Influenster Sugar 'n Spice box

I just received a new Influenster voxbox. The theme of this one is "Sugar 'n Spice". I was shocked to find the box packed full of stuff I think I will actually use and love. I've heard of Belvita and am excited to try them. Colgate has been my go-to brand for toothpaste forever and with the amount of coffee and chocolate I consume, whitening products should be most helpful. Vaseline spray lotion could be interesting. I've tried spray lotions before and have not been a fan so I'll be interested to see how this performs. Splenda is another favorite brand of mine but I had not heard of this version of sweetener. And finally Dickinson's oil absorbing towelettes. I have pretty dry skin so I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of these. All in all, very exciting. Reviews to follow.

Influenster Cosmo Vox Box 2012 review

I recently posted my review of the Venus razors that were included in my Cosmo Vox box from Influenster. I had the most to say about them so I gave them their own post. Today I'll give you my thoughts on the rest of the products in the box.

Pilot Frixion Pens

Being a child of the '80s I was skeptical about erasable ink pens. Erasable ink pens when I was in school were messy to write with and didn't really erase all that well. You were pretty much left with abraded paper with an inky smudge. These however are pretty neat. The ink writes a bit light for my taste (I'm used to bold lines from gel ink pens) but they do write smoothly without smudging. The "eraser" is not a typical eraser that wears down as you use it. It's more like a rubber tip that just magically removes the ink from the page. There is nothing left behind on the paper nor is there a smudge on the rubber tip. Very interesting. I found I could erase the ink for days after writing. I have no need for erasable pens but if you do, this would be a great one to try.

Bath & Body Works Forever Red perfume

Didn't like this at all. Smelled like artificial fruit with an odd musk dry down. Even though this is a perfume it reminded me of a cheap body spray. B&BW has MUCH better smelly stuff available. I'd skip this one.

Ghiradelli Sea Salt Escape

Surprisingly delicious! I've heard a touch of salt can really bring up the flavor of chocolate and this bar seems to prove that point. The chocolate has an excellent flavor and a creamy texture. There are flakes of salt and almonds throughout the bar. The almonds add no discernible flavor, just a bit of texture. The salt adds interest and brightness to the candy. Very very good. I would definitely buy this.

These products were all given to me at no cost in exchange for my honest opinions.

Gillette Venus Embrace and Venus Olay razors

When I received my first Influenster Vox Box I was excited to receive a new Venus razor and two types of blades, the Embrace and the Venus Olay. I've been using Venus refillable razors for years and years. Although the may be a bit pricier than other brands, I find them to be excellent for shaving. The blades last a very long time. I prefer to use handmade bar soap rather than shaving cream and with these blades I rarely, if ever, cut myself. I generally buy the original or Divine refill.

I decided to try the Olay refill first. It comes in the usual plastic cup Venus packaging making it very easy to attach to the handle with no risk of cutting yourself. The refill head looks rather strange, with large rubbery looking strips at the top and bottom of the head. The head is huge. I found that I could not store my razor in it's shower caddy (I have an older version of the Venus caddy that allows you to store refill blades in a tiny case and the razor hangs on the outside.) I believe if you buy the Venus Olay razor (with the handle and blade) it comes with a holder that is large enough to accommodate the head. The bars are skin conditioners and there are five blades. I'm not sure, but I believe the moisture bars are supposed to help eliminate the need for shave cream. I shaved one leg with Kiss My Face shave cream and the other just wet. The razor performed equally as well on both legs. I was very pleased to find the razor did not drag on the leg that was just wet. The moisture bars provided plenty of slip for the razor to glide over my skin. I had the same super close Venus shave I'm used to. My skin did not feel irritated but I still followed up with lotion since it is winter and my skin is very dry. I will be interested to see how long the moisture bars last. I would highly suggest storing the razor where it will stay dry to prolong the bars. I would definitely consider switching to this version of the Venus razor in the future. Venus Olay refills retail for $15.50 for 3.

The Embrace refill also has 5 blades which gives a super close shave. I did the same experiment with this razor, one leg with shave cream one without, even though this razor does not have the moisture bars. There was a good bit of drag without shave cream so I would not recommend shaving without cream or soap. My legs were very smooth and not irritated. Embrace refills retail for $16.99 for 4.

I loved both razors and found they gave a closer, longer lasting shave than the original Venus shaver I usually use (that one only has 3 blades). If you've got dry skin or want to skip having to use shave cream, go for the Olay version. I would highly recommend either razor, though.