Influenster Holiday Voxbox Review

After much anticipation, I received my Holiday VoxBox from Influenster on Tuesday!  Influenster is a site I discovered a few months ago that sends out products in what they call VoxBoxes to members who are active on social media.  Basically, they send you themed products free of charge in exchange for you promoting the brands via blogging, vlogging, tweeting, etc.  Sounded like a great plan to me!

So this is what the box looked like when I opened it (you can click all of the images in this post to see them at a larger resolution).  The card on top has a description of all of the products inside.  I think I remember seeing that Influenster had 5,000 of these VoxBoxes to send out, so I'm really glad that I signed up when I did.

Before I dive into the products, a little bit more information about Influenster: as I said, it's basically free products for the member and free promotion for the companies.  In order to qualify to receive these boxes, you fill out surveys to earn "badges."  You can earn up to 5 lifestyle badges based on your interests, and no limit on the amount of Influence badges (the more the better--there are 10 total).  I currently have 6 lifestyle badges, with one still pending approval (one more than the usual 5 because Influenster recently allowed people to apply for one more for a limited time): Outdoorsy, Foodie, Cat Lover, Beauty, Cosmopolitan, Health Nut, and Green.  I also have 6 influence badges.  It's best to collect as many influence badges as possible because the more "influence" you have across social media, the more likely it is that you'll receive a VoxBox.  So, for example, when it comes time for Influenster to send out a "Foodie" VoxBox, if I've shown that I have high influence I could possibly qualify for that box.

Here are all of the items I received in the VoxBox.  I was pretty happy with the variety: some edibles and some beauty/skin care products.  The inserts are nice, too; the Larabar one has a sticker and a $1.00 off coupon, and the imPRESS Manicure is also a $1.00 off coupon.

These are most of the beauty/skin care items:

• X Out Wash-In Treatment - This is one of 3 bonus items, so I was pretty happy to find it in my box. It was sent out to college students, and I'm not in college anymore (graduated last year), but I won't complain!  This wash is from the makers of Proactiv, and can be used as a facewash, mask, and/or a spot treatment.  It smells really fruity, it kind of reminded me of bubblegum, and has little exfoliating beads.  It's supposed to be used 2x a day, but my skin is really sensitive so I think it's appropriate for me to use it only every few days.  It left my skin feeling nice and tingly, though!
• New York Color Liquid Lip Shine - I really like this lip gloss!  The shade is "Nude York City," and it's perfect because I've been meaning to buy a nude lip shade.  It also smells delicious, like a cupcake or cookies or something.  It goes on smoothly and doesn't feel sticky; I hate how some glosses just "sit" on my lips and feel too thick.  This one doesn't feel that way at all.
• imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails - Funny story: another Influenster member posted a photo of her manicure on their Facebook page, and I commented with "I love that pattern, I hope I get that one in my box!," and I did!  It's called "Over The Moon."  I'm going to write a review about these in a separate entry because I haven't put them on my nails yet.
• Monagne Jeunesse Face Mask - You all know that I love skin care products, so this was a really fun sample to receive.  The mask I got is Strawberry Souffle, and I just used it tonight.  It smelled really nice and left my skin feeling super smooth.

Read more of my reviews behind the cut!

Now for the edibles and one not-so-edible.

• Softsoap Coconut Scrub Bar Soap - I don't know why I didn't put this in with the previous set, but oh well.  This soap smells so nice!  I like the scent, too, it's nice and tropical.  I'm glad that this is a scrub bar, because I'm kind of inundated with soaps at the moment.  This one is a little different, so it was fun to try.
• Mentos Pure Fresh Gum - I'm constantly chewing gum at work, so getting a free pack was nice.  I only really chew minty flavors, and this one is pretty good.  The container is nice and sturdy, and it has 15 pieces (I think, maybe it's 12...) of hard-shelled gum.  It's rather minty, but the flavor lasts a decent amount of time.
• Larabar - The Larabar I received was Peanut Butter Cookie.  I'm not a huge peanut butter fan, but this was still yummy.  The bars are made from only 2-9 ingredients and come in 19 flavors.  This bar was nice and light, and satisfied my sweet tooth.  I will definitely be buying some Larabars to keep in my desk at work.

Bottom Line: Influenster is a really fun service!  If you're willing to connect with companies and promote them through social media, I would recommend signing up.  They have lots planned for 2012, when they officially launch.  So get going on your lifestyle badges (mine took a few weeks to be approved) and upping your influence!

• Visit Influenster and sign up!
• Connect with them on Facebook and Twitter