Posts belonging to Category 'Reviews'

Perth Market Review: Growers Green Community Market, South Fremantle High School.

A Sunday must!

There’s something I do almost every Sunday morning that makes my heart sing and puts a spring in my step. I visit the amazing Growers Green Community Market at South Fremantle Senior High School and my week ahead is always better for it.

Here everyone is invited, all ages and their dogs are welcomed with open arms! While freshly face painted children climb the trees or dance to the band and the dogs wag their tails at each other, you will be amazed at what you can find.

My first stop was Miss Bolly’s Adventures in Spice where you can slurp on chai, fresh lemonade or a spicy ginger and lime soda. Next as I wandered past the delightful selection of breads and pastries I tried a scrumptious garlic prawn from Fremantle Market Seafood.

Next I stumbled upon Kara Orchard from Karagullen that thanks to its huge selection of fruit and veg, always does a roaring trade. Then on to ‘RAW Juice’ where Rene will happily let you taste test. Whilst the juice with kale and lemon didn’t tickle my tastebuds the organic ‘Tiger’ with carrot, ginger and cinnamon did, so too the watermelon, strawberry and apple. Mmmmmmm!

However if you just want a cuppa then help yourself to a communal coffee cup and just wash it up when you are finished, this really sums up the vibe of the market.

There are foods from almost every corner of the world. Mother and daughter team Anna & Iliana hand make Salvadorian Pupases with cheese and red kidney beans, or tamales with chicken, potato and olives wrapped in a banana leaf – exotic! Elsewhere there are Portuguese Empada’s and Tucha, Turkish & Greek delights, crepes and so very much more. One of my new favourites is from ‘Heritage Hogs’ in Brookton who serve free range pork and goat burgers with homemade tomato salsa or apple and ginger sauce – delicious!

P&G Burger.

Also, totally inspired, I purchased 5 plants for $15 from ‘Herbs are Us’. Now my garden is stocked with kale, lemongrass, thyme, oregano and basil and all the advice I needed.

Thank you Growers Green Farmers Market you really are the highlight of my week that is why I keep coming back again and again I think readers should too!

Growers Green Community Market
South Fremantle High School, Lefroy rd, South Fremantle.

Winter opening hours 8:30am – 12:30pm. Big market first Sunday of every month, regular market for the rest of the month.

Review by Kristy Mollica freelance TV and radio presenter, lover of girl power, farmers markets & things that are so totally not beige!

Be well,

xoxo

Cheap and Cheerful: Aspirin Face Mask!

Aspirin. For myself and I’m sure, readers, this is synonymous with pain relief. However, there is a growing trend of using it in an entirely different way – as a face mask!

Aspirin is less commonly known as acetylsalicylic acid, a derivative of salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a key component of various products used in the treatment of skin-related issues, including acne. Increasingly, budget beauty babes and home DIYers are using aspirin as a cheap, at-home face mask. Online beauty forums are filled with testimonials proclaiming the benefits of the ‘Aspirin Face Mask’ to combat redness, acne, pimples, oily skin and large pores, though there is some debate as to whether the mask works as a manual or chemical exfoliant.

As I have quite oily skin that has the tendency to break out a bit, with large pores and patches of rough skin on my nose and chin (I sound hideous! It’s not too bad 🙂 ), I decided to try it out for myself.

From the internet, most people use 2 – 6 tablets per mask. I used 4 and crushed them to a fine powder in baking paper, using a small hammer. A few ‘bits’ were remaining in mine, and it made application slightly difficult.

Next, I mixed in about 5 drops of water. The amount depends on how runny you want your mask to be. Keep in mind that if it is too liquid or too dry, application will be tricky.

Mixy mixy.

The reviews advised using mixers such as water, aloe vera, honey, rose hip oil, witch hazel and cleansers such as Cetaphil. I decided to slather half my face with just aspirin and water and the other half with aspirin, water and about 4 drops of honey. I found that the mixture with honey was a LOT easier to apply – it was much less gritty and foamy and had more of a soft, gel texture.

Aspirin face!

After about 20 minutes, I washed off the mask with warm water. To me, there wasn’t any real difference between the two sides of my face. My skin was extremely smooth and soft – I couldn’t get over how silky it felt! The rough patches on my chin and nose were significantly reduced (although not gone completely) and while I couldn’t see any difference in pore size, my skin was definitely less oily. It is enough of a difference that I will definitely be using it again in the future.

The Nitty Gritty

Cost:
24 Pack Aspro Clear from Coles = $3.58 (4 tablets per mask = $0.60 per mask)
Honey – cheapest = approx. $0.65 per 100g (many, many uses per bottle)

Pros:
♥ cheap as chips (possibly cheaper, depending on any penchant for gourmet chips!)
♥ instant results
♥ fun fizzing sensation during application

Cons:
♥ slightly time consuming and a bit fiddly
♥ the water and aspirin mixture was a bit difficult to apply
♥ was a tad sticky, due to the honey and the saccharin sodium (I think)
♥ may not be ideal if you have dry or sensitive skin

Recommended Usage:

I would recommend that you only use this mask once a week at most. It was granular and slightly abrasive, so probably not great if you have sensitive skin unless you crush the tablets up VERY finely. In addition, some reports on the Internet stated that it is possible to build up a tolerance to the chemical properties of the mask.

Rating:
3.5 / 5

Review by Cassandra, beauty lover on a student budget and soon to be regional (Pilbara) correspondent!

Be well,

xoxo

Product Review: Kit Cosmetics Sensory Lab Coffee Body Scrub!

KIT COFFEE BODY SCRUB (250G) RRP: $32.95

KIT Cosmetics have recently combined two of my favourite luxuries (& regular rituals) coffee & exfoliation = B – L – I – S – S !

If you’re anything like me & can’t bear to contemplate the day ahead until you’ve had your regular, must have, daily ritual morning coffee you’ll absolutely love KIT Cosmetic’s new trio of products inspired by Sensory Lab’s S1 Champion Blend. Featuring a freshly roasted coffee bean scent to literally awaken your senses, the range includes a Coffee Body Wash, Scrub and a delicious Coffee-Scented Soy Candle.

I was lucky enough to sample the scrub – thank you KIT Cosmetics!

As well as caffeine, the scrub features Vitamin E, organic jojoba and grapeseed oil, native Australian Botanicals and Australian sugar – a definite recipe for invigorating goodness. A welcome new addition to my morning beauty routine the scrub is not only a stimulating exfoliant, it also left my skin feeling ridiculously silky smooth & soft. As a coffee lover, I love waking up to the freshly roasted coffee bean scent!

It is a well known fact that caffeine has positive effects on the mood such as increasing alertness and boosting feelings of energy and general well being & when combined as an exfoliant the positive effects are twice as beneficial. Who knew coffee was so versatile – genius!

Caffeine fix + invigoration + silky soft smooth skin all in one = P- E – R – F – E – C – T start to the day.
I definitely recommend a trip to your nearest KIT Cosmetics and adding this luxurious product to your beauty routine for an invigorating caffeinated kick start to your day.

Review by Jasmin, invigoration junkie and lover of silky smooth soft skin.

Be well,

xoxo

Exercise Review: Vacu Power at Body D’vine, Midvale!

When I first heard the words ‘vacu power’ I had images of a space age machine rolling over my body, whilst I was wearing a space age compatible suit, sucking out any parts that I didn’t like. Then I remembered that this is a surgery called liposuction (sans space age suit) and that ‘vacu power’ probably meant something else.

BUT GUESS WHAT? I wasn’t actually too far off. The Vacu Power machine at Body D’vine in Midvale can easily be described like this, a machine (see?) on top of a treadmill. You get into a wetsuit-like half suit (SEE?) that goes over your shoulders and creates a ‘skirt’ around your middle. You step into the machine and the skirt zips in creating an airtight lock. Then you turn on the treadmill, start running/walking and the machine creates a vacuum suction that makes your legs work HARD.

Motivational material comes with the session!

This treatment is described as ‘body sculpting’ and is meant to help you lose weight and eliminate cellulite by making you exercise certain parts harder and smarter. The great thing about this treatment is that you are still increasing your fitness and doing something very active to try and achieve results (better than surgery hey?) AND you can do it while watching something on your own personal TV attached to the machine (they have a large range of DVDs at Body D’vine to keep you occupied for the 30 minutes, ‘Cher in Concert’, anyone?) All you have to do is wear your gym clothes, bring your running/walking shoes, a towel and some water. Everything else (lockers, headphones) is provided.

So does it work? While trainers will tell you that there is no way to spot reduce fat on JUST your legs, there is a whole wall of photos at Body D’vine of lovely ladies of all ages smiling large above a number- the amount of kilos and centimeters they have shed all over since starting Vacu Power. A sign the body sculpting is at work.

Random picture of attractive legs for good measure!

Personally I found this enjoyable, the 30 minutes flies by when you have your mind on something else (music, the TV etc) and you can go as hard as you feel comfortable (this is not a group workout). Each time I went I was able to go faster and I saw my fitness levels increase even over the relatively short period of 2 weeks. I felt all the normal effects of good exercise in the short term- that little extra bounce in your step- and would actually describe the whole Vacu Power experience as just a different form of exercise. If you are expecting dramatic and literal ‘vacuuming’ this isn’t for you. The staff and other clientele (mostly women) are lovely and there is a real sense of community in the place. My ONLY gripe is that it is in Midvale and the opening hours were limiting for my schedule. But this could be for you.

Find out more at the Body D’vine website – Body D’vine.

Review by Adriane Daff, super-duper famous actress and TOTAL Cher lover. 😉

Be well,

xoxo

Spa Review: Health and Spa at Brookleigh, Swan Valley.

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: Stewart's at Brookleigh on Urbanspoon

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!