Influenster product reviews: TLC VoxBox

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Influenster?! If not, I LOVE INFLUENSTER!

For creating a profile and taking short online surveys about things that interest me based on my current phase of life, I get chosen to receive FREE, full-size samples of products to review. How cool is that?! It seriously couldn't be easier.

I was recently chosen to receive the #TLCVoxBox, which is a group of products carefully selected for busy moms. This box was so awesome! Here are my impressions.

Avon Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother
Okay, I've gotta admit that I'm not all up on the "I'm in my mid-20s, so I must stop all wrinkles in their tracks immediately" bandwagon. I'm of the view that wrinkles are a sign of overcoming life's obstacles successfully: every wrinkle, line, and dimple is the remnant of some emotion or expression that you have had. I enjoy aging and all the wisdom that comes with it. Anyway, I digress. Wrinkles or no wrinkles, between my ongoing allergy issues and chronic lack of sleep, I've got under-eye dark circles that could rival Muhammed Ali's. Fo' realz. This wrinkle-smoothing concealer is awesome! I steer clear of paying shipping when I can, so this is probably not something I'd ever order from Avon if I could help it. However, this compact should last me quite a while, and it's seriously clutch for those early Monday mornings when I look like I got run over by a semi in my sleep.

Overall recommendation: would recommend.

Breyers Gelato
Ummmm, YUM. That's about all I've got to say about that. I adore ice cream, and I was so impressed with the smooth, creamy texture and deliciously sweet flavor of my tub of Raspberry Cheesecake Breyers Gelato. Having a coupon to get it for free? Even better. It's ice cream, so it goes without saying that it's not the healthiest food choice. However, it was so satisfying that the 1/2-cup serving size was actually perfect, and I didn't end up eating it all in one sitting. I also loved the textures: creamy cheesecake gelato, gel-like raspberry swirl, and chewy graham cracker pieces on top. Seriously so delicious. I would buy this again and again.

Overall recommendation: would definitely recommend!

Ivory Soap
This soap's been around forever for a reason. Such a classic clean feeling, and it smells great. I briefly considered popping this bar in the microwave and doing the "Ivory cloud" sensory activity with my daughter, but I decided to be selfish and keep this soap for myself. It's great! Left me feeling nice and clean after my shower, and there was none of that filmy feeling like with some soaps. Also, this soap is budget-friendly! I have frequently darted straight for the Ivory when I'm out of my normal body wash between paychecks. Some bar soaps are $2+ per bar. Um, no! Bring on the Ivory.

Overall recommendation: would absolutely recommend.

Neosporin Neo To Go!
My finger has been a little irritated under my engagement ring lately, so I was willing to try just about anything on it. On one particularly irritating day, I remembered that I had my Neo To Go! in my purse. I decided to spray a little on, and my raw, itchy skin got instant relief. Since it's a spray, it also felt cooling. This is a pretty cool thing to have on hand, especially because my playground-loving daughter is in the toddler years, and I can foresee lots of scraped knees and elbows in her immediate future. I'm not sure this is something I would go out and buy, so it's nice to have gotten a free sample to try.

Overall recommendation: would recommend.

Puffs To Go!
I'm usually a Kleenex girl, so I was surprised to like these Puffs so well. Compared to the travel packs of Kleenex, these are SO much better. The packaging is thicker, so it didn't get punctured riding around in my messy purse. Also, the tissues are much sturdier and didn't crumble to dust after being jostled around. I'm always a fan of the boxes of Kleenex, but the Kleenex tissues in the travel packs are typically much flimsier. Sure, people compare me to a trumpet because I'm so rough blowing my nose, so I may have a biased stance. But, these Puffs passed the test for my nose-blowing. I'd buy these for sure!

Overall recommendation: would highly recommend!

Shell Rewards
I could take or leave this rewards program. 1. There's not a Shell super close to me, so driving out of my way to save 3 cents per gallon wasn't a huge draw for me. 2. I save more by cashing in my Speedy Rewards at Speedway and Fuel Points at Kroger. I'm sure it's a great option for others, but it's just not for me.

Overall recommendation: would not recommend.

And there we have it! Stay tuned for more Influenster product reviews from me in the future! I'm loving the free products I get through this company and will be reviewing my little heart out at every opportunity! Thanks for my #TLCVoxBox, +Influenster!!!

Want to learn more about how you can get started sampling with Influenster? Comment on this post, and I'll send you an invite! It's fun, fast, easy, and free!

-Kels

Influenster product review: Rimmel Moisture Renew

This is my second Influenster product review. So excited to be part of this website and all its perks!

This time I received a tube of lipstick to review. Rimmel London Moisture Renew, to be exact. It came in a pretty purple and silver tube. I was so excited to try it on! I don't wear lipstick too terribly often, so you might be wondering why I would be so excited to try it on. Well, lipstick is expensive. It's hard for me to find a color I love, so I usually avoid buying it. This was free for me to try and review in my VoxBox, so that perked me right up!

The color I got was #360, "As You Want Victoria." I opened up and thought to myself, "Hm, this seems a little bright. Well, maybe it'll be somewhat sheer and look okay on me." So, I tried it.

Epic fail. It was SO bright pink and looked a little like clown make-up on me. Okay, a lot like clown make-up. I then thought, "K, let me try a really firm blot to see if any of the color lifts off for a more subtle tone." I put a Kleenex between my lips and pressed them together as hard as I could. When I took the tissue off, not only did almost none of the color come off for a different effect (even though about half the lipstick itself seemed to come off on the tissue), but the lipstick smeared terribly around my lip line. It also continued to feel wet and un-set. Definitely not something I'm looking for in a lipstick.

Things I typically love about lipstick: sheer (yet noticeable) color, non-smearing (because I'm always paranoid of getting it on my teeth or cheeks or clothing), and a non-wet texture. So, kind of the opposite of what I experienced with this product.

Oh, well! You win some; you lose some. I appreciate having the ability to test this bad boy out, but it just wasn't the product for me. (Please see pictures below to laugh with me.)

The lighting's a little weird, but that actually supports my review of this lipstick being so wet. It's so wet it caused a glare! And see that unnatural lip line? That happened when I blotted. Eek!

Overall review: would not recommend. Would not be able to wear confidently, due to smear factor and overly bright color.

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

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

Hello, lovely people in blog-land. It's been a while, I know. I'm just like that--when things get stressful for me, or when I'm processing new info, I clock out for a while. I shave off all the extraneous activities and calendar items, and I conserve my time and energy to focus on the higher prioity things.

So, here's an update:

• I became an independent consultant for Thirty-One Gifts, and I absolutely LOVE IT. I'm spending my days talking to old (and new) friends, and I'm spending my evenings partying with them and showing off awesome products to their friends. I feel like I have a social life again! Not to mention the company is incredible. It's based on Christian values, and the support and training is unbelievable. I have made such a perfect decision in signing up with Thirty-One!!!! I have goals to work towards again. I have a purpose! And the best part? I'm exceeding all my goals. I am so excited for the professional fulfillment I'm getting. I guess I was really in need of something that was 100% mine and could give me the confidence boost I so needed in my year-long journey of a terrible job market and financial hardship. If I could make a full-time career of this (and I think that's becoming a goal), I would be forever happy with my line of "work"!
• My Kimmy Jarae is 18 months old! She has been a fountain of new vocabulary lately--talking all the time. I adore her. She is so bright, and she is growing beautifully. She had her 18-month check-up a few days ago, and she's proportionally the average height (34.5 inches) and weight (28 lbs.) of a 25-month-old!!!!! She is going to be one TALL girl!
• My Papaw Jim passed away. It was pretty rough on our family, and there are still some things to work out with the estate. I was so glad to get to go home for the funeral. I saw Kevin and my brother and sister Cody and Rachel, whom I hadn't seen in a very long time. Miss Kimmy also got to see her Aunt Kim's grave. It was a very emotionally fulfilling trip, although it was physically exhausting to drive 8 hours with a toddler 2 days in a row. My girl handled it like a champ! She is SUCH a good baby. I always tell her to "be patient, be patient," but, really, she IS patient--MUCH more patient than most 18-month-olds--it's just me who isn't.

All is well. We're getting there financially. It's going to be a process digging ourselves out and getting in the black, but it will happen. I just know it!

Weird-i-versaries are coming up (I say that because it's always been interesting to me that these 2 major life events happened on consecutive days, although different years): the 10-year anniversary of Kim's death is on Monday, March 3, and Jarrell's and my 6-year dating anniversary is coming up on Tuesday, March 4. Hard to believe how fast time flies!

I'm going to try to incorporate blogging back into my life. I do miss writing and having a place to organize my brain. Hold me to it, people!

Fun links: http://mythirtyone.com/kelseypierce; http://facebook.com/thirtyfunwithkelsey.

More later (I hope!),

-Kels

Influenster product review: Venus Embrace Sensitive

I hope this is the first of many product reviews for Influenser! If you have no clue what Influenster.com is, here's the rundown. You create an account and do surveys and polls to indicate your interests. Doing this helps you earn badges. Based on your badges, you are selected for free, full-size samples of products to review. You keep everything they send you, absolutely FREE. Interested? Let me know by comment, and I'll send you an invite to join!

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On Tuesday, January 14, I got a full-size Venus Embrace Sensitive razor with a shower hook and an extra cartridge. I paid nothing. This product hasn't even hit shelves yet--you literally can't buy it. It feels really cool to be able to use and review a product before it is publicly released. I feel like such an insider!

So, let me give you a little background on my experience with Venus razors. I used to own one, you know, when they first came out in my pre-teenager-dom. The shower hook sucked, and my razor was somehow always getting knocked in the trash can. I ended up buying a few across a year or so because they always needed replacing from being accidentally thrown away, but I eventually got tired of paying for a new razor all the time and decided to start using disposables.

I've been using BIC Soleil disposable razors with either 3 (regular Soleil) or 4 (Soleil Bella) blades for the last 5 years or so. The shave is okay. The heads on these razors are pretty stationary, so they don't move all that well with the contours of your skin. I've found that the blades dull quickly, and I usually get red irritated bumps right after shaving with Soleil. I also have to shave my underarms every other day and my legs every 5 days. But, with the coupons that company runs, I can usually get them for next to nothing, so that's my motivation.

So, I decided I'd test this bad boy out. I took a long, steamy shower on Tuesday. I lathered up with some Skintimate shave gel, shaved my legs and underarms, and let me tell you, it's the closest shave I've had in about 10 years. I'm not kidding. I didn't get any irritation. No burning, nothing. I wanted to wait a few days to review because I wanted to see how my hair started growing back in. It's been COLD in Bloomington, too, so I've had chill bumps a lot. That always seems to make my hair grow faster. Honestly, though, I don't think I will need to shave my underarms until at least Sunday and my legs until like Wednesday.

Let's compare:
BIC Soleil
underarms every 2 days
legs every 5 days

Venus Embrace Sensitive
underarms every 5 days
legs every 8 days

That's a pretty drastic improvement!

Other things I loved: the pivoting head, which really follows your skin. I feel like with other razors' inflexibility, I'm always forced to press too hard to get a good angle, which ends up irritating my skin more. Also, the rubber handle--totally nonslip. I didn't drop that thing a single time, and we all know how slippery shaving cream makes things.

There were definitely a few cons, too, though. I was absolutely terrified of cutting myself with this razor. It has 5 blades. SHARP blades. I don't want to find out what a cut from this thing feels like. There is no plastic cover for the blades when the razor's not in use. I'm kind of scared to hang it in the shower because I don't want it to fall and cut my bathing toddler. On that same note, the shower hook seems to only stay suctioned to the wall when the shower's wet. It has already fallen off twice since Tuesday. I think I'll keep it in my shower caddy instead. I also noticed that, while it was great that the shaved hair sat on top of the razor and didn't get down in it and clog it up, I had to rinse it off more frequently while I was shaving.

One con I can't specify yet, since this product isn't sold, is price. I'm poor. I don't have the money to buy razor refills at $15 a pop (just a guess, based on current Venus pricing) for 4 cartridges. Unless P&G runs some awesome coupons, I don't foresee myself being able to use this razor regularly. I have a decent stockpile of coupon-bought BICs, which I will probably continue to use on a regular basis for the most part. Maybe I'll just use my Venus for strapless and bare-legged occasions, until I find a better means of affordability for the refill cartridges.

Overall review: highly recommend. Look for coupons to improve affordability. Store in a safe location to prevent accidental cuts.

#ItsNotMe -- it's my razor. #VenusEmbraceSensitive #VoxBox #Influenster

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

Modern amenities and thankfulness

In response to the recent water crisis surrounding many of my family and friends back home in WV, I wanted to write about being thankful for modern amenities.

On a typical day, I use my cell phone, car, heat or A/C, fan, lamps and overhead lights, computer, printer, washer, dryer, shower, sink, toilet, straightener or blow dryer, TV, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, oven, stove, and so much more. I usually don't give a second thought to any of it--I just use all these things blindly.

Oh, and let's not forget about modern medicine! I don't know how I would survive without my Zyrtec and Flonase.

It's hard to imagine a time where none of this stuff worked as quickly and easily, much less a time where none of it even existed. It's harder still to realize that there are lots of countries and cultures around the world who know these things exist, but have no access or means of affordability for using them.

In a world where we so often take for granted even the most basic things like clean, running water and using an actual toilet, instead of a pit in the dirt, it's not a stretch to see how we are also lacking in the category of thankfulness.

I want to make an effort to be more humble and thankful for the simple things in life that make everyday survival easy, and I challenge you to do the same. If you're reading this, you are blessed. Even at rock bottom, you probably have access to more modern amenities than millions of other people on this planet.

Food for thought.

More later.

-Kels

Kitchen essentials, part 3--fridge and freezer foods

Here's my final list!

Essential Fridge and Freezer Foods:

• celery
• carrots
• lettuce
• spinach
• oranges/tangerines
• apples
• berries or grapes
• whatever other fruits or vegetables we've bought for specific dishes
• milk (skim and 2% or whole)
• 3-5 types of cheese (cheddar, colby jack, monterey jack, parmesan, etc.)
• buttermilk
• butter
• pre-packaged minced garlic (so easy)
• typical condiments
• eggs
• yogurt
• bacon or sausage
• ground beef
• chicken (whole, parts, breasts, etc.)--we've been really into chicken leg quarters lately because they're cheap
• water (we love cold water from our Brita pitcher)
• iced tea and coffee
• ice
• frozen vegetables (green beans, peas, corn, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
• white wine
• beer
• vanilla ice cream
• wonton and/or eggroll wrappers
• cheese ravioli

We tend to keep the above items as staples and shop around that according to what we need for a certain meal we plan to make. I like to keep a decent amount of frozen produce because 1. it's cheap and 2. it doesn't go bad as quickly. I hate wasting food, so if I can save myself from that fate, I go for it! Plus, frozen vegetables are usually really fresh-tasting and have much more intact nutrients than canned.

Enjoy! :)

Kitchen essentials, part 2--pantry foods

I try to keep a well-stocked pantry, but I'm sure I have room for improvement. I'm always up for trying new ingredients and new dishes, so any input is welcome.

Essential Pantry Foods:

• lots of canned tomato sauce, paste, and diced tomatoes
• onions
• potatoes
• cream of mushroom, celery, and chicken soups
• spaghetti or linguine
• penne or ziti
• shells or macaroni
• 3-5 varieties of rice--minute rice, brown, white, Arborio (ideal for risotto), basmati (ideal for Asian food), wild, etc.
• raisins
• saltine crackers
• breadcrumbs
• popcorn
• tea
• coffee
• sugar
• all-purpose flour
• self-rising flour
• cornmeal
• brown sugar
• peanut butter
• vinegar
• olive oil
• vegetable or canola oil
• nonstick cooking spray
• salt
• pepper
• baking soda
• baking powder
• cocoa powder
• confectioner's sugar
• cake flour
• Crisco
• vanilla extract
• chocolate chips
• cinnamon
• ginger
• nutmeg
• cloves
• paprika
• basil
• oregano
• cumin
• ground mustard
• coriander
• bay leaves
• garlic powder
• celery seed
• Old Bay seasoning
• cayenne
• chili powder
• onion powder
• dill
• crushed red pepper
• thyme
• rosemary
• allspice
• chives
• parsley
• chives
• chicken and beef bouillon
• Worcestershire sauce
• soy sauce
• ketchup
• mayonnaise
• mustard
• syrup
• honey
• salad dressings
• hot sauce
• Tabasco sauce
• pancake mix or Bisquick
• pre-packaged sides (cheesy broccoli rice, shells and cheese, couscous, etc.)
• canned tuna, salmon, or chicken
• 2-3 varieties of beans--black, navy, kidney, pinto, etc.
• lentils
• applesauce
• oatmeal
• Cream of Wheat
• 3-5 varieties of cold cereal
• granola bars
• animal crackers
• fruit snacks
• yeast
• taco shells and/or tortillas
• taco seasoning
• chili seasoning
• salsa