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
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
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
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
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:
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
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
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
Hello! Because of a busy work schedule, it took me longer than usual to get into Elysian Nails for my monthly fill and let me tell you – I needed it! My nails were so grown out and I broke one of them at work and it was unbearable to me to have a stumpy nail for over a week. Thankfully, my go to girl, Gabby, always gets my nails looking right and I am in love with my new claws. Check it out:
I have been getting my nails done for years and Gabby is, hands down, the best nail tech I have ever been to. She works so quickly but in that time she creates masterpieces and her attention to detail is astounding. I was really impressed this time around because she didn’t even have to remove my nail that broke which is what I have always experienced before. She shaped a good as new talon out of the broken remnants of my pointer finger and free shaped the acrylic to lengthen the nail. This was so awesome to me because I absolutely hate getting acrylics removed and this was a pain free and crazy quick alternative.
As per ushe, my nails turned out flawlessly and I am completely obsessed with my color combination this time around. I really wasn’t sure what I wanted for this fill as I have been more focused on what my nails for my wedding will be like – especially because I’ll be getting them done at my next appointment! I normally have a pretty good idea of the colors I would like to have before I go to the salon so I approached the polish wall hoping that a shade would jump out at me. And that’s exactly what happened!
The first bottle of polish that I saw was the sparkling raspberry red and I fell in love with it instantly. The hue made me think of a freshly opened can of Diet Coke (My fave!) even though the cans are silver! I decided a cherry cola theme was the way to go and settled on a pinky mauve shade which worked perfectly because of its brown undertones. The end result was even better than what I had in mind and I can definitely picture myself getting this combination again.
Saying I look forward to my monthly fills is the understatement of the century and I left the salon feeling like a million bucks and then some. I simply cannot wait for my appointment for my wedding nails to get here and know that I will be in the best hands at Elysian Nails! ❤
What do you call pop in your neck of the woods? What were your nails for your wedding like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi everyone! April is drawing to a close and it’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. There isn’t too much to talk about because a lot of my empties for the month you have all seen and heard before. However, I’m super happy because I finally finished the rest of the Azure Lux serums that I had in my stockpile so I can move on to exclusively using the Eclat Vitamin C serum for the foreseeable future. It’s about time! Now, let’s get to it:
B&BW Lotion: I have a love/hate relationship with lotion and I’m either really good about using it or don’t want to use it at all! This past winter, however, I began applying lotion every night before bed and have stuck with this routine since. I definitely notice a difference in the softness of my skin and I even think my tattoos look better and brighter than usual from being moisturized daily. My new routine also gives me the opportunity to use up the endless supply of Bath & Body Works lotion and body butter from The Body Shop!
It took me a solid two months of daily use to finish the Pink Prosecco body cream from B&BW. While I enjoyed using it, I must warn all of you that it smells a tad boozy and by a tad I mean a lot lol. You can certainly pick out the scents of the different fruits like nectarine and pomegranate but the base of sparkling pink prosecco is there in abundance. If I was a daytime lotion wearer, I would say no to this lotion because I wouldn’t want to smell like alcohol during the work day but I will say yes to night time use!
Neutrogena Moisturizer: I freaking love the Hydro Boost moisturizer by Neutrogena and I consider it well worth the fourteen dollar price tag. I have reviewed this product before in previous posts but I just wanted to share with all of you that Johnny loves it too! His forehead gets pretty dry so I apply the moisturizer for him as needed and you can tell a huge difference in just one day. Skin care for men is just as important as it is for the ladies and I plan on creating a skin care routine for Johnny during my next online shopping sesh.
Azure Lux Serums: I have been using the Azure Lux Sparkling Oil serums almost exclusively for the past two years and change and I honestly think my skin is immune to any benefits of it as this point. That’s not to say that the serums weren’t effective and I remember first using the Rose Gold one and noticing a big difference in my skin. However, after seeing immediate results with the Eclat Vitamin C serum, I knew it was time for a change. I think that the Azure Lux serums are fabulous for people in their younger twenties and would still recommend them. As for me, at almost twenty-seven, I just outgrew it!
Although I won’t be using the Azure Lux serums again, I am so pleased with my finishes from April because that means I can use new products. There is also nothing better than depleting the ol’ stockpile a little so I can get new goodies in the near future! 😀
Which products did you use up this month? What is a must have in your beauty stockpile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi! Johnny and I will be having a very small wedding that literally took no planning for accommodations for our ceremony. It will be short, sweet, and simple – exactly how we want it. However, preparing our wedding looks was a totally different story and a lot of thought went into it so we can show out on our big day. I am so thankful to have the ultimate wedding glam squad tending to me and am honored to be able to showcase their talent at my wedding. I have a very specific look in mind and it would not be able to be achieved without the genius of the following:
Anna:
Anna has been my hair stylist since I was eight years old and absolutely no one but her is allowed to touch my hair. She is also one of the few people who has seen part of my top secret wedding look – that’s how much I trust her! I live for my time spent with Anna at the salon and I can’t believe almost twenty years later she will be doing my hair for my wedding. Time and time again, I will use the word “nontraditional” to describe my wedding style and my hair is no exception. In fact, the suggestion Anna made was something that I didn’t even know existed, so we are all in for a treat!
Katie:
My makeup test run with Katie was beyond what I was expecting and I had never felt so beautiful. She took every vague idea I had, ran with it, and came up with the results I had in my head but couldn’t quite put into words. I have never had my makeup done professionally before and it felt like Katie was painting the most gorgeous picture as she airbrushed away. I cannot wait until my wedding so she can do it all over again. 😀
Gabby:
Gabby is my go to girl when it comes to my nails and I already know exactly how I want my claws to look for the big day. It took me a long time to find the right nail tech for me and now that I have found her, I could never imagine anyone else sharpening my talons to perfection. I recommend her to everyone who compliments my nails and I love seeing her work on my friends who go to her now too.
Emily:
Other than four tattoos, all of the rest that I have have been done by Emily and I will most definitely need a touch up session before the wedding. I am so proud to be a walking billboard for my dear friend and her amazing talent and cannot wait for my tattoos to pop in my wedding dress. Emily is, easily, one of the best tattoo artists in my area and her work blows me away – especially her work on myself!
I cannot wait to share in my wedding day with my favorite gals because they truly make up the ultimate wedding glam squad. I know that I am in the best hands with all of them and having my wedding appointments scheduled in their books eliminates any stress for my big day. ❤
Who was a part of your wedding glam squad? Who is your go to person for your hair, makeup, or nails? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
lifewithlilred 