I love getting free stuff. And with
Influenster, it makes it so easy to try out great new products. I recently received the Refresh VoxBox and wanted to let you know all about the products inside.
SkinnyGirl Tasty Nutrition Bars
I love granola bars/nutrition bars as much as the next girl, but once you find a brand you like, it's kind of hard to convince yourself to try something new. I tried the
SkinnyGirl nutrition bars and I fell in love with it. It was seriously good! I received the dark chocolate banana oatmeal flavor and it was great. I'm always wary about banana-flavored products because sometimes it doesn't taste as good as a fresh banana, but this product got it right. I would love to pick up some more of these bars and use them for breakfast on the go (you know, that nasty commute of about thirty steps all the way from the kitchen to the home office).
The problem? I checked their website for a list of retailers. My local retailers that were supposed to carry them didn't have them when I went to look for more, and I wasn't interested in a 40-minute round trip to Target to buy a few bars. Even though they are really, really good.
Orgain Certified Organic Nutritional Shakes
Locally, this product is only available at Whole Foods, which is more than 20 miles away from my house. I don't have a really good reason to make a trip out that way aside from picking this up, so I haven't redeemed my coupon yet, but once I do, I'll update this post and let you know all about it!
Beanitos Chips
Influenster knew how to pick the food products for this box, because I totally fell in love with these chips! They are made from beans instead of potatoes, and there's a whole list of what they provide (or don't) on the back, such as being gluten-free, no trans fats, no added sugar, etc. The two flavors I tried were the nacho cheese and the seas salt, both made from white beans. The nachos tasted a lot like regular nachos. The only difference was in the texture of the chip itself. The sea salt chips reminded me of the taste of a really good taco salad shell at a Mexican restaurant. It too has a different texture that potato chips, but I'm really starting to like the difference. I tried to buy more of these, but many local stores aren't carrying them yet. Hey... Whole Foods has them. Maybe that's a good excuse to get there and get the Orgain shake too!
Listerine Pocketpaks
I am already familiar with this product because they were all the rage when I was still in high school. I love the convenience of it and since I recently developed a clicking jaw problem (doesn't hurt but it's still not fun!) I can't chew gum anymore. These are great for getting fresh breath quickly and you can slip it into any purse or bag you're carrying with you.
Dentek Comfort Clean Floss Picks and Fun Flossers
I know that daily flossing is important, but for me it's not something I can remember to do every time. With the Comfort Clean Floss Picks, I'm able to remember much easier and it's so quick to use. I like that it can fit tight teeth since I'm an average person without pretty, straight teeth. I also like that is can double as a tongue scraper, which is really important for breath and germs.
I didn't try the Fun Flossers myself, and since they are for kids I'm going to pass them on to someone who's more age appropriate for the product.
L'Occtaine Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream
This stuff is seriously good. It keeps my skin soft and smooth. Since it works well for combination skin, I don't have to worry about it giving my skin and oily sheen to it. The scent reminds me of baby powder and can be a little strong for those who are sensitive to fragrance.
I also love the fact that the company sources fair-trade shea butter--making a better world for everyone is important.
CoverGirl UltraSmooth Foundation
I love
CoverGirl products, so when I heard about this one coming out, I was intrigued. It comes with an applicator that helps to smooth fine facial hair and also helps to blend and mask imperfections of all kinds on the face. While my facial hair is a little too far beyond the definition of 'fine' it still worked well for me in this respect.
What didn't work was the shade that Influenster sent me. Way too dark! I blame myself--I'm the one the chose the shade in the pre-survey. But all hope is not lost with this product. I just use the ever-convenient makeup hack of mixing face moisturizer with a little bit of the foundation to make it lighter. Once you find the right amount for the shade you want, it's simple!
Montagne Jeunesse Face Masques
I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea how to pronounce this brand name, but that's about the only problem I had with this product. The masque was easy to apply and took the full 20 minutes before it dried. I was skeptical about the ability to peel it off, but to my surprise it worked well! I did have a little trouble with getting it on my eyebrows, but it didn't pull the hair out, so everything is good. I loved that the product is made from a range of natural ingredients. I had the manuka honey variety, and I wasn't thrilled with the strong smell, but I would still use it again because it left my face feeling great.
Overall, this was a great box! I'm a little miffed that I can't find some of the products in stores locally since trying them out, but I'm sure that they will pop up eventually. If not, there's always the online option.
