Three Beauty Secrets I Swear By

Hey guys! It’s been one of Those Days and, quite frankly, one of Those Weeks. So, this is going to be a quickie but (hopefully, still) a goodie! My aim with this blog is and always has been to share with you the tips, tricks & trends that excite me – the things I would and do often share IRL (in real life) with my best girlfriends. So let me get to it!

For Brooke Shields Bushy Brows

Meet RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum, the younger sister of the more well-known & award-winning RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum. Having experienced the lash-growing wonders of RapidLash first-hand a few years ago, I decided to give RapidBrow a go, to see if it could really take my brows from should-have-listened-to-my-mom over-plucked status to Brooke Shields bushy.

MY EYEBROWS | BEFORE & AFTER RAPIDBROW SERUM

After about one month (yes, it takes time) of religiously applying the serum to my brows, I knew it was working when my mom (who’s clearly got a thing for brows) started asking whether I could please immediately share with her my brow-enhancing secret. When this was followed by my regular makeup artist Monique Du Toit asking me one evening what the **** I had been doing to get my brows so bushy, I knew the stuff had to be working. (One, of course, loses sight of these changes when they happen rather slowly.) But happen they did and…if you, too, have been dealing with Pluck Regret for much too long, you’re welcome & enjoy! Just remember to give it time to work.

Please forgive the randomness of the images I’ve used here – but, as I said, it’s been one of Those Days, and I simply want to give you enough visual evidence of the brow-formation I experienced, in case you don’t believe me;)

MY EYEBROWS | BEFORE & AFTER RAPIDBROW SERUM

Should you, too, have a slight brow-obsession, click here to check out an earlier blog post I wrote on alternative & complementary ways to beautify your brows.

For Anti-Ageing While You Sleep

I’ve recently (on the set of MOOIMAAK, to be exact) discovered the life-altering magic of sleeping on a pure silk pillow case. Why “life-altering” you wonder? Because, if such a heavenly product exists that is pausing or preventing the formation of wrinkles, whilst I sleep, without having to bat an eyelid (or shall I say “during the batting of eyelids”), that’s pretty much a game-changer for me. Add to that the fact that the average person sleeps for about 26 years of their life (basically a third of your life, either way), I could not get my hands on a silk pillow case fast enough.

PEACE SILK PILLOW CASE | AVAILABLE AT DERMASTORE.CO.ZA

How does a silk pillow case “anti-age” (not sure that’s a verb, but it should be), while you sleep? Here are three of the many ways:

  • Silk prevents wrinkles and sleep lines due to reduced friction between the silk and the skin;
  • It absorbs less moisture than other fabrics, meaning the natural oils in your skin stay where they belong (on your skin) as does any expensive night serums you’ve so generously applied;
  • If you buy the right brand, it is free of any harmful chemicals or dyes and is a natural, organic fabric.

If you’re keen to read more about the wonders of sleeping on silk or ready to invest in a Peace Silk pillow case, click here.

For Blitzing Breakouts

When you’re prone to serious breakouts and work in television, where stints on set often run up to six 12-hour days in a row, you need all the anti-acne weapons you can get. The camera doesn’t lie, after all, and caking and baking your face in makeup (to hide those pesky spots) only makes matters worse.

Enter my weapon of choice (other than an entire lineup of breakout-fighting products, of course): the NuDerma Portable Handheld High Frequency Skin Therapy Wand Machine. With 4553 reviews on Amazon (with an average of 4,5 stars and an “Amazon’s Choice” badge), I figured it was worth a shot when buying it some time ago and, let’s just say, I have not looked back. Although some of the different attachments are supposed to work on wrinkles, hair follicle stimulation and more, I’ve only ever used it to blitz breakouts and I can say with a heart full of confidence: this wand is magic. Although it can’t erase all acne overnight, I find the healing or recovery time from Pizza Face to TV-Ready to be about two to three times quicker than when I don’t use it. If you need a more scientific explanation, herewith an extract from the product page: “high frequency treatment kills the bacteria directly beneath the skin while simultaneously providing a natural boost of cellular energy to both kill acne-causing bacteria and reduce inflammation at the same time.”

NUDERMA PORTABLE HANDHELD HIGH FREQUENCY SKIN THERAPY WAND MACHINE

That’s it from me guys – I’ll be back next week. I hope you’re all staying safe, healthy & happy!

Love,

Clare.

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why I’m hopping on the celery juice bandwagon

I first heard about the Celery Juice Craze some time ago, from a friend who is a private chef and rather aux fait with what the ever-manicured, athleisure-wearing Atlantic Seaboard crowd are into, at any given time. Suffice it to say, I was interested… but not convinced. Even though I have always been inclined towards a more holistic approach to health than what conventional medicine allows and have seen first-hand the power of the mind-body-spirit connection when it comes to wellness, it still sounded too good (and perhaps too simple) to be true. I wanted, as always, to do my own research.

medical-medium-awI started my investigation on the website of Anthony William, aka “the Medical Medium” who is credited for pioneering the controversial celery juice movement and who counts the likes of Kim Kardashian, Miranda Kerr and goopy Gwyneth Paltrow as loyal fans. World tennis champion Novak Djokovi believes “Anthony has turned numerous lives around for the better with the healing powers of celery juice.” (Yes, he is a so-called Medical Medium, whatever that may be, but – to be honest – his personal quirks and beliefs are, at least to me, a separate and almost irrelevant issue. Rather, the question I was and am really interested in, is: “is  drinking celery juice every day, on an empty stomach, really going to change my life?”)

I asked around and everyone I spoke to who had personally tried the celery juice cleanse, had only good things to say about it: they raved about weight loss, clearer skin, improved digestion, to name a few. I also watched a fair share of (hopefully honest) Youtube videos made by individuals who had given it a bash. The feedback, across the board, seemed overwhelmingly (and almost unbelievably) positive.

So, what exactly are these “healing powers of celery juice” you ask and why might you care? Well, the list of ailments that a daily, undiluted amount of 500ml (16 oz) is said to address and potentially alleviate, includes:

  • chronic skin issues;
  • long-standing and serious digestive issues;
  • a lack of energy;
  • unstable moods and anxiety;
  • brain fog (if this is looking for your phone or keys while it’s in your hand, I have brain snow never mind brain fog); and
  • weight loss resistance.

According to Williams, “people are healing from all kinds of acute and chronic illnesses, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, eczema, psoriasis, acne, SIBO, constipation, chronic fatigue syndrome, blood sugar issues, migraines, acid reflux, high blood pressure, addictions, adrenal issues, gout, allergies, autoimmune conditions and countless others, from drinking plain celery juice daily.”

gwynethpaltrow

So, yes, in a nutshell, it (still) sounds too good to be true. But, as mentioned above, I have seen enough times in my life how the simplest solutions are often the best ones. So, I have committed to becoming a “celery juicer” for the next two weeks and am currently on Day 2. The best case scenario for me would probably. be a some weight loss (yes, sadly, vanity always wins), crystal clear skin (my skin has been suffering from some serious maskne), sharper mental focus (my self-diagnosed ADD has been getting out of control) and a bit more get-up-and-go in the mornings. That being said, I am open to any other Unexpected Miracle Cures celery juice wants to throw my way. What have I got to lose? Nothing really, except perhaps a large amount of fridge space (my husband is doing it with me) and a bit of respect for Gwyneth. (I don’t know why I’m picking on her, but being a long-standing and loyal GOOP fan who looks the other way when she puts weird things in weird places, I expect more from her than the others;)

This is the protocol I have followed for the last two days and will continue for the next twelve days at least:

  • every morning, drink 16 ounces (500ml) or more of celery juice on an empty stomach;
  • make sure it’s fresh, plain celery juice with no other ingredients added to it;
  • celery juice is a medicinal, not a caloric drink, so you’ll still need breakfast afterward to energise you through the morning – wait at least 15 to 30 minutes after drinking your celery juice before consuming anything else;
  •  if you’re sensitive and 16 ounces (500ml) is too much for you, start with a smaller amount and work your way up;
  • use organic celery whenever possible. If you’re using conventional celery, be sure to wash it especially well before juicing it;
  • you can use a blender to make your juice (make sure to remove the pulp (strain it) with a nut milk bag or muslin cloth) but using a juicer is preferable.

If you’re considering joining me on the bandwagon, please note:

Alright, guys, that’s all from me for now. I will most certainly be doing an update on my celery juice journey in two weeks’ time, so watch this space and bottoms up!

Love,

Clare x