Bath Buzz Caffeinated Shower Gel

You guys remember Chemical Evolution and my posts on their butt-kickin' energy products that I've tried, right? If you haven't, I'll brief you. I've shown you my lovely energy stash, supplied by Chemical Evolution and shared everything about the products I've tried from there. But, there's still one more thing...

I even take a small piece of Chemical Evolution with me when I...

Bathe! That's right. These guys at Chemical Evolution didn't dare expect a girl to have all this tasty energy candy and gum, only to leave her empty handed while she bathes! 

So, I present to you, Bath Buzz, the Caffeinated Shower Gel! Just think of it as this:

Image source: icarly.wikia.com

This is me while using  Bath Buzz (for get relaxation and bubble baths!):

Image source: Plumkat.Tumblr.com

 Ha. Ha! Kidding. That's a cat, silly. It's caffeinated shower gel, not an LSD infused bubble bath! Although, I can't imagine a more entertaining bath experience... Back to topic!

So, Bath Buzz is an awesome shower gel that contains caffeine. And you thought you were Mr. Caffeine consumer of the year didn't you? Shame on you for ever giving yourself such a title, unless you happen to consume your cup of coffee while soaking up the bubbles in a caffeinated bath, then you, my friend, deserve the title Mr. Caffeine Consumer of the Year. Otherwise, step aside. 

Okay, crazyiness aside. Bath Buzz Caffeinated Shower Gel really is not only awesome for its novelty-ness and because it's so damn gift-worthy, but it actually does make a fantastic bubble bath. With serious bubble-action, too. I realize it's called "shower gel," and I enjoy using it in the shower, too, but I was even happier to see that it worked wonderfully as a bubble bath too. 

The Caffeinated Shower Gel contains as much caffeine as a whole cup of coffee! 

But isn't a waste of precious caffeine to put it in your bath water when you could be consuming it?

I wondered the same thing... when I was 5! Kidding. I'm sorry. I have a mean streak today. It's really unlike me, so please bear with me. I'm only joking, for Pete's sake. 

But I learned that caffeine actually can be absorbed through our biggest organ (no, not that organ!), the skin!

So it does still benefit you, even if you don't pour it down the shoot. It'll have basically, the same effect -- make you more alert and energized, just like it does when you drink it, although I'm unsure if having your cup of joe for breakfast vs. bathing in it would effect you more, less or the same. 

It feels to me, as if perhaps I drank a slightly weak cup of coffee. That's probably just because the coffee I drink, I fix myself and I fix it strong. So to someone who's used to McDonald's green bean juice coffee that's however strong it is, this will probably provide you with an even bigger energy boost. 

Who knows? You might even end up cleaning the shower walls before you ever even get out of the tub.

 I'll get all energetic in my bath and spend forever in there when I'm using this Bath Buzz Shower Gel!

 By the time I get out, I'm all shiny and new, and wondering what the hell made me decide to shave all of my legs this time instead of just half of them.. Or actually both of them instead of just one. What can I say, I don't always finish what I start.

The Caffeinated Shower Gel was actually created to wake your ass up. It's been proven that scents such as rosemary and peppermint do stimulate your mind and give it a boost, and those are two ingredients in the Bath Buzz Caffeinated Shower Gel. It contains Peppermint and Rosemary essential oils, so it's not the old artificial scented crap that probably wouldn't work. It's the real deal.

Bath Buzz Caffeinated Shower Gel also contains one of my most favored ingredients in everything from food to every single skincare product I use -- aloe vera! Aloe Vera has a lot of benefits (even if you don't eat it). It's soothing and moisturizing. 

Plus, aloe is a natural antibacterial, anti-fungal and more! The Caffeinated Shower gel also contains Witch Hazel, so you aren't sacrificing cleanliness for a good Bath Buzz. 

The strong, minty aroma of the Caffeinated Shower Gel makes bathing a pleasant experience. It actually is a nice, clean and refreshing smell, although the smell of coffee all over my skin really would not bother me, either. Good news is, you don't walk around smelling like a big hefty peppermint after bathing. The scent fades.

I really don't want to bore you guys (some people say when I list ingredients and go into extremely deep detail about what each ingredient does, it's boring), but I think ingredients are important, so I'm going to list them. And please don't hunt me down and do awful things to me (like steal my caffeinated shit). Simply scroll the f#!$ down and read other parts of this fantastic post. I mean, I'm not gonna force nobody to know the ingredients in somethin' or anything.

Ingredients:
Deionized water, Sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine,cocamide DEA, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) distillate, Chamomilla flower extract, citric acid, sodium chloride, phenoxyethanol, ethyhexylglycerin, hexylene glycol, carpylyl glycol, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5.

Energy + Aphrodisiac Chocolate

A life-saving stash of chocolatey energy.

Like 8 million percent of Americans, I have a "sweet-tooth." Most of the time, when said tooth strikes, the only thing that really satisfies the craving is chocolate. I absolutely love chocolate.

Oh, and I also love a good energy boost. Chemical Evolution has a knack for carrying products that have a combination of things I love most packed into one package. In this case, it's chocolate + energy.

First energy chocolate I tried in my most recent stash was the Buzz Bites Energy Chocolate Chews.

What surprised me was how much I loved the taste of these! Oh, but you thought I said I loved chocolate, so why would that surprise me?

Because, I never said I loved Tootsie Rolls.

Tootsie Rolls are one of the only chocolate-ish (I suspect they aren't real chocolate, don't you?)  candy I've never adored. I don't hate them, and don't think I would go so far as to turn down a Tootsie Roll. But they're just not the type of candy to grab me by the taste buds.

The Buzz Bites, though? They do. They grab a hold of my taste buds and don't let A blissful experience, I assure you.

actually taste chocolately whereas a Tootsie Roll taste like almost-chocolate flavored plastic. Plastic!

You know why else that surprises me? Because, while they are pretty tasty, you can actually taste that vitamin-y taste that energy products have. The vitamin-y energy taste, in some strange, crazy way that makes no sense to me, is easily tolerable.

Turbo Truffles, over there photo bombed Buzz Bites' photo! I'll talk about those in a minute.

 If your eyeballs are working, and you looked at the photo above, you probably got the impression that 1 Buzz Bite = 1 cup of coffee. That's true. Your eyeballs ain't playin' no tricks on ya. Actually, the statement about the Buzz Bites says that they contain 25% more caffeine than the leading energy drink, and more energy ingredients.

One Buzz Bite contains 100 milligrams of caffeine -- as much caffeine as 1.25 cans of a leading energy drink, as much caffeine as 2 cups of tea, 3 cans of "leading cola," or "1 other caffeinated mints..."

Each serving (1 bite) has 25 calories, 1 gram total fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 4 grams total carbs, 3 grams sugars.

The Buzz Bites come with two per pack. I assumed I'd be eating both in one day, but it turns out, when I needed my energy boost, I ate one, enjoyed the hell out of it, and decided I'd wait to devour the other one.  Turns out, I never did even eat the other one that day because  I felt mighty fine, so I figured why not save the last one?  

You know, for times like when my sorry-as-crap internet provider has some glitch in the middle of my very long blog post and screws everything up. And then I have to re-type the entire thing. Buzz Bites are very handy for situations like that.

Both Energy Bites come individually wrapped, so you have the luxury of saving one for later, like I did. And since all that lovely energy and deliciousness is packed into a small little chew, they're convenient and easy to eat anywhere. It's handy since you don't have to scour for coffee or some other drink. I like the quickness of it! The energy is instant.  Buzz Bites energy, for me, last about as long as a cup of coffee -- 1 hour - 2 1/2 hours, sometimes more depending on my exhaustion levels.

What's in Em'?

Ginseng. Taurine. 5 Vitamin B's, Caffeine -- all in a proprietary blend.

These ingredients are all known for their energy-inducing effects. It's no joke, folks. Buzz Bites will kick your behind.

The Buzz Bites stimulate metabolism, improve alertness and energy, of course.

Full list of Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed Skim Milk, Sugar, Part Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Unsweetened Chocolate, Water, Caffeine, Cocoa Powder, Proprietary Synergistic Energy Blend (Taurine, Ginseng, Vitamins: Niacinamide, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Cyanocobalamin), Whey with Calcium Caseinate, Salt, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Mono & Diglycerides, Sucralose, Acesufame-K & Soy Lecithin.

10% Thiamin

10% Niacin

10% Pantothenic Acid

20% Vitamin B6

75% Vitamin B12

Turbo Truffles! These are some of the best tasting energy candy I've ever eaten. They come in 8 different flavors -- Coffee Craze, Cosmic Coconut, Hot Rod Hazelnut, Chocolate Mint Madness, Outrageous Orange, Peanut Butter Blast, and Toffee Tornado.  

Turbo Truffles on right.

The Coffee Craze flavor was good, but not as amazingly delicious as the others, especially the Chocolate Mint Madness -- fabulous.  Chocolate Mint Madness taste like a gourmet mint chocolate dessert. A bit like those Andes chocolates. If you're an Andes and York's Peppermint Patty lover like myself, the Mint Madness will be a hit.

Each of them have a rich, dark chocolate taste, and surprisingly enough, most of them don't have a majorly noticeable energy or vitamin taste to them.

All of the Turbo Truffles have a smooth, velvety smooth texture unlike the faux chocolate that other energy chocolates try fooling us choco-holics with.

Coffee Craze has what tastes and feels like tiny shreds of coffee beans in there.

The  Peanut Butter Blast taste mostly like chocolate and the tiniest hint of peanut butter nougat in the middle -- not as peanut buttery as a Reese Cup.

Hot Rod Hazelnut also tastes mostly of chocolate and some type of nougat. I really didn't notice any hazelnut flavor. Still tasty, though and definitely great for satisfying both a chocolate and energy craving.

And they're low in calories -- 45 calories per serving -- so those of you who count those things will appreciate a delicious chocolate that isn't regrettable.

I love the description Chemical Evolution has for the Turbo Truffles: "better than duct taping your eyes open!" 

Each Turbo Truffle contains approximately 150 milligrams of caffeine which is about 50 milligrams more than an average cup of coffee.

 I can't say this is my go-to when I need a super intense energy boost. They're great for late nights when I need a mini boost, but don't want to be kept awake for  hours. 

I'm really not all that sure why these don't give me a much bigger boost than they do, but I think it might be due to the "active" ingredients being caffeine only. I might be a little too used to using the energy products that also contain guarana, taurine and or other energy boosting ingredients. 

They're ideal for that, or for someone who's sensitive to caffeine and therefore only needs a small amount to suffice. They're great quality energy chocolates. I just prefer them for the times when I only need a small boost. . . And chocolate fix!

As with a lot of the energy products available from Chemical Evolution, Turbo Truffles are fairly convenient and travel-able. I wouldn't stash one in my pocket for a lengthy car ride on a hot summer day, though! Melty. But, they're individually wrapped, so they easily tag along with you, and that is something I like. 

Ingredients in Turbo Truffles:

 Sugar, Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Lecithin, Butter Oil, Vanilla), Invert Sugar, Corn Syrup, Butter (Cream, Salt), Vegetable Oil (Coconut and/or Palm Oil), Caffeine, Cocoa Powder, Lecithin, Invertase, and Natural Flavors.

 I am very impressed that the Turbo Truffles contain decent ingredients and natural flavors! Yea baby. That's my kind of chocolate. The ingredients label doesn't list terribly harmful chemicals or artifical crap,  a big plus.

 Each Turbo Truffle contains 2 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, o milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of  sodium, 8 grams of total carbohydrates, 7 grams of sugars.

 Across the back, it says "please remember to treat you lover with respect and kindness always!"

The outside is milk chocolate and the inside is a white colored, velvety creme-like filling with an amaretto type of flavor. Similar to a chocolate covered cherry, but without the cherry.

As for the herbal ingredients (there's several of them in these), and no funky vitamin or herby taste. They're well masked by the rich flavored candy.

The energy provided from Sex Chocolate is also comparable to that of the Turbo Truffles, slightly more energy, in my opinion -- minimal energy to someone like me. I notice a nice increase, but not over the top. It won't keep me up late, but it'll wake me up real good.

The ingredients are:

Ginseng, Guarana, Damiana, Saw Palmetto, Yohimbine, Fenugreek, Kola nut, Valerian, Licorice, Sarsaparilla, Fo-Ti-Tieng, Gotu Kola, Ginger, Betel nut, Dong Quai, Passion Flower, Avena Sativa and Horny Goat Weed.

Note: a lot of these herbal ingredients have been used widely for years in Chinese Medicine, something I take great interest and appreciation in.

Guarana and damiana: are used to help with appetite control or weight loss. 

Valerian: is used to treat anxiety

Ginseng: Obviously, it's an herb that acts as a stimulant, gives you energy. It isn't noted what type of Ginseng is used in the chocolate, but American Ginseng is used to help decrease symptoms of colds. One study shows that Ginseng can help with concentration. It's also used as a mood-booster, for helping treat health problems like heart disease, cancer, erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure and more.

Guarana: Another herb known for increasing energy/reducing fatigue. Helps promote concentration, improves immune system, increases performance and energy (from the caffeine content in the Guarana berries), and boosts brain, quickens perceptions. When combined with other herbs such as maca or tribulus, it acts as an aphrodisiac.

Damiana: One of Damiana's popular uses by the male and female Mayan Indians is as an aphrodisiac (the leaves). It promotes oxygen flow.
 It's used to boost mood, increase energy and impotence. It's also used to help with health conditions such as menstrual problems, asthma, depression, anxiety, and as a general tonic to improve wellness, etc.

Saw Palmetto: This herb has been used to treat many health conditions. Some of those include testicular and urinary tract inflammation, coughs, respiratory congestion, etc. It supports prostate function and promotes prostate health. It also helps with digestion, can help induce sleep (it has sedative properties.)

Yohimbine: A general stimulant and very popular herb amongst the body-building and fat-burning folks. It works as a fat-loss herb, and while it's a bit confusing, it's said to "prevent fat-loss from stopping rather than starting fat-loss like ephedrine." It increases adrenaline. And more importantly, it's a known aphrodisiac and helps with erectile dysfunction.

Fenugreek: Fenugreek also has antioxidant properties, and even helps with problems such as PMS and helps with the mind by aiding in the thinking process. It's been used to promote lactation, help treat coughs, fever, sore throat, bronchitis, skin irritation.

Kola Nut: A stimulant used for its energy-giving properties as it's very high in caffeine. Increases stamina and performance. It's also used to treat many problems including coughs. Heightens feelings of pleasure by creating a euphoric feelings, but is said to be non-addictive.

Valerian: Used as a sedative and mild hypnotic. Anti-anxiety and anti-depressant properties. Also used for its anti-spasmodic properties to reduce digestive pains and stomach cramps.

Licorice: Used in Chinese Medicine  as a stimulant and to increase endurance, among millions of other things. An anti-inflammatory. Used to treat tons of health problems. Licorice helps fight fatigue, depression, PMS flu, fungal infections, prostate enlargement, yeast infections, tons of other infections, stomach problems etc. Licorice can work as a mild laxative.

Sarsaparilla: Helps immensely with impotence, lack of desire, weakness, pains, colds, skin problems, etc.

Fo-Ti-Tieng: A Chinese herb, often called the "rejuvenation herb," used widely among men for improving longevity. Fo-Ti-Tieng is promotes energy, too.

Gotu Kola: Helps fight stress, increase mental alertness, and energy levels.

Ginger: Ginger is an anti-spasmodic, often used for nausea, upset stomach, cramps, bloating, indigestion, flatulence (guess it'd be useful in the Sex Chocolate to prevent that during a romantic encounter.)  Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and anti-viral, among about a hundred other great things.

 Betel nut: Contains an active stimulant, which is said to be similar to that of nicotine.  Betel Nut is used as a psychoactive drug in some parts of Asia. Its benefits include stress reduction, heightened awareness feelings of well-being. It's a stimulant that produces similar responses that caffeine does. It's said to produce "cocaine-like effects." It promotes feelings of euphoria and happiness.

Dong Quai: The most popular use for this Chinese herb is for "female problems." Dong Quai strengthens the heart, liver, spleen, etc.

Passion Flower: Used as a powerful relaxant, anti-anxiety, anti-insomnia. Used with Licorice or Sarsaparilla it makes a powerful stimulant.

Avena Sativa: An aphrodisiac said to be help greatly with erectile dysfunction, mild depression, etc.

Chemical Evolution + Me = Kick Ass Energy

Anytime I've opened for suggestions on what you guys want to read here at Ribbons & Pearls, I usually get one of three answers: sex, energy or health.

 I love all those things, and I'm lucky enough to be enjoying all three lately. And since another one of my favorite things are you guys, I'm going to share with you my latest energy stash from Chemical Evolution, no less. Gotta love them!

And I'm a firm believer that every girl (and guy) should have an energy stash... 

Chemical Evolution has absolutely everything an energy product enthusiast could ever need, which is why they're my BFF.

As you can tell from the energy stash pictures, Chemical Evolution has energy in gum form, sucker form, chocolate form, tart form, etc. I'll start by talking about the ones I've tried from this stash so far --  the Think Gum and the Double Kick Candy Tarts, both of which are awesome. 

I love the Think Gum! Hell, I love all of it, but the Think Gum has something neat about it. It's good for those days when you want energy big time, but you still need to keep your head on straight. As the Think Gum pack says "stop cheating and start thinking." I like that. It says for best results, "chew while studying or learning and again to recall information." And just how do you think I was able to quote that? By chewing Think Gum while I type this, of course! No, not by reading the pack as I type. 

Anyways, Think Gum's cute slogan isn't just cute. Their ingredients back up their claims. The key ingredients are effective "according to a published peer-reviewed study, Think Gum improves memory by over 25%." 

That is a quote straight from the Think Gum pack. And Think Gum has actually published all the information about the studies behind the gum online.


Ginkgo Biloba, for example is one ingredient in the gum and it's been shown to have effects on the brain and memory. And seriously, who wouldn't want both energy and a sharp mind? What would you do with all that energy if you didn't have good thinking to put with it, right?

  Some of the other awesome think-boosting ingredients in Think Gum include: Bacopa, Guarana, Vinpocetine, Rosemary and Peppermint. 

Let's talk about those ingredients and how they work:

Ginkgo Biloba:   A cognitive enhancer. Promotes mental health and prevents forgetfulness.  It also has the ability to protect cells from oxidative stress.


Peppermint: brightens mood, enhances the memory, helps with mental clarity. There's even a study that shows the aroma of peppermint alone helps improve performance such as careless errors. And I happen to know that peppermint can be very helpful for stomach upsets.

Rosemary: Relieves headache, eases tension, improves memory and mental clarity and also improves your mood.

Vinpocetine: Vinpocetine increases blood flow to the brain. It enhances cognitive function, has shown to improve performance on short-term memory tests.

Bacopa:  Contains brain-boosting compounds. Improves speed of information processing, verbal learning rate and memory. Helps repair damaged nerves, when used over the course of around a couple weeks.

Guarana:  Increases performance and energy (from the caffeine content in the Guarana berries), and boosts brain, quickens perceptions.

Think Gum also contains antioxidants, which fight free radicals, do a lot of other wonderful things and provide protection for the brain.

What else do I adore about Think Gum? 
- The ingredients are herbal (and safe, for most people) and I'm an herbal fanatic because they have so many great benefits. Like giving you energy!

-All of the ingredients underlined above have actually proved their effectiveness.

-Think Gum contains 20 mg of natural caffeine. Let's give it up for natural! I love natural stuff. 

-Lasts a nice while. I've been going for 3 hours. I did combine it with a Double Kick, too, though.

Double Kick Energy Tablets

Now, for the Double Kick Candy tarts, I'm fond as heck of them, too. The watermelon flavor is fabulous. It tastes great -- almost like the watermelon flavored Jolly Ranchers, only it isn't so hard on your teeth. They look something like a Tums and they chew about the same only they aren't chalky.

 Something else I like about them is that you can actually taste the "energy" in them, and by that I mean the potent taste of something that has a lot of energy ingredients. It lets me know I'll be talking someone's ears off before I finish chewing, and that's always something I look forward to. They also come in several flavors, which are labeled as: Crush, Squeeze, Fresh, Blast and Splash. Strange, I know. I could not tell the exact flavor of the Squeeze -- somewhat cherry flavored I think -- but knew the Crush was watermelon. They all taste fruity and very tasty!

Each pack comes with two tablets of Double Kick Energy. 

1 Tablet is 1 serving. Each contains 5 calories and has 0 grams of sugar, and contains 80mg of caffeine. 

So they're ideal for people who like a boat load of energy but not sugar. 

The back of the packs say 1 tablet is equal to an 8.oz energy drink, and I have to agree. Just one of these tablets gets me wired! Also, earlier, I ate one tablet and a few minutes later chewed a piece of the Think Gum. Talk about busting at the seams. I really haven't shut up since. The only reason my mouth isn't moving now is because my fingers are (typing). 

I also love that these Double Kick Energy Tablets have Vitamin B6 and B12 in them. Those are great not only because they have health benefits, but they provide fabulous energy. And lasting energy, at that. I'd say I've got at least another hour before I even begin to feel a decline. I ate my first one 3 hours ago. That's pretty impressive! I can have one cup of strong, strong coffee and come down in an hour or less. So these are definitely ideal for long-lasting energy.

It says not to consume more than 3 every 24 hours. That means, as it stands, I could maybe have one more tablet  tonight (if we don't count the piece of Energy Gum I chewed earlier). Shhh.


 I've yet to feel any kind of hard crashing off either the Think Gum (which really shouldn't cause a crash anyways since the ingredients are so good) or the Double Kick. No "jitters," either, but then again, it does take a lot to make me jitter.


And onto another Energy Gum --  one of my favorite ways to get energy. 

                   This is the X8 Energy Gum. It even looks like a badass, huh?



It too is a fabulous energy source that's low in sugar, calories and fat. It contains 0 grams fat, 5 calories, 2 carbohydrates and only 2 grams sugar alcohol. 

The X8 Energy Gum contains B Vitamins and Caffeine, which is always a surefire way to light a fuse under your... behind. And even more interesting, X8 Gum uses "Pure performance science," which refers to the X8's dual layer compression technology & controlled released formula. The pack says it "scientifically delivers performance."

The name X8 is chalked up to the Energy Gum's "8 times faster absorption, 8 pieces = 5 energy drinks and 8 pieces in your pocket."

X8 Energy Gum has a provides  outstanding performance and I honestly can't think of anyone who could chew a piece and not be hyped. 

What can we thank for all this amazing energy? 50% Thiamine, 50% Riboflavin, 50% Vitamin B6, 50% Niacin, 50% Vitamin B12 and 50% Pantothenic Acid. 

The flavor is a well-tolerated peppermint that X8 calls "Powermint." The minty flavor is great because it masks what would otherwise probably taste like energy hell. 

Wow. I can't express how totally furious I am right now. I had just finished typing up an entire two hour's worth of information on the Rockit Pops, also from Chemical Evolution, and near the very, very end, my internet had a random f&!* up and bam. I lost every last bit of it. So, I'm going to try and re-do it all, but I doubt it'll be as kick-ass as it was the first time 'round, so bear with me. I'm kind of really down about that. Let me try and remember what I had typed...

I don't think I've ever met someone who doesn't like candy. I also don't think I've met anyone who doesn't like having energy. Rockit Pops are like a 2-in-1 candy+energy. They come in different flavors (grape, blue raspberry, chocolate, cherry and orange.) So far, my favorite is blue raspberry.

Rockit Pops contain 4 B Vitamins ( B3, B5, B6, and B12), which is a pro because they're a big source of energy and have health benefits.

As the Rockit Pops wrapper claims, it does provide an even boost of energy rather than a huge, sudden burst. That's because you eat it like a sucker, and it says not to chew. I imagine that's why -- because eating it like a sucker provides more of an on-going boost.

How long does a Rockit Pop Keep Me Going?

For me, the average energy product keeps me going good for 3 hours before I start to notice a change. In products like Rockit Pops, the change happens gradually, so I don't feel a strong, sudden change or crash. Rockit Pops are no exception. I'll feel the results for at least 3 hours before noticing a change, 2 if I'm exhausted. However, I know some people who can eat a Rockit Pop in the evening and still be awake late into the night.

Rockit Pops are made in the USA, are  convenient, contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee an are tasty. Each Rockit Pop contains 50 calories. They're fat, cholesterol and sodium free. The back of the wrapper says "Kosher Pareve." 

And there's more to love:    Rockit Pops do not contain  artificial sweeteners, salt, fat, trans fat, cholesterol, yeast, gluten, or preservatives, and is not manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, milk, egg, crustacean shellfish, fish, peanut, tree nuts, or soy products.

   

That's impressive! It's very tough to find energy products that don't contain loads of nasty ingredients that are really harmful for our health. I know, you'll probably say caffeine isn't the healthiest -- and studies are forever contradicting themselves on this -- but that doesn't mean us energy lovers want to poison ourselves with unnecessary artificial crap. So, kudos for healthier ingredients!

The taste is very much like a candy sucker, but it certainly does provide energy and there's no doubt energy causin' ingredients that are noticeable to the taste buds, and the vitamins are as well.

The ingredients are as follows:

Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Taurine, Glucoronolactone, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Inositol, Caffeine, Niacinamide, Natural and Artificial Color (Includes FD&C Red 3 & 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5 & 6), Calcium Pantothenate, Pyrodoxine HCI, and Cyanocobalamin.

Okay, so I know this isn't nearly as peppy as it was when I first wrote it. I'm silently cursing my internet service provider right now for losing all that precious typing. But, I think, for the most part, I've included most of what I had said.
Next week, you'll see the remaining stash, which contains two more of my very favorite things: sex, chocolate and of course, energy!

Ed Hardy Energy Sticks!

As promised, here's the Ed Hardy Energy Sticks!  

Take a peek at that photo up there. Orange and Pomagranate flavored Ed Hardy Energy Sticks! Before dumping one of these in my mouth, I was scared as Hubert Hamster when the cats stalk his cage! OK, not that scared, but my eyes were bulging in the way that Hubert's tend to do when he sees kitty lick her lips. 

These cute, colorful packs have several powder sticks inside. Have you ever seen Crystal Light, those little sticks filled with powder? That's what the Ed Hardy Sticks are like, only shorter and with far more of a punch! 

After tearing one open, you simply dump the powder onto your tongue, which I recommend doing slowly, rather than dumping it all at once--unless you like making the pucker face--too much at once is really tangy.

What I done was just lick it first as I was sure it would taste awful, most energy products do unless you're awesome enough to shop at Chemical Evolution for your energy boost. Are you wondering if it tasted bad?

Nope! Tastes great! You can keep dumping the powder into your mouth kind of like you would with those pixie sticks. I would describe the "powder" to be more like tiny crytals--they're slightly crunchy and I like em' crunchy! 

The taste is somewhat strong, but not funky like you might expect from a tiny stick filled with a** kickin' energy! Sorry, I get carried away, but saying booty kickin' energy just doesn't fit these energy sticks.  

The first Energy Stick I tried was the orange flavor. I was on my way back from the dentist who kindly drilled the hell out of 3 teeth and temporarily filled them. Nice huh? Of course any good girl would prefer temporary fillings rather than real, permanant, last you long time fillings! But then again, why give me permanant fillings when you can schedule me to come back for a whole nother expensive visit to permanantly fill them, right? You think I ain't on to you, you teeth drillin' son of a gun? 

So, after 4 shots in my mouth and 2 hours of non-stop drilling, there wasn't a more perfect time to have the Ed Hardy Energy Sticks in my purse--the one Mr. Dentist had previously just emptied! 

After that first little lick, I just dumped the whole thing in! Also, ironically enough, these neat energy sticks contain NO sugar! After having cavities drilled from my teeth minutes before, this came as quite a relief. In you go Energy Stick!

Unfortunately for my boyfriend, and for my sore mouth, the Energy Stick kicked in while we still had an hour left of driving! Ha Ha Ha. My mouth was so numb and in pain, but I couldn't shut up! Since my tongue also was numb, it was leaning to the side of my mouth that was drilled and made me have the worst lisp ever! It was awful! Pretty embarrassing too. I had an appointment later that day at my regular doctor and I ended up skipping it because by the time we made it back, the numbness and sexy lisp was still not worn off! I was too embarrassed to go in. Imagine how sexy it was when I had to yell "Patsie" (my cat) for ten minutes! My neighbors were probably scared. It sounded more like "Pasheee."

I normally would've came in and taken a nap, but nope. That one little energy stick had me kind of wild. I certainly had a clean house before that thing wore off!

Which brings me to the "crash." I have only one Energy Stick left (time to restock?) and haven't experienced the "crash." I usually just taper back down to normal human being level. This could have something to do with the ingredients being better than your average energy product, which I'll talk about in a minute.

Yes, if you're wondering, I have had an Energy Stick within the past hour! Just to see how well these babies work, I was totally exhausted today. I slept for 4 hours then had to get up since my lovely 2 year old neice comes to visit me on Sundays. Whew! Talk about wearin' me out. She had me all over the yard, in the pool, in the sand box. By the time 3 PM rolled around, I wanted to cry. She went to visit her mom and my mother and I took a couple hour nap and woke up still exhausted. I still had a lot of cleaning to do and I stupidly promised Hubert (hamster) that he'd have a shiny clean hamster mansion before tonight... definitely wasn't feeling up to that. 

Turns out, I had an Energy Stick and a little coffee combined with that and Hubert's mansion is like brand new, my own bedroom's like brandnew and I've managed to get a few hours of work in and now it's 3AM and well, here we are! 2 Energy Sticks and baby, I'm still goin'! I considered even re-highlighting my hair since it's in dire need, but figured I should quit while I'm ahead.

TASTE

The pomegranate flavor is fantastic, but I think I'm loving the orange more. I'm an orange fan. I usually don't like berry or pomegranate flavor, but I really enjoy these. The flavor is sweet and slightly tangy if you dump a whole bunch in your mouth.  Pomegranate is fruity tasting and I'm not 100% sure if it tastes much like the actual pomegranate fruit as I forgot what they taste like. 

The orange tastes, well, probably about how you'd expect it to. Like sweet orange flavored candy. It seems less tangy to me. 

At times, I've noticed a slight almost bitter taste after dumping in the powder, but there's no aftertaste and nothing that'd make you say "eww!" If I like the taste, I believe most people would as I'm super picky about energy products and their tastes. I can't even stand the taste of Red Bull or Monster. It has a funk to it. These taste candy-like and that's it. 

 INGREDIENTS

Remember, I was grateful that this contained no sugar since I had just been drilled at when I first tasted the energy sticks? Guess what that means? It means the Ed Hardy Energy Sticks contain no sugar! They also contain no fat and no calories! 

Each stick contains 80 MG of caffeine! That's enough to perk up even the laziest bastard. Sorry, carried away again. And if one stick doesn't do the trick, have a couple and those eyes will be wide open.

You'd get about the same amount of caffeine from an energy drink only better because these are t-t-t-asty and quick. Open, dump, go! Wait that's wrong! Open, dump swallow, and then GO! 

 Erythritol, (Encaff caffeine), Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Silicon dioxide, Salt, Sucralose, Acesulfame-K, Niacinamide (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Pryidoxine (B6), FD&C Yellow #6 Lake, Cobalamin (B12)

Now, I hope you're headed to Chemical Evolution for an energy boost! Let me just say, I think they are fantastic. You can't find such fun, energy-causin' energy products like they carry anywhere in my area. They have such a uniqe, fun selection--remember my Crackheads post? Also from Chemical Evolution! 

Now, while you're over at Chemical Evolution checking out their wonderful selection, I'm going to be ironing a Mountain Dew can! This should be interesting! Maybe I'll even post what I end up doing with it.

*This review is in compilation with the FTC guidelines. See my disclosure page for more info on sponsored reviews!*

bath buzz

  You may remember my recent post about the Crackheads 2 candy, from Chemical Evolution. Now I'm here to introduce the most awesome body products from the lovely, highly caffeinated Chemical Evolution. You read it right, Body products with caffeine! You're in luck this time. I didn't use the caffeinated product immediately before writing this post this time--like I did with the Crackhead candy. This time I've decided to write long after using the body products so I'm not too off subject and scatter brained. Both products in the above photo are from Chemical Evolution, the one I'm talking about here is the Bath Buzz pictured on the right, in the round tub.

  Lucky for me, I will be slathering this creamy, highly moisturizing Bath Buzz all over after I'm done with the post. I thought my words may be a little easier to understand this way.

  
   Once I screw the lid off of the tub of Bath Buzz, the scent of lavendar is noticeable. To me, it smells very much like lavendar. L, who is my nephew says that it smells to him like Dial bar soap. Ha. Ha. It is a really pleasant scent. 

  The scent isn't exactly strong, maybe mild. It isn't overpowering or bothersome to my sinuses--I'm migraine prone so many things bother me. This scent smells strongest when I open the container. While applying it to the skin, it's only mild and shortly after, is almost undetectable.


  Bath Buzz is made with lavendar essential oils and is infused with caffeine. Bath Buzz is a very creamy, rich body cream. The consistency is more creamy and to the touch, feels similar to a high quality body butter rather than a lotion or your average body cream. 



Benefits


  Lavendar has calming properties, hence why it's often used in bedtime soaps and lotions for children. The scent of lavendar calms your nerves and relaxes you. Lavendar can also reduce anxiety, which is helpful when you're trying to unwind.

  You may be wondering where the caffeine part comes in. Well, lucky for you I like to go into detail about these things.


  Unlike caffeine in your coffee, when it is used in a topical product, it has skin toning/firming properties. Caffeine is a common ingredient in cellulite reduction products. Massaging Bath Buzz into the skin leaves you with firmer, more toned skin and leaves it smelling nice! And with a 6 oz jar full of this calming cream, you have plenty to slather all over your legs, arms and other body parts.


  Other ingredients in the Bath Buzz cream include Vitamins A, C and E, which help aid in nourishing skin. Vitamins and caffeine along with camomille, aloe vera extract promote healing and hydration. These impressive ingredients all have great benefits for the skin. If you've been with me for long, you probably know that I'm an aloe vera fanatic! I've used it both topically and internally (in the form of a pill) and believe strongly in it's healing powers. 

  Texture/Consistency

  Besides the wonderful benefits of the Bath Buzz Body Cream, the silky, softness on my skin is also quite impressive, especially for someone who's extremely picky about the feel of lotions on her skin. That's me, I'm picky. I can't stand the sticky-ish residue that's often left in between my fingers. That makes it hard to find a lotion that I completely love. The Bath Buzz feels so different than a cream or lotion. My skin is left soft, smooth and firm without any traces of greasy or sticky residues. 

  Dipping my fingers in the Body Cream, it feels so cool and creamy. It kind of reminds me of whipped butter. It's a very luxurious feeling kind of lotion. One of my favorite things is how easily it spreads and absorbs into the skin. Unlike most lotions, where you need to massage, the Bath Buzz feels silky and absorbs quickly into the skin rather than sitting on top. This also means better moisturization benefits! 



  



 

*This review is in compliance with the FTC guidelines. See my disclosure page for more info on sponsored reviews*

CrackHeads 2 What did I just do?!

    

According to Caffeine Fiend.com, it would take 10.41 of these Crackheads 2  candies to kill me! Only minutes before reading that--about 5 minutes to be exact--I consumed 4 of these simply because they tasted so good! I couldn't help it. Earlier, about 3-4 hours ago, I ate two Crackheads candies. Yikes! I'm cutting it close, huh? No more for me. I don't know how accurate the Caffeine Fiend results were, but I ain't tryin' to do myself in! I don't think I'll be eating anymore tonight though since it's after 1 AM! I had a chocolate/coffee craving, OK?

I've never shown signs of being sensitive to caffeine so I should make it through this review. However, if you are sensitive to caffeine, DO NOT even look at a box of Crackheads, please. You see, there's Crackheads candy and Crackheads candy 2. I have been eating the 2. The difference in a box of Crackheads 1 and 2 is 400 milligrams of caffeine, which could probably have something to do with my typing 3 of each letter right now! Spell check will come in handy for once.

So, are these Crack Heads actually effective?

Yes! Yes! Yes! Now picture me, hair sticking up, jumping straight up and down. Ha Ha. I only wish I was kidding. I don't know what I was thinking! I was thinking 'these are so good, one more ain't gonna hurt me!' 

Energy products affect different people in different ways. For me, a 93 pound, 5'2" girl, they're super duper effective. Just to give you an idea of how effective-- well, I started snacking while writing a response letter to my lovely prisoner pen-pal Lillie and half way through, ended up online writing this and editing a student's work at the same time! 

To be honest, I didn't exactly think these little Crackheads 2 were going to turn me into a fast-typin' geekin' Crackhead! I thought I'd be slightly energetic. Folks, did I tell you, it is 1 AM here and I slept for 6 hours last night. Six hours isn't hardly enough for this girl. I need at least nine. Thankfully, Chemical Evolution was to the rescue, shipping Crackheads quickly and safely right to my door.

Previous to my introduction to the Crackhead world--about 6 hours ago--I was tired, falling asleep in the car on the way home. No, I was not driving. WOULD YOU GET OFF MY CASE! Ha. Ha. I'm kidding, promise. These innocent looking candies won't make you that crazy, but even the most addicted coffee lover will be amped. So, what I was saying was I was tired earlier and now I am the furthest thing from it. I think I contain more caffeiene than what's left in my box of Crackheads right now!

All crazyness aside, Crackheads 2 candy is great. It's a cute box full of 600 fierce milligrams of caffeine. 

I read the Crackheads 2 box... after I ate em'! You didn't know I was such a rebel did ya? According to that box, it would take 6 cups of coffee to equal the amount of caffeine per box of CrackHeads! It would take 7.5 energy drinks to equal this bad boy's caffeiene content. And finally, it'd take 11 whopping colas to equal the amount of caffeine per box of Crackheads. What's that Mellow Yellow? Feelin' slightly  insecure?

TASTE

 "Crackheads2 is gourmet 60% cocoa dark chocolate covered espresso bean with a crunchy candy shell with a big caffeine boost added! Gourmet meets functional."

Like I said earlier, Crackheads candies have an outstandingly rich, "gourmet" taste. Yes, the box labels them "gourmet," and that it certainly is. I'm thinkin' about slipping Fuzz one right now. Kidding! Fuzz is my red cat, I've introduced her before. She's grooming her little head on the stool beside me now. 

So, I won't go turning Fuzz into a CrackHead, but I'm sure she'd be just as pleased with the rich, dark chocolate taste on top of a crunchy fresh roasted coffee bean. Guys, I've had coffee beans covered in chocolate before and I did not like em'. I don't know why because I love coffee and love chocolate. Maybe it was just the brand of chocolate coffee bean I ate? Anyways, CrackHeads are covered in smooth dark chocolate. I hate dark chocolate. I'm surprised I love the taste of these so much, but they're hard to stop eating! 

Think peanut M&M's. They have that crunchy coating and then a thick layer of chocolate over a stupid peanut. That's why they do it. The peanut isn't good or special. Cover it in chocolate and crunchy stuff and bam! You made a stupid ol' peanut taste good. That's pretty much how the outer shell and layer of chocolate tastes right before you get to that crunchy coffee bean. Only difference is, the coffee bean actually tastes fantastic. Peanuts do not. Cashews do. 

The coffee bean isn't strong so if you're not a fan of the coffee taste, it may not be a big deal to you. OK, the coffee bean is kinda strong. Ha Ha. I lied! It doesn't taste bitter like taking a sip of strong coffee. 

Coffee haters, I can't say how you'd love these, but if you're OK with a coffee flavor, this may be something you'll like. Coffee lovers, no doubt. You'll love em'. 

My CrackHeads came from the fabulous Chemical Evolution. Talk about an outstanding collection of energy products and a really fun energy while shopping the site. If that even makes sense? Not to mention the really great prices--I checked and haven't been able to find these priced as low as what Chemical Evolution offers!

DO check out Chemical Evolution! Then let me know what your favorite kind of energy is. In the meantime, keep on the lookout for my other Chemical Evolution reviews!