Desserts January 2, 2019

No-Bake Oat Protein Cookies with GNC Whey Iso Burst

No Bake Protein Cookies are making their feature on my blog for the very first time! Truth is I always wondered whether protein cookies were actually healthy. And then I made some. The very first thing I noticed was replacing flour with protein. And even though that is an obvious one… (I had my duh! moment.) it still made me go, Oh!! What I loved about this recipe is that I could really add more of whatever I wanted. Pistachios, almonds, nuts or even shredded coconut. Whatever you fancy.

You can control the carbs and sugars that go into your cookies. Just choose the ingredients wisely. Experiment if you have the time. But be prepared for some failures. If you’re short for time, try this already tried and tested recipe for protein cookies. So good.😋

Please share your own versions of this recipe with the hashtag #GNCRecipes. I and the folks at GNC Canada would love to see what you come up with! Hey, maybe they’ll even feature it on their social media accounts!

No-Bake Oat Protein Cookies with GNC Whey Iso Burst

Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Servings: 6-8 cookies
Calories: 110 per cookie

Ingredients:

1/2 Scoop Whey Iso Burst Chocolate
1 Cup Natural, Unsalted creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 Cup Gluten Free rolled oats
3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa powder

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Add peanut butter and maple syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk together until well mixed.
Heat in 20-second increments in the microwave, until the mixture begins to dry and become dough like. (4-7 rounds). Stir after each round.
Add oats, cocoa powder and the protein scoop to the peanut butter mixture. Mix well until they are thoroughly combined.
With a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Use a fork to flatten the cookies.
Put the cookies in the freezer for 15-20 mins. The cookies will become softer when left at room temperature.
Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3-5 days is recommended!

Tech December 20, 2018

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS – DAY 11 $500 VALUE IROBOT BRAAVA JET & REDKEN

It’s Day 11 and we have a prize pack valued at $500 for you! Here’s a quick summary of all the great products you’ll be winning:

SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER TO WIN THE DAY 10 PRIZE

REDKEN

Seen in many salons, this brand is one of the best for keeping your locks healthy! This prize pack includes the Redken Extreme line, which focuses on repairing and strengthening damaged hair. You will also win 4 popular styling products! This prize pack is valued at over $200!

Redken Extreme Shampoo 250 ml
Redken Extreme Conditioner 250 ml
Redken Extreme Mega Mask 200 ml
Redken Extreme Anti-Snap 250 ml
Redken Extreme Length Sealer 50 ml
Redken Triple Take 32 Hairspray 300 ml
Redken No Blow Dry Just Right Cream 150 ml
Redken Quick Dry 18 Finishing Spray 400 ml
Redken Guts 10 Volume Foam 300 ml

BRAAVA JET

I just started using this awesome robot and I can’t wait to put up my full review of it. It’s made my life a lot easier! Click here for more details about this iRobot but also enter below to win one! The Braava Jet 240 has 3 cleaning modes (wet mop, damp sweep, dry sweep) and the robot can detect the type of clean automatically based on the pad you have chosen. It also seamlessly navigates to clean the floors thoroughly and is designed to clean hard floors. Additionally, it remembers obstacles in its path and slows down to gently clean along furniture, walls, and fixtures. While with Bluetooth connectivity, the iRobot HOME App allows you to access exclusive features, support, and robot updates. The Braava Jet is valued at $279! Makes for a great gift idea as well.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ENTER TO WIN OUR PREVIOUS GIVEAWAYS BELOW AND STAY TUNED FOR OUR LAST GIVEAWAY TOMORROW!

Day 1 – 2 Endy Pillows, A Jewelry Set and Watch from Mockberg ($600 value)

Day 2 – Veriphy Serum + Stila + Korres prize pack ($230 value)

Day 3 – Almond Coconut Milk Luxe Body Collection & Eyeshadow Palette from Laura Mercier ($163 value)

Day 4 – Essentials Tie Box from The Tie Bar and Your Choice of Headphones from Sudio

Day 5 – $200 Gift Card to Mark’s

Day 6 – Coal & Canary Candle Gift Set + Milton & King Wallpaper

Day 7 – Avene and Cloraine Gift Set worth $410

Day 8 – Framed Print from The Night Sky + $200 Gift card for Baukjen.

DAY 9 – Silk’n Titan + Graydon Skincare Value: $520

Day 10 – Burts Bees and Quo Cosmetics Value: $230

Beauty December 19, 2018

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS – DAY 10 $230 VALUE BURT’S BEES & QUO

We’re coming close to the end of our 12 days of giveaways! It’s Day 10 and we have a prize pack valued at $230 for you! Here’s a quick summary of all the great products you’ll be winning:

SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER TO WIN THE DAY 10 PRIZE

BURT’S BEES

Burt’s Bees manufactures their products with natural ingredients and use minimal processing to maintain the purity of those ingredients. In addition, every product has a “natural bar” which gives a percentage of natural ingredients in that product, often with detailed ingredient descriptions. The gift sets included in this prize pack are:

Naturally Soft Hands

Hive Favourites

Bees Wax Bounty Classic

Beeswax Bounty Fruit Mix

Mistle Toe Kiss

Kissable Color Cool Collection

Essential Travel Collection

Face Essentials

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS
DAY 10 $230 VALUE BURT’S BEES & QUO COSMETICS PRIZES

QUO COSMETICS

You all know how much I rave about Quo brushes! The ones that come in sets are so good! I’ve used so many different ones and I’ve always been super impressed with the quality of these brushes. Here’s your chance to WIN a $130 VALUE gift set of Quo brushes and accessories.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ENTER TO WIN OUR PREVIOUS GIVEAWAYS BELOW AND STAY TUNED FOR TOMORROWS GIVEAWAY!

Day 1 – 2 Endy Pillows, A Jewelry Set and Watch from Mockberg ($600 value)

Day 2 – Veriphy Serum + Stila + Korres prize pack ($230 value)

Day 3 – Almond Coconut Milk Luxe Body Collection & Eyeshadow Palette from Laura Mercier ($163 value)

Day 4 – Essentials Tie Box from The Tie Bar and Your Choice of Headphones from Sudio

Day 5 – $200 Gift Card to Mark’s

Day 6 – Coal & Canary Candle Gift Set + Milton & King Wallpaper

Day 7 – Avene and Cloraine Gift Set worth $410

Day 8 – Framed Print from The Night Sky + $200 Gift card for Baukjen.

DAY 9 – Silk’n Titan + Graydon Skincare Value: $520

Motivation December 18, 2018

How To Keep On Going After the Death of a Loved One

It’s been an intense year of ups and downs. Thoughts of gratitude, everything happens for a reason and life is too short running through my mind. Everyone grieves differently. Anyone who is smart enough to understand that or who has first hand been through the death of a loved one would know that everyone grieves differently. It saddens me when I hear people say things like, “oh look at how much she cried”, “look at what she’s doing” etc. This judgement is unnecessary and actually shows the lack of compassion and empathy one has in them. No one has said anything to me, but I’ve been to many funerals now, and this seems to be happening a lot not only at funerals but any kind of gathering.

Are there a lack of things for you to talk about? That you must compare, compete and put down others with your unnecessary judgement and opinions? Because anyone in their right mind would know that it is their own faults, negativity and guilt that comes through in such negative mentions. I felt compelled to write this because it’s been a week and I’ve been struggling with getting back into my routine, and you know what one of the things that really kept going through my mind was? If I continue on living, and pick up where I left off…

what will people say?

HOW TO KEEP ON GOING AFTER A DEATH OF A LOVED ONE

When our brother passed away I wanted to give up on everything. Can I just not go to work and completely go dark on social media? And now our father passed away and all those feelings have rushed back but even darker. I was on the brink of losing sight of what this life is all about. Of course, I’ll never forget them. I’m praying for them both every day. I do my part in keeping them in my thoughts, do good in their name and everything and anything else I could do to respect the lives that they once had. But why is it so important for society to know exactly what it is that I’m doing? Fortunately, being on full blast on social media breaks those barriers to a certain extent and some of you who watch my Instagram stories, or see what I post to know what’s going on. But I’d like to remind you, that this is a mere 10% of my life. There is so much going on in the background. Some days I open up and show you 30%, especially if I believe it’s something you can all benefit and learn from.

So here I am, at a fork in the road where I thought if I don’t lift myself up and get back into the routine that I love then I’m going into the darkness.

Life is too short.

But what about, Balance.

Balance is the solution. Living a balanced life of remembering those we have lost, with prayer and good deeds, doing what we love and spending time with our loved ones. Find your balance. If there is one thing I could say to pass on the advice of when you’re struggling with moving forward after losing a loved one, I would say… find your balance. Don’t worry about what others are saying. Pick up where you left off, do MORE good, remember others and those who are negative, enlighten them with your kindness by being positive around them. Because those are the people who need it the most.

Please remember my brother Muhammed Usman in your prayers and my father Mian Muhammad Rauf.
May they both rest in peace in Jannah Firdaws.

Series December 10, 2018

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS – ENDY + MOCKBERG

Happy Holidays and good luck everyone! I’m teaming up with the below bloggers/influencers to bring you
12 days of Giveaways! Over the year you may have seen us talk about these products, use them and rave about how amazing they are. We want to now give back to YOU! Here’s what you need to know about the two brands we’re giving away for Day 1 (value: $600). **SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER.**

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS – ENDY + MOCKBERG

ENDY

Endy is a Canadian company that Canadians are falling in love with! Endy discovered that manufacturing entirely in Canada would allow them to design an amazingly comfortable mattress with Canadians in mind. For an example taking into account our weather changes. The 2 Endy pillows we’re giving away has 3-layers. Combining the supportive and breathable qualities of bamboo charcoal memory foam with the plush feel of down.

MOCKBERG

This Swedish watch brand Mockberg finds its inspiration in the traditions of Swedish craftsmanship. The watches are handcrafted with exclusive materials, high-quality movements and classic design. Designed to rest easily on your wrist. The strap is connected high on the case which is slightly shaped like a bowl, a combination that gives you a feeling that the watch floats freely on your wrist. Allows for a three-dimensional impression removing the friction of the strap against the wrist. It’s the details that matter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Head over to Kayla’s blog for the day 2 giveaway. >here<

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Beauty December 8, 2018

No More Dry Lips with Fresh Beauty – Lip Treatment

Fresh Beauty has one of the very best lip balms for dry lips! I’ve been using their lip balms for years and the lip scrub. Recently they did a collaboration with an artist to come out with these limited edition lip balms that have zodiacs on them. I’ve shared these with people by matching their zodiac signs and they’ve been obsessed. I’m so happy to convert people to Fresh Beauty because I know it’s an amazing product! Any other balm I’ve used doesn’t compare to the results I get with these ones. The advanced lip therapy is legit therapy for the lips.

These limited edition lip balms are at Sephora:

Advanced lip therapy in limited edition zodiac signs are $32.00 at Sephora.

These lip balms have no:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

Also, come to winter your lips will need an extra boost of moisture. Pair your lip balm with the below products from
Fresh Beauty:

The Lip Wonder Drops is a gentle leave-on exfoliant that smooths dry lips with natural AHAs:

What makes it so great?
Sugar and Fruit Extract Blend: Helps to retexturize the lips while leaving them soft and radiant.
Hibiscus Flower Extract: Helps to gently refine the look of the lips’ surface through non-mechanical exfoliation.
$32.00

Another one of my faves that I keep in my jacket pocket at all times throughout the winter is the coconut hydrating lip balm:

You can also find this at Sephora for $22.00.

Research results*:
In-vivo test after 1 month:
Proven to lock in moisture and provide 24-hour hydration
100% of testers reported it immediately softened and soothed the lips
97% said it immediately protected, nourished, and comforted the lips
97% felt it smoothed the lip surface
96% felt it improved the appearance of dry lips
93% noticed their lips were immediately healthier-looking and suppler
87% said it prevented dryness and their lips felt strengthened

Have you tried any of the Fresh lip products mentioned?

Beauty November 22, 2018

BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS! x Shoppers Drug Mart Gift Ideas

Have you started shopping for presents yet? Every year I get a head start to avoid the rush. It’s so much better to take your time with gift giving so you can get the right gift. Give something they’ll use and get excited about! I had the pleasure of joining Shoppers Drug Mart at their media event where we learned about all their great gift ideas. They really do have something for everyone! They’ve even created categories for you to make it easier.

THE INSTA QUEEN

1. QUO 54 Eyeshadow Palette, 12 Eyeliners and an Eye Shadow Brush all in one great set. ($65)
2. Quo Luxe Rose Gold Brush Set.I love their seasonal brush sets! You can read my reviews on the blog about them. ($90.00)
3. Soap & Glory On the Double Gift Set ($9.50)
4. Boutique by Conair Marble Styling Kit ($99.99)
5. Joe Fresh Accessories (Prices Vary)
6. Homedics Glass Aroma Diffuser ($59.99)

BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS! x Shoppers Drug Mart Gift Ideas

Toasties by Totes Slippers ($19.99 each)
Google Home Mini (See store for pricing)
Proraso Beard Grooming Kit ($39.99)
Nintendo Switch (See store for pricing)
Fragrance Sampler & Certificate For Him ($90.00) *Such a great gift idea for that person who you can’t guess what fragrance they’ll love. Let them choose between the most popular scents this season and not only redeem for a full-size bottle but get some cute sample bottles as well.
Oral-B Black Pro 7000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush ($249.99)

1. Ariana Grande Cloud ($59.00 50mL)
2. BOSS Bottled Unlimited ($98.00 100mL, Travel Spray, Pouch)
3. Mascara Sampler ($42.00)
4. Carolina Herrera GOOD GIRL Velvet Fatale ($154.00 80mL)
5. Paco Rabanne Pure XS ($105.00 100mL)
6. ARTDECO Advent Calendar ($89.00)
7. Fragrance Sampler Mini for Her ($105.00)
8. Clarisonic Mia Smart & Biotherm Set ($229.00)
9. Benefit Triple Decker Decadence ($52.00)

Beauty November 6, 2018

8 Fall Beauty Must Haves

As soon as the first leaf falls and there’s a chill in the air my beauty routine switches from Summer to Fall. Bring out the new beauty care. Makeup to moisturizers, everything my skin needs to be ready for Fall and for an easier transition later into the Winter. Jumping right into it, here are some of my Fall Beauty Favourites you’ll find either at Shoppers Drug Mart, Murale, Sephora or Wal-Mart:

8 Fall Beauty MUST HAVEs

Fresh Beauty

Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essense – $85
I apply this to the face, no cotton pad, right after washing my face. Benefits include age-delay powered by kombucha. It protects your skin with antioxidants, enhances luminosity, softens the look of fine lines, and replenishes moisture.
Fresh Vitamin C Antioxidant Glow Face Mist – $54
I use this as a make-up setter or to just freshen up. This is an alcohol-free, multi-vitamin face mist, antioxidant protection and gives you an instant glow!

Urban Decay eyeshadow palette

3. Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette – $59
This palette features of-the-moment shades ranging from jewel tones and modern neutrals to colourful shades.
The pigment is amazing and a lot these tones are amazing for Fall.

Pixi

4. PIXIGLOW Cake – $28
Comes in 2 beautiful shades. Gildedbare Glow and PinkChampagne Glow. Looks natural with the perfect amount of glow.

5. PIXI Lashlift 188 – $18
A 2 in 1 mascara that has a larger wand for volume and a finer precision wand to coat every one of your +188 lashes. Together, the brushes create volume, length and curl for an eye-opening effect and the ultimate false-lash look!

KORRES

I have been using this cleanser for a while now and I love it! It doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight and dry. It’s perfect for this colder Fall/Winter weather. This cream cleanser is giving my skin life! *Wild Rose Foaming Cream Cleanser is a gentle cleanser for the face & eyes to remove impurities, make-up, mascara and environmental pollutants without dehydrating the skin. Enriched with Wild Rose Oil, a natural source of vitamin C, which absorbs 1,000% more than pure ascorbic acid, the cleanser refreshes the skin, maintaining its normal pH levels while leaving it silky, soft and supple.
*shoppersdrugmart.ca
6. Wild Rose Foaming Cream Cleanser – $32

BENEFIT COSMETICS

7. Brow Contour Pro 4-in-1 defining and highlighting brow pencil – $42

I love that this one pencil has different colours to use and a highlight pencil all in one retractable pen. The pencil itself is also really skinny, so the precision on it is perfect for making soft lines that mimic the look of actual hairs. I’ve been using this for over a month now and the quality of the pencil is a 10/10. It hasn’t broken off or dried out making it difficult for colour to transfer over. Both situations have happened to me before with competitor retractable pencils.

PALMERS

8. Palmers Cocoa Body Lotion
$5.78 at Wal-Mart Canada

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion is a rich, creamy lotion made from pure Cocoa Butter enriched with Vitamin E, this classic product is an advanced moisturizer that softens, smooths and relieves skin.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick This innovative product is the portable version of the “original solid formula” Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula and has all the benefits of pure Cocoa Butter enriched with Vitamin E; vital for smoothing dry or damaged skin. This pocket-size stick is ideal to help relieve rough, dry areas, marks and blemishes on the face and body. Also may be used to moisturize and soothe dry, cracked, chapped lips.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Jar The original classic moisturizer; this unique “solid” formula contains the highest concentration of Cocoa Butter, making it the perfect choice to soften, smooth and relieve rough, dry skin. Containing pure Cocoa Butter enriched with Vitamin E, this cult classic is an excellent all-over-body moisturizer and after tanning butter. Smoothes and blends marks, scars and stretch marks, leaving your body feeling silky soft and smooth.

Series October 15, 2018

Toronto Blogger Chronicles [Part 2] – Two Events in One Day

Dear Diary,

I had a vision that I would update this series a lot more often than months later. But let me explain why it has been since June 18th since I last wrote about my blogging journey. It has been BUSY! I am being grateful for every nanosecond of it because it has been an amazing experience. It’s not the entrepreneurship I always had in mind for myself but that’s okay. This is a lot more fun! A lot has happened since June. I’ll sum it up for you:

– I did a lot of full days of content creation. Like that one day of foodie IG stories – one at an event and the other was a collab. I love photographing food! This was so much fun.
– I launched a new website for GNC
– I was a part of the Laura Mercier x The Kit campaign. They brought me into the studio and did a video shoot of me getting ready with Laura Mercier products. I got featured on The Kit site and tried many Laura Mercier products. I was so humbled to receive this opportunity alongside some of my favourite make-up artists.

THE KIT X LAURA MERCIER – How To Master a Neutral Smoke

[evp_embed_video url=”http://www.humarakausar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMG_8953.mov”]

Laura Mercier and The Kit joined forces to bring you 30 days of make-up tips and looks that you can create at home!

Many years ago I had received my first print copy of The Kit. I fell in love, and when the website launched I signed up for their newsletter right away. When I started blogging, I would occasionally have a thought come to mind, while reading The Kit’s newsletter. How cool would it be, if I was on here? I would just think to myself, one day (InshaAllah – God Willing). I remember 3 years ago sending an email letter to their marketing department to ask whether they needed someone to write on their website, or if they worked with bloggers in any way. No reply but I continued to passionately follow The Kit. Thinking, one day.

In a way, I feel as if I manifested this. It wasn’t a specific goal, but it was in my mind. And at that time it seemed unachievable, a little ridiculous to assume I’d get there but I still stayed positive and thought “one day”. Believing in yourself and setting goals that are challenging can do wonders for your life. These goals will keep you on your toes and remind you of what you are capable of achieving. If you can think it, you can do it. Just need to keep working on how you will get there.

THE KIT X LAURA MERCIER – Make-Up Influencers

Whenever I saw video shoots with make-up influencers for brands, I would imagine getting an opportunity like that, I would need to be some kind of famous in the industry. I was beyond grateful and humbled when I was a part of this campaign. Especially alongside one of my favourite artists; Glamzilla and Michel Coulombe.

View this post on Instagram

Discover @lauramercier’s iconic Translucent Loose Setting Powder in a glowing finish that locks in your look for 12-hours of natural-looking luminosity that lasts. @sephoracanada #setupandsetglow

A post shared by Lifestyle • Beauty • Fashion (@humjk) on Sep 6, 2018 at 10:45am PDT

Hum

No-Bake Oat Protein Cookies with GNC Whey Iso Burst

** SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER TO WIN THE DAY 10 PRIZE **

REDKEN

BRAAVA JET

** SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER TO WIN THE DAY 10 PRIZE **

BURT’S BEES

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS DAY 10 $230 VALUE BURT’S BEES & QUO COSMETICS PRIZES

QUO COSMETICS

HOW TO KEEP ON GOING AFTER A DEATH OF A LOVED ONE

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS – ENDY + MOCKBERG

Head over to Kayla’s blog for the day 2 giveaway. >here<

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

No More Dry Lips with Fresh Beauty – Lip Treatment

THE INSTA QUEEN

BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS! x Shoppers Drug Mart Gift Ideas

8 Fall Beauty MUST HAVEs

Fresh Beauty

Urban Decay eyeshadow palette

Pixi

KORRES

BENEFIT COSMETICS

PALMERS

Dear Diary,

One day I accepted 2 events in 1 day. Then I accepted 3 in 1 day…

On Instagram direct messages, a commonly asked question I get is how do you get invited to media events?

[evp_embed_video url=”http://www.humarakausar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMG_8953.mov”]

THE KIT X LAURA MERCIER – Make-Up Influencers

Check out the full video over on The Kit: HOW TO MASTER NEUTRAL SMOKE WITH LAURA MERCIER

SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER TO WIN THE DAY 10 PRIZE

SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER TO WIN THE DAY 10 PRIZE

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS
DAY 10 $230 VALUE BURT’S BEES & QUO COSMETICS PRIZES

On Instagram direct messages, a commonly asked question I get is how
do you get invited to media events?

Check out the full video over on The Kit:
HOW TO MASTER NEUTRAL SMOKE WITH LAURA MERCIER