Product review: Halovie Bathtub Pillow with Strong Large Suction Cups

I have a bad back and hot baths are really helpful for my condition. Prior to this pillow I used inflatable pillows. Unlike my other pillows this is not an inflatable pillow, this is foam pillow.  The foam is pretty firm and it is not a memory foam.  It is generously sized 11.5" x 15" x 2". The back of the pillow has 7 suctions cups, they hold well. I find it quite comfortable. 

The only down side of the foam pillow compared to inflatable pillow that foam pillow cannot be folded away for storage.  However, for me this is not an issue. I always keep inflatable pillow inflated so I don't have to re-inflate them every time I need them.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: NaturCute Luxury 9-Piece Cotton Bath Towels Set

I like the towels that are not super thick.  These towels exactly to my liking, not flimsy but not the super plush kind.  They are grey in color, the grey has hints of blue in it.  Grey is a very practical color, it does not change much even after a long time in use they continue to look the same.  The towels are color fast. I washed them with color catcher which remained white after the wash.

 

This set includes two bath towels, two hand towels,  2 washcloths (note a discrepancy with Amazon product description) and a bathroom mat.  The bathroom mat is not thick (it similar to the thickness of a towel), so I use it on top of my thick bathroom mat.  I like that I can try it faster by hanging on a rack.



The manufacturing process left quite a few loose threads. I had to wash the towels by themselves until the washing machine no longer had a residue of threads left on the sides of the tank.

The wash cloths: 12" x 12"

The hand towels:  16" x 29"

The bath towels:  26" x 56"

The bath mat: 19.5" x 31"













Update: downgrading!

My initial rating for this product was 3 stars, but after a small number of washes cycles they began to fall apart and I am down grading the rating to 2 stars.

The trim began coming apart both on the towels and the bath mat.  Below I added a few new photos after the latest wash cycle.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Comfort Zone Personal Heater

On the positive side this heater works fairly fast, I measured that it
raises the temperature in a 12' x 16' feet room by 2 degrees in 15
minutes (low heat settings). It is reasonably quiet especially on the
low setting. On the negative side it draws quite a bit of power so it
is fairly expensive to use.



My power meter shows:

High heat setting: 931.3 watts

Low heat setting 522.5 watts

Fan setting 12.5 watts



Because
this battery draws a lot of power it has to be plugged in. The
instructions say to plug the unit directly into AC outlet (not using an
extension cord). Certainly do NOT use an extension cord used for lamps
which is 16 AWG which is not heavy gauge, if you use an extension hard
you need to buy a heavy duty cord (12 AWG).



It has a dial thermostat to control the desired temperature. It is not temperature base just high to low.



Because
of its high power consumption I use it in a bathroom (small room for a
short time). We keep the house pretty cool in the winter so I use this
heater to warm up the bathroom when I take showers so I don't freeze
when I get out of the shower.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Garbage Bag, Hmane PE 6 Rolls - 4 gallon

The thing about unknown brands of trash bags is that their volume does not always match my expectation. A few times I got trash bags that were much smaller than expected.  The HMANE trash bags are the same size as a 4 gallon Glad bags. In attached photo you can see the purple HNAME bag on top of the white Glad bag for size comparison.  They are almost identical!



HMANE bags are thinner than Glad bags, they are good for soft light trash.  I am using them in the bathroom trash bin, they work very well there because all the bathroom trash is soft and small. In one of the photos I show my hand inside the bag, I think it gives a good idea of the bag thickness.



Each bag length is 18" and the width is 18" when folded in half (36" total).  The bag is wide at the top and tapers at the bottom.



I received 6 rolls. The listing states that the color selection is random and I got two purple bags, one blue, one yellow, one red, and one green.



This trash bag is a good match for the bin in the small trash can of the Nine Stars touch-less trash can set as well as another small trash bin I own.







You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Morning Smile Premium Bathroom Toilet Stool

I saw a squatty stool idea on an episode of Shark Tank and thought it was an interesting concept. When I received an offer from Morning Smile to give one of these gizmos a try I accepted. It sounded like something my elderly mother could benefit from as she has problems with occasional constipation.



Even though I like the concept, I decided this particular construction is not for my mother or other elderly people. The strap between the two steps is a tripping hazard for someone who might be unsteady on their feet. I think a stepping stool that is a solid construction (i.e. not two separate things) would work better. If you want to shift your position while sitting the separate steps make it somewhat difficult for someone who does not have rock solid balance.



As far as squatting position, it does seem to be effective for its purpose even though it does take some getting used to. The height of each step can be adjusted by adding and removing the base. I found the low position most comfortable.



The steps themselves are quite small. In attached video I show them with 7.5 woman shoe size and 8.5 men shoe size. You can see that a portion of the foot is overhanging the edge in both cases which decreases comfort.



The strip between the two units tends to come off on its own (as well as being a tripping hazard) so we removed it.



The steps have friction pads on the bottom, so if one is careful they do not shift. The friction strips are attached by pressure to the bottom, three of them stay in but one of the strips kept fall out when the step was lifted, so I glued it down.



I received this bathroom aid for evaluation and review. If this makes you skeptical about what I say examine my review history to see that I leave critical reviews on regular basis when the products deserve it no matter what I paid for the product. This aid is not a good match for someone elderly or who has issues with balance. I think the concept is pretty good, but this particularly implementation had some practical issues.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Ufriday Water Cube Shower Curtain EVA No More Mildew and Bacterial with Metal Grommets

This curtain is made out of EVA. I have a strong preference for EVA shower curtains because they are totally scent free right out of the box. 



When I first looked at the shower curtain I thought it had a different design from the stock photo - no interesting 3D effects. However, as soon as I put it up and the light began shining through it showed the 3D effect I saw and liked in the stock photo.  It really looks like the shower curtain has 3D bubbles - but it is totally smooth and flat. I like the neat effect.



The shower curtain is thicker than the liners (the kind one can pick up at Wallmart and similar stores) but it is not a thick shower curtain either.



I like that this shower curtain has magnets at the bottom of the shower curtain. They add a bit of weight to the bottom of the shower curtan and help keep the shower curtain inside the tub even if the tub is not iron and is not magnetic.



I like that the hook holes that are re-enforced with metal grommets.  They are not going to tear even if the curtain gets snugged on something.



What is missing? It does not have suction cups on the sides. My favorite shower curtains have small suction cups on the sides so the water does not splatter from the sides.



I received this shower curtain for testing and review. Getting a free sample does effect what I say. I have a history of leaving critical reviews when the product deserves it. Whether I had a good experience or bad experience you will hear exactly what happened.  Bottom line here is that despite missing suction cups it does a good job, it is scent free, and I really like the design.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Ailasia Beauty French Argan Oil Incredible Moisturizing Conditioner

This conditioner has a tropical scent - a mix of coconut and flowers.  I use it in combination with Ailasia shampoo.  Both have similar scents that are pleasant but not too strong.



I have been using Argan oil in my hair (on the recommendation of my hairdresser) for a couple of years.

The argan oils conditioner has Argan oils as the 12th ingredient (the shampoo has it has the 9th ingredient), so it is not the same as using a drop of Argan oil and massaging in into my scalp as my hairdresser recommends. I use oil as a follow-up treatment.



The shampoo is made in USA and it has no sulfates or parabens in its ingredients.



Overall, smells nice, feels pleasant, hair looks good.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆