ReadySetMom

A little mascara goes a long way

I've started wearing mascara again.

I hadn't worn mascara on a regular basis since before my son was born, like 10 years ago. I do wear makeup, but when kids entered the picture, putting on mascara took too much time and effort. When you're sleep-deprived, it's downright dangerous. I didn't need any help emphasizing those dark circles under my eyes.

Now that both of my kids are in school for a decent chunk of the day, I find that I have a bit more time for doing things I used to do, before kids, like putting on mascara. It's a frivolous thing to even mention, isn't it? Shouldn't I be spending those extra minutes cleaning my house? Volunteering at a homeless shelter? Getting that compost bin started?

But the thing is, wearing mascara makes me feel like I'm reclaiming a bit of my old life, when I was not just a mom, when I had a career and I traveled and my husband and I were able to have uninterrupted conversations. It makes me feel, well, pretty and put-together. It gives me a little boost in confidence. And, hey, a waiter actually flirted with me yesterday!

All of that from my little pink-and-green bottle of eye makeup.

Do you wear mascara?

Just roll away those dark circles

Tell me if you think this sounds too good to be true.

You roll out of bed, look in the mirror and gasp at the dark circles under your sleepy eyes. Oh, you think, I'll just roll away that ugliness. You grab this revolutionary new product that looks like a mini version of an old deodorant roll-on, roll it around under your eyes, and watch the puffiness and darkness just disappear.

Any product that makes such unbelievable promises leaves me feeling dubious - and intrigued. If you believe the majority of reviews I've come across online, the Garnier Anti-Puff Eye Roller is the must-have beauty product of the moment. It contains caffeine, which is supposed to decongest puffiness and diminish dark circles, and something called Pro-Vitamin B5, which aims to refresh and hydrate the eye area. It purports to do this in a matter of days and with as little effort as putting on Chapstick

If you can find it, it sells for about $13 at Walgreens. That's quite a bit cheaper than any doctor's office procedure.

This sounds like a wonderful product, but I don't know if I'll try it. I prefer to drink my caffeine and try to get enough sleep, though not necessarily at the same time.

Have you tried the Anti-Puff Eye Roller? Would you?