A while ago now, I wrote a post about the best sites to get full sized freebies from and Influenster came in at the top of my list. Now, it’s been a while since I was active on the site, since nothing is ever truly free and in reality, you are certainly exchanging some of your time for the free samples.

Also, when I’m on the go all the time without a regular mailing address, it’s impossible to keep on top of the shipments.

Well, the last time an Influenster survey popped up in my inbox, I thought, “why not?” I knew I’d be in one place for two months and I was curious about whether or not my inactivity for the previous year and a half would count against me.

So I filled out the survey and then logged onto Influester. I found the entire layout changed. They now have a section called Snaps that’s like a bunch of mini-surveys, so I spent about 15 minutes filling out the random Snaps it kept offering and double checked all my social media was still correctly connected.

I was offered a #SpiceVoxBox the next day. I wondered with all the changes, if the VoxBoxes (the Influenster word for the packages of products they send) would still be the same and it turns out they are.

And, when you’ve got some time to devote to reviewing the products, can actually still be pretty fun. So far I’d say I’ve put in a half an hour of work reviewing products – either through my social media or on certain websites, the requests for what they’d like done for each product are listed under your Campaigns section on Influenster – and another half an hour of work at a Twitter party that I was pretty late to (they’re usually an hour).

Wondering exactly what a VoxBox looks like? Here’s the one I just received.

Good Health Veggie Straws – these were surprisingly good. I’ve always liked veggie chips and such, and these were on par with most I’ve tried. If veggies in chip/fry/straw form aren’t your thing, you probably wouldn’t like them, but I thought they were a solid snack.

Foot Petals insoles – this was a pleasant surprise. The bottom layer of fur in my Ugg knock-offs was completely worn down and inserting these probably added a little life to those shoes. Very comfy and easy to use.

Yogi tea – I already loved this brand, so I was pretty excited to try two tea bags in a new flavor.

soapbox shampoo & conditioner – I really can’t remember the last time I bought conditioner, I’ve got such a stash from exactly these sorts of things. I’m really picky about my shampoo though, so I’ll be sticking with Head & Shoulders. I’m also not a big fan of coconut scented things.

Sinful Colors SinfulShine – I never turn down free nail polish. This stuff was fine. I wasn’t super excited by the color they sent me, but the polish stayed on a reasonable amount of time.

Boots Botanics Organic Day Cream – so I realize that now I’m in my 30s, I should probably use a moisturizer, but in reality, I just can’t get into the habit. This stuff feels fine though and doesn’t seem to leave my face sticky or feeling like there’s a bunch of stuff caked onto it.

Not Your Mother’s Whip It Up Mousse – this was the big disappointment in the box. I actually really like Not Your Mother’s products, but this one just turned my hair into a giant frizz ball. I really wasn’t a fan. It did smell amazing though.

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As I recall, I qualified for my first one very quickly back when I first signed up. From there, I made sure to complete the majority of the tasks listed for each VoxBox, although after a while I stopped worrying about YouTube reviews, since I didn’t like doing them, and minimized how many posts I put on Facebook for each box. That didn’t seem to slow down the frequency with which I got chosen for the boxes.

Additionally, each item that comes in the VoxBox has it’s own special badge of actions you can unlock. If you really loved a product and complete all the actions in that badge, you get entered to win a prize pack from the company. I’ve won a few.

I do have to warn you, you kind of become a walking advertisement for the brands and Influenster when you’re working on a VoxBox – and assuming I liked the product, I don’t hugely mind, but I still feel a little bit like a tool when I post a new manicure on Facebook and #SinfulShine or something.

Interested in joining Influenster? Well, you need an invite and I’ve got one for you here.

Are you an Influenster? Do you think the hassle is worth it for what they send?