Essie – All Dolled Up

January 31, 2014

Summer Lovin’: Essie ‘Too Too Hot’

I decided to treat myself to a pedicure last week at my beloved Dante Wellness Spa (Lizelle for nails, Nicole for waxes – trust me) because my poor, tired hooves were in desperate need of some TLC. As a surveyed the Essie rack of polishes, trying to decide which shade of red to choose, this little beauty caught my eye. ‘Too Too Hot’ is from the 2011 Braziliant Collection, and I can’t believe I didn’t spot it sooner – I loved it so much that I promptly bought a bottle and went home to paint my fingernails! As you can…

January 15, 2014

Best of Beauty 2013: Make-up

October 21, 2013

Manicure Monday: Essie Topless & Barefoot

With summer fast approaching I have shelved my usual plummy reds and purple nail polishes in favour of something a bit more light and fresh. My go-to shade for the past two summers has been Topless & Barefoot by Essie, which I think sums up the spirit of summer perfectly (I mean, don’t we all want to be topless and barefoot? I know I do – well, in a way that doesn’t get me arrested, of course). The shade is a lovely soft pinky beige and, this is going to sound ridiculous but please humour me, it looks expensive. You…

June 26, 2013

Favourite Five: Winter Nail Polish

1. Essie Nail Polish in Sole Mate – R99 The perfect deep, rich plum colour for cold, drizzly days. 2. Revlon Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel in Beguile – R89 An intriguing, blackened blue-purple duochrome in a hard-wearing formula. 3. Inglot Nail Enamel in 965 – R99 Unusual, high gloss, blue-toned gunmetal shade with no nasty chemicals. 4. Nails Inc Nail Polish in Porchester Square – R110 A sophisticated, muted, mushroom colour – this bestseller is the perfect winter nude. 5. Ciaté Crème Nail Polish in Main Stage – R99 A bold but chic purple-pink creme for those unready to take…

May 7, 2013

Mother’s Day Beauty Buys: On a Budget

If your mum is anything like mine, then she doesn’t spend lots of time or money on herself. Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to spoil her with a treat from the beauty department and here are my favourite finds if you’re on a budget: Essie Nail Polish in Ole Caliente – R100 African Extracts Spa Treatment Pack – R100 The Body Shop Honey & Oat 3 in 1 Scrub Mask – R125 LUSH Dream Cream body lotion – R155 Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Cream Mini Kit – R160 Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina – R180 Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara – R180

April 25, 2013

Revlon Nail Art Stencils

I came across these in Clicks a little while ago and I thought they were cute so I picked up the bow and moustache designs. Each little block is a self-adhesive stencil that sticks well to your nails and lets you quickly and neatly jazz up your manicure. I put them to the test using Essie Off the Shoulder as a base and Woolworths Metallic Champagne for the accent colour. My verdict: Fab and fun! Price: R29.95 Availability: Clicks, Edgars, Dis-Chem, some pharmacies Images by me.

April 8, 2013

Favourite Five: Red Nail Polish

I have had a long-standing love affair with red nail polish –I am rarely seen without a slick of crimson on my nails. As a child I remember watching my godmother, Annie (the most glamorous woman in the world), lying by the pool in heels and a one-piece, doing her nails. And they were always red – this is wear it all started. For me, real nails are just so incredibly chic – they are the quintessential finishing touch. They have the power to transform any woman into a veritable glamourpuss. Here are my top 5 favourite reds of all…

April 3, 2013

March Favourites: Jules

1. Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream in Medium I’ve been testing some “drugstore” BB creams over the past couple of months but the problem is that the minute I tried this one, I didn’t want to use any of the others! I’ll go into a more in-depth review when I do the full post but for now let me say that it has a light texture with medium coverage and an easy-to-blend formula. The finish is satiny and far less greasy than the Garnier equivalent. 2. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant I received a sample of this from a friend in the industry…

March 27, 2013

Pro Tip: The Key to a Chip-Free Manicure

Our friend Charlotte is not only a top financial PR strategist, fluent in Russian and Spanish, and generally awesome, but she is professionally trained manicurist to boot. Here are her tips for achieving a chip-free mani: “Until I learnt from the professionals, I never managed to maintain a chip-free set of painted nails for more than two days. Now, I paint my nails on a Sunday night, and they still look pretty much perfect by Friday (however my short attention span usually dictates a change in colour by at least Wednesday!). There are a number of forces at play which keep…

January 13, 2013

My Manicure: Essie "Tart Deco"

Pretty, nê? This is one of my favourite nail polishes from Essie. It’s bright without being neon so totally appropriate for you office-bound types, and looks fantastic on toes too (especially if you have a tan or are lucky enough to have naturally darker skin). My only issue with it, as with all of the lighter Essie colours, is it needs a few coats before it turns opaque. Essie is available from Clicks, Dischem, Foschini, Edgars, Wellness Warehouse and various pharmacies, and is priced around R100 each. Image by me.

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