Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox

Items were received by Influenster VoxBox complimentary.

I received this box a little while ago but I've been slacking on writing about it. I feel a bit bad since I don't think this particular selection really fit me which made it hard to write about in the first place. This particular box came with four items: Dr. Scholl's For Her, Sinful Shine in Picante, Olay Fresh Effects (Light to Medium), and Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics.

Let's start with the good. I adore the bottle of nail polish quite a bit. I love the shine and how long it lasts and I think it's a great addition to my ever growing nail polish collection. Since I got this box, I've been furiously hunting them down and I anxiously await them to hit Walgreens' shelves. Thus far I haven't had much luck finding them but I have determination!

And now for the bad, which pains me to write about. As much as I love Dr. Scholl's insoles, I don't wear high heel shoes and these were made specifically for that cause. I can't really blame anyone for that since this goes back to an injury I had a few years ago. I did figure that I could slip them into my sneakers but that's largely why I haven't even opened them yet.

The Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream absolutely does not match my skin tone (I know, I've tried a sample of it before) so I don't want to even bother to open the box. 

Finally, that leaves the Ribbon Elastics which was my last hope for the box. I don't wear my hair in ponytails though and I prefer to go with buns. It turns out that the elastic on them is very limited and they can barely hold up a bun or even the rare ponytail that I'm willing to sport.

I definitely appreciate being selected to test the items in the first place, but I'm a wee bit sad that only one product really worked out for me.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.

Review: NECTRESSE Sweetener

Nectresse was another interesting addition to the box this month. A few months ago I tried out another natural sweetener that was okay and while it was something that I did recommend to others, I didn't really pick it up for myself (please note, I am not a fan of sweeteners only because I'm hypoglycemic and actively avoiding real sugar as done harm in the past). 

Picture is subject to be used again. :)

Upon first tasting it, I put the whole packet into a cup of coffee and the initial taste was terrible. (Keep reading, it does get better). After the first few sips, the aftertaste went away and it seemed to be just like normal sugar. I only got two packets to try so for the second try, I decided to have it with a cup of tea. I tossed the majority of the packet in and saved a tiny bit. The second try there was no aftertaste and my assumption was that I was so set on what sweeteners generally taste like that I may have projected a bit. My cup of tea was delicious and not super sweet. I decided to take that little bit that I left behind and just try it straight. It just tasted like sugar -- there's no scent to it, you get a light hint of fruit but that goes away quickly.

But let's get into the ingredients a bit here. Despite the packaging and how it is perceived, this sweetener is not 100% monk fruit. They don't lie about it -- they do say that 100% natural and that is had monk fruit, but it does have other natural sweeteners in it. It contains monk fruit extract, erythritol, sugar, and molasses. I tried reading up a bit about erythirtol but goodness knows I can't make heads or tails out of a 4 carbon sugar alcohol so make of that what you will.

Overall, I liked it! Even as a person that usually doesn't like it, I actually liked the taste (after getting over my initial aftertaste shenanigans that I can't really explain). I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you're actually not a fan of sweeteners. Give it a shot!

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.

Review: The Original Drying Mat

Right out of the box, this was the second thing that I gravitated toward. I normally don't have very many dishes to wash at home but my boyfriend does. I felt it would be somewhat unfair to judge the powers of this mat at my place so I used it at his.

Notice that the mat is missing already.

I was doing some dishes and ran out of space in the dish rack so I ended up breaking out the Original Drying Mat. It does what it was intended to do -- dries dishes but they seem to dry out much faster.

What I like about using this (in comparison to just spreading a towel out and letting them rest on that) is that water doesn't get everywhere. I'm not left with a drenched towel -- I'm just left with a slightly damp mat which you can then hang out to dry. The fantastic part was that after the first use, it wasn't all that wet so I didn't have to hang it up to dry. (I mean, it's not always going to be like that, but it was a nice change).

Shortly after that, I moved it to the bottom of the dish rack in order to clean the drainboard. After the drainboard dried out, it was then placed under the mat as a precaution. See the big issue we were having was that the sink ridge was a bit higher than the rest of the countertop. This meant that the drainboard couldn't actually drain out properly so it wasn't a matter of the drying rack and drainboard not doing their job, it was a matter of logistics. Even if we propped up the drainboard, it was still too high.

So having the drying mat underneath now keeps the water from spilling onto the counter and keeps the dishes from coming into the contact with the water that pools up. Overall, this was a great addition to the household so I'm very happy about it.

As I might have mentioned in the previous posts about this Naturals VoxBox, that we have the same kind of mat at work so I already know that it works so I'd definitely recommend this.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program

Review: GEODEO Natural Deodorant Plus Detox Complex

Straight out of the Influenster Naturals VoxBox, this was the first item I tried and I've been trying it out for the last week. This deodorant comes at a great time as my Crystal Essence Roll-On just finished and I noticed that I'm half way through my Naturally Fresh Roll-On. I was about to open up my Lavanila but this arrived just in time.

A bit of a background here, originally I thought that GEODEO was completely different from the Naturally Fresh and Crystal Essence line -- turns out that GEODEO is under TCCD, which also owns Naturally Fresh. While they are owned by the same company, they are not the same. 

Moving along, it looks like the GEODEO stick will be offered at $5.99 for 2.3 Oz (which is the size I received) but it looks like for now it can be ordered online and there's a slow release to brick and mortar stores. Basically (according to the website) the deodorant is 100% natural, allergen-free, vegetable based and derived from renewable resources. It contains volcanic minerals and Icelandic algae which fights impurities, enzymes that neutralize odors and to nourish skin there's bamboo and aloe. Finally there's Vitamin E to fight free radicals. So basically... ah... let's move on with my review.

I got the Island scent which I LOVE (I'm a Caribbean kind of girl) so I was very happy with it right out of the box. I tried it on for the day, then wrote about receiving my VoxBox then I've gone the last week using just this deodorant. I adore the scent since it seems to stay the whole day -- the other two that I used (Crystal Essence and Naturally Fresh) had great scents but they wouldn't last the whole day (and nor they should, all things considered). I did like that this deodorant boasts 24 hour protection and it actually delivers. I found that I didn't even need to reapply it throughout the day (sometimes for the roll-ons I'd have to reapply 2-3 times a day).

Thus far, I've been very impressed with it and I can definitely see it being a staple in the future. Don't get me wrong, I love the other two that I had, but there's something to be said about a natural deodorant that lasts. The part I also love is that it's a solid -- I'm not a huge fan of liquids, but this works. It smells good, lasts for a full day, and is natural. Overall, I'm sold.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.

Influenster Naturals VoxBox

Once I found out that I qualified for the Naturals VoxBox, I got really excited because this was right up my alley. Now normally I like to take my time and really evaluate the products for a few days (or at least a few tries) to have a good comparison between whatever I got compared to what I was using before. As you might know, VoxBox is not all makeup so I'll warn you now that I didn't get any makeup products so my reviews won't be technically in line with the normal posts that I have on this blog.

Now, if you got the VoxBox then you might notice that the mat is already missing. That's because I've already put it to work (I'll have a review for it in another post). My Naturals VoxBox came with the following items:

• The Original Drying Mat
• LypSyl Intense Protection LypMoisturizer
• EBOOST
• CleanWell Individual Hand Sanitizer Wipes
• GEODEO
• NECTRESSE
• Country Life Maxi-Hair Maximized

Now for a quick overview of my feelings about this box and the items that were included. I already kind of knew what was going to be in the box (I checked Influenster on Facebook) and I knew that only one item would change based on demographics (this is where I got the Country Life vitamins instead of some of the other options).

I was really excited for some reason for the drying mat because I'm not a huge fan of my current drying rack. We actually have one of these at work that was placed underneath the rack (but on top of the plastic tray beneath). I always welcome a new type of lip moisturizer so that was bound to be a hit. The CleanWell brand I'm familiar with since I use it at home but I wasn't sure how much a single wipe will help me determine if I'd want a sanitizer but hey, I already trust the brand and like it so who knows.

The EBOOST I'm a bit on the fence about -- I take a Vitamin C daily so I'm not sure what the difference would be between the two but we'll see. The vitamins (Country Life Maxi-Hair) I was super excited about because I do take a daily dosage of biotin so it'd be nice to try a mix (this has B-vitamins in it). 

I was super excited (yes, I know, I keep saying "super excited" but as I mentioned, this box is right up my alley) for the deodorant. My bottle of Crystal Essence is finished and my Naturally Fresh bottle is half way through so I'm already testing that out.

The NECTRESSE I'm kind of hesitant about only because I'm not a fan of sweeteners but this one looks like it is made of fruits so I look forward to trying it out in my tea.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.

Kiss Nail Dress

I saved this one for last especially since I was trying to give my nails a short break. One of the things that I like about these is that they are in essence stickers so you'd have to peel them off. Sure the nail might not like it much, but at least it's not as abrasive.

The one I received is called "Bodysuit" and it's basically a blend of pink, white, and purple with cheetah prints. Not quite in line with my taste but hey, I'd try it anyway. There are definitely a few others that I'd consider using depending on how these last throughout the week.

My nails were already cleaned off from before so I didn't need to prep them beforehand (preparation is basically cleaning your nails with alcohol or nail polish remover). This time round I didn't need to push back any cuticles or anything so I was all set to go.

The box comes with 28 strips that are contained in three sheets (and are plastic wrapped to assure they won't dry out before you can get to them). Originally when I went through them I was going to go for a pedicure, but felt that there would be too much shaping needed from me so since I was lazy (actually I was doing laundry so I didn't have the time to shape them properly) I just did a manicure. Overall, the selection at first, seemed quite slim as though there weren't exact matches to my nails. Turns out I was wrong, I was able to get through matching quickly and got the nail stickers on in 30 minutes.

But to me, that seemed kind of long. Let me explain that -- I tend to grab stickers or nail polish strips when I'm in a rush and I've come to know that I won't find exact matches of a nail and that the speed with which one can work depends on the tools that comes in the kit. This time, I had perfect matches (well, almost perfect) but the nail file took forever. It took a few swipes in order to get the excess off so what should have taken 10-15 minutes took a bit longer and required the use of a cuticle trimmer to get it done faster.

By the time I had to go switch my laundry from the washer to the dryer, my manicure was complete. But now since I needed to wait longer, I figured that since I had 17 stickers left (I played with one to see what it's stickiness level was) and that I now had the time to do a pedicure, why not? Shaping them took much longer because all the perfect fits probably went on my hand. As a result it took me about 45 minutes (hey, remember that I'm still doing laundry so it requires me to stop midway and run around my apartment and then the laundry room). 

Anyhow, long story short, the application process isn't so bad. It may require a bit of shaping in order to get both a manicure and a pedicure out of it, but not too bad. We'll see how they last throughout the week (or in my case, the next 2-3 days) but so far, I'm pretty happy with them. I do wish a better file was given in the pack, seriously that thing is weaksauce.

I wonder what I'm going to wear to match with these nails now...

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.

Venus & Olay Razor

Since I tend to move around, I've been relying on my Gillette Venus Tropical Razors quite a bit. Since I've been using them for so long, I'll admit that I didn't notice much of a difference till I tried the Venus & Olay Razor that I got in my VoxBox. This isn't a review about the Tropical razors, but I wanted to set the tone that they were getting the job done and I was satisfied since I didn't think I was missing out on much. Then along comes the Venus & Olay razor and I see what joys I've been missing out on.

With the Gillette Venus & Olay, you're getting this little bar of moisture so the very cool thing about it is that you don't need to lather up before shaving. No extra soap or gel is required, so long as the white bar along the bottom lathers up, you're good to go. But that's not the selling point of this razor. It's the fact that it has 5 blades and gives a close shave. Add to that the Olay portion is very moisturizing, leaving my skin happy afterward. 

I'm the kind of gal that already has dry skin so I have to follow up with cocoa butter regardless of what I do. It's nice to have a razor that alleviates that pain. My legs felt moisturized and had the closest shave it's had in months (no offense to the Tropical razors!) but I was really quite surprised. I figure a razor is always just a razor, but this one has really impressed me. 

The only catch is that I wonder how long the little moisturizing bars will last. After all, it's five precious blades so I admit I'm a little worried that the blades will outlast the moisturizers. Hopefully I'll have an update about the razors soon in the future. Another thing I wanted to touch upon was how great the handle felt. I know that seems kind of weird but I've used many different razors in the past and on thing that can make the experience of shaving my legs frustrating is the handle. With the ridges and the width (specific curves in the handle), regardless of how I was "dancing" or hopping around the shower, I didn't loose grip, not once. So kudos to Gillette for that improvement.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.

Truvía® natural sweetener Product Review

Truvia is a natural sweetner, which means that one packet is about the equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar. I don't really use sweetners like this anymore, but I have it a go anyway. It tastes great though I did have to reduce my use of it to just half a packet for coffee or tea. I was a kid that experienced a lot of Sweet'N Low, Equal, and Splenda so I remember how awesome it was that Splenda tasted better. It didn't taste as processed as Sweet'N Low (or Equal) and now with Truvia, I feel as though you're going to get the best that you can get with a sweetner.

Though I am making these comparisons I warn that they are not the same as the ones mentioned are artificial sweeteners and Truvia is a natural sweetener since it is stevia based. Sweet'N Low is saccharin based, Splenda is sucralose based, and for general knowledge, Equal is aspartame based. Just keep that in mind if you're ever in the market for a sweetener.

Anyhow, I think it tastes great though just be aware how sweet it can be. Use a little as it goes a long way. Now I'm more of a sugar person as of late, but I do know a lot of people who prefer sweeteners and I just know that they are going to enjoy this one (especially as I will be recommending it to them). It does taste better than some of the others but I admit that there a slight  aftertaste  though it doesn't strike me as bitter. It's kind of a light lingering taste, but it goes away quickly. As I've been writing these blog posts I've been drinking coffee with half a packet and it definitely strikes me as being similar to when I'd drink it with normal sugar. I'd definitely recommend this in lieu of an artificial sweetener.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program. 

VoxBox Reviews: Stash Tea & Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Bar

I'm ever so slowly working my way through the box and it's contents so while I don't have a full review of everything just yet, let's start with some basics.

If you haven't heard of Influenster's VoxBox, basically it's a box that comes with a bunch of goodies for you to try out. Signup is free, however you have to qualify in order to receive a box. The packaging is incredibly simple and not wasteful, which I rather like. But let's move on.

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Stash Tea
Herbal Tea Sampler

The first thing I gravitated toward was the tea. I love tea. I'm not going to explain this further but in order to illustrate my love for tea, I keep several different blends at home and right now I'd probably say I have about 4 different kinds but that is because I haven't restocked lately (which I need to). Of the teas I have at home, I have Stash's Chamomile so I was delighted to see a Herbal Tea Sampler in the box.

If I say that I love the Herbal Tea Sampler will you judge me harshly? Well, too bad. But I mean that in a good way. Generally I am used to a tart aftertaste when it comes to herbal tea so the first one I tired was the Wild Raspberry Hibiscus, since I enjoy hibiscus tea. When it was done steeping, I embraced for the tartness, but there wasn't any. I didn't need any sugar and the tea was an enjoyable blend of both flavours. Last night I tried the Mango Passionfruit and it was delicious. A subtle blend of them both that was smooth and refreshing. No bitterness, no tart flavour, just an enjoyable tropical blend. Just now I finished my cup of Acai Berry and it was also a light and refreshing blend.

They do have some normal flavours like the Chamomile and Peppermint. But this sampler also has (in addition to the ones already listed) Blueberry Superfruit, Cinnamon Apple Chamomile, Lemon Ginger, and Licorice Spice. I've tried the normal flavours and as I've mentioned, I already have Stash's Chamomile at home and I enjoy Peppermint in the office regularly. The new blends are amazing and I encourage you to try them. They are unique, light, and don't have that tartness that you might experience with other types of teas. I love this box and I am so glad VoxBox has introduced me to it.

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Ghirardelli
Gourmet Milk Bar

Well, let's get this over with: I love dark chocolate. I don't really like sweet things so when I saw this I was a tiny bit sad that it wasn't dark chocolate. 32% Cacoa?! MILK?! I yearned for 86% Cocoa. Dark chocolate I can consume with the quickness but milk is more for my parents and my brother. I live within the vicinity of Ghirardelli Square and there is no shortage of Ghirardelli stores near me, so I got over that pretty quickly. (By the way, their hot chocolate is amazing).

Anyhow, I knew I had to try it out and I also know that I have no shortage of milk chocolate loving friends that I could chat to to get their opinions. So three of us tried one square each and simultaenously we all said, "Wow, this is really good. Very creamy and milky." And yes, we all did seriously say that.

The chocolate can be appreciated by any chocolate lover, whether you're all in for white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark, you can appreciate the smooth, creamy, melt in your mouth, refined chocolate that they have created. There is no doubt that I'll be grabbing some of these bars for the milk chocolate lovers in my life.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program. 

Influenster Love Box

Yesterday I got my first VoxBox from Influenster and I couldn't be more excited. I haven't had the chance to try out everything just yet but here are the pictures of the box for those of you that are interested. (Reminder: You can click on the images to enlarge them!)

Everything in the box.

A closer look at the contents.

The postcard that lists out everything inside.

Truvia Natural Sweetener Sample

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion Bar

Kiss Nail Dress -- Fashion That Sticks

Stash Tea Herbal Tea Sampler

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary through the VoxBox product testing program.