After taking Clementine for a walk in the park yesterday, I wanted nothing more than a large and delicious snow cone. I briefly considered picking one up on the way home, but a Styrofoam cup filled with high fructose corn syrup didn’t sound entirely appetizing. I decided to make my own using ingredients we had around our kitchen, and it was probably the best snacky decision I’ve made since my recent smoothie-related one.

I stuck to a few, simple ingredients, since my main goal was to achieve a healthier snow cone. Grape juice, Blood Orange Star Fruit Green Tea, and ice seemed like a tasty enough combination for my first attempt. The final product was a treat that was both refreshing and guilt-free, albeit a little tart.

I learned a few important lessons while making these snow cones, and I’ll put them to good use the next time I’m craving one:

• When using a food processor to make a homemade snow cone, it’s best to crush the ice by itself. Add the juice/tea mixture to the cups full of ice just before consuming to avoid a big mess.
• More juice and less tea is the way to go if the goal is a sweeter snow cone. It seems obvious because it is, but sometimes the obvious is still a mystery to me. Adding a little honey can only help matters.
• The longer you blend/crush/shave the ice, the better. Tinier ice makes a more authentic-tasting snow cone.
• Experimentation isn’t a bad thing. My next batch of snow cones will probably have completely different (but still healthy) ingredients. I’m thinking mango juice and/or coconut milk?

Happy Saint Patty’s Day, guys!

I ordered a small bag of trial size items from Coastal Classic Creations a few months ago. I have yet to actually review any of the products, but I did post about liking the trial size light to medium concealer while I was sunburned and on the beach with my family. I will eventually get around to posting thorough reviews of some of my favorites,  but for now I’d just like to say that I adore the Sand Waves perfume that came in my sampler set.  While it is made from fragrance oil rather than essential, the fragrance oil is premium grade and phthalate-free…which is something with which I can always get on board. After my perfume-related post a while back, I gave away all of my questionable perfumes. I’m not too concerned with what the hazard score is, either. While I can’t find this specific product on the Cosmetic Safety Database, Coastal Classic Creations’ other fragrances are all either a zero or a one.

This perfume smells like a dreamy tropical snow cone, and I am not ashamed of the fact that I sometimes wear it to bed.

I typically shave with Dr. Bronners Classic Liquid Soap (My favorite scents are almond and citrus), but I’m not opposed to using a natural shaving cream if I’m feeling especially adventurous.

Ingredients- (provided at albabotanica.com)- Purified water, isopropyl palmitate, certified organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice(1), tocopherol (vitamin E), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, certified organic cocos nucifera (coconut)(1), calendula officinalis(1), chamomilla recutita (chamomile)(2) and camellia sinensis (green tea)(2) extracts, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, carbomer, peg-7 glyceryl cocoate, sodium hydroxide, vegetable glycerin, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, potassium sorbate, and botanical fragrance.

The Cosmetic Safety Database gives this product a hazard score of 4, which is neither great nor appalling. I’m not particularly crazy about benzyl  alcohol or potassium sorbate (both are commonly used as preservatives), and I very rarely use this cream shave for that reason. I’ve done some research on  the ingredients “peg-7 glyceryl cocoate” and “phenoxyethanol” and they’re not entirely safe either. Obviously, however, I’d use Alba every day of the week before using something like Skintimate.

Product Description (also provided at albabotanica.com)-”Enriched with jojoba, vitamin E, and organic botanicals, this highly concentrated, soap-free formula delivers a smooth and soothing shave with lasting comfort. A cool splash of invigorating island coconut and lime will enliven the senses like a tropical sunrise.”

Price- $6.45 for 8 oz. I’ve had mine for over a year, and I’ve only used about half of it. So I guess the price isn’t bad at all. ( Interestingly, the preservatives that make me wary of this product are also the reasons that I can safely use it for over a year.)

Performance- I love how smooth my legs are after shaving with this stuff, but I have to be very careful with the amount that I use. If I use too much, the product clogs my razor and the blades stop working.  A dime-sized portion is usually enough for each leg. It’s probably important to keep in mind that I usually don’t go a day without shaving my legs. Someone with furrier legs might need to use more, which would make it harder to keep their razor unclogged.

Scent- It smells like a fancy, tropical sno cone, and you’ll hear no complaints about that from me.

Rating- 6 out of 10. I subtracted 1 point for the product’s tendency to clog my razor and 3 for the questionable ingredients.