EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LASER HAIR REMOVAL

With summer around the corner, it's no surprise if you're looking at hair removal options that are the most effective and efficient. 

Shaving? Only last like 2 days and leaves you with the worse stubble.

Waxing? Lasts a week which is great but then you have to wait another 2 or 3 weeks for the hair to be long enough to wax again - which means 2 or 3 weeks of hairy legs. So not cool for summer beach days.

There are other options like tweezing, threading and sugaring but these are more for specific areas like brows. 

As you can tell from the title of this post, we're going to look specifically at laser hair removal.

I gave laser hair removal a try 2 years ago but I messed up one fundamental thing - you need to be consistent with it. I started it again a few months ago and this time I'm hoping to go all in.

I asked Mariam Joosab from Simply Laser for her expert opinion on all your most commonly asked questions and some specific questions I got on my instagram stories. 

GIRL BOSS INTERVIEW WITH VALENCIA BOGDANOVIC

The Girl Boss series aims to highlight the achievements of women just like you and me who are doing amazing things. Hopefully their stories will inspire you as much as they inspire me. This week we chat to Valencia Bogdanovic, a qualified cosmologist and content creator/blogger behind Style Your Confidence Now.

COFFEE AND A MOVIE - CORNER BAKERY FT. EQUATORIAL COFFEE AND STER KINEKOR

When you think of going to the movies, chances are the first thing that comes to mind is popcorn. And while that's great and all, what about having a freshly made muffin and cappuccino? Even better wouldn't it be nice to order that cappuccino and have it brought to your during the movie so that you can enjoy a hot coffee when the action begins and not just finish it while you're watching the 101 trailers?

Wouldn't it be even better to have a huge comfy seat that you can make yourself comfortable in, be able to recline in your seat and have a more intimate cinema experience?

GIRL BOSS INTERVIEW WITH ZAHRA DADA

The Girl Boss series aims to highlight the achievements of women just like you and me who are doing amazing things. Hopefully their stories will inspire you as much as they inspire me. This week we chat to Zahra Dada, the digital entrepreneur behind Livalil.

THE HUSSAR GRILL - RESTAURANT REVIEW

When it comes to steak houses I can be as picky as the next person. You want your steak to be extra juicy and just the right texture, right? I was recently invited to experience a meal at Hussar Grill - regarded as one of the premium grill rooms in South Africa - a restaurant I've had my eye on for a while, and decided to give their steak a try. They have branches throughout the country and I tried out the Hussar Grill in Gateway, Durban.

Location

The restaurant is located at Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Umhlanga, Durban. Being located in Gateway Boulevard with so many restaurants around, it takes a special restaurant to stand out and Hussar Grill does just that. 

Here is a list of all the branches: 

Western Cape: Camps Bay, Durbanville, Franschhoek, George, GrandWest, Mouille Point, Paarl, Rondebosch, Somerset West, Steenberg, Stellenbosch, Willowbridge, Worcester

Gauteng: Midrand - Waterfall, Montecasino, Morningside, The Grove

KZN: Gateway, Kloof

Eastern Cape: Walmer

Zambia: Lusaka

Saudi Arabia: Khobar

Ambiance

Walls of books from a time passed, line the restaurant - I spotted everything from volumes of the World Book, all kinds of Encyclopedia's as well as Popular Mechanics books that could easily be over 50 years old. In sections, you'll find bottles of wine and wine glasses on the shelves, overall giving it a very cosy feel. 

On the other hand, the entrance leads you straight to the bar - where I clearly felt right at home ;)

Food

Deciding on what to eat was so difficult because for any meat lover, the options are incredibly appertising. They also do a lot of house specialties, a few of which are on my list to try out the next time I visit.

Starters

I ended up having 3 starters so I can share on a few different options.  

Starter: Hussar Beef Biltong

To nibble while I properly looked through the menu, I chose the biltong. It made me wonder, why don't more restaurants have biltong on the menu?? I love that they had the option! And biltong as a pre-starter is so satisfying.

Starter: Prawn and Fresh Avo Cocktail

This option consists of sweet queen prawn meat covered in their Marie Rose sauce on a bed of greens (Yes, with avo). As a cold option, it's a good summer starter however, in winter I prefer something warm to start off. 

Starter: Hollandse Bitterballen

Now this was my favourite part of the whole meal - and literally what I've been craving ever since! It consists of double cream Bechamel studded with beef jus and beef bits, then crumbed and deep fried with Dijon mustard on the side. Holy cow (no pun intended) this was DELICIOUS on another level! The texture is crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. And it made my taste buds so happy.

Mains

Choosing a main from 3 pages of meat options, most of which sound unique in some way and many of which are specialties is such a difficult task. I walked in knowing I want a simple Sirloin steak and while questioning all the scrumptious sounding options, ended up going with my gut feeling.

Main: Sirloin Steak

I chose a simple sirloin steak (medium) with a mushroom sauce and mash. Should I have chosen one of their specialty dishes? Probably, especially given most of them sounded amazing. It was a good steak, but not the best I've had. The texture and sauce were perfect but the flavour lacked a bit. On the other hand my choice of potato mash on the side complimented it nicely. I usually order wine with my steak but because I was driving opted not to but I've heard such good things about their house wines that I definitely will try next time.

Main: Hussar Carpetbagger 

My partner ordered the Hussar Carpetbagger, one of their house specialties. It consists of a fillet mignon stuffed with a combination of smoked oysters, cheddar cheese and topped off with a brandy and wholegrain mustard sauce. The fillet steak was tender and succulent and together with the sauce, very flavour-rich. However, whether the combination of oysters and steak compliment each other will probably depend on your personal taste - it's a bit of an aquired taste combination.

Dessert

I always end up having cheese cake or lemon meringue for dessert so I'm quite the expert at comparing different restaurants offering of the 2. There's also the option of a Chocolate Vodka Martini as a Signature Dessert on the menu, which I want to try next time. While I didn't get to taste it, my partner had the Creme Brulee and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dessert: Baked Cheese Cake

Described as "Velvety smooth cheesecake atop a traditional buttery biscuit crust and baked to perfection" - don't these words just make your mouth water! You know that aunty in your family that loves to bake and makes the best dessert for family occassions and functions? This cheesecake tastes like my aunty made it. It's absolutely velvety and buttery melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake. It also isn't too rich or sweet and served in a huge slice, that's perfect for 2 or even 3 people.

Overall

The food was delicious with clearly a lot of heart being put into its preparation. The staff were phenomenal! I also have to mention the food was ready so quickly - the main came just 10 minutes after ordering, so it's a great option if you're in a bit of a hurry.

Fun fact: On the day prior to my visit, there was a petty theft with some of the table clothes having been stolen (As they were delivered outside the restaurant). The funny thing is, I hadn't even noticed it. But the manager made a point of apologising for it immediately - I thought it was part of the aesthetic since the lovely green tables matched the seats anyway!

Rating

These are my personal ratings based on the above experience. It is of course subjective.

Location: 10

Ambiance: 8

Food: 8 

Service: 9

LESSONS IN LIFE, MONEY AND BUSINESS - LESSONS I LEARNT AT #WEARYOU 2019

"Immerse yourself in a life that moves you, because what you surround yourself with is what becomes your life."

-Aurelia Nxumalo, Lawyer and Influencer

The Wear You movement, by ethnic haircare brand Sta-Sof-Fro, is a meeting of the minds of women from all walks of life, with one thing in common- they are real women living in the real world. The seminar aims to celebrate #versatyle women, while imparting and sharing a wealth of knowledge about various key topics.



It took place in Durban on the 27th of July 2019 and takes place in Johannesburg on 31 August 2019 as a full day seminar consisting of masterclasses by 13 powerhouse women as well as a panel discussion, Q&A and cocktail networking session. I attended the Durban one and the whole day was filled with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration and I thought I'd share some of the lessons I learnt with you.

Lessons in Life, Money and Business

You don't have to be a "POWER BITCH", you can still be kind. Nowadays the empowered "boss' women is seen as being ruthless and savage, doing everything she can to reach the top. Having ambition doesn't have to translate to being mean. You can still show kindness and gentleness on your journey.



You need to know what you don't want even if you don't know what you want. The world is full of distractions and things that take us off the course we're supposed to be on. But we need to know when to say no to these things that aren't right for us and find things worth putting our time and energy into.



Know where you stand - your positioning is a compass that will guide you.

TELL people what you do. We put so much thought into personal branding and yet miss the most important step - we have to actually tell people and make it clear to them what we do and what we want. Don't give them room to guess and come up with their own assumptions.



Read the requirements of the next job you want. It's as easy as looking on jobs sites like indeed.com. Use those requirements as a guideline as to what you need to do to get there.



There was also a lot of practical financial advice I took from the day:



There's NO SHAME in going back home and starting over (Now this hit so close to home for me!)



Make SURE you have an emergency fund - at least 30% of your income and importantly money that is liquid and you can access in 24 hours



Be financially disciplined. If you didn't have support from your spouse/parents do you make enough money to maintain your lifestyle?



Act your wage - whether you earn R5k or R50k if you don't have a good relationship with money you'll always be broke. No matter how much you earn, it comes down to the same principles.



And to end off on a lighter note - "Girl, focus on your money. It won't wake up one morning and decide it doesn't love you."

P.S at the event we also got the cutest 2020 diaries filled with wise quotes and motivation. Here are some of my favourite quotes:



"When we truly step into our power, there is no predicting the heights we can reach."

- Dr. Nandipha Sekeleni



"Don't compare your life to others. There is no comparison between the sun and moon, they shine when it's their time."

- Nelisiwe Masango



"It doesn't matter how good or talented you are, I can promise you this, you will fail more times than you will succeed and you will need to be okay and prepared for that eventuality. Sometimes the failures will be private and other times they won't be. Be prepared."

- Nandi Dlepu