Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish Review

I received this Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish in Polar Purple free of charge for testing and reviewing purposes from Influenster.com.

First, this color is fantastic. It's a deep purple that shimmers in the sunlight. The design of the bottle is also great. The magnet is in a separate cap so you can put it over the regular cap and then you don't lose the magnet! Fabulous! The brush is also wonderful. The bristles are nice and thick and a little stiff. This means that application is super easy because you don't have soft wimpy bristles flying all over the place.

I think the effect of the magnet is gorgeous! I will absolutely be buying this polish in other colors!!! I'm thrilled with this product!

Influenster Summer 2012 Beauty Vox Box

I was lucky enough to be selected again for an Influenster Vox Box! Vox Boxes are sent out free of charge for testing and reviewing purposes! It's a GREAT program. You can check it out at Influenster.com.

Here is what was contained in the Summer 2012 Vox Box:

First up, Quaker Oats Banana Nut Bread baked bar. This looks scrumptious!

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner. Ever since I saw the Heidi Klum commercial a few weeks ago, I have really been wanting to try this brand...and now I can!

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen. First impression: Smells great!

Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Shea Butter Cream. I used this after removing my nail polish tonight and it feels and smells great! There is no better cuticle cream than Julep, but this is a fantastic hand lotion!

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish. Being a polish-addict, this is the product I'm most excited to try. I'm glad I got this color-it's gorgeous! The name is Polar Purple.

Always and Tampax Femine Hygiene Products. These come in a super cute bag! There are three unscented daily liners from Always and two unscented tampons from Tampax. I won't be able to try and review these for a few weeks, though... :)

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for a thorough review on each of these products!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips Review

I received these strips in the Spring 2012 Influenster Vox Box free of charge for testing and reviewing purposes. More information at Influenster.com

These are, by far, the best nail polish strips I have ever used. They were the most pliable which made it so it was easier to get the entire strip flat on my nail. I have ridges so this has always been a problem for me. However, the Sally Hansen ones follow the natural shape of your nail. I also like that I can remove these with nail polish. One problem I have with other brands is that you have to peel them off to remove them. My nails are already weak and peeling so removing strips that way actually take a layer of my nail with it! That's why I'm so excited to be able to use nail polish for removal!!!

Here is how you would apply them:

1.) After selecting the correct size, peel off the protective layer from the strip. 

2.) Break off the tab and peel the polish strip off the backing.

3.) Carefully apply the strip to the nail, pressing down from the center out to prevent any air bubbles or ridges.

4.) This isn't in the official directions with the products, but I've found the easiest way to remove the excess strip is with a nail clipper. I simply clip it down so it's flush with my nail.

4.) Since the clippers can't get it super straight, use the nail file that Sally Hansen include to file the strip down so it's even with your nail.

5.) Repeat nine more times!

There is NO drying time so you're ready to go right away! Sally Hansen has over 40 different colors/patterns to choose from. I think these are FANTASTIC and I will be buying them!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Sheer Cover Review

I received Sheer Cover Concealer complimentary from Influenster for testing and reviewing purposes through their Vox Box program. (More info at Influenster.com).

Overall, this is a good product. It is creamy and the fact that they provide two colors is an excellent benefit. This product does provide very sheer coverage, as the name would suggest. Because of that, this product is not for me. I have extremely dark circles under my eyes (genetic :( ) and some purple scarring. This concealer does not do a good job of hiding those flaws very well. However, this would be great for those of you with minor blemishes that want a light coverage to hide them. I also really like that it's so creamy. That makes it easy to apply without tugging at delicate eye skin. More info at sheercover.com.

Here are some pics and some swatches so you can see:

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!

Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot Cushions Review

I received a pair of Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot inserts from Influenster.com in the May 2012 Beauty Vox Box free of charge for testing and reviewing purposes.

Despite being a major girly-girl, I rarely wear heels. The sole (pun intended) reason why is that my feet always hurt after a few hours! So, I was THRILLED when we received these Dr. Sholl's inserts in the Vox Box. I tried them out in these shoes:

I selected these particular shoes for a number of reasons: 1.) The heel is a reasonable height for me. 2.) These are CHEAP shoes. I got them for 8 bucks. With heels, you really do get what you pay for so I figured these cheapies would be a good test. 3.) These had never been worn! Again, this was for testing purposes, so I wanted shoes that were still stiff and not broken in.

I think that these shoes were the perfect test for the Dr. Scholl's inserts.

And the verdict is.....

THEY ARE AWESOME!

My feet hardly hurt. Yes, they felt a little sore, but there was no searing pain in my feet like usual! It was amazing!

And now you're not going to believe the next part: I worn heels again the next day! This is unheard of for me! Usually, I'll wear heels, learn my lesson, and will avoid heels for 3-6 months until I'm brave enough to try them again. But thanks to Dr. Scholl's I wore heels two days in a row! Wowee! I need to get a pair of these for all of my heels! (Even though I don't wear heels that often, I still have about 6 pairs!)

Thank you, Dr. Scholl's!!!

Here is the back of the package if you want to know what to look for in the store. :)

Here's some info from their website:

• Helps prevent ball of foot pain
• Immediate Massaging Gel™ comfort for the ball of your foot
• Only ball of foot product made with unique FabuSTEP^® gel
• Prevents toe scrunch
• Stays firmly in place
• Removable without damage to your shoes
• Discreetly fits all women's shoes
  
  http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/products/ForHerBallofFootCushions.jspa

I would agree whole-heartedly with all of the claims above!

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash Review

I received a sample of the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash in my Spring 2012 Vox Box from Influenster free of charge for testing and reviewing purposes.
I've been using the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash daily since I received it 5 days ago.  I probably have about 2 more days left in the sample. This is a really great body wash. I have always liked the Aveeno brand, but I'd never tried their body wash. It has a nice clean scent...kind of like fresh oatmeal...which makes sense since that's one of the ingredients! :) I feel it does a good job of cleaning without drying out my skin--which is very easy to do. I will likely buy more of this since I'm rather sick of the other brand I've been using and I've been quite pleased with Aveeno.

Chapstick Lip Shield 365 Review

I received a ChapStick Lip Shield 365 in my Spring 2012 Influenster Vox Box free of charge for testing and reviewing purposes. I have always been addicted to lip balms and ChapStick has always been one of my favorite brands. It moistens the lips for the long term. I can go for hours without needed to reapply...and any lip balm addict knows that is a very long time! One of my favorite uses is to carry it with me when I've used a lip stain in the morning. Then, I can moisten my lips without interfering with the color from the stain.

The Lip Shield 365 in particular has a very nice citrusy scent.

Here's the application over my natural lips.

Here's the application over Benefit Bene-Tint lip stain in Rose.

Soy Joy Snack Bar Review

I received a Strawberry flavored Soy Joy snack bar in the Spring 2012 Beauty Vox Box from Influenster. If was given to me free of charge for reviewing and testing purposes.

The nutrition facts seem reasonable for a snack bar. It's better than a candy bar, that's for sure!

Ok...doesn't look all that appealing. 

Tastes ok. It's a little sweet so if you're having a minor craving for sugar, this might do the trick. It's a little dry. You'd want to have some water around to wash it down. It does taste "healthy" but I guess that is kind of the point. But, it does NOT have that "healthy" taste where you feel like you're punishing yourself. It was enjoyable!
 

Spring 2012 Beauty Vox Box

Hi everyone! I got my Spring 2012 Vox Box in the mail. The box is through Influenster.com. The products are provided to me free of charge for testing and reviewing purposes. I will be reviewing each product individually so you'll get an in-depth perspective for each one!

Here's what we received:

The first item is a Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot Cushions. They are meant to be worn with heels because that is where all of your weight is distributed. I don't wear heels very much because...my feet hurt! So this is going to be an awesome product to try.

Next up, Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash. I love the Aveeno brand but I've never tried their body wash so this is perfect!

Next, Sally Hansen Salon Effect Real Nail Polish Strips. Press on manicures seem to be all the rage lately. Some brands do it well...others not so much. I really like Sally Hansen as a brand in general so I have faith that these will be great!

Chapstick Lip Shield. Hello, My name is Anne and I'm a Chapstick-a-holic. I can't get enough! This baby is going right into my pocket tomorrow to be put into daily use!

Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mist in Moonlight Path. This smells WONDERFUL. It's a nice light scent that will be good for hot summer days. My only concern is that I am allergic to a lot of Bath and Body Works products. I'm hoping that since this is just a spray that I won't break out in a rash!!

Soy Joy Baked Snack Bar in Strawberry. I haven't every tried this brand before but I have heard good things about it. This has calories: 130, Fat: 5g, Carbs: 17g, Fiber 3g, and Protein 4g. I'm trying to watch what I eat and this seems like it will fit in as a nice snack in my diet. I hope it tastes good!

Sheer Cover Concealer. This is a very lightweight a sheer concealer. I know this because I've tried it before. Unfortunately, I wasn't too thrilled with it the first time, but I will give it due diligence and try it again.

Stay tuned for in depth reviews!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Kiss Press On Manicure Review

Kiss Press On Manicure was sent to me in a complimentary Vox Box.

 

I filmed my attempts. Check them out on my You Tube Channel: youtube.com/annemarielsmith

You can see how much trouble I had, which is the opposite of what Kiss advertises. 

 

Quick Take:
Waste. Better to paint your nails and use a quick dry topcoat.

Usage Tips:
Don't! Paint your nails the old fashioned way!

The Verdict:
No match for nail polish.

I tried three times to get these to look as good as a painted manicure and it was just a waste. It shouldn't be that hard! I constantly do my nails, so I'm no stranger to a quick manicure and this is by no means a quick and easy mani.

Truvia Product Review

I received a nice amount of Truvia to try in my Influenster Vox Box. The Vox Box was sent to me complimentary by Influenster.

Truvia claims to be a replacement for sugar and claims to taste better than its artificial sweetener counterparts.

Quick Take:
Just ok. Not a replacement for real sugar, but slightly better than it's artificial counterparts.

Usage Tips:
Use anywhere you'd use artificial sweeteners.

The Verdict:
Would buy over other artificial sweeteners but not a true replacement for sugar.

I found this product to be similar to the other artificial sweeteners on the marked. I tried it alone and it is just as gross as the other brands. Then, I tried it on strawberries. It did sweeten them a little but it does not taste like real sugar. I could taste the artificial-ness of it. Then, I tried it in oatmeal. I liked it here, but it's still no match for sugar. With that being said, I think it is slightly better than the other artificial sweeteners if their "natural" claims are true. More info at Truvia.com

Influenster Love VoxBox February/March 2012

I was soooo excited to be picked to receive a VoxBox from Influenster this month. If you're not familiar with Influenster, go check out their web site at Influenster.com. It's a completely free box of awesome. Your obligation is that you have to use and review each of the products.

Here is what came in the Influenster Love Vox Box.

We received Kiss nail stickers. I'm very excited to try these out. Nail stickers are all the rage right now! I'll be filming my first attempt at them so make sure to hope over to my You Tube channel and subscribe! That way, you'll be alerted quickly when that video goes live.

We also received a full size box of Stash Herbal Tea. Crazy, right!!!

We received Venus and Olay razor. It has 5 blades and moisture bars. I'm very excited to try this because I trust both the Venus brand and the Olay brand to create great products.  I won't film my use of this because I shave in the shower! Hahahahahaha.

Also included was Truvia samples. This is the main competitor of Splenda. I don't like Splenda at all, so I'm really interested to try Truvia and see if it's any better.

Last, but certainly not least, we received a giant bar of Ghirardelli chocolate. Holy cow! This brand of chocolate is freaking amazing. If you haven't ever tried it, you should stop reading my blog right now and get to a store ASAP. You haven't had chocolate until you've had Ghirardelli!!!

Please subscribe to my blog! I will be posting reviews of each product as I use them.
Thanks for reading!!