I can’t start my day without coffee so I was super excited last week when I received two flavors of Gevalia Kaffe to review from MyBlogSpark!

I don’t really make coffee at home anymore because I am lazy and it never tastes as good as Starbucks but this was the perfect opportunity to try out my French press.

What makes Gevalia Kaffe so special?

Gevalia Kaffe is much more than your average ‘cup of joe.’ It’s a Swedish-style break from the usual coffee grind. Perfected by the Swedes’ passion for quality coffee for more than 150 years, Gevalia is an exquisitely rich smooth coffee experience that is never bitter. Gevalia isn’t just coffee, it’s ‘Kaffe’ to savor.

• The Swedes know a thing or two about coffee. They know quality coffee should be savored and enjoyed. They also know you deserve a more unique/special coffee experience than what you can pick up on every street corner.
• Gevalia is a luxurious departure from the everyday, an escape from the routine cup of coffee. Whether it’s a morning ritual made just for you, or the finishing touch at a dinner party, it brings the taste of Swedish-style luxury into your home.
• In Sweden, where the citizens drink more coffee than almost anywhere else in the world, Gevalia is their preferred brand.
• In fact, Gevalia enjoys the honor of being an official coffee of the Swedish Royal Court.

Gevalia, now available at Safeway, brings unexpected Swedish-style luxury and rich, never bitter taste to the Safeway grocery aisle.

• Gevalia has been refining the art of luxurious coffee since 1853 and has a deep history of finding and blending the finest Arabica coffee beans from locations around the world.
• Gevalia is expertly made with carefully selected beans, ground extra fine, to produce a rich coffee experience.
• Previously available online only, Gevalia is now offering its top-ten varieties in U.S. coffee supermarket aisles nationwide in 10 varieties, including roast and ground, whole bean, flavored and decaffeinated varieties:

Gevalia Traditional Roast (ground and whole bean):
Gevalia Traditional Roast provides a perfectly balanced taste every time. Our most beloved blend – made of choice, mountain-grown Arabica beans – this coffee has a distinctive body and flavor with a lighter intensity. (Medium Roast).

Gevalia House Blend:
A Gevalia favorite, House Blend is a robust yet never bitter coffee. This roast has a captivating aroma that is only matched by its exceptional flavor. (Medium/Dark Roast).

Gevalia House Blend Decaf :
Delivering the same rich, never bitter flavor, House Blend Decaf has the same robust taste without all the caffeine. (Medium/Dark Roast).

Gevalia French Roast (ground and whole bean):
Gevalia French Roast is a coffee of impressive richness and dimension, expertly crafted from prized Arabica beans grown in Colombia and Brazil. Hints of aromatic smoke give this dark-roasted French Roast blend an intense, yet uniquely satisfying flavor. (Dark Roast).

Gevalia Colombia:
Grown high in the Colombian Andes, these beans produce a rich, bright and well-bodied Colombian coffee. This single origin classic is world-renowned, which is why we have sourced these beans for decades. (Medium Roast).

Gevalia Espresso Roast:
Gevalia Espresso Roast is made of premium, mountain-grown Arabica beans from East Africa and Central and South America. This roast is bold and full-bodied with a hint of caramel undertones. (Dark Roast).

Gevalia Vanilla:
This rich blend with vanilla flavor notes is crafted from choice mountain-grown Arabica beans, then roasted for exceptional body and flavor. Gevalia Vanilla is a flavorful and balanced experience with a heavenly aroma.

Gevalia Chocolate Mocha:
Gevalia Chocolate Mocha allows you to indulge your passion for decadent flavor. Rich, velvety chocolate flavor is blended with mountain-grown Arabica beans for a sweetly satisfying experience.

With its Swedish heritage and rich, never bitter taste, Gevalia is a premium coffee unlike any other.

Sounds good, right? And it was!

Wow, I figured out how to use my french press! It will no longer collect dust.

It made a delicious cup of French Roast coffee.

I really enjoyed this cup of coffee. It had a crisp, rich flavor and was not too bitter or strong. I will be using my french press much more in the future to make this coffee. It is going to save me $2.00 a day at the corner deli store!

GIVEAWAY!

MyBlogSpark and Kraft Foods are offering one lucky Missy Maintains reader the following prize pack:

• (1) sample of the House Blend from Gevalia Kaffe
• (1) sample of the French Roast Blend from Gevalia Kaffe
• A Gevalia Kaffe branded coffee mug

How to Enter:

1) Leave me a comment telling me which of the Gevalia Kaffe varieties are you most looking forward to picking up at Safeway to try?

2) Tweet about the giveaway. “Win a Gevalia Kaffe prize pack from @MissyMaintains and #MyBlogSpark. Enter here: http://bit.ly/wB2ty3″

I will choose a winner this Friday, February 10. Good luck!

Kraft Foods has provided sample product to me and is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Missy Maintains.

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1. Wolfgang Puck Soup Gift Basket Giveaway!
2. Chocolate Loveeee
3. Tropical Traditions Antioxidant Omega 3 Greens Giveaway!

I am a big fan of orange juice but honestly do not drink it too often because of the sugar and calorie content.  It always makes breakfast so much more enjoyable and of course, goes great with vodka! Fortunately Tropicana has a line of products that are perfect for those that want to enjoy juice with less calories but not less flavor. It is called Trop50, and I tried the Calcium+Vitamin D orange juice for the first time this morning.

Tropicana® Trop50® is an innovative line of juice beverages, delivering the goodness of fruit juice with 50 percent less sugar and calories, and no artificial sweeteners. They use a stevia-based sweetener, and it tastes just as good as regular orange juice, because the stevia enhance the sweetness of the real fruit juice that’s in the product. All of their yummy varieties have 50 calories per 8 ounce glass and give you a full day’s supply of vitamin C. They are also a good source of vitamin E.

Trop50 comes in all the following varieties:

• Orange (no pulp, some pulp, no pulp plus calcium and vitamin D)
• Pomegranate Blueberry
• Pineapple Mango
• Farmstand Apple
• Lemonade
• Raspberry Lemonade

Win it!: Trop50 is providing me with one $50 Spa & Wellness  gift card by Spa Week for one of my readers!

How to Enter:

1) Leave me a comment letting me know your New Year’s Resolution.

2) Tweet about the giveaway. “Win a $50 Spa Week Gift Card from @MissyMaintains. Enter here: http://bit.ly/A4buU2″

I will choose a winner this Friday, January 27. Good Luck!

Related posts:

1. Swanson Health $50 Gift Card Giveaway!
2. $50 Safeway Gift Card Giveaway!
3. Febreze Home Collection Walmart Gift Card Giveaway!

I must say that it is nice having a friend who works for a really great skincare company.  Last month, I was given the opportunity to review three amazing Hydroxatone products. This month, I got to try Miracle Skin Transformer, an antioxidant-rich skin enhancer designed to leave your skin airbrushed, hydrated, and protected. Sounds like a miracle to me!

I tried the following three products:

• Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20
• Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal
• Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF20

Miracle Skin Transformer SPF20:

This product illuminates and mattifies skin, while visibly reducing pore size and imperfections. Blends seamlessly, immediately improving the complexion for flawless, fresher looking skin (source). 

I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this product. I noticed a dramatic difference in my skin when I applied Miracle Skin Transformer on my face. It goes on smoothly and covers my freckles, pimples, and skin discoloration. The product comes in 7 shades so you are pretty much guaranteed to find a shade that matches your skin tone.

I like that it contains SPF and does not contain any chemicals. This product is especially great to apply after a workout when I don’t have time to apply a full face of makeup but want to cover up my redness.

Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal

Erase and repair imperfections with this next-generation 3 in 1 concealer. The first-ever naturally derived silicone based concealer, Treat & Conceal hydrates, covers and protects with powerful treatment benefits.

Designed for use on both the under eye area and the face,Treat & Conceal will CORRECT, COVER and PROTECT all of your skin’s concerns leaving you with a flawless complexion (source).

I tend to have dark circles under my eyes so this product is perfect for me! It really did make my eyes look less tired every morning that I used it. I made sure to use a very small amount because otherwise it was slightly difficult to blend. This product contains plant-derived collagen and vitamin F help minimize signs of aging and improve skin’s resilience and tone.

 Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF20

This  is a high performance tinted treatment body enhancer with a naturally derived silicone base plus antioxidants and natural actives that zeros in on your body’s skincare concerns to give skin a total transformation. (source)

This made my skin appear and feel softer. It has a a hint of sparkle that gave the appearance of a nice glow. I loved using it on my neck to cover up any lines and to make my neck look just as smooth and soft as my face. I also used it on my arms since I tend to have redness and bumps.

I am extremely pleased with Miracle Skin Transformer and would like to give one of my readers the opportunity to try all three products!

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win the following:

• Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20
• Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal
• Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF20

• To enter to win Miracle Skin Transformer products worth up to $ 118.00, leave me a comment in the comments section below telling me which Miracle Skin Transformer product you’d most like to try. Visit miracleskintransformer.com to see all the fabulous products they have.

Get additional entries by doing each of the following:

•  Like Sarah McNamara Beauty on Facebook (let me know you did so in your comment)
•  Follow Sarah McNamara Beauty Miracle Skin Transformer on Twitter (let me know you did so in your comment)
• Tweet the following: @MiracleSkin and @MissyMaintains are giving away Miracle Skin Transformer products! Enter here: http://bit.ly/xMiSlU
• Follow http://sarahmcnamarabeauty.tumblr.com/ on Tumblr

I must receive all entries by Thursday, January 12 and the odds of winning are determined by the number of entries received. No purchase necessary to enter.

Good Luck!

Related posts:

1. Miracle Skin Transformer Winner
2. Hydroxatone Giveaway!
3. Swanson Health $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

Happy November and Friday! I am going to move away from fitness for today and start the month out with a beauty review and giveaway! A very good friend of mine and blogger (and soon to be marathoner) who many of you probably know, works at a skincare company called Hydroxatone. I think I had heard of the company before she started working there but never tried their products. I actually work for Estee Lauder so I like to stay up-to-date on the latest beauty trends and products on the market. I pretty much always stick to Origins for my daily skincare routine since the products do not contain chemicals, work very well (and are free for me!). I am of course willing to try any skincare brand that would make me look and feel young, radiant, and beautiful of course! My wonderful friend offered to send me three Hydroxatone products to try for myself. I browsed the website and chose three products that I felt would really be beneficial to me.

The first product I chose was the Instant Lift Pads. My friend highly recommended them so I knew I needed to try them. I also tend to have puffy and tired-looking eyes in the morning so I knew I could really use a product such as this.

Product Description:

Hydroxatone Instant Lift Pads contain an antioxidant blend that works in 20 minutes to deliver anti-aging results.

• Perfect for special occasions, yet gentle enough for every-day use
• See unparalleled anti-aging results in 20 minutes
• Convenient, easy to use pads

Below is a super sexy shot of what the pads look like on the face.

They are really convenient to wear while getting ready in the morning. I stuck them on my face while I was doing things such as blow-drying my hair and feeding Daisy. They are damp, refreshing, and actually woke me up a little from the nice tingly sensation. After 20 minutes, my eyes looked less puffy and tired. I am a huge fan of these pads and plan to continue using them on a daily basis.

The next product I chose was the Luminique Facial Brightener.

Product Description:

Luminique Facial Brightner brightens the appearance of age spots, freckles and other skin discolorations for healthier looking skin.

I used this on my face each morning before my typical makeup routine. It may be too soon to notice any drastic results but my skin always looks nice and shiny after using it.

The final product I tried was the Gentle Milky Cleanser. I am always looking for facial cleansers that are moisturizing and not too harsh on my skin.

Product Description:

Hydroxatone Gentle Milky Cleanser soothes, hydrates and naturally exfoliates skin.

I really liked this cleanser. My skin felt clean, soft and smooth after using it. Perfect!

I can honestly say that I am very happy with all three of these products and am excited to try more Hydroxatone products in the future. I especially recommend the Instant Lift Pads!!!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

The wonderful folks from Hydroxatone are offering one lucky Missy Maintains reader the 3 amazing products that I tried out:

1. Instant Lift Pads
2. Luminique Facial Brightener
3. Gentle Milky Cleanser

To enter to win the products above worth up to $120.00, leave me a comment in the comments section below telling me which Hydroxatone product you’d most like to try. Visit Hydroxatone.com to see all the fabulous products they have. 

Get up to 3 additional entries by doing each of the following:

• Like Hydroxatone on Facebook (let me know you did so in your comment)
• Follow Hydroxatone on Twitter (let me know you did so in your comment)
• Tweet the following: I want to win @Hydroxatone from @MissyMaintains. Enter here: http://bit.ly/vUEw8N

I must receive all entries by Wednesday, November 9 and the odds of winning are determined by the number of entries received. No purchase necessary to enter.

Disclaimer: I received Hydroxatone products to review free of charge. I was not paid to write this post. All opinions are bases solely on my own.

Related posts:

1. Hydroxatone Winner!
2. Win It: Miracle Skin Transformer
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Last Wednesday before heading to Philly for Rosh Hoshana dinner, I attended a really cool blog event in Times Square.  I feel like I turn down so many blog events because they are during work hours so I was really excited that I had the day off for the holiday! The event was hosted by Naturalizer, a shoe company that specializes in providing both fashion and comfort. Naturalizer recently came out with their new fall 2011 collection so they invited me to come to the store to learn more about the brand and to try on some of the shoes! Like most girls, I love shoes so I gladly accepted this invitation!

I walked inside the beautiful store and spotted several bloggers taking photos of shoes (and food). I spotted a lovely spread of bagels, pastries, fruit, coffee, and orange juice. Yes please!

I enjoyed half of a whole wheat bagel, fruit, and coffee while admiring all of the pretty shoes!

I honestly never had purchased a pair of Naturalizer shoes before because I always thought they were just comfortable, old people shoes! I was totally wrong! Yes, they are super comfortable but the new fall collection is stylish, fashionable, and really pretty!

Angelique Joseph, the Director of Product Design for Naturalizer, spoke to us about what makes their shoes so comfortable and explained that women expect both fashion AND comfort when purchasing a new shoe.

 What is the Naturalizer secret?

• The N5 comfort Elements deliver the key features that keep a shoe comfortable all day – flexibility, softness, balance, breath ability and lightness.
• Available in hard-to-find sizes and widths
• Perfect for casual, business, or nighttime looks
• Provides the ultimate in style plus comfort

After seeing so many cute shoes and learning about the brand, I could not wait to try some on for myself! Best part? We got to pick out any pair in the store to take home with us!! A woman’s dream!

I fell in love with the Oxford Milano Black Suede Boots.

I tried on a few other shoes but decided that I needed these boots!

I wore my new boots the other day to work for the first time and got so many compliments! I even forgot I was wearing heels because they were so comfortable. I love these boots and plan to shop at Naturalizer in the near future.

Guess what!?

I am giving away a FREE shoe card for any pair of Naturalizer shoes on Naturalizer.com (with the exception of Naya)!

How to Enter:

1. Head to Naturalizer.com and let me know which shoes you would choose and why?

2. Follow Naturalizer on Twitter. Let me know you did in the comments section.

3. Tweet about the giveaway. “Win a free pair of @NaturalizerShoe’s from @MissyMaintains. Enter here: http://bit.ly/riHe6v”

I will choose a winner this Monday, October 10. Good Luck!

Related posts:

1. Naturalizer Shoe Winner
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3. Teather Snacks Review and Giveaway!