EveryMan "Gotta Have" Latte Rating Scale: Rating Scale (based on the amount of lattes per day you'll give up to buy this product)
• 4 Lattes: A must have product that will make your friends jealous and your competitors cower in undisguised fear and trepidation.
• 3 Lattes: A very good investment in well worth forgoing a year or two of your children's college fund.
• 2 Lattes: One of those products that actually does what it says it does, but with the same pizazz as a Q-Tip.
• 1 Latte: The best thing said about this product is that I wouldn't send it back if I got it for free.
• No Latte: So excruciatingly lame that you would get more value by crossing the street for some discarded and well chewed gum before buying this product.
Mission Product: Athlete Engineered Skincare
Products tested:
Anti-Friction Cream (retail cost $20.00)
Daily Offense SPF 30 stick (retail cost $5.00)
Revive Gel (retail cost $20.00)
Foot Synergy Gel (retail cost $15.00)
Lip Protector SPF 20 (retail cost $5.00)
Overall Everyman "Gotta Have" Latte Rating Scale: 3 Lattes.
I give this line an overall rating of 3 lattes because while all of the products performed as advertised on the label, only one or two of them really out did themselves. I give the company props for sleek, androgynous packaging that wouldn't scream "metrosexual!" in my husband's gym bag. The sports-celebrity following of these products (Mia Hamm, Hunter Kemper and Steve Nash among others) is also impressive. Let me go over them individually:
Anti-Friction Cream: 4 Lattes
Let's face it: There's nothing worse than saddle sores. Even the word makes me quiver. There is also no easy way about completely avoiding discomfort once your ride rises above the three-hour mark. However, this cream can help. It's highly sweat resistant; a key quality in preventing rubbing in the first place, and it is also extremely versatile. It can be used underneath wetsuits, on heels and even under armpits (an especially nasty place to get rubbed raw). I applied this cream on all the necessary parts before a 4 + hour ride, and I am happy to report I could still walk comfortably the next day. That's success in my book.
Daily Offense SPF 20 stick: 2 Lattes
First of all, let me say I would rather someone handed me this three hours into a race rather than nothing at all. Sunscreen is key to not only preventing horrible tan lines but also avoiding heat fatigue on the course. That being said, this small stick is about the size of a large lipstick, and therefore hard to really cover any large areas of the body with. It's good for noses and cheeks, but spreading that stuff all over your face is both time consuming and incredibly sticky. The SPF held up nicely during an hour-long run, and after reapplying it also made it through an hour-long swim session, which is pretty good. I would keep it around for a quick swipe, but not much else.
Lip Protector SPF 20: 3 Lattes
Sometimes it's easy to forget that your lips can burn - until they do. It's not pretty. This lip ointment goes on smooth, makes your lips incredibly soft and it doesn't smell like Dr. Pepper (which I used to look for in a lip balm until the chemical-factor weirded me out.) It stayed on for hours during a sweaty run, which is more than I can say for my old Lip Smackers.
Revive Gel: 2 Lattes
This "high performance" moisturizer is really just non-scented cream. It did an excellent job of hydrating my post-swim, scaly skin, but the after effects just weren't worth it. A few minutes after getting into my car I noticed I was sticking to the seat. While my legs were oh-so-soft, they were also covered in a light, glue-ish film. It went away after about 20 minutes, but for way less money I can hydrate my skin with Lubriderm and not get that unpleasantly sticky experience.
Foot Synergy Gel: 3-4 Lattes
This stuff rocks. Have you ever taken your shoes off after a run or bike and truly understood the term "my dogs are barking"? Soreness, stiffness and general unpleasantness can all be vanquished with a wallop of this stuff. I even had my husband (who's in heavy military training) use some after a particularly rough day, and it did the job. I'm definitely bringing this stuff with me to every race for some before and after comfort, and I may even pass it around for good karma.