Gluten Free Beauty Facial Moisture Serum

I was super excited a couple weeks ago when Kristen Campbell from Gluten Free Fox sent me a message to tell me about the new Gluten Free Beauty line she was starting. The new line will be completely natural as well as cruelty free. As of yet, there is no "organic" claim on the label, but once everything is properly registered there will be. I love the fact that there seems to be no corner cutting on this gluten free product, even the labels are being done just right.

I was even more thrilled when Kristen offered to sponsor a giveaway so one of my lucky readers could try her new Facial Moisture Serum for themselves. Having tried this product myself, I can tell you that this will absolutely make someone's day! Keep reading to learn more about this new gluten free product and how to get your own for free!

Ease of Use

All it takes are a couple drops of this Facial Moisture Serum to feel the difference in your skin. It is very easy to get those couple drops since this lovely oil is in a dropper bottle. There is a downside- It takes a bit of practice to make sure you don't get too much each time because the dropper holds much more than you need.

Appearance

The bottle itself is very pretty. The Facial Moisture Serum it contains is a foggy amber-gold color.






Scent and Texture

Gluten Free Beauty Facial Moisture Serum has almost no scent. There is a slight hint of herbs when sniffing the bottle, but not much fragrance is left on your skin.

The serum is pure oil, and feels that way when you put it on. It takes a little while to absorb, but when it does... My goodness your skin will be soft! I noticed a difference in the way my skin felt with the very first use. Now, after using the Serum for almost two weeks, I see a difference in the appearance of my skin as well. My complexion has evened out and has a softness and suppleness that I love.

Versatility

Facial Moisture Serum is made only for the face. I'm okay with that because any other use would be a waste :)

Overall Value

Gluten Free Beauty Facial Moisture Serum is $45 for a one ounce bottle. It is comparable in price to most of the beauty creams I have seen and will last a very long time.

Rating

I love what this product has done for my skin. No opinions from my daughter to report here since she still has perfect skin and I won't share this with her :)

The Giveaway

By now I'm sure you're convinced that this is a must-have product, so let me tell you how to get your own! I will hold a random drawing to select the person to give one bottle of Gluten Free Beauty Facial Moisture Serum to on Monday, April 19, 2010. The drawing will be completely random (think names in a hat). To enter the drawing, leave a comment below telling me why you want to win. A good story won't improve your chance of winning, but it will make us all smile :)

*Important* Make sure that when you leave your comment that you also leave a way for me to contact you when you win. This can be done by selecting the name/URL option for "Comment as", or by any other means that will be easy for me to use. While you're at it, why not click the "Subscribe by Email" link as well, that way you're always in the loop.

Good luck to all who enter!

This giveaway has been completed, Thank You! 

Ener-G White Rice Loaf

There are just not enough gluten free bread reviews here. After today, I'm not sure how many more I'm willing to do:)

As far as gluten free products go, bread is one of the most wanted and most despised. In an effort to get a wide range for my gluten free product reviews, I took the plunge and ventured into the bread basket. See how the Ener-G White Rice Loaf did against the criteria.

Ease of Use

It is very easy to use Ener-G White Rice Loaf, once you get it out of the package. This bread is sealed air tight. Not such a bad thing!

Appearance

It looks like other loaves of gluten free bread. Like a smaller, perfectly shaped version of a regular bread loaf. It has a smooth textured appearance.

Taste and Texture

This bread is dry, crumbly and virtually flavorless. The texture is somewhat like a dry sponge. It is much better toasted, but you still need to add a lot of butter to get a good flavor. On a lighter note, it did have slight hints of sourdough flavor, which I like.

Versatility

Bread is infinitely versatile. This bread would be good for making croutons or using as bread crumbs.

Overall Value

A loaf of 12 slices costs about $5.50. It is priced comparably to other gluten free breads.

Rating

I will not buy Ener-G White Rice Loaf again. With all of the great new gluten free products out there, I am looking to spend my money on something else.

DeBoles Corn Spaghetti

Ahhh, pasta. One of the things most missed by people new to a gluten free diet. There are so many options available, and some are not so great. Some, however pass the test. DeBoles Corn Spaghetti did, read on to find out why.

Ease of Use

Cooking gluten free pasta can be a bit of a challenge, and DeBoles Corn Spaghetti is no exception. Bring the water to a full boil. Add the pasta and then stir and separate the strands until the water boils again. If you don't, the pasta will clump up.

The instructions say cook 8-10 minutes, but I recommend you begin checking for doneness at 6 minutes. This will ensure that you don't overcook, giving you a pot of mush.

Appearance

DeBoles Corn Spaghetti has strands that are a light yellow-orange color. It looks like spaghetti.

Taste and Texture

DeBoles Corn Spaghetti has the closest taste I've found to regular spaghetti. It works well with any sauce, including olive oil, and has no unpleasant aftertaste.

If cooked right, the texture of this gluten free pasta is perfect. It has a nice bite to it and has no problem winding around a fork.

Versatility

Top it, mix it, anything goes! I've even used it as a crust for a spaghetti pie.

Overall Value

You can buy DeBoles Corn Spaghetti for about $2.39 a box. Not too shabby!

Rating

This has become one of my favorite gluten free products, and a must have pantry staple.

Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza Mix

For my first gluten free review, I chose Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza Mix. The packaging concept for this product is pretty and easily recognizable. It conveys the idea of an old fashioned bakery on a tree lined street. Good deal. Read on to see how it did on each point of the rating criteria. (For more on the rating criteria, scroll to the bottom.)

Ease of Use
Upon opening the the box, I found a cellophane package of white powder and a packet of yeast. (In one box there was also an extra recipe card) I was touched that they included the yeast for me. I read through the directions and noticed that I needed six other ingredients and a mixer to make this happen. I gathered my materials and got started.

I tried both the french bread and pizza crust instructions (with different packages) and got very different results.

For the bread, I opted for the oven method (because I have no idea what my bread machine manufacturer's instructions for gluten free baking are). I got everything mixed, let it rise, brushed it with beaten egg and was ready to go.

The pizza crust was something completely different. After it was mixed, the dough was of such a strange and sticky consistency that I couldn't come close to spreading it in the pan. It stuck to my utensils, my fingers, everything except the greased pan. In the end, I only managed to get it into a rough impression of a circle with various depths.

Appearance

After both the pizza and the bread were baked it was hard to believe they had both started with the same product. The bread was a beautiful golden brown color with a crusty rounded top. The pizza (sigh) was less appetizing to look at. It was misshapen and unevenly cooked with a pale (almost) ring of crust. Of course we ate it anyway!

Taste and Texture

Both the bread and the pizza crust had a dry and crumbly texture, fairly typical of gluten free products. But I was surprised at how bland the flavor was, especially considering how many ingredients I had to add.

The bread was great for sandwiches with strong flavors, though I recommend you use a fork. The pizza crust (double sigh) was undercooked in spots and did not hold up the toppings at all. Definitely not a grab and go food.

Versatility

Since my initial use of this product I have tried many other things with it. I have found it to be very versatile as a bread and roll base. The bland flavor makes it perfect to add herbs, garlic, cinnamon and sugar, spices or anything else that strikes your fancy. This mix will take on the flavor of anything you add and create a lot of different gluten free products.

Overall Value

Online, Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza Mix retails for $5.99 per box plus shipping and handling. It yields one large loaf of bread or about a dozen rolls. Price wise, I'd say that it is very comparable to other products of it's kind.

Rating

I would recommend this product as a gluten free bread mix due to it's extreme versatility and overall characteristics.

I would not recommend this product as a pizza crust due to the fact that the texture of the dough makes it near impossible to work with.