Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Haley Thompson, Peachy Clean Organic Beauty / STM Social Writer.

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

Well hello! My name is Haley but I get called Peachy-my nanna was called Pinky as she only ever wore Pink…not just any pink ‘HOT’ Pink! From head to toe! She knew what she loved and so do I. I’m a total nerd for organic skincare! Give me a Friday night researching the effects of things like bromonitrodioxane and diethanolamine and I’m one content little peach! I’m one of those annoying people who won’t let you pull a tube of Lucas Paw Paw ointment out of your pocket without giving you a 15 minute speech on why it’s so toxic- I’ll then make you buy an organic replacement before I let you out of my sight (here’s one we reviewed earlier – Ed.)…I’m also one of those people you call 2 days later saying “thank god you converted me to natural products-I look and feel so much better” ha!

I’ve been a Television Presenter, Radio Announcer, Columnist and MC for the last 10 years so I’ve used a lot of products in that time. I can honestly say that since learning about and switching to natural products-my skin has never been so clear, hydrated and smooth. My passion is my new business Peachy Clean Organic Beauty Boutique! I have personally tried every single product on the site and only sell the brands I find really luxurious and effective!

Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

My daily beauty routine is a total treat! I’m lucky I get to wake when the sun is peeping through the trees (and not to some loud beeping-although I do occasionally wake to some loud snoring thanks to my boyfriend!) I believe a good nights sleep and plenty of water are two of the best beauty treatments you can get-but who really ever gets enough of either?

That’s where good skin care comes in. In the morning I use the Vanessa Megan Organic Rose Spray to freshen up and throughout the day I can’t live without my Savi Organic Pomegranate and Passionflower face mist (you can’t get too much of a good thing and a beautiful face mist is definitely a good thing!).

In the shower I love the Weleda Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash (It feels like whipped cream and leaves your skin so silky), Vanessa Megan Love Scrub (with rose and lavender petals um-mar it’s good!) usually followed by my Sodashi face care routine of-Rejuvenating Concentrate, Clay Cleanser with Lavender (just the best clay cleanser available!), Calming Rose Face Mist (yes-more mist!), Rejuvenating Face and Neck Moisturiser and either Sodashi Vanilla Body Butter or Vanessa Megan Peruvian Flower Body Moisturiser. My skin care is so natural that if I ever got stranded on an island I could eat it!

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

My favourite beauty treatment is an all over exfoliation with just 3 drops of Sodashi Rejuvenating Concentrate. Just a little of this liquid gem goes a long way and after using it on my face, I use the rest of the mixture to exfoliate from head to toe (using my Dr Hauschka Organic Cotton Compress)-it’s the only product that is as gentle on your face as it is tough on dry legs and heels! Seriously-it’s a miracle treatment that takes place right in my own bathroom. You should wear a cape and wave a little wand while using it (a ‘Ta-Da!’ is optional but always encouraged).

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

For years I have searched and spent outrageous amounts of money on fancy hair salons with big advertising campaigns and now I’m finally satisfied! One of my best friends is Natasha Walker-an amazing at home hairdresser and getting my hair done is now fun. A good chat and then whip your hair over the laundry sink before driving home with your head hanging out the car window like a pampered puppy! She listens and has saved me a small fortune too!

Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

The best and cheapest beauty treatment is so simple. Be grateful, be loving and be kind. Flip everything on it’s head and be positive. The most beautiful people in the world are happy people. Corny-but so true! Be as healthy as you can but also realise you can’t do everything right all the time-switching to natural skin care is an effortless way to make sure you’re doing something healthy for your body everyday.

Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Just three?? I’m a total product addict-you should see my bathroom cabinet and bedside table! I can’t live without my Savi Pomegranate and Passionflower face mist (I keep it in the fridge on hot days), Sodashi rejuvenating concentrate and the certified organic Eco Tan fake tan-it doesn’t smell or stain and contains chocolate as an ingredient! It gives the most amazing bronze colour. (My 4th would be a beautiful Floriosa soy candle burning in the living room-my fave is the Blackcurrant, Rose Petal and Nectarine-that’s one helluva candle! I have one burning right now!).

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

Definitely! I only use ALL-natural products. The preservatives in most ‘commercial’ skin care actively dry your skin out and cause fine lines and skin irritations. Ever used a lip balm only to feel like you need to keep applying? It’s the parabens (preservative) that dry your lips out! When your lips are so dry, the feeling of putting the balm on your lips makes you feel like it’s working when it’s actually what’s causing the problem! It’s such a mean cycle-and it’s the same in most moisturisers and cleansers. Natural products are the only way to treat the largest organ of your body (your skin) if you want genuine long lasting results. The medicinal Organic Soothing Cream has done wonders to reverse skin irritations caused by sub-par products on many friends! If you have dry or itchy skin problems I recommend it.

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

I would love to go on a retreat for a few days. Massages, good food, peace and more massages! They get so pricey though! Using luxury products, even just a nice hand cream or room spray is how I bring the day spa to me! It’s important to treat yourself!

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

I’m terrible in the mornings-before I notice it’s 1pm and I haven’t had breakfast and then I usually have a massive meal at bedtime! It’s not a good habit so I’m currently sorting it out by having protein shakes with chia seeds and blueberries in the morning, a bigger lunch and then eating lots of fish and veggies for dinner. I naturally prefer healthy foods (nutritionist and cookbook author Janella Purcell is my kindred food spirit-I totally recommend her books – Janella Purcell’s Elixir: How to Use Food as Medicine
) but I don’t deny myself either! I love a fancy champagne and if you take cheese away from me I cry! You gotta enjoy yourself too 😉 (my ‘happy people are beautiful” comment earlier justifies me being naughty whenever I want ha ha!)

Describe your fitness routine.

My fitness routine is…a little on the whimsical and inconsistent side! I live near the beach so I go for a big walk along the coast daily or just as often as I can-it’s just so good for my heart and my head. I sing quite loudly and often skip and grin like an idiot the whole way. It’s great when you smile at someone, then they smile, then someone else smiles back-it’s contagious! It makes looking a bit silly totally worth it!

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

I try to use food as medicine (my fave nutritionist Janella Purcell has an amazing book called ‘Elixer‘ about this). Your body responds so well to nature! I try to enjoy as many superfoods as I can every day! I do love to get regular massages-I take my own Savi Organic Wellbeing Massage Oil with me to ensure I get a natural treatment-even the masseuse now buys it to use on other clients!

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

A head to toe beauty treat using products that I know are good for me and smell like heaven in a jar relaxes me every time! I also love to cook and potter in the veggie patch! My boyfriend and I treat ourselves to some fun when we can too-camping in Esperance or a sunset with some oysters and bubbly never fails to re-boot the system and remind you that little worries are never as important as being loved, being healthy and having a giggle!

Thanks to Haley for taking time out of her super busy schedule to have a chat with us and share her deliciously natural routine! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

Perth Product Range Review: Serenade Organic.

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

Product Review: Juice Beauty Cleansing Gel & Nutrient Moisturiser.

Juice Beauty- The Organic Solution

Most of us know the benefits of eating organic food such as less exposure to harmful pesticides and chemicals, but what about skincare? When you think that your skin absorbs up to 64% of what you put on it you probably want healthy ingredients in your skincare too. I’ve gradually been getting rid of as many nasty chemicals in my life, everything from cleaning products to shower gel has been changed and that’s when I stumbled upon a brand called “Juice Beauty”.

Juice Beauty was created in California by Karen Behnke a wellness entrepreneur whose mission was to create authentic organic beauty solutions to people worldwide. Juice Beauty contains no parabens, propylene, butylenes glycol, petroleum, sulphates, artificial dye and fragrances. What the brand does do, is contain is high grade certified organic ingredients, support local organic farmers, use solar power, and package its products using recyclable products and soy ink.

I’ve been using two products from the Juice Beauty range, the Cleansing Gel and the Nutrient Moisturiser.

The Cleansing Gel contains cherry and lemon juice both full of potent antioxidants, alpha hydroxy acids and vitamins A, B and C. This is combined with soothing sugar and coconut to gently remove impurities whilst protecting the skins natural barriers. This cleanser is suited to skins that are oily/combination, a great summer cleanser if you are prone to an oily T-zone like my skin. The cleanser has a light citrus smell which for some may take a little getting used to.

After cleansing I smooth on some Nutrient Moisturiser, a jar full of certified organic grape juice, vitamin rich carrot extract and nourishing essential fatty acids. This cream although designed for dry/mature skins actually works really well with my skin which is prone to dehydration in the cooler months. It’s rich in antioxidants and hyalauronic acid which nourishes and protects skin. Once warmed in hands and applied to skin, it is absorbed immediately for fresh, hydrated skin.

I only have one negative with Juice Beauty, it’s made in the US and not in Australia. Now if only I can find a comparable company in Australia! My search continues…

Reviewed by Hannah.

http://www.juicebeauty.com

Available at selected David Jones stores and online retailers.

Be well,

xoxo