My Cleanser Is Black! And other stories...

That's right - charcoal is the hip new ingredient to know when it comes to cleansers. I've used charcoal for drawing and in tablet form for digestive cleansing, but it has never occurred to me that it would make a fabulous skin purifier.

As a beauty product fanatic, I considered it my duty to unearth the best affordable and widely available cleansers for sensitive skin. Especially considering that it's now winter in Melbourne and skin is already copping an environmental whack. My two picks for the best brands on a budget are Biore and Neutrogena. There is a product in both brand ranges for every skin concern, from dryness through to oily and acne-prone skin.
For a thorough pore-excavation, go for the self-heating one-minute mask with charcoal.

The Neutrogena Naturals range is skin and eco-friendly. Great for young skin and anyone with sensitive and redness-prone skin. I would recommend using the purifying facial cleanser daily and saving the purifying pore scrub for once every three to four days. Though it's not particularly harsh, the skin doesn't need to be exfoliated daily and this can lead to excess oil production as the skin tries to restore its natural balance. For the scent alone, I would recommend the Pink Grapefruit range. Zesty fresh and makes your skin feel tingly clean too.

You can find Biore and Neutrogena at Priceline, Coles, Woolworths and other major retailers.

Mika Yoga Wear

My obsession for amazing activewear means you don't need to do any explorations of your own. I'm going to make it really easy for you. I wear it to death, I kick and squat and stretch, roll and climb and press in it and if it still looks good even after all that battering, it's a keeper.

Let's face it. If you wear the same old leggings to the gym that you wear to bed or vacuuming all morning on Sunday, how motivated do you feel?
I need a flattering cut of legging and some concealer before I'm ready to take on the cardio machines post-coffee in the morning. I especially like wearing something I know I won't see 10 other people wearing in class. So don't tell anyone else, but Mika Yoga Wear is the bomb.

My favourite is the Linda top (US$45) - it has a ribbon tie-back that looks ballet-inspired. Nothing like a super feminine top when you're deadlifting like a beast! I love it in black, but it also comes in a beautiful dark purple, 'Blackberry' or 'Mustard'.
I also have the Kaya Legging  (US$56) in Lorelei print. Great for pilates, yoga and Ballet Sculpt. The waist sits just below my navel, which is really flattering. Bending over in low-waisted leggings? Not so practical. The print is gorgeous too!

Follow Mika on Facebook and Twitter

Rockin' Arms - in 10 minutes

If you've done my classes or trained with me, you know I have a 'thing' about working the triceps. It's fun, there's so many ways to target them, and when you can brave Melbourne weather and wear arm-revealing tops, a bit of arm muscle looks hot.

Not to mention that strong arms and shoulders give you

• better posture, 
• upper-body strength in proportion to your lower body, and 
• assist in all sorts of functional things like carrying, gripping, reaching, pulling and pushing.

This is a 10 minute arm blitz that I've done and totally recommend. The instructor has overdosed on the bath salts and comes across as EXTREMELY BUBBLY, but grit your teeth and hang on, it's only 10 minutes. What doesn't kill you gives you awesome triceps!

You need two dumbbells or plates - between 3 - 6kg depending on your strength and endurance. How often can you do this workout? Every 3rd day.

My article for A Beauty Feature: Vitamin C

I love contributing to A Beauty Feature. Here's my latest hard hitting investigation into Vitamin C for Collagen boosting. I'm getting my daily boost with the serums and powders mentioned - skin is loving it. Vitamin C For Collagen Boosting

Juice! Melbourne's Masters

I love juice. If it's a bright colour and you can plonk it in a juicer or a food processor, I'm there. If someone else is going to do it for you and hand it to you in a glass/jar/bottle, well, even better! I've been doing the research - someone has to do the tough jobs - and I can fully recommend the following juice pushers.

Schinny Maninny: I did their one-day juice detox and their Schkinny Leap Frog (cucumber, kiwi, spinach, parsley, apple) is my favourite! While I don't advocate a juice-only diet AT ALL, a one-day cleanse if you've really been hitting the junk food and liquor like a fiend is sometimes the kick-start you need. A sustainable, nutritionally balanced approach to eating and exercise is the only way. A green juice every morning is an awesome reminder to your body of how much it loves greens - totally recommend you get it delivered to the office! JUST THE JUICE CLEANSE

Nutrition Bar: In Swan Street, Richmond, right opposite the old Dimmey's. The range of juices and food is mouth-wateringly good! Well priced too. On the day Jess and I went in, there were fit-looking people traipsing in and out with juices and yummy salads/sweet things in hand. It's a SUPER SMALL space so if you plan on sitting around and having a yak, you might find yourself elbow-to-elbow with a whole bunch of people waiting for their order and laughing into their mobiles. There's a few outdoor tables, which is where we planted ourselves, but this isn't ideal in Melbourne's wintery weather right now. Come summer, this is going to be heaven!

Green Press: Quickly winning over the yoga and fitness folk in Melbourne's CBD, Green Press is hooking up with several studios and healthy living businesses and individuals to really show that healthy living and nourishing the body takes more than a juice a day. It's a holistic thing. But you knew that. Right now, I'm in talks with Green Press to visit my inner Melbourne classes. Stay tuned!

Ballet Flats for Ballet Sculpters - WIN a pair!

This is one for my fashion-friendly Ballet Sculptors.
As much as I wish I could still float around in Jiffy slippers like I did as a 5-year-old, they're just not made for walking on anything other than the floorboards of a ballet studio!
I've found the adult option - chic, ballet flats from Cocorose London, who have collaborated with Britain's Royal Ballet on a collection - bonus points for authenticity! My gorgeous wear-anywhere flats are grey. You might be more a red-goes-faster type!

Cocorose London have offered one of my readers a pair of Cocorose ballet flats of YOUR choice! All you need to do is visit the Cocorose London website then answer the following question:
What year was Cocorose London founded?
Go to Facebook to answer!

Natural Looking Tan and Rockin' Bright Nails

Nail obsession? Guilty. Desire to be tanned year-round? Guilty! If you understand, you'll be very grateful for my latest discoveries.
I have tried almost every tanner under the sun - streaks, bizarre oompa-loompa shade, sticky, smelly....so when I find something that is actually really flattering, natural-looking and has no lingering scent, I get excited. Jennifer Hawkins created J bronze with a range of face and body tanning products. I have been using the Face Flawless Tan and Dark Tanning Mousse. Applied the night before, I wake up looking like I just got back from yachting in the Carribean. Get it here.
Also available at Priceline.
My advice? Apply to clean, dry skin before dressing in loose, black clothing. Looks perfectly natural - you'll love it.

ELES is a mineral makeup brand that is formulated to nourish skin, without nasty fragrances, talc, oil or dyes. Perfect if you have sensitive skin, acne or rosacea. I am a sucker for the Micro Bubble lipstick.

Their latest range of nail colours is inspired by the seaside huts on Brighton Beach. I LOVE Brighton Berry Smoothie. The whole collection can be seen here!