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The long search for the perfect lip balm is well and truly over! Hooraay! You can thank me later…

After over 10 years, my search for the perfect lip balm came to a very welcomed screeching halt as of Monday this week. If the idea of slathering your pout with carcinogenic petrochemicals and other nasties found in 99% of balms out there (yes, including the so called ‘natural’ ones) doesn’t really float your boat, then you best be sitting down with pen and paper and writing the name of this product down.

Brauer’s new PawPaw All Natural Lip Butter – and it’s made right here in Australia… Bingo!

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My new fave pot full of goodness! It has been a long time coming!!!

This compares to some luxury cosmetics’ companies balms … Trust me I worked in the industry for 10 years, and I am happy to announce that this is right up there with the best of them, better for you and your wallet… Wait for it RRP$ 4.99 yes, no typo here.

Now down to business:

Ingredients-Check
Paw Paw- Fermented and known for its healing and antibacterial properties.
Certified Organic Beeswax- used to seal in hydration…read plump and baby soft!
Vitamin E & Shea Butter
Carrot Oil- to rejuvenate, rehydrate and packed full of vitamins… yes please!
Stevia- a natural herb, 300x sweeter than sugar, minus the calories… Yum!!! Lick away ladies!!

Texture– Check

Perfect Not too heavy not too light, not a greasy pout in sight! This was really the selling point for me and where this balm is up above the rest, many natural ones I have tried just totally failed on the texture front…Too grease ball and gone in 60 seconds!

Flavour – Check

Natural Stevia makes this oh so yummy and sweet!

Price – Check

$4.99 per pot… I pay more for my soy flat white… I rest my case. I’ll take 10 please!

I found mine at Chemist Warehouse North Perth… Run in before everyone else catches on!!!

Did you know that the popular Lucas Papaw Balm is petrochemical based? How about trying a natural alternative? Let us know what you think!

Review by Martina…Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined!

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Poynter Farmers’ Market, ahh to have a Saturday off, visiting this place was definitely on my list of things to do. It may be small but it’s loaded with fresh local produce, rainbow beetroots, carrots, silverbeet, sweet mangoes, berries and amazing bananas – all the seasonal foods you’d hope for!

The aroma of fresh breads, pastries, cakes, chutneys, herbs and flowers decorate the entrance and I wanted to take it all home… but I could only fit what I could into my backpack, so I made sure it was an array of mixed colours, letting the leaf tops burst out my back pack to ride in the wind on my cycle back home.

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Before my cooking begins, a pot of herbal tea to hydrate the soul;

♥ ½ – 1 diced purple carrot
♥ zest of one large lemon,
♥ a good chunk of finely diced ginger

My market haul

Steep in your favourite teapot for 5 – 10 minutes and sip away whilst getting stuck into a Rainbow Beetroot and Purple Carrot Salad;

♥ 2 large purple carrots
♥ 1 large rainbow beetroot
♥ bunch of coriander
♥ 1 large green apple
♥ 1 lemon
♥ ½ red onion

You could dice all ingredients by hand or better still combine all ingredients into a processor or Thermomix (I don’t have one of these luxury items yet, but my mum’s is amazing) season with a wee bit of salt (or crushed celery seeds) and drizzle with some cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy on its own, with quinoa or a fresh salmon fillet.

Bon appetit!

Poynter Farmers’ Market is a fortnightly market located at:

Poynter Primary School
Poynter Drive, Duncraig

9am-12noon – check their website for the next market weekend!

Have you tried purple carrots or rainbow beetroot before?

Review by Adele Plumridge, Natural Medicine Naturopath & food coach; offers personalised consultations, detox programs plus food & health workshops.

Be well,

xoxo

In the summertime when the weather is fine, in the summertime when the weather is fine, in the summertime you got yoga you got yoga on your mind!

I have previously undertaken holistic personal training / private yoga classes with Stuart Watkins and can wholeheartedly attest to them being rejuvenating, inspiring, calming and grounding. You will feel excellent after a class.

Do yourself a favour and get down to one of these if you can, the first class started yesterday and they will be ongoing until further notice, but do get in touch with Stuart before attending to confirm.

Namaste!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Nestled between an organic pizza shop (!!!) and a yoga school, Being She is a cute little beauty & gift salon on St Brigids Ave in Scarborough. I headed down there on a gentle spring day to take part in an exciting sounding treatment called the “Wildflower Holistic Facial“, which seemed like the perfect way to coax my skin away from winter dullness and transplant it firmly in the new season.

On the drive out to Scarborough I found myself noticing plenty of little flowers growing by the side of the road, which I thought was a good sign (even if they were just weedy dandelions, they were still pretty!)

Being She uses the Heritage Healers range exclusively. If you haven’t come across it before you’re in for a treat, organic and holistic wildflower essences which work inside and out to balance the skin and and promote wellbeing – Bliss!

The experience begins with a quiz to find out your ‘persona‘ (you can take the test online, here) which will determine some of the products used, as well as flower essence drops placed under the tongue at various points throughout the facial to help balance you internally!

I was a water babe, so took a mixture of Goddess Grasstree, Macrozamia and Purple Nymph Waterlily. The combination of these three essences helps to overcome vulnerability and sensitivity, balances out male and female energies, stimulates nurturing and caring qualities and overcomes emotional dependency. Sounds good!

Throughout the next hour my face was cleansed, moisturised, exfoliated, massaged, masqued, hot toweled and my arms massaged. What a wonderful day to spend a spring saturday morning!

I found this video on the Heritage Healers website which takes you through exactly what happens during the Wildflower Holistic Facial, handy!

I believe the true test of character of a good facial is how your skin looks the next day, and I’m happy to report that upon first morning peer into the mirror my skin looked clearer and the few pimples on my chin had gone down about 50% in size!

This facial won me over.

BeingShe also have a range of other interesting treatments, such as oxygen facials, Divine Goddess Facial (!!), Chakra Energy balancing & threading, among much more!

Location:

178a St Brigids Terrace
SCARBOROUGH
WA 6019

Web: http://www.beingshe.com.au

Email: beingshe@westnet.com.au

Ph: (08) 9341 3630

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Thoughtful birthday present definition; the act of finding the perfect balance between sentimental, exciting and budget pleasing gifts. Or an alternative definition; an extremely difficult task. However, last night I was lucky enough to bear witness to my friend Amy completing this difficult task and presenting me the perfect birthday present- an Indian cooking class at Latasha’s Kitchen.

If you are anything like me, a lover of Indian food with the desire to replicate the authentic mouth watering smells in your kitchen, yet after reading the long and intricate essay that is the recipe you decide a store bought paste isn’t really that bad…. then this cooking class is for you! Whilst the ingredient lists are on the unique, longer side and you may not have the spices waiting on your spice shelf next to the oregano and cinnamon, it’s nothing that quick trip down to Liquorice in Claremont, Kakulas Bros in Northbridge or if you’re game an Indian supermarket, can’t quickly and cheaply solve.

And believe me, using the authentic and unique ingredients makes a huge difference both to the final taste and the satisfaction you will receive when the aromas are wafting around your kitchen (and your housemate or boyfriend start to linger in the curries’ vicinity like an impatient cat waiting to be fed).

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At 6.00pm we were greeted by Latasha herself, a passionate and knowledgeable Indian woman, with a huge and contagious smile on her face (probably from eating amazing food all day!). After the five of us were led into the back kitchen the class commenced and Latasha constructed 5 delicious meals in front of our eyes. From the toasting and grinding of aromatic spices, the adding of what seemed like buckets full of vibrant (very hot) fresh chilli’s, that unmistakable smell of sautéing onion, garlic and ginger taunting our senses and being introduced to new ingredients (one of which smelt like socks worn with your oldest but most favourite boots all day) I was taught the secrets of Indian cooking.

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It is now safe to say I will never purchase a store bought curry paste again (unless it’s a freshly made one that can be purchased in store at Latasha’s Kitchen of course). There was so much love that went into Latasha’s family, home-style recipes and the demonstration flew by as she made us laugh with her stories from her younger days in India. At the end of the class we sat down, now sporting Latasha’s huge smile on our faces, with our thali of curries, saffron rice and eggplant pickle. The curries were spicy, rich and delicious and I was surprised at how healthy the cooking methods and ingredients were, no greasy, oil laden curries here!

I would highly recommend the vegetarian cooking class at Latasha’s kitchen, I left with an impressive amount of Indian cuisine knowledge and a very full stomach! However I must unfortunately highlight two downsides. Firstly all friends and family have begun requesting that I replicate the delicious meals Latasha created and inviting themselves to dinner and secondly you must wait for 3 hours in the mouth-watering smelling kitchen as the food cooks before you get to taste the food, but believe me it is well worth the wait.

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(Left to right: South Indian Sambhar, Eggplant Kasaundi, Butternut Pumpkin Masala, Mix Vegetable Pal Khari and Saffron Rice)

Where: Latashas Kitchen, 745 Newcastle St Leederville
What: Vegetarian Indian cooking class
How much: $130 for a night of learning to prepare (then devour) a vegetarian feast!
More details: http://www.latashaskitchen.com.au/

Review by future Indian dinner-party queen, Jade Jurewicz (http://jadescinnamon.tumblr.com