Beauty - Inspired Living SA

Win A Pampering Pedicure from Elements on Kloof

I am very excited to announce my first giveaway for 2012; I thought I would start the year of with a Valentine’s Day inspired giveaway. This amazing giveaway is sponsored by Elements on Kloof, my Beauty Spa of choice.

Elements on Kloof are based in Kloof Street, Cape Town, situated below Table Mountain – away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The spa is dedicated to touch therapy – they aim to provide an experience which focuses on wholeness of body and harmony of mind and soul. They offer a wide range of skin-care treatments, as well as touch-intensive treatments such as Hot Stone Massage, Aromasoul and Indian Head Massage.

Elements On Kloof and Super Mom Blog are giving away a luxurious pedicure to the value of R190.00, just in time for a bit of Valentines pampering. One of my lucky Cape Town readers stands the chance of winning this fab prize, all you need to do is follow the simple steps below and leave a comment below this post saying you have done so.

To enter this amazing giveaway you will need to “like” both Super Mom Blog and Elements on Kloof on Facebook and leave a comment on Super Mom Blog to say you have done so. For extra entries see below.

So just to make sure you know what to do:

“Like” Super Mom’s Facebook page *(This step is mandatory)
“Like” Elements’ on Kloof Facebook page *(This step is mandatory)
Leave a comment stating that you have completed the above steps; along with your details in the comment section below this post (please include your email address)*(This step is mandatory)

For Extra Entries:

Follow Super Mom Blog on Twitter *(Earns you one extra entry)
Follow Elements on Kloof on Twitter *(Earns you one extra entry)
Please leave one additional comment after each of your extra entries!

This giveaway will run from the 1st February 2012, until midnight on the 13th February 2012. The winner will then be selected and announced on my blog on the 14th February 2012. They will also be notified by email that they have won.

We could all use a bit of pampering – so do not waste any time enter now! Good luck and thank you for entering!

Conditions of entry: Anyone may enter this giveaway, but please note that Elements on Kloof is located in Cape Town, so the winner will need to make their way down to Cape Town to enjoy their prize or gift the prize to someone in Cape Town.

[note color=”F73985″]Contact Details: Elements on Kloof – Tel: 021-426 245 Email: [email protected][/note]

Images: Beauty- Trends on Pinterest

*This competition is now closed!

Beauty, Fashion, Fashion, Featured Posts, Lifestyle

My Favourite Essie®Shades for Summer

I love Essie® Nail Polish; in fact it is the only nail polish I use. There are so many reasons why – one being the amazing colours that they bring out each season and the fact that their polish actually lasts! It does not chip and if you apply their “to dry for” top coat it will last for weeks – as a busy mom that’s important!

I love nothing better than showing off my perfectly manicured toes – especially in summer in a pair of pretty sandals!

I have selected my four favourite Essie shades for summer to share with you: Coat Azure, Boat House, Fondola Gondola and Jam n’ Jelly – did I mention the really fun, quirky names of their polishes! Whilst brights and neon colours are very popular this season, pastels also make their appearance. Blue polish is definitely a colour that is trending this season, which can be fun when worn in contrast with bright pink clothing or accessories.

Images: ©FAR Photography by Super Mom

Beauty, Lifestyle

My Beauty File – My CACI Treatment

Last week amongst all the exam prep and wedding planning activity I managed to squeeze in my complimentary CACI and Microderm abrasion treatment, from Elements on Kloof. It was wonderful and great to finally meet Yvonne, the lady behind the Elements brand. I had done a bit of research about the CACI(click on the link to read more about this) treatment and I have had MDA before and Yvonne made me feel very relaxed, so over all it was a very positive experience.

As I approach forty I have become more aware of how quickly my skin seems to age. Another problem I seem to be encountering is adult acne – who would have thought! But according to Yvonne the percentage of woman acne suffers aged 32 – 42 years is higher than the collective amount of teenage acne suffers. How is that fair, surely we should be allowed to age gracefully not looking like a spotty teenager!

My other concern is pigmentation, it’s one of those things that arrives in your life and you are not entirely sure how it got there. What causes pigmentation, well herein lies the debate – some sources blame sun damage, others hormones but my concern is not how it got here but how do I get rid of it! Well by this stage I have exhausted most options available and nothing much has worked, so it could be one of those things in life which I will just have to learn to live with.

Back to the treatment – after Yvonne’s assessment of my skin, which in spite of the pigmentation was fairly positive, she began the MDA treatment. This is a cosmetic technique that uses a mechanical medium for exfoliation to remove the outermost layer of dead skin cells from the epidermis. It is a non-invasive procedure and may be performed in-office by a trained skin care professional.

She then applied some gel and began the CACI treatment, which uses Micro-current stimulation to deliver tiny electrical impulses that mirror the body’s own natural bio electrical field. You do not feel much besides for a slight electrical tingling sensation.

So what are the results I hope to achieve by having these treatments:

Toning and tightening muscles in the face.
Smoothing fine lines.
Smoothing and decreasing wrinkles.
Stimulating collagen.
Treating skin around the eyes to reduce wrinkles.

What I can report is that my skin felt rejuvenated after the treatment and I spent the evening asking my hubby if he thought I looked more youthful – like any wise man he affirmed the fact that my skin did indeed look much perkier! The skin over my cheek bones definitely feels firmer and more elasticised.

As I said previously, I have tried various options to treat my pigmentation but have not found anything to be very successful, so I have decided that I will remain open-minded but not become obsessed with treating this problem. I will instead concentrate on the general good health of my skin, using good products, sun protection and staying out of the sun as much as possible.

I have booked a follow-up appointment for the new year and I will keep you posted as to the results achieved by these treatments. I really encourage you to make an appointment and have your skin assessed – I found Yvonne to be both knowledgeable and sincere in her approach; I never once felt pressured into doing anything or purchasing any products. If anything her approach is conservative and modest.

The salon also sponsored me with two products from the relatively new SPA, skin care range, by Charlotte Rhys, so I will see what results are achieved from these products as well.

Thank you again to Elements on Kloof for my wonderful treatment.

Beauty, Competitions, Lifestyle

Win a CACI Non-Surgical Facelift from Elements on Kloof

This Giveaway is now CLOSED!

Exciting Giveaway by Super Mom and Elements on Kloof! I am very excited to announce another amazing giveaway, sponsored by Elements on Kloof – they were featured as part of my post on spa’s in the Western Cape – “Time To Spa”.

Elements on Kloof is based in Kloof Street, Cape Town, situated below Table Mountain – away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The spa is dedicated to touch therapy – they aim to provide an experience which focuses on wholeness of body and harmony of mind and soul. They offer a wide range of skin-care treatments, as well as touch-intensive treatments such as Hot Stone Massage, Aromasoul and Indian Head Massage. They have very generously sponsored a Non-Surgical facelift and MDA treatment for one of my lucky Cape Town readers. [quote style=”1″]The CACI Non-Surgical Facelift treatment has been acclaimed by the Beauty world and international media, as probably the most exciting beauty development of the last decade. CACI clients include famous faces from the world of show business, music, media and royalty. The CACI Non-Surgical Facelift treatment helps tighten and tone sagging facial muscles, while smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The results are immediate and dramatic.[/quote] To find out more about this amazing treatment click this link: CACI Non-Surgical Facelift To enter this amazing giveaway you will need to “like” both Super Mom Blog and Elements on Kloof on Facebook and leave a comment on Super Mom Blog to say you have done so. How exciting to experience this amazing treatment – which I will be experiencing next week for the first time – I am very excited because as I approach my 40’s, I need all the help I can get! [heading style=”2″]So just to make sure you know what to do:[/heading] • “Like” Super Mom’s Facebook page • “Like” Elements’ on Kloof Facebook page • Leave a comment stating that you have completed the above steps; along with your details in the comment section below this post (please include your email address) Anyone may enter this giveaway but Elements on Kloof is located in Cape Town, so the winner will need to make their way down to Cape Town to enjoy their prize or gift the prize to someone in Cape Town. This giveaway will run until midnight on the 13th November and the winner be selected by random.org and announced on my blog on Monday the 14th of November. They will also be notified by email that they have won. We could all use a bit of pampering – so do not waste any time enter now! Good luck and thank you for entering! [box title=”Contact Details for Elements on Kloof” color=”6BE7FA”] Tel: 021-426 245 Email: [email protected] [/box]

Beauty, Lifestyle, Proudly South African

My Beauty File – Time To Spa

As a woman and especially as a mom I find great pleasure in treating myself to some sort of beauty treatment, be it a facial or a hot stone body massage – I am generally not too fussy. The only thing I am not too keen on is an Indian head massage – I had one when we stayed in Mauritius and the experience still plagues me; I have a bit of an issue with someone massaging my head for some bizarre reason.

Just the thought of having a full body massage makes me instantly more relaxed and let’s face it in our frantic lives relaxing is not on the top of the list. We really need to take better care of ourselves and what better way to do it, than taking time out and enjoying a bit of R & R.

I have visited various spas in the Cape Town area over the years and I thought I would share a few of my favourites with you. Along with some that I would still like to try.

My Featured Day Spa’s:

I have chosen to feature two day spa’s – the first one, N’rgy Skin Spa, is my local “go to”, whenever I need a bit of pampering or some “me-time”. The second spa, Elements on Kloof, is new to me but I love the vibrant feel of the spa and it is on the top of my list of cool places to try. Which will be sooner than later, as they have very kindly given me a complimentary treatment, I will definitely report back to you afterwards! (Lucky me!)

N’rgy Skin Spa is situated in the Westlake Lifestyle Centre Tokai, surround by beautiful mountains and vineyards, overlooking the Constantia Valley. The spa’s philosophy is simple – they combine the very best of science and nature to provide, you the client, with the ultimate experience of indulgence and relaxation.

They also pride themselves on providing you with a personally formulated treatments, that deliver outstanding results for the face, body and mind – creating an experience which is professional, yet intimate.

They offer a range of therapeutic treatments including their advanced signature facials and hot stone therapies to name but a few. I can also highly recommend their Pedi’s and Mani’s; they use Essie Nail Polish – which is my favourite!

My absolute MUST Have products – Daily Microfoliant, (to exfoliate exfoliate and exfoliate again!) The Multivitamin Capsules pumped full of Vitamin A used as a powerfirm serum and then the Agesmart Dynamic skin Recovery SPF30 Day cream to avoid sun damage. Always in my handbag is the Multivitamin Hand and Nail Cream (age spots on my hands???? NO THANK YOU!) All Dermalogica.” – Dawn Alexander from N’rgy

N’rgy Skin Spa would like to offer all my Cape Town blog readers a Free BT treatment (worth R220) with every facial booked in the month of November. The BT treatment is the latest in skincare technology using a micro-current and ultrasound technology to increase product penetration, exfoliation and resurfacing. PHENOMENAL!!!! To claim this offer please quote: “Super Mom – Time To Spa”, when booking your facial.

Click here for the contact details for N’rgy Spa.

Elements on Kloof in Kloof Street, Cape Town, is situated below Table Mountain, away from the hustle and bustle of Kloof Street. The décor in the spa draws inspiration from the magnificent flora and fauna in the Western Cape – wood and stone, off-set by tones of sage and moss; further enhanced by plush velvet textures.

Elements is a skin-care clinic dedicated to touch therapy and they aim to provide an experience which focuses on wholeness of body and harmony of mind and soul. They offer a wide range of skin-care treatments, as well as touch-intensive treatments such as Hot Stone Massage, Aromasoul and Indian Head Massage.

Our most popular treatments at Elements on Kloof are Spa Pedicures, Brazilian Waxing, Spray Tan, Massages from around the world and Non-Surgical face-lifts.” – Kelly Bawden from Elements

Don’t miss out! Tomorrow I will be announcing an exciting giveaway sponsored by Elements on Kloof and Super Mom!

Destination Spa’s

Where the experience is about more than just the spa, it is about the whole package – relaxation, luxury and complete indulgence! Sounds amazing!

The Angsana Spa at the Vineyard Hotel in Claremont is definitely among one of my favourites if not my favourite. The serenity of the beautiful garden setting is wonderfully calming for the soul.

It is designed to be a sanctuary for the inner self, to refresh and rejuvenate mind, body and soul. The spa prides itself on privacy and tranquillity which affords you the opportunity to shed your worldly cares while you are being pampered.

My hubby and I enjoyed a couples treatment there a few years ago, which I found amazing and I actually fell asleep which usually never happens to me but I guess it was true relaxation!

My favourite treatment would have to be a full body massage, followed by a pedicure – it feels like the tension just drains from your body.

Arabella Spa at the Arabella Hotel situated in Kleinmond, Hermanus, is another gem. The spa is approximately an hour’s drive from Cape Town and well worth the visit, why not make a weekend of it and book a room in the Spectacular hotel. The hotel optimises grandiose luxury, with a balanced mix of modern and traditional décor.

The spa is home to the world-first “African Rainforest Experience”, which my hubby treated me to, for our 10 year wedding anniversary. WOW what an amazing experience – it is a two hour sensory water and steam treatment, using African products and inspired by African rains. This is a definite must if you have not tried it yet.

We have our 15 year anniversary coming up next month so I have been dropping hints, not such subtle hints, as to where I would like to spend a night or two!!!

Camelot Spa at the Le Franschhoek Hotel in Franschhoek is located in one of the most beautiful settings, nestled beneath the magical Franschhoek Mountains. Needless to say that Franschhoek is one of my favourite places to stay, so we usually make a weekend of it – giving yourself time to enjoy the complete sensory experience – relaxation, luxury and beauty.

The spa boasts various innovative signature treatments including a Grecian Liquid–Sound Flotation Room (with sound in the water and a starry ceiling to enhance the experience), the Moulin Rouge Colour- Therapy Room (where you experience your treatment bathed in the chromo-therapeutic benefits of colour) and my favourite the Deluxe Double Treatment Suite.

My favourite treatment at the Camelot Spa was a full body hot stone massage – Heavenly!

There are so many Spa’s that I have not mentioned and would still love to try! I would love to hear all about your spa experiences and get some recommendations on which are your favourites!

*This competition is now closed!

*This Giveaway is now CLOSED!*

Destination Spa’s

This Giveaway is now CLOSED!