Fiscally Chic

saving money with style

Hey, Mama!

By

While financial freedom comes from bigger wins like negotiating a higher salary or refinancing, who doesn’t enjoy some freebies? I recently received the Mama VoxBox from Influenster for review, so I wanted to share my thoughts about the goodies.

The Mama VoxBox included Pond’s Luminous Finish BB+ Cream in two different tints, a belVita breakfast biscuit, a cup of Annie’s Homegrown real aged cheddar mac and cheese, and Dr. Scholl’s for Her comfort insoles.

One of my favorite items from the box was the Annie’s mac and cheese cup. Last week was a little hectic with John travelling for work and Monica tackling a growth spurt and cold, so this was an easy lunch option. The last time I had instant/microwave mac and cheese was Kraft Easy Mac in college, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s obviously not fresh-out-of-the-oven homemade or Chicago’s Southern Mac and Cheese, but it was pretty good for a convenience item.
 
Would I buy this item?
Maybe. It was convenient to keep in my desk at work as a back up, but I wouldn’t buy it on a regular basis.

 
The item that surprised me the most was the Dr. Scholl’s for Her Comfort Insoles. The last time I bought insoles was over five years ago for my wedding shoes. I popped the insoles into my flats for a quick afternoon of shopping and in my flats at work.
 
Would I buy this item?
Probably not. While the insoles are comfortable, my feet don’t bother me on a regular basis. If anything, I might look into something that prevents the back of my shoe from rubbing my feet.

 
I was really interested to try out the POND’s Luminous Finish BB+ Cream because this is something I wouldn’t go out and buy on my own. I’ve heard all about BB creams, but it’s a little hard to break out of my regular makeup routine. 
 
Would I buy this item?
The jury is still out. With all the hype about BB creams, I was expecting something amazing. I was a little disappointed.
 
A bunch of dark spots popped up on my face while I was pregnant and I have some pretty good dark circles under my eyes due now that Monica is here. So I still needed to use concealer for extra coverage. And I was feeling a little greasy by the end of the workday.
 
Maybe if the VoxBox came while I was on maternity leave, it would have had more time to work its BB cream magic. Though I will say, this is a great product for the weekends when I only need a little cover-up.
 

I was also interested to try the belVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuit (i.e. cookie). Chocolate! And carbs! And it has the word “cookie” on the wrapper! Unfortunately, belVita didn’t deliver the moist cookie I was hoping for. The “cookie” was a little dry and crumbly and could have used a few more chocolate chips. And while the “cookie” had 20% of my daily recommended fiber intake, it didn’t keep me full for very long. Could be all the calories I’m buring from breastfeeding and pumping or it could be the “cookie.”

Would I buy this item?
Sorry, belVita, I don’t think I’ll be buying your breakfast biscuits anytime soon. If I’m looking for something a little more substantial than a granola bar, I’m more likely to grab a CLIF bar.

Comments

  1. what are BB creams supposed to do for you? i’ve seen them at CVS (when on the search for burt’s bees) but never read or heard about them. and i love the taste of the belVita golden oat biscuits but i can probably agree with you that they don’t keep me full for very long.