Beauty & Brains - Aug 07

August 13, 2007

New ways to look good and feel great naturally every month

What’s new at the Australian Beauty Expo 2007, Fairtrade & a few laughs along the way.

Don’t you just feel better after a few days of sunshine, just typing the word sunshine makes me feel good. I’m not going to ramble on this month, I’m going to let the newsletter speak for itself because I think it’s our best yet. So, here’s some more easy ways to look and feel great naturally.

Beauty Expo 2007 - Botox, Fake Tans & Oh my God…

What can you expect to find in your local beauty clinic in the not too distant future? If the 2007 Australian Beauty Expo I attended on the weekend is any guide - many new ways to spend your hard earned money.

• There’s machines to roll and massage your cellulite - at about $120 a go - results can be seen after 5 treatments. See further down for tips on reducing cellulite without spending $600.
• Spray on fake tans that take less than 10 minutes to apply - I’m all for saving time and I have nothing against fake tans but let’s hope this reduction in time the beauty therapist spends applying the tan leads to a reduction in the price of the service.
• The male Brazilian - I can’t believe it - I was just talking about this in our blog last week - it’s arrived! It’s a brave man who’s willing to go through all that pain.

Best part of the expo - Brett Pattinson from ‘bod’ talking about the future of natural products and organics in the beauty industry. The man knows the industry and has such a sensible attitude to it all.

Worst part of the expo - being presented with a $100 off my first Botox treatment voucher by a 22 year old male model - give a girl a break!

Doesn’t this quote just make you smile…

“Be who you are and say what you feel - because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

***Reduce Cellulite Naturally & Keep it Gone

Cellulite is a combination of water, waste and fat that gets trapped in the fibrous connective tissue below the skin’s surface. Like most people, I have some on my thighs but it can be anywhere - arms, bum, tummy. There are many factors that contribute to it’s appearance but mostly it’s poor circulation of blood and lymph and a build up of toxins - smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of exercise, poor diet, hormone imbalances, not enough water etc.

There’s no need to spend thousands on anti-cellulite treatments that often only have short-term benefits. Every study or trial I’ve ever seen on these products the results are always 50/50 - and those odds aren’t really good enough to hand over large amounts of cash. So, here’s 3 simple ways to reduce cellulite and stop it comming back.

1. Massage Mit - you can buy one from The Body Shop - pop on a bit of shower gel and start at your ankles, massaging in a circular motion all the way up your legs, up over your bum (it’s a bit of a workout too) and in a circular CLOCKWISE (can’t stress that enough - that’s the way your digestive tract works) motion over your tummy. If you’re doing your arms - work fingertips to shoulders as that’s the way the lymph needs to flow to eliminate waste.
2. Move your joints - circle you ankles and do some squats when you’ve been sitting at the computer for a while to get the lymph flowing. The lymphatic system works with the contraction of skeletal muscles and movement of joints. If you don’t move - it slows right down - hello cellulite!
3. Water, good food, planty of rest - the whole healthy lifestyle mantra is the only way to keep it away - sorry ladies I was hoping for a miracle here too.

Just for a laugh…I read this piece by Abi Weeks in Sass and it cracked me up - took me back to my misspent youth.

What not to do if it’s your birthday…

Mix champagne with spirits, beer and wine, then declare you’ve created a new cocktail; perform a solo rendition of Shania Twain’s ‘Man I feel like a woman’; snog a friend you’ve no interest in, but who you know has had their eye on you for the last six months, and then head to the bathroom to have a good cry. (memories…)

***Fairtrade Organic Tea

Last month’s edition of Beauty & Brains gave you an introduction to what Fairtrade is all about - here’s a real life example of how it works and hopefully you can understand why Gorgeous Things is such a strong supporter. To re-order your favourite Hampstead Tea just send us a quick email. If you’ve yet to try any of the Hampstead Tea take a look on the products page of our blog and we’ll send you the info by email for ordering.

Hampstead Tea - more than just a great cuppa

written by Sandy Abram of First Ray

Situated 3,000 - 4,000 feet high up in the Himalayas lies the pristine Makaibari Tea Estate the first biodynamictea estate in the world and Hampstead Tea’s partner estate. This Darjeeling estate is protected on all sides by lush virgin forests, has a richly diverse wildlife including a family of panthers and is the home and livelihood of a community of 1,700 people.

Makaibari Tea Estate workers are a community that enjoys a lush and healthy lifestyle where biodiversity flourishes within a chemical free environment. The people are empowered through the model of fairtrade unlike thousands of other tea workers and farmers in India and neighbouring countries where the struggle against poverty and debt continues to escalate, at times even to suicide. Through the fairtrade model, the tea estate workers are paid a fair price for their tea which enables them to support themselves and their community, develop a social infrastructure with education and medical facilities and take an active role in their future prosperity.

For many people tea is becoming the next big drink as they discover the benefits of the powerful antioxidants teas contain. For this reason and with health and wellbeing in mind, it only makes sense to drink organic and biodynamic tea which have been grown without chemicals as tea leaves can’t be washed and therefore whatever is sprayed on the tea leaves is likely to end up in your tea cup. So, for a cup of tea that is good for you, good for our environment and ensures that no workers have been exploited in the process, Hampstead Tea is a real winner and a cuppa that is so alive you can taste the goodness!

***A message in 10 parts from your Gorgeous Things Cruise Director - Leeanne Dixon

1. Woo Hoo! Winter is nearly over…Spring is about to hit us - can’t wait for summer!
2. Did anyone see Gwen Stefani or Christina Aguilera whilst they were in town? If so let us know what you thought - all I heard was good reports.
3. I have seen some great new Spring Fashion in stores…rediscover your 1970 disco diva moments and buy yourself something metallic.
4. Well Done to those of you that supported the Breast Cancer awareness night at the AFL on Saturday night at Telstra Stadium “Field of Women LIVE”- such a fantastic cause and so great to have so many people support the night.
5. There is some great new music out at the moment - Paul Kelly, Interpol, Kate Miller-Heidke, Crowded House, Grinspoon just to name a few.
6. I watched a fabulous feel good DVD - The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, Kate Winslet and Jude Law - very cute and sweet - Jude Law is so hot in it!
7. Did you all read Harry Potter - and love it - I stayed up for 3 nights to finish it I was dying to read the last page to see how it all ended…so glad I didn’t - it was a great read and a great way to finish the series.
8. August is the time to discover a colour you love that suits you, then buy everything you can in it - my colour for August is RED - I have got red boots, red lippy, red jacket, red top……don’t panic I won’t be wearing them all at once - I even got myself a red laptop bag - very nice.
9. Butterflies represent “New Beginnings” so surrond yourself with anything you can Butterfly…so cute, girly and gorgeous at the same time.
10. it’s nearing the end of footy season - I hope your team is in the right spot on the ladder - keep cheering them on for a few more weeks - then it will be the Cricket season - YAY! So love a boy dressed in white!

Spoil yourselves and treat yourselves with love and kindness - stay Gorgeously Gorgeous until next month xxx Leeanne

Anyone who hasn’t had the chance to meet Leeanne at a Girls Night In, the above is typical Leeanne - the girl has so much postive energy (and not in that annoying way that some people do that makes you want to slap them), she’s smart, funny and quite possibly the most alive person I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

I hope you have a fabulous month and as always, email or phone me if you have a question. We’re about to launch our skincare choice so check the blog for news of when and where! If you’re not a subscriber, join up to our mailing list and be invited to our testing days, get samples of our latest products and lots of great advice about natural beauty. LA x