Belinda Hart!

♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hi, I am Belinda Hart. I founded Bella Hart – Beauty Emporium just over three years ago with the ambition of creating a comfortable environment for women to purchase cosmetics, skincare and fragrances. I have always loved beauty products but had always found it very uncomfortable and somewhat frustrating shopping in Department stores as the Beauty Advisors could only sell the brand they represented. In our store we can genuinely recommend the products that we think are best suited to your individual needs across all the brands we sell.

I am just about to have my first baby due in a few months, so life as I know is about to significantly change. I also have a new puppy arriving, which I am equally excited about.

The much loved skincare miracle: Clarisonic.

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I cant live without my Clarisonic, it is an electronic cleanser for the face and it cleanses your skin so effectively and leaves your skin feeling so soft and clean. I religiously use this every morning and night and even travel with it.

I have to confess I am a bit of a skincare junkie so I use a fair few products, it seems complicated but doesn’t take me more than a few minutes.

In the morning I use Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Vitamin C, Hydrating B5 Gel and Eye Balm, Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF30, then Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer before applying my foundation. In the evening I use Skinceuticals Retinol every 2nd night and alternate with Skin Firming Cream and every night the eye balm. I exfoliate once a week with the Dermalogica Agesmart thermofoliant and then use one of the Apivita express treatment masks, whichever one I think my skin needs at the particular time.

♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

Once a month the New York facial from Bella Hart (where else…), it delivers immediate results and leaves my skin glowing. Its has the works a peel, Microdermabrasion and Vitamin C mask.

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♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

Circles in Subiaco, they always do a fabulous job and are always up to date with the latest trends and product developments.

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

The Apivita Express Masks. I love that they target every skin concern you could ever have so however your skin is feeling there is something to rectify your concern and they are just $6.90 for about four applications.

♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

– Laura Mercier Illuminating tinted moisturizer (with this your skin is always glowing)
– Lancome Virtuose Mascara
– Clarisonic cleanser.

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

I think everyone in Australia should be protecting their skin with some form of topical Vitamin C. The benefits are significant, it promotes collagen production, its an antioxidant and protects the cells from damage, lightens pigmentation and overall gives your skin radiance.

Vitamin A or Retinol is also another secret weapon in preventing ageing and keeping the skin looking at its optimum. I have also seen great results with this reducing my pore size.

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)

Hypoxi is intriguing me at the moment, particularly appealing for after I have had my baby, it is supposed to be amazing for toning, which I am sure will be high on the agenda.

♥ yum!

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Not a good question for me at the moment with being pregnant and all, my eating has been very odd to say the least and not in the least bit typical. Lots of “chicken in a biscuit”, banana smoothies and big cravings for seafood.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

Prior to pregnancy I loved my RPM cycling and Pump classes but in the last few months I have had to modify that to Pregnancy pilates and walking. Cant wait to crank back up my exercise regime once the baby is born.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

I do try and once a month have a reflexology treatment with the most amazing therapist, I feel incredibly alive after it.

♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

Reading magazines and being anywhere surrounded by water, ideally on a boat.

Thanks for sharing your beauty and wellbeing with us Belinda, follow the link to find out more about Bella Hart Beauty Emporium.

Be well,

xoxo

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1. 7 day green smoothie challenge

This past week I undertook a challenge to see what difference (if any) drinking a green smoothie each day for one week would make to my life. UNFORTUNATELY! I fell off the wagon a few days in, I’m definitely not perfect and nor do I claim to be 🙂 I did however drink a lot more of them than I usually would (4-5) in one week, and I have to be honest I’m feeling pretty darn good. I recently found out about the necessity of rotating your greens when making these type of smoothies, and I have to say I am amazed that nature is so clever. Click that link and read all about why it’s best to rotate… I’m sure it will amaze you as it did me!

In light of that I’ve been flirting with cos (romaine) lettuce in lieu of spinach and kale this week, and LOVING it!

Cos lettuce, blueberry & cashew smoothie.

1 x cup of frozen blueberries
4-6 x medium sized washed cos lettuce leaves
1/2 x cup of raw cashews
2 x cups of water
Optional: 1 x banana

Blend for 1-2 minutes. Will make enough for 2-3 big cups. I find this smoothie incredibly refreshing and it’s absolutely my new favourite, mmmm! Recommended!

2. Echolife Clay Cleansers

I lurrrrve the way this clay makes my face feel. It’s very different to cleansers I’ve gotten used to, being that it’s a lump of wiggly clay in a glass jar, but I take a 10c piece sized amount, rub it into my hands with water and then massage all over my face. It’s perfect for my skin type which is combination – few dry bits, few oily bits, few pimply bits – I’m certainly not blessed in that department. After only a few days of using this I’m already addicted and I love that it’s so natural, I’m really getting back to basics with skincare at the moment, so after cleansing I press a few drops of rosehip or jojoba oil into my face while it’s still damp, for a double hit of natural goodness!

There is also another version I like to use, that contains castor oil, for when my skin is feeling a bit drier (hello winter!).

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3. Toasted cereal topping

This stuff. What can I say? It has transformed my breakfasts in the morning. I put a teaspoon of this wonder-mix, which contains organic raw linseed, sesame seeds, buckwheat, sunflower kernels, almonds and cinnamon. It’s gluten free, no added oils, sugar or salt, GMO free.

I stumbled across it one day at Farmer Jacks, Subiaco and haven’t looked back since. It gives an awesome nutty crunch and texture to my porridge in the morning and it just feels so -good- knowing that I’m getting that extra bit of easy nutrition to start my morning off the right way. I also sprinkle it into my smoothies and it gives it a really interesting flavour kick.

There are heaps of other rad products by the brand, Real Good Food, such as mixes with goji and blueberries, rice porridges, delicious looking trail mixes and MORE! Ps. I’m not getting paid to promote these! I just found them randomly and LOVE the prods, so want to share my joy!

Me at yoga… hah! Nah, it’s number one yogini babe, Kathryn Budig. Crushin’.

4. Sunday Yoga

A couple of weeks ago I took part in a generally unheard of activity… exercise, on a Sunday.

It was amazing! Admittedly, I felt a little smug as I was doing sun salutation after sun salutation when many people would still be in bed nursing a hangover from the night before. I quickly got over that and realised I was doing it for ME, not trying to be better than anyone else. It was a great note to end the week on, and I’m looking forward to it again soon.

The Yoga Company near the Subi train station (across from the road from Wagamama) do Sunday classes, if anyone knows anywhere else that does Sunday yoga, please leave a comment!

Just a couple of links for you this week… we’ve been too busy organising some excellent new competitions to browse too many other websites, but do let us know if you’ve come across anything interesting on your travels! 😉

Linkies:

♥ Foods that promote collagen production
♥ Foods that can help relieve stress

Past week n a bit:

♥ We checked out some superfoods that go ON your body, not just in!
♥ Green Smoothies: A new kind of beauty therapy – one of our most popular articles of all time!
♥ Beauty and wellbeing routine: Ashlea Ingham, Model & Miss Universe Australia Contestant!
♥ Planet Eve Organics – another ab-fab Aussie organic brand, LOVE!
♥ Say bye bye to cranky winter skin!
♥ We reviewed Bikram Yoga in Scarborough to see if we’d survive…
♥ Beauty and wellbeing routine: Lauren, Beauty on the Grove this lass is only 26 and already owns her own salon. What a go getter!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo
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Women spend thousands of dollars every day on beauty products, therapies and treatments to look good and feel younger, but forget about the importance of greens, which can have amazing beauty benefits.

Green smoothies are full of nutrients which when incorporated into your daily regime have amazing effects such as: brightened eyes, radiant skin, strengthened nails, healthy hair, plump and supple skin, and the body also has an increased ability to heal itself. Not to mention increased energy, motivation and assistance with being at your ideal weight!

If there was one dietary change that would make the most profound difference in your life, drinking a green smoothie a day would be it.

Recipe:
1 Pear
1 Apple
½ Avocado
1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
2 cups of spinach
2 cups of filtered water

Method:

Chop the pear and apple into cubes and place in the blender. Add avocado and ginger then the spinach and water. Blend on high for 30 seconds. Makes 1 litre – half for now, half for later 🙂

Leave a comment if you are already on this green smoothie gravy train, have another green recipe or just cannot fathom drinking spinach in a smoothie, we’d love to hear from you!

Quick recipe by Louise Ranger, Nutritionist and owner of Healthy Eating Australia.

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In my elusive search for finding & making ‘me’ time, in order to reflect and just ‘be’ in a self inflicted hectic schedule of work, exercise, socialising & living life in general, I recently attended a 1 day ‘Learn to Meditate’ workshop at the Dharmapala Buddhist Centre in Fremantle accompanied by my ever so supportive Mum!

An avid Wellness devotee, I was well aware of the numerous benefits of mediation but required the 1-0-1 on ‘how to’ meditate. Being a visual learner by nature led me to seek out a local facilitated course, rather than ‘googling’ it & sifting my way through the vast array of information available on the net.

The workshop was facilitated by the Resident Teacher who provided an inspiring and entertaining guide to the essential practices of meditation, including stilling of the mind and contemplative meditation. The course provided the basic instructions needed to incorporate and establish a regular meditation practice into busy daily life.

A delicious vegetarian lunch, morning and afternoon tea were provided which consisted of an abundant assortment of fresh, healthy and re-energising foods.

At the end of the workshop I was inspired to make meditation a part of my daily routine. I’m not quite there yet, however writing this review has reignited my mission to do so! Research shows it takes 21 days to form a habit, so my goal for the next 3 weeks is to take 10 minutes out of my day to meditate, reflect and be grateful & make it a natural part of my daily routine long term.

I would definitely recommend attending the course if you’re seeking guided inspiration for your mediation practice or are just interested in finding out more about meditation in general. The centre volunteers were warm & welcoming and did I mention the food was amazing?!

p.s The course would make a great gift for a loved one.

Visit the Dharmapala Buddhist Centre / Meditation in Perth website for more information on the course structure & other courses available.

Review by Jasmin Chipper meditation rookie, busy expert.

Be well,

xoxo

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Brr brr brrr! The past week has been the chilliest in FOREVS. Cold mornings and nights, mixed with an assortment of sky drops lets us know that winter is well and truly ready to swallow us up, forcing a frantic search for stockings, coats and lots of layers.

The week has been equal parts stressful and opportunity filled for yours truly. I’ll soon be gracing the pages of a quarterly mag, my first foray into non-online writing (nervous indeed!) – more details to come when it’s out!

I hope you are rugged up as you’re reading this, maybe sipping on a hot tea? Bliss! Okay, so here are my beauty and wellbeing crushes at the mo:

1. Timezone Two Player Basketball.

Preferably played with a date or significant other, so you can tease them when you, a small lass with no interest in balls that fly into baskets, win by a generous amount. Oops, that’s me! But really, this is a fun way to get your heart-rate up, engage in some competitive bonding and have a laugh. Loser buys the winner a fruit smoothie!

Aussie Moroccan Oil Alternative!

2. Seven Wonders Moroccan Oil Haircare

It’s difficult to find a beauty lover who hasn’t heard of Moroccan Oil before. Offering shine, softness, easy breezy hair management AND a reduction in drying time, Moroccan Oil has had the world at it’s feet for some time now.

BUT, wouldn’t it be great if there was an Australian made, Perth owned version of this? Yes, it would. And there is!

I got to try the Seven Wonders Moroccan Treatment Shampoo, Conditioner and Oil – it has a sweet, nutty smell which I loved and it’s completely free of sulphates (woohoo!) and parabens (yippeee!). Plus it contains certified organic argan oil, the magic ingredient.

Being free of sulphates means that they don’t lather up as much as conventional hair prods, but it’s BETTER FOR YOU! And that’s the most important thing. If you’re a lover of Moroccan Oil, I suggest you test out this brand next time. Support local business and give your hair a rest from a couple of the haircare bad guys.

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3. Hot Lemon Water

Cold weather means hot drinks are even more excellent than usual. I’ve never been a coffee drinker, but even if you are, maybe you could try this alternative next time you’re choosing some hot liquid to warm you up? Alkalising, detoxing, yummy and cleansing, it ticks all the boxes! I had me some hot lemon water this morning and felt so great afterwards. This tradition will continue. Join me?! xo

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4. Coconut Water

Another drink I’ve been loving is coconut water, specifically the Beyond Coconut Water because it’s packaged in a glass bottle, which is better for you than plastic bottles and cardboard containers. I’ve taken a fancy to eating baked beans on toast with a bottle of coconut water post-personal training sessions and I feel like it helps me rehydrate, feel great, and the bbontoast are just a delicious source of protein to help my lil muscles recover quicker.

Ultra Tiny Link Love:

♥ http://www.just-a-minute.org/ – such a radical little way to bring yourself some peace in 60 seconds during the work day. I tried it and felt much calmer. Love!

♥ Cashew, Coconut Pudding Brekky Recipe – de.lic.ious.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo