Fitness/Exercise

pv.body (monthly subscription service for fitness gear) – got my first delivery! my review here…

/ BethonBeauty / 2 Comments

This morning the doorbell rang – Nick and I looked at each other puzzled – we’re past that stage when the doorbell rings regularly because wedding gifts are arriving galour. Nick went down to check it out and came up with a shiny pink package for me (picture below!). I got excited…I didn’t recall ordering anything online recently…then I realized it must be my ‘pv.body’ 1st delivery! Before I get into the contents of the package – let me explain what pv.body is:

This is another monthly subscription club – similar to Birchbox. Through the pv.body website you take a quiz so that they can better understand your fitness/work-out gear style. Once you’ve completed, you’re given a profile which helps them ‘hand pick’ items for you each month. Each month you are charged $49.95 and sent an outfit – from what I understand, the outfit is 1 top and 1 bottom. You can ‘cancel anytime’ or ‘skip a month’ at any time. The whole premise is – getting high quality work out gear for less. I saw pv.body promoted online and they were boasting gear from Lululemon, Nike and a few stylish and higher quality fitness apparel companies. You don’t know what brand you’re getting each month but they promote on their site that they partner with a variety of brands. So, I decided to try…

I got my first package today – pictures below with some description – then my feedback on package #1:

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pretty pink package – my gear arrived in

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the contents of the package – the top and bottom each wrapped in tissue paper (pink and white) – and a note from pv.body regarding Sizing

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the top by ’15 love apparel’ very soft – nylon/spandex blend

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the bottoms – a pair of leggings/stretch pants ‘Performance Sportswear by American Apparel’

My thoughts:

  • The presentation – the contents were nicely folded and wrapped in tissue paper – but I was surprised with the note – because it was on plain white computer paper and had been sloppily cut. The bar might be high because I’m comparing this to my experience with Birchbox and one of the things they do so well is presentation. They always include descriptive cards for the products they send, the paper is high quality, and everything is well-designed. Personally, I think the sloppily cut computer paper that was the only note inside the package, cheapened the whole pv.body experience
  • The top – by 15 Love Apparel – is very soft…I’ve never heard of this company. I looked them up – seems like this brand is sold in boutiques. I noticed that in Massachusetts, they’re sold at Equinox (high-end gym), Exhale Spa (high-end spa), and a couple other high-end (aka expensive) spa/fitness club boutiques. I looked up the avg. cost of a top on this site and it looks like they range between $40-$55. There is very limited selection on 15 love apparel site in terms of tops. The top I got isn’t an exciting piece but I do know when I filled out my quiz I answered that I prefer black/white work-out clothing. I answered that way because I was nervous to get super bright or floral gear…but I guess seeing that I got a grey top with black accents, this is not something I’d buy for myself because I have many things like this and I’m pretty sure I could find a spandex/nylon t-shirt (which I typically wouldn’t wear working out because I prefer tank tops for better mobility) at Marshalls or TJMaxx for under $20, easily
  • The bottoms – like most people, I’m familiar with American Apparel and think of them as a place to get solid color t’s, tanks, and dresses – with typically mid/higher price points but solid quality. I didn’t realize they have a performance line. The pants I got from pv.body feel stretchy like work-out pants but I put them on and they’re super thin. Now, they did send me a size small and if I had known they’d be sending me anything by American Apparel I would have willingly gone up a size because I find AA can run small. BUT, I’m not even sure a size medium would help with these pants I got – because when I bend over – they’re see-through!!! See pic below! (I just had to share this). These are not work out pants in my eyes. They are leggings and not good ones because I would have to wear a long top over them in fear that my booty would show whenever I bend over. I will admit I have a round butt – but when I wear my Lululemon or other work out pants, and even if I put myself in a size too small, my butt/thong would not show through the fabric. So, my thoughts – I HATE these bottoms
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OMG – that’s my thong. For the record, I don’t wear underwear when I work out – but even if I had nothing on, this would still be bad because you’d see my bear bottom! Bad, bad, bad

Now – with all that said, let me share what that computer paper note said – “Hi there! We work with many brands so sizing may run differently for each. We consider your selected size when sending your order, so you may receive a size larger or smaller in your top or bottom. If you have any questions please contact us at customerservice@puravit.com and we’ll take care of everything for you! xoxo The pv.body Team”

Welp, they’re getting an email from me. I want something else for the bottoms, at least. I’ll let you know how seamless the customer service experience is. But I will admit, I don’t really want to bother dealing with this on a monthly basis…because sizing is hard with clothing, they’re right! Tops are way easier – but bottoms, not so much. In some stores, I’m a small, in others, I could be a medium or even bigger depending on the fabric. I hated the experience of putting on these pants and realizing they’re sheer and too tight, it was depressing! Maybe I’m dramatic but now I feel stuck with them until I email customer service at this company which seems like more trouble than it’s worth.

I’m also trying to find my quiz (which I can’t seem to easily find on the pv site now!) so I can make sure I put the correct sizing for bottoms…now that I’ve seen that they’re sending brands like American Apparel, I need to make sure I put ‘medium’ or ‘size 6’ because I’d rather risk them being slightly big than skin tight or sheer.

I have decided to give it ONE more month to give it a fair shake. But my general feeling is – I pay around $80 a month for my gym…paying $49.95 for ‘mystery’ sports gear each month seems very frivolous. And now that I’ve seen package #1, I’m not sure it’s worth my money. The need to court me better – send higher quality descriptions/notes with the gear, tell me more about the company if you’re sending me gear from a less well-known brand…and please don’t send me anything else from American Apparel ever. Questions, comments?!

UPDATE – I’m re-taking the gear quiz now to re-do my profile – they’ve definitely re-vamped the quiz since I first took it (I wish they emailed me about this?!!) and added additional questions. I like this…because I can be more specific. That’s a good sign!

10 tips/tricks to a healthier complexion

/ BethonBeauty / 2 Comments

Work a couple (or all!) of these into your routine, stick with them, and you will see/feel a difference!

1) Drink MORE water/tea: Replace your afternoon soda with a sparkling mineral water or replace your 2nd cup of coffee with green tea (I ❤ MightyLeaf). Buy a portable, yet cute water bottle (CamelBak Groove Bottle; $19 on Amazon.com). Keeping this full and on hand will make it easier to sip throughout the day. Keeping yourself hydrated will flush your system and you will notice it in your skin.

2) Use a Humidifier in your Bedroom: This appliance increases the moisture in the air…which helps alleviate symptoms of dry skin, eyes etc. Especially during winter months when heat can really parch the skin.

3) Wash ya face every night: Washing off the day’s dirt each night will definitely pay off in your complexion. Get yourself into a nightly routine where you cleanse, tone, and moisturize before bed:

4) Use a Silk Pillowcase: Even if your cotton sheets have a high thread count, silk is still easier on the skin because it is woven closer together. Buy a silk pillowcase to snooze on (you don’t have to buy the whole sheet set!) – it will feel luxurious and be gentler on your delicate facial skin

5) Routine Facials: Schedule a facial every 6-8 weeks. An aesthetician will know how to properly cleanse and treat your skin. By going regularly they can address skin problems/concerns over time.

  • Spaweek.com offers spa gift cards that can be used at thousands of different spas throughout the US

6) Sweat (often): Beyond helping reduce stress – get in a good sweat at least a few times a week. Your body is your temple, treating it well will be felt inside and radiate outward.

  • Sweat for less by dialing up works-outs On-Demand through your cable box. From yoga to basic aerobics, On-Demand offers a variety of work-outs you can do at home.

7) Keep Moisturized:  Properly moisturized skin looks healthier and more even.

Try for day:

Try for night:

8) Get enough ZZzzzz’s: Stress and lack of sleep shows in your face… strive to get at least 6 hours a night. 2 ways to make it easier to fall & stay asleep:

  • TV sleep timer: although TV can lull some people to sleep it can often disrupt sleep during the night. Use your trusty TV sleep timer and set it for 30 minutes after you get into bed so it shuts off once you’re asleep
  • Noise Machine: be it breaking waves or whale cries, these repetitive sounds can help lull you to sleep

9) Get a fo-glow: The real deal is not a healthy avenue.  If you need to fake a little color to brighten up your complexion:

10) Eat (and drink) more Greens: Cut back on processed sugar and eat more fruits and vegetables. This will improve not only your general health but also your skin. Read this piece by Shape Magazine’s on juices for healthier skin

Had to share this protein shake recipe!

/ BethonBeauty / 1 Comment

2012 is the year of wedding planning and prep for me…I nearly lost my mind on a couple of occasions and have obsessed over everything from centerpieces, to my hair length, to my diet…it has been pretty exhausting but I can say I’ve learned a lot in the 8 or so months – especially about my diet and what makes me feel good vs. sick or too full or crampy. I’ve always been active but in the last year have picked up my work out routine and interest in healthier eating. Please don’t get me wrong, I frequently eat sweet treats and find myself out to dinner with my fiance for no good reason! – but, I have found a few key things that help me stay on track when I’m trying to be good. One thing in particular is my typical weekday breakfast – of the most delicious and filling protein shake.

Typically, I work out at 5:30am and this is a good post work out shake – however, I often have it even if I haven’t worked out because it keeps me full and it’s so easy to have on the run.

I searched hard to find a protein powder that avoids 3 things: dairy, soy, and gluten. Why you ask? Dairy– because I was having stomach troubles for months and got the lactose intolerance test…although my results were ‘inconclusive’ – it was highly recommended I avoid dairy…plus, I still get creeped out eating too much dairy with all the hormones they pump into dairy products. And I know dairy upsets my stomach and it also makes me feel bloated. Again, don’t get me wrong this doesn’t mean I avoid it completely – you will find me eating ice cream here and there, and indulging when I feel it’s worth it. Soy because it has been well documented that soy is not a great ingredient for women – and soy is in everything, it’s scary. I won’t go into this topic too much – hey, I’m not a nutritionist nor a doctor – but from what I’ve read on soy, it is worth avoiding. And lastly, why gluten? Well, although I don’t have a gluten intolerance I do think that there is too much gluten in our diets – so again, avoiding it in my morning breakfast felt right for me. So after much trial and error – and tasting of flavors – I landed on this brand:

Vega Sport

It is called Performance Protein

It is plant-based – soy, gluten, and dairy FREE!

It comes in 3 flavors but I love the Chocolate

120 cals / 1g fat / 6g carbs / <1g sugar / 26g protein per serving – those are some pretty good #s! low fat, carbs, and sugar! and a pretty solid serving of protein

Here is the link if you want more info: http://vegasport.com/en/recover/performance-proteinImage

Where to buy: Whole Foods or Drugstore.com

The 28.9 oz. container will run you about $55 – but it’s huge – and it’ll last a couple of months if not longer…I have this almost everyday for breakfast, so if you do the math it is probably more economical and HEALTHIER than buying my own breakfast!

Now the recipe – I use the Magic Bullet – which I love because it’s compact and easy to clean, you can also use the actual blender cup to drink from if you’re in a rush/don’t have any travel cups – in one of the larger Magic Bullet cups I put:

  • 1 scoop VegaSport protein powder
  • 1 cup of almond or coconut milk (unsweetened kind/no sugar in either!)
  • 1/2 cup of water (to add volume!)
  • 1 cup of frozen berries (I go with blueberries and strawberries – from Trader Joes or Whole Foods) – I like frozen because they’re cheaper, and make your shake cold, like a real shake!
  • Sometimes 1/2 a banana depending on how many berries I put in
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • Teaspoon or so of flaxseed (doesn’t taste like anything – but adds some omega-3s)
  • And one of my all time favorites – PB2 – powdered peanut butter – I won’t even get started on this, because it’s great for a lot of reasons – this isn’t a required ingredient – but it sure makes my shake tastier and richer: http://www.bellplantation.com/products/4-pack-pb2-powdered-peanut-butter.html

Blend for 30 seconds or so – pour into a travel cup and GO! so yummy!

Overall, this is a low sugar shake, which is surprising! The sugar really only comes from the fruit! PB2 only has 1g of sugar in 2 tablespoons. This is a delicious shake – you don’t feel like you’re drinking something flavorless…it is super tasty and chocolatey.

Love this! Do you use a protein shake – if so, which kind?