♥

Hello ma petits! Welcome to another edition of Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes!!! This is going to become a regular feature, because I love to bang on about the healthy and pretty things that are keeping me rockin’ in the free world and there is the slight possibility that you may also be interested! Win-win!

Why don’t we start with my number one current crush? Ok!

1. Ltd Edn “From Paris, With Love” Seasonal Nail Duo from Mecca Cosmetica.

I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it online,
I knew it had to be mine!
I thought it’d make my nails look damn fine.

Alright, average poems aside, this is great. I’m a little bit late on the boat with this one as I believe it was meant to be a Valentine’s day thing (Paris, love, you know the story!) but that didn’t stop me from painting my nails as soon as it arrived post-Valentines.

To me, my fingertips look more like they are channeling Provence more than Paris. The deep, yet pastelly blue gives rise to the feeling that a lavender plant could sprout from my fingertips at any moment!

The packaging when ordering online is gorgeous, arriving at my doorstep tied with a beautiful thick burgundy ribbon (scuse the mess and ‘justgothomefromwork’ camera avoidance).

The red is also a great colour and has been hanging out nicely on my toes. This pack is a good treat or gift for someone special who loves polish or needs a pick-me-up!

It’s available in-store at Mecca Cosmetica, or online, whichever you fancy.

2. Indigo Grinds – Caesars Grind.

My friend from work (and swell singer) Sian, got me onto this stuff after talking about how she liked to sprinkle / grind some onto avocado on toast. The one she uses is ‘Buddha Brew’, and there is a whole variety in the range as you can see from the above image, but the one I decided to go for was the ‘Caesars Grind’ which has: sea salt, garlic, onion, tomato, parsley and thyme.

This stuff is DELICIOUS on avo + toast and sprinkled onto roast tatoes, which is all I’ve used it for so far. You can also use it in pasta, salads, soups, sandwiches, meat (if you so wish!)… pretty much anywhere.

Unfortunately I can’t seem to get the image of Julias Caesar doing the bump & grind out of my head whenever I use this, but that’s a small price to pay for this new found tastiness.

I paid $5.70 at the Subiaco Markets or you can contact Indigo Grinds to find other stockists.

♥

3. Presence de Bach Parfum by Le Fleurs de Bach.

I was recently sent a couple of samples of Le Fleurs de Bach from awesome Perth website Bathing Beauty Organic Apothecary (check them out!). Most of us will have at least heard of Bach flower remedies, or even Rescue Remedy which just so happens to be in our first aid kit where I work!

Dr Bach was a well known physician, bacteriologist (sexy), homeopath and researcher of his time. Through his studies, Dr Bach discovered that our negative mindsets could indeed cause the onset of illness. Intent on finding a cure for the causes of illness, rather than the symptoms, he identified 38 flower remedies to help rebalance the 38 negative mindsets he identified. The flower remedies rebalance by gently kick-starting the positive emotions, and bringing them out of hiding.

Le Fleurs de Bach follow his production methods to a ‘t’. The result is some pretty phenomenal smelling scents, my favourite being ‘Presence(s)’.

Excerpt…

“The uplifting, fresh and relaxing scent of Présence(s) de Bach promotes feelings of inner reconciliation and improved communication with those around you. You will enjoy a renewed and positive outlook on your environment, leading to calm and inner peace.”

And I really do feel that it is relaxing! I love giving it a sniff throughout the day, I’m not sure if my communication with others is improved (you’d have to ask them!) but I do know that I love the smell so that’s good enough for me – anything else is a bonus! 🙂

You can grab it online at Bathing Beauty Organic Apothecary (available exclusively through them!)

That’s my pick for this week lovely folk, let me know if you have any questions or comments about the above, and hopefully you’ve found something new that you might like to try!

What beauty and health crushes do you have at the moment? Share the love!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Let me share some of my New Years Resolutions with you:

♥ Call or catch up with Mum and Dad once a week
♥ Try Omnilux and microdermabrasion
♥ Call my friends on their birthdays
♥ Finally learn, ONCE AND FOR ALL, how to apply makeup with at least a 1% degree of skill!

Last Saturday I turned up at Bella Hart in Subiaco in order to work on that final point. With my notoriously hard to match skin tone and eyes that I was certain just couldn’t ‘do’ eye makeup, the ‘Flawless and Minimalist‘ makeup workshop had found itself a tricky participant, but I was also hopeful my woes would turn out to be no match for the makeup experts.

The start of the class. The cute thing, which you can’t see very well here, is the cups! They have hearts on them 🙂 I thought it was a nice touch.

The workshops go for 2 hours, from 9:30am-11:30am, usually on a Saturday, and there were 6 of us workshop-ees in total, a mixed bunch – all with very different skintones and colourings, as well as one main makeup artist & her model / assistant.

Dani (makeup model / assistant) and Rachael, who ran the event showing us how to achieve an easy day look. I’d also like to note here that Rachael’s makeup was gorgeous, when she came up and greeted me at the start I was very impressed with how good it looked.

Armed with our sheet to write down the products we used and liked, an array of brushes, a personal mirror & our eyes and ears to watch and learn, we worked through each area of the face

As a makeup novice, I feel like I learned a lot!

Some of the highlights include:

♥ Finding a makeup shade that gives a bit more coverage than I would usually use, but looks great in photos. (Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation in Porcelain Ivory (yep, I’m a ghostie!)
♥ Finding out you can apply primer using a foundation brush.
♥ BECCA Fine Loose Finishing Powder in Sesame. Winner.

The BECCA powder in question!

I did struggle with the eye makeup section of the class, as I literally have only the most minimal skill in that department. Another member of staff who wasn’t involved in the workshop came over and helped me by doing a great look on me with eyeshadow – unfortunately it wasn’t the one that everyone else was learning, and I have no idea how to replicate it, so I’m still lacking the basic eyeshadow skills.

Half the group!

The other half. (sorry about the pics!)

Overall I would recommend this master class for sure! It was a bit rushed towards the end so it would be nice if there was an extra half hour or additional staff member on hand to help out with the workshop, but all in all it was a success and I left with some new tools under my beauty belt.

I think the best thing about the workshops are the range of products available to try – because there is a wide range of makeup brands, you’re not going to get forced into a ‘not quite good enough’ shade like you might if you attended a brand-specific event.

I did laugh though, because the minimalist look that we did on ourselves was actually WAY more makeup than I would usually use – even for going out at night as I don’t tend to wear a lot of makeup!

I will be attending and reviewing another three workshops being run by Bella Hart in the coming months, so please stay tuned for more photos and reviews 🙂

I was invited by Bella Hart to attend the workshops.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ April Rose does the makeup for Little Gracie ♥

It’s always a great sign when your makeup artist has beautiful makeup. It also helps if they’re stylish and sweet, too!

Professional makeup artist (in training!) Jacqui Bradfield aka April Rose Makeup (and blogger at Don’t you know April Rose?) is creating a strong portfolio of work, before she’s even graduated.

Working on campaigns for up and coming Perth based fashion labels, as well as turning her family and friends into model look-a-likes, Jacqui has decided to turn her hand to doing YOUR makeup!

Jacqui herself!

Another Little Gracie makeup creation by Jacqui.

And click here to see the transformation of her little sister!

You can win your very own makeup sesh with Jacqui by entering her competition! Basically all you need to do is head over to the April Rose Makeup Facebook page, press like, and then you are entered in the draw.

The competition closes on 20 March 2011.

Good luck!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

I’m not a facial girl by nature. If I have time, cash, and feel like treating myself then I am all over a full body massage. So when I was given a gift certificate for a facial for Xmas, I was hoping I could exchange it for something more my style.

The voucher was for Be Ba Beau in Highgate. A quick Google and I learned that they do not have a website (which always frustrates me), so I couldn’t see the price list for treatments and possible other options. After a few phone calls, messages, and finally a trip down to the actual salon – I had a hard copy of my options as well as the knowledge that the Beauty part of the hairdressers is a separate business- Beauty by Rayne, though the treatments take place by Rayne in the same super cute house as her Mum’s salon.

My previous hatred of facials is only based on 2 experiences to be fair. The first one in London where for the full hour the therapist repeatedly put various smelling stuff on and then immediately off of my face and then in China at a crazy 24 hour spa which was just wholly bizarre in so many ways (email me and I will tell you why) and was a waste of my face’s time.

The anatomy of microdermabrasion.

Rayne listened to my facial concerns and suggested the microdermabrasion was the way to go, as it would be effective in reducing some of my zillions of newly acquired Perth freckles!! I had never heard of this sort of thing and thought that a voucher was a great time to do something I would not usually go for, especially when it would be of great benefit.

Now, there were a few teething problems booking in for my treatment, so when the day finally came I was excited to finally get in there!!

The facial itself was brilliant and worth the initial hassle. It contained all of the nice rituals that one would expect (exfoliation, face and neck massage, hot towel and mask) all done by Rayne who is gorgeous and so good at what she does. The best bit was the actual microdermabrasion which is “a mechanical medium for exfoliation along with adjustable suction to remove away the outermost layer of dead skin cells”. It is a non-invasive procedure and wasn’t painful, nor pleasurable but boy did I see results quickly.

The exfoliation part has evolved from rocks, stones and shells, to crystals, particle-free diamond tips and particle-free bristle tips. Rayne uses a machine with diamond tips as she feels it goes deeper than most, without being too abrasive, she likes to go as deep as she can to decrease the amount of times a client has to come in for treatments. I was told that 1-2 more times would be most effective at this stage for me to really get at those pesky freckles but then I wouldn’t need constant treatments as my skin is in quite good shape.

A lot of women get it every week or fortnight and apparently it is very good for wrinkle reduction, as well as freckles.

This is a different kind of ‘freckle reduction’ hehe..

In terms of my own results… it worked a treat. My husband noticed immediately (a great feat in itself) and my skin looked like it had done during a Canadian winter!! I will now be staying out of the sun religiously and get top ups once in a while as a treat. I think it is not only great for older ladies as wrinkle reduction and skin rejuvenation, but also for us fairer sun babies who are sick of too many dark freckles and sun spots. I can think of a few friends with weddings coming up that may be interested too.

Rayne also informed me that they are in the process of getting a website up too, hooray!!

(But for now you can check out their Facebook if you are interested)

Microdermabrasion and decolletage and full facial: $130.

Be Ba beau Hair and Beauty
455 Beaufort Street, Highgate, 6003

Ph: 93282888

Review by Sarah Devlin, my personal trainer of choice and super cute freckly gal.

Be well,

xoxo

Kate Bevilaqua!

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

– Completed a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education at UWA followed by a Diploma of Education
– Began teaching PE and Health to year 8 – 12s at Christ Church my first year out and remained there for 8 years
– During that time I played netball and was determined to take that as far as I could despite the constant reminders that I was too short!
– During my netball off season my cousin Wesley convinced me to try a triathlon as a means to keep fit!
– Eventually enjoyed triathlon so much more and quit netball! The culmination of 3 different sports, swimming, cycling and running keeps it interesting and it also has a great social/community feel about it!
– After a few years of short course racing, my coach eventually convinced me to give an Ironman a go and after qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman, my first 2 attempts and finishing 3rd as an amateur at the World Champs I obtained my Pro license and have not looked back since!
– 4 years later I have quit my job and am a full time professional triathlete who spends 6 months of the year in Perth, and the other 6 months in Boise, Idaho in the USA
– Most recently I finally won my first Ironman in Busselton, Western Australia and it will be a moment I will never ever forget!!

Invisible Zinc 4 Hour Waterproof Sunscreen SPF30+

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

– First thing in the morning I am usually swimming biking or running, I will never leave the house without moisturiser, followed by Zinc on my face and lip balm on my lips.

– Zinc I either use Invisible Zinc or the skin coloured Sun Zapper Zinc stick you can get in Coles. It is perfect for those long, long days out in the sun.

– Moisturiser I use L’oreal day cream with suncream and an age perfect night cream.
– Lip Balm, every type of Blistex you will find in my drawer.
– Cause of all the swimming I have a leave in oil treatment for my hair because I don’t like to wash it every day!! I love to use Moroccan Oil.

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

Massage (if you can call this a beauty treatment!) Once a week! My masseuse, Mark Eden, definitely knows how to keep me going strong! But otherwise i recently had a facial with my mother which I hadn’t done in years and was amazed how great my skin felt afterwards. Would like to make this a regular part of my beauty routine!

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

I have a local hairdresser, Avant Garde in South Perth that I have been going to for years and it is so easy when they know you and your hair and I don’t have to always explain why my hair is in such bad condition after all the swimming and sweaty training! I can just sit there and relax and she knows exactly what I want!

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

A good facial mask or scrub! Once every week or 10 days! Gets rid of that dead skin and makes my face feel fresh again at least for a little while! I use Anew Clinical Micro – exfoliant.

So many to love!

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

– Blistex Lip Balm
– Sun Zapper Zinc Stick
– Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse

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

Sleep!! I think sleep is highly underrated! Let’s be honest! How great do we feel and look (no bags under the eyes!) when we have a good night’s sleep! Lucky for me sneaking in an afternoon nap is something I try and do as much as can!

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

Bikram yoga, I have heard so much about it but haven’t found the time yet to do it! Definitely on the “to do” list!

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

I will usually eat a couple of pieces of toast with peanut butter before swimming training in the morning. This lasts a few hours and by the time I get home I am ready for my real breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon, blueberries, banana, and maybe some more peanut butter and almond milk. This fills me up for the rest of the morning and I don’t need to snack. Lunch is usually a roll/sandwich of chicken or egg and salad. Otherwise sushi is also a popular choice. After snack varies between an apple, yoghurt, muesli/protein bar depending what is on the training schedule. Dinner is a protein (chicken, steak and salmon are my favourites) and salad or vegetables.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

Well fitness is my life so there is not a day that goes by (well very few anyway!) when I am not swimming, cycling or running! I usually have a day off every 10 days and a sleep in is absolute bliss!! Generally I will swim 6 times a week, run 5 times a week and cycle 4 or 5 times a week. If I am feeling up to it and try and get some core and strength work in but if I am tired they are the sessions that I will skip for a nap instead!

Fish oil!

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

Besides massage I am strong believer in Acupuncture/dry needling. I will have a session every couple of weeks if time permits to get rid of that tension in certain areas. With all the exercise and training I do I have been taking iron supplements to help prevent feeling too fatigued but also religiously take garlic and fish oil tablets so I don’t get sick!!

Thanks so much to Kate for taking time out of her very busy schedule to share her routine with us! Please leave any questions and comments below.

Be well,

xoxo