Colgate Optic White Toothbrush and Built-In Whitening Pen Review

As a member of Influenster, an online community for product reviews, Liz is eligible to receive products to review. This month she was excited to be chosen to review the Colgate Optic White Toothbrush + Built-In Whitening Pen. The box included the toothbrush and pen, a sample of toothpaste, and coupons to buy more (and to give out to friends). Who doesn't love coupons?

#BrushWhitenGo Influenster Vox Box

From Liz...

I've never been partial to a certain toothbrush or toothpaste brand. I've always bought what was available or what looked like it would fit my needs, but I don't think I've ever bought the same one twice on purpose. But I am a fan of whitening products and was actually thinking about trying Optic White out, so how excited was I to be chosen for this Influenster VoxBox?

First let's look at the toothbrush. It looks and feels different than others I've been using recently, and in a good way. I'm liking it.

The bristles

The toothpaste is a white paste, not gel, and it leaves your teeth feeling clean (not slimy or grimy, one of my personal pet peeves about toothpastes).

The gel pen is easy to use. You take off the top, turn the bottom until it clicks a few times and you see the gel come out of the top, then you rub the gel on your teeth. No need to rinse. And when you're done, the gel clicks into the bottom of your toothbrush. Easy to keep track of.

The gel pen

The gel pen clicks into the bottom of the toothbrush

I have to say that I've tried other whitening products and found them to be kind of a pain with the applying and the waiting and the rinsing. But this is super easy. Brush. Whiten. Go. And I really like the shape of the toothbrush head.

If you're in the market for whitening products or just want to try Colgate's Optic White, be sure to use their website and register for coupons!


I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Review: New York Color HD Trio Eye Shadow

First let me start off by telling you I received this product complimentary from Influenster to review. I always want to tell people that before doing a review, but I also want you to know that my reviews are my own views on the product (not a sponsored post).

So let's talk makeup. You've seen that I have a penchant for purchasing already, so when I received the NYC HD Trio Eye Shadow in Long Beach Sands I was excited to try it out. One thing that I really liked about this line is that it came in all of the shades that fit the current season's colors. So not only can you get neutral colors that you can wear every day, but you can also get Trio sets that fit with the current fashion trends.

I'm always weary of eye makeup because my eyes are sensitive and a lot of times different products can make my allergies act up horribly. Many times it's the fragrance that sets off my allergies. No worries with the HD Trio - it's fragrance free. It's also infused with vitamins A and E and green tea extract, all of which are beneficial for your skin.

For those who aren't working with makeup every day, each Trio comes with suggestions for where to wear which color (lid, brow, crease) and when you follow those guidelines it looks great! The colors I received were muted which is good for me since I usually don't, you know, go out clubbing or spend time out at night at all. I can wear this to work and feel confident that it will stay with me all day and look professional. And at $2.99 per Trio, you could buy all 12 without breaking the bank. Win! I wanted to look at more colors so I found them at Target and Walgreens. They're easy to find, inexpensive, but long-wearing. I definitely suggest that you try these out.
-Liz

#JollyVoxBox from Influenster

As a member of Influenster, an online product review community, I (Liz) am eligible to receive VoxBoxes full of goodies to try out and review. This month I was excited to see that I would receive the #JollyVoxBox, a box of goodies for the holiday season.

Here was my box when it arrived. So cute!

#JollyVoxBox in my tree!

Here's my unboxing video (where I take a video of myself opening and oohing and ahhing over the gems inside).

Ooh goodies to try and to play with!

So what's going on this month with the VoxBox? Well let me tell you - and don't worry, you'll see more about these products in the coming months in different posts and on social media.

Skinny Cow Divine Filled Chocolates (Peanut Butter Creme) - I received my box yesterday and hadn't touched these yet, but after dinner today I just really wanted a little chocolate. A LITTLE. So I thought, heyyyyy! I opened the box and took out one package. Each package has three squares (not so little really) and each package is 130 calories. As soon as I tore the paper open a magical wonderland of chocolate and peanut butter smells emerged. I'm not joking. And they tasted just as good as they looked. I did an Instavideo about it, but you can't see me because...well...I really need to dye my hair LoL Follow Skinny Cow on Twitter and on Facebook for coupons and surprises!

Ducklings Mini Rolls - Seriously, I thought, baby Duck Tape? In turquiose leopard print? Um, awesome! I've coveted the mustache large tape for months so I was excited to see this. Now what to do with it. I'm thinking about using some just to wrap presents because my 3 year old has already started trying to open them (not yet Little Dude). Follow The Duck Brand on Twitter and Facebook for more fun.

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer - Did someone at Influenster know I was a makeup hoarder? If not, they certain sent this and the next item to the right person. Hello lover, a new lip product you say? Don't mind if I do. I received Aurora as my color. Watch for photos soon. Follow Rimmel for beauty tips on Twitter and Facebook.

New York Color (NYC) HD Color Trio Eye Shadow - Again, you had me at "makeup." I received the Long Beach Sands colors which are fitting for the season because, shocker, they're part of this season's fashion pallet. You know I love me some makeup, so I will be sure to share with you my experiences with this gem. Follow NYC on Twitter and Facebook for more beauty suggestions and eye-popping options.

Puffs Plus Lotion - Did someone call Influenster and tell them my house was the Fifth Circle of Cold Hell this week? If not, they're psychic (or they know it's cold season). Whatever the reason, these tissues are worth their money in gold. Both kids will allow me to wipe/blow with them when other tissues (and TP) just weren't cutting it. "I yike that wipe," Silas told me. Good enough for me. Let's buy stock. Follow Puffs on Twitter and Facebook for coupons and "stay away cold!" suggestions.

I'm off to play with my products - wait did that sound bad?

Which of these products sound the most interesting or useful to you?

The MamaVoxBox from Influenster

Got it from Influenster!

As a member of the Influenster community I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive the MamaVoxBox, a box of complimentary products to review that Moms would enjoy. Since I enjoy reviewing products, I was really excited to be chosen. Influenster.com is a product review platform that allows bloggers and other social media types to review products and possibly be involved in activities like VoxBoxes where reviewers are sent products to review and participate in fun challenges. I have really enjoyed this "challenge" and working towards receiving all of the "badges" that go along with the products we reviewed. It's a lot of fun - any blogger who is interested in being an Influenster member should email me.

Here's what my box looked like:

Great stuff to review from Influenster!

Inside of the box were lots of cool things to try. I received Ponds Luminous Finish BB+ Cream, a Belvita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuit, some Dr. Scholl's for her Comfort Insoles, and a package of Annie's Homegrown microwaveable macaroni and cheese cups to try out. So how did these products work out?

Ponds Luminous Finish BB+ Cream

I've never tried anything like this. It goes on smooth, provides even coverage, has SPF 15 to protect your skin, and leaves your face feeling great. There's no slimy or oily feeling that you may get with other creams. I've continued to use this since I received it and have definitely noticed a difference in the dark/red spots on my skin. I highly recommend this product for anyone interested in trying a light and moisturizing base with SPF and dark spot correction. I've even branched out into using other Ponds products because my experience was so positive. 

BelVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits (Chocolate and Oats type)

BelVita Soft Baked

Our mornings are pretty hectic so I was excited to try this grab and go breakfast item, and I wasn't disappointed. I have bought two boxes since we received the free one. Even my 3 year old likes these "cookies" for breakfast. Great find. It will forever be on my grocery list.

Annie's Microwaveable Macaroni and Cheese Cups

Silas tries Annie's

We're big mac-n-cheese eaters so I wasn't sure what to expect. Everyone in my house loved it. Even Mike said it tasted better than the other brands we've tried. I've bought a ton of them since our free package. While they're slightly pricier than other brands, I would say it's worth the price. It cooks up quick and tastes great. 8 thumbs up (from the whole family).

Dr Scholl's for Her Comfort Insoles

Dr. Scholl's Comfort Insoles

I've never been an insert person but I loved these. I did a whole review post on them here. I am still using them and will probably buy some other options for sneakers as well.

So there you have it - my review of all of these great products. As I said before, I received all of these products free from Influenster to review and really enjoyed the opportunity and the process.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Review: Dr. Scholl's For Her Comfort Insoles

Like many of you, I have a few of those pairs of shoes that just aren't comfortable for whatever reason. Maybe they don't offer enough arch support. Maybe there's not enough heel support. For whatever reason, they're cute as can be, but the thought of wearing them all day makes you want to shudder.

Much of my time is spent in sneakers, but I do have a few pairs of "dressy" shoes (that I usually pair with jeans and a cute shirt, but we won't talk about that). And I can tell you, most of my dressy shoes are "not so much" in the comfortable department. Enter Dr. Scholl's for Her Comfort Insoles.

The purple parts are extra padded

I received a complementary pair of Comfort Insoles from Influenster and was skeptical because I'd never been one for insoles. "If a shoe's not comfortable, it's not comfortable, and that's that," I thought. But I busted out some of my fall shoes one cooler morning and slid them in. The insoles are clear with purple and are squishy. The bottoms have some stick to them but not "I'm never coming out of your shoes again!" sticky. Usually when I wear these shoes my feet feel OK for a few hours, but by lunch time they're off and under my desk. The day that I tried the insoles I forgot I was wearing them. It was pretty cool. A few days later I put the insoles into another pair of shoes and wore them all day with no pain or uncomfortableness. Wearing these in my "dressy" shoes has made the idea of wearing dressy shoes way less cringe-worthy, especially for a college professor who stands up while teaching for half of the day.

Even if you're not an insole gal, try them. You may just like them. I know that I'll definitely keep moving mine back and forth between my fall dressy shoes because they are continuing to make my feet happy while working, and we know how important that is.

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I received a complementary pair of Comfort Insoles from Influenster but the opinions and experiences expressed in this post are my own.

Annie's Homegrown Organic Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Review

Who will get to eat the Annie's??

We have two sons, ages 3 and 15 months. The mac and cheese flows freely in our house and our microwave gets a workout. I received some Annie's Homegrown Macaroni and Cheese from Influenster and wanted to share my views on it.

It only takes 2 minutes in the microwave whereas other brands take 3 minutes and 30 seconds. I tried it and found that the cheese actually does taste like aged cheddar. Silas tried it and he ate it (which is a feat, and telling in and of itself). Mike tried it and said that of any of the brands we've tried so far (which is many), he likes this one the best. Well. I was not expecting to change up our MacNCheese routine, but I guess that Annie's #Realcheese it is!

What else rocks about it? Well, organic pasta is nice. Great taste. It definitely looked different than the other macNcheeses we've tried when it came out of the microwave, but once I put the cheese in and stirred and let it cool, it was awesome. I had to try it multiple times to make sure it wasn't too hot for Silas ;)

I received Annie's Homegrown complimentary from Influenster.

Have you tried Annie's microwavable macaroni and cheese? What did you and your family think? Share your views below.