Fairlady June 2018

When you become a mother there are plenty of things people warn you about: the fact that you’ll never sleep again – not ever, not even for one single minute; the light frosting of vomit that will coat your shoulders for the first two years of your child’s life (and can miraculously reappear in your potplants in the teen years… though obviously it’s their horrible friends, not them) and that nothing will ever be solely yours ever again – specially not your potplants. But nobody ever mentions the curse that is the daily lunchbox. My uncle took two peanut butter sandwiches to work every single day for about 50 years. I think wistfully of those genes and wish they had been replicated in our teens, but sadly they have not.…

1 THE LADY IN THE VAN Playwright Alan Bennett invited a homeless woman living in a van in his street to park in his driveway for a couple of days. She stayed for 15 years. This fantastic movie is the funny, sad, utterly humane story of their relationship over that time. I absolutely loved it. 2 NIVEA REPAIR CARE HAND CREAM I love this stuff: I keep it in my car because it absorbs so quickly and is so easy to apply with one hand (the old flip-lid trick). Plus it’s really effective on dry skin… ticks all the boxes. 3 NARCISO RODRIGUEZ FOR HIM BLEU NOIR ‘Him’ in our house hasn’t got anywhere near it – I like it too much myself! Spicy and inky and beautifully original. 4…

WINNING LETTER FAIRLADY convert I woke up in a hospital bed one Sunday: a day that, for me, has always been reserved for the Sunday papers. My heart sank when I realised they hadn’t arrived. With my phone battery flat, no charger, I couldn’t even read the news online. The April FAIRLADY was one of the two titles the kiosk stocked. I would never have picked up what I deemed a ‘popular’ magazine, let alone your title, as I believed I was not your target market – a black middle-aged woman of 48 who has no interest in beauty and fashion but who reads about hard news, current affairs and politics for a living. At least that was what I thought. My first encounter with FAIRLADY was when I was…

SkinPhD offers a complete range of cosmeceutical skincare products that are clinically tested and endorsed by leading dermatologists. At SkinPhD, the core focus areas are product, performance and price – to ensure you get the best out of your skin and your budget. The products rely on bioactive ingredients to provide beneficial changes in the appearance of the skin, working beyond the skin’s surface to create true change. Find a targeted solution from SkinPhD, no matter what your skin concern. www.skinphd.co.za WRITE TO letters@fairlady.com…

OLD-FASHIONED PENMANSHIP A pen’s a pen, right? Not in this case. I received this gorgeous fountain pen from my fiancé last year and it’s one of the most precious gifts I’ve ever received. It’s part of Mont Blanc’s Muses collection, and this one is inspired by Marilyn Monroe: the red colour is indicative of her signature red lipstick (which was Max Factor’s Ruby Tuesday, in case you were wondering) and there’s a pearl on the pen clip because she so loved pearls. - Kelli Comfy crocs The Crocs LiteRide slip-ons are possibly the comfiest shoes I’ve ever tried. Sure, the slip-ons are no lookers – I prefer the lace-ups – but the comfort more than makes up for that. They’re perfect for running errands or anytime you have to be…

These are a bit of a new discovery for me. Heerbone have been grown in South Africa for decades, but very little is known about this West Coast delicacy. A white bean with a distinctive black spot on its belly, it’s wonderful in hearty stews and soups or plain old bean salad. Great for those cold winter nights. Available from www.thebutcherette.co.za at R50 a kilo. HOW TO PREPARE THEM 1. Place the heerbone in a pot and add double the amount of water. Do not add salt. Heat at a low temperature and turn off just before the water boils. 2. Let it stand for an hour, making sure that the beans are still covered with water. 3. Rinse the beans, then replace with clean water and simmer until soft.…