Surf’s Up VoxBox Review ~ Part 2

As I said in my Surf’s Up VoxBox Review ~ Part 1 post, I received a summer-themed Influenster VoxBox a couple weeks ago that contained a Sinful Colors Professional nail polish, CoverGirl mascara, a Hawaiian Tropic after sun lotion, a First Aid liquid pain relief shot, and two coupons for Jamba Juice at-home smoothie kits. I reviewed the nail polish and mascara last time, so now I’m going to review the remaining three items from my box.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun ($2.99)

I spent a lot of time in the sun while celebrating the 4th of July with my family this past weekend, and my skin was already in desperate need of some attention by the end of my first day at the lake. I started applying the Silk Hydration After Sun as I was getting ready for bed each night, and I was amazed at how quickly my skin felt better. The lotion didn’t feel sticky like traditional aloe vera, but it still left my skin feeling cool and refreshed almost immediately after application. I also loved the scent of the lotion and enjoyed falling asleep smelling faintly of coconut and papaya.

I already use Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen on my body and Neutrogena sunscreen on my face whenever I plan on being in the sun for an extended period of time. Now, I’ll be sure to throw a bottle of Silk Hydration After Sun in my beach/lake/pool bag as well!

First Aid Shot Therapy ($2.99)

I don’t really enjoy taking pills and already down three every morning (a multivitamin, an iron supplement, and a daily anti-histamine); therefore, I was thrilled to receive this liquid pain killer in my Surf’s Up VoxBox. Unfortunately, the effects of the First Aid Shot Therapy pain killer did not at all live up to my expectations, but it was surprisingly easy to drink and tastier than one might think.

After carrying the shot around with me for over a week, I finally found the right moment to try it out when I got a headache at work last Monday. I took the shot around 1:00 in the afternoon, and sadly, my headache did not go away until I was packing up my things to head home more than five hours later. I have no way of knowing whether or not the medicine actually played a role in managing or getting rid of my headache, but I do know that the pain killer did not offer me the immediate relief that it advertised. I have read a lot of positive reviews about the First Aid Shot Therapy, so it’s possible that my bad experience was just a fluke. All things considered, I would not recommend this product, but I would try it again if given another free sample.

Jamba Juice Frozen Smoothie Kit ($2.99-3.49)

I absolutely love smoothies and drink them for breakfast several days a week, so I was really excited to receive two Jamba Juice coupons to use on their at-home smoothie kits in my first Influenster VoxBox. Three of my favorite fruits (peaches, strawberries, and mangos) are the main ingredients in the Caribbean Passion smoothie, so deciding on which flavor to try was pretty easy for me. I already used one of the coupons I received to get the Caribbean Passion At-Home Smoothie Kit completely free of charge but am saving the second coupon, which offers $1 off, for when the smoothie kits go on sale in order to maximize my savings.

I decided to blend the contents of my Jamba Juice At-Home Smoothie Kit with 8 ounces of Tropicana Trop50 Orange Juice and a splash of Silk Protein & Fiber Almondmilk. This made approximately two 8 ounce smoothies – one I drank immediately and one I saved for breakfast the following morning. Both smoothies were delicious, but I definitely enjoyed the first one more. Next time I use one of these at-home smoothie kits, I’ll leave the second smoothie in the blender when I place it in the fridge. That way I’ll be able to more easily blend it again whenever I decide to drink it.

I received all of these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Surf’s Up VoxBox Review ~ Part 1

Early last week, I received my first Influenster VoxBox, and I was very excited to discover that it had a beachy, summer theme (as you could probably guess from the name)! Included in the box was a Sinful Colors Professional nail polish, CoverGirl mascara, a Hawaiian Tropic after sun lotion, a First Aid liquid pain relief shot, and two coupons for Jamba Juice at-home smoothie kits. I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, and I have reviewed two of the five items below. I will post a review of the other three products sometime next week.

Sinful Colors Professional Nail Polish in Firefly ($1.99)

To be honest, my first thought when I saw the bottle of neon yellow polish was far from positive. Yellow is not one of my favorite colors, and I’ve never thought that it paired well with my complexion. Nonetheless, I did my best to keep an open mind as I applied three thin coats of the polish to my nails. Having never heard of the Sinful Colors brand before, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of quality and was pleasantly surprised by how easily it went on my nails. Furthermore, it took no longer to dry than most other polishes I have used. Two days later, my nails looked as good as they did when I originally painted them, but I could no longer handle the color and decided to take it off.

I was very impressed with the overall quality of Sinful Colors Professional Nail Polish and shocked to find out that it only costs $1.99 at Walgreens. I do not plan to ever use the Firefly polish again, but I would happily purchase this brand in the future if I found a color that better suits my complexion and style.

CoverGirl Bombshell Curvaceous by LashBlast Mascara ($9.49-11.99)

I have had both good and bad experiences with CoverGirl mascara in the past, but so far I am extremely impressed with the quality of this product. It definitely adds length and volume to my lashes (which are naturally blonde, thin, and short). Applying the Bombshell Curvaceous mascara involves two steps – side 1 (a base coat) is supposed to provide lashes with “extreme volume,” while side 2 (a top coat) is said to “intensify” the look. After using side one the first time, I was already pleased with the appearance of my lashes in terms of fullness and length. Applying the top coat simply made my lashes look darker.

I had read some negative reviews of this product prior to trying it myself, but I think the majority of those people had bad experiences because they were trying to rush the application process. The wand for this mascara is quite big, and it does take a little longer to apply than most other mascaras since it involves two steps. Therefore, I do not plan to use this mascara every day, but I am excited to use it when I have time to put more effort into my make up.

I received all of these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.