If your shopping habits are similar to my own, you like to do research before buying stuff. Sure, that deodorant may claim to stop your pits from leaking like Niagara Falls, but does it actually do the job?

Enter Influenster. This wonderful site gives you the opportunity to both read and write honest product reviews on stuff you’re either interested in trying or have tried. And the cool thing? The more stuff you review, the sweeter your odds are for getting invited to a cool VoxBox campaign (See: Free stuff!) All you have to do is review enough stuff to unlock a badge (5 points per review or Q&A) and you’re in to be selected for campaigns! Easy peasy!

(A cool feature? The Influenster App is available for download on the iPhone and iPad, so you can check out reviews on the fly, while standing there in the store debating on what product to buy! I don’t have either, so I’m hoping a Google Play version comes out soon.)

Of course, my favourite thing about Influenster is that they’re Canadian-friendly. There’s just as many fun and exciting campaigns for Canadians as there are for our American neighbours. One fun one I was able to be a part of was for imPress Manicure press-on nails. It was a product that I wouldn’t necessarily purchase on my own free will, but thanks to Influenster I was introduced to something new. And an extra added bonus? Because I did well during my campaign, I was chosen to receive two more free samples of their product!

Another great thing is that the samples aren’t your run-of-the-mill travel-sized bottles or annoying, hard to rip open foil packets of product – it’s the full-sized, real deal. This is great since it’s so hard to form an opinion on a product when it’s all gone after 2 or 3 uses!

If you’re interested in becoming an Influenster, you should definitely check out their website! It’s super easy, and I love how I’m not bombarded with emails. I only get them when it’s necessary (like for a campaign offer), and so it’s up to me to keep my scores up. If I slack off, that’s my own fault!

Are YOU an Influenster? What’s the coolest campaign you’ve been a part of?

Disclaimer: This post is a part of the Influenster BlogSTAR VirtualVox campaign, where I have the chance to win a Amex g/c in exchange for my reviews. As always, thoughts are my own!