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Getting a Classic Look: L'Oreal Ultimate Straight Haircare System

I was recently chosen for another VoxBox from Influenster (yay!) and this time, it was all about getting that straight look for my hair. I was sent the L'OReal Ultimate Straight haircare system to try out. Now, if you have seen the photos of me on social media, you know that for the most part, I do have naturally straight hair. However, my hair does get a couple of weird waves (not cute at all) and frizzy on rainy days. So I thought that this system could help me achieve an even straighter look. Turns out, it did.

The haircare system includes four different products: shampoo, pre-conditioner, conditioner and straightening balm. You may be thinking, "Four products? Yeah, like I don't already spend enough time on my hair." But if you really think about it, it can save most people time. Since the products are helping to straighten your hair with Kera-tourmaline, you will need less time with a flat iron and less time with mousse, sprays and other things that claim to hold your hair the way you want it.

I loved how my hair turned out after just one use of these products, so if you are interested in ultimate straight hair, I highly recommend this product.

*I received these products free from Influenster for testing. All opinions are my own.

Cast Your Blues Away: the #RefrehVoxBox is Here!

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. 

There are So Many Reasons #INeedShea

Don't know if you have been following the news lately, but it's cold out there. I mean COLD.... that is, unless you live in California. Then you might be toasty warm. But for everyone else, the winter is wreaking havoc on everything--including our skin. I know that dry skin is more than just unsightly. It is itchy, uncomfortable and it doesn't need to be that way.

I'm very lucky to be able to try out a wide variety of products with Influenster, and in the latest VoxBox I received a great product that is helping to comfort my dry winter skin. I received L'Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream. this product is great for those who need to help comfort and heal their dry winter skin without adding to the greasiness of their skin, which can happen with oily or combination skin and a cheaper moisturizing product.

L'Occitane does a great job for combination skin, keeping it smooth and healthy without adding anything unnecessary. This brand is also known for sourcing its shea butter ingredients from fair-trade partnerships around the world, such as Burkina Faso. I know that this empowerment of women around the world is an important aspect of this product and I will continue to support it.

Would you try L'Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream for your dry winter skin?

Let's Get Dolled Up: The #ModaVoxBox is Here!

Influenster did it again! They sent me a great box full of products to try out. The Moda Vox Box is all about beauty... and a little pampering too. The products I received were all awesome. Here's the breakdown:

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara

I found this to be an interesting product. Although I tend to limit my mascara use to weekends and special occasions, I was ready to try it out. The brush is a broken-heart shaped brush, which is supposed to give better coverage. I'm a leftie, so I really wasn't sure if I was holding it right to use it. However, I to like the coverage and volume it gave my lashes.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lip Liner

I don't use lip liner often, so when I found a transparent lip liner in my box of goodies, I had no idea what it was for. So I Googled it. Transparent lip liner is to prevent feathering. Then I had to Google what feathering of lipstick was. Now I know. So it is a perfect (and necessary) tool for the Rimmel lipstick I also received. 

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick

Red Alert! Red Alert! That's the shade I received in my box. I was terrified of it at first. I have never in my entire life rocked a bright red lipstick. I tried it once, just at home and got the opinion of family members. They all said it looked good, so I went out of the house with it the next day. I did feel a little empowered with the bright red on, so I will definitely be sporting this color again. 


Puffs Softpack

I've always loved Puffs, so the same great product in a new packaging is just what I needed. I don't know about you, but when you are sick with a cold or have fall allergies, the tissue box is never far away. So when you happen to fall asleep with said box in the bed, one of two things happens: the box falls off the bed and you can can't find it in the middle of the night, or you toss, turn and roll over the box. Not comfortable and the box is never really the same again.


With Puffs Softpack, there's no worry. Sure, it may still fall off the bed in the previous example, but there's no sharp corner to stick you in the side. It's soft as your fluffy pillow. I'm a total convert on this product--I will definitely be buying the Softpack variety from now on.

 Hair Food Moisture Hair Mask

This is the product I didn't know I needed and now can't live without. My hair has been getting drier in recent months, so I have been doing different things like skipping a day or two of shampoo and trying different conditioners. Hair Food was the answer I was looking for. Even after just using it once, I noticed that my hair was smoother and softer. The only problem I have with the product is that it is my first hair mask product, and the bottle doesn't have information such as how long to leave it on or how often to use it, which is important to keep my hair healthy. 

Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer 

I have always enjoyed using skincare products by Jergens, and this one doesn't disappoint. My hands are not the problem, so I use this moisturizer on my legs. Even after only using it for a couple of days, I have noticed a significant difference. I will definitely finish this bottle. And it smells great too, so that's another plus!

Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa

Check out my previous post to learn about this product and what I thought about it.

Resource Spring Water

Again, check my previous post to learn more about this product and my opinion of it.

Overall, this was the best box by far that I have received from Influenster. It sort of had everything, from products for pampering, products for renewal, and products for health and wellness. If I'm lucky enough to get another box, I really can't wait to see what will be in it!

What to Do on a Cold Day

As we jump right into autumn (for some areas of the country, full-on early winter!), we must pack away the bathing suits, the shorts and fund tank tops. We must also find different ways to relax and enjoy ourselves. For me, there's nothing better on a cold, dreary day that picking up a good book and enjoying a hot drink. Coffee is good, but if you want a special treat, I recommend Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa.

I received Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa free from Influenster for testing purposes.

I was lucky enough to be able to try out Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa which is a mix made with just five ingredients--all of which you can pronounce. Once you add a little hot milk, you have a sweet treat on a rainy day. You can also jazz it up with whip cream caramel drizzle or a handful of marshmallows. How do you enjoy your Swiss Miss?

Refreshing and Revitalizing Your Day with Good Old H2O

Feeling healthy and energized is a goal that many of us have, but not too many of us achieve on a daily basis. But there is a secret ingredient that can help you feel healthy, refreshed, revitalized and replenished. That secret ingredient is readily available and available anytime. That ingredient is water.

I received this bottle of Resource Natural Spring Water complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Thanks to Influenster, I was able to try out a bottle a Resource Natural Spring Water. This water is just what I needed throughout the day. Not only is it refreshing when you are thirsty, but it is one thing that you can drink all day long without feeling guilty. Many of us rely on caffeine to get us through the day, but water can be just as energizing. This spring water just hit the spot when I needed it.

Resource Natural Spring Water also helps the environment by packaging their water into bottles made from 50% recycled plastic, so with this brand, everyone wins. Check out their website to find out even more great facts about this brand.