Swiitch Beauty ’19 Winter Pop Up and Bubble Blush Review

I finally bit the bullet and went... To the Biscuit Mill and the Swiitch Beauty Pop Up on Saturday, 23 August, that is. It took extreme self control coupled with scepticism to keep me from buying Swiitch Beauty products since their launch in 2014. The rumours surrounding the brand regarding their origins, customer service coupled …

How to Pack Luggage like a Pro Even if You’re an Amateur

I recently undertook my first international trip.  One worry that was plaguing my mind was the intensive rules associated with packing for international trips as well as fitting all my things into my case. In my opinion, local travel is stress free because you can supplement anything that you forgot at a grocery or department …

How perfect is the Essence Instaperfect Liquid Make-up?

I realised that this shade is entirely too light for autumn skin tone, this fact is not helped by the neutral undertone which makes me appear sallow. So I decided to repurpose this as lightening drops.

Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define Full Coverage Concealer

My latest makeup obsession are concealers because of their versatility. If I'm honest, I'll admit that they were always an obsession of mine. But the drugstore was not always supportive of this obsession. But recently that has changed. More and more concealers from pharmacy makeup brands have been flooding ghe South African market and I …

{Book Review} Mind Platter by Najwa Zebian

Is it poetry? Is it prose? Is it self-help? Is it an autobiography? Mind Platter defies genre just like its author defies categories. Najwa Zebian is a Lebanese-American author, speaker and educator according to the author biography. The first page establishes key elements and themes of the book. "If they don't appreciate your presence, they may …

Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Palette Dupe from Dupe Factorie Review

Dupes are the Donald Trump of the make-up world... Or are they?

CHEAP GIRLS’ ULTIMATTE PALETTE? Catrice Creatice Creamy Matte Lip Palette 010 Back to the Nudes Review

When the Swiitch Beauty Ultimatte Lip Palette came out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Just like other unrealised dreams of mine, neither did that purchase. So I bought the Catrice Creatice Creamy Matte Lip Palette 010 Back to The Nudes at Dis-chem instead. At R159.95 for 10 shades plus a mini …

Flormar Silk Matte Liquid Lipstick in Misty Rosy Review

My six month blog hiatus (look at me addressing the elephant in the room) has thankfully not extended to being a make-up hiatus. I have been making a point of it to explore different make-up brands, both local and international. One of these is a Turkish brand called Flormar. I have visited the Flormar kiosk …

The Body Shop Matte Clay Skin Clarifying Foundation Review

It's been a while, has it not? This was the rhetorical question which I posed to myself while searching for The Body Shop Matte Clay Skin Clarifying Foundation. Talking to oneself may be the surest sign of sanity there is. I was searching in my chest of drawers and in my make-up bag. I rummaged …

Essence All About Roses Eyeshadow Palette Review

Hi all! I'm a big Essence fan because of the affordable pricing from this drugstore brand. So when my friend gifted me this palette for my birthday, I was over the moon. Let's see if my reaction was justified... Essence says: "8 trendy, matching rose colours that can be combined in every way. The soft …

A Review of the Yardley London Stayfast Lipstick in ‘Red’

It occurred to me - while writing this post - that I review a lot of beauty products from Yardley London. In fact, I'm working on a review of their loose powder as well. My life is a series of unfinished drafts... But dear readers, know that this post is not sponsored. In fact, none …

Sassy Wishes: July Make-up Wishlist

I blew a whole 200 MB of data surfing online beauty sites the other day... Just casually drooling over pretty palettes and the like. But what's new? If you think make-up is expensive, you should try buying data in South Africa. Fun fact: when compared to countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, Australia and …

Sassy Wishes: May Make-up Wishlist

Hello lovely readers! It's that time again...a new monthly make-up wishlist! Whoop whoop! The products of this month's Sassy Wishes is quite diverse and ranges from Catrice Cosmetics to Lush and Nyx. Without further ado, you may (weak puns on point) read this... 1. Catrice Cosmetics The Essential Nude Collection Eyeshadow Palette I’m quite new …

Unfiltered: Reflections on my Month of Instagram

Today marks a month of my being on the social media that necessitates a certain kind of perfection: both filtered and flawless - Instagram.

Food for Thought: Samoosas and Milk Tart

I was a rookie in a place of veterans. The very first veteran I met was sitting next to me on the couch. She nudged me on the shoulder: “Don’t you have a samoosa?” she asked in Afrikaans. I was confused. I ate cheese sandwiches during the lunch break. I didn’t recall having brought a …

City Diaries: Chasing Pavements

Hi! So I thought I'd experiment and write a slice of life piece from my experiences commuting in my city, Cape Town, South Africa.

The Sassy From Birth Guide to Interviews

When I walked into the room, several expectant faces sitting around a table stared back at me. So this what they meant by a ‘panel’ interview. “Well this is not intimidating at all,"  my 17 year old self blurted out. This was met by chuckles from those at the table and the level of ice …

Two Weeks and Timeless Advice

Two weeks ago, my cousin suggested that I start a blog. That suggestion was met by numerous excuses by me, one of which was: “Who’s gonna read it? I don’t have 3000 plus followers like you.” She simply responded: “Do you think I started that way?” The internet and social media is saturated with writers, …

My First Ever Eyeshadow Palette Purchase! The Beauty Treats 24 Matte Eyeshadow Palette Review

My eyeshadow purchases – much like the relationship status of some - have been single. The glittery and shimmery palettes that I do have were received as gifts. While I like to ‘shine bright like a diamond’ as much as the next person, shimmery eyeshadow is not exactly subtle when you want it to be. Having …

{City Diaries} The Mythical Mundane

An ordinary coffee date and trip to the grocery store take a mythical turn in this light-hearted edition of City Diaries (a series of creative non-fiction writing on Cape Town, South Africa).

Book Review: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

Roy dedicates her book to ‘The Unconsoled’ on the very first page. This intrigued me to no end. Who are the unconsoled? I wondered. Roy’s imagery is so evocative. An example from the first chapter: “When people called her names – clowns without circus, queen without palace – she let the hurt blow through her …

Twenty Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Working Full Time

My friend, Saara and I had a mostly hilarious chat centred around how mugs are a issue of contention in workplaces. The story revolved around a mug serving as a pot for plants and said plants being accidentally disposed of by a colleague. What is it about a seedling in a mug that resembles leftover …

Netflix Watchlist: UYARE – a story of rising above adversity

My Netflix trial has come to its inevitable end. During my month long subscription, I came across some really great programming on the platform and hope to review them on the blog under the banner of My Netflix Watchlist. I watched Uyare with my mother and both of us were deeply moved by it. It …

My First Drugstore Contour Palette: Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette

I decided to take advantage of the 3 for 2 sale being hosted by Clicks and used it for a Makeup Revolution haul. I ended up buying the MUR Ultra Contour Palette, Fast Stick Base Foundation and replenished my MUR Conceal and Define Concealer. The last item was essentially free. I am not someone who …

My Favourite Liquid Lipsticks for Autumn

March marks the beginning of autumn in South Africa. I decided to do this post of my favourite liquid lipsticks for Autumn, starting with a review of the newest liquid lipstick to my collection: Flormar Silk Matte Liquid Lipstick in Tender Terra. The Flormar Silk Matte Liquid Lipsticks are definitely my favourite liquid lipstick formula. …

Brow Wow: My Current Favourite Brow Products

This post is about my current favourite brow products - coindentally all from the drugstore. Actually, one is from a department store. These things look rachet because they are well loved...  Two of my current brow faves are from Rimmel London. They happen to be one of the drugstore brands that have quite the extensive …