Vocal Point Surprise!!

I just wrote a few posts about how to get free stuff.  Read it HERE.  One of the companies that I mentioned is Vocal Point.   Vocal Point is an interactive, online community where the best brands are featured.  There are places to explore, write reviews, talk to people who like the same things and products you do and much more! The more you are involved, the more you get out of it!  Plus they are still updating the site and adding new features every few weeks so keep checking in, as I do.

I recently inquired as to how I could get more involved.  I wrote to Heather, the online manager and went about my day.  I told her about myself and what I was looking to achieve and of course let her know about the blog.

A few days later.........

I had no idea what it could be since I really keep track of most of the things I am waiting for since I have to provide feedback all the time!

Then I opened it and this is what I saw :)

Can you believe it!?!!??!!?  That was such a sweet, kind gesture and really made my day.  I have gotten overwhelming support on my blog and this was just amazing! Plus us bloggers need to stick together because it is tough out there, or out here or in here.....you know what I mean :)

And here is what she sent me.....

Not a shabby gift at all!

My favorite part, Let's go over the items :)

First thing I was most excited about was the Downy UnStopables In Scent Wash Boosters.  These are amazing. I have used them and the Gain ones before and they really make a difference in how long clothes smell fresh.  Plus I don't think they are too perfumey and overpowering.

Tide Pods.  These are really nice and make laundry super simple with this triple duty cleanser.

GAIN Dish Soap.  I haven't used their dish soap before but am happy with their laundry products so happy to try this out!

How did she know I use clinical strength deodorant? Hmmm....I used to only use Dove and swore by it because it was my favorite cucumber scent.  But I did receive a sample of Secret Clinical Strength before and once I tried it it worked just as good! Plus it is cheaper!  I don't sweat nearly as much and never have marks on my clothes.

Ah, nail polish to add to my ever growing collection.  I have never used Cover Girl nail polish before but the color is perfect for summer.

CoverGirl Blast Flipstick is also new to me. There is both an evening and day color which is nice.

Vidal Sassoon Moisture Pro Series Shampoo and Conditioner.  I may end up adding this to a giveaway only because I am a sulfate free snob now :) My hair hasn't had sulfates in months so I am afraid to use them.



Again, I was so happy to receive this gift from Vocal Point and it definitely got me excited about upcoming programs with them!

Sign up today with the links provided so you can start enjoying them too!

Have a great day!!

How to Get Freebies, Part Deuce

I recently wrote a post about how to get a bunch of wonderful freebies in the mail (read it HERE).  It was a huge hit and everyone loved learning about all the new sites and ways to get them.

So today, I have a few more sites to introduce you to.  As we all know, I love everything about beauty so I also thought I would share how to join some beauty panels and get the chance to review other types of products, too.  And remember, not all of these sites are geared towards beauty alone. There are tons of other categories.

Here goes :)

First up is Swaggable.  Create an account with Facebook and go through each category, choosing which items you "Want". When they become available to try for free, you will get an email.  Simple as that.  When you get the email and accept, the item gets mailed to you and you just return to the site and provide your feedback.  Once you do that, they show you friends based on your Facebook list that they think might like to try the same product.  You can then choose several of your friends to send the product to!  I love that feature. I am currently waiting on my second sample from them.

Did you know our grocery websites have free samples? Yep!  Target,Walmart and Kmart all have sample centers and you don't need to create an account either.

Also, Proctor & Gamble allow you to get samples quarterly throughout the year.  They change all the time, too.  Create an account and go to samples and offers to see what is available to you!

PopSugar Sample Squad is where you can sample and review free products.  You do need to create an online account and check the site periodically.  I just have them on my favorites bar and check in once in awhile.

Next is Vocal Point.  This is an interactive community where providing feedback on products and engaging with other members, can help you score free stuff! I will be doing a post after this one showing all the stuff they sent me just for wishing me luck on my blog!

SheSpeaks is similar to Vocal Point.  Another interactive community where the more you do on the site, the more things they will ask you to participate in!  If you have a blog, you can also apply to be part of their blogger community.  There is also a deals and offers page which is updated frequently to tell you about available freebies!

The Pink Panel allows you to try out beauty related products and provide your feedback.  You do need to submit an application and they will contact you via email.  Please make sure you use my name (Brooke Miano) as the referring member so it helps us both out!

L'Oreal USA does the same.  Submit an application and they will contact you via email and let you know if there are any products to test :)

Montagne Jeunesse is an all natural company has tons of face masks that are wonderful and pampering.  You can join their beauty panel and get to try out new products! Fill out the application and they will contact you :)

All You Reality Checkers is an online community based off of their magazine.  An interactive site where not only can you get free products, you can win contests and be featured in the magazine!

GlamSpotters is affiliated with Glamour magazine and this panel is for fashion forward beauty lovers! Complete an application and they will contact you to try out free stuff and answer surveys!

Allure Beauty Enthusiasts is affiliated with Allure magazine.  Complete an application for a chance to be contacted to try out new products.

House Party is a really neat concept.  Create an online profile and search through to look for programs you may be interested in.  This is not just for beauty, this is for games, kids, food, etc. You apply to host a party at home and they will send you all the stuff for that particular brand. I have applied to 3 parties so far and am waiting to hear back.  Chatterbox is also on the site and allows you to still get products and talk about them without having to have the house party.

Phew!!  Wow that was a lot and I can't believe I do all of them plus the ones on the other post.  But it is worth it and it is fun! In addition to samples and full size products, I usually get coupons so I am saving money all the time and my hubby sure likes that :)

Let me know if you have any questions or post a comment below!

Have a great day!

Freebies Galore!!! A How To Guide On Getting Loot :)

Everyone is always asking me how on earth do I get so much free stuff??  I truly work for it with the help of a select few websites.  Plus I have a job where I have a lot of down time which makes it a bit easier.  I love getting free stuff and some might call it a bit of an obsession but again it is FREE!!

Today I want to share all of my free stuff gettin' secrets to share the wealth!  :)

Now granted, like I said, getting free stuff does require some work and research on your part.  Some people didn't realize that but of course for each sample, you do need to provide a shipping address and for each website you do need to set up an account.  I recommend creating a new email account that only free sample emails and confirmations go to.  That way you can control the amount of spam (if any) and can unsubscribe if you have received your sample.  A lot of companies ask that you "like" their Facebook page and follow their newsletters in order to send you samples.  I myself did not set up my own sample email account and wish I had.

I will start out with the easiest ones first :)

The first website that I ever signed up for is FreeFlys.  They have all types of categories on free stuff, health, kids, beauty, food and other.  Each time a free sample is available, they put a post up on Facebook and you just follow the link and get it!  You do need to create an account on their website with your email and password.  Once you sign up and start requesting samples, you get them within 6-8 weeks :) You do not need to provide feedback to freeflys, but may be required to do so on the actual companies site or via their email.

Next up is Hunt For Freebies.You do not need an account with an email and password for this one and they also update on their FB page each time they have a freebie to offer. In addition to samples, they also always announce when companies are having sweepstakes and contests, which is nice.

You can also search for freebie groups on FB.  I do know most of the ones I am on are closed groups and you do need to be added but it doesn't hurt to search them out :)

Now moving on to the harder websites.

PINCHME is a more interactive website.  Every other Tuesday at 11 am, central time, they offer to send you a box filled with personalized samples.  Of course before this happens you do need to set up an account with an email and password and fill out the occasional  survey.  The other thing to keep in mind, is that everyone that joined, all over the world is logging in at the exact same time.  So more often than not, you do need to keep refreshing your browser to see the samples available to you.  It is worth it! Me and my friends that do this get samples each and every time we log in.  When you do receive the samples, you should go back in and answer the questions and provide feedback.  That helps increase your chances of getting more samples each time you log in! The next samples will be released Tuesday, July 15th. Sign up!!

Smiley360 is another interactive website.  You also set up an account with an email and a password. Set up your profile.  You can check in often to see what "missions" are available, but they usually send you an email when a mission that they think you would best qualify for is available.  I have gotten 3 already this past month.  When you receive your box with your free products, coupons and other items, you will need to share on social media and write reviews with your opinions on the products.  In my opinion, I find this one pretty easy.  Sure they want you to share on social media, but the tasks for each mission are pretty much the same.

Now on to BZZAgent .  This is probably my favorite one.  Again, set up an account with an email and password and fill out the profile and surveys.  You will need to check the site often as they do not send you an email when new surveys are available.  Completing the surveys is how they will select you for new product campaigns.  However, you will get an email when there is a new campaign for you to participate in. Make sure you also follow them on FB as they tend to mention when new campaigns are coming out on there, too.  I have also had 5 campaigns within the last month.  They have been incredible campaigns too and have sent me tons of products that I have reviewed and shared.  This one is more intensive when it comes to providing feedback and sharing on social media.  The more you work, the more campaigns you will get. They do a scoring system of BZZ points, so of course, the higher, the better. Also, when you complete tasks, they offer you MYPoints, which directly links to a website that you can use your points on to collect rewards.  I have not collected enough points quite yet to get an awesome prize :)

The hardest one, and the one I understand the least, is Influenster.  Meaning, I cannot yet figure out the scoring system.  This one is entirely social media based and also heavily based on what you do on their site.  You need to set up an account again and I would suggest reading the how to guide.  I do know they also use a scoring system and the more social media accounts you connect with the higher your score goes.  Plus once you receive items from them, there are a variety of tasks to complete.  I have been a member for a while and only received one box of samples.  It was an amazing box though so the wait was worth it :)

And that's how I do it!

I will be writing about post just about beauty panels that I am in so keep an eye out for that one!! :)

What other sites are there that I am missing out on?

I'd love to know!

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day :)