Influenster Holiday Vox Box 2012

The wonderful people at Influenster have done it again! They put together this amazing box of products and I was lucky enough to get picked to try them out.

For those of you  who have not heard of Influenster, it is this really great website where you sign up and review products and if you fit into certain demographics you get picked to receive boxes of products to try out and review, completely for free! Then there are brand challenges where you can earn more free products as well. If you are someone who loves to try out new products and write reviews and make videos, etc, you should check out their site at www.influenster.com

So I was very excited to get picked for the Holiday Vox Box 2012 because I knew the holiday box is usually a really good box (they all are awesome though!) Influenster did not disappoint. Here is a picture of my goodies I received:

Doesn't it look awesome?? So here's the breakdown of what I got....

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal - retails for $1.79 per cup. I got the Peach Almond flavor, there are several flavors available. These cups contain whole grain oats, rye, barley and wheat and then are mixed with large chunks of real fruit and nuts. You can either add boiling water or add cold water and microwave right in the cup.

NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine - retails for $2.49 - "Keep your  lips soft as ever with the NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine. It's pure pigment ingredients create a 3-D gloss effect while Vitamin E provides shine and moisture." (This was the statement from the Infleunster card) The color I received is called Nude York City and it is a very pretty neutral color that has some shimmer and tons of shine.

Kiss Nail Dress - retails for $6.99 - Peel and stick nail fashions that are quick and easy to apply and easily removed without polish remover. Lasts up to 10 days, can be used on finger nails or toe nails. The color pattern I got is Chemise.

Eboost - Retails for $28 for a box of 20 packets, $39 for a box of 30 packets or $39 for a box of 12 shots. "EBoost will boost your mood, focus and immunity with natural ingredients and no crash" I tried EBoost with my Influenster Naturals Vox Box and loved it then. This time I received the flavor Acai Pomegranate which I am looking forward to trying out.

Sole Society - $25 off your first purchase - Sole Society is a website where you can buy shoes, discover new trends and styles and recommend shoes to friends.

Goody QuikStyle Brush - available in paddle or half round shape - retails for $11.99 - I was supper excited when I saw this was going to be in the box! I saw these brushes at the store and wanted to buy one. The Goody QuikStyle brush has super absorbent  microfiber bristles in between the regular bristles to help hair dry faster by removing up to 30% of the water from your hair as you style. It's like having a towel built into your hair brush!

I also got selected for the bonus item! :)

Montagne Jeunesse Face Masks - retails for under $2 each - there are many different masks to choose from, all made with natural ingredients wonderful fragrances. I received the chocolate masque which is a deep pore cleansing, moisturizing, anti stress mud mask. Anything with chocolate sounds good to me!

So that's my Holiday 2012 Vox Box. I am excited to try out these great products and come back to review them all and let you know how I like them. Thank you Influenster!

www.influenster.com

Influenster - new and improved!!

Hi everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to tell you all about this great program that several of my blog posts refer to. It is Influenster.com and it is exciting. What they are is a company that gets products from many other companies and gives those products to people to try out and review. There are many different themes that they group together...some recent themes were Mom, Naturals, Bride to be, Latina to name a few. How do you qualify for these boxes? You have to join influenster and unlock badges. There are badges for all different things, like mom, college student, techie, etc. Unlocking these badges lets them know what demographics you fit into so they can match you to a product box that fits your personality/lifestyle. You earn points as well, by reviewing products that fall into the categories of your badges. The more you review, the higher your score. They want you to use media outlets like twitter and facebook to spread the word about your product reviews. The more you review, and the more active you are on social networks, the more likely you are to get selected for one of the Vox Boxes.

The above picture shows the Naturals Vox Box I was selected to review. Once you are selected to receive a box, you have to use and  review each product, either through blog posts, video blogs or the Influenster website. Even if you don't like the product, review it. The companies use our feedback in their market research and they need to know the good and the bad reviews of their products. Influenster also puts of brand challenges for each item, and completing those challenges can earn you bonus gift packs from the company. Below is a picture of a bonus I earned from Broadway Nails.

This is a really easy program really, you just incorporate the products you get to try into your daily life. Then take a little bit of time to do the reviews. So if you are someone who likes to try new products and pass on the word to friends, family and everyone else then Influenster might be for you. It is free to sign up and easy to get started. If this sounds like something you would like to try, go to www.influenster.com and see what it is all about! :-)

Review of Lypsyl lip balm

Another great product I was given by Influenster to try out is the Lypsyl lip balm. This lip balm is made with "pure Swedish beeswax" and also has coconut oil, organic shea butter and vitamins A and E to moisturize, soften, heal and protect your lips. It also has a fresh mint smell and flavor.

This lip balm goes on smoothly and feels good on your lips. It doesn't make your lips feel sticky and it doesn't cake or peel off your lips like some balms tend to do over time. The mint is refreshing but not over powering. It provides long lasting moisturization. And it is all natural which I love!
One thing that I am not crazy about is the size. The lypsyl lip balm is a larger size tube than typical lip balms and is more of an oval shape. It still will fit in your pocket easily, but is just larger than I'd prefer. It is even larger than a typical lipstick, I took a picture for comparison.

 

Size aside, I really do like this product and will purchase it again when I use up the current tube I have. Lypsyl lip balm retails for around $2.99 which is comparable to other all natural, beeswax based lip balms on the market. And according the Lypsyl website they have other formulas of lip balms as well as a cold sore medicine as well. I'd like to thank Influenster and Lypsyl for the opportunity to try out and review this great product!

 

 

 

www.influenster.com
http://lypsylhome.com/

Review of the Original Dish drying mat

Today I am going to review The Original Dish Drying Mat, which was sent to me by Influenster to try out and review. I am usually a use the dish washer kind of girl, I hate washing dishes by hand. Actually, I hate washing dishes at all. I'd prefer to have a dish washing fairy to take care of that for me. Anyways, as I have a new baby at home, I find myself hand washing baby bottles on a daily basis. So I was excited to try out this drying mat for my bottles at the very least.

The Original Dish Drying Mat is made up of a foam center covered by layers of microfiber which is super absorbent and quick drying. According to the packaging it will hold up to 4 times it's weight in water. The mat has a loop so you can hang it to dry and it is machine washable for quick and easy cleaning. Because of the thick foam center this mat is perfect for drying delicate glasses such as wine glasses. You can also place the mat under your drying rack.

I mainly used it for drying my baby bottles and it worked much better than placing paper towels or a dish towel on the counter. My counter stayed completely dry under the mat so it didn't create more work for me. And since the mat dries quickly, it was ready for the next time I washed dishes.

I would like to thank Inflenster and The Original for allowing me to try out this great product. I still do the majority of my dishes in the dish washer but I love this mat for the times when I hand wash.

www.influenster.com
www.the-original-co.com

Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Baby Eczema Bar Soap

One of the great products I got to try out from my Influenster Naturals Vox Box is this Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Baby Eczema Bar Soap. The bar is 5oz and retails for $4.99. This soap is made with organic shea butter, argan oil and extracts of Frankincense and Myrrh. Honestly the first thing I thought about was baby Jesus and the gifts the three kinds brought him when I saw Frankincense and Myrrh on the label. The soap is brown in color and has a very pleasant scent to it.

The label says "baby" on it, but this soap is ideal for anyone really. It is sulfate free and enriched with natural and organic ingredients such as African Shea, coconut oil and chamomile. According to the label it says "Shea Butter - deeply moisturizes and heals dry skin with it's high content of fatty acids and vitamins. Argan Oil - high in vitamin E, this rare oil softens and renews the skin. Frankincense and Myrrh - given as a gift of beauty throughout history, these precious extracts repair and rejuvinate skin" That all sounds outstanding to me!

I was interested in trying this soap out on myself, and my son and daughter. I have dry, itchy skin, as does my daughter. And my son has eczema. So reading the label I was sure that all three of us could benefit from this soap. I was right. It lathers easily and makes a nice, creamy lather on the wash cloth. It has a good, fresh scent that is not over powering and lightly scents your skin. I personally feel like my skin is less dry and itchy since I have been using it. I have noticed my children scratch less as well and my son's skin doesn't feel as sand paperish as it usually does. I am very interested in seeing how his skin does during the winter with this soap, as that is when his eczema gets the worst from the cold, dry air. I am fairly certain though, that this soap will greatly improve his skin during the winter months.

There is a whole line of products from Shea Moisture Baby that I am going to try including healing lotion and head to toe wash and shampoo. If you have a child with dry skin, or have dry skin yourself, I suggest you try out this bar for sure.

I would like to thank Influenster and Shea Moisture Baby for giving me and my family the opportunity to try out and review this great product.

http://www.facebook.com/SheaMoistureBaby

http://www.influenster.com

Unveiling my Influenster Naturals Vox Box!

The wonderful people at influenster have done it again. They have graciously selected me to try out and review a new vox box. This time it is a natural themed box, with all natural and green products to try and review. Here is a break down of the goodies I recieved:

The Original dish drying mat- retails for $4.99 - this is a fast drying, super absorbant mat for drying hand washed dishes.

LypSyl Intense Protection LypMoisturizer - retails for $2.87 -  an organic, Swedish beeswax lip balm and moisturizer.

EBoost - retails for $28 for box of 20 or $39 for a box of 30 - effervescent powders that mix with water to create a daily vitamin/energy booster drink.

CleanWell individual hand sanitizer wipes - retails for $29.99 for a box of 50 - all natural wipes that are safe for hands and faces.

Geodeo - retails for $5.99 for 2.3oz stick - all natural deodorant stick with detox complex

Nectresse - retails for $3.99 for box of 40 - all natural zero calorie sweetner that tastes like sugar, made from monk fruit combined with other natural sweetners.

SheaMoisture Raw Shea, Chamomile and Argan Baby Bar soap - retails for $4.99 for a 5oz bar - sulfate free bar soap for babies and children (and adults too!) especially those with eczema.

I look forward to trying these great products out over the next few weeks and reporting back on how I liked them. All of the products are exciting to me, but I am especially excited about the dish drying mat for drying baby bottles on and the bar soap since my son has eczema and itchy skin. Thank you Influenster for this great opportunity! :-)

http://www.influenster.com/

The Many uses of Ivory

My Mom voxbox from Influenster included many great and new products for me to try and review. One product that wasn't new to me was the bar of Ivory soap. My mom used to buy Ivory soap when I was a kid, but I haven't used it in my adult life at all. I am mostly a shower gel type of person, but I was willing to give the bar a try.
I used it simply as a bathing bar in the shower. Ivory soap still has the fresh clean scent I remember from when I was a kid. It washed off cleanly and although bar soaps tend to leave your skin feeling sticky afterwards, I didn't notice that sticky film feeling much from this bar. And of course, it is still so pure it actually floats!

I have heard that Ivory soap can be used for many other things besides bathing. I searched the internet and discovered that Ivory soap can be used as a stain remover by rubbing the bar on the stain...good for food stains and that pesky ring around the collar. You can shave the bar into flakes and use it as a laundry soap. Ivory soap is gentle and mild enough to use as a facial cleanser as well. One of the coolest things I found online is you can make a fun cloud of soap by microwaving a bar of Ivory soap...that is a fun science experiment to do with the kids. Just microwave for 2 mins on high and you get a fluffy cloud of fun for the kids to play with once it's cooled down.

I also saw a cool recipe to use this fluff and turn it into bath paints for the kids to play with in the bath. Since it's made from Ivory soap, you know it will wash away cleanly. And since Ivory soap is still the cheapest brand name bar soap on the market, you won't have to break the bank in order to try these fun new uses for it. Thank you Ivory soap and Influenster for re-introducing me to a product that after 125 years is still a good, go to product for my family.

http://www.influenster.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Ivory

imPress press on manicure

Another great product I got to try from my Inflenster Mom Voxbox was the imPress press on manicure by broadway nails. Now, it has been a long time since I have purchased press on nails, mostly because as a nurse I am not allowed to wear press on nails or artificial nails of any kind really to work. That said, I was still excited to try these out because who doesn't love to have pretty nails?

The color I was sent is "Stiletto" which is color number 060

They are a pretty shade that I would consider almost brownish in color.

The really cool thing about these press on nails are they are very simple to apply. The glue is already in place on the back of each nail. All you have to do is find the size that correlates to your natural nail, peel off othe backing and then press the nail into place. Quick and easy! The overall process took me about 10 mins to complete all 10 of my nails. Definitely good for a busy mom like me.

I really like the length of the nails as well. They are what I would call an active length. Not too long, and not too short. They would be really good for people who can't have long nails at work or have young children. According to the package these nails will last up to 7 days. I was not able to wear them that long due to my job. I did wear them for almost 3 days. I washed dishes, did laundry, scratched the dog, etc. and the nails stayed in place perfectly. I did not notice any lifting or pulling from the natural nail surface. My past experience with press on nails that you use traditional glue for I would have to reapply them frequently with normal every day chores. That was not the case with these nails. When I went back to work and had to take them off, they removed very easily. I was able to peel them off easily and they did not damage my natural nails at all. There was also no residue noted from the glue, which again is something I could not say from traditional press on nails with liquid glue.

These nails are available in over 30 colors and designs including french manicure and fun  patterns. They would be wonderful for special events such as prom or formal nights out and are very budget friendly at around $6 per package. Over all I am very impressed with imPress nails from broadway nails. I will definitely buy these again in the future and highly recommend you try them. Thank you Influenster and thank you Broadway nails! :-)

http://www.influenster.com/

http://www.impressmanicure.com/

Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies

The first product I am reviewing from my influenster Mom Voxbox is the Quaker Oatmeal soft baked Oatmeal Rasin cookie. These are new cookies from the Quaker Oatmeal company that come in a variety of flavors and can be found in the cookie aisle of your super market. According the enclosed card in my voxbox they retail for $2.69 for a box of 6, but I got a box of 6 from my local Wal-Mart for $2.19 a box.

This is the packaging for the cookie. Each cookie in the box comes individually wrapped which makes them very easy to send in packed lunches.

The cookie is a good sized cookie too. As you can see in the above picture, it is roughly the size of the palm of my hand. There are 170 calories, 6 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber to each cookie. Over all, not too bad stats for a cookie I think. Much better than when you get much smaller cookies and only get one to a serving size. Also Quaker Oatmeal is a company I trust for good tasting, quality oatmeal and granola products. They've been in the oatmeal business for a long time, and it shows.

The cookie itself was very yummy. It was chewy, had just the right amount of cinnamon and rasins and was satisfying. I think the 4 grams of fiber help to fill you up, while I loved the cookie and definitely would eat it again, I didn't feel the need to scarf another one right away.

After eating the cookie all to myself, I did feel guilty for not sharing it, since oatmeal rasin is my husband's favorite cookie and my kids just love cookies. So I went and got a couple of boxes from Wal-Mart. One box of the oatmeal rasin and one of the cinnamon apple oatmeal cookies. I haven't got my husband's review yet, but I got my son's seal of approval on the cookies. My daughter read the word oatmeal and ran away (oh the horror, a semi healthy cookie!)

Overall I would recommend these cookies to anyone who like oatmeal cookies. They taste good, are a good size, are affordable and come from a company that I trust. Thank you Quaker Oatmeal and thank you Influenster!

http://www.influenster.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Quaker

I am so very happy to have been picked for the 2012 Mom Voxbox from Influenster. What is Influenster you may ask? It is this really cool website that you can sign up on and earn badges. The badges help them identify which deomographics you fit into to test out products. They have several boxes a year that they send out to members to test out and then review and report back about the products. It is a free program and is awesome for us as the testers and awesome for the companies that want to get their products out into the markets.

So for mother's day this year, they had a Mom box. Yay for being a mom! As the busy mom of two and also pregnant with my third, I was very happy to be selected. So just what do I get in my mom box?? Here is a picture of what came in my box.

Here is the breakdown as explained on the post card inside the box
  
    Ivory soap bar - sold in packs of 10 for about $4.27 the bar that is so pure it floats! I remember using this bar of soap as a kid and look forward to trying it out. As someone who usually uses liquid body wash, I am interested in seeing how I like the feel of this soap.

   DenTek Comfort Clean and Fun Flossers - $1.99 to $2.99 for full packages....anything that makes flossing easier it great in my books....I am interested in seeing what my kids think of the fruit flavored kid flossers.

  Stash Tea superfruits tea sampler and Nektar sweetner - I LOVE tea...and love fruit.Very excited to try out these fruit infused yummy teas. And the Nektar sweetner is crystalized honey....I love honey as a natural sweetner so I am interested in seeing how well these work. Would be much easier and more convienent to carry packets of crystalized honey around than an actual sticky bottle.

  Quaker soft baked cookie - $2.69 for a box of 6 - I got an oatmeal rasin cookie to try out. One of my favorite flavors of cookies.

   imPress press on manicure by Broadway Nails - $5.99 to $7.99 per pack. Fun, easy to apply press on nails that are supposed to last up to a week. It has been a long time since I have even attempted to use press on nails so I am interested in trying these out.

I want to thank Influenster for allowing me to particiate in this program and giving me the opportunity to try out these great products! Check back for my reviews on each of these products as I go through each one.

http://www.influenster.com/