Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Aug18

All Autumn Everything Guest Bloggers Series

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All Autumn Everything Guest Bloggers Series

Hello everyone and happy weekend! With the fall season fast approaching, it seems like the perfect time to make a call for action for lifewithlilred’s All Autumn Everything Guest Bloggers Series! All are welcome to participate in this autumn extravaganza and if you are interested in being featured on my page, then please contact me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com with your information and your topic ideas for a post.

These guest posts can range from fall fashion and favorite cold weather recipes to DIY crafts and autumn inspired eye makeup. I am not picky, so feel free to bring me any and all ideas and I can’t wait to hear from all of you soon! Much love. -Sarah

Aug17

Giving Any Look The Wow Factor

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Giving Any Look The Wow Factor

An important event looms near. It could be a first date, a job interview, or a presentation at school. You’re mentally prepared and feeling confident, but you know that the right look will give you that extra boost you need to turn the tables of success in your favor. But how to get the look right eludes you. You’ve got a pretty good idea of what you want to wear and maybe how you’d like to arrange your hair, but for some reason your look doesn’t pop. It needs a little something extra. Something that will turn heads and get you noticed. Something that will give your look that elusive wow factor.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can do this. Don’t worry, none of them are bank breakers!

It’s all about the eyes:

The eyes are the windows into the soul and whether you’re on a date or in a job interview they play a huge part in how you are perceived. Drawing attention to your eyes and making them look bigger and sparklier communicates openness, honesty, and approachability. But the eyes also command attention and, if you want them to, they can steal a heart. Be sure to shape your brows well to create a flattering frame for the eyes, and never underestimate the power of a good mascara. Also remember to use the color of your eyeliner to your advantage and you’ll have eyes that pop in an instant.

What’s a girl’s best friend, now?

Diamonds are not just gorgeous, but they’re extremely versatile. They can dazzle, mystify, and imbue you with an air of class and sophistication. When they catch the light they can draw the eye wherever you want it to but, perhaps the most beneficial thing that a diamond brings, is the sense of prestige. Check out http://yourdiamondguru.com/reviews/james-allen/ for information about how different colored diamonds can be used in different settings to add an extra wow factor. Diamonds can either create an aura of success or an air of allure. It’s all about how you use them.

The shoes!!!

There’s a reason why one can never have too many shoes. The right pair can make you command attention as soon as you walk into a room. They can change your height, the way you walk, and the way you stand. They can make you seem formidable and imposing or sultry and seductive. Just make sure that you wear shoes that you feel comfortable in. Wincing with every step won’t wow your prospective new boss or your potential new beau!

Belt up!

The humble belt may spend a lot of time unused in your closet, but it’s the perfect way to tie any look together. Plus, it can help to lend you a more flattering shape and prevent a layered look from swallowing you whole. Find a belt that gives your outfit a pop of color and see how it transforms any look.

Now, you’re ready to dazzle with the extra wow factor in all of your looks!

Featured Image By: Good Free Photos

Aug17

Sephora Cream Lipstick Swatch In The Red

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Sephora Cream Lipstick Swatch In The Red

Hi everyone and TGIF! Today we are going to swatch the lippie that I got in my Sephora Play! box, which is by Sephora’s own brand. In this post, we’re just going to swatch the cream lipstick called The Red. But, as per request of some of my readers, there will be a future post with a review on the quality of the product when it’s actually on. I haven’t heard the best things about the Sephora brand products, so we’ll see what happens. And, we all know that I prefer a matte finish so I’ll be dragging my feet to wear it until I’m totally out of post ideas! Lol! But, for now, take a look at some swatch pics and let’s discuss:

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My first impression of this lipstick was that it had a really good application. It glided onto my hand smoothly and it washed off easily with some micellar water. My second impression, unfortunately, was that this lippie was not going to look very good on me. The Red seems to have a lot of The Blue undertones to it, which clashes really badly with my hair. My red hair has a distinctive orange undertone to it, so this lippie would look super clown like on me. Not a good look!

Will I give The Red a try solely to satisfy my readers? Of course! Will I be thrilled about it? Naw, that ain’t me, dawg. But, I love you all so much that I’ll do it anyways! ❤ ❤ ❤

What is your favorite shade of lipstick? How do you feel about Sephora brand products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug16

Too Faced Melted Matte Lip Paint Swatch In Queen B

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Too Faced Melted Matte Lip Paint Swatch In Queen B

Howdy! Today, we are going to be discussing Too Faced’s new line of lip paints called the Melted Matte collection. Melted Matte meaning, that it has an opaque finish but offers moisture via avocado and Vitamin E oil to prevent over drying your lips. I got the shade Queen B FO FREE when I restocked my Better Than Sex mascara. Although the formula doesn’t move me spiritually because it is definitely not budge free, the color is still very pretty. Take a look:

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As I said, the deep, dusty rose shade Queen B is lovely. It was also the best color to give as a freebie, because it looks good on literally everyone. However, I’ve never been truly blown away by any of the lip products by Too Faced. It’s crazy, because the mini lip paint that I got by them as my birthday gift from Sephora last year was awesome. The shade was gorgeous and it never ever budged. But, even just grazing my finger over the swatch on my hand when it dried brought significant smudging. Am I mad about it? No. But, I don’t think that I will bother with their lip paints anymore.

Even though my reviews for the Melted Matte style lippie isn’t the best, I’m not going to not use it. I like the color and I’m okay with vigilantly checking for lipstick smudges. But, at the end of the day, you guys already know that I’d take my favorite NYX matte lippies any day of the week!

Have any products disappointed you lately? Which brands do you avoid buying from? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug15

How To Be Happier In Your Home

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How To Be Happier In Your Home

Your home is the one place where you should be able to feel truly happy at all times and, sadly, that might not necessarily be the case for some. For most people, there will always be something that can be done in order to feel happier in the home, and that is worth remembering if you are trying to make sure that this is as true for you as possible. In this article, we are going to take a look at just a few things to consider doing if you want to be as happy as possible in your home:

Make It Safer:

It is hard to be truly and genuinely happy if you are not safe in the home. And, for that reason, you will want to make sure that you are doing whatever might be necessary in order to try and make it as safe as possible. Achieving safety in the home can be done by paying attention to a few things in particular. First, make sure that the doors are secure and that they are not damaged at all. Second, direct that same attention to the windows, and be sure to find some replacement fiberglass windows if they need replacing or repairing. Then, make sure that you are following basic safety procedures to keep the home safe from disasters. As long as you are doing all of that, you will feel safer – and therefore much happier – in the home.

Fill It With Life:

One great way to ensure that the home is going to be as conducive to happiness as possible is to fill it with life of different kinds. That could mean having pets, plants, or a combination of the two. In either case, you will find that having more life in the home can definitely make one happier, so this is something to consider, as well. It is relatively simple to fill your home with life, and it will make such a huge difference in the overall feeling of your abode.

Keep It Personal:

Finally, be sure to fill it as much as you can with items that remind you of your life and your loved ones. Keeping it personal in this way does wonders for making you happier in the home and will make you feel like those that you hold dear are close to you, even if they might be far away.

Creating happiness in your home is all about perspective. Add in what brings you joy and watch your positivity increase in no time.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Aug15

Face Mask Festivities: Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask

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Face Mask Festivities: Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask

Helloo everyone and happy Hump Day! Today, we are going to be talking about the Origins face mask that I got from my Sephora Play! box. I’ve heard really good things about Origins and was looking forward to giving their mask a try. But, it unfortunately missed the mark for me. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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Everyone knows that Lil Red loves a good charcoal product as much as the next guy and it’s good to know that the less costly brands that I use are doing me more justice than pricey Origins. The Clear Improvement mask was your standard charcoal mask. There was nothing special about it that made it different or better than my favorite one from The Body Shop.

This mask had no smell to it and it dried very, very quickly. Because the texture was so thin, the mask became dry and uncomfortably tight on my skin within two minutes. At that point, I might as well have just washed my face, instead. Especially because I didn’t notice any type of difference in my skin except for the fact that it felt dry as a bone afterwards. #disappointing

The beauty of subscription boxes is that you don’t have to be married to the product. It was fun to try something new and I’ll gladly finish my travel sized mask. But, I definitely will not use this mask or Origins products in the future. The drug store brands and The Body Shop reign victorious, once again.

What is your preferred subscription box? What is your favorite charcoal product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug14

Sephora Play! Unboxing

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Sephora Play! Unboxing

Hii everyone and welcome to my very first Sephora Play! Unboxing! This subscription box was ordered simply to get me over the free shipping price during my online shopping extravaganza on Sephora. And, I enjoyed all of my goodies from the box so much that I’m definitely considering getting it for the entire year! Check it out:

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Survival Of The Chillest Play! Box:

  • Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara
  • Origins Clear Improvement Active Charoal Mask
  • IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm
  • Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick in The Red
  • Caudalie Vinoperfect Concentrated Brightening Essence
  • Burberry perfume sample in Blush
  • 50 Beauty Insider points with a purchase at Sephora coupon

I was so completely impressed with my box of travel sized treats from Sephora and I simply adore the Me O’Clock bag that it came in. My sister has an Ipsy subscription and I always eagerly anticipate when she opens her bright pink envelope. But, I daresay, I think that this ten dollar deal from Sephora is even better than Ipsy. The high end products that I get to sample are such a treat and it’s so fun to be able to test out brands that I would never have tried before.

So far, I have used the IGK hair balm and have been loving it. In fact, I want to get it in full sized so that I can continue using it every day! I have also used the Origins face mask, which you can read about on Face Mask Festivities tomorrow and have been mixing my Caudalie essence with my micellar water to make it last. And, as I’m not a huge perfume girl, I gave my mom the Burberry sample and it smells awesome on her! It smelled very floral and powdery on me and it smelled energizing and citrusy on her. Crazy how that works out, huh?

I am looking forward to trying out the Marc Jacobs mascara and will be swatching my Sephora lippie soon, so keep it posted for that. And, definitely be on the lookout for more on the Sephora Play! boxes on lifewithlilred, because I have a feeling that it will become a monthly thing really soon!

Who else gets the Play! boxes from Sephora? Are there any other subscription boxes that I should look into? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug13

Sephora Haul

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Sephora Haul

Hey everyone and welcome to a new week here on lifewithlilred! My most recent online shopping stint with Sephora has been nothing short of wonderful and I can’t wait to share all of my new goodies with you. From awesome products to amazing customer service, this haul had it all. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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^^^ Peep that gorgeous Better Than Sex glitter packaging for Too Faced’s 20th birthday!

The Haul:

  • Too Faced Better Than Birthday Sex mascara
  • Too Faced Melted Matte lip paint in Queen B (Free!)
  • Sephora Play! box in Survival Of The Chillest
  • Givenchy Le Rouge Liquide sample (Free!)
  • Belif Hydrating Eye Bomb sample (Free!)

And, before we talk more about my haul, I have to commend Sephora’s customer service. Two of the samples that I ordered were out of stock and was replaced with the Belif eye cream sample. I called the customer service number, because I was unaware of that, and I got to talk to someone immediately. Yasmine solved my problem quickly by offering to add TWO HUNDRED Beauty Insider points to my account. It was such a generous solution to a little issue and I am so thankful for that. Thanks again, Yasmine!

And, finally, the haul. I am so pleased with everything that I received in my latest order. I LOVE the packing on Too Faced’s Better Than Birthday Sex mascara. Nothing screams ultimate girly girl like some baby pink and glitter! So cute! And, it was so nice to receive a free lip paint for purchasing something that I needed to buy, anyways. It made me feel like I got a lot of bang for my buck and I really like that since the BTS mascara is the most expensive thing in my makeup arsenal.

We will be discussing my Play! box tomorrow, but just know that I am freaking obsessed and already want another one! I am also very pleased with the Belif eye cream sample that I got. It has about three uses in one little packet and it felt so nice on the delicate skin around my eyes. I might just have to give it a try if the price is right once I finish my Nutriganics eye cream from The Body Shop.

And, can we please talk about the Givenchy lippie samples?! It came with an application wand and three single use colors. How nice is that?! I’ll be sure to do some swatches of each color, as well as the Too Faced lip paint and the lippie that came in my Play! box, so keep it posted!

I consider this haul to be money well spent. I got a lot of good stuff for about sixty dollars as well as free shipping on my order. I’m looking forward to online shopping with Sephora again once I need a reup on my products and it will be so fun to share them with all of you! 🙂

Which store offers the best freebies and rewards? Have you ever had a really successful customer service experience? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug12

Making Moscow Mules

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Making Moscow Mules

Helloooo! This past week, my brother and sister in law came up to visit from Atlanta, Georgia. During this exciting reunion, Peter, Megan, and I decided to make DRANKS and settled upon Moscow Mules. We used Megan’s recipe and it was delicious so, now, I will share it with all of you! POUR UP.

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  • One shot vodka
  • 1/2 bottle of ginger beer
  • Juice from 1/2 lime
  • Ice

** And if you don’t have copper mugs, coffee mugs will do just fine! 😀

Moscow Mules are one of my favorite drinks. They are so crisp and refreshing and always seem to go down just right. And, who knew that they would be so easy to make?! These drinks are a wonderful option when entertaining guests or when you feel like day drinking on your day off! It’s up to you to be as classy or, for lack of a better words, trashy with it as you like. I don’t have room to talk, though, because I created this post at 11:30 in the morning on my day off and enjoyed two drinks before lunch! #YOLO 😉

What is your favorite drink? What is one of your tried and true drink recipes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug11

Posh Polishes

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Posh Polishes

Hey everyone and happy weekend! Lil Red is the ultimate girly girl and nothing pleases me more than caring for my tresses, skin, and having gorgeous acrylics on my nails. But, gorgeous acrylics need gorgeous polishes to top them, which is where Londontown comes in to play. Londontown features a wide array of colors, treatments, and goodies to keep your nails looking lovely one fab shade at a time. Including some of the following:

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And, if the colors Chim Cher-ee, Briolette, and Opal look familiar, that’s because they’re on my acrylics as we speak! Experimenting with different nail polishes is always fun, especially if you can’t find the shade you’re looking for in store or at your salon. That’s why it’s such a treat to enjoy some new colors exclusively at Londontown. And, to make the feeling of luxury even sweeter, the website frequently offers wonderful promotions to save you money. And that’s something Lil Red can always get behind! 😀

What is your favorite shade of nail polish? What color is on your nails today? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah