I received the Blossom VoxBox from Influenster earlier this month, and I figured I'd give myself time to try everything at leisure before posting my review, which is why it wasn't up here sooner. As always with any VoxBox that I post from Influenster, I received all of these items free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The post is not sponsored by Influenster or any of the companies who participated by adding their products to this box. Let's get started!
I wasn't quite sure what the Blossom VoxBox was when I found out that I was selected to get one, so I opted to wait and be surprised. Here's what I got in my box:
When I saw these were bean chips, I was not intrigued. lol I don't eat beans often and I'm not really a fan of black beans, so I didn't think they'd taste good at all. But I did like all the health benefits that the chips boasted and that the ingredients were all natural, so I went ahead and tried them. The nutritional info on the back lists these chips as being gluten, MSG, sodium, They ended up tasting great, at least to me. The original flavor was my favorite of the two; they had a subtle taste with only a hint of black bean at the end. The chipotle bbq reminded me of a less greasy Lay's Barbecue chip with a finish of cayenne or chili powder. It left a heat behind that wasn't overwhelming, but it did mix quite well with the barbecue. The bean taste wasn't strong in this chip either. I think they would both be good chips to eat alongside a burger. I figure I'll get all the good stuff with the chips so that I can get a pass on eating the burger. It balances out. LOL
2. Bear Naked Granola in Sea Salt Caramel Apple & Coconut Almond Curry, $10.49 for 12oz.
I've never had loose granola before, and while I was excited to try the caramel apple version, I did not share the same excitement for the curry granola. The caramel apple has bits of dried apple and pieces of caramel mixed into the loose oats, and the almond curry has bits of shaved coconut slices and almond pieces mixed in with the oats. I absolutely loved the caramel apple. It reminded me of the apple oatmeal and granola bars I used to eat when I was a kid and it tasted great. The curry granola, however, not so much. I don't think curry should be combined with granola. At first the taste is slightly sweet, but then the heat of the curry hits and for me, it just didn't mix well with the oats and coconut. That would explain the significant difference in the amounts I have in the bags. lol
3. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in Medium, $13.99
My legs are darker than the shade of Airbrush Legs I was given so I wasn't able to get a full idea of how it would work for me, but when I tried it out I noticed a difference in the texture of my legs. The leg without the makeup felt normal and soft, but the one with it felt a bit rougher, sort of how my skin feels when I apply self-tanners or bronzing lotions. The leg makeup did give my leg more of a uniform complexion and after awhile I forgot it was there. It blended in well and disguised the smaller marks on my leg, and it didn't feel sweaty or greasy after a couple of hours. The only complaint I have with the product itself was how parched it made my leg feel. If it had the effect on my skin of a lotion then this would be great. I'm open to trying this again with the shade that matches my skintone.
On average I wash my hair about once or twice a week; I usually use my conditioner as a leave-in because it helps to keep my hair from drying out or becoming unmanageable between washes. My hair is very dry and weak in general, so I try not to go overboard with washing it or using heat on it. When I do wash it though, I need a shampoo that removes all built-up products or oils and fully cleanses without drying out my hair. The first time I washed my hair with this I noticed that after rinsing my hair, it felt a bit stripped and brittle, so I had to apply the leave-in to put some of the oils back. The second time, I didn't use the leave-in and proceeded as normal; it felt very stripped at first and very tangled. Once it was dried it did feel clean, especially at the root, but it fully exposed how dried out my ends were, and those parts are still prone to tangling even when dry. My hair doesn't feel weighted down per se, but it's kinda got the helmet effect going on--it's not flat, it brought out some of the waves at my roots, but it's not moving. I love the scent though and ends aside, I do like how my hair feels. It feels clean, but it also feels drier and much more brittle. It's gotten good reviews from other bloggers who've tried it and while I did see some of the benefits, I think maybe it just mixes badly with how damaged my hair already is or the texture it already had. I'm going to use it again LOL, just not without my leave-in afterward.
5. NYC 24-hr Eyeshadow in Brooklyn Mocha, $2.99
I've never tried any NYC products before, save for the dual-color eyeliners, so I was excited to try this. I really liked that it was a twist-up crayon. I swatched this on my hand first and I was expecting it to be a shimmery sand, but it actually looks more gray. I applied it over a primer on one eye and left the other eye naked, and that's where I noticed the difference. On the primed eye the color was darker, a bit more intense and smokier. On the naked eye, it was lighter, there was more of a shimmery finish, and the color blended out a little easier. I love the color by itself, but it also mixes well with other colors, makes for a slammin' smokey eye, and would probably be a good base if you'd like a little bit of shimmer to peek out from underneath darker eyeshadows. This is easily one of my favorite products in the box.
6. Australian Gold Sunscreen in SPF 30, $7.99 for 8oz.
This is a great sunscreen. I don't know that it replaces my other two favorites just yet, but it's right up there. The scent is very summery but doesn't have that irritating sunscreen smell or feel to it. The formula isn't as thick as old school sunscreens, it rubs in very well and it doesn't leave the skin looking or feeling greasy. It makes your skin look moisturized and dewy, and I liked that as well. I applied it before leaving on a midday walk last weekend and when I got back, I had a tan but my skin wasn't as dried out as it normally is when I leave without sunscreen. My skin wasn't leathery or chafed and still felt moisturized. It's also supposed to be water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, so if you're going to spend a couple of hours out by the pool or at a water park, this would be a good sunscreen to take along with you. The size of the bottle that I received makes it very portable, the top doesn't easily come off so it won't spill in your bag, and you won't need to drown your skin in it; you can mix it in with your lotion to get it to stretch. I liked this sunscreen a lot.
This is a great sunscreen. I don't know that it replaces my other two favorites just yet, but it's right up there. The scent is very summery but doesn't have that irritating sunscreen smell or feel to it. The formula isn't as thick as old school sunscreens, it rubs in very well and it doesn't leave the skin looking or feeling greasy. It makes your skin look moisturized and dewy, and I liked that as well. I applied it before leaving on a midday walk last weekend and when I got back, I had a tan but my skin wasn't as dried out as it normally is when I leave without sunscreen. My skin wasn't leathery or chafed and still felt moisturized. It's also supposed to be water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, so if you're going to spend a couple of hours out by the pool or at a water park, this would be a good sunscreen to take along with you. The size of the bottle that I received makes it very portable, the top doesn't easily come off so it won't spill in your bag, and you won't need to drown your skin in it; you can mix it in with your lotion to get it to stretch. I liked this sunscreen a lot.
7. Nasoya Pasta Zero Pasta, $2.29
I haven't been able to get to the store to buy sauce for this pasta yet, but let me tell you that I was not intrigued by this when I first saw it in the bag. lol It was delivered very securely though, it was in a bubble wrapped container and that was placed into a Ziploc bag, so I appreciate that I didn't receive noodle juice (lol) drenched all over everything. These noodles are supposed to be cooked in a skillet, then you can add whatever sauces you'd like and eat. When I try this, I'll update the post.
Extras:
Besides the fact sheet I got on all of the products in the box, I also had coupons for Beanitos and Hair Food products, and an invitation to post some how-to or inspiration tips in order to receive a $25 eBay gift card. I much prefer when I get fact sheets with my boxes; after I review them initially I tend to forget about where I got them, and the fact cards help me keep track.
The Blossom VoxBox is by far one of the better boxes I received from Influenster, and I'm beyond appreciative that I was selected for this box. I got a couple of new alternatives for healthy snacks, and with this new goal of mine to workout and start being more aware of what I eat, a couple of those snacks couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks again to Influenster for including me in this box and Happy Memorial Day!
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