I rarely go to events these days but there are some brands that can always pull me out of my pajamas and away from Netflix. I went to check out the launch of MAC Studio Fix's expanded range of shades because that is the kind of beauty that I can get behind. MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundations (with SPF of course) now come in 64 shades! They've also expanded their Fix Powder Plus Foundations and their Studio Fix Conceal and Correct palettes. As if that wasn't enough, they also released new Studio Fix 24-Hour Smooth Wear Concealer and a new cream-based Sculpt and Shape Contour palette.

MAC always brings the fun and lets us mix our own make up at their events. You might have seen me playing with some colours on my Insta Story to get the perfect shade of foundation. MAC has been ahead of the game when it comes to celebrating iconic, individualistic beauty. I'll never forget their Ru Paul Viva Glam campaign from the 90s. They've worked with creatives both well-known and underground, and they've had an inclusive spirit since well before shade diversity controversies of the late 2010s. They aim to celebrate all ages, all races and all genders and they've maintained that mission since before some millennials were even born.

Go get matched in-store because you will be able to find your perfect shade. The thing about foundation is that for me, I could never find shades light enough. I'm no bronzed goddess, I've got that pale AF dutch skin but I always loved it because it's different (and I dream to be a goth queen). On the other end of the scale, I know there's lots of ladies who couldn't find shades dark enough or cool-toned enough so these are the kind of products I relish.

I tried out some of the products and my fav is the concealer, it just brightens me up nicely and the 196 brush is super sturdy; I forgot how great brushes are to blend. All products are available now at MAC stores nationwide and online as well. MAC has also started their own local instagram. Check them out at @maccosmeticsafrica.

One of the first "grown-up" make up products I ever got was a MAC Foundation. I still remember my shade: NC 15. Ahh pale as all hell, that's me. MAC has stayed on top of the game with their iconic, cult faves routinely espoused by the beauty community: Ruby Woo Lipstick, Mineralize SkinFinish, Whirl Lip Penicl and of course, what some might call the holy grail, Prep + Prime Fix Plus.

I'm a big fan of MAC sprays. I also love their Mineralize Charged Water Skin Hydrating Mist because I've got dry skin so I treat myself that that fine glittery water. The Fix Plus keeps my make up looking amazing so when I heard they were releasing new scents and finishes, I was all. aboard.

My BFF Michelle loved the Coconut scented finish because she's living her best life traveling in Asia and the more holiday vibes, the merrier. It was a close tie for me between Rose and Lavender but I've always been in love with that calming violet aroma. If violet had an aroma it would be Lavender, ok? One of the most exciting additions, however, is the Fix Plus Matte. Now, I was forgetful (lazy?) and didn't shake my bottle before I set my make up with it the other day and; don't do that. I ended up with little white powdery dots on my face because it's infused with translucent setting powder. Give it a shake like you're supposed to and it's smiles all round.

I've honestly never felt this beautiful or confident and you know what? It totally has to do with my relatively recent full-on make up obsession. Once I really got to know my face and what works for it, I started to feel like a goddess and I want every girl to feel like that. I love how women are taking back the beauty industry and subverting beauty norms but that's a whole other post.

Thanks to MAC for letting me play scientist by mixing my own custom setting spray with some dewy rose pigment. That's what my "Sheri" bottle is if you were wondering; good ole' Fix Plus with some added attitude. Hope you check these other beauties out!

When Leigh van den Berg of Lipgloss is my Life emails you, you answer because she's probably going to make your week a lot more exciting. I had been laying low for a while and taken a break from blogging when Leigh asked if I'd like to join her for a "spoilicious blogger sleepover" at Southern Sun The Cullinan. Um, hell yes! I was a longtime fan of Tsogo Sun spas but I hadn't yet had the opportunity to stay over at one of their hotels so I was in.

The Cullinan is situated in Cape Town's CBD, super close to the V&A Waterfront (as you can see above from the pic of the view from my room) which makes it a prime location for tourists and domestic vacationers alike. I arrived to be greeted by supremely helpful and friendly staff. The Guest Relations Manager, Hannes walked me to my beautiful, lush suite which is larger than most of my friends' apartments. My eyes may have done a cartoony bounce thing for a second. I do love hotels, I'm a city person so robes, Wi-Fi, room service and mini bars are my vibe. While the suites are mind-blowing and include butler service, every room features luxury amenities like day-to-day complimentary Wi-Fi, ensuite bathrooms with a separate bath and shower, digital safes, minibars and tea and coffee facilities.  

Back to my day at Southern Sun The Cullinan. After Hannes set my bags down, I took a treat from the table in my lounge which had been set up with fruits, wine and chocolates and then headed to another room that had been arranged as a spa for myself and my fellow blogger babes Leigh, Brigitte and Karisa. The fun begun with champagne, macarons and mani-pedis provided by the ladies from Mangwanani Boutique Spa. We enjoyed a lovely pampering session which left us reluctant to part with our comfy gowns. We then went down to the Star Bar and Terrace which is located next to the hotel's beautiful pool. We toasted our yummy cocktails, had a few laughs and enjoyed fresh seafood platters. Well, the girls enjoyed the seafood and I enjoyed the alcohol XD

We took a rest in our rooms before dinner at the Peach Tree buffet where the dinner staff brûlée your crème brûlée in front of you. That dessert was delicious. The evening didn't end there, we went back to the Star Bar and partied into the early hours of the morning before eventually ending up in Karisa's suite dancing like maniacs. I could easily live in one of the suites, in fact, my bed was such a dream that the girls had trouble getting me out of it the next morning. I could have easily slept the day away. 

Thank you to the girls and to the team at Southern Sun The Cullinan for a stay to remember. I highly recommend this hotel, do check it out if you're looking for a great place to stay in Cape Town.          

Summer is enjoying its swan song right now so I thought I'd talk about how to keep a little bit of it with you. I'm super pale and I really like my default skin. I also, however, like trying new things and I have never tried fake tan. I know, what? I was curious so I thought I'd give it a whirl and change up my look.

As I've said, I enjoy being pale so I wasn't looking to go full Oopma Loompa, I doubt anyone is but regardless, I wanted something subtle - a little radiant pick-me-up. I tried out the TanOrganic Tan Trilogy Try-Me kit which includes an exfoliating glove to ready your skin or erase your previous tan, a mitt to apply your new one, self tan spray and moisturising oil to lock in the tan when you're done.

You can gradually build up your tan and re-apply it as you see fit but being a novice I stuck to the "less is more" notion and I think it served me well. I think it's also better to apply a new layer every evening if you're looking to get a more sunkissed look. Using the kit was super easy and quick, though I did mess up a patch on the back of my leg which I rectified the next day XD

It takes eight hours to really develop and while I was quite dark at first, after my shower in the morning I was content. I loved the natural fade and the fact that I couldn't really smell much. I'm quite familiar with that fake tan smell from my years at fashion school, I remember one particular moment when someone yelled, "Oh my god, who is wearing fake tan? I can smell it!".

TanOrganic is also cruelty-free and lacks all that icky paraben business with 99.6% natural ingredients. I mashed up some pics I took before and after application to give you a good idea of how it came out. If you're interested you can shop the products online at http://www.tanorganic.co.za/ Xx.

I'm sure you're aware that most bloggers are actually giant nerds. Ok maybe not giant nerds but I believe there's a good helping of nerd going on. I never review gadgets but like most people, I'm obsessed with my phone so when I recently got to play with some new Samsung products, I wanted to share it with you guys. Just to be upfront, I want to let you know that I didn't get paid to review anything, nor have I been gifted with any Samsung products. Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business.

I'm a Samsung loyalist and I don't know exactly how it happened but I've managed to amass a Samsung microwave (nacho setting OMG), laptop, tv and Galaxy S4. Why am I not an Apple aficionado? Well if we're just talking about phones, I have a few reasons. For one thing, the SA iStore is super lame and I'm really into apps and games. Yeah, I know you can make a US account but why bother when the Galaxy App and Google Play stores are where it's at? Don't get me started on choosing the programs you want to use or freely transferring files; with Samsung, I wouldn't have to convert a song into a new format for a ringtone or even use any software, I can just plug in my phone, drag and drop a ditty and voilà! My files are all available to use in a variety of ways. When I used an iPhone, I felt like I had to do everything Apple's way which I didn't enjoy. Long story short, the more freedom, the better.   

I tested out the Samsung Galaxy S5 and one of its pals, the Samsung Gear Fit. The S5 runs Android 4.4 KitKat, has a 16-megapixel camera and a 16/32GB memory. If you're like me, you'll get a micro SD card to bump that up to over 100 Gigs...phew, that's a lot of selfies. The actual phone is a little larger than previous models but it feels lighter. It's also water and dust resistant which is helped out by a covered USB port. I will say that the USB cover isn't a fake-nailed girl's friend but then again, neither is picking up coins or opening soda.

What makes me excited about the S5? Well for starters, the camera is an upgrade. It handles movement better which makes snapping photos a quicker and clearer affair. The battery life seems amped up and the new tools option is fantastic for multitasking. Ever need to Google something while writing an email? No problem, just open the multi window and you can switch between composing and browsing. Tab addicts will feel right at home with this, I'm looking at you, 10-tabs-open girl!

The S5 has a heart rate monitor on the back of the phone and it also boasts a fingerprint scanner that works like a charm. Save your fingerprint and you'll be able to use it to verify PayPal payments or to simply unlock your phone by swiping your digit over the home key. Secret spy vibes, love it. As far as built-in apps go, the Smart Remote is damn cool. I'd never gotten a remote app that worked in the past so I actually let out a gasp when I pressed the power button and my tv switched on. Who doesn't want to use a phone to control their tv? It's so convenient! Your homescreen will still display the remote buttons so if you're absorbed in Game Of Thrones but it's time to turn the volume down, just give your touchscreen a press.
  
The S Health also got an upgrade. Now, I hate exercise but Samsung has made it kinda fun. When I was at Coachella, my S Health kept me clued in by letting me know that I was walking over 20km a day so I knew that I could indulge in a good amount of pizza with my cousin. Let me just say that even though my cuz is an iPhone nut, she was loving the S Health lowdown. She also remarked that my phone was taking better photos which is exactly what you want when you're watching Lana Del Rey do her thing.

Now Samsung has a new product to help even more with exercise, the Gear Fit. The Gear Fit is a fitness band/smartwatch that that uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone while you're working out. Whether you choose to walk, cycle or run, your fitness data will be synced with S Health. Your heart rate is measured by an LED sensor and to be honest I found that it worked much better when I was exercising than it did when I tested it out initially. The battery lasts up to three or four days which is not too shabby but what other features are we looking at? Well besides the timer, stopwatch, pedometer and excersise options you'd expect, it also functions as an extension of your phone. You can control your phone's music and the Gear Fit will vibrate to alert you of any notifications that you'd like to stay in the loop with. How about the aesthetics? I would say it's more comfortable than it is pretty and I understand that that's only practical. It's sporty-looking so I would take it off if I had an event to go to because it would mess with accessorising. If I owned one of these however, I'd be motivated to work out more.

All in all, for me the S5 is a must and the Gear Fit is a nice-to-have. I hope I helped out anyone considering these products!

I used to have great hair before I bleached it, cut it and dyed it everything from black & white to rainbow. Today my hair is still thin and it's taking its sweet time growing but thankfully it's looking a lot healthier. I love experimenting with my look and have wanted to get some mermaid-worthy hair extensions for a while but my friends who'd had them bonded told me horror stories so I steered clear. I tried some cheap clip-ins before but I couldn't do much with them...I might have melted one or two XD. Anyway this weekend I got my hands on some proper clip-ins from Clipinhair and decided to do a review.

Product - Clipinhair 20'' (50cm) Straight Platinum Blonde 100% Remy Indian Hair Extensions and Tangle Teezer.

Prep - As you can see by the colour of my bathwater, I decided to tone a few of the wefts to create some difference in hue and better match my hair because I like to use purple shampoo to get rid of brassy tones. I washed the pieces, dried them with a hairdryer (Avoid this, rather lay them out on a towel to dry) and brushed them with the Tangle Teezer before I straightened my hair to match the extensions.

Placing - I scrunched up my hair on the top of my head and then started at the back by placing a 2-clip weft on the bottom of my hairline. I then placed a 3-clip weft on top of those, followed by a 4-lip weft above the previous ones. I then put 2-clip wefts on either side of my head (above the others) and added 1-clip wefts above those. You can place the 4-clip weft at the back above the last clips but I was pretty happy with amount I'd already put in.
 
Pleased? - The extensions were very easy to put in and the whole procedure was quick. If they're put in correctly, there's no pulling and you're only aware of them if you try to feel them. I loved how they responded to my toner and I'm stoked that I can use styling tools on them. Are they obvious? Well, they will look as good as you've styled them and while I'm not the best at styling (total slacker honestly), I was pleased with the result so I can only imagine if I really went to town! I like that you can continually customize your look with as many or as few clip-ins as you like but the best aspect for me is that there's no hair damage. They slid out nicely when I removed them while my cheaper extensions used to hold some of my other hairs hostage so I'd find myself removing my own strands with the clips. Another plus is that unlike those shiny (look at me!) silver clips, Clipinhair clips match the colour of the extensions. 

Bottom line: you get what you pay for with clip-ins and a once-off investment is worth it. If you get bonded extensions, you're going to be paying a lot more, replacing them and will end up damaging your own tresses. I'm sold and I can't wait to curl them for my next night out! If you're interested in Clipinhair, check out www.clipinhair.co.za for more info. They also sell crazy colour clip-ins and hair chalk so my credit card and I need to stay away for the time being!