Product Reviews - Pocketful of Joules

Empty’s – May 2022

I think online a lot of people – myself included – get into the habit of sharing items that are new and exciting. However, I believe it’s really helpful to revisit an item after it’s been used long term. Only after completely using something up do you need to decide whether you loved it enough to purchase it again… or if you should move on to something new.

So, I figured I’d start a new review post series called “Empty’s” of things that I’ve used up and whether I plan to repurchase them.

Here are the items in my Empty’s bin today:

Derma-E Hydrating Night Cream

I received the Derma-E night cream in my Winter 2020 Causebox and the jar lasted me almost 2 years?! It only costs about $30, so that’s a pretty fabulous deal. The jar went empty in April, right before a facial appointment, so I figured I’d ask my esthetician what she recommended. She recommended I buy a hydrating lotion sold at the medi-spa I go to (of course), so I gave that a try and it’s… okay. I’ve used it for a month and I really do prefer the more reasonably priced Derma-E, so I just reordered this cream and went back to using it. As for the fancy cream, I’ll be using it as my daytime moisturizer until it runs out.

Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother

I started using Olaplex products in December 2020 and blogged about it in February 2021 (here) after trying them out for 3+ months. After three months, I decided that I loved the Olaplex shampoo, conditioner and this bond smoother. However, now that it’s over a year later and I’ve run out of my first bottle, I decided to revisit whether I really LOVED the bond smoother. It is a leave-in styling cream and I had been using a pea-sized plop and massaging it through my hair after towel drying and combing. It still works fine, but I think I prefer a spray in conditioner/heat protector I used previously. I will not be repurchasing this one.

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment

I’ve been using the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil for a little over a year now and last summer also decided to give their Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment a try. The Sunday Riley website basically says they go together like peanut butter and jelly, so I figured why not? I actually really liked the lemony scent of this treatment and used it faithfully until it ran out. I liked the way it made my skin feel, but I didn’t really notice any difference in my sunspots by the end of the bottle. As nice as this treatment smells, this one is not a repurchase for me.

Disclosure: Not sponsored.

Upgrading my Peloton Bike Shoes to Shimano

You know how sometimes you don’t know how uncomfortable something is until you take it off? Well, I had no idea how uncomfortable my Peloton biking shoes were… until I replaced them with a pair from Shimano.

One of my toes had been bothering me and I didn’t really think too much of it, until it kept bothering me for more than just a couple days. I started paying attention to my various shoes when I’d put them on to try to figure out the culprit and found that it was my Peloton bike shoes. When I would stand up out of the saddle, my foot would slip forward and one toe would bump and rub on the end of the shoe. On top of that, the shoes have never really been what you would call comfortable anyways. They were pretty narrow (and I have normal width feet) and just felt very stiff.

I had never used any other bike shoes though, so I figured that was just how bike shoes fit. Kind of how ski boots have a specific feeling to them.

Anyways, I decided to order a new pair and read good things about Shimano brand bike shoes. I did a ton of research on Amazon and decided to go with these: Shimano SH-1C100 High Performance Cycling Shoes.

I’m normally either an 8.5 or 9 in shoes, so I picked the 8.5/9 size. The cost at the time I ordered them was $100 and they are still at that same price as of when I published this post.

NOTE: The shoes do NOT come with the Delta Compatible cleats (the part that attaches them to the bike pedals). However, since I already had Peloton shoes with the cleats on them, I just used the provided Allen wrench to take them off my old pair and put them on my new pair. If you were buying these new – and not replacing a previous pair with them – you would also need to purchase these for $15: Delta Compatible Cleats.

I made the switch to the new shoes about a month ago and OHMYGOSH it is a world of difference! The toe-box and mid-area has so much more room in width so they are not squeezing your feet into them. They easily clip in and out of the bike pedals and are super comfortable when I’m pedaling in and out of the saddle. My only regret is that I wish I would have purchased these 260 rides ago!

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

Honest Review: Burst Sonic Toothbrush

Teeth are important to me. I like my teeth to be white. And straight (thanks mom and dad for braces!). And, um… all there. As a lover of clean teeth, I’m also good about brushing them in the AM and PM. However, I suck at floss. Obviously, because I’m a human being.

Anyways, as part of my normal teeth maintenance, I visit my dentist every 6 months. At my last appointment when we were finishing up, they provided me with a referral link to a Burst Sonic Toothbrush.

Which, honestly, I felt was a little tacky.

I mean, are we at the point that dentists are now becoming influencers with promo codes?!

With that being said, I did click the link and check it out. I previously just used a normal ol’ toothbrush, but I was curious about an electric toothbrush. I clicked around on Amazon and the Target website and found that the Burst version was pretty much the same cost as all the rest, so I figured I might as well give it a try.

I bought this one: Sonic Toothbrush in black for me and in white for Travis. They are currently marked at $69.99, but I think the referral code was for $20 off each… so if you’re going to buy, do a little google search for a code!

According to their website:

33,000 sonic vibrations/minute for an incredible but gentle clean
Removes more than 10x more plaque than a normal toothbrush
Soft bristles that won’t damage your gums
One month of battery life on a single charge
Refill plan, where they send you a brush head replacement every 12 weeks for $7

I’ve been using my new toothbrush for 3 months now and OHMYGOD I love it so much. It is set to vibrate for 2 minutes (the ideal time for brushing your teeth) and pauses every 30 seconds to give you time to move it to a different quarter of your month. Due to this, I am absolutely brushing my teeth better than I have in my entire life. Also, spending a full 30 seconds on each quarter of my mouth, means no missed spots in the back.

The best part is that every single day when I’m done brushing my teeth, they are SO CLEAN. They literally feel the same way it feels when you’re leaving the dentist after a cleaning. I am so super impressed that I’ve been telling everyone I know. And I had to write a blog post to tell you all too. And no, this isn’t sponsored in any way.

Since I’ve had my new toothbrush for 3 months, I just received my first brush head replacement refill. Normally I’m not a fan of automatic refill plans because what if I don’t use up the thing when the refill comes? But I really like this one because it’s a reminder to change my toothbrush head, which I really should be doing more often.

Both Travis and I love our new toothbrushes. I initially bought Jack a cheaper battery-operated toothbrush, but once that one inevitably breaks, I’ll be buying him a Burst Sonic toothbrush too.

There are promo codes to be found online, but I don’t have one because I’m not an ambassador for Burst or anything. I just really like their toothbrushes.