Blue Frozen Elsa Smoothie

You read that right; this smoothie is blue. My daughter Hayden was excited that Elsa from "Frozen" liked one of our smoothies on Instagram, so we just had to make an icy blue smoothie in her honor. Here's how we did it.

Do you remember those kitchen science experiments you did as a child? Maybe you experimented with pH, using red cabbage juice.

All you have to do is boil red cabbage until it releases this dark purple juice (obviously, you need to strain out the cabbage chunks).

If you add a small amount of baking soda (you only need a pinch or two), the purple juice turns blue (don't overdo it or it will taste like baking soda).

We blended the homemade blue dye with frozen honeydew melon and almond milk (you need to be careful what you add to the dye, as it can alter the pH, turning it back to purple). We tested the melon and almond milk with a small amount of the dye to make sure it would stay blue. It did, until blended, so we stirred in a tiny bit more baking soda (it doesn't take much), which made it blue again.

The finished smoothie was garnished with a honeydew melon star. Hayden is still bouncing off the walls because Elsa liked this smoothie, too, as well as a pic of her dressed as Elsa.

I posted our smoothie on Instagram for Day 17 of Charissa's #ColourfulSmoothie #Challenge. Are you participating in her challenge? Have you made natural blue food coloring? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on Instagram (also at @Rawdorable). 

Have you had a muffin batter smoothie yet?

What? You don't know what a muffin batter smoothie is? Those who follow me on Instagram (I'm @Rawdorable) do, and now I'll introduce them to you, too, starting with yesterday's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin Batter Smoothie. My hubby and son are big fans of the baked version, but since it's crazy hot out (yes, it's still 90-plus and humid), I think the ice cold smoothie version is a better alternative.

This muffin batter smoothie is dairy-free, gluten-free and has an added dose of vegan protein and superfoods. It's like blending your favorite baked good crumbs into your smoothie, but without the baked part. Just simply blend frozen banana, almond milk, almond flour (that's what makes it more like a batter), Jem Organics Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter (so good; it amps up the flavor and also sweetens it with coconut sugar), vanilla and Philosophie Cacao Magic Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder. Then, pulse in some dairy-free chocolate chips and top the whole thing off with more almond flour, Cacao Magic powder and chocolate chips. It's chocolate heaven.

I've been posting these muffin batter smoothies as part of Charissa's #ColourfulSmoothie #Challenge (I hope some of you have been participating, too; check out my post from last week with some of my other smoothies).

My Blueberry Muffin Batter Smoothie started the trend and the base for these scrumptious treats (these really are a treat; I think I'm moving further away from smoothie and more toward shake territory). It has frozen banana, almond milk, almond flour (gotta have that texture), Jem Organics Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter (it provides that sugar and spice that makes baked goods nice), vanilla and Philosophie Berry Bliss Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder. I stirred it frozen blueberries to make it a blueberry batter, and added a larger straw to accommodate the berries.

The following day, I made a Strawberry Rose Petal Muffin Batter Smoothie, because I heard it was Red Rose Day. It has frozen banana, almond milk, almond flour (can't skip this ingredient), Jem Organics Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter (yum!), vanilla and Philosophie Berry Bliss Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder. I added a touch of rose water to make it extra special. I stirred in some broken-up freeze-dried strawberries and chocolate chips, which also required a larger straw. I garnished it with a strawberry rose. So pretty :)

A couple days ago, I made a Cranberry Orange Mango Muffin Batter Smoothie out of frozen banana, frozen mango, almond milk, almond flour (you get the idea), Jem Organics Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter, vanilla and Philosophie Berry Bliss Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder. This time I chopped up a Cranberry Orange Pure Bar into tiny pieces (small enough to fit through a large straw) and stirred them throughout the smoothie. So good!

Have you tried one of my muffin batter smoothies yet? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on Instagram (also @Rawdorable).

*****

On another note, 100 Percent Pure is celebrating 10 years with its 10 Days of Charity, starting today, June 16, through Thursday, June 25. Ten discounted beauty bundles have been curated for the following charities (they received 10% of the proceeds): The Hunger Project, The A21 Campaign, Keep A Breast, Keep A Child Alive, Next Door Solution, Red Apple Movement, Operation Cuppa Joe, Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary, Beauty Bus Foundation and Kitten Rescue. You can take advantage of these deals (and get a free commemorative Baggu with every purchase), while helping out these causes.

For example, the Beauty Bus Foundation Bundle includes the Luminous Primer, Fruit Pigmented Blush in Strawberry, Black Tea Long Last Liquid Liner, Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze in Velveteen and Luminous Creme in Northern Light, along with a cruelty-free Kabuki Brush, for only $115 (this set would cost $165 when purchased separately). If you purchase this set, the Beauty Bus Foundation (which delivers dignity, hope and respite to chronically or terminally ill men, women and children and their caregivers through beauty and grooming services and pampering products) will receive 10% of the proceeds. Check out the 100 Percent Pure website for more information.

Happy birthday 100 Percent Pure :)

Fun in the sun w/100% Pure Everywhere SPF30

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend. It was hot and humid here, so Hayden and I tested out our new 100 Percent Pure Everywhere SPF 30 UVA & UVB Suncreen, while playing on the Slip 'N Slide in our yard (well, actually Hayden did the sliding; I was cooling off as her lifeguard at the pool end of the slide).

As an official 100 Percent Pure Approved Blogger, I was sent this cute, convenient, solid sunscreen for review. It's packaged in the same type of container as deodorant, which hints at the fact that it doesn't contain that usual potent sunscreen smell (at least I thought it was more pleasant than the typical sunscreens on the market; I think I can faintly smell Calendula).

This sunscreen is made from natural, gluten-free ingredients like Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Oil), Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Organic Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Organic Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil and Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract.

According to the 100 Percent Pure website, "SPF 30 provides a broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection from the sun's harmful rays with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Safe and gentle for all skin types, all over body and face, including baby's delicate skin. No fragrance, non-comedogenic. Will not clog pores."

After reading the description and the directions on the container, Hayden and I made sure we applied the sunscreen to clean skin, especially since we opted to rub the stick directly onto the surface of our skin. We started with her cute little face.

Once our faces were fully protected, we moved on to to the rest of our exposed skin. When applied straight from the sunscreen container, you can see a slight film from the active ingredients (zinc oxide is known to give you a white coat), but to my surprise, it blended into our skin nicely. I almost forgot I was wearing it.

This solid sunscreen is much easier to apply than expected, although I would love for 100 Percent Pure to make a lotion version. For example, I did rub a little of the product on my hands before applying it to some spots, like the tops on our feet (on another note, I ended up painting my toes with 100 Percent Pure nail polish in Jam, so I guess you can call in toe jam; Ha ha). I'd also prefer a lotion for reapplication (your skin isn't exactly as clean at that point).

As for protection, Hayden and I didn't get burnt, although we were only out in the sun for an hour or two. The cool thing was that the sprinkling water beaded up on our skin, which made me wonder if this sunscreen is at least somewhat water resistant.

I definitely can say that this sunscreen is moisturizing and would be nice to carry in my purse for on-the-go sun protection. It's 100% natural, vegetarian (it has beeswax) and cruelty free.

Have you tried 100 Percent Pure sunscreen? What are your thoughts? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on Instagram (also @Rawdorable).

Since it's been so hot (it's been 90-plus and our air conditioning isn't working right), I've been extra excited about Charissa's #ColourfulSmoothie #Challenge (I posted most of my smoothies so far last week). I made a Banana Split Smoothie yesterday that spilled right over the top, but it totally hit the spot.

Also, in case you missed it on Instagram, my lipstick of the day is 100 Percent Pure's Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze in Lychee. It's so moisturizing and pretty.

*100 Percent Pure sent me this sunscreen for review. All opinions are my own.

My Colourful Smoothies in the challenge so far

For all you foodies out there, here's a recap of all the Colourful Smoothies I have made so far, as part of Charissa's #ColourfulSmoothie #Challenge on her blog, Colourful Palate (I snagged this header off her site and had my way with it; I'm sure she doesn't mind me using it and cutting off the "announcing the 2015" part). I love how it inspires me to make creative smoothies each day for the month of June (thanks Charissa for hosting this and talking me into the challenge again).

In the past, I made smoothie recipes from Charissa's site, but this year, I opted to go with the flow and make what I felt like whipping up in the moment, starting with this berry melon smoothie (I just happened to be cutting a watermelon when I was convinced to start the challenge). It contains watermelon, almond milk and Philosophie Berry Bliss Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder, which is actually one of the prizes up for grabs (Love Philosophie products). You'll notice that I never measure anything; I just add my ingredients to my Tribest Personal Blender and blend it.

On day 2 of the challenge, I still had watermelon, so I blended it with frozen strawberries and more Berry Bliss powder, resulting in this vibrant and yummy slushie. To get this consistency, I didn't add any liquid, relying on the water content of the melon to help blend it.

Day 3 of the challenge, I was craving chocolate, so I blended frozen banana, almond milk, and Philosophie Cacao Magic Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder until smooth. Then, I pulsed in some Simply Balanced Dark Chocolate Trail Mix and garnished the smoothie with some more trail mix on top.

On Day 4 of the challenge, I found some frozen zucchini in the freezer and had a brainstorm to make a Zucchini "Bread" Smoothie. I blended frozen zucchini with frozen banana, almond milk, almond flour (I thought it would give it some texture, like zucchini bread), Philosophie Green Dream Vegan Protein & Superfood Powder, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. I topped it off with more almond flour and cinnamon.

One of my favorite smoothies so far is the AB&J (almond butter and raspberry chia jam) doughnut hole-inspired concoction that I also posted on my blog. It contains frozen banana, almond milk, almond flour, cinnamon and Philosophie Berry Bliss Coconut Butter. I made sure to layer and swirl in some more of the fresh raspberry chia jam and Jem Organics Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter. I even topped it with a doughnut hole.

Day 6 of the challenge was a very spontaneous smoothie, made out of the leftover batter from Tallulah Dawson's Coconut Fudge Pronut recipe I found on The Body Book website (I love this site). I just blended some of the batter with some coconut water and drank it with a pronut. Yum!

Day 7 of the challenge was inspired by a recipe I saw in Jessica Milan's Lookbook Cookbook (love how she combines food with fashion photography) and the Wild Poppy Juice I picked up at Target. I blended the Grapefruit Ginger Wild Poppy Juice with frozen mango and Philosophie Berry Bliss powder. I took the photo with me in it, like the Lookbook Cookbook models.

Day 8, I had a simple PB&J smoothie made from frozen organic grapes, natural peanut butter, almond milk, vanilla and Philosophie Berry Bliss powder. I drizzled the inside of my smoothie container with more peanut butter and topped it off frozen grapes and even more peanut butter.

On Day 9 of the challenge, I used another Wild Poppy Juice as the base of my layered smoothie. I blended Peach Vanilla Wild Poppy Juice with frozen mango and peaches to make the middle layer of the smoothie. I reserved half and blended the other half with some Philosophie Green Dream powder. Then, I blended more of the juice with frozen strawberries and Philosophie Berry Bliss powder. I layered it all in the original juice container. I really need to get a funnel.

Yesterday, I made an Upside Down Strawberry Kiss smoothie, which looks like an upside down strawberry kissing the fresh strawberry garnish. The bottom layer is Grapefruit Ginger Wild Poppy Juice blended with frozen mango and Philosophie Green Dream powder to represent the green top on a strawberry. The main berry layer is more juice, frozen strawberries and Philosophie Berry Bliss powder. I stirred in some hemp seeds to look like berry seeds. It was almost too cute to drink.

I'm now a third of the way through the challenge. I wonder what smoothie I should make today. Is anyone else participating in the challenge? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on Instagram (also at Rawdorable).

*So you know, I was not sent any Philosophie products for this post. I'm just a fan of the brand :)  

Loving 100% Pure's new facial cleansing brush

I was so excited to open my e-mail this morning and see that 100 Percent Pure had officially released its new and improved Facial Cleansing Brush.

I was lucky enough to get one as an official 100 Percent Pure Approved Blogger, and I just couldn't wait to tell you all about it.

To be honest, I've barely used my original 100 Percent Pure Facial Cleansing Brush, seen next to the new one in the photo above. It wasn't quite big enough, and the bristles tended to spread out to the sides, rather than to help deep clean my pores.

I have a feeling that 100 Percent Pure was listening to its customers (love how you are able to post your reviews right on the site for all to see) when this brush was redesigned. Just look at these fluffy soft (much softer than some other facial brushes that can be too rough on delicate skin), yet still firm enough to get the job done, anti-bacterial high density vegan bristles (why does it sound like I'm referring to a mattress? LOL). It actually does deep clean and exfoliate my skin. I think that's why I had such wonderful results using it with the Honey Cake Soap.

The new brush has this fun ergonomic design that just happens to look like the leaf in the 100 Percent Pure logo. It's so cute.

See how it fits perfectly and comfortably in my hand (it makes it easy to use in a swirling motion). I've been using it everyday since I got it (which explains why the bristles are still damp in today's photos). I highly recommend it to take your favorite 100 Percent Pure cleanser to the next level. It's my favorite way to exfoliate now (I probably don't need a special facial exfoliating product now, but let's keep that as our little secret).

According to 100 Percent Pure, you should hang your brush to dry and replace it every 3-4 months, as you would with your toothbrush or mascara. I really hope they keep these in stock.

If facial brushes aren't your thing and you'd prefer a sponge, check out my review of 100 Percent Pure's Charcoal Konjac Sponge. It's an excellent detoxifier and is reasonably priced.

Are you ordering the new Facial Cleansing Brush? Have you tried the Charcoal Konjac Sponge? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on my Instagram (also @Rawdorable; thanks to all who have followed me during my first couple weeks on there).

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably already seen today's makeup look. I'm wearing 100 Percent Pure Lip & Cheek Tint in Pink Grapefruit Glow (on my lips and cheeks), Luminous Primer, Tinted Moisturizer in Peach Bisque, All Over Glow in Deeply Sun Kissed, eyeshadow from the Pretty Naked Palette (Flaxseed as the base and on the brow bone and the Luminizer on the lid, as it is a really pretty pink), an individual eyeshadow in Cashmere, Blackberry Long Lasting Liquid Liner (here's my review, if you missed it), and the new Maracuja Oil Mascara in Black Tea. I'm also wearing RMS Beauty Living Luminizer and Boot's Botanics Brow Pencil in Medium Brown.

*100 Percent Pure sent me the facial brush and sponge for my review. All opinions are my own.

Who is that masked woman?

As you know, I'm now an official 100 Percent Pure Approved Blogger, which means I'll be blogging about their latest and greatest products (don't worry foodie followers, as I'll still be posting a mix of food posts, along with beauty and DIY), like today's 100 Percent Pure Caffeine Mask. It claims to "help reduce the appearance of sun damaged skin and make skin appear more hydrated, healthy and glowing."

I have to admit that I was nervous to try this one (not to mention post about it with makeup-free photos, like the before pic above, and a pic of me wearing it; yes, there's a masked photo below). However, my curiosity got to me yesterday, and before I knew it ...

... I ripped open the package, lifted the hydrogel mask (according to the packaging, "the mask material 'hydrogel' is composed from 95% water and 5% plant cellulose made to intensely hydrate.") out of it's watery home (be careful as the mask is delicate and some of the liquid inside the packaging can be a bit messy) ...

... and applied it to my face (now do you get the title of this post? LOL). It took a few minutes to get used to the mask and position it correctly on my face. It sticks and forms better the longer you wear it. The consistency and scent remind me of the slime I used to get out of gumball machines as a kid, but this is firmer and holds its shape better (and is definitely more natural). As for the scent, it is more bearable than the aforementioned slime (I must be smelling the aloe and seaweed collagen).

The ingredients include Coffea Arabica (Green Coffee) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Arbutin Extract (from Bearberry), Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera), Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Extract, Seaweed Collagen, Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Ilex Paraguariensis (Yerba Mate) Extract and Glycerin. It's 100% natural and vegan.

The directions say to apply the mask to clean skin, position it comfortably and leave on for 15-20 minutes. It should thin as you wear it. Since it took a while to start thinning, I left mine on for an hour. Even then, it was still fairly thick. I was able to peel the whole thing off in one piece before rinsing my face with cool water. The first reviewer on the website said she actually reused hers a few times, although I don't know if I'd recommend that.

This is how I looked immediately after removing the mask and rinsing my face (I didn't apply moisturizer, eye cream, etc. before taking this pic). I'm a little pink, due to the fact that I just removed it, but my face was and still is soft, yet firm at the same time. The best part is that my fine lines are plumped up and smoother, less noticeable.

I'm not sure if there's much of a change in my dark spots and freckles (I love my freckles anyway), but who knows what could happen if I continue to use these masks. The directions recommend using them 1-3 times per week.

This mask seems to do more than my usual pure aloe and frozen green tea bag DIY treatment for sun damaged skin, and it's kind of fun. I don't know if I'd use them regularly, but I'd probably treat myself to a mask every once in a while this summer.

Have you tried this caffeine mask, a similar treatment or DIY? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on my Instagram (also @Rawdorable).

Speaking of Instagram, I posted my lipstick and makeup look for the day earlier this morning. I'm wearing 100 Percent Pure Fruit Pigmented Pomegranate Oil Anti-Aging Lipstick in Melon, Luminous Primer, Tinted Moisturizer in Peach Bisque, All Over Glow in Deeply Sun Kissed, Lip & Cheek Tint in Peach Glow, eyeshadow from the Pretty Naked Palette (Flaxseed as the base and on the brow bone, Toffee in the crease and the Luminizer on the lid, as it is a really pretty pink), Creamy Long Last Liner in Blackest and Bright Eyes, and the new Maracuja Oil Mascara in Black Tea. I'm also wearing RMS Beauty Living Luminizer and Boot's Botanics Brow Pencil in Medium Brown. Makeup makes a big difference :)

*100 Percent Pure sent me the Caffeine Mask for review. All opinions are my own.

Honey, honey

If you've been following me on Instagram, you may have seen these new 100 Percent Pure honey products I received for review, as a 100 Percent Pure Approved Blogger. I'm loving how soft they make my skin feel. I can't wait to tell you all about them.

First up is the 100 Percent Pure Honey Cream Wash in Blood Orange (I didn't see it on the website yet, which makes me wonder if it will be a store exclusive. I'll have to ask about that). It's perfect for this time of year, especially after spending a day in the sun. It nourishes my parched skin, making it so soft and smooth.

This Honey Cream Wash comes in a handy pump for dispensing the perfect amount. The cream wash is clear with a slight tint that reminds me of honey. If you look closely in the above pic, you can see a ribbon of cream wash on the side of the tub, next to the container.

Although the consistency of the cream wash resembles the Organic Argan Oil Creamy Facial Cleanser I blogged about in the past, the cream wash lathers surprisingly better than the facial cleanser. It's a moisturizing foam that cleanses well and doubles as a shaving cream (Brooke, a sales associate at the Annapolis store, taught me that). Oh, and I was able to skip the body lotion. You gotta love a multipurpose product. It even smells like fresh citrus.

For those of you who prefer bar soap, you'll want to try the new Honey Cake Soap, which officially debuted a few days ago. I was sent Honey Strawberry, but I'm sure they're all good.

To be honest, I'm more of a body wash girl than a bar soap one, yet I was ready to give this one a try. As soon as I took it out of the package (pretty cool how I made the empty package look like another bar of soap in this pic), I was in awe of how the warmth on my hand softened the bar ever so slightly, just enough to release some of it's moisturizers (it contains shea butter, cocoa butter and avocado butter) without melting the whole bar. It reminds me of a massage bar, like the ones at Lush.

Unlike a massage bar, this bar soap suds up into a creamy lather, especially when used with a cleansing brush (100 Percent Pure also sent me this cute facial brush, which looks like the leaf on their logo; it's so fluffy, yet still gets the job done). I was expecting it to have a stronger, sweeter scent, but the lack of fragrance reminded me of how natural these bars are.

This soap is so gentle that I've washed my face with it and the facial brush for the past few days. It leaves my face soft, even-toned and clear. I can't believe it hasn't clogged my pores. It must be the manuka honey and royal jelly working their magic. I felt comfortable enough to post this fresh-faced, nomakeup selfie on Instagram the other day, right after washing my face.

I'm so happy with these products, and it's not just because 100 Percent Pure sent them to me. They actually ended up being better than expected. I can't believe I like a bar soap this much.

Has anyone else tried either of these 100 Percent Pure honey products yet? Let me know on Twitter at @Rawdorable or on my Instagram page (also @Rawdorable).

BTW, 100 Percent Pure officially released the Maracuja Oil Mascara I was raving about in my review the other day. This is my new fave :)

*****

On another note, my daughter Hayden and I found a ladybug in our organic lettuce in the fridge. It warmed up and came back to life. After taking this Instagram pic, we set it free outside. Nancy-Lee (the FashionCHICsta) said ladybugs bring good luck.

Have a lucky day :)

*100 Percent Pure sent me these products for review. All opinions are my own.