♥

I love trying new skincare and when the chance to try something that claims to be “Nature’s Botox Alternative” I got a little excited. Since turning the big 30 last year I’ve been more attentive to products with anti-ageing ingredients to keep me looking as young as possible!

The Lapurete range is said to target all signs of ageing including; expression lines, sagging skin, age spots, dryness, eye bags, dark circles, enlarged pores and UVA damage. Whilst I certainly don’t have all these skin concerns I figure prevention is better than a cure!

Okuru plant being harvested

The magic ingredient that Lapurete use is Okuru, a plant grown in Africa that has been used for centuries for it’s nutritional and healing benefits. Lapurete’s research has found that the peptides contained in the seeds can minimise expression lines in a similar way to Botox, without the need for injections!

♥

The Protective Day Crème that I trialed contains the Okuru plus Sweet Pea and Marine extracts to increase firmness and elasticity of the skin. The crème itself is light and pleasantly fragranced. It seemed to moisturise and hydrate my skin well without making me too oily. I would say it’s suitable for most skin types, except really oily. Whilst I don’t have any major skincare concerns such as fine lines and sagging I did find that after using daily it did seem to brighten my complexion, freshen and smooth my skin. The two bonuses for me were that it contained UVA defense (if you’re outside for long periods I would still wear a broad spectrum sunscreen!) and it had no nasty ingredients such as parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, and petrochemicals (a super plus for me!).

The full set of Lapurete prodz

Whether it lived up to it’s claim of being “Natures Botox” I’m still not sure yet. Maybe I need to use it a little longer, or fingers crossed it’s because I don’t need botox yet. But I know that I would rather try a topical cream that costs way less than expensive and invasive needles first.

What would you rather do?

Check out the full Okuru range at www.lapurete.com.au and at major pharmacies.

RRP is $59.95.

Review by Hannah L, smoothie-ing her way to good health!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

♥ Joshi’s Holistic Detox

I picked this up randomly when a lovely little bookstore near me was having a 50% off closing down sale. Never one to say no to the possibility of a bargain, I dashed in and came across Dr Joshi’s book which I’d been intrigued by previously but never bought.

While I don’t need to be slimmer, healthier I can always go for. Basically Dr Joshi draws on Ayurvedic wisdom, as well as the principles of alkaline eating to help you feel your best. You will go without a few much loved things for 21 days, incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and veggies (some are out though), gluten-free products, herbal teas, supplements and other good-for-you treats. It’s a really well designed program and leads you through everything with LOADS of information and reviews/testimonials from many of his well known clients, including Gwyneth Paltrow.

The only thing that is personally detrimental is that the majority of recipes call for chicken stock (even the veggie ones), so as a vegetarian it would be hard to follow the supplied detox menu. That said there ARE options, and I’m sure you could use veggie stock, but there’s a lotta chicken in this book – organic, free-range naturally! Which reminds me of THIS wonderful Youtube…

Despite the chicken qualms, I’d totally recommend this book if you’re game for a detox, but want to know all the little details behind how/what/where/why, in an accessible and interesting format. I really enjoyed it, go Joshi! Available on Amazon for about $21 USD.

Have you ever tried a detox or wanted to? If so let us know your experience / reason for wanting to try!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ ♥

There’s a lotta love to be had for products that have more than one use, not only do you save money and time, but you also save on precious bathroom bench space, something which is worth an increasing amount these days!

Here are my three current favourites:

♥ Jane Iredale Antioxidant Spray

Packed full of antioxidants and smelling like delicious oranges/tangerines, this product has a lot more uses than just pepping up your face on a hot day.

♥ Sets mineral makeup, of which Jane Iredale produce some pretty awesome varieties.
♥ Use to wet brushes to use with eyeshadow and make liquid liner, genius!
♥ Spritz over hair to control static.

The great news is that you can do all of this while smelling like summery citrus fruits. RRP $39.

♥

♥ Essential Kit Multipurpose Wonder Balm

This stuff beats regular paw paw balm any.day! It’s certified organic, smells absolutely amazing – kinda like a chocolate orange, and 100% of the ingredients are from a natural origin. Plus NO animal testing or animal products and it’s made in Australia! SIGN ME UP It even tastes yummy… should you accidentally (or not so accidentally) lick your lips.

Can be used for…

♥ Lip balm, smoothing eyebrows, giving your cheeks a highlighted glow, moisturising nails & cuticles, a thick body moisturiser, smoothing flyaways, soothes dry heels, protecting cuts, shaving… AND under wetsuits on long swims apparently!!!

It’s fast becoming a staple and comes with me everywhere. So much love! RRP $22.95.

♥

♥ Tisserand Ethically Harvested Lavender Oil

I’ve only just started to really get into essential oils and candles, but have always had a soft spot for lavender. Ah, quell-er of stresses, easer of sleeps! It’s always been good to me, and I’ve recently discovered that it has a lot more uses than I initially thought, lets have a look:

♥ A natural way to take the sting out of burns
♥ Super successful zit zapper – have been hitting this one up a lot lately, and it’s working!
♥ 6 drops on a damp flannel to help a headache
♥ Disinfectant for cuts & to help new skin grow
♥ And of course, a few drops on the pillow to de-stress & help you fall asleep

What are your favourite multi-tasking beauty & wellness products? Share with us below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

When was the last time you experienced something truly unique? Something beautiful, unexpected and rare?

For me that was a couple of weeks ago when I was privy to a sound healing session with Julian Silburn at Bodhi J Day Spa.

Julian has an extensive background in using sound for wellness, having been given blessings by aboriginal elders to practice the didjeridu for healing, he has been doing so for over 20 years! Previously working for local favourite Sodashi only cements his natural healing credentials.

If you feel like you’ve experienced it all spa-wise (or life-wise!) and are looking for something powerfully unique and transformative, then you cannot go past sound healing.

♥ ♥ ♥

The experience that follows is very powerful and a bit tricky to explain. There’s something a bit mystical about it, but to try and make some sense of how sound can improve wellbeing it’s useful to know that:

♥ Everything has a frequency to which it is naturally tuned, including parts of the body.(Source: Rediscovering the Art of Sound Healing)
♥ Sound can have an impact on the molecular structure of matter.
♥ When we are sick or not at our optimum wellbeing, parts of the body can be resonating at the wrong frequency.
♥ Sound healing can help the body return to the right frequency

If you’d like to read more about the scientific background of sound healing, you can check out this article.

♥

The 60 minute session begins by lying on a cosy bed in a beautiful dark room, lit with candles and all the sound healing instruments laid out (as above, but with the lights off!).

Throughout the experience, which feels like a sacred dreamtime ritual, an array of instruments including: the didjeridu, Indonesian temple bell, Chilean rainmakers, Mexican rattle, Peruvian flute, Native American hoop drum and more are used to bring my body back into a state of balance, afterwards a feeling of intense relaxation and awareness settles over me.

I feel as though I’ve been born at the very dawn of time and the whole universe is open for me to explore.

I don’t want to give away the ending, as that was the part that impacted me the most – suffice to say that the whole experience seemed so powerful and important that a little part of me felt like I shouldn’t be there, that this ritual should be reserved for someone who has been chosen to go on an amazing journey, or do something spectacular. The whole session was incredible and something that has to be experienced to be fully understood.

Afterwards Julian will answer any questions you may have. The neat thing about sound healing is that the best way to experience it is with someone else, so you and a friend can take part in the journey and it’s only $150 as a 2-for-1 special for 60 minutes, which is a great price to pay to be able to explore the universe! (Please note the cost is $150 for one OR two people, so best to bring a friend!)

I feel that this experience will linger with me for a long time to come.

Available at:

Bodhi J Health + Beauty Spa
42C Grantham St (Cnr Nanson St)
Wembley, Western Australia 6014

ph: (08) 9387 5152
fax: (08) 9387 4548

e: admin@bodhij.com.au
fb: Bodhi J Facebook Page

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ ♥

“Relax, it’s Soy Wax!” Lavender and Geranium Aromatherapy Candle
Lavender & Geranium

I admit I cheated here and bought a kit. Lavender, as we know, kicks butt at making us chill out. Geranium is a floral scent which sooths tension, uplifts moods and reduces stress. I say mix them together for a sensory mood booster after the chaos of Christmas and New Year!

In my 10-candle kit from All Australian Candle Making I got:

♥ 10 little glass candle containers with lids
♥ 1kg soy wax
♥ Wick assemblies (wicks with a metal disc at the bottom)
♥ You’ll also need pegs from the washing line and essential oils

In a double boiler, or in a big metal or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the soy wax by stirring continuously. When it has all melted, add your essential oils. I kept adding my lavender and geranium until it was strong enough for me.

Tricky bit #1: Getting wax into containers, not all over kitchen bench. I ended up using a ladle to fill them to about 1.5cm from the top.

Now, let them sit for a little but keep your eye on them. You’ll notice the melted wax, which looks similar to egg whites, will start to solidify and turn white.

Tricky bit #2: Setting the wicks. When the bottoms of the containers have about 1cm of white wax, carefully place a wick in the middle and squash the metal disc into the “muddy” wax at the bottom. You can use a wooden skewer to help push the metal disc down, and if you do so it’s easy to see the wax encasing the disc. Once you’ve got the disc in the solid wax, peg the wick so that the peg rests on the edges of the container, keeping the wick straight.

If the wax solidifies at the bottom too much and the wick won’t set, pop the candle (without wick!) into the microwave for a quick blast, or dip it in some hot water.

When the candles are completely white, you can remove the pegs and cut the wicks.

♥

Make sure you pop a glass plate or coaster under the candle when you burn it. If the aromatherapy doesn’t relax you, surely a candle lit room will!

By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.

Be well,

xoxo

♥ ♥

Citrus Buzz Beeswax Lip Balm
Grapefruit, orange & mandarin

This one is for those who can’t leave the house without a stick of Burt’s Bees, the citrus is lip-smackingly yummy and refreshing.

You will need:

♥ Orange essential oil
♥ Grapefruit essential oil (I used pink rather than yellow)
♥ Mandarin essential oil
♥ Cosmetic beeswax pellets (1/2 tablespoon for every tube/tub you want to make)
♥ Carrier oil – I used sweet almond oil (1 tablespoon for every tube/tub you want to make)
♥ Lipstick shavings from your favourite colour (use a paring or peeling knife to keep the lippy in shape)
♥ 5mL plastic lip balm tubes or tubs (you can use an old lippy tub or buy new)
♥ Pipette or small funnel
♥ A glass jar with a metal clasp fastener, not a screw lid

Put the beeswax and carrier oil in a jar and snap the lid closed. Pop the jar in a pot of water on medium-low heat and the wax will start to melt. Once all melted, remove the jar from the water and pop it on a tea towel. Stir the mixture with a metal spoon and add your essential oils until the scent is strong enough for your liking. Stir in the lipstick shavings until you’ve got the colour intensity you’d like.

Use a pipette or funnel to transfer the mixture to your tubes or pots and let it set for an hour with the lids off.

Eat your heart out, Burt’s Bees!

By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.

♥ ♥

I’ve always been intrigued by the senses we have, and losing even one would be life changing. No tasting mum’s cooking, no watching your favourite trash TV, no cuddling with your dog and feeling how soft his ears are, no listening to your girlfriends re-cap a bad date, no smelling the roses/the coffee/clean laundry.

Which is why I think we should make the most of our senses and push them to the sensory limits.

My grandad went blind a few years ago. He was a computer nut, a woodworker and loved watching the cricket at the WACA. Fast forward to now, his life is completely different. Really, all he wants is a good nights’ sleep because the sun no longer controls his body clock.

This got me thinking about ways to relax and calm the mind to drift off to sleep when you’re limited by the senses you do, or don’t, have. I always breathe very deeply to fall asleep, so to enhance the benefits of focusing on breathing for relaxation I started to look into aromatherapy.

After all my research, I ended up realising I’d get more bang for my buck making a few different natural products if I was going to invest in essential oils and other aromatherapy supplies. The three below work out as nice cost-effective Christmas presents if you make them in bulk (around 10 or more of each) and use similar essential oils in each.

♥

“Dream On” Pillow Spray
Lavender, orange & lemongrass

According to Smell Boffins & Researchers, lavender produces calming, soothing and sedative effects when the scent is inhaled. Lemongrass revitalises the body and relieves the symptoms of jetlag, clears headaches and helps to combat exhaustion and stress-related conditions. Just what grandpa ordered!

You will need:
♥ Lavender essential oil
♥ Orange essential oil
♥ Lemongrass essential oil
♥ Water
♥ 30-50mL plastic spray bottle (re-use an old hair product container, or buy new)

This is dead easy. Fill the bottle up to about 1cm from the top (excl. where the cap screws on). Either straight from the bottles, or using a pipette, add:

6ish drops of Lavender
4ish drops of Orange
4ish drops of Lemongrass.

You might need more if you’re bottle is bigger than about 50mL, or if you want a bit more oomph!
Shake well, spritz on pillows and bed linen, sleep tight all night!

Stay tuned for 2 more posts and yummy recipes to try! x

By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.

I used to think that having a large meal for breakfast would give me the most energy for an enthusiastic and energetic day, but for the last 2 years or so my breakfast has pretty much always been a smoothie. I feel lighter, more focused and full of calm vitality rather than bogged down looking for that caffeine kick which I used to.

If my body isn’t working hard to digest a big, dense meal, then that energy can be put towards living an amazing life. The amount of vitamins and minerals, good quality omega 3 fats, easily absorbable sprouted proteins and just enough low glycemic index carbs in this smoothie keeps me full, yet light and energetic for hours.

I’m not saying I don’t like a delicious meal. I love to eat! But after playing with different ways to start the day, this definitely works best for me. Imagine trying to get all of this goodness in solid food form as you get ready for work in the morning! It would be like having a huge bowl of greens, a hand full of olives, a whole bunch of sprouted seeds and nuts, mushrooms, herbs etc. If you down this smoothie all that goodness is straight into your system.

♥ Stu’s Smoothie

The recipe!

♥ However big you want your smoothie, put that much water in the blender.
♥ A serving of Sunwarrior protein which I get at Prana Healthfoods

Or

♥ A serving of Garden of Life Raw Protein
♥ 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and 1 teaspoon of Chlorella, both which I get at Prana or Organic on Charles.
♥ About 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Crystal Salt, which I get at Prana.
♥ 1 teaspoon of maca root
♥ 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you like a little kick.
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of ashwagandha
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of triphala
** ♥ 1 teaspoon of reishi mushrooms, all of which I often get directly from India or from https://herbsupplies.com.au/ or http://www.indiaabundance.com

** With these herbs, do your research or see an ayurvedic practitioner and/or naturopath to find out if these herbs are suited to you. Every body is different. As for the rest of the herbs they’re suited to most people.

Blend all of this up and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of either agave nectar or honey for sweetness and if you want extra thickness and carbs add a banana.

Next step; enjoy!

Stu’s smoothie will give you enough energy for THIS!

Stuart is a yoga teacher and holistic life coach based in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his unique, heart-felt self expression and inspirational style of teaching. Stuart’s classes incorporate Vinyasa Flow Asana and Akhanda Yoga with most of the emphasis being on transformation and healing.

He teaches with raw yet compassionate honesty which helps his students and clients bring the qualities practiced on the mat into daily life. 

The combination of the ancient wisdom of yoga coupled with Western approaches to wellness, such as life coaching and fitness training has allowed Stuart to form a highly effective and unique approach to wellness and to life itself.

Pics by http://nkphotographyblog.com/

What do you think of this super smoothie?

Be well,

xoxo

♥

When I heard about the latest decadent offering from Cove Spa, the Gem Inspiration Massage, I knew we were going to become well acquainted. Before I delve into the review though, I need to issue you an important warning:

Ideally you’re going to want someone to chauffeur you home afterwards, so you can continue enjoying the deep state of relaxation that will inevitably envelop you throughout this spa journey. If you have to drive yourself home, as I did- breaking my own above rule, you’ll be amazed at your new-found tolerance for bad traffic, terrible drivers and long waits at traffic lights!

Beautiful flowers in a garden next to Cove Spa

Locker with gown, shoes and choccie, to store your items in.

The Gem Inspiration Massage has its roots firmly grounded in all things healing and spiritual. As the name suggests, if you’re after some inspiration, this is the perfect place to start.

♥ Chakras – the purpose of this massage is to bring your chakras (7 energy wheels of the body) into balance, as an imbalance is said to cause mental and physical disease, as well as impaired wellbeing, eek!

♥ Choose your own adventure – I’m a giant big fan of customisable treatments, the ‘just for you’ vibe is pretty special, knowing you’re not getting the same treatment as every other person who comes in is a good feeling! I was asked to choose which round gemstone I most connected with (I chose amethyst for stress relief) and was also given the choice between scented or unscented oil (scented please!) and THEN given the chance to smell three different oil blends (I picked the meditation scent, mmm). Three customisable elements = three big ticks.

Choices, choices!

♥ The massage starts with deep inhalations of the meditation oil, which instantly calms me and sets the mood for whats to come. Throughout the massage, more gems are placed in my hands and between my toes, which is hopefully providing even more body balancing action!

♥ One thing to note about this massage is that it includes chest and stomach massage since the heart chakra is located there. Yup, you will be baring all for the therapist. If the idea of this makes you uncomfortable, just let your therapist know and she will focus on another area instead, but if you’re just a little nervous about it then why not throw your fears to the wayside and embrace doing something a little different?

♥ While I enjoyed the whole experience, the best part was the totally unique experience of the round silky gems being rolled and massaged across my body. If you can marry a massage, with the creamy smoothness of a Lindt lindor ball dissolving in your mouth, then that comes close to describing the amazing feeling.

Even more choices, a beautiful touch

♥ The last little treat was to be found in the form of some Louise L Hay “power cards”. I was asked to choose a card at random, which would then have an affirmation on it which would hopefully relate to my life! It did

♥ The 90 minutes slipped by far too quickly and I was left wishing that the massage table was, in fact, a portal to another world (my own cozy bed). If a box of Lindt balls was to magically appear next to my bed too, well that would have been just perfect.

My massage was performed by Kate, one of the head massage therapists at Cove Spa, and I highly recommend her.

Cup o tea?

Waiting room @ Cove Spa.

Info

Gem Inspiration Massage is $175 for 90 minutes

Address: 47 Tate Street, South Perth, Western Australia 6151
Ph: 08 9367 1877
Web: Cove Spa

What do you think? Could you do with some chocolatey-esque crystals being massaged across your body?

♥

A little while ago I did a callout on Facebook to rustle up the names of some of your favourite yoga dvds, as I’ve long been yearning for a home practice for those days that I don’t feel like venturing back out of the house after work.

One recommendation really caught my eye and since receiving the DVD’s I’ve been unashamedly having a bit of a love affair with them. Meet the first two members of my yoga video library (which I hope will grow with time!) – Yoga Easy and Yoga 2 Easy by the lovely Yolanda Pettinato.

Yolanda is truly inspirational, having overcome obstacles in her life that would defeat most people, she is the glowing example of everything that yoga represents – tranquility, wisdom, inner peace and honouring your body.

What you will need:

♥ Yoga Mat – I use my Mukha mat (which I wrote about here)
♥ The desire to stretch and strengthen your body, calm your mind and feel fantastic! (And who doesn’t want that?!)

That is ALL you need, and the DVD of course. If you want to ramp the relaxing factor up a notch you can also throw in:

♥ Oil burner with bergamot oil, my favourite
♥ A dark room

♥

Yolanda has a gentle, soothing voice and she comes across as a real sweetheart. For a woman in her late 50′s, she has a body that most women would in their 20′s would envy. I can feel her encouraging kindness traveling through the screen and into my living room when she softly says “good, that’s good” after many of the sequences, and I find it a comforting and reassuring addition to the practice.

The practice on both of the DVD’s is quite short – 30 minutes – but is enough to wind me down after a stressful or tiring day, it can also be used in the mornings to set you up for the day ahead and is a great way to ground yourself. In fact the length of the session is one of the best things about it, if you’re anything like me it can be hard to find an hour / hour and a half to head out to a yoga class, and that doesn’t include driving there and back! 30 minutes is just enough to be easily manageable, but also gain real results.

While this is by no means a cardio workout, there are some sections focusing on strength that are challenging, and the great thing about yoga is that because you’re working with your own strength and flexibility, there is always room for improvement as you begin to get stronger.

As Yolanda says “just do your best, and your best will get better” – I love that phrase!

Doing either of these yoga DVD’s leaves my whole body feeling stretched and relaxed, with a sense of peace and stillness of mind that I really look forward to. The class flies by and before you know it you’re lying in Savasana thinking how lucky you are to have this wonderful experience in your life.

She also has some meditation CD’s which are no doubt great (she has the perfect voice for it) and even her dogs have been convinced by her to try meditating

Cost: $24.95 each, free shipping if you purchase more than one item
Suitable for: Beginners – experienced who are looking for a relaxation based yoga class with strength elements
Where to buy: http://www.yolandapettinato.com

If you have any questions about the DVD’s please let me know, I would be only too happy to answer them as I think I’m Yolanda’s new biggest fan!!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo