Review: Goody QuikStyle Half Round Styler

I love beauty products that save you time, and the Goody QuikStyle Half Round Styler really cuts down on my morning routine. 

According to its product page: The GOODY® QUIKSTYLE™ Half Round brush works like a towel and brush in one. The super absorbent microfiber (and antimicrobial) removes 30 percent of water from wet hair to help speed your drying time! You can effortlessly detangle right out of the shower and continue using it while you blow dry and style! The unique Half-Round Shape is great for adding body to your blowout.

My verdict: I have long, thick, and straight hair, and I thought the brush did a great job with both drying and detangling. I have been using the brush over the last few weeks, and I noticed that my hair has felt much silkier. 

I think the description is accurate when it says that it removes 30 percent of water from the hair. After using the brush, my hair dried much faster and reduced my morning routine. I also love the microfiber bristles. They feel very soft and are very easy to clean. All you have to do is use a wide tooth comb to remove excess hair and wash the bristles with warm water and shampoo. 

The Goody QuikStyle Half Round Styler is quickly becoming my favorite brush. I would definitely recommend it.

Click here to visit the Goody website and here to visit the product page.

Disclaimer: I received this item to test from Influenster as part as the Influenster Holiday VoxBox 2012, but all opinions are my own.

Review: NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine

I am a huge fan of lipgloss and was excited when I saw NYC New York Color Lipshine in Nude York City in my Influenster Holiday VoxBox 2012. I was even more excited when I found out that this lipgloss retails for only $2.49!

NYC New York Color Lipshine in Nude York City

The Verdict: I think this is the best lipgloss at this price point. When I put it on, it didn't feel sticky, it smelled great, and the color looked nice. I have been using it for the past few days over my favorite lipstick. Nude York City is a nude color with a lot of shine so it looks nice over another color. I thought the applicator was nice, and the lipgloss felt very smooth. Surprisingly, it lasted longer than some of my more expensive lipgloss. 

NYC New York Color's description of the product: Have you heard the gossip? There’s a new gloss in town! NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine is getting headlines with seriously high-drama color at a seriously low price. Pure pigments give a 3-D effect that’s off-the-charts glossy. Tons of hot new shades, from preppy nudes to bold statement hues – all for less than your weekly fashion magazine.

For more information, visit the NYC New York Color website here and the lipshine product page here.

Overall, I would say this lipgloss is a great value! I would definitely recommend it.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Influenster, but all opinions are my own. 

Review: Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+

Confession: I like to sleep. a lot. Because of this love for sleep, I sometimes don't wake up early enough to have breakfast at home before work and just grab something to eat at the office. Enter Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+, a great, healthy option if you need breakfast on the go. 

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+ is great oatmeal for on the go!

You can prepare and eat the oatmeal straight out of the cup by adding hot water and microwaving. The whole process is quick and easy. It took me just three minutes to prepare. Not only is the oatmeal delicious, it is packed with wholesome multigrains and chunks of real fruits or nuts. It is currently available in four flavors: Apple Walnut, Cherry Pistachio, Peach Almond and Summer Berry. 

Influenster sent me the Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal+ to try. I love pistachios and thought it had great flavor. It tasted sweeter than other oatmeal and the cherries in it were delicious.I could tell that the fruit in it was real fruit. I definitely ate it all and still wanted more! I haven't tried all of the flavors yet, but I think my favorite will be Summer Berry. I am a huge fan of anything with raspberries in it!

It was delicious!

Click here to go to the Influenster Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal + product page!

For more information, visit the Quaker Real Medleys product page here.

Disclaimer: I received Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+ for free from Influenster, but all opinions are my own. 

Influenster Holiday VoxBox 2012

Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you many blessings in the new year.

When I got home from Christmas, the Influenster Holiday VoxBox 2012 was waiting for me in the mail, full of fun goodies to try out! I will write individual reviews on some of the products, but I wanted to share my initial reactions.

Influenster Holiday VoxBox 2012

Here are the contents of my VoxBox:

• Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal (Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal +) $1.79 per cup: I am so excited to try this oatmeal. It looks like a great item to bring to work on days when I don't have time to eat breakfast at home.
• NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine (in Nude York City) $2.49 : I live by the philosophy that one can never have enough lipgloss and this looks like a nice neutral color. I have never tried New York Color lipgloss before and am interested to see if it works well since it is a great price!
• Kiss Nail Dress (in Teddy) $6.99: I have never used stick on nail art before, but the Teddy pattern looks great for a special event. I'm interested to give it a try!
• EBOOST (in Pink Lemonade) $28 for a box of 20 effervescent powders: I have had a cold lately so I'm going to give this a try and see if it will give me a boost.
• Goody QuikStyle Brush (Half Round Styler) $11.99: This brush removes up to 30 percent of water as you style! I used it for the first time the other day and was surprised by how much water it absorbed!
• Sole Society: An interesting online shoe society. Use the code INFLUENSTER25 to get $25 off your first purchase!
• Montagne Jeunesse Face Mask under $2: I can't wait to use this mask on a day that I need some relaxation. 

Disclaimer: These items were sent to me for free by Influenster, but all opinions are my own.

Ferrero Rocher Review: A Beautiful Golden Box for the Holidays

Some of my favorite moments in life have occurred around Ferrero Rocher chocolates. With their individually wrapped golden foil, I loved how Ferrero Rocher made any moment feel fancy. I would receive them for birthdays, anniversaries, and right before I left to study abroad in Europe. Ferrero Rocher chocolates are my father's favorite candy, and I remember us sneaking chocolates from my mom's candy dish when I was a child, then counting to see who snuck the most. 

I was so excited when Influenster sent me a complimentary golden box of Ferrero Rocher for the holidays. The Ferrero Rocher chocolates came in a beautiful golden box perfect for the holiday season. The box looks like a present complete with a bow so you don't have to wrap it before giving it to your family and friends! 

This golden box of Ferrero Rochers makes a great holiday gift!

Although I have had many Golden Gifting moments and Ferrero Rocher chocolates are associated with many memories of my childhood, one of my favorite moments is when I gave my husband his first box of Ferrero Rocher. He wasn't sure if he would like them, but the next thing I knew, he had eaten most of the box! I made sure that he saved at least one for me. :) 

According to the company "Ferrero Rocher® is a unique and delicious chocolate experience made by Italian chocolatier Ferrero, since 1982. The chocolates are a tempting combination of smooth chocolaty cream surrounding a whole hazelnut; within a delicate, crisp wafer. . . all enveloped in milk chocolate and finely chopped hazelnuts. The chocolates are individually wrapped in gold foil."

I describe them to friends as creamy chocolate goodness wrapped around a delicious hazelnut. Ferrero Rocher chocolates have been a delicious part of my life, and I can't wait to bite into another one! 

The box of Ferrero Rocher makes a beautiful present underneath a tree!

For more information, visit the Ferrero Rocher website at http://www.ferrerorocherusa.com/

Disclaimer: Although I received a complimentary box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates from Ferrero Rocher and Influenster, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

VoxBox Review:Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream and Cleansing Balm

I received the Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream and Cleansing Balm in Dry/Very Dry to test in my Beauty Blogger VoxBox. I was so excited to receive a night cream because my skin gets extremely dry in the winter.

Photo by Boots No.7

Here is the information that Boots No. 7 provides about its night creams and cleansing balms:

No7 appreciates that busy lifestyles mean you don't always have time for a lengthy skincare regimen. That's why we've created Beautiful Skin. Discover radiant skin in 14 days with two simple steps:

Step 1: Cleanse

The first step to beautiful skin is clean skin. All Beautiful Skin cleansers quickly and gently remove all traces of dirt and impurities, leaving you with perfectly clean, healthy skin. Skin is so effectively cleansed that there is no need for a separate toner.

Step 2: Moisturize

Once cleansed, hydrate your skin with our nourishing day and night creams. All our day creams deliver SPF 15 and Broad Spectrum UV Protection, while our night creams work to promote optimum hydration while you sleep.

This night cream was one of the best that I have tried. It is not too heavy and does not feel greasy, two problems that I have had with other creams.  It left my skin feeling soft and very moisturized, and it felt even better in the morning. The light smell it left was also great.

My favorite part of the cleanser and night cream is that it is just a two-step process. It is great for people who don’t have time for a long skincare routine. I also love that it only takes a little cream to have a big effect. After a few weeks, my skin looked noticeably healthier.

Visit http://www.shopbootsusa.com/ for more information.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free in my Influenster Beauty VoxBox, but all of the opinions are my own. 

Review: All About Influenster

As y'all may have noticed, I have recently been posting about Influenster. This program has recently had a relaunch, and I have been asked to write a review about it.

Although I was not around for the old Influenster, I think the new changes are exciting and fun. Influenster introduced badges, where you can show your expertise in various areas with blog posts, reviews and social media.

In Influenster's words, Influenster is "a free-to-join community of invited trendsetters who live to give opinions of products and experiences. Influenster creates links between brands and members to reward participation and influence future products." 

I love it because you get to test new products and talk about products that you have already tried. They have fun incentives and challenges to make it more interesting to give your opinions.  I think this is a great program to join!

The best part of Influenster is that it is free! Why not join? Go to www.influenster.com to request an invite!