Love me or leave me..

In the spirit of all things love & romance, I've rounded up my current favourites as subtle guidance to the misguided. To all the Valentine's grinches out there, this blog post is not for you.

There is far too little love in this world as it is, so when you have an opportunity to express yours, seize the moment and as cliche as this all sounds..Life is just too short for meaningless conversations about Valentine's Day being every day. The reality is that it's not, so show your appreciation with a lovely sentiment.

Love comes in many ways, for some it's Chanel and others maybe it's cupcakes. Either way whatever you decide to do, do so with the best intentions and LOVE. Spend it with an old  friend or someone close to you like your mum if you don't have a person of interest. I am happily staying indoors for now and attending two weddings over the weekend which is quite enough for me. Precious time spent with family and loved ones always tops my list any day.

I'm still going for GOLD with these 'finds' from Woolies stores.

Salento Bath & Body Treats R199. The french glass dome is a bonus and OH so pretty.

Super snazzy glitter travel mug R89.95 for days when you need to dash out first thing in the morning.

Tres chic gold quilted cosmetic bag R180 from Country Road just because I love it so much.

And because Valentines' calls for some Valentino love...From about R865 depending what size you go with. 

I'm sending this post into cyberspace, hoping someone is taking notes..you should do the same!

Happy LOVE day lovelies..

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

RUB RUB RUB it off..

What better way to kick off the new year and your beauty regime than with an invigorating body rub to scrub away all of last years troubles. Body scrubbing has some great skin benefits, as it kick starts your skin metabolism and rids the body of unwanted toxins. For those like me in the cellulite phase of my life, it evens out the skin tone and assists tremendously in this area. It also gets rid of the excess dry layers and polishes your skin to silky soft smoothness.

Regardless of what brand you choose, all scrubs will get you the same results. Most scrubs have sea salts and sugars as a base, and they basically all do the same thing. The only difference is the fragrance layering so that's a personal preference I guess.

What I did like about the Lush Scrub is that its a finer sea salt as some can be quite course and a tad harsh for my liking. My skin was nonetheless super softer than a baby's bottom after the whole application. Remember to do all of this scrubbing inside the shower or bath as all this can get quite messy.

I must admit, I'm not crazy about the mimosa and orange blossom infusion as I got more more of a washing powder fragrance which just lingered all around me. If you're a mom then you probably know what I'm referring to. I'm not sure.. maybe I spend too much time doing laundry.

About R148 for a 330g tub, and considering that a bag of 500g pure sea salt is about R5, I'm thinking I prefer doing the laundry and not the math right now.

Hello Monday...and back to the laundry for me..xx

Best of Bloom.. #10daysofgiving

I scream..I scream..we all love ICE CREAM. Grab a couple of tubs of your favourite flavour and share with your special loved ones. Wishing you all a yummy Christmas filled with peace and love and may the New Year bring you much love and blessings. Happy holidays..xxx

Haagen-Dazs Mint Leaves & Chocolate 

Best of Bloom.. #10daysofgiving

This is just pure decadence for any  host, relative or friend during this festive period. One of my personal favorites has to be the Peony & Blush Suede which I religiously light and move from room to room so that it leaves it's heavenly scent everywhere I go.

                                Peony & Blush Suede Candle R600.00 Jo Malone

Best of Bloom.. #10daysofgiving

My best of bloom gift suggestions have become more of a personal wishlist it seems, and these lovelies literally have my name all over them.

Yasmin Sandal R349.00 Witchery