Dear Answer Angel Ellen: How much should I believe the lists I see online and in magazines that purport to tell us “the best” of consumer items like kitchen gear and hiking boots, no-smudge mascara, wash machine, hair dryer, dog shampoo, etc.

Whom do I believe?

--BethAnn L.

Dear BethAnn: It depends who is doing the ratings. Some services rely on unbiased testing. Many others are online individuals who evaluate stuff — especially makeup and beauty products — so they get them for free. Your best approach is to do some research to find legitimate resources that are transparent about how they do their evaluations. Serious testing isn’t cheap so you might have to pay to get full access to the rankings

Consumer Reports (consumerreports.org) does unbiased testing on a huge range of items. Some of their ratings are free. Others require a paid membership. Wirecutter, (wirecutter.com, owned by the New York Times) is transparent on how they evaluate items. A limited number of articles are free but full access requires a paid subscription either to the rating service, the online newspaper or home delivery. New York Magazine offers all sorts of recommendations “across the vast e-commerce landscape” and from staffers and celebrities telling what products they love. That magazine has a paywall and requires a subscription.

I’ve tried all three of those services with mixed results. I splurged on a coffeemaker that got rhapsodic Wirecutter reviews. For me, it was a dud. It was complicated to use and had too many features that I didn’t want and never used. But the testers thought it was great. New York Magazine wrote that one of their staffers bought some wedge sandals and walked for hours all over New York without a blister. I wore them around my apartment for 10 minutes and they killed me.

So, we all have different criteria for what works for our specific needs. I should have bought a $29 Mr.Coffee. I’m still looking for comfy sandals. I’ve used Consumer Reports for some appliances that have served me well. Do your homework. Read up on the ratings of the rating services. Good luck.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: A friend and I were looking at paintings in a museum and I spotted a woman wearing fantastic silver sneakers. I told my friend to take a look at her feet. “I love those shoes!” I whispered to him. My friend whispered back that I should tell her that. But is it rude to compliment a stranger on what she is wearing? In this case, urged on by my friend, I did tell her how much I liked her shoes and she seemed genuinely flattered to hear the compliment, but I wonder what is the right thing to do.

--Alexandra G.

Dear Alexandra: What woman (or man) doesn’t like a compliment? It isn’t rude at all to tell someone that their clothes, scarf, hat, purse, shoes — whatever — are good looking. Sometimes, if I sense they’re receptive, I even ask the brand and where they bought it.

If a stranger tells me they love something I’m wearing it makes my day and I bet the silver shoe lady felt the same way. In fact, just telling someone “Your nail polish is a perfect color,” will probably put a smile on their face. I love that. Being nice never goes out of style.

Angelic Reader 1

Ann B. has a quick, cheap fix for reader Harry W. who wanted a solution for expanding the waistline of his too-tight jeans: “When I struggled to fit back into my jeans after my pregnancies, I used the rubber band trick. Loop the band through the button hole and wrap the end around the button for a good extra inch or two. A stretchy hair elastic also works. Of course, your shirt must be worn untucked to cover the little secret.” Sue H. uses this method too: “For this price (free) you can rescue garments.”

Angelic Reader 2

Addressing LaVetta P.’s dismay that women’s petite size skirts and dresses are getting longer, here’s reader Rose H.’s solution: “I search online for mini dresses in the regular sizes. I have found that they hit my knee perfectly (or a smidgen above or below).”

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