by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 6, 2012 | Interviews
♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am a professional fashion illustrator. I studied Fine Arts for two years then Fashion and Textile Design for three, both at the Western Australian School of Art and Design. I have illustrated for Linney’s, Chatswood Chase, Aurellio Costarella, ELLERY, Joveeba and Urban Walkabout with lots of exciting things coming up this year.
♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.
I recently had the chance to try a soon-to-be released skin care brand called Ni6 (Ed: Can’t find a website up as yet…!). So I use their cleanser and female specific moisturizer now daily and have never had better skin.
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♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
I go to see Esther at Esther CE (cultured eyebrows) every 5 weeks to get my brows pampered. I have a strong cowlick in one and a scar running through the other and Esther has done wonders, I now look human! I have to brush them everyday with her specially developed brush so I guess that is part of my every day routine too.
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♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?
Head Studio on King St! It’s such a great experience each time I go, a beautiful and relaxing environment. I also love the illustrations they have on their walls by one of my favorite Aussie illustrators Rebecca Wetzler.
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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
Pedicures in the sun in the backyard! I work in a shoe shop on the weekend so it a good idea to have nice feet to show off the shoes. I do a foot scrub, a cuticle clean and then a paint and polish.
♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
1. Clinique High Impact Mascara, so I don’t scratch my eyes out – Available from StrawberryNET for $23 AUD!
2. David Jones brand Vitamin E Creamy Cleanser, super gentle
3. Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit, to tame my crazy brows
♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Water water water! Clears my skin, cleanses my body and is my instant headache cure. I drink over 2 liters a day. No product will ever have the same benefits as water.
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♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)
I would love to have bright pink hair! Charlotte Free is my favorite model of the season and she has the best fluro colour hair. But I’m not sure I would take the plunge due to time/money/fear!
♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.
Yoghurt in the morning, salad for luch and a meat dish for dinner. I snack during the day and usually have something sitting next to me while I’m drawing which kind of limits the food to portability and non-drippyness (so my work doesn’t get ruined!). My boyfriend is a wonderful cook so I always eat well!
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♥ Describe your fitness routine.
I swim about 2km 5 days a week at the local pool. I love it! It’s the only type of exercise I enjoy. I do special sets written out for me by a good friend who also happens to be one of the coaches for the Australian Olympic Swimming Team.
♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.
No but I was discussing with a friend today how we would like to try Iridology, the iris analysis treatment. That would be really interesting to me.
♥ Some of Pippa’s gorgeous artwork
♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?
My favorite way to relax is with friends. I spend most of the day alone in my studio working so I really enjoy catching up with friends for a coffee or a drink out somewhere it’s an instant way to make me happy and reminds me that there is life outside my house!
Thanks so much to the lovely Pippa for stopping by for a chat! You can find out more about her work @ pippasworkablefixative.blogspot.com
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 4, 2012 | Events, Massage, Other
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Yours truly isn’t the biggest fan of music festivals, despite being a huge fan of music, the crowds, the craziness, the dirt, the heat and the standing for hours on end between bands you don’t-actually-want-to-see all leave me a grumpy mess about an hour in. But when you get to watch the band you came to see, then oh is it worth it.
I’ve long wished there was a way to make the bits I don’t like about festivals disappear… maybe get a massage or facial in between bands? A bit of a spruce up? Well kids this year Big Day Out goers are in luck because they’ve teamed up with the sweet smelling sugar doves at Lush and gone and made this happen!!!
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Think free face masks, massages, cool-down treatments and even bottles of their earthy smelling “Grass” shower gel for the washrooms. Pretty good. Even better is that these pamper sessions are FREE!!
So in between rocking out, jive on down (wrong era?) to the LUSH tent to chill out and get a little wellness into you while waiting for your fave band to play!
Check out www.bigdayout.com for more info on the event and let us know if you’re keen to check to get some festival style pampering!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 3, 2012 | Exercise, Yoga
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I have to share with you my latest lady crushes. It’s all well and good to admire actors and celebs and be jealous of their amazing wardrobe (note: they get 99% of it free), social life, boyfriend etcetera BUT why not admire those who are doing incredible things in the world of wellness, helping other people and basically showing us how amazing life can be?
Especially when they look amazing (a testament to the results gained from what they do) and are constantly putting positive energy back into the universe – getting a little hippie here!
ENTERRRR… my two latest yoga obsessions – Tara Stiles & Kathryn Budig!
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1. Tara Stiles
Impossibly gorgeous and an ex-model, Tara has an approach to yoga which has been described as “unconventional” and she has received some criticisms for not sticking to the traditional style of any one yoga practice. She advocates yoga for EVERYONE and does away with sanskrit terms (eg. Savasana, Gomulkasana etc), instead choosing to use the simplest terminology such as “lower back” or “pigeon pose”.
Tara also has an incredibly interesting and frequently updated Youtube Channel, which I may have become slightly addicted to! She is gorgeous, but unintimidating in her videos, with her easygoing personality and “just one of the guys” vibe.
She founded the school Strala Yoga in New York and I would love, love, love to go there one day! 🙂
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2. Kathryn Budig
She’s been described as ‘yoga’s first supermodel’ and with gorgeous glowing skin, shiny blonde hair and a beaming smile it’s not hard to see why. But it’s Kathryn’s devotion to an outside cause that most impresses me.
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Poses for Paws is an initiative started by Budig and a friend, to raise money through yoga classes for dog shelters and organisations that help to find our gorgeous furry woofballs loving homes. Their current focus if the ‘Beagle Freedom Project’ (inspired by the love of her very own beagle).
Most people wouldn’t know this, but Beagle’s are one of the most popular choices for animal testing labs, due to their gentle and forgiving nature and non-aggressiveness towards lab techs (the same ones performing tests on them). Absolutely horrific stuff.
Check out the Beagle Freedom Project, it’s very interesting – prepare to weep a few tears, it makes me want to devote my life to saving these guys. They are so beautiful, and even after living in a lab cage for their whole lives they’re still willing to wag their tails, and seeing the dogs run around on the grass for the first time is equal parts devastating and beautiful at the same time.
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So, two beautiful yogis, both doing wonderful things – have you heard of either of these two ladies before?
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 2, 2012 | At Home, Products, Reviews
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I was thinking about all the products that I’m using at the moment, so thought I’d do a little post so everyone can check out what my current faves are!
♥ Dermalogica Pre Cleanse – $65.50
Rubbing this peculiar oil type liquid over my face prior to jumping in the shower, is reported to be good for dissolving dirt, makeup and helping shift blackheads. The interesting part, is that when you go to wash it off, the oil magically turns into a milky emulsion and leaves no trace of oil AT ALL. This is a fantastic first step to removing makeup, and also good for days when you’ve been sweating up a storm and need some extra power in your cleansing routine.
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant $83.50
Ah, hello hero product! I previously talked about Daily Microfoliant here, but this powdery dream has continued to keep a highly-coveted spot in my bathroom. If you can I’d suggest trying to source a sample of this stuff, it smooths out any bumps on my skin with ease and I find it helpful with minimising breakouts. I can definitely tell when I’ve not been using it, as my skin tend to break out a littler more (AKA, right now! Need to get back into it with regularity!)
♥ Ren Rose Wash – $46
This cleanser is so beautifully rosy scented, that it just feels like you’re doing something good for your skin when you use it. For a gel cleanser it’s pretty impressive, as it doesn’t dry out my skin. Enjoying this for those two reasons… I use it with:
♥ Clarisonic Mia – $149
I’m not sure what I did before this came along. When I use it, my skin congestion, tone and brightness is about 75% better. No word of a lie! At $149 it’s a bit of an investment, but oh-so-worth it. If you’re in Perth you can head down to Bella Hart in Subiaco for a free instore trial (very handy).
Any of these look good to you?
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 1, 2012 | Products, Reviews
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Back when I was 14 and used to squeeze lemon in my hair for the sun-kissed look and tried mum’s facemasks out for size, slices of cool cucumber over the eyelids was the next step for ultimate beauty afternoons. I’m not sure the lemon or the anti-aging mask worked on my wee self, but the cucumbers always had a soothing element that did some good on puffy eyes.
When the Yes to Carrots range came on the market, I signed up for the Cucumber variety designed for sensitive skin. I’m always wary of rich and creamy products after a particularly nasty rash was encountered after a face cream trial – which means I always end up going for the “sensitive skin” products just in case.
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I’ve been using the Daily Gentle Cleanser ($14.95) and Daily Calming Moisturiser ($23.95) for a month now and have had great results.
To be fair, I’m in the latter stages of pregnancy and my skin has been pretty good to me since the second trimester so this has had a positive influence. However, the cleanser does a thorough job despite being “gentle” and there has been no residue on my facial towel while drying my face. The moisturiser is gorgeous and you only need a small amount as it goes far. The only issue is, I have to leave it longer than usual to put on my make up over the top in the morning as it doesn’t sink in as fast as my usual moisturiser. On the plus side, my skin feels hydrated all day long and I don’t see any flakiness after a day a made up face in an air-conditioned office. The sweet almond oil and aloe inclusions are supposed to provide a healthy glow and I do feel it provides a lovely, plump look once it’s settled in.
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I also got to try the Calming Body Wash ($12.95 for 500mL), which is so refreshing in the summer heat. It’s also not a particularly feminine smell so I’ve gone through it at an alarming rate and my husband smells suspiciously cucumbery upon exiting the bathroom each morning…
Have you ever tried any of the Yes to Carrots products?
Cucumbers over the eyes?
Love to hear your thoughts!
Written by Lisa O’Neill, slowing down a little more every day but still trying to keep the healthy glow alive!
Be well,
xoxo
