Exercise / Yoga Review: Tamara Yoga, Claremont, Perth.

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I’m a lazy, overweight exercise-avoider. I have no excuse beyond a crippling dependence on cake, and in the last year, I’ve been doing my best to try to get on top of this situation. There have been ups, there have been downs, but having recently started attending Tamara Yoga, I’m starting to feel a lot more optimistic about my rocky road to (relative) health and fitness.

Firstly, all credit to my younger sister, who after my unsuccessful week-long attempt at finding a yoga class that worked with my work schedule piped up and suggested I attend Tamara Yoga. It’s obscenely close to where I live, parking is ample and free and their schedule is so insanely varied (7.00am on a Saturday morning, anyone? How about 6.00am on Cottesloe beach?) that you’d have to be truly unlucky to not have something you could attend.

The format is thusly – some classes are fixed, some allow a rock-up-and-pay arrangement. I signed myself up for a six-week beginners course, which locked me in for that amount of time, and meant that each class built on what was learned the week beforehand. They’re wonderfully flexible with this arrangement – I came waltzing in at the week two point, and they altered the fee to reflect the five-week duration. My instructor – the effervescent Carol – quizzed me a bit on my relative level of familiarity and kept an eye on me to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid.

This Buddha greets you in the foyer @ Tamara Yoga

The other option – pay as you go – means that for certain classes you can just turn up and hope it’s not horribly packed (this hasn’t happened – yet). I chose to attend a Vinyasa class at 7.00am on a Saturday morning (yes – this was extremely strange and overeager), which worryingly specified neither all levels or beginners, as many classes do. This instructor (I didn’t catch her name, but the website makes me think Helen), just like Carol, checked on what I knew and what I didn’t and came by to adjust me occasionally. Whilst it was a more advanced class than I strictly speaking should have been attending, every pose and movement had a lesser-powered option, and she was careful to specify easier variations of every motion. It was incredibly inclusive, and very considerate, and impressed the crap out of me.

♥ A class in action

But how are the classes themselves? The key word is relaxed. It’s a very informal, almost chatty format, more educational than you might expect and the wind down, meditation portion at the end (savasana) is complete bliss. The day after my first class I felt less stiff, more limber and more – centred, I suppose? And I don’t resent going at all, like I do gymming, or any other kind of exercise. I actually find myself poring over the schedule and trying to find drop-in classes I can wedge myself into – voluntarily. As in, with no one making me. This is a big deal, kids. As an additional level of awesome they provide everything – mats, blocks, straps, all manner of things. And you can buy rather wonderful yoga equipment there. I’m tempted. Watch this space.

So ultimately I’m really happy with Tamara Yoga. It’s wonderfully informal (which I love) with a great assortment of classes and highly skilled, friendly staff. It is the ultimate in non-intimidating Yoga. Very recommended!

Have you been to Tamara Yoga before? Have a penchant for cake? Lets chat below!

Email: info@tamarayoga.com

Web: https://tamarayoga.com/

Phone: 9385 2242

Tamara Yoga Classes held at The Luck Now Centre
UPSTAIRS 10/24 St Quentin Avenue Claremont Perth Western Australia
Enter via laneway off St Quentin’s Avenue across from Claremont Quarter

Review by Suzanne: she is allergic to exercise, and can only be cured with cake.

Be well,

xoxo

Posted in Exercise, Reviews, Western Suburbs, Yoga | 4 Comments »

Certified Organic Skincare Giveaway: Serenade Organic Restore Eye Cream!

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If you want to start your year off in the best way possible (and who doesn’t?!) then you’ll be thrilled with our latest competition to win 1 of 3 ultra-luxurious certified organic eye creams from Serenade Organic!

Serenade Organic is a WA owned company, and their products are 100% certified organic, free from toxic chemicals, synthetic ingredients and artificial preservatives. They’re also 100% dreamy!

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The Restore Eye Cream is a nutrient rich blend of nourishing Shea Butter, anti-aging Organic Rosehip Oil and cooling Cucumber Oil, which all work together to help keep the delicate skin around the eye supple, nourished and youthful. It also reduces minimises the appearance of fine lines AND puffiness – does this sound like a wonder product or what?

The other great bonus is that you only need a really small amount, as it’s such a gorgeous product packed full of active ingredients, a teeny bit will still do you wonders!

To celebrate this amazing find, we are giving away 3 pots valued at $54.95 each to you, our devoted readers!

All you have to do to be in it to win it is:

♥ Leave a comment below with why you’d like to win…
♥ And then like Serenade Organic on Facebook, so simple!

Good luck 🙂 The competition will be drawn on the 30th of January…til then, if you’re keen on checking out Serenade then they have a fab little 10 day travel pamper pack for $29.95 with their three products (all 100% certified organic) which you can get into!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Posted in Other | 40 Comments »

Perth Online Beauty Media (POBM!) Event Wrap-Up and Reviews!

♥ POBM Gals ♥

This Sunday just passed was the culmination of months of organising and planning, the result? The first Perth Online Beauty Media event! So what exactly is POBM? Well it’s a group of girls (no guys…yet!) from Perth / WA who blog and write online content related to beauty and wellbeing. There’s plenty of us, and it was high time that we all stepped out from behind our respective computer screens and got together for an afternoon of networking and strengthening of the online beauty media industry in WA.

It was an amazing day, held at the gorgeous Djurra Day Spa in Fremantle, with healthy raw food pizza and sweets provided by The Raw Kitchen and beautifying drinks by Emma & Toms. A host of other generous sponsors supplied items for the goodie bags (links below)!

I’ve decided to share some of the less formal photos, scroll down and check out the behind the scenes action, as well as a whole heap of blog posts from our attendees which go into a bit more detail! Enjoy!

Find out what everyone else though with this amazing array of blog posts below!

♥ Dempeaux – Perth Online Beauty Media #POBM
♥ Amgoorie – Perth Online Beauty Media #POBM & haul post!
♥ Creatures of Commonplace – POBM, way better than CHOGM
♥ Beautifully Glossy – Perth Online Beauty Media Event – POBM!
♥ Don’t you know April Rose? – Perth Online Beauty Media Event
♥ Dont they know who I am? – Perth Online Beauty Media Event – watch us creep out from behind our computers!
♥ Beauty in the Sky – POBM girls are doing it for themselves!
♥ Beauty Down Under – POBM – Perth’s Online Beauty Meet Up
♥ Coveted Canvas – Perth Online Beauty Media Event
♥ Bride in White – POBM

Hope you enjoyed checking them out! 🙂 Can’t wait for the next event.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Posted in Other | 13 Comments »

Product Review: Jane Iredale’s Chocoholicks!

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Have you, like me, made a New Year’s resolution that involves getting healthier, fitter and avoiding stuffing your mouth with sugar/junk/fun stuff?

If so, here’s a product that can help satisfy those pesky cravings for a Cadbury family block just by licking your lips.

Jane Iredale does lovely make up that is kind to your skin and packed with loads of ingredients that are easy to pronounce (a great sign you’re not working with nasty chemicals).

Now Jane Iredale has combined two of my favourite things: natural skin care and chocolate.

The Chocoholicks Lip Palette is packed with natural ingredients like avocado oil, shea butter, cocoa extract and jojoba seed oil.

Everything about these little beauties is so “sweet”! As the box says: “révélez votre sensualité” or “unwrap the decadence”. Oh I will, Jane, I will.

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The Chocoholicks “bar” I got had some classic chocolate combinations:

♥ Chocolate & Blood Orange – A coppery tone
♥ Chocolate & Espresso – A reddish brown which would look hot over nude lips on olive skin
♥ Chocolate & Berries (drool) – A plum tone
♥ Chocolate & Chilli Pepper – A pinky red tone for the snow queens out there

They come in a handy purse-friendly palette with a lip brush so you can smother on the good stuff wherever you are.

What I loved about these was that they smelled so true to the real thing! Each flavour was so distinct and scrumptious before they’d even hit my lips.

Each colour is unique with a bit of sparkle. The shimmer is noticeable but doesn’t look like you’ve dipped your lips in glitter. However, if you really hate the grainy feeling shimmer glosses give when you rub your lips together, these probably aren’t the glosses for you.

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While the colours are technically sheer, over a nude pencil they work a treat, (I’m currently loving the look of the Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Sandwash Tulle). I also found each flavour gave my lips a little zing which felt refreshing!

The palette contains colours suited to most skin tones. Considering I’m pastier than Casper, I wasn’t sure the rich browny orange tones would work with my skin. For me, a sheer slick of Blood Orange and Chilli Pepper suited me best, while Espresso and Very Berry would probably suit darker and/or warmer skin tones.

No matter what your flavour is, these glosses will get you through the new year with a lip-smackingly natural pout!

Available from Adore Beauty – even better, it’s on sale for $35 down from $50 as at posting! Yippee!

Review by Gemma Clark, member of Chocoholics Anonymous and lover of all things deliciously natural.

Be well,

xoxo

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Product Review: Busby Pure Tissue Oil.

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Body grossout is the best kind of high school fun – remember that scene in The Breakfast Club where Ali delights in shaking her dandruff out onto her notebook?

As a high schooler, I myself would take great joy in ignoring the ineffectual ramblings of my teachers and focusing on more mesmerising activities, like pinching my thick black girls’ school uniform stockings and watching bits of dead skin come through the stockings’ porous fabric. Nothing pleased me more than watching the tiny white particles explode and mingle with all the dust already in the air.

Nowadays, I have the increased body self-consciousness one lacks as a 16 year old: the thought of dry, scaly legs certainly doesn’t delight me in the way it did back then, in fact, probably quite the opposite! I pretty much always have a pump pack of affordable moisturiser in my bathroom I slather on my pins post-shower to avoid scaly legs. I like moisturisers that are not too thick so they spread easily and absorb quickly, so you can pull on your leggings without them sticking mid thigh to your slimy legs. As you can see, I equate keeping my skin hydrated with light moisturisers – I had not, until recently, considered using a body oil for the same purpose.

Rosehips!

I recently trialled Busby’s Pure Tissue Oil, a mix of grape seed oil, rose hip oil, vitamin E and avocado oil, and am definitely more appreciative of the beneficial properties of oil, in my case, in the place of a moisturiser.

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I tested it on my legs (dehydrated skin) for just over a month, and also used it on my chest area in the hope of reducing some minor stretch marks. The oil comes in a pump pack (which made me happy – I don’t have enough ‘getting ready’ time to put aside for a screw top! The packaging is fully recyclable, too) and is really light – I would say it absorbs just as fast as my regular body moisturiser. While it does leave a nice sheen on your legs, it’s not a slimy one, nor one that soaks into your pants – it soaks into your skin only.

After using the oil for over a month, post-showers, the condition of the skin on my legs is pretty great – taught, smooth to the touch, hydrated. As to the stretch marks, I’ve experienced only a minor reduction in their appearance – but perhaps upping the application to twice a day or more might be more effective.

Something definitely worth noting in regards to the Busby Pure Tissue Oil is that it’s super natural: it’s not tested on animals, contains no animal derivatives, no artificial colourants, no parabens, no petrochemicals and no preservatives. I am a regular user of Bio-Oil, which I have found very effective in reducing a problem blemish area on my chin, as well as tightening up and reducing cellulite on the skin on the back of my thighs. However, for its many great properties, Bio-Oil does contain mineral oil, which is a petro-chemical derivative and is harmful to the skin. The Busby oil, however, contains no petrochemicals or mineral oils, so it’s definitely worth looking into as a substitute for Bio-Oil if you’re a fan of the latter.

Busby Pure Tissue Oil is $17.95 for 100ml and is available at most pharmacies or call 1800 655 841 for stockists in your area.

Review by Danielle M, editor @ The Thousands Perth City Guide.

Be well,

xoxo

Posted in Products, Reviews | 4 Comments »