A big sleep-in started my birthday with a snoozy bang. I did wake up at 7am to rush into my housemates room and sleepily jibber about birthdays and she made it worthwhile by presenting me with two wonderful prizes!

Carmen Electra: Fit to Strip Vol. 2 (review coming very, I love it!) and STOTT PILATES: Sunrise Workout (also coming soon!). Yay! We’d both been meaning to get some workout DVD’s happening, so now we’ll be busting moves and stretching it out in the comfort of our own home!

After my gift receiving I fell back into bed til 11am and then made my favourite healthy breakfast: Honey porridge with sliced banana!

This stuff is really good for you too as it keeps blood sugar levels even throughout the day, so it’s a perfect brekky.

Backtracking a little… the night before I went to dinner at Galileo Buona Cucina, Shenton Park. Totally in love with this place now!

Bruschetta for starters (possibly the best I’ve ever had), pear nectar (!!!) and one of their signature dishes, artichoke ravioli for mains… such a fantastic birthday dinner!

Urban Spoon rating:

My parents gave me something dorky I’d been wanting for a while, A WATER JUG! I’m going to use this to make my special Iced Green Tea – I make a big batch of this up and drink it throughout the week, I’ve found it really helps with glowing skin so I’m really excited to get back into this!

Back to my day though! I met up with my Mum and had a HUGE salad and detox juice (beetroot, carrot, apple, celery) from Edens Salad Bar in Subiaco, they were both delicious and the juice was enormous! I recommend.

Urban Spoon rating:

As my birthday treat to myself, I bought the latest Good Health magazine and some of the new Lindt Blueberry Intense chocolate – OH MY DELISH! As well as the blueberries, it also has little slivers of almonds, yum.

Another lovely gift I received, from Conor @ Hold the Beef was some Oxfam Unwrapped seeds, I found it really thoughtful and it made me smileeeeeee that my birthday inspired Conor to want to help someone else 😀

Throughout the day I slurped on green tea & rosehip tea to up the wellness quotient, and when it came time to get ready for my party, I used some Akin & Al’chemy prods to “gussy up”.

My locks were treated to [Al’chemy] Rice Aminos & Wheat Protein Intensive Moisture Shampoo and Avocado & Calendula Re-Moisturising Conditioner. These hair heroes are SLS free (a very good thing) and are devoid of many other nasties as well, so are great when you want to give your strands a break from the chemical torture they’re usually subjected to!

Post-shower I spritzed some ‘Cellular Brightening Mist’ on my face, I –LOVE- this stuff! It smells like lavender and feels cool & sparkly on the skin. I haven’t done any comparitive analysis pre and post spritzing but it makes me FEEL like my skin is brighter, so I’m sticking with it!

Seeing all my favourite people in one place that night ended my birthday on a high note, friends are critical to wellbeing and I was so happy that all my besties made it out to celebrate with me.

Love you all. Thanks for reading. Here’s to the next wellness filled year, hope you stick along for the ride!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ ♥ ♥

When the opportunity came up to try some Pod Puraceutical products, I jumped on the net and looked them up at www.podpuraceuticals.com.au and got very excited! Natural skincare, that’s full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants with not a nasty chemical in sight. By nasty I mean sulphates, parabens, propylene glycol, synthetic fragrances and colours. I’m not going to go into all these chemical toxins now and how bad they are, but I promise if you look them up then you’ll want to avoid them too!

Getting home one evening after a hectic day at work I was greeted by a lovely package at the front door. Inside a beautiful red box were two products for me to try, Liquid Detox and Liquid Eyelift . I love simple sleek packaging so I was starting to like these products before I had even tried them, it also helps that this Australian company are climate friendly, use recyclable packaging and print with non-toxic vegetable inks.

The Liquid Detox is a cleanser that’s designed to be used daily and promises to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise. I have to say that I do normally use a cream cleanser and was a little skeptical at first using this lightly foaming cleanser as they usually strip my skin, especially in Winter. But this cleanser removed make-up and cleansed my skin without leaving it tight and shiny. My face felt clean and smooth. After using this cleanser every evening for two weeks my skin feels smoother and looks brighter. At the moment I have been using my Trilogy Rose Hip Oil to moisturise following cleansing with Liquid Detox, but once that runs out I would be very keen to try Pod’s Liquid Facelift.

Liquid Eyelift

I have also been using the Liquid Eyelift every evening for the last two weeks, and whilst I am currently lucky enough not to be dealing with fine lines and dark circles, I do suffer from some dehydration around my eyes, working constantly in an air-conditioned environment leaves my eye area feeling permanently tight and dry. This is a light weight product which is quickly absorbed into the skin. I noticed immediately following application that my eye area was softer and less dehydrated. Using this daily has definitely improved the dryness and irritation issues that I had.

I have only been using Pod Puraceuticals for the last two weeks, but already I am very happy with the results. It’s a streamlined skincare system that’s gentle on your skin and the environment. I can’t wait to try out their other products!

For more information about Pod Puraceuticals visit http://www.podpuraceuticals.com.au Pod Puraceuticals is sold online as well as selected Myer department stores and pharmacies across Australia. For stockist details call 1300 796 986.

Review by Hannah x

♥

My plan up until recently to do my bit for the environment and Climate Change, was to buy an electric car. When I had enough money. Oh, and when they were available to be bought. That was the plan. But recently, I’ve had the feeling that this probably wasn’t going to be enough and that I was probably going to have to rethink this plan, even though it was brilliant and foolproof (right?)

So what could I do? Get a worm farm? Make a compost bin? Live in a teepee? Probably. But it’s not really my style. I’m more of an electric car kind of gal. So what if I could take a small, little baby step towards doing something for the planet AND have this little step make me look lov-ver-ly. TELL. ME. MORE.

Enter the growing market of ‘green’ beauty products. Organic ingredients, recycled plastics all that jazz. Now, I’m not going to pretend like this area of the market is new, not by any stretch, but it is an area of the market that I have avoided up until recently. The idea of organic beauty products had me thinking of sandalwood and hemp and facemasks made out of porridge and dreadlocks and hippies and Fremantle (sorry!) I guess you could say I was a little biased and a lot not interested. So when I first started using Dr Bronner’s line of beauty products these poor, poor items were really starting on the back foot. I’m not saying I didn’t want them to work, I just didn’t expect them to. For the purposes of this review I road tested Dr Bronner’s Liquid Soap, Dr Bronner’s Shaving Gel, Dr Bronner’s Organic Lotion and Dr Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm.

Shaving Gel.

Let’s start with the shaving gel because this had the biggest hurdle to jump- if any of you reading this are related to/the friend of a beauty therapist (in my case my sister) you would have probably had it drummed into you that shaving your legs is EVIL and should be stopped at once. Now, if my sister is reading this I’M SORRY, but sometimes you are in a rush and you just need to shave your legs so you just do it and ok you feel bad about it 3 days after but those first two days the rush you get from that smoothness wow is there anything like it? So even though I am a waxer, I totally shaved my legs for this review. PUTTING MY BODY ON THE LINE. And this product- totally great. Smells amazing (not like shaving cream which I think doesn’t smell so great), is nice and thick so it creates a good barrier that wont make you cut the hell out of your legs, leaves them feeling great afterwards (and the next day) and seriously if you do shave your legs all the time, you have to have something like this. Don’t just think shower gel or shampoo/conditioner will do. It won’t. It doesn’t. Stop doing it. Get this stuff. The lemon lime smell was really nice. I highly recommend.

Peppermint Lotion

Now, the lotion. The plus was that it was quite light so you didn’t feel all sticky afterwards and rubs in really well (and those are two really big ticks in my book) the minus was that the peppermint fragrance got a bit too sickly for me (the good news though is that it comes in Lavender Coconut, Orange Lavender and Patchouli Lime something for every nose.)

Castille Soap

However, I also tried the Liquid Soap in Peppermint and that was just perfect. The peppermint gives your skin a real zing after you use it to wash your face so that’s one product where I think I would definitely prefer the peppermint preference. Now, while we are speaking of this soap- allow me to spend a second on it. This soap has EIGHTEEN uses. 1-8. I couldn’t even get through them all, and I tried. The face cleaning properties were enough for me (I’m not green enough yet to use it to wash my house or clothes), but knowing it has eighteen different uses makes me kind of impressed while I am using it.

Orange Ginger Lip Balm

And last, but certainly not least, the lip balm. Ah…lip balm. How I love thee. I don’t think I am lying when I say that I have tried nearly every single lip balm on the market. I just love them so. The Dr Bronner’s version I tried was the Orange Ginger flavour and it smelt really nice (not too sweet) so nice in fact it kind of made me feel like I was eating carrot cake every time I put it on. This was another bonus and surprise, surprise it did the job. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it is just as good as Lucas papaw ointment. It doesn’t make your lips irritated and itchy afterwards like Carmex does to me or Lip Smackers (yeah ok I own ONE alright so don’t tease me it’s just one and I’m 90% sure it was a gift) and it doesn’t smell medical like Blistex. Tick tick and tick.

The last thing I need to bring up about all these products is the PRICE. The lip balm $2,99, Liquid soap $2.49, Lotion $9.99 and shaving gel $7.99!!! You guys, it’s so cheap!

I seriously am wondering how Dr Bronner even makes any money.

Ok so it doesn’t have the fanciest, sexiest packaging (although there’s something serious about it which I like) but does it matter when you can have these basic products for dirt-cheap and you can know exactly what is in them AND you can know you are helping the environment out a little?

Get yourselves to this website stat because you can get everything online (the company is American): I seriously can’t recommend the lip balm and the shaving gel enough. Don’t wait around for the electric car.

http://www.drbronner.com

NOTE: All these prices are in US dollars, but the exchange rate is so good at the moment, 0.911 as of today 03/08/2010 so you’re still getting a way good deal.

By Adriane, dream babe extraordinaire

Working from home, I usually prescribe to the same daily uniform: yoga pants and an oversized, el-cheapo fleece hoody. Not exactly glamour. But the kind folk at The Facial Company approached Wellness WA to review their Skype live video consultation service, sending me into a panic because, my god, I may have to brush my hair and slap on a decent top.

However, there was no need to work myself into such a frenzy as founder and beauty expert Darren Clark instantly made me feel at ease via Skype video. After a couple of technical issues, Darren proceeded with the 20 minute consultation, asking me my skin concerns. I have combination skin and no major breakouts and just wanted to look at preventing future breakouts and wrinkles.

Darren also asked me what skin care I was using. My answer: not much, other than a basic pharmacy cleanser and whatever moisturiser sample I find at the bottom of my drawer. I half-expected the hard sell on products stocked on The Facial Company’s web store, but instead was given honest feedback – that the glycolic acid in my current cleanser is an excellent choice in preventing wrinkles (woohoo!). He also suggested a couple of moisturiser options to hydrate my skin and gave informative advice based on what he could see through the video, darkness under the eyes, most likely caused from sitting in front of a computer all day.

This could be you! Lying in bed, getting your skin assessed. You may have to turn on the light though!

Darren also told me about a success story – an older customer who was fed up with her skin woes, testing a heap of products over the years that never seemed to work. In a last bid attempt, she contacted The Facial Company for a 20 minute consultation. Taking Darren’s advice, she tried a few different products and was so impressed with the results that she booked another consultation. She is now truly on the quest for skin perfection that she never thought was possible.

Obviously the great advantage to this system is that you don’t even have to get out of your pjs to receive solid, professional advice. I can see this as a perfect solution to those beauty lovers out there that live in rural areas, or people that may not have access to a big range of skin care products. Also, it’s perfect for guys that want to get into a skin regime without feeling intimidated.

To book a Skype live video consultation, the process is very simple:

♥ Visit the website facialcompany.com.au and click on the Skype live consultations link.
♥ Fill out the form, selecting the date that suits you best and submit.
♥ Pay your $10 (redeemable for any online purchase).
♥ And voila! A team member from The Facial Company will confirm your appointment with you.

You’ll also need to make sure you have a microphone, a web cam, sound, internet access and Skype (which can be downloaded for free). Too easy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the service but I was really impressed with Darren’s feedback and he’s a lovely guy to boot.

Review by Jess – a chocolate doughnut loving, fashion stylist extraordinaire with an extreme penchant for olives.

Be well,

xoxo

I’ve long been a fan of Sodashi, everything about the brand sings to me. From their lack of animal testing & animal ingredients, 100% recyclable packaging, deluxe products and the fact that a little company based in North Freo has made it big the world over – being housed in some of the top spas in New York, Paris & beyond.

A treasure-box of Sodashi goodies made its way to me many months ago and I haven’t stopped using the products since, so today I’m going to share the tiniest of rituals I like to indulge in and also quickly chat about the other bits I received.

Start with one pump worth of this creamy white cleanser in the palm of your hand, massage into the face with a bit of warm water and focus on any trouble spots as this is a great cleanser for those with acne prone-combination skin (like me!)

Use a muslin cloth or face washer to help get rid of any impurities / gently exfoliate the skin & rinse with warm water. I generally tend to do this step in the shower, but just make sure the water isn’t too hot or it will dry out your skin and irritate any pimples.

Sodashi Brightening Face Drops (RRP $89)

Next up, fill a basin / bowl with warm water and add 10 drops of Brightening Face Drops, this stuff is magic for imparting radiance to the skin & it also helps with scarring and pigmentation! Zoe Foster is also a huge fan, can’t go wrong.

Soak a fresh muslin cloth / face cloth with the solution, squeeze out and apply to the skin. Repeat this step again & you’re ready to go!

So that’s my little ritual 🙂 Depending on your skins current needs, you can then apply moisturiser if you wish, the one that is suitable for me (combination / acne prone skin) is the Balancing Face & Neck Moisturiser (RRP $147) and I really like it, not too heavy, not too sticky. Very nice for day time use!

The last of my goodies is the Blemish Treatment (RRP $105), this stuff is a bit sticky and squirts out of the bottle in a rush, so take care! I find it very calming for my pimples and it’s suitable for use under makeup as well, but I prefer to use it at night before bed so it can do its thing while I rest 🙂

I hope you enjoyed my little write-up! Do let me know if you have any questions about these products & I’ll do my best to help you out!

Be well,

xoxo