Tools

Smart Toothbrush? Skip It

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Smart Toothbrushes - Are they worth it?

Today, let’s talk about the scourge that is the smart toothbrush.

I’m a proponent of electric toothbrushes. They make oral hygiene easier to achieve for most configurations of teeth. My mouth is healthier for them. I’ve used brushes from both Oral-B and Sonicare (I use a 10+ year old FlexCare, which is a discontinued model; I would buy this one today) in my lifetime, and both made a positive impact on my oral hygiene and wellbeing, especially as I went through my Invsalign journey.

At some point within the last decade, those companies decided that the world really needed–that consumers really wanted– a smart toothbrush. Sigh.

What is a Smart Toothbrush?

A smart toothbrush is an electric toothbrush that incorporates advanced technology and connectivity features to enhance the brushing experience. These toothbrushes often come with built-in sensors, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity, and smartphone apps or companion software.

Many modern electric toothbrushes still incorporate sensors to caution you against using too much pressure and timers to alert you when to change quadrants. So… why all the connections and internet? Why does my toothbrush need an internet connection or bluetooth?

Why Does a Toothbrush Need an Internet Connection?

In theory, the value smart toothbrushes provide lies in being able to provide you with data on your brushing habits. They can also gamify your daily hygiene by giving you virtual headpats for, you know, being an adult and taking care of your teeth.

Sense my derision?

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Worth It? ecoTools Daily Brush Cleaner

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ecoTools Daily Brush Cleaner

Precious few of us wash our makeup brushes as often as we should – but ecoTools Daily Brush Cleaner makes it easier for me to pull off.

Although washing our brushes at least weekly is high up there on the list of things we can do to improve both our application and skin’s health, a lot of us non-professionals just don’t do that. It is a bit silly when you think about it: caring for your tools – whether they are makeup tools or powertools – helps them last longer and perform better.

I used to use Cinema Secrets to buy time between proper soap washes, but when I saw that ecoTools, a more accessible and affordable brand, had a similar product (their ecoTools Daily Brush Cleaner), I wanted to try it out. Both less expensive and easier to get, it seemed a good fit as long as it worked.

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Use a Contact Lens Case for Travel Products

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Use contact lens cases for travel products and toiletries and save money!

In June, to my dismay, I had to travel for work for the first time in five years. It was my first flight at all in five years – so I was well out of practice doing things like creatively stuffing a quart bag with toiletries. I saw some awesome wisdom from frequent flyers to use contact lens cases for travel and stop blowing money on waste generating, expensive price-per-ounce/mL travel sizes.

Let me explain.

Times Change

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Takuminozawa makes the BEST Nail Clippers

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Japanese brand Takuminozawa makes the BEST nail clippers - their craftsmanship and execution is unmatched by anything I've encountered in my 3 decades of life!

I tend to shy away from absolutist post titles. That I didn’t this time should be telling. Who gets excited about nail clippers? I do, when they’re this good. Hell, my husband evangelizes them.

I had never found a pair of nail clippers I liked. At most, a pair achieved the stunning heights of acceptable. In fact, I went for years never cutting them and only filing to remove length. But that takes a while, burns through files, and creates excess dust.

I have since found that Japanese brand Takuminozawa makes the BEST nail clippers. This brand is also sometimes known as Green Bell. Like a few of my favorite things these days, are imports. They have several varieties, but I am using these fingernail clippers ($12) and these toenail ones ($14).

What makes a good pair of nail clippers?

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Store Hair Tools with Care

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Store hair tools, including irons, with care to prolong their lifespan!

Embarrassingly, I had a heated hair tool become problematic recently. I had my Hot Tools iron stored with a bunch of tools in a drawer. I hadn’t used it in a while, but needed to be presentable for some Mandatory Fun at work. Since my hair was dry, the Airwrap wouldn’t be a good fit. Thus, I reached for a reliable tool to do some quick low-effort wrangling of my hair.

What I found, though, was that the handle of the iron was odd: the texture wasn’t the same. It was inconsistent and, inexplicably, tacky or sticky. This wasn’t because of product build up, though – we’re talking the handle, not the barrel.

Weird, but Maybe It’s Fine?

…or, maybe not. I tried to clean it; no dice. I ventured and gave using it a shot anyhow, because nothing was unsafe from an electrical or heat perspective. This was a mistake, though: strands of my hair stuck to the handle as I curled. I ended up pulling out a few strands as a result. Ow.

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Worth it? Rui Smiths Cuticle Nippers

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Quality tools are something I will spend money on so I can do the job right and not replace them due to premature degradation. Since I do all my manicures at home (and have many years, pre-pandemic!), I’ve tried a lot of nail tools. I’ve tried various tools to work on my cuticles: slide-style cutters, jaw nippers, chemical solutions, and more. After a pair I had been getting by with broke, I did some research to buy a pair I wouldn’t need to replace for a long time.

Enter Rui Smiths Cuticle Nippers

I’ve owned my pair since January, now, and can’t recommend them enough. Their spring action is buttery-smooth and they cut cleanly and deftly. Just like a normal pair of nail clippers or scissors, a smooth, clean closure of the blades is key to ensure a tidy (and SAFE) cut.

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