{BEAUTY NEWS} | M•A•C Tendertalk Lip Balm

I must admit that it’s often that I become “utterly obsessed” with some or other beauty product. M·A·C collections usually hit the top of the “utterly obsessed” lists and this time is no exception. The latest offering from my favourite brand is called the Tendertalk Lip Balm; which is described as a “smart lip conditioner”.

“Awaken to a sweet new sensation: Tendertalk Lip Balm, a smart lip conditioner that creates a personalized tint based on your chemistry. Combining nourishing skincare and technology, this perfect lip transformer helps keep lips soft and moisturized while intuitively offering the right hint of colour.”

So basically these are neat little lip tints that change colour depending on the chemistry of your skin! They also provide nourishing moisture to the lips. Being a huge fan of anything that changed colour and mood rings during my childhood, I think this is awesome! It looks sophisticated but still provides happiness to my inner child.

Tendertalk Lip Balm comes in 5 gorgeous variants

Candy Wrapped               - Sheer pink

Pretty Me Up                    - Sheer coral

Play With Me                    - Sheer red

Teddy Pink                         - Sheer bright pink

Side Dish                             - Sheer plum

Candy Wrapped and Teddy Pink are already on my list!

Another thing I LOVE is the packaging. The silver holders are really chic and the little holographic detail is super cute. I’m pretty sure they smell amazing too!

I don’t have many details on pricing and when it will launch here in South Africa but it will launch in the United States on June 16 and cost $20. If I get any info I will share it with you immediately!

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

P.S Pop over to Instant Artistry event on 27, 28 & 29 May 2016 in Sandton City, Johannesburg. It is an interactive makeup experience designed to equip you with professional tips. There will be video content, live demos and one-on-one consultations to empower you through your makeup journey! (It’s free!)

{OOTD} | The Last Days of Summer

Shoes – Flossy | Jeans – H&M |Top – Forever 21 | Necklace – MrP (old)

The weather has been inexplicably blazing hot despite us being well into the Fall. I long for the cool air (and an opportunity to wear my coats and pashminas) but I’m also trying to make the most of the warmth by exploring my city.

I snapped these photos while out at 27 Boxes in Melville. It’s a very casual outfit that can be dressed up with heels and accessories. The top is quite simple, but the text on the back adds some character.

In this “look” I chose to wear comfy flats from Flossy. Flossy is a shoe brand that originated in the Rioja region of Spain where the shoes are still produced today. The loafers were worn by artists and sailing enthusiasts of Barcelona and the Bealeric Islands who wore them across the Mediterranean.

Flossy shoes are not just your average loafers though; they come in all sorts of lovely fabrics textures and prints. You can get a basic pair in bright or pastel shades or you can be a bit more quirky with bold prints like tropical flowers, leopard print and liquorice allsorts (!!!).

Each pair also smells lovely and sweet like cotton candy, so you don’t have to worry about wearing them all day. I’m keen to wear my Flossys when I travel because they are so practical and comfy but also look uber stylish. I’ll definitely wear them on the airplane and while sightseeing.

Have a look for yourself on www.flossy.co.za . They also have free delivery which is a total win!

I hope you all have an awesome week!

Until next time

“When bad things happen, I know you want to believe they are a joke, but sometimes life is scary and dark. That is why we must find the light” –BMO (Adventure Time)

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

{Royal Obsessions} | 1701 Nougat

Hi lovelies! Today I’m starting a new little piece called Royal Obsessions. In this piece I will tell you about all the things I am currently obsessed with.

My latest obsession is 1701 nougat because nougat is one of my favourite sweet treats. Although nougat is commonly known as a French confection, it actually originated in Cremona, Italy at the wedding feast of Bianca Maria Visconti and Francesco Sforza! Further research even suggests that it could have originated in the Middle East where it is still eaten and given as a gift. Fine nougat is made with roasted seeds or nuts which are folded into a paste of honey, sugar and egg whites. Despite the use of two sweet ingredients, the candy should not be excessively sweet. It should be pleasant with a delicate honey flavour. The texture must be soft and almost like a marshmallow but should still hold together.

Image by Layla Shaik Photography x Princess of Jozi

The name 1701 relates to the year that nougat became famous in Montelimar, France. The business began in 2009 by owner Nick’s mother Lianne. It was a gingerbread-man for Lianne Scher's little daughter’s lunch box that culminated in her having an own label of ginger biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, shortbread, Florentines and crunchies and then nougat. Once Nick graduated with a BA in Brand Building and Management he decided to build a brand around his mother’s nougat. 1701 prides itself on being “handmade the French way”. The brand sticks to the basic French recipe, using fresh egg whites, good quality honey and roasted nuts. There are no added stabilizers, preservatives, thickeners or gelatine. This process means that the sweets don’t look uniform but for me this just adds to the charm of the brand. The nougat comes in 2 variants; roasted macadamia and roasted almond.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m extremely fussy about my nougat. I can confidently say that 1701 nougat is heavenly! It’s really soft and melty, the nuts are perfectly roasted and it has that distinct honey flavour with just the right amount of sweetness. The sweets are light and airy and don’t make you feel too guilty after eating more than a few ;) Another thing that impresses me about 1701 is the attention to detail when it comes to packaging. The boxes are pastel and gold and are so pretty! They make the perfect gifts! (My birthday is next month! *hint)

You can find 1701 products online at www.1701.co.za or at the following stockists.

- Broadacres Super Spar

- Hobart Road Super Spar

- Ferndale Super Spar

- Country Meat Fourways & Bryanston

- The Jungle (Jan Smuts Avenue)

- Cottage Flowers Hyde Park Shopping Centre

- Three Mary’s (44 Stanley Avenue)

- Galleon Pharmacy Hyde Park Shopping Centre

- Craighall Spar

- Monument Park Super Spar

- Thrupps

I will update the list as it grows.

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

I Have a Message for You

“My name is Tony Stark and I’m not afraid of you” – Tony Stark aka Iron Man in Iron Man 3 (2013)

Some of you might have seen the screenshot of the message that I received on Friday. I wanted to ignore it, because frankly, it annoyed me more than it upset me, but I thought about it and by ignoring it, I am making light of the bullying that so many teens and girls have to endure day after day.

To the person who sent it, I have this to say. I wonder how you got my number because I don’t give it out in a hurry so I’m guessing that I know you. I don’t even care to know who you are, I just urge you to not do this to anyone else. I am not afraid of you, as a Muslim, I fear Allah only. 

Please sit down and ask yourself what you hoped to achieve by sending this anonymous text. Did you want me to feel bad about the way I look and my body? Because all you’ve done is made me love and appreciate what Allah has given even more. Did you want me to feel alone and isolated? Because you’ve just made me love and appreciate my friends, family, followers and readers even more. You have made me realize that if my presence can impact someone enough to take the time to buy a prepaid sim card and send an anonymous text, then my presence means something and it can inspire people to innovate and follow their dreams. You gave me a beautiful lesson in how strong I can be. Body shaming and making light of eating disorders is just not okay. Most people are just trying to find ways to love themselves and you have no right to play God and try to take that love away from them!

Bullying is a disease; it is a plague that knows no borders and boundaries. With technology now, anonymity is the order of the day and it is so easy to say horrid things to someone without them knowing who it is. We have to make an effort to be kind to each other.

To anyone reading this that is being bullied, I have this to say. You are NOT alone. There are many helplines you can call and websites you can visit, which I have put into an image below. If you are getting anonymous text messages that are hateful and harass you, you can report them to the police and open up a case because that is not legal. Remember that the person who is bullying you is the one with the problem and not you. What they are saying isn’t true at all. God made you your beautiful unique self and you shouldn’t let anyone take that away from you.

Have a look at Cybercrime’s definition for Cyberbulling here.

Victim shaming is also something that is quite rampant in our society. Parents, siblings, teachers, any figure of authority or trust reading this; if someone tells you they are being bullied, please take them seriously. Don’t say stuff like “it’s your fault.” We have to breed a society where our children and teens can feel safe and be kind. Believe me; you don’t want it to be too late. And if someone can be hurtful and violent with their words, there is no guarantee that they won’t be violent with their hands and feet.

I’ve listed some resources below that might be able to give you some extra insight and help you out if you or someone you love is being cyberbullied.

DOC - Department of Communications - Child Online Protection
ECS-CSIRT - Electronic Communications Security - Computer Security Incident Response Team
FPB - Film and Publication Board - Pro Child
ISPA - Internet Service Providers' Association - Code of Conduct
SAPS - South African Police Service - Youth Desk
UJ Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security

I just hope that this experience can be a productive lesson to us all, instead of something ugly and allowing the bully to win. I am a Muslim and my religion teaches me about peace, love and acceptance. 

If you are having issues with bullies and you want to talk to someone about it, you can email me on zaakiram@hotmail.com

Until next time,

Love, peace, kindness and sparkles

Zaakira xox

Heritage Day with Zuri

On the 24^th of September we celebrate Heritage Day in South Africa. To join the festivities, Zuri chose six South African bloggers to each represent a colour on our lovely flag. Blue was chosen for me and it is supposed to represent the oceans and our beautiful blue skies.

As a South African I am grateful for so much. We walk on land that reminds us every day that absolutely anything can be overcome. We are the walking hopes and dreams of so many of our ancestors that believed in a better, brighter future and fought for a way out of oppression. Sometimes I wonder if we are the luckiest people on the earth. We have so much rich, diverse culture and an amazing country. From our bright blue, sunny skies, mountains, sea and the magnificent big five, to our world class cities, talented designers and creatives and friendly, awesome citizens. We truly have a lot to celebrate this Heritage Day and every single day!

This Heritage Day I will be visiting a few Heritage markets and of course, I will be braaing (barbeque).

Zuri has decided to spoil one of you too! To win the two necklaces and earrings like ones I am wearing in this look, just tell us what makes you proud to be South African.

Please read the  Competition Rules and make sure you are following both Zuri and I.

ZURI Facebook
ZURI Twitter
ZURI Instagram

Princess of Jozi Facebook
Princess of Jozi Twitter
Princess of Jozi Instagram

How will you be celebrating Heritage Day?

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

{OOTD} | Ballin’

T-shirt – Stylistique Designs | Jeans – Religion Clothing | Shoes – Iron Fist (old) | Necklace – MSC Boutique (Old, store closed) | Bag – Zando | Middle Eastern Bracelet – Oriental Plaza | Bangles – Vintage | Spiral Ring – Swarovski | Sunglasses – Thrift Store

Hello lovelies! Today I am sharing a look I put together with a t-shirt the lovely Jacqueline from Stylistique Designs gifted to me. She told me to pick a tee from her collection and then she chose an extra one for me. This is the tee that she chose for me and I’m really surprised and humbled because we barely knew each other but she made the perfect choice! There are some super awesome designs in Stylistique Designs’ collection and you can get them on a sweater, vest, t-shirt or hoodie. They also do the most amazing pillowcases and cushions too!

If you know me you know that I love my city. Heck, just my blog’s name will tell you that. Every day I discover new reasons to love living here despite the crime (it’s really bad, but you have to be vigilant and take steps to keep yourself safe… also there are other dangerous cities out there) and the dry Highveld climate (nothing that can’t be fixed with a humidifier and some good hair-care and skincare products). I originally just wanted to shoot these photos in my backyard but Shuaib dragged me out. He says that i have to show off my city on the blog. We shot these in Rosebank near the Gautrain station. It is fast becoming one of my favourite shopping spots and I love coming to the Zone for coffee, movies and fro-yo.

I decided to keep the look monochrome with a slight edge. I love to dress in a simple but edgy way and a pair of statement heels and some jewellery is all you need to go from comfy to chic. I also added some Kelly Yum Yum lipstick to the mix. I love the bright pink and the lipstick feels amazing on.

Be sure to follow Stylistique Designs and I on Twitter and Instagram (links below) because we will be giving away some goodies this week!

@LadyZaa on Twitter

LadyZaa on Instagram

@StylistiqueD on Twitter

StylistiqueDesigns on Instagram

Until next time

"This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are." – Plato

"Every city in the world always has a gang, a street gang, or the so-called outcasts." – Jimi Hendrix

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

SHOPPING NEWS | Thula Sindi Goes Online!

When it comes to local designers… actually all designers, Thula Sindi is up there with my favourites. His timeless designs are sophisticated, luxurious, elegant and simply beautiful. When pieces of clothing look like his do, you can see that someone’s love and soul has gone into creating them.

Thula originally hails from Klerksdorp and studied at LISOF after which he worked as head designer for a Dutch textile company with which he showed a collection at SA Fashion Week in 2005. In 2006 he showed his own range at SA Fashion Week and his since become a treasured and respected designer. He has won many accolades like the SA Tourism South African Designer of the Year in 2012 and has featured in many lists such as the Mail & Guardians top 200 young South Africans and the Forbes 30 Under 30: Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs in 2013. Thula also met designer Valentino who, after seeing his designs, invited him to his private atelier. He has dressed inspirational women such as Jena Dover and Terry Pheto and the Williams sisters are rumoured to have had a slight sibling squabble over a Thula Sindi skirt during one of their trips to South Africa.

Thulasindi.com launched recently and it gives your fingertips access to Thula’s beautiful designs. Delivery is free(within South Africa) and there are a number of secure payment methods. The price-range is quite reasonable too considering its designer. I have spent hours on the site already, just admiring the clothes. I currently have my eye on the silver baroque tulle skirt priced at ZAR2799. It is perfection!

I’m glad that pieces from local designers are becoming so accessible. It’s taking baby steps, but the local fashion industry is really growing and that makes my heart warm!

Until next time            

                                      

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

(Images from thulasindi.com)