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HELLO! The past two weeks have been extremely busy in the Wellness WA camp and as such I haven’t been pumping out as many delicious articles as I would like to, sorry!

But please rest assured that there are so many amazing things in the wings, just waiting to come out and pounce on you when you least expect it, like a wonderful new puppy dog and you’ll remember why you love it and turn a blind eye to that time (or 12) that pups weed on the carpet and made you question why you even got it in the first place! Alright, terrible analogy OVER!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a seminar on ANTI-AGEING, which my friends will laugh about because at the ripe old age of 26, I commonly get mistaken for a lass of about 19-20. Anywho, the seminar was very-very-very-very interesting & extremely scientific. Flashbacks to high-school chemistry were frequent and I left really convinced that Dr Joseph A Lewis II (he pioneered the use of alpha hydroxy acids in skincare & much more!) knows what he is talking about. I also learned that lizards produce their own vitamin c, so they do not need to eat it!

If you are looking for some anti-ageing products then I would recommend checking out his brand, Priori Skincare, which is bursting at the seams with antioxidants and because he is super switched & has wonderful skin for an older guy. I’m a convert!

Second piece of news on the agenda,

ZOE FOSTER IS COMING TO PERTH!
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You may or may not know, but Zoe Foster is without a doubt, the raddest woman in the Australian beauty industry.

Basically she is touring all over this sun burnt land of ours (cliches ahoy) promoting the hells out of her wonderful little PRIMPED LOOK BOOK which is pretty-pretty & you can catch a glimpse of it here: http://www.primped.com.au/zoes_blog/comments/the_primped_djs_look_book_instores_grab_the_final_spots_and_reap_the_reward/

Zoe can be found at David Jones, Perth City store, and in front of my star struck eyes on these dates:

Friday March 19, Hay Street, Perth at 6.30pm and 7.30pm
Perth Saturday March 20 at 10.30am

Please believe me when I say you would be very silly not to pop along to view this glorious Miss for yourself! I am lucky enough to have a seat, goody bag & glass of champers awaiting for me on arrival (but only because I booked!), however anyone can come watch and see what she has to say. HIGHLY. RECOMMENDED. !!!.

See you there!

Be well,

xoxo

Readers will know of my quest to find perfect acrylic nails in the Eastern Suburbs. Herewith the second installment!

Location location location:

LA Nails
159 Walter Road, Dianella. Ph: 9275 4419

(Salons also in Kingsway Shopping Centre and Mirrabooka Shopping Centre.)

Service: Permanent French acrylic refills, after 4 weeks’ growth.

I found this salon by doing a search on the web and, since I drive down Walter Road most days, I was curious to see what the salon would be like. It’s tucked into a strand of shops and parking is easy, so if you live around this area and want convenience, then this is not a bad bet. The low-down on this salon is that it won’t win any awards for service or creativity but it does the job. Unfortunately there are other salons out there that do a better job at a better price.
Service

I called on the Friday and got a Saturday appointment at the time I wanted. When I arrived, the nail tech hadn’t finished with the previous customer, so I waited for 15 minutes. Not that big a deal – there is a coffee machine for customers. Once it was my turn, again, there wasn’t a lot of conversation or interaction with the nail tech although she was polite and efficient. Apparently they were short-staffed and she was the only one on that day.
Nail form

I was very happy with the shape – the nails were shaped square-round and thinner than the previous salon’s efforts. However, the nails were a bit chunky through the middle and could have been filed further to flatten then out. The thing I was least happy with was the ration of white to pink. There was way too much white! For some reason, some salons insist on starting the white powder about half way down the nail bed. Even when I asked for less white, the result still wasn’t natural looking.
Technique

Again this salon uses a tip to cut through the drying white powder which creates a nice, even crescent shape. Electric drills and emery boards are used. Gel was applied to create a glossy look.

Time

1 hour, in addition to the 15 minutes I was kept waiting prior to my appointment.

Cost

$50.00 for refills, although when I got home I discovered that the price-list states that refills are $45.00. Disappointingly, I was not alerted to the price difference or provided with an explanation.

Overall rating

♥ ♥ ♥ (2.5)

Article by Bron, resident nail aficionado & expert!

Ilcsi AHA Spicy Organic Facial

The Skin Deep brochure states that this is “The hottest facial in town” and they weren’t kidding! I’ve been looking for a natural facial treatment that will deliver smooth glowing fresh looking skin and I think I have found exactly what I am looking for. This all natural treatment provides fruit acids to smooth the skin and spicy paprika to boost circulation and detoxify your skin.

Ilcsi is a Hungarian based natural skin care company that relies on quality hand picked herb, fruits and vegetables. Ilcsi products contain no synthetic colouring agents, paints or animal-based ingredients. According to the Spa Universe website, Australia’s stockist for Ilsci, the philosophy of the brand is simple and natural: it accommodates to the modern need that prefers natural skincare methods, but still demands results. This is possible due to the high concentration of herbs, fruits and vegetables found in Ilcsi products.

The facial started with a double cleanse of the delicious smelling Rose Petal Cleanser and a light exfoliation. Next AHA fruit pulp is smoothed over the skin, the apple and grape extracts help to smooth and retexturise. A layer of thin Hessian is then placed over the skin and the Paprika herbal treatment applied. This is when it really starts to heat up, you feel hot but not uncomfortable. You can really feel your blood pumping. While this is kicking in to action, my therapist gave me an arm exfoliation. The mask stays on for about 15 minutes or until it dries. Some light fanning by my therapist takes away any last minute tingling. After the spicy mask is removed a lovely cold Rose Hip Gel mask was applied. This instantly took any heat in my face away. Rose Hip Serum and moisturiser were then applied which further cooled and calmed my skin.

Paprika Herbal Treatment

My skin was pinkish for about an hour post treatment, which my therapist did warn me about. The results were amazing- my skin was soft, glowing and radiant. I had someone stop me at the supermarket to ask what I use on my skin! It’s an absolutely great treatment to have pre event and the best thing about it is that you can buy the products and do it all at home; you can even do it a few times a week. As someone who has used microdermabrasion, chemical peels and Omnilux I can say that this is the most effective treatment I have ever had. I can’t wait for my next appointment!

Ilcsi AHA Spicy Organic Facial

Cost: $130 (approx)

Time: Approx 90 mins

Where: Skin Deep Medi Spa Salons (Como, Floreat, Mullaloo and Perth)
http://www.skindeep.net.au

Ilcsi
http://www.spauniverse.com.au

Article by Hannah Lee!

Be well,

xoxo

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Yippee! I was lucky enough to be a winner in Adore Beauty’s Facebook giveaway (well, luck really had nothing to do with it. I wrote a killer rhyme to win!) and sure enough a teeny tube of Becca Mineral SPF Primer arrived in my PO Box (complete with a Time Out, these girls know how to swoon someone over).

The tube promises to deliver a ‘cocktail of anti-oxidant vitamins’ to my skin, which to me sounds a little worrying, but also to protect me from the sun with its SPF 30+ abilities!

Upon olfactory inspection, I’m pleasantly surprised! This baby smells like CAKE!!! Any makeup product that smells of sweet, delicious cake has already won a few points in my book.

The product is quite thick, and applies to my skin well. After waiting 5 minutes and peeking at my face in the mirror it has a slight glow to it.

My makeup applies well and I am pleased! Hurrah! I will definitely use this product again (the small tube I’ve got) and may potentially buy it again just so my face can be like cakes every day and also be protected from the sun!

For more info please see the Adore Beauty site!

Be well,

xoxo

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According to the flyer, the health studio “Bikram Yoga” (or heated yoga) provides a certain type of yoga that is conducted in a room heated to 38 degrees celcius, so that the muscles are warmed and a deeper workout can occur!

To put it simply: you’re gonna sweat.

Bikram Yoga is a 90 minute program of 26 pre-determined poses & postures, plus 2 breathing exercises. The benefits of Bikram include:

♥ Stretching and strengthening muscles, joints & more.
♥ Increased mental clarity & stress reduction.
♥ Stimulation of the organs to cleanse & provide fresh oxygenated blood to the body. This helps restore all systems to optimal working order for total health.

At this stage, the concept sounded so unappealing, what with all the talk about mass sweating.

As I entered the zenly decorated reception area of Bikram Yoga (complete with small fountains), already I could feel a slight rise in humidity. The instructors were extremely friendly as they explained to me the concept and goals of their company and they were extremely open as they answered any questions I had.

Set with a yoga mat, a beach towel and two bottles of water, I stepped into a room that was similar to a sauna minus the steam. During the briefing, the instructor urged us to try our hardest to stay in the room for the whole class, even if it was just lying down on the mat if we felt like we weren’t handling the environment well. The point of this class was to focus solely on yourself without worrying about what other classmates are doing and, contrary to regular yoga, the eyes must be open the whole time.

The class started well enough with some of the typical yoga positions such as the half moon pose. At this stage I was thinking, this isn’t so bad I can totally do this for 90 minutes! However about 30-45 minutes into the class, the room was 10 degrees hotter than when we first started and that’s when the sweating really began.

I was also thanking my mum in my mind as she convinced me to bring a beach towel instead of a tiny face towel. Around this time I started to feel a little light-headed and so I decided to sit the next few poses out, trying to gain some energy back and convincing myself not to step out of the class. A few people decided to rest around this time too, reassuring me that I wasn’t the only one struggling.

After a few minutes of resting I joined the class again, keeping up surprisingly comfortably. Going against the rules, I looked around at the class, and everyone, including myself, was sweating insane amounts! Towards the end of the class the temperature cooled mildly and before I knew it the class was finished.

The poses performed in a Bikram Yoga class.

It may seem that I didn’t enjoy myself in this class but in reality, I loved it! I felt rejuvenated and fresh walking out of the studio and I could breathe easier too. Another benefit was that my skin felt softer (after a good shower).

Overall it was a very intense 90 minutes, very very challenging but incredibly worth it as there are plenty of benefits for your body (as above).

My advice is that you have to listen to your body and take it easy if you’re doing it the first time, especially if you haven’t exercised in a while. The yoga experience combined with the friendly and welcoming instructors has definitely convinced me to come back for more!

They have a special offer for newcomers who are local to Perth, $20 for unlimited Bikram Yoga over 10 days! Unbeatable value and a fantastic way to find out if it suits your lifestyle 🙂

Bikram Yoga – http://www.perthbikramyoga.com.au

Location

NOR

158a Vincent Street, NORTH PERTH
On the corner of Vincent and Fitzgerald Streets

SOR

248 Leach Highway MYAREE
(beneath REBEL Sports)

To find out more, contact Jenny Sterpini, certified Bikram Yoga Instructor on 0403 496 422.

Article by Hanna Baradja

Have you tried Bikram Yoga? Too scared? Want to know more? Leave a comment! xx