Our posture is a big part of how we carry ourselves.  When you have good posture, you stand taller, you appear more confident and comfortable.   Not only appear this way to others, but you feel this way too.

The iPosture is your personal posture coach.  It’s a device that uses WINS (Wearable Intelligent Nano-Sensor).  Basically, it’s a microchip that monitors your stance every few seconds.  It’s about 1 inch in diameter and operates on a coin battery.  It will send a warning if it detects a deviation greater than 3 degrees for 60 seconds or more.

For the maximum benefit, wear the iPosture for four hours a day for the first two to four weeks in order to improve your posture.  It is recommended that you wear the device two or three times per week thereafter to maintain the improved posture.  The idea is that once you train your body on the correct posture, it will become second nature.

Given it's relatively diminutive size, it's amazing how effective the iPosture is at detecting the slightest slouch.

Here’s how it works:

• Wear it close to the skin by the chest
• Stand at a good comfortable posture and press the button to set
• Once you press the button to set, it memorizes that posture
• The device will vibrate once if you slouch for more than 60 seconds.  If the slouching persists for another 60 seconds, it will vibrate twice.   If you correct your posture, the vibrating stops.  If you do not correct your posture after the second warning, the iPosture will go into sleep mode for 15 minutes.  When it wakes up, it will vibrate twice and the cycle will continue.
• To turn it off, hold the button for 3 seconds and then lay it down flat.
• You can clip the iPosture to your bra strap or form fitting t-shirt.  It can also be threaded through a necklace (not included) and wore and a pendant.  If none of this works for you, it can be wore directly on the skin using some double-sided tape (included).

I wore the iPosture for a few days and here’s what I found:

In the car

It definitely works better in the car for me when I’m the driver, not the passenger.  As a driver, I normally sit taller with both feet flat.  I wore it to and from work with no problems.  As it’s supposed to do, it corrected me a few times when when it caught me hunched over.  As soon as I sat up straight, the buzzing stopped.  After a few car rides with the iPosture I found that I had to readjust my seat and mirrors in order to accommodate my new and improved posture.

For me,  the iPosture proved to be less effective when I was a passenger.  When I’m not doing the driving, I tend to be in a more relaxed position.  I may sit with my legs crossed or I maybe leaning towards one side.  I know that I should correct my posture, but I didn’t really want to.  After a 2 hour car ride as the passenger, I just took it off.

At the office

While sitting on a backless stool for an hour and a half long meeting, I found myself slumping over a few times.  Each time, I got a little buzz and quickly adjusted my position.   What I found is that even if I cross my legs, it throws my body off alignment and after a minute, I got another quick buzz.  The sound and vibration are very gentle and not noticeable to anyone around me.

At the gym

I wore the iPosture during my workouts.  It’s not really effective when I’m in my abs class where I spend a majority of the time on my back or on my stomach.  It’s also not that effective during my Gravity Class when I’m at a 45-60 degree incline the entire time.  However, I did find the iPosture to be helpful when I was in my sculpting class doing kickboxing and lifting free weights.  The iPosture kept me in check while I was lifting weights.  It helped to ensure proper form and balance.

At home

Wearing the iPosture at home proved to be less beneficial.  Mostly because I don’t tend to sit up straight in a chair at home.  The iPosture does not work quite as well when I’m lounging, lying on the couch, or generally being lazy.  I also found that the iPosture didn’t stay on quite as well when I was lounging at home.  It actually fell off my bra strap two times while I was wearing it around the house.  It buzzed constantly for a while, but I was not quite sure why.  I tried to correct myself and thought I was doing it right, who knows.

The iPosture can also be worn as a necklace.

Final Thoughts

The pitfall of this product is that it depends on the user to be able to set it correctly.  If you have poor posture and don’t have any sort of feel for what good posture really is, the iPosture can certainly help you learn and improve.

I clipped the iPosture directly to my bra strap.  For the most part it stayed put and did the job. On several occasions, it slipped off and fell down my shirt.  No big deal.  I just fished it out and put it back on.

After wearing the iPosture, for several weeks I noticed a few things about myself…I tend to hunch over a lot while seated at the table, during lunch, and while on my computer.   I never really thought about the fact that sitting with my legs crossed can actually throw off my posture.  I’m not sure if the iPosture has improved my posture, but it has certaily made me more aware of it.

For more information, or to purchase your iPosture, visit iPosture.com.  You can also download the free iPosture App from iTunes.

Not long after I reviewed the Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit set, the company (or at least their marketing people) sent me a sample of a cool little Perfect Pushup accessory called the Perfect Counter.  The battery powered Counter is basically a combination pushup counter and timer which allows you to easily count the number of pushups (presumably perfect ones) you can do in a given period of time.

Before I get any deeper into the review, let me be absolutely clear about one thing; you do not NEED the Perfect Counter.  It won’t, at least not on its own merits, make your Perfect Pushup any more effective.  It won’t make you stronger in less time.  It might, however, force you to answer a lot of questions like, “What the hell is that?”.   Anyway…

All this begs the question; If you don’t need the Perfect Counter, why would you want it?  There are actually a couple of reason why you might want to consider complimenting your Perfect Pushup with the Perfect Counter.  Granted, it could just be the guys I work with, but from time to time (as I mentioned in the original review), the guys in my office like to have pushup contests.  While mostly contests are held in an peaceful and orderly fashion, occasionally there are disputes.  “You didn’t go all the way down” is a common complaint.  And of course there’s the occasional dispute over whether or not the last rep was completed in time.  It’s all a bit silly I know, but when money is on the line (as it sometimes is in the office), then it’s best to have a completely impartial judge.  I ask you, what could be more impartial than a battery powered electronic device?

The second reason why you might want the Perfect Counter is that it makes exercise a bit more interesting, if not more fun.  Let’s face it, there are about 500 other things most of us would rather do that workout (I’ll never be a gym rat), but if you can find a way to make a game out of your workout, you might be able to muster that little bit of motivation necessary to actually do what you need to do to stay fit and healthy.

The Perfect Counter can be programed to count down from 10 seconds to 99 minutes.  It’s capable of counting up to 999 repetitions with in that time span.  I’ll spare myself the embarrassment of telling you how many reps I can do, but sufficed to say, 999 repetitions are more than enough.  Now is probably also a good time to mention that the Perfect Counter is made from a flexible plastic so that when your arms give out and you collapse on top of it, it will pop right back up and keep counting (which may not be a good thing).  The actual counting mechanism is both soft and sensitive, which means is won’t irritate your chest as you work your way up to 999 reps, nor do you need to apply any real force to the unit to get it to tally your pushup.  It increments at the slightest touch, although simply flapping your shirt across it isn’t enough to trigger it – I’ve tried.

In addition to the counter unit itself, the box includes a handy little chart which outlines a few different exercise routines including the 2 minute SEAL test (again, I’ll leave my personal record out of it).  It doesn’t take up much floor space and is easily stowed away when not in use.  About the only minor gripe I have is that the battery compartment (2 AAA batteries not included) requires a screwdriver to open and close.  It’s definitely not a deal breaker, but I certainly would prefer a tool-less design.  I should also mention that although it does work with the Mobile Unit edition, the Perfect Counter is a better fit for the standard version.

As I said in the 2nd paragraph, the Perfect Counter isn’t absolutely necessary, but for less than $20, it’s a cool little add-on that does make working out a little more fun.  The Perfect Counter is available by itself for $19.95, or as part of a package deal with the Perfect Pushup for $44.95.  The Perfect Pushup, Perfect Counter, as well as the Pefrect Pullup and other accessories are available from PerfectPushup.com.

When the snow really piles up ( and it does really pile up where I live in upstate NY), when the sky is nearly always a slate gray color, when the air bites our exposed skin for days and weeks on end I start to lose that sense of romance and magic.  In fact, what I feel at that point is closer to cagey, grumpy, and perhaps even a little anxious.  As a general rule, Winter and I just don’t get along very well.  I have known for a long time that I need to find a way to weather the winter season with more grace, but until recently I was unable to come up with a good solution.  This year, through the powers and wonder of Qwowi, I had the opportunity to try out a goLite BLU from Philips and for the first time in a long time I made it through winter without losing my optimism and energy.

Good Things Come in Small  Packages

When the goLite BLU first arrived on my doorstep I was amazed at how compact it was.  I have friends who swear by their lightboxes to help them avoid the winter blues, but theirs are bulky and space consuming; some lightboxes eat up the entire surface space of a writing desk!   The goLite BLU is small, aesthetically appealing, and made to travel easily.  It arrives complete with a charger, carrying case, internal rechargeable lithium ion battery, and a thorough User Guide (something every good gadget should come with).

After using the goLite BLU for several weeks, I really came to appreciate its small and sleek design.  The BLU measures a mere 5 1/2″ square by 1″ deep and stands with the simple placement of a metal pin into a hole on the back of the box.  The pin is magnetized and has it’s own storage space, an indentation on the back of the box itself, making it easy to keep track of.

Finding a place to use the goLite BLU was easy: I often sat at my breakfast table, bathing in blue light while enjoying my cereal and tea.  Sometimes I placed the goLite on my small end table in the living room and had my session while checking my e-mail.   If I ran out of time in the morning I simply slipped the light into my smallish handbag and went on my merry way; I could set the goLite BLU on any small, flat surface and fit in a light session in between appointments, while waiting to pick up my son from pre-school, or sitting and reading the newspaper at my favorite coffee shop.  The goLite BLU needs only a 5″x6″ surface upon which to perch, making it extremely easy to use and transport

Functionality Goes BLU

The goLite BLU has been designed with ease and personalization of use in mind.  It has an interface display (touchscreen) that allows the user to customize the light, as well as a separate on/off switch to keep things simple.  The touchscreen has a clock, timer, alarm, and battery life indicator.  I found all of the functions easy to set by following the clear directions given in the User Guide.

The clock and alarm were very handy for occasions when I traveled; instead of using the sometimes unreliable alarm clock in my hotel room, I started my day with blue light and pleasant chimes.  The alarm can also be set to wake the user with only chimes or only light.  I really appreciated the timer feature, as it allowed me to decide how long my sessions should be and then it counted down the time for me, shutting the light off when my session was complete; the timer really took the guesswork out of light therapy for me.

How It Works: A Brief Explanation

Light therapy has a history of use and research that extends back nearly three decades to the early 1980s.  What this ongoing research tells us is that exposure to light affects our body clocks by causing us to release hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate normal body functions such as sleep, appetite, energy, mood, and even libido.  These naturally occurring cycles within the body are called circadian rhythms.  Because we are biologically programmed to rise with the sun and sleep when it sets, our modern life is often at odds with our biology, causing our circadian rhythms to go out of whack.  When we work shift work, travel across time zones, or stay up late into the night with the use of artificial lighting we trick our bodies into working longer than they were meant to in a 24 hour period.

The light therapy studies that began in the 1980s have shown us that exposure to certain spectrums of light for a prescribed duration of time can help to alleviate the effects of an irregulated circadian rhythm, including winter blues, feelings of sadness, jet lag, lack of concentration, loss of appetite, lack of energy, sleeplessness, mood swings, and irritability.

According to ligththerapy.com:

Researchers have found unique photoreceptors in the eye called melanopsin. These melanopsin photoreceptors are responsible for mediating the circadian response, and they respond to blue light…The goLITE is a breakthrough in light therapy that provides just the blue light our bodies need (we call it Bluewave technology). Studies have shown that low-intensity blue light (470 nm, like that from the goLITE) is twice as effective at managing our body clocks compared to other sources of light.

Light therapy that mimics the naturally occurring blue light is purported to be the best therapy for circadian rhythm adjustment and is safer to use than broad spectrum lights that emit dangerous UV rays.  The User Guide of the goLite BLU clearly outlines how and when to use the light based on your habits, symptoms, and work schedule.

Using the goLite BLU

Sitting down for a treatment session with the goLite BLU is simple: place the light on a level surface 20-30 inches from the face and at a slight angle to the eyes; it should be used in a well-lit room in order to minimize any eyestrain.  The goLite BLU can be used while you are going about your normal daily activities, while you exercise, apply
makeup, work, use the computer, etc.  It is recommended that usage begin at the minimum intensity for 15 minutes.  Intensity and duration of treatments can be increased as necessary. 

My Experiences With goLite BLU

After thoroughly reading the User Guide, I ascertained that I could best benefit from an early morning session, since my symptoms included difficulty falling asleep, struggling to wake up, and feeling generally groggy and grumpy, especially on darker winter days.  I began using the lowest intensity for 15 minutes per day, then increased to medium-low intensity within a few days because I didn’t feel that I was getting a strong enough response from my body.  The first day I used the medium-low intensity for 15 minutes I felt a definite increase in my energy level and focus.  I liken it to waking up on a beautiful, sunshiny spring morning, the type of day that makes me feel as though anything is possible.  The feeling stayed with me well into the afternoon and I fell asleep much easier that night.  I found that over time and use my mood greatly improved,  I was more patient with my children, and I just felt better in general.  I also found that because I was feeling more energetic I was less likely to self-medicate my fatigue with caffeine and carbohydrate based foods.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the goLite BLU was to use and how much better it made me feel within a short amount of time.  My husband, children, and even our dogs seemed to gravitate toward the light when it was on!  I have continued to use the goLite BLU into the spring months whenever I feel myself slipping into late nights and groggy mornings, and my husband has found it an effective tool for helping to change his sleep schedule when he works second shift.

Overall, this is a product I believe in.  The thirty day money back guarantee that Philips offers makes trying the goLite BLU a no-brainer for anyone who works shifts, travels across time zones, or suffering from the symptoms of an irregulated circadian rhythm.

The goLite BLU retails for around $250 and can be purchased at Amazon.com
or lighttherapy.com

As an Asian woman, I have the great fortune of being blessed with incredibly straight hair. Unfortunately, this also applies to my incredibly straight lashes.  In fact, they’re more than straight.  They actually grow in a downward direction.  So needless to say, the eye lash curler and I have grown to become close friends.  We’re not in any way good friends, because more than a few times, I have been a victim of my eyelash curler.  I’ve pinched my eyelids and brought tears to my eyes.  But since I have not found a better solution to my straight lash problem, I have not been able to fire my traditional eyelash curler.

In order for me to get even a slight curl to my lashes, I have to use a hairdryer to heat up the metal clamp style curler before using it.  I actually have to repeat this 2-3 times for optimal effect.  After the lash curling torture, I then apply a coat of mascara.  Choosing the right mascara is not as easy as it sounds. Having ridiculously straight lashes, I have to find mascara that will hold the curl and not fall immediately upon application.  I’ve tried a number of products, from lower priced drug store brands (i.e. Revlon, L’Oreal) to higher priced department store brands (i.e. Cliniques, Lancôme, etc.). For years now, I’ve relied on Maybelline New York Full ‘n Soft Waterproof Mascara.  I have tried other products in the Maybelline family (Great Lashes, Intense XXL, Volum’ Express) and have not found the same success. At a price point of about $7.29, the Full ‘n Soft does the job.

Recently I was getting a haircut at my salon and when a display product caught my eye. It’s called “Kiss Me Mascara” by blinc.  The idea selling point of this  product is that this mascara does not simply “paint” color on your lashes, it builds “tubes” around them.  The tubes bind to lashes and you can actually see when you wash it off.

Here’s what Kiss Me Mascara offers:

• Will not run, smudge, clump, or flake
• Will add volume and length
• Can be washed off with water and gentle pressure (like washing your face)
• Ideal for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
• The product comes in an array of colors: black, dark brown, medium brown, dark blue, dark purple, and dark green

Going hand in hand with the Kiss Me Mascara is the blinc lash curler. As you might infer from the name, this is a heated lash curler that is certainly not your traditional metal clamp.  The blinc design will certainly appeal to anyone whose every pinched their eyelids while curling their lashes The beauty of the blinc design is that it eliminates the need to provide pressure and possibly damage your lashes.  The curler heats up in 30 seconds, using one AAA battery (included).  It has a built in guard that prevents contact with your skin and eyes and delivers a precise amount of heat to set a long lasting curl.

Putting them to the test

The blinc lash curler does indeed heat up quickly.  There is an indicator light that turns yellow when it’s ready.  It is a strange sensation to put a heated brush to your eyes, but I have to say that while you can feel the heat on the brush, it’s definitely not too hot.  It doesn’t burn the skin or lashes.

I followed the directions that came with the lash curler, but to my disappointment, it was not able to curl my lashes.  What it did to do was curl my lashes from the downward position to the straight out position.  Unfortunately, it was not able to take it to the next level and curl my lashes upwards.  Perhaps if my lashes were straight to begin with, it might have worked.

My theory was that the blinc lash curler just wouldn’t work for Asian girls, so, I passed it along to my caucasian friend to see how it would perform for her.  I’m disappointed to report that my friend didn’t fare any better.  She found that the blinc curler was only able to curl her lashes slightly beyond straight.  I guess my friend and I will continue to use our traditional clamp style curler and hairdryer combination.

The Kiss Me Mascara, on the other hand, was a much better experience.  I love this mascara!!!  My biggest problem is that I have ridiculously straight lashes.  I need a mascara that will hold the curl and not fall immediately after application.  In most cases I have to re-curl after applying the mascara, but not with the Kiss Me Mascara.  Once I curled my lashes (using my traditional curler and hairdryer combo) and applied, it held the curl beautifully and they didn’t fall!  Better yet, the curl lasted all day long.

As blinc promised, it did not run or smudge at all.  With traditional waterproof mascara I usually end up with some runny smudging by mid-morning.  With the Kiss Me Mascara, that didn’t happen, even after I took a nap.  It looks just as good at 7pm as it did at 7am when I first put it on.  It definitely washes off very easily with water and gentle pressure.  You don’t have to use any kind of makeup remover which is nice benefit.

Both the Kiss Me Mascara and Blinc Lash Curler have a suggested retail price of $25, but can be found for less at Folica.com .

I’ve tried a lot of different mascaras over the year.  I found the Kiss Me Mascara to be one of the few that does exactly as it promises.  I would definitely splurge on the mascara, because it’s well worth the extra money.

The blinc Heated Eyelash Curler and blinc Kiss Me Mascara are available from Folica.com.

“Some company sent me the new super duper home fitness product, I used it twice and now it’s in the pile in the basement with all the other home fitness equipment I’ve bought in the last decade and never really used”.

Maybe someday I’ll share my buddy’s recumbent bike story.

Such is the dilemma of home fitness equipment.  Sure, we all think that THIS time will be different, THIS time we’ll do it right.  This time I won’t eat those last two McNuggets.  That was pretty much my thinking when I was offered a sample of the Perfect Pushup (travel edition) for review.  I had seen the ads for the product on television, and in truth I thought it looked pretty cool, but knowing myself like I do, my biggest concern wasn’t whether or not it would work as advertised, but whether or not I would actually use it.

What is the Perfect Pushup

Rather than run through it all myself, here’s the marketing info:

The Perfect Pushup was developed by a US Navy SEAL using the latest in biomechanics and engineering to help you achieve better results from your pushup workouts. Smooth rotating handles accelerate results by engaging more muscles in the arms, chest, shoulders, and back. It also helps reduce strain on wrists and elbows, and helps to stabilize and strengthen the shoulder joint.

The Perfect Pushup’s rotating handles allow your arms to rotate naturally the same way they do when you throw a punch or press up a dumbbell. This unique feature engages more muscles and helps reduce joint strain. Works for any fitness level – from beginner through professional athlete.

Working Out with the Perfect Pushup

Pretty much everything the company claims holds true. The smooth, gentile rotating motion of the Perfect Pushup engages more muscles than an old-school pushup. I say this not because that’s what the Perfect Pushup people say, but rather, I base this largely on the amount of pain I was in after my first couple of workouts with the product. Thankfully, after a few workouts your body will adjust and the soreness won’t be nearly as brutal.

The differences between an ordinary pushup and a Perfect Pushup are particularly noticeable in my deltoids and core. Like throwing a punch, the twisting motion of the perfect pushups really works the delts.  That same rotation causes an extra bit of instability, which forces you to engage the core muscles in your abs and lower back in order to keep from falling all over yourself.  In short, the Perfect Pushup offers a more effective workout than pushups alone.

It’s also worth mentioning that, as claimed, the Perfect Pushup puts less strain on the wrists than normal pushups. This is likely do the positioning of your hands when using the product. Rather than bending at near 90 degrees at the wrist as you would while performing a conventional pushup, your hands and arms remain in a more natural position.

I’ve tried the Perfect Pushup mobile unit on a variety of surfaces (hardwood, vinyl, and carpet), and it performed equally as well on all of them.  Don’t let your flooring stop you from giving the Perfect Pushup a try.

Of course, with fitness equipment it’s all about results.  I’ve only been using the Perfect Pushup about 3 weeks (after a long vacation from the gym), so I’m still quite a bit closer to Mr. Subb than I am to Mr. Olympia.  That said, my workouts are steadily progressing as I’m able to do more reps than I could when I started, and I’m seeing some noticeable firming in my pectorals (or man-maries as I often refer to that particular area).

Differences Between the Standard and Mobile Unit

The Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit is designed with portability in mind.  The handles detach from the base for easy storage and transport.  Side by side with the original, the mobile unit is noticeably smaller, with the most significant difference showing in the height of the device.

I’ve spoken with a few different people who, like myself, have had the opportunity to try both models.  There’s definitely not any sort of consensus preference for one model over the other.  A couple of my friends prefer the low profile feel of the mobile unit.  My preference is for the standard model, even though logically the Mobile Unit would be a better fit for my smallish hands.

What I like about the standard edition is that the extra height  allows me to dip a  little lower at the bottom of the pushup, which gives the muscles in my back a better workout.

If you won’t be traveling with the Perfect Pushup, I’d recommend trying both out if possible.  If you are looking for a workout solution that will easily fit into most suitcases, then the Mobile Unit is without a doubt the way to go.

What’s Included

The Mobile Unit kt includes a pair of Perfect Pushups with detachable handles (the handles actually reattach in a collapsed form so they sit flat, and eliminate the risk of one getting lost.  A zippered neoprene travel case is included as is a basic workout guide.

The workout guide does an effective job of explaining how to go about setting up a Perfect Pushup routine, and shows you a handful of different ways you can use your Perfect Pushup.

The company also offers a couple of additional advanced workout DVDs on their website.  Although I haven’t seen them for myself, my understanding is that DVDs include demonstrations of additional exercises that can be performed with the Perfect Pushup.

Quite frankly, I think it’s a little lame that some of these “advanced” exercises aren’t included with the original purchase.

Final Thoughts

My irritation at the notion of having to pay for additional exercise DVDs aside, the Perfect Pushup is a great addition to my home exercise arsenal.  Actually, it’s the whole of my arsenal, but nonetheless, I’m glad I own it.  What I really like about it (apart from the health benefits alone) is that the Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit is small enough where I can tuck it away in a corner and quickly bring them out again whenever the mood hits, which so far is actually fairly often.

In addition to following the workout card, I find myself leaving them out when I’m otherwise sitting on my keister watching TV.  Commercial break – do some pushups.  Between plays in the game – do some pushups.  Trying to avoid doing housework – do some pushups.  In the middle of reviewing the Perfect Pushup – do some pushups.

Granted, 3 weeks isn’t a great deal of time in the grand scheme of things, but so far I haven’t lost interest, and neither have those around me.  My wife is going to bring them with her to work this week to show to an interested coworker.  As long as she brings them back before primetime TV starts we won’t have a problem.

As much as I like the Perfect Pushup, I do want to be clear about one thing.  It will not give you a total body workout.  It’s great for the upper body, good for the core, but it doesn’t do much for the legs, and won’t help the heart too much either.  It’s definitely not a fat burning machine.  My point: Use the Perfect Pushup to suppliment your upper body work out, or even AS your upper body workout, but don’t quit the gym.  I would, however, recommend bringing the Mobile Unit to the gym to finish off a set on the bench.

In addition to the Perfect Pushup and the Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit (which are available individually or as part of a kit), the company also offers the Perfect Pullup, the Rev, a variety of accessories, and even nutritional supplements.

Shameless Plug

We don’t get paid for our reviews.  We’re supported entirely by our ads and our affiliates.  If you are planning to purchase the Perfect Pushup, Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit,  or the Perfect Pullup, and you found this review useful, I hope you’ll consider following one of our links to make your purchase.  Additional information about all the company’s products can be found at PerfectPushup.com

In the world of flatirons there are a few brands that never seem to disappoint.  CHI is one of those brands.  While their products are definitely at the higher end of the flat iron price range, if you are a person who religiously straightens their hair, then it pays to spend a bit more money on a quality iron.  In this industry, word of mouth is huge.

My First CHI…

A few years back, when I was just starting to use an iron on my hair, I purchased a Bion flat iron.  I figured that at $200 it had to be good.  It was even more expensive than the CHI!  So I got it, and tried it, and used it for a year or two.  In college I had a roommate from NYC was was a really city girl.  She was always trying out the latest and greatest new thing.

She told me that her hairstylists always used the CHI flat irons, and that her other friends swore by it.  When she finally broke down and bought one, it meant that I would have my first chance to try CHI for myself. One evening before a Sex And The City-ish night out in her hometown, I put her CHI to the test with my hair.  The difference in my hair was unbelievable!  Unlike the results I was accustomed to with my own, more expensive iron, I didn’t see the dried ends, or the raggedy looking straightened hair that I’d come to think of as normal.  My hair felt like it was able to hold much more of it’s own moisture in…thus making it look much healthier and more natural.

I was so happy with the results that when I got home, I shelled out another $200 for one of my own.  After about 1 month of regular use, my hair looked shinier and healthier than it ever had with my previous iron.  The CHI flat iron was clearly much less damaging to my hair.  Don’t get me wrong though…you put hair under a high heat like this (the iron gets up to 356° Farenheit!) , your going to have some damage.  I don’t care how some of these irons say that they will make your hair MORE healthy…frequently applying heat to your hair and styling it is not going to make it healthier….period.

Let me give you a rundown on my type of hair.  I have blond curly hair (really curly…like the bane of my adolescence, Shirley Temple jokes, curly).  I actually had a guy try and pick me up at a Starbuck’s with the line, “Is that your real hair?”. It’s thick, but very fine and fragile.  Loooooooooots of whispy baby hairs.  My hair stylist

has told me not to use a  flat iron on it more than twice a week, but I cheat sometimes.  Okay, a lot of times.  Thankfully, my CHI lets cheat without consequence.  I take care to put lots of product in my hair before I flat iron it (CHI’s Shine Infusion Oil works really well, as does Lanza’s Neem Plant Silk Serum and Redken’s Align – I actually use different combinations of the three all the time).  That way if it does get too hot it fries the product and not my hair.

Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty

Now that I have shared with you what I like about the product, here are some specifics.

• The CHI Turbo comes in three different widths – 7/10″, 1″ and 2″.  I have the 1″.  It allows me to get close enough to my scalp to get the little baby hairs I have, but it also doesn’t take forever to do the rest of my hair.  They recommend the wider ones for people with longer hair.  (see the image above for a look at all three)

• I like the swivel cord on the flat iron as well (rotates 360° at the base so that it doesn’t get all caught up and twisted).

• The CHI Turbo line has red felt material wrapped around the outside of the heated plates.  This is supposed to  to keep the outside of the iron from getting too hot in your hands.  I honestly don’t notice the difference with or without the felt, but I do like that the texture of the felt keeps it from slipping off of my sink.

• This series of flat irons do not have the new Tourmaline plates, they are just ceramic.  However, I haven’t had a chance to use any of the irons with Tourmaline plates so I can’t vouch for the difference they make.

• Heat settings range from 170° – 356°.  The iron has a slider button on it for setting the temperature, as well as an on/off button for safety.

• Red LED indicator on the iron flashes continuously once the iron reaches the temperature that you have set it for.  This thing heats up quick too!  Much quicker than my old iron.  This is due to the Flash Heating technology that most modern irons have.

• 1 year limited warranty.

• Lastly…in the spirit of going Green and saving the world and being more energy efficient…the CHI Turbo only uses 20-25 Watts of electricity and runs at 110 Volts.  Many other irons run at as much as 200 Watts.

Can’t Buy Me Love?

The CHI turbo may seem little pricey, but when you compare it to some of the other irons out there (remember the Bion I was telling you about that I had paid $200 for?) it’s right on par.  Unless you have hair like Seabiscuit; the kind that can withstand anything, take my advice and don’t go with one of those Hot Tools $40 flat irons.  You will be sorry and may end up looking like you stuck your finger in a light socket.  Now that’s hot!

Overall Grade: A-

While you can’t buy this iron directly from CHI(or Qwowi for that matter), you can get the 1″ iron from Folica.com for $104.95 with free shipping (it retails for $195).  I love Folica.com and personally use it for all of my flat irons. Many of my friends buy from Folica.com as well.  The price is always low, and the quality of the product is never compromised.  I have never been disappointed.

Up until a couple of weeks ago our household kept two types of thermometer on hand, a tympanic (ear) thermometer and an electronic probe thermometer, for oral or underarm use.  When my children are very sick and in need of having their temperatures taken, the very last thing I want to do is poke and prod their tired and aching little bodies.  What I want to do is find out how sick they are, what kind of care I should administer, and then I simply want to be a source of comfort for them.

Invasive temperature taking techniques that involve poking them in their ears or mouths do not easily accomplish those goals.  Likewise, it is very difficult to convince a shivering, feverish child to remove his shirt so that I can hold a cold plastic thermometer against his underarm.  As frustrating as all of those methods are, it was equally frustrating to realize that they seldom gave me accurate readings.  I never knew there was a better way to get the job done, but now I do.  With the Exergen Temporal Scanner taking my child’s temperature is gentle, non-invasive, and as accurate as taking a rectal temperature (which I will admit I have never done).  The first time we tried the Exergen Temporal Scanner on our children they actually smiled while we were using it – they were not afraid, they didn’t attempt to squirm away, and they actually asked us to do it again!

The Science Behind The Design

Operating off the idea that the best, most accurate place to determine body temperature is within the heart, temporal scanners measure the temperature of blood that flows from the heart by scanning the temperature of the skin surface over the temporal artery.  “The temporal artery is connected to the heart via the carotid artery, directly leading from the aorta, the main trunk of the arterial system…it offers constant blood flow, ” the Exergen instruction manual states.  The temporal artery is the only artery located close enough to the skin in a convenient, non-invasive location for temperature readings.

Holding an electric probe thermometer against the skin of the forehead will not produce the same results as using a temporal scanner.  The Exergen Temporal Scanner has patented software that provides something called “arterial heat balance”, or the balance between the tissue being heated by the blood in the temporal artery and the tissue being heated or cooled due to environmental conditions.  Only with this balance can an accurate temporal artery temperature reading be achieved.  The Exergen Temporal Scanner scans both the arterial and ambient temperatures of the forehead at the rate of 1000 times per second, allowing it to quickly pick up any sudden changes in body temperature, a great feature for parents worried about spiking fevers.

Taking A Temperature Reading

The Exergen Temporal Scanner is so simple to use that I thought I must be using it incorrectly the first time I tried it.  Simply remove the scanner cap, depress and hold down the scan button, hold the scanner against the center of the forehead and draw it across the skin toward the hairline.  The scanner takes only two seconds to obtain an accurate reading, so by the time you have run it across the forehead it has finished.  In the event that the forehead is wet from sweat (common during high fevers), the scanner can obtain a reading from the fleshy area of the neck just behind the earlobe.  The display screen shows the scanned temperature for thirty seconds.

The Exergen Temporal Scanner also emits a series of beeps and flashing lights.  The flashing lights and fast paced beeping mean the scanner has detected a higher temperature; slow beeping without a flashing light means it is still scanning but has not detected any higher temperatures.

The Mom Review: The Exergen Temporal Scanner Is My New Standby Baby Shower Gift

As a parent, fevers rank high on my list of scary events in the lives of my children.  I am petrified by the way they transform my normally energetic and engaging children into mere shadows of themselves, creating little zombies that merely sit, stare, and whimper.  Being frustrated with temperature taking methods on top of being scared used to put me in a reactive mode when my children were ill, rather than being in the proactive place I needed to work from to help my kids feel better.

We seem to have embarked on a season of sickness since my son started preschool earlier this year and we’ve had plenty of opportunity to give the temporal scanner a good trial.  After the numerous illnesses of both adults and children in our household, the Exergen Temporal Scanner has become one of my most beloved parenting tools.  I like that I can start and finish taking a temperature in just two seconds and I love that the scanner is as gentle to my child as my hand would be on her forehead.  Also convenient is the ability to take a temperature while the sick person sleeps; this feature would be very helpful for those with infants and small children that nap a good portion of the day.  While the Exergen Temporal Scanner is a great tool for parents, it also works well on the adults in the family.  We can all appreciate a thermometer that is quick, accurate, and non-invasive when we are feeling under the weather.

Family and friends, be forewarned: if you plan on having a baby you can plan on receiving an Exergen Temporal Scanner as my shower gift.  I think you will love the way it takes the guess work out of temperature taking, leaving you with more time to cuddle the little one who needs you.

The Exergen Temporal Scanner sells for just over $30 and is available at Wal-Mart and Amazon.com.

I wasn’t born with those full, long, curly eyelashes (unlike my college roommate who looked like she had eyelash implants, and could get out of anything with a bat of her eyes).  So I tend to look for mascaras that lengthen and separate and don’t get all clumpy and gooey.  The reviews on the Too Faced Lash Injection Pinpoint Mascara claimed that this new product rivaled Dior’s infamous mascara line.  While I have never owned any Dior mascara (I know I know, shoot me) I have tried it, and I certainly have read about it, and had tons of friends that swear by it.  So when I heard the comparison, I decided to try the Too Faced product.  Here we go…

Eyes

LASH INJECTION PINPOINT MASCARA: B+

So far I am very happy with the product and it is my new “all the time” mascara.  I got it in black, but it comes in brown as well.  It wasn’t as great as I was hoping for though (I have high expectations), and I am beginning to believe that short of getting lash extensions, no product is ever going to give me the quick and easy perfect lashes that I long for.

The mascara is not alcohol based, unlike most of its competitors, which makes it a lot healthier for your lashes (especially if you are using one of those wonderful heated eyelash curlers).  As soon as I removed the wand from the tube, I could see a difference.  The applicator is small enough so I can coat my lashes from base to tip without any problem.  It can also grab onto those little baby lashes some of us have and make them look longer.   The short bristles on the applicator, combined with the tight lip inside the bottle that squeegees any excess off the wand, make it very user friendly.  I had been using Kiss Me mascara and some Covergirl product.  I got the Covergirl mascara because of the brush (the new silicone ones), but I found that after awhile it would get clumped up.  The Too Faced brush is a step above the new silicone applicators that many mainstream companies are touting.  The brush wins it for me.

The ink.  I like it.  Some people reported flaking, and I do notice ,that after a long day, it will flake a little bit, but a lot of the newer mascaras that are healthier for your eyelashes do.  Many companies have stopped using Alcohol as an ingredient in their mascara because it is damaging and drying to the lashes.  Now we have these new mascaras that form “tubes” around the lashes, and they tend to rub off easily.

I can deal with the occasional black speck if I accidentally rub my eyes.  The ink is much more fluid than other lines I have used.  It is a bit thicker than the Kiss Me mascaras I had used in the past (which is a good thing because they were a bit TOO thin and required several applications), but thin enough where I am not worried about big clumps coming out on the brush all of the time.  I still get the occasional clump on my eyelashes but the wand is so small that it easily removes any “oopsie”

All things considered, I like it.  I think 55% of the value is in the bottle and applicator, and the other 45% is in the ink.

BAKED EYESHADOW: A

I have been using my new Too Faced products for about a month now, and I have to say that the Baked Eyeshadow is my fave hands down.  This product pleasantly surprised me, as I wasn’t really expecting anything better than the Chanel eye shadows I have always used.  I have the eyeshadow in Magenta Moon, which is made up of magenta and brown swirls.  What is cool about this stuff is that you can use just the Magenta for a funky look, just the brown for a more earthy look, or combine them for a glamorous smoky eye.

Not only will this product last forever, but the color is just as vibrant on your lid as it is in the jar (which is pretty cool looking itself).  I definitely recommend this product to anyone looking to get some new eyeshadows.  I have never used a baked shadow before, but this one has me sold.  At  only $19.50 a pop, I will be getting this in some more colors…and soon.

Lips

LIP OF LUXURY: B

Now I am not a huge fan of lipstick.  I do lip liners, glosses, gels, etc…  But lipsticks have always been too drying for my lips.  Too Faced’s Lip of Luxury lipstick line was not too different.  It caused my lips to become dry and parched after a short time.  Even immediately after application I felt like I needed something else on top that was smoother.  So why do I give this product a B?

Well to be fair, out of all of the lipsticks I have used over the years, this one was not bad, it just wasn’t great.  I think that it would have gotten a lower score had it not been for the color.  I tried it in Pink Flamingo, which is fairly unique shaded as pinks go.  It really isn’t as overpowering as the name suggests.  Pair it with a gloss over top and the shade is quite perfect…and again…funky and fresh.  It even has a light bubblegum scent to it!

MIRROR MIRROR LIP GLOSS: A-

As a woman with over 5 lip glosses in her bag at any given moment, I feel like I am pretty well versed in this category.  I tried the gloss in Envy Me, and it gave great light and sheer coverage.  The color of the gloss was so sheer, that you could really use it over almost any color lipstick to create a whole different look.  This product also has a nice fresh scent to it that is in no way overpowering.

If you do not like lip glosses that are very fluid, then you probably won’t like this one.  If you are looking for something with a lot of color to it, this isn’t it.  If you ARE looking for something light and fresh and versatile, then I would grab one of these.  I wouldn’t mind trying this one in a Nude to get that great shiny bare looking lip that is so “in” right now.

Overall, I think that the Too Faced line is young, hip, full of unique colors and qualities that make the brand fun to own and even more fun to wear!  The presentation of their products, along with the color, and even the scent (come on now…scented mascara?  I totally did not expect it – it takes away the blah smell of lipstick and powders!) leaves me wanting something more from my products from other lines.

Too Faced gets an B++ from me!  For the older woman trying to add some spice to their day to day makeup routine, or for the younger woman experimenting with new colors, this is a line for all.  And be sure not to miss their winter line that just came out.  You can check it out here: http://www.toofaced.com/launchPad.asp

For the past several years I’ve considered myself a Gillette guy, insomuch as I’ve shaved exclusively with Gillette razors for as long as I can remember.  So although I said “sure” (I pretty much always do) when the people that handle the online marketing for Schick offered to send me one of their new Quattro Titanium trimmers, I fully expected I’d use it a few times, write a review, and then toss it the garbage alongside a used strand of dental floss.

Before I get to the review, let me a give you a quick hit list of the biggest features of the Quattro Titanium Trimmer.

• 4 titanium-coated blades
• edging blade for precision in hard to reach places
• adjustable 4 position beard, mustache (and anywhere else you want to use it) battery-powered trimmer

At the end of the day, the Quattro Titanium is a standard multi-blade razor with a small built in trimmer, and that’s really all you need to know.

Comparatively speaking the Schick feels different on my face than the Gillette.  I’m guessing that perception is stems from so many years of using a powered Gillette that I’ve basically forgotten what a normal razor feels like.  Feel-wise the Schick is not better, it’s not worse…it’s just different.

In terms of shave quality, my evidence, anecdotal as it may be, suggests that, when the blades are brand spanking new, the Gillette outperform the Schick (not to suggest the Schick does a bad job).  Two or three shaves later, however; my Gillette blades were clearly starting to lose their edge, while with the same wear and tear, the Schick was still shaving hairs with the same ease as it did new.  Maybe it’s the titanium thing, maybe it’s just better design, I really don’t know.

What I do know is that the Schick blades seem to hold up better, and since 8 blades will run you about $20 (how ridiculous is that?), durability is kind of a big deal.  A sharper blade also means fewer cuts and fewer ingrown hairs.  I like that.

What sets the Quattro Titanium Trimmer apart from other razors in its class, is, well, the trimmer.  Powered by a single AAA battery, the built-in, 4-way adjustable trimmer, is a handy little bonus.  Most of us guys with facial hair have an assortment of trimmers to manage it, so adding yet another trimming device might seem like overkill, but…

While you’re not going to trim an entire goatee (especially if you’re Kevin Youkilis) with the Quattro Trimmer, it’s very adept at knocking down the wayward hairs that sprout up between normal groomings.  I find it especially handy when working directly under my nose, and just above my upper lip.  Could I accomplish the same thing with one of my other trimmers?  Yup, absolutely, by the Quattro is already in my hands, and its diminutive size makes it easy to get at the unruly spots without too much concern for over-clipping.

I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t miss the vibration-thing of my Gillette razor, but I’m more than willing to part with it for the built-in trimmer, and more importantly, razor blades that maintain their edge for more than a couple of shaves.

My recollection is that I became a “Gillette guy” because I got one in the mail one day.  It seems fitting that I’m becoming a Schick guy for basically the same reason.

Spend $30 or Schick products and you’ll save $5 off you’re order.  Shipping is always free.

Schick Quattro Trimmer

8 Count Quattro Blades

4 Count Quattro Blades

I have used a great variety of cleansers over the years – well, since I became a teenager and got blessed with fluctuating hormones.  I was never one to have crazy breakouts, and my friends were constantly reminding me of how lucky I was.  Eventually though, I did start getting minor blemishes here and there.  What bugged me the most though (and continues to) were- you guessed it – black heads!  Yuck! (Am I sounding like a cheesy Clearasil commercial yet?)

The last product I was using before I switched to Dermalogica was a Murad foaming cleanser that my esthetician recommended.  It was “OK”, but not good enough to get me to buy another bottle.  New esthetician means new cleanser, and Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel hit the spot.

I am the kind of person that has to wash my face in the morning and at night, and this product was light enough to allow you to do that.  It also never dried my skin out (even during the winter).  Here is what Dermalogica has to say about the product:

A soap-free, foaming gel designed to thoroughly remove impurities without disturbing the skin’s natural moisture balance. Calming Balm Mint and Lavender extracts soothe the skin, while natural Quillaja Saponaria gently foams away toxins and deep-cleanses debris. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.

The verdict?  I am a believer.  I use this product religiously.  In fact, I recently attempted to try something new (don’t ask me why, maybe I was just bored with looking at the same bottle every morning), and it was a BIG MISTAKE.  Within a week it was breakout city.  I humbly went back to my Dermalogica and a couple of days later I was completely clear.  Use it alone or with other products.

This product gets an A from me (I am reserving the A+ for the miracle product in my imagination – because hey, you never know).

Try it with Dermalogica’s Precleanse for an even more thorough wash.  You can get this as a sample with some of the larger bottles of the Special Cleansing Gel.  It’s a lemony smelling oil-based cleanser that they tout as being “the professional’s deep cleaning weapon.“  You put it on before using the Special Cleansing Gel to melt through oil and oil-based toxins that have accumulated on your skin throughout the day.

Qwowi recommends drugstore.com where shipping is free on orders of $25 or more.

Special Cleansing Gel (8.4 oz)

Special Cleansing Gel (16.9 oz)