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A couple of weeks ago, Renee from RENZ Pilates and I went along to a KORA Organics event held in South Perth. Renee writes for the KORA blog, and I of course have a keen interest in any beauty, health or wellness happenings around town! The table setting that greeted us at the event, skincare goodies and Noni juice!

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Noni shot, coconut water, regular water, organic champers!

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Wise words from Miranda, this was a big theme of the evening.

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The event started with us all toasting with a shot of Noni juice with Therese (Miranda’s mum)… it packs a strong antioxidant punch, but you can just tell it’s doing good things!

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A big part of the evening was learning and testing out all the products from the range, as well as conducting our own facial. Here’s Ren with one of the yummy KORA masks.

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Along with the drinks, skincare sampling and wise words from Therese Kerr, we were also fed. Dinner was an absolutely incredible quinoa and coconut curry, this picture really doesn’t do it justice – it was superb – and created by Miranda’s own chef Kate McAloon! I could have gladly eaten this meal 5 times a week, it was that good.

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To top off the curry, we had a very special healthy dessert created for us! With oats, walnuts, raspberries, yoghurt and mint. This was also delish, and Kate created one with just milk specially for me as they weren’t sure if the yoghurt had gelatin in it (not vegetarian). So sweet of her!

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Miranda’s Mum on the right, if you couldn’t guess!

I would completely recommend the KORA events to anyone who is interested in Miranda Kerr or organic skincare, you can find out more info on upcoming events on the KORA blog!

Would you liked to have gone? Let us know below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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The start of the REAL autumn-y weather has put a spring in my step. I don’t know what it is, but my whole outlook changes when the cooler weather starts setting in. I feel happier, more content and like there are endless possibilities to be explored. It’s a fun time. Plus, there’s lots of tea to be consumed! I am planning on hitting up T2 very soon to pick up a whole bunch of new brews to keep me toasty over the winter.

I’ve been crushing on so many things lately, but these 5 are the cream of the crop! Hope you enjoy 🙂 x

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♥ Chantecaille Future Skin

Being of porcelain complexion is hard. HARD I TELLS YA! Finding a foundation shade that suits my skin tone perfectly often takes many trips to the shops and frequently ends in frustration.

I was once told by a makeup artist working at a Clarins counter that fewer lighter shades are sent to Australia because we’re generally more tanned than those in Europe or Asia. Interesting! But no good for ghosties like me.

Luckily I’ve found my new favourite in the form of Chantecaille Future Skin!! They have a a bit of a range of paler shades (5!) and the Porcelain one suits me perrrrrrfectly. Sometimes I like to pop in a little Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser if I need a bit more of a glow, but usually priming with rosehip oil after cleansing does the trick. Chantecaille Future Skin is $105 for 30g, so it’s a pricey peach, but worth it if you’re like me and find it tough to get a foundation match 🙂

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Kale Chips

What can I say but – AH-MAZE-ING. After hearing so much about this healthy crunchy, snacky alternative to potato chips, I decided to finally make some of my own. I’m so glad I did. There are so many benefits to eating kale (here are the top ten!) and it is soooo yummy steamed as well.

How to make kale chips:

♥ Tear kale off of stalk into small bite sized pieces and place into bowl
♥ Drizzle olive oil over the kale and massage into all the leaves so that they are all very lightly coated – you don’t want them dripping
♥ Arrange on baking tray, sprinkle with Caesar Salt
♥ Put into oven heated to 180 degrees celcius and cook for 12-15 minutes

ENJOY!!! A seriously yummy snack, and healthier than potato chips. I made a gigantic batch tonight and it’s official, I’m in love.

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Fab Iron

I’ve recently started taking these iron tablets as I’ve been feeling pretty tired. I know that my iron is low from the last time I had my blood levels checked, so hopefully this will keep me all iron-ed up along with the Floradix that I sometimes take too. Super easy to swallow and I like that it’s in vegecaps and 100% vegetarian and vegan suitable 🙂

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Noni Juice

I’d always been curious about this juice, since Miranda Kerr touts it as one of the reasons she is so healthy / ridiculously good looking, unfortunately I found the price quite expensive so never got around to trying it. Fast forward to last Thursday when I attended the Perth KORA Organics event (more on that to come soon) and we were lucky enough to receive a bottle of the purple grape flavoured noni juice!

Apparently this stuff is packed full of minerals and antioxidants and will neutralize free radicals like it aint no thang. I’ve been taking it for about a week now, so can’t really comment on the benefits yet, but it tastes pretty good so long as it’s mixed with water, and I don’t think it’s doing me any harm so I’m going to continue with it!

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♥ Be Asleep Pillow Spray

This relaxing sleep mist is different to most in that the prominent scent ISN’T lavender. Containing bergamot, cederwood atlas, lavender, roman chamomile, lemon and mandarin, it really does smell a little more citrusy but is incredibly relaxing at the same time. I’ve been spraying this all over my pillows every night and instantly feel calmer once I catch the first whiff. For extra relaxation you can spray some on your feet too!

Recommended for anyone who needs a little extra help falling asleep at night due to a stressful or busy lifestyle.

Extra: Naturlea, the company who produces the sleep spray, also hold product parties (all the prods are sublime) and for the month of April & June, if you book a party you get a FREE rosehip oil! Get in touch with Nyssa if you may be keen: nyssabowker@naturlea.com

I hope you guys have enjoyed my beauty and wellbeing crushes this week! I’d love to hear yours 🙂

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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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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Good Friday in Kings Park, amongst the picnicing families and children hyped up on chocolate, was the location for the first of two Flow Yoga events hosted by Stuart Watkins – yogi extraordinaire – to raise money for the charity Africare.

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About 50 people turned up to support the cause by taking part in THREE HOURS (!!!!) of yoga, meditation, dancing and heart-opening.

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The array of delicious and nourishing treats available on the day was fantastic. Organic juices from Found, vegan raw food bites from Raw Rev, Goji berries & cacao nibs from Loving Earth, water from Antipodes and an amazing raw cheesecake from The Raw Kitchen to finish things up!! Not to mention some home made coconut bliss balls.

♥ RAW MAPLE, CINNAMON AND APPLE CHEESCAKE! ♥

Here is a video from the day that’s just surfaced too! Brings back nice memories 🙂

The event was beautiful, some Wellness WA readers and writers came down and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I highly recommend everyone attend the second one, details can be found here!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo