Sweet Freedom - Choc Shot Coconut review

Recently I was sent the Sweet Freedom Choc shot in Coconut to try.

These are predominantly advertised as a chocolate fluid to make hot chocolate with, however turn over the bottle and there are some really great suggestions for other uses.

What I will say about this product is that it's not ridiculously chocolatey, but having learned afterwards that it contains only 14 calories per teaspoon I have to say it's a pretty delicious substitute.

I chose coconut because I really love bounties and coconut macaroons and I just think chocolate and coconut is a damn good combination. But that's just me, there is a plain chocolate flavour and a chocolate and orange spice which has a nice ring to it!

My boyfriend has also helped himself to this, he has mainly been eating this neat from the bottle. I have been concocting more exciting uses for it however.

Image from http://www.sweetfreedom.co.uk/

This chocolate liquid is so versatile, yes it does make hot chocolate but it also makes great porridge too.

 

Why stop at porridge, this works great on pancakes, you can even add it to your pancake batter for a colourful alternative to pale and pasty pancakes.

Want to make fruit a little more interesting for the kids, or maybe your other half?

Got some plain yogurt that needs jazzing up? This stuff is lovely on plain yogurt.

I have added desiccated coconut to most of these things before and its really gritty, the great thing about the choc shot is its lovely silky texture which makes it a really versatile store cupboard ingredient.

There are a whole host of great uses for this product if you put your mind to it, if you're not adventurous Choc shot have done the work for you and have put together a comprehensive recipe list which can be found here.

Don't feel you need to take my word for it, go and try it for yourself. These are sold in all the major supermarkets, a list can be found here.

Already tried this product? I'd love to hear your thoughts, please comment below.

Cookie x

Nair Lavender Mist Wax Strips

This product was sent to me courtesy of Toluna.

I have used DIY wax products before, I currently use Veet easy wax roll on which I really like.

It's been a little while since I used wax strips and this is primarily because I thought they are quite messy and weren't as effective as some other methods.

Wax strips that I have used in the past have been backed on paper/fabric which is more pliable, these are on plastic which is somewhat stiffer however this didn't pose an issue.

They smell very pleasant

I used the following steps

1. Warm the strip between hands
2. Pull strip apart into 2 separate strips
3. Apply 1 strip to leg and smooth with hand put other down plastic side down

4. Pull skin taut and pull off strip back on itself

5. Repeat with the other side of the strip,
6. Repeat process until hair is all gone!
7. Use after wax oil wipe provided to moisturise legs and remove any wax residue

One thing that wasn't easy to do was my knees, the wax kept coming off the strip onto my knee and not removing any hair, it seems that the strips are too large for this area. It would be a great idea if this kit was designed with knees in mind and perhaps they threw some smaller strips into the mix. In order to make this a little easier for myself I used an old pair of scissors and cut one wax strip into 4 pieces which I used in the same way on my knees, the smaller strips worked much better to remove those pesky hard to get hairs!

This isn't the most painful waxing experience I've ever had but there are less painful hair removal methods - I wouldn't recommend using these anywhere other than legs!

After waxing my legs were quite red but this soon went away leaving me with very smooth soft legs.

I would probably use this product if I was travelling as it's portable unlike my roll on which is quite heavy.

Have you used these or something similar? Please comment, share your experiences.

Cookie x

Products to review - July

This week I received quite a few products to trial and review

 

1. Oz Naturals - Ocean Mineral Facial Cleanser which can be found here

I came about this opportunity on BrandBacker, if you're not already signed up I would recommend it, check it out http://www.brandbacker.com. If you get chosen they will give you a link to the item on Amazon and a promotional code so that the product is free. In exchange for the product you must give an honest and unbiased review on Amazon.

 

2. InstaNatural Stretch Mark and Scar Cream which can be found here

This was advertised on http://bloggersrequired.com/, again I would recommend having a look here as they put companies in touch with bloggers and have many projects on the go which you can apply for. For this product I was again given a product promotion code for Amazon, I have been asked to review the product on my blog and to also leave an honest and unbiased review on Amazon.

 

 



3. Lipcote

I bought this many years ago as a teenager and think I used it once before it went missing in the bottom of my bag with many other impulse buys!

I contacted the team at Lipcote and a nice member, Daria, very kindly offered to send me a trial. Thank you and watch this space for my honest review.

The product was beautifully packaged, along with a handwritten compliments slip - always a nice touch!

 

4. Nair Lavender Wax Strips

 

I had  no idea this was on it's way so it was a pleasant surprise. I applied for this using https://uk.toluna.com/ which is primarily a survey site but also sends products out for testing too.

 

 

Please comment and follow my blog.

 

Reviews coming soon!

 

Cookie x

Phileas Fogg Snacks - My thoughts

In May I posted telling you all about the Bzz Campaign that I had been given where I got to try Phileas Foggs crisps.

Below are the different types of snacks that Phileas Fogg have on offer, I have written my thoughts in purple below each of the product descriptions.

American Style Bubble Chips

Twice cooked for a satisfyingly light crunch. Louisiana Sweet & Smokey BBQ and Cheese & New York Deli Relish flavours.

I loved the texture of these crisps, they were relatively thin and had a really satisfying crunch but yet a crumbly texture. Both flavours were great, but if I had to choose one it would be the Louisiana Sweet & Smokey flavour.

Mexican Style Taco Rolls

Inspired by the classic tortilla corn snacks of Mexico. Nacho Cheese & Jalapeno and Cool Sour Cream & Onion flavours.

These are a rolled tortilla chip and as such they have a great crunch to them also. They are great for dipping as you can get the dip in the tube. Again I enjoyed both of these flavours but my personal favourite was the Cool Sour Cream & Onion flavour.

Indonesian Style Crackers

Melt in the mouth Indonesian style crackers are irresistible and perfect for dipping. Aromatic Spices & Sweet Chilli flavour.

I am yet to try these, they will probably feature in my next weekly shop. They sound lovely as I adore anything sweet chili flavoured.

Spanish Style Corn Chips

Inspired by the passionate flavours of Spain, but given a unique Phileas Fogg twist. Smokey Chorizo & Red Pepper flavour.

These were a similar texture to a tortilla chip but perhaps just a little softer and flakier. I really liked the strong smokey flavour with the hint of pepper for sweetness.

Overall I have to say out of the whole range there is one type I haven't tried and all the rest get a thumbs up from me. Perfect for parties, and sharing or for not sharing.. The only suggestion I had to make these a little better was personal, 1 serving sized packets (I believe the large bags contain 5 servings), this would be beneficial for people like myself who sometimes lack self control around delicious savoury snacks.

Cookie x

GoCat and Felix - Purina

Rating: 4/10

My cats are both rescue cats and were fed a diet of GoCat biscuits and Felix wet food (both Purina products) 

This is something that initially they ate, after a little while they got bored and eventually stopped eating this all together, many different brands later we tried them on these again and at first they ate it and now they're at the stage where they don't want to touch it - I won't be getting this again.

I don't know why the cat on the bag looks so smug and is licking it's lips because these biscuits are not a popular choice with my girls. I had a little sniff of them myself and they smell exactly the same before they go in the cats as they do when they come out.. Ugghhh!

Free trials and samples

Over the past couple of weeks I have been wracking my brains thinking of any ideas to save some pennies, whether its on my electric bill or everyday items.

I noticed that growing numbers of websites are listing free product samples - I found these by typing freebies UK into google. I started applying for a few random bits and pieces last week to see if I would receive anything, and to my surprise the first item arrived today. Okay, so its only a small sachet of Sylk natural lubricant. This offer still stands and a sample can be requested on their website http://www.sylk.co.uk/request-free-sample/ you just need to complete a few details. I have heard that some things will charge postage and will ask for card details, to be honest I don't think any of the freebies would really be worth parting with such details and personally that's not something that I will be doing.

In addition to the standard freebies I have noticed a lot of videos on YouTube where people are writing to all sorts of companies asking for things. I agree try before you buy is a great thing, however I will probably be writing to companies who offer products that I actually want to try, for instance I don't have a baby so I wont be emailing or applying for free baby products etc.

I would like to keep things as fair as possible for companies, so I will be giving product reviews on here on the occasion that a company is kind enough to provide me with a sample of their product. If I can pull this off I think it will b a great tool as I am something of a product junkie, I like new things, I like things in shiny new boxes etc. For instance I am always buying different fruit teas, a lot of the time based on the packaging or the flavour and more often that not I'll have 1 or 2 and decide its not for me, then I have 2 thirds of a pack of tea sitting in my cupboard until it expires and that's money down the drain.

So, again I have had my first response to this back today. as of yesterday I had emailed 15 companies with queries and out of those I have had 4 positive responses and 4 apologies. Its a case of don't ask don't get.

The first samples I got were facial skincare products from Elizabeth's Daughter, I am looking forward to trying them, watch this space for a product review.

I am also looking forward to the post over the next week as I should hopefully have a few goodies to try.

Thanks for reading guys

Again as I'm new to saving and scrimping if anyone has any advice, comments or general feedback I'd love to hear from you.

Cookie x