songs from mars [vol. 3] (Curated Apple Music Playlist)

Posted on by Mario Ogle

Writing the post is the difficult part of curating these monthly Apple Music playlists. Finding new music on the internet being the pleasure. Instead of having long winded paragraphs of text about my childhood and how we consume music as millennials, can I suggest we let the music do the talking? Although, your opinions and comments are more than welcome. Let us know your favorite on the list this month.

Here it is: songs from mars [vol. 3]

FYI, to listen to these playlists you would need to be an Apple Music subscriber. There are some really reasonably priced monthly subscriptions for students and families giving you access to streaming millions of songs. The Baked Online community loves Apple Music and no, this is not a sponsored post.

Enjoy!

Mario

KKW Beauty: As Told By YouTubers

Posted on by Foyin

When we heard Kim Kardashian-West was starting a cosmetics brand and her first product was a contour kit, the first thought we had was “Finally!” With the help of Mario, her makeup artist, Kim changed the makeup industry as we know it when she popularised the contouring and highlighting techniques.

And while we know she didn’t invent those techniques, we definitely can’t deny the Kardashian effect on those trends. Suddenly every brand had a contouring palette available and every YouTuber had a tutorial teaching us how to do it! With that said, we wonder why it took Kim so long to make her own products.

Better late than never, though! And since we don’t have our hands on the contour and highlighting sticks, we thought we’d listen to a few YouTubers we trusted who did and listen to what they had to say about the products. We selected YouTubers with different skin tones so we could see how the products fared across the four different colours.

Jackie Aina

PatrickStarrr

Laura Lee

Iris Beilin

The verdict? Based on what these YouTubers had to say, KKW Beauty is great if you’re a Kim fan, but for $50, you could spend your money on other contour and highlight products and get a better result. The colour range is amazing (YAY!), the contour is great, the strobe side is great, the little brush is great, but the sponge and highlighters/concealers? Not so much! You also spend so much and receive so little product that can break very easily.

But we still love Kim and can’t wait to see what else she comes out with for KKW Beauty! There’s only room for more improvement!

What to Wear when you DGAF

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

I think my best outfits happen when I DGAF , this weekend was one of those days. If you don’t already know, weekends are busier for me than the week, I usually spend my weekends working on what we’re going to talk about on Baked Online for the week. It’s not ideal but I’m working on it. Not to mention the middle of the year is always a struggle at Baked HQ as we gear up our plans for the remainder of the year. I imagine it’s the same in other businesses so staying comfortable is crucial. Yesterday I just wanted to get in and out of the studio unscathed. Wearing a Levi’s throwback men’s  shearling denim to snuggle up between shoots. Partially because I’m obsessed with vintage looking clothing at the moment and partially because men’s jackets are substantially warmer than women’s jackets.

Winter doesn’t help much does it? With comfort food sinking in I feel like a reach for my track pants and sneakers quicker than any other season! July brings with it a few travel opportunities for me to warm places (#blessed) and back to the grind stone with driving the new vision for Baked (working on calling it Baked The Brand since we have so many cool projects in the works. (LOLZ)

Speaking of, what would you guys like to see more of on this site?

The Feminist Tee Project

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

We are obsessed with local girl Nicole Jowett’s feminist project initiative! Everyone was raving over these empowering slogan tee’s seen on the streets of New York and Paris during autumn winter fashion week. Huge brands like Prabal Gurung and Dior made a statement by producing empowering message’s on runways. Quickly filtering down to mainstream with major retailer stocking female empowerment tee’s. Nicole decided to take it just a step further by donating the proceeds of her Feminist unisex tee’s to a charity that donates its time and effort to empowering the women of south africa .

The Frida Hartley woman’s centre in Johannesburg has, for years, worked with homeless women and children in the Johannesburg area, empowering them to get jobs through education and skills provided by the institution. By purchasing just one of these trendy t-shirts, patrons will be donating R100 to the Frida Hartley centre to help further their plight in helping the women of South Africa.

We encourage girls and boys to get involved with the movement and help create awareness around female empowerment in out country as well as making a difference through spending their money in a positive way. Who said fashion had no purpose eh?

This is what we call a true girl boss, we commend Nicole for her gallant effort in helping improve women’s lives one t-shirt at a time. Nicole says she aims to further her range and continue to foster change in our community through this project. Watch this space for more news on what Nicole has planned.

You can order your tee directly from instagram via Nicoles page (here) or the Fruit Of The Loom page (here) T-shirts go for R300 including shipping to the Postnet nearest to you. Be sure to give the Frida Hartley centre a follow on instagram to see what they’re up to and how you can help. Please share your purchase and get the message out there by hashtaging #fotlfeminists and #FeministTeeProject.

 

Stop What You’re Doing – Every Store Is On Sale!

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

Don’t know about you but, my first instinct when seeing the “On Sale” sign is the compulsion to shop till I drop. I have, with much experience in the shopping arena, developed a full proof strategy for shopping sales. Lets be honest, South African retailer sales are not quite as good as those off shore so it’s important to sale shop with a cool head and basically don’t blow your salary on fleeting items.

This weekend, as in today, South Africa embarks on it’s sale season! We have compiled a list of who’s on sale and why you should shop with caution using our 5 step sale shopper guide below.

Store’s On Sale This Month

H&M

Up to 50%Available in store only, H&M boasts prices at R60! Woah Kemosabe shop with caution! Be sure to use our guide and not over shop with these unbeatable prices. H&M usually has great basics on sale so you might be in for a steal.

Zara

The elusive Zara sale always gets us excited, but tread with caution as different items have been discounted at different rates. Use our guide to be sure you’re really saving! Sale kicks off today 23rd June.

MAC Cosmetics 

We love a MAC sale, since the brand doesn’t go on sale often this got us really excited about up to 20% off available online and Valid until 26th June but excludes Viva Glam products. Shop Here

Forever New

Up to 50% off Saleavailable online and in store, everything from handbags, bottoms, basic tops and outwear. Shop from home by following the link Here

Topshop

Up to 50% off on selected items while stocks last starting June 21st available in selected stores across South Africa.

With all those sales it’s hard not to get yourself into a tricky spending cycle. Save these steps on your phone before shopping – wishing you luck!

  1. Do I actually love this item?
  2. Would I buy this if it was not on sale?
  3. How long will I wear this for? Is it versatile enough OR too trendy to wear across seasons?
  4. Have I tried it on, does it fit well?
  5. How much am I really saving? Check the original price compared to the sale price, is the amount you’re saving really a bargain?

5 Modest Influencers you Need to Follow

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

In the spirit of Ramadan and modest style, we’ve used this month to explore the true meaning of Hijab and its place in the modern world. We won’t get in to that now but what we have found a number of fierce young women all over the Internet who are representing this dress code in creative and inspiring ways! Scroll on to meet some of our favorite modest influencers.

@Mariaalia

This style maven of Palestinian and Puerto Rican descent is currently one of the biggest modest influencers in the USA and it’s easy to see why. Her keen sense of style and ability to mix fashion and modesty gives off an aesthetic that is clean and effortless.

@blackish.gold

We don’t know much about this Somali-American but once we stumbled across her Instagram account there was no going back. It’s not hard to imagine the BakedOnline team getting along with this stylish foodie who has a passion for cityscapes and earthy hues.

@Rafidaaaaaaaah

Not shy of colour and lavish garments, this stylish gal gives us a peak in to life in Malaysia. From food, patterned walls, cute café set ups, her favorite vintage finds to her personal take on the traditional hijab, we’re obsessed!

@Kauthar_B

It’s no secret that the BakedOnline team have been shamelessly stalking this local babe for a while now. Through her love for the outdoors, photography and style it’s evident Kauthar makes a point of living modestly in all aspects of life.

@Ascia_AKF

A Kuwaiti fashion designer, model and blogger, Ascia has successfully accomplished ‘Girl Boss’. Constantly reinventing her look by experimenting with different turban styles and layering statement pieces, it’s easy to see why she has over 2 million followers.

Which modest influencers are your faves?

Ramadan Style Guide: Vol 2

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

We are well into the second portion of the month of fasting and with it comes the second edition of our Ramadan Style Guide. This week we are shifting from athleisure to an atmospheric editorial. Inspired by local Capetonian designer’s Twin Image and their Ramadan collection and the elements, see how guide to modest style below.

Look 1: Statement Sleeve

One of my favorite modest influencers, Nabilah Kariem (here), has made the statement sleeve her signature! Had to give it a try with this stripey Twin Image shirt. I love the neutrals, perfect for cooler days! I paired these with Mom jeans by Topshop and of course white boots which have become some what of a winter statement.

Look 2: Utility

Can we have a moment for these utility pants please. We’re all obsessed with the fabric, it’s available in this khaki shade and beige too (stockists below). I loved pairing heavy fabrics like denim and linen – keeping with our utilitarian theme. I picked up this scarf from The Scarf Company, it’s really great for wrapping since it doesn’t slip at all! You guys might want to check them out, they deliver too!

Look 3 : Reworked Abaya

Twin Image created this white dress inspired by the traditional abaya. I absolutely loved it with sneakers or heeled ankle boots. It’s really perfect for summery days, since the fabric is pretty lightweight and comfortable.

We hope you enjoyed our style guides for Ramadan! If you have anything else you really want to see up on the site please comment below. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter – new giveaways coming soon.

have a great final fasting period ahead!

Xo Aisha

In60Seconds: Bronze Shadow Tutorial

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

Over at Baked HQ we’ve been working on some quick make up looks for the everyday gal and have finally launched a cool new feature on Aisha’s Instagram! From ‘no makeup’ makeup to a bit of shimmer, she will be doing 60 second tutorials for girls on the go. This week she features her favorite drugstore items for achieving an easy bronze eyeshadow look. We’re obsessed!

Looking for something specific? Leave your requests in the comment section below and be sure to follow @bakedonline on Instagram to never miss a video!