Loving Lately - 21.02.17
GUYYYYS. What is there not to love lately? Sure, I have my ups and downs just like everyone else, but 2017 has been a pretty good year so far and I've been doing so many things that light my soul on fire.
It’s been a bit since I’ve done a loving lately post, so let’s just dive on in!
Natural perfumes
On Australia Day (my first ever, whipeee) I was walking through The Rocks Market amongst celebrating crowds, aimlessly wandering the various stalls together with my boyfriend. As we were walking, I was telling him how I really wanted to make the switch to natural perfumes.
BF: "Whaaaat, so no more of my beloved Chloé perfume?"
Me: "Nop, sorry. I'm breaking up with Chloé."
And just as we were walking around talking about how bad conventional perfumes are (if you think this is BS, go do your research, we are literally spraying POISON on us by using normal perfumes!), we stumbled across a little perfume stall that was inviting people to come and try their testers. I'd never seen or heard of the brand Amacyn, but I was immediately intrigued by their beautiful packaging and tested my way through the various scents. The reason why I hadn't yet made the switch to natural perfumes is because I couldn't find one that was long-lasting, so I had a little chat with the lady and she gave me a mini lesson on essential oils and which combos will stay longer than others. In the end, I chose their "I am Kind" perfume (one of the most long-lasting, according to her), a sweet woody scent with a rich aroma of woody patchouli and the sweetness of vanilla, neroli, jasmine and iris. All of their products are 100% all natural plant extracts (no synthetic chemicals, no artificial and animal fragrances, colours, phthalates, parabens or synthetic ingredients), there is no animal testing and the packaging is environmentally friendly. Win!
If you are still using normal perfume, I really really urge you to read up on it (for example, here and here). Perfumery is undergoing a quiet revolution with many more natural choices popping up, and ultimately we need to equally careful about what we put on our body as what we put in our body.
Kombucha
With the crazy heat wave in Sydney and one scorcher day after the other, kombucha has become my new favourite way of keeping cool. Not only is it incredibly good for your gut health, it's also super refreshing and I personally love the taste. Call me crazy, but the way some have a beer after a long day at work, I look forward to my evening kombucha in similar fashion.Hot tip: if you have a social occasion but don't feel like drinking, bring some bottles of kombucha to the party and people won't even notice that it's not beer...I've done it a couple of times and it always works! #healthchictip
Are you still thinking "What the heck is kombucha even?!" In short, kombucha is a fermented beverage of black tea and sugar, but the sugar used to brew kombucha is almost entirely consumed during the fermentation process, so don't worry! Here's a speedy overview of why Kombucha is so good for you:
It improves your gut bacteria and can consequently help with digestion
It helps to detoxify the body
It supports the nervous system
It's anti-microbial
It can give you a boost of energy
I've tested my way through a couple of brands since I moved to Sydney, but so far my favorite is Remedy Kombucha (they are also "I Quit Sugar" approved). You can check out all their flavour here; my personal fave is Apple Crispy and Hibiscus. Oh, and they just launched their new raspberry flavour!
Rooftop yoga, upping your self-care game and new funky yoga mats
Throughout February and March, I am collaborating with the Old Clare Hotel on a rooftop yoga event together with my friend and yoga instructor Kristy Da Silva for weekly Saturday morning yoga sessions followed by a wellness talk led by me. Let me tell you, the pool and view from up there is gorgeous!
Kristy's yoga class is designed for all levels, regardless of whether you are a complete beginner or seasoned yogi, so don't worry! And I'm sure we all have some area of our life in which we can improve our self-love game, so I'm confident that you will walk away from my talk with a list of micro-goals on which you want to work on. Vie Active will also be there to give you a little shopping release and get all the right gear for 2017. Plus, there will be refreshments from Remedy Kombucha...Yes yes yes!
The first two sessions were a full success, but it's not too late to still get tickets for the last two sessions!
P.S.: How gorgeous is my new yoga mat from Unit Nine? It's their Khaki Alligator yoga mat and I'm absolutely obsessed with it, but have a look at their other prints here. Anna, the founder of Unit Nine, is such a beautiful soul and should you have the pleasure of ever meeting her, you can truly see how passionate she is about what she does.
World Organics
If you've read this blog post, you know how much I used to struggle with acne. Naturally, I've been on quite a journey to figure out products work for me. Even though I choose natural options whenever possible, my skin doesn’t always deal well with natural products – just because it's natural doesn't mean your skin reacts well to it. So I'm always very careful when it comes to trying new products.
The make-up products from World Organics, however, have passed my test and that's why I wanted to share them with you. Their beautiful range is 100% BioGrot certified organic and only uses natural plant ingredients like calendula, turmeric, amla and lotus.
I was especially pleased with their Luminous Liquid Foundation as it sits very well with my skin instead of camouflaging it. It's packed with antioxidants, cold-pressed oils and supercritical extract, which means it doesn't just act as a foundation, but is a protective moisturizer & nourishes the skin too. And because foundation covers your whole face and stays on for a full day, you really want to make sure that it's not full of nasties that are going to sicker through into your blood stream. It's a YES from me!
APSU
I love getting “unready” at the end of the day — turn on some relaxing music, switch on my Himalayan sea salt lamp, sprinkle some lavender essential oil over my bed pillows and light a candle. Maybe make some tea, read for a 15-minutes and then fall asleep peacefully.
If every day could end that way I’d be one happy girl, and probably a lot calmer. My evenings most definitely don't always look like that! But I do have some non-negotiables. And anyways, it's often the small things that count. Like lighting a candle while I prepare my dinner, or for when I'm getting ready. It almost instantly calms me down and the
My new favorite is the Varanasi candle from an Australian spa brand called APSU, filling the air with the luscious aroma of rose combined with the sweetness of jasmine and richness of sandalwood. The best part is that they even have a travel-sized candle! I've never even thought of bringing my own candles when traveling, but that's such a good idea and I can totally see how it makes you feel more at home and at ease when abroad. Definitely something I'll keep in mind for my next travels.
