I am going to start straight off by going out on a tangent and then I will quickly get to the point of this review, which, for the record, is of a few lovely Comvita products. I tend to suffer pretty badly from hay fever in the spring-time months and after a particularly bad bout this year I decided to look into how I could stop feeling like my life force was slowly dripping out of my eyes, ears and nose every time I stepped out of the house. One of the coolest suggestions was from a naturopath who said I should have a spoonful of honey (the real deal kind of stuff) every morning. Apparently the natural pollens and…ah…bee juices (?) would help build up my resistance to the outside world which I believed was trying to kill me.
I thought this woman was a genius, but guess what? Turns out other people have been onto this honey idea for a while. Example; Claude Stratford (aged 63, go Claude!) started the whole Comvita line by making and selling a range of bee products from his home.
His goal, ‘to produce natural products that work, and acting in a way which preserves the environment for generations to come’ is something that I can really get behind, so for the purposes of this review (see I told you I would get there in the end) I tried the Brightening Moisturizer, the Intense Hydrating Mask and the Medihoney Eczema cream.
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I don’t think there’s much that’s been left out of the Brightening Moisturizer (RRP $44) – Olive leaf extract, liquorice root extract (for brightening), rosehip, macadamia, sunflower and soybean oils AND shea butter. AND SPF 15. I heartily applaud any moisturizer that has an SPF in it. What an added bonus. This moisturizer is thicker than your average bear but its not greasy and its doesn’t leave a slimy residue, which means you aren’t left looking shiny. I loved it. An instant addition to my use-everyday beauty products.
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The Intense Hydrating Mask with Manuka honey (RRP $50) is a very light mask that kind of just looks like a really heavy moisturizer. You can leave it on for a while and then rinse it off or you can keep it on overnight for something a bit more…as the name states…intense. The Manuka honey in the product is there to slow down the signs of ageing by targeting the skin’s elasticity. I really enjoyed it for its hydrating prowess; in these dry summer months this would be a friend indeed for those of you who are feeling the heat! Heaven knows your skin is feeling it too.
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I have left the Medihoney Eczema Cream (RRP $13.95) ’til last, because in my opinion it’s the most successful. What I am about to tell you…I do not know why I am publishing this on the Internet, but what the hey it might help others right?
I have one fingernail that I call Howard. It’s my middle finger on my right hand, and up until recently I thought we were going to lose Howard. I thought he was going to fall off. For some unknown, ungodly reason I was getting such bad eczema underneath my finger nail (ew ew ew gross I know) that it was pushing my fingernail (my poor Howard) off of my body. It was awful, it was painful and it was just plain old weird (why only one fingernail?) But guess what? The Medihoney Eczema Cream saved my Howard!
He has rejoined his nine other brother and sisters back where he belongs and things are looking good! I’ve tried many, many different products and I am being absolutely honest with you when I say that this is the first thing to really work. It might be the medical honey or the coconut oil, the evening primrose oil, the aloe vera or the vitamin E present in the product but whatever the magical ingredient I don’t live in fear of having one ugly nail-less finger.
♥ Medical Manuka Honey
The bees and I have been triumphant! Now I cant wait to try that spoon full o’ manuka honey next year when the fever of hay rears it’s ugly head once more…
In the meantime, you can get the three products I mentioned (plus many more) here:
Clean and clear – that’s all I ask. And as someone who has suffered from acne since the age of 13, I don’t think it’s too much to ask, now that I’m 36 and still categorise myself as ‘blemish prone’. Possibly like many others, I thought I’d grow out of it, and there have been times when no-one would ever suspect I battle with problem skin – particularly when I was pregnant, but since staying constantly pregnant is not an option – I’ve had to search far and wide for assistance to keep the zits at bay for many years.
Yes, I am one of those people who has literally tried everything on the market, topical and medical, including two courses of the strongest dermatologist prescribed treatment there is – Roaccutane at the ages of 17 and 30. Great when you’re on it – not so great when you’re not – and once again, not something you can take forever.
Never heard of it? Well neither had I until one day when google searching for ‘acne treatments that actually work’.
Of course I was skeptical, as someone who had seen and heard all the sales pitches before – the perfect balance of science and nature, clear skin in 30 days guaranteed, special introductory offer etc etc, plus hello, you can only get it in America – got to be a farce, right?
So what made me try it – and love it, to the point that I felt the need to write this article and share my experience?
♥ Picture from the Exposed Skincare website!
♥ Firstly, no celebrity endorsements, but real success stories – I did the research on the people they promote as their ‘Exposed users.’
♥ Secondly they told me if I sent them my empty bottles of any other acne products I’d tried, I’d get $25 dollars off the next purchase,
♥ And thirdly they offered a one year money back guarantee. Now I’ve heard of 30 day or 60 day money back offers, but one year was quite persuasive!
So clearly I took the plunge and signed up for the ‘Exposed Advantage’ and have kept my purchasing account going for just over two years.
But what about the results I hear you screaming! Well I can’t claim to be completely blemish-free and every monthly cycle still presents those hormonal spots – but I can absolutely say that Exposed does do what it says it will do.
♥ Just one of the natural ingredients in the range – green tea!
It does treat active acne and prevent bumps from coming up in the first place. It combines those active ingredients (salicylic acid) and a range of natural botanical ingredients like sage extract, green tea, tea tree oil, licorice root and passion flower, that work well enough to do the job, without drying or irritating your skin.
It does unclog your pores, regulate oil production and calm redness – fast! And yes I did indeed see a difference in my skin in just 30 days.
So if you’ve got a similar story to mine and feel like you’ve tried everything – I’d say try this. For me it’s worth the $49.95 plus $19.95 shipping charges, to be sent out from the USA by Fed Ex direct to my door, every three to four months. I’ve spent a lot more on other products and medications that don’t last as long and have done a lot less.
Roll up, roll up! It’s time for a bite sized challenge that will kick-start your wellbeing and have you equal parts zinging with energy and cruising with calm. Sound good? Then read on.
So here’s the deal:
♥ For one week from Monday 13th of February – Sunday 19th December I am going to be doing my darnedest to eat only wholefoods. This means no junk food like: chips, chocolate, burgers, icecream, candy, biscuits etc. I would like you to join me if you feel so inspired!
♥ What can we have instead?
Instead we will feast like Kings, Queens & other noble folk on everything that is GOOD FOR US! 🙂 This means wholefoods and herbal teas, smoothies and lean sources of protein – I would encourage you to cut out as much meat as possible for this one week, if you eat it, otherwise try and get free range! You can get all your protein needs met from vegetable sources such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, avocados and, my favourite, quinoa!
♥ How do I keep track?
Commenting on this post! I’ll be coming back and updating my diet day-by-day so you can check out what I’ve been eating, I’d love you to share your daily menus (and how you’re feeling) in the comments section below and ask any questions you need answered + check out what other healthy delights participants have been tucking into.
♥Recipes & resources:
These links should help you on your way! Remember, if you have any questions or need support then post a comment below, lets try and help each other out 🙂
♥ List of whole foods from WH Foods – this website is the BEST resource! They have tonnes of recipes, all super healthy and tasty. Make good friends with this page!
♥ Teresa Cutter – healthy Aus chef with incredible whole foods recipes.
PS. If you have any fantastique links to recipes etc please mention in the comments and I will add to the resources list!
SO LETS GET STARTED! Kick off monday morning with a healthy bang, personally I’ll be having a green smoothie to start my day. Comment below to get started! XOXOX
Monday
Breakfast
Green smoothie consisting of – frozen banana, 2 handfuls of baby spinach, large glass of water, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1 tbsp pepitas, 1 tbsp organic beauty oil, 1 tbsp liquid vitamin b, 1 tsp floradix (mega smoothie!)
Quinoa, pepitas & banana mixup
1 x Reboot Your Life Very Berry Good juice – and wow, was it good! More to come on this…
Lunch
Leftover four bean salad with quinoa & diced yellow capsicum and tomato
Green juice from PAWS Cafe
Dinner
A large corn cob, quinoa w/pepitas & lightly steamed zucchini
Snacks
Raw apple crumble with cashew cream from the PAWS Cafe (ahhh-mazing!)
Disclaimer: I’m no doctor, if you have a medical condition or are currently undergoing any form of medical treatment or taking medication, please check with your general practitioner before commencing any new program of eating.
Yay wellness crushes! To be honest, I have so many crushes at the moment so I found it hard to pick just 5, but I will do my best to get more of these articles going because I know you love em, and I love writing them!
This place is a little slice of heaven nestled in Subiaco & Nedlands. My pick is the Subi store as they have a wider menu range (tofu & veggie burgers! corn fritters! vegetarian sausages!) and I always try and get down here on my day off for their ‘Edens Green’ smoothie… spinach, lime, mango (& one other thing I’ve forgotten!). So totally thick, bright green, smooth, creamy and delicious. HUGE fan. They also have this amazing pumpkin bread. Love heading to pick up the smoothie after a hot personal training sesh. Will do a proper review soon, but if you haven’t heard of it then get down there. It’s not just vegetarian/vegan but they do have a lot of options for those so inclined 🙂
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♥ Wella SP Hydrate Shampoo ($18.50 from StrawberryNET)
While I’d prefer to use a more natural shampoo, I haven’t come across one yet which delivers results as good as the shampoos from the Wella System Professional range. Leaves my hair super clean and pretty smelling every time, plus tames and controls my hair, while providing much needed moisture. Tick tick tick. I’m loving this one in summer, but when summer is done I think I’ll go back to the Wella Shine Shampoo!
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♥ Floradix & Liquid Vitamin B
I get by with a little help from these two liquid supplements. Alright, number 1: FLORADIX. This is a herbal iron supplement that is useful for those low in iron and who don’t tolerate iron tablets well due to… slowed down traffic. I’ve just started taking this again after stopping for a few years and I have to say, the difference to how I feel is really noticeable. While I dislike the perception that vegetarians can’t get enough iron, because they can (plus I know many meat eaters who are deficient too!), I like to take this as my busy lifestyle means that sometimes I’m a little low – and this helps. Plus it tastes pretty good and can be taken with juice, smoothies or even water.
Number 2: Grants Liquid Vitamin B. Since our bodies don’t store vitamin B’s, we need a constant supply in our daily diet. Due to stress, heat and a busy lifestyle, we can sometimes have a need for an extra supply to keep us cool headed and feeling great. I love this liquid B and I always feel better taking it, just put some in water and drink. It’s recommended not to take it at night though, as vitamin b’s give you energy 🙂
Both are available from health food shops & some chemists.
I had wanted this for SO LONG, and a few weeks ago I finally bit the bullet and shelled out the $5.95 so I could take it home with me and start getting myself into line. If you’ve got a million things on your mind everyday, sometimes those good intentions don’t get a chance to make it to the forefront of your brain. This will help. You write down some small (or big!) things you want to achieve throughout the week and tick the boxes on the day/s you achieve your goal. When you’re writing them in, you also choose a reward that you can treat yourself with if you complete your goals! For example mine reads like this:
♥ Green smoothie 4 x a week – reward: buy frozen goji berries
♥ Iron supplement every day – reward: more energy
♥ Zinc supplement every day – reward: clear skin
Some example they provided were:
♥ 8 hours of sleep – reward: breakfast in bed
♥ Read the newspaper – reward: buy a gossip mag
It keeps me on track, and I love it! 🙂
♥ Yoga Girl
This has been out for a while now… but if you’re into yoga and haven’t seen it, you MUST!
“I’m gonna grab a coconut water…and be on my way”
Did you enjoy these crushes? Anything new that you’re crushing on, I’d love to hear!!
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.
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.
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!
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!
