Tag Archives: Influenster

Viva La Juicy

Posted in Influenster, Product Review by

Over the past 5+ years of being in the parenting game, I’ve learned that some things quickly get forgotten about. Laundry. Dinner in the oven. Cleaning the toilets. Basically, life becomes a big bag of Hashtag: Ain’t got time for that.

Of course, there’s the little things that get forgotten about too, like putting yourself together and smelling good. In all honesty, I can’t remember the last time I spritzed myself with a little perfume. Maybe to work? Or on a date with my husband? Either way, the lonely bottle of smelly stuff circa 2005(?) I have got jammed in the back of a bathroom drawer and hasn’t seen the light of day since, well, who knows.

20171201_141722.jpgWhen I was asked by Influenster to give Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture a try, I figured, “Why not?!” Just because I’m a mom doesn’t mean I have to smell like goldfishy crackers when I’m out running errands.

It’s been so long since I’ve spent any amount of time at a cosmetics counter that I don’t even know where I’d start, but thanks to Influenster, I don’t think I’ll have to look very hard once my little sample spritzers of Viva La Juicy run out! With sweet scents of wildberries, vanilla, and jasmine, I was pleasantly surprised by how light and feminine the eau de parfum is! (Bonus points for Kyle also liking the smell!) One little spray lasted nearly all day and not once was I asked if I dumped a bottle of perfume on my head.

To be honest, I don’t think Juicy Couture would have ever been on my radar for perfume, simply because the pink and blingy-gold packaging doesn’t speak to me personally, but I really do love the scent! Call me crazy, but smelling good can make a gal feel 1,000 times more confident, even when dragging a screaming 2-year old around a grocery store. Agreed? ;)

What’s your favourite go-to scent? Fruity? Spicy? Musky? Au naturel?

Full disclosure: I received complimentary samples of this product from Influenster Canada for testing purposes. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Product Review: Bioré Baking Soda

Posted in Influenster, Product Review by

I have battled with acne since I hit puberty. Over the past 18 years or so, I’ve tried almost every remedy under the sun: drug-store brands, prescription cleansers, as-seen-on-TV systems, you name it, I’ve probably used it!

While my acne these days isn’t nearly as it bad as it was 18 years ago, I’m still prone to breakouts if I don’t wash my face on a regular basis. Throw in post-pregnancy hormone swings, and my skin is all sorts of whacky. It gets tiring, but what can you do?

Well, enter Bioré. It was like the freebie gods were looking down on me, because I was sent not one, but two different products to try and test! While my usual facial cleanser was doing an alright job I was still having the odd breakout, so I was curious to see if switching up cleansers would have any affect.

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Bioré Baking Soda Pore Cleanser (L) and Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub (R).

I first gave the Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub a try as it was the most intriguing. Basically, it’s a powder scrub that’s activated by water; you pore a quarter-size amount into the palm of your hand, let it get wet, and then science happens and you have a scrub!

To be honest, I wasn’t a fan of the scrub. It had an odd lemony scent and tingled more than my liking while I washed my face. Also, my face felt slimy even after rinsing the scrub off throughly with hot water. So, how well did it work? Well, for my skin, not so well. I washed with it once a day (my usual face washing regime) for just shy of a week and was broken out more than when I started using the scrub. It was a bit of a letdown and when I saw the price tag at my local big-box retail store I was surprised! Not worth the hefty price, IMO.

After that letdown, I moved onto the Baking Soda Pore Cleanser. While I was preparing myself for more less than stellar results, I’m actually pleased to say that I had better results than the scrub. The scent is pleasant, there was no irritating tingling sensation, and I was able to manage my acne better than the scrub. I’ve been using the cleanser for about three weeks and haven’t had any more breakouts to speak of. The cleanser definitely trumps the scrub!

Of course, the question of the hour is, would I be willing to switch to the Bioré Baking Soda Cleanser from my usual brand? Keeping with the whole “full honesty” policy of this review, most likely not. I don’t think the Bioré cleanser is doing a better job than my usual cleanser at keeping acne at bay, and since it’s about $1.50 more in price it’s not worth it to me.

So, final verdict? Cleanser: Okay, Scrub: Nay. Perhaps someone with a different skin type may have different results, but for my wonky skin it was just alright.

Full disclosure: I received these products for free from Influenster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Make an impact on Influenster

Posted in Influenster, Product Review by

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!