Crest Whitestrips: FAKE vs REAL

HOW do you know if your Crest whitestrips are real or fake? 💬🔍

(And it's not just the 'Made in xx' to spot. Almost all the fakes print the same city and state that the original is made in. Let's go further!)

1. Crest's logo size should be the largest
   
   
   No matter the range, the Crest logo should be the largest among all the other text on the box or the individual packets. It shouldn't be "3D" or "3D White" that's the largest, only the Crest logo. It's in their corporate branding guidelines - so this applies to any Crest product made years ago and likely in all future.  
   
   
   
2. Range name's font is correct
   
   
   Crest's ranges like Glamorous White and Professional Effects are its pride and joy. There is a specific font and style (e.g. the Professional Effects range is only half-bold, in full capital letters with two different fonts) to ensure that the name is the same. You'll notice that the fake strips don't realize this and their fonts are all over the place.
   
   
   
3. Trademark symbols should be at the right place
   
   
   Trademarks are not cheap and it is a legal necessity to include it whenever the name is used. Crest has trademarked its "3D White" and "Whitestrips", and the authentic Crest would always have the trademark symbol above any mention of it.
   
   
   I've noticed that many fake boxes now ensure that they have it on the box, but the individual packets still do not have them. Please check the individual ones!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Orientation of individual packets: Vertical, not Horizontal / Portrait, not Landscape
   
   
   This only works if you can actually see the individual packets inside the box. But hey, that's the beauty of online shopping: the reviewers tend to post pictures! They may be duped to think these fakes are real, but at least their reviews would show pictures of the individual packets itself and help you assess it before buying. This orientation is the easiest and surest way to tell if it's fake, NO MATTER THE RANGE.
   
   
   
5. So... How do you avoid getting duped? 🙅⛔

1. Don't trust the reviews (Yes, don't!)
   
   
   The industry is over-saturated with more fake Crest whitestrips than real ones, and most people don't even know that there's a difference! Their reviews will all show that it works, and of course it does... ANY harsh bleaching agent (even the ones we use to wash the floor) would actually whiten your teeth, just which one at the expense of forever-damaged gums and enamel? 😭😭😭 Stay safe! You only have one set of original teeth.
   
   
   
   
2. Check the price
   
   
   These fake Crest whitestrips are often sold at a slightly more affordable price than the authentic ones, so that it's not low enough for people to be dubious... yet not high enough such that people would choose the original authentic one over it. 
   
   
   
   
3. Buy it from Crest itself or an official retailer
   
   
   This may seem like an obvious thing, but it isn't simply because many people assume it being on Amazon means that it is authentic. Please check the seller on Amazon and only purchase from Amazon's Crest itself. Most fake Crest whitestrips sellers rely on trusted third-party online stores like Amazon and eBay where they can use proof of purchase (e.g. 10,000 people have bought this item) and "it worked" reviews to look authentic. Most people don't realise the damage to their teeth and assumes their over-sensitive teeth post-fake-Crest is normal.
   
   

This is a Public Service Announcement simply because I'm sick of getting cheated by all these fake Crest whitestrips. I was silly once to not be able to tell the difference, and am now suffering from long-term tooth sensitivity and receding gums because of it. Yes, it will whiten, but this is JUST NOT WORTH IT.

Stay safe, everyone! 💗

Love,

Belle

Quest Bar: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (more like NO.)

With all the Instagram hype raving about how yummy this healthy protein bar is, I jumped onto the bandwagon and bought a whole box of Questbar's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough from my favorite iHerb!

When it arrived, it comes in a box of 12 bars which can be conveniently transformed into a layout display style open box just like in shops. So cute & creative!

In all my excitement to try this after all the good reviews on how yummyyy it is... imagine my disappointment when I tasted it and it was disgustingly tough to chew and taste like raw protein powder?! 😭 I did my best to finish a whole bar, but I just felt so awfully bloated and disgusted by the flavor. And this is apparently the best tasting of all the Quest Bar's many flavours. Ugh! 😳

I completely do not recommend these bars. No matter how healthy it is (which apparently it isn't that healthy anyway unless you're looking for a way to intake protein powder without the shakes), it's not worth the dry, tough taste.

I'll pass on this. D:

This is my own personal experience and recommendation. Hope that it helps! And tell me about yours - I would love to hear it.

Talk to you soon!!

P.S. I even tried baking it as I had read reviews that it's a yummy cookie when baked. Sure, it looked pretty cute - but it was also probably the most disgusting cookie I had ever tried. So dry and powdery in mouth feel. NO THANK YOU! 

Love & health always,
Belle

Nature's Way: Vitamin E-400 d-Alpha Tocopherol (100 Softgels / 400 IU)

I'm always a big fan of Vitamin E for skin healing, especially for minor burns caused by hot oils and healing scars. Nothing is better than a little fresh capsule of pure Vitamin E... Pop the Vit E softgel with a needle/tweezer, slather that protective oil on your tender wound, and leave it with minimal scaring- if any at all. 

Usually, I would get my Vitamin E at my local Guardian Pharmacy in Singapore. This is the cheapest brand of pure Vitamin E that I could find in retail stores that won't compromise on the healing potency. It may be the cheapest in retail, but I thank my lucky stars for finding an even better deal online on iHerb! Whoop whoop!!!

I sourced the entire iHerb's range of Vitamin E (and trust me, this was insane with their variety available) and compared prices with the potency of Vitamin E, and found a perfect one that competes with Guardian Pharmcy's house brand in all ways.

Meet my best Vit E buy: Nature's Way Premiun Quality Vitamin E-400 d-Alpha Tocopherol! 

At 100 softgels of 400 IU, this already beats Guardian Pharmacy's Vit E (S$18.90 for 60 softgels in 400IU) in quantity. Best of all, I bought this at only $15 after iHerb's 20% year-end sales!! #innervictorydance

Loving the antioxidants in this!

I always believe in checking the ingredients list of all supplements - often a capsule could be diluted with other irrelevant ingredients. This is perfect with just pure Vitamin E, exactly what I was looking for!

How the softgels look like. Pretty little things!

Now let's do a proper comparison between these 2 Vit E goodness!

In terms of price, Guardian Pharmcy's retail for $18.90 for 60 softgels while Nature's Way retails for $19 for 100 softgels at iHerb.com. It's easy to get a discount off iHerb as it always has sales- and if it doesn't, just use a referral code ( http://www.iherb.com?rcode=DRQ203 - you can use this direct link to get a $5 discount off your first order with code DRQ203.)!

When placed side by side, the Nature's Way softgels is softer and pointed (and seems to be of a darker concentrated yellow), while the Guardian Pharmacy's softgel much thicker in shell and hard. I like the Nature's Way's version better as its shell is easier to pierce through with just my fingernails (no need for needles and sharper sisscors like the Guardian one) - this is particularly useful when I bring the soft gels out to work and need a quick Vit E fix on my healing wounds.

Just my two cents worth after trying years of Vit E! 

Hope that this has been helpful to you, and if you have any tips - please share them with me in the comments below! Talk to you again soon! :)

Love & health always,
Belle

All About Herbs, Supplements & Diet REVIEWS!

Hello world!

Who am I?
My name is Annabelle and I'm just an everyday woman who tries herbs and supplements. Before I purchase an item, I tend to go online and search up some reviews - but this is ALWAYS tough as true blue reviews are hard to come by. So here I am, providing a space to share with you.

"Are you real?"
All reviews are tested on myself and are authentic to my experience. There are no advertisements or sponsorships; I have actually spent my own money to buy these supplements, so I know how you feel when you have to dough out the cash for an item and hope to God that it actually works! *crossed fingers and all* ;)

"Where do you buy your herbs?"
I buy my herbs & supplements from iHerb at http://www.iherb.com?rcode=DRQ203 - use this direct link to get a $5 discount off your first order. It works when you click on this link, add your items to cart on the same landing page and you would see that discount in your cart order. You are welcome!

Hope that these reviews would be useful for you. Please feel free to drop a comment for questions or simply just to share with everyone else on your experience using the same product!

Everyone is welcomed!


Love & health always,
Belle