Lifestyle: Live the Lovely Life

Lifestyle: How to live a lovely life ... in style!

Fashion and beauty trends, home dÃ©cor, food, and recipe ideas, travel and reviews.

Tea Tuesday: Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

September 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Oolong is amongst my favorite types of loose leaf tea. Not as well known as its’ green and white counterparts, Oolong is a delicate tea with lots of health and beauty benefits, including the ability to curb cravings for sweets and carbs. In this way, Oolong is superior to Green Tea, which does boost the metabolism but does not suppress the appetite. Oolong is a rarer tea and can be expensive.

A quality Oolong we recently tried is Zone – 365 Oolong Tea. It is a Da Yu Ling Oolong, which are leaves from the highly prized Taiwan mountains. The high altitude creates a climate that grows leaves slower but with optimal flavor. Da Yu Ling leaves are often very expensive.

APPEARANCE
The first thing you notice about Zone – 365 Oolong Tea is the leaves are rolled into tight tiny orbs that unfurl during the brewing process. The curled leaf formation makes for the least oxidized of all the teas, resulting in a very pale, delicate, sparkling gold-tone brew. Once brewed, the leaves unfurl into full, unblemished leaves. I like how fresh and pure the leaves look, it assures me that this tea is optimal quality.

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

TASTE
Zone – 365 Oolong tastes like the champagne or wine version of a cross between a green and white tea. Oolong tea is semi-fermented, which causes the smooth, silky, slightly wine-like texture and taste. There is not the vegetal taste associated with many greens, and it is much lighter tasting and texture than a matcha. Zone – 365 Oolong Tea does not have any artificial flavors to enhance it, as a quality Oolong stands on its’ own. Some may wish to add a bit of sweetener to taste; I liked it with or without just a bit of cane sugar, as lemon or milk would overpower the taste.

AROMA
The leaves have a lovely scent in the packaging, and the tea does as well once brewed.

PACKAGING
The 365 Oolong tea comes in loose leaf form, two attractive metallic silver bags. The bags are vacuum sealed and held in a colorful white canister with a blue floral pattern and blue metal cap. There is an inner lid to help retain the freshness of the tea. It makes for a suitable presentation as a gift for a tea lover.

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

HOW TO BREW OOLONG

Zone – 365 recommends a specific way to get the best brew from Oolong. Kung Fu Brewing or the Gong Fu style of brewing is a common process in Taiwan for making tea. It is a detailed process that gets the best out of the Oolong tea leaves. The full process is seen on the 365 blog, and it makes for a lovely tea ceremony that brings out all the flavors of the Oolong.

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

The gist of it is shown in the video, which is a modified version of the “Gong Fu style” Way when making Oolong tea for one person.

For the best quality tea, use the freshest, cleanest water you can find, such as filtered water or well water. Oolong is too delicate to conceal a bad-tasting water. Heat the water to an at-below boiling point.
Using a clay or glass pot (clay is preferable to enhance the flavor over multiple brewings but glass works as well) add about 2-3 grams of Oolong pearls to the pot.
Fill the pot less than halfway full. Swish the water around for about 30 seconds; this removes the outer surface layer of the Oolong, and any tea dust from settling in the bag. It is like how many people don’t eat the first pancake in a batch because they are just “priming” the griddle. Nothing is wrong with this tea; it is just not the very best brew.
Pour this water out into a discard container. In the video, I poured into the pottery ware cup. In the traditional method, this water is used during the rest of the tea ceremony and initially, is poured into the drinking cups to warm them. I skip this step and just discard the priming brew water.
Now pour the remaining water into the teapot. Within a minute or two, the Oolong unfurls into the beautiful leaves. I loved how fresh, unblemished and beautiful the unfurled leaves looked.
Brew for about 2-5 minutes, or a few more minutes to taste the deeper Oolong flavor. The traditional method groups many serving cups together and in a swirling pattern, pour the tea over all of them to get an even distribution of the flavor. It reminds me of being at a party, and many champagne glasses are being filled at once. A tea towel is used to clean up the cups before they are served. I don’t pour it the traditional way but do give the teapot a few swishing motions around to give the infusion a good stir before pouring.
You can immediately start the next brewing infusion off the same Oolong, and get a good four infusions from the same leaves, and maybe up to seven or eight infusions depending on the size and medium of your teapot. Clay works best for multiple Oolong brewings.

ABOUT Zone-365
Zone-365 teas support The Ethical Tea Partnership, ETP. This non-profit group works for improving and sustaining the tea industry by the raising of standards for tea production, supporting tea workers and smallholder tea farmers, and working for climate and environmental causes.

CONCLUSION: This is a lovely and very fresh Oolong Tea, I am so happy to have tried it! Even my non-tea drinking friends enjoyed this Oolong. I like a tea that curbs my cravings for sweets, and the aroma and brew color is just beautiful. I was particularly impressed with the unfurled leaves after brewing: fresh, unblemished, full leaves, the mark of a quality tea!

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

Being able to infuse multiple brewings from the same Oolong leaves works out to be very economical. I am very pleased to find a high-quality Da Yu Ling leaf Oolong!

Find this tasty tea at Amazon.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFBlymu2W2M[/embedyt]

I received this product for testing and review purposes.

Sensation Professional Electric Straightener Brush

September 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Sensation Professional Electric Straightener Brush

I have long work days, especially the days I commute into the city. My morning commute is about an hour, then a brief windy walk outside to the office building, a long day of work, and then usually some post-work socializing before going home.

My hairstyle has usually fallen flat by 5:30, so I was excited to try something that could quickly enliven my style, smooth my wind-blown hair and add some shine.
It heats up almost immediately and quickly gives a nice shiny and smooth look to hair.

The instructions outline how to hold the brush to add some volume to the roots, and the ends and length of the hair look smooth. It is no more work than brushing your hair. My hair did not feel dry or damaged like when I use hot rollers or other hot tools. My styling products such as any hair spray or spray in treatments like BlowPro Thickening Spray are not gunky or sticky after using the comb, which is a nice advantage over re-styling your hair with a curling iron.

There is a nice V-shaped tool for separating out sections – sort of a rat tail comb on one side, a thin brush on the other. I have found this useful with other styling products as well, such as when using hot rollers.

I also tried the brush on my Mom, who has dry, wiry hair that only briefly conforms to any straightening efforts with rollers. It smoothed her hair immediately with a very straightforward and quick brush through, it was smooth and shiny with a nice flip curl at the ends. It also imparted a bit of bounce.

There is an excellent swivel cord. Products often SAY they have a swivel cord, but this one completely swivels without adjusting how you hold your arm. This is a nice feature.

Of course, like other hot tools, I would advise using a thermal mat to allow the brush to cool down after use. While the handle is not hot to the touch when using it, the brush itself is 450 degrees. I use a simple thin silicone cooling sheet for cookie trays, though there are dedicated thermal mats available if you prefer that.

Sensation Professional Electric Straightener Brush

I’m thrilled with this brush and use it a few times a week. I don’t like using thermal tools too often because they damage my hair, but there seems to be far less damage and dryness using this brush than other tools, so I feel comfortable using it more often.

In the video below, it was incredibly humid all day with torrential downpours most of the day, and this brush left my mother’s hair smooth for hours. Nice!

Find it at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Travel: Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

September 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag comes in three different colors; we selected pink, and we use it to hold makeup and beauty supplies while traveling, going to the gym, or for makeup redo jobs if we are leaving for a social event directly after work.

Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

SIZE AND APPEARANCE
About the size of a purse, it is suitable for discretely carrying to the ladies room for a mid-day emergency beauty touchup (or total overhaul). It is also suitable for using as a handbag/carryall for the gym to hold my jewelry, phone, wallet, makeup, and toiletries for taking a post-workout shower and styling my hair afterward. There are convenient pockets to hold my gym membership card so I can quickly swipe my card and get to my workout.

Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN
There is a black plastic hook to hold it upright in place when used in a locker or bathroom, and a handle for carrying it. There is a fair amount of cushioning within the bag to keep items safe in transit. It is waterproof and leakproof, which is particularly useful when transporting multiple beauty products that could cause a mess in your suitcase.

The bag comes with a black eye mask and earplugs, suitable for use to get some sleep while traveling. This bag would be very helpful if you choose to keep your beauty supplies with you while traveling, which I prefer to do whenever possible to keep them out of my luggage and avoid hot/cold weather extremes when luggage is in the trunk of the car.

There are two internal zippered pockets for holding more fragile makeup powders or perhaps jewelry during a gym workout. I use it to hold more expensive beauty items. For example, my Hourglass powder trio is very delicate so I keep it in the box when using it outside of the house, and having a secure pocket to hold it in is very useful to keep it safe.

The deep middle pocket holds a long thin can of hairspray or dry shampoo, face wash and a ton of makeup and beauty supplies, as seen in the photos.

It has multiple side pockets for various makeup pencils, makeup brushes, toothpaste and toothbrush and makeup palettes. The inner side pocket is useful for holding a wallet and different cards, or a small book or journal. The pockets are deep enough to hold a full 8-ounce size tube of lotion or face wash. I carry hand cream in this pocket.

Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

CONCLUSION: Useful for carrying all your toiletries and beauty tools while traveling, post-gym workouts, or to discretely redo your look after work before a night out, the Mr. Sleek bag holds a TON of stuff in an easy-to-find internal design that keeps even delicate items securely in place.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyKQ-6XRM1A[/embedyt]

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Health and Beauty: Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

September 18, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Last week I eagerly clicked a link on what models were drinking to achieve their luminous skin during NYFW. It was…green tea. Didn’t we know this already? Whether you are new to the skin and health wonders of green tea or a tea devotee, you should definitely try Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea.

OVERVIEW: This is a tangy and crisp Green Tea, perfect for the end of summer, beginning of autumn.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

WHY WE LIKE GREEN TEA:
On average, we try to drink two cups of Green Tea per day. Green Tea makes for glowing, youthful skin; as it reduces inflammation (such as puffy undereye bags), rids the cells of aging free radicals and helps boost the metabolism resulting in more energy and weight management. Green Tea also has health benefits for heart and brain health and is considered beneficial for cancer prevention.

The Green Tea that one drinks can make all the difference in gaining benefits. To get real beauty and health benefits from Green Tea, it takes two things: 1) find a reputable company that produces safe, quality, fresh green tea from whole leaves, not “tea dust” and 2) find an enjoyable flavor you will enjoy drinking consistently

FINDING A REPUTABLE GREEN TEA COMPANY FOR QUALITY TEA:
Two key considerations when seeking a good tea brand is the quality of the tea and the safety of the tea.

TEA SAFETY: StyleChicks recently reviewed the Coastal Tea Company, and we were very impressed with the efforts they take to produce tea that is not only high quality, fresh whole leaf tea, but they strictly regulate their production to sell only small-batch, fresh tea with no trace of radiation or lead. Tea leaves, like other vegetation, is subject to soaking in the nutrients from the ground. Sometimes that ground contains metal traces including lead, and some areas where tea is grown have been subject to high levels of radiation. Coastal Tea Company takes extensive measures to avoid both risks, see more about the Coastal Tea Company here in our review of their Mango Green Tea.

TEA QUALITY: The most value from Green Tea comes from fresh, full leaves containing the highest levels of EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) and polyphenols (the chief antioxidants). These high levels are not found in green tea “dust,” or the leftover remaindered older teas. Look for loose tea that has large, fresh pieces of dried leaves visible within the tea mix and a low amount of “dust” in the mix. Any inclusions to flavor the tea, such as dried fruit, nuts, or petals, should be generous in size and fresh. A fresh tea has a tasty, full aroma.

FINDING A FLAVOR OF TEA YOU LIKE
It is important to find an enjoyable flavor of Green Tea because Green Tea is for some, an acquired taste. It may, in fact, not be YOUR cup of tea if you don’t enjoy drinking it. Green Tea can taste somewhat vegetal, and often requires some sweetener or flavoring to enhance it, especially for someone new to drinking full leaf, fresh green tea. Fresh Green Tea has a richer, fuller taste than many commercially pre-bottled, pre- sweetened sugar drinks with Green Tea as an ingredient.

WHAT MAKES COASTAL TEA COMPANY GINGER MINT GREEN TEA SPECIAL?

Coastal Tea Company’s Ginger Mint Green Tea is a 100% loose leaf sencha green tea blend with dried ginger pieces, lemongrass, and Moroccan Mint. It has a crisp taste without being too tart or bitter. The Ginger is nicely tempered by the mellow Moroccan Mint, which surprised me as a tasty combination of flavors. The Lemongrass was a surprise enhancing ingredient in this blend because typically lemongrass tastes just plain grassy to me. But in this tea blend, playing off the other flavors, it is quite good – sort of a crisp tanginess without being bitter. For those new to Green Tea, a small amount of sugar or honey could be added, but even our non-Tea loving friends and family have enjoyed this blend.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

INCLUSION: Any inclusions to flavor the tea should look fresh as well. The chunks of ginger are plentiful and big. They are full, solid chunk slices, not gritty partial crumbling shards of ginger. How they appear in the pictures is how the tea looks poured directly out of the bag. The lemongrass pieces are plentiful and unbruised. The mint leaves were large pieces of fuller leaves. Notice how all the pieces of tea and inclusions are in good shape, they look fresh and there is no tea dust.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

NATURAL FLAVORS: Coastal Tea Company uses all natural flavorings. There are no chemicals or additives; the flavor comes just from the inclusion ingredients, in this case, the Lemongrass, Ginger and the Mint.

TASTY: Not everyone likes the taste of Green Tea. This Ginger Mint has a crisp, tangy taste; the sweet Moroccan Mint balances the tart taste of the ginger surprisingly well.

FULL LOOSE LEAVES: The tea is actual large leaf and full leave pieces, leaves, not dust or remaindered tea. This is the freshest type of tea, the best of the batch, and it holds the most anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.

PREPARATION
Bring water to almost the boiling point but not a full boil. This makes Green tea brew better and tastes less bitter. Don’t over steep the brew, brew for no more than 2 – 4 minutes.

The tea has a lovely, pale yellow hue and tastes of ginger, lemongrass, and Moroccan mint. I got a second full-pot brew out of the same leaves that were just a flavorful as the first.

CONCLUSION: A tasty, natural tea that has all the benefits I look for in a green loose leaf tea without any of the risks associated with some loose leaf tea brands. I am impressed by the strict standards and precautions Coastal Tea Company undertakes to ensure their teas are fresh and safe.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

Find this tasty tea at Amazon.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYyVSm2UCG8[/embedyt]

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!