Like to Sample Free Products? Try Swaggable!

I can't really pinpoint when I first became obsessed with getting freebies or sampling products, but sometime this year, it happened - hardcore. One of my first "freebie hunting" sites, Vonbeau.com, first introduced me to the wonderful website that is Swaggable.

What is Swaggable?

Swaggable is a website that offers everyday consumers the opportunity to try out new products, write reviews and help spread the word on the products being tested. In my opinion, it's a great marketing strategy. What better way to get your product out there than to send out samples to those people who matter most? 

How does it work?

Step 1: After signing up, you browse all the categories - 8 in all including categories like Snacks, Cosmetics & Beauty, Kid Products & Pet Supplies. After clicking on a particular item for more information, you click "Want It" which alerts whoever that you would like to sample and review this. Just because you "Want It" doesn't mean you will get it! By having the "Want It" feature, it allows Swaggable to match you with products you really want. 

Step 2: At some point - you never know when - you'll get an email notifying you that they've found a sample for you to try and you need to accept it. From my experience, once you accept it, you will see that the status shows "Gathering Invites." This means that Swaggable is still looking for people to sample this specific product and the status won't be changed to "Shipped" until they've found all or enough participants (I don't know for sure). I have noticed that the time between when you accept an invite to actually receiving the item can take some time, sometimes a month or so! To me, this acceptable because I will never complain about a free sample or free product to try. 

Step 3: Then you are surprised to receive a package from Swaggable with your product! You sample and write an honest review - simple as that! 

It's important to follow up on the reviews, because they won't allow you to accept a new invitation to try a new product without completing the review for the one product you last were sent. I think this is a perfect way to get a review out of someone! 

I have been a product sampler (is that what we're called? ha!) for Swaggable since .... thinking hard... maybe April and have already reviewed 11 products (and 3 coming down the pipeline "gathering invites) ranging from a bar of soap, to (the most amazing) Chocolate Chip Brownie Brittle to some baby lotion. 

Definetely check it out if you love sampling products and reviews! They are a great website and more interest=more products to sample! It's a win for everyone! ;

Here's a video of that tells there story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbAaIJoRC-Y

Happy Sampling! ;)

Mailbox Freebies: December 2 - 7th!

Holidays throw me off. I'm a twitter party win spree though. I'm obsessed.

Monday:

A great Smiley360 mission for 2 free packages of Quilted Northern Toilet Paper and some $2 off coupons. Click: http://smiley360.com/2604610.cfm and 2 3M Sandpapers!

Tuesday:

2 Fashion Tapes, Equate pad samples from Walmart.com, and 2 Starbucks K-Cups.

Thursday:

2 baby wipe product tests, Hersheys Spread from Klout, 2 Coffee Samples, 2 Lip Primers & 2 Lipsticks from Project Runway promotion, 1 free box of Rice Crackers from Walmart.com, US Weekly Magazine, Purina One Dog Food from Sam's Club, and Pine Sol from their Facebook page.

Friday:

I was so surprised to have received FOUR bags from Harvest Peas. I won their instant win game and it said only one bag of the Salted Caramel was coming. I'm definitely not complaining. I hate the Lightly Salted ones in an hour. SO good. The Equitance Dark Spot Corrector Skin Care Product is supposedly a $125 value.

Saturday:

Got 2 of my 3 Pinch Me boxes, The Berenstain Bear book is from Pinecone Research, the other 2 books are from October's Scholastic Mini Mission, and the little Santa hat is from Maker's Mark to put on my bottle of Makers Mark, ha.

Freebies: June 23rd - 30th!

Glide reusable bag,  T-Shirt, scope flossers, Glide floss (not pictured) and
some coupons! Really awesome! 

This week I received two giveaway wins in the mail. Ones that were a surprise because I never got a confirmation and some of the things I enter don't let you know until you get in in the mail. My first one was from Oral-B. I remember it being something on their Facebook page where the first 5,000 people to upload a picture of them flossing (?) would win a bag of Oral-B swag! When I got it in the mail, I kept thinking that I didn't even know I actually went through and submitted my picture. I remember taking it with Truman, but wasn't really thrilled on any that turned out! But, receiving the swag showed I did! (Duh!)

The second surprise was from Kiss Nails. I always enter these things without ever expecting to win, so was so happy when I opened the mail and saw a set of nail stickers! Woohoo! ;) In a way, I really dig not knowing if I win, because when you actually do win it's a complete surprise! 

Free Product Coupons:

• VO5 was having a Facebook giveaway and I won one! Woohoo! 
• I emailed Softlips telling them how much I loved their products and never responded but sent me some awesome coupons including one for a FREE product. I went to CVS today and they had Softlips on clearance for $1.49, so with the four $1 off coupons they sent me, I ended up getting four of them for 50 cents each! Awesome! 
• One of those coupons is from Kraft in regards to a product complaint I sent them, and the other three are for free Gluten free products from Pillsbury! 

The stickers were from joining Oprah's OWN club and they came pretty quick! I think they are pretty neat! These baby lotion samples came from Swaggable! The razor was from a text offer that had been going on for a long time! 

The 4 boxes of Jiffy Mix was sent to me from Jiffy because I emailed them telling how much I enjoy their corn muffin box mix and to thank me they said they would send me another recipe book and 4 boxes of Jiffy! I thought that was so nice of them!!

Being part of survey company's allows for me to do a bunch of product testing. I was happy to qualify for testing of some new Bath & Body perfumes and so I received 4 bottles of no-name scents. I basically have to just test them each out for a couple days and fill out a home diary! So far the #500 has been my favorite, but have only smelled 2 of the 4. They ask that we not smell the scents ahead of time! I love product testing!

Sometime a week ago, I was on twitter just hashtagging for free samples (haha, what?) and I came across the company Bai. Never heard of them, but they tweeted about free samples and if anyone was interested all we would have to do is send them a message. I became genuinely interested in the product and trying them out when I saw what they were. I thought at first they were some weight supplement drink, which I am not into, but they are more like Vitamin Water and I enjoy flavored waters! Then, I was pretty surprised when I received an alert from Fedex saying I was getting a package that weighed 9 pounds! And even more surprised when I got the box and inside was EIGHT 18 fl. oz bottles of their Bai5 products in 8 different flavors!  Thus far I have tried 3 of the 8 - the lemon, clementine, and dragon fruit and by far my favorite is the clementine! Some flavors I am a little weary of, mainly because I don't really care for blueberry flavored drinks. I think it was so nice of them to send me this though and a really good marketing idea, especially if it's a newer company (which, I don't really know how long they've been around, but I had never heard of them!) What's even more crazy is that days after receiving this package, I received another Fedex alert saying I was getting another 9lb package from Bai that is expected to arrive TODAY! I don't know if there was some sort of miscommunication and two people sent out something to me or if there's an error by FedEx and I don't really have something coming, but we will see, but that would certainly be pretty awesome if I did have another package from them with 8 more flavors! ;)

Another U by Kotex Pack, Berenstain Bear book from Pinecone Research and a sample from NuturMe baby food.

I am going to Chicago for the 4th of July on Wednesday until Sunday and I decided to put a hold on my mail through the post office, mainly because I knew that I'd be getting a bunch of things in the mail, especially magazines because although I constantly get them, it seems the first of the month is usually when TONS more come all at once. Anyways, I just didn't want my mailman to shove everything in there and ruin things. Imagine the stuff I will have waiting for me on Monday! I will have to take a picture! ;)

BzzAgent: Hanes Playtex Campaign

I was so lucky to be chosen to be apart of this BzzAgent Campaign for Hanes Playtex Secrets Balconette Underwire Bra. When I first got this campaign I wasn't too excited. I have always had bad luck with bras. It's hard to find a good one and I had planned on wearing nursing bras for a while since I had just given birth pretty much when I received this campaign. Big boobs and all I wasn't even really sure what size to put down because of that fact that I was breastfeeding my son.

I received the bra in the color nude (maybe not the official name, but that's what it was). I was sort of bummed because when I think of a nude bra, I think of old lady. BUT, color aside, I was SO happy to find that this bra was awesome! I came to that conclusion pretty fast after wearing it for maybe an hour. I was a bit skeptical because it seems that most bras start off being nice and comfy, but having this bra for weeks now and wearing it for weeks now (off and on, of course!) I can confidently say that I LOVE THIS BRA.

Thank you, BzzAgent for the opportunity! The last two campaigns have been very well received by me and I can't wait to be apart of other campaigns!

Disclaimer: As a BzzAgent through the website BzzAgent, I am asked to test, review and spread the 'bzz' about certain products; this is my honest opinion.

BzzzAgent: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream

My experiences with BB Cream aren't that extensive. I took a gamble and randomly chose Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream one night and was content with it. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but I really just was settling. My second experience with BB Cream came when I was accepted into a 10-week product testing study for Loreal. Each week I had to try a BB cream and complete a questionnaire after 3 days of usage. It was pretty interesting. Some were way too fragranced, too thick, and then the last couple were what I look for in a BB cream - good coverage, the way it feels on my face, and fragrance. Then, I ended up getting accepted into the BzzAgent campaign for the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream. Before I even used it, I was feeling a little skeptical. Why? Because when I think of Garnier I think of hair products. However, after using it for the first time I discovered I was really happy with this product!

Before & After

My only complaint would be that it does seem a tad bit too thin. However, I was surprised that it still had great coverage. I liked it so much that I would probably replace this BB cream with my Maybelline BB cream. And although the Before and After photos below don't show it too well, I will post the difference, not to mention that. I am so happy that I was able to product test this!

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Disclaimer: As a BzzAgent through the website BzzAgent, I am asked to test, review and spread the 'bzz' about certain products; this is my honest opinion.