This little facial and body scrubber does everything and I love that it has a handle attachment to it. I took a pic of my two favorite attachments and the one that is for massage is great and I'll tell you why in a second. First I need to mention that this is NOT A/C it runs on 2 double A batteries so you might have to steal the ones out of your tv remote when you want to use this! lol It's a little bit of a trick to get the lid off of the battery compartment but, that's about it and I think that's my only problem with it as far as from a reviewers stand point which I need to mention I did get this product at a steep discount to help you decide if you want to try the DBPOWER 6 IN 1 brush but, please believe me that in no way has any bearing on my honest opinion of this neat little gadget. So back to the attachments I'm not going to list each one *YAWN* I'm just going to tell you the two that I was immediately drawn to. The little massage attachment makes a lot of noise when the thing is spinning and those little white beads are rattling away but, let me tell you I put it on low speed (it has two low and high) I was falling a bit in love with it because, I don't know if you've ever heard about lymphatic massage of your face and how it's suppose to really help you? Well I decide to read about it a bit before finishing this review and this is what I found out  that lymphatic drainage is a medical procedure. When the body has a hard time removing lymph, it causes swelling, water retention, and discomfort. Lymph nodes are powerhouses of the body, regulating fats, sending out white blood cells to heal, and disposing of bacteria. Sometimes, the body needs a bit of help to get this system moving optimally. Exercise is the easiest way to stimulate lymph flow, but you can add a few minutes of light manipulation to the face to really see a difference in swelling, headaches, or sinus congestion. So with all that said I decided to use it for that purpose and at low speed it's gentle enough to just close your eyes and go over that area, then next to your nose, your temples neck etc. it was an awesome feeling instantly relaxed me and I am sure with continued use I will really reap the benefits. The other attachment head that I was instantly fond of is the gritty one. Now you don't want to use this on your face or nails because it's really super coarse but, put that head on and attach the long handle and you can go to town on your feet any rough spots or calluses this thing is going to make short work of them. The other attachments are all also great and perform their functions perfectly. I just wanted to expand on the two I like most. Ok so that's the brush it ALSO comes with this cute little bag and a booklet with instructions! Imagine that! lol I'm going to tell you right now that little bag is so cute and it's big as you can see from the photos I took it fit all the brush and attachments in it and two of my full size facial products. So yeah I'm really happy with this product. It says it's waterproof so I am going to trust them at their word because I didn't take it in the bath or shower with me yet. I can't think of anything else but, if I do or something happens that I feel is important for you to know I will come back and update. Enjoy!


UPDATE: After using this product for a few weeks I stand by most of my initial review (below). Some notable differences are as follows...

-You CAN just use the straightener to dry and style the beard, but the best results are when you still use the hair drier as it gets 100% of the water out and allows the hair to straighten. The brush leaves some residual moisture which can kink stubborn hair like mine.
-Make sure you use a charging brick that is sufficient enough. Using my small Apple charger was frustrating as the charge would take a full day/night to complete! Once I read the battery requirements I realized I needed a more powerful charging brick. TIP: if the screen flashes while charging, the unit is not receiving enough power to charge in a reasonable time. You should see the display fully lit, not flashing, and the charge increasing fairly quickly before your eyes.
-Battery life on this thing leaves much to be desired. That being said, I'm only charging it about once a week as results for me can last a few days at a time if I'm not getting the beard soaked every night in the shower. If I used it daily, I may have to increase to charging 2x a week.
-Heat up time is also a small issue. It gets to 200F pretty quickly, but 200-365F takes a bit. If I turn it on right out of the shower it still needs a minute or so by the time I'm ready to use it. Not a deal-breaker though.

Pros:
-easy to follow manual
-the battery came with a mostly full charge
-the packaging was nice and high-end
-instruction manual was clear and easy to read
-comes with charging cable
-lightweight
-bristles aren’t too tall for shorter beard lengths
-easy to lock the desired temperature
-easy to adjust the temperature
-can be used to charge other devices (this will be really useful for me when camping or traveling!)
-straightened out kinks and ripples easily on hair that hadn’t been washed or straightened in 2 days

Cons:
-the box had a pink unit pictured but was black inside (I didn’t recall a color choice at the time of purchase)
-charging cable is short and doesn't come with a power brick to plug the USB end into (read power requirements in manual)
-it is possible to burn yourself on the heating element if you press down too much, although it is somewhat uncommon

Original Review:

Overall this is a great product! The biggest point is that it can eliminate the need to blow dry and then straighten your beard. I haven't washed my beard since getting this product so I still haven't tested it fully, but my best results came the day I got the product. I had washed my beard the night before, blew dry, and straightened with a brush (I have very curly/kinky dark hair).

The next day the product arrived and I used my round brush to raise the hair and then brushed it out with the straightening iron- it worked amazingly- stick straight, no water or washing. That night, I got it all soaked and used the straightener by itself... the results were really good, not as good as the first time, but maybe with more finesse.

The next morning, I untangled using a wide-tooth comb, raised the hair with my round brush, and used the straightener... I was able to achieve a nice result using the brush and straightener together and it definitely saved me time over my normal routine.


I’m really impressed with this ultrasonic plaque remover by NIYPS.

I was leery of ultrasonic plaque removers and my first thought was “No, that looks like it could damage my teeth.” And then I thought “I should have a more open mind and willingness to try new things”. I’ve always been concerned about my teeth and maintaining them as best I can. So I gave this a try.

I have three ultrasonic cleaners for cleaning jewelry and small items and one ultrasonic toothbrush and like them so much I’ve given ultrasonic tooth brushes as gifts, as I value their performance over standard tooth brushes. This plaque remover uses the same technology.

After charging it up, (BTW this uses a USB to USB-C cable, which is included) when I first turned it on I couldn’t even tell it was running. Just knew that it was on, since the LED light was on.

Once placed against my tooth, (I started on the Gentle setting) I could feel the vibration and heard a high pitched sound, much like my tinittus! I knew that it was working.

You don’t use any pressure. You gently place the tip in areas that are hard to clean and prone to plaque build-up.
That’s it! So easy and very, very safe.

Be uber careful when working in the space between teeth and don’t twist the tip in that space. Just gently place it in there and the vibes will remove what it can. If unsure, avoid it altogether until you gain more skill with the tool.

You won’t need to use it on perfectly clean tooth surfaces and probably should avoid doing so. It just isn’t necessary.

The light really helps to see all the way into the back of the mouth.

I can see why there are two tips. Also, the little round mirror will help with seeing hard to view areas, like the inside of the front upper teeth. I use a bathroom mirror too.

The pointy hand tool scrapers are for removing heavily built-up plaque and tartar.

The manual didn’t describe the purpose of the large, wide stainless steel tool, but I imagine it may be to hold your cheek out to access the molars, or maybe to hold the tongue down, not sure. It “might” be for use in between teeth.

I just started using this fine tool. I’m really impressed with it and will use it to remove plaque from time to time. I’m going slow with it and will try the different heads and different speeds when I feel more confident with it.

When using this below the gum line, don’t be alarmed if a little bleeding occurs. That’s normal and to be expected. It usually stops quickly. I will continue to gently clean below the gum line and know that eventually the bleeding will not occur as the gums heal and become more healthy.

So glad I found this fabulous device and gave it a chance. I’ve been using battery powered water flossers for many months now and love what they do, but I’ll continue to use my ultrasonic tooth brush and regular dental floss as well as this tool for best results.

Although it doesn’t come with a carry pouch, the box it came with has a small plastic tray with indentations. It’s small and light and the charge, if it’s like my toothbrush, should last a long time before needing a recharge. This will make it easy to take with me for travel if on an extended trip.

This is really affordable and a good value for what you get, especially when considering what dental cleanings cost, although this should not replace your routine cleaning by a hygienist.

Recommended.

5 STARS!


First off I will reveal that I received this product for a discount in exchange for an honest review and evaluation.  So if you don't trust these types of reviews you can move along.  However, I will say that for a couple dollars off a product there isn't much incentive to lie and I always offer truthful evaluations.

That said....  Although I have a good deal of experience with skin care both professionally and personally, this is the first time I have tried these Konjac Sponges.  I've wanted to try them since they came out but never decided to shell out the money.  So when I saw these as a very modest price I went for it.  I've used Clarisonic brushes and a very wide array of other products and devices to cleanse the face including sea sponges.  You name it and I've tried it.

As others have noted these two sponges come dried looking kind of like cow patties (sorry but that was my first impression).  They come in a cute little mesh bag to hold the spare one and there is a thread attached to each for hanging to dry between uses.  I had to soak it for several minutes before it became soft enough to use.  I hung it up to dry over night with the intent of using it in the morning.  When I woke it was still soft and had not become hard and dry like it's original form.  I live in the Pacific Northwest so it may never totally dry between uses up here.  I am not sure it this will grow mold staying constantly moist in this environment and I know of no way to sanitize it with the possible exception of maybe putting in the microwave for 30 to 40 second.  Have not tried that yet.  Maybe the charcoal which is said to be infused into the sponge will prevent fungus and mold.  Time will tell.

The sponge is slightly slippery to touch when wet.  Much different than the touch and texture of a sea sponge.  I placed my typically amount of cleanser on it and was pleasantly surprised that it was soft on the skin and it lathered up the cleanser so much that I will have to cut back by 50% next time.  Although soft on the skin I felt that it would have a slight exfoliation effect.  Not like a Clarisonic but enough for sensitive skin.  I would say the exfoliation would be similar to a soft wash cloth.  It would most definitely clean your skin better than hands alone which has been my typical practice.  I'm too lazy to use a wash cloth and have to wash each one after every use.  Thus, the reason I was attracted to trying these Konjac sponges.  I won't say I'm in love with these sponges yet but I very much like them.  I would need a month or more of use to determine if these sponges are significant better for my sensitive skin than a Clarisonic.  In the past I have only been able to use the Clarisonic a few times a week.  Otherwise it inflames my skin too much.  These sponges should clean my skin better than hands alone while not causing any adverse effects to my redness prone skin.  That is a huge plus for me.

They are really worth a try and the price of these are significant less than others I have seen on Amazon.  I would definitely recommend trying them out especially if you have sensitive skin and the Clarisonic is just too abrasive.  Just my opinion, but I think American's scrub their skin way too much and too hard.  Your face isn't the bathroom floor!  In my own case I think this over scrubbing mentality resulted in my now overly sensitive skin.  Use caution and be gentle when cleaning your facial skin.


Update 9/16/2021:
Still repurchasing this oil because it is the best geranium oil I've tried; however, I bought the biggest bottle available last December and it was more sweet smelling than normal. I didn't love it. I'm not sure if it was just that particular batch, but I went back to purchasing the smaller $18.99 bottle because the scent has historically been a bit more sultry.

On a funny note, I was staying with one of my friends and she 'borrowed' some of this oil before bedtime. She used WAY too much and applied it directly to her face and body. The scent was so powerful that her fiance and dog didn't want to be in the same room with her! Always dilute with a carrier oil. A little goes a long way :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 10/5/2019:
I am still loving this oil. It is my HG forever. I moved overseas last year and stocked up on this geranium oil. Now that I live in Ireland, I’m subjected to far more cold/windy/rainy days. Introducing cold sores - hooray! Anyway, this stuff works wonders on them. I dilute with my Argan oil or dab a bit on a qtip before using a gentle lip balm, and it really helps minimize swelling and oozing. Cold sores didn’t really even get big enough to be noticeable! Just be sure to moisturize the EFF out of your lips after applying geranium as it has a slight drying effect. So not only has this oil completely obliterated my acne, it also keeps the cold sores in check.

_____________________________________
Dang, y'all. This oil is boss. I put a drop or two onto a cotton ball with a bit of safflower oil each night and use it to cleanse my face. My skin has never looked better! I've been struggling with acne for over 20 years, so that's really saying something. Cystic acne off an on for the last 5-6 years. This stuff seriously balances me out and keeps breakouts at bay. My scars are also (slowly) starting to fade.

--------------
Update: February 2019

I stopped using this at some point after feeling like I had my skin under control and slowly my problems returned. I am always trying new things, so I'm positive I also changed other things about my skin care routine during this time. I was using safflower oil as cleanser and ACV toner and that cleared things up somewhat, but my skin was a little dried out. I also moved to Ireland recently and the cold weather made things worse. I started using this geranium oil in December in combo with an organic argan oil and my skin is happy again. Most importantly NO MORE CYSTS. I still get little splotches of red on my face where pimples are thinking about showing up, but they go away in a day or two when I use this geranium oil with the argan. I think at 35 my acne is all hormonal, so this must balance hormones as it claims to do; however, I don't notice any difference in my mood or anything as a result of using it. My roommate also says she likes the way this smells, so it also sort of doubles as my perfume. If it smelled like rotted fish, I'd probably still use it because I don't have to obsess over my skin too much these days!


I just got my order of Reloaded Advanced Gaming Formula in the mail. Let me give you some thoughts about the other products I’ve tried and give you some insight about my experience with Reloaded. I’ve been taking other “energy and focus” supplements for a long time. G-Fuel, Sneak, Proven4, Valis - you name it and I’ve tried it. First off, I’m not very sensitive to caffeine because I take so much. So when I take a product I really don’t notice any sort of effect. There’s no energy, just a crash. With G Fuel and the others it’s like I’m just drinking expensive and foul flavored water. With G fuel, I don’t notice any focus or enhanced reaction time and I could care less about anti-oxidants. Same with the other gamer supps. It’s like they’re all the same, crappy formula, use the same ingredients, and all taste equally bad. So I was skeptical about Reloaded but since it used different ingredients I thought I’d give it a shot.

I ordered 2 packages of Reloaded. The Voodoo berry, which is like a grape/cherry blend and the Tropical Daiquiri. Both of these tasted AMAZING. Better than any energy drink or pre-workout I’ve tried. I’ve been on a big VPX Bang kick and Reloaded, to me, tasted way better. I’m a pounder. I don’t nurse my energy drinks. I drink them pretty fast (mainly because they taste terrible). I really enjoyed drinking Reloaded and I wanted the flavor to last. So I compromised. I chugged one serving then I drank my second serving a bit slower. It was amazing!

I wasn’t expecting to really “feel” anything with reloaded, but I was wrong. You know how you kind of get desensitized to caffeine supplements and they just kind of lose their effect after a while? That’s why I was so surprised that I actually felt something different. I actually felt energy. No, not that jittery nervous energy that you feel with drinks like Monster and Bang. It was like a smooth energy. So smooth that I didn’t even notice it tapering off. My friends said I was more talkative. I noticed that I was extremely focused as well. They all thought I was taking adderall or something. That’s really what I can compare it to. You feel that same kind of focus and energy. It’s pretty crazy!

Some of the other things I noticed was that I wasn’t hungry, so I wasn’t snacking a lot. I didn’t crash or get tired. I was just in the zone. I enjoy working out, gaming and I’m in college so I study quite a bit. Reloaded has helped me perform better in all 3 of these areas and I haven’t noticed any sort of decline in how well it works. I did some research into the main ingredients and they are legit “cutting edge”. Developed by DARPA for elite warfighters?? It doesn’t get more legit then that. Also, it isn’t loaded with caffeine. It contains Teacrine and Dynamine. These ingredients are what give you the energy. They don’t effect your central nervous system or your adrenal glands, and they are considered premium and safe ingredients. Way safer than caffeine and you don’t build a tolerance to them.

Overall, this is a great product. It isn’t cheap, but it works. It works better than anything out there. I’ve got friends that are on the football team that take it religiously. I’ve got friends that are like elite Twitch streamers and gamers that swear by this stuff even though they are sponsored by G-Fuel. I can’t say enough about this.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask!


I found the unit totally unsatisfactory.

For the price of $184.00 all you get is a cheesy little cell phone that can only call 911 with one button press and hang up with the second button press.  It appeared that you could have gotten this in a Dollar Store.

Any cell phone with, even with no service can call 911 for free as long as it has a battery charge with three button presses.  The Federal Government requires that all towers accept 911 emergency calls even if the cell phone is not activated with a service company.

It arrived and I was stunned to find a simple little unit that didn't appear to have any quallity built into it.

I tried two test calls to 911. Both failed. Both times I reached the 911 operator but in neither test was the 911 operator able to hear or talk to me.  Leaving me to hang up on them and I'm sure leaving the 911 operator wondering if an actual emergency was taking place but having no way to talk the caller.

On the second call there was a lot of "static or screeching" interfereing with the call.  I couldn't tell what was going on.

You can get a much better quality phone and product by just getting a simple AT&T flip "Go-Phone" for about $30.00.  The phone is much more substantial.  Just let the allowable minutes run out and just keep it for dialing 911.

The phone has a battery and a screen.  But the screen it totally dark with no display unless you press and make the 911 call.

So you are not able to tell the condition of the battery without calling 911 at the same time.  How lame is that?  Perhaps a low battery indicator might come up as the battery runs low, but I like to be able to have a look at the remaining charge at any time without having to call 911 in the process.

The buttons were wiggly.  The call cancel button was called a toggle button but just appeared to be loose in its position.

The call button, though slightly recessed, was still easily accessible to being pressed if you carried the phone in a purse full of items or your pocket with keys or something.  It could easily activate accidentally.

Even the lanyard cord was a cheap ribbon with a crimped piece of metal forming the loop on the end with a clip at the end.  Couldn't have been cheaper.

A better bet is just to get a simple flip AT&T "Go-Phone" and let minutes expire.  As it flips shut it is less likely to go off in pocket or purse.  No lanyard here but much cheaper ($30) for a quality phone.

Even better, look at this:
The GreatCall 5Star Urgent response phone that allows you to press button for 911 and/or press the button and speak to a call center representative where you can talk to operators who can call for help for you.

This unit is only about $50.00 vs. $184.00.  There is a small monthly service charge, but very worth it if you have a loved one you are trying to protect.  It works on the Verizon network, so you can use it most places away from home where Verizon is available.

You can see it at:
[[ASIN:B0077T1YZC 5Star Urgent Response (Silver)]]

Sorry, guys, but for $184.00 this delivered very, very little.

The Plus:
I returned the unit the same day and received a very quick, full refund without any hassle.

Disappointed.


Value - This traction device can be had for under $20 - less than the cost of 4 coffees from a cafe!  I absolutely adore coffee, but would gladly give up half a dozen cups of good coffee to get this device.  I love coffee, so that's saying a lot!

Quality - As expected, the item is constructed out of inflatable plastic.  The photo matches what I was sent (no bait and switch).  Unlike regular inflatable plastic devices that you inflate by blowing with your mouth, this one includes a rubber bulb for pumping, similar to a manual blood pressure cuff.  There is also a roller clamp, like the ones on an IV, to lock the device when it is inflated to your satisfaction.

Fit - I was concerned when I unboxed it that it would FEEL cheap and uncomfortable (it was cheaper than all the similar products, and looked easy to use).  That turned out not to be the case, to my surprise.  There is comfortable velveteen on all the surfaces that come in contact with your head/neck and shoulders.  I have a very slender, long neck, and the velcro straps had a wide enough range of adjustment that I could fit the device properly (yet, my 6ft tall husband can also fit the device just fine).

Use – The bulb pump allows for easy inflation, even if you have weak and arthritic hands like I do.  I had no issues putting the device on myself, and inflating it to perform traction without any assistance.  I have a genetic disorder which causes me to produce weak collagen, called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  I find this device to be highly useful for any time I may fall asleep sitting up.  Due to my hypermobility, when I nod off in an airplane, a chair, or in the car, my neck bends in unnatural angles and I wake up in a lot of pain.  If I wear this device, it prevents any possibility of bending of my neck into an unnatural position.

General - If you need traction, this works pretty well.  If you need neck stabilization due to craniocervical instability, hypermobility, or another issue, this device does the trick cheaply.  I was concerned that it would give me a choking sensation, but it didn't, even when fully inflated.  Because of the way the velcro closures work to secure the device, there really isn't any pressure on your throat – and that is important to me.  So far, I haven’t had any sensation of choking, which I’m already prone to just by leaning my head back when it isn’t braced.  This device is easy to toss in a bag, so I take it with me when I’ll be gone overnight for any reason!

PROS:  Works well for traction, or to stabilize the neck while sleeping upright.  The unit has durable parts connected to the inflatable part. Easy to deflate, and compact enough to be portable.

CONS:  People who are rough with their stuff might puncture the plastic early.  The item did not include any instructions, anyone not familiar with the ball pump setup may need a few minutes to figure out how to deflate the unit without pulling the bulb off.  There is a mechanism at the top of the bulb that you can screw/unscrew to lock in or release the air.  Deflating it is simple, just not necessarily intuitive for people who haven't used a blood pressure cuff or other similar device.


This case is a no brainer. The old t:clip case was total crap, and I hated it with every fiber of my being. Every month or two I would sit down in my car a little sideways and the case on my belt would twist on the car seat and it would break it clean off the clip. As careful as I was, I usually had to buy a new case every few months because they constantly broke. And they cost like 25 or 30 or something ridiculous. I have probably spend $500 in those damn cases over the last 5 years, NO JOKE. Not to mention it was annoying every time you had to change cartridges, and it just didn't feel like quality. I was used to my old animas pump with the metal clip before I got the tandem and the clip was so much better. The crappy case quality has always been a dark shadow on an otherwise great device.

So this new case fixes virtually every problem I had with the old case. It's easier to change pump cartridges, it is lower profile so it doesn't stick out from your body as much when you wear on a belt, and it feels sturdy and protective without getting in the way, and the best part is the METAL CLIP. And the clip is even removable and you can attach it in either direction depending on if you prefer a vertical or horizontal pump orientation. I use mine vertical. I also love the blue color because when then the pump is inserted, it gives it a black look with just a slight hint of blue around the edges. It's kind of a nice transparent color. It's a very classy look, and I can wear the blue case in both a work and sporty environment and not have it be out of place. I was sick of having nothing but black all the time, although I'll probably get a black one of these as a backup anyway.

I only have two complaints about this case that keep it from being perfect. One is that I wish there was just a slight bit more room on the clip, because if I have a thick pair of pants or a thick belt, it can be hard to get the clip around it and slid all the way down. I never had that problem with my Animas back in the day, it seemed to fit every belt and pant waist like a glove. The clip needs a little bit more give/room to it toward the top. I hope it might stretch a little bit as I wear it in.

The other problem with the case is I feel the button overlay is unnecessary and causes it to be WAY too hard to depress the main button, especially when you're trying to do anything that requires multiple holds and presses, like an audio bolus. The cover on the button is totally unnecessary anyway because the button is already recessed from the case, so unless you somehow get hit with a thin sharp projectile straight at the button, there is no way anything is going to damage it. In the last case they left the button uncovered and I highly doubt they determined it was a safety issue that the button was uncovered after all this time. So there is really no need for the button to be covered. I'm actually thinking about taking an exacto knife and cutting out the button overlay. It makes it so much harder to press. I love the audio bolus feature but now I find myself thinking it's a hassle, because I reach to press and hold the button and you get no feedback that the button is being pressed, and usually I have to apply a crazy amount of force to the button to get it to register a press.

So not perfect, but it's still a no-brainer compared to the old POS case that I can't believe they produced for so long.  With just a few tiny tweaks in the design it could be a perfect case.


Note: Despite the name on the clipper, this is a rebranded Vikicon HT-871

Although this clipper looks a lot like other clippers sold on Amazon for general purpose cutting of the hair on your head, these are different because they're waterproof. As a result, you can use them in the shower, and they are well-suited for bodyscaping and other hair removal on your body/neck/etc.

Basic clipper technology is pretty low tech, and I have been pleasantly surprised to discover that just about all hair clippers sold these days--even by non-name-brands--do a pretty good job: They clip fine, and they feature lithium-ion batteries that last a really long time. This clipper is no exception.

Specifics of this kit:

** Rechargeable waterproof clipper with integrated light
** Upgraded ceramic blade
** Narrow gapping for reasonably close trimming
** 90 minutes on a full charge
** One multi-position length guard
** USB-A to USB-C charging cable
** Cleaning brush
** Very Cheap Travel pouch
** Stand (note that stand is just a piece of plastic--clipper will not charge in stand)
** Clipper oil
** Extra replacement cutting head

Clipper operation is trivial: There's an on/off button on the handle. And there's another button above it that turns the LED light on and off. That's it. There is no readout of charge level: No LCD screen, etc. That's too bad--most have that.

The clippers are about average in size, and feel fine in the hand.

I found that the clippers cut hair fine, and were able to cut pretty close to the skin line. If you want absolutely smooth, you'd have to run over the same skin area with a shaver. That's because they're not quite 0-gapped (see photos). But these will leave you looking clean-shaven. The functionality is close to a T-Blade clipper, but with a fully enclosed body around the rotation axis, which means both that it's waterproof, and that you don't need to worry about accidentally getting body hair twisted in the exposed rotating spindle.

The stand is a cheap piece of molded plastic, and it's not weighted, so it can topple over. It also isn't a charging stand. Honestly, I won't be using it, and I imagine most people will just throw it in a drawer.

There's no mechanical or electronic lockout mechanism, so these are not necessarily great for travel.

On the whole, they get the job done and they are waterproof. I don't find the integrated light to be of much value, but it's not a negative. These clippers are priced higher than similar clippers that are not rated to be waterproof, so you'll need to decide for yourself if you're willing to spend an extra $15+ (at the current price) for that feature. That's probably money well spent if you plan to use the clippers primarily for focusing on body hair. It's also nice that these feature an upgraded ceramic blade, unlike many traditional T-blade clippers. And this kit includes both clipper oil and an extra replacement cutting--itself worth about $10 if you ever need it.

Pros:
** Waterproof
** Includes travel pouch
** Includes three multi-position length guards
** USB-C charging port on clipper
** Includes clipper oil
** Includes extra replacement cutting head

Cons:
** No LCD readout of charge level
** Stand is not weighted and prone to tipping over by accident
** Not the cheapest option in this class
** Not 0-gapped


I have used Norelco 3-floating-head shavers for decades. Although I have occasionally strayed to other models featuring a traditional foil interface (Braun, Panasonic, Remington), and have even used top-end shavers from those brands, for day-to-day shaving, I always come back to the 3-floating-head design. The main reason is that the float head design works better on my neck and jaw-line regions. No matter how hard I try, the foil shavers don't quite get those areas. If I want to use only a single shaver, I’ll pick the floating head design. (Sometimes, I’ll use both types).

I own a top-of-the-line modern Norelco shaver and several older Norelcos that go from previous high-end to entry level. (Over the years, you accumulate a lot of shavers). So I have a pretty good idea of what a good rotary shaver can deliver, and of what an entry-level shaver provides.

First things first: This shaver provides a decent entry-level shave. It's comparable to an entry-level Norelco rotary shaver in terms of shave quality, ability to navigate the neck area, etc. Looking over the shaver, it's clear this is patterned after a Norelco, down to the three floating rotary blades in the head unit.

The area where this is superior to an entry-level Norelco is in the battery. The 800 mAh battery is rated for 90 minutes on a charge. While top-end Norelcos can better this, the low-end shavers still use smaller batteries and are typically rated for less than half of what this promises on a single charge.

Note that there's no integrated clipper on this shaver. It's ONLY a shaver. That's not a huge loss--the clippers integrated into shavers tend to be mediocre. But it's still a convenience that's missing.

The shaver comes with a plastic protector for the heads and can be put into lock mode for travel. The latter is nice.

In the kid:

** 3 rotary head shaver, IPX6 waterproof
** USB charging cable
** Second (replaement) head for the shaver
** Cleaning brush

My main concern with these unknown-brand shavers is how well the blades will hold up and whether you'll easily be able to replace them. My experience is that the blades don't hold up as well as with a name brand like Norelco, so you may need to replace them much sooner. It's not clear where you'd get a replacement blade unit, either. It appears that the entire unit needs to be replaced when the blades get dull.

On the plus side, they include a second (replacement) head unit. So when the blades do wear out, at least you can replace them one time without worrying about where to get a replacement. But it may turn out that when the shaving heads wear out, you may be better off just replacing the entire kit. It's not clear to me where you purchase replacement heads.

In terms of feel, the shape is comfortable in the hand, and features a nice rubberized coating that enhances stability.

Pros:
** 3 floating rotary head design works well on the neck and trouble areas
** IPX6 waterproof
** Decent battery life
** Lock mode and head cover for travel
** Includes extra replacement shaving head

Cons:
** Not clear where to get replacement heads and the cost thereof
** Does not use standard USB-C charge port


This Orein Assoupi 3-in-1 Sleep Sound Machine has three different functions. With the color changing lights, it functions as a pretty little lamp. It also functions as a sound machine. Its third function is a a bluetooth speaker. I'll discuss them in turn. The power button, light button and three volume controls ( - , pause/play, and + ) are all located on the front of the machine. The sound button and the timer button are located on the bottom of the machine. LAMP FUNCTION: As a lamp, there are five programs, accessed in sequence by pushing the light button on the far right of the front of the lamp. The programs are: 1) fast color change, 2) move to the beat, 3) slow fade color transition, 4) night light, and 5) lights off. Though there are many light colors, you cannot stop on any particular color but instead can only see either a fast or a slow continuous rotation through them all. The exception is #4, the night light, which is only available golden yellow. As a stand alone light, my favorite setting is 3, the slow fade color transition. It is so peaceful to watch, and is absolutely mesmerizing to me, especially when the house is dark. Setting 2 works best connected to bluetooth, but will also change colors and intensities to the sound machine selections, and it's definitely cool to watch on the rain/thunderstorm setting. SOUND MACHINE FUNCTION: There are five sound programs that are accessible by using the controls on the bottom of the speaker. The programs are 1) rain, 2) fire, 3) meditation, 4) fan, 5) ocean, 6) sound off. They have to be accessed in order. The fire program doesn't sound anything like a crackling fire to me, it sounds like very high pitched tinkling. I didn't like this one at all, although I would have liked it if it had actually sounded like fire. The meditation program is a very soothing new age kind of sound that I like a lot, and I also like the rain which includes lots of thunder, and the ocean. I'm not much for white noise, but the fan would be pleasing to those who are. I thought the sound was amazingly clear and sharp for such a tiny little machine. Sound can be played continuously, or the timer button on the bottom of the machine can be pushed to choose an auto-off of 30, 60, or 90 minutes. BLUETOOTH SPEAKER: It was amazingly easy to connect bluetooth, and I tried it on a number of different types of music using my iPod as the music source. I was pleased with how this little speaker sounded with each music selection I played. While this is obviously not going to match the high fidelity sound of my expensive home sound system, I feel it performed quite well. Note: if the power button is held for two seconds and the blinking blue light is on, indicating the speaker is ready to pair to bluetooth, the speaker will automatically shut down after two minutes if it is not paired with bluetooth. If I change my mind about connecting to bluetooth after the blue light is flashing, I can just press the power button rapidly and the blinking blue light will go away and I will return to normal speaker mode. Also, if the speaker is paired to bluetooth and is paused for 15 minutes or more, the speaker will automatically shut down. I find that the more I use this little sound machine, the more I like it, and am content with its limitations. The slowly fading lights and a soft mediation program in the background with this little machine sitting on the corner of my computer desk at home is just perfect for me, and I am glad I ordered this machine.


I just ordered this product and I am not sure what to expect. I'm a 24 year old male, about 6ft tall, and about 185 pounds. I have been deployed for 3 months now working 12 hours a day 7 days a week, I have been eating healthy, and working out about 6-7 times a week. In 3 months I went from 208lbs to 185lbs with good diet and P90X/Running. I seemed to have hit a plateau now that I can't get past. I may be at a fairly comfortable weight, but I still have a bit of a gut and good amount of flab/loose skin im trying to lose. I started a heavy lifting routine lately and I have been doing a lot of high rep ab work. I hope this product will help me tighten up my core and lose my love handles. I noticed some of these reviews here look like bullcrap, but my review will be legit. I will post my progress after a week of use.

Today is Day 4 using the product. Very good results thus far. On day 1 I took 1 pill in the morning with breakfast and felt a the energy boost within 10 minutes. It does seem to be a good lasting energy for about 6 hours or so. Since Day 2 I have been taking 1 pill at 5:00am and then another at 11:00am since my work day is 12 hours everyday. I haven't had any problems going to sleep since I don't go to bed until 8:00pm. I am mainly trying to burn off stubborn weight, but I actually probably had more water weight than I thought. I went from 184 down to 180 in just 3 days! By the way I weigh myself at the same time every day to ensure accuracy. So far so good I am hoping to see more visible results along my midsection, maybe I will be able to see my 6 pack that is hiding under flabby loose skin from weight loss. I will continue to report my status.

Day 4 Post work out im down to 179lbs! Today was Back & Biceps and 20 minutes of cardio. I found myself sweating a TON today so be cautious of dehydration. If you use this product and then workout in he morning make sure you hydrate plenty before bed, even enough to make you have to get up and pee in the middle of the night.

***** For Those Looking For A Meal Replacement / Post Workout Shake *****
[[ASIN:B001N4A4T4 Meal Replacement Drink Mix Extreme Chocolate 40 pckt]] Perfect meal replacement for slimming down without compromising protein or taste!
240 Calories
2.5g Total Fat  (4%)
1g Saturated Fat (4%)
0g Trans Fat
20mg Cholesterol (7%)
370mg Sodium  (15%) Average
1,290mg Potassium(37%) *Nice!*
3g Dietary Fiber (11%) *Could use more*
38g PROTEIN  (76%) *Thats Badass*
2g SUGAR ***WHAAAAT!? AND IT STILL TASTES GOOD?!?!*** You betchya tastes better than a dozen other products I tried.

It is about average price on Amazon you may be able to find it cheaper elsewhere. This stuff tastes great even with JUST water and it is very filling. I get this stuff for free while I am deployed with the military. I lift and do 20 minutes of cardio 4x a week and do straight fat burn / cardio / ab work the other 3 days a week. Drinking 1 of these an hour before workout and directly after my workout is PERFECT. I eat 6 meals/snacks a day about 300-350 calories each meal. This has helped me cut down the initial weight.

Hope this helps good luck!


A friend who knows I compete in Triathlons asked me if he should buy this stuff called Beyond Tangy Tangerine being "Promoted" to increase energy and lose weight.  I had never heard of it so we went to the company's web site to check it out.

First thing I noticed was that this stuff was "REEE---HEALY EXPENSIVE"!!!!

I pulled a bottle of generic multi vitamins out of my cupboard to compare ingredients and cost.

My generic multi vitamin & mineral supp cost approx. 4 cents a serving.
Beyond Tangy Tangarine approx. cost a WHOPPING $2.50 a serving for a 100lb person!!!!!
WTF !!! This couldn't be true so we checked our math and our numbers were correct.

HOLY CRAP!!!  These vitamins were like SIX THOUSAND PERCENT more expensive!!!

After more research it turns out that Beyond Expensive ... I mean ... Beyond Tangy Tangerine is part of some kind of selling plan where the sales people can win "Dream Cars and Vacations" for conning lots of people into buying the stuff.  This looks to be a Hard Core Sales Business complete with Celebrity Endorsers pushing this stuff on the trusting public.

My buddy decided against taking on another monthly car payment by buying this stuff and was more than a little embarrassed he was almost suckered by a cheezy sales pitch based on deception.

If you have a bottle of Multi Vitamins laying around you can go to the company's website and compare the Supplement Facts in less than 5 minutes for FREE.  Below is the Comparison we did between the two Fact Sheets.

Supplement Facts Comparison of Beyond Expensive Tangy Tangerine to my bottle of generic Multi vitamin

---------------------------------------Approx. cost per serving-----------Vitamins & Minerals listed
Beyond Tangy Tangarine----------$2.50---------------------------------21
COSTCO generic daily multi-------$0.04 (yes 4 cents)----------------24

As for effortlessly losing weight and increasing energy by just chuggin the stuff, I visited CONSUMER REPORTS website and they had this to say about vitamin supplements:

"IGNORE SPECIAL CLAIMS AND ADD-ONS.  CLAIMS FOR BENEFITS SUCH AS WEIGHT CONTROL OR INCREASED ENERGY ARE GENERALLY UNSUBSTANTIATED."

THE BOTTOMLINE:  If I were you I would grab my wallet and run as far away from this product and the people associated with it as I could !!!

As far as your health is concerned, from my own personal experience I have enjoyed excellent health by:
(1) doing some type of exercise with music every day,
(2) eating real (unprocessed) food every day
(3) taking a generic U.S.P. certified multivitamin & mineral supplement every day.

UPDATE: I was curious about all the "glowing" five star reviews for Beyond Tangy Tangerine here on Amazon so I looked a little deeper at the reviewers themselves.

The majority have ONLY ONE product review in their profile, that being Beyond Tangy Tangerine. Contrast this with the profiles of "one star" reviewers who have many, many product reviews in their profiles.

And of the few "five star" reviewers with more than one review in their profiles, many entered all their reviews on the same day!!!

My only conclusion is that nearly ALL of the five star reviews for this product are FAKE or SHILL REVIEWS!!!  Not only is this product grossly over-priced but the people selling it are using DECEPTION here on Amazon to pump up its customer rating.

You can easily check this out yourself for free by clicking on a sample set of five star reviewer's profiles and then contrasting those with a sample set of one star reviewer's profiles.

vincit omnia veritas Canoeist
.


I wanted to jump start my exercise and diet  program so I decided to try out this product made by Healthy Body.  (My personal review is near the end)

There are 60 capsules (2 per serving per meal) so basically min 5 day/ supply max 10 day.(NOT THE 30 DAY listed on the sales desc )  Recommended 1-2 caps before or during each meal.

Each serving has a combination of :

Yacon Root Powder
Guarana Seed Extract
Acai Berry Powder
Green Tea Extract

For a total of 1015 mg per serving.

The above ingredients are a typical blend of all the latest herbal / natural based weight management products out there.  In addition to those ingredients the bottle lists:

Gelatin, Dicalcium Phosphate, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, and Silicon Dioxide.  This product is GLUTEN-FREE.

-=-=-=-=-=-
My personal experience
-=-=-=-=-=-

I started out by taking 1 pill with my first 3 meals for 2 days and no other supplements except my daily Vitamin C pill.  I didn't see much in terms of feeling anything unusual with my energy nor appetite.  It's possible that it could take more time.  So I upped the dose to 2 pills per meal.  After the 2nd meal (lunch) I did feel that I wasn't as hungry around dinner and didn't have a post lunch zzz monster attack :D

On the 2nd day of taking 2 pills per meal.  I noticed that I didn't feel like I was starving before the next meal.  I didn't feel tired or sluggish and at the same time, I didn't get any jitters typically associated with taking caffeine based diet pills. There was no peak rush nor was there a wear-out period where I would be exhausted.  Overall it felt very natural and balance and I was able to curb a lot of my cravings.  Sure I ate a piece of hard candy here and there but I wasn't craving to snack in between meals.  I finished out the bottle roughly at 9 days (skipped out 1.5 days because I was out of town).  I wish there were more pills left so I could do an actual 30-day review.

My results at the end of the trial was I had more energy and less cravings.  There was no urge for a late night snack which is great!  In terms of weight loss... I didn't notice much except about 2 lbs but that could be water weight or small fluctuations.  I think a 30 day supply would have better weight results.

Would I buy this product again?  YES!  but only if it was sold at about $8 a bottle or less.  At $18 a bottle on a 30 day supply = $108 which is waaaaay too much for this product.  At their retail price of $40 per bottles ridiculous.  SUPPLIER I HOPE YOU READ THIS!  I almost left 3 stars on this review based on the unattractive price but thought it would not be fair to your company.

Full disclosure:  I bought this product at a significant discounted price for an honest review.  Please not that when it comes to supplements etc., each person reacts differently to the products.  I hope that my experience has given you an idea of what to expect.  I hope you enjoyed my review and please respond if you have any questions.


I'm glad to see the product on amazon--I've been buying direct for the last 5 years--it's easy to buy direct but easier with 1-click on Amazon. For long distance cycling or hiking--super product!!

Here's some updated info:
 If you are like me and enjoy following the Race Across AMerica on their website (Raceacrossamerica.org), you know that we are in the final days with just a handful of solo riders closing in on the finish line in Annapolis, Maryland.

I am most pleased to report that two solo riders SPIZ sponsored in the Race Across The West (RAW) won the women's and men's division of this race respectively. Jennifer Orr of Murrieta, California won the women's division in 2 days. 20 hours and 30 minutes and Andres Rodriguez of Mexico won the men's division of RAW in 2 days, 23 hours and 58 minutes. Congratulations to both athletes! SPIZ also sponsored Team Oceanside in the 8 man team open division of RAAM and they came in second place overall in 6 days, 6 hours and 2 minutes. Congrats to them as well!!

So to celebrate the accomplishments of these athletes, a RAAM SPIZ Sale will starts today, June 24th and applies to SPIZ, SPIZ Whey Protein and all of our supplements with 15% off the retail price.

Use the code SPIZ15 when you check out online. The sale will end on July 9th.

Go to:

SPIZ.net

COLD SPIZ WORKS BETTER

It seems common sense that drinking a cold drink on a hot day would work better in terms of performance than a lukewarm drink........right?: Well I have been telling athletes to drink SPIZ as cold as possible for years during training or competition because I was pretty sure that would create a lower core body temperature which would enhance athletic performance under hot weather conditions. Well a study looking to scientifically answer that questioned was performed and published in the Medicine & Science, Sports & Exercise journal a few years back.

These researchers took eight healthy moderately active subjects who were NOT use to heat. These men were asked to cycle to the point of exhaustion in a laboratory set at 95 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% humidity. Every 3 minutes the subjects were asked to cycle a little faster and every 10 minutes they were given a beaker containing 100 ml of sugar free lemonade. One one occasion the temperature of the lemonade was 39 degrees Fahrenheit (cold) and on the other occasion the lemonade was 98 degrees (lukewarm).

The results revealed the subjects could cycle 63.8 minutes when drinking the cold lemonade and 52 minutes drinking the lukewarm lemonade on average. From the 30th minute on the skin temperature of the cold lemonade drinkers was 0.4 degrees cooler (confirming core body temperatures had to be lower as well) and their level of perceived exertion (another way of saying fatigue) was also significantly less across the 63.8 minute cycle time.

So this proves that drinking any sports drink including SPIZ as cold as possible will improve your performance and create less fatigue, in the above example just 3 degrees above freezing. That may be difficult in certain unsupported exercise conditions, but if you can use insulated bottles and add some ice when you mix your SPIZ up and drink it cold while exercising in warm or hot weather conditions.......you can expect to see a 10 -15% improvement in your race time.

That is huge of course!!

Until the next time may the breeze be always at your back!

Happy Independence Day!

Randy Ice PT, CCS
SCOR Productions, dba Longevity Plus
SPIZ.net


I must also count myself amongst the "IT Professionals" with a bad experience with this product. Or, a bad string of experiences.

It started out so nicely. It connected to my home network consisting of two Cisco Aironet 1252 WAPs (running a WPA2 key) using the OSX installer from my laptop. It worked great. We all used it for about three weeks.

Then, it started saying it couldn't sync. Nothing had changed in the network config or topology.  So, I decided to try to put it into setup mode and have it re-connect. It was never able to "re-connect."

I used a packet sniffer, as well as turning on debugging on the Aironets, and found that the device was actually able to successfully connect to the wifi network, to the point of getting a DHCP assignment, sending a few frames to the internet, and getting a few response frames from fitbit. It then continued to say it was unable to sync.

Customer service, to whom I provided a pcap file and cisco debug logs showing what was happening, was not at all helpful, although friendly, they only were able to offer the sort of inane technical help you have probably come to expect.. things along the lines of move the scale, replace the batteries, etc (all of which i did, with the expected lack of change in behavior).

I gave up on it for a few weeks, and then decided to try again and do a deeper packet dive into the exchange it was having. I used a desktop mac to try to get it out of setup mode, and failed. With the install utility, it was able to talk to the scale, but it never got it back out of setup mode. I eventually got it to get out of setup mode after failing with the installer on my osx desktop, failing with the web installer on my osx desktop in various browsers, failing with the installer on my laptop (which had worked previously), and failing with the web installer on my laptop unless i was using safari. Finally, having gotten it to move beyond the "setup" screen, it absolutely refused to advance (or to provide any feedback that it was failing to advance) beyond the attach to network stage, the same network and same config which had originally worked fine.

Eventually, I pointed it to a cheap netlogic WAP that I happened to have set up and unprotected for some unrelated testing work. From the laptop only, from safari only, it finally attached to the network. I've decided to leave that junky WAP online for now & unprotected just to keep the scale online.

In summary, if you can get this thing to work, and if you can get it to remain working even though it may appear to be working originally, it is a great product. Good luck with that, though.. this is seriously some of the worst QA'd hardware/software I have worked with in many years, excepting the junk that comes from China.

Finally, I have an offer for fitbit. I live in the bay area. I have your product here. I am a network engineer with an EE & CS background. It still cannot attach to my home production network. Send someone over for dinner. I will feed them, and then show them & happily let them debug what is clearly a major set of QA issues with your product, in my house. I can & will help with the debugging, packet capture and analysis, and trying alternate configs to isolate the issues that so many customers are having. Seriously. I want this thing to work, I spend good money on it, and it presently does not. I am also not, by any means, the only person experiencing these issues. So, here is a live testbed for you to fix your broken firmware & installers. Please, please, take me up on this offer. Thanks!


I love this product so much!!!

First of all, let me start off by saying the customer service is WONDERFUL! They get back with you promptly if you email them with any questions or concerns. Overall they are just super helpful and interested in giving you the best experience.

Now on to the product...

I have very sensitive combination skin. It's always either too oily, too dry, or oily and flaky at the same time, and always accompanied by blemishes. No matter how many hundreds of dollars I've spent on skin care in the last couple of years, over the counter or high end- nothing could help my condition. Recently, as I was looking on Amazon for a cleansing facial brush such as Clarisonic, feeling defeated and being overwhelmed with the price as well as numerous, negative reviews, I started looking elsewhere and accidently came upon Beaute La Royale and am so thankful I did... Here's why:

The small facial brush is perfect. It's bristles are soft to the touch but clean very well. I first tried it with my DermaDoctor face wash but seeing no results, I decided to try it with Aveeno active naturals clear complexion foaming cleanser because it's a bit more mild and gentle (and $40 cheaper)  ;). In doing so, given about 2 weeks, I already saw GREAT results. I had barely any breakouts (if at all), and my skin over-all looked more smooth and vibrant. My pores notably shrunk and blackheads started to disappear! After 5 years of acne and hundreds of different products and countless hours of time trying out/applying, here I am $30 in and 2 weeks later, with my skin problems basically solved. I'm so happy! To prove the effectiveness of this brush even more, I went 2 weeks on vacation without using the brush (still using the Aveeno foaming cleanser but applying with just hands), and I haven't had this many blemishes at one time in a very long while after using my brush, and my pores have visibly expanded, leaving my skin looking tired and dull. With that being said, the positive results have definitely come from the brush!

I've seen reviews of people not quite happy with the one speed option, but with my experience I wouldn't want it any slower or faster. It deeply cleanses your pores thus removing bacteria and dirt, clearing up problem skin and blemishes, but doesn't leave your skin irritated and inflamed (and this is coming from a girl with EXTREMELY sensitive skin).  So I would not worry about the speed. It's not designed as a power took. If anything it might be a tad too fast, so be sure not to use pressure when using the brush. Gently use circular motions on your face and let the brush do the work for you.

The other 3 features are also very helpful. I love the feeling of the sponge on my face- very gentle and soothing. I use it to put on my night face cream. The body brush is wonderful for removing cellulite, and I also have eczema so with further use I am excited to see if that helps me with the large "dots" and flaky/itchiness. I use the pumice for exfoliating my heels, etc. and it does a very good job. It is not so rough that it hurts, but gets the job done.

Again, the customer service is so good! You will not be disappointed with this product and the extensive results! You will fall in love - no matter your skin type!!!

Thank you Beaute La Royale!!!


About two months ago, I was offered a free 7.4oz jar of Ketond Collagen Peptides (types I & III) for review via the Amazon Vine Program, and I accepted.

I've been using various brands of collagen peptides for almost three years - mostly type I & III.  I can't be 100% clinically certain, but collagen peptides seem to have done a lot of good for the health of my gut - so I'm definitely a fan.

The Ketond Collagen Peptides arrives in a resealable 7.4oz plastic jar.  In my case, it was completely unlabeled - I assume, because it was a new product released to me for early Amazon Vine review.  That said, I prefer plastic jars over bags for collagen peptides as they offer the easiest, fuss-free usage.  There is a fairly small plastic serving scoop in the jar.

According to the product description here (since my jar had no label), this is a type I & III collagen peptides.  According to the question that I asked of the manufacturer, "the collagen ingredients are from the USA and the product is also manufactured in the USA."  The description also states that the product is from "grass-fed, pasture-raised, Grade A bovine, and are certified hormone-free and 100% non-GMO."  That is all very good.

Probably unlike most people who add collagen peptides to liquid for consumption, such as coffee, I tend to add them directly to my meals whenever possible.  However, for the purpose of this review, I tested this Ketond collagen peptides in both hot and cold liquids.  It dissolved as quickly as some of the fastest dissolving peptides I've used in the past, such as [[ASIN:B00XQ2XGAA Sports Research]] or [[ASIN:B07BL69CD2 Orgain]].  Like most collagen peptides, it dissolves notably faster in hot liquids than cold.  In my experience, all unflavored collagen peptides add some very subtle flavor, usually similar to a very, very weak salt.  This is no exception.  Depending on what you put it in, you may or may not be able to detect it.

In all honesty, I tend to purchase the cheapest collagen peptides I can per ounce and stock up when I see sales.  There are huge price differences between various brands and aside from subtle differences in they way they dissolve, I seriously doubt there is much actual difference in the efficacy at different price points when compared with other type I & III peptides.  I am willing to pay a higher price for the more complete type I, II, III, V & X peptides.  I try to get certified grass fed whenever possible and would never purchase *any* labelled to have *anything* to do with China.

As of the time of this review, this Ketond Collagen Peptides is on the very expensive side per ounce at $4.05.  I've seen some good collagen peptides that I've used for as low as $1.09/ounce.  I've seen others at well over $2/ounce, such as this brand.  Based on the price alone, which is really high for a type I & III peptides powder, I'd give this three stars.  I'll give it an extra star because it dissolves quickly, if that's important to you.  That said, at well under this price point you can easily get a superior type I, II, III, V & X collagen peptides.


Ok so when you read my review please don’t think this was any fault of the product, I am an adult and the one controlling the product and could’ve loosened it. So I love foot massages and I have very bad circulation in my feet so when I ordered this I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. It came, I took a shower, plugged it in, sat down, put my feet in, set the settings and picked up my PS4 controller and started playing while my feet were getting massaged. It has a setting for how much compression you want, I had it on low at first, it has a heat or no heat , I used heat, and it has a pressure button and I put it at it’s lowest. I wasn’t feeling it much so I turned it all the way up on everything. Let me say here I have a size 9 in women’s feet and they are not thick and have a normal arch. So I’m sitting there playing CoD and I feel it getting tighter and then it starts really getting into my right foot near that ball part near the middle coming off the big toe(sorry if that’s a bad description) and it’s making me say oh and stuff and my fiancé is laughing at me, I actually had to stop playing my game cause it felt so good and I couldn’t concentrate, it felt amazing, I did that for about 10 mins, it got in deep and my right foot was feeling especially happy, the blood was flowing and it felt like it was just so relaxed and happy. I didn’t stop though, I moved my foot in so it would get my arch more( the massager for some reason doesn’t have a massager directly where your arch is which is disappointing cause that’s where you want it massages the most) so its massaging me and my left foot is happy too, but my right is the foot that hurts most usually. So I do that for another 5 mins and let my fiancé try it out. He has thick, high arch feet. He didn’t feel it as well as I did but when I turned it al the way up he liked it but no where near as much as I did. Anyways I went to bed my feet feeling amazing, my blood flowing in them, just super happy and excited for this new foot massager. I wake up and go to stand up and my right foot is super bruised on the bottom, I over worked it lol but it was worth it. A week later my foot is about healed and I’ve tried to still use the massager while bruised but it hurt too much, it was a deep bruise so the machine gets deep and gets in there and works it out. I used it on my left foot while my right foot heals though still. So please don’t take this negative as in it doesn’t work because I’ve had foot massages and back massages by people that were so deep I was in pain cause you gotta get deep to get the kinks out and blood flowing. The way my feet felt after the first massage was well worth the bruise cause even for days after my foot still had better circulation. So I’ll continue using this great massager. It does have a few flaws like the arch. It could get warmer cause honestly I don’t feel heat at all and even put my hand in it. Maybe if it was adjustable so people with wider or thicker feet cause if you have bigger feet you can’t slide them out the front so you cant get the full effect. I like the compression and the massaging. It does what I want and fits me perfectly aside from the arches. So I like this a lot but I can see if you don’t have the correct size feet how this wouldn’t work for everyone. I think it’s for smaller less thick feet.


My midwife recommended one of these because I am carrying twins - if you're considering between this and some of the ones consisting of only a lower band, go for this one, it is worth it!  The

First, some information on sizing to hopefully save someone else some of the same hassle that I had...
If you go to the manufacturer's website, you will notice that they sell two products that look like this.  They sell the "Prenatal Cradle" (non-adjustable) and then they sell this, which is actually called the "Best Cradle" and is adjustable.

According to their website, sizing information for this product is as follows:
Size | pre-pregnancy pant size | current Weight
Small | 3-10 | 90-165
Medium | 8-16 | 150-220
Large | 14-20 | 180-250

I was size 6 pre-pregnancy and had weighed about 150 at 22 weeks when I ordered this (I'm pregnant with twins, starting weight was 130) - I actually ordered according to the size of the wrong product and the small at that time juuuust fit me at the largest setting.  I exchanged it for the medium (thanks Amazon!) and that was a much better fit.

I am 5'6", currently 160 (+30 lbs) and the cradle fits very comfortably on the middle settings.

Pro's:
 - I have been wearing this all day, every day and I'm pretty sure this is saving both my back and helping to keep pressure off of my cervix (which is definitely more of a concern with twins) I'm currently at 28 weeks and feeling quite good.  At first I started to take it off before dinner (I thought it was adding to my acid reflux) but found on those occasions my sciatic nerves started acting up.  (Not much, but enough that I've not taken this thing off since!)

Con's:
 - There are three settings for this, and each is about 3" apart making it very inconvenient if you happen to be between two.  I've purchased some additional hooks that I may try to sew on if I need to move up a setting, but this seems like it's going to be a royal pain to adjust so I'm holding out and hoping it won't be necessary!
 - It does show under your top.  Personally I don't care, because I'd rather have the support!  You could easily cover it up with an under shirt, but that is going to get somewhat hot in summer.  You also might be able to adjust it a bit by taking out the seam in the "x" in the front and sewing it up further down.  It feels like it's been sewn a little bit high (on me anyway), I just haven't found the time to attempt it!
 - I have found that the strap in front can get irritating by the end of the day.  If you have full tummy pants, just put the brace on top - yes, you will then have to re-adjust every time you use the bathroom, but this is not a big deal.  I also have been using a "tummy sleeve" for those pants that don't go up far enough and that works well.  In the summer, though, I expect this will get hot.

That feels like a lot of cons, but the bottom line is that it is comfortable, I like wearing it and it really feels like it's helping!  I've been wearing it for about a month now, and it's the first thing I put on in the morning and the last thing that I take off.

Only 4 stars because there are some very easy fixes that they could make to make it even better!


EDITED 11.2.20: SORRY FOLKS IN ORDER TO SEE THE ADD TO EDIT, YOU CAN EITHER READ THIS POST OR SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM. HOWEVER, IF UOU SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM THAN THATD A BUMMER BECAUSE WHY SHOULD I EVEN WRITE A RRVIEW IF PEOPLE ATE GOING TO CHEAT AND NOT READ MY REVIEW THAT INSTEAD OF DRINKING SOME ALCOHOL AND RELAXING IM DOING MY PART IN HELPING STRANGERS MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THEY SHOULD BUY OR NOT SINCE I DID IT FOR THEM. ...NOW ON TO WRITE MY EDIT, HIWEVER IN ORDER TO DO SO, I MUST FONISH THIS DRINK AND POUR MYSELF ANOTHER TO ENSURE 100% HONESTY....Is it just me, or does anyone else think amazon should allow when submitting reviews the option to not give any stars. Why are we FORCED to even putting 1 when you're really upset? Sorry, back on topic..ok, so Like customer A. Crame that wrote a review and posted pics, since he already posted the pics I will just say I had the same problem. Looking at them at first they looked like they were made well and I was really excited for them. When they finally arrived I was anything EXCEPT excited or happy. It's liked they were processed and manufactured on warp speed which made for missing parts, you could see the glue along the edges, and the best part. The 1st one I picked up actually looked good. At this point I was still excited although I did question myself because i SWORE I bought a 12 pack of these however maybe they're sending the rest of the order on another day? Anyways, my dog came upat this point because 90% of the time packages are toys or treats for them, so she sits next to me looking at this thing like what is it and can I eat or play with it..I explain that it's mine and proceeded to grab one of the bottles and filled it up with sanitizer and grab the bracelet put the tube inside and squeezed, instead of it going inside the bracelet like it was suppose to, it did the opposite.  It was like my bracelet projectiled vomited and the sanitizer backfired and goes every DIRECTION EXCEPT  the way it was suppose to go. Now my dog is NOT happy not just with me but with this bottle and bracelet as well. As she jumps up to grab one of them I grab them both in my hand as now I've got sanitizer dripping off if me and down my arms, and my pants have wet spots as if I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time, which now add the factor that the person I'm interested in had walked in and seen me and now also thinks I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time and thinks that why I have the sanitizer so I could clean up from my accident. So needless to say, these so called bracelets that LOOKS well made and etc, just know this and keep in mind that unless you want something that looks as though it's going to fall apart, is cheaply made, and (from what I found out after the fact) never made any holes FOR the sanitizer to go in, and like to order and buy things and have missing or defective parts, then by all means HECK YES. THIS IS YOUR CHOICE. But if not than I suggest waiting and looking around more at similar products, or wait until this brand/seller fixes all the issues going on.we will see if how good of a company they are with if they reply and what they will say AND do to resolve this issue AND VERY DISAPPOINTED customer.


As pretty and compact as this very nice-looking bathroom scale is, it has real problems with consistency and accuracy. Its fluid relationship with the truth is like being lied to by a cheating boyfriend about your weight every day. I ask it, "is my booty getting big?" and step on like a fool so it can tell me, "No, honey. You're as thin and beautiful as you were yesterday. And the day before. And the day before. And the day before that. No really. Exactly as thin and beautiful. Exactly. Exactly the same weight. To the ounce. You're holding a bowling ball now? Well, then that must mean that you're *losing* weight! Congratulations! Now go make me a sandwich."

Sadly, I have found this scale to be incapable of registering more than one reading per rough pound of body mass. If you're 102 lbs, give or take, it will tell you you're 102.4 until you edge up another half a pound or so, and then you'll jump up to register as 103.6. Never 103.2, 103.4, 103.8, it only knows 103.6. Adjust your footing and you're mysteriously and miraculously at exactly the same 102.4 from the day prior. Take off shoes or heavy clothing or put down your gargantuan smartphone whose manufacturer specs clock at half a pound in its kevlar advanced bomb suit case and see no change on the display. Not even a fraction of a pound. Pick up your purse and discover that it will cycle through the single weight it knows for each one-pound increment until it settles on its half-hearted guess. Put your purse back down and it refunds all that weight to you, save for one pound that is maybe some sort of rounding error or restocking fee, I'm not sure. Step off and back on and you're at your "original" weight, presumably having burned off that pesky pound doing step aerobics on your scale in search of an accurate reading.

Losing some weight? No you're not. Or maybe you are. It's a mystery. That 195.6 lb reading gotten by the second party tester you brought in to see if the scale would be more cooperative with another user will suddenly drop to 192.4, where it will stay until another pound or more is shed, and it will tell you then that he may or may not have moved into the next one-pound weight class. Or wait until he has a tantrum and shifts his left foot, at which point it will show another lost pound while mocking you under its breath.

I know that accuracy isn't that big a deal or terribly reliable with home bathroom scales, but this one truly seems like it's not even trying and is outright incapable of registering anything but preprogrammed weights, one per pound. I have no idea what I weigh right this second, but I know my doctor's office and gym scales agree that this one is playing head games with me. Either that, or I am gaining and losing brain mass trying to compute mathematical and histographical averages all the time in an attempt to divine my true weight from the scale that lives in my bathroom.

I gave it 2 stars because it looks nice and I suppose if you are just looking for a rough order of magnitude estimate of your weight, it will do the job.


Distillers of this design do not come with an On/Off switch, which is confusing to some consumers.  The "On" button is actually a reset button for the internal thermal circuit breaker. [Note that many power strips also have a circuit breaker reset "switch" instead of a real On/Off switch.]  When the water is boiled down close to dry, the thermal breaker activates, cutting off the power.  In other words, it knows when to turn itself off.  If you want to shut it off mid-cycle, you need to pull the plug.  The On reset switch is easily bumped when handling the distiller, resetting it.  So when you go to plug it in, you may mistakenly think that it is "always on" and somehow defective.

In use, it is preferable to boil water in a teakettle, and fill the distiller with the hot water, as it will save time and probably be more cost effective if you have a gas stove and gas costs less than electricity where you are.  Then put the cover on and plug the wires in.  And press the On reset button if it is not already reset.  The bottom section boils the water, and the cover has a fan which pulls air from the sides, over heat dissipating fins that cool a section of coiled stainless steel tubing, and through the top, causing the steam in the tubing to condense and drip out the end.  There is a small "cup" containing a small charcoal sachet that the distilled water drips through.  That's the part in the photo that pokes out the side of the cover.  The stainless steel cup is supposed to be removable for cleaning or changing the charcoal sachet, but it is quite difficult to do, because it fits very tightly.  The distilled water drips into a plastic bottle that is included.  The bottle is designed with the proper height to accept the drops, and it would be difficult to locate your own pitcher or other substitute container that would fit and hold the volume of water needed.  The downside is that the container is plastic, which purists would find objectionable.  The bottle is welded from two halves, with a prominent vertical seam.  The threads at the bottle top are not completely formed, so water will leak if the full bottle is tilted even with the cap screwed on.

After the initial use, I found that there was some leftover polishing or buffing compound on the internal shiny stainless steel surfaces. They had to be cleaned off with soapy water, alcohol, & detergent in succession.  (Incidentally, I have found that new stainless teakettles sold at Macys may also have the same "feature" of not having been thoroughly cleaned of polishing compounds on the internal surfaces, either.)  At the end of each cycle, unplug the cords, and remove the cover.  But don't do this immediately after the unit shuts off, or you will be burned by escaping steam. You will be surprised by the dirty residue at the bottom of the boiling vessel. That's the stuff you were drinking all those years!  Pour about a quarter inch of vinegar on it, and let it sit awhile.  For my first gallon of vinegar, the residue came off and dissolved in the vinegar easily.  For my second gallon of vinegar, additional brushing was needed; I suspect that the vinegar being sold today is weaker (the first bottle was an old one, the second one newly bought).

Overall, the unit is built to do its job pretty well, but the cosmetics leave room for improvement.  The electricals are very good quality, but the product was not assembled in a clean room and the workers didn't wear gloves.  But the design is robust and the seal between the cover and boiling vessel is quite good, and they didn't skimp on the stainless steel.


I was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia when I was discharged for 20 years in the navy.  I remember when the doctor told me that I was devastated.  I wasn't even really sure what it was or how bad it was.  I started studying very hard to see if there was a solution (this was in 2012).  One day it hit me.  My sister had given me this book but I blew it off.  Then, I took things into my own hands and did exactly as the diet suggested.

  The first 3 weeks were, one week nothing but water and carrot juice.  Next week the same but with apple juice.  Oh and herbs that cleanse and strengthen the body.  The third week with grape juice.  Week 4 would be back to carrot juice.  Week 5 apple.  Week 6 grape.  But, at the beggining of week 4 you can start introducing fruits, vegetables, grains.  I even started eating fish once a week.

  I continued doing that for about three months.  I was already in decent shape.  I had been training for a marathon, however while doing the diet I stopped running.  The funny thing is even though I stopped running I could easily go out and run ten miles and not be sore the next day.  This is when I was in my early 50's.

  After 3 months I went back to the doctor and did some blood tests the week before.  He came into the room and I was crossing my fingers that my white blood cell count was down.  He came in and said, "we're not sure what you have.  Your white blood count is almost back to normal."  I just about fell out of my chair.  I did several more check ups and my health was great.  I found out something I never knew.  All my life I couldn't breathe very well in spite of being in sports.  It used to take me a few miles of jogging slow before my airways would open up and then I could take off and run.  After a few months my lungs cleared up and I didn't need to warm up.  I could just take off.  I've often wondered since then that maybe I had light asthma.  But now it was gone.

  Well, it's been about eight years.  I got lax and only did the diet about 2 years.  In those times I never felt better or happier.  I don't know the terms too well but the chemical that gets released in the brain that makes you feel happy, I felt that beautiful feeling everyday.

  I would gladly suggest this program to anyone especially if you are up against a tough problem.  I'd say if you were diagnosed with some kind of cancer that if you did this program it would help tremendously to help your bodies ability to fight it.  I won't say it cures cancer because I know that's a drastic statement to make in the medical and health world.

  I think if you try it you will see miracles.  One caution is I see a lot of reviews where people say they tried variations or portions of the diet.  Please go all in with this diet and you will see miracles and you will be happy to see your health get tremendously better.
 Best of luck.

One more word.  I see the 'top critical review' saying it was an overpriced advertisement.'  Comments like that make you feel they were paid to say that.  It works.


This brush does take the bulk of the wave/curl out of my hair, and it heats up quite nicely. The guards on it are pretty good, so I haven't had any problems burning myself or anything. It doesn't get my hair as straight as my hair straightener does.
My (only) biggest problem is that the buttons are on the side and I keep accidentally pressing them while I'm using the brush. I'd like to see the buttons in a different location. Otherwise, I think that this brush could really be beneficial.

Versatile styling tool: brush + Straighter + Anion Scalp massager
11 Variation modes and specialized settings for different hair types
Safe, scald-free technology with automatic shutoff
Ergonomic bristles for easy combing
Bluelit LCD temperature display

Its has 11 temperature variations, and 3 suggested heating levels for different types of hair. For most hair types, 410'F is suggested, for fine, colored hair 350'F and for thick, wavy hair it reaches 440'F The RevoluShine will ensure that people with any hair type will get their desired effect.

Advanced Hair Care Technology
The ProduSpa RevoluShine 3-in-1 Massage Straightening Brush will revolutionize your hair care. With ergonomic, tangle-free bristles and hair-type specific heat levels, the RevoluShine will leave your hair silky and irresistible while making your scalp feel amazing using anion massage technology. The RevoluShine's unique combo of heat and special bristles help separate unruly strands, making detangling hard-to-manage hair a cinch. The RevoluShine will cut your primping time into fractions, only taking one tenth the time than traditional styling tools
Beautiful and Functional
The RevoluShine has a glamourous pink design and LCD temperature display. Its heat controls are easy to use, and conveniently placed on its side for quick access. The RevoluShine features even heat distribution to ensure the device is not cooling down mid-use. It also has a 360 anti-wind cable so you can't kink the power supply
A Healthy Straightener for Your Hair
Straighteners are notorious for drying hair out, but the RevoluShine actually moisturizes your hair thanks to its novel moisture-locking technology. Men and Women alike can use this styling tool, its magic it doesn't discriminate! Salon-Quality Hair
The RevoluShine will create straighter, healthier hair with a silky-smooth finish. Your new RevoluShine will give the illusion of professionally styled hair. Get yours today to turn heads everywhere you go.

-- ABOUT BRUSH HAIR STRAIGHTENERS --
They have a triple action system: they detangle, straighten and increase natural hair shine. They seal the hair cuticle reducing frizziness and increasing hair manageability.
Since their launch on the market in the last quarter of 2015, some major design improvements were developed. Here are few things to watch out for, when you’re looking to buy a hair brush straightener:
1) Ceramic coating vs iron vs plastic – this is a no brainer, since you want to have maximum hair protection when applying heat: always opt for Ceramic!
2) Seamless nibs vs apparent ones – with older models sometimes nibs can come off with wear and tear
3) Fast heating time
4) No pulling on hair

- What to look for in a hair straightening brush?
If you have frizzy, unruly hair, a hair straightening brush may help you tame it and make it more manageable. Hair straightening brushes helps you achieve silky, smooth hair just like a standard hair straightener or flat iron but without the damage. They’re growing in popularity because people find them effective and convenient to use.


A double-blind placebo- controlled study was conducted at Osaka City University to evaluate the effmts of oral administration of supplements containing rice ceramides in 33 patients with a habitual tendency toward dry, rough skin. The 33 patients were comprised of 6 men and 27 women, and the study was performed in keeping with the tenets of the Helsinki Accord, with written Informed Consent forms. This study was performed as a double-blind trial involving 6-week oral administration of “functional supplements” containing rice-derived Ceramides or a placebo.

The test supplement was given in the form of soft capsules provided by Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., Ltd., with a daily consumption of rice-derived Oryza Ceramide, 40 mg/day, containing rice-derived sphingolipids of 1.2mg/day. Placebo capsules were administered that were identical in appearanceand smell, but containing 0 mg/day of rice-derived Oryza Cerarnide and 0 mg/day of rice-derived sphingolipids. After the 6-week trial period, no subjects had dropped out and no adverse events were reported. Other evidence of the safety of ingested Ceramides is also presented in this study:

Experiments have shown that after oral administration plant-based ceramides are absorbed unchanged in the small intestine or are broken down into sphingosine and fatty acids for absorption and are then reconfigured as ceramides. The substance is then transported by the capillaries into the horny layer and the keratin intercellular spaces. The supplements containing rice ceramides as used in this study, in contrast to the ceramide substances distributed in animal brains, provide superior supplementation that can be exnected to be both safe and effective for oral administration.

Confirming this assessment is Lati, who as early as 1995 wrote about the use of ceramides in functional foods:

Ceramide has been highly appraised in the field of functional foods because of its hydration characteristics and vectorization of vitamins (vitamin C and E). Presently phyto-ceramides by INOCOSM [Laboratories] are used as ingredients for various functional and cosmeceutical foods. Because of its hydration characteristics, ceramide is most extensively used in this field, and it is generally used together with vitamins. Ceramide has shown numerous benefits as a food additive because of its very unique characteristics, and it is effective not only for the tissues but also for the stabilization of foods in some cases. If a certain amount of phyto-ceramide is ingested every day, the following benefits could be attained:

- Because ceramide suppresses free radicals, ceramide can enhance the protection
of tissues from external harmful effects (pollution, sunshine,and stress).
- Ceramide moisturizes the skin by its hydration capability.
- Ceramide achieves wrinkle prevention by its elastase suppression and collagen protection.

. . . On the other hand, if ceramide is added to drinks for the benefit of the tissues, ceramide can also stabilize hydrophobic flavoring ingredients and hydrophobic molecules (vitamins) by vectorization. These conclusions are based in part on Lati’s 1995 study which concludes that phyto- ceramides taken orally improve the hydration of the skin. The phyto-ceramides were given at an amount of 20 mg/day for a month. No adverse effects or events were reported.

 http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/95s0316/95s-0316-rpt0240-05-Udell-vol175.pdf


I bought this product and I have been using for a while. Rice Bran is a true nutrition powerhouse. It is made from the hull and germ of rice; this is the part that is shaved off to yield white rice. Taking out this nutrient dense part of course gives white rice a long shelf life but also makes it lacking in essential nutrients. Two servings of most rice bran products will give you loads of B vitamins, vitamin E and almost your recommended daily allowance of Magnesium and Phosphorus. In addition it has an immune booster called Inositol hexaphosphate. I prefer getting my essential nutrients from food sources and not from pills if possible.
My experience with this product (the tub is almost finished) is that it mixes very well with my morning smoothie and actually gives it a sweet taste (not overpowering), it does have a mild energizing effect. So why have I given this product 1 star? I will actually five it zero star if possible.
I did some research recently showing that since rice is planted in water logged land, it is more susceptible to arsenic toxicity. The water enhances the absorption of the arsenic and other toxins. More arsenic has been found in the hull and germ of brown rice compared to white rice. Also, rice grown in the Southern U.S. is commonly exposed to inorganic arsenic which is still found in the soils there from past use of inorganic arsenic based pesticides. Places like California never used inorganic arsenic based pesticides therefore the arsenic taken up by the rice grown in California is naturally occurring.
I had bought Nutra Bio Stabilized Bran, Bob's Red Mill, Stabilized Rice Bran, Natural Traditions Rice Bran & Germ Powder at some point or another (all at different stages of being finished). I was also considering buying Sunfood Tocotrienols/Rice Bran Solubles. So based on my research on potential arsenic toxicity, I decided to write to all the companies to confirm the source of their rice bran and if they did any third party lab testing. I sent my enquiry more than two weeks ago, up till now, I haven’t received any response from Bob's Red Mill and Natural traditions. Nutra Bio responded saying “we are unsure as to what part of the country that the Stabilized Rice Bran comes from. We are also unsure as to what the international safe levels for arsenic are”. I was aghast! Arsenic is probably the number one carcinogenic toxin. The only third party testing that Nutra Bio sent to me was a 2014 test and their customer service said additionally about the 2014 tests that “the tests that we have are the most up-to-date tests that we have. Until they are out of date, we are still authorized by the FDA to use those tests”. Sunfood response says their rice bran is sourced from California, but the third party tests sent did not show the level of ‘inorganic arsenic’ which is the real culprit.
These are the probably the top brands of rice bran in the market, and in my own assessment they fall short by their response or lack of it. If you take a rice product, be aware of arsenic poisoning. Unfortunately the supplement is not strictly regulated and these manufacturers, just like ‘Big Pharma’ are out to get your hard earned money, they really don’t care about your health and that of your family. Please do your research. Despite the huge benefits from rice bran, I will be discontinuing its use until I can get a manufacturer that sells an organic variety with third party lab tests for every batch. Hope this helps someone out there.


I would definitely recommend this book if you like keto baking. I got this book because I've really only found about 5 or 6 keto recipes that are desserts or baked items that I like, and three of them are Carolyn's. They are her garlic bread sticks from her soup cookbook, her almond crusted butter cake (blog), and her scotcheroos (blog). They are all amazing!  I have tried several things from this book, but still have many more to try. There are several that I haven't liked and several that I have liked. I will go over what I have tried.

I started out with the rum cake because it was around Christmas. It was pretty good but not good enough to finish the whole cake because I love rum cake and it just wasn't the same. I've learned that with keto treats it's usually better for me not to try to replicate things that I love in the non-keto version because they rarely compare.  Having said that, I tried the banana bread and it was amazing! It was so much like real banana bread that I couldn't believe it! The chia seed trick really made a difference! I would buy this book just for that recipe!

In general, I hate keto cookies! I love real cookies and the texture of keto cookies is always awful. I love gooey, chewy cookies and most keto cookies taste like cake. And not very good cake either. I've tried at least 10 keto cookies and ended up throwing them out, so I didn't make any of her normal cookies. They sounded the same as the many I had tried. But, I did try some of the cookies that were supposed to be crispy because I thought I might like the texture. I had the oatmeal lace cookies and the cowboy cookies and both were great! The only thing I didn't like was that you had to use erythritol sweetener (not allulose which I prefer the taste of) or they wouldn't be crispy. I thought they had an extreme "cool" taste, which I didn't like. That's more the fault of the sweetener than the recipe.

I tried the vanilla ice cream which I didn't like at all. It had a whipped cream texture which I hate in ice cream. I also tried the caramel sauce to use in one of her online recipes. It tasted okay but it was for Carmelito's and it doesn't get chewy like normal caramel, so it was disappointing.

Then I tried some of the savory items. The rosemary olive oil bread had good flavor but a weird texture that I didn't like. It was better if I buttered a slice and put it under the broiler. I made the cloverleaf dinner rolls and they were okay. I much prefer Carolyn's garlic bread sticks in her soup cookbook. They are amazing! I made the bagels and they were just okay. I wouldn't make them again. I  made the cream cheese biscuits and the cheddar drop biscuits, and they were both pretty good. But I think my very favorite thing, in addition to the banana bread, are the fresh herb and ricotta scones. I love those! I've made them a bunch and even for company. They are delicious!

That's about all I've tried so far. But I still have a ton to try and I'm really looking forward to it! I think the cookbook is definitely worth getting for the things I have liked because it's so hard to find good tasting keto items that are baked or sweet. That has nothing to do with the author, it's just the way it is. If I can find a few that I actually want to make more than once and wouldn't mind serving to non-keto company, then it's worth it!


Let's face it, at the end of the day the most important thing a scale should do is show you an accurate number representing your body weight.  The additional features that this scale provides are mostly unimportant if you don't get that basic thing right.

Unfortunately, this scale will refuse to do this until you go through the steps necessary to connect it to their online service.  This should all be clear from reading the product's description, but I feel it's important to reiterate this: if you're not plunging head-first into the whole fitbit ecosystem, willing to give them your personal information and sign up for their web services, this scale will be a brick.

What makes me the most uncomfortable is that It lacks a fallback mode to just "be a scale" if you haven't set it up yet.  The lack of this fallback mode wouldn't be such a big deal though, if it wasn't such a huge pain to get set up:

If you're lucky enough to have a computer on your network that has WiFi, it *should* be a simple matter.  But first of all, if you use an ethernet connection, you're out of luck.  You *must* be able to use wifi, even if the scale and your machine connect to the same router.

This is because the setup guide relies on being able to switch to the scale's factory-default ad-hoc network, configure the scale, then switch back again.  That means your entire OS, and any applications that are running and maybe using the internet, have to be disconnected and reconnected again to set up your scale.

Even that would be fine, if it *worked*.  Unfortunately for me, on OSX 10.9 Mavericks on a circa-2013 iMac, it did not.  I retried 5-6 times, watching as it tried to switch my wifi network to the Aria, switching to my neighbor's WiFi instead (maybe it thought their wireless router was the scale?) timing out, failing, and prompting me to retry.  I tried various methods like manually selecting the Aria from my list of wireless networks, nothing really did it.

And this is especially bad when the panic starts to set in... when you realize you just spent upwards of $130 on a scale that *won't even tell you your weight* until you get their little wifi utility working.

Eventually I gave up and rebooted into my Windows partition on my same machine, and I had better luck there.  But that experience really put a bad taste in my mouth.

Now that it's working, it's logging my weight and sending it wirelessly to fitbit's website.  Cool, I guess.  Don't know what use I'll really have for that.

I bought the scale to integrate with the "Lose It!" app I've been using tirelessly on my iPhone for years.  I really wish the scale would just send my weight directly to my phone, but alas, it sends it to fitbit's servers instead, and Lose It syncs with their service indirectly.  This means fitbit could pull the plug on this integration at any time, which makes me nervous.

Seeing as how this product is bad at both being a scale (which is really priority number one), and it only indirectly and flimsily supports the only other use case I have (integrating it with "Lose It!"), I'm very close to shipping this back to Fitbit and buying a bluetooth scale instead.