Winter Wellbeing: Body, Hair & Face

As you know - or will come to know - I get excited at anything that sparkles, glows, emanates colour, smells beautiful, looks amazing... whether it's eyeshadow, yoga pants, organic coconut oil, if it's divinely presented and a joy to use, I'm all for it.

Now that Winter Is Here, it's time to ease up on the self tanning if you're so inclined and instead to slather on moisturiser under your socks and sleeves. If, like me, heavily over heated rooms and shops really play havoc with your sinuses, I totally recommend Xlear. I discovered it at a health foods store but it's also in Priceline and other pharmacies. No steroids, no nasties, all natural and it clears up and moisturises at the same time. Alternatively, saline spray might be your best friend.

Life is short, and you only get one, so use all the good things and indulge yourself in beauty and wellness rituals that revive your body and your spirit. Sometimes it's the tiniest luxuries that remind you there are simple joys to be had every single day.

Eminence Coconut Body Firming Lotion is a richly scented, creamy lotion that is perfect for winter. Rather than disguising your scaly little limbs under full length leggings all winter, get out of your steamy shower and smear this all over. Then go forth into your day or night, knowing you are channelling some tropical summer vibes of your own.

I've just had my hair lightened to a very pale blonde ombre at the ends so it is super sensitive and dry. Because I refuse to give up on sleek, smooth and straight, I have to do all the things. Here's my advice regardless of whether you have coloured hair or not:

• Use a heat-protection spray or leave-in product
• Don't use the same old straightening irons you've been using for years (they're too hot!)
• Invest in quality hair care and high tech stylers if you use them regularly (I have recently discovered 100% Australian EVY iQ styler. Never going back - this is the best!)
• Wash twice a week and use a masque once a fortnight or more often if needed

Yoga, Plant Based Eating and Natural Balinese Beauty in Ubud

Plant Based Eating

On this, my second visit to Ubud in the past five years, I was told over and over again by friends and strangers that I must visit Moksa if I loved raw food. Or even if I didn't know I loved it. 

On their recommendations and with a fierce curiosity, I trekked up Penestanan past Y Resort towards the rice fields and Moksa's incredible permaculture garden and restaurant. I was not disappointed!

Chef Made is a genius, and I don't bestow this claim lightly. I was fortunate to see him at work in the kitchen and when I asked for the recipe for my favourite dish (avocado enchiladas in pumpkin wraps), he sent me the recipe that very evening!

Moksa was founded by Janur and Made after they had worked together at a five-star resort serving raw food in Ubud. With dreams of running their own sustainable farm/cooking school and restaurant, Moksa was the stunning result.

The menu changes seasonally and the space easily accommodates single diners, families, romantic dates and group dinners. With wi-fi and candlelit tables at night, it's not to be missed. Cannot recommend those avocado enchiladas enough. Even if you don't know the slightest thing about raw food, nor plant based food, this is flavourful, decadent food at seriously affordable prices. There's a cookbook coming out this year and I'm hungrily awaiting it. 

Check out their Facebook page for updates and events. Highly recommend enrolling in a class with Chef Made. 

Natural Balinese Beauty

There can be no better marketing for Utama Spice than Ria Templer. Her mother began Utama Spice in the 1970s after she had determinedly raised her children and family with traditional Balinese practices regarding natural solutions to skin, health and wellbeing. Using recipes, herbs, spices, fruits and plants to create tailored treatments, it

wasn't long before her skills and talents spread from friends, family and local community to reach international interest. Soon, she was providing natural, organic skin and body treatments to five-star spas and hotels. Utama Spice provided her with her own business and freedom to create products she knew were essential to wellbeing under her own label. Importantly, Utama Spice employed local women at a time when it as traditional for the man of the house to be the breadwinner and women to stay at home. The business has a renewed vigour and strategy under the loving management of Ria and her partner now. Still producing the highly popular Bug Spray, they also do face, hair and body scrubs, washes and serums. I made my own lemongrass, ginger and bergamot scent and can also vouch the Yoga Spray is THE BEST. I recommend visiting the store but you can also find the products at Yoga Barn, Bali Buda and other quality yoga, organic and natural produce venues around Ubud. 
Go to the Utama Spice website for stockists, story and product info.

Yoga

Yoga Barn runs yoga and lifestyle classes throughout the day, every day. The Ecstatic Dance evening has a queue for hours before it begins so if you are inclined to truly get your yoga groove on, get there early! I was fortunate to try Vinyasa Flow with fabulous Nadine and also a really creative, flowy and strong Vinyasa Flow with Murni.

The OMG? OMG! I'll be borrowing that one for my own classes.

I also tried classes I never normally would have if not for the fact I was at a loose end and it was a convenient time. Shamanic Healing which honestly, I wouldn't recommend with the teacher who I experienced BUT still an interesting experience and certainly you meet a lot of international yogis and wellness warriors so that's worth the entry price and more.

I also did Iyengar Yoga with Christine who studied under the late, great Iyengar himself. She is a complete treasure chest of knowledge on the body and yoga. The concept of movement that focuses on joint integrity and health with the AID of muscles rather than a muscular focus really got me thinking about where to place the focus and intention when moving and teaching. Recommend you try this long-time Ubud venue before trekking elsewhere. And Denise Payne is unmissable. Make sure you get to her Yin and Power Yoga. All teachers listed here.

Beauty & A Tan That Doesn't Cost The Earth

The skin is actually one of the largest organs of the body. We often think of heart, kidneys, liver when we think of organs of the body, but actually the skin is a living, functioning organ that absorbs elements of the environment and especially, the products we put on it.

This is why it's so important to choose carefully what you apply when it comes to skincare, shower gels, cleaning agents, hair products and if you're sensitive, laundry products too.

Many cheap and chemical based beauty and skincare products rely on parabens as a cheap, easy preservative to extend the life of products on shelf. Parabens are entirely man-made and synthetic.

They mimic hormones within the body and once absorbed into the skin, can change and warp the natural balance of hormones within the body. The short and long term effect of this has not been thoroughly researched but since hormones rule everything from mood, fertility, appetite, appearance, sleep and immune system, it would pay to be careful with the endocrine system. 

Natural products often opt for ingredients like grapeseed oil as a natural preservative. Pay attention to the ingredients list and there are quite a number of great books out on natural beauty that explain ingredients and what to avoid in common household and body products.

Another excellent reason to opt for natural ingredients in your skincare is to be earth friendly. Less chemicals produced and manufactured into skincare and beauty products means less toxic products released into the waterways, air and earth before, during production and after use.

Here are some of the products I've discovered recently that align with my goal to use primarily organic, natural and eco-friendly, skin friendly beauty and body products. Nutrimetics makes a whole range of targeted skincare as well as body care from shower gels to deodorant and makeup. I've been using and loving their Black Cherry Shower Gel, Honey and Almond Scrub for face, and the super nourishing apricot based Nutri-Rich Oil

Ink Nurse is a Melbourne-made tattoo healing cream that is just as vital for your freshly done work as it is for years' old work that you want to keep fresh after a bit too much time exposed to the sun. It uses all natural products and is vegan friendly and no parabens. As they say themselves, "A badass, ethical, cruelty-free, product that no one else compares to when it comes to tattoo skin care." True! Hoping to see it at more Melbourne studios.

Eco Tan is an organically certified, skin loving and naturally derived tanning range that has won awards for its face and body products. As someone who lives in Lycra and doesn't tan naturally, I'm all about the tan in a bottle! Just as with Ink Nurse and Nutrimetics, Eco Tan is fully organic and vegan. Their Eco Tan Face Tan Water is the best facial tanning product I've ever used and I've used plenty of tanning brands over the past 15 years. No nasty smell and the colour of both face and body (my choice is Cacao Firming Mousse) are totally believable: deep enough to look like you've been sunning on St Kilda beach but not so deep it looks like you fell asleep there all day.

Scents for Your Studio, Your Body and Your Yoga Mat

Don't underestimate the power of the senses in affecting your daily life.

Sometimes it just takes a new soap or rose-scented facial cleanser to pep up the morning and start everything off right. Herewith, my favourite scents for my home, the studio environment, my yoga mat and my limbs.

Home & Studio

Living in an apartment, I have the luxury of knowing a candle or a diffuser will travel. This means, however, that if I pick the wrong scent, I'm stuck with it in every room. So! I am very careful. If you are in a studio environment, you don't want to be overwhelmed by scent nor offended. I find incense really makes me feel congested and claustrophobic and I have avoided going to yoga classes where I know the instructor will be burning it before and during class.
At home, I use MOR Neroli and Clementine diffuser. The beauty of this is that it takes no thought or maintenance. I just set up the diffuser initially and leave it. This is unlike candles where you need to light them and remember not to leave the house while they're still burning.
Neroli and Clementine is citrus fresh but subtle and just leaves a zesty, slightly Mediterranean fragrance lingering.

Body 

There's nothing worse than trying to get your weights workout on when the person next to you is either:
a) not wearing deodorant at all; or
b) wearing a powerful aftershave/perfume/anti-perspirant

Be authentic. Wear a fragrance that reflects your personality, your mood and your style but also be aware that you don't need to intoxicate the people around you. The gym or the yoga studio is not the place for Dior Poison, people.
I love The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Mist because it's fresh, it's subtle and it reminds me of beaches, fresh grapefruit juice, island time and has just enough sweetness to balance the citrus zing. Plus there's no nasty additives and it's ethically produced, you can be sure.

Yoga Mat 

Four Thieves is a combination of organic oils that are designed to not only purify and cleanse, but to uplift the senses and transport you. I use this to cleanse my mat before and after practicing and it has the beautiful, sage-based scent that reminds me of Bali and jungles, beaches, wild nature and beauty. Try Melbourne yoga teacher Amanda's blend - made locally for yogis! Four Thieves by Ananda Aromamist.

Super Green Beauty Buys

There's a real explosion of brands new and old doing fabulous #greenbeauty products. What's this? Cruelty free, natural-based products that harness the power of plants, oils, environmentally friendly packaging and sustainably produced and manufactured ingredients.
These used to be ridiculously expensive products only available via luxury stores or, at the other end of the spectrum, packaged in ugly brown boxes at the local organic co-op. Thankfully, a rise in consumer demand for ethical, beautiful, luxurious and yet affordable beauty products means you have a treasure trove of Australian and international brands and products to opt for. I've tried, tested and truthfully recommend the following.

For cleansing, Sukin Purifying Gel Cleanser and the Super Greens Facial Scrub are divinely scented, gentle and under $15 each. In fact, the Super Greens is my favourite range (the face moisturiser is a must) and post workout shower time is 100% better with the Botanical Lime Coconut Body Wash. No sulphates and no parabens in any of these products!

Botani is a small, local operation that does beautifully packaged, scented skincare that is environmentally conscious, designed to nourish the skin and also the soul. I know that sounds hokey! I just breathe this in as I'm using it though, and I know it's one of a small batch, not created in some massive factory without heart. It's available at health food stores, Go Vita, Priceline and Great Earth. I especially adore the Acai Berry Active Antioxidant Serum (it's berry, berry good!) and the Boost Balancing Moisturiser for non greasy hydration.

Simple is available all over Australia and online. It's also super affordable for budget beauty babes. The name says it all really. Nothing but the basics and really, you don't want to settle in with a mug of tea and a blanket to have to read through the ingredients list of your skincare. I use their new Aqua-Lock Cleansing Facial Wipes for the post-workout, pre-shower period where you just don't want to get sweat and germs all over your iPhone. The Hydrating Cleansing Oil is ideal for when I've been overdoing the retinol and just need to use something really gentle and non violent.

J'adore this Swiss nail polish and nail care range. Sure, Mavala doesn't have the fancy, funny names like OPI, but it does have the most gorgeous mini nail polishes and if you are a creature who loves change and tends to only use nail polish 10 or so times before the next colour beckons, you won't need full sized lacquers. These are also 5 free, cruelty free and definitely get the Green Beauty prize for nail care. Fabulous range of colours too. Those Swiss beauty designers are way ahead of the game on knowing what the international fashionistas are going to want to opt for in regards to colours. From neutrals through to pastels, brights, gothic to glam, not a colour missing from the range. Love Alpine Green and Blue Curacao mini nail lacquers, and the lip liner in Innocent Pink for an everyday, subtle definition to the lips. I'm all about pencils.

The Body Shop is an international green beauty and wellbeing name that everyone knows. Begun by an entrepreneurial and ethically driven woman with a vision for beautiful products that emphasise sustainable ingredients, manufacturing, fairtrade and supporting farming communities. There is no doubting that vision carries through to this day and while all the classic fragrances and ranges are still going strong (Vanilla, White Musk, Vitamin C) it is some of the newer ranges that are truly exciting me! As a banana paddlepop devotee, the banana shampoo and conditioner is heaven for me. I am also all about a fresh, citrus scent and Pink Grapefruit body mist and the eau de parfum has the perfect balance of sweet and zingy. It can be worn alone or layer the body mist with something a little more herby like sage or jasmine based lotion or eau de parfum.

Avalon Organics does a great range of Vitamin C based skincare as well as their popular lavender range. I use the Vitamin C cleanser, Lavender scrub, Vitamin C Toner and moisturiser. No nasties, just simple formulas that are potent. There's a reason you will easily find Avalon Organics at health food and organic stores. People who care about what they put in and on their bodies are fans of this brand and have been for decades. Vegan, no false fragrances and no synthetics or parabens.

Burt's Bees does the basics with pizzazz, from moisturisers to hand creams, baby powder and lip balms to the new range of makeup that is gorgeously packaged in honeycomb inspired columns. I adore the beeswax based lip and face products. They are fabulously packaged, deliciously scented and sustainably, ethically produced and sourced. I adore the Baby Bee Skin Creme as an all-round balm (even nostril balm come hayfever season!) and any and all of the cleansers.

Eminence Organics is an award winning green beauty cult brand. I have been guilty of opening jars of blueberry and acai berry spiked serums and desperately wanting to eat them! The smell is so divinely pure and genuine, you could believe you were about to coat your face in strawberry puree. While it's not a budget buy, you absolutely get the quality you pay for. I adore Coconut Milk Cleanser (very gentle, very yummy) and the Sweet Red Rose Tonique (will make you want to get out and literally smell the roses!)

Certified organic, Australian beauty brand The Divine Company is a new player in the green beauty game. They hit David Jones stores in Australia only this month! I predict a riot, as some Britpop lads would say. Now, look, I'm as sceptical of marketing messages as any smart, savvy shopper, but in fact I really like what The Divine Company state on their website. They acknowledge that many beauty products and brands are entirely about the external appearance whereas beauty and self-care are much more about being elements of a holistic approach to wellbeing. I've been using The Miniature Series which is excellent, again, for the gym bag or for throwing in your carry-on bag when travelling. Try ACO Organic Certified Illuminating Day Cream and the Purifying Series (cleanser, toner, day cream).

As a pineapple and coconut scent addict, the whole (ALL AUSTRALIAN) bx Earth range totally appeals to me. Fortunately, it is super affordable (you'll find it at the local supermarket!) so you can afford to nab every scent combination. My tips? Desert Lime and Coconut hand wash and Pineapple and Coconut. It's like a G-rated mojito for your body!
Promising to "be friendly to your skin, and the environment" - I genuinely love the playful approach they have taken to product packaging, names and the level of care and consideration they've put into using quality ingredients and crafting the most appealing scents and formulations. Try You Scrub Up Well and Good Morning Sunshine (citrus fresh tangerine!)

Makeup Must Have List for 2016 - bronzer for fair skin, bold lips, pastel nails

There's a zillion makeup brands and products out there - I should know! I find myself in seventh heaven any time I am near a Sephora or a Mecca Maxima. So many colours! The packaging! Oh, the sparkle!

But.

There's what is absolutely worth the spend and the space in your makeup cabinet, and there's the novelty factor. Herewith, the products absolutely worth your hard-earned dollars and my solid gold assurance that I use them, I love them and I totally recommend them.

Bold Liquid Lipstick that Lasts: Estee Lauder Pure Envy Liquid Lipsticks in Savage Garden and True Liar. Savage Garden is a deep, midnight purple that can be a subtle stain if you apply one coat, or a dark, violet gloss if you apply 3. True Liar is a fuschia-pink that applies dark and lasts and lasts and lasts. Much more daytime friendly if you’re not going for an A+ in Bold at the office!

Foundation That Does Double Duty: Bobbi Brown Skin Perfecting Fluid is the ultimate! Sure, it's not cheap, but consider Cost Per Wear. Every damned day if you want to convince people you are from an alien planet where everyone has glowing, flawless skin. I also love Bobbi Brown Cushion Foundation - again, not a bargain basement product but you get what you pay for - A Grade Skin.

Concealer You'd Take To A Desert Island: Organic, perfecting Evelyn Iona concealer. God forbid I use up my current stash. I am obsessed. Whatever any makeup artist says, I apply BEFORE foundation. Then touch-ups later in the day as required. #GreenBeauty y'all.

Matte Bronzer for Fair Skin: Bobbi Brown Golden Light Bronzer. Because nobody likes to have a smear of orange or glitter across their face, combat style. Your bronzer is meant to give you a healthy glow, not look like you’ve been shoving your face into a bag of Twisties. Hard to find the perfect blush for fair skin, that does subtle but complexion-boosting, but I have. Bobbi.

Nude Lip Pencil: Bobbi Brown Art Stick is a lip defining pencil that works just as you'd use a lip liner, except that it glides and has a softness to it that means no dry lips, no sharp lines and no vanishing within an hour or at the first sign of lunch. I use the nude shades alone for definition or as a base for stronger colours. My favourite shade is Bare.

Overnight Serum That Makes You Glow: I can't pick just one here. I alternate between two and both are fantastic. I work out daily and wear makeup daily and these are the maintenance tricks required to rejuvenate and fully refresh my skin. It's like a 3 hour facial in an overnight serum! Both Mesoestetic Collagen 360 (Available at RY) and Alpha H Liquid Gold (via Sephora) are Must Haves.

Pastel Nails That Aren’t Sickly Sweet: OPI (available at RY) does 5-free nail colours that have a cult-like following for a reason. Beyond the snappy, laugh-out-loud names, their formula and colours are pure salon quality and the packaging is simple, chic and collectable. That’s my excuse for housing a zillion more than I need, though! What you must Add To Cart is the gelato hued gorgeousness of Gelato On My Mind (pale mint green), Mod About You (pastel pink), Your Such A Budapest (pale lilac purple).

Forecast: Juicy Skin & Eyelashes

All new beauty products have been appearing on the market, with a heightened focus on both ethical production and ingredients, and also a greater emphasis on science and plant extracts.

Australian beauty lovers are worldly women, of course, and there's something very exciting in discovering an incredible brand that isn't widely available or known in Australia (Isa's Restoratives, hail Brooklyn!). There's something really joyful in discovering a local brand that is hitting the mark when it comes to killer packaging, great formula, ethical and local production. With that in mind, meet:

Skin Juice

Gorgeous packaging.
Let's face it. While you may not pick a book by its cover, you certainly go for beauty products that are going to make you glow just by seeing them in your cabinet.

Bright, graphic and clever tubes and tubs for the face care range won me over. I've been using the deliciousy scented Vanilla & Honey Face Mask for hydration, the mattifying and oil-fighting Citrus Juice for daily use, and the Good Juice as an overnight skin rejuvenator.

Because they are plant and fruit-based, the scents are absolutely gorgeous. Subtle but gently spicy. The cranberry and kakadu plum infused mask is especially yummy.
The pump action tubes are clean, easy to use and mean the product lasts longer without the taint of fingers-in-formula day after day.
The full range of facial products on their website.

Here's my proud boast of the post. I have naturally lengthy, up-curled eyelashes. Whee. It's great. While I'd love to add mascara for drama, I find that half way through the day my eyes get sensitive and red. So, naturally, the idea of boosting my lashes without needing makeup is perfect.

If you were a teenager in the 90s too, chances are you over-plucked your brows into a Drew Barrymore/Courtney Love era thin line and regret it. So lastnight I began using Medik8 Lash & Brow Duo. The First Green Cosmeceutical Brand. The plant and peptide-based formula goes on with a mascara wand morning and evening. The goal is to mend the subtle but annoying patchiness of my natural brows, and to thicken and nourish the appearance of my eyelashes. Available at salons and online.

Cat's Cult Beauty Brands

Valerie Gradury created Odacite skincare as a result of reinventing her lifestyle to eliminate as many toxins from her diet and environment as possible. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer, she took stock and quit her job, qualified as a health and wellness coach, and began to blend potent plant oils for skin.In 2009, five years after she made the changes to her own lifestyle, Valerie launched the pure plant Serum Concentrates.

I have been using the Olesomes Time Release Creme, which is the base to add the oils to, allowing them to be absorbed by the skin more gradually (overnight).

My two picks (of the many oil blends available!) are Vital Glow Serum (Wild Carrot) and Radiance Effect (Green Tea + Lemongrass).

Both smell like heaven - you will not want to just apply once. The Wild Carrot has a sweetness that wraps you up in a hug and the lemongrass is a hit of fresh, tangy, zesty green. Radiance AND aromatherapy all in one. I'd also love to try the Hyperpigmentation Serum (Papaya + Geranium) and Elasticity Serum (Marula + Neroli).

www.odacite.com

Cruelty Free. Natural. Made in Australia.

Direct from the state that does the Big Pineapple, surfers, parking meter women in bikinis and crocodiles, comes a skincare range that is gorgeously packaged and really delivers. I’ve featured Rubifresh on the blog in the past. I still love it.

My particular picks are the cleansing gel and cleansing oil. Both smell citrus tangy and will cleanse gently so that you don't feel you just removed your makeup AND every cell of moisture in your body.

I swear by the cleansers and the face and body scrubs. I’m yet to try the Pigmentation Serum but I will be and I will report back. Stay tuned.

www.rubifresh.com.au

There's three "Series" for the Hylamide range, which allow you to use the basic Core range, the specialised Booster range and the Finisher range, designed to blur pores, increase radiance and photographic finish (if you're selfie inclined. I am not.)

These are intense serums and the high concentration of active ingredients means if you have particularly sensitive skin, you may want to apply less product, less often.

I find the Vitamin C (Booster C25) is seriously skin texture nirvana, BUT it's super intense and I prefer to leave it on for two or three hours before bed and wash it off. If you regularly use vitamin C products, you might find you can leave it on all night without issue. I have no issue leaving Booster Radiance on and my recommendation would be to use this on face AND neck and chest to ensure you look radiant from forehead to chest rather than having that "I have been tanning in a turtleneck" look. I love the Low Molecular HA Rehydration Booster. Again, skin looks and feels smoother and I look MUCH less tired in the morning.

www.hylamide.com

I'm new to the Elucent Whitening skincare range, but I'm loving it two weeks' in. This is not a bleach - the whitening refers to evening out any pigmentation caused by sun damage and hormonal imbalances. So, vitamin C, fruit extracts, vitamin E. saffron seed oil and Vitamin B are all combined in the cleanser, moisturisers, eye creams and exfoliators.

Clinical trials have shown improved and clearer skin at 12 weeks (96% respondents) and it's recommended that to see real, long lasting results, at least 3 months regular use should be committed to. Done!

www.elucentskincare.com

Isa Brito - Brooklyn via Brazil: Handmade Herbal Skincare

Isa Brito is a photographer, herbalist and skin guru.

I first spotted her skincare line in a US magazine and when I went to do some research, I discovered photos that prove her skin is flawless. The beauty of natural products and Brazilian heritage!

Isa grew up in Minas Gerais Brazil, on a self sustained farm owned by her family.
Like so many brave and artistic souls before and after, Isa moved to New York in 1984 with barely any money or contacts. Not only did she build the photography collection that was exhibited as "Passengers"  but she also established Isa's Restoratives. This is an all natural, herbal and plant based beauty line that has a cult following in the US.
I also love that Isa is a music fiend - we are both digging The Weeknd and she's also a fan of James Blake, Blood Orange, Chilly Gonzales and Warpaint.

Determined that if I cannot buy Brazilian genes, I can at least invest in the skincare products and regime that Isa swears by. Mind you, she is also dedicated to eating organic, plant-based meals that are rich in antioxidants and quality protein. A balanced, plant-rich diet and high quality, natural products go a long way to giving you the glow. in all my email deletes i've freakin deleted isa brito! GODDAMN!
I absolutely love the Liquid Clay Cleanser - a blend of volcanic ash clay, french green clay, green tea, lavender and papaya enzymes has a cooling effect on the skin.
The blue beauty balm is a must too - honestly, I woke up with seriously glowing skin and in this humid, typical Melbourne weather and disrupted sleep, that's a miracle.
The Coconut Charcoal Face Mask draws out all the nasties while also nourishing with mineral, enzyme and natural oils of coconut. So hydrating and detoxifying. I totally recommend this on a Friday night or a Sunday night when you have to say goodbye to the day, the week, and start afresh.
I am double-timing that mask though! I am also adoring the Matcha Mask. As a matcha green tea drinker, I have experienced the desire to smear all that green, vitamin-infused goodness over my face. Now I can.

Visit Isa's Restoratives

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Indulge in Pink Lipstick

How to indulge a taste for sweetness without a speck of sugar touching your tongue? Pink lipstick. It was frosted in the 80s, traded for power red and black in the 90s, but it has always been a staple of any beauty lover's makeup kit. There is, regardless of your skin tone, eye colour, hair colour or facial structure, a colour that will make your complexion pop and your face glow. These are my favourites. Indulge, my pretties. Pink lipstick is an investment buy.

Bite Beauty in Cassis is a deep, romantic and vaguely purple kissed hue. Available at Ry.com.au

Lavera Matt'n Pink is a paler pink shade that is nourishing to the lips. Available at Nourished Life

Too Faced Melted in Fig is a long-lasting liquid lipstick that acts as a stain. I discovered it in Barcelona and I still associate it with Barcelona and Paris. Available at Sephora

You may just want this for the luxe gold packaging. Don't miss out on the flattering, glossy candy pink shade though. Addictive. YSL Fetish Pink available at Myer.