Influenster Jolly VoxBox

 promotional samples 

I'm lagging fiercely here!  Nichole reviewed her Jolly VoxBox two weeks ago.  We got almost the same stuff, but not quite.  This is my first Influenster box, so I was pretty excited when it arrived.  There wasn't any nail polish, but I love Rimmel's Show Off Lip Lacquers and was happy to get a free one.  Here's what I got:

(the chocolates were a box of 6, but this photographed better)

VoxBoxes are sent, free of charge, for honest review.  From what I've seen the stuff is generally a bit random, but I was surprised by this assortment.  Makeup I can absolutely get behind and I'm happy to try anything they wanna send.  I've enjoyed other Skinny Cow products over the years, so a new one is exciting.  The tape is so much more Nichole's kind of thing and the tissues...ok.  I guess the tissues fit the wintery theme.  The tape will be going to Nichole's girls, but I took a closer look at everything else.

NYC HD Color Trio Eye Shadow - Long Beach Sands

back of hand, over Maybelline Baby Skin primer

I think this is the same one that Nichole got, but I'm not sure.  The blurb in the box described this as "high-intensity color", but it's a bit on the subtle side.  It makes me wonder about the other shades in this line.  I'm not sure if this is the best representative, since it's nudes and shouldn't be terribly bold anyway.  When I did a quick test directly onto bare skin, the top and bottom shades were extremely faint, but I like that the highlighter isn't too shimmery.  It brightens without making everything all shiny.  They applied smoothly and without dragging.  I did a quick eye, following the directions under the flap and using the little applicator.  It's decidedly natural, soft, and subtle, but I like it!  I'll be wearing this again, for sure.

over Wet n Wild CoverAll "Fair"

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer - Stargazer

The Show Offs have been available at Walgreens since last summer, but they've recently spread to pretty much everywhere that carries Rimmel.  I'm so thrilled about that!  Like the other shades I've tried, Stargazer has a light, fresh scent and no flavor.  I like that they don't have a perfumey or sticky-sweet scent.  Sadly, I found Stargazer to have a slightly gritty feeling from the shimmer.  The others I have tried were gloriously smooth.  I'll be wearing this again, but I don't like it as much as the other four I have.

Skinny Cow Divine Filled Chocolates - Peanut Butter Cream

*nom*

My first Skinny Cow experience was with their ice cream sandwiches years ago.  They were amazing as diet-friendly treats go, but the high price mostly kept me away.  Their expansion into chocolate candies has followed that theme completely.  I buy their Heavenly Crisp bars and Dreamy Clusters whenever I find them at grocery outlets, but I've never been able to justify their regular shelf prices of around $4 for a box of six.  Still, I was eager to try this new variety.  The first thing you notice when you open a little pack of Peanut Butter Cream Divine Filled Chocolates is the great smell.  It's a day brightener, for sure!  I love that the Weight Watchers PointsPlus value (4) is listed, since I'm counting points again.  If you can muster the willpower to only eat one of the three chocolates in a pack, they're just one point each!  They taste decent, especially if you haven't been eating a lot of sweets.  I made a point of trying one before I started behaving again and I was bothered by the filling's weird aftertaste and odd texture, but I don't notice them quite as much now that I eat less "real" candy.  I can only give them a partial endorsement.  $4 could be spent on a higher quality of "real" chocolate like Weight Watchers recommended back when I was a member, but the single-serve packaging is great for moments when you feel your willpower slipping.  I'll be keeping an eye out for these at outlets and if I see the caramel variety I'll definitely give them a try too.  (note- Nichole's box was past its sell-by date, but mine was only slightly short-dated.)


Ducktape Ducklings - Pink Zebra

This little roll is only 15 feet.  I don't think that's worth the $2-3 shelf price.  The patterns are cute, but this isn't something I'd buy.


Puffs Plus Lotion - 10-count Purse Pack

I did a side-by-side comparison with the store brand tissues I've been using, and Puffs is definitely softer.  I usually buy store brand, but if I had a sore nose from a cold I might get these instead.


Bottom line: My surprise favorite is the NYC shadow!  It's subtle, but in a good way, and it applies well.  The Rimmel Show Off was a bit gritty and I was slightly disappointed, since I love the others I have.  The Skinny Cow chocolates are tasty, especially in the midst of dieting, but have a chemical aftertaste that I haven't found as strong in their other chocolates.  The Puffs tissues were soft and (thankfully) unfragranced.  I didn't try the tape and will be sending it to Nichole's kids.


Polish managed to sneak in there, didn't it?  If you're wondering, it's Sally Hansen Thinking Of Blue and that's decidedly not color-accurate.