Influenster Love VoxBox

I recently signed up for this awesome website called Influenster.com and I was lucky enough to be picked to try out their Love VoxBox. For those who have not heard of Influenster, it's a "community of trendsetters invited to share their lifestyles and show their influence to qualify for personalized product shipments, special rewards and exclusive deals from the brands they love. Members love testing the latest products, giving insightful feedback, and spreading the word on their favorite finds!"


For the last month, I've been trying out the products and I can't wait to share what I thought about each one. In this post, I'm just sharing what products I received and a description of the products. I'm hoping to post a review of all the products soon. So here's what came in my Love VoxBox:

• Gillette Venus & Olay Razor: Gillette Venus & Olay are coming together to deliver a gold standard in shaving with the new Gillette Venus & Olay razor! Olay Moisture Bars help lock-in moisture to your skin, while Venus' five blades shave you close.
• Kiss Nail Dress - Fashion That Sticks: Introducing Kiss Nail Dress, the ultimate nail fashion for tips and toes! Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to 10 days. Available in 18 different styles!
• Stash Tea Herbal Tea Sampler: This sampler features some of Stash Tea's most popular herbal teas. All are naturally caffeine free and made from 100% natural ingredients. Steep for 3-5 minutes at 190-209 degrees, and enjoy!
• Ghiradelli Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion Bar: The decadently rich and creamy 32% cacao milk chocolate in Creamy Devotion delivers an epicurean chocolate experience. Experience a moment of timeless pleasure with all natural Ghiradelli Gourmet Milk chocolate.
• Truvia Natural Sweetener: Truvia natural sweetener is refreshingly uncomplicated, made from the best tasting part of the Stevia plant. Sprinkle this no-calorie sweetener on your grapefruit. Spoon it in your coffee. It won't end up on your conscience or your thighs.

I'll be posting my first review in the next few days on the Gillette Venus & Olay Razor. If you're interested in signing up for Influenster, click here to find out more about the program!


Love, Amanda


Disclaimer: I received these products to test for free through the Influenster VoxBox program.

In's and Out's March 31

Photo Credit: http://fuckyeahflowers.tumblr.com/post/230327378

I originally wanted to do a weekly In and Out post and I've been really slacking on it. I decided that I'm going to try to start doing it every other week instead. So here are my In's and Out's for the last two weeks.

In's

1) Floral Candles - Spring is here! To celebrate the season I've been burning some of my favorite floral candles. Some of the scents I'm loving are Slatkin & Co's First Bloom, Candle by Victoria's Honeysuckle Jasmine, and Yankee Candle's Garden Hideaway.

2) Free Samples - I love to try out new products so I'm always signing up for free samples. I have a little container in my room I keep them all in so I can find them easily. I've found a lot of things that I like and ended up buying through samples.

3) Friday Fish Fry - Every Friday during Lent one of the churches in my town has a fish fry and almost every Friday so far my family has gone to get take out from there. My favorite is their fried shrimp. The batter they use is so good.

4) Spring Cleaning - As soon as the weather starts warming up, all I want to do is open my windows and start cleaning. I have been cleaning and organizing my room constantly the last few weeks. Now I'm ready to move on to the next room.

5) Reading - My favorite thing to do is light a candle and curl up in my bed and read. I've been reading like crazy this month. I've already read 6 books and I'm trying to finish my current book today so I can make it 7.

Out's

1) Flannel Sheets - After the first nice day we had this month I decided it was time to change the sheets on my bed. Off came the snowflake flannel sheets and on went the bright pink cotton sheets.

2) Bulky Sweaters - I'm so excited that it's finally time to put away my heavy sweaters and start bringing out my t-shirts and tank tops.

3) Injured Pups - My poor Baxter Brown started limping about a week and half ago and none of us knew what was wrong with him. The vet said he probably just pulled a muscle with how much he runs around. He finally seems like he's doing better and is back to running around full speed.

4) Hangovers - Last Friday my sister had a party to celebrate her 30th birthday and I consumed a little too much vodka. Well the next morning I was definitely not feeling 100 percent. Boo to hangovers!

5) Allergies - As much as I love that Spring is finally here, I hate what it does to my allergies. Every year when the weather starts to change I end up getting sick. I can already feel it coming on, the sore throat, the headache, the sneezing. Me and my allergy meds are about to become best friends.

What are your current In's and Out's?

Love, Amanda

February Favorites

This post is really late but I decided to post it anyways. Better late than never, right? Here's what I was loving in February:

1) Slatkin & Co. First Bloom 3-wick candle - I mentioned in my Bath & Body Works haul that my mom bought this on a recent shopping trip. One day she had it burning in the living room and I fell in love with it. Well after that I snuck it into my bedroom and claimed it as my own. It really reminds me of the perfume I wear, DKNY Be Delicious. I think it's the apple blossom that is listed as one of the notes. I'm thinking about getting the Wallflower in it next time I'm at Bath & Body Works.

2) Milk Duds - I'm clearly obsessed with the combo of chocolate and caramel. In January I was eating the Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters and now in February I was chowing down on Milk Duds. I'm sure March will bring a completely different chocolate/caramel candy but I wouldn't have it any other way.

3) Cookie Cake from Mrs. Fields - On February 3 I celebrated my 23rd birthday by going to Red Lobster with my family and then going out to the bar afterwards. I'm not really into birthday cake, which my family thinks is crazy. So instead my parents got me a cookie cake from Mrs. Fields and oh man was it delicious. The one my dad got was huge and I only shared about half of it with my family and friends. I was eating chocolate chip cookie cake for the next 4 days for breakfast, after lunch, and as dessert.

4) Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen - I've been listening to this song like crazy. It's just so catchy and puts me in a good mood. I saw someone post a link to this video on Facebook and watched it. The video is made by Carlos from Big Time Rush (who are my guilty obsession) and has Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Ashley Tisdale and a bunch of other people in it. I'm not really that into Justin Bieber but I really like Selena Gomez and Ashley Tisdale. The video is super fun and it totally makes me want to have a dance party of my own. I think the best part is when Ashley blocks the kiss between Selena and Justin.




5) mark. Nailed It Trend Mini Lacquer in Sure Fire - Every few months mark. puts out a set of two mini nail polishes. This color is from the set they released for the holidays. My nails were bare for most of the month but I had this polish I had on my nails at the end of the month. It's a really pretty metallic berry color.

6) Candles by Victoria Grape Soda Scent Shot - When I didn't feel like burning a candle, I had this melting in my tart warmer. It smells like a candy grape flavor and what I assume is Victoria's "Fizzy Pop" scent. I love how you can smell the bubbles when it's cold. Every time I burn this it's makes me want Faygo Grape pop.

7) The Sims 3 - For about a week at the end of the month I was addicted to playing The Sims 3. Anytime I start playing this game I get sucked in and end up losing hours of my day. I'll start playing around 1 in the afternoon and all of a sudden it will be 8 at night.

8) Fuzzy Pink Slippers - I bought these at Target in January because I needed a new pair of slippers that I could slip on quickly. They were on clearance for around $5. They're really soft and fuzzy. The only thing I don't like about them is there's always stuff stuck to them like other little fuzzies and small pieces of paper.

9) Witch Hazel - I've been using this for about a month as an astringent after I wash my face. At the beginning of the month my forehead was breaking out a lot and now it's almost completely clear. I like how after I use it my skin feels tighter. It kind of has a weird smell but it's worth it because it makes my skin look so much better.

10) Nivea A Kiss of Milk & Honey lip balm - I had been wanting to try a Nivea lip balm for awhile and finally decided to buy it when I had a coupon for it and it was on sale at CVS at the beginning of the month. I really like the consistency of this lip balm. It goes on really smooth and it's not waxy or greasy. I really like using it under my lip gloss or lipstick. After I finish it up I think I might try the Nivea A Kiss of Moisture lip balm.

What were your favorites for February?

Love, Amanda



Bath & Body Works Collective Haul

I've gone shopping at Bath & Body Works twice in the last two weeks. I went on January 28 then I went back yesterday for the Valentine's Day party. Here are the things I bought on my two visits.


January 28 Shopping Trip:

We went to the store this day because they had their promotion going on where the 14.5 oz. candles are 2 for $20.


Spring 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle (normally $19.50) - I got this candle for my bedroom. Here's the description from the bottom: "Like a dream of walking in a lush garden with tulips in full bloom, sweet apple blossoms, yellow daisies and daffodils."
First Bloom 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle (normally $19.50) - My mom got this one for herself. I'm sure she'll end up putting it in the living room. Here's the description: "Like the first tender blooms in the garden, a delicate blend of dewy pear, peony petals and water lotus with sweet apple blossom."
Tulip 3-Wick Candle Sleeve ($6.50)- My mom got this to put her First Bloom candle in.


I think my mom got a few other things like a mini body spray in Cherry Blossom but I don't know where she put that stuff.


February 11 Shopping Trip:

Like I said in my post from yesterday, Bath & Body Works had a Valentine's Day Party so my mom and I had to check it out. Here's what I bought:


Coconut Lime Breeze Body Lotion ($10.50 value) - I had a coupon to get a Signature Collection product free when I spent $10. I spent $12.50 on a pair of socks and two mini candles so this is what I picked out for my free product. I got the shower wash and triple moisture body cream in this scent for Christmas but I got the body lotion for the summer when I want something lighter than the body cream. I love this scent. This is what they replaced Coconut Lime Verbena with and I think I like this one even better. The scent description on the bottle says: "a fresh blend of coconut water, lime blossom and bergamont inspired by a tropical breeze of exotic fruits and luscious citrus."
Green Zebra Shea-Infused Lounge Socks ($7.50) - I'm in love with these socks. I have two other pairs of them, a teal and white striped pair that were in my stocking this past Christmas, and a multi colored polka dot pair that my sister bought me for Christmas two years ago. This might be my favorite pair because I'm animal print obsessed. The website says they're "scented with the fragrance of fresh cotton" but I don't smell anything. Oh well, I still love them because they're so soft and cozy.
Bahama Fizz 1.3 oz. Mini Candle ($3.50 or 2 for $5) - My mom wanted some of the mini candles to put in our bathroom so I picked up two of them. The mini candles used to be packaged in a hard plastic container but now they're in glass containers. People must have complained that the plastic melted or something but I never had a problem with them. That's okay though, I like the glass containers better. The description: "Refreshing and delicious - a sparkling cocktail of fresh kiwi, island banana, and orange flower infused with spiced rum."
Aloha Vanilla 1.3 oz. Mini Candle ($3.50 or 2 for $5) - I wanted to buy two candles of Bahama Fizz and thought that's what I grabbed but when I got home and opened my bag I had this one. That's okay though because I like the scent of this candle as well. The description: "Imagine the warm, sweet breeze on a deserted beach - sweet mango, coconut, creamy vanilla & lotus flower."
Coconut Lime Breeze Supercharged Body Scrub ($14.00) - I get these little bumps on my upper arms and they really bother me so I'm always looking for a good body scrub. This one seems like it could work well. It has sugar instead of salt, which I like because salt scrubs tend to irritate the bumps instead of getting rid of them. I also really like to use body scrubs on my legs before I shave so I don't have to shave as often.
Tote and Mini Japanese Cherry Blossom Triple Moisture Body Cream ($11.00 value) - This was the free gift with purchase that they were offering at the Valentine's Day Party. All you had to do was purchase a Signature Collection product. Since I bought the body scrub I was able to get one of these bags. The tote bag is really cute. I think I'm going to use it whenever I shop at B&BW now. I'm not really into Japanese Cherry Blossom but my cousin really likes it so I think I'm going to give her the body cream.


My mom also bought some stuff while we were there. I don't have pictures of her stuff because once again I have no idea where she put it. I'm posting the links to all of the stuff she bought so you can see the pictures on Bath & Body Works' website. Here's what she bought:


Pink Zebra Shea Infused Lounge Socks ($7.50) - Same as mine but pink instead of green.
2 Flower Shop 1.3 oz. Mini Candles ($3.50 or 2 for $5) - My mom says these smell like roses but roses aren't even listed in the description. Description: "The scent of fresh-cut spring flowers - sweet lilac, pink freesia and hyacinth layered with cooling greens."
Ocean for Men Body Wash ($10.50 value) - She had the same coupon I did where you get the free product when you spend $10 so she got this for free. She got this to put away for my brother for his Easter basket. The scent description on the website says: "Ocean is a refreshing blend of cypress, vetiver and yuzu."
Cherry Blossom Body Lotion - This is my mom's favorite scent and I'm pretty sure she buys something from this line every time we go to B&BW. She has a whole stock up of it in her bedroom. The scent description says: "a bright floral, reminiscent of spring's first blossoms bathed in soft sunlight." Since she bought this she also got the free tote with the mini body cream.


On March 17 Bath & Body Works is having another party, called Fresh Picked Party, to celebrate their new Fresh Picked Candles and Wallflowers. The free gift is a tote bag and a Fresh Picked Raspberries Gentle Foaming Hand Soap (a $10.50 value) when you make a Home Fragrance purchase. You can also enter to win 1 of 8 custom Bath & Body Works bikes. You can RSVP to the event on Facebook now.

What are your favorite things from Bath & Body Works?


Love, Amanda

Weekly In's and Out's 1

I've seen some other people do these and seen them on ElleandBlair.com before and thought it looked like fun, quick weekly post. So here's what I'm loving and not so loving this week.

In

Free Gift with Purchase - I went to the Valentine's Day Party at Bath & Body Works with my mom today. They have these in store parties occasionally where if you buy something you get a free gift. At this one if you bought a Signature Collection product you received a free tote with a mini Triple Moisture Body Cream in Japanese Cherry Blossom. I had been wanting to buy the Supercharged Body Scrub in Coconut Lime Breeze anyways so I was happy to be able to get a free gift as well. I saw on Facebook that on March 17th they are having a Fresh Picked Party and can't wait to go back to see what they're offering.

Snow - It's barely snowed this winter in Michigan but it finally snowed last night and I'm very excited about it. It seems like every time it's snowed so far it doesn't snow enough to play in or it doesn't stick around. I'm going out to my family's cottage tomorrow with my dad to make sure everything is looking alright out there and we're taking my brother's dog Baxter to let him run around in the snow. I can't wait to play in the snow with him!

Jelly Beans - I bought a bag of Jelly Belly's when I was at CVS today and I've been having fun trying to figure out what flavor is which. As much as I love Jelly Belly's, I'm so excited that Starburst Jelly Beans will be out soon.

Candles by Victoria - My newest Candles by Victoria order came on Thursday and I can't stop sniffing everything. I'm hoping to put up a haul/review post on them in the next few days.

Alcatraz - This is one of my newest TV obsessions. My sister was talking about it last week and it sounded really interesting. There have been five episodes so far so I've been trying to catch up. I watched the first two episodes on Hulu the other day and the third episode last night on Fox on Demand on U-Verse. If you're a fan of Lost or Fringe then you would probably like this show.

Out

Clutter -My house is tiny so any trace of clutter looks 10 times worse and right now all of the clutter in my house is driving me nuts. I'm ready to start getting rid of things that we don't need and start organizing everything else. I've been looking at alot of blogs about organizing and watching OrganizedLikeJen's videos on YouTube trying to get ideas.

Late Fees - I'm really bad about taking my books and videos back to the library on time. The book I'm reading right now Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard was due on Wednesday but I really want to finish it before I take it back. I'm trying my hardest to finish it before Monday so I can take it back and get the book I need to start for the online book club I'm in.

Insomnia - The past week or so I've been having terrible insomnia. I'll be up all night and part of the morning until I end up so exhausted that I crash around 11 am. I think I might be a vampire.

Razor Burn - My skin is really sensitive in regards to shaving. I can't shave with just soap and a cheap disposable razor. I wish I could because it would save me alot of money. I have to use shaving cream and a change my razor blades constantly. When I shaved yesterday, I ended up with awful razor burn on my legs and my armpits. Luckily a little aloe cleared it right up.

Dry Lips - My lips have been so dry for the last two weeks and none of my lip products seem to be helping.

What are your ins and outs this week?

Love, Amanda

Photo from here.

January Favorites

One of my favorite videos to watch on YouTube is monthly favorite videos. Since I don't make YouTube videos I'm sharing my top ten favorites from January here.

1) Dexter - I was really slacking on my TV watching all month. I spent most of the month watching DVDs of Dexter. I had seen Season 1 before and part of Season 2 so I borrowed Season 2 from the library and started from there. I managed to get through Seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5, all of which I borrowed from the library. I'm ready to start watching Season 6 soon on Showtime On Demand.

2) Candles by Victoria 4 oz. candle in Cinnabon - I received this as a Christmas present in my family's Yankee Swap. This is one of my favorite scents that I've tried from CBV so far. It smells just like a cinnamon roll. I can smell the dough, the cinnamon, and even the icing. I've been trying to savor this until I can get a bigger candle of it but it's been really hard.

3) Skinny Cow Milk Chocolate Dreamy Clusters - I had a coupon to get these for free after my mom bought 10 Lean Cuisines. This is perfect for when I have a chocolate craving. Each packet has six clusters and is only 120 calories. They are little clusters of caramel and crisp pieces covered in milk chocolate. I'm slightly obsessed with caramel and can be very picky about it but I love the way the caramel in these taste. I can't wait to pick up another box!

4) We Are Young by fun. - I first heard We Are Young when it was covered on the Glee episode "Hold On to Sixteen" and loved it. When I download a song from Glee I like to listen to the original song as well to see how they compare, and I loved the original just as much as the Glee version. I thought the lead singer of fun. sounded familiar and I realized that he was also the lead singer of a band I like called The Format. I've been listening to this song non-stop since I downloaded it at the end of December.



5) Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella - I generally read about a book per week and in January I managed to finish four books. My favorite book of the four was Shopaholic and Baby, the fifth book in Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. I started reading the Shopaholic series in September and I have a love/hate relationship with it. Sometimes I love the main character Becky Bloomwood but sometimes I get so mad a her for the silly things she does. In this book, she's pregnant with her first child and she insists on having the obstetrician of the stars as her doctor. The doctor turns out to be her husband Luke's ex-girlfriend. She ends up thinking that Luke is having an affair with his ex and gets herself into lots of trouble. I liked this book better than the previous one, Shopaholic and Sister, but I can't stand how shallow and materialistic Becky can be. I'm hoping to get the sixth and final (for now) book in the series Mini-Shopaholic from the library soon.

6) Simply Orange juice - Simply Orange is my favorite orange juice that I've tried. I think it tastes the closest to fresh squeezed. I drink this almost every morning with my oatmeal. I love the Pulp Free kind but my favorite is the one with pineapple. Besides having it in the morning with my oatmeal, I love having it in my adult beverages. On New Year's, I used it to make a mimosa with my champagne and I think it would go great with a little vodka. I really want to try the other fruit juice flavors like Simply Apple and Simply Grapefruit.

7) Pinterest - I signed up for Pinterest in mid-December and I've been obsessed ever since. My favorite thing to do is pin recipes that I want to try. I also really like pinning craft ideas, organization tips, and things for my dream home.

8) Covergirl Eye Enhancers in Tapestry Taupe - I've been trying to use up some of my beauty products before I'm allowed to buy more products. This is one of the things I've been using almost everyday so I can get rid of it. It's a great everyday eyeshadow. It works well as a daytime eyeshadow on it's own and you can build it up with a darker shadow for night.

9) Carrot Cake Cookies - In September I was at Disney World and had the most amazing carrot cake cookie sandwich. Ever since then I've been looking for a similar recipe and I finally found one in the Martha Stewart Cookie cookbook. They were gobbled up so fast in my house I wasn't able to get a picture. I'm hoping to make them again this week so I can make a whole post on them.

10) Pond's Dry Skin Cream - My skin gets really dry in the winter between the cold weather and using acne products. I was on the hunt for a new moisturizer and I had a coupon for this so I decided to buy it when I was at Target one day. I only use it at night because it takes awhile to completely sink in. When I wake up in the morning my skin is soft and all the dryness is gone. I don't really like the smell of it but the scent is pretty light and doesn't last long. Now that I've found a good night cream, I'm on the hunt for a moisturizer for the daytime.

Love, Amanda

My First Haul - mark.

For those don't know, I'm an Independent Sales Rep for mark. cosmetics. I mainly buy stuff for myself and sell to some of my family and friends. My latest order came yesterday morning. Here's what I got:
　

mark Petite Slither Cosmetic Bag - $8.00
I bought this to use as my makeup bag for my purse. I love the colorful snakeskin design! I keep some hair ties, a tampon, my allergy medicine, a few band-aids, a lip gloss, mascara, chapstick, and my compact in it.

mark Midi Glam Cosmetic Bag - $10.00
Right now I'm using this to hold the makeup products I use everyday. I have a bunch of things I'm trying to use up and I like being able to have them all together in one place. When I need to get ready, I just grab this bag and take it the bathroom to do my makeup.

mark Super Flash Cosmetic Bag - $12.00
I bought this for my mom. I got one for Christmas and she wanted one too. I used mine this past weekend when I stayed at my cousin's house Saturday night. It fits all my toiletries that I need for the weekend. I had my glasses, a small bottle of contact solution, the case for my contacts, a small bottle of face wash, a mini jar of moisturizer, a full size deodorant, and my toothbrush. I still had plenty of room so I think it could work for longer trips as well.

mark Keep It Casual Sweatshirt - $32.00
I originally got this as a Christmas present from my parents but the medium was a little tight. I sent it back and got a large instead. I love this shirt! It's very comfy and I love the sage green color. I wore it yesterday with a pair of jeggings and some boots. The only thing I don't like is the boat neck neckline shows my bra straps but I just wore a gray tank top underneath to cover them up.

If you want to place an order with mark you can go to my eboutique at

http://agafford.mymarkstore.com/.

Love, Amanda