Summer Hair

Now that the weather is getting warmer I have been wearing my hair up more often. I love braids and buns for spring and summer so I went to Pintrest for some inspiration.

What's In My Bag?

The lighting in my apartment was not agreeing with me today but I wanted to do this post so sorry for the dark and somewhat blurry photo. One of my favorite you tube videos to watch is the popular What's In My Bag? tag. I enjoy looking at my favorite you tubers purses and like to know what essentials they carry with them for everyday use. Currently in my bag these are the items I can't leave home without:

First off my bag is the Michael Kors large Selma satchel. Normally I don't go crazy over designer handbags but I obsessed over this bag so long I finally broke down and bought it.

My wallet is Betsey Johnson that I got at T.J. Maxx. I really like it because it has a lot of compartments and slots for holding cards.

My phone is an iPhone 4S with a rubber floral case from Five Below.

My headphones are skull candy which work well but I noticed you have to push them far back into your ears for the best sound quality.

The mirror is from Forever 21. I love leopard print.

The gum is from a brand called pur and is aspartame free. The flavor doesn't last long but this is by far the best natural gum I've tried.

My glasses are from Ann Taylor Loft and I like that they came with a cute metallic carrying case.

The lotion is from Kiss My Face in lavender. I love this lotion. It's not to thick or thin and it doesn't leave my hands greasy which is a big deal breaker for me. I also have a large bottle that I use all over by body.

Last but not least the small makeup bag is from Forever21 and holds my Burt's Bees lip shine gloss in  blush and flutter. My Burt's Bees tinted lip balm in pink blossom, petunia, and rose. My Tarte vitamin-infused lipgloss in serenity and my Badger lip balm in lavender & orange and Badger cocoa butter lip balm in cool mint. Badger is my favorite brand for color free lip products. Their balms leave my lips soft and hydrated. I love Burt's Bees for lipgloss and colored balms and will probably one day own every color. I also plan on doing a seperate post with color swatches.

What is one item you can't leave home without?

Liebster Award

I was nominated by Amber from Natural Beauty for the Liebster Award. I am very thankful for receiving this award considering I just started my blog but grateful to be among many of the bloggers I love and follow than have been nominated.

This award is for up and comers with less than 200 followers. Here are the rules

1. Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you and display the award.
2. Answer eleven questions that the blogger gives you.
3. Give eleven random facts about yourself.
4. Nominate eleven blogs that you think deserve the award (they must have less than 200 followers.)
5. Let the bloggers know you nominated them.
6. Give them eleven questions to answer.

Here are the answers to Amber's questions.

1. Why did you start blogging? I have been experimenting with natural beauty products over the last few years and have looked to bloggers and you tubers for advice. Now that I have found some great products I would like to pass my knowledge on to others so that they may also be able to swap out their current beauty products for less toxic ones.
2.  What is your favorite blog post you have created? I have only created a few but I would say my first one about Physician's Formula products.
3. What is your favorite blog post created by someone else? I'm not sure that I have a favorite post but I do enjoy looking at well photographed makeup on blogs. This is something I hope to improve on my own blog.
4. What is your dream vacation? This one is easy. For the longest time I have wanted to go to Paris, France.
5. How would you spend your perfect day? I would probably treat myself to a day of pampering. I would start with breakfast at my favorite restaurant than go to the spa for a facial, massage, body treatment, manicure and pedicure. Then with the rest of the time in the day I would relax outdoors if the weather was warm and have a delicious meal and a glass of wine. 
6. Who is your favorite blogger or you tuber? My favorite bloggers are listed on the right side of my blog and from you tube I love vlogwithkendra and Shannon Sullivan
7. Coffee or tea? Tea.
8. What is the one thing you cannot leave the house without? My phone.
9. What in life makes you the most happy? Sharing my passion for nutrition and healthy living with others.
10. What advice would you give your younger self? That I would finally find my true passion later in life.
11. If you could relive any day, what would if be? Either the day I spent on Virgin Gorda of the British Virgin Islands or when I went snorkeling in a bay on Maui.

11 random facts about myself

1. I am a twin.
2. I am 26 years old.
3. For two years I owned and operated a 14 acre organic farm complete with 50 chickens and 6 goats.
4. I have been vegetarian for almost 4 years.
5. My heritage is dutch, and german but mostly french canadian.
6. I am a licensed esthetician.
7. I am obsessed with dark chocolate and rarely go a day without it.
8. My favorite show right now is American Horror Story.
9. I love the water so much one of my nicknames growing up was Swimmy Kimmy.
10. When I was in high school I thought I was going to go to college for fashion design...I didn't.  
11. I am a girly girl now who loves makeup and fashion but as a child I was a bit of a tomboy who loved to collect bugs and build forts in the woods.

Here are my question for the nominees

1. What is your favorite makeup brand?
2. What is your holy grail makeup product? 
3. What is your holy grail skincare product?
4. What makeup product do you buy the most of? (ex. blush, eyeliner, mascara)
5. Lipstick or lipgloss?
6. What is your favorite blogger or you tuber?
7. What is one beauty product that's not worth the hype?
8. What is one beauty product that's worth the hype?
9. What is a makeup trend you're loving right now?
10. What is your favorite skincare brand?
11. What is your favorite beauty tip or trick?

Here are the nominees

1. Ashley from Green Beauty Life
2. Christine from Makeup Guinea Pig
3. Kaitie from Peaches and Pearls
4. Katie from The Green Product Junkie
5. Jennifer and Kathryne from Unsullied
6. Maria from Maria Loves Green
7. Victoria from My Non Leather Life

So this is where I fell short. I tried to find 11 lovely ladies to give this award to but all other blogs I like have a huge following. Hopefully I will be able to find other up-and-comers like myself the longer I blog.

Raw Vegan Turtles

Last summer I became obsessed with raw vegan desserts and made everything from brownies to cheesecake. One day I was craving turtles but couldn't find a recipe I liked so I decided to create my own. This is by far my favorite raw dessert I have ever made. Be careful with these because while they may be healthier than a traditional turtle they will go fast and you may find yourself eating all seven within a few days...I may have been guilty of that.

This will make 7 turtles. 

Caramel- 1 cup dates, 1/4 ground up pecans, 1/2 t vanilla extract, 1 T agave, 1 T coconut oil. 

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor and form into 7 caramel patties. This will be your base. 

Then press 3 pecan halves into each patty and top with chocolate. 

Chocolate- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder, 3 T agave, 3 T coconut oil. Whip together until you have a smooth and creamy almost frosting like consistency. 

Apply to top and sprinkle on sea salt. Put in freezer to harden. 

Keep in fridge or freezer or they will melt or become very soft.

Has anyone tried raw vegan recipes before?

Fifth Time's a Charm

I have tried my fair share of natural deodorants over the years but have always ended up disappointed. Before I found Kiss My Face I tried Zion Health ClayDry deodorant, Tom's of Maine long lasting deodorant, Herbal Clear natural deodorant, and Alba Botanica clear enzyme deodorant with no luck. All of these products lasted between a few minutes and a few hours and required multiple applications throughout the day. I was about to give up hope and go back to my toxic aluminum filled deodorant when I was watching vlogbykendra and she mentioned this roll on stick. I was getting ready to place an order on vitacost and figured since it was only $3.41 I would try it out. (P.S. if you haven't ordered from vitacost I highly recommend you check them out.) I applied the product and threw it in my bag assuming I would have to reapply. To my surprise I made it eight hours before I could tell a light reapplication was needed. That being said this deodorant is not quite as powerful as a traditional one but it works so much better than all others I have tried before and even holds up fairly well during a workout. My only issue with this deodorant is that although it claims to not contain aluminum chlorhydrate it does contain potassium alum. (P.P.S. if you haven't read about the dangers of aluminum in deodorant google it now.) I have read multiple articles about potassium alum and still have trouble deciding if it's good or bad for me. Some say it is a natural form of aluminum and therefor not harmful and others say it is the same thing as using aluminum chlorhydrate. Since the jury is still out on this one I plan on finishing this product and then trying Funk Butter which I also found through vlogwithkendra. My final thought of this product is I do love it and have recommend it to others. While it may or may not be 100% toxin free it is loads better than the chemical filled traditional deodorant I was using before and the best natural one I have found as of now. Has anyone else tried Funk Butter and what did you think?

Wish List

These are just a few of the items I have been lusting after this month.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Blush in Mauvette: This brand is amazing. They make natural and cruelty free skin care, hair, nail, and makeup products. Their makeup products are colored with fruit and vegtable pigments instead of minerals and synthetic dyes. How cool is that? Their prices are a little on the high side but I'm willing to pay more for a truly clean product. $28

Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub Sea Kelp Plus Chlorella Growth Factor: I have been a fan of this line for some time now. I own their argan oil, a hair mask, and have tried their argan oil shampoo and conditioner. I was able to get a sample of this scrub from my local health food store and once I run out I will definitely be buying it. It is exfoliating without being abrasive and I like how it foams slightly. After using this my skin feels smooth but not overly dry. $14.99

Badger Organic Face Oil Damascus Rose With Lavender & Chamomile: This oil has a cult following on natural beauty blogs and I can see why after trying it on the back of my hand and my health food store. The oil is not overly heavy and makes your skin velvety soft. People who have used it clam it works wonders on all skin types and problems from blemishes of uneven skin tone. I need help in both areas and even though I need another face oil like I need and hole in the head I have a feeling I will be adding this to my collection soon. $13.99

Love & Toast Roller Perfume in Clementine Crush: I'm not a huge perfume person but ever since I smelled this scent at Ulta I can't stop thinking about it. It is a mixture of mandarin, ripened mango, vanilla sugar, and guava. You would think it would be overly sweet smelling but it's not. I think it's the vanilla sugar that balances it out and keeps it from smelling like a tropical smoothie. I plan on wearing this scent during the spring and summer. $11.99

Has anyone tried any of these products and if so what did you think?

EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Datebase

Cosmetic Database is a wonderful resource for anyone trying to clean up their overall consumption of toxic chemicals in a variety of health and beauty products. This website allows you to search over 72,000 products and then it rates them on a scale of 1 to 10 for toxicity. They also break down each ingredient in the searched product and tell you the health concerns if there are any. Use this site to search for clean health and beauty buys before or while you shop to make sure the products you buy are truly good for you and not just a product of deceptive marketing and greenwashing. What are your favorite green beauty buys?