VOTING DAY!!!!

Voting is really hard guys. I have to like, cross the street & stuff and that's like soooo much work.

In case you are undecided, check out CBC's Voting Compass.

You can also have a look at WSPA's Vote For Animals.

Happy Voting!
No complaining about politics or issues if you don't!

Cruelty-Free Summer Tan *in progress*

I am very excited to share my 100% vegan & cruelty-free tanning options with you, and even more excited to have found these options! After all my research today I feel a glimmer of hope for my pale vegan legs.

Nature's Gate Sunless Tanner $8.99 & Glow Lotion $12
Nature's Gate is 100% Vegan and the glow lotion has props from Allure Magazine. The sunless tanner looks like a nice natural & gradual tan based on this review by Budget Babe.

Alba Botanica Sunless Tanning Lotions $9.95 & $14.95 Bronzing Lotion

I love Alba products and have been using them for years. I'm excited to try this very affordable option, and hope my results are as great as this raving review for the lotion with SPF 15. From this review it seems like the SPF lotion has a more natural glow to it and I like that you can be a little tanned while you tan!

The SPF formula for $5.95 is sold out & I can't seem to find it elsewhere online. I am now convinced to try the other lotion based on Budget Babe's review & photos.

Bath & Body Works - True Blue Spa:
$15 and right now the online store has a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal.

Because the label on their product say "Final product not tested on animals" (which means the ingredients may be tested) I always avoided this shop. However I just spent some time on the phone with their delightful customer service gals and found out they are 100% Cruelty-Free! Bath & Body Works products have no animal ingredients, no testing on the ingredients or final products on animals at any point, and the label is such because it is required to sell their products in the UK - and they do not make different labels for US & CAN. I'm so happy about this! They are also PETA-approved.

Based on these Makeup Alley reviews I decided not to buy today. I am extremely pale but I do want more than a tiny gradual hint of colour. It seems like the scent is great and if I see one on sale I will definitely pick it up from the Eatons Centre.

Marcelle I-Bronze Self-Tanning Cloths$16.95
Marcelle does not test on animals. They are the same company as Annabelle. There is a list here where they list all the products that have animal ingredients in them. Be careful when buying makeup!

Supre Bronzology Tan Maximizer $26
Best price and availability are on Amazon. Listed as 100% Vegan, I like that!

Lavera Self Tanner, Sunless Tanning Lotion $26
A company I am not familiar with. They have over 100 products which were deemed vegan and unlike many companies they give you full disclosure to which products have animal ingredients and what's in them.

Arbonne - Made in the Shade, SPF tanner 15 $28
*Comment here to reach a rep who is a friend of mine for 20%+ off!
I love that this company is completely organic, sustainable and vegan. I don't love the price, but the quality is excellent. This products has really great reviews stating it makes you look dark like a real tan vs. orange, and lasts longer than the usual lotions.

Urban Decay - Santa Tanita $28
I love Urban Decay. This product has really mixed reviews on the Sephora site. Seems like it would be best used when you want to go out with super shimmery legs.

Beautisol - Summer Glow & All Season Glow $39+
Also PETA-approved! This product was created by the woman behind the Self Tanning Queen site. I like the bonus tips from My Beauty Bunny's review.

Adonia Bronzing Glow Self Tanner $39
I don't know anything about this company but they list their ingredients as all natural and vegan. This lotion has superstar endorsement from Dancing with the Stars. They look pretty nice but I'm not fully sold.

Hempz Ultra Dark Tan Maximizer http://store.globalhemp.com/hempz-naturals-ultra-dark-tan-maximizer-10-1-oz-p/hempz-ultra-dark-bronzer-10.htm
Vegan & not tested. I am not familiar with this company.

MEH SECTION:

Rexall Glow Assist Daily Moisturizing Lotion
Rexall does not test on animals. I used this lotion and I liked how soft it made my skin. I have yet to try it with a tanning lotion though. It gives you an extremely subtle glow and is okay as a $4.00 lotion from Pharma Plus.

True Natural Cosmetics - Self Tanner Face and Body with Anti-Aging
I love that they list it is natural and vegan. But I can't find where to buy this and the online shop is very confusing. Get your own headache here.

Clarins Self Tanner Gel $33
Does not test on animals and claim to use all plant based products, but I could not confirm if they are vegan-friendly. The DHA in the tanner is made from beets. They do not list all of their ingredients so I am skeptical. Waiting to hear back from them.



FAIL SECTION:

Avon - SKIN SO SOFT Satin Glow Absolute Glow Gel
Although Avon does not test on animals at all, this product contains urea. Which is exactly what is sounds like, mammal PEE PEE! Meaning it could be human, too. So to start my own beauty product all I need to do is.... Moving along... after spending some time on the phone with Avon, they confirmed it is in fact an animal ingredient. EW + NOTHANKYOU.

Kiss My Face - Instant Sunless Tanner SPF8 4 oz.
Appears to be discontinued as is not listed on the Kiss My Face website.

Clinique
"We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law." Sounds like a company I won't be trusting! They have animal ingredients in many products.

Neutrogena
Is by Johnson & Johnson, which is Proctor & Gamble which means EXTREME CRUELTY! P&G is a large corporation with many umbrella companies and will not back down from animal testing. Do not support any company they own from beauty to food, etc. This includes Herbal Essences & Aussie shampoo which are still cruelty-free on the label (P&G bought both companies years back), but your money goes to a testing lab.

Coppertone Endless Summer
Company tests on animals.

L'Oreal
Tests on animals, P&G. They own Kiehl’s as well as Ombrelle, Dermablend and Vichy Laboratories. I read a rumor that L'Oreal will stop animal testing in 2013, but that doesn't mean much if it is still owned by P&G.

Banana Boat
Tested on animals.

Hawaiian Tropic
Not tested on animals BUT until 2007 Hawaiian Tropic was a private company owned by Ron Rice. It is now owned by Banana Boat, therefor your money goes to the wrong place.

Aveda - Sun Source
Discontinued.

Dove
Tested on animals.

Jergens Natural Glow
Not tested on animals. However I decided against this lotion after seeing the ingredients have Petrolatum & Mineral Oil - I will NOT use any products with this disgusting chemical wax. According to Arbonne, all "mineral" products in commercial creams are this nasty oil and while it appears to moisturize, it's all on the surface. Go for something natural that absorbs. This product also contains parabens.

Bain de Soleil
Tests on animals.


.
OTHER MENTIONS:
Bronzers are not included in the list but one by Bonne Belle came up on my search.

Tarte Glam Legs $30 is in the vegan section of the site, but the self-tanner & cellulite cream is not.

Mobile Glow Tanning in the US has a vegan & cruelty-free spray tan.

Street Style

This weekend I answered some questions about my style for a journalism student. It won't be published anywhere, but I thought I'd share my answers here.

I'm wearing: a fully synthetic sweater from the Urban Planet warehouse store
Fake swede boots from Spring
Fake leather bag from the Aldo outlet in Montreal
An antique broken locket from St.Lawrence Market
Floral tights from Garage
Manic Panic veg-based hair dye
Glasses from Wizard of Iz Optical on Eglinton (love them, super nice shop owner)


Who influenced your style?
I guess it started with Shirley Manson, Courtney Love and Gwen Stefani.

Who is your favourite designer? Why?
Stela McCartney. She brings ethics to high fashion which is mostly unheard of.

I adore this ad campaign for Stela!



What store do you most frequent?
I'm not a big shopper. Most of my clothing is thrifted, sewn by me or traded with friends at clothing swaps.

Is there a store that you make sure to avoid? Why?
I will avoid any store that retails fur. I avoid Get Outside on Queen because they sell rabbit fur mukluks, kangaroo skin Uggs, Vans and Converse which are all owned by Nike.

What are your favourite colours to wear?
Grey, black, pink and neon green.

Do you follow trends?
I wish I could say no but I love the 90's throwback that's going on right now. I'm all over the floral prints, grunge boots and bleached denim. I love the 90's!

What is the one item that you cannot live without?
My camera. I love happy memories and making art.

Do you have a favourite article of clothing that you received as a gift?
I love my t-shirt with a graphic illustration by artist Cam Davis from Berlin Tattoo.

What item do you own that you would never wear outside of the house?
I've walked my dog in a pink fuzzy bathrobe. I have no shame.

What is your oldest clothing item that you could never get rid of?
My bat mitzvah dress, it's hilarious! I might take it apart one day to use the amazing peach & turquoise lace my aunt glued rhinestones to.

Are you an avid reader of any fashion blogs or magazines?
I like Gala Darling, Haute Macabre and Girly Girl Army. I find a lot of great photos on Tumblr so I find all the good stuff from magazines online.

What lures you out of your fashion budget?
Sales on great non-leather shoes & blinged-out earrings from Body Art Forms.

What do you consider your essential pieces when you travel?
Leggings - you can layer them if it's cold and they take up very little space. Hoodies, I hate being cold. A great purse to dress up a plain outfit for going out. One pair of practical but stylish shoes for a tipsy night on cobblestone.

Would you consider designing your own line of clothes full-time?
Yes I plan to return to working on my line Healing Heart Designs when I get back from travelling.

How do you envision the future of clothing?
I imagine that people will tire of cheap disposable fabrics and technologically enhanced fabrics will prove to be best.

International Day of Action Against Seal Hunting

Photo by Dar Hidgen 2009

Another season of blood on the ice begins once more. Let's stand together and support the Harb Seal Bill!


"(The sealers) have been used by the government. They've been used by the special interest in government in order to advance a cause that is losing, that has no basis for success". - Senator Mac Harb


Sustainability?
The Inuit hunt is for sustenance - every part of the animal is used. The commercial seal hunt is wasteful, often leaving many pelts behind on the ice.
Are Seals destroying the cod population? Check out this chart:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=108208441504&set=a.114893601504.89659.512446504&theater

Jobs?
The government continues to tell Canadians that sealers revenues represent 35% of their incomes. If that is true, that means these Canadians are only making $3,500 a year! On average each sealer will make only $1,000 - $2,000 per hunting season.

On this day in 2009 I had the pleasure of meeting Mr.Harb at his lecture in Toronto. You can view clips of his important speech on my YouTube channel, taken with my awesome old camera.

I made cupcakes for the event using the gluten-free recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

END NEEDLESS CRUELTY:
www.sealmyvote.ca
www.stopthesealhunt.ca
www.ifaw.org

Vegan Reviews - Niagara Falls

I spent Valentines Day weekend in Niagara Falls and tried out a couple places I read about on Happy Cow. I was very pleased with the results!

We arrived on Sunday and found that very few places were open. The Bad Vuggum sounded like a great vegan cafe. It was the first stop we tried, and the cafe had closed. Next we tried 4Triple5 Wine Bar and Eatery which was described as an artist hangout with vegetarian options. When we got there there were no tables and the staff were setting up for an event. After seeing a big flashing Taco N Tequila sign, I had a serious craving for guacamole.

I was so disappointed by the guacamole, that I did not even take a photo. Maybe they had run out of avocados, because it was a bland mix of tomatoes that dominated the guacamole. The corn chips however were freshly fried and satisfying. I was very disappointed that a Mexican place which was this highly decorative did not really deliver authentic flavour. Nothing beats the guacamole at Mariachis in Toronto.

There was a Valentines Special on Fajitas for two, and as you can see the vegetarian version is pretty much just peppers. The flavor was great, but if you go there I recommended asking for beans and rice to fill up on. What saved my utter disappointment was slathering these in their homemade beer based hot sauce which was amazing. My partner is a huge fan of peppers and had no complaints. I have about 8+ years of being vegetarian on him though so my displeasure had bias. I will say however that the service was good and I liked the atmosphere.

For lunch on Monday we tried New York Chinese Food near the main strip, and could not be more happy with our experience!

Look how many options you have on the menu! The owner served us and was very nice, as well as knowledgeable about vegetarianism which is always a major bonus.

After reading great reviews about the Sweet & Sour Pork I came in dying to try it, and I was not disappointed!

Here you can see some of the chewy texture inside. Some parts were crunchy, some soft, some alarmingly hard. It was one of those mock meats that kind of scares you in texture and may slightly take away from the eating experience. However the flavour was so good and I loved the soft stringy parts.

The "Beef" dish was also delicious. I've had this kind of tvp/seitan before but NY Chinese got the texture to be much softer. The sauce was light and perfectly salty which complemented the greens very well. We ordered a side of rice which was nice and fluffy, and enough for two.

I was very happy after our experience at New York Chinese and recommend checking it out.

On Valentines Day we caught a late dinner at The Guru Fine Indian Cuisine. The atmosphere is cozy and romantic. In the photo you can see my vegan & gluten-free poppadoms (lentil crackers). Absolutely fresh and delicious.

Albeit small, I was pleased to see a vegan section on the menu. The restaurant owner is a longtime vegetarian with a vegan daughter. It was refreshing to order from someone who knew the vegan options inside & out, and made great suggestions. I absolutely adored the woman and talking with her started off our experience with big smiles.

I had the Aloo Gobi. It was incredibly flavorful with the best blend of spices I have ever experienced at an Indian restaurant. It was slightly over my spice threshold, yet manageable and none of the flavour was covered by the hotness.

Our naan - vegan wholewheat on the left, garlic butter naan on the right. In the background you can see a raita dish which was also greatly enjoyed.

Although portions look small, together with the naan and spice combination, you definitely leave feeling full. We were both delighted with our experience at The Guru and even took home a tiny leftover bag, and we're both huge eaters! If you love Indian food, I can't recommend this place enough. GO THERE!

On our drive back to Toronto we stopped at Vita Health foods. I stocked up on Earth Balance for $3.60 and we got some organic juice on clearance. They have frozen Tofurkey sausages and most of their tofu items are frozen which may not work well for a short hotel visit to Niagara. They had a great selection on gluten-free items such as my favorite and only delicious frozen bread, and an excellent selection of fresh gluten-free sweets. I found Vegenaise which is a staple in my kitchen, but no soy cheese. Although their prices on natural cosmetics & toiletries were high, they had the best prices I have seen on Cliff Bars and other energy bars. I would stop in for snacks and desserts to keep in your hotel room.

I was pleased to see this in the entrance of the Urban Planet store! Excellent.
On our way home we stopped by the supposed outlet mall which had high prices and many designer labels we had no interest in. The Adidas and Reebok store did have a lot of vegan shoe options and I am still kicking myself because I didn't get the new Reebok Zig Fuel shoes for $30 less.

PMS Party - Food

Painful lady times are something I've had to accept as part of my life. Generally this means I am fully out of commission for 1-2 weeks, and my friends know that if I'm M.I.A not to bother. It's not fun, but I would like to share with you any info I try out - what works and what doesn't.

Around 10 years ago I went vegetarian to avoid cruelty to animals. I had never considered going vegan until I met a girl in college with endometriosis. Her regular doctor told her the only way to cure her daily stomach pain was to either have a child, or have a hysterectomy. Before taking a drastic measure, she went to see a Chinese herbalist who recommended she go vegan immediately and take up yoga. She saw immediate results.

From that day it took me 2 years to break my cheese addiction. The final straw for me was working at a new cafe and having to dump 17 cartons of rotten, lumpy milk out in the basement sink. DONE. I had been skeptical about going vegan, but at the time my family doctor told me to avoid dairy before and during my period. So I had to be vegan half the month anyways, might as well. It's a decision I'm glad I made. My cramps lessened and the skin on my red dry cheeks cleared.

But cutting out dairy wasn't enough. An amazing iridologist I saw at the Vegetarian Food Fair 2 years ago saw that I had a gluten intolerance. This was around the time I noticed I was getting stomach pain similar to menstrual cramps quite often, and began to fear it was something serious. When I began to cut back I noticed I felt much more like myself and less groggy, crampy, tired and depressed. Who knew food could have such a strong effect on your mental state?

Other things I have noticed are to avoid sugar - which for me tends to worsen cramps. I know it's hard when all you want is some chocolate! But it immediately makes me feel worse. Eating more raw food seems to help lessen the pain as well.

But what can you eat during your period?
If you can relate, I would LOVE to hear from you or hear any tips you have. It seems that I almost can't eat anything during my period because anything in my stomach turns to an acidic bubbling mess that can also lead to nausea. I usually stick to soups and cannot have anything raw or cold.

According to Leslie Kenton in Passage to Power, foods to avoid are:
Coffee, tea, alcohol, sugar (and anything containing sugar) artificial flavourings and colourings, convenience foods, wheat and wheat products, meat, fish, game, cigarettes, drugs, chocolate, colas and milk and milk products... so it's basically all the refined and junk foods. In the pre menstrual phase its best to eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, soy products and healthy stuff that allows your body to detox.

Last month I tried:
Drinking hot tea with cayenne pepper. I noticed I had less cramping.

This month I tried:
Taking a spoon of maca powder in my morning smoothie every day. My mood, back pain and what I call pre-period "ghost cramps" were reduced by about 80%. Definitely going to keep taking this natural stress & hormone regulator.

I also have been going to the gym 3x a week which is supposed to help. I think I may have ruined things by having coffee and gluten a few days before this cycle. Let's see what happens when I try taking magnesium today. I'll be back with more tips every month, hooray ovaries!

Vegan Reviews - Le Commensal

Last month a friend recommended I try Le Commensal vegetarian buffet. I had heard mixed reviews but because there was a great deal through Groupon, I decided to try it out.

From top left to right, I had:
Ginger Tofu - Nice texture and taste.
(underneath)Curried Lentils - Delicious
Shepperd's Pie - AMAZING! It had a surprising blend of spices that were slightly sweet, but savory and completely delicious. I would come back just for this.
Sushi - Okay, but I have been spoiled by eating fresh sushi at Loving Hut so I just can't eat the cold stuff anymore.
Tempeh Salad - Bland. Completely flavorless except for the taste of Vegenaise.
BBQ Seitan - SO DELICIOUS!!!!! Totally worth the brutal gluten-hangover I woke up to the next day.
Curried Tofu & Veg - Delicious. I really enjoyed all the stews/curry dishes.

My partner's plate:
Veg Wraps - I liked the flavour of the tofu in it but it was pretty bland.
Raw Salads - Were all good. I tried the Waldorf Salad before seeing it was lacto-ovo and it was devastatingly delicious.
Potato Salad - Good.
My pal enjoyed the sushi but it was too cold to taste good to me.


My dessert:

Vegan Tapioca - Be still my beating heart... I love this stuff!

I was very happy to find it available at The Big Carrot after drooling over it for years. Never thing veganizing something is impossible or you miss out for years!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake - Good frosting, good consistency. Nothing special, but all gf cakes don't have an amazing texture. That is unless you microwave the ready cakes from Sweets from the Earth.

Pineapple Creme - OMG, I don't know what they made this with but it was INCREDIBLE!!! So tasty and amazing.


Even though I prefer buffets that leave you with your waistband busting, I would recommend trying it out. Le Commensal prices food by weight so this meal ended up being $50 for what you see here. I'm not sure if I would go there again at full price. It's too bad there is no all-you-can-eat vegan buffet!

A vote every day keeps the doctor away, I'm sure.

Let's win stuff! Vote every day to get more draw entries for Air Canada prizes!

HELP MY CAMPAIGN TO END BORING BLOGGING!
http://besttraveljobever.com/BeccaLove

In the Workroom Today

A super sweet freelance writer for Sharythym magazine came in to interview me today. I'll be posting up the article soon:)

Here are some snaps of me making the magics:

California Dreamin'

Flight Centre has re-opened video voting for a Cali-bound bonus assignment!

Please vote for my video so I can blog from the sunshine state! Oooh I love sun:)
Every comment increases my chance to win the draw, help a sista out?

http://besttraveljobever.com/BeccaLove

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