Best

1. Anna Kendrick, Go behind the scenes of the Mega Huge Football Ad Newcastle Brown Ale – The Super Bowl commercial that is not a Super Bowl commercial.

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g9wXBkdWEg[/embedyt]

2. Cheerios – unexpected and cute, negotiate girl!

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKuQrKeGe6g[/embedyt]
3. Budweiser #BestBuds – as predicted this is still one of my favorites!

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQB7QRyF4p4[/embedyt]

Worst

1. Jaguar 2014 Big Game Commercial | British Villains – Thanks for reminding Americans, on one of the most American days of the year, that you are not American #fail – who did their advertising?
[embedyt]http://youtu.be/2Bls1KKDwmo[/embedyt]

2. Volkswagen Game Day Commercial: Wings – just not funny. How many people really drive a car to 100k? I’d like to see some statistics that told someone this was a good idea.

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-p0BdUB5o[/embedyt]

3. GoDaddy Bodybuilders – enough said, this sucked.

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WycoJMKzXZ4[/embedyt]

Fastforward 6 months and beauty balms run the gambit as far as what they promise they do, and some have left me wondering if they really do anything at all. Some BB creams may give an initial feeling of freshness, or provide a good base for the day, but why are there so many different “types”?! I have seen them advertized as sunscreens, break-out reducers, primers, moisturizers and even anti-aging serums. Ridiculous! Why must we take a simple, easy to use daily product and create such a fuss! After paging through a Cosmo and counting no less than 7 BB creams, either as an advertisement or spotlighted, in one issue, I decided to compare and contrast 5 of the ones I  see most in magazines and on TV.

1) Stila Beauty Balm HD- Retail $38.00

As I stated earlier I have been an early user of this balm, the first iteration that I owned did not have any SPF protection, but the newer products do. They also have a tinted, bronzing balm on the shelves, which I tried in addition to the regular HD balm for comparison. The HD 10 in 1 balm I feel provides a great moisturizing base layer, that evens my skin tone, and that I can use as more of a primer before I put on my powder foundation or as a stand alone product. I did find it was better to put any concealer on first, then the BB for the most even blended look.  The basic BB does not come in multiple tones, so I would be interested to see if it work well on both light and dark skin tones, since mine is olive and this blends seamlessly. The tinted balm however, was a little too dark for my tanned olive skin tone, I was quite frankly orange. I have however found that mixing a bit of the tinted BB with the HD really gives me the best look for my complexion and more of a sunkissed glow.

2. Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30 – Retail $37.00

My mother has been a long time Clinque customer. Anything that was in her makeup drawer growing up was from Clinque, she must have gotten every free gift promotion that they ever offered, because my adolescent bathroom has the evidence of samples and cute make-up bags to prove it. Somehow this translates to my adult opinion that Clinque is a make-up market staple and I was anxious to try their BB. As many of the newer balms offer, this has an SPF, but without as much noticable sun screen smell as the Stila HD Balm. As the name suggests, it is supposed to moisturize and sets out to provide some age defence (I am not sure how reliable that claim is since I am comparing for daily use). Unlike Stila, Clinque offers 4 different tones which I think is a huge bonus. The Clinique BB seems more like a concealer or foundation layer than a primer for your skin.

3. Garnier B.B. Cream Miracle Skin Perfector SPF 15 – Retail $12.99

This BB cream is by far the most popular ad I have seen in magazines so I decided, though I don’t typically test out garnier products for anything but my hair, I would give this well advertized option a try. I previously haven’t really thought of price as a prohibiting factor since each container last several months even with daily use, but this is certainly a case of you get what you pay for. This was definitely less “lush,” than the other creams I compared. My skin felt more oily and I didn’t feel like I got the same kind of coverage as with other products. I also felt that though there was a good tint, this cream had by far the strongest smell of any of the other products I had tested out. Quickly discarded this one.

4. Boscia B.B. Cream SPF 27 – Retail $38

This BB cream falls into the category of being more of a skincare product than a makeup product for me. It comes out of the tube white, and though its supposed to blend into every skin tone, it’s another BB cream that is created with light skin tones in mind. Boscia also doesn’t seem to stay moist for very long, you can only apply with your fingers because a sponge would immediately soak up all of the cream.  Maybe a brush would be better? Just too thick for me and is extremely quick drying.

5. Smashbox BB cream – Retail $39.00

This cream has the coverage of a light foundation, and I could easily see myself switching from Stila to this product.  Smashbox has the bonus of multiple shades for different skin tones, 5 in total, but left my skin feeling slightly oily. I feel it is probably better for someone who has drier skin, and not someone like me who is prone to oil.  I also like the SPF in this brand because there doesn’t appear to be much of a scent at all. Also in the plus category for Smashbox is the easily application – it is so easy to smooth on during application and blends well. Definitely the best coverage of any of the BB creams I tried out in this 5 product comparison.

Obviously this is by no means the entirerty of available BB creams on the market, there are probably nearing 100 of them out there. These were the ones that I had heard the most about and were some of the most affordable options. Do you have  BB cream that you use? Have you used any of these?

As you can see from the picture below Graze delivers 4 healthy snack options to you as often as you’d like, for only $6 a box. You have the option between the “nibble” box which lets you select from any of the healthy, natural snacks they offer on their site, or as I did, try the “caloriecounter” box which ensures that none of your selections will be over 150 calories. They have about 90 different snacks and growing, with seasonal selections arriving constantly.

Like any subscription service they take into account your likes, dislikes, and after each delivery you can rate the snack you received on if you would like to see it all the time, sometimes, or never again. If you use my friend code you will receive your 1st box for free, and if you stick with it, you will also receive your 5th box free.

I was not asked to post this product, nor did I receive anything for free, past also getting a friend code from a friend and trying it out! You have nothing to lose with the 1st box free and I recommend you try it to revolutionize your snacking habits! As you can see I loved or liked most of my snacks, but wouldn’t get the hot cross yum again – I didn’t like the spongey pieces included in this snack.

I have naturally thick, curly hair and have gone through numerous sprays, shampoos and conditioners, to no avail. I have been looking for an oil, that wouldn’t leave me feeling greasy or leave a lasting smell that lingered with me. When I finally tried this dry remedy I was hooked.

I put two drops in my hands and work through my wet hair, post shower, and then after my hair is dry I add one additional drop. I do not work the oil through my scalp, but really concentrate on the ends of my hair, which get the most heat damage. From the first application I was left with shinier, more moisturized hair and the ends were left looking very healthy and frizz free.

While the price per bottle is $27, since you are only using a few drops with each shower, this large bottle will last you months. After only one month I haven’t even made it to the Aveda logo at the top and plan on stocking up on the samples to take with me on trips! This is a must have for all hair types!

I recently have come across a nifty website – Tradesy.com. Which, is in my opinion, is the perfection created when RueLaLa and Ebay had a baby website. Essentially you buy and sell “used” clothing and accessories through their website. The buying process is an easy one click, with no bidding unlike Ebay, while the selling process is just as simple with an easy multi-step listing method. Tradesy carries designer brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and Christian Loubiton, as well as brands like J.Crew, Banana Republic, and H&M. Much like RueLaLa and other sites, when the item sells it is gone and you can’t get another, though you can “still want it” and be notified when other items matching your description pop up.

A seller receives 91% of the total sale price of the item, and you can determine the sale price of your item, though Tradesy recommends 20-40% off the original retail price. You cash out through Paypal and they provide you all the shipping materials when you make a sale. Additionally, all returns are free, which is definitely an added bonus. Talk about easy, the premise definitely supports their catchphrase “Turn your closet into cash.” I have gone ahead and listed two items on the site to see what kind of hit I will get, a BCBG bandage skirt, and Kate Spade bag.

In addition to beign able to search thousands of designers and clothing options, you can also help personalize a page of suggestions, the “Style Feed,” for yourself by answering a few questions about your style and preferred brands, like many of the monthly subscription based shoe and clothes retailer sites have as part of their platform.

I definitely suggestion checking it out! Let me know what you think and if you have purchased anything from there what your feedback was!

I of course read the horror stories of people who had severe break outs using the clarisonic, or their faces peeled off etc, and I had some ups and downs using the product, but I found that the best way to use the product is consistantly. When you use the product for the first week, as your pores and skin adjust, you may have a few small pimples to contend with, but after using the brush for months your skin has adapted, is silky soft, and I have had no promblem with chronic blemishes and have never had any irritation.

I personally started out using the Mia 2 with the gel provided in the pack, and the normal brush head, every day for 2 weeks at night before bed. I then put on my face cream and hit the pillow, waking up with a fresh face. My husband has told me numerous times how soft and smooth my skin feels after using the brush before bed. After two weeks of continuos use I have switched it to a few times a week as opposed to every day. If I were going to use the brush every day I would definitely probably switch brush heads from the “normal” head to something for more delicate or sensative skin – Clarisonic provides several different types of heads, just click here to check out the options.

Carisonic also provides its own line of cleansers to be used with their brushes, though I have found other face washes that I have bought from the drug store work well also. You can check out the different cleansers here, I personally recomend the “Gentle Hydro Cleanser,” after having good results.

Has anyone had any negative feedback with the clarisonic after consistant use? Any tips or tricks that you could suggest for different skin types?

Every morning they provide the Church Hill area with affordable warm pastries, muffins, pies, coffee cakes, teas and even buttermilk hot chocolate. Over the past few weeks I have eaten many of these treats, supplied office breakfasts with their goodies, and gotten many of our neighbors addicted to the confectionary goodness they put out. My favorite treat is currently a tie between the sticky buns and the peach and cinnamon muffins. However, they don’t stop at breakfast. They have many exotic flavors of pies, cakes and cheesecakes that you can order in advance. I am anxious to order one of their many special order pies or cakes for the next celebration we host but can hardly decide between the pear spice cake or apricot cheesecake flavors!

I had a glass of the 2009 Domaine de L’Herminière Sauvignon Blanc Touraine, one word: flawless. This went perfectly with the aged goat cheese salad for my starter as well as the sautéed sea scallops with housemade gnocchi, swiss chard, and parmesan sauce I chose for an entree.

The wine enjoyed a mineral and fruity bouquet simultaneously. You could taste a citrus beginning with, a tomato flavor, and a woodsy aftertaste all in one sip. The combination was elegant, with such a complex bitter yet refreshing taste.

I will definitely be looking into finding a few bottles somewhere in Richmond – anyone have any suggestions of where I could find a bottle . . . . or case?

UPDATE: We found it! While Private Stock does not carry the wine J. Emerson’s at 5716 Grove Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23226 does!!! I have been here before for the wine and cheeses and am always happy when I walk out. I will be going by this weekend!