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From primers and BB creams, through the latest eyeshadow palettes and vegan lipsticks, to a huge variety of makeup brushes and dewy mists – figuring out how to organize your beauty cabinet can be a difficult, time-consuming, and not-very-fun task.

We’re here to help! There are a few effective ways to limit the beauty product mess to a minimum. Follow our top tips on how to keep your beauty cabinet organised and save a ton of time on your morning routine.

Clean out Your Beauty Collection

The first and most important thing is to clean all of your beauty products and to get rid of the ones that have expired. Take every product you own out of its drawer, cabinet, etc. Yes, that means even the ones you keep in the shower. Spread them out and get rid of all the ones that have expired or have duplicates. After all, you probably don’t need to have five brown mascaras. Also, get rid of everything that you’ve bought impulsively and you’re never going to use. For anything that’s still in date and unused, consider gifting to friends or even your local women’s shelter.

Everyday/Special Occasions

Аfter you’ve gotten rid of everything you don’t need, it’s time to sort everyday items from speciality items. Organise your products into two categories – things that you use daily and items that are a bit more luxe that you save for special occasions.

We recommend storing these top-notch products (think your LA Mer foundation & Rae Morris brushes) which you save for date nights, New Year’s celebrations and special events, in a dedicated makeup pouch and keep it away from all the rest. Gorman have some really cute options. In addition, it’s a good idea to have another pouch for all of your travel toiletries, so the next time you’re going on a trip you won’t spend hours packing!

Evaluate Your Space

Take a hard, honest look at how much space you’ve got. Do you share a small space in the bathroom with your roommates, or have a huge vanity just to yourself? This step is extremely important because you may need to adjust how many products you can keep out in the open (we know, it sucks). If you have a little space, keep only the most important daily items on your shelf. The rest of them you can find some creative ways to organise. For example, you can buy transparent containers from K-Mart, IKEA, or Howards Storage World if you want to get fancy.

Use Containers and Labels

The availability to see your entire collection and easily access it is essential. This will help you keep your beauty cabinet organised since you won’t have to go through the entire assortment to find something. Makeup organizers that have adjustable dividers can be your new best friend. They’ll help you better organise your makeup collection as it grows or shrinks. You can put different labels and decorations on each compartment.

Divide and Conquer

You can use the same organizer for all your beauty products. However, we would recommend you to use separate ones to ensure everything has its own place and stays super easy to find.

For example, you can use one container for your brushes and divide them into the following categories: face, eyes and lips. Another one for all your skin-care products, a third one got your lipstick and lip gloss collection. The main container with your everyday makeup you can keep on top of your beauty cabinet and the other ones inside the cabinet drawers.

Final Steps

It’s time to put everything together. Arrange the containers with your everyday products front and centre. If any of your everyday beauty products comes in an enormous bottle, you can transfer some of it into a pretty little bottle that will look much better of your shelf. The same goes for cotton swabs and cotton balls. They can go into chic, small boxes that can pass as decor.

Following all these tips will get you well & truly on your way to a nicely organised beauty cabinet. It will not only ensure that your countertop won’t become a huge cluttered mess but also it will save you a ton of time when you’re getting ready to go out!

Jane Wilson is a marketing and social manager, a mom and a blogger from Melbourne. Her interests in home improvement come from an earliest age, she loves engaging in different remodeling projects, as well as creating her own natural cleaning solutions. She manages the local brand of Fantastic Cleaners, and she owns a small blog called Modern Housewives, where she shares all kinds of tips and recipes.

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Every new day is like turning the page on life and having a chance to refresh, re-set and start again! So, if we’re refreshing ourself, it makes sense for us to be able to refresh our skin too. Is it even possible to wake up with better skin? Well, I’m hoping my seven top tips might help you do just that!

Always Be a Barefaced Beauty

It’s the absolute golden rule that you should always, always, ALWAYS, remove your makeup before bed, yes, even after a late night out. This is with good reason. Hopping into bed without taking your full face off is a surefire way to clog up your pores and boost free radicals. This speeds up the ageing process , which is certainly NOT what you want if you’re looking for a dewy morning glow.

Pamper Yourself Ready for Beauty Sleep

Although I’ve told you above to be a barefaced beauty when you slip between the sheets, once you take off your makeup, there are a few more layers of the good stuff you should think about popping on to your face, to help you wake up with glowing skin. A nice cleanse, tone and moisturise should do the trick!

Think Smartly About What you Drink

If you do happen to be out socialising ahead of hitting the sack, make sure you’re not crawling into the sheets parched! Try soda water with fresh lime or coconut water as a mixer if you’re having alcohol, to counteract its dehydrating effects. Definitely avoid sugary, caffeinated drinks too, such as cola, fruit juices and energy drinks, as they can unsettle your sleep and leave your skin thirsty.

Nail Your Pillow Position

Did you know, your beauty sleep may actually be contributing to your wrinkles!? No word of a lie, sleep wrinkles can actually form by what is believed to be the result of the skin being pushed and pulled against the pillow, damaging skin-smoothing collagen over time. Future-proof your face by sleeping on your back – lying face down or sideways on your pillow can help cause lines to form.

Slip On a Silky Eye-Mask

Another nifty trick to avoid those dreaded face creases, while you unwittingly catch your zzzzs, is to invest in a silk eye mask! It not only blocks out the light to help you drift off, but it can also help with your skin staying crease-free by helping to prevent the pillow from being pushed into the side of the face. Plus, the silk can also soothe the skin, helping to lock in moisture and prevent visible dehydration. Amazing!

Pile the Pillows Up High

Aim to sleep with your head elevated on two pillows, as if you lie flat during your slumber fluids can pool around your eyes causing you to wake up with puffy peepers! Keeping your head elevated during the night means the fluids don’t have the opportunity to gather up, so you wake bright eyed and beautiful!

Bank Those ZZZZZZ’s

Perhaps the most obvious tip, but certainly the most crucial, is to actually get enough sleep to quantify the phrase beauty sleep in the first place. Go to bed at a decent time to ensure you lock in a good eight hours. Those that get the recommended dose of shut eye wake up with smoother, clearer skin. If you are sleep deprived, there’s a chance you’ll look pale, worn-out, and have bags under your eyes. So get into a relaxing bedtime routine, avoid screens and get ready to reap the rewards when you wake!

Contributor: Katy Rachel Moore is into all things wellness and loves to get her teeth stuck into into the latest health trends.

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It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of unhealthy (but still fun!) habits when you are in a relationship – Netflix, Uber Eats & a bottle of wine every weekend… sound familiar?
That’s why we’re here to shake things up and make date night a health-boosting experience again, at least every once in a while!

We have compiled some of our favourite fun, healthy and unique date ideas that might have you considering cancelling your Netflix subscription. (Oh who are we kidding, we could never give up Queer Eye!)

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Recipe for Love

So you’ve heard that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? I think that definitely goes for ladies too! So why not improve your culinary skills together by taking a cooking class?

There are a few excellent options around Perth, but some of our favourites are Taste Budds Cooking School in Highgate who offer Sophie’s Seafood Cooking School (non-vego – if that wasn’t obvious!) where Chef Sophie Budd will teach you to cook healthy pescetarian recipes like ‘Thai Fish Cakes’ and ‘Goan Fish Curry’.

If plant-based is more your style like it is ours, why not bump the health factor up a notch and try a Vegan cooking class at Salt and Company in West Perth? Even if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, plant-based cooking is a great way to incorporate more variety into your repertoire, perfect for #meatfreemonday!

Cute and healthy date where you get to learn a new skill, get a little competitive over who can cook the tastiest Jackfruit taco, AND enjoy some delicious food at the end of it? Sign us up!

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Axe me on a date!

What could be more romantic than axe-throwing? Ok hear us out, this one is a little unconventional, but there is nothing like a little bit of friendly, flirty competition! Axe throwing isn’t just a sport for bearded men in flannos, it’s actually the newest trend to hit the streets of Perth, perfect for a fun night out!

And it’s the dream date night combo, whether it’s to help break you out of your relationship rut or break the ice with a new bae (#swiperight), you can enjoy a special Date Night package with the team at Maniax. Running every Friday from 8-10pm, it includes a 2-hour axe throwing session, plus 1 on 1 coaching, target practice and a tournament against other couples, all for only $100!

Plus, since it is conveniently located in Northbridge, you are only a short stroll away from bars and restaurants for when you have worked up your appetites.
For more information on Maniax Date Night, visit their website.

Bleeding Love

There is no greater feeling than being able to help people, apart from the feeling of being in love, of course! So why not combine the two and have a date night where you can truly make a difference, by making an appointment to donate blood?

You need to check whether you are able to of course (visit their website here to see the requirements!) but Australia is in desperate need of donor blood and it literally takes less than 30 minutes, and barely hurts at all! Plus, the warm, fuzzy feeling, and the great karma you will receive make it all worth it.

The Perth CBD donor centre is centrally located in 140 Perth (just behind the Perth Underground train station) and is surrounded by great food options, so you can truly make a date of it and head out for a bite to eat after you donate (just make sure you skip the drinks!).

Make an appointment here.

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Be More Flexible

Whether you’re a regular yogi, or you don’t know your downward dog from your Warrior II , there are a million reason why you should try yoga on your next date! Okay, so we don’t have time to list the full million reasons, but we have three very good reasons why practicing yoga with your significant other can help improve your relationship.

♥ Stress less – Yoga has been proven to help ease stress and lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It has also been proven to help relieve anxiety.
♥ Smarten up – Studies have shown that yoga can actually improve your brain’s ability to think more quickly and accurately – meaning you might be less likely to say the wrong thing when your partner is grumpy!
♥ Flexibility – Yoga can increase your flexibility… ummm… need we say more?! 😉

Our favourite new spot for yoga classes is Yab Yum Yoga studio, located in Victoria Park and their brand new inner city studio! Choose from a range of classes including Slow Flow, Deep House Vinyasa, or Restore and Align. Check out their website and timetables to book in your next class!

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

If you are after something that is a bit more low-key, then strap on your runners and slap on some sunscreen because we know the most romantic hiking trail in Perth.
Ellis Brook Valley is located in Martin, just minutes from Gosnells town centre and is one of the richest wildflower locations in Perth. What could be more romantic than spending your day wandering through stunning wildflowers and amazing views? There is also a huge array of wildlife in the area, so you might even spot an eagle or kangaroo!



There are a couple of easy trails to choose from, ranging from 430 meters to 2.8 km’s, but for those after a bit more of a challenge, try the Sixty Foot Falls Circuit which is a 2 kilometre loop that reaches to top of the stunning Sixty Foot Falls waterfall, giving a jaw-dropping view of the valley and Perth City beyond.

Click here for directions.

So not matter if you have chosen to follow some of our ideas, or if this has sparked your own idea for a fun activity for your next date, we know that you can wave bye-bye to Netflix for a while! (At least until the next season of Queer Eye drops!)

If you do follow any of our ideas, make sure you tell us! Tag #wellnesswa on your social pics or leave us a comment!

Be well,

xoxo

Leah is a freelance content creator from Perth who loves her dog, trying weird fitness trends, beach days and avocado toast. Follow her Instagram @leahonthedoor

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Welcome back to one of my favourite segments to write – Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes! While I absolutely love doing a deeper review of a fitness class, spa experience or wellness retreat, there’s something super satisfying and fun about sharing the little bits and pieces that are making my dady to day life just that little bit more wellness-y.

Let’s get started!

♥ All the Facial Oils

Do you ever find that sometimes you fall off the wagon with a health or beauty tip that you promised yourself never to skip? Same here. For quite some time I just “totally forgot” that my skin thrives when I’m applying 100% natural oils to it on-the-reg. Pressing some jojoba oil into my skin in the morning before my facial sunscreen gives an all day glow that I wouldn’t otherwise be lucky enough to have, and after cleansing the days makeup & dirt off at night, 4 drops of rosehip oil massaged into my face followed up with a face cream also does WONDERS. I can’t believe I let myself lapse on this for so long, but I’m very happy to back on my oily regime!

Currently I’m using 100% organic jojoba oil from The Jojoba Company in the morning & Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ in the evenings. I also highly recommend Two Drops by Herbs + Heart which is a blend of incredibly lush oils for evening use, I’ll be moving onto this one when the rosehip is done!

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♥ Chlorella Supplements

I’ve just jumped back on board with these bright green little beauties. Chlorella, a freshwater algae, is said to be one of nature’s perfect superfoods – it’s high in protein, iron, antioxidants, magnesium and many more vitamins and minerals. It’s also meant to be fantastic for drawing out heavy metals & chemicals from your tissues and helping the body dispose of it. Thanks, chlorella!

Personally I just like the idea of taking a green supplement each day in the hopes that it’s doing something positive – I’ll report back on my findings soon! My favourite brand is Sun Chlorella which you can purchase from iHerb (use this discount code – MZB674 – for 10% off your first order, woo!)

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♥ Cheezels vs. Mary’s Gone Crackers

Having low blood pressure (or the blood pressure of a 5 year old child, as a doctor once told me – I’m 35) comes with a few challenges. One of which is an almost constant craving for salty foods. I most definitely have a ‘salt tooth’ rather than a sweet tooth. Because of this I am almost always reaching for something crunchy + salty, and often that takes the form of something less than wellness… cue, Cheezels, Pizza Shapes, or the probably-not-even-that-healthy Honey Dijon Soy Crisps. At a couple of bucks a piece it can be an easy choice to make on a 10 minute rest break at work, but the resulting energy slump and feeling crappy hasn’t been doing me any favours lately.

In my quest to change things up I’ve started purchasing the herb flavoured Mary’s Gone Crackers snacky biscuits and pairing them with Caramelised Onion Hommus and OH LAWD is it goooood! This salty, crunchy, snack with a hint of sweetness really hits the spot, and leaves me feeling fantastic afterwards as well. The only downside is the cost. A packet of MGC will set you back around $8, and the hommus anywhere from $3-4. So it’s the $2 snacks versus the $12 snacks, but the wellness & energy benefits of the latter are well worth it in my opinion. I’d love to hear your favourite healthy, salty snacks in the comments so leave one below!

Be well,

Annette

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I hope the start of your year has been full of wonder, joy & lots of wellness treats. This week I’m excited to get back into sharing my crushes with you – the little wellness snippets that are brightening my days & making me feel amazing. I can’t wait to start sharing more of these and hopefully helping you find a new product, fitness class or healthy tip you can add into your life.

Lets go…!

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♥ Calm Down Tea

I’m absolutely loving this tea lately because of it’s simple ingredients, yummy taste & peaceful vibes. Containing organic rooibos, biodynamic apple, chamomile & pink rose petals, it’s the perfect cup to brew after a busy day, or even to have on hand at work so you can mitigate any stress as it pops up. You can purchase online directly from Yarra Valley Tea Co. or I’ve also spied it in the extensive tea selection at Fresh Provisions Mount Lawley.

♥ Sauna Highs

Recently I’ve been resdiscovering the wonders of your stock-standard gym sauna. For a while I was off these, mostly due to not having stepped foot in a gym for a while, and the thought of having to talk to sweaty men in an enclosed space made me slightly uncomfortable. However I dusted off these concerns and booked in for a Swim Session @ Beatty Park through ClassPass. In this session you can use any of their indoor & outdoor pools, steam room, spa and the sauna for three ClassPass points, which works out to be $5 – a saving of $6 from their regular casual swim passes – win!

The dry heat of the sauna is perfect after a few casual laps of the 50m outdoor pool, and luckily for me the few times I’ve been noone has been in an overly chatty mood, but if they are and you don’t feel like talking you can always just close your eyes and pretend you’re meditating. It only takes 5-10 minutes to start sweating up a storm, and the heat tends to have a magical calming + invigorating quality to it that will leave you feeling energised and present at the same time.

I like to squeeze in a swim, followed by a sauna, another swim, another sauna, DONE.

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♥ Block Colour Package @ Hair Addicts Perth

Let me preface this by saying I’ve never been “Becky with the good hair”. On a good day my hair could manage as passable, or “not bad”, but a combination of laziness, lack of skill and a penchant for only seeing a hairdresser once a year (!!) in my previous life meant that bad hair days were more common than good ones.

Fast forward to being 33 years old, single, and FINALLY having found a fantastic hairdresser in the form of Jess @ Hair Addicts Perth, I’ve now declared 2018 the year of “no more excuses, good hair is important, you’re making a booking every 2.5 months, no questions asked” – and I’m super excited to have my locks looking and feeling good all year.

The photo above was taken directly after I finished my latest appointment a couple of weeks ago, and I hand-on-heart can say that my hair has NEVER looked that good before. Ever. I honestly didn’t even recognise it as my own hair. That result was achieved after a colour, Olaplex treatment (my first time having this and I am a CONVERT!), wash, head massage, cut, blow dry & waves added in. All in all I believe it came to $190 which is an absolute bargain, and I almost don’t want to share this hidden gem of a salon because I’m scared I wont be able to get an appointment easily anymore!

The regular cut, colour, blowdry package is $150 at time of publishing, which is out of this world reasonable. Run, don’t walk, to get your hair cut with Jess or any of the babes at this gorgeous hair salon which is located in Tuart Hill.

Questions? Comments? Leave a message below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo