Category Archives: Beauty

Aug11

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hi! This past Tuesday I went to TJMaxx on my break as I needed a skin care restock and wanted to browse for upcoming birthday gifts for a couple of my bestie girls. I had great success on both counts and actually ran into one of my bestie girls! While I was perusing the skin care, I sensed a presence beside me who seemed to follow me in step. I felt like I was blocking whomever from their shopping and felt SO awkward and it kept happening. Finally, I turned to the person to apologize and it ended up being my BFF of eighteen years, Lea!! Omg did we have a laugh and after we parted ways I texted her with “you scare me :(” lol because she really did! It made my TJs trip even more magical and I walked away with the following skin care goodies:

For my skin care I was on the market for a new moisturizer, serums, an eye cream, and a scrub. And, of course, I never say no to my go to micellar water if it is available! Selecting a moisturizer was an incredibly easy choice because I actually purchased the same Goodness moisturizer a few months ago, am using it now, and am absolutely LOVING it. The Goodness Every Morning Moisturizer is really rich despite its thinner texture and feels like clouds when I apply it. It is ultra hydrating and leaves my skin feeling soft as can be and looking refreshed. The last moisturizer I used was a total dud and the Goodness brand was a total breath of fresh air the first time I used it. I will happily continue buying it as long as it’s available!

As far as my preferred serums go, TJMaxx always seems to have Glow Elixir and Precision Beauty in stock and I am a fan of them both. Like the Goodness moisturizer, it was a no brainer decision to pick up a few in my tried and true Collagen + Vitamin C formula for a dose of radiance in my beauty routine. A scrub was also needed as I had just finished up one of my favorites by ValJean Labs. In fact, I used it up this very morning. I really enjoy their products and was hoping to find the same scrub to use again. The shelves were bare in that regard but I did find a ValJean Labs eye serum that I am looking forward to trying! I opted for a Vitamin C & Turmeric scrub by Skin 2.0 which is a brand I have never used before. I’ll get my introduction tomorrow so stay tuned for a review coming soon. 😀

Prezzies, skin care, and a bestie sighting – oh my! This TJMaxx trip had it all and I can’t wait to use the new to me products and gift my beloveds with what I found for them! ❤

Do you like to shop alone or with someone? What are your go to skin care brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug9

New Goosebumps Green & Sky Blue Nails

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New Goosebumps Green & Sky Blue Nails

Howdy! This past Tuesday I enjoyed a phenomenal fill on my break from work and it was just the best. TMI, but I started my period SO hard so to be able to take an hour and zone out to HGTV while I was pampered gave me a renewed pep in my step for the rest of the day. There is nothing like a fresh fill to get me feeling myself even when I am feeling miserable! I don’t know about all of you but I am more than ready for fall. In fact, I have been since last fall lol. Before the hopefully chilly days of September, I had to do one more hurrah for summer with brightly hued nails. Then it is onto the deep lush shades of autumn! Check it out:

As I perused my nail polish options, the neon green caught my eye and I went from there. My first thought was to pair it with orange but I already used that color during my last fill. Then, I thought about a lemon lime motif but already did that too! As I mentally vetoed all of my ideas I was left with a massive question mark until I saw the pretty sky blue and I was back in business, baby. These colors are summer sky and freshly mowed grass which is truly what I see. Other people had different opinions, though!

When my nail tech was done shaping and sharpening my acrylics to perfection, she painted on the green and described it as Goosebumps Green. She was not wrong and it gave me a hankering for Halloween something FIERCE! I think I’ll have to revisit this shade come spooky season regardless of just using it recently! Goosebumps was definitely on my mind and then it shifted to something totally different when I saw my brother. He said that it looked like a globe and now I can’t unsee it because it really does lol. All these nails need is a little airplane and map markings and they would make for the cutest travel theme. Summer sky and freshly mowed grass turned into a Goosebumps globe and I can’t say I’m mad at it! ❤

The most wonderful time of the year is soon to be upon us and I am SO excited to ring in a new season of fall fashion and fun here on lifewithlilred. Keep it posted!

How often do you get your nails done? 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

Aug1

July 2026 Finishes

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July 2026 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy August! Also wait what? It’s August?! This summer is going by fast and I am not mad about it whatsoever. This summer has been hellacious and I am so ready to be wrapped up in the chilly comfort of fall. Before we dive into a new month, let’s time travel to one day ago because we must discuss my beauty finishes! I dropped the ball when I forgot about my June empties and took note of the mental note to not do that again lol. There are several good products in the mix for July so let’s take a look:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: ALWAYS

Precision Beauty Glow Up Vitamin C Serum: YES

Gold Bond Healing Lotion: MAYBE

Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast Shower Gel: YES

Why/Why Not?

Precision Beauty Serum: I am a big fan of the Precision Beauty serums and have yet to find one that I didn’t like. The Glow Up Vitamin C serum, however, is my favorite. It takes me about five weeks of twice daily use to finish the bottle and I am impressed by it every day. This serum is rather thick and a little of it goes a very long way as just a smidgen packs a huge punch. The Glow Up formula leaves my skin bright and radiant even when I am feeling neither bright nor radiant lol. I am always amazed at how well rested and alert I look even when the hot days of summer screws up my sleeping schedule. Highly recommend if you are on the market for a new serum!

Gold Bond Lotion: Johnny purchased this bottle of lotion for applying on our tattoos that we got in April. It was the most fun day where myself, Johnny, and his aunt all got some ink! Truthfully, I don’t feel one way or another about this lotion but would use it again if it ended up at chez moi. I am extremely partial to my beloved Bath & Body Works lotion and rarely stray from it. BUT I used up the Gold Bond for one reason only: It has been hot AF and while I love the B&BW scents it was just too much in the heat. Sweating profusely to the aroma of a fruity or sweet fragrance is not my idea of a good time and it overwhelms me which is why I appreciated the scent free Gold Bond formula. Don’t get me wrong, it worked very well and left my skin feeling hydrated and nourished. But I am excited to get back to my favorite scents as summer draws to a close!

A Little Note: You all already know my love for Champagne Toast and my Evoluderm micellar water. I just wanted to mention that the mega bottle of Evoluderm lasts almost three months with twice daily use and it is such an awesome value. Definitely a steal if you find it at TJs. 🙂

Out with the old and in with the new! Keep tuning in on lifewithlilred as we tackle this new month together. Yay for it being almost fall!

What cools you off in extreme heat? Do you do well in really hot weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul21

Bath & Body Works July Freebie

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Bath & Body Works July Freebie

Hi! My family will soon be vacationing in Italy and I am SO beyond excited!! It is going to be a once in a life time trip and every day that passes is another day closer to hitting the airport and going off on an adventure. I decided to be the one in charge of assembling travel size products for everyone’s toiletry kit and there is no better place to do so than at Bath & Body Works. Thanks to their monthly freebie coupons, I have been able to snag travel size shower gels and lotions without paying one cent. The last shower gel I needed to get was for my brother and, unfortunately for him, there were no travel size men’s shower gels in stock. Fortunately for me, I was able to get a freebie for myself lol check it out:

B&BW does a preview of their Halloween collection every July and I just love it. I live for spooky season so the earlier Halloween themed goods arrive in store, the better. While my next freebie coupon will be reserved for my brother, I chose a travel size fragrance spray in Vampire Blood for my goodie. It’s actually perfect because I don’t have any travel size perfume and I’d rather not lug my full size bottle of B&BW spray across the world lol. It’s also double perfect because I am currently using one of their Halloween perfumes right now so I can keep with the theme in Italy. 😀

I Scream Float is my all time favorite Halloween scent by B&BW because it smells exactly like Diet Coke. And, as a DC fiend, that really speaks to me. However, Vampire Blood was my all time favorite before I Scream Float debuted last year. Vampire Blood is a dark mix of deep blackberries and raspberries and it is a delight to the senses… Usually. As I typed this, I attempted to spray the tiniest amount of this scent for a refresher sniff and ended up getting a huge spray straight to my nose smh. Consider myself refreshed! On the bright side, there are a whole lot worse things than Vampire Blood to be smelling all day now!

Another travel size product for Italy is checked off of my list which means more room in my bag for clothes and shoes to create OOTD magic!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

What is your favorite B&BW scent collection? Do you have any packing pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul11

New Neon Orange & Blue Nails

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New Neon Orange & Blue Nails

Howdy! On Tuesday I had a lovely time at Elysian Nails on my break from work for a much needed fill. I was so ready to ditch the glitter from last time and move onto bright, poppy summer colors! The salon is my sanctuary and it was really nice to be able to have some reprieve from the not so great week that Johnny and I were having. While my fill didn’t take away my bummed out-ness, at least I could be sad with flawless nails. And, I can’t help but smile a little every time I look at this beach vibes palette. Check it out:

Ever since I got my hair done, I have had orange and blue on the brain as my stylist and I already have grand plans for my next appointment: Copper orange and denim blue, baby! It is going to be SO fab and while I am in love with my latest hair improvement, I am chomping at the bit to get back to the Shear Shop. Orange and blue is truly a match made in heaven and just screams fun in the sun. The colors I chose were side by side in the nail polish book and for good reason – they belong together! This combo serves a rave at the beach aesthetic with the neon hues that are so bright you need shades. I feel like I revisit this palette every summer and I have yet to grow tired of it. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it and whatever! 😀

Pampering is and will always be my favorite form of self care and my break time stint at the salon allowed me to regroup after some bad news. It was a chance to have pleasant conversations with my tech and the salon crew, watch some HGTV, and turn my mind off for a bit while my hands were in the most capable hands. Although I do enjoy an evening nail appointment from time to time, I love that I have a set in stone block between shifts on Tuesday where I can just do me. To return back to the daily grind with a fresh fill never fails to put some pep back in my step. Especially because when I get to my next shift, it goes without saying that everyone goes gaga over the end results. This appointment was when I needed it most and for that, I am thankful. #blessed

If you are feeling low, please remember to carve out some time for your preferred form of self care. It really can help center yourself for whatever lies ahead! ❤

How do you like to improve your mood? Does your self care take place at home or somewhere like a salon or gym? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul8

June 2026 Finishes

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June 2026 Finishes

Hello everyone and WHOOPS! I totally forgot to make a post for my June beauty finishes smh so let’s throw it back to a handful of days ago and discuss now lol. In my defense, June was a crazy busy month, the craziness continued into July, and my June finishes were nothing to write home about. However, I will write about it on my blog so you know what to go for and what can be skipped on! Let’s take a ride in a time machine together and take a looksee:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Bubblegum Pop Shower Gel: NO

Glow Elixir Collagen & Peptides Serum: MAYBE

Lanoline Manuka Honey Moisturizer: NO

Bath & Body Works Country Apple Fragrance Spray: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: I absolutely adored the Bubblegum Pop shower gel when I first started using it because what’s not to like? Sudsy, foamy bubbles that smell exactly like a big piece of bubblegum – sign me up! Then, this scent started to get really old, really fast. After continued use, I couldn’t stop thinking about Pepto Bismol every time I reached for the bottle and the Bubblegum Pop fragrance became almost sickeningly sweet. It takes me a month and change of daily use to finish a B&BW shower gel and I was ecstatic once I was officially done with it. I love the idea of this shower gel and that is about it lol.

Glow Elixir Serum: I have used Glow Elixir serums before but have never tried the Collagen & Peptides formula. This is one that I would get at TJMaxx if it was my only option as it fell under my “good but not great” category. The Glow Elixir serums are thin and runny but I always felt like my skin was nourished when I used their Hyaluronic Acid formulas. The Collagen & Peptides one just felt like a whole lot of nothing. My skin did feel hydrated when using this serum but that was all it had going for it and I noticed no real difference to my skin one way or the other. It took me one month of twice daily use to finish the bottle and it’s fine in a pinch but certainly not a go to.

Lanoline Moisturizer: Applying moisturizer is my favorite part of my skin care routine. I enjoy the ritual so much and it either starts my day or wraps it up. Because of this, I hold my moisturizers to a high standard and the Manuka Honey moisturizer by Lanoline simply wasn’t it. I liked the light, airy texture which was nice during the hot weather and it had a rich creamy fragrance but that was about it. Like the Glow Elixir serum, this was a product that was just there and offered no real results. After a month of twice daily use, I was SO ready to move onto another moisturizer in my stockpile!

B&BW Fragrance Spray: At last, we arrive at the only winner of the batch – the B&BW Country Apple Fragrance Spray. As you all know, I live for apple fragrances. I just can’t get enough of that sweet, juicy scent with a tart bite and Country Apple is one of my favorites. If you know what a freshly bitten apple smells like, then you know that this scent is an amplified version of that. I enjoyed doing my spritz and walk into the Country Apple goodness for a solid five months before walking out the door to work and it always put an extra pep in my step. I will always, always buy this one again!

This was lackluster group of beauty empties, indeed, but that’s okay. Now we all know what not to get for next time and also this is my mental note to not forget a beauty post at the end of July! 😀

Have you used any of the above products before? 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

Jun29

Bath & Body Works Foaming Hand Soap Haul

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Bath & Body Works Foaming Hand Soap Haul

Hi! You recently saw my Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale haul and it was a mighty fine one, indeed. I don’t know how much better it gets than nineteen products for sixty something bucks! Score! B&BW products are a staple at chez moi and it was so nice to restock all of our smell good supplies for a song by simply clicking “confirm order”. While I love my shower gels, lotions, and wall plugins, my favorite product of all time from B&BW are their foaming hand soaps. My bathroom simply wouldn’t be the same without them lol. I did purchase more of my must have soap in May but I couldn’t resist adding a few more to my cart during my Semi Annual Sale shopping. Check it out and let’s discuss these scents further:

Cotton Candy Grape: Grape scents can be hit or miss but I decided to go for Cotton Candy Grape anyways because the cotton candy aspect intrigued me. This scent was either going to be good or bad and, unfortunately, it is a no from me. Cotton Candy Grape features notes of “juicy grapes, fluffy cotton candy, and sugared citrus”. Individually, this all sounds great. Together, however, created a fragrance that smells straight up medicinal. In fact, I think it smells just like children’s cough medicine. This is definitely a fragrance line that you can skip on!

Gingham Gorgeous: I am a Gingham girl through and through and my haul included a body cream of the OG Gingham and a shower gel of Gingham Love. I snagged Gingham Gorgeous as a foaming hand soap just because and I wish I didn’t because this is, without a doubt, my least favorite from the Gingham line. Gingham Gorgeous offers notes of “pink strawberries, peach nectar, and peony blooms”. I can vaguely smell a hint of peach but, make no mistake, this is a floral scent through and through and I am so not a floral fan. So far we are striking out with these sniff tests but that’s the hazard of online shopping for fragrances so what can ya do lol.

Cucumber Melon: Thank goodness for Cucumber Melon because I knew I was going to like this one! The B&BW classic Cucumber Melon is just the best with notes of “crisp cucumber, watery honeydew, and juicy cantaloupe”. I actually hate honeydew and cantaloupe but I can’t get enough of this nostalgic scent! Cucumber Melon is summery, fresh, and brings me back to my early teens when I had a fragrance spray of this scent. It smells exactly as I remember it which is a true testament to if it’s not broken, don’t fix it!

Churro Cinnamon Bun: Mmmmmmm! “Fresh baked churros, cinnamon sugar, and a drizzle of icing”, this scent smells just as delicious as the scent description promises. Churro Cinnamon Bun is exactly what you think it is – a whiff of fresh baked, piping hot cinnamon rolls and it really smells good enough to eat. It is early morning as I write this and it seriously made me hungry when I did the sniff test lol. I would happily buy this one again and happily take a break to eat some breakfast soon. 😀

This haul was half duds and half winners but at least I know what not to get next time and so do you!

Did you shop the B&BW Semi Annual Sale? How many products did you get? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun27

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

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Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Hi! In early June I am always on the lookout for mail from Bath & Body Works to alert me to the Semi Annual Sale start date. I mark the date on the calendar as soon as it arrives and count down the days until I can shop till I drop! The B&BW Semi Annual Sale is just the best and I love stocking up on products for myself and Johnny for a fraction of the price. You simply can’t beat getting an eighteen dollar shower gel for three bucks and it’s so fun to spoil myself with old favorites and new to me scents. I scored nineteen products in this haul for about sixty-five dollars and I think we will be pretty well set on smell goods for a while! Check it out:

Did I go a little product crazy? Maybe! But, honestly, no I didn’t lol. This is me fully and completely justifying this purchase because it’s just too good of a deal to pass up. And it’s not like these products are sitting on a shelf to never be used – B&BW smell goods are used daily and constantly at my apartment. Why not get them for dirt cheap?! And, before anyone asks, the answer is: YES. I am, in fact, already looking forward to the winter Semi Annual Sale. Lol, what can I say? It’s my time to shine!

Stay tuned for a review on the hand soaps as they are all new to me scents. Today, let’s take a closer look at the shower gels so we can talk about my favorite discontinued scent of all…PEARBERRY!!!! 😀

After Dark: A little something for the fellas! After Dark features fragrance notes of “spiced bergamot, amber, and smooth tonka”.
All of this is a fancy way to say that it smells like Old Spice! This scent basically smells like every scent ever made in men’s products and I’m not saying it’s not nice. After Dark actually smells really good! However, if you don’t want to pay sixteen dollars for a bottle of this shower gel, Old Spice is definitely the way to go. I wouldn’t buy this shower gel at full price which is why I got it for three bucks instead. 🙂

Gingham Love: The OG Gingham is one of my all time favorite B&BW scents and I always have the fragrance in some form at chez moi. Gingham Love comes in a very close second, though! This scent provides the breezy, freshly laundered crispness of Gingham that I love with a very berry twist. Gingham Love offers notes of “sugared red berries, blushing freesia, and rose meringue” and it is heavenly. With one whiff I am in raspberry heaven and I was so happy to score this shower gel on the cheap!

Pearberry: It wouldn’t be a Semi Annual Sale without Pearberry and I wish that B&BW would come to their senses and just bring it back for good. Until then, I have to stock up when I get the chance! This blast of throwback nostalgia has a ton of different notes like “anjou pear, wild berries, apple blossom, golden freesia, and blonde woods”. All of this is meaningless lol. Have you ever smelled a pear? Have you ever smelled berries? That is Pearberry in a nutshell! Juicy and soft pear, tart raspberries, and a hint of strawberry, this is a fruit salad scent to the T and it is absolutely delicious. I love it SO. Damn. Much!!!!! ❤

Stick around for the last of the reviews from this haul and a concert OOTD coming soon!

Which stores offer the best deals? Did you shop the B&BW Semi Annual Sale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun26

Supergoop! Triple Prep Moisturizer Review

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Supergoop! Triple Prep Moisturizer Review

Howdy! I finished up one of the best moisturizers I have ever used in May and was sad to see it go but eager to try something new. As I browsed through my skin care stash, I decided to go for the jar of Supergoop! Triple Prep Moisturizer as it has SPF 40 to help protect my skin from the summer sun. The Supergoop! brand is brand new to me and, honestly, I think I got it from TJMaxx more for the name than anything else lol. While the brand name is an absolute hoot, the moisturizer leaves a lot to be desired. So much so, that I even considered not using it altogether. However, you all know that I refuse to not finish a product I started so here I am venting in this lackluster review:

In theory, the Triple Prep moisturizer should be exactly what I like: A light product for normal skin types with the added bonus of SPF. In practice, this moisturizer is just not it and I’m not sure if the problem is the product itself or the combination of skin care that I’m using. My skin care routine is tried and true: Cleanse, tone with micellar water, serum, eye cream, moisturizer. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. Every morning and night, the last step of the routine with moisturizer comes to a grinding halt because when I apply and blend with the Supergoop! it turns gritty. Like I can literally feel it flaking off as I rub it in and that can’t be normal! Interestingly, this moisturizer has gotten stellar reviews but there are a handful of people who share the same sentiment as me so we must be part of the unlucky few.

Not only does this moisturizer not apply or blend well but it also clogged my pores like a mother and that never happens. For the first five or so days of use, my skin had a lot of unsightly bumps that almost looked like whiteheads and I just had to let it run its course. Now, I use barely a dime size amount which seems to have solved the clogged pores problem but it still peels during application. I just can’t win with this moisturizer! The Supergoop! Triple Prep is going for close to fifty dollars on Ulta and I am SO glad I got it for a TJMaxx price because I would be livid if I spent that much on a dud. Use at your own discretion!

For all of the excellent reviews of the Supergoop! Triple Prep Moisturizer, I am one of the naysayers. Just be warned that you really don’t know what you’re going to get if you give this product a try!

Have you used the Supergoop! brand before? Did you enjoy their products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun24

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Hi! I had an absolutely fabulous day this past Friday! I spent my morning and afternoon getting my hair right at the Shear Shop by my amazing stylist, Anna, and then went to Blossom Music Center in the evening to see The Strokes. I have wanted to see them live for forever and it was the most wonderful post birthaversary treat. Further amplified by the fact that I simply cannot get over my new hair and was the textbook definition of “feeling myself”! Our inspo for this look was 1970s with a modern twist and, as always, Anna delivered with this hair magic:

Pulp Riot Colors Used:

Top: Shag Rug

Bottom Left: Velvet

Bottom Right: Pyro

The last picture is their instant toner in Golden Shimmer!

The process for getting my hair done doesn’t start when I’m in Anna’s chair. It starts at my last appointment when we discuss what we want to do next! The last time I got my hair done, we experimented with the orangey copper Shag Rug and I was in love with its retro vibes and knew I wanted to see more of that. Then, a week or so later the Calico hair trend came in hot and I was very intrigued by it but didn’t want to work with primarily natural colors. I sent a few pics to Anna and we decided to do Calico our way with deep purple, orange, and gold streaks.

To prepare my hair, I spent the week before my appointment washing as much of my old colors out as I could to speed up the bleaching process. By the time Friday rolled around, my hair was a swampy hodge podge of yuck and I couldn’t wait for Anna to strip it clean and start fresh! We began the day with bleach and let that sit for about twenty minutes with heat and five minutes without. Once the timer rang, my hair was ready to be washed and a perfect canvas of light blonde hair was achieved for the fun part: Painting on the colors!

After my hair was dried, Anna began mixing our pseudo Calico palette of Shag Rug, Velvet, and Pyro. She expertly placed the groovy hues in chunky highlight style strips while also leaving some areas blank. The instant toner in Golden Shimmer was only to be applied for the last fifteen minutes of processing. We had never used the Pulp Riot toners and were curious to see what would happen. It didn’t work exactly how we wanted it to but that was okay because it turned out even better! All that was left to do was play Pokopia while the timer counted down, wash the Sweet/Tart scented dye out, and check out the grand reveal.

When my hair was washed we were surprised to see no gold at all but peachy pink strips compliments of the toner. It was like Pulp Riot knew that I wanted a non-natural Calico palette and Anna and I were so not mad about it because all of the colors together were everything! That deep but vibrant purple, copper, and fairy tale pink with the slightest hint of gold screamed of decade’s past while skyrocketing into 2026. The retro hues were further enhanced by the coolest shag cut that I have been growing my hair out for. This was such an amazing makeover and, I know I say this every time, but I really do think it might be one of my favorite hair transformations yet!

Stay tuned for a brand new OOTD showing off my new hair as well as a concert review coming soon!

How often do you get your hair done? How long has your stylist been doing your hair? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah