Category Archives: vaping

New Juices from Liquid Ice*

26th March 2019
[post contains gifted items]

One of the best things about vaping for me is the huge amount of flavours available when it comes to juice. It’s the one thing that has kept me on the straight and narrow; I’ve had the odd lapse and occasional puff of a cigarette over the last six months but can genuinely say I detest the taste now and would take vaping over smoking any day.

I was recently contacted by Liquid Ice who are launching a brand new website, hopefully by the end of this month (watch this space). They kindly sent over a few juices from some of their brands, and as they were all brands I hadn’t tried before I thought I’d pop up some mini reviews.

The selection included juices from Halcyon Haze, T Juice and Coil Hootch, three brands I hadn’t actually heard of, let alone tried. Bob had previous experience of T Juice though and rated it highly so I knew I was likely in for a treat.
First up came “Lizzie Rascal” from Halcyon Haze. Described as a fizzy berry mojito this is a punchy little number that for me started with a big twist of lime then moved in to the promised berries, followed by a hint of mint.
Second came my first experience of T Juice, “Green Kelly”. I loved this flavour, it was every bit as bold as it’s bright green colour suggested it might be. Again it’s a summery mix of berries and citrus, it packs even more of a punch than “Lizzie Rascal” and has made it on to my top tens. For a first impression of T Juice I was very impressed.
I’m not a fan of lemon flavours as a rule- both in juices and with food/drink so I was a little hesitant to try “Lemon Slice” from Coil Hootch. I needn’t have worried though, this, as with most juices isn’t just straight flavour- this is a buttery lemon curd initial hit followed by an incredibly convincing buttery pastry. I was pleasantly surprised by this and look forward to trying more from this brand.
Last but my no means least we have “Red Astaire” from T Juice. Spurred on by my previous experience I was excited to try this. I didn’t check out the flavour profile before trying this out and was instantly struck by aniseed, one of my favourites! Combined with red berries, black grape and some menthol and eucalyptus for good measure this juice has earned a place in my top five juices to date- it’s a best seller for a reason!
Have you tried any of these brands before? If so I’d love to know your flavour recommendations. Leave them in the comments below.

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The ELeaf Elven pod system from e-cigarette direct*

20th March 2019

[post contains gifted item]

Well, I seem to have quite firmly found a niche as a vaping blogger, it might not seem very fitting, but over the last six months this journey in to ditching cigarettes has become a big part of my life and I’ve become very interested in the vaping world.
As regular readers will know, the team at e-cigarette direct have kept me well supplied since I started this adventure and one of my most recent packages from the contained a pod system to try out alongside my regular vape set up.

Eleaf Elven pod system c/o e-cigarette direct

Pod systems are a newer generation of vaping kit, they either come with pre-filled pods or with empty pods which the user can re-fill. These are disposable and designed to be replaced as the coil wears out.

At £16.99 the Elven pod system provides a middle ground between a budget vape pen and getting kitted out with a proper box mod. It’s much more discreet- not an awful lot bigger than a USB stick and much lighter to carry around.

This kit comes with re-fillable pods (you get two in the box) which are super simple to remove, fill and replace. I very much approve of the lightweight and sleek design, I certainly feel less conspicuous being out and about with this than I do my regular set up!

I don’t know if it’s a regular feature on pod systems but the Elven has an adjustable air flow so you still have some control over how you’re vaping which I like. I don’t get the same level of hit from this as I do my box mod but it’s perfectly acceptable as has become my go-to for out and about vaping as it’s much easier to carry.

It’s so easy to charge (usb) and operate too; you literally inhale and that’s it! The battery life is pretty impressive and the draw you get from it when on restricted air flow is comparable to that of a cigarette.

I’ve found this set up works best with nicotine salts rather than regular juice, but it works fine with regular as well. You get much less vape cloud using the pod system which makes it more acceptable in busier places and less obnoxious to others around.

I’m still getting used to this but so far I’m impressed. Replacement pods cost £2.49, I haven’t had to replace mine yet so I can’t say how long each one lasts for but I imagine a month or so.

My Mum has been persuaded to give one a go in a mission to reduce her smoking so it’ll be interesting to see how she fares.

If you’ve ever tried a pod system I’d love to know your thoughts.

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Review: Vampire Vapes at E-Cigarette Direct

03rd March 2019
When I began my journey in to quitting smoking by way of vaping one of the brands that I heard recommended over and over was Vampire Vapes, most specifically their seemingly infamous “Heisenberg” e-liquid. I dutifully tried it and became hooked, it’s one of my favourites and despite meaning to try out other flavours from the range I had never got round to it until now, when my friends at e-cigarette direct sent over a selection of flavours from the brand…I went in to this review with high expectations, but were they met?
Raspberry Sorbet is a fresh and fun flavour that has that tart taste of fresh raspberries followed by a fizzy sorbet coolness. I really like this flavour, it reminds me of one of my favourite frozen treats.

Blood Sukka may had pipped Heisenberg to the post and taken the top spot to become my all time favourite juice (to date). It’s aniseed-y, which I love, mixed with cherries, berries, red fruits, menthol and sweet eucalyptus. It sounds complex, and it tastes it too – the flavours mix together wonderfully to create something truly special.

Funky Monkey was the flavour I was convinced I would hate. Banana, chocolate and aniseed sounded quite grim if I’m honest and my past experience of any chocolate flavours hasn’t been good. Somehow though Vampire Vapes have pulled this off. It’s not my favourite flavour, but far exceeds expectations- I think the aniseed tips the balance and stops it being too sickly.

Heisenberg is the flavour that everyone knows and seems to love. It’s hyped for good reason, the flavour combination is a closely guarded secret but it definitely includes some kind of fruit and menthol. It’s every bit as addictive as it’s namesake and I’ve purchased so many bottles of this over the last six months!

Pinkman is a complete mystery to Bob and I. It reminds us both of something from our childhood but we can’t quite put our finger on it. It’s fruity, a bit cough-mixture like in it’s flavour and utterly addictive. This, as well as Blood Sukka are top of the re-purchase list.

Dawn and Dusk were my least favourites of the selection I was sent. The flavours both sounded great but didn’t quite stand out as much as the rest I tried. Dawn is a darker fruity flavour with a menthol finish which was nice, but didn’t especially stand out. I found Dusk a bit perfume like for my tastes, but it is still good, just not out-standing.

Overall the range lived up to and exceeded my expectations. Vampire Vapes are a brand that know their stuff and whilst on the pricier end of the spectrum at £3.99 per 10ml bottle, well worth it. There are still many flavours I haven’t tried of theirs which will be going in to my next order. If you have any recommendations then feel free to leave them in the comments.

The juices in the post were provided for review purposes, opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Posted in brands I love, review, Uncategorized, vaping

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Review: Vape Mate Juices from E-Cigarette Direct

12th February 2019
I was recently lucky enough to receive another delivery of juices from the team at e-cigarette direct. This time I was sent a selection of flavours from the budget friendly Vape Mate range* which has just landed on the site. Costing £2.99 per 10ml bottle these are around £1 cheaper than most 10ml bottles, I’m not yet au-fait enough with vaping to know if spending less on juices would compromise on flavour and quality but I was all set to find out.

Juices c/o e-cigarette direct

I was sent four flavours from the 20 strong classic range, which includes several standard tobacco flavours alongside the more novelty ones that I favour. One thing I will say about the range, before I start my review is that these were all 12mg nicotine whereas I usually vape 6mg so they were definitely stronger than I would have liked but all this really meant was that I actually got through far less juice as I was “needing” to vape less.

The first flavour I tested was Mint Choc Chip which I knew from the off I probably wouldn’t enjoy much. Sadly I wasn’t wrong, whilst I loved the mint notes in these I am yet to find a chocolate flavoured juice I enjoy. That being said, it was more subtle than those I have tried and hated previously and as a result I have managed to use the bottle, it just wasn’t my favourite and I wouldn’t purchase it.

Next up came Lime Zinger which was every bit as punchy as it’s name would suggest. This was refreshing in a way I haven’t yet experienced from a juice and very pleasant, 100% would get this again.

Following on from this came Harvest Berry which I fully expected to dislike as I’m not a fan of berry flavours in general. I was so wrong though, this was probably my favourite of the four I tried. It combines strawberry, blueberry and raspberry as well as a “secret ingredient”, and whilst subtle it was pleasing and smooth. Again, I would get this again without a doubt.

Finally came the flavour I had highest hopes for; Glazed Doughnut. I’m a sweet juice devotee and I really thought this would be amazing- it wasn’t quite everything I hoped for but I enjoyed the sugary hit and baked good aftertaste, I just think I built it up a bit too much in my head.

Would I buy cheaper juices in the future? Yes, I absolutely would. I’m not sure I’d stoop to pound shop level but these are perfectly acceptable, the largest indicator of their price tag was that these are a 50:50 PG:VG ratio and usually I seek out 60:40, that certainly doesn’t make them unappealing though and I would be keen to try out more flavours from the range and will be popping some in to my next order (the strawberry and peppermint flavours are next on my list).

Does anyone else have experience of lower prices juices? I’d definitely like to check out more brands- I’ve saved so much money since quitting the cigarettes but further savings could be made.

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Review: Halo UK E-Liquid from e-cigarette direct

21st January 2019
It’s been a little while since my last vaping post and I am pleased to say I am still going strong, for the most part. There have been a couple of cheeky cigarettes when I’ve had a few drinks but this is a very rare event and I can hand on heart say there is no temptation to go back to regular smoking. A big part of this for me is the huge array of vape juices on the market, when there are so many fun and interesting flavours to work through it really does keep the temptation at bay, and I have found that the times where I’ve happened to have a cigarette in hand I’m wishing it was my vape instead.

Recently I’ve been trialling a selection of flavoured juices from Halo E-Liquids* available at my favourite haunt, e-cigarette direct. Halo liquids are produced in a state of the art UK factory. It has a 50:50 VP to PG ratio and I’ve been trialling the 6mg of nicotine strength.

Bubble Trouble is described as a fun, bubble mint flavour. Out of the ten flavours I tried this was the one that came through the least for me, it was just a little bit too mild and as such I probably wouldn’t pick it out again.
Blackjack Twist is based on one of my favourite childhood sweets (I don’t need to tell you which one) and is my favourite of the bunch. It really delivers the promised punch of aniseed, with a more subtle sherbet on the exhale.
Pear Drops tastes so much like it’s namesake it’s a bit scary. It really nails that “tang” you get from pear drops sweets and kept me going back for more.
Raspberry Crush is a gentle take on fresh raspberries, concentrated enough to be almost jam like in it’s flavour. I really liked this but couldn’t use too much as it was bordering on too sweet, but would definitely get again for the summer months when my sweet tooth goes through the roof.
Cherry Bakewell was my wild card addition to my selection as I really couldn’t imagine how it would translate in vaping. Turns out it translates pretty well and I found myself really enjoying this flavour with it’s strong cherry base and light and creamy almond finish.
Vanilla Ice Cream was a flavour I had high hopes for and it didn’t let me down. With a heady vanilla flavour with undertones of wafer biscuit this was second on my top ten list and a definite re-purchase. It’s simple, to the point and excels at what it sets out to do.
Spearmint Breeze was exactly that, it’s much creamier than other, menthol heavy mint juices I’ve tried and perfect executed. I’ve been using this when I fancy something fresher and is again a juice I’ll be re-purchasing in the future.
Lemon Fizz was another complete wild card for me as I don’t as a rule like anything citrus. I don’t know how Halo have done it but they have basically liquidised a sherbet lemon sweet and popped it in a bottle. A strong contender for my favourite flavour and one that has to be tried to be believed.
Pineapple Juice does exactly what it says on the bottle and reminds me very much of pineapple cube sweets. It wasn’t a favourite juice of mine although I can’t quite work out why, I think I’ll come back to it in the summer and see if my taste for it has changed.
Apple and Apricot is every bit as fresh and juicy as it sounds and whilst it didn’t make a stand-out impact on me I did enjoy it very much; perhaps a bit too mild for my tastes but for anyone who likes fresh and juicy flavours you should give it a go.
The full Halo range is available on the e-cigarette direct website. They are priced at £3.99 per bottle (or mix and match three for £9.99). There are a few other flavours that I haven’t tried a well as the standard tobacco blends as well. Each flavour comes in strengths ranging from 0.0% up to 1.8%

I’ve been really impressed by the brand and it’s one I will be using regularly in the future. I like to keep these smaller bottles in my bag for being out and about, whilst favouring short-fills at home.

Let me know if you’ve tried the Halo range and what you thought, are there any flavours I’ve missed that I need to try? What other brands of juice are you loving right now?

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