20% VITAMIN C + AMINO + HYALURONIC ACID SERUM Review

So I know I've ragged on receiving anti aging products in the past HOWEVER the timing on getting this product couldn't be better. I have at long last quit my job of 8 years and will no longer be in an environment which just destroys my skin! Being a cake decorator for 8 years, working with icing and working in a hat and hairnet has done nothing good for my body let me tell you! So now the repairing can start (both physical and emotional might I add). The first step is of course bringing a healthy glow back into my face!

Thanks to BrandBacker I had the opportunity to try out OZ Naturals 20% Vitamin C + Amino + Hyaluronic Acid Serum, it is meant to be an anti aging serum (I'm hoping all these anti-aging products pickle my face to stay the same forever) however the benefits I'm looking forward to the most is more radiant looking skin!

To check it out for yourself it can be found on Amazon !

I've started a pact to only purchase products that are made in Canada just so I feel like I may be making a tiny impact in improving our economy- this product is made in the USA however there's nothing wrong with grabbing something from your neighbor every once in awhile! OZ Naturals is a leader in natural skin care. They formulate the most effective anti aging products on the market and are cruelty free, paraben free, sulfate free, mineral oil free, lanolin free and gluten free. (my goodness that's a lot of things!!)

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Yeah... There's a lot of work to be done here...

I have a 7 day window to submit my review on this product- I will be really impressed if I start to see a difference in less then a week !

The applicator on this bottle is awesome! It looks like a turkey baster!

I love it! This is my favorite part of this product. Even after the serum is gone I have full intentions of reusing the bottle again and again! Perhaps for more beauty products or perhaps I will baste the world's tiniest turkey.. I haven't quite decided yet!
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After a few days of using this serum, I do have positive things to say about it. I have started noticing small differences in my skin, I THINK I have a bit more glow going on now (the lack of backshifts is probably helping too)

See! See! We're getting somewhere now! I notice it the most difference under my eyes!

My only critiques on this product would be that my skin feels really sticky after I apply the serum, however a little bit of moisturizer fixes that problem (and it reminded me not to forget which was nice!!)
Also the regular retail price is rather steep... However I suppose that's the price you pay for the most effective anti aging products on the market that's cruelty free, paraben free, sulfate free, mineral oil free, lanolin free and gluten free!! (Phew... Again)

This review is powered by BrandBacker however I assure you I speak all truth!
                               

Princess Elsa Birthday Cake

So I've been debating for awhile now to get back into the nicer side of the cake business. I crave those custom orders and being able to put the time into them! Today I finally took on a little project to start updating my skills again!

I set up a kijiji ad to try to jump start things, and I ended up talking to a woman about a princess Elsa cake from the popular Disney movie Frozen. Unfortunately I think the price point I gave her was a little too steep and we never made any confirmed plans. However once the thought was in my mind I couldn't stop thinking about it! So for my family's Easter dinner I made her!

Since I was mostly concentrated on the design of the cake, I just used a cake mix to make that part quickly, the cake is way smaller then I would have liked it to be because of this... Oh well she's still pretty cute! If I can get a couple of orders out of this beauty then I will start using my prized cake recipes that I KNOW will make a big full dress for my girls.

The snowflakes were made in advance out of royal icing and left for 2 days to dry.

Also the other white accents were made from royal icing but they were done on the spot.

I'm not a huge fan of fondant but I felt like just icing this cake wouldn't do it justice! So I sucked it up and found 2 different shades of blue and made them adorably Frozen like!

Hopefully this will jump start a little bit more cake business and I can showcase even more projects in the future!! To see my older work check out my facebook page! facebook.com/CaeksByNicole

March Ipsy Bag Review

So I'm a little late on this review!! It's been a crazy month! However better late then never I suppose! This months Ipsy bag is absolutely beautiful! Full of colour reminding me of the tropical vacation I just returned from!

First up this month is the...

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Creme Oil: 
I don't blow dry my hair very often since my job doesn't really allow for nicely done hair, but I used it once and the creme smelt awesome and it made my hair nice and soft!

Next we have...

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Anti Aging Mattifying Lotion:
Well... I hope at age 23 I don't need an anti aging cream... However! The cream is very smooth and thick, not greasy at all and dried almost instantly. For some reason I was surprised this product was so nice- I guess I was just vindictive over the anti-aging part... I'm not old Ipsy...

NYX Butter Lipstick: 
PINK, Very Very Pink! It almost glowed when I put it on! But despite it's glowing qualities the lipstick held up- it was on for about 3 hours before it started to lose it's luster. I like that in a lipstick- I seem to produce an excessive amount of saliva so wearing lipstick has proven to be a challenge...

Marsk Mineral Eye Shadow- Shade: Lucky Penny: 
The shade that I recieved is a very dark copper colour. I really don't like the container that this came in.. It's hard to open and difficult to apply the eye shadow. But once it's on I will admit I do like the shade.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter: 
This is by far my favorite product this month! The shade is Ivory which is perfect for my pale pasty skin (even after a week in Cuba) and the pencil just makes my eyes glow! The only down side to this product is that it's a very thick pencil.. I don't have a sharpener big enough for this, so once it's dulled- It's done...

So I've been getting Ipsy bags for about 7 months now and although this is my favorite bag so far and I'm excited to reuse it! There were more products that I was indifferent about then excited about... So I'm a little disappointed this month, hopefully next month will bring me something exciting! C'mon Ipsy! It's my birthday month!

Cuba 2015- Day 7

So it finally happened... I got the staff here sick. Yuri, one of the beach staff/ evening dancers came to work with a nasty cold... I gave him the rest of my Tylenol Flu pills and some soft Kleenex (because frankly the Cuban kleenex are NASTY.
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Within 45 minutes of giving Yuri the rest of my flu pills I won a bottle of rum at the poolside lottery!! I am such a fan of paying it forward, good things will happen!!

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Tonight is Cuban night! I guess this celebration happens once a month so it is wonderful luck that we got to see it!

Although the resort was very well decorated and there was loads of energy, the music was exactly the same as we had been listening to for the entire week.... However there were some new twists that hadn't been done before!

There were these little characters! ... People covered in sheets? Not 100%  sure if there is a history behind these characters  or if they were just having fun messing with us!

All the matching dancers! There was actually some american music intertwined with theyr Cuban classics!

Some amazing bikers!

There was so much dancing at this event! They really take their dancing seriously!

Cuba 2015- Day 6

So we're coming into the home stretch so I've been reviewing the week that we've had. We stayed at the Iberostar Playa Alameda Resort in Veradero. The staff has been remarkable, from waiters to cleaners to entertainers- everyone here is so energetic and happy! Five stars for staff here!!

A lot of the people in this picture performing also man the beaches in the morning. I'm pretty sure some of these guys work 16 hour days! Everyday! And days off don't come excessively often it seems!

This waiter was awesome, he would remember your drinks from the night before and have it ready before you sat down! I discovered Banana Daiquiri's while down here,.. Essentially banana rum and lemonade but mmm it was good!

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General maintenance on the resort however gets maybe 2 stars.... The A/C in our room doesn't really work very well which made the nights a little warm (again expecially coming from our lovely NS winter). I am unfortunately already having a hard enough time sleeping with my wonderful cough! The key card slot on our hotel door actually has begun wearing out the card before the week is up, it's like playing roulette every time I have to pee!
Whenever I need to use the washroom I return to the room because all of the public washrooms (excluding the lobby one) are a horror story!! ZERO maintenance! Obviously no one is assigned to maintain these washrooms! One toilet was overflowing and flooded the entire washroom (aaand of course I was only wearing flipflops...)I tried using the same washroom 2 days later and it was still completely flooded... The second one near the beach was in decent repair however maintaining the toilet paper was something else that was neglected... If I had my purse I was fine ! I am always packin' tissues- especially this time of year.. But if I was just running in from the beach I was screwed. It didn't take long to realize it was worth running back to the room.

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So I missed the show AGAIN tonight.... We dined at The Romantico International Restaurant tonight... Well now that won't be happening again anytime soon. I got hit with a lovely wave of food poisoning. It hit me like a dart of shooting pain and I couldn't run fast enough!

Cuba 2015- Day 5

I spent most of the day today in the ocean, which made for an insane amount of sand attached to my body!!

Myself and the younger brother... I don't call him my little brother anymore for obvious reasons!

I had a very early night last night, I think the heat is starting to get to me (considering the NS winter has been extended this season) I unfortunately had to miss the circus show last night.. I bet it was swell!
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I did however hit the tropical show tonight!

It was a quick show- about 30 minutes in length but it was very well done. The dancers were very talented and the costume changes were flawless.

Cuba 2015- Day 4

My cough is getting attention! An older gentleman from Paris came and chatted me up today, concerned for my health of course... Or I was annoying the crap out of him.... My goodness subtlety is not something Europeans practice... He was a very large man... In a very small speedo.

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We went on a catamaran trip today, free on the resort- a man took us out on the water for 30 minutes. It was very enjoyable, the air was nice and fresh! The boat navigator couldn't really speak English so he was pretty quiet however we chatted up the couple that sailed with us. They were from Lower Sackville ! What are the odds!

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Tonight's show was The Lion King, it was very cute. Filled with lots of comedy! At one point one of the actors lost the top of their costume, it was definitely a good laugh! It amazes me how hard some of the staff here work. The same people who played characters in the play where the people watching the beach first thing in the morning! Dear god I hope they get paid by the hour.
Anyways back to the Lion King! I am hopeful the movie comes up on the Disney Movie Club soon ! I now have a craving to re-watch it!

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We had dinner at one of the finer restaurants tonight- Their Seafood Restaurant. The main course was very good, I just had fish- nice and safe! (I don't do well with seafood). When the dessert came I was ... surprised. I had ordered the creme brulee... And I was given pudding.... with a fruit sauce. I guess Cuban creme brulee isn't ... Bruleed....