I like to consider myself a bit of a gym-aholic.  I go to the gym five days a week and if I miss a day I’m all out of whack.  Fitness is very important to me, not only for the physical benefits, but also for the mental ones.  I love the feeling you get fresh out of a workout.  Knowing that you did something good for yourself is the best high you can get in my opinion.  So the right equipment, to me, is very important. Between my Lululemon and Joe Fresh workout gear I have to have good runners.  For the longest time I had these Lacoste runners that had one huge velcro strap instead of laces; I didn’t know the importance of good workout shoes.  Well, the Lacoste runners were a bit narrow at the ends and it caused my toes to hurt after a while so I invested in a pair of Adidas runners.

About half a year ago I made a day trip down to the states and I went to T.J. Maxx.  Whenever I’m at a discount department store (whether it’s Winners or T.J. Maxx) I always check out the handbags, accessories, makeup/hair products, then shoes (usually in that order).  You can find some real gems at discount department stores with some items close to 70 per cent off the retail price. So, imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a pair of Reebok TrainTone runners, which retail for close to $100 Canadian, and they were $40 USD.  I didn’t really need another pair of runners because I had my Adidas ones but I had heard a lot of things about these and really wanted to try them.  Needless to say, I snatched them.

I’ve always been skeptical about these ‘training’ runners. Reebok claims that the runners will help tone your butt and legs from the “balance ball-inspired pods with moving air technology”. I just didn’t get how these runners could possibly help you get a toned pair of stems and backside simply from walking.  Well, neither did the FTC who says that Reebok’s 2009 ads for the product didn’t have scientific research to back up their claims.

It was announced today that Reebok has agreed to pay back $25 million to settle charges that it made in advertisements from 2009 that claimed that the shoes strengthened hamstrings and calves by up to 11 per cent and toned your butt by 28 per cent more than regular runners.  Who will get that money you ask?  The consumers who bought the products.  The Tone line of shoes come in a variety of different ‘styles’ which are designed for different activities.  There is RunTone, EasyTone, EasyTone Flip (don’t ask me what the difference is), JumpTone, SimplyTone,  and SlimTone.  There is also a variety of different clothing items that are in the Tone line as well (I’ve seen the pants and were interested in them but I just didn’t get how they could tone you up).  If you bought any item from the Tone line of products, visit their refund website here to get your money back.  I filled out the form, but I’m really hoping that you don’t have to send them the shoes because despite all made-up claims, I really do like them. Like the Sketchers Shape-Ups (which I hate the style of by the way, they look like orthopedic shoes), I just didn’t believe that they did what they said. But for the $40 that I paid of them, I figured why not give them a try.  Well, I have to say, scientific research or not, these things work.  As skeptical as I was, after a good run I felt some pain in my glutes and inside upper thighs. Like I mentioned at the beginning, I work out a lot and I don’t really get too sore anymore, but wow, I could feel that these things actually work.   I also brought the runners along to Vegas with me this past August because I knew I was going to do a lot of walking and nothing is worse than having sore feet on vacation.  After a full day of walking, my calves were burning and it had to be from the runners.  As much as I didn’t believe these shoes could work, you really do feel some results.

Now of course you can’t use them for every activity.  I made the mistake of wearing them to a Group Power class (weight lifting) and they are not good for balance at all.  Because you are basically walking on two mini half balance balls per foot, doing dynamic lunges is a bad idea.  I was falling all over the place.  If you are going to invest in these runners make sure you are using them properly to get the most effect.  I would recommend either walking with them or running, I felt the most pain the next day from those two activites.  Also, with that being said, I mean you are going to have to do a lot more than just wear these shoes to get a body like the model’s in the advertisements, but hey, sex sells right?

It’s a shame that Reebok got into hot water for claims that they couldn’t back up, however, I’m not complaining, if I can get a refund on them (and hopefully keep them) then that would be awesome.  Either way, they are totally worth it.  They seem like one of those things that are too good to be true, but with enough wear you could probably get some pretty toned-up legs.

Have you tried Reebok’s Tone line of sneakers?  What were your thoughts? Did they work for you?

Hey guys!  So up next in the Cult Collection saga is NARS’ Laguna Bronzer, an iconic bronzer with a hint of golden shimmer.

From NARS’ website:

Bronzing Powder creates the ultimate healthy glow. Diffused powders with golden shimmer create an all-over warmth or contour for the face perfect for creating or enhancing the look of tanned skin. Finely milled powders fills in lines and pores for smoother, more even looking complexion.

• Laguna named “Best Bronzer for Light Skin” 2011 InStyle “Best Beauty Buys”
• Natural looking, imperceptible finish
• Subtle shimmer adds glow

I’ve been wanting to try Laguna ever since I bought their Orgasm blush but it’s a bit pricey ($39 in Canada I believe) and I have three other bronzers to use up first anyways.  For my birthday in May I got a gift card for Sephora and when I went to the store NARS had a set with Laguna and Angelika in a duo and a mini Angelika lipgloss, so I jumped at the opportunity and got it.

Okay, so for those who know me really well, they would tell you that I love my bronzer.  I’m quite pale so anything that can make me look tanner, I will grab at like a dog and chicken (well, like Ziggy and chicken).  Anyways, the point is, I love my bronzer, I love my tanning lotion, I love anything that can make me look darker but in a relatively safe (cancer-free) way.

Alright, so with that being said, I don’t actually use laguna as a bronzer, I use it to contour and I have to say, it does a pretty darn good job at doing it. There is a lot of colour pay off in Laguna and it’s the most perfect bronze shade to contour cheekbones.  If I want a bronze look on my cheeks I’ll reach for my Joe Fresh or St. Tropez bronzer, not necessarily Laguna. That’s not to say that this wouldn’t work well for that sun-kissed look, I just don’t use it that way.

Is your face a big mess when you try to contour?  Just can’t get the hang of it?  Well, L’Oreal Paris has made it easier for you.

I first saw Kandee Johnson talking about these L’Oreal Paris The One Sweep Sculpting Blush Duos ($14.99 CDN) and was instantly intrigued. How could you get perfect contouring and colour all in one sweep?  Was it possible?  I had to try it.

I managed to get two colours, Flush, which is is red-based blush, similar to NARS’ Orgasm, and Poppy, a lighter pink.  I believe that the bronzer in the two is the same shade.  There is also two other shades: Nectar, which is a peach colour, and Posh, which looks like a mauve-type shade. So how does it work?  Well, in the bottom compartment (you flip the blush/bronzer part up) there is a V-shaped brush and mirror.  You are supposed to sweep the brush across the pan in a diagonal direction to pick up both the blush and bronzer.  You go back and forth about three to four times.  Then, starting at the apple of your cheek, you sweep the brush on your cheeks back and forth depositing the colour on your cheeks and cheekbones. So does it work?  Do you end up with a stripe of two colours on your face? Surprisingly, no.  The colour goes on your face quite smoothly and although I didn’t notice much contouring, it does leave a perfect application of the blush.

I did a demo of both colours to see how they turn out when you apply them. I started off with a basic face, just foundation, concealer, and lipstick.

Bare face. Makeup used: MAC Pro Longwear foundation in NC15, ELF undereye concealer, Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder, MAC Blankety lipstick

The first colour that I tested out was Flush.  It’s a rose coloured blush that reminds me a lot like Orgasm.

Flush

With Flush there is definitely a lot of colour payoff.  It is a bit too bold of a colour for me for daytime, maybe if I was going out at night to a dark place then I would wear this colour.  Of course, you can always apply it with a lighter hand and it won’t be this bold or you could grab your blush brush and blend it a bit more.  Like I mentioned earlier, I didn’t see much of the bronzer shade, I would probably have to contour my cheeks myself.

The other colour I got was Poppy, which is a lighter pink shade, very appropriate for day time or for a subtle look. Like I mentioned above, Poppy is much more subtle than Flush.  I would for sure wear this colour to work, to run errands, lazy days, etc.  Between the two, I like Poppy better.

So final thoughts?  I like this product, but not for contouring. L’Oreal had a really good idea, but I think that the bronzer part of the product should have been a lot more darker.  The blush was noticeable but that’s about it.  I would recommend this product to someone who is just starting out with makeup or for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time.  The brush is really cool and does apply the colour very well and in the right place.

Have you tried L’Oreal Paris’ The One Sweep Sculpting Blush Duo?  What were your thoughts?

Please note: I did receive this product for review, however, it did not affect my opinions on it.  All opinions are my honest own :).