Category Archives: Beauty

Jun24

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

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Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Hello! The Bath & Body Works semi annual sale is like a siren call and, whether I need new bath and body care goodies or not, I always end up doing a little shopping. This past weekend, I met my friend Danielle at Summit Mall for an outing and I showed up early enough to run into B&BW beforehand to make some purchases. I got eleven items for under thirty bucks with a total savings of one hundred and two dollars. Talk about a steal! Check it out:

The Haul:

  • 2 Champagne Apple & Honey shower gels
  • 2 Pearberry shower gels
  • 2 Pretty As A Peach shower gels
  • 1 Raspberry Tangerine body spray
  • 1 Pretty As A Peach body spray
  • 1 Market Peach hand soap
  • 1 Boardwalk Vanilla Cone hand soap
  • 1 travel size Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel (Free!)

I know what you all are thinking… Sarah, did you really need all of the above? And my answer is YES, yes, a thousand times yes! When it comes to my beauty stock pile, my motto is the more the merrier and why not buy products that I know I am going to use at a fraction of the cost? I exclusively use the shower gel, hand soap, and body spray from B&BW and if I can get a great deal on it, I am going to stock up.

Not only is my bath and body care hoard good for me, it’s especially beneficial during gift giving occasions as well. If I feel like whatever I am gifting needs a little something extra, I am happy to add in a goodie or two from Bath & Body Works to sweeten the pot. After this haul, I am thinking that I will be good for bath and body care products for close to a year…

The only reason I didn’t buy more? I knew the bags were going to be so heavy while shopping with Danielle that I restrained myself and I’m glad I did. Toting around the purchases above for over two hours was a work out!!

Which store has the best sales? What do you have in your beauty stock pile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jun22

Face Mask Festivities Follow Up: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities Follow Up: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

Howdy! When it comes to bath and body care as well as skin care too, I always find myself partial to products from The Body Shop. In my youth, we always had goodies from TBS handy like their bath beads, bar soap, and shower gel. Then, in my teenage years, my mom took me there for one of my very first skin care and makeup hauls.

The Body Shop always hits right in the nostalgia for me and for good reason! So you could imagine how disappointing it was when all of their storefronts in my area closed several years ago. TJMaxx definitely saved the day when they started carrying TBS products in their beauty department and my mom and I were ecstatic to get our favorite lotions and skin care for a fraction of the cost.

A few months ago, my mom surprised me with The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing mask which she found at TJMaxx. It had been a long while since I tested out a new face mask and if you read my original review, you will remember that I felt the mask left a lot to be desired.

While I always enjoy using a new face mask, good or bad, I did find myself a bit disappointed with the Pollution Clearing mask. Yes, my skin felt slightly softer and looked a tad brighter but that was about it and I was very surprised to see so many five star reviews for it on Google. The reviews made me feel like I was missing something and I also refused to believe that The Body Shop could have made such a dud (For a lack of a better word!) of a mask. So, I began using it bi-weekly for about a month and, I have to say, I still don’t get it lol.

There is no denying that using this mask is a pleasurable experience, however, I still don’t see or feel any groundbreaking results after regular usage. Then again, what’s my one negative review among a sea of five star ones?! I still stand by my lackluster opinions but learned from reading user reviews that this mask proves to be highly effective for acne prone skin. My skin type has always been normal so it makes sense that I might not have seen such obvious improvements but it still would have been nice!

Acne prone skin or not, I still wouldn’t recommend paying the full twenty-eight dollar price tag for this mask. But, it is worth a try if you find it at a discount store like TJMaxx. I’m happy that I continued to try this face mask despite little to no results and plan on finishing my jar of it. But I think I will stick to my Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow mask from The Body Shop from now on.

Which products have you been unimpressed with recently? What is your favorite product from The Body Shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun18

Amazon Skin Care Haul

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Amazon Skin Care Haul

Hi! Throughout the pandemic, you just couldn’t beat the convenience of ordering off of Amazon and I know that firsthand lol. I didn’t go on any non grocery related shopping trips for over a year, which meant no more monthly outings to TJMaxx for a restock of my skin care necessities. Rather, I turned to Amazon whenever I needed more supplies.

A few weeks ago, I had one last big Amazon Skin Care Haul and am looking forward to bringing my monthly TJMaxx visits back in full swing. My birthday gift cards are burning a hole in my pocket! The following purchases have become staples in my skin care routine during the pandemic and I still plan on keeping a few of each handy in the hoard. It will definitely be fun to experiment with different skin care products and brands again, though! 

I have always been partial to gel moisturizers and I love the way my skin looks and feels from using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost and Garnier Moisture Rescue gels. My favorite thing about these moisturizers is how light they apply and quickly they absorb. They make my face look bright and alert while still feeling highly moisturized without any heaviness. Gel moisturizers are also perfect for the hot summer weather!

Another product that I got privy to during the pandemic is the Vitamin C serum by Eclat. It is, hands down, one of the best serums I have ever used in my life and it only costs seven dollars per bottle. It doesn’t get much better than that! After just one use, I thought my skin looked radiant and I still feel that way after several months of using it exclusively. As you can recall from my Azure Lux obsession, once I find a serum I like then I stick with it and I plan on continuing to use the Eclat Vitamin C serum for a long while.

Finally, I needed a few more cleansers in my stock pile and decided to go with a Destiny Boutique charcoal bar and a two pack of Clean & Clear cleansers. I thought the multi pack was a complete steal at just seven dollars! The Clean & Clear cleansers have always been a fan favorite of mine and I love how invigorating they feel during my morning shower. They also last such a long time for their price and it takes me several months to finish one container.

The charcoal bar by Destiny Boutique is another old faithful in my skin care routine and once I am done using a cleanser, I’ll wash my face with a charcoal bar too. It provides the ultimate deep clean and no product has been more effective in keeping blackheads at bay. The Destiny Boutique charcoal bar is the first one that I have ever tried and while I do enjoy trying different ones out, none of them seem to compare to Destiny Boutique’s.

There are few things more satisfying to me than a fully stocked beauty hoard and I am so pleased with all of my purchases. Each product was a quarantine staple and I think my skin has never looked better after the long term use of all of them!

What are your skin care staples? Where do you like to shop skin care at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun15

Wedding Makeup

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Wedding Makeup

Hi!! I have never gotten my makeup done professionally before so that was a huge treat for my wedding. I went to Carol Martin Salon and my makeup artist knocked it out of the park for both my test run and wedding MOTD. Take a look at some never before seen pics from my test run, wedding makeup, and after party celebrations and let’s discuss further:

While I enjoy wearing makeup, I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily “good” at applying it and pretty much wear the same look every day. My sister loves to razz on me for it but if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it lol! Because I’m not very familiar with makeup, I left a lot of my wedding MOTD up to my makeup artist with a few vague instructions of “champagne eyes” and “Bratz doll lips”. The end result was exactly what I had pictured in my head but didn’t quite know how to vocalize and I left Carol Martin Salon on my test run and wedding day feeling like a billion bucks.

I am very excited to return to the salon for our October reception and I even feel inspired to purchase new makeup for myself so I can experiment more. I don’t think I ever realized just how fun makeup can be until having an expert beat my face and I definitely feel a trip to Sephora happening in my future!

Do you have a must have makeup? What is your preferred way of learning new makeup techniques? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun12

Wedding Hair

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Wedding Hair

Hello! One of my favorite parts of my pre-wedding prep was getting my hair done both the day before and the day of my wedding by my stylist and friend of over nineteen years, Anna. No one but Anna is allowed to touch my hair and I had been looking forward to her working her magic for my wedding since Johnny and I got engaged. The day before my wedding, I spent the entire afternoon at the salon getting my hair dyed and hanging out with Anna which was so fun and very special to me. The morning of my wedding, I returned to the Shear Shop for an end result of:

To achieve my wedding do, Anna bleached and redyed my convertible hair with Pulp Riot’s red in Fireball and bubblegum pink in Blush. The first time we tried this combination on my hair, we both agreed that we would like the pink more if it were lighter. To remedy this problem, Anna dyed my roots in Blush and pulled a ballet slipper pink through the rest to lighten and add dimension with different shades. Her solution was a great success and everyone in the salon was in love with the color too!

Not only did Anna do my color the day before my wedding but she also began knotting gold tinsel in my locks for some sparkle on my wedding day. While fairy hair is adorable, it is a time consuming task and I am so glad we didn’t leave knotting a majority of it in until the following day. Anna was able to see me first thing in the morning the day of my wedding and it was nice to not feel rushed in any way because so much groundwork was laid the day before.

The gold tinsel offers sweet flashes of bling in my wedding do but the real piece de resistance were the hair charms that Anna incorporated into my braid. When we began talking wedding hair, it went without saying that it had to be unique. I also let her know that I definitely wanted some type of braiding. With that, Anna suggested that I purchase some “hair hardware” on Amazon to further embellish my look.

On my wedding day, Anna came prepared with needle nose pliers to help pull the hardware rings apart and put them back together again. Once the rings were hooked into the braid, she simply pushed them back together and they were locked securely in place. The final result is something I have never seen before and I felt like royalty.

Finally, Anna created a bump in the back of my hair which would make a home for my veil to be locked into. My veil was purchased for a whole twenty dollars on Etsy and feels like something out of a dark fairy tale. Prior to securing my veil, Anna ingeniously removed any wrinkles from it with a blow drier! 

The look that Anna achieved for my wedding was everything that I wanted and so much more. I asked for something unique and she gave me a do that I didn’t even know could exist. Anna is such a gifted artist and I feel so lucky to have had her keeping my hair beautiful for almost two decades. Her friendship is the most beautiful gift of all and the time spent together in the salon for my wedding will forever be cherished.

What color is your hair? What is the craziest color you have ever dyed your hair? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

Jun9

Happy Wedding To Us!

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Happy Wedding To Us!

Hello!!! My wedding weekend was absolutely amazing and I am so thankful to my family and friends for making it so special. Something that I really enjoyed were my trips to the Shear Shop the day before and of my wedding to get my hair looking right by my wonderful stylist, Anna. It was SO nice to spend an entire afternoon hanging out with her while she redid my color and to have her work her magic for my wedding day.

Anna has been doing my hair for nineteen years and is such a dear friend to me. In fact, as soon as I leave the salon I am already itching to go back! She is truly a master of her craft and I wouldn’t want anyone but her doing my hair for my big day. Being in Anna’s company was the most beautiful gift of all but I am completely in love with her wedding gift to me and Johnny. Check it out:

^^^ How cool is that?!

Johnny and I are your basic mid twenties and thirty something emo couple and Anna’s gift speaks to us on a spiritual level. We live for all black everything, the dark, and slightly macabre so our skeleton trinket box was perfect for us. She really does know me so well! I plan on putting the hair charms that she used for my wedding do in it first and foremost. ❤

Tune in tomorrow for more on my wedding!!

Do you have a trinket box? What do you keep in it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun8

Wedding Nails

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Wedding Nails

Hello! Including the day of my Friday wedding, I took two additional days off to get pampered before my big day and it was fabulous, darling! On Wednesday, my favorite nail tech at Elysian Nails came in just for me to do my full set and pedicure and it was a wonderful afternoon of girl talk and relaxation. This was also the third pedicure I have ever gotten in my life so that was such a treat. My last pedi was five years ago when I graduated college and I chose red on my toes then and now. Red on my acrylics was a must too, of course! Check it out:

Elysian Nails is always posting pictures of all of the employees’ amazing nail creations on their Facebook page and that is where I got the inspiration for my wedding nails. A picture was posted of a deep burgundy acrylic set with white rhinestones lining the cuticle and I loved that it offered a little bling without being too much or distracting. As you can see, I went with a brighter red and black rhinestones for my interpretation and I am obsessed with the end result. I also really like how the bling looks more like studs, giving an edgy and industrial vibe.

Not only did I enjoy my first pedicure in half a decade at the salon but I also opted for gel nails for the second time in my life. My nail tech recommended gel polish to help the rhinestones hold better and she knows best so I went for it and I fear she might have created a monster! It was awesome to have the polish dry so quickly and my nails still look as shiny as they did the day I got them done. I have heard from countless people that once you go gel you never go back to regular polish and I can definitely see why!

My visit to Elysian Nails was the perfect way to kick start my wedding weekend and I am very thankful to my tech for taking time out of her day off to get my nails looking right. I can’t wait for my next fill so I can share all of the details of my wedding with my friends at the salon. ❤

Do you prefer manis or pedis? 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

May31

May 2021 Finishes

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May 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy last day of May! Normally, I am a huge fan of the month of May but this year, it couldn’t end soon enough. Not only are both mine and Johnny’s birthdays in June but our wedding is too! We are so incredibly excited and I can’t wait to share our joy with all of you. Before we say farewell to May, let’s discuss my beauty finishes for the month:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Neutrogena/Garnier Moisturizers: I love a good gel moisturizer, especially in the summertime and plan on using both the Neutrogena and Garnier moisturizers all season long. While I am more partial to the Neutrogena Hydro Boost, you just can’t beat the low price of the Garnier and it is a wonderful less expensive alternative. The Hydro Boost moisturizer is fourteen dollars on Amazon and the Moisture Rescue is around seven. To help cut the cost, I alternate between the two and think that my skin looks much brighter, clearer, and supple because of it.

Eclat Serum: The novelty of the Eclat Vitamin C serum still hasn’t worn off on me yet and I love the way my skin looks and feels after each use. I highly recommend this product and if you purchase it for yourself, I would also highly recommend buying more than one bottle. Despite the excellent quality and unbeatable price (Seven dollars!) one bottle alone will not get you through an entire month if you are using it twice daily. I find that I need at least a bottle and a half to last me for a whole month.

SkinLab Eye Gel: SkinLab products were my go to for the longest time because I could get them on the way cheap at TJMaxx. I would pay about eight dollars for the moisturizers and eye creams or gels. However, during the pandemic, I only shopped online and was shocked to see that the SkinLab products were over double what I paid at TJMaxx on Amazon.

I opted for different moisturizers but still would shell out for the Lift & Firm eye gel since one jar lasts me about three months. After a few repurchases of the eye gel on Amazon, I just couldn’t justify the twenty dollar price tag on it any longer. Once I finish the eye cream that I am using from The Body Shop, I will be testing out a seven dollar one by Elf and have my fingers crossed that it will work well!

There! Now we can officially bid adieu to May. 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What are some of your beauty staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May14

Bath & Body Works May Freebie

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Bath & Body Works May Freebie

Hi! Since being fully vaccinated, I have been more willing to run small errands and am, finally, able to start utilizing the Bath & Body Works freebie coupons that I get in the mail. This month’s coupons were especially good as I got to pick out a free full size bath and body care item and you know Lil Red always likes to add to her beauty hoard! The coupon would work for any product priced $14.50 or lower and I went with a shower gel in one of my favorite scents, Gingham. Check it out:

This past weekend, Johnny and I hung out with a friend in Kent and drove right by a B&BW on the way so I ran in to get my freebie. I actually chose a travel size shower gel in Gingham last month for my free item and it smells so good that I just had to get it as my full size gift too. I have been obsessed with this scent since Johnny’s mom gifted me with a shower gel of it last Christmas and it is one of my sister’s faves as well.

While Gingham has notes of peach, clementine, and freesia I think it smells just like clean laundry and crisp springtime air. It is so fresh and light and when I smell it, I immediately picture a full clothing line drying and swaying gently in the breeze. Gingham is the perfect fragrance for spring and summer and it has such a specific, lovely scent without being overpowering in any way. Highly recommend for yourself or as a gift because it is sure to please!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Which store has the best coupons and promotions? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! It has been a while since I tried out a new face mask and I feel like I haven’t written a review for one in forever. For a hot minute, I was trying out at least one new sheet mask per week but I fell out of it so I was very excited when my mom surprised me with a face mask from The Body Shop when she was doing some shopping at TJMaxx. It is always such fun for me to try out a new product and, although the Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask left a lot to be desired, I still felt so pampered afterwards all the same. Let’s discuss:

Because there is no Body Shop in my area, I have fallen behind on all of their product lines and didn’t even know their Japanese Matcha Tea line existed. Other than a few random online orders, I pretty much exclusively will get TBS products at TJMaxx and I love when I am able to find their skin and bath and body care for a fraction of the price. My mom was so sweet to get the Pollution Clearing Mask for me and, as always, she is the queen of Sweet Surprises!

Over this past weekend, I tried out my new face mask and my first impression of it when I opened the jar was that it looked like mint chocolate chip ice cream, lol. It also smelled just like a fresh cup of green tea, which was really nice. The mask had a creamy texture, which made its application super easy and I left it on for ten minutes, as recommended.

When using a new face mask, I never expect too much in terms of the results so that I am never disappointed. While I did notice that my skin looked a bit brighter and felt slightly smoother, I was not blown away after washing the mask off. Had this been an actual TBS purchase, this would have been a bigger blow because their face masks are not cheap and I would never recommend paying full price for it. However, if you happen to see it at a discount store like TJs, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

Despite not seeing groundbreaking results, there is something to be said about the wonderful quality of The Body Shop’s products and I did enjoy using the Japanese Matcha Tea mask. I also loved being able to break out my Ralph Lauren robe from my brother and his family for the ultimate spa experience. The Pollution Clearing mask was mild enough that you can use it fairly often throughout the week, which is what I plan on doing, and I will be looking forward to more pampering in my future!

What is your favorite line from The Body Shop? Where do you get the best deals on skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah