Mojito anyone?

So I'm totally obsessed with the Virgin Mojito range at this point, as its everything it promises to be. A perfect summer indulgence if like me, you love the smell of freshly bruised mint muddled with lemon and limes. I have been running around for the past couple of months and it totally slipped my crazy mind to upload this post. It was meant to be my final instalment of the Spa of the World launch held a couple weeks back. It's clean, its fresh, and oh so crisp. **WARNING** Extreme intoxication up ahead!!

Exfoliate, scrub and polish your skin to perfection and replenish with intense hydration body butter.

It's in stores today and if your'e in the Cape Town area pop by the new-look Tygervalley store. Sadly I could'nt make that launch as I was eid prepping at the time. Just a couple more weeks to breeze through before the jolly season up ahead. But in the meantime, I'll have another mojito please!

Oh hello October..xx

Spa of the World Media Launch

Words fail me when I think back to last Thursday's Spa of the World Media launch. The weather played along and I was happily swept away to probably still one of my favourite venues in Camps Bay, the Bay Hotel. The super awesome team over at the Body Shop launched what must have been the most anticipated range for the year. Well at least I seem to think so!

First order of business was as an update as to what they have been doing apart from creating delicious skin treats for me and you, and it's probably one of the reasons why I love the brand so much. They live up to their brand values and always give back to local communities.

Beauty insiders were treated to four deliciously decadent ranges and a peek as to what Christmas will be looking like in stores. The Spa of the World  is a ritual sensory overload intended to create the 'spathroom' experience in the comfort of your home. Think Egyptian Milk & Honey milk baths, French Lavender oils, Dead Sea Salt scrubs and my already personal fave the Japanese Camellia Velvet cream. I haven't even mentioned the full range here and I'm dying to jump into my beauty box to start trying them. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up as to what to expect when these hot prods reach the stores which will be over the next couple of months. The new look packaging is pure decadence & sophistication to match this luxurious indulgent range.

Some more from the launch will be up over the next few days.

Happy days..xx

Winter Warmers

I'm sharing some of my winter skin favourites this morning because I know exactly how harsh the elements can be this time of the year.

Always remember that it's best to load your skin with vitamin-enriched products early to combat excessive drying, and you will definitely reap the benefits as your skin matures. I cleanse as normal with Chanel Lait Douceur which is a smooth cleansing milk, and tone with Chanel Lotion Douceur. This reminds me there's a review on that soon. I like mixing and matching my products and don't always stick to one brand for the whole routine. High end low end it really doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm getting the best results possible for my skin. I also have a bit of sensitive skin and it seems to get irritated easily especially when I'm trying new products. I'm way more cautious now and have limited the amount I take on board my skin in terms of brands. A very small amount of Vitamin E Moisture Cream is enough for the whole day and it's not heavy or oily in any way. It's light, easily absorbed and just as fresh as the pretty pink packaging.

As for this little bullet, firstly the size is perfect to pop into an already full make-up bag, and yes I was swayed by the packaging simply because I love pink everything. It's only been a couple of weeks but it's refreshing and soothing on the eye area after a late night out. I also love the almost dewy glow it leaves just below my eyes. These two have become daily staples and just enough to get me through with no skin drama. Both are in Body Shop stores nationwide so it's best to invest!

Sweet like HONEY

So totally shameless when it comes to faking it with bronzers and cremes, which are standard on my beauty shelf all year round.
I'm just horribly pale and it makes me feel a bit more acceptable to myself during the cold season. I
also love to hibernate so this is just brilliant for when I finally do surface at the start of some sunshine. No streaking and easy to apply whether you're at home or like me in the South of France.

Honey Bronze is just super sweet for that sexy glow we all love to love all year round. The highlighting dome is a must for a natural sun kissed look and it's made it to my top personal favourites list already.

Oh Honey..smart girls FAKE it!!

**PS. Did I mention the Sales?

Sexy Friday up ahead..
HRH Bodyshop Queen

True Beauty comes from the heart..❤️ #stepup&standout

As a mom of three I place a great deal of importance on education, and have also made great sacrifices to ensure that my kids have access to the best level of education. It is however very sad that so many children in South Africa are just not that fortunate to have this basic human right. The Body Shop, together with Media 24 and Badisa are doing an amazing collab and using all proceeds from the sale of the Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray to help those less fortunate kids. It's a great initiative and would like to encourage all who can help make a difference by purchasing it.

I'm also always on the lookout for great gift ideas and have added this to my 'go to' list for upcoming celebrations where gifts are required. It's perfect for a baby shower as a token to the 'mom to be' who definitely needs a bit of TLC as most of us moms know how tiring it is to be carrying a baby to term. 

Brides also take quite a bit of strain with all the wedding planning so it's ideal as a bachorlorette party gift as well. 

Mother's Day is also just a stones throw away so that's another special occasion and gift sorted. Mix it all up with some delicious chocolates and flowers and mom will appreciate the great sentiment. 

I've included the you tube link just for reference to this campaign. 

http://youtu.be/KVbssO3C0ZQ

Whatever the occasion it's a great way of giving back and life is just like that. The good you do comes back to you..

Sending a little love all around today..xx

A spot of tea please!

The Body Shop has literally gone to the ends of the earth this time to create this awesome new range of green tea products. The Fuji Green Tea Bath & Body range is infused with green tea leaves all hand picked from the Mount Fuji region in Japan.
Now after more than three weeks of being dismally under the weather, and when green everything just looks so much more appealing, this is exactly what my Doctor ordered!
It's detoxifying and invigorating and to all of you who swear by drinking green teas, this is the equivalent in skincare. Loaded with antioxidants, it's been a skincare secret with Japanese women as they believe it to retain moisture and tighten pores.

There's a little something for everyone in this range from exfoliating soaps and scrubs, to hydrating body butters and delicious sorbets. I personally adore the bath tea salts and infuser ritual and use the exfoliating soap, which is just bliss after after a long day. Seal your entire tea experience with lashings of either body butter, body lotion or the sorbet. My skin gets a whole lot drier during the colder months so I prefer the body butter pour tous types de peaux, which has a 24H intense hydration benefit. The Eau de Cologne leaves a clean and crisp freshness and is the perfect blend of green tea with top notes of  bergamot, lemon and mandarin, and floral notes of Camellia, Jasmine and Violet. It's in stores as of 6th April, so go and grab a little something to soothe your senses and calm your mind.

Happy almost weekend my loves..xx

Breaking beauty news..

Truth be told, my days of firm and tight skin seems to be fading away quite gently, and I have embraced this natural process with grace on most days. On the days that all grace has been used up, well let me just say, there are some pretty amazing products and treatments in stores if you're looking at delaying the signs of ageing.

If you remember in a previous post I blabbed on about INSTABLUR and how truly amazing it is, and how I secretly wished that it was a treatment product?

Well, the beauty fairies at The Body Shop clearly were listening in on my wishes and are just about ready to launch WONDERBLUR! 

It's part of the Drops of Youth skincare range and an extension of Instablur, but with a bit more substance.   The light-weight formula contains Edelweiss stem cells which has powerful skin renewing properties and organic babassu oil to instantly create a smoother youthful radiance. Unlike Instablur which is more of a perfector, this moisturises for about 12hrs and continued use will actually improve the overall condition of the skin. I use mine after applying moisturiser and am happy to report that I'm back to my wonder years because hey I'm far from ready to be dealing with the golden years.

Available nationwide in stores from 9 March 2015.

No Tuesday tantrums here..it's super hot today so don't forget to cover up with a good sunscreen.

Sunshine & Smiles
xx

Some POPPY love..

So The Body Shop HQ seemed to be buzzing with excitement this week, as it launched the Limited Edition Smoky Poppy Range, amongst other things.

Infused with real hand-picked poppy flowers from the Ankara region in Turkey, this range is pure skin delight on another level. Delicious poppy seed filled exfoliators and massage oils promising skin highs and ultimate indulgence.

The smokingly hot and sensual campaign certainly had me sitting upright and breathless in anticipation, and what perfect timing I might add seeing that Valentine's is not too far off. I suggest you leave some serious nudge and wink hints if you want to experience this sensory overload.  

Adding to all the euphoria, Instablur managed to scoop the Woman & Home Beauty Award for best primer as well. NO surprise here!! 

So in the spirit of Valentine's and because I love sharing, I'm giving away some of this Body Shop LOVE. Get colour crushing with a Pink Poppy Shimmer Cube to dazzle your date night. Tell me what's your  favourite Body Shop product and leave your comments in the box below or mail me at orchidbloom@telkomsa.net

Thursday smiles.. it's almost weekend..xx

Filter your world..

If you love photo-sharing your world as much as I do, then this is one product that is sure to become your new best friend. InstaBlur is hot on The Body Shop's top seller's list and quickly becoming a 'must have' item in my make-up bag. Like a spot of magic at your finger tips, this universal 5 action perfector will leave your skin flawless and photo ready for any flash.

It's a velvety, waxy texture that just melted onto my skin on application. It reduced the appearance of pores and blemishes in an instant, leaving a sheer matte finish. What left me pleasantly surprised is that after I cleaned my face and removed my make-up, my skin was still super soft with a dewy finish. I'm going to be  very bold and say it was more of a treatment product for me.

Subtle tones of a BB cream, primer & illuminator rolled into one, with a 12hr shine control. This is a huge plus considering that we're slap bang in the middle of a very hot summer. Use it underneath foundation to keep your look fresh and extend your make-up for the day.

There's no need for filters here, so just add this little gem to your make-up routine, and blur out your selfie imperfections. It's pose and pout on repeat all day long.

Available in stores nationwide and online at www.thebodyshop.co.za

It's all sunshine and smiles ahead because selfies never looked so good.

Happy Wednesday loves..xx

Best of Bloom.. #10daysofgiving

This special edition Geisha doll lip and cheek stain gets both my thumbs up in the packaging awards. It's super cute and a perfect festive gift if you looking to get a small something that will impress. I've always been a huge Body Shop fan and this is just LOVE in a tiny bottle. 

  

The Body Shop R130.00

All hands on deck..

GUILTY as charged...for not spending as much time looking after my hands as I should, and much to my own detriment. The constant washing of hands and being in the sun etc tends to leave my hands dry and wrinkly so much so that they look much older than me :)) 

I must admit I spend quality time cleaning and moisturizing my face but I don't always make the 'time' to slap on a little hand cream..tsk tsk!

I've started by investing in a few tubes of good quality hand cream, and also have been given some lovely gifts. They a great gift by the way, whether a birthday or just a sweet 'I'M THINKING OF YOU' kind of gift to a friend. I make a note of leaving them all around the house, in the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and my car so I don't have an excuse not to moisturize. It's a lovely indulgent spoil just before getting into bed and I'm crazy like that because I use it on my feet as well. Hand creams generally are more rich in texture so it's a wonderful treat for the twinkly toes after a long day.

There are so many available depending on how much you want to spend. From the basic department store brands to the more lux beauty brands and speciality body stores like the Crabtree and Evelyn, Jo Malone, The Body Shop and Lush who all stock some great products.

Do yourself a favour and don't neglect your hands, it's a dead giveaway if you trying to fool the age department. ; )

Happy Saturday lovelies..

xx