Corn, tomatoes, bamboo, and soy… sounds like a salad right? Although these are all ingredients that we eat all the time, Ford also uses them in their engineering lab to provide a second life in their vehicles.
Okay, what?
Bet you didn’t know that Ford was super sustainable? Neither did I, so when they emailed me asking if I wanted to try out the 2018 Ford Fusion Energi, an electric vehicle, and learn a little more about their commitment to sustainability, I was super intrigued.
The car brand is literally putting its money where its mouth is and is using ingredients made from the earth in their vehicles. For instance, they use soy foam seats and plastics reinforced by rice hulls, wheat straw, and cellulose. Crazy, right?! Never would have guessed that the seats we sit on in those vehicles are made from things we can eat.
Currently, sustainable biomaterials can already be found across 15 vehicle lines, including the Fusion Energi, which uses the following biomaterials in that particular vehicle:
– Sugar cane (sugar)
– Tomatoes
– Dandelion
– Corn
– Bamboo
– Algae
– Soy beans (soy)
– Rice hull (rice)
– Wheat straw (wheat)
– Coconut
Now I’ve driven hybrid’s before (we used to have a Hybrid Honda Civic), so I’m quite familiar with these environmentally conscious cars. To be honest though, I wasn’t a big fan of the Hybrid Civic since it lagged on accelerating, so I haven’t really been intrigued about hybrids since then.
The 2018 Ford Fusion Energi is a little different than a typical hybrid since you actually plug it in to charge it. The Energi features a 7.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that takes 2.5 hours to charge and can last about 100 kilometres in the city or highway. On the dash, the SmartGauge with EcoGuide provides real-time information to help you enhance how much energy you’re using. So when you’re accelerating, it tells you how much energy you’ve used and when you’re braking it will tell you the amount of energy as well.
Since I only had the car for a week, I didn’t get the chance to charge it (or visit somewhere that had spots reserved for electric vehicles only), but I did like seeing how much battery it was using and saving while I was driving. There was virtually no difference in driving this compared to other Ford vehicles, and best of all, there was no lag. In fact, it accelerated fast, which was a nice change compared to the Honda Civic Hybrid.
Now since I couldn’t actually eat the vehicle, Ford tasked me with choosing one of the ingredients they listed above that is in the car, and create a food item to highlight one of the main biomaterials in the vehicle. Since it’s the holidays and all, I did my favourite vegan ginger molasses cookies recipe from the Oh She Glows cookbook. These cookies use sugar cane in them, and since Ford is currently testing sugar cane for their vehicles, it ended up being a sweet treat (seriously though, those cookies are amazing, you won’t be able to tell they are vegan – they were all gone by the next day!). This isn’t the exact recipe, but it’s super similar to the one in the book (instead of vegan butter I used coconut oil, and I didn’t candy the ginger).
Aside from the actual electric features of the car, this guy was similar to their other vehicles. It had Sirius XM enabled, so I was totally digging the variety of channels to choose from, and since it’s been so cold here in Winnipeg, I had those seat heaters and heated steering wheel cranked (although I was told the heated seats will drain the battery faster). The gear changer was a little different as you had to slide it, as opposed to it being a handle, but I got the hang of it quickly. I also what to note that since this is an electric vehicle, there isn’t a ton of trunk room, since that’s where the battery is housed.
Yummy cookies aside, it was really cool to test drive this guy for the week. I would have never thought that there are edible ingredients in the making of a car. Currently Ford uses soybeans, rice hulls, wheat straw, coconut, and cellulose in their vehicles, and are currently testing out sugar cane, tomatoes, dandelion, corn, bamboo, and algae. Next time I’m in a Ford vehicle I’m totally going to wonder what ingredient made the cut and for what actual item in the car.
The Ford Fusion Energi starts at C$38,475 MSRP and since it’s an electric vehicle, the government does offer credits of up to C$7,730 back.
Huge thank you to Ford Canada for providing me with the Ford Fusion Energi and a prepaid Visa gift card. I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.
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With December 1 being this Friday, do you have your advent calendar yet?
I chatted about these last week (and am also giving one away!), but I’ve always thought advent calendars were such a cool idea, and there are so many brands that have hopped on board with this. Love coffee or tea? Beauty products? Socks? There’s an advent calendar for you.
Since I don’t actually celebrate Christmas I never had these growing up and I’ve only really ever opened them when they were gifted to me (note to self: create an eight days of Hanukkah advent calendar), but if you’re looking to pick one up this year, there are no shortages of ones you can buy.
Since this is a beauty blog, if you are in the market to pick one up for you or a friend, I have a few recommendations for ya, and unlike my last blog on them last week, I’ll ruin the surprise and even let you know what’s in them.
The Body Shop 24 Days of Beauty advent calendar
Housed in a purple box, this advent calendar from The Body Shop is one of many you can pick up. The 24 Days of Beauty set is on the more affordable side, retailing at C$69 (with a value of C$154). There are tons of minis behind those doors, including the following:
- Lip Butter Mango 10ml
- Shower Gel Mango 60ml
- Soap Frosted Plum 25g
- Shower Gel Coconut 60ml
- Nail File
- Shower Gel Pink Grapefruit 60ml
- Soap Frosted Berries 25g
- Hand Cream Coconut 30ml
- Eyelash Curler
- Body Lotion Mango 60ml
- Loofah White
- Soap Vanilla 25g
- Eye Definer Black 1.1g
- Facial Cleansing Sponge
- Shower Gel Strawberry 60ml
- Lip Butter Shea 10ml
- Gentle Eye Make Up Remover Camomile 60ml
- Hand Cream Almond 30ml
- Gloves Bath Red
- Body Butter British Rose 50ml
- Brush Brow/Lash Comb
- Born Lippy™ Lip Balm Strawberry 10ml
- Body Lotion White Musk 60ml
- Glitter Dust Gold 1g
I think that the variety of products in here makes this a nice set. Although there are some repeats just in different scents, you can totally split this up if you wanted (after you’ve opened all the doors obviously). I personally like having these small items on hand for travel. The only thing I would change are the bar soaps. Do people really use bar soap anymore? I’m more of a body wash and hand soap kinda girl, so these personally won’t go to any use with me.
This item is currently sold out online but may be available in store. I’m also giving one away (contest closes tonight!).
Sephora Collection Winter Wonderland Advent Calendar
For holidays 2017, Sephora Collection has released an advent calendar filled with makeup, skincare, bath and body, and accessories. As part of their cute Winter Wonderland theme, this calendar comes housed in a big pink box with tons of themed goodies.
Although anything from Sephora Collection is a good idea, I do wish that this advent calendar came with better items. Here’s what’s inside:
- 0.27 oz/ 8 mL Sleeping Mask in Lotus
- 3 x 0.26 oz/ 7.9 mL Creamy Body Wash Capsule in Cotton Flower, Lagoon, Peony
- 0.63 oz/ 18 g Fizzing Cube in Cotton Flower
- 2 x 0.0101 oz/ 1.87 g Express Eye Makeup Remover Wipes
- 0.06 oz/ 2 mL Fingertip Eyeliner in 01 Smart Black
- 0.025 oz/ 0.73 g Eye Pencil Liner to go in N09 Intense Black
- 0.07 oz/ 2 g Removable Eyeshadow Pan in N298 Tiramisu
- 0.089 oz/ 2.5 g Universal Brow Freeze in 01 Clear
- 0.12 oz/ 3.5 g Blush in N05 Sweet On You
- 0.025 oz/ 73 g Lip Pencil to go in N03 Classic Red
- 0.169 oz/ 5 mL Cream Lip Stain Lipstick in 01 Always Red
- 0.16 oz/ 5 mL Nail Polish in L43 It-Girl
- 4 x 0.09 oz/ 2.63 g Instant Nail Polish Wipes
- Ribbon hair tie
- Pocket mirror
- Ribbon
- Post-it stickers
- Badges
- Nail file
Post-it stickers? Ribbon? Come on Sephora, you guys are the queens of the beauty world, surely you could have thought of better items to put in here other than ribbon. There is a Party Piñata (C$38) as well, that’s totally fun and includes less items, but if you’re hosting a holiday party, you may want to look into that item as well.
Although there are way better advent calendars out there than this one, it is Sephora after all. Items aside, I’m sure anyone who receives this will absolutely love it. This retails for C$56, and although I can’t find it online, check in store, they’ll probably have it.
Hard Candy 12 Days of Eyes and Holiday Crackers
If you’re looking for something more affordable or for those wanting to build up their makeup collection, Hard Candy has a few options available.
The 12 Days of EyeShadow Collection (C$9.97 at Walmart) gives you 12 single eyeshadows, one for each day leading up to the holidays (Hanukkah starts on December 12… just saying..). Hard Candy also offers this set with lip products and nail polishes, so there are definitely options for whoever you may want to gift this to. Since it’s so inexpensive, you could totally pick up all three if you really wanted (the three of them would be cheaper than one of the other sets I mentioned).
Although this isn’t an advent calendar, Hard Candy also has a set of holiday crackers, which I think would make fantastic stocking stuffers or stuffer gifts for your friends (you know when you buy one expensive thing but you should really throw something else in the bag? These would be perfect for that). Each cracker contains a paper crown and a different full-size Hard Candy cosmetic item:
- Walk The Line liquid eyeliner
- Plumping Serum volumizing lip gloss
- Wet Ever lip lacquer
- Velvet Mousse lip colour
- Metallic Mousse lip colour
- Stroke of Gorgeous eyeliner
Since all crackers look the same it’s a total surprise on what each hold. Hard Candy is sold exclusively at Walmart and this set retails for C$14.97 (a total steal!).
I would love to know if you’re into advent calendars and the ones you hope to receive this season. Let me know in the comments below!
Also, don’t forget to enter my Body Shop 24 Days of Beauty advent calendar giveaway! Canada only, contest closes on November 29!
Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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Ever wonder what kind of lipstick colours Gigi Hadid likes? Well, just take a look at her new collection with Maybelline to find out.
This past Friday I previewed some items from her collab with drugstore brand Maybelline (of which she is a spokesperson), but I wanted to do the lipsticks separately. There are six colours in this collection and they are part of the ColorSensational Matte lipstick formula. I’ve always been a huge fan of Maybelline’s lipsticks since they are so comfortable to wear and the formulation is top notch. There are six colours in this collection, all being housed in packaging similar to the rest of the collection, matte millennial pink with her name on it in holographic writing.
I received four colours, McCall, Erin, Khair, and Lani. There is also Taura and Austyn, and all the shades have matching lip liners, which I didn’t receive so I can’t comment on those. I have tried Maybelline’s ColorSensational liners before though and did like how they applied.
So what’s with the names? I thought the same thing. McCall is a beautiful nude named after one of Hadid’s best friends; Erin is a deep mauve with purple undertones named after Maybelline global makeup artist, Erin Parsons; Khair is a classic, universal red with orange undertones, named after Bella Hadid’s middle name (Gigi’s sister); and Lani is a deep red with blue undertones named after another one of Gigi’s best friends. As for the other shades, Taura is Hadid’s signature nude shade, named after her astrology sign, Taurus; and Austyn is a warm shade, named after another one of her friends (she has a lot of friends apparently).
At first glance, McCall was clearly going to be my favourite, and it totally is, however, after swatching the other three, I’m totally digging all the shades, yes, even the reds. Erin, the taupe is lighter on compared to how it looks in the tube, and the two red shades are just stunning and so holiday and vacation appropriate.
These lipsticks will be released with the rest of the collection on December 5 (however they are available for preorder through Amazon.ca and Walmart.ca as of right now). They will retails for an SRP of C$11.99 each.
Will you be picking up any shades from the Maybelline x Gigi Hadid ColorSensational Mattes collection?
Also, don’t forget to enter my Body Shop 24 Days of Beauty advent calendar giveaway! Canada only, contest closes on November 29!
Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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