See You In August!

I'm taking a short break from blogging.

You can read more here.


In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy some of the many reviews in the archives.

Thanks for your continued support and comments, all appreciated.

See you soon....G :<)

Just Pure Minerals Vegan Lipstick

I have finally hit gold when it comes to finding a really great lipstick that is made from natural ingredients and is vegan too! Just Pure Minerals  sells the best of the best, in my opinion when it comes to a natural and vegan lipstick that actually "walks the talk".

I've checked out dozens of products/websites over the past couple of years and tried several so-called "natural" lipsticks. For one reason or another, none of these brands met my expectations.

Sometimes the textures were not actually what I would consider a lipstick, more like colored lip gloss. And speaking of colors, there are some really strange ones out there (whatever floats your boat I guess) all the way from the darkest brown to an almost colorless pink. I don't want to look like I've got chocolate icing on my lips or that I'm not breathing any more, thanks all the same! I thought lipsticks were meant to make you look better LOL.

 And last but certainly not least, the ingredients. For example, I guess you could call carmine (click this link for more information) a natural ingredient if you want to stretch that definition a bit but do you really want to have a dye made from dried up dead bugs smeared on your lips??? I don't.

Read the fine print, that is if you can find it. Remember, if they don't want to share the ingredient lists up front with the products, there is usually a very good reason why. Even some of the very popular "natural" lipsticks out there in the mainstream marketplace use a lot of questionable ingredients including carmine that I just don't think belong in a product that is called natural.

From the Pure Minerals website at Etsy:

"Our Cerise lipstick is a smooth, vibrant shade of raspberry. Our lipsticks are handcrafted in small batches and with all natural ingredients! The cleanest, safest, prettiest lipstick for those who love lipstick. A simple healthy formula of vegetable waxes, oils, and mineral pigments that go on creamy and last. Just Pure minerals lipsticks moisturize your lips just like a lip balm. No synthetic dyes or fragrances, no animal by-products, parabens, or other nasties you don't need or want on your lips all day! Just Pure Minerals. Purely beautiful, Beautifully pure. "

I have tried several of the shades of Just Pure Minerals lipstick and the Cerise (as described above) one of the newer shades offered there is my absolute favorite. A lovely, medium raspberry shade. Not over the top but with some ooomph to it at the same time. A beautiful soft texture too but one that still stays on the lips. A pleasant light fragrance. And best of all, ingredients that you don't make you cringe when you read them.

Did you know that over a lifetime, most women ingest POUNDS of lipstick? I think back to some of the junk I've consumed in that respect over the years and that is something that makes me cringe!

The price for Just Pure Minerals lipsticks are very reasonable too. A full size lipstick is only $9.00. Compare that to others on the market that can go as high as $35-40 a tube. This is a real bargain!

Just Pure Minerals also sells a  wide variety of mineral foundations, concealers,blushes, lip gloss...and the customer service is excellent. Very personalised assistance in my experience. Above and beyond to insure that customers are truly pleased with their purchases. Definitely worth a visit. And if you've also been searching for that elusive natural lipstick that you will want to purchase again and again, maybe your search is finally over. I know mine is!

 

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

Turtle Island Tofurky Jurky

I previously reviewed Tofurky Beer Brats Vegan Sausages, here at My Real Life Reviews a few weeks ago, you can read the complete review here.

I recently found out about another Turtle Island product Tofurky Jurky (yes that is the correct spelling) and I was again impressed by the quality of their products.

I should mention first of all that I am not normally a fan of jerky of any type. I've been a vegetarian for 20 years and most jerky is traditionally made from meat-based products. And even when I did eat meat, a long time ago, I was never a jerky-lover. But I had received some samples of these Tofurky Jurky products which are vegan (the Original and Peppered flavours) so I thought I'd give them a try.

Well, they were actually quite good. I thoroughly enjoyed them. A firm, chewy texture ( a good workout for teeth!) and a  bold and spicy taste, for both flavours.The Peppered Jurky in particular would be a good choice if you like peppery-flavoured foods of any type, this would probably be very appealing.

From the Turtle Island site:

Tofurky® Jurky

Now exclusively sold online - Order here !

Tofurky® Jurky is the first great tasting vegetarian jurky made in a real smokehouse. First we marinate our jurky in GMO-free soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and organic evaporated cane juice, then slowly smoke it over red hickory chips where it obtains the unique, natural smoky flavor of real jerky. Smoked and dried to perfection, Tofurky Jurky is a great snack on the trail, at work or for lunches.

• High Protein/Low Fat Snack
• 100% Vegan
• Smoked in a Real Smokehouse, No Liquid Smoke
• Perfect for Camping or School Lunches
• No Preservatives or Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Our "Jurky" is vacuum-sealed to ensure freshness. We are proud of the result and feel this product is equal or superior to any competing product of animal or plant origin.
Shelf life is 6 months unrefrigerated.

                          
What I also noted with these snacks is how satisfying they are. If I eat 2-3 pieces of these, I don't feel hungry for several hours.  With 4 pieces (they are cut in circles) only containing 100 calories and with 12 grams of protein, this is a good bang for the buck if you are looking for a snack to take on the go. For hiking, long walks or bike rides...ideal.  Or anytime you want a quick and satisfying snack. No refrigeration required either.

Whether you are a jerky fan or not, meat-lover or vegetarian, Tofurky Jurky is definitely worth a try.

Overall rating for this product: Very Good. 4 out of 5.

Contest Announcement for Take A Happy Break

                                                      
For the month of July, I am hosting a contest at one of my other blogs:

Take A Happy Break.

Stop by to join in the fun and have the chance to win several prizes too!

Spread the word, share the contest button/link if you'd like to and hope to see you there. :<)