"As Seen on TV" beauty products: Do they really work?

I was contacted recently by the agency that works for the popular "As Seen on TV" products, and I jumped at the chance to receive some samples of their beauty-related products because, let's face it, I think we've all asked the question: "Do these products actually work?"

So let's not waste any time--let's start with Pampered Toes (retail: $10, available at most drugstores, mass merchandisers and online).

According to the packaging these toe separators, which are made of a "cool, flexible gel", can help tired, aching feet after a long day of wearing cramped shoes.

So, do they work? Yes! But here's the thing: don't expect your feet to feel a whole lot different if you already wear comfortable shoes, or you haven't had your shoes on for several hours prior to slipping these on. Pampered Toes work best if you use them right after you've taken your pointy-toed shoes or boots off, because they really alleviate the pressure that cramped shoes can place on your footsies. Also, you should not walk while wearing Pampered Toes, so be sure that you're in a comfortable place when you slip them on (the package recommends trying them while in the bath, which seems like a great idea). All in all, I would say these would be a fun "Secret Santa" gift that you can get at the last minute, or a stocking stuffer for someone who's on their feet all day. For me, Pampered Toes are something that I probably wouldn't think to buy myself, but I'd be pretty excited to use them if I got them as a gift.

Next up, we have Heel-Tastic (retail: $10, available at most drugstores, mass merchandisers and online).

Heel-Tastic is a balm that is to be used specifically on dry, cracked heels. My heels can currently use all the help they can get, so I was VERY excited to try this out.

So, does it work? Yes, but only if used in a specific way (for me at least). First, you should know that this product has a very strong herbal fragrance (to me, it smells a lot like tea tree oil which, thankfully, I love). Here are the ingredients:

As you can see, the active ingredient in this product is dimethicone, which is an extremely common skin protectant that can be found in most lotions and shampoos (fun fact: 4% of Silly Putty is dimethicone).

The inactive ingredients are as follows:

As you can see, this balm is loaded with a lot of natural ingredients that are great for your skin. I also love that Heel-Tastic is paraben-free.

What you should know before you use this product is that, at first, it's very greasy. So take precautions and don't walk with your bare feet on a smooth floor after using this. I like that it immediately takes away the ashy look of dry heels, and after working it into my heel area, my feet feel extremely soft. But for me, this works best if I immediately put cotton socks on my feet after each use. Otherwise, Heel-Tastic doesn't sink in as well for me. Also, it works THE BEST if used right after you've used a Ped Egg (which you'll hear about shortly). All in all, I think this is a good product that's chock-full of great ingredients and works best if used after the Ped Egg and immediately before slipping on some cotton socks for the night. Also, I should add that I have been using Heel-Tastic on my dry elbows lately, and I really like how they soften my elbows if I use a little bit right before bedtime.

Which brings me to the final product in this review: The Ped Egg (retail: $10, available at most drugstores, mass merchandisers and online).

By now I'm sure we've all heard of and seen the Ped Egg. I was already a fan of this handy little device prior to receiving a sample, but I am very happy to have one again because I somehow misplaced mine. If you haven't heard of the Ped Egg before, it's little heel-shaver that fits perfectly into the palm of your hand and it has a built-in dome to catch all the shavings.

So, does it work? HECK yeah! Let me tell you that I have the worst heels ever, especially in the wintertime. I was actually going to take before and after pics of my heels for this review but I decided to spare you (believe me, nobody needs to see that before picture). So if the skin on your heels is thick, dry, and rough, consider picking yourself up a Ped Egg. I have yet to find a product that so thoroughly, and efficiently, removes the dead skin from your heels.

One complaint I've heard about Ped Egg is that it takes a lot of force to "grate" your heels. My reply to that is, "Did you think it would be easy to remove that thick dry skin?" I actually like the mini-workout I get when I use my Ped Egg. It's fulfilling to put in a little elbow grease, especially when the results are so fantastic. It's also fulfilling (in a slightly gross way) to see how many shavings are inside the dome when you're done.

The thing I like the most about the Ped Egg is the blade. It is perfectly designed to get at the dry skin but then, once that dry layer is removed, you don't have to worry about accidentally shaving the tender skin underneath. I have used my Ped Egg while zoning out watching TV and I have never accidentally shaved down too far. It's like the blades just stop working once you've gotten down to the soft skin. Love that.

Another thing I like about the Ped Egg is the emery pad on the other side of the "egg". Once you've shaved your skin to the desired smoothness, you can file down any little rough edges that remain. Believe me, your heels will be feeling like satin after you follow up with the emery pad (and as a little bonus, each Ped Egg includes an extra replacement emery pad).

One little tip for newbie Ped Egg users: Be sure to lay down a towel underneath the area around your feet when you use this. Although there is a dome that traps your heel shavings, I've noticed that if you hold the Ped Egg at certain angles, the shavings can fall through the holes in the blade and you've got a little white mess everywhere. So just be careful and keep an eye out for that. Really, this is the only small problem I can find with the Ped Egg, but I can totally deal with that since the results are so fantastic.

Honestly, the Ped Egg is the only pedicure tool that I have ever used that allows me to skip a few days in between treatments. My other pedi tool, the Swedish Clover Fot Fil (which I recommend if you don't need the heavy-duty powers of the Ped Egg), is great to use in the shower but, for my heels, I must use it every single day or I'll be rough again by nightfall. With the Ped Egg, I can use it once every 3 or 4 days and never feel the dreaded roughness of a dry heel rubbing against a bed sheet (isn't that the worst?). And used in conjunction with Heel-Tastic and some cotton socks? It's heel heaven!

I almost forgot: The blade that comes with the Ped Egg will last you a good long while, but replacement packs (three blades per pack) also retail for $10 each.

Have you used any of these products? I would love to hear about your favorite As Seen on TV products!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and gratis samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.

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