♥

Choosing a treatment at a salon or spa, is like trying to choose what flavour you want at the icecream shop. They all look so yummy, and you know they’ll all make you happy (albeit tinged with possible slight regret in the case of icecream!), so you mentally ‘taste’ them all, licking your lips and thinking about the future experience…

♥

It’s scenes like these that make me contemplate a Personal Icecream Assistant!

These deliberations of the most fun kind are what I experienced when I was trying to pick a ‘Spa Retreat Package’ at Ella Bache in West Perth, who kindly allowed me to trial one for review.

In the end I decided on a Mind & Body Rebalance ($230) because, like most, it’s something I’m constantly in desperate need of!

The two-hour treatment includes a full body Hot Rocks Massage (a delicious alternative to regular massage as the weather cools down) and Shirodhara Therapy, which involves a stream of oil being poured over your third eye, located between the brows and up towards the hairline.

I’m all about options and customisable treatments, we’re all so different within ourselves on a day-to-day basis, let alone different from each other, that I believe spas and salons REALLY need to make their treatments as bespoke as possible in order to best cater for their clients. With that in mind, I was pleased to be offered the choice between scented and unscented massage. I went for the earthy smelling oils, but am also keen on a scent free massage too, depending on my mood.

♥

My therapist Maggie did a great job of making sure the rocks were never too hot. At times I thought she might have been a magician, making hot rocks appear out of thin air as I swear her hands never left my body to be able to pick one up!

The highlight of the hot rocks experience was… having my ears massaged! Not with rocks, and just ever so lightly, but I don’t think I’ve ever had that before and my gosh was it dreamy! My little ears must have had a bit of tension pent up in them because they adored the attention.

♥

Next up, the Shirodhara! But first, a word of warning:

Your hair is going to resemble an oil slick afterwards, plan on being plan-less to capitalise on the goodness of nourishing sesame oil. Your scalp will love it!

During this treatment, a ceramic container is positioned over your ‘third eye’ and oil streams out continuously. It’s a unique feeling, somewhat like a fish nibbling on your forehead! Afterwards I got to take a shower and wash away all the oil (I had somewhere to be!), which was much appreciated. They even provide a hair dryer for you, nice.

The only slight negative to my experience was that it was a little noisy on the Saturday I went in, which meant I couldn’t relax to the full extent that the treatment would have allowed me to. Regardless of that, I felt amazing for the next two days afterwards – very clear and calm.

Haven’t tried a hot rock massage or shirodhara treatment? I certainly recommend it!

Ella Bache West Perth

1260 Hay Street, WEST PERTH, Western Australia, 6005
Ph: (08) 9321 0560
E: ebspa@iinet.net.au

Ella Bache products are available online at StrawberryNET!

If you have tried either of these, or want to, leave a comment!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ The Detox Box ♥

When I was offered the chance to try above contraption I was initially hesitant.

So you sit in a tiny wooden box, heat coming at you from all angles, with the intention of sweating? My claustrophobia, extreme dislike of heat and penchant towards hygiene were all quite adamant they wouldn’t be letting me step foot in this so called ‘Detox Box’.

Still, I somehow overcame these hurdles and found myself a few weeks ago dressed in my bathers, wrapped in a towel with a vague sense of anxiety about my impending 45 minute vacation to Sweatsville, population: me.

I was given a big bottle of water and told to drink as much as I needed, the temperature was able to be controlled from inside which was nice, and I found myself fiddling with the temps a bit to reach the ‘sweet spot’ of perfect heat for me. Left with a stack of old magazines (you can read in the sauna, because it’s a dry heat!), I settled in and adjusted to the heat.

At one point I turned it down because it felt too hot, but then I put it back up again because I found myself WANTING it hotter again! I drank the whole bottle of water, and found myself sweating mostly towards the end. It was a really unique and relaxing experience, I left feeling very calm and peaceful.

After the sauna you can have a shower and when I looked in the mirror at my skin, my face was glowing. I really feel like it did help to ‘detox’ me!

The Detox Box, or Infrared Sauna, comes with a long list of benefits, as well as a list of precautions:

♥ The equivalent of 30 mins exercise in one 45 minute session
♥ Sweats out toxins
♥ Promotes a feeling of wellbeing and relaxation

If you are pregnant, have any heart / circulatory issues, or are taking medication it’s advised to seek medical advice before jumping into a sauna.

This is going to be a real treat come winter, when you can cosy up in your own private warm cocoon. The best part is it’s only $35 for 40 minutes or so of sauna bliss!

After this treatment I had another omnilux session too 🙂

Location:

Skindeep Medi-Spa Perth
Shop 4 Central Park Building
777 Hay Street, Perth
Western Australia 6000
T. (08) 9226 2997

Have you ever had a dry sauna?

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

1. Australian Grown Sunflower Seeds

I recently became interested in how I could get more Vitamin E in my diet as it’s said to be fantastique for the skin, brain and overall wellbeing. Sounds good to me, I thought, and went on my merry way to buy some sunflower seeds, which are little treasure chests of vit-e (along with lots of other nutrients)!

Unfortunately I was disappointed at how hard it was to find Australian grown and produced sunflower seeds – they were all imported from overseas. I decided to check with Organic ‘n Green, the place I buy my organic veggies from and lo and behold they stock certified organic Australian grown sunflower seeds as well – this company never ceases to impress me!!

I’m now the proud owner of some sunflower seeds that were grown within our shores, and I’m loving adding them to my salads and trail mixes 🙂

♥

2. The tastiest drink!

Today I had this smoothie, and it was totally delicious, I call it the Double Whammy Banana & Blueberry Smoothie:

♥ 1 x cup of Vitasoy vanilla soy milk
♥ 2 medium sized ripe / just overripe bananas (decadent in these times!)
♥ 1 x cup of frozen blueberries (or more if you prefer)
♥ 1 x cup of baby spinach
♥ 1-2 tsp wheatgerm

Whiz it all up and you are left with a tasty dream treat. Vanilla soy milk is SO much more palatable than regular soy milk, in my opinion. The vanilla Vitasoy can be hard to come by but if you see it, pick some up, I bet you’ll like it!

3. Omnilux

I’m still going with my Omnilux sessions! For best results you need to have at least 2 sessions a week over a 4 week period. I just had my third treatment today. I can definitely tell the difference in my skin the day after! The other interesting thing to note is that the red light is about 40x brighter than the blue light! For me, the red takes me about 5-10 minutes after the session is completed to re-adjust to normal vision (with goggles and cotton wool) but with the blue or white light it’s no problem at all! I’m currently having my sessions at Skin Deep in the city and I always look forward to my next sesh :)!

♥ Eyeliner – & Brush

4. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner & Brush

For the ‘makeup skills challenged’ among us, and I firmly plant myself within that group, this little duo from Bobbi Brown is a lifesaver. It is SO EASY to create a great eyeliner look with these two products, that it’s almost ridiculous. It lasts a long time too and comes in 10+ classic & quirky shades. There’s a reason why this pair have earned cult status worldwide and consistently make it into the top tens of industry experts… but if you’re like me, and still traversing the lower slopes of the makeup mountain (where do I come up with this!) then these are solid beginners companions. Highly recommend. Available online at the official Bobbi Brown online store.

Hans Bruechle..!

5. Date my Mate

Here’s something fun that’s a little bit different! Local fella and man of various infamy, Hans Bruechle, and a friend have teamed up to do ‘Date my Mate’ which is a web series dedicated to reviewing ‘everything in Perth’ as well as getting in a few sneaky dates here and there. The catch? They choose each others dates! Makes for some good giggles.

In the latest episode, Hans heads to the day spa and his mate takes on a brutal personal training session. All while trying to woo a ‘lady’ of the other ones choosing!

That’s all for now my darlings! Please feel free to share your current beauty & wellbeing crushes with me!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

Despite what you may think, it’s not every day that I get to treat myself to a spa package. I made a promise with myself that when Wellness WA reached 1,000 fans on Facebook, I would book in for a bit of pampering, and lucky for me that milestone came around a couple of weeks ago – double yay! (We are now at 1,060!!!)

My treatment of choice was the ‘Retreat for One’ at Bodhi J which included a half hour of luxurious relaxation in the geisha spa (complete with fruit, choccie & champagne or juice) and then a full body aromatherapy massage afterwards… $125 for this hour and a half of bliss feels so worth it.

I love Bodhi J. I always have a great time there, the staff are a delight and all seem to be experts at their craft (making you feel amazing). Add in the little extras like fresh frangipani flowers, up to date magazines and their preference for organic product ranges and you’ve got yourself a huge winner.

♥

The geisha spa was divine and came complete with the expected warm, bubbly goodness as well as some Li’tya dead-sea mud, which is far more appealing than it sounds! The spa is also recommended to be experienced au naturale (!!).

After spa time was over (sad face), it was onto the next course… massage (happy face). Again, personalised treatments add that special touch and my body was most drawn to the ‘uplift’ aromatherapy oil on the day.

This treatment would be even more incredible in Winter, as I was pretty warm after the spa and it lasted throughout the massage.

The treatment room I was in had two spas and two massage tables, which makes it perfectly suited for a romantic treat or a spa day with a close friend, (or a complete stranger if you like, who am I to judge!)

My ‘Retreat for One‘ was well worth it at $125, and hopefully I can hit another milestone soon so I can book in again for some more relaxing me time 🙂

Have I made you want a retreat? I am making myself want another one just re-reading over this!

Contact Bodhi J

42C Grantham St (Cnr Nanson St)
Wembley, Western Australia 6014

ph: (08) 9387 5152
fax: (08) 9387 4548

admin@bodhij.com.au

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

From the outside, it’s not clear whether the Jurlique Store in the newly developed Claremont Quarter provides treatments or not. It’s a cute little shop, which evokes a sense of being atop a snowy Swiss mountain, nestled in a wooden lodge. Only instead of hot chocolate and moose-heads, you’re surrounded by all the organic, biodynamic Australian-made skincare you could ever need! It’s a good feeling.

Jurlique, Claremont Quarter store.

Luckily for you (and me), this quaint little space does indeed provide treatments and they are indulgent ones at that. Here you wont find any of your standard waxing fare, but what you will find is an incredible array of facial and body treatments that will have your mind abuzz with confusion as to which one to pick!

I chose the Jurlique Aromatherapy Facial which is described as:

“This classic facial provides holistic benefits essential for radiant healthy skin. Using aromatherapy preparations, this cleansing and relaxing facial is personalised to suit your skin’s individual rebalancing needs. An uplifting sensory experience of natural skin care and total pampering.”

The treatment room.

Both the girls at the Claremont Quarter store were lovely and welcoming! I filled in a card, was asked a lot of questions about my skin and then taken into the treatment room for the fun to begin…

I should mention that they were playing really good music, cue Death Cab for Cutie, The Album Leaf and more soft folky sounds.

Lemon-Lime Hydrating Essence – $45.

I love personalised treatments, from a choice of three scents I chose this one, Lemon-Lime. Yum. This hydrating essence is compressed onto the face with hot towels, complete bliss, and apparently it plumps up the dead skin cells and makes it easier for them to be exfoliated off!

Balancing Cleansing Lotion – $45.

It should really be called a face-neck-chest-ial, as all three of these areas are joining in the party, starting with the cleanse.

Next comes one of the best bits of getting a facial…. the steamer!

My face is steamed for about 5 minutes to open up the pores and then a mask is applied (although I forgot which one, oh dear!)

While it dries my arms are exfoliated, massaged and moisturised, I could get used to this.

Some soft hot towels later and my face is bare again, ready to be introduced to the final products to complete my experience…

Herbal Recovery Eye Cream – $52.

♥ (Above) Applied under the eyes, this cream helps to de-puff and reduce dark circles!
♥ Balancing Day Cream – an everyday moisturiser that smells great.
♥ Herbal Recovery Gel – this is a potent little mix of good for you anti-aging ingredients, I found it made my skin pretty sticky afterwards though, so beware!

♥ Love Balm! ♥

Last but not least this super-cute balm is applied to my lips. My therapist offered me some tea and water, and then sadly it was time to leave.

To check out the other treatments available on the menu, head here.

I loved my treatment and the staff were super sweet, make sure you head down to Claremont Quarter soon – it is incredible! When you’re finished with Jurlique you can duck over to the T2 shop across the road as well – for a post-spa tea! Can’t beat it 🙂

The aromatherapy facial is $105 and takes 60 minutes.

Contact the Claremont Quarter girls on: 08 9284 2325

I received this facial gratis, but as always would like to remind you that we will only write about something if we loved it and think you’d love it too. This one made the cut!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo