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Posts tagged February
Degustabox February 2015
2
6 years
February’s Degustabox was one of my favourites in a good few months, with a good mix of the types of things that I enjoy eating, and new brands that I hadn’t tried before, including Whole Earth, Laimon Fresh, and Lily O’Brien’s.
The box contained eleven individual items, with a total value of over £22. Degustabox costs £12.99 each month, so this box saves you around £10, which is a pretty decent saving.
Also, this month I’ve decided to start rating each item of out 10, so you can get a better idea of which items stand out for me, and which don’t. Here are my thoughts on each item…
Lily O’Brien’s Cocoa Cookie Crunch (RRP £2.60)
Lily O’Brien’s is said to be Ireland’s ‘best loved chocolatier’, and being a chocolate fiend myself, these were without a doubt my favourite thing in the box. The bag contains a generous amount of large individual chocolates, consisting of Oreo-like cookie pieces, coated in milk chocolate. The cookies have a fantastic crunch and a deep, rich cocoa flavour, offset perfectly by the sweetness of the milk chocolate. As you can imagine, the chocolates are very moreish, and it didn’t take Charles and I long to finish the bag. I’d definitely purchase these again!
Rating: 9/10
Whole Earth Peanut Butter with Sunflower, Pumpkin & Flax Seeds (RRP £3.19)
I adore peanut butter so this was another welcome addition to the box, especially as I’ve been eyeing up Whole Earth products in Morrisons for a while now. This particular peanut butter is new to the range, and contains a mix of sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds, so is packed full of protein. The flavour is authentically nutty, as it isn’t overloaded with salt and sugar like some cheaper peanut butters are, and the seeds add a pleasant crunch and flavour. Perfect on wholemeal toast for breakfast!
Rating: 8/10
Jack Link’s Beef Snack (RRP £1.39)
Jack Link’s Beef Snack is a beef jerky style bar, which aims to be a healthy, on the go snack. Being vegetarian, this one got passed straight to the fella for him to try. As soon as he opened it I was hit with the spicy scent of heavily seasoned meat, and it also looked very greasy. Almost sweaty! Apparently the flavour was a bit of a let-down. Despite the smell of spices, he said it tasted fairly bland, and was far too chewy. Not a winner, even by the meat-eater’s standards.
Rating: 4/10
Beet It Sport Pro-Elite Bar (RRP £1.85 each)
Beet It Sport’s Pro-Elite Bars are predominantly made of oats and beetroot, and contain a high level of dietary nitrate, which is apparently used by universities around the world for research in lowering blood pressure and improving sport performance. I’m yet to try these and I want to save them for when I start running again (which will happen once Spring kicks in, honest!) I’m not sure I’d pay £1.85 for a single bar, but I’m definitely intrigued to see what these taste like.
Peanut Hottie (RRP £3.00)
I tried Peanut Hottie fairly recently and enjoyed it, so was pleased to find this in the box. Peanut Hottie is a peanut butter flavoured hot drink, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin. It’s very easy to make, very much like a powdered hot chocolate, as you just need to add hot water. When made up it looks like strong tea, but has a slightly salty, slighty sweet, nutty flavour, which is quite unusual for a drink. I really like it, but a small mug is plenty enough, as it can get quite sickly.
Rating: 8/10
Laimon Fresh (RRP £1.99)
Despite having a name that sounds like washing up liquid, Laimon Fresh is honestly one of the nicest drinks I’ve tried in a long time. It contains a mix of natural ingredients, including fresh lemon and lime juices and mint, which combine to create something deliciously thirst quenching. The fruit juices are balanced perfectly – not too sweet and not too sour – but the star of the show is the authentic flavour of fresh mint. I drank this alone, but it would make a great base for a Mojito – something I’ll definitely be trying in the summer!
Rating: 9/10
Schwartz Flavour Shots (RRP £1.40 each)
Schwartz Flavour Shots have appeared in a Degustabox before, and make for quick and easy delicious meals. Each shot contains a mix of herbs and spices, as well as sunflower oil, and are used to form the flavour base of a tasty dish. The Masala shot has a fantastic blend of spices which are full of flavour, and not too hot. I used Quorn chicken in my curry, and combined the shot with chopped tomatoes and milk, as suggested on the packaging, and it tasted great. A big thumbs up from me.
Rating: 8/10
American Muffin Company Chocolate Brownies (RRP £2.50)
American Muffin Company has created a range of gluten-free cakes and brownies, and I was lucky enough to receive the exact item I would have chosen in store – the brownies. The tub contains six individually wrapped brownies, and though the texture is more cake than brownie, they are incredibly yummy. The cake is thick and moist, and the cocoa and chocolate used is very rich, which gives them a high quality flavour. Perfect as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea!
Rating: 8/10
Melba Thins (RRP £1.39)
Melba Thins aren’t the most exciting snack in the world, but they are versatile, and work well with a variety of toppings. As the box says, they’re great for ‘night owls & early birds’. For an evening snack they’re fab with cheeses and pickles, and for breakfast or brunch they’re lovely with sweet spreads, such as jam or chocolate spread. I like the fact that the thins in this pack come in generously portioned individual packets, as they can also be taken in lunch boxes to work.
Rating: 6/10
If you fancy giving Degustabox a go yourself, you can get a £3 discount by entering code 2S7LB at the checkout. You can also follow Degustabox on Twitter and Facebook for more exclusive offers.
Naomi x
PS. You can check out the rest of my Degustabox reviews here.
*This Degustabox was sent to me for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
My First GlossyBox! February 2012
1
9 years
Over the last few months I’ve been hearing a lot about GlossyBox, both positive AND negative (but mostly positive), so when I discovered a 50% off voucher online earlier this month, I decided to order a box so I could see for myself what all the fuss was about! The voucher meant I could get my first GlossyBox for just £5 (with £2.95 postage), compared to the usual subscription price of £10 per box. As I kept seeing on Facebook and Twitter, the February boxes were posted last Friday, so I was very excited when I heard the postman at the door this morning! And indeed, he had my box for me 😀
My initial thought was that the box was very pretty, with its trademark pale pink outer and fancy inner packaging – even the postage box that the GlossyBox came in was cute! I couldn’t wait to open it up and find out what goodies I had been sent, and this is what I found…
L-R (Top)
Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap 59ml (Full Size – 59ml – £1.99)
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm 25ml (Full Size – 200ml – £15.25)
Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion 50ml (Full Size – 300ml – £20.00)
L-R (Bottom)
DuWop Venom Gloss in Buttercup 5ml (Full Size – 10.4ml – £16.00)
BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Storm Cloud 1g (Full Size – 2g – £7.00)
At first I wasn’t that impressed by the contents of the box, but I decided to give them all (but one) a try this morning and my opinion soon changed about some of the products…
Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap
This was the only full size item in the box and the only item that I haven’t tried so far, mainly because I’m not 100% sure what to do with it! The bottle says the soap is an 18-in-1 soap and I’m looking forward to researching this and finding out how it can be used. The soap sample I was sent is Citrus Orange scented and it smells really lovely and vibrant. The product is a mix of organic oils and essential oils, and the natural nature of this soap really appeals to me as I have fairly sensitive skin so harsh chemicals are a no-no. I’ll definitely be using this one in the not too distant future.
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm
The Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm (does anybody else keep accidentally saying ‘Phil Mitchell’ or is that just me?) is designed to smooth wavy, frizzy hair, which is great for me as mine has a slightly natural wave to it. The balm is quite thick and smells a little bit like Calpol, which I think is quite nice but others may argue otherwise! I used a few pumps of this on my hair this morning whilst it was still damp, then dried and straightened it as usual. The serum definitely made my hair easier to straighten and left it looking a little sleeker, but I think next time I’ll use a bit more product as I have quite long hair. Hopefully over time it will help even more.
Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion
This is by far my favourite item from February’s GlossyBox! I used this after my shower this morning instead of my usual moisturiser and it is luscious! The lotion is infused with natural oils (Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lavender and Peppermint), and has an amazingly powerful, fresh scent. The peppermint shines through which really wakes you up. The lotion is gorgeously thick and sumptuous and rubs in like a dream. Seven hours later, my skin still feels as soft as it did when I applied the lotion and the scent is still lingering. This is such a great product and I may invest in the full size version.
DuWop Venom Gloss in Buttercup
DuWop’s Venom Gloss combines their famous lip venom with a tinted gloss to create a lip plumper which looks pretty. I was slightly reluctant to try this as I have had reactions to lip plumpers in the past, but I went for it anyway (and I wish I hadn’t!). The ‘Buttercup’ shade is nice and naturally pink and the gloss smells absolutely yummy, almost like sweets with a hint of cinnamon! The gloss is quite thick but applies well, but this is where my love for this product ends. The ‘tingling’ sensation the GlossyBox flyer warned about was more of a cold sting. I thought it would pass after a few minutes but it actually got worse to the point that it was painfully unbearable and I had to wash it off! I don’t think I’ll be using this again, unless I rub a little over lipstick for a slight shimmer (although it will be coming straight off again if I have the same reaction).
BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Storm Cloud
I’d been wanting to try some more mineral eyeshadows for a while so I was quite pleased to receive this, even though the sage green/grey shade isn’t really my colour! The shadow applies very smoothly and you really don’t need much to build a bold look. I really like the shimmer in this eyeshadow as it is quite subtle and adds a little depth to the darkness of the colour. I may try and create some looks with this that suit me as I don’t want to give up on it.
Overall, I am fairly happy with my February GlossyBox as the hair and body products are right up my street, even if the make up ones aren’t. I don’t think I’ll be getting another GlossyBox, but it was nice to see what all the hype was about. What did you get in your Glossybox this month?
Naomi x
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