♥

I’ve always restricted my diet for one reason or another – vegetarianism in my teens, a milk intolerance picked up in my twenties. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate that my somewhat ‘sensitive’ system does better without dairy, wheat and sugar. A helpful discovery, yes, but one that makes me feel quite isolated as I scour menus for an item I can actually eat, and makes me cringe when friends invite me over for dinner. It can also make cooking a bit of a challenge which, to be honest, I’ve always been a bit lazy about, relying on a few tried and tested basics.

So it was with great delight that I recently came across Lee Holmes’ wonderful book Supercharged Food: Eat Your Way to Good Health.

♥

The book emerged from Lees’ own health struggles with an auto-immune condition that left her barely able to function. Through trial and error, she discovered that radically changing her diet to exclude wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar led to a dramatic improvement in her health. Inspired, she set out to share her message and ideas with others, and the Supercharged Food brand was born.

♥ Photo from Superchargedfood.com

The book includes over 90 recipes based on Lee’s dietary philosophy. It is beautifully presented, with gorgeous photos that make your mouth water, enticing you into the kitchen. There’s also helpful information about healthy living, as well as support with getting organised for a new way of eating, such as sorting out your ‘supercharged pantry’.

The sign of a good cook book is that it doesn’t stay pristine for too long and my copy of Supercharged Food is now happily splattered with my culinary experiments! Current favourites are the genius ‘Crustless Quiche’ which finds its way into my lunch box most days, salmon and turnip patties for a simple but tasty supper (who’d have thought a turnip could taste so amazing?) and the gorgeously named ‘Vegetable soup on a cold night’.

Lee’s website is also fantastic and includes an online shop where you can source some of the ingredients for her recipes, such as stevia, as well as other yummy healthy stuff.

Supercharged Food has totally reinvigorated my relationship with cooking (and eating!) and I’m so looking forward to creating many more of Lee’s appetizing delights!

Where do you get inspiration about eating more healthily? Are there any books or websites that have ‘supercharged’ your food?

Review by Karen, who has a big appetite for both food and life!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

After having my facial at Endota, I started thinking about a lot of steps I skip in my skincare routine. Because I MISBEHAVE and sometimes don’t do the right thing by skin. However, I do enjoy complaining about it, loudly, and on the Internet.

In the facial I had my therapist use a toner on me, ok no big surprise there. But I had slacked off in that department. And I feel really bad that I slacked off because I had a bottle of SK-II sitting on the shelf at home waiting for me. (Bracing myself for the backlash here) This product has CULT STATUS and I can’t believe I hadn’t started using it sooner…but you see there was one problem…

♥

SK-II is the kind of product your boyfriend looks at and says ‘what’s that bottle of water for?’ and you say ‘ITS NOT A BOTTLE OF WATER YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE SECRET WONDERS OF BEING A WOMAN‘ but inside…I did not know what to do with this bottle of water. There were no instructions in English, only a few lines on the back of the bottle in Japanese…(and my year 9 level understanding of this language was not going to cut it). So I turned to the Vogue Forum, which is where I go when I have any of life’s big questions, and don’t-you-know-it those Voguers knew what the heck was up. Use it like a toner GUYS!

I learnt a little more than this though, such as, you can put about 5 drops into your palm and apply it to your face with your hands or put it on a cotton wool ball and apply it that way. Apparently if you want the product to last longer…go for the hands. I also learnt that you could keep it cool in the fridge for an added indulgence. Sweet!

♥

The secret ingredient is….Cate Blanchett…HAHA- just kidding gang, although I think her perfect face sure helps sales, but really the secret ingredient is Pitera. After much research into yeast our friends over at SK II discovered that it was Pitera that was keeping the Japanese sake brewers hands so soft and supple, and they thought we better chuck this on our faces quick smart.

♥

And honest to goodness it is good. I use it as a toner (as we by now have well and truly ascertained) before applying a moisturizer and have been using it twice a day (I rub the leftovers into my hands like Mr. Burns to get the most out of every drop) and I have really noticed some truly great results. The product is supposed to target; firmness, wrinkles and spots but I have seen a dramatic difference in the texture of my skin. Like, a serious difference.

♥

My skin was so dry it was like a crusty salt lake and (ready for this visual image) this bottle of water has restored the moisture and texture of my face back into a bountiful ocean (salt lake > water > ocean). It just feels so smooth and re-hydrated. It fits in perfectly with the rest of my skincare regime and I really enjoy using it. It is expensive but I also do really think it’s worth giving a go, even if it is only once because I haven’t spoken to one person yet who has had a negative experience.

Actually, if any of our readers have, leave a comment…I honestly would love to hear your thoughts because, I know for me, this innocuous looking bottle of water has given my skin a winter resurrection! Rejoice!

So do tell, have you tried SK-II Facial Treatment Essence?

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is available in David Jones & online at Adore Beauty!

Review by Adriane Daff.

Be well,

xoxo

♥

By now most of you know what a huge, huge fan of Rosehip Oil I am. I adore this deep amber liquid that smells kind of like tea, and have long forgone fancier serums in it’s favour due to the wonderful benefits and soft skin it imparts.

My love affair is quickly approaching the 10 year mark (!!!) and I am always banging on about it to anyone who will listen, including my Dad who is now a convert.

I have a special treat for you today, as we’ve got 4 bottles of the brand new Rosehip Vital Rosehip Oil to give away!

Why would you want to win one of these babies…? Well, read on!

♥ It’s 100% natural, rich in essential fatty acids, and high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
♥ Our bodies cannot produce fatty acids such as Omega 3 & 6 which are essential for supporting skin renewal, helping to repair damaged skin tissue and maintaining healthy-looking skin.
♥ Naturally-occurring anti-oxidants, also known as Bio-Flavonoids, present in Rosehip Oil help to reduce free radical damage in the skin – thus fighting the signs of ageing
♥ Helps to soften and diminish the appearance of scars & pimples
♥ Rosehip Vital Rosehip Oil is Australian Certified Organic!

To WIN, all you need to do is like Wellness WA on Facebook or Twitter leave a comment letting me know what your favourite way to get a ‘glow’ is!

Winners will be drawn on Monday 1st of October.

Good luck!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

In my late twenties, I knew I had to go beyond a simple moisturiser at bedtime to stop the fine lines sneaking on to my face like plump skin thieves of the night. The opportunity to review a newcomer to the serum scene was an automatic yes, as I continued my plight to preserve any semblance of youthful skin.

♥

Chey Birch created the Black Chicken Remedies’ products as a natural, paraben free alternative to high end moisturisers and anti ageing serums. Being a regular swimmer, it was hard to find something that effectively replenished the moisture in her skin. So, as you do, Chey created her own!

I was in the same boat. Getting back into a fitness regime included hitting the pool a couple of times a week and there’s nothing like a dose of chlorine to make your skin feel 10 years older. I tried the Love Your Body Oil ($69) and Love Your Face Serum ($79).

♥

The body oil was moisturising and my dry skin lapped most of it up, but it did leave an oily residue on my skin that took a while to sink in. The ingredient list (including avocado oil, rosehip oil, hazelnut oil, coconut oil, Vitamin E oil and a host of essential oils) was appealing and the resulting fragrance was pleasant and sweet, but quite strong.

♥

The serum was heavenly. I used it every night for two weeks and was really pleased with condition of my skin following. The fragrance surprised me after using the body oil as it was much more subtle and almost earthy, unlike the heavily scented serums I’ve used previously. As the packaging suggested, the product absorbed straight into the skin and instantly made my face feel silky.

If you haven’t already invested in a serum, I highly recommend this one. It’s delicious and it works!

Read more or order the products online from Black Chicken’s website www.blackchicken.com.au

Do you suffer dry skin after swimming? If you have a favourite product or serum to combat dry skin, please share with me!

Review by Lisa O’Neill.

Be well,

xoxo

♥

My skincare routine has really been ramping up lately. I’ve started a course of LED light treatments at mi:skn (15 minutes of blue light to kill acne bacteria, then 15 minutes of red light to rejuvenate the skin and get the blood flowing), have been seeing a lovely naturopath, Marnie Downer, for the past 6 weeks who has prescribed me some hormone balancing herbal remedies (more on this to come!), have been drinking copious amounts of green juices and water – and am about to get back into exercise in a serious manner by way of a new personal trainer!!

The next step was to try something I’d been wanting to experience for a long time – microdermabrasion! Buoyed by all the positive reviews our other contributors have had (check ’em out here, here and here!), I was super excited to try hydradermabrasion – which is microdermabrasion, with a h20 twist!

My experience started with a deluxe treat, a 90 minute ‘Retreat for One‘ that was my gift for starting a new full-time job last month. This is one of my all time favourite pamper sessions, I recommend it to everyone.

♥

But back to the facial: it starts with an orchid filled, dimly lit room. My head resting on one of the comfiest pillows of all time, with another pillow under my knees and a deliciously cosy blanket – no chance of getting chilly here!

I have combination skin, so my face is cleansed with the Sodashi Clay Cleanser with Lime (this is the one I use at home too) to balance it out.

♥

Next, the microdermabrasion machine comes out to play, it’s kind of like the tube at the dentist which sucks up your saliva, but with a little abrasive brush on the tube so the dead skin cells are brushed off then sucked up like magic. The second part of the process is where the hydro comes in, it feels a bit like a cats rough tongue as the tiny stream of high-pressured water is applied and then sucked up, flushing the pores clean with pure water.

♥

At this point I touched my skin and it felt SMOOTH. Smoother than I have ever felt it. I didn’t have too long to think about that though, as the Sodashi Recovery Boost was applied, along with a calming mask to reduce any redness (which was minimal). My scalp was then whisked to heaven with a dreamy massage… at this point I was struggling to stay awake, and as the hot towels enveloped my face to take off the mask, I felt like snuggling into the bed and staying there all day.

♥ The Bodhi J Relaxation Lounge

Unluckily for me there were other people with much deserved pamper time waiting for their time in the gorgeous room, so with a hydrating Sodashi serum applied, I dragged myself out of there and into the comfortable relaxation lounge for a cup of mint & chamomile tea, a strawberry and some reflection on the blissful 2.5 hours (including my retreat for one) that had just passed.

The verdict? My skin LOVED the hydrodermabrasion. 24 hours+ later, it’s still feeling super smooth. My chin is prone to some pimples, and it hasn’t cleared those up, but the rest of my skin is looking great and I’ll definitely be adding microdermabrasion to my skin maintenance routine 4-5 times a year.

The Hydrodermabrasion treatment is valued at $140 and was provided complimentary for review, read our review policy here!

Find out more about Bodhi J Health + Beauty spa on their website.

Have you tried microdermabrasion before? What about hydrodermabrasion? I’d love to hear anyone elses experience with either of these treatments!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo