Category: Spotted on Shelves

New products are released all the time and here are some we found on our most recent shopping trips. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up on store shelves.

Starbucks Refreshers were originally tested in uncanned form at limited Starbucks locations in 2010 and available nationwide during Summer 2011. Now they’re available in canned form and in three flavors: Orange Melon, Raspberry Pomegranate, and Strawberry Lemonade. The beverage combines fruit juice with “natural energy from green coffee extract,” but doesn’t look or taste like coffee. Each can is made up 25 percent juice, has 50 milligrams of panax ginseng, and a number of B vitamins. As for caffeine, the cans don’t say. HOW CAN THEY NOT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL! Sorry, I haven’t had my caffeine fix yet, so I’m a little grumpy.

Instead of saying would you like more marshmallows with your hot cocoa, I’d like to say would you like more hot cocoa with your marshmallows, and Kraft’s new Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits will allow me to do so. After a quick Google search, I learned that these tiny marshmallows that would make horrible marshmallow gun ammunition have been around for a couple of months, but this is the first time I’ve run into them. Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits come in two flavors: vanilla and peppermint

Hey! More Dove Men + Care body and face wash options! But I still can’t use it to wash my hair like I can with products from Old Spice and Nivea. If I can use Dove Men + Care on my chest hair, arm hair, leg hair, armpit hair, genital hair, back hair, and toe hair, why can’t I use it for my head hair?

Photo via Impulsive Buy reader Gary.

I think Lay’s Classic BLT potato chips are new. I’m not sure because in the back of my mind I think I’ve seen Lay’s BLT potato chips when I was younger. Or maybe Walkers in the UK made BLT crisps. I don’t know. To be honest, whether or not they’re new is something I’m not too interested in. What I’d like to know is whether these BLT chips have some lettuce flavor.

Photo via Impulsive Buy reader Gary.

Have you ever wanted to enjoy Arby’s curly fries at home without having to leave your house? I haven’t, but if I did, I now have the option with this bag of frozen Arby’s seasoned curly fries. According to the bag, we can heat up some of their “world famous fries, anytime!” I’m going to go out on a limb here and say they’re probably not world famous since there are Arby’s locations in only seven countries. And last time I checked, seven countries don’t make a world. If anyone gets to say “world famous fries,” it’s McDonald’s, which is in 119 countries.

Photo via Impulsive Buy reader Gary.

Hmm…Let’s see if I know my US Presidents. George Washington is on the one dollar bill and was our first white US president. John Adams was the second President of the United States and, I think, he made beer. Thomas Jefferson was one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence and had sex with his slaves. James Monroe might be Marilyn Monroe’s great great grandfather. And, James Madison’s spirit gets upset when school children get confused between him and James Monroe.

If you’re out shopping and see a new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, email it to us at theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com, and you might see it in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Last year, Mentos introduced their UP2U line that came in four flavors, which we reviewed (here and here).

Wait. Actually, that’s incorrect.

There were four different packs and each one had two flavors, so there were really eight flavors. Well, there are now 14 flavors because Mentos has recently release three new UP2U varieties:

Chillax Mint and Energy Strike

Striped Red Strawberry and Starmint

The Gum Connoisseur’s Tumblr has reviews for Chillax Mint and Energy Strike and Superfruit Smasher and Tropical Mixer.

Here are some quick notes about the new varieties: The Energy Strike flavor does contain caffeine; Superfruit Smasher includes pomegranate, yuzu, cranberry and other fruity flavors; and Striped Red Strawberry and Starmint comes in patriotic packaging that makes me want to stand up, put my hand on my heart, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Update: Click here to read our Red Bull Total Zero review

In April, Red Bull will release nationwide a zero calorie, zero carbohydrate, and zero sugar energy drink called, Red Bull Total Zero. Personally, the only Red Bull products I would call total zeroes are Red Bull Cola and Red Bull Energy Shot, because they failed commercially and were discontinued.

In order to be calorie, carbohydrate, and sugar free, Red Bull Total Zero is sweetened with aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame K. To help you get your wings, the energy drink contains B vitamins, caffeine, and taurine.

Red Bull Total Zero will come in the usual Red Bull 8.4 ounce can, but it will also be available in 12 and 16 ounce cans. The 8.4 ounce size will have a suggested retail price of $2.19, the 12 ounce size will be priced at $2.99, and the 16 ounce can will cost $3.79.

The nutrition facts for a can of Red Bull Total Zero aren’t all zeroes. Along with the 0 calories, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of sugar, it also has 0 grams of fat, but it has 60 milligrams of sodium, less than 1 gram of protein, 100% niacin, 80% vitamin B12, 250% vitamin B6, and 50% pantothenic acid.

Source: Drinkfolio

Jones Soda has never been sold in plastic bottles.

Actually, that’s not quite correct. Jones Soda’s discontinued line of vitamin enhanced water did, but Jones Soda soda has never been sold in plastic bottles.

Well, that’s about to change with their new line of Au Naturel sparking waters. Of course, this disappoints me because if I’m drinking one at a picnic and a fight breaks out, I can’t smash the plastic bottle on someone’s head or on a tree to make a weapon to defend myself.

Jones Au Naturel is made up of carbonated water, natural sweeteners (organic agave syrup, stevia, and pure cane sugar), flavor essence, and green tea extracts to provide a little caffeine.

A bottle of Au Naturel contain 35 calories, seven grams of sugar, and five grams of fiber. So it has the same amount of fiber found in a bowl of this raisin bran. The sparking water comes in three Ben and Jerry’s flavor-sounding names: Green Apple A Day, Lemon Limelight, and Orange Ya Glad Its Mango.

Au Naturel has a suggested retail price of $1.79 per 16.9-ounce bottle and will be available on the Jones Soda website and natural grocery store.

Update: Click here to watch our Dial for Men Speed Foam video review

Dial for Men’s Speed Foam Body Wash Foaming Gel has been available for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t notice it until I saw a coupon for it in the Sunday newspaper.

Ever since I learned about it, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the idea of a foaming gel. So does it work like Edge Shaving Gel, which starts expanding and turning into foam once it’s dispensed?

According to its bottle, it proudly boasts, “No shower pouf needed.” So I guess with Speed Foam, I don’t need any kind of shower pouf or wash cloth to create foam and to clean my body. Instead, I just use my hands.

But without the pouf, how am I going to exfoliate my skin? Also, if I’m using only my hands, how am I going to wash that one spot on my back I can’t quite reach? What about my butt crack? That means I have to wash my butt crack with only my hands. I don’t feel comfortable with that.

With Speed Foam, Dial claims men will reach the ultimate clean faster and easier than ever.

Dial Speed Foam is able to dispense enough foaming gel for 40 washes and comes in three scents: Active Sport, Arctic Refresh, and Ultra Clean. It’s available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $5.99.