Having an excuse to watch infomercials and actually buy stuff all in the name of research? Too good to be true! I start out by perusing a few of my favorites and checking out the As Seen on TV website in case I've missed anything good.

Of course, the best part about these products is you can buy them from the comfort of your home and not have to subject yourself to the judgmental stares of store clerks. But, since I need to get my research done in a week, and can't wait for everything to be shipped, I head out to Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up a few things. And, yeah, it's kind of embarrassing to buy Pajama Jeans, a facial hair trimmer, and a Slim Away belt in person. The checkout guy was perfectly pleasant (and in true "this is my life" form, ridiculously cute) but I still found myself lying and casually mentioning that the items were for a friend. Don't think he bought it though.

Well, OK, it's an at-home spa day. There are a few gadgets that I don't have time for during the workweek, but still want to try. First up, that super-fun facial hair trimmer I had to buy in person. The Micro Touch Magic claims to be extra gentle (the commercial always shows them using it on a balloon, works wonders on those pesky hirsute balloons) so I'm not too nervous. My skin is a little red afterwards but that's it. The bummer? It's so gentle that there's still a fair amount of hair left when I've finished. Kind of a letdown.

Next, the ubiquitous PedEgg. In reality, the abrasive surface isn't that different from other foot tools (like the Microplane) but the easy-to-hold shape does make it a breeze to use. My feet are callus-free in no time.

Last up has to be one of the weirdest things in my new arsenal. It's the Blade Buddy, a tool that sharpens your disposable razors so you can use them much longer than you normally can. I love this idea since razors are freakin' expensive, so I'm really hoping it works. It seems simple enough, you coat it with shaving cream and run the razor along the surface a few times. I don't notice anything different the first time I use it, but by the end of the week I realized my razor was still sharp-ish, or at least sharper than it would have been otherwise. Pretty cool.

I finish my spa day by curling up on the couch with my Slanket (which I love and have no shame using) and watching -- what else? -- more infomercials.

The fact that Cindy Crawford looks amazing for her age is the main reason I opted to try her Meaningful Beauty skin care system. That, and because when I was a kid my mom bought her book "Cindy Crawford's Basic Face" and I became obsessed with it. (Is it any wonder I do what I do today?)

To be fair, the line is designed for someone a bit older than I am, but the whole goal is to give you glowing skin, which I'm all about. I really like the Glowing Serum (part of the 5-step system), which gives me an instant glow. Plus, she gives you a step-by-step guide for day and night, which is really helpful. The cleanser however is a bit meh, it feels drying to me and the bottle is impossible to squeeze product out of, so I'll be sticking with my Cetaphil.

Infomercial makeup is all about the minerals, so I decide to try two types: BareMinerals (the one that started it all) and Sheer Cover (Leeza Gibbons' line). I have a confession though: This is not my first go-round with mineral makeup, and every other time I've tried it, I've hated it. So I don't exactly have high hopes.

The weird thing is, when I apply either kind and look in the mirror, I feel like I'm wearing way too much and you can see every pore and line. But after a few hours it softened and I actually got a few compliments at work. So I'm still on the fence -- I don't think mineral makeup is for me, but I guess it can look good.

On the upside, while the foundation seems to highlight every flaw, BareMinerals makes some excellent mascara, blush, and eyeshadow, which I happily use throughout the week.

Of course, no beauty routine overhaul would be complete without new hair products. So I'm swapping out my usual shampoo and conditioner for Wen, the "revolutionary" cleansing cream from Chaz Dean, and my styling tools (flat iron and curling iron) for the Instyler, the "amazing rotating iron" that claims to both curl and straighten.

I've barely unpacked the Wen box when my husband begs me to throw out the brochure. Apparently Chaz Dean's piercing blue eyes freak him out and he doesn't want him in our bathroom. Oh-kaay. I make a note of how many pumps of product I need for my hair (16, which sounds like an insane amount) and trash the rest of the packaging.

It's weird to "wash" my hair with conditioner, not to mention glob on so much of it, but the product feels tingly on my scalp and after a lot of massaging and rinsing my hair does feel clean. Also a little flatter than usual, too bad I couldn't find any volumizing spray infomercials.

On the other hand, the Instyler claims to volumize as it straightens, so I give that a whirl � and a whirl � and a whirl. But nothing really happens. I've got the heat setting set for my hair type (fine/thin) but it just doesn't seem hot enough and my hair won't straighten. I feel like I'm using the hair version of children's plastic scissors -- I won't damage my hair but I'm having a heck of a time actually styling it.