Wellness WA is moving…

My little baby is all grown up now and no longer fits into her old WordPress domain clothes!

You can now find Wellness WA @

http://www.wellnesswa.com.au

See you there! :)

Beauty Salon Review: Je Suis Femme; Eyebrow Wax, Eyelash Tinting + Bonus Hand Massage!

What’s all this about: Eyebrow wax/reshape, Eyelash Tinting, Bonus Hand Massage
Ka-ching: $30 ish
Verdict: Worth it
Join the fun: (08) 9458 9650, Shop 1122, Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre, 1382 Albany Highway, Cannington.

Yesterday I decided to get my life in order, and as we all should know, that absolutely cannot be done without eyebrows that are shapely. After a month or so of wild overgrowth to the North of my eyes, I made an appointment with my regular beauty salon, Je Suis Femme, to rectify the situation.

It was easy to get an appointment given it was a Wednesday. I arrived early and they were able to accomodate me straight away. The girl who did the waxing was really sweet, she asked me what I wanted and chatted to me about various things.

She was very precise with how she waxed them, using a cotton bud to apply the wax, so it took a little longer but I’d rather that than a haphazard & heavy handed approach to very hot liquids on my face.

The general slight pain of waxing was incurred. Afterwards she even measured my eyebrows to make sure they were correct, which I’ve never experienced before and I thought it was GREAT!

She commented on my eyelashes, I was wearing Diorshow at the time (which may I also add is a fantastic mascara), and would I like to have my eyelashes tinted as they were having a special?

I said yes and came back half an hour later after some shopping to have it done. A different therapist who was also really nice did the tinting. I don’t think I will get it done again, as I already have pretty dark lashes and it never seems to make much of a difference to my eyes, also I don’t like the idea of crazy chemical dyes possibly leaking into my eyes – it is kind of scary!

So while the dyes were working their magic I received a 10 minute hand massage, which felt good.

Afterwards I left very happy & it was only about $30 all up! I would definitely recommend this salon, it is one of my favourites, especially for waxing.

Je Suis Femme.

My first experience with Massage AND Reiki, Perth.

This morning I received a massage from a lady who works from home a few streets away from me. I found her on Natural Therapy Pages, which is a fantastic way to find new wellbeing and natural therapy practitioners in your area.

I was a teensy bit nervous because I’d never been to a house before for a treatment and the possibility of serial killers briefly entered my mind before I calmed down!

I went in there and she was nice & friendly, there were a few ‘cons’ to the experience, the first being that a football talkback show was on throughout so I found it hard to switch off as much as I would have liked, also her nails were long so I could feel them scratching me a bit – strangely, I didn’t mind it too much but I haven’t experienced that before.

She focussed on my shoulders which are/were really tight so it hurt trying to work out the tension, hopefully it did some good! And she also performed some reiki throughout as well which was also new to me.

Afterwards I did feel very relaxed, but also pretty bizarre, and still do. I don’t know if it’s psychosomatic or the ‘bad energy’ wanting to leave my body but I definitely do feel an energy shift or SOMETHING so I’m drinking lots of water with lemon juice to help flush out any potential bad things that have been stirred up!

Overall it was good, it cost $50 which is really cheap & I might go again, but I may have preferred a more relaxing massage as this one was quite remedial (getting into deeper tension & knots etc). That said, I do feel relaxed!

I’m also going to try a proper Reiki session as well and see how that goes, so stay tuned!

If anyone is interested please e-mail me as I don’t want to publish a home address up here!

Perth Day Spas, Beauty Salons, Relaxation Therapy, Yoga, Pilates, Massage, Floatation Tank, Reviews etc

I’d like to say thanks to all the wonderful support I’ve received so far <3

Right now I’m taking on suggestions & ideas for places & treatments in Perth to review.

Perth Day Spas, beauty salons & hairdressers – Is there somewhere you’ve heard of that you’d like to try out but aren’t sure of? Do you own a day spa and want to be honestly reviewed?

I’d love to talk to you!

Get in touch with me below!

I am also very interested in relaxation therapies such as: all forms of massage, reiki, reflexology, ayurveda, aromatherapy, acupuncture, breathwork, EFT, feng shui, iridology, hypnotherapy, meditation, nutrition and more. So please contact me if you are a provider of these therapies or are interested in any of them and I will look into taking part in them and providing an honest and interesting recount of my experiences!

Thirdly, exercise based Wellness such as all forms of yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation etc. I have started work reviewing the various classes I attend around Perth, they will be up soon!

I can be contacted via e-mail : annettekristen@westnet.com.au! E-mail me! This site will eventually be a fantastic resource for people from all walks of life who live in Perth, Western Australia to access information about beauty therapies & wellbeing! Look forward to talking with you all xox

Hairdresser review: Hair at the Zoo, Leeming.

What’s all this about: Wash, treatment, trim/tiny cut (inc. fringe), blowdry
Ka-ching: $74
Verdict: Worth it
Join the fun: (08) 9310 3239, Shop 17 Leeming Forum Shopng Cntr, Leeming, WA 6149

Hair at the Zoo is an unassuming little salon nestled next to a fish & chip shop and a real estate agency, it’s your average friendly, non intimidating local hairdresser.

Upon entering, it’s a low key salon, with a childs play area and simple couches. I’m greeted and asked to take a seat. Unfortunately it’s a busy time for them (after school period) and I have to wait half an hour even though I made an appointment.

I don’t mind as my afternoon is free & I’m kept busy by website planning & scowling young boys who don’t want their shaggy hair trimmed, but any other time I think I would have been annoyed – it is a long time to wait if you’ve made an appt.

The woman who washes my hair is very friendly, she does it twice, then asks me what I’d like to get out of my hair treatment (strength & shine in this case) and goes about applying the best one for my hair. Hot towels are then wrapped around my hair to help it penetrate deeper into the shaft (wow, that sounds dirty?!).

It’s then rinsed out by another girl, scalp massaged & then over to the chair for snipping to begin.

I opt for about 4cm off to get rid of the last straggly layers my hair was sporting & a side-fringe trim. Crystal my hairdresser is great, listens to what I want & knows how my hair works (I’ve been to her a few times).

The hair is then blowdried and it looks good! My hair feels shiny, many less split ends, a better shape & a little shorter, so I’m pleased.

She did have to leave a few times to attend to people walking into the salon, again, it’s not a big deal for me, but some might be put off by it.

All up it cost me $74 for a wash, treatment, trim/tiny cut & blowdry. Which I think is a really reasonable price. I’ve had far worse cuts @ Maurice Meade for much more $$$ without a treatment.

I would definitely recommend Hair at the Zoo as the price is great and the hairdressers (well Crystal at least – I haven’t tried the others) know what they are doing. If you expect and demand 5 star service, then this may not be the salon for you, but if you are looking for somewhere cheap, cheerful and easy going then Hair at the Zoo may just be your new diamond in the rough! :)

Review: Hot Stone Therapy Massage @ Beauty Cove Day Spa, South Perth.

What’s all this about: Hot Stone Therapy Massage
Ka-ching: $150 for 90 minutes
Verdict: 12 thumbs up
Join the fun: Beauty Cove Day Spa – 47 Tate St South Perth WA 6151 – (08) 9367 1877

Long time followers (who are you!?!) may know my affinity for the Beauty Cove Day Spa, new friends may not, but the fact remains that it is one of the loveliest places South of the River to go when a little, or even big, pick-me-up is required. I lost my day spa virginity there (awww) and have been going back for more ever since!

Here’s the excerpt from their website

HOT STONE THERAPY MASSAGE

An experience, not to be missed, we place cooled and heated stones on key parts of the body and massage specific points to bring balance to the mind, body and spirit.

30mins – $65

60mins – $100

90mins – $150

I’d booked with my favourite massage therapist, Kate, for a 90 minute massage, $150 is pretty steep, but I hadn’t treated myself for a long, long time so I decided to go for it.

I do find it can be a bit awkward when you’re getting next to naked with someone multiple times in a row (uhh), it’s easier for me to get treatments from different people each time (sounds super sketchy!)… but Kate is fantastic so I deal with it for the benefit of my relaxation & wellbeing!

This massage focuses on the back, but also incorporates the legs, feet, arms and shoulders. I was disappointed because the rocks weren’t placed in a line down my spine as you often see in pictures and I was looking forward to it, however the rocks did feel amazing & they were never too hot. Just lovely, warm, melting into my muscles, taking me away to desert islands where nothing matters, swoon.

Throughout the massage relaxing, but also uplifting, music played as the rocks were used to whisk away tension from my body.

The hour and a half went so quickly that I thought I must have fallen asleep, I hadn’t, it was just so blissful that time slipped away!

I got to treat myself with a little after dinner mint type chocolate afterwards as well as a tall glass of water with lemon which is really good for flushing out toxins after the massage, and Kate recommended some other styles of massage she thought I might like. I forked over the cash and left feeling very light – wallet included – and happy.

Post-massage is always the most amazing part of the experience for me, just the profound sense of wellbeing. Colours seem brighter, thoughts seem much clearer, it honestly feels like being a child again, when you had no cares or worries. It’s definitely one of my favourite feelings!

So to re-cap:

Pros:

* Beauty Cove Day Spa atmosphere is good.

* Hot rocks massage in general, fantastic.

* Great therapist.

* Mint + lemon water afterwards.

Cons

* Wanted the rocks along the spine, which didn’t happen.

* Expensive.

Alright so I’ve inspired myself… I’m going to get a massage on my day off, maybe just a regular one this time but I’ll let you know how it goes!

If anyone wants to love me up, buy me presents or get on my good side for life, then you know what to do ;)

xo

Mini Review: Clear Image Skin Clinic, Leeming

Today I whirled into this little salon (open Sunday so a big plus!) which is located South of the River @ the Farrington Road shops in Leeming.

My mission Today was to become less hairy, something which I have been REALLY lax about lately (much to my boy friends dismay @ my prickly legs, I find shaving a very sub-optimal form of hair removal) due to being unemployed for a while & sans-dollars. The torture areas of choice were eyebrows, lip & underarms (the legs will have to wait a few more days!!).

The salon itself is quite small, but it feels nice and clean inside. The therapist seemed young and wasn’t particularly talkative, which I don’t mind.

The brows were the first to go, she tidied them up with strip wax in one little rip for each brow. At other salons I’ve been to they do it incrementally, it turned out okay though so I’m not sure which I prefer.

The worst part was that a tiny bit of wax got on my eyelid so it hurt when she was taking it off, luckily it didn’t seem to have an effect on the lid but I was concerned it might.

The lip was definitely the worst! Afterwards it turned quite red and the therapist laughed when I asked if it was red, which I didn’t think was very professional, but she went and got some i.d Bare Escentuals (??) make-up to conceal it.

The underarms were fine, I was asked a preference between hot / strip wax & I chose hot. In my experience hot wax is always the way to go for underarms! It hurts a lot more otherwise!

So now I’m free from having to worry when wearing dresses and singlets for about a month, I’m such a big advocate for underarm waxing – shaving is so messy & non lasting on me.

It cost $40 for those 3 treatments, which is a pretty standard cost.

PROS: Open on Sunday, average price, concealed post-wax redness with make-up

CONS: Therapist lacked professionality, lip was very red from strip wax, bit of wax on eyelid.

Overall I’m not sure if I’d heartily recommend it yet, definitely for a leg wax it’d be fine & being open on Sunday is a huge plus. If I went again I’d hope for a different therapist or just get legs / underarms done. They do IPL there which I am really interested in for my bikini line, but I might look around a bit more for a salon I feel a little more confident in going to.

6.5/10

Beauty Cove Day Spa – My first time!

So for my first review, I thought it would be appropriate to share my first experience with a Day Spa! This was in 2007 and after ruthlessly researching online I decided upon the ‘Beauty Cove Day Spa’ in South Perth for a facial treatment… little did I know I was opening the door for an overwhelming love affair of massages, facials & everything pampering. Here goes!

http://www.beautycove.com.au/

I walked in and there was a small water feature in the corner which provided a soothing atmosphere, the girls were all friendly, gentle music playing and a very good feel overall in the entrance area.

They made me fill out a form all about my skin type, what i hoped to get out of it, previous treatments i had used, drink preferences etc etc, which i thought was really nice! they offered me a drink and i waited 5-10 mins to go in.

I went and put my belongings in a little locker, was given a cute robe i was to put on & it had a little flower on top when it was resting in the cupboard which i thought was cute! The room i was in was really clean and dimly lit – very relaxing.

The facial I chose:

“USPA FACIALS
CONCEPT FACIALS

The facial begins with a ritual footbath, the relaxation continues with a back massage. Then your face is pampered with deep cleansing, exfoliation and warm towels to deeply infuse rich botanical ingredients. The facial is completed with a foot and scalp massage. Allow 90 mins”

It was DIVINE! the woman doing it was really professional, it felt great, at no point was I uncomfortable..she applied the hot towels to my face so well, it was my fav part :D face was cleansed, exfoliated, (maybe toned), massaged, steamed, hot towelled, masqued, cooling eye pads applied. the massage was excellent too. i left feeling sooooooooo relaxed and pampered which i would hope from what i paid!!!

The only con is that the BT tried to make me buy a few products at the end which i felt a bit awkward saying no to.

so overall……..8-9/10. very recommended and they have some cheaper facials/treatments too.

So as you can see, my younger self was very impressed with this new world that I had discovered! Beauty Cove is still one of my favourite places to get a treat, the massages there are amazing (ask for Kate), I’m dreaming of one right now… unfortunately I’ve just returned from a crazy holiday & am in no position to do so. But when I am I will pop down there again!

This place is highly recommended!

Introduction!

Photo by autumn_leaf.

Hola! Welcome to Wellness WA, the only website/blog that is dedicated to all the big & little ways that us folk who dwell in the most isolated city on EARTH can keep ourselves looking lovely and feeling even better!

A little background on me.. I’ve always been very interested in health, well being & doing as many things as possible to keep myself feeling good. These have included weekly massages (when I was in a position to afford it!), yoga, facials and other spa treatments, dancing etc. and other small things such as drinking tea and having relaxing baths regularly. I love reading reviews of other peoples spa, beauty & treatment experiences, but find ones that are relevant to Perth very few and far between, so I figured if -I- want to find out more information about local places, maybe some other people do too?

That’s what this blog is about. I’m going to be writing up honest reviews of beauty salons and spas as well as providing my opinion and information on other services and activities such as reiki, reflexology, yoga, pilates and more! Please feel free to contact me if you have any enquiries, suggestions or ideas of places to try out!

Be well! x
annettekristen@westnet.com.au