“Now you can have the appearance of a slimmer waistline and hourglass shape in the matter of seconds,” is the claim As Seen On TV’s “Miss Belt” shaper makes. Wow! Slimmer in seconds?

When I saw this at the store the other day I decided I’d give it a shot. (I never order any ASOTV products online because of the ridiculous shipping charges and past negative experiences when trying to return products, in addition to losing the shipping charge if you return it.) I bought mine at Walmart for $19.99. I was skeptical but you never know, maybe the claims were true and this thing really worked, which would be useful in the coming months as I indulge in holiday feasts and treats.

WHAT IT IS –

Miss Belt is a corset-like belt that can be worn under/over clothes. It “cinches around waists to flatten and suck in stomachs at the middle, resulting in an exaggerated hourglass shape for the wearer.”

THE CLAIMS –

• Supports your back.

• Shapes your figure.

• Comfort fit.

• Dual compression technology that firmly tightens around your waist, abdomen, and back and lets you tighten or loosen on the go.

• Look slimmer in seconds.

• Soft and flexible so you can wear it comfortably while you relax.

• Perfect to wear for any activity like walking, shopping, jogging, working, relaxing, biking, at the gym or at home.

THE LOOK –

The first thing I thought when I opened the box is “this is ugly and cheap looking.” Now I guess this wouldn’t matter if you only wear it under your clothes, which means no one’s going to see it except for you, but they show pictures of women also wearing it outside their clothes as a big belt…That’s just a big NO! It’s not a flattering look and actually pushes any fat you might have in that area up and down so you have a muffin top/bottom look going on. It comes in nude and black colors and in sizes small/medium (dress size 4 – 10) and large/x-large (dress size 12 – 18.)

The front…

The inside…

The back…

THE DIRECTIONS –

I’m fairly intelligent and can usually figure out product directions but I swear it took me a long time to figure out how to even put this on. The directions are a couple of silhouette figures with no words and some of the figures look the same in the before/after pictures. But finally I figured the whole thing out.

DID IT WORK?

After spending too much time on how to wear it, I finally got it wrapped around my waist and cinched. And immediately ripped it off because it was way too tight and I couldn’t breathe. I seriously couldn’t get it uncinched fast enough! Ok, loosen it up a bit. Still too tight and I can’t take a deep breath and the belly fat I was trying to disguise has now been pushed above and below the belt. I loosen the straps a bit more and can finally breathe but at this point I’m a bit dizzy and my ribs hurt a bit. By the time I get it loosened enough to feel like I’m not going to faint, it’s so loose around my waist, it actually adds bulk instead of looking thinner. And the bulk of the closure can be seen through my clothes. It’s not only uncomfortable and stiff, but there’s a weird paper crinkling sound coming from it every time I move.

OH, AND THE LIST OF “IMPORTANT” ACCOMPANYING NOTES –

I think this list of “important” information is longer than what comes with most prescriptions. The information is located on the bottom of the box and sheet of paper included inside the taped box in small print.

• Remove Miss Belt and discontinue use immediately if you experience difficulty breathing, light-headedness, dizziness or shortness of breath.

• Loosen Miss Belt or discontinue use if you experience any constipation or other abdominal symptoms.

• Miss Belt is intended to be snug, but not painful or uncomfortable. If you find Miss Belt to be uncomfortable, loosen the closure straps.

• Discontinue if any rash or itching develops.

• Discontinue use if you experience any pain in chest, ribs, abdomen, groin or legs.

• Always be sure that you are able to take deep breaths while wearing Miss Belt. Miss Belt should NEVER be so tight that you have difficulty breathing.

• Do not wear Miss Belt while sleeping.

• Miss Belt is not for use for any person with diabetes.

• Miss Belt is for cosmetic purposes only. Not intended as a weight loss product or for therapeutic use.

• Miss Belt is not a weight loss device nor is it intended for use as such a device.

• Miss Belt is not a medical device nor is it intended for use as such a device.

• Do not use if you are, or may be, pregnant.

Now I know there are people out there who might really like this product and think it works and is worth the money. But for me, this was a total dud and I returned it. It hurt, was uncomfortable, didn’t make me look thinner but in fact made me look bigger with the way it fit, totally ugly and it made noise when I moved. So in fact, I personally would never recommend this to anyone I liked, ok, I wouldn’t even recommend it to someone I didn’t really care for.

If you’ve tried this product and had similar results or found that it worked for you, we’d love to hear your comments.