La vie est belle is the fragrance of happiness. The beautiful Julia Roberts, who personifies happiness, even stars in the TV advert.

In celebration of the new global communication campaign for this iconic Lancôme fragrance, that was launched in 2012, the true manifesto of living “la vie est belle” is to #MakeSomeoneHappy

I truly believe that is the greatest gift we can ever give… making someone happy, making someones day, making someone feel special and making someone feel loved.

It made me think. Who could I make happy today? I consider myself to be incredibly fortunate to have wonderful people around me, who make an impact on me daily, who truly love and care about me, who support me and who make me very happy. I never ever want to take that for granted.

I instantly thought of my amazing friend, Kim Delaporte. I first met Kim through Sox – my boyfriend at the time (now my husband.) She is his best friend, Marc Delaporte’s wife. We had met a few times as I visited Cape Town, whilst doing our long distance relationship, and she always ensured that I felt welcomed.

When I moved to Cape Town, we spent a lot of time together and I really grew to love and admire her.

I often think she has no idea just how beautiful she is (inside and out.) We both share a major love for beauty products, face masks and make-up. I adore her wardrobe and often wish I had her long limbs… she’s so effortlessly stylish!

We love a good YouTube tutorial, a good top knot in our hair…

and a good glass of Rosé together, or lately, a refreshing G&T.

She’s become one of my greatest friends here in Cape Town and actually, she’s become family. We were there the day her first daughter, Sloane (Sox’s Goddaughter) was born and the day that their second daughter, Charlie was born. Even though we didn’t get a chance to see her right away, we sat in the delivery waiting room, just to be close by as support.

Sloane was our little flower girl at our wedding…

Marc and Kim were the first friends to arrive at the hospital, the day George was born. I had just been wheeled out of recovery, with George lying on my chest skin-to-skin. I remember being deliriously happy and completely out of it, all at the same time, yet, I remember Kim giving me the biggest squeeze and gasping at the sight of George. George’s birth day is quite a blur for me, but that is something from that day I’ll never forget. Not my best look in these photos below, but dammit, I’d given birth an hour before!

Charlie and Sloane got to meet baby George and I thought my heart was going to explode!
We celebrate Christmas Eve together, with our families, which has become a tradition over the last 3 or 4 years, and each year has just been more and more special as new editions to our families have been born, making that Christmas feeling even more magical than usual.

In this photo below, I was just 12 weeks pregnant (we announced on Christmas Day) and we were all excited for what the following Christmases were going to be like… They have not disappointed. It’s my favourite part of the year now, for sure!

I really admire and respect her as a Mother. In fact, she is one of the people I turn to for advice. I remember when George was really tiny. I was alone at night, while Sox was at work, and he wouldn’t stop crying. Blood curdling crying. I’m not sure who was crying harder… me or him, but I didn’t know what to do. I called Kim and she was so calm! She gave me clear, sweet and calm instructions on how to cradle him a certain way and bounce him. It was like she was the baby whisperer in that very moment, because this red faced screaming tiny baby of mine, stopped screaming immediately. I’ve never felt more gratitude. She is part of my village to raise George and I am so grateful.

No matter how busy life gets (and there are times when weeks will go by and we haven’t seen each other, or even spoken much), she is such a big part of my life and like family, we know we will always be there for one another.

When I thought about who that someone would be in the #MakeSomeoneHappy campaign, it was easy to think of Kim.

Lancôme very kindly sent a bottle of La vie est belle Eau de parfum – a unique olfactory signature with the noblest ingredients of Concrete of Iris Pallida, Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom and Patchouli Essence to Kim. I really hope it makes her as happy as she makes me.