i-Zen Body Slimmer in Review

I join the hordes of many fat busting suckers out there to lay my hands (and money) on a cellulite busting menacing looking gadget otherwise known as the i-Zen.

Watch the i-Zen Korean commercial here:

Hot in Korea and Asia, this gadget has spawned many fakes. I almost bought one from an Indonesian seller on Qoo10 when the price of the gadget went on ‘offer’ from the original price of S$49.90 to S$21. Thank God for auction reviews because many customers complained of the gadget’s silicon rubber wheel disintegrating upon one usage, the entire gadget malfunctioned after just one use, to a short circuit unit that resulted in the i-Zen going up in sparks and flames. None of the customer’s angry feedback got addressed apparently.

Some time it pays to pay a little more money for the real stuff.

So when you pay peanuts, you get peanuts. In this case, a very faulty and unreliable product.

 

Hence I chanced upon another seller who swears by selling the authentic version for S$29.90. Supposedly it is made in China. Then again, God created the world, China created everything else. Almost every product these days behind their fancy foreign packaging from Japan to the United States are actually manufactured in China.

Below is an image taken off the seller’s auction page on how to spot a fake from the real McCoy.

To cut the story short, here’s my new baby:

Come with a FREE BMI measuring tape (the one in pink) from the seller too!

The seller was also very accommodating to email me a .pdf copy of the instruction manual in English and I’m sharing it here:

Download – i-Zen English

How to use:
1) I prefer to maximise my cellulite busting efforts with some cellulite melting gel. So I slather them on and wait for ’em to dry.

2) Turn on the gadget (duhz, obviously) and run the spinning wheel on your targeted area very slowly but firmly.
There is no pain whatsoever to using the i-Zen despite its menacing looks, so much so that I applied a substantial pressure on my fats.

3) Use the i-Zen on each area for no more than 5 minutes each time.

Watch my i-Zen video demo here:

RESULTS: How does it fare?

PROS:

• Overall on my first try out, I’d have to say the machine is rather powerful because I could see my fats jiggle away with the contact impact of the jagged silicon rubber wheel, yet without feeling any pain at all.

• At the end of my first cellulite blasting session, I could feel my thighs, calves and especially my tummy being warmed up. Not too sure how to explain but its the feeling one gets after a good work out minus the yucky sweat.

• The gadget was utilised for a total of 25 minutes consecutively on my thighs, calves and tummy  and it did not heat up till near melt-down temperature like the fake i-Zen did which had many customers complaining about. This goes to show that the made in China i-Zen I have in my hands is authentic.

• Contrary to its bulky looking size and shape, the i-Zen is surprisingly light in weight! I could use it with one hand effortlessly as I slouch on my couch over cable tv.

CONS:

• The down side of the gadget is that the machine is pretty noisy as evident in my video. Just 5 mins on it and it woke my husband up from his sleep with much grumpiness.

Nonetheless I am only on Day 1 of using the i-Zen and would require probably another 3-4 weeks to review the results of weight loss and cellulite reduction. So do check back by then to see how it fares and if my pork trotters have slimmed down to bird legs.

**As with all weight lost products, a good balanced diet with regular exercise is recommended to achieve the full desired effects of weight loss. **

Read Full Post »

Fr3b: Singapore’s 1st Online Sampling Hub

www.fr3b.com

A couple of months ago, I Googled around beauty forums searching for reviews on a particular skincare wash and may I say that while I did no word search on Freebies and Goodies, I chanced upon Cozycot forum’s about this new free sampling concept online store. As its name suggest, its a local online store that hands out FREE goodies/ samples (some comes in retail sized forms) of many various products to members (no membership fee for normal memberships) who sign up on the site. Too good to be true you may say? There are minor catches though:

1) you need to pay for postage and handling fee for the samples. A typical order of four sample sachets will cost you approximately S$1.50 . Retail sized items, sample tubes or sample bottled items may cost a little more.

2) iBanking — this is the only headache for some people. To pay for postage and handling you will require an iBanking account to do immediate transfer (within 10 minutes of checkout) for the grabbed samples.

3) you need points to grab samples. Each item you grab will cost you 2 points. To replenish points, you have to review and complete online surveys on the samples which you have grabbed, received and sampled. Every review done on each product earns you two points. Every survey completed earns you 1 point.

Types of products dispensed

You get alot of cult brands from Korea and the United States. From Gowoonsesang, Lioele, Dr. Jart, ElishaCoy, BRTC, SkinFood, Ginvera, Bio Essence, Watsons in-house products to Dermatologica. Much of the products are skincare based with some perfumes, colognes and cosmetics. The most sought after cosmetic item, the BB Cream, is almost always on sample by Fr3b. Most of the products handed out are available in Watsons, Guardian, supermarkets and other retail stores.

How Fr3b works to provides free samples

Overall Fr3b is a VERY good concept of convenience sampling that has finally found its way into Singapore. Previously, samples are given out by sales assistants on a case-by-case basis (read: if they think you are likely to buy the product). This is unlike overseas where samples are generously dispensed to consumers regardless of buying potential. The concept of giving out free samples to potential consumers who would then feedback their review on a site is a win-win situation for both consumers and companies alike. Us consumers get to try out a wide array of new products in the market and companies gets their feedback from consumers for improvements on product development (R&D), price, packaging or place of promotion. A very ingenius method to fulfil all 4Ps of a good marketing mix.

Being a beauty junkie, God knows the countless times and unjustified hard earned money I used to splurge on beauty products with fantastic advertising and marketing, only to try out the very expensive cream and found it work shit on me. Sampling is good because I will know if I am allergic to any/ a certain product. I would also not think twice about spending $200 for a tried and tested beauty product proven its efficiency.

Exclusive $28 Fr3b membership

During a recent promotional exclusive membership event (you only pay S$28 for an annual membership), Fr3b has opened a new physical concept store in the heart of CBD. This $28 fee is only for the exclusive membership, which means that members with this exclusive rights can get to shop for ‘free’ at the concept store. Members without that additional exclusive rights can only continue to shop online Fr3b.com. The products in the concept store differs from the online shop because some of them tend to come in FULL retail sizes instead of puny little sample sachets. This concept store is located at level 3 of Stamford House, which is approximately 5 minutes walk away from Cityhall MRT.

Click here on how to get there.

Overall view:
Some products are retail sized from the stores. If not because I had passed some of the products to my mum (and kept all this for myself) otherwise there would have been more goodies in the picture. Goodie bags also comes with a sturdy yet cutie blue Dermatologica makeup zipper bag/ case and a free Watsons in-house magazine, Glow, retailing for S$2.

Not pictured here:
I passed my mum the retail sized Maybelline AngelFit Blusher, retail sized Johnsons & Johnsons Lavender Calming Lotion, and retail sized Mentholatum tinted lipbalm Lipice in Hazel. The mentioned freebies came randomly in the goodie bag and these items cannot be chosen, of which I don’t use them at all either.

In this picture:
Korean cult brands Elisha Coy, Lioele BB creams, Lioele Pearl Shimmer (highlighter), forgot-what-brand multi-purpose contact lens solution travel size, Mentholatum ACNES notebook, paper mask, cream wash sample and Sealing Jelly, BeautyTalk Oxy Mask, BeautyTalk Oxy Aqua lotion, Caviall Caviar Wrinkle Power, Eucerin Matte Sun Fluid SPF, Eucerin Wrinkle-Free Night & Day Fillers, Neutrogena Fine Fairness Peel Mask, Avalon Ginseng w/ Honey slices, NuTeen Acne Away Gel, Dermatologica, Rojukiss, etc etc….

…. (con’t) Ginvera Nutri-White paper mask, some sorta Jap brand Grapefruit Body Salt Scrub, Elisha Coy Icy Herb White WaterDrop, Mentholatum ACNES Sealing Jelly, Subtle Senses $160 Spa voucher (no min. purchase required).

Notwithstanding, this little retail sized box of rice chips came as part of the beauty collection.

Fantastic Delites is an oven-baked, gluten-free rice cracker which looks and taste like actual potato chips (and minus the calories). Rarely you get a diet-friendly snack that is equally yummilicious in taste factor too!

For being a Fr3b member, u get a full retail sized box of 100g ABSOLUTELY FREE!!

Taste verdict: My Roast Chicken with Herb is damn nice, deep and rich roasted chicken and herb flavour like the packaging says. Only downside is that its abit too salty. Unlike other salted chips, at least this brand gives you that oooompphhh rich taste…. along with the high blood. LOL

Comes in flavours of Salt and Balsamic Vinegar, Roast Chicken with Herbs, BBQ and the very popular favourite, Sweet Chilli with Sour Cream (apparently this flavour not overly salty and JUST NICE!).

It is sold at $2.90 in Cold Storage, FairPrice Finest, Fairprice Xtra, Isetan, Meidi-Ya, Mustapha and other selected retail outlets. Considering this product is Aussie made and imported, its price is quite cheap for its surprisingly generous portion.

** Spoke to the Fr3b lady today. She said alot of people who tried the Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream flavour all raved highly about it. It is a top favourite flavour apparently.**

Read Full Post »