Category Archives: Beauty

May10

New Pink & Deep Purple Nails

Posted on May 10, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Three of my houses of worship are TJMaxx, the Shear Shop, and Elysian Nails. They are where I go to find solace, shelter from the storm, and inner peace. I leave each location a transformed woman and always feel much better than I did before! On Tuesday, I had a fantastic fill at Elysian Nails and it turned out beautifully. There is nothing quite like that fresh fill feeling and no one could tell me NOTHIN for the rest of the day! My nail tech got me just right and I am loving this cute color combo:

^^^ Peep those new finger tattoos!

It has felt like summer for the past several weeks in Ohio and I always like to transition to brighter nail polish when it starts warming up. My plan was to go for sunny, poppy hues for this fill but I was feeling very uninspired at the nail polish wall. Every color combination I could think of was something that I had done before and while I have no problem repeating combos I liked, I just wasn’t in the mood for it. After staring at my choices for what felt like forever, a bubblegum pink caught my eye and I could work with that! Rather than continue with summer colors, I decided to expand my horizons and chose a shimmery, deep purple. It was different than anything I have used recently and I can’t believe I haven’t selected it before because it’s so pretty!

When I go in for my Tuesday fill, I am in between shifts and it can be hard for me to fully relax when I know I have to go back to work. But, after I sat down at my nail tech’s station, I could literally feel my stress melting away. My girl is the absolute best and I never realize just how bad my nails are until she goes to work on them. As we chat away, she expertly repairs, fortifies, and sharpens my claws back into their former glory. Once I leave the salon and am on my way back to the grind, I always feel like I’m ready to take on the rest of the day. It’s amazing what some fresh new talons can do for me. 😀

Elysian Nails is, truly, my happy place and I think it is having the same effect on my mom… She has been itching to go back for a mani since we got our toes done and I am SO there for it!

What colors do you like to wear in the summer? Where is your happy place? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

April 2024 Finishes

Posted on April 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!!! I don’t know how it happened, but April is almost over and it went by at dizzying speed. This month was a combination of crazy busy with a handful of crazy relaxing days and I am hoping that things slow down in May. Primarily because I don’t want to turn thirty in June lol!! Since we’re wrapping up the month, it’s time to take a look at the beauty products that I finished up. It was basically duds on duds on duds so let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Thayers Witch Hazel: NO

Bath & Body Works Poppy Lotion: YES

Provence Beauty Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum: NO

Honest Calm & Heal Melting Balm: NO

Why/Why Not?

Thayers Witch Hazel: Way back in January, I had a huge skin care haul at TJMaxx thanks to my holiday gift cards. I got anything and everything, but the one thing missing was my beloved Evoluderm micellar water. As there was not a bottle in sight, I had to scrounge for more toners to use and ended up with a bottle of Thayers witch hazel. It took me about one month of daily use to finish the bottle as a toner and it was perfectly average. Definitely not worth writing home about or buying again!

Provence Beauty Serum: I was most excited to try out this serum, mainly because I thought the bottle was pretty lol. Unfortunately, the Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 missed the mark big time. Oddly enough, I am using a different serum by the same brand and am loving the results! The finished serum was just okay. It took me one month of twice daily use to finish the bottle. In that time, I noticed no positive differences to my skin’s appearance or texture. This was weird because a hyaluronic acid formula tends to really agree with me. Apparently not this one, SMH.

Honest Balm: This is the second time that I have used the Honest Calm & Heal Melting Balm. Originally, I was pretty impressed with this product and was looking forward to trying it again. This time around, the balm did nothing for me. In fact, the thick formula was almost too much and it felt like it was suffocating my skin. I still think this balm would be excellent for people with extremely dry skin. However, if you have a normal or mildly dry skin tone, I would stick with a more moderate moisturizer. I’m glad I got to reuse this product so I can officially add it to my “won’t use again” list.

Even though my April Empties were lacking in success, I was happy to finish them up. After all of these misses, I am loving the current products I’m using. I think the May Finishes will be much better!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr27

Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

Posted on April 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! One of my neighbors blessed me with a Bath & Body Works coupon he got in the mail as he had no use for it. So, on Tuesday I popped in the shop during my afternoon break to double dip on my April freebies. My bath and body care hoard runneth over but you just can’t beat free! I had no intention of getting anything besides the travel size item the coupon allowed for, but B&BW was running a good promo on their wallflowers so I grabbed two of those too. The fragrances I picked have me feeling oh so spring! Check it out:

I don’t know if it’s just my Bath & Body Works or all of them, but I have noticed that their travel size selection is severely lacking the past several times I’ve went in. There were only a handful of scents, maybe three, that were available and it was mainly fragrance sprays and lotion. I am pretty well stocked on all of my bath and body products thanks to the winter semi annual sale and I didn’t want any more perfume. Then, I had a brain blast and remembered that their bar soap is part of the free travel size promo too. This was much more like it! I have used their bar soap a few times and loved it so I picked one out in Apple – my favorite scent. And, as you guessed, it smells exactly like biting into a crisp, juicy apple!

For my wallflower fragrances, I followed a similar motif with fruity scents. I couldn’t say no to Pink Apple Punch, which features notes of “crisp apple, melon, and sugared crystals”. I can’t speak for the melon portion of the fragrance because it just smelled like apples to me and that was perfectly fine! I also purchased Aloha Kiwi Passionfruit as my Johnny loves a tropical scent. This one offers notes of “tropical passionfruit, radiant kiwi, and juicy pineapple”. I could really smell the pineapple on this wallflower and it was such a sweet, punchy fragrance that will definitely brighten up the living room. I can’t wait to use it. 😀

This quick visit to B&BW was such a nice little treat. The fruity fragrances I left with put a spring in my step and will compliment the lovely spring weather beautifully!

What kind of fragrance do you like? What is your favorite fruit scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr24

New Hair, Who Dis?

Posted on April 24, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! After this past week, Lil Red is feeling like a whole new woman! I treated myself to new nails, new tattoos, and new hair and I am loving my new look. On Friday, I spent roughly six hours at the Shear Shop so my stylist, Anna, could work her magic. Our goal was to transition my hair from winter to spring with the motif of pink lemonade. This was going to be easier said than done to get the deep red, navy, and purple out of my hair and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. I wasn’t worried about it in the slightest because Anna always delivers and this time was no exception. Check it out:

^^^ Stay tuned for a brand new OOTD coming soon!

The first order of business to achieving this look was using a new to us product. To remove the color from my hair, Anna had Pulp Riot’s bleach called Blank Canvas ordered just for me. We are so glad she did because this stuff was AMAZING. Within a half hour of sitting in and out of heat, the deep colors from my hair lifted significantly and was almost all of the way out. Minus one glaring issue – a funky green hue where the navy used to be. Since we were using lighter colors, the green had to go and after a lot of scrubbing and a little more bleach, Anna was able to get it almost all the way out.

Next on the agenda was the fun part of painting my hair. Over the years, Anna and I have become very familiar with Pulp Riot colors. While we revisited old favorites, we also dabbled in some new hues too. We used a variety of different colors including Pyro (deep red), Fireball (bright red), Satire (bright yellow) mixed with Lemon (light yellow), and Candy (neon pink) mixed with Blush (ballet slipper pink). As always, Anna was absolutely genius in her careful application to keep any of the colors from blending. Before I knew it, I had a head full of foil and the color was left to sit for about fifty minutes.

Once the color was washed out, we were very pleased with the results… Other than one thing. My roots were popping through in some noticeable areas in the front. This was actually a really simple fix. Anna just added a bit more bleach to the surprise spots and after twenty minutes, it got to a yellow that blended seamlessly with the rest of my hair. After this inspired idea, my hair was just perfect. Even better than perfect, actually! I felt full on Malibu Barbie and am in love with this drastic change. This hair is going to be so fun for spring and summer and I feel amazing every time I look in the mirror. ❤

When I am at the Shear Shop, I am living my best life. When I leave the Shear Shop, I am living my best life too. HUGE thank you to Anna for this beautiful new do. I say this every time she does my hair, but this is definitely my favorite yet!

Are you changing your hair for spring? What are you getting done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Mini Madness

Posted on April 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! During the work week, I typically have an hour and a half or so of time in between shifts to run errands on Tuesday. I take full advantage of this because then I don’t have to pencil in time during the weekend to make it happen. If I have nothing that needs done, I’ll post up in a Panera or Starbucks and grab a drink and set up my laptop there. This past Tuesday, I had a few little odds and ends to take care of including a quick stop in Bath & Body Works and TJMaxx for some mini goodies. Check it out:

I have been running dangerously low on my Better Than Sex mascara. However, I simply refuse to buy more from Sephora until my birthday month in June so I can get my free birthday prezzie with the purchase. During my last TJs shopping trip, I purchased some Ellen Tracey mascara to tide me over. Unfortunately, it was the most crap lousy product I have ever used in my life. I needed to go to TJs anyways to make a return so I just bought a mini MAC tube of mascara to get me through until June. I was disappointed they didn’t have some Better Than Sex mascara in store because they sometimes do, but beggars can’t be choosers. -_-

After my astoundingly quick time in TJMaxx, I went to Bath & Body Works next to cash in a free travel size product coupon. Normally when I get a freebie coupon, I like to try new to me scents. This time around, I reverted back to a fragrance I got in my January freebie haul: Calypso Clementine. This scent is exactly what you think it is and it’s delightful. I am extremely partial to citrus and just had to get Calypso Clementine in a fragrance spray too. I have a feeling I am going to be wearing it all summer. It is bright, zesty, and screams sunshine! Highly recommend. 😀

Good things come in small packages and that was definitely the case with this Mini Madness. Now, here’s to hoping I won’t need any more mascara until June! #fingerscrossed

What is your favorite brand of mascara? What is your favorite summertime scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr13

New Lemon Lime Nails

Posted on April 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week, I just couldn’t get enough of Elysian Nails and I am so not complaining! On Monday, I enjoyed a wonderful pedicure with my mom as a belated birthday gift. Then, I was back the following day for a much needed fill. And I mean very much needed because they were busted, broken, and lifted. As always, my amazing fabulous tech got me right and I am so happy to have my nails back to their former glory! Check it out:

Sometimes when I get a fill, I have no idea what polish colors I want. Other times, I know exactly what I want. The latter was the case for me this past fill because I had lemon lime on the mind. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I finally figured it out! I have had a can of unopened Sprite in my car from when I returned to work after being sick last month. I never bothered taking it out because I consider it my “emergency drink” in case I happen to get really thirsty while driving. Lol, I mean hey – it’s better to have it and not need it! I am definitely glad that I kept it around because it turned into my nail inspo and I am loving the yellow/green combo. 😀

This fill blew me away and was such a testament to my tech’s expertise. She replaced five nails that were either lifted or broken and rather than put on new tips, she painted the acrylic on freehand. I always assumed you needed the tips for acrylic nails so you learn something new every day. It really sped up the process and within minutes I had brand new nails and they were already shaped so well. My tech did such a good job with her freehand application that my talons only needed a little bit of sharpening to get the stiletto shape afterwards. She is the best!

My back to back appointments at Elysian Nails had me feeling like a billion bucks and I love my pretty new toes and nails. My claws look awesome and I seriously can’t stop looking at them. Lemon Lime for the win!

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

Apr11

Pedi Party

Posted on April 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Mondays are one of my favorite days of the week because I either work with my online boss in person or just get to work from home and it is great! I also love being able to spend that WFH time with the bunnies so it is a banner day to be me. This past Monday was even better than usual. I worked from home, Johnny was off, the solar eclipse happened (More on that soon!), and I got to hang out with my mom. As a belated birthday gift, I treated my mom and I to Spa Pedicures at Elysian Nails. This is the fourth pedicure I’ve ever had and my mom’s first and we both enjoyed ourselves so much! Check it out:

The last time I got a pedicure was when I got married and I just did the most basic one. I wanted to go all out for my mom’s birthday treat, though, so two Spa Pedis it was. This type of pedicure came with all of the bells and whistles and my mom and I loved every minute of it. After selecting our colors (Hot pink gel for her and black polish for me), we sat down in massage chairs and let the fantastic techs get to work. I think we would have both been happy with our feet in the warm water and letting the massage chairs do their thing!

For almost an entire hour, we were pampered with scrubs, rubs, hot towels, and the finest attention to detail on our tootsies. After just a few minutes of our pedicure, it was like looking at entirely different toes! We were both amazed at how the nails were essentially reshaped and it was a night and day difference. All of the treatments used worked wonders too. My feet and calves have never felt so soft and smooth and I didn’t think it was possible for them to feel that good. We both left our appointment feeling like a million bucks with pretty painted toes and a brand new memory to share together. ❤

As we drove home from our Pedi Party, we decided that twice a year pedicures should be a new tradition for my sister, mom, and me. I already can’t wait for our next one and, as always, Elysian Nails got us just right!

How often do you get pedicures? What is your favorite spa treatment? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr3

Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Green Tea Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on April 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Green Tea Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello everyone and I hope all of you enjoyed a lovely holiday weekend! I sure did. 🙂 Johnny and I both had Monday off and spent our long weekend doing a whole lot of nothing. We binged on all of our favorite shows, revisited a beloved video game called Unraveled, and tried out a new one called Little Nightmares. It was a blast and it felt so good to have some much needed R&R with my main squeeze. Between all of the vegging out, I decided to use a face mask by GlamUp and was expecting excellent results. The last one I used was delightful! Sadly, the Refreshing Green Tea sheet mask I tested missed the mark completely – a common theme with this brand SMH. Let’s discuss:

^^^ I’m sexy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only have a handful of GlamUp masks left to use and I chose the Green Tea one because I have tea on the brain lol. Johnny has had the nastiest lingering cold and has spent the past several days with a cup of tea constantly in his hands. He always insists that I smell the tea as it’s steeping and while this sheet mask smelled nice, it definitely wasn’t as good as the real thing! The Green Tea mask did offer a soft, refreshing scent that was reminiscent of green tea leaves and I liked that it wasn’t overpowering. I tend to prefer a lighter scent when it comes to my skin care, especially for something like a mask because I want it to be soothing.

After applying the sheet mask, I let it sit for about twenty-five minutes. Normally, I am done as soon as twenty minutes hit, but this mask was so saturated in serum that it needed additional time. As the mask sat, I felt a slight cooling sensation and that was about it. I was hoping for something with a bit more oomph to it for a full “refreshing” effect and was disappointed from the utter lack of it. Once I took the mask off, I did think my skin felt a bit smoother. However, I felt no lingering effects after it was removed and that was what I liked the most about the previous mask I used. This was a fine but nothing to write home about experience, for sure.

I am going to rate the Refreshing Green Tea Sheet Mask with a four out of ten stars. It wasn’t the worst mask I have ever used, but it was certainly a step below average!

What is your favorite kind of tea? How did you spend your holiday weekend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar30

March 2024 Finishes

Posted on March 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo everyone! Is it just me or did January and February drag major ass and March simply flew by?! We are already wrapping up the month, which means that it’s time to discuss my beauty empties. This past month, I used several new to me products and that is something that I always enjoy! Were they buy again worthy or total duds? Let’s find out!

Would I Use Again?

Hope Soap Grapefruit & Bamboo Body Cream: MAYBE

Clinical Works Cleansing Toner: NO

The Beauty Standard Vitamin C Moisturizer: NO

Bath & Body Works Dry Skin Moisturizer: MAYBE

Provence Beauty Collagen Serum: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Hope Soap Cream: Hope Soap is a local business in my neck of the woods and my darling mother in law gifts me with their products for Christmas. I have used their Body Nectar several times and while they were nice, they didn’t blow me away. The mango butter body cream called The Sauce, however, was much more like it! The Grapefruit & Bamboo scent was zingy and refreshing and it felt so rich and nourishing on my skin. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it again, but it is definitely my favorite Hope Soap product that I have used. It took me about a month to finish the bottle with once daily use.

Clinical Works Toner: During my TJMaxx holiday gift card skin care restock extravaganza (What a mouthful!), I was so disappointed that there was not a single bottle of my beloved Evoluderm micellar water in sight. So, I had to make do with random toners instead like this one by Clinical Works. I finished the bottle with once daily use in a month and I was less than impressed. What I like about the Evoluderm micellar water is that it really does feel like a beauty treatment. The toner by Clinical Works literally just felt like I was rubbing water on my face lol SMH.

The Beauty Standard Moisturizer: Normally when I use a product, I make mental notes in my head of what I liked and didn’t like about it. In the case of the Vitamin C moisturizer by The Beauty Standard, I am drawing a blank! I genuinely can’t remember if I felt any type of way about it so I’m assuming that it was very average. Since it was anything but noteworthy in my head, this is a moisturizer that I wouldn’t buy again!

B&BW Moisturizer: During my winter Semi Annual Sale shopping spree at Bath & Body Works, I was surprised to learn that they had a skin care line. I purchased one of their dry skin moisturizers out of sheer curiosity and it took me a month of twice daily use to finish the jar. During that time, I enjoyed using the moisturizer and loved how soft and smooth my skin felt with each use. It was very hydrating and it just felt nice to use. Would I buy it at full price? Hard no. But, if it is on sale again during the summer Semi Annual, I will be more than happy to buy a few jars of it.

Provence Beauty Serum: I have used several Provence Beauty products in the past because they are almost always available at TJMaxx. For the most part, I have found their skin care to be a bit above average and those are my sentiments for the Collagen Serum too. This serum absorbed nicely into the skin, sat well under makeup, and I did notice a slight difference in the tightness of my skin after a month of twice daily use. Like most of the products we discussed, the jury is out on if I would buy this serum again. However, if it were available at TJs and I needed a serum restock, I would *probably* add it to my cart.

My March empties were, clearly, nothing to write home about but were certainly worth blogging about. You are not missing out on a majority of the above if you bypass them in the store!

Have you tried any new products recently? What did you think about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar23

Face Mask Festivities: Rejuvenating Tea Tree Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Rejuvenating Tea Tree Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello! I spent the first week of March being sick AF and other than being sick, it was awesome lol. I worked from home, I watched endless TV, and enjoyed a bit of pampering with face masks too. It honestly felt like a mini vacation… minus the being sick part! As I was recuperating, I found myself growing rather fond of sheet masks even though I still think they are annoying. So, I decided to add a weekly face mask to my routine to bring back sick staycation vibes and have a little midweek treat. This past Wednesday, I used a Rejuvenating Tea Tree sheet mask by GlamUp and I actually really liked it! Check it out:

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a handful of GlamUp masks left to use and I went with the tea tree one simply for scent related purposes. I love a minty scent and thought this mask would feel brisk and refreshing. After work, I applied the mask, startled Johnny, and settled in for twenty minutes to let it sit. As per ushie, the sheet mask didn’t fit well in the slightest and I was constantly rearranging it. Despite all of the fidgeting, this mask felt SO nice on and, for once, I felt confident I would have good results from it.

As the mask set, I felt perked up by the bold mint scent and the pleasant, cooling sensation. The sheet mask was drenched with serum and I liked that I could literally feel it soaking in. To me, the experience of having a face mask on is just as important as the results and, in that regard, the tea tree mask was already the best GlamUp one I have used so far. After the twenty minutes was up, I removed the mask and was greeted by a fresh looking appearance and smooth to the touch skin. What I liked best of all, though, was that my skin was tingling from the time I took it off to when I went to bed. Now, that is what I’m talking about!

I am going to rate the Rejuvenating Tea Tree mask with an eight out of ten stars. I would happily use it again thanks to the excellent experience and satisfying results. Not too shabby for a sheet mask!!

Do you have any weekly pampering routines? What is your favorite brand of face masks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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