♥

The scents we surround ourselves with have a huge impact on how we feel, the other day I came across (for the first time in a looooong time) the earthy, metallic smell of sprinklers on a hot day and was immediately taken back to age 7, running around the backyard through sprinklers with a friend.

I’m sure you can think of some too! The smell of Mum’s moisturiser, freshly baked biscuits, the perfume of an old lover… scents are powerful little molecules!

It’s with this in mind that I propose we all need to have the most fantastic soap / body wash possible, one that makes you want to run to the shower and never leave, filling you with feelings of hope, pleasure and wellbeing.

So! I’d like to invite you into my shower to have a mosey around and check out some of the beautiful body washes that are currently rockin’ my world…

Philosophy Melon Daiquiri Shampoo, Bubble Bath & Shower Gel!

Starting out with one of my absolute faves! Melon Daiquiri means I’ve been smelling like tangy melon for months now and absolutely love it. My mouth is actually watering writing about it!

Cinnamon Buns Shampoo, Bubble Bath & Shower Gel!

My 2nd Philosophy go-to makes my morning shower smell like a warm bakery (and also makes it incredibly difficult to leave!), this one is currently not available through Australian online stores, but you can find it at Sephora if you love the sound of it.

If you’re not aware of the Philosophy range of products you MUST do yourself a favour and check them out!

Coming in an amazing range of true-scents, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without smelling like your favourite fruit or dessert, I’ve previously had the Raspberry Sorbet & Strawberry Milkshake flavours and can highly reccomend them too 🙂

This Works! In the Zone.

Blending Frankincense & Eucalyptus scents, In the Zone by This Works is like a pep-talk for when you’re feeling exhausted or run down. The newest addition to my crowded shower, ITZ has carved a place among my top used products because it’s perfect for all your pre and post busy day issues.

♥ Don’t want to be awake? It helps invigorate and get your morning off to a fab start.

♥ Rough day at the office? In the Zone is there massaging your shoulders and telling you you’re a trooper.

♥ Feeling run down or just exercised your butt off? The little white bottle is smiling at you knowingly.

I adore it and I think you will too.

While these body washes may be a little more pricey than your $5 number from Woolies, (Philosophy – RRP $38 & This Works RRP $48) I believe it’s worth the price to have an amazing smell and experience that will last you long past the time you’ve hung up your towel (or in my case, left it on the floor in a heap) and I haven’t personally found a cheapie that gets me going quite like these guys!

Philosophy & This Works products available from Mecca Cosmetica, online and in store.

How about you…

What’s your favourite shower gel / body wash?
Do you like to spend up or be thrifty when it comes to cleaning yourself?

Would love to hear!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Milky Foot

After a long winter of hibernating beneath boots and tights, my feet were looking a little rough and neglected. Not being the kind of girl to shell out $80 on a pedicure, I was eager to try ‘Milky Foot’. This product claims to create milky smooth feet without any scrubbing or exfoliating, with just one application. It sounded too good to be true!

After washing my feet I cut open the two packages and slipped my feet into the gel-filled plastic pouches, putting socks on over the top. There was quite a strong chemical smell to the gel, similar to hair bleach, which made me worry a little as to whether this would burn. However after my 60-90 minutes of foot-soaking I was relieved to see I still had all ten toes. I took off the plastic pouches, rinsed my feet and hands and commenced the waiting game.

‘Milky Foot’ claims to begin working in about 5-10 days, and after 5 days I noticed skin beginning to peel from the areas of hard skin. It was pretty unpleasant to look at, and I endured around 5 more days of skin slipping from the soles of my feet. After the peeling subsided I was left with the results promised, and now have heels as soft as a baby’s behind.

Applying ‘Milky Foot’ was very easy, and I liked the fact that there was no hard work involved. If you can live with peeling feet for around a week, I would recommend ‘Milky Foot’ as an effortless alternative to home or salon pedicures.

It retails in selected pharmacies for $29.95 (small) or $34.95 (large).

Or can be purchased online here: Buy Milky Foot!

Review by Katy Lock

Be well,

xoxo

♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I have recently moved back to Perth after spending the past year working in NYC, where I worked as a freelance make-up artist for film (worked with Cannes Film Festival Winner, Elodie Bouchez), in addition to managing the marketing department at fashion showroom APARAT.

Since moving back to Perth at the beginning of the year, I have resumed my career as a freelance makeup artist and worked on the Cloudstreet TV mini-series, several commercial campaigns (LotteryWest, The West Australian and Chevron), and have had editorial in SCOOP, The West Australian and Frankie. Although this keeps me relatively busy, I am also the Marketing Manager (Business Development) at HALO Lighting, an independent Architectural Design Lighting Consultancy that my Dad started in April this year.

Work tends to take up most of my time but I try to keep a balance, making sure I take the time to go to the beach, see my family and friends, and keep in touch with local exhibitions and gigs.

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I try to keep things simple with my personal routine, as my days are usually pretty busy. I always cleanse morning and night with a gentle cleanser (Cetaphil) as I have very sensitive skin and I moisturize with a hydrating cream (Ego QV cream).

I have tried several other products but I have hypersensitive skin and find base products without fragrance work best for me. I make sure I’ve always got Kiehl’s SPF 15 lip conditioner (Available at StrawberryNET) on hand as I often tend to work out on location and I use Giorgio Armani’s Hydra Glow Foundation as it also contains an SPF 15.

♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

To be honest I find the beach to be my favourite beauty treatment. Salt water seems to work wonders on my skin and hair. I just make sure I have my SPF and sunglasses in tow.

♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

Matthew Ingrahm at Head Office on Hay Street. Its all about the cut! Even in New York I found it hard to get a cut as good as his.

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Elizabeth Arden’s 8 hour cream – a mid price point $39 for an amazing product, which is great for dry skin. It can even be used on the lips!

♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

MAC Eye Lash Curler – I don’t leave the house without curling my lashes. It’s all about keeping what’s natural (skin, brows, lashes lips) looking fresh.

Maybelline Full and Soft Waterproof Mascara – you can layer this mascara and it remains soft and doesn’t crumble. Waterproof is always best to hold lashes that have been curled.

NARS Casino Bronzer – For darker skin tones like mine this bronzer keeps the skin looking sun-kissed and ready for Summer (lighter skin tones would use NARS Laguna Bronzer).

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Less is more! Nothing beats fresh healthy skin. Lots of water, SPF, and picking a cleanser and moisturizer that is right for your skin type will all help in the quest to feel great.

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)

I’d love to go on a yoga retreat, but this requires time and research and my busy work schedule has been keeping me on my toes.

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Eggs for breakfast are a must for me. I tend to drink a lot of water and steer clear from drinks that are high in sugar. Apart from that I tend to eat everything in moderation.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

I try to avoid driving where possible, so instead I walk or ride my bicycle. I also go dancing at least once a week.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

No.

Am I the only one that craves that kind of hair that you have when you first leave the hairdressers? That hair that just seems to behave so well, sit so damn fine and even sustains the nastiest of weather conditions? That hair that just… well… that just doesn’t seem to be yours? I’m sure I’m not the only one. I think I’m not alone in this quest for this thing that I seek …yes friends… manageability .I’m also pretty sure its got something to do with your hair being a consistent team player and I’m doubly pretty sure that that has got a whole lot to do with keeping it in tip top condition.

Something that I have discovered recently that can really help with this is your humble hair mask (and you thought they were only for your face!) and what better time to take a look at one now that Summer is upon us and the sun, sea and pool are going to try their dandiest to lure your tresses into all out fuzz ball mode. Alchemy has such a hair mask currently on the market, namely a ‘Gingko and Jojoba Intensive Moisture Vitamin Masque’ . While being paraben and sulfate free (this means no irritants that cause the product to foam up) as well as containing protecting ingredients such as avocado oils and white tea, this product is all about giving you that manageability that we all so badly need/want/desire. Who would’ve thought we would go to so much bother for a bunch of dead skins cells…

So the deal with this is:

♥ Wash your hair
♥ Towel dry it
♥ Put this all over your hair and then leave it for anywhere from 5 minutes to overnight.

I didn’t do the overnight option (the thought of rolling around on my pillows and sheets made the clean freak in me, just…freak) but I did try the more manageable 5- 30-minute spell.

Basically, this works. The longer you leave it the better. And why shouldn’t it? Anything as thick as this and filled with as many good things as this AND kept on your hair for longer than you would leave your average conditioner is going to work. It makes sense right? It makes your hair sit better, feel smoother and lighter (not weighed down by too much product) and it smells so lovely. Addictively so! (I used the whole bottle in three weeks because I wanted my hair to smell like this forever). This product can be used as often as you like UNTIL you gain that manageability and then twice a week from then on.

It’s suitable for straight hair, permed hair or coloured hair, its Australian owned, vegan and it’s not tested on animals. Now- if there’s not something that appeals to you out of ALL OF THAT, then have a great time trying to manage that rat bag head of hair of yours until you come to your senses.

Alchemy Gingko and Jojoba Intensive Moisture Vitamin Masque retails for $17.95.

Article by Adriane Daff, I’ve seen her hair. It’s good.

Be well,

xoxo

Hans Bruechle

♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m a 24 year old, youngest child of 8 who loves Guitar Hero and enjoys turning up to costume parties dressed inappropriately. I also draw and paint a lot and I’m starting up my own clothing label, I love to cook, and I do plenty of exercise in between epic Xbox sessions.

Painting by Hans

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

The secret to a classic, timeless beauty is your wake-up time. If you’re waking up before the crack of 10:30 then you’re not doing your face any favours. After that it’s a regulation shower (with shower gel not soap), shave, moisturize with Palmer’s Cocoa Butter, do the hair, brush your teeth with whitening toothpaste and then maybe a nap cos you’ve just worked so hard on looking like you’ve just woken up.

♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

As a guy I don’t really indulge in “beauty treatments” mostly because I feel uncomfortable and out-of-place in beauty salons. I feel like I should be talking with the other Mums about how school fees have just gone up again or whether Katy Perry really has had a boob job. But I do enjoy a haircut at Obsession in Gwelup pretty frequently. They’re all really nice people with good senses of humour and the artwork on the walls was done by me.

♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

Again it’s Obsession in Gwelup. And I don’t know if “trust” is the right word because that implies that my hair is some sort of precious gift that must be handled with care and respect. Like virginity. I go to Obsession because they do really good haircuts and I like all the people who work there. It’s not even close to my house!

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

I feel like I’m letting these questions down because, as a guy, my beauty regime focuses on 80% hair, 15% teeth and shaving, and 5% miscellaneous. But I am a fan of Palmers Cocoa Butter. Especially now cos as it heats up I’m at the beach all the time. Also sunscreen.

♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

In all of life it’d have to be my limited edition Hannah Montana box set but in the self-beautification world it’s:

1. Redken “Rough Clay” hair product
2. Palmers Cocoa Butter moisturiser
3. Gillette Mach 3 shavers (although they are more expensive than buying a child from another country).

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

A lot of exercise and good food. And some sun! Not too much and don’t get burnt but just get out there and be active. I try and go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and on the off days I swim – either in a pool at Melville Aquatic or in the ocean. Apart from that I do a bit of running, surfing, cycling, and kicking the footy around with mates.

As for food, don’t be a nazi about it (I can’t stand people who count calories and ration out portions of salad like it’s a horrifying school camp). But at the same time don’t go nuts on the fast food either. Eat fresh food that you cook yourself but still enjoy that quarter pounder at 4 in the morning when you’re tanked.

Hans getting his chest waxed. (Note: May actually be Steve Carell)

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)

I’ve never had a manicure/pedicure. I don’t really want one but it was only thing I could think of that didn’t immediately freak me out. Come to think of it, I don’t think I could handle someone touching my feet like that. I actually got my chest waxed last week for a TV show and that definitely sucked. Think 40 Year Old Virgin but with me complaining like a little girl.

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Fruit salad with yoghurt for breakfast (if I even wake up in time for breakfast…seriously), then normally some pasta or a big roll for lunch. I am actually a fan of Subway for lunch. And then for dinner I’ll cook something. Could be anything but I prefer pasta and rice dishes that fill me up and then I’ll have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

It’s fairly standard – I go to the gym during the middle of the day for about an hour (it is one of the benefits of not having a “proper” job) and do weights, but not a lot of cardio. Then in the evenings I’ll usually go for a run near my house and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I get up at 5 and swim a couple of k’s at Melville Aquatic Centre.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

I’m not a big fan of alternative therapies – if you can’t fix it with a Panadol, it probably can’t be fixed – kind of attitude which I know is a bit dumb. And the only supplement I take is protein powder after I come back from the gym. I’m not fully into the whole world of protein and weight-gain supplements but I do use it. And that’s it. No multivitamins, or fish oil or rhinoceros testicle. That’s a thing, right?

Be well,

xoxo