Author: Paul Eide (Page 35 of 36)

Product Review: Hangover Joe’s “The Hangover” Recovery Shot

January 16, 2012 / Paul Eide

Don’t worry, no needles are involved; it’s the kind of shot that got you into this mess to begin with.

Luckily, I received my sample the morning of New Year’s Eve. As a result, I wanted to push this Recovery Shot to the limit, so I drank a box of Franzia with a friend until roughly 5:30 AM the next day. The peanut butter chicken at 4:00 AM sounded good at the time, but by 8:00 AM, it was clearly a bad choice.

The Hangover Joe Recovery Shot looked conspicuously similar to a 5-Hour Energy shot except for one noticeable difference — there was a picture of Stu from the movie “The Hangover” on the bottle, smiling at me toothlessly. At least I didn’t feel that bad.

Since it looked similar to 5-Hour Energy, I compared the ingredients and there were several similar ones like caffeine (Hangover Joe’s has the rough equivalent of one cup of coffee), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Taurine, Phenylalanine and Niacin. But Hangover Joe’s contained a slew of natural ingredients that 5-Hour didn’t have, including tea leaf extract, black pepper extract, acai fruit extract and goji berry concentrate.

Having taken 5-Hour Energy before, I wasn’t crazy about it. It worked, yes, but it also made my mind feel like it was running a million miles an hour. It gave me so much energy I felt like I was on some kind of extreme synthetic stimulant and generated more nervous energy than anything else.

The Hangover Joe product was much smoother. Prior to taking it, I was yawning and run down, my head was loopy and achy. About 20 minutes after I took it, I could feel a noticeable difference in energy level. I had actually laid down on the couch about five minutes prior to consuming it because I thought sleep was the only thing that could make me feel better. But as I laid there under a blanky, watching Texans QB Matt Flynn put together what will doubtlessly be the best game of his pro career, I lost the feeling of tiredness — it was a big surprise how fast and smooth it was. I felt better and energized, but I didn’t feel accelerated or loopy. It actually made my entire body feel better, not just my head or stomach. Dare I say it: I felt normal.

And it didn’t just last for a couple hours before the inevitable crash where you become more tired than you were initially; I made it through the entire day without a nap and even watched the Sunday night game featuring the Cowboys and Giants in its entirety.

I’m no scientist, but I think the natural ingredients, in addition to the more speedy synthetic substances, is what makes Hangover Joe’s superior to 5-Hour Energy. At no point did I feel the inevitable lag that you get from consuming excessive coffee either. Put simply, Hangover Joe’s “The Hangover” Recovery Shot works and I would recommend trying it for yourself.

Beer, Food & Drink, Stuff to Buy, Vices

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Product Review: Minus 417

January 3, 2012 / Paul Eide

I wasn’t very impressed with the products from Minus 417, which symbolized everything that’s wrong with a lot of supposed “high end” men’s skin care products that are on the market. Just because it contains a litany of exotic sounding ingredients and is high priced ($98.00 for the kit), it doesn’t mean it’s good.

Hyped as a product that was enriched with “dead-sea minerals” and “vitamin A, vitamin E, sweet-almond oil, carrot-seed oil and olive oil,” it quickly devolved into a cacophony of ingredients. The dizzying array of natural substances that comprised the line, from what I could tell, was all hype. I can’t tell the difference between a dead-Sea mineral and carrot-seed oil once it’s on my skin, but if it’s a moisturizer, make it refresh my skin and keep it moist for an extended period of time. If it’s a shaving cream, make it easy to apply to my skin, shave and rinse off my blade.

The first sample I used from the Body Care Kit for Men was the Mineral Shave Cream. I could tell from the moment I put it in my hand, just by the texture, that it wasn’t very good. I squeezed a large amount from the tube into my hand and rubbed them together, but when I did that, instead of having the product expand like most shaving creams, it gradually dissipated thanks to the friction in my hands. So, I squeezed out even more and did the same thing, this time applying some water, but it didn’t help either. After a third squeeze, I got enough out to apply on my face, but it immediately began to sting. Not only that, but it felt like I was putting lotion on my face rather than a shaving cream. It got to the point where I was literally glopping it on my face to cover the entire area.

I started dragging the razor across my face and it came up pretty easily; I didn’t have to go over the same area multiple times. But getting the cream out of my razor was a pain, and a thin layer of it coated my sink when I was done. It was not a pleasant experience.

After I washed my face, I applied the Active Moisturizer After Shave. In addition to the scent being completely overbearing, I could tell from the minute I applied it I would have to keep putting it on, over and over, because one application dries your skin out rather than moisturizing. After I put it on, my skin was dry and flakey, worse than if I hadn’t applied anything.

Finally, I used the Body & Hair Shampoo for Men. It was akin to the free shampoo you get from a hotel when you forget yours; it just wasn’t very good.

I was not impressed with any facet of the Minus 417 Body Care Kit for Men. It reminded me of a cheap substitute attempting to masquerade as a high end product. You can put a pig in a dress, but at the end of the day, it’s a pig wearing a dress.

Check out the company’s official website for more information.

Grooming

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Product Review: RAW Men’s Skin Care

December 26, 2011 / Paul Eide

What do you get when combine organic and bio-tech ingredients with the skin pH and chemistry of the modern man? RAW Skin Care! This isn’t just a white bottle with the word “lotion” on it that you can mindlessly pick up at Wal-Mart — this is a complete facial cleansing system, specifically designed for men who know the difference.

First, I washed my face with the Blue Agave Wash. The cream itself was thick; I used a minimal amount but that wasn’t enough. Some products will foam up and expand, but the RAW did not — it had more of a balm-type texture and quality. Even when I added some water and worked it into my skin, it didn’t lather up too much; it was like a coating which reminded me of the deep cleanse that you get during a facial. After a few minutes of rubbing it in, I could feel my skin begin to open up. The scent was brisk and mentholated, and my skin felt open. I have never used a product with blue agave previously, but in addition to feeling the refreshing burn that menthol provides, this was more soothing and subtle than simple menthol.

When I rinsed it off, it didn’t come streaming off of my face, which is how I knew it was high quality. I had to use a significant amount of water to get it off, and in this regard it felt like a facial peel. Exfoliate is a popular term that gets thrown around pretty loosely, but it really did exfoliate my skin based on the feeling that began to settle in after I rinsed my face off. Initially, I didn’t feel any major difference. But about two minutes later, my skin felt tight and smooth. Not to sound redundant, but it was the feeling you get after a facial where you feel refreshed and wide open.

Grooming, Lifestyle, Stuff to Buy

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Product Review: Braun cruZer Series

December 19, 2011 / Paul Eide

Do you ever just pick something up because it looks cool? I couldn’t even tell you the last time I did, but when the cruZer products from Braun arrived in the mail, I had to play with them because they just looked cool.

The cruZer line is a series of shaving devices created to express the diverse personalities of the men who use them. Your facial hair and body style express your own personality and attitude, and the cruZer line was designed to “underline your personal style.” And how does Braun plan on doing that? Unparalleled versatility.

I received two electric shavers from Braun: the CruZer6 Face and the CruZer Beard & Head Trimmer.

The CruZer6 Face electric razor is marketed as a 3-in-1 shaver, styler and trimmer, and it really was each of those, not just slick marketing. Its primary function is to shave your face, but even if you rock a goatee or Fu Manchu, you could still use it to touch up existing facial hair. The Trimming Comb is a plastic sheath that fits over the head of the shaver that you can adjust to four different lengths, which makes it ideal to trim and maintain a beard or other type of facial hair.

Another feature that speaks to the versatility of the CruZer6 is the Twistable Trimmer on the back side. The trimmer has long been a staple of an electric shaver, but unfortunately, its lack of adjustability is also well known. Not only does the CruZer6 trimmer extend out from the base of the shaver to give you an additional couple inches to work with, it also has two different sizes of trimmer head — narrow and wide. Instead of adjusting your style to fit the function of the razor, the CruZer6 adjust to the needs of the user and provides additional flexibility that other electric razors don’t. In a pinch, you could even use the CruZer6 to shave and manscape or trim any other body hair because it is so versatile.

Grooming, Lifestyle, Stuff to Buy

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Product Review: PERT Plus Classic Clean

December 11, 2011 / Paul Eide

For a long time I thought PERT Plus was just for old people. I still remember seeing the crusty old green bottle in the corner of my shower as a youth. Nothing about it said “cool” or “refreshing” — it was sort of an 80s standard that my dad used religiously, right next to his ceramic bottle of Old Spice.

While Old Spice has recently rejuvenated and repackaged itself to much acclaim, PERT Plus is also attempting a comeback, like Newt Gingrich. But unlike Newt, being repackaged and reintroduced to the public is going to be good for PERT Plus because it has substance and has been developed further than its original incarnation.

Even though 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner products now proliferate the market, PERT Plus was actually the first one to ever hit the market, back in 1987. As a result, the product has had to progress and distinguish itself. Classic Clean is one of six different available kinds of PERT Plus 2 in 1, which now has specialized versions for specific needs: Volumizing, Classic Clean for general use, Moisturizing, Invigorating and Anti-Dandruff. There is even a 3 in 1 product containing shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

I received my bottle of 2 in 1 PERT Plus Classic Clean and immediately popped the lid to take a whiff to see what kind of a scent I was dealing with. I remember the PERT of my youth having a heavy chemical smell that singed your nose hairs and burned your nostrils, and the experience of using it on your head was not dissimilar to the scent. But I was pleasantly surprised, because the scent of the new PERT Plus was fresh and pleasant. The scent itself actually smelled the way the color of the bottle looked — clean, crisp and breezy.

Grooming, Lifestyle

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