Christmas 2016 Gift Ideas Review
Reviewed by Anna McKernon
I was lucky enough to be selected to review one of the multi product bundles for Christmas Gift Ideas, my bundle consisted of:
TrackR Bravo tracker device
TP-LINK 10400mAh Power Bank
Yardley London English Rose set
Foreo LUNA and Day Cleanser
Wisdom while you work: An inspirational notebook
TrackR Bravo
I have to admit before I received this item to review, I had never heard of it, but had always wished I had one. If like me, you regularly lose your keys, phone, wallet, etc. on daily basis, you too need one of these.
The TrackR Bravo is a small metal Bluetooth device, approximately the size of a 10 pence piece. The idea behind the device is that, via Bluetooth you can locate your lost items if you have a TrackR Bravo device attached. The device can be used on any practical item, the most common being; phone, keys, wallets, laptop bags and pets.
There are some surprising statistics behind this legendary gadget; the TrackR Bravo is sold in over 2000 stores worldwide and is used to find more than one million items every day.
To activate the device, you need to install the TrackR Bravo app onto your mobile phone, it is compatible on both IOS and Android. Once the app is installed and the device is attached to your chosen item i.e. your keys, the onscreen instructions are extremely easy to follow. The app can be installed on multiple phones for the same item, i.e. something shared within the family such as car keys or the dog.
During the set-up, you are told the range which is set to your device, the maximum range available is 100ft, but this can be affected by other electrical devices, therefore I was told that my estimated range maximum would be 90ft. The set-up also sets the volume limit to your device, mine was set to 82 decibels, which I was told is as loud as normal city traffic, so plenty loud enough for me to hear it.
As part of the pairing set-up, you register for Crowd Source GPS which enables other people to help find your items. When another TrackR user is within range of your lost item, you’ll receive an update on the exact GPS location.
When you lose an item, you are able to track its location via Bluetooth signal. The on-phone app provides you with a map, which is extremely detailed, from which you can see where your items is and you can be given directions to it. The app tells you when you are getting nearer to your item and you can also use your phone to ring your device, using the sound to help locate your lost item.
The TrackR Bravo is available in four colours; silver, blue, black and rose gold. You can have your TrackR Bravo engraved and also custom image printed.
The hashtag slogan which markets the TrackR Bravo device is #AlwaysHaveIt but I think it should also be #MustHaveIt, I can’t recommend this device enough. It is a fantastic idea and probably something which most people wish they have but weren’t aware of.
The TrackR Bravo currently retails from £24.99. For me this is a small price to pay if it means I can easily track items which I regularly lose.
I highly recommend this item as a perfect gift for anyone, the range of items it can be used to track increases the suitability to all ages.
TP-LINK 10400mAh Power Bank
I have been a user of power banks for the past few years. In my opinion, they are a must to take out with you if you aren’t going to be near an electrical source, with phone batteries having reliability issues the power bank ensures you always have power on the go.
The TP-LINK 10400mAh Power Bank arrived packaged in a sturdy box which contained; the power bank, a micro USB cable, a travel pouch and a user guide.
The power bank’s dimensions are 3.5 x 1.7 x 1.7 inches weighing in at 249 grams.
The power bank’s size enables it to hold approximately 3 to 4 full charges of many devices: mobile phones, tablets and gaming devices, to list a few. Compatible with iPhones, iPods, iPads and Android phones. I was able to get three full charges of my iPhone 6 before the charging unit ran out of power.
The charging pack is a white rectangular shape with a blue square at either end. On the main front end, there are two 5V charging ports, 1A and 2A, enabling two devices to be charged at the same time. There are four small LED lights, which flash to indicate the charging status of the device and also the battery level of the charging pack. There is also a flashlight torch on the device, which is surprisingly bright for a small light.
I have used this device on many occasions and I am impressed at the speed in which it charges devices. The only downside to the device I have is, the size is the selling point. It is advertised as being a handy travel size device to enable you to take it out on your travels, the 249g weight of the charger is quite heavy to carry around in a handbag, if you use a backpack, there would be no issue.
I would recommend this device to others. It’s size and charging speed is very useful to have on hand when out on your travels to prevent your phone from dying.
The recommended retail price on Amazon, currently stands at £26.99.
Yardley London English Rose set
Yardley London has been producing fragrances which capture the essence of English flowers since 1770 and is one of Britain’s most distinguished heritage perfumery, bath and body brands. Yardley London produce many affordable gift collections, which range from nourishing hand creams and soaps to body lotions, all which come beautiful packaged. What makes Yardley London so unique is their gift collections are suitable for all ages, for all occasions and at affordable prices, ranging from £4 to £20.
This particular set, the EDT and Body Collection, comprises of a 50ml eau de toilette spray and a 75ml deodorant spray, both capturing the fragrance of the English Rose. Both items hold their fragrance for a considerable amount of time, unlike some which lose their fragrance within minutes, I could still smell the fragrance hours later. Both items are in sizable bottles which make they easy to carry around in a handbag or suitable to pack for your travels but sizable to ensure that they will last for a considerable duration of time.
Now is the difficult part, how to describe the essence.
When smelling the fragrance, my sensory memories remind me of spring and the fresh flowers. Although difficult to describe it is beautiful to smell. When wearing this to work, I was complimented on my perfume choice.
I would recommend this item to others, it would make a perfect present for a birthday, Christmas or Mother’s Day, available at the recommended retail price of £10.
Foreo Luna And Day Cleanser
Foreo is a Swedish brand, which specialize in and are well known for their skincare range.
Foreo recently unveiled their latest line of products, their Cleanser range. Working in conjunction with their LUNA devices the cleanser is available in Day cleanse, Night cleanse and cleanse for men.
The new range uses natural ingredients and textures which are designed to work with LUNA devices to penetrate and infuse deeper into the skin to maximize absorption and efficacy. With 95% of the ingredients within the cleanser being from natural origin, it makes the cleanser suitable for all skin types. The pulsation technology from the LUNA device will remove up to 99.5% of dirt, oil and also makeup residue.
The cleanser I was selected to review, was the Foreo Awakening Radiance Yoghurt Day Cleanser and the Foreo LUNA play device.
The cleanser came in a 100ml bottle to be used at the start of each day. On appliance, the cleanser transformers into a foam, with the essence of bergamot, mandarin and apricot fruit extracts. It moisturises and protects the skin against the elements of everyday life.
The LUNA play device I received was in the fascia colour range, although it is available in a range of colours including pearl pink, mint, purple and aquamarine. Its size is similar to a golf ball in circumference but lower in height, easily fits into the palm of your hand. The device comes pre-packaged in a re-usable storage container. Formed from silicone the device comes pre-charged and should last between 1 to 2 months, averaging on being used twice a day. It is 100% waterproof and no brush head changes are required throughout the expected lifespan of the device.
I used the cleanser and device as part of my daily morning routine. The cleanser is applied to a dry face, the LUNA device is then dampened. The device is then activated by pressing the button on the base once, this sends low level pulsations through the device. The small silicone touch point fingers covering the top of the device then aid the cleansing by being applied to your face in gentle circular strokes. A complete cleanse takes between 1 to 2 minutes.
I would recommend this range to others. Within a few days of use, I was able to tell the difference in my skin, it was softer to touch and overall looked healthier. The day cleanser is available at £25 for the 100ml bottle with the LUNA device available at £29. Both can be purchased directly via the company at www.foreo.com or also available in store at most Selfridges and Feelunique branches.
Wisdom while you work:
An inspirational notebook
Wisdom while you work is an inspirational notebook written by Libbla Kelly. The book is approximately the size of an A5 piece of paper, with 100 pages.
The book serves as two purposes, it can be used as a standard notebook to jot down notes while at school, work or as thoughts come to mind. On each page, there are inspirational quotes to install values into its users, whilst still having plenty of space to write. Quotes encourage; positivity, respect to others, happiness and character.
There are so many quotes within the book which I enjoyed, one of my favorites was, “Make things happen: Waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel? You have to go and find it, spark the flame yourself”.
The book is suitable to users of all ages, from school children to working adults.
The book can be purchased directly from the Wisdom while you work website, www.wisdomwhileyouwork.com. The book currently retails at £10 with £2.05 p&p, which I feel is a reasonable price to pay for the book. The website also offers packs of 50 revision cards, which again have inspirational quotes to help with your studies, these available at £8 per pack with £1.85 p&p.
In my opinion, this would make an excellent Christmas present for any age, if I were to receive this I would be extremely happy with the gift.