Romy Raves

As many of you know, I am a huge beauty product junkie and finding great new products is my life’s mission. These days environmentally friendly products are all the rage, and anybody who is anybody is making their brand’s version of green or organic products. And while these products are supposedly better for you in the long run, I am still skeptical about their efficacy and tend to believe that chemically derived products offer better results. For this reason, I get really excited when I find new organic and green products that really work.

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So let me introduce you to Alaska Glacial Mud Co. Glacial Facial Purifying Mineral Mud Masks, one of my new favorite good for you and also good for the environment products. This delightful new find of mine has so many wonderful things going for it, it is worth mentioning these goodies here: this mask is made of sustainable hand harvested Alaskan glacial mineral mud that is both wild and certified organic; it exfoliates, detoxifies, softens, moisturizes and nourishes the skin with 60+ trace elements that promote skin cell regeneration; it has anti-aging, anti-oxidant and immune protective properties; and it also has a slew of other good for you ingredients like kelp, cranberry and vitamin B5 to name a few. And in further support of its ‘green-ness’, the company donates 10% of its profits to wilderness preservation, habitat restoration, environmental education and sustainable community development–Wow that’s impressive! So this product delivers ALL these benefits and I have not even begun to mention what it does for your skin!

After being taken with the inherent goodness of this product, I was even more surprised by the enjoyable usage experience and how fresh and radiant it made my skin look and feel. I was taken by the smell of this product (this is a big driver of why I am drawn to a particular product and I LOVED the lavender-peppermint and vanilla-lavender scents–Yummy!) which are refreshing fragrances and rather unexpected in a mud mask; I really like the cool, moist, nourishing and refreshing feeling of this mask, and it is definitely not at all drying like mud masks typically are; and best of all was the hydrated and vibrant look of my skin after washing it off. And then suddenly I snap out of this euphoric spa like experience, and I remember its good for you too–I am delighted and hooked!

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I think this would be the perfect mask to use during those hot summer months when your skin is sluggish, congested and needs a refreshing ‘pick me up’ or when its ‘that time of the month’ and you are cranky and so is your skin (I think the lavender peppermint would work wonders!) Why don’t you give this wonderful product a try and get your skin summer ready! Please let me know what you think and how it makes your skin look and feel–and of course as always there is a special added bonus for Romy’s Raves readers: You get a FREE terrycloth headband with every order, just enter promo code FREETERRYHEADBAND-09

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Romy

Woman with a Radiant Glow

I don’t know about you, but as the weather gets warmer and the BBQ season draws near, my mouth starts to salivate at the thought of all the yummy, tasty and often healthy BBQ food options (not to mention the myriad of cocktail options!) I always enjoy Memorial Day because its the kick off of the season and a perfect time to try some delicious and inpsired new BBQ recipes. Some of my fav summertime delights use fruit in their recipes to add a burst of flavor or an unexpected twist. Just because I love you, my loyal follower and biggest fan, I have included the links to some of these yummy recipes below, Bon Appetite!

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BTW I am also on the hunt for the best homemade macaroni and potato salad recipes, you know the old fashioned kind like Grandma used to make? If you happen to have one of these tasty recipes, please post and share with us all. Happy Memorial, relax and enjoy!

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Grilled Spareribs with Cherry Cola Glaze

Mara-a-Lago Turkey Burgers with Mara-a-Lago Pear Chutney

Apple Slaw

Barefoot Contessa’s Curried Couscous

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And of course as an added bonus I had to include a recipe for one of my all time favorite summertime libations, Sangria! Here’s my favorite super easy go to sangria recipe from Hipcooks cooking classes here in LA–Dee-Lish!

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Hipcooks Sangria
Serves 8

2 bottles of red wine like Two Buck Chuck from TJ’s (I like Shiraz)
3 oranges, thinly sliced
3 limes, thinly sliced
½ a bottle of Mango Passionfruit juice (Trader Joes sells it or other tropical juice)
A dash of Citronge (from TJs), or Grand Marnier or Cointreau

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Combine all ingredients and muddle. You can make it up to 8 hours in advance. Serve in chilled glasses with ice on a hot day. Also, you can consider adding any of the following when in season: sliced apple, peach, green grapes and even Rainier cherries. Remember to add these softer types of fruit after muddling. Also, why not try the same as above but with white wine, for a very delicious Sangria – called Clerico in Argentina.

This season I found myself more intensely drawn to American Idol than any other, and being the overly analytical woman that I am, it has gotten me thinking on a deeper level about what this attraction is all about and what it all means in terms of my perspective on life. On the surface, this season was filled with some of the best talent I have seen in years, which I found in the likes of Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey and Allison Iraheta, each of them gifted, unique, talented and memorable on different levels, and most importantly tremendously enjoyable to watch.

However, it has been Adam Lambert who has deeply touched me this season. He appeals to me on so many levels because he is insanely talented, hugely theatrical, larger than life, has an astounding range of styles and octaves, and in my opinion has the appeal of an iconic Superstar like David Bowie or Michael Jackosn. Every one of his performances took me on a journey and touched my soul because they were all unique, different and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering, “what will Adam do next?” Adam is such a gifted performer and has such an innate sense of what works both musically and performance wise that when he takes the stage magic happens. His performances gave me chills and replayed in my head throughout the week making me marvel at, in my humble opinion, what is by far the best talent ever to grace the American Idol stage.

On the other hand, Kris Allen, the likeable boy next door who mastered the guitar and gentle ballads was barely a blip on my radar. He did not stand out to me, I can barely remember most his performances and while he is a good singer he just did not capture my attention–and I must be in the minority because he captured the hearts of America and won the AI title.

Upon deeper examination, I ask myself what does this all mean? More importantly I wonder, why was I so drawn to Adam and not all to Kris? And suddenly it hits me, Adam reasonates with me–an outgoing, bold, curvaceous, charismatic, statement kind of a girl, who likes to reinvent herself and try new things, is unpredictable, and definitely likes to be the center of attention. And Kris on the other hand is safe, sweet, soft, familiar, predictable, and not a standout in the crowd kind of guy–and not at all relatable to me.

So which American Idol finalist is most relatable to you? Who reasonates with you? Which one captured your attention? Are you more of an Adam Glam Rock bold-take-chances kind of a person? Or are you more of a traditional, sweet, subdued, conservative play-it-safe kind person?

Let’s get a dialogue going on this blog and discuss who you relate to and why, and whether you agree or disagree with my analysis and perspective–I think we could have some interesting discussions about this one.

Romy
Diva of the Blogosphere