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A Feast for Crows – How to throw a Game of Thrones Party

About a month ago we said farewell to Game of Thrones and in honor of the last episode, I decided to throw together a GOT PARTY – at last minute. With GOT coming to an end and my partner’s name day all falling on the same date, I thought it would be fun to have a little party to celebrate.

The only problem was – I decided this in the middle of exam season and as always the restraints that come with a student budget were present but this did not stop me. Oh no, once I’ve an idea planted in my head it only grows.

So let me tell you the tale of how I successfully executed a GOT party that my guests loved without having to ask the Golden Company for a loan.

First I decided on basic food that I’d usually have at a get together- Nothing too extravagant. I then decided on what I’d make and put together a rough draft of ideas. Some didn’t make the cut like Sansa’s lemon cakes due to time but I’d love to try those in the future.

My final menu looked like this:

Ned’s head potatoes:
For the potatoes, I roasted a bag of baby potatoes in olive oil and garlic. I then attached a few potatoes onto skewers. This was in reference to how Ned Starks head was display after it was chopped off.

Kings Landing:
This one was a bit of a cheat. A party at my place always has cheese puffs and around a year ago I realized frying instead of baking them adds a different flavor. I fried the cheese puffs till golden brown and placed them in a dish with a dragon next to it. This was a reference to S8E5 where Dany burnt down Kings Landing.

Little Chicken Fingers:
These were easy to accomplish. I made my own chicken fingers by cutting chicken breast’s into strips, spicing them and finally dipping them into breadcrumbs before frying.

Onion Knight Rings:
Were bought at Spar.

Army of the Unsullied:
The unsullied were done by cooking up some store-bought sausages and meatballs.

Dragon Deviled Eggs:
These required a little more effort to them. I first hard-boiled the eggs and cracked the shells but didn’t peel them off yet. I used ziplock bags to dye them with food coloring. Once dyed I peeled off the shell to reveal a cracked look which was perfect for dragon eggs. I then cut them in half, popped out the yolk and made a regular deviled eggs recipe.

Dragon Fire Pit:
This was my favorite. I decided the night before I wanted a fire pit. I thought hard about how I could achieve this and decided a flower pot would work. The flower pot was deep and I wanted the fire to be elevated so I fashioned a bowl out of a pie dish, placed it inside the pot by folding it around the rim. I then placed charcoal in the bowl purely for aesthetics and used a piece of some firelighter to create the flame. And it worked!


The decoration and finishing touches:


For all of the foods, I made labels using a font I downloaded here: GOT Font on MS word.

As for decoration. The table cloth was a maroon bed sheet which fit the colour scheme. I added some Dungeons and Dragons dice and character pieces like dragons around the table. I also bought a blowup sword for the occasion and if I had more time I would have made a throne with swords but I’ll leave that for the future.

I also printed out my favorite house banners as well as ‘happy name day’ just using A4 paper to decorate the wall.

And it was a success! My guests were blown away. And I was happy I could throw together a GOT party without needing crazy expensive items.

Have a look at the final result in the video I made:


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Please let me know if you enjoyed this post, by commenting down below.

Lately, I’ve been challenging myself to do great things despite the little means I might have. If I waited for the right time or exuberant amounts of coins to put something like this together I probably never would. I’m seizing the moment!


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Disneybounding – Princess Jasmine

Disneybounding – where I can pay homage to my favorite characters with the clothes and accessories I already have in my closet! It definitely is a dream come true.

Where it originated:

I discovered Disneybounding a little while ago while watching a Buzzfeed video. This trend originated from the Disney theme park ban where anyone above the age of 14 is not allowed to dress in costumes.

The ban makes sense though, as Disney cast members are kitted out in costumes and this eliminates any confusion that might occur. Fans, still wanting to dress up as their favorite characters without violating the park rules came up with Disneybonding.

What is Disneybounding:

Disneybounding alludes to your favorite character through clothing and accessories that use the same colours or garments related to a specific character. Items like a purple top, green leggings, and shell earrings as to reference Ariel is an example of this – I have actually been Disneyounding before I knew what it was. I wore this combo for a Disney on Ice Show back in 2016 or last year, when I went as a low budget mermaid (Trident incl.) to Comic Con Africa.



The awesome thing about Disneybounding is that you can do it on a budget. For me cosplay has been so out of reach due to my student budget and Disneybounding has allowed me to be part of that world, without needing splurge. I use what I have in my closet and it’s nice to get compliments from other fans who know which character I am trying to emulate.

Disneybounding Jasmine:

With the screening of the new Aladdin movie I knew I wanted to use the opportunity to dress up like a princess. I luckily had a blue Indian skirt my mother got me a few years ago (that I had yet to wear.) I paired this with a simple white top and a blue and white cardigan. I choose to wear a gold pair of pumps that matched the jewelry.

For the jewelry, I went with a headpiece that I bought a few years ago when it was in fashion – this is why I never throw anything out you never know when it will be useful again! I also used gold earrings and necklace. I added body jewels, the same ones I wore to CCA last year to complete the look by placing them on my chest.

Finally, if I can’t bound I make sure that my makeup hints to the character but because I was already looking like a princess I wanted to keep it simple.

I extended my eyes with Ashes from my UD Naked Heat palette, to make it look more almond shape like Jasmines. I then used Fierce (Bad Habit Athena palette – the gold shade) over my lids. Jasmines makeup seemed quite simple in the animated movie but I wanted a pop of gold to complement the rest of my outfit. I highlighted the corner of my eyes with the AB Glow palette to make it stand out, before placing Daring (Athena) over the top.

I then swiped Epic (Athena) from the corner of my eye to midway above the gold just for added sparkle. The final touch was Jasmine’s striking eyeliner, I also added some kajol under my waterline and a hint of blue under the corners of my eye for a little bit more colour.

I was quite pleased with how my outfit turned out. I received a lot of compliments on it and le boyfriend also joined in by wearing one of his kurtas.


Disneybounding has allowed me to join in on the fun without having to spend too much and I feel less left out. It has shown me I don’t need epic cosplays to be noticed or have a good time. Bounding also doesn’t have to stop there – you can pretty much bound any character out there.

Have you done any bounding? Tell me in the comments below or let me know what characters you would like to bound

Thanks for stopping by!

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Game of Thrones – Thoughts on the finale

I’ve had a little while to let this all settle in and to be honest I’m still left with an empty feeling after the finale aired two weeks ago.

In a Facebook status the morning after I watched the show I said this :

And after a lot of thought, I still stand by my sentiments. When Game of Thrones first graced our scenes with its intricate storytelling, shockingly dark themes and a lavish feast for the eyes; everyone was mesmerized by its charm. It took television to new heights back in 2011 (2012 for me when I binged it along with season 2.)

One of the things that drew me in was the shock factor from many of the scenes. How blunt and to the point, it was with its portrayal of sex, nudity, and violence. It had the ability to make you mad long after watching an episode. And when Ned Stark was beheaded in S1E10 it shook the seven kingdoms and thensome.



Storytelling like this increased the audiences emotional involvement in the narrative and subsequently closed the aesthetic distance between viewers and the show.

Eliciting strong emotions to character arcs such as Jon Snow – who never wanted anything more than to be called a Stark or Daenerys Targaryen – a girl who was once sold as a bride, but became the breaker of chains. Through use of these techniques the writers drew the audience in and decreased the aesthetic distance between the viewers and the characters.

Game of Thrones has always set itself apart from anything we’ve seen before. It also forged a narrative where no character (despite the amount of character construction) was safe from being killed off. It built itself on evoking emotions from its audience only to tear them down – but this is what made the show.

I remember so badly wanting Joffrey to meet a gruesome demise and wished Sansa would just shut the hell up. I hated Jamie for the longest time, but began to warm up to him only to roll my eyes and hate him once again when he hit it and quit it with  Brienne of Tarth.

After years and years of conditioning its audience in the world of GOT – Where could it possibly go from here? Downhill that’s where.

Just kidding, but to many fans, this is exactly what they are feeling. I, have a different opinion and a few things to point out. First, I want to talk about the ending. – what was expected and what we got were slightly two different things.

For all the horizon of expectations and some real ‘that doesn’t make any sense at all,’ moments I’m still not mad at GOT. And here’s why:

As stated earlier GOT has prided itself on the unexpected, taking fans on a ride that could keep even casual viewers up at night. With years of building up an audience perhaps GOT never wanted to be predictable.

The forerunners for the throne were definitely Dany, Jon, and Cersei. Tyrion even had a hat thrown into the dragon pit, with fans hoping if the other 3 killed off each other he might make a good king.

With fan theories spreading like wildfire it could have been easy to predict an ending that also emphasized fan service. However, what I feel D&D did was true to GOT’s narrative.

It evokes emotion. Maybe not happiness, glee or relief but it evoked something. Many, feel it wasn’t a rightful end and I can sympathize with that, but what most fans might be missing is the mere fact that it left us feeling. The final season of GOT  triggering an emotional response from its loyal fans  (as it has always done) is what makes its narrative powerful.

We may not be ecstatic about the outcome but we are still left in an emotional state. But despite this, it still didn’t make a lot of sense and its not something I can ignore.   

Every generation establishes a framework within which to understand, interpret and evaluate film and tv series. This includes a familiarity of certain conventions and expectations regarding style and genre. This is referred to as the horizon of expectations.

GOT having shattered many of those conventions and expectations still seems to have failed in its last season. The reason for this failure comes from the violation of its aesthetic distance.

Unrealistic dialogue, questionable character deaths, the fast pace of it all even bad lighting in S8E3 all contributed to the increase of aesthetic distance in the last season.

This created a defamiliarization with the narrative of the show and weakened the emotional involvement by fans – as a result, this left many upset and some disappointed (like me) with the culmination of GOT.

I am not mad with how my beloved series played out in the end but I do however wish they had taken more time to complete it. The season felt rushed, with little to no build up to pivotal moments – is what disappointed me.

I had no problem with major plot points such as Jon’s heritage not holding a larger stake in the grand scheme of things, I actually admired the deviation from fan service or expectations. The bottom line is that the show could have quite possibly been better, but this is what we’ve got, and it leaves a lot of us feeling empty.

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What did you think of the ending? I would love to know your feelings about the last season and how it should have ended.

My screening of the last episode fell on my significant others birthday so I decided to do a small GOT themed party with friends (including a tabletop dragon pit for roasting marshmallows of course.) Keep a lookout for my GOT Party post and how whipped all the food up in a future blog post.

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Mud Mask Review

 

 

Hey guys and girls! This post has been a very long time coming but school has kept me so busy I haven’t had the opportunity to put down in words what I thought about the Mud Mask clay masks. So let’s get right into this:

My Skin:

Here’s a little background on my skin. I have pretty decent skin, I hardly had acne growing up and even as an adult my skin was clear until I moved to Johannesburg. After moving to Jozi my skin started getting extremely dry and red around the cheeks. Not having dealt with major skin problems before this was new territory for me. I tried a couple of things but nothing seemed to stick until I tried Mud Mask.

 

 

Mud Mask first thoughts:

So my lovely friend, Sumarie the owner of Mud Mask popped over for a visit and surprised me with some masks. Firstly I thought the packaging was lovely! The masks are nicely stored in glass bottles that can be put on display, but I wasn’t sure if these masks would be like every other one I’ve tried: works for all of 10 minutes and then poof! My face is a tomato again.

All you need to do with the mask is mix it in with a few drops of water and/or an essential oil and apply it to the face. The first thing I noticed about the mask is the consistency and the velvet feeling as I applied it to my skin.

As advised by Sumarie, I kept it on my skin until I felt it starting to crack and washed it off. It felt uber nice on my skin, I could feel the mask locking in the moisture because of its velvety texture. It was also easy to remove just with some water.

 

 

After I dried my face off, I noticed an immediate difference: my skin was soft, the dry areas such as my cheeks and between my eyes were looking better. I was having a  crappy skin week so the mask definitely rejuvenated my face. I also used a touch of facial oil, which by the way is my favorite Mud Mask product, it locks in moisture and keeps my skin feeling soft and hydrated in the dry Johannesburg climate.

It was a total boost to my skin as the bumps on my face were reduced and my face felt clean. I was going out the night I tried the mask and found that when I applied my makeup I had a better foundation to work with because in all honesty if your skin isn’t in good condition makeup will never look perfect.

 

 

 

I have been using the masks every time I have an import night out or when I need a bit of pampering. I also love that I get to mix the product myself. It gets points for being interactive, but also quick and easy to use.

Why I would recommend it :

What makes these masks (and kit) so unique, is the fact that everything is 100% natural. The Essential Oils in the kit are all 100% pure and undiluted. The three essential oils (lavender, tea tree and geranium rose) were selected for their amazing benefits for the skin. These are also the three essential oils that are most suitable for any skin type. Evening primrose oil is another natural gem that you see frequently in many facial oils and moisturizers.
Obviously, these masks are completely natural. With no preservatives interfering with all the natural goodness in them! Not to even mention the additional activated charcoal and 100% raw honey that can also be mixed in with these masks!

 

 

The products are all natural which means there’s no funny stuff that you are unaware of going on your skin. The product feels luxurious on my face and the after effects are amazing, especially when it turned my face into an ideal canvas for makeup.

 

Why it’s worth it:

The Mud Mask starter kit and sample kit both come in the most rustic packaging; a wooden chest. I handled the packaging and products while taking photos for this blog and I was obsessed with the box. Keeping with the all-natural theme, Mud Masks packaging is environmentally conscious, unlike other beauty products I have used.  The wooden box can be reused as well as the cute little glass bottles which are stopped with a natural cork.  One of my favorite items in the box other than the products is the beautiful handmade terracotta mixing bowl, which is included in the starter kit.

 

 

The starter kit includes 21 items in total, 3 x each clay mask. Each vial contains enough clay for two facial masks which works out to R27.70 a mask. I have paid around R30 – R40 a mask in the past so R27.70 is good price for someone like myself who is on a budget. Money wise, Mud Mask is worth it and because you get to mix your own mask you control how much you want to use, this way I have managed to get not 2 but 3 masks out of 1 vile. Besides this, you are getting also the chest itself, and it comes packed with facial oil, facial soap and a wooden spoon.

To wrap this up, Mud Mask is a proudly South African brand. The products and packing are natural which means it is not only good on your skin but for the environment too. If you would like to purchase one of the products,  go to www.mudmask.co.za or visit this direct link https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/mud-mask to get your kit. With Christmas fast approaching these kits are great to find under the tree!

 

 

Hey ya’ll thank you for checking out this review. Let me know what you think in the comments below. In other news, I started a new Instagram account Cassricornart   to showcase my art as well as take commissions for my series “You’re a Beauty Guru Now.” Here’s one of Sumarie from Mud Mask, inbox me if you would also like to be immortalized as a beauty Guru.

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International Beauty Products: Resellers + Tips & a List of trusted sellers

 

 

This is an extremely important topic that I would like to discuss. The beauty industry in South Africa from sellers, buyers, beauty gurus, and your average Jane has really skyrocketed in recent years. With access to international brands from resellers to the basic consumer buying from the comfort of their own home, directly from overseas-based makeup sites, things have drastically changed in the way we buy our beauty products. Resellers make it easier for us to get our hands on brands we won’t find in our regular stores. Most of these resellers advertise on social media and have a website.

But with the good also comes the bad. There has been a rise in fake beauty products being sold at the corner shop down the street to so-called online resellers, duping people into buying counterfeit products while assuring people their goods are real. This is a very serious and scary thing that many South African consumers get trapped in.

 

 

 

via GIPHY

 

This post was inspired by recent events that occurred on a trusted beauty news Instagram account beautynewssa. Beauty News SA is “a source for the tea on all things makeup in SA, new releases, sales and giveaways” (taken from their Instagram bio.)

I was following their Insta story and to my horror, they were scammed into believing that a certain reseller was legit (after doing all the right checks of course) and shared this seller with their followers. Being a trusted brand themselves, their follows too, unfortunately fell into this trap. This is truly an awful experience for everyone involved and Beauty News SA was quick to admit their faults as seen in their Instagram story. I do not believe their intentions were bad, it’s just a really tough position they were placed in after trying to help the seller.

The conversation continued in a post where they asked these questions:

“So how did you all feel about today’s Story, and the whole fake makeup issue in general?? 🙊 Are resellers who deceive customers thief’s? Have you tried fake/replica makeup?”

 

 

I jumped into the thread and added some of my views on authentic resellers I trusted. As I read through the comments one thing jumped out at me. Some commenters admitted to using fake products, expressing that in some cases they were aware that the products were not original and simply, real products were financially unattainable and that buying fakes were more budget friendly. Others said that they have not had a bad reaction to fake products. This sent me into panic mode and I posted some of my thoughts on the matter which I would like to elaborate on here.

 

 

Let’s first establish what fake or counterfeit make up is for the purpose of this post:

 

Counterfeit makeup is anything that a fake or forgery of a well-known beauty brand. Knock-off products that copy the labeling and sell inferior products that elude the buyer to believe it is genuine. Not only does this tick off many illegal boxes,  counterfeiting is a form of trademark infringement and can be punishable by law. I’ve often come across counterfeit products of brands such as Kylie Cosmetics, Huda Beauty, Urban Decay and Anastasia Beverly Hills to name a few.

 

 

 

Why it is a bad decision to  knowingly buy fake products:

 

I understand the reasoning that high-end brands may be out of reach for those on a budget. The real deal can cost you over an R1000 an item also when you consider shipping costs from overseas, tariffs and customs, as well as the profit authentic sellers, need to make for all their work (remember when you buy from a legit reseller this cuts out the drama of dealing with customs and shipping amongst other things.) Also if you have used fake products and not had a reaction this does not mean the products are safe:

 

 

via GIPHY
1. Endorsing counterfeit makeup creates the market allowing bad sellers to sell more.

2. As mentioned above, this is illegal on a lot of levels such as trademark.

3. Buying counterfeit makeup creates a false sense of security for other unsuspecting customers to be scammed and even worse. They could be exposed to a bad reaction that will damage their skin and cost more money than one would have imagined paying for the real deal. If you don’t know this by now, fakes are known to be replicated in uncontrolled environments. You can never know for sure what is in the counterfeit you are buying as with the label they also copy the ingredients of the real product. So essentially you are getting an exact copy of the packaging but an inferior product that could have chemicals and even rat feces in it.

4. This can also taint the original brand’s reputation. If you don’t know you are buying a fake, your idea of the real brand could potentially create negative connotations to it.

 

An alternative to buying high-end products:

 

 

We are fortunate to have some really great budget-friendly makeup available to us, that even rival high-end products. Drugstore brands, as well as some locally produced makeup, is a better option for many reasons. You definitely know what is going into the products and there is very little risk factor when using these products. Brands like Essence, Catrice, Wet and Wild as well as Makeup Revolution can be found at your local Clicks or Dischem at a fraction of the cost.

 

What if you must have the high-end stuff?

 

I hear you, I pined over my AB Glow Palette for months before being able to afford it. And when it finally went on sale at an authentic re-seller and I had the cash,  I knew this was my moment. I try not to buy into the hype of makeup products and the need to have it now because so and so has it. Peer pressure can lead you to wanting products now, and I know people have bought fakes just because of the label. We all start somewhere, and for most of us on a budget it is a slow grow. Here are some tips on how I grew my makeup inventory:

1. I have a makeup fund I put spare cash into and save for the products I want most. It takes time but it is worth the wait.

2. Make a list of what you need in your makeup kit, this way if you see something on sale you don’t go out and buy it on a whim. Stick to this list and set goals with your savings.

3. It’s pretty difficult to suss out resellers to know if their products are authentic but here’s what I have done. Check the price if it’s too good to be true it probably is. This isn’t a foolproof plan but it is an indicator.

4. I am on South African based Facebook makeup groups and they usually don’t allow sellers that are fake. One of the common practices on these groups is that a seller provides proof of authenticity in the means of proof of purchase. I also look at the comments on sellers posts and check out the more experienced buyers to judge sellers.

5. I attend makeup expos and pop-ups. Fake sellers are usually unwelcome here so I know I am in a safe place. Buying at expos and pop-ups mean prices are cheaper as you cut out shipping costs and they usually have sales.

 

Some authentic resellers I have purchased from:

 

Beauty Gifts by Melanie

Fashion Police

Kiss and Makeup SA

 

 

Thank you for reading. I hope that this post will help makeup lovers like myself save money and unnecessary pain. Let me know in the comments below if this helped you. Have you had a bad experience with a seller? Tell me about that too. If you would like to know more don’t hesitate to ask me any questions and I will try to assist.

 

 

 

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4 Binge Worthy Animated shows on Netflix

 

If you’re anything like me and love a good animated show, that you can get sucked into, the streaming gods have blessed us with some of the best Animated shows for not only kids but adults as well.

 

Netflix has changed the way I consume content and has exceeded my expectations when it comes to the shows I  can watch and easily binge on. Here are my top 4 animated series which is a mix of shows for younger ages to more PG.

 

1. Disenchantment

 

If you’re already a fan of the Simpsons you might recognize the animation style of this show. Matt Groening brings us Princess Tiabeanie, an out of control princess like you’ve never seen before. Along with her unusual sidekicks a demon and an elf she gets into all sorts of trouble. This show is definitely for adults as a boozed-up princess is far from the Disney standard but is a fresh take on the prim and proper princess we all know.

 

Why I like this show:

Princess Bean is a direct opposite of everything I’ve ever known about Princesses. While watching her antics as she gets into trouble, intoxicated out of her mind there is an underlying storyline which I’ll be interested to see play out in season two.

 

2.The Dragon Prince

 

 

Co-created by Aaron Ehasz, the head writer for Avatar: The last air bender. The story follows two kingdoms who are on the verge of war. Two human princes and an Elvin assassin, take on an epic journey in order to save their world.

 

Why I like the show:

Dragons, Assasin Elves, Magic? What more can I say? Technically directed at children, This show is everything I want and more. The animation is impeccable and the characters have so much substance. Spoiler: one character, in particular, is a female knight, She’s also deaf and commuticates in sign language.

 

3. Final Space:

 

A sci-fi comedy for adults about an astronaut named Gary, who’s serving his last days on a prison ship. He then meets his new adorable friend Mooncake, a planet destroyer who’s wanted by the evil Lord Commander. Gary along with Mooncake and other characters try to stop the Lord Commander from destroying the universe.

 

Why I like the show:

This is a new and fresh storyline for space themed animation. I enjoyed the characters and interaction between them. Gary especially is flawed and unsure of himself which makes him relatable and there’s cute little moon cake, who destroys planets.

 

4. Hilda:

 

 

A beautiful show for kids and children at heart. Hilda is about a fearless girl who transitions from her home in the wilderness to the big city. The show has elves, giants and all sorts of quirky magical creatures.

 

Why I like the show:

I binge watched the hell out of this show and it drove right into my heart. The animation and music ties in well with this show about a world that coexists with magical beings. I loved the lore of the show and how every creature has a back story. It’s nicely put together to give you a pure feeling of mystic and wonder.

 

 

 

Another show I just started watching is the new She-ra series. I am quite enjoying it and think its worth your while to check it out. What are you watching on Netflix? Let me know in the comments below.
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Beauty Expo and Make up Haul

Another year another expo! Last Saturday I attended a beauty expo hosted by Beauty Swop and Sale. Attending an event 2 days before my final year-end exam was not my best moment but I sure needed a break from the books. The highlight of my day was truly the vendors and hanging out with my friend a fellow blogger Cherice from Glam Hipster Diaries.
This was the second beauty expo I have attended and I came prepared. The night before the event I stalked the vendors on Instagram so I could go in with a game plan:

 

1. Buy a new palette: more specifically Athena by Bad Habit
2. Check out some Korean skincare: what is it even?
3. Buy Glitter: Important
4. Face masks

 

I’d been saving my birthday money for this event so I had a budget but le boyfriend gave me his card just in case. I’m lucky, aren’t I? Though in all seriousness planning before you go to an event helps your wallet. Listing what you want to buy as well as your expectations puts your spending in perspective and helps you, to eat for the next month!

 

The day had finally arrived and I got up super early to be there on time so I wouldn’t miss out on anything. The first vendor I saw was Kiss and Makeup and within moments of walking in, I had my first buy. I’ve purchased from them before and they are my go to when I need an international brand at a good price. Athena was ticked off my list along with an additional purchase, a Color Pop lip gift set for only R50. I also returned a few hours later to grab a Morphe primer and sponge, seeing as my current sponge looks like the bottom of a lake – I thought this was a good buy.

 

Next, I stopped off at the lovely ladies from Glow Theory who recognized me from last year. Cherice and I both jumped at the Korean Skincare starter kit to help us get into Korean Skincare. I also came back later to get a 7 pack face mask which I’m dying to try out.

 

 

EllaGance Makeup, a South African based beauty brand was also there and I met the owner Ella Champion. It was lovely talking to her and she happily covered me in the Nova Glow Illuminator. Her products are amazingly pigmented and I just fell in love with her brand. I ordered the Nova Glow in Gold Digger which isready for me to pick up. I’d love to buy some more products especially the blush and the lipsticks which pack so much power.

 

 

A few other things I picked up was body glitter from Glamore Cosmetics, a silk pillowcase from Kikkaboo and makeup remover from My Abby. Shout out to Robin from My Abby for stopping us before we left to tell us about the My Abby range. The makeup remover is the one thing I’ve been using since the expo and oh my gosh it’s been amazing!

 

 

 

It was lovely talking to Zaza from Luxeloft who provided us with samples on some of her products after I explained my concerns about not knowing what works on my face! The vendors were awesome and they truly made the event.

 

 

 

Cherice and I purchased an intermediate makeup class along with our ticket. It was said to begin at 11am when we arrived at the door but to my utter annoyance (and if you know me, I am drama queen #1) it was moved to 10:30. We had no clue about the time change, because who listens to announcements when you’re too busy drooling over all the awesome products on display? We were fortunately fitted into the next class which was for professionals at 1 pm. Having an exam the next Monday with a tight schedule, the time change did throw my day off. I know students out there will relate! Despite being uncomfortable and put out of my comfort zone, Kirsty Cochuis from Smudge Makeup Academy did her best and I picked up a few new tricks – And as someone wise told me, taking oneself out of your comfort zone is what defines true beauty which was quite apt for my experience.

 

 

 

All in all, it was a good day. I spent time with my sunshiny pineapple-banana-lemon Cherice (I adore the dress she wore) I met some awesome people at the event and I came home happy with the goods I bought.

 

Next year I plan to check out other beauty expos, do you know of any other expos happening around Joburg? Let me know in the comments below 😊

Ps Thanks to Cherice for the silver Ofra lippy!

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Bohemian Rhapsody Review

Hi friends!
Here’s a new section that I am adding to the blog. One of my loves is watching movies and tv series – mostly because I’m an overthinker and getting transported into a different world visually not only helps me turn off but it also lights up that part of my brain where I have a huge appreciation for cinematics.

We’ll be starting off this new section with a much-anticipated movie that will be hitting the big screen on November 30th. I was lucky to catch the World Premier Pre-screening of Bohemian Rhapsody over a month before its official release.

 

A biopic (and I love me a biopic) about the lead singer Freddie Mercury and the band Queen. It follows the life of Mercury from his small beginnings,  through to his process as an artist and his larger than life personality he intensified with the success of Queen.  All entwined with the personal struggles he faced with his identity, loneliness, and sexuality. See the trailer below:

My background with Queen

Sadly, the real Freddie Mercury died in 1991 so I have never been able to experience the massive icon that he was but thanks to my dad I was exposed to Queen’s music from a young age. I remember getting all excited at age 4 to watch a Queen concert (without Freddie ) on TV and that’s where I fell in love with guitarist Brian May’s mad guitar skills. A couple of years ago I attended a Queen tribute show at Johburg Theatre, where my interest in Mercury actually took off. I started watching more of their music videos and interviews with Freddie and to my utter surprise, I had been walking around for 25 years not knowing he was Parsi Indian!

 

 

With my background on Queen and Mercury, I went into this movie really excited to see what I have read about his flamboyant life in articles, come to life on the big screen. I didn’t follow the production of the film too closely but I was aware that the living band members worked closely with the production team in order to get a close-to-damn-it portrayal of the rock legend. Also having cast Rami Malek in the lead role was a great choice from the get-go in terms of looks but I was still holding my breath to see his performance.

Thoughts on the film

The movie is a  glimpse into the life of Freddie Mercury, from the formation of Queen, his writing and recording process and the many successes of the band. This is pretty much the chronological order the movie follows but it also touches on issues fans may not have known about him and his personal trials with loneliness which is a theme seen throughout the film.  It is a story about a man who was unapologetically himself, he pushed boundaries and knew what he wanted but still had a human condition that needed a form of anesthesia in order to cope.

Although the film touches on realistic problems that contrast his ostentatious life and makes the character real, it also plays it safe and doesn’t explore certain issues that I would have like to have seen a deeper look into. BoRhap is a film honoring his memory but what would have made a bigger impact is if we saw more inner turmoil as he dealt with issues such as identity and finding himself.

Rami Malek

Let’s talk Malek for a moment. If anyone had to play Mercury it had to be him. Looking at images from the film we can definitely see that he looks like Mercury but could he act, I wondered? And yes, he can! I know Malek from the unhinged role of Elliot in Mr. Robot and I did not know that he was so versatile as an actor. He brought the essence of Mercury to the big screen and I think he did an amazing job with this character. Speaking for myself, I could see Malek in the character but there were certain instances in the film where Mercury just shone out. Especially in the scenes on stage, parading around with the microphone and stand, that was brilliant.

 

 

 

Okay, so to wrap this up. I loved the film (my biased is showing because I love historical movies,) the music fills the cinema and creates this atmosphere of anticipation and excitement and that’s all I needed. Despite the few hollow areas of the movie, I would recommend you go see it if you love Queen or biopics. One thing that I took away from this movie is that it doesn’t matter where you come from the important thing is, if I work hard at my dreams I could also do something half as significant as Mercury did in his short life.

 

Thanks for reading!

What are your thoughts on Bohemian Rhapsody? Will you be watching it? The movie releases on 30th November at my favorite cinema Ster-kinkor.

Before I go, I’d like to say a big thanks to Melanie Pretorius for the tickets and Ster-kinekor for hosting the event.

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Best Birthday Cakes. Ever.

I have been doing the monotonous task of sorting through years and years of photos, I’ve hoarded on my external hard-drives. To say the least its been hours of mind-numbing stuff – weeding through the accidental, very unflattering up-the-nose pics, I hit gold when I found a folder with pictures of my Birthday last year which sparked this post.

Around about that time I was still on my blogging hiatus and so could not share my utter glee with the world by putting into words how damn awesome my birthday cakes were. If there’s something you must know about me, is that I really enjoy the craftsmanship of novelty cakes and because I can only get cake once a year and I refuse to bake it myself, I make a point of going all out and last year I found the one, the ultimate pâtisserie.

While on the hunt for a new baker I went through so many websites trying to locate the perfect one but I just could not find any that were doing it for me until,  Cafe Hemingway’s. My first impression of them was WOW! Not only was their website beautifully presented but unlike a lot of other places I had looked at they had all the information I needed categorized nicely between different tabs. Hallelujah!

Which has become a rarity lately, as a socially-awkward-running-on-a-low-budge-student it is super helpful that I get all the information I need on your website instead of calling in for a quote and finding out I grossly cannot afford it. Yes, cakes are made to order but what Hemingway’s get right for me is their Cake Book which details the prices according to size, flavor, and fondant.

I must have mailed them immediately and asked for a quote on a unicorn cake and was surprised to find out that I could afford 2 more! And in less than 2 hours Melanie had given me all the information I needed and processed my order, all without having to call in!

Chuffed with myself, I decided that the family and I ( le Boyfriend and Mum) visit the Cafe for a taste test. The bristro was beautifully decorated and delightful. We had a few cake options to choose from but we went with the basics chocolate and vanilla and I can tell you this, you have not eaten cake until you’ve had a slice at Hemingway’s. Happy as a fat kid with cake I couldn’t wait for my birthday! I was literally vibrating when I left the Cafe.

When cake day arrived I sent le boyfriend to collect them but was a bit nervous – if you have ever transported a cake before it is at least a 2 man job and I was sending only 1 boyfriend for 3 cakes. The math did not add up. But Hemingway’s had us covered they packaged each cake into a very sturdy box and tied with a pretty ribbon that made each cake look like an individual present. This not only got them home safely but added more whimsy to the whole event.

When they finally arrived I was over the moon and happy with the effort that went into my cakes, from the boxes to the amazing work of art each cake was. I chose the  Fluttershy Unicorn, Color of Magic and the Black Minx cakes for my Birthday.

Fluttershy Unicorn 
This cake was my first choice, of course. French Vanilla sponge covered in vanilla icing with piped swirls for the unicorn mane, decorated with fondant for the unicorn details.

Color of Magic
I loved this as it was pretty in pink. Red Velvet sponge covered in pink icing with cream cheese frosting between the layers, it was decorated with lovely fresh flowers.

Black Minx
I wanted something a bit unusual and this was a gorgeous cake! Chocolate sponge covered in black icing and gold flecks, decorated with white chocolate bark, macarons and fresh flowers.

Cafe Hemingway’s did a marvelous job and I felt the cakes were worth much more than I paid for them. Each one was moist, just the right amount of sweetness and delicious flavors. I think my favorite was the color of magic as it had a bit of tartness to it that balanced the red velvet. Right now I’ve just placed my order for this year’s cakes and I cannot wait!

Thanks for reading!
xxx Cass

Do you like cake as much as me? Let me know your favorite sweet treat in the comments below.

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Life Update – Where have I been?


Hello reader…

I know it’s been forever and a day since I updated my blog, wrote and new post or even made a peep but a lot has happened since I was last here. I am alive. And if that is enough for you, you can go now, but if you are remotely interested in why I took a long extended absence from my space on the internet read on.

 

 

The last time I left off, I was gearing up for the second semester of my second year of study. Exciting times indeed but in my personal life, I was facing the closest I have ever been to hell. My world was rocked after le boyfriend lost his job. We were faced with very adult decisions to make about our immediate life, where we were going to go and what was going to happen. There were days where all we did was sit on the couch and literally cry while we picked up the pieces of our life. And of course, when it rains it most certainly pours and everything that could go wrong went wrong. FUN.

I cannot condense in words how utterly difficult that time was but trust me I would not have got through it all without the support from my friends and family. Thank you to everyone. We are, however, still trying to get back on some kind of track and it will take some time to regroup before we feel normal again. But in some crazy way we are in a better space than we were before and my last few months have been amazing.

 

This is what I have been up to lately :

 

We bought our first couch:

Not something I was going to mention but I believe it is very important to make note of the milestones in one’s life even if it may not be as important to the next person. After 4 years of living together and not making any sort of improvement to our general living space we bought a couch. It may not be the most expensive and some might say they’ve sat on more luxurious pieces of furniture but you know what, it’s my couch and I am proud of our achievement.

 

My best friends came to visit me for the first time in Jozi:

I have been friends with Raafeeqa since we met at age 15, that’s 12 years of friendship. We still maintain a strong bond after so many years and even after I moved to Joburg we are still consistent in our friendship. Nazz, her sister, who I also absolutely adore is the little sister I never had. In August they both made a trip just to see me and we had an amazing week together. Lots of shopping, cooking together and most importantly our great convos.

 

 

I went to Comic Con Africa:

I can officially say I was one of the people to attend the first Comic-Con Africa hosted in Johannesburg. It was mind-blowing there was so much to see and it was fantastic. I also DIY’ed my mermaid attire including a magnificent trident. Le Boyfriend went as the 11th Doctor and screaming girls asked for his picture even though all he did was buy a fez and went in his work clothes! I met a lot of friends I met online and even after CCA we still keep in touch.

 

 

I surprised my mother for her 60th Birthday:

With all the drama that has been going on in my life, I was really happy I could pull this one out of the hat, okay really all praise should go to the man that made it happen but come on I did all the planning. So my mother turned 60. Wow. And I had to be there. I took a 10-day break from reality to visit my mum for her big day and see everyone that I could back home. I spent well deserved time with my loved ones and with my closest friends, reunited with family and truly hit a reset before exam season starts.

 

What’s next?

I am currently preparing for exams. One last stretch before I can breathe. I have 4 exams and 1 portfolio to complete by the end of November. Studying is going slow but I am sure it’ll pick up very shortly.

Other than that I have started the Inktober challenge which is keeping me creative. In a nutshell, I have to follow daily prompts for the month of October and interpret these into daily drawings.

Something that is keeping the procrastination alive, is, unfortunately, my upcoming Birthday smack bang in the middle of exams! Well at least I am not writing any exams on my Birthday this year, last year I wrote 2. I’ve been getting sucked into what I want to do for my day and how I spend it. It is something to look forward to and I am excited!

I would also try to blog more. Le boyfriend gave me a little notebook to write down my ideas and goals and I am hoping to use this to help me be a bit more consistent in my writing and creative space.  Well, that is all from me for now, hopefully, I will be back sooner than last time.

Thanks for reading. xx