It’s getting colder here in Johannesburg… and I’m starting to sympathise with that colleague of mine who was confessing with glee that she was very happy to work all day in her PJs (see, I told you I’d slowly get there, I’m not quite there yet, but soon, I’m sure), especially as I just heard our office would remain closed for another four weeks at the least… That’s a lot of home-based work outfits for me to pull together.
I found this knitted dress during last week-end’s closet clear-out, it was hiding under some (many) jumpers… It’s from Mango, which pretends it delivers in South Africa: in reality it still ships your orders from Spain and you get wacked with a major duty invoice if you’re not careful, I learned the hard way…
I’ve been wearing trousers most days since lockdown so this is a nice change. In all honesty this feels very close to wearing PJs at work… After all the knit texture is super comfortable, very unlike the more structured shapes I often wear in the office, and this outfit took exactly five seconds to pull together. I am however wearing Spanx-like undies, for obvious reasons (try wearing knit fabrics over lacy lingerie and get back to me), does that redeem me?
Watch this space, at this rate it’s very probably I’ll soon be wearing something very casual indeed to get me through my daily video call marathons, and when I do, I’ll be sure to document it.
The good thing about reaching the age I’m currently at is that I am no longer shy about admitting shopping ranks amongst my top three hobbies (I’m still too coy to tell you at which spot but follow me here a bit and you might get a sense), but this means that, no matter how big my closet is, I constantly need to curate and organise my wardrobe. And trust me, the closet in our current home is very big… still, curating and organising goes on every few months to avoid hoarding pieces that I don’t use and not seeing the beautiful stuff for all the mess.
I have never used a closet tidying service, where someone magically drops into your house to organise everything from shoes to earrings, mainly because I regard this type of out-sourcing as a little lazy and indulgent. Instead, I keep a rather loose routine alternating between the odd tidy-up whenever somethings look slightly out of place, and the more radical culling exercise where every part of my closet gets a very close review and dozens of pieces are discarded.
Tip One – If you can, create a space that fits your needs
Having a walk-in closet is a luxury that is not available to everyone, but for me this has changed my life. In London, I had designed every corner of my walk-in myself and my favourite feature was the open shoe shelves, although it also taught me that open closets are dust magnets…
Since moving to South Africa, I’ve made the best of what I have: a huge space, but a very uninspiring closet at first with hanging spaces that were too high (unless you’re a basketball player, but then what would you hang? Shorts?) and there are no small drawers, only very large ones that can get too heavy if over-filled, but I have a lot of shelving, so I got to work. By this I mean I found a carpenter who implemented my vision of course, adding shelves, lowering hanging rails, and replacing some of the shelves, which are quite deep, with pull-out shelves to store my shoes. I keep a mini step-ladder to reach the higher shelves where my bags are kept, and I have a few storage boxes to organise things like swimwear, socks, lingerie, etc.
Tip Two – Store your pieces by category
This is obvious, but it makes all the difference when you want to find that fabulous vintage YSL dress minutes before going out to dinner. Keep like items with like items: sunglasses together, dresses hang together, organised by colour because it’s prettier, and jeans don’t sit with the work trousers.
Tip Three – Everything in its place and shoes should never be piled
Remember: the reason clothes and accessories look beautiful in the shops is they are perfectly displayed in order to make us want them enough to spend sums that are commensurate to the GDP of small countries. So, if you want to keep wanting your pieces once they are in your home, you have to keep them in the best condition possible: : cashmere sweaters should be folded neatly, investment coats should go on padded hangers, and 5” heels should not be thrown in a pile on the floor, in fact never pile shoes, that’s the best way to destroy them. Instead store them neatly on a shelf where you can see them clearly.
I try to split my hanging space into three: one for dresses and jumpsuits, one for shirts and delicate tops, and one for blazers, trousers and skirts. They don’t need the same height so it makes sense to separate if you can. I hang everything facing the same direction, organised by colour, so it all looks neat and pretty, and it makes finding things super easy. Using coordinating hangers gives an added sense of neatness: I use grey velvet covered hangers that are skinny and pretty, and steer well away from heavy, bulky wooden ones (they are dreadful for any silky items).
Tip Four – Optimise space for accessories
We’ve talked about the pull-out shelves for the shoes, the high shelves for the bags (always standing and with their dustbag and acid paper inside to keep their shape), but also consider empty wall space for costume jewellery. I use two moodboard frames to display some of my costume pieces opposite the closets, it’s pretty and practical. I place clutches in their cloth bags inside an organiser box, again it keeps everything standing and avoids damage.
Tip Five – Curate your wardrobe regularly and be ruthless
I regularly go through sections of my closet and sort through every single item, making three piles: keep, sell, give. Between our nanny and the multiple charities we have access to, it’s easy to give things that I don’t use. I sell everything that is still beautiful and in very good condition in my closet’s Instagram (if you’re curious, it’s Sandra’s Closet) or via a consignment service, which is another reason I try to take such good care of my things: some CSGMs sell for hundreds of dollars, not to mention designer handbags, but only if I’ve been really good about keeping them. By the way, I’m also not ashamed of buying preloved items: I have a few places that I like to visit from time to time to see if that grail of mine has popped up.
Whenever I do a de-clutter exercise, I automatically discard any piece that’s gone unworn for over twelve months (obviously this doesn’t apply to eveningwear). And finally, I follow the one in, one out rule: if I buy something new that has the exact same function or a similar look to something I own, the older version needs to go, it’s the only way to ensure that my wardrobe doesn’t explode… Curating and editing is part of learning about what looks work for me and which don’t, and thankfully I’m making far less mistakes now than fifteen years ago.
There you have them, my five tips to make sure I stay in control of my closet. Now, your turn: how do you curate your wardrobe to keep only your best, favourite looks?
I’m in a committed relationship with cellulite. The bad news? There is no amount of products, treatments, eating, not eating that I can do to get rid of it once and for all (cellulite is not a condition, it’s an aspect: it’s created by fat cells pressing against the connective tissue, making your skin dimple, in fact the thinner your skin the more it is likely to appear, it would seem). The good news? I’m not alone: everyone has fat cells (although it’s true some have fuller ones than others…) so more than 90% of women have cellulite, which also means cellulite busting is a market with millions of opportunities, and if noone has found the miracle cure yet it might be because there simply isn’t one. The better news? Usually most of us have no time to address this in a systematic manner, but this little pesky thing called the CoVid19 lockdown is giving us all a chance to spend more time bonding with our energetic children, our anxious thoughts, and, you guessed it, our beautiful, if a bit jiggly, thighs. And I’m going to give it a try for the next thirty days, by tweaking things a bit in my routine, just to see if I can improve things before the holidays (which we’ll most likely spend at home, at this rate, but we never know).
If you’ve read point one in the first paragraph of this by now quite lengthy post (which of my posts isn’t), you understand that whilst you can’t get rid of it completely, you can work towards minimizing its appearance, camouflage it basically, by following a few tips. Disclaimer: usually I get a weekly treatment of Endermologie or VelaShape, and the key for either is to be super consistent as they help with the appearance of cellulite, but at the moment that’s not an option hence my home-based experiment…
Tip One – Eat healthy and drink plenty
Ok, talk about obvious. Also talk about very difficult to implement in the current set-up when there is always some kind of baking going on and having bubbly everyday seems to be the perfect solution at the end of my daily video call marathons. Still, I do notice my cellulite less when I focus on fiber and whole grain foods, and drink loads of water, as they flush the toxins out of the system and dehydrated, thinner, skin makes anything appear worse. Lockdown diet notwithstanding, I’m much better about drinking my requisite eight glasses of water each day, and I have a pot of Moroccan mint tea each afternoon, that has to count for something.
Tip Two – Sweat it out
Like I said, no exercise will remove cellulite, but any work-out will help with blood flow to your skin (yes, you also get that tomato face as a result) so most will be great to help with the dimples, especially anything cardio. Although there is also a couple of poses in Hot Yoga which are also amazing for circulation. Good that I’m already doing all of that. Next?
Tip Three – Body brushing
Very topically, my girlfriends and I had a debate about this recently (on WhatsApp, where else do you people manage to debate with anyone at the moment?). To body brush or not to body brush. I believe in dry brushing every morning before shower is almost like getting a lymphatic drainage, and since none of us is getting one of those anytime soon, this is as good as. I use that in addition to a strong scrub every couple of days, again to keep everything smooth but because I love the texture of a salt scrub: in fact mixing a good salt scrub with a bit of coffee spikes it up a little and makes skin a little plumper on the out.
Tip Four – Birch oil
We don’t all have access to a good herbalist these days but if you can get your hands on birch oil, use that after washing, ideally with one of those massage roller things. Day one, you won’t see a difference except your arms will be a little sore. Day seven, your arms will be firmer and your skin will be rosy. Day fourteen, I think you’ll agree the dimples are less visible…
Of course, if all else fails, there is a little trick for swimsuit pictures I thought I’d share right away: cellulite totally disappears if you tilt your hips backwards or sideways a little (stretching the skin basically) whereas it’s very much in your face if you squeeze your butt. Anyways I’ll let you all know how I get on in about a month, in fact if this goes well I might even post a cheeky picture on my Insta, how about that.
Based on the posts I’m writing these days, escapism is definitely on my mind… I promise I will write a food post or a styling post this week, but right now my mind is on all the places I miss… And there are few places I miss at the moment like New York, its buzz, the museums, so many wonderful restaurants, and of course all that shopping. I also miss New York because I’ve spent some pretty fantastic times there over the years, both alone, with my family (I’ll write a post on a wonderful week we spent over Christmas there soon!) and of course with my girlfriends. But, first things first, let me tell you about my favourite bolthole in New York.
Finding my favourite hotel in New York took me years… I would go there loads with work in my previous job, and at first I was never able to find a place that I really enjoyed staying in. Some hotels come with a lobby which turns into a nightclub from 7pm: nice for some I am sure, but not so nice if you have to spend the evening reviewing presentations and a 5am wake-up call, but even when I come for a week-end of fun I like to decide where and when I want to go party, not have it brought just under my hotel room. Most hotels in New York also charge you a fortune for the smallest rooms you can imagine, complete noisy aircon units and no luggage stand to put your suitcase on. And finally, some of the grandest hotels in the city have decor that is firmly stuck in the 1990s…
I found The Mark after a few years of trial and error, and after that I never looked back. It is the most magical hotel in New York. Discretely tucked away on 77th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, its location is the best: a stone’s throw from Central Park, right at the beginning of Museum Mile, putting it within ten blocks of the Met, the Guggenheim, the Whitney etc, as well as just a few steps away from all my favourite NY shops… This is also quite far from the tourist areas of the city, making this a wonderful place to stay if you like to be away from the big crowds. The only downside for me is this has become quite the celeb hotspot over the years, complete with the requisite amount of drama… Sometimes the street outside swarms with paps as the hotel staff dutifully ignores the commons like me, waiting to get a glimpse of whatever B-list or A-list guest is staying, but personally I like to be ignored like that, as one of the things I enjoy in any hotel is the sheer anonymity you get from staying in a place where noone knows you. That said, I must confess I got quite star-struck that one time I waited for the lift door to open, only to find Stephen Hawkins roll into the lobby.
Once inside, The Mark hits you with old-world glamour, an elegant monochrome colour scheme that runs throughout the building, starting with the striking lobby and a grand staircase. Sconce-lit walls, mirrored lift doors, plush furnishings, and bold, abstract artwork add to the very unique elegance of this hotel. The bedrooms are big and comfy, with panelling and plush details, very classic but super comfortable, and bigger than most hotel rooms I stayed in in New York. The wardrobes are well thought-out to accommodate enough luggage to see you through a whole week of outfit changes, and the mini-bar area is both beautiful gorgeous and well stocked-up, from healthy snacks to less healthy tempting nibbles. The bathroom is so beautiful, the first time I stayed here I wanted to go back and refurbish the one I had at home to match it…
I love ordering room service here especially because breakfast doesn’t start before 7AM, a little too late if you’re travelling from Europe and are a little jetlagged, or if like me you tend to get on with your day early. The food arrives piping hot and is delicious. If you want to try and pop out to San Ambroeus next door, you’ll get a New Yorker version of the Milan outpost and enjoy the Italian pastries with strong coffee whilst watching the Upper East Side wake up. There are loads of delicious delis within walking distance, and some evenings I like to stop by at E.A.T for a takeaway to enjoy in the relaxed comfort of my room… That being said, the restaurant of the hotel serves delicious elaborate dishes, but I rarely have time to enjoy it… I do recall a delicious crudites plate one lunchtime, served in the mini courtyard with the most delicious Aperol Spritz. Next time I go, I’ll have to repeat the experience. I’ll also have to take advantage of the bike hire service and take one of the black and white bicycles for one of my tours of Central Park…
Bottom line: stay here for the location, decor, food, and neighbours, but be warned that this place can be a little snob and a little haughty, something some can find intimidating.
Right now, I’m very far from Harrods, London, or indeed a Moroccan Hammam experience, although a day here would be exactly what my body and mind need right now: I woke up missing home, missing the sounds of Moroccan streets (the mint and egg hawkers can be heard from the top of the road, way before they reach our house), missing home flavours… The best I can do right now is drink some mint tea and dream about being able to fly to London and going back to the Moroccan Spa at Harrods, a.k.a the Hammam.
Compared to many so-called oriental spas in London, this is the only place where you can enjoy a truly authentic Moroccan hammam treatment. This feels like home, although it is undoubtedly a far more luxurious affair than the neighbourhood public baths I would visit as a child with the Dadas, although even back then I would go more for the experience than to get me cleaned: this may come as a surprise to some who don’t know Morocco, but we do have bathrooms in most of our houses, have had for quite a few decades now… but we still love like spending an afternoon at the public baths for the gossip, the amazing scrub, and the cakes and tea afterwards.
From the velvet-clad changing rooms to the marble-decked wet rooms, everything here screams luxe, but in a beautiful, almost understated way (don’t get me wrong: this isn’t an Asian spa where pure lines dominate, by any means… Moroccan luxe calls for embellishments, and there are copper taps and velvet sofas everywhere, but it is all done with taste and refinement, very far from the faux oriental places you find elsewhere). The marble lattice dividing the various open wet areas creates privacy spaces that you can get your treatment in whilst still chatting happily with your friends on the other side of the lattice: this is quite handy considering you spend most of the treatment in the smallest knickers I’ve ever seen…
The treatment is 100% traditional… As soon as you are robed in the fluffiest cotton gowns, you move into the warm resting room, where you get used to the temperature whilst chatting happily away. Then you are guided to the wet room, much hotter, where a kessala will bathe you from top to bottom; this is definitely not the place to be shy, you are stark naked sitting in a big empty marble room, the kessala and you are going to be close after this. First, you are slathered with black olive oil soap, which smells divine by the way, this isn’t the cheap low concentration version… The soap is left on your skin to steam through a little while, before it is brushed away with a kessa glove, exfoliating the dead skin away into what looks suspiciously like grey vermicelli, until your whole skin is left super soft and gleaming (and slightly pink from all that brushing, but that’s a temporary effect…!). The kessala also washes your hair with almond shampoo, stretches your limbs rather energetically, making you feel somewhat like a ragdoll, before rinsing you off with buckets of warm water.
All rinsed and back in your gown, you are ready for the relaxation room (home of the super plush velvet sofas), for tea, dried fruits, nuts and more chit chat, and if you feel like prolonging the experience a little, a facial or a massage. I had a massage here the last time I visited, it was absolutely blissful and I left feeling totally relaxed and ready for a quiet evening. Right now, this is exactly how I would dream of spending Saturday afternoon… hopefully soon.
If it had not been for the pesky CoVid-19 interruption, bridal seasson 2020 would be about to hit full swing, at least in the Northern Hemisphere… Instead, hundreds of people are cancelling, postponing, or having Zoom weddings (this one really does leave me baffled, but hey, modern times). That said, for anyone who is still planning their big day, may I give you a few tips to help you along? After all there are a very little things I like more than voicing my opinion, so indulge me. Also, I don’t know about you all but no matter how many bridal blogs or magazines you read, my personal experience is that you’ll only get more confused, so it’s nice to have a checklist.
I got married a long time ago… in another era almost, and planned the whole event, to take place in Marrakech, all the way from London… Being quite particular about what I like (some call it difficult), I refused all kinds of planner intervention and worked at it all myself, with the help of my two loyal and ever so patient assistants, a.k.a my parents. We did everything, from researching the venues to tasting the food to finding an oriental script font for the table plan, and of course arranging for a special discount at one of the larger hotels in town (the least you can do if you’re going to have a destination wedding), organising minibuses to run throughout the night to take people back after the party. It was a wonderful week-end, but a lot of hard work, I’ll admit, so here is what I learned over that slightly traumatic experience and being a guest to many weddings before and after…
Tip One – This is not the time for last minute
Most times, people end up having to book up a whole week-end for a wedding,, so give plenty of notice, especially if you are asking people to travel far. The bare minimum should be three months. Also, don’t make two guest lists: nobody will believe that you just decided to get married two weeks ago, and still managed to secure one of Summer’s most sought-after Saturdays at the Central Park Boat House; you’ll just offend the friends who, in reality, didn’t make your first guest list and were only invited because others declined. If there is travel involved, make people’s lives easier by sending a leaflet with the invite detailing travel and hotel options, and visa requirements if any! Alternatively, a website is a great way to put everything in one easy-to-access place. The more information you give guests ahead of time, the less calls you’ll get when you’re trying to get your hair and make-up done on the big day (trust me: people will call you, the bride, on your mobile to ask directions, this isn’t a figure of speech.)
Tip Two – Nor is this the time to experiment
Ok, you’ve sent the invites, now is the time to turn your attention to a key part of the day. The party? No, silly, your outfit. Or, in my case, outfits: in Morocco it’s not uncommon for a bride to change seven times during her wedding day, so by changing “only” three times I was quite the small time player. Anyways, on the dress… Unless you’re going for traditional dress (cue me and my caftans), my advice is stick to what looks good on you, and a style that is close to what you like wearing to events. Why? Because noone wants to look at wedding pictures thinking “What was I thinking?” Bottom line, choose a shape you’re used to, and if you really want something extraordinary, go crazy on the material, embellishments…
Tip Three – Your perfect wedding lives only in your head
Most brides have a very defined image of their ideal wedding, be it a 18th century extravaganza complete with a Schönbrunn-worthy ballroom, everyone wearing Venetian masks, or a perfect beach wedding, the whole party dressed shades of wheat linen, dancing barefoot by the turquoise sea… It’s wonderful to have an idea of your perfect wedding, but remember reality gets in the way and ultimately the key is everyone is here to have a good time and celebrate your decision to pair up for life (or a little shorter, time will tell…), not to act as extras in the most Insta-worthy movie of your special day. The most important thing you’ll take from your wedding is the the happy memories you’ll have from this day. I don’t have many beautiful pictures of my day and it’s a big regret I have (read on to understand why) but we had a wonderful week-end, from the henna evening to the night at Pacha to the day itself and the Sunday brunch to finish it all off. Also, let’s touch on a sensitive subject: children… Many young couples would rather not have little monsters around, but trust me you’ll be making the lives of your guests who are parents extra hard, instead how about hiring a few local girls to babysit the children in a secluded part of your venue, complete with tots favourite foods and a few Disney movies?
Tip Four – When in doubt, make it personal
If you want a special do, don’t focus on what your friends did and how your day will have a hot air balloon, or fireworks, or a troupe of pigmey pigs to bring the rings to the altar, or whatever the trend du jour happens to be… instead focus on making your wedding personal. Two reasons. One, this is the most personal event you will ever throw so making it unique and a reflection of your relationship is key for your own memories of the day. Two, it’s likely your guests will have been to numerous weddings before so the special touches are what will make yours stand out in their memories. An example: I find the ubiquitous photo slideshow of the bride and groom a bit tacky and boring especially as it interrupts the flow of dinner conversation, so for ours I decided to make massive collages of pictures of Hubby Dearest at all ages for the doors of men toilets, whilst on the ladies doors we put collages of photos of me: it helped people see where to go and then laugh to their heart’s content at the grunge boho look I loved during my teenage years.
Tip Five – You want to look your best, not your faintest
Remember that line from the Devil Wears Prada: “I don’t eat at all, and when I feel I’m about to faint, I eat a small bit of cheese”… That is not how your pre-wedding diet should go. In fact, pre-wedding dieting should not be on, but I am all for a little detox or diet if you feel sluggish, as long as we keep everything in moderation. Extreme dieting prior to your wedding will leave you dehydrated, your skin will be sallow and you’ll feel faint by the time you want to exchange your vows (not just because of nerves and the thought that, after all, you’re not so sure you want to spend your life with this person, you can’t even agree on your favourite Impressionist). Not a good look… Instead, try switching to healthier snack and meal choices in the run-up and remember nothing will give you sculpted arms like daily reverse curls or a sleeved dress.
Tip Six – You also want to look yourself
On the topic of appearance, I have one major regret: I wish I had not given in to the pressure to use a make-up artist, or at least not one I had never used before, as I ended up far too heavily made up for my taste (think stolen truck paintwork, with three very defined colours on my lids, the wrong shade of lipstick…) I should have also insisted on a low bun, rather than give in to the elaborate up-do I ended up with: the hairdresser insisted it would showcase the diamond tiara better, and it did, but I ended up feeling like a character in some oriental version of Santa Barbara (the soap opera, not the town). Resisting all this means having a clear image of what looks good on you, something some of us don’t have in our twenties, and a good dose of character to tell your mother, godmother, aunt, whatever, nicely but firmly that you prefer your lids nude with a thin smudged liner. Instead, I ended up with hundred of pictures where I can barely recognise myself (and my daughter was looking at them the other day going “Mama, who is this lady”… point in case).
Tip Seven – Be a good host(ess)
Let me tell you a little story: I once attended a wedding where, once people arrived at the party venue, they found the doors to the inside buffet rooms closed and were asked to wait outside in the chilly Autumn weather whilst the photographer was taking endless photos of the happy couple, for about an hour… Not even champagne was served. This, to me, is the worst faux-pas you can make when you invite people, no matter what the occasion. Feeding guests regularly (eg. nibbles during cocktail hour, then dinner, then dessert, and finally a snack in the middle of the night, that’s basic) and ensuring they have a drink they enjoy at all times is absolutely key. Also, think a little bit about your seating plans, you want your guests to enjoy the conversation: mixing people who have nothing in common will be a disaster, and forget about making a singles table, that’s just awkward for everyone.
Tip Eight – Nail that registry
Your registry should also reflect who you are, so if you have no interest in formal dinnerware yet have a passion for first editions. I still believe that a beautiful china set, some crystal champagne glasses, books, and good wine are the best gifts for newly-weds, even when people have been living together a while. In addition, giving people the option to give to charity is a very good way to give back, but I am never too keen when people ask you to wire them hard cash, it’s so cold and transactional… Just remember to give options that are in line with the spending power of your guests, and take into account how far they have travelled to be with you… Also, if you think someone is being really stingy, you just have to hope you’ll make their wedding guest list so you can reciprocate in kind!
Tip Nine – Enjoy your own party
By the time our wedding started, I was slightly extenuated from all the last minute set-up and was more ready for a long nap than all-night dancing, but I did stay on the dance floor past three in the morning and I had a blast. That’s the time when a bride gets to let go (within limits ladies, a Grease inspired routine with your girlfriends is fun, but flashing your garter to everyone? Tacky…) and enjoys partying with her friends and brand-new hubby.
Tip Ten – Enjoy each other’s company
Of course you’re having fun with all your guests, some you won’t have seen for a while before your wedding, and you’re trying to ensure things run smoothly, and Uncle Tipsy has enough but not too much champagne… Throughout the day though, it’s important you take some time to spend minutes together as a couple, a dance or two, a little moment around a glass of champagne, a smile across the room when you’re admiring one of your relatives’ other-wordly dance moves… Enjoy this special day.Â
It’s been a few years since I’ve been spared a 12-hour flight to go to a wedding, most of my friends are now happily paired, but I do sometimes miss it… Weddings are very special moments and meant to bring joy to many, and I hope we are all out of lockdown very soon so all these on-hold weddings can take place.
On our second day, we switched our flip flops for good hiking shoes and went up through the winding roads in search of La Fournaise. During the wet season (November to April) it does get quite misty around the volcano and we did arrive at the final viewpoint just in time for a major drizzle, so didn’t see much but did get positively drenched, especially as I had forgotten my rain jacket in the hotel room! However we had stopped en route to explore Pas de Sables, a large flatland of volcanic sand where you can walk on top of solidified lava flow ridges. Walking around the volcano feels like being on the moon, with some incredible flowers growing out of nowhere, and the most amazing bushes of wild hydrangeas lining the road on the way up to the viewpoint.
Day Three – Visiting the South East coast
Our third day was all about gardens and the coast. The botanic gardens here are something else: with the tropical weather every plant looks like a steroid version of what you find elsewhere, so beautiful and captivating. But also these places are totally filled with mosquitoes: even though I had sprayed myself and the children abundantly with insect repellent coming out of the car, we spent one hour admiring the trees and flowers at the Jardin des Parfums et des Epices, and when I came out my legs looked like they had chickenpox. Evidently no amount of appeasing gel would help and I spent most of the rest of our holiday scratching my legs like a dog with fleas.
We also went up to see the Cascade de Grand Galet, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in this part of the island. I love the turquoise pool it makes at the bottom, and a few years ago, when it was just Hubby and I, we would have probably jumped into the water for a little swim… This time we just took pictures. I don’t think it’s as tall as some of the ones in the North coast, but we wanted to avoid the heavy traffic around Saint-Denis and too long travels so we stayed mainly in the South of the island during our trip.
We had a wonderful creole lunch on the coast, where we filled up on curries and palm salad, before walking it all off on the lava rocks by the sea, admiring the souffleurs: that is where the volcanic rock forms an underwater cave which ends with an opening shaped like a small funnel, through which the water escapes into high jets when there are big waves.
We took off for the fresher hills of Saint Gilles Le Haut to visit the Villèle Museum. Once the home of the Panon-Desbassyns family, wealthy landowners who contributed to the growth of the local sugar industry through the systematic use of slavery with some of the most gruesome methods I’ve read about… We skipped the compulsory guided tour for the house (no offense, but I don’t need a 2-hour laboured tour to view a planteur’s house, I listened to enough history classes in my youth) and visited the gorgeous gardens instead, as well as the outbuildings where an exhibit of the family’s slave books, rules etc made for a very sobering visit.
Day Five – Up to the Maïdo and into the tamarin woods
The Maïdo is another volcanic peak, just above Saint Paul, with some stunning views over the Cirque de Mafate. You get some beautiful clouds flying up from the valleys, with little villages nested in the mountains below playing hide and seek. We went early in the morning so we could enjoy as much visibility as possible, and even so there were quite a few tourist coaches around. We drove down back to one of the tamarin forests, and tried to drag our little urbanites for a little hike and at first they were quite intrigued by bent and windy branches, the but the paths were both quite steep and slippery from the mist, so our attempt was quite short-lived.
Day Six – La Route aux 400 virages and Cilaos
Having laced the munchkins’ breakfast juice with travel sickness powder, we took off for our last visit of the trip, all the way to Cilaos, via a road of only 30 kilometers but that is famous for having 400 turns. I believe it has that and more, as well as super steep views down to the valley, and the tightest tunnels I’ve seen: in fact we saw a bus come out of one end and the driver must have a very special license as nothing else fit in that tunnel besides his bus… At the end of the road is a tiny mountain village full of creole charm and beauty, with colourful cases that I spent a couple of hours photographing from various angle, although there is a little shop where you can buy beautiful watercolours of all of them. We also visited the Maison de La Broderie, a place where ladies painstakingly embroider following decades-old traditions and make the most beautiful linen.
We flew back to Johannesburg the next morning, glad of all our adventures on this island with so much to see and do, regardless of whether you are visiting as a young couple, a group of friends, or a family with small children.
Afternoon tea is a great tradition, when else can you sit around a table with your favourite people (ideally) and indulge in pastries, mini sandwiches and other treats, washed down with your preferred tea blend or, even better, a cup of tea and a few glasses of champagne?! I also adore scones but to date I’ve not managed to make a recipe that I really love as much as the ones I eat in restaurants… Of course one of the added bonuses of tea is you get to bake a treat beforehand, something I find highly therapeutic. I made these frangipane tartlets topped with fig recently, and they came out so delicious I am sharing this here for some of you to try out.
Frangipane is an almond cream, with a little hint of vanilla, that is used as a filling in tarts, and cakes such as the Galette des Rois, Bakewell tart, etc. I love it with pears, figs, and even berries on top. It is a very simple recipe with almond flour, sugar, butter, and eggs (see below for full list of ingredients for the tartlets)… yes , this is a dessert, so evidently it’s rich and sweet, what did you expect? Keto-friendly frangipane? Trust me though, the tartlet in itself is light and fluffy and totally worth the extra calories…
I use a shortcrust pastry as a base, and line the small tartlet molds with it before putting them in a pre-heated oven at 180°C to blind bake until they are just short of light gold. The perfect size for this is a 10-12cm diameter mold, anything bigger will be too much for a tea or even as a dessert, given the sweetness of these tartlets.
The recipe for the frangipane is super simple and you just need a whisk, electrical or otherwise. First you mix the sugar and butter together and cream the butter until smooth, before adding the almond flour to a sandy dough consistency. Scrape the inside of the vanilla pod with a sharp knife and add to the mix (alternatively use 1.5 tsp of vanilla extract), and add the eggs, continuously beating the mixture until everything is combined. Finally mix the flour in, and you should have a thick batter, something that can be piped or spooned into the pastry cases.
I put about two tablespoons of frangipane per tartlet (it does raise in the oven), then top up with thin slices of fig (the tartness and texture of the fig slices works well with the smooth almond filling), and back into the oven at 180°C for about 20 to 30 minutes. If you’re making a big tart count at least 45 minutes for baking.
You can dust some confectionery sugar on top, but I like the look of them raw. They look like little flowers, don’t you think? Let me know if you try them how they come out.
I’m not going to berate you with some woke speech about how it’s important to keep a routine, get out of your PJs in the morning etc etc. There are loads of articles the world over on that, each one more patronising than the other. In my case, I function by tricking myself: I trick myself into getting up to go work out by picturing the walrus I will look like in three months if I don’t, then once I’m done with my morning session, all sweaty and red, nothing feels better than a shower, getting my hair dried (yes, short hair also looks better when blow dried, it’s not just long hair apparently…), and, seeing as I can’t realistically go back into PJs at this point, before I know it i’m picking an outfit for the long day of home-based work ahead.
That being said, even in my normal office days, I’m not a great fan of super structured pieces, I like to be able to breathe and move. I always prefer softer tailoring, and these trousers are perfect. I picked the striped cotton and linen mix myself from the fabric store and had my fantastic seamstress Nicole make them for me, and a couple of other fabrics: the high wast with the pleats at the front hides a multitude of sins (like that little tummy that is sure to grow from that special relationship I’m in with mini almond ice cream lollies from Woollies). The trousers are cut perfectly for me, with a hem just by the ankle as I like to show off my shoes (when I do wear shoes, and yes today I’m wearing pretty cute ones by Charlotte Olympia).
Before I go, one word on knit jackets, like the one I’m wearing today: this one has a gold thread knit detail and zips on the sides that give it a luxe feel but the knit fabric keeps it all on the right side of comfortable so this type of piece is ideal for those video calls where you want to look a little presentable but not feel too stuffy (what you wear as a bottom is your choice, but if you do opt for joggers or, dare I say it, underwear, don’t get up whilst the camera is on…) As it gets chilly in the early mornings and afternoons this is perfect for now. It’s by Maje by the way (so is the top underneath with the cute cap sleeve detail), but I’ve had it at least eight years, so not current seasons, although the brand does this type of model in most collections.
If I had a dictionary entry for my name, like Mary Poppins does, it would go something like this: “Juggling. Multi-tasking. Balancing.” The downside of all this is I live in an almost permanent state of stress (also I don’t juggle actual objects, so I can forget about leaving everything for a career with Cirque Du Soleil), and stress, as we all know, is bad for skin, especially as mine likes nothing more than acting as the display window of whatever thoughts and emotions are going on inside.
Thankfully, in the last few years I have been following a regular morning skin regimen that works really well for me. Word of caution: it’s not a one step and go routine, in fact it’s inspired by the Asian regimens (though it doesn’t have half the number of steps, some of us have a job to go to in the morning, who has time for sheet masks every morning?!) but it works for me and I usually am able to complete it within 15 minutes tops, especially as I use the times between products, when you’re meant to let them sink in, to do other things like brush my teeth, apply body lotion etc.
By the way, I will share the secret that my facialist in London taught me: you don’t always have to go for the same products everyday, it’s totally ok to adjust depending on how your skin (or wallet…) feels, but try to find what works for your skin and give that a few weeks to see some real improvement.
Step One – Cleanser
Most days, I opt for a foaming cleanser in the morning, and at the moment I’m loving the Tatcha Rice Polish, because its little particles create a mini exfoliation effect whilst the foam gives my skin a deep cleanse. Rice enzyms are also known for soothing irritated skin, and seeing as my skin sometimes wakes up with a little break-out or two (yes, stress again, or sometimes just hormones), this is perfect; mine is the classic one. The idea is you massage it over the skin in circular motions from your neck up until your hairline, and rince it completely under the shower. I never use oil cleanser in the morning because 1) I don’t like the film that remains after an oil cleanser, it doesn’t let me apply skincare or make-up properly and 2) I don’t have time for a double cleanse to remove said film in the morning .
Step Two – Toner
On most days I go for Here I like to opt for Glo Skin’s Resurfacing one, or the famous P50 by Biologique Recherche. The idea is to pour a little bit on a cotton pad, and pat the product into the skin, softly, to create a chemical exfoliation; you do not drag the cotton across your face with the strength of a builder trying to strip paint off a bathroom wall pre-refurb. If your skin is super sensitive then you need to opt for a calming toner, but for me these two are great at keeping congestion and dullness at bay and prepping my skin for everything that comes next.
Step Three – Essence
What’s that? An essence is a concentrated formula with ingredients that are meant to penetrate deep into your skin, before serums and creams, specifically targetting wrinkles, fine lines, and dull and uneven skin tones. The one I use is the Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Toner, it has fermented ingredients (as good for skin as they are for your tummy apparently, but I don’t advocate drinking this…). I love its texture, like a very watery gel that I first pat down, before going over it with my face massager. This is the perfect step for a good massage because the texture of the essence allows to go over skin a few times; right now I’m using my travel face massager by BeRelax, it’s good but not great, but that’s because the very expensive full size face tool I bought from NuFace is absolutely useless and could never charge properly so I’m now waiting to be able to travel abroad and get a proper one from Purelift.
Step Four – Eye roller
I use an eye serum with an incorporated roller because the skin around the eyes is super soft and so benefits from an extra tlc. The Apotcare EyeLift Roller has a depuffing effect that is perfect for me. I think this particular one has been discontinued but the Hyaluron Plump Serum seems to have the same claims, I’ll report back when I run out of my original one.
Step Five – Serum
If you only take one thing from this whole routine, let it be this: Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Serum is a total game changer as far as skin texture goes and you need it in your bathroom. We all know the marvels Vitamin C does as anti-oxydant, both in terms of preventing and correcting age damage, however most products have tiny amounts of it, drowned in water etc. This one packs 15%, which is better than most products I’ve seen. I apply it every morning religiously and have for the past three years, and it has helped clear out most of my pigmentation spots and those pesky little skin bumps. Some use it twice a day, but in the evening I prefer Retinol for its sloughing effect, and both don’t mix. I cannot insist enough: this is the product I buy in pairs or trios every time I’m abroad (they sell it in many beauty clinics here, but with a hefty margin to the already expensive price…), though it lasts forever, I usually go through maximum three bottles a year.
Step six – Skin treatment / SPF combo
Most mornings, assuming I’ve done a good job moisturizing the night before, my skin doesn’t need anything heavy, so instead I use one pump of Sisley’s Brighteing Daily Defense Fluid, which comes with a nice SPF 50. This combines sun protection with continuous treatment against pigmentation (can you tell I’m a little obsessed? You should have seen the pigmentation I had post pregnancies, a leopard would have been envious) and weeks of daily usage will leave even the most stubborn cheeks brighter and firmer (yes, firmness is another thing that’s quite big for me). On days when I’m simply in the office, that’s plenty SPF, but if I’m going to spend my day outdoors, I usually layer up another SPF on top. You can never have enough sun protection, right?
Step seven – Blur and lip balm
I like to go around with minimal or no make-up at all, and on days when I don’t want any make-up, my last step in my morning routine is to apply the Tatcha Silk Canvas, which has a fabulous silky texture but can take a little getting used to when it comes to application. I use a tiny amount and pat it down on the key areas that need help (where did those pores just on the side of my nose come out from?!) and I use it as a blur finisher, never as a primer as I found that whatever foundation I try on top of it clumps, no matter how little of it I use. I finish off with a lip balm, either neutral or with a little bit of colour, and that’s that.
If I need a little bit of a put-together face for some reason, I skip the last step and move straight on to a proper make-up routine… which I can write about on a later post, if you would like.
A Styled Life 