May 2012 VoxBox

Do you guys remember my holiday Voxbox review? Well, I recently received another. You can sign up on Influenster, earn badges, read reviews and perhaps be selected to receive a free box of complimentary items to try. You don't have to review them but of course it is encouraged.  Downside to these boxes, for me, is that many are brands that I don't buy because they aren't cruelty free.  That said, I am going to review the items for you all.  I will let you know my honest opinion and whether or not I recommend it along with whether or not it is cruelty free or vegan.  Today I'll show you a peek at all of the items and review a few but I'm saving some for longer reviews later!

I received:

 Dr Scholl's for Her Ball of Foot shoe insert, Bath & Body Works Signature Collection spray in Moonlight Path, Aveeno body wash, Chapstick Lip Shield 365 with SPF 0, Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Animal Print Instinct, SOYJOY bar and Sheer Cover concealer in Light/Medium.

The Bath & Body Works spray is from their new collection. I was amazed that this was full sized! It's 8 fl oz or 236mL. It's from the Signature Collection and labeled as a "fine fragrance mist". This has a nice light spray; I have some spray perfumes come out way too strong! Not this one. At first this didn't smell like a whole lot to me but once it settles, it smells great. I'm pretty picky with perfumes but I really like this. It smells much better being worn than in the bottle so if you see it in store, give it a spray! It retails for $11. Bath & Body works is cruelty free.

Next we have the Aveeno Body Wash.  It is a "daily moisturizing body was" that is meant to "replenish skin's natural moisture". It says it is dermatologist recommended. This size is 2 fl oz or 59ml so enough to really be able to sample it. It says it can also be used for shaving. This doesn't really smell like a whole lot, mostly oatmeal when being used. The smell lingers on the skin faintly. It is a clear gel that really foams up. Of course, the foam is often a sign of a less natural product. As you may know, Aveeno is owned by Johnson & Johnson and the products are not cruelty-free.  This was moisturizing and very nice to shave with. I prefer something organic and more natural but it isn't a bad product quality wise.

a bit runny and clear

 Chapstick is not a cruelty free brand. This is a new product by them and is meant for active people. The balm smells really nice and even tastes good, kinda like lemons. It goes on a bit white though, so definitely more of a sport lip protector than just a beauty product. It is smooth on the lips. Unfortunately, it contains oxybenzone as the active sunscreen ingredient, which I avoid. You can read more about that here. I gave this to my husband but I think the smell/taste turns him off. Maybe this is better suited to active women? I can't recommend it though because I don't believe that it is a very "safe" product, health wise. 

I was curious about the SOYJOY bar since it is supposed to be healthy and natural. For some reason, I thought this product was vegan. Um, it's not.  And I ate it.  Ugh!  But I can review it. It is an ugly bar haha but don't let that turn you off because it is pretty tasty. This is the strawberry one. It reminds me a lot of a Fig Newton but I thought this tasted better. It is a bit dry though.  Besides the fact that it contains animal ingredients, the ingredient list is pretty good.  That said, I think people get enough soy as is and don't really need it in a bar.  So taste is good but the rest is kinda meh.

Alright, the other products will be reviewed separately later on. I hope these reviews were helpful! I was pretty pleased with this VoxBox, more so than my last one. There are a few products I really really like.

My cat wanted in on the lightbox action.  hehe