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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!)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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

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I felt really lucky to be selected to attend the Perth Online Media Media event (#POBM) as one of the writers of Wellness WA. As you may know I contribute by writing articles about things that I am most passionate about, that is; exercising around Perth, cooking delicious food and treats to make yourself feel good and look pretty.

After our gorgeous day of pampering, eating raw food from The Raw Kitchen and meeting all the lovely girls, I finally had time to delve into my massive goodie bag. There were so many amazing products to choose from but I managed to pick 5 favourites. Here’s why they made the cut:

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1. A’kin Instant Radiance Facial Masque

This product was first given to me by Annette to trial and before that I had never tried any A’kin products before. I love this 100% natural botanical product and how it takes no time at all for this product to take effect. Apply on face, leave for 5-10 minutes then rinse! The masque is light and if your skin is looking a bit tired and dehydrated then I recommend it, it brings instant results for me. I even took it with me in my travel beauty bag on my recent international trip for pick-me-ups after a long haul of flights.

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2. Palm Beach Coconut and Lime Candle

At the moment, I am currently obsessing over the range of Palm Beach candles. Actually before I received this sample, I had already bought myself the bigger version in Wild Peony. It makes my room smell like a fresh bunch of flowers. The coconut and lime scent is just as good. Perfect size to sit on my tiny bathroom bench, and I love showering with a gorgeous tropical fragrance in the air!

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3. Echolife Cold Pressed Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

For those of you who don’t use or own any form of serum, I recommend this organic cold pressed rosehip oil. I’ll admit though, I had never tried rosehip in the form of oil before receiving this sample. I tried it after cleansing and exfoliating, then I placed two drops in the palm of my hand and gently pressed it on my face before bedtime. When I woke up, my skin appeared more smooth and hydrated, a winner product and a new step in my beauty regime.

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4. OPI Samoan Sand

Big fan of OPI and their colour range, but I have to tip my hat off at them once more, Samoan Sand is the perfect colour for my skin tone. It’s the natural look without being too pink, and corporate enough to wear in the office. I feel like this is going to be one of my go to colours when I don’t know what to wear on my nails.

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5. Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Salmon

Ah, as a recent convert to Bobbi Brown, this colour is perfect for summer, otherwise described as a pale peach, it’s just that right amount of splash of colour to add to your outfit. I love the feel of their lipsticks that contain Vitamin E, C and bees wax, it doesn’t feel dry and the colour has incredible staying power.

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And last but not least, a snapshot of my beauty haul. (Flowers not included!) I’m sure I’ll have new favourites next week when I finish going through them all!

Reviews by Kelly-Anne, graphic designer & beach lover.

♥ 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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2011 – thank you. You constantly amazed me with the new and unique opportunities and good times that were frequently presented, here’s a tiny rundown of my year:

♥ Took a promotion at work, and from all accounts did pretty good in the new role
♥ Flew to Melbourne with my boy to see ‘The National’ for the first time and ate some amazing vegetarian food
♥ Viewed ‘Jimmy Eat World’ for the first time
♥ Took my first makeup masterclass
♥ Went along to a meditation course (didn’t quite finish it though, but held out for 4 weeks!)
♥ Took floor barre ballet classes for the first time
♥ Started as the Beauty Writer for X-Press magazine & contributor for eVoke magazine
♥ Began seeing a naturopath
♥ Met a lot of incredible people in the Perth beauty & wellness industry
♥ Made the decision to quit my job and return to study next year (!!)
♥ Began to organise the first Perth Online Beauty Media networking event
♥ Completed a 6 week photoshop course (highly recommended!)
♥ Did my first green smoothie demonstration @ Lululemon! Spreading that smoothie love.
♥ Began to overcome a deep seated fear

Tomorrow I’ll share with you my goals for the new year ahead!

I’d love to hear any of your years highlights though, so leave a comment below if you’d like to share! 🙂

I wish everyone a wonderful New Years Eve… see you in 2012! x

Be well,

Annette

xoxo