Lately I’ve been getting into a whole range of new skincare products which have been rocking my world, so this edition of Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes is solely dedicated to all things skin!

♥ @thebeautychef

♥ Carla Oates Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost

I’m a HUGE fan of the concept of ‘internal skincare’, and Carla Oates is all about it too. Her catchphrase “beauty begins in the belly” resonates with me, and is a nod to the exciting new research into the effect of probiotics and gut health on all systems of the body – including the quality of our skin.

Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost tastes fantastic and is PACKED full of probiotics, antioxidants and other goodies. I’ve just started to include a tablespoon per day in a glass of filtered water. I definitely feel that when I take this beauty elixir I’m helping to give my skin & body what it needs to thrive and can’t wait to see the long term results of taking it daily! As an added bonus it’s really good for your digestion too.

♥

♥ Qsilica Naturally Clear Skin Cleanser

I’ve been using this product for a couple months now and I have to say, this is a really good cleanser! My skin never feels too dry / too oily / stripped afterwards. It just feels soft, dewy and perfectly cleansed. For me, this cleanser doesn’t stop most breakouts, my skin is mostly affected by what I eat and drink – so it wont prevent a breakout if I’ve “accidentally” consumed half a block of Whittakers Coconut Chocolate and 3 ciders, but it does stop any pesky little spots caused by “accidentally” falling asleep in my makeup. And it makes my skin feel amazing regardless, so I will continue to use it while I pray that coconut chocolate becomes a thing of the past so that I’m not regularly tempted by it (probably not going to happen).

♥ @gotoskincare

♥ Exfoliating Swipeys by Go-to-Skincare

This product. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! I’ve been following skincare saviour and all round quirky gal Zoe Foster Blake since her days penning her first blog, Fruity Beauty. She’s the ultimate “it’s totally okay to be kinda weird but also cool girl”, and for a while now she’s been killing it with her own beauty range, Go-to-Skincare.

There are a number of pretty special products, but the Exfoliating Swipeys are my DEAD SET FAVOURITE!

First, the name. Very good. Next, the results. Also very good. Each swipey, which is a little cotton pad, is full to the brim with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) and gently dissolves dead skin cells, unclogs pores, refines skin and generally just makes your skin totally ace. I like to use mine in the shower after cleansing, I get swipey on my face and then do other showery things for a minute while keeping my face away from the water so the AHA’s don’t wash off. After 60 seconds you can rinse away to your hearts content.

The best thing to do afterwards is massage 4 drops of rosehip oil – Kosmea is my current favourite – into your skin, wait 10 minutes and then apply Very Useful Face Cream, which is another Go-to-Skincare prod. My best advice is to do this right before bed, get a long snooze in, and then wake up to incredible, glowy skin that you’ll really want to touch (but you shouldn’t!)

SO! Those are my current recommendations. Like it? Lump it? Leave a comment below and let me know! Xo

Be well,

Annette

♥

Beauty lovers confession time, if you rifled through the contents of my Harrods make-up bag you would emerge horrified.

Clinque foundation bottles with only the smallest dregs of thick liquid left, Natio blushes circa when I rocked pedal pushers (so at least 5 years ago I promise!), crushed powders two shades too light for my summer tan and mascaras which probably should find a new home in my bathroom bin. After too many disappointed raised eyebrows from my sister after asking to borrow a product, and too many jealous trips to her make-up bags overflowing with bronze Mac eyes-shadows, vibrant Nars lip crayons and “I-really-really-really-want it” Chanel mascara, I decided it was time to make a few investments.

♥

For anyone who wants to update their make-up collection (whatever impressive or depressing state they may be in) I recommend adding Benefit Watts Up to your make-up family. I’ve always found it difficult to replicate the luminous ‘natural’ glow that the Miranda Kerrs or Lara  Bingles of Australia flaunt, I’ll either apply a clowns amount of blush or too little which leaves me looking like I just woke up from a nana nap. Now with a face several shades darker post Australia Day beach party, I’ve been finding it difficult to make anything highlight my face. Watt’s Up was the answer to my make-up bags’ prayers!

♥

In a cute silver container (definitely no disappointed raised eyebrows here) Watt’s Up is a soft focus highlighter which you easily apply across your cheek or brow for a luminous sheen. With a cream-to-powder finish it can be worn by ladies whose faces change colour after seconds in the sun, to those who have the complexions of a vampire (which is very sexy right now!). 

♥

After applying then blending Watt’s Up in with the handy sponge (fingers also work better I found) I realised I could finally stop my journey to find the Kerr-esque glow. Like silk, you can glide the highlighter across your cheeks or over your eyelids to brighten your complexion in all the right places. For me personally I loved that it isn’t a highlighter which looks like a shimmering mess across your cheeks as many of it’s competitors do, instead it looks natural and understated. Watt’s Up has definitely become a welcome member of my make-up bag! So it looks as though I’ve finally made my first step to creating an impressive make-up collection. Next step; purchasing a Chanel mascara to keep it company!

♥ Voila, before and after shot.

What do you think? Do you like the look of the Benefit Watts Up? What is your favourite highlighter?

Reviewed by Jade, illumination specialist.

Be well,

xoxo

♥

On the 8th of January our fearless leader and Wellness WA wunderkind, Annette, organized the very first Perth Online Beauty Media meeting of minds and faces at Djurra Day Spa in Fremantle. And what a day it was. Massages, foot treatments and raw pizza from the Raw Kitchen Fremantle (14/36 South Terrace) that was so unbelievably good that I would consider moving down there just to be closer to it. I’m pretty sure Annette has a photo somewhere of me that looks like I am inhaling my slice. WHAT A WHACKY GAL! (ED: Yup, I do!)

♥

The POBM was a wonderful day of chatting to like minded ladies about all things beauty…you probably gathered as much…so let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Everyone that attended was the lucky recipient of not one but TWO gift bags filled to the brim with products to try. So now that a couple of weeks have passed and I have been able to steadily make my way through everything I woke up this morning and felt something coming on…can you feel it too? That’s right it’s time for a TOP FIVE COUNTDOWN.

♥

5. Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear

I usually give sunscreen related products and moisturizers pretty high scores but don’t think that I am just phoning this one in on account of the SPF, which in this product is a 30+ by the way. The Invisible Zinc tinted daywear is my number 5 because I have never owned a tinted moisturizer before, let alone a tinted sunscreen. I just didn’t see the point. I mean I was right into the coloured zinc as a kid but unfortunately time, society and a small sense of dignity have told me to grow out of that. So what is the point?

Well here’s three points for you, one- the sun protection, two- the dewy appearance that it gives your skin with just a hint of tint, which I just love because you may not be a runway model but dewy skin sure makes you feel like one and three – if you use it in place of your normal moisturizer in the morning then you will never forget to put sunscreen on. And how about this… BONUS point 4- the anti ageing properties of this product will help to keep you looking fresh faced for longer.

Available from David Jones, Myer, Priceline, Terry White and all good pharmacies.

♥

4. Foltene Eyelash and Eyebrow Treatment – $27.95

This was one of the products from our mega beauty product swap, and is an odd choice for me. Largely due to the fact that I am still not sure that you can actually grow more eyelashes and eyebrows on top of what nature gave you, I just don’t understand the science behind it, surely DNA plays a role here or something? Beakers, Bunsen Burners, periodic tables, lab coats?…I don’t know. What I do know is that you condition your hair to keep that healthy so you can grow it long without it breaking off, or shriveling up, ergo the same basic principle can apply to your eyebrows and eyelashes. And that’s why this product is my number 4. It is very easy to apply because it’s just like a clear mascara wand, use it after you’ve washed your face at night and let the conditioning begin. The best unexpected benefit of this product is that when you use the wand on your eyebrows it actually holds them in place a bit which makes them look neater and a better shape which we all know is ultimately more flattering to your entire face. Bravo Foltene.

♥

3 &2. Aveda Colour Conserve Shampoo and Conditioner

After I washed and conditioned my hair with these Aveda products one of my housemates came home and said ‘what smells so good in here?’, we did a quick checklist, new perfume? No. Just cooked something? No. Just cleaned something? No…waitahotminute- yes, it’s my new shampoo and conditioner! The lovely smell that lingered in my house followed me around for days after (in my hair of course) causing compliments from friends and strangers alike. It just really does smell that damn good. Which makes sense when you consider the ingredients- green tea, grape seed, rosea root, pine bark, orange peel and jojoba seed oil. Because my hair is quite long now (I feel like I manage to drop this achievement into every review I do these days) I am all about conditioner, and the Aveda really steps up to the job on this one, my ends felt smooth and silky like I had just had a trim. Perfection. The only thing I can’t comment on is the ‘colour conserve’ factor because I don’t have coloured hair. If any of you with coloured ‘do’s give it a go please let me know how it fares!

Available at Djurra Day Spa, go in and see what other great hair and beauty services they offer!

♥

1. Franc Serum Intensive Skin Rescue – $72

Why have I never heard of Franc? A West Australian business based in Darlington and founded by Chantal Vanderhaeghen who has made a strong commitment to only using botanical ingredients in her products. This means no sodium laurel sulfate and no artificial colours, fragrances, chemicals or additives. I should’ve been on top of this ages ago! Oh Franc why did we take so long to find each other?!

Dewy skin, anyone?

I love serums, I love putting them on before bed and waking up in the morning with (sorry here’s those words again) nice fresh and dewy skin. I guess I just like the hydration factor. It feels good knowing you are putting a carefully formulated recipe of macadamia oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, carrot oil, rosehip oil, evening primrose oil and vitamin E on your face and not much else! My skin has felt really great lately and I’m sure using this every night has had a big role in that. Franc deserves this number one spot. I hope we meet again. Well done.

What do you think of my top 5 picks?!

Review by Adriane Daff, with sweet smelling hair, dewy skin and better eyelashes – thanks to POBM!

Be well,

xoxo

Dear readers: this may well be the Mecca for acrylics! Could this be where my search for the perfect nails ends?

Studio One

U2, 1004A Beaufort St, BEDFORD, WA, 6052

Ph: 9370 2000

What: Permanent French acrylic refills, after 6 weeks’ growth.

This salon came recommended by a friend who has other beauty treatments done here. Imagine my surprise when I walked in and found one of my very first nail techs, who’s now running her own salon. I’d been somewhat lax about booking in to have my refills so by the time I actually went to Studio One, my nails were looking the worse for wear. Emma, ever the consummate professional, was very diplomatic and made a lot of sympathetic noises, like how hard it must have been to wash my hair. (Other acrylic-lovers will know what that’s like when your nails start to lift. They catch in everything!). I felt right at ease.

Service

Between us we had managed to mix up our first appointment but Emma quickly found an alternative spot on what must have been a busy Saturday. The salon itself is comfortable, sunny and faces out onto Beaufort St. (If you’re peckish, there’s a fantastic Indian restaurant next door!). Emma is charming and personable, so there’s no shortage of conversation!

Nail form

The shape was spot on – square without sharp edges. The nails look like a sheet of glass – thin and flat. The proportion of pink to white was also exactly right; that is, about two-thirds pink to a third white. The curve of the crescent is oval – which takes some getting used to, if you’re used to a more round shape – but nevertheless effective.

Technique

The application of the acrylic and creation of the shape is all done with a brush. Electric drills and emery boards are used (your own board is kept in a separate envelope for hygiene). Gel was applied to create a glossy look.

Time

1 hour.

Cost

$70.00 for refills. That’s double the price of some salons. However the products are high quality and non-toxic. (If you haven’t already done so, it’s worth researching the various health risks of the cheaper products. Ultimately, you pay for what you get).

Overall Rating

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ + 1/2 a heart! (4.5)

Review by Bron, whittling down the nail salons til she finds the pinnacle of acrylics.

Be well,

xoxo

♥

I’ve got a secret to let you in on. I understand you probably wont believe me, but everything I’m about to tell you is true!

After years & years of suffering from the dreaded “Ailuropoda melanoleuca” affliction, I’ve been cured. I’m free, I’m not a slave to this condition anymore!

Peculiar animal genus names aside, panda eyes are a well known side-effect of:

a) not removing makeup before bed, usually due to alcohol consumption prior in the evening
b) up close and personal passionate liaisons
c) sessions at the beach/pool where you foolishly forgot you were wearing mascara.

Dear me!

Clinique Lash Power Mascara changes all that.

Originally drawn to it from hearing rave reviews about the interesting & kinda fun method of removal*, I picked up Lash Power in Onyx a fair while ago and haven’t looked back.

It applies well, gives the lashes length & thickness, but most of all the staying power is second to none. It goes all day & all night without smudging. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve fallen asleep with it on (horrible I know!) and woken up in the morning with ABSOLUTELY NO SIGN OF ANY BLACK UNDER EYE MONSTROSITIES!

It’s a miracle, for sure and it’s going to take some pretty hefty convincing to knock this baby off my Ultimate Mascara Winner’s Pedestal

While the tube looks smaller than many other products, it’s been going strong for 3 months so far with me and I use it every day.

Totally love this product and do get a bit crabby when I accidentally leave it at work over the weekend because I am a complete scatterbrain that also likes to have good eyelashes at work.

* Jump in the shower or get some warm water going in your basin, carefully wet your lashes with said warm water, twist your lashes lightly with your thumb & forefinger – VOILA! Little mascara tubes / wormies in your hands!

RRP $38 AUD – Available at Clinique counters.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo