Gadget Love: the mophie juice pack powerstation

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after being an FAndroid for over a year, i’ve just recently switched back to an iPhone 4S.  one of the major adjustments was battery.  not only was my Android far more battery-efficient, but i was able to purchase an extra batter pack, so if i was low on juice, i could pop out the battery and put a fresh one in.  BOOM!

on the iPhone – not so much, since the battery is a permanent part of the device.  unfortunately, for a girl like me who is always on-the-go + addicted to her phone, this posed a problem.

the more popular option: the mophie juice pack air. it’s received nothing but rave reviews from everyone i know, but the one major issue: i have a real issue with how bulky it makes the phone.

(photo from intash.com)

enter the mophie juice pack powerstation. what is it? a portable, external battery that can charge any iOS device. so not only is it great for iPhone, but for iPad as well.  then i read this rave review from The Next Web and I was sold!

SIZE:  size is great – compact, about what I reckon an old-school iPod was. extremely lightweight.  it also has this great, rubberized texture to it.

there are two ports: a micro-USB + iDevice port.  and it also has a “power on” button – standard to all mophie devices, which is what will start charging the device, once plugged in.

GRIPES:  gripes about this — it only comes with a USB-microUSB cable to charge the powerstation, so no outlet plug-in.  it also doesn’t come with a Apple Dock Connector, which is a bit of a pain.

PERFORMANCE:  great! i can fully charge my iPhone from around 10% battery to 100% THREE times before having to re-charge the power station! for a person like me who is rarely sedentary…it’s perfection.

highly recommend this for anyone who is on the go! :)  well worth the price!

mophie juice pack powerstation, $79.95

Organic Avenue Love Deep: Day 1

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Day 1 of a 5-Day Organic Avenue Love Deep.

baseline:  despite being vegan this past year+, i’ve definitely let some bad habits slip in: two fully-caffeinated sugary Starbucks drinks a day, tons of cooked stuff, candy galore and…oh hi, carbs!

mood:  apprehensive.  based on the above, i was expecting Day 1 to be painful: headaches, moodiness and major bitchiness.  oddly enough, none of it. which leads me to believe the worst is still to come. (yikes!)

activity level:  day 1 was a Sunday, so tried to keep it low key. went to a 90-minute Jivamukti yoga class before i started my cleanse, then lounged around the rest of the day watching bad-but-good movies (Miss Congeniality, Titanic, Twilight)…and also squeezed in a massage. anticipating the worst, i decided to take it easy.

the menu:  i specifically asked for there to be “more” calories, since i wanted to continue my daily workout regime during the cleanse.  today’s total calorie count: 1,054

the verdict: loved the flavor of every single juice today. in the past, i’ve had not-so-great times with some of the green soups, but thankfully, no green soups on this menu! energy levels are decent…but we’ll see what happens tomorrow when i have to go to work and be functioning member of society!

www.organicavenue.com

5-Day Organic Avenue Love Deep Cleanse — pray for me!

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i love a good cleanse. my first time trying it back in 2010 – i experienced unexpected levels of energy, mental clarity and productivity.  it was because of my cleanse that i realized just how much what we eat affects our bodies.

after my first time cleansing, i went a bit extreme — became 100% raw vegan for a good 6 months.  i’m not going to lie — i felt GREAT! but at the same time, it made me into a social leper — less because of me, but more because everyone else felt like they needed to be more accommodating because i’m a “special needs” eater.  fast forward to today, when i’m more VEGAN than anything else, trying to be as raw as i can.

why a cleanse?

2 weeks of eating crap + thanksgiving holidays + no chance to go to yoga = blah Heather.  so as soon as i got back to my apt, i signed up for the 5-day Organic Avenue Love Deep Cleanse: all juices, no solids for 5-days.  i don’t know what the hell i was thinking, but i know this will give me a jump-start into resetting myself!

there are PLENTY of cleanses to choose from, but i’m down with Organic Avenue. Why?

  • they use glass bottles – they’re committed to reducing waste
  • they use organic ingredients (duh)
  • they are really accommodating with any special requests: if you don’t like the taste of something, just let them know and they’re happy to adjust
  • they are truly committed to this lifestyle — this isn’t about a quick weight loss mechanism, it’s about living a healthier, cleaner existence

will be keeping you posted on the progress!

#2011MUC FOTD: cherry red lacquer lips….

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phew – FINALLY caught up on my looks!

so today’s inspiration for the FOTD: STRESS.  so when i’m stressed out, i have this horrible habit of picking my lips.  for someone who LOVES a strong, matte lip…this is probably the single worst affliction, because this ultimately means any lipstick will look a bit gross on flaky lips.

so i turned to the NARS Larger Than Life Lipgloss in NORMA today. now i’m normally a jelly-lipgloss gal, i don’t fare too well with glosses that are more opaque.  but there is such a healthy dose of pigment to these, that i would say this is more like a glossy Lipstick as far as coverage.

now, the first thing you’ll notice about this product: the wand is itty-bitty.

at first, i was scratching my head at this, but after using it…i totally get why. the small brush allows you to get the PRECISION when you apply this. because it’s more like a glossy lipstick in opacity, the tiny brush allows you to really define the lips in a very defined way to get a really beautiful, polished look.

final look (sorry, my photo taking was SO shaky today)

 

#2011MUC FOTD: matchy-matchy…chambray shirt, chambray eyes

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slowly catching up: yesterday’s look.

i’m not one to be matchy-matchy, but sometimes it works.  (it also works when you’re getting dressed at 5am and trying to pack your makeup look at the same time….ah, the perils of going to yoga before work)

my logic for this one was simple: i had a chambray shirt.  therefore, i did chambray-ish eyes.  (it even SOUNDS dumb….cringe).  in any case, i used NARS Eyesahdow Duo in Underworld.  this is one of the classic “smokey eye” duos — it’s a very true Grey palette, both dark and light.  no undertones (not too cold or warm) — JUST grey.

finished look:

#2011MUC FOTD: Wine + Tokyo

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catching up on all my #2011MUC FOTDs! this one was from last Friday.

tried the NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Tokyo…a really subtle “everyday” kind of palette, for someone who doesn’t necessarily want to wear brown neutrals all the time.

really wanted to try a strong, dark lippee (and scare all the suits in midtown, muahaha).  i pulled out the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu, but felt it might be a little too “bleu” for me…so i warmed it up by putting Lip Liner Pencil in Borneo all over the lips before applying.

final look:

#2011MUC: inspired by Daphne…the ultimate NARS Muse

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it’s no little secret that Daphne Guinness and Francois Nars are homies.  while i was in a NARS training last week, i saw this gorgeous photo he snapped of her for his iconic 15×15 book:

and of course, he created this iconic Nars Single Eyeshadow shade in DAPHNE, exclusively after her.  it’s a stunning purple/blue MATTE shadow.

the texture is very matte and the color is highly pigmented.  you can layer it on for a really concentrated finish, but it also sheers out nicely.  just a suggestion: if you’re planning to work it around the lid, avoid using the base on the bottom, otherwise it will anchor too quickly and won’t be able to move.

on the lips: Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Como.  more on the product later, but in short: it’s a gloss that packs a lot of pigment punch! almost like a glossy lipstick. :)