Covergirl Smoochies

I purchased 3 of these Covergirl Smoochies lip glosses from Health Snap during a 70% off sale so I got them for under $2 each.  I've always wanted to try Smoochies and when the price was right, I went for it!

Left to Right: #luv bug, #luv u, #sweet tweet

 Left to Right: #luv bug, #luv u, #sweet tweet

They vary in their pigmentation with #luv bug and #luv u being moderately pigmented.  You will definitely see these two colours on your lips.

#sweet tweet is nothing more than a clear gloss with a hint of pink.  I find this colour makes for a glossy base for other colours such as lipsticks.

 Top to Bottom:  #luv bug, #luv u, #sweet tweet

#luv bug is a brownish, mauve colour with shimmer
#luv u is a medium berry pink shade
#sweet tweet is a very sheer pink

Left to Right: #luv bug, #luv u, #sweet tweet

Since I don't like bold colours, these shades are perfect for me. They do add colour to my lips and feel nice on.  They glide easily on and last a few hours on my lips if I'm not eating or drinking.  I would describe them as a glorified lip balm.  

Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase and really enjoy wearing Covergirl Smoochies.  I would recommend them to others to try and would repurchase in the future.  In fact, I have a back up #luv bug because I love the colour so much!

Wordless Wednesday: Floral Beauty

The peonies have finally bloomed outside our home.  Love their bright, vibrant colour!

Wordless Wednesday: Look what "grew" in the garden!

My mom made this garden dessert to depict carrots growing in a garden.  It was as tasty as it looked!

You can find the recipe here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/carrot-garden-ice-cream-dessert

Rhubarb Muffins

I adapted this recipe to use rhubarb which has been growing in our garden.  These muffins have a cake like texture and taste great!  As a side note, they come off the paper liners really easily.  I hate when muffins leave half the muffin behind on the liner!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup chopped rhubarb

Topping:
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Cream shortening, sugar and egg.
2.  Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternatively with milk.  Stir until just combined.
3.  Mix in rhubarb.
4.  Fill paper liners.
5.  Mix topping ingredients of sugar and cinnamon.  Spoon desired amount on top of muffin.
6.  Bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes.

Yield: 9 muffins

Vichy Idealia Life Serum Review

I have been using the Vichy Idealia Life Serum for a week now. Initially when I saw this product labelled as a "serum" I wasn't impressed as I was expecting a clear, oily like product that I thought would exacerbate my acne prone skin.

This product however was nothing like I expected. It was white with a lotion like consistency. It absorbed quickly into the skin and did not leave a sticky or oily residue. My skin tolerated this lotion very well as it didn't aggravate my acne prone skin or make my skin any oilier than usual. 

The lotion is fragranced and reminds me of a green tea scent. It is pleasant and not overpowering. 

I was using this serum daily after cleansing my face. I found that the product moisturized so well that I didn't need to apply a separate moisturizer. In fact I had been dealing with some dry patches on my skin due to the harsh acne products I use and found that the dry patches were well taken care of with this product.

I have noticed that my skin is softer and smoother with daily use but haven't yet noticed any further improvements to my skin at this point. Perhaps with continued use that will change.

Overall, I really liked this product but cannot justify the price tag for the softer, smoother and moisturized skin that I saw. This product retails for $59 for a 30 ml pump bottle.  I feel there are other products on the market with a lower price tag that would be just as effective. However, I would recommend this product to anyone to try as it really is a lovely product.

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

Orange Blueberry Muffins

I love blueberry muffins and decided to change up my favourite recipe by adding some orange zest.  The muffins have a lovely orange flavour to them.

Ingredients

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

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. In large bowl whisk eggs and gradually add sugar, continue whisking until pale yellow in colour.
3. Pour in oil, add vanilla and orange zest.
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. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
8. Bake in preheated oven for approx.  20 minutes

Wordless Wednesday

It's a winter wonderland on the farm today!  And it's April!!