Honey, Lemon, Sugar Scrub

I was feeling the need to do a facial exfoliation after hearing about one of Christie Brinkley's secrets to aging well...exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Here's what you need:

1/2 cup of granulated sugar 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp of honey 

1/2 of a lemon, fresh

Now is the hard part. Mix the sugar, oil, honey and lemon together until they are blended well. Voila! Add it to your favorite jar and "Easy peasey, lemon squeezy" it's done!

Lemon:  Acts as a natural brightener while evening skin tone.

Olive Oil:  Excellent moisturizer packed full of antioxidants to protect against sun damage and environmental pollutants.

Sugar:  Granules for scrubbing away dead skin cells.

Honey:  A moisturizer excellent for skin without clogging any pores. Effective for assisting to prevent and clear acne. Anti- aging. 

When making home made scrubs feel free to choose from a variety of other ingredients. 

1). Choose your oils. Organic almond, organic coconut, jojoba, organic olive, rose hip oils are all excellent choices for your skin. 

2). Sugar. Choose either white or brown sugar. Both work great to exfoliate dead skin!

3). Choose more than just fresh lemon juice. You may like to add the lemon rind in addition. You may also prefer to use essential oils such as lavender, rose or orange.  The right kind of essential oils have excellent benefits for skin and can otherwise be used to make your scrub smell oh so nice!

Enjoy your super soft skin!

ULTA Fabulous Face Primer - As good as high end brand foundation primers

About this product: Formulated to reduce the appearance of of pores, fine lines and wrinkles creating the perfect base for foundation application. This formula also extends the wear of your foundation for a flawless look all day long. Cruelty Free. Sold at ULTA stores.

Review: No need to spend a ridiculous amount of money for a foundation primer after having tried this stuff! I use this primer under my foundation with great results. It's smooth, great for hydrating skin and is easy to  apply with fingertips. All you need is a pea size amount.  Liquid or powder foundation is then more easily applied and the overall look results in a more flawless appearance. Ulta also has a matte primer (same bottle but in black) which is oil free and contains 1.5% salicylic acid to target acne. 

Retail price $12.50 - (30ml). Compare that to Smashbox photo finish primer at $36 - (30ml)

This primer has been compared to high end brand primers with just as good of results. Don't be fooled by the big leagues!

Most often Ulta brand products are accompanied with a beauty steal deal such as, "Buy 2 get 2 Free". You can mix and match items such as lip gloss, nail polish and eyeliner to get these great deals. 

Vegan, Lemon, Raspberry Cheesecake

      This is the first vegan cheesecake I have ever made and it turned out beautiful and oh so yummy!

My family loved it...especially my 9 year old step son who said it was, "so delicious!"

There are different ways to make vegan cheesecake. Some methods really come very close to tasting like the real deal and unless you're a food connoisseur, you wouldn't know the difference. I have yet to learn those methods. But I will be honest that although this is classified as a "vegan cheesecake", it really doesn't taste like cheesecake. Regardless, it's healthy, unique in that it's main ingredient is cashews and it tastes wonderful.

Time: 30 min

Serves: 12

_____________________________________________________________________

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 2 cup Graham crackers pulsed into crumbs (Nabisco grahams original is honey free)
• 5-6 tablespoons melted coconut oil or vegan butter ( I used coconut oil )
• 2 Tbs organic powdered sugar (only if using graham crackers without honey to make for a true vegan recipe)
• 
  

Filling 

• 2 ¼ cups of raw, salt free cashew nuts 
• 1 ½ cup raspberries (for pink filling)
• ½ cup raspberries (to be arrange around inner spring foam pan)
• ¾ cup water
• ¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 6-8 tablespoon agave 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup coconut oil, melted
• 
  

Topping

• 1 cup raspberries (I used fresh raspberries)
• 
  

 METHOD

1. Soak cashews in water for 6hrs or over night, (I choose to soak overnight). If they soak longer that is completely fine.

2. Line a loose bottom/spring foam (7-8 inch) cake pan with baking paper. (Optional)

3. Pulse crackers and slowly add melted oil or butter. Press mixture firmly into base of pan. Mixture should be just firm enough yet somewhat crumbly. 

4. Place drained cashews in food processor along with water, lemon juice, vanilla, agave. You may want additional agave or sweetener until you obtain desired sweetness. Pulse. Add melted oil and pulse. Make sure mixture is very smooth and not gritty. Taste test for texture. (It will have a unique and unusual taste but hang in there... the results are awesome!). Set aside 1 cup of this mixture which will be used for your 1st layer. Now take remaining 1 ¼ cup of mixture, add 1 ½ cup raspberries to it and pulse. 

5. Layer your crust with the white cashew mixture originally set aside. Line ½ cup raspberries around outer edge of pan. Let sit in fridge for approx. 20 minutes to firm a little before applying the pink layer. After 20 minutes add the pink raspberry layer and smooth with spatula to finish. Top your cake with raspberries for decoration. 

6. Place cake in freezer for at least a total of 2 hours. When you take it out of the freezer, let it thaw for at at least 30 minutes. Unhook your spring foam pan and there you have a beautiful vegan, lemon, raspberry cheesecake! 

RINGLING BROS, BARNUM & BAILEY to ELIMENATE ELEPHANTS FROM IT'S CIRCUS ACTS!!

Pleased to announce that after all of the hard work and effort of those who have sought to free these elephants from the Ringling Bros. circus act, come 2018, these elephants will be given their freedom!

After years of protests from upset public on how these creatures have been abused and mistreated, parent company Feld Entertainment has decided to fully eliminate elephants from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus acts by the year 2018. Elephants will be relocated to, The Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida.

Upon first news of this, I couldn't help but cry tears of joy! Here are some pictures of the circus protests against Ringling Bros. I have participated in. I have met some of the most absolutely wonderful people ever with the biggest of hearts. We will continue to protest on behalf of the other animals in the circus such as tigers, horses and zebras.

Every creature deserves FREEDOM.

LINKS:

US_WEEKLY
NEW_YORK_TIMES
WZZM13_ABC
SUN_HAROLD

IT Cosmetics CC+ Lip Serum Review - LOVE

($24 - 0.11oz)

About this product: Developed by leading plastic surgeons, CC+ Lip Serum Hydrating, Anti-Aging, Color Correcting Gloss is clinically proven to color correct and provide intense hydration to your lips. This Lip serum is packed with good for you, anti-aging ingredients such as clinically proven collagen, peptides, hyaluronic acid, plus 9 essential butters and oils for the ultimate lip treatment. Paraben free. Cruelty free.

Review: I'm in love with this lip serum! The shade I have is in the color, LOVE which I would describe as a rose color.  It's a beautiful gloss which provides a stunning flush of color that makes lips look flattering, youthful and healthy. I can honestly say it's shine in combination with it's color is strikingly gorgeous. It also works excellently to hydrate lips. My lips are super soft as a result of using it which is a huge improvement because I suffer from really dry lips. It looks great whether used by itself or on top of another lip stick.

I find the color lasts up to 4 hrs if untouched. It otherwise needs reapplying every once in a while to keep it looking it's best.  It also has a yummy vanilla mint scent. 

It CC+ lip serum is available in 3 different shades which include, Love, Laugh and Live. All three are in the pink range. I hope It Cosmetics creates more color varieties as it's now one of my absolute favorite lip products. 

If your lips need a dose of hydrating treatment or you're just looking for a pretty new shade to try, I highly recommend trying this awesome lip serum. 

LINKS:

IT_Cosmetics.com

Ulta.com