaxseeds and walnuts lead to a healthy scalp! 

9. A teaspoon of Vegetable Oil like olive, peanut or sunflower can restore shine! 

My Can't-Live-Without 6 Top Beauty Products!

I love make-up.

Anyone in my family can attest to the fact that as soon as I discovered it, I was helping myself to my mom's maroon lipstick and lipliner, and being told off in Standard 6 for rocking up with heavily mascara'd eyes, every day to school. 

I just love it. Someone once said to me "Any self respecting woman should put on her face before she leaves the house!" - it scared me into believing it, and the woman always looked good, and I quite envied her...the way she would apply her bright red Chanel lipstick and powder her nose with her Estee Lauder compact...

I think that another reason I am so drawn to a full-face of make-up is that, when I was 17 years old, I had chicken pox, and it ruined my skin. I didn't have great skin, in fact, I was actually just finishing off my 3rd round of Roaccutane when I got chicken pox, so couple extremely dry skin, with chicken pox on every inch of my face and body, and let's just say I have some pretty big scars which I need to cover up or I just feel so ugly. 

As soon as I've put on my mascara ( always my last step ) in the morning, I feel 200 times better! It may be vanity, but without make-up I'd be a hermit! 

Here are the 6 things on my dressing table that I couldn't live without - and that's not to say I haven't cheated on them before and come running straight back ;) 

1. Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NW25

I've tried matte mousse's, I've tried age-defying bases, I've tried foundations for maximum coverage - I've always come back to the best. Once you've tried Mac, you won't go back! NW25 is the shade which exactly matches my skin. Its silky liquid application and the way it fills all my silly holes and punctures is what keeps me coming back. The buildable coverage is also fantastic. 

The range carries a line for Cool and Warm skin undertones so visit a Mac store and get professional advice from one of their assistants and in their harsh lighting ( sorry, but it's the only way to know ) 

2. Yardley Stayfast Pressed Powder in Translucent

The only thing I set my base for a hard day at the office ( or shopping ) with! I know a lot of people don't finish off their concealer with face powder, but I need to as I have oily skin. I keep a powder compact in my handbag as well, for moments during the day where I feel I may need a little touch-up. The nice thing about this product is that there is room for the powder puff inside the compact, so it's neat and travel-friendly! 

3. Mac Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Sunbasque

I use a light smattering of this in Winter, and a hectic dose in Summer when I want to look  sunbronzed

4. Maybelline Colossal Volum Express Mascara 

Such a great mascara -  I think this comes in a Brown-Black as well, so just be careful and get the BLACK version. Amazing in ONE coat, but 3 is also a good idea! When it comes to mascara, it's gotta be Maybelline 

5. Mac Eye Kohl in Smoulder 

Go to the Mac counter, ask them to apply a stripe of Smoulder to your hand. Then ask them to put a black eyeliner next to it. The Smoulder is darker. Keep it sharp - it's the only black eyeliner in the world, to me. Use it to line the inner eyelid, and smudge it along the bottom - it's deliciously black!  I neeeeed my black eyes or I look sick!

6. Mac Lipglass in Florabundance 

Peachy pinky shiny goodness in a tube! I've honestly used this colour Lipglass since I was about 21 and THAT was a long time ago. Love it - neutral but so feminine and so great over lots of different shades of pink/ peach/ coral lipsticks. So glamorous! 

Glam Glossy Rubyboxes!

There are quite a few  "monthly Beauty Box" companies in SA, namely Glambox, Glossybox and Rubybox

Such a fun concept to receive  a beautifully packaged delivery couriered to your doorstep every month! And how intriguing not knowing what little delights you are in for, until you open it up ( read: rip open the cardboard with your bare hands ) 

The concept is simple: you sign up for either a monthly subscription or a subscription "package" of various ranges, and once a month you get sample or full size products from top brands.

Beauty houses who participate in the sampling include L'occitane, Gatineau, Crabtree & Evelyn, Africology, GHD, Clarins, Decleor, L'Oreal and all the major perfume brands! 

For around R100 a month ( Currently Glossybox is R130 per month ) you get to potentially discover amazing products that you may not imagine being able to live without some day! 

The awesome thing about RubyBox is that you can cancel at any time, so if I decide I want to switch to another supplier, I will! No lock-in contracts or auto-renewal with no escape clause! You also fill in a personal beauty profile on the site, so they match products to you eg. if you have combination skin or dry hair, stuff like that...

Another awesome feature which they've made available on the site is that you can go back and have a look at what people received in boxes from months gone by. Snoopy snoop! ( Like! ) 

My mom 

It's my mom's 60th Birthday in a few weeks time so I have signed her up for RubyBox as I looked at the selection of products from some of the past RubyBoxes and I thought she may really like all the skincare products.

Hop onto the sites and decide which box is for you! 

Glambox, Glossybox and Rubybox

Heaven...Ginger Cake ...Did Somebody say Winter?

I have been CRAVING a gorgeous, warm and Wintery Ginger loaf or cake  for weeks now – I could have just stopped by Woolies and got one of theirs ( Let’s face it what would we do without Woolies? ) but I love making things from scratch – this will include the custard and whipped cream I’m going to serve with it….

Ginger is so fragrant and reminds me of Christmas time – even though in our South African December, cooler desserts are on our minds...The deep spicy brown colour of ginger cake drives me mad and if you bake it just right you get a rich moist edge and a chewy sweet top. 

I suppose the main difference between a cake and a loaf is the pan you bake it in, so I’m going to make mine in a Bundt tin or a large springform cake tin and see how it turns out!

We have no plans on Saturday and I’m going to try this recipe I found on the net, which isn’t gluten – free, but it does include FRESH ginger! How different … I’m so excited, because I know exactly what’s going into the cake, and by using the fresh ginger, it’s going to be so moist and so full of goodness!

Before we get to the recipe, here are some health benefits of Ginger

-          It can be used to treat morning sickness and motion sickness

-          It has anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural painkiller

-          It can be used to reduce heartburn!

-          Cold and flu prevention

-          Migraine and menstrual cramp relief

( So you’re kind of going to need a kick of Ginger at some stage of the year! )

What you’ll need

115 grams of fresh Ginger  ( Pick some up at a Food Lover’s Market or Pick n Pay )

1 cup molasses

1 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2.5 cups of flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup water

1.       Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and put a rack in the centre of the oven

2.       Grease your loaf tin, bundt pan or springform cake tin

3.       Peel your Ginger pieces, then use a food processor to chop all of your ginger finely ( you can also grate it )

4.       Mix the  molasses, the sugar and the oil, in a large bowl

5.       In another bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon and cloves

6.       In a saucepan on the stove, bring the water to a boil. Stir the baking powder into the boiling water.

7.       Pour this into the molasses mixture

8.       Now stir in the ginger  

9.       Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the batter

10.   Now add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until everything is thoroughly combined

11.   Place your tin into the oven for about an hour, check at 50 mins. Do the toothpick test to see if it’s cooked all the way through

12.   If the top of your cake browns too quickly, continue to bake with a piece of foil draped over it

13.   Remove, and cool for at least half an hour. Decorate with sifted icing sugar, if you want to.

14.   Serve with custard, cream, ice-cream or all three 

Now your house smells like Christmas! 

Love My New Toy

Yes! My mother told me not to play with scissors but these are my beloved pinking shears. I have lusted over these for soooo long and now worrying about hemming the edges of fabric is a thing of the past :)

Just use these lil darlings and, for the most part, your fabric won't fall apart

This weekend I decorated jars with cutlery in them, with some scalloped scraps of material and they looked fab 

Sort of similar to this 

You can use them to make table decorations, bunting, or you could buy some heavy-duty fabric that you would use to make curtains for example, and make some cheap and beautiful placemats or table runners. Why be ordinary when you can add the simplest touch to the outer edges? 

Amber Jones for Mr Price - "Edie and The It Girls"

Image from InTheFashionLoop.com

Once upon a time Amber Jones was my neighbour

Just two Durban Girls High gals hanging out and talking about boys...

She has become one of the most amazingly inspiring designers in this country and she brings out the most incredible ranges for the Limited Edition Project ranges which hit Mr Price stores with a vengeance a few times a year.

Go to the Mr Price fashion blog, In The Fashion Loop and have a look at her latest range's LOOKBOOK

So 60's inspired, I just love it - I think I want .. EVERYTHING! 

In stores from Friday 15th June...tick tock! 

HOLLYCAKES - Durban

My little sister HOLLY  is an incredible baker.

If you live in Durban & you need a cake or cupcakes for an event, she can help you out - whatever colour, decor, flavour you need! 

She is based centrally, on the Berea. 

Her details are below - honestly you have NEVER tasted cake so good! 

Just some of the special event cupcakes she has made in the past


You can find her cakes and cupcakes ( she is famous for her  Red Velvet ), at
Something Special, 99 Clarence Road, Greyville, Durban
or
order direct from Holly on 031 2076914/ hollycronje@gmail.com