Giveaway : Episencial Playful Foaming Wash, Better Body Butter & Soothing Cream

Episencial is a Los Angeles based company that specializes in gentle skin care products for the whole family and are especially suitable for youngsters (ages 0 and up) or adults with sensitive skin. Episencial combines sustainable practices (using recycled materials for packaging, manufacturing with solar power, etc.) with health conscious ingredients (organics, using fruits for fragrances rather than synthetic chemicals, no parabens or petroleum based ingredients, etc.). The result is a gentle, effective product that is safe for both adults and babies with packaging that is both beautiful and earth friendly. The Eric Carle artwork adorning the bottles and boxes are sure to delight both children and adults alike!


Episencial generously provided me with 3 of their products to share with you here on the blog:

Episencial Better Body Butter silky soft hydrating lotion ($9.99): This moisturizer is lightweight, can be used on both the face and body and is very delicately scented with lavender and geranium essential oils. I love that the scent is so light & fresh rather than being heavily perfumed. Upon application the product does feel slightly sticky, but as the product is absorbed into the skin, the stickiness disappears and leaves skin feeling smooth & hydrated.

Episencial Playful Foaming Wash hydrating hair & body cleanser ($8.99): The Playful Foaming Wash has an amazing citrus scent reminiscent of orange creamsicles (om nom nom!). The product also foams & lathers nicely for some great cleansing action while the scent is quite invigorating. The wash is dual purpose and is suitable both as a shampoo and a body cleanser which is very convenient- this would be an excellent item to pack during travels due to its dual purpose and suitability for the whole family.

Episencial Soothing Cream for eczema, itches and bothered skin ($10.99): The Soothing Cream can be used on the face, body and scalp to help relieve irritated skin. The scent is very light and natural, almost slightly herbal. The formula is lightweight and spreads easily over the skin and does feel rather soothing! I haven't had any bothered skin to try this on, but even as a skin moisturizer it works quite well. Please note that this particular product is not suitable for vegans (contains beeswax and yogurt derived probiotics).

All Episencial products are gluten free (see the FAQ for more details) and select products are vegan friendly. I would especially recommend these as gifts for new parents as the packaging looks so adorable and the products are ones that will certainly be appreciated!

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Episencial is generously offering one lucky reader a bottle each of their Playful Foaming Wash, Better Body Butter & Soothing Cream + $5 gift card, a $35 value!

To Enter: Visit the Episencial website and leave a comment with the name of a product you'd like to try or something you learned about the company or their products.

Bonus Entry 1: Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS OR via email (post your email address)
Bonus Entry 2: Subscribe to the Episencial newsletter (found on the bottom of any page on the Episencial website)
Bonus Entry 3: Follow The Wide World Of & Episencial on twitter and tweet about the giveaway + leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day for one extra entry each)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on November 21 , 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: Linda

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. **

Giveaway : Potato Flyers + Pirates Booty from Pirate Brands

Potato Flyers are the newest products in Pirate Brand's selection of yummy snacks. Although baked, these aren't your standard baked potato chips. Potato Flyers are baked with pressure and have a thick, super crispy texture with little "air pockets". The texture is awesome and a great switch up from standard potato chips. They are also lower in fat and calories than the leading potato chip brand (Potato Flyers have only 120 calories per 1 oz. serving). These snacks are also absolutely wonderful for entertaining!

Potato Flyers are available in Original, Homestyle Barbeque, Sour Cream and Onion & Sea Salt and Vinegar. The Original and Homestyle Barbeque flavors are dairy free / vegan friendly and all varieties are gluten free (they are not, however, produced in a certified gluten and wheat-free facility). I personally sampled the Original and Homestyle Barbeque and they both had a great flavor with a lovely, unique crunch.


Potato Flyers are available in 1.5 oz & 5.5 oz. bags with a suggested retail price of $1.49 and $2.99 respectively. Potato Flyers can be purchased online on the Pirate Brands website and at select retailers throughout the US.

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Pirate Brands generously offering one lucky reader a selection of dairy free Potato Flyers and Pirates Booty!

To Enter: Visit the Pirate Brands website and leave a comment with the name of a product you'd like to try or something you learned about the company or their products.

Bonus Entry 1: Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS OR via email (post your email address)
Bonus Entry 2: Tweet about the giveaway + leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day for one extra entry each)
Bonus Entry 3: Post this giveaway in your blog and leave a link to your post

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on October 20, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: Homemaker

**I was provided with the product mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. **

Tasty Brand : Organic Fruit Snacks

Tasty Brand is an organic foods company with a great product range geared toward babies and young children. However, after adding a line of super appealing fruit snacks to their line up of products, I don't think adults can help but drool over their products as well!

Tasty Brand's organic fruit snacks are labeled as being great for "kids 2 to 102!" which seems just about right. The fruit snacks are also surprisingly pretty, almost too pretty to eat. Seriously, just take a look at them, they look much like colorful, glimmering glass beads *O_O is hypnotized*.

Courtesy of Tasty Brand I was able to pick up a box each of the Organic Mixed Fruit Snacks and Organic Superfruit Snacks. Each box contains 5 bags of fruit snacks with the price per bag is comparable to picking up a bag of gummy bears from the super market or liquor store. You really can't go wrong with either variety, both are excellent. The fruit flavors are vibrant and sweet, but not too sweet. The texture is also really appealing- chewy (though not as chewy as standard gelatin based gummies) and not too sticky (my teeth are very thankful). Perhaps best of all, these fruit snacks contain no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup. Additionally they are both gluten free and vegan- hooray!

Organic Superfruit Snacks

Organic Mixed Fruit Snacks

Tasty Brand products can be purchased online at Amazon.com or at select retailers throughout the US including Whole Foods and Kroger markets.

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. **

Giveaway: Vidazorb Probiotic Supplements for Adults & Children

Vidazorb is a chewable probiotic supplement that aims to benefit digestive health, immunity and a number of other health concerns*. The supplements are convenient because they are chewable (do not need to be taken with water), do not require refrigeration, have a shelf life of three years (though they are to be consumed within 30 days of opening the bottle), and are vegan, gluten free and diabetic safe. Please note that these products do however contain small amounts of sucralose, an artificial sweetener.

Vidazorb is available in 5 different varieties (the following information is from the Vidazorb website):

• Daily : with L. acidophilus, LA-5® to support immunity and digestion*
  
• Plus : with L. acidophilus, LA-5® (5 billion CFU) and Bifidobacterium, BB-12® which work together to improve digestive function and boost overall immunity
  
• OPC : with Masquelier's® Original OPC to improve nutrient absorption and fight free radicals*
  
• Super C : made with Masquelier's® Original OPC and Vitamin C
  
• Belly Boost™ : Children's Chewable Probiotic, recommended for children 4 and up, see the FAQ for more info.
  

Vidazorb generously provided me with a bottle of their Vidazorb daily probiotic dietary supplements ($32, 30 day supply). The overall texture was slightly dry and crumbly, a little "melt in your mouth" but not at all unpleasant. In fact, the texture was quite similar to a tart candy although a little softer, smoother and "meltier". These particular tablets also had a subtly sweet lemon flavor which was actually very pleasant as well.


For more information about taking Vidazorb and to learn more about its potential health benefits, please see the Vidazorb website, Vidazorb FAQ, and Vidazorb Facebook page.

Vidazorb can be purchased online via the Vidazorb webstore, at drugstore.com and at select retailers in New York City.

Until October 20th, readers of The Wide World Of can save 40% off the retail price of Vidazorb products by using code "CWWC40" during check out on the Vidazorb webstore.

*The statements made in this post have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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Vidazorb is generously offering FIVE lucky readers their choice of a bottle of Vidazorb Belly Boost™ a children's chewable probiotic (a $43.60 value) OR Vidazorb Plus for adults (a $40.50 value)!

To Enter: Visit the Vidazorb website and tell me something you learned about their products that wasn't mentioned here and let me know which variety of Vidazorb you'd like (Belly Boost or Plus).

Bonus Entry 1: Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS OR via email (post your email address)
Bonus Entry 2: Subscribe to the Vidazorb email newsletter.
Bonus Entry 3: Follow The Wide World Of and Vidazorb on Twitter AND tweet about the giveaway + leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day for one extra entry each)
Bonus Entry 4: Post this giveaway in your blog and leave a link to your post

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on October 20, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winners: Gina, Dana, Yona, mim, lucillemcg27

**I was provided with the product mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. **

Teese Vegan Cheese (Chicago Soydairy): Mozzarella & Creamy Cheddar Sauce

mac & teese: om nom nom nom!

Vegan cheese has been something I've long approached with trepidation. For those of us that lived in dark ages when all but a couple of non-dairy cheese options existed, the phrase "vegan cheese" has often been syonymous with the word "plastic". Luckily for the new generation of the non-dairy consuming and lactose intolerant alike, living through those horrid times is like looking back at old school cell phones. Oh yes, a necessary evil that paved the way for better things... like cell phones that actually fit in your pocket (wow!) and non-dairy cheeses that don't taste like a garbage can lining.

Chicago SoyDairy recently hooked me up with a selection of their fine vegan cheeses (which are also gluten-free to boot) to poke, prod and slice here on the blog. Did they pass the taste test?

Teese Creamy Cheddar Sauce: True to its name, this is a nice little creamy cheddar-y sauce. I was actually expecting a solid brick o'cheese to melt down, but at room temperature this cheese is already in liquid form. Not liquid liquid, but more along the lines of thick sauce similar to fondue or melted chocolate. The saucy consistency at room temperature is nice because (1) cleaning hardened cheese off pans is NOT fun and (2) the cheese heats up super quick.

melty-licious!

To test out this cheese, I warmed it up and mixed it with some penne for a nice mac and cheese style dish (see image at top). The resulting texture was superb, the consistency of the cheese, its stretch, and its melt were spot on. The flavor was light, not too greasy or salty, with a mild cheddar flavor and a little background soy flavor. Very satisfying and super easy to prepare!

I also tried the cheese sauce on top of corn tortilla chips with a little bit of salsa & hot sauce. This was a huge hit in my house! The consistency again was wonderful, but the addition of the salty chips and heat of the salsa helped quite a bit flavorwise since it masked the soy flavor a little better than in the mac and cheese. Ideally, this cheese would be great mixed with lots of bold flavors, however, even in moderately plain dishes the cheese performs well.


From the Chicago Soydairy website: "Our Cheddar-style Teese has an excellent mild cheddar flavor, giving it the potential to be used in a wide assortment of dishes. It is amazing on cold sandwiches or round crackers, but really shines when melted in a "roast beef" sandwich, panini, or in a simple "grilled Teese" sandwich!"


Teese Mozzarella: Unlike the sauce varieties of Teese, the mozzarella comes in a classic solid form, but, although solid, the cheese is quite soft at room temperature. The soft texture of the cheese makes it a dream to shred and crumble (oh Teese, you are sooo dreamy). I was pretty surprised with how smoothly it shreds to leave behind light, soft ribbons of pretty cheese!


I sampled this particular cheese on a whole wheat english muffin "pizza" with some slices of fresh tomato & pasta sauce- the result was excellent! This cheese would probably melt best at a very high temperature (I only used my toaster oven) as the packaging recommends cooking a teese covered pizza at 500 degrees F. However, even in the toaster oven the cheese melted quite nicely leaving behind a light, soft, slightly stretchy topping.

The flavor of the cheese is much more mild than I was expecting which I LOVED. It wasn't overwhelmingly salty and didn't seem to have as distinct a soy taste as I was expecting. Combining with ingredients like pasta sauce and tomato probably also helped a bit to tone down any soy aromas. Definitely another keeper, super easy to work with and doesn't taste like a garbage can lining (YES)!


From the Chicago Soydairy website: "The authentic taste and excellent melt characteristics of this Teese flavor is why it's our most popular product... and why it is used in some of the best pizza restaurants in the country! You'll love Mozzarella-style Teese in everything from lasagna to a rueben!"

Teese can be purchased from various online shops & natural food grocers. To find a retailer near you, visit the Chicago Soydairy website: http://www.teesecheese.com/where_to_buy.php.

Coming soon: A review featuring Chicago Soy Dairy's vegan, gluten free marshmellows: Dandies!

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Others experiences with these products may differ from mine. **

Sharkies Organic Fruit Chews (Fruit Snacks) + Giveaway

I realize that it's been awhile since I've featured any snacky goodness here, and quite frankly, this particular review is slightly overdue! Sharkies Organic Fruit Chews recently hooked me up with an absolutely wonderful selection of their organic fruit snack products to try out and there were so many great items to sample that it took about a month to finish up everything! Before I get to the review, let me tell you a little about the background of Sharkies (from the Sharkies website):

"Sharkies Inc. was founded in 2003 by Dwight and Kelly Sinclair. As triathletes, swimmers, and parents of three very active kids, Dwight and Kelly wanted to create an all-natural organic snack that was portable, organic and tasted great. With over 20 years in the food business and a passion for sports, the outdoors and healthy living, Dwight and Kelly created the Sharkies adult organic fruit chews. After four years of success with the Sharkies adult product, Sharkies for kids was born in 2007."

Organic Fruit Chews in Fruit Splash and Berry Bites (vegan, gluten free):

These fruit chews are amazing! The texture is similar to that of a traditional gummy but slightly less chewy and a bit softer, slightly akin to a dense jelly/gelatin (note: this product contains no gelatin). The other members of my household are big on gummies and they all loved these fruit snacks! The fruit flavors are fruity and vibrant with a lovely variety of flavors in each bag. The snacks also look lovely with their fun shark shapes, slight shine and bright, kid friendly colors! Definitely an excellent snack for both kids and adults.

Kids Sport Chews in Tropical Splash (vegan, gluten free):

The texture of the sport chews are similar to that of the gelatin free gummy bears you find in the bulk section of the grocery store... slightly dense and chewy, but a little more sticky than a traditional gelatin based gummy (kind of like a gum drop). The flavors are great and very kid friendly though I would say that they taste slightly less fruity than the fruit chews. The sugar coating gives the snacks a wonderful texture that is slightly crunchy, but not gritty or overwhelmingly sweet.

Sharkies Energy Sport Chews in Watermelon, Fruit Splash, Berry Blast (vegan, gluten free):

The energy sports chews are geared toward adults and they definitely have a slightly more "adult" flavor. Compared to the other Sharkies offerings, the taste of the sports chews is slightly less sweet and a subtle, but not unpleasant, rice syrup aroma and flavor is also present. The fruit flavors are mild & clean (the watermelon was my favorite) and the chews are very sticky. These snacks definitely satisfied my sweet tooth and provided me with a "sugar boost" during my midday slump.

Smart Twists in Tropical Wave & Berry Surf (not vegan or vegetarian, but gluten free):To my knowledge, these are the only non-vegetarian friendly offering from Sharkies. The twists contain fish oil from sardines and anchovy, though the snacks contain no detectable fish flavor. In fact, the other members of my household seemed to think that of all the Sharkies snacks these had the most vibrant fruit flavors of all! The snacks are similar in flavor to a fruit leather but are a little softer and less chewy. The flavors are very fruity and appealing, but the snacks also provide 4% of the daily recommended value of fiber, 100% DV Vitamin C and a nice helping of omega-3 fatty acids.

Sharkies snacks can be purchased direct from the Sharkies website or at major retailers such as Target, Whole Foods & Toys R Us. Sharkies is also giving you the opportunity to win some here!

Sharkies is generously providing a mixed case of Fruit Splash & Berry Bites Organic Fruit Chews & a Sharkies visor (fits all ages) to one lucky reader!

To enter all you need to do is visit the Sharkies website and leave a comment with something you learned about their company or products.

For one extra entry each you can:
* Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS or via email (post your email address)
* Follow The Wide World Of via Twitter + tweet about the giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day)
* Post this giveaway in your blog and leave a link to your post

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on September 26, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: Shannon

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Others experiences with these products may differ from mine. **

Zuzu Luxe (Gabriel Cosmetics, Inc.) : Dual Powder Foundation, Fascination Blush & Cosmopolitan Lip Gloss + $130 Cosmetic Giveaway!

When I think about vegan cosmetics, natural cosmetics or even just great cosmetics in general, Zuzu Luxe is one of the first things to come to mind. I have always been super picky about my cosmetics and a few Zuzu Luxe products have been absolute staples of mine for the past 5+ years. While I have yet to try many of their products, their foundation, gloss and blush are some of my favorite beauty products yet.

Courtesy of Zuzu Luxe, I'm featuring their Dual Powder Foundation ($28.30), Lip Gloss ($18.15), Blush ($21.50) here today!

Dual Powder Foundation in D-14



This powder foundation is silky, breathable and can easily be worn sheer or matte and applied either wet or dry. Since the foundation is comprised mostly of minerals, it is oil free and has a natural SPF 8. My skin is super oily and finding products that ward off shine can be difficult; this one, as well as the Gabriel Color Dual foundation, have been excellent for oil absorption. I absolutely LOVE how matte this foundation keeps my skin! The product also isn't drying which which makes it excellent for those with dry skin as well! The D-14 color is wonderful for medium skin tones or as a bronzer for lighter skin.

I am also a huge fan of the design of the compact. The compact comes with a top compartment that houses the foundation and a bottom compartment that holds the mirror + applicator/sponge. I love this design because I typically apply my powder foundation with a brush and can simply flip up the top lid to access the foundation without having to touch the applicator or flip up the bottom compartment. Because the mirror is separated from the foundation your compact doesn't suffer from "dusty mirror syndrome". In some other designs the foundation and mirror are in the same compartment and this makes the mirror super dusty, however, this design really cuts down on that issue.


Blush in Fascination

Arm swatches of the lip gloss in Cosmopolitan (left) and the blush in Fascination (right):

The "Fascination" blush shade is a soft, slightly burnished rose color which is absolutely wonderful for everyday wear. My skin is slightly tan and this blush gives me a great looking glow! The blush has a very subtle shimmer which helps to brighten the face. However, the shimmer is so subtle and fine that it does creates a healthy looking "glow" rather than just functioning as a sea of sparkles.

The color itself is great for a natural, minimal look. One that makes me look in the mirror and say "Oh hey, I do look pretty alright without makeup after all! Oh wait, I am wearing makeup. Womp womp." After applying the blush my face looks just like it has a very nice, natural flush. Because it looks so natural, I especially like this blush for professional environments or those times when I need a little bit of a toned down look. With smooth application and great staying power, this is definitely a keeper!

Lip Gloss in Cosmopolitan



Zuzu Luxe's lip gloss has the perfect amount of shine, consistency and color. It glides onto the lips smoothly and is non-sticky, it also has excellent staying power! What more can you ask for? Oh that's right, an amazing color, and yes, it has that too!

I tested out the lip gloss in Zuzu Luxe's "Cosmopolitan" shade and the finish is gorgeous, as is the color! My lips are quite pigmented so its difficult to find pale colored lip glosses that will mask the natural shade of my lips, however, this gloss definitely does the trick. I especially love that this lip gloss is shimmer free and is not too glossy so it works well for most occasions. While many pink lip glosses are either too pale, too pink, too pearly, too shimmery or too bright, this shade had none of those issues for me, my absolute favorite pink gloss!

Zuzu Luxe products are naturally based, vegan, and gluten free. For all of August, Gabriel Cosmetics is donating 5% of all of its online sales to the Celiac Disease Foundation.

How would you like to try out these products for yourself? Well, thanks to Gabriel Cosmetics, you CAN and free to boot!

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Gabriel Cosmetics is generously providing one lucky reader with a gift basket containing all the cosmetics seen here and in my Gabriel Color post! The gift basket will include $130 worth of makeup including:

• Zuzu Luxe Dual Powder Foundation D-14 ($28.30)
• Zuzu Luxe Lip Gloss Cosmopolitan ($18.15)
• Zuzu Luxe Blush Fascination ($21.50)
• Gabriel Color Powder Foundation Medium Beige ($26.35)
• Gabriel Lipstick Clay ($16.75)
• Gabriel Blush Apricot ($18.35)
  

To enter all you need to do is visit the Gabriel Cosmetics Inc. website and leave a comment with something you learned about their company or products.

For one extra entry each you can:
* Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS or via email (post your email address)
* Sign up for Gabriel Cosmetics email updates (bottom right of the page)
* Follow both The Wide World Of via Twitter & Gabriel Cosmetics on Twitter + tweet about the giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day)
* Post this giveaway in your blog and leave a link to your post

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on September 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: Deb

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Others experiences with these products may differ from mine. **

Gabriel Color (Gabriel Cosmetics, Inc.) : Dual Powder Foundation, Sheer Rose Lipstick & Apricot Blush + $130 Cosmetic Giveaway!

Gabriel Color, part of Gabriel Cosmetics, Inc., is one of the leading brands of natural cosmetics in the United States. After testing out some of their products, it's not at all difficult to see why! If you're a regular shopper at any major health food grocery store, you've probably seen their cosmetics hanging out in the beauty department. While I had always been intrigued by their products, I had never actually purchased them before, opting instead for their daughter brand, Zuzu Luxe, with its more contemporary packaging and color palette.

Gabriel Cosmetics was kind enough to send me over some of their products to share with you on the blog. Among these were their Dual Powder Foundation ($26.35), Gabriel Lipstick gluten and lead free ($16.75), and Gabriel Blush ($18.35).

Dual Powder Foundation in Medium Beige:

top level : mirror & foundation

bottom level: sponge/applicator

My skin is very oily so I have major problems with foundation. The major-ist of all major-osities being that my face loves to look like an oil slick within an hour or so after applying my foundation *shakes fists*. Luckily for me, this powder foundation is one of the few that works well to keep my face from looking like shine city for as long as possible. The foundation didn't roll off my face (i.e. MELT) in the summer sun and my skin remained matte for a good amount of time. The formula is (thankfully) quite mattifying and (thankfully) non-drying to the skin and can be applied sheer or thick for full coverage. The medium beige color works well as both a foundation or a bronzer for those lovely non-summer months. I would recommend locating a retailer and testing out the colors since the powder foundation is only offered in 5 shades.

As for the packaging, I just didn't care much for the applicator/powder puff. It's slightly more dense than some other sponges which made spreading the makeup evenly a little more difficult, but that is pretty much the only complaint that I have. The compact itself is nicely designed with a very sleek look and a great, durable construction.

Gabriel Blush in Apricot:


Words cannot express how much I love this blush, particularly in this shade. First off, the blush is completely matte, no sparkles or shimmer at all. Second, it's a great peachy pink color that is super flattering. Peach has been the "it" color for many years now, and this is certainly a great peach! The blush has a nice amount of pigmentation, just the right amount to apply it softly (great for pale skin) or with a bit of a heavier hand for a more made up look. Either way, the blush looks great on and blends into the skin nice and evenly. The blush lasted all day for me with no need to reapply and gave my face a bright, youthful glow. This is has become my everyday blush, I am absolutely in love with this product!

Gabriel Lipstick in Sheer Rose:

Sheer rose lipstick blotted gently:

This lipstick is so smooth, gentle and moisturizing. I have to admit, I am very much a gloss person because, well, my lips are kinda dry and are often subject to those little peely things *shakes fists yet again*. Enter Gabriel Lipstick: super moisturizing and soft with a little bit of shine, perfect! I can't believe how smoothly this lipstick glides on and how great it looks. Lipstick convert here.

I tried out the lipstick in Sheer Rose which is not sheer in the least but is VERY pretty! Gorgeous even. Normally I opt for nude colors so even this pink was quite a stretch for me. The color makes me think of a great runway looks with its fresh, flattering color. The pigmentation is excellent and the color is so vibrant and beautiful. I feel like it also gives the illusion of plumper lips! Actually, one of my favorite things about Gabriel Colors is their.... colors (surprise!). Their lipstick color choices have a really nice and unique range, colors that would be appealing to mature tastes (and I mean mature like your great, great aunt Gladys, and it is rare for brands to cater to Gladys anymore), but also appealing to the fashion forward younger crowd.

Sasquatch Swatch actually did some AMAZING swatches of Gabriel Lipsticks which you can see here. Be aware that the colors seem to be applied quite heavily in those swatches. I found that by blotting gently I was able to obtain a more muted colors that were more wearable for me.

Here are some of my arm swatches of the blush (left) and the lipstick (right). The lipstick is shown in a thin, blotted layer under a single swipe:


Unlike many cosmetics, Gabriel Color products are naturally based, vegan, and gluten free. In fact, for all of August, Gabriel Cosmetics is donating 5% of all of its online sales to the Celiac Disease Foundation. I know a lot of you who follow the blog are vegan/vegetarian or live a gluten free lifestyle so definitely check out this brand, for those of you that aren't I still highly recommend it!

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Courtesy of Gabriel Cosmetics, Inc. one of you will win ALL of the products featured on this post + some goodies from Zuzu Luxe! Just visit this post to enter the giveaway! Please note that the lipstick in the giveaway will be in "clay" rather than "sheer rose".

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Others experiences with these products may differ from mine. **

Review & Giveaway : Brothers-All-Natural 100% Freeze Dried Fruit Crisps (Fruit Chips)

Brothers-All-Natural creates a number of healthy snacking products including a line of 100% natural (no sugar added) fruit crisps which come in a wide variety of flavor options. Because they are made of only fruit, these snacks are all vegan and gluten free (yes! high five!). Brothers-All-Natural recently provided me with some samples of these freeze dried fruit chips to test out here on the ol' bloggeroo and also very sweetly provided a case of snacks for one of you lucky ducks, hooray!

Brothers-All Natural offers their fruit crisps in 8 flavor options: Fuji Apple, Asian Pear, Banana, Pineapple, Strawberry, Organic Strawberry, Strawberry Banana, and White & Yellow Peach. The Fruit Crisps also come in fun Disney themed packaging and flavors which are great for kids! I was send a few samples of these as well & while the contents are no different than the original flavors, the packaging is quite cute:


Cute packaging, check. Great flavor options, check. The taste? Oh yes, the taste! Here's the lowdown:

Fuji Apple: The fuji apple variety has a delicious, classic apple flavor. The freeze dried fruit crisps are light and crispy and have a robust apple flavor that is sweet and very slightly tart. The light, crispy texture makes them an ideal snack that isn't too filling or heavy. The fruit crisps are also great to carry around because of their super light weight, perfect for packing into lunches or to travel with (just don't crush the bags as the pieces are a bit delicate). Applelicious!


Banana & Strawberry : Both the strawberry and banana varieties were deeeelish! Both flavors are pretty much exactly as you'd expect: true, clean banana and strawberry flavors with a nice sweetness and light, delicately/airy crunchy textures. These were a favorite among the members of my household as the flavors were very clean and fruity.


Pineapple: The pineapple flavor had a great sweet and tart combination flavor that was so much like biting into a fresh pineapple. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I dislike dried pineapple because it tends to loose some of its tartness, but this freeze-dried variety retains pineapple's characteristic sweet and tart flavor, yum! Among the flavors that we sampled, these were my favorite!


Peach: The peach flavor was subtle, sweet and delicate. I would say these had more of peach essence to them as the flavor was not as bold as the other varieties- they also weren't as tart. A few members of my household really liked these because of their sweetness and delicateness- classy! They are excellent paired with a sparkling drink!


Asian Pear : The Asian pear flavor was sweet and light, and, like the peach flavor, a little on the delicate side. While the peach flavor did taste like peach, I couldn't actually tell that this particular flavor was Asian pear. Maybe because of the lack of liquid? Despite not being particularly Asian pear-y, the flavor is quite nice and has a perfect sweetness and definite fruitiness to it.


Pear: Like the Asian pear flavor, the fruit flavor of this variety was a little difficult to identify. I blind tested some people and they actually thought it was apple (not a bad thing methinks). The flavor is somewhat similar to the Asian pear variety, but with a little bit of a stronger sweetness. I blind tested another individual and they couldn't distinguish between the pear and Asian pear flavors. I did like the flavor however, and like the other fruit crisps it makes a wonderful, light snack!

Overall, I really enjoyed these snacks (and so did everyone else in my household). While I would love to see more organic varieties or possibly some USA made products emerge, these snacks are quite nice with their 100% fruit ingredients + no added sugars or preservatives. I love that they aren't too filling and are indeed a snack that is both satisfying and light. I also love that they are offered in so many flavor options so that you can switch things up and find the perfect flavor to suit your mood!

Brothers-All-Natural Fruit Crisps can be purchased direct, and from major retailers including Amazon.com, Costco and Whole Foods. Click here to find a retailer near you.

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Brothers-All-Natural is generously offering a 24 bag variety pack of Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps (a $21.99 retail value) to one lucky reader!

*To enter all you need to do is visit the Brothers-All-Natural website and leave a comment letting me know a product of theirs that you'd like to try!

For one extra entry each you can:

* Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect
* Subscribe to The Wide World Of via RSS OR via email (post your email address)
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Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on September 1, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: shala_darkstone

**I was provided with free samples of Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Other's experiences with these products may differ from mine. **

Summer Treat : POM, Strawberry and Orange Juice Smoothies

POM Wonderful (or should I say P♥M Wonderful?) recently sent me a case of the cuuutest little bottles of their 100% pomegranate juice to experiment with! I've been using them to make some refreshing and delicious summer drinks for myself, friends, and family. My two favorites are a Pomegranate & Strawberry Smoothie and POM with Orange Juice.

First off, POM and orange juice makes an absolutely gorgeous drink. The POM sinks to the bottom of of the orange juice so you get beautiful orange and pink layers. The flavor of POM and orange juice also blends really well- the tartness of the orange juice is more subtle and the sweetness and tartness of the POM is mellowed as well.

To make this drink just pour POM slowly into your orange juice (you can use any ratio, they all taste good). So, so pretty:

Read more »

Review & Giveaway : Yogavive Chips (Organic Popped Fuji Apple Chips)

Summer is the perfect time for all sorts of activities- sun bathing, swimming, camping, hiking and, of course, the always classic vegging out. Some of my favorite new snacks to munch on while participating in these activities are Yogavive's Organic Popped Fuji Apple Chips! The deliciously sweet and tart apple chips are available in 5 flavors (original, cinnamon, peach and strawberry) and 2 bags sizes (individual single serving 1 apple bags, and 5 apple bags). Each flavor is USDA certified organic, vegan and gluten free- they also have no added sugars and no preservatives *high five*!

One thing I love about Yogavive (other than the great taste of their snacks) is that they are a company that discloses a good deal of information about their company and their business practices. Yogavive sources its organic apples from China and Chile which ensures that the fruit they use is always in season. They also offer an extensive FAQ section on their website that actually addresses a lot of really great questions. For example: "As a company that sources globally, how do you justify your carbon footprint incurred via product shipping?"

Yogavive's response: "Produce is sourced around the globe to ensure continuous annual supply. By removing moisture from the fruit during our processing activities, we effectively reduce the weight of product being shipped compared to fresh fruit shipments. Our products therefore leave a smaller carbon footprint than fresh fruit counterparts."

I mean, how many companies actually address those kinds of concerns instead of acting like these questions don't exist? If this review piques your interest, definitely check out their website for some great information about their products and company! So without further delay, here's the deets on each flavor I sampled:

Original: Since Yogavive uses Fuji apples for their chips, the apple chips have a great combination of tart and sweet flavor. Fun (or not so fun) fact about me: Fuji apples are actually my favorite type of apple! The more you know. Anyway, while red delicious apple chips seem to be all sweet and no tart, Fuji apple chips have both bases covered nicely. The texture of the chips is also really appealing- they are not too dense, are thick and airy (hence the "popped" label) and have a great, strong crunch!

Cinnamon: The cinnamon flavor on these chips was gentle, light and dare I say it... elegant and dainty. The amount of cinnamon was just perfect- not overpowering but still very apparent. The cinnamon balances nicely with the sweetness of the apples and also provides a slight spiciness to them. Along with the original, this was probably my favorite flavor. Nomnomnom!

Caramel: Like the cinnamon, the caramel flavor on these chips was quite delicate, maybe even faint. In fact, the first chip I tried didn't seem caramel-icious at all, though the flavor became more and more apparent as I ate more chips. The caramel flavor is light and mellow and doesn't seem to contribute too much to the sweetness, but rather to a very pleasant, almost toasty, warm flavor. It's definitely caramel, but it's much more vague and intriguing than just that.

Peach: Of the flavored chips, the intensity of flavor of the peach was stronger than any of the other flavor options. The peach flavor is reminiscent more of dried peach rather than fresh peach. The flavor is very clean and doesn't taste at all synthetic or artificial. It is probably the most "mature and unique of Yogavive's flavor offerings.

Strawberry: The strawberries contributed a nice sweet aroma to these chips. This was a favorite among several people that I shared the chips with. What can I say, strawberries and summer go hand in hand! The strawberry flavor is delicate, sweet and almost refreshing (as refreshing as I can imagine a chip to be). These seemed to have the sweetest flavor among the flavor offerings although each flavor actually contains the same amount of sugar!

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Yogavive has generously provided me with enough chips to offer you, my beloved readers, 2 1-apple bags of each flavor (10 bags total per winner) to 2 winners!

*To enter all you need to do is tell me which flavor of Yogavive Chips you'd like to try!

For one extra entry each you can:

* Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect
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Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your email address in one of your comments or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on August 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winners: Janice, TiffsPixieDust

**I was provided with free samples of the product mentioned in this review from Yogavive as well as provided with the giveaway prize mentioned above to pass on to the winners. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Other's experiences with these products may differ from mine. **

Review & Giveaway : Kaia Foods Granola, Fruit Leather, Pumpkin Seeds and Kale Chips, Vegan and Gluten Free! (7/25/10)

Kaia Foods is a great company that produces snacks with minimally processed ingredients which retain their flavor and texture due to being raw or mostly raw. The snacks are hearty and full of fiber. Most are low in sodium and, most importantly... they all have great, unique flavors. Kaia Foods products are also gluten free and vegan!

Kaia generously provided me with some product samples to try and also some goodies to share with you as well. Here are the items I sampled:



Cocoa Bliss Buckwheat Granola: This granola was dense and crunchy with a nice chewiness from raisins. The cocoa flavor is not very sweet and provides a bitterness to the product in combination with nuts, seeds and buckwheat. At first I found the bitterness sort of off putting, but the more I ate this granola, the more I enjoyed it. The bitterness becomes less apparent over time, and the mixture of bitter with the sweetness of the agave nectar and raisins is a really nice, "grown up" pairing. I loved that this granola was not too sweet and was very filling and wholesome. I didn't try this with milk, but I think this would be great eaten as a cereal!



Kale Chips: The kale chips are light, crunchy and wonderfully flavored. I'm a huge fan of making kale chips at home but they have a tendency to burn. The Kaia Foods kale chips are dehydrated so they maintain their flavor without the charring. The "cheesy" flavor had a delicious nutritional yeast taste which is slightly nutty, salty and vaguely "cheesy". The "barbecue" flavor was slightly sweet and tangy with a little bit of spiciness from cayenne pepper. The flavor and crunch of the kale in combination with the barbecue sauce style flavoring was unique and absolutely delicious. I would choose these over potato chips any day!



Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds: The flavoring on these pumpkin seeds was great! I'm normally not a pumpkin seed fan, but I loved the slightly tangy flavor from apple cider vinegar. The sea salt and vinegar contained just the right amount of tangy vinegar flavor and saltiness. Perfect for my salty cravings! The party mix flavor was slightly sweet and reminded me a bit of delicious caramelized onions. Both packets contained seeds that tasted amazingly fresh and crisp with an excellent flavor.



Fruit Leather: Kaia's fruit leather is thin, chewy and a bit more dry than many fruit leather's on the market. The dryness of the product also makes them easier to savor slowly rather than gobbling them down in just a few bites. These have no added sugar and are minimally processed so the flavor is very clean. The Goji Orange and Lime Ginger flavors were both slightly bitter with unique and appealing flavor combos. The Vanilla Pear had a light vanilla aroma and subtle, pleasant flavor. Spiced Apple had a classic apple pie flavor which was lovely. In each of the fruit leathers the most apparent flavor to me was banana which made the leather have a slightly creamy flavor that was great in combination with the dryness of the leather.

I now love Kaia Foods for on the go eating. If I know I'm going to be out for the day and want some healthy, low fat, low sodium filled snacking, I will pack a Kaia Foods product. I think these would be perfect take on a camping or hiking trip! Kaia Foods also donates 1% of their sales to fighting hunger which is great. From the Kaia Foods website:

"1% of sales. As part of our mission to improve quality of life through proper nutrition we invest 1% of sales in fighting hunger. We currently donate to The Hunger Project and to the United Nations World Food Program."

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Kaia Foods has generously offered one of my readers a bag of their granola and one bag of pumpkin seeds!

*To enter all you need to do is visit the Kaia Foods website and tell me another product of theirs that you'd like to try.

For one extra entry each you can:
* Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect
* Subscribe to The Wide World Of via RSS
* Subscribe to The Wide World Of via email and post your email address
* Follow The Wide World Of via Networked Blogs and leave your name
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* "Like" Kaia Foods on facebook and leave your name
* Post this giveaway in your blog and leave a link to your post
* Tweet about the giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your email address in one of your comments or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on July 25, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: smilekisses

**I was sent 10 full size Kaia Foods products for review purposes and allowed to post my thoughts at my discretion. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine.**