So Whipped - Coffee Shop Review

I'm not sure about you but I do love me some coffee to give that extra boost of energy during my shopping expeditions. So when I heard about the relatively new coffee shop, So Whipped, which opened a few months back in Gateway Theatre of Shopping, I was overly eager to catch up on some retail therapy and try out the coffee.

Situated near the wave house, I would say that their location is ideal as that area of the mall isn't in proximity to the bustle of noisy shoppers. It boasts a wide and spacious environment that allows customers to chat to one another freely. Moms can sip on their drinks whilst watching their kiddies play in the little play pen nearby.



Mr Charming (the other coffee lover) had been really impressed with the quality of service we received. We were greeted by a friendly young man who had taken our orders and gave us a detailed description of the particular blend they poured that day. The owner, Candice, bakes all the delicious desserts and cakes served at the coffee shop.

We decided on having a flat white each and I had to try out the vanilla custard cupcake! My oh my did I make the right call...it was one of those melt in your mouth, soft, moist, divine, good for your figure (hahaha) kind of cupcakes.  The coffee was to the T: the right temperature - on the warmer side rather than steaming hot, had a rather nutty taste with a slight big of sharpness in the aroma and was overall excellent without being too milky nor too strong. 

So Whipped pours Union Hand Roasted Coffee and the coffee that we had on that particular day was the Revolution coffee beans. The coffee beans are actually from London but are roasted in Cape Town.

How amazing do those Belgian Rich Chocolate cupcakes look above!? I regret not having one of those as well...But that means another visit to So Whipped is in order!!

I would highly recommend that you try out the cupcakes and a coffee the next time you pop into Gateway. The cheery faces, melt in your mouth cuppies and delicious savoury pastries served at So Whipped will brighten up any day!

Coffee Kisses,
N.

Coffeeology - The Ultimate Coffee Glossary

What's a Flat White? And a Red Cappuccino? What's the difference between Americano and Espresso? Unsure of what to order when you go to a coffee shop because you don't know what each drink is? Not to fear! Beauty Brewed is here with a blog post to pass on a little coffee knowledge!

Photo Source: http://rachellewilliams.hubpages.com/hub/Coffee-Variations

I have devised a list of coffee terminology so that the next time you go to a coffee shop, you can be the coffee expert ordering the drink you would love and don't need the barista to inform you what's what:

Americano: shots of espresso with hot water added to make a full cup of coffee.

Cafe Au Lait: a french coffee drink - equal parts brewed coffee and steamed milk. 

Cafe Con Panna: an espresso topped with whipped cream (aka cafe viennios).

Cafe Frappuccino: a blend of iced coffee, flavourings, milk and ice - aka the coffee slush!

Cafe Freddo: a chilled espresso drink topped with ice. 

Cafe Latte: 1 part espresso, 2 parts steamed milk and topped with foam.

Cafe Melange: 1 part espresso, 2 parts hot water and topped with whipped cream.

Cafe Mocha: espresso, steamed milk, chocolate syrup, topped with chocolate shaving or cocoa.

Cafe Noir: coffee served without any milk or cream - the black coffee.

Cafe Romano: shot of espresso served with a lemon peel or twist of lemon.

Cafe Viennios: shot of espresso topped with whipped cream.

Cappuccino: 1 part espresso, 1 part steamed milk and topped with foam - one of the most popular coffee drinks!

Cortado: shot of espresso cut with a small amount of steamed milk.

Doppio: a double shot of espresso.

Espresso: this word refers to the method of brewing coffee - by extracting the heart of the coffee bean. It is strong coffee with nothing else. Usually mispronounced as 'expresso'. 

Flat White: 1 part espresso and 2 parts steamed milk - a coffee drink that is becoming increasingly popular! 

Macchiato: espresso topped with a minimal amount of foam.

Red Cappuccino: A variation of cappuccino - made with rooibos leaves and is a healthier option as it is packed with antioxidants and low in caffeine.

Red Espresso: Espresso made with an infusion of rooibos tea leaves. 

Ristretto: The strongest coffee you can get! It is made up of the same amount of coffee in an espresso but with less water, making it more stronger and an intense taste.

Skinny Cappuccino: Another variation of cappuccino - made with low fat or skim milk.

Photo Source: Lokesh Dhakar

Every coffee shop may make these drinks in their own unique way using a variety of coffee beans. Coffee shops around the world may also have differing names for certain drinks. Don't feel shy to experiment on other coffee drinks! The next time you visit a coffee shop, step out of your comfort zone and opt for something you haven't tried - you never know, you may just love it!

Coffee Kisses,
N.

Review: Sorbet Skincare

Did someone say Sorbet?? No no no silly, not the yummy frozen dessert, the new beauty salon brand! This beauty salon has taken South Africa by storm in recent years and has now released their very own skin care line. So when I heard about this, I had to try out some products for myself! Here's what I got:

1. Pore Your Heart Out Facial Brush

Facial brushes have finally reached our shores! There are now a variety of facial brushes to choose from: the Clarisonic (launching at Stuttafords in January), Clinique, Olay, Foreo, Braun and D-Quip facial brush. However, I decided to test out the Sorbet facial brush as its not as expensive than the others and looked promising. Boy was I right!!! The brush comes with 3 heads - daily cleansing (white and grey bristles), exfoliating (white bristles) and a sensitive brush head (silicone bristles). My personal fave is the sensitive head as its not too abrasive on the skin and almost feels like I'm giving my face a massage! The brush comes with a USB charging cable and a stand/ storage pod for the unused brush heads. Another major plus side about this brush? It only retails for R250!! This definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

PS. Remember, don't over brush your face!!! It may cause more harm than good if you use the facial brush for too long. Keep the brush for approximately 10-15 seconds on each area of your face.

2. Salon Skin Daily Skin Polish

I decided to give this exfoliator a try because for some reason, it reminded me of the daily microfoliant from Dermalogica. This exfoliator contains salicylic acid, vitamin A, C and E, essential oils and rice powder to micro-exfoliate dead skin off and bring out that radiant and brighter skin! It is in powder form and needs to be dissolved with a bit of water to form a paste. I instantly noticed results with this product and have to say that it delivers true to word! The one important  note I had read on the box is that when using this product, it is imperative to apply sunscreen to your face as it makes your skin more sensitive to sun exposure. Either way ladies, you all should be using sunscreen every day regardless!!! This product retails for R220. Compared to the Dermalogica microfoliant that sells for R850, I'd say this is a beauty bargain!

3. Salon Skin 3-in-1 Cleansing Oil

My trusty Chamomile Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop had just finished and I was tempted into trying this one, even though I love the chamomile cleansing oil. I use cleansing oils to remove my makeup in the evenings, and not as my daily cleanser. Also, I always double cleanse at night - first with my cleansing oil to remove makeup, and then with my daily cleanser to remove any excess that didn't come off during the first cleanse. This cleansing oil was much thinner than TBS one and did remove my makeup. My skin did feel a little greasy after use, but it went away after my second cleanse. On the plus side though, it smells amazing! Just like the daily skin polish, it has a lovely lavender scent. 

4. Hydrating Face Masks

I have been using these sheet masks for some time now and LOVE them for my dry skin. It provides hydration like you wont believe! When it comes to my dry, dehydrated skin, this is the perfect pick-me-up that leaves my skin soft and moisturised. I use them at night and leave it on for about 18 minutes after which I remove the sheet mask and massage the left over serum into my skin and decolletage. For those of you who have oily skin or dont need to extra moisture, try out the other masks - they have one for every skin type!

Have any of you tried any of the Sorbet Skin Care products? 

Coffee Kisses,

N.

La Maison Cafe

Before I started this blog, I had already visited quite a few coffee shops in Durban. One of the few that I had loved was a small cafe named La Maison nestled in the heart of Durban North.

La Maison is a perfect coffee shop for the ladies who want to catch up with their friends over some delicious treats or simply enjoy a coffee with a peaceful atmosphere. The cafe carries its own uniqueness with a craft shop and skin and nail bar sharing the premises . This is perfect for those who want to have their nails done whilst sipping on a good cup of coffee.

The menu caters for breakfast, brunch, french and sandwiches and is available to host some of your special events such as bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays and high teas. I had decided to have breakfast at La Maison a few weeks ago and was absolutely pleased with the quality of coffee, service and the breakfast.

The coffee was perfect - the right temperature and was not extremely bitter. It had a very sweet, mellow taste with a chocolate - like aroma. Absolutely lovely for those who prefer their coffee to be less bitter!

For breakfast, I had the crepes with cinnamon, strawberries, cream and honey. The presentation was good and the crepes were even better! Not too soggy or dry. The croissant was crispy and went down well with the jam, butter and cheese. Overall, it was a good breakfast and I will most definitely be returning for more!

Here are some coffee details for those of you who would like to visit La Maison Cafe:

Address: 9 Ennisdale Drive, Durban North

Trading Hours:

Monday to Friday: 7:00 - 16:30

Saturday: 8:00 - 14:00

For more enquiries regarding hosting your events at the coffee shop. contact: info@lamaisoncafe.co.za

Check out their facebook page here 

Until our next coffee adventure!

Coffee kisses,
N.

A few of my favourite things: November

November has come and gone so fast! This month was a stressful one indeed, with the completion of my final exams and finally getting started on my blog. Nonetheless, I did have a few favourites this month that have really been of great use to avoid the zombie look during exams!

1. Freeman Apricot Facial Creamy Scrub

I have been loving this scrub ever since I first tried it! It smells amazing, just like apricots and I find that most scrubs that contain apricot kernel oils work best at exfoliating the skin and giving you a radiant complexion. I use this scrub 2-3 times a week and notice immediate brightness after use. The plus side? It works well with all skin types!

2. Dior Hydra Life BB Cream

I'm not really one for foundations. If you have good enough skin that doesn't need a lot of coverage then why use one? So when BB creams began to take over the beauty world I was the first to hop on to the bandwagon! I love everything that BB creams stand for - radiance, moisture, flawless complexion, light and easy to blend. Ever since the release of BB creams, I have been trying and testing many in hopes of finding the perfect one. So far I have been using the Dior Hydra Life BB cream which looks to be the most promising. Whilst it being on the higher end of beauty brands and sightly more expensive than others, it works wonders on me and delivers to its claims.

3. MAC Matte Lipstick in No Faux Pas (Limited Edition)

With Summer here, the bright lipsticks have come out to play! I recently got this lipstick from the Mac Heirloom Mix collection. What I love about this particular lipstick is that it is matte, so it provides a long lasting wear. No matter how much you drink, eat or talk, it stays put! It is not drying on the lips and gives your makeup look a pop of colour - perfect for summer!

4. The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Doll (Limited Edition)

To be honest, I got sucked in to buying this because of the packaging. How cute is it!?? Not only is this cute though, it is an amazing stain. Once applied to the lips or cheeks, it leaves an immediate red stain that wont budge unless you use makeup remover. If you are using this as a cheek stain, I would suggest that you work fast because of its staining power. Its very light weight and I personally like this more than the Benetint from Benefit. I got this for free during the 3-for-2 special that is currently running, so you might want to hurry up and get yours now as it is limited edition!

5. The Body Shop Lip Scuff

Due to my new found love for matte lipsticks, it has been taking a toll and drying out my lips. So I have tried numerous lip scrubs but none work as well as this one does. It smells quite minty and as soon as you apply it, it smoothes away the flakey dry bits off your lip and moisturises at the same time. What more could one as for in a lip scrub!

6. NYX Love in Paris Eyeshadow Palette - Let them eat cake

This eyeshadow palette reminds me a lot of the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette with a mix of neutral and rose gold shades. I love these colours for summer and can be paired with a bright or nude lip! The palette has a variety of matte, satin and shimmer shades, making it very versatile.

7. Real Techniques Contour Brush

My most recent make up obsession is all about contouring! If done correctly and not too heavily, it can really give a face some definition. I found the contouring video by Pink Peonies very helpful and learnt a lot. Click here to watch the video. 

I have been loving this contour brush from the Core Collection kit along with my Smashbox Halo blush in Bronze. I got my RT brushes from London a few months ago. However, do not despair my dears! I have found an amazing brand that is currently retailing the Real Techniques Core Collection kit in South Africa for R250! Golden Rose Cosmetics is a make up brand that has become increasingly popular with make up academies and artists in the country. Their website is currently under construction but if you would like to purchase the brushes from them, kindly contact: 0835427352. 

8. L.A. Girl Gel Eyeliner

I am useless at applying eyeliner! Always end up looking like a panda or raccoon.. I was quite skeptical about trying gel liner at first and decided to try out an inexpensive one in case it was not the easiest application. But boy was I wrong! I find gel eyeliner so much more easier to apply than liquid liner. It goes on smooth and doesn't run down my eyelashes like some of the liquid ones. Even more amazing is that this affordable eyeliner is one of the best quality gel liners that doesn't dry up so fast. Make sure to get your hands on one of these bad boys that retails for R59, 99 at your nearest Dischem.

Coffee Kisses,
N. 

Review: Revlon Colourburst Lip Balm Stains

For a long time, I have been in search for a lip product that would stay put all day long and require no touch ups. Numerous products have been released that claim to have so and so many hours of wear, but there's the rare few that actually do hold true to its claims. The Revlon Colorburst Lip Balm Stains are definitely one of those from the rare gems!

(L - R) Sultry, Unapologetic, Whimsical and Elusive

I have 3 matte balms (Elusive, Unapologetic and Sultry) and 1 lacquer balm (Whimsical). The matte balms are highly pigmented, super creamy and non-drying. This is one of the reasons why I love them so much as most of the matte lip products in the market can be very drying and flakey on the lips. On the other hand, the lacquer balm is more glossy and less opaque than the matte balms. I find that they don't particularly stain the lips as well as the matte balms do. I love the whole chubby crayon concept that these colorburst balm stains have. It makes application so much more easier! The outer packaging is somewhat true to colour, but when applied on lips, it may look different. These balms all have the minty smell when applied at first, but go away after a while. I personally like the scent, but it may bother some people.

Whimsical can be described as a berry tone, with a slight purple tint to it. What I don't really like about this one though is that it does have chunky glitter that shows up distinctly on the lips. The matte balms are AMAZING! Elusive is a cooler toned pink that may not suit darker skin tones. On lighter skin however, it would be the perfect pinky nude or a MLBB (my lips but better) shade. The reason I got Sultry in the first place is because I thought it would be the perfect "Kylie Jenner lip colour" that is currently going viral around the world. Sultry is a very 90's shade but slightly more on the pink side. I love this colour for days when I don't want a bright or bold lip! The last colour has got to be the perfect summer lip colour - Unapologetic is a bright coral pink that will suit almost all skin tones. I did find this balm to be more patchy than the other two and did tend to stick to dry areas on my lips. I blotted the patchy areas with my fingers and found this to work well with making it look much more smoother. If you do have dry or cracked lips and still want to wear this gorgeous colour, a good lip scrub would help!   

Lip Swatches:

Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Whimsical

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Elusive

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Unapologetic

Coffee Kiss Rating: 8 out of 10

These balms are currently on special at Clicks for Buy one get one free!! Get yours soon before the offer ends!

Kisses,
N.

A 'Wonder'ful Sunday

A rainy day was predicted to occur in Durban, yet it stopped no one from having a lovely time at the Wonder Market at the Chris Saunders Park in Umhlanga. Early morning markets are one of my favourite places for meeting new people and discovering hidden treasures. The Wonder Market boasted a variety of stalls that retailed home-made, artisanal goods as well as mouth watering delights. I had gone along with my Mr. Charming to have a taste of the Oreo cupcake sandwiches from Butter Cup Designer Cupcakes that I had seen on Instagram the night before. But once we got there, we discovered more amazing stalls that sold items ranging from clothing, decor, arts and craft, jewellery and so much more. For the lovers of finer things in life, this was the perfect place to be!

Here are a few pictures from today:

Mr. Charming and I indulged in a coconut and honey bee-sting cake, double americano's from Colombo Coffee and of course, the oreo cupcake sandwiches. When I had first tried the bee-sting cake at the Antique Cafe, it became my all time favourite coffee accompaniment. But after today, this my my new favourite! If you're wondering what a bee-sting cake is, its a soft, moist cake that is filled with custard and fresh cream. This one in particular has honey and coconut in it, making it so much more devine!

 All the stalls looked so attractive and eye catching, it was hard not to stop by almost every single one of them! Many of them had little buntings around the stand, with its own unique patterns. I was quite impressed with the talent displayed in the items sold in the arts and craft stalls. I wanted to buy everything!

Who doesn't love strawberries?? I certainly couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop by this cafe that specialised in strawberry drinks!

 I have always thought that lemonade would be such a sour and horrible drink until I had tasted the one from My Lemonade at the Morning Trade at 8 on Morrison Street. I am now in love with lemonade and always get some at every market I attend!

Here are some of the goodies I got from the market:

 This was a cute little robot on wheels that Mr. Charming loved as a decor piece in our future home. It was too adorable not to buy! I see those little hook hands as a potential jewellery holder hahaha! This little bugger was made by Isla Designs.

This beautiful flower arrangement in a jar was from Love Laugh.

 Okay, this needs no explanation as to why I bought this clock. I absolutely love the design of this clock fashioned from wood and fabric by What's Cutting. They had a variety of designs and different background colours as well. 

All in all, a day well spent at this market. Other markets in Durban that offer the same or similar stalls include: I Heart Market, The Morning Trade, Essenwood Market and Market at The Square.

You can catch the next Wonder Market on:

Hope to see you at the next market!

N.