My Journey Into Oil Pulling. Does It Work?

I was inspired to take another journey into oil pulling by lovelyreverie_ on Intsagram. She posted a photo about oil pulling and it got me thinking. I have tried oil pulling a couple of times inconsistently and while I did notice a whiter smile, I don't think I was consistent enough to fully reap all of the benefits.

I did some additional research and came across an article claiming that oil pulling could be a cure for headaches or migraine. As a frequent migraine sufferer I am open to just about any suggestion to relieve my pain.

Oil pulling is where cold pressed organic oils are swished around in the mouth for about 20 minutes each day. Coconut and sesame oils are the most popular to use for oil pulling. I use coconut. This process of swishing the oil in your mouth is supposed to help kill bad germs that live in your mouth. Apparently the oil also  "pulls" germs and toxins from other parts of your body via your mouth. After the time is up you spit the oil into the trash so that no toxins are reabsorbed. It is not recommended to spit coconut oil into the sink because this type of oil solidifies at temperatures below 75 degrees meaning you could possibly clog your pipes.

Other possible benefits of oil pulling include:
~Less cavities and bad breath
~Whiter teeth
~Promotes healthy skin
~Helps maintain a healthy liver
~Corrects hormone imbalances and possibly help relieve PMS symptoms
~Help boost immune system
~Helps relieve allergies or other sinus problems


So here I go once again! I started today, March 11th by lightly melting some cold pressed coconut oil and swishing it my mouth for 15 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night. I am going to challenge myself to do this everyday for the next two weeks to see if I find any improvements in my migraines, teeth, or overall health. I'll be sure to update you with my findings.

Have you ever tried this? I would love to hear about your experience, opinions, or general thoughts! Let me know in the comments, tweet me @Imperfectperla, or email me at cwlinguistics@gmail.com


If you are interested in learning more about oil pulling here are some articles I found really helpful:

http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/oil-pulling-the-habit-that-can-transform-your-health

http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling-for-oral-health/


Have a great day!

Courtney

Affordable and Beautiful: Wet N' Wild Spring 2014 Nail Polish Collection

Spring is right around the corner (I hope!) and with it comes lots of new spring beauty items.

Today I wanted to share with you some watches and a review of the Spring 2014 Wet N' Wild limited edition nail polishes. I have been a huge fan of this make-up brand since I bought my first lip gloss in the 7th grade. The brand is always affordable, good quality, and not tested on animals.

I am also a huge fan of nail polish in general because something about changing the color of my nails just makes me happy.

There are six polishes total in the Spring 2014 collection but I only picked up four of them because the other two were very similar to polishes I already own. These polishes are $1.99 each and I found mine at Walgreens.

Here are the four I tried:

Elegance is a subtle pink frost. The color is buildable so you could go with just one coat for a natural shine or build it up for a more intense baby pink color. I found this color changed a bit depending on the light and it can come off more silvery than pink.

This swatch is two coats of polish with no topcoat.


Champagne Toast is a frosty goldish beige color. The color is very neutral toned and also subtle like Elegance. I am quite fair complected with cool undertones so I have to build this one up to be really noticeable. This one might end up mostly as a toe color for me this summer when I want to go bare but not naked. I think this would be particularly pretty if you have skin with warmer undertones.

This swatch is two coats of polish with no topcoat.


Valet Tag is a satin grey color with a tiny hint of shimmer. Although the shimmer is subtle I think it really helps this polish look chic and not drab. Normally I wouldn't gravitate towards grey nail polishes but I actually like this color as a soft transition from Winter into Spring.

This swatch is two coats of polish with no topcoat.


Sophisticated is a very sheer opal-blue polish with shimmer. This one can be kind of tricky. It is so sheer that I don't think it looks very nice on its own. It is however a very lovely topcoat as you can see in the picture below. The opal sheen gives darker colors a little oomph.

This swatch is three coats of polish with no topcoat. My index finger is one coat of navy polish with Sophisticated as a topcoat.

My Overall Impression:

I really like these new polishes. Except for Sophisticated, the pigmentation is very nice. The formula is very smooth and easy to brush on. The brush has the same square manicure-friendly style as all the other Wet N' Wild Megalast polishes so that's always a winner in my book.  I am a huge fan of neutrals so I think I will get a lot of use out of these this Spring. My favorite is the shade Elegance because I think it looks cute and girly but not too immature. I'm hoping this shade will make me appear a bit more sun-kissed once the weather warms up and I can justify using self-tanner.


I hope you enjoyed my review and I would love to hear your thoughts about these polishes,other polishes, the Spring, or about anything health and beauty related. :)

Have a great day!

Courtney

Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" Recipe

Good Evening! Or Morning, or afternoon....depending on where you live. 

I just got done eating dinner and taste testing a new recipe I tried out today. Like always I cant't just keep these things to my self. Oh no. They must be shared! :)

This is a recipe where you take a head of cauliflower and make a substitute for mashed potatoes. This recipe is 100% gluten-free, vegan, and delicious. 

 It still has the same texture as mashed potatoes and basically the same taste but with more nutritional value. Cauliflower is a great source of protein, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, K, and B6.   

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic salt or just plain salt depending on what you prefer

A pinch of black pepper

2 Tbsp of unsweetened almond milk. You could also use unsweetened soy milk. 

Directions:

1. Chop up your head of cauliflower and add all pieces to a large pot of slow boiling water. You can use every bit of the cauliflower except for the leaves so don't be afraid to add both the florets and stems. 

2. Once your cauliflower bits are tender drain the water and add the cauliflower to your blender along with the almond milk. 

3. Blend on lowest setting until the mixture is well blended but a few lumps remain. If your blender has a pulse setting, use that. 

4. Pour the mixture back into the pot and place it on low heat. 

5. Slowly mix in the salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast one at a time. 

6. Remove the pot from the stove and serve!

While the recipe itself is vegan I sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top and it was quite tasty. ;)

This was my first time making this recipe and I was pleasantly surprised. It really does taste just like mashed potatoes! 

I hope you enjoy this dish and have a great day!

Courtney

Protein Brownie Bites

Nom, nom, nom....

Here is my recipe for some delicious little brownie bite treats.

What You Need:

•  3/4-1 cup of chocolate protein powder. Mix in 3/4 cup first and if the mixture is too water add in the rest.  I use the Nutribiotic Brown Rice Protein Powder. 
•  1/4- cup of stevia or 1/3 cup of regular sugar.
•  1/4 cup of  soy milk creamer.
•  1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
•  1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• 1/2 cup of egg replacer or 1/2 cup of egg whites.
•  1/2 teaspoon of raw cacao powder.
• 1/4-1/2 cup of nut butter (I used almond but you can use whatever kind you like)  

To Prepare:

• Mix the egg/egg substitute, soy milk creamer, and protein powder together first. 
• Then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended. 
• Bake on 350 for 20-26 degrees, keeping an eye on them until a toothpick comes out clean.  

NOTE: You could substitute the soy milk creamer for any type you like (coconut milk, almond milk,etc)

I think these treats are best served warm. They are also delicious with a little nut butter spread on top.


Buen Provecho!

Courtney

Check out my new YouTube Channel!

Hello everyone!

I want to share some fun news with you. I decided to start a YouTube channel. Woo hoo!!

I started this blog and now this channel as a sort of self-care project. My day job involves hearing about a lot of traumatic events so it's good to have a positive outlet to relieve stress. Plus I think it might be fun!

Head on over to My YouTube Channel to check out my first few videos. Please subscribe and leave comments telling me what other kinds of videos you would like to see. You can also Tweet me your requests or comments @imperfectperla.

Some of my future video ideas include:
~Health product reviews
~Cooking/baking tutorials
~Craft DIYs
~Budget-friendly videos
~Beauty, makeup, and fashion
~Motivational and self-care topics
~ Your requests! :)

I hope you're having a great start to your week!


Courtney

Quick and Delicious Miracle Noodle Soup

Hey there!

I just wanted to share with you a recipe I tried out today. I was searching around my fridge for a healthy, but tasty, dinner option for work and came up with this soup. It turned out to be delicious!

Ingredients:

~1 Package of the Miracle Noodle, Shirataki macaroni.
~ 1/2 diced green pepper
~2 Tbsp of hemp seed hearts
~ 2 stalks of chopped celery
~Ground black pepper to taste
~A pinch of oregano for good health
~About 20-24 oz of Chicken broth (you could use veggie broth too). I just filled it up until all the other ingredients were covered and floating.
That's it! You could also add in any favorite seasonings you like.

Before adding the noodles to the jar you want to rinse them off. Then I just added the rest of the ingredients to this big mason jar and shook it to mix everything together. When I got to work I transferred some into a small bowl and heated it in the microwave for 2 minutes. You could heat it right in the jar if you wanted.  (take the lid off, of course).

The Miracle Noodles take the flavor of whatever you cook them in so it tasted like a warm chicken noodle soup. Yum!

Bon Appetit!

Review: Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day & Night Cream

Hello Lovelies!

I am back today with a review of the Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day and Night Face Cream. I bought this product at Target about a month ago, kind of on a whim.

 I needed a new night cream and I wanted something that was cruelty-free and all natural. I was REALLY impressed with the ingredients so I decided to give it a go. Ever since then I have been using it day and night after I cleanse my face and I am absolutely loving it! After 30 days not only did I see a difference but I've had strangers comment on how nice my skin looks.

Also, I have combination/dry skin that can be sensitive at times so I needed a face cream that would work with all those issues. That being said, I think this product would also work well for normal to oily skin types. 

Here's a breakdown of why I love this product:

1. The ingredients. One glance and you will fall in love. It has Sweet Iris Leaf, Damascus Rose Leaf, Kelp, Coconut water, Sunflower Seed Oil, Shea butter, Grape seed Oil, Cucumber extract, and many more wonderful things.

2. It's vegan and cruelty-free so you can rest peacefully at night knowing that no precious animals suffered for your beauty. 

3. It smells great but the scent isn't overpowering. 

4. It's a cream but it feels very gel-like and soaks into the skin quickly. 

5. It's non-irritating and it didn't make me break out.

6. It really helped hydrate my skin in these dry winter months but it didn't leave my skin feeling greasy. 

7. I saw improvement in those little "parentheses" lines around my mouth and in the fine lines on my forehead.

8. It made my skin look more radiant and hydrated. 

 9. It comes in a slim 1.7 oz container so it's very travel friendly. 

I bought mine at Target for $20 and I know to some that may be a bit pricey but I think it is well worth it. Some of the super high-end moisturizers cost way more and aren't all natural or cruelty-free. So it makes me wonder why they are even so high priced!? 

If you don't have a Target nearby you can order directly from Pacifica at www.pacificaperfume.com or I found it on www.beauty.com. 

If you have any comments or questions you can leave them down below or tweet me @imperfectperla. 

Also, let me know if there are any other cruelty-free skincare or beauty products I should try. 

Paz, 

Courtney

***These opinions are all my own and I was not paid for this review. I purchased this product myself.***