Victoria Justine Cloete

Today I'm reviewing South African Handmade Beauty & Skincare range called Natuurlik Pragtig -  a brand known for its high-quality, natural and handmade products made from lovely locally-sourced ingredients. Natuurlik Pragtig believes that every woman should look and feel beautiful within their own skin and their goal is to boost women's confidence by providing them with the best. Natural, handmade beauty and skincare products that effortlessly fit into their daily routines.   1. Natuurlik Pragtig Love Bath Bomb  This bath bomb is made with lovely natural products such as Bicarbonate of Soda, Kaolin Clay, detoxifying Epsom Salt and moisturizing Cocoa Butter . My bathroom turns into a private spa, a therapeutic sanctuary when I allow this bath bomb to foam up and fizz away. The infused essential oils such as Jasmine, Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang allows my body and mind to relax and I feel totally rejuvenated thereafter. I wouldn’t mind for my littl...

I'm very much in awe with the new Revlon Photoready Candid Foundation , meet bold and bare makeup that you and your skin can feel good about! This foundation provides a medium yet buildable coverage and the innovative formulation contains the antioxidant and anti-pollutant power of Vitamin E plus anti-blue light ingredients to help protect the skin from the environmental stressors we encounter every day.  It’s also super easy to apply, really creamy - while providing such a beautiful, natural finish. It basically melts into my skin like a moisturizer and the coverage is very pretty and polished too.  It is oil-free and allows my skin to breathe which makes it perfect for oily to combination skin types and our current sunnier, South African weather.  It also stays put right throughout the day plus there's none of that nasty midday slick and shine.  I also love the durable tube that fits easily into my handbag along with my other Rev...

I started using the NIVEA Hyaluron Cellular Filler Elasticity range back in June 2019, so I had enough time to really try and test these products properly and so today I’ll be giving you my thoughts on it. I recently celebrated my 35th birthday and I’m honestly super impressed with the overall condition of my skin. For a girl that lives and grew up in sunny Namaqualand known for its harsh climate, my skin is in a pretty good state.  So what’s so different about the NIVEA Hyaluron Cellular Filler Elasticity range? Well, this cell-activating formula has Collagen, Hyaluron and Elastin booster in the blend to stimulate the skin’s own cells to activate the exact same structures. It also has been scientifically proven in cell culture experiments that after continued use of the NIVEA Hyaluron Cellular Filler Elasticity range the active ingredients facilitate the skin to create its own Collagen – showing more than a 20 % increase.  The skin’s own Hyaluron level increased...

A little while ago I attended the Burt’s Bees South Africa launch at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. The story of how the brand started is very inspiring and sweet as it began in Maine about 30 years ago. Burt, the actual Beekeeper was happily selling honey from the back of his truck however, fate had other ideas for the bearded hero when he met Roxanne Quimby . Burt and Roxanne hit it off and before long she was making candles with the unused wax from Burt’s beehives. So, from those original candles, to the iconic Beeswax Lip Balm. To over 180 products - Burt’s Bees has been guided by a single principle: Nature has the best answers. Read their full story here.  I’ve been using the Burt’s Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream and I love the texture, smell and consistency. In my opinion, it’s not greasy at all and it absorbs well into my skin. The thick buttery cream feels so luxurious - I really like how it appears to just melt away on my hands. Leavin...

Today I’m very proud to showcase a health &   beauty brand that’s based in the beautiful Namaqualand, the place I call home. A brand called Namaqua Pride, situated in Okiep a charming little town where honor and mindfulness matters. Namaqua Pride produces the most amazing beauty bars, body and hair care products made from Kraalbos and other specially selected natural ingredients. I'm going to tell you more about 3 of these great products but first, let's look into what Kraalbos can do for you... What is Kraalbos? "Robert Richards owner of the Namaqua Pride range has turned an invasive bush into a profitable health & beauty product business. Once considered a problem, Galenia Africana, or Kraalbos as it is known in Namaqualand, has turned out to be a super shrub. This lime green, medium-sized pioneer plant is not only a “nursing” plant that shelters the seedlings of perennials on degraded land, but it is also packed with healing properties that can h...

Time for a giveaway!  One lucky reader can win a unicorn and rainbow-inspired makeup bag filled with lovely goodies from  L.A. Girl Cosmetics. As an affordable luxury brand, L.A. Girl Cosmetics puts a glamorous spin on beauty by creating new ways to inspire expression through the art of colour. With their amazing selection of high-quality products that cater to makeup enthusiasts all over the world, L.A. Girl has become a destination brand that offers beauty without compromise – BEAUTY FOR ALL! What's inside? Perfect Precision Lipliner in Vamp Perfect Precision Lipliner in Magnificent Perfect Precision Lipliner in Flesh Lipify Stylo in Blaze Pro.Prep HD.High-Definition Smoothing Face Primer Eye Lux Mesmerizing Eyeshadow in Privatize Glazed Lip Paint in Blushing Giveaway Rules. Follow Social Media Blooms on Facebook   Follow Social Media Blooms on Instagram  Follow L.A. Girl Cosmetics South Africa on Facebook Follow L.A. Gir...

Innovation is the absolute DNA of the Schwarzkopf brand, and every two to three years, product formulations are updated so that only the very best is offered to the consumer. Such is the new Schwarzkopf Gliss Million Gloss Oil Replacement leave-in hair product.  The Schwarzkopf Gliss Million Gloss Oil Replacement is infused with liquid keratin and other micro-oils and it promises brilliant shine and gorgeous softness while fighting any frizz. Well, I have naturally curly hair which frizzes easily and I’m always looking for products that will eliminate that while making my hair more manageable, soft and shiny.  I also struggle with dryness and I find that after styling I always have to add a slick of hair oil to avoid dullness. So, with this product, I was a little apprehensive about leaving it in my hair. Only because the only other leave-in conditioner I’ve ever used was something called Bone Straight, years ago and to be honest it didn’t really bring out th...

120 years ago, chemist Hans Schwarzkopf laid the foundations for a truly international brand that stands for quality, reliability, expertise and innovation. Today, Schwarzkopf is a global pioneer in hair cosmetics and it’s clear to see why. They have such a fantastic selection of high-quality products for just about any hair type. It’s all about modern creativity, not necessarily following trends but expressing your own individuality with confidence.  I’ve recently embraced that modern creativity with the Schwarzkopf Live Ultra Brights/Pastel in Purple Punk,  see full review here. Today’s review, however, is all about the new Schwarzkopf Gliss Intense Therapy Mask with Keratin Serum and Omega Plex. It’s specially formulated for over-processed hair, tresses that have been exposed to a lot of heat styling and colouring. The Schwarzkopf Gliss Intense Therapy Mask promises to reconstruct bonds within the hair fibres and to give it long-lasting protection. To kee...

I received a tangerine shade of lipstick from the Revlon Super Lustrous range in 053 called So Lit and was reluctant at first to use it. But I decided to be brave and try it out as it is such an on-trend colour and I’m kind of sick of being behind trends in general. By the time I fell in love with the backpack trend they were all very difficult to find.  When I first saw leopard print shoes I thought they were too bold and now I’m besotted with them, even with the rainbow (specifically the pink) hair colouring trend, you see where I’m going with this?  So, here’s my thoughts on the product. I love the matte look on my lips and the colour is growing on me, in fact, it looks really amazing. It’s pigmented and applies well so you only need one coat for a vivid, bold hue. I also like that it’s buildable which makes reapplication very easy , I’ve seen some lipsticks that smear in an unflattering, streaky way when you want to do touch-ups. And it stays on...

The Revlon Photoready Insta-filter Foundation in 320 True Beige  appears very natural looking on my skin and the shade blends in perfectly with my skin tone. On first application my face looks blemish free and almost flawless, however by the end of the day I do find that my pores appear shiny and not as polished. Then again I do live in one of the hottest parts of South Africa.  I always have to be careful not to use too much product as the coverage is really great and a little goes a long way. It comes with a nifty looking build-in sponge which I sadly don't use as I like to apply my foundation with my fingers. There’s a gap right in the middle where a tiny stream of foundation flows into in you twist the bottom part of the bottle. I normally squeeze the sponge to quickly zap up the product with my fingers. Like previously mentioned I like using my fingers, I’m not into foundation brushes or sponges at all as I feel it’s not very hygienic and also becau...

The Revlon Photoready Insta-Sculpt Contouring Palette 001 allows for a very natural contouring look as the shades are not that dark. Which I like, I think it is perfect for a daytime look that’s normally less dramatic. In the pictures below I’ve applied the bottom right shade under my cheekbones and the bottom left shade on the sides of my nose.  The peachy hue of the top left shade goes onto my cheeks, giving it a youthful look and the highlighter which is the top right shade goes onto my chin, the bridge of my nose and across my cheekbone.  I can definitely see the difference contouring does to my face and it’s great to have a cute contouring kit like this one as it has all the shades to create a beautifully defined look. I really enhance my facial features in a lovely, natural way. I always use a dash of powder and makeup setting spray to set my look and this trick really helps the contouring to stay put. The black packaging of this product is...

I’ve been wearing the Revlon Colorstay Creme Eye Shadow in 710 Caramel for over 5 months and I’m still impressed every time I use it . Apart from being so pretty and leaving a lovely pigmented golden hue on my eyelids, I love the fact that it’s so hygienic . In my opinion, I’ve found that most eyeshadows accumulate bacteria very fast. I had to tuck many shadows in the past due to this however, the Revlon Colorstay Creme Eye Shadows comes with a lid that screws on tightly , in fact, the overall package of this product is quite amazing. The glass bottom part allows you to see the great colour which makes the product stay beautiful for the longest time.  Also, it comes with a cute little eyeshadow brush that I sadly never use as I like to use my fingers when applying eyeshadows and foundations. The product itself is also really amazing as one coat is all I normally need.  It’s long-wearing, pretty and it always creates beautifully, glam makeup look...