We have curated our top thirteen products available on Takealot that have, in our opinion, secured cult status. Let’s get into it. 

Sealand Cross Body Bag

Few stories are as iconic as that of Sealand; the South African-made brand specifically focused on designing from upcycled materials. Known for its rugged durability and eco-conscious ethos, Sealand has gained a cult following among urban adventurers and conscious consumers alike, and they’re as internationally recognised as they are locally loved. Their classic Cross Body Bag is designed to be both practical and effortlessly cool, making it the go-to for hands-free convenience. Whether you’re navigating the city or hitting the trails, this bag is built to last—as you well know, we’re all about sustainable fashion that doesn’t compromise on function or style.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 

The Ordinary’s suite of super affordable products were my very first introduction into the incredible world of actives; those hyper-specific, almost unpronounceable ingredients that have taken the beauty space by storm. This was on a trip overseas, so suffice to say — when the brand landed on home soil, I was ecstatic. Hyaluronic Acid is a hydration essential; a powerhouse humectant that attracts and retains moisture, helping to keep skin plump, hydrated and supple. It is naturally found in the skin and works like a sponge, holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water to improve elasticity and smoothness. The Ordinary as a brand is a cult favourite that have consistently sought to offer advanced skincare at really, really reasonable prices— with accessibility being a guiding principle for the brand. Their Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 remains one of its most beloved formulas, with its lightweight serum delivering intense moisture, and layering perfectly under other products, making it a staple for all skin types. Simple, effective, and endlessly repurchased—it’s a cult classic for a very, very good reason.

With its signature sweet, tropical scent and ultra-luxe texture, Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream has reached icon status in the beauty world. As an essential summer companion (as our Editor in Chief, Candice Erasmus firmly attests to), it’s infused with caffeine-rich guaraná extract; a fast-absorbing body cream that smooths, tightens, and deeply nourishes skin while leaving behind a sun-kissed glow. The addictive pistachio-caramel scent lingers long after application, making it as much a fragrance experience as it is a skincare staple. From beach-goers to beauty obsessives, it remains a must-have for anyone chasing radiant, summer-ready skin all year round. 

Le Creuset Signature Casserole 

The Le Creuset Signature Casserole is an heirloom. Made from enameled cast iron, this kitchen icon is revered for its even heat distribution, durability, and dreamy design; evoking cooking sessions amid undulating hills and the scent of sea-breeze in Provence. Whether you’re slow-cooking a stew, baking bread, or mastering a Sunday roast, this dish does it all. I am obsessed with mine in the shade ‘Meringue’ — it doesn’t leave our stovetop— and the rainbow of colour options adds to its collectable appeal, making it a countertop centrepiece as much as a culinary essential. With a legacy spanning nearly a century, Le Creuset remains a staple in kitchens worldwide, beloved by professional chefs and home cooks alike.

Look, anything Charlotte touches turns to gold. Neither a foundation nor a highlighter, Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter is a category-defying complexion enhancer that delivers a lit-from-within glow. As one of our colleagues mused after her friend wore it out, “I literally thought she had a face filter on. It’s that good.” Actually inspired by the soft-focus effect of social media filters, this lightweight liquid can be worn alone, under foundation, or as a radiant topper. Its illuminating pigments blur imperfections while adding an ethereal sheen to the skin. Loved by makeup artists, celebrities, and beauty influencers, this product has become a staple in achieving the ultimate ‘glowy skin’ look—one that works with the skin instead of just sitting on top of it. 

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base

It just makes sense that this Bobbi Brown Face Base has made a splash on TikTok, with fans sharing PSAs about how it’s basically a multifunctional primer and moisturiser for the canvas that is your face. It acts as the perfect bedrock to hydrate your skin before applying makeup. Refreshing, moisturising, vitamin-rich – it’s an everyday requisite even for those non-makeup days. If there was ever a more accurate, literal embodiment of a glow up, I haven’t seen it. This leaves your skin flawless.

3-cleansers in one, 3-textures in one – ELEMIS Pro-Collagen has been a saving grace. This balm dissolves longwear makeup and residual pollutants while maintaining that vital and unbreakable moisture barrier. Another TikTok favourite that’s in the routine of beauty influencers as a staple. This comforting serum melts into a gentle oil with deep cleansing properties and this trio is topped off with a creamy dose of hydration. Pro-Collagen is a sensory experience: from the meditative application to the satisfying afterglow. Suffice to say it strips away none of your natural oils and its infusion of nourishing plant oils like elderberry and bee friendly starflower oil makes this product the essential beginning of your daily skincare routine. The freshest start? A spa experience at home? We think so.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer 

The Dyson Supersonic cult is real, precisely because it’s revolutionary. Engineered with intelligent heat control, this high-tech tool dries hair faster while preventing heat damage, making it a must-have for anyone serious about hair health. Its lightweight, futuristic design and ultra-powerful airflow make blowouts quicker and smoother, while attachments cater to every hair type. The Supersonic is an investment that  elevates everyday hair drying to a professional-grade experience, securing its place as the gold standard in beauty tech.

Local, effective, and packed with glow-boosting ingredients, SKOON.’s Wow Wow Wonder 3-Hyaluron C Serum is South Africa’s answer to high-performance hydration. Combining three types of hyaluronic acid with vitamin C, this serum plumps, brightens, and deeply hydrates the skin, leaving it visibly refreshed. Its lightweight texture absorbs effortlessly, making it ideal for layering under moisturiser or SPF. Loved for its clean beauty ethos and potent formula, this homegrown hero has earned a cult following for delivering dewy, bouncy skin with every drop. We also love a product that is designed to look good on display; we simply have to bow down. 

Weleda Skin Food

A backstage beauty secret turned global skincare icon, Weleda Skin Food is the ultimate all-purpose moisturiser. With a rich, botanical-infused formula featuring chamomile, calendula, and rosemary, it deeply nourishes dry, stressed skin. Makeup artists, celebrities, and beauty editors alike swear by its ability to create a dewy, luminous complexion, whether used as a night cream, highlighter, or even hand salve. Despite its old-school origins, its popularity has only grown—proving that sometimes, the best beauty products are the ones that have stood the test of time. Again, as a dry-prone girly, the way my skin drinks up its Skin Food during winter is actually life-saving. The thick, botanical-rich formula melts into parched skin like a comforting balm, leaving behind a dewy (and never greasy) glow. It’s the kind of product you can slather on chapped hands, dry elbows, or layering under foundation for that editorial-level radiance. As we said, it’s multi-purpose. 

We still can’t get over the hero’s journey of Crocs; having gone from a polarising shoe relegated to ‘dads in the garden or at the hardware store’ status, to its fashion-forward presence today. The Classic Crocs Platform takes the love-hate debate to new heights—literally. Elevating the iconic clog with a chunky sole, this version blends comfort with a punk-ish attitude. We have it on good authority by friends who work backstage and on sets that the platform Croc has become the shoe of choice for those who prioritise both ease and statement-making style; basically, crocs is to creatives what Birkenstocks are to chefs. Whether worn ironically or sincerely, one thing is certain: Crocs are here to stay. 

UGG Disquette

Suffusing ‘90s nostalgia with effortless cosiness, the return of UGGs is best embodied by this viral Bella Hadid street style moment. We love the even more cropped UGG Disquette; featuring the brand’s signature plush sheepskin lining and a chunky retro sole, it delivers ultimate comfort with a side of throwback cool. It’s truly giving off-duty supermodel, and the Disquette signals our continued obsession with luxe comfort—sleepwear as outerwear, forever. As UGG’s revival continues, this style proves that the brand’s cult appeal isn’t fading anytime soon.

The North Face Duffel Bag

The North Face Duffel Bag is a travel and adventure staple, designed to withstand just about anything. What can we say? North Face remains gravity-defying as an exalted icon. With its ultra-durable, weather-resistant fabric, and its signature cylindrical shape and versatile straps allow it to function as both a backpack and a duffel, making it perfect for everything from long-haul trips to gym runs. Its reputation for toughness, practicality, and with its notes of the ever-lasting Gorpcore aesthetic, the North Face Duffel has cemented its place as an essential for those always on the move.

Even for those already initiated into the frenzy that is Cape Town’s ‘art week’ — brought on by the annual Investec Cape Town Art Fair – it can be difficult to navigate where to put your time and energy. The entire city has cottonned on and taken advantage (rightly so) of the flux of interest in the arts, from a market, cultural resource, entertainment and educational perspective. In an attempt to illuminate some of the satellite events adjacent to and independent of ICTAF, we’ve curated a round up of events which might make the decisions to leave your house less daunting. Here we go!

Investec Cape Town Art Fair

Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF) is Africa’s largest art fair – enough said. They host over 120 exhibitors, 30 000 visitors, and 10 000 VIPs. It offers a platform for galleries, collectors, curators and artists from around the globe to create connections at the forefront of contemporary art. With an intimate experience of one of the world’s most unique art capitals, ICTAF has proven to be the place where the African art market and the international art world meet. They are hosting their 12th edition from 21-23 February 2025.

In addition to hosting galleries from SA, Africa and abroad, ICTAF is also hosting guided walkabouts and facilitated talks with moderators in conversation with artists, which also reflect this year’s theme ‘Play’. Gain insight and get inspired by these world-class panellists discussing everything from digital media to environmental responsibility and the impact of global collaboration.

Here are some of the topics which will be explored on Saturday 22 February:

Talk 1: The Role of Digital Media and Film in Contemporary Art

Talk 2: The Power of Art in Global Brand Collaborations

Talk 3: Imagining A Brighter Future Through Environmental And Social Responsibility

Talk 4: The Impact of Contemporary Art from Africa on Global Narratives

Talk 5: Bringing the Studio to the Fair: Creative Conversations with the Artists

Notable talks taking place on Sunday 23 February:

Art Walk with Sean O’Toole: Reimagining Craft through Global Makers and Materials

For more information about the available satellite events taking place at ICTAF, click here.

Book tickets for Investec Cape Town Art Fair here

Bree Castle House Open Studios

On Wednesday 19 February 2025, Bree Castle House will once again present an Open Studios event. Hosted by RESERVOIR, an art gallery on the 7th floor of the building, Bree Castle Open Studios forms part of the official VIP programme for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2025.

Further to this, Design Week South Africa (which had its inaugural launch in October 2024) is popping up at Bree Castle House Open Studios on the first floor with an installation, entitled ‘Progression ll – The Prelude’, by Onesimo Bam. Onesimo will also be extending this installation to form a fashion show, taking place on Sunday 23 February during Open Bree, on Bree Street. Open Bree is an initiative encouraging pedestrianism and community in the city, which continues to run year-round. 

Open Studios will showcase 20 artists’ spaces across 9 floors to reveal process and unseen works. To name one, designer Koos Groenewald will be revealing a limited edition (set of 10) shirts designed in collaboration with National Arts Council and Art Club and Friends. 

Open from 18:00 – 20:00 at Bree Castle House, Cape Town.

RSVP for Bree Castle House Open Studios here

NURU Showroom 

In a recent interview with conceptual fashion designer Lezanne Viviers, she mentioned how 2025 would be the year for community establishment with like-minded creatives. With fellow founders, Nubia Moussa, Kerstin Engler and Didi Mogashoa, they have created NURU African Collective Showroom, taking place from 18 to 23 February.

NURU promises to make waves at the Cape Town Art Fair, shining a spotlight on African art and design that encourage collectors and clients to ‘Play’ – following suit from this year’s ICTAF theme.

In the spirit of play, they are inviting viewers to an exclusive visit to the historic Art Deco penthouse of Lezanne’s at Mutual Heights. The showroom fosters collaboration, shared resources, and a sense of camaraderie, showcasing ethical, authentic and artful design that reflect the spirit and culture of the African continent through conversations with art and fashion, together shaping a new paradigm.

The showroom will feature artists and designers such as ⁠Frances VH Mohair, Water Dixon, Boemo Diale, Yolanda Mazwana, Crystal Birch, House of Gozdawa, ⁠⁠Daisie Jo, ⁠⁠Viviers, ⁠⁠In Company, ⁠⁠Lukhanyo Mdingi, ⁠⁠Driaan Claasen, ⁠⁠Gabrielle Kruger to name a few.

SHOWROOM: 18–23 February 2025 (Apartment 1101, Mutual Heights)

ART FAIR BOOTH: 21–23 February 2025 (Investec Cape Town Art

NURU Showroom is available for viewing by appointment only. Book appointment here

Imagery courtesy of NURU

Lemkus Gallery

Lemkus Gallery celebrates the opening of ‘GIRLS TOO: TOO MUCH, NEVER ENOUGH’, a group exhibition curated by Keely Shinners and assisted by Mihlali Jiya, taking place from Thursday 13 February.

Following from ‘GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS’, an exhibition curated by Keely Shinners and Dominique Cheminais that was organised loosely around femininity and its discontents, GIRLS TOO goes deeper into the question: what is it that makes us girls? Who’s us? What’s girls? 

Keely shares, “Anatomy is a sham, so let’s bin all talk of biology. Identity and its tentacular associations – gender, sexuality – are too unstable, too in flux, so let’s eschew that game of category too. The way we see it, GIRLS is a mystery. An enigma. A vanishing point. A sense. A sense of bloat and a sense of depletion. A sense, simultaneously, of excess and lack. A sense of being too much – too much and yet never enough. The artists gathered for the show approach their work from different vantage points, but each shares – in some way, shape, or form – an affinity with this paradox: TOO MUCH, NEVER ENOUGH.”

Featuring work by: Alka Dass, Cara Biederman, Charity Vilakazi, Dominique Cheminais, Gabriele Jacobs, Jet Snaith, Kerry Lee Chambers, Leah Mascher, Lebogang Mabusela, Miró van der Vloed, Nabeeha Mohamed, Nano Le Face, Neha Misra, Queezy Babaz, Sara Matthews, Sichumile Adam, Tyra Naidoo and Yolanda Mazwana.

Poster image: Sichumile Adam, Red, 2023

Visit LEMKUS Gallery to view the exhibition until 20 March 2025

D.O.G: PARTY & PLAY 

What has now become an institution celebrating self-expression and community – Death of Glitter (D.O.G) is hosting a ‘queer utopia’ party on 28 February at Alley Cape Town in Paarden Eiland (between 20:00 – 04:00). Since relaunching in May last year, The D.O.G has grown, solidifying its place as one of Cape Town’s most revered LGBQTIA+ nightlife events.

“Our community needs spaces of frivolity, now more than ever,” says D.O.G founder and Creative Director Tazmé Pillay. “We are entering into a moment of chaos. Locating the dance floor as a place of respite and playfulness is what we need to prepare ourselves for the reality of that moment. We need these utopias to not just survive – but thrive.” 

The intimate and accessible warehouse space in Paarden Island will be transformed by D.O.G’s creative team, including renowned lighting designer Kieran McGregor and digital artist Scumboy, under the creative direction of Tazmé Pillay. South African pop star and ‘ghetto rave’ pioneer Moonchild Sanelly will be making a special stop at D.O.G, giving us a taste of what to expect from her upcoming European tour. Moonchild will be supported by Kat Davids, Tipp.Exe, Soulchoke, Elle, Tactix, Phijos, DRAGMOTHER.

Book tickets for D.O.G here

Imagery courtesy of D.O.G

Ses’fikile

For more nightlife events, the Investec Cape Town Art Fair afterparty will be hosted by Ses’fikile at Botanik Social Club on 22 February from 9pm-4am. Sindiswe Zungu is the headline act for their 2nd birthday celebration which coincides with the Art Fair. It’s the opportunity to dance among the creatives, rub shoulders with the artists and explore the darker side of the ‘white cube’.

Book tickets for Ses’Fikile Afterparty here

Afterimage film screenings

Launched in January 2025, Afterimage is a film screening programme, funded by the National Arts Council and run by Mitchell Gilbert Messina and Ben Albertyn. Each screening has an artist share a work of theirs alongside some of the short films and reference material that informed it. The aim is to show video art outside the gallery or the password protected link, and to have artists frame their work within a lineage, highlighting the traits shared with works that came before it. 

Artists’ films have a tendency to feel fully formed, when they’re more often a collection of decisions held together by internal logic, homages and making-do with the footage available.

Afterimage is hosting screenings twice a month at The Labia. The latest screening features work by Dale Lawrence on 19 February, which is free and open to the public, though capacity is limited to 48 people.

Book free tickets for Afterimage here

Imagery courtesy of Ses’fikile

Norval x Mount Nelson x RESERVOIR 

In collaboration with the Norval Foundation, RESERVOIR presents Disrupting the Dream: Surreal Narratives from the Norval Foundation Collection, an exhibition exploring contemporary African and diasporic perspectives on Surrealism. Opening on 22 February 2025, this year-long exhibition will be installed in the public spaces of the historic Mount Nelson – A Belmond Hotel, offering guests and visitors an immersive engagement with groundbreaking works from the Norval Foundation Collection. 

Cape Town Furniture Week 

Last, but certainly not least, another exciting festival of design is taking place around Cape Town from 19 to 22 February. Cape Town Furniture Week (CTFW) is a 4-day festival for contemporary furniture, lighting and homeware. The third annual edition features open showrooms, exhibitions, talks and factory tours. The aim is to invite designers and the general public to discover new products and ideas by exhibitors and brands, to connect with peers in the industry, and to engage in conversations around design, craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability. Exhibitors and talks include local designers Weylandts x Thebe Magugu and Piers Mansfield x Sindiso Khumalo among many more. 

Learn more about CTFW and RSVP to events here

There is truly so much to be inspired by and engage with in Cape Town over the next few weeks – this list is far from exhausted, in fact, visit Leo’s Wine Bar for a colourful popup with Lea Colombo; ‘That Art Fair Feeling’ party at Gorgeous George featuring M. Field (Friday 21 February) and pop in to see the ICTAF installation at AKJP Studio. We hope this aids in navigating the city with more direction, in the pursuit of supporting culture and those responsible for the organisation and expression behind it.

Imagery courtesy of Cape Town Furniture Week

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

At face value, technology and all of its mediated interfaces bring us closer. When we’re online, distance is reduced and connection is possible via pixels and platforms ad infinitum. In an information age, romance is marketably attainable so long as you’re willing to pick your preferences, create a profile and chat with semi-strangers. And if that doesn’t work, you still have the option of an AI boyfriend (Spike Jonze tried to warn us, but we thought it was fiction). We’ve managed to automate intimacy, to a degree where it sometimes doesn’t feel very intimate at all. For a chronically online culture, where the private is increasingly public, so many of the essential elements of romance have faded away, only to be replaced with coded texts, story surveillance and performativity. If you’re in search of love, you have to ask yourself whether all the profiling, DMing and swiping can genuinely accommodate and sustain a partnership that supersedes the liminal, digital realm. 

Personally, I’d like to believe that love can and does exist online. I myself have found flesh-and-blood sweethearts on Bumble, connected with community on Instagram, and maintained friendships via WhatsApp group chats. But these processes are not without flaws. Before you find ‘The One’ (Pty Ltd.), you’re likely to experience plenty of awkward, borderline creepy encounters. And even still, once you find someone you actually enjoy being around, there will be work. In an attention economy, where we’re always competing for time to be it all and achieve it all, relationships can feel like projects, something else to schedule into your Google Calendar. Even beyond the dating apps, we have to interface our relationships through a screen, texting and calling frequently. On top of that, we’re expected to externally profile our relationship to the world — because God forbid you let the simps think you’re single. Routinely, whether you’re seeing someone or not, navigating love online will leave you wondering whether romance is dead. 

Imagery courtesy of Death to Stock

Byung-Chul Han, author of The Agony of Eros, would probably argue that it is. In his 2012 essay, Han contends that modern love has been formulated entirely around the self, and is increasingly commodified and shaped as a channel for self-gratification. This approach to love, which focuses on the positive and easy, is theorised as a byproduct of living in a capitalist, achievement society. In a context where identity and freedom are closely associated with work, entrepreneurship, achievement and ability, love becomes yet another area of labour, something to maximise and routinise until it’s easy to please and quick to compliment. This is far different from the ecstatic pain and sacrifice associated with the lost love of Shakespearean times. Today, we tend to prefer what photographs well, affirms us and pleases us. Rather than submitting ourselves to what is unfamiliar or difficult, we prefer to embrace the immediately gratifying. Perhaps that’s why we lean on the dopamine hits of dating apps, pornography and AI lovers — these hedonistic endeavours don’t threaten our yearning for affirmation and control.  

To put it plainly, Han thinks we’re narcissists. He’s not the first. To be fair, he’s a bit of a cynic, but he’s not necessarily wrong. Take social media. Dating someone means tearing apart their profiles and assessing your mutuals in routine background checks. This mandatory vetting protocol keeps you safe, but regardless it’s scary how easily we can approve or reject someone based on their avatars. If the digital profiles we fashion are mere mirrors, reflections of only the most publicly pleasing parts of ourselves, then depending on them as channels for love will likely lead to superficiality. A profile can’t reflect your interior world, all of its contradictions and transgressions. Yet, it will probably impact who we fall in love with, and how we frame that love. It can be the determining factor of a first date, the thing that blows up the group chat or the source material for idealised daydreams. It’s like our partners have become paid actors in the narratives we craft about Who We Are, produced purely for public consumption. 

Imagery courtesy of Death to Stock

Is this all just another example of how humanity’s intersection with technology hollows out our capacity to genuinely connect? Have we turned love — once founded on mystery, wonder and selflessness — into something akin to career recruitment? If the answer is yes, it’s no wonder why so many of us struggle to make it past the dreaded situationship, even though most Gen Z’s crave monogamy. Evidently, so many of our interactions are founded on a compulsion to stroke our own egos — and what does that better than a weekend-long hang with someone who fits your preferred height requirements? And to complicate things further, the automated engagement markets that shape our echo chambers only bring us closer to ourselves. No wonder we’re shocked when we meet someone who disagrees, or listens to different music. Han would argue that this is just another side effect of a society of ‘sameness’ and self-preservation. He says, “All negativity, all negative feeling, is avoided. Passion and pain are giving way to pleasant feelings and inconsequential arousal. In the age of the “quickie,” the casual encounter, and sex as stress-relief, sexuality is losing all negativity, too. The wholesale absence of negativity is degrading love into an object of consumption, a matter of hedonistic calculation.”

So, final question: can love — literary love, true love, ‘Eros’ — exist in an information society obsessed with individuality, performance and achievement? To be honest, I don’t really know. Love, after all, is entirely subjective, and resistant to intellectualisations. But the answer, I think, depends on your willingness to reconceptualise love itself. If you can accept that, within love, there is a critical need to disagree, to sacrifice pride and remove pretence, then there may be a real chance. But if appearances, performance criteria and immediacy are of higher priority right now, you may be searching for something else. Either way, to save you from becoming the insufferable Carrie, it might be worth assessing whether your idea of romance is based on a need to protect your own ego. Tough ask, for sure. But if the myths are true, beyond ego death lies something worth signing off for. 

Written by: Drew Haller

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

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