Fairlady May 2018

The first time I heard about a vinegar mother was about 20 years ago in Paris. I was staying with my aunt, and for dinner she made one of those tiny salads of chicory, walnuts and red wine vinegar the French are famous for. I had been travelling for what felt like a million years; I was tired, dirty, starving and South African, and that salad was just not going to cut it for me. The minute I saw it I started planning to ‘go for a sightseeing walk’ straight after dinner – to the nearest café for some real food. But it was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted – crisp, salty, crunchy, slightly bitter and subtly sweet... totally satisfying. And there was something really amazing…

OLIVE BRANCH DELI COMMUNITY GROCER An emporium in every sense of the word, this tiny hidden gem is absolutely stuffed with exotic delights and treats, from proper thick Greek yoghurt and gorgeous cheeses to handmade natural soaps, vegan biltong, real Angus beef – and more fragrant teas than I knew existed. The only commonality is exceptional quality. It’s a real foodie find. In Cape Town’s Lifestyle on Kloof centre – but you’ll have to look for it! LINDT HELLO CHOCOLATES I love this entire range, but if I had to pick just two they’d be the Crunchy Nougat and the Sundae Choco. I don’t know whether to warn you off them or beg you to try them, because once you have… Let’s just say stopping after two squares isn’t really…

✽ WINNING LETTER ROUGH PATCH REMEDY I’d like to thank FAIR-LADY immensely. I’ve been through a rough patch, and after reading ‘Teens in crisis’ [January 2018], I discovered that I wasn’t alone. I’ve been struggling along, thinking no one understood, but thanks to you, I saw that there are others going through the same thing. The article was informative and helpful, both for parents and children. The stories shared by other teens and their families opened my eyes, and I’m glad I decided to buy that particular issue – it has convinced me to carry on buying FAIRLADY in the months to come! Looking forward to many more fantastic articles in the future. Hannah Altmann Ed: Hannah, I’m so glad we could help. We had a huge response to that…

this month We asked our team to tell us about their latest must-have finds, and boy, did they deliver! Here’s everything we’re loving at the moment – from beauty products and board games to makeover shows and, believe it or not, dog lollies. EYE CARE I’m all about my eye care at the moment. I rarely wear make-up. If anything, I do my brows, then quickly apply these two products every morning before dashing out the door. I’ve been using L.A. Girl’s Pro Conceal under my eyes for years – it’s cheap as chips (R59,95 from Dis-Chem) and covers dark marks and any spots that come up on my face. And it lasts super long. The other product I’ve discovered is Vichy’s Anti Fatigue Eye Care (R334 from Clicks). My…

‘My tattoo represents the Three Sisters constellation, also known as Orion’s Belt. I had it done to keep my sisters close to my heart.’ Carmen Pretorius (28) has graced both the stage and screen, having starred in musicals like Mamma Mia!, Footloose, Jersey Boys and Cabaret; three Janice Honeyman productions; and as Lien Jooste in the Kyknet film Lien se Lankstaanskoene. She’s also appeared in local TV shows such as Isidingo, Binnelanders and Pasella. These days she’s playing the lead role of Maria onstage in the local production of The Sound of Music, currently on at Artscape in Cape Town. Carmen got her big break 10 years ago, during matric. She’d entered M-Net’s High School Musical: Spotlight South Africa competition, but very nearly didn’t make it to her first audition.…

The vivacious 35-year-old emerged on the scene just a few years ago when she scooped an Oscar for her sterling performance in 12 Years a Slave. Now, as one of the few dark-skinned African women in popular culture, she uses her prominence to shift the balance in Hollywood and challenge Eurocentric beauty standards. Lupita came out of nowhere, or so it may seem. But acting has been on her mind since childhood, ever since she decided she wanted to be a stage actress like her aunt. When she saw Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple (1985), she was even more inspired. But she knew how difficult it would be to make it in the cut-throat movie industry, so after university she decided to pursue a career behind…