My Summer Glow Ritual – by Brittany Xavier

I’m extra excited about this routine lately because I’m finally back to iced drinks! Through the early weeks with Clive I was leaning into the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to postpartum healing, which is where the warm-everything comes from; warm meals, warm drinks, no cold water or iced coffee, etc. I loveee iced drinks in the warm months so I was a little bummed about missing out on them. Now that I’m on the tail end of healing I’m easing cold back in. I’ve been testing out different recipes that feel gourmet at home and use all high quality ingredients.

These are two drinks I’ve been loving making lately, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They look like something I’d order out, an iced matcha with vanilla cold foam and a sparkling strawberry basil refresher. They take a few minutes to make and both are great for me (and my skin!) too.

They both use Pique, which I’ve used since right after I had Elliott. I first found them at Erewhon, browsing the wellness section for a high-quality electrolyte I could travel with. Around that same time I’d gotten some bloodwork done postpartum, my first time really testing my biomarkers and seeing where I was at with everything. Anthony and I were getting more committed to making meals at home and prioritizing our health, and from my results I realized I needed to be a lot more intentional about my hydration and my minerals, which was something I’d never thought much about before. I was a sparkling-water person with some still water here and there, and because I didn’t drink soda I figured I was getting enough. I learned that staying hydrated isn’t only about how much water you drink, your body also needs minerals and electrolytes to hold onto it. And with breastfeeding I’m trying to stay on top of my hydration and minerals as much as I can right now, so a daily electrolyte that also tastes delicious is even better!

Because I trusted them for my electrolytes, reaching for their matcha was an easy yes, and the timing worked out, because Jadyn has got me on a matcha kick ever since she moved back home from college, whenever we order coffees, she gets a matcha and she would try different seasonal flavor ones. I still love coffee and I’m not giving it up, but I’ve gotten strict about not having it after 12pm because sleep is everything right now, and I went looking for something gentler to get my mornings going, especially with breastfeeding.

Now my mornings start with the Pique Sun Goddess Matcha and I make one for Jay too. What I love about matcha is the calmer, steadier kind of energy it gives you compared to coffee. This one is organic, ceremonial-grade, and sourced from Japan. Ceremonial-grade is the highest quality you can get and Japan is where the best matcha in the world comes from. It also matters because other matcha out there can contain heavy metals like lead depending on where and how it’s grown, and this one is quadruple toxin screened for purity. On top of all that it’s rich in EGCG, the main antioxidant in green tea, which helps protect your cells from the everyday damage that comes from things like stress and pollution, and it’s a big part of why green tea comes up everywhere when you read about healthy aging, and skin. Pique also uses a cold extraction process, which is part of why it’s such clean, calm energy, with no jittery spike. And matcha is the most concentrated way to get all of it, because you’re drinking the whole leaf instead of steeping it and pouring it out.

I like to add sweetness to my matcha without using refined sugar, and this recipe below is sweetened with honey and vanilla extract and tastes delicious!

Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 10 min Serves: 1 (16–18 oz)

Heat water to about 175°F.

Fill a large glass with ice.

Have a handheld frother ready.

Stop frothing the cold foam while it’s still silky and pourable. You want cold foam, not whipped cream.

1 Sun Goddess Matcha sachet
2 oz hot water
8 oz whole milk or milk of choice
2 tsp raw honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Ice

¼ cup whipping cream
2 tbsp whole milk or milk of choice
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
Pinch of flaky sea salt

Add the Sun Goddess Matcha sachet to a small bowl or cup. Pour in the hot water and whisk until smooth and frothy.

Stir in the raw honey and vanilla extract until fully dissolved.

Fill a large glass with ice and pour in the whole milk.

Slowly pour the prepared matcha over the milk for beautiful layers.

To make the cold foam: In a measuring cup or mason jar, combine the whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of whole milk, vanilla extract, honey and salt.

Using a handheld frother, froth for 20–30 seconds until thick, silky, and still pourable.

Pour the cold foam over the top, allowing it to come right to the rim of the glass.

If desired, finish with a light dusting of matcha powder and serve immediately.

• Whole milk creates the creamiest, coffee-shop-style drink, but any milk of choice works beautifully.

• Don’t over-froth the cold foam. It should be thick and creamy, but still pourable.

If you want to try the matcha, you can get it through my link, piquelife.com/brittanyrsd, with 20% off for life + free gifts.

My afternoon drink is the one with the B•T Fountain. It’s an electrolyte, so it’s doing the hydration work, the minerals and coconut water that help my body hold onto water instead of it running right through me, which after a hot day in the garden with a baby on me is exactly what I need. But Pique calls it a beauty electrolyte for a reason (and that was one of the things that stood out to me when I was first looking for an electrolyte, that it’s good for your skin too) it has clinically studied ceramides and hyaluronic acid in it, the same ingredients I love in a good serum, except here they’re working from the inside. Ceramides help your skin hold moisture in and hyaluronic acid pulls water in and keeps it there. It’s made with no sugar, no fillers, and no artificial flavors as well.

My garden is overflowing with basil right now, so I’ve been building drinks around it while it’s fresh, and strawberry and basil together are so good, a little herby, a little sweet, exactly right for the heat. The B•T Fountain is doing the heavy lifting, it has a full range of minerals, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, plus coconut water powder and Himalayan pink salt, so it’s real electrolyte hydration. Its natural yuzu raspberry flavor is what makes the strawberries and basil work so well, you get that bright citrus-berry base, and the fresh strawberries deepen it while the basil keeps it from being too sweet:

Prep Time: 5 min Total Time: 5 min Serves: 1

Chill the sparkling water well.

Use pure vanilla extract.

Add the sparkling water last to preserve the bubbles.

A tiny pinch of sea salt brings out the flavors.

1 B•T Fountain sachet
8 oz coconut water
8 oz sparkling mineral water
3-4 strawberries (or more to taste)
3-4 fresh basil leaves (or more to taste)
½ tsp pure vanilla extract (or more to taste)
Tiny pinch flaky sea salt
Ice (optional)

Add the frozen strawberries and basil leaves to a large glass.

Lightly muddle the strawberries to release some juice.

Pour in the coconut water and filtered water.

Add the B•T Fountain sachet and stir until completely dissolved.

Stir in the vanilla extract and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.

Slowly top with the sparkling mineral water and gently stir.

Garnish with an extra strawberry or basil leaf, if desired.

Serve immediately.

Together they’re what Pique calls the Radiant Skin Duo. What’s kept me with it is how easy it is. You can make these into a whole drink like I did above, or just stir a single packet into hot or cold water in a minute, which is especially nice while traveling. If you’ve been wanting to be better about your hydration, or you just want an afternoon drink that isn’t another coffee, it’s an easy place to start. Use my link piquelife.com/brittanyrsd to get 20% off for life + free gifts and try it for yourself.

Let me know if you make either one, I want to hear which is your favorite!

xx Brittany