Earthly Body has been my go-to when I’m in the mood [...]]]> With V-Day looming in the air, I thought I’d share some of my fave sexy-time indulgences. Now, just to be clear, I’m not referring to sex toys or lube, lolz. I’m referring to beauty products that make me feel like an über fem sex goddess.

Earthly Body has been my go-to when I’m in the mood to set the mood. They have an incredible line of hemp and soy-based pampering goodies that are all 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

My faves:

3-in-1 Suntouched Massage Oil Candles, $15.99 each: Scents that I go gaga over include Dreamsicle (orange-vanilla) and Skinny Dip (soft, fruity, sweet, vanilla-y)—both available in heart-shaped tins, too. ♥ If you’ve never used a massage candle before, you’re in for a treat. A little goes a long way, and your skin is gonna LOVE you! All you need to do is burn the candle until it starts to become liquidy. Then allow the oil to melt on the ridge of the tin, spoon a little bit out, and apply it to your skin. Prepare yourself for a sweet-smelling moisture-rich treat. I highly recommend using this on your sugar booger for a deluxe love-ya massage.

 

Dare to Be Bare Shaving Kit, $20: Tired of shaving bumps and waxing irritation? Um, YEAH! Not sexy. This must-have duo contains Shave Cream which softens hair and conditions skin (protecting from rashes and bumps) and Miracle Oil which soothes the bikini line (preventing redness and itchiness). Btw, this set is available in both Unisex and Skinny Dip scents (←pretty, girlie one). I swear, once you start rockin’ this all-natural shaving routine, you’re never gonna wanna go back!

Smooth, sexy legs? Check.
Soft, supple skin? Check.
Candles and music? (←hook it up… No Kenny G!) Check.
Hot stud muffin of a hubs? Check.

See you bitches later!

Are y’all ready for some proper holiday pampering and TLC? Me too!

VBR has teamed up with derma e, one of my all-time favorite vegan skincare companies, for a special holiday gift basket giveaway! Yahooooooooey!

Get excited ’cause the derma e beauty products in this deluxe gift basket are sick! Seriously, I’m totally jels that I can’t enter [...]]]>

Are y’all ready for some proper holiday pampering and TLC? Me too!

VBR has teamed up with derma e, one of my all-time favorite vegan skincare companies, for a special holiday gift basket giveaway! Yahooooooooey!

Get excited ’cause the derma e beauty products in this deluxe gift basket are sick! Seriously, I’m totally jels that I can’t enter to win myself.

The pamperin’ goodies up for grabs ($84.40 value):

• Fruit Enzyme Facial Scrub
• Cleansing Enzyme Mask
• Intensive Therapy Foot Crème
• Lavender Hand & Body Moisture Therapy
• Peptides Plus® Wrinkle Reverse Eye Crème

To enter to win this holiday gift basket from derma e, simply “like” derma e on Facebook, and comment below with your favorite way to pamper yourself during the holiday season. All entrants must be residents of the US to enter to win. The winner will be chosen at random and notified on Friday, Dec. 9th, 2011! Good luck! xx

My faves:

No Drought Dry Shampoo, $12.95: The older [...]]]> All right, Lushies, get ready to swoon over the latest and greatest vegan LUSH goodies. Yahooooooey! Since ChristmaHanukkahHanzFranz&Kwanzaaka is just a hop, skip, jump and booty slap away, there’s no time like the present to hook yourself up with some supa-fab beautifyin’ gifts to make you look über hawt!

My faves:

 

No Drought Dry Shampoo, $12.95: The older I get, the more I realize I can can get away without washing my hair for longer periods of time (shhhh, that’s privileged information). Sers, between waking up at the butt-crack of dawn for work, sleepy nap times, slavin’ away at the gym, and straight up laze-itude, washing my hair is often not a priority (unless it’s crazy stank-nasty and so greasy you could fry tofu on it).  Enter my beloved dry shampoo. I have been waiting eons and a satchel of dried flower petals for LUSH to come out with a dry shampoo, and they finally have! The key ingredients in No Drought—corn flour and talc—absorb excess oil and leave hair soft and clean-lookin’. The zesty fruity scent of lemon, grapefruit and lime leaves hair smelling to die for, too. LOVE.

Latte Lip Tint, $6.95: I’m a lip tint-y kind of chick. I’m all about subtle, soft (and tasty) lip color, so I can go all crazy wild with my eyes (without lookin’ like a clown). This Latte shade has a soft golden (slightly sparkly) coffee hue, and it smells like powdered coffee, sugar icing and vanilla. YUM—try not to eat it! It’s also packed with jojoba and Japan wax for mega moisture for super soft smoochable smackers! xx

Lustre Dusting Powder, $14.95: Being a former glitter addict, I now reach for pretty-smelling shimmery fairy dust aka body powder when I wanna be a sparkling princess. Lustre provides a subtle, golden bronzed glow with all the jasmine-y sexiness of LUSH’s Lust perfume (one of my fave scents, for realio). Get your shimmer on and smell and look like the sex goddess that you are!

Which LUSH goodies are on your holiday wish list?

I’ve yet to try their soaps but I can only imagine they are heavenly divoon x12 + 15!

All of their soaps are completely natural and vegan, and are packed full of nourishing shea butter, [...]]]> In case you haven’t already noticed, I’m a huge fan of The Soap and Paper Factory, especially their sexy-ass candles!

I’ve yet to try their soaps but I can only imagine they are heavenly divoon x12 + 15!

All of their soaps are completely natural and vegan, and are packed full of nourishing shea butter, which makes your skin buttery smooth and mega kissable! xx

The Soap and Paper Factory encourages people to “Never Shower Alone!” ← I’d just like to chime in by saying that I wholeheartedly agree. It’s not only more fun that way but it helps save water, too (be a superhero for the planet by having a shower party for two—or more if you cray-cray)!

 

To enter to win 2 exquisite bars of soap (of your choice) from The Soap and Paper Factory, simply “like” The Soap and Paper Factory on Facebook, and comment below with the two soap scents you’d like to try—all 7 divine soaps can be viewed here (the two pictured above would be my picks). A winner will be chosen at random and notified on Friday, Oct. 28th, 2011! Good luck! xx

Calling all soapaholics! If you love pampering yourself with the most deluxe, heavenly, beautiful-smelling, all-natural soap—get ready to freak out!

In case y’all haven’t been clued into my obsession with Strawberry Hedgehog, checkity check check it (here: ♥, ♥ & ♥)!

Btw, I recently got to sample some of Tracy’s top-selling magical soap creations: Sweet Orange-Clove, Lavender-Vanilla, Sparkling Sapphire and Peridot [...]]]>

Calling all soapaholics! If you love pampering yourself with the most deluxe, heavenly, beautiful-smelling, all-natural soap—get ready to freak out!

In case y’all haven’t been clued into my obsession with Strawberry Hedgehog, checkity check check it (here: ♥, ♥ & ♥)!

Btw, I recently got to sample some of Tracy’s top-selling magical soap creations: Sweet Orange-Clove, Lavender-Vanilla, Sparkling Sapphire and Peridot Perfection—oh-em-gee! Not only are they insanely pretty-smelling, but they are beyond gorg! I just wanna sniff ‘em and stare at ‘em all day (and of course bathe with ‘em too) … Y’all are in for a treat!

Tracy, the mastermind and soap makin’ diva behind Strawberry Hedgehog is giving away a 3-month Platinum Soap Club Membership!!! If you win, you’ll receive three bars of fresh soap (a birthstone soap and two seasonal ones) the first week of the month for three months! This is an $87 value. The club itself is structured as a major discount, so it works out to $72.60 for 3-month Platinum Members (that’s 20% off retail). ←i.e. If you don’t win this contest, you should sign up for this soap club anyway (too good of a deal)!

To enter to win this 3-month Platinum Soap Club Membership, simply “like” Strawberry Hedgehog on Facebook, and comment below with your favorite Strawberry Hedgehog soap (if you’re new to this uh-mah-zing soap company, head on over to the website and pick a soap that you’re dying to try). A winner will be chosen at random and notified on Friday, Sept. 30th, 2011! Good luck! xx

If you’re tired of having oily, acne-prone skin, instead of heading straight to the evil toxic shit at drugstores (i.e. brands like Clearasil and Neutrogena), opt for a more natural cure for zit-zappin’. ←Eeks, I did it again! *cringe*

That’s where Nelsons Pure & [...]]]> Eeks, I’m SO sorry to whip out the ‘Z’ word. ← least favorite word EVER.

If you’re tired of having oily, acne-prone skin, instead of heading straight to the evil toxic shit at drugstores (i.e. brands like Clearasil and Neutrogena), opt for a more natural cure for zit-zappin’. ←Eeks, I did it again! *cringe*

That’s where Nelsons Pure & Clear comes in. This brand utilizes a unique blend of homeopathic ingredients, essential oils, and plant extracts to keep those nasty blemishes at bay. ←Much better [than the 'Z' word]! Whereas most conventional OTC blemish creams contain Benzoyl peroxide (which causes extreme dryness… like crustatiousness to the max), the key ingredients in this natural alternative include tea tree oil, sulfur (don’t worry, it doesn’t smell sulfur-y at all), and arnica (helps reduce redness and swelling).

What’s nice about Pure & Clear is that they have a 4-step system which makes clear skin mega easy to achieve.

• Step 1: Purifying Cleansing Wash
• Step 2: Balancing Toner
• Step 3: Nourishing Moisturizer
• Step 4: Acne Treatment Gel

Although, I don’t have acne-prone skin (don’t hate, I totally get hormonal flare-ups), I did notice these formulas were very gentle and effective. This line of skincare definitely gets VBR’s thumbs up!

HerbZone, an all-natural vegan line of bath and body products, has been my BFF these past [...]]]> My fave at-home spa treatments—hands down—are face masks and bath treats. ←In fact, I like to combine these! There’s just something about rockin’ a deep-cleansing clay mask while taking a relaxing, bubbly, fizzy, aromatherapeutic bath that totally blisses me out.

HerbZone, an all-natural vegan line of bath and body products, has been my BFF these past couple months for deluxe pamper sessions.

The goods:

Carrot Seed & Neroli Facial Beauty Mask, $26.95: Key ingredients like Carrot Seed Essential Oil, Neroli Essential Oil, Orange Essential Oil, Kaolin clay, Montmorillonite Clay, Green Tea Extract, and Aloe Extract, make this mask great for oily and acne-prone skin. You can actually feel it soak up excess oil, grime and ickies, leaving your skin super smooth and impeccably clean. Btw, this mask is so much easier to rinse off than other masks that I’ve tried—LOVE it!

Ginger & Chamomile Bubbling Bath Melt, $5.95: Not only does this bubbly bath melt smell heavenly (c’mon, ginger and chamomile—fugetaboutit!), but it’s super moisturizing and antioxidant-rich with all-stars like Shea Butter, Kaolin Clay, Essential Oils Of Ginger, Blue Chamomile, Star Anise & Vetiver, Organic Crushed Chamomile, Amaranth, and Oatmeal.

Orange & Spearmint Epsom Salt Mineral Soak, $14.95: Oh, how a dig a delish-smelling epsom salt soak after a long day or hardcore workout. I have to admit, the combo of orange, mint and cocoa drives me a li’l nuts (in a seriously awesome way)! This revitalizing blend will help you detox and relax like no other. I also love how it’s chunky and has little bits of flowers and cocoa swimmin’ around—feels very spa-esque and luxurious. Btw, you can also use this as a hand or body scrub to remove dull, dry skin. ←Yes, and please! ♥

Wanna get your hands on some HerbZone goodies at a ridiculously good price? Head on over to VeganCuts.com NOW for 55% off ($29 for $69 worth of uh-mazing spa products)! Hurry-hurry!

Although the summer is winding down, the sun is still out in full force. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been [...]]]> The following is a guest post by Christy Hall. She’s not only vegan, compassionate and stylish, but she knows a thing or two about cruelty-free skincare! Feel free to add her on Facebook!

Although the summer is winding down, the sun is still out in full force. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been a busy little beaver doing outreach, petitioning at Warped, and walking around the (surprisingly) hot streets of DC in a frantic state trying to figure out where the hell I am! :O

I know this next statement may be hard to believe, but you best believe it; this girl HATES the sun. Ok ok, I know we need the sun for photosynthesis, vitamin D, and all that mess, but does it really have to be so damn hot and do horrible things to my fragile fair skin?! >:(

I like to keep my skin fair and my tattoos vibrant. This is impossible with overexposure to the sun.

So here’s what I do:

I lather up with sunscreen any chance I get. When I’m in the sun for a long amount of time I will apply sunscreen like every 15-20 minutes. No shit. Here is one of my fave cruelty-free sunscreens that is easily accessible.

I like this one from Alba Botanica because it claims to be “sport” sunscreen. When I’m out walking around struttin’ my stuff I tend to get a little sweaty. So I don’t want to sweat my sunscreen off as soon as I apply it. I feel like that defeats the purpose. This stuff stays on through the blood, sweat, and tears, of a new DC resident running around like a… you know. ;D

Trader Joe’s also carries an amazing sunscreen with an SPF of 50. It comes in a very convenient spray bottle and it is very affordable. However, I will admit it smells a little weird. >:/

When I come home from being out in the sun all day I like to apply some sort of Aloe Vera gel and Vitamin E oil. Again, I am all about the Trader Joe’s brands. They are affordable and they work really well!

Aloe Vera works to calm the overexposed skin and relieve any burning that may have happened.

Vitamin E oil has been proven to reverse the affects and damage caused by sun exposure and can even prevent and diminish the appearance of wrinkles. Gotta start on some early wrinkle prevention folks if we wanna stay young and hot fah ev-ah!

Also wear big cruelty-free sunglasses and hats any chance you get and don’t stay in the sun longer than you have to.

So go ahead and get up off your tush and do some activism, go for a run, or hell at least walk your ass to the vegan bakery instead of driving! :3 Just remember sunscreen and Vitamin E oil and you should be good to go!

Stay sexy, bitches!

So, it’s [...]]]> I’ve got mad, mega, mucho ♥ for the U.K. I just got back from a one week vacay there with my boo, and I was seriously blown away by the culture, the old-ass buildings and architecture, the lush greenery, and of course, the vegan food (omgomg, deliciousness times 12!). ←Will post grub pics soon!

So, it’s kind of no surprise that the U.K. has some kick-ass skincare products, too! Btw, did you know that the U.K. has banned all animal testing for cosmetics (and household cleaning products are soon to follow)?

Anywho, I wanted to tell you all a bit about MuLondon, a super fab skincare company based in London. I’ve become smitten with their organic, vegan face creams—among my faves fo’ sho!

These aren’t ordinary moisturisers—they’re über rich, super concentrated (a little goes a long way), and they are as pure as can be. Here are my faves:

Organic Rose, Rosehip & Rosemary Face Moisturizer, £19 (~$27): This fancy trio of rosiness, along with badass ingredients like shea butter, coconut butter and golden jojoba, will quench your skin with all the nourishment and hydration it could ever possibly need (plus it smells heavenly divoon). You can use this on your face, your hands, all over your body… I bet this would work wonders on preggo bellies (re: stretch marks)—just throwing that out there for any mommies-to-be.

What I especially love about MuLondon is that they don’t add any water to their products at any stage. What you get is pure, undiluted herbal power. Hells yeah! I wish all skincare companies would rock it like that!

Organic White Chocolate Truffle Face Moisturizer, £13 (~$18.50): White. Chocolate. Truffle. End of story. Slap that shit on my face, and call it a day! This yummy smelling face treat contains organic shea butter, jojoba oil, and extracts of cocoa and pure bourbon vanilla. I don’t know if y’all have picked up on this, but I’m a HUGE fan of chocolately goodness on (and in) my face! Both of these creams have the potential to combat signs of aging. I alternate between the two of these every night, and I’ve noticed my skin looking happier and more glowy. I’m such a fan! xx