Influenster Jolly Vox Box review

I was lucky enough to receive the Jolly Vox Box from Influenster!

Let's start from the beginning, in case you didn't understand that sentence ;-)  Jolly Vox Box?  Influenster?

Influenster is a fantastic website that allows users to share their opinion on products and brands that they use every day.  You can find out more here.  One of their trademarks is the Vox Box, which is a complementary (yes, free!) box of items- or sometimes, just one item- that they send to users to sample and review.  Often, the boxes are themed, so all of the products will relate to a holiday (such as Christmas or Valentine's Day), or a particular group of people (such as Moms or college students), or even other creative themes.  The Jolly Vox Box, as you might now imagine, was their winter holiday/Christmas-themed box and I am so happy to have received it because there were many great products inside that I'm sure will now always be found in my apartment.

If this has intrigued you, check out the Influenster site.  If you decide to join, come back here and comment or e-mail me with your e-mail address, and I will send you an invite!  I have 5 invites available, first come first served.  :)


The following products were in the Jolly Vox Box:

• Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer, in 101 Celestial
• NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadow, in 781 Long Beach Sands
• Ducklings Mini Rolls, in Paint Splatter
• Puffs To Go
• Skinny Cow Candy, Divine Filled Chocolates in Peanut Butter Creme

I'll review each of them separately below.  The headers link to a product page on each item, where you can find out more about availability, pricing, and other colors/designs/flavors available for each item.

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer, in 101 Celestial

This is a fairly bright pink colored lip color.  As Rimmel states, it's a cross between a lip gloss and a lipstick as the color is much more intense than a lip gloss would be, but the shine of the product is much closer to a lip gloss.  I didn't need much to achieve the look I wanted.  I wear makeup often but don't like it to be overwhelming, and one swipe noticeably colored my lips.  That being said, the color is great and long-lasting!  I've worn it twice so far- once for New Year's Eve and once on just a regular day- and I've been happy with it both times.  It's definitely a versatile product for any day use.

NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadow, in 781 Long Beach Sands

To be honest, I had much higher hopes for this product than what was delivered.  I have brown eyes so all of my eyeshadows are in either the purple or brown/golden color families.  The Long Beach Sands palate contains a nude/pinkish shadow, a medium brown shadow, and a light brown shadow- colors that are close to what I typically wear.  However, these colors were not nearly as intense as I had hoped for and even after applying copious amounts of eye shadow, it was difficult to tell that I had applied any!  My skin is pretty fair, so this was somewhat of an accomplishment- though obviously not what I had hoped for.  I may continue to wear this eyeshadow on days when I want a light makeup application, but overall I'll probably stick to my usual eyeshadows instead of buying this again.

Ducklings Mini Rolls, in Paint Splatter

I haven't really tried this product yet, because I'm waiting to figure out exactly what to use it for.  That being said, I love the pattern of the tape I got.  It's cute and fun and as soon as I decide what I want to make or decorate with it, I will.  (I'm open to suggestions!)  I'm also sure that my little sister, who is super crafty, would love these and with her birthday coming up at the end of the month, I think a few Ducklings Mini Rolls would be a perfect component of her birthday present!  This product would be great for any crafty person.  For students who are looking to spice up their locker, notebooks, or backpack, I think this product would do a great job.  There are lots of designs to choose from!

Puffs To Go

I have a perpetual runny nose this winter (luckily it hasn't turned into a full-blown cold yet) and I've been carrying tissues with me everywhere!  Before I got these Puffs To Go, I'd just been folding up some tissues from a larger box and stuffing them into my purse, but that's always a pain because they get dusty or ripped or stuck in the zipper.  Also, I'm not brand-conscious about many things, but I am about tissues- I always use Puffs.  So I was very very happy to discover that this product combined two things that are important to me:  portability, and Puffs. There are only 10 tissues in each pack, which is the only downside to me, but I still plan on stocking up on more Puffs To Go the next time I'm at the store.

Skinny Cow Candy, Divine Filled Chocolates in Peanut Butter Creme

Yum!  That's the first word that comes to mind when I think about these candies.  Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favorite candy combinations.  And what's even better?  There are six individual serving size packs in each box, and each pack contains 3 pieces of candy...and each pack is only 130 calories!  It's the one candy that makes me not feel guilty about snacking, and unlike most healthy foods, it still tastes delicious!  I didn't feel like I was missing anything compared to the normal peanut butter and chocolate candies I eat, and I know that it's better for me to eat the Skinny Cow Candy compared to those.  I also like the individual serving size packs because once it's gone I know I've eaten one serving and I'm not going to eat any more.


So overall, I was happy with 4/5 products from the Jolly Vox Box- not bad!  It was fun to try them all out.  With it being the new year, I'm definitely looking for new products to add into my routine, and the Jolly Vox Box helped me find a few!

I've been so happy with this Vox Box that I've been all over social media with it, too- check out my Jolly Vox Box Pinterest board, and my Instagram for some photos and videos of Jolly Vox Box products (with more on the way!).

Disclaimer:  I received these products free for review from Influenster.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Review~ NYC Big Bold Lip Gloss

I was lucky enough to receive NYC Big Bold Lip Gloss for review from Influenster as part of the Varsity Vox Box.

This was a great product.  It definitely delivered what it promised- big, bold shine!  The color was very tame, which is what I prefer, yet the shine lasted most of the day.  I also really liked the brush.  It was wide, which made the gloss extremely easy to apply because it only required one pass over my lips to apply enough.

Here's a picture of me happy to be using NYC Big Bold Lip Gloss! ;-)

I've used this lip gloss almost every day since I got it!  Once it runs out I will definitely buy more.  I try to keep my makeup minimal when I go to class, and with this lip gloss the shine is great but it's really not overpowering if you balance it out with a little bit of mascara (which is the only other makeup I usually wear!).

Disclaimer:  I received this product free for review from Influenster.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Product Review: Cutex Nail Polish Remover Pads

Swaggable is a new social marketing site that allows you to sample products, review them, and then share your review with your friends.  What's cool about Swaggable that sets it apart from other WOM marketing sites is that it is based upon your social circle.  The products you are given to sample are chosen based on things you or your friends have already shown an interest in, such as on Facebook.

I was lucky enough to be able to join Swaggable while it is still in Beta, and sample Cutex Nail Polish Remover Pads.

Here is the product description, courtesy of Swaggable:

Cutex® Nail Polish Remover Pads offer a handy way to quickly remove polish and condition nails and cuticles in one easy step. They're not only faster than any other brand, they also help strengthen and nourish your nails while moisturizing and softening your cuticles at the same time. These pads are perfect for travel! A single pad removes polish from ten nails, fingers or toes—even dark and hard-to-remove colors.

As the product description claims, I was able to remove the nail polish from all 10 of my fingernails with one pad. In that respect, the Nail Polish Remover Pads are very convenient, as I can use just one pad as opposed to multiple cotton balls with liquid remover. However, there were two things I did not particularly like about this product. First of all, the red dye from the felt pads got left behind on my nails. Secondly, my fingers felt dry and slightly sticky after using the product; I think this is again from the dye on the felt pads, although I can not be sure. I would be more likely to use this product in the future if it came with uncolored felt instead of red. However, the single-use packets and large pads did make this product very convenient to use; they fill a niche in the market that I only wish had been thought of sooner!

FTC Disclaimer:  I received a sample of Cutex Nail Polish Remover Pads from Swaggable for review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Product Review: Physicians Formula makeup

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Physicians Formula, I received a box of makeup to review!  Some of these products have not even been released yet, while others are new releases from Physicians Formula.  In the box was:

Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Airbrushing Pressed Powder SPF 30

Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush

Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Lash Boosting Mascara

 

I'll review the products in the order that they are pictured in the box, from left to right.

Mineral Wear Pressed Powder:  This is the first time that I have ever used a powder foundation, and I actually realized that I prefer it to liquid foundation like I usually use.  It's so much easier to apply, and significantly less messy.  Even though it is a powder, it actually covered my face much more evenly than liquid foundation has, and hid a lot more blemishes, too.  I used my own "blusher" brush to apply the powder instead of the brush supplied by Physicians Formula.  However, you could most certainly use their brush if you wanted to, as it is large and soft enough to cover your whole face without irritating your skin.  The only complaint I would have about this product is that a lot of powder comes free from the palate when you sweep a brush across it, so unless it lands back on the palate, it seems like I am losing product each time I use it.  However, because of how well it works on my face, this is certainly a product that I will continue to use.  There is even a mirror underneath the makeup, so you can carry it with you and apply it when you are not near a bathroom or somewhere with a large mirror.

Happy Booster Blush:  The blush was a nice peachy-pink color which was a lot more subtle on my pale skin compared to other blushes I have used in the past.  Some blushes are too dark or too red, but this looked almost natural on my skin, not like I was trying too hard with my makeup.  My cheeks are pretty pink to begin with, so the blush actually helped to even out some of the splotchiness that I usually notice.  I also really liked that the blush was scented!  I've never heard of scented face makeup before, but I was pleasantly surprised with the nice floral scent of this blush.  It doesn't really smell once you put it on your face, but it does smell in the palate.  It's a refreshing, bright scent that won't take the place of, say, antidepressants to boost your happiness, but will make you smile because of how nice it smells.  The palate itself is a really bright pink, which is my favorite color, so I also like the makeup because of this ;-)

Organic Wear Mascara:  Let me start off by saying that I have such trouble wearing mascara!  Most mascaras that I wear irritate my eyes so that by the end of the day, all I want to do is take it off.  This mascara, though, I was able to wear all day with no problems!  I was so excited when, at the end of the day, my eyes felt totally fine.  Honestly, mascara is the makeup item that I consistently have the most trouble wearing.  I was so glad that this mascara was one that I was able to wear all day.  I think it is because of the all-natural ingredients used, in contrast to the man-made ingredients found in most mascaras.  My one problem with the mascara was that the brush seemed very large, but in a way that may be a positive too, because it doesn't take many swipes to coat all of my eyelashes.

Overall, I was very happy with all of the products that Physicians Formula sent me, and they have become a staple in my makeup routine already!

FTC Disclaimer:  I am a "buzz" maker for Physicians Formula, and received these products from them with no stipulations.  I was not required to, but chose, to post a review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Product Review: Physicians Formula New! Shimmer Strips Fashionista Eyes shadow and liner

I was lucky enough to receive the new Shimmer Strips Fashionista Eyes eyeshadow and liner from Physicians Formula for review.  This product is part of their new Shimmer Strips Eye Enhancing Shadow and Liner collection in Univeral Looks.  Physicians Formula makes products especially designed for sensitive skin, by using hypoallergenic ingredients.  Their products are fun to use, but don't irritate your skin- perfect!  I have used face products from Physicians Formula before, such as their primer, but I have never used their eye makeup before even though I have considered it in the past.  That is why I was so happy to receive the Shimmer Strips Fashionista Eyes eyeshadow and liner to try and review!

I have always liked wearing purple eyeshadow.  It's a color that just tends to look good on me, so it's my go-to color for eye makeup whenever I need to wear it.  So, I was pleased that the Fashionista palate contained mostly purple shades.  Besides a wide array of purples, there was also one strip of gold and one of black.  While these aren't colors that I usually wear, I think that they complimented the purple nicely and can add a dramatic flair to the look if you choose to apply them.

The shadows and liners are actually divided up on the palate into three looks- natural, playful, and dramatic.  However, I strayed from the recommended grouping of colors and put together my own look using the light purple and gold from "playful" with the dark purple from "dramatic".

Before

After

I don't wear makeup every day, but I was eager to try out this eye shadow, so I donned it yesterday, when I was out and about going to classes, my internship, and other events.  When I first put on the eye shadow, I was initially worried that the color wasn't bold enough to stand out on my face.  Turns out that was just because of the horrible lighting in my dorm.  When I moved in to brighter light, I loved how the colors looked on my face!  I used a light purple and dark purple on my eyelids, and then added some gold in the corner of my eye for some more pop.  I thought it looked fantastic (though maybe I'm a little bit biased).  Normally when I do wear makeup, I tend to mix colors from different palates to create a more interesting look.  But since the Shimmer Strips from Physicians Formula are coordinated to be mixed and matched, I was able to put together a fun, creative look without going to a bunch of different shadows and worrying that the might not look good once on my face.  The eyeshadow lasted all day and didn't even seem to fade as the day went on.  I applied it around 10 am, and when I got back home at 10 pm, it was still bold and visible, as if I had just put it on.  I was surprised, since makeup usually fades long before 12 hours is up- but that just attests to how fantastic Physicans Formula products are!


I actually got a lot of compliments on my look yesterday from a random assortment of people who said that they liked my eye makeup!  All of my worries that the colors might not be bold enough were for naught- people sure noticed!  Overall, I am excited to keep using my Shimmer Strips Fashionista Eyes collection in the future, and I would highly recommend this product to anyone with sensitive skin who is looking for a fantastic cosmetics product to try.

You can find Physicians Formula online, on Facebook, and on Twitter.


FTC Disclaimer:  I received Shimmer Strips Fashionista Eyes eyeshadow and liner collection for free from Physicians Formula.  The choice to write a blog post was my own, and all opinions expressed are my own.