I know you are a Mega- Super Star and all Barbie, but at my house you are losing your status big time. 

 You have been an elite member of our home for over 12 years, reigning supreme over playrooms, play dates and wish lists for so long that it surprised me when you did not make the all-important Christmas wish list for my youngest daughter this year.

She always and I mean always asks for either the collectible Barbie or a new Barbie set and accessories.  Again, you were strangely absent from the same said daughter’s birthday wish list a month later.  

The love affair of all things Barbie started early with both daughters:

As your popularity started to wane yearly, the collection was downsized and moved to a corner of each daughter’s room. 

Then just the youngest daughters room, until now Barbie; you have been downsized until you live in two bins in the back on my ten year old's closet. 

The cars are parked on the opposite side of the closet with purses and backpacks on top. Clearly not ready to roll at a moment’s notice like in your hay-day.

This realization caused a moment of reflection for me as I tried to remember at what age my oldest daughter gave all her Barbie’s to my youngest.

 It’s a hazy memory, not one that is seared in my mind like the first lost tooth or first day of kindergarten, but I do think she was around ten.

Yep, your days are truly numbered Barbie. 

When I asked Melissa about it, she said she still liked Barbie’s okay and might play with them more if she still had the big Barbie house (which she said was okay for me to get rid of last summer) and if Barbie would just stick to the classic look and not launch a new doll for every new book and movie character that comes out.  Hmm… stick to the classics - Smart girl.

I’m turning pages quickly in the books of life with my daughters, reaching milestones in their teen and tween worlds. Some make me happy, some are bittersweet. This Barbie thing is the latter.  I can’t count the hours I’ve spent playing Barbie’s with my girls.

So yes, I’m putting you on notice Barbie, you seem to have shelf life of about 10 years and then you are relegated to a corner in the closet and then… who knows?

But before I let go completely, I am going to ask my daughters to play Barbie’s this weekend. I bet I get at least one taker.

Is there a special toy languishing in the bottom of a toy box or closet at your house too? What is it? 

Do you think you should invite your kids for one more play date with that toy? 

Beauty balms are very trendy right now and every major beauty brand has one vying for your attention.

Pick up any magazine geared towards women and you will find a review or top pick beauty balm. It can be confusing sifting through all the expert picks. 

That is why I am happy to share with you my review for Loreal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream.

Loreal Says: 

This is an all-in-one beauty solution that does it all. It’s formulated to prime, perfect, hydrate and correct. To apply, simply dot on and blend with your fingertips. Self-adjusting beads will instantly transform to your skin tone.

After reading that, I couldn’t wait to try this product and have been using it for over a week now. I wanted to love this product, especially since I know Loreal products won’t irritate my face or cause breakouts.  But for me to love a product, it must Wow me and pass my scent, feel, use test.

My Review:

There is no scent to this product, which is a plus because there is also no sunscreen in it so you will have to apply sunscreen first. That is a negative for me on time crunched mornings when I really do need an all-in-one beauty solution. I used it alone on mornings I ran my daughter to choir and felt bad for not protecting my face from the sun. 

 To be fair, I will say that this beauty cream gets along well with other products including sunscreen and concealer, so it is a good primer and an excellent moisturizer.

Plus, you really don’t need a lot of product, just a pea size dot for each part of your face. It starts out opaque but instantly turns color upon contact with your skin. 

I really like the lightweight feel of this product. You can’t really tell you have it on, except for the color. I am using the light tone and it turned a little too tannish on the parts of my face that don’t get as much sun exposure, like the jaw line. But it matched well to my forehead as shown in these photos.

Blending was easy though and I found I could correct the off color by dabbing a little foundation on and blending again. This beauty balm lasts all day without turning my face into an oil slick or changing color; which are huge plus’ for me.

The Take Away:

 I would give this product a solid B. Loreal should add sunscreen to this for it to be a true all-in-one beauty solution. 

I would recommend this product for minimal makeup wears who don’t use a lot of makeup or for those who have good skin and don’t require makeup because this product alone isn’t going to cover blemishes, sun spots etc. It also serves as good primer.

I liked this product well enough to try it in a lighter shade and to keep it in mind for when my teen daughter starts wearing makeup. (If your are reading this dear Tera, no, not yet)!

You can learn more about this and other Loreal products by visiting their website and following them on Twitter.

I hope you found my review helpful.

Disclosure: I received a full size tube of this product courtesy of Loreal as part of the SheSpeaks blogger program. I received no monetary compensation and all opinions are 100% my own.