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♥ REN Jojoba Microbead Purifying Facial Polish

Say hello to the REN Jojoba Microbead Purifying Facial Polish, a new staple in my skincare regime. REN prides itself on the philosophy of Performance, Purity and Pleasure. The formulation of all REN products are 100% plant and mineral derived and are free from synthetic ingredients*. Not to mention they look, smell and feel amazing! Using these products is an experience in itself.

The exfoliant in question is part of their sensitive skincare range and is laced with glycerides from jojoba oil that gently exfoliate and prompt cell renewal; and anthocyans from beeswax that keep it from being too abrasive and rough on your skin.

It has a divine minty feel to it too, leaving skin feeling fresh, purified and so damn smooth!

This facial polish will set you back about $40, but lasts for a while because you really only need to use it a few times a week. REN is available at all Mecca Cosmetica stores and from the Mecca Cosmetica website.

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♥ T2 – Buddhas Tears Tea

I am a firm believer in a “nice cup of tea”, and think there is no better way to achieve this than to make a ritual out of your tea drinking. Stop what you are doing, boil the kettle, get out a pretty cup, use your best tea, sit and unwind.

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Being a big green tea drinker, I'm always looking for different types of green tea to mix up my “ritual”. Buddha's Tears from T2 defines the tea experience for me. The tea is a light blend of unopened white pekoe buds and green tea leaves that have been hand rolled into little balls. Buddha's Tears are best prepared about 3 or 4 at a time (in your loveliest tea cup) in water at 80°C. As the leaves unfurl, they dance about in the water and release a fragrant jasmine green tea flavour. This is more of a lighter tea, very gentle and calming, and best enjoyed in the afternoon or evening to relax.

&hearts

Buddha's Tears are a more expensive way to drink green tea (100g at T2 costs $45) but they are very long lasting, and can be brewed several times.

* No Buddhas were harmed in the production of this tea.

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♥ Grown Facial Masque

Get your paws on the most energising and purifying face mask and prep that skin for summer! This clay based “masque” is fortified with wheatgerm, gingko and cranberry to detoxify and deeply purify the skin. Teeny tiny clay particles act to draw out impurities and remove dead skin cells whilst the wheatgerm works to restore skin elasticity and produce a firmer skin tone.

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I've only ever had wheatgerm sprinkled on my morning muesli or in a smoothie, but never really considered it an addition to my skincare. Due to being rich in vitamins A, E & D and essential fatty acids, wheatgerm helps to increase absorption of active ingredients into the skin's cells and carry oxygen to the skin's surface to enable the formation of healthy new cells. Source.

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The Grown Facial Masque is lovely and light, and doesn't set like concrete on your face like some other heavier masks. The slightly granular texture makes for a great exfoliant when you rinse it off too! I have started prepping my skin for summer and using twice a week, followed by my Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist and Herbal Recovery Gel.

This beauty will cost you $39.95 and you can find it online and stocked in most chemists, as well as David Jones.

Review by Lucy A.

What are you crushing on this week? Share the crush-love below in the comments section!

Be well,

xoxo

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Eating healthy is a bit of a minefield. It’s not even about cutting out junk anymore; it’s about carbs, salt, proteins, a million and one factors, and the whole ordeal is a perplexing and stressful one. Even more so when confronted with things like health food shops – and believe me, as someone still trying to puzzle my way around the preparation of chia seeds, there is a lot to learn.

♥ Halp!

I jumped on the sample box subscription thing when it kicked off in Australia – and while I enjoyed it, I ended up cancelling them all because I was just collecting masses of tiny products, many of which for whatever reason I wasn’t going to use. So a sample box that mainly consists of consumables? Makes infinitely more sense. It saves you from the sizeable cost of buying a full bag of a product you don’t know how to prepare and likely haven’t even heard of (Kale? Maca? Acai?) and allows you to experiment before pursuing the products that you respond well to. In fact I think the sample box thing is far better suited to food/nutrition than cosmetics.

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Anyhow, subject at hand: Notoxbox is a monthly subscription box that combines healthy eating with some organic, healthy and naturally made products that all fall into that indefinable “green” category. All its packaging and padding is recyclable, there is no excess dressing up or ribbons or flounces or anything – it’s the box, a small explanatory sheet, and the products themselves. It’s rather wonderfully straightforward. The Notoxbox subscription is $25 a month – more than the beauty subscriptions, admittedly, but you’re also getting a fair few full sized products and a wider variety of things.

My box is the November one, and it’s pretty fabulous one.

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One a beauty front, I got a 20g Kosmea’s daily facial exfoliant (the rosewater mist is pictured instead above) and a Giovanni La Hold hair spritz (hairspray). On a hygiene front I received a Melrose organic hand sanitiser and a Pure Bamboo sports deodorizer (who told them I was a smelly gymrat? Who?) – and in the noms category I got a fullsized packet of Eat Rite brown rice tamari seaweed crackers, and samples of aforementioned chia seeds (The Chia co.) and Vital Greens, a powdered nutrient supplement. I actually already own Chia Co. Chia seeds and can now confirm that the least intrusive way to get em in ya is to throw them in with your muesli or into a green smoothie. I haven’t mastered anything with more finesse.

So this is essentially the learning experience of walking into a health food store and ensnaring a really, really good store assistant to boil it down to the basics for you. It’s low cost, low confusion and non-pushy, and pretty much genius as far as I’m concerned. Those who have contemplated making a healthy change but have no idea how to start would be advised checking these out – they’re a very beginner-friendly step to making some positive changes.

Do the samples in the Notoxbox appeal to you?

Review by Suzanne, who also blogs over at Don’t They Know Who I Am?

Be well,

xoxo

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♥ My Diamond Days

I’ve been talking about the benefits of meditation a lot lately, here on Wellness WA, as well as going on about it to my friends a LOT! I’ve also been creating a few little morning rituals for myself – 2 sets of sun salutations followed by a couple of minutes meditating, and it’s incredible how much better I feel on the days that I do this.

If you’d like to start meditating but are not sure how, then you need to check out My Diamond Days, a delicious program which gives you access to a large variety of high-quality guided meditations that you can listen to on your computer, MP3 player or smart phone whenever you want. My Diamond Days sends you a daily email with a new guided meditation, so you never get bored, and there’s such a big variety of meditations that if you’re not so keen on one, then you can easily go through the archives to find one that suits whatever you need at that point in time.

I like to listen to mine before bedtime using their mobile app, that 5 or 10 minutes helps calm my mind and ensure a great nights sleep. Highly recommended! Find out more at www.mydiamonddays.com

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♥ Style Your Hair

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the launch of a brand new smart phone and tablet app that promises to make the downtime between appointments at the hairdresser less of an ordeal. Enter – Style Your Hair.

Promising to teach you how to whip together a salon-worthy hairstyle in just a few minutes with its easy to follow videos, this app was created by two of the award-winning hairdressers from local salon Chilli Couture.

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There are 67 videos in the paid version ($2.99) and there is also a free lite version which gives you a taste of the program! Available for both iPhone & Android products, this is one to check out if you need a little extra help keeping your follicles in check.

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♥ 2 x Yoga in a Row

While I’m not quite at the level of the lass in the picture above… I’m a pretty big fan of yoga. You might know this by now. If you ever want to have a chat about yoga, get in touch! I’m lucky enough to go to a gym that has fairly plentiful, high-quality yoga offerings available, in fact it was the deciding factor in me signing up! One such yoga offering comes on a Sunday afternoon in the form of two yoga classes in a row. Most people attend one or the other, but there’s a few of us who’ve cottoned on to the fact that each class is different and that double yoga = double the benefits.

I can turn up frazzled and stressed, and walk out of class two hours later with a significantly lighter mind. A cheaper option is to do two different yoga DVD’s in a row – both are sure to have different focuses, and you’ll get a double hit of stress dissolving goodness. Let me know if you try it!

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♥ AEOS Beauty Body Shower

This organic/biodynamic body wash contains the gem & crystal essences. Yep. Amethyst, turquoise, emerald, quartz and more. AEOS stands for Active Energised Organic Skincare, and these guys know how to make some truly great, and very natural, products.

“A gentle cleansing wash for the body, containing a blend of organic and biodynamic essential oils, plant extracts and the energies of gems and crystals. Rich in rosemary, white birch and gardenia to leave the skin feeling fresh and soft, whilst the scent of lemon myrtle transforms your showering ritual in to a refreshing and uplifting experience.”

I’ve been enjoying using this in the mornings, and even though I don’t really know how the whole gemstone/crystal thing works, I can’t help but think it makes my mood a little more sparkly. Available for $18.50 from Be Genki Shop.

What’s making your beauty & wellness world spin this week? Share your crushes below, I’d love to hear them!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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♥ FAB Facial Radiance Pads

These babies are a chemical exfoliant, in an incredibly handsome jar (First Aid Beauty has gorgeous packaging. I appreciate such things). They're intended to be used after cleansing, but as a glycolic product, ultra ultra sensitive types might want to let a bit of time lapse after cleansing before using these. They clarify and brighten and are a joy to use in hot weather since the pads are generously saturated with product. Keep in fridge for optimal awesome. Available in David Jones stores & on the First Aid Beauty webstore (US Site)

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♥ Face of Australia Illuminators

It's hard to downplay the awesomeness of this range (there's four shades) – mixes well with standard moisturisers for a bronzey glow, a tiny bit lends a glossy blush to the cheeks, and the sheer size and value for money factor is astronomical. There's more in these illuminator tubes than most foundations, and at just over $12 a pop they are truly epic. I highly recommend mineral foundation (loose powder) with a dash of this on the cheeks – optimal effect with minimal layers on the skin, which is all for the best in sweatier months. Check it out here.

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♥ Cucumber Slices

It's old, and is likely the absolute first thing your first ever Dolly magazine told you to do. Of course, you could also use teabags instead (I heartily endorse peppermint teabags), and if you've got the time, a cold flannel across your whole face is going to do some pretty wonderful things in terms of de-puffing, de-redding and forestalling your summer lethargy.

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♥ Echolife Facial Mists

While Kosmea's Rosewater Mist is a popular favourite in summer, in terms of value for money I have to hand it to the Echolife range of sprays. There are four types, made to address different skin concerns – Lavender, Rose, Tea Tree and Witch Hazel. I'm a big fan of the lavender, and the 250ml bottle invites more liberal usage than Kosmea's dainty little spray bottle.

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♥ Klorane Dry Shampoo

Plenty of other dry shampoos have sprung up in its wake, but for me Klorane is still the best. Summer is a rough time for hair – you can be freshly washed but still saturated at the roots within an hour, and things like a rough dry towelling and some dry shampoo will do wonders. And also save you having to rewash and blow dry your hair, as blow drying in summer is a torturous and miserable endeavour. Klorane have also recently released a version of their dry shampoo with nettle to address oilier scalps (hoorah!) so those who have written off dry shampoos in the past would do well to reinvestigate!

Do you have a crush on any of these products too, or some crushes of your own? Leave a comment below and share the crush-love!

Crushes by Suzanne from Don’t They Know Who I Am?

Be well,

xoxo

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The first taste of the summer sunshine tells us we’re getting to the pointy end of the year when we start to worry about how our cellulite will look in bathers and we begin ditching tights and boots in favour of cute sandals.

And if you’re like me, the first showing of leg after a long, cold winter might look something like this:

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Okay, maybe not that horrific. But many of us are familiar with our winter pedicures happening only when we can be brave enough to remove our bed socks.

For me, looking down at my freshly pedi’d feet makes me feel instantly more refined and less like a wild, spear-wielding cave woman. Painting my toenails has always been something I’ve done to relieve stress – there’s something about the methodology in achieving a perfect pedi and staring at the pop of nail colour as I paint it on brightens my mood no matter what kind of day I’m having. I’m a big fan of the home pedicure where I know every bit of equipment is hygienic on my tootsies, and I’m also a big fan of anything that makes my DIY pedi easier!

Now, I’ll save you some nausea by not showing you my “before” photos. Let’s just say my feet needed some lovin’ after months of being hidden inside socks, tights, boots and uggs. On a scale of “Fresh Feet” to “Wild, Spear-wielding Cave Woman”, I was probably at “Girl, That’s Nasty [Know What I’m Sayin’?]”.

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Enter Emjoi PediSmooth.

This cute little gadget removes the effort of manually scrubbing your feet with a pumice stone at the push of a button.

The battery-operated PediSmooth has a natural stone roller that spins really, really fast and buffs away coarse, old skin with no effort or pain. The device is comfortable to hold and the roller is big enough to cover a good area, but small enough to maneuver over the natural curvature of the foot. For $29.95, you get the PediSmooth, two white “extremely rough skin” rollers, a pink “rough skin” roller and a brush to remove the build up of er…dust?

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I find the PediSmooth does a good job at “polishing” feet. It definitely makes them smoother and you can see the difference after you’ve used it, but I find it works best if I use it after my foot file (*shudder*) to get ultra smooth and soft feet. That being said, I use the PediSmooth once a week just to keep things in check, and I’ve ignored the finer pink roller that is meant to be used for maintenance. All in all, it does a pretty decent job given the budget-friendly price tag, but my feet need a bit more oomph to get the results I like.

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After my feet are buffed and fresh, I work some body scrub into my feet to really make them sparkle. My favourite is Soap & Glory’s The Breakfast Scrub (RRP $18.95 at Kit Cosmetics). It’s constantly selling like hotcakes at Kit, and probably because it smells like hotcakes. Seriously. It’s like rubbing your feet with warm pancakes, doused in maple syrup and butter and garnished with a big cuddle. This fine sugar scrub leaves skin all over the body super smooth and it’s great for feet because it can get right between your toes but rinses off easily, with no residue.

I pat off my feet, pop on some foot balm (I’m currently using QV Feet Heel Balm – I also smother it on at night and slip on some cotton socks) and prep my nails for some colour. While I was in Kit, I picked up this awesome shade of pink for summer called Let Go. It’s so perfect to add a splash of colour without being too garish!

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The final result is a beach-worthy pedicure that will look smashing in sandals, all without the effort of those pesky pumice stones or buffers!

Emjoi Pedismooth is $29.95 and available through the Emjoi online store!

Tell me… what are your favourite DIY pedicure tricks and tips? Do you have a hero product to get your feet ready for exposure to the outside world? Leave a comment below!

Review by Gemma, our resident pedicure loving PR professional!

Be well,

xoxo