Personal Care Reviews

While the thing works, it's very particular about placement of the cuff--get it too high or too low or turn it a little too far in either direction and it doesn't get a reading. This morning I had to adjust the cuff position 3 times before it finally gave me a reading--by that time any reading it gave on that arm would be questionable anyway--it's more hassle than a device using a manual stethoscope would be. I'm looking for a replacement that works better.

OTOH, its durable--I've had it for three years now and it still works as well (or poorly) as it ever did.

This is the only monitor that I have owned that lasted more thatn five years. Unfortunately, I now need another. I switched to a more expensive brand that was worthless, because it wouldn't give any kind of reading you could believe. I'm buying another Lumiscope.

I found the Lumiscope 1085M easy to use and pretty accurate. It was only 1 or 2 digits off of the readings I received at my doctors office. The directions were easy to follow, and it has a long battery life. I would reccomend it to others.

I received this for Christmas, and I first used it without the attachments, so I felt it was nothing special. I also did not like the fact that it does not have a line to let you know how much water to put inside. When you turn the unit on and the bubbles start if it has too much water it makes a mess.

Then I got smart and decided to pull out the accessories. The pumice stone is nice. When you use your foot to apply pressure to the stone it starts to spin by itself, all of the attachments are motorized. The infrared light was relaxing. Overall I like the product, the manufacturer could make some improvements, lower the volume a little and it would have received 5 stars.

My husband just bought this spa for my birthday and I am sooooo addicted to it already! I wear high heals a lot for my new job and there is nothing in the world like coming home to soak my feet in this! You fill it with warm water and a heater on the bottom keeps the water the same temperature while in use. You can choose between three options on the control dial. 1. Heat/Infrared/Massage 2. Heat/Infrared/Massage/Bubbles (my personal favorite) 3. Heat/Bubbles. The infrared is the lighted red area on the center console where you can place your foot to receive hot, deep and penetrating direct treatment. I usually rest my heels on it for a few minutes at a time. Above the infrared heat is a little pedicure station. You place a little attachment on the opening and with the pressure of your foot...it spins. There are three attachments...a foot brush, a pumice stone, and a nubby massager. (Refer to the picture to see where the pedicure station is located). The bottom of this foot spa is very nubby...it has lots of acupressure points. Of course you can always lift out the bottom sections and replace them with foot rollers!! Now honestly, doesn't this sound like heaven? My husband is a marathon runner and he uses it too. So guys, this is great for after a gym workout or for an injury. I love mine because I have an old ankle/foot injury and this really soothes the pain after being on my feet all day. I seriously wish we had a ten star rating; this one deserves it. TIP: I also bought Homedics Paraffin spa. I bought the big one with enough room for feet and hands. I think if you really want to have a home salon...these two products together are perfect. I believe HoMedics is the best brand of foot spas. I asked my friend who's a nurse and she told me HoMedics is doctor recommended. So beware of cheap imitations. I looked at all of them and this one was suggested to me as the best. I'll review the Paraffin Spa soon...

This is a pampering spa for your tired, aching feet. There are a number of treatment options to soothe and restore your feet. You can fill the spa with warm water and enjoy a warm calming hydrotherapy session, or turn on the vibration, vibration plus heat, or vibration plus heat and jet-action bubbles.

Then, for a rejuvenating pre-pedicure soak, you can use the scrub brush, pumice stone or all-purpose massager to pamper your feet to tootsie bliss.

The perfect gift for anyone in the family. We gave one to my mother-in-law last Christmas and she says she uses it all the time. This is the perfect winter retreat for your feet!

I bought this nail care kit after trying and returning other brands. This one is just O.K. and unfortunately it's the best one I've tried. (email me about the other 5 I tried if you have questions)

1.GOOD FEATURES: It looks cool. The handle has two speeds. I love the light touch nail dryer (refer to picture).The two tiny tiny cones are fabulous for shaping up around your nail bed. The filing disks are easy to use, once you've had practice.The large filing/grinding cone is awesome for grinding away rough skin. Great price!

2.BAD FEATURES: It's noisy. The buffing head does not work. I got sick of the hassle of changing heads all the time. The case is hard to open.

So you probably want to know why I still think this one is a keeper. Well, I file my natural nails now manually because the kit is so slow, taking up to an hour, BUT...this is the only kit I tried that truly works on acrylic nails! Ever try those drug store nail kits and you have to file down the acrylic for hours? This machine does all that in seconds! No damage occurs from this kind of use. So save money from expensive manicures and do it yourself! The HoMedics nail spa will pay for itself in one use. Just please get an extention cord! You don't need to be sitting next to the wall like I did when I first used it.

I would never have bought this for myself; my mother-in-law got it for me for Christmas. I was skeptical and didn't even take it out of the packaging for a while. I don't have artificial nails and consider myself to be pretty low maintainence in the beauty department. Anyway, I decided that I should give it a whirl and I have to admit that it works very well. If you're just using it on your natural nails, it does shape, file, and buff effectively and only takes a few minutes. It is very easy to use and has 2 speeds so that you can file quickly or more slowly. I've always had okay nails - no major problems, but certainly nothing spectacular. After using this manicure kit, my nails are all equal in length/shaped the same and tend to break and chip much less. I haven't had a nail break for months and I haven't used any polish during that whole time. It also does a great job of pushing back your cuticle. If you're looking for an easy way to get better looking nails, give this kit a try! PS. It does need a longer cord - get a short extension to go with it!

I love this Homedics manicure set, model MAN-300! I have natural nails and do use nail polish occasionally. Since I got this manicure set, I have used it frequently - much to my surprise. An extension cord is necessary because I'm usually sitting at a table or on the sofa when using the manicure set. Before, I'm a little embarrassed to say, I never kept up with my own manicures often enough and now with this machine, my hands and feet are now in the best condition ever because this machine is so easy to use and is effective. And the big filer attachment is great - I'm removing callouses on my feet and it's amazing to feel them so soft. About that other reviewer that said it was hard for that person to insert the attachments - I tried forcing them for the first minute, too, and then realized it only needs to be gently turned in place and it'll go in securely with a solid click. By the way, I now am using fingernail polish more often as my hands look so good these days (I'm filing off some ever-so-slightly unsmooth skin there, too). And I'm proud of the condition of my feet.

My well meaning husband purchased this shaver for my birthday. After using it a few times for one hour on each leg to get a semi-smooth look, I thought it was a major waste of time and money. My beef isn't just with the shaver, it's with the ridiculous wall/outlet charger. Nevermind trying to plug in anything under it as it hangs a little down ...and you definitely can't plug in anything above it while the shaver is charging. You also have to push it into the outlet very hard to make it stay in to charge completely.
If you have baby fine hairs on your legs, then this is the shaver for you. Forget about under the arm or the bikini line, though, cause this "shaver" is more of a hair "saver".

I would recommend this shaver for anyone who is willing to put time and effort into shaving. If you really work with it it does have a very close shave, and the other, less expensive, electric's I've tried don't get as close. But be warned, even though it can get close it can also nick your skin, although it is by far not as painful as using a triple blade razor and the nicks are not frequent what-so-ever. I'd prefer a triple blade, but due to my current finacial situation an electric is much less expensive and this one does do what it needs to do. I like that even if you let your legs get a little hairy, like in the winter, this works much quicker than a triple blade. It's not for everyone, but it works for me.

Bought this one for the Mrs. and after having used a number of this type of shaver, she is quite satisfied with this one. Recharge is easy and the shaver does a great job.

This item is a real bust. First, you must wait for at least one-half hour after your last drink before it will 'work' (by which time you are probably driving already). But even then it is way off. I got readings 16 hours after my last of four drinks that were 0.18, and then one minute later 0.02, and one minute after that 0.08. It is unreliable.

Alcohol reaches maximum blood concentrations about 20-30 minutes after your last drink. Also, you need to be sure you have no "mouth alcohol," that is, the reading should only register alcohol exhaled from the lungs. To avoid incorrect readings (too low or too high) its a good idea to wait. Another reviewed commented on the product having an upper limit of 0.19. Bottom line, you blow a 0.19, STOP DRINKING. This is more than twice the legal limit and is a reasonable ceiling. The unit is limited in terms of accuracy and the repeated warm-up cycling is annoying, but as an educational tool (and fun toy) for partied, this is great. The idea is to use it to prevent a friend from driving when you know he or she has had a few too many. Above all, read the directions!

... The idea of a pocket size alcohol detector is a great one. I think that any responsible driver is not trying to drink right to the legal limit anyway; hopefully they aren't drinking at all!!

I do suggest that you READ THE MANUAL. It is very clear on how it should be used.

I ordered this product in December. Amazon kept delaying the ship date so I contacted Crabtree & Evelyn direct and they said they no longer carry this item So why is it still on the site for delivery in 2-3 weeks??????

I like unusual things to make bath time fun for me. The soap is so luxurious with lather I couldn't believe it. The scent is so lovely it perfumed my tiny bathroom as well. I don't think I will ever tire of the smell. It isn't one of those cloying scents, but very fresh and clean. I had always been a believer in milk as a bath item, but I never used it as much as some people I know. Well, I was thrilled after the first use of the soap (and hadn't even put any moisturizer on yet) and my skin felt like a piece of velvet, it was so soft. Needless to say, I really love this product and would buy it again, as a gift or for myself (to pamper me!) I am going to use the pail to plant bulbs for spring, so I will be using everything.

My husband gave this gift set to me, and I loved it...so I asked him to do it again! It has a great feel and fragrance, really lathers well. You get a neat little pail, too!

This was given to me as a gift cause I have hypertension. And I have high blood pressure. I monitored myself with this a 1 1/2month and blood pressure was in great stable condition and I've kepted track and wrote down everyday my blood pressure to show my Nephrologist to see if this works. We tested this monitor at the Doctors office(it was way off) and when we used his it was more accurate.......he said its more accurate to monitor on your arm. He doesn't think using this is a good idea because I won't be able to get an accurate result. So I was a little bothered. Its easy to use and convenient but when it come's to my health I'd rather be on the safe side. So I have stopped using this.

Bought this for my 98 year old mother who works very hard to control her hypertension. She loves it because she can take her own blood pressure anytime she wishes. Once she settled in on a routine the monitor gave usefully consistent readings. While it was not precisely accurate, it was consistent in the way it was inaccurate (about 10 points low on both s&d). This consistency allows her to take note of unusual changes in her blood pressure. If she gets an unusal reading she always repeats the measure after 15 minutes to verify. With arthritis in her hands she would not be able to use an arm or wrist device.

Want to monitor your blood pressure and ensure you are becoming more healthy? The Lumiscope blood pressure monitor reports your systolic and diastolic pressure as well as your heart rate.

I got this for my family members to help keep track of their blood pressure as we maintained our low carb lifestyle, and we found it VERY easy to use. In fact, we leave it in our kitchen and whenever people come to visit, they pick it up and play with it, without needing any instruction manual at all. You hold it in your left hand, with your finger in the cuff. You slide the slider until it's snug. You hit the ON button and then you hit START. That's it!

It's smaller than a paperback book, and can sit out on a counter or shelf, easy to grab and use at any time. Anyone who visits your house can give it a try and see what their own values are without any effort at all.

A number of people who have visited us have tried it and it's worked for everyone. I suppose if you had a REALLY thin finger it might not fit snugly enough, but we have had a number of thin, athletic people use it without any trouble at all.

Because it's just on your finger, there's no worry about rolling up arm sleeves or dealing with clothing at all. Insert Finger. Hit Button. Easy as pie!

Highly recommended as a way to track your own blood pressure on a daily basis, to watch as it improves during your diet progress. In addition, it's a fun device to have around the house when friends and family visit. You might help someone you love realize they have crept up in their blood pressure, and take action!

So here's the deal: I owned an Panasonic ER389K for about two years and it worked great. Then the battery died and it is not replacable. I thought, "Forget this, I'm getting a dual mode trimmer." I ordered the Remington MB40. Well actually two. One of the pins that holds on the depth gauge broke off even before I got to use the first one. It turns out that if the depth is set to "0" then there is at least a reduced possibility of breaking these pins. Then I got the second one, gingerly handled the depth gauge as if it might break, charged it up and began trimming. I was immediately impressed with the power. I was not impressed with how close of a trim I could get. But I discovered that if I used the mustache trimmer (about 1/2" wide) I could get as close a trim as I got with the Panasonic. Very tedious. After a couple of weeks of this I ordered a new Panasonic. It's less expensive, the depth gauge will not break, I can get a much closer trim, the charger is built in, it's smaller, it's much simpler to use, and loads quieter. THAT'S 7 THINGS BETTER! I decided that I could do without the corded feature - I don't like cords anyway.
I don't believe that there are any trimmers that are water proof - that would be a useful feature for cleaning.

I have used this trimmer for 10 years for various looks from full beard to tightly groomed mustache. The trimmer performed well at trimming my medium density coarse beard. The beard length guide works well, but will move if too much pressure is applied. With the length guide removed, the trimmer edges hairlines wonderfully, giving the beard a crisp outline. I especially like the internal charger. The plug slides out of the side of the trimmer and you plug it in the wall. No other charger pieces to keep track of. After 10 years of use, two times a week, the battery no longer holds a charge, and can not be replaced, but after 10 years, I can't complain.

I've owned two Norelco beard trimmers. One lasted three years and wasn't fixable when it broke. The other lasted almost 2 years, was noisy and didn't do a nice job trimming, or shaping. This trimmer is excellent. It's compact, quiet, trims uniformly and can trim closely to the skin when shaping my beard. I was also pleased to see that the blades are replaceable. The built in plug for charging is very convenient. I'm very pleased with this product and highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved the buffing effect of this product ... but does it remove hair? It is definitely not an ultimate hair remover ... it reduces the amount of hair but buffing them down a bit, but not entirely and not everywhere. You'll need to compliment it with razor or something else.

Before I purchased this product, I read most of the reviews and they all seemed to be very positive. I'm always in hunt for better hair removing products and decided to give this one a try. It is truly pain-free, but think about it logically, other than razors, there is no other way of getting the hair without pain ... if there was, don't you think that all the salons would use it instead of wax???

I have fine dark hair (on light skin) so it's easy for me to see that it didn't do what it claims.

I admit, I was tempted to keep it just because -- as I mentioned earlier -- it does such a good job buffing the skin and making it feel smooth, but for this kind of money, it wasn't worth keeping and I sent it back a few days ago.

I don't believe it is misuse that can cause serious problems with this design. I think overall, it is a bad idea for people with sensitive skin, like me. It does not give the results it promises. In fact, I found the results worse than shaving and more painful at times. For one, the stubble is present, it does not give you the smooth 2 week shave it promises. I think it really needs to be reported for false advertising. I am keeping it only for exfoliating reasons. It does exfoliate large areas well. In that it has value to me. As for hair removal, it works but not for long and it can cause hot painful rashes over large portions of your legs. I did find a solution to the pain ladies! Use 'Hawaiian Tropics Cucumber Melon Soothing Aloe Vera' a couple hours after and regularly. It will take away the pain (although it packs an initial application sting) and it works to sooth the skin. It can give harsher results than chemicals and I HATE CHEMICALS. The best way to use this product if you decide to keep it, is gradually. Use one day, go over the areas gently once, skip a day (applying your soothing gel regularly) and then do it again. Your skin can be conditioned to overcome the irritation, like microderm abrasion. It takes consistent gentle use over a regular period of time. Eventually, in some cases, your skin will be able to handle the gentle daily procedure without as much irritation. Again you need a soothing gel, patience, and time. Don't do too much, too fast. Don't do it for a long period of time trying to rid your legs of stubble. Your results will be very bad. However, with all the work and effort, is it really worth it? I use it only for exfoliating now, once a week. It does act as a good duo with an Epilady Legend, that removes the hair by the root. Use the Legend though, the cheaper Epiladies aren't as good. Don't use them back 2 back though. The Epilady you will only need to use once in awhile, the Conair HRS I would recommend using it every other day until your skin builds up a tolerance (GENTLE USE, GOING OVER THE LEG ONLY ONCE) and then GENTLE use once a week for EXFOLIATING only, if you wish! Remember, using a SOOTHING GEL regularly is a MUST! It can also prevent scaling skin results. Hope this helps!

Hair removal, don't think so. Hair buffer is more like it and it's an excellent skin exfoliate. I was excited about this so I ran and bought and used it as soon as I got it home. It worked like a dream.

So why are there so many bad reviews on Amazon?

This is what I think. If you're expecting it to remove the hair, it won't. It buffs the hair away. There's nothing in the world that's painless AND removes hair. Secondly, it's probably best if you have thick or coarse hair. The product I think is designed to work best with that type of hair. I don't see how this would be effective on someone who has fine hair.

Used correctly and with patience, this is an amazing way to get rid of that unwanted hair. Though you won't look like the model on the box, (because you know she's airbrushed) you'll have soft, smooth skin when you're finished.

I bought this trimmer two years ago. It's not that it doesn't work but it's just a pain in the neck. The on/off switch keeps falling off. Sometimes it just makes too much noise but hardly trims, and it consumes batteries too fast. I bought another "famous" brand name trimmer. I won't mention the name, so that you won't feel I'm trying to undermine this product by promoting another one. But please, don't buy this product, unless you like to have a bad nose hair day!

As a trimmer, the NE-3 functions beautifully: after a year of biweekly use I have never once felt the discomfort of an unpleasantly pulled hair. However, as a device the NE-3 is not particularly sturdy: after a year's use, and maybe most the life of the battery, the on-off switch ceased to function. For a while I could get it to run by pressing the on/off switch into the trimmer case, but now even that's stopped working.

If you're willing to pay $8 for a razor that will likely break after a year's use then this is an outstanding razor to get; if you want one that will last you, then--like me--begin to look elsewhere.

I have owned 13 trimmers and this is by far the best trimmer on the market. Usually when I trim my nose or ears, the hair grows back after several days, but the NE-3 will last two weeks!Ergonomically speaking, it is especially well designed and light weight. I would prefer that it was available in designer colors, but don't let that stop you from buying it.