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1. Retreat for One

I’d previously experienced the Bodhi J Retreat for One and been pretty enamoured with it, so much that it has become my ‘go to’ for when I want to reward myself, which I did last week. At $125 for a half hour mud spa bath with champagne, fruit & mini choc, then a full body aromatherapy massage finished with herbal tea and more fruit, it’s an indulgence that I keep coming back to again and again!

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2. Ethically Harvested Lavender Oil

After being sent this product to try a little while ago, I haven’t been able to stop using it in my favourite way, which is to put a couple of drops onto my pillowcase about 20 minutes before I go to bed. This is probably not the best thing for my pillowcase, but it is definitely good for me! I love falling asleep surrounded by the soft scent of lavender.

And just what does ethically harvested mean?

“This denotes sustainable cultivation. An ethically harvested essential oil is derived from a herb, shrub or tree that is not harvested so aggressively that the species becomes depleted.”

I think that’s pretty cool.

♥ This is what coconut oil looks like when it’s not summer!

3. Coconut Oil

After hearing various friends raving about coconut oil, I was finally pushed over the edge by my naturopath Brooke, who said that it would be great for me and that she likes to eat it from the spoon. SOLD.

And so lately I have been including this form of virgin, unprocessed saturated fat in my diet. It has a “haunting vanilla taste” and is indeed yummy straight off the spoon. There is some debate around the health benefits of coconut oil due to it being a saturated fat, some say because it’s unprocessed it’s good for you, others are not so sure, however the research I’ve done and Brooke’s confidence is good enough for me

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3. Candlez

I’ve never been much of a candle girl, due mostly to my mothers incessant worry that I would burn down the house if any semblance of fire made its way into my perpetually messy room. A fair worry for those who’ve never seen my room.

Now that I live out of home and have control of what objects are allowed through the front door, I’ve really been getting into burning essential oils and candles for the first time and I feel like I’ve been missing out all these years!

This Fig, Cassis & Mandarin mini candle from Palm Beach Collection is a soy candle that has found itself being lit pretty frequently over the past few weeks. It imparts a beautiful smell (the mandarin is most strong for me, which I love) that lingers throughout the house that is just great because it means I don’t have to clean up as much as I probably should… just kidding… sort of. At $14.95 these candles are a cheap way to spruce up a room or set the mood. Oo la la.

Just a quick one this week, thanks for reading guys! X

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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A day at a day spa… the scene was set with a perfect, blue-skied, almost winter day with a latte, Johnny Cash bellowing poetry on the speakers and my GPS pointing me in the wrong direction.

When heading out to the dreamy wonderland of Brookleigh – don’t trust your Sat Nav, people! Fortunately, I knew Brookleigh was next to Belvoir Amphitheatre and a lot closer than the GPS suggested. And it’s a problem the owners of Brookleigh have dealt with a lot, so get your directions clear before you hit the road unless you want a 45-minute detour.

So, back to the blue skies, latte and Johnny Cash… I arrived feeling pretty peaced-out and ready to relax. I met the wellness consultant and personal trainer, Rachel and owner Nikki on arrival and was impressed by how healthy they both looked. Both had glowing skin, very fit bodies and huge smiles… these were happy people and I was ready to discover the secret to their sunshine.

A Brookleigh horse

My day began with a personal training session with Rachel. We jogged past the beautiful horse stables (Brookleigh started out as an equestrian centre and still is an Olympic training venue), the chateau where the spa resides and guests stay and a “roundabout” which is a gorgeous, meditation-style garden.

Roundabout

We kept on joggin’ past all of these beauties and out the back of the property where an “obstacle course” awaits. It’s also an equestrian training area but nicely doubles as a people fitness area too. The jumps were utilised as push up, dip and sit up stations while a trotting area was used for some punishing sprints (it was here the heart rate monitor I had to wear really betrayed me, sounding like a hideous alarm going off as if warning everyone I was about to drop dead).

After the PT workout, we stretched by the small lake where Brookleigh hosts weddings every weekend throughout October to May. You can see why, with a quaint gazebo overlooking the lake which is perfect for the ceremony to take place. Huge trees, the neighing of horses and the surrounding paddocks combine to make you feel as though you are far, far from civilisation.

Next up was the spa treatment. I met with the lovely consultant, Lisa, and discussed facial options and confessed my skin woes. Breakouts in certain areas were plaguing me and I definitely needed help. I was treated to a lime sugar exfoliation to start, which sloughed off any dead skin on my legs. Despite Lisa warning me it might hurt a little as the sugar did its job, the scrubbing felt just right and my skin was glowing by the time it finished. The smell of lime was delicious. The massage was next and thankfully Lisa applied just the right pressure for the knots in my muscles to be erased while sending me into a state of utter bliss. Despite trying very hard not to, I also fell asleep in the later stages but I guess it’s a sign of ultimate relaxation so I tried not to beat myself up about it too much.

Guinot Facial @ Brookleigh.

The facial did wonders for my skin. Brookleigh has either Guinot or the local, organic range Joi Pure. Despite trialling Joi Pure previously and knowing it was delicious, my skin was in need for something a little stronger and Guinot was enlisted. I had the classic facial and Lisa used a peel around the troubled areas to break up the congestion. Despite my skin glowing afterwards, it was also a tad red and it wasn’t until a couple of days later that I really noticed the benefits. My skin really cleared up and it totally confirmed what I’d suspected all along… I need to be getting regular facials.

To complete the day spa package, I had lunch at Stewart’s Restaurant which is also a part of Brookleigh. Stewart’s is one of the best restaurants in the Swan Valley and has plenty of healthy options to complement the day spas and health retreats that are on offer. I had the salmon with roasted beetroot and pumpkin with a lemon sauce and holy yum, it was sensational. And post-meal, I felt as though my body was being further nourished rather than overly-full like you might at many of the wineries boasting first class restaurants in the area.

Urban Spoon rsetaurant rating:

Nikki and Rachel mentioned the three and five-day health retreats now on offer and I think they sound fabulous. Half a day out at Brookleigh and I felt rejuvenated and as though I’d been much further from Perth than the 45-minute drive it was.

If you’re looking for a girls’ weekend (classy hens’ weekends would be perfect there), doing something for your health or simply a getaway from the daily grind without travelling too far, Brookleigh is the place you’re looking for.

Check out their website to see enticing pics and more info, call (08) 9296 0018 or email Nikki or Rachel on info@brookleigh.com.au.

Brookleigh is located at 1235 Great Northern Highway,
 Upper Swan in the Swan Valley.

Article by Lisa O’neill, Freelance Journalist and Brookleigh’s newest devotee!

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Every now and then we come across a new online resource that we love and are very excited to share with you!

My Spa Guide is a website dedicated to sharing reviews of day spas, Australia-wide, and you can join in the conversation! It provides a voice to the Spa Seekers of Australia, allowing you to share your spa experiences, good or bad, and to pass on spa recommendations to other Spa Seekers.

Sounds like a winner to us, and while you will of course continue to check out Wellness WA regularly, this could be a good addition to your researching needs – especially if you’re travelling interstate!

Let us know what you think of our new friends!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Choosing a treatment at a salon or spa, is like trying to choose what flavour you want at the icecream shop. They all look so yummy, and you know they’ll all make you happy (albeit tinged with possible slight regret in the case of icecream!), so you mentally ‘taste’ them all, licking your lips and thinking about the future experience…

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It’s scenes like these that make me contemplate a Personal Icecream Assistant!

These deliberations of the most fun kind are what I experienced when I was trying to pick a ‘Spa Retreat Package’ at Ella Bache in West Perth, who kindly allowed me to trial one for review.

In the end I decided on a Mind & Body Rebalance ($230) because, like most, it’s something I’m constantly in desperate need of!

The two-hour treatment includes a full body Hot Rocks Massage (a delicious alternative to regular massage as the weather cools down) and Shirodhara Therapy, which involves a stream of oil being poured over your third eye, located between the brows and up towards the hairline.

I’m all about options and customisable treatments, we’re all so different within ourselves on a day-to-day basis, let alone different from each other, that I believe spas and salons REALLY need to make their treatments as bespoke as possible in order to best cater for their clients. With that in mind, I was pleased to be offered the choice between scented and unscented massage. I went for the earthy smelling oils, but am also keen on a scent free massage too, depending on my mood.

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My therapist Maggie did a great job of making sure the rocks were never too hot. At times I thought she might have been a magician, making hot rocks appear out of thin air as I swear her hands never left my body to be able to pick one up!

The highlight of the hot rocks experience was… having my ears massaged! Not with rocks, and just ever so lightly, but I don’t think I’ve ever had that before and my gosh was it dreamy! My little ears must have had a bit of tension pent up in them because they adored the attention.

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Next up, the Shirodhara! But first, a word of warning:

Your hair is going to resemble an oil slick afterwards, plan on being plan-less to capitalise on the goodness of nourishing sesame oil. Your scalp will love it!

During this treatment, a ceramic container is positioned over your ‘third eye’ and oil streams out continuously. It’s a unique feeling, somewhat like a fish nibbling on your forehead! Afterwards I got to take a shower and wash away all the oil (I had somewhere to be!), which was much appreciated. They even provide a hair dryer for you, nice.

The only slight negative to my experience was that it was a little noisy on the Saturday I went in, which meant I couldn’t relax to the full extent that the treatment would have allowed me to. Regardless of that, I felt amazing for the next two days afterwards – very clear and calm.

Haven’t tried a hot rock massage or shirodhara treatment? I certainly recommend it!

Ella Bache West Perth

1260 Hay Street, WEST PERTH, Western Australia, 6005
Ph: (08) 9321 0560
E: ebspa@iinet.net.au

Ella Bache products are available online at StrawberryNET!

If you have tried either of these, or want to, leave a comment!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo