November 2009 - Posts
By Jim Ray
What it is: RipTFusion, $58.00
What it claims to do: A T-shirt on steroids, RipTFusion claims to be a “body-sculpting undershirt designed to support your core, shave inches off your belly and enhance your posture.”
Our experience: I’ll admit that I’m not necessarily the person that RipTFusion had in mind when they designed the “have your six-pack and drink it, too” undergarment.
I’ve always been fairly slim, I exercise (though inconsistently) and try to watch my diet. I do love to cook and eat, however, and regularly partake in the rich microbrews that the Pacific Northwest is known for — you could say these forces are constantly at odds. Just as, if not more, importantly, I’m vain enough to honestly consider buying a $60 T-shirt, on the off chance that it would give my average physique a leg up.
That last quality is probably what lands me square in the RipTFusion demographic.
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By Linda Dahlstrom
What it is: Crave Relief by Bath and Body Works, $10
What it claims to do: The manufacturer says the blend of grapefruit and sweet fennel essential oils is "known to help curb cravings for sweets and stave off hunger."
My experience: To be fair, the lipstick-sized tube of essential oils was no match for the trifecta of triple-chocolate fudge cake, chocolate chip cookies and spongy white cake with gooey frosting. The week I tested Crave Relief was a particularly celebratory one in the msnbc.com newsroom, each happy occasion accompanied by a tempting dessert.
I've always had a weakness for sweets. As the daughter of a cake maker who came home from school to the cozy smell of baked goods on many afternoons, my love for goodies runs deep. Crave relief seemed like a good candidate to bolster my willpower to resist.
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