Category: Stuff to Buy (Page 44 of 72)

Product Review: Philips Norelco BodyGroom BG2040 Grooming Tool

August 15, 2012 /

How else are you going to review a men’s body grooming product than by shaving every inch of hair on your body with it? It would be easy to just do chest hair, write a review and call it a day, right? Wrong, Buster.

I’m talking about all body hair below the neck. I would’ve shaved my head and face with it, but the instructions explicitly stated, “Do not shave your head or face with this.”

The sleek design of the BodyGroom BG2040 really appealed to me. It was silver, like the medal Michael Phelps collected in his “signature” event, the 200 fly. It was literally two grooming devices in one that fits comfortably into the palm of your hand. On one end is the shaving unit, and on the other end is the trimming unit.

So I will break it down, body part by soon to be hairless body part. As you’re reading this, envision Marv Albert’s voice reading to you, lovingly, tenderly. “YES! And the FOUL!”

Chest

I am not a “bear” like this guy, and I’m not hairless like Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte either, but I need to trim my chest hair on occasion. The issue I’ve encountered with almost every product made specifically for men’s body grooming, however, is that in the case of an electric, it can never give you that shave down to the skin; stubble is almost always visible. No chick on earth is attracted to chest hair stubble.

So, my gauge for the success of the body groomer was based on this. I trimmed the hair with the trimmer, and the built-in “hair length selector” worked to perfection. Then, I flipped the BodyGroom around and used the shaving head and was immediately impressed, because it got the hair down to the root, leaving behind no stubble. Afterward, my skin felt like I had used a razor because it was so smooth.

Forearms

I have forearm hair and I’m not afraid to admit it. There, I said it. Not as bad as this guy, but not hairless, either. And I like a crisp, trimmed look because it feels great. The slightly rotating head on the shaving unit was perfect for getting the hair trimmed around my wrist and elbow, and it ensured an even shave from wrist to elbow as well.

Armpit

Shaving,or even trimming armpit hair sucks, but it’s something we just have to bite our lip and do. Using the trimming edge of the BodyGroom made it very simple — no hair was ever pulled or tugged. It took maybe a total of three minutes and I moved on with my life.

Privates

Now the part everyone wanted to hear, the “money shot” if you will. This was maybe the easiest experience I’ve had trimming down there because the BodyGroom doesn’t have any sharp edges or razors that could potentially cut you, nor did it tug out any hair. It was painless and very easy to use.

Cleaning the BodyGroom was even easier than using it; the little rotating head on the shaver popped right out so I rinsed it, let it dry and re-inserted. Additionally, charging it only took about 20 minutes, which gives you just under an hour of usage/battery life.

No matter your personal hair situation, you can benefit from the versatility and ease of use that the BodyGroomer provides. In fact, we’re so confident you’ll like it that Bullz-Eye is giving one lucky reader the new Philips Norelco grooming tool to try out. Click here to enter for your chance to win. The contest ends on September 5th and the winner will be notified via email.

Contests, Grooming, Stuff to Buy

Bullz-Eye’s Back to School Gift Guide

August 14, 2012 /

It may sound strange, but while I miss being a student, I don’t miss school.

I try to compensate for this by taking every opportunity presented to me to still learn, but there’s just some things that can’t be recreated outside of the school environment, one of which has to be the first day back to school. I know, I know, it means the end of summer and the beginning of classes again. But what if I could tell you that there were steps you could take to ensure that this is the best school year ever, and the year in which you really stand out and make a name for yourself? Even better, what if I told you that you could accomplish it, without any of that self improvement stuff, or without having to apply earnest effort?

I’m talking about coming back to school with the sweetest swag available. Not just any ordinary swag, though, but swag that will be easy to show off and actually aid you in the school year as well. It’s like having your cake and rubbing it in everyone’s face too.

Here are some gadgets and gear that no student should be without this school year.

Google Nexus 7

One day, perhaps, all schools will be able to provide tablets for their students for the ultimate learning experience (and to help create an awesome sci-fi learning environment). Until that glorious day, though, you’ll just have to supply your own.

While the iPad is still the overall better buy, the Nexus 7 gets the edge for a student. Why? Well, its $199 price tag doesn’t hurt, but it’s the Nexus 7’s smaller size that gives it the advantage for every day, on the go use. Plus, in the smaller tablet market, the Nexus 7 is far and away the best available spec-wise at the moment, as even trendsetter Amazon is having to update their Kindle Fire ahead of schedule in order to keep up.

The Nexus 7 features over 600,000 apps, incredibly long battery life (9 hours HD video, 10 hours web browsing), and all of the e-book, email, video download, and online services you would expect from a tablet. Put it all together, and you have a tablet that succeeds where Amazon failed, and manages to provide a true budget alternative to the iPad. It’s hard to imagine a more useful overall back to school device.

Bose MIE2i Mobile Headset

I know that the over-the-ear, in-ear headphone debate is an eternal one that has yet to claim a true victor. However, for whatever my two cents are truly worth, I personally side with in-ears. What you lose in style and comfort, you gain back tenfold in convenience and portability.

So let’s say you agree with me and have decided to finally invest in a set of in-ear headphones that don’t come with your iPhone or from the back counter of a convenience store. Let’s also say that you’re not into the Beat headphone mini-craze and want a set of true quality buds. If so, then I’d like to be the one millionth person to recommend you go with Bose.

For what Bose headphones lack in flash, they make up for everywhere else that matters. The MIE2i have always been one of their best sets as they feature the usual frighteningly good level of sound quality and noise cancellation you expect from Bose, but also offer unrivaled comfort (you hardly notice them, and they always stay in place) and sustainability in the in-ear field. If you’re looking to make an investment on a set of headphones that will actually last, and allow you to discretely listen to the Black Keys in class, look no further than these beauties.

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Gadgets, Gear, Lifestyle, Stuff to Buy

SLAPPA M.A.S.K. Jedi Mind Trix Backpack Review

August 6, 2012 /

Just the Stats:

* Height – 20.5”

* Width – 14.0”

* Depth – 12” to 14”

* Made of 1680D Military Grade Ballistics Nylon that is puncture and waterproof

* Customizable/interchangeable faces

* A seemingly infinite amount of pockets and storage space

* MSRP $139.00

In case you couldn’t gather from some of our previous reviews, the fine folks at SLAPPA have managed to win fans on this site with their high quality bags, gear and cases over the years. Now, since I’ve been using one backpack or another since my days of arranging 16-player “Halo” LAN parties in high school, when I found out that it would be my turn to review SLAPPA’s newest line of backpack, I was excited, but also curious. After all, I’ve been going through backpacks of various makes for years now, and while some have admittedly held up and performed better than others, I’ve never owned one that generates such prolific levels of praise, like the SLAPPA models seem to. I just couldn’t imagine how a simple backpack could be such a big deal. It’s appropriate, then, that this new line of backpack is called the M.A.S.K. Jedi Mind Trix, because this wasn’t the backpack I was looking for, or expecting.

No, what I got was something else entirely. To call this stylishly designed bundle that contains a mini galaxy of storage options a backpack doesn’t conjure the necessary image that you need to fully appreciate it. In fact, calling it a backpack almost insults the efforts of other, lesser manufacturers that sell a product called a backpack, because despite their well intentioned efforts, they have no way to compete with the Jedi Mind Trix.

What makes it so great? Well, first you have to start with the storage capacity. I loaded this thing up with my PlayStation 3, my laptop, all the cords and controllers for both, two bottles of water, my sunglasses, my copy of “Broom of the System,” a notebook, pens, my iPod, a set of DJ headphones, and a light jacket held by the Jedi Mind Trix’s new exterior carry straps. When I was done, I swear that the backpack laughed at me. There was still an inconceivable amount of free space left that I couldn’t imagine uses for. Even better, when I put the backpack on, I immediately found out why there is a price jump from the standard packs I had used over the years, and this one. Thanks to the design of the M.A.S.K., neither myself nor the backpack suffered from any strain due to the weight. Not only were my shoulders supported comfortably by the cushioned straps, but the padded SLAPPA logo on the back actually worked to ease my burden. Thanks to the incredible level of internal cushioning, I also took additional comfort in knowing that everything I had just put into the backpack was equally protected as well.

Besides the practical features, the SLAPPA models are also known for their incredible style, and this one is no exception. It features the same customizable face, linings and graphics options as the other models in the M.A.S.K. line, and in many respects reminds me of the wide range of customization options available for the Alienware line of computers. What I mean is, it uses its sense of style not as an excuse to raise the price point, but rather as a natural extension, or warning even, to the superior product that lies underneath.

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Gear, Recreation, Stuff to Buy

Product Review: Verb Sculpting Clay

July 31, 2012 /

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as hair paste or sculpting clay. Your choices were Dep or Royal Crown Sculpting Cream.

Royal Crown Sculpting Cream came in this tiny circular canister with a metal lid. Inside, the cream resided, and looked more like a lubrication product for heavy machinery than a hair product. And once you applied it, it felt like lubrication product for heavy machinery. Your hair was basically plastered down to your head and it looked like you were always sweaty (like Don Cheadle) and needed to be smoking a Lucky Strike unfiltered cigarette.

And once it was applied, you wouldn’t dare run your hand through it, because it would be fully coated and moist by the time you got to the back of your head. Your look”(think wet, matted-down dog) remained the same throughout the day and left some really questionable ooze on your pillow.

A good paste is something that still eludes the majority of companies on the market today. Most of the pastes still don’t have the holding power that makes a paste, a paste.

A paste that comes out of a tube is straight up substandard — don’t even waste your time. It will coat your hair, but won’t allow any styling, and generally, your hair lays down flat after an hour or less after application. If you’re in a club or bar and you sweat even slightly, your hair will lay flat, like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Kramer switch to low flow showerheads.

But the paste from Verb is the real deal, the genuine article if you will. With Brylcreem, another old school product, the old slogan was, “A little dab will do ya.” And it would mat you down, but you wouldn’t be able to style or sculpt your hair.

The product from Verb not only allows for the ability to legitimately style your hair, but it doesn’t leave residue or become crusty. The thing that was really cool was the fact that you could re-style your hair throughout the day. Additionally, you (or your special lady) can run your fingers through it and it doesn’t feel sharp, crusty or unwilling to move.

How does Verb accomplish this? Perhaps the paste’s ingredients, which is “free of sulfates, parabens and even gluten.”

Another nice feature is that you don’t have to fully coat your head to spike your hair or sculpt any way you choose. I literally used enough to cover the tip of my index finger and that was enough to keep my look (think Blue Steel) all day. Which also means that you don’t have to buy the product constantly; one circular container would last you several months. And at just $12 per container, it is an absolute steal.

Check out the Verb Sculpting Clay in addition to other products from Verb.

Grooming, Stuff to Buy

Product Review: Dreadnought Shaving Products

July 19, 2012 /

After the last product review I did ended up being somewhat of a dreadful experience, I’d be lying if I said a feeling of dread hadn’t since settled over me. I was really hoping the next product I tried wouldn’t lead me to another “dread” end. But alas, the shaving products from Dreadnought Shaving we’re anything but “dread” on arrival.

So, what is a Dreadnought? A “dreadnought” is defined as:

1) A person who fears nothing

2) One that is among the largest and most powerful of its kind

The Dreadnought Avenger Shaving Brush was a little piece of awesomeness I didn’t even expect. It was solidly built, but not heavy or cumbersome, and when using it, you could tell the impact it made right away. I followed the instructions and added a dollop of Dreadnought shaving cream.

The dollop was described as “almond sized” and I didn’t think that would be enough, but I did it anyway. I was amazed, as that small amount covered my entire face and neck and there was actually plenty left over in the Avenger Brush that I had to wash out; in today’s green world of limiting carbon footprints and“minimizing waste, I felt ashamed. And all I could think about was the old “Keep America Beautiful” campaign with the old Indian crying. But I moved on and was somehow able to proceed with my shave.

The shaving cream itself had a very masculine smell, yet wasn’t overpowering. The cream actually looked to be almost a gel-like substance compared to a typical shaving cream — sort of like how Dep hair gel is to today’s hair paste. I thought it may be too runny, but as I applied it to my face, it was the perfect consistency. Shaving was easy and smooth; it was like the shaving cream adapted to my facial hair (if that makes any sense), and I never had to go over an area more than once with my razor.

And while the shaving itself was smooth, the Post Shave Balm came in and really just felt great. When I read the ingredients, I wasn’t surprised that the dominant ingredient was aloe vera because my skin felt rejuvenated and revitalized. Some after shaves are loaded with water or glycerin, which means in about five minutes after applying, your skin needs another application to get that fresh feeling again. But with Dreadnought, my skin felt tight and crisp for a solid 45 minutes post shave.

The only thing easier than using the Shaving Cream and Post Shave Balm in concert was cleaning the Avenger brush. From the product description: “After using your Avenger, rinse the brush clean in warm water. Give it a little squeeze to get rid of as much water as possible, give it a good shake, [and] then rest on its base so it can dry out.” I followed the instructions, and by the next morning, the brush was completely dry and soft, like I had never even used it.

Between the Shaving Cream ($19.00), Post Shave Balm ($19.00) and the Avenger Brush ($15.00), $53.00 is incredibly reasonable for the shave that’s in store for you — especially when you consider that each 100 ml canister of shave cream will provide a total of 50 shaves, or roughly $1 a shave. The value of the product combined with the price makes it unbeatable.

I highly recommend all three products which can be purchased through the company’s website at www.dreadnought-shaving.com.

Grooming, Lifestyle, Stuff to Buy

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