Last week was an exceptionally stressful week for me. The previous Friday I was in at the fertility clinic (and wrote all about it here) and then we had to wait for news.
…but on Monday, out of the blue, a wonderful package arrived from Matsimela Home Spa.
I have been in desperate need of a day at the spa for months now, but I don’t have even half a day to indulge. So when Saturday rolled around and I was still waiting for news… I unwrapped the bath bombs and finally had my mini spa day – at home. Just to top it off I used almost everything in my gift bag. I even sat out on the patio in the sun with the Rose and Litchi bath soak open next to me to feel like I’m in a garden.
This, by the way, was the first day hubby took out Lexa – so I could take advantage of the peace and quiet and use the only bath in the house that just happens to be in little Lexa’s room. (It used to be our main bedroom. Sigh, now we only have a shower.)
…and guess what, the next day my good news came through!
Even though I received this as a gift, I have bought a lot from Matsimela over the years. I am a huge fan of South African products… and it’s a bonus when it’s as beautifully made as this.
It is almost Christmas and if you don’t want to break the bank but still like to buy something special – this is the answer. My sister and mom already received Matsimela products for their birthdays this year 🙂
For me, when I find a product line that I love, I try everything they have – and you will find their products in my car, handbag, desk or next to the couch. I will even sneak hand cream into hubby’s car – and sometimes he even lays claim to it.
I don’t know how many times I have mentioned just how much I love Angel from Thierry Mugler, but when I got an email in my inbox that said I can get my hands on a 5ml straight from the Mugler Source – I was on that bandwagon like it was nobody’s business.
I have now also bought my new Angel in a refillable bottle – so next time I run out, I’m off to the Mugler Source. If you don’t recall, I almost cried my eyes out when I finished my beloved perfume.
You take your bottle, there will be a Mugler Source consultant on hand, fill up your bottle, pay and off you go. Easy as that. No more creating empty bottles for the landfills and you get to save some money.
The Johannesburg perfume sale is one of my absolute favourite sales ever. One year I bought so many Kenzo Flower refills that 5 years later I still have stock…
Make sure to leave your handbag at home, spend within your budget and enjoy hunting for the perfumes you really want.
A women who doesn’t wear perfume has no future. Coco Chanel
The fragrances you wear for the special moments in your life become part of the story. Even just catching a whiff of a fragrance will bring back the memories so delicately intertwined with it.
It’s a fragrance journey
Liz Ferrett, Fragrance Queen
Liz joined the beauty and fragrance industry many years ago and started her career with a fragrance house where she fell in love with the concept. She then worked as Sales Manager for Estee Lauder before moving to Clarins as Sales Director; Liz was also a Markets & Cosmetics Executive for Stuttafords.
She is also currently available as a Fragrance Journey Speaker, her talks are suitable for men and women. Liz is also on Hot 91.9 every Sunday with Lloyd for the next couple of months – and you could stand the chance to win a perfume!
Questions to Liz, the Fragrance Queen
When I started thinking of questions for the Fragrance Queen I immediately thought – what would someone that work in the fragrance industry have – and how would she choose between all the fragrances that she may own. I own a few perfumes and each of them has a time and place in my life – I have a perfume for date night, girls night, business meetings and something for travel…easy peasy.
Usually I rewrite the answers for my interview to tell a story, but with Liz I don’t want to take away from the story. Enjoy the Q&A!
I had to ask which fragrances Liz had in her own collection, because how do you not ask that question to a person that work with fragrances?
Wow that’s a difficult question as I have over 30 in my own collection & some not available in SA. Here are a few:
Lancôme La Vie Est Belle EDP
Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au the noir (not available in SA)
Lowe Aura Magnetica EDP (not available in SA)
Agent Provocateur Pure Aphrodisiaque EDP (only available at Dischem )
Armani Prive Vetiver Babylone
Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina EDP
Roberto Cavalli Paradiso Assoluto EDP
Flora by Gucci Generous violet (not available in SA any longer)
A post shared by Liz Ferrett (@liz_fragrancequeen) on
When I asked Liz to name her favourite perfume it must’ve been the most difficult question for someone that is literally elbow deep in perfume, but the selection is delicious!
Thierry Mugler Alien Eau de Parfum
Tom Ford White Patchouli, Eau de Parfum
Boucheron Eau de Parfum (the original)
Marc Jacobs Decadence Eau de Parfum
Shiseido Zen Eau de Parfum (not available in SA)
Armani Si EDP
Carolina Herrera Good Girl EDP
Montblanc Lady Emblem Elixir EDP
Mugler Cologne EDT (not available in SA) This is a gender free fragrance, so for woman & men
Do you change the fragrance you wear based on season?
Yes I do change fragrances according to seasons. In summer I wear what I would describe as light & floral fragrances to match the light summer clothing. In winter I only wear EDP & always use a body lotion during winter as your scent will last longer on a moisturized skin. We wear darker more textured clothing in winter so I love to wear oriental, woody & deeper floral fragrances. I also think many people have an iconic fragrance amongst the fragrance collect that they wear all year round.
What makes a perfume iconic?
Definitely the brand & its history, there are so many beautiful stories on brands. Also very important is the juice & if it has wide appeal.
When I think of iconic perfumes I think of Chanel No 5, Angel, Kenzo Flower… What would be on your list?
Again as I am in the business there are just too many, all the big brands that have been around for a while most of them are fashion houses.
I know that Angel from Thierry Mugler was launched in 1992 and it surprises + intrigues the senses. The sweet candyfloss fragrance is so perfectly balanced and seemed to stay a popular fragrance. What are your thoughts on this? You can now also refill your bottle at ‘The Source’ – is this a trend we will see with more fragrances?
Thierry Mugler was the 1st brand to launch a gourmand fragrance & no the other brands are not following the source concept. Some brands however have refill bottles but not many.
A gourmand fragrance is a perfume which consists primarily of synthetic edible (gourmand) notes such as honey, chocolate, vanilla or candy. These top and middle notes may be blended with non-edible base notes such as patchouli or musk. They have been described as olfactory desserts. (Wikipedia)
What is the most popular fragrance for men/women in South Africa?
Again this is difficult but would say men Dior Savage & female Carolina Herrera Good Girl both fairly new.
Carolina Herrera Good Girl
What is the most popular fragrance for teens? Do celebrity fragrances do well in this target market?
I would say an Eau de Toilette is better for teens rather than an Eau de Parfum & suggest the Mom take her teens into a store to test their preferences. Yes Celebs scents are good for teens & find that they buy their favourite celeb & the price of these fragrances are normally lower than the rest.
How do you choose a signature perfume for yourself?
You have to get to know the fragrance wheel & where you like to play in, don’t choose a scent that smell good on a friend as it won’t smell the same on you.
Matric farewell season will be upon us soon, do you have any pointers for guys and girls about which perfumes to look at for their special event? Do you have any tips for matrics that have to buy within a tight budget?
Fragrance is so personal & it evokes emotional reactions. So I don’t like to recommend unless I have the person standing in front of me so we can have a discussion.
Do you have any tips for brides and grooms about wedding day perfumes?
Again this is very personal. You have to consider the venue type, time of year, season, the person’s personality. Here are some suggestions to consider.
Floral is a Romantic person, Oriental is an Exotic person, Fresh is a fuss free person, Woody is a unique person & Gourmand is a sensual person.
A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting. Christian Dior
A post shared by Liz Ferrett (@liz_fragrancequeen) on
Can you tell something about a person’s personality just by looking at the fragrances they wear?
Yes you can by looking at what they wear & the type of person they are their likes, dislikes & lifestyle.
If you want to buy someone a perfume as a gift – but don’t know what they usually wear…how do you choose? Do you have any pointers?
This is the most difficult thing to do as I don’t suggest you buy a fragrance that you like. You have to discuss fragrances with the person to determine what part of the fragrance wheel they like & defiantly enquire if the person you are buying for may change it should they not like the gift.
Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence EDP
Where should you apply your fragrance?
Spray you fragrance on the pulse points which are the warm parts of the body, from the inside of the wrist up the arm & behind the neck. Fragrances rise so it’s really great to spray behind your knees. We don’t recommend that you spray fragrance on your chest to avoid sun spots & wrinkles.
There I was one day just flicking aimlessly through Instagram when I stumbled upon an artist’s profile. I stopped my aimlessness and went through every single picture on her account. I was so so fascinated by these “dolls” that I couldn’t help myself.
Who is the artist?
Her name is Manoushka and she is a Dutch national living in Durban for more than 6 years. She has 2 adorable daughters that inspire her.
Manoushka studied theater and was on stage in the Netherlands for 10 years – and then she came here. She was a product designer and recently resigned to focus on Noush Projects.
What does Manoushka Kraal make?
I want to describe the dolls as authentic African décor, but it’s not – because it’s so much more. These figurines capture African soul, colour, vibrancy, liveliness… but they are made so unexpectedly different.
Let’s start at the beginning. Manoushka was inspired by plastic Clonette dolls that you get in Europe, especially the Netherlands and France, but they are from Ghana. Clonette dolls were originally inspired by wooden African dolls, but lacked African flavour and features. So Manoushka, inspired by Clonette dolls, created her own doll with African features.
The first wooden doll was created 3 years ago and now there are 8 different resin casts.
You can still order a wooden original and it is available in different sizes. The resin casts also come in a range of different sizes, but each particular individual figurine comes in one size.
She also makes a mermaid plushie, Maria Mermaid, which I might add is the cutest thing after a kitten.
The figures
Everybody has to draw inspiration from the people around them, so I had to ask if her little girls also gave her some ideas/inspiration.
“The bunny element comes directly from the plastic Clonette. My eight year old Hazel and her dear little friend Lily Rose love mermaids so that why I came to grow some a fish tail 🙂 And I’m so often inspired by my eight year olds drawings. I created for example a bear and bunny holding a tiny mermaid purely because of a drawing Hazel made.”
Each doll range has a name, whatever the original wooden doll is named that is the name of the resin models. The names of the dolls include:
Maria Mermaid
Zodwa Mermaid
Thando
Turtle Anna
Skippy Sal
Koala Kate
Chrissie
Ginger Rose
The dolls are available in a range of colours from black, white, sage (the same colour as they have on their wall at home) mint green, light blue, turquoise, yellow or pink. Manoushka also encourages customers to have a doll painted the same colour as their walls – because the gold she adds will just make it pop.
The bestsellers
Each country or city has its own bestseller, but overall the mermaids are the most popular.
As with any small business, when you outsource, you pay more. On the other hand if you try to do it all yourself…
There might be more plushies soon, plus she has a couple of wooden originals lined up to make more moulds of.
…and she is working with Laurien Murphy on a brand called Perfect_Imperfect. They are currently working on a whole little range… so keep your eyes peeled!
So, where can you get your hands on them?
If you don’t see them at a shop you can order from her directly! Just drop Manoushka an email at noushkraal@gmail.com. She has a website, but it is still in the “tweaking stage (when there is time someday)” www.noush.co.za and you can also comment on Instagram on the item you want.
A couple of months ago I was so convinced that it will hurt if I used anything but my detangling comb that I gave away a Tangle Teezer to my mom. I didn’t even open it or try it. Then my mom, whose hair is longer than mine, also curly, tried it out. She raved about it and I felt a pang of regret giving the Tangle Teezer away without trying it out.
Well, here I am a few months down the line with a bright pink one. Just to make it a serious test I didn’t comb my hair for a day and had nice nests that usually has me sitting for 10+ minutes.
Husband just looked at me whipping out this pink brush and walked off laughing. I got the last laugh because I was done in 2 minutes.
I know there is a cheaper version at Clicks but I am really lucky to have received an original Tangle Teezer to try out. I’m considering buying another one to leave at our other residence because my hair is a lot worse after being in the sea.
Sometimes I just want to sit and take beautiful photos of beautiful things – in pink. Then I take pictures and never write about the products and only share it on Instagram. Well, this is a photo post to show you what you’ve been missing out on.
I’m always on the lookout for travel-sized beauty products (because you know how much I love to travel). These little beauties come packed and ready to travel.
You know that after all these years you still doodle hearts, now challenge yourself and create hearts with objects from your home. First heart in my own challenge is made from face pearls by Avon and my second heart from Revlon products.
I have never really been able to grow long nails (and I detest having false/chemical nails) but this December I grew awesomely strong long nails and it is all thanks to a few new products I bought.
My favourite buy during the silly season was the Essence nail repairing oil with Argan oil – I think the bottle cost R40. It restores the surface of your nails and nourishes cuticles. It really is the only product you have to buy for your nails.
Then, because I know my nails break and chip I opted to get the Essence ultra strong nail hardener. I went to the beach, took care of the kid and did the general housework and had unchipped nails until the day I slammed my finger against the car door. These things happen.
There are some other products on the shelf from Essence that you should look out for:
Essence studio nails fast cuticle remover
Essence nail art express dry drops
The best thing about Essence, it is affordable so trying something out won’t break the bank. I am yet to be disappointed by an Essence product.
