BzzAgent

5 stars

If you are looking for a site that gives you completely free items to be review and is easy to use you found it!  I am really excited about this site.  I was very skeptical as who would send me free items to be reviewed.  They must be junk right?  Wrong! 

How it works?  You simply sign up take a handful of personal surverys and that's it you have applied to be a BzzAgent.  They start by sending you a magnet.  Once you get the magnet You need review the item.  Post on facebook, post on the sellers site, or simply just talk about it.  After that they start shipping you items which you will receive and do the same thing.  Review it!

What do you get?  My sister in law received a $200 Bluetooth toothbrush...no joke.  Before I even received a magnet I received a notice they were sending me a new electronic game called the wave.  Completely free and no I didn't have to pay shipping.  Here is the thing you might not always get something shiny and fancy.  You might get coupons, food items, or something as small like a razor and cream.  But hey it's free.! Also the items you receive are sporadic.  It might be a while in between items. 

Check it out here.... BzzAgent

1st Campaign

Birchbox

4 stars

I loved it so much I purchased 2 more boxes that same month.  This is another beauty subscription which you can purchase month to month or yearly.  They gave me a free full size eyeliner for signing up.  It cost $10 per month.  You receive 5 samples in a cute box.  The box is nice but for me useless.  I had to recently update this post as they changed their policy.  They no longer allow you to get points for reviewing items.  That was a huge plus for me. 

A perk to Birchbox that is different from other boxes is they allow you to pick one of the products each month.  They will give you 3 choices and you can either be surprised or pick one.  I like that I can have the choice. 

Their products are nice and it only costs $10 per month.  So if you are looking for a less expensive box to pick from this is a great choice.

Pros:

• Points can be used as money back.
• Shipped and received early in the month
• Allow you to pick a product.
• Great product choices personalized for you.

Cons:

• The box is pointless to me.  Maybe my kids can use it. 
• Removed the points system

Check it out here....BIRCHBOX

August box

September box

IPSY

4 stars

Ipsy is a beauty subscription that sends you 5 samples to try each month.  The price is only $10 each month.  You can pay month to month or yearly.  What I like about this is it comes in a cute bag that you can reuse.  The cons are it can come the 2nd, 3rd or 4th week of the month. 

I actually had every intention of cancelling this subscription.  My first bag was lost in the mail.  However when I notified them they sent me a replacement right away.  So as far as customer service they addressed my problem right away and said if the other bag was to show up I could keep it too.  Fingers crossed!!! 

What changed my mind?  I seriously thought the bag was going to be cheap.  I figured the zipper would be plastic and the bag material cheap.  But when I got it I was surprised.  It's a nice little bag!  The zipper was metal and the bag feels sturdy.  Also you eceive points for products reviewed.  You can use the point to purchase select items.

Pros:

• The products you receive are nice.
• The bag is adorable and reusable.
• Great customer service.
• The outer packaging is a shiny foil bag which I found pretty. 
• You can earn points for rating the products you receive.

Cons:

• You never know when it's coming.  You might not get it until the end of the month.
• The points are only redeemable certain products.

Click here to check out the site... IPSY

Ibotta

5 Stars

This one is a favorite of mine!  I have been using this for awhile now and I really enjoy it and it is so easy to use.  They are constantly updating and improving their app making it better each time. 

Ibotta is a coupon app.  They list coupons for different items and update them every week.  They have coupons for name brand items which you can earn more cash back for but they also have any brand items as well.  For example for just buying a gallon of milk (any brand) you get .25 back.  That doesn't seem like a lot but it adds up. 

How does it work?  All you need to do is upload the app to your phone.  Click on the coupons you want to unlock.  Then go shopping and purchase those items.  When you get home you can either take a picture of your receipt or you can upload your stores rewards card.  For example I uploaded my Giant Eagle advantage card to my profile.  So all I do is pick out the coupons and go shopping.  Within 48 hours after I purchase my items I get a notification of how much money I earned back.

How do you get your money?  Once you hit a certain limit ($20) you can cash it in for a gift card or even transfer it to a paypal account.

Pros:

• Allows you to upload your advantage card for ease of use.
• They are constantly updating the site.
• The app is well written and easy to use.
• You can get cash back just by shopping at certain stores.
• They offer any brand items.
• They reset the coupons and add more every week.

Cons:

• I would like to see more non food item coupons.
• I would also like to see a way of removing the coupons I don't want.

Check out the site here... Ibotta 

Hello, my name is Andrea.  You probably wondering who I am and what this blog is about. 

What is this blog about you ask?  Thanks to my sister in-law (someone has to be blamed) I started using beauty box sites and review sites that send you free items.  I wanted a way to get the word out there of which ones I tried, which ones are great, which ones I can live without, and the items I have received.  At first I was very skeptical of the free sites as nothing is free.  But slowly I am starting to be shipped items and I can't believe my eyes and I need to share them with someone! 

Who am I?  I am just your average girl who loves the outdoors, target shooting, and beauty products.  Yeah I know those don't sound like they go together.  My whole life I have struggled with being a tom boy and a girly girl all wrapped into one.  I grew up with boys as friends, I work for a trucking company, and I have no problem being tough and getting dirty.  But I also love to get dressed up and play with makeup and hair at the end of the day.  I am married with 2 step daughters and a yorkie.  So my house stays pretty busy.  So I enjoy sneaking away to the computer for some me time.  And if I am making money and getting free things on the side it's a bonus!

What with the blog name?  I created a food blog awhile back called Diary of an Italian Baker.  That name took me awhile to come up with.  The name was based of my great grandfather who was a pastry chef in Italy  He came over with my great grandmother to the USA when my grandmother was very young.  He opened up a bake shop here.  As a lot of my recipes were passed down from my grandmother I thought of him when I created that name.  So when I decided to create another blog I was feeling overwhelmed with trying to come up with yet another name no one else already had. So as I sit here putting in names and being rejected I looked down at my little yorkie sitting on my lap and I asked her who am I.  And I said right now I am just a girl talking to a dog trying to write a blog.  I laughed figured it was taken and to my surprise it wasn't.  BINGO I had my blog name.  It was perfect.  In the early hours of the morning or late hours of the evening when my kids and husband are asleep Harlee (my yorkie) and I sneak off to the computer and sit there trying to see what other products we can snag up for free.

So who is Harlee?  She would like to have an introduction as well.  Harlee is a 3 year old 4 lb yorkshire terrier. She is feisty and sweet all wrapped into one.  She can be just as much a brat as she is sweet.  Just like me!  She's a mama's girl.  She loves my lap and being by my side.  She is wonderful listener and keeps all my secrets!

This is Harlee wanting me to get off the computer and play!