New Year, New You: Win the Entire "The Good Vitamin" Range, Valued at $90!

March is still the new year, right?! If you're needing a little boost to your New Year's Resolutions to be healthier, happier and make 2013 the best year of your life – then we're here to help. We've teamed up with the lovely folk at The Good Vitamin to give one VERY lucky reader the ENTIRE RANGE – which is 16 products all up, valued at over $90.

The Good Vitamin is an affordable & Australian made vitamin brand, with pretty cute packaging too.

The prize includes the following products…

Multivitamins

♥ Multivitamin
♥ Children's Multivitamin
♥ 55 Plus Multivitamin

Joints, Bone & Muscle

♥ Vitamin D3
♥ Glucosamine
♥ Magnesium
♥ Calcium + D

Body & Beauty

♥ Nails, Skin & Hair Care
♥ Iron
♥ Vitamin C

Mind Health

♥ Mega B Energy
♥ Sleep Well
♥ Mega B Complex

Heart & Inner Health

♥ Fish Oil
♥ CoEnzyme Q10
♥ Liver Cleanse

It's time to start…. New Year, New You– enter for your chance to WIN a The Good Vitmain pack valued at RRP$90.00 and kick start 2013 on the right track !

To enter, all you need to do is is leave a comment below letting us know which vitamin supplement would be most useful for you right now – and you're in with a chance!

Best of luck, competition drawn on 3rd April 2013!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Jia Ni Teo, Certified Holistic Health & Life Coach!

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

Hey wellness lovers! I’m Jia Ni from sunny Perth, Western Australia. I’m a certified holistic health coach over at Happy Healthy Abundant.

I’m an enthusiastic Gemini who loves yoga, adventures, the beach, green juice, crystals, studying age old metaphysical texts, and everything health and wellness related!

Come on over to Happy Healthy Abundant to receive your FREE gift, 15 Tips to Get Happy Healthy Abundant Now. I share nuggets of wisdom and recipes to succeed (in health and life) even on the busiest schedules.

Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

My daily routine is pretty simple and effective. Apart from being a health coach, I’m also a student at university – so simple does it!

Every morning, I wake up as the sun rises (usually 6 a.m.), stretch, practice yoga (sun salutations are great!), and then skip into the bathroom. Here’s the low down:

The products I use are: Miessence mint toothpaste – (I adore this!), a bar of good soap like this Aromabals one or a huge chunk of handmade soap, a Sukin cleanser or Melvita’s foam cleanser, the Vanessa Megan exfoliating cleanser every other day, a hydrating rose mist, and finish with a hydrating cream/moisturizer from KORA!

I also like crystal deodorant, and coconut oil as a body moisturizer.

♥ Alchemical Oil

I also love using alchemical oil or essential oils to set the intention and tone for the day.

For haircare, I’ve been using the shampoo and conditioner from Vanessa Megan and I adore the fresh fragrance of geranium and tangerine! I use coconut oil on the ends of my hair too.

The evening routine usually the same, although if I’m feeling rather tired and want to wind down relaxing I’ll take a nice salt bath with Himalayan sea salt and essential oils, or give myself a good DIY hair mask.

Recently, I’ve started using Bush Flower Essences and I can’t stop raving about them. Love the Abund Essence and Calm & Clear Essence.

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

I love hair treatments. I colour my hair say, once or twice a year, so I pay extra care to my hair to keep it healthy.

I travel to Malaysia to visit family pretty often, and I love the Ultra Sonic Iron treatment at Number76. It leaves my hair glossy and smooth!

I also dig DIY hair treatments using coconut oil!

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

I usually cut my own bangs and leave my hair to grow, ha!

In the event where I feel like I need a good old trim in Perth, I’ll go to Ashley at Fringe Benefits Hair Salon, Curtin University!

Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

A clay mask! My gorgeous friend Dani from Scented Holistic Skin Care has an amazing French Green Clay Mask which I use 2-3 times a week to draw out the dirt and cleanse out my pores.

I highly recommend using a good quality clay mask regularly because you are essentially de-clogging any clogged pores and now the nutrients and moisture from beauty products applied onto the surface of your skin can be absorbed effectively! It also leaves your skin feeling radiant, clean, and vibrant. (Can you tell I LOVE masks yet?)

Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

1. My Clarisonic
2. Australian Bush Flower Essences
3. A good cleanser

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

1. HYDRATE. Drink lots of water, get yourself a 2L stainless steel bottle and make sure you finish at least one of them!
2. Eat plant-based. Fill your tummy with mostly greens, vegetables, and other plant-based nutritious food.
3. Move. Yoga, run, walk, jog. Whatever suits you best, but moving is essential to look and feel great!
4. Raise your vibrations. Surround yourself with people who you adore, inspiring mentors, messages and don’t forget to engage in activities you enjoy!
5. Sleep well. Go to bed early, in a relaxed state, and with good thoughts and vibes in your mind and heart.

What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven't yet?

1. SUP Yoga – I love the sea, I love yoga. SUP yoga seems divine!
2. Infrared sauna – I’ve heard and read so many amazing benefits about it, I have to suss out one!
3. Kickboxing – This one’s on my 100 things to do in 2013!
4. Rock climbing – I’ve done rock climbing on a small scale, and I’d love to do something huge this year.
5. Leonie Dawson’s Paradise Retreat!

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

I start off my morning with a large glass of green drink – a green juice (veggies and lemon) or green smoothie.

Lunch, depending on the season, is a mix of seasonal vegetables and high quality protein. In the summer, I love whipping up a good hearty wrap, salad or sushi rolls. In the winter, I’ll have a batch of leftover grilled vegetables and something heavier.

For dinner, we have more vegetables and a small portion of protein. I’ll make a curry to have with quinoa, or we’ll bake delicious. Meals are usually extremely simple to prepare, and I do my best to incorporate the whole rainbow so we get a spectrum of vitamins and minerals!

In the middle of the day, if I’m craving a snack, I’ll usually have sprouted seeds or nuts, veggie sushi, coconuts, dark chocolate, raw brownies, a slice of raw cheesecake or veggie sticks and dip! I’ve written a post featuring 21 of my favourite snacks here!

Describe your fitness routine.

Yoga is something I do daily. I’ll stretch heaps, and then practice for 15-45 minutes, depending on which day it is. I love walking and cycling too, and I walk/cycle to uni. I occasionally go for a run too!

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

I snack on Spirulina and Chorella, and love the Hawaiian Pacifica brand. I also take a dairy-free probiotic and digestive enzyme. As far as nutritional supplements, I believe that it is important to get most of our needs from food and lifestyle as long as we are in a state of health.

As a health coach, I work with clients to establish that state of health first (and sometimes supplements are essential and yield amazing results)!

As far as alternative therapies, I swear by Belinda Davidson. She’s a wonderful person, a guest expert on my eCourse, and I personally find her white light intensives and Monday white lights (which are free) a life changing experience.

How many hours sleep do you usually get each night? Do you have any bedtime rituals or tips to help you get a great nights sleep?

Yes! My lights are usually out and I’m usually sound asleep by 10pm. I’ll wake up naturally by 6am so that’s about 8 hours of sleep at least.

Most nights, I’ll lie down and make sure I go to sleep in a peaceful, relaxed state. Meditation, visualization, and chakra cleansing are some of the rituals I use to help me get aligned and have a good night’s sleep, and a beautiful day the next!

How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

• Turning off my laptop, disconnecting from the internet, and then just anchoring myself back into my heartspace. With work, I’m very left-brained and a lot of energy is focused in the mind. Turning off all distractions, sitting on my yoga mat or a comfy couch, and then taking a few moments to breathe and focus in my heart centre relaxes me in an instant.
• Meditation – guided or in silence.
• Extreme self-care and self-love.
• Reading a book (or two).
• Journaling
• Spending time out in nature
• Hanging out with friends and loved ones

A million thanks to Jia Ni for sharing her gorgeous routine with us, if you're keen to find out more about this lovely local babe – you can follow her in these ways:

Website: http://jianiteo.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/jianihha
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jianiteo
Instagram: @jianiteo

If you have any questions or comments please leave them below!

Be well,

xoxo

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Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes: Acupuncture, Beatty Park Pool, Exfoliation & At-Home Mani-Pedis!

Acupuncture

I've used acupuncture a couple of times before and always found it helpful. My digestion has been a bit sluggish lately, so I decided to see Jacinta at the Perth Natural Medical Centre. I find the sessions extremely relaxing and always leave with a gentle buzz of energy and feeling really refreshed. The dietary advice has been so interesting and also counter-intuitive. Apparently my system works best without cold and raw foods according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. I'm not sure where that leaves my green smoothie habit, but it's worth a go!

Swimming at the new Beatty Park Pool

I started to swim regularly in my teens and it's the one aspect of my exercise routine that has stuck. I've tried many types of exercise but, for me, nothing beats the soothing, meditative effects of lap swimming. I absolutely love it and always sleep so well after a long swim. I'm feeling very lucky that my local newly renovated pool at Beatty Park is so lovely. The works haven't been totally finished yet but it looks like the centre will be amazing when it's all done.

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate

This is my new mantra! There's nothing like summer to make you more body conscious. I've been using the 'hot towel scrub' method lately to make my skin silky smooth. Just grab a flannel, warm water and soap or shower gel, lather up and scrub away! For my face I'm enjoying a lovely scrub from the Smitten Organic skin care range. My skin tends to be quite dry so I avoid harsh scrubs, but this one is a very gentle, creamy and really effective.

Hands and Feet Pampering

I'm loving Burts Bees Tips and Toes Kit at the moment. I'm pretty busy, so find it hard to fit in a mani-pedi and I also find them pretty boring treatments. This kit is great for some quality at-home pampering.The hand creams are also the perfect size to throw into a handbag or purse. They've thrown a yummy pomegranate lip balm into the kit too! All of their products are 'earth friendly' in fact they were one of the pioneer natural skin care brands as they started in 1984. It's a pretty affordable range too.

What are your favourite budget and at-home pampering tips?

Article by Karen, who's certain she was a fish in a previous life!

Be well,

xoxo

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Quick n Zippy Beauty Crushes: Lime Crime Lipgloss, Apple Cider Vinegar, Models Prefer Eyeliner.

Lime Crime Carousel lipgloss in Snowsicle

Vegan friendly super glittery lipgloss. Need I say more?

They’ve also got a really cute tumblr!

If you'd rather check it out in person first, Red Stripe Clothing in Northbridge have a great range of Lime Crime makeup. Just before Christmas I was in there and mentioned this lipgloss and they got it in in their next order and THEN texted me when it came in so I wouldn’t miss out. Just wanted to give them a shout out because they deserve your business!

Apple Cider Vinegar by Braggs

Already a huge fan of their liquid aminos, it seemed only a matter of time til I found my way to the ACV. Benefits? Well it depends on whom you talk to, but for me personally- digestion and skin goodness are really copping the awesomeness. *Get the one with mother!*

Models Prefer Kohl Pencil in Matte Black

Makes me feel like Daria Werbowy. Pencily on one end, smudgy on the other. You want a smoky eye? No problem. Oh you want a cat eye? Can-do. A kohl pencil is a staple (seriously everyone needs one) and this is a hard-working, versatile number. Purchase.

Are any of these favourites of yours too? Have you tried Apple Cider Vinegar for it's health benefits before? Leave a comment and let me know!

Article by Adriane Daff, equal parts fan of vinegar & makeup.

Be well,

xoxo

Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Amanda, Owner & Head Trainer at She's A Knockout.

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

I loved sports growing up and was into everything including netball, tennis, soccer, karate and even trampolining. Although sporty, my weight was a problem. After a decision not to leave my teens unhappy with my weight, I took control of my health and dropped 20kg to become the fit, strong and confident person I wanted to be.

Passionate and determined to share the benefits of health and fitness with others I started up She’s a Knockout, a mobile personal training company specialising in personal training for women!

It’s so rewarding helping women achieve their goals, transforming their lives and themselves along the way. Through Personal Training, Corporate Training, Bootycamp and Boxing classes, She’s a Knockout now brings health and wellness to women all over Perth… and we’re loving it!

Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I spend a lot of time outdoors so my skin is constantly thirsty. A massage therapist gave me a great tip once to add oil to my usual moisturiser – it works wonders! I mix Nivea Body Firming Lotion with Bio Oil.

Confession: I may or may not have cleaned Strawberrynet out of Clinique products. The daily routine comprises Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (you’ll never have racoon eyes again I swear!), Clarifying Lotion, Dramatically Different Moisturiser and Superbalanced Makeup. They also have a great moisturizing lip colour balm that comes in loads of colours –just ignore the weird name – Chubby Stick?!

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

I haven’t had the chance in Perth, but on a recent trip to Vietnam I tried my first Traditional Thai Massage. Amazing!

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

It took me a year to find her, and I’m not sure I want to let the secret out, but Victoria at Renos on St Quentin in Claremont is my hair guru.

Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

A friend of mine gave me a product to try once called Baby Foot. You pop your feet in these indivdual moisturising bags and let them do their magic! After a couple of days avoiding strapless shoes (peeling!), lovely soft baby feet emerge.

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Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

♥ Nivea Firming Body Lotion
♥ Nivea Chapstick
♥ Vaalia Probiotic Natural Yoghurt

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

I believe feeling and looking great all starts in your mind. If you think ‘I am a fit, healthy person’, you will talk that way and you will act that way. The result: you will be that way! (Ed: check out our article on Positive Affirmations for more on this!)

For me it’s drinking lots of water, exercising regularly with purpose, eating natural non-processed foods and surrounding myself with positive people.

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What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven't yet?

If the opportunity ever arose I’d love to give aerial acrobatics a go!

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Although I can’t cook to save myself, I’m definitely a foodie. So the key for me is moderation. I try to stay away from packaged foods – I know I feel good when I eat clean, so a typical day goes like this:

Breakfast: wholegrain toast, banana and cinnamon
Snack: almonds, cottage cheese
Lunch: fresh spring rolls (these are so easy to make – herbs with chicken or salmon, baby spinach, mint, carrot & cucumber in rice paper rolls)
Snack: seasonal fruit, reduced fat cheese
Dinner: salmon steak with quinoa, baby spinach, balsamic vinegar and toasted sunflower & pumpkin seeds
Dessert: natural yoghurt, berries & honey

Describe your fitness routine.

Ooo my favourite bit! ☺

Fitness should be fun, so I mix things up with my exercise routine to keep my brain and body from getting bored.

Outdoor training is the best, so most of my training takes place in parks or at the beach. Each week I’ll do a combination of boxing, playing netball, weighted circuit training, running, interval training and hill sprints.

Relaxation and recovery is also important, so I do a few stretch/relaxation classes a week to stay loose and avoid injuries.

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

In addition to a nutritious diet I take a women’s multivitamin, vitamin c and fish oil daily.

How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

Cathcing up with girlfriends, smashing it out in a boxing session or going for a run in the sunshine are all top of my de-stress hit-list ☺

Thanks to Amanda for taking the time to share her routine with us! Check out the website if you're interested in finding out more about She's A Knockout.

If you have any questions or comments please leave them below! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

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