I had the opportunity to try Uplifting Miracle Worker by Philosophy over the past couple of weeks, thanks for CrowdTap.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm always skeptical about various creams like this... so many promises, but how many will be met? I know Philosophy is a good brand - I've used some of their 'fun' seasonal products around Christmas, like the peppermint wash. But it wasn't until recently that I really started to freak out about the way my face was starting to look more aged. I use a good lotion... but not one that 'treats' specifically... just something to keep it glowing healthy. And for those purpose, it has worked. 
So to try something to help uplift some of the problem areas I'm seeing... well, that was a no brainer to try out.
So I started using this cream early in the month. It didn't replace anything in routing, rather, I added it to my nightly ritual. To start, it felt really good going on. It didn't take much for full facial and neck coverage, which make the price tag more bearable, because this will last for awhile, using it daily. I know the price tag has made me shy away from trying new products! Second thing I notice was the cool feeling you get initially - just like it says on the jar - cool-lift! It even has a nice, fresh, clean scent that was just light enough to hit the senses, So my initial thoughts were pretty positive on it.
Fast forward a couple of week. I'd love to say I saw overwhelming results. But with most products, the 'real' results aren't instant. But I am seeing some slight changes that, without me trying to find something, I might miss. For example, I feel like each night I apply, my skin feels a little tighter than the night before. I also see a slight reduction in the size of my pores on either side of my nose... this is a big deal for me, because this was one of the things I recently noticed was seemingly worse than it was when I was younger.
Final verdict? I like this stuff. I'm going to keep it in my routine, because I'm anxious to see what other results will come through. And maybe I'll even add it to my morning routine, in addition, which it says you can do... or I'll just keep it in my night routine. We'll see. One thing I can say to those out there debating, though... don't let the price scare you off. This one is worth the try, for the price.
I was never one to have much of a moisturizing routine. I just never had the time. So my 'routine' came to be just moisturizing where and when it was needed, and that's it.
Now, the idea of 'moisturizing' in the shower, while my skin was still wet... that seemed crazy! But I was willing to give it a try. I'll try anything once. 
Enter Curél® Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturizer.
What's so great about putting on 'lotion' while you're standing in your shower? That just sounds weird, right? I mean, how good could it really feel? And I'll be honest, I went in with pretty low expectations. I just had no confidence in something like this working, nor did I see where putting it on your wet skin wouldn't leave my skin sticky or feeling off, somehow.
So I got this sample from CrowdTap. I put it on the shelf in my shower, so I wouldn't forget to try it out. After my first show, I looked at, not sure what to expect, opened it up, and was surprised to it wasn't quite as 'lotion like' as I though... but it wasn't a gel, either. It was kind of a blend of the two. And it went on SO easy! It surprised me how quickly I took cares of all my body parts. Then, per the instructions, I stepped out of the shower and dried off, as usual.
Now, unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, for me), my skin is not particularly dry, this time of year. So I had no instant gratification of feeling moisturized. In fact, being my first time, I had a couple of sticky patches, where I think I just put too much (like behind my knees). But other than that, my skin felt fine. Not super moisturized, but not dry, either. besides, I was still reveling about how easy it was!
So this routine has gone on for about week, now, and while I can't say I saw a huge difference in my skin (since it wasn't overly dry to begin with), I can't say I saw nothing. For example, I had some scratched, that were on the verge of healing, but had that dry skin from the healing around the edge... and this helped the healing process AND got right of that dry edge. So I didn't scratch it as much, and actually forgot all about it (until I'd look down and see it). So that was something.
Bottom line, I think I'd like to keep this stuff around. #1 - it's super easy. #2 - winter is quickly coming, and I KNOW my skin gets dry then - would love to see if this routine could vanquish that. And #3 - there does seem to be minimal benefits, even if it's not notable or super apparent. Maybe I'll finally find myself with a doable moisturizing routine!
I always love to try new food, from the sweet to the savory. In this case, the very sweet - Häagen-Dazs® Brownies à la Mode. Yes - this blog is about ice cream.
I chose this particular flavor because who doesn't love brownies with ice cream. Put it all in the form of ice cream, it has to be good, right?? As someone who love to have indulgent ice cream, this flavor seemed right up my alley.
So what did I think? Well, as you can imagine, the bar was set pretty high, as it was coming from Häagen-Dazs®. And while they did not disappoint, it didn't knock my socks off, either. I think I was hoping/expecting a lttle more creaminess with a swirl of sweet vanilla cream (or something to that effect). And while the flavor was there, I didn't find that swirl. And I think I was expecting more of the chewy brownie chunks... which is hard to have when something's frozen. So that was all on me.
But don't get me wrong - it was good ice cream! And I'd absolutely buy it again. The flavor was really good - not overpowering, but rich, none the less. The richness is probably what kept me from eating the whole pint in one sitting. Which is a good thing. For me, at least.
So if you're a brownie fanatic, and love ice cream - and really love the two together - this could be your go to ice cream. I think I'll thrown some strawberries on there next time I try it, because, yum!
Remember the days of the soft serve ice cream trucks that would drive around? Remember how excited you got when you saw him (Mr. Softee, in my case), and how sweet taste of the soft serve was when it hit your tongue? Yeah... that was the bliss I felt when I first tasted Nutchello. The sweet, smooth sensation as I took that first sip. Who knew you could revert back to childhood with such a simple drink??
Nutchello is from the brand, Silk. Which makes perfect sense, since they already do Almond Milk and Cashew Milk, in addition to their popular soy milk. There are currently three flavors - Rich Dark Chocolate + Walnuts; Caramel Almonds + Cashews; and Toasted Coconut + Cashews. My first taste was of the Caramel Almonds + Cashews, which I have to admit, was a tough choice. Of course, it took awhile to find. Not too many stores carry this stuff yet, but it's worth searching it out if you can't find it at your normal grocery spot.
My second thought immediately when to the thought of using this in smoothies. There's just enough sweetness to add a little something sweeter, though I imagine not all mix-ins will work well. But some of the basics, like any kind of berry... YUM! I stood in my kitchen, kind of wishing I had some on hand to try it out right then!
So bottom line, if you can't already tell, is that this stuff rocks! Search it out and try it yourself. There's even a coupon on their website right now. And you can even search out a specific store in your area that DOES have it! So go! NOW!!
So to try something to help uplift some of the problem areas I'm seeing... well, that was a no brainer to try out.
