Wordless Wednesday

My sister is raising chickens this year and the chicks arrived this morning!

Vichy ProEVEN Advanced Daily Dark Spot Corrector

I have been testing the Vichy ProEVEN Advanced Daily Dark Spot Corrector for over a week. I've had a positive experience with this product thus far. The product comes in a tube which is convenient and easy to use. The product is a white opaque lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin and is non-greasy. I have oily and acne prone skin and this product did not increase the oiliness of my skin nor did it cause a break out.

The product is highly fragranced and while I quite liked the scent, others who are sensitive to scent may not appreciate this aspect. I would describe the fragrance as a perfume like smell.

I used this product twice a day in place of my regular moisturizer. It mositurized well and I had no need for an additional moisturizer. I found that this product helped to brighten my skin in a few uses and made my skin feel really soft and smooth. I noticed my make-up went on much easier due to the smoothness of my skin.

My skin tone seems to be evening out as well and it looks more uniform in tone and texture. As for a dark spot corrector I haven't seen any significant improvement in my dark spots. I have multiple acne scars on my face and those scars that have been there for years are not disappearing. I do have some newer acne scars that are a few weeks old and I did notice that one scar has been shrinking in size and getting lighter. Whether that is due to the passage of time or use of this product, I'm not sure.

Overall, I would recommend this product for the improvement in skin tone, texture and brightness but for dark spot lightening I don't see this as being effective yet. Perhaps with more time I will see some improvements.

I received this product free of charge from ChickAdvisor for review purposes.

Rhubarb Buttermilk Coffee Cake

I remember my mom making this coffee cake years ago.  We were recently gifted some rhubarb and I decided to make this cake.  It is just as light and flavourful as I remember!

Ingredients:

2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar; divided

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1.  Combine rhubarb and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

2.  Cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.

3.  Add eggs, one at a time.  

4.  Stir in vanilla.

5.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

6.  Fold in rhubarb.

7.  Pour in a greased 9" square pan.

8.  Combine 2 tbsp. brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.

9.  Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

Wordless Wednesday

One of our cats decided to curl up in a planter box!

Wordless Wednesday

Blossoms on our crab apple tree on Sunday.

Flowers on our crab apple tree on Monday.  They practically bloomed overnight!

Blueberry Cream Muffins

I love making and eating muffins.  I can be a bit picky about my muffins.  I like them to rise nicely, be moist and not stick to the paper liner.  These blueberry muffins meet all three of my muffin criteria!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1½ cups blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and spray 12 large muffin cups or line with cupcake papers.
2. In large bowl whisk eggs and gradually add sugar, continue whisking until pale yellow in colour.
3. Continue whisking while slowly pouring in oil and then vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl stir together flour, salt and baking soda.
5. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture, alternating with the sour cream.
6. Gently fold in blueberries.
7. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
8. Bake in preheated oven for ~ 20 minutes

Recipe source: http://oldermommystillyummy.com/2012/03/blueberry-cream-muffins-recipe.html

China Glaze Elfin' Around Nail Polish

With the order I placed at Nail Polish Canada, I order China Glaze's Elfin' Around Colour.  I would describe the colour as a combination of red, pink and orange, generally a shimmering coral colour.

I love the formula of this polish.  It covers in just one coat!  I also love the shimmer I get from the polish when it hits the light.  It's a unique colour and I think great for the summer and into the fall.

Overall, I really like this shade and will get lots of use out of it I'm sure.