Product testing sites

I'm sure by reading my post you know that I am a member of a lot of product testing sites.  I can't lie they are very addicting. It's so exciting waiting for the mailman to see what freebies he brings for the day. I can't stand days when I don't get mail. With some of the sites the better you do, the more free products you receive. I have made friends with some amazing people in the process so I know we all feel the same way. One thing is unanimous we all strive to get better.  

Product testing sites are also a great way for you discover new things that you may not have tried on your own.  I wanted to share some of the tips that I picked up from others as well as some that I discovered on my own. I will also share links to some of my favorite Word of mouth sites. Hopefully these tips will also help you discover products you love. 

Chances are if you are selected to test a product you are or have used a similar product. Say you've been chosen to test foundation.  You put it on and you think it's perfect so that's great. You use it for  few days even weeks and it's time to write your review. A tip I have learned is try your old one again. This will give you and idea of why it is better than the one you were using before. You can also try your current brand on one side of your face and the one you are testing on the other. This is a great way to compare coverage. The same is true for anything you are testing. You can use a cleaning product on one side of the counter and a your usual on the other side, then take a paper towel and see if they are equally clean. 

When you are writing a review one thing I try to do is think of what I would want to know before I buy a product. I also think of why I loved the product. I also try to notice smell, constancy, color, different aspect of the product. You could love a product but not love the constancy or love the smell but not like the product. It's also easier if you think of it as having a conversation with a friend.

Then there's the dreaded this product is terrible. As much as I hate writing bad reviews it happens, nobody likes everything. When that time comes I always try to find something positive about the product. I also try to keep in mind that I may have not liked the product but someone else will. I like to keep them informed about why I didn't like it but not bash the product.  

I hope you find this post useful. If you have any other tips let me know. 

Here is is a list of some of my favorite product testing site: 


Bzzagent 
I have gotten so many amazing things from this site.  You test the product, share your opinion with your friends and social media, then write a report. 

Influenster 
Your score on this site has a lot to do with your social media activity. You have to request a invite then be very active on their site as well to get a voxbox. But when you do get one all of that hard work is worth. It is a box of random products to test and review. Then you can win other products by being the most creative and original while sharing the products on your social media. 

Smiley360
This site has a lot of different products to test. It is also a site where you share with your friends, on social media, then do a report for Smiley. 

SoftSoap Pampered Hands

Sorry for the half empty bottle but I really like this stuff. I never really paid too much attention to the hand soap I would buy. I would just grab one off the shelf and get a good smelling one. I didn't try the foaming soaps because I figured they wouldn't be that much different from any other soap. Lucky for me I got Soft Soap Pampered Hands as a prize. Now I'm in love with this stuff. 

When I first saw the scent I wasn't too excited but despite being Coconut lime it smells great. The smell is not heavy just enough. It is liquid in the bottle but then it comes out like this 

which like a kid I was fairly amazed and/or amused by the foam at first. 

The soap itself is very gentle on your hands and no matter how many times a day I use it my hands do not dry out.  From my previous post you know that I am a wildlife rehabber so I have to wash my hands very frequently. 

 I suffer with eczema and at one time my hands were so dried and cracked occasionally I would bleed. Washing my hands would make my eczema worse. This has not irritated my eczema nor do I have the common dry hands. I feel it softening my hands while I wash. 

It's available in lots of different scents and I can't wait to try them all.  I give this product an A+. I would recommend it to friends and family. 

alwaysblabbing SwapHop

Do you love freebies? Do you do a lot of product testing? Do you love everything you try or even buy? I you are like me the answer to the first 2 questions is yes but the answer to the last question is a big NO. How could you love everything you test or buy? Do you wish there was something to do with all the stuff you don't want? I've been thinking about starting a swap party (or whatever you want to call it).  I know this is not an original idea but I have not found a place to post what I want to swap. I have lots of things from Ipsy and other sites that I just won't use. Most of them are brand new some of them have been swatched.  I have everything from shampoo and conditioner to nail strips. 

If enough people are interested I think we could have lots of fun with this. Who knows swapping may be more fun then shopping. This is how it will work:  I will post pictures of what I want to swap, you can post your pictures, and leave a contact email address. Someone will decide what they want and tell you what they have to swap. If you are interested make the arrangements, if not start bargaining. 

 If you are interested leave a comment below and let me know.  Serious inquiries only.  Don't forget to follow alwaysblabbing on Facebook where I will post updates.  Only gently used items, almost empty items are not acceptable and will cause you to be disqualified from all of the fun.  If you have any questions feel free to email me at alwaysblabbing@hotmail.com

What is Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS Rough Rubber?

I received Schwarzkoph's Rough Rubber in my Spring Fever Vox Box and when I pulled it out I thought what will I do with this? It looks almost like silly putty but it smells great. My hair is long so I don't need the hold for spikes, I don't plan on doing a Mohawk any time soon, and all those "high" hair styles are fun to look at but where would I wear that? I let it sit in my room for a few days debating how I would try the product.

I saw people on twitter that thought like me, this is not useful for people with long hair. But I wondered if it was getting a bad rep just because of the name and texture, plus I was determined to test it. One night when I was about to put styling gel in my hair and thought, hmm lets try this rough rubber what's the worse that can happen? 









air dried after applying Rough Rubber to wet hair

The direction say apply a small amount to dry hair but I used it in damp hair in place of my usual styling gel. I grabbed about a nickle size amount rubbed my palms together then applied to my hair avoiding the roots. The whole time I was thinking oh boy, my hair is going to crunch. Once I  my hair was dried I was very surprised to feel there was no crunch. 

Straightened



When I styled my hair I noticed I didn't have to run the straightener in my hair more then once for super straight locks, I also noticed that my layers looked more defined. I experimented another time by scrunching my hair after applying to dry ends and my waves were much more defined. I think this would be a great product when doing an up-do for a wedding, prom, or a special night out. Also shorter spikier hair styles would benefit because this doesn't make your hair stiff.

Rough Rubber applied to dry hair with no other products

Don't write this product off as not being useful unless you try it. It is a a great product and with my shoulder length hair I found advantages of using, so you will never know until you try.  Next I will try Dust It for more volume to get me closer to that salon look at home.  For more info on Schwarzkoph products visit their website by clicking here, or if you want to check out their YouTube channel click here.









I give Rough Rubber an A, if you want to  check it out for yourself you can find it at Ulta for around $20.00.

this product was complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes but the opinion is all mine. I'm not the only one who loves Schwarzkopf Professional OSIS Influenster members gave it an overall A. Want to see what other members are saying? Visit the site for reviews. If you want to be a part of the action and try new things request and invite from Influenster.

Dickinson Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes

I received a box of Dickerson's Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes they sell for $5.99 for a 20 count box. You can find it at your favorite local drug store.  I was very excited to try these because mid-day my forehead starts to shine almost as bright as a light bulb. I apply powder but it never makes it go away. I can't stand that oily look so this was something that I thought would be very useful and I couldn't wait to try them.  



Excitedly I ripped open one of the individual packets, the first thing I noticed was the towelette is nice size, it also is pretty thick and with it being individually wrapped it stays very moist. Witch Hazel can be used in so many different ways I wasn't sure how to work the towelettes into my skin care regimen.  I started using them in the afternoon after my toner and on lazy days I used them as a make-up remover wipe.  Then I followed with my regular moisturizer and eye cream.  I have seen where others replaced their toner with these wipes. I'm sure there is no wrong way to use them, whatever fits your lifestyle best. They are great to bring with you to the beach, gym, or on your morning run to refresh your face.


When I first open the wipes the smell was not my favorite but after a few uses I started to get used to it.  I love the way it makes my face feel cool after using it reminds me of an old toner I used when I was a teenager. After a few uses I saw the bags and dark circles under my eyes starting to go away and my face did not shine like a light bulb mid-day.

So what are the perks of Dickinsons Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes? They make my face feel cool and refreshed, they have lessened the appearance of the bags and dark circles under my eyes, they have stopped the mid-day light bulb on my forehead, and they are very portable. The only con is the smell but I got over that quickly.  Plus Pintrest has tons of great uses for witch hazel, it's good for sunburn, diaper rashes, and insect bites.

Overall I think these get an 8/10 and I would purchase these again.  I would also like to try other products from this line.  Check out the Dickinsons website for products and skin care tips.

I received a box of in my SugarNSpice VoxBox complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. The product was free to try but the opinion expressed in this post are all mine and I was given no additional compensation for it. 





Suave vs L'Oreal Styling Oil

What is hair oil? what does it do? These oils are said to heal, banish frizz, condition, and protect hair while adding shine without weighing hair down. To me that was a wow factor because I have to use three to four products to get protection, conditioning, and less frizz so trying a hair oil was a must for me although I never knew it until I was chosen to test one.  There was a little part of me that was very afraid to use the oil because my scalp is naturally oily while my ends are dry but I am pleased to let you know neither of the oils in this post made my hair oily or greasy.

Now if you are anything thing like me once you have decided to try a hair oil your shopping trip goes like this. You are standing down the shampoo isle looking at all the different brands thinking which one is a good one? You grab one or two and there's the little voice in your head that says "but wait this one is half the price of the other one". You're skeptical of buying the less expensive one because you have been burned before. You know the one -- the bottle says "compared to" but it doesn't work anything like that the other one. How do you know? You went back and purchased the more expensive one because you weren't getting the desired results. Although we all know its worth the extra cost if works better there is always that thought... but what if the less expensive product really does work the same?

Lots of people believe the more you pay the better the quality of the product but is that isn't always true. I tried both the L'Oreal Eversleek Precious oil sold for $12.99 and Suave Moroccan oil sold for $6.99 both are intended to cut frizz and add shine. The instructions are almost identical, dispense two pumps in your palm and rub them together then rub evenly through damp hair avoiding the roots. You can use one spray of both in dry hair as a frizz serum.  I thought it would be fun to compare. So going with most people's thinking the L'Oreal would be better right? Lets see.

When I was chosen by All You to test Suave Moroccan Infusion styling oil I was very excited. I couldn't wait to see how it worked. The first thing I noticed is the Suave has a nice consistency but is not very thick and applies very nicely. The minute I put the Suave in my hand I notched the smell was amazing but it's not overpowering. There have been days when I can still smell it in my hair hours after application and that is a huge plus to me. I have noticed an extreme amount of shine and my hair is super soft after using. I have also noticed less frizz with the Suave and my hair was not weighed down.  I would give the Suave an 9/10 on quality and a 9/10 for effectiveness I really like product.

Then I got the  L'Oreal Eversleek Precious oil treatment in a compensation package for a product testing I completed through the L'Oreal consumer test panel. The L'Oreal is a very thick consistency but does apply very nicely. The smell is pleasant but not very strong. I have noticed less frizz, my hair is super soft, and has a nice shine. I also noticed that my hair is not super wavy if I let it air dry plus my hair was not weighed down. I would give it an 9/10 on quality 9/10 on effectiveness so I really like the L'Oreal oil as well.

So my opinion is there is not a clear winner in this case they are both very effective and do what they claim. The Suave Moroccan oil smells amazing while the L'Oreal has a pleasant smell but in this case I would not spend the extra for L'Oreal because the Suave is great and does exactly what I wanted it to do. With less expensive brands stepping up their game sometimes you can get quality effective products at a lower costs.

Stay tuned for more vs I will have a lot more coming. If this review was helpful, leave me a message. If you have used a different type of styling oil that you loved let me know.

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L'Oreal Consumer Participation Panel

 I signed up for the L'Oreal consumer participation panel site a few months ago.  It is free to join and you complete and application of sorts. Then you are emailed a user name, password, and link to sign in.  Once you sign in you complete a few start up surveys and wait for a survey to appear on your profile. Sometimes you get informational surveys or product testing surveys. They even send you products just for taking five informational surveys. If you are chosen for a home study they mail you the product you test it for the duration they specify then they send you additional product(s) as compensation. What could be better then testing beauty products for free THEN getting paid with other beauty products? They also do In-House studies in their facility but it is way too far for me to drive.

After about what seemed like a million surveys. I was so excited to finally be chosen for a home study. It was a foundation that I was sent to test for a week. It was more like a BB cream then a foundation but under another foundation I really like it. Too bad I will never know what I tested because it made my face feel amazingly smooth and soft. After a week of use they sent a final survey that took about 5 minutes to complete. The best part is they send you products as compensation the product I received a L'Oreal True Match Blush in Natural and I really love it. I just recently qualified for a ten week BB Cream study. I received ten sample sized BB creams to test and complete a survey each week and at the end of the study I will be compensated with a bag of assorted products. I can't wait to see what my compensation is.   Click here to sign up and let me know if you are chosen for a product test.