We know everyone’s fascinated with ‘French girl’ this and ‘Parisian’ that lately, but, for us, its all about the Australians lately! We don’t know what goes down (under) with Aussie girls lately, but it seems like every babe we meet – from Bondi Beach to Melbourne and back has a slightly different take on health and beauty than we do here in the States and we’re dying to learn more.

It may be all the sun and surf, their access to superfood pancakes like these – or maybe all Australians are eating here. We’re still figuring it out, but we’ve been falling in love with a few brands from the land down under along the way, including the use of Vida Glow’s Beauty Blend (blueberries, manuka honey, flax…) in every smoothie we’ve made this month.

Ever since Vida Glow founder Anna Lahey shared her killer smoothie recipe with us, our hair, skin and nails have a more resilient feel. Coincidence? Not a chance. In fact, marine collagen has been clinically proven to help skin retain lasting moisture.

Anna’s own glow was enough to get us tossing one of Vida Glow’s marine collagen packets into our daily drinks and we asked her to tell us what she thinks a few differences are in the way AUS and USA girls get glowing. We love her personal perspective on beauty…

Biggest difference between AUS and US beauty routines: We like to keep it simple with minimalist makeup. Just dewy, natural-looking skin. Contouring is too much hard work.

Go-to beautifying snack: Porridge with a dab of manuka honey, fresh blueberries and two teaspoons of Beauty Blend. Yum! Green juice is a beauty must have! My favorite is kale, avocado, banana, chia seeds, lemon, probiotic greens and one sachet of Vida Glow’s original marine collagen.

The product that changed my skin… 110% marine collagen. Nothing has ever, or will ever, compare.

Fave benefit/tip on collagen: Scientific studies are plentiful and have shown incredible increases in skin hydration (by up to 91%), resulting in smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, and a naturally plump complexion. My favorite is the original, I have one every morning in a glass of warm water. A secondary benefit is that marine collagen decreases sugar and carbohydrate cravings. So having mine first thing, on an empty stomach, sets me up for a healthy day.

3 things can’t live without when traveling: Only three? I’m a notorious over-packer! Argh. Vida Glow Marine Collagen is a must whilst traveling – a plane to anywhere from Oz is a long haul. Workout gear! A morning walk for exercise is the best way to explore a new place. International adapter (think camera, phone, laptop, iPad, Kindle, blow dryer). Sunnies, lippy… the list goes on and on.

Sun worshipper or always in the shade?: Sun worshipper! With 50+ SPF for the face, 30+ for the body. Full-brim hat and polarized Ray Bans. The Australian sun is brutal.

Other beauty obsession right now: Yoga!!!

top 3 beauty superfoods: Chia seeds, blueberries and pumpkin seeds – all of which are included in our Beauty Blend – plus with the added goodness of flaxseeds, raw cacao, manuka honey and probiotics.

Best beauty tip ever received: Put sunscreen on the back of your hands and neck.

In the shower I keep… Dry body brush (bye bye cellulite); Aveda shampoo and conditioner; Kora Organics body wash and face wash; homemade full-body exfoliator in a jar (coconut sugar, olive oil, cacao and cinnamon powder).

On my bedside table… Is my rose quartz, Lucas Paw Paw, Kindle (I love real paper books, but as a big reader, I just don’t have the space for a library in my house… yet) and lavender night spray.

Once a month I… Have a facial and a massage. It’s my ‘treat to myself,’ a two-hour treatment of pure relaxation. Running a business comes with its stress levels. So instead of impulse buying a pair of shoes, I invest in ‘me time.’ No phones, emails or outside noise.

After a long-night or rough weekend… I make myself a digestive drink with high antioxidants: alkaline water, kefir, lemon, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, mountain pepper. It’s actually delicious! I also up my marine collagen to three a day, usually the blueberry flavor for a hint of sweetness – rich in antioxidants and studies show it’s great after toxins and late nights.

My go-to DIY: My ‘creation journal.’ When one is completed, I start a new one. It’s not a ‘dear diary’ kinda thing. It’s magazine cut-outs of pretty things I like, destinations I want to visit, jewelry I appreciate, favorite quotes, scribbles of what I’m grateful for (my husband; George and Daphne, our Pomeranians; my sister; parents; friends; opportunities; successes; and, most importantly, my health). It’s a type of written visualization, if you will.

I’m a big believer in the law of attraction. I take it everywhere with me, and collect things from so many moments in time. Sometimes I look back on ones from years ago. It still blows my mind how many things I have manifested from creative visualization. I find it a powerful tool to allow the creative juices to flow and have tried to implement a similar thing in the Vida Glow office – it’s more of a board though. My personal one needs to be portable.

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