Influenster Review: Q-tips Precision Tips

Q-tips have long been a staple in my house.  The are handy for so many things.  Hygiene, cut or scrape cleaning, medication application, make-up and nail polish, and that is just to name a few.

Thanks to Influenster and the "Something Blue" VoxBox, I was able to try a new Q-tip product, the Q-tips Precision Tips.  As you can see in the photo below, the ends of these swabs are tapered to a point.  This allows, as the name would suggest, more precision.  I feel like these are a beauty must item!  I wear contact lenses, and my eyes often water.  Typically, this happens about 2 minutes after I complete my eye make-up. If I blot with a tissue or towel, I end up making a bigger mess of my eyes, and possibly damaging the sensitive skin in the eye area, or getting bits of paper in my actual eye.  This is where I have found the Precision Tips to be a lifesaver!  They allow me to clean up any smudges quickly and gently.  They also work for actual application of make-up products.  I have found that they allow me to apply a thinner line of eyeliner, even sometimes using eyeshadow to do it.  All in all, I find this to be a really useful product.

Tonight, I decided to use my Precision Tips to have a little fun.  As of today, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in 1st place in the MLB.  For a team that cannot manage a winning season for more years than I can count, this is a HUGE deal.  So, I celebrated by giving myself a baseball themed manicure.  I am not very good with painting my nails, but the Precision Tips helped a lot.  I was able to use them to create my design, as well as clean up some of the messy parts where I colored outside the lines.  My nails look far from perfect, but thanks to Q-tips Precision Tips, they look pretty fantastic.

Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary of Influenster for the purposes of testing.

Influenster Review: Radiant With AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream

You know how there are brands out there that you just know are high quality?  You know that you can trust their products, and they never let you down?  Well, for me, one of those brands is AVEENO.  Because I have skin that is really sensitive, I have used various AVEENO products over the years.  Body bars, oatmeal baths, cleansers, moisturizers, you name it.  When I found out I had a chance to try a new AVEENO product, I was really excited.

 

As part of the Influenster program, I was selected to try the AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream.  I am a big fan of night creams for several reasons.  First off it forces me to take off my make up.  I have a terrible habit of sleeping in my make up, which is terrible for my skin.  In order to moisturize, I first must cleanse.  So, the whole process is making my skin healthier.  Secondly, night moisturizer helps keep my skin soft and smooth.  I moisturise during the day after I cleanse, and doing the same thing at night just makes sure my skin remains clean and nourished as I sleep.

Some of the amazing things about AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream include the fact that it is oil free, which means my face left moist but not greasy; it contains B3 and soy complex to help nourish my skin; it helps even my skin tone and reduce blotchiness, which is problematic for me; it works at night, so I am getting real beauty sleep!

In terms of products, AVEENO is a brand I consider to be cost effective.  Priced moderately and available in most drug stores and departmental retailers, AVEENO Positively Radiant is available to a lot of women.

I am really pleased with the results so far, and I know the more I use the Intensive Night Cream, the better the results will be.  I use the Positively Radiant at night, and still look radiant in the morning.

Maybe this cream will inspire my unconscious and motivate me to pursue a radiant dream.  My radiant dream? To finally write a book.  What would your radiant dream be?

Disclosure Statement:  I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.   

Review: Magic BB Cream from L'Oreal

I recently had an opportunity to try the new Magic BB Cream from L'Oreal.  I started wearing makeup in junior high school, and back then the prevailing mentality was that if you were going to wear makeup, you needed to wear foundation to protect your skin.  Beauty products have changed a lot over the years, mostly for the better, and now, we have options regarding what type of coverage we want.  Because my skin has an uneven tone and color, I most often still opt for a light foundation.  It just helps me get a more even look.  However, because my skin is so dry, it almost always looks like I am wearing makeup.  I am never able to achieve that dewy, fresh faced look.  This product really appealed to me, in the hopes that I could finally get that look.

Magic BB Cream says it primes, perfects, hydrates, and corrects.  Sadly, I found it lacking in all those areas.  If something is a primer, to me, that says it can be worn under regular foundation.  However, when I tried this, my makeup looked very thick and caked on.  I only used a small amount of the Magic BB cream, as well as a small amount of foundation, but it still looked like I was wearing stage makeup, not a good look.  Since the product claims to hydrate, I also tried using it without first moisturizing my skin; once again, the results were disastrous.  My skin looked so dry, and the pigment in the Magic BB cream was concentrated on those areas of dry skin, so again, I looked like I was wearing a lot of makeup, despite the fact that this is a minimal coverage products.

I found that the best way for me to use this product is by first moisturizing my skin as I normally would, then using Magic BB cream in place of foundation.  However, those claims to perfect and correct were also a let down to me, so I need to use spot corrector and undereye concealer, as well as powder.  And the results?  Well, they look the same as when I wear foundation.  The big difference is I feel like I am not wearing makeup at all.  And that is certainly a plus.

I think one of the reasons I ran into so many problems is that I chose the wrong color of Magic BB cream.  I have fair skin; I always use a fair foundation and the lightest concealer.  So, it stood to reason that I would need the lightest shade of Magic BB cream.  When I opened it to use it, however, the cream is nearly white. It is very light, and I think that is the reason it fails to even my skin tone and cover up imperfections.  While this is no fault of the product itself, consumers to need to be aware how very light (white really) the shade is in order to properly match their skin tones.

In summary, I think this product has a lot of potential for some women, but I just do not think it was a great match for me.  I think L'Oreal foundation is probably better suited to my coverage needs than the Magic BB Cream.

Note: I received a complimentary product courtesy of  SheSpeaks and L'Oréal for review purposes.  All opinions are honest and original.

Influenster Review: NYC Liquid Lipshine

Yesterday, I received a package from Influenster, because I had been selected to receive a product from NYC New York Color.  I really like NYC makeup, I have several of their products in my makeup bag.  The makeup looks nice, and is very affordable.

When I opened my package, I was excited to see that I had received a tube of clear Liquid Lipshine.  Anyone who has had a chance to peek in my purse will tell you that I love lip products.  I love them so much, I now keep a little makeup pouch full of lip products in my purse.  I am not ashamed to admit it contains about 25 lip products, including lipsticks, stains, glosses, and liners.  That is some serious pucker power in that pouch.  So, the Liquid Lipshine was the PERFECT product for me to get to try.

I even decided to get adventurous and record a video review.

In summary, this product is affordable, smells great, looks great, and pairs well with other lip products.  Sounds like a win all the way around.  And, I can tell you, after the video, I did not need to reapply the product until I drank a cup of hot chocolate 3 hours later.  Had I not had anything to drink, I think I would have gotten even longer wear out of it

You can bet that this will be staying in my lip product collection!

This product was provided courtesy of Influenster and NCY for the purposes of reviewing.  All opinions are honest and original.

Naturals Voxbox Review: Country Life Maxi Hair supplement

Anyone who knows me knows that I change my hair a lot.  Usually, that change involves changing the color. So sometimes my hair needs a little TLC.  While special shampoos can help, I have found it best to try to improve my hair from the inside out.  That usually means eating a healthy diet and drinking lots of water.  But now, there is something else that can help: Country Life Maxi Hair .

These dietary supplements can help improve the overall health of your hair, skin, and nails.  Two tablets are taken each day.  I tend to take mine in the morning, first thing, with a large glass of water.  Like any supplements, the pills are pretty big, and not exactly pleasant tasting, but with a good drink of water, I never have any trouble.  At a cost of about $17.99 a bottle, the cost is comparable to other supplements, and these can be found in most stores that carry vitamins and supplements.

Over the course of the few weeks I have been taking the supplements, I have noticed a few things.  My hair tends to grow fast, so I have not seen a significant increase in the rate of hair growth.  However, my hair does seem stronger, and more of my natural curl is apparent.  Also, I have a tendency to lose a lot of hair with each washing/combing, and I have noticed a reduction in the amount of hair lost since starting the supplement.  But by far, the greatest change has been in my fingernails.  They are growing so much faster now, and are stronger.  They split and break significantly less that they did before I started the supplements.

The only negative side effect I have seen is that the color of my urine changed to a bright fluorescent yellow.  I know that it sounds a bit odd, and kind of gross, but it could be alarming to someone not prepared for it, so I thought I would mention it.  Increasing my water intake helped reduce this.  Other than that, I have only seen positive results from this supplement.

See all my Naturals Voxbox photos on Flickr and my Naturals Voxbox board on Pinterest!

Disclaimer: I received a complementary sample from Influenster for the purposes of testing and reviewing the product.  All opinions are original and honest.

Naturals VoxBox Review: LypSyl Intense Protection LypMoisturize

One of my least favorite things about the cooler weather of autumn and winter is the fact that my lips get dry and cracked.  I have always been obsessed with lipstick, gloss, and balms (seriously, I carry at least 20 lip products in my purse at all times), but when my lips are cracked and sore, it hurts to wear any pretty products on my lips.

The solution to this is Lypsyl.  Lypsyl is an intense lip moisturizer made out of Swedish beeswax.  Which means it is a natural product.  As more and more consumers become conscious of what we put in and on our bodies, it is wonderful to have a natural product for your lips.  The product is also made with shea butter and coconut oil, which means is smells great.  And best of all, it is not tested on animals.

I am loving so much about this product.  It goes on nice and smooth, without making my lips feel greasy.  I feel like the moisture is really sealed into my lips, and they feel soft and supple all day long.  I use the balm as part of my daily beauty routine, as well as carry it in my purse.  I will say, I rarely need to reapply, because the balm works so well all day long.

One of my favorite aspects of the balm is the shape.  The tube is an oval shape, and I feel like it really covers my lips better and with much less mess or waste than traditionally round shaped balms.  And the balm is pushed up in the tube by a little slide on the side in the shape of a bee, a truly cute added detail.

Retailing at around $3 a tube, I think this product is extremely affordable.  And for that price you are getting a product that feels like luxury.  And who would not like a little luxury for her lips?

To learn more, find Lypsyl on Facebook and Twitter.

See all my Naturals Voxbox photos on Flickr and my Naturals Voxbox board on Pinterest!

Disclaimer: I received a complementary sample from Influenster for the purposes of testing and reviewing the product.  All opinions are original and honest.

Naturals Voxbox Peek: GeoDeo

As I mentioned, I was chosen to review products in the Influenster Naturals Voxbox.  One of the items in the box that I got to try is the natural deodorant, GeoDeo.  Soon I will be writing a full review on GeoDeo, but in the mean time I wanted to give you all a sneak Peak of the product, and tell you all some exciting news.

The GeoDeo I received is the "Island" scent.  I will be giving lots more info soon in a full review.  In the mean time, for those of you interested in trying this natural deodorant for yourselves, I have an amazing opportunity for you all.  If you purchase a GEODEO Deodorant from drugstore.com, you will receive a FREE MOISTSTIC Lip Balm!! Yes, that’s an absolutely free product with purchase. 

WHERE: Drugstore.com
WHAT: FREE MOISTSTIC Lip Balm with purchase of one GEODEO Deodorant!
WHEN: Now until 10/17/2012
HOW: Enter Promo Code “geodeogwp” at checkout!

This is a great opportunity to try a new natural product and get a free product to boot.  (Just so you know, I do not receive any compensation for anyone redeeming this offer, I simply wanted to share it with all my readers!).

Remember you can view photos of my Voxbox contents here, and I started a board for it on Pinterest as well!


Disclaimer: I received each product compliments of Influenster for testing purposes.

Birchbox Favorite Review: stila sparkle liquid eyeliner

This month, the Birchbox was inspired by Gossip Girl.  I have never watched that show, so a lot of the "wow" factor on the box was lost on me.  It was just any other Birchbox as far as I was concerned.  But I knew what my favorite product was going to be as soon as I opened the box.  Hands down, I was most excited about the eyeliner from stila.

The shade that I received was called Flash, and it was sort of a glittery gold color.  While this was probably not the best shade for my eye color, I tried it out, and was pretty happy with the results.

First off, the eyeliner is waterproof.  This is a huge bonus for me, since I have eye allergies.  There is nothing I hate more than freshly applied eye makeup smearing because my eyes start watering.  The eyeliner went on very easily, and I was able to control the applicator easily to determine if I wanted a subtle, thin line or a bolder, thicker line.  While the eyeliner is glittery and shimmery, it is very subtle, so it works well with a matte eyeshadow as well as a more glittery eyeshadow.

All in all I am extremely happy with this product.  The sample was a full size eyeliner, making the cost of this month's box a total bargain.

Birchbox Favorite Review: amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask

Loyal readers will remember that I like to change my hair.  A lot.  Different colors, different cuts, I am never scared of taking a risk.  It is only hair, it will grow back, right?  Well all this experimentation can cause a bit of stress on my hair.  Which is why I am always looking for great products to help my hair destress.

Birchbox really delivered this month, with the sample of amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask.  The mask is a weekly deep treatment; there is a difference after one use, and multiple uses helps to strengthen the hair.  It contains Morrocan Oil, which is so good for your hair, and smells completely amazing!  I was really excited that the sample contained enough for about 4 applications.

After the first application, I did indeed notice that my hair felt silkier, and had less fly aways.  Now I have used it three times, and last Saturday I had one of the best hair days I have had in months.  My hair feels stronger, it tangles less, and is more manageable.

I think this is a fantastic product, and love that Birchbox allowed me the opportunity to try it.


 

Review: WRRYFree Skin Care

I recently had an opportunity to review some products from a company called WRRYFree Skin Care.  I am kind of in love with this company for several reasons.  First off, the company is Pittsburgh based; I am all about supporting local business, and I consider myself a Pittsburgher at heart, so you know I love any chance to rep my town!  The company was founded by William R. Reynolds Young, a young entrepreneur with a good head for business (and all around cool dude that I met through the Pittsburgh social media community).  So, not only do I get to support a 'burgh based business, but one run by a young person?  Double awesome!

But probably the best part of the business is the content of their products.  The products are marketed as "Clean, Safe, and Effective", which means we do not have to worry about the effects of the products.  Partner that no worry with the founder's initials, and you get WRRYFree Skin Care.

I mentioned on Twitter that I had sore skin on my nose after suffering a cold from the 7th circle of Hades last month, and WRRYFree Skin Care told me that one of their products would help.  They sent me some samples, and let me tell you, it was love at first smell.  I swear, these products are so clean and fresh smelling, it is like springtime in a tube!

I received samples of four different products, so I will talk about each one individually.

First up was the Climb On! Bar, a lotion bar that is so safe you can even use it on newborns and dogs.  This bar is best used on small areas.  I first tried this on my heels, which tend to get dry and cracked.  It really worked well.  This is a fabulous all natural and cruelty free option for people who need intensive therapy for their skin.  I also used it on my cuticles today, and already I can see a difference.

Next was the Climb On! Creme'.  This is a formula similar to the bar, but in an easier to use lotion.  Once again, I found myself loving this product.  I thought it was easier to use that the bar, simply because it was easier to spread on my skin.  It still provided intensive moisture therapy!  No artificial scents or colors means it will not irritate my sensitive skin, yet it still smells heavenly because it contains natural essential oils.

Next up is the Lip Tube.  Of all the WRRYFree Skin Care products I have tried, this is, by far, my favorite. This is basically the same formula as the creme, but in chapstick tube form.  Again, a really clean and fresh scent.  Like many people, my lips get dry and cracked in the winter.  I started applying the Lip Tube several times a day, and my lips are now moist, soft, and totally healthy.  This product also can be used to heal "tissue nose", the problem that plagued me after my terrible cold.  Using my finger, I would apply a tiny bit of this to the dry, cracked skin on my nose, and it truly worked wonders!  This is one of the best lip balms I have ever encountered!

The final product I tried was the Mineral Sunscreen.  Of the products I tried, this is the one I have not had much opportunity to use.  The Sunscreen has an SPF of 30, and is safe for babies over 6 months.  It contains some organic ingredients, and like any sunscreen needs to be reapplied during prolonged sun exposure.  This one does not have as much of a scent as the other products, but I do love the fact that it totally absorbs into your skin so that you are not left feeling greasy.

All in all, I am beyond pleased with these products, and fully intend to try some of their other products soon (I am super intrigued by their Bast! Spa Line).  These products are all great for those people who want more natural products, people with sensitive skin, and pregnant or new mommies, simply because the products are so naturally derived and safe.  I really recommend that if you are looking for ways to make your beauty routine more natural and pure, check out WRRYFree Skin Care!

Birchbox Favorite Review: Dermalogica Microfoliant

As I mentioned, I plan on reviewing my favorite product or products from my Birchboxes.  Since today is the last day of February, I thought I should get cracking on my February favorite.

I am a sensitive person, to the point where even my skin is sensitive.  Seriously.  Harsh soaps can really do a number on my skin, heck even many powdered laundry detergents irritate my skin (not a problem with my homemade detergent however!!), so I really have to pay attention to how products affect my face.  It is almost inevitable that Winter brings on the dry, flaky, cracked skin.  This winter has been mild, yet still the face on my skin got so dry.  Nothing seemed to be helping.

I knew my problem; I needed to exfoliate.  But with sensitive skin, this can be tricky, and often results in even drier, and now angry red, skin.  So, you can imagine my excitement when I received in my Birchbox a sample of Demalogia Microfoliant.  This is a dry powder that you mix with water to form a gritty paste.  You rub it into the your face with your fingertips for about 60 seconds, and wipe clean.  The result is brighter, exfoliated skin.  But would it work on my touchy t-zone?

The first thing I noticed was that it does not take much of this product.  I was sent a sample of almost half an ounce, and three weeks later I have barely made a dent in it.  When you use your wet hands to make the paste, it feels slightly gritty, but as you massage it with wet fingertips, it forms a nice foam.  There are no artificial colors or fragrances, a huge bonus for me because of my skin sensitivities, but it does contain tea tree oil which gives it a light, clean smell.

I noticed a tremendous difference after just one use.  My skin felt smooth, soft, and energized.  I moisturized and my skin felt dewy (not oily or greasy) all day.  My makeup never dried, flaked, or cracked at all.  This stuff is amazing!  After multiple uses, I noticed my skin was clearer, and my pores were less noticeable.  Now that my skin is in much better condition, I only use this product every other day, in part to make my sample last longer, and in part because I do not want to over exfoliate my skin and cause irritation.

This is a fantastic product that works well for me, and I would highly recommend it.

I reviewed this product through a sample service for which I pay.  I was in no way compensated for this review.

Birchbox

I am a girly girl.  I was not always, particularly as a kid, but as an adult, I love girly things, things that are pretty and smell good, awesome products for hair and skin, things that make you look and feel better.  Unfortunately, because I am so busy reading books most of the time, I never have time to read magazines.  This means I do not get to learn about new and innovative beauty products unless I hear about them from a friend.  I decided I needed to change this.

One of the latest trends are sample subscription services.  You pay a monthly or annual fee, usually pretty reasonable, and you get sent monthly samples of products.  I have seen these subscription services for both beauty and food products, and I am sure other types of products have them as well.  I decided I wanted to try one out, to see if it was worthwhile.

After looking around, I decided to try the Birchbox.  First thing first, the fee is $10 a month, and no shipping charges.  Your box contains about 5 product samples.  And these are not just any old drugstore beauty products, these are luxurious, premium beauty products.  Also, they do not just ship you these samples and say, off you go.  Their website is packed with information about all the samples, including videos and tutorials.  You can shop for the products from the samples right on their website as well; the shopping sections includes thorough information about each product.

Yesterday, I got my first Birchbox.  I was really excited!  When I saw the pink shipping box on my doorstep, I may have squealed a little.  I opened the shipping package, and saw the box inside.  As I opened it, I felt like I was getting a present, it was so nicely packaged.  And the samples, oh my!   Already, I am in love!  My box contained products worth well over my subscription fee.  And because I filled out a beauty profile on the website, my box contained products specifically for me.  Some products are sent to all subscribers, and some products are customized.

I have decided to review a couple of the products I get each month, so keep an eye out.  In the mean time, consider this a glowing review of the Birchbox program.  If you love beauty, and love to try to new products, I highly recommend you join Birchbox.  It is well worth the monthly fee.