Do You Believe in Magic?

So I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m turning 40. Ahem. Tomorrow. Well, the awesome folks over at SheSpeaks heard too and sent me this awesome L’Oreal Paris Magic BB Cream to try and blog about.

If you pay attention to skin care, facial products, beauty products–I’ve told you all a million times how much I absolutely LOVE my Birchbox–then you have probably heard of BB cream. It is  “Beauty Balm” and supposedly comprises serum, moisturizer, foundation, and sunblock and a bunch of other stuff in one super-product. I tried another brand when it first came out, and my reaction was…eh. I used it. It was good for putting on to go to the gym so I didn’t look like a corpse, and daily but with reinforcements such as foundation and powder.

Based on that experience, I didn’t have high hopes for L’Oreal’s version, but I am always up for trying new things.

It comes in a cute little tube and directs you to dot on your face and then blend in. When I squeezed a few drops out, I was less than confident, as it was kind of a whitish color. Anyway, I dabbed and blended and didn’t notice much difference. However, I washed my hands, looked back in the mirror, and my face was FLAWLESS. I mean…as flawless as my face gets, I am 24 hours away from being 40. My skin tone looked even with a hint of color. My blemishes and pores had vanished. And overall, my face looked smooth and shine-free. One of my issues with the other BB Cream was it gave your skin a “dewy” finish. If you all ready tend to be oily, like me, dewy is not an adjective you look for in your skin care. But with this cream even after a workout, my face still looked pretty even and smooth. Magic is right!

I’m really excited about this product! I’d show you before and after pictures, but I’m a generation too late for “selfies,” so my mirror pictures are pretty sad. Still, I’ll try to give you something. Later.

*This is a sponsored post, but I really really do love this product and will buy it when my sample runs out!

What’s in Your Coffee?

Every once in awhile, something really amazing happens. Last week, that amazing thing happened to me. SheSpeaks sent me two bottles of Torani flavored syrups, asked me to try them and blog about them. A-MA-ZING. Come up with a recipe, they said. I say: Go ahead and send me an advance because I have got a whole book. Umm, @DouglasGarasic, can I get a title?

Seriously, for the past week, I have been living out my dream of being a Starbucks barista in my own kitchen. “You know what would be good in that hot chocolate? Some Torani Salted Caramel Syrup!” “Coffee? Oh, wait, how about some Torani Peppermint Syrup? Mmmm, we’ll make it a peppermint latte!” My kids, who are equally easily amused, are enjoying their fabulous coffee house cocoas, but my black coffee husband is missing out.

I have to admit that as much as I wanted to love it, I’ve been disappointed with every Salted Caramel concoction I’ve tried. Until now. I cannot get enough of the Torani Salted Caramel Syrup. I mixed it with apple cider and whipped cream rum for a delightful adult concoction. I’ve added it to coffee and hot chocolate, and if I’m being perfectly honest, yes, I have also licked it off the spoon. It is THAT GOOD.

If peppermint and salted caramel are not for you, don’t despair, they have a TON of flavors! Pumpkin spice, caramel, chicken and waffles–I’m serious, raspberry…what are you waiting for? Go! God Speed!

You might have gathered that this post is sponsored by SheSpeaks and Torani, but that in no way minimizes my love of these syrups.