Category Archives: Beauty

Jun12

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hey! During my last TJMaxx outing, one of my main goals was to restock my skin care stock pile. I was currently on my last jar of moisturizer from my last skin care haul and the timing was perfect because I had lots of birthday gift cards to spend. Although they didn’t have any micellar water or eye creams that looked appealing, I did purchase the following:

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^^^ Clean Beauty and Pearlessence are both Leaping Bunny certified!

During my last skin care restock, I began using serums by Pearlessence and am a huge fan. They are effective, long lasting, and nice and light making it perfect for summer. I was happy to find the Dewy Glow serum, which I haven’t tried yet, and was also surprised to see so many moisturizers by Pearlessence too. I just had to give them a try and couldn’t believe the six dollar price for the huge jar of Big Sky Cloud Cream. The name, itself, sounds delightful and I can’t wait to try it out!

Now, take a look at each new product that I purchased and you will notice a theme: So. Much. Hyaluronic. Acid. About two years ago, I began researching the best skin care ingredients for late twenty somethings and the advice was almost unanimous – Products with Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid are the way to go. I haven’t strayed from these findings (Obviously!) and try to incorporate each of these ingredients in some way to my skin care routine.

It wasn’t until I was lining up these products to snap a pic that I realized it was a Hyaluronic Acid kind of day and I wasn’t mad about it! Pre pandemic, I loved visiting TJMaxx whenever I needed new skin care and it’s so nice to be able to do that again. It’s such fun for me to try out new products and I am eager to test out the moisturizers and serum from this haul!

What is your favorite skin care brand? Which ingredients work best for your skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

May31

May 2022 Finishes

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May 2022 Finishes

Hi everyone! It’s the end of May already and that means that it’s time to check out my monthly beauty finishes. While I didn’t use up too much this month, I am super happy about it because I can now finally use more products from a big TJMaxx skin care haul. There’s also nothing more satisfying to me than fully using up a product… I imagine it’s a lot like actually finishing a tube of chapstick lol! Let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Radiance Serum: Prior to purchasing a bunch of new serums during a TJMaxx haul, I was a faithful user of the Tree Of Life serums. Of course, I would still use those serums again but I was ready to try something different and I really liked the Pearlessence Radiance Perfecting serum. At about five dollars a bottle and a month and a half worth of twice daily use, it was a great value. I also think my skin benefited from it in the brightness department.

If you use this serum, just be careful because it is very thin in texture. You will have to cup your hand just so to prevent it from spilling and a little bit of it will go a long way.

Elf Eye Cream: The Holy Hydration! eye cream by Elf is another product that I have been using for quite some time now. Like the Tree Of Life serums, I would definitely use it again but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try something new and I am loving the Vital Beauty eye cream that I am currently using. That’s not to say that the Holy Hydration eye cream is a bad product because it has served me well.

The Elf eye cream is an amazing value at around ten bucks a pop and at least three months of twice daily use. It sits well under makeup and helped to decrease puffiness and under eye circles. I would never turn down a jar and still highly recommend it!

Olay Moisturizer: I really liked the Double Action moisturizer by Olay and it served as both a primer and moisturizer. I was amazed at the difference of how my makeup looked when applying it after using this product – it was so much brighter and longer lasting! This moisturizer smelled amazing, was rich and creamy in texture, and absorbed quickly. It took me a little over a month to finish one jar.

After this month of finishes, it is out with the old and in with the new products! While pulling from my stock pile, I have noticed that it is dwindling so be on the lookout for a skin care haul soon. 😀

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

May16

New Yellow & Red Violet Nails

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New Yellow & Red Violet Nails

Hello! This past Thursday, I enjoyed a much needed fill at Elysian Nails after a long and stressful week. More like a long and stressful month, actually, with mine and Johnny’s big move! During my last fill, the weather in Ohio was still crap and was cold, rainy, and snowy. The winteresque weather inspired a more muted color combo for my claws but this time around, it has been warm and sunny! Summer style colors were a must and this is what I went with:

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I am very fond of the yellow and red violet color combo and have definitely used it before. I just think it’s so pretty and perfect to welcome beautiful weather with! I can’t help but to smile every time I look at them, especially paired with my fairly new tattoos on my hands that I love oh so very much. 😀

As always, the pampering from my nail tech at Elysian was fabulous but it was also very bittersweet. She is moving on to a new job and I am incredibly thankful that I got to see her one last time before her two weeks are up. I look forward to my monthly trips to Elysian as soon as I leave the salon. Of course, my nails look gorgeous every time but I am more excited to see my nail tech and catch up on the latest in our lives. She has truly become a dear friend and we already have plans for an Indian food dinner soon. I can’t wait!

My hair stylist, tattoo artist, and nail tech are some of my favorite people in the whole world and I am so proud to wear their work. Many thanks to all of them for keeping me looking my best. We’ll see what happens with a new to me nail tech next month!

Do you have a close relationship with your stylists? What color of nail polish do you have on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Apr30

April 2022 Finishes

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April 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! The end of the month means that it’s time to take a look at all of the beauty products that I have used up and my recommendations. April was a great month for empties because I finally was able to finish some of the products that I have been using for what felt like forever! Let’s get started:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean & Clear Face Wash: I have been using the Clean & Clear Night Relaxing face wash since mid December and I am finally finished with it. I got a pack of two Clean & Clear cleansers from Amazon for about twelve dollars and that value speaks for itself. While I don’t like the Night Relaxing as much as the Morning Burst cleanser, I would still use it again. Even though it was meant for nighttime use, I would use it every morning in the shower and I loved the deep clean feeling it gave my skin.

SkinLab Face Wash: It took me about two months to finish the SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate face wash and it was pretty good. My skin felt insanely soft after each use, however, this cleanser smelled SO. Bad. For the “Would I Use Again” section I would have put “no” but, unfortunately, I still have one of these cleansers in my stock pile. Once that one is finished, it will be getting a big fat no from me for the scent alone.

Fresh Lip Mask: I got the Fresh Sugar lip mask as a freebie from Sephora and I wasn’t a fan. I love a lip mask as much as the next person but this one did nothing for me. It took me two weeks to finish the trial sized jar and in that time I hoped it would help ease my chapped lips. That definitely wasn’t the case, though, and the chapstick that I had been applying every night before bed worked much better.

Olay Moisturizer: I purchased the Olay Double Action moisturizer from TJMaxx and it was really nice! The double action means that it is both a primer and a moisturizer and my makeup looked amazing when I would apply it after the moisturizer sat. It also smelled great too – so rich and creamy. It took me about a month and a half to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Body Wash: The Honeysuckle & Aloe Soapy Pouch from Hope Soap was a gift and I wouldn’t go out of the way to purchase it for myself. It smelled divine, lathered well, and lasted for close to two months but the pouch shape was inconvenient at best. When the pouch was still full, it was so easy to accidentally squeeze more out than required which resulted in a lot of wasted product. Then, when the pouch was almost empty it was difficult to get the remainder out. Had this body wash been in a regular bottle, it would have been a totally different story!

Despite a couple of duds during this round of finishes, I am so happy to be able to use new products in their place. This makes April a GREAT SUCCESS for beauty empties!

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

Apr18

New Holographic Lavender & Cornflower Blue Nails

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New Holographic Lavender & Cornflower Blue Nails

Hello everyone!!! With insanely grown out nails and a broken one, I was in dire need of a trip to Elysian Nails to get my claws looking right. Between my upcoming move, changes in my job, and some annoyances with the nerve issues in my arms, I have been really stressed out. I was so happy to be able to find shelter from the storm at Elysian and left feeling much better than when I walked in! Check out these new beauties:

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When I was considering nail polish options for my talons, I was feeling inspired by the beautiful hyacinths in my parent’s front yard. I have always loved their fragrant scent and pretty shades of pink, blue, and white. The bouquets my dad arranges with hyacinths in them are also magnificent! I decided to go with a glittery cornflower (Or hyacinth!) blue as well as a holographic lavender.

If the lavender color looks familiar, it should! I had my nails painted this shade a couple of months ago and I didn’t even realize it until my nail tech pointed it out. I couldn’t believe that she remembered and I didn’t considering she has countless other clients every day! She is the sweetest and it was so nice to girl talk, complain, and laugh for an hour with her.

I am loving the color combination that I picked out and think that these nails are perfect for spring. These colors are a bit muted but the shimmer and glitter adds a little something extra and are stunning when they catch in the light. There’s nothing like a new hair do and some freshly filled acrylics to get your girl feeling just right again. ❤

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

PS: Be sure to tune in tomorrow for Spring Skirt Savvy OOTD bonus pictures! 🙂

Apr13

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Hello! This past Friday, I spent some much needed time at The Shear Shop getting pampered by my amazing stylist, Anna. She is the absolute best and almost six hours of hair magic and wonderful company just didn’t seem long enough. This time around, Anna used a new Pulp Riot dye called Ghostblood to help achieve my goals of red and white hair and I am obsessed with the results:

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^^^ The red is Pulp Riot’s Fireball.

As I mentioned before, this new do took a lot of time to make happen and we are SO close to perfect results that I can almost taste it. After some trial and error, Anna decided that the Icy toner by Pulp Riot wasn’t the way to go and opted for the Ghostblood dye instead and I am so glad that she did. All we need is to ice out the white just a little bit more during my next appointment and it will be exactly what I had pictured in my head.

To achieve this look, Anna bleached my hair for about forty minutes to lift the beige out. Then, after washing and drying, she meticulously brushed on the dye and placed each section in foil so the red and white wouldn’t mix. After the color sat and was washed, we saw that the roots of my hair still had a yellow tint to it so Anna applied a little more Ghostblood to solve that problem and it worked like a charm.

The first time the color was washed out, we were pleased with the results. But, the second application of Ghostblood is what really did the trick and I am always so appreciative to Anna for spending extra time so that we both leave the salon completely thrilled. We are both loving this look so much and, now that we know what must be done at my next appointment, I am already ready to go back. 😀

For almost two decades, Anna has gifted me with amazing hair and the best friendship a gal could ask for. I would not be Lil Red without her hair wizardry and I am still riding the high of how much fun we had at my last appointment! ❤

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

Apr10

Bath & Body Works April Freebie

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Bath & Body Works April Freebie

Howdy! Literally two days after I cashed in my freebie coupon in March at Bath & Body Works for a travel size shower gel, I got another freebie coupon in the mail. I’m not going to not use it so I went back again, albeit a bit awkwardly, to get another travel size of the Gingham Love body wash. It smells so good and I am obsessed!

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When I walked into B&BW the second time around, I was silently praying that the same employees who were there the last time would have the day off. Lol, don’t get me wrong, I love the Bath & Body Works products but there is nothing that I needed to buy. I don’t know if this is just my B&BW but the salespeople there are pretty intense and I can always feel their disappointment when I tell them I’m just grabbing a free item!

During my second rendezvous, I knew exactly what I needed and declined a million offers for help so I could get in and get out. As I mentioned in my last freebie post, Gingham Love is the best thing to happen to me in a while and, although I could have picked another scent, why mess with perfection? I also don’t know if it’s a seasonal or all of the time scent so it only makes sense to stock up. 😀

If you get the Bath & Body Works coupons in the mail go grab a Gingham Love shower gel today. And, do your best to not buy items you don’t need no matter how insistent the salespeople are. They’ll get you every time!!

What is your favorite B&BW scent? Do you like when salespeople help you or would you rather be left alone? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr3

Bath & Body Works March Freebie

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Bath & Body Works March Freebie

Hey! During my last trip to Bath & Body Works, I restocked my foaming hand soap supply and it was much needed. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to use my beloved soaps for the past week because I just got my hands tattooed, which you will all see later! That doesn’t mean that I can’t use their body wash, though, and I received this brand new scent as my freebie for March:

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Gingham is one of my favorite scents by B&BW and it is absolutely perfect for spring. It is as light and crisp as a spring day and it forever reminds me of going on a picnic even though I can’t say I have ever been on one. So, needless to say, when I saw Gingham Love, I flipped shit lol. I didn’t think that B&BW could improve on perfection but I was dead wrong because I fell in love with this new scent after just one whiff.

The original Gingham scent is fresh off the clothesline laundry with a bit of peach mixed in for good measure. Gingham Love takes that original fresh scent but rather than peach and clementine, pairs it with deep red berries and I am so there for it. I can almost taste the juicy raspberries as I type this and that is exactly what Gingham Love smells like, if that makes sense?

While I like to keep my hoard of travel sized freebies well stocked for add on gifts, this one is just for me and I cannot wait to use it. The day before I popped into B&BW, I just started a full size Pearberry and am so disappointed because I can’t use Gingham Love until it is done. 20/10 would recommend!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? What are your favorite B&BW products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr1

Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer Review

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Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer Review

Hello everyone! Today, we are going to be reviewing the Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer that I got during one of my winter TJMaxx Hauls. After close to two years of using the Garnier SkinActive gel moisturizer, I was ready for something new and purchased the Olay moisturizer, instead. I have a very normal skin type so I don’t need anything too fancy when it comes to moisturizers and this one really did the trick:

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I had been planning on reviewing this moisturizer as soon as I started using it but other posts got in the way. And, that’s a good thing because I was hooked after trying it out just a few times! My first impression when starting this moisturizer was its lovely pale pink color and how rich and creamy it smelled. It has a baby powdery aroma but it’s not overpowering in the slightest, which is great because that scent is normally not my cup of tea.

After my first use of the Olay moisturizer, I quickly learned that a little bit of it goes a long way. The amount pictured on my hand fully covers my face and neck and even though I have been using it morning and night for a month, I still have half a jar left. It takes a hair more effort to get this moisturizer fully absorbed and it leaves my skin feeling oh so soft afterwards.

The Double Action of the Olay moisturizer means that it is a primer too and I never really realized that primers were a good thing to use until using this moisturizer. I wait for a half hour or so to apply my makeup after my skin care routine and my makeup sits so well on top of it. The makeup that I use looks bolder and brighter and every time I have painted my face, I have been getting compliments. It also helps prevent smudging and you can’t beat that!

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^^^ My makeup had been on all day in that picture and it still looked fire. 😀

I am so pleased with the Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer and would happily use it again, so good thing I have another jar handy!

What is your favorite moisturizer? What is your skin type like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Mar31

March 2022 Finishes

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March 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy last day of March! As per ushe, we will be discussing my beauty finishes for the month and there were a lot of them. I love months like these because then I can move onto other products in my stock pile, which helps justify future skin and bath and body care hauls! Lol, let’s get started:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Hand Creams: We are not going through all of the different hand creams that I used in this post because I reviewed them all in this one. I will say that the eos Pomegranate Raspberry was definitely the best of the bunch and you can skip on the Renew and B&BW ones! The eos hand cream ruled – it smelled great and it really helped with my dry hands and the redness that comes with it.

Farmacy Night Mask: This night mask was a freebie from my last Sephora Haul and it was fine. It took me a little over a week to finish the trial sized jar and a little of it went a long way. Was it the best night mask I’ve ever used? No. Was it the worst? No. It did feel nice on my skin but I also noticed little to no difference in how it looked or felt and I wouldn’t use it again.

PTR Moisturizer: I used my Beauty Insider points during my Sephora Haul for the PeterThomasRoth Water Drench moisturizer and I wasn’t overly impressed by it. I always thought that a gel moisturizer was as light in texture as moisturizers go but this one proved me wrong. It was insanely light, applied easily, and my skin did feel water drenched as per its namesake lol.

It took me about four days of morning and nighttime use to finish the tester bottle and even though I kind of liked it, I wouldn’t seek it out again. I think that this moisturizer would be great for people who really suffer from dry skin. However, my skin type is normal and it felt like it was too much for what my skin needs.

Although there were a lot more “wouldn’t use agains” than usual for my March Finishes, I am okay with it because I was happy to use them up. In this case, I am A-okay with a fifty percent success rate!

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