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Before Chocolate is a Hot Chocolate like no other

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When I was approached by Before Chocolate to product review for them I was very excited. It is rare to find a chocolate product that is dairy free and made to a standard that is so exceptional. Today on my blog I am going to talk about my experience and taste testing of this delicious brand.

Before Chocolate Original Hot Chocolate

About Before Chocolate

Established in 2019 by Harry and Mandi. A UK based company with high standards for producing a chocolate that is not only good for you, containing natural ingredients, as well as no allergens. But their mission was a simple one, to create a product that was chemical and additive free, that tasted like real chocolate should.
They work closely with the Cacao growers they use to find the finest beans for their products. Harry is an EU Organic Superfood importer, and Mandi is a mother of two who has always had a passion for real chocolate.
Before Chocolate is made from South American Fino de Aroma Cacao beans. And are Winner’s of 17 Great Taste Awards. They have also been featured on ITV.

Some Words from Before Chocolate and how they create their Artisan Hot Chocolate

Our chocolate products are a result of our collaboration with some of the world’s best cacao growers and chocolatier’s. Our range is inspired by the finest traditional superfood ingredients, multi-generational chocolate-making expertise and a desire to go back to the roots of chocolate making.

Chocolate as we know today is industrially processed, contains refined sugar, E numbers and many other nasty ingredients making it nutritionally poor. We’ve simply taken chocolate back to its origins; simpler, healthier and more natural than modern day chocolate as we all know it today.  Our cacao-rich super smooth chocolate is made up of high quality organic wholefoods, ethically sourced directly from the very best farmers around the world.

We’ve kept our ingredients list as short as possible with just single origin Peruvian and Ecuadorian Organic Cacao, Organic Coconut Sugar (15%) and with added superfoods such as Camu Camu, Turmeric, Maca, Lucuma and Chia seeds.

Before Chocolate products are allergen-free, vegan, organic, free from refined sugar and most importantly taste delicious. Great for all of the family, convenient healthy treats on the go or to simply have as a healthy snack at work.  Now you can enjoy your chocolate, guilt free knowing its actually a better alternative. Before Chocolate represents simple, clean and natural ingredients. Exactly how Chocolate should be enjoyed. 

Original Hot Chocolate

What’s In Before Chocolate Hot Chocolate?

Organic Cacao Paste
Unrefined Muscovado Sugar
Organic Light Agave Nectar

Cacao solids are 51% of the packet. I was given 135g bags which turn into 5 portions (regular mug size).

Chocolate Orange

The Products I Have Reviewed

When I was sent the hot chocolate pouches I could tell from the packaging that it was made to a high standard. Everything was clearly labelled with all the information that you could wish for. From the ingredients list to everything you needed to know about the product that was inside, including how to prepare it. The pouches are also resealable with a wonderful enclosed lip, this allows you to use just what you wanted and save the rest for another day.

I found that the bags contained 5 portions per bag, but liking my hot chocolate quite strong and also using a large mug I decided to add a little more into my saucepan than the recommended 3 spoonful’s, I used four. We had 4 portions of drink from the Original pouch, and 5 portions for the Orange and Spiced flavours.

I invited some family members over for the afternoon where I made everyone a hot chocolate of their choice using Almond Milk (we are a dairy free household) and I found it was simple to prepare. Using my favourite milk saucepan I poured in enough almond milk for the mug chosen and waited for it to simmer. Then I began stirring in the wonderful rich Cacao from the Before Chocolate packet. I used a silicone whisk to ensure a smooth finish. I made each drink one at a time for the different flavours, and then we sat around drinking them.

The overall view was that each one was certainly smooth and rich in flavour, I had personally never had a hot chocolate with such defined flavour. I actually think my choice of almond milk really complimented it. The before chocolate drinks were like velvet across your tongue, strong chocolate flavour and a nice after taste.

Original

This has to be the smoothest hot chocolate I have ever tasted, rich and delicious. A few minutes after I had finished it I did find myself in need of a glass of water, I think due to the richness. It was an indulgent and decadent treat for my taste buds. Knowing it was good for me, even though it tasted divinely naughty with its strong chocolate taste made it even better. Halfway down my mug I decided to squirt a little dairy free cream on the rest, and that complimented it very well too. The overall view was that it was a hot chocolate ideal for any time of the day or night, and it was ready in only a few minutes.

Orange

Well if you like orange flavours this would be the choice for you. As my mother said as she tasted hers “it’s like drinking a liquid chocolate orange”. Again a deliciously smooth feeling as you drink it, and full of flavour throughout every mouthful. It was even mentioned between us that you could make this and pour a little over ice cream or other desserts. Something we might have to try with the little bit left in our packet!

Spiced

A delicious chocolate flavour with a lightly spiced taste. It’s smooth and that hint of spices is so warming alongside the hot chocolate and its created warmth from the saucepan. This one is particularly good for this time of the year, ideal for the festive season, definitely one for adults to enjoy more so.
Although you could add portions of half original and half spiced and your children would likely love the smooth lightly spiced flavour of this hot chocolate with the rich smoothness the finished product provides.

I used my milk saucepan and almond milk to make our delicious hot chocolate drinks
Sabrina’s Serving Suggestion – Dairy Free Whipped Cream and Vegan Dark Chocolate Curls

Where Can I Buy Before Chocolate

Buy direct from Before Chocolate online. The website link below this sentence will help you to find out more and you can view the current range of products that are available to purchase as well.

The Website for Before Chocolate

Would I recommend it?

Yes I would recommend it. Not only is the hot chocolate incredible taste wise, but it is better for you than a high street or supermarket variety of hot chocolate. I would rather be putting this Cacao made version into my body than anything that has added sugars, E numbers and chemical additives in it.

Before Chocolate ingredients are actually good for you, they are delicious, it’s vegan friendly and it’s made with it’s growers in mind too – good karma! Overall it is an inviting and indulgent chocolate delight, a warming and comforting drink in the colder weather. The fact that it’s made in a way that is not harmful to your body just makes me want to drink it more, it tastes naughty and rich and yet it’s so good! It’s a win win for everyone.

Product Packaging Quality 5✩
Product Quality (Taste and Flavour) 5✩
As Advertised Online 5✩
Product Variety 5✩
Ease of Preparation 5✩

5✩ Overall I rate it 5 Stars 5✩

Thank you for reading my blog post today, I hope you have enjoyed learning about this brand and perhaps I have inspired you to try it. I also have a little video on my social media below if you’d like to watch that.

Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you have a wonderful day.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Indulgent, Inviting and Deliciously Rich

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Collaboration: I have been provided with these hot chocolate pouches from Before Chocolate in order to complete this honest product review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to showcase their fabulous brand across my platforms. I have loved taste testing them over the last few weeks and it was also nice to get my family involved as well. Thank you Before Chocolate, I have thoroughly enjoyed trying your delightful drinks and will be telling everyone I know how good they are.

All words, photography and opinions in my blog are my own, unless otherwise stated.

Please do not copy any information without my written permission but feel free to share the link to my blog with people you know if you believe this product would benefit them knowing about it.

If you have any questions or would like me to review a product for your business, please get in touch via my contact tab across the header of my blog homepage. Thank you, Sabrina.

Only Curls Product Review

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When I first discovered Only Curls online during 2022 I had two initial thoughts about it. The first was “Wow that’s so expensive” and the second was “But look at all these great reviews”.
Now, I am definitely a woman who believes strongly in honesty and truth telling, and after all, as a product reviewer it is my duty to tell people exactly what I think. So I started following Only Curls across my social media, reading peoples reviews, watching for peoples own stories about their hair and experiences. And so I made a promise to myself that once my usual shampoo was all used up I would order myself a small set and give it a go.

I kept seeing deals come up but I wanted to wait and see, surely it couldn’t be this good and work for everyone’s curly hair. Reviews kept coming thick and fast and awards were being bestowed too. It was positive throughout, and as Black Friday deals became advertised I bit the bullet and decided to add some things to my basket. And yes okay it’s an expensive brand compared to say a high street alternative, however, you simply don’t get the care and attention, nor the incredible customer service, plus don’t forget the natural ingredients and tailor-made curly products… by shopping on the high street… I had never used a completely curly haired brand set before and I figured at the age of (35 at the time I bought) I should perhaps start. A gift to myself and my hair that I love.

I first tried Only Curls in the autumn of 2023, and let’s be honest when I say this, I was hopeful my hair would like the brand (considering I spent £60). But luckily my hair didn’t just like these products, oh no, it freaking LOVED them. And once I got into a new hair washing routine, and my hair was eventually stripped of the entire cheap high street product residue, I instantly saw a difference in my hair. Not only was it softer, shinier and felt healthier, my curls were becoming more defined and had more volume. I was getting curls higher up on my long locks, something I hadn’t had since before I was a parent. I looked in the mirror and I saw me how I would imagine myself, curly and confident, not the half curls half untameable frizz I had put up with for years.

Here is a set of images showing how my curly hair was before using Only Curls. Notice how its half curls and half waves, or it’s flat in some areas and curly in others, or sometimes just frizzy…

My hair over the past fifteen years, it’s been lovely natural spirals and partially frizzy and it changed day to day too, some days I would feel like it was a good hair day with lots of curls, others it would be a messy bun to ignore the frizz.

Within a month (that was washing my curls twice a week) I could see the difference, it also smells so great too, and friends and family were noticing how good my hair looked. It made me feel good about my natural curls for the first time in a long time, and I wasn’t spending any additional time taming frizz because there was none.

After half a year I woke up one morning and looked at my semi perfect three day old curls and thought to myself, this can’t possibly last, one day soon my hair will get used to this product and it will stop being so effective and I will go back to being the girl with unruly hair…. Well I am coming up to ten months of using this now and I couldn’t be happier to have been proven wrong. So far my hair still loves the products and it works for me. In fact, here are some more images of me from the last ten months so you can see just how many good hair days I’ve been having.

During the first few months of using Only Curls my hair became more defined, fuller and had more volume too. I have always loved my hair, but now I love it even more!
This was my first ever delivery, a set of the best products, a hair towel and a clip.

If you are a curly haired woman like me and you have trouble with lack of volume, frizz, crazy undefined curls, flat areas of the hair, dry curls, or you just really want to have healthier curly hair then I implore you to check out Only Curls. They have lots of products and tips as well for those curly creatures like us.

A statement from the Only Curls website reads “Only Curls is against animal testing on all our cosmetic products and ingredients. We have never tested on animals and do not use cosmetic materials that contain animal derivatives. All our cosmetic ingredients are 100% VEGAN.” Another great set of reasons to choose them.

Not only is it the Cleanser, Conditioner, Crème and Gel, Oh no! They do a whole range of useful products as well as accessories to suit every person’s individual needs. And recently they launched a kids range as well. There are also tools such as brushes and towels and bottles, as well as a blog too!

Personally I’m so glad that I took the chance on Only Curls, and I won’t go back to any other brand now, my hair loves this so much. When you follow the instructions and work out just how much of each product you need to make your curly hair at its best, you just rinse and repeat – quite literally!

Here is another set of selfies from this year (2024) showing my hair. I highlighted it myself at home, and my mother trims the ends for me twice a year. I only brush my hair with a tangle teezer when wet and about to cleanse it, and I just apply warm wet hands and scrunch in a morning to revitalise the ends. Otherwise I follow the set of Only Curls bottles and stay hydrated every day.

These images from this year range from Day One Curls to Day Three Curls, they remain defined and I barely have any frizz any more either. Please scroll back up my blog post to compare with my first set of images to see the differences.

Product Quality 5✩
Product Quality (Hair Products) 5✩
Product Quality (Accessories) 4✩
Delivery Service 5✩
Customer Service 5✩
Longevity of Products 5✩
Ease of Use 4✩
Product Design and Presentation 5✩

I will outline my scores as follows. I have found the quality of the products to be excellent, they are presented in strong bottles with buttons or pumps, both are easy to use. When I had a pump damaged in transit during delivery Customer Services at Only Curls sent me out a replacement with no fuss. Thank you! I have also found the coloured labels on the product design to be handy, I use them in order now without the need to read them when in the shower.
The ease of use again comes down to the pumps for convenience and also the way you use the bottles in order to achieve the best combination for your curls. However it is a time consuming when washing curly hair, and now doing four products every wash is taking a bit of time. (But it is worth it!)
I had to give the accessories 4 stars because I bought the microfibre towel and was disappointed when the elasticated tie completely fell off after only fifteen to twenty uses of it. The microfibre towelling material itself though is very soft and good quality, great for scrunching excess water from my curls after showering.
I believe that Only Curls is a fantastic brand and it’s been a pleasure for me to write my review having tested the products myself for many months now. I would recommend them.

Only Curls Links
Only Curls Website
Only Curls Facebook
Only Curls Instagram

If you’ve been inspired by my blog post today please hit the links below, you can follow me as well across my social media as well as checking out the only curls ones or visit their website (above). They even have an app you can download if you’re keen. If you have any questions please comment below and I will try my best to answer them for you, if not head to Only Curls for lists of ingredients and current pricings and things like that.

Thank you for reading this product review today, I really hope you have enjoyed it.

You can follow me on my social media if you’d like to see more reviews and posts, and check out my gorgeous curls some more if you want to, ha! ha!

Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you have a wonderful day.

✩ Sabrina ✩

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This review has been entirely written by myself and is my own words, thoughts and opinions. I am not an affiliate of Only Curls and I have not received anything to write this product review. All the images are my own and subject to copyright Severn Sabrina, please do not copy or save anything from my website without my written permission to do so. You may not put my review on any other internet page without my consent and I only write reviews on products that I have personally tested myself.

Argos Testers Product Review of LEGO DREAMZzz Pegasus Flying Horse Set

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Hello! I’m Sabrina! I am an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of an online review. I thoroughly test the products and take photographs of them before submitting my findings and honest thoughts over to Argos. Sometimes I even do a video, and these are shown on my social media channels. This latest campaign was to test out a brand new LEGO sets.

#ArgosTester #ArgosTesters #ArgosTestersCommunity

I have written this article about a product that I have been supplied for free, in order to test and then review it. This is my experience with said product and it is my honest review about the product listed below. I have already submitted my review to the Argos Website, and it has been accepted on to live public view when this blog post has been published. Please see my review on this screengrab below from the Argos website. All words and photography within this article are my own.

Product Details

Name: LEGO DREAMZzz
Set Number: 71457
RRP: £47.00
Product Details: 482 Pieces including specialised Mini Figures. Ages 8 and up. Fantasy Creatures and Characters are based on the LEGO DREAMZzz television show. Pegasus stands at 20cm tall once assembled. 2 building options for one character included (a bird or a butterfly).
Argos Website: LINK to Product

LEGO Set Ideal for Fantasy Fans and Artistic Builders

Examining this incredible LEGO set I was amazed at all the details and interesting ways that certain LEGO pieces were used to create something that looked entirely different. I’m no stranger to LEGO and its nice part usage, but this is my first ever DDREAMZzz set and it definitely had the wow factor from the moment I started to build it.
It is a pretty complex set and designed for ages 8 up to adults, and I would say that it took around 3.5 hours to complete. The stickers really help add to the depth of the LEGO pieces.
Overall I think it’s a much organised set and the builder also has the option on whether they want to build different aspects for the characters included. For example you could choose to build a bird or a butterfly; I chose the bird because I thought it looked amazing in the picture art included in the instructions. Talking of Art, it really added to the story for me, it’s not often that you get the LEGO imagined into picture scenarios so this was really cool.
You have to concentrate a fair bit when building this set due to all of the posable sections of the Pegasus, the limbs all need to be correctly aligned in order for the LEGO to stand up properly and it was much heavier than I realised. The characters are also unique and have great facial expressions and hair and costume details too. The final look of the Pegasus is amazing, and I hope my accompanying pictures portray that.
I wouldn’t change anything about this set, it’s unique, fun and I love anything to do with fantasy which is why I chose this one. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a fantasy genre or horses. If you’re building this to play it has tons of appeal with so much movement in every part of the set, but it also makes a great addition to any LEGO collector’s artistic display.

My Honest Opinion

Overall I would like to rate the 5 stars.

Quality 5✩
Features 5✩
Design 4✩
Playability 5✩

As with all LEGO the quality is always brilliant, but this set is like nothing I have ever built before. It was complex but it was very artistic which was fabulous. It has great parts usage and I loved how the build came together to make such an iconic piece; the Pegasus.
I wasn’t aware that these DREAMZzz sets were based upon a television show, and I am sure when my son is older I can introduce him to the shows because they sound great.
The playability and the imagination of this set is astounding, even if you love the concept and want to keep it as an artistic LEGO build. There was only one piece that caused me some concern which was the seat part of the nightmare character, it was not secure on the Pegasus due to only two contact studs. I used a spare piece of my own LEGO, a 4×4 studs in a square to increase the surface area so that the piece would sit and be better secured. This did not distract from the set as it’s hidden beneath.
Overall it’s a set that has a wonderful theme, fun and unique characters, bright and vibrant colours of bricks and a set which looks incredible once it’s all built and displayed.

Thank you for reading this product review today, if you have any questions about the product please let me know, I’m happy to answer them if I can. For anything else please refer to the Argos website which you can find on the link I posted above in the Product Details.

Thank you for visiting my blog today, have a great day.

✩ Sabrina ✩


Galen Leather, a Unique Collaboration with a One of a Kind Company

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I’ve been so lucky this month to be approached by Galen Leather to do a product review for them. I was excited to receive my new journal cover and notebook, and they even added in a few treats as well. Customer service is very important in any situation where an order is being placed online, however the presentation of items also needs to be taken into account. When products are being posted from another country they need to be packaged in a way that minimises damage and ensures that the items arrive in tip top condition. These needs were definitely met with my order, and I was astounded by the level of detail and the lengths to which Galen Leather made my order personal and gracious.

When I opened up the package I did not just find the journal cover beautifully boxed and bound, but I had the notebook which was sealed and brand new. As well as a fabric pencil case filled with postcards, journal stickers, a tea bag and a refreshing lemon towel, and finally a stunning leather pen holder too. I was not expecting these little extras and the gesture of that is huge. Attention to detail is important but going the extra mile, knowing your customer would be using this notebook as a journal and taking the time to choose out and send her some stickers, is high up on my appreciation scale. I would give 5✩ for the delivery, customer service and the packaging.

Opening the items up properly for the first time and inspecting them thoroughly, I found their uniqueness and quality was excellent. I would go so far as to say it’s some of the best leather goods I have ever had the pleasure of owning. You can tell they are handmade and homemade, but the intricacy of the stitching and the beauty of the craftsmanship are wonderful. I was astounded by the quality of the packaging as well, due to the presentation of the box with its ink stamped exterior and every item being leather stamped as well. I would give 5✩ for the presentation and the quality of everything I received.

When I am reviewing a product I always take several days to use the item, to test it out, to photograph it and use it as I would do if I had purchased it for myself. I was lucky that Galen Leather asked me what sort of a product I wanted to test, and I told them I would love a journal cover.

Journaling has been a creative outlet that I have only dabbled in for the last few years, but I find I am calmer in my mind when expressing myself in an artistic way, I much prefer to use words and stickers rather than painting or drawing. I use my journal for positive thoughts, memories of good things that happen, and expressing my love and joy for things and people around me. When using the Galen Leather cover and journal notebook I found the items were helping to enhance my joy. I would give the quality and the functionality of the pieces from Galen Leather 5✩. I also think it’s nice to be able to personalise your piece with ease, I have used clips and a paper flower on mine.

Finally I would like to mention the choice and the design features. There was an immense amount of choice online, and I would urge anyone who is looking to start a journaling journey to look into the Galen Leather product range. Some items are of a natural leather look and others are dyed using natural materials to give them a different colour. Either way whatever you’re looking for they have something for everyone, notebook covers, journal covers, pen holders, pencil cases, tablet holders, bags, planner covers, pouches and even phone cases. Personalisation with stamped leather attachments and even brass ones can further increase the uniqueness of your chosen piece. Handmade with care by a family run business who strive for sending out quality leather goods across the world. I would give their choices and design features 5✩.

For the purpose of this product review I was gifted the Everyday Blank A5 Notebook with Tomoe River paper, it has 400 pages. And the Leather Slim A5 Notebook/Planner Cover – Crazy Horse Ochre Honey.

Did you know that Galen Leather uses traditional leather techniques and hand stitching on their items, as well as vegetable tanning to alter the colour of the leather? Fascinating!

The Galen Leather Co Story

Galen Leather Company was established in 2012, it is a family run business, based in Istanbul in Turkey. Founded by Fikret Zeynep and named after her favourite precious stone. Their motto reads “Established to supply all nations”.

Galen Leather was established after Zeynep was diagnosed with a rare form of neck and head cancer which meant she couldn’t speak for a year following her treatment. Unable to do her previous line of work she needed something she could do at home where the correspondence would all be done via email and the internet. This is when she began looking at local sources for leather items. As a small business on the rise she soon realised the demand for such unique handmade products and wondered about making them all with her own two hands to create a unique brand.

When her brother Yusuf graduated he decided to come along on the business venture and after several months business was flourishing for the two of them. During 2013 they both learnt how to do different kinds of leather crafting and have handmade all of their goods ever since. The company has been shipping out globally since 2015 and providing high quality leather and wooden products to customers all over the world.

Sadly Zeynep passed away in July 2019, leaving the business and the legacy of Galen Leather behind for her brother Yusuf, husband Yunus and son Cagan to keep running. The family have continued in her absence and the business has grown from strength to strength in recent years.

With thousands of followers across social media and their handmade products selling out very quickly, Galen Leather is a family business who should be very pleased with the beautiful products they create for people across all nations of Earth. They are a family devoted to one another and the memory of Zeynep who I’m sure would be proud of everything they have achieved since her passing. When a business is founded on love it shows, and Galen Leather put their heart and soul into every single item that they craft and sell. Their passion for wood, stationery and leather goods has created a thriving business which is run on their love for their craft. The team have joy in what they do and I think that’s obvious when looking at the beautiful craftsmanship of each piece.

Overall I would give the products I have received and the service 5✩.

Customer Service 5✩
Delivery 5✩
Packaging 5✩
Presentation 5✩
Functionality 5✩
Design 5✩
Quality 5✩
Choice 5✩

If you would like to visit the Galen Leather website I will leave the links below. Please note that stock is always being replenished and items have a turn around time of 1-2 weeks due to them being made by hand. The quality and uniqueness is worth the wait I promise you. Get inspired below.

Slim Notebook Leather Cover in Ochre Honey LINK
All Galen Leather Slim Covers LINK
Galen Leather Website Main Page LINK
Galen Leather Notebooks LINK

Thank you for reading this product review today, hopefully you’ve enjoyed hearing about these wonderful products. Don’t forget to check out the Galen Leather website now that you’ve finished reading.

I would like to thank Galen Leather once again for choosing me to collaborate with. I have loved every minute using and testing the products. They will be used for the foreseeable future too, so watch out for them on my social media pages as I share some journal entries.

You can follow me on Social Media by searching for #SevernWishesBlog or #SevernSabrina
Alternatively click here to follow me on Facebook / Instagram / YouTube

Wishing you a day filled with positivity and joy, I hope I see you again soon!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Product Review of Spectrum Collections Jet Setters Malachite Brush Set

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When it comes to makeup brushes your skin deserves the best. I have tried many brands over the years of being a product reviewer, and I have to say that the Spectrum Collections brushes are the best. Not only are they made to a high standard of quality they are also Vegan. The brush bristles are super soft and they are created cruelty free too.

At the end of 2021 I ordered myself the Jet Setters Set, but with my health being bad and I was awaiting surgery that kept being postponed, I didn’t feel up to wearing any makeup let alone testing a new product. I got my surgery in May 2022 and after a six month recovery I started to finally feel a bit more like myself again. This meant reaching for the makeup products once again.

I have reviewed everything I’ve ever had from Spectrum Collections and if you want to read any of my other articles please click on this link right HERE
OR
If you’re after your own Spectrum Set after reading my reviews you can use my referral code and grab yourself a tremendous 15% off! To use my code please click on this link HERE and it will say Sabrina gives you 15% off your order.

When I finally got around to opening up this set I decided to video doing it. You can watch this over on my Instagram if you would prefer to, and that video is here Severn Sabrina.

The quality is always so impeccable with Spectrum Collections, this set has been sat in the box it was delivered in and not touched for over a year. Yet it was like they had sent it yesterday, with the brushes soft and everything still perfectly aligned inside. Proving that quality remains even if the brushes are unused for a time after you buy them. (Remember to clean your brushes regularly folks!).

Even the packaging with its vibrant green was stunning as I carefully removed the plastic. Everything got recycled afterwards and the brushes remain safe inside the PVC-free set case.

There was more than enough room in the case, I found, for the makeup you required and even additional items such as toiletries, with the brushes safely housed on the other side so nothing gets squashed.

This brand always gets a thumb up from me for being a small run UK business and now they are taking on the globe! But they remain Vegan and Cruelty Free in the manufacturing and practices and that is a huge tick from me, if it’s Vegan I will test it.

My Honest Opinion of the Malachite Jet Setters Set.

Overall I would like to rate the set 5 stars.

Brush Quality 5✩
Design Features 5✩
Packaging 5✩
Originality 5✩
Functionality 5✩
Durability 5✩

Details about Malachite Jet Setters.

The Malachite Jet Setters is an 8 piece set of brushes all houses in a two tier vegan leather bag. This is zipped with two compartments, one for the brushes and one for all your makeup and cosmetics.
Ideal for weekends away and going on holiday, with enough space for everything you need.
Made Vegan and Cruelty Free with a PVC-free bag too.
The brushes included are;

  • B01 – Buffing Foundation 
  • C03 – Tulip Powder
  • A05 – Angled Cheek
  • B08 – Magic Wand perfect for highlighter and setting powders
  • B06 – Tall Tapered Blender
  • B04 – Angled Shader
  • A16 – Precision Crease
  • A24 – Double Ended Brow Styler

RRP £59.99 but as of June 30th 2023 it is £35.99 (price correct as of date of blog publication).

Link to the Spectrum Collections Website OR straight to the Link for Malachite Jet Setter Set

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Thank you for reading this product review today, I hope you have enjoyed it. As I mentioned at the start you can scroll back through all my Spectrum reviews and don’t forget to click on the link and get your 15% off code as a thank you for reading my review today.

I hope you have a great day.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Argos Testers Product Review of LEGO City Set 60365 Apartment Building

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Hello! I’m Sabrina! I am an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of an online review. I thoroughly test the products and take photographs of them before submitting my findings and honest thoughts over to Argos. This latest campaign was to test out brand new LEGO Sets, and because we need to choose something we haven’t reviewed before, I chose the modular construction LEGO. Not sure what that is? Keep reading my review.

#ArgosTester #ArgosTesters #ArgosTestersCommunity


I have written this article about a product that I have been supplied for free, in order to test and then review it. This is my experience with said product and it is my honest review about the product listed below. I have already submitted my review to the Argos Website, and it has been accepted on to live public view when this blog post has been published. Please see my review on this screengrab below from the Argos website. All words and photography within this article are my own.

Product Details

Name: LEGO City Apartment Building Modular Construction Set
Set No: 60365.
Ages: 6+
RRP: £75.00
Pieces: 688 pieces, including 6 mini figures, a bicycle and a mobility scooter.
Description: Modular Rooms for easy reconfiguration and imaginative play, including roof terrace and swimming pool. Mixed age mini figures add to the play ability and the reality of the set. Excellent additional features such as stickers that add fun to some pieces like the signage and television set.
Argos Website: LINK

My Honest Opinion

Overall I would like to rate the LEGO Apartment Modular Construction set 5 stars.

Quality 5✩
Features 5✩
Design 5✩
Originality 5✩
Playability 5✩

My Argos Tester Review

What a fantastically versatile set of LEGO. My son loved helping me to put it together and all the instructions were clear, nothing was difficult to fit together. The idea of the modular rooms is fantastic, we have never had LEGO like this before and it makes both play and reconfiguring so easy, even for little hands. I personally loved the diversity in age regarding the mini figures and their facial expressions and hair styles are great, they have changed a lot since I grew up with LEGO. Little features such as the drinks machine, dumbbells and bicycle are incredibly detailed. Every room has that basic layout that you would find in an apartment and I really liked the nice part usage with pieces I had seen previously being used as other things such as a post box as a cooker or fridge.
Something else that’s great about LEGO city is that it can be attached to other sets and the layout can be altered to fit accordingly. The bicycle path goes underneath when you build it first of all, however you could rearrange the rooms so that it’s not an L shape but a rectangle and the bicycle lane can go in front of the building instead. It’s great that imagination can also now lead to our choices in how the final build looks like, the modular rooms are such an excellent feature and I hope we continue to see this type used in upcoming LEGO sets.
Overall it took less than 4 hours to build, and I believe it will create countless hours of fun because there is so much left to the imagination whilst ensuring you have everything you need to start off with. A great first LEGO City set for any budding building I think, and a wonderful addition to a growing city of play. My son’s favourite aspects are the bicycle and the shop. As a parent I loved the design for its rearrange ability which will keep my son entertained for longer because after a week we can swap things around and it’s like having a different set then. Great for the imagination for those of any age.

Summary

Overall this LEGO City Set has hours of replay ability because of the fact it’s a modular construction, it’s so cool! By moving the rooms around you can create an entirely different layout, even move them every other day if you wanted to change it up. I feel like if my son was getting tired of the set I would simply reconfigure the layout and create a new look of the apartment for him.
More LEGO should be made like this to give users more choices on how they want the end result of the build to look like. As LEGO say “rebuild the world” and you can certainly do that with this box of bricks, and really easily too! Whoever designed it is ace!
I also loved the diversity in the LEGO figures, with different ages and jobs and many various faces, they are great new additions to the LEGO world. And the hair styles too, brilliant to see new ones!
I have nothing bad to say about this set, I give it 5✩ across the board. I would actually love to see more modular LEGO so that sets could be rearranged with ease and built on a similar scale.

Thank you for reading this product review today, I hope you have enjoyed seeing what we thought of this set. I have no doubt that we will have many hours of fun creating LEGO scenarios with the figures and the apartment block.

If you have any questions about this set then please leave me a comment below or on my social media posts and I will do my best to answer them with the knowledge that I have gained from reviewing this product. For anything else please refer to the Argos website the link I posted above.

Thank you, have a great day.

✩ Sabrina ✩

#LEGO #SevernSabrina #SevernWishesBlog #ProductReview #ArgosTesters #ProductReviewer #Photographer #Writer #Review #Reviewer #Toys #Play #Fun #LEGOcity #LEGOcityset #Argos

April 2023 Treatbox UK Reveal and Review

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Well here we are, halfway through April and I apologise that my product review is later than usual. Having done my video unboxing when I initially received my Treatbox in the post I was then busy with the Easter holidays and spending some much needed family time. But having this extra time before writing my review also gave me a chance however, to look at this months products in more detail.

April was a lovely Bee themed and happiness inspiring box for me. Loved it!

Let’s take a look now and remind ourselves what was inside it, I am sharing my honest opinions as always and all the photography is my own.

What was inside the April box?

Bee Themed!

April Calendar Print
Treatbox Original Bee Pin
Treatbox Original Printed Notepad Busy Bee A6
Treatbox Original Socks Bees and Hearts in honey beige
Treatbox Original A6 Print “she turned her can’t into cans & her dreams into plans”
Lapcos Honey Nourishing and Hydrating Face Mask 27ml
Tasty Mates Salted Caramel Sweets GF Vegan 54g
Bee Gold Plated Earrings with Crystal Wings

My Honest Opinion

I loved the theme this month, when you think of April you imagine rain showers or April flowers, but a Bee is a cute idea and I think of nature in abundance when I consider Bees, plus, who doesn’t love a cute little Bee?! The Bee and Honey theme was well executed throughout and I love how the Treatbox original products coordinated with each other as well.

Overall the quality of the products was excellent, we know our notepads and other Treatbox original stationery is printed to the highest quality, as are the TB original socks. I have yet to try the sweets or the face mask but that’s because I’ve had a really busy few weeks on Easter break. I have put the Bee pin on my jacket and the notepad is out on my table ready for my next list. I did find the font a little hard to read on the Print this month but perhaps I’m being picky. Did you read it okay? I will be sharing more pictures on Instagram of the products in use very soon.

My favourite items for April 2023 have been the notepad, socks, pin and earrings. I don’t usually wear jewellery in gold due to my skin complexion, however these earrings are stunning and far too nice to give away, so I hope to pair them with an outfit matching their calibre soon. Watch out for updates on my social media on all of the items you have seen revealed today.

What is your favourite item in this April box?
Here are some more of my photographs.

Thanks so much for reading this unboxing reveal and review today!

Don’t forget to follow me across social media for more updates.

Search #SevernWishesBlog on Google or #SevernSabrina on Instagram,
Alternatively click here to follow me on Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Have a great April (what’s left of it) and I hope I see you here again soon!

✩ Sabrina ✩

#SevernWishesBlog #TreatboxUK #ProductPhotographer #ProductReviewer
#TreatboxOriginals #TreatboxSocks #April2023

Fantastic Quality Magnetic Weekly Whiteboard from Tesco allows you to Plan for the Week ahead with ease

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Hello and Welcome to my blog!
Today I am writing up another product review for you from a recent purchase that I really felt the need to shout about.

The Tesco Magnetic Planner Board was only £3.00 in my local Tesco Extra store. Not only is that great value for money, but it is high quality throughout. As a whiteboard it’s both easy to write on and easy to see with the contrast in white board and black pen.

Inside the cellophane you get the white board planner with the seven days of the week and space to write on the other side. You find two magnetic strips with sticky tape attached so that you can align them and stick them down to suit your needs. Having this board on the fridge in the kitchen is a great idea for keeping track of meals. But you may want to use it for appointments or children’s activities, it’s so versatile.

I bought this to be a meal planner, and was pleasantly surprised when I opened up the pen to find that not only does it write well and smooth, but it has a sponge attached on the lid part so that you can use it to rub writing out once you’re done! That means no more wasting kitchen roll towels cleaning off the board! Another big tick for me! You can also recycle the cellophane the board comes wrapped in at your local Tesco too.


Something else very useful is that the pen does have a designated stand and loop to go into at the top of the board, however there is also a magnet attached to the pen lid squared off part too! Meaning you can even have the pen anywhere on your fridge. Handy!

My final thought about this planner is how well it’s design has been thought out, it doesn’t take up too much space because it’s only 16cm wide by 23cm high. Even if you have a small kitchen like I do, it’s still ideal. The only way I would see you needing more of these would be if you had many children and you wanted to keep track of each one with multiple activities and appointments, which isn’t a bad thing at £3 a board you could get several.

As a mother who has a son with multiple food allergies I always write down the meals that we have had either together or separately because if any reactions were to occur I can refer back to the board that way. I have chosen to buy this so that I am not using as much paper, as I had previously written out my meal planners for the week on a Sunday and then clipped them to the fridge. This board is far more practical and if plans change it is easy to alter it too.

My Final Product Review Scores

Quality 5✩
Product Design 5✩
Product Cost 5✩
Features 5✩
Versatility 5✩

That’s a score of 5/5 and it means I highly recommend this product.

My TOP TIP would be to use this as a meal planner, you can also do one
board per child as an activities board, you can have one board as a family
board which looks at appointments and schedules. The list is endless but
you can decide what you would use yours for, and now thanks to me you
know where to find one!


Thank you for reading this product review today, I hope
I have inspired you to get a planner of your own.

Let me know what you would use yours for!

This product is my Monday Mum Hack for Monday 20th of February
too, why not check out my video on my Instagram.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Organising your Kitchen Drawers has never been easier with the Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Organiser

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Today I am bringing you a brand new product review, my first purchase of 2023!

Featuring the DrawerStore Organiser from Joseph Joseph.
Purchased on Amazon for £26.39. (Price Correct as of January 21st 2023).

Product Information: Available in Grey, Blue, White/Green.
Product Details: Only suitable for Drawers with a depth of 8cm or more.
Dimensions: 38.4cm Length by 39.7cm Wide and 5.3cm Deep.
Additonal Information: There are several of these DrawerStore items in
different sizes and for different uses such
as cutlery, whole drawer, knives only etc.

Sabrina’s Top Tips!

Always measure your own drawers and cupboards and work out the cost for the product versus how many centimetres of product you are paying for. This product was worth it for my drawer because I am not wasting any space. However there are many similar products on the market that may suit your space better, plus Joseph Joseph do smaller organiser trays as well! So always weigh up all your options before you buy and get out that ruler or tape measure.

Picture from Amazon

This was the situation in my kitchen drawer before I made the purchase. It was full of baby spoons and a copious amount of medicine spoons and syringes. I needed a clear out and to reorganise because types of items were all mixed together, like my sons cutlery with the adult cutlery, and so on.

My Drawer set up prior to this Joseph Joseph product purchase.

For a while now I have been reorganising my kitchen and the space within it. The issue is that I live in a small cottage which only has three rooms downstairs. I have no utility area, so my kitchen is three things in one room. It is my food prep area, my utility and my storage room for everything from food and drink, and cat food to cleaning products. I also only have 3 drawers in the room too, so maximising the space that I do have in those areas is vital.

I’m someone who loves to cook and often bulk cooks too. So I have plenty of different knives and utensils, as well as my usual cutlery. My Jamie Oliver cutlery set is my absolute favourite and I use them every single day.

I had a voucher for Christmas for Amazon, and I had been looking at getting something from Joseph Joseph. This brand is incredible for their sturdy and space saving gadgets and kitchen utensil related products. I already own two other useful items from their range, and I had seen the drawer organiser and hoped it would fit my old fashioned kitchen. Success for me because the measurements I had done worked out, so I went ahead and ordered it.

When I removed it from the Amazon box just two days later I was happy with the quality, the plastic is very strong and durable which is what I needed. I took off the packaging to recycle it and be able to give the organiser a good clean with some antibacterial spray. Once that was done I looked it over and decided where I wanted to put some of the items from my drawer, although the organiser does suggest cutlery in some spaces which are allocated with little icons.

After cleaning out my current drawer space I slotted in the Joseph Joseph piece and I got to work with the organising of it. Pleased that I was able to fit every single item from my previous draw tray and even have room to spare. I also allowed me to see just how many things I could recycle, like the fact I had managed to accumulate 17 medicine spoons, 7 Calpol syringes and several baby spoons that my son no longer needs. I kept a couple of each and tossed the rest into my plastics recycling tub.

Allocating the items was simple and they slotted into the cutlery spaces with ease, all except for the Table Spoons, the larger ones did take a little manoeuvring but I got there in the end and I was pleased with the end results. It didn’t take me more than twenty minutes to do my drawer change over, and I am left with a more organised space that is much easier to find what any of us want.

I decided to place the things that my son uses (and often helps himself to) at the front in the right corner so that he could reach them easy enough. Placing the things I use least often such as Soup Spoons, Dessert Spoons and Dessert Forks at the back corner. The drawer is designed for Table Spoons, Forks, Knives and Tea Spoons in that ascending order on the left moving towards the back of the organiser tray. I would personally and usually like to have my tea spoons at the front, so this is my only bug bear with the tray. Otherwise it has been a fantastic addition to my kitchen whilst I remain vigilant on how to save space and create better organisation in other parts of the room.

My completely reorganised drawer with Joseph Joseph organiser.

Overall I would like to rate the item 4/5✩

Would I buy it again? Yes

Would I recommend it? Yes

Overall the item is strong, durable and it fits the dimensions of my relatively small drawer which is excellent. I think the icons for the items should be slightly different on the left of this tray however. One of the main items we use in the United Kingdom is a tea spoon, it doesn’t make sense for these to be in the very back slot of the tray. Other than this I highly rate this organiser tray. You may have a larger kitchen and larger drawer than I have, in which case accessing the final part of the try might not be an issue for you. If you have a smaller drawer like me please check the depth of your drawer before buying, luckily mine was 8cm, but anything under 7cm will likely cause the cutlery to become stuck due to the angle of which they are laid out in the left side of the organiser. If you look at my photograph below you will see what I mean, and about the tea spoons disappearing at the back of the drawer. I actually may end up putting some with my sons cutlery at the bottom right corner for ease of access. I thought the cost was a little expensive but you are getting a branded item and it is of high quality in a manufacturing sense. The features are also good regarding the icons and the shape in which the tray is designed in which to maximise efficient use of space.

My Final Scores

Durability 5✩
Product Design 4✩
Product Cost 4✩
Features 5✩
Product Quality 5✩

My son can now safely help himself to anything in his designated section of the organiser.

Thank you for reading this product review today.

I hope you have a great rest of your week!

If you have questions about the product then please leave me
a comment and I will do my best to answer them.

See you again soon I hope!

✩ Sabrina ✩

The Best of Treatbox UK for 2022

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A Look Back at the Treatbox Monthly Subscription Boxes for 2022…

Treatbox UK is a subscription box and gift service in the United Kingdom that have some incredible products including in house originals. I have been subscribed to the Treatbox monthly box service since April 2016, and both the boxes and my Review skills have improved vastly since those initial days! I have also introduced a monthly video unboxing to my social media too.

Over the years I have been subscribed there have been some excellently executed themes and some stand alone boxes that made my heart sing with joy when opening them. After so many years of reviewing, I realised that I had never looked back on a year and blogged about it, so I thought why not start with December 2022 and look back at this year.

There have been several stand out boxes this past year, of course my opinion may differ to others, so I thought I would write a blog post and revisit all of the boxes of 2022 and tell you which my top four are and why. I will also mention my favourite item in each box of the year too. So without further ado lets take a quick look, in a photographic sense, of the twelve boxes from this year.

December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

My Top 4 Boxes

The boxes that I think have been the best overall for both product quality and theme have been the November, October, May and March boxes.
The items were a good mix in these four boxes and I have either worn or used the products multiple times since receiving them.
I love receiving products that we have not seen before, and during 2021 we saw too many of similar items duplicated. However 2022 introduced new things, and new Treatbox originals such as Prints, Keyrings, Pins and Stationery. There were also several brand collaborations this year, such as the Craft Kits with Make Arcade and Socks too!
I would say that overall the boxes of 2022 have been excellent quality, well rounded and a good mixture of products throughout the year with very few duplications.

My Top Products of the Year

December Box – Reindeer Socks / Hanging Decoration
November Box – Coaster / Bookmark / Pin / Cards
October Box – Autumn Socks / Pumpkin Craft Kit
September Box – Shell Trinket Dish / Pen / Notepads
August Box – Recipe Journal / Adult Colouring Sheets
July Box – Smile Socks / Handcream
June Box – Monthly Planner / Bracelet
May Box – Mindfulness Cards / Journal / Quartz Moon
April Box – Craft Kit Umbrella / Socks / Shopping List Pad
March Box – Silver Daisy Earrings / Pin
February Box – Heart Pink Socks / Bag
January Box – Amazonite Bracelet / Bookmark

There is a theme here, I love the socks that come in Treatbox, and I am a huge fan of the Stationery, Planners and Notebooks and the like too. Anything that allows me to be Creative is also a winner for me.

What Do I Hope To See in Treatbox UK in 2023

There are a few items that I would love to see stay inside Treatbox for 2023, these include more Craft Kits, different Self Care items and an edible item in every box (preferably Vegan). We don’t always get something to eat, but even if it were a single wrapped piece of chocolate, or a sweet, it would still be edible. As I have said in my unboxing videos a few times this year, I like to have the following;

Something to Keep, Something to Use, Something to Do, Something for Self Care, Something to Wear, Something to Eat, Something to Drink, Something to Gift and Something to Appreciate.

Do you like my motto? I believe that this is what I personally would like to see every month. I realise there are 9 thing in my motto, Treatbox contains anything from 6 to 10 items depending upon their value. Most of this year we have seen 8 items in a box.

What I love most from Treatbox are the Positive aspects, Socks, Scarves, Stationery and Craft Kits, so I would be more than happy to receive these items inside future boxes. Other items I would like to see in the coming boxes would be things like Emery Boards, Nail Art or Skin Art such as Tattoo’s or Stickers.
A yearly planner inside a box is also a great thing, I am not so much into diary writing these days but I journal and keep a weekly planner, as well as a monthly house calendar (so we know what is what). Useful items are the key to making boxes great, because they last far longer than the edible or drinkable item, we need a good mixture of items of singular use and enjoyment versus an item used all month long and beyond.

So in summary, more of the same like this year, a great variety and high quality items, interesting themes and of course the usual Treatbox original staples like the socks and stationery!

June box Planner

Thank you for reading this blog post today, sorry it’s a long one! And I do hope that you have enjoyed looking back at a whole year worth of Treatbox UK with me.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year, I cannot believe this is my final blog post of 2022 (or it would have been as I couldn’t submit it live as the website had issues) and I cannot wait to see what 2023 has in store! Hopefully more boxes and more product reviews! I also have some lifestyle things in the pipeline as well.

Have a great New Year!

✩✩✩

Don’t forget to follow me on my social media for more updates and individual
product reviews as well as witnessing the items in use too.
Search #SevernSabrina or #SevernWishesBlog

✩ Sabrina ✩