Beautiful peaches - and I do mean beautiful - this is a fabulous video that all women should watch about appreciating their natural and true beauty.
This is an ad for Dove - (don’t get me started on the toxic ingredients in their products and the fact if they actually cared about women and looking after them, they would remove the ingredients that are causing men, women and children so many serious health issues...however let that not detract from this fabulous video about how women are so off the mark when it comes to body image) - it’s wonderful! (oh I’m so conflicted ha ha!)
The women in the ad were asked to arrive at a location, spend some time with a stranger and then take a seat behind a curtain while FBI trained forensic sketch artist Gil Zamora asked the women to describe their looks for him to sketch.
Afterwards, the strangers that the women had been asked to spend time with earlier described the looks of these same women to the sketch artist with very different results.
Take a look and see - if someone asked to sketch you purely from your descriptions - would you describe yourself as beautiful? If not? Why not?
I haven't seen you watching this video but I think you're beautiful... you should too ;)
*Do remember that health is more important than beauty and while the campaign is fabulous for highlighting our body issues - don't fall for it! The toxic ingredients in Dove products are linked to some serious health issues like breast cancer, infertility, asthma...plus seriously, can a company that makes 'Bleaching Creams' for whiter skin really comment on 'Real Beauty'? Be smarter than a great advertising campaign peaches - you deserve beauty AND your health.
Hooray! At last! The European Union has now officially banned all animal testing for cosmetics...for good!
So what does this mean? It means we’ve taken a massive step in the right direction. It means that companies like L’Oreal can no longer sell new finished products or products with ingredients that have been tested on animals anywhere in Europe.
All products made with the blood, bile and tears of animals before the ban came into place are still able to be sold, but companies will now have to find alternative methods of testing to allow any ‘new’ products to hit the shelves.
I have long been against animal testing for blindingly obvious reasons (nothing at Peachy Clean has ever been tested on animals! - majority of our products are even vegan friendly!) and many will argue that animal testing is needed to trial products before being safe for human consumption, however cosmetics is just not one of those necessities - no matter which way you powder your nose!
While China still require animal testing on all cosmetics to be sold by law, thankfully Europe has taken the first step to counteract this. Big companies will now have to provide two versions of any new products - one with animal testing for China and one without any animal testing for Europe so we’ll see what happens in the coming years but hopefully the ban in European cosmetic sales will put pressure on the rest of the world and cosmetic companies to cease this needless cruelty.
At last - a giant leap in the right direction! Now don't you want to just go out and kiss all the bunnies you can find?
The David Jones Autumn Winter 2013 launch was a bit of a spectacular affair and I was lucky enough to be hosting the Perth leg of the fashion soiree!
One of the things I love love love about the David Jones season launches is the support for Australian Designers and models - I mean, our kids are totally killing it on a global scale and it’s great to see that the tall poppy syndrome has been laid to rest long enough to give designers like Dion Lee, Ellery, Josh Goot, Camilla and Marc, Akira and the like a massive, well deserved fist pump!
Joining me on stage to introduce the new season frocks and jocks was super stylist Elizabeth Clarke - now when I say super stylist, I mean this woman has worked for Elle, Vogue, Grazia, with Miranda Kerr, Candace Bushnell, Kristy Hinze and even Tom Cruise and Vanessa Redgrave on the set of Mission Impossible! (Peaches stay tuned for a giveaway involving this amazing fashionista and Peachy Clean in the next month or so!) - that's some serious style cred!
Our fave models strutting the runway? The gorgeous, down to earth Miranda Kerr (of course!), Samantha Harris (the stunning indigenous Aussie model who was the 2nd ever to grace the cover of Vogue!) and the stunning Jessica Gnomes.
Also getting our love were Perth models Adam Erceg (pictured above-you're welcome ladies ;) and the super gorgeous (and lovely!) Caris Tiivel and Stacey Monaghan.
Who are your favourite Aussie designers and what new season staples will you be filling your wardrobe with?
Superbowl schmooperbowl! Beyonce stole the show (and the power!) during her smokin' halftime performance at the 2013 Superbowl.
What a woman! Bey hit the stage in sexy black leather and did. not. stop. shaking her famous booty right up until the end. How anyone can sing while gyrating like that is beyond me - the woman must be all kinds of fit or be part super-bot.
Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams were bootylicious as ever during a Destiny’s Child reunion that literally caused the stadium to blackout for a moment - seriously, that’s some butt-shaking power!
Just had to post the video - what an inspiration! New mum, smoking hot curvy rig and total die-hard rocking diva! I need a nap just from watching her!
If you’ve just watched it - I know you’re singing ‘if you liked it then you shoulda put on a ring on it’ right now ha! Good luck getting that out of your head today! ...I’m off to the gym, I gotta get like Beyonce! Fit is so the new black.
I LOVE the silly season!! After working as a Social Writer (professional partier!), reporting on up to 10 of the cities best parties a week for many years I’ve definitely learned some great tricks to surviving the party season in style! With a choc-block diary around Christmas and New Years there’s little sleep to be had and more than enough glasses of bubbles doing the rounds (I’m not one to say no to a good glass of champers-heaven forbid!) but the down side is late nights, little sleep and overindulgence can wreak havoc on your skin and you can end up looking like something the cat dragged in pretty quickly! So I’ve popped together a wee list of fail safe ways to keep you partying like a rockstar while still looking as fresh as a peach!
Dilute where possible! When you’ve just had enough to drink and switch to softies - it can be a chore explaining to everyone that no, you’re not pregnant and no you’re not being a party-pooper. Get your softies poured into a wine glass - lemon cordial and soda water in a wine glass looks just like white wine! You get to have a breather and no one will hassle you - win win!
EAT! When dashing around like a mad person from party to party it can be hard to find time to eat without stocking up on greasy party food. A good meal before heading out will help absorb some of the alcohol and give you energy to keep going. People who don’t eat get messy quickly! And when you get home - have another snack and plenty of water before bed
Vitamin B - Vitamin B helps your body break down the alcohol so you won’t feel so sick the morning after! Tresos B, Berrocca...take them before and after a big night - you’ll be glad you did!
Wear comfy shoes! No party should come to a halt because of your feet. If you can't resist a pair of awesome shoes - pack a back-up pair of ballet flats in your handbag. Don't make people wait for you or go home because you wore the wrong shoes - be comfy.
Hangover food - still scored yourself a nice little hangover? Honey on wholemeal toast! Bread helps fill your tummy while the honey contains potassium and fructose to help counteract the effects of alcohol! Scientifically proven!
Skin care! While it’s fun to go to every party - you don’t want to look like you’ve been to every party! Don’t let your skin suffer! Invest in a few key products that will turn back the night before to help keep you looking respectable at the office the next day! I’ve tried and tested and trust me you can’t go past these instant skin-hangover cures!
Sodashi Brightening Marine Mineral Mask - this baby works! Happy skin in a jar - you'll look like you've just come back from a spa retreat, worth every penny.
Eco Tan - a tan hides a multiple of sins! A good tan will keep you from looking pasty and disguise blemishes and imperfections! The real kicker? A tan is slimming too! If you can't tone it-tan it! ;)
The eyes are the window to the night before ;) Don't skip a good eye cream! And always use your eye cream in between the bridge of your eyebrows and around your lips too!
Savi Passionflower & Pomegranate Face Mist. Pack it in your purse for a skin refresher on the go. A good mist makes helps your moisturiser sink in and misting before make-up helps to give you a real dewy finish while helping your make-up stay on a bit better!
AEOS Realive Serum - it's all in the title! Again, another fab product to pop on before make-up for a healthy glow and even more amazing for boosting skin tone! (Buy any AEOS product and receive a free sample kit so you can try the full routine!)
A good lip balm! Regular lip balms contain parabens which actively dry your lips out (that's why you feel you need to keep reapplying!) and lets face it, once our lippy has rubbed off onto the glass and we're in no state to colour in between the lines - it's a good lip balm that will see you through! My fave is the Weleda Everon Lip Balm - super lush and creamy, won't end up all over your face and will keep you hydrated well after the party pash underneath the mistletoe ;)
Stay safe beautiful peaches! Catch taxi's, check on your friends, and always get someone you trust to walk you to your front door. Stay classy!
We just LOVE giving away prizes here at Peachy Clean!
To get your hands on our Ultimate Peachy Summer Giveaway including over $330 worth of fab goodies from Peachy Clean and Gypsea swimwear, follow this link to our facebook entry form!
Here's a pic of me wearing the amazing Gypsea Peacock Pants on a recent holiday - not only are they the most comfortable pair of summer pants I own, the print is just AMAZING! (You may remember I wrote about the amazing prints from Gypsea when I first saw them on the runway at Perth Fashion Week - I managed to bribe the designer Scott into letting me have the pair off the runway! Yay!)
(PS - I later thought about it and maybe dressing up like a tasty peacock wasn't the smartest idea before playing with tigers ha ha!)
Don't forget to be a fan of both the Peachy Clean and Gypsea facebook pages and get extra entries by sharing with your friends.
The prize will be express posted to the winner anywhere in the world to ensure the prize arrives just in time for Christmas!
Swimwear shopping can be an absolute minefield of tears, tantrums and total self esteem blow-outs if you haven't managed to stick to all the New Years resolution with the regiment of a Navy Seal Officer (my resolutions usually go out the window in the first week when they're quickly replaced by the one rule that lasts me the rest of the year 'if it's not fun, don't do it' ha ha!)
But there are a few tips to get you into your best cossie yet and I was recently asked to share these as a stylist on The Morning Show (yay!) so here's a few of my golden rules that just may help.
If you can't tone it-tan it! We all have wobbly bits, dimples and 'problem' areas - it's called being human and in contrast to what all the air brushed photo's of supermodels we have shoved down our throats on a daily basis-is NORMAL and BEAUTIFUL! However a good lick of a great fake tan can give you a confidence boost, help smooth out the skin tone and turn you into a bronzed goddess-no matter what your size! A fake tan is very slimming! The best I've found (by a long way) is Eco Tan.
Choose a style that works for you, for example;
Fuller Figures - Choose a one piece with a V-neckline to draw the eye away from the tummy area and up to your ahem *assets ;) Rouching or patterns on the torso are great to help break up the mid-section-if you can find something with darker panels on either side of the tummy area go for it-this is a great slimming trick! Make sure you’ve got support though-you can always get a seamstress to sew in a good bra to the top of the bathing suit
Pear Shapes - Try to choose something light on top and darker on the bottom-like a mix and match pair of bikini’s. This helps to balance out the top and lower parts of your body to maximize proportion. Steer away from boy short cuts-the hemline on boy shorts will hit you at your widest point and simply highlight the pear shape.
Shorter Frames - Something with a higher waistline or high cut sides is good for you, this helps to create the illusion of longer legs-also lighter colours are best
Smaller Busts - opt away from the bandeau top as they can be quite flattening. Choose a moulded cup to give you a boost-triangle shapes work best to create more surface area and make the bust look bigger, the smaller the amount of fabric, the smaller your bust will look.
Straight-up/straight down figures - create curves with a higher waistline like a retro style knicker bottom or an empire line in one pieces.
For the boys - the shorter the length of your shorts, the longer your legs look so if you’re a little shorter in stature, choose a shorter style - below the knee will just make you look even shorter
Be comfortable! If you’re constantly pulling your top up, pulling your bottoms out of your toosh or just feel uncomfortable in the style it shows. Even though it may be the height of fashion, it only works if it works on YOU. You are individual so go for what you love most-it will show in confidence!
Dry Body Brush - Body Brushing is incredible for lymphatic drainage and evening out skin tone. It’s the most effective method for fighting cellulite and keeps your skin looking smooth and soft. If you’re about to head to the beach-have a quick brush first, you’ll see an instant boost in skin glow! I love (and so does Miranda Kerr) the Bodecare Tampico Bristle Body Brush.
Peaches it is a sad fact that many people feel fit to write intolerably rude posts and comments when protected by the anonymity of a keyboard. It's simply not acceptable.
When I was younger (in primary school) I was bullied by a few girls to the point that I woke up with horrendous stomach aches from stress...at 5 years old!! A wee member of my family is going through the same thing at school and while we'd like to say 'don't worry, it's just someone being immature and it will stop when they grow up' unfortunately it's not always the case.
I regularly see rude comments online, on facebook, twitter and on blogs and it is no different to the school playground except that it is adults causing the problem, not children. Who can forget the barrage of assault Charlotte Dawson (Next Top Model AU host) received on twitter that resulted with a stay in hospital after trying to take her own life? So I would like to write an open letter to people who feel the world is owed their opinion on everything and offer a few points on decorum.
"Dear social media user, commenter and adults without filters,
While your opinions and comments are free to be expressed by you, please think a moment before sending your thoughts airborne and consider the following;
Would you still say exactly what you have written if the person you were commenting to/about was standing directly in front of you?
Does your opinion add to the conversation/situation at hand? Or is there a chance it may simply detract?
If you had just met someone, would your greeting be the same as your comment? As you don't know the person to whom you're commenting, you must think of this as your first interaction with a new person-would you behave the same way?
Would you feel it appropriate if a complete stranger expressed the same opinions to you?
Is there perhaps a better, most positive way you can voice your opinion - with politeness and grace?
If your child heard you speaking to someone in person in the same manner as your online post, would you be happy with the behaviour they were being taught?
Did you perhaps just have a bad day and need to blow off some steam at someone/something that won't fight back? Is there a better more beneficial way you can release this frustration?
Is your opinion really that important if it was to hurt or insult someone you don't know, you would still voice it?
If you still think a comment is still valid after considering the above points then that's fine. However if not, please take a moment to consider the effect spreading negativity is having on your life and the people around you. Is it beneficial or could you prosper from speaking more with a kind heart?"
The world has negativity in spades, it's positivity we need! Lets all join together and stop the negativity before it starts. Lets do what our mum's taught us and rise above it and be the better person. It's true - you do catch more flies with honey than vinegar!
When someone is mean-be twice as nice in return and kill them with kindness ;)
May you all only encounter positivity, encouragement, politeness and grace. I don't even know you-but I love you ;)
I'd love to hear your thoughts-have you been at the receiving end of some mean spirited comments or are you guilty of 'type first, think later' also?
Every now and then you come across something beautiful that just puts a big 'ol grin on your face and right now I'm seriously loving me some gorgeous 'yoga inspired' jewellery from Ananda Designs.
In sanskrit, Ananda means 'bliss' which is appropriate as designer Christina Zipperlen is following hers. The jewellery is all hand made in thoughtful combinations of gemstones to promote love, joy, confidence, protection and balance. Jewellery with meaning and intention...how gorgeous is that? I love wearing things that have been made with love, are unique and have some kind of uplifting ideal behind it. Plus I love a company that have their etho's firmly in place to help spread some love and good karama across the world. Aside from that, the jewellery is ridiculously pretty too! I love a bit of chic-boho and this Seeds of Love necklace with it's gold lotus flower is just beautiful...so....wanna win one?
To win this gorgeous Seeds of Love necklace in the 'Love & Nurture' combination of rose quartz and pearl valued at $189, just tell us in 25 words or less what 'Love & Nurture' means to you.
Make sure you sign up to the Ananda newsletter for some regular inspiration in your inbox too!
Good luck beautiful peaches!
CONGRATULATIONS! THE WINNER HAS BEEN DRAWN! ANA YOU WILL LOVE YOUR NEW NECKLACE!
I totally love the simplistic style of DKNY, the effortless chic and clean cut tailoring that rock the most glamourous runways year after year, but it's the founder herself who really floats my boat.
Donna Karan is a big fan of natural beauty and is an avid yoga buff. Her Urban Zen Foundation is a fabulous resource for wellbeing and unique humanitarian initiatives. For all her wealth it seems her priorities for health and beauty are definitely in the right place and right down to earth. Having enjoyed some bubbles with the lovely lady herself a few times (of course the conversation turned to natural skin care with the two of us being total devotees!) we swapped our favourite products and I arrived home smelling divinely of Donna Karan...no, not the latest DKNY perfume, but of the headstrong designers own perfume from a vial of her favourite Young Living Essential Oil that smelled of a gorgeous spicy chai tea (tucked into the most fabulous handbag...of course).
Ageing ever so gracefully, Donna was in need of the ultimate of body creams and to my mind the Sodashi Body Butter is second to none. Yep-it does come with the price tag to match, but if you can afford the investment it's a day spa in a jar! After just one use, scaly legs are banished and it's so rich that it's best applied right after a shower to help spread this super thick cream. I'm not ashamed to admit that my boyfriend once smashed a jar of my Sodashi Body Butter on the bathroom floor...and I scooped it right up, spent a good half hour picking out the glass shards and kept right on using it! Honestly, it's just ridiculous how good this body moisturiser is.
