Coconut Banana Chia Pudding

Chia puddings are one of my favorite things to eat in the mornings or just as a mid-day snack, plus they are super good for you as they have tons of calcium, omega-3, antioxidants as well as other essential nutrients. In theory, chia pudding can be made from any liquid and topped with what ever you have available in your kitchen, so feel free to substitute whatever need to in this recipe.

Coconut Banana Chia Pudding

2 tablespoons of black chia seeds
1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 banana
1/3 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
optional: dash of cinnamon and stevia

-stick the banana in a blender of your choice and blend until smooth.
-add almond milk to the blender, followed by the shredded coconut, cinnamon and stevia blend it all up.
-then add the chia seeds and give it a good stir until the seeds are well distributed.
-put the mixture in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour. I have found the best results when I've left it in the fridge overnight.

 Once it's set and ready, enjoy the goodness that awaits you!

Nails Inc New Whites Collection

I wanted to take this moment to say that I hate painting my nails. That's right, I hate painting my nails! I jut feel like it's such a chore to do and to keep up once they are painted. First you have to make your nails all nice and smooth, then make sure that the color doesn't get into your cuticles or in the spaces around your nails. Personally I think it's a lot of hard work for something that will only last a week or two at the most.

That was my viewpoint on nail polish until I came across the Nails Inc New Whites Collection. Everything about these are gorgeous! Everything, from the weighted packaging to the incredibly smooth and silky formulation makes this group of nail polishes the best that I've tried recently. The colors that I love the most are called, "White Horse Street" and "Swan Street".

White Horse Street: An off-white lilac

Swan Street: off-white, pale mint green

"White Horse Street" comes out looking off white with a hint of lilac to it, while "Swan Street" is the most gorgeous pale mint green I've ever come across in a nail polish. In other words, they are off white with a hint of color to them that makes them perfect for the summer months ahead. If you haven't tried them and you're looking for a few colors to amp up your summer nail look, I strongly urge you to go and give these a go.

Bioderma vs Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water

Everyone and their dog goes on and on about how great Bioderma is at taking off makeup, so I decided to give in to the hype and tried it sometime last Christmas. My lovely cousin, Anggra, got me the 250 ml size bottle as part of my Christmas present and I absolutely fell in love with it! It takes off makeup so easily, one swipe of a cotton pad and you're set!

I knew that it would be hard to get another bottle of this miracle worker back in the US so I went to a drugstore and bought a big 500 ml bottle to take home with me. Fast forward 4 months and I have a very small amount left of the big bottle. I've tried the Simple cleansing water and liked it but the bottle was just too small for me. 

Enter the Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water. I love the pump on this bottle and I love how great it makes my face feel after a few swipes of the cotton pad. The only thing that I don't like is how badly it stings if you use it to take off eye makeup! It seriously stings like nothing else! For taking off face makeup I would say that it's on the level of Bioderma; maybe a bit lower on the scale but comparable but for eyes, I would stick with a separate makeup remover like the Clarins one or the Simple eye makeup remover. Trust me your peepers will thank you. 

The bottom line is that Bioderma is still the reigning queen of the cleansing waters in my book but the Sephora one is a good alternative and a whole lot easier to get a hold of.

Bioderma Rating: 10/10
Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water Rating: 8.5/10 

What's In My Makeup Bag: Weekend Edition

I always find it interesting to see what people carry around in their bags because I feel like the contents of a person's bag tells you a lot about what that they are like as a person. Anyway, I thought I would do my own version of a 'What's In My Bag' post and turn it into a 'What's In My Makeup Bag' kind of piece. This is probably nothing new but I thought it would be kind of fun to show you what I've been packing to take with me on my weekends in Atlanta!

P.S. If you are interested in any of the products mentioned, just click on the price and it will take you directly to the product's website. 

• Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream 'Buttercream 03' ($29)
• Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer 'Medium Light Neutral' ($28) 
• Marc Jacobs Beauty Remedy Concealer Pen '2 Wake-Up Call' ($39)
• Tarte Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector 'Medium-Tan' ($24)
• Becca Beach Tint 'Guava' ($25) 
• Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil 'Dark Brunette' ($32) 
• Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Babydoll 'Black' ($30)
• Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum ($28.50) 
• By Terry Ombre Blackstar '6 Frozen Quartz' ($43.50) 
• Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks '09 Rose Epicurien' ($40)
• Dior Dior Addict Lip Maximizer High Volume Lip Plumper ($33)

What are some of your favorite things to take with you in a weekend makeup bag? Have a great day and I hope you enjoyed a peek into my makeup bag!

Favorite Food Moment: Week 1

 I wanted to try out this new series where I share my favorite food moment that I've had during the past week. This could be a favorite tea, a protein bar/food that I've tried and loved, or a dish that I've had at a restaurant. I think it could be a really interesting to try out for a bit. Let me know what you think about this concept in the comment section.


 Yogi Skin Detox Tea:

I first came across this tea while I was walking through the natural foods section of Kroger and saw that it was on sale. I had been wanting to try a tea that was specifically for skin but has never found one that wasn't intimidating so i thought why not. I am so glad that I tried this one! For one this stuff tastes AMAZING, plus once its reached it's full brewing time it turns the prettiest pink color ever! I have really noticed a difference in my skin since drinking it 3 times a day for the past week. It definitely gets an A+ from me!

 The Complete Cookie:

My friend Sara got me hooked on these things a couple of weeks ago when we were at Whole Foods walking through every aisle trying to find these things! The ones that I got are the chocolate chip kind and let me tell you something, they tastes just like a regular chocolate chip cookie except that they don't have any of that bad stuff in them that makes cookies unhealthy and they are completely vegan. If I know I'm going to be out most of day and won't be able to access a healthy snack, I'll pack one of these in my bag and after a whole cookie I'm full for a while. It's a good on the go snack filled with protein and fiber while being low in sugar and carbs.

Caramel Digestive Biscuits: 

 I got these a couple of weeks back when I was in a global food market and have fallen in love with these things. I have no idea why they are called digestives though. If anyone knows, can you let me know in the comment section please because it is really bothering me. Anyway, I typically eat one or two of these with my evening cup of tea after dinner. It's become my favorite part of the day because I have had to restrain myself from eating too many of these at once, so one or two in the evening seemed like a good compromise to me.

 What foods/drinks have you discovered a love for recently?  

YSL Babydoll Mascara

Usually I stay pretty loyal to mascaras, it's typically concealers that I tend to hoard loads of different bottles of.This past weekend while at the Sephora VIB private shopping event, ALOT of #feelingspendy moments happened! Of that, resulted a rather large array of beauty products,the one makeup product that I am especially excited for is the YSL Mascara Faux Cils Babydoll. Besides the gorgeous packaging, gold with red script writing <3. the product itself gives you the most luscious, long separated lashes ever! I think that this could possibly overtake Tarte's Gift Amazonian Clay smart mascara, in being my holy grail mascara! It's that good, seriously go to your local Sephora and give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed! 

P.S if this is a bit out of your price range, I suggest trying out Maybelline's Lash Sensational. It's just as good but at a fraction of the price. :) 

Top 10: Favorite Lip Products

As I was going through my makeup collection, I noticed that the biggest section of the collection was the lip product drawers. Yes, I said drawers, I know it's a bit excessive. I have come to the conclusion that I have a bit of an obsession with lip products of all kinds. After sorting them into color order, I decided that I would show you a few of my all time favorites. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the lipsticks, lip balms and lip glosses that have earned a spot in my book as all time favorites!