Karina Reviews Stuff: Barry M Nail Art Pens

  

Left: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Blueberry with the white Nail Art Pen.
Right: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Dragon Fruit with white and pink nail art pens

I love nail art. I’m always trying to paint hearts, flowers, stripes, polka dots, cats, Totoro and festive things like Santa Claus – it’s really relaxing for me. And lately, I’ve used Barry M nail polish for years but until last weekend, had never tried the Nail Art Pens.

I love these, I really do, and I wish I’d gotten them sooner. I used to refuse to buy them because of the price and instead I would dip old run-out pens and cocktail sticks into my nail polish and use those to draw instead – but these are just so much easier and quicker.
You have to press the nib down a few times to get the paint started but once you get that, it’s super easy. The paint doesn’t all just rush out so you won’t end up with a big blob which is what  I thought would happen at first. These two pictures were my first attempts and are definitely not perfect, though I kind of like that look to things, it gives me an excuse to be messy!
I always paint my nails with the Barry M base coat and top them with it at the end – it helps them last longer plus it looks shinier and kind of softer – I don’t know how to explain it, I just think the colours seem to almost blend without actually blending once you put the top coat on.

Verdict: If you’re into nail art like I am – then get these. They’ll make it much easier, I promise.

Rating: ★★★★★

Vegan Cheesecake With Oreo Crust

This was my reward for being so productive with my graded unit lately – I’ve been working 10am-10pm on my days off trying to get all of this work done and I needed a pick me up! My mum made cheesecake this weekend which obviously, wasn’t vegan, and I was jealous so I decided to make my own!
I looked up some recipes but ultimately I just did my own thing for this.

Makes three individual cheesecakes

Crust:
90g oreos (you can sub this for any other vegan biscuit if you don’t like oreos or are avoiding palm oil)
40g dairy free margarine (I used vitalite)

Filling:
100g cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup light agave nectar
1/4 cup coconut milk
Bunch of strawberries to taste (or any other fruit. You can also flavour your cheesecake with melted chocolate, peanut butter, lotus biscuit spread…whatever you like!)

For the crust:
Melt the margarine and crush your oreos – I stuck mine in the blender. Slowly combine and fill whatever you’ve decided to put your cheesecakes in – I used these little glass jar things that we had in the cupboard but you could just use a baking tray. I didn’t line mine as I decided to eat my cheesecake out of the jar, but you may want to use some baking paper or paper cups so you can take them out easily. Fill each jar evenly before patting down, then put in the freezer to set while you work on the filling.

For the filling:
Stick everything in the blender – taste it and adjust if nessesscary. If you aren’t trying to kid yourself on about being healthier (like I was) feel free to add icing sugar to the mixture to sweeten it. Take your bases out of the freezer and fill them up evenly.
Stick them back in the freezer to set for 4-6 hours.

You can easily top these with dessert sauces, fruit, nuts, an extra oreo or whatever else you want! I opted for some homemade strawberry sauce and a strawberry 🙂 These got the seal of approval from my mum and brother who are both omnis! 🙂

What I’ve Been Eating Lately

College is taking up all of my time right now – hence my lack of posts. In the meantime, enjoy some pictures of the yummy food that I’ve been eating lately!

Mushroom Masala

Sweet potato, spinach and soybean curry

Homemade pizza with violife cheese and cheatin’ bacon rashers – and potato salad.

Couscous salad with pomegranate seeds with a ginger dressing (first time ever trying them and they are tasty! I ate this for three days straight..)

Study snack – green tea and moo-free chocolate (green tea balances out chocolate, right?)

Lunch – sandwich with ‘ham’ + salad, cashews, moo-free chocolate and an alpro yogurt

Cous cous salad with falafel with a delicious soy ginger dressing (I am getting good at this dressing thing!)

Spicy lentil wrap with cashews and some chocolate buttons 🙂

I have 15 days left to complete my graded unit so I probably won’t be posting until it’s over – see ya on the other side! Wish me luck (I’ll definitely be needing it..).

The Hardest Part

What’s the hardest thing about vegan, you ask?
It’s not the food (in fact my palate has never been so wide, varied or delicious), the limited options when eating out or having a staff member at a restaurant scoff at you. It’s not even the stupid ‘lol bacon’ comments or worse – the people who try to argue plant sentience like that’s a valid reason for them not to eat sentient beings.
Nope, no sir.
It’s the fact that it does not have to be this way that upsets me the most. That these animals don’t have to die and that we all have a choice – but many people are, knowingly, choosing death. That’s what keeps me up at night.

It’s the fact that the majority of the population could be vegan but aren’t. It’s the fact that they can’t even come up with a valid justification or reason why they are not making an effort. It’s the fact that these animals are individuals who all deserve to live. It’s the fact that these animals are discriminated against just because they don’t speak to us in a language that we can understand. Their cries are not silent – just ignored.
It’s so frustrating that other people don’t see what’s happening here when I am right here showing them the truth. It’s so disturbing that many people will reject veganism purely because it’s too ‘inconvenient’ for them (pretty sure it’s more inconvenient for the animal being slaughtered but ok).
Sometimes I struggle with the acceptance that my friends and family are not vegan – because I know that they are all good people. But what keeps me awake some nights is wondering – why aren’t you vegan? Or at least trying to be vegetarian? Don’t you care that these animals are dying? That they are suffering? Most of you have dogs or cats that you adore – doesn’t it mean something to you that the chickens and pigs that you eat were just as sentient as they are?
I don’t understand it. I have never understood it – I went vegetarian when I was ten years old and I didn’t look back because I knew that it was wrong to abuse animals. My only regret is that it took me so long to make the connection with dairy and go vegan.
I feel guilt on behalf of the rest of the meat-eating world, if I’m honest. It makes me want to speak to every animal that is waiting to be killed and apologise. Because I am so sorry that this is happening to them. I am so sorry that they are pain and people don’t care because they like the taste of flesh too much. I am so sorry that they cannot live out their lives in peace and free from harm in a nice, spacious field surrounded by all of their cute lil babies prancing around..
It could be like that if more people made the connection and that is why I will never stop fighting. Not until every animal in this world has the freedom and respect that they deserve.

It’s hard not to dwell on this – but ultimately I don’t think veganism is the deciding factor over what makes a good person – I think it’s one of (hopefully) many other things that make up the bare minimum requirements of being a half decent person. For instance, not being homophobic or racist. I don’t deserve awards for these things in the same way that I don’t want a medal for being vegan. It’s not that hard, after all. It’s just respecting other beings. It’s pretty simple.
I have to keep believing that soon, people will come to their senses. That one day it will hit them. My friends and family can ignore my blog, my many facebook posts and tumblr rants about animals all they like – but one day, they will be unable to deny what is right in front of them.

In the mean time, I have to settle for feeding my family accidentally vegan foods, encouraging them to try vegan chocolates, cakes and cheeses – and cooking their favourite dinners but veganized to show them they don’t even have to miss out on a thing.