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Soft, glowing skin and hair… who doesn’t want it? We have been scrolling through our Instagram feed and wanted to share with you some of our favourite all time beauty brands… Instagram can be a dangerous place for your purse but with these products you won’t be disappointed!

Best of all, they’re all vegan, cruelty free and made in Australia!

1. Bare Babe

Coffee & Coconut Exfoliating Mask for clear glowing skin:

Bare Babe is a face mask designed to use at night, formulated with organic, natural and raw ingredients for all of you coffee and coconut lovers.

It contains a wide range of benefits, the grounded coffee and pineapple extract (AHA) acts as a gentle scrub to deeply cleanse and banish blackheads, breakouts and debris from pores. The coconut oil nourishes, heals and reduces the signs of premature ageing revealing your skins natural glow.  

View @bare_babe on Instagram.

2. Boracay Skin

Body oils for a moisturised summer glow all year round:

Inspired by the tropics, Boracay Skin are coconut based products that make you glow.

It will help you achieve a deep tan in the sun and is also the perfect addition to your daily skincare routine as a moisturiser. Formulated with all natural ingredients to hydrate and nourish your skin.

Get the Boracay glow day or night with their Bronze Shimmering Body Oil. With the hydrating properties of coconut oil, this tempting body oil will give you a subtle shimmer for that sun kissed look.

View @boracayskin on Instagram.

3. CocoBetty

Coconut Oil Facial Wipes (do I need to say more?):

Say Sayonara to plain Jane face wipes wipes that dry and irritate your skin and say hello to the new babe in town. Coconut oil wipes conveniently packaged individually for the late night lady and the gal on the go.

Drenched with coconut oil to cleanse away your sins and nourish thirsty skin. Wipe me on to wipe the day off. Zero nasty water-based ingredients, wont leave the skin tight, dry or irritated, soft on the eyes and face and keeps a hint of its natural coconut scent.

Coconut oil is a powerful moisturiser that is beneficial to restoring dry or flaking skin and suitable for skin breakouts. 

View @_cocobetty__ on Instagram.

4. Hello Hair

Hydrating Hair Mask:

Hello Hair Hydrating Mask is a 100% natural treatment which uses the benefits of Coconut, Almond and Argan oils to reconstruct and strengthen stressed out and damaged hair.

It is a great remedy for colour treated and bleached hair, chemically treated hair, and hair which is regularly affected by heat exposure from the sun, blow-drying, and straightening. Hello Hair can also assist in the management of dandruff and dry, flaky scalp issues. It leaves your hair feeling softer and easier to manage after use.

View @ohhellohair on Instagram.

5. Mud

Detox bath and body mask:

MUD is a clay bath powder designed to detox your body, smooth your skin and relax your mind. It's pure bathing bliss. MUD's key ingredient, Bentonite clay, has an electrical charge which comes to life when married with water.  The negative charge in the clay attracts the positive charge found in toxins, and this is how toxins are extracted. After bathing in this pure bliss, your skin will be clean and smooth and moisturised whilst relaxing the body.

View @mud_co on Instagram.

6. Sand and Sky

Brilliant Skin Purifying Pink Clay Mask:

This 4-in-1 treatment detoxifies and brightens skin in only 10 minutes to tighten pores, invigorate a dull complexion and instantly boost radiance. This mask draws out impurities, toxins and pollutants and deep cleanses the skin. Helping to regenerate skin cells and stimulate cell production and gently removes pigmentation clusters from the skin's surface whilst stimulating collagen production. What more could you want?

View @sandandskyaus on Instagram

7. Musq

Skincare and makeup without the nasties:

Clean skin, clean living. Pure and simple. Musq never use any nasty chemicals or toxic preservatives. It’s about choosing the best ingredients for your skin, and taking care of the world around us. With everything from face cleaners and exfoliators to foundation and bronzer, this is your one shop shop for vegan beauty.

View @musqcosmetics on Instagram.

8. Kester Black

Vegan Nail Polish, yes please!

While no nail polish can ever be fully free of chemicals, Kester Black does not contain formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrances, phthalates and animal derived or tested ingredients. Kester Black has also never used ingredients ethyl tosylamide, triphenyl phosphate or xylene.

Using water permeable nail polish can help to improve the health of your nails and the quality of your manicure. This new and improved base allows nails to behave naturally and grow without the restrictions of non-breathable polishes. 

Available in so many amazing colours, we want them all!

View @kesterblack on Instagram

9. Frank Body

The Original Coffee Scrub that made Frank famous:

A natural blend of coffee, oils and vitamins to give you the best exfoliation of your life & banish dry skin forever. Coffee stimulates blood flow, promotes collagen production & scrubs away dry skin plus, these natural ingredients will make you smell like an orange mocha frappuccino.

View @frank_bod on Instagram.

For more Instagram inspo read our blog Top 10 Beach Babes you should be following.

We recently caught up with the beautiful Christina Macpherson @christinamacpherson to hear all about her trip to the tropical paradise of Samoa!

We heard you grew up in Samoa, what was that like, how long were you living there?

I lived in Samoa for four years and then moved to Fiji, England and later back to Australia. Even though I was at my youngest in Samoa, that is the country I always go back to, and the one I feel a special pull toward.

 

Recommended areas to stay?

The Southern Coast of Upolu (the main island of Samoa) is exceptionally beautiful. Staying in a fale (a traditional Samoan hut) is the best way to authentically travel in Samoa. We normally stay at Vaiula Beach Fales.

Where did you stay this time?

Because we were working for a few different travel organisations and hotels; this time ‘round we stayed at Sinalei Reef Resort in Upolu which is absolutely incredible. We also went to Savai’i (the other island of Samoa) and stayed at Amoa hotel.

 

How many days do you recommend we spend in Samoa?

The more the better, but 10 days - at least. 

Must-go places to eat and drink or cuisine we must try? 

Definitely head to the markets in Apia to taste all the local cuisine. For the vegans/vegetarians (like me) I always stuff myself full of palasami (tastes kind of like a Samoan version of spinach & feta) and taro chips. Oka, fresh fish, and the most exotic fruit is all at your fingertips. Oh, and the freshest most delicious coconuts!

As a local, can you let us in on some of your secret spots/places to go/things to do?

I’d suggest going to a beautiful waterfall - one I always visited as a child - called Togitogiga. Surrounded by forest and very easy to get to.

There’s also a beautiful secret beach off the main road in Siumu village that not many of the villagers know about. It takes about 20 minutes to get to by car from the overgrown entrance. I’m not going to tell you any more on how to get there - but if you manage to find it, you’ll have found an untouched paradise.

 

Top actives we must try?

Kava ceremony, learn Samoan cooking, and just go and talk to all the locals. Samoans are proud of where they live and are some of the friendliest, happy people on the planet - spending time learning about the culture will change you for the better. 

Top Tips for others travelling to Samoa? 

1. Be open and friendly.
2. Generally people won’t try to rip you off, so don’t barter - things are cheap enough.
3. Hire a car.
4. If you want easy luxury, Samoa may not be for you. There are luxurious places to stay, but I’d recommend doing it a little rough. Stay in a fale, wash your hair in fresh waterfalls, and eat traditional food. You’ll leave feeling like a new person - a better one.

See more from Christina on Instagram @christinamacpherson and her blog christina-macpherson.com.au

To get more travel inspiration read our Greek Island Travel Guide by Lucia.

Shop the swimwear as seen on Christina here.

Shop our Summer Romance Collection

Photos by Tristan Judd

Styling Juvelle Behrendorff

Chadwick Models

Shoes Elle Et Lui

Venue Perth Racing

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am loosely based in two countries - Australia (Byron Bay where I’ve lived for 7 years) and New Zealand (where my fiancé is from).

In my spare time I love to read (at least a novel every two weeks) and write (writing makes up about 40% of my work, with modelling and content production the other 60%). I go on a lot of hiking adventures and if it’s warm you’ll never find me far from the ocean.

Obsessions at the moment hmmm...I’ve recently been getting into jewellery and makeup. I’ve never really worn either and it’s been nice playing with styles and colours recently.

We heard you grew up in so many amazing places, tell us about where you grew up and what you loved about it?

I grew up in Samoa, Fiji, England and Australia. I guess at the time I didn’t realise it was an unusual thing, but looking back it definitely helped shape who I am today. There were tricky parts - friends came and went and trying to constantly fit in was at times really hard - but being surrounded and introduced to different cultures and people was something really incredible for a child to grow up with. 

Where do you call home now?

Because of my time in so many places, I get itchy feet a lot. My brothers and parents are always on the move too, so there’s no real ‘home base’, and because I am constantly on the road I guess ‘home’ is more of a person than a place!

You travel a lot, where are some of your must-see places? Favourite places so far?

I’ve just finished working with Cotton On in Far North Queensland and I’d encourage everyone to explore that place - it truly took my breath away.

I also love Florence in Italy, and the craziness of Japan. Santorini will also always be special as it’s where Tom (my fiancé) asked me to marry him.

Dream destinations?

Oh so many places - everywhere! Off the top of my head, I’d love to explore more of Europe, and travel through South America. I’d also love to explore more of our own backyard - I’ve never been to Western Australia and many friends say it’s beyond beautiful there.

You travel a lot with your (boyfriend/fiancé??) how did you and Tom meet?

We met in Byron over three years ago. He was working in Brisbane at the time and had three more weeks left in Australia. After we met, he quit his job to stay in Byron with me; and a few weeks later I quit Byron life to go to New Zealand with him. A few very spontaneous decisions, but definitely the right ones.

What goes into creating the beautiful photos we see on your Instagram?

For me, I try to be as genuine and authentic as possible. The photographs are always professionally taken and I try to present the brand/client/location in the best way possible. But nothing overdone, and nothing fake. My write up in the captions are also important to me, and if I’m feeling strongly about something I express it, or if I’m feeling cheeky and silly I’ll express that too.

Top tips for creating amazing content? 

1. Don’t try to be somebody else or copy.
2. Don’t be fake - everyone can spot it and you’ll only start comparing yourself which can be damaging.
3. Be careful not to over-edit. Imperfections are beautiful (and normal!).
4. Don’t take this Instagram business too seriously. It isn’t real life, and it’ll all fade away soon enough.

Top travel tips

1. Learn at least a few phrases of whatever country you’re going to - locals appreciate others who are at least trying to speak the lingo. (google translate is amazing)
2. Take a drink bottle, a sweater, and some cash (but not too much) everywhere.
3. Say no to plastic bags everywhere.
4. Be mindful of others. Basically be kind, be weary, and don’t be a dick (haha).
5. If you’re backpacking - less is more. You really don’t need that many clothes.

One thing you can’t travel without?

Glasses, comfy shoes, toothbrush and Tom (not necessarily in that order ha ha).

Where are you heading next?

I’m heading to Nicaragua in two weeks to shoot with Soludos, and then meeting Tom to explore Central America and shoot some content there.

Whats something most people don’t know about you?

I’m blind as a bat but always forget to wear my glasses. Really, really blind haha. I’m also older than many may think… ;-)

 See more from Christina on her instagram @christinamacpherson and blog christina-macpherson.com.au

 Read about one of our other favourite globetrotters Lucia in her Greek Island Travel Guide.

We recently caught up with the beautiful Lucia (@lucyinthesskyy) and we were lucky enough to get her to share some top places to explore and travelling tips when visiting Greece. 

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Lucia Tranos (@lucyinthesskyy) and I was born and grew up in Greece. I have a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Management from Imperial College London. I lived in London for 5 years but could not live without the Sea and Sun so I returned back to Greece eventually. I love island hopping and taking wanderlust pics during my travels. At the moment I’m obsessed with the off the shoulder style and ruffles everywhere (bikinis, tops dresses, shorts).

Where are your favourite places in Greece and why?

The islands of course, especially the Cyclades! I think it’s the best place for island hopping! I love that each island is different to one another. They have the most amazing crystal clear beaches, delicious food and picturesque scenery.

Where can we find the best beaches?

Koufonisia, Milos, Antipaxos, Ios, Mykonos and Crete.

Where are the best views?

Famous Santorini and Zakynthos but also less known Folegandros Island.

Must-go places to eat and drink or cuisine we must try? 

My favourite Greek cuisine is found in Chania, Crete and Sifnos Islands. Local dishes you should definitely try are Pastitsio, Mousakas, Greek Salad (Choriatiki), Tzatziki, Souvlaki, Tomatokeftedes, Spanakopita and Dolmadakia. Try Bougatsa and Loukoumades for desert, these are just some but there are so many more. I am getting hungry just thinking about all these!!! You should also try the local wine, Ouzo and Raki (local Cretan drink)

How many days do you recommend we spend in Greece?

It's difficult to say there is so much to see and do! I live here and still haven’t explored so many places I would like to visit. For a first visit though I would recommend a minimum of 12 days in order to visit 3 islands.

As a local, can you let us in on some of your secret spots/places to go/things to do?

Visit Koufonisia Island for amazing turquoise water beaches, visit Crete for loads of activities, go on a sailing trip to Kleftiko beach in Milos, visit a village called Olympos in Karpathos Island with amazing views and ladies wearing traditional uniforms.

Greek Island style: what do you pack to be so stylish on your trip? 

Lots of bikinis- current favorites are by Ete Swimwear- white and blue dresses, a sunhat, flip flops, flat shoes, a beach towel and sunscreen!

Top activities we must try?

Apart from swimming in crystal clear beaches, you should try hiking and sailing to secluded ones, wine tasting and a cooking class!

5 Tips for others travelling to the Greek Islands? 

Avoid visiting during August as it’s peak season and the islands get really crowded. Best time to visit is from the 15^th of June to the 15^th of July and end of August to end of September especially for super popular islands like Santorini or Mykonos.

See more from Lucia Tranos on Instagram @lucyinthesskyy. 

Lucia is wearing our Claire Shift Dress, Azura Bikini Top and Azura Bikini Bottoms. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background? 

What does the future look like?

Trevi Fountain – Rome

Govetts Leap – New South Wales, Australia

Oahu – Hawaii

Tiu Kelep Waterfall - Indonesia 

Barcelona – Spain

 

Eiffel Tower – Paris

 Top of the Rock – New York City

Karnak Temple - Egypt

 

Main cover imaged credited to @life.with.three. 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so we caught up with our friends Ashley & Brittney at Twins Kitchen (@twinskitchen) to share their favourite breakky recipe! These energizing triple berry, maca, and chia seed oatmeal bowls make a satisfying, fresh, and energizing breakfast.

 Ingredients

• 1 cup oatmeal

• 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup water

• 1 cup frozen mixed berries

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 2 tsp maca powder

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Toppings: strawberries, blueberries, mango, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and chia seeds.

Directions

1. In a small pot, stir oats, milk/water, berries, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup (optional) over medium/high heat.
2. When the oats begin to thicken and bubble, crush the berries with the spatula and lower the heat. Continue stirring the oatmeal occasionally, simmering for an additional 2-3 minutes until the consistency becomes thick and creamy.
3. Remove oatmeal from heat and stir in maca, then serve oatmeal in individual bowls and top with fresh berries, mango, nuts and seeds, coconut if desired. Serve and enjoy!

For more delicious recipes check out our Raw Brownie Recipe by Coconut & Bliss

More from Twins Kitchen:

@twinskitchen 

twinskitchen.net

We recently caught up with one of our favourite Hawaiian babes, Alyssa Shreeve, who's built a massive following online (@lyssielooloo) and takes the most amazing photos! So we just had to ask her for her top tips when it comes to photography.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well hello there!

I'm Alyssa. I'm from Idaho but I'm based out of the beautiful island of Oahu! I absolutely love exploring the world and meeting new people.

When I'm not snapping pics or filming,  I'm probably falling on my skateboard, reading in a comfy bed or eating frozen yogurt.

Hawaii must be an amazing place to live, what do you love most about living here?

It truly is! The most amazing thing about living there to me is being able to surf during the day and then skate during the sunset and eat yummy food in between (-: Exercising is so hard for me if I’m not having fun, so surfing and skating are perfect for getting me in shape while having a blast!

Tell us a bit about how you got into modelling and photography.

I never really had aspirations of becoming a model until some of my photographer friends were hitting me up to do little projects with them. I started posting the photos from these little projects and then businesses starting reaching out to me asking me what my rates were and I was honestly like WOW YOU CAN GET PAID TO DO THIS?

The companies I worked with in the beginning are people I still work with, and they are absolutely amazing! I guess ,y passion for photography came when I started modelling. I would see the pictures and be like OH YES, this is magical. I want to be able to create something like this too. So I bought a camera and practiced, practiced, practiced.

What camera do you use?

I use a canon 6d for photography and a Panasonic GH5 for filming! 

What are your top 5 photography tips?

1. Take photos of everything! Then go through them, get a feel for what you like and in which style you like to edit them.

2. Make lots of mistakes, then learn from them. It took me a solid 2 years for me to understand what kind of style and lighting I liked. I still don’t know, but I am defintely learning.

3. Get to know every part of your camera. There are so many hidden features of my camera that I didn’t know about. I use them every time I shoot now and they really help!

4. Aim for a lower aperature to make photos and portraits really pop! I always use an aperature around 1.4 to 2.0 to try and focus on the subject of the photos.

5. Always straighten the horizon line of your photo when editing

What lighting do you prefer when taking photos and why? 

I used to think that I liked shooting really bright photos, but I have discovered lately that I like shooting the photos a little darker and then editing them brighter, the colors pop more when I do this and the photos seem much easier to edit! You can correct a dark photo, but it’s much harder to correct a photo that is too bright!

What programs/apps do you use to edit your photos?

I use lightroom and made my own presets for editing. Sometimes I will bring the photos to my phone and edit them on VSCO.

How do you edit your photos?

I have my own little presets on Lightroom and almost always work with the hue, saturation and luminescence of the colors first before anything else. I desaturate all blues, green and yellows, then I usually increase their saturation.

What do you use to edit your videos?

I use Finalcut for editing my videos! It works great because with Finalcut, I can use my color presets from Lightroom so that my photos and videos have a similar look. I mostly always edit all clips in my videos to be slo-mo, it adds a more emotional and dramatic effect.

You have so many amazing photos in so many different destinations. What are some of your favourite places that you have been to?

I think one of my absolute favorite places to go was Ibiza! Just walking down the little, all-white corridors was a dream for me. Another favorite is definitely Kauai, that little island is insane! It’s seriously incredible how beautiful everything is there.

Tell us something most people don’t know about you.

I went to a “nerd school” in high school, and there were about 60 people in my graduating class. We took a program called International Baccalaureate, an international system based on developing intellectual, emotional, personal and social skills. It was seriously one of the hardest things I’ve ever accomplished, but it was so worth it!  I also can lick my elbow!

What is something you are passionate about/loving at the moment?

Man oh man, I have been so into reading lately. Specifically books on spiritual awakening and self-realization. I was never one to be into this kind of topic beforehand, but once I opened myself up to it, I found I really liked it! It definitely helps me overcome the adversities in my life. Lately, mediation has been really important to me as well. It helps me to calm down and stay grounded in my day to day life.

Do you have any tips or messages for girls aspiring to make their dreams come true?

Just start working on it, right now! The simple act of working on something, even if you don’t know where to start or what to do, will eventually allow you to have greater insight on how to make it happen. We don’t always do something because we are motivated, we are motivated because we do something! So go start doing something for your dream, the answers will follow.

All photos by Alyssa. Alyssa wears our Blushing velvet bikini and our Isla bikini top and Isabella bottoms - Shop them here.

To see more from Alyssa, find her on Instagram @lyssielooloo

For more Q&As, read our interview with Cali Beach Babe @_gypseaa

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Rosie and the main lady behind La Luna Rose Jewellery. Since I started La Luna Rose 4 years ago I have been living between Bali, NZ (My original home!) and Melbourne. Mainly to escape Winter(s) but also because I have extremely itchy feet and can’t stop the travel itch! In my spare time I love to eat (Dur – who doesn’t?!) and also head off on any kind of adventure! When I’m in Australia I love packing our Van and heading down the coast to the beach and hike through the bush. When in Bali you will generally find me down in the Bukit or over on Nusa Lembongan island chilling with a Coconut in hand and book in the other! I’m currently obsessing over how I can get to Hawaii as quickly as possible and for as long as possible…and how I can start baking again! (We don’t have ovens in our kitchens in Bali – it kills the inner-home-maker in me!)

Where in Bali do you spend the most time?

I spend most of my time in Canggu which is (used to be) a quiet and relaxed beachside settlement just north of Seminyak. Filled with cafes full of delicious vegetarian food, a couple of awesome yoga studios and great boutique shops, it’s the perfect place to call my island home. On the weekends you will find me down at the beautiful Bingin Beach or over on Nusa Lembongan island if I really need to switch off.

What is your favourite part of Bali?

Ooooh that is such a tough question! For being such a small island, Bali has so many different places and types of experiences you can have. You could be sipping Coconuts beach front on one of the many islands (Gilli’s, Nusa Lembongan), white water rafting through the lush jungle canals of North Bali, visiting one of the many spiritual water temples scattered around the island, Chasing waterfalls or hiking up a Volcano for Sunrise. I have explored so much of the island already but it never gets old. There is always more to see and experience and the people here make up so much of that. To me, when someone asks me what my favourite thing about Bali is, my answer is always the People.

Where can we find the best places for breakfast? 

Oooh again – SO TOUGH! In Canggu alone there is probably 30 places you could go to that would serve up an epic Breaky! Top 3 for me right now would have to be Shady Shack, Vida Café and Nalu Bowls for a delicious Smoothie Bowl. I often write about Bali Best eats over on the La Luna Rose Blog if you’re looking for more inspiration :)

Can you share your favourite beach spot with us?

If the tide is right (mid – high tide) then nothing beats an afternoon session at Thomas Beach down near Ulluwatu. It’s also relatively un-developed and lined with Palm Trees which makes it pretty dreamy! (Note: there is around 200 stairs to climb down to get there first!)

Where is the best spot(s) to have cocktails and watch the sunset?

For me personally, I just love heading to my local beach and sitting on the bean bags for a sundowner. If I am down in the Bukit for the day, nothing beats the Sunset from Ulluwatu’s Single Fin or any of the Warungs underneath there – mind blowing.

After cocktails we will need somewhere delicious for dinner, can you share your favourites?

Oh man, my mouth is watering just thinking of all the possibilities! I love Da Maria in Seminyak they serve some pretty epic Pizzas & salads, Shady Shack in Canngu for some straight up health in a bowl, and my all time favourite go to would have to be Sarong on Petitinget. Perfect for date night or night out with the ladies, their food is a really unique indian-fusion in a very luxe-casual setting.

5 local tips for others travelling to Bali? 

• Get a Scooter and simcard on arrival. This way you will have so much more freedom for your trip and not be confined to your hotel/resort/guest house and relying on taxi’s to get everywhere. You’ll thank me for it!
• Try the local Warungs. They may look a little ‘funky’ at first with all the food sitting out in the open but I promise its some of the best food you’ll eat on the island and so cheap!
• Be Patient. Bali is extremely busy and filled with cars and scooters that don’t necessarily fit on the island so things take time. I mean a long time…
• Get out and explore different areas. Its so easy to stay put in your one area but there is so much to do and see on this island, and you’ll get a much better understanding of the island and the Balinese people and culture.
• Stay hydrated to avoid any signs of Bali Belly!

Tell us a bit about La Luna Rose and why you started and how you found Bali to be the perfect place to run your business?

La Luna Rose was born out of a desire to inject more fun into beautiful jewellery. Long story short, back in 2011 I went on a Game Show, won a small amount of money and was looking for a special piece of jewellery to mark such an outrageous life experience. Everything on the market at the time was very serious and‘normal’looking, I wanted something unique, something fun that I would look at and remember that memory and how hilarious it was! I was also bored of my job at the time and looking for a new challenge so everything just rolled together nicely.

I had recently been on a trip to Bali with some girlfriends and had seen the amazing Silversmiths work here, not to mention I loved the idea of living in a permament Summer paradise! I saved my arse off for the next 6 months, packed my bags, sold most of my life ‘assets’ and headed North to start La Luna Rose Jewellery. Bali has now become one of my homes and I absolutely love the feeling of flying in here. The warmth, the people, the food and the lifestyle are all very aligned with the La Luna Rose brand. We’ll be here for a while I think, I couldn’t think of any better place to launch and grow my brand!

See more from Rosie and La Luna Rose Jewellery on Instagram @lalunarosedesign and their website lalunarose.com