Time to get real.
I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to review quite a few products on this blog, and I'm grateful for every single one of them. I've never been paid to write a review and I like to think I've been as honest as possible when writing about the products I've essentially been given for free (if by free, you mean having to spend a few hours of my life taking photos, testing the product and crafting a fair and professional sounding write-up in exchange for, say, a protein bar).
I like to be as fair as possible to the company while still giving the reader my honest opinion - my first responsibility is to my readers and I wouldn't want someone to go out and buy a product based on my glowing review if it's something I didn't actually like. Therefore I often refuse to write about items which don't fit with my blog (I'd never review an eyeshadow, for example - I'll leave that to the beauty bloggers) but also items I have tried but didn't like - I wouldn't want to write a bad review of a product just because I personally didn't like it, when other people may find a lot of value in it. That would be doing a disservice to both the company and the reader.
Anyway, today I decided to look back over products I've reviewed on Nic's Healthy Life in the past and see whether the items were actually as good as I said they were, whether I'm still using them and if I've re-purchased them. I've never seen another blogger do this, so as far as I know it's an original idea thought up by my very own brain (yes, I do have one). I hope you find it interesting and appreciate my brutal honesty.
So here are some of the products I've previously written about and what I REALLY think of them (you can click the name of the product to be taken to the original review):
1. The first review I ever wrote on this blog was for Crackin' Eggs and I was so excited a company was offering to send me a product to review that I would probably have accepted pretty much anything. Luckily I liked the products, which were basically just colourful hard boiled eggs with flavouring sachets. I would buy them again if I ever saw them in the shops - they'd be great for a picnic - but I haven't seen them for sale since reviewing them so I'm not sure if they ever took off.
2. Upbeat are protein drinks with happy (upbeat) packaging and fruity flavours which make them accessible to everyone, unlike some protein shakes aimed just at men and bodybuilders. Although they are quite expensive, I have bought them once or twice since - my favourite flavour is the chocolate orange.
3. My Fitbit isn't something I was sent; I actually bought it myself. I reviewed it here and here and while I liked some of its features, I wore it for less than a year before I got sick of it. I don't wear it anymore but I still have it in a drawer somewhere and may start wearing it again in the future - I would have liked to wear it on a recent holiday we took as we walked for miles every day and I'd love to know how many steps I clocked up.
4. I was excited to try Multipower protein powders and shakes and they sent me so. much. stuff. And then a few months later they sent me even more. My husband and I both loved all the products and still use the ones we have left, BUT despite the amazing quality, we wouldn't buy them again as they're quite expensive.
5. Indigo Herbs sent me five of their products to try, including two vegan protein powders (chia and pea) which I still use, although not as much as my whey protein, some almond butter, hemp seed butter (which I wasn't keen on) and raw cacao powder, which was amazing and I've continued to buy it. Whenever you see raw cacao powder in one of my recipes it's always by Indigo Herbs. I think they're a really good (albeit slightly pricey) and ethical company.
I hope you liked this slightly different post - let me know and I may do more in the future!
Follow Me!