A monthly collection of five of our favourite things done, seen, tasted, heard, smelt, worn, bought, savoured, enjoyed, touched, liked or loved.
Okay…. Can we just take a minute to think about the fact that more than half of 2015 has passed?! I remember thinking through my New Year’s resolutions, believing I had plenty of time to achieve the goals I set for myself. And now, suddenly, my big 30th birthday holiday is looming – but in the meantime, the past two months have kept me busy putting together my latest collection of favourite five, so without further ado:
1. Le Creuset pot
I am sure Le Creuset cookware is on most people’s kitchen wish list and this month FINALLY I have added a piece of this classic French cookware to my cupboards. As the old saying goes – timing is everything – and the purchase of the dish was enabled by a 15% discount voucher from the Elle Decoration magazine, and our credit card quarterly reward voucher, making the cash outlay significantly less than the purchase price. After much consideration, I went with a 32cm Marseille blue buffet coquette pot; the advice given by those in the know was to go as big as possible with the first purchase. Obviously, being the enthusiastic person I am, I have already made use of it twice (in one week) and am officially sold on Le Creuset. Not only is the piece aesthetically pleasing (on both the stove and the dinner table) but it is such a dream for cooking – the ability to switch from the stove to the oven being a massive benefit – while the smooth ceramic finish also makes it so easy to clean. Quite simply, this is the nicest piece of cookware I own in my kitchen and worth every damn penny!
2. Sephora Velvet eye shadow
By now, you may know that I adore cosmetics of any variety, and will always be on the lookout for new items to test out. I spotted this velvet eye shadow in Sephora (also known as: my heaven) during our Madrid break and immediately thought “MAC Paint Pot dupe”. Although I have yet to use a MAC Paint Pot myself – this ‘dupe’ is probably one of the best make-up products I have added to my drawer this year. The colour I choose – a soft, smoky brown with a touch of metallic– is the perfect base for an easy-going day time look that compliments my skin tone and eyes. The part that I adore the most about this eye shadow is its lasting power; for me, it gets through a work day without a primer and is still visible come 7pm. If you happen to be one of the million people flooding our Instagram account with your European summer holiday pictures at the moment, do yourself a favour and pop into Sephora for one of these babies!
3. Caralishious Ice Cream
As mentioned above I am handful of weeks away from my beach holiday so, like most girls, I have started cutting back on the treats in anticipation for my (early) bikini season. But like most girls, I also find it difficult to be “good” 100% of the time, and often will crave something sweet. Last week sometime I spotted Caralishious ice-cream at Thrupps (yes, I was most probably looking in the ice cream freezer), promising a guilt-free treat. I suppose it depends on what you view as a “guilty” dessert – this could be classified as one – but the fact that it is dairy-free (making use of coconut milk) and sugar-free (replaced with xylitol) makes it feel less ‘sinful’ than the other options out there. What really does matter though is the taste and I really, really enjoyed the Nourishing Peanut Butter flavour. There was no trace of that horrendous artificial/cardboard taste and, unlike many other “healthy” substitutes didn’t leave me wanting the real deal afterwards! Caralishious is actually made by the team behind Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream meaning that you are supporting small, local business (in case you needed any further convincing).
For stockists of Caralishious and Paul’s, click here.
4. Witchery White Button Down
The older more mature I get, the more I have become about adding classic and investment pieces to my wardrobe. Fast fashion is called fast fashion for a reason – my style philosophy is best summed up as classic elegance. Which is why, this white button from Witchery is one of my favourite finds of the month. A white button down is a wardrobe essential, in my opinion, and can easily be worn from day to night, from work to casual, and from summer through to winter.
What I love about this particular design is the luxurious silk blend material and the slightly longer length; it looks as good tucked into a pair of skinny jeans as it might over a bikini. The fact that I also managed to pick up this piece on sale may have resulted in a mini-splurge of some other summer essentials but this was by far my favourite piece of the lot. With pieces such as this, it is easy to understand why Witchery is increasingly becoming my go-to shop for classic items with a modern edge.
5. Viso Bello
I am always on the hunt for new nail bars: I find the really good ones are a few-and-far-between, and since my previous nail lady (the incredible Carol) moved to Parktown North, I feel as if I have been stranded in the desert of Sandton without a good option for a weekday paint.
Thankfully, I decided to try out Viso Bello (situated in the Grayston Shopping Centre) and am delighted to report back that it is an absolute treat! For one, they do Shellac and Vinylux (the only nail products in my humble opinion) and are open until 7pm from Tuesday through to Thursday. I popped in on a Thursday evening for a Shellac soak-off and application: my nails were perfectly done in less than 45 minutes!
Viso Bello also stocks my beloved Nimue products and offers a host of other facial and body treatments. Although I have to yet to try out anything except a manicure, the salon ticks all the boxes: clean, upmarket, relaxing and professional. I’ll definitely be back at Viso Bello for more!