Jingle VoxBox

So as you've probably noticed from the lineup of badges on the right, I'm involved with a company called Influenster.  Essentially they send out boxes of various products that they think you would like in exchange for doing various tasks like visiting a company's facebook page, taking pictures of the product and posting it to instagram, creating pinterest boards and writing reviews for certain products.  My most recent box was the Jingle VoxBox.  I received all of these products for free, but the opinions are completely my own!

There was SO much good stuff in this little box.  Going clockwise, I got:  A coupon for free tater tots, Cetaphil moisturizing cream, a Spiderman IttyBitty, Biscoff Cookies (YUM!), NYC City Proof Eye Liner, KISS Last Adhesive, and KISS True Volume lashes and Pure Ice nail polish in Home Run.

Interested in trying Influenster?  Click here to join and start reviewing products to get to your first sample box!!

With the tater tots they wanted us to make "totchos" and share the recipe.  I went super simple with this and cooked them according to the package instructions and just sprinkled some Old Bay on them and they were fantastic!!  (But then again as somebody who was born and raised in the mid-Atlantic, Old Bay is good on pretty much anything.)  They were super quick to cook--just 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  They weren't very greasy at all and were nicely browned and crispy.  For more totchos recipes check out the Kraft Recipes Totchos Hub!

Cetaphil is one of those brands that is well known for those with sensitive skin.  It's super gentle, non fragranced, and pretty much anyone with skin problems can use it.  (I've had dermatologists recommend using it along with whatever latest skin creme they've prescribed.)  This time of year the skin on the back of my hands is super dry.  (Shoveling three days in a row for almost 3 hours in total did NOT help!)  Here are before and after pictures of the lotion's effects after just ONE use.
(lotion before and after picture)
This cream I sampled in particular is meant for those prone to eczema or just very dry skin.  The lotion is not at all greasy and my dry knuckles absorbed it very quickly.  Definitely a winner. 

IttyBittys are basically Hallmark's line small stuffed animals.  There are all kinds--Scooby Doo, Disney, Marvel Comics, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, Star Wars, and (my personal favorite) Rainbow Brite just to name a few.

If you enjoy cookies, you have to try these.  Seriously.  If you like Trader Joe's legendary Cookie Butter, you will LOVE these cookies.  They are very simply flavored (brown sugar and cinnamon) but sometimes simplicity is perfection.  One time my husband and I got them on a plane instead of pretzels and I was in heaven.  I ate my packet on the plane, then my husband's for a snack later since he's allergic to one of the ingredients.  It was such a simple way to make the plane ride a little more enjoyable.  

I'm not very big on makeup.  I only really wear it for special occasions like job interviews and weddings.  So needless to say, I'm still pretty much a novice when it comes to eyeliner.  (I'm good with foundation and concealer though!)  But this eyeliner--seriously, wow.  It was perfect for a beginner like me since I could quickly smudge away any stray marks to make the eyeliner look flawless.  I was able to put it on quickly and it cleaned off easily too!

Okay.  So remember that thing I said about being a novice when it comes to makeup?  Yeah.  The false lashes didn't work out quite so well.  (Possibly because I only had the patience to put ONE lash on because of how ridiculous I thought it looked.)  What I did was I dotted the adhesive along the lash then used the tip to spread it around so there was just enough adhesive.  Then I just tried to lay it on top of my eyelashes.  Part of my problem with false lashes is I just don't like the look of excess eyelashes, and I'm happy with the length of my own lashes.  (I get compliments fairly often on how long they are!)  If I'm putting on makeup, I'm fine with just putting on some mascara and moving on.

A photo posted by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Feb 6, 2016 at 11:53am PST

So the top of the picture is me without any eye makeup on.  The lower left corner is with the NYC City Proof Eyeliner, the lower right corner is with the false lash on just my right eye.  (A tip to getting off all that gunk:  Slather on eye makeup remover with a q-tip, then a cotton round to wipe it off!)

I may not be a fan of makeup, but I'm a sucker for a good nail polish.  This one from Pure Ice is fairly inexpensive, and the color (home run) is a lovely minty green.  I found that two coats was enough for my taste, but could probably use a third coat.  

Moda VoxBox

So I got my latest VoxBox from Influenster!  This one is called "Moda" and I was really impressed by this one in comparison to the last one.  Starting with the box, it was MUCH bigger and heavier than the last one.  (And good job on packing this one--you'll see why in a moment!)  Please note:  I received this box of goodies for free in exchange for my honest opinions on the products.

For starters, the thing that made it so heavy?

The Resource bottle of water on the left of the box!!  (It was packed in a zip top bag in case of leakage.)  It was a huge, 23.7 fl. oz. bottle of water.  It's gimmick is that it has electrolytes from the spring source that's supposed to make it have a "crisp, clean taste."  This is made by Nestle, and I'm not convinced it's any different from any other bottle of water.  I refilled it with water from my refrigerator, and it really didn't taste any different.

I'm always in the market for a new conditioner, so I was excited to see the gold bottle of Clairol's Hair Food Moisture Hair Mask in Honey Apricot (taped shut to prevent leakage.  Seriously, subscription boxes should take note--these people know how to pack their boxes perfectly!)  

Next the little white bottle towards the top of the box--Jergens Ultra Healting Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer.  It's the same great lotion you've always used, with a redesign of the bottle.  I used to use this all the time, but stopped to change things up a little bit.  I don't know if it'll be a permanent change for me, but it's definitely making my chapped hands feel better.  (We had our first freeze this week, and I had lots of dishes to wash at my volunteer job the same day.  Just those two things alone made my hands start hurting!)

I don't wear much makeup, but sometimes I enjoy wearing it to surprise my husband or when we have a big date night.  So I'm curious about the Rimmel London products included in the box--Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara, Moisture Renew Lipstick in Red Alert, and Moisture Renew Lip Liner.  (The lip liner isn't even available in the states, and seems to be new in England.)  I'll definitely give these a try.

Puffs has a new redesigned box, if you can call it that!  They now sell their basic tissues in a soft package, which is essentially a soft plastic box.  This for me is perfect for in the car, since I manage to destroy every tissue box I put in there without even trying.  The tissues themselves are basic--a nice weight, but no lotion so its good for cleaning up small messes, or a mild cold or allergies.  (These are ones I normally buy.  I'm not a fan of tissues with a lot of frills, but if a cold is bad enough I'll spring for the tissues with lotion.)  

It's also getting to that time of year when a mug of hot chocolate sounds wonderful on a cold, rainy day.  So I was excited to get a packet of Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa in my VoxBox.  I usually buy the lower sugar variety, but on occasion I appreciate a nutritional splurge.  And it's Swiss Miss.  I'm sure there are very few people out there who enjoy hot chocolate who haven't tried it at some point.  

Finally they threw in coupons--woo hoo!  They gave me 2 $3 hair food coupons, and 40 cents off a box of Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa.  

Influenster

One other way I love to save money and try new products is to sign up for companies that send you products in exchange for your feedback.  A great one that I signed up for earlier this year is Influenster.  A few times a month they send out a "VoxBox" with various themes.  I got one shortly after joining that had a beach theme and came with samples of "Not Your Mother's Beach Babe" Shampoo and Conditioner, a coupon for a free Jamba Juice smoothie kit,  Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion, nail polish, and a pain reliever shot (like 5 hour energy, but with pain reliever).  I loved everything I received in my box (minus the pain reliever shot, since I can't take OTC pain relievers due to an allergy.)

A word of caution though:  It can take awhile to get a box.  (I think my situation was a fluke since I got in just before they sent out over 5,000 of these boxes!)  How can you get a box faster?  Give feedback on products you love, and answer other people's questions about products you've tried to earn badges.  Answer their "Snap" questions and take part in ANY campaign they offer.  For example, there was one campaign where they wanted you to write eBay guides.  If you wrote 3 of them on needed topics (which they gave everyone a list of), and boom:  You got $20 to spend on eBay and a guaranteed spot in an upcoming VoxBox. I used my gift card towards my most recent Coach rehab... (It was more than $20, but the gift card definitely took out some of the sting!)

Before

After--stains totally gone, and the leather looks amazing!
I also used a brass cleaner on the zipper and the handles.

 Currently there's a campaign where you have to create 3 eBay collections, and if you create all three to their specifications (which really aren't that hard) you'll get $10 to spend on eBay!  

To join, click the link below!!  I am apart of the Influenster Blogger Network, which means that I will be reviewing future boxes I receive.  It costs nothing to join and is a great way to get free products to try out!