Treat Your Skin to a Warm Cup of Tea

Did you ever think that achieving healthy skin could be as easy as sipping on a cup of tea? And no, I don’t mean your daily Lipton’s Earl Grey with 2 sugars and too much milk, I mean Byron Bay Tea Company’s SKIN tea!

Sarita Merlo, a naturopath and herbalist, founded Byron Bay Tea Company in 2004. Acknowledging the remedial benefits of teas and herbs, Merlo was inspired to create a range that targets modern day people, with modern day health issues. 

The blend that appealed to me the most (apart from the obvious ‘calming’ and ‘energy’) was the newest addition to BBTC – Skin tea.

Prices range from $7.95 to $41.95, depending on the size.

Merlo understands that in order to achieve outer beauty, we must achieve inner beauty. So, when concocting the Skin blend, she included ingredients that would “promote the elimination of toxins from the body” and “improve the health and nourishment of the skin”.

Below, Merlo walks us through her choice of ingredients for BBTC Skin tea.

Certified Organic Lemongrass: a general cleansing herb that helps remove toxins from the blood and has antibacterial and antifungal properties which may assist in infection-induced skin conditions.

Certified Organic Echinacea: helps to cleanse and purify the blood and lymph by increasing the number of white blood cells that help to ‘mop up’ toxins and prevent them from coming out on the skin.

Certified Organic Peppermint: commonly used to ensure the proper digestion of food and elimination of wastes via the bowel.

Certified Organic Nettle: used extensively for its blood-cleansing action due to its high chlorophyll content, high in vitamin C, iron, silica and other minerals, making it a perfect skin tonic.

Certified Organic Ginger: has a circulatory stimulant action, which helps to increase blood flow to peripheral areas, such as the skin.

Certified Organic Gotu Kola: improves the blood flow while strengthening the veins and capillaries; cleanses the blood to treat skin impurities; may assist in cases of minor burns, scars, scleroderma, skin ulcers and wound healing.

Rosebuds: a sprinkling of rose buds, just because they are pretty!

Cradling a warm cup of natural tea sounds so much more appealing than chemical peels and medical-grade facials, right?!

Happy sipping,

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Onya Magazine Giveaway: Ensure Your Mum is Toxic Free This Mother’s Day!

You have the very best mum, and a lady of that title simply must be in possession of the very best beauty bag. However, the very best beauty bag does come at a price – $249 to be precise – which may be a little steep for a Mother’s Day present, even when split amongst a few caring and sharing siblings.

The lovely team over at Adorn Mineral Cosmetics understands the above facts, and have oh-so kindly offered to supply one lucky mum with a Toxic Free Beauty Bag (aka the very best beauty bag ever).

The beauty bag includes: a Foundation Base Skin Primer, an SPF 20+ Loose Mineral Foundation, a Loose Bronzer, a Loose Blush, a Vegan Kabuki Brush, and a Vegan Bronzer/Blush Brush.

And as the name suggests, all items in your mum’s brand new beauty bag are toxic free. That means that they will be kind to her skin, and are kind to the environment – two things that are very important to Adorn.

But hurry! This is a snappy competition, which will close at 9pm on Sunday the 8^th of May.

For more information and entry details, click here.

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Duchess Kate Wedding Makeup 101

Did you drop your cucumber sandwich and spill your Pimms when you saw Duchess Kate sans veil for the first time?! Same. Those eyes! That blush! Those eyebrows! That flawless base! Those lips!

Yesterday, Helen Ciccone provided us with a Kate Middleton Blow Wave 101 lesson, and today, Victoria’s Secret makeup artist Jackie Gomez shows us how to recreate Kate’s classic, feminine Royal Wedding look. 

FACE

Jackie suggests you start with:

RRP $12.75

VS Makeup Pro Airbrush FX Face Primer SPF 20

Jackie says: “Every bride wants flawless, picture perfect skin. This primer blurs imperfections, creates a smooth, even ‘canvas,’ and helps makeup wear all day (or night) long: Blend all over face and down into the neck area.”

Then use:

RRP $12.75

VS Makeup Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15

And:

RRP $10.95

VS Makeup Oil-free Concealer

Jackie says: “To mask imperfections and even out skin, apply Tinted Moisturizer all over face. Last, mask any remaining imperfections—redness or dark circles—with Concealer.”

Then:

RRP $12.75

VS Makeup Pro Radiant FX Face Illuminator

Jackie says: “Apply at the cheekbones for a natural glow.”

And finally (for this step at least):

RRP $12.75

VS Makeup Blush Trio in At Last

Jackie says: “To replicate Princess Catherine’s rosy blush, apply to the apples of the cheeks.”

Katie interrupts and says: If we look at a side-on photo of Duchess Kate’s face…

…we will notice that her blush isn’t just applied to the apples of her cheeks. Rather, it is applied in a gorgeous long sweep from her hairline to just above the corner of her lip. This helps to lift the cheekbones, and create a beautiful contoured look. 

EYES

Jackie suggests you start with:

RRP $13.70

VS Makeup Eye Shadow Quad in Satisfied 

Jackie says: “Apply the light white shade all over lids, from lashline to browbone. Then, apply the darker gray color to the crease of the lids to add drama and depth.”

Next:

RRP $10.95

VS Makeup Voluptuous Volume Waterproof Mascara 

Jackie says: “Apply two coats for eye-opening volume.”

Katie adds: Add more to the outer corners of your lashes to make your eyes appear bigger.

Katie (also) adds: Whilst we’re talking about eyes, let’s venture up north a bit and talk about eyebrows! If you’re not naturally blessed with Kate-scale brows, that’s okay…FAKE IT! I suggest you use Benefit Instant Brow Pencil.

RRP $20

Sorry, back to you Jackie!

LIPS

Jackie suggests you use:

VS Makeup Lip Gloss in Innocent

Jackie says: “To create a pout fit for a royal kiss (or two!), concentrate an application of sheer, baby pink gloss at center of lips.”

Bit of a problem: Said “Innocent” shade doesn’t seem to be available (hence the lack of photo), but ‘Coy’, ‘Sublime’ and ‘Blush’ are gorgeous. Click here to see colour swatches.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Duchess Kate’s Royal Wedding makeup! Was it a hit? A miss? Too much? Not enough?

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Kate Middleton Blow Wave 101

TODAY IS MY WEDDING DAY!

Oh, right…I mean Kate Middleton’s wedding day, of course!

In honour of this special occasion, many of us have organised, or have been invited to attend, a Royal Wedding High Tea event. Now, apart from donning your finest jewelry, and wearing your classiest outfit, you simply MUST perfect your Kate Middleton high-shine, effortless chic blow wave. Eek, the pressure is on! Luckily, I have called upon hair guru Helen Ciccone, of Hair by Ciccone salon in Melbourne, to assist.

Rest assured, Helen knows what she is doing! She has been involved in the beauty world for over twenty years, and her salon has won countless awards, including:

• Winner of the Fox FM ‘Best Hairdressing Salon Melbourne’ 2000

• Winner of the Leader Business Awards 04, 05, 06 and 08

• Winner of the Melbourne’s Favourites Awards 09 and 10

• Leader Business Awards Hall of Fame Iductee

So needless to say, you are in very safe, and very experienced hands on this very important day.

Helen is now going to walk you through an easy-to-follow guide to the perfect blow wave, with the help of her gorgeous hair model, Erin Wood. If you can get a friend to help you, that would be fabulous, if not, this is totally achievable as a solo mission.

Here we go, ladies!

Start by washing your hair.

Towel dry and apply a blow wave lotion – nothing too sticky. Try Innova Volume Hair Thickening Elixir.

RRP $17.95

Dry off most of the moisture in your hair with a hairdryer.

Section hair into three parts.

Blow wave section by section and leave the brush in your hair – these act as hair rollers.

Important: ensure blow waved hair is completely dry.

Carefully remove brushes from your hair, and spray with hairspray. Helen recommends White Sands Liquid Texture Firm Hold (RRP $19). After you have sprayed, wind up each section and secure with a bobby pin.

Once the back of the hair is pinned, blow wave the sides.

Do not blow wave the last section yet – leave that until last. Continue to blow wave the other side of your hair.

Again, leave the last section un-blow-waved for now, and move to the front of your hair. Blow wave the front of your hair forward – this gives more body and eliminates a definite part line.

Note how the blow drier is facing forward.

The last section, at the top, is blow waved back.

Slowly remove the brushes and pin your hair in place. Remember to spray each section with hairspray.

Continue to (carefully) remove pins and spray each section.

Shake it out.

Shake, shake, shake.

And hellloo Miss Middleton!

So now that you’ve got the style, how about that Kate Middleton HIGH SHINE?

I suggest you use Moroccan Oil Glimmer Shine Spray.

RRP $34.50

Infused with Argan oil, this spray will not only protect your locks, but will also add a light and luminous shine as well. In this instance, it is best to spritz over your hair, so as to not disrupt the style. On other, not-so-Royal occasions, you can spray it into your hands and work it through your hair. 

So, this concludes the Kate Middleton Blow Wave 101.

On behalf of LWKF readers, I’d like to thank Helen Ciccone for taking the time to take these amazing photos, and for divulging her invaluable hair secrets! Hair by Ciccone, you are most definitely the Queen of the Melbourne hair world.

If you would like to book an appointment at Hair by Ciccone, which I highly recommend you do, call them on 9459-0161. 

Their opening hours are:

Monday 9am – 5.30pm
Tuesday 9am – 5.30pm
Wednesday 9am – 8pm
Thursday 9am – 9pm
Friday 9am – 6pm
Saturday 8am – 3pm

And the salon is located at 48 Aberdeen Rd, Macleod, Victoria, Australia.

Click here to visit their Facebook page.

Enjoy your new Royal do, ladies!

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PS does the name Ciccone ring a bell? YES? That’s because I blogged about their oh-so kissable lippies a little while ago. Click here to read the review! 

Covet Magazine

Holly Curtis, Onya Magazine‘s oh-so fabulous beauty editor (who just so happens to be my oh-so fabulous housemate), and I recently joined forces to write a ‘Top 10 Hair and Beauty Products’ article for Covet Magazine. Click here to read the mag, and make sure you pay particular attention to pages 82 and 83!

Happy reading!

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Your Royal Wedding Beauty Kit

With your Royal Wedding High Tea celebrations only days away, I’m sure you are all desperately trying to perfect your Kate Middleton high-shine blow dry, and mimic her impossibly flawless and appropriately dewy complexion. You simply must reek royalty as you sip your Pimms and nibble on your (crust-free) cucumber sandwich whilst watching the big event on TV.

Kit Cosmetics have released a ‘Best of British’ range that will ensure you out-princess your girlfriends, and snag a Will of your own.

Products fit for a Queen (or Princess):

So, brew yourself a pot of English Breakfast, spread some jam onto a scone, pop over to the Kit website and kit yourself out, Kate Middleton style.

x

Skin Advice from a Beauty Editor

A few weeks ago, I was on the prowl for a new foundation. Naturally, I asked my beauty-blogging friends out there in the Twitterverse for recommendations. I was inundated with great product suggestions, but one response really got my attention.

“[The] best foundation is beautiful+healthy skin”

Romy Grbic, the author of this wise tweet, is a self-confessed beauty addict. She is also a fully qualified beauty therapist AND the beauty editor for the fabulous Trespass Magazine.

Sensing her skin-wisdom, Kurious-Katie replied to her tweet and asked how on earth one can achieve glowing skin sans foundation, because try as I might, I just can’t seem to do it. We both agreed that wearing foundation is simply a quick fix for underlying problems. Those problems, however, can be fixed (or lessened), rendering foundation a redundant product in our beauty bags. Or, more realistically, a product that we use every now and then for a special occasion.

I asked the ladies out there in the Twitterverse why exactly they use foundation, and the general consensus was:

• To cover pimples and blackheads
• To brighten the skin
• To even out skin tone
• To balance the skin (too oily or too dry)
• To hide signs of ageing
• To cover puffiness and darkness around the eyes

I shared these concerns with Romy, and she dipped into her Mary Poppins-esque bag of beauty wisdom, and pulled out some invaluable advice on how to address these problems at their roots, rather than simply trying to cover them up.

Romy says:

If you rely on foundation to cover pimples and blackheads:
Pimples and blackheads are a very common skin condition, often occurring in teens and those lucky (or unlucky, depending on your outlook) enough to have a high oil production. High oil production is actually lucky in the long run as more oil keeps your skin looking younger for longer! See, every cloud has a silver lining! What I’d suggest though, to keep your skin feeling fresh and oil-free, is a good scrub twice a week (if you have red, sore pimples, more like acne, you want a very gentle scrub, for instance Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant RRP $83.50 for 75ml). You also want to avoid moisturisers with Mineral Oil in them, as this causes congestion – meaning blackheads. A weekly purifying mask is a must too – try Clarins Pure and Radiant Clay Based Mask (RRP $36 for 50ml).

If you rely on foundation to brighten your skin:
For skin brightening you really want to be exfoliating twice a week, and also using one or two AHA/BHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid and Beta Hydroxy Acid) products. Try MD Formulations Glycolic Cleanser (RRP $85 for 250ml) or Dermalogica Age Smart Skin Resurfacing Cleanser with Lactic Acid (RRP $70 for 150ml)  for great skin brightening daily cleansing, and also try an AHA/BHA serum that’s a higher concentration. Use this at night for cellular regeneration, skin smoothing, and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. When using AHA/BHA products though make sure you are vigilant with your sun protection! Your fresh new skin cells will be much more susceptible to pigmentation damage and we want to keep them looking young, fresh and bright.

If you rely on foundation to even out skin tone:
Again, using an AHA/BHA product is a good way to even out skin tone. Vitamin A (or Retinol) is also a good way to achieve some great results with uneven skin tone. Products containing Vitamin A normalise your skin cell production, as well as increase cellular regeneration, meaning old cells are replaced with fresh, bright, new cells. Once again good sun protection is absolutely imperative to stop further pigmentation from occurring.

If you rely on foundation to balance your skin (too dry or too oily):
If your skin is too oily or too dry, foundation is not the answer to solve all problems. A good basic routine is important, starting with a good AHA/BHA cleanser, an alcohol free toner, and a moisturiser free from Mineral Oil and targeted to your skincare needs. If your skin is very dry then look for a heavier moisturiser, and try using Rosehip Oil at night for extra nourishment. A creamy cleanser at night for removing makeup will also be good to help hydrate and nourish your skin without over-drying. If your skin is super oily then go for oil-free moisturisers and pore-minimizing serums. But don’t think that skipping moisturiser will help reduce oil – your skin will just over-produce oil to combat this.

If you rely on foundation to hide signs of ageing:
Growing older is inevitable; your skin ageing is not. Again I’m going to come back to the good old AHA/BHA cleanser-serum-combo; you really can’t find much better than this little gem. Using Rosehip Oil at night is great as it is a good source of Vitamin A for your skin, and is loaded with other skin-loving goodies including lycopene and omega’s 3, 6 and 9. Exfoliating twice a week will also help reduce the first signs of ageing, as well as using a hydrating mask once a week. And without having to state the obvious – drink lots of water!!!

If you rely on foundation to cover puffiness or darkness under your eyes:
If you are experiencing puffiness or dark circles under your eyes, you may not be getting enough sleep, exercising enough, or drinking enough water. If you’re doing all these things, you should also try using an eye cream. If dark circles or puffiness are your problem try a stimulating eye cream with caffeine in it. For fine lines I’m a huge fan of Rosehip Oil – that magic oil! – make sure you massage a good dose around your eyes every night to help hydrate and nourish that delicate area. You can also buy specialised eye masks to use at home on a weekly basis if you want an extra boost. I’m definitely not against a good brightening concealer too.

Both Romy and I understand that tackling these skin woes from their roots is going to take a little while, and that in the meantime, you’re going to want some kind of coverage.

Romy suggests:

RRP $59

i.d. bareMinerals - this range is made from 100% natural minerals. It contains no binders, preservatives, fragrances, talc, oils and other nasties. It provides a flawless, even coverage without clogging those beautiful pores of yours.

Or, an equally skin-loving alternative, with more options:

Loose Base RRP $38

Pressed Base RRP $40

Liquid Base: RRP $37.50 (satin) $31.50 (matte)

Sheer Tint Base RRP $33

Glo.minerals is also free from pore-clogging nasties such as talc and fragrances, meaning that it won’t cause irritation, even on the most sensitive skin.

So, if you want stunning skin sans foundation (like the beautiful Romy Grbic, pictured below), follow these tips and you’ll be on your way!

RRP: Priceless

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