samplelover

It all started when I signed up for a bunch of free samples online, just the typical stuff like laundry detergent, lotion, cat food, etc. I love getting things in the mail and trying out new products. Then I discovered about Birchbox, and wanted to try it. The first time they sent me an invite I missed it and it expired. Ever since I haven't been able to get a new one. But after some internet searches I was opened to the world of beauty boxes, and from there I discovered that there were other monthly subscription boxes as well. January 2013 is my first time trying a bunch of this subscription boxes out and I decided to start this blog as a way for me to remember what I got from where and when, but also to share with the world what I'm receiving so you can look at the products if you're interested in a particular box but just aren't sure if you want to go for it. I will also be selling lots on Ebay of things I don't have a use for or just aren't my style. My Ebay username is starryfallnight so look me up some time! I sell all kinds of other things as well.

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Ore-Ida Totchos Breakfast Recipe

Thanks to @influenster​ I got to try out Ore-Ida Tater Tots :) Here is my version of a breakfast recipe using the tater tots that I found on Kraft’s website at http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/appetizers/ORE-IDA-Totchos.aspx?utm_source=influenster

1 32oz package Ore-Ida Tater Tots, baked according to package

8 oz crumbled breakfast sausage, cooked

10 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

4 eggs, scrambled 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

*Put tater tots in a large skillet. Add sausage and bacon and stir. Add scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese and stir until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Delicious!

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Cetaphil® Moisturizing Cream

I got to try Cetaphil® Moisturizing Cream thanks to @influenster :) I live in WNY so its usually very cold and dry here in the winter time. This lotion is great to help remedy that. Its not greasy or too thick, and goes on smoothly. It really helps my skin look and feel better, and its available most anywhere and affordable! #Cheerphil #sponsored

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Use @Sally_Hansen Airbrush Legs to get flawless looking skin :) Make sure that you have recently shaved and are moisturized as this will make application easier and smoother. Then squirt out a little bit onto your hands and rub in just like lotion - don’t use a lot though! A little goes a long way with this product. Just make sure to massage it in evenly and don’t miss any spots, and your legs will be looking great! Thanks to @influenster for letting me try this product (received complementary for testing purposes). #airbrushperfectlegs #contest

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This is my Refresh VoxBox complementary from influenster! Contains 2 flavors of Beanitos chips, Covergirl Ultra Smooth Foundation, L’Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream, Listerine PocketPaks, Skinny Girl Nutrition Bar in Banana Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, Montagne Jeunesse Manuka Honey Peel Mask, Orgain Shake free coupon, and DenTek Comfort Clean Floss Pics. The Beanitos and Skinny Girl bar were both very delicious, which I didn’t necessarily think would be the case since both are quite healthy for you! My favorite item was the L’Occitane cream since I absolutely love lotions and creams :)

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This is my Refresh VoxBox complementary from influenster! Contains 2 flavors of Beanitos chips, Covergirl Ultra Smooth Foundation, L’Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream, Listerine PocketPaks, Skinny Girl Nutrition Bar in Banana Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, Montagne Jeunesse Manuka Honey Peel Mask, Orgain Shake free coupon, and DenTek Comfort Clean Floss Pics. The Beanitos and Skinny Girl bar were both very delicious, which I didn’t necessarily think would be the case since both are quite healthy for you! My favorite item was the L’Occitane cream since I absolutely love lotions and creams :)

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Received L'OCCITANE Shea Butter Comforting Cream complementary from influenster. Its so cold and dry in Buffalo NY this winter and my skin is always needing some serious moisturizing, This cream is perfect for that! Gives my skin the moisture it needs, feels nice going on, and keeps my skin looking healthy. #ineedshea

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#refreshwithresource

Resource Water is a great option for hydration. I got to try it thanks to Influenster. It was in a nice, big bottle so it'll last you throughout the day. It was crisp, fresh, and clean tasting. Great for me to take to work to stay hydrated, but would be perfect for really any occasion where you need hydration and want to stay away from sugary, calorie-filled drinks!

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Influenster Celestial Seasonings VoxBox

I received the Celestial Seasonings Tea VoxBox complementary of Influenster. I am not much of a tea drinker so this was a good time to try out a few different varieties. Celestial Seasonings has a ton of different varities out there so there's something for everyone which is nice! I really enjoyed trying out the Sleepytime tea. I can't really say it helped me to sleep, but it's very relaxing and great for before bed time, especially on these cold winter nights. The honey lemon one wasn't really to my liking, but really only because I don't like honey lemon in general. Overall Celestial Seasonings is a great company with lots of flavors to choose from :) #ArtofGreenTea @CelestialSeasonings

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Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara

My go-to, easy look is always a neutral, shimmery eyeshadow and a great mascara. Thanks to Influenster, I got to try out Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara. This mascara is great because it gives both length and volume! For this look just sweep a nice, light shimmery shadow along your eyelid and slightly above the crease, and then use a few coats of the Scandaleyes mascara (a little goes a long way!). Then you have a super quick look that will make your eyes pop :) This mascara hits stores November 2013

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Dr. Scholl's® For Her Cozy Cushions

I received a pair of Cozy Cushions by Dr. Scholl's complementary from Influenster, and I'm happy I did! I had a pair of boots that were I liked wearing, but that were pretty thing so it was comfortable walking on hard surfaces, and they weren't always the warmest in very cold weather. I put these cushions in those boots and it made a huge change...they are much warmer now and so much more comfortable! I recommend these the most for shoes that you like wearing, but aren't the most comfortable in your feet.

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August Birchbox

This month ended up being pretty good, although I won't use all the products (I don't think I ever get a box where I will though lol)

Included (from left to right, back to front):

*Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive .25 fl oz - I like other Juice Beauty products I've tried, and I also like that this is for sensitive skin. Excited to try it out.

*Jasmine Seven Fresh Feet Wipes (2 wipes) - These are antibacterial wipes that can be used on hands and feet. Probably won't use them on my feet, but would be a great addition to my purse.

*Model Co Party Proof Matte Lipstick in Kitty .13 oz - This color I like and it's not too far off my actually lip color; I may end up keeping this/giving it a try. And it smells delicious!

*Dreams Nail Lacquer D's Calcium Base Coat - Strengthens nails, fills uneven ridges, and prevents discoloration - used under nail polish. I currently have a cuticle moisturizer but that's it, I don't have any product like this so I'm excited to try it out,.

*Ahmad Tea Early Grey and Peach & Passion Fruit - I don't drink tea at all (other than chai every now and then), so I won't get any use out of these

And here's a swatch of the lipstick:

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August Lip Factory Box

I decided to try out the Lip Factory box this month; even though I don't like many lip products, reviews I've seen show that they usually only send out 1-2 lip products, and the rest is other beauty items. It's more expensive at $22/month, and this months box didn't wow me enough to stay since I don't have tons of money I can spend per month. I may try them again in the future, but for now it'll just be this 1 box from them

Included (from left to right, back to front):

*Lip Joule Liquid Lipstick in Merry Widow .35 oz - This color is super bright, and while pretty, not something I would wear. A little bit can go a long way though with this product.

*Make-Up Remover Cotton Cloth - I believe this comes with just 1 cloth but I can't tell for sure without opening it up. This will definitely get used sometime soon though.

*NYX Wonder Pencil in Light - This is a concealer, eye brightener, and reverse lip liner. I received something similar in an Ipsy bag a few months back and I don't use it a whole lot, so not sure if I'll be keeping this or not.

*MeMeMe Shimmer Stack in Gold - This is my favorite product in the box - it's an illuminating face powder, but could also be used as an eyeshadow. It's super pretty and seems to blend out nicely.

*Red Cherry Fake Eyelashes - I don't wear fake eyelashes at all so these will end up being sold

*ColourU Lipstick in Matte Cinnamon - This is a nice color, but one I probably won't wear. And it smells like a typical unscented lipstick...no nice scent/flavor.

Here's a swatch of the 2 lipsticks:

And of the NYX stick and shimmer stack:

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Slim Fast Influenster VoxBox - Slim-Fast Strawberries ’N’ Cream Shake

I received this box complementary of Influenster:

It contains 4 different cocktails (non-alcoholic) recipes using Slim-Fast drinks, a Slim-Fast drink in Strawberries N Cream, and a plastic glass to use. I tried out the strawberry cocktail recipes, minus the pineapple chunks as I don't like pineapple, and came up with this:

It was really delicious and a great option if you're looking for a healthier drink and/or trying to lose weight. I've had Slim-Fast multiple times in the past and I've always loved their drinks, but I love variety and never like there wasn't too much variety with the drinks, especially whats available in stores. This gives the drinks more of a variety, while still being healthy. I love it!

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August Sample Society Box

Included (from left to right):

*Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30 5 mL - As much as I love and use facial moisturizers, I am piling up on them so I think I might have to sell/gift some soon - it'll be hard to choose though!

*Jane Iredale Pure Lash Extender & Condtioner - I don't have any products like this currently so am excited to give it a try,

*Brad Biophotonic Ultra Peel - Maximum Performance Exfoliating Gel .25 oz - I was assuming this was like a face scrub/wash because of the word exfoliating, but it's actually just a serum you put on 2-3 nights per week. Retails for $175 full size so it's expensive! Definitely interested in trying this out,

*Korres Cherry Lip Gloss .06 fl oz - I'll probably end up keeping this. It's a nice neutral color, and smells SO good!

*Dr Hauschka Cleansing Cream .34 oz - Contains almond meal to gently exfoliate. Has good reviews online, so I'm happy to try this.

And here's a swatch of the lip gloss:

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July Glossybox

Included (from left to right, back to front):

*Nicka K New York Absolute! Make-Up Cleansing Tissues (10 Tissues) - I can always use makeup remover so these are great to have,

*Brazilian Blowout Acai Deep Conditioning Masque 1 oz - I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but I've read great things about this product...and it smells nice!

*Bvlgari Shampoo and Shower Gel 1 fl oz - I didn't really like the scent of the soap we received from them before, but I do like the smell of this a lot. Would be perfect for travel since it can be used as shampoo and shower gel,

*Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom Tinted Lip Balm .42 oz - This is one lip product I'll be keeping - smells/taste delicious, and is just a little hint of color.

*Evologie Intensive Blemish Serum .17 fl oz - Some people seem to love this stuff, but I've received a sample before and I don't find that it really does anything for me, so I'll be selling this. 

*Nails Inc London Nail Polish in Baker Street .13 fl oz - I don't have anything like this color, and it's a really nice, bold, blue color. And I definitely don't mind the small bottle size as I don't use nail polish super often.

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July Beauty Box 5

I accidentally put away the items from this box before I took a pic so I had to get those back out lol.

Included (from left to right, back to front):

*Every Beauty All-in-One Foot Smoother - This isn't a product you see often in these boxes so I'm definitely happy with it. Can be used with wet or dry and anywhere on the body where you have rough, dry skin. 

*Jean Pierre Nail Polish Remover Wipe (2 Wipes) - I much prefer wipes over bottles of remover so I'm always happy to receive these. I'll be giving them a try probably later today.

*H2O+ Hydrating Face Treatment .27 fl oz - This is different than most face moisturizers I use - it's a gel, not a liquid. I tested a little out though and it seems to work nicely, and it has a nice, light scent to it.

*Be A...Bombshell Lip Gloss in Sugar Lips Full Size - This alone is worth more than the cost of the box so I can't complain too much, but it's just not an item I'm going to use. I'm going to have a great lip lot on Ebay at some point though because I keep getting so many!

*LA Fresh Antibacterial Wipes 8 Pack - I love all these LA Fresh products, and this is one I haven't received before. Will be perfect for my purse.

And here's a swatch of the lip gloss:

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July Blush Mystery Box

Another great box this month with lots of variety!

Included (from left to right):

*Lumene Pure Radiance 24h Lotion 1.7 fl oz - I've been getting a lot of this brands products lately lol but that's ok, I like them. I can always use any type of lotion. 

*Deborah Lippmann 3D Holographic Nail Polish in Ray of Light Full Size- I don't have any 3D polishes so I'm pretty excited to try this out, and purple is one of my favorite colors.

*Emani Organic Lip Shine in Blush Full Size - This smells like a creamsicle, so yummy. It's a nice pink/neutral shade.

*BioElements Quick Refiner .25 fl oz - This is supposed to be used under a lotion/sunscreen. Since it's a gel it feels nice and cool on your skin.

Included (from left to right, back to front):

*Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pad 10 Towelettes - This is an anti-aging exfoliating self-tanner. I've received some body self tanners but was hesitant to try because I didn't know how well using them on my face would be, but I didn't want to be uneven color either. Plus I like how they have a use other than just tanning.

*Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex .5 oz - I don't necessarily need a lot of wrinkle creams, so this I might gift to my mom. But I do like this brand from what I've tried by them so far.

*Philip B Self Adjusting Hairspray 5.07 fl oz - Since this is different than most hairsprays I think I'm going to keep it and give it a try to control frizz/keep my hair looking good. And it has a nice light smell to it.

*Dremu Airbrush Refining Eye Cream .10 oz - This was my sample item this month. It says it reduces puffiness right away so I can't wait to give this a try when my allergies are acting up.

And here's a swatch of the lip color: