Growing your own beautiful, strong nails

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After posting this photograph  on Instagram I received a number of questions from ladies asking me how I get such 'nice' nails. I've never really thought about my nails very much until now. I mean, I always have them looking neat or painted in a pretty colour, but when it comes to achieving long, strong nails, well then I'm no expert. All I can do is tell you what I do, and then you can try it out and let me know if you get results.

First I have to tell you, although you may not believe me from looking at these photographs, but I used to be a biter. Not a dainty little nibble here and there nail biter, but a proper when-I-chew-all-thats-left-behind-are-stumps-flayed-cuticles kind of biter. So how did I get my nails to look like they do now? Whats my secret? Well, to be honest, I don't have one. Instead of spending a fortune on supplements and OPI nail treatments and manicures and the latest cuticle oil and hand creams, I started eating lots of yogurt. The chocolate chip kind. An increase in dairy for my little body, meant a huge increase in calcium, leading to stronger nails. I used to have a nasty habit of rubbing my nails over my teeth until they would become so weak, they would inevitable break and peel. Then I would just bite them as they looked so terrible anyway and so the vicious circle began. When my body started to respond to the huge injections of calcium two or three times a day, my nails started to grow, little by little. Even a little bit of nail looks better than stubby fingers. Slowly,  my nails were given a chance to strengthen and lengthen. No amount of funny tasting 'bite proof' nail polish could help, and no amount of bribery from my poor mom could get me to kick the nasty habit. It was the good old choc chip yogurt that finally did the trick.

So now that's the growing part done, how about the strengthening part...

Whenever I apply polish, I ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use a base coat on my nails. It doesn't matter the brand (although I have always loved Rimmels Stronger Double Duty base coat ~ click here). Even if its a clear nail polish colour if you don't have a specified base coat on hand, use it! Applying a base coat not only helps to lengthen the life of your nail colour, but its protects your nail bed from the chemicals inside all nail polish. This means you won't be left with yucky yellow stained nails too.

Then, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS apply a top coat. Not only does a top coat seal in your colour, but it prevents your nail polish from chipping. Your manicure will last longer, you wont be tempted to fiddle with pretty looking nails, and your nails will be protected everyday wear and tear we subject our hands to. 

Lastly, I keep a cuticle oil on my bedside table and rub it in whenever I remember to (I am quite fond of Sally Hansen Vitamin E & cuticle oil which you can pick up for R80 at Clicks & Dischem in South Africa). Keeping your cuticles soft and moisturized can help strengthen your nails.

Lastly, make sure you take care of your hands. Your nails are a lot more fragile than our hands, but get subjected to a lot of rough treatment everyday. Wear gloves when you wash the dishes, use a mild cleansing soap when you wash your hands, massage your cuticles when rubbing in hand cream, and drink plenty of water to keep your body healthy and hydrated.

I have tried hair, skin and nail supplements before, but to be perfectly honest really saw no results. You might have better luck, but they can be pretty pricey and if you aren't looking after the actual nail bed by wearing a base coat, using cuticle oil and wearing hand cream, you're probably undoing the internal benefits of them.

Anyway, I hope you find this helpful. Please know that I'm no expert, and am merely sharing my personal experiences with you. Do drop me a comment if you know any more tricks and secrets for growing beautiful string nails.

xxx

A day at the Beach in Korea

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Beaches here in South Korea just cannot be compared to the beaches back home in South Africa, or to the incredible tropical paradises in the rest of South East Asia. But when temperatures are reaching 35C and the humidity is at 100%, the only thing you want to do is immerse yourself in cold water that isn't your shower or in the bath tub. 

A short 30 minute bus ride from our sleepy little town of Buan lies the town of Gyeokpo. Is is in the south-west corner of South Korea (click here for a map) and despite the stares from the Koreans for all the bare skin we were showing, the beach was semi-private and we had a little stretch of wet sand to ourselves.

There is a small convenience store at the bus stop in Gyeokpo where you can load up on supplies (drinks/beers and other treats) and then it's a 5 minute walk to the sandy shores. There aren't many places in Korea where you can actually swim, and we all really enjoyed the mini waves and refreshing salt water on our skin. Definitely worth a trip if you are in the area.


The Face Shop ~ Chia Seed Collection {revi

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As with every other thing I have bought here in South Korea, the skin care products are packaged beautifully. Even the biscuits are individually wrapped here (a nightmare for the rubbish dumps ~ although recycling here is top notch). I was really good about not packing too many products for our move here. I 'held' back and only brought the bare minimum (a post on the 'bare minimum' to follow soon) and so was eager to try a new skin care range once we settled in.

My absolute favorite brand of cosmetics/skin care here in Korea is The Faceshop. I buy all my nail polishes there, as well as my concealer. They are currently having a massive sale in all stores (here in Korea...sorry everyone else!). I picked up a toner, moisturizer and 'oil free' setting gel. Mmm, setting gel? I hadn't heard of that before either, but I will explain here.

Chia seeds are becoming one of the biggest so-called super foods on the market. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and high in antioxidants, protein and fiber.I was unaware of these seeds seeing these products, and after all the research I've been doing, I'm on the hunt for them to ass to my cereal and smoothies in the morning.

Chai Seed Watery Toner

"A moisturising toner for hydrating inside the skin with organically grown chai seed"

I just love that description, for

inside the skin

as opposed to outside the skin :) Anyway, I use this after cleansing my skin, and either apply it with cotton wool, or using my hands straight onto the skin. Its light, removes makeup and oil from my skin, and leaves a light, summery fragrance that I can't quite put my finger on. Either way, its lovely and refreshing.

The back of the box describes this product as "a natural moisture drop absorbing moisture 10 times its own weight" how cute :)

Chai Seed Watery Lotion

A light, easily absorbed moisturizing lotion, perfect for hot summer days (and the 100% humidity here in Korea. Easy to  blend into the skin, my oily/combination skin, and interestingly enough, I have been told that oily/combination skin still needs constant hydration. This lotion is light, doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky afterwards, and does a good job with maintaining a mate appearance for the first few hours of the day. It has been doing a much better job of reducing shine, while still moisturizing my skin, than my IQ Clear Start Oil Free Clearing moisturizer which really battled in the Korean humidity. I was left looking like an oily mess by 10 o'clock. I don' think this lotion will be enough when winter comes around though, but by then I'm sure I'll be on the lookout for something new anyway.

Chai Seed Sebum Control Moisture Control

"A moisture cream that replenishes skin with moisture while preventing excess sebum
Uses good seeds and good technology that make the extracts fresh and is also good for the environment
A clear, mild cream
Real oil-zero
Uses 100% chia seed extract instead of water"

Well that just sounds amazing right?! This clear gel is refreshing, and when worn alone leaves my skin shine free for just about the whole day. When worn with my foundation, my skin tends to shine up on my T-zone area. I usually carry my MAC Studio Fix powder to zap the shine in its tracks. But when worn without any foundation, my skin stays shine free all day...wonderful! Again, I love the product description on the packaging. Applying a gel is quite a different experince, and in the heat here, a very welcome one. My face feels refreshed, radiant and supple. And in true Korean style, you cant possible only 1 lotion type product. The trick (and they do have incredible skin and NEVER look their age) is to use all 8 steps in the range of products. I starting with 4.

Overall I have been thrilled with my purchases, all coming to W43 000 (R380) on sale at the FaceShop. 

I'm after the Essence & Eye cream next.

Have you ever tried any Asian/Korean skin brands before?

{South Korea & Japan were the home to BB creams before the trend hit South African soil..these Koreans know their stuff when it comes to skincare and makeup!}

45 Life Lessons from someone very wise...

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We have been in Korea for a little over 2 weeks now. If any of you have been following me on Instagram, you probably think that I have landed in an incredible world full of gorgeous stationery, makeup for miles, and pretty things everywhere I look. The truth is that there are a lot of things that go on in a day that are far from wonderful here. Arriving in Korea, and living here, you are emerging yourself in a culture so far removed from anything you will have experienced before. There are days when I question our lives here, there are days when I want to strangle some of my students and kick them out of class, days when I want to shake my co-teacher and shout at her to stop smiling at me when she doesn't understand a word I've said. 

What starts to matter is the small things in life. The little old lady I meet on my walk to school. The small piece of shade I walk under for the last 10 minutes of my walk. The fan above me the staff room, and all the things my hubby does for me in the morning when we get ready for work. Our lives here, at least while we await our first paycheck, are very different from back home, not only do you start to appreciate things back home, but I've also grown to appreciate other South Africans so much more. Even though things can be pretty tough here (the language barrier has a lot to do with it, and the levels of respect in society - being able to give your opinion has become a luxury here) we have found every other South African we know to be very positive about life. Very rarely have we come across another South African who moans and complains about Korea. South Korea is our home, we are treated very well here, and in return they expect us to give our best in everything. It's a give and take situation, where a lot of other foreigners do a lot more taking than giving. I came across these 45 life lessons on Facebook today, they have reminded me of how we should try and live our lives, wherever we are in the world, and I wanted to share them with you...

Written by Regina Brett

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 50 this year, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Lovely, don't you think?

Korean coffee shops...

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This weekend hubby and I went off exploring one of the big cities surrounding our rice paddy town. Bright lights and glitzy stores, we felt like we were in the middle of New york (or at least somewhere very exciting) as everyday life in Buan (our town) is far from glitzy. We stumbled across this incredibly cute little cafe, while taking cover from the rain. Why aren't there more of these sorts of places back home in South Africa? Maybe thats what Farmboy and I will do when we get back, open up some Korean Cafe's...hmmm.


Don't you just love the name...'No Riter'? Koreans, as most Asians, struggle with their 'r' and 'l's and so what I'm sure is supposed to say "No Litter" becomes, well 'No Riter'...cute man.

Instagram from Korea...

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We have been in South Korea for a week now, and are s-l-o-w-l-y starting to settle into our little town. We have met a great bunch of foreigners (thats what we tend to call ourselves here) and they have shown us just how many treasures are to be found here. It has been a bit of an adjustment, life in South Africa was cushy to say the least, especially after being newly weds and all the wonderful wedding prezzies we were still enjoying. 
But life is good here too in many other ways, and we are really settling into small town life (the 100% humidity does get to one though!). 
Here are a few Instagram snaps of pretty things and places. 
You can follow along if you'd like @roxypearce and Farmboy can be found here @tincabin.
xxx

 

Live Music...{Flint, Meet Spark} {Shout Hey} {Dave van Vuuren}

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A few Friday evenings ago (while still on South African soil) Farmboy and I (joined by a few other family members) set off to support my cousin who is one of the lead singers in local SA band Shout Hey!. What an awesome night filled with such incredible local talent, it was wonderful to be a part of it and see first hand that South Africa has it going on when it comes to musical talent.

First up was Pretoria based Flint, meet Spark whose laid back tunes and soulful voices really gave me goosebumps. Adele, you have one incredible voice!

Then Shout Hey! took to the stage and rocked! I'm so looking forward to seeing more of these guys and I know that the future looks bright for these kids.

Lastly, Dave van Vuuren took up his guitar, looked deep into our hearts and souls (at least it sure felt like it at the time) and began his set. Wow. Raw talent. The audience was hushed, and we all sat entranced as we were led on an emotional and yet hauntingly beautiful journey.

All in all, an awesome evening. Good luck to all of you.

Here are a few iPhone snaps of the evening...


Dave van Vuuren:

Me with the ultimate groupie fan below...we even had on matching stripes:


{Huttons in HongKong}

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On route to South Korea, Farmboy and I had a two night stop over in Hong Kong. We were super excited to see this city as we plan on teaching there in a few years time. 
To be honest, we felt quite disappointed by the end of our stay. We're not sure if it was the jet lag, the intense humidity, the impending excitement of finally reaching South Korean soil or the insanely huge number of people, everywhere ALL THE TIME. 
Even with the above grumbling, we had a great time. In between long midday and afternoon snoozes, we explored a lot of this incredibly overwhelming city, and still feel that there was a lot we didn't see. 

We stayed at a wonderful hostel called Homy Inn in Tsim Sha Tsui (or TST as its fondly referred to). Surrounded by boutique stores, markets, restaurants and bars there is something happening all day every day. Homy Inn was clean and easy to find, and the staff there were so friendly! The rooms are small, but with a little strategic packing there is more than enough room to be comfy. For both of us it cost us a total of HK$1320, which worked out to about R300 per person per night (free wifi was such a bonus!), very reasonable. In total we spent about HK$4000 for our 2 night stay, which included all food, bus and train tickets to and from the airport, sightseeing and one or two little souvenirs and accomodation. It was well worth it.

We are very sad to have missed the Light Show that happens at the harbor every evening at 8pm, but we did arrive in the middle of a monsoon/tsunami (it sounds way more hardcore than it actually was) but it did mean heavy rains and thick grey clouds. But the light show is apparently a must see.
We did book tickets on the Big Bus Tour which was super cool! A great way to learn more about the history of the city, while getting around everywhere quickly and with great views from high above on the top of the bus. Included in the Big Bus Tour are tickets to Victoria Peak, which has incredible views of the famous skyscrapers and the surrounding lush green vegetation, it was breathtaking! What was also breathtaking was the 45 minute queue for the tram that takes you to the top, so go early in the morning to avoid the crowds! 
Here are a few 'proper' photographs (I find that now that I have an iPhone, my poor camera stays hidden in its bag...must fix that!). So here are those photographs taken with my Nikon...

Have you been to Hong Kong before? What did you think of the place? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
x

Happy Birthday to my Farmboy!

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The day after we landed in Korea, my handsome hubby turned 27. In all the hustle and bustle of our move, I wasn't able to plan anything special for him (what a bad wife I am! I promise to make it up to you soon love!). We spent our first 2 days in Korea with our lovely fiends Claire and Andrew in Dajeon. Here are a few snaps before we bussed out to the province of Jeonbuk to meet our new schools and apartment.




The birthday girl and boy (who knew we would meet someone with the same birthday as Farmboy. Happy Birthday to you too Siobhan!
I love you dearly my Farmboy, this HUGE move across the oceans to Asian land would not have been possible without you. Thank you for inspiring me everyday, for challenging me, for saying no (even though it makes me mad!) for being the incredibly loving and encouraging man that you are. I love you infinity xxx

Tomorrow I'm going to do a post on our first day in our new home! Pop by again for that.
Have a lovely day readers!

xxx

{Hong Kong} we have landing!

/ Tsim Sha Tsui East Tsim Sha Tsui East/
Just a quick post to let you all know that we have just touched down in Hong Kong where we spend the next 2 days before our final flight to South Korea.

It was 34 degrees when we landed, with a humidity of 75% and typhoon warnings all over the city...eek! But no one seems to be too worried so we shall continue with our day!

Here are just a few snaps of what it's been like here (you can follow us on Instagam too if you'd like to see more...@roxypeare and @tincabin)

Enjoy the weekend friends!



Joining in: {Wine Circle}

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Farmboy and I have been staying on the farm to enjoy family time with his family before heading to Joburg to see mine. On Thursday we leave South Africa, so we are lapping up as much farm/family/sun/food/wine as we can.
Here are a few snaps from wine circle, which happens once a month or so with a lovely group of local Creighton ladies and gents.
Im so mad at myself that the last group photo came out blurred...I am blaming all the wine (thats my excuse and I am sticking with it!) In between lots of laughter and good conversation, we got to sip a load few different wines and enjoy a wonderful evening with a lot of fun locals. 
Thanks for having us Creighton!


Good Luck Cafe {Illovo}

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Farmboy and I had lunch yesterday in Illovo at The Good Luck Club. This funky noodle bar is right next door to Wolves Cafe (click here for my post on that lovely coffee/tea/cake/red-velvet cupcake chill spot). It's usually pretty packed in this cozy cafe styled restaurant, but luckily being there for lunch we missed the crowds. Definitely worth a stop to fill up on their dim sum, and then end off with a red velvet cupcake from Wolves next door.
Owner, and half of the team behind the Good Luck Club/Wolves/Father Coffee, Angie, also has an awesome blog you should pop over and see. 
Click here to find The Good Luck Club on Facebook. 

Getting {Korea} ready...

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In one week, Farmboy and I will be heading off on a 3 year adventure, starting with a year or two in South Korea. As our departure date draws nearer, we are both filled with more excitment and butterflies  at the new life that lies before us. We have been to Korea before (we taught in the city of Daejeon back in 2010) and are now heading back there as a married couple.
We don't know which town we are going to (we will only find out when we land and meet our Provincial Office of Education) but we do know that we are going rural. Rice paddy rural. And to the province of Jenbuk. Here's a little map to put South Korea into perspective for you:
We are in the midst of heavy packing, and trying to decide what exactly the word 'essentials' means to both of us. Here is a little idea of what we have stocked up and has to fit into our two suitcases (along with clothes, toiletries, makeup, shoes, scarves, jackets, ski goggles, travel pillows, cameras, laptops and the list goes on) to last us for three years:
Anything else you think we should include?
If you would like to follow our adventures in Korea pop on over to our blog FarmboyandCityGirl. 
This blog will most definitely continue even though I'll be half way across the globe, so expect lots of interesting posts on life in Asia, the incredible fashion and style over there, and most importantly; the makeup and stationery! 

Flat White Concepts {Magazine}

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I was so excited to get in touch with Christine from Flat White Concepts about being involved in one of her online magazine editions. After some creative email brainstorming, Farmboy and I decided to write up our recent road trip from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg and include a bunch of Instagram pics. If you'd like to read the full article, then head on over to Flat White Concepts to read their free online magazine (we are in the June edition).

Christine, thanks so much for including me in your wonderful magazine! I look forward to hopefully contributing more (even if it will be from Asia!).
xxx

Chocolate Brownies {recipe}

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I made these delicious chocolate brownies again, and every time I do I am (or rather my tummy is!) thrilled with what comes out of the oven.

125g butter

45g cocoa powder

2 large eggs

200g castor sugar

150 self raising flour

60g chopped dark chocolate

makes 12 brownies

**I doubled the recipe and ended up making about 35 delicious, melt-in-your-mouth brownies**

1. Melt the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa. 

2. Beat the eggs until light, add the sugar and beat well. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Sift in the flour, and fold in along with the chocolate.

3. Pour into a greased and lined 20cm square tin. Bake in a pre-heated oven  for 25 mins or until cooked through but still moist. 

Don't forget to store them in an unusual looking tin for safe keeping!

{A Beautiful Mess} app

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{A Beautiful Mess}

I love following the American lifestyle blog A Beautiful Mess which follows the lives of the lovely Elsie & Emma. These creatives recently launched an amazing photo app for download on the Itunes store. The app comes with fourteen cute photo border options, lots of sweet doodles and phrases and a stack of fonts to customize your photographs. Its such a steal at 99c. That covers a lot of the goodies in the app, but to get more options, you need to pay a little extra for each extra set of fonts/borders/doodles.

Here are some of my creations, using original photographs as well as Instagram snaps...I love it! So easy to use and super quick to create gorgeous customized images. 

Have any of you tried this app before?

xxx