Gym Archives * Style Chicks

Travel: Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

September 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag comes in three different colors; we selected pink, and we use it to hold makeup and beauty supplies while traveling, going to the gym, or for makeup redo jobs if we are leaving for a social event directly after work.

Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

SIZE AND APPEARANCE
About the size of a purse, it is suitable for discretely carrying to the ladies room for a mid-day emergency beauty touchup (or total overhaul). It is also suitable for using as a handbag/carryall for the gym to hold my jewelry, phone, wallet, makeup, and toiletries for taking a post-workout shower and styling my hair afterward. There are convenient pockets to hold my gym membership card so I can quickly swipe my card and get to my workout.

Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN
There is a black plastic hook to hold it upright in place when used in a locker or bathroom, and a handle for carrying it. There is a fair amount of cushioning within the bag to keep items safe in transit. It is waterproof and leakproof, which is particularly useful when transporting multiple beauty products that could cause a mess in your suitcase.

The bag comes with a black eye mask and earplugs, suitable for use to get some sleep while traveling. This bag would be very helpful if you choose to keep your beauty supplies with you while traveling, which I prefer to do whenever possible to keep them out of my luggage and avoid hot/cold weather extremes when luggage is in the trunk of the car.

There are two internal zippered pockets for holding more fragile makeup powders or perhaps jewelry during a gym workout. I use it to hold more expensive beauty items. For example, my Hourglass powder trio is very delicate so I keep it in the box when using it outside of the house, and having a secure pocket to hold it in is very useful to keep it safe.

The deep middle pocket holds a long thin can of hairspray or dry shampoo, face wash and a ton of makeup and beauty supplies, as seen in the photos.

It has multiple side pockets for various makeup pencils, makeup brushes, toothpaste and toothbrush and makeup palettes. The inner side pocket is useful for holding a wallet and different cards, or a small book or journal. The pockets are deep enough to hold a full 8-ounce size tube of lotion or face wash. I carry hand cream in this pocket.

Mr. Sleek Toiletry Bag

CONCLUSION: Useful for carrying all your toiletries and beauty tools while traveling, post-gym workouts, or to discretely redo your look after work before a night out, the Mr. Sleek bag holds a TON of stuff in an easy-to-find internal design that keeps even delicate items securely in place.

Find it at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Travel: Embassy™ Design Genuine Leather Gym Bag

August 23, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Embassy™ Design Genuine Leather Gym Bag

I have never been one to pack light.

This travel bag seems like a standard to larger gym bag size and style of bag, but it fits an incredible amount of stuff. It is sturdy and has lots of inner pockets to hold items such as your camera, devices such as phone, chargers, tablets, laptops, hairdryers and shoes. There are also outside pockets for items such as water bottles, sunglasses, wallet, passport, keys and other items you need to access quickly.

QUALITY:
No loose threads or subpar workmanship, it looks more expensive than I expected. Handles and strap are robust enough to hold the contents of the bag. There are two handles but also a long shoulder strap for ease of use.

FOR TRAVEL:
I was able to pack the following with room to spare: one pair of 5″ stiletto heels, a pair of 2″ wedge museum/walking shoes, a pair of ballet flats and a pair of sneakers. Also, it fit three cotton skirts, a pashmina for chilly nights, six t-shirts, two pairs of jeans, two strappy tops, one silk long sleeve button down; two nice short sleeves knit tops, a pair of leggings, one pair capris and one pair of shorts. Also, my camera, my Kindle, my sketch book and pencils, my hairdryer, my makeup and toiletries bag, and a lingerie bag. This all fit into the bag with room to spare, plus all the pockets were empty for last minute additions (I always seem to remember items to pack as I am heading out the door!). I like having extra room for little gifts and items I buy along the way, and additional pockets for any extra little hotel soaps and shampoos I don’t use. This bag is large enough to hold at least two pairs of men’s shoes as well, so it works for both males and females. It held up well stored in the trunk and getting shoved around with the other luggage during my travels. By the end of my trip, it was carrying lots of extra heavy stuff and got the job done.

One thing I particularly like about this bag both for travel and for gym use is the compartment to store dirty clothes. I hate when traveling having dirty and clean clothes all mixed in together, or having clean gym clothes ruined by used gym clothing that needs to be washed.

This bag is not just for travel; it is sturdy enough to carry heavier groceries or bottles, equipment, or for use as a gym bag. It is a very versatile bag; I have no complaints, and I am very pleased to have bought it.

Find this great bag at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Odyseaco Large Baja Beach Bag Waterproof Canvas Tote

May 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Odyseaco Large Baja Beach Bag Waterproof Canvas Tote

I’m not one to travel light. Ever. So for these lovely almost-summer weekends that are a combination of running errands and leisurely brunching, I’m on a constant search for a quality tote bag that carries all my stuff but is comfortable and looks good. I’m quite happy with my new Odyseaco Large Baja Beach Bag Waterproof Canvas Tote.

While this good looking tote is made of ripstop canvas but feels more like a soft and durable cotton weave. The colors are summery but saturated enough that dirt won’t show obviously, and a smudge I did get on it wiped off easily with just water.

The tote is quite generously sized (16.5″x14″x7″), but because of the design, it doesn’t overwhelm smaller women visually. I had a tote in college that was fantastic regarding how much it would carry, but it didn’t have much form to it (despite being a sturdy canvas), so looked too big. This tote has a flat bottom to it so it keeps structure and looks light. I really enjoy the straps: they have a ten-inch drop and is made of a thick, textured rope. It is both comfortable on the shoulder and quite cute!

The side pockets are big enough to hold an iPhone securely, though it is easy enough to reach into the inner pocket for your phone. The zippered inner pocket is large enough to hold ID, keys, phone, and anything else you want to keep a little more secure than in the open tote. Since the pocket is made of the same water resistant material, your valuable items will be safe from any water bottle incidents (of which I have had plenty.)

This tote is quite versatile, between being a weekend bag, a gym bag, a beach bag, or all of the above. I’m planning on using it as a reusable grocery bag: I have some excellent ones, but since those bags don’t fit over my shoulder it is cumbersome to carry. This tote will make for a stylish and comfortable grocery bag!

Find this lovely beach bag at Amazon.com.

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review, and I was compensated for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle

April 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I’ve been on a bit of a hydration kick lately. This is due to the fact that I have been feeling a bit dehydrated lately (the fact that it is allergy season doesn’t help), and a renewed fascination with spa waters. So for on the go and at the gym, I really like the Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle.

It is made of BPA-free Tritan material, so no worries about chemicals leaking into your otherwise healthy water. The cap seals tightly so I don’t have to worry about it leaking into my gym bag (I have had some disasters of the sort.)

The infuser is made of two parts: the generous sized infuser tube and a cap. The infuser cap allows you to pour the liquid out without the fruit getting loose. The holes in the infuser are relatively small but that is a good thing as it keeps seeds etc from getting into the water.

I decided to test it out with some strawberries we have in the house. I sliced each large berry into 4-6 pieces. I was surprised that it didn’t take too many slices to fill the infuser – maybe 1-2 berries worth. I then filled the bottle with tap water and put in the infuser.

This next part is important: be sure to shake the bottle a few times in order to get the full flavor to infuse into your water. Since you are using cold water, this isn’t steeping the fruit like a tea in hot water. So the infusion needs a little movement to mix.

Since I planned on using it during the day, I left it in the refrigerator overnight. When I tasted the water this morning I was amazed: it was incredibly sweet. You would never guess that this was not artificially sweetened, just fruit sweetened. I drank it and then refilled it. Obviously the second batch wasn’t as flavored, but it was still a good, crisp taste. In the future I will probably bring along some extra fruit during the day to make extra infusions and keep my hydration momentum going.

The package comes with a little booklet that gives some ideas for infusion recipes, which I found interesting. The spa water staple, cucumber, can be made more interesting by adding strawberries or mint. I’m looking forward to trying some different fruit mixes.

The pieces all wash out clean and don’t retain taste, which is impressive since I infused it overnight.

I’m really excited to find a travel fruit infuser bottle that keeps the fruit and seeds out of the water and makes such tasty water!

Find it at Amazon.com.

Gear Ultimate Infuser Water Bottle

I received this item for testing and unbiased review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to answer it!