Venus Sensitive Embrace Voxbox

Hi everyone!

I know it has been a while, but for today's review we're going to be taking a look at the new Venus Sensitive Embrace razor courtesy of Influenster.

(**disclaimer: I received this product complimentary from Influenster for the purposes of testing and reviewing**)

 

So what makes the Sensitive Embrace different from other razors? According to the website, it is: 

"The perfect match for sensitive skin, experience a closer shave and less irritation* with 5 curve-hugging blades and 8 times more glide boosters."

• Protective Ribbon of Moisture with 8 times more glide boosters and a touch of aloe for glide*
• 5-blades spaced closer together for a close shave and reduced pressure per blade**
• Dermatologist tested for sensitive skin
• Easy-to-change cartridge

And after testing it, I found that it actually does hold pretty true to its claims. While my legs are one of the less sensitive areas (but still sensitive) for shaving, I tried both shaving with and without shaving cream with the Sensitive Embrace. Both legs had a great close shave, but I found that one that used the shaving cream was literally 'baby smooth'. Typically I find that if I do get a really close shave, my skin gets slightly irritated (and forget about putting lotion on afterwards). The Sensitive Embrace really does have a gliding feel while you're using it, and because I had less irritation, I was even able to put lotion on afterwards without breaking out. I don't have a lot of hair growth in the first place, but I'm finding that I can go even longer without shaving! The kit I received was also great because it came with 2 cartridges and a convenient razor caddy for the shower. You can hear me talk a little bit more about it via my video here:

Montagne Jeunesse Face Mask

I've been having some long days/weeks recently. I decided last night that I needed to take a small break, so I watched the two new Bones episodes then got myself ready for some R&R before I went to bed. I took this as a great opportunity to try out another one of my Holiday VoxBox 2012 items, courtesy of Influenster.com for the purposes of reviewing.

Montagne Jeunesse Face Masks are great little face masks that come in a variety of scents, treatments, and ingredients. They're also super cheap, making for a great girls night. Here is the description I received:

"Montagne Jeuness face masques have been a part of many girl's lives since way back when.  With a huge array to choose from these face masques are jam packed with the most delicious natural ingredients and are bursting with luscious juicy fragrances."

I received the deep cleansing "Clean up Mud" -Aloe Vera and Willow variety. I'm not positive exactly what effect it was supposed to have, so I can't really comment in terms of whether my skin needed it, but I'll give ya'll the walkthrough. If you've ever use a kaolin clay mask, it is very similar in texture. I'd almost call it a clay more than a mud, and it has a greyish tint. The smell is pleasant, not really going too far into unscented or pungent. I think the aloe vera smell is what stands out the most. The package contains a lot for the money, and if you have a smaller face you may be able to stretch it to work for two. It felt fun going on, but I made a small mess trying to apply it, squeeze more out of the bag, then trying to rinse my hands in between rubbing it on my face. It was easy going on, but boy was it a disaster getting it off. It got stuck in all the cracks around my finger nails and my knuckles, and was resistant to being washed off. That was a precursor for what happened later.

 It felt nice and cool on my irritated skin (not used to the crazy weather and cold wind), but as I relaxed for the recommended 15 minutes, I could feel my face slowly turning into rock. By that time I felt unable to move any features on my face without cracking. Most of the areas on my face were completely dry, except for places I was extra generous around. As I rinsed it off it regained some of its moisture, but that also meant it was next to impossible to get it off without scrubbing. In the future I may recommend the use of a washcloth to clean it off, otherwise you'll spend a lot of time splashing in the sink. Once I finally managed to get it off, my skin did feel calmer and softer, as well as more accepting of my moisturizers. 

Beginning: Excuse the mime face

After: Shriveled old mime lady

I was curious what it may do for the pimple I have on my chin, but unfortunately I didn't think it did anything. Which is fine, considering it also didn't make it worse (like many things often do for me). Overall I enjoyed the experience, though out of sheer inconvenience I don't believe I'll get this variety again. I prefer the creamier masks that are more like milkshakes you slather onto your face, just because they're easy to apply and remove and don't get notoriously dry like clay varieties.

I recently bought another brand of inexpensive face mask (BOGO 50% off!), so I will report soon on how the two compare.

Goody Quikstyle Brush

Hey everyone, today's other review is also from my Influenster.com Holiday 2012 VoxBox:  the Goody Quikstyle Brush. Just in case you didn't know, Influenster is an awesome site where you can get free goodies in exchange for reviewing and sharing your thoughts on the items over social media.

I'll admit, I got a little lazy on this one so I made a video review for you guys to watch rather than read, but in case you don't feel like it (which you should!) here's the description I received from Influenster:

Once again, Goody brings innovation to your hair routine! Go from wet to beautifully styled hair faster than ever! Super absorbent microfiber bristles removes up to 30% of water as you style. It's like a towel and a brush in one.

 So in general, the cliffnotes for this product are:

• Pros - Convenient for drying hair quickly on the go, anti-microbial, minimizes exposure to damaging heat and fast air.
• Cons - May not be necessary for people like me who already have a quick dry process in place, I'm still skeptical about the use of a 'brush' on wet hair.
• Conclusion -  Overall, I think it's a great idea. I think it would be perfect for when you aren't doing your hair at home (e.g. at a gym or fitness club where you've showered), but I'm doubtful on whether its something that you really NEED. I'd recommend it most for people on the go or those with thick hair that takes forever to dry.

NYC New York Color Lipshine

 Today I'm going to talk a little bit about another item from my Holiday 2012 Vox Box, courtesy of Influenster.com. Again, Influenster is an awesome site where you can review awesome complimentary items in exchange for reviewing and spreading the word via social media sites.

In addition to some other great items, I received an NYC New York Color Lipshine gloss, in #582 Nude York City. Here is the description that Influenster provided me:

 Keep your lips soft as ever with the NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine. It's pure pigment ingredients create a 3-D gloss effect while Vitamin E provides shine and moisture.  The non-sticky formula creates the ultimate creamy and soft textured feel. Available in 10 on-trend shades from neutral nudes, to berries & fuschias.

I hadn't had any prior experience using the NYC gloss. In general, I've found NYC to be an affordable and moderate quality brand, and good for when you want some random colors that you'll only need once or twice.When I received this, I'll be honest, I just figured "great, here's another lip gloss that will be exciting for one use and it will go in my pile of lip glosses". For the most part, I've often found glosses to be fun and cute for the first 2 minutes of wear, then either vanish completely or just get so annoying I have to take it off. The thing I hate about most glosses is the "sticky" factor. 

This gloss DID NOT have that problem. I don't know if all the flavors are the same, but this gloss had a fun and yummy (but not too sweet!) pina colada/vanilla flavor going on. I smacked my lips a couple time to spread it, expecting them to get stuck together... and that terrible sticky sensation just never happened. It really does do what it says, it doesn't feel sticky and you don't have to worry quite as much about hair getting tangled up in your lips. The gloss has more of a creamy texture, and help up pretty decently against my constant lip rubbing and overall agitation of my lips. Nude York City is a pretty safe nude, and I think that I'll probably be able to wear it most any time. It is a gloss and it has a pretty shiny finish so don't overdo it. I had also received the clear color (#574 City's Clear) in another challenge, which I haven't tried yet. I'm hoping its similar to this one in texture and taste!

Ferrero Rocher Holiday Gift

I have several guilty pleasures, and one of them is Hazelnut cream (e.g. Nutella, etc.). Add rich chocolate and a crispy texture and I am in heaven, which is exactly what Ferrero Rocher is! This holiday season I received a beautiful gift from Influenster.com, the awesome site I'm always raving about that will send complimentary items to selected members in exchange for reviews.

A gift fit for a king!

It really is the "Golden Gift" and I'm still in awe of how beautiful the packaging is on this one; Ferrero Rocher, you've really outdone yourself on this one! Perfect as a gift for those many hosts you may have over the holidays, this box contains 18 Ferrero Rocher chocolates. If you aren't familiar with the brand, here is the description that their website provides:

"A tempting combination of smooth chocolatey cream surrounding a whole hazelnut; within a delicate, crisp wafer... all enveloped in milk chocolate and finely chopped hazelnuts"

Each chocolate comes individually wrapped so they are also perfect for setting out at parties, or for sneaking some in your purse to take to work (guilty!). I am really a hazelnut fiend, so these really hit the mark for me. It also has that perfect combination of creamy and crunchy, since I don't like too much of either one. I do wish the wafer was a little more airy and 'crisp' and a little less 'crunch'. I'm sure no one but me thinks there is any difference between the two, but there are! This particular gift box is fairly generous, and my mother and I have enjoyed sharing them over a hot cup of tea (especially in this strangely cold weather!).

Overall, this was a beautiful and delicious product, and will be looking for them next year to give out to friends and family!

Holiday Goodies!

So this holiday season I received two awesome boxes, courtesy of Influenster.com for me to review. I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and do some reviews, but this holiday season has been CRAZY so I may be slow since I have a lot to catch up on.

The first that I received was the Ferrero Rocher Holiday Treat box, which I must say I was psyched about because it kicked off my holiday feeding frenzy. I'll come back with an individualized review, but here's the opening video for those:

Around Christmas I also received my 2012 Holiday VoxBox, which was another very pleasant surprise. In it I received:

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal

NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine (in Nude York City)

Kiss Nail Dress (#56704 KDS06)

EBOOST (in Acai Pomegranate)

Goody Quikstyle Brush (Half Round Styler)

Montagne Jeuness Face Mask (Aloe Vera and Willow)

and a $25 off Coupon at Sole Society

I'm looking forward to trying all of these out and getting back to everyone about what I thought, I've already tried the Quikstyle brush so I'll be out with a review soon! In the meantime, you can also check out the opening video for the Holiday VoxBox:

Keep an eye out for my upcoming reviews!

NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact

Here's another Influenster VoxBox review! If you don't know, Influenster is an awesome website full of reviews and product recommendations. If you stay active throughout the website and social media, you may qualify to receive an awesome complimentary VoxBox full of new and fantastic products to test out and review!

Today I tried the NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact, which is available at most local drug/cosmetic stores for a very fair price. From what I understand, it also comes in several other color schemes depending on your eye color. This palette is great for doing smoky eyes! The primer is so-so but it helps with making the application easy. The highlighter is more like a white cream shadow; but I haven't yet figured out how to use it. The colors go on smoothly and for being an inexpensive eyeshadow they are pretty well pigmented. I really liked the palette, but it did have some drawbacks. I really didn't like that the excess loose powder floated into the highlighter and primer (it took forever to clean the crap that covered it during shipping). Its also a little bit cold of a color for my skin tone, but I'll still probably wear it for going out at night.