Author Archives: lifewithlilred

Unknown's avatar

About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!

New Black & Opal Nails

Standard
New Black & Opal Nails

Hiii everyone and TGIF! After having my acrylics on since October of 2017, it was finally time to get a new full set. My talons were overgrown, lifting, and getting super uncomfortable. But, now, they are obscenely short for my liking, which is uncomfortable in a different way! I’m still getting used to typing with tiny talons, so hopefully they’ll start growing out to reach their full lengthy potential soon! Check it out:

opalll

Although it cost me a pretty penny to get my new nails, it was a necessary evil, because my old ones were breaking constantly and it was stupid annoying. For short nails – well, short by my standards, my nails look good. But, I definitely won’t be completely happy with them until they grow some extra length! Despite my complaints, it was sure nice to spend a morning at the salon after five weeks in between nail maintenance. I spent more than what I would have liked on this set, but for nails that won’t break and a morning to myself, it was so worth it!

What length do you prefer to keep your nails at? What color of nail polish do you have on right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Butterflying Away

Standard
Butterflying Away

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! We are so close to the weekend that I can taste it, but with that sensation can come a case of the blahs, because two sweet days off seems so close yet so far. So I decided to brighten up everyone’s newsfeed today with some pictures that my dad took of a big, beautiful Monarch Butterfly that was fluttering around the garden. And, soon, we will be Butterflying Away to the weekend in no time!

DSCN1202DSCN1196DSCN1211DSCN1213DSCN1195

^^^ Our butterfly friend isn’t in the sunflower picture, I just really like it! 🙂

There are so many different meanings that can come from spotting the gorgeous Monarch Butterfly. From good luck to a friendly hello from your guardian angels or a loved one that has passed on, Monarchs only carry the best vibes. That’s why it was so exciting for this little carrier of good news to be hanging around our garden, besides for the lovely pictures taken by my dad, of course!

I hope these pictures brighten your day and carry you to the weekend with a smile on your face!

What is one of your favorite surprises to find in nature? What is your favorite insect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

July 2018 Finishes

Standard
July 2018 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy Hump Day! Can you believe that another month of 2018 is nearing an end? Before we know it, we’ll be ringing in the holiday season and celebrating the start of 2019. Time continues to fly, and you all know what that means! A monthly finishes post, of course! Take a look at my empties and let’s discuss:

julyin.jpeg

Would I Use Again?

  • Le Petit Marseiliais Vanilla Milk shower cream: YES
  • Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: YES
  • The Body Shop Strawberry scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Oils Of Life serum: YES
  • 40 Carrots moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

LPM Shower Cream: Although this brand name might be a bitch to spell out, this shower cream is so not a bitch to use! As all of you know, I looove all vanilla everything and this cream had the most richest, delicious vanilla scent I’ve ever used. The cream was hydrating as all get out, and my skin was left feeling silky smooth after every shower. It took me about two months to finish this product.

Garnier Micellar Water: Am I the biggest fan of micellar water? No. But, is it a cheap alternative to buying a toner and makeup remover? Yes. Garnier easily has the best cleansing water that I’ve used thus far and it lasted me a decently long time considering I use it daily – over a month and a half. It’s a good value and it’s an all in one product and I can definitely get down with that.

TBS Scrub: A scrub is an essential part of my routine when I’m shaving and I literally couldn’t imagine taming the Woolly Mammoth legs without it. We all know this by now. I got about six full body uses out of the mini sized scrub, which is not bad at all!

TBS Serum: I really, really like this product, and I was super happy because after using my other bottle, my mom gave me hers to finish up. The Oils Of Life serum hydrates the living hell out of your skin and it sits amazingly well under makeup. This serum ranges on the more pricey side of products from The Body Shop, but a little lasts a long way and it took me over two months to finish half of a bottle of it.

40 Carrots Moisturizer: My beauty queen sister gave me this moisturizer out of her reject pile of products and I enjoyed it well enough. I liked how hydrating it was and that you didn’t need to use a ton of it to make your skin feel well taken care of for the day. This moisturizer was thicker in texture but it sat under makeup with no problem. It took me over a month to finish half of a jar of the moisturizer so, from a value side, I would definitely use this again.

July brought along some new and old favorites for me to enjoy and I am satisfied with each product that I finished up. I would recommend all of the above empties and would gladly use them again, myself.

Have you used any of the products seen above? What are your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Face Mask Festivities: Nubian Heritage Mud Mask Edition

Standard
Face Mask Festivities: Nubian Heritage Mud Mask Edition

Hello everyone and a happy Tuesday to all of you! In today’s surprise edition of Face Mask Festivities, we are going to discuss a mud mask by Nubian Heritage. I say surprise, because I wasn’t expecting to have another FMF post for a while but, then, my mom bought this mask ON THE CHEAP at Target! How can you say no to an originally fifteen dollar mask for five bucks?! Lol, take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

nhnh1nh2nh3nh4

In all honesty, this mask was not my favorite and I feel disappointed by that, because I LOVED the texture of it. It felt so cool to the touch and the consistency was like BUTTAH! It was so smooth and creamy and it felt amazing when I applied it. And, then, it remained that way on my face for the entire ten minutes that I had it on. It didn’t dry, it didn’t harden, and it felt like it didn’t do NOTHIN. When I washed it off, it felt exactly how it felt when I first put it on my hands, so it left me feeling like it didn’t even work. It was really weird.

I will say, that the blackheads on my nose look a bit better, and the scent of the mask was nice and earthy. BUT, its lack of a change of consistency when the mask was supposedly doing its thing left a lot to be desired. And, now I see why this was marked down to five dollars! #smh

Has anyone else used this Nubian Heritage mask before? How did you feel about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Marilyn Manson Concert At Blossom Music Center

Standard
Marilyn Manson Concert At Blossom Music Center

Hiii everyone and happy Monday! Last week, I got to see Marilyn Manson in concert for the second time in less than one year. Our hometown hero was performing at Blossom Music Center with Rob Zombie for the Twins Of Evil tour. It was not an option to not go, even though Blossom isn’t one of my favorite venues so my sister, Kristen, and I made our happy way to the show and everything started out just fine until…

MY FAVORITE PLATFORMS BROKE WHILE WALKING INTO BLOSSOM!!!

😦

ughh

There is literally nothing worse than looking all kinds of trashy when walking into a concert with bare feet and your tail between your legs, but what can you do? Lol, anyways, because Kristen and I pre-gamed and Ubered to the show, Marilyn Manson began performing moments after we found a good spot to post up at on the lawn.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Blossom, it’s an outdoor venue with a pavilion and a huge lawn as your seating options. Being seated in the pavilion is expensive, but you can see the stage. Meanwhile, the lawn is dirt cheap, but you can’t see shit and taking pictures or videos won’t do you a lick of good. Because Kristen and I were so spoiled with front row spots during the last show we saw Marilyn Manson at, our twenty buck lawn seats were just fine.

In all honesty, the show was quite disappointing. Granted, we couldn’t see anything without the mega screens, but there were some other issues that spoiled the fun, too. First of all, the set list, which will be discussed in a moment was short. We’re talking twelve songs and then off the stage for good short. And second, the crowd was just not feeling it, and that was shocking to me – especially considering that Marilyn Manson’s home town was literally fifteen minutes away from where we were. All of these circumstances together created a really lackluster vibe, and it was a bummer to be in an audience that wasn’t welcoming back Ohio’s finest like the royalty he is.

Now, the set list was okay, but it did leave a lot to be desired. The majority of his picks were crowd pleasers like mOBSCENE, This Is The New Shit, Disposable Teens, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), The Beautiful People, and The Dope Show. He also added in fan favorites from his most recent album, Heaven Upside Down, with Kill4Me and Say10. With over seventy-five percent of the set list being made up of his most popular hits, the crowd should have been going nuts, and it just wasn’t happening.

The remaining tracks that he performed was his encore of his new remake of Cry Little Sister, which was fabulous, and Irresponsible Hate Anthem (Which he opened with.), Angel With The Scabbed Wings, and Antichrist Superstar. As I said, there was a lot to be desired.

After Marilyn Manson finished up, Kristen and I decided that we had no desire to see Rob Zombie perform, so we called an Uber and headed home. Overall, it was a fun night and I am so happy to have seen one of my favorite artists for the second time. But, nothing will ever compare to seeing him front and center for the first time at Stage AE!

What concerts have you been to this summer? Do you have a venue similar to Blossom in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Northeast Ohio Rocks Pt. 2

Standard
Northeast Ohio Rocks Pt. 2

Howdy everyone and happy Sunday! If you can remember back to a post I made in April, I discussed a really cool local tradition called Northeast Ohio Rocks. The idea is that you paint or Sharpie a rock as you see fit and then hide it somewhere in public where a stranger can find it. Then, you do what you will with your surprise on social media and rehide the rock for the next lucky person to find. It’s such a fun community program and people have had get togethers at their homes or local meeting centers to create more rocks to hide around Northeast Ohio.

At a Green Day concert at Blossom Music Center last year, I found a solar eclipse themed rock hanging around by the entrance. I felt so lucky to have stumbled upon such a beautiful creation and vowed to give the magic back in due time. I thought that it only seemed appropriate to return the rock to the location that I found it at last summer and that moment finally came last week when I saw Marilyn Manson perform at Blossom.

We’ll chit chat about the show tomorrow, but I wanted to follow up on the post that I made in April to let everyone know that I kept my promise to bring the rock back to its original location. I wrote my web address on the back of my Northeast Ohio Rock, so hopefully whoever found it will come to my page to let me know that their surprise was received!

ner

Does your area have a similar program to Northeast Ohio Rocks? Would you ever like to start a local tradition? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Londontown Pampering Party

Standard
Londontown Pampering Party

Hello everyone and happy weekend to all of you! As we all know by now, Lil Red is a nail girl and I would be nothing without my beloved talon acrylics. I think this deep love for being pampered in terms of my nails comes from my beautiful grandma, because I can always remember how much she enjoyed having her nails painted with lovely shades of seashell pinks.

I am lucky enough to be pampered every four to five weeks or so when I get my nails filled. My mom, on the other hand, doesn’t get to enjoy the luxury of a manicure, because with the intense medical treatment that she’s under, she wants to avoid any more chemicals on her body than need be. This is perfectly understandable, of course!

But, this doesn’t mean that sweet JANE doesn’t want her nails looking as nice as possible, so I decided to treat her to a fabulous cuticle treatment by Londontown. Londontown is an amazing nail and hand care brand that is dedicated to strengthening nails and nourishing hands in the most natural way possible. Their products use a variety of different oils and essential vitamins to show your phalanges some love, and I knew that it would be the perfect surprise to give to my mom. Take a look:

lt1lt2lt3lt4lt5lt6

^^^ In order, you can see my mom’s nails without treatment, with the treatment on, and after the treatment was finished.

Londontown’s Nourishing Cuticle Oil treatment worked wonders on my mom, and she has now deemed herself “obsessed” with it. We had a blast playing beauty shop together as I applied the product and we watched as it worked its magic. Our first impression of the treatment was its scent. It smelled herbal and sweet without being overly pungent or perfumey. This was so nice, because that’s actually one of my mom’s favorite scent styles and it made us eager to apply it and see if it works as good as it smells!

Before using Londontown’s Nourishing Cuticle Oil treatment, my mom’s cuticles were really dry and brittle. They looked so ready to be removed, and I was really hoping that this product would be as good as anticipated, because if anyone deserves to be pampered – it’s my mother. Lucky for us, we didn’t have to wait long to see if this treatment was the one for her, because almost instantly upon application, she could feel it moisturizing the problem areas on her nails.

Not only was the treatment so nourishing, but its consistency did so in a non-greasy manner, which is so important to both of us when it comes to our beauty products. Its texture was not thick but, rather, quite thin and it stayed on the nail well without running onto the towel under my mom’s hands. #wastenotwantnot

After the Nourishing Cuticle oil was on my mom’s nails for a few minutes, she pushed her cuticles back, removed them as best as she could, and then I applied some more treatment. Neither of us are nail experts, by and means, but in just one use her nails looked so much better. My mom said that she felt so spoiled to be using the treatment and it made her nails look pretty without polish, which was the goal all along. ❤

Be sure to tune in next week to see my new acrylics featuring some gorgeous nail polish shades by Londontown!

How do you pamper your hands and nails? How do you create a spa night in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: I can’t make this up. As I write this, my mom literally walked down the stairs while rubbing in the cuticle treatment and goes “Sarah, I’m addicted to this. I just feel like my nails look better”. So it definitely has the Sarah & Jane Seal Of Approval! Thanks, Londontown!

From Paris, With Love

Standard
From Paris, With Love

Hi everyone and TGIF! If you know Lil Red, then you’ll know that I am an avid lover of all things French. The language, the fashion, the architecture, the food – I am a huge fan of all of it and it is my dream to spend a few months there. Unfortunately, that dream hasn’t come into fruition yet, so the closest that I can get to Paris is practicing my French on Duolingo. Disappointed doesn’t even begin to cover my emotions about that!

But, the brilliant surprises of exploring a new country can take place right where you are, if you have an awesome mom, that is. Over the weekend, I was called downstairs from working on my French by my brother so that he could tell me something. While we were chatting, my mom went into my room and replaced my sad, old bed sheets and comforters with this gorgeous set:

parisparis1paris3paris2

Upon returning to my chambers, I couldn’t believe the fantastic surprise that my mom had for me. This new bed set is absolutely stunning, and it looks like illustrations and writing taken straight from someone’s travel journal. And, did I mention that my new blankies are the epitome of comfort? They are so soft but light, and are perfect for wrapping yourself in during a warm summer night.

I might not be in Paris any time soon, but at least my new bed set will take me there in my dreams! Thanks, mom! ❤

Where is your dream travel location? How do you bring some of your favorite country to your home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Backyard Beauty

Standard
Backyard Beauty

Hi hi everyone and a happy Thursday to all of you! If you follow my page, then you know that my beloved dad, CHARLES, is a gardening extraordinaire. He can literally make something grow out of nothing, and every year the splendor in our front and back yards multiples tenfold from his hard work and amazing talent.

Not only does my dad boast two green thumbs, but he has also gotten quite good at using his camera and enjoys taking pictures of his handy work and the wildlife that basks in its glory. I love featuring talent on my page, and it’s even more special when something so beautiful comes from a family member or close friend. So, without further ado, take a look at some Backyard Beauty compliments of my dad:

DSCN1083DSCN1079DSCN1082DSCN1084DSCN1091DSCN1106DSCN1101DSCN1117DSCN1115DSCN1118backyardbackyard1backyard2

It always touches me so deeply when my dad wants to share one of the photos that he was proud of taking with me, and it makes me even more proud to show them off to all of you! I love you, dad! Your talent knows no bounds! ❤

What is your favorite picture from above? Who else has green thumbs that they’re proud of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Amazon Makeup Haul

Standard
Amazon Makeup Haul

Guys. I’m literally going through the worst time of my life when it comes to beauty products, because I feel like all of my signature staples are being discontinued. The most recent ones being The Body Shop’s Brush On Radiance Beads. I have literally been using those amazing, pearly wonders since high school and now they’re laying this shit on me?! Ugh, I seriously can’t even.

But, thankfully, there’s always Amazon, which allowed me to purchase three jars of my beads before they might go bye bye. It sucks, though, because The Body Shop always runs awesome promotions and I had to buy the beads for full price, which I have never done before. Was it worth it? Yes, because one jar lasts a really long time. Am I pissed at The Body Shop? HELL YES, and they better bring back my blusher beads pronto!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

beads.jpg

Pinterest Image

Have any of your favorite products been discontinued? What do you use now as a substitute? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah