Review: Influenster Violet VoxBox

As many of you know (since I've talked about them before and proudly display their badge on my blog), I'm a member of a social community called Influenster. It's a invite-based social networking site where you can unlock badges that align with your passions and help companies by trying out and reviewing products related to those passions. If it isn't clear by the fact that I have a beauty blog, one of my passions is makeup and skin care, and thus I had the privilege of being selected to receive Influenster's Violet VoxBox this fall. This was the second VoxBox I received in the last 6 months (with the first being the Colgate SlimSoft box, which I absolutely loved). Needless to say, I was really excited to receive the box and see what fun products were included for me to try.

Inside, I received 5 products:

1. A Goody Athletique Headband in blue and black
2. A Sally Hansen New Triple Shine nail color in Sparks Fly
3. A SoyJoy snack bar in cherry vanilla
4. A Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spas facial mask and
5. A deluxe sample size of the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo

Not wanting to waste ANY time, I immediately started trying the products.

Unfortunately, I have a minor soy intolerance, so I was not able to try the SoyJoy bar, but even if I didn't have the allergy, this cherry vanilla flavor really didn't appeal to me and so I would have had a hard time stomaching it regardless.

The Goody headband was described as one that provides "hold and comfort so you can be physically active and strong in body and mind," but within seconds I realized I had basically been sent a piece of fabric crap. Granted, I do think I have a funny shaped head and therefore don't usually wear headbands, but this thing literally popped right off my head the minute I put it on and shook my head the slightest bit (remember I'm standing in my kitchen right now, not actually engaging in any sort of physical activity). It also felt really tight and uncomfortable, and had such a wide band that I felt a little silly wearing it. This immediately went into my Goodwill pile. 

Next up, I whipped out my nail polish remover, took off the polish I was wearing and got ready to try the Sally Hansen nail polish they sent me. The color wasn't particularly my taste (a mix between a steel blue and gray with chunky silver sparkles), but I figured it might be a good color for holiday parties or even New Year's Eve. However, this too, was a piece of crap. I tell you I have never encountered a polish that was so thick, gloppy and gooey as this stuff. I tried my best to put on a couple of coats, but the polish simply wouldn't stick to my nails or lay down flat. To get an opaque pigment I had to put a ton of it on, and then my nails looked thick and weird. And worst of all, they didn't dry after 20 minutes, and easily wiped almost clear off my fingers with a tissue. Junk.

At this point, I felt disgusted so I decided to save the other two products I received for another time. Thankfully one of them, the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo I actually DO like, so I plan to do a full review on it soon. The Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spa mask that I received wound up being pretty good -- I got the Red Earth Pomegranate and Cinnamon mask, but I personally am a bit freaked out by sheet masks (see my scary mask-covered face) and didn't feel like the product did anything that special for my skin. If I'm going to sit around looking like a monster for 15-20 minutes I should at least see some dramatic effect when I take the mask off, right? The good news is that this product is natural without any harsh chemicals or toxins and at only $2.49 a mask, it's an affordable one for folks that don't want to spend a lot. I would consider trying other masks from this line in the future to see if I find one that does more for my skin type, but this one didn't bowl me over.

Needless to say, I let Influenster know that I was sad about the crappy products that they sent me, and initially I even took to their Facebook page to see if other folks agreed with me. And that's where I got the encouragement to put this post together, because my friends there reminded me that negative reviews can often be just as helpful as positive reviews (which is honestly what I prefer to write for you guys).

That being said I hope you guys did find this post helpful, if for no other reason than to keep you from spending your hard-earned money on stuff that isn't worth it. If you've tried any of these products, tell me about your experience in the comments below, be it good or bad!

Review: Michael Todd True Organics Pumpkin Nutrient Rich Facial Mask

A few months ago I discovered the Michael Todd True Organics line after watching YouTube's MissGlamorazzi review a product from the line. As a beauty junkie, I am always on the lookout for new products to try, especially when they are organic and affordable, so I was intrigued. Thanks to a 20% off coupon code, I decided to take the plunge and ordered the Acne or Oily Skin Regimen (which I will do a full review on soon), and as a surprise, received a few deluxe size samples of other products to try. One of those products was the Pumpkin Nutrient Rich Facial Mask.

Now, I don't think it's possible to tell you how much I love pumpkin ANYTHING (Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, Trader Joes pumpkin ravioli,  pumpkin pie, etc.) , so I was thrilled to see this sample and give it a shot. I've also been trying to get myself into a routine of doing a face mask each Sunday as part of my pampering routine to continue to help my acne prone and oily skin.

So here I go, slathering on this mask, which by the way, looks and smells just like pumpkin puree (yep, it's orange with some little black seeds in it) and within about a minute or two my face is ON FIRE. What began as a subtle cooling sensation turned into a burning, itching mess. Of course, rather than immediately wash it off (which probably would have been the smart move), I run over to grab the tube and just then notice that the mask has glycolic acid in at. A quick text to my best friend to ask if she'd ever used a mask with glycolic acid and felt like her face was burning off (she replied yes), and I calmed down. Within another minute or two, the burning began to subside and I felt fine.

The tube recommends that you keep the mask on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing (not cleansing) and applying moisturizer (plus sunscreen if you're heading out for the day). In that time, the mask does harden a bit, but not uncomfortably so like you've Botoxed your face to the point of not being able to move it.

And let me tell you, when you rinse this baby off, any discomfort becomes totally and completely worth it. My skin looks more radiant, feels more smooth, my pores look smaller…voila! The best part is that when I used the mask a second time two weeks later (it says it can be used every 1-2 weeks), the burning sensation didn't last nearly as long (or maybe I was just more prepared for it so it didn't bother me as much).

The full size retails for $34, which is a bit pricey if you ask me, but given how much product I received in the 1 oz sample tube, I think I could get about 6 months worth of bi-weekly masks out of it, which means the full 3.4 oz would last you well over a year (and broken down it's then less than $1 per week).

In case you're interested, here's the full list of ingredients:
Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin), Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer Saccharinum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Glycolic Acid (5%), Sodium Benzoate, Glucolactone, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Oil, Xanthan Gum (Polysaccharide Gum), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Cinnamomum Cassia (Cinnamon) Bark, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Powder, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai Fruit) Pulp Powder, Myristica Fragrans (Nutmeg) Powder, Pimenta Officinalis (Allspice) Powder, Rosmarinus Officnalis (Rosemary Oleoresin), Azadirachta Indica (Neem) Oil.

As far as I know, the Michael Todd True Organics page is the only place to buy this stuff, but they do offer coupon codes, sales and gifts with purchase quite often, so keep your eye out for a deal. You can find the Pumpkin mask product page here, and at that page you can also read reviews from other folks and even watch a nice video where a girl demos the product.

If you try the mask, let me know what you think of it in the comments below!