I have found my new addiction! It is a website called INFLUENSTER that periodically sends out themed boxes filled with complimentary samples to influential peeps like you & me! all you have to do is fill out a few questions and do a few surveys in whatever categories that you feel fit you best. When they send out a new box that they feel fits your profile then you get an email telling you about it and a link to accept it. I am so glad that I found this because I recently received my first box and I LOVED EVERYTHING IN IT! all that they ask in return is that you answer a few questions and give a few reviews on the products that they send. The theme for my box was Cosmo (which I am assuming has to do with beauty products. yayyy!) so I was super excited. I patiently waited for my box and here's what I received!
Influenster Cosmo Vox Box December 2012 products:
1. Pilot Pen FriXion pens (2)
I love these. I will admit that when I first saw PENS in the box I was like what the heyyy?! But then I wrote with one and I love the smooth gel texture and the fact that it erases! and it erases PERFECTLY. most pens dig into the paper and leave a dent so no matter what, you see what was there before you erased. NOT with this! It was like I had never even wrote anything at all! They are amazing. I will DEFINITELY be purchasing the whole set very soon! I am super happy with this product :) Just a tip, the eraser is on the end of the pen, NOT the cap which is awesome for people like me who tend to lose them. Only down side? You are more likely to lose the cap because you cannot erase with it on the end of the pen. Maybe turn it into a twist out? Jut an idea. No complaints this way until i actually DO lose the cap though! lol
2. Forever Red eau de parfume from bath & body works
mmmhmmm! I had smelled this in B&BW stores even before I got it in my box and already loved it! The only problem is... the price is STEEP so I was so glad to get a sample to try out and make sure that it really "fits" me. verdict is? it does! I bought a full sized bottle yesterday. so good job, guys! :)
3. Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk in Sea Salt Escape
I was totally intimidated by this. SALT & CHOCOLATE? I dunno about all that! but boy oh boy was I pleasantly surprised! It was amazing! The perfect fusion of two totally different flavors!!! I shared the bar with my grandmother and she loved is as well. I have done a little research and found out that there are a few other new flavors out there. Ghirardelli, you now have my full attention :)
4. Gillette Venus Razor AND two refill blades! (one Venus Embrace and one Venus & Olay.) plus a $2.00 off coupon for more refill blades.
When I opened the box and saw these it didn't make my day. It made my whole week! I had only tried the Venus brand one time before (when one day I found that my razor blade was dull and that my roommate had conveniently left her Venus razor on the side of the tub! lol) and I did like it but it was only a 3 blade (I prefer 4 or 5) and I found the prices on the refills to be pretty steep. so yeah - i was super excited to see not only one razor with a blade but an EXTRA refill blade as well! so far I have only tried the Venus Embrace blade because I have only had to shave a couple of times since I received them (which is awesome! especially during the winter) but I love it to the moon and back. The 5 blades glide along SO smoothly with no nicks or cuts and leaves my skin super soft. Its the quickest shave I have ever gotten with a razor! I cant wait to try the Olay one because it looks SUPER awesome! and just in case you guys didn't already know this, EVERY refill fits ANY Venus razor! so you can mix and match all you want. and who doesn't love options? I know I sure do ;)
All in all...
I was so super happy with this box its ridiculous. I loved EVERYTHING! no complaints from me!!! it was a breathe of fresh air after receiving my birchbox and ipsy bag... and I had to PAY for those hot messes! I would have happily payed for the Cosmo Vox Box. It was amazing! I love influenster! If you would like to know more about it or would like a referral from me personally then just let me know. I can help to speed the process along. I also have 5 slots left for influential team members! so if you are super convincing, then I would love to add you to my team :)
OneLifeOneLove,
Regina
Here are a couple of links that you might be interested in ;)
influenster
pilotpens
bathandbodyworks
ghirardelli
gillettevenus
so after receiving my (disappointing) Birchbox I couldn't wait to get my first Ipsy bag so I could compare the two & decide which one to stick with. I do have to admit... IPSY WON. but not by much. I was just so freaking glad to finally receive some products that I could actually use that I labeled them the winner this month based on that alone. you'll see why below.
products in my November 2012 Ipsy bag:
1. Nailtini nail lacquer in Millionaire
My first take? glitter. I am not a fan of glitter polish. I do tend to wear more glitter polishes on my toes than on my finger nails for sure. The color is pretty and multi-leveled which is nice. It only took a couple of coats and it did last quite awhile. It wasn't super easy to remove but then again glitter polishes never really are. It was an okay product though. Would I have purchase this particular polish? nope.
2. The Balm Meet Matt(e) eyeshadow in Matt Batali
This stuff is actually pretty handy! It went on SUPER intense, which isnt really for me because I usually prefer a more smoky eyed look and this stuff is NOT easily blended. once its on there, its ON there so be careful not to apply it where you don't intend to keep it. I had to remove it (with waterproof mascara remover) and start over a few times to get the look I was going for. I kinda decided that I would keep it around and try it as an eyebrow powder and WOW! it worked GREAT for that! It matched my hair color perfect. I just applied a LITTLE to the end of a cotton swab and rubbed it along my eyebrows. AMAZING. I will never use another eyebrow color again after using this! It looked like my natural eyebrows SHOULD look :) so I give my first thumbs up!!!
3. BareMinerals Marevelous Moxie Lipgloss in Daredevil
I was actually a little upset to receive this because I had just done a Sephora haul like the week before and had purchased SEVEN of these glosses because they were on sale as a set and EVERYONE was raving about them. I do like them. They work just fine. They aren't too sticky and they lasted longer then most glosses do. The smell is pretty awesome and its got sort of a cinnamon flavor which made my lips feel like they were plumping a little, which is cool. The only problem was I had just purchased a set of these and the color that they sent me was already in the set AND was the only color that I didn't like! so... bleh. oh well. cant win em all I suppose. on to the next one...
4. Starlet intense eyeliner in black
I am still on the fence about this one. I prefer kohl eyeliners because I like a more smoky look and I like to be able to blend them. If I am looking to do a sharp line then I go for a liquid liner. I didn't hate it and will probably end up using it just because it IS a black liner and I don't like to waste perfectly good products just because I am picky. who knows... It may grow on me eventually.
5. Benefit They're Real! mascara
no. no. NO. this stuff is horrible! I hate the wand and the texture is SUPER wet and sticky. My lashes immediately clumped together and would not separate at all. even hours later they were super sticky feeling! Not to mention that it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to remove! Its like having GLUE on your eyelashes. I think I pulled out a clump of lashes trying to get it off with waterproof mascara remover. I do no recommend this product AT ALL. what a waste of a great idea. I am super picky about mascaras though so maybe I'm just being like that because nothing will ever compare to my Maybelline Full and Soft Waterproof mascara. I;ve been using it for almost 10 years now & THAT is an awesome product if anyone is looking for a new mascara.
so yeah. That's it. I found ONE new product that I will possibly purchase. Other than that... total disappointment. so now I will have to keep both Birchbox and Ipsy around for another month because I feel like I cant really pick a winner this month. I'm going to be fair and keep them both around a little longer I guess.
hmph.
OneLifeOneLove,
Regina
Here are a couple of links that you might be interested in ;)
ipsy
nailtini
thebalm
bareminerals
benefitcosmetics
its here! its finally here! my very first Birchbox!
well. actually. as you may have noticed... It's been here for awhile now. (oops!)
but ya know what? I'm a busy girl! (as I am sure most of you are) so I am just now getting around to doing my review. would you please be so kind as to forgive me? *bats eyelashes* I am also lagging behind a little because I wanted to actually REVIEW the products once I tried them out rather than just showing you guys what I got (since there are so many others out there that do just that.) can ya dig? Maybe I'll just post what I receive in my box and then update it later with my personal reviews? hm. that might get a little confusing. so let me know what would work best for you! I need your feedback so don't be shy!
ok ready? set? GO! :)
Products in my November 2012 box:
1. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy - La Fleur perfume sample
I'll admit that I am one of the few of us out there that LOVES perfume samples! a lot of others complain about always receiving them but even though I have a small drawer filled with them, I use them every single day. I like just tossing a couple into my bag and using them to freshen up on the go. now, my take on THIS particular brand? eh. I prefer more of a muskier scent & this one is a little too feminine for me. I have smelled the original and IMO i prefer that one.
2. ModelCo Fibre Lashxtend lengthening mascara
I was blessed with long lashes so I wasn't too excited about this one. I prefer a thickening mascara to a lengthening one since my lashes are so dang thin and sparse but I though what the heyyy - I'll try it anyway. NO. I did not like it! I thought it seemed almost dried out when I first applied it so I had to apply several coats to feel like it did anything. It did do what it said it would though... it made my lashes almost twice as long by adding little tiny fibers to each lash. By the time I had coated the stuff on thick enough to do anything I had to run out the door so that I wouldn't be late for work. At the end of my (short!) 4 hour shift there were small black fibers all over my face!!! especially under my eyes. Not a good look! I wonder how long I ran around at work with that crap smeared all up on my face? ugh. nevvva evvva again... the only plus side was that it IS a full sized sample so the retail value alone was over twice what I spent on the box which would have been great if I could actually use it. oh welllllll
3. One Love Organics Aromatic Body Serum in Rose scent
This stuff is so pointless to me. First off, it came in a little baggie (thank the Lord) so apparently they KNEW it would leak out. and it does. everywhere. it also doesn't spray a fine mist but a straight jet-like stream and it splattered all over everything around me. I will admit that the scent was nice and light, almost invisible really, but was that supposed to be the point? I have no idea what the logic behind it was. I only put it on one arm because my bathroom was covered in the crap after doing just the one arm. It was an oily mess. and I feel like that arm actually felt a little DRYER than the other after a few hours. DID. NOT. LIKE.
4. Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume Spray
I believe that this was intended for people with short hair because it didn't do crap for my long hair except make it smell super nice. I have only used it on clean hair though (my hair is super fine and gets oily quick so I have to wash every day.) I just couldn't bear spraying this on dirty greasy hair and walking out the door with it so my opinion on this one probably isn't the best. It does smell really nice though! but other than that, I didn't notice any difference.
5. EXTRA: SoyJoy snack bar in cranberry
I HATE CRANBERRIES! but I tried it and it actually wasn't that bad. but it wasn't that great either :/
sooooo whats my over all verdict? not a good first impression, birchbox. It's like you dont know me at all! ;) maybe the beauty profiles should be a little more in depth? My box would have been perfect for a short haired, short eyelashed, feminine smelling, oil liking cranberry lover. Just NOT FOR ME.
I guess I'll try again next month. maybe my ipsy bag will be better...
OneLifeOneLove,
Regina
here are a few links that you might be interested in ;)
birchbox
juicycouture
modelco
oneloveorganics
oscarblandi
soyjoy
I've gone and done it again...
I just joined not one but TWO more subs! I found a couple of deals that I just couldn't pass up. If you have never heard of subscription boxes before then here's a little rundown. For a set amount of $ each month you will receive full sized and deluxe sample sized products from different companies. There are a ton out there so make sure you do your research before joining up with any of them and I usually have discount and promo codes so feel free to email me for those. I have 4 sub boxes total now (birchbox, ipsy, glossybox, and julep maven) and since I have only received one box from birchbox and ipsy and have not received either of glossybox or julep, I cannot give much of a review just yet. I will give a rundown of each box after I try each of the products out that way I can give an honest review of them. I see alot of people posting the unboxing but to me I feel that I would rather REVIEW the products AFTER testing them rather than just showing you what I got! so my posts will probably lag behind the others but will be for more of an informative review than most of the others. So keep checking back for my opinions on them! I am also a member of influenster but I will post a more specific post about that one a little later. For now... here's the rundown of the most recent two that I have joined. (for more info on Birchbox and Ipsy, see my prior post.)
First, GLOSSYBOX :
each month for a total of $21 you will receive 5 luxury travel sized beauty products based on a profile that you fill out when signing up. I actually got lucky and found a black friday code for 40% off the first box so I ended up only paying $12.60 for my first box. I have not received the box yet so I cannot really give a good review but for that price I thought WHY NOT?! If I don't like the first box then I will be cancelling because I honestly cannot see myself paying $21 each month to receive random products that I might not even like but who knows, I might just love it! and from what I understand, the boxes usually total up to being well worth the money. I'll keep you guys updated but if you simply cannot wait and would like to sign up now then shoot me and email and I'll hook you up with any current discount codes that I know of :)
second, JULEP MAVEN :
This sub box is a little different in that it sends out custom colored nail polishes every month instead of beauty products. You just fill out a short style quiz and then you are given a custom profile which determines which shades that you would be receiving for that month. The cost is a little high in my opinion ($19.99) but you can always choose to SKIP a month if you do not like the the color choices which I thought was pretty cool. (I wish some of the other sub companies would offer this for times when money is a little tight. Maybe then so many people wouldn't be cancelling!) I have to be honest here, I was definitely NOT at all interested in this until today. I stumbled upon the site once again out of boredom and was just checking things out to kill a little time. I had already decided that I was not ever going to join with this sub box because one, the cost to me is just TOO HIGH for a couple of nail polishes & two, because I already have so many subs going on right now and money is tight because of Christmas. BUT ~ then something happened. as I was checking out the site, I noticed that the introductory box for my profile type (Boho Glam) were the two EXACT colors that I had been running around town fighting the Christmas shopping crowds to try to find among my usual brands! Needless to say, I was devastated. I just cannot comprehend spending that much money on nail polish! but based on a recent find of mine ~
***let me pause here to give you a rundown of my recent nail polish problem for those of you that are interested. if not, then feel free to skip ahead. I have always been the type to just grab whatever cheap nail polish brand that I see that has the color that I am looking for at that time and Essie just happened to be that brand one day. I found out that it works SIGNIFICANTLY better than those $2 brands that I had been purchasing all along! It only took one one coat to receive the color that I had always hoped for from the other brands so from now on I will be splurging a little because these polishes hold up VERY WELL and the colors are fantastic. I usually have to do and redo my nails over and over to achieve the right look but Essie hit it on the head the FIRST application! My nails looked more amazing than EVER before. No bumps, no chips, no dents. now, back to the Julep review!***
~ and based on the fact that I was happy with my leap of courage to try Essie out despite the steep prices, I started looking for some kind of promo code so that I could maybe save a little bit of money and end up getting the two exact colors that I had been looking for. and guess what... I FOUND ONE! A fellow blogger friend of mine shared a little secret that landed me with my first months subscription for Julep costing me a whopping *drumroll* PENNY! yes! ONE FREAKING CENT! so I jumped back to the website and signed up convincing myself that I might as well try it out since it only costs a penny, right? well on top of that when I went to check out I got offered to pick out THREE products as a discount! I only fell in love with one polish but I got it for $4.99 which brought my total to a whopping $5 for 3 amazing polishes (that are usually $14 a piece and $11.20 if you are a Julep Maven member) plus a bonus cuticle oil. pretty cool! so after receiving my first box I am pretty sure that I will be cancelling unless these polishes are just AMAZING if not more amazing than what I am used to. I will keep you guys updated with reviews and pics after I get em and try em out. Only time will tell ;) If you are interested in signing up then send me an email and I would be more than happy to share the code with you so that your first month only costs a PENNY! :)
so thats my exciting day all wrapped up into one post. I'll have reviews up soon on my birchbox and ipsy and after I receive glossybox and julep then I'll have more posts and some reviews on those also. Love you guys!
OneLifeOneLove,
Regina
here are a couple of links that you might be interested in :)
glossybox
julepmaven
soooooo...
I finally received my invitation from Birchbox this month! I also signed up for ipsy (formerly MyGlam) and should be receiving both of these subscription boxes later in the month so keep checking back for reviews and comments on each one. Just in case you have never heard of sub boxes before... here's a little info on the two that i decided to join :)
Birchbox and Ipsy are the two sub boxes that I am currently subscribed to. I haven't actually received either one yet so my opinion is pretty short and sweet. in a nut shell... for a set amount of money each month there are certain companies that will send you a package full of samples and full sized products that they are trying to promote (awesome!) Mostly beauty products and samples from selected and trusted retailers. The two sub boxes that I signed up for are only $10 a month and you will receive 4-6 products each month to try out and review.
First, BIRCHBOX :
From what I understand so far, Birchbox allows subscribers to utilize a point system used to acquire free full sized products (super cool!) simply for purchasing a box every month as well as reviewing the products that you receive in your box. I haven't started using the system yet, but I will keep you guys updated on how it works. The packaging comes is a sturdy little box and includes an index card with a full overview of each sample included in your box for that month as well as 4-5 deluxe samples and full sized beauty, skin, and makeup items. They also tend to include coupons and other neat little bonus items as well. The estimated time that you have to wait to receive an invitation via email is 4 weeks. After waiting 4 MONTHS, I finally wrote the Birchbox team to find out what was going on with my invite. They immediately (within 48 hours) wrote back to apologize and also included a link to an instant invitation in the email. So what I can tell so far about their customer service is that they try their best to please everyone, which is an awesome thing and also a huge relief if you have ever had to deal with anything similar. Especially via the internet! Have you signed up for but have not yet recieved your invitation? Feel free to email me and I will send you a link via the refer a friend option to speed the process along :)
second, MYGLAM (ipsy) :
MyGlam has recently changed their name to ipsy for some reason unknown to me but I have heard nothing but good things. The only thing that would make me lean more towards Birchbox is the point system, which ipsy does not offer. Every month you will recieve 4-6 beauty and makeup samples that come in a neat little zippered reusable bag. The design of the bag changes every month so on top of the deluxe samples and full sized products that you receive, you will also get a themed little makeup bag to throw into your purse for a quick redo on the go (pretty neat, huh?) I haven't had to contact the ipsy customer service team yet (and hopefully never will!) so I cant really give an overview of that just yet. If you would like to join, shoot me an email and I'll send ya in the right direction :)
anywayz... I am super excited to receive and review both of these monthly subs! Are you subscribed to either of these? Tell us what you think! I would love to hear your opinions on them both :)
feel free to email me with any questions and I'll be sure to share any promo codes that I might have for either of these subscription services. thanks guys!
OneLifeOneLove,
Regina
here are a couple of links that you might be interested in ;)
Birchbox
MyGlam (ipsy)
