Beauty & Fashion

Sketchers XF Accelerators Shape-Ups Review

You have probably heard a lot about Sketchers Shape-Ups and wondered if they really work and if they are comfortable. I received a pair at the end of last year as a gift and I have been testing them out ever since. I received the Sketchers XP Accelerators in Blue and Silver.

I think the feature I like the most is the rocking motion. It seems like you can get a faster walk going with it and it does help to work certain muscles in your legs and butt area. The arch support is good and makes your feet feel supported.

The Sketchers Shape-Ups tennis shoes will actually do nothing unless you use them correctly. They are designed for you to use that rocking motion to make them work those certain areas.

If you are tall, which I am (5′ 8″) you will feel like you are towering over people because I’d say it brings you up another 1-1/2″ to 2″. If you are shorter you may like the additional height you get from wearing the Sketchers. Some people I have talked to think they are clunky but I did not find them to be like that. They felt like wearing ordinary tennis shoes with just the added rocking motion. The height was similar to other tennis shoes I have, maybe just a 1/2″ higher when I had them on.

I did find that if I wear them continuously that they make my toes hurt after about an hour. I never had a problem with them rubbing though.

The shoes themselves are made well and will last for a long time. On the other hand, they can be pricey ranging from $49.95 to around $100. They come with two sets of laces, for mine, white and blue. I thought that was nice because I did find I preferred the blue ones after I saw the white ones on them. In the box you also get a booklet to teach you how to use the Sketchers properly to get the most of out of them and also a CD so you can watch how to use them from videos.

Bottom line is, do they work. For me, so far I would have to say not so much. I am not wearing them religiously though everyday so I cannot tell you if they really do the job of firming up your legs and buttock. If you were to wear them daily or everytime you do your workout you could see results but like any workout it takes time to see results.

If I did not receive the Sketchers as a gift I think I would not pay that much and would buy a more generic brand since I do not have complete proof that they will work for me.

The Sketchers XF Accelerators range in price from $49.95 to $109, depending on the style, color, and size you get and they are available at Sketchers.com and Amazon.com online as well as many popular department and specialty stores.

In the video I show you the rocking motion. I am walking very slowly in the video so you can see it so you will have to take in account that they will work differently if you are walking faster or running.

[iframe: title=”YouTube video player” width=”480″ height=”390″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/5X1Bx5baKOM” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]

Pros:

Made well
Comfortable
Rocking motion is pleasing

Cons:

Pricey if you do not like to pay from $50 to $100 for tennis shoes. Otherwise, that price is in line with many other tennis shoe brands
From my limited experience I could not prove that they work although some people swear by them

Disclaimer: The Sketchers Shape-Ups were a personal gift and we did not receive them from the company and were not compensated for this review.

GNC Women’s Hair, Skin and Nails Formula Dietary Supplement Review

This is a review of GNC Women’s Hair, Skin and Nails Formula dietary supplement. This was a personal purchase and no one sent me a sample or paid me to write this review.

When I was about 45 I started to notice the signs of menopause, hot flashes, and thinning hair. My hairline would actually burn all along my part and then I started to notice my hair thinning out. I wasn’t sure what to do and just lived with it until I noticed that the one spot was actually starting to look bald.

I looked around for some solutions and first I tried Rogaine. I tried it for about 4 weeks, using it twice a day as suggested, but I never saw any results. They say that it may or may not work for everyone and I guess I am in the may not category.

My hair stylist told me about something called Nioxin, which is also a supplement, but once I checked out the reviews and price (about $14 for a bottle of 30 pills) I decided against it. The reviews also indicated that it might not work.

The GNC store was right across from my hair salon so I went in there and asked them if they have an option similar to Nioxin. They said to try their Hair, Skin and Nails Formula supplement. I didn’t buy it right away, because like most people, I want to read reviews first. I went online and read reviews on 3 or 4 sites. An overwhelming majority, I’d say 90%, said it worked for them. And, I found that it was much cheaper, $7.99 for 30 pills (one month supply, sale price).

If you buy from GNC on a regular basis I would suggest you sign up to get their Gold card. It will cost you $15 but you will save 20% off your purchases for the first week of the month every month of the year.

One thing I was concerned with when buying the GNC Hair, Skin and Nails Supplement was would I be able to take it everyday. I find that if a supplement or vitamin doesn’t show me noticeable differences or tastes bad that I won’t continue with it over the long term. The GNC supplement is great because they have added a vanilla flavor to it and the pills are slightly smaller than a multi-vitamin so very easy to take.

My test ran from January 8 until February 6, 2011. I took the GNC Hair, Skin and Nails Supplement twice a day and never missed a day. I take both of the pills at dinner at the same time.

Here is a picture of my hair before the supplements. You can see the obvious thinning at the hairline on one side. Not sure why it didn’t happen on the other side. This is the side where my natural part is.

Here is a picture I took today, February 6, 2011 to show the difference. To me it is amazing. The hair that was thinning or actually completely broken off is coming back and filling in. My eyebrows are growing back. My eyebrows have been thin for 10 years probably and when they grew they wouldn’t grow back in right.

One slight downside to this supplement is hair grows faster and longer EVERYWHERE on your body, not just your head. I’m sure there is no way for a supplement to pinpoint just one area of your body. I notice now that my hair grows faster. It grew one full inch in this one month test and it usually grows a half of an inch. I also noticed that light hair is growing on the sides of my face. This is not a problem as I have always had hair there but now there is just more. I cut it with fine scissors. If you have dark hair this might be a problem for you.

These GNA supplements did nothing for my skin or nails but I am happy with the results on my hair.

I plan on continuing to take these GNC supplements and hopefully my hair will get even more filled in and thicker.

2016 UPDATE: I now take a similar supplement that has everything the GNC supplement has at a fraction of the price. If you go to Walmart you can find a similar brand and the one-month bottle only costs $4.99.

Pros:

grows hair thicker and make new hair grow
affordable
great Vanilla taste

Cons:

you must take the supplements daily and not stop
did nothing for my nails or skin
hair grows everywhere, not just on your head
In 6 to 8 weeks your body can adapt to it and it may not work as well as it did in the beginning

Review of Treasure Box Kids Girl’s Dresses

We were not paid to write this review. We did receive a girls dress from Treasure Box Kids to sample. All opinions are 100% our own.

Treasure Box Kids is an online store which sells designer children’s clothes are great discount prices. You can visit them at www.treasureboxkids.com

More about Treasure Box Kids

Treasure Box Kids is a boutique childrens clothing store specializes in designer childrens clothing from: B T Kids, Good Lad, Tommy Hilfiger, Laura Ashley, Vitamins baby, Bonnie Jean and Rare Editions Girls Clothing. Our selection of children’s clothing is hand-selected every year from leading manufacturers to provide our customers with selection and savings.

Here is what we thought about the Bonnie Jean Pink Floral print dress we received.

The dress came in really nice packaging; the letter that came with it stated that this is the way paying customers also would receive the items. It was a priority mail box with a bag inside, inside the bag was a bubble-wrapped shirt box, sealed with the store’s logo sticker.

The dress was beautifully and PERFECTLY folded in tissue paper within the shirt box. A very nice presentation and customers should be happy to receive their purchases from Treasure Box Kids.

The dress itself is very lovely , I think chiffon-like fabric. I was a little concerned about it being too delicate for a crazy three-year-old like Ava, but actually it held up pretty well and was much more durable than it looked. All seams and hems looked well sewn and the seams were reinforced as well.

I don’t know what the purchase price-point is for this item, but the quality is good and definitely above the value one would expect of this range that I would normally buy!

The only 2 issues I had were the dress is a bit short (not a fault of the design, just that Ava is really tall), and the bodice and straps of the dress seemed a little roomy for a little girl (the V-neckline seemed a tad deep, and the arm-pit holes were very open and exposed a lot of skin). These things were so minor though, that they don’t effect the overall impression I had of this dress and Ava can still wear it with no problem.

Overall, I really like this dress and I would recommend the Treasure Box Kid store experience and Bonnie Jean brand to other moms who want something pretty and well-made for their preschoolers.

Review of Lee Jeans Slender Secret Stretch Bootcut Jeans

This is a review of the Lee Jeans Slender Secret Stretch Bootcut Jeans. This was a personal purchase and no one sent it to me for review and I was not paid for my opinion.

Jeans can be your favorite things to wear or your worst nightmare. When you try them on at the store they might fit but then days later they stretch and become loss. Or, you get that dreaded pouch on the back at the base of your spine and they don’t fit to your body and stick out. I am fairly tall, measuring 5’8″ and I have a 34″ inseam so it is hard to find jeans that are long enough. I weight around 140 lbs and wear a size 10 making me right in the Misses range of sizes. It seems that many of the long jeans and pants are for sizes 12 and higher.

I tried a pair of Lee Jeans Slender Bootcut jeans on and I like them. The tag reads Ultra stretch and says the fabric retains its shape all day.

Lee Slender Secret Stretch Jeans are available at JCPenney, Macys, and Kohls as well as through LeeJeans.com and also on Amazon.com. They come in Petite and Plus sizes as well.

Many times my jeans end up shrinking so that is another reason why it can be hard to try a pair on and then still like them days later.

Another problem with jeans is if you wear them for 2 or 3 days they can often become loose and lose their shape. I found these Lee jeans held their shape nicely.

One the first try I found that these Lee Jeans fit perfectly. Over the years I have gained a little weight and now I like them lower in the waist. I don’t have a pot belly but I’m not 20-years-old either and I refuse to where “mom jeans” that come up to your waistline. I like the fact that the legs aren’t super tight. When you get jeans like this with some spandex in the fabric they often grab so tightly to your leg that when you move they scrunch up. I hate that. I might have a couple of extra pounds on me but I don’t want it to show. No matter what you shape we all need to camouflage our flaws with well-fitting clothes. And, I love wearing jeans.

After the first washing of these Lee Slender Secret Bootcut Stretch jeans they have still held their shape. Many jeans lose their shape and look worn so you can only wear them once. It must be the fabric they are using because I have other jeans that have spandex in the fabric and they don’t hold their shape like these. I am super happy with my Lee jeans and now they are my favorite pair.

Pros:

Stretch fabric has just enough give but doesn’t cling tight to your legs
legs are wider
sits lowers on your hips
holds it shape after several days of wear

Cons:

The flaps on the pockets on the back can make your butt look bigger