Product Reviews - Pocketful of Joules

Honest Review: COSLUS Water Pick (Powerwashing for Your Teeth)

I think I had a water pick when I was a kid with braces, so it wasn’t a surprise when Jack’s orthodontist recommended one for him to help get into the crevasses. Then, my husband’s dentist suggested he get one to help improve his gum health. So, I figured it was time to jump on the train and now we’re officially a water pick family.

We have not one, but two of them in the house — one for Jack, and one that Travis and I share (with our own separate heads, obviously. We’re not gross).

This is the one that we have and love: COSLUS Water Pick

It holds a charge for a weirdly long time, does an amazing job at blasting away yuck, and my mouth has never felt so clean and healthy. Oh, and this one comes with a few different heads, so I didn’t have to buy anything extra for Travis and me to share the main unit.

A few tips if you’re starting out with a water pick:

Try warm water – I like it best when the water pick shoots warm water into my teeth and gums, rather than colder water that can make my teeth hurt.
Try it in the shower if you’re messy – Jack uses his water pick while he’s in the shower because I don’t trust a teenager not to end up with water on the ceiling. Fun fact: Travis actually sprayed it on the ceiling recently when he turned it on to check the setting… so maybe I need to make an ‘only in the shower’ rule for him too!
Start on the Soft setting – It’s normal that it feels ouchy and uncomfortable the first day or two, so be sure to start on the Soft setting for a slow introduction. After 2 nights of ramping up, it didn’t bother me at all.
Stay consistent – I shoot (haha) for every night but probably end up using it 5 out of 7 nights each week. Still a HUGE improvement!

Bottom line: the COSLUS Water Pick delivers. Type-A me is actually looking forward to my next dentist appointment. Do you think they’ll give me a gold star?

Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Lululemon Align Joggers: Thoughts on the Amazon Dupe

A couple years ago, I stumbled across a pair of Lululemon Align joggers at a consignment shop. They were a size 8, and I typically wear a 12-ish, but I decided to take a chance because… Lululemon. And you know what? SO GOOD.

I am obsessed with these joggers. The fabric is buttery soft, stretchy in all the right ways, and super flattering on my booty. Because they are a size or two smaller than my normal size, they fit like a hybrid of a legging/jogger, which I really like. Even after a couple years of wearing and washing, they still look brand new.

I’m about to retire a pair of my Athleta joggers that have been in heavy rotation since 2020 and thought maybe I’d grab another pair of the Lululemon’s, since I like them so much. But when I saw the price tag on the Lululemon website ($118 for joggers?!). I had to pause. I mean, I love them… but do I love them $118 worth?

So, I did what any thrifty person would do and went on a mission for a dupe. My googling research led me to a highly rated pair on Amazon from The Gym People. They looked really similar in photos, cost $29.99 and were rated 4.3 out of over 26,000 ratings, so I figured it was worth a try.

I ordered my usual size, a large, and waited for magic.

Spoiler alert: there was no magic.

The fabric was fine, but not that same second-skin softness that makes the Lululemon pair so special. The fit was terrible. The waistband wasn’t snug enough to do that nice tummy smoothing thing, but weirdly, the top elastic strip dug in whenever I’d sit down. So, it was somehow loose, but tight and uncomfortable? Impressive in a bad way.

So yeah… I’m calling this dupe a hard pass.

Very disappointing. So now I’m left with finding a pair of Align joggers on Poshmark, waiting for a Lululemon sale/promo code that takes the price a bit lower, or sucking it up and paying full price for a new pair. Unless you all know of an actual good dupe for them? If you do, let me know!

Disclaimer: This post contains a Shopstyle affiliate link and an Amazon Affiliate link. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner: My Thoughts + My Preferred Dupe

You know when you obsess over something for way too long before finally taking the plunge? That was me with the Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal eyeliner. It haunted me on Instagram for probably a year and everyone RAVED about it. I kept seeing that it was creamy and glided on like a dream and was worth every penny.

Since September was my birthday month, I decided to make the splurge and ordered one in Sequin Green (a khaki green with a gold sparkle) and was SO EXCITED to try it out. The cost was ridiculous. The eyeliner was $34 and once you added shipping and tax it was $41 for an eyeliner. And yes, I had second and third thoughts, but I bought it because it was obviously going to be amazing.

And oh my, what a disappointment!

Sure, it goes on creamy and is nice and sparkly. However, within an hour or so, I have glittery sparkles all around my eyes – over, under, you name it. It’s like a batman mask of glitter.

But here’s the real kicker – the drugstore eyeliner I’ve been using for the last few years is actually better. It looks almost identical (without the glitter), costs less than $10, and lasts forever!

It’s this one: NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Liner Stick in All Time Olive.

Don’t get me wrong, the Victoria Beckham packaging is gorgeous and even came with a cute little canvas bag. But if we’re talking performance? My cheapie dupe wins. Hands down.

So yeah. I took one for the team so you don’t have to. I’ll certainly use the fancy eyeliner until it’s down to the very last nub because I spent FORTY-ONE dollars on it. But, then I’m back to my $9 favorite.

Disclosure: Not sponsored. This post contain an Amazon affiliate link. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.