All the things we Loved this month [January 2019]

 

You know that feeling when you stumble onto the perfect product or service or show? And you want to tell people about it, because sharing is caring, and the people should know. Welcome to all the things we loved this month, a monthly series where we share all the random little things we couldn’t get enough of.

 

#1 Humble & Mash Mandolin Slicer

Recommended by Zissy

 

I’ve wanted a mandolin slicer for some time but always put it off because I questioned whether it was really necessary given that I have knives which happen to be quite good at cutting things. But I do like making my own chips be it apple, veggie or plantain and found this one that wasn’t crazy expensive. And let me tell you it has been so worth it. It gives you perfectly even slices in minutes. I’ve used it to slice veggies for chips, salads, those baked veggie spiral dishes and it’s the best way to slice an onion without painful tears streaming down your face. It has four settings so you can choose how thick you want your slice, a handguard so you don’t slice your finger (the blade is sharp) and a container the slicer fits ontop so your slices go straight inside it with minimal mess. It also comes with a julienne slicer which I don’t like as it gives you these odd shaped string pieces. It is as easy as the slicer is to use, but even without using it, it’s still less expensive than other models and works brilliantly.

Get it here (R249)

 

#2 Dermastore

Recommended by Feige

 

I’ve been subscribed to Dermastore for probably over a year and always toyed with the idea of purchasing some of my skin care from them but somehow never did. Earlier this month I decided to give them a try and was so impressed, I can’t stop waxing lyrical about them. So here is every reason I loved them and would recommend;

 

1. Their website is very clean looking and extremely user friendly. They also stock a lot of brands.
2. When you sign up with them and make purchases, you get loyalty points which are redeemable on future purchases.
3. They send the most useful informative newsletters on all things skincare.
4. I made my order at 4pm on Friday. It arrived at my door by 10am Monday. (They are based in Cape Town, I’m in JHB)
5. Their packaging was phenomenal, came in the above pictured box, with my products neatly packed inside, wrapped in bubble wrap to avoid breakages, covered with a logo’d tissue paper and a personalised note explaining how to use the products I purchased.

 

Visit them here

 

#3 The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

Recommended by Feige

 

I have been trying out a lot of The ordinary products with my sister Soshe and she suggested we try this out too. This solution is meant to be used as a 10-minute exfoliating facial.

 

The AHA (Aplpha hydroxy acids) component exfoliates the skin’s topmost surface for brighter and more even skin. The BHA (Beta hydroxy acids) component, also exfoliates the skin with an extended function to help clear pore congestion. Together they are a powerhouse of a high concentration of free acids that help fight visible blemishes and for improved skin radiance. They also say with continued use, the formula improves the appearance of skin texture and reduces the look of fine lines.

 

This formula is a bright red color and Zissy calls it “the blood mask”. The red is from a Tasmanian Pepperberry derivative which helps to reduce irritation associated with acid use. It also contains a crosspolymer form of hyaluronic acid for comfort, Vitamin B5 to assist healing and black carrot as an antioxidant.

 

On The Ordinary’s website, they recommend use only if you are an experienced user of acid exfoliation and your skin is not sensitive. I have tried Acid exfoliation a few times before for this article and wouldn’t call my skin sensitive, but Soshe had never used acid exfoliation before (with the exception of using Salicylic Acid) and does have sensitive skin.

 

We were nervous to try it so we read a lot of reviews before. We learned that you should never leave it on your skin for more than 10-minutes, rather starting off with maybe 5 and building up to 10, and that you shouldn’t do it more than twice a week.

 

We’ve been using it for a month now and let is sit on for roughly 8-minutes. Neither of us has had a bad reaction to it and have been loving it. I think it is a game changer in my skin routine. I feel it is particularly effective when I’m about to break out or have a pimple, it seems to speed up the clearing. My skin also recovers from breakouts much quicker (red marks have become fainter in a very short amount of time) and my skin feels smoother and is brighter.

 

Get it here $12.30 (USD) roughly R167.00

 

#4 Schnieder Link-It pens

Recommended by Feige

 

I’ve always loved Schneider pens and their new launch is no exception. They are called Link-It pens. They are pens that look half the length of their regular pens and come in four tip variations; Fineliner (0.4mm), Thicker felt tip (1mm), Ballpoint & Highlighter – all great. You buy the two variations you want, in the colours you want, and the bottoms click together to create the pen of your dreams. I bought four to create one black fineliner/ballpoint duo and one red fineliner/black felt tip duo. Can’t stop using them and I have a feeling I’ll be building up a collection slowly.

 

Learn about them here. I purchased at a small stationery shop for somewhere between R11-R18 per pen. I recommend going into your local stationary store to see if they’re stocked.

 

#5 Heads you Win by Jeffrey Archer

Recommended by Feige

 

I have already reviewed this book in our Summer Reading list, so go check that out here. The reason I’m recommending it is because it left such an impression on me. It was the most different novel (in a fascinating way) that I have ever read and everyone I’ve passed it on to has enjoyed it, despite having different tastes in books. Also, it’s the first novel I’ve read that I’m keen to see a sequel to. I hear Jeffrey Archer is currently writing a new book and I’m not so secretly hoping it will be this one’s sequel (and that he’ll name it Tails you Lose).

 

+/- R299. Get it here

 

#6 Oh Mega Peanut Butter

Recommended by Zissy

 

I was at one stage going to do a taste test of natural peanut butters to find the best one. By natural I mean a Peanut Butter that doesn’t have oils, sugars and a host of other ingredients that aren’t peanuts. It hasn’t happened because I just keep getting this one. For starters it’s very reasonably priced for a good quality peanut butter, easy to find, has three ingredients and tastes good. It doesn’t have that very strong peanut butter smell or taste (so its great if you like peanut butter but don’t like the smell) and tastes like peanuts. It does have honey in it, but it isn’t overly sweet or sugary.

Get it here (R43)

 

#7 Smartlife Glass Container With Cutlery Set

Recommended by Feige

 

This year I am trying to be better about eating lunch and that require lunch prep and lunch prep requires good containers to store your lunch. Zissy found these Smartlife glass dishes at clicks that is a sturdy glass, has 2-divisions inside and a cutlery set built into the clip lid. So far, it’s been amazing and it makes you excited to pre-make healthy lunches.

 

R79.99 Get it here

 

#8 Verimark Window Mate

Recommended by Zissy

 

I’m generally suspicious of Verimark products, something about their commercials screams “trying too hard to convince”, plus I’ve tried almost all their mops and have yet to find the perfect one. That being said, I got this because I wanted a way to clean second story windows without having to haul out a ladder and figured it didn’t hurt to try this. It didn’t hurt, in fact it worked. It uses regular soap (fill a bucket with some water and your liquid dish wash), and the two sides magnetise to each other allowing you to stand inside and wash both sides of the window simultaneously. There’s a string to tie the end that’s outside to the window bars, which is incredibly handy because it does take time to get used to maneuvering and this means it wont fall outside but rather end up dangling.  If you have windows to clean that are not ground level and don’t want to or can’t haul out a ladder to wash them, this is the best way to get them clean.

 

R199 (I got it at Pick n Pay)

 

#9 Cradle Moon Lodge

Recommended by Zissy

 

We discovered Cradle Moon Lodge because all of our open water swimming races took place there. It’s about 40 minutes from Johannesburg which is short enough to be a half day or full day trip and far enough out that it feels like you’re away from the bustle and on holiday. Aside from the swimming races which take place in the lake, they offer water sports (paddle boarding, canoeing), trail running, mountain biking and game rides. We’ve seen Zebra running in front of us and lots of buck. They also offer rental equipment but do not allow you to bring your own picnics/ food as they have their own restaurants along the premises.

 

#10 African Honey Bee Mini Raw Honey

Recommended by Zissy

 

This is the cutest little tube of honey and is included here because it is the perfect travel size honey. If you like to travel with your own condiments, this is perfect. It’s 50g (small enough to get on an airplane) and means you have your own little honey to add to teas, yogurts, oats or whatever else you want. Honey is also brilliant for burns, so it’s a handy thing to keep in your bag in case of accidents. It’s a very sweet honey with a bit of a grainy texture.

Get it here (R29.99)

 

#11 Oh So Heavenly Clarifying Detox Shampoo and Conditioner

Recommended by Zissy

 

I talked about this shampoo and conditioner here as it’s become part of my hair routine during swimming season. I love the smell and the fact that it leaves my hair feeling squeaky clean. It is a clarifying shampoo and conditioner which means that it can remove your natural hair oils along with any product build up or chemicals (chlorine) so don’t use it daily. I use it just once a week.

 

Get it here (R64.99 each)

 

#12 The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

Recommended by Zissy

 

Salicylic Acid is known to be good for treating pimples. It is a beta hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin. The Ordinary’s 2% treatment solution helps exfoliate the inside walls of pores to fight the appearance of blemishes and for better visible skin clarity with continued use. After suffering from an extreme breakout thanks to my foray into Celery juice, I consulted by skincare experts (read: sisters) and was told to put some of this on the spot after washing my face with my usual soap, giving it about an hour to settle and following up with my regular moisturiser. I woke up the next morning and that breakout had dried up and reduced in size, making it barely noticeable and easy to cover up. A few days later it was completely gone. I was sold which is why I’m now selling it to you. This stuff works.

 

Get it here $8.40 USD (Roughly R114.00)