I am very excited to share this first video in my Get The Look video series with Rebecca Casciano. Here, Rebecca shows me how to easily create a bold brow with a sporty cheek using all green products! For detailed step by step instructions and product recommendations check out this post! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for many more fun collaborations from me and Rebecca!
In my fridge you will always find one or two types of fresh herbs in a glass, as if they were a flower arrangement. Storing them this way not only keeps my fridge smelling nice but also keeps them fresher, longer. I always like to keep some combination of mint, parsley, and cilantro on hand to use in my juices, smoothies and salads.
This week is an especially bananas crazy one for me with a video shoot as well as a tasting party with OMilk on the books. Last night, after a looong day of prep work in the kitchen all I wanted for dinner was something quick, simple and filling. I find that after cooking for a whole day I do not feel like making a complex meal for myself for dinner. I crave simplicity. This herb salad was the perfect solution. Comprised of a little of almost everything in my fridge you really could call it a “kitchen sink” salad. Maybe I will! I present the Kitchen Sink Herb Salad. Feel free to add or substitute anything you like. Hate cilantro? Try some mint instead. Not a fan of parsley? How about dill? The combinations are truly endless, so feel free to play around!
Kitchen Sink Herb Salad
I am always looking for a quick and easy makeup look to wear out to dinner, to parties, or anywhere that requires a little more luxe than the everyday. At the end of a busy day I rarely save enough time to get glam for a night out. I usually have the best intentions to leave myself a full hour for outfit choosing, hairstyling and makeup time but to be honest this rarely happens. More often than not my getting ready routine looks like a scene from a Muppet movie, with me playing a frantic Miss Piggy juggling dresses, curlers and makeup.
I was so thankful when Rebecca Casciano showed me how to quickly and simply get the perfect smokey eye using all green products! I am pleased to report I have tried The Smokey several times myself with great results. Now if only someone could teach me how to use a curling iron as easily…
Our runway inspiration:
Get the Look:
Using your finger tips or a foundation brush, apply foundation (RMS beauty Un-Cover Up) to the face and blend evenly. For under eye discoloration, apply a small amount of concealer (Tarte Dark Circle Defense) directly to the area with your finger tip or a concealer brush. Powder (with Alima Pure Satin Finishing Powder) to set and minimize shine, if desired.
Fill in your existing brow shape lightly with a brow pencil (Shoba Brow Pencil). Choose a shade or two lighter than your brow color. Using a brow groomer, brush through color to soften.
Prep the lid with a light application of concealer or primer.
Apply a neutral eyeshadow like Nvey Eco Organic Eye Shadow in 168 as a base all over the lid, from lash line to brow bone.
With a fluffy blending brush, add a taupe eyeshadow such as Nvey Eco Organic Eye Shadow in 153 to the crease of the eyelid.
Apply Korres Metallic Grey Eyeshadow with a stiff paddle brush on the entire eye lid, from lash line to crease.
Then add a darker grey like Zuzu Luxe Gem Eyeshadow (go for black or more definition) to the top and bottom lash line with a small angled brush or a pencil brush.
Blend the line away from the lash line to create the “smoky” effect.
Curl lashes with a lash curler and add a few coats of black mascara (100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara) to top and bottom lashes.
Add a fresh glow to the cheeks with a soft pink blush like Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Amused.
Since the focus of this look is eyes, keep lips low-key with a natural color like Jane Iredale PureGloss in Cotton Candy.
Colors used on Sara: RMS beauty Un-Cover Up in 22, Tarte Dark Circle Defense in Light, Shoba Brow Pencil in Earth, Nvey Eco Organic Eye Shadow 168 and 153, Korres Metallic Grey Eyeshadow, Zuzu Luxe Gem Eyeshadow,100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara in Black Tea, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Amused and Jane Iredale Pure Gloss in Cotton Candy.
On Saturday morning we woke up to cold, fog and rain in Chicago. All of our lofty plans for bike rides around the lake and lots of window shopping were not to be. Luckily, while flipping through the tourist magazine in our hotel room I discovered that the Chicago Green Festival was going on right down the road at Navy Pier. Lots of green products under one roof for me to try? Perfect!
If you have ever been to Chicago’s Navy Pier you will realize the irony of it being the location for any sort of green/eco event. To get to the Green Festival we had to wind our way past food courts filled with sugary fried foods, many a gift shop, and of course…a ferris wheel. Doug tried to convince me to take a ride but I am way to scared of heights! Sorry love. 
Once safely inside the Green Festival, we found the Vega booth. I am a big fan of vegan Ironman Brendan Brazier and was excited to try Vega’s newly reformulated Energizing Smoothie. The Vanilla Almondilla flavor was delicious. A great alternative when I am on the go and cannot get to my Vitamix to make a fresh green smoothie! In fact, the packets of Energizing Smoothie I picked up at the Vega booth proved very useful when I was stuck at the airport trying to get home!
All I needed was an empty cup, some water and my Vega and I had instant plant based nutrition in a pinch! Good stuff.
There was a local First Grade class making a presentation about recycling and composting. I loved their Lorax poster!
Clean living and eco-Consciousness extends to all members of my little family, human or canine. These Honest Pet Products would certainly be Maddy approved!
I love trying locally made raw food snacks wherever I go. No matter how many times I have a macaroon, kale chip or flax cracker I am always excited to try someone else’s take on it. These Green Spirit snacks were especially delicious. It might be a good thing their Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips are not available in NYC. I might have become addicted! 
At the end of our afternoon at the Green festival we found the Peeled booth where they were selling freshly opened young coconuts. None of us could resist getting one!
I was thankful the nice people from Peeled opened the top up enough for me to dig the delicious meat from the inside. The lack of spoon in no way stopped me! No better way to end a great afternoon than with fresh, young coconut meat. Yum.
First off my apologies for the recent radio silence. Due to some seriously bad travel karma (re: many flight delays and cancellations) our quick weekend in Chicago was extended by two extra days. I learned quite a bit about coping with travel interruption and am excited to share new travel tips tomorrow!
Although the loooong trip home was stressful, the actual weekend was quite fun. We got to see friends, eat amazing food and even check out the Chicago Green Festival- a green living expo at Navy Pier.
On Friday night we had dinner with friends at Karyn’s on Green, Karyn Calabrese’s fine dining vegan restaurant. I have read about Karyn’s mini vegan empire in Chicago and was very excited to try her crown jewel. As I have mentioned before I am not always the biggest fan of specifically vegan restaurants. Many of them tend to skew towards “faux food” or “vegan junk food. I eat a plant based diet because I adore vegetables, so they last thing I want is a vegetable in disguise as a burger/chicken wing etc. As a rule I stay away from any faux meats, or tofu as they are just too processed for my taste.
At Karyn’s on Green I was able to find a number of simple, vegetable centric dishes that suited my tastes. I also appreciated that on the menu each item was marked (R) raw, (GF) gluten free, (SF) soy free, or (NF) nut/seed free. It certainly saved me a lot of time when deciding what to order!
We started our meal off with an Aged Raw Cheese Plate with wild arugula, white balsamic, and kiwi relish for the table. These nut cheeses were really excellent, and somehow lighter than any nut cheese I have had before.
I always work greens into my meal so for my appetizer I had the Kale Slaw with red cabbage, apple, cashew, and sesame vinaigrette. It was a lovely, tangy take on a kale salad. I especially liked the addition of cabbage to the mix.
For my entree I had the Portobello Steak with braised dandelion and a tempranillo reduction. This may have been one of the most flavorful roasted Portobello’s I have ever eaten. The red wine reduction made it incredibly juicy. I have big plans to try this one at home. 
One unexpected item on the menu was a shot of digestive enzymes. I loved how they came served in a champagne flute! Elegant and good for you! Here’s an idea: all restaurants that serve cooked and hard to digest food should offer digestive enzymes on the menu for their guests. Hey, a gal can dream!
Overall I enjoyed my experience at Karyn’s on Green. We were slightly disappointed that due to an earlier power outage in the kitchen most of the desert menu was unavailable. I would have loved to have tried the Sweet Pea ice cream!
Saturday day was spent browsing the Green Festival. There was so much goodness to be had there I am saving it for it’s own post. Stay tuned!
Saturday afternoon my friend Cari, a newly minted Chicago resident, took me to check out Peeled one of Chicago’s few juice bars. Peeled offers juices and raw foods as well as cleanses. I was hoping to pick up some Norwalk pressed juice to go for the following morning. Sadly, they explained to me that the Norwalk juices are made to order for their cleanse clients. I guess Chicago is not quite New York with it’s the grab-and-go pressed juice options.
I was in the mood for a green smoothie so I ordered the Green Day Live- a blend of greens, celery, green apple juice, avocado, lemon, parsley and a pinch of himalayan sea salt. It was quite tart from the lemon and green apple juice, but I really enjoyed it. I rarely find a green smoothie that I do not like!
Sadly, most of Sunday and Monday were spent at O’Hare trying to get home to New York. However, Tuesday morning I discovered Protein Bar, a “high protein food and drink bar” near our hotel. Most of the items on their menu were not for me. Too much protein powder and “boosts” for my taste. But they had a juice bar!!! I got Doug and I each a Hi-5 and a Market to help us prepare for the journey home.
While making my way out of Protein Bar I noticed this sign on the napkin dispenser. I could not agree more! 100 calories of Oreos and 100 calories of avocado are not created equal at all!
I loved orange long before Pantone named Tangerine Tango the Color of the Year. It’s fun, vibrant, happy and poppy. I love it so much that my entire office is orange (with hints of cream, brown, purple and pink), and one of the main decor colors for my wedding was orange. Like I said, I love orange.
For this spring beauty look green beauty goddess Rebecca Casciano showed me how you can use one color palette on eyes, cheeks and lips without being monotone or boring. I love how this look really made my eyes and lips pop! I can see myself recreating it (it’s so easy) on many a spring and summer day.
Our runway inspiration:
Orange StoryGet the Look
Using your finger tips or a foundation brush, apply foundation (RMS beauty Un-Cover Up) to the face and blend evenly. For under eye discoloration, apply a small amount of concealer (Tarte Dark Circle Defense) directly to the area with your finger tip or a concealer brush. Powder (with Alima Pure Satin Finishing Powder) to set and minimize shine, if desired.
Fill in your existing brow shape lightly with a brow pencil (Shoba Brow Pencil). Choose a shade or two lighter than your brow color. Using a brow groomer, brush through color to soften.
Apply a neutral eyeshadow like Nvey Eco Organic Eye Shadow 168 as a base all over the lid, from lash line to brow bone.
With a fluffy blending brush, add a peachy eyeshadow such as Nvey Eco Organic Eye Shadow 169 to the crease of the eyelid.
Curl lashes with a lash curler and add a few coats of black mascara (100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara) to top and bottom lashes.
Using clean fingertips or a foundation brush, apply a cream blush like Revolution Organics Freedom Beauty Balm in Sun-Kissed, to the cheekbone and blend to soften.
For longer wear, apply a light dusting of a powder blush in a similar shade, such as 100% Pure Blush in Mimosa.
On lips, go for a rich, poppy color like Nvey Eco Advanced Care Lip Color in 360 or Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip Stain in Jive.
Colors used on Sara: RMS beauty Un-Cover Up in 22, Tarte Dark Circle Defense in Light, Shoba Brow Pencil in Earth, Nvey Eco Organic Eye Shadow 168 and 169, 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara in Black Tea, Revolution Organics Freedom Beauty Balm in Sun-Kissed, Nvey Eco Advanced Care Lip Color in 360.
Did you know that almond milk sales in the U.S hit $281.7 million dollars last year? That’s a lot of nuts!
I am thrilled that America is getting away from hormone and antibiotic laden, mucus forming dairy milk. However, I have to say I am not entirely thrilled with the almond milk options found at most stores. Drinking almond and other alternative milks is meant to be a step towards good health. That step becomes very small when mass produced, commercial almond milk is pasteurized and made with processed sugars, stabilizers and preservatives that render it virtually nutrition-less. It’s still far better than cow’s milk though. That stuff is for baby cow’s, not adult people!
Recently, I have found one amazing, organic, preservative free nut milk on the market. It’s called OMilk and it is the best! Creamy, slightly sweet, and made with zero gross ingredients. I love it so much that I am hosting an OMilk tasting party with the founders Julie and Greg in a few weeks. Stay tuned for a recap and interview! For now, OMilk is only available in NYC via delivery or at Dean and Deluca. Great for me, not so great for the rest of the country. If you are in the NYC area I encourage you to try some OMilk YESTERDAY. You will thank me.
Until OMilk takes the nut-milk drinking world by storm I wanted to share with you an easy way to make your own almond milk at home. This recipe is very basic. I left it unflavored and un-sweetened so it could be used in both sweet and savory recipes. If you plan on drinking your almond milk straight from a glass I highly suggest adding a little liquid stevia and cinnamon for flavor. Or keep it as is and use it to make my favorite everyday smoothie!
Click here for my latest video, How To Make Almond Milk.
My friend Ceci Johnson is a true artist. As the founder of Ceci New York, a luxury invitation and design company she lends her inspired hand to everything she touches. I was lucky enough to work with Ceci while planning our wedding last February. She designed our fun Save the Dates (featuring a photo Doug took), our stunning invitation suite, our wedding programs and more. She also created a beautiful and meaningful ketubah for us that now hangs in our bedroom.
This week, our wedding is the subject and inspiration of Ceci New York’s CeciStyle magazine. Each week, CeciStyle shares Ceci’s latest passions and discoveries, not just in invitations, but also in the worlds of art and design, entertaining, fashion, beauty, home décor, travel and more—as well as expert advice and insights—via visually compelling editorial features, inspiration boards, and Q&A’s.
Click here to take a look at this week’s issue all about luxury on the Riviera Maya. You will even see a recipe by your’s truly!
If you love all things style and design like I do I highly encourage you to subscribe to CeciStyle. Your inbox will thank me!
Over the weekend I was inundated by thoughts of citrus-y desserts. First, a girlfriend of mine texted asking if I had ever attempted “my version” of a lemon bar. I replied “not yet” and then spent a great deal of saturday and sunday formulating a plan of attack for said bars. Notes were taken, lists were made, wheels were set in motion. Stay tuned.
Then, on Saturday evening I was at Organic Avenue and picked up a slice of Rockin Raw’s Key Lime Pie. It was creamy, sweet, tart and not too dense. Sadly I devoured it long before I could snap a picture. Soo good!
While my vegan, sugar free, grain free lemon bars are still a work in progress I did manage to create this quick and easy Coconut Lime Mousse. I like to think of it as a mini, crustless key-lime pie. Sadly, I could not find actual key limes anywhere but regular limes did the job just fine. This sweet treat is not only delicious but is loaded with good for you healthy fats! I made mine in small ramekins but they would also look gorgeous in wine glasses as the final course of a dinner party!
While today’s chilly weather is deceiving, spring is definitely here. Local, organic apples and pears are nowhere to be found and are starting to be replaced (slowly) with asparagus, fiddleheads, rhubarb, and the coveted ramps. While I adore my kale salads and roasted root veggies, I am excited to start adding some lighter, springy produce into my menu rotation. Before you know it will be blueberry season. Yes! Note: I have been known to eat a pint of blueberries a day in July and August.
This week I have been lucky enough to spend several nights at home making dinner. As much as I love socializing with friends sometimes nothing makes me happier than a simple meal that I can eat in my sweats while watching my newest TV obsession, Revenge. Have you seen it? All I can say is that I must be doing something wrong when I am in the Hamptons. My summers are NEVER that dramatic! Who has time for drama when their are blueberries to be eaten?!
Last night for dinner I experimented with a new asparagus dish that is now certain to go into heavy rotation in my kitchen. The sweet, garlicky miso marinade is delicious when roasted. Enjoy!
Copyright 2011 - Sara Jane Mercer
