As a person who does not like to take it easy, I admit that I get my fair share of aches and pains. One of the most bothersome is my sciatica which really flairs up during intense training cycles. With always being on the go, it's not always easy to lay down with ice or a heating pad. Well, ActiveWrap made the perfect thing for me.
ActiveWrap makes hot and cold therapy wraps for foot/ankle, back, knee, wrist, shoulder and elbows. What's so great about these wraps is that they contour to the part of the body and you can wear them without having to stop going about your daily activities. It has a dual purpose pad which can be microwaved or placed in the freezer depending on the type of therapy you need. I've been using the back ActiveWrap for a few weeks now and it makes icing my back so easy. The wrap fits snugly and is really comfortable and flexible. I even packed it for a recent marathon and wore it on the drive home. I've even been known to do some cleaning with it on!
Here's how ActiveWrap describes the back wrap: "The ActiveWrap heat and ice back wrap features extreme comfort, fit and adjustability. Complete with our specially formulated non-migrating 7 x10" hot/cold pad and a durable compression wrap made of eco-friendly material. This new pain modality features Active Medical Plush™ fabrication to lock in the body's natural warmth when used for soothing heat while insulating keeping the cold in during cold therapy applications. Silky smooth ventilated side panels ensure breath-ability during long duration use demonstate superior quality to typical neoprene or foam fabric wraps."
This back wrap costs $41.95. I have nothing to compare the price to since I don't know what typical heating pads cost. I will say though, the ease of using the ActiveWrap makes it worth the cost. To be able to ice my back on the go is so nice. I also think the fit of the wrap is nice and if you have other injuries, having something contoured to a specific body part would make ice/heating more efficient. Since it is possible to ice/heat without the wrap (although I think the wrap makes it easier), I'm giving ActiveWrap 7 Biscuits.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Beauty Fix
I'm not one to spend a lot of money on makeup. A big splurge for me would be buying something from the Clinique counter at the mall. Not that I don't wear makeup, I just don't believe in spending a ton of money on it. So when I stumbled upon Beauty Fix, I thought this might be something that would work for me. Sounded easy enough..."Beautyfix.com is an exclusive beauty club dedicated to matching you with the perfect products. Each season, you'll pick 8 of the hottest beauty products recommended just for you by Beautyfix's panel of beauty experts. Selections are based on your profile, but you'll choose what goes in your bag."
You start by completing your profile describing your skin tone, eye color, hair color, etc. Then you choose what applies for your skin tone and your facial concerns and finally your hair type (straight, curly, long, short, dry, etc). Then a screen of products is shown and you get to select 8 products to add to your kit which will ship free of charge along with a little free gift.
Here's a picture of my kit which included body wash and a matching lotion, eye shadow, lip gloss, an exfoliating mask, make up brush, and a mineral glow and active veil.
The body wash and lotion were so disappointing. First off, the bottle is only 2oz so you're not getting many uses out of it. Then when I went to use it, the body wash was so dried out I could barely get it out of the container. It appeared to be really old or something. Then I tried the lip gloss which is labeled "butter toffee" but it tasted like mint. I even had Andy give me a kiss to confirm and he agreed there was no butter toffee to be found. The eye shadows were just ok. Honestly, I like my Loreal eye shadows better. The powder seemed really heavy even though I used such a small amount and I didn't like the way they blended together. The exfoliating mask wasn't bad but I've only used it once since I have sensitive skin and can't over do it with the scrubs. I have yet to try the veil but the mineral glow didn't match my skin tone at all and I looked discolored. I was very light with the application, too.
Beauty Fix is a club with limited membership and you will receive a shipment each season. If you try it and don't like it, you are able to cancel at any time. Honestly, this is not something I would join. It's hard to match make up when you're filling out a profile and not trying on the product to make sure it works ok for you. I would rather see a product in person before I buy it and maybe open a sample to make sure a butter toffee lip gloss smells like butter toffee. But hey, that's just me. I was really disappointed with this program and am giving Beauty Fix 2 biscuits.
You start by completing your profile describing your skin tone, eye color, hair color, etc. Then you choose what applies for your skin tone and your facial concerns and finally your hair type (straight, curly, long, short, dry, etc). Then a screen of products is shown and you get to select 8 products to add to your kit which will ship free of charge along with a little free gift.
Here's a picture of my kit which included body wash and a matching lotion, eye shadow, lip gloss, an exfoliating mask, make up brush, and a mineral glow and active veil.
The body wash and lotion were so disappointing. First off, the bottle is only 2oz so you're not getting many uses out of it. Then when I went to use it, the body wash was so dried out I could barely get it out of the container. It appeared to be really old or something. Then I tried the lip gloss which is labeled "butter toffee" but it tasted like mint. I even had Andy give me a kiss to confirm and he agreed there was no butter toffee to be found. The eye shadows were just ok. Honestly, I like my Loreal eye shadows better. The powder seemed really heavy even though I used such a small amount and I didn't like the way they blended together. The exfoliating mask wasn't bad but I've only used it once since I have sensitive skin and can't over do it with the scrubs. I have yet to try the veil but the mineral glow didn't match my skin tone at all and I looked discolored. I was very light with the application, too.
Beauty Fix is a club with limited membership and you will receive a shipment each season. If you try it and don't like it, you are able to cancel at any time. Honestly, this is not something I would join. It's hard to match make up when you're filling out a profile and not trying on the product to make sure it works ok for you. I would rather see a product in person before I buy it and maybe open a sample to make sure a butter toffee lip gloss smells like butter toffee. But hey, that's just me. I was really disappointed with this program and am giving Beauty Fix 2 biscuits.
OPI
I am obsessed with painting my nails. Obsessed! While I'm not a girly girl, I absolutely love having my nails painted. If I'm not in the best of moods, I'll paint my nails and it will cheer me up. I think it makes such a huge difference to have something pretty on your nails. While it's rare to see me without nail polish on, you will never see me with chipping nail polish. That's a huge pet peeve of mine and I think it looks completely trashy. At the first sign of wear, take it off people! Geesh. Anyway, I've been painting my own nails as far back as I can remember and I've been a huge fan of OPI for years now. To me, there is nothing better. I apply a base coat, two coats of polish, a top coat and I'm good for days without any chipping paint. The polish stands up to me typing all day at work, working out, doing dishes, etc. I've tried other brands and nothing stands up to the durability of OPI. Oh, and nothing stands up to their color choices either. Not only do they carry a huge selection of colors, but they come up with the most creative names. Some of my favorites are "Funky Dunky", "Oh...To Be 25 Again", "Rumples Wiggin'" and "Kiss on the Chic."
I've been testing out recent OPI line and am loving some of the colors!! My favorite of this collection so far is the "Ski Teal We Drop" which is a dark blue/grey. Really pretty. The new line also has some fun looking metallic shades which I think would be great for around the Holidays. There's a sparkly silver called, "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous" which would look great with a little black dress!!
I've seen OPI go for anywhere from $6.50 to $9.00 a bottle. When you think of all the manicures you can get out of a bottle of polish, this is completely reasonable. You can get a ton of paintings for the price of one salon manicure. And no tipping is required. ;-)
I think there's no suprise where I'm going with this one...I'm giving OPI 10 BIG biscuits. Hands down, best nail polish out there.
I've been testing out recent OPI line and am loving some of the colors!! My favorite of this collection so far is the "Ski Teal We Drop" which is a dark blue/grey. Really pretty. The new line also has some fun looking metallic shades which I think would be great for around the Holidays. There's a sparkly silver called, "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous" which would look great with a little black dress!!
I've seen OPI go for anywhere from $6.50 to $9.00 a bottle. When you think of all the manicures you can get out of a bottle of polish, this is completely reasonable. You can get a ton of paintings for the price of one salon manicure. And no tipping is required. ;-)
I think there's no suprise where I'm going with this one...I'm giving OPI 10 BIG biscuits. Hands down, best nail polish out there.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Sof Sole
I was recently contacted by Sof Sole regarding some insoles. Unfortunately, I was worried about tempting fate with an insole since I'm getting past an injury but it turns out Sof Sole has a lot more to offer! Insoles, socks and shoe care are available and I have to say, I never really thought about shoe care before. I just usually wear mine until the miles are maxed out and then replace them. I wonder what would happen if I actually took care of them...
Anyway, back to Sof Sole and running socks. Yup, more running socks. I love trying socks out and through all the different ones I've tried, I've become a little bit picky. Sof Sole has a few different kinds of socks ranging from Performance, to All Sport to Sport Fashion. Several of their socks have a "cool max" feature which wicks away moisture keeping your feet drier and more comfortable. I tested out the Cool max trainer socks which have the following features:
Anyway, back to Sof Sole and running socks. Yup, more running socks. I love trying socks out and through all the different ones I've tried, I've become a little bit picky. Sof Sole has a few different kinds of socks ranging from Performance, to All Sport to Sport Fashion. Several of their socks have a "cool max" feature which wicks away moisture keeping your feet drier and more comfortable. I tested out the Cool max trainer socks which have the following features:
- Seamless toe and moisture management for comfort
- Deep heel pocket minimizes movement and friction
- Banded instep for secure fit and arch comfort
- Nonbinding top provides comfort
- Half cushion sole for protection
Now, just by looking at the socks, I thought they looked just like an ordinary sock. They seemed pretty no frills but they felt soft and cushy to the touch. When I put them on, they felt really good but not very tight. I thought I might have some movement when I ran, but I'm happy to say I didn't. In fact, the socks felt pretty good. They might be a little too thick for some of you who like a thin sock, but I prefer a sock with a little more thickness to it. I will say, I was shocked to learn that a 3 pack of these socks is only $9.99. I pay that, if not more, for ONE pair of socks! This is definitely an added bonus.
Another added bonus is the warranty that Sof Sole stands behind. Yes, a warranty for socks. Check this out, "We warrant that Sof Sole® socks will be free of manufacturing defects for up to one full year after purchase date. Implus Footcare, LLC. will replace such defective socks at no charge." Considering I've had a few pairs of running socks fall apart without being put through the ringer, I think this is pretty cool.
Overall, I was impressed with the socks. And am left wondering if I've been paying too much for running socks all these years. I'm not sure these will be my marathon race day socks yet, I need to give them a few more tries. But I will definitely keep these in the rotation and am giving Sof Sole 7 biscuits.
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