GFAF Expo Fab Five: Top GF Picks

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As you may already know, I had the privilege of being chosen as one of the Official Bloggers at the GFAF Expo in Chicago a few weeks ago.  You may have had a chance to read about my fun experience working the Red Apple Lipstick table with my friends Jay and Andrea Harper.

What I haven’t told you yet, was the amazing products I learned about while there, or the new rollout products from some of our family favorites.  So here goes….

The Fabulous Five:  My Top Five Picks of the Weekend

Outrageous Baked Goods

Hands-down, the BEST GF breakfast bread you’ve ever had in your entire life.  No, seriously.  And made by the sweetest peeps on the block too.  Pamela and her beautiful daughter, Grace, were across the aisle from us at the Expo.  When the day cam to a close and we could breathe a bit, we raided what was left of her samples.  Who could blame us with scrumptious flavors like: Chocolate Zucchini, Pumpkin, Orange Cranberry, Lemon Poppyseed and Cinnamon Streusel.  What’s the best part?!  It’s all gluten and dairy free!  Hallelujah!  (you know you sang that part)  Seriously, they took the show for me.  Visit their website www.outrageousbaking.com to place an order and see for yourself!  I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite flavor!!

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TrueBar

TrueBar is an extension company of the amazing Conneticut-based bakery, Bakery on Main.  These guys had a lively table!  They were passing out stickers that said “I’ve got nothing to hide” which referred to the clean ingredients contained within these delicious bars (“low glycemic index ingredients and 5% chia seeds for a good source of Omega 3 and is dairy and casein free, GFCO Certified Gluten Free, Kosher OU Parve and Non-GMO Project Verified“).  These GF nutrition bars are a great on-the-go snack, and the kiddos love it too!  Comes in these fab flavors:  Hazelnut Chocolate Cherry, Walnut Cappuccino, Coconut Cashew, Fruit & Nut, Raspberry Chocolate Almond and Apricot Almond Chai.  My favorite was the Raspberry Chocolate Almond and the Walnut Cappuccino.

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Enjoy Life Plentils

Enjoy Life is an excellent allergy-friendly company, and definitely a favorite of our family!  Of the many things I saw and tasted from my friends at Enjoy Life, I was excited to see and try these Plentils chips!  I LOVE lentils!  These Plentils chips were great as they are free of the top 8 common allergens (wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fish and shellfish), and had great flavors like:  Dill & Sour Cream, Garlic Parmesan, Margherita Pizza and Sea Salt.  My fav flavs were: Dill & Sour Cream, and the Margherita Pizza.

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Green’s GF Belgian Beer

I’m not a beer kinda girl (an occasional cocktail or hard cider does me just fine), but I know my husband enjoys a good beer–so I tried a few over the weekend with him in mind (How thoughtful! Tough job!….I know).  Green’s Beer intrigued me as it was very allergy friendly (“Green’s beers are made from gluten-free ingredients and DO NOT contain any of the following allergens or products thereof: Gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soybeans, Milk, Lactose, Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame seeds, Sulfur dioxide nor Sulfites“).

I tried the Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider first.  They make their cider from organically grown apples–and you can certainly tell!  It was nice and not hardly sweet at all, which was a nice change since most ciders are quite sweet.  Then, I tried the Green’s GF beers.  Made from ancient grains (and some common) using a Belgian brewing method—goodness was born.  They offer three styles:   Discovery Amber Ale, Dubbel Dark Ale, and Quest Trippel Blond Ale.  Of the three, my favorite was the Dubbel Dark Ale. My host was Australian (*swoon) and gave me a taste of each ale before asking my preference.  I certainly found my favorite and have found it here locally for my husband.  Yay!

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NOW Snackbar

These little yummy bars are great for stifling a sweet tooth craving!  Developed to curb cravings and sustain energy, these can do the trick, all while honoring allergies and food needs.  More about the NOW (meaning No Opportunity Wasted bars):

“For adventure TV personality Phil Keoghan, “energy” is something that you can never fall short on when you live every day of your life to the fullest. Actually, one may say that by looking at Phil’s globetrotting endeavors over these past twenty years that he’s somewhat an authority on “energy,” or the need for it.

Nutritionally speaking, a demanding schedule like Phil’s can also provide its share of pitfalls. That’s why Phil turned to the leading authority in Sport’s Nutrition Product Development, Shubox Inc. to develop what they are collectively considering The World’s Best Energy Bar – The NOW Energy Bar – an All-Natural, Great Tasting, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free Nutrition Bar.

“NOW stands for No Opportunity Wasted, my personal philosophy for living each day as if it were your last,” says Phil Keoghan. He adds, “I’ve been traveling around the world for more than 20 years, working in over 100 countries, and one of the biggest challenges I face is making sure I get the right nutrition. After searching the planet for the perfect bar, I found the answer in an all-natural great tasting bar made with MANUKA HONEY, a natural preservative found in my homeland New Zealand, with special medicinal properties and jam-packed with high-potency energy that will power any adventure.””

They came in two flavors: Strawberry and Manuka Honey.  My kids loved the Strawberry, while I preferred the Manuka Honey flavor.

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What are some of your Gluten Free Favorites?

Be Healthy.  Live Beautifully.

Met Gala 2013: Top Picks

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I so enjoy watching Red Carpet events and seeing the fun fashion, hair and makeup choices.  I love witnessing the self-expression of each attendee….its inspiring creatively, and Met Gala 2013 was no exception.

Met Gala is an annual event scheduled to celebrate the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Exhibit.  This year’s theme was “Punk: Chaos to Couture”, and what an excellent and expressive turnout!

I, for one, get super excited when a theme is so unexpected and outside the box!  This really allows attendees to show up and show out–personal flare receives less restriction at this type of fete.

Here are my favorite looks of the evening:

Kristen Steward-Best Makeup

I love Kristen’s burgundy eye here.  It creates a mist green appearance to her lovely eyes, and completes her look perfectly.  Beautiful!

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Anne Hathaway-Best Hair

I love that Anne is embracing her Les Miserables-induced pixie cut.  She rocks this look completely, and I’m loving the new platinum color! Stunning!

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Emily Blunt-Conversation Piece

I find Emily to be completely adorable!  I loved that she chose to rock the fuscia eye shadow, and think it pairs magnificently with her chic black dress.  PS to her hairstylist: I need a tutorial on her braided fauxhawk-stat!

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Emmy Rossum-Best Overall

Emmy is always stunning to me.  I can’t recall an event I’ve seen her at and didn’t think she looked breathtaking!  Some mentioned that they didn’t feel her look was “punky enough”.  I disagree.  I love the contrast of her hard-edged makeup, hair and accessories, with the femininity of her lace gown and matching lace-studded nails.  Breathtaking!

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Who rocked your favorite punk looks of the night?  Would you want to learn how to replicate any of these looks?  Let me know what you think!

Be Healthy.  Live Beautifully.

Chicago GFAF Expo Recap

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Last week totally kicked my butt.  Ever have one of those weeks?  You load your To-Do List on your handy Evernote app, give yourself a pep talk, and still get railroaded by all the extracurricular activities that turn up suddenly.  That was my week.  The great thing about a busy week, is it gives me more to share with you!  With two additional photoshoots and a wedding last week, there will be lots to come lovelies!

I was honored to attend the GFAF Expo in Chicago April 19-21, and to be featured as one of the GFAF Expo’s Official Bloggers!  It was really neat  to get to go around and speak to all the vendors, try new items yet to hit shelves, and of course to meet new friends at all the mixers and dining events.

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I also was privileged to travel with my lovely friends at Red Apple Lipstick.  If you haven’t read any of my posts about them–they are some cool peeps!  They make gluten free, paraben free, crutely free cosmetics like lipstick, lipgloss, lip pencils and eyeshadows.  I have recently been enlisted as their Resident Makeup Artist, where I will assist them at more shows like this, help create new colors, and curate collections.  It’s a Green Beauty Maven’s dream!

Needless to say, I did have my work cut out for me!  The GFAF Expo was my first, and since I had responsibilities both as a blogger and as a makeup artist–I was determined to stay on my toes!  I made my vendor rounds as early as possible Saturday morning, and even received visits from some of my favorite people:

Kyra Bussanich from Crave Bakeshop (Cupcake Wars Champion)

CraveBakeShop PrettyLilCeliac

Rebecca Black from www.prettylittleceliac.com

Working the table with my friends at Red Apple Lipstick was reminiscent of my MAC Cosmetics days during prom season!  It was super busy…like a fan table at a One Direction concert!  We were mobbed (four-five rows of people deep at our table) like the stage-front fans at a Taylor Swift concert.  I’m not dramatic or prone to exaggeration…usually.  No really, it was that crazy.

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Jay and Andrea Harper from Red Apple Lipstick

But we had a blast!  It was so much fun to see women get excited about being able to wear makeup again, makeup that is safe for them to use!  Yes, some people have allergies that prevent them from even coming in contact with makeup.  It was a huge eye opener for me to have so many conversations, over the course of only three days, about the toxicity of cosmetics.  Most of the people we spoke to had no idea that gluten was is cosmetics!  Truth is, unless its certified otherwise, most cosmetics contain gluten, animal by-products, toxins, preservatives, cancer-causing parabens and other junk we shouldn’t even be near, let alone allow it to absorb into our skin.  It was fun to be able to educate these beautiful ladies on how to make wiser choices with their beauty products.  Look at this Green Beauty Mini we met:

MiniRedAppleGirl

Have you begun to learn more about what is in your beauty products?  What was your most disturbing discovery or toughest hurdle?

This is why I do what I do!  It has been almost a seven year journey for us to educate ourselves on, and choose healthy products.  I love that I have been able to carry that over into my professional realm as well and help educate others on the importance of healthy choices in all areas: food, beauty, spiritually and lifestyle.  I love what I do!

Over the course of this week, I will share highlights from the GFAF Expo, great companies I was able to try, and new ones I learned about, and my top five picks of the GFAF Expo overall.  Stay tuned lovelies!  I can’t wait to share all that I learned with you!

Be Healthy.  Live Beautifully.

Product Review: Juice Beauty

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Hello lovelies!!  Happy Monday!

So, have you heard all the beauty buzz about BB and CC Creams?  What’s your take?  Have you tried one you love?

Some might even be a bit confused…”What’s the difference between a BB or a CC Cream?”  BB Cream stands for Beauty Balm and acts much like a primer+tinted moisturizer combined.  It gives light coverage and even application.  CC Cream stands for Color Corrector and acts like a light foundation+primer+concealer+beauty serum etc.  It gives coverage, evens skin tone and improves skin texture (to name a few).

I have been researching the whole beauty buzz surrounding BB Creams, and the emerging CC Creams for a good while now.  I finally feel like I have found one I am truly happy with!  Read on to see what I’m using…

 

 

I have been using a few Juice Beauty products for the past 2 (almost 3) weeks now, and I gotta tell you…I’m loving what I have!

Let me share with you what I have been using:

 

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Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream in “Natural Glow”

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I had grabbed a sample from my local Ulta store about a month ago, and liked it so much, I decided to order it.  I love the way this CC Cream makes my skin loon and feel.  It goes on smoothly, blends in perfectly, doesn’t settle, and wears all day.  This stuff lives up to the 12-in-1 hype for sure–you gotta try this!  My skin looks even-toned, smooth and glowing.

Juice Beauty Refining Finishing Powder in “Ivory”

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I have been in the market for some beauty powder that gives me a bit of color, but doesn’t look heavy, settle, or dry out throughout the day.  This facial powder is phenomenal!  Paired with my new CC Cream (or favorite concealer), this powder completes the look of my makeup, and leaves me with a flawless airbrushed appearance.  I love this powder!  If it were available in more colors, I would be able to use is more widely professionally as well.

Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Irresistible Glow Facial Highlighter

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I love beauty balms/stains.  They are versatile, long-lasting and look great on everyone.  This is no exception.  This Facial Highlighter can be used in place of a blush for a natural, dewey glow; or it can be used to highlight high points on the skin when paired with a blush.  It appears like a pixie pink in the tube, but when I put it on…it looked more peachy pink–my favorite!

 Juice Beauty Reflection Gloss in “Champagne”

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I chose this color since it appeared nude in the swatch as shown online.  I like to have nude glosses on hand for both solo and layered wear.  I must say, I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the tube–it looked super sparkly (I’m not 14, I don’t do sparkles).  However, once I put it on my lips alone, it looked like pure honey–so pretty!  I even layered it with my favorite lipstick, and loved it that way as well!

 

I just love discovering products that I love, and that I can share with you lovelies!  I definitely recommend you try Juice Beauty–you can even start with the items you heard about here!

Let me know what your favorite Juice Beauty product is, I would love to hear from you!

Be Healthy.  Live Beautifully.

 

 

GFAF Expo-Chicago

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GFAF Expo Blogger Badge

Im official!  Yours truly is one of the honorary bloggers for the 2013 Gluten & Allergy Free Expo in Chicago!  Eek!

I’m SO excited!  This will be my first time EVER to Chicago.  My good friend Helen Marcie Photography lives there, and I have heard endless stories about the food.  ”What’s the GFAF Expo?” you ask?  Never fear, I shall tell you lovely!

Hosted bu Udi’s and Glutino (a few of this girl’s favorite brands!), the GFAF Expo is a sort-of convention where all the gluten free goodness comes together under one room, and educates the masses.  Sound like a party?! Oh, you bet!

What you can expect:

*  Over 120 vendors sampling and selling their gluten free/allergy-free products

*  Classes like: Gluten Free 101, Cooking, Baking, Traveling and Saving Money–all allergy free!

*  A downloadable E-cookbook of recipes from the expo.

*  Lots of fun, cool people who have living allergy-free down pat!

GFAF Expo will also be visiting Secaucus in September and Dallas in October.

None of those towns near you?  No Worries!  You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the cool things going on from now till then, and of course, up-to-the-minute coverage of the expo April 20-21, 2013.

Be Healthy.  Live Beautifully.

A Bloody Mess: Vampire Facial

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If you have watched the news, followed any Twitter buzz, or happen to be a reality tv addict, chances are you have heard rumor of this new “hot” beauty treatment.

Affectionately called “Vampire Facial”, this treatement claims to leave its victim recipient looking younger.  Kim Kardashian was among the celebrities to try this treatment, and posted this pic on Twitter

VampireFacial_imageCall me crazy, but that does not look youthful…or comfortable for that matter.

The Vampire Facelift – trademarked by Alabama doctor Charles Runels draws blood from the patient’s arm with a needle and separates the platelets into a  platelet-rich plasma (PRP) using a centrifuge.

VF_inject

The plasma is then combined with Restalyne or Juvederm, and then injected  into the face to stimulate collagen production which will create new skin cells and remove fine lines and acne scars. Dr. Charles Runels claims that he performs this gruesome facial at least 4-5x weekly.  The 45-minute Facelift is expected to be such a hit  in Hollywood that a gift certificate for the painful procedure was included in the 2013 Academy Awards swag bag.

Dr. Amiya Prasad was the plastic surgeon who performed this procedure on Kim Kardashian as seen on her reality tv show, Kourtney & Kim Take Miami.  She didn’t take it quietly saying, “Ow, this hurts so bad!”.  A valid reaction since the Dermapen has nine tiny motorized needles that puncture the skin prior to injecting the platelet-rich plasma cocktail.

VF_ouchDr Prasad claims that most women in his practice are willing to pay the steep $1500/45 min price and endure the discomfort or this aggressive procedure.  ”It is justified because skin quality improves quite nicely”.  He states that most of his patients see results in only a few days, results that can last up to six months.

The Vampire Facial as we saw, leaves you looking like you survived a scene from NCIS and can last a few days.  You may want to wait for that hot date, or visiting your sister and her kids for a few days.  However, “It is remarkable how good people can look a couple of days later.” claims Prasad

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If you watched the Kardashian episode on E! or even seen these photos, you can see it was quite the bloodbath.  Some industry professionals, like Dr Jack Berdy, Director of SmoothMed a walk-in Botox clinic that offers the Vampire Facial as well, claim the procedure was played up for the cameras.  ”It’s completely absurd,”. He uses less-invasive injections than the Dermapen we saw used on Kim Kardashian.  ”You inject it like you would any other filler,” he says.  ”You can do it on your lunch break.”

That sounds like a much more appealing alternative. Dr Berdy instead injects the platlet-rich plasma (more yellow in color) directly into the skin much like a Botox or Restalyne procedure.  ”No needle is fun,” he says “but most people are able to do this without anesthesia.  They wouldn’t scream in pain like that.”  He adds, “It can be done very, very gently, and I won’t let what happen to Kim Kardashian happen to you.”

Would YOU have a Vampire Facial?  Which method would you use?  Do you think the results are worth it?

Be Healthy.  Live Beautifully.

Body Peace Treaty Seventeen Magazine

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Body image is a fierce beast.  It takes a great deal to tame the thoughts within, to choose not to listen to the negative self-talk and to believe that we are worth it, that we are beautiful, that we are capable, that we are loved.

It begins with us.  Deep within the recesses of our own heart, mind and soul, is the essence of a woman who IS worth it, who is beautiful (beyond what we can see), who is capable and who is loved.  We have to learn to love ourselves for all that we are first, to realize that our wellness depends on our capability to take care of ourselves.  Only then can we pour out all that positive energy onto those around us.

BPP

For those who havent heard, Seventeen Magazine has paired up with The Biggest Loser contestant, Sunny to help promote a campaign they call “The Body Peace Treaty“.  Let me break it down just a bit.  This is a movement of young girls and women of all ages, to make peace with their bodies.  To not beat themselves up over unattainable “diet” goals, to take a stand against the overly-Photoshopped images we are bombarded with in the media.  It is letting those in the print and media industry see that we are interested in seeing healthy people, regardless of size.  We want real role models, people we can truly look up to–not an illusion of what they seem to be.

BodyPeace

Body Peace Treaty

The Body Peace Treaty is just that.  A treaty that we can all sign, embracing the truth that we can be and are at peace with our bodies.

A promise not to abuse our bodies to achieve a temporary result.

A promise not to mentally wear ourselves out over a bad day.

A promise to take good care of ourselves–whatever that may mean to us individually.

A promise to make wise choices in health and in life.

Are you at peace with yourself today?  If not, join thousands of others who have decided to make things different starting today.

Make peace with yourself and with your health.

Be Healthy.  Live Beautifully.