Shimanksy is a Girl’s Best Friend

When one gets invited to lots of events, or one has to attend them for work, it can get tedious. Events become a blur of soggy canapes and too-sweet drinks, people one doesn’t care for and goodie bags that just don’t thrill.

But some events stand out from others. And on Monday I attended one that will stay in my memory forever.

Natalie invited me to be one of a handful girls to spend a night fully enjoying the Shimansky experience.

Upon arriving at the Cape Town Diamond Museum I was handed a glass of bubbles and joined four other girls, including the lovely Emma and Jules on a tour of ‘diamond through the ages’- from when the first diamonds started forming, to the first engagement ring, to the present day’s most impressive jewels.

Once we’d gasped at the replicas of the Cullinan, the Burton Taylor, and more, we found ourselves in the Shimansky store. After an introduction fro Mr Shimansky himself, who is a wonderfully approachable man who radiates a love for beautiful jewels and the pleasure they bring, we were left to enjoy the best night ever.

Stations were set up for all of us, now joined by Misha, Emma, and Fran, to have our nails, hair, and makeup done, all while being fed bottomless bubbly and sushi. Best night ever, right?

But wait, there’s more!

We were also given free rein to try on everything and anything in the shop! Yup, for a few hours all of us were walking around with jewels to the value of R2 million and more on our fingers, around our necks, and in our ears. We were given fur coats and frames with which to pose in the photo booth although, of course, the jewels took centre stage!

Lucky Emma walked away with a diamond she won in a lucky draw! Hers came in a bottle of My Girl, Shimansky’s signature eau de parfum. We were each fortunate enough to walk out with a bottle of the fragrance, which is wonderfully rosey and feminine. It lasts all day and is perfect for summer and those days when one is feeling really girly.

All in all this event was flawless. Every aspect was enjoyable, it was a great mix of people who loved spending time together, and had to be asked to leave because, of course, none of us wanted to extinguish the fantasy by removing those dazzling pieces of jewelry. This will go down in my mind as one of the best events I have ever attended. Moreover, SC got his wedding ring at Shimansky and we had a completely professional and enjoyable experience there so I can definitely recommend them. Their more extravagant pieces are absolutely exquisite and staff were helpful and friendly and even complimented my Tiffany ring!

My Christmas list for this year will not to be modest.

My outfit. I decided to pull out a few stops with Louboutins, a Tiffany bracelet, a Pringle bag. The dress is H&M, for balance.

The new LBD: Little [actually, not so little] black diamond.

Natalie with her props.

Getting my make-up done by a lovely girl from Namibia hoping to break into the film industry with her makeup skills.

When things are so shiny you camera struggles to focus on them? That.

This rock is so big it looks almost comical on my fingers. Love. My nails were done at the event in a gorgeous OPI shade that is a deep plum, almost black.

Emma trying on Tanzanites. Did you know they were only discovered in 1967? I learnt that from a Shimansky employee.

Getting my hair done by a wonderful Scar stylist.

Ooh la la! The final pose.

My gorgeous new fragrance. Similar to Gucci Envy, which I love.

 

 

These are a few of my favourite things!

 

Louis Vuitton, and Paris.

See you in September, Paris. Can’t wait.

Summer Skin!

It’s summer in South Africa! Well, getting there. Every now and then we still have overcast days with a chilly wind blowing, but we’re definitely getting there. But summer means more than just cocktails and lounging by the pool. It’s a whole new season, meaning a few skincare routine changes.

I am sunscreen obsessed [and you should be, too]. I have also taken on the task of ensuring SC is covered in SPF whenever we go outside [shame, his poor English skin cannot handle the South African sun at all!]. So this new product from Nimue is pretty much my favourite thing ever. It’s an SPF4, but unlike the stuff your mum would have smeared on your face as a child, this is not oily or sticky, and it doesn’t smell like a food group or bubblegum. Your face won’t be shiny and feel gross and slimy. It will feel just like your regular moisturiser, but you’ll be protected from the sun! It really does not get better than that. For every day use they also have a great SPF 20, and a tinted version.

Be careful with the SPF lotions you buy. Do your research. Many of these only protect against certain rays, and many don’t offer protection at all! It’s dangerous, so don’t be tempted by strawberry scent and pretty packaging. I like to go for scientifically formulated SPF, so that I know it works.

 

It’s summer sandals season, and trust me there are few things as unattractive as dry, cracked, old-lady heels. If your heels are prone to this, use the Nimue heel treatment. It works!

Mine have been okay so far so I just use a regular moisturiser. I don’t like my body products smelling like chocolate or fruit or whatever. I think that tons of perfumes and things can compromise the function, so I go with good ol’ aqueous cream. R20 a tub, and it will last for months!

There are only 3 lip treatments worth using, in my opinion:

1. Nimue lip treatment. Smells a tiny bit like vanilla or cocoa butter or something. Not thick and greasy, applies smoothly, makes your lips look healthy, and keeps them moist.

2. 8 Hour Cream. An old faithful, and 90% of the global population’s number 1 beauty product they cannot live without. The only complaint they have ever gotten is about the smell, and they make an odourless version now, too. Win.

3. ZamBuk. It’s a South African thing. Smells vile, does the job, costs next to nothing.

Nothing more refreshing than a sprits of Vitamin C in the morning! This will leave your face feeling fresh and summery, and it’s a great way to wake yourself up first thing in the AM.

I recently acquired some of Revlon’s hand cream with SPF 10. I like that it has an SPF [although I take care to apply a higher SPF to larger freckles on my hands], it smells nice enough without being overwhelming, and it doesn’t leave my hands feeling oily- the lotion seeps in quickly. I apply this at night as I get into bed, and I find I can generally go the next day without hand cream.

So, that’s my summer skin guide, in a nutshell. I still stick with my evening routine of Nimue cleansing gel, following by their conditioner, and then a moisturising night cream [sometimes with the Super Hydrating Serum under that]. In the morning I just rinse my face, condition, and then apply my SPF. That stays much the same throughout the year, but a few things need to be upped or added, as shown above.

 

 

 

A Summer PSA

This isn’t exactly a fun piece. It isn’t humorous, and it doesn’t have pretty pictures. It’s not depressing or gross, though, and it is very, very necessary that you read this.

My mother was always obsessive about sunscreen. Every two minutes I was pulled out of the pool or off the horse and more thick white goo was applied to my face.  It irritated me so much as a kid! But today I am so grateful to my mother, and I apply SPF to my face every single day, even if it is raining and I am indoors all day.

SC got sunburnt badly a few times as a kid. As a result thereof he has to have a skin cancer check every six months. I decided I would go to his doctor, too, for what they call ‘mole mapping’. Here’s what it entails, and why everyone should go:

It’s not exactly a great experience, you know? First you stand in front of a stranger in your underwear. Doctor or not, that’s not as nice am activity as, say, a glass of wine with your best friend. Secondly, said stranger takes pictures of your body in sections. These show up on a big computer screen and trust me, that doctor’s room lighting would do any super model injustices. I cringed more than once. The doctor then ‘maps’ the moles you have. He labels them, and thereafter pays special attention to the ones that are potentially problematic. He cleans them and then takes a really, really close-up picture of them. A mole, multiplied by a bajillion and shown on a big screen, is not pretty. It’s not cute like, say, a baby panda. But then again, neither is cancer.

The surprising thing for me was that the moles I had been worried about were nothing: non-threatening moles and in some cases not even moles but pigmented polyps. One of the two moles that he marked was a tiny little freckle on my stomach that I had never even noticed! And I can’t help but wonder: how many people don’t have check-ups because they think they aren’t at risk since they don’t have huge moles all over their bodies?

The two moles he marked were in the “yellow zone”, one of them inching towards orange.  The zones go from white to yellow to orange to red, and obviously red is a very dangerous place to be. The doctor told me these could be problematic and I would have to come for a three-month check-up, which I did yesterday.  If they had gotten worse, I would need to come in every three months for monitoring. Since my last visit I had become even more SPF-crazy, and yesterday I found out it had paid off! Both moles had moved backwards towards the white zone, and now I only need to go back next year!

Last week, my English teacher from high school, who was just a wonderful human being, died of skin cancer. It can spread to your other organs and kill you. It can kill you, full stop. And yet every summer we see people lying in the sun, covered in oil, desperate for a tan. We fry ourselves, despite the risk of CANCER, just so our skin will be a little darker. Isn’t that completely insane?

I think everyone should go for mole-mapping at least once, if only to know where they stand. You may think a tan is sexy, but skin cancer is most certainly not. And since even cancer can’t deter us from striving for ‘beauty’, I urge people to think of how much worse they will age because of all of their time in the sun! Ladies, you want to carry a vintage leather bag, not look like one.

If you have just thirty minutes and R300 to spare, call Dr Pieper’s office at 021 42 44 257 and make an appointment. He practices from a gorgeous old Victorian house on Kloof Neck Road and his receptionist is such a laugh. And maybe someday you will thank yourself for it. In fact, I’m pretty sure you will.

Right. Thanks for reading. Here’s a picture of a bunny:

Healthy, Happy Hair

Thanks, @hueytilley! Best hair dresser in Cape Town. Go to Love, in Gardens.

“Cloud” by Revlon

New Favourite Skin Product

Recently I picked up a Nimue product I had never tried before. Of course, having never met a Nimue product I didn’t love, I was confident this would be no different.

The Super Hydrating Serum is a booster treatment. After cleansing and toning at night, you apply this, and then follow up with your normal moisturiser. This seals the product in. Basically it gives your skin a super boost of moisture, as well as anti-ageing support. It reduces and maintains ‘transepidermal water loss’, and using it long-term will result in smoother, hydrated, supple skin.

It can be used on all skin types, too, which means that now and then when SC [who has 'environmentally damaged skin'] is at my place for a last cup of tea before we part ways, I attack him with some Super Hydrating Serum to the face! [It's fun]. It’s a light, fresh gel that isn’t sticky or slimy. Best of all, it works! It really is a super boost for one’s skin and I can already see a difference from using it. My skin feels smooth and soft, and looks glowy and fresh.

I would recommend this to anyone whose skin is a little on the dry side, and who wants that soft, dewy look [who doesn't?], especially in the cold months of winter, which really take their toll on our skins. The serum restores the balance and comfort in skins that is exposed to seasonal changes, so this is definitely going onto my Winter Skin SOS Kit list as a product I cannot do without in winter.

Loving This Colour

It’s called Waterlily. By Dior.

Glowy Wedding Skin: How To

Obviously on my wedding day I want my skin to be clear, dewy perfection. More so than usual. But in order to achieve this, I decided to do… nothing. That’s right. I have continued using the same products I have used since I was a teenager, since these have always worked amazingly for me.

Quick side note, before I dive into a list of my favourite products: I also take care of my skin outside of facials and daily care routine. This means a good, healthy, balanced diet. I eat little junk, and I never starve myself. I drink as much water as I can [it's a struggle for me to get my daily 2 litres, but I try]. I drink wine a few times a week but I don’t go on huge drinking binges. I also don’t smoke. And I try stay happy and content in life. All of these things, I believe, count as much [if not more] as the products you use.

I’ve pretty much always used Nimue. Now and then I’ll use something else for a while because I get a product in a goodie bag, or someone recommends it, but I pretty much always return what I have always deemed the best skin product in South Africa. Here’s what I use:

Morning:

I’ve recently changed my routine from washing my face twice a day to only washing it at night, and in the mornings I rinse it, and then apply toner with some gauze. I apply this very gently around my eye area, and I also apply it to my neck and chest.

This is followed by eye cream [I use eye cream EVERY day, twice a day. Follow suit, ladies. You'll be grateful when you're 30/40/50] and then SPF. I wear SPF every day. Nimue has a great SPF 20 which doesn’t make my face feel- or look oily at all.

Night:

After removing my make-up, I use Nimue cleanser to wash my face. I have never ever come across a cleansing gel even vaguely as wonderful as this one. It foams, and it cleans your face well. What I also love about Nimue is that their products don’t smell super nice, like fields of daisies or chocolate or spice. When I use products that need to job a job that is not to make me smell nice [that's what perfume is for] I want minimal smelliness as I feel this isn’t always good for one’s skin, and often an amazing smell comes at the price of an effective product. Nimue is good for your skin. It doesn’t make you smell like a food group.

I use eye cream [again] and then a hydrating moisturiser.

Once again, my skin is hydrated without being oily, and it feels soft and smooth.

Other times:

Some of my other favourite Nimue products go beyond daily facial routine.

This is a MIRACLE product. I think a lot of people use exfoliators too often, and too harshly, and the results are not good. But when you use a chemical [as opposed to physical] exfoliator, you get all of the benefits of exfoliating without the risk of damaging your skin. I use this once every two weeks or so, and it works wonders.

On days that I know I will be in the sun a bit I use Nimue’s Sun C SPF body spray. Obviously if I will be completely exposed, and for a lengthy period of time, I use an SPF 50 [and reapply obsessively every few minutes], but for smaller doses of sun exposure this product is perfect and, once again, not sticky or oily.

Your lips haven’t lived until you try Nimue lip balm. Oh em gee.

Recently Nimue sent me a little gift to help me get glowing wedding skin. I had never tried their body oil, but one test and I love it. You spray it onto your skin before bathing and it leaves your skin silky smooth without oiliness. Super fab, and I will most certainly be using this on my wedding day.

Leading up to my wedding I’m doing masks [and using the exfoliating enzyme] more often than usual, and going for Nimue facials as frequently as I can. I feel confident that my skin will be wedding ready by September, and love me for the extra TLC.

Nimue also has various masks, intense treatments for specific skin problems, body treatements [including hand and foot treatments], a men’s range, a youth range [try some of the Youth tea tree oil moisturiser on spots and pimples- it does wonders], and pretty much every single thing your skin will ever need.

So, if you’re thinking of changing your product, or wondering what’s best, give Nimue a try. I’m pretty sure you won’t be sorry.

Wedding Nails?

Call me crazy, but I’m not keen to go for a French manicure on my wedding day. They’re very pretty and classy, but when they’re one with fake nails they look pretty trashy in my opinion. But without the fake nails and gel/acrylic, a straightforward nail polish French mani is just so finicky! I generally keep my nails not-too-long, so I thought I’d rather paint them a soft, pretty colour. And this colour would definitely be either Dior or Chanel. These are my favourite nail polishes- they have the best colour, the application is smooth, and Dior especially dries super duper fast. Perfect!

A soft grey, perhaps? Unusual, but pretty!

Something a bit more summery.

Wedding perfect.

Perfect for a spring wedding.

I stumbled upon this Chanel Le Vernis video recently. It’s a nail [and nail varnish] cabaret! I really am liking Jade Rose here. But this video is just something fun and silly to love about a very serious, legendary brand.