Best Hot Pink Lip Color Ever

I grabbed drinks with my girlfriends last night. I'd like to think they were hanging on my every word but they were really obsessing over my lip color.

Rose couldn't understand how it stayed on my lips and not on my wine glass. I told her i didn't have anything to do with it, it was all obsessive compulsive cosmetics. It took seconds to pass around the tiny tube & mini brush before Rose, Lara & I (75% of the table)  were all gushing about how great it felt & where to buy it. OCC lip tar is the lip color you need if you're looking for a punchy bright color that lasts for hours (with one single drop!) & qualifies with safe ingredients.

The color I am currently loving (& sharing) is anime. It's the perfect hot  pink (you can check it out on my lips here) which is this season's new complexion friendly red, but you can get whatever color you please.

Ermerald Picks

01 // 02 // 03 // 04 // 05

With a background in graphic design I get pretty tickled by the fact that Pantone (a color system I use daily) chooses the color of the year which dictates the color of anything considered to be "on-trend."

This year's color is emerald. I'm pretty excited by this one because it's my birthstone & well it's just so glamorous.  Even if you don't have a lot of green in the bank you can still work some of this lush emerald into your life. These are my wallet-friendly picks (read: $47 & under) .

How will you work the color of the year into your daily routine?

A Green Vegan Smoothie

Watch out green eggs and ham there's a new player in town. His name is kale.

A couple of weekends ago Jennifer (my twin), Kara (one of my besties since elementary school) and I had an unnaturally long conversation about our love for kale. (Yes the green leafy "it" veggie du jour.)  Sauteed with garlic, crisped in the oven, tossed with fresh veggies in a salad - kale is just good no matter how you slice/dice/cook it.

I will eat kale in a box
I will eat kale with a fox.
And I will eat kale in a house.
And I will eat kale with a mouse.
And I will eat kale here and there.
Say! I will eat kale ANYWHERE!

If you've never tried it, you must - look what happened to Sam I am. If you don't cook, give this green vegan smoothie a whirl!

Ingredients:
1 handful of kale
1/2 a ripe mango (cubed)
1 frozen banana
1 cup coconut milk

Make it:
Blend it all together until smooth! Stick a straw in it and enjoy!

Tip#1: Frozen bananas are your smoothie's BFF. Just before your bananas turn completely brown (or even if they already are and fruit flies could be there any minute) peel them, cut them up, zip them up in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer.  You'll never need to add ice or sugar to your smoothies again!

Tip #2: If it's still not sweet enough for you, add some agave or honey.

Tip #3: I may or may not have found out the hard way (and some stitches later) that you should ALWAYS UNPLUG your immersion blender before cleaning the blade.