May 222009
 

The disposable razor varies in size from one blade to to six these days, the size of your razor depending on how much you’ve been sucked in by the sales departments at Gillette and Schick who are involved in an ongoing and pointless quest for world domination of the disposable razor market.

uvrazorsanitizerDo you get a closer shave with six blades than two? Dude, who cares! Grow a beard!

In fact, growing a beard may be the safest option – who knew that the humble razor could be so deadly? Apparently even the single blade numbers harbor huge quantities of Germs and Bacteria (these are indeed different things, according to the experts at gift retailer Brookstone.com.)

Yep, the good ole’ razor is most unsafe and might give you anything from minor skin bumps and irritations through to Staph. (I shudder to think what could happen if you nicked yourself with an Unclean Razor.)

But fear not, oh clean-shaven one, there is a solution. Shake your wallet out to the tune of around $30 US and you too can be the proud owner of The Razor Sanitiser, which promises to eliminate 99.9% of “germs and bacteria” in just minutes, thanks to its long-life germicidal UV bulbs.

Razor Sanitizer will suit the travelling shaver too, with its portable cordless AA-battery powered design. Until it arrives, though, I guess you could try leaving your razor on the windowsill in the sun for a bit of UV-disinfecting.

Yep, you can’t go past UV light for fast, easy, effective razor cleaning. It says so on the box.

Bottom line: Zap razor germs with hi-tech UV light (from batteries, not the sun)
Where: www.brookstone.com
How much : US $30

May 122009
 

There’s nothing that says winter in Australia more than the wonderful sheepskin-lined footwear fondly known as the Ugg Boot.

heatableUggDespite rumours that crass mag-fodder celebs (like the trashy Paris Hilton) have adopted our National Boot, the ugg-boot remains so practical and – let’s face it – downright ugly, that it has mostly avoided all fashion trends apart from the perpetual ‘Bogan Oz’ look.

Wikipedia calls them a ‘casual unisex boot’ and claims that sheepskin boots have featured throughout history with sixties Aussie surfer culture the latest in a string of ancient cultures to adopt the ugg.

Some ugg fanciers reckon that the ‘ugg’ title originates from the well-known feature of those uggs worn for more than one or two winters – usually, they will develop a pungent odour that quickly overpowers all other scents and those nearby may be heard to utter ‘Ugh!’ as the smell reaches them.

Whatever, there’s not been much ugg improvement since the earliest days of uggdom, apart from minor changes like mini-ugg boots to fit baby feet, short ugg-slippers for the indoor types, and pink-dyed ugg boots for chicks.

But now, gadget retailer Latest Buy is offering a heatable ugg boot. Whether you’re so wimpy that you can’t be satisfied with the snuggly warmth of bare sheepskin or you live in one of this nation’s most chilly regions, if ugg is not enough, this gadget might just do the trick.

The heatable ugg boot is not, actually, a real ugg, made as it is from polar fleece dyed a blinding pink. (Nothing natural there, though I did wonder at first whether it might involve polar-bear fur.)

The high-tech component is the nifty inclusion of a hidden cache of wheat grains and lavender which, when heated in a microwave for two minutes, produce a toasty warm sensation which will last for hours. And no more stinky feet!

Go wild – but remember, only the original sheepskin boots will truly bring out your inner Bogan.

Bottom line: Warm your feet in these microwaveable slippers
Where: www.latestbuy.com.au/heatable-ugg-boots.html
How much : Au $ 35