A sensory escape and soooooooo easy!

I am going be totally honest from the get go – my life gets pretty crazy busy. Sometimes there is so much adrenalin kicking about it’s hard to wind down. That’s why the shower is my sanctuary. A place to gather my thoughts, take a few deep breaths and reflect upon the day. So when I do finally get there I want it to be a sensory experience and am especially choosy about my shower products. And boy have I found my thing!

This year at the Perth Royal Show I did my usual trick of eating my way through it, avoiding at all costs those scary rides opting for a more peaceful visit! I was delighted when I stumbled upon the stand for the Lavender Fields of Bridgetown. Breathe in, breathe out …..relax.

♥

I started sniffing my way through their amazing array of soaps and knew I had found something special. It was a hard choice but I managed to decide on 6 to take home and sample. So incredibly aromatic and, dare I say, holistic. Even when I wasn’t using them my bathroom smelled divine. Just one whiff transported me to the land of relaxation in seconds.

Made with a blend of olive and essential oils they are luxurious and smell divine, lifting my spirits immediately! They are not at all greasy and last a really long time.

♥

My favourites so far are the more traditional rose geranium and tea rose while I have to say my hands down favourite is Lemongrass. Amazing! Other delights are an Australian bush soap pack, peppermint, eucalyptus and rosemary combined (trying that one soon) and mandarin and clove. There is even a pet soap!

So delighted by my discovery I bulk ordered a whole stack as Christmas presents. Some things are too good to be a secret!

You can go on a road trip and visit them in Bridgetown however if like me you struggle to find time you can order online or give them a call. They will promptly put them in the post as tried and tested by me. Too easy!

Get on board boys and girls, bring your shower to life, I dare you!

Lavender Fields of Bridgetown

Soaps are $3.50 each not including postage and can be viewed and purchased on http://www.lavenderfields.com.au

Review by Kristy Mollica freelance TV and radio presenter, lover of girl power, farmers markets & things that are so totally not beige!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

I have trouble finding good waxers. My skin is super sensitive and generally responds terribly to wax rollers. One time my underarms got incredibly burnt from a therapist trying to use a wax roller on them (very bad idea), another time I was told my legs were ‘really really hairy’ by a waxer I’d never met before (they were, but I didn’t need them to remind me!) and a lot of the time there are hairs left over and my skin comes out looking red-raw. All this and the privilege of paying upwards of $50 for the experience.

So I’m excited to let you know that I’ve finnnnalllllllly found a place that has everything a sensitive-legged gal could want in a waxing salon and it’s only $30 for a full-leg wax!!!

I came across ‘Just Beautiful Skin’ by Kylie Morellini on a notice board down at my local shops. I hadn’t had any great ‘at home salon’ experiences before, but something compelled me to email Kylie and book in for a wax. Probably the amazing price and convenient location.

Here’s the reasons it gets a big smiling tick of approval from me:

♥ Ambience

Stepping into Kylie’s little home salon is like going on a summer holiday. It feels like a mini beach house in there, and as I was staring up at the white, wooden paneled ceiling I found myself contemplating taking a dip in the ocean, then grabbing an icecream.

♥ Best wax rollers, ever

As mentioned above, I had all but resigned myself to never letting a wax roller touch me again. This time I was shocked – the wax rolled on smoothly and not too hot, and was taken off easily by the strip, along with my leg hairs and minimal pain. I couldn’t believe it! Very impressed.

♥ Thorough

Kylie was extremely thorough in making sure she hadn’t missed any rogue bits of hair, which was much appreciated.

♥ Friendly and caring

Just what you want in a beauty therapist, I found her lovely, super easy to get along with and she even advised me not to get my bikini line waxed, which I had asked for, as I’d previously been having IPL done and it would ‘reset’ all the hairs and I’d have to start again. Eeeek! So, so glad she let me know.

♥ Mild waxing redness

My legs are always going to be a little red after waxing, it’s a fact I’ve resigned myself to. This time though, they were the least red they’ve been in a looooooong time, it was really exciting for me! 😉

♥ The price

$30 for a full leg wax. And with such good service, Cannot. Beat. It.

You can email or call Kylie from Just Beautiful Skin to book an appointment, her salon is located in Shenton Park.

Email: kyl_morellini@hotmail.com

Ph: 0404 183 467.

Where is your favourite place to get your legs waxed in Perth?!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

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

♥

♥ Joshi’s Holistic Detox

I picked this up randomly when a lovely little bookstore near me was having a 50% off closing down sale. Never one to say no to the possibility of a bargain, I dashed in and came across Dr Joshi’s book which I’d been intrigued by previously but never bought.

While I don’t need to be slimmer, healthier I can always go for. Basically Dr Joshi draws on Ayurvedic wisdom, as well as the principles of alkaline eating to help you feel your best. You will go without a few much loved things for 21 days, incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and veggies (some are out though), gluten-free products, herbal teas, supplements and other good-for-you treats. It’s a really well designed program and leads you through everything with LOADS of information and reviews/testimonials from many of his well known clients, including Gwyneth Paltrow.

The only thing that is personally detrimental is that the majority of recipes call for chicken stock (even the veggie ones), so as a vegetarian it would be hard to follow the supplied detox menu. That said there ARE options, and I’m sure you could use veggie stock, but there’s a lotta chicken in this book – organic, free-range naturally! Which reminds me of THIS wonderful Youtube…

Despite the chicken qualms, I’d totally recommend this book if you’re game for a detox, but want to know all the little details behind how/what/where/why, in an accessible and interesting format. I really enjoyed it, go Joshi! Available on Amazon for about $21 USD.

Have you ever tried a detox or wanted to? If so let us know your experience / reason for wanting to try!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

Even though Christmas has just passed, I have an idea for a thoughtful gift that you can make at home. My recent trip to New York inspired the idea when I ate it for breakfast nearly every morning. I took inspiration from a few recipes on the internet and found the best combination of ingredients.

You can make this a healthier version by cutting back on the amount of sugar you decide to use, I’ve already modified the recipe since making it by taking out the caster sugar. Perfect for mornings when you want to eat a healthy breakfast that is also easy to prepare!

♥

Ingredients

♥ Vegetable cooking spray
♥ 4 cups old fashioned oats (organic if possible)
♥ 1 cup sliced almonds
♥ 1 cup dried cranberries
♥ 1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
♥ 1/4 teaspoon salt
♥ 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
♥ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
♥ 1/4 cup honey (manuka if possible)
♥ 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

♥

Cooking Instructions

1. Position oven rack to the middle and preheat to 300 degrees.
2. Lightly spray large baking sheet with non stick spray.
3. Mix oats, almonds, salt, ground cinnamon in a large bowl.
4. Combine oil, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat.
5. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
6. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well.
Ingredients
7. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.
8. Spread granola on prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for about 15 mins (the last 5 mins you want to add the cranberries to cook them in the mixture without burning them)
10. Transfer sheet to rack, cool granola completely.

♥

After making the granola mixture I use a recycled jar and pour the clusters in, decorating it with brown string and a cute tag from Kikki K! Voila, perfect gift for a gorgeous friend.

What do you think of this recipe? Would you like to receive it from a friend?

Review by Kelly-Anne, graphic designer and cute cook.

Be well,

xoxo