After nearly a year of anticipation, Meghan Markle has finally unveiled her As Ever product line to the world – but was it really worth the wait?

The short answer: not really. 

Now, let me just preface this by explaining that I really wanted to like these products. I actually think that Meghan has impeccable style, and, I’ll admit, I did cave and buy her gel nail polish colors off her new ShopMy page. 

I have been excited for the launch ever since she sent my idol, Kris Jenner, a jar of her homemade jam last year under the old brand name American Riviera Orchard. 

And, after watching With Love, Meghan on Netflix, I was looking forward to the product launch even more. 

After seeing that gorgeous, rented kitchen on TV, I was waiting to ‘mimic the magic of Montecito’ in my New York City studio apartment, as she promised in her recent newsletter. 

FEMAIL managed to get our hands on all eight sold-out products to put them to the test – including the oversold wildflower honey that was nearly impossible to buy. 

It was the last item in our order to arrive, despite expediting it. 

After nearly a year of anticipation, Meghan Markle has finally unveiled her As Ever product line to the world - but was it really worth the wait?

After nearly a year of anticipation, Meghan Markle has finally unveiled her As Ever product line to the world – but was it really worth the wait?

FEMAIL managed to get our hands on all eight sold-out products to put them to the test - including the oversold wildflower honey that was nearly impossible to buy

FEMAIL managed to get our hands on all eight sold-out products to put them to the test – including the oversold wildflower honey that was nearly impossible to buy

After seeing that gorgeous, rented kitchen on TV, I was waiting to 'mimic the magic of Montecito' in my New York City studio apartment, as she promised in her recent newsletter

After seeing that gorgeous, rented kitchen on TV, I was waiting to ‘mimic the magic of Montecito’ in my New York City studio apartment, as she promised in her recent newsletter 

But, as we tested of the products in her As Ever line, nothing really stood out as especially worth it or special. 

We felt like the baking mixes were tedious and difficult to make, while the jam proved to be more of a dessert sauce than a raspberry spread. 

So without further ado, here is FEMAIL’s official ranking as we share what’s actually worth buying, and what you can leave behind in a shopping cart in Montecito. 

8. Herbal Hibiscus Tea, $12

By far the worst product that The Duchess is selling under the As Ever brand, according to DailyMail.com, is her hibiscus tea. 

In fact, we felt so strongly about it, that we would recommend she completely stop making this kind of tea and pivot to a new flavor.

The tea arrived in a cute, 0.9oz can complete with the signature gold branding and palm tree logo, and came with 12 sachets.

The one highlight of this product was the sachets it came in, which appeared to be packaged in chic nylon baggies, giving it an elevated look compared to regular paper tea bags that you would find in everyday brands.

By far the worst product that The Duchess is selling under the As Ever brand is her hibiscus tea

By far the worst product that The Duchess is selling under the As Ever brand is her hibiscus tea

Before we even took a sip, the tea had turned a bright red color, which was quite unappetizing, as it looked like the color of red 40 dye

Before we even took a sip, the tea had turned a bright red color, which was quite unappetizing, as it looked like the color of red 40 dye

On the back of the jar, Meghan shared that she liked to let the tea steep in a mason jar outside in the sun, but unfortunately, since we’re in a corporate office and not a sprawling California backyard, we didn’t get the chance to do that.

However, we did follow the rest her directions, as we poured boiling water into a mug and let the tea bag steep for seven minutes.

Unfortunately, we wished we had stopped there.

Before we even took a sip, the tea had turned a bright red color, which was rather alarming.

The tea itself was extremely bitter tasting with heavy notes of floral, with one taste tester comparing it to ‘drinking lip balm.’

‘It tasted like dirty dishwater,’ one FEMAIL writer shared. ‘All the flavor was in the smell, somehow. It was the idea of a flavor.’ 

Some of us couldn’t even bear to swallow it, and one person even spat it back into the cup.  

Safe to say, FEMAIL was not a fan of the hibiscus tea, as it had a stronger scent than taste.

Some of us couldn't even bear to swallow it, and one person even spit it back into the cup

Some of us couldn’t even bear to swallow it, and one person even spit it back into the cup

7. Herbal Peppermint Tea, $12

The As Ever Herbal Peppermint Tea had all of the same features as the hibiscus tea, but just with a different flavor – it came in the same size box with 12 sachets.

Now, the Peppermint Tea wasn’t necessarily as terrible as the hibiscus, but it had the same problem: it tasted like the idea of a mint tea.

When we held up the tea to your mouth before taking a sip, we were immediately hit with a huge whiff of peppermint, but the tea itself tasted pretty bland.

The tea failed to leave a peppermint flavor lingering in our mouths, and was just quite a weak taste all around.

6. Herbal Lemon Ginger Tea, $12

Similar to the other two teas, the Herbal Lemon Ginger Tea was lacking in strength, but it had the best flavor compared to the peppermint and hibiscus.

The Herbal Ginger Lemon Tea was definitely lighter on the lemon side and a bit heavier on the ginger, but not in a way that was overwhelming.

Similar to the other two teas, the Herbal Lemon Ginger Tea was lacking in strength, but it had the best flavor compared to the peppermint and hibiscus

Similar to the other two teas, the Herbal Lemon Ginger Tea was lacking in strength, but it had the best flavor compared to the peppermint and hibiscus

It tasted like a nice blend of the two ingredients, but again, it wasn’t super flavorful.

It definitely wasn’t terrible, but we think that for $12, there are definitely other teas to consider. 

However, if Meghan were to keep one tea out of the three, she should definitely stick with this one. 

We drank it hot, but it would taste nice with some ice in it during the summer, too.

5. Flower Sprinkles, $15

Okay, if you’ve watched even one minute of Meghan’s show on Netflix, you would know that flower sprinkles are her thing, perhaps even more than ‘her jam.’

Throughout the series, she loves to put these sprinkles, which are essentially a colorful mix of dried-out flower pieces, on everything. 

And, not only did Meghan use the flower sprinkles to top her frosted donuts and yogurt parfaits, but she also used it to garnish tea sandwiches and crudité platters.

Okay, if you've watched even one minute of Meghan's show on Netflix, you would know that flower sprinkles are her thing, perhaps even more than 'her jam'

Okay, if you’ve watched even one minute of Meghan’s show on Netflix, you would know that flower sprinkles are her thing, perhaps even more than ‘her jam’

And, not only did Meghan use the flower sprinkles to top her frosted donuts and yogurt parfaits, but she also used it to garnish tea sandwiches and crudité platters

And, not only did Meghan use the flower sprinkles to top her frosted donuts and yogurt parfaits, but she also used it to garnish tea sandwiches and crudité platters

Since these sprinkles were really the star of With Love, Meghan, she decided to sell her own for $15.

The first thing that really struck us here was the price. You can find similar products on Amazon for under $10, or even on Etsy. 

Meghan’s are sold in a compact, gold 0.17g jar, with a clear top so that customers can immediately get a peek into the sprinkles.

It’s worth noting that the package of sprinkles wasn’t quite filled to the top, more like halfway. 

The As Ever Flower Sprinkles come in a mix of red, yellow, orange and blue, but they look more like confetti than petals as they didn’t seem to have much shape.

They smell floral, too, even though they’re edible – almost the same exact scent as the hibiscus tea.

The flower sprinkles were fine, but they definitely didn’t look as pretty as Meghan made them seem on the show. We felt like they were kind of unnecessary, and didn’t ‘elevate’ anything to look much different than it already did.

If we didn’t know any better, we would think the flower sprinkles were some kind of weird potpourri mix from the 1980s, like the ones your aunt probably keeps in her bathroom. 

The As Ever Flower Sprinkles come in a mix of red, yellow, orange and blue, but they look more like confetti than petals as they didn't seem to have much shape

The As Ever Flower Sprinkles come in a mix of red, yellow, orange and blue, but they look more like confetti than petals as they didn’t seem to have much shape

The flower sprinkles were fine, but they definitely didn't look as pretty as Meghan made them seem on the show

The flower sprinkles were fine, but they definitely didn’t look as pretty as Meghan made them seem on the show

4. As Ever Crepe Mix, $14

Thankfully, Meghan also included some baked goods in her rolodex of As Ever products, like this $14 crepe mix that she said ‘remind her of her time backpacking through France as a student.’

‘Biting into these streetside thin pancakes – filled with chocolate, fruit, fresh lemon and powdered sugar, or made savory with ham and cheese – they truly are a canvas for flavor. I wanted to bring that memory and experience to you at home. (Also, they’re so easy to make!)’ she wrote in a recent newsletter.

Um, excuse me, Megs – we beg to differ.

We’re not sure if it was our lack of baking skills or the recipe itself, but we ran into a ton of trouble.

Making the batter itself was easy, as all we needed to add was one large egg, one cup and two tablespoons of water, and two tablespoons of melted butter.  

However, the batter was extremely thick and sticky, meaning that every time we tried to scoop some onto the hot pan, it got stuck on our spoon.

It was also hard to thin out these crepes once they hit the pan, and they came out much thicker than normal.

Making the batter itself was easy, as all we needed to add was one large egg, one cup and two tablespoons of water, and two tablespoons of melted butter

Making the batter itself was easy, as all we needed to add was one large egg, one cup and two tablespoons of water, and two tablespoons of melted butter

Maureen Callahan described the final product as something that 'resulted in a flavor and mouthfeel most akin to undercooked pancakes.'

Maureen Callahan described the final product as something that ‘resulted in a flavor and mouthfeel most akin to undercooked pancakes.’

Besides their yummy vanilla smell, it was overall a sticky, messy, and frankly gross thing to whip up – at least, for us.  

When another DailyMail.com colleague attempted to make the mix, they also had some difficulty.

One person said it took them about six tries to get it right.  

Columnist Maureen Callahan described the final product as something that ‘resulted in a flavor and mouthfeel most akin to undercooked pancakes.’

Other taste testers described the flavors as ‘nothing special’ and ‘bland,’ suggesting that it would be easier and tastier to make them from scratch.

‘It’s like they’re either undercooked or burnt and no in between,’ one Daily Mail writer said. 

3. Raspberry Spread in Keepsake Packaging, $14

Of course, the pièce de résistance of this entire launch was Meghan’s Raspberry Spread, which came in a special Keepsake Packaging for $14 in the first drop.

Of course, the pièce de résistance of this entire launch was Meghan's Raspberry Spread, which came in a special Keepsake Packaging for $14 in the first drop.

Of course, the pièce de résistance of this entire launch was Meghan’s Raspberry Spread, which came in a special Keepsake Packaging for $14 in the first drop. 

As for the taste, it's extremely sweet - and we mean really sweet. It is reminiscent of a sugary, raspberry dessert sauce rather than a jam or spread that's meant to be eaten on a piece of toast

As for the taste, it’s extremely sweet – and we mean really sweet. It is reminiscent of a sugary, raspberry dessert sauce rather than a jam or spread that’s meant to be eaten on a piece of toast

The confection, which Meghan has cheesily described as ‘her jam’ many times, has had much hype surrounding the launch, as she sent 50 jars last year to famous friends such as Chrissy Teigen under the company’s former name, American Riviera Orchard.

But make no mistake – her brand has now been rebranded to As Ever, and the company claims that the raspberry fruit spread ‘is inspired by the recipe Meghan crafted in her home kitchen.’

The Duchess previously explained in an episode of her Netflix show that her preserves can’t technically be called jam, because ‘jam is equal parts sugar and fruit.’

‘I just don’t think you can taste the fruit that way,’ she suggested on the show.

Per Food & Wine, jam is regulated by the FDA, and it must come from a single fruit, containing at least 45 percent fruit and 55 percent sugar.

However, despite all the hype surrounding the product, FEMAIL was not impressed.

Immediately upon opening the jar, we were taken aback by its texture. The spread was very liquid and quite thin – a bit ‘loose,’ if you will. If we hadn’t known better, we’d have thought it melted during its expedited journey to us.

That being said, it is described by the brand as including a hint of lemon and a ‘fluid texture.’

Typically, a jar of jam is thicker and sticks together, whereas when we stuck our spoon into Meghan's raspberry spread, its consistency dripped off the silverware like a sauce. It was unappealing to say the least

Typically, a jar of jam is thicker and sticks together, whereas when we stuck our spoon into Meghan’s raspberry spread, its consistency dripped off the silverware like a sauce. It was unappealing to say the least

The flavor was also surprisingly strong, which meant we could taste the sour lemon in the spread, which Meghan had promised in the product's description

The flavor was also surprisingly strong, which meant we could taste the sour lemon in the spread, which Meghan had promised in the product’s description 

Typically, a jar of jam is thicker and sticks together, whereas when we stuck our spoon into Meghan’s raspberry spread, its consistency dripped off the silverware like a sauce. It was unappealing to say the least.

As for the taste, it’s extremely sweet – and we mean really sweet. It is reminiscent of a sugary, raspberry dessert sauce rather than a jam or spread that’s meant to be eaten on a piece of toast.

The flavor was also surprisingly strong, which meant we could taste the sour lemon in the spread, which Meghan had promised in the product’s description.

After trying it by the spoonful, which left us grimacing from the sweetness, we spread some on a toasted piece of sourdough, which is where things began to take a turn for the worse.

It was difficult to eat the spread with the toast, as it was so thin that it dribbled everywhere and made a mess. Our once nicely toasted piece of bread became a sopping wet disaster after just a few minutes.

Drizzled over vanilla ice cream, a piece of pie, or a big stack of pancakes, the spread may work, and may even shine. But on its own, or eaten as one would expect to be able to enjoy jam, the product crumbled, or rather dripped, under the pressure.

2. Limited-edition Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb

FEMAIL was lucky enough to get our hands on Meghan’s limited-edition, $28 Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb, a product that was so popular, it accidentally oversold.

FEMAIL was quite divided on this product - while some of us thought it was great, others didn't like the 'waxy' taste of the honeycomb

FEMAIL was quite divided on this product – while some of us thought it was great, others didn’t like the ‘waxy’ taste of the honeycomb

IL was lucky enough to get our hands on Meghan's limited-edition, $28 Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb, a product that was so popular, it accidentally oversold

IL was lucky enough to get our hands on Meghan’s limited-edition, $28 Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb, a product that was so popular, it accidentally oversold

The precious jar of honey was the last thing to arrive in our order, and came packaged in a 9oz jar with the signature As Ever branding on it.

FEMAIL was quite divided on this product – while some of us thought it was great, others didn’t like the ‘waxy’ taste of the honeycomb.

One thing’s for sure, though, is that it definitely leaves a super strong wildflower aftertaste in your mouth.

Though, overall, we think that the honey deserves second place, as it was pretty tasty and non-offensive. The honeycomb made it feel more decadent, even though it was a bit plastic tasting.

In terms of Meghan’s offerings, this is the one that felt the most luxe – something we think she should stick with. 

But for $28, you’re probably better off finding some honey at your local farmer’s market.  

1. Shortbread Cookie Mix With Flower Sprinkles, $14

Now, for the grand finale and ultimate winner – the shortbread cookie mix with flower sprinkles.

She instructs to add two sticks of softened butter to the mix, and then let the dough chill in the fridge for a minimum of one hour

She instructs to add two sticks of softened butter to the mix, and then let the dough chill in the fridge for a minimum of one hour

Although we burned the first batch, the dough made a lot of cookies, the rest of which we baked to golden-brown perfection

Although we burned the first batch, the dough made a lot of cookies, the rest of which we baked to golden-brown perfection

These cookies were definitely a home run, as everyone from our team thoroughly enjoyed them.

While we admit that the dough was quite annoying (actually, really annoying) to make – involving a one-hour chill time in the fridge and sharp flower sprinkles, the end result was the most worth it out of all the products that Meghan sells.

She instructs to add two sticks of softened butter to the mix, and then let the dough chill in the fridge for a minimum of one hour. 

The dough was easy enough to mix up, but it was so hard to mold as it kept crumbling in our hands, which ended up being covered in slippery butter by the end. 

However, the slightly tedious process was worth it, as the shortbread cookie was pretty tasty.

Although we burned the first batch, the dough made a lot of cookies, the rest of which we baked to golden-brown perfection.

The cookies tasted like any other shortbread cookie, nice and light and very buttery.

They were also very soft, which we appreciated, and they stayed extremely fresh overnight.

All in all, Meghan's As Ever line is nothing to write home about. It's fine, but definitely not worth the price tag unless you're a Meghan Markle fan

All in all, Meghan’s As Ever line is nothing to write home about. It’s fine, but definitely not worth the price tag unless you’re a Meghan Markle fan

The final result truly tasted like a perfect shortbread cookie. This fun mix was where Meghan really shined.

It wasn’t anything special, but it would be fun to make if you have little kids, as the packet of flower sprinkles poured into the dough add a fun and whimsical touch, even though it looks like potpourri.

The final verdict

All in all, Meghan’s As Ever line is nothing to write home about. It’s fine, but definitely not worth the price tag unless you’re a Meghan Markle fan. 

A handful of the products, like the hibiscus tea, flower sprinkles and raspberry spread, miss the mark. Those items can definitely be improved in the next launch if Meghan continues with the line. 

But besides those standouts, everything else is just okay. It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just fine. 

A lot of the products are things that we’ve all seen before, and FEMAIL agrees that we wouldn’t purchase any of these products again, including the shortbread cookies, even though they were the tastiest out of the bunch. 

Meghan might want to work on a re-brand going forward – what about an exclusive As Ever picnic basket filled with things to make a children’s birthday party sparkle, as she demonstrated in the Netflix episode filmed with comedian Mindy Kaling? Or a baked donut mix with a vanilla glaze as seen on TV? 

But hey, what do we know? After all, jam is her jam. 

As Ever,

FEMAIL 

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk