Influenster Spring Fling VoxBox

I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

The Influenster Spring Fling VoxBox finally showed up in my mailbox about a week ago. One of the things that sucks most about living in Hawaii is that the mail sometimes takes ages to get here. When I first opened the box, I was a bit disappointed, but now that I've had a chance to give the items a try, I'm actually pretty happy with the contents.

Rimmel London ScandalEyes Retro Glam Mascara
So far, I've been very satisfied with all of the Rimmel London products that I've received from Influenster. This mascara is no different. Although the brush is shaped sort of weird and I need to apply several times to get an even look, I really like how the mascara looks at the end. I haven't had to worry about clumps and my lashes look dark and full.

Kiss Everlasting French Nails
I haven't tried the nails that actually came in the box yet, but I did use these exact nails last year for the Military Police Ball at Fort Leonard Wood. I never bothered to find a nail salon that I liked since we only lived there for six months. After buying a new dress and paying to have my hair done, I really didn't feel like shelling out more money just for some fake nails. These were perfect! They looked great and much more natural than a set of acrylics and lasted through an evening of drinking and dancing.

Peach Pie Car Freshener from Labor Day
I really have no interest in watching this movie. The car freshener does smell nice though.

Playtex Sport Fresh Balance
Since I'm pregnant, I really have no use for these. It'll be a long while before I'm able to use them. Because I was curious, I opened up the box just to give them a sniff. Things like scented trash bags really irk me. These are lightly scented, so hopefully that won't be an issue when I finally get the chance to try these. 

Nivea Skin Firming Hydration Lotion
I used this lotion for the first time yesterday. As a lotion, it worked pretty well and did it's job to moisturize my skin. Since it takes two weeks to start seeing firmer skin, I'll have to continue using it so see if I get any noticeable results.

Softlips Cube
The unique shape of this lip balm reminds me of those EOS balms that I'm obsessed with. The cube shape makes it easy to fish out of a bag filled with countless other things. I'm happy with the hydration that it provides and how soft it makes my lips feel when I'm wearing it.

J'adore Vox Box

I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

My FREE J'adore VoxBox from Influenster came earlier this week! Based off of the clues on the Influenster Facebook page and images that I stalked on Instagram, I was really excited to open this box! Usually it takes forever for me to receive these boxes, especially in Hawaii, but I received this one before some of my mainland friends. Once it arrived, I was not disappointed, except for one thing. I was hoping to get something in the box for Hubster, but that was only for select members. Inside of the J'adore VoxBox were a bunch of great products.

Inside my VoxBox there was: Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask, Hershey's Kisses (preggo size), Frizz Easy 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray, Kiss Looks So Natural Lashes, and Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas.

So far, the only product that I've had a chance to try is the Kisses. That bag was opened before I even started taking pictures. Oops. I'm looking forward to testing out everything else out, since they're all products that I think I'll enjoy.

If you'd like to become an Influenster member, leave your email, and I'll send you an invitation.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a giveaway from Happy Family. 

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POND's BB+ [Review]

I received this product complimentary for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

A while back I received an awesome package from Influenster. It was a huge box of POND's BB+ Cream. To be completely honest, I had no idea what BB cream even was. I'm still not entirely positive either. Who the hell made up BB cream without cluing everyone else in on what it is?!

Prior to receiving my POND's BB+, my go-to default makeup of choice was a tinted moisturizer. It provided light coverage, while keeping my skin in tip top condition.

Since then, I've started using this POND's BB+ cream an I totally love it! It's light, while also providing amazing coverage. My skin tone is more even and appears nearly flawless.

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Olay Fresh Effects Review

I say it all the time; I love Influenster. I've been fortunate enough to receive several VoxBoxes from them. What's a VoxBox you ask? A VoxBox is a box of goodies and (normally) full-sized samples sent to you from Influenster for you to reviewand spread the word about. Most recently, I received the SweetHeart VoxBox which had four great products inside. My favorite product in the box ended up being the Olay® Fresh Effects {Va-Va-Vivid!} Powered Contour Cleansing System.

What I noticed about the Fresh Effects Cleaning System, was its size and shape. The Va-Va-Vivid Powered Contour Cleaning System is essentially the size of my palm, but it packs quite the punch. You can really feel the gentle vibrations getting deep into your skin to clean all the yuckies out.

The shapde of the brush, is also different from any other facial cleaner I've ever seen. Most cleaning systems use a circular head, and Olay decided to go with a triangle. I have to admit that the triangle is the way to go. It fits up perfectly to the sides of your nose, and it's easy to maneuver around your eyes to avoid being blinded by soap. The cleaning head is made of a soft rubbery material, that is firm but delicate. 

The face soap that was included in the package was pretty unique also. It's this really cool metallic silver color. Just a little cleanser and a little water was required to get a good latter. Between the vibrations and you moving the cleanser around your face, you're able to work up a good lather pretty quickly.

One of the great (well, maybe not great for Olay) things about this system is that if you don't like the soap, you can use one of your liking. I found the provided soap to be slightly drying. Olay has other soaps available that might be a better option for you. Shine, Shine, Go Away might work really well for you if you have oily skin though.

Overall, this would be a product that I would recommend. It's in the $12 price range, which makes it affordable for almost everyone. Unlike other systems, you don't have to buy replacement heads or pads. It takes one AAA battery, which is included in the package. It took me a minute to figure out, but to replace the battery just twist the bottom and it will pop out of the top.

I received this item complimentary from Influenster for review purposes.

Influenster Sweetheart VoxBox

After much anticipation, my Influenster SweetHeart VoxBox finally came last Monday. I saw tons of pictures and posts about the box last week, so I was beyond excited to get mine. In the past, my VoxBox's have been pretty good, but this one was perfect. I was actually looking forward to trying out every single product in my box.

Although there were only four items in this VoxBox, Influenster definitely went with the quality, not quantity approach this time. The four items in the most recent SweetHeart VoxBox were:

Olay® Fresh Effects Cleaning System
Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant
Not Your Mother's® She's a Tease Volumizing Hairspray
SkinnyGirl Daily On-the-Go-Bars

I've used a face cleansing machine-thing similar to the Olay one, but what's cool about this one is that you don't have to replace the little scrubhead, and you can simply add your own soap. The head of the cleaner also has soft brush-like bristles which should do a great job exfoliating.

Secret Clinical Strength deodorant is the only type I use, since I sweat a ton and no other deodorant can handle me. I have noticed that even with the clinical strength, from time to when I do get stressed, I can feel the sweat. I'm hoping that this stress response deodorant, it'll take care of that minor issue.

I got a Not Your Mother's hair product in my last VoxBox which I was mildly impressed by. I wished I would have received the other version of the hairspray that was sent out since my hair already has plenty of volume, but I am hopeful that this spray will help me control the volume that I have.

And finally SkinnyGirl On-the-Go-Bars. I've always wanted to try a SkinnyGirl drink, but I just never actually pick them up at the store. I'm surprised to see how far the SkinnyGirl brand has branched out. It started out as just a premixed margarita on the Real Housewives of New York, and now Bethany is making snack foods. The flavor that I got is blueberry, which I don't mind, but it can be hit or miss.

Once the Brand Challenges come out, I'm sure I'll be posting more in depth about each product I've tried. I have high hopes for these items!

I received this box complementary from Influenster for testing purposes.

ABC's The Taste

Influenster just released a brand challenge featuring the ABC show The Taste. It's funny because I actually watched the show for the first time last week at Hubster's mom's house. Last weeks episode revolved around wine pairings, which interests me quite a bit since I hope to grow up and become a sophisticated housewife one day. You know, dinner parties with important people and hors d'oeuvres (I had to Google that). And I like wine.

The Taste: Tuesday at 8|7c on ABC Source

So basically the premise of the show is that the contestants must present the judges with a dish, in spoon form. Just a spoon; that's it. Although it is different in the fact that they're judged by just a spoon-full of food, the judges on most other cooking shows only have a fork or two of what they're judging anyway.

One other twist is that each spoon is judged blindly. The judges have no idea who made each sample, and thus are unable to use preconceived notions when it comes to choosing their favorite. There are four teams and four judge, so each judge has their own team to mentor.

I like cooking shows in general, so this was a show that I enjoyed watching and will probably watch again.

The Taste aires Tuesdays at 8pm/7 central on ABC. You can watch the latest episode here, and make sure to catch it tonight!

Not an Influenster member? Let me know and I can send you an invite! It's a great program that gives you the chance to try out and review products for free!

Influenster Blogger Beauty VoxBox

I got my Beauty Bloggers VoxBox from Influenster last week! I've just been soo busy that I haven't had time to blog about it. After seeing posts by others who had received their boxes on their Facebook page, I was anxious to get my own box. There are a bunch of great things included in this box that I can incorporate into my everyday routine. I even managed to use four of the products at the same time yesterday for our Battalion Fall Fest.

The items in my VoxBox were: 

• Kiss Ever PRO Lash Starter Kit
• Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin
• Bath & Body Works Mini Candle
• Not Your Mother's Hair Cream
• NYC New York Color Individual Eyes Custom Compact
• EBoost
• No.7 Lotion

The Battalion Fall Fest was a Halloween party without the name. Kids dressed up and did their trick-or-treating at a variety of army vehicles. I put the girls in their princess costumes, but since I'm a boring mom, I didn't really dress up. I did put on the eyelashes with some smokey eye makeup.

I used the hair pins (which I've actually been wanting to buy for a while) to secure my hair while it completely dried with the Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves in it. My hair was a tiny bit short for the pins, so some of it stuck out. Not a big deal though. I always put my hair in a bun after washing it, to keep it from frizzing as it dries. The combination of the hair cream and pins worked perfectly!

The Bath and Body Works candle was sitting in my car. Seriously. Because V wanted to take it with us in the morning. The warmth from the sun plus the candle created a yummy festive scent in the car.

I probably should have used the EBoost drink when I started my day. I went eight hours nonstop doing setup stuff and manning the booth, in addition to my super intense CrossFit workout in the morning. Plus, I have a runny nose thanks to the babies being in daycare all day.

This is definitely my favorite Influenster VoxBox to date. The products are all great things that I have and can use on a regular basis. In the next couple of weeks I'll be doing more in depth reviews of some of the products bill also be blogging about the Fall Fest when I do my Halloween post.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

The New Influenster

I've been a member of Influenster for almost a year now. Influenster is a product review community where influential members are given the opportunity to receive products for reviewing purposes. Recently, they gave their website an ultra exciting makeover. There are now more products to review and tasks to complete.

While the new dashboard took a little getting used to, I don't have any complaints. Everything is clearly displayed and easy to find. It is much easier to find information on everyday products. Members can earn badges corresponding to their lives and earn influence points by reviewing, sharing and answering questions about those products.

As member of Influenster, I've already received 3 boxes of products for testing completely free. When VoxBoxes are sent out, brand challenges often accompany them. Members who go above an beyond to promote and review the brand challenge products may be rewarded for their effort. Prizes that I've won include a $25 Amazon credit and a variety of household soap products from Colgate-Palmolive.

There is currently another box in the mail and on it's way to me. The box that I should be receiving any day now is meant for bloggers. Influenster does it's best to send boxes to certain demographics of members. I've been lucky to also have received the Mommy VoxBox and the Latina Beauty VoxBox. Just because you fit the demographic though, doesn't mean you'll receive the box.

If you're interested in becoming a member, let me know and I can email you an invite, or visit Influenster.com to request one.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen

I thoroughly enjoyed using Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen. SPF 30 was the perfect amount of protection for me. I used it everyday while I was in California. From lounging around the pool or hanging out at the beach, even to driving around in a convertible it protected my skin. The added bonus with this product is that it smells great. Since I didn't take perfume with me on vacation, I just applied this as my moisturizing lotion when I got out of the shower and I was good to go. The great thing about Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration is that it doesn't smell or feel like typical sunscreen so you can actually use it just as a moisturizer.

With its ultra-luxurious hydrating silk ribbons, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration™ lotion sunscreen nourishes and pampers skin while providing broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, and 12-hour moisturization when out in the sun. This sunscreen is also available in SPF 12, 30, 50! Hawaiian Tropic products are available at most major retailers for a suggested retail price of$8.99 for a 6oz bottle. Make sure you check out their website for more info!

I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster

The Original Dish Drying Mat

When Influenster sent out the Mom VoxBox recently, some recipients were lucky enough to receive The Original Dish Drying Mat. I was not one of those lucky recipients, however, thanks to Hubster, I already had one.

Image from The Original Dish Drying Mat

Before getting my mat, I always used a dish towel to place wet dishes on and wait for them to dry. Since the towel doesn't absorb much, the counter top always ended up wet. The great thing about The Original Dish Drying Mat is that it is super thick and absorbent so the counters don't end up damp. The fact that it is thick also helps to keep the dishes from sliding all over the place once you start stacking them up.

The Original Dish Drying Mat is available for purchase at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $4.99. It is machine washable and extremely durable. When you're done using the mat, it's easy to fold up and put away in a drawer where it doesn't take much space.

Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies

Looking for a yummy healthy snack that is perfect for the kiddos? Influenster sent a Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookie for us to test out. V and I shared one of these individually packed cookies and fell in love! They practically fall apart in your mouth with how soft and homemade tasting they are. It was almost like a bowl of oatmeal in cookie form. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to warm it up a bit.

Image from Influenster

These delicious cookies are nice and chewy and made with whole grain Quaker Oats. They are a great source of fiber with only 6 grams of fat per serving so it's OK to indulge a little bit! You can find these at most major retailers for $2.69 for a box of 6.


I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster

Dino Lingo Review

As a member of Influenster, I was recently given the opportunity to try out a Dino Lingo lesson in Spanish for V. I wasn't completely sure how I felt about it at first since she is only 2 years old, it couldn't hurt to at least try though. After all, I'm not doing the greatest job teaching her Spanish myself.

Image from Influenster

WOW! Almost instantly, all of my negativity flew right out the window! Dino Lingo is an award-winning language program suitable for children two to seven years old and it was fantastic for V! I was so surprised at how quickly she picked it up. There are tons of bright colors and fun sounds which kept her attention. The segments and images also change frequently so she didn't have an opportunity to get bored.

Right away, V started repeating the words and phrases being taught in the video. I didn't even have to say anything. She just did it! Later on in the day she was still saying, "Hola. Como estas?" There are several languages available through Dino Lino. You can find more info and try a lesson completely free here.

Check out the short clip below to see V counting.






I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster

The Many Uses of Ivory

When I first got my Mom VoxBox from Influenster, I had NO idea that there were so many things that you could do with a bar of Ivory soap. Soap is soap, right? Well, with Ivory, I discovered that you can use it for literally hundreds of different things.

The first thing I did with my bar of Ivory was make homemade laundry detergent. After melting the soap into a cup of water, you could tell that Ivory really is 99.44% pure because the water was completely clear. There was no haze or film or anything from dyes or perfumes.

One of the other uses that I found for Ivory was to scratch the bar and get the soap under your nails when doing yard work. The soap under your nails prevents dirt from getting down there and then it just washes away when you're done. I used this tip to plant my basil seedings into a larger terracotta pot that I painted which chalkboard paint (which didn't come out how I wanted). Although my nails are pretty short, this worked great to keep the dirt out.

Here are some other things that you can do with Ivory brand soap. Some are obvious and some not so much..

• Body Cleanser 
• Facial Wash
• Fabric Stain Remover
• Floating Carved Boat
• Growing Cloud in Microwave 
• Cleaning Makeup Brushes

The best thing about Ivory is that it is gentle, effective and inexpensive. I was able to use it on the babies as well as myself to get clean without my skin feeling tight or dried out. You can Ivory at just about every grocery/drug store or major retailer such as Walmart or Target. A 10-pack retails for right around $4.49, which is a fantastic price considering all it can do. If you're like me, you'll save a ton on laundry detergent by just using this soap.

For more info on Ivory, check out this site.

I received this product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster and Ivory as a participant in the Mom VoxBox campaign

Homemade Laundry Detergent: No Stove, No 5 Gallon Bucket, No Hassle

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen plenty of recipes for homemade laundry detergent on Pinterest. The only problem with most of these recipes though, is that they require a few more materials than I'm willing to use and they make a lifetime supply of soap. Well I don't want a lifetime supply of soap. One concentrated gallon at a time is good for me. Plus, this recipe can be made on your kitchen counter using your microwave.

What you'll need:

1 Bar Ivory Soap

1/2 cup Borax

1/2 cup

Water

I start by grating about half of a bar of Ivory soap (which I received complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster) into a 2-cup measuring cup. A 4-cup might be a bit easier.

 

I added about a cup of water, stirred a bit and then popped it in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring each minute to prevent it from bubbling over.

Once everything was good and melted and dissolved, I added the Borax and Washing Soda. You may need to add a bit more water which is completely fine..

 

Once all of that is good and dissolved, you can dump it into a gallon container, fill about half way water and shake it up.

After the soap and water mixture is mixed well, you can go ahead and fill rest of the container with water, shake and get to washing! You don't need a ton of this stuff to get your laundry clean.

My Influenster Mom VoxBox is Here!

My Influenster VoxBox just came in the mail! I've been stalking the mailman since last week to see if he had any goodies for me and they're finally here! The items in this box are geared towards moms. I can't wait to try them out.

 

In this box we have..:

• Ivory Bar Soap
• DenTek Comfort Clean & Fun Flossers
• Stash Tea Superfruits Tea Sampler 
• Nektar Sweetener
• Quaker Soft Baked Cookie
• imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails

I received all of these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

Army Wives and Other Randomness

Shannon slept over last night so that we could watch Army Wives together and then she could just leave here to go to work this morning. For the past four years, I've always forced Hubster to watch with me. Last night I felt like I was him making comments about uniforms being wrong and those type of things. Shannon and I enjoyed the episode although I felt that it was a tad predictable.

For some reason, last night Shannon and I were talking about traveling so I checked the rate for the cruise that Hubs and I are taking over R&R and the military rate finally dropped! I submitted my price drop form. Hopefully I hear back today about it. That's what I love about Carnival. If you book far enough in advance,  you can use the Early Saver rate which gives you on-board credit in the amount of the difference even after final payment.

I should be receiving my Influenster Mom VoxBox today! I've already had a chance to see what's inside and I am looking forward to testing those products out. If you aren't a part of Influenster, make sure to check it out. They send out FREE products for you to test on a regular basis.

Palmolive Fresh Sponge Review

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying out Palmolive Fresh Sponge dishwashing soap. I received the product to test for free from Colgate via Influenster. The suggested retail price for a 25 ounce bottle  is $3.29 you can get it at the grocery store or stores like Walmart. Palmolive Fresh Sponge soap is meant to keep your sponge smelling nice while still getting dishes clean and cutting through grease.

Palmolive Fresh Sponge

The soap works just like any other quality soap with the added benefit of a fresh smelling sponge. Soft hands aren't really a benefit that I look for when shopping for dish soap but this soap also delivers in that department. Fresh Sponge is pretty thick so just a little bit goes a long way which keeps your from having to buy it super frequently. It's reasonable price, and longevity make it a budget friendly product.

If you know me, you know that I absolutely despise washing dishes with a sponge. I prefer to stick them in the dishwasher and let them be disinfected in there. Sponges are just a giant squishy ball of germs. Although this product may not combat germs in the sponge, it certainly took my mind off of the germs since I couldn't smell them all building up.