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It can be tough to find delicious, natural body products that are kind to animals and the earth. Vegans may be stereotyped as unwashed hippies but this girly-girl likes to look and smell cute while she’s helping to save the world! It’s taken a lot of experimentation to find my favourites but here are my top six:

♥ Lush – I love Juicy Shampoo, from $10.95

Remember when Lush were just about glittery bath bombs? Those sparkly balls of fun are still there, but now Lush also stock an incredible range of fresh, hand-made skin and body care clearly labelled ‘Vegan’. Thank you, Lush! This fun, fruity shampoo smells amazing and is packed with organic papaya, kiwi and citrus oils for beautiful shine.

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♥ Lush – Veganese Conditioner, from $13.95

This creamy conditioner kicks lanolin to the curb and uses agar seaweed gel to soften, and lavender and lemons to add shine. It’s perfect for fine hair like mine – adding moisture without weighing it down or becoming too greasy.

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♥ Lush – Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner, $29.95

Chock full of creamy capuacu, brazil nut, shea and cocoa butters, this is the ultimate in deep, hydrating luxury. The fact that it makes your skin smell like roses in the sunshine is just a very happy bonus.

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♥ Kosmea Rosehip Oil, from $24.95

Incredibly rich and velvety, Australian owned, ethically sourced and 100% certified organic, this is bliss in a bottle. Best of all I started receiving compliments about my ‘glow’ from the end of the first week! Apply immediately after showering and allow it to absorb for a couple of minutes before applying eye cream, moisturiser and make-up. It’s perfect for night time application before bed too, but just be careful to protect your pillowslips because the rich colour can stain. Read about a rosehip ritual here for more rosehip goodness!

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♥ Joi Pure Recovery Eye Serum, $35.00

Enriched with natural anti-ageing ingredients like Argan Oil, Green Tea and Ginseng, I apply it twice a day and pop it into the fridge first if I feel like an extra treat. The cool creaminess is oh so soothing on your delicate eye area.

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♥ Lush – Ultrabalm, $7.90

As a former-Lucas’ Papaw Ointment addict, this all-purpose balm is my all-time, so-crazy-good, can’t-live-without-it favourite! First recommended to me by one of my blog readers when I mentioned my previous battles with eczema, I was hooked from the minute I first tried it and now never go anywhere without it. Great for dry hands, cracked heels, sunburnt lips and even under your make-up if your face is feeling particularly dry. Free from all of the nasty petrochemicals found in Lucas’ Papaw Ointment, it contains just three heavenly ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Candelilla Wax and Rose Wax.

Article by Rebecca, a self-confessed glitterbug and fruit addict. She is currently studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and writes about love, life, laughter and sparkly vegan adventures on her blog Vegan Sparkles!

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♥ Hemp Seeds

Oh, my loves! Where have you honestly been all my life?

For some reason chia seeds don’t really agree with me, I’ve tried many times with little success – they seem to make me feel really spaced out. So I’ve been wondering for a long time how to boost my omega 3 intake in salads and smoothies, and hemp seeds have turned out to be the answer!

These creamy little new friends of mine are actually not approved for consumption within Australia – even though they are everywhere else in the world. Over here they’re sold for alternative uses, such as skincare, but they are food quality and perfectly safe and delicious to eat (they contain none of the chemicals that get you “high”, and are actually a different strain of hemp plant to marijuana).

I’ve been having mine in smoothies, on salads, on frozen blueberries with cinnamon and even just eating them off the spoon. They are delicious and supposed to be very good for you. I’m a convert!

Purchased from Health Kick in the CBD, $17.95 for 250gm, or you can purchase online here, at the Hemp Foods online store.

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♥ Rice Milk

Another a-ha moment I recently had was that soy milk makes me feel sick. As a vegetarian for 10 years I was pretty shocked that it took me this long to zone in on the fact that every time I made a soy smoothie or drank a cup of soy milk, I got a stomach ache, a headache and generally felt exceptionally average.

Only once I started experimenting with rice milk in my smoothies instead over the past few weeks, did I notice that “Wow, I don’t feel horrible after I drink this! Maybe soy doesn’t love me?” A pretty slow revelation indeed, but I’m really happy to have finally figured it out and switched to something that will fuel me and make me feel great. Yay!

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♥ Vanessa Megan Essential Blend Spray

This stuff is amazing! My lovely friend Haley from Peachy Clean Organic Beauty sent me a bottle when I was feeling down and I haven’t stopped using it since. The scent is SO calming and delicious at the same time, it’s got a kind of gingerbread mixed with musk scent and I love it. I spray it all around the house, on my yoga mat before I practice, when I’m feeling uptight, on my clothes before I go out if I want a light and lovely perfume, on my bed before I read there… the list goes on!

Available for $30 from Peachy Clean.

I’d absolutely love to hear what you’re crushing on right now, so please share your crushes below! 🙂

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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♥ Cinnamon

If someone held my spice rack hostage and said I could only choose to save one spice, it’d definitely be cinnamon! Lately I’ve been using outrageous quantities of it in at least one meal a day.

Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar levels and is a killer source of manganese, which is an important mineral for maintaining healthy bones.

Five ways I’ve been adding cinnamon to my diet:

♥ In greek yoghurt mixed with blueberries
♥ In coffee with a little bit of stevia
♥ In my daily green smoothie (along with cayenne pepper and ginger for a real kick up the bum in the morning!)
♥ Sprinkled on cubed pumpkin or sweet potato along with Himalayan rock salt, roasted
♥ In my banancakes (see below!)

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♥ Banancakes

I love pancakes on lazy Sunday mornings, but unfortunately they’re a “sometimes food”. I can’t even describe how thrilled I was to stumble across a “pancake” recipe with two ingredients – banana and eggs – and then to discover it tasted like banana bread…!!!!

After my first shot at making these banana-y pancakey gems, I christened them “Banancakes”. If you’re sceptical, I urge you to try these out because they are the best thing since sliced [banana] bread.

Gemma’s Banancakes

Ingredients:
♥ One medium banana
♥ Two whole, organic, free-range eggs
♥ Cinnamon!!

Method:
In a blender, whiz up the eggs until they’re frothy. Slice up the banana and add it in with a hefty pinch of cinnamon until you end up with a smooth “batter”.

Grease a frying pan with some coconut oil and pour the mixture on – smaller pikelets are easier to flip! Keep the heat on low-medium (the sugar in the banana caramelises and therefore these babies burn easily). Just like pancakes, flip the banancakes when you see little bubbles on the surface. Cook on the reverse side until they don’t feel squishy to touch – it’s about five minutes on each side.

They’re fairly moist so they don’t need any accompaniments, but they are delicious with a drizzle of organic maple syrup.

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♥ T2 Tummy Tea

This tea has helped me curb my coffee and hot chocolate addiction and up my water intake. With peppermint leaves, liquorice root, fennel seeds and calendula petals, Tummy Tea starts off refreshingly minty and ends delightfully sweet (thanks to the liquorice root). It makes for a perfect brew after a meal or snack, aiding with digestion and the sweetness tends to trick my mind into thinking I’m having dessert! Tummy Tea is sugar and caffeine-free and has been taking pride of place next to my kettle since the start of the year.

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♥ MooGoo 3 Vitamins Eye Serum

The three vitamins in the MooGoo 3 Vitamins Eye Serum are vitamins E and C (antioxidants to prevent aging) and B5 (to soothe the skin). The base is a blend of jojoba and olive oils so the product is very moisturising and you only need a little bit to go a long way.

I’ve been using this serum morning and night and have found my under-eye concealer goes on smoother now, and my dryness is improving! I’ve experienced no irritation and so far I’m impressed with how well it absorbs – even though it’s an oil, it doesn’t sit on the skin’s surface for ages, meaning you can apply it for daywear without waiting for the stuff to sink in! RRP $24.90

By Gemma Clark, who would be devastated if someone actually took her spice rack hostage.

Be well,

xoxo

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I was recently treated to an ultra-luxe facial by the lovely ladies at Revive Day Spa in Mount Hawthorn, using the crème de la crème of Dermalogica products matched specifically to my skin concerns.

I arrived a bit early and chilled out with a herbal tea in Revive’s lounge area before my therapist, Kelly, came to collect me.

♥ Revive Day Spa Foyer

Revive is super clean and sanitary, without feeling hospital-like. There was just the right amount of pretty scent perfuming the room and the music was at a good volume with a playlist of easy-listening tunes. Hey, first impressions are important!!

I explained to Kelly that I had easily upset combination skin. I also had a ton of breakouts around my chin and cheeks that I wanted to magically erase. She took a closer look at my skin under a magnifying glass and suggested I try Dermalogica’s UltraCalming range along with products from the AGE smart range to gently resurface my skin and balance its pH levels.

♥ Dermalogica Products

My facial started with a gentle steam to open up my pores. The AGE smart MultiVitamin Thermofoliant, a heat-activated exfoliant with salicylic acid, was then applied to gently dissolve dead skin cells. I could feel a bit of tingling around the more sensitive areas of my face, but it wasn’t uncomfortable and if anything, a sure sign the product was doing its thing!

The UltraCalming Cleanser was very gentle and followed by the MultiVitamin Power Recovery Masque, which gave my skin a generous helping of antioxidants to boost its tone and re-hydrate the drier areas of my face. I was delighted when Kelly asked me if I would mind if she gave me a hand and foot massage while the masque was on – it was so relaxing that I very nearly fell asleep.

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After a spritz of the UltraCalming Mist to calm my redness and sensitivity, Kelly massaged the UltraCalming Serum Concentrate into my skin. The serum is said to work below the surface to help minimise irritation.

Finally, my skin was re-hydrated with the UltraCalming Ultra Sensitive Tint spf30 to protect my skin from the bright sun outside while providing some light coverage. My eye area is quite dry, so Kelly used the very moisturising AGE Smart Multivitamin Power Firm eye cream.

I was left to unwind and come ever-so-close to falling asleep again, before getting ready to face the real world with a brand new, glowing complexion!

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Kelly explained that I’d see some more break-outs in the coming days due to the products she’d used drawing out the impurities. She was spot on (pun intended) and my skin did purge for about a week, but I’ve seen a huge improvement since then. This is also thanks to some Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel samples Kelly gave me. The product works wonders in reducing redness and making the recovery process quick when break-outs strike and went straight onto my Christmas wish list after only two uses!

Overall, the facial provided me with a great idea of which Dermalogica products work well with my skin and the team at Revive were incredibly informative about what each product was designed to do. While I haven’t got the budget to overhaul my entire skincare routine with Dermalogica products, the Revive ladies were very helpful in explaining which products would make the most difference in my current routine.

Reviewed by Gemma Clark, a pale, sensitive and fair-haired skincare junkie.

Be well,

xoxo

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Picture a scene: you and friend sitting around doing what you do and all of a sudden their phone goes 'buzzzzz buzzzzzzz' then a second later yours goes 'buzzzzzzz buzzzzzzz' and after reading you both look up and almost perfectly in synch say; 'is $49 for 10 yoga sessions a good deal?'

Has that happened to you? No? It will. Why? Because everyone's inboxes are filling up with DEALS DEALS DEALS! Quick as a wink.

So today I'm going deep for you guys, I'm seeking out the deal BEHIND THE DEAL. And my dealer of choice today, is Groupon. In the first instance it must be said, I know it seems a little overwhelming. I know it seems easier to just bin that email without opening it. But if you do look you may just stumble upon a shining shimmering splendid.

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So with that in mind and for the purposes of this article I decided to get myself a 24-piece Makeup Brush Set for $29. I had a choice of colour (black or pink) and the delivery was free. TWENTY NINE DOLLARS! PINK! FREE! !!! My choice was motivated by the fact that I have always gazed at makeup artists brush sets in giddy wonderment (in that clap your hands together and bob on the spot kind of way) and as previously mentioned on Wellness WA, I massively enjoy drawin' on me face.

To balance this out I also bought a 20 session pass to a gym for $49 (CBD Health Spa, a gym I like and where WE ARE LOVING that I don't have to buy a full year membership, aren't we guys?) so we are now looking at a product and a service. Range. I like it.

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The brushes are flipping marvellous. I really cannot believe how it worked out to a little over a dollar a brush because the quality of them is so good. No stray brush hairs coming loose and hanging onto your chin like you're growing the world's thinnest most disgusting beard and my makeup application game has gone up a notch or two- hey don't wanna brag…all in all I'm THRILLED. The only downer was that they literally took months to be delivered – like 3 months- but my unease about that has subsided since I use these brushes everyday and am so happy with them. Plus the delivery was free so maybe chill Adriane, gees.

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And the gym one? Um…well…you know…uhhh- that one was instantaneous as soon as I bought it and so there were no problems in THAT regard. Full access to the 24hr gym, all classes and even a couple of PT sessions. But I've only been about three times. I KNOW. But I've got three months to use that one so I'll just, you know, go every single day from now until the end of the year and then I will be the Queen of Groupon Success*. That's totally possible right?

If you've been ignoring those emails because they are annoying you in their multitude then downscale to the ones you are interested in (yes you can choose) and be in it to win it. You might end up with something useful for yourself or your loved ones.

What do you guys reckon? Have you got a good Groupon deal of late?

*Groupon never said they would MAKE me go, that has to come from within…is there a deal that could help with that?

Reviews by Adriane Daff. Make up enthusiast and world class gym procrastinator.