Saturday, June 21, 2014

DIY Summer Treats: Chocolate Covered Snack Bites

Today is officially the first day of summer and the longest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere. Woohoo! I thought this would be the perfect time to start a a mini series on my blog filled with fun and easy DIY recipes for the summer! 

I'm going to kick things off by introducing you guys to these frozen treats: bite-sized chocolate covered banana with peanut butter! Under the chocolate coating is peanut butter sandwiched between two banana slices. I'd like to call them chocolate covered PB&B sandwiches. And yes, I just made that up on the spot haha. I think they make a great snack on hot days and are a healthier option for all the sweet tooths out there. While I'm not a fan of peanut butter with chocolate (Reese's pieces? No, thanks!), these treats are an exception! The chocolate, banana, and peanut butter make a superb trio. When frozen, the banana slices give you that creamy texture while the peanut butter and chocolate really bring out the flavor of everything. 

To make these treats: all you need is one banana, a spoonful of peanut butter, and some chocolate chips. I suggest using a banana that is not so ripe, this will give you a good hold on the slices when spreading the peanut butter on them. As for the chocolate, I used 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and microwaved them for 4 minutes, stopping every minute to stir. Once the PB&B sandwiches are coated with the melted chocolate, simply pop them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!


For more detailed instructions on this recipe, here's a link that might help.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Review: Origins Charcoal Face Mask


I've been wanting to try a charcoal mask for a while now and decided to try the Origins Clear Improvement Mask. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or how my skin was going to react to it so I got the travel pack edition, which comes in four individual packets. 

The mask has a light scent and hardens after 20 minutes. I'm not going to lie, that moment when I feel the mask tightening on my face is just oh-so-satisfying because that's when I know it's working and sucking out all the dirt from my pores. It gets me pretty excited haha. The best part was seeing the results - I noticed a clearer and brighter complexion in my face after each use. 

As far as blemish-control goes, the product doesn't make me break out, but it doesn't completely prevent breakouts either. I could tell that the mask definitely reached deep into my pores and did its magic because it helped get rid of the blackheads that were around my nose. I was bummed that it was only temporarily though. A few days after each use, those feisty blackheads reappeared in the same exact spots on my nose as if they've never left. 

In short, the charcoal mask was gentle on my skin, did an amazing job getting all the gunk out of my pores, and left my face touchably soft and clean. 

Skin type profile:

✳︎ Sensitive 
✳︎ Oily/T-zone
✳︎ Redness/Inflammation
✳︎ Enlarged pores around nose area