It’s time for yet more beauty bits and pieces, starting with the fact that Foschini’s beauty department has finally opened an online store – FoschiniForBeauty.co.za.

All the brands you’ll find on the shelves at Foschini can now be slapped in your virtual trolley, including Dr. Brandt, Skin Nutrition and Kardashian Beauty which are all exclusive to the chain. They’re also rolling out a host of cool specials to celebrate the opening and some of the highlights include snapping up a Real Techniques core brush set worth R469,95 when you spend R500 on anything else from the brand as well as a huge Elizabeth Arden gift set containing 6 minis when you buy any two Arden products, one of which has to be a moisturiser or foundation.

More good news? If you buy for R500 or more you can enjoy free standard delivery anywhere in South Africa.

Moving on, there are new beauty goodies on the shelves you might want to know about, starting with Optiphi’s Hydration Tint moisturiser with SPF 20 (R750, selected salons).

Obviously the fact that it’s got an SPF of 20 in it is fabulous, but the anti-ageing benefits don’t stop there. You’ll also find collagen-stimulating, pigmentation-busting antioxidant vitamin C in the mix plus vitamin B3 (another good pigmentation-blitzer) and mega-moisturising, skin-plumping hyaluronic acid.

I was given the shade Light to try (there are two others, Medium and Dark) and find it works perfectly when I’m not wearing self-tan.

It was easy to smooth out without having to apply any kind of primer or pre-moisturiser (you’ll be surprised how many tinted moisturisers only blend into my skin if I apply them on top of another moisturiser!) and gave me a super sheer, very natural-looking veil of coverage and colour. As far as tinted moisturisers go, this is definitely one of the better ones I’ve used in ages, both from an aesthetic and formulatory point of view.

Moving on, you should know that NIVEA’s popular Shower Care & Magnolia and Shower Care & Coconut shower creams are now available in great value 500ml bottles for R49,99. (A 250ml is R32,99 so if you go big, you get double and pay R16 less. Every li’l bit counts, people!)

I’ve been enjoying using the coconut variant, both in the shower as well as in the tub as a foam bath and make-do shaving cream. I like that it makes a great lather, doesn’t feel like it’s drying out my skin (hey there jojoba oil!) and smells like a yummy coconut macaroon.

Love, love

Leigh