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I had been thinking about getting hair extensions for a little while now. As a lot had changed in my life recently, so I decided new hair was just what the doctor ordered!

I went into Blackberries for Hair in East Perth and had a free consultation with the owner, Evadney, who has been specialising in hair extensions for over 30 years. During the consultation she explained the various ways she can apply the hair and what she recommends based on your hair type. I decided to have the microlink technique with Russian hair.

My hair was looking rather unintentionally balayaged, so she gave me the option to go to my regular hairdresser with the sample of the hair to get my hair a more uniform colour so the hair extensions would blend better.

Evadney applied the microlink hair extensions by separating my hair into even triangle sections with the same amount of hair she clamps onto it. She explained if not enough of your hair is used and then a hair extension is attached which is too heavy, it can lead to your hair getting pulled out, the hair extension falling out or even bald spots!

Lucky for me Evadney is a perfectionist. Once all the hair extensions were expertly put in, she cut and blended my natural hair seamlessly into my new long hair. The whole process took about 4 hours. During this time I had a great chat with Evadney, watched a man get dreads, read some new magazines and learnt how to look after my new hair.

I’m so happy with my new long beautiful hair. I walked out of Blackberries feeling great, confident and a little bit like Rapunzel…

Blackberries is offering an October special, $550 for 120 strands of Russian hair instead of the usual price of $990 which I was very happy to take them up on!

Blackberries for Hair
3/74 Corner of Wellington St & Bennett Street
East Perth
(08) 6161 1431

Review by Jana Tann, aka Rapunzel!

Be well,

xoxo

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First, a disclaimer. I love couch-bound movie days, a good sleep in, and I have never been fond of exercise leggings. But in January, something unusual happened: I embraced the spandex and started waking up at 5:40am three days a week to work out.

Gyms have never been for me. I found it was too easy to slack off on my own, and group fitness classes were too repetitive. My purse strings were too tight for a personal trainer and I wasn’t big on running around my local park (Hey there, busy main road! Check out my shameful fitness level!).

After an indulgent holiday period, I realised that if I wanted to get fit I’d either have to work up some killer commitment and motivation to do it myself, or find someone to kick my butt on a budget.

So I strolled down to my local park and became familiar with Step Into Life.

Despite the corny name, Step Into Life offers the benefits of a personal trainer at a fraction of the cost, in a friendly, non-judgemental group scenario. Sessions range from five people to 30 people of all different shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels.

The hour-long sessions run Monday-Saturday in the mornings and evenings, suiting even the busiest of schedules. You can expect high-intensity sessions which tone, improve cardio fitness and even relieve stress (particularly the kickboxing class!). I’ve not yet done the same workout twice, so there’s no repetition unlike that fitness DVD you once used for a week straight before getting bored and letting it gather dust.

The big winner for me is training outdoors! Perth is blessed with awesome weather all year, so I feel it’s my duty to take advantage of it. The fresh air gets you going, even during chilly 6am starts in the middle of winter.

Prices depend on the franchise, but offer better value the more sessions you do a week. You generally sign up on a 3-monthly basis with direct debit or a one-off payment.

Cost vary between each franchise but my trainer in Carine charges:

$19/session/week if you do one session a week
$16/session ($32/week) if you do 2 sessions a week
$14/session ($42/week) if you do 3 sessions a week

Not sure if you want to commit? You can try it for FREE before you handover any of your hard earned moo-lah.

If you’re still in winter hibernation mode, challenge yourself. Start loving the sweat, the spandex and the outdoors and Step Into Life! I can guarantee within weeks of joining you’ll be checking out your guns in mirrors when no one’s around…not that I do that… 😉

To find out exactly what you can expect at one of the 20 franchises kicking butts in parks across Perth, and for information and contact details of your local trainer, visit www.stepintolife.com.au

Ph: (08) 9301 2351
Email: wa@stepintolife.com

Review by Gemma Clark, recent master of sit-ups.

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There are moments in our life when we feel truly inspired; following a challenging yoga session, after finishing reality TV shows like the X-Factor or The Renovators (as we start shifting our furniture whilst belting out Adele songs), when we receive genuine, full-face-smile inducing compliments or for some, simply after we finish a very strong coffee resulting in creativity and inspiration literally buzzing through our veins. Eating at Samudra; an organic, sustainable and vegetarian café nestled in the heart of Dunsborough, is now listed as one of my inspiring moments.

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The moment my Tony Bianco boots crunched the gravel path and I breathed in the fresh sea-breeze all thoughts of university essays and the Samantha Wills necklace I’d just lusted after in a shop window peacefully retreated from my brain. I was ready to convert to a Birkinstock wearing, yoga practicing, hippie vegetarian. Accompanied by my lamb-loving fiancé, we weaved through the mass of large, natural wood tables and settled at a table perched on the grass, soaking up some indecisive September sun.

The inspiration began to emerge as my eyes flittered across the pages of the menu in excitement, lamb-lover not quite as enticed, pointing to the safest option Superhero Avo Sandwich- Yallingup Woodfired Sourdough topped w/ cashew cheese, tomato, avocado & alfalfa sprouts. I added to the order the Kombi Breakdown, gluten free – A flavour explosion of cumin, coriander, cardamon, clove and one of our favourite superfoods – tumeric, served w/ quinoa and the Feel-good falafels- raw- gluten free- Delicious Egyptian-style falafel balls made with carrots, sunflower seeds & aromatic spices, cumin & caraway seed, served w/ handcrafted sunflower seed aioli and couldn’t resist the Super Green Smoothie- Pear, apple, lemon, orange & kale.

Inside Samudra ♥

Gazing around the Samudra landscape, from the organic eco garden where the chefs source the majority of their produce to the timber decked café area, I realized I could keep my boots on as you did not need to have dreadlocks or favor hemp t-shirts to eat here (my apologies for the stereotyping, although a woman who obviously forgot to wear shoes or brush her hair resulting in long dreadlocks was purchasing an organic chocolate macaroon when I was paying at the end…. just saying!). There was a unique display of customers; from the tourists flaunting jeans with sport shoes (true tourist attire) looking slightly anxious reading the menu, to the couple sitting behind us loudly debating spirituality and money. Whether they came to The Kombi café for it’s genuine passion to inspire and nurture their guests by providing sustainable, organic, biodynamic meals or if they were there just because the line at the local Dome was hideously long, the air thick with relaxation and serenity was beginning to work it’s magic on their minds and stomachs!

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As our order was placed on the table my inspiration levels heightened yet again. The smell, the colours and the delicate plating was enough to demand any carnivores attention (bringing their thoughts back from daydreams about sausage rolls and meat pies from the local bakery). The simple but favourite combination of tomato, avocado and ‘cheese’ (a cashew cheese alternative) was not a let down and the toasted sourdough provided the perfect foundation for these tasty flavors.

The falafel are one of the best I’ve tried, the dense balls just oozing good-for-you-ness, full of spices and nuts and resting on top of a sunflower seed aioli. The dhal with vegetables was served with quinoa was creamy with a noticeable heat hit and very very moreish. I would be a happy woman if I could eat a bowl of their Dhal each week night whilst catching up on Kids Masterchef, perhaps with a sneaky red wine which I’m not sure would be Samudra approved. My smoothie was a vibrant green colour and it was difficult to refrain from drinking as my fiancé tried to capture the perfect picture of it, however in the end I gave in and gulped down the thick and delicious concotion. Just like the rest of Samudra’s delights it tasted like wellness and health, delectable.

Empty plates!

If you are ever in Dunsborough and have worked up an appetite perusing the streets (in the process realizing you desperately needed several new scented candles, new bathers and of course you needed another decorative elephant statue) I would definitely recommend relaxing and filling your stomach at Samudra. You know they have your health and wellbeing at heart, their recipes are constructed with passion and knowledge with ingredients sourced from the garden, available also for your exploring pleasure. As my boots crunched the gravel during my (reluctant) exit from Samudra, my body and mind healthy and light, I felt inspired to recreate my meals with similar ingredients and love. When we know how beneficial the ingredients that go into your meals are for our mind, body and spirit it’s easy to devour everything on your plate (and still purchase a goji berry bliss ball for the road). So how would I describe my experience at Samudra overall? Well it was absolutely dhal-icious 🙂

♥

Address:

226 Naturaliste Terrace
Dunsborough WA 6281

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

Article by Jade Jurewicz, inspiration by Samudra. You can find Jade’s blog over @ http://jadescinnamon.tumblr.com

Be well,

xoxo

♥

Recently, my hair has been getting real long. I’ve been growing it for ages in an attempt to get to a length that I call ‘mermaid hair’. I’m not too far from my goal, but with great hair lengths comes great responsibility. Unlike a real mermaid I am not underwater all the time and my hair is oft tormented by the ravages of dryness and breakages, split ends and unruliness. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the ends of my hair sometimes feel like straw or a broom. Or a straw broom.

Guy De On (natural care from the Dead Sea) have created a Peach Shampoo and a Peach Conditioner to help rehabilitate the hair follicles and prevent splitting and dehydration. Which is exactly what my straw broom is in need of. Both of these two products contain Peach Kernel Oil antioxidant (containing Vitamin F and fatty acids), Pro-Vitamin B5, Vitamin C and Meadow Foam Seed Oil and claim to replace essential elements that the sun and pollution steal from your hair. I was glad to hear this, because with the Australian sun returning in a couple of months to give us another long hot summer, my mermaid hair will need more care and attention than ever.

♥ Peach Shampoo – $25.80

After using the Peach Shampoo and Conditioner my hair (especially the ends) felt smooth and soft (as I was expecting) but also surprisingly lighter which was a great bonus considering that the longer your hair gets the more it can feel like a heavy lifeless curtain. I would almost go as far as saying that I felt like I had more volume in my hair, which for someone with dead straight follicles is not something that I can say after every wash. Also, and this is a far more personal preference, I don’t like to over-wash my hair (one or two times a week tops) and not all shampoo and conditioners can give a good enough clean to go the distance- but the Guy De On products seem to be able to handle two times a week without any trouble.

♥ Relaxation Bath Crystals – $30.25

One last honourable mention from Guy De On is the Dead Sea Relaxation Bath crystals. I was having one of those weeks, the kind of awful week where it’s only Tuesday and you just can’t wait for it to be over. You know the kind. Well, my week was made significantly more bearable by having a bath with these Guy De On crystals every night which maybe that was slightly indulgent of me, but the beautiful smell of the crystals (extracted from the Dead Sea) and the aromatic oils really helped soak away my aches and pains and made me feel a little less like I was falling apart.

Who would have thought that such life-giving products could come from the Dead Sea?

Review by Adriane Daff, actress and Dead Sea Devotee!

Products were provided for consideration.

Be well,

xoxo

♥

Just hearing the name “Jurlique” takes me back to my teenage years, where I yearned so strongly to be able to afford to buy their products from Myer and relished in the 2ml sample of the now discontinued ‘Moor Mud Masque’ I found in a showbag from an unknown womens expo.

The packaging has had a facelift since then though, a natural one of course, but the products are still as widely coveted as ever and I am thrilled to be able to write about three of Jurlique’s glorious beauty children which landed on my doorstep recently.

♥ Jurlique Daily Exfoliating Cream

How is your current exfoliant treating you? Is it harsh, scrubby or scratchy? Does it leave your skin red or dry? If you answered yes to any of these questions it’s time to get something a little more soothing onto your face to buff away your tired and dull skin cells. Daily Exfoliating Cream works a treat and is made primarily of oats, ground almonds and honey to sweep away dirt and debris.

I’ve been using this daily and really enjoying it, just make sure you rinse well as sometimes almondy-oaty bits can get stranded on your face!

TIP: Make sure you focus on your forehead & t-zone when exfoliating, so many peeps focus on the cheeks since it’s what we see on TV/in magazines but the other areas are usually in need of more scrub-a-dubbery.

♥ Jurlique Jasmine Body Care Lotion – $44

This moisturiser is creamy and dreamy. I had a revelation when I smelt it, it reminded me of some flowers that grew at my house and that I LOVED sniffing growing up. A quick google led me to the truth – they were jasmine flowers! I didn’t know I liked jasmine prior to using this, now I know I LOVE it! I use this at night before bed all over my legs, to guide me into a childlike slumber.

Childhood jasmine flowers, I’m so glad I found you! Lets never be apart again. – xoxo a

♥ Jurlique Purely Age Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream – $90

Whilst I’m more often than not mistaken for someone of a much younger age (not complaining!), I’m still a big fan of this “age defying” cream. I usually find myself applying it in the evening before bed and can instantly notice that my skin feels much smoother and plumper, I just want to keep touching it, but of course that is Very Naughty and so I try and control myself. I found it also makes a good base under makeup, though I would only do this at night as there’s no SPF included.

The smell is very pleasing to my olfactory nerve as well, which can only help when you’re pressing something into your face. Yep, press! The jar specifically states that pressing the product gently into the skin will yield you the best results and I’ve become quite a fan of the pressing method, which is new to me.

I’d certainly recommend this for anyone wanting plumper, firmer skin, whether it works on wrinkles as well I can’t currently say – maybe I will know in a few more years!

So concludes the tale of my three new loves.

Do you like the sound of any of these? There are so many other Jurlique prods that I want to try, but I can’t choose what to go for next!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo