When the opportunity to try some Weleda products came up I jumped at the chance. Having used several Weleda products in the past I was very keen to get them back into my life.

How do I love Weleda? Let me count the ways…

♥ Their philosophy – they believe in harmony between nature and human beings.
♥ The plant extracts and ingredients and grown using bio dynamic and organic methods.
♥ All formulations are free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, colours & parabens.
♥ No animal testing!

This guy? Not harmed.

I had the chance to trial four Weleda products; Lavender Creamy Body Wash, Birch Body Exfoliant, Wild Rose Body Oil and Wild Rose Face Mask. The review of the Weleda products is split into two parts so read on to find out more about the Lavender Creamy Body Wash and Birch Body Scrub and stayed tuned for reviews on the Wild Rose products.

♥

One of my favourite scents is lavender; it’s very soothing and calming and I’ve been using lavender and lavender based products for a long time. It is perfect to use after a long busy day at work to help relax and de-stress.

I’ve been using the Lavender Creamy Body Wash at night, the scent is just divine and it is perfect to use after a long busy day at work to help relax and de-stress. Weleda uses organic lavender grown from Moldova in a fair trade agreement.

I found this body wash very gentle, didn’t strip my skin and it lathered well .The formulation as the name suggests is a lovely creamy consistency. The scent tended to linger for a while after I used it which was lovely.

♥

I’ve been on the lookout for a gentle body scrub for awhile. The last few ones that I tried have been quite rough and have even left nasty red scratch marks on my skin. Trying the Birch Body Scrub was a dream.

According the Weleda website Birch has been proven to be helpful to rid the body of toxins and help in the detoxifying process. The Birch Body Scrub uses natural plant wax pearls to gently but effectively exfoliate and smooth the skin. I noticed that my skin was smoother after just one use. The scrub is effective but not harsh at all. Tough areas like my elbows and knees are feeling softer. Even the scent is refreshing and uplifting. This is the perfect scrub to use in summer to get ready for all those skin baring party dresses! This scrub is a winner!

Have you tried Weleda products? What are your favs?

Review by Hannah-Lee.

Be well,

xoxo

♥ Amazing graphic design by yours truly! ♥

Eating lentil burgers is one of the true great delights of being a vegetarian, of course meat eaters can (and should!) indulge in these legume-y treats too, but they do hold an extra special place in my non-meat lovin’ heart due to their deliciousness & high protein content!

Some people I’ve spoken with think lentils are a little bit hippy. A bit too mung beans, peace signs and make love not war, man.

Well I’m here to tell the naysayers to get nay-ed, and throw it out there that I think my most recent healthy lentil burger creation would turn even the most hardened carnivore into a giant big fan of these less than beautiful, but more than tasty food friends.

Time Required: 30-35 minutes ’til you get to dine.
Difficulty Rating: 1 lentil. If I can do it, anyone can.

Notes: This burger is very filling, you will more than likely feel like chowing down another one straightaway but wait 10 minutes for your food to settle, then reassess! The structure of the burger is very important so as to separate the flavours in the optimum way, so take care 😉

Ingredients:

♥ 2 slices of your bread of choice. Mine since you asked is Abbott’s Village Bakery – Light Rye. Stunning!
♥ 1 Sanitarium Lentil Patty. These are located in the frozen section of the supermarket, most Coles & IGA’s I’ve been to have them.
♥ 1/2 a tomato.
♥ 2-3 thin slices of reduced fat fetta.
♥ 1/4 sliced avocado.
♥ 1/2 tbsp hummus.
♥ A lil bit of tomato sauce.

Method: (is that the right word? or did I just slip back into high-school science..)

Cook the lentil patty in the oven til golden brown and crispy on both sides, this takes a while in my non fan-forced oven, so I heat it to 200 degrees cook for 15 mins, then flip over and cook for another ten.

Toast the bread & spread hummus on one piece and spread/place the avo slices on the other.

Place the patty on the avo side, and decorate patty with the desired sauce pattern then top with the thin fetta slices.

Tomato slices are up next and you may then finish with the piece of hummus’d toast on top.

For optimal eating pleasure, cut diagonally into two halves.

Experience the taste sensation, then come back here and leave a comment telling me how brilliant I am! Hehe.

This burger is so good for you, full of nutrients, good fats & protein. If you try it, let me know! Just writing about it has made me hungry so I’m off to create some havoc in my kitch.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ ♥ ♥

Woah woah woah! I literally just let out a “YES!” and clapped my hands with glee! You see, I’ve heard so much about these little pockets of bliss that are available to my Sydney, Melbourne & even Adelaide mates…tiny spa wonderlands where divine organic ingredients envelop you and you leave a changed person.

Okay okay, I haven’t tried it myself but this is what I’ve heard through my extensive reading of spa & beauty blogs from other states!

SO, the biggg news is (as I’m sure you can guess from the title) is that these bliss havens called Endota Spa’s will FINALLY be making their way to our West coast home!

David Jones city store will be the location of the first spa… and there will be more to come, they are currently offering franchising opportunities in these areas:

Territories available in greater Perth:

– Cannington
– Cottesloe
– Daglish
– Fremantle
– Innaloo
– Joondalup
– Mt Hawthorn
– Mt Lawley
– North Perth
– Perth CBD
– Scarborough
– Subiaco
– Warwick

territories available in regional WA:
– Mandurah
– Margaret River

I’ve also had the privilege of using the Endota Organic Rose Hip Oil and Honey & Rosehip mask of late and by golly, my skin is glowing! It’s like it just eats it up! There will be a proper review later, but I just wanted to give a bit of an idea as to why I’m excitedly raving like a lunatic.

So, to recap.

Endota Spas. Perth. 2011. Organic / Natural. Completely amazing. I will be first in line!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Wotnot Facial Wipes

If you’re anything like me and are in a constant mini-war with your face, fighting dry, sensitive spots one day and little breakouts the next, you’ll know how difficult it is to find a face wipe that settles down the battle zones.

Not to mention the difficultly in finding one that quickly removes your makeup before you fall into bed after a big night.

So the recipe for my dream facial wipe would go something like this…

♥ Doesn’t sting sensitive bits or aggravate breakouts.
♥ Doesn’t dry out and tighten the skin.
♥ Nourishing and calming.
♥ Takes off makeup in a flash.
++ Bonus points: Improves skin condition.

Almost impossible?

Enter our star and my new fav. product, Wotnot Facial Wipes!

This baby is a winner in my eyes because it does all of the above, contains heaps of organic goodies AND is environmentally friendly as it’s 100% biodegradable / compostable!

Why didn’t someone think of this before?!

So down to the nitty gritty…

♥ Contains: soothing organic aloe vera, organic sweet almond oil, organic rosehip oil, organic jojoba oil.

If you guys didn’t already know, those three oils are the who’s who of the “oils that are good for making your face healthy & pretty” scene. So get to know ’em!

♥ Does not contain: alcohol, chlorine, sulphates, petrochemicals, parabens, artificial fragrances, artificial preservatives, animal extracts and they are of course against animal testing. PHEW.

This guy wasn’t harmed during the making of these wipes! YAY!

This is all well and good, however we need performance as well as enviro-responsibility, and Wotnot wipes deliver on that front too.

It takes off my makeup in a flash and feels GREAT afterwards!

I love this product and won’t be giving it up anytime soon, it’s replaced my stinging wipes and now takes pride of place in my messy bathroom.

Wotnot Naturally Nurturing Facial Wipes are $11.95 for a pack of 25 wipes and available to buy online (with free shipping) at http://www.wotnot.com.au.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Everyday Zinc 30+ 50ml rrp $49

I recently met a woman who was in her early 40s, who had the skin of a 25 year old – smooth complexion without a freckle or hardly a wrinkle on her. The woman, who lives in England, surprised me when she told me her secret.

“I never go in the sun, and when I do I use a 30+ sunscreen” she said.

Feeling slightly cheated that I have lived in the Australian sun all my life, and at age 30 my skin is now showing the signs of this with slight wrinkles and a couple of sunspots, I jumped at the chance to try Ella Bache’s Everyday 30+ Protection.

After cleansing your face, apply a small amount to your fingertips and work it to become smooth. With its thick formula, a little goes a long way – so you do get value for money.

Dab onto your face then blend in. I found I looked a little ghostly as it left a slightly white cast over my face, however about 10 minutes later it had absorbed. I did notice that less foundation was required – or could most likely be skipped as you’re left with a nice translucent glow. By the end of the day I hadnt noticed that my face appeared any oilier, as some suncreens can make that happen.

The only cons about this product is that the smell is slightly chemical, and if you don’t shake the product before use you do get a bit of oil seeping out amongst the product (most likely from the lanolin content).

He’s coming for you!

Overall I would recommend this product to anyone seeking an everyday high sun protection. I imagine I would only use it on days when I know majority will be spent outdoors, and with summer upon us – that’s more often!

Using Ella Bache Everyday 30+ Protection, I felt good knowing that I had an ‘invisible shield’ against the sun, without the oilyness you would get just using a sunscreen.

Everyday Zinc 30+ is available at all Ella Baché salons and David Jones stores nationally. For
stockists call 1800 789 234 or visit our location finder at www.ellabache.com.au (Available online at StrawberryNET)

Review by Betty C.

Be well,

xoxo