Today, I’m reviewing the Tetley Tea Cold Infusions which are “flavoured herbal tea water enhancers.”
Tetley Cold Infusions herbal infusers are specially created to be brewed in cold water. Simply drop in your water bottle (or glass or pitcher), shake or stir and go. No mess – no fuss – just great tasting water!
It’s great that there’s no sugar added and they’re caffeine-free. It’s definitely more convenient to infuse it in cold water. You don’t have to do the extra steps of boiling water. It’s great if you’re going out for the day and you can just throw it into your cold water.
I was sent two: Strawberry & Watermelon and Raspberry & Cranberry teas. The raspberry & cranberry had a bit of a medicinal taste that I wasn’t fond of, so I preferred the strawberry & watermelon. I think the mint, lemon & cucumber one would be refreshing, but that’s easier to make by yourself and you can control the amount of each ingredient.
I will start by saying that I’m not a huge fan of strawberry-flavoured teas. I’m a bit particular when it comes to fruity teas. I prefer mint and green teas. From Tetley, I like the Lychee Pear Green Tea and the Super Herbal Sunshine Tea – Lemon & Orange with Vitamin D.
I tried adding club soda to the teas to add some fizz, but it didn’t really do much. Actually, the fizziness overpowered it. So, I tried something else. I made it into a slushie by blending the tea with frozen strawberries and ice. I also added a splash of club soda (I think it was too much club soda the first time). It’s similar to a strawberry daiquiri. For those who are of legal age, you can add a bit of rum to make it more like a daiquiri.
RATING: 2.5/5
Honestly, I didn’t love the flavours I tried, but I would consider trying the mint, lemon & cucumber one and any others they come up with in the future.
Have you tried the Tetley Tea Cold Infusions?
Love,
*Products were sent complimentary from Topbox Circle to review.
Today I’m reviewing some products I received from NatureLab Tokyo. Here’s a little bit about the brand from their website:
Through our own research and discovery, all NatureLab products use active Botanical Stem Cells to maintain scalp health, improve follicle strength and promote hair growth at a cellular level.
Free of harsh Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates, Gluten, Mineral Oil and other harsh chemicals that not only damage hair, but the environment. Cruelty Free and Never Animal Tested.
Their shampoo and conditioner bottles are really cool. They sort of look like round-bottom flasks that you see in science labs. They also sell refillable pouches so you can reuse the bottles. The bottles are made of a harder plastic (not squeezable).
They have four different collections that target different hair types.
I chose to try products from the SHINE collection – Antioxidant-rich Stem Cells from Grape regenerate scalp papilla cells and revitalize shine. Hyaluronic acid seals in moisture while Pearl Extract stimulates enzymes for an iridescent finish. Shine on.
When I first received the products, I obviously smelled them right away. The scent was a bit strong (sweet and floral) from the bottle, but once you rinse it out, it’s a lighter scent. In the past, I’ve used shampoos that gave me headaches because they’re too strong.
The shampoo and conditioner made my hair look so shiny and sleek. The violet scent is pleasant, but I prefer fruity scents over florals.
I don’t really like using hair oils because my scalp is already oily. It’s definitely easy to go overboard. The first time I tried it, I sprayed too much and it looked greasy instead of a healthy shine. The scent of the oil is stronger since you don’t rinse it out like the shampoo and conditioner.
Get back to your roots with this deep conditioning treatment masque that restores dull hair from scalp to strand. Smart Keratin technology fortifies the hair cuticle and penetrates the cortex to rebuild body and revitalize shine. Potent plant Stem Cells from Bamboo strengthen the hair shaft and promote healthy hair growth while antioxidant-rich Argan and Prickly Pear oils add a protective luster. Damaged hair is visibly improved and new hair sprouts stronger.
In addition to the shampoo, conditioner and hair oil mist, they also sent samples of the Repair Treatment Masque. I really like the smell of the Repair collection. It’s green tea and cyprus. It smells similar to the Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo (which is green tea and cucumber). I really liked the masque and it also made my hair look shiny and healthy. I don’t do much with my hair, so it’s not damaged. I’d be interested to see if it works well for someone with damaged hair.
It’s been a while since I did a haul blog post and because I’ve been on a low buy, there’s been no reason to do one. I’ve almost run out of my current cleanser (KORAI Cloud Cleanser – read my review) and my COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review), so I decided to order a bunch of different ones to try. Hopefully, these will last a while because I bought so many. I purchased the products from Chuusi.ca (a Canadian online shop that sells Korean beauty and skincare). I’ve previously bought from them and they ship things out really quickly. Last time, I ordered and then received a notification 3 hours later. This time, it was the next day since I ordered on a weekend. I’m really excited to try the products I ordered:
3x COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches
2x Benton Goodbye Redness Centella Mask Pack
Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera Foam Cleanser
COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash
Heimish All Clean Balm
Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm (Original)
Mizon Apple Smoothie Peeling Gel
NEOGEN Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling (Green Tea)
Tony Moly Shiny Foot Super Peeling Liquid.
I’d love to try other acne patch brands. So far I’ve only tried COSRX and Nexcare ones (read my This or That post comparing them)
Update: Click here to read my review comparing the two cleansing balms.
Have you tried any of these products? What are your fave K-beauty products?
I wanted to share some of my favourite teas with you. I have green, fruity, herbal, rooibos and black teas on my faves list. They’re mostly caffeine-free or low caffeine and good either hot or cold. For all of them, you just need water and if you want, you can add a sweetener.
Restart and restore with our detoxifying green tea. A blend of sencha, rooibos, ginger, ginkgo and juniper berries, our mega popular Organic Detox will help cleanse your system thanks to its powerful antioxidants. You’ll love its citrusy lemongrass punch and smooth herbal notes. Now all you have to do is find a reason to detox!
Organic: Rooibos (Fair Trade Certified), sencha green tea, lemongrass, ginger, juniper berries, ginkgo. With natural lemon flavouring.
ORGANIC COLD 911 by DAVID’S TEA – This one tastes and smells quite strong and I only put it on the list because it’s good if you feel a cold coming. I don’t like the taste of it, but the peppermint helps soothe the throat.
Herbal Tea – Caffeine-Free
Bad colds require badass interventions. And this soothing herbal tea has definitely got what it takes. It has a throat-calming base of peppermint, with a sweet hint of apple and some potent little juniper berries. And with its super-comforting aroma of eucalyptus and orange, even inhaling the steam feels good. Hey, we can’t guarantee miracle results, but at least we can guarantee it tastes great.
Organic: Peppermint, apple, juniper berries. With natural eucalyptus and orange flavouring.
FOREVER NUTS by DAVID’S TEA – I love this tea during the winter because the apple and cinnamon flavours pair nicely with some yummy sugar cookies.
Herbal Tea – Caffeine-Free
You’ll go nuts for this herbal tea. With its crunchy almond slices, sweet apple bits and cinnamon bark, this tempting caffeine-free infusion turns a crazy shade of pink when steeped. Why? Because of its hint of earthy beetroot. Deliciously nutty, decidedly addictive, it’s one of our all-time bestselling blends.
Lovers of Earl Grey tea adore this creamy alternative to the original breakfast blend. You’ll recognize the same high-quality black tea, the same citrus burst of bergamot oil, the same beautiful grey-blue petals. However this version adds a touch of vanilla, and the result is an unexpectedly rich, creamy taste experience. Try it on its own or as a satisfying tea latte.
Organic: Black tea, marigolds. With cornflowers and natural flavouring.
Marrakesh Mint, China Gunpowder blended with refreshing peppermint, will whisk you away to cascading waterfalls deep in the mountains of Morocco. Host friends and family with this lively green tea brightened with peppermint cultivated on a mountain in Tiznit.
Green Tea, Peppermint
GREEN TEA TROPICAL by MIGHTY LEAF – I picked this up in a variety pack with the Mighty Leaf Mint Tea and thought it’d be nice to try other teas since I like the mint one. I’m glad I did because I love this one. Although, I try not to drink it every day because of the pineapple (you know that feeling in your throat when you eat too much pineapple and it gets a little scratchy?)
Green Tea – Low Caffeine
Green Tea Tropical boasts smooth green tea leaves that harmoniously blend with sweet tropical fruits to create a sensation as uplifting as a breeze of the isle of Papenoo. A healthy and refreshing blend, Green Tea Tropical makes ideal introduction to green tea.
Flower Petals, Green Tea, Natural Flavours, Natural Tropical Flavours, Pineapple
PEACHES AND CREAM by SLOANE FINE TEA MERCHANTS – This pairs very nicely with some biscotti or some macarons. It’s not overly sweet, but has a fruity and creamy taste. This is the tea pictured above with the cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory (Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake and Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake). The two cheesecakes are very decadent and the two slices were enough to split between three people after dinner.
White Tea
A Bai Mu Dan white tea is delicately blended with the succulence of “water honey peaches” and finished with a hint of vanilla for a truly creamy finish.
This blend packs a burst of blueberries that will bring you back for more.
Rooibos, blueberries, white apple pieces, natural coconut chips, flavoring, mallow flowers, pink rose flower petals.
PERIODICALLY PAIN-LESS by DOLLAR TEA CLUB – This tea has a lot of claims to help a lot of different symptoms. I don’t know about all of the other symptoms, but it does seem to help during that time of the month. I don’t know if it’s a placebo effect or something, but I actually do feel better after drinking this when I’m feeling crampy.
Herbal Tea – Low Caffeine
The ingredients in this tea have been known to help alleviate symptoms of bloating, cramping, accelerate weight loss and provide dietary supplements. It helps decrease and eliminate symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, other gastro-intestinal distresses, provide relief for constipation, relieve nausea, boost the immune system, act as an anti-septic and an anti-inflammatory aid. A healthy and periodically painless solution for everyone at the time of need.
**These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
PASSION HERBAL TEA by TAZO – I used to get Iced Passion Tea Lemonades from Starbucks every now and then, it’s been a while, but it’s still a fave and it’s so easy to make at home too.
Herbal Tea – Caffeine-Free
An exuberant herbal infusion of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips & passion fruit flavors.
Hibiscus flowers, natural tropical flavors, citric acid, licorice root, orange peel, cinnamon, rose hips, lemongrass, fruit juice extract (color)
GENMAICHA (GREEN TEA WITH ROASTED RICE) by UJINOTSUYU – They also have Genmaicha at David’s Tea, but it’s cheaper and tastes better if you get the packaged loose leaf from an Asian supermarket.
Genmaicha is a mixture of green tea with roasted rice. It has less caffeine and tastes less astringent. This aromatic blended tea brings together the refreshing lightness, sweetness and the distinctive taste of roasted rice.
Top Row: Peaches & Cream, Genmaicha, Periodically Pain-less, Green Tea Tropical, Blueberry Blast
I was contacted on Instagram by Soo’Ae Canada asking if I liked sheet masks. My answer was: Absolutely! They were very generous and sent me their line of face masks. They never asked me to review the masks, but I wanted to write a review. So, here are my thoughts on the masks. Each of the masks retail for $4 CAD.
They have several different types of masks:
Sheet Masks
Hydrogel Mask
gel-like texture, thin, two-piece (eyes/nose and mouth)
I liked that it had two pieces because then you can move the mask to fit your face properly (sometimes eye, nose and mouth holes don’t line up with my face)
Premium Essence Mask
thin, stretchy material
Skin Friendly Mask
thin, regular material (like other masks you get)
Skin Gel Mask
very durable, won’t rip (I tried pulling and it barely stretched)
Hydrocell Mask
thick, fibrous
Peeling Mask
exfoliating mask
Oxygen Bubbling Mask
carbonated mask that foams up
Sleeping Mask
like a serum that you apply before bed and wash off in the morning
This all-in-one mask instantly purifies troubled skin with the combined power of activated binchotan charcoal, kaolin and bentonite clay, and oxygen bubbles. Active binchotan, powerful enough to purify water, is a renown anti-inflammatory known to refine and brighten skin.
This was the first time I used a bubble mask. My face felt tingly when I used it from the bubbles. It had the consistency of a clay mask and when I applied it to my face, after a few seconds, it would start to bubble and puff up a bit. It didn’t puff up as much as some pictures I’ve seen of bubble masks. When I would touch it, it would go back to the clay mask consistency and then start to bubble again after a few seconds. I rinsed it off with warm water and applied my moisturizer. My face felt clean and very smooth after using it.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the tingling sensation, but that’s to be expected of the bubble masks. If you like bubble masks, give this a try. I would rather stick to a sheet mask or clay mask.
This silky and lightweight sleeping mask, formulated with acai berry, blueberry and niacinamide, improves the appearance of dull, lackluster and fatigued looking skin overnight for visibly youthful glowing skin.
Combines the potent benefits of black charcoal with peat water, bamboo water and birch sap to detox and replenish hydration in skin. Licorice root, green tea, omija (magnolia berry), and coptis japonica root extracts provide an additional boost of nourishing moisture to soothe dryness and fatigue helping to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
This luxurious overnight sleeping mask delivers the benefits of nourishing moisture to skin suffering from dryness with Donkey Milk. Infused with the added benefits of 5 potent plant extracts (Soybean, Licorice Root, Camellia Seed, Japanese Yam and Snow Mushroom), the lightweight yet rich and silky texture absorbs quickly and deeply, improving dry and tired looking skin overnight.
Innovative ‘skin gel’ mask hybrids traditional sheet masks with hydrogel to improve delivery of active ingredients to the skin. Donkey’s Milk, referred too as “white gold” has been valued for its immense benefits, revered by the likes of Hippocrates and Cleopatra and helps the skin look more nourished. With the added benefits of Green tea, Salmon Egg, Sugar Maple and Mushroom extracts, skin looks radiant and youthfully plumped with moisture.
Honey and propolis restore moisture and nourish skin while hyaluronic acid provides hydration. This nourishing essence formula is infused into a unique tencel fabric to provide optimal comfort during application and effectively delivers nutrients to the skin.
Smooth away lip lines, dry, cracked lips in 15 minutes with the nourishing and moisturizing benefits of sea kelp and super berries. Soo Ae’s My Collagen Hydrogel Lip Patch is infused with a special blend of collagen, nutrient-rich fruit and plant extracts to soothe and plump with moisture.
Charcoal’s potent detoxifying and brightening abilities fuse with cultured green tea and green caviar extracts to provide instant clarity and moisture to relieve dry and tired looking skin. Formulated based on traditional Korean herbal medicine known as Hanbang, Soo Ae’s unique blend of herb and plant extracts helps to improve the appearance of beautiful, youthful and supple skin.
Formulated with eco-cert certified moisture-rich natural cellulose, to deliver superb and extra gentle exfoliation with the added benefits of vitamins C + E and fruit extracts. The moisture enriched cellulose helps to gently lift dead skin cells and unclog pores to restore skin clarity and radiance while allowing for improved absorption and efficacy for skincare applications that follow after use.
This hydrogel mask combines the potent benefits of black charcoal with peat water, bamboo water and birch sap to detox and replenish hydration in skin. Licorice root, green tea, omija (magnolia berry), and coptis japonica root extracts provide an additional boost of nourishing moisture to soothe dryness and fatigue helping to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Formulated with Soo Ae’s Moisture Revival Complex, a unique blend of botanical extracts and 17 complex amino acids, this hydrating formula helps to improve moisture and skin clarity for radiant and smooth skin. This moisture-rich essence formula is infused into Soo Ae’s unique eco-friendly Hydrocell mask fabric and allows for significantly improved absorption and delivery of powerful ingredients into the skin, exceeding those of a traditional sheet mask
Healthy collagen level in the skin can help to achieve the plump and smooth appearance of a youthful complexion. As a key ingredient in this mask, it restores hydration while protecting that moisture from breaking down that may lead to dryness, and improves elasticity and resilience. In addition, each mask is also formulated with Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Witch Hazel, Natto Gum, and Wheat Amino Acids, to provide additional hydration and skin care benefits.
Charcoal helps to detox and purify skin. Plant extract delivers and nourishes skin. Hologram mask is soaked in a unique double-sided black charcoal and hologram sheet.
An effective hydrogel eye mask meets Soo’Ae’s cute panda to deliver a fun way to hydrate, soothe and smooth tired looking eyes. Formulated with Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract and Dipotassim Glycyrrhizate. this nourishing formula provides excellent moisturizing and soothing benefits, helping to chase those sad panda eyes away.
RATING: 4.5/5
These masks are a little more expensive than other sheet masks, but you can definitely see and feel that they are better quality than other brands. They all smell really nice.I think the hydrogel, skin gel and peeling masks were the best.
My face felt incredibly soft and plump after using the Donkey Milk Skin Gel Mask and the Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel (I wou. You could definitely get two uses out of one package of the peeling gel and the sleeping mask can last a while since a little bit goes a long way.
I think my favourites were the Donkey Milk Skin Gel Mask, Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel and the Black Charcoal Hydrogel Mask. I will definitely be purchasing those in the future.
The Super Intensive Hydrocell Mask was my least favourite one. I didn’t love the fibrous feel of the mask.
The lip patch made my lips feel super smooth and a bit tingly. It was also thicker than other lip patches I’ve tried and it didn’t really lay flat against my skin. It’s best to lie down when using it because it fell off while I used it.
The premium essence and skin friendly sheet masks were a similar material to the ones you get at The Face Shop. So, I wouldn’t purchase the nature essence ones since you can get similar ones for cheaper at The Face Shop or in packages at Winners. I think it’s more worth it to pay $4 for the peeling gel, hydrogel, and skin gel masks.
What are your fave face masks? Have you tried Soo’Ae masks?
