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I’m a tea enthusiast, and since I know of many fantastic small tea companies, I was really excited to try out Indigiearth’s teas and Little China Teas.

A special mention for Indigiearth’s wonderful plum cream biscuits, though I didn’t review them because there’s not much you can say besides yuuum!

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♥ Lemon Myrtle tea

I’m impressed at how organic this is. I really feel like I could drop some on the ground and have something grow there. The scent is lemon with an extra spice to it – reminds me of cinnamon, but softer. I found this tea ultra-soothing. I’ve drunk lemon tea before when I’ve had colds, and found it unbearable – this is a very soft lemon with all the soothing, pleasant-smelling bits and none of the sourness.

♥ Daintree and Lavender tea

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting with this tea, not really knowing Daintree so fixating purely on the lavender. It’s a smell I love– but which is completely non-foody – so I was expecting the sensation of drinking green tea for the first time (i.e. not much fun), but this was very refreshing. I’ve been drinking it as a herbal tea, so no milk or sugar, and I haven’t felt like it’s needed those extra factors.

Wild Rosella Tea!

♥ Wild Rosella tea

WHOA. Firstly it’s fire engine red when brewed, and looks amazing in white china. Secondly I find it FAR too strong on its own for me – it’s tart tea, and full flavoured, even when brewed with tiny amounts. I have since refrigerated this with sugar and this is completely my preferred method. A wonderful iced tea!

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♥ Little China Teas – Up-Lift

I usually find Asian teas a bit difficult to start with, and was expecting the same with this one. The overall taste is very green tea but with a refreshing, cooling aftertaste. It would be a great option for those trying to “get into” Asian teas. This is built on Chinese medicine attempting to stimulate without caffeine – which surprised me, because I assumed this one was built on green tea. Worth mentioning as well that they recommend a “pinch” of tea –and considering this tea is made up of whole leaves you’re going to be in a world of trouble if you try to measure out a teaspoon.

♥ Little China Teas – Slimming

The packaging on this tea explains how the tea stimulates metabolism and staves off hunger, but not how. Thus I couldn’t really tell you if it’s claims are viable, because it would take some sustained drinking before seeing results, but I would happily agree that it’s a temporary food replacement, since it’s a “meaty” tea. By which I mean there’s a lot of flavours in it, it doesn’t feel like water with leaves. Like the other, the individual tea fragments are huge and thus a pinch is all you need for a teapotful, Tasty, soothing and filling.

The Indigiearth teas are available online at the Thulli online store and the Little China Shop teas in their own online store.

Review by Suzanne: she is allergic to exercise, but not tea, and can only be cured with cake.

Be well,

xoxo

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As we know (hopefully the memo has reached you by now), sunscreen is the best preventative measure for premature aging, and we all want to keep our youthful looks so it’s recommended that we wear sunscreen all over to protect us from harmful sun rays. I know I’ve made this a personal resolution of mine for 2012, to lather my body with some lovely zinc oxide sunscreen, and I’m welcoming this newest addition to my beauty regime, the Dermalogica Daylight Defence Kit. This handy kit has everything you need to keep you protected from the sun.

The kit comes in a handy zip bag so you can take it with you to the beach, and I took it with me on a recent beach adventure. It’s not just for the beach though, this top-to-toe kit is perfect for everyday use.

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Dermalogica’s Multi-Vitamin Body Block SPF 20 protects and moisturises, doesn’t feel dry on my skin after a few hours outside, and being someone with sensitive skin, I find it non-irritating, plus it has a pleasant smell. Then again, I love the smell of sunscreen so I am probably not hard to please. The best part is that I don’t have to use a lot it for it to protect all over, and it doesn’t leave any residue or white marks. Good for when in bikini and not wanting to look like a pasty white mess.

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The Solar Shield comes in a chapstick format, but a little chunkier in size, because it’s meant for your ears and nose too. Whilst this is great for mult-tasking, I don’t think I would use this on my ears, nose, then lip- particularly in that order! But I could always use my finger to apply the sunscreen in those spots that are notoriously bad for getting burnt. It’s also very water resistant for up to 80 minutes and you can easily apply it whenever and wherever. It tastes a lot better than applying the sun block on your lips that’s for sure, not that you’re supposed to eat your sunscreen, that could be an idea for a new product on the market, edible sunscreen, maybe it would make people wear it!

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The Solar Defence Booster in SPF 30 can be mixed with your foundation or moisturiser for an extra boost of sun protection for your face. When mixed with foundation, it gives extra coverage without showing white or feeling greasy. You can even use this prod to replace your make-up primer or mix it with your favourite tinted moisturiser, so you’re still looking tan-o-riffic whilst being UV conscious, how good is that for a dynamic combination! This product retails for $63 for 30ml, though it will last you for months.

Got this? The following product can help…

And if you’ve been having a wild summer and spending a little too long at the beach, you might a little fixer upperer, that comes in the form of the Dermalogica After Sun Repair. The best part is that it contains no artificial fragrance or colour, it’s a gel like substance that you slather over the tender spots. Fortunately I haven’t had to use it, but I can imagine the gel feeling cool and refreshing your skin, good for reducing redness and repair of any UV damage to the skin.

And with new sunscreen technology that won’t clog pores, won’t cause irritation (redness and burning) and won’t feel chalky or greasy, it’s much easier to comfortably make sunscreens a part of your daily skin care regime. You will be smug knowing that you won’t have lizard skin in the future!

♥ ♥ ♥ We’ll be hosting a competition to win one of these packs over on the Wellness WA Facebook page tonight! Make sure you you check back 🙂 ♥ ♥ ♥

Dermalogica products available online through Adore Beauty.

Review by Kelly-Anne, sunscreen savvy beach bum.

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Today we’ve got a very special article from our newest beauty writer in the making, Kate! Kate is 12 years old and has trialled some skincare products from Peachface range for us, because kids deserve high quality prods with minimal nasties too. Read on to see what she thinks, and if you have any younger girls in your life this could be a good way to get them started on a love affair with healthy skincare early on.

♥ FIRST IMPRESSION

My first impression was “wow”, it looked really appealing and I wanted to try it straight away

♥ PACKAGING

When I first saw the packaging I thought it was really pretty. I liked the purple background and I really liked the quotes on the products like “I am wonderful and Beautiful” and “I am Following My Dreams”. They send a very important message to girls. I thought the little peach character was so cute. I think the products would be very appealing to girls like me!

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♥ CLEANSER

The Sweet Blossom Face Cleanser was a nice product it smelt of apricot. It felt nice as I smoothed it over my face and when I washed it off my face felt clean.

♥ TONER

The Refreshing Mist Toner was a spray on and it smelt like roses. It was like a refreshing mist of air. I had never used a toner and it was a fun experience and very easy to use.

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♥ MOISTURISER

The Honey Bee Moisturiser was a sweet smelling delight that made my skin softer and I think it is a really effective moisturiser. I think this a good moisturiser for night time. In the morning I like to use a moisturiser with SPF 15 or 30.

♥ MASK

The Rosie Pink Mask was a new experience for me because I haven’t used one before and I can say that it was a great experience. I liked the sweet smell and the texture. My skin felt so clean and refreshed.

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♥ FINAL COMMENT

I really liked using these products and my favourite was the Rosie Pink Face Mask because it was fun using a mask and I felt like it was helping keep my skin soft and radiant.

I would recommend these products to my friends and I believe they would enjoy the experience and results of these products as much as I have.
Thank you for the opportunity to use these lovely products.

Review by Kate, age 12

Gorgeous right?! Do you have any kids or teenagers who could benefit from skincare that is a little more natural?

Be well,

xoxo

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Detox. Even the word doesn’t sound fun. I think it’s the presence of the letter x. X, tox, toxic. I understand the etymology but it sounds like it’s going to hurt. But what about a HAIR detox? Now that’s something I could get behind…that sounds painless? I was interested so decided to get some more info from The Purist Company’s in-house Botanical Chemist Annabelle Personeni.

Her four simple suggestions will detox the hell out of your hair and it wont hurt you (or the planet) one little bit!

While silicones might give you hair like this in the short term, in the long run your hair will suffer.

♥ Cut out the silicones

Silicones are like fast food to the hair, a quick fix with immediate results. Often found in hair styling serums, silicone based products don’t actually treat or nourish the hair. Used long term, product can build up, weighing hair down.

BEWARE! Silicones can be found in most “nourishing” shampoos, in almost every conditioner and serum. Products containing silicone may also be listed under its synonyms (i.e. Dimethicone and Cyclopentasiloxane). If there is a cone or silane at the end of an ingredient, it is likely to contain silicones.

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♥ Invest in a quality shampoo and conditioner

To nourish the hair and scalp, switch your silicone based conditioner to a natural conditioner. Using a natural conditioner will “re-boost” your hair with the nutrients and proteins it needs to look shiny and healthy. A deep cleansing shampoo will aid in removing product build up.

Try: Al’chemy Lemongrass Shampoo, Vanessa Megan Tangerine & Geranium Shampoo or (for fine haired ladies) Weleda Calendula Baby Shampoo & Body Wash.

If it is too difficult to part with your current styling regime, try reducing the use of silicones by choosing a natural based shampoo and conditioner but keep your silicone-based serum for a while. Then, slowly reduce the use of the serum and switch to a leave on natural hair conditioner.

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Try: Al’chemy Leave in conditioner

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♥ Make good use of the basics

Break the habit of over washing: Wash hair with a gentle shampoo once every few days as using shampoo daily can strip hair of its natural oils while over stimulating the production of sebum. Those who perspire a lot from physical activity or weather may still rinse hair daily if necessary as perspiration is freely washed off with pure water.
To get the most out of your conditioner, rinse it out in two steps as it enhances the deposition of natural conditioning ingredients. Apply conditioner as usual and but rinse with only ½ cup of water first, followed by a full rinse. Doing so will break down the emulsions, releasing more nutrients to the hair.

Try: Al’chemy Jojoba Light Conditioner, Vanessa Megan Ylang & Lemon Myrtle Conditioner or Dr Hauschka Neem Hair Lotion.

♥ Read your labels

Healthy hair will benefit from products that are free from harsh chemicals like parabens, sulphates, ethoxylated and petrochemical cleansers, silicones, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA and artificial colours. If you come across an unfamiliar ingredient, sites like www.skindeep.org are a great resource for ingredient profiles and its safety ratings.

♥ Just at first!

Thanks Annabelle! And, let me finish off by saying don’t be scared about switching to organic hair care brands! It won’t fall out! It might feel a little straw like for the first few washes but that’s just your hair adjusting back to its NATURAL state and (guess what) DETOX-ing all that silicone out of your hair and out of your life.

Then your hair will return to the lustrous bouncy state of a young maiden who cares for goats and lives in the mountains. Yodel! Stick with it beauties…

More information about Al’chemy products available at www.purist.com

More information about all other products listed, available at Peachy Clean.

Be well,

Adriane

xoxo

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My once loved white sugar substitute agave has been receiving quite a bit of negative press recently (mostly because of its 90% fructose level). Confused and left doubting agaves’ previously praised heath benefits, I embarked on a mission to find a healthier and less controversial sweetener alternative. The search led me to the discovery of my ‘sweet’ little new friend, coconut sugar!

What it is:

Coconut sugar is drawn from the sap of the coconut
 palm tree buds. It is similar in taste and color to brown sugar, with a slight caramel flavor.

Health Benefits:

Coconut sugar contains less than 9 percent fructose. It has a considerably lower glycemic index (35) than agave (42), honey (55), and cane sugar (68), thus helping to stabilize glucose levels. Coconut sugar can also do a lot more than just add sweetness to your morning coffee! It’s loaded with minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and B vitamins.

Ways to Incorporate into Your Diet:

Coconut sugar can be used as a substitute for white sugar in baking or dessert recipes or anything else you’d use sugar for!

Where to Find it & Cost:

Coconut sugar can be found at most health food shops. I use the Loving Earth brand, which costs around $7.50 for 300g.

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Recipe Idea:

These cookies are to die for! They are quick, easy to make and require minimal cleaning (just what I like!). They are perfect for a picnic or to accompany a cup of tea. Just try not to eat all the mixture before the cookies make it to the oven 😛

Coconut Date Cookies

Makes 6-8 cookies

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Ingredients:

♥ 1 cup pitted dates (soaked for approx 5 mins to soften then drain)
♥ 1/3 cup rolled oats
♥ 1/2 cup shredded coconut
♥ 1 tsp baking powder
♥ 1 TBS vanilla
♥ 1-3 TBS coconut sugar (depending on how sweet you want them)
♥ 1 TBS coconut oil
♥ 1/4 cup coconut milk or choice of milk (use nut milk for vegan cookies!)

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Directions:

♥ Preheat oven to 170*C (fan forced).

♥ Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend well until there are no large date pieces.

♥ Portion mixture into equal sized balls, place on greased cookie sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon/spatula.

♥ Bake for 12-15 minutes on 170 degrees.

♥ Remove from oven and cool on cookie rack.

♥ Store cookies in the refrigerator.

YUM! Do you like the sound of these healthy cookies?! Let us know 🙂

Article by Kavisha, self confessed ‘health foodie’ who believes a little dessert is good for the soul. She is currently studying for her Master of Wellness at RMIT University and blogs at Style My Coconut.

Be well,

xoxo