Alternative Therapy Review: EL8 Rhodiola Rosea Supplements.

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Cynic: A person who questions whether something will happen or is worthwhile.

When it comes to herbal supplements that definition suits me 100% from the top of my head down to my very toes. Now, I consider myself a generally enthusiastic and open minded person, albeit a little neurotic, so it doesn’t really make sense why I should feel so harshly towards something that never really did anyone any harm (that I am aware of). So what gives? Have I had too many encounters with people who insist that drinking honey and lemon and hot water and taking echinacea will cure their category 6 flu symptoms and then upon giving the flu to ME claim they feel so much better? Probably. Perhaps that’s the neurosis in me talking, so in an effort to kick that part of my personality to the curb I agreed to try EL8 Rhodiola Rosea for energy and wellbeing.

Rhodiola Rosea in it’s natural form!

Feel free to do your own research (and I encourage you to do so if you are interested) but in a nutshell I can tell you that Rhodiola Rosea hails from the mountainous regions of eastern Siberia and the North Asian territories and is supposed to help you deal with stress, give you more energy and even help battle nervous tension and anxiety. Tension and anxiety you say? Well let’s just see what you’ve got RR because on a bad day my tension and anxiety levels could put Woody Allen to shame.

Two weeks later…

I have been taking EL8 Rhodiola Rosea everyday for the past 14 days and while the cynic in me hates to admit this…it’s working. It really is. Don’t worry, I still think drinking hot water and lemon to cure tonsillitis is idiotic BUT when it comes to energy levels and feeling less tense about stupid little things I really think the Rhodiola Rosea has been doing its job. My rose-tinted glasses have gotten a little rosea-er (had to use that pun, sorry, HAD TO) and instead of falling into an afternoon slump I have found that I have been feeling really switched on all day regardless of the time. I don’t feel sloth-like in the morning and I’ve been falling straight to sleep at night (maybe due to stress reduction?) It might all just be mind over matter, and I am certainly willing to accept that theory but just in case, I’m going to keep taking Rhodiola Rosea. I just have a really good feeling about it. A feeling that it just might be responsible for.

Available for $29.95 at http://www.rhodiolarosea.com.au.

Rambles on Rhodiola Rosea by Adriane Daff.

Be well,

xoxo

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A Word of Warning About Deals Websites.

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The latest influx of ‘daily deals’ made available online to us beauty lovers can make you go a bit crazy. All those deals! All those bargains! You would be forgiven for thinking you were one of those guys on Wall Street standing in the pit in a brightly coloured jacket waving your arms around, yelling ‘buy’ and ‘sell’ like a maniac, before regaining consciousness and wondering what the hell you had just bought.

But it’s a good deal right? For a procedure that you know and that you like? So where’s the harm. I know what you’re thinking; calm down Adriane, why do you have to hate like that? OK, allow me to share a story. Let’s call it ‘A Story of Caution’.

Recently, thanks to one of those daily emails offering you deals on practically anything, I bought a voucher for IPL. I really like IPL and have had some great results from all four of the salons that I have been to before…well, before this time (see where I’m going here?) Yes.

Now, I would first and foremost like to say that I wont name where I went this time because I really do not believe it was entirely the technician’s fault and she was nice and I don’t want to be mean here. What I will say though is that the plain facts; she was a retired beautician working from home – evidently she had purchased a machine some years ago and was now treating people from there. A little alarm bell went off for me here, it made me feel uncomfortable that the machine was old and although sometimes the paperwork that you have to fill out in a normal salon is annoying it is also there to protect you and protect the business from any damage to either party that may occur as a result of a miscommunication. So when there was no paperwork, I was feeling apprehensive.

Not my burns, but an example of what can happen under a non-qualified technician.

Then the treatment started, Oh. Dear. Me. I had opted for my legs to be done and your legs are pretty tough so don’t any one of you start thinking I’m a big ol’ baby, ok? To say that it ‘hurt’ would be an understatement. It KILLED. It hurt so much that half way through I wanted to say ‘actually you know what, don’t worry about it’. I was actually jolting after every time she administered the pulse of light. She was trying to have a conversation with me and I was trying to speak around the light pulses so that I didn’t sound like I was having an electric shock. That’s harder than it sounds. So why did I let her finish? Because I am an A grade idiot. Because I thought that if I told her I was incredibly uncomfortable and in pain that she would think I was weak, or a complainer, or being difficult. I didn’t want to look stupid.

So fast forward to when I left her house. I got into my car and my skin felt like it was burning underneath my jeans, my hands were shaking (from some kind of shock maybe? Oh who knows) and I drove home, ran a cold bath and stuck my legs in there. What did I see? Burns all over my legs, burns burns burns. I looked like I had been run over by a tractor tyre. The pain subsided but the burns took three weeks to heal. Who looked stupid then (clue: ME)! Luckily I don’t have any scarring or pigmentation damage but why oh why did I not tell her that it was hurting? She could’ve turned down the intensity of the machine or done some other magical thing that would have made it feel like oh-I-don’t-know-I’ll-take-a-stab-in-the-dark-here my skin wasn’t burning.

My burns.

Most of all I’m angry at myself because I had this procedure before and experienced no pain (yeah I thought I was a pretty tough son of a gun after those times) and yet having the exact same thing done this time made me feel like I was being tortured for information. The moral of the story is: please, be careful. The deals are great, no question, but don’t let cheapness make your guard drop. Always speak up. If you are uncomfortable in ANY way, physical, psychologically, emotionally, tell the technician. It’s your money that is paying for their skill and their time so don’t be one of the guys in the Wall Street pit running around like a maniac, be the guy at the beginning who coolly and calmly gets to ring the big bell or something. Bad analogy, but you know what I’m saying- speak up. Don’t look like me. The tyre marks were not good. Be safe!

Article by Adriane Daff, deals-wary dame & current Parisian correspondent.

Be well (and safe!),

xoxo

Posted in Reviews, Wellness Tips | 4 Comments »

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

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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

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Exercise Battle Royale: Fitness First Murray Street VS CBD Health Spa.

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Gyms stand for everything that makes me uncomfortable. Sweating profusely in public, wearing ugly shoes with unflattering clothing and being around people who may judge you because you cant lift your own body weight above your head. However, recently I started thinking about changing my exercise routine up a bit to include a bit more…well…routine.

Lots of gyms offer free trials for various periods of times you can find one near you on Good Gym Guide, it’s a great way to see whether (realistically) this is likely to be something you are going to be able to easily make a part of your day to day doings.

For this Battle Royale (number two if you’ve been following) I have chosen two gyms located in Perth’s CBD, Fitness First Murray Street and CBD Health Spa.

Home sweet home to our battlin’ gyms.

Round 1 – LOCATION

Ok well, both of these gyms are located right in the city so the ‘location’ point on the surface is kind of tied. So, let’s go into more detail. CBD Health Spa is open 24 hours a day so is as convenient as you like – you can sweat it out at 3am if it pleases you (Ed: Coincidentally, I have actually done this, 2:30am to be precise. Carry on!). It’s in off the street and is spread out over two levels, and has the better layout of the two gyms while also being the biggest. Fitness First has put their cardio room right at the front with nothing but a glass wall separating you and your sweat zone from the escalator to the Murray Street Mall. I didn’t dig it. But both have separate rooms for their classes.

You wont be him at either gym!

Round 2 – EQUIPMENT

CBD has older equipment but in the weights room there is a better mix of machines and free weights than at Fitness First. The locker rooms kind of feel like you are back at high school (a llittle bit old and the sort of place where you would want to wear thongs in the shower) but the lockers are free to use as long as you bring your own lock. The bike lockers are located inside the building right near the reception desk, which ensures max security. Fitness First has the newer equipment by far, fans built into the treadmills, ability to plug your headphones in to listen to/watch whatever is on one of the many TVs. The locker rooms are beautiful and very clean and your membership card is also your locker key (barcode = state of the art). Hairdryers are supplied at both places which means you don’t have to leave looking like a damp rat.

Round 3 – PRICE

Fitness First is about $22 a week and you are locked into a 12 month contract, CBD is about $17 a week when locked into a contract or $20 a week when you pay month by month (no contract) HERE.

Round 4 – ATMOSPHERE

CBD was the less intimidating and less gym-like, just a mix of people (student, corporate, young, old) doing their own thing. They always have Channel V on the TVs, which I loved because I like to catch up on what my girl Beyonce is doing these days. Fitness First has their own TV station (video clips heavily influenced by the 1990s – I saw video clips from AQUA and All Saints, multiple times whilst there, no lie), they have lovely staff and a big supplement store next door, if that’s your thing.

The worst thing about Fitness First is what I call the ‘leery’ atmosphere. The cardio room was ok, but the weights room was very intimidating. I was nearly always the only girl in there (sometimes there would be two, three tops) but I felt uncomfortable. This last point coupled with the 24 hour convenience of CBD Health Spa and the fact I can pay month by month (and the Channel V, I admit it) is what pushes it over the edge for me in this round of Battle Royale. Sorry Fitness First you came damn close. I guess it’s now time to find some not-so-ugly shoes.

Find out more info about both places here;

♥ Fitness First
♥ CBD Health Spa

Battle royale by Adriane Daff, newest convert to the exercise ‘dark side’!

Be well,

xoxo

Posted in Exercise, Inner City, Reviews | 4 Comments »

Product Reviews: Intraceuticals Range!

Intraceuticals Lover, Miranda Kerr!

Well, I’ll say this…Intraceuticals have no need to want for celebrity endorsement. They’ve got it in droves. Madonna, Miranda Kerr, Naomi Campbell…some heavy hitters. Specifically, our well-known friends talk about the Infusion Oxygen Facial: a procedure using hyperbaric oxygen technology combining pressure and hydration to achieve increased firmness and reduced fine lines. It’s popular to have before a big event (the next time you walk the red carpet perhaps?) because it’s non-invasive and you can put makeup on straight afterwards without ruining the results of the facial.

Oxygen facial!

The Intraceuticals line of products, therefore, is inspired by this jazzy little procedure (you can read barrels of oh-my-god-I-cant-believe-it-worked reviews online) but today we are talking about the products.

Intraceuticals products are formulated with a number of key ingredients- Hyaluronic acid (a nifty little component that can hold over 1000 times its own weight in water – very helpful indeed in keeping the skin hydrated), green tea, vitamins A, C and E and Squalene. It’s worth mentioning that Squalene is a natural oil that all plants and animals produce, no big deal there, BUT you may want to check the source of Squalene in your beauty prods, because it is most commonly taken from sharks’ livers OR olives. And maybe you don’t want Jaws being responsible for your complexion, but maybe you do want a tasty olive being responsible. We’re in the process of finding out.

Hoping for olive based squalene, fingers crossed!

Intraceuticals offer four different, very comprehensive lines in their skincare range- you have the choice of Rejuvenate to treat fine lines and wrinkles, Atoxelene – something stronger – a ‘Botox’ alternative if you will, Opulence for pigmentation and scars and Clarity to treat acne and enlarged pores.

Take away the celebrity hype for a moment and what you have is a focus on hydration and oxygen that seems to be what keeps most people coming back (apparently these products are great to use during and after flying) and I would have to agree that the Moisture Binding Cream and the Hydration Gel from the Rejuvenate range were my definite favourites. I liked using them in the morning because they were both very easily absorbed into my skin and I can see how makeup just glides over the top without a care in the world.

I am particularly interested in using these products in conjunction with the well-lauded facial to see what the true potential of these products really is. I’m going to have a search around to see where I can get one in Perth- I’m looking forward to seeing how they go, stay tuned!

Review by Adriane Daff, beauty lioness. 😉

Be well,

xoxo

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