♥

Saturday night saw the launch of the WA VIP Card at The George in the CBD.

Wellness WA is working hand in hand with the card, we are in charge of getting all of the excellent beauty, health & wellbeing businesses on board the card so that they can provide a discount to our members! E-mail beauty@wavipcard.com.au for more information if you are interested! Also, mention Wellness WA if you purchase a card and it will help us all out!

So back to the night in question, with nothing to wear I had to run out and pick up a new dress (Cue!) and heels which set me back a bit. And then the make-up and hair, oh dear!

I picked up some Bloom nailpolish in 2 shades: Amber & Edie ($29.95 for two)

“Amber”

This is the one I chose for the evening, the Bloom polish has really stayed on my nails and I’m impressed with the consistency and look of it. There is also a BAJILLION colours to select from, so I do recommend you check em out in Myer!

Post-shopping I ventured over to my monthly massage @ Cove Spa to unwind but I had a dilemma… shonky eyebrows! This just wouldn’t do for the evening ahead so I asked / pleaded nicely and the girls accommodated me easily and I had a tidy up before the massage, which was lovely as usual. Yay!

Then it was time to sort out a wash & blow dry for my dirty, messy hair (charming, I know). I tried 3 places before actually getting in somewhere, Saturday afternoon is big for hair appointments – who knew?! Well, I probably should have!

I wasn’t 100% impressed with the service I received at the particular salon, the woman was very off with the fairies and didn’t seem to be paying that much attention to what she was doing. However it WAS late in the day, they were very busy and I was lucky to actually get an appointment… plus the result turned out okay so I dealt with it, but try not to get myself into a situation where I’d have to go there again!

After that it was time to nap & then get ready. The night was lovely and we drank champagne with strawberries and blueberries to up the “Wellness Factor” ;), watched Bob Evans rock out a little and had prom photos taken!

Today is porridge, watermelon & green tea for breakfast & a yoga class Tonight to help work out the weekends alcoholic sins.

How was your weekend?! Any beauty treats? I’d love to hear about it!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

My feet were feeling very neglected and my little toes were screaming for some attention from all those times strutting in high heels on uneven pavement in the city, gallivanting around Europe and dancing til 5am in the clubs.

Well it was time my feet deserved a treat. After all, I’ve been told many guys have a foot fetish… but that wasn’t the sole reason why I wanted to go for my very first pedicure. (or maybe it was) (no, it really wasn’t) (or was it?)

I wanted my feet to feel confident in a pair of open toed sandals for the next up-and-coming social calendar event!

The location of choice, Serendipity Medi Spa in Riverton Forum.

I stepped into the salon and to my surprise it was a beauty therapist friend of mine who was going to get intimate with my feet that night! I decided upon booking an evening session as there is one thing I dislike about communal pedicure places: the crowds.

At every opportunity when getting a beauty treatment, I enjoy the peaceful “me” time that comes with it. So to my delight, I was seated in a massaging chair with plenty of space all to myself.

While I was catching up on the latest celebrity gossip, my feet were soaking in the warm bubble bath and as I felt the tiny jets on my feet, I was in my happy place. The beauty therapist handed me a basket full of polish colours to choose from. I opted for a french manicure to suit any occasion.

I took my feet out of the water and they were gently massaged with a light exfoliating foot scrub. At this point I should note that the therapist is wearing gloves. Then she removed my old nail polish and trimmed each toe nail with a square edge. Rotating each foot back into the bubble bath when it wasn’t being pedicured. After some more buffing and gentle scrubbing, my pushed-back cuticles revealed toes that were painted on with precision and care.

Voila! After 45 mins of a Goddess experience, I had the perfect ready-to-party nails all set for an upcoming balmy cruise down the river!

Tip: If you can’t pick a colour, a french manicure is always a safe bet, but keep your eye out for the colours that are on trend at the moment which include pinks (instead of your usual vampy red) and taupes.

Zoe Foster Tip: After hearing her extensive knowledge on fashion, a tip is to bring your fave colour to the pedicure place so that when it chips, you can always fix it up at home yourself.

Rating: 4/5 Since my feet were long over-due for a pedicure, I was indeed fascinated by the whole process, and how I had never thought to have one earlier! The service here is without fault and the evening booking was ideal.

$60 will get you the basic pedicure.

Shop 20
Stockland Riverton Shopping Centre
Cnr. Willeri Drive & High Road
Riverton WA 6148

Ph: 08 9354 3370

Article by Kelly-Anne Wong, pedicure cherry popped.

Readers will know of my quest to find perfect acrylic nails in the Eastern Suburbs. Herewith the second installment!

Location location location:

LA Nails
159 Walter Road, Dianella. Ph: 9275 4419

(Salons also in Kingsway Shopping Centre and Mirrabooka Shopping Centre.)

Service: Permanent French acrylic refills, after 4 weeks’ growth.

I found this salon by doing a search on the web and, since I drive down Walter Road most days, I was curious to see what the salon would be like. It’s tucked into a strand of shops and parking is easy, so if you live around this area and want convenience, then this is not a bad bet. The low-down on this salon is that it won’t win any awards for service or creativity but it does the job. Unfortunately there are other salons out there that do a better job at a better price.
Service

I called on the Friday and got a Saturday appointment at the time I wanted. When I arrived, the nail tech hadn’t finished with the previous customer, so I waited for 15 minutes. Not that big a deal – there is a coffee machine for customers. Once it was my turn, again, there wasn’t a lot of conversation or interaction with the nail tech although she was polite and efficient. Apparently they were short-staffed and she was the only one on that day.
Nail form

I was very happy with the shape – the nails were shaped square-round and thinner than the previous salon’s efforts. However, the nails were a bit chunky through the middle and could have been filed further to flatten then out. The thing I was least happy with was the ration of white to pink. There was way too much white! For some reason, some salons insist on starting the white powder about half way down the nail bed. Even when I asked for less white, the result still wasn’t natural looking.
Technique

Again this salon uses a tip to cut through the drying white powder which creates a nice, even crescent shape. Electric drills and emery boards are used. Gel was applied to create a glossy look.

Time

1 hour, in addition to the 15 minutes I was kept waiting prior to my appointment.

Cost

$50.00 for refills, although when I got home I discovered that the price-list states that refills are $45.00. Disappointingly, I was not alerted to the price difference or provided with an explanation.

Overall rating

♥ ♥ ♥ (2.5)

Article by Bron, resident nail aficionado & expert!

Ilcsi AHA Spicy Organic Facial

The Skin Deep brochure states that this is “The hottest facial in town” and they weren’t kidding! I’ve been looking for a natural facial treatment that will deliver smooth glowing fresh looking skin and I think I have found exactly what I am looking for. This all natural treatment provides fruit acids to smooth the skin and spicy paprika to boost circulation and detoxify your skin.

Ilcsi is a Hungarian based natural skin care company that relies on quality hand picked herb, fruits and vegetables. Ilcsi products contain no synthetic colouring agents, paints or animal-based ingredients. According to the Spa Universe website, Australia’s stockist for Ilsci, the philosophy of the brand is simple and natural: it accommodates to the modern need that prefers natural skincare methods, but still demands results. This is possible due to the high concentration of herbs, fruits and vegetables found in Ilcsi products.

The facial started with a double cleanse of the delicious smelling Rose Petal Cleanser and a light exfoliation. Next AHA fruit pulp is smoothed over the skin, the apple and grape extracts help to smooth and retexturise. A layer of thin Hessian is then placed over the skin and the Paprika herbal treatment applied. This is when it really starts to heat up, you feel hot but not uncomfortable. You can really feel your blood pumping. While this is kicking in to action, my therapist gave me an arm exfoliation. The mask stays on for about 15 minutes or until it dries. Some light fanning by my therapist takes away any last minute tingling. After the spicy mask is removed a lovely cold Rose Hip Gel mask was applied. This instantly took any heat in my face away. Rose Hip Serum and moisturiser were then applied which further cooled and calmed my skin.

Paprika Herbal Treatment

My skin was pinkish for about an hour post treatment, which my therapist did warn me about. The results were amazing- my skin was soft, glowing and radiant. I had someone stop me at the supermarket to ask what I use on my skin! It’s an absolutely great treatment to have pre event and the best thing about it is that you can buy the products and do it all at home; you can even do it a few times a week. As someone who has used microdermabrasion, chemical peels and Omnilux I can say that this is the most effective treatment I have ever had. I can’t wait for my next appointment!

Ilcsi AHA Spicy Organic Facial

Cost: $130 (approx)

Time: Approx 90 mins

Where: Skin Deep Medi Spa Salons (Como, Floreat, Mullaloo and Perth)
http://www.skindeep.net.au

Ilcsi
http://www.spauniverse.com.au

Article by Hannah Lee!

Be well,

xoxo

Acrylic Nail Salons in the Eastern ‘Burbs.

I love having acrylic nails. I can’t help it. I am addicted to the shiny, neat way my hands look when they’re just done.

Due to domestic downsizing, I went without them for a year and I eventually learnt that I am simply not disciplined enough to sit in front of telly, dutifully filing, shaping, buffing and coating all ten of those little suckers when I can pay someone else to do it in half the time.

So around Christmastime, in a fit of desperation, I had a full set of French acrylics back on. Being an acrylic aficionada, I was significantly underwhelmed with the result (at a service that shall remain nameless). So began the searching for a decent salon that would tick all the boxes.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with acrylic nails, acrylics are mixed by a nail technician from powder to create an acrylic material which adheres to your natural nail, making it very tough and durable. Depending on your nail growth, the acrylic takes about 3-4 weeks to grow to the point where your nails need to be “rebalanced” or in-filled.

“Permanent French” refers to creating a “French” manicured-look by using a white powder for the tip, then a pink powder for the nail bed. Typically, nail technicians should have appropriate qualifications, and of course, you should aim to check that out.

Over the coming months, I will be road testing a few nail salons in the eastern metro area and then rating them according to five categories: service, technique (of the technician and tools used), the finished nail form (whether a natural look is created through the ratio of pink and white, the shape and the thickness of finished nails), time, cost, plus an overall star rating, out of 5

Now remember, this is based on my opinion and how I like my nails to look; your requirements may be different but hopefully this will give you some hints about where and what to try.

For the purposes of our road-test, I will be having French in-fills, every 4 weeks. (All in the name of science!)

Fantasy Nails

Shop 6, 1010 Beaufort St, Bedford.

What I had done: Permanent French acrylic refills, after 4 weeks’ growth.

Having been for a great, cheap pedicure at Fantasy Nails, I was hopeful that their acrylics would also fit the bill. I wasn’t disappointed. They actually seem to know something about nail health. The lovely tech noticed the red area below my old acrylic and commented that the nail bed had been damaged through the last tech filing too thin. (Needless to say, this was not at Fantasy Nails). This has left a line, visible through the new acrylic and that has to grow out. I thought this was just an unfortunate side-effect since I’d had this before and no one else had ever spotted it. Colour me impressed.

Service

I made an appointment for late on a Thursday afternoon, although you can just walk in. If they’re busy, you may need to wait. The atmosphere is friendly, but efficient. Sure, chatter away, if you like, or not. It’s not a requirement. I didn’t make any new BFFs but I was treated respectfully and with a smile.
Nail form

Perfect ratio of white to pink – the white started just slightly lower than it would on my natural nail so they will continue to look balanced for at least two weeks. Nails were shaped square-round, as requested – smooth with no sharp corners. Thickness was the only aspect that let the form down – I prefer my nails reed-thin and this takes more time – a couple of nails look a bit chunky when looking laterally, down the nail. But from the top (and particularly when waving the little darlings around), the form is spot on.

Technique

I thought I’d seen it all until my nail tech used the end of a tip to cut into the drying white acrylic to create the curve. The result is a very clean line between the white and the pink, following the natural curve and shape of your finger. Electric drills are used, along with emery boards and buffers. The big surprise was the buffing paste. Ordinarily, I have a gel coat over the acrylic to create a shiny, wet look. My tech advised me that the gel overcoat isn’t necessary and instead, used a pink buffing paste which gave the acrylic a far more natural sheen. The buffed finish is looks glossy and smart.

Time

Woah! Super-quick. I was in and out in 45 minutes.

Cost

Not the cheapest refills at $55 + $5 for one tip but worth it for the finish.

Overall rating

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (4.5)

Fantasy Nails also operates in Subi and Booragoon. Also give the pedicure a go (the chairs are brill!).

Article by Bron: I am 39, married and a full-time health professional. Like most busy women, I work way too hard and struggle to make my own health a priority. But I’m beginning to understand that wellbeing is all about having a rich, full and balanced life. (It is possible to love food, drink good wine and feel healthy – it’s called “living”!). One area I’m passionate about is how our psychological and emotional health interconnects with our physical health, particularly the role of stress. So I really look forward to writing about the stuff that I’m curious about, or battle with, and hope that it answers questions for you too 🙂
Bron x
PS Oh, and at this age, I’m also learning that gravity wins, no matter what!