Acai Protein Shake + Smoothie

Hi friends! It's been quiet around here so really pushed myself & my co-blogger Rasmin to get at least two posts up for you guys to enjoy this week. Please make sure to check out her awesome MUST READ post on two of her current favorite make-up products HERE! In the mean time, while you are shopping online for those two products that you just must get right now ;) , why not sip on some shake? That is...a protein shake.

This post is for you if you are like me and don't like the taste of whey protein powders.

What EXACTLY is whey protein? Whey it is basically a mixture of proteins "isolated" from whey. Whey is the liquid part of milk that separates during cheese production and is found in the watery portion of milk.

Due to my hormonal intolerance with dairy, I try not to have too much protein powder in my daily routine (still on the hunt for a perfect non-dairy alternative to regular whey protein...if you know of any that doesn't taste like poop, please share!)....but I have also gone back to putting a little bit of dairy back in my life (and so far I have had no problems doing that) so this works out. I usually drink a glass of the shake after some strength training workouts but many times I used to hate it but also knew that my muscles would love me for it, so I thought, why not jazz it up a little by adding in some berries or ACAI JUICE to it? 

Now, you don't really want to add the juice directly. Instead, what I love to do is freeze Acai juice in ice cube treys (sometimes I also freeze almond milk to throw in my shake/smoothie). Many times, Acai juice comes on sale at local grocery stores, so when that happens, I jump on it. Basically that's it! To make your shake thicker and more into a smoothie, add ice cubes or more acai juice cubes or almond milk cubes. Sometimes I also like to throw in some frozen berries to have the ultimate berry-delicious shake as well as bananas and/or other fruits. If protein powders are not incorporated in your diet/routine, don't fret because you can defiantly skip it and still make a refreshing acai and berry mix shake or smoothie and get all the anti-oxidant benefits.

Ps- I have gotten so many requests on doing a smoothie-prep post so as summer is approaching, I will have a detailed (and easy) DIY smoothie prep post as soon as possible. 

xoxx-

Makeup Rave: Anastasia Beverly Hills

hi guys! i have missed blogging so much, but this semester has been the craziest yet for me and i am so sorry for the lack of posts. i wanted to do a special piece about my two favorite Anastasia Beverly Hills products that are a tad pricey but boy are they worth it. i can't even find dupes because these products are straight quality, worth every penny. when i don't have these products w/ me, my makeup never seems worth putting on, LOL.

THE dip brow pomade, $18 

this product is actually reasonably priced, I've been using mine for the last 6 months and hardly have a dent. if you use instagram, you've seen this product all over the ladies who's brows are on fleek; i love using this to fill in my brows so that they appear thicker. currently, i'm in the process of growing them out, so this helps me cover up the growth in some areas that aren't fully covered. my amazing, coblogger Nilma recommended I use the Sigma E65 brush to apply this product and it works flawlessly. quick tip- a little goes a long way, it is very easy to over-do it. build up the product instead of piling it on and then trying to tone it down. don't forget to finish off with some brow gel!

THE Contour Kit, $40
i'm screaming YES when people ask me if this kit is worth it. the powders are soft, finely milled, and pigmented. i bought this about 3-4 months ago at Sephora.

*sand is slightly shimmery, good for under the
brow highlight

This kit comes in 3 shades: light, medium, dark. I bought the one in light and my MAC shade for reference is NC35-40/NARS (Stromboli), however I have seen this shade look good on women who have deeper skintones than mine (if they use banana as the highlight). Because the kit comes with 3 highlight & contour colors, the tones will range depending on which kit shade you buy.

the top row has 3 highlight colors: vanilla, banana & sand
the bottom row has 3 contour colors: fawn, java & havana

i like to mix java & a little bit of fawn most of the time. i will sometimes use only java. these powders are pigmented, so blend blend blend blend blend- or you're gonna look crazy- the opposite of contoured.


what brush do i use? i use my Nars Ita, $55 brush (i bought 2 of these when they were much cheaper, but after being sold out everywhere for months, they restocked the brushes & hiked the price up). it doesn't shed and maintains its shape, making contouring super easy- so it is worth it.
cheaper alternatives: EM Ihatake Brush | Real Techniques 301 | Hoola Bronzer brush

 is the entire kit needed? no, not necessarily. i don't use any of the other colors besides banana (highlight), java & fawn (contour). however- they didn't sell individual pan refills when i first purchased. lucky for you, if you visit their website here: contour refill pans, $14 you can purchase the colors you need for highlighting/contouring & store them in a magnetic makeup palette, saving you a few bucks. plus, online they have a lot more color ranges to choose from than what's offered in the contour kits; so you'll be able to get shades that complement your skin the best.

happy glamming,
rasmin xo

The Art of Acai Bowls

Antioxidant-rich acai (pronounced: ah-sai-ee) berries make a delicious, energizing & refreshing breakfast, snack, or dessert…especially when blended and topped with fresh fruit, granola, shredded coconut, seeds, nuts, & MORE! My thoughts: Umm HELLO! This is definitely MY type of treat! #Score!

Late last year, the word "Acia" really started to ring a bell in my ears. The only other time I had heard of it was in the past through Oprah or Dr. Oz show. Acai never really sparked my interest because many claims for the berries were mainly centered around weight loss only. No one ever told me that this beautiful goodness is so tasty. 

THEN...I started to see all these beautiful & colorful bowls pop up all over the internet...& if you know me...you know that I get lured in when something looks pretty, cute & flat out delicious! Pretty-ness for food is a MUST in my book :) Well, the ever so popular Acai Bowls fit right in with my pretty food category. BUT besides how scrumptiously beautiful Acai Bowls look, LET ME TELL YOU--Acai Bowls are THE BOMB! Yes, the health benefits are there...but for me, the taste is so refreshing and delicious that I actually crave these. 

For me, I don't really eat frozen yogurt anymore, so these bowls are a perfect dairy-free substitute to have WEEKLY because they remind me a lot of PinkBerry or Froyo. 

What is Acai: Now you might wonder...what the heck is Acai? It's pure...heaven. haha Jk.  With a flavor that faintly resembles raspberries and chocolate, Acai is a berry native to the Amazon Rainforest. According to WebMD, "The acai berry is an inch-long, reddish-purple fruit. It comes from the acai palm tree, which is native to Central and South America. Some studies show that acai fruit pulp is even richer in antioxidants than cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries." Now that is a winner in my book! 

Where to buy: Here in the U.S., acai berries don't come as a whole fruit (at least I haven't seen them anywhere near me). So instead, they come as frozen puree. This frozen puree packets can be found in the freezer section of any local health food store, Fresh Market or Whole Foods. You can also purchase it online through Amazon or one the website of some of the producers such (all links provided if you click on the name) as: Tambor, Sambazon, Amazonia, or Amafruits (I order mine from Amafruits). You can also make acai bowls using acai powder such as this one HERE by Organic Burst. When shopping for Acai puree, you want to make sure that you are purchasing 100% acai without too much of anything else added to it. You need to be careful when buying acai at Whole Foods or any health food store because some brands sold there contain soy lecithin (which okay...I know I know...almost everything contains that lol). But too much of other ingredients in your acai puree can indicate lower quality acai was used to bind everything and thicken the purees; it can also alter the flavor. If you are in the midwest or northeast, I recommend the Amafruits brand and if you don't see it at the store, then just order it online from their website like I do! I get the unsweetened acai puree packets HERE. 

Cost: Now this is probably the biggest downfall for this deliciousness. Since acai berries are not grown in the States, many companies produce and import from South America. But, I can tell you that from what I know, making your own bowl is less expensive than buying ready at many stores in the US. Plus, you really get to get creative with what you put in it when making your own at home. I ordered mine from Amafruits.com, a 24 Pack (6 bags each with 4 single serve packs) for $59.98 and free shipping. 

How to make: This step is so easy. So the basic instructions are usually already written behind every acai smoothie puree pack. Below I will list exactly what I do (give or take):

Step 1: One acai packet (you can use the whole thing like I do or I have friends who have used half and felt their bowl tasted just as good), 1/2 teaspoon of honey (I add this on days I want some extra sweetness...but you can totally skip this step as the banana defiantly adds to the sweetness), and HALF a banana (a little less if you are using half the acai packet).

Step 2: Take any blender. Sometimes I use the Magic Bullet and sometimes the Oster blender (Thanks Kim! I still love it!!) If you want to make it blend well, drop in about one teaspoon (don't add too much or your bowl will become liquid-like) of any type of juice (pure Acia or orange?) or milk (any). Sometimes when my frozen puree is not SO frozen, I actually don't even have to add any form of liquid. 

Step 3: Once blended, getting the right texture can be a little tricky. You want the consistency  to be thick enough to be scoopable, but not so dense that it doesn't blend all the way. Haha...trust me, I learned that you definitely don't want frozen chunks of acai in your bowl. *Sometimes if my acai is not as thick as I wanted it or my toppings aren't all ready yet, I put my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes until I am ready. 

                                                                                     

Step 4: The FUN  part! Get ready to top your bowls with whatever your heart desires my friends :) The choices are endless. Some of which are my fav: Mango, banana, kiwi, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, dried cherries, dried goji berries, dried cranberries, dates and even dried banana adds the perfect crunch. Sometimes, I also like to top off with chia seeds, shredded coconut, mixed nuts, shredded almonds, hemp seeds, dark chocolate mini chocolate chips...and ok, I totally cheated recently and made my bowl totally NOT dairy-free by drizzling some Nutella on top. It was a tiny amount so that's okay right? HAHA. I couldn't help it...the Nutella bottle had been staring at me from my cabinet for a while now ;) My point is, you can dress your bowl however you like. Have fun with it! A friend told me that she likes almond butter on hers, which I imagine is pretty darn delicious too. 

   

                                                                                        

I hope you give the Acia Bowl a try if you haven't already! I am pretty certain that you won't regret it. If you do make some, please share what you blend or top your bowls with!! I am always up to try new concoctions. 

And one more thing, I have an upcoming post about Acai juice, so keep a look out for a future post on that SoOn! xoxx-

Fashion Friday: Street Style

 

it's fridayyyy! not only is it the weekend, but the countdown to spring break has begun! my weekend actually started on Wednesday since all my tests this week got pushed to next week, so i've been on a Grey's Anatomy Netflix binge for the past few days, haha. 

(sidetone: if you have never seen that show- you need to go start watching it. i've watched it since it first aired in 2006 & i am always down for a rerun because it's so good. Add Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder to a list of shows to watch as well since we're talking television).

So, my iPhone storage is almost full (#annoyed) and I was on a huge deleting spree this morning when I came across these photos my friend took when she got the iPhone 6+ back in October. I checked the blog and was surprised I had never blogged about street style before. 

Don't get me wrong, as much as I love a laid back look, I love dressing super girly. I also have a problem with wearing all black (more often than I should) but I added this denim chambray with flower detailing over it and paired it with two necklaces to glam it up a bit. To top the look off, I added my favorite pair of combat boots. The boots and the edgy necklaces give this look a feminine twist on the street style trend. This is easily my favorite go-to looks to wear whenever I'm rushed and yet want to look like I tried, but still be comfortable. (if you've seen all of my #FashionFriday posts, this is a trend for me, because dressing comfy is what it's all about lol). 

details: 

-the triple layer chained necklace: H&M (duh)

-leaf necklace: forever21

-flower detailed chambray: love culture

-black tee: banana republic 

-black jeans: american eagle

-combat boots: shoedazzle 

(shoedazzle insight: when you first sign up for membership, if you make a purchase within an allotted time you get 70% off your first pair; just remember to skip every month if you don't plan on purchasing or they will charge you a membership fee)

hope you guys have been loving the #fashionfriday series, comment below if you have any ideas/looks you would like to see next! have a great weekend, xo

Stop, Drop & Roll- New Benefit Mascara

Roller lash Vs. They're Real (above pic)

(Actual full size tube packaging vs. Sample size tube packaging)

Image source: Here & Here

Many of you probably already know about a fab cosmetic company: Benefit, aka the makers of the current no.1 selling mascara, they're real!  Recently, Benefits came out with a NEW mascara *drum roll*...the Roller Lash Mascara. This new baby is supposedly the current obsession for many curled lash loving ladies. I was able to get my hands on a sample tube so I knew I wanted to do a quick review for my readers. Below I will do a quick comparison between the original Benefits mascara they're real! & the new Roller Lash. 

They're real! mascara was my FAV when it first came out. I still use it here and there, but I did notice that overtime, I didn't use it as often. I started to use it mostly during "dramatic" makeup days instead of daily use. The formula of they're real! mascara is thicker, which results in more dramatic eyelashes...that I don't really need while teaching little kiddos at work..haha. Another major difference is the brush. They're real! brush is spikier. It features staggered bristles that grab close to the root, boosting length and volume. The formula is thicker and water-proof, making it impossible to come off...errr...even when removing makeup (not my fav part about this mascara). 

Roller Lash mascara is made with slightly thinner ink like formula. The brush was created with inspiration from the old-school Velcro hair rollers (remember those? haha). It has tiny hooks that catch and lift the lashes. This is supposed to give the lashes a curled effect. Also, FYI: This mascara isn't waterproof. 

Price-wise, they both retail at about $23 (or will starting February 27), which is quite a lot more expensive than drugstore mascaras, but I think they’re worth the money if you want a nice long tube of mascara in your makeup bag. 

My thoughts: I NEVER curl my eyelashes, this mascara made me wonder if I should start to :0. After testing the Roller Lash mascara on my eyelashes, I defiantly noticed a curl in my eyelashes! I never knew how nice the lashes look when curled. Another great thing was that my lashes didn't feel "stiff" like they do when I wear the they're real! mascara. Because the formula is so lightweight, it almost makes me feel like I don't have anything on my lashes but when I look in the mirror, my lashes look so fly ;) 

 Update:

So I have used this mascara for about a week now and I must say...I love it!!! I love the curl that it gives me BUT the best part is that it does not leave small black drops under my eyes throughout the day!!!! Seriously, every mascara I have used, always ends up leaving SOME drops of dried up black speck of mascara under my eyes throughout the day. This one? Nope! Win! 

What I loved about it was that it did not flake AT ALL throughout the day. It kept my eyelashes soft and not "spider like" or dry. I had drama on my lashes but just enough to make me look awake and give my eyelashes personality.  

I personally think that it is worth giving this mascara a try if you are curious how it'll make your lashes look. I probably wouldn't  (would now...after using it for a week!) pay full price for it.  Currently, I have a ton of mascaras from various companies, so I am not in major need of the full size for this new one. Once I run out of all those, & I need to repurchase...I think instead of getting the ever so popular They're Real!...I will actually purchase the new Roller Lash mascara. Simply because it allows me to wear daily, no black flaking under my eyes (YAY!), and it comes off pretty easy without pulling my eyelashes when I am removing my makeup. 

Benefits will be rolling out the new mascara on February 27 at all Sephora stores and online. 

  

Currently you can get a FREE sample of this mascara when you buy the MARCH issue of ELLE magazine. Here. Sephora was also giving this mascara sample for free with any $25 online purchase, but looks like that deal is over (although it may come back so keep a look out on the Sephora website. Here.)