iKOU

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS BUSINESS AWARDS:

iKOU AWARDED

- BEST RETAIL SHOPPING

- BEAUTY SERVICES CATEGORY 

- RUNNERS UP IN BEST ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS PRACTICES

Naomi Whitfeld, Co-Founder of natural wellbeing brand iKOU shares her top tips for Spring:

"Spring is the perfect time to connect with your goals of new beginnings and a fresh start.
As we shed the winter layers, our energy levels rise, the days become longer and we are more motivated.
It's the ideal opportunity for setting healthy patterns that promote radiant living.

By tapping in to these feelings and replacing slothful habits that may have formed over winter with positive ones, we can reach our goals of optimum health in no time.

Here's some ideas to get you started:
1/  Dry Body brushing is my morning motivation. It gets your circulation going, sheds dead skin cells, and is fabulous on cellulite!
2/  Start the day with a glass of hot water and a squeeze of lemon for a great Spring De-Tox
3/  Pick some spring flowers and bring a taste of the outdoors into your home environment.
4/ Body Scrubs shed the dead skin cells from being rugged up in winter and reveal radiant, smooth skin. iKOU Body Buff is always popular this time of the year!
5/  Switch your coffee habits to Organic Herbal Tea, your liver will love you for it.
6/ Get moving. A brisk walk in the fresh mountains air will leave you inspired and invigorated.
7/ Spring clean with iKOU natural cleaning products, they smell so great you'll love the results.
8/ Light some natural candles to rid the musty smells of winter. iKOU scent for Spring is Lemongrass.
9/ Give your makeup cabinet a clean out, anything older than 6 months should be replaced and we have some great natural options in store.
10/ Feel the sun on your face and breathe in the fresh start of spring.

We're all inspired by Spring here at iKOU..
We have some great packs in store for a Spring Revival, are we're launching a brand new menu for iKOU Day Spa.
We've also just made three new Organic Body Souffles that are so luxurious, "Wild Lime & Australian Sandalwood", "Tangerine & Jasmine Blossom" and "Green Tea & Turkish Rose".

It's been a hive of activity, we can't stop creating new things!"

iKOU, 175 Leura Mall, Leura, NSW, 2780
www.ikou.com.au

iKOU was proud to have Co-Founder Naomi Whitfeld invited to be a key guest speaker on the subject of "Putting Green into your Beauty Routine" as a part of the "1 Million Women" campaign at a Price Waterhouse Coopers event last week.

Naomi spoke about emulsifiers and hidden ingredients in skincare that are derived as a result of mass deforestation.
The audience listened with rapt attention as Naomi informed them that deforestation produces more CO2 than the worlds entire transport sector.
1.5 Billion tonnes of carbon goes back into the atmosphere from the storehouses of our tropical forests after logging, so the sourcing of ingredients is a very important decision that can change the future of our planet, which iKOU takes very seriously!

iKOU is proud to back the vision of the Founder of the 1 Million Women Campaign, Natalie Isaacs, (pictured below with Naomi) who aims to join 1 million women together assisting them on their journey to save 1 million tonnes of carbon each year as a combined effort that promotes the sharing of awareness to empower change.

To quote Naomi's closing comments on the night: "Individually we can make a difference, and together we become a powerful force for change".

Spread the word: Visit www.1millionwomen.com.au to sign up... it's free and a great way to make a difference to the future of the planet while encouraging others along the way.

PS. LOVE those carbon neutral T-Shirts!

Winter.. the time to rest, relax & restore in the Blue Mountains

Summer Holidays- Time for mind, body and soul

For most of you reading this right now, you will hopefully be taking a summer break and enjoying a little 'me time'.
Traditionally Summer marks the time where we get a little time for self after working hard for the year.

@ iKOU we believe it is important to factor this feeling into every life, whether we are enjoying holidays or not.

The name iKOU means 'to rest, to relax, to restore', and the concept behind the brand is to make it easy to factor moments of relaxation into everyday life.

Multi award winning iKOU is your one stop shop for home spa products, from massage oils to bath products to skincare.
And if you don't have the time for home treatments, the recently opened iKOU Day Spa leaves you with no excuse for being able to stop and rejuvenate your soul.

I love nothing more than spoiling my guests
Last weekend we had a couple booked in to celebrate their wedding anniversary. We all loved giving them an experience to remember, and even served them locally made chocolates on their bed after treatment.
We just love making people feel fabulous and reconnected with themselves and each other.
The next morning  we had a phone call asking if there were any spaces left for them to book another treatment, they enjoyed it so much.. this has become a typical response that we are so proud of.
Many weekends we are booked out with all repeat guests, it is the best feedback when guests come back again and again.. many of our guests joke that they are working their way through the menu!

iKOU launched only 2 1/2 years ago as a home based business that now celebrates a global demand.
Stocked in over 400 businesses throughout Australia and overseas, iKOU products are proudly made in the Blue Mountains with production being offset by solar and wind power.. this is certainly a business of passion.
Based in Leura, iKOU has just launched it's second store in Oxford Street, Paddington, satisfying the constant request from Sydney fans of the brand 'When are you opening in Sydney?'

Discover your favourite iKOU product or treatment while visiting the Blue Mountains, and hang on to that 'holiday feeling' for longer.

Naomi Whitfeld, iKOU Co-Founder
175 Leura Mall, Leura.

iKOU opens the doors at 468 Oxford St. Paddington Sydney!

Come in and get the iKOU fix...

It's happening!
After listening to our Sydney customers for two years asking "When are you opening in Sydney?", we've secured a space on the 'Style Mile'.. Oxford Street, Paddington.

We are looking forward to creating an iKOU oasis of "rest, relax, restore" in Sydney where all of you can get the 'iKOU fix'.

Naomi Whitfeld, iKOU Co-Founder
175 Leura Mall, Leura.

iKOU: Multi Award Winner!

It was an exciting time for the iKOU team Friday 22nd when we attended the annual Blue Mountains Business Awards.

The first category was announced for the "Best Retail & Shopping Business".. and the winner was.. iKOU!!

It was a great start to the night, and we became very familiar with the winners podium as we proceeded to win further awards, four in total, more than any other Blue Mountains business!
iKOU was announced "Employer of the Year", and also received Highly Commended Awards for "Environmental Business Practice" and "Best New Business".

We are so proud to have been acknowledged for all our hard work, quality, vision and team spirit.

When Paul and I first started iKOU only 2 1/2 years ago we always wanted iKOU to become something big that changed the lives of all involved.

Mother Teresa said "May all who come to you leave better and happier"

We live by this intention in all we do, being conscious of the needs of our customers, staff, community, suppliers and the earth we live on.

Our business has now grown way beyond the level that we as a couple can keep up with, and now we have entrusted this ethic to be carried on by our bigger team.
We are so proud to have a team that believe in iKOU just as much as we do, who carry on the traditions we first started with pride and happiness.

We congratulate our fabulous team and thank them for all the passion they bring to their roles.
Watch this space, we've only just begun...

Pics from the Awards Dinner:

iKOU opens boutique in Paris.. (for the weekend!)

Ok, so it wasn't Paris, France.. but Paris, Sydney, when The Observatory Hotel held it's first ever J'Adore Paris weekend.

It was so much fun, the whole 1st floor of the Hotel was converted into Parisian style boutiques where 400 guests spent the day shopping, having high tea and attending chocolate appreciation and French cooking classes.
The mostly female crowd got right into the theme, making the most of a great opportunity to dress to impress, drink champagne and shop like there was no tomorrow.

Everywhere you looked little white and green iKOU bags were sashaying round the hotel.

A large Eiffel Tower sculpture greeted you at the ground floor entrance towering up to the second floor boutique level.
Bicycles sporting wicker baskets filled with Baguettes and French Lavender added to the mood, while potted red geraniums were the finishing touch to transporting you from Sydney outside to the magic of Paris the minute you entered.

The enjoyment of the weekend was really enhanced by all the fabulous staff at The Observatory Hotel, who attended to every request with a smile.
Everyone will be talking about this weekend for a long time to come, and word is out that it may become an annual event!

Naomi Whitfeld, iKOU Co-Founder
175 Leura Mall, Leura.
www.ikou.com.au

When was the last time you gave a gift to yourself?

According to a National Health survey, 75% of the general population experiences "some stress" at least every two weeks.
Half of those people would describe their stress levels as moderate to high during the same period.

There is no doubt about it, stress can affect our quality of life and health.

For most of us, we are so busy giving to the needs of others that we often leave little or no time for ourselves.
iKOU is aiming to encourage more balance in life as a fresh start for Spring with the campaign "When was the last time you gave a gift to yourself?"

iKOU means "to rest, to relax, to restore" and the idea for the concept was born from the desire to encourage people to take time out for themselves everyday to maintain health and enjoyment of life.

The idea for iKOU was born in a flower petal bath in Ubud, Bali. We said to each other, why is it that we take the time to bring beauty into the everyday on holidays, but when you're back home life just takes over?

In reality it takes only seconds to light a nice candle when you get home from work, to pick a stem of blossoms and put them in a vase, and surely we can always make 10 minutes available out of each day to sit in the sun with a herbal tea, or run a beautiful smelling bath.
These small daily rituals can really make a difference to your whole outlook, they feed your soul so you can continue to keep up the with the demands and pace of life.

The feeling of time for self is evoked from the moment you walk through the door of the Blue Mountains iKOU concept store.
It is a complete sensory experience which encourages its visitors to rest, relax, restore as a necessary part of daily life.

iKOU offers all the things you need for a little 'me time'. Aromacology candles for every mood, herbal teas, bath & body products.. even beautiful smelling, natural cleaning products to encourage making a home feel like a sanctuary.

And the story is now complete with the recent opening of iKOU Day Spa in Leura NSW, where you can come in and enjoy treatments ranging from scalp massage, facials, body treatments.. there is even a room dedicated to the feet with a Shiatsu massage lounge that eases your back while your feet are being taken care of. Treatments range from 20 minutes through to iKOU Rituals which are a head to toe experience.

Discover the power of becoming your own best friend, and give yourself the gift of time everyday.. it will be the best gift you've ever had!

Naomi Whitfeld, iKOU Co-Founder
175 Leura Mall, Leura.
www.ikou.com.au