Kat Stays Polished | Beauty Blog with a Dash of Life: April 2014

Thanks Mum! - LUSH Mother's Day Treats

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

OvenArt Bakeware Silicone Baking Cups

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

So, hopefully you know...but maybe you don't! My very first love is baking. I love baking because it's such a relaxing activity...for me, haha. I sometimes get nail inspiration from baking. Remember those Pumpkin Spice Latte cupcakes I made? That was probably one of my favorite posts ever because it included nails AND baking! Well, today I have a review for you on some silicone baking cups from OvenArt. I had never used silicone baking cups before but I knew they existed. I was very excited to try these so keep reading to see what I made with them!

OvenArt Bakeware Silicone Baking Cups | Kat Stays Polished

First of all, can we just take a look at these colors?! I love them! So bright and fun - definitely appropriate for all ages! In this pack are 12 baking cups. This set retails for $9.99 and can be purchased HERE on Amazon.

After washing each cup with warm soapy water, I dried them with a paper towel and arranged them on a baking sheet.

Since my husband and I are still on the "eating healthy" train, I decided to make Pumpkin Nut Muffins from SkinnyTaste. My husband loves muffins so I figured this would be a safe recipe to try.

So, after the batter was made, I scooped it into each baking cup trying to keep it as even as possible. The recipe calls for 12 muffins so that's exactly what I made.

OvenArt Bakeware Silicone Baking Cups | SkinnyTaste Pumpkin Nut Muffins | Kat Stays Polished

So, fast forward almost an hour....muffins! Look how delicious and gorgeous! Now...I let them cool for about an hour just like this before I attempted to get them out of the silicone baking cups.

Let's take a closer look at some of these beauties. Can ya smell them? So pumpkin-y and I love it!

Okay, one more picture because....well, look at them!

You tell me. Did they come out perfectly? I didn't even have to loosen the cups from the muffin! I just turned it over in my hand and they plopped out with ease! I can't even believe how awesome this is!

So, of course it's best to wash these as soon as possible. I used warm soapy water again but this time I had to use my sponge and get into the corners where the muffin crumbs got stuck. I'd say that these are easier to clean than any other muffin tin I've used except that you've got to do each one individually. Still, I prefer this over my metal tins.

Do you bake? Do you use silicone baking cups? Do you use silicone cups for something other than food? For under $10, I highly recommend this set of 12. It's a baker's dream...well, THIS baker's dream tool in the kitchen. Now I wish I had more so I could make more than a dozen things at a time!

*Product provided for an honest review. Product sent by company through the Tomoson program. All opinions are 100% my own.

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.

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GuestPost: Taneja's Bride - Radiant Orchid

Monday, April 28, 2014

dermalogica

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster

Friday, April 25, 2014

Hey guys! Today is another post on a hydrating booster but this is one I use mostly at night. I am very lucky to be a part of the iFabbo blogger network and a perk of that is being able to try out different items. When I saw this Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster pop up, I figured I would give it a dry since I sometimes have dry skin issues.

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster | Kat Stays Polished

The sample I got is a 1 fl ounce bottle and that retails for $56 on the Dermalogica website. Alright, so let's get down to the overall look of the product. It's very simple and basic which is nice. You know exactly what it is when you get it and it comes with a little insert with product information. I do not own any other Dermalogica products so I knew I would be incorporating this into my regular skin care routine.

The Skin Hydrating Booster is supposed to hydrate your skin, minimize fine lines, and is suitable for all skin types. When I read this I was happy because although I can have dry skin sometimes, the rest of the time my skin is very oily/combination. This product contains Hyaluronic Acid which is supposed to be fabulous for hydrating your skin!

The picture below is the exact amount I used every time I applied this. It's 4 drops of the serum and what I do is pat it between my fingers and then pat it on my face. It dries VERY quickly so I didn't feel like I could run it in. Maybe 4 drops isn't enough but I have the tendency to put TOO much product on my face sometimes. If you need to add some more, the drops are very small so it's easy to control.

When I used this, I applied it at nighttime every night and in the mornings sometimes. After I washed my face and applied toner, I used the booster and then followed up with my regular face moisturizer. Each morning after the night application, my face did start to feel a little better. I think with continued use, I will definitely see an improvement in my skin.

So, here's the big question for you! What do you think of hydrating serums like this? Do you use something similar in your skincare routine? I'm really happy I was able to test this out because I am going to make it a regular part of my routine...at least at nighttime.

Readers can get 15% off any Hydrating Booster purchase. Use code BOOST at checkout!