by Annette @ Wellness WA | Jan 18, 2011 | Cheap / Free, Products, Reviews
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Sleek and attractive packaging? Check. Inside mirror for touch-ups? Check. Affordable? Absolutely.
Budget beauty specialists Australis deliver again with their cheap and cheerful range of new lip butters, which grew on me the more I used them.
The ball shape means they are light and easy to pick out amongst a plethora of items when you dive into your handbag.
I found that the pigments looked much more concentrated in the packaging than they turned out on the lips, but considering they are a butter, not a lipstick, I don’t think this is a big issue.
‘Tall Poppy‘ (pictured above), one of the five shades in the range, looked from the packaging to be a bright Barbie-pink colour, and is described on the Australis website as “clear with a hint of bright pink”. To my mind, a ‘bright pink’ pops on the lips, and this doesn’t. It is, however, a very pretty and demure shade, and a deeper colour is possible with more layering of the product. It’s actually very similar to one of my favourite lipstick shades, Lancome’s Vintage Rose.
Mmmm! ♥
The second shade I tried, the cheekily-named ‘Brownie Points’, had light caramel tones and is super subtle, but gorgeous with a dark smoky eye and a sweep of bronzer. Both shades would suit any complexion or skin colour, but one tip: don’t eat them – they don’t taste great!
Retailing at $8.95 the butters are a very reasonable purchase. Though not super-nourishing, they provide your smackers with a bit of protection, with aloe vera and vitamin E among the ingredients. My lips did tend to feel a bit dry and dehydrated by the end of the day, and I felt myself reaching for the paw paw ointment for some relief by late afternoon.
Australis though, are the stalwart of being able to create great looks on a tight budget, and these butters are a great addition to their range.
Review by Athanae Lucev, a freelance journalist and writer with a keen eye for a pretty bargain.
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Jan 17, 2011 | Other
SWIM!
WEAR!
HELL!
YEAH!
Alright, it’s that time of year to get your gear off and get into a swimsuit. There is nothing quite like a summer in Australia and it is by far my favourite time of year. I’m the kind of girl that prides herself on her swimwear collection and looks forward every year to adding to her menagerie to accommodate for ALL your different swimwear occasions. Yes, that’s right- ONE pair may not do if you like to make the most of the summer season and all of the splendors that it has to offer. Maybe you hadn’t thought about this…but I have…so let’s run through some scenarios together shall we?
You’re going down to your local beach for a lay out (covered in sunscreen, naturally) and a bit of a swim:
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Tigerlily – Bright pattern and a nice design that’s not going to wash off you if the waves are getting up to a bit of rough stuff.
You’re going to the pool for a splash around:
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Zimmermann Vertigo Floating Bikini
(Now on sale for $165!)
Great colour, flattering design and you’re in the calm wave free waters of a pool so you can afford to go sans straps.
You’re going for a surf because you are one of those co-coordinated, sporty types:
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Lover swimsuit from their ‘Untitled’ Spring Summer 2010/11 range.
These togs are cute as a button and perfect for your more active water pursuits.
You’re going on holiday to a tropical climate/Southern coast of France/St Barts etc:
I think that Zimmermann is really good at this type of thing so let’s look at three styles from them…
(Note: I know I’m harping on about Zimmermann but they really have one of the largest ranges of styles out there, you can buy online, the shipping is amazingly fast and they are Australian)
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Zimmermann Posy Scallop Fringe Triangle $230
Photo courtesy of http://www.zimmermannwear.com
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Zimmerman Lyre Lyre Chain Link Bikini – $195
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Zimmermann Labyrinth Wrap Bandeau Bikini – $220
You are invited to spend the day on a yacht with a mysterious/attractive millionaire (what? It could happen):
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Zimmermann Bonded Cross Front One Piece – $330.
Crisp colour, unusual design and pret-ty damn classy.
You want to turn some heads:
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Nothing says Phwoooooar like a lion on your butt.
Or if you want to tone it down (just a little)
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Label – We Are Handsome
The one piece is now $190 available here!
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Lover swimsuit from their ‘Untitled’ Spring Summer 2010/11 range.
I don’t know what it is about this bikini (maybe it’s the fact it looks a little bit like underwear) but I find it sexy as hell.
Let us know if you have any suggestions for cute swimmers to get out and about in this Summer!
Article by Adriane Daff, the girl is a swimsuit FIEND!
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Jan 13, 2011 | Products, Reviews
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I once joined a Facebook group called ‘Pale ‘n’ Proud’. The group’s poster child was Keira Knightley. I later left this group because, let’s all admit it, joining a group called ‘Pale ‘n’ Proud’ (not even Pale AND Proud) is kind of lame and the other reason was because the poster child was Keira Knightley. But I think the other OTHER reason, deep down, was that I didn’t want to commit to being one thing (and proud of it) for the rest of my Facebook days.
Ms. Knightly, flying the ‘English Rose’ flag.
In the same way that sometimes as a brunette I get really curious about being blonde, as a pale person I sometimes just really want to be tanned. Especially in summer. Pretty much every year. Like clockwork this same curiosity rises and I don’t see any particularly good reason that I shouldn’t indulge it (I know I should be comfortable in my own skin but who said I couldn’t dye the skin first? RIGHT GUYS?!) So, of course, going out and attempting the mega burn aint no good for you and is going to have you looking like an old boot age 29 so this article is going to be about one of your fake options.
I decided to try out the Rodial Brazilian Tan (Light) a tinted medium strength self-tanning gel for the face and body pretty much because I have liked Rodial products when I’ve used them before and because this was specifically light and medium strength. When you have pale skin (as I’m sure even non-palers would know) you cant roll in guns-a-blazin with your full strength guy because that kind of behavior is going to leave you streaky, patchy and all kinds of orange.
Mmmm.
Straight out of the bottle I knew me and Rodial Brazilian Tan Light were going to be mates because of one simple fact- this product is neither orange nor brown but the colour of PURE CARAMEL I TELL YOU. Literally the colour of caramel topping, go down to McDonalds right now- get a sundae- that’s what you are putting on your skin. Secondly as a gel it hydrates as it tans so you don’t feel stiff as a board and it leaves a slight tint on your skin so you can see where you’ve been thus eliminating streaks!
It didn’t leave any marks on my clothes or my sheets (although I did wait for it to dry properly) and better yet it didn’t leave my hands discoloured! And this is huge because normally I have to wear gloves to apply fake tan (this includes the ever popular St Tropez) so this time I was worried because gloves were not available to me (read: I was too lazy to walk down to the 24 hour chemist to get some) but never fear, after thoroughly washing my hands with warm water and soap I was on Easy street.
So there’s a number of wins for this product (and look I’m not going to lie I really do think the people at Rodial are fighting a good fight- the actual tan doesn’t even SMELL tan-y!) but the biggest thing I would take away from this is that the colour of this is so perfect that it’s letting even the palest amongst us girls (me, Keira, all the gang in ‘Pale ‘n’ Proud) have a little go at getting a tan.
Available at Myer stores and online at <Adore Beauty.
Review by Rodial fanatic & porcelain to tanned chameleon, Adriane Daff.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Jan 6, 2011 | Beauty Salon, Events, Hairdresser, Products, Reviews
I LOVE themed parties! Give me an excuse to get into costume and play a character for the night and I will be there with bells on; and in this case Swarovski crystals as well.
On this occasion the theme for the party was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The look I wanted to go for was an “ethereal woodland fairy”, much like the mischievous characters from Shakespeare’s play.
I designed the outfit myself. The top was made out of a satin and organza skirt that I shredded into panels and draped strategically over my torso, leaving my back and most of my midriff bare. The flowing, long, white skirt complimented the baby pink top and I painted my toenails with a shimmering polish and went barefoot.
For my hair and make-up, I called in the professionals.
Slajana Spaseski is the founder and owner of the Perth based business, Make-up by Design. She arrived at my house equipped to completely transform me, and efficiently went about turning my bathroom into a salon.
♥ Slaj gives me the tip “during the day it’s always best to work in a room that has natural light”.
Julia before makeup.
Julia after makeup.
Over the next 3 hours, we planned and executed the complex transformation as you can see from the before and after photos. Slaj deftly moved from product to product and so I asked her to give me a rundown of just how she created this design.
Here is a step by step guide you can follow yourself:
Base
♥ Always begin with a clean canvas (baby wipes are best to clean the face because make up wipes often leave an oily residue which can make the base unstable).
♥ Apply a primer to the skin with a foundation brush. The primer will prep the skin for the foundation and will also make it last longer. I used Jemma Kidd Primer. It has light reflecting particles in it which give the skin a youthful glow.
♥ Next I applied Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (Available online at StrawberryNet) all over the face.
Cheekbones
♥ Julia is naturally gifted with very chiselled cheekbones (thanks Slaj) and so I merely accentuated them by using a peach powder blush on the apples of her cheek.
♥ Then, from my Smashbox Contouring Palette I used the darkest colour powder in the hollow of her cheek and my Smashbox Mosaic Highlighter Palette to accentuate the cheek bone.
The Eyes, Eyebrows and the Mask
♥ I began by lightly dusting the entire eye area, up to the mid forehead, with a baby pink loose pigment.
♥ I then drew in the cat eye with a M.A.C eye crayon, extending the wing to the temple.
♥ The eyelashes were then curled using a heated eyelash curler (I loved this! I am going to pick one up from Priceline for about $12, much nicer than the old school eyelash curler!), following by lashings of black mascara.
♥ I applied false eyelashes with a pair of tweezers and Duo Glue.
Benefit – Brows a Go-Go!
♥ While we were waiting for the glue to dry, I gave Julia her dramatic eyebrows using my Benefit Brow Kit . I used the eyebrow wax to set the hairs into place and plot the desired shape. When I was happy with the shape, I accentuated the brows using the darker brow powder applied with a 266 Mac Eyebrow Brush.
♥ The mask was given some depth by drawing in both silver and black streaks using Kryolan paint.
♥ I then glued Swarovski crystals randomly within the mask using Kryolan Spirit Gum.
♥ The feathers were glued on the outer corners of the eyes using spirit gum to accentuate the winged eye make-up.
Lips
♥ The lips were lined with a neutral pink lip liner by Napoleon and filled in with a shimmer lip gloss by Modelco .
The tool kit!
Hair
♥ The hair was roughly blow dried and lightly sprayed with hair spray. Each section of hair was sprayed again prior to rolling with with Babyliss hot-rollers.
♥ When the make-up was finally finished it was time to pull out the rollers.
Each section was carefully removed so as to not disturb the curl. Each individual curl was then sprayed to hold.
Body
♥ Julia’s body was bronzed and glowing thanks to the application of Chi Chi Solarium in a Bottle.
It was a wonderful experience to get pampered at home and Slaj was very conscious of the time and making sure that I was able to get dressed, have something to eat and take lots of fantastic photos before heading out. The look was very dramatic and caused quite a stir at the party.
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People were surprised at how completely unusual I looked. I have never had curly hair and so I was very excited to get the ringlets.
If you want to learn how to create theatrical or natural looks you can attend one of Slaj’s workshops. Find out more here: http://make-upbydesign.blogspot.com/
Make-up by Design is a completely mobile business so Slaj can come to your home or hotel to prepare you for a big event. She says that now is the busiest time of year with parties and weddings in the warm weather.
She does everything from weddings to photo shoots for clothing labels.
Check it out on Facebook or contact Slajana on: 0433967900 or Slajanamake-upbydesign@hotmail.com. She is on call 7 days a week.
Review by Julia Hern, personal trainer and event junkie who loves to swim, but doesn’t need water to make a splash!
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Jan 5, 2011 | Interviews
♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
Howdy, I’m Sarah a 28 year old free-lance personal fitness trainer. Newly married to my best pal Patrick an Aussie, we moved to Perth in June and are planning on staying for the foreseeable future. I love my job and I’m stoked to bring my business to this gorgeous city.
I am also teaching Powerplate Classes on Monday nights over at the Perth Pilates Studio in North Perth.
Savi Body Cream.
♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.
I guess you could call it no-fuss?? I am up early and am constantly on the move. I like my hair long so I don’t have to “do” it (it’s wavy, so the longer the straighter).
I have always been a massive believer in not putting lots of stuff on your face or the skin ends up not doing its job properly. The whole cleanse, tone, day/night cream etc. etc. just isn’t me. I have never had problem with my skin which I know is the result of a combo of eating well and exercising daily.
I always wear SPF 30 on my face though (Olay Complete Defence SPF 30, but only because its well priced and at the local super market), and always take my makeup off at night. Moisturizer daily on my body has been important in WA too, as my skin needs to get used to the dry weather and sunshine. I’m currently using a body cream by Savi, an organic company from Margaret River, which I received for Christmas.
I’ve also been using the Wotnot Wipes and am LOVING them!
An example of Indian Head Massage!
♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
I still have a lot to discover in Perth, but I did have a brilliant Indian head massage from Louise Perkins at Four Essence last week.
♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?
Jodi from Scissor Sister in Mount Lawley recently fixed a nasty cut and highlights I had at a place in Cottesloe (I won’t name it but email me and I’ll tell you). I will be going back to her for sure as I love the space, massage chairs, good coffee, and is reasonably priced.
♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
I am a natural blonde with blonde eyelashes and brows so I tint my own once in a while. I bought this stuff in London last year for at home tinting (didn’t keep the packaging when I moved over though so not sure of the name sorry) and it has lasted ages. I’m sure there is an equivalent here??
Diorshow Mascara – a fave among many!
♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
My Mom has encouraged me to wear Mineral makeup and sent me this RMS BEAUTY “uncover-up” to use. It is pretty special stuff and she swears by it which is an intense endorsement by a lady who knows her products.
I wear Diorshow mascara as it doesn’t clump.
I love Malin and Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant which is aluminum free and fantastic. My sister in law turned me on to it.
Cottesloe Beach
♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
My gorgeous, slim and stylish mother has always emphasized everything in moderation in life. I try not to deny myself anything; however I find that when I eat well, drink tons of water and exercise a lot I am the happiest and the cycle continues as I then crave this euphoric healthiness everyday.
After a long stretch of English “Summers” I went over board on the beach when I first moved to Perth. I need to keep my face out of the sun to stave off excessive wrinkles and freckles. A naturally pale face is my new mission, although it’s not a secret and you all probably live by that mantra now anyway.
♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)
I would love to book in for metabolic or nutrition type testing at a reputable clinic soon. A knowledgeable nutritionist I used to train in London recommends Dr. Mercola and his methods and website.
I don’t believe in all the hype around diets out there. I preach proven methods of eating unprocessed and moderate portions of all sorts of foods in your diet and expending more calories than you take in daily to my clients.
However, there have been a lot of studies recently (and more and more doctors and naturopaths are jumping on board) about how different foods that many of us think are healthy, might not be the best for us long-term. There is so much information out there and it is hard to decipher fact from fiction.
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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.
I try to mix it up a bit as I think it’s important not to eat the same thing everyday but yesterday I had;
* Brekkie was whole oat porridge made with almond milk, cinnamon, banana, chia seeds and natural peanut butter
* Coffee with a dash of full fat milk
* Lunch was a large salad of spinach, tomatoes, seeds, feta, cucumber and avocado
* I had some blueberries and almonds in a small bowl of full fat vanilla gelatin free yogurt as a snack before evening teaching
* Dinner I made a homemade prawn pad thai kind of thing with steamed broccoli on the side.
*Few squares of dark chocolate for dessert
I love cooking and constantly look for new and different recipes, but always add extra veggies and use less meat than called for.
Powerplate
♥ Describe your fitness routine.
It changes depending on my schedule, but lately I have been running 2-3x’s a week (along the West coast is such a treat), going to one yoga class that fits in with my ever-changing appointment schedule, and one powerplate session. I stretch daily and go for many beach walks. I love trying new classes of any type of exercise and different instructors. By doing this, I can expand my exercise library and use what I think works well for my clients.
I love cycling, swimming and pilates too. I used to dance professionally so I am keen to get back into some regular classes in 2011. I am active with clients all day too which I am ever grateful for.
♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.
Nope.
Any questions for Sarah? Leave ’em below!
Be well,
xoxo
