Newest obsession - along with the rest of the world!

Hello everyone!

It's nice and cold here in South Africa and so my free time has mostly been spent under a blanket with a good book. Now I can feel the blush rise as I say under the blanket with my new favourite obsession, although its harmless I swear! FIFTY SHADES OF GREY TRILOGY!

If you have not heard of this before, where have you been? The world is a buzz about these new raunchy tales. Actors are all staking their claims for the roles. I know Emma Roberts has thrown her hat in the ring even though she has not even read the books. I wonder if she would reconsider after reading them. (hahaha)

Any way...so the first book is titles Fifty Shades of Grey. And as the rest of the world I have fallen for the characters and most of all for Mr Grey himself. I think woman all over the world are making the lives of men a little harder after reading and fantasising about Christian Grey.

Now I don't don't want to give too much away so will only provide the synopsis I have found on the internet.


Fifty Shades of Grey:

When literaturestudent Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey,she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. Theunworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despitehis enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable toresist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wantsher, too—but on his own terms.

Shockedyet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all thetrappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his lovingfamily—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control.When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Anadiscovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires. 


Fifty Shades Darker:

Daunted by the singular tastes and darksecrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey,Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with aSeattle publishing house. 

Butdesire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when heproposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle theirsearing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past ofher damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.

WhileChristian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger andenvy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision ofher life.

Fifty Shades Freed:

When unworldly student AnastasiaSteele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur ChristianGrey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably.Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian’s singular erotictastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christianagrees.

Now,Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world ofpossibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades willnot be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of themwould anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestylewithout sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome hiscompulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.

Justwhen it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle,misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to make Ana’s deepest fears turn toreality.

 If you haven't read the books yet, I highly recommend it! You might feel like Ana and flush occasionally due to the steamy content, but friends its worth it!

XOXO

Nix

Quick and simple.

Hi Guys!

Just a quick short blog today. I reorganised my nail polish collection, that I discusses in a previous blog, and can now actually find polishes I'm looking for! I had this tin box from another gel nail kit I got for Christmas about 3 years ago and am so happy I rediscovered it! It works beautifully for storing all the little bottles. Unfortunately it is now completely full so if I purchase any new products I will have to make another plan.

I had heard about Estee Lauders Advanced Night Repair for a while now and have wanted to try it for a while. I bought it a week ago and can now say I am addicted and in love with it! It smooths and plumps up the skin and makes it glow in the morning. Definitely  now a staple in my beauty routine!

I also did a little shopping yesterday and purchased some gold rings. I have needed some gold rings and was so happy when I came across these. Think they are classy and can be worn with a dressy or casual outfit.

That's it for now! Hope you have a good day!
XOXO
Nix

Start of Winter Haul!

Hi everyone!

Hope you are well! Winter has arrived in South Africa and that means getting out the summer clothes and making way for thick coats and boots. I have done a little shopping for the new season's approach and decided I'd do a haul blog on it. Hope you enjoy!

Firstly just and update on the shoes I bought a while back on the internet that arrived 2 weeks ago. I am in love with these babies! They look chic and are super comfortable. These little ones are going to see alot of action this winter! What I really love about these shoes are the hook used to tie them. No struggling with buckles just hook and go.

While we are on the subject of shoes lets continue with the other pairs I got. I got these cute brown booties. The look great with pants or a skirt and stockings. So comfortable and affordable! I bought these at Mr Price for R120.00 (Aprox $15.00).

I bought these colourful sailor shoes from Mr Price as well. I loved the coral colour and think it will work great for winter and summer. They were on sal and I got them for a staggering R49.99! (Aprox $6.25)

I have been watching a lot of Geordie Shore lately and have been amazed at the transformation the girls undergo before the go out for a night on the town. Those fake tans and long lashes really doll them up. Now I am not brave enough (or in the right place) for a tan like that but thought I'd like to give the eyelashes a go. I got 2 different types at Edgars over the weekend. Both are from Eyelure and were R52.00 per set. (Aprx $6.50). I got the individual lashes and have tried to apply them but failed miserably. I have not tried again but will soon.

I also got the pre-glued lashes and am very keen to try these out. I just need to wait for an outing to utilise them. Can't wait.

On to jewellery! I love wearing bold statement pieces during winter when your clothes are usually darker colours and enclosing. I found these earrings and thought they'd look great during the day with brown or black (they have a gold back to the gemstones). They were R29.99 (aprox $3.80) from Mr Price. Today I decided to wear them but lost the one butterfly and now have them in my purse. Luckily a lady found my earring and brought it to me.

I also purchased this lovely piece from Mr Price for R29.99 (aprox $3.80). I love this! It is classy and jazzes up any outfit. It's not heavy and is definitely one of my favourites.

Ok so onto the most important things for winter....coats and jerseys! I bought a simple brown polo neck jersey. It looks great with anything and can be dressed up or down. I bought it from Exact for R150.00 (aprox $18.80).

And I saved my favourite for last. My mother and I went shopping the other day and she got me this gorgeous coat from Forever New. It's look is classic 60's with a modern twist. It has cape like sleeves with pockets under the sleeves.It's super warm and hits me on just the right spot for my length. It was a little on the expensive side but fully worth it! It was R1300.00 (Aprox 162.50). The outfit possibilities for this jacket are endless and bouncing around my head. Can't wait for the weather to be really cold to take it out for a spin.

That's that for now. Have a great week and keep faith it's almost weekend again!

XOXO
Nix

Hair Grow Mystery

Hello hello!

I hope you are all doing well and ready for the approaching weekend! Today I thought I'd talk about hair.
I am currently growing my hair and it is taking FoReVeR! My hair is short, Rihanna short short and I am trying every possible thing to help it grow. There are a lot of different methods and products people say to use to speed up hair growth. Some do not work and some may make a difference. I will just run through some products I have used, some that have worked some....not so much.

Firstly I started to do research on the Internet and came across Mira hair oil. Apparently this is a miracle product that helps your hair grow inches within a month. I purchased the item after reading all the reviews on different websites and watching YouTube videos.  It was quite expensive at  R700.00 or $70.00. I did not find that this product assisted with my hair growth at all. It made my hair soft and shiny but that was the extent of it. I'm not saying it doesn't work for some people but it did not work for me.

Another product I tried, which I have used in the past, is Bergemot Essence. This is an essential oil that you add to your shampoo and use whenever you was your hair. This has assisted in the past, however, this time round I put too much of the product into my shampoo and it leaves my hair dry and hay like. It use to be sold in little 10ml or 20ml ampules and is now sold in 100ml bottles. I was not sure how much to put in and over did it. I still believe in the product (when used in moderation) and will definitely attempt it again.

Still on the Bergemot essence and bringing me to the next item I want to discuss, Horse shampoo. I have hear a multitude of stories claiming that using horse shampoo helps your hair grow. Now I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands. Can I add the Bergemot essence to the shampoo? This I have not figured out yet, however I can state that I think the horse shampoo does help with the growth process. The downside of the shampoo is the bright blue colour, the smell and that it dries out my hair. I have to use conditioner every day which is very rare for me to do. I have poker straight hair and almost never use conditioner unless I want flat lifeless hair. However, I am willing to do this since I think it is working.

The Mira hair oil is only available online while I purchased both of the other treatments at a Pharmacy (Dischem) in the hair growth/loss section. If you have any other treatments or products you believe work please share this. I think this is a situation many people go through and any knowledge will be appreciated!

Hope some of these items help those of you looking to grow your hair!

XOXO
Nix

To retro or not to retro?!

Hi Guys

If you are from South Africa I hope you are keeping warm! Suddenly winter is here!
On the trend of my previous blog I have some eBay items I am weighing up on. I need a new pair of readers and decided that I want to go retro for this one.The only downside is I have no idea how to make up my mind. These are the frames that caught my eye:

1.

 2.

 3.

 4.

Decisions decisions!
Any votes?
XOXO
Nix

Ebay Obsessions!

Hi Guys!
So as I've said before, I definitely have a eBay shopping obsession! I recently got a refund on an item that got lost in the mail and decided I had to spend that refund right away! (Did I mention I'm really bad with saving and budgets?) I found some great pieces!I find that the sellers from Hong Kong and Korea offer great products at bargain prices and almost went on a mad bidding spree. There were at least 30 items I wanted but I reigned myself in to 5 items.I have bid on them and now anxiously await the results.Here are some pics of the items I bid on.

The first item I bid on is a gold collar necklace. I saw Louise Thompson.from Made in Chelsea fame, wear one a couple of times and just needed to get one. I have been looking for quite some time and found the perfect one. Below is a picture of the three on offer. They are available in gold, silver and gunmetal. I bid on the gold one.

The second items I bid on was these awesome sunburst earrings. I have really been into gold earrings lately but have been struggling to find ones I really like. Again I bid on the gold ones and hope I get them! I think they were inspired by Nicole Richie's House of Harlow collection. I have a black and gold necklace that would look great with these babies!

The last items I bid on are three separate bids but since they are very similar I thought I'd discuss them together. These spike items are things I have been wanting for a long time and cannot wait get them. I think you can edge up an outfit and also pair them with other classic pieces to soften them up. Fingers crossed I get them!

Hoping these items will be mine shortly! Let me know if you guys want a list of eBay sellers I have a few great ones to recommend!

XOXO
Nix

All that glitters and cracks for nails!

Hello guys!

Yesterday I was walking through the shops and came across a nail crackle. I have hard about these before and was quite intruiged to try them out. This inspired me to do a blog all about my favourite nail polishes. Hope you guys like it!

Lets start with the crackle as that is what inspired the blog. I know OPI makes a ckrackle and I am pretty sure Sally Hansen probably also has one, but I was quite surprised when I found one made by Tip Top (Sold in Clicks stores in South Africa) Tip Top is a great brand I often purchase. They have all colours imaganible and are quite inexpensive compared to other brands. The one I got yesteday is Tip Top Riki Brest U Crack Me Up in Black Mosaic Crackle. It is so easy to use with just applying the colour polish they provide over your nail polish of choice, whatch it crackle and apply the clear over coat. Simple and easy and I love the result.

On to next "category". Essence is a brand I have written about previously. It is in-expensive, has limited edition series out every few months and lasts very long. (Also available at Clicks stores in South Africa). First here is the first series I bought, the Fairy Tale series. I love these three polishes! They have little specks of glitter in and last for about 5 days without chipping. The colours also remind me of colour I would associate with fairies, the only one missing is a soft pink. The three I have are called Fairy Berry, Once Upon a Time and Tinka's dress.

Another series I bought from essence was the Blossom Ect collection. I have written about these when I just purchased them. I bought three colours but found that the yellow just needs a lot of coats. The other two are lovely though and require only two coats. They are Forget Me Not and I Like.

The last bunch of polishes from Essence are three random colours I bought a while ago. I bought two of them for day looks and the last for a night out over black polish. The first is a great coral colour called Multi Dimension in Just Shout. Perfect for those summer days with a tan. The second one I lived in is a beige colour that goes with everything. For those days you don't feel like changing your polish often. It's called Color and Go in Nude It. The last one is a burgundy or wine red glitter polish. The glitter pieces are quite big and it looks great over a black polish for a night out. It called Color and Go in Time for Romance.

Another brand I discovered is BYS. It is quite pricey but worth the money I think. I goes on easily, dries very quickly, rarely needs more than one coat and just lasts and lasts. As far as I know its an Australian brand. The only down side is the strong smell while is dries but you will put up with it for the great vibrant colours! I got three colours they are Cherry Bomb N57 (My favourite BYS), Matte Mint Green N238 and In Grape shape N181.

 Now onto various brands I bought. These include two staples I think every girl should have and then two new shades I recently discovered. The two staples are a good black and bright red polish. A black polish is great for nights when you feel adventurous and/ or mysterious looks fashionable and I just love it. I recommend Revlon in Black Lingerie. The red polish is a must for day and night. I think it looks professional, fashionable, daring and of course sexy. I found this great one by Tip Top in Cherry's in the Snow 909. The two other great colours I recently discovered is white and a deep purple. White?! you say...YES WHITE! I was also quite sceptical but it is now my go to colour when I am conflicted about what to wear. It goes with everything and looks great. I definitely recommend it! The deep purple I found at a sale. The colour attracted me immediately, however the colour does not dry the same colour. The bottle shows a light lilac colour but dries into a deep rich purple. I still love it though. It is Yardley Quick Dry Limited Summer Edition in Midnight Express.

The second last polish I want to discuss is actually a nail treatment. My nails have the tendency to chip and leave ridges. This does not looks too great even when polish is applied. This is where this product steps in. Yardley Treatment Ridge Filler Flawless Nails. It can be used as a polish on its own or as a base coat for other polishes. It smooths out the surface and leaves you with flawless nail! :)

The last product is Yardley Stayfast Gloss Nails Overcoat. I would never have bought an overcoat but got this one in a box of free products and fell in love with it immediately! It makes colours brighter and prevents chips. The only downfall is that it causes air bubbles on some polishes, strangest of all, I found this on the other Yardley polishes. It works great with Tip Top brands. Give it a try!

Well that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this colourful blog! Till next time!

XOXO
Nix