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fitlist 10 days ago
By Jim Ray What it is: RipTFusion, $58.00 What it claims to do: A T-shirt on steroids, RipTFusion claims to be a “body-sculpting undershirt designed to support your core, shave inches off your belly and enhance your posture.” Our experience: I’ll admit that I’m not necessarily the person that RipTFusion had in mind when they designed the “have your six-pack and drink it, too” undergarment. I’ve always been fairly slim, I exercise (though inconsistently) and try to watch my diet. I do love to cook and eat, however, and regularly partake in the rich microbrews that the Pacific Northwest is known for — you could say these forces are constantly at odds. Just as, if not more, importantly, I’m vain enough to honestly consider buying a $60 T-shirt, on the off chance that it would give my average physique a leg up. That last quality is probably what lands me square in the RipTFusion demographic....(read more)>fitlist 24 days ago
By Linda Dahlstrom What it is: Crave Relief by Bath and Body Works, $10 What it claims to do: The manufacturer says the blend of grapefruit and sweet fennel essential oils is "known to help curb cravings for sweets and stave off hunger." My experience: To be fair, the lipstick-sized tube of essential oils was no match for the trifecta of triple-chocolate fudge cake, chocolate chip cookies and spongy white cake with gooey frosting. The week I tested Crave Relief was a particularly celebratory one in the msnbc.com newsroom, each happy occasion accompanied by a tempting dessert. I've always had a weakness for sweets. As the daughter of a cake maker who came home from school to the cozy smell of baked goods on many afternoons, my love for goodies runs deep. Crave relief seemed like a good candidate to bolster my willpower to resist....(read more)fitlist 45 days ago
By Melissa Dahl What it is: JolieLips Lip Plumping & Enhancement System, $27.95. What it claims to do: It’s supposed to give you full, Angelina Jolie-style lips – and I’m guessing that the name “JolieLips” is meant to ever-so-subtly push the Angie connection. The Web site promises that this device make your lips “fuller and sexier” without using injections, causing pain or “nonsense tingling cream” to do so. Our experience: When the device arrived in the mail, I excitedly ripped the box open. And then promptly closed it. Something about an oversized, oddly-shaped pump arriving in an unmarked box made the whole thing seem vaguely dirty, and I guiltily looked around my apartment to make sure my roommate wasn’t home. She wasn’t. It was clearly time to pump things up. ...(read more)fitlist 129 days ago
by Diane Mapes, contributing writer What it is: Stamina inStride Electronic Stepper, $59.99. What it claims to do: According to the manufacturer, the InStride Electronic Stepper is a lightweight exercise machine that offers a great cardiovascular workout for people who are limited on space. At just 20 pounds, the Stepper can be used anywhere – while watching TV, while on the phone, while at work – and it can even be tucked “into a workout bag to take along.” The machine’s resistance helps work your calves, thighs and buttocks as well as your core, while the aerobic aspect of the stepper “helps you burn calories and fat.” Our experience: I’ve always had a hard time working out at the gym without some kind of mental stimulation. IPods just don’t cut it for me; I need conversation, a good book or a TV to keep me from thinking about how boring it is walking, striding or bike riding to nowhere. Unfortunately, my new gym is one of those places where ...fitlist 157 days ago
By Diane Mapes, contributing writer What it is: Summer Soles Fragrant Footings, $15 for 2 pair at http://www.summersoles.com. What it claims to do: According to the Web site, Summer Soles cure sweaty feet by providing a “soft, dry barrier between feet and the beds of shoes.” The trim-to-fit one-size-fits-all insoles, made of absorbent fabric that “captures perspiration from sweaty feet as pressure is applied while walking,” can be inserted into sandals, pumps, mules or flats, but not spongy flip-flops or fabric-soled shoes like Birkenstocks (the sticky insoles can’t grip fabric). The insoles are said to be especially effective for people with plantar hyperhidrosis (excessively sweaty feet). Summer Soles also claims their product will help make shoes “instantly comfy” and the Fragrant Footings style offers the added bonus of keeping your feet sweat- and stink-free by releasing “microscopic bursts of the finest dry, natural aromas” as you walk. ...(read ...
