Tan in a Can

This week, I'm coming full circle and trying the L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Salon Airbrush Self-Tanning Mist. My first post consisted of my attempt at spray tanning which didn't go over so well. I'm hoping this at self-tanning airbrush bronzer will do the trick.

I was at Shoppers Drug Mart last week and stumbled upon this tanning solution by complete accident. I thought I'd try it out...one of these sunless tanning products have to work eventually...right?

The product promises a "gorgeous salon perfect tan at home" and a "fresh new citrus scent" which couldn't be further from the truth. Using this product reminded me of my spray tanning experience at the tanning salon, which brought back terrible memories of transforming into an Oompa Loopma for a week. It smells really awful, which in turn makes my hair smell awful. I guess they still have some work to do on that "fresh citrus scent."

The instructions say to spray the Sublime Bronze on your body daily for about a week, at which point you should have a nice sunless tan. In order to maintain this tan, spray yourself every few days. I started using Sublime Bronze last Wednesday and guess what? I'm still as pale as ever.

I'm going to say Drop it. The can only contains 150mL for about ten bucks, so if continual use is the key, you're going to be spending a ton of money on a tan in a can.

Bump it

Sorry boys, you won't be interested this week.

The product I'll be talking about this week is Bumpits. They are "hair volumizing leave-in inserts" that let our hair go "from flat to fabulous in seconds!" I've always wanted to try Bumpits, and luck would have it, they are now sold at the Dollarama for two bucks. Bumpits are one of those As Seen on TV products and look like a great solution to styling your hair.
Bumpits claim that in three easy steps you will have that more volumized hair. There are three different sizes - small, medium and large; so you can decide which sized bump you want. I tired all three sizes out and I'm not sure if I'm just hair-challenged, my hair just isn't thick eough to cover the plastic pieces, or they really don't work, but I couldn't figure them out for the life of me. I would Drop it but my opinion might change if one day I have all the time in the world to figure out how to make my hair look like the girl in the picture.

The Weather Shield

A few weeks ago when the cold and snow seemed never ending, I decided to try out the Pro Tek Weather Shield. It's basically a windshield cover that is suppose to protect from frost, snow and dirt. I wanted to try it because anything that will make my early mornings a little easier is worth trying. I put the cover on one night when I returned home from work and hoped for the best. The next morning as I went outside in hopes of not having to scrape any ice from my windshield, I noticed the Pro Tek Weather Shield had completely blown off and therefore, I had to scrape the frost from my car. It has magnets in all four corners that are suppose to secure it to the car, but in my case this didn't really help. I tried it again a few days later during a snowfall. It stayed on throughout the night because the snow was heavy, but in the morning when I pulled it off, I had to use the snow brush anyways because the snow just went all over the place. I bought the Pro Tek Weather Shield at Showcase for $9.95. Although not expensive, it definitely wasn't worth it. Drop it. It looks like the old fashioned way of removing frost and snow is just going to have to do.

You've Got the Power

On Wednesday night, my friend Anna and I went looking for a product that was wacky enough to try out for my blog. We went into Showcase, a store dedicated to crazy products only seen on TV. The guy working, (let's call him Brad), was more than happy to let us test out the Power Balance bracelet. The company is "committed to bringing performance innovation to every athlete in the world from professional to recreational. We want everyone, no matter their level of activity, to maximize their potential and live life to the fullest." The store featured a shrine to the bracelet with a video and pictures of celebrities who endorse the Power Balance, such as Shaquille O'Neal, Justin Bieber, Bill Clinton and P. Diddy.

In order to test out the bracelet, Brad tested us in three areas: Balance, Flexibility and Strength. The first time without the bracelet, the second time with it on.
Balance: We stood on one food and Brad tried to knock us over. I had terrible balance with and without the bracelet. Anna was rock steady both ways. The bracelet didn't do much this round.
Flexibility: We had to stretch around as far as we could. Both of us turned further the second time but I think I had just stretched out from the first time.
Strength: We had to press our thumb and middle finger together while Brad tried to pry them apart. I'm not very strong with or without the bracelet, but Anna was a warrior and Brad couldn't pry her fingers apart while she had then bracelet on.

The Power Balance is a neat concept, but I'm still quite skeptical about the actual merit of this product. It costs $39.99, so you'd better be sure you of it before you buy it. It comes in all colours, and seems quite durable, but it seems like a bit of a gimmick. Maybe it enhances your abilities, but for me, I'm going to drop it.

a few little gems

This week isn't dedicated to any one wacky and tacky product, but to two items that I've found add convenience and ease to my hectic life.


The first little gem I've discovered is disposable toothbrushes. My roommate gave me a pack of Plackers Flash Disposable Toothbrush in my stocking for Christmas. Six come in a package, and they are individually wrapped which makes them portable. Although they aren't the ideal way of brushing one's teeth, they are perfect for times where it's just not possible to break out your toothbrush and toothpaste and brush away that coffee breath. You shouldn't go as far as to only use disposable toothbrushes -- that just wouldn't be hygienic -- but in terms of convenience and getting that those teeth feeling much less fuzzy, these mini toothbrushes do the trick.

The next product I absolutely love is the Swiffer Wet Jet. My mom bought me one for Christmas and I use it almost every day. Instead of using a mop and a dirty bucket of water, this little gem uses a liquid spray and a disposable cleaning pad. I thought the downside would be that it uses batteries, but the batteries I put in at Christmas are still going strong. I recommend the Swiffer Wet Jet if you are looking to clean without much hassel.

Get Crackin'!

EZ CRACKER
Canadian Tire
$12.99

I love eggs. Over easy are my favourite but a good percentage of the time I botch the cracking of the egg and end up eating scrambled. After so many years of this - mostly due to my inability to cook even the easiest foods, I searched for something that would bring my botched egg cracking days to an end.

The solution to my problem came to me through a corny infomercial. There is something about infomercials that captivates me. As odd as that sounds, I enjoy watching these exaggerated dramatizations of the problems people face and the brand new product that will save us all. The commercial below isn't the original one that made me want the EZ Cracker, but when I found this commercial on YouTube, I had to share. It explains the use of this product in an extreme way. Watch and enjoy.

Shop it or Drop it:
The EZ Cracker is the type of product that looks silly and pointless, but this little kitchen gem actually works! My verdict is to Shop it. I am so happy I finally bought the EZ Cracker. I made eggs tonight and they dropped into the pan perfectly! This is a product that isn't necessary to everyday life, but it did allow me to crack my eggs much neater than I do otherwise. It's not an expensive product, but if you're not willing to fork out the $12.99 and have mastered the art of cracking perfect eggs every time, this might not be for you. If you're like me, and want anything to make something as small as egg cracking easier, the EZ Cracker is for you.

BUT WAIT...OF COURSE THERE'S MORE!
If you watched the full video that will make sense. The Egg Scrambler didn't come with my EZ Cracker, so maybe that will be next on my list...

Fake and Bake - The Mystified Version

Hi Everyone!
This is my first official product testing review blog, so let's get started!

I used to be a tanning feign. I'd go as much as possible and thought nothing of it. In the past year or so, my fake tanning has stopped as the constant emails from my dad filled with statistics finally filled my head with fear and I became another pale Canadian in the cold and snowy winters.

Enter Mystic tanning. I've always wanted to try mystic tanning, but I've been skeptical and feared turning orange. I decided to conquer my fear, and on Monday night my roommate Kylin and I went to a tanning salon in St. Catharines

The girl working had never done it, and her directions were terrible; I learned more from the list of directions on the wall than from her. In I went, and for 60 seconds, I inhaled a good amount of mist because I didn't hold my breath in time. Whoops. The inside of the booth looks exactly like this picture, so if you are claustrophobic I would not suggest it.

Once I got home, it looked like a pretty decent tan. The next morning, it was like I had fallen into a sea of Oompa Loompas. My hands were bright orange, and it seemed like the more I scrubbed, the more orange they became.


Flash forward 5 days: My hands are no longer orange and although I'm slightly darker than before my mystic tan, it will be completely gone in the next few days.

Shop it or Drop it:
Mystic tanning is a good solution if you need an immediate tan for a special occasion and you want an option other than tanning beds. The problem is that it only lasts 5-10 days and isn't all that cheap, costing around $30 each time. Overall, Drop it - do it on occasion rather than every week or two. You'll save a boatload of money in the end.

Here is a link to FAQs on the Arizona Tan website, one of the few places that does Mystic tanning in St. Catharines. Also, here is a great website filled with all kinds of facts and ideas about mystic tanning.

Welcome!

Welcome to Shop it or Drop it, my guide into the world of crazy products - what to buy and what to avoid.

Here's how this blog came about:

I'm one of those people who enjoys watching corny infomercials and I get excited about any new product that might make my life just a little easier. This blog gives me an excuse to actually try out certain wacky and tacky products that I otherwise would be too afraid to spend time and money on.

Each week I will try out a product that many are skeptical of or is brand new and looks too good to be true.

I'm very open to suggestions, so as you join me in my product testing, feel free to give me ideas of what to test out.