♥

I’ve got a secret to let you in on. I understand you probably wont believe me, but everything I’m about to tell you is true!

After years & years of suffering from the dreaded “Ailuropoda melanoleuca” affliction, I’ve been cured. I’m free, I’m not a slave to this condition anymore!

Peculiar animal genus names aside, panda eyes are a well known side-effect of:

a) not removing makeup before bed, usually due to alcohol consumption prior in the evening
b) up close and personal passionate liaisons
c) sessions at the beach/pool where you foolishly forgot you were wearing mascara.

Dear me!

Clinique Lash Power Mascara changes all that.

Originally drawn to it from hearing rave reviews about the interesting & kinda fun method of removal*, I picked up Lash Power in Onyx a fair while ago and haven’t looked back.

It applies well, gives the lashes length & thickness, but most of all the staying power is second to none. It goes all day & all night without smudging. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve fallen asleep with it on (horrible I know!) and woken up in the morning with ABSOLUTELY NO SIGN OF ANY BLACK UNDER EYE MONSTROSITIES!

It’s a miracle, for sure and it’s going to take some pretty hefty convincing to knock this baby off my Ultimate Mascara Winner’s Pedestal

While the tube looks smaller than many other products, it’s been going strong for 3 months so far with me and I use it every day.

Totally love this product and do get a bit crabby when I accidentally leave it at work over the weekend because I am a complete scatterbrain that also likes to have good eyelashes at work.

* Jump in the shower or get some warm water going in your basin, carefully wet your lashes with said warm water, twist your lashes lightly with your thumb & forefinger – VOILA! Little mascara tubes / wormies in your hands!

RRP $38 AUD – Available at Clinique counters.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ – not the actual smoothie I had, but pretty close!

Having originally started operating on Saturdays at the Subiaco Markets, The Raw Food & Smoothie Bar has now found itself among possibly more like-minded friends in the heart of the Fremantle Markets!

After my original article on The Raw Kitchen, I’d been meaning to pop down to meet the owners Emma & Heath and also slurp up some delicious smoothies & check out their raw foodie treats.

Well let me tell you, I am SO glad I did!

I’ve been having dilemmas & issues regarding chain brand juice & smoothie stores that rhyme with “spruced” due to their yoghurt, which contains gelatine (a no-no for vegetarians). Plus they are generally high in sugar and ice, so while I know they are tasty, I’ve been on the lookout for something a little more beneficial to my body and our animal friends.

The Raw Food & Smoothie Bar ticks all my health, eco and animal friendly boxes! But most importantly, TASTE! Hooray!

I chose the ‘Strawberry Sip’ which comprised simply of frozen bananas, strawberries & almond milk. Simple. Absolutely delicious. It didn’t need a single thing more!

The price for a smoothie is now $7… for that price you get:

♥ A huge, very filling and totally delicious, thirst quenching drink that simultaneously nourishes your body and makes you feel great because there are no nasties, preservatives or things your body doesn’t want. Plus it’s not hurting our animal pals. Win.
♥ A cup that is made completely from corn (!?! I don’t know how this works, but I like it) and is 100% bio-degradable.
♥ Huge props from me!

They also have other raw goodies for sale, I saw chocolate & vanilla macaroons (drool), RAW PIZZA – this actually looked fantastic and I can’t wait to try it, RAW CHEESECAKE – again, I didn’t get to try this as I’d just eaten a huge crepe (tsk tsk!) but it looked fabulous and it’s a high priority for me, I’ll definitely be reporting back on that one!

A completely healthy junk food feast? Count me in ;)!

I really can’t recommend this business highly enough for those who are interested in wellbeing and delicious eating, which should be all of us really!

Please check them out!

Website: The Raw Kitchen / Raw Food & Smoothie Bar

Also have a gander at Em’s Beauty & Wellbeing Routine!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

For those of you who don’t know, Body Balance is a light-medium intensity workout that combines yoga, pilates & tai-chi style movements.

In my personal experience, Body Balance (BB) is more of a workout than a standard yoga or pilates class. All the movements are done in quick succession and there is less time to rest between poses, or ‘tracks’ as they are called in BB, due to each sequence of moves being performed to music.

I’d previously read that BB is pretty easy, however as I was quite unfit I found myself huffing, puffing and generally being very worn out after my first session! It is definitely suitable for beginners, but you’re not going to just breeze through it and even as your fitness and flexibility develop, you can work harder in the poses, so it’s still challenging.

The lovely Beth usually takes the Tuesday evening (6.30pm) & Saturday afternoon (3.00pm) classes that I frequent, she is very approachable and encouraging, which is exactly what you want in a fitness instructor.

There are various ‘releases’ throughout the year, meaning that the sequence and music of the class changes, which keeps things fresh and new!

Classes generally run a little like this:

♥ A tai-chi style track to warm up
♥ Core strengthening work
♥ A track to work on balance
♥ A track to improve flexibility
♥ Some floor work that targets abs, legs & back
♥ Another tai-chi style track to settle down
♥ Meditation (MY FAVOURITE PART!)

All up the class goes for an hour and I have seen benefits from going such as a tighter tummy, more defined calves, a great feeling of relaxation for the rest of the day and consistently being in a super-cheery mood the day after I attend!

The only negative would be that because the classes have so many attendees and only one teacher, there is no time for personal attention to make sure that you are performing the poses correctly. This leaves room for the possibility of injuries, unlike most yoga classes where the teachers come around and correct you if they notice you’re not aligning yourself right.

If you have any known injuries, you can let the teacher know and they will give you alternative options.

Body Balance @ Riverton Leisureplex costs $10 for an hour and is a worthwhile addition to my exercise routine!

Riverton Leisureplex

Address: Corner of Riley and High Roads, Riverton

Fax: 9231 0910

Email: leisureplex@canning.wa.gov.au

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

Laughing is good for your health. There is a veritable roll call of measurable benefits to be gained from having a giggle, such as…

♥ Reduction of stress hormones, increase in feel-good hormones like endorphins
♥ Physical & emotional release
♥ Workout for the heart & internal organs
♥ Distraction from problems
♥ Connection with others

With this in mind and on the hunt for something different to do on a Friday night with a friend, I stumbled across Friday Night Stand Up @ Lazy Susans Comedy Den, at The Brisbane.

I’d never been to The Brisbane before and found it to be a delightful and elegantly styled ‘pub’ / venue. The Comedy Den is located upstairs (you just have to traverse what must be the steepest staircase in all of Perth to reach it!)

We were seated in a really cute room reminiscent of Seinfeld, as I and other audience members noted and at 8.30pm the acts started. There were three comedians & a host (who was also, surprise surprise, a comedian!)

Here are my thoughts about the evening in general: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!

It was the best night out I’ve had in ages, my cheeks were hurting from laughing so much. All of the comedians were fantastic and I would honestly recommend it to EVERYONE I know. The performers vary from week to week, some of them are Perth based and others are touring acts. All are designed to get you chortling, which they do!

I should note that there were plenty of swear words, politically incorrect jokes and references to sex, so if this offends, it’s probably best to give this comedy night a miss.

Friday Night Standup costs $18 (you can book at BOCS or tickets on the door if there are any left) and it went for a little over two hours. Well worth the money and I left with a huge smile and, I’m sure, plenty of endorphins racing around my body!

Lazy Susans Comedy Den runs comedy nights Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday! So you have no excuse not to get some humour & good health into your week!

I’m not sure who Lazy Susan actually is, but she’s 130% onto a winner.

Upstairs @ the Brisbane Hotel
Cnr Brisbane & Beaufort St
Highgate Perth, WA 6003

Email: solongley@yahoo.com

Tel: (08) 9328 2543

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Virtual Reality Therapy (photo supplied by Vision Counselling)

Always up for something new in the quest for stress reduction and wellbeing, a few weeks ago I decided to take part in some Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT). It sounded pretty “space age” and my initial thoughts drifted to popping on some goggles and talking to a robot therapist who would then magically remove all stress from my life.

While only half of my dream bubble came true (I’ll have to find a robot therapist ELSEWHERE!), I was quite delighted by my VRT experience and will explain my findings to you below, cos that’s what I’m here for!

I chose the Stress Reduction VRT, they also have one to assist with quitting smoking.

♥ The therapist, Katie Larkin, explained the whole process thoroughly, I signed some forms to indicate I didn’t have any conditions that may make VRT inappropriate, for example, it is not recommended for severely claustrophobic individuals, although I have to note that I am slightly claustrophobic, however was completely fine during the session.

♥ Seated in a very comfy chair with my legs up and cushions to snuggle into, I put on the VR goggles & headphones. The video started and I was transported to a world where there are gardens, monks, flowing rivers, birds and a tale being narrated about all of the above…

♥ After a while, some hypnotic spirals start integrating into the visual track, after this it gets a little hazy but I’ll do my best to remember!

♥ I’m asked to imagine leaving my body, and am now without the constraints of time & distance (so says my narrator!), so I travel to Northern China to meet with the monks in their garden & monastery.

♥ Travelling across space & time was my favourite part of the whole experience, I was really in the moment and it just felt really ‘right’ and possible, as peculiar as that may sound. In my semi-hypnotised state, I spent some time with the monks reflecting, breathing and being.

♥ I don’t really remember the point where I had to come back to full consciousness, but I definitely didn’t want to go to work afterwards! I felt very calm, relaxed and like I could possibly go to sleep again right then and there!

Overall it was a very positive experience that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend, however at $100 for an hour session it is expensive. That said it is a therapy generally used in conjunction with counseling to address issues on a conscious level as well as subconscious (VRT), so I would suggest it to be suitable for those who are struggling with issues such as stress management, depression & anxiety, or trying to break habits, such as smoking.

Alternatively, if you have money to spare & are keen to try different forms of relaxation then definitely give this a whirl! A course of 4-6 is recommended to see longer lasting benefits.

Therapist: Katie Larkin
Location: Vision Counselling

Vivacious Living Centre
Upper Floor
9 Riseley Square
Applecross WA 6153
Perth, Western Australia

Phone: 0424 298 005
Email: visioncounselling@live.com.au
Website: http://www.visioncounselling.com.au

Be well,

xoxo