Pump up the Jam, Pump it Up! While your feet are stomping or…
Pump, pump up the jam, pump it up a pump it up, yo pump it…
Pump It Up! is the third product in the space of a couple of months that I have been asked to review for the blog and Twitter and while the I RUN BOX I would not have bought (as it was missing shoulder straps) like FLEXISEQ joint cream (that didn’t really do anything from what I could tell, especially as they sent a single tube) Pump It Up! The foaming cleanser that doesn’t need water is something I would absolutely consider buying.
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| Now that it what I call a sample! |
This is the scenario. Hot Sunday, take the tube to Waterloo and the overground to somewhere in Surrey for a half. It is a wonderful day, large crowd, bag drop, good run and at the end you collect your bling and head home to hang it on the rack, blog and tweet your triumph. You then notice the reaction of people on the train. It is like something had died, then rotted for a while, was then found by something near death that had been wallowing in a cesspool, that then ate it and then died itself. The unholy stench, an amalgam of sweat, ass, balls, and goodness knows what else, smelt only in Thai prisons and on the Northern Line in the middle of Summer, is you. You have deodorant in your bag and could have attempted a student bath* at the end of the race but you didn’t because you are a grown adult.
*Student bath – spraying yourself and your clothes with deodorant rather than doing laundry and showering.
Now imagine that rather than just masking one terrible smell with a temporary good one, you could actually have had a wash, an antibacterial wash that would make you feel refreshed and your smell socially acceptable again? There is where PUMP IT UP comes in.
We are all aware of foaming facial washes, used by those with delicate skin, and known about by guys who live with girls who use such things. They tend to be for those who have reactions to too much scent or alcohol in their washes. Ordinarily coming in a pump dispenser of liquid it foams when pumped and you just rinse off. PUMP IT UP is of the same idea except it is a body wash for one, and two, it does not need to be rinsed off with water. Instead it will just dry. Win win, I hear you say, where can I get some? Well, Boots for one carries the brand but me, I have a whole box to get through.
PUMP IT UP are making a big thing about finding the right audience for their product, and I am thinking they have got it pretty right at the moment, especially when courting the Twitter running community for reviews. It is ideal for them. Hell, think about the Thunder Run, the 24 Hour races, the multiple day marathons, the MDS, Jungle Ultra, hell, think about Park Run…
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| For runners, adventurers, commuters, festival goers. Anyone who doesn’t want to spend the day smelling like a dead badger. |
A review of the Product itself
The proof is in the pudding, or so they say so here goes. Post Hampstead Heath park run, instead of a shower let’s PUMP IT UP!
I decided to try all six scents sent to me which I don’t really regret, although you could be forgiven for thinking you are now sitting next to a Woolworths Pick n Mix stand on a hot day, as I used a different body part for each and smell a little like them all.
Behind door number 1: Mandarin Fresh
Smells like the kind of fruit boiled sweets your parents/grandparents would give you on road trips. Left forearm now reminding me of summers of the late 70s and the back of an old XJ6 heading to Devon.
Option 2: Coconut
Definitely coconutty but not overpowering like something from the Body Shop. This is more subtle, like the Bounce coconut protein balls. So yes, it smells like balls, but in a good way.
Numero tres: Raspberry Fresh
By now I am all sticky, or at least my hands are dealing with so much foam. I would say be more sparing when foaming yourself with this to counter the build up. But back to the review…
This smells of summer cocktails that have Chambord liqueur in them, think French Martini. Or I will, when I smell the top of my right arm.
Nummer Vier: Cucumber
Light and cooling, and by far my favourite, this is the most refreshing, along with number 5, and definitely a keeper.
5 Star: Spearmint and Lime
This is like many of the conventional shower gels using these scents, a lovely clean smell.
And Finally: Eucalyptus
Not overpowering like some eucalyptus body washes. Again a good option. If I was to have to share these around I would be keeping the last 3, the cucumber is super clean smelling, the Lime and Spearmint too and the Eucalyptus it pretty great as well.
So to the acid test of how long the smell remains, I am off in the heat to grab my dry cleaning, back in a couple of hours. Until then a bit of advice on application. Personally you need a golf ball of the stuff to cover a limb, and like I said, you do get build up on your hands that make them sticky, whilst the rest of you is sweet smelling.
Proof ? Pudding?
All of me still smells good! Having six different scents on you makes it tricky but definitely the coconut, spearmint and lime and eucalyptus are there and strong enough to overpower the others a little. The rest smell fresh and clean but less discernible than the stronger scents and when I chanced my arm at the Dry Cleaner asking if he could smell any of them he said “he thought he smelled coconut”.
The Runners Knees review is therefore a HUGE THUMBS up from me to the running community,
and a recommendation to all those who are doing 24 hour races, relays, or just don’t want to smell like a dead badger on the train home. Great product. Very happy with it. Although I would say I am not 100% sure whether I would foam up the nether regions at the end of the race in plain sight, so save that for a toilet or portaloo.
Runners Knees 