Sunday, August 30, 2015

Bulu Box Review!

One of the MANY perks of being a #SweatPink Ambassador for Fit Approach is that I am often given opportunities to review products or services, and share discounts (or even giveaways!) with my readers and followers. This month, I was notified that I was selected to participate in a campaign with Bulu Box!

You're probably wondering what Bulu Box is. To be honest, I hadn't heard too much about the company myself before this campaign (which is another reason why Fit Approach is so awesome...I've learned about so many great companies from them!). For those of you familiar with Birchbox or Ipsy, consider Bulu Box to be a similar service geared toward those interested in fitness and/or weight loss. The company describes itself as "the best way to discover the health, nutrition and weight loss products that are right for YOU!"

Here's how it works:
  1. Try Samples: Each month, Bulu Box will send you 4-5 samples to try based on your profile before buying full-size so you don’t waste your money.
  2. Earn Points: Each month you can earn up to 100 Rewards Points (that’s $10!) just for subscribing and sharing your thoughts. Log in to your account to fill out your sample surveys about the products you just tried.
  3. Cash Out: Once you’ve earned Rewards Points you can use them like actual cash towards a full-size purchase of your new favorite product. Some Bulugans even get their order completely free! 
About 2 weeks ago, I received a Bulu Box of my very own to review! Here's what was inside:


RUNA Tea: Runa (which means "fully alive") is a tea that "offers clear, focused energy by balancing as much caffeine as one cup of coffee with twice the antioxidants of green tea." I tried this tea before my morning (about 5am) 4-miler this week, and it definitely helped wake me up. I liked that this tea was a hybrid of two of my favorite drinks (coffee and green tea), but I generally only drink (caffeine free) tea at night. I have tried to cut down on my coffee consumption, but I think I'll stick to my morning joe pre-run. This tea did what it promised to do, but I wasn't too crazy about the taste.

Shapeology Garcinia Cambogia: I definitely had to fight with Autocorrect while typing that product name out! Each Garcinia Cambogia capsule supports weight loss, and serves as a "dual action fat-fighter that help burn and block fat without leaving you feeling jittery." As instructed, I took one capsule 30-60 minutes before eating. As promised, I didn't experience any jitters, and the capsules were pretty easy to swallow. I'd have to try the product for an extended period of time to report how functional it is.

Movit Energy Gummies: These dummies use power-boosting ingredients like guarantee, CoQ10, and folic acid to combat fatigue and help you perform your best. I stuffed a few of the gummies in the pocket of my running shorts for last Sunday's 10-miler, and consumed 2 about every 30-45 minutes. In the past, I have used Clif Blox, and these gummies serve the same purpose. I liked that the dummies were small because it made them easier to both store and consume, but I've recently switched to dates to eat on my run in my effort to eat all or mostly whole foods.

Earth's Care Anti-Itch Cream: THIS CREAM WORKS WONDERS. The package states that the product will relieve pain and itching associated with skin irritations such as poison ivy, sunburn, and minor cuts and scrapes. I have some skin irritation on my ankle (probably caused by running/sweating) that gets super itchy at night. Like I've had to sleep in high wool socks just to prevent myself from scratching it. Each night, I rubbed a small amount of this cream on the affected area and the itching stopped immediately. It even lessened each night! I would definitely buy a full-size jar of this product!

Quest Protein Powder: I was reluctant to try Quest protein powder, as I am trying to eliminate dairy from my diet completely (Quest contains whey), and I only use plant-based protein powder. However, there were several reasons why I decided to try it:

  1. I do consume Quest bars from time to time, and they are incredible (especially when microwaved for 15 seconds).
  2. For the sake of this review. I had a feeling I would have a positive experience with the product, and since most people I know like Quest bars, I thought they might be interested in trying the protein powder.
  3. The back of the bag revealed that I could find recipes at the following link: QuestNutrition.com/Kitchen. I typed the URL into my web browser and was SO impressed with some of the things that I saw! Did you know you could bake a loaf of bread using a Quest bar??? There was even a recipe for Cookies 'n' Cream Crusted Chicken! Now that's not something I would personally eat, so I decided to browse the site for something I *would* eat.
That "something I *would* eat" turned out to be Pumpkin Pie Pancakes. I chose this recipe for a few reasons.
  1. PUMPKIN.
  2. I had all of the other ingredients in my kitchen, or at least things that I could use as substitutions.
  3. Fall marathons are approaching, and many runners I know enjoy pancakes post-long run. I thought this would be a good thing to share here on the blog!
BOOM.
I would definitely recommend this protein powder to anyone who does not mind that it contains whey. For now, I'll stick to my beloved Vega.

Interested in trying Bulu Box for yourself? Use discount code SWEATPINK for 50% off a 3-month subscription!

What are your thoughts on Bulu Box? Which of the above products would YOU try?

3 comments:

  1. Ok trying to post again... does whey protein powder have dairy? I've never tried quest bar. Would love to

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ok trying to post again... does whey protein powder have dairy? I've never tried quest bar. Would love to

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also got the bulu box and some of these samples, including the Quest. I had the peanut butter one and loved it! But some of my samples were things I couldn't use either. I still think the box is a great deal after the 50% off code and especially with the points system. Your pancakes look really good! I might have to try making those...

    ReplyDelete