In the summertime when the weather is fine, in the summertime when the weather is fine, in the summertime you got yoga you got yoga on your mind!

I have previously undertaken holistic personal training / private yoga classes with Stuart Watkins and can wholeheartedly attest to them being rejuvenating, inspiring, calming and grounding. You will feel excellent after a class.

Do yourself a favour and get down to one of these if you can, the first class started yesterday and they will be ongoing until further notice, but do get in touch with Stuart before attending to confirm.

Namaste!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

Just hearing the name “Jurlique” takes me back to my teenage years, where I yearned so strongly to be able to afford to buy their products from Myer and relished in the 2ml sample of the now discontinued ‘Moor Mud Masque’ I found in a showbag from an unknown womens expo.

The packaging has had a facelift since then though, a natural one of course, but the products are still as widely coveted as ever and I am thrilled to be able to write about three of Jurlique’s glorious beauty children which landed on my doorstep recently.

♥ Jurlique Daily Exfoliating Cream

How is your current exfoliant treating you? Is it harsh, scrubby or scratchy? Does it leave your skin red or dry? If you answered yes to any of these questions it’s time to get something a little more soothing onto your face to buff away your tired and dull skin cells. Daily Exfoliating Cream works a treat and is made primarily of oats, ground almonds and honey to sweep away dirt and debris.

I’ve been using this daily and really enjoying it, just make sure you rinse well as sometimes almondy-oaty bits can get stranded on your face!

TIP: Make sure you focus on your forehead & t-zone when exfoliating, so many peeps focus on the cheeks since it’s what we see on TV/in magazines but the other areas are usually in need of more scrub-a-dubbery.

♥ Jurlique Jasmine Body Care Lotion – $44

This moisturiser is creamy and dreamy. I had a revelation when I smelt it, it reminded me of some flowers that grew at my house and that I LOVED sniffing growing up. A quick google led me to the truth – they were jasmine flowers! I didn’t know I liked jasmine prior to using this, now I know I LOVE it! I use this at night before bed all over my legs, to guide me into a childlike slumber.

Childhood jasmine flowers, I’m so glad I found you! Lets never be apart again. – xoxo a

♥ Jurlique Purely Age Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream – $90

Whilst I’m more often than not mistaken for someone of a much younger age (not complaining!), I’m still a big fan of this “age defying” cream. I usually find myself applying it in the evening before bed and can instantly notice that my skin feels much smoother and plumper, I just want to keep touching it, but of course that is Very Naughty and so I try and control myself. I found it also makes a good base under makeup, though I would only do this at night as there’s no SPF included.

The smell is very pleasing to my olfactory nerve as well, which can only help when you’re pressing something into your face. Yep, press! The jar specifically states that pressing the product gently into the skin will yield you the best results and I’ve become quite a fan of the pressing method, which is new to me.

I’d certainly recommend this for anyone wanting plumper, firmer skin, whether it works on wrinkles as well I can’t currently say – maybe I will know in a few more years!

So concludes the tale of my three new loves.

Do you like the sound of any of these? There are so many other Jurlique prods that I want to try, but I can’t choose what to go for next!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

Nestled between an organic pizza shop (!!!) and a yoga school, Being She is a cute little beauty & gift salon on St Brigids Ave in Scarborough. I headed down there on a gentle spring day to take part in an exciting sounding treatment called the “Wildflower Holistic Facial“, which seemed like the perfect way to coax my skin away from winter dullness and transplant it firmly in the new season.

On the drive out to Scarborough I found myself noticing plenty of little flowers growing by the side of the road, which I thought was a good sign (even if they were just weedy dandelions, they were still pretty!)

Being She uses the Heritage Healers range exclusively. If you haven’t come across it before you’re in for a treat, organic and holistic wildflower essences which work inside and out to balance the skin and and promote wellbeing – Bliss!

The experience begins with a quiz to find out your ‘persona‘ (you can take the test online, here) which will determine some of the products used, as well as flower essence drops placed under the tongue at various points throughout the facial to help balance you internally!

I was a water babe, so took a mixture of Goddess Grasstree, Macrozamia and Purple Nymph Waterlily. The combination of these three essences helps to overcome vulnerability and sensitivity, balances out male and female energies, stimulates nurturing and caring qualities and overcomes emotional dependency. Sounds good!

Throughout the next hour my face was cleansed, moisturised, exfoliated, massaged, masqued, hot toweled and my arms massaged. What a wonderful day to spend a spring saturday morning!

I found this video on the Heritage Healers website which takes you through exactly what happens during the Wildflower Holistic Facial, handy!

I believe the true test of character of a good facial is how your skin looks the next day, and I’m happy to report that upon first morning peer into the mirror my skin looked clearer and the few pimples on my chin had gone down about 50% in size!

This facial won me over.

BeingShe also have a range of other interesting treatments, such as oxygen facials, Divine Goddess Facial (!!), Chakra Energy balancing & threading, among much more!

Location:

178a St Brigids Terrace
SCARBOROUGH
WA 6019

Web: http://www.beingshe.com.au

Email: beingshe@westnet.com.au

Ph: (08) 9341 3630

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

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

Hello! My name is Lavida Rose. I facilitate private workshops in stress transformation, emotional resilience and lifestyle enhancement. I love food. I love animals. And I never get the two confused. Philosophically, I love any form of elevation and expansion. I love creation. I love reverence.

♥

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

My daily beauty routine starts with compassion, followed by a preferred 5am start (exceptions happen!). To me, beauty begins with how we relate to things, people, animals and the environment around us. I like to get the most out of the day which motivates me to get an early start. Beauty begins with how I feel and think, then, I add on a few basic extras like home grown lemons, fair trade coconut oil and nourishing food.

♥

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

I can’t live without the beauty treatments created and shared by mother nature; sunshine, fresh air, waterfalls, natural phenomena, the ocean, mountains and hills. The choices are too competitive to have favourites!

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

Me! I always have a pair of scissors handy and most anything else which is used at a hair-dresser; would be a no go for me, I prefer to be chemical and pollutant free.

♥

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Ooh that’s a close call between organic coconut oil and raw organic lemon. I cleanse with fresh lemon juice (gradual dilutions are best on sensitive skin) and I do most everything else with coconut oil; moisturize, condition my hair, brush my teeth and eat!

♥

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

– My own unlimited supply of Niulife Fair-trade Organic Coconut Oil

– Home grown organic lemons
– Organic Rosehip Oil

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

Heart consciousness and an open mind, these two things make a big difference, as does, connecting with natural elements, like sunshine and fresh air!

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

This would definitely include travel to experience something exotic in another country, like natural hot springs or a mud bath or a waterfall massage.

♥

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

A typical day of eating for me; is all about conscious consumption. Being aware of both energy lines in which food is prepared and produced and enjoying taste, texture and composition. My Eat-style is all about wholefoods (food that comes from the earth and stays that way until you buy it). My eat-style is also all about simplicity. It is about having a clean and clear palette and consciously enjoying everything that I swallow. I don’t eat anything which endured any suffering and I don’t eat foods that have been altered. A typical day of eating for me is … nonstop pleasure!

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

It starts with moving, sedentary lifestyles are best left to meditating gurus. If there’s music I will dance (sometimes even if there isn’t music I still dance), I love stretching (so, yoga is a practice that meets me at 5am), Inner strength is an essential part of my fitness routine, so my abdominals always get daily attention. I also walk, hike, swim and run (but not all at the same time). Our bodies thrive on oxygenation and circulation, how about sending all that heart energy around your own physical universe?

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

No, we have access to everything we need, everything else is just entertainment.

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

Quality connections with people, nature, art and creation.

Thanks to Lavida for sharing her inspiring routine. If you have any questions please leave them below 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

♥

I’ve done it! I’ve FOUND it! My search is over. I’ve been on a mission to overhaul my skincare routine for some time now and now I think I’ve found the goodies I was after.
So, a little about me. Mid-30’s gal (I refuse to be more specific here), healthy, acne problems all through adulthood (not really disastrous acne, but enough to shake my confidence) and just coming to terms with the new lines and wrinkles that are appearing on my face.

I’m also at a point where I’ve started to switch over to organic and natural products, be it cleaning products, hair products, food and skin care.

So in regards to the skin care world, I wanted to switch to a certified organic range and this proved to be more difficult than I imagined.

So, ‘certified’ organic? You got it. CERTIFIED ORGANIC. There is a huge difference between an organic product and a ‘certified’ organic product and until I looked into it, I didn’t realise just how big a difference there is.

Anyone can claim to have an organic or natural product just by having one natural or organic ingredient in the product, but they can and usually still do contain a number of potentially harmful chemicals. To be ‘certified organic’ the product needs to be in its purest form, 100% chemical free, in other words no nasties and all the good stuff. How many times have you been tempted to buy a moisturiser or shampoo that has the words ‘Organic’ or ‘Natural’ plastered all over the label and snap it up believing you are doing something good for your wellbeing? We all do! It’s only now that I realise, anyone can plaster this claim over their labels, but scratch the surface and quite often you’ll find the actual organic or natural quota is miniscule, but because it exists in the product, they push it as a selling point. For the most part, we’re fooled by it!
So, in my mission to find a certified organic skin care range, I found Serenade Organic.

Yelo!

While basking in the sun, sipping a smoothie at Yelo overlooking Trigg beach, I saw a range of skin products perched on the shelf, nestled amongst the vintage aprons, organic muesli and environmentally friendly bits and bobs. They have a moisturiser (Nourish), a cleanser (Purify) and an eye cream (Restore). The packaging was lovely and was beautifully presented with testers. Being the ‘free sample’ whore that I am, I popped some of the moisturiser and eye cream on to give it a whirl.

♥ Travel Pamper Pack

I loved it instantly, but I wanted to see how my skin reacted to it over a longer period of use. To my delight, they had a travel pamper pack available which is a 10 day sample of 3 products for $29.95. 10 days was a great opportunity to trial it at a great price. So there began my new friendship with Serenade Organic. I took it home and used it that very night.

What first grabbed me, was the gorgeous fragrance. Natural fragrance, mind you! It’s like nothing else I’ve ever used. So hard to put into words, but it reminds me of being in the countryside. It smells like a flipping meadow! Not overpowering, but completely fresh and uplifting. I’ve been using Serenade for 6 months now and still it is the wonderful smell that gives me a lift every morning and every night. Friends will say, “Ooooh, you smell nice!” and the only thing I have on is Serenade.

So aside from the magical meadow smell, the texture and feel was the next thing to impress. Serenade has managed to get that perfect consistency of ‘not too gluggy’ and ‘not too runny’ with their moisturiser so it glides on beautifully and gives your face a feeling of firmness and invigoration. You don’t have to use a lot of it, so it lasts for ages.

♥

Then there’s the eye cream. My new best friend. I kid you not, I would marry it if only the laws would change to allow it. Every morning and every night this goes on without fail. In the morning, my eyes feel fresh and hydrated. Even after a big night! I wake up now with bright eyes that don’t resemble that of a badger.

Their cleanser is the other part to their trinity of wondrous products. Wonderfully soothing and doesn’t strip the skin like so many other cleansers can. Massaged into the skin and removed with cotton balls, removes all of the day’s impurities leaving my face fresh and clean, ready for moisturising. This cleanser has usurped all other cleansers that ever called my bathroom cabinet home.

I’ve seen on their website that they’re bringing out an Age Defy Facial Serum soon, so I’m eagerly awaiting the day that I can adopt that and give it a home. My age certainly needs defying and I love the word ‘serum’. Sounds like it has super powers!

Hailing from this gorgeous part of the world…

So there you have it! I can’t rave about this stuff more (actually I could, but you must surely get the point by now – it’s amazing!). I also love the fact it’s a W.A. product created in one of my favourite parts of the state – Yallingup. I’ve since bought the travel pamper pack for gifts for 4 of my girlfriends who are all interested in making the switch to certified organic and we are all in agreement. Jackpot!

Website: http://www.serenadeorganic.com.au
Email: hello@serenadeorganic.com.au

Review by Sheridan Crofts, music quiz master & certified organic convert!

Be well,

xoxo