StayClear Purifying Cleanser {Review}

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I came across this delightful cleanser while in Clicks the other day.  I hadn't really paid much attention to the Good Things brand as it is tucked away in the 'teenage' aisle of the store. But in my hurry from Joburg a few weekends back I left my face wash (along with all my other products) in the shower. So i was looking for something reasonable to tide me over until I get my products back from Joburg. Well, I'm so glad that I did leave them there, because this cleanser was such a gem of a find! It removes all traces of makeup from my skin without over drying, is free from parabens, sodium laureth sulphate and mineral oils, {& it is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans} and the gel like texture ensures that a little really does go a long way!

The best part, has most definitely got to be, the smell. Its delightfully fruity and leaves me feeling fresh and clean all day! It sounds a bit strange, but for the whole morning I could smell {what must be the *mango & blueberry*} the extracts that are in this cleanser! 

The only *slight* let down in this product is the prettyness of it, but all things considered, for only R54 at Clicks, you can overlook the packing in my mind.

I most definitely give this cleanser a 5/5!




Click here to join Good Things on Facebook...

A Farmboy in Ethiopia...

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Farmboy got back from Ethiopia last week where he was away on business for 16 days  (he was in Sierra Leone 3 weeks ago, click here to see those photo's of his trip).

There aren't many words to aptly describe his trip to you, so I am rather leaving you with the following photographs.

Enjoy
 xxx















#PhotoOfTheWeek...Yellow

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Another week has come and gone, and with it, another photo challenge! This week's theme was Yellow. Every week, the team (which consists of 15 members from all over South Africa, and in fact, from all over the world as we have 2 members in Asia!). A new theme is chosen on Monday and then everyone has to find a photograph that feel best suits that week's theme. Then they have to send me their submission by Sunday evening, and I post them early Monday morning. We have been going for over months know and it has been amazing to see everyone improve (not just in their photographic skill, but in their creativity!). 

And a BIG welcome to our newest member, Julia! Good luck with your photographs Julz, I can't wait to see them :)

Well done everyone!

Here are the submissions from this week:

Taken by: Cathy

Taken by: Lisa

Taken by: Julia
Taken by: Ron
Taken by: Roxy

Taken by: Sue
Taken by: Vicky


TipTop *Triple Putty*

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Yet another lovely colour to add to my collection of TipTop nail polishes. I loved the deep burgundy colour of Crushed Grapes (which lasted a whole 9 days on my nails before I finally had to part with it!) and so went off shopping for another wintery shade. Grey is definitely one of my favourite colours, and looks gorgeous when paired with anything (especially apricot and baby pink, which are our wedding colours! Click here to see whats happening on that front, with just over 4 months to go things are getting pretty stressful!). 

As always, TipTop polish goes on beautifully, and gives an even amount of colour in every stroke. I did find that I needed to do 2 coats of this colour, but that just added to the richness of it.

This is  #948, Triple Putty:





You can find TipTop at most Click's stores nationwide, for R39.99 (which is just as easy on the wallet as their colours are on the eyes!). Click here to join them on Twitter, and click here to join in their fun competitions and giveaways on Facebook!

Rollin Vintage {Shop} Launch!

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This friday, 1st June 2012, Rollin Vintage will be launching their new premises in Howick, just outside Pietermaritzburg. Ryan and Liesa started Rollin Vintage at the beginning of this year, and have been an unstoppable force since then. I did a post on their pieces before, click here, when they were just starting up their business, and it has been amazing to see them grow. Their shop is just the beginning. Not only will they be showcasing their gorgeous antique cutlery jewelry, they will also be stocking a host of other South African handmade designs and crafts. If you are in the Pietermaritzburg area on Friday afternoon, why not pop by!



These are the *before the stock has arrived* photo's, just to give you a little glimpse of what's in store on Friday.

Ryan and Liesa!

How amazing is this Radio!? *Not for sale*



Ryan's pride and joy! He spent many hours lovingly crafting this counter...

I want! 





Lots of natural light make the shop a very inviting place to be in winter...


One of their rings. 

The 'Designer on Display' feature space

{From left to right} Me, Liesa, Shellen and Angela
All four of us were studying our Postgrad Teaching Certificate at the University of Kwazulu Natal, but Liesa had other idea's, and left the course to follow her dream (inspiring woman!).
Liesa!






#PhotoOfTheWeek...Eerie

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This week's theme was a very interesting one, and I've loved each and every one of the submissions! Thank you to everyone who has submitted a photograph. And, I am very please to introduce you all to our newest team member. Team, meet Cathy! Thanks for joining in our #PhotoOfTheWeek challenge Cathy, I look forward to seeing your photographs!

Taken by: Cathy

Taken by: Dale

Taken by: Meg

Taken by: Lisa

Taken by: Roxy

Taken by: Rob

Dullstroom for the weekend...

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A few snaps from a recent rip to Dullstroom, sans Farmboy (who is still away for work in Ethiopia!!). But I did go with my lovely mom and step dad. The weekend was to celebrate my Uncle Pete's Big 50, and was packed with family catch ups, beautiful scenery, and fires burning all day long to keep cosy...

I really liked the look of this log...

Me and my Grandpa!


Interesting fence...

Nothing like a little cheesy self portrait!

?! :)


Pinecone found on a walk through the forest

The Clock Shop!

Harry's Pancakes...yum yum yum!

Even though i felt that Dullstroom is tending towards to 'dull' side (with most shops selling cheap Chinese replica's ie. junk!) it was still a wonderful weekend. Dullsroom is still one of the most beautiful places to head to for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of Joburg (and of course is a fantastic place for trout fishing!).

#PhotoOfTheWeek...Bubbles

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Another week has come and gone, and with it another photochallenge! This past weeks theme was Bubbles. Every week, the team is given a theme (each team member is given a chance to choose the theme for the week) and then each person has 7 days to take the perfect picture. It can be as edited or as natural as you like, the only rule is it has to be submitted to me by Sunday evening (South African time) so that I can get the post up asap on Sunday night/early Monday morning! If you'd like to join in, just drop me a line at citygirlsearching@gmail.com and I will send you that week's theme and you can get started right away!

Here are this week's submissions for the theme Bubbles:

Taken by: Rob


Taken by: Meg

Taken by: Roxy


Taken by: Lisa
Taken by: Vicky
Taken by :Sue

{Blogging For Beginners} a *Pugly Pixel* Post

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One of my all time favourite bloggers, Katrina from PuglyPixel, recently wrote a post on blogging for beginners. As I have also been asked this question numerous times before, I thought I'd send you over to her site where she has some great pointers, as well as loads and loads of freebies to make your blog look lovely! Most of what I have learnt in photoshop I've learnt from her super tutorials (which are all free, how nice!). For a very small price ($5) you can register for a month long membership on her site and you have access to everything! How great is that?!

Thank you for all your hard work Katrina, your blog is always such a delight to look through :)


Bourjois *Foundation* {Review}

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I am really loving my new Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation (which came in last week after I placed an order with my Dad who was on a trip to the UK.) It's much cheaper over there than here, R110 there vs R185 here. It glides on effortlessly, stays put the whole day, and doesn't leave my skin looking shiny. The bottle says that it leaves a "smooth, beatified complexion" and I have to say I am definitely agreeing with that statement. It leaves a slight matte finish, which is great if your skin tends towards the oilier side, and smells fantastic (it's horrible putting something on your face that makes you want to gag!). It even comes with a cute little makeup sponge applicator which fits nearly onto the lid, making things very easy. I still spwear by my Mac #187 Stippling Brush  which gives me perfect coverage every time, without leaving me with a streaky effect my fingers and sponges usually leave me with. 

If you do have very sensitive or dry skin, I would probably be careful with this foundation as it does have a matte effect (which could possibly leave dry skin types looking a bit on the cakey side). Also, with regards to the lovely flower scent, this is from added fragrances which could irritate very sensitive skin. 


I give this foundation a 4/5, the only reason for not giving it full marks is the price of it here in South Africa. Bourjois is still relatively new to South Africa, and R185 for a foundation most people have never heard of is a bit steep. I think consumers would rather pay a bit extra for the likes of MAC. 
You can find Bourjois at most Edgars stores, nationwide.

TipTip *Crushed Grapes*

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Loving the new addition to my ever growing collection of TipTop Nail polishes. They always paint beautifullym dry quickly and last for ages. Plus, they are Formaldehyde, Dibutylphthalate, Camphor and Toluene free meaning they are better for your nails than most brands, ultimately resulting in healthier nails! 

This is 918, Crushed Grapes.
Dark colours can be tricky on long nails, which mine were until i broke one on my car door (*ouch!!*). What better way to disguise short nails that with a gorgeous shade, perfect for the cold winter ahead. 




You can get your hands on TipTop at most Clicks stores nationwide for R39.99. 


TipTop are always running awesome giveaways and competitions on Facebook, be sure to check out their page to join in on the fun!

{Macaroons} What not to do...

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Today I am very proud of myself, I unhooked, carried, loaded, refilled, carried, reloaded and re-hooked my first ever gas cylinder! What a day, and boy are those cylinders heavy, wowee! And to celebrate having a fresh tank of gas, Candice and I decided to try out what looked like a very easy Macaroon recipe in the latest edition of Ideas.

And while they didn't quite come out liked i had hoped (I didn't even get to a point where I needed to make the delicious creamy white chocolate centre!), I still had fun. And i now have squishy balls of sugary mess to munch on in the cold winter nights while Farmboy is away in Ethiopia.

I thought  maroons were as easy as:









This is what was supposed to happen when the above steps were followed:

{source}
Instead, this is what I am left with...


But they (or it) is still very yummy! Not sure where exactly I went wrong...not using greaseproof paper was a big mistake, as well as having my oven a little too hot. 

 I will just have to give them another go i think???

A Farmboy in North Africa

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My dear fiance has been working as an environmental consultant for a company here in KZN for the last few months, and recently got back from a trip to Senegal, Sierra Leone and Gambia. At this moment he is in Ethiopia doing research for another project there. Here are a few of his photographs from his trip. I'm really missing him, and am desperate to go on adventures with him to these incredible places!

 Enjoy :)













Farmboy, I miss you xxx

My new *CAMERA*

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I am so excited to introduce to you my very own, shiny black, taker of pretty still life pictures, Canon 60D! I am so very excited with my piece of photographic magic, that I couldn't resist a few shots. I spent many an hour online finding the perfect camera, and the age old Nikon/Canon debate held me back a few times. Farmboy swears by Nikon, but I have been using a Canon for the past 6 months, and it's the only camera that now truly feels at home in my hands. If you're in the market for a new slr, check out Ken Rockwell's site, full to the brim with useful tips and reviews on just about every camera out there!

This is the first SLR camera that actually 100% belongs to me, and I'm thrilled to bits! I can't wait to post lots of photo prettyness!






#PhotoOfTheWeek..Stripes

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And we are back on track for our weekly photo challenge! The past week's theme was Stripes, and here are the submissions! Thank you to everyone who sent through a photograph, it's so wonderful to see how much you have each improved, and just how creative you are all getting :) Well done!

Taken by: Rob
Taken by: Meg

Taken by: Sue

Taken by: Roxy
And we have a new member to add to our growing team! Welcome Lisa! And what a super picture to start off this weekly challenge, well done! Looking forward to seeing you photo's Lisa :)

Taken by: Lisa

Natur Vital *Rose Water Toner*

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Scouting around Dischem in search of skin care products is never an easy task. I get distracted by all the packaging, the promises of "clearer looking skin in just 10 days" etc etc etc. Farmboy calls Dischem the 'trap door of all trap doors" which lures unsuspecting girl friends, fiance's and wives, only to spit them out hours later, penny less, but armed with every kind of eyeliner, lipgloss and conditioner under the sun. Sounds like my kinda place :)

Well, it was on one of those missions, to find the perfect toner, that my eyes happened to look upon the 'no name brand' aisles when I spotted this Rose Water Toner. For only R20 I thought I couldn't really go wrong, and, well I sure didn't. 


NaturVital is a range of "products that provide natural solutions to all your beauty, hygiene and personal care needs. We have a very clear work ethic and the products we prepare for you are always of the highest quality, made using natural extracts, oils and plant essences, in exactly the right balance and proportions to provide the maximum effect in a natural, non-aggressive way"...sounds a little airy fairy to me. But I did need a new toner while I wait for my cleanser and day cream to finish, and for R20 you can't really go wrong. I would liken this toner to Vichy's Thermale 3 in 1 Cleansing Solution (click here) but without the R198 price tag.

To be honest, I think I can officially say this has got to be one of the gentlest, effective cleansers I have ever used. It's kind to my skin, whilst still removing all traces of makeup and dirt, leaving my skin feeling soft and clean. It's all use before bed, with a dab of night cream. It has a rather pleasant smell and of course, I just love the colour :). There are lots of known benefits to using rose water (click here) and up until now I didn't really see what all the fuss is about But after using this toner for a little over a month I can really see a difference in my skin's moisture levels (it's no longer dry in patches) and it feels soft as a baby's bum. I can't say for sure whether it's helped my recent outbreak of dreaded pimples, as I am on a course of Antibiotics which has worked wonders, but never the less I love this product!

If your looking for something that's easy on your pocket, looks very pretty and works pretty darn well as a cleanser, toner and make up remover, head on over to Dischem pronto!

6 Months before the Wedding {Part 2}

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A little while ago I wrote this post on what you should have done and organised 6 months before your big day. There was far too much to put in one post, so here is part 2. In terms of time frame, I have used 6 months as my starting point as that is how long I have had to get ready for my wedding. But of you have longer, then rather use these as a guideline, or rather, a check list. If you have less than 6b months to plan, then get your bum moving :) But not to worry, lots of my friends have planned weddings in 3 months and under. You just have to get your 'pinterest on' (if you have not heard of Pinterest before, do yourself a favour and click here, your life may be changed forever, not to mention your internet bill!).




This was the most exciting part of planning my wedding so far. In terms of imporatnce, this was one of the first things I decided on. As we are getting married on the farm, we were really excited to incorporate a little bit of farm into our wedding (and so wooden tables were decided upon in place of tresstle tables and overlays). We are having our tables very simple, with the wood being the main feature, with lace table runners down the centre bringing in a slight Vintage touch. This not only saves money on huge amounts of overlays and draping, but I think also adds something a bit special. Poor Farmboy and my soon to be Father-in-Law have had the job of making the tables (click here to see how they are getting along) as I was unable to find the right kind of tables...fussy much I hear you asking? :)
For idea's for your theme or colour scheme, look through sites like Pinterest, The Pretty Blog and 100LayerCake which provide lots and lots of free idea's.




Your decor will very much depend on your above theme and colour palette, so once you have decided what colours you are going with, it's time to find out who can get you exactly what you want to make your special day a reality. Farmboy and I are doing a lot of the decor ourselves, a lot of people think that by doing things yourself you save a fotune in hirig costs. This is not always the case, as sourcing materials can be expensive, not to mention very time consuming. Sometimes its best to leave it to the professionals who have the most experience in dealing with suppliers. But, if like us you want to add your own touch to your wedding then be prepared for lots of hours spent researching and requesting quotes.
If you go onto sites like The Pretty Blog, a lot of suppliers advertise their business on the side, so thats a great place to start looking. Then a good old google search will help you some more. Here are a few good sites with comprehensive lists of suppliers all over South Africa:



These day's fun and creative wedding invites and Save the Dates are all the rage, and this is one area you really can save yourself a lot of money by making your own. If you are the creative type and know your way around photoshop, then why not design them yourselves. If you are wanting to go green, here is a great site that is free and allows you to customize your own wedding stationey. Paperless Post then sends you your digital copy which gets sent to all your guests. It's  alovely way to make sure those oversea's guests get your invite without the extra worry about the postman not being very reliable.
But if your budget does extend, and you are looking for something unique and special, why not get someone else to do the hard work for you?! I know my way around PhotoShop, but i haven't a clue when it comes to illustrating, so we got the lovely girls over at Ruby and the Swallow to help us out with our wedding stationey. Kim and Filipa, the two braisn behind the design colective that is Ruby and the Swallow are such fun to work with, and i thought were so reasonable, I have enlisted their help in most of my wedding stationey. Just drop them a line here if you're looking for a lovely local team to do stationery for your function. Click here to see the Save the Dates they designed for our wedding, we just loved them!


Ranking very high on our list of proirities is our Photographer. After all the glitz and glam is over, your photographs are the only thing you have left to show for your big day (apart from of course a lifetime with the one you love!). I contacted about 10 different photographers for our big day, and after much deliberation, finally settled on Jacki Brunquel. Farmboy and I are very excited to work with her, and love her creative flair.

Before you even start looking, you need to decided what kind of photographer you want to cover your big day. Here are a list of wonderful photographers we looked at (all based in the Durban area) before finally deciding on Jacki Bruniquel. They were all so very helpful, and it was a very hard decision to make, but we are very excited to have Jacki and look forward to having her cover our special day!

So there you go, another list :) If you feel I have left anything out, please drop me a comment below, I love hearing from you!
xxx