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I’m pregnant!!

Don’t get me wrong – we love hearing them from friends, then it’s all shrieks, hugs, and tears. But there’s one person we simply do not want to hear it from, and I’m pretty sure I can speak for the whole sisterhood here…your hairdresser.

Years of unflattering cuts, tragic colours, and massively botched home attempts, litters a rite of passage to be endured until you find, THE ONE. So when your hairdresser enthusiastically declares her impending motherhood, I understand that it takes all your strength not to pick up the buzz razor and fashion a reverse Mohawk through the centre of her perfectly sculpted bob.

Word of warning, if you’re a hairdresser about to make a life changing announcement, please don’t be offended if your clients don’t share your enthusiasm, it’s just that we know our life is about to become ruled by our fickle follicles.

When my last hairdresser drifted off into oblivion, I found myself skulking back to a major corporate salon I’d used years ago in the nineties, Maurice Mead Subiaco.

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Perhaps it was a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder but I was thrilled with the service. Not only were the magazines post World War II, I was given a cup of tea and placed in front of a television showing the latest fashions, then given a head massage to die for. The act of hair washing reached a whole new level when, lying back on a black leather vibrating massage chair, the apprentice worked his magic for a good 15 minutes, all the while checking on my personal level of pressure, bliss. Numb beyond belief I watched on as my stylist, Ailsa, retrieved my card and identified the colours that had worked best for me in the past then listened to what I wanted. Not only that, she checked regularly to make sure I was happy. In the end I left the salon relaxed and feeling very special. While it was a lot dearer than my previous stylist, I’d almost pay double just for the head massage, but don’t tell them that.

Maurice Meade Subiaco
9/127 Rokeby Road, SUBIACO WA 6008
Salon is located on Barker Rd

PH: (08) 9381 6447
Web: http://www.mauricemeade.com.au

Review by Glennys Marsdon – author, blogger, consumer behaviourist who’s spent a lifetime researching why we do what we do, but still hasn’t worked out Hollywood tap.

Be well,

xoxo

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As any self-respecting gal knows, showing just the right amount of skin can make or break an outfit. So you want to make sure that what is on show, looks smokin’ hot right? I trialled a couple of select body lotions designed to make your skin radiate and smell delicious, the best way to complete a fab look.

Trilogy’s rosehip oil is a hit in my beauty cabinet. After trialling it a couple of years ago, it’s now a mainstay for the nourishing loving it provides my skin with.

I was excited to see one of Trilogy’s products in the glowy, showy skin line up. The cream’s scent was another yummy one, but completely different to Sasy n Savy. The combination of Evening Primrose, Jojoba and Rosehip oils created a mellow, calming scent. The cream provided a far more subtle sheen but was the best moisturiser of all the products, making them perfect for the pins. It didn’t scream night on the town, rather sang lunch with the girls or shopping day out and I’ve been lathering up the legs in this delicious cream nearly every day. My moisture-hungry legs are loving it and yours will too.

Sasy n Savy Silk Shimmer Body Lotion, $40

If it’s made it’s way into the hallowed halls of Harrods, it’s got to be good. This Australian owned and made brand has just launched into England’s ritziest store and uses plenty of Aussie goodies. The Silk Shimmer Body Lotion is action-packed with Kakadu Plum, Wild Rosella and Grass Lily but the most over-powering smell is the Rose-Geranium oil. The shimmer is a yellowy-gold and was the boldest of all I tested. The fragrance was elegant and subtle enough to not overpower your favourite perfume, making the lotion the perfect choice for a glamorous gown or party frock. Rub this into your shoulders and décolletage for a gorgeous glow on a big night out.

What are your favourite glowy products? Share them below, we’d love to hear!

Review by Lisa O’Neill, a freelance journalist and part-time triathlete who loves to squeeze in as much pampering as possible in her free time.

Be well,

xoxo

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1. Kale

I’m currently having a love affair with kale that I’m very pleased about, after my misadventures in the past. A vegan kitchen whiz pal of mine made us a stunning kale, beetroot, pepita, lemon juice & olive oil salad a few weeks ago. It was DELISH. And you can’t help but feel good after injecting all those vitamins into your body.

Last night I bought a giant bunch of organic kale from Farmer Jacks Subiaco (a fantastic place to buy produce – although their fresh organic stuff is a lot more expensive than the delivered organic fruit n veg I get).

My salad was a variation on the original: kale leaves washed and torn into little pieces, pepitas, dried cranberries and an olive oil + lemon dressing. It was really good, and one bunch of kale should cost you between $3-$5 which is super cheap. Plus you can make them into CHIPPIES and the bunches are always huge. If you’re into gardening, kale is said to grow like weeds – plenty to eat!

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2. Megan Larsen

The founder of Sodashi, and all round inspiring woman Megan has recently done an interview about the North Freo based skincare and body range that has made it big the world over. Find out how this natural, organic company has taken everyone by storm in this interview with Megan Larsen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMEp_mWqAuY

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3. Bloom Sheer Colour Cream in Natural

I’ve been a long time fan of this product in the shade Rosie (perfect for pale skinned brunettes like myself), so when the opportunity to try a new shade came about I was very excited.

This is a really versatile product, you can use it on lips, cheeks and eyes. I found that I love using it to create the highly sought after nude lip. For the cheeks, you only need the tiniest amount, I like to smile, then dab a tiny bit on the apple of each cheek with my fingers and then blend.

I prefer a pinker based blush, so am going to stick with Rosie for the cheeks for now, or maybe try Shy or Coy next as I think the pink undertones suit my pale n proud face best. I’ll still be using Natural as my go-to for a nude lip, but make no mistake, if you have the slightest hint of a tan and want a gorgeous light glow to your cheeks, Natural is going to be your new bestie!

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4. Autumn

I have such a crush on Autumn, don’t tell my boyfriend! To me there’s not much better than getting about in snuggly clothes, drinking copious amounts of tea, taking long steamy baths, eating piping hot home-made pear crumble with vanilla icecream and sleeping as much as possible. Absolute bliss.

Link Love!

♥ Take a little inspiration from nature this autumn – very pertinent given my last crush!

♥ Food Label Quick Check – an excellent addition to your purse, this is a pdf which you can use when you go shopping to check against nutrition labels on food, to see how it stacks up in the healthy-for-you stakes! Very handy.

♥ Are you a sucker or a booster? – Mysterious? Find out here… I try and be a booster as much as possible, though I think when I’ve had too little sleep I might be a bit of a sucker, eek!

♥ Coconut and Basil Brown Rice – a delish recipe, if you’d like to make a huge batch and bring it over to me – please do!

♥ Staying green and healthy when time is running short – lots of handy tips.

♥ Brainpower brekkies – If you need to be on your A-game, these breakfast will have your neurons firing with deadly accuracy.

That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed! If you have any comments or questions I’d be happy to answer them 🙂

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Having just returned from living in London and spending a good few months reorganising my life, it was time to tackle the next job on the list.

I needed to find a new confidant who was good with a wax pot and a spatula. Someone I felt comfortable with for tending to, well you know. I thought it was going to be an arduous task, but luckily I was wrong…

I am not going to hold back on details, it had been a rather long time between drinks if you know what I am saying. Thanks to Scoopon (who doesn’t love a deal?) I bought a voucher for some waxing at Love Bodyworx on Preston street in Como and even before my voucher was valid, toddled along as a full paying customer. I have to admit I was starting to get the cold sweats about the impending pain but knew it had to be done.

I was warmly greeted by the owner Tracey and ushered into a treatment room. I then braced myself for what I thought would be pain only second to childbirth. I clenched my teeth and sweaty palms for the dreaded first rip ……. it didn’t hurt all, nor the second rip, or third, or in fact – any! Yes a relatively pain free brazilian wax and I am telling you there was some serious removal needed, we were lucky there was any wax left in the pot!

Still stunned from the lack of pain, aftercare advice was offered and not the ‘buy this product’ kind, but good honest helpful advice. I left immediately making a follow up appointment (I never do this) and with a new found spring in my step.

Yes it’s a small salon, but the open friendly manner of the owner, the great pricing ($50 and $45 for a repeat visit within 3-6 weeks of initial wax) and the pain free waxing more than make up for it. Love Bodyworx? Yup I do!

Love Bodyworx Beauty Salon is located at:

Shop 2/10 Preston St (on the corner of Mary and Preston)
Como, WA

Ph: (08) 9368 0396

Website | Facebook

Review by Kristy Mollica freelance TV and radio presenter, lover of girl power & things that are so totally not beige!

Be well,

xoxo

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I guess this isn’t really a battle per se, I called it that for the sake of being dramatic – which is something I aim to do daily. The fact of the matter is, both masks set out to do entirely different things, so the best way to compare and contrast in this instance, is to break this right on down for you.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

If you’ve got dry, problematic skin that’s suffering from not enough attention or too much exposure to things that are drying it out and making you look a little haggard you want to go for the Ella Bache. It’s thick, it’s creamy and it’s dreamy. Added to this you can just focus on the areas of dryness by only placing the mask on those spots (which is great news if you have combination skin and don’t want to contribute to oiliness). Think of it as an intense moisturizer.

OR

If your skin is as clogged as the shops at Christmas, then you want to cover your face in some Rodial and quite literally draw out and then peel away those impurities that are causing your pores to block.

Pore strip!

Remember those strips you used to put over your nose to remove blackheads (above)? It works just like that, and is super effective, not only helping to remove dirt and excess sebum but contributing to making the surface of your skin feel and look clearer. See my picture below to get the idea of how it works (and how massively fun it is, you can tell by the expression on my face, right guys?)

TIME: For those that don’t have all the time in the world the Ella Bache Hydra-Revitalizing Repair Balm is great for you because you put it on and let it soak in – no rinsing required and you can use as little or as much as you like. 10 minutes tops.

OR

If you’ve got a bit more time up your sleeve, you should get friendly with the Rodial Glamoxy Snake Mask. The black gel that you put all over your face needs to completely dry to get the maximum benefit. 20 minutes total.

FINALLY– if you were mid mask and the doorbell rang do you want to answer it like this

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Or this?

*This picture was just of me with what looked like moisturizer on my face pulling stupid faces. Suffice to say, you couldn’t see anything. You could answer the door embarrassment free.*

My pick? The Rodial just because my skin requires things drawn out of it these days, for those of you that need moisture and elasticity put back into it, you have to get yourself down to the Ella Bache counter today.

And the winner (for me) is…

The Rodial Glamoxy Snake Mask, for getting rid o’ gunk!

Review by Adriane Daff, mask battle umpire.

Note: Rodials animal-testing policy is currently unknown, we are in the process of finding out.

Be well,

xoxo