Review

Worth it? Noom

by
Worth it? Noom

Last November, I had the opportunity to check out Noom to see if it was a good fit for me. This opportunity was extended to me gratis with the idea that I might like it enough to promote, so I have not paid for a membership. I am in fact able to use affiliate links for Noom to monetize conversions (sign-ups) but I am not for reasons that will become evident.

Starting over a year before that, I had decided to stop assuming that I could ride the coattails of my metabolism forever and made some lifestyle changes to better suit my health and my sedentary career.

People who know me are going to read that and have a stroke. STOP! Breathe.
I work 50+ hours a week and I sit for practically all of it. This, for me, is not about weight loss. This is about making healthier choices so my body does the thing better, for a longer time. I can binge 1500 calories of Reese’s cups in a sitting or I can try to consider my nutritional needs.

I don’t diet. I don’t believe in, “dieting,” because they imply a temporary adjustment is going to cultivate lasting change. This is not reason; it is folly. I’d been managing by my own reason using an if-it-fits-your-macros or IIFYM approach based on my activity level, goals, and needs. When I encountered Noom and found that they are not about that, ‘diet,’ life, I figured – oh, what the hell.

So I took them up on it and tried Noom to see if it was worth it.

What is Noom?

Let’s start with their mission statement:

Help people everywhere lead healthier lives through behavior change.

Okay, this resonates. But what IS it? Realistically, Noom is an accountability tool that helps establish and promote healthier behaviors through a series of positive reinforcement. It IS NOT a diet or fitness program, though they do now offer meal and workout plans for an additional fee over their base cost.

tl;dr?

It isn’t for me. BUT that doesn’t mean its bad.

Why Noom isn’t a Good Fit for Me

There are two big reasons and two small reasons; read more to see why.

Read more

Dyson Supersonic: Luxury Meets Performance

by
Dyson Supersonic
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, $399 new / $275ish refurb

This post’s title should be Beauty Skeptic or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dyson Supersonic.

At the end of 2018, I shared that I had purchased a refurbished Dyson Supersonic hairdryer. This is now the single most expensive beauty tool I own. In the time between the time I placed the order and delivery I vacillated between whether or not I was losing my damn mind.

Answer: Maybe?

If you’ve been reading for a long time, you’ll know that when I like to use pricier tools for a long while while before writing about it. This enables me to evaluate its performance long term and make a confident recommendation. We’ve all gotten a product (beauty or otherwise) that was great at first and then maybe not so much as time passes. Frankly, I find the gushing, “I’ve used it for 3 days and it is TOTES WORTH IT,” reviews grating beyond belief.

The dryer arrived on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, I have no alluring unboxing photos; since it is a refurb, it doesn’t come in fabulous retail packaging that’s worth showing you. It came in a very utilitarian, nondescript, white cardboard box with white inner packaging that was effective but not luxurious. As much as I can appreciate nice packaging and presentation, I also appreciate not paying a huge premium for it.

First Impressions

  • “Wow this thing’s weight is distributed sooo nicely.”
  • “Diffuser? Ugh, space consumption.” (Great for the curly girls, though).
  • “Concentrators – omg, there are two of them? NEAT.”
  • “Omg the magnetic bit for the tools is amazing. This is so nice, so much better than something that snaps on that can wear with time and become less secure.”
  • “OH! It sounds so smooth. And – this thing is powerful.”

Review

Time-to-Dry

My hair, which is long (and longer than usual at the moment thanks to CoVid-19), goes from, “I got out of the shower five minutes ago,” to dry in less than ten minutes. This varies depending on what products I’m using and how diligent I’m being about sectioning – but it is great. Thanks to a girlfriend, I started wearing wireless earbuds when I blowdry (genius), and I usually go through about two songs. That’s like 6-8 minutes.

Read more

DIY Eyebrow Tinting

by
DIY Eyebrow Tinting with Refectocil
DIY Eyebrow Tinting with Refectocil, $22

We can’t all have luxurious brows. I don’t; in spite of my natural brunette hue my eyebrows are on the light side. Not blonde, but a mild enough shade that the sparseness at the tails doesn’t do me many favors; their slight hue makes it challenging to see when grooming. But I’m a problem solver by trade – so when I learned how easy DIY eyebrow tinting was I checked that off my list immediately.

Why DIY Eyebrow Tinting

Do you have your eyebrows tinted? I didn’t. I knew tinting is a service you can get in a salon; Benefit Brow Bars charge between $20-23 for it depending on the market. I hadn’t cared about it

It wasn’t until I was watching a tutorial on how to execute your own brow wax (thanks, pandemic) that it struck me to. As her first step, she used DIY eyebrow tinting to help guide her removal so she didn’t over- or under-remove. It’s quite clever, actually.

Read more

Laser Hair Removal Update

by
Laser Hair Removal Update

In 2019, I started getting professional Laser Hair Removal treatments. Yes; even though I at one point purchased a Silkn Flash & Go device, I splurged on the real deal as a birthday gift to myself.

In short? I’m glad I did.

I started with underarms and brazilian laser hair removal treatment, and added lower leg about six months later.

Myths & Realities

It only takes 5-6 Treatments

You may experience a solid reduction in that time, but those cases are probably statistical outliers used for the benefit of marketing. Many cases do take longer going to get the results you want (significant reduction/removal) in that time.

I’ve been going for about a year and have maybe 5 active follicles remaining for my underarms. Brazilian is not quite as an aggressive reduction yet, but that can be owed to the thoroughness of the esthetician (comfort levels vary); and I get it.

If you’re considering laser hair removal, ask providers about average results and what to expect fee wise if treatment takes longer than the 5-6 that are so commonly touted. In my case, buying what equates to the cost of 5-6 treatments (‘a full course’) entitles me to however many I need over a two year period to get the job done.

Laser Hair Removal is Painless

It isn’t universally painless. There are many variables that contribute to discomfort that you might feel. To name a few:

  • Follicle density in a treatment area
  • How well you adhered to prep instructions
  • Pain tolerance (women’s tend to vary because thanks, hormones)
  • Machine settings (i.e., higher intensity wavelength may be more uncomfortable – but also more effective)
  • Color of treated hair and its contrast with your skin

Read more

Worth It? FabFitFun

by

Although I previously swore of subscription boxes, I subscribed to FabFitFun for five seasons. Unlike my previous subscription box experiences, FabFitFun doesn’t just flood you with a half dozen mini or sample size items on a quarterly basis; nay. You get full size product across a range of categories, a degree of customization, and sometimes other neat things that aren’t product (if you don’t opt out). The value of the items DOES exceed the price you’re paying for the box.

I’ve heard some feedback that people were offput due to the higher price ($50/box), but considering that it is quarterly, it ends up being right around $16.67 per month; not bad in the scheme of things.

Cool Features

When you subscribe, you complete a survey about your preferences. For example, I opted into necklaces, makeup, and skincare – but out of snacks and bracelets, and I rated fragrances as low interest. These preferences are ranked from a Love\Like\Neutral\Meh\DO NOT WANT perspective, so you can rank without being black-and-white.

Per box, there’s an element of customization available in each box for members. You keep an eye on your email for a message from FabFitFun on when your window is open, then go in and make your choices. If you don’t, you get what you get.

Read more

Manicure Monday – 10/14/2019 – Red LED Gel Lamp

by

Red LED Gel Lamp

Red LED Gel Lamp

I ultimately bought this incredible red LED gel lamp (and a bunch of other stuff ?) from The NaiI Hub. It isn’t clear who the manufacturer of this lamp is; it lacks branding, and I’m not entirely sure if The Nail Hub is claiming this as one of their products. Either way, frankly, I don’t care because it is excellent. My experience has been nothing but positive since I started using it in July.

Curing My Gel Manicures

For years, I’ve been using Sensationail lamps to cure my gel manicures. They’re what I started with! Eventually, I added their newer model lamp to my nail tool collection. After a couple bad cures with good formulas, though, I started to wonder if it was time for a change. I suspect the LEDs weren’t getting enough power, and here could be plenty of reasons for this:

  • The micro USB cable I used to supply power to it could be bad.
  • The AC adapter could be bad.
  • The power relay in the lamp itself could be bad.

Rather than asking my husband to embark on an electronics teardown for diagnostic purposes, I decided to upgrade my lamp game. (I might still ask him for help with that, though – for science, for a backup, for a small travel lamp etc).

Why Red?

Read more