Formula X #SystemAddict

Hey guys!

Press Sample

Today I have the Formula X #SystemAddict system from Influenster to share with you.

There are 4 steps to the System Addict system, beginning with the Cleanse XCEL. "Start your mani with a clean slate, and instantly prep the surface of nails for optimal polish application. Specifically formulated to be used as Step 1 of Formula X's gel-like mani set, The System XCEL™, this nail cleanser is the essential salon product. CLEANSE XCEL's exclusive flash-dry formula gently removes invisible oil and residue from the nail in an instant, giving the nail surface the ultimate canvas for polish application and adherence. Featuring Formula X's redesigned Xpert Strokes™ Brush for a faster, smoother application, CLEANSE XCEL is infused with witch hazel extract to purify the nail surface, and a fusion of cucumber extract and safflower seed oil to help condition the nail bed while leaving nails completely dry to the touch."

Prime XCEL is the base coat. "Prep, protect, and help polish stick. This multitasking base coat primes nails for the ultimate long-lasting mani. Specifically formulated to be used as the second step of Formula X's gel-like mani set The System XCEL™, PRIME XCEL is formulated with advanced bonding agents and keratin to form a sticky layer that helps bind color to the nail, letting polish take hold stronger and longer, improving overall polish performance. With Formula X's innovative Xpert Strokes™ Brush, redesigned for faster, smoother application, PRIME XCEL also acts as a protective barrier, standing between you and your polish to prevent staining. "

TGIF is the color I was sent, a fun, bright coral. This was 2 coats. The formula is a bit thick but very manageable. I topped it with the Shine XCEL Top coat. "Make your mani last with a gel-like finish. Shine - Nail Top Coat is formulated to be used as Step 4 of Formula X's gel-like mani set, The System XCEL™. This advanced, acrylic-fortified top coat dries 45 percent faster than before, sealing in your nail polish color with glossy, gel-like protection so that your mani stays vibrant and shiny day after day. When used as part of The System XCEL, SHINE XCEL instantly elevates any Formula X nail color with the ultimate high shine and cushion-like volume of gel polish, just by layering, for up to 10 days of wear. It includes Formula X's innovative, Xpert Strokes™ Brush, redesigned for faster, smoother application."

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Marc Jacobs Glowstick: Review

Hey guys!

Press Sample

Today I have a quick post about the new Marc Jacobs Beauty Glowstick, in the color Spotlight. I received this product for free from Influenster and I have been really loving it!

The Glowstick is a pearly white cream highlighter in a stick form. For me, the best to way to apply it has been using a dense small contouring brush, such as the Luxie 512 Small Contour brush or even the ELF contouring brush. And I can't lie: I've also applied it directly to my face using the stick applicator!

I was very pleased to see how well this highlight blends. If applied directly to the face from the stick, it's a very dramatic highlight but it blends out beautifully and can be worn as subtly or dramatically as you wish!

Unblended swatch:

Blended: Look at that glow!!

The Glowstick retails for $42 and can be purchased at Sephora or any location where Marc Jacobs beauty products are sold.

If you want to see this in action, I posted a video all about it today :)

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

The Treat Vox Box from Influenster!

Hey guys!

Press Sample

Today I have a different post for you: a review of my Treat Vox Box from Influenster!

This was sent to me through Influenster, which is a free website that anyone can use. All that is needed is some sort of social media platform to share your opinions on the boxes that you receive. I've received several vox boxes over the years and always enjoy trying out the products, beauty or otherwise!

This box is all about treats, for mom and baby. I have been sharing bits of my box on Instagram and Twitter so I will quickly review the items here :)

First, some Yum-V's, a probiotic contains an optimal dosage of probiotic for children, delivered in a delicious white chocolate flavor bear. I gave these to my toddler and she gobbled them right up. These are gluten free and non GMO, which is really awesome! 

Next we have a coupon for $1 off a box of Yogi Tea. I purchased the Positive Energy tea which has a sweet tangerine flavor. I hadn't tried this flavor before but I really enjoy it! I do like Yogi Tea and was pretty happy to have a coupon for it.

The next thing in the box was a foil packet of Weleda Calendula Shampoo and Body wash. This smelled really really nice and was gentle on my little girl's skin. I don't know where I can purchase Weleda in stores around me but I would look into it, as we liked this shampoo! 

The largest item in the box was a 4 pack of assorted Hills Bros Cappucino K Cups: French Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Double Mocha, and English Toffee. These were deeeeelicious!!! They have a mild flavor and aren't very strong but are perfect for a little afternoon pick me up! 

Also included in the box were some single serve packets of Hills Bros English Toffee Cappuccino. 

Lastly, a coupon for a free Country Crock Spread. I purchased the Country Churn variety and added this to my stuffing and casseroles and I really could taste the butter churn flavor. I was kind of surprised! 

I have pictures of most of these items on my Instagram and a review will be up soon! :)

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Bite Beauty #AmuseBouche Lipsticks

Hey guys!

Press Sample

Today I have a quick recap on the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche lipsticks that I received from Influenster!

I received 3 shades: Pepper, Gazpacho, and Beetroot.

A photo posted by Amanda (@fashionfooting) on Mar 8, 2016 at 5:42pm PST

These are incredibly comfortable lipsticks and I loved the lemony fresh scent. The pigmentation of these really impressed me; they are so creamy and smooth when you are applying! While these are not a matte lipstick, they do last for a good while. I would say that I got about 5 hours of wear with Pepper, and just a little under that for the other two colors.

One of my favorite things about these lipsticks is the way they wear away. They fade beautifully and you don't have the dreaded.... butthole mouth when the center has worn away! Also, they stain the lips, especially Beetroot!

Pepper:

Gazpacho:

Beetroot:

These retail for $26 and are available in 34 shades! I want to look into a bright pink or maybe even a purple. What do you think of these and have you tried this line yet? Or anything from Bite Beauty?

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

The Influenster Hub

Hey guys!

Nothing To Disclose Press Sample Affiliate Link

Over the last few years of blogging, I've gotten some great VoxBoxes from Influenster and been able to try some things that I wouldn't normally try!

Recently, Influenster upgraded their site and made it easier to search for things and added The Hub, which is exactly that: a hub for findings info on all things beauty, fashion, lifestyle, entertainment and food related!

There are tips, recipes, reviews, and loads more information that can be gleaned from The Hub; there's even a Word of the Day tile. Today's word is:

busker

BUS-kur

Noun

1. A person who entertains (as by playing music) in public places.

“In addition to his part-time job working in the university library, Jason also made a little extra money on the side with his grandfather's accordion as a busker.”

I don't know about you, but I did not know that. And let's be honest, we all need to improve our vocabulary in this age of shortening words and making up new words.


On the Food tab, there are healthy snack ideas, wine guides, dessert ideas and so much more!

Since one of my loves is obviously beauty, I was really enjoying reading some of the posts on that tab. 9 Ways To Avoid Breakouts was interesting, as that is my primary skin concern.

I would love to go over everything that is listed on The Hub but there simply isn't enough time to type it all up, lol!

I recommend you head on over to Influenster and check out The Hub for yourself! Learn something new and have a great day! :-)

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Sunkissed Vox Box - Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

*Products were sent from Influenster for my honest review*

Hey guys!

Today I have the new Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream to review for you!

I never wear anything on my face other than eye makeup. Call me lazy, that's fine. I either don't have time in the morning or I just don't feel like putting extra stuff on my face. So I had no previous experience with any BB creams.

"The Olay Fresh Effects {BB Cream} Skin Perfecting Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15 (that's a mouthful!) offers 24-hour hydration and a splash of sheer color. This all-in-one skin perfecter, sunscreen, and tinted moisturizer evens tone and refreshes dullness, for flawless looking skin (available in two shades: fair/light and light/medium)."

Since I'm pregnant and look tired, ya know... all of the time, I did wear this to work one day to see if anyone noticed that I looked fresher and more awake. Everyone comments on how tired one looks! Not cool, man.

Well... no one noticed. I don't think the coverage on this is that great; I didn't notice a difference when I put it on. But it smells really wonderful and it has SPF, which I am also dreadful at using :-/

Olay Fresh Effects {BB Cream} retails for $12.99.

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox - Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics

*Products were sent from Influenster for free for my honest review*

Hey guys!

Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics... we're all familiar with Goody! I have about a bajillion elastic bands that I always use for pulling my hair back or into a ponytail and I always buy Goody. They are durable and it takes a loooottt of stretching for the bands to break!

"The embodiment of fashion and comfort from America's #1 elastics brand, the new Ouchless Ribbon Elastics are the pretty solution to hot summer hair days."

My hair is quite thick, so I always wrap the elastic around my ponytail three times. I hate loose ponytails! With the design of these, I was only able to wrap the elastic around the ponytail twice. It didn't feel quite as secure as I am used to, but it didn't fall out, either.

These bands are much more decorative than what I usually use, so it makes for a fun hair accessory, while providing function, as well!

Good Ouchless Ribbon Elastics retail for between $3.99- $4.99.

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Sunkissed Vox Box - Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles

*Products were provided by Influenster for my honest review*

Hey guys!

Today I have some Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles to review! These were included in the most recent Influenster VoxBox, the Sunkissed box.

Now, being that I'm 9 months pregnant, I'm not wearing a ton of super high heels right now. Flip flops are calling to me a little bit more than my heels, at the moment :-) BUT I still love my shoes and I tested these babies out around the house and am happy to report that they do make a difference in the shoes!

The shoes I wore the insoles in are Lela Rose for Payless. Aren't they soooo cute?! Love that mustard color!! And the bow? Dead from cuteness.

Anyway, they shoes aren't terribly uncomfortable on their own but after a while of wearing any heel this high, the feet start to feel it!

The insoles have a removable plastic sheeting on the back so the insert will adhere to the shoe. No worries, it's not going to be a permanent adhesion! You can remove the insole and use it in other shoes without damaging the shoe or the insole! Yes!

I did notice a little bit of added tightness while wearing the shoes, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I personally like my shoes to be quite fitted... that way I won't walk out of them! LOL

I can't wait to try these during an actual walking around out of the house event and now just schlepping up and down the hallway in my house!

Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heels insoles retail for $10.99.
Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox - SinfulShine In The Limelight

*Products were sent for my honest review*

Hey guys!

Influenster recently sent out their Sunkissed Vox Box and included in this box was a new product from Sinful Nail Polish, Sinful Shine, with Gel Tech. 

The color I received was In The Limelight, a pretty grass green. I used 2 coats, with no top coat. Look at that shine! 

The formula on this was pretty perfect, no pooling, dragging, etc. Love that! 

I wore this for 3 days with very minimal tip wear. I only changed my polish because I tore a nail and wanted my hands to match, lol. 

SinfulShine is available at Walgreens for a limited time, in 32 eye-popping shades! If you are a fan of the gel polishes, I would suggest checking these out. For $2.99, you can't go wrong! 

Talk to you soon!

Amanda

Influenster: Palmolive Fresh Infusions

Hey guys!

Since I forgot to get a guest post from someone this week, you get to read my review of my most recent Influenster box, the Palmolive Fresh Infusions box!

First off, I was totally shocked that these were full sized bottles! I was expecting travel/sample sizes so when I opened the box and saw 3 full sized bottles of dish soap... I'm not gonna lie, I whooped!

The scents I received were:
Lemon Thyme
Ginger White Tea
Lime Basil

I do have a dishwasher but a large majority of my dishes I wash by hand, because I have a lot of older dishes that I just don't trust in the dishwasher (I love love love old dishes, colored glass... but that's a different topic).

So I've been alternating using a different scent each time I wash dishes, as you can see by the even fill lines, lol.

They all smell very good, you can decipher the scent but it's not overpowering and they all suds up nicely. I probably use too much but I like a LOT of suds :-p

I would definitely buy these again. They wash up nicely, and don't leave my dishes feeling soapy or grimy. I also like the bottle shape, which sounds weird but it's more appealing than some of the other shaped bottles I've purchased. Also, the caps are easy to open but click securely shut! I don't want tto knock the bottle over and spill delicious soap everywhere.

The Ginger White Tea is my favorite because I love floral scents. Now I have to remember to use my coupons for these!

Thumbs up, Palmolive!

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Beauty Blogger Vox Box: Vitabath Fragrance MIst

Hey guys!

Info from Influenster VoxBox card:

"Vitabath presents a new line of lightweight Fragrance Mists in 16 fabulous scents. This revitalizing, weightless formula is infused with conditioning vitamins and a unique antioxidant blend to keep your skin refreshed and happy. Smell absolutely delicious with Vitabath!"

The scent I received was Cupcake. Again, I'm more of a floral scent person. I don't ever really notice how long perfume or mists last because... I can't really smell me, lol. But my husband noticed later in the day (well, after I asked him) that I smelled nice.

While this scent wasn't my favorite, I would definitely try other Vitabath products.

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox: Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream

Hey guys!

"Kinky Moves is infused with natural grape seed and jasmine to encourage natural curls and eliminate frizz and fly-aways."

My hair isn't even kind of curly so this product didn't work for me. However, it smelled really nice! I love the smell of jasmine.

I'm going to give this to someone who has curly hair and hopefully it will work well for them :-)

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Beauty Blogger: Bath & Body Works Mini Candle

Hey guys!

"Bath and Body Works Mini Candle are mini but mighty! B&BW Mini Candles provide an amazing fragrance experience exclusively developed and tested by a team of Home Fragrance experts, including the world's best master perfumers."

The candle I received was Mahogany Teakwood, a blend of mahogany, cedarwood, and oak, highlighted by lavender and geranium. I would say this is more of a manly scent... or earthy, I guess. Typically, I'm all floral scents but this wasn't bad at all. I actually liked it.

It burned for several hours, two different days, which is great for a mini candle (1.3oz).

I have purchased a lot of Bath & Body Works candles over the years and I will continue to do so. They smell great, there are always sales, and they have nice scents that aren't overpowering but are strong enough that you can smell them!

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Beauty Blogger: EBoost

Hey guys!

Info from the card Influenster included in the VoxBox:

"EBOOST will boost your mood, focus, and immunity with natural ingredients and no crash. As a shot or an easy-to mix power and in four flavors, you'll feel great whether you choose Orange, Pink Lemonade, Acai Pomegranate, or Super Berry."

I already reviewed this item once before and the new review is the same:  I didn't noticed a difference in energy. The taste was fine; I mixed it in a glass of water, but towards the end of the glass, it started tasting a little chalky.



Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox: Kiss Pro Lashes

Hey guys!

This is the info from the card Influenster included in the VoxBox:

"Bring the salon home with this eyelash starter kit, complete with eyelashes, adhesive, and applicator. This latex-free glue has a 24-hour hold, for lashes you can bat all day and all night."

Let's talk about these.... I did not at all care for these. Here are several reasons why:

First of all, there is zero way that my eyelashes would ever look as long as these fake lashes.
Second, they were SOOO heavy! Like, "barely hold my eye open" heavy. I don't have huge doe eyes anyway, so this didn't help anything.
Third, I don't know how the applicator was supposed to help. It only made me feel like I wasn't actually applying these and a robot was doing it.

I didn't bother to take a picture with these on... I only got one on and took it off after about 1 minute. I just can't do fake eyelashes, I guess!


So mad props to the people who can wear fake lashes. I am clearly not one of them.
Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox: Goody Spin Pin

Hey guys!

This is the description on the VoxBox Info card:

"Never have the time for a great updo? Not anymore! The Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin allows you to easily achieve three chic updo styles. Simply twirl your hair up and spin the two Spin Pins in for a perfect undone bun, side bun, or double bun!"

This was not my first time using Spin Pins. I originally bought these when they were first seen at my Target several months ago.... I returned them, lol.

I have thick but very fine hair, so I just thought it was my hair that was causing these to not work for me. But I tried again and I tried diligently for the sake of this post.

At first, it was an epic fail. An undone bun... this sounds awful to me. I like things to be neat and tidy and straight and clean and undone and messy.... nope.

After several attempts, I did manage to get a neat bun with these. I have no idea how, because every other time I tried, pieces would fall out and then I would get mad and yank (not really) them out.

So, I guess these are trial and error. I will keep them and keep using them and trying to figure out the best way to use these babies! 

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster Beauty Blogger Vox Box: NYC New York Color IndividualEyes

Hey guys!

Longest name ever, right? This is one of the items I received in my Beauty Blogger VoxBox from Influenster.

I'm going to use the information that came on the info card:

The NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact is an all-in-one compact that comes with everything you need for a complete eye look: primer, illumnator, applicator, and complementing shadows. With 4 colors, specially coordinated to intensify and enhance your eye color, you can create a look as individual as you are. Make you eyes pop!

I was a little bummed that this was how my compact arrived: the silver eyeshadow is completely smashed to bits and therefore leaked a silvery film over everything else in the VoxBox. This was due to the fact that there was zero protective packaging in the box. Eek! That's not good.

Anyway, I managed to clean it off and use it (yes, this picture is the clean version). I left the plastic cover in this picture so you can see how the shadows come labeled.

This is the look I wore with this palette. I used the primer on my lid, then applied the silver (the smashed shade) all over my lid. Then I used the lighter of the Crease/Contour shades on my lower lid and the crease. Lastly, I used the highlighter up to my eyebrow. Well, not all the way up because I just can't get my head around putting eyeshadow all the way up to my eyebrow. It weirds me out, lol. 

I didn't use the illuminator or the darkest Crease/Contour colors. 

This wore very well and there wasn't a lot of fallout from the shadow. The only thing I did notice was a little bit of eye irritation but I have sensitive eyes to certain eyeshadows, so that was probably just me. 

For $4.99, I would definitely try a different colored palette.

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster New Site Review

Hey guys!

I have a quick post today, reviewing the new Influenster site. If you're not familiar with Influenster, I'm going to direct you to this page, rather than typing all of that out, lol.

Anyway, they recently re-did their website and it is infinitely better. It was terribly confusing and very difficult to maneuver before but now, it's a piece of cake!

Everything is much more visible and easier to access, which is awesome because I want those VoxBoxes and I don't want to miss out on one because I couldn't find the right spot to sign up for it! LOL There is also a spot for social presence, Influenster Badge scores, etc. etc. I'm very comptetitive, so this excites me!

If you are not an Influenster, I would recommend signing up. It's free, and you get products to review, based on the different themes that you would fit into (Naturals, Bride To Be, Beauty Blogger, etc. etc.)

You are not guaranteed a box by signing up, so make sure to take all the quizzes and badges to qualify for anything that interests you.

The link is: Influenster.com! I can't wait to see what is in the next VoxBox!

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

Influenster: CleanWell Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipe

Hey guys! Whoops, one last Influenster review for you! I forgot it was in here, lol.

Again, I used Influenster's page description and my review will be below the pictures.

"Life is messy, sticky and germy. CleanWell helps clean it up and kill germs without any unwanted ingredients. These convenient pouches are perfect to pack in a lunch box or carry in your backpack or bag.

In a 50-count box, you'll find enough individually wrapped hand sanitizer wipes for a couple of months worth of lunches, to take along in your pocket for your next meeting or trade show (just THINK of all the hands you're shaking!) or just for your family to use while traveling. Their size and one-use packet make them ideal for taking them along when you're out in the world. They are great for both hands and faces.

And CleanWell doesn't use alcohol or benzalkonium chloride - so no concerns about dry skin, skin irritation, or irritating Mother Nature. Our all natural hand sanitizing wipes are great for hands (and faces) large and small.

Available at Whole Foods Market, Amazon.com, Cleanwelltoday.com, and most natural products retail stores. "

These are nice wipes with a pleasant citrus scent. They are durable, too. I don't usually use sanitizing wipes; I just use gel or foam but these would be nice for someone with small kids. I don't think I will be purchasing them anytime soon but it's nice to know they are out there if I ever did want some sanitizing wipes!

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

"This product was provided free of charge by Influenster for my honest opinion."

Influenster: Nectresse

Hey guys!

I'm using Influenster's information below; my review will be under the pictures.


New NECTRESSE™ Sweetener tastes like sugar and is naturally zero calories per serving. How? We started with the deliciously sweet extract of monk fruit and combined it with the perfect blend of other natural sweeteners. It's 100% natural with nothing artificial. You're going to love the way it tastes.

I don't use artificial sweeteners, because I use raw cane sugar or honey as sweeteners. 

Anyway, I used this in my tea and it has a very very very sweet taste. It didn't taste natural to me, it tasted like aspartame. I do not care for that taste... it's very overpowering, in my opinion.

I wouldn't purchase this product in stores, simply because it's not something that interests me, and the strong taste was a little off putting for me.

Talk to you soon!
Amanda

"This product was provided free of charge by Influenster for my honest opinion."