by Annette @ Wellness WA | Sep 19, 2011 | Interviews, Wellness Tips
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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Ashlee, I grew up in the country and started modelling while I was in high school. I spent a bit of time travelling as part of the job and enjoyed taking part in fashion weeks around the country, working with great photographers and making great friends.
I then enrolled in a journalism & public relations degree at uni which I graduated from last year. While I did most of the course in Perth, I spent six months studying in London and travelling through Europe which was the best experience of my life. I now work at WAtoday as well as modelling casually.
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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.
In the mornings I cleanse with Cetaphil and use Estee lauder day cream, it has the best texture I’ve fallen in love with it. On my body I used QV wash and a mixture of sorboline and cocoa-butter moisturisers. I’ve also started dry body-brushing after reading about it online, it apparently does wonders for your circulation so I’m hoping to get Miranda Kerr-like results – we’ll see!
At night I cleanse with Cetaphil again and sometimes tone with witch hazel to get rid of any oil build up. I then mix it up every night with something different to help repair my skin while I sleep. I either use rosehip oil, argan oil, a serum by Estee Lauder (my favourites are the Intensive Night Repair and the new Idealist serum) or a light moisturiser. I’ve just discovered oils and serums and I think they are fantastic, I love the idea of something on your skin replenishing cells as you sleep. I also love the oils, they’re so cheap and natural and they absorb straight into your skin so they aren’t actually oily at all.
♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
Boring, but waxing – I believe in upkeep! I get it done by the girls at Waxworks in the city, purely because I’ve always gone there and it’s where I feel comfortable.
Photo from Scene Models
♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?
Hair is an odd one for me, I am actually really pedantic about my hair because it gets hammered with heat styling at shows and shoots. But I don’t really go to the hairdresser. I used to work for Maurice Meade so they would always do my hair at the Subiaco store, but now I just get it cut by a lovely friend of mine at her home. I am trying to get it cut regularly – every six weeks – so that I can start to build on its health and help it grow longer. I don’t colour my hair at all, haven’t done so for about five years I’d say.
♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
On the subject of hair … my best at home treatment is my Kerastase Age Recharge hair mask, which I don’t actually use as a mask but as a normal conditioner. I wash my hair probably every 3 days so I use that and let it absorb for at least five minutes. It’s expensive for a conditioner but I find it is the only thing to nourish my very dry hair!
♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
The three I can’t live without would have to be cetaphil cleanser, my Estee Lauder day cream and a good eye-brow pencil or powder like Laura Mercier, or if I’m going budget Rimmel does a good one too! If I can add a fourth it would be bronzer because I’m big on a healthy glow, but I believe brows are the most important aspect of your face. Bad eyebrows really get to me and mine aren’t naturally thick enough.
Sleep! <3
♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Its clichéd but getting enough sleep and drinking enough water. I do look like hell if I don’t get enough sleep.
Of course exercise – and I don’t do enough but the warmer weather is a great motivator to take a walk on the beach or the river. It makes you feel better and if you feel good, you look good!
But also I believe in doing something you love. Nothing is better than feeling happy and relaxed – I love reading with a cup of tea, looking at fashion blogs, chocolate and a nice wine in the sun!
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♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)
Time is my biggest detractor from doing things. I’ve been meaning to start Reformer Pilates with a girlfriend but we can never sync our schedules. I’m not a morning person so the idea of getting to a class before work makes me cringe, plus I normally try to catch up with friends after work so it’s hard to book it in!
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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.
Okay I’m not the best eater. I wish I did but I really don’t have much of a fondness for fruit and vegetables. I usually start the day with toast – honey if I’m in a rush and avocado with tomato if I have some time. Plus a cup of tea. Then I usually eat a big lunch of leftover stir-fry and rice which is where I get my vegetables, usually capsicum, mushroom, baby corn and broccoli. I normally eat out at night time, be it tapas, Italian, Mexican or a good steak. Plus I’m a huge sweet tooth so my day is often scattered with a touch of Cadbury or something I’ve baked at home!
♥ Describe your fitness routine.
Yeah this leaves little-to-be desired as well. I have always played a lot of sport like netball and basketball however I’m not in a team at the moment. I will go walking though and exercise a lot more in summer when I can go down to the beach. I really want to get a new dog, walking a dog is the best exercise motivator for me!
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♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.
I don’t really believe in supplements because I think you should get everything you need from the food you eat. I’m sure I don’t however, but still if I crave something I let myself have it because I believe that’s the body’s way of saying you need it. The only thing I do take is Inner-Health Plus, and I love a good herbal tea.
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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?
My absolute favourite way to de-stress is with a good glass of wine!
I don’t think I’m a very stressed out person, I get busy but I try not to let any issues get to me too much. Mind over matter!
Thanks to Ashlee for taking time out of her busy schedule to share her beauty & wellbeing routine with us! Any questions, please leave a comment 🙂
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Sep 14, 2011 | Food, Wellness Tips
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Hello hello! It’s that time again where I get to share with you my top crushes for the week in the hopes of inspiring you to maybe develop a lil crush all of your own. This week it’s a mixed bag with some yummy, healthy treats, Perth born beauty prods and a bit of a spruik of our latest comp. Let me know if you have any questions, as always I’m happy to chat 😀
♥ Stove Cooked Porridge
My love of porridge is well known (to me), but would you believe that for all these years I’ve been microwaving it? Every morning, into the microwave for a quick, hot and tasty breaky. Last week I decided to do something I’d never done before… cook the porridge on the stove. Now I realise this might sound a bit lame to any domestic kitchen goddess babes, but for me it was a revelation. The porridge turned out so much thicker and creamier and about 2.5 x more delicious! I threw in some frozen blueberries and stirred in some nut butter – dreamy.
Porridge is really good for calming your nerves, beating stress and providing you with sustained energy to take on the day! Porridge lovers put yo hand UP!
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♥ Home Roasted Almonds
Here’s another one that makes me feel a bit silly. I only just discovered how flippin good roasted almonds are. After spouting my love to all and sundry, a work colleague of mine suggested I roast my own at home. Mind blown, again. I just don’t think of these things! She recommended popping a tray of almonds w/skins into the oven at 180 degrees, just when cooking something else or on their own if you want.
I roasted my nut babes for about 12 minutes until the skin came out looking split, as in the above picture. It was all I could do to stop myself scoffing the whole tray. I am now totally converted and have been cooking up a small tray each week to take to work as a trail mix with dried cranberries. Super delicioso. Have you tried roasted almonds?
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♥ AEOS Crystal Nail File
If you’re tired of those scrappy emery boards and the rough powdery feeling they leave on your nails, you’re going to rejoice at these new crystal nail files from AEOS!
“Metal files and emery boards tear the nail as they file, leaving rough, sharp edges. The crystal file glides across the nail tip so you can quickly and easily shape your nail to a flawless, smooth finish. Crystal files seal the nail tip as you file, preventing water, dirt and debris from seeping into the nail tip.”
The files will last you a lifetime due to the crystal not being able to harbour any bacteria. I find that pretty amazing! So long as you don’t lose it, you’ll never have to buy another nail file again. I’m a bit of a slacker when it comes to my nails, but I’ve been using this file whenever I spot a jagged edge and it’s been serving me very well indeed.
The AEOS Crystal Nail files are available for $22 from the beGenki online shop, and come in an AMAZING array of beautiful colours that you’ll want to whip out everywhere you go!
♥ Becca Butter Balm SPF 20 – $40
♥ Becca – Halcyon Days
Two of the new Becca products from the Halcyon Days Collection have been making a big impact on me these past few weeks. The Butter Balm (pictured above) immediately transported me to summery, beachy days when I first tried it – I was honestly in the best mood all afternoon after applying!
Perhaps it’s that the balm is brimming with nourishing ingredients such as shea, cocoa, avocado and jojoba butters and vitamin e, or maybe it’s the tahitian vanilla and honey mixed with the subtle scent of “the beach” that makes this product so appealing. The SPF 20 doesn’t hurt either, and guess what? It’s paraben free too!
Beach dreaming – this is the water down at Freo.
At $40 this is a seriously luxe purchase. Upon opening the gorgeous silver container (which also locks so that the lid doesn’t slip off in your bag, genius!) the amount of product looks rather small, however since using it I’ve found that it lasts for ages and ages and you only need a tiny slick to get moist, supple lips. This is the perfect summer purchase, or Christmas gift (yup, it’s nearly here again) for the beach babe who has everything!
I’m historically not a beachy girl, growing up 400+ kilometres inland will do that, but the Butter Balm has me wanting to hit the sand almost daily. Loving it.
♥ Zoe Foster ‘Amazing Face’ Competition
This ones a plug for our latest competition to win one of two copies of ‘Amazing Face’ by Zoe Foster RRP $39.95!
Enter the competition and you could soon be swooning as much as I did whilst exponentially improving your beauty knowledge. Worth it!
Bon appetit my loves. What do you think of my crushes this week? I would love to hear your crushes! Do share x.
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Sep 13, 2011 | Interviews
♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
I’m a mother to three gorgeous girls, one in her early 20’s, one seven and a half and one who just turned four in June. I believe in falling in love with ourselves truly, madly and deeply and I have a web tv show where I talk to and interview people who can inspire, educate and motivate you to have a life you love. I believe that my purpose in life is to use my creativity and inspiration to support and guide myself and others to live a life of health, fun and abundance, to love and accept each other and to be surrounded by beauty.
I plan on doing that through my web tv shows, my blog and running courses, as well as one-on-one coaching showing just how you too can have a life that ROCKS!
I live in Hillarys with my husband and two younger daughters, who I homeschool (my oldest just moved back to Melbourne) and I feel so blessed to be able to create a life that I love and help others to do the same.
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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.
My daily beauty routine is fairly simple.
I wake up in the morning and drink 1 litre of water before anything else. I wash my face with warm water and a face cloth and then moisturise with my Raw Gaia MSM Beauty Cream.
For make-up I use RMS ‘uncoverup’ 44 and a the Lip 2 Cheek colour. Occassionally I use a mineral eyeliner.
At night I take off my make-up with Raw Gaia Living Cleanser. I don’t moisturise at night.
Both Raw Gaia and RMS are unique in the sense that they are raw products, so none of the ingredients used are heated above 40 degrees ensuring that the life force and nutrients of their ingredients is retained.
Qi Facial with the tiny magnets!
♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
I have just started having Qi Facials and I can feel and see the improvement in my skin already!
The beautiful Bec Haas is the absolute best! She’s also a naturopath, massage therapist and acupuncturist here in Perth and is so talented I highly recommend that you check her out. You can call her on 0400 550 060
♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?
Bec at Living Colour in Marmion is awesome. She listens to what you ask for and I know that whenever I see her I’ll walk out feeling and looking amazing.
♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
Foot massage from my gorgeous husband, usually once a week – how lucky am I? (Ed: very!)
Hurraw! Balm – Sooo cute!
♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
RMS ‘uncover’ up, I buy it from Bathing Beauty Organic Apothecary a Perth-based online store, Julie Quach is just lovely and the personification of excellent customer service, Chocolate Hurraw Lip Balm and Raw Gaia MSM cream.
♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Green Smoothies! These have changed my life. I have one every morning, they’re filling, delicious, nutrient rich. I also believe that it’s more what you do internally that will make a difference to the way you look, so lots of fresh foods, a high raw diet, walking and fresh air. Most important tip – LOVE and GRATITUDE. Love yourself, be grateful for all you have and you will glow – I guarantee it!
♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)
I would love to go on an Embracing Health Retreat. A little hard with the younger two though. There’s one in November in Busselton that I would love to get to.
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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.
1 litre of water first thing
Approximately 1 litre of Green Smoothie.
That’s my breakfast which I’ll have anytime from 7 – 9. I don’t actually move onto the smoothie until I feel hungry.
For lunch I usually have a green salad, if I’m home. If I’m out and about quite often I will have sushi, or just steamed rice and steamed vegetables.
Dinner is varied, but I usually have a salad followed by another dish, raw zucchini pasta with a pesto sauce, or raw nachos, with nut taco meat and nut sour cream.
In winter we do a lot of vegetable soups, rice and vegetables.
My girls love raw vegetables so we will have lots of cut up broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery etc. with raw cashew nut butter, or just on their own.
I also make sure to drink LOTS of filtered water during the day.
Oh, and I forget to mention, I do travel 22km nearly every day to get my ‘fix’ of caffeine in the form of a soy flat white from Txtshots in North Perth – the best coffee in the world! Everyone has to have a vice (or two).
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♥ Describe your fitness routine.
I was doing yoga every morning and evening but that came to a standstill after we went on holiday so I’m getting back on track with that.
Running around after my two youngest is probably the main component of my fitness routine in winter. Now that spring is just around the corner though we start walking to most places and I would like to do some jogging on the beach, or at least walking.
♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.
I do add maca and spirulina to my daily smoothies. There’s huge controversy at the moment (in fact most of the time) about whether supplements are good for you, or not, whether they’re a waste of money, whether they’re necessary. I tend to go with my experience, and in my personal experience those two work beautifully for me. I believe in fresh raw foods being the best way to get what I need.
♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?
Relaxing in the sunshine reading a good book, watching my children laughing and playing together, talking to my husband, spending time with my eldest daughter. Time with the fabulous family and friends that I have.
Thanks so much to Chizelle, I hope you all enjoyed reading her answers as much as I did 🙂
Any questions please leave them below.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Sep 11, 2011 | Other, Wellness Tips
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I feel so lucky to now be writing the beauty page for the quarterly editions of X-Press Fashion Magazine! Some of you may remember my Warm and Toasty Beauty article from last season, if not check it out, though some of the advice is more relevant for chilly days. (How beautiful was the weather this weekend!!)
This time around I decided to focus on Spring Cleaning Your Routine 🙂 There are lots of tips in there on how to get you on track to having your best skin yet, have a read and let me know what you think. I would love to know your thoughts!
Click here to download the PDF, or scout around wherever X-Press weekly editions are usually stocked and you should be able to find a hard copy version.
I hope you enjoy reading it!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Sep 4, 2011 | Other
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Dear Zoe,
Why hello there ultimate swoon-boat and idol of dreams (check out Primped if you haven’t already, dear readers)! It appears that you have a new and fancy book out called Amazing Face (RRP $39.95) on how to be a pretty awesome makeup, hair and skincare princess + many more wondrous tips.
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I feverishly read your book from cover to cover, barely stopping to breathe, on the first day it came out. I also had to harass some Dymock’s employees to find your tome in a box out the back! It was well worth it.
Here is a list of reasons why your book heaps deserved to be at the number one spot on the Dymocks best selling books for a couple of weeks (true story!):
♥ It’s for everyone. There’s tips for teens, 20 somethings, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s+
♥ This quote “Happy, healthy, radiant skin is your finest and most powerful accessory”
♥ You’re so smart, and witty, and funny, and pretty. Every page is ultra enjoyable to read and you tell me correct order in which to apply my skincare before bed, which I previously DID NOT KNOW!
♥ There is approximately 5 million tips in here about how to glow ‘a rude shade of health’.
♥ Tutorials, how-tos, lists (with pix!), Q&A, bonus tricks… there is a lot of information, presented in lots of different ways.
♥ The design is stunning, every page is different and delightful.
There are more reasons! But I don’t want to reveal all of your secrets.
Cute haircut n makeup Zoe! It looks like you do know your stuff.
Thanks Zo, you have once again inspired me to mix up my beauty routine a bit and reminded me to pull up my socks and stop being a bit lax with skincare, naughty naughty.
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Lucky readers! Penguin Books Australia have generously provided 2 copies of Ms. Foster’s book for us to give away 😀 To be in the running to win, all you need to do is make sure you’re a fan of our Facebook page and leave a comment below letting us all know:
Why would you like to win a copy of Amazing Face?
Good luck! Entries close 19th September xx
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
