June Favorites

A round-up of my favorite products in June:


1. Andalou Naturals Brightening Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask
2.  Josie Maran's 100% Argan Oil (I received a tiny bottle as a free sample at Sephora ages ago and have just started using it with conditioner a few times a week.  LOVE.  Will definitely be searching out a far more economical alternative when it runs out)
3. Sally Hansen Dries Instantly Top Coat
4.  Becca Cosmetics Eye Tint in Baroque
5.  OPI Nail Lacquer in Barefoot in Barcelona (Picked this up today for R's wedding this weekend.  A gorgeous neutral muted pinky-brown).

Food Porn Friday: Strawberry Banana Hemp Protein Smoothie

I am all about healthy eating, especially in the summer, when eating rich, fried, heavy foods just feels gross. I don't eat a ton of meat, so I'm also constantly thinking about getting enough protein in my diet.  Recently, I've  been reading a lot of good things about hemp protein (n.b. NOT the THC-tastic maryjane kind of hemp!!!) and have started incorporating it into my daily smoothie.  Hemp protein tends to have a fairly nutty taste, which takes a bit of getting used to, so I've been experimenting with different combinations of fruit and mixers to find the right blend.  After much experimentation, may I present: The Strawberry Banana Hemp Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

1.  1 1/2 cups of strawberries (I use frozen organic strawberries)

2.  1/2 a large banana

3.  1 heaping tablespoon of hemp protein (I use Living Harvest Hemp Protein)

4.  1 1/2 cups of vanilla soy milk  (I like Organic EdenSoy Vanilla Soy Milk)

5. 1 tablespoon of agave  (I'm a fan of Wholesome Sweeteners' Organic Raw Blue Agave)

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until...well, blended.  The smoothie is going to come out a muddy mauve color, but don't let the color fool you; it's yummy!!!  One serving of hemp protein is actually 4 tablespoons, but I'm working up to it.  It's an acquired taste ;)  But, when you can add a full serving to your daily diet, you're getting:

• all ten essential amino acids
• 9 grams of dietary fiber
• omega-3 & 6 essential fatty acids
• 13 grams of protein
• and it's a great source of iron and magnesium

Do you have a favorite hemp protein smoothie recipe?  Feel free to share in the comments!

Review: Becca Cosmetics Eye Tint in Baroque

I bought this tube of eye tint from Urban Outfitters ages ago, and it has become a staple of my day to day beauty routine.  Baroque a beautiful pinky-beige color and a little bit truly goes a long way.  


Pros:

• waterproof/sweat-proof, thus perfect for summer
• plays well with powder shadow  (I've found some cream-based shadows don't)
• a bit of a glossy sheen to the finish

Cons:

• sometimes, when I squirt it out of the tube to apply, it's a bit watery. 

Here's what it looks like alone...

though I usually add a bit of the darker shade of NARS Kalahari in the outer crease to add a bit of depth:

 

Ruling: Love. Will absolutely repurchase.

Two Healthy Infographics

I can never keep track of which fruits and veggies are in season when, so when I stumbled upon these super helpful infographics over at Explore, I immediately downloaded them to my iPad and, of course, wanted to pass them along to you.  Happy produce shopping!

Tutorial Tuesdays: Hot Weather Hair

Summer is here which, for my fellow New Yorkers and I, means heat, humidity and sticky, crowded subway rides.  I have long hair and usually wear it down, but once the thermometer hits 90 degrees, up it goes.  I came across this amazing tutorial for a multi-braid bun over at The Beauty Department and wanted to share. I love The Beauty Department for their super-clear, easy to follow instructions.  I tried it Friday and ADORED the results, even though my hair is far less voluminous than the model's.  Check it out:

source: The Beauty Department

Manicure Mondays: DIY dotting

Over at the brunette bibliophile, I cover what's happening in the world of literature, but I'm equally passionate about style, beauty, fashion and living a healthy lifestyle, so I decided to start a separate home for my makeup musings:  Ladies and gentlemen: XOXO, Jacki


This was originally posted on June 3rd over at the brunette bibliophile:


I firmly believe being smart and being stylish are not mutually exclusive, and in addition to being a book addict, I'm also a bit of a beauty product junkie.  I've had a subscription to Vogue for upwards of ten years, which I save and reread (much to the chagrin of my little brother, who has helped me move and on occasion schlepped those back-issues of Vogue up and down the stairs to my fourth floor walk-up)...


Recently, I've become a little obsessed with the blog The Beauty Department. My hand-eye coordination is not stellar, so I really appreciate their super-simple tutorials with easy-to-follow pictures and instructions.  


Last night, after a Skinnygirl Margarita or two (I haven't had an opportunity to adequately express this yet, but Bethenny Frankel is my spirit animal), I decided to try to give myself a polka dot manicure.  Nail art has been super trendy lately, but I've doubted my ability to produce comparable results without going to a nail salon...but the two margaritas said otherwise. Here's the result:

I was pleasantly surprised with my tipsy self!  Maybe manicures are like pool...I'm more coordinated after a drink or two.


Let's get down to brass tacks:  I started with a two coats of Essie's Pretty Edgy (2), a bright kelly green (also probably margarita inspired), and for the blue dots I used Essie's Bobbing for Baubles (1) and for the tiny white dots, Sally Hansen's Nail Art Pen in White.(3)  



Once the green polish was completely dry, I started dotting.  To make the blue dots, I put a dab of Bobbing for Baubles on an index card and used the blunt head of a straight pin as my dotting tool (5).  Dab the blunt head of the pin in the blue polish, dab it lightly on the nail in whatever pattern you so choose.  Clearly the margarita dictated mine...which was no discernible pattern ;)  Once the blue polish was dry, I dabbed the tiny white dots in the spaces between the blue dots with the nail art pen.  Once everything was dry (and make sure it's dry or the dots will bleed!!), I applied two coats of Sally Hansen's Dries Instantly Top Coat (4) which in my humble opinion, is the best top coat I've ever used in terms of the holy three criteria of top coats:  1) it was under $5, 2) it really does dry my nails quickly, and 3) it's kept my nails from chipping for days on end (and I am tough on my manicures).


Far more comprehensive directions can be found here at The Beauty Department.  And trust me, if I can do it, you absolutely can!

How To...Remove Glitter Nail Polish

Sunday night is "mani and a mask" night in my apartment, and experience has shown that whatever bonding agent is in glitter nail polish that helps the glitter stick to the nail is a bitch to remove. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this great tip as to how to remove glitter nail polish, and I thought I'd pass it along:


You need:




1.  5 cotton rounds.
2.  aluminum foil
3.  scissors
4.  nail polish remover


First, use the scissors to cut the five flat cotton rounds in half, so you end up with 10 half-circles.  Next, cut a sheet of aluminum foil into 10 2 inch X 2 inch squares (or larger, if you have big fingers heehee).  Saturate 1 half-circle cotton round with nail polish remover. Place the saturated half-circle cotton round on your nail.  Wrap a piece of aluminum around the cotton and the nail.  Repeat for each nail on one hand.  Leave on for 3-5 minutes.  Remove the foil from one nail and use the cotton half-circle to remove the nail polish.  The glitter should come right off with minimal effort.  Repeat for each nail and then repeat the process for the other hand.


You're welcome ;)

Review: Andalou Naturals Brightening Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask

I try to keep my beauty (as well as my food!) purchases as green and natural as possible, and I am in LOVE with my most recent purchase:  Andalou Naturals Brightening Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask.

(image via: bodyandsoul.com.au)

I've been using this mask a couple times a week for the past three weeks and I have a bit of a crush on it!  It smells just like pumpkin pie and leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean and looking bright. 

Some major pros:  

• good for combination skin (like mine!)
• you only leave it on for 10 minutes
• easy to remove with cool water
• yummy smell! 
• organic pumpkin is rich in vitamin A
• no weird tightening feeling/stinging/etc that sometimes happens with other masks

One tiny con:

• my skin is a touch red for a few minutes after removal, but that would be the glycolic AHA working.  So I wouldn't recommend using this mask right before dashing out the door.

Andalou has it for $14.95 on their website, but I've seen it for as low as $10 on different websites.  Regardless, comparatively speaking, it's super inexpensive and super effective.  

Ruling: incorporating it into the routine & love. will absolutely repurchase