I got my 100 Percent Pure GWP. Did you?

Hi everyone! In my last post, I mentioned being busy and not blogging much this week, but I had to share with you what I got today.

I already teased on my Instagram with this pic of my 100 Percent Pure shopping bag. Now that I'm back from the store, I can show you more.

Here's what you'd find inside my shopping bag. It's nearly a head-to-toe haul (I already have shampoo and conditioner at the moment, which is why this haul only covers from face to toes. LOL).

Of course, I got my 100 Percent Pure gift with purchase, which I'm sure you've heard or seen me remind you about for weeks. For those of you who haven't heard, you need to hurry to your nearby 100 Percent Pure store or check out the website before they sell out. You only need to spend $45 to gift the Pretty Naked Palette, Black Tea Mascara, Blackest Creamy Eyeliner and Pomegranate Lip Butter in a cute pink bag. This offer runs through Monday, June 1, if there are enough to go around. The website has a ticker that shows in real time how many are left (I think they'll sell out today).

I had planned on buying the Blueberry Mascara (it really does smell like blueberries, but it wasn't as noticeable as I'd like) and the Purist Vegetable Facial Mask (I might get it at another time), but as usual, I changed my mind in the store. Instead, I got the latest shower gel and body butter, as well as two additions to my 100 Percent Pure nail polish collection.

I got the Shower Gel and Body Butter in Coconut Lime, which smells like summer. I'll probably tell you more about them in a future post.

I also had a brainstorm to paint my nails (and Hayden's nails, too) with Jam nail polish and a color that resembled peanut butter or almond butter. The closest one I could find was Dreamy, which looks like a creamy, dreamy, shimmery nude shade. Together these colors remind me of pb&j or toast with jam. I hope to swatch them for you soon.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my haul, while you still have time to shop toward your gift with purchase. Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on Instagram (also @Rawdorable) what you get. Happy shopping :)

What I'm loving lately

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you are having a lovely start to your week. I've been so busy lately, which is why the blog has been silent for a few days. This is a heads up to let you know things may be quiet the rest of this week, but for good reason. My youngest sister is getting married (the first thing I'm loving these days), which explains my nail polish choice (it's the bottom left one, which doesn't looks more pale peach than yellow in person).

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my 100 Percent Pure nail polish collection (yet another thing I'm loving), as well as the above pic of me wearing RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Modest (I've been posting a lipstick of the day; 100 Percent Pure Fruit-Pigmented Pomegranate Oil Anti-Aging Lipstick in Narcissus is the color for today). If you look closely, you can see I selected 100 Percent Pure nail polish in Wedding to test out before the wedding. I love that it's a light nude shade with a slight crystal shimmer. It matches the sparkle of my ring. I'll have to take a better photo of it at the wedding.

Speaking of 100 Percent Pure, I also posted a pic of me wearing a pretty 100 Percent Pure ribbon from a past gift with purchase, along with my lipstick of that day, the Fruit Pigmented Pomegranate Oil Anti-Aging Lipstick in Foxglove.

My eye makeup from that day includes the Pretty Naked Palette (another fave) and Black Tea Mascara (love this, too, but I'm also anxious to try the new updated gluten-free, vegan version when it has its official release), which are available in this week's gift with purchase, along with the Blackest Creamy Eyeliner and Pomegranate Lip Butter in a pink cotton bag. This set is free with your $45 in-store or online 100 Percent Pure purchase through Monday, June 1, while supplies last (they seem to be going fast).

If you are purchasing online, may I recommend using the live chat option for color advice, etc. I just chatted with the lovely Erika, who told me that the Blueberry Mascara actually smells like blueberries and sent me these cool eye shadow swatches. You can even e-mail a makeup-free pic to their customer service for a color match. Very cool.

Lastly, I'm loving this chocolate "milk," as always (especially since I found these cool milk bottles at Target for serving it). I blend fresh cashew milk with Philosophie Cacao Magic Coconut Butter and Cacao Magic Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder. It's so good that I no longer use a sweetener.

What are you loving? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable :)

Ready for the weekend with Bare Republic

It's a little late to be posting this, as some of you may be taking an Internet break for the holiday weekend, but for those of you still reading, I thought I take a moment to tell you about my latest sunscreen find.

I'm always on the fence about whether or not to use a sunscreen, or which one to use (the studies are always contradicting each other). I make sure the kids and I get our vitamin D naturally from the sun, but I don't want to risk having too much exposure. Therefore, my household does use natural mineral sunscreen, especially this time of year.

Last year, I personally became a big fan of Coola Sport Mineral Sunscreen in Citrus Mimosa (my kids used Babyganics Mineral-Based Sunscreen or the The Honest Company Sunscreen). It blends well, moisturizes and protects my skin through a summer of swimming and hanging out at the beach. It also smells amazing.

This year, I'll probably repurchase the Coola Sport, but in the meantime, I found this Bare Republic Natural Mineral Sport Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 at Target, which claims to be "powered by Coola." I'm not sure if that means Coola makes the product or how it is associated with Coola (it is at least distributed by Coola). I do know that it is only $14.99.

This sunscreen is natural, chemical-free and water-resistant for 80 minutes. It's free of synthetic fragrances and parabens. The ingredient list looks very similar to Coola, which is cruelty-free.

I like that this sunscreen is available in a convenient spray, as it makes it easier to apply, especially during a day of slip-n-sliding and playing in the sprinkler (the kids and I tested it out last weekend). It looks like a typical white mineral sunscreen when sprayed on the skin.

However, it seems to blend a lot easier than some mineral sunscreens that come in a tube (ha ha, it must have given me a chill, which explains the goosebumps on my arm).

Although the kids and I played for hours in the sprinkler, no one got burnt. It was also easy to reapply. The best part is the light coconut vanilla scent (almost like a baked good), which is much more pleasant and faint compared to typical sunscreens. I'll enjoy using this sunscreen during our weekend in the sun (the weather is predicted to be beautiful the next few days).

Enjoy your weekend!

*****

On another note, don't forget that 100 Percent Pure's gift with purchase starts Monday :)

My current collection of Vapour Organic Beauty

If you've been reading my blog all these years, you've probably noticed how much it has changed. It started as your basic raw food blog, but now it's so much more. Besides, I don't eat exclusively raw these days, and I'd like to share my other interests, such as DIY and beauty, too.

Today's beauty-related post is about Vapour Organic Beauty, a line I found out a while ago from Kimberly Snyder. These days, I find her plan a bit too restrictive for me (love her positive energy, though), but I still enjoy her recipes and follow some of her advice (I stick to fruit and greens in the morning, and tend to eat light to heavy). I also have her exclusive Vapour Organic Beauty Fresh Collection on my wishlist.

I don't have Kimberly's Fresh Collection, but I have quite the collection of Vapour products, as you can see at the top of this post. I thought it would be fun to swatch some of the colors for you, starting with these Mesmerize Eye Shimmers in Gilt (pale yellow), Sugar (soft pink) and Ice (light blue silver).

As you can see in the swatches above, these eye shimmers are sheer, shimmery and provide just a hint of color (they are great highlighters). They are cream shadows that feel similar to the lipsticks, but with a hint of powder in them. These work best for me in the winter months, but I find I need powder to set them on humid days.

Most Vapour products are in a moisturizing cream stick form, which makes them easy to apply. I'm a big fan of the lipsticks and Aura Multi-Use Blush, especially since this old face doesn't like it when powders bring out her wrinkles (yes, I admitted that I have wrinkles).

Two of my favorite Vapour Siren Lipsticks are Tryst (a universal neutral red) and Courage (a classic cherry red), which I like to wear with Radiant Aura Multi-Use Blush in Whisper (a shimmery warm pale pink that's meant for lips and cheeks). This blush looks very natural and makes my skin glow. The lipsticks work well with the blush, apply so easily (there's something about that unique flat top) and last all day. They aren't so moisturizing that they wipe away, yet they don't dry out my lips. Also, these reds are perfect on me, like every other color I've purchased from Vapour.

Speaking of other colors, I just added two more Siren Lipsticks to my collection, Bold (a classic cool deep red) and Purr (the perfect sex-kitten pink; meow!).

Here are swatches of the two colors. Bold is a little bolder than Courage, but not as much as suggested by the Vapour site. I like it, though. Purr is completely the opposite; it's a light pink, almost lilac shade. Usually, this color doesn't work on me, but somehow this one does.

To amp up the shine, I also have the Elixir Plumping Lip Gloss in Bitten (a deep red cherry stain), Discreet (a shimmery nude) and Flare (a warm orange red). Obviously, I tend to go for the reds or nude.

In the swatches above, you can see how deceiving they can be in the tube (Bitten really isn't as dark as it first appears). They paint (with a brush applicator) a sheer wash of color that can be worn alone or on top of the lipsticks. I tend to wear the darker colors by themselves, but use Discreet over a pink or coral lipstick, as it tends to wash me out by itself. All three colors have a slight shimmer and plump my lips just a little bit (although I'm not sure if anyone notices but me).

Here's a pic of me wearing Bitten (my lips look a tad thin in this pic, but you get a better idea of the color), along with Whisper Aura Multi-Use Blush, Ice Mesmerize Eye Shimmer and a navy eyeliner that I could no longer find on the site. 

I also have three Vapour Organic Beauty Vernissage 5-Free Nail Lacquer in Mischief (light gray), Instinct (bright red) and Rogue (nude pink). These colors are so classic. The polish glides on smoothly and holds up to my mommy lifestyle. It doesn't take forever to dry, and I've been able to get away with applying only one coat. I meant to swatch these, too, but didn't get a chance for you. The colors paint on just as you see them here. Maybe I'll post them on my Instagram in the future.

Have you tried Vapour Organic Beauty? Let me know on Twitter (I'm at @Rawdorable) or my Instagram (also @Rawdorable).

Just so you know, I purchased all these products myself (although I'd gladly review anything Vapour sends me).

According to the Vapour Organic Beauty website, "Vapour is 100% natural. It contains 70% organic ingredients and 30% mineral pigments and essential oils. That is it. Vapour contains no toxic chemicals, no parabens, no phalates, no animal testing, no nano-particles and no irradiation." Heads up to vegans, Vapour products do contain beeswax, but are cruelty-free.

My take on a Larabar Strawberry Shortcake

A month or two ago, I was so excited to find out that one of Larabar's latest limited edition flavors would be Strawberry Shortcake (I was hoping Larabar or the Pure Bar would eventually make that flavor). I couldn't wait to pick up a box at Target (that's where I got the limited edition flavors during the holiday season), but unfortunately, never got my hands on them.

Although Strawberry Shortcake Larabars are still available online (at the time that I type this post), I opted to make my own version, based on the ingredient list (remember, I haven't seen, nor tried them yet). I added 1/4 cup of dates (soaked briefly to soften them), 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, 1/4 cup cashews, 1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used apple-sweetened ones), 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries (I didn't have any basic dried strawberries at the time I made this), 1/4 cup pecans, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (didn't measure that) and sea salt, to taste, to my old-school mini food processor (it belonged to my grandmother). I ran it until the ingredients became a sticky crumb.

At this point, I could have formed the sticky crumb into 2 or 3 bars, but since I like to have fun with the presentation, I decided to make shortcakes, similar to the Pure Bar Tartlets from the other day. Just like the tartlets, I rolled my mock Larabar "dough" into balls, placed them in a mini muffin tin and used the small end of my Vitamix tamper to form the centers. I ended up with 6 tartlets, or in this case, shortcakes.

I filled these shortcakes with coconut whipped cream (set a can of coconut milk in the fridge undisturbed overnight, so the cream and water separate; whip the coconut cream with a mixer or personal blender) and topped them off with fresh strawberries. I don't know if my recipe is anything like the real Strawberry Shortcake Larabars, but they sure taste good.

PERK wakes up your Monday morning look

Good Monday morning lovelies! I hope you are starting off your week wide awake. I don't know about you, but I tend to have a case of the Mondays that's written all over my face, especially around my eyes. I'm worn out from the weekend and it shows.

As I've gotten older, I'm not only battling dark circles, but also wrinkles. I love a good eye cream (the Acure Organics one I reviewed last week is excellent for all the way around the eye, including the lid), and now I'm drawn to serums, too, like today's amazing eye "treat"(ment) - it's a real "treat" in my book.

Kylie Worthington of Everblossom was kind enough to send me her PERK Caffeine Eye Serum for Tired Eyes recently, and I can't stop raving about it. Sold on her Etsy shop, this simple, handmade serum (with the cute name that reminds me of Central Perk on "Friends") consists of only avocado oil, sweet almond oil, vanilla and coffee.

The coffee is really the star ingredient. I knew it would be in there to help with the dark circles and puffiness (which it does almost instantly), but I didn't realize that I'd be able to smell the coffee so well (I sometimes use 100 Percent Pure Caffeinated Coffee Bean Eye Cream that doesn't smell like coffee at all). Lucky for me, I love the aroma of fresh coffee (it smells like it was freshly brewed) and since I no longer drink it (I gave it up years ago), just a whiff of the stuff is enough to mentally wake me up.

According to Kylie's Etsy page, "caffeine applied topically improves circulation and plumps up the skin, diminishing the appearance of the circles. It also works to bring puffiness down, so this eye serum going to be your new early-morning best friend! (Besides actual coffee, maybe.)

"Coffee-infused sweet almond and avocado oil creates a perfectly caffeinated, moisturizing eye serum for your eye area. Vanilla adds even more antioxidants to this super concentrated eye serum!"


Kylie also recommends using PERK to help reduce redness around the nose, which I have yet to try, but I do like to use it to condition my eyebrows/hold them in place. You only need a little bit (slightly less than what comes out of the dropper), so I also rub the excess from my hands off onto my stomach. I don't know if it's just me, but I think it improves the appearance of my skin around my belly button (any moms out there might know what I'm talking about). Maybe it works on thighs, too :)

To my surprise, I've been able to wear PERK under makeup without any issues. Perhaps it's because it absorbs so well into my skin. I love it! Thanks Kylie for sending it :)

Let me know on Twitter (I'm @Rawdorable) if you try PERK. I'm also now on Instagram (also Rawdorable) and Pinterest (Shannonmarie of Rawdorable). And, check out Kylie on the Everblossom website and her Etsy shop.

Have a beautiful day!

Shaved Fruit Ice & Pure Brownie Sundae

The other night I was watching Unique Sweets on The Cooking Channel. The Kids Treats episode featured Wooly's Ice of NYC, a unique shaved ice vendor that serves a light, refreshing shaved ice, made out of real fruit and fresh ingredients. Some of their flavors seem to be a cross between ice cream and a snow cone.

On the episode, Wooly's Ice made a strawberry sundae, starting with the strawberry base, which is frozen and put through the ice shaver (rather than shaving ice and pouring condensed flavor on top). Since I have a kid-friendly ice shaver, I came up with an idea to instantly replicate the sundae.

I put just frozen strawberries in my ice shaver, so I didn't have to wait to make and freeze a special sweetened puree.

I put my cute bear topper in place and turned the crank until all the strawberries made it through the device.

Here's how the frozen strawberries looked when I was done. They're like frozen strawberry ribbons that just melt in your mouth.

The Wooly's Ice strawberry sundae was topped with brownie chunks and some kind of syrup. Therefore, I chopped up a Chocolate Brownie Pure Bar to add to mine ...

... along with a generous drizzle of Philosophie Cocoa Bee honey. Yum!

I think I'll be making more shaved frozen fruit sundaes like this soon. You should try it, too :)

*****

Related posts, featuring the Pure Bar and Philosophie products:

• Pure Food & Pure Desserts Push Pops
• Pure Bar Semi-homemade Tartlets
• PB&J Ancient Grains Pure Bar Sandwiches
• Last-Minute Love Bug Brownie Bites
• Pure Bees Please

• Cacao Magic Mousse
• Springtime No-Bake Macaroons
• Berry Bliss Philosopops
• Magical Minty Cacao Cookies
• Chocolate-Covered Berry Cookies
• The Philosophie Honey Pop Experiment

Quick & easy initial necklace

Trends come and go, so sometimes it's fun to DIY that trend in a way you can easily change it up in the future.

For example, I made this lollipop necklace when they were popular (I guess that's my throwback Thursday), and today, I'm using the chain from that necklace for something new.

Initial necklaces are quite popular right now, especially those worn off-center. Rather than taking apart a perfectly good chain, I opted to keep the closure visible and use it to attach my initial.

To start, I put a metallic initial bead (my first initial is "s") on an eye pin, as shown.

Then, I threaded the pin through the loop end of the chain.

I cut off the excess of the pin and wrapped it around to secure it in place. The eye of the pin now serves as part of the necklace closure.

Instead of wearing the closure of the necklace in back of my neck, I attached it in the front, so you can see the initial. When I get tired of the trend, I can just move it to the back or remove it. Then, I can start all over again with the next trend :)