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If you want to start your year off in the best way possible (and who doesn’t?!) then you’ll be thrilled with our latest competition to win 1 of 3 ultra-luxurious certified organic eye creams from Serenade Organic!

Serenade Organic is a WA owned company, and their products are 100% certified organic, free from toxic chemicals, synthetic ingredients and artificial preservatives. They’re also 100% dreamy!

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The Restore Eye Cream is a nutrient rich blend of nourishing Shea Butter, anti-aging Organic Rosehip Oil and cooling Cucumber Oil, which all work together to help keep the delicate skin around the eye supple, nourished and youthful. It also reduces minimises the appearance of fine lines AND puffiness – does this sound like a wonder product or what?

The other great bonus is that you only need a really small amount, as it’s such a gorgeous product packed full of active ingredients, a teeny bit will still do you wonders!

To celebrate this amazing find, we are giving away 3 pots valued at $54.95 each to you, our devoted readers!

All you have to do to be in it to win it is:

♥ Leave a comment below with why you’d like to win…
♥ And then like Serenade Organic on Facebook, so simple!

Good luck 🙂 The competition will be drawn on the 30th of January…til then, if you’re keen on checking out Serenade then they have a fab little 10 day travel pamper pack for $29.95 with their three products (all 100% certified organic) which you can get into!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ POBM Gals ♥

This Sunday just passed was the culmination of months of organising and planning, the result? The first Perth Online Beauty Media event! So what exactly is POBM? Well it’s a group of girls (no guys…yet!) from Perth / WA who blog and write online content related to beauty and wellbeing. There’s plenty of us, and it was high time that we all stepped out from behind our respective computer screens and got together for an afternoon of networking and strengthening of the online beauty media industry in WA.

It was an amazing day, held at the gorgeous Djurra Day Spa in Fremantle, with healthy raw food pizza and sweets provided by The Raw Kitchen and beautifying drinks by Emma & Toms. A host of other generous sponsors supplied items for the goodie bags (links below)!

I’ve decided to share some of the less formal photos, scroll down and check out the behind the scenes action, as well as a whole heap of blog posts from our attendees which go into a bit more detail! Enjoy!

Find out what everyone else though with this amazing array of blog posts below!

♥ Dempeaux – Perth Online Beauty Media #POBM
♥ Amgoorie – Perth Online Beauty Media #POBM & haul post!
♥ Creatures of Commonplace – POBM, way better than CHOGM
♥ Beautifully Glossy – Perth Online Beauty Media Event – POBM!
♥ Don’t you know April Rose? – Perth Online Beauty Media Event
♥ Dont they know who I am? – Perth Online Beauty Media Event – watch us creep out from behind our computers!
♥ Beauty in the Sky – POBM girls are doing it for themselves!
♥ Beauty Down Under – POBM – Perth’s Online Beauty Meet Up
♥ Coveted Canvas – Perth Online Beauty Media Event
♥ Bride in White – POBM

Hope you enjoyed checking them out! 🙂 Can’t wait for the next event.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Have you, like me, made a New Year’s resolution that involves getting healthier, fitter and avoiding stuffing your mouth with sugar/junk/fun stuff?

If so, here’s a product that can help satisfy those pesky cravings for a Cadbury family block just by licking your lips.

Jane Iredale does lovely make up that is kind to your skin and packed with loads of ingredients that are easy to pronounce (a great sign you’re not working with nasty chemicals).

Now Jane Iredale has combined two of my favourite things: natural skin care and chocolate.

The Chocoholicks Lip Palette is packed with natural ingredients like avocado oil, shea butter, cocoa extract and jojoba seed oil.

Everything about these little beauties is so “sweet”! As the box says: “révélez votre sensualité” or “unwrap the decadence”. Oh I will, Jane, I will.

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The Chocoholicks “bar” I got had some classic chocolate combinations:

♥ Chocolate & Blood Orange – A coppery tone
♥ Chocolate & Espresso – A reddish brown which would look hot over nude lips on olive skin
♥ Chocolate & Berries (drool) – A plum tone
♥ Chocolate & Chilli Pepper – A pinky red tone for the snow queens out there

They come in a handy purse-friendly palette with a lip brush so you can smother on the good stuff wherever you are.

What I loved about these was that they smelled so true to the real thing! Each flavour was so distinct and scrumptious before they’d even hit my lips.

Each colour is unique with a bit of sparkle. The shimmer is noticeable but doesn’t look like you’ve dipped your lips in glitter. However, if you really hate the grainy feeling shimmer glosses give when you rub your lips together, these probably aren’t the glosses for you.

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While the colours are technically sheer, over a nude pencil they work a treat, (I’m currently loving the look of the Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Sandwash Tulle). I also found each flavour gave my lips a little zing which felt refreshing!

The palette contains colours suited to most skin tones. Considering I’m pastier than Casper, I wasn’t sure the rich browny orange tones would work with my skin. For me, a sheer slick of Blood Orange and Chilli Pepper suited me best, while Espresso and Very Berry would probably suit darker and/or warmer skin tones.

No matter what your flavour is, these glosses will get you through the new year with a lip-smackingly natural pout!

Available from Adore Beauty – even better, it’s on sale for $35 down from $50 as at posting! Yippee!

Review by Gemma Clark, member of Chocoholics Anonymous and lover of all things deliciously natural.

Be well,

xoxo

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Body grossout is the best kind of high school fun – remember that scene in The Breakfast Club where Ali delights in shaking her dandruff out onto her notebook?

As a high schooler, I myself would take great joy in ignoring the ineffectual ramblings of my teachers and focusing on more mesmerising activities, like pinching my thick black girls’ school uniform stockings and watching bits of dead skin come through the stockings’ porous fabric. Nothing pleased me more than watching the tiny white particles explode and mingle with all the dust already in the air.

Nowadays, I have the increased body self-consciousness one lacks as a 16 year old: the thought of dry, scaly legs certainly doesn’t delight me in the way it did back then, in fact, probably quite the opposite! I pretty much always have a pump pack of affordable moisturiser in my bathroom I slather on my pins post-shower to avoid scaly legs. I like moisturisers that are not too thick so they spread easily and absorb quickly, so you can pull on your leggings without them sticking mid thigh to your slimy legs. As you can see, I equate keeping my skin hydrated with light moisturisers – I had not, until recently, considered using a body oil for the same purpose.

Rosehips!

I recently trialled Busby’s Pure Tissue Oil, a mix of grape seed oil, rose hip oil, vitamin E and avocado oil, and am definitely more appreciative of the beneficial properties of oil, in my case, in the place of a moisturiser.

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I tested it on my legs (dehydrated skin) for just over a month, and also used it on my chest area in the hope of reducing some minor stretch marks. The oil comes in a pump pack (which made me happy – I don’t have enough ‘getting ready’ time to put aside for a screw top! The packaging is fully recyclable, too) and is really light – I would say it absorbs just as fast as my regular body moisturiser. While it does leave a nice sheen on your legs, it’s not a slimy one, nor one that soaks into your pants – it soaks into your skin only.

After using the oil for over a month, post-showers, the condition of the skin on my legs is pretty great – taught, smooth to the touch, hydrated. As to the stretch marks, I’ve experienced only a minor reduction in their appearance – but perhaps upping the application to twice a day or more might be more effective.

Something definitely worth noting in regards to the Busby Pure Tissue Oil is that it’s super natural: it’s not tested on animals, contains no animal derivatives, no artificial colourants, no parabens, no petrochemicals and no preservatives. I am a regular user of Bio-Oil, which I have found very effective in reducing a problem blemish area on my chin, as well as tightening up and reducing cellulite on the skin on the back of my thighs. However, for its many great properties, Bio-Oil does contain mineral oil, which is a petro-chemical derivative and is harmful to the skin. The Busby oil, however, contains no petrochemicals or mineral oils, so it’s definitely worth looking into as a substitute for Bio-Oil if you’re a fan of the latter.

Busby Pure Tissue Oil is $17.95 for 100ml and is available at most pharmacies or call 1800 655 841 for stockists in your area.

Review by Danielle M, editor @ The Thousands Perth City Guide.

Be well,

xoxo

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

I’m a full time University student and a part-time model in Perth. I’m more than halfway through my degree in Communications at UWA. My favorite thing to do is travel, I’ve worked as a model overseas since I graduated from high school, and there’s nothing more pleasing then immersing yourself in an entirely foreign culture.

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

My daily routine is really simple, just cleanse and moisturize as well as apply sunscreen.

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

I have to admit, I’ve never had a beauty treatment done before professionally! I will one day, but for now its just home based treatments, or getting your most patient friend to do your nails for you.

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

Aveda Salon in Subiaco are a really reliable salon. I trust them with my hair, they have a really professional team and they use all natural, environmentally friendly products.

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Oat meal and sugar scrub!

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

Estèe Lauder crème SPF15
Estèe Lauder Youth-Infusing Hydration Lotion
YSL Mascara.

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

The best tip, although it may not exactly be a secret, is sunscreen, that’s probably the most essential key in taking care of your skin, and to keep yourself looking young.

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

I would like to try Bikram Yoga in Perth one time, it looks so challenging and I want to see if I can get through that 90 minute workout.

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

A big breakfast, normally mixed cereals with fruit, yoghurt and honey. For lunch a healthy sandwich or a big salad with protein. For dinner it changes every night, but I try to have a light dinner (so I can make room for dessert.)

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♥ Describe your fitness routine.

My fitness routine is very basic, I take my dog for a walk at the beach nearly everyday, or if I haven’t been active all day, I like to go out with my friends to dance.

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

Not really, I believe I get enough nutrients and vitamins from the foods I eat, but when my immune system is low I take BioC vitamin C tablets.

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

Yoga is my favourite way to relax. It’s amazing how yoga can effect my mood, I could be in a really bad mood, and a yoga class can completely turn my mood around.

Thanks to the gorgeous Evelyn for taking the time to share her beauty and wellness routine with us!

Be well,

xoxo