Influenster: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

As you may recall, I am a member of a site called Influensters. For a more formal definition:

An exclusive online community where tastemakers and trendsetters (such as yourself) come to share the latest and greatest news, places, products, and reviews with each other. 2. The hotspot you just bookmarked on your web browser that turns your social influence into sweet rewards.

I joined because I like trying new products and writing what I think about them. For a quick recap, I have received Holiday Voxbox 2011 and the Spring Beauty Voxbox 2012. While I didn't mention it, I also won the Sally Hansen Challenge from the Spring Beauty Voxbox.

That being said, they recently did an entire revamp of their website and overall look on their social media sites. So I'm writing out my thoughts on the site as well as the program as a whole.

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The Good
The overall look of the site is WAY better than the old format. It has a nicer, more user-friendly feel.

I do appreciate the effort they put forth on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. As someone who is studying and implementing social media plans, I think they do a pretty darn good job. Of course, an internet-based company that is all about spreading the word should be pretty good at using social sites.

I think the Twitter parties are great. They are incredibly active and pretty good at responding. Whereas with Facebook, they know not to post nearly as much. Twitter is very fast paced, while Facebook works on a slower schedule. It also gets allows for interaction between Influensters.

I like the challenges too. They send out products to get people to talk about them. The prizes for the challenges encourage people to talk in a public way. Everyone wins.

The Bad
I do not like that I have to go through the badges stuff all over again. It's a minor annoyance if only because it took so long to get some of them before. I remember waiting weeks/months before a badge I had submitted showed up.

And as crazy as it sounds, maybe try and send out a reminder e-mail about social media gatherings like the Twitter parties. I know they announce them on Twitter and Facebook but these messages can get lost. Depending on how many people you follow on Twitter, you may not see the reminders. With Facebook, the new way they are rolling out posts and monetizing pages makes your chances of seeing a post lower unless sponsored.

The Ugly
There is only thing I think really belongs in this category and it has to do with timing. I currently find that Influenster takes way too long to ship the voxboxes out. They build up this incredible hype around a box by e-mail and social media... And then it takes a month before we ever actually see any products. It's really sort of depressing in a way. In fact, I have forgotten about boxes because it takes so long for them to come.

Also, the Sally Hansen Challenge I said I won from the Spring Beauty Voxbox? I only got my prize the other day and we are already into fall. I was originally told it would be sent by end of August.


Overall 
I really do like the program as a whole. I like that they interact with their customers and that the whole program has remained free. Do I get annoyed sometimes with the slowness? Yes, and anyone would. Is it enough to stop my participation? Not really. As long as Influenster continues to remain free, I will continue to put the bit of effort in to maintain my status.

Lip Product Addiction

I... have a problem. And it's not that I don't have a hard time realizing it. It is more a matter of I cannot seem to stop buying more. Just to give you an idea of my lip product collection...

And that's just the lip balms that are not in my purse. There are 5 brands in here alone. I tend to buy many multiples... And I especially went a little crazy with the Nivea because I could get coupons for them and pay a ridiculously low price.

Of course, we don't want the glosses/tinted lip balms/lip color products to feel left out...

For the most part, I have lipglosses. I've talked about my issues with my lips and lip products, so most of these are not purchases I made. And you can tell I have quite the variety.

So you would think that a girl with this many products would carry quite a few with her at all times... That would be a negative with me. I usually carry anywhere from 3-5 lip products when I leave the house. And they are usually lipbalms. Below is a picture of what is in my bag right now

As you can see, only three products in their right now. I have one of my many EOS lipbalm in Sweet Mint, a Julep Daylight Defense SPF 15 Lipbalm, and my sample of Jouer Lip Enhancer from a Birchbox. How I feel at the moment determines which one I grab. If I want a little more heavy duty, I go for the EOS. Looking for a light balm with some SPF, I grab my Julep one. If I'm feeling a little fancy, Jouer is in my hand.

And now that I have finished this post... I'm thinking I need to go on a lip product buying hiatus until I finish up some of these products...

Top 10 Birchbox Favorites

I've been a Birchbox subscriber for almost a year now. That means that I have tried a lot of sample products, whether I liked them all or not. So I went through all of the products I've tried so far and picked my top 10 favorites!

The way I chose these products is pretty simple: it had to be something I do or would still use to this day. Preference were given to items that I have used frequently enough to really have an idea of whether or not I really like it. Also have some honorable mentions that I am not going to go into about my experience but just wanted to mention.

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 Incoco Appliqué (ring finger)

Incoco Nail Polish Appliqué

It was my entrance into the world of nail appliqués. These were funky but not too crazy for me. Absolutely perfect for an accent nail for me. I have been conserving these because I love the pattern so much. Reminds me so much of Tron with the blue little shiny discs.

Harvey Prince Eau Flirt

To this day, this is probably the only perfume I have that I absolutely love. I am beyond excited that fall is almost here because this perfume is perfect for this time of year. And I have been debating since I got it to buy a full bottle or even a rollerball. I don't really wear perfumes that often because I'm often going to work at the coffee shop... Sort of negates that perfume purpose...

amika obliphica hair treatment
& Laura Gellar spackles under make-up primer in bronze

amika obliphica hair treatment

Another product that I have been conserving after I learned how awesome it was. I limit use to whenever I blow-dry my hair. I have been shopping around for something similar at a cheaper price but amika has truly made a no-dupe product in my mind. However, it would one day be an investment product because I know I can make it go a far way. I have managed to make that little bottle go a year, so I imagine a full-sized product would go so much further.

Laura Geller spackle under make-up primer in bronze

This is one of the few products that I have actually bought in full-size. While I don't use this product often, I do like it both to maintain foundation/BB cream in my t-zone and as a stand-alone product. It is a good staple in my makeup arsenal.

Borghese fango active mud face & body

Another product that I bought in full-size but not for myself. While I did really enjoy this product, I know I barely take the time to wash my face, let alone do a mask. However, I let my mother try out this product and she absolutely loves it. It really does leave you skin feeling awesome.

Origins checks and balances frothy face wash

If you are ever looking for a silky smooth cleanser, this is the one for you. It feels like you are literally washing you face with a cloud. I tend to only use this when I travel or am staying away from home. It my own little beautification getaway product. It makes me feel like I'm really pampering myself

stila smudge stick waterproof eye liner

This is an awesome eyeliner. Whenever I use eyeliner, this is usually the first one I pick up. I have it in Lionfish which is a lovely brown with some bronze-y shimmer. It is a great wearable color while not being complete typical. Though I tend to keep this product on my upper lid because it tends to smudge like crazy on my bottom lid. It tends to smudge quite a bit on my eyes, so I have to be careful.

twistbands

I love love love love love these! They are absolutely amazing! True to their word, it does not leave a crease in my hair when I take it out. I have to admit though, I do have to make sure to rotate through them to make sure they don't get completely stretched out. While it is definitely something that I am willing to replace in the future, I don't want to have to do it until absolutely necessary due to their price-tag. If anyone knows any cheaper alternatives, I would be open to it.

Shiseido purness oil-control blotting papers

Another product I use conservatively. When you have an oily t-zone, these things feel like little midday miracles. I have tried the Neutrogena oil blotting "papers," and these Shiseido ones but them to shame. Mostly because they are actually paper. It's amazing that these sheets are only 8 cents more per sheet than the Neutrogena "papers." However, before I buy these sheets, I know I would probably try the boscia ones first as they are at the best price point out of all three.

Yes to Blueberries brightening facial towelettes

This product feels like a refreshing cleansing on my face. I don't feel like I have to scrub my face after using this. I did end up buying a full-size of this product and have no regrets. In fact, I'm sure I'll repurchase this again when I finish this package.

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Honorable mentions:

boscia B.B. cream SPF 27 PA++

Befine exfoliating cleanser

Pure Sensitive Skin Soothing Complex

pure : sensitive skin soothing complex

There is nothing I like more than a company that is willing to put themselves out there to the people. It's one of the things I like about Blissoma. They send out their products at the risk that it will potentially result in nothing. This is my third product from the Blissoma Product Review Program.

First, I want to start off with the packaging of the product itself. The key for Blissoma was to keep it minimalistic: a little glass container with an eyedropper dispenser has been the sample containers for 2 of my 3 samples.. It is even stated in the e-mail telling a person that s/he has been selected to not delete the e-mail because there will be little to no information on or with the product. Simple but effective. And just looking at the images on their site, you can tell that is a key component of a lot of their product packaging.

I can really tell that this is a medium facial lotion for the brand. When compared to the Morning Facial Moisture (which I tried a little while ago), Pure is a bit thicker and not as heavily scented. This product was made with the most sensitive skins in mind, according to the e-mail. It is not recommended for the oilest of skins and I definitely agree with that one. I have combination skin, so I've used this product lightly in the oiler spots and a bit heavier in the dry spots.

Either way, I'm more likely to use this after exfoliating or at night. I usually use lighter moisturizers with SPF during the day. I currently don't have a nice medium moisturizer for night but this is definitely going to be considered... Well, when they release it of course. Yeah, this was kind of a pilot testing of the product and it is not actually on the Blissoma website yet. I will definitely be keeping an eye on their Facebook page for signs of it coming out (and update this review when it does).

I can estimate that the cost of this product will probably be about $21.50 (based on their other moisturizers).  So I will keep trying it to see if I like enough to spend that much.

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Comments on something that really has nothing to do with the product. The way they send these samples is really a testament to the company. The packaging is minimal without leaving room for breakage. The box is simple and brown with a cute little Blissoma sticker on it (which alone I wish I didn't need to cut in order to open the box). Instead of bubble wrap, they just put enough tissue paper in to keep it from being damaged. It is minimalistic with two small labels (one for my address, one for Irie Star) and 2 stamps.

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Oh, and a disclaimer! Should probably have one of those. ^_^; I got this product free for being part of the Blissoma Product Review Program (link above to join). From there, people are randomly selected to receive samples to try out. In order to encourage people to review, they offer a reward. I have always been an honest person and would not let this influence my review of a product. In fact, I have not redeemed a reward yet.

Influenster Spring Beauty Voxbox 2012

Influenster Spring Beauty Voxbox 2012

Hurray for a box being intact! I don't remember if I mentioned this in my previous Influenster voxbox blog post, I had to cut the box out of my mailbox. My mail box is the size of a P.O. box (maybe even smaller) and the box was too big but the mail-person put it in anyway.

Either way, I have to say... this is a really awesome box. It came with a few products I had heard of and few I hadn't.

For those who don't know, Influenster is a:

Community of trendsetters invited to share their lifestyles and show off their influence to qualify for personalized product shipments, special rewards and exclusive deals from the brands they love. Members love testing the latest products, giving insightful feedback, and spreading the word on their favorite finds

This box is called a voxbox and it is shipped to Influensters at no cost to the subscriber. All they ask is for reviews and feedback on the products in order to keep your subscription active. This includes a post-experience survey.

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Sheercover in Light/Medium

I have been using this product like crazy. And even though I have to apply it with my fingers (no concealer brush), it still does a good job at hiding the mess that is my face. I love that you can kind of mix the two shades together to get just the right coverage for undereye circles or bits of redness. I mostly use it around my nose and for the dark circles under my eyes.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing body wash

So far, I have nothing bad to say about any Aveeno product I have tried. They simply know how to make a good product at an affordable price. And this could not have come at a better time because I had recently run out of my shaving cream and this product gives specific directions for using it for shaving. So I used it and honestly... This worked better than my shaving cream did. It was thick enough to protect my skin but not so thick that I had to wash my razor off after every swipe. Basically, I will probably go out and buy this next time instead!

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ChapStick LipShield 365

Honestly, I will probably give this to a friend or something. I've kind of sworn off this brand of chapsticks for a reason. They don't work for me. Chapstick just leaves a greasy, not-so-nice feeling on my lips. And I have a million lipbalms. I do like that it has SPF though. I've recently become obsessed with sun protection for one reason or another...

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Sally Hansen Salon Effects

I've actually gotten quite a few of these pre-made nail polish wraps but I have not tried to use the Sally Hansen ones. While I am sure they are great, I probably won't put these on my nails. Animal print has never ever been my style. But my mom showed interest in putting them on her nails.

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Dr Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot cushions

I don't wear heels that often. And if I do, they are comfortable. Otherwise I would not invest the money in them. In the heels I did try these with, they did nothing. But then again, I was in my most comfortable of fancy shoes. I'll have to try them out with a pair of shoes that, while not uncomfortable, give me a little more of a challenge.

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Soy Joy in strawberry

As much as I love beauty products, sometimes it is fine for me when I get a snack. And I had heard of Soyjoy before but didn't have the will to actually buy it to try it. And I'm kind of glad I didn't. Maybe it is that I'm not a fan of strawberry granolas but I did not care for this snack. The strawberry taste kind of reminded me of a Poptart. And after getting the Lärabar in the last box, the standards for snacks are certainly high.

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And imagine that I had taken an individual shot of the Bath and Body Works fine fragrance mist. If you haven't caught on yet, B&BW has done an overhaul on their packaging. Their body mists now come in a sleeker, simpler packaging that I really do love. They still keep the general graphic designs of the previous bottles but just put it in a better plastic bottle.

Now that I'm done being a nerd about the packaging, on to the product! I got this is Sweet Pea, which is probably my all-time favorite regular scent from B&BW. I always keep some antibacterial gel in Sweet Pea near by in case of emergencies. So I was beyond ecstatic to get this in my box FULL SIZE! How awesome is that? Either way, it is one of the few floral scents that I can tolerate in body spray or perfume. That does not mean it is light in fragrance at all. It's like many B&BW products in that it is very in your face. So use lightly!

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Overall, this was a pretty good box. I (or someone I know) can get some use out of almost all of these products and I did not have the shell out a dime.

I do have to say shame on some of these companies for not including coupons. Especially on the Sally Hansen part because I have seen coupons for their products. And sometimes coupons are that last push to get me to buy a product. With nail wraps, it's hard to justify spending $10 on a nail product that I may get 2 uses. And trust me, I have been debating buy the Sally Hansen ones for a while because they have such amazing designs.

Again with the no posting

Yeah, I noticed that I haven't been posting. And not for lack of content. I have about 4-5 partially finished posts in queue. So I have things to put out there...

But for me, keeping attention to one thing is actually quite trying. Self-diagnosis says ADD. If I don't get through a post in one sitting, it makes it that much harder to finish it. Ever. Here is what I currently could post about:

Beauty Subscriptions
I have a post all started. For the most part, it is formatted the way I want it and even includes links to a variety of websites. I have descriptions down for a few of the boxes as well. But I have trapped myself in the research aspect. Not only do I have so many beauty boxes/subscriptions to check out and get the details, but new ones seem to be coming out all the time. The OCD side of me wants to get them all in one post. I may even, at this point, simply create an ultimate list with a brief website description just to get it up.

Dry Shampoos
This one... I just lost interest. I still have quite a few dry shampoos but my overall interest in finding the best has waned so much that I can't get myself to go any further.


May and June Birchbox
I have a total of 3 pictures and a handful of lines written up (some of which needs to edited out due to an old contest) for the May box. And I never took pictures of the individual products. And I really only liked 2 out of the 5 products and only one of those I would (or in this case, have) purchased a full-size. Never took pictures of the June Birchbox.

Target Beauty Bag (Spring and Summer)
Yes, I've got both bags. I have a post started for Spring one and only got the Summer one 3-4 days ago.

Julep Maven June
I still love this subscription service but I rarely have time to sit down in good lighting and get some pictures. I use my cellphone and try and get natural light pictures. I don't even have anything set up for this post.

Influenster Spring Beauty Voxbox
I really do want to do this post. One issue is that I didn't actually get a picture of one of the products. But I may try and push through that and just talk about it. This was a pretty awesome box.

Julep Maven May 2012

Theme for May's box was Fun in the Sun! I was so psyched for this box because it contained Julep's first magnetic polish. I was so psyched that and completely forgot about the other items in the box. Either way, these products are focused on getting your feet flip flop friendly.

Julep May 2012 Boho Glam

For the first time in a while, I actually kept my Boho Glam box this month. I did consider going to It Girl but overall, I really just wanted the magnetic polish. I also got a little sample of The Best Pedi Creme Ever, which they recommend after the Pedi Prep.

Kylie
Sultry violet magnetic polish. Gorgeous
without the magnetic effect, or use the
included magnet to create dark accent
stripes in whatever direction you choose

I was super excited to hear that Julep would be creating a magnetic polish. I had not tried any other magnetic polishes and was eagerly awaiting this one. But alas, it was not meant to be at this moment*.

Either way, I still tried to use it... And I don't know if the magnet thing needs some practice or if it is the brush and the second layer that aren't cutting it. Either way, I could not get it to work for the life of me. Which was pretty disappointing. I tried it over nails for varying lengths of time and at as close as possible distance. However, my hands are not very steady. After years of playing flute, playing video games, being on computers, and being a barista, my wrists do not hold still and it's rather painful for me to hold for the full 15 seconds. So to actually make it through the full time recommended and have little to no pay off... Well, certainly a bit of a disappointment.

Kylie (on my nails)

This is how Kylie turned out on my one hand. It actually looks cooler in this picture than it did in real life. The lines are barely visible and you could hardly see much of a difference.

Sheryl
Sheer butterscotch shimmer
with a hint of golden bronze

Honestly, I didn't even think about the second color I was going to get in my Julep Maven box until I opened it. Like I said before, I had psyched myself out so much for the magnetic polish that anything else just left my mind. Thankfully, Sheryl has been the saving grace polish of this month. It is this super glittery, summery bronze color that is simply beyond fabulous. It is a bit on the sheer side and would probably be best used as a type of top coat.... But I just put too coats on and it looks pretty darn good. I'll definitely be wearing this a bit more this summer! I think it would be nice and subtle over Rachel if I'm not feeling too crazy.

The Best Pedi Prep Ever!

I'm thankful that my feet are not in a bad way, despite that I stand for many hours in a day. I do have a bit a roughness to my feet and decided to try this product out. For one, this product smells delicious. It's like a Julep mani/pedi care product standard. Overall, I think this product did a pretty good job. I can't tell you over the long term because I ruined my hard work by standing in wet shoes the next day.

Some issues with this product:

1. You need to wash it off. Now, I don't really wash just my feet. This means I need to do it right before a shower. Which makes my showering process even longer.

2. Can't really walk anywhere with this stuff on my feet. I don't want to ruin any carpet or anything.

Julep Foot File

I used this immediately after the pedi prep and it did fairly well. I have not tried it out since but I think this will do well on my feet and my mom's feet. Not quite sure about the other sides and how they work but I'm sure I'll figure it out.






* It would seem that Julep had a pretty big product malfunction with a lot of the polishes that came out in the May boxes. Apparently many of the brushes are wonky! For some, it appears that the brushes may have been puffy and out of place. In my case, my Kylie has a brush with a variety of lengths in the bristles. I e-mailed them and they responded back within a day. They told me that I'll be getting tracking number for a replacement (which I did get). I am assuming that they mean replacement brush however the e-mail did not specify.

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Currently on my nails:
Julep's Blake
Wet N Wild's The Wonder Yellows (ring fingers)