Wanna look good? look in your cupboard!

image from:www.kelv.org/read-more-on-good-beauty-products

Many Women are said to be victims of the advertising world or how to books, from fashion to home ware, make up to cosmetics, they can’t resist. Well I am one of the self-confessed victims of diets and cosmetics, I struggled with weight and skin problems so I would fall for and thing that said: lose weight in five days or have clearer skin in three simple steps. I would buy one cosmetic to another, be it L’Oreal, Clinique, Ponds, Lemon Lite, Ambi, Johnson Johnson, to mention just a few. I spent loads of money on facial products, I even went as far as gentle magic, but the sad part is that none of them actually worked. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that these products don’t work; they do work for those women who I am yet to see.

Apart from skin problems, there are many common problems women deal with, and often times seem impossible to cure. After all else failed, I turned to God’s pharmacy, a book by Doctor Herman Uys who explains or give solutions on how to deal with female problems. , guess what, you don’t have to spend as much as you did on beauty products. Follow these guidelines and issues like PMS, urinary infections, dandruff and insomnia will be outdated.

image from: wists.com/boutiquemom/cool_websites/b6f8be30e

Pimples:

Many women have issues with pimples, there is nothing worse that bad skin after puberty. Not only does is lower once self-esteem but it also eliminates that airbrushed look after you apply foundation. In order for you to get rid of those zits on your face, follow these three easy steps, wash, tone and moisturise, well not exactly. According to DR Uys, cayenne pepper is an internal blood cleanser: take a teaspoonful 3X per day with water. For external health, all you need to do is to sponge your face with lemon juice or your own urine, first thing in the morning. Disgusting I know. Drink a quarter teaspoon of aloe juice at bedtime and rub your face with half an onion, well if you cry when cooking gravy, I suggest you end with the juice.



PMS:

Most women know during this is the time they can get away with everything, but it can be stressful when you have severe period pains. To minimise the fatigue and temper tantrums, eat fresh apples, celery and grapes during the week before menstruation. Drink Barley water during this time as it is rich in vitamin B and will ease the pain and raise immunity levels. Cayenne pepper will also help with blood circulation so a teaspoon three times a day taken with a glass of warm water will do the thing. Bladder wrack helps with hormone stabilising, use Soya as often as possible.



Hair loss and dandruff:

Yeah I said it; we all know what you are hiding under those weaves. So do yourself a favour by getting rid of that bad smell and icky smell. Who knows, going natural might save you a couple of rand. Well if you suffer from dandruff then rub rosemary, olive or almond oil into the scalp, and wrap-up with a plastic bag, and then a towel. Eat a tin of sardines one a week. For those of you who are big on Castor oil, do rub it on your scalp, and leave for 30 minutes before shampoo, don’t worry you hair wont run, unlike your stomach. Shampoo your head with selsun shampoo, DR Uys says it works wonders.


Urinary infections:

Save your frequent visits to the doctor and simply follow this routine, a lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water will do the trick. I know you probably tired of hearing this line, but for the sake of your bladder, drink up to 3 litres of water per day. Ditch coffee for three cups of parsley tea per day and 4-5 radishes everyday won’t hurt. As nasty as it sounds, do eat lettuce with raw onions (natural anti-biotic). Ok hear comes the hard part, avoid all bread and sugar stuff for they turn acidic and aggravates the infection. 15 drops of Echinacea every 30 minutes will give your immune system a boost, which will clean up the infection. Vitamin C or fresh oranges or narchies are also good for you.

image from:ladyfi.wordpress.com/.../humble-onion-thoughtsladyfi.wordpress.com/.../humble-onion-thoughts

I don’t know about you, but I'm tired of spending more money on beauty products than I do on clothes. Therefore, I have started using DR Uys’ natural ingredients for a healthier skin, after all, you are what you are and you are what you don’t eat. Who knew onions do more than give taste to food.

You not skimpy enough for Cubaña!!

                         image from: www.sheetalmakhan.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

I was recently on a trip to Cape Town, when my sister, a few friends and I decided to go to a club. We were club hopping, as the person we were travelling with could not handle four beautiful women by himself. After a long tour around Long Street, we finally decided to go to Cubaña. It a was cold and windy night so we were dressed for the weather, not too casual or too formal, but to our surprise we got turned down by the bouncers telling us that out outfits were not appropriate. I was on some WDF. What the hell do you mean? He looked at us up and down, and said with his Nigerian accent…."your attire is wrong"!!


I was like excuse me, but its 20 degrees outside, I can't go around wearing a skimpy outfit, but even that excuse did not get us a ticket inside the club and we had no choice but to leave the club in disbelief and shock. Along they way, we could not help but wonder about the pressures that society puts on people, young women especially. Going to a club only to be told that your outfit is not revealing enough is a disgrace. It was cold for heaven sake, all weather aside but really what message are those bouncers sending to young girls?


That being descent is not social acceptable or that you need to go around wearing t-shirts as dresses in order to fit in? Such things should be an abomination, its actually worse than being told you not white or black enough to enter the place. All we wanted was a drink and to hang out, what difference will my money make, whether it comes from a person wearing a skimpy outfit or a descent one? Is the value going to be different? I mean who is supposed to bring in the customers. The place itself or women wear when they go clubbing. For a second there I felt sorry for those girls wombs, a night of fun will be lifetime damage to their fertility. Oh, well its life I guess, you do or die! All I can say is: omamakho wazi? (Does your mama know?)

Greyhound, the apologetic bus.

image from:www.southafrica.to/.../Greyhound-bus.php5

Imagine yourself getting ready to go back home after a long time. All excited you pack your bags, bus ticket and get ready to go, just when you are about to leave the hotel, or BnB your phones beeps and its an sms from the bus customer service saying: “Greyhound regrets to inform you of an unfortunate accident on our CPT-Kimberly-JHB service. Coach is running behind schedule. We apologies for any convenience caused. Many thanks”. Adamant to go home, you stop for a second, take a deep breath and pray, they mean the bus will be an and hour late, hence you go to the bus station. You take a cab to the station with a smile on your face, then you arrive at the station and an intercom says you should report at the counter to check in. while you wait you receive a cup of coffee from the ever smiling waitress while you make new friends to entertain you along the 18 hour journey.


As you sip you hot coffee reminiscing on your is visit to Cape Town and the activities that you took part in, the intercom goes on again with a woman telling you that the bus has been delayed due to a traffic jam. That does not sound good at all; they tell you that your bus has been delayed by five hours. They give you a choice to rebook the bus for the next day or to wait. What do you do in that situation? Do you go back to the hotel after you checked out and spend more money? On the other hand, do you wait and hope for a miracle?

Well, I decided to wait and that was the longest five hours of my life. I sat at the Greyhound station from 12pm to 18:30 waiting for the bus to go to Johannesburg. Well me and a couple of other people who had faith in Greyhound. As we waited our phones kept on beeping with an sms from their customer service apologising for the inconvenience and adding more minutes to the five hours, from bus being delayed my five hours to five hours and forty minutes and on and on it went. After the long dreadful wait, the bus arrived at 18:00 and we finally departed at 18:45. The bus which was supposed to come at half 12 was late, and to make matters worse the six o’clock one was late. We didn’t care about that, all wanted to get the hell out of there, so the bust left and the passengers were complaining about how the bus inconvenienced their plans and wasted their money.

I mean sitting at the bus station for five hours requires you to eat hence more and more spending of money you had other plans for. To make matters worse they played some dumb noisy DVD, which I found rather upsetting. So I got on the bus and prayed that no one sits next to me. I covered my face with my jacket and slept until the next stop, where we found others waiting for a bus and they did not look happy at all. Along the way, the bus attendant kept apologising for the delay and blah blah, which triggered people’s emotions. Like wdf? The attended kept on waking me up and asked if I wanted coffee or tea, like really now, doesn’t the fact that I covered my face mean I don’t want to be disturbed?



When we finally arrived in Johannesburg Me and a few others swore to never, ever travel with Greyhound. Ok so Greyhound might be better than others in terms of luxury and blah blah, but a delay by five hours is inexcusable. Moreover, the excuse was there was an accident, ok at first I bought it, but then the people who got on the bus from Wooster told us that the attendant told them that the reason for the delay was that we had an accident. Like really, the real reason for the delay was due to their incompatibility. Anybody who has travelled with Greyhound would tell you that the service is apologetic. Even Road links also known as the killer bus is much better, better service and you arrive one time, dead or alive!

Freshly Ground with their fresh album

Guest blogger: Lebogang Mgiba

Ok Freshly Ground’s new album launch, do you really wanna know? Yes of coz that’s why you reading this blog in the first place, I mean HELLO?? The launch took place at the Alexandra Theatre in Braamfontein on the 13th of May. Mind you I was writing an exam the following day but I couldn’t wait to see what Freshly Ground has in store for us after Ma'Cheri Album. It was really packed and that made me realise that Freshly has many supporters which include groupies. I was turned off by the fact that I didn’t see a lot of celebrity’s, I’m not sure if it was the fact that there was no free food? At least I saw MetroFM's Lupi Ngcayisa, the Fat koek Yo Tv Kid Akhumzi, Zola and Morena from Etv’s CrazE.

                                                      
                                                   
To be honest, the launch went well, let’s forget the celebrities and focus on Freshly Ground. Zolani did me justice on stage from the moment she opened her mouth. Their new cd is absolutely awesome, different from their previous albums. The only similar thing is that they still have love songs; even Zolani confessed that they love songs. They had so much energy and you could just see their dedication on stage, the love and the passion was there. Their new cd is out in stores now, at least I got mine for free and piracy is so last year so please move with the trends and buy an original. Well a special thanks goes to Sarah Barnett for putting me on her guest list, it made me feel special. For more info on Freshly Ground visit their website on www.freshlyground.com or contact Sarah at media@freshlyground.com.

Goodbye VPLs, hello C-string

Just the like the evolution of mankind underwear never seems to stop evolving, from g-string to t-string, v-string to C-string. According to http://www.cheaponsale.com/ a C-String or C-Kini is a new style of sexy lingerie that’s strapless! It can be worn under any clothes from jeans to trousers to dresses or you can even wear it as swimwear.


The packaging is small, and it looks like a hair band, but slightly lop-sided. The front part is like the front part of a normal style of g-string or thong knickers with a thin band running to the back.


The band is quite strong and curved to form a C-shape which holds the C-String snuggly in place. You may think that there isn't enough to hold it in place, but tests by various women have shown that it does stay put without slipping of falling out - which if you are wearing a skirt if very high on the list of requirements.


The C-String - or C-Kini as it’s sometimes known can be worn under any item of clothing from skirts to dresses to trousers, suits etc - and it can even be worn as a bikini for sun bathing. If you don't like tan lines, then the C-String is ideal for you.

It fits in place without straps to allow you to bask in the sun without having to keep straps out of the way - giving you a much nicer and even tan. I am all for new fashion trends and ja VPLs (visible panty lines) are a serious fashion crime, C-strings are definitely not for me. I mean it looks really uncomfortable, I’d rather go nude than be caught wearing any of the little numbers. Big ups to the exotic women who are going to purchase the C-string, it is indeed a sexy invention.

Robin Thicke, sex therapy

Robin Thicke, one of the world’s most talented singers, song-writers and producers, will be performing in Mzansi end of May 2010, following the postponement end of April 2010 in Johannesburg due to the birth of his son, which took place recently. Thicke will be will be hosting a Gala Dinner.Prices available on request.
With the World Cup being hosted on African Soil for the first time, in South Africa, the fast approaching event has opened up our doors to tourists, investors and soccer crazy fans from all over the world, not excluding some of the world’s most talented singers, musicians and actors.

Known previously in the music industry only as a song writer and producer for artists such as Christina Aguilera, Mya, Brandy, Marc Anthony and Usher, Thicke went on to win a Grammy Award for best songwriter and producer for the single Confessions off Usher’s album of the same name in 2004. In 2007 the release of his second album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, finally garnered him the recognition for his vocal abilities. He won ‘Breakthrough artist of the Year’ 2007 at the VH1/Vibe Soul Awards.
Not forgetting his famous heritage, his dad, Canadian actor Alan Thicke and his mom ‘Days of our lives’ actress Gloria Loring, Robin was surely destined for fame.
The handsome singer with his angelic voice and seductive tunes, will breeze into SA for 11 days on 21st May 2010. He will host a Charity Gala dinner, raising funds for Haiti, due to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on Thursday 27TH May 2010 and a concert on Friday 28th May 2010 at the same venue.
For more information or interview requests please contact Farah Fortune on email farah@africanstar.co.za

Breaking a mark

Hip hop is known to be every young man’s favourite trend, the dress code, the talks and the swagger but many fail to keep up with the pressure. Xolani A.K.A Young Chris Mthunzi bets to differ, for him hip hop is a lifestyle. Born in Naturena Xolani grew up in a family full of hip pop heads, the future sure does look bright for this young man.
“I was exposed to hip pop since childhood, so I picked up the culture and values as I grew up. So ja it was an automatic choice and I don’t regret mailing it because it has made me who I am at the moment, a true hip pop head, he said proudly.”

With the popularity of hip hop amongst young people Xolani admits that he admires people like Sean Carter otherwise known as Jay-z and Pro-kid. One of the reasons I like Jay-z is because as a young kid, my brother used to listen to Jay-z a lot and I adapted his style and have looked up to him ever since then. I like Pro-kid because he is a street hip pop artist, and he has energy and I am also like that. Xolani started dancing ever since he was a kid, while growing up he performed solo in a lot of joints and people were interested in what he did. That is when he started a crew. I was inspired by the movie ‘you got served' that is when my friends and I started a break dancing group and we performed in the streets. The crew was called k-otix, but as time went we separated until we reunited in Brixton and formed LAG (ladies and gents). This was started by me and a guy called Mbonisi A.K.A Rage-b, and it has been successful ever since then. The crew features both tertiary and high school students young Chris explained. Break-dance is a form of expression of how I feel, it complements the music that I make and who I really am...young Chris.

The crew is also working on a clothing range called tit-bit. Well I can’t reveal much but you’ll be glad to know that it is going to be a crazy label, just wait and see, he said arrogantly. To add to that I am also working on an album and JJ an underground producer will help produce the album. He added that they did not sign up with any record company to avoid ownership. The crew is free styling and keeping it low until they are strong enough to go nationwide.

So it’s their first album and a clothing label in progress, while they still break dance, and a life time of work to get everything off the ground. Only time will tell whether young Chris’ path will lead in the direction of success.

Leracity: Woof Woof, X-possed!

Leracity: Woof Woof, X-possed!

Up, close and personal with the stunning Precious Kofi

Q-Tell us about yourself
A-I'm an eternal optimist, full of sarcasm;-)

Q Where and what did you study?
A- Am yet to study and when I, do it'll probably have something to do with African politics.

Q-When did your business start?
A- We started early last year.

Q-What is your business all about?
A-Its a television production company, our first major project was Precious Africa

Q-What inspired your business?
A-We felt that there wasn't enough Africa on South African TV screens, we believe in the power of TV and its ability to both educate and entertain our nation, hence Precious Africa.

Q-What did you sacrifice to get this far?(The highs and lows)
A-So far I don't feel like I've sacrificed anything. This is my life and I'm living it the best way I know how.

Q-Is your business a success and what is the formula to a successful business?
A-We've been blessed enough to survive at a time when the South African TV industry was undergoing some major struggles. During this period Kofi Productions focused on solutions rather than getting lost in the problem. What we learnt was that in business you need to be flexible without selling out on your dream, its all about seeking knowledge and recognizing opportunity.What I know for sure is that the Lord can open doors that no man can shut, with Him on your side, abundance becomes the name of your game!

Ne-yo, the perfect gentleman.

Last night was by far the best night ever, a couple of us went to watch Ne-yo perform at the Velodrome in CPT and I must say this was one performance I will treasure for the rest of my life. Even though getting there was a hustle due to the heavy rains, this was one concert we weren't prepared to miss. We got there soaking wet but as soon as Ne-yo stepped on stage, all the water was shaken off.

The moment I saw yours truly on stage, I screamed my vocal cords out. His opening song was I just cant help myself, all I need is you...singing... I sang along like it was karaoke. All the ladies couldn't help but scream and go crazy. As for the brothers of course, they stood there with folded arms while we jumped up and down. The crowd was taken from one level to outtaspace when he performed single and he dedicated it to all the single ladies. The reason I'm calling him a gentleman is because of the way he accommodated everyone, from the singles to the couples, he even sang a birthday song to a woman in the crowd who waved its "my birthday" poster in the air. It was there and then, that I wished I was the birthday girl.

Another highlight was what he said before he performed hit song miss independent, he told women to buy their own drinks when they go out, lol!!! That sure got all the broke arse nigas jumping for joy.

Ne-yo also performed songs that he wrote for other artists like, take a bow and irreplaceable and had everybody sing along with him. His closing song was closer, I am telling you that his dance moves were breath-taking and back up dancers did him justice. I would quit my day job to be one of them, yummy!

Ok so the concert was mind-blowing and I went home hollering, but I was disappointed because make a circle bigger was not there, hai JR, I was really looking forward to his performance. Did I mention that Ne-yo threw his hat in the crowd? I wonder who caught it, what was interesting was the fact that he threw it facing the stage. Haha, so we now we know Ne-yo is bald, but we still love him. The concert was worth every penny, oh ja kana I got my tickets for free, thanx Gesh.

Ain't no party like a DFC party

What would fashion week be without an after party right, well Uyanda Mbuli and husband Sisa Mbuli had it all planned out when she invited DFC supporters to Rivonia news café to celebrate her new collection. The new range showcased glamorous swimwear and dresses with hats to complement her style.

What made her range unique was Uyanda’s style and good taste; she also drew the crowd by having well known models Babalwa Mneno and Joelle Kayambe, to showcase her collection. DFC after party rocked Rivonia when hip pop artist Proverb performed some of his songs. Nonhle Thema and Zizo Beda are some of the celebrities who came to support the queen of glam.

Tuks Senganga models for Thunderstorm

Well known for his breathtaking Tswana lyrics, Tuks Senganga showed that he is a man of many talents at S.A fashion week when he walked the runway for Thunderstorm at Turbine hall in Johannesburg Newtown. Lerato Makomene had a one-one-one with Mzansi’s hip pop artist.

How were you involved in the fashion week?

I was there to launch my new track and also to branch and affiliate with a brand like Thunderstorm.

What brought the idea up?

My PR manager came up with an idea that it would be shock therapy for me to do something different, something that I have never done before. It is not wise for me to be confined to just one genre; I can still do so many things out there besides singing.

Q: How did the audience respond to your new track?

A: I played the stimela song which had the crowd mumbling because it took them back to memory lane. It was sort of a reflection of where we came from to where we are now.

Q: You modelled for Thunderstorm how was the experience for you?

A: Thunderstorm for me had the best range. It was fun, fresh and loose track; I would definitely wear their clothes.

Q: Which other designers were appealing to you?

A: DFC was beautiful, I liked the silky material, I wouldn’t mind if my partner were to wear Uyanda Mbuli's range.

Q: Do you plan to get involved in such events in the near future?

A: Yes it was dope and I hope to do this again sometime, I believe that artist should get more involved in such events. I have been in the industry for six years and it was my first time at fashion week where I was invited as a model, I learned that there is more to fashion than walking down the runway.

Q: Thoughts on the world cup….

A: We should let it slide and show the world what we all about.

Q: Ends note…

A: The world should be on the lookout for my new proudly South African album Tshwarelo, which will take them by storm.

SA fashion week 2010, not so glam after all.

Glitz and glamour, prominent Celebs and high fashion, are words associated with fashion week, but this year’s S.A fashion week was such a bore. The event took place from the 24-27 of March 2010 at the Turbine hall in Newtown where designers from all over Mzansi showcased their talent. The night did not meet peoples expectations as it was dry, started late and did not attract enough media.

Designers like Rubicon, Darkie, Mantsho, Ethymol, Diamond Face Couture, to mention just a few were there to showcase their designs. The disappointing part about the designs was that they lacked diversity; watching one show to the next was like watching the South African version of survivor, repetition of the same range under a different name.

However, the event saw a surprising twist when popular designer Sylvester Falata and Uyanda Mbuli had a standing innovation with their superb ranges. It was refreshing to see something new for a change, or was it the models people were cheering for? Amongst those who attended the event were, Generations star Katlego Danke, Metro FM presenter Penny Lebyane, Zizo Beda, hip hop star Proverb and Channel O presenter Nonhle Thema.

Models Joelle Kayembe and Babalwa Mneno were on the runway for DFC. After all is said and done, Sylvester Falata stole the night with his male range, this young man made it worthwhile for people who saved the date for fashion week. You know what they say: save the best for last.

Le fashion, le decor and le glamour: Shanghai Tang

Held in Southern Sun Hotel, Hyde Park, this was a fashion show to remember, top class venue and well to do guests sipping on fancy cocktails. As we made our way through the entrance we were humbly welcomed by Rhys Ralf, the brand manager dressed in one of the Shanghai Tang jacket. What I liked the most about the range is its diversity; Shanghai can dress you, your husband and your house.

The range is elegant, striking and like its name, inspired by the Chinese culture. Guests had a chance to mingle with each other while browsing through the designs. The hosts then gave us a brief on the label and blah blah blah. Guests were encouraged to purchase whatever they liked on the spot, being at this launch was like being at the IFS(international fashion sale) only smaller, glamorous and with free drinks. This is because there was a fitting room and we could try on the clothes that we liked.

Big ups to Rhys and the organisers for a great marketing strategy, the night was indeed a success and some people went home with a Shanghai bag. Amongst those who were there was soccer star Kaizer Motaung Jnr, who came with his gorgeous girlfriend and he objectively said that the show was superb, for a man of his social class, I was surprised to see him leave empty-handed. Well as for me, I will purchase an item when my salary increases. Shanghai Tang range is definitely for the South African elite, and not for Tom, Dick or Harry.

Woof Woof, X-possed!

By Lerato Makomene




When one gets an invite to a designer’s launch party, words like runway, exclusive designs, prominent people, networking, wining and dining with the who‘s who in the media industry comes to mind. I recently got an invite to a designer launch and I rocked up a hot outfit in anticipation of a night to remember. As a journalist I expected out of this world media treatment, front seat row at the fashion show, my name on the chair etc, but to my surprise this particular fashion show was anything but glamorous.

Apparently, the designer, Siyanda Goodlove Nyembe, is an amateur who is still trying to find his feet in the industry but that does not make for the horror show that he put up. He could have at least done his research on how to launch his range. Call me a “snob” or Miss know it all, but I am certain that as you read on you will see the results of my sentiments. Let’s start with the setting of the whole show: there was no runway; the models were walking on the ground barefoot in the coldest night of April. The show started an hour late, and the elderly were the first to arrive dressed like they were going to Moria followed by a bunch of girls dressed in the skimpy outfits, and I must say that was not a deal breaker.

After hours of sitting on a plastic chair with no drinks and listening to young children blabbing about hell knows what, the show finally started. You would think that would improve my mood, but the presenter was wearing denim and pull over at a fashion show!!!! A denim and pull over, am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture?

The presenter stood in the middle of the chairs which were meant to be a stage and got the crowd excited by telling them that the show was worth the wait because it had a lot to offer like a performance by top 12 idols contestant. So I’m sitting there thinking oh ok, let’s wait and see. She then announced that the show was about to start, a few minutes later the models walked on stage dressed in rags, you could swear that they were attacked by mad wolves backstage. As they walked on stage, the elderly covered their eyes while fashionistas, Simphiwe Majola amongst others, could not believe their eyes. For a second there I thought I was dreaming, hence it took some time before I took pictures. Ok so the range is called X-possed, we get that, but shaving peoples' pubic areas and arse in our faces was rather “disgusting” lack of a better word.

Meanwhile the crowd were clapping in disbelief and a performance by the so-called Beyonce’ wanna-be did not make things any better. The girl came on stage wearing leggings and a corset, and that image is sure to traumatise me for as long as I live. She was singing karaoke to naughty girl while dirty dancing, for a moment there I thought the invite said: you are cordially invited to Siyanda’s bachelor party with a female stripper.
That was by far the worst fashion show I have ever been to, did I mention that the models were dressed in rags?