Valentia Even Glow Serum Review

Welcome!

 

Let me start by saying that this review was scheduled to be posted two weeks ago but somehow never made it on my page. My apologies!

 

Even Glow Serum is a Vitamin C serum that is meant to repair, refresh and renew your skin giving your complexion a more even look and feel over time. It is made with 98% natural ingredients and also claims to diminish dark spots and discoloration, boost collagen production so that your skin “retains the elasticity responsible for a youthful appearance and prevent sagging associated with aging” and make take ‘years’ off your appearance. Lastly it’s supposed to reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles with special ingredients such as Sea Buckthorn oil to plump the skin making it clearer and younger.

 

With that being said lets get to the first impression. First off, the box the bottle comes in is super fancy looking, it definitely does look like its up there with department store competitors and the bottle is nice also. It has the glass dropper and all. The serum itself is a yellow color, looks very creamy and isn’t too runny so its easy to apply, has a slight scent, its floral or fruity, I really cant decide but its extremely pleasant and not too over powering at all. Application as I said is pretty easy, it goes on smooth and isn’t sticky if you apply sparingly and work it in a bit. Dries fairly quickly and your moisturizer or primer goes on like normal and doesn’t cake up with the extra layer.

Personal experience was actually quite pleasant, it didn’t break me out or make my skin too oily so that always a plus in my book. My skin does feel and look better than it had prior to using this serum and I will note that even when only using it at night I saw a difference in the brightness of my skin.

Final thoughts would be yes, I do recommend this products for long term use and I do see it helping with existing skin conditions. I cannot comment on the antiaging properties as I do not have many signs of aging except slight smile lines but those aren’t going anywhere without getting under the knife lol

But I do honestly think it has made my skin look more plump and youthful so I give it an A.

 

Its only $35 on Amazon for 1.18oz of product which is pretty standard for a serum and you’ll also get a FREE  Age Defying Facial Treatments ebook with over 20 beauty recipes including this one that I tried and loved and am sharing with you now:

All you need is

1 tsp of Matcha Powder and  few drops of water or if you have dry skin aloe gel
-I added a few drops of lemon to mine because I like how it feels (:

Mix until it’s a paste and apply to face and neck with brush to avoid transferring oils from your fingers to your face

Leave on 20-30 minutes then rinse offwith warm water and a cloth or konjac sponge

Use to 1-3 times weekly!

It should look like his, not mine. I didn’t put enough water because I liked the texture of it lol fail!

The mask is said to Improve dull skin as well as exfoliates dead skin cells, follow with your Valentia Serum for a moisturized finish!

Thanks for reading feel free to comment or ask any questions~

xo,

Ana

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

NIGHTFOOD Cookies N’ Dream Review

NomNomNom…

 

I am absolutely in love with these delicious bars of chocolaty goodness.

 

 Night food bars are a dietary supplement bar that “satisfies after dinner cravings, keeps your diet on track, supports better sleep and is a good source of fiber and protein.” I agree with these statements 100%! With ingredients like organic brown rice syrup, chicory, rolled oats, chocamine and puffed amaranth (protein rich, gluten free grain) you can snack happy without worrying about all of the artificial flavors and chemicals that come from candy bars and relax with a bar that actually supports a healthier eating lifestyle! If that doesn’t convince you to try them, these 140 calorie night time snack bars are packed with  great things like fiber, calcium, iron and 6g of protein with only 9g of sugar and 35 calories from fat but taste just like a regular grocery store snack bar (but better ;)!

 

First impression was that they were a bit messy when I broke it apart, it is all put together very well but that is expected from anything you eat. There are 6 perfect snack size bars per “filling” and “satisfying” box. These ‘optimized nighttime nutrition’ bars are all that they claim to be. I do feel like they did help me fall into a peaceful sleep faster, not in a medicated kind of way but in a relaxing and calming way. They do taste like they are made with rich cocoa so I wasn’t surprised to see that they used Chocamine, also they taste similar to a protein bar so they aren’t overwhelmingly sweet like a candy bar would be at 11 pm. I didn’t get a sugar rush nor did I still crave anything sweet after eating these. I have eaten about 3 bars over the last week or two so I am fairly certain of the effects it has on me vs those of the normal salty, sweet fatty things we all crave late at night!

 

Final thoughts, I recommend this product! It’s fairly inexpensive to try, your first box if FREE just pay $4.95 for s&h then cancel your subscription, hassle free, if you don’t absolutely love it! If you just have a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night, hungry, this is something you should try. If you are someone who does get late night cravings and you know that apples and grapes aren’t going to hit that sweet spot and you want to indulge beery once in a while without all of the guilt then I do recommend these. I don’t however think you should purchase these thinking they are a night time sleep aid, they will not put you out like a PM pill and that is NOT their purpose, they do however aid in a more calming and restful sleep. Don’t take it from me, try them for yourself here, you have TWO great flavors to choose from, Cookies N’ Dream and/or Midnight Chocolate Crunch!

Also don’t forget to leave any feedback or questions you may have in the comments section!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

xo,

Ana

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Morning FAT BURING green smoothie

Good morning friends!

So I decided to post a fat BURING smoothie in another post instead of in addition to my 25 Minute Workout post because I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to see it, even if they didn’t read that post.

So let’s get started,

Things you’ll need:
A blender
2 cups of ice
2 cups of spinach leaves
2-3 tablespoons avocado
20 green grapes (about 2 cups)
1 ripe pear or kiwi (chopped/peeled for either)
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
3/4 Cup fat free Greek yogurt (I use plain)

Add ingredients into blender and blend blend blend until desired consistency.

Keep refrigerated for up to 2 days and shake or reblend before reusing.

Under 300 calories based on ingredients I used or just download the calorie counter app and plug in your own ingredients!

Thanks for reading friends and please share pictures and thoughts on how this turns out for you!
💋

FOOD subscription boxes

So I did a post about BEAUTY boxes and now I’m doing the only thing that makes makes me happier than makeup, FOOD!

First we have Graze which is a healthy, organic, raw type of box and you get four different snack sized treats for just $6 a box which you have the option to get as many or little boxes you want a month! So that’s pretty neat and you pick the dates too :O so in love with that customization.

Then there is my absolute favorite box which is Love with Food you get to choose from two different boxes the taste box which is $12/month and you get 8+ different snacks or the deluxe box for $19.95/month for 16-20 items both have organic or all natural snack items!
The best part about this subscription is that for every taste box, they donate 1 meal to a needy child in America and for every deluxe box they donate 2 meals! So it’s really a tastes good and feel good box subscription! Plus you can get your first box for just $2!

Okay so this is probably not really a girl thing but did you know there’s a subscription box for jerky?! It may be a Texas thing but JERKY!!!! In a box?!!! Ugh and I was excited about makeup. Ha. No. Jerky to my door sounds like the best thing in the world next to Channing Tatum feeding me jerky while buying me more makeup and more jerky…
It’s BOJERKY from the makers of BOCANDY! Ahh I don’t even want the candy anymore. Lol
Bojerk is $13 for 2-3 flavors of jerk (more options available?
Bocandy is

And I’m in the process of getting more boxes soooo I will update this thread as soon as I receive them 💋

Peanut butter oatmeal BREAKFAST COOKIES

Oh me oh my… Cookies for breakfast? Um yes, please and thanks! So I make sure I do not eat the same thing daily and I also try to keep it relatively fun in the mornings. Shakes and cookies, well how much more fun can it get?

Breakfast cookies

1/2 Natural Peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1 1/4C Rolled Oats (I use GF)
1C Craisins (or your choice dried fruit)
1C Apple Sauce
2Tsp Vanilla abstract
1Tbs Honey
1/2Tsp Sea Salt
2Tbs protein powder (I use cinnamon whey,optional)
1/2C Dark Chocolate Chips (optional)
1/2C Almonds or Walnuts (optional)

Yields about a dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 350
Line baking pan with parchment paper
Mix together the honey, vanilla, applesauce and peanut butter (by hand with wisk is fine)
Add Oats, Dried fruit, Nuts, sea salt and protein powder
Mix with spoon until nicely coated

Drop spoonfuls onto baking pan (I use 1/8c scoops) and bake for 12-15 minutes then remove from oven and let cool on pan

Store in airtight container for up to a week

Cranberry Oatmeal Walnut Cookies w/Vegan Alternative

Low Cal
Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut cookies (:
With Vegan alternative ❤️

3 cups of Rolled Oats
1 1/2 Cups Oat Flour (Soy or baking flour)
5 Cups Walnuts (or less, your choice of nuts)
2 Cups Cranberries (or your choice of dried fruit)
2 tbs cinnamon (or 1/2tbs all spice)
1/2 tbs nutmeg
1 tbs Vanilla abstract
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 tsp baking soda
*2 Eggs
*1 Cup Softened butter
1 Cup packed Brown sugar
*1/3 Cup Truvia (no calorie sweetener or regular white GRANULATED sugar)
**OR**
Instead of brown sugar- 1 5/8 Cup Truvia/ No Cal Sweetener
Instead of eggs and butter- 1 2/3 Cup Applesauce (or 2 1/4Tbs Soy flour + 2 tbs water and 1 Cup apple sauce) or just use natural butter

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

Pre heat oven to 350 and line baking pan with parchment paper

Mix butter and sugar with electric mixer until mixed
Add in eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmegmix for about a minute with electric mixer
Then add oats, walnuts and cranberries and mix by hand

Drop in spoonfuls (I use a 1/8cup scoop) then flatten

Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown let cool on pan for 3 minutes then move to rack

Store in airtight container once cooled and should be good for a week or two (they never last that long in my house)

Green Smoothie and Chicken Tortilla Soup

So I know I am a bit late with this but that’s mostly because I had to test a bunch of delicious recipes I’ve been saving up these past years to see which ones I think are still perfect for the season!

I first came up with a simple smoothie that I enjoy regularly and feel like it’s completely satisfying and helps get my day started on a healthy track! It’s pretty customizable, amazingly refreshing, vegan and vegetarian friendly, and super quick!

Green smoothie
1 cup kale chopped
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cucumber (or avocad) chopped
1/2 kiwi (optional)
1/2 ripe banana
1 1/2 fruit juice without added sugar (orange or pineapple are best)
1-2 cups of ice (optional for thicker smoothie)

Blend on high until smooth (1-2 mins) then serve!

Although you may be thinking “soup in the spring, no way it’s too hot” and you might think you’re right, but you’re not. This tortilla soup is great all the time and if you are busy like me, this can also be thrown in the crockpot and will leave you leftover to freeze (yeah right) or save for later in the week! Also, just omit the chicken for a veggie friendly option.

1-2 Lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken for quicker stovetop cooking)
2 (15oz) cans of black beans, rinsed
1 (15oz) can of sweet corn, drained
1 (15oz) can refried beans
4 cups chicken broth (I use Swanson low sodium or you can use veggie broth)
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt (or 1 glove minced)
1 tsp onion powder (or 1 tbs minced white onion)
2 tsp Crushed red peppers
1 (10oz) can of red enchilada sauce (optional but totally amazing)

Optional
1 can Rotel tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped tomatoes)
1 cup chopped mushrooms

Or really add, leave out, anything you don’t like from this recipe
It’s completely customizable!

Crockpot method
Put the RAW chicken breast in first, then all ingredients on top, add about 2 cups of water to the mixture and set on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 4 then simply shred the chicken with a fork (should be falling apart anyways) and give it all a good stir and let sit for about 15 minutes!

Stovetop method
Place COOKED shredded chicken and all other ingredients into pot (add water if needed for a more soup like consistency)
bring to a rolling boil stirring occasionally then lower heat to a simmer
cover and let cook for 45mins to an hour
Remove from heat, stir and let sit covered for 15 mins then serve

Serve with tortilla strips, avocado slices, sour cream or cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime juice!

Hope you enjoy!!

Easy tortilla strip instructions

Preheat oven to 375
Grab some corn tortillas
cut corn tortillas into 1/4 inch strips
lightly coat in olive oil (or if using seasoning, mix oil and seasoning together first) and place in single layers on baking sheet in over for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown

Thanks for reading, and again, excuse my crappy photography I absolutely forgot about taking a picture when I made this so I had my bf send me a pic of his lol bare with me, they will get better!!

I hope you enjoy, tell me how you like them if you try them.