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I’ve been experimenting a bit with smoothies lately, which is loads of fun! Tonight I came across one that is incredible and that I think I’ll stick with for quite some time.

My naturopath recently told me that eating more protein rich foods is excellent for the skin and that consuming more avocados and quinoa (along with some other dietary swaps) will go a long way in clearing up some of the stubborn blemishes that just wont seem to leave me alone!

But how to get more avos in the diet? Answer: SMOOTHIES!

While it may sound ridiculous to the uninitiated, and even I of spinach smoothie raving background was sceptical, the creaminess and mild taste that avocados are famous for go exceptionally well in smoothies.

Here’s my current favourite recipe, if you have one please share it with me!

Avocado, Apple & Berry Smoothie

1.5 x cups of water
1/4-1/2 x avocado
1 x small apple
1 x cup of frozen berries (I used mixed)
1 x tsp of flaxseed oil
1/2 x tsp Super Sprout 100% Strawberry Powder (I was sent this for review, so am currently trying it in all sorts of ways!)

Blend on high for about a minute, or until everything has been processed.

The result is a gorgeously creamy, healthy and delicious smoothie. I just got to the bottom of my cup and am peering sadly into it wishing for more!

It is quite filling on account of the good fats in the avocado and flaxseed oil, so would be perfect for an energising breakfast or post-workout recovery drink.

Love to hear your thoughts!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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

Hello! I’m Tegan, I sing and play synthesizer for Voltaire Twins and also work for the AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things in Perth.

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I get home quite late most nights from band, so I’m pretty reluctant to get up early in the morning for any kind of routine… I use Cetaphil cleanser as it has no fancy fragrances or soaps but it seems to do the job. Most of my make-up is a Korean brand called Missha that I get from a Korean grocer out in the burbs. I wear sunscreen every day in even mildly warm weather to protect my moon tan.

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

I don’t know that I’ve ever really had one… But if I was going to pick, maybe a Mud wrap? It sounds cool, although I’m not 100% sure what it is.

Alison @ Toni & Guy Cott, Hair Wizard

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

My lovely friend Alison from Toni and Guy in Cottesloe cuts my hair, she is some kind of awesome hair wizard and gets it perfect every time.

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

I use Wella Silver Saver which is a purple hair toner, 3 mins in the shower and voila! Silvery-blonde hair!

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

– Fresh Mascara
– Lucas’ Paw Paw
– Nina Ricci Nina perfume

Voltaire Twins by Lloyd Hughes

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Having creative interests and keeping busy makes me really happy. I’m exceptionally lucky to be in a band with my best buddies. We get to hang out, be creative and travel together all the time. I get a lot of satisfaction and excitement out of writing, recording and performing music as well as working with other artists on things like music videos, artwork and remixes.

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)

If funds would ever permit, I’d like to buy a bunch of lotions and potions from Cosmetics Cop, as its cruelty free, environmentally responsible and based on scientific research.

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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

For breakfast I usually try to be healthy and have yoghurt, fruit, toasted muesli or toast. I usually do big vego cook-ups on Sundays of soups, quiches, pasta bakes, rice paper rolls and things so I can eat on the run for most of the week for lunch and dinner. I usually smash a few coffees in a day as well. Then on the weekends anything goes and I eat and drink anything I can find which is usually Paneer Masala, Coode St Café breakfast or poached eggies with my family (our Saturday morning tradition), and then at the more disgusting end of the scale, mi goreng, ice magic, poptarts and all the kinds of alcohol.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

I am pretty busy outside work hours and refuse to get out of bed early so I try to build fitness into my day. I love yoga and used to do it all the time at lunchtime with Jos at Mojo Yoga who is brilliant and not afraid to seriously punish you for your weekend indiscretions. But alas, then my office moved away from yoga so now I do boxing at lunch and I ride my bike to work most days and usually get rained on. I’ve just started playing squash which is a lot of fun too, although I fail at most sports.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

I’ve had physio acupuncture before which was pretty cool, but that’s about it.

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

Poptarts in the bath, baby you got a stew on!

Thanks to lovely Tegan for taking the time from her busy schedule to share her routine with us.

Any questions please reply below!

Be well,

xoxo

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While in Melbourne recently I attended the Mind Body Spirit Expo and was soon negotiating my way round the usual maze of crystals, lotions and psychics. About half way through, just as my feet were threatening divorce from my body, I stumbled across a stand for the Farmers Market at the Melbourne Showground. Okay, I’ll admit the initial attraction had nothing to do with the fresh produce, impressive though it was, no my attraction was the small group of empty plastic chairs in front of the display.

Slumping into the end seat, I closed my eyes and was only vaguely aware of the demonstration taking place. But then I heard the phrase, ‘Fruitballs’ and visions of old Carry on Camping movies morphed with the South Park chef in my brain. Opening my eyes I saw a reasonably sane middle aged woman in a deep state of rapture about her vegan fruity balls. Health treats, hmmm, I wasn’t convinced. More like sawdust balls I thought, as I watched her roll the mixture into shape, place them on a tasting tray and send the tray off into the audience.

With only six of us in the audience and thirty balls on the plate there was nowhere to hide. So when the tray came round I reluctantly popped a fruity ball into my mouth. It was delicious and the perfect sweet injection to help me continue round the rest of the show. I thought I’d bring the recipe home to WA. It’s only fair if the other states take our sporting events, I’ll take their fruity balls.

♥ ½ cup of walnuts
♥ ½ cup of dates
♥ ½ cup of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower or mixed)
♥ 2 tablespoons of carob powder or cocoa powder
♥ 2 tablespoons of honey (or vegan alternative, eg. agave)
♥ Shredded coconut

Raisins can be substituted for the dates, but not sultanas as they are too small. I thought I’d add in some dried apricots. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz it up until it is a good texture, i.e. a crummy, sticky mixture that holds together. Take bites size pieces and roll them in the palm of your hand into a ball. Then roll and push the coconut onto the ball. The big challenge is to stop at one. Enjoy the guilt-free sweetness.

Review by Glennys Marsdon – author, blogger, consumer behaviourist who’s spent a lifetime researching why we do what we do, but still hasn’t worked out Hollywood tap.

Be well,

xoxo

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Being Spanish, and suitably hairy (as my lineage implies) I am always on the look out for new and less painful forms of hair removal, and ever since I first heard about the exotic art of Threading, it has intrigued me. So whilst browsing through the Browne’s Every Woman Expo in Perth last weekend I took full advantage of the free demonstration being offered by Zubia’s Threading!

Now, before I start my review I have a little confession. This is hard to admit on a beauty and wellness website, but it’s vital to showcase just how good this treatment is. *deep breath* I haven’t waxed, plucked or touched by eyebrows for six months. *shudder* This was not a pretty sight.  

Being in the middle of an expo and in a line of about five other ladies, the environment was not really conducive to a soothing and relaxing mood that one normally expects from salons. However, I assume this would be very different when having an appointment in store. 

Sitting down in the chair, my technician went straight to work on cleaning up the tops of my brows, this I barely felt and was over in less than 2 mins. The next bit was a tad odd. In order to thread the arches, you’re required to place one hand above the top of your brow and one hand over your eye and pull the skin tight while your unwanted hairs are removed, just as quick and almost as painless as the tops!  

I was up out of the chair less than ten minutes later and completely overjoyed with my new brows, the technician not only removed all unwanted hair but completely reshaped them and opened my eyes up. There was absolutely no redness and I was ready to go! This was the most quick and pleasant hair removal experience I have ever had!

My new threaded brows!

“Threading uses a pure cotton thread that is twisted and skilfully manipulated to gently lift the hair off the follicle. The pain is far less than waxing and provides a more accurate shape. Unlike waxing, where you often find Houdini hair that dodge elimination, not a stray hair remains and you are left with a perfectly shaped brow.” – Scoop Magazine.

The main Pro’s I found with Threading as opposed to waxing and plucking are;

♥ Much, much, much, much, much less pain – the best I can describe is it’s like a light scratching/tickling
♥ Very, very, very, very, very minimal to no redness – YAY NO REDNESS!!!
♥ Superior lines and smoother contours – I’m guessing this is due to the thread being able to create a smoother line and more accurate shape 
♥ Super quick – I hadn’t had my brows done in 6 months and it still took less than 10 mins!
♥ The $19 price tag is pretty attractive too. 

Zubia’s Threading is located all over Perth and both walk-in and appointments are welcome, head to their website for all locations.

Review by L, your ultimate style icon and resident cat lady.

Be well,

xoxo

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Currently my cleanser of choice, as well as being my weekly clearing mask – this multitasking jar of Echolife hydrated clay (RRP$21.40) has me yelling ‘YOU LITTLE BEAUTY‘!

If you’re not the type to yell whilst applying beauty products, that’s okay too, but I would like to share how I use this gem.

♥ Cleanser

Take a small dollop of clay, say the size of a 10 cent piece, add warm water and apply to your face with the usual cleansing motions. Splash face with water to remove.

♥ Weekly mask

Apply a thick-ish layer to your whole face, wait 15 minutes til it dries, wash off! This is one serious mask, I couldn’t smile or giggle while it was drying, and it drew out all my oil and gunk resulting in much clearer skin for the following few days.

So here’s where you come in… together with Echolife, we are giving away jars of this magical natural goo to FIVE lucky readers who care to share the following with us in the comments:

The winners will be drawn on Wed 20 July, one entry per person. Good luck! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo