NUTRA Gycemia Tea -- WTF Shopping Moment: Yes. Perhaps. No. Who knows

This product is sold as a tea to help control blood sugar by using plants traditionally known for that purpose: bitter melon, cinnamon and fenugreek. This explains the name Glycemia and, I guess, the high price. The brand is crystal clear about what they offer and their Amazon product page has great clear photos showing ingredients and preparation instructions. That's great.

 

Now, if you sell something marketed as Glycemia, as something to help me with any health-related issue, I expect the company to have some kind of scientific backup for their claims. Obviously they don't. And here it comes the irony: this tea is sold to assist you with you sugar levels, right? However, one of box sides clearly states the following, "This product is not designed to prevent, treat or cure any disease or medical condition." Sweet. Pun intended. So it does not help with anything. No issue, sell it as a herbal tea, not as a tea to assist with your sugar levels. But... there is more. The box printed text also says "Please seek medical advice before drinking this tea if you are on prescribed medication, suffer from high blood pressure or are pregnant." So it seems that the tea has some sort of medicinal properties that might have an interaction with medication. Like if you're taking this tea most likely you're taking tablets to control your sugar levels; otherwise, you would be drinking Early Grey. So it has some sort of medicinal properties, because if it had none, the latter comment would be unnecessary. What the heck?

 

My head is spinning in all directions. It reads like the company wants you to assume whatever you want to assume and they cover all sides so that you cannot sue them or any assumption that they might have contributed to create. Just ridiculous and brilliant at the same time.

 

If the price was average or the amount of bags in the packet many, I wouldn't mind the marketing crappola. However, these tea bags are sold at an above-average herbal tea price (like double) and with a promise of whatever you want to believe. Thank you gosh they're not selling religious books. 

 

For the rest this is a pleasant herbal tisane, with subtle but distinctive flavour and a hint of bitterness that I love.  

 

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L'Oreal Elvive Moisturising & Plumping Hyaluron Plump Moisture Mask, 300ml

I was lured by the discounted priced and the hyaluronic acid in it. I know this product is widely used in face creams and serums and the results are noticeable skin wise. I don't exactly how this is achieved on the hair as hair is follicle not skin, though.
 
I don't get what the packaging means by "plumping". Like volumising? Thickening? My hair was a volumised after using it as it was before. My hair is wavy and thick, so perhaps people with fine sparse hair might have a different experience and results.

I don't particularly like the scent, the jelly like texture, the colouring added to it, or the fact that I had to use a lot of product to untangle my long hair and it does not untangle as well as other masks from other brand that I use. It didn't feel it was as  nourishing either, not even compared to other varieties from the same brand and price range.
 
On the other hand, my hair looked very shiny and healthy looking after use, and the price tag is really good.
 
Not my fav hair mask, but a good one when I'm on a budget. 

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Maxwell & Williams Teas & C's Silk Road Coupe Plate 19.5cm Gift Boxed

I gifted this to myself to use as breakfast plate. The design is by Kiwi-Australian ceramist Gabby Malpas.The photo doesn't do it justice. The design is a mix of modern romantic dinnerware with a hint of those nonna's plates that we all love. Just beautiful. It's made of good quality porcelain and washes well under the tap. However, is dishwasher and microwave safe.  I find this size perfect for desert and for breakfast. I use it for the latter, to place toasts, hash browns, cooked eggs and other breakky goodies. This is part of a tea set with an equally stunning teacup and saucer, but I bought this separately at reduced price. Good value for money.

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Double D Sugar Free Fruit Jelly Rounds 70 g

I was disappointed with the flavour of these jellies, having tried other Double D varieties from the same brand. These jellies are quite chewy, something I love, and are made with stevia not sugar. However, the flavour is lacking in all of flavours in the bag. Why?! I won't buy them again.

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Montana MXA324048 Acrylic Marker 2Mm Fine, Empty Marker

This is a very good quality refillable marker. This marker is easy to fill in/refill and has a metallic ball inside to prevent ink thickening. It is lightweight and the ink is easy to pump out. I used a mini funnel to fill in the marker and it worked perfectly. If I didn't have this funnel, I would have used a syringe. The bullet point works neatly and is very similar to Posca's.
 
Montana ink is great but also expensive, so I'm happy being able to use other acrylic inks that are less expensive and as good. Refillable markers are a need for me as I feel self-conscious about binning good-quality plastic empty markers. So I love that I can use this over and over.
 
A bit pricey for an empty marker, but happy to have it.

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Double D Sugar Free Cola Bottles 90 g

They are chewy and the cola flavour is just lovely. They're made with Stevia instead of sugar, but they taste great. In fact, they're addictive. These gummies have a somewhat odd smell. Just a warning, despite being made of natural ingredients, the maltitol is laxative; so, if you have a bag of these on your own, you'll get diarrhoea guaranteed. Or perhaps you'd like to have a bag of these if you are constipated. It depends how you see the bottle, half empty or half full. For the rest, great sugar-free lollies and snack but to be consumed in moderation.

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Maybelline SuperStay Ink Crayon Lipstick (Make It Happen)

This is a twisty crayon lipstick in an intense flattering rich. I love the pencil concept as application and outlining are precise using minimum product. It has a matte velvety texture on the lips and dries very quickly so I don't have the feeling of having any lipstick on. It does not last as much as the long lasting lipstick by the same brand, which last me all day long even after eating. This one does not last after eating but it lasts more than other lipsticks I own.

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