Instant Goddess shapes up with Aura, Cotton On and Gap and sees her future with a tarot reading!

Let’s face it, January wouldn’t be January without a fitness feature. So, after all that festive bingeing it’s time to step out from behind the oversized jumpers, don your best fitness clobber, and look towards spring which will be here before you know it (and dare we mention the impending poolside bikini?!).

Aura

If you’re fed up with the run of the mill fitness attire out there, then Instant Goddess may have the answer for you… she has recently discovered Aura, a new dance/yoga clothing label that’s designed to have you dancing for joy (or if you prefer simply lounging in style as it’s so comfy!). The label is designed by Tracey Fenner and Tiffany Bisley, who both live in Hong Kong, and who have teamed up to combine their passions of dance and fashion.

The name Tiffany Bisley may ring a few fashion bells as she also has her own fashion label – zero nOir – of which Instant Goddess is a big fan. You may also be familiar with Tracey Fenner, a professional dancer who has been instrumental in introducing The Nia Technique (a body-mind-spirit movement and lifestyle practice) to Hong Kong.

Tracey believes “when women feel wonderful in what they are wearing, it changes the way they move and connect with their bodies”. Instant Goddess couldn’t agree more… no couch potatoes allowed!

So the good news is that the collection is designed by a dancer, which means you’ll actually be able to move in it, combined with the creative flair of a fashion designer meaning you’ll be looking stylish at the same time! The clothes are made from soft, breathable fabric sewn by local Balinese artisans. Oh and one of their straplines is “Glow like a Goddess”… so you know what you have to do! If you need some inspiration check out their video here.

You can buy Aura from their Hong Kong-based online shop, and they also ship worldwide.

Here’s a taste of the collection’s bestsellers: 

Left to right: Compassion Swing Dress $760; Transformational Necklace Top $625 and Trust Tunic Top $780

Left to right: Power Genie Trousers $860; Wisdom Aura Wrap $530 and Nurture Full length Leggings $490

The Best of the Rest

A perpetual Instant Goddess winner is Cotton On for the most affordable, hard-wearing and on-trend sportswear on the HK high street. 

Vests from $119; all Cotton On

Left to right: “I Want A Pony” sweatshirt $169; Leopard print jerkin $229 and “Meow” sweatshirt $169

And for one of the best selections of gym pants then look no further than Gap – their GapFit, gFast and gFlex collections really have something for everyone. But beware; in store it was busy, busy, busy, with elbows at the ready in the scrummage to get hold of these designs, so Instant Goddess’ top tip for easier and less stressful shopping is to buy online from the Gap HK site. Items arrive in 2-3 days and the shipping is cheap. 

Left to right: GapFit gFast cropped capris $329; GapFit gDance pants $349; GapFit gFast leggings $349; GapFit gFlex pants $349 and Slim straight pants $349, all Gap.

To tarot or to not?!

The Instant Goddess is always partial to a spot of tarot reading and so she jumped at the opportunity to meet Alayana Yu, an intuitive tarot reader based in Hong Kong. If you’re looking for what 2014 and the Year of the Horse has in store for you then a visit to Alayana may reveal all. Whether it’s love, relationships, family, work or business, Alayana can answer particular questions that you have in any area of your life using the Voyager tarot deck.

So how did the Instant Goddess fare? Well, she was hoping to become a billionaire in 2014, flogging diamonds to keep up her shopping addiction. But alas, it appears the cards have a more moderate income in mind. Shame!

As well as individual readings Alayana can also do readings at parties and corporate events. This is a fab idea for a hen do, baby shower, birthday party or why not just get a group together and throw a tarot party?

For more information email [email protected] or What’sApp 5401 7170. Readings cost $200 per 15 minute consultation for individuals and $900 per hour for parties and events. Also, check out Alayana’s Facebook page.

Midweek Meal Inspiration 

This week it’s Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas from The Girl Who Ate Everything… a blog and a lady worth knowing. These yummy numbers are easy-peasy to make and definitely worth it… mmm yes please!

Yogi tea saying of the week: “The heart sees deeper than the eye”.
Instant Goddess saying of the week: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend; dogs are a man’s best friend… who’s the most intelligent of the sexes?!”