22 Fabulous 4th of July Recipes

Ricotta Cheesecake

Strawberry Tart

Berry Filled Cookies

Compliments of Delish.com and the incomparable Martha Stewart, here are just a few fabulous July 4th recipes to wow any party ... from cookies, parfaits, pies, tarts and cakes ... one or all will tantalize your taste buds.

Just click on this link, http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/july-4th/red-white-blue-berry-desserts

Enjoy and have a wonderful, safe and memorable holiday!

Review: St Tropez Naturals Self Tan Milk

At the ripe old age of 28, this is only the second selftanning product that I've managed to use successfully. The first was a liquid that you applied with cotton wool - it was called Sun2000 but as far as I can tell that was discontinued years ago. It was awesome, because it looked like Vanilla Essence and you could see EXACTLY where you were going/still had to go/had to wipe some off etc.

The look I was NOT going for (source)

Anyhoo, back to the present. This one has a fairly easy to manoeuvre spritzer (except for when my very untalented left hand had to do the spraying), and then you can easily spread/blend it in by hand (I did miss my Vanilla Essence-esque marker at first, 'cos I was nervous and would have liked to see where I was going). When I nervously approached the mirror the on the first 'morning after', I was thrilled to see a very unspectacular result - this is a good thing. If you're a Twilight shade of pale, you DON'T want a radical result from a home self tan job, trust me. I merrily applied it for three consecutive days, and the end result was a more tanned looking but non-orange, non-streaky, non-blotchy version of myself. I could even use a foundation that has always been to dark for me (I applied the Self Tan on my face too - not too sure if I was supposed to, but it worked very well - just don't spritz directly onto your face. Spritz into your hands, then spread onto your face).

St Tropez Naturals Self Tan Milk, R470 on their website.

The tanning agent in this range is called Vegetan - it's been approved by Ecocert as a natural product. The naturals line is also rich in Avocado and Grapeseed oils, and contains added Mango and Pomegranate extracts. It dried within minutes (as in less than 5), which is rather convenient in winter, and it smells almost nothing like self tan - there's a faint hint of it coming through, but I mostly smelt sugary treats. I imagined very vividly that it's a waffle with syrup that I'm smelling. There's also no need to shower/wash it off after a certain development time - I just left it on inbetween showers.

If you're braver than I am and you're in need of a tanner that packs more punch, check out the rest of the St Tropez range on their website. You can buy products online or from selected salons and spas.

C xx

PS - It seems that this natural alternative above comes with perfect timing, since the potential health risks of airbrush/spray tanning are being questioned. From what I could gather, DHA, a commonly used tanning ingredient, has been FDA approved for topical application, but not as an all over spray where it is inhaled and possibly also ingested. If you want the find out more on the topic, you can read more and watch a news clip on ABC.

Leading Man

Model - Marlon DeGregori

Meet the inspiration for my next romance hero, Jeremy Steele, a rogue FBI agent who is as confident of the covert operations he solos and the women he attempts to conquer ~ Keepers Watch ~ a romantic thrilling suspense coming in August.  Become a fan on Facebook to stay in touch.

Which photo do you like: 1, 2, 3, 4?

Hello Kitty Beauty Spa

Guys, this is way too pink and frilly for me. But a Parisian themed Hello Kitty spa exists in Dubai.

Hello Kitty Spa Reception

Hello Kitty Spa, Dubai

This spa offers Kitty-cures (to leave your hands oh-so-cute), a Toe-tally perfect pedicure, and even Hair-dooz for special occasions. You can also book pamper parties, or buy a voucher for your BFF (they explain in brackets that it means Best Friend Forever, in case you are a moron).

Is that Hello Kitty I see on the flatscreen in the background? I need to curl up with a bottle of hard liquor for a little while now. Via Daily Mail.

C xx

PS - I'm not entirely opposed to the odd novelty item. But then there are things like these, which I can only assume are strictly for die hard fans:

Hello Kitty Arm Warmers, anyone?

Hello Kitty Golf Ball

Hello Kitty Licence Plate Frame FOR YOUR CAR

Hello Kitty Toaster

Damn you Kawaii. All available from this online store.

DKNY Hearts The World Collection

Just last week, DKNY launched a limited edition Be Delicious Hearts The World collection in Edgars and Red Square stores. Want to psych yourself up for it? Watch the 1 minute ad below:

I was at the press launch with a handful of online media peeps a month or so ago, and we got to sniff and smell scientific looking lab-samples (how important did we feel - the actual products weren't even in SA yet). Here's the low-down:

DKNY Be Delicious ♥ Paris

Inspired by the oh-so-stylish Parisian woman, this one is a medley of Jasmine, Violet and Patchouli with an added touch of Vanilla and Gala apples. It aims to capture the atmosphere of the city's patisseries and treat-filled markets, and afternoons spent strolling along the city to take in the sights.

DKNY Be Delicious Hearts Paris

DKNY Be Delicious ♥ London

English countryside meets the soul of the city - this scent features Hyacinth, Green apples, Honeysuckle, Blackcurrant buds and Roses, which rests on base notes of Warm Amber and Vetiver. It's a sophisticated, elegant floral that is meant to take you back to the high streets of London, and sight seeing along the Thames.

DKNY Be Delicious Hearts London

DKNY Be Delicious ♥ NYC

This one is the original Be Delicious. Since the original brief for creating Be Delicious 7 years ago (only 7 years? Feels like it's been around forever) was to capture the emotion of New York City in a bottle, it made sense to stay true to the original.

DKNY Be Delicious Hearts NYC

Since we couldn't very well take lab samples home with us, I can't really review the fragrances for you. We also smelled around 7 in total so my nostrils were pretty confused by the end of the morning, but if my remaining grey matter serves correctly, I favoured ♥ London - it is a simple, easy-to-wear 'clean' floral scent that I liked. I keep confusing the bottle colours though - in my mind, the English country flowers should be blue, and the dainty pastries should be pink. I really should stop that.

DKNY Be Delicious ♥ The World is exclusive to Edgars and Red Square, and is available at R620 each for 50ml EDP for a limited time. There is also a Tote bag gift-with-purchase, so better hurry if  you like those!

C xx

PS - In some countries, there is also Be Delicious ♥ Rio - a sultry, night-out-on-the-town type of fragrance in a turquoise bottle.

Review: Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion for Dry Skin

If winter's dropping temperatures has your skin shrivelling up like the last leftover prunes forgotten in your grandma's dried fruit pack (I'll spare you the graphic descriptions I had planned for itching, flaking and dull, ashen skin), you'll know how important a decent body cream is.

Exhibit A

It's an oil-rich formula that contains decent amounts of Peanut oil, Shea Butter and Candlenut extract (Candlenut is toning and softening. Do note that this lotion also has a high mineral oil content - I would have loved it if the formula was vegetable oils only, and I actually felt a little sad when I saw this). Furthermore, it contains AHA's to keep skin radiant, as well as Orange Blossom extract to tone. Of course Clarins wouldn't be Clarins without the signature plant extracts - Olive, Peach and Pea extracts in this case to further tone, moisturise and soothe.

Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion

I love the Clarins Moisture Rich Lotion because it even though the formula is super rich, the texture is still soft enough to be squeezed out of a tube - this always wins points in my book from both a hygiene and convenience point of view. Texture-wise, it's definitely not thin (I tend to jump to this conclusion when I see the word 'lotion'), but it's clearly formulated brilliantly - it spreads very easily, and leaves the slightest, thinnest sheen to protect your skin against the elements and eliminate dull and dreary dead-skin appearance.

I'm almost at the end of my tube, and it's one of the products that made my list of things that I'll be replenishing. I nearly forgot to mention - it has a soft, subtle fruity scent (nothing crazy OTT Tutti Frutti) that gives me that 'I'm special' feeling.

Available at Clarins counters, R365 for 200ml.

C xx

Walking For Exercise

College Check List

For those of you with high school grads heading off to college in a few months, here's a great college check list you can utilize to help make the move fun, easy, organized and readjustment a synch.  We all know that going away to college can be a stressful experience for all involved so, why not make it a little easier and plan ahead.

There is an actual online site where you can create a list your son/daughter will need for their dorm room which looks extremely easy to use.  You can register online at http://www.collegepackinglist.com