Florapolis in Redfern – A new Urban Florist

Video

Hello natural beauties how are you? I was walking home the other evening and stumbled across a gorgeous new florist called Florapolis. Attached to the old garage at the top of Regent St, Redfern, you could be mistaken that you were in Europe, somewhere in the countryside, admiring delightful flowers, plants and good vibes.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

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Carlos has created a space that not only is supercool, but that elevates flowers to their rightful place in an urban environment. From recycled old mattress frames that make a potting shed, to old ladders and boxes it really captured me as I walked by.

A stunning posie in an old glass, wrapped with leaves

All the posies were out the front, with a special shed/office at the back for the tall flowers which included roses a plenty. It was evening so my little movie is a bit dark but you’ll get the drift.

Recycling is the key word here as Florapolis has used found objects like old pots, discarded furniture and pretty much anything you can think of that has a great look and no doubt a great story.

And this is the little posy I bought for my friend Sheila who lives in a nursing home. If you live in Sydney it’s worth a visit.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Pruning Lavender at Paradise Botanical Garden

Video

Hello natural beauties how are you? I’ve been a bit slack with my posts but I am caring for my elderly parents and that takes up a lot of time. I was happy to escape to Paradise Botanical Garden last week to get some fresh air and help the garden. My job was cutting the lavender and it was a joyous, and cold morning. Avoiding the bees was my biggest challenge.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

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The garden on the Central Coast just north of Sydney will be having an open weekend with local businesses selling their wares, from refreshments to aromatherapy. Come and visit on the first weekend of August 2020.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Make 5 Quick and Easy Perfumes with Only 3 Essential Oils in Each Creation

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Hello natural beauties how are you? After my last blog with poetry about flowers, I feel we need a little bit more inspiration to unlock our hearts and minds during this weird time. Here are a few perfumes you can make in a minute with just 3 essential oils and a few drops of carrier oil.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

The classic Duralex glass dish is handy to make oil blends and quick perfumes in

Pure Pulse Point Perfume

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first! You could use almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba, grapeseed, sunflower, and many more.

Heart

1 x drop cedarwood Atlas

1 x drop lavender

1 x drop orange

Sparkling Butterfly

1 x drop lime

1 x drop geranium

1 x nutmeg

Elemental Energy

1 x drop Siberian fir

1 x drop lemon

1 x drop amber

a fir forest in Finland borrowed from cartinafinland.fi

Sunset

1 x drop Australian sandalwood

1 x drop ylang ylang

1 x petitgrain

Fireside Kisses

1 x drop bergamot

1 x drop peru balsam

3 x drops rose in 3% jojoba * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

I hope you enjoy these easy recipes xoxo

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Rosy Poetry for Isolation and Quiet Time

Video

Hello natural beauties how are you? I’ve been looking for some fragrant inspiration during isolation and quiet time. I came across some lovely poetry about flowers and picked some special poems about roses, just for you. There is something so special about old fashioned, heavenly scented roses in a garden, and that is exactly what I picture when I read these poems. I hope you enjoy them.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

More beautiful roses from my recent trip to New Zealand

The Rose Family
by Robert Frost
The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple’s a rose,
And the pear is, and so’s
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only know
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose–
But were always a rose.

Nobody knows this little Rose
by Emily Dickinson

It might a pilgrim be
Did I not take it from the ways
And lift it up to thee.
Only a Bee will miss it —
Only a Butterfly,
Hastening from far journey —
On its breast to lie —
Only a Bird will wonder —
Only a Breeze will sigh —
Ah Little Rose — how easy
For such as thee to die!

A different rose, in the same park, about 2 years ago

A Red, Red Rose
by Robert Burns
O my Luve’s like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly played in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it ware ten thousand mile.

One Perfect Rose
by Dorothy Parker
A single flow’r he sent me, since we met.
All tenderly his messenger he chose;
Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet—
One perfect rose.
I knew the language of the floweret;
“My fragile leaves, ” it said, “his heart enclose.”
Love long has taken for his amulet
One perfect rose.
Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it’s always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.

Do you love roses too?

Persian Love cupcakes with rose water from That Vegan Lady

Dry Skin Brushing with Bodecare Natural Bristle Brushes

Video

Hello natural beauties how are you? I’ve written about dry brushing before (dry brushing basics and dry brushing for your face) when I discovered some fabulous natural, vegan brushes from Bodecare – one for my face and one for my body. It took me ages to get into it and then after a couple of house moves they disappeared! I was very excited to run into Rebecca from Bodecare at the Sydney Mind Body Spirit Festival last month (before we all got sent inside by Mother Nature). Read on for some simple healthy techniques to make your skin look amazing!

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

**A selection of brushes at the Mind Body Spirit Festival**

About Rebecca and Bodecare

Rebecca Gaspert, the owner of Bodecare, has been in the beauty industry for decades. She is a makeup artist and qualified Beauty Therapist who has owned 2 award-winning salons, and that is how her dry brushing journey commenced. Many of her clients had skin problems from dry skin to acne which started her on a trajectory that is now Bodecare. Rebecca started dry brushing in 2003 and has never looked back.

What are the benefits of dry brushing?

According to Rebecca, dry brushing:

can improve venous blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, aid in the release of toxins, exfoliate dead skin and reduce ingrown hairs. It can also:

* Reduce skin conditions such as Psoriasis, Keratosis Pilaris, Eczema and other dry skin conditions.

* Reduce cellulite

* Relief of arthritis

* Increase circulation of scalp

* Reduce stress

* Remove bumpy skin

Use this code at checkout for a 10% discount: SUZANNE10

**My fave Bodcare brush is the one with the detachable handle** **called the TAMPICO FSC BODY BRUSH**

6 Tips from Rebecca to Kick Start Your Body Brushing

1. Always use a plant bristle skin brush. Try the tampico body brush with a removable handle for flexibility.

I love the detachable handle on the Tampico body brush. Give it a go if you’re in quiet Covid19 mode.

2. Perform on dry skin only as this will provide the best stimulation and exfoliation.

3. Generally stroke upward in one motion. Except for fingers and toes, you can brush back-and-forth between them.

4. Ensure you use the jute brush for gentle face exfoliation. Don’t ever use your body brush. When brushing, use upside-down U-shape brush strokes, pressure on the upward stroke and lightly on the way down.

This is the wonderful jute face brush, I encourage you to try it, it’s really wonderful!

5. Always use a good quality organic body cream and face moisturiser after your shower, to ensure your skin is kept hydrated and supple.

6. Always clean your brush after use. If you do not clean or allow your body brush to dry completely, you are susceptible to spreading bacteria back on your skin when dry body brushing. Simply use a tea tree hydrosol on the bristles after every use of your brush.

Hey while you’re immersed in natural bristles why not try the toothbrushes too? They have won an award!

Use this code at checkout for a 10% discount: SUZANNE10

Let me know how you go with your dry brushing – good luck!

A Bee and Some Lavender

Video

Hello natural beauties how are you? I’ve got a short and succinct post today. Remember to smell the lavender and give thanks to the bees.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

Lavender is an ancient healing herb, with many deep and unwavering powers. In my book Revelation! Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils, I refer to lavender as an oil of solidarity and that’s what we need right now. It’s a herb and oil that can keep you grounded and feeling strong.

All hail lavender and the pretty little bees that love it too!

A bee in the lavender

All lavender pics by me – I just cant help myself I love it sooo much.

Thanks lavender, I love you.

Using Essential Oils in the Time of Covid 19

Posted on March 16, 2020 by suzannerbanks

Hello natural beauties! Keep calm and use essential oils. If you are an essential oil enthusiast I know you’ll be making your own anti-bacterial concoctions. And the words to note here are ANTI-BACTERIAL and Corona VIRUS. Some essential oils have been shown to exhibit antiviral activity, but so far we can’t say for certain that any oil will stop you from getting the virus. In fact, we cant say that at all. But by using essential oils for cleaning surfaces and hands, we MAY help limit our exposure to the virus and reduce exposure to other bacteria too.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

Dried lemon myrtle leaves – pic via http://www.abc.net.au

I’ve started making a re-usable hand wipe with essential oils and carrying it with me in my bag. I make a new one every couple of days, using different essential oils, and put the old one in the wash. This doesn’t have alcohol in it so I can’t say it has complete anti-bacterial capabilities, however, it’s the first line of defense and soft on your hands. And why not use essential oils if you have them? It’s definitely better than nothing.

Check out my little video:

A quick, easy, reusable and portable first line of defense for your hands on the go

What essential oils will be best to use? I love lemon myrtle best of all for an antiviral oil along with lemon-scented tea tree. I’d also go with thyme and oregano as antibacterial and include lavender and eucalyptus and tea tree – just for starters. Myrrh as well.

Which oils do some high profile aromatherapy experts recommend as having anti-viral activity?

Salvatore Battaglia recommends these oils:
clove, hyssop, manuka, patchouli, thyme, marjoram, peppermint, oregano, eucalyptus, tea tree, myrtle, sandalwood, rose and a few more too!

Patchouli leaf – pic via toptropicals.com

Dr E. Joy Bowles: gives some advice from March 12, 2020:

“So people are clamoring for a natural preventative for the new virus… Best of all is to do all the health-building activities you know about already: EAT HEALTHY, SLEEP ENOUGH, EXERCISE EVERY DAY, DE-STRESS… And really DO…
We don’t know which essential oils kill this new virus… It’s too new. By all means be a test subject for your own experiments, but please, keep a record of what you do and the results… Could be helpful later…”

Farida Irani notes these oils: lime, clove,

Dr Penoel refers to monoterpenols as having antiviral effects: lavender, melissa, peppermint, basil, oregano, marjoram, sage, clary sage, and thyme among others.

Patricia Davis says: bergamot, eucalyptus and tea tree.

Sylla Sheppard-Hanger lists quite a few and here’s some for you: rosewood, cinnamon, myrrh, palmarosa, eucalyptus, melissa, helichrysum, eucalyptus, lemon, thyme, hyssop, ravensara, niaouli…

I used patchouli, lemon scented eucalyptus, myrtle and oregano in my surface and hand sanitiser

I also made my own surface and hand sanitiser with perfume grade alcohol and oregano, lemon eucalyptus, patchouli and myrtle (I ran out of lemon myrtle). I used 26 drops in 50mls, but 20 drops would be enough. Be careful when using alcohol on your hands for extended periods of time because it will really dry them out. A great base to use is aloe vera gel – but it can be a bit sticky and does not contain alcohol, therefore much less effective and is not great for surfaces! It’s more like a hand softener and conditioner if you’ve been using drying and harsh hand sanitisers. See pic above.

I hope you take this all on board and use these beautiful gifts from nature, to help your immunity and help everyone at the same time. May The Force be with you and wash your hands.

Life is Weird, Then You Die, So Smell the Roses. These are my Flowers for Tizza

Posted on February 21, 2020 by suzannerbanks

Flowers for Steven “Tizza” Taylor

Hello, natural beauties! An old friend of mine died the other night. It was unexpected. He was funny, generous and kind. He was popular and well-loved around the world. He will be missed. Remember to smell the roses, the lavender, the muraya, the jasmine, the osmanthus, the frangipani and all the beautiful scents of nature.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

This post is for him. Just all the pretty things I love – botanical scent and flowers. His name was Steven “Tizza” Taylor and he enjoyed life. He was the good-time guy. He smelled the roses, tasted the roses, gifted the roses, accepted the roses,, lived with the roses, lived without the roses, saw the world through rose coloured glasses and was very a rosy friend. Thanks, Tizza.

Just enjoy life people. Take time to smell the roses, especially when things get tough.

Lavandula stoechas, my own pic thanks yes it is wonderful

Flowering rosemary in my client’s garden

I’ve got these gorgeous chamomile flowers in a teapot nest to my bed – sweet dreams!

wild freesia , Freesia alba x Freesia leichtlinii

Juniper berries at the spice market, by me

New Palo Santo Trees Planted in Ecuador, Yay!

Posted on February 5, 2020 by suzannerbanks

Hello natural beauties! How is your rat year going so far? Australia is still burning and we have had some really extreme temperatures and fluctuating conditions. From strong winds to fires to full-on hail storms, this is global warming. In light of this, I’m very happy to bring you a wonderful story from South America, involving the very pungent Palo Santo wood and essential oil. Read on for a great story from Ecuador.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

Many years ago I imported some Palo Santo oil from Ecuador from a company called Ecuadorian Hands. I was quite surprised when I opened the oil, as it’s so pungent and has deep earthy and woody tones. You can read my story from 2016, on my reaction to the oil here.

I’ve stayed on the mailing list and recently they have posted a new article on the replanting of Palo Santo in the forest of Ecuador. I love their story, you will too.

This pic is from Ecuadorianhands.com and heads the story on planting trees

In the coastal province of Manabi in Ecuador, the article from Ecuadorianhands.com says that in the past 4 years they have planted over 10,000 Palo Santo trees, “regenerating the tropical dry forests of Manabí where palo santo wood grows, which are currently threatened by man.” To attain the 6-year-old trees for planting, they rely on pigeons to eat the flowers of existing trees in the forest, expel the seeds, then they create saplings from those seeds in their nursey. Thanks, pigeons! Read this article from 2019 here.

In the latest article on their website they talk about their 2020 plan:

“Within our planning is to plant about 4000 trees native to dry forests such as the dog zapote (Colicodendron scabridum), Aromo (Acacia farnesiana), Jolote (Cojoba Arborea), Cerezo (Muntingia calabura), Palo Santo (Bursera Graveolens) among others, on the 50 hectares located in Joa / Jipijapa / Manabí , which is in the last processes to declare it protective forest.’

Check out their video:

“To reforest Palo Santo trees we use the method called transplantation, which consists in determining an area of the forest that has overpopulation of the same species for the extraction of trees that are very close to each other and transfer them to an area of the forest where no there are trees so that they can continue with their natural development. In this way, the space that remains when extracting the trees will be used by other native species of the dry forest, in this way, we are helping with the restoration of tropical dry forests.“

This pic is from Ecuadorianhands.com and is in the story on planting trees

There’s obviously a particular way to carry out the reforestation, from choosing the right spot to the depth of the hole to plant the seedling in. 20 people helped the planting this year and more people are wanting to help.

Thanks so much to the people of Ecuador, and Ecuadorian Hands for helping mother earth and the beautiful trees we rely on for health and happiness. Bravo!

Your Essential Oil for the Lunar New Year of the RAT, 2020!

Posted on January 22, 2020 by suzannerbanks

Yes, it’s a new year (almost)! How was your pig year? It seems to me there were a lot of people feeling pushed towards the end of the year, but sometimes that’s just life. The rat brings exciting times as the first animal in the Chinese Horoscope. The rat is smart, fast and engaging and has an attractive personality and an outgoing lifestyle. What does the Year of the Rat have in store for you?

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads and paper backs of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

_____________________________________________________________________________

2020 is the year of the yang (male) metal rat.

Yay. I think?

This year is connected to metal and water and could see an increase in those industries.

Money and finances for all signs could increase, but only with the will, planning, and determination. Luxury, opulence and shiny things are characteristics of the rat year too.

The rat year brings new opportunities and new experiences for the ones who jump on their lucky opportunities quickly.

Your Chinese Zodiac in the Year of the Rat

Rat

Keywords: success, learning, discipline

Oil: rosemary