Life By Asha Singh

We all have that one family member or friend who just knows how to keep a clean house. It never really matters what time of day you visit them; their home always looks the same, spotless! There are no dishes in the sink, kids toys or clothes randomly popping up or even dust and grime on their surfaces. It almost seems too good to be true considering just how much of a drag cleaning can be, but the truth is it doesn't always have to be this way. Keeping a tidy home does not always mean having to spend long hours cleaning from top to bottom. In reality, all it takes is simply adopting some good housekeeping habits to help you keep your home in good shape effortlessly. Over time, I realised that keeping my home clean doesn't have to take up a lot of time and effort but simply working smarter to keep the mess at bay. I have put together five of my best daily cleaning habits that have helped me keep my house looking fresh and clean with minimal effort, of course!  Freshen up your be...

This past week, South Africa's favourite health and wellness brand,  Faithful To Nature took us through a beauty journey for their Clean Beauty Week . Built around the celebration of ethical, sustainable and clean beauty products, Faithful To Nature presented a curated collection of products as well as tips and insights on how to enhance your skincare regime. One of the highlights of the week, was an awesome live featuring Sibongile Mafu, Robyn Smithand Atlantic Dermatology as they explored the ingredients that make up the perfect morning, evening and weekly skincare routines. 

As an activist brand, The Body Shop ’s mission is to fight for a fairer and more beautiful world. To create a positive change in the world, we must start by creating a positive change within . In that way, The Body Shop calls for people around the world to rise with self-love, especially in a society that promotes self-doubt and insecurity. We believe that self-love goes beyond feeling good about yourself.  Self-love is about appreciating yourself, it’s about self-acceptance and giving yourself permission to grow into who you really are. A first-of-its-kind global self-love* report by The Body Shop International found that South Africa scored seven points higher than the global average , ranking 5th out of 21 participating countries with a score of 60 out of 100. However, South African women scored three points lower (58) than South African men (61). The report identifies a self-love crisis for women around the world, with 1 in 2 women feeling more self-doubt than self-love , a...

Coastal living taken to the next level - that's how I would best describe Salta Sibaya. Think living in a stunning coastal home with shopping experiences on your doorstep, adventure zones, fitness spaces and entertainment areas for the whole family . This is unlike anything KZN has seen before and takes the convenience and allure of of a vibrant mixed use community to new heights.

If you're like me, ice cream is your absolute staple during these hot summer days. Heck, sometimes even more than one a day! Luxury ice-cream brand, Magnum has introduced an exciting addition to their product  range which is set to take “me-time” to another level this summer. 

It's that time of year again where all the couples on instagram seem to compete for "most romantic Valentines Day" spent in luxurious destinations, with captions that adorns more hearts than a cardiac hospital and soppy messages that the rest of us just double tap without reading and scroll past. *Sigh* Sounds pitiful right? Lol, JK.  We're all lowkey jealous, let's be honest.  This month, The Capital Hotel & Apartments embraces the #LoveUnderLockdown so that no lockdown formed against us can prosper. You can book a romantic staycation and experience a uniquely amazing and luxurious Valentine's Day whilst still staying safe and making the most of some one-on-one time with your bae .  I was lucky enough to get to experience their romantic February packag e at The Capital Menlyn Maine in Pretoria and was absolutely blown away by what was probably the most spectacular Valentine's I've had ever . But don't take my word for it - check out t...

AWARD WINNING UK CELEBRITY HAIRDRESSER ANDREW BARTON LAUNCHES HAIRCARE BRAND IN SOUTH AFRICA. It's not everyday that a celebrity hairdresser whose client list includes Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue develops a haircare range at a fraction of the price of professional haircare products.

A new year is upon us and, if you're like me, you're in full spring cleaning mode to start the year on a good (And fresh) note . 

To think, a few years ago we were kids without a care in the world and now fast forward a few years and our exciting weekend plans involve cleaning the floors and washing clothes . Funny enough, something I assumed to be as simple as cleaning your floors actually require a lot thought to be put into - and not just buying any random floor product and mopping up the whole house.

Last year Uber and Uber Eats hosted their inaugural Tech For Safety summit , and this year they're back again on 22 October , hosting their second annual summit with a focus on technology-driven innovative solutions . In true 2020 spirit, the summit is being held virtually which means anyone can join in! But wait, what's in it for us? 

 When we think of "treat yourself" what comes to mind is face masks, champagne and massages but I for one believe wash-day should be a whole pamper session too . If you have curly hair you're probably already accustomed to wash-day being a whole occasion that you have to schedule out in your diary. But instead of it being something you dread (Washing my hair takes at least 3-4 hours out of my day) make it something to look forward to .

Head & Shoulders is one of those OG brands that take me back to childhood, and this time they've come up with a new premium and feminine range, Head & Shoulders Supreme infused with Argan oil . Without compromising their anti-dandruff technology , Supreme is more conditioning and nourishing than ever thanks to the added Argan oil and micro hair nourishers.

    F ace mask check - New Uber Technology that helps confirm drivers are wearing a face mask This push notification, along with a few others, came up on my phone over the last few days from my Uber app. And just in time too, now that alcohol is back on sale I need a girls night with some cocktails and that means I need Uber to the rescue .

Cellphone? Check. Wallet? Check. Keys? Check. Facemask? Oh shoot!

Who would have thought our 2020 New Year's resolution of travel would be limited to walks in the backyard and trips to Woolworths. No tropical nights in Bali or the Contiki we've been saving up for. Not even that long weekend trip to Cape Town seemed realistic a couple months ago (And for the most part, doesn't even feel realistic now, 6 months into lockdown !) 

As featured on the prestigious lifestyle TV series Top Billing, Antbear Eco lodge truly lives up to its expectations!

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 professional model  Julia Peterson. 1. Who is your female role model/woman who inspired you and that you look up to? My mom is the most selfless woman I’ve ever met in my life. She’s my biggest critic and most definitely my biggest supporter . She’s always pushing me to go beyond my limits. The older I get the more I realize she’s my best friend who will always have my back . 2. Do you find that there is a lot of girl on girl hate in the modelling industry? I haven’t really experienced girl on girl hate in the modelling industry. The friendships I’ve made with some of the girls started when I first joined the industry at 16 years old. It’s more of a sisterhood where we celebrate each other and develop more meaningful relationships outside the industry . This modelling wo...

With all the negativity and negative impacts during this pandemic, I thought why not find the light at the end of the tunnel and find the good and positivity . Lockdown sucks and difinitely brought to the surface a lot of issues in our society - property, hunger, unemployment and just plain sadness, isolation and a general sense of cabin fever for even the most privileged. We want things to go bad to "normal". But were things that good to begin with? As I'm sure you've heard, a phrase that's stuck with me lately, is why not create a new "normal" ? A normal that's obviously a multitude better than the pandemic but also better than pre-pandemic life. I'm definitely not trying to undermine the struggles that people are going through but overall, lets think of this as a do over , and come out of it stronger than before . To start off and to inspire you to hopefully ignite a sense of optimism in you , I'm going to highlight some of the peopl...

I've been at a cross roads recently in terms of my consumer habits . I want to align myself with and spend on money things I believe in - particularly eco-conscious while supporting local . I thought I'd introduce you to some of the products that fit the bill. These aren't necessarily reviews just a little introduction so that you know what's out there and so together we can support businesses and products that make a difference and each become conscious consumers . :)

Why does it somehow feel like we skipped straight from summer to the middle of winter ? I went from barely remembering to put on lotion to having to put on 101 products on my skin to keep it hydrated and feeling moisturised .  Luckily right before lockdown, Nimue sent me their new Smart Rehydration range, which admittedly at the time I didn't really think I needed because my skin felt pretty hydrated. Fast forward 3 months, it's become such a staple . Even more so now that I know how absolutely essential hyaluronic acid is - think of it as collagen's first cousin (And with the attention collagen has been getting lately, it's crazy that hyaluronic acid hasn't been getting much attention at all)

Most of us are practicing social distancing by staying in and working from home , and while the idea of that sounds great, we're slowly realising it really isn't that easy. Whether your employer gave you the thumbs up to work from your couch or you have this as time off work but still don't want to vegetate, it's possible to make extra productive use of this time.  P.S This post is in partnership with Logitech and I review their Logitech M350 Wireless Mouse at the end so stick around for that! It's been an awesome addition to my laptop accessories and helped me still be able to work from my laptop comfortably wherever I am - whether I'm on the move (Pre-covid19) or working from my bed.

While the idea of a romantic Valentine's Day dinner at our favourite restaurant sounds amazing, the reality is most likely a loud and crowded (More than likely filled to capacity) restaurant with less than stellar service and highly unlikely to come at a competitive price tag.   You don't have to be an introvert or party pooper to want to spend Valentine's Day indoors . If anything, you're in for an even better time spending the 14th of February in.  While I've never been much of a Valentine's Day person, this year I have someone extra special to spend it with and I want to make the most of quality time together . Going to a crowded restaurant filled with couples and instagrammable heart-shaped decor just to spend half the night documenting it on IG stories just for clout (Cue the "7 billion smiles and yours is my favourite" caption). While that's hella mainstream and basic, it's definitely not me. My love language is quality t...