All About Influenster, Random Photos, and Why I Hate Paid Subscription Box Companies

As many of you know by now, I'm sure, I'm a member of influenster, which is where I get some of the awesome products I review on here.  Actually, its the only place that sends me stuff, everything else I've reviewed I bought on my own or were gifts!

For those of you who don't know, influenster is a site you can join for free that will send you products to test out (also for free YAY) and spread the word.  Sweet, right?

I find it funny that people still pay certain services a stupid amount of money to send them a box of sample-size crap they don't even get to choose when influenster is around.  I mean, seriously, PAYING for SAMPLES?  Wake up, ladies!  Any company worth their mettle will gladly send you a sample for free if you shoot them a polite email or snail mail requesting one, and sometimes you'll even get some coupons, too.  Don't feel like doing that?  Most department store makeup counters will also give you samples or let you try out a tester if you ask, too.

Influenster recently redesigned their site, and while it is a bit more fun and user-friendly, I'm worried that one point of it may not be the best system.

The way the old influenster worked was you sign up, fill out a short survey to qualify for a badge, then when a box is shipped out for a certain demographic, you get it if you have the appropriate badge and get chosen.  I received two boxes from them before the site change and since I joined, so it was about 5 months time in there, which, hey, free stuff - SO not bitching, especially since they send full size products.

My complaint about the new site design is the influenster score.  You can up your score by reviewing products, and I've seen TONS of "reviews" on there by people who haven't tried the product.  A review should be telling someone about your experience with a product you've tried, not "OMG I want to try this sooo bad".  I've contacted influenster to see if these reviews will be filtered out because I don't think it would be fair if, say, x amount of people got a box because they had a higher score due to submitting a shit ton of bogus reviews when another x amount of people didn't get one due to a lower score, yet they were honest in their reviews and only reviewed products they'd tried.  We'll see if I get a response and if those fake reviews will be dealt with...However, I'm still concerned and honestly believe that reviews shouldn't count for points unless you blog them with your own pictures, because anyone can fill out a form, pull something out of their ass, and say they tried stuff.

I can't get behind that.  I may not have much, but I do have my integrity.  Maybe I hold myself to a higher code than some people, but I do not, and will never review anything that I haven't tried and given an honest go.  Scout's honor.  (Yes, I really was a girl scout, so it counts!)

Since this looks naked without anything else, we'll also count this as this month's random photo post (I think I missed last months, OOPS!) here's some pictures I had lying around!

Old mani I did several months back.

Another old mani...Purple leopard print!

Beautiful morning glories blooming outside our window - they are confused and think its spring with all the hot/cold/hot/cold weather here!

New zombie plushie I made as a special order for a friend.  BRAAAAINS!

Some ugly magnets I painted into awesomeness.

This is now one of my very favorite pictures and I was so busy gawking at this gorgeous antique door on the other side of the alleyway that I might have missed it were it not for my amazing, wonderful Wookie.

Hope you enjoyed!

Any influensters reading?  How do you feel about the new system?


<3 WW