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Check out the 5 Most Insane Products for Women

When it comes to shopping, being a woman is fantastic. It’s not that we just want to spend money. In fact, we can easily go out and spend less money than our male counterparts. It’s the thrill of the hunt that gets us every time.

Beyond hunting for that perfect deal, companies know that every now and then women just want an excuse to spoil themselves. There are more bath, beauty, and other “girly” products out there than we could ever possibly try — and believe me, we’d love to try an awful lot of them! But every once in a while I stumble across a product designed for women that leaves me scratching my head and thinking “they can’t be serious, can they?”

Here are five of the absolute craziest products for women I’ve ever seen advertised. Have you ever used one of them?

1. GoGirl

Go ahead ladies, admit it. For years you’ve secretly been jealous of a man’s ability to urinate standing up. Go ahead. Say it. I promise I won’t tell.

You can finally drop the penis envy thanks to GoGirl — a portable funnel-like product that serves as a makeshift shaft to let you pee standing up. Yes. You heard that right. You are now officially eligible to enter all the pissing contests you please. Watch out boys!

But seriously, why would any company assume this product was a good idea? What kind of freakish focus group told them this would be the next big thing in women’s hygiene products? I have to imagine they were kidding, and the joke went over someone’s head.

For a moment (and just a moment!) I even thought “well, maybe” when I saw it mentioned on Go-Girl.com that the GoGirl could be ideal for women who like to go camping. It almost sounds plausible, no? Then common sense came wandering back from the woods and it said “you must be friggin’ nuts if you think I’m going to clean this thing around other human beings on a camping trip!” After all, that would be more humiliating than squatting to piss in the surrounding brush while everyone gathered around cheering you on.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, but the GoGirl seems like a mess waiting to happen. And really, who wants to be bothered with washing their phallus-like funnel every time they want to take a quick leak? More power to you if you have the time or ambition to be bothered, but it’s just not for me thanks!

2. Mooncup Menstrual Cup

I can’t remember exactly where I first came across menstrual cups like the Mooncup other than remembering that it was in a magazine. Just the thought makes me cringe. I mean really — I have a disgusting wave of “eww” come over me when I think about the Mooncup.

What is it? Basically it’s a substitute for pads and tampons during your menstrual cycle. Rather than using disposable products during your period, you can now shove a little cup-like product up inside of you to collect the blood and tissue. Then you get to remove it and clean it all up. Yay.

Look. I’m all for giving Mother Nature a hand with environmentally-friendly products — just not when it comes to my more “delicate” areas it seems. The beauty of a tampon is that you use it, it does its job discreetly, and then you make it go “poof” when you’re done with it. Who in their right bloody mind (pun intended) wants to be bothered with washing out a disgusting tissue-filled cup when they’re already feeling like crap during their period anyway? Not me. And come on. The cup really does look kind of scary! I envision poking.

Credit: Mooncup.co.uk

3. Tinge Razor

Let’s take a look at one more incredibly strange product for women, designed to be used “down there.” This innocent-looking razor is anything but (okay, it is really a razor, but it doubles as a vibrator). It’s exactly what I’ve always wanted — a way to masturbate with blades! How about you?

When I first came across the Tinge razor / vibrator, I was flat out confused. Could a woman really have come up with this idea? I almost felt like the creator had betrayed her sex… had betrayed me! But then I found out the Tinge was developed by a guy. Ah, that makes more sense.

Don’t get me wrong. I completely admire the fact that a young guy out there truly cared enough about getting women off to try to create a product to help (or was it just because men are too lazy or incompetent to do it, so they’d rather we deal with it ourselves?). But at the same time I almost have to wonder if this product stemmed from a true desire to be helpful or from deep-seated mommy issues meaning there was a subconscious desire to see blades all up in our personal business (and to be serious for a moment, I’m not actually accusing the guy of having ill intentions — I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt).

But look ladies — safety features and all, this just isn’t something to take chances with. First, get yourself a decent vibrator if you want one — one designed solely for that purpose. Second, if you’re that concerned about being discreet, either buy a little purse-sized model (you can get them to look like lip stick containers for goodness sake — it’s not that hard!). Or here’s a thought. Just leave the toys for the privacy of your own home where they can be safely stashed away when not in use, and you’ll never have to worry about what they’re masquerading as. I can’t imagine you’ll have an easier time explaining to the kiddies who walk in on you what you’re doing with an upside-down razor down there than if you were caught using a more traditional vibrator anyway.

Credit: MyTinge.com

4. LATISSE®

What woman wouldn’t love longer, thicker eyelashes? After all, we’ll spend a small fortune on constantly buying mascara or even fake lashes for special occasions. So why not use a new prescription-only product like LATISSE to grow better lashes of our own, no makeup needed?

I first came across the product through a commercial airing on Hulu.com (sidenote: great site if you’re in the U.S. and want to catch up on a show you missed). On the surface it really didn’t sound like that bad of an idea. Brooke Shields was the spokesperson, and she wouldn’t lead us wrong, right?

Then I noticed something. Shields’ eyes looked oddly strained and watery in the ad. They didn’t have a bright, beautiful look to them — what we go for when we use makeup to perk up our lashes. That made me second-guess the product. Why on earth would we want to use something that’s supposed to make our eyes look prettier only to have them look watery and / or bloodshot? Isn’t that counter-intuitive. But I stopped myself. “Maybe she just has allergies or something,” I thought.

Then we got to the part of the ad where they start reading off potential side effects. (And let’s face it, that’s the best part of any prescription product’s advertising!) LATISSE apparently “may cause eyelid skin darkening which may be reversible, and there is potential for increased brown iris pigmentation which is likely to be permanent…. The most common side effects after using LATISSE solution are an itching sensation in the eyes and/or eye redness.” Ah, so maybe it wasn’t allergies after all.

Look. LATISSE is designed to treat a condition called eyelash hypotrichosis — not having enough eyelashes. But that’s not how the ad I saw came across. While, yes, it’s clear that it’s a prescription product and that you’ll need to see a medical provider first, it seemed to be more or less marketed as a beauty product for women in general. That concerns me. It concerns me a lot.

In the end, I’ll stick to mascara. The application procedure isn’t that different anyway, and at least if my mascara screws around with my eyes, I can just switch brands — no high costs, doctor’s appointments, or other hassles necessary.

Credit: Latisse.com

Face Slimming Mask

Leave it to the Japanese to put the emphasis on getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller, no matter what we have to do to get there. This face slimming mask is a somewhat eerie example of what we do as women to try to impress men. (Why do we endure one torture device after another for people who openly scratch themselves in public again anyway? I think I missed a memo somewhere!).

I’m not even sure where to start with this face slimming mask. Okay. Yes I am. How about being able to breathe? Is it just me or does this rubbery sac over your head scream “potential suffocation?” Sure, there are air holes, but it still looks pretty restrictive to me.

Now let’s be realistic. I’d hope no woman honestly believes that strapping on a mask will actually melt fat away. While the products for women above might be equally insane in this gal’s opinion, at least I have little doubt that they can actually do what they claim to be able to do. This face slimming mask on the other hand is nothing but a waste of money (and since I still can’t figure out what company released it or where you can actually buy it anyway, you won’t have to worry about that for now).

I guess it does have one redeeming quality though — Halloween is coming up!

Credit: Geekologie.com

Disclaimer: All images and other material used in this article are believed to be covered by fair use rights under U.S. copyright law, being used for the purpose of identification in the context of reviews or critiques.

Jennifer Mattern

Jennifer Mattern is a professional blogger, freelance writer, and former social media and PR consultant. She covers small business, online business, marketing, PR, social media, blogging, freelance writing, and indie publishing for a variety of online publications. She also handles copywriting and PR writing for small and online businesses. Find her on Twitter @jenn_mattern.

View Comments

  • There is plenty of evidence to show the dangers of tampons...you do know that the leaflet in the box details the risks of toxic shock syndrome, hich can be fatal? And the risk of toxic shock with a monncup is....nil!
    Sure anecdotal evidence is not the same as researched fact, but a large amount of anecdotal evidence carries some weight. And since your opinion on it boils down to "ewww, gross" like a 6 year old boy confronted by a girl, there is no need to make out that we are all insane hippies if we happen to like the mooncup. You haven't tried it, so don't call it insane, disgusting, scary and painful. In reality it is none of those things.

    And no, I have no connection to the company, I don't knit my own yoghurt, and its not part of a campaign. You just annoyed me, is all.

  • More words in my mouth -- apparently now I've told everyone to go out and use tampons, eh? What I've actually said (repeatedly, but which people choose to ignore b/c it's not what they can attack) is that I find the product disgusting, that isn't going to change, you don't have to like my opinions, you don't have to agree with my opinions, and I'm super duper happy for anyone who's happy with their mooncup or whatever feminine hygiene product they choose to use. (Wondering how many more times I'll have to say any of that before it sinks in.) If you don't like tampons, go write your own post about them. I really couldn't care less. I'm not a tampon product evangelist. Bash them to your heart's content.

  • The cup looks disgusting and uncomfortable, as does the pee thing. Do you clean the cup with...your hands? Eww. Also, do people understand how the female body works? Unless you shove that cup has magical powers and you shove it up inside your uterus, it won't change the mechanics of pain and...output...during your period.

    If you are a masochist, I think the razor could work out quite nicely :)

  • I did at least have to give the Tinge creator some credit -- admirable that a man cared so much about making women happy while letting them be discreet. lol Maybe there's a post for another day, eh? Discreet "toys" that can't accidentally cause more pain than pleasure? I'm sure it's reasonably safe and all -- just as cringe-worthy as the rest.

  • Yes, yu take the cup out, by the stalk and rise it... you are a big girl now, a bit of blood won't hurt you! You soon learn to handle it without getting any blood on you. And yes, like I have said, it DOES stop me getting cramps, this is FACT!

    There are many people who love their mooncup, why don't you read this ladys account of her mooncup?
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/02/period-menstruation

    Ok, I am going to be honest here. The first time I heard about a mooncup I was a bit grossed out. But after suffering with recurring thrush after aunt flo had visited I decided to give it a go. I was amazed when I found it stopped the thrush, the cramps and I haven't had a leak since using it.

    It is convenient because you don't have to sneak a tampon or pad in your hand and down your bra before you pop to the loo at work.

    I challenge you to try it and then write a review on it after 6 months... You might be pleasently surprised...

  • I'm happy with my mooncup. It's great that nobody is making money out of me each month just because I've got my period.
    I wonder myself at the medical reasons for getting less cramps.
    Isn't it because the suction of the cup pulls the clots straight through quicker and easier?

  • Er - Joli and Jennifer, the cup has no magic powers and doesn't claim to have. It does, though, lack the toxic chemicals in disposables that seem to cause the uterus to contract more. Also, some of these chemicals act to make disposables super-absorbent and draw moisture into the pad/tampon, but often draw too much moisture in, causing problems with dryness.

    The mooncup isn't any less discreet than tampons or pads, by the way - you don't have to show it to everyone before you empty it, it's not obligatory.

    Jennifer - can you tell us why you find it disgusting? You haven't actually given us a valid reason. Do you have a problem with blood? Aren't you a bit worried by the fact that you find such a natural process 'disgusting and cringeworthy'? Do you find other natural processes so distressing? Don't you worry that you've been manipulated by the makers of disposables into thinking a natural event is something gross that has to be made all clean and clinical by using products that are heavily bleached to look sterile? They aren't actually sterile, btw, just white. So for your 'most delicate areas' you're using a product that's more likely to irritate them. Even if you do find it disgusting, how does that make it 'insane' or 'ridiculous'? It doesn't follow. I think that's what's annoyed people the most - not so much that you find it disgusting, but that you're so dismissive of it. Many women who swap do so because of health problems - allergies to the chemicals in disposables, bouts of repeated thrush, conditions such as endometriosis that make periods very painful. If these women find they can alleviate their symptoms by swapping to a mooncup, often when more 'conventional' treatments have failed, are you going to tell them that they're insane, ridiculous or cringeworthy? Which do you think I ought to prioritise - my health and comfort, or your hang-ups?

    Finally, you haven't tried the product. However, women who use the mooncup or washable pads have nearly all swapped over from conventional disposables. So our opinions carry weight, surely, because we've tried all the options that are under discussion, and are able to make valid comparisons between them, and make an informed and considered choice. If the mooncup were really that bad, women who try it wouldn't get so evangelical about it - they'd chuck it in the bin and hot-foot it to the nearest supermarket and stock up again on Always.

    If you don't want to try it, then don't. Just don't make rude remarks about people who do.

  • I heard about the Mooncup from a website I use. I tred it the first time almost a year ago, and have never looked back. I do not work for the company. I had never heard of them before last year. I was curious but sceptical.

    It has so many benefits when compared to the alternatives it is untrue.

    I left it home the other month by accidet and ended up using some sanitary towels - oh dear, was such a horrid feeling after no longer needing to use them.

    You simply cannot knock something properly til you have given it a try.

    Fine - of you are disgusted by your own bodily functions, your choice. But some of us are perfectly happy, and it is in my experience no worse than dealing with a tampon or towel.