Happy Weekend!

It's the weekend at long last and the dreary, grey weather in Cape Town couldn't be more conducive to a relaxed weekend indoors. I am so looking forward to catching up on some reading, watching movies in front of the fire and a long lie-in tomorrow morning. Here are just a few links that I've really enjoyed this week - happy reading!

I'm lusting after these gorgeous, glitzy Miu Miu shoes for my upcoming wedding.

We've moved our wedding date forward, so planning has officially started. I'm also starting to think about my to-do list after the wedding.

I have loved Leonardo DiCaprio since I first laid eyes on him in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet when I was 13. Over 13 years later, I'm still obsessed. I can't wait for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby to hit cinemas in December. Leo is the perfect Gatsby, don't you think?

I recently watched Young Adult and it made me admire Charlize Theron's acting abilities even more. Thankfully she's nowhere near as socially defunct as the character she plays in the movie, if her Life Lessons are anything to go by!

Unsure as to which eyeshadow hue suits you best? Check out this handy colour wheel for help.

I've had lash extensions done before, and they're right at the top of my 'beauty to-do' list for my big day.

I call Cathi my 'beauty bestie' - we met for the first time at a beauty launch a few months ago and we've become fast friends. I'm always in awe of Cathi's effortless style, and loved reading more about her fashion finds.

I am smitten with Dior's Croisette Collection - think a gorgeous bronze glow, aqua nails and sheer nudes on lips, and you've got the idea. LOVE!

My fiancé and I are househunting at the moment and I can't wait to find our dream home and start decorating! I love this bedroom makeover and I'm looking forward to making our boudoir a bit cosier, too.

This week I'm craving: this bag (who isn't?), a scalloped skirt, patterned leggings and a ballerina-esque skirt.

Happy weekend, everyone!
x


image: pinterest

I'm featured on Lil Miss Freckles!

 
I often get asked what my one tip to aspiring beauty editors is. My answer, in short? Be prepared to work. If you think that you’re going to attend glamorous beauty launches straight off the bat, think again. Much of a beauty assistant or editor’s job involves writing briefs, chasing products and prices, organising the beauty cupboard, filing press releases and slogging it at shoots. If you sign up for a beauty internship, expect this and DON’T complain. Be organised, efficient, helpful and polite at all times. (And leave Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for after hours!)

For more insider info on life as a beauty editor, visit Lil Miss Freckles' gorgeous blog - you'll find the rest of my interview here.

image credit: here

On My Nightstand: Candice from The Gorgeous Gourmet

My love for cooking is a fairly new one, which, I'll admit, really only came about after my fiancé complained that I wasn't being as proactive when it came to meal times as I should be. In the past, I've been guilty of leaving the task of cooking dinner entirely up to him, but after we moved in together about a year ago, I decided (for the sake of our relationship!) to start contributing more in the kitchen. Imagine my shock when I discovered that I really enjoy cooking (!) and that I'm actually quite good at it! I have a few dishes that I've mastered and I tend to stick to them (Easy Chicken Curry, anyone? Gwyneth's 10 Hour Chicken? Done! Creamy Tomato Soup? You're welcome!), but my goal is to experiment a bit more and to broaden my culinary horizons just a tad. So I was thrilled to stumble upon Candice Le Noury's amazing blog, The Gorgeous Gourmet recently. Every time I click through this beautiful blog with it's scrummy recipes and utterly delicious photographs, I can feel the hunger pangs start to hit - even if I've just had lunch. (I'm dying to try these decadent Double Chocolate Cookies and I think this may just be the weekend to pull out the apron and do a spot of baking). You might also recognize Candice from SA's first MasterChef, where she was one of the top 50 contestants. You can read more about Candice's MasterChef SA experiences here and here. But for now, have a look at Candice's awesome nightstand - I am obsessed with her white, red and navy colour scheme!

"So, what's on my nightstand? My bedroom is themed red, white and blue-  above my bed you can just see the bottom of my "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster - a great reminder to see everyday I think!"

  
"A blackboard - my lovely boyfriend, Luke, made this for me. I love writing "to do lists" and it's a very visible way for me to keep track of the important things I need to do for the week. Seeing it first thing when I wake up, and last thing before I go to sleep is a constant reminder to get it done. I also love the satisfaction of crossing things off the list!"

 "A pile of cookbooks - my all-time favourite is Nigella's Express, and locally I'm also enjoying Bitten, by my fellow-food blogger and friend, Sarah Graham, and Bake by Tina Bester. I love flipping though cookbooks before bed, especially on a Thursday night, to find brilliant ideas to cook up on the weekend."

"A selection of magazines - even though most of my reading centres around food, I'm trying to pay more attention to the rest of my life. I've recently subscribed to Women's Health, which I'm loving. You'll also find Good Housekeeping, Fair Lady, and of course Woolworths TASTE (I can't escape food!)"

"A photograph of Luke and I -this was taken in Franschhoek last autumn, and is one of my favourite photos of us.

A little box of surprises - I do all of my beauty routine in the bathroom, but I'm always forgetting hand cream. So that stays in the box, along with my day-to-day jewellery. I like everything to stay neat and tidy, so this box allows it to all stay hidden from sight."



I love Candice's blackboard - I am an obsessive list maker, so I'm contemplating buying a small blackboard and doing the same! Thank you so much for sharing, Candice! 

To further indulge my curiosity, I'll be doing a regular series called 'On My Nightstand' where fellow bloggers and friends will take a few snap shots of their nightstand and send a brief description for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to check back regularly for the next installment. If you'd like to share the contents of your nightstand, please be in touch. I'd love to hear from you!


Images: Candice Le Noury

In awe of ombre

By international standards, I'm incredibly late in jumping onto the ombre bandwagon; I first saw images of celebrities wearing two-tone colour on their tresses almost 2 years ago. But I guess it's just taken me that long to fall in love with the look. It happens sometimes: you can't bear a certain trend, until you unexpectedly fall in love with it. After wearing my hair in what some would call my signature cut for years, I've finally decided that it may be time for a change. A scary thought, because I'm a firm believer in the old adage: "if it's not broken, don't fix it". I love my hair; it's in great condition, it's easy to maintain and (I think) it looks good! But, life is short and hair styles can easily be changed, so I've decided to grow my hair out and see what the fuss over ombre is all about. 

If you'd like to try this trend for yourself but you'd prefer a less committed approach, why not invest in a pair of ombre tights or a dress? I particularly love the idea of an ombre-inspired wedding cake...

images: 1, 2, 3, 4

A hot mess no more!

A little over a month ago, I took the brave step of baring all and showing you the sorry state of my makeup collection. I finally managed to muster up the energy to tackle this mess, and must admit that I'm very happy with the results.

I've been looking for the perfect storage options for quite sometime now, and finally settled on these blue drawers that I found at Pick 'n Pay. They were super-reasonable (I can't remember exactly how much I spent on them, but I think they came to about R100 each), and the set up means that I'm able to stand bigger items (like foundations, facial oils and fragrances) while my blushers, eye shadows, lipsticks and glosses each got their own, designated drawer. It certainly makes finding certain items much easier, and as a result, getting ready in the mornings has become a breeze!

On My Nightstand: Kathryn from Becoming You

I first stumbled upon Kathryn's blog, Becoming You,  after connecting with her on Twitter last year. Kathryn's blog is a delightful smorgasbord of everything a woman could possibly want or need to read about - from beauty and fashion to decor and travel. She even includes fun posts, like this one, which shows you how to make play dough. Whether you're in your early 20s and climbing the corporate ladder or in your 30s with a small family of your own, I can guarantee that you'll find something to suit you on this gorgeous mom's blog. I couldn't wait to sneak a peek behind closed doors to see what Kathryn keeps on her nightstand, and I wasn't disappointed! I absolutely love the hearts above her bed - read more below!

"When Chereen asked me to photograph my nightstand and share the contents with you I had a slight panic attack, you see my nightstand (or bedside table) has become a bit neglected lately and I knew there was no way I could photograph it in its current "dumping ground" state!! What was a benefit of the request was that it prompted me to do a bit of a sort out and now it is worthy of being photographed - although it is still quite full, at least you can see what is on it!

So here it is - my little corner!"

"The contents include (clockwise from top left):

- A pile of books (mostly half read and gathering dust at present!) The current books I'm reading are in the pic below.... I have been a bit slow at the moment mostly due to blogging late at night instead of getting into bed with my book. I'm hoping to change that during winter when it gets too cold to sit up late in front of the computer and the warm bed becomes more appealing! I have started all these books so really do need to buckle down and finish them. Nothing worse than not finishing a book, I can't do it!"

- "A framed picture of my husband and I on our wedding day in a pretty pressed flower frame given to be my beloved late Gran.

- A silver clock which was a wedding present from special friends - it's not working at the moment and looking a bit dull so must give it some TLC. I do love it especially as you can keep rings and earrings inside it overnight!

- A bottle of lavender essential oil.  I love essential oils and lavender is great for relaxing and calming me down! It aids sleep too - I often add it to my bath too!

- Pots of Clinique sample eye cream and night cream - meant to be here as a reminder to use them but I am pretty slack at this so they only go on every now and again... oh dear. Must try harder!

- An eyemask. OK this is not a very glam one but it is soft and dark - both very NB qualities for an eye mask. I can't sleep if it's light and I use this for day time naps when I have settled the toddler for her sleep and set up my son with a quiet activity or DVD (if he's lucky) I don't manage to sleep in the day often but if it's been a crazy morning or hectic night I try to! It helps me cope with the rest of the day a bit better.

- An ever increasing pile of magazines - I most likely choose to read a magazine over a book first, especially when I only have a few minutes before I doze off! My obsession with magazines causes my husband much frustration and I generally leave these in a pile on the floor so he can't see them from his side of the room! Current faves include Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Easy Living (from the UK), Cape Town's Child, Marie Claire, Oprah, Home - I could go on but we'll be here forever! I also have my latest Beth Moore Study Guide which I try to read and complete a few times a week."

"Around the nightstand you will find my collection of hearts (above the bed), a framed collection of black and white photos of my parents and grandparents and another little heart hanging decoration - a gift from one of my best friends. I wish I had more space for photo frames of my kids but it is a bit small. Another thing I would love to change is the colour - I am looking into ways to whitewash or distress it to make it similar to my headboard... And I would love a new set of taller, more glam lamps! I must say that I'm very glad you didn't ask me to reveal the contents of the drawer - now that would be scary - there might be things in there from 10 years ago!"

Thank you so much for sharing, Kathryn! You're a woman after my own heart, that's for sure - I am a complete magazine addict, and it drives my fiancé up the wall! I've been likened to a hoarder, because apparently I just keep bringing more magazines into the house!

To further indulge my curiosity, I'll be doing a regular series called 'On My Nightstand' where fellow bloggers and friends will take a few snap shots of their nightstand and send a brief description for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to check back regularly for the next installment. If you'd like to share the contents of your nightstand, please be in touch. I'd love to hear from you!

images: Kathryn Rossiter