Lately I’ve been getting into a whole range of new skincare products which have been rocking my world, so this edition of Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes is solely dedicated to all things skin!

♥ @thebeautychef

♥ Carla Oates Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost

I’m a HUGE fan of the concept of ‘internal skincare’, and Carla Oates is all about it too. Her catchphrase “beauty begins in the belly” resonates with me, and is a nod to the exciting new research into the effect of probiotics and gut health on all systems of the body – including the quality of our skin.

Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost tastes fantastic and is PACKED full of probiotics, antioxidants and other goodies. I’ve just started to include a tablespoon per day in a glass of filtered water. I definitely feel that when I take this beauty elixir I’m helping to give my skin & body what it needs to thrive and can’t wait to see the long term results of taking it daily! As an added bonus it’s really good for your digestion too.

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♥ Qsilica Naturally Clear Skin Cleanser

I’ve been using this product for a couple months now and I have to say, this is a really good cleanser! My skin never feels too dry / too oily / stripped afterwards. It just feels soft, dewy and perfectly cleansed. For me, this cleanser doesn’t stop most breakouts, my skin is mostly affected by what I eat and drink – so it wont prevent a breakout if I’ve “accidentally” consumed half a block of Whittakers Coconut Chocolate and 3 ciders, but it does stop any pesky little spots caused by “accidentally” falling asleep in my makeup. And it makes my skin feel amazing regardless, so I will continue to use it while I pray that coconut chocolate becomes a thing of the past so that I’m not regularly tempted by it (probably not going to happen).

♥ @gotoskincare

♥ Exfoliating Swipeys by Go-to-Skincare

This product. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! I’ve been following skincare saviour and all round quirky gal Zoe Foster Blake since her days penning her first blog, Fruity Beauty. She’s the ultimate “it’s totally okay to be kinda weird but also cool girl”, and for a while now she’s been killing it with her own beauty range, Go-to-Skincare.

There are a number of pretty special products, but the Exfoliating Swipeys are my DEAD SET FAVOURITE!

First, the name. Very good. Next, the results. Also very good. Each swipey, which is a little cotton pad, is full to the brim with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) and gently dissolves dead skin cells, unclogs pores, refines skin and generally just makes your skin totally ace. I like to use mine in the shower after cleansing, I get swipey on my face and then do other showery things for a minute while keeping my face away from the water so the AHA’s don’t wash off. After 60 seconds you can rinse away to your hearts content.

The best thing to do afterwards is massage 4 drops of rosehip oil – Kosmea is my current favourite – into your skin, wait 10 minutes and then apply Very Useful Face Cream, which is another Go-to-Skincare prod. My best advice is to do this right before bed, get a long snooze in, and then wake up to incredible, glowy skin that you’ll really want to touch (but you shouldn’t!)

SO! Those are my current recommendations. Like it? Lump it? Leave a comment below and let me know! Xo

Be well,

Annette

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If you haven’t heard of Taline Gabrielian yet, you’re in for a real treat. This gorgeous babe has one of the prettiest Instagram’s I’ve EVER seen, and the best part is it’s all super-healthy food related. Win. From rainbow superfood toasts, star studded rice paper rolls & smoothie bowls to make your mouth water, Taline has got it goin ON. And she’s just released her first recipe book so that us mere food mortals can get in on the brightly coloured superhealth action.

Here are three of Taline’s top tips for looking & feeling your very best – enjoy!

♥ Instagram: @talinegabriel

1. What is your top smoothie recipe for glowing skin?

My fave green smoothie has all that you need for glory skin – lime, avocado, ginger, cucumber and leafy greens. Nourishing, tasty and beauty boosting – the right combination.

♥ Instagram: @talinegabriel

2. You have a SUPER busy day ahead, what meals/morning practices do you make sure to squeeze in so that you can make the most out of your day?

Organisation is key. I will often start with a power smoothie in the morning (my blueberry smoothie is a powerhouse!) to give me energy to get through my day. I pack myself snacks like nuts and fruit or a carrot muffin if I have one on hand. And I often prep ingredients for dinner in the morning so that when I’m home after work, it simply involves a throw together of pre-cut veg. Pre-cooking quinoa or pasta is also really handy.

♥ Instagram: @talinegabrielian

3. How do you wind down after a long day?

I’m all about grazing with my family or besties to wind down and sometimes that will involve some sparkly drinks, olives and my snack platter – which includes some super tasty flax crackers I make (recipe in my new book!) and a variety of colourful dips. Other times, when I want some quiet me-time, it’s a candlelit bath, some loungy tunes and a warming spicy chai latte. My favourite ritual!

Thanks Taline! If you want to find out more you can follow her on Instagram, or check out Hippie Lane – The Cookbook and you’ll be whipping up beautiful and incredibly healthy food in no time!

Be well,

xoxo

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One of my latest skincare obsessions has been the Qsilica Naturally Clear Skin Cleanser, which I’ve been using for about 2 months now. Why do I love it so much? WELL…

♥ It feels really, really good on the skin
♥ It’s non-drying
♥ Leaves skin dewy, hydrated & clear
♥ Smells good
♥ Contains silica, vitamin e & jojoba oil. All skin-loving natural ingredients.

So that you can have the chance to be as in love with this cleanser as me, Wellness WA + Qsilica are giving you the chance to win one of two Naturally Clear Skincare Kits, valued at $59.95 each!!!

These packs contain the Naturally Clear Skin Cleanser, Naturally Clear Skin Support Tablets (vegan!) and the Naturally Clear Spot Gel. Your next breakout wont know what hit it, if you even get one. This is a powerful trio and you’ll be well on your way to your Best. Skin. Ever.

To be in the running all you have to do is leave a comment below with your email address, letting me know why you NEED to try these Qsilica products (and trust me, you do!).

Winners will be announced on Monday the 17th of April. Good luck!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I wasn’t always someone who was passionate about green smoothies, Leafy greens and looking at nutrition labels. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia. I found that while some medicines could alleviate symptoms, they couldn’t bring me health and happiness. This is when I turned my life around, looking at food and cooking as more of a healing instrument and included it more jn my lifestyle.I love creating healthy, delicious and simple food and want to inspire other people to do the same! I’m an author, blogger, a yoga teacher, wife and a mum! I advocate listening to your body and your gut – your body is an amazing machine and will be the first one on board of your health journey if you let it!

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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine! What are your non-negotiables for looking and feeling your best?.

I love to keep my skincare routine as simple as possible! The first thing I do is drink a scoop of my Heal Your Gut Powder. I truly believe that natural beauty comes from within, so this is a non-negotiable part of my day. I then wash my face with Natural Instinct Cleansing Oil, followed by their beautiful Rosehip Oil. I always make sure to apply Natural Instinct Tinted Natural Sunscreen SPF30 before heading out for the day.

Before I go to bed I love to apply my Supercharged Food Earth Mask & Scrub as either an exfoliating scrub or mask. I apply it and then rinse it off in a nice warm shower. I then make sure to dab Rosehip oil at night and sleep with it on – there’s nothing better than the feel of Rosehip on my skin!

♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

I love having massages. After long days working at the office, I just need a release! I couldn’t think of anything better than the tension to literally just drop off my shoulders by the hands of a professional.

♥ Who do you trust with your hair, and why?

I don’t have a particular place I go to and am really lazy when it comes to hair care I normally only wash it once a week and then add a bit of coconut oil as a moisturiser, I learnt that trick whilst studying in India 🙂

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

My favourite at home treatment is applying my Supercharged Food Earth, Mask & Scrub as a mask, lighting a candle, putting on soft music and having a ten-minute meditation!

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♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

I love Natural Instincts Rosehip Oil, my Heal Your Gut Powder and Southern Nature’s Colostrum!

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet?

I would love to go to a Salt Therapy room but just haven’t had the chance! I love the idea of negative ions and would love to test out the salt room for myself! (ED: Check out Salts of the Earth in Vic Park & Wangara!)

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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you – brekky, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks – the works!

I love having eggs for breakfast! I usually make my Café-style smoked salmon, eggs and asparagus from my new Fast Your Way to Wellness book.

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For lunch, I usually enjoy a delicious salad with leftover protein from dinner, lots of greens and some of my favourite filling foods: avocado!

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I usually snack on carrots or celery but I’m also a sucker for berries in summer! If I have any left in the freezer, I love snacking on my Turmeric Fudge and have a special surprise coming up about that soon – be sure to check my blog in the next coming weeks!

My hot drink of choice is always homemade chai! Maybe it’s because of my Indian roots but nothing warms me up quite like it.

I love sharing meals with my family. There’s something so special to be about sitting around the table and sharing food with the people you love. Right now for a quick lunch I’m loving these veggie nori wraps as they are delicious, nutritious and easy to make from my new Fast Your Way to Wellness book!

♥ How do you like to get your body moving? Describe your weekly fitness routine.

I start most mornings with a walk along the coastline! I know it sounds very simple but there’s something just so magical to me about a solo walk, appreciating the view and clearing my head. I teach yoga a few times a week and make sure to get my practice in too!

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♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, we’d love to hear about it!

I’m lucky enough to be an ambassador for the wonderful brand Southernature! Anybody who knows me is probably sick of hearing about my passion about the brand. I take Omega 3 to reduce inflammation, Colostrum for keeping my gut in check and the Good Night Sleep to calm me down and help ease me into a restful night’s sleep.

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♥ You’ve got a big event in 7 days time that you need to look incredible for. What’s your plan of attack to look & feel your absolute best?

I practice intermittent fasting 2 days a week. I go into detail about intermittent fasting in my latest book Fast Your Way to Wellness, but I’ll give you the down-low! On my ‘fasting days’, I consume 500 calories and for men I recommend 600 calories. The calories I do consume are made up of organic, non-processed and nutritious food. Fasting helps to increase fat burning, control your appetite, reduce inflammation, give the digestive system a rest and help you look and feel the best you can! I usually fast the day before an event so that I go into that day feeling light, not bloated, and excited! If you want to read more about intermittent fasting, or if you would like to purchase my new book, you can check it out on my blog.

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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

When I have too many things going on, I know that it’s my time to switch off completely. I turn all my electronic devices off, put a candle on and sit in a bath filled with Epsom salts and a good magazine or book. I find sometimes I get too caught up in work and forget to breathe! I know for me personally, it’s so important to take time out and just remember to put everything into perspective – whether it’s work, university or school work, things always work out for the best and it’s important to stay positive and smiling!

♥ How many hours sleep do you usually get each night? Do you have any bedtime rituals or tips to help you get a great nights sleep?

My younger self would be shocked at the sleep routine I have now! I like to go to bed early and aim for 8 hours of sleep a night. Before I go to bed, I make sure to stay away from all electrical devices for at least an hour, take a Southernature Good Night Sleep supplement and spray my pillow with lavender essential oils to calm my mind.

♥ And lastly… do you have any top secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Look after your gut! Not only is the gut at the core of your health, it is closely connected to your immune system and your brain, and I’d say those are two important parts of the body! Some easy tips for looking after the gut is to avoid gluten, stay hydrated and manage stress. If you want to know more about healing the gut, you can check out my 4 week Heal Your Gut Program or, my 2-day Heal Your Gut Maintenance Program.

If you have any questions for Lee, please leave them in the comments! I hope you’ve learnt something from her interview – let me know who you’d like interviewed next!

Be well,

Annette

xo

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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I am a Pilates Instructor that wholeheartedly believes in the magic of mindful movement and the connection between mind and body in feeling well and good!

I founded Perth Pilates Collective to create a fun and supportive space for individuals to pursue their wellness goals and enjoy a mindful pilates practice in a unique environment that would not only have physical benefits, but also improve the mind.

I am a big believer that changing your physical environment and getting out amongst nature takes us off auto pilot and allows us to pause, experience the current moment and give gratitude for what is. My continuing education in psychology and keen interest in yoga further drives my curiosity and passion for helping others restore a mindful balance in physical and mental well being.

♥ Nars Laguna/Orgasm Duo

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine! What are your non-negotiables for looking and feeling your best?.

My daily beauty routine is pretty simple and that’s the way I like it! A quality moisturiser with an exceptionally high SPF rating is a must given I am outside a lot (I like the Nivea range for affordability!), a dab of mascara (Rimmel is a goodie) and a touch of Nars Bronzer in Laguna sets me up for the day!

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Coconut oil is my number one natural go to after a long week, working as a face mask and all over body moisturiser. I also enjoy the Facial Glow Mask by Elemental Herbology to get my natural glow on and wake up tired skin (I have a lot of early morning starts!).

♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Batiste dry shampoo in light to medium brunette is a lifesaver to keep the sweaty hair at bay when running between studios, a nourishing facial moisturiser with 30+ SPF to protect my noggin (I like Nivea’s Light Feel Daily Face Veil) and Rimmel Scandal Eyes mascara in Extreme Black for a touch of pretty.

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet?

I would actually love to try a facial one day! The closest I’ve ever gotten is an at home mixture of oats and honey or coconut oil. Perhaps I’ll give it a go one day in an exotic location like Hawaii or the Greek islands, that’s usually where my spare time and money goes; travel!

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you – brekky, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks – the works!

I am a big breakfast kind of gal and often wake up with a rumbling tummy! Oats and banana are my staples in the morning, sprinkled with almonds, berries and a dash of peanut butter for energy and concentration throughout the day.

Given I am often on the go I snack on fruit and nuts, as they are easy to carry around and are a good sized snack in between classes that won’t make me feel sick when upside down or bouncing around at the studio! Plus the slow burning energy from nuts aids my concentration and keep me full until dinner.

Lunch almost always involves avo on a hearty slice of rye bread, topped with sauerkraut for healthy skin and nails and digestive health (plus they are both super delicious!) Dinner is a variation of vego staples; vegetables, tofu and tempeh are all favourites.

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♥ How do you like to get your body moving? Describe your weekly fitness routine.

Pilates is my go to exercise of choice at home, mixing it up between matwork and reformer classes at the studio when I have a spare moment! Pilates is a meditative practice for me. It allows me to reconnect with my body and focus my mind on the present moment. My mind is often racing and quite frankly rarely stops! Pilates slows everything down and gives me something to focus all of my pent up energy in to, whilst doing good for my body and mind; I love it!

I also dabble in yoga to stretch out a sore body after a full teaching schedule and love hiking the beautiful hills of Perth and strolling our beautiful beaches in my spare time.

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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

My absolute favourite way to distress is a combination of pilates and yoga. I am known to integrate a touch of yoga into my pilates classes, combining the strength and core stability of pilates with the zen and tranquility of a yoga practice to calm the mind. I have also recently been introduced to essential oils which have really improved my quality of sleep.

♥ How many hours sleep do you usually get each night? Do you have any bedtime rituals or tips to help you get a great nights sleep?

I struggle at times with anxiety and have found slowing down and switching off before bed time is super important to getting a good nights sleep and recharging for the day ahead, which often starts bright and early! Hours of sleep can range anywhere from 6-9 hours. For a happy medium I aim for 8 hours on average.

My top tips for a good nights’ sleep are disconnecting from technology a good 30 minutes before bed, dimming the lights in your room and doing something relaxing like reading a book, writing in a journal or meditating if you are feeling super wired! All of the above practices allow me to slow the mind and give myself permission to rest my body (and mind!) which is often a tad sore from teaching and racing around during the day.

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♥ And lastly… do you have any top secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Exercise often and be in nature as much as possible. Fresh air and the feeling of fresh grass on the feet will give you perspective and moments of gratitude in even the most challenging of times. I love to get out of the city and in to the country. I am a country girl at a heart and always find my peace by getting back to nature.

Check out Lauren + Perth Pilates Collective on Facebook & Instagram!

What do you think of Lauren’s routine? Leave a comment below if you’d like to know more! 🙂

Be well,

xo