Monthly Finds: October 2020

You know that feeling when you stumble on a new product or service or show? And you want to tell people about it, because sharing is caring, and the people should know if it is good or bad or will change your life. Welcome to finds of the month, a monthly series where we share all the random little things we discovered and are enjoying.

#1 Falke Sport Socks

These colorful sport socks are part of Falke’s spring/summer collection, and are all made locally. They’re seamless and have full foot cushioning for added comfort. The Dryanamix fabric which helps with moisture along with mesh panels which allow for coolness and ventilation. They have arch support to prevent the socks from sliding and a sensitivity cuff which prevents dirt getting in. They’re a longer length and come about mid-calf on me.

They come in 3 different patterns, each with different colourways. The stripe and camo are pictured above, but there is also a diamond pattern. You can get them in more muted colours, but I Iike that the neon colors are so bright and provide extra visibility on the road or on trails, especially on cloudy days or if you run early in the morning when it’s not fully light. I’ve also always veered to bright colours when it comes to running clothing, it’s something you can really have fun with and from a safety perspective – being seen when running is important. They’re super comfy as Falke socks tend to be and have a bit of a compression feel, which means that they’d be a sock I’d also use for travel as my legs get restless and compression socks feel really good on long flights.

Buy them here (R110 per pair)

#2 Bramley Magnolia Tissue Oil Range

Bramley does a really good job at provided great body products at affordable prices. Their tissue oil has a cult following and they’ve taken that Magnolia Tissue Oil and created an extended range of body products using natural oils (Argan, Olive, Jojoba, Bio-pharm) and Vitamin E. The entire range is non greasy, easily absorbed and dermatologically approved. They rehydrate skin, even skin tone and help with scars and stretch marks. You get the benefits of the tissue oil in a body lotion, gel, spray and serum, allowing you to use it on your entire body. I’ve been loving using the gel on my feet (magical for hydrating winter feet) and the lotion and spray on my legs and arms. The spray can also be used in your hair if it tends to be dry.

WIN! We’re giving away a Bramley hamper worth R300 Enter here!

The entire range is available from Pep Home Stores (R24.99 – R26.99)

#3 Nuun Immunity Tabs

We’ve been fans of Nuun for years but we’ve all become quite obsessed with the new range of Nuun Tabs since we tried them out for our Natural Anxiety and Stress Relief article.

Nuun tabs are an effervescent electrolyte tablet that you dissolve in water. They are an incredibly hydrating pick me up and the immunity range contain 200mg vitamin C & 5mg zinc to support your body’s immune function and fight off seasonal bugs.

What is exceptionally great about the Nuun range is that they aren’t packed with unnecessary sugar, calories or strange ingredients. They’re made with clean ingredients and slightly sweetened with stevia. Each tablet is only 15 calories and has 2g of sugar. They’re vegan, gluten free, GMO free and Kosher certified OU.

Although I liked the rest range, I prefer the immunity range. I prefer the flavour combinations and these seem to dissolve in water better.

They come in two flavours and each tube contains 10 tabs.

Buy the orange citrus here (R130) and the blueberry tangerine here (R130)

#4 Hey Gorgeous Pure Wild Volumising Mascara

Hey Gorgeous is a clean, natural, organic skincare brand. Amongst their huge range of products is a small makeup range. I learned about their mascara from an Instagram ad showcasing the good reviews it has gotten. I bookmarked it as something to try as soon as my mascara ran out.

I absolutely hate trying out mascaras. Whenever I veer off from my long-time favourite, Clinique’s classic High Impact mascara, I always regret it. And I’m always tempted to try something better priced because a mascara doesn’t last very long and at R380, it is quite expensive.

My personal preference for a mascara is that it should look quite natural – I like when what you have is emphasized with just the right amount of colour, volumizing and lengthening – when any of those three are just a bit too much I feel like it looks clumpy or spidery. And then of course a formula that doesn’t run, flake, lasts all day and is easy to remove when you want to, isn’t too much extra to ask, right?

Well long story short, I’m glad I tried out Hey Gorgeous’s Pure Wild Volumising mascara because it ticked all my boxes:

• It gives your lashes just a touch of boost making them slightly longer and fuller.
• It doesn’t run or flake
• It lasts well throughout the day
• It is really easy to remove fully. I never have next day residue after washing it off.
• It doesn’t irritate the eyes (I’m a contact lens wearer so am sensitive to irritating eye makeup).
• As a huge added bonus is that it’s all natural and toxin free
• It is priced well at R165 for a standard 30ml tube

I love it so much that I am fully tempted to try out the rest of their makeup range.

The first few times I applied it, a bit too much product got onto the brush (I like to scrape the wand inside the tube before applying to limit how much product gets onto the lash) and I thought it looked clumpy but somehow after a few minutes the lash settled and it looked fine. Since then I have been careful to get less formula on the brush. I think if you were going for a bolder fuller look, this mascara would deliver that as well.

Buy here (R165)

#5 The Old Stone Mill Spice Mixes

I am obsessed with spices and have become somewhat of a spice collector. It’s just the easiest, best and most affordable way to add flavour to dishes and I love that you can completely change what a vegetable tastes like by simply switching your spice blend. The spice aisle is an aisle I visit whenever I go grocery shopping regardless of whether there’s a spice on my list. I discovered The Old Stone Mill Mixes in Kosher World and was immediately taken by their big glass jars (packaging wins me over) and unique blends. They also don’t add sugar or any preservatives to their blends which I find so many spice mixes to include and something I always look out for. I’ve tried a few of their blends so far (the Berbere, Shawarma, Harissa and Creole chicken blend) and all have past our taste test. I plan on trying them all, but there’s been a bit of judgement every time I return home with another spice (no you cannot have enough and no you don’t need a reason to buy more) so I’m adding to my collection slowly and discreetly ?

You can find a stockist here or order from them online  (prices vary depending on blend)

#6 Beyond wellness healing salts

As I may have mentioned before (once or twice) I love baths and bath salts and am always trying new ones. These Beyond Wellness Healing Salts are my latest find and they’re divine. They come in three variations – Sports, Sleep and Stress. They all have a base of Epsom salts and then added ingredients depending on what they’re for.

The Sports salts are tinted blue and have Epsom Salts and Himalayan crystals and are scented with Eucalyptus. They have a really refreshing menthol scent and help ease sore muscles.

The Wellness salts are tinted pink and have Epsom Salts and Himalayan crystals and have a citrus smell. I love the smell and it makes your entire bathroom smell wonderful and leaves your skin feeling silky.

The Sleep Salts are tinted yellow and have Epsom Salts, Himalayan crystals Mustard and a lavender scent. I’m not the biggest lavender fan, but it’s a subtle scent that I didn’t mind.

All the salts leave your skin feeling silky soft and make a bath feel a little more restorative and luxurious.

Buy them here (currently 37% off R229 for a pack of three)

#7 Paul Coelho Journey

Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist, most famous for the novel The Alchemist. His latest book is not a book at all but rather a guided journal. It’s a beautiful blue hard covered oblong book with gold accents that is filled with thought provoking journal prompts like “Are there any dreams you have denied yourself because logic has told you they are impossible? Take a moment to quietly reason. What does you intuition say about those dreams?” After each prompt, is pages of lined paper to allow you to fill in your thoughts and interspersed throughout the journal are quotes from his most popular book, speeches an interviews. If you’re a Paul Coelho fan and love to journal, you’ll enjoy spending time going through each prompt and answering it. This guided journal is also beautiful gift to give someone who loves writing and journaling.

Buy it here (R259)

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*This article contains affiliate links. We only recommend items that we have personally tried, tested and enjoyed.