Freshcig eVolve Electronic Cigarette Review - Cessation or Replacement?

Let me start by saying that I have tried many stop smoking aids over the years from the nicotine patches (they give me a hot, itchy rash), the lozenges (they taste horrendous), the plastic inhalators with cartridges (just, no) and even the e-cigarettes that light up at the end and emit vapour that taste like tobacco but...not. Not at all. None of them work and all of them make me want a cigarette just to stop the situation I was currently in.

When Freshcig got in touch and asked if I'd like to try out one of their pastel evolve starter kits I was a little dubious but as a smoker drawn to pastel tones and with a lingering need to stop smoking for both health and financial reasons, I couldn't say no. The next day a little package arrived in the post and...it wasn't at all what I was expecting.

Firstly, the branding is second to none. I see the issue here that it could be made more attractive to young people and so on but as a smoker who wants to quit who appreciates a good aesthetic I was rather pleased. So many times you see these e-cigarettes being sold on stalls which just look completely unappealing and while the product working is much better than any sort of branding, you can deny that it helps. The tin is the perfect handbag size comprising of an interior that slots in a USB charger (handy - so, so handy) and the e-cigarette itself. The contraption was easy to put together (literally just screw it in, charge it and done) and then it was time to really experience it.

It's nothing like a real cigarette. This is a whole new thing. The device itself is heavier than I expected and the strange bubbling sound when you press the button to heat the nicotine filled flavoured liquid is quite odd at first but it's easy to get to grips with. Press, hold, inhale, blow out. Pretty simple even if it is a little bizarre. I chose the 16mg Cappuccino flavoured liquid since all tobacco flavoured products don't taste like tobacco whatsoever. I was dubious about this too - would it really taste great? The fact is that no, it's not a cappuccino but it's pretty damn close. It's not offensive tasting at all and I actually quite like it. No doubt I'll be buying mint flavoured refills and possibly even a tobacco flavoured to try in the future but really, it's all about the cappuccino if you like your cigarette with a good coffee as I do.

Since it's only been a few days and I have had a few regular cigarettes in between uses I can't say that it's going to convert me to vaping completely although it's nothing to do with the health fiasco. E-cigarettes are being banned left, right and centre but in all honesty they've got to be better than real cigarettes, right? That alone wouldn't put me off using them in the slightest but coupled with the two stressful weeks I've had I've had no real desire to quit and cape exclusively just yet. Saying that it really does help. It curbs the cravings and gives you the feeling of smoking without the nasty tar and carcinogens in cigarettes which is pretty damn wonderful. Plus, pastel colours and all for only £30 as a one off cost with just £10 per refill? That's one hell of a bargain. Freshcig are so confident with their products there's even a 3 month warranty if something were to go wrong with the device which I haven't experienced with other brands.

No doubt you'll be seeing this baby in lots of lifestyle posts in the coming months while I try to figure out if vaping is a smoking cessation aid, a replacement or smoking or just something I'd do when I didn't have cigarettes or couldn't smoke somewhere so you'll hear more thoughts as I go along but really, it's something really fresh to the market in terms of branding, flavours that are pretty damn close and an aesthetically pleasing device. I've just got to remember to keep it charged...