Super-Cool

Sometimes I buy things before I need them. Perhaps it’s some sort of shopping ESP, but every once in awhile I zero in on something, and feel like I need to buy it, even though I don't have a specific reason. Then, a few days or weeks later, it's exactly what I need.

This is different than an impulse buy, which tends to be something that is not needed now or ever. An “ESP buy”, for lack of a better term, is something I know I will need. For something. Some day.

Take, for example, the napkins designed to look like $100 bills I found at Closeout Connection for .99c. I didn’t know why I needed them, I just knew I definitely needed them. A few weeks later, my husband co-hosted a bachelor party. Instead of going to a restaurant, they decided to bring in lobsters and assorted sides from Red Hook Lobster Pound, and managed to rig up a dinner table with seating for twelve. Obviously, they needed $100 bill napkins! I heard they used them as lobster bibs.

Another thing that recently got my attention was an eye balm by Boscia. I had read about it on sephora.com, and I just felt like it was something that would come in handy. I bought it last week after checking it out in the store.

Sunday afternoon I went to a bbq, which turned into a dance party, which ended some time around 2.30am. We probably made it to bed around 3.30, and the next day we woke up late, despite having a big Ikea project planned. It was hot, even at 10am, and we were still sticky from dancing the night before. I had a small headache and my eyes hurt. I can only assume they were tired from watching all the dancing. (?) Cue Boscia Super-Cool De-Puffing Eye Balm.

It’s cooling in the way that Icy Hot is cooling, in that it’s sort of hot and cold at the same time, and also in the way it brings instant relief. It’s meant to be soothing and cooling and to de-puff and revive tired eyes. It does, and it was perfect.

You can use it over or under makeup (or totally without makeup, if it’s that kind of day) and there is no limit to the amount you can use. It doesn’t say you can’t put it on your eyelids, but when I did it felt really weird. I’ve been sticking to just under my eyes since then. The tingling only lasts a few minutes, but it really does make your eyes feel better even after the tingling stops.

It’s great for the morning after a late night, but I think it would be nice after/during a long day in front of the computer, maybe with some moisturizing eye drops as well. It also seems like the kind of thing that would be good after a long flight, and you can throw it right in your carry-on bag because it's not a liquid! The hydration provided by the balm is light, or, as they say, “sheer," which is what makes it good for morning or mid-day, though you’d probably want something heavier for bedtime.

According to Boscia, the 7-peptide complex helps diminish puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines, while the licorice root extract (an antioxidant) nourishes and protects. Botanical oils provide the hydration. While I’m not convinced it will have any long-term benefits, sometimes a little help right-this-minute is all you really care about. I have to say it, this thing is pretty cool.