Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Camilla Peffer, Wellness WA Contributor & Curator @ Cunning Copy.

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

Bonjeezy! I’m a 20-something Sydney girl, but I’m currently kicking it in Fremantle. By day I’m a freelance writer/marketing maestro/blogger/student, and by night I am still those things but a very lazy one.

Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I have quite sensitive, acne-prone skin which flares up when I stress out/wear too much makeup/on days ending in ‘y’, so I only use Corynne’s Natural Soap bars to cleanse my skin. They’re nice and gentle, and they lather up really, really well. And they’re only like $3.50. Score! I usually follow up with a magical potion called Witch Hazel, followed by Corynne’s Light and Refreshing Moisturiser. You can buy them online and at Fremantle Markets.

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

Head Studio on King Street in Perth. The girls there are absolute prodigies and are also very good looking. It’s a bit of toughie to find a hairdresser who knows how to do balayage properly, they usually just apply a few foils and you walk out stripey. Not a cool look. Not only do the girls at Head Studio actually know how to do balayage, but they’re super personable, professional, hardcore stylish, and are also good conversationalists. The studio is also tres chic and it’s very cool that you can watch movies up the back when they’re washing your hair. Did I mention they give you free tea?

Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

I have to say I’m a big fan of DIY treatments. I like to steam my face by boiling some water and sitting over a gigantic bowl with a towel over my head for a few minutes to open up my pores. I then apply Corynne’s Glorious Mud Mask for sensitive skin and like to scare my flat mates by hiding behind doors. It’s the most amazing mud mask I’ve ever used, and it’s only like $12 and lasts for months and months.

Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Nude Mineral Foundation FTW. I will sing to high heaven the praises of this little powdery gem. My skin is so oily I’ve had calls from American Presidents, so I try to avoid liquid based foundations. Nude products definitely helped me appear a little less like a hormonal teenager. I’m still having a battle with my skin, but Mineral Foundation is a lot more gentle.

I also love a really bold lippie, and wear either bright pinks or reds on any given day. Revlon does a few wham-bam shades which I alternate between, like Love That Pink, Blasé Apricot, Revlon Red and Hot Coral.

Finally, a good blush is a must! Makes you look all sprightly. My favourite is Lotus by Clinique. It’s the perfect shade of pink and makes me feel all girly and youthful. Available from StrawberryNET.

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

If I’m feeling a bit crap-tastic I hit the gym and sweat out all that bad energy. I feel zippa-dee-do-da afterwards and can’t recommend a good cardio session enough. I also got into meditation last year. It’s super hard at first to quiet your mind and I definitely had a few foot stamping moments, but it’s proven to be highly beneficial for my stress levels. I recommend listen to The Mediation Podcast or Meditation Oasis for some guided meditations to start with.

♥ Gabrielle Bernstein

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

There are a million things I’m yet to try but as I’m a student I can’t exactly prioritise a week long Yoga trip to Ubud, nor can I really say Acupuncture is affordable for myself. I’d have to say that on the top of my list would be attending any event hosted by Gabrielle Bernstein, particularly her upcoming workshop in Kripalu. She’s a motivational speaker and if it weren’t biologically impossible I’d have all of her babies.

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Friends and family would describe my eating as borderline fanatical when it comes to health foods. And it’s true – I spend a lot of money of healthy food. But I figure, I’ve only got one body so I don’t want to stick crap in it. I’ve been vegan for 5 years now which occasionally freaks people out, but I’ve honestly never felt as healthy as I do now. I always make sure I take my multi-vitamins and get enough iron and b12. Unfortunately, I’m gluten-intolerant which is super sucky! However, lots of places now sell gluten-free products so I’m finding grocery shopping a little less of a marathon.

I like to start the day with an Acai smoothie because it’s got so many vitamins and minerals in it, I feel like wonder woman afterwards and basically destroy my to-do list with laser beams of productivity. I used to be a maniacal caffeine addict, but I’ve cut back and will only have one a few hours after I’ve eaten. Lunch is usually a mega salad of some sort, full of beans, root vegetables, leafy greens, button mushrooms, tomatoes and a deliciously creamy Tahini dressing.

At the moment I’m on a Moroccan kick, so my dinners are full of lots of tomatoes, beans, eggplant, oranges and lots of spices.

Describe your fitness routine.

My exercise routine used to be a whole lot more consistent than what it is now, but being a major multi-tasking vixen that I am, I kind of have to prioritise work, study and relationships nowadays. I really envy myself two years ago when I had the time to go to the gym every day, but at the moment I only find time for two gym sessions a week. I do cycle to and from work a few days a week though, and because I don’t drive I do a lot of walking. I also had an injury last year which has limited my exercise quite significantly, so I stick to low impact exercise such as rowing, cycling, walking and swimming.

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

I see a naturopath quite often for a few digestive issues I’ve been having. I know there’s a lot of skepticism surrounding naturopathy, but I can only speak from personal experience when I say that NatMed in East Fremantle has made my body sing a happy tune for the past few months. I don’t of course recommend seeing them for everything little ailment you have. I treat naturopathy as a form of complimentary medicine, because it is quite expensive and can’t cure everything.

I also take spirulina when feeling low on energy, and always have my daily dose of Floradix with my breakfast.

♥ Black Cherries Espresso

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

I’m a huge fan of dilly-dallying. If I can sleep in I will, and I love the days when I can take my time to pop into Fremantle markets, grab a coffee from Black Cherries Espresso, read a magazine and people watch. I also find that burning some sweet smelling incense does a frazzled lass a world of good.

Thanks Camilla! If you have any questions about Camilla’s wellbeing routine, comment below!

Be well,

xoxo

Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Pippa McManus, Fashion Illustrator.

♥ – photo by Cheyne Tillier-Daly

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

I am a professional fashion illustrator. I studied Fine Arts for two years then Fashion and Textile Design for three, both at the Western Australian School of Art and Design. I have illustrated for Linney’s, Chatswood Chase, Aurellio Costarella, ELLERY, Joveeba and Urban Walkabout with lots of exciting things coming up this year.

Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I recently had the chance to try a soon-to-be released skin care brand called Ni6 (Ed: Can’t find a website up as yet…!). So I use their cleanser and female specific moisturizer now daily and have never had better skin.

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

I go to see Esther at Esther CE (cultured eyebrows) every 5 weeks to get my brows pampered. I have a strong cowlick in one and a scar running through the other and Esther has done wonders, I now look human! I have to brush them everyday with her specially developed brush so I guess that is part of my every day routine too.

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

Head Studio on King St! It’s such a great experience each time I go, a beautiful and relaxing environment. I also love the illustrations they have on their walls by one of my favorite Aussie illustrators Rebecca Wetzler.

Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Pedicures in the sun in the backyard! I work in a shoe shop on the weekend so it a good idea to have nice feet to show off the shoes. I do a foot scrub, a cuticle clean and then a paint and polish.

Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

1. Clinique High Impact Mascara, so I don’t scratch my eyes out – Available from StrawberryNET for $23 AUD!
2. David Jones brand Vitamin E Creamy Cleanser, super gentle
3. Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit, to tame my crazy brows

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

Water water water! Clears my skin, cleanses my body and is my instant headache cure. I drink over 2 liters a day. No product will ever have the same benefits as water.

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

I would love to have bright pink hair! Charlotte Free is my favorite model of the season and she has the best fluro colour hair. But I’m not sure I would take the plunge due to time/money/fear!

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Yoghurt in the morning, salad for luch and a meat dish for dinner. I snack during the day and usually have something sitting next to me while I’m drawing which kind of limits the food to portability and non-drippyness (so my work doesn’t get ruined!). My boyfriend is a wonderful cook so I always eat well!

Describe your fitness routine.

I swim about 2km 5 days a week at the local pool. I love it! It’s the only type of exercise I enjoy. I do special sets written out for me by a good friend who also happens to be one of the coaches for the Australian Olympic Swimming Team.

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

No but I was discussing with a friend today how we would like to try Iridology, the iris analysis treatment. That would be really interesting to me.

♥ Some of Pippa’s gorgeous artwork

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

My favorite way to relax is with friends. I spend most of the day alone in my studio working so I really enjoy catching up with friends for a coffee or a drink out somewhere it’s an instant way to make me happy and reminds me that there is life outside my house!

Thanks so much to the lovely Pippa for stopping by for a chat! You can find out more about her work @ pippasworkablefixative.blogspot.com

Be well,

xoxo

Hairdresser Review: Pastel Balayage at Head Studio, Perth.

For the low-maintenance lady with a love of sun-kissed locks, balayage has been pretty hard to beat. A popular hair trend that has seen a slew of Erin Wasson hair doppelgangers emerging from salons since 2009, I too jumped on the band-wagon. But this summer, I wanted something different. I’ve seen another band-wagon travelling past, and I have jumped straight on. If balayage was the zeitgeist of a care-free summer beauty routine last year, this summer will see 90s style pastel pretty hair making a come back. You might have also seen it referred to as Ombre, from the French ‘to shade’. It’s basically a dip-dye effect where the hair is dyed from light to dark, or dark to light.

♥ Model Dree Hemingway

I decided to make the switch on a whim, and having heard wonderful things about King Street’s Head Studio, I book myself a last minute appointment. Having called at 10am, I manage to get myself down to their swanky studio by 10.45am. If I wasn’t thoroughly impressed already with their flexibility, Head Studio’s antique decadence leaves me feeling like I’ve entered the royal frontiers of Perth’s hair dressing salons. Perhaps not the place for those looking to relax, Head Studio feels a lot like a busy Northbridge café, with a playlist made in indie heaven (I believe I listened to Wolfmother’s first album) and a staff of very fashionable and talented young things. With some of the hair dressers responsible for the glorious manes of Perth’s Fashion Week, I know I’m in good hands.

♥ Model Charlotte Free

I’m greeted by two lovely ladies who escort me through as we discuss exactly what I want. I’m thinking more along the lines of a subtle hue a la models Charlotte Free and Dree Hemingway rather than My Little Pony, so we decide upon a tasteful and understated magenta. After a complimentary head and shoulder massage (bliss!), my colourist retouches my balayage so the magenta will come up brighter. After that’s developed and I’ve caught up on the latest Oyster magazine, we then get down to business. The magenta is actually a mixture of pink and blue mixed in with toner, and I’m told that sadly, will fade within a few washes.

After a light trim, my hair is then dried and loosely curled with a GHD.

The colour completely washed out after 3 washes, but my hair is notorious for being hard to maintain colour. I’m not too disappointed though – the staff were perfect conversationalists, and if you check in on Foursquare you get a free milkshake! I’ll definitely be back there soon!

Cost: $235 for cut/colour/blow dry

Web: www.headstudio.com.au

Salons:
PERTH SALON 08 9481 6464
64 King St, Perth CBD

SUCCESS SALON 08 9498 7577
Shop 20A, Gateway Shopping Centre, 816 Beeliar Drive, Success

ROCKINGHAM SALON 08 9527 1697
Shop 4/7 Railway Tce, Rockingham Beach

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/headstudio
Twitter: @headstudio

Pastel hair – 90s raver faux pas? Or fashion forward? What do you think?

Review by Camilla Peffer, pastel haired princess (for a brief time anyway) and curator of Cunning Copy.

Be well,

xoxo