Reviews

    Uniqlo

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    9 months ago

    I love Uniqlo and nearly every single thing they make. I hope that they continue to maintain their dedication to producing high quality items at reasonable prices as they continue to expand their US business, as I worry they may move towards a fast fashion model for profitability. As of now I still trust the brand and shop there frequently for most of my wardrobe basics. Their clothes and accessories always last the longest in my clothing collection due to their high quality construction and timeless designs/silhouettes. If you still have not yet tried Uniqlo, you NEED TO TRY.

    Partake

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    9 months ago

    I've tried the soft baked lemon cookies from this brand because the packaging looked cute and the product sounded delicious. They were unfortunately very dry and had the texture of densely packed sand. We could not finish the box, although we tried as we hate wasting food. I'm not the target audience for this brand and have only tried that one flavor of cookie, so please take that into account if you are considering trying. I'd say still try it out since I know food allergies can be very prohibitive, but maybe go for a different flavor/product than I did!

    Tony's Chocolonely

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    9 months ago

    I've got a sweet tooth and the taste and offerings of Tony's Chocolonely have all been delicious and high quality. Its mission is extremely interesting and important and I like all the education and visibility the brand has brought to the chocolate industry. The main reason I rate 4 stars instead of 5 stars is because of the insane way these chocolate bars are divided. I looked it up and read that this is done on purpose to represent the inequality in the chocolate industry, which is really cool, but I wonder if there might be a way to still represent that with some sort of lighter etching/pattern on the bar while still also allowing for the ability to break these bars into more manageable bits. This has made these chocolates not suitable for things like s'mores or even just snacking/charcuterie style serving for guests.

    Impossible Foods

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    9 months ago

    I'm not vegetarian at all but have many friends who are, and the Impossible ground meat/burgers are my go-to for hosting and sharing! I've cooked with it many times and it handles almost exactly like real ground meat, and I personally enjoy the taste of it about as much as I enjoy the taste of real red meat. Texture is very impressive. I'd love to try more of their other offerings, but as far as their ground red meat alternative they get 100% from me.

    Simply Gum

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    a year ago

    The packaging is so cute on these and the flavors look so interesting but every time I buy one of these to try a different flavor, it turns into a weird liquidy yet grainy goop texture in my mouth within 10 seconds of chewing.

    Feedback

    Really not sure what's going on with the recipe for these, the texture is off every single time I've tried.

    Savage X Fenty

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    a year ago

    When Savage X Fenty first came out I remember being blown away by the brand. The impact of this company in the lingerie/undergarments space cannot be overstated, they really ushered in a new era of lingerie marketing that gave the old mainstay (looking at you Victoria's Secret) a much needed inclusivity/diversity kick in the butt. However, as time went on I have felt that the product quality and business decisions for this brand have become more questionable. I really dislike their membership model (it's a "free" program to sign up but when you sign up you commit to automatically depositing $60 a month every month unless you manually go in and push a "Skip Month" button) which you have to sign up for unless you want to pay an extra $10-30 on every single product they offer. I tried their membership for about a year before cancelling because of the annoyance of needing to remember to skip every month and then sitting on un-used credits during months where I didn't like the product offerings. The product quality itself is also prone to hits and misses, with some items having supremely uncomfortable wiring issues (e.g. wire poking out of very thin fabric and digging into skin). The creative and artistic vision for the brand is still fresh and pretty, and I do really like some of their products. The extended range of sizing availability is also great. But the clunkiness of the shopping experience is bad enough to outweigh my love for Rihanna + the brand.

    Feedback

    Improvement on product quality as well as a complete overhaul of the membership model would take this brand to the next level. Savage X Fenty already has such a strong artistic vision and mission, and it feels like the business and quality controls are a bit behind, or a bit of an afterthought. The website itself could also use some work, I don't get a consistent experience between mobile/tablet/laptop and pages frequently have trouble loading. It is also annoying that to cancel the membership you have to call (cannot do it online yourself), but I got very lucky with my customer service rep who was very sweet. Their job is to try to get you to stay so they do have to follow a script asking you to stay/offering discounts, but I was straightforward and said I needed to cancel for my personal budget and that I could not sustain the membership, and he got it sorted out for me quickly.

    GOODLES

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    a year ago

    It's basically Kraft mac-and-cheese but somehow more nutritious. Really cannot tell the difference taste-wise, it's almost suspicious that they can claim high protein and high fiber but their website has more info on what exactly goes into it. Shella Good, Cheddy Mac, and Twist My Parm are all good, I'd love to try more flavors. The price is not ridiculous either; I'm willing to pay a small premium for a healthier alternative.

    Feedback

    Just wish it was more readily available in supermarkets/Trader Joe's/Costco! I'd love to buy a big multi-pack at Costco.

    Thinx

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    a year ago

    I love the concept, washable + reusable period underwear is my preferred method of menstrual care and I used to use these as my primary brand of period underwear. Unfortunately, the big Thinx lawsuit came out and had me doing a 180 on this brand. I'm not a scientist and I think the issue is much more complex than "chemicals are bad", but even doing a bit of light reading and internet research on the lawsuit had me questioning the marketing choices behind Thinx and how irresponsible it seemed (which is unsettling for something that is such a key healthcare device in my daily life).

    Feedback

    A lot more research, education, and transparency on the Thinx products would need to happen before I come back to the brand. It is a bummer because I did think the Thinx underwear were more absorbent + leak-proof than my current brand of period underwear, but obviously any potential adverse health effects are a non-negotiable.

    Liquid I.V.

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    a year ago

    First saw these at Costco and bought them since my partner gets frequently dehydrated. Great packaging, concept, and execution. We have packed these for many trips and outings (backpacking, ski trips, vacation, etc) and they have become an essential packing item (in a baggy with some ibuprofen, bandaids, etc). They work well to improve and encourage hydration. Flavor is not the most delicious but I'm not buying these for flavor, I'm buying them for electrolytes.

    Feedback

    It would be nice to get these in a smaller half size option too. Even with my biggest drinking glass the powder to water ratio is too high, and I usually have to drink half, then top off again with water unless I want to drink the nasty overly powdery bits at the bottom of the glass that haven't dissolved.

    Blueland

    Level 1
    Emily MLevel 1 10 Reviews

    a year ago

    I love the idea and concept that Blueland promotes, and we have exclusively used Blueland hand soaps in our house for 3 years now. It has been nice not to have to purchase any hand soap at all (the pod refills last quite a while and we've ordered refills once). I'm a fan of the smells they offer and appreciate that the scents are light and fade rather quickly (especially as I keep one in my kitchen, and I don't like extremely fragrant soap smell on my hands while I'm cooking or touching food). The appearance of the hand soap is minimal, attractive, and easy to keep clean. You can even opt for a black soap pump head instead of the white you usually see advertised, which gives another good aesthetic option.

    Feedback

    We have been told by multiple houseguests who have come over and tried the soaps that the soaps feel like 90% air and not enough soap. I think our friends who felt this way are used to traditional thicker gel hand soaps, and although I agree the soap foam is very light, this is not a dealbreaker for me. What has been a bit disappointing is the inconsistent quality of the plastic pump head/pump mechanism of the hand soap container. We've replaced ours about 4-5 times since our first purchase which surprised me. The glass bottle itself has been great and not given us any issues, but the pumps seem to break relatively easily. It's still better than buying traditional hand soaps but even Bath & Body Works seem to have figured out a really good foam soap pump mechanism that feels sturdier than this Blueland one. With the pump improved, this would be a perfect product for me.