Cinnamon Snail.

Cinnamon Snail was a food struck staple in NYC and New Jersey for years, and I don't get tot hem as much since they have moved to Pennsy (a food court above Penn Station). However, they are churning out the same decadent offerings.

For those who aren't familiar with the brand, the term "Cinnamon Snail" refers to their signature cinnamon bun (the snail is the spiral). However, they reached their peak of fame with their bourbon creme brule doughnut, which won "best doughnut" at the Vendy awards one year. Not best vegan doughnut, mind you, juust best doughnut. As someone who has inhaled this particular pastry many times, it was well deserved. I can find no fault. It is sweetness perfected.

Their sandwiches are their bread and butter, of course their menu skews toward the spicy, with international flavors fused into most offerings. They always have one or two mild offerings, though, which are usually my picks. This week I passed up my favorite thanksgiving sandoo (not easily) for the maple mustard tempeh. To make it a themed meal, I topped it off with a maple bacon doughnut.

It was balanced and tasty, not too sweet or too salty. The garlic aioli did leave a greasy feel in my mouth, which has been the case from the first sandwich I ever sampled at their trucks. It was messy as all getout, and I ended up with a big ole mess on a Pennsy table. Which I cleaned up, of course. There was a bit of confusion when I ordered - if you order a drink be sure to grab it yourself, as they don't always tell you to do so.

The doughnut was no boubon creme brulee (they were out), but it was well made and delicious. I should mention that my food outing started at Grand Central Station. I originally descended to their foo court, where my usual routine was to grab a V is for Vegan slice at Two Boots. Turns out that they no longer have a location there, so I opted to walk across town and down from 42-34th to Penn. There were other nearby options (such as Two Tablespoons) but the area isn't really full of them. That would be a bit of a hike for a non-urbanite, especially in this weather (I wouldn't have chanced it without my new Hoodlamb coat).

My verdict? More than worth the hike.

Blossom To Go

Blossom To Go doesn't offer much in the way of seating - most of its locations are strictly takeout. But it's 9th Ave location offers some much needed vegan options to midtown and the theatre district, and it has some phenomenal vegan junk food style options and well as some healthy food choices. I've been less than impressed with their wraps. A lot (all?) of them are pre-made; you just grab them out of the fridge and eat them cold. I've never been a wrap person for this reason; I tend to like my sandwiches hot, and for some reasons find wraps to be rather vinegary to boot. owever, their hot sandwhiches are deligious. Last night I feasted yet again on their philly cheese steak option. The ingredients are well balanced, it is not too greasy, and it is relatively non-messy considering. It is probably not low-calorie, but it is absolutely delicious.

I also had the chocolate chip cookie, which was great at home with a glass of Silk unsweetened soy milk. I've been burned by gluten free vegan baked goods in the past, so I tend to steer clear of them. All hail gluten! Erm, unless you're celiac, that is.

e.l.f. eyebrow kit.

About 7 years ago, I decided to buy less and focus on the cosmetics I already owned. I did a little too well. Now a lot of my makeup is about 5-7 years old, and I'm tossing a lot of it. So, my fancy Anastasia eyebrow kit is on its way out. A few days ago I puchased e..f.'s $3 eyebrow kit in medium. I found that the brunete kit I had used was starting to look way too dark on my fair skin and next to my red/auburn hair (even though my brows are very dark). The kit comes with powder on one side, and gel on the other. oth apply very easily. I was nervous about the gel, because I've had some bad experiences with waxes in the past, but it looked very natural, and helped to set the powder quite nicely. Honestly, I can't see a reason to spend more when this gets the job done so well. Unless you want to feel fancy. I know there are some one-step gel products out there that might be faster than this, but if you have about three minutes to spare, this is absolutely worth it. I'm including some photos: keep in mind I'm on a tweezing hatus while I change my brow shape.

Hoodlamb

After purchasing my first coat from Hoodlamb, I was hooked. I'll be adding reviews, and hopefully video reviews, of other apparel I have purchased from them as soon as possible. Let me know if there is something specific you want reviewed. Hoodlamb is a vegan clothing company located in the Netherlands. They have a US online store that ships from a warehouse in California. Although they have an alternative address, I have returned things to them, and the warehouse is in Compton. Bill Clinton bragged about starting his office in Harlem, so I'm not sure why they're shying away from sharing that information. I'm a lifelong New Yorker, and I dress like it. I'm the one showing up in a little black dress when everyone else in in jeans, and this has always been reflected in my outerwear. I have a small collection of faux-fur and felt formal coats, but always find myself chilly and spending as little time as possible outdoors. Well, I'm getting way too old and smart for that. I decided that it was finally time to buy myself a solidly warm winter coat, the kind that people wear in Alaska and Antarctica. My first stop was the traditional outerwear companies, many of which now stock down alternatives like Primaloft. However, when I stumbled upon a review for Hoodlamb, I was hooked. They make the coats for the Sea Shephard activists, who have to stay warm on boats in the frigid Antarctic waters. Their coats are very heavy - hey are made of hemp and recycled materials, not primaloft. If you are looking for something light and fluffy, this isn't it. But there are good reasons to opt for Hoodlamb if this is not an issue for you. First of all, they are ridiculously comfortable. They are lined with faux fur, and this is not cheap acrylic stuff. If is isanely soft. I've beeen known to snuggle up with it even when warm at home. Secondly, they have a lot of pockets: a sunglass pocket lined with the right cloth, hidden pockets inside, extra ones on the breast, and satifur lined hand-warmer pockets. Third of all, they have thumbholes, which means drafts don't go up the sleeeves, and your wrists stay toasty. Lastly, they're just damn warm. Which model to get? Well, that's compliated. I'll review that very soon. Keep in mind they're European, so there is no American ego sizing. I can fit into a size 10 and even a Medium in some American brands, but I am firmly an XL in most (not all) Hoodlamb products. Their size charts are key, but do keep in mind they are measured on the *outside* of the garment, so if it is thick, you need to add some inches.

�WOMEN FAUX LEATHER GLOVES � - UNIQLO

�WOMEN FAUX LEATHER GLOVES � - UNIQLO

It can be hard to find warm vegan gloves that aren't bulky, so I was pretty excited to see these.

Technorati Tag: childfree

�WOMEN FAUX LEATHER GLOVES � - UNIQLO

�WOMEN FAUX LEATHER GLOVES � - UNIQLO

It can be hard to find warm vegan gloves that aren't bulky, so I was pretty excited to see these.

Technorati Tag: childfree

Vegan Cuts

I have to admit, I was a little bit addicted to beauty boxes when the idea first came out. I had finally conquered my beauty addiction a year ago, and started focusing on using the products I already have instead of just what's next and new. I found that I was able to get a lot of good use out of the things I owned, and enjoyment, too. I started piling up empties like never before. By the 18 way mark, I had my collection fairly edited and organized. Then the beauty box idea came out. I think I love the surprise of it, and the little box in the mail fulfilled my inner shopaholic that looks forward all day to checking my mailbox. But I knew that I didn't need a whole lot in the way of beauty products, so I subscribed for one month each to a few. You end up with things you don't need, of course, but I figure as long as one of the items is worth $10-$15 to me, the rest of it is almost an extra. So when Vegan Cuts came out, I was ready to commit. I bought myself a 12 month subscription, a lot of commitment for a service I never tried. I've gotten two months so far. The stand out pick of the May box was Ocidate. You e-mailed them your address after getting the box, and they send you personalized products. At first I was a little leery of the "fresh for you, all natural" approach. I think a lot of people who have adopted that mindset unnecessarily shun anything they think of as 'unnatural' or 'chemical' even when that ingredient is effective, safe, and eco-friendly. They warned me off of hydroquinone as if I were drinking uranium. Yes, I know the ingredient may be hazardous. The tests have been anything but conclusive, and different countries have different laws on the matter. If your philosophy is 'avoid it to be safe' I can see that, but to act like the science is clear is a bit misleading. Anyway, that's a rant for another time. The fact is, these products are awesome. The cleanser and exfoliator work just great, although I am usually easily pleased in this category since I like my products simple. The day moisturizer doesn't have spf so I have no idea what makes it different from night moisturizer. But it is incredible. I am just now really dabbling in the world of moisturizers. I have very oily skin, so I just used whatever was in my tinted lotions and free products I got on earth day or pride or whatever. But now I see the difference. I wake up and my skin is dewy. The parts normally dried out by Retin-A are soft and no longer flaking. It often feels like I still have the stuff on my skin. Maybe I do. But it can do all this and not make me break out, so wonderful. It even has a moisture mask I can use when I've been bad and let myself flake. The toner is fine, too, though I have yet to really know what I want in a toner, ingredient-wise. So far, so good. :)