by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 16, 2011 | Cheap / Free, Products, Reviews
Hello cash-crafty ladies and coin-savvy gents (yes boys, we hope you’re out there reading too!), budget beauty is back on Wellness WA.
Before I make a start here, a confession. I have never been to Shanghai. The closest I’ve been to making it to Morocco is probably Monaco (does Moroccan Oil count?) and this fiscally-challenged correspondent has certainly never ventured subcontinent. So I’m not sure how well qualified I am to assess these new destination-themed Napoleon Perdis bath products, on shelves in Target since October, but I’m taking on the challenge anyway!
The range includes bath salts, body washes, a spritz and a lotion. I was lucky enough to try three of them: the Shanghai Ginger body wash, Moroccan Citrus body lotion and Jaipur Jasmine bath salts.
Rather than The Orient, the Shanghai Ginger shower gel reminds me of a German gingerbread house. It’s a little bit sweet and spicy and the fragrance is a great warming wake-up . At night-time I’d use something a little more mellow though. It’s suitable for boys as well as girls, if you’re looking to cut cleansing costs in a household with lads too.
The Moroccan Citrus body lotion has a light orange fragrance but is by no means overpowering, and doesn’t clash with the shower gel if you are looking to use the products in conjunction with one another. It absorbs quickly and easily, contains no parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate and is seriously moisturising considering its weight.
Derived from the flowers of the jasmine shrub, the Jaipur Jasmine bath salt is at once delicate, evocative and calming. Believed to have astringent, anti-bacterial and anti-depressant qualities jasmine is a perfect bath ingredient and an excellent choice if you’ve got a half-hour to spare in a hot tub.
Priced between about $10 and $20, the range is a special treat for if you usually stick to the supermarket aisles when you’re shopping for the shower.
Available from Target stores nationally or online at Napoleon Perdis Set Cosmetics.
Review by Athanae Lucev, a freelance journalist and writer with a keen eye for a pretty bargain.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 14, 2011 | Beauty Salon, Interviews, Western Suburbs
♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am Alison Jade, Brow Specialist and Director of Alison Jade Cosmetics. Coffee and beauty product addict. Lover of online shopping and red wine.
Sodashi Eye and Lip Smoother 30ml, RRP $145.20
♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.
For someone who works in the beauty industry I am pretty relaxed! I never cleanse in the morning, I usually will wash my face with water. I always wear make up with SPF in it regardless of if I am going outside. At night I cleanse and put on Cosmedix Refine night cream and Sodashi Eye and Lip Smoother.
♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
Spray Tanning! I love it I try to go once a week. My favourite is a new Perth brand Aussie Bombshell.
♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?
I am a total nutcase when it comes to my hair! I have been to every hairdresser in Perth I am sure of it! I go to a salon in Shenton Park called La De Da for my colour. It’s a small boutique salon and Chesnie always gets it right! Also, there is an awesome clothes shop next door which I go to (foils and all) so I am never bored when I go there. I then have it cut at Cision in Claremont. Fantastic place and by far the best blowdry you will ever get.
♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
DIY Body Scrub, cheap and super easy! Ground rice, hemp oil, geranium essential oil.
♥ Moroccan Oil, RRP $49.50
♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
1. Moroccan Oil – this stuff should be worth its weight in GOLD!
2. Lucas’ Papaw Ointment.
3. DuWop Revolotion – moisturizer that contains SPF 15 sun protection along with bronzing pigment and subtle shimmer.
♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Eye drops and Illuminator! Plus lots of water. I always get bags under my eyes if I am dehydrated.
♥ Pilates in action.
♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)
Pilates! I have been dying to try it but haven’t had the time. I finally booked and have my first lesson in 2 weeks!
♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.
I will usually have eggs or muesli for breakfast. Lunch is either a salad or sandwich and dinner always lean meat and veges.
♥ Describe your fitness routine.
I try to go to the gym for weights and strength at least twice per week. I have recently started swimming again and hoping to add pilates into the mix as well.
Fish oil.
♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.
I only take Fish Oil. If you can’t get the nutrients you need from the food you are eating then you should rethink your diet.
Alison Jade’s eyebrow salon is located:
Suite 3/525 Stirling Hwy
Cottesloe, Perth WA 6011
Ph: 08 9385 5544
Email: info@alisonjade.com.au
Any questions or comments? You know what to do! 🙂
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 12, 2011 | Alternative Therapy, Beauty Salon, Day Spa, Inner City, Reviews
A slightly more relaxing portrayal of Omnilux.
I’ve been intrigued with Omnilux for quite a while now, but nothing quite cemented the interest like hero dream-bebe Zoe Foster and her unforgettable words at the PRIMPED look book event last year:
“You can drink 48 tequila shots and still have glowing skin”
Well then. We by no means suggest you do such a thing, but it’s good to know the option is there.
With this little thought wailing around in my brain for the past 12 months, along with some unshakable pimples and a desire for clearer skin – I bit the light therapy bullet and booked in for a sesh of Omnilux at Skin Deep Medi Spa in the CBD.
A photo of me having my Visia Analysis done… 😉
First up though, I had my skin analysed by Lauren, the spa manager, with a Visia Skin Analysis machine. For those of you who hate close-ups, you’re not going to like this! However I see it as a necessary evil to help uncover what the main areas of skin concern are. So a bunch of photos are taken from all angles with your head in the machine and once finished you’re shown the pics and talked through the problem zones.
My personal areas of concern were dehyrdation around the eyes, uneven skin tone and acne bacteria, mostly on the chin 🙁
A regime of both Omnilux red (collagen & lymphatic stimulating & healing) and Omnilux blue (acne bacteria destroying, pow pow) is recommended, as well as some light chemical peels and exfoliation suggested (but I don’t think I’m quite ready for the peels yet!)
♥ ♥ ♥
Twenty four hours pass and I’m back in the medi-spa for my first Omnilux treatment (the red one to start with)…gulp!
A hop, skip and a double-cleanse later, I’m lying on the treatment bed with my hair in a disposable cap waiting to make friends with this piece of machinery that is promising me pretty skin.
The first thing to note is that the lights sit just a couple of centimeters above your skin, unlike in the image above where it’s shown to be about 30 centimeters away. I’m a bit claustrophobic so I asked the therapist to stay with me during my first treatment and she was more than happy to do so. As it turns out, if you feel that it’s too close they can move it back a bit, or you can wiggle down out of it for a minute.
Secondly, even with little goggles on and my eyes closed – THE LIGHT IS SO BRIGHT! It gets better after a few minutes but I hadn’t read about that anywhere so was surprised.
Throughout the treatment I’m aware of a slight warmth, but it doesn’t feel hot.
The twenty minutes pass pretty quickly with chatting, and you can probably bring in your iPod if you like, or just relax to the peaceful music that is piping through the spa.
A vitamin B serum is applied to my skin, which apparently helps, as well as a moisturiser. For Omnilux to be most successful, you need to have two treatments a week for a month, and then you can dial it back to once a month. It takes a few sessions to really start seeing a difference, but today I’ve felt that my skin might just be looking that little bit better already…
Zoe.
Time will tell though, and I’m excited to continue on my journey to Zoe Foster worthy skin.
Omnilux revive (red) is $95 a pop & Omnilux blue $75, they’re not cheap, but if they do as promised I’ll be more than happy to keep making the room in my budget.
I went to the Skin Deep Medi-Spa located at:
Shop 4 Central Park Building
777 Hay Street, Perth
Western Australia 6000
T. (08) 9226 2997
Or you can find another salon in Perth that provides Omnilux here!
Have you tried Omnilux yet? Would you? Do you have any other questions for me? Comment below!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 11, 2011 | Products, Reviews
Continuing with my Weleda love affair are two new products that I have been trialing, both of them are from the Wild Rose range. Even though I love the smell of roses I was initially hesitant to try the Wild Rose range in fear of smelling a little too nana-ish (no offence to my nana or any other nana’s reading this!). Rose was always a fragrance that I had associated with older women, but Weleda proved me wrong! I tested the Wild Rose Body Oil and also the Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Masque.
The Wild Rose Body Oil is described on the Weleda website as “luxurious, exotic moisturiser” and I have to hands down agree! With jojoba, sweet almond and rose oil to deeply moisturise, restore suppleness and increase elasticity this is one truly decadent body oil. Unlike some other body oils I have tried this one was absorbed into my skin immediately, not leaving it oily or greasy. It’s best applied straight after a bath or shower whilst the skin is still damp. The divine scent which is more exotic than overly floral lingers afterwards for a calming feeling.
The oil from these sweet things is one of the masks ingredients. Yes, these exact peaches!
The Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Masque is designed for skins that are in need of some extra hydration or those that are showing the first signs or ageing. Seeing that I’m about to hit the big 30, I thought this wouldn’t be a bad one to try. Ingredients such as peach kernel oil, rose oil and mallow extract all work overtime to promote skin renewal, soften, rehydrate and vitalise skin. This masque is great for those skins in need of a little pick me up or dehydrated skins. I work long hours in an air-conditioned environment, so even though my skin is more combination it’s pretty prone to dehydration and this masque is the perfect solution. It can be used 1-2 times a week for about 15-20 minutes. You can either wash it off or for an extra intense treatment leave it on. Get glowing!
Check out http://www.weleda.com.au for stockists.
Review by Hannah L.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 8, 2011 | Other
♥
Hey guys! Even though we’re still dealing with the tail end of a contagious little bug that’s been flying around the office and getting out of bed is tricky… I couldn’t not announce the winners of the Lendan & Wellness WA giveaway.
So without further illness chat, please congratulate our lucky winners!
1 ♥ Commenter 21 “Georgie” has won the Lendan Hair Pack (Shampoo, Leave-in Cream & Hair Mask – RRP $54)!
2 ♥ Commenter 27 “Aileen” has won the Hair to Go Polish Spray RRP $24.95!
3 ♥ Commenter 30 “Kristy Sweeney“” has won the Aqua Rituals Hydro-Repairing Night Cream, RRP $85 & Beauty Flash x 2 RRP $14.95.
Congratulations everyone and thanks to Lendan for sponsoring the giveaway! We have a competition coming up for our Facebook fans only next, so make sure you’re a fan to be eligible to enter.
Be well (unlike me at present!),
Annette
xoxo
