What I wore to Vintage Cheese and Wine Bar:

It’s a little bit disco but I quite like this Aeropostale top. Last night I paired it with my mustard mini skirt and my black Cotton On cardie but I actually felt like I was dressed too casual for such a fancy wine bar so I would recommend wearing a cute little cocktail dress or a maxi skirt rather.

Vintage Cheese and Wine Bar Interior:

Vintage turned out to be quite a gem of a dinner venue. Beautifully decorated, one of those elegant but cosy interiors where you just want to sink into the plush leather couch and sip on good red wine whilst choosing yummy treats to eat. Which is precisely what we did last night.

What to order at Vintage Cheese and Wine Bar:

We feasted on chunks of olive bread dipped into gooey, bubbling cheese fondue made from a mixture of French cheeses, specifically Emmental, Comté and Cantal. It was the best cheese fondue I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The waiter helped us choose the best wine to go with the cheese fondue and we settled on a bottle of Argentian Pinot Noir (light, flavorful, easy drinking – great choice).

Whilst the venue is definitely not for those on a budget (average price for a decent bottle of wine is around Dhs250), they do offer specials, like the Sunday and Monday Fondue Nights where you can enjoy an evening of unlimited cheese fondue and wines at only Dhs145 per person. The wine list is impressive with wines ranging from Dhs150 to Dhs23 000 (!!) per bottle. Whilst their traditional cheese fondue is a must try, they also serve cheese boards and other treats.

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Needing some scarf style ideas?  Below are three easy winter scarf looks to get you inspired.

P.S. For some handbag inspiration to go with these outfits, check out my sister’s gorgeous new bag  or these super stylish clutches.

Look Number 1:  Forever New scarf + Pick ‘n Pay Clothing jersey + Jay Jays skinny jeans

Look Number 2: Pick ‘n Pay Clothing scarf + YDE jacket + Cotton On long-sleeve top + Jay Jays skinny jeans

Look Number 3: Pick ‘n Pay Clothing scarf + Cotton On cardigan + Woolworths cami and thermal tights (SO warm)

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It made its first appearance this morning as I wore it with my new comma, top (yay for awesome bright patterns), flared jeans, and leather sandals. It can actually be also worn as a satchel bag and has 2 different sides (absolutely love the versatility of this handbag – plus this is by far the softest leather bag I have ever owned).

The Liebeskind Berlin leather bag collection is pretty amazing and I am super excited that they (and comma,) are finally launching in Dubai at Deira City Centre (gutted that the actual launch is during my work hours as would have absolutely loved to be there). Just look at some of these GORGEOUS bags!

Oh and Jessica Alba is a total fan also – check her out rocking one of the Liebeskind bags (am clearly in good company ;) )

(Image via coolspotters.com)

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Let me explain.

I have always felt a bit guilty when I’ve applied foundation to my face as it felt like I was damaging my skin by covering it up (surely layers of gooey brown stuff cannot be good for the face?!) I also think break outs can arise from using unsuitable kind of foundation so it always felt wrong somehow to be heaping on foundation (unfortunately I have the kind of skin that does need foundation to cover any existing blemishes/spots and even out my skin tone). So I was ecstatic to get my hands on the new Dermalogica Sheer Tint and Dermalogica Cover Tint (the sheer tint is more of  tinted moisturizer whilst the cover tint is more of a liquid foundation).

If your skin is almost perfect, I recommend purchasing the Sheer Tint one but for me the Cover Tint product has been like some sort of miracle foundation discovery. I have been using it for the past few days and am honestly in total awe of it.

Firstly it doesn’t dry my skin out (it’s actually a hydrating product of sorts), it’s long-lasting, it’s SPF20, I can build up the coverage as I need and it looks natural whilst improving my skin’s appearance. Truly amazing product.

PLUS I totally love how it comes packaged with a little sponge for more lightweight coverage (use your fingers for maximum coverage though).

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I ended up wearing my Woolworths black strappy top and my ancient Mr Price shorts. It was actually the perfect outfit for the class and the majority of the other girls were also wearing similar outfits (if you are going to take a pole dancing lesson then I would recommend hot pants over normal shorts though).

The pole dancing lesson itself was fantastic. The instructor is this super talented Russian lady who has some mad pole dancing skills. The lesson was an hour and every 10/15 minutes she would show us new moves to try which we then ended up practising over and over again.

AMAZING

Less Amazing.

Whilst the class is fun with vibey music and cool moves, the actual workout  is INTENSE (prepare yourself for bruises, blisters and your whole body hurting the next morning). The class is perfect though for anyone wanting an overall toning and cardio workout whilst having a blast and doing something different.

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Her website is as gorgeous as her bag collection and you can even shop/order her designer bags online.

Jalan Sahba Bags We’re Crushing On Right Now:

THE CAVELIN

THE ODESSAH

THE OPHELIA

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I am still getting used to the Cape Town night life and fashion trends. This week I was out at Shimmy Beach Club (very nice and fancy, I shall definitely be returning) at the V&A Waterfront for some sushi and wine with an old friend from PE.

We did our best to look trendy for the night (my friend Yuan is the most stylish girl I know, and she brought her A-game as usual).

Yuan wore a Forever New coat and top, Europa Art boots, and YDE jeans:

I wore a Cotton On blazer and skinny jeans, YDE boots, and a Forever New clutch:

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 My morning beauty routine usually kicks off with me washing my face with the Dermalogica special cleansing gel, followed by the Bliss triple oxygen instant energizing mask (face looks INSTANTLY brighter), then I apply the C-12 concentrate mixed with a bit of the Dermalogica Extreme C powder (forms like a velvety lotion that glides over my face for improved skin tone, and minimized discolouration) and finish it off with the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (this beauty product would usually be completely out of my budget as it’s over Dhs800, but I was lucky enough to receive it as part of an Elemis event goodies bag and now in awe of its amazingness). The Elemis Marine Cream deserves a blog post of its own, as it’s practically a magical cream so prepare to read about it very soon. I’m yet to try the Alpha Beta® Glow Pad towelette for my face which is an anti-aging, exfoliating sunless tanner that contains active Vitamin D – much needed, as for someone who lives in one the sunniest countries in the world, I look way too pale.

 My evening face beauty routine includes the addition of the Elemis freshskin make-up wipes as the very first step, followed by the cleanser, the C-12 concentrate, and the Dermalogica overnight clearing gel (an overnight treatment designed to help skin clear congestion and prevent future breakouts so it’s perfect for when you feel your skin is not looking its best).

Being a girly girl, it brings me quite a bit of pleasure to see all these wonderful beauty products in my bathroom…and I still have some other Elemis beauty goodies that I haven’t even tried yet.

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What I wore last night:

Vera Moda top + Black leather skirt + YDE dangly earrings + clutch from Edgars

What O from Booniblog wore last night:

So much jacket envy

What some of the other bloggers wore last night (the lady in the middle is the one who did my make up for the Velvet Magazine shoot :) )

Lovely ladies

The impressive range of Elemis products on display:

In beauty heaven

THE BEST GOODIE BAG EVER (absolutely cannot wait to review all these products…coming up on the blog soon soon):

Such a spoilt blogger

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The makings of a perfect Dubai weekend:

• Swimming at night 

Gloria Hotel swimming pool at night

(Image Link)

• Tanning at JBR beach

Head to JBR beach

JBR beach in Dubai

• Cooling down at Starbucks

Can’t get enough of their mocha frappuccinos

• Spending an afternoon braaing with nice people and a fat cat

Meet Seb

Braai Dubai Style

• Test driving a MINI Countryman S for the week-end

Ride for the week-end :)

• Lunching at Book Munch Cafe

Lunch + Books = Heaven

Because there’s always space for carrot cake

• Chilling in Safa Park

Safa Park loveliness

• Getting a Dermalogica Facial 

Dermalogica Flagship Store at Dubai Mall

(I don’t want this week-end to end!)

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I’ve been a fan of Dermalogica for a while now, especially since I’ve started using their special cleansing gel last year (truly amazing cleanser as not only is it soap-free and gentle on your skin but it cleans crazy well and aids the soothing of your skin). PLUS if you own an exfoliating face brush (Body Shop has some awesome affordable ones) then you can use the special cleansing gel with the brush for a dual-action exfoliating cleanse.

Not only are their products superb, but they also have a flagship store ‘‘Dermalogica on Burj” in Dubai Mall where you can go for a Dermalogica skin treatment as I found out this evening. I was treated to an one hour Dermalogica facial which is a skin treatment targeted at alleviating  your specific problem areas (in my case the focus was on prevention of occasional breakouts, eradication of pigmentation and restoring the hydration of the skin). The treatment included professional double cleansing, exfoliation, a galvanic thingie (nope, it’s not actually called that), extractions (a necessary evil), a multivitamin hydration masque, arm and shoulder massage (BLISS), toner, moisturizer, and solar defense (so the whole works using only Dermalogica products).

Post the treatment, the beauty therapist (who was from PORT ELIZABETH…it’s a small, small world) took me through the face mapping analysis of my skin and made sure I left with gazillion of samples (SCORE). My skin looked brighter and more nourished post the facial so am pleased with the results.

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Off to a meeting at Peroni but first wanted to share my new hair look that I’m trying out today – the sleek ponytail with a side parting.

I am super boring when it comes to my hair, with my two signature hairstyles being either the loose, straight hair thanks to my GHD or the messy top bun.

So thought it was time for a change, especially with my hair getting longer and longer – hence this ponytail look.

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Mildly obsessed with these must have beauty products (a.k.a beauty miracles):

• The Dermalogica Extreme C product is a must for anyone battling with any kind of pigmentation. It contains all these fancy ingredients that work to brighten your skin, optimize skin clarity, and improve skin tone. I like to mix into my moisturizer for more radiant and brighter skin. I have been using it for a few weeks now but will write a more in-depth review soon.

• The Davines Oi/Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion which I’ve already blogged about over here. Still loving it and have been using it daily on my hair (and sometimes as a body lotion as it just smells so freaking amazing).

• The [comfort zone] Skin Resonance Fluid - which is just a fancy way of saying it’s a moisturizer. Air conditioning tends to dry out my skin so this moisturizer is actually the perfect antidote for dry and/or sensitive skin. It’s really light, lovely to apply and I can feel an immediate difference as it’s an excellent rehydrator.

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Me: Lingerie Letters. I just received my panties! 

Co-worker: Oh *awkward silence*

Ok so it might have been a good idea to wait until I was home to open up my Lingerie Letters package. But the envelope was just so darn pretty that I couldn’t resist. After all it’s not every day you get pretty pink panties delivered directly to your work!

“Sealed with a little ooh la la!”, Lingerie Letters is a really fun concept – it’s a website that allows you to sign up to receive a pair of panties delivered to you every month (in a discreet envelope). You can also browse their range and shop online, as well as shop for gifts.

With our busy schedules these days, we often neglect to make time to feel girly and pretty. So I like the idea of receiving something sexy every month, reminding us to feel good about ourselves.

Check out all the details on: http://www.lingerieletters.co.za/

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Mezze Platter of hummus, baba ganoush, marinated feta, and zattar bushed arabic bread

Loved the Fava Bean Dip

Mousaka – minced spiced lamb with chickpeas and layers of aubergine

YUMMMMMMMMMMM

That’s our ”we’re so happy, we’ve been stuffing our faces for 2 hours” smiles :D

We left with goodie bags filled with coffee treats and I can honestly say we will be back again. It’s a much needed foodie addition to the quiet JLT area with its unpretentious, funky interior and a chilled outside area where you can relax after work, drink some delish smoothies and munch on Arabic snacks (try their hummus…SO GOOD).

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