Influenster Spring Box!

Hey guys- its that time again- time to tell you all the goodies I got in my spring VOXBOX.  I am going to do individual reviews but I thought that I would just tell you what came inside my VOXBOX and link the individual reviews so you can pick and choose what you want to read about!  You should check out Inflenster.com if you are interested in trying out new products in exchange for an honest review.  Its been really fun and it's introduced our family to some fun new things! 




#1- Secret Outlast completely clean clear gel deodorant and antiperspirant



#2- OSIS+ Dust IT texture Mattifying Powder

#3- imPRESS Press-on Manicure

 

#4- NYC APPLELICIOUS Glossy Lip Balm

#5- TASTYKAKE KANDY BAR KAKES

Tastykake® Kandy Bar Kakes

Ah the tastykake!  Was I excited or what to try these?!  Anyone who knows me at all knows that I like me a good Reese's PB cup from time to time, or everyday- so this was a nice surprise.  I am not a big snack cake person.  I didn't care for the twinkie when it was alive, I don't really like the Swiss rolls- so I may not be the best judge when it comes to these.  

Mine showed up and it was pretty mushed up- hence why I used this beautiful stock image- mine looked like....well- lets just say it wasn't pretty.  I don't know if it was because of being mushed- but my cake was dry.  I think the flavor was good but again- not a huge fan of snack cakes.  Now the kids on the other hand!  LOL- Duncan who is the most gun shy person about new foods dived right in and devoured the whole thing.  Sophie liked it too but she was surprised there wasn't more PB in the Reese's cake.  

I probably will purchase these for the kids again- they LOVED them.  I don't know if they are regional or something though because I cant find them in my Utah Kroger market or Walmart.  We will have to wait and see if this is part of a national launch or what! I hear they also have a York Peppermint Pattie cake which would be up my ally too!  I would say that these are definitely worth a try!  Let me know if you see them locally!

NYC APPLELICIOUS Glossy Lip Balm

So this was probably the most disappointing thing in my Spring VOXBOX.  There are a lot of products like the Maybelline Color Whispers and the Revlon Lip Butters and I think that this is NYC's answer to them.  They are really just a kitchy lip gloss that has an apple in the center with a hint of color and an absolutely unpleasant smell.  Im sad because I love quite a few of NYC products- their fuschia lip gloss lives in my purse.  This just missed the mark for me.  

This product is awesome for the Bonne Bell crowd that wants a smelly flavored lip gloss.  Actually no, I wouldn't even go there- just buy the Bonne Bell.  It has a super strong fake apple smell to it but when you lick your lips its straight up melted plastic/wax flavor.  I could only leave it on my lips for all of 10 minutes before I just wiped it off. I absolutely DO NOT recommend this.  My seven year old didn't even want this.  She said it smelled like apple air freshener mixed with cough syrup which is a pretty good description.  I saved it just so I would remember to write this review and now its going in the trash.  RIP dear lip balm. 

imPRESS Press-on Manicure

I received the imPRESS Press-on Manicure in the Nicole Scherzinger Signature Series.  (OMG thats a mouthful)  If you look at the picture- I received the second from the left- its a french manicure style with zebra and multi colored tropical flowers.  I have tried imPRESS nails once before when I was on vacation and my mom picked me up a box to try. I decided that I should give these another go now that I am at home and doing my normal day to day routine.  

First off- the nail at that was sent to me is NOT my style AT ALL.  I love bright colored and fun nails but these were just tacky.  If it would have been JUST flowers, or JUST glitter, or JUST zebra, or JUST french manicure- they would have been really cute.  All of it together just looked like a hot mess.  It was WAY over styled.  

The second issue I had- these are WAAAAY short.  My nails are not super long by any stretch of the imagination but these press on nails were shorter than my actual nails.  I had to decide if I was going to cut/file my natural nails in order to wear these.  I opted to find the best fitting nail (which was kind of a struggle too) and then file down whatever natural nail was exposed.  

Next- the artificial nails were not even.  Some of them were straight across- some were more rounded, some were crooked and shorter on one side than the other. I tried filing them with a heavy grit file and in the mean time I filed away MORE of my natural nails.  The really nice thing about the shape of these though is that the edge that is closest to your cuticle is beveled so it looks a lot more natural than other press on nails I have seen.  

Once I got them on and started wearing them- I had a couple more snags.  First off- a very literal snag with my hair.  There is a space between the natural nail and the artificial nail  that you cant get rid of.  Because of that- anytime that I put my hand through my hair- my hair could get caught and even get stuck on some of the adhesive and rip my hair out.  This happened on both the edge where the cuticles are and the free edge.  I imagine if you had sorter natural nails though that it would resolve the issue on the free edge of the nail.  The other issue I had is that because there is a space between the free edge- any lotions or soaps or food or anything gets stuck right in there.  I felt like I had to use a nail brush every hour to get all the crap out in between the nails. 

I think that this product is MUCH better suited for a younger person.  A teenager who has short nails and wants to change it up a bit or has a special event coming up and you don't want to spend a lot of money- PERFECT.  I think these are a great option for when you have prom or a date and you want your nails to look nice but don't want the commitment of acrylics or have the time to paint your nails.  I wouldn't recommend them if you are just wanting to wear them on a day to day basis.  They claim to last up to a week but after two or so days I pulled them off and chucked them. Have you tried imPRESS nails?  What did you think?

OSIS+ DUST IT texture Mattifying powder

I literally squealed with excitement when I saw this little bad boy!  I have been looking at this product and products like it for MONTHS and I have been wanting to try it out but never quite made the purchase for whatever reason.  This is a mattifying powder that you sprinkle in the roots of your hair and then you massage in to add lift and volume to your hair.  It also helps absorb any extra oil that may be living on your scalp.

I have been growing my hair out for nearly three years now.  I have pretty curly hair that is super dry so in order to protect it- I very rarely use heat on it.  That means no blow drying which is the only way I have found to give my long, curly hair volume from the roots.  My hair can some times do the shroom- where its flat on top and voluminous on the sides and bottom- which is NOT cute and I have been looking for a product to help me out with that issue-

Que Dust It Powder!  I only put this on the crown portion of my hair and I just sprinkle the tiniest amount in sections.  I then leave it on my hair for about two minutes then I flip my head over and massage the product into the scalp and the roots of my hair for at least a minute.  When I flip my head back over- I have bombshell volume baby!

At first- this can feel a little tacky or sticky but after a bit- it calms down and doesn't feel so textured.  There is absolutely no scent to it which I love and even though the powder is white- you cant see it AT ALL in my  black hair once its rubbed in.  There are also no parabans, sulfates or silicones in it which is great for my "curly girl method" routine.  I think it you have straight hair that you want mega volume with back-combing- I think you would LOVE this.  I even tried it on Duncan's short spiky boy hair and it was awesome for a mo-hawk look that wasn't shiny or "gelly". I would TOTALLY recommend this product.  I will absolutely be repurchasing this and Influenster even gave me a $5 off coupon for this to use at Ulta! 

Secret Outlast Completely Clean Clear Gel

First thing that I received in my Spring VOXBOX from Influenster.com is the Secret Outlast Completely Clean Clear Get Antiperspirant and Deodorant.  I have to admit that I had a mixed reaction to this product initially.  I usually use the Secret Outlast line but in the past I haven't been the biggest fan of gel deodorant.  It has always left my armpits feeling sticky and I felt like I had to air them out for like 5 minutes to dry.  The thing is- summer is HERE.  I wear tank tops all summer long and don't nobody want to see white on my underarms.  I have worn this for just over ten days straight and I honestly have to say- I really, really like this.  


First off- I received the 1.7 oz container and I have to tell you, I had to turn that dang wheel like 20 times to get the gel to come out at all, let alone evenly- so I was worried that I wasn't really getting my 1.7 oz of product.  Once it was primed though- it only takes 2 clicks per underarm and a little really does go a long way.  The other thing that I was pleasantly surprised with is that if you just rub it in for a good 20 seconds- there really is no dry time!  That was shocking actually.  

The scent is super light which I like.  I don't care for deodorants with a scent.  I don't want to be able to TELL that my deodorant is on or competing with other lotions or perfumes.  So that is awesome.  It really does last all day.  It has a 48 hour claim on the packaging but honestly- Im not about to go 2 days on one application.  Its just not my style.  

The best thing about this product to me?  (secret revealed here and now)  I have been doing laser hair removal treatments on my underarms over the last few months.  I have had great results but it does make my underarms a bit sensitive for a a couple of days afterward.  The cooling sensation of the gel was really nice and it didn't irritate my skin at all.  So that was AWESOME.  If you are looking for something to wear to avoid the white chalkiness of the typical deodorant- I would actually really recommend trying this one out.  This aint your 1980's gel deodorant!  :)