Review: The Body Shop

I have tried a good amount of products from The Body Shop and will be sharing my reviews and thoughts on them :)

1. Mango Body Butter

SCENT: This is by far the best smelling body moisturizer I have ever came across!! Its scent is not comprised of the typical mango scent that usually has sour and way-too-fruity notes. Instead, it has just the right amount of sweet, freshness, fruitiness, and mango-ness.

TEXTURE: Unlike the other body butters from The Body Shop, this one has a soft texture and is not as hard to massage onto the skin.

USAGE: It moisturizers my skin very well and does not leave a residue. Although it can be used all year round, I recommend this body butter especially for the fall and winter time.

RATING: 5 Stars :)

** I love this body butter so much that I purchased the jumbo sized one for myself and a regular sized one to give as a gift! **

2. Shea Body Butter 

SCENT: The shea scent is very light and does not smell artificial like other shea butter or shea infused moisturizers tend to do. It is quite comforting and relaxing to smell it!

TEXTURE: The consistency is on the thicker side. If you try to move it on the container, it will not budge! However, when you dip your fingers into the tub, you will find that the texture is actually pretty smooth and thin.

USAGE: It is a pretty heavy moisturizer and works great during the winter when my skin is relatively dry.

RATING: 4 Stars :)

3. Mango Whip Body Lotion

SCENT: I expected the scent to be exactly like the body butter but unfortunately, it wasn't. The scent was too fruity for me but I noticed that the scent does not linger on the skin so it worked out well.

TEXTURE: It has a liquid-like consistency and it is very easy to apply onto the skin.

USAGE: Best for spring and summer.

RATING: 3 Stars. I did not enjoy this lotion as much as the body butters.

4. Almond Hand & Nail Cream

SCENT: A sweet almond scent that smells like a slightly fragrant perfume. The smell isn't the best but it isn't horrible either!

TEXTURE: Almost all the hand creams that I have tried were thick and hard to rub in. But this one is light while still moisturizing without being overly greasy.

USAGE: Works at any time of day! It feels comfortable on my hands and is not greasy so I don't have to worry about the residue getting on my phone, clothes, etc.

RATING: 3.8 Stars 

5. Tea Tree Face Mask 

SCENT: It has a strong tea tree scent that at first bothered me, but after about 2 uses I got used to it. 

TEXTURE: Smooth and a little glossy. 

USAGE: I like to use it after I have taken a hot shower so that my face pores have opened up and the mask can work even better! I leave it on for about 10 minutes and wash it off to follow up with a moisturizer. I noticed that my face feels more fresh, clean, and brighter. 

RATING: 4.5 Stars :)

6. Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues

SCENT: None!

TEXTURE: Very thin sheets

USAGE: Blots very minimal amount of oil. The tea tree aspect does not do anything. 

RATING: 2 Stars

7. Tea Tree Oil

SCENT: Strong tea tree scent just like the mask. But the scent disappears after a few minutes

TEXTURE: The consistency is almost like water 

USAGE: After washing my face, I drop a few droplets onto my hand and use a finger to apply to my blemished spots. It takes a minute or so for it to dry. 

RATING: 4.8 Stars :)

The Body Shop has high quality products & I recommend them. I prefer this brand over Bath&Body Works!

Review: Vega One All-In-One Nutritional Shake

What is Vega One All-In-One Nutritional Shake? 

It is a plant based, 100% vegan, nutritional supplement in powder form made from natural whole ingredients. Made with no added sugar, artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners, it can be shaken into water, juice, smoothies, and other drinks. 

Available in a variety of flavors: Natural, Chocolate, French Vanilla, Vanilla Chai, and Berry. 

Vega One claims that a serving of this Nutritional Shake provides 50% daily intake of vitamins and minerals, 15 g of protein, 6 g of fiber, 1.5 g of Omega 3, antioxidants, probiotics, and greens. (from website)

In addition, they also claim that the "Complete Daily Essentials" found in this shake will "Help You Thrive" by providing energy to sustain an active life, support normal glucose metabolism, help support a healthy immune system, and much more. (from container)

For more in-depth information, visit their website

What made me interested?

My family eats a non-vegan diet most of the time so it is hard for me to intake my daily nutrition. I researched online and found that Vega One was a popular choice!

I went to my local health food store and found the Nutritional Shake in Berry. 

Unfortunately, I was let down by the unpalatable taste. The only way I was able to consume it was by putting it into a berry smoothie with peanut butter as an extra step to hide the flavor. I still wanted to try this shake so I opted to try another flavor.

Purchasing the Nutritional Shake in French Vanilla was a great choice! I fell in love with it the first time I tried it and I don't think I will ever buy another flavor because I like this one so much. 

The first time I tried the French Vanilla was with only soy milk.

The second time, I blended it with soy milk, a banana, and a dash of cinnamon. 

Both were very delicious!

Tips and notes:

1. Increase your daily intake of water for more hydration!

2. Start off with 1/4- 1/2 a scoop (the scoop is pretty large) for the first week or so.

3. Close the cap tightly so that no air gets inside

4. Store in a cool to room temperature environment

Would I recommend it?

Heck yes! Especially in the French Vanilla flavor. 

It is quite pricey at an average range of $36-40 for a 15 oz (10 serving) container. But I think it is well worth the investment! 
It is available in health food stores such as Whole Foods, Trader's Joes, and Fairway. You can also purchase them online at Vega One and Amazon. 

Have you tried Vega One, any other plant-based nutrition supplement, or vegan protein powder? If so, please leave a comment and/or mini review in the comments below!

A Look Back: My 18th Birthday

I cant believe I am 18 years old already! Time goes by so fast and it's still a bit hard to believe that I am legal. I remember being excited for my 16th birthday as if it was not too long ago. Wow. Time really does fly! 

Waking up on May 16th with many birthday wishes and extra long messages from my family, friends, and boyfriend made me feel so happy, thankful, and loved. As a matter of fact, I didn't expect that I would receive as many birthday wishes so early in the morning/late at night! I felt so much emotions at once that it was as if I left a palpable ambiance that contained all the thoughts and love that reflected the wishes and messages. 

Yes, it was not an ordinary day BUT what made it extra special were:

1. the end of AP Exams!!! (I took 5 this year so it was arduous. Still manageable, but arduous.)

2. the start of my life as a true senior 

3. the mark that indicates much freedom and free time to come

4. being able to finally hang out with my boyfriend and friends more

5. high school is coming to an end and graduation is just around the corner!

6. senior prom will be here before I know it (This reminds me... I still need to purchase and prepare a few things!)

The moment I walked out of the testing room from taking two AP tests, I felt the greatest rush of air pass by me. I have never in my life felt so relieved!! 

I met my boyfriend shortly after and celebrated my birthday with him. He got me a beautiful Almond colored Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac bag which I love!! We then went to a Mexican restaurant called On the Border Mexican Cafe where we had delicious salsa, chips, and fajitas. This restaurant was right by a mall so we stopped by after as well!

He definitely made my birthday really fun and memorable :)

I was supposed to meet up with my friends to celebrate my 18th birthday with them but unfortunately, due to last minute emergencies, this did not happen and I was pretty down about it. But a close friend still spent the day with me and I met up with another friend who was also having a "bad plan" day! It worked out perfectly because we both had no plans and did not see each other since New Years. 

We went to a local sushi restaurant and then stopped by a popular bakery near by to enjoy cupcakes! 

The following Sunday, my parents, aunt, uncle, sister and brother celebrated Mother's Day, my birthday, my uncle's birthday, and my sister's birthday! This may seem odd but it was because these events were all in one month and everyone's busy schedules didn't allow us to meet every weekend to celebrate each one individually. I was glad to see my uncle and aunt since it had been a while and we all had a great time. 

That Monday, me and my boyfriend went to a restaurant my friend worked at and she surprised me with this gluten free and vegan chocolate cake! She had missed my birthday and decided to surprise me. I was very pleasantly surprised! 

Overall, I had a great birthday experience! I spent much time with family, friends, and my boyfriend and received sweet birthday wishes. But one thing I wish I did was save the messages I read first in the morning to make a collage! You might think this is silly but I view it as a memory I can save. 

Afterall... take a picture and it will last longer right? :)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Baking is definitely not the simplest task but it always tends to get me in a relaxed mood. I have baked oatmeal cookies so often this week that it feels like it is a daily routine! I have never baked them before so it took a few tries and tweaking of the recipe. The vegan version was delicious but the non-vegan version was also good as well. My family actually requested them a few times so I baked them for four days straight and they were gone within 24 hours each time! Here is the recipe for the non-vegan version:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Makes 20 2-1/2 to 3 in cookies.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2. 2/3 cup turbinado (raw) sugar

3. 2 tsp vanilla extract

4. 1 egg

5. 2/3 cup all purpose flour or oat flour

6. 1- 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

7. 1 cup raisins, presoaked

8. 1/2 tsp baking soda

9. 1 tsp baking powder

10. 1/2 tsp cinnamon

11. 1/2 tsp sea salt

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350○F

2. Cream the butter and sugar with a stand mixer or by hand until fluffy.

3. Mix the egg and vanilla extract into the mixture.

4. Add in the dry ingredients and the raisins. 

5. Combine all the ingredients.

6. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place tablespoon sized scoops of batter about 2-3 in apart. 

7. Bake for 7-10 min depending on the heat setting of your oven. (or bake until golden brown)

8. Cool on baking sheets or a wire rack.

9. Enjoy :)

All mixed together.

Before baking. 

After baking.

With the perfect texture of crispy on the outside and soft & chewy on the inside, these cookies are not too sweet and are very tasty! If you try this recipe, tell me how it goes in the comments below ! :)

Delicious Tropical Salad Recipe

Instead of having my regular homemade salad, I opted to try something new today. It was sunny out even though the weather said it would rain and I had a few hours to spend before picking up Matthew, my baby brother, so I said why not?! I had all these ingredients on hand and combined them together. To my delight, they worked pretty well together and I had myself a very savory salad lunch! 

Delicious Semi-Tropical Salad Recipe

Creates one serving. 

Ingredients:

1 handful of spinach
1/2 avocado
1/3 cup cubed ripe mangoes
1/2 orange bell pepper
2-3 tbsp of Homemade Vinaigrette (will post a recipe sometime soon)

Steps:

1. Thoroughly wash the bell pepper and spinach, and rinse the mango and avocado

2. Chop the ingredients into cubes or pieces of your desired size

3. Assemble onto a dish

4. Drizzle the Homemade Vinaigrette on top.
5. Eat !!!

This is a super easy and quick meal that is also delicious. It takes only a few ingredients and half an hour max to wash, prep, chop, and assemble. If you try this recipe or have any other comments, please leave them below! :)