Although hardly new to the décor scene, we are continuously blessed with an abundance of attractive, floral designs and a multitude of ways to incorporate them in our homes. We love the idea of being surrounded by nature-inspired prints in the depths of winter, so we’ve rounded up our favourite styles of botanical print and provided simple ways to use them to their full potential in your living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. 
Written by Emma Follet-Botha

WATERCOLOUR

Watercolour is one of the most whimsical, calming painting styles out there, and because of this, it’s right at home in the bedroom. For a light, airy feel, opt for pillowcases and a duvet or comforter with a white background, featuring light painterly washes of colourful blooms. Here, imperfections in the designs are embraced and reinforce the casualness that is integral to this theme.

Hotel Collection floral-print duvet cover from 1199.95 – 1499.95; Hotel Collection weaved desk lamp 599.95; Private Collection faux-grass pot plant 169.95; Hotel Collection velvet-print scatter cushion 249.95; Hotel Collection standard pillow cases 79.95; Hotel Collection continental pillow case 99.95; frame 199.95

GARDEN-BASED FLORALS

If you don’t have a garden or have limited outdoor space for plants, garden-based florals are perfect for bringing the outside in. Adorn your couch with a variety of floral-print scatter cushions, or opt to juxtapose them with cushions in a luxe, textured fabric such as velvet.

Private Collection floral-print scatter cushion 199.95; Private Collection leaf-print scatter cushion 199.95; Hotel Collection velvet-printed scatter cushion 249.95; rug stylist’s own

LUSH LEAF MOTIFS

There’s something about tropical leaves that is just so effective in the bathroom. Palm frond, banana leaf or Delicious Monster prints are by far the most popular. Consider incorporating leaf-printed towels or a shower curtain with an eye-catching print for an inviting Bali-style aesthetic.

Hotel Collection leaf-embossed towel 219.95

DITZY FLORALS

Busy prints are ideal for everyday kitchen items – think aprons, pot holders and oven mitts – as the detailed design disguises blemishes and stains far better than solid colours. The kitchen is a space where you can really experiment with prints, so have fun and go for it!

Private Collection floral-print apron 109.95; Private Collection two-piece pot holder/floral-print glove 79.95; Private Collection floral-print oven gloves 109.95

Fashion editor: Brittany Penebre. Junior fashion editor: Rushana Burton. Photography: Andre Wepener/Pixel Lounge.


All items subject to availability. Prices may change.

From double denim to denim jackets a la Justin Timberlake circa 2001, we’re preparing for a season filled with the classic, hard-wearing fabric. And, don’t worry – if you’re more of a classic denim kinda guy, you won’t feel left out with our selection of skinnies and black-wash denim.
D66 velvet blazer 1399.95; JX striped shirt 399.95; JX denim joggers 599.95; watch 299; Vans socks 199.95; Le Coq Sportif sneakers 1299.95; accessories stylist own; Stone Harbour printed shirt 379.95
Vans Old Skool core sneakers 849 SHOP NOW; Stone Harbour suede slip on shoes 299.95 SHOP NOW; Stone Harbour checked shirt 449.95; Stone Harbour lace-up boots 899

Denim style tip

To rock the baggy denim look, you need to fully commit to this laid-back style. Pair your looser fitting denims with a casual shirt – stripes or a floral print would be first choice – and a pair of understated sneaks.

JX striped shirt 349.95; JX distressed denims 499.95; JX bucket hat 149.95; Reebok royal ultra sneakers 899.95; socks stylist's own; accessories stylist's own


Fashion editor: Brittany Penebre. Photography: Paulo/Hero Creative. Junior fashion editor: Rushana Burton. Grooming: Shahnaz Cola Wrensch/SNCM. Model: Collin/Boss.

All items subject to availability. Prices may change.

Fact: Rihanna can do no wrong – singing, acting, make-up, and now her most recent achievement, fashion design. We want to follow in RiRi’s amazing footsteps (who doesn’t) and though we can’t suddenly launch a make-up and fashion line, we can recreate her perfect, sultry smoky eye.

1
CREATE A DEWY BASE WITH A HYDRATING FOUNDATION

Hydrating foundations are key if you're after a luminous and flawless complexion, as they generally contain light-reflective optics that brighten and even out the skin tone.

2
PREP EYELIDS WITH A PRESSED POWDER OR LID PRIMER

Using an oil-free lid primer or patting a pressed powder onto your lid will ensure your eye make-up stays put all day and well into the evening.

3
LINE YOUR TOP AND BOTTOM LASH LINE WITH A DARK BROWN SHADOW

This step is important in order to draw attention to your eyes. Keep the darkest point at the lash line for a modern, fresh look.

4
APPLY A LIGHT SHADOW TO THE CREASE

Adding a lighter shade to the crease of your eye and the lid will attract light, making your eyes appear bigger.

5
USING AN EYELINER BRUSH, APPLY BLACK LINER TO YOUT UPPER LASH LINE AND THE BOTTOM CORNER OF YOUR LOWER LASH LINE

This step will help add more definition as well as amplify the impact of your smoky-eye look.

6
USING A BLENDING BLUSH, DIFFUSE THE BROWN EYE SHADOW TO CREATE MORE OF A SMOKY EFFECT

When it comes to creating the ultimate smoky eye, blending is your friend! For a smokier finish, use a good blending brush.

7
APPLY MASCARA TO YOUR TOP AND BOTTOM LASHES

The all-important final touch to your smoky eye is layering three to four coats of mascara to your top and bottom lashes to really make your eyes pop.

8
APPLY YOUR CONTOURING SHADE SLIGHTLY UNDERNEATH YOUR CHEEKBONES

Your contour colour is usually a darker matte shade, and when applied to the hollow area just below the cheekbones it creates the illusion of a more chiselled bone structure.

9
PAT A CREAMY HIGHLIGHTER TO THE TOP OF YOUR CHEEKBONES, ALONG THE BRIDGE OF YOUR NOSE AND YOUR CUPID’S BOW, AND AT THE CENTRE OF YOUR CHIN

A cream highlighter differs greatly from the powder and liquid forms, and tends to be more matte, which is ideal if you're after a sculpted look.

10
USING A FAN BRUSH, DIFFUSE YOUR BLUSH ACROSS THE APPLES OF YOUR CHEEKS

Thanks to the soft finish it imparts, using a fan brush to apply your blusher will ensure a more natural flush, which is the perfect pairing to a bold-eye look.

11
LINE LIPS WITH A NUDE LIP LINER

Applying a nude lip liner will not only add definition to your lips but will also ensure longevity of your lip colour.

12
CHOOSE AND APPLY A MATTE NUDE LIPSTICK CLOSEST TO YOUR NATURAL LIP COLOUR

Pairing your sultry smoky eye with a matte lip will ensure your eyes are the main focus.

13
FOR THE FINISHING TOUCH, SET YOUR MAKE-UP WITH A SETTING SPRAY

If you want your make-up look to stay in place and last all day long and night, this final step is a must.

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GET THE LOOK

Don’t fall for the idea that the only make-up and skincare products worth owning cost the earth – the truth is that there are plenty of incredible products that are easy on the budget, you just need to know what to look for. Here’s our selection of budget-friendly beauty items that really work.

Yardley Intense Rouge Lipstick 89.95 each
SHOP NOW

This highly pigmented, creamy lipstick delivers an intense colour finish while keeping lips looking ultra smooth – and it's available in 10 eye-popping shades.

EXCLUSIVE TO EDGARS
Benefit High Beam Mini 195
SHOP NOW

This satiny pink liquid highlighter can be used over your make-up as a spot highlighter, or under your make-up for subtle luminescence.

Black Opal Deluxe Finishing Powder 245
SHOP NOW

Formulated with colour-balancing pigments that help enhance your natural skin tone, this ultra-fine jet-milled powder is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic (meaning it won't block your pores), setting make-up while keeping shine at bay.

Gosh Rebel Eyes Lengthening Mascara 160
SHOP NOW

Rebel Eyes contains special polymers that lengthen each lash, as well as a complex mixture of film-formers to ensure the mascara adheres to your lashes all day long.

EXCLUSIVE TO EDGARS
Citi Girl Lip/Eyeliner Pencil 34.95
SHOP NOW

More chip-resistant than regular nail polish, this gel nail enamel will give you up to 14 days of bold colour and high shine. The only true two-step gel manicure with no light needed.

EXCLUSIVE TO EDGARS
Inglot Freedom System Blush in 29 199
SHOP NOW

Rich and buildable, just a dab of this classic blush packs a punch, adding a healthy dose of colour to your complexion.

Lottie London Before Anything Else (B.A.E) Illuminating Primer 135
SHOP NOW

This water-based, vitamin C-enriched primer will give you an instant glow while boosting the texture and tone of your skin, so your make-up stays put for longer.

Rimmel Match Perfection Invisible Coverage 189.95
SHOP NOW

Super lightweight and hydrating, this smooth foundation blends with your skin’s natural tone instead of masking it, for a flawless, radiant finish.

EXCLUSIVE TO EDGARS
Kelso Beauty Liquid Eyeliner 159.95
SHOP NOW

Super easy to use, this long-wearing eyeliner is the perfect product for beginners who are learning how to create the classic wing.

Revlon Colorstay Looks Book Eyeshadow Palette in Player 179

Boasting eight rich, highly pigmented shades, this expertly coordinated palette creates a wide range of beauty looks depending on your mood.

Trevor Crighton learns more about the world of cocktails, secret speakeasies and mixology. No longer ‘just a cocktail during cocktail hour’, the world of mixology has had a much-needed update and is far more respected than it once was.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as a terrible cocktail. Saccharine concoctions in lurid colours that invite headaches at a glance were once standard-issue at what passed for a ‘cocktail bar’, in most places in South Africa.

Thankfully, the cocktail revolution is upon us and has spread across the country. The venerable art of mixology has given the drinks some fine dining credentials, with smart application of flavours, taste-boosting techniques and presentation that adds sensory layers to the experience.

There are now secret speakeasies dotted around the country, often hidden behind unassuming facades and requiring more than a reservation to get into. Cocktails are about theatre, so it’s a joy that the dedicated bars that serve them are putting on a show – which often comes with live music and a sense of mystery. It’s a welcome change from a swirl of cheap, colourful ingredients in a mildly whimsical glass, topped with a tragic paper umbrella spiked into a piece of ageing fruit. Viva the cocktail revolution!

The Art of Duplicity (Cape Town)

The origins of the cocktail may be the subject of much debate, but the perfect place to drink one is simple – a smoky speakeasy. With just enough of a nod to Prohibition-era rule-breaking, the motif of the 1920’s speakeasy is making a comeback around the world – and Cape Town has its own example.

The Art of Duplicity is a hidden cocktail bar in the East of the CBD, accessible only via booking and a secret password which needs to be whispered through a slot in a nondescript door at the end of an alleyway. Once inside, the Roaring ‘20s unfold against a backdrop of live jazz, warm mood lighting and possibly the best cocktails in the country.

The drinks are the perfect blend of theatre and substance and the high concept menu is born of the mind of multi-awarded mixologist Brent Perremore, who often does duty behind the bar. Try the signature ‘Hillbilly Breakfast Flip’, with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Averna Amaro, Smoked Maple Syrup, Espresso and Free Range Egg. Want to blend the ultimate hangover cure with a killer drink to get you there? The Tennessee Well is comprised of Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Capertif, Fernet Branca and a creme soda reduction.

Location: A Secret

Saigon Suzy (Johannesburg)

It’s big, it’s bright, it’s loud and it has a karaoke bar upstairs. But do they make a mean cocktail? The answer, in Saigon Suzy’s case, is a resounding ‘yes’.

Part of the reinvigoration of the property on the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Bolton Road in Rosebank, Saigon Suzy is an Asian BBQ and Rock 'n Roll Bar which celebrates the quick fix of Eastern street food. Decked out to resemble a pan-Asian back alley, complete with cobbled floors, Insta-famous neon signs and giant murals, Saigon Suzy is just on the right side of brash – but honestly and unpretentiously so.

There’s plenty of soul to be found – not least in the upstairs ‘No Tell Motel’ karaoke rooms, complete with dress-up boxes for impromptu styling. The food carefully treads the line between respectful replication of typical Asian street food and fusion flavours – and the cocktails have to be relatively hardy to stand up to the bite and spice. The ‘China Girl’ is a blend of Vanilla Vodka, Plum Liqueur, Cranberry Juice and Lime that sounds a lot tamer than it really is. Sip delicately, and then head upstairs to sing loudly!

Location: 144 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood

The Chairman (Durban)

It used to be really tricky to find a decent cocktail in Durban and surrounds, with most of the hotels which make up the beachfront strip focussing more on the stock-standard rainbow renditions than anything innovative. Fortunately, the cocktail revolution has arrived in KZN (on the back of an impressive craft beer boom) and there are now several great options where visitors can enjoy smart drinks in classy spaces.

The Chairman is a sophisticated jazz bar that has set out to bend some rules – starting with their location! Finding a home in previously less than salubrious Point, The Chairman is leading the charge to help regenerate its surroundings. The owners say they chose the worst possible building in the worst possible area of Point to make their… point – and it works. Housed in the same block as the legendary Smuggler’s Inn, The Chairman is home to some of the city’s best music – and best cocktails.

Sink back into a plush leather sofa, surrounded by a fusion of mid-century modern, Asian and Ethiopian décor and sip on the house special, ‘Surrender Your Booty’ – a mix of Bombay Sapphire Gin, Martini and Cointreau with Strong Ginger, Pineapple and Lemon Grass.

Location: 146 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Point

The Mixologist

Twenty-six-year-old Evert de Jong is an award-winning mixologist, having placed as a finalist at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 World Class competition as South Africa Regional Finalist. He also finished third, globally, in the 2017 Remy Martin Bartender Talent Academy competition.

He joined Molecular Bars in 2015 as a bartender and rapidly progressed through the ranks to become a director in 2017. He has consulted on mixology and bartending with venues including Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, Fridays, Tashas, Tonic Lounge, Alice & Fifth, 54 on Bath, Tsogo Sun Hyde Park, The Course, MESH and many more. Follow him on Instagram @evertdj.

Here’s his recipe for a signature ‘Sunday Funday’ tipple:
• 50ml Jose Cuervo Traditional Plata
• 50ml granadilla juice
• 20ml fresh lemon juice
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Pinch of salt
• Top Sunday IPA

Garnish: Fennel flowers & wax flowers (any edible flowers)

Method: Build in glass or shake all ingredients excluding beer and then strain into glass with ice and top.

Want to dabble in the art of mixology?

There’s no better place to start than in your home. Get a variety of gorgeous cocktail glasses and start impressing your guests with your newly acquired skills.

Mandela Day on 18 July provides each of us with a valuable opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. We chatted to some of SA's most well-known influencers about what Mandela Day means to them and why giving 67 minutes of our time to a good cause is something we should all be doing. Here’s what they had to say.

Katlego Maboe

Mandela Day gives us all a chance to reflect on our better selves – our more unified selves, where our collective success and progress is more important than individual strides. It's a chance to ask, ‘What am I doing to make this world a better place? How am I contributing to my community's growth and progress? Am I the help or hindrance to this progress?’… and then to act in a manner that moves us forward. Participating in the day shows our appreciation for the legacy of Tata Mandela, and all the other fallen heroes of our struggle who sacrificed so much so that we could see better days.
@katlegomaboe

Tshepi Vundla

To me, Mandela Day means we are able to remember what Mandela has done for us as South Africans, to remember his sacrifices and his love for his people. It’s also a day where we take time out of our lives to do our bit to assist those in need, in remembrance of Tata Mandela.
@tshepivundla 

Sihle Mfeketo

No matter how small your action may be, Mandela Day is about changing the world for the better, just as Nelson Mandela did every day. This would mean paying it forward and being considerate of the less fortunate. Even the small things we do go a long way to helping the next person. Pay it forward and put a smile on someone’s face that can leave an imprint on their hearts that lasts a lifetime!

For my 67 minutes of service on the day, I’ll be helping out (through reading and writing, moderating and coaching life skills) at the girl’s society in my community that helps to empower and motivate disadvantaged girls who have been neglected.
@syhlez.28 

Anja van der Spuy

Life is so busy and it’s easy to get stuck in our day-to-day routines. I think Mandela Day is amazing because it forces us to stop for 67 minutes and look beyond our own lives. It’s not only a great time to give back to others but also to take stock of our own blessings. It shouldn’t be limited to Mandela Day only though; we should aim to do something kind each day of our lives. Even the smallest gestures can go a long way.
@anjawintour 

Shiraz Reddy

Firstly, I'm blessed and honoured to share a birthday with the late, great Tata Madiba! A legend whose life's work represents more than just the stepping stones to our freedom; it's the primary reason we're able to overcome and strive for greatness in this lifetime. Secondly, I'm a firm believer in giving back and carrying on his legacy of 'community' and allowing those we engage with to learn and grow from our experiences. It's important to participate in Mandela Day to ensure we keep up the spirit of ubuntu. No man is an island, so why live like that? I know that many may think of 67 minutes as 'charity work', but in actual fact Mandela Day is about finding opportunities in which you can invest your time, for others. Whether that be sharing your knowledge, listening to social issues of the youth or simply giving a hug or two to those in need. I believe every day should be Mandela Day!
@shirazreddy

Mihlali Ndamase

Mandela day should be every day. People show extreme selflessness on Tatu Mandela’s birthday every year; it encourages people to fight against poverty and to bring about change, something for which Tatu Mandela was recognised. It’s important for everyone to understand the significance of uniting to make a difference in our country. My foundation, too, will be taking the initiative to make a change on Mandela Day.
@mihlalii_n

Clem Pedro

There’s a quote that I love: 'Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less'. I love this and it represents everything Mandela Day stands for. These are words we should live by every day – caring and thinking more of others. No one ever became poor by giving to others and we all need to realise that the gift of giving is real, and as humans we need to show this humility – each and every day.
@clement.pedro.mancrave 

Megan Gallie

Mandela Day is a very important day for our youth. It is on this day, especially, that we should show our appreciation for what Nelson Mandela did for our freedom, and to honour his legacy.

I strongly believe that in life we have to give in order to receive, so Mandela Day means a lot to me because I am a giver and it’s a beautiful thing to see a whole nation come together and give something, even if it’s just 67 minutes. It makes one believe – and have faith – that there is still such a thing as humanity.
@megangallie_ 

Simpiwe Ngomela

Mandela Day to me is a day of giving back, being thankful for what we have, and remembering how we can service others to make their life a little bit better. It’s a day of being the solution to the problems of the world by giving as much as we can with time, money or just a helping hand. It means something to someone.

I’ll be helping out at homes in Cape Town for my Mandela Day by reading, bringing food, or simply comforting others with a few pearls of wisdom.
@simpy_xvi

Feeling inspired? Give some thought to what you’ll be doing this Mandela Day. You might feel that your contribution is too small to count, but the spirit of Mandela Day is that every act of kindness creates a ripple effect that changes the world for the better. All you have to do is play your part.