#CovergirlVoxBox

It's been a long time since Influenster has chosen me for a Vox Box, but I finally got picked last month!

The best part? I got chosen to test out some new products from Covergirl, the Plumpify Mascara by BlastPRO and Colorlicious Oh Sugar vitamin infused balm.

 

The Mascara:

I've said before on here that mascara is my favorite type of makeup. I'm not ashamed to admit that I have great eyelashes, and a good mascara only makes them better. This was my first time using a non-waterproof mascara, but to be honest I didn't even notice that it wasn't. It stayed on really well (even when I forgot to take my makeup off before going running). It doesn't get clumpy and gross like some mascaras do, and it dries quickly so I didn't have those funny marks below my eyebrows from wet mascara. I give it 5 stars.

The before and after

The Lip Balm:

Recently I've been liking lipstick more and more. It used to seem like an old lady thing to wear, but after Covergirl released their limited edition Star Wars collection, I jumped right in to the lipstick world and haven't looked back. I bring up lipstick because that's what this is more like. It says lip balm, but it's pretty heavily tinted and wears very well. I would call it more of a "hydrating lipstick" than a balm. I have the "Sprinkle" color and it looks great with my pale complexion!

A big thanks to Influenster for letting me try out these products, I can't wait to test more!

#FrostyVoxBox

I got selected for another VoxBox!

This time it was the Frosty VoxBox! Here's a list of what's inside:

It's a pretty random list of things, but here's a quick review of everything.

Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

This eye makeup remover came at just the right time. I had run out of my usual Mary Kay stuff and so I gave this a try. It does an okay job, but has a hard time removing stuff that's waterproof. It wouldn't even take off the Rimmel Eyeliner that came in the box.

Grade: B

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner

Funnily enough, this is the eyeliner that I was using before my box even came! I love how creamy it is and how smoothly it goes on. Some pencils make me feel like I'm scraping my eyelid off, but this one feels like applying a liquid liner (it's just not as messy!).

Grade: A+

NYC New York Color Expert Last Lip Color (in Sugar Plum)

I didn't think I was going to like this color, but it's just a hint darker than my natural lip color and looks fantastic on! It wears well and doesn't make my lips feel dry and cracky like some lipsticks do.

Grade: A

Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Decaf  Green Tea

This was another product that I had tried before receiving this box. I'm not a huge tea drinker, but I really enjoy Candy Cane Lane when it comes out for Christmas. It's pretty sweet, and the mint flavor drowns out the herby taste of the tea.

Grade: A

Boots No7 Protect & Perfect

I really don't get the point of me getting this one. I'm 21, I really don't need age-defying serum. I put it on but really didn't notice anything except my face felt cleaner.

Grade: C

Fruit Vines Bites (Cherry)

Candy is one of my favorite things, and these little guys were delicious! I would definitely buy more!

Grade: A

McCormick Gourmet Thyme

I really don't know how to review this. I don't use Thyme a lot, but I guess it has a good flavor. It has really pretty packaging too, so that gets points in my book.

Grade: A-

EcoTools Styler + Smoother

This was the one thing in the box that I hated. My hair is naturally frizzy and using this brush just made it worse. I used it one time and it has been sitting on my bathroom shelf ever since.

Grade: F


Overall, I really enjoyed this box and look forward to getting another one from Influenster!

#VSSportsBra Vox Box

* I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.*

Influenster did it again. They chose me to review some super awesome products, but this time, they were fitness related!

Not only were they fitness related, they are from Victoria's Secret, so they are super high quality. When they sent me the email saying I was in to test them, I practically jumped up and down from excitement.

What was in my box:
1 VS Sports Bra (in a weird orange mesh style)
1 VS Sports crop pants (in black)
A whole bunch of 25% off coupons to share with friends!

I'll keep the review short by saying that both of these are amazing! I'm in love with the leggings and I wear them all the time. Even though they're expensive, I would consider buying another pair just because they are that good.

The color of the bra never really grew on me, but it's also super comfy. I would definitely consider buying more VS Sport Bras in the near future!

Thank you Influenster for the amazing box!

Let's Talk About Locklaces

When I first started running, my toes kept going numb. Also, my shoes came untied all the time.The solution to both of these problems? Lock Laces!

What are Lock Laces? They're easy to use, stretchy laces that never come untied! They also keep your shoes on without keeping them too tight, which stops toes from going numb.

The people over at Lock Laces were nice enough to send me a few pairs for free if I blogged about them. I fully believe that every runner should invest in a pair as soon as they get new shoes. There isn't much to review other than the fact that they work, and I love the huge variety of colors that makes it easy to coordinate with your shoes. (Because we all know that is important!)

Since getting my first pair of laces, I haven't had a single problem with my shoes coming untied, falling off, coming "unlocked" or any problems at all.

Surf's Up Vox Box

After my last VoxBox, I was convinced that it would be a while before I was chosen for another one. However, about 2 weeks ago I was sent a link with a survey to see if I qualified for any of the summer programs. I took it and didn't hear anything for a long time, so I kind of assumed I didn't get in to any of them. I was wrong! I got an email saying I was getting the Surf's Up VoxBox and I couldn't have been more excited!

Since my last box only had one product, I was excited to get something that represented more than one brand. At last, the box arrived!

Because there was so much going on, Influenster actually gave us a cheat sheet to keep all our social media needs straight.

Box contents:

• CoverGirl Bombshell Mascara
• First Aid Shot Therapy
• Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion
• Sinful Colors Nail Polish (in Ocean Side)
• Voucher for a Jamba Juice at Home Smoothie Kit

Here's my reviews in the order I tried them!

Sinful Colors Polish

I want to start out by saying I would not have picked out this color for myself. I haven't painted my fingers blue since I was about 14. However, my toes still had on my purple polish from my wedding and it was starting to look rough, and I figured I could at least paint them for an Influenster picture. 

I loved how easy the color was to apply! It wasn't clumpy or thin, and it only needed one coat to be completely opaque. The color even grew on me after a couple of hours! For some stupid reason I keep forgetting to buy top coat whenever I go to the store, but the polish worked fine without it.

In reading other reviews, I have found that a lot of people found it hard to take off. I used the makeup remover I use for my waterproof mascara and it worked fine.

CoverGirl Bombshell Mascara

My favorite kind of makeup is mascara. I currently have 5 different kinds in my makeup bag. I was pleasantly surprised with how well this one worked! It's a two step process, meaning that the tube has two wands, each doing a different thing. 

The tube is really fat, so I found it hard to apply the first time. I got the hang of it, and was able to easily apply it the second time and my lashes turned out great! Definitely would consider buying in the future.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion

This stuff smells amazing. It's like suncreen without the SPF. I'm seriously considering buying a large bottle just to smell like summer all year long.

Usefulness wise, it's also great! It's thin and goes on nicely without making you feel slimy or sticky like some lotions have the tendency to do. I am definitely taking this to the beach in a few weeks to keep my skin hydrated!

First Aid Shot Therapy

Today, I slammed my foot into a door frame pretty hard. I'm actually pretty sure that my pinky toe is broken. I really needed some medical tape to buddy tape my toes, but I had to wait for Zach to bring me some from work when he got home. I was going to take some ibuprofen for the swelling/pain, but then I remembered about this thing, so I gave it a shot.

It was half expecting the Berry flavor to be like that of a Five Hour Energy (which is disgusting). It wasn't quite that bad but it wasn't something I would describe as pleasant. However, it did work really quickly and within 15 minutes my toe stopped throbbing.

(It is not taped to it's neighbor if you're wondering.)

I don't think I would ever buy these, because I don't see the point when I could just pop a pill. Plus the taste isn't all that great.

Jamba Juice At-Home Smoothie Kit

I really love smoothies. In fact, I make my own every morning for breakfast when school is in session. The kit obviously couldn't contain the actual kit to make the smoothie since it was frozen, but it did contain one free item coupon, and one $1 off coupon. I went to my local Kroger and found that they had almost all the possible flavors!

I picked out three because I'm indecisive: Caribbean Passion, Green Fusion, and Orange Dream Machine. The only one I've tried as of writing this is the Caribbean Passion.

To make them, you mix the packet of frozen fruit and yogurt chunks with 8 oz of apple juice. Luckily, my blender has ounces measured right on the side so that made the juice measuring easy. Then, you just blend! The package says it makes 2 8oz smoothies but I just poured the whole thing into my tumbler and drank it. It was absolutely delicious!

The only thing that I didn't like was the price. If I was going to consider buying them in the future I'm not sure I would at almost $4 a piece. The whole point of making smoothies at home is that it should be cheaper. If I wanted a $4 smoothie, I could just go to the actual Jamba Juice on my college campus and have them make it for me.

After completing a list of tasks for these products, I am now the recipient of 3 brand new Influenster badges on my profile! They make me eligible for extra prizes and future programs!

I just got an email from BzzAgent saying I qualified for a product testing campaign over there too. So be on the lookout for more of my product reviews!

*All products in this post were received complementary from Influenster for testing purposes*

#SargentoUltraThin

A few months ago, I joined Influenster in hopes of scoring some cool stuff to test and review. I waited patiently to be included in a VoxBox program, taking surveys and writing reviews. I was finally selected as a semi-finalist and sent a survey about cheese. I guess I answered the way they wanted me too, because I was selected to take part in the Sargento Ultra Thin Vox Box!

It arrived on my doorstep in this box:

Being an advertising major, I love the branding on the box!

The email they had sent me said I would be getting a voucher for cheese (since obviously they couldn't mail it) along with some "other goodies". In it was a super awesome lunchbox, a voucher, and a coupon for a later pack of cheese:

Again, I like the consistent branding theme here!

Influenster has badges, and in order to earn points towards the badges, they give you a few tasks such as taking a picture of the item in the store and posting it on their Facebook wall, tweeting about it, or posting picture on Instagram. During all of these posts, I was asked to use the hashtag #SargentoUltraThin and submit my posts.

I cashed in my voucher for a package of sharp cheddar and snapped my picture when I got to the car. 

I actually started snacking on a slice on the drive home since I was super hungry. They're very yummy and they only have 45 calories a slice! Most of mine were eaten by themselves (I really like sharp cheddar cheese) but I did manage to be somewhat creative once and made some super delicious grilled cheese sandwiches:

I used two slices of cheese on each since they were so thin (and I was eating these after a run so I was starving!) It melted really well and was super yummy!

I would definitely buy these slices and recommend them to anyone who reads this to go try it for themselves. They're lighter than most cheeses and offer a cheese taste on sandwiches and the like without being too heavy. Sargento Ultra Thin slices, you get a thumbs up from me!

P.S. The lunchbox is also great and I use it all the time! It's really well insulated and keeps my food nice and cold!

Brooks Transcend Test Run and Easter Egg Hunt

My favorite local running store, Riverside Runners, had a Brooks fun run last night! They do them fairly often when different companies come out with different shoes, and for some reason I've never gone to one. I had such a blast last night that I'm going whenever I can now!

I'm that person who is awkwardly early for everything, so I wandered around the store for a while and talked to the employees and people. I'm trying to be more involved in my local running community (as involved as my work schedule will let me be) so it was nice to meet some new people.

When the Brooks tent was set up, I got to trade my shoes in for a test pair of the new Brooks Transcend. Currently I wear Asics GT-2000, which is a stability shoe. I have super narrow feet and high arches, and I need a lot of cushioning to keep my feet happy. Standing around for the hour before the fun run, my feet felt great in the Transcends. They are super cushiony and have guide rails along the sides that are supposed to keep you from turning your ankle. They also added about an inch to my height, so that wasn't too bad either. My first thoughts were that I would actually consider buying them the next time I needed shoes because they felt so good.

Before we set out to run in them, the rules of the Easter egg hunt were explained to us. All the eggs had Brooks prizes inside- reusable shopping bags, shoe bags, t-shirts, and the "luckiest egg" even had a free pair of Transcends! We were each allowed two, and they were hidden a half mile in either direction of the store, but we were free to run as far as we wanted.

I set out, and my first thought about the shoes was how much heavier they felt when running. They felt fine when I was standing and walking, but as soon as I picked up the pace, they seemed to make my feet heavy. They do move very nicely, and I kept up a pretty fast pace for my whole four miles. (Of course, it helped that the part of town we were in was pretty much flat.

At the end of my run, I decided that I still might would buy them for long long runs, but for anything else they were just too supportive. They actually made my arches hurt (not sure what was up with that), but my knees felt amazing and they almost always hurt after a road run. They're still on my list for consideration, but not at the top.

I went running today in my shoes, and when I took them off and put my TOMs back on, my arches felt really sore. I'm kind of hoping I didn't cause something by switching shoes for a night.

My two eggs had the papers for a t-shirt and a shoe bag in them. The shirt is super cool! It has the Transcend logo on it and is made of a wicking cotton so I can actually run in it. They also were handing out stickers, freeze-dried ice cream (to go with the space theme), lanyards, and collapsible water bottles. I made the comment to another guy that we were coming home with more free things than some races give, and we didn't have to pay anything!

Overall, I had a blast at the fun run, and met a few new people. I decided that Brooks shoes are something I will consider next time I need shoes, although maybe something less stable than the Transcends.

I'm already looking forward to the next test run at Riverside!

My New Garmin... Kinda

Disclaimer: Garmin did not in any way endorse this blog post. My mom bought the Garmin for me for Christmas. These are my own thoughts on my own Garmin.

For Christmas, I got a Garmin watch. That was was literally the only thing I really wanted for Christmas. I was tired of using the Nike+ app on my phone and having it drain the battery. When I finished my half marathon in November, I started with 99% battery and finished with 15%. I just couldn't take it any more.

So Mom bought me a Garmin for Christmas. It was purple (my favorite) and I really wanted to go for a run right then and there to test it. But I had to pull a 9 hour shift at work instead (I chose to do that for some stupid reason). So a few days later, I finally got to test out my new toy.

I loved it, and it worked perfectly. For that one run. After that day, it never worked right again. I fought with it turning off in the middle of runs, not turning on when it had a full charge, and doing all kinds of weird things it wasn't supposed to do. I was done. I didn't know why people even liked these watches if they had so many problems.

After a month of hating my watch, I emailed Garmin asking them how to fix it. They troubleshot it, but to no avail. Then I got the best email they could have sent. They told me that none of those things were supposed to happen with my watch, especially since it was brandy new (well, duh). But, they were going to do something they don't normally do: replace the watch for free.

Well, yesterday, I got my new Garmin. And immediately I noticed a difference. This one doesn't take 15 minutes to find the GPS simply to get the time. It turns on when it's charged. It didn't act up.
So I took it on a run with me in running class today. It worked beautifully.

Some of the great features of the watch (that I've discovered so far):

• It's lightweight. I don't even notice that I have it on.
• You can customize the screens. When I'm running I like to see time/distance. There are also options for time/calories, pace/distance, pace/calories, etc.
• It comes in tons of fun colors.
• Garmin's customer service is great

The only thing that I don't like is that you can't see what time it is while you're running. You can only see the time that has elapsed.

I am so impressed with Garmin and their willingness to replace my faulty product. Matt from Customer Service, I doubt that you will ever read this, but if you do, thank you for all of your help getting my watch replaced. Next time I ever need a GPS product, Garmin will be my go-to.