Review | African Extracts Rooibos Classic Range

My Face Routine

NOTE: I have since discontinued using this product, as a month into using it I had the most severe breakout of my life, with massive pimples and severe scarring. It took me a long time to realise that I was not reacting well to this product. I am, by no means, saying do not use it, but it was not good for my skin.

My face has constantly been an uphill and downhill battle that I have spent more time losing than winning. Over the years I have tried every acne fighting shelf product I could afford to try and tackle my acne, oil and itch ridden face. The products would work for a week or so, and then it would be back to normal. Sometimes I did not even notice a difference. Then a few months back, I entered a competition I had come across on Facebook by Joburg magazine, Joburg Style. To my pleasant surprise, I won!

The hamper, from African Extracts Rooibos, was wonderfully packaged. But I had never heard of this product and was pleased to see a product that focused on the health and well-being of my face. I secretly felt like I had hit the jackpot. After the face products I was using finished, I gave myself a few weeks off and just used normal face wash to let the previous product be forgotten by my skin. Then I was ready to start my new face routine.

1. I use the Deep Cleansing Facial Wash to wash my face in the mornings when I shower, pat my face dry and after giving my face a little breathing time, I apply the Soothing Cleansing Lotion with my fingers. I lather this on my face, and then wipe it off with a cotton wool swab. There is no need to put moisturiser after that! Since my face produces a lot of oil, the Cleansing Lotion just by itself is enough to sustain and moisturise. Then I am ready to face the day smiling!

Note: I use this combination on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. 

2. For my evening face wash, I wash my face again with the Deep Cleansing Facial Wash. After the usual breathing space, I apply the Nourishing Night Cream and head to sleep.

Note: I use this combination on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

3. The Exfoliating Facial Scrub is to be used only twice a week, as I cannot imagine that scrubbing everyday is good for the face. When I get into the shower, I throw water on my face and apply the Exfoliating Facial Scrub. I leave it on my face while I shower and rinse it off after I am done showering. I give my face breathing space and apply the Moisturising Day Cream with SPF 15.

Note: I use this combination on Tuesday and Friday in the mornings.

4. The Exfoliating Facial Scrub can be used either in the morning or in the evenings. Depending on when I use it, I will apply the moisturiser appropriate for that time. I prefer to scrub in the mornings, however.

5. This is my whole African Extracts Rooibos range which I now use and have come to love. I am so over using products because I want to kill the acne and oil. My focus now is on making sure that my face is healthy at all times, and taking all the steps necessary to make sure that I do not complain as much as I used to.

Finally...

6. This one is a totally new idea that I decided to try out because for many years older people have been telling me to buy Tea Tree Oil and use it for my pimples. I bought this on Friday at Clicks, unfortunately it is quite pricey for 20ml sitting at R75.00. Desperate, I did not really think much about the price and just went in for the purchase.

When I got home in the evening, I steamed my face for 15 minutes. After patting my face dry, I allowed it to breathe a bit. Then I washed my face with my Exfoliating Facial Scrub, applied the Nourishing Night Cream and with an ear bud, dabbed some undiluted Tea Tree Oil directly on my pimples (not on the entire face).

Tea Tree Oil is very strong, and if you have sensitive skin, it is not advised to use it undiluted. It also has quite a strong smell, but I like the smell.

When I woke up in the morning after this routine, my face was feeling refreshed and the pimples which were enourmous the night before were reduced to little studs on my face. The swelling, whiteheads, redness went with the night! It works!

Unfortunately the oil will not prevent pimples from coming out, it merely helps them heal because of its anti-fungal/bacterial properties.

Please do some reading before you use Tea Tree Oil, it helps a lot!

What is your trusted face routine?

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Shelflife x New Balance x DRZVLV

"City of Gold" 574

Last week Thursday the 17th of April I attended the official Joburg launch of the sneaker collaboration between Shelflife, New Balance and Dr Zulu. Shelflife is a proudly South African streetwear brand based in Cape Town, New Balance an international footwear brand which has teamed up with the design expertise of artist Dr Zulu who has his own apparel line sold exclusively at Shelflife stores. The sneakers, named "City of Gold" 574 were launched to a wave of sneaker lovers, street smart heads and hip hop enthusiasts and we were all dancing to the spins of hip-hop DJ Raiko and BoyznBucks member Okmalumkoolkat. As an introduction, we watched the promotional video that was put together which is inspired by our very own city of gold, Johannesburg. After that the exclusive sneakers went on sale and it is an understatement to say they sold like hot cakes. Others could be seen carrying around two bags of the absolutely stunning sneaker.

What a night!

Read more about it over at Shelflife and watch the promo video here.

Fashion Season Fever

Last week I attended the Capsule Collections Fashion Show at Museum of African Design, which was presented by the new LG G Flex smartphone. The phone is literally designed to the curve of the face. How cool is that?

The likes of Kluk CGDT, Grapevine Fashion, Loin Cloth & Ashes, Kreyann* Cameroon, and other upcoming designers were parading their trendy fashion designs and it was a game of 'who is the coolest in the building'. I think Loin Cloth & Ashes reigned supreme with that twist of colourful sneakers on their collection (obv, I love sneakers hahaha).

 

 

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Happy New Year!

My Holiday in Nine Images

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Nike Festival of Air

I have always been a fan of the Nike brand, most importantly after I enrolled for my honours studies in Brand Management it was one of the brands I aspired to work for. I think they do brilliant brand strategy, customer retention, and so forth on their brand. Therefore why would I not aspire to be with such?

Anyway, that was about 18 months ago when they asked me the question at school and I have since found my home at a financial services provider that is totally phenomenal and innovative. Right now, there is no other place I would rather be. Anyway, back to Nike...

On the 5th of October me and my friend Nwabisa went to attend the Nike Festival of Air held at the Nike House of Innovation, which was to celebrate the design innovation (and the people behind it) that Nike is so famous for. For starters I was completely excited to have a chance to experience Nike beyond the sneakers I wear. They started us off on a creative design/arts workshop where, true to the fine artist in me, I produced this:

In my team, combined we sort of pulled this off. Do not ask me what it is, I was just happy to be dabbling in a bit of art expression again.

On the street while taking a walk during one of the breaks I was able to snap this one and only graffiti work I noticed:

We also went to Kitcheners and some companions of ours from East London, namely Transkei Republik, were having a young performance there:

And right before the afterparty started, we dashed off to the heart of Joburg CBD to grab some stuff and I snapped the only piece of cityscape I could manage in that little window I was standing in:

And then the party of all small parties started. It was that because all the cool kids who rep the Nike brand were there, bloggers and some other socialites our age. It was quite an interesting event, with me experiencing Dirty Paraffin live for the first time (I totes love these guys) and meeting some of the guys I follow religiously on social networks. What a Jive!

I'm ridin' on my gusheshe gusheshe gusheshe....!!!

Photo's taken with my iPhone

The rest of them did not make it.

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