When I first got it in the bottle and sniffed it, I was a bit overwhelmed with how musky it was.But like most concentrated scents, after dabbing a wee bit on my wrists, the scent mellowed out, meshed with the oils in my skin, and became super pleasant. It’s lovely,  and Lush says that all of their perfume oils are ethically sourced, so that’s good. A million thumbs up. All of the thumbs.

I have also been into Lush’s  Big Solid Conditioner bar. This bar I smade with sea salt and coconut oil and makes my hair very soft and sweet smelling- like vanilla and jasmine. I also like that it ditches the bottle, so my products can be as nude as I am while using them. Weee, naked.

Those are the latest Lush products I have been crushing on. I know I crush on them a lot, but that’s because every time I go into that store or pop over to their website I lose all self control. It’s a habit I can’t break, and it’s actually becoming a problem because I am gearing up to move and trying to get RID of things, not hoard them. Aye!

This photo was taken last summer. While it doesn’t have anything to do with playing pretend, poop is funny, and April 1st is all about funny.

It’s April fools day, everybody! All around the country, people are playing with one another. I dig it. I stupidly chose this day to announce on the Internet that I am moving to Hawaii in 8 weeks, and now all of my friends not inside my core communication sphere (those people knew this has been brewing) think it’s a joke. Boy, will they be surprised come June when my Instagram feed is brimming with pictures of me hacking down coconuts.

But this post is not about my up-and-coming move. It’s about playing pretend. I have never actually pretended to be someone else during sex. While I am down for some dress up, full on role playing and I have never become acquainted. I am happy enough to be “Z dressed like school girl.” It has never really occurred to me to then ACT like a school girl.

But a type of pretend playing I am familiar with is pretending to be strangers. Not in bed. In public. This is something my boyfriend and I do randomly, and it started one evening on the train, without any planning.

We were riding a busy subway, on the way to an art show where his work was going to be exhibited. We started making flirty eye contact, and he started up small talk as if we had never met before. I played right along. We talked about the weather. (He had an umbrella. I had none.) I asked him where he was going. He explained the show. When his stop came, he asked if I wanted to come with him, and I said I did. He let me walk under his umbrella, offering me the the nook of his arm like a gentleman, and the charade (and awkward small talking) continued until we got to the show venue. We were late, rushed inside, and forgot the game we had been playing.

But while we were playing! In pretending to be nervous, I became nervous. I fumbled and bumbled and blushed. It was sweet, and it made my heart all fluttery. It took what would have been a somewhat boring train ride and turned it into something exciting. (I also have this weird dream about meeting someone on public transportation. When I was younger, I took the train down south to my college a few times, and basically thought I would one day marry every some-what decent looking person who decided to sit next to me. Nothing more romantic than Amtrak, amiright?)

Anyway, the boyfriend and I have since played this game several times, usually at restaurants while waiting for our food to come. We pretend it’s our first date. Sometimes we make up things about ourselves, and sometimes we present ourselves the way we actually would if we were strangers.

We never plan these matches out…maybe one day we will meet at a bar on purpose and let the game really rage. For now, the games have been at random. One of us will ping-pong a playful vibe at the other, and we’re off.

This type of play is, I am assuming, what makes role play so sizzling. You get so wrapped up in pretending, that those feelings become real. When you know someone well, you can lose appreciation for what makes them so unique. You can forget why you fell for them in the first place. As a child, you probably played like this all the time. I am not sure when we learn that this type of play is “silly,” or when we outgrow it, but most of us undoubtedly do. If we didn’t there would be a ton more people galloping around their office pretending to be a pony in order to make faxing files more appealing.

Happy April Fools, guys. Go take your partner on an awkward first date. Unless you’re actually GOING on a first date. In that case, you should pretend you and your date have been married for years. Be sure to play up the baby talk, mention your hemorrhoids and/or IBS, discuss the education of your (hypothetical) children, and grope them under the table. Then, just as they’re clawing their eyes out and/or are making a mad dash for the door, you can “APRIL FOOLS!” them. They will then see your shining sense of humor and fall madly in love with you. (April fools. Don’t do this.)

Also, just a quick humble brag: In the spirit of April Fools, my colleague Nick (go read his terrific entertainment and pop culture blog or die) and I April Fooled the fuck out of our boss! At the end of our daily editorial deadline, we turned in batches of fake stories for them to proofread. These articles were littered with profanities, made fun of our clients, and would generally get all of us fired if they were run. One of the articles was entirely in spanish. The last article was titled “How to Punk Your Boss on April Fools Day.” It was amazing. Our boss loved it so much, she told us it made her “hate her real job.” If that sentiment isn’t grounds for a raise, I don’t know what is.

Okay, tell me your best April Fools pranks ever! Do you and your partner play pretend? Do you make like a pony at the office?

Do you like my super hip filter? I believe it was called “Emo.”

If you pay any attention to the beauty business, then you may have noticed that the cosmetic industry has been blowing up with BB creams. “BB” stands for beauty balm, (sometimes also refereed to as blemish balms). BB cream’s cousin, CC cream, stands for color control. Both of these cosmetics are meant to be smeared on your face to wear on their own, or to prime for additional makeup . If you’re confused as to which lettered beauty cream would work the best for you, allow me to help:

BB creams are basically roided out tinted moisturizers. They conceal, brighten, even color, hydrate, and most contain sunscreen.

CC cream takes things a step further and works as a foundation. It has all the benefits of a BB cream but offers a bit more coverage, so if you’re suffering from dark spots or acne and you want a little more than a tinted cream a la BB, then CC may be for you.
However, many of the popular BB and CC creams that are available aren’t cruelty-free. I have been making my own tinted moisturizer by mixing a traditional moisturizer with a bit of concealer in the palm of my hand, as I kept on the lookout for a good vegan BB cream.

Recently I got my hands on DeVita’s BB cream, which I am loving. I have it in the lightest shade, because I am K Stew pale, and it gives me enough coverage so I can feel comfy without any other makeup on.
 I also only have to use a pea size amount for my entire face, which makes me happy, as I am all about conservation. I just throw on the cream with a little blush and I am good to go. Low maintenance bliss!

Derma E also makes a vegan BB cream, as does Haut Minerals, but I haven’t tried them out yet. If any of you have, tell me how they work!

Up until recently, I had only been into dry massages, as massage oils are messy and also remind me of the opening scenes of really cheesy porn. Many of the massage oils I tried in the past wre heavy, and made me want to shower immediately after. Not so sexy.

However, I have recently discovered that I do like massage bars. Containing your oils into an ingeniously convenient bar form makes it difficult to overdo it on the slippery front.

My first encounter with a massage bar came from Lush Handmade Cosmetics, who makes a great vegan line of massage bars. 

When I first used my bar, I was a bit confused as to what method I should be using. It came in a cute little tin, and the bar itself looks exactly like soap. Do I just rub it on my hands and then proceed to massage? Do I massage WITH the bar? Where were the directions!? To experiment, I just kind of plunked it on my dude’s naked back. However, as I moved it to the side, I had an Aha! Moment.

Lush massage bars are made out of cocoa butter, and this is the reason they are so amazing. You see, cocoa butter is solid at room temp, but melts at body temp, so when you slide the massage bar over skin, it leaves behind a delightful trail of slick goodness for you to rub in.

Because the bars are made out of wholesome ingredients, you can take your massage down a dirtier path without having to worry about rubbing chemicals all up in your business. The bar that I have is the Under the Covers bar. The name alone subtly says “use me for sex.” It smells, according to manfriend, “like Easter.” (Jelly beans, anyone?) Unfortunately, it was limited edition, so you can’t get one. I’m the worst, I know. You CAN, however, get some of their other bars—I recommend the Friend with Benefits bar, both for the name and also because it’s scented like chocolate AND flowers.

My Under the Covers bar has been stationed on my bedside table since its first use, and has been seeing so much traffic that it will probably be gone soon.

Omega Munch!

Now that the official holiday of lovechocolate is over, maybe many of you are feeling ill from ransacking the 75 percent off candy sale at Duane Reade. No shame! I know it’s a good day if I’m eating chocolate before noon. I love a good, plain, bitter dark chocolate bar—90 percent cacao is my favorite. But I shook it up recently and tried a couple of bags of Nicobella Organics Munch.

Nicobella—fair trade and organic! Aw yeah!–is better known for their truffles, but I am pretty into their chocolate and nut mixes, aka Munch, because they give me a solid dose of protein, so I can eat an entire bag without feeling like I lost all of my self control. Bonus: they are relatively low in calories, as far as sweets go. They DO have a good amount of fat though. But fat is good. Let’s all embrace fat.

My favorite flavor is the Coco-nut, followed in close second by the Omega and then the Maple-nut. I would love for Nicobella to come out with a really dark flavor…maybe cacao coffee? Mocha? Hmmm?

Delicious and unique, I can happily pronounce every ingredient on the Nicobella label. I give them 4 out of 5 stars. They can have 5 stars when they make a super dark Munch!

Coco-nut Munch for the win!

I did, however, want a new face mask. My skin has been all sorts of wonky lately, do to stress and the fact that I ran out of my healthy skin supplements and waited three stupid weeks before I ordered any more, because I am sort of lazy sometimes. Also, clay face masks are a fun way to feel like I am pampering myself when I am actually just sipping tea with dirt smeared on my body. I literally bought 12 dollars worth of herbal infused dirt.

However, I really dig this mask. It’s the first mask I have ever purchased that actually contains oil. I usually shy away from products containing oil, because my skin is oily enough as it is. But this product promised to “balance” my oily skin, so I put some faith into it. It also contains papaya extract and goa herb, which I had to research because I had never heard of it before. Goa is apparently used to treat skin ailments, like cystic acne and eczema, but the Internet warned me that it “is severely irritating” to the skin. Hmm.. Make up your mind, goa!!

Despite Internet forewarnings, the mask does NOT irritate my skin. It tingles a bit when I first put it on, providing that menthol-cool effect that makes my brain think a product is working. Unlike the salicylic acid masks I often buy, this one is so gentle that I have been able to use it every day, and over the past 8 or 9 days, I have seen a difference in my skin—fewer breakouts and less overall angry redness. (I am also back on my skin regiment, though. So I can’t totally attribute my healthier skin to the mask.)

I will note that the mask is much thinner than your typical clay mask, and because it contains oil, you have to shake it first to avoid separation. Instead of a thick grey schmear, this mask is thin and instead of becoming dry and cakey, it remains semi sticky no matter how long you leave it on. It is so thin that you can barely tell I am wearing a face mask…it sort of looks like I am just incredibly pallid and sweaty. Hot, right?

Face mask? Or post-sex sweat?

I was wearing it the other evening and my room-mate came home, and as we got into a conversation about our day, I could see her glancing curiously at my face. If this were your typical face mask, she would have been able to tell immediately what was going on. Instead it looked like I was sweating some sort of milky, viscid substance. Eventually I had to point out, “I’m trying this new face mask.”

Aesthetics aside, if you have oily skin, I would say this mask is a go. Plus, as far as face masks go, it’s pretty inexpensive. Everyone wins.

Sorry about neglecting you…

You guys! I have been seriously neglectful with my posting recently. For that I am sorry. But it’s the holiday season and I have been crazy busy! So in prep for New Year’s Eve, here is a round-up of the most popular SexyTofu posts of 2012. Sometimes my dad (hi dad!) gets uppity that I write more about sex on here than food. “It’s a sex blog, not a food blog!” But you guys kind of like reading about sex—the stats prove it! All of these posts are sexysexy, and I didn’t play favorites with these, I just looked at the stats of what posts had the most hits. SO basically what I am saying is we’re all a bunch of perverts. High five!

Poop! And Other Things Couples Should Be Able to Address

Back in June, I went down to Tennessee to check out Bonnaroo with a handful of my lady friends. We didn’t get to shower for 6 days, and things got a bit dirty. At the campsites, everyone’s tents were on top of each other, so we overheard a lot of really great conversation snippets, like the couple arguing because the boy kept spilling bong water all over his girlfriend’s shoes.

“YOU SPILLED BONGWATER ON MY SHOES!”

“It smells good!”

“IT SMELLS LIKE BONG!”

One evening I overheard a guy saying his last girlfriend used to fart in front of him, and it “ruined it” for him. “Some girls just ruin the mystery, you know,” he said. You know. The mystery of the fact that we, like most humans, have an asshole. I also felt bad for him because I assumed he had probably overheard some conversation snippets emanating from OUR tent. We had a lovely discussion about our lack of bathing opportunities over the past week which was creating something we called “crotch wine.” I wonder what that ruined for him. Read more…

Boobgasms 101 (Intro to Breast Orgasms)

I like to joke that I have three clitoris’. (Clitori?) As a ballerina-boobed babe, I am happy that for what I lack in sweater stuffing, I make up for in sensitivity. I also might name my future daughter Areola, just to be funny. What I am saying is I like nipples, so I was excited to stumble upon this Huff Post article about breast orgasms, which I will call boobgasms. Read more…

Taboo Topics: Backdoor Lovin and Pop Plugs

A while back I wrote about a reader who had written to me with questions regarding butt play, and I had recommended that if she is interested in some anal action for beginners she start small—with a finger. She reported back to me that the finger went over fine, and that she is still hoping to one day get comfortable enough to have an actual phallic member in there. Also apparently her boyfriend is quite large, which makes first-time sex of any kind even more painful. So we got on the subject of anal plugs. Anal plugs are the cilantro of the bedroom. You either love it, or hate it. You either want it all over your enchiladas, or you think it tastes like soap and  gag every time you even think about it.

Basically, anal plugs are not for the vanilla soft-serve style sexers, but more for the inquisitive mattress mavens—someone who doesn’t find inserting a piece of plastic in their butt uncomfortable (in theory and action).But I mentioned them to my reader-friend, and suggested if that’s something she thinks she is interested in, she should look into a very very small anal plug. She went out and got one of those kits that come with three different sizes so you can ease yourself into it gradually. She told me that even the small seemed pretty large. So, I recommended to her the Pop Plug (size small, of course). Read more…

Cohabitation; the Anti Sex?

My goal in life is to be one half of a randy old couple. I want to still be having sex when I am old and wrinkled. But stereotypes say once you’re shacked up and shackled, sex falls to the bottom of your to-do list. A stale sex life is one of my greatest relationship fears, after divorce or maybe death of my partner.

It’s easy for your sex life to take a hit when you move in together, especially if living together is less than dreamy. Your partner won’t clean or worse, they are obsessively clean. Their habits start to grate on your nerves, and you’re picking trivial fights. I mean, who wants to deliver some mid-afternoon fellatio when you spent the morning picking their hair out of the shower drain? Not I. Read more…

Stuff I Get Off On: The Hitachi Magic Wand

For those of you who don’t speak sex toy, the Hitachi Magic Wand is the Cadillac of toys; Super fun to drive, even if it is a bit bulky and out-dated. This bad boy still plugs into the wall—that’s how out-dated it is, and the box it comes in looks like it’s straight from the 80s, equipped with pictures of spandex clad ladies massaging their calves with it. One, everyone knows you don’t use the Hitachi in a PG fashion and Two, who the heck actually massages their calves? Read more…

Buy this for your weird cat-lady friend. (Read: I want this.)

Let me start by saying the holidays should not merely be a time to drain your bank accounts in the name of generosity. It should be a time for gratitude, for taking care of ourselves by relaxing and indulging, and for spending time with the people we love. But this is ‘Merica, and here, we like to buy things.Well Hanukkah is already well underway, and Christmas is coming up fast and loose. But if you have yet to snag all of your gifts, don’t sweat it! Below are some of my favorite things—and I do love things—that you can buy for your friends/family/that person you’re doing it with. And if you’re feeling self-indulgent, then just buy them for yourself! No judgements!

Full disclosure: Nearly all of the items I list below—unless otherwise noted—I purchased myself. No one has paid me to endorse any of the below products, and if I did receive one for review, I am endorsing it only because I think it’s amazing. No one paid me for any of this, and I don’t receive buckets of free swag, unfortunately. If you want to send me your swag to review, feel free! But I will only rave about it if it’s truly swoonable.

For the kitchen toy collector (novice chef, seasoned chef, hoarder, whatever)

Sorry about the crazy hair–I was on vaca–focus on the blender!

The Vitamix – This is a high-end present (read: expensive) but from my super dutiful research—I have broken a ton of blenders—it’s the best. I use it for everything from smoothies to soups to hummus and even to make my almond-crusted tofu. But if you want to get your kitchen connoisseur a new toy and don’t have the benjamins to lay down on the Vitamix, I suggest…

Cuisinart SmartStik Hand Blender- This immersion blender is super fun and a great way to make mashed potatoes, creamy soups and more right in the pot. I love finding excuses to use an immersion blender because it’s really fun to stick it into a pot of boiled potatoes and come away with creamy, smooth mashers. Although I couldn’t find them online, this version DOES come in festive colors, so check local stores if you think your friend would prefer a purple hand blender.

For the vegan newbie
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - Those new to veganism can usually use a helpful hand guiding them to superior cookbooks, because the market is slammed with vegan books right now. My favorite cookbook still to this day is Veganomicon. And if your giftee has a sweet tooth? I love Hannah Kaminsky’s line of vegan dessert books. (Full disclosure: Kaminsky is a friend of mine, but that does not make her books any less awesome. Only more awesome.) Check them out: My Sweet Vegan: passionate about dessert, Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season, Vegan a la Mode: More Than 100 Frozen Treats for Every Day of the Year.

DIY Vegan starter kit – Don’t want to get them a cookbook? Make them a vegan starter kit! Go to your local co op, or shop online, and load up with “weird” ingredients that they may be too intimidated to purchase on their own.  Suggestions:
Nutritional Yeast
 Vital Wheat Gluten 
Ground Flax Seed
Bragg Liquid Amino
…. and some awesome vegan chocolate bars. Because I am sure even Hitler liked chocolate.

For the lazy vegan who has (almost) everything
Tofu Xpress Tofu Press . When I first heard about this product I was torn between thinking it was the most awesome and obvious invention ever, or something I don’t need because I am fine using a stack of Harry Potter books. So I emailed them and requested a sample to possibly review. I was still skeptical when I pulled it out of the box- it sort of reminded me of a less sturdy Pyrex dish with a spring lid.

BUT HOLY CRAP THE TOFU. The first thing I did with it was press tofu to make a scramble. Now let me tell you, this is a great gift for the lazy because despite knowing that tofu tastes 90 percent better after a good pressing, I only do it if I have someone else to impress with my meal. How sad, right? I don’t feel like lugging out all my HP books and making a big sopping mess just for myself.

However, I am now a sworn Tofu Xpresser.  You see, my HP books often smash my tofu so that after pressing it is very ugly and deformed–sort of like how in the beginning of the HP film series Voldemort is only mildly unappetizing but at the end he somehow lost a nose. But the Tofu Xpress kept my tofu in its natural square shape while removing all the liquid and making it chewy and delicious. I used it again two days later, and not only did I press my tofu, but I then MARINATED IT right in the dish, and then pressed it again. It was so easy and now I am forever a Tofu Xpress devotee. So buy your lazy vegan friend this tofu press and they will forever thank you.

This is how I used to roll…

For your roomie/old college buddy/drinking buddy/friendly office spouse
Coloring for Grown-Ups: The Adult Activity Book - This coloring book, which I stumbled on in the humor section of Barnes and Noble, is hilarious. You can color an elevator full of people making funny faces, using your own judgement to see who you think farted. (Color them red!) Or take a dude with a stache and suit and doodle in the difference between a hipster and an executive. Lots of funny drunk/sexy references, and the perfect coffee table book for anyone in their twenties/who still likes to booze/who has a sense of humor.

For your really vain friend (we all have one)
The Clarisonic  skin brush. There are cheaper knock-offs, like the Olay version . Personally, I know the Clarisonic is pricier, but Olay tests on animals. You can decide on that one. Additionally, Clarisonic worshipers swear the high-end version is superior, but I have never done a comparison.  My boyfriend calls this my “face toothbrush” and I love it. I was skeptical of all the stupid infomercials showing some acned girl using it to scrub away her blemishes. I don’t know if this made me have less acne. But I do know it made my skin smoother, and more vibrant, with visibly reduced black heads, and that’s good enough for me.

For your hipster coffee house friend

French press + my ukulele? Oh baby, take me to Williamsburg…

I love my French Press . I will argue that it delivers a superior roast when compared to normal drip or any K-Cup crap. Plus, it’s more environmentally friendly than those individual brews that need to be thrown away after each use. If they’re super crunchy they can even use the grinds for their compost, but at the least they will have better coffee than everyone else. I have the tiny one that makes only one cup, because I wake up alone 5 out of the 7 days of the week (wahhhh!) but if your friend is shacked up, or just a caffeine freak, get a bigger size.

For someone who you want to have an orgasm.

Hitachis double as a club when you’re angry

For ladies.…The Hitachi Magic Wand. That is all. Mine is named Bruce Willis, and it changed my life. As someone who often reviews sex toys, the arrival of the Hitachi produced an entire drawer of unwanted second-class toys I no longer had a need for. Seriously, none of that magic bullet shit. Hitachi: They make TVs, power tools, and orgasms.
For men and ladies and couples.…Maximus lube. This is the best lube around. I have written about it a zillion times, and no, they aren’t paying me to do so. I LOVE IT. I received a sample size to review a year or two back, and now it’s all I buy. It’s technically an anal lube, but the Hitachi is technically a “back massager” so whatever–use it anywhere you like.

Okay guys, tell me what you’re giving, or what you hope to get, this year! Or tell me to stop being so superficial, because the holidays are about love and not consumerism.

This one failed my apple test…Also apparently I am terrible at applying color evenly. Dammit.

Note: I originally wrote this post for Vegan Mainstream, and it is littered with awkward selflies. Enjoy!

With all of those holiday parties around the corner, lady vegans all over will have ample opportunity to play dress up. One of my favorite accessories that immediately dresses up any outfit is one that goes on my face—lipstick. And with the holiday season in mind, I am reviewing my favorite vegan red lipsticks for you—because nothing says “kiss me at midnight” like a bold lip. You’re welcome.

1. Zuzu Luxe in Starlet. I found this little ruby while shopping at my local Whole Foods, and it’s my favorite go-to basic bold red. You can also find it online for around $18. The ingredient list runs your standard vegan lipstick – jojoba oil and candellila wax- but also has a few more unique additions, like sesame oil. Also, it touts being gluten-free! I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but I never thought to check my cosmetics for gluten.

2. Urban Decay in Gash. I am a big Urban Decay fan, and my favorite of their shades is Gash. The hue is as ominous as the name, with a shade that runs darker and deeper than your basic red. I love it so much I have it in both the lipstick, and the lip liner. Unfortunately, the lipstick was limited edition and so you can’t find it on their website anymore (womp womp) but it’s still floating around on other beauty sites. Prices range between $15 and $25 , depending on where you look.
When I am feeling too lazy to put more than one product on my lip, I often wear the liner as a full on lipstick, and that works great. Snag it for $19.

*Editor’s note: Be aware when considering Urban Decay that, though still vegan, they were recently bought by cosmetics giant L’Oréal.

3. LUSH liquid lipstick in Decisive. This bold red has orangey undertones. At 22.95, for only 2 .oz, this product is a little pricy. However, it’s handmade, and has interesting ingredients, like rose wax. It also comes with an adorable little application sponge. Lip tip: This was a bit messy, and I found it had better staying power (read: stayed on my lips and off my face) if I put on some lip balm first.

Honorable Mention: E.L.F in Fearless. Every vegan girl on a budget should worship Eyes Lips and Face, which can be found online, and in stores like Target. Why are they so covetable? There products are dirty cheap. This lipstick is only $1. Yes, you read that right. The staying power is not as great as the above three mentioned—I reapplied more than I usually have to–but you really cannot beat the price. Snag a few for yourself, and buy extras as holiday gifts for all your buds.

So what are your favorite cruelty-free cosmetic brands? Do you rock red lips?

Unfortunately, the majority of tattoos aren’t vegan, as many black inks get their ominous hue from bone char. But the good news is as companies become more ethically savvy, they are opting for plant-based dyes.

So maybe you called up your tat parlor to request vegan ink (Intenze and StarBrite are two of the most popular) and you think you’re in the clear. Not so fast! While I think ink is the most important part about the vegan tattoo experience–it stays with you forever, as I hope you have already realized–there are other products used in the tattoo process that may not be veg-friendly, like the gel strips in the razors used for shaving, the soap used for washing you down, and the after-care products the shop applies, recommends or sells.

Lucky for me, and my boyfriend who was also in for some ink, Gristle had it all covered. The shop itself is small and—unlike nearly every other tattoo shop I have ever been in–tastefully decorated. Instead of the tacky display designs usually found in tattoo parlors (think hearts with flaming swords and various examples of script bound for tramp stamps), Gristle’s walls are adorned with artwork I would want in my own apartment, and posters sporting rescued pitbulls with the words I Am An Individual—part of an Animal Farm Foundation program.

Batman likes Gristle, too.

The shop is a big supporter of adoption. In fact, this Saturday (the 8^th) they are holding an adoption event from 12 – 4 in collaboration with Dog Habitat Rescue. I was actually bummed I didn’t know about it last week, as I may have waited a week and gotten my tattoo during the event, because 100 % of tattoo deposits made that day will go to the animal organization.

But no worries, I plan to try and make it out there on September 22^nd for their vegan bake sale to benefit BARC. Yes please!

The shop is also an art gallery; the work on the walls is all for sale, and there are openings held each month.

Okay, but now about MY experience. I fell in love with the shop when, within ten minutes of being inside, they gave me cupcakes. Call me easy, but I’m won over with baked goods. In preparation for the BARC bake sale, owner Dina DiCenso brought in a trial run of some delicious chocolate mini cupcakes.

But it was really the impressive quality of the work done that made my Gristle trip a fantastic tattoo experience. (Cupcakes and puppies are just an added bonus).

While there, I got a small tattoo on my ankle redone; I had gotten it several months back on a trip down south and was incredibly unhappy with the result. It was supposed to be a sprout but looked more like some weird sloppy Asian symbol, and design aside, the actual ink work was terrible.

Gristle’s talented (and super sweet) inkmaster Brittany Bauza took my old design and reworked it, and I love love love it. She added in some color and I think it looks great.

Pretty pretty!

The tattoo fun didn’t stop there. My tattoo took about twenty minutes, which flew by as Brittany and I chatted. However, P got a design on his ribs that took five (!!!) hours to complete, so I hung out in the shop all day, chatting with Dina about the usual…cats and cupcakes.

P’s tattoo was done by Franco Maldonado, an artist from Columbia who seems to specialize in animal designs. When browsing his portfolio, nearly all of his designs feature some sort of feathered or furry friend. And this worked for us, because he came up with a killer design around the idea P had of an octopus fighting an owl. An OctoOwl!

OctoOwl!

Dina, Brittany and Franco were all really terrific, and I loved the experience so much I am already dreaming up my next piece of work—an elephant. More tattoos, please.

If you’re around September 22^nd, check out their bake sale. Buy some cupcakes, help some animals, oh, and get some vegan ink.