I just got word that Jamba Juice is having a Buy One Get One Free thing this week. Check out the details here!

I just LOVE, and I mean L.O.V.E. Essie’s ‘Perky Purple‘ color!!! The bad news is, it won’t stay on my nails for more than 1 day successfully…even with all of my arsenal of no-chip top coat options, and I have a bunch of them!! Major bummer.

I had my first mango lassi today, a lovely smoothie type drink that is native to Indian cuisine. Our server said that it was pure organic mango puree and home made yogurt. All we knew, was that it was amazing!!! I came home and googled a recipe, and can’t wait to make it here for friends/family! Check it out:

I got this notice from ComfortablyRaw.com and it sounds SUPER good, I’m going to give it a try tomorrow since I have an abundance of fresh strawberries that will probably go bad if I don’t gobble them up soon.

Sweet and bursting with strawberry flavor!
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours, then rinsed
1/4 cup soft pitted dates, soaked 30 minutes (reserve soak water)
2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup young coconut meat
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup agave
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients including date soak water in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a storage container and put in the refrigerator to chill for several hours, or in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Pour chilled ice cream into your ice cream machine and follow the manufacturers instructions. It should take approximately 20 minutes to process. This will give you soft serve ice cream. If you prefer a harder scoop, pour the ice cream back into your
storage container and freeze. It should be hard within an hour or two.

Optional: If you prefer your Strawberry Ice Cream with extra Strawberry Sauce, blend 1/2 cup strawberries and 1 tablespoon agave. Pour Strawberry Sauce into ice cream maker just before turning off, or pour sauce into storage container filled with soft serve ice cream and stir in. Refreeze for hard ice cream.
Serves 4-6

Want to learn how to make raw vegan ice cream? Comfortably Raw: Ice Cream is on sale until June 30th!! Save $3.00 and buy the e-book for just $7 USD by entering SummerSale into the discount code field as you are ordering. http://www.comfortablyraw.com/Comfortably_Raw/Comfortably_Raw%3A_Ice_Cream.html

I’ve tried 3 of the Kashi cereals in the past month, and I’ve got a pretty good basis of opinions based on my experiences. I’ll break it down to be really simple:

Kashi U – the BEST cereal on the market. Hands down. It’s a bit pricey – $5.99 for a box at Whole Foods, although I have heard that you can get it in bulk for $8.99 at Smart and Final which I have never been able to find, to my misfortune.

Kashi Go Lean Crunch – SUPER good tasting, BUT it’s really high in caloric intake. For close to 200 calories, you don’t really get alot of nutritional value for the punch. Sure its organic, but its not very functional.

Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oats - pretty tasty. It’s kind of like cheerios with little heart shaped rings. I got these on sale at Rite Aid dor $2.50, so the price is right. Unfortunately, it feels like sandpaper on the roof of my mouth.

Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal: One of my fave cereals! Not as packed with nutrients as Kashi U, but way better than Kellogg’s frosted mini wheats, without added sugars.

Here’s a review for some of the essential facial products for men provided by Anthony Logistics For Men.

Breakdown:

I have normal skin, but used to have bad acne, which cleared up, and my face is a bit pockmarked. So I guess I can attribute that to big pores or something. I would say I have combination skin. I used to use Neutrogena and St Ives products, all of which contained alcohol and dried the HELL out of my skin. As a result, later on in the day my face would get pretty oily on my T-zone, which was pretty annoying. I switched to bar soap, which was even worse before I made the jump to Anthony Logisitics.

Algae Facial Cleanser:

Alright. I purchased this cleanser for daily use, and it’s intended for normal to dry skin, which is where I figured my skin was at. The instructions say work into a lather, but this stuff DOES not lather. You just take a dab out, distribute it evenly using your fingertip, and just rub it on your face. It was a bit weird at first, because I was used to foaming agents or at least a soapy consistency. This was neither. It felt more like a soft watery lotion. But it works really well. Used twice a day, it cleans without drying and leaves my face feeling fresh.

At 20 bucks, it seemed a little pricy but this stuff lasts forever. 2 months into it and my skin no longer gets dried out or super oily later in the day. Anthony Logistics states The Algae wash is fragrance free, which means there’s no nasty ass perfume and that works just fine with me. I don’t want to be walking around with a powder puff smelling face. It has a very slight citrus scent to it, which is pretty pleasant overall. It took a little time to get acclimated to the consistency of the wash, but it works really well. Don’t expect a miracle though, all this product does is clean and it cleans well without drying you out. But it won’t make you less ugly.

Facial Scrub:

This facial scrub is intended for use one to two times a week, so I started off using it on Mondays and Thursdays or Fridays. It’s intended to exfoliate and free ingrown hairs. Well I can’t comment on the ingrown facial hair part because I’ve still got a babyface. But it definitely exfoliates well. The scrub has beads in it to help free up dead skin cells and definitely gives you a fresh feeling afterwards. You have to use a little more of this stuff than you would the Algae Cleanser, but it should last just as long since it’s not for daily use.

I must say exfoliating with this product feels pretty damn good. I was a bit wary of scrubs at first because my prior experience with Biore fucked my skin up pretty bad. Peeling, dry skin and all that, due to the rough texture and alcohol content. This product is alcohol free which was a major selling point for me. My skin wasn’t in terrible shape beforehand, so it’s hard to say how effective the product is, but what I can say is that it doesn’t leave my face dry after a scrub and it’s pretty invigorating. And for 20 bucks it ain’t all that bad. The smell of this scrub is pretty much the same as the Algae Cleanser and not overpowering so you won’t smell it throughout the day. That can get annoying to me at times if the smell is too much, like I took a French bath or something. Definitely a good deal for a scrub that’s still gentle on normal skin. There’s little bits of dark stuff in there so don’t be thrown off by that.

Oil Free Facial Lotion:

Ok honestly, I thought that the lotion was a ripoff at first. For a tiny ass 2.5 oz bottle, it ran me 31 bucks. And it’s only 15 spf! Not good for you light skinned folks or those wanting a bargain. It also takes a decent amount to spread even across your grill. I’ll give credit where it’s due though. It definitely doesn’t come on oily nor does it give an oily appearance, so when you’re out you won’t look like a lighthouse bulb. There’s another oil free lotion that isn’t spf 15, but I chose this one because summer was coming up.

Not much to say about it thus far. It keeps me moisturized for the entire day once I wash, but I haven’t really noticed any increased sun protection, but that’s because I’m pretty tan as it is. Personally I don’t think this product is worth the price, but prior to this I’ve never used a facial moisturizer. I don’t use it all that much, because the other two Anthony products keep my face well balanced. I guess I shouldn’t complain because I’m getting a 2 for 1 deal with sun protection and oil free lotion. One good thing about this is that there’s no reapplication needed. I tried it once after I dried my face out with bar soap and I was fine for the whole day.

This stuff doesn’t smell like citrus. It smells like babywipes. Your guess for the reasoning behind that smell is as good as mine. Not a bad smell, but not particularly one you’d want on your face.

Deep Pore Cleansing Clay:

This stuff is GREAT. I only use it once a week, and for good reason. It literally saps all of the shitty stuff on your face right off. It comes out as a thick cream, and instantly absorbs into your skin, so a hefty amount is needed when applying. You use it like a mask, so you have to walk around looking redfaced as all hell before washing it off 10 minutes later. You can actually feel the clay get all in your pores and get rid of the oil hiding deep in there. I can’t say enough good things about the clay, but make sure you’re careful with it. Once a week is all I needed, anything more and I definitely might have dried my skin out. Try using this in between your facial scrubs and you should be good to go. It felt kind of weird at first, but letting it all soak in is part of the process. This also has a subtle orange-like smell to it.

After using all these products, I definitely felt a difference with the health of my skin. No dryness or dead skin cells, and the alcohol free stuff contents were gentle on me. For some reason, I noticed a TINY increase in deep rooted pimples, but it could just be that I was being paranoid after testing all this stuff out. In any case it’s definitely worth a shot, except for the facial moisturizer. The lack of significant spf protection doesn’t justify the price, especially if you’ve got a facial moisturizer that works for you already. It takes a lot of maintenance and time if you’re used to using just one product. It was a bit of a hassle for me to put together a schedule to use the products with each other, but once you find a schedule you won’t regret it. Definitely better than the majority of skincare products you’d find at target and the like. You can find Anthony products at either Sephora or any Bath & Body works flagship store.

This review is coming from a male facial care noobie, so your experiences may differ If you’ve been using higher end stuff.

Retro out!

I’ve seen these little shot bottles of 5 Hour Energy at Whole Foods around the $3+ price range, and always was curious about them, but just didn’t want to shell out the bucks for a quickshot of something that I hadn’t really heard if it worked or not. This past weekend however, Walgreens had a special on a 6 pack for under $10 which for around $1.60 I could see giving them a week’s trial run. I’m thinking that I will take them a bit after lunch to help me get over that “oh my GOD I need a nap” time that usually hits around 3ish. Upon reading the ingredient list off the top of my head, here is what I’m most interested/cautious about:

1. Caffeine. I’m not sure about consuming caffeine after 2 pm, these days, caffeine doesn’t really ‘wake me up’ as much as it makes me jittery while still sleepy, if I am inclined to be sleepy. Does that make sense?

2. Niacin. This usually will initiate internal warmth, heat and help speed up the metabolism which is all good I suppose…but the downside of it is that you HAVE to balance it out with lots of water so that you won’t burn up/out. Also, Niacin has the tendency to make me sweat. I’m not sure how cute that is going to be, looking like I just got done with a zumba class in the middle of the day. Niacin also has a tendency to make blood rush to the skin’s surface, so depending on how much is in there, u may get red face for a little bit.

3. Taurine: a naturally occuring amino acid that typically acts as an antioxidant, protecting the body from toxic traces of lead (hi, important these days). It also aids in clearing out the liver, but here is the important part…whenever you mess with anything synthetic or naturally occuring, you need to really be aware of flushing out that compound from your body, along with the toxins that it is addressing. I’ve had experiences when I’m younger where I just took too many suppliments and ended up havent digestive/intestinal and even had my gall bladder removed due to not intaking enough water. So be sure to have your bottle nearby!

I’ll keep you posted on the the downlow.

I’ve got a handful of products that I honestly feel will change your life, and I’ve decided to share them with you all, my readers! This is NOT going to be a promotional free giveaway from whoever wants to sell their product, this is going to be a custom made, from me to you, sponsored by me, fabulous prize giveaway.

I don’t know what the contest is going to consist of, but it will be something simple that everyone can easily participate in, and it will run a few weeks to give everyone a chance to submit. I’ve got prizes already lined up for you because they are products that I use on a weekly basis, and SWEAR by. Check it out:

MAKEUP
1. MAC lipglass in C-Thru
1. MAC PlushLash mascara in black
1. MAC eyeshadow in RicePaper
1. 212 Flat Definer Brush
Model in a Bottle
C.O. Bigelow “My Favorite Lip Balm”
Nordtrom Train Case

WELLNESS
Stevia Packets
Chinese herbal formula appetite control tea bags
Individually packed moisturizing hand wipes (antibac of course)

BODY
African Shea Butter & Black Soap
Whole Foods Sweet Almond Oil
Bath & Body Works Midnight Pomegranite Body Wash & Cream set
Exfoliating body towel
Eco-Chic green shopping bag

NAILS
Sally Hansen HD nail polish (color of your choice)
Seche Vite Fast Drying top coat
Burt’s Bees Cuticle oil
*Delivered in a Neiman Marcus white patent leather tote that I swear by to keep my nail stuff in.

HAIR
Alterna Hemp & Caviar travel packs (GREAT for the gym)
Moisture control hair towels
Velcro dry rollers

plus grab bags from all the gazillions sample packets that i always run into.

Ok so off the top of my head, those are the prize packages that I can think of so stay tuned for the rules & fun stuff! xoxo!!

I love the promotional photo of the MAC Naked Honey line, but I think that is where the love ends. I have a strange sort of phobia re: honeycomb usage in design. Maybe because I am a designer, and is just not something you do…kind of like using helvetica as a title treatment. Anyway, if packaging doesn’t bother you, and you like honey-scented stuff, you might want to try out the Naked Honey line.

The bodycare line touts: A sensuous cream made from bio-converted honey and vitamin E derivatives, which to me doesn’t really tell me alot about the ingredients in the stuff. If it has alcohol in the first 5 listed ingredients, I totally do not recommend it. But that’s just me, giving you my opinion. I might try the Buzz tinted lipglass, but all the other stuff has the gross honeycomb imprints, so I won’t be getting those.

We love a good coupon, don’t we?? Here is a buck off a yumtastic Jamba Juice Blackberry Bliss couponcode Just say the word “Cool” to get a $1 off. I’m not sure if they actually change the ‘word of the day’ but u can bookmark it on your smartphone and look if u need to.

If you want a realistic caloric intake at Jamba Juice, split the smoothie into 2 cups – the regular sized serving has 2.5 servings per container, so don’t bulk up while your trying to refresh up! Just letting you know…xoxo

Major impulse buy: KO’s flat black matte nailpolish, but it sings to the rocker chick in me FOR REAL! I feel like I should be air guitar supreme when I wear this uber-chic matte nailpolish….but it does have some town side too. First, the price. It’s up there with the Chanel and Dior nail polish price points. With shipping, it came out to $28. But it IS sweet, immediate gratification, I will admit to that all day long.

Here’s a quicklist of the good points:
- it’s hella cool.
- it’s the absolute NOW nail polish finish, hands down.
- you will be viewed as a fashion foward fashionista all over town.
- The handle is really, long which allows for easy application.
- the brush is nice and wide, which allows for a smooth and minimal sweeping coverage.
- the formula goes on easy, without bubbles, and dries smooth with no lines.

Now, onto the bad points:
- it gets non ‘flat’ after any sort of lotion application.

- you have no top coat to use. I am aware now that there is a flatte top coat, and am going to buy that next payday, but that already puts you damn near $50 for this look. And that is unacceptable IMO. But I’m going to do it, because I’m a fiend.

- It removes SUPER messy. Make sure you have LOTS of time, LOTS of nail polish remover and LOTS of cotton balls. You will look like you just got done changing your own car oil during a polish removal with this stuff.

I ordered mine from MioMia and was really impressed with the speed and efficacy of the transaction/delivery and packaging! I am going to actually go back and purchase the top coat next pay day.

It’s June, summer solstice is around the corner, and that means to re-up on warm weather beauty essentials. I just got this coupon for free shipping on any product at Beauty.com and will be posting my “Must Have” summer essential list for Summer 2009 this week. Happy Free Shipping!!

Have you noticed that I have kind of left Facebook for Twitter? I haven’t really made the decision official, but it’s just so much quicker/easier on twitter….which is how facebook USED to be. Lately it’s gotten all spam-ish and I ‘m just not digging it too much. Ok, off my rant and onto the good news:

EyesLipsFace.com aka E.L.F. is giving away a $25 gift card to the winner of the best beauty on a budget idea on Twitter. Are some of you rolling your eyes at $25?? Let me put this in a more fabulous perspective: Everything on EyesLipsFace.com is only $1. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT. So essentially, if you win the contest, you get 25 items of your choice, just for an idea. Woot Woot!

I don’t know how often you can submit and idea, but I’m getting all of mine in a row. Contest ends June 7, so chop chop!

I’ve decided I’m going to go on a juicing detox program on and off again throughout the summer to maintain a healthy digestive system and skin clearing function. I really don’t want to pay a gazillion bucks for one, but I also don’t want it to clog and break within the first 2 weeks either. Does anyone have any suggestions??

Thanks!

The refrigerator is full of left over condiments from O’s picnic last weekend. I truly thought that I was going to be really enjoying lots of yummy and interesting marinades, sauces and what not on my meals last week, but after reading most of the labels on the salad dressings AND marinades (yes, even the ones that read ‘all natural’) I found that some of the first items to be listed is hydrogenated corn oil, high fructose corn syrup and SUGAR! ARgggh!

I’ve found during this experience to watch for tricky advertiser words like:

“All Natural” , “Key Ingredients”, “Botanical”, “Zesty”, “Fresh Herbs and Spices” and “Flavorful”.

I’ve also found that food labeling isn’t the only tricky group of advertisers. Body care products and beauty products are equally as guilty. Why can’t people just be honest and say ‘hey, if you are watching your sugar intake, synthetic chemical intake etc, this may not be for you?’. I mean, most people don’t care anyway, so for those of us who DO care what we put in our bodies can at least go about it in peace and not have to wrestle with legalized misleading semantics. I’m just saying.