Spring Beauty VoxBox - May 2012

A bit about Influenster:

(Taken from Influenster's Facebook Page) Exclusive community of trendsetters using their influential power to qualify for complimentary product shipments, rewards and deals fit for their lifestyles.

Company Overview:

Influenster is the go-to destination for trendsetters who want to be rewarded for their influence. Qualified members gain access to the latest products, share their expert opinions and spread the word on their favorite discoveries.

Here's my take:  If you are into social influencing using outlets like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other sites, Influenster is right up your alley.  They send VoxBoxes out to people, matching their demographic with the products.  Unlike other beauty subscription services, Influenster is free.  However, there is a catch.  You are NOT guaranteed a box if you do not meet the qualifications for the box they are sending out.  To qualify, your demographics, including age, location, interests, lifestyle and other factors will come into play.  You are not even guaranteed a box if you DO meet the qualifications.  They ship out VoxBoxes for different lifestyles.  This one is a beauty box!  The next upcoming campaign is for moms, so I will be sitting that one out.  Most of the products I received are full-size and very generous.  The other catch is, you have to review these products on the Influenster site as well as other places and also promote these products, if you enjoy them, on your favorite social networking outlets.  Please note, I was not paid to review these items and I received them complimentary from Influenster.  I'm not obligated to give a good review for any of these, just honest opinions.  I haven't tried everything yet, but when I do, I will report back and blog about each of these products!

Influenster Spring Beauty VoxBox Contents May 2012

What was in May's VoxBox:

The box itself - Nothing terribly special here!  Just a white box with some packing peanuts.  I noticed they smelled like popcorn and my dorky self was seriously dorky enough to see if they were some kind of organic, popcorn packing peanuts.  I do not recommend trying to eat them.  They are not popcorn.  The box came with a card explaining about which products I would find in the box.  It also came with an information pamphlet for Sally Hansen's Salon Effects Nail Strips showing all of the available colors and patterns.  Very helpful!  Everything was packed carefully and nothing was broken.

Dr. Scholl's For Her - Ball of Foot Cushions (high heel)

Dr. Scholl's For Her - Ball of Foot (High Heels) Cushions - SO excited to try these.  My feet and high heels do not play well together.  It doesn't matter how well the shoe fits, I'm still hobbling like an injured animal by the end of an hour or two with heels on my feet.  What can I say?  I'm a sneakers kind of girl. My biggest complaint?  THE BALLS OF MY FEET.  These were made for me to try.  I'll be sticking them in my Fergalicious platforms to really give them a spin.  I haven't tried them YET, but I will be trying them within the next week!  

What Dr. Scholl's says:

• Helps prevent foot pain caused by high heels
• Proven to improve the way you feel in heels
• Unique ultra-soft FabuSTEP^® gel arch shifts pressure off your ball of foot
• Immediate and all day comfort
• Stays firmly in place
• Removable without damage to shoes
• Slim design won't make shoes feel tight
• Practically invisible, even in strappy heels

Available in:

• Women's (sizes 6-10)

Designed to fit:

• All high heels, 2″ and higher

• Uniquely designed ultra-soft gel arch shifts pressure off the ball of your foot
• FabuSTEP^® gel provides added cushioning
• Unique adhesive keeps insole in place
• ¾ length design won't crowd toes

How to use:

• Place on top of your current insole
• No trimming required
• Replace every 6 months or at first signs of wear

 Value - $11.99/ $9.99 w/coupon ($2 off coupon available on Dr. Scholl's website!)

ChapStick Lip SHIELD 365

ChapStick LipShield 365 - I'm also very excited to try this.  I live in the Mojave desert and I'm active outdoors, so the sun wreaks havoc on my lips on a regular basis.  Honestly, nothing has really helped my lips until I tried Dermstore's Lip Quench, but now I have something new and more "sporty" to try!  I feel bad using the Lip Quench because it's preetttttyyy and shimmers and I want to save it as an over-gloss.  Chapstick's Lip SHIELD 365 will be the perfect thing to keep in my day pack for when my lips get super dried out and parched.  I wear SPF 70 on my skin (yes, they make it that high) so ChapStick's Lip SHIELD 365 with SPF 50 is really perfect for my lips.  I'm heading out to Death Valley this weekend, so it WILL be put to the test!

What ChapStick says:

This new product offers all season protection & moisturization for year-round exposure to the sun (that's me!), wind & cold.  With SPF 50+, it helps to protect from the sun's damaging UVA/UVB rays.

Value - $1.89 - $2.39

Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist "Paris Amour"

Bath and Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist "Paris Amour" fragrance - I've always been a fan of Bath and Body Works fragrances.  Sadly, I can no longer use the lotions or body washes due to very fussy, dry, psoriasis-prone skin.  But good news!  I can still use the body sprays!  I've always preferred the sweet-smelling food/fruit fragrances and I've never smelled "Paris Amour" before, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It's sweet-smelling and "pink" to me.  I'm not really a master of fragrance notes, but this smells lovely and even the hubby approves.  The B&BW website says "white tulips and pink champagne."  I will definitely be using this one and I will be telling my friends about this particular scent.  I'll also be keeping it in the back of my mind as a gift for someone!  It seems Bath and Body Works have revamped their branding with the Fragrance Mists and are looking to get the word out.  If it's been a while since you've tried Bath and Body Works, give these new mists a try, they're gorgeous (even the bottle is sexy)!  Also, as a sidenote, Bath and Body Works does not test on animals.  Even more of a reason to spend your cash there!

What Bath and Body Works says:

Discover a better, more delicate fragrance experience with the NEW Fragrance Mist Collection.  With over 50 Signature fragrances to choose from, it's love at first mist!

Value:  $14.00

Sally Hansen Salon Effects "Frock Star"

Sally Hansen Salon Effects - Frock Star - Nail Strips seem to be all the rage these days.  I tried them for the first time a week ago and they are FUN!  I'm thrilled to try the "popular" brand of these because I see them in the store all the time.  I'm very frugal with my money, so I haven't tried them for myself yet because I wasn't sure if they would be a gimmick or "too good to be true."  They are a little on the pricey side for me, but if I like them, I will still fork out the cash.  I haven't tried these yet, but I will be very soon.  The color I got was "Frock Star" and this is a menagerie of glitter!  I LOVE GLITTER.  I also can't keep a manicure for more than a day with my natural nails, so I'm really curious and excited to see how these hold up.

What Sally Hansen says:

Real Nail Polish Strips!  This product wears like nail polish because it IS nail polish (with no drying time).  Apply and you're ready to go!

Value: $9.99

SOYJOY Bar - Strawberry

SOYJOY Bar Strawberry - Can you say YUMMY?  These things are really good.  I saw a spoiler for this VoxBox before a majority of us got it and I saw the SOYJOY bar.  I made a point to buy one the next day in Blueberry Flavor.  Both flavors are so good!  They aren't overly sweet or filling.  The fruit tastes like real dried fruit and not chemicals. It contains real fruit, real soy, is gluten free (SCORE!!), and 0 trans fats.  The ingredients mostly read like an ingredient list for grandma's cookies - not many long, chemical names here. It's definitely nice to have an option other than that well-known energy/snack bar.  I can truly say I enjoyed these (and CRAVE them now) and they will be a regular purchase in my household.  Even if I eat 5 in one sitting.  

What SOYJOY says:

Enjoy SOYJOY with all-natural real ingredients like real fruit and whole soy!  Simply baked in their Southern California bakery into SOYJOY bars for REAL energy-sustaining deliciousness.

Value:  $0.99 - $1.29

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer - I am so thrilled to be able to test this product out.  I have AWFUL dark circles under my eyes from keeping weird hours and doing some crazy dieting.  The current concealer I've been using is a horrible, off shade and turns my skin yellow.  I haven't had the cash to replace it with a more appropriate concealer, so when I learned this was coming, I was stoked.  I missed this by a month from MyGlam, but I'm getting my chance to try it now.  I've heard GREAT things about it and the pictures people have posted don't lie.  I haven't tried this yet, but it's one of my top priorities with this VoxBox.  

What Sheer Cover says:

Ideal for hiding blemishes, age spots, redness, scars, and other imperfection without heavy, cakey coverage.  Duo shades can be blended to perfectly match your skin tone.

Sold in one-month supply kit of 6 products + 3 Bonus Products (Sheer Cover & Influenster - YOU TEASES!) - $29.95

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash - I use Aveeno Lotions at night (thanks for the Christmas gift, mom!) but I haven't tried their body wash yet.  I'm generally satisfied with their products (they don't irritate my skin like some other brands do) and they are reasonably priced and easy to find.  I have psoriasis on my elbows, so I'm looking forward to seeing if using this body wash helps to calm my itchy skin down.  This came as a sample size, but it's a generous sample and will probably get at least a week or two of use out of it.

What Aveeno says:

This body wash cleanses & moisturizes for visibly healthier skin every time you shower.  It's lightly fragranced, soap free, dye-free & hypoallergenic so it's gentle enough for sensitive skin.

Value:  $6.99 - $8.99 for full-size bottle

The Verdict:

Seriously?  It's like Influenster went inside of my brain, saw every beauty concern of mine and sent me a box to rescue me.  I really love everything.  Influenster was very generous with us Beauty testers this month and I am looking forward to trying every single one of these products and giving them a more in-depth review.  This was WAy above and beyond what I expected when I signed up for Influenster.  I'm happy I did!  Sign up too at:  http://www.influenster.com