by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 25, 2011 | Beauty Salon, North of River, Reviews
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I’m not a facial girl by nature. If I have time, cash, and feel like treating myself then I am all over a full body massage. So when I was given a gift certificate for a facial for Xmas, I was hoping I could exchange it for something more my style.
The voucher was for Be Ba Beau in Highgate. A quick Google and I learned that they do not have a website (which always frustrates me), so I couldn’t see the price list for treatments and possible other options. After a few phone calls, messages, and finally a trip down to the actual salon – I had a hard copy of my options as well as the knowledge that the Beauty part of the hairdressers is a separate business- Beauty by Rayne, though the treatments take place by Rayne in the same super cute house as her Mum’s salon.
My previous hatred of facials is only based on 2 experiences to be fair. The first one in London where for the full hour the therapist repeatedly put various smelling stuff on and then immediately off of my face and then in China at a crazy 24 hour spa which was just wholly bizarre in so many ways (email me and I will tell you why) and was a waste of my face’s time.
The anatomy of microdermabrasion.
Rayne listened to my facial concerns and suggested the microdermabrasion was the way to go, as it would be effective in reducing some of my zillions of newly acquired Perth freckles!! I had never heard of this sort of thing and thought that a voucher was a great time to do something I would not usually go for, especially when it would be of great benefit.
Now, there were a few teething problems booking in for my treatment, so when the day finally came I was excited to finally get in there!!
The facial itself was brilliant and worth the initial hassle. It contained all of the nice rituals that one would expect (exfoliation, face and neck massage, hot towel and mask) all done by Rayne who is gorgeous and so good at what she does. The best bit was the actual microdermabrasion which is “a mechanical medium for exfoliation along with adjustable suction to remove away the outermost layer of dead skin cells”. It is a non-invasive procedure and wasn’t painful, nor pleasurable but boy did I see results quickly.
The exfoliation part has evolved from rocks, stones and shells, to crystals, particle-free diamond tips and particle-free bristle tips. Rayne uses a machine with diamond tips as she feels it goes deeper than most, without being too abrasive, she likes to go as deep as she can to decrease the amount of times a client has to come in for treatments. I was told that 1-2 more times would be most effective at this stage for me to really get at those pesky freckles but then I wouldn’t need constant treatments as my skin is in quite good shape.
A lot of women get it every week or fortnight and apparently it is very good for wrinkle reduction, as well as freckles.
This is a different kind of ‘freckle reduction’ hehe..
In terms of my own results… it worked a treat. My husband noticed immediately (a great feat in itself) and my skin looked like it had done during a Canadian winter!! I will now be staying out of the sun religiously and get top ups once in a while as a treat. I think it is not only great for older ladies as wrinkle reduction and skin rejuvenation, but also for us fairer sun babies who are sick of too many dark freckles and sun spots. I can think of a few friends with weddings coming up that may be interested too.
Rayne also informed me that they are in the process of getting a website up too, hooray!!
(But for now you can check out their Facebook if you are interested)
Microdermabrasion and decolletage and full facial: $130.
Be Ba beau Hair and Beauty
455 Beaufort Street, Highgate, 6003
Ph: 93282888
Review by Sarah Devlin, my personal trainer of choice and super cute freckly gal.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 24, 2011 | Exercise, Interviews
♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
– Completed a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education at UWA followed by a Diploma of Education
– Began teaching PE and Health to year 8 – 12s at Christ Church my first year out and remained there for 8 years
– During that time I played netball and was determined to take that as far as I could despite the constant reminders that I was too short!
– During my netball off season my cousin Wesley convinced me to try a triathlon as a means to keep fit!
– Eventually enjoyed triathlon so much more and quit netball! The culmination of 3 different sports, swimming, cycling and running keeps it interesting and it also has a great social/community feel about it!
– After a few years of short course racing, my coach eventually convinced me to give an Ironman a go and after qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman, my first 2 attempts and finishing 3rd as an amateur at the World Champs I obtained my Pro license and have not looked back since!
– 4 years later I have quit my job and am a full time professional triathlete who spends 6 months of the year in Perth, and the other 6 months in Boise, Idaho in the USA
– Most recently I finally won my first Ironman in Busselton, Western Australia and it will be a moment I will never ever forget!!
Invisible Zinc 4 Hour Waterproof Sunscreen SPF30+
♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.
– First thing in the morning I am usually swimming biking or running, I will never leave the house without moisturiser, followed by Zinc on my face and lip balm on my lips.
– Zinc I either use Invisible Zinc or the skin coloured Sun Zapper Zinc stick you can get in Coles. It is perfect for those long, long days out in the sun.
– Moisturiser I use L’oreal day cream with suncream and an age perfect night cream.
– Lip Balm, every type of Blistex you will find in my drawer.
– Cause of all the swimming I have a leave in oil treatment for my hair because I don’t like to wash it every day!! I love to use Moroccan Oil.
♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
Massage (if you can call this a beauty treatment!) Once a week! My masseuse, Mark Eden, definitely knows how to keep me going strong! But otherwise i recently had a facial with my mother which I hadn’t done in years and was amazed how great my skin felt afterwards. Would like to make this a regular part of my beauty routine!
♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?
I have a local hairdresser, Avant Garde in South Perth that I have been going to for years and it is so easy when they know you and your hair and I don’t have to always explain why my hair is in such bad condition after all the swimming and sweaty training! I can just sit there and relax and she knows exactly what I want!
♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
A good facial mask or scrub! Once every week or 10 days! Gets rid of that dead skin and makes my face feel fresh again at least for a little while! I use Anew Clinical Micro – exfoliant.
So many to love!
♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
– Blistex Lip Balm
– Sun Zapper Zinc Stick
– Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse
♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Sleep!! I think sleep is highly underrated! Let’s be honest! How great do we feel and look (no bags under the eyes!) when we have a good night’s sleep! Lucky for me sneaking in an afternoon nap is something I try and do as much as can!
♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)
Bikram yoga, I have heard so much about it but haven’t found the time yet to do it! Definitely on the “to do” list!
♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.
I will usually eat a couple of pieces of toast with peanut butter before swimming training in the morning. This lasts a few hours and by the time I get home I am ready for my real breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon, blueberries, banana, and maybe some more peanut butter and almond milk. This fills me up for the rest of the morning and I don’t need to snack. Lunch is usually a roll/sandwich of chicken or egg and salad. Otherwise sushi is also a popular choice. After snack varies between an apple, yoghurt, muesli/protein bar depending what is on the training schedule. Dinner is a protein (chicken, steak and salmon are my favourites) and salad or vegetables.
♥ Describe your fitness routine.
Well fitness is my life so there is not a day that goes by (well very few anyway!) when I am not swimming, cycling or running! I usually have a day off every 10 days and a sleep in is absolute bliss!! Generally I will swim 6 times a week, run 5 times a week and cycle 4 or 5 times a week. If I am feeling up to it and try and get some core and strength work in but if I am tired they are the sessions that I will skip for a nap instead!
Fish oil!
♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.
Besides massage I am strong believer in Acupuncture/dry needling. I will have a session every couple of weeks if time permits to get rid of that tension in certain areas. With all the exercise and training I do I have been taking iron supplements to help prevent feeling too fatigued but also religiously take garlic and fish oil tablets so I don’t get sick!!
Thanks so much to Kate for taking time out of her very busy schedule to share her routine with us! Please leave any questions and comments below.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 23, 2011 | Products
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I recently bought a nail polish from a petrol station. The colour was ‘gelati’, I thought it looked ‘fun’ and ‘striking’ so I bought it, got it home, painted away and within about 4 hours it was starting to chip off and by the end of the next day … gone completely. Moral of the story: don’t buy nail polish from a petrol station no matter how ‘striking’ or ‘fun’ you think it might be.
Now if I had used my common sense (woah Adriane, not so fast!) and actually thought about this most impulsive of all buys I would’ve realized my folly. Alas, I did not. In fact the words I used to describe my old mate gelati would best be saved for OPI’s new nail polish out on the market, Black Shatter. Now as the name suggests my gelati and OPI’s Black Shatter are both going to give you a cracked, ‘shattered’ finish on your nails…the difference being gelati’s is unintentional.
The effect of Black Shatter over nail polishes in the ‘Katy Perry for OPI’ range
With OPI’s Black Shatter you simply paint a thin layer of the black varnish over whatever colour your nails happen to be painted and then THROUGH THE MAGICAL PROPERTIES OF NAIL POLISH, watch the black coat shatter and crack as it dries revealing your original nail varnish colour poking through to say hello. And the best news? You obviously get to choose what colour is underneath so you can make the look as individual as you like. Will little bits of nail polish flake off? No you goose, stop thinking ‘cheap, flaky nail polish’ and start thinking ‘cool nail polish effect’. But I guess you could apply a top coat if you were really worried about it.
Still confused? It’s kind of like when as a kid you took a piece of paper, crayoned the whole thing in a bunch of different colours and then coloured black over the top of all that and then took a tooth pick and drew a picture of your family. YEP EXACTLY THE SAME AND JUST AS GOOD (minus the need for a toothpick).
If you want a striking and fun look why not give this a go. OPI are the reference point when it comes to nail polish so you could say they have this pretty well down pat, and my senses tell me that this Black Shatter of theirs is going to be a hit.
Ms. Perry gets her nail on.
Ed’s note: Creates a leopard print look in the blink of an eye, two parts sassy to one part pretty – it’s no wonder K-Perry is the muse for this unique little number!
Available online at Adore Beauty or your best bet to get this seriously limited edition gem in stores will probably be David Jones.
Review by Adriane Daff, not afraid to buy cosmetics at petrol stations. Winner.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 20, 2011 | Other
Two lucky duck winners will be receiving this enviable kit of high quality mineral make-up from Alison Jade Cosmetics, RRP $260! (Colours / shades may vary slightly to those shown above).
‘For years, Alison has devoted herself to building a formidable reputation as an attentive, creative make-up artist and as a talented eyebrow specialist. Working with a living, breathing canvas requires sensitivity, attention to detail and great care, and Alison prides herself on creating the best look for every customer.
With this strong commitment to beauty, artistry and quality in mind, Alison has launched a new mineral make-up range designed to bring out the best in every skin type, giving every individual a clean, fresh look and feel. Sourced from nature and fused with science to protect, correct and beautify skin without irritation, Alison Jade Cosmetics provide a natural, chemical-free beauty solution.’
And we are here to let two of you win the following from the sure-to-be-a-cult range:
♥ Lipgloss
♥ Eyeshadow
♥ Bronzer
♥ Eyeliner
♥ Mascara
♥ Primer
Models wearing Alison Jade make-up.
The prize will be a mix of all the most popular sellers and the competition is open Australia wide this time, so that everyone has the opportunity to experience this new Western Australian brand!
To enter, leave a comment telling us why you’d like to win. Simple as that!
Our favourite two answers will be chosen in two weeks time… good luck! xo
Be well,
Annette & Alison Jade
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 17, 2011 | Food, Organic, Products, Reviews
Me with ma veggies.
Welcome to the best thing ever for people who want a very easy way to be a LOT healthier! I don’t know about you, but as much as I love going to the supermarket, I feel overwhelmed when I walk into the fresh fruit and veggie section. What should I get? What am I going to need this week? Which is freshest? How many chemicals have been sprayed onto these? Are common questions that attack me…
$45 boxes of organic fruit n veg from Organic n Green (based in Wanneroo) solve all my woes:
1. They deliver! $45 + delivery fee.
2. It’s kinda like your Mum has come round and said “Here dear, this is what is good for you that you should be eating this week”, so I then plan meals accordingly without having to deliberate over what to get at the shops.
3. We’ve ordered three times so far and the variety is huge! They pick the best, freshest stuff each day and send it off to you in a reusable foam box with frozen cooler bottle.
4. Certified organic! No pesticides & chemicals entering your body.
5. Great value. in the last box we got 43 pieces of fruit n veg, which works out to be a little under $1.50 per item. Considering that some of the items are big sweet potatoes, half a pineapple, avocadoes, and bunches of asparagus, this is awesome!
6. With each order, the value just keeps becoming more apparent. The 2nd order we received 48 items, and the most recent was 52! Excellent! Naturally there will be variation depending on what’s been supplied, but I really feel like it’s 300% worth it.
7. You can let them know what stuff you’re not so keen on, and they take it into account when creating your box o goodies.
Veggie box day is better than Christmas for me, I’m a huge dork so I get really excited when opening the carton and seeing what goodies will be entering my world that week.
Photo by Organic n Green.
Here’s what I’ve received in the three orders undertaken:
♥ Numero Uno ♥ 6 x Silverbeet stalks, 1/2 white cabbage, head of broccoli, 3 x onions, 2 x zucchini, 1 x garlic, 4 x ‘real looking’ carrots, 2 x asparagus bunches, 2 x avocados, 5 x tomatoes (roma + regular), 2 x sweet potato, 3 x kiwi fruit, 2 x mangoes, 2 x bananas, 4 x plums, 1/2 a pineapple.
♥ Two ♥ 1/2 red cabbage, 1 x bag mixed lettuces, 2 x corns, 3 x tomatoes, 3 x small cucumbers, 2 x onions, 4 x carrots, 4 x potatoes, 1 x broccoli, 1 x red capsicum, 3 x beetroot, small bag of green beans, 2 x avocados, 2 x peaches, 2 x kiwi fruit, 4 x plums, 3 x apricots, 2 x mangoes, 2 x oranges.
♥ Three ♥ Bag of baby spinach, 2 x Nashi pears, 2 x plums, 2 x bananas, 1/2 white cabbage, 1 x broccoli, 3 x apples, 5 x tomatoes, 1 x green capsicum, 1 x 250gm strawberries, 1 x mango, 3 x baby eggplants, 1 x zucchini, 1 x large ginger, 1 x large corn, small bag of green beans, 2 x kiwi fruit, 7 x baby carrots, 3 x beetroots, 7 x potatoes, 1 x sweet potato, 5 x onions, 2 x garlic.
PHEW!!!!
Organic n Green also provide a large variety of other organic produce.
This, along with personal training, yoga, massage and a good nights sleep, is one of my TOP TOP TOP tips for making yourself feel great and boosting your wellbeing.
I can’t rave about it highly enough, I’m a very happy customer! I will be trialling other organic fruit and vegetable box providers in Perth so that I can do a ‘comparative study’ 😉 and figure out the best one, but for now I’m loving these guys, their customer service is lovely to boot.
Organic n Green is owned by Tony and Alicia Lopez.
Contact: 0416 02 82 92
E-mail: sales@organicngreen.com.au
Be well,
xoxo
