The Impulsive Buy

ANNOUNCEMENT: Looking for New Reviewers (2017 Edition)

Marvo / October 20, 2017 / Announcement / 1 Comment

Hey! Do you love to write? Do you like junk food and/or fast food?

If so, then perhaps you’d like to be a reviewer for The Impulsive Buy. We are looking for several new contributors to write their thoughts about the latest junk food and fast food.

It’s a paid gig, but you should know that it’s only enough for you to have a small Taco Bell taco party or enough to partially fill a bathtub with store brand cheese balls on sale. If you end up being a finalist, then we will disclose how much we pay per review.

If you’d like to apply for the position, here’s what you’ll need to send:

One sample review in TIB format (nutrition facts, rating, price, pros, cons, etc at the bottom). The review MUST be a new junk food or fast food product (“New” meaning within the past four months. “Junk food or fast food” meaning stuff you’d be afraid to eat in front of your doctor). The sample review will help us determine if your writing style would be a good fit. The sample review length MUST be no more than 500 words and no less than 400 words (not including nutrition facts, rating, price, pros, cons, etc at the bottom of TIB reviews).
Photo(s) of the product you reviewed. (Full resolution versions, please!)
A bio that includes why you want to write for The Impulsive Buy.

A Few Notes:

We’re not only judging you on your review, but also your photos to see your photography skills (Tip: Light will help your photos a lot.) and how you write your bio (Tip: show your personality in it and if you have a writing background, you should share that).
Due to legal reasons, we can’t hire anyone under the age 18.
At this time, we’re only looking for writers located in the United States.
Please send your review, bio, and photos as separate attachments.

To apply, please email your sample review, pictures, and bio to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com with “Grimace gives me nightmares” in the subject line. We will stop accepting applicants on Monday, November 13, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.

Thank you.

Marvo

Editor

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Nestle Toll House Limited Edition Cinnamon Roll Cookie Dough

Marvo / October 20, 2017 / Spotted on Shelves / 3 Comments

Is Toll House attempting to make cinnamon roll a fall flavor? (Spotted by Bob K at Giant Eagle.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Pop Secret Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Popcorn

Sean / October 20, 2017 / Reviews / 1 Comment

Pumpkin makes me pop. It isn’t just pumpkin though. I’m a bonafide cinna-slut, and all things swirling with the spice makes me feel real nice.

Building off of the success of chasing junk food trends and releasing the birthday cake flavored and damn delicious Popfetti earlier this year, Pop Secret are back at trying to win over our trendy hearts with a pumpkin spice microwaveable popcorn.

Pushing my nose up against the un-popped Pop Secret package gives off the classic microwave popcorn artificial buttery smell with just the slightest tickle of cinnamon in the background. Poppin’ the corn into the micro releases a bit more a distinct spicy aroma, once again accompanied by a more dominant and in-your-face butter presence.

The popped bag, warm and spewing steam, has a surprisingly nice a ginger smell to it that joins in on the butter party for a little extra nostril tingle. The signature artificial bright-ish yellow color is replaced by a slightly orangey tan that does good enough to channel the skin of a pumpkin.

The flavor of the popcorn is confusing. On my first bite, I get a little squashy pumpkin flavor, but that might be my mind playing tricks in the way it interprets the slightly greasy buttery essence that all good micro-pop carries. But the flavor quickly fades.

There’s no doubt this is different than regular Pop Secret, but that’s less apparent in any big spicy pumpkin notes and much more about how un-salty it is. There’s barely any saltiness, which could work if it was replaced by cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, but there isn’t really much of that either. Every couple of handfuls I get a soft smooch of cinnamon and ginger, and I like it, but it’s far from the bold flavors I’ve come to expect from microwave popcorn.

Even though there are zero grams of sugar per bag, there is an underlining sweetness to the popcorn, thanks to sucralose (Splenda). Luckily, there’s no weird artificial sweetener aftertaste, but again, there isn’t much autumn intrigue going on either. This popcorn doesn’t taste bad, it simply tastes like kettle corn minus the crucial salty factor that completes the yin and yang of that classic flavor profile.

Does this popcorn taste like popcorn? Definitely. Is it warm and comforting and slightly sweet? You betcha. Does it deliver on the big polarizing flavor that is pumpkin spice? Unfortunately not. It’s still an enjoyable sidekick to a night in with a slasher flick, but not something you need to seek out like the almighty Popfetti from earlier this year.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 Tbsp Unpopped – 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: Three 3 oz. bags
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Nice pumpkin-y color. Decent sweetness. Mellow hints of ginger and cinnamon.
Cons: Not much pumpkin spice flair. Tastes more like corn than cinnamon. Could use more salty pop.

Pop Secret Popcorn Pumpkin Spice

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (DAIRY EDITION) – 10/20/2017

Marvo / October 20, 2017 / Spotted on Shelves / 3 Comments

Here are some interesting new or limited edition dairy products found by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Darigold Heat ‘N Serve Hot Cocoa

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Whole Foods Limited Edition Eggnog Italian Gelato

Whole Foods Peppermint Italian Gelato

(Spotted by Trevor L at Whole Foods.)

JC’s Scoops Premium Ice Cream (Peanut Butter & Jelly Donut and Brown Butter Pretzel Crunch)

JC’s Scoops Premium Ice Cream (Taffy Apple and Salted Caramel Fudge Brownie)

JC’s Scoops Premium Ice Cream (Cinnamon Chocolate Churro and Tea & Biscuits)

JC’s Scoops Premium Ice Cream (S’mores Crispies and Coffee & Scones)

(Spotted by Rachel C at Sprouts.)

Dean’s Cheddar Bacon Dip

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Stonyfield Organic Double Cream Yogurt (Chocolate Underground and Madagascar Vanilla)

Stonyfield Organic Double Cream Yogurt (Pacific Coast Strawberry and Lemon)

(Spotted by Rachel C at Whole Foods.)

Siggi’s Touch of Honey Whole-Milk Yogurt

(Spotted by Rachel C at Whole Foods.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (WALMART BRANDS EDITION) – 10/19/2017

Marvo / October 19, 2017 / Spotted on Shelves / 10 Comments

Here are some new Walmart store brand products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts about them in the comments.