Innehållsförteckning för Dec/Jan 2023 från True Love

In my line of work, journalism, they say you never forget your first big interview. Finding the "hard news" too murky and depressing, I realised early in my career that I wanted to tell stories about Black women. I wanted to tell relatable stories about our struggles and triumphs, without doubt or insecurities. I wanted to tell stories that I had witnessed and could relate to, about women who could be my mothers, aunts and sisters, with heart and authenticity. And so I started my lifestyle journalism with magazines. One of my first big interviews was with the incomparable Sophie Ndaba. She was still at SABC1's Generations and back then, you could put in the soap's logo on the magazine and it would sell. I was practically living at the…

It’s been a while since she’s been in front of the camera, but Sophie Ndaba is a natural as always. Her smile, poise and confident demeanour are on point. The camera loves her – it’s as if she’s never been away. And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, because her last-born and only son, Lwandle, joined the shoot – and he’s a natural: confident, charming and polite; a real credit to his parents. We’re shooting today at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre, just a few kilometres from OR Tambo Airport, and this luxurious four-star hotel is an amazing hidden gem. The stylish facilities, luxurious rooms, fabulous pool terrace and excellent hospitality are more than enough reasons for another visit. Sophie is a delight as always – it’s…

SPECIAL REPORT Domestic workers have become a pivotal part of a working mother’s life – they are trusted to keep the household running smoothly, look after the children and the house, and generally make life easier. That’s why it’s important to find the perfect person for your family; someone who will not only help you with the chores, but will also lovingly take care of your children. We spoke to several nanny and domestic help agencies to help you find your perfect fit, alert you to the red flags to look out for, and offer tips for your Plan B options in case of an emergency – so you can avoid the fallout from the dreaded “I am not coming back” SMS message on a Sunday evening. Zola Angel started…

BEAUTIFUL SPACES South African interior design company Block & Chisel recently opened its new large flagship store in Johannesburg, and offers a wide range of pieces from classic and contemporary to country and modern. The aesthetic is both timelessly sophisticated and unconventional. In-store, you can expect to find an extensive range of imported and locally made furniture, as well as homewares that inspire people to continue living beautifully. Customers are also treated to the option of taking their purchases home immediately, which is a bonus in an industry where there are often long waits for deliveries. Visit the shop in Kramerville, Johannesburg, or shop online at www.blockandchisel.co.za. SUPERCHARGED FACIALS The FOREO UFO is a great new device that promises supercharged facials in just two minutes – all in the comfort…

GIVENCHY ROSE PERFECTO LIPSTICK Lasting hydration and fresh colours combine to reveal the natural beauty of your lips with a 95% natural origin formula. WBEAUTY LONGWEAR NUDES This range, packaged in bamboo tubes, offers South African women a perfect, subtle shade of nude for all skin tones. YARDLEY LONDON INTENSE ROUGE LIPSTICK CRAVE This is a multitasking make-up marvel. The highly pigmented lipstick triples up as a lip colour, blush and eyeshadow. Swipe it onto lips for a flush of colour, or dab it onto cheeks and lids for a satin finish,R119.95 BABOR ESSENTIAL CARE LIP BALM This balm intensively hydrates particularly dry, chapped lips and leaves a pleasantly soft feeling, thanks to a variety of natural oils and waxes, including a blend of hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, shea butter…

LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES KING NAMOR’S THRONE ROOM Take your child’s imagination on an underwater adventure with King Namor’s Throne Room, a 335-piece Lego set. It features three Marvel Lego minifigures, Shuri, Attuma and King Namor. The buildable submarine and throne room also includes seaweed and fish accessories. R549, Great Yellow Brick Company ARIZONA KIDS ELECTRIC METALLIC COPPER DOTS These pretty but sturdy metallic sandals come with a backstrap for added support, while the polka-dots add a touch of whimsy. R1 399, Birkenstock, Bash Africa MR PRICE HOME Neon Good Vibes LED Sign, R1 800 STRAPPY TULLE DRESS This strappy little number in navy for older girls, goes up to a size 15. It’s the perfect special-occasion dress – with frilly sleeves and sparkly diamantes. R379, Woolworths LEGO ENCANTO MADRIGAL…

I have a love-hate relationship with the festive season. As a young, childless, single African woman, this time on the calendar brings with it a loop of intrusive questions about my maternal choices, my marriage aspirations, my lifestyle and even my sexuality. “You’re getting older, where are our grandchildren?”“WHERE’SUMKHWENYANA?” I’ve moved from answering politely to using violence, because I’m tired and the festive season is for rest. That’s just one aspect. The other? The family, the relatives, and the drama they bring – and most of it, to be honest, is generational beef that I, my siblings and my cousins have ended up owning. You see, my mother was the darling of her family. Her two older brothers made sacrifices to put her through school and she got into a…

BMW 7 SERIES China is BMW’s biggest market, and the brand’s latest designs are geared towards Chinese tastes more than any other. This is also true for the new 7 Series Sedan with its massive front end, narrow headlights and lots of chrome accents. While the looks may polarise, the equipment and technology certainly will not. The 7 Series is the most advanced BMW road car ever built. With a choice of powertrains – petrol, diesel and all-electric – there is plenty of choice to suit all tastes. The interior is one of the plushest we have ever seen in a car, the pièce de résistance being the huge 78.8cm rear-seat screen, which folds down from the roof. Price from: R2.1 million JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L Jeep is slowly trying…

INTRODUCING DERMALOGICA’S BREAKOUT CLEARING LIQUID PEEL Your new favourite skincare product is here: Clear Start’s Breakout Clearing Liquid Peel! This exfoliating peel is about to fast-track your clear skin journey. Its 2% BHA (salicylic acid) is bad news for acne, and its blend of 10% AHAs (lactic and mandelic) plus azelaic acids are great news for skin. This peel exfoliates, brightens and clears the skin. It’s powerful, it works … it might be magic. Start’s new exfoliating peel has the perfect blend of acids to help banish breakouts. And the glittering purple formula? Now you can glow like the star you are. NEUTROGENA’S RETINOL BOOST RANGE MAKES QUALITY RETINOL ACCESSIBLE TO SOUTH AFRICANS Neutrogena, the loved skincare brand, recently launched its Retinol Boost range of products in South Africa, much…

APPS KIDS GAMES: FOR TODDLERS 3-5 Designed for iPads Free Teaches toddlers and preschool-aged children number recognition, logic, shape identification, counting, and the alphabet. This free collection of games offers 25+ curated activities taken straight from the Montessori method of teaching. It’s learning through non-traditional methods, proven to be fun and effective over decades of successful tests. MATH EVOLVE: A FUN MATH GAME Ages: 6+ Available on the App store for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Kindle Fire Math Evolve is an almost seamless combination of arcade and maths practice. Kids get to solve problems while fending off alien attackers, and it gets harder with each level. Kids earn bonus points for solving series of problems correctly, which adds to weapon upgrades. The paid app costs R32.99. NIGHT ZOOKEEPER www.nightzookeeper.com Night…

Much like juggling one too many balls in the air, financial management is one of the most challenging tasks for many people to tackle, especially during the festive season. There are many people who did not receive lessons in domestic financial management during their childhood, and in adulthood, they tend to manage their finances by imitating their parents. Although parents are often right about many things, such as eating your vegetables, respecting your elders and cleaning up after yourself, it is not necessarily the case when it comes to managing money. Therefore, it is important that you take the initiative yourself and find ways to make your money work for you. To protect your financial wellbeing, make sure you don’t fall for scams, which are especially rife during the festive…

The festive season is a time to cement family bonds, iron out problems and spend time with loved ones. It’s all about jingle bells, music and giving. However, some relatives give nothing but bad/creepy vibes, and parents shouldn’t ignore this but be vigilant and curb any harmful behaviour that may occur, especially during family gatherings and sleepovers. Bongani Mavundla, a researcher at Unisa’s Institute of Social and Health Sciences, says harmful behaviours that can manifest during this time include excessive drinking, neglect of children, arguments due to alcohol intoxication or unresolved issues, discrimination against the unemployed or poor relatives, and sexual abuse of children and women. Some of these behaviours can have lifelong negative effects on your child if they witness or participate in them and should be prevented before…

We recently travelled to Europe with our kids, Zerin (9) and Zhavia (18 months). It was the little one’s first flight and we were very nervous about how it was going to pan out. Lucky for us, she was a real sweetheart – a wonderful little traveller who didn’t cry or fuss on the plane or throw tantrums while we were out and about sightseeing. But not everyone is going to have this experience with babies, and that’s OK. Preparation is key when travelling abroad – and if everything still doesn’t go according to plan, at least you’ll have a story to tell. We headed to Italy and France at the end of the European summer, which was really an incredible experience. We’ve been to both countries before – Italy…