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Hello hello! It’s that time again where I get to share with you my top crushes for the week in the hopes of inspiring you to maybe develop a lil crush all of your own. This week it’s a mixed bag with some yummy, healthy treats, Perth born beauty prods and a bit of a spruik of our latest comp. Let me know if you have any questions, as always I’m happy to chat 😀

♥ Stove Cooked Porridge

My love of porridge is well known (to me), but would you believe that for all these years I’ve been microwaving it? Every morning, into the microwave for a quick, hot and tasty breaky. Last week I decided to do something I’d never done before… cook the porridge on the stove. Now I realise this might sound a bit lame to any domestic kitchen goddess babes, but for me it was a revelation. The porridge turned out so much thicker and creamier and about 2.5 x more delicious! I threw in some frozen blueberries and stirred in some nut butter – dreamy.

Porridge is really good for calming your nerves, beating stress and providing you with sustained energy to take on the day! Porridge lovers put yo hand UP!

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♥ Home Roasted Almonds

Here’s another one that makes me feel a bit silly. I only just discovered how flippin good roasted almonds are. After spouting my love to all and sundry, a work colleague of mine suggested I roast my own at home. Mind blown, again. I just don’t think of these things! She recommended popping a tray of almonds w/skins into the oven at 180 degrees, just when cooking something else or on their own if you want.

I roasted my nut babes for about 12 minutes until the skin came out looking split, as in the above picture. It was all I could do to stop myself scoffing the whole tray. I am now totally converted and have been cooking up a small tray each week to take to work as a trail mix with dried cranberries. Super delicioso. Have you tried roasted almonds?

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♥ AEOS Crystal Nail File

If you’re tired of those scrappy emery boards and the rough powdery feeling they leave on your nails, you’re going to rejoice at these new crystal nail files from AEOS!

“Metal files and emery boards tear the nail as they file, leaving rough, sharp edges. The crystal file glides across the nail tip so you can quickly and easily shape your nail to a flawless, smooth finish. Crystal files seal the nail tip as you file, preventing water, dirt and debris from seeping into the nail tip.”

The files will last you a lifetime due to the crystal not being able to harbour any bacteria. I find that pretty amazing! So long as you don’t lose it, you’ll never have to buy another nail file again. I’m a bit of a slacker when it comes to my nails, but I’ve been using this file whenever I spot a jagged edge and it’s been serving me very well indeed.

The AEOS Crystal Nail files are available for $22 from the beGenki online shop, and come in an AMAZING array of beautiful colours that you’ll want to whip out everywhere you go!

♥ Becca Butter Balm SPF 20 – $40

♥ Becca – Halcyon Days

Two of the new Becca products from the Halcyon Days Collection have been making a big impact on me these past few weeks. The Butter Balm (pictured above) immediately transported me to summery, beachy days when I first tried it – I was honestly in the best mood all afternoon after applying!

Perhaps it’s that the balm is brimming with nourishing ingredients such as shea, cocoa, avocado and jojoba butters and vitamin e, or maybe it’s the tahitian vanilla and honey mixed with the subtle scent of “the beach” that makes this product so appealing. The SPF 20 doesn’t hurt either, and guess what? It’s paraben free too!

Beach dreaming – this is the water down at Freo.

At $40 this is a seriously luxe purchase. Upon opening the gorgeous silver container (which also locks so that the lid doesn’t slip off in your bag, genius!) the amount of product looks rather small, however since using it I’ve found that it lasts for ages and ages and you only need a tiny slick to get moist, supple lips. This is the perfect summer purchase, or Christmas gift (yup, it’s nearly here again) for the beach babe who has everything!

I’m historically not a beachy girl, growing up 400+ kilometres inland will do that, but the Butter Balm has me wanting to hit the sand almost daily. Loving it.

♥ Zoe Foster ‘Amazing Face’ Competition

This ones a plug for our latest competition to win one of two copies of ‘Amazing Face’ by Zoe Foster RRP $39.95!

Enter the competition and you could soon be swooning as much as I did whilst exponentially improving your beauty knowledge. Worth it!

Bon appetit my loves. What do you think of my crushes this week? I would love to hear your crushes! Do share x.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

The whole beGenki Serenity range!

When the beGenki Serenity products arrived in the mail, I squeezed my eyes shut and planned, in my near future, a night in the bath with lights dimmed, candles lit and Jack Johnson softly playing in the background. Finding a night off to relax was just what I needed! So why, oh why, am I two weeks post-daydream wondering what happened to this night of serene perfection?

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Before you get mad at me and think “how hard is it to fit in one hour of peace” and I bullet point the thousand reasons that make me busy, I’d like to share an epiphany:

I was beating myself up for not having a bath because they are the grand dame of the relaxation world, when I realized most days I find a way to chill out that doen’t find me a wrinkled, sweet-smelling seal impersonator by the end.

Prior to revealing my top five tips for stress relief, I must tell you about the lovely beGenki products I had the opportunity to try. The brand advocates wellness on a physical, emotional and spiritual level and to be “genki” is to be happy, healthy, positive and in harmony with oneself on all levels.

Serenity Bath & Shower Oil – RRP $34.

The two products I tried were from the Serenity range, the bath and shower oil and the body oil. The bath and shower oil was sampled in the shower after a swim session which left my poor skin gasping for moisture. The bergamot essential oil was the most dominant which gave it a refreshing and very slightly masculine scent to me. Rubbing the oils into my legs and arms was like a quick massage pre-shower and the smell and rub did provide a calming effect. However, after the shower I found the moisturising aspect of the oils couldn’t quite handle my dry skin and I still needed to slather on Benefit’s Bathina cream (current favourite moisturizer).

Bathina by Benefit – a diversion from beGenki, but also a lovely prod!

The body oil was sensational, much lighter than other massage oils I have used in the past and I didn’t feel like a grease burger once my husband gave up on the shoulder knots. The finish was more like a moisturizer and my skin loved it. Now, I just need to convince the husband to have another shot just to make sure it was as good as I remember!

So once I was moisturized and massaged and a ball of love and serenity, I thought about what truly relaxed me.

Here are my top five ways to jump out of the rat race;

1. Create a soulful playlist on your iPod, lie on the couch and stare out the window for 15 minutes. Music has long been proven to have therapeutic qualities and when the day has been too much, it helps me zone out. My current favourite is The Black Keys’ new album, Brother which is so soulful you’ll forget all your worries.

2. Get into the kitchen and bake something amazing… this isn’t for everyone, but put me in a kitchen with an apron, butter, flour and sugar and I’ll emerge singing a happy song. Fill your house with delicious smells (no candle or perfume has the same effect), dish out a slice of something wonderful for people you love and of course, you must lick the bowl.

3. Stretch out those overworked limbs. I love exercising and my body sometimes complains, so throw out your favourite beach towel in the backyard and run through a few key stretches (hamstrings, back, calves, shoulders and hip flexors are a good start) to relax your body and allow it to recuperate from daily stresses.

He’s showing us how the downward dog is done!

4. Get thee in the downward dog position. Focused breathing, stretching and meditation time at the end… there just doesn’t seem to be a better way to calm the mind and body than a yoga class. They do make the wallet squirm though, so if you’re strapped for cash, head to Lululemon in Perth or Cottesloe for free classes. Visit in-store or check their website http://www.lululemon.com for more details.

5. Book yourself in for a pedicure. Putting your feet up and having them rubbed at the same time is the ultimate stress reliever for this busy girl. I switch my phone off, the massage chair on and allow the pedicurist to work her magic on my trotters before walking out a new gal.

beGenki can be purchased online at: http://www.begenkishop.com

Review by Lisa O’Neill, a freelance journalist and part-time triathlete who loves to squeeze in as much pampering as possible in her free time.

Be well,

xoxo