March Favourites

This is my very first time doing a monthly favourites blog post, and I have been so excited to write this post! I am going to be sharing with you what I have been loving this month, so get comfy because this is going to be a long one!

COSMETICS

LIPS:

The first item that I have been absolutely loving this month is my Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm. I have used Carmex before (the cherry flavour) and I loved it then as well but just never ended up buying it again. I made a plan to buy a tube of Carmex this month as Cape Town is starting to go into the colder season and I do not want dry or chapped lips - especially if I am going to wear any matte lip products, my lips need to be smooth. I bought the tube version (there are tubs as well but I prefer a lip balm that I don't need to use my fingers for) at Clicks for R54.95. It is on the pricier side of lip balms but I feel like it has made a huge difference, it does such a great job at giving my lips the moisture they need and I highly recommend it. Carmex also feels really good on the lips as it tingles once you put it on and it has a slight scent to it that is not overbearing.

I decided to buy a NYX Lip Lingerie matte liquid lipstick and I fell in love. I had been wanting to buy one for so long and I am so happy that I finally did. I did a few swatches on the back of my hand in the store and my favourites were a brown nude called Honeymoon and a mauve nude called Bedtime Flirt. I ended up trying each of them on my lips to see which one suited my skin tone the best and both of them looked better than I thought they would and I wanted to buy both but I ended up just going with Bedtime Flirt in the end because it was my favourite between the two. The consistency of the product is very nice and it is more of a mouse-like texture. It does not dry extremely hard on the lips, it dries more soft and velvety, and to me it feels as if I am not wearing anything on my lips. I prefer that it does not dry instantly and that it is not too runny, because it makes it much easier to apply and fix it up before it dries. The wand for this liquid lipstick is perfect and it makes the application so super easy, I have tried liquid lipsticks that have terrible wands and I end up messing it all up. I purchased my NYX Lip Lingerie matte liquid lipstick at Clicks for R149.95, and I am pretty sure I am going to be adding more of these to my makeup bag.

FACE:

I have been using this product for a few months now and I am in love with it, it is the Maybelline Master Bronze palette.

Whenever I do my makeup I always use this palette and I feel like it just pulls my makeup together and gives it that finishing touch that it needs. I only use two colours in the palette: the warm, brown bronzing tone

and the gold highlighting tone

I don't use the other colours on my face but I have tried them as eyeshadow colours and I think they looked good as eyeshadows because they are neutral shades that will not look like too much. I like that this palette has multi-purpose and it was definitely worth the purchase. The bronzing colour blends really easy and you do not need that much on your makeup brush to see the colour payoff, I apply it to my temples, some of my forehead, my chin, my jawline, my neck, my nose and just under my cheekbone (areas where the sun catches your face) to add dimension and colour. The highlighting shade is so pretty and I do not even need a lot of it to look glowy, I apply it to the sides of my nose, the top of my lip/cupids bow, my cheekbones and my brow bone. I bought my palette from Foschini and it was R249.95, which might sound like a lot for a face palette but it has shades that can be used for whatever you desire and it is not a small palette either. I have been using mine since Decemeber and it does not really look like I have used it that much yet, when I use it all the time.

EYES:

When I had my makeup done at Bobbi Brown for my Matric Dance, the makeup artist used the Smokey Eye mascara which made my lashes look so long and it made them pop, I never knew any mascara could make them look this good. At the end of my makeup appointment I got to choose two products from Bobbi Brown to the price of my makeup session. I opted for the Extreme Party mascara, which is similar to the one that was used during my makeup session.

I really like the brush for this mascara and it does add a lot of volume and curl to the lashes when applying the mascara, which is what I always want out of a mascara because my lashes are not short, they just aren't noticeable until I apply mascara to them which adds the volume and curl that they need.

I got my Bobbi Brown Extreme Party mascara from Edgars, and it goes for R390.00, which is more on the pricey side of mascaras. I personally would not normally pay that much for a mascara but I feel like it is worth it is if you are looking for that perfect mascara that works for you and does not damage your lashes. I absolutely love the way this mascara makes my eyelashes look and I love that the formula is thick,but not too thick in consistency and it does not clump my lashes. For what it's worth I don't mind paying that amount of money to have an amazing mascara that does exactly what I want it do and does not damage my eyelashes.

NAILS:

At the moment I am loving four nail polishes, three of them are from Sinful Colours and one of them is from Essence.

The Essence colour that I have been loving is the Essence Colour Booster Base Coat. I purchased this nail polish when it was on sale for R39.95 at Clicks. Before I would never apply my nail polish with a base coat and now I can see why I need a base coat. It helps enhance the colour and make it stand out more, especially when it comes to light or shimmery shades. I don't need to apply a million coats of a nail polish to finally see the proper colour, at most I need two or three coats of my nail polish, depending on how intense I would like the colour to be.

My first favourite of the Sinful Colours is the blue. I have never owned a blue nail polish like this and it is the kind of colour I have always wanted to have. It really does pop and it looks really nice when it is on. It has a pink glitter in it as well, which I love. The colour is Too cool for Pool.

My second favourite colour from the Sinful Colours is the nude colour with a gold shimmer in it. I really love this colour and sometimes I prefer having a neutral/nude shade on my nails so that it does not clash with anything, and to be honest I do not know what this colour wouldn't go with! It is a perfect combination of neutral and glam. The colour is Prosecco.

Lastly is the metallic, silver nail polish. I don't wear this shade as much as the other two but when I do wear it, I marvel at how amazing it looks on and it goes with anything and everything. This colour is Diamond in the Raw.

I purchased all of the Sinful Colours nail polishes from Foschini and I am not sure about the price but I think they normally are priced around R30-R40.

FRAGRANCES:

This month I have been loving two fragrances.

The first one is my Women's Secret Candy Temptation Perfume.

I got the perfume for Christmas and I love it so much! It has a really nice fresh but sweet scent that isn't too overbearing. I got my perfume from Foschini for R156.95.

The second scent that I have been loving is my Sorbet Spa Escape Sea Botanicals body spritzer.

I love the Spa Escape Sea Botanicals range and last year I had the hand cream from this range, so when I saw that there was a body spritzer in the same scent I got super excited and could not resist buying it. The smell is very fresh and clean with a hint of sweetness and the reason why I love it is because it reminds of bath products (Fenjal - Swiss bath & body products) that I used when I was a little child - my mom would put Fenjal bath oil into the bath. To me this entire range smells just like Fenjal and it is a fraction of the price. There are body lotions and butters, hand creams, bath oils and shower gels in the Sea Botanicals range from Sorbet available. I purchased my body spritzer from Clicks for R36.99.

BODY:

I have been using this product for about two years now and it has lasted me that long, it is the Body Shop Beautifying Oil in Chocomania.

This oil can be used for anything (which I love) and it smells divine. I have used this product as a moisturiser after I have shaved my legs or just as a general moisturiser. I love the way it feels on the skin and how it is not extremely oily after you have rubbed it in, it also gives your skin a dewy glow after you have put it on. You can find this product at any Clicks stores or The Body Shop store itself and it is priced between R130-R160.

The Oh So Heavenly Happy Hands hand sanitizer in the scent Hula Hands is probably my favourite hand sanitizer ever.

I have never been big on hand sanitizers before because I had used horrible ones before that I did not like the scent of - they smelt completely like surgical spirits and they had made my hands feel sticky after use, but when I tried this hand sanitizer from a friend I instantly loved it. It leaves a light scent on your hands and it does not leave them feeling sticky either. It is also the perfect time to be using this kind of product now as Cape Town is experiencing a drought and we need to be water wise. I purchased this hand sanitizer form Clicks and they have a wide variety of different scents in the Oh So Heavenly range. The are priced between R10-R17.

FASHION

JEWELLERY:

I have mostly been loving jewellery items from Lovisa- which is where I purchased all of my Matric Dance jewellery from.

I really love my big hoop earrings, these are not from Lovisa, they are actually my mother's spare pair of hoop earrings (which I have started wearing). I just feel like they tie my whole outfit together and they have come back in fashion again.

My next favourites are the earrings that I wore for my Matric Dance. In my first holes I wore the spiral earrings that hang through the back and the front of the ears - I had been wanting a pair of earrings like these and I just think they are so cool, in my second holes I wore big cubic zirconia earrings and I wore a smaller pair of cubic zirconia earrings in my third holes.

I absolutely love my choker from Lovisa. I wear this choker all the time! I had been looking for a layered choker for a while and I was so happy when I had finally found one at Lovisa. I paid R180 for the choker.

CLOTHING:

My first two favourite clothing items that I have been loving are my shorts from Billabong. There was a 2 for 1 special at the surfstore (Lifestyle surfstore at Surfers Corner in Muizenberg) and I could not resist, especially since I had been eyeing these shorts for a while. The first pair are my absolute favourite pair out of the two as they were my first choice when I had first seen the shorts in the store. They are a cream and navy striped pair of flowy shorts with ripped and frayed ends. They are made from a thin material and they are extremely comfortable. I also love that these shorts are high-waisted, which I always prefer, and they tie at the top so you can adjust them to fit your waist. They are the Starstruck shorts by Billabong and they are prcied at around R495.00 (what I paid for mine).

The second pair are a pale-pink colour in the same style as the striped shorts and they are also from Billabong, they are also priced at R495.00. I do love these ones so much and I am so glad I got both of the shorts because when I looked at both pairs in the store I knew the striped ones were my favourite but I thought that I would love to have a pair of the pale-pink ones too. Both pairs of shorts are still available on Spree (one of the best online clothing and accessory stores in SA) if you would like to find them!

My last favourite clothing item are my pair of Kali drapey pants from Cotton On. They are black, high-waisted pants with a white stripe down the sides of the legs. I love these pants to bits and I have been wanting a pair of these pants for so long because they go with everything, you can dress them up for a more formal occasion or just wear them casually! I got super excited when I saw them at Cotton On and I ended up buying a pair. They are priced at R399.00.

PLACES

THE PANTRY:

This month I made a few stops at the Pantry coffee shop on the way to school, we do stop for coffee there often but not as often as I did this month. I love the customer service there and their coffee and chai lattes are amazing - to top it off they put these cute little heart shaped chocolate chip biscuits on top of your take away coffee for you. You can choose to sit down or have a take-away, I always just get a take-away as it is when I am always on my way to school in the mornings. The coffee shop is situated on Ladies Mile next to the Total garage and the Spur in the Bergvliet/Meadowridge area. The Pantry also make really delicious pastries and baked goods.

MYOG:

This month was my first time trying MYog, and I have fallen in love! I tried the MYog in Stellenbosch and I had the English Toffee frozen yogurt and the Double Raspberry dairy free frozen yogurt (it was a new flavour they had brought out that was made with coconut milk instead of dairy), which were both so delicious. I will definitely be going back to MYog for some more frozen yogurt. There are branches closer to the Southern Suburbs (I just tried the one in Stellenbosch because I was out there with a friend and we were really keen to try it when we saw the store). There is a MYog in Gardens and Sea Point.

FOOD & DRINKS

SALTED CARAMEL(WOOLWORTHS):

A few months ago I tried the Handcrafted Salted Caramel from Woolworths, and now it has become one of my favourite sweets. It is the best salted caramel I have ever tasted. I have tried some of the worst salted caramel ever that is either way too salty or is just like plain caramel. This salted caramel has the perfect balance between the sweetness and the saltiness which is what makes me love it so much! You can find it at any Woolworths and it is sold for R32.99 as a slab.

TV SHOWS

RIVERDALE - SEASON 2:

One of my absolute favs! This show has so much drama and suspense. What makes me love Riverdale even more is that it is based on the Archie Comic's characters, which I used to read when I was a child and loved. The show is currently on season 2 and I have already seen the whole of season 1. I stream Riverdale online and watch my episodes weekly when they are uploaded onto the site.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER - SEASON 4:

I put this series in my favourite Netflix shows and now you know why it has been put into my monthly favourites as well. I absolutely love this show and I make sure I never miss my weekly episode of the current fourth season of How to Get Away with Murder.

LOVE ISLAND-SEASON 2:

I started watching Love Island last year when I had heard about it from a few people and I am so glad I started watching it because I loved it and now I am obsessed. I watched season 3 (most recent season) which came out last year and decided to watch season 2 this year and I love it just as much. If you have never watched Love Island you are missing out and it is honestly one of the best dating shows I have ever seen, I actually rate it much higher than The Bachelor. I also stream this series online from a site.

YOUTUBE

ZOELLA:

I have been watching Zoella/Zoe Sugg's videos for the past three years and she has honestly become a huge inspiration to me and is definitely my favourite Youtuber! Her videos are always so genuine and just full of great content! She does both vlogging and normal Youtube videos.

POINTLESSBLOG:

Alfie Deyes is another one of my all time favourite Youtubers and he is Zoe's boyfriend. I enjoy watching both of their videos and I love how genuine they are as people and how they have stayed true to themselves as Youtubers because they both started out on YouTube when it was nothing. Alfie does daily vlogging and he does post on his normal channel as well. I try not to miss my daily vlog and I honestly enjoy watching his videos so much.

INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS

OLIVIA BUCKLAND (LOVE ISLAND S2):

My favourite person from the series and she is goals!

THE SUNDAY CHAPTER:

I discovered this account this month and I lover her blog, her Instagram story templates and her feed. It is honestly all so amazing and inspiring as I hope to grow my blog as big and beautiful as hers!

ZOELLA:

My favourite Youtuber and she has the best feed!

NADIA JAFTHA:

Nadia Jaftha is a South African Youtuber and content creator, who has grown a huge following on social media as well. I love Nadia's funny videos and I know when I look through her Instagram I am guaranteed to be cheered up! She also takes such amazing photos, she is so beautiful and she does really great beauty product reviews. I also watch her YouTube videos. She is someone I look up to and she has worked so hard to be where she is now.

ALEXIS REN:

My favourite model and she posts the most beautiful pictures on Instagram. I also started watching her YouTube videos, where she shares more about herself. She comes across as such a genuine and kind person. She keeps it real and I like that!

MUSIC

1. NEVER BE THE SAME-CAMILA CABELLO

2. THE MIDDLE-ZEDD, GREY, MAREN MORRIS

3. PSYCHO-POST MALONE FT. TY DOLLA SIGN

4. THESE DAYS - RUDIMENTAL FT. MACKLEMORE, JESS GLYNNE & DAN CAPLEN

5. WAVES-JEREMY LOOPS

6. FIFTY SHADES FREED ALBUM:

1. For you-Rita Ora ft. Liam Payne

2. Capital Letters-Hailee Steinfeld & Bloodpop

3. Never tear us apart-Bishop Briggs

4. Heaven-Julia Michaels

TWENTY ONE PILOTS:

1. Ride

2. Heavydirtysoul

3. Fairly Local

4. Heathens

5. Stressed Out

8. LINKIN PARK:

Literally all the Linkin Park songs from every album.

9. DUA LIPA:

1. Blow your mind(mwah)

2. IDGAF

10. MEANT TO BE-BEBE REXHA FT. FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

APPS

WE HEART IT:

We Heart It is a picture app where you can heart the pictures and add them to collections on your page where people can follow you and view your collections. I use We Heart It to find the best quotes and backgrounds and it is so easy to use. You can access the website on the internet but I find it easier to have the app on my phone to download pictures. I have been using We Heart It since 2013 and will continue to use it and love it for a long time.

VSCO CAM:

When I discovered VSCO Cam in 2015 it made me so glad to finally have a really good photo editing app. I had gone through so many photo editors and hated most of them but I have been using VSCO ever since I found it and I love it! It has the best filters and effects to give you the most aesthetically pleasing photos.

CLUE PERIOD TRACKER:

I only started using period tracker apps recently and Clue is the second one I have tried and it is by far the best! I find them good to have in order to keep in check with what your cycle is doing and it teaches you what to expect and when to expect it. Everyday you fill the app in with how you felt, if you were sick, what was your cravings throughout the day, if you have your period then what was your flow like (you can choose which categories you would like to pick from on a daily basis), and from there the app picks up and learns more information about you. You then enter your period when it starts and the app will begin to predict when your next period will happen and how long your current and future periods will be - it will not be accurate for a while (it might actually be completely off), but it is still needing a month or two to adjust to how your menstrual cycle works. I have been using Clue since September and I really like this app. It notifies me when I am ovulating, when my PMS is predicted to come and when my period is going to happen. I like that this app gives you a timeline in the form of a wheel which you can move around and see when you will be ovulating, having your period or experiencing PMS (it gives you the day in your cycle and the date). It also shows all of your data on your calendar which you can go and look at anytime you would like to or if you would like to go back and view what you filled in from a different day. I love this app and I use it everyday. I just thought it would be a good thing to put in my favourites and recommend.

PINTEREST:

I have been using Pinterest for a long time and I have always loved it. I always find great ideas, recipes and pictures on there and it such a helpful app to have because you will definitely find whatever you are looking for. You can save pins to your boards (categories- e.g. Recipes) and view them whenever you would like. It is such an easy app to use and whenever I am in need of some inspiration I take a look through my Pinterest.

HIGHLIGHT OF MY MONTH

The highlight of March for me would have to be my Matric Dance night. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had and I had the best time with my friends. It was wonderful to celebrate how far we had come and our final year of school before we go off into the real world. It was definitely an unforgettable and memorable night!

Our dance was hosted at Suikerbossie Restaurant in Hout Bay and the theme was vintage glamour. It was also so nice to have my makeup done on the night, which was done at Bobbi Brown and I was super pleased with their work.