I've been eating these throughout the month as well as sharing them with some of my family for them to have a try too. Have a look over at the Natural Balance Foods website for more info. Basically all their stuff is based on dried fruit and nuts, no artifical nasties which is right up my street!
I tried these packets of flavoured raisins with cottage cheese (I love mixing dried fruit with cottage cheese as a snack). Most suprising was the lemon flavour which I wasn't expecting to like but they tasted great. The pineapple flavour reminded me of pineapple cubes boiled sweets, the orange were yummy as well and I totally love the cherry flavour!
I had previously tried some of these nakd bars and loved them so I was really looking forward to eating them! I mainly used these as pre workout fuel, sometimes cutting the large sized bars in half for a handy snack as the full size is a little too big unless I was planning on doing loads of cardio. I think I may have had a full sized one before a long run. It was the first time I'd tried the apple flavour (they seem to be more difficult to find?) and that is now my favourite! I gave one of these to my Mam and my Sis, they both liked them but weren't crazy on them like me. I think because I know these are so good for you it makes them taste even better!
I really loved these trek bars, they pack a great protein and carb punch. They taste very much like the nakd bars but have extra soya crispies in their which I think gives them more protein. I used these as extra big snacks to hold me over when I had meetings and didn't want to be tempted my biscuits or as fuel before a long run.
These are very different from the rest of the products as these are much more of a flap jack kind of bar. They both tasted absolutely delicious. The cherry one doesn't actually contain cherries but some of the cherry flavoured raisins. I wouldn't usually go for these as they do contain stuff like golden syrup and raw cane sugar, and added sugar is not my friend! However, for the purposes of fueling yourself up before exercise or as a replacement for a regular buttery processed flap jack these are great.
These were my total favourite! I did try one before I run and it just didn't work as well as the nakd bars so I would keep these as indulgent snacks. The cocoa orange is amazing and I'm planning on ordering some of these off the website, they are more than enough to deal with a chocolate craving, and are all natural and under 100 cals, you just can't go wrong! The texture of these bars are really great as well, very cakey! The ginger bread and pecan pie are very good as well. Unfortunatley I didn't get to sample the cashew cookie as I left it at my parents and my Dad ate it! He said he wasn't that fussed on it, but he would say that being more used to processed fat and refined sugar chocolate biscuits! I was not happy that I missed out!
So overall, I really love these products, they aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for and these are just so handy for so many things. I love just having one in my bag for an on the go snack or using as fuel before the gym.
GIVEAWAY TIME!
I have 3 prices to giveaway to 3 lucky blog readers. Each price includes 4 gluten free Nakd bars - cocoa orange, ginger bread, pecan pie and cashew cookie, plus some additional goodies!
If you've been reading my blog for a while you should know that I love a good pamper session! I thought that it would be nice to treat some of my blog friends to a couple of nice products they can use to have their own pamper session.
Prize 1 - Nakd bars + Australian Organics mini's -
Prize 2 - Nakd bars + Anatomicals mini's -
Price 3 - Nakd bars + Busy But Beautiful gift set (M&S) -
All you need to do to enter is leave a comment to this post telling me one of your beauty / pamper tips (I know you all have them!) It would be lovely if you would become a follower of the blog if your not already and if you have your own blog to add me to your blog roll, however thats not essential to enter! I can't promise that I will be able to post stuff outside of the UK and Ireland as I have no idea how much the postage would be, but if you won I promise that I would do my best to get them out to you. I will randomly select the winners on Saturday 15th May 2010. Good luck - make sure you enter, you have nothing to lose after all and these bars are really tasty!
19 comments:
Great review! Those gluten free nakd bars are the ones I want to try most as I've not come across them before.
I have no pamper tips- I skip the beauty pages in magazines. I do remember reading them in Mizz when I was a teen though. I am a believer in the following:
*Wear SPF on your face all year round (I wear 15 in winter and 30-50 in summer)
*Before you leave the house smile at yourself in the mirror, and give yourself a compliment.
*You should never have more than 5 make-up products on your face during the day (I tend to not wear make-up at all during the day)
*If you have unruly eyebrows like me then use vaseline to smooth them or buy an eyebrow gel.
I don't tend to pamper myself in the beauty sense- if I want a treat I watch a movie with some candles lit, read a book in the bath or bake.
These are great giveaways! I have to say I am really bad about pampering...the closest I get is taking the occasional nap!
Ahhhhh! I do hope that I win and that posting those deliiiiicious treats to Finland is not too expensive :D no worries though, I'm used to not entering giveaways as I live in the other side of the world from everyone else :D
I love going to the hairdresser. That's my favourite (and most expensive) tip. I also loved thirtyandhealty's tip about smiling to yourself before you go out, so sweet! we should all do that :)
Hi There, I love love love the nakd bars I only tried them last week after reading your blog! My favourite beauty tip is a couple of drops of almond oil in the palm of your hand with a couple of pinches of coarse sea salt rub all over your hands and it leaves them silky soft x
Great reviews and lovely prizes. The first 'beauty tip' that springs to mind is getting your eyebrows threaded rather than plucking etc. This is something I've only recently discovered and the results are really good, it doesn't pull at your eye area as much either so I like to think it's going to help me to avoid getting wrinkles!
Loving reading your blog and I steal your meal ideas all the time, thanks :~)
Beauty tip no 1 - everyone looks better with a smile.
2 - a layer of 8 hr cream is a miracle worker. 3 - A green monster every day :)
You've made such cool prizes! I love the pamper extras :-) I hope I win hehe! I don't pamper myself much, but the most pampering thing I've ever done was go for a series of therapies at a massage, reflexology, reiki and indian head massage place. I got given a voucher for four sessions as part of a program I was enrolled on when I was in recovery from my eating disorder and it was sooo relaxing. I thought I might feel a bit uncomfortable but I really didn't... so... even though it's pretty expensive I would totally say it's worth splashing out on for a totally indulgent treat! I loved all the treatments, massage was probably the best but they were all reeally relaxing!
Fab give away!
My best beauty tip is to cleanse the face with olive oil. I know it sounds totally bizarre but it's something I started doing about 5 years ago and it really helped my skin. At the time, my skin was in a shocking state - badly congested with huge spots under the surface but not breaking out. It was greasy but dry around my cheeks and it was really getting me down.
I read about olive oil cleansing and it really helped and now I rarely suffer a breakout unless TOTM or if my diet is REALLY bad.
All you do is fill a basin with water, quite hot but not so hot it will burn your skin.
Massage olive oil into your face and really work it into the pores for a few minutes. Then take a fresh muslin cloth or flannel, soak in hot water and squeeze out and then use the face cloth to give one wipe of the oil. Rinse and repeat until all oil has been cleaned off the face.
Leaves your skin silky smooth and lovely and soft.
I tend to do mine before bed as I find if I do it in the morning, my skin can get a little shiny later on.
Great reviews and an awesome giveaway!
My pamper tip is to get a massage. However, I have never had a professional massage, so I need to listen to my own advice. After my half-marathon last Saturday a local massage company had a booth set up to give fast free massages... those 5 minutes were amazing! Definitely going to have to get a real one after my full marathon!
I love reading your blog Laura and I love a good giveaway!
Can I give you 2 tips?
1. Sunscreen! I'm originally from Australia so I'm well trained to make sure this is the first thing I put on everyday without fail.
2. Lucas Pawapaw ointment - I loooove this stuff! I travel loads and this is the first thing that goes in my beauty case. I'm a tad obsessed, but seriously it is amazing stuff! I use it on dry lips, dry skin, itchy bites, pimples and my cuticles!
:)
great reviews - i'm a new blog follower, but am loving catching up on all that i've missed out on!
i have 2 beauty tips. one is bio oil for your face. cleanse with dermalogica daily microfoliant (every day - it is gentle enough i promise!) then pat dry and finish with bio oil, a little in the mornings and a bit more before bed, this routine along with 3l of water every day has given me perfectly clear glowing skin!
super soft hands, again this is bio oil (olive oil would work well for this too), remove all nail polish, pour a little oil into your hands, rub it in well - now put a little skin exfoliator on your hands, work this in well, rince it all off, pat well dry and finish with a little hand cream and nail oil, i reccomend sanctury spa from boots for the crub and cream and jessica phenomen oil for the nail oil!
hmmm i love pampering!!
I don't really have beauty tips, but one way I pamper myself is to soak my feet. I like to put marbles in the basin - they give me something to do with my toes.
Fab giveaway! I love there products, my beauty tip is:
If you dye your hair and get dye on your skin remove it with milk! Yes milk even red hair dye will be removed with milk! x x
I'm not a girly girl and don't have a huge number of pampering tips, but one thing that always makes me feel warm, sleepy and relaxed is slathering on Body Shop "Africa Spa" foot lotion; which smells like creamy hot chocolate; on my feet, putting on a soft pair of cotton socks and curling up in bed with a good book. In Winter of course, but the smell of that lotion is amazing and really relaxing. Shame they don't sell it any more! (though I think the Honey and Beeswax one from the Africa Spa range is just a nice, potentially, as it's got shea butter in it)
Use hair conditioner when shaving under arms and legs. It's much more fragrant and cheaper than special shaving products. Leaves skin super silky and soft too!
Nakd products ROCK! Great review!
Bee's Beauty Tips:
1) Dry skin brush EVERY DAY before a shower/ bath. Within weeks your skin will be super smooth, silky soft and glowing.
2) One teaspoon of MSM powder a day (I take mine in my morning warm water and lemon drink). Hair and nails will grow and skin will be clear with a healthy glow.
3) Meditate every day. Nothing is more beautiful than a bright happy aura!
4) Partake in activities that make you happy! Rollerskate, trampolining, making up stories with friends... Anything fun. Smiling is alluring.
5) Wear your best clobber and use your best products! Why wait until that "big occasion"? That big occasion may never happen. Feel special now!
6) Live in the present moment. A warm, content feeling will spread over you and bring peace and a relaxed state. Much nicer to look at than a creased up face full of tension.
7) Stand straight and tall. Be proud of who you are!
8) Above all else eat whole, unprocessed, unrefined, natural foods and drink much water. Outward beauty starts from the inside.
I am inspired by your blog, I found it from the Nakd bar site as I have been using them as healthy snacks for the family for the last few months.
I used to be very fit but no so healthy, unfortunately due to a change in career the exercise has reduced but I tend to eat better.
My regime is to exfoliate, have a quick cold blast in the shower and then moisturise when out of it. I also don't use heated hair equipment to keep my hair healthy.
My goal is to get from a waist size of 16 down to 14. I am hoping continuing to read your blog will inspire and spur me on.
Thanks
i love the naked bar range, my cousin gave me one and i started thinking how tasty they were to the chocolate bars and things like scones and pancakes i have for snacking,that make you feel sloppy but all happy when you have them .i thought the bars made you think you were indulging in something bad for you but surprisingly good for you unlike my usual scones and chocolate.
your blog was really interesting as i did not know there was so many different products from the naked range interested on geting me some pecan pie yummy !!
some beauty tips i can think of are if looking for clearer skin just 2 tablespoons of honey with hot water mixed togeather for a morning drink gives good energy and makes skin get noticed for a healthy glow.
also sleep well and not plastering on makeup but moisturising is very relaxing before bed ,got to get the palmers coco 1 though soo indulgent and spells fab.
I totally agree with your review and I really love all the Nak'd products. I became a raw foodie about 5 months ago and certainly feel pampered from the inside. Most of my food related problems have now disappeared and these bars take care of any chocolate cravings I may have or as a snack if I'm out and about and can't find raw food.
As for pampering your outsides, try mixing sea salt with a little olive oil for exfoliating the skin. Boy will your skin feel soft & invigorated afterwards.
Also congratulations of loosing 5 stone. What a great achievement:)
Post a Comment
Your comments make my day :-)