Category Archives: Beauty

Apr13

New Lemon Lime Nails

Posted on April 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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

Mar17

Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! While I was sick AF, I found myself growing rather fond of sheet masks. Surprising, I know, because I don’t really like them or find them to be effective. However, what I did like was the ritual of it. That twenty or so minutes of just sitting and being while the mask sat was relaxing, even if I was constantly adjusting the mask! Returning back to work this past week after being sick for a week was absolutely exhausting and I was hitting a slump by the time Wednesday rolled around. What I really wanted was to go back to watching TV at noon, but that’s (sadly) not in the cards for me until I retire lol. So, I decided to do a sheet mask instead. Check it out:

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my schedule allows for a brief break in the afternoon between shifts and I thought that was the perfect time to do a little pampering. Thursday morning, I selected the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask by GlamUp to bring with me to work. Then, I put it on at my mom and dad’s, which is where I go on my break. Let’s just say that they were completely floored by my beauty as I sat at their kitchen table for twenty minutes with my mask on. Lol, I kid you not my dad literally shuddered when he looked at me!!

I chose the Japanese Sake mask for no particular reason other than that it was said to be “revitalizing” and to “enhance radiance”. I definitely needed a bit of that! As I let the mask sit, I tried to take myself back to sitting on the couch at my apartment, watching TV, and snuggled in my blankets – the pinnacle of relaxation. It was actually pretty nice to take that time to close my eyes, rest, and focus on my happy place. The only thing that was missing was an episode of Euphoria. 😀

After the twenty minutes were up I was, for once, impressed with the results. Before I used the mask, I looked as tired as I physically felt. My skin was dull as dishwater and I couldn’t believe that this mask helped me get my glow back. It was seriously a night and day difference and even though I wasn’t well rested in the slightest, I looked it! I also found that my skin was soft and smooth to the touch. This little pampering break really helped perk me up and I felt ready to take on the rest of my day afterwards.

I am going to rate the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask with a six out of ten stars. This was, easily, the best GlamUp mask I have used and I think I found my new favorite way to spend a quick break during the work week!

How do you spend your breaks at work? How do you give your skin a radiance boost? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar14

New Hot Pink & Magenta Nails

Posted on March 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I was sick AF, I had to cancel my appointment for a fill at Elysian Nails and it made me so very sad. Getting my nails done always perks me up and I really needed it because my nails were looking as awful as I felt! Thankfully, the owner of Elysian was able to get me in first thing on Monday morning to get me right and my nails are finally back to their former glory. It felt so good to get pampered after a long week of feeling like ass and I am loving how my nails turned out:

Prior to my go to girl leaving the salon, I would never dream about using anybody else for my nails. However, now that she is employed elsewhere, I alternate between a few different techs. This is fine by me because everyone at Elysian is excellent and I have never had a bad experience with any of them. Back in January, a new to me tech did my nails and she did an absolutely amazing job so I was excited to be back in her chair on Monday. I also couldn’t wait for the bright, poppy palette of hot pink and magenta I picked out to adorn my nails. I needed something fun and zippy after a long, gloomy week of being sick!

Because I couldn’t get in for my regularly scheduled time, my nails were in a worse way than usual when I go for an appointment. They were extremely grown out and the middle finger on my right hand was lifted badly. My tech blew my mind because instead of putting a new tip on the nail, she free painted it with acrylic and I can’t even tell the difference. Prior to my appointment, my nails felt very weak and she fortified them expertly. My acrylics feel so strong now and the length, shape, and color are perfect too. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think I might have a new go to tech. 😀

This was one of the best fills I have gotten at Elysian Nails because it was so desperately needed. My tech was able to turn my busted nails into something beautiful again and I can’t stop looking at them!!

Do you have a go to hair stylist or nail tech? How long have you been their client for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar11

Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Peppermint Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Peppermint Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello! I spent literally all of last week being sick AF and while it was annoying, I would be a liar if I said it wasn’t kind of nice lol. For one glorious week, I got to sleep in however late I wanted, spend lots of time with my darling bunnies, and binge on Demon Slayer and Euphoria. Thursday was my last day at home before I had to work a must do shift on Friday and I decided to do a face mask in the afternoon for an extra dose of relaxation. I haven’t been too fond of the GlamUp sheet masks that I have a set of, but the last one I used wasn’t too bad so I was kind of looking forward to giving them another shot. Sadly, the Refreshing Peppermint missed the mark. Let’s discuss:

^^^ I’m sexy!!!!!

The last few days of being sick left me with cold symptoms and I was a snotty, congested mess. I chose the peppermint sheet mask because I thought it would help perk me up and I didn’t have peppermint tea to sip lol. Surprisingly, this mask fit way better than the other GlamUp ones I have used before and it made for a much more pleasant experience. I was able to hunker down with my show for twenty minutes comfortably and it was awesome to not constantly be readjusting the mask. I was definitely ready to take it off, though!

After the mask was off, I noticed a slight tingling in my skin and was able to smell the peppermint serum through my clogged up nose. My skin felt cool and *slightly* refreshed, but nothing to write home about. Although I never expect too much out of these masks, I admit that I was a little disappointed! This was the first time I have used a sheet mask that wasn’t a total hindrance in so long and I wanted more from it. The sensation from the peppermint mask was short lived and I wouldn’t use it again. Whomp whomppp.

I am going to rate this mask with a two out of ten stars. The fit was great and the scent was nice, but it did nothing for me besides that!

What is one of your favorite scents? What soothes you when you’re under the weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar4

Bath & Body Works March Freebie

Posted on March 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! After going absolutely insane during Bath & Body Works’ winter Semi-Annual Sale, I have been receiving hella coupons in the mail and it is great. Each packet has contained a free travel size or full size product coupon and even though my shelves are fully stocked, free is free! 😀 This past Thursday, I had a quick minute to run into the store and used my coupon to get a free travel size shower gel in B&BW’s new scent, Tropidelic. I never would have picked it for myself so I was glad that the sales associate pointed it out! Let’s discuss:

Whenever I stop into B&BW during the work week, I am going at high speed because it’s in between shifts. I am a woman on a mission and I have been told as such the past two times I walked into the store lol. As per ushe, I bee lined to the travel size section to pick whatever tickled my fancy. I am never too picky when it comes to the smaller size because it’s nice to try something new without having to use it for forever.

As I was making my decision, the sales associate asked if I had tried out the new Tropidelic line, I said no, and she returned with a fragrance spray tester stick. I took one whiff and it was good enough for me. Tropidelic offers notes of “passion flower, ylang ylang, and misty rainforest”. I’ll be honest with all of you, I have no idea what any of this is supposed to smell like lol, but I liked it! This really is a lush scent that teleports you to a tropical climate. It’s slightly floral, but the main notes are quite earthy. Tropidelic is way different than what I normally go for. I can’t say I would make the plunge to buy it in full size, however, I’m happy to sample it for a while. 😀

Bath & Body Works has been dropping new fragrance lines like it’s hot so if you are looking for a new spring scent, you know where to go!!

Do you like to use one specific scent or do you change it up? Do you swap scents with the seasons? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar1

Face Mask Festivities: Clarifying Oatmeal Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Clarifying Oatmeal Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Howdy! Ninety-nine percent of the people I know absolutely despite Mondays and, honestly, I can’t relate. Mondays are actually one of my favorite days of the week when it comes to work! I have an early morning transport client, then I either head to the office of my online boss to work with him or do a video chat to get our weekly projects going. From there, the rest of the day is spent online and it is such a welcome change of pace from the Monday shift that I did have smack dab in the middle of the day.

This Monday, I was able to go home instead of going to the office and was able to get my work done quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I was done a whole two hours before Johnny was due to be home from his job. With this time, I tackled some cleaning projects and still had about an hour to kill. I thought to myself that it would be nice to use a face mask and watch some TV (My 600 Lb. Life, obvi) and that is exactly what I did:

^^^ Lol I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me first start off by saying, I hate sheet masks. I really do. I think they are so wildly inconvenient and I much prefer a classic clay mask. However, I got these GlamUp masks from someone or another who didn’t want them so I might as well use them! I went with the Clarifying Oatmeal mask and didn’t plan on it doing much of anything. This is not my first GlamUp rodeo and I have yet to be impressed with one. Although, I will admit, I was slightly impressed with my choice this time around. Hey, that’s something right?!

As always, the experience of wearing the sheet mask in itself was abysmal. Also as always, it was huge on me and the twenty minutes I had it on for were spent constantly adjusting it to keep from falling off. Clay masks relax me, sheet masks infuriate me and I could not wait to take this thing off! Once the twenty minutes were blessedly done, I was surprised by how soft my skin felt. I am writing this post way after the fact and I still feel like my skin is benefiting from it. Am I blown away by this mask? I wouldn’t go that far, but it was nice to use a GlamUp mask that actually did something lol. 😀

I am going to rate this mask with a five out of ten stars. It got an F- for experience for sure, but a solid B- for results. Not the best, certainly not the complete worst!

What kind of mask do you prefer? What is your favorite day of the week? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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