Social duties..

Seen at the House & Leisure House of the Year Awards 2013.  Pictured with Quanita Rinquest, Greer Krige and Stacey-Dee Morris

It's spring..are you cleaning?

While the idea of spring cleaning your beauty bag, or drawer on a Friday night might not sound like the most exciting thing to do, the thought of making way for some fresh new colours and 'beauty 'treats' may just be the sweetener to this awfully boring task.

I personally like to keep my make-up & skincare routine simple, so it helps when deciding what to keep and what to toss. I must admit its not easy as I'm always at the 'GLAM' counters browsing for the latest trends and products.

Winters done and fairy dusted, so start with your basics. Foundation has a shelf life of not more than eighteen months so that can be saved until next winter, depending on how long you've had it of course. I try to make a mental note of the dates when I buy new products, it never helps as my brain is filled with so many things at the same time, but I'm thinking about writing the dates on the bottom or back of the packaging, let me know how that works for you. Do store away from direct sunlight though . It's also best to opt for a lighter tinted moisturizer or sheer foundation for the warmer summer months ahead.

Mascara generally lasts about four months and this is one item I know I am guilty of holding onto a bit longer than I should, I do however monitor when applying. The more you use it the more air gets pumped into the container increasing the risk of bacteria getting inside. You can tell when it starts to go 'off', it gets drier and clumpier than usual and may also have a bit of an odd odor. Toss it out! You are setting yourself up for a serious eye infection.

As for the eye shadows you just had to buy at the last clearance sale three years ago, if you not using it get rid of it. In fact you should be throwing it out the window. Powder shadows and blushes last about two years and the gel and creme counterparts usually less, about six months to a year because of the moisture content, making it a great bacteria playground. Opt for natural matte shades for the day and a bit of shimmer to dazzle your date nights.

To clean pencil eyeliners all you need to do is sharpen before every application. That's not so difficult. Their liquid cousins however I would classify with the mascara family, if its dry and smelly, toss it out.

Now for my love of lipstick, this little darling has been put to test and it has been noted that if you apply your lipstick three times a day, you would get about 293 swipes of colour, and that would equate to about three months of usage. Wow?!? It lasts about two years but mine seldom does.

Brushes and sponges I wash with warm soapy water and leave to dry in the sun. I prefer not to wash sponges more than once, I just replace as needed. Do not forget your make-up bag or box on wheels in my case, I use wet wipes to give it a good old wipe down, and they actually good for any make-up spills.

So there you have it, all clean and fresh as a daisy and ready to welcome the seasons new sparkles. I'm thinking of dashing over to the Chanel counter in the morning to pick up a lipstick or two just to spoil myself for all the hard work.

Remember, keep your make-up simple and do what works for you.

Until next week..much love

Miss Bloom

the Hoty 2013..

I may probably raise a couple of curious brows when I say I attended the Hoty Awards this evening..and yes it was quite delectable if I might add. From the food and drinks, to the exquisite venue, the annual House and Leisure, house of the year(Hoty) awards was quite the party. Lights, cameras and beautiful people in every corner, uploading, tweeting, blogging about it. Quite the eclectic mix, from the very local breakfast show anchor to musicians, and Cape Towns finest professionals and their designer wives in Jimmy Choo wedges, to match the bags of course. I did make some cute 'colorful' friends who kept us girls entertained all evening. Let me not forget to mention the goody bags..aahhh yes, the sweetener to any night spent in uncomfortably high heels. Some special treats from H&L, chocolates by Tomes, a cute stopper from designer Carrol Boyes and Love Milo to mention but a few..xx

for the love of waffles..

Creative genius Andrew Lewicki has managed to turn every morning into sunshiny happy days with his LV monogrammed waffle maker. Which girl wouldn't love this little baby as a special gift. I know I would. For that special someone who has a taste for the finer things this life has to offer..❤ *hint 

the vanilla story..

who knew that the vanilla pod is actually derived from the only fruit bearing orchid in the family..the vanilla orchid..I've spent hours researching this wonderful flower in the hopes of reaping its benefits..and so the irony of my love for all things orchid related has taken me on this journey..like Alice down the rabbit hole in search of new beauty potions and lotions..and hopefully some soothing possibilities..

cosmetic chaos..

the past couple of days has seen me scramble back and forth to different cosmetic counters for advice after my Neutrogena episode..it seems my skin at this ripe old age has now become very sensitive and I've had the misfortune of having every side effect after using the age defying serum..dryness, flaking, redness..oh my gosh I want to scream just writing about it..so with wilted spirits and patchy skin I set off once again to the beauty department..back after a few hours..blah blah blah..I'm now slapping on miracle broth in the hopes of some superficial salvation..wish me luck!

coming of age..it had to happen at some point!

so I've just returned from beauty product shopping..one of my all time faves!! bags of pint sized elixirs and serums whispering sweet promises of eternal youth and all sorts of nice things any girl likes to hear..this time I'm trying Neutrogena as I've used other products in the range before with no fireworks.. but no disasters either..what I adore about this brand is that its quite simple and easy to use..always a plus in my books..lets' hope I look younger and more fabulous by this time next month..promises promises ; )