Three Great Vegan Products

I'll say it right away, i'm not reviewing these for anyone in particular, nor is there an obligation for me to do so, except for sharing with you the great products i've discovered in recent months. That are all vegan, by the way. I know i always enjoy others' reviews of good (and sometimes bad) things out there in the commercial world, so here's my plug for a few of them; a lip balm, a soap, and a vegan cheese.

First up, is the heavenly soap line, Pacifica. For one, they aren't shy to put right on their label that they're vegan (don't you notice that so many vegan products steer clear of even that word on their product?). I appreciate that this somewhat expensive and boutique soap is confident in being proud of it's veganism. The second reason is for the soap itself - the lather is perfect, the amazing aroma, and for the lovely packaging. My absolute favourite is the "Nerola Orange Blossom." The first time i bought it, i couldn't believe how my bathroom cupboard, the bathroom itself, my shower, and my body all had the lucsious smell lingering on us for hours after. Amazing. Each scent has its own little story on the box, too, which makes for good bath reading. For approximately $8 a pop (Cdn), the soap lasts for a while and really is worth the splurge. We are too!

Second, and still in the area of body stuffs, is a lip balm i found in a funky downtown body and bath salon. The lip balm display was right by the counter, and there was my favourite word - vegan - just looking up at me from the display case. The brand is called Crazy Rumors and claims to be a 'naturally fun' line. One of its items is the Perk 'coffee break for your lips' series. While i do like some of the other vegan-friendly brands, i was happy to read flavours like Amaretto, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut I scooped up the French Vanilla and am quite happy with it. There's no film of wax that sits on my lips, the flavour is natural-tasting, and the softness the balm gives last for a good time.

Lastly, is my favourite line of vegan cheese products from Sunergia. While some other brands i use more out of necessity than actual happiness over (i.e. melts okay, tastes, okay but not all together great), this line of feta and blue cheese is great. Too bad they don't make other cheeses. A few months back, at my local Whole Foods, J and i happened upon the Mediterranean Herb and we couldn't believe our luck - it turned out perfect as an appetizer for a dinner party we hosted, and even better in the sandwiches we make sometimes. I've added it since to pasta salads, and it's great there too. We recently went on a road trip and bought the blue cheese for a pasta salad we were taking with us. The smell brought back my love for blue cheese dressing, and i couldn't believe how close to the 'real' thing it is. Not that i love strong cheeses to begin with, but i will definitely be buying the cheese again to make a blue cheese salad dressing. The texture for both was really good, and it lasted longer than some other vegan cheeses. The price is competitive with some of the other gourmet vegan cheeses, too. I don't see it at all the health food/vegan friendly grocers i go to, but it's well worth the scavenger hunt for it!