Category Archives: Beauty

Oct4

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Howdy! Last Friday I enjoyed a wonderful day of pampering at the Shear Shop to put mine and my stylist, Anna’s, hair plans into fruition. We decided on a red, purple, and blue motif and I was SO ready to get a brand new do. Does anyone else feel like their hair looks like garbage in the week or so before they get it done? I was definitely feeling those sentiments and they were all pushed aside as soon as I stepped into the Shear Shop. I knew my hair was in the best hands and all that was left to do was sit and revel in the process! Check out this fabulous new look and peep my TikTok for the transformation video:

Pulp Riot Colors Used:

Top Left: Fireball with a bit of Pyro

Top Right: Pyro

Bottom Left: Asteroid

Bottom Right: Elixir

The first order of business when my hair gets done is always to bleach it so that the beautiful Pulp Riot hues can be seen in their full glory. Normally, we let the bleach sit for about twenty minutes. This time around, however, it was close to thirty-five because we needed to lift a lot of color from the previous style. We didn’t want any hints of green from the last shade of blue and we also wanted to see more purple, which meant pulling out some of the red. By the time my hair was bleached as far as it could go without jeopardizing the hair, the old blue lifted to a shade of mint green and it was actually really cool!

Once my hair was bleached and washed, the painting of the color began and that is the best part. The neat thing about Pulp Riot colors is that what you see in the bowls of hair dye is what you are going to get. Our new shade of denim blue called Asteroid threw us for a loop, though! Anna and I were both surprised to see that it looked purple in the bowl. We proceeded to use it anyways and about five seconds after Anna applied it, the color turned denim blue before our very eyes. It was insane! If you are interested in using that shade, this is your heads up that you’re still going to get the color you want. It just won’t look that way at first.

After my hair was painted, we let it sit for fifty minutes before washing it out in icy cold water. The end result was absolutely gorgeous! We had red, purple, and blue on the mind and it turned out EXACTLY how we were hoping. I am obsessed with the Asteroid dye and it’s a perfect transition shade of blue for fall time before we darken things up in the winter with Nightfall. The red is popping and I am extremely excited for the purple shade of Elixir. I have been in love with Kelly Osbourne’s purple locks since she hosted Lego Masters Junior and Elixir is an almost exact match. Your girl is feeling her damn self!!

As always, my beloved stylist is a genius and true master of her craft. It is such a joy to spend the day with her and I can’t wait to see what we dream up for my next appointment!

What colors should I get next? Are you changing your hair color for fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep29

New Hair Sneak Peek

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New Hair Sneak Peek

Hello! One of my absolute favorite things in the world is getting my hair done at the Shear Shop. My amazing stylist, Anna, has been doing my hair for over twenty years and we just have so much fun at all of my appointments. While she works her magic, we are nonstop chattering away about our updates, laughing, and daydreaming about what to do with my hair next. Sometimes Anna and I just freestyle what we are going to do the day of my appointment. More often than not, however, we go into it with a plan and then we’ll see what happens. As Anna and I were messaging about my new do at my upcoming appointment, we were both totally on the same wavelength and will be working with this color palette:

This is the time of the year when I ditch summer colors and start delving into the deeper hues of fall. Anna and I have been experimenting with beaucoup blue by Pulp Riot for the warmer weather and I have been loving it. Blue has become a staple in my hair palette and I have been looking forward to using the gorgeous deep navy Nightfall for fall. Then, Anna sent me a picture of a blue jean shade called Asteroid and I just had to go for it instead! It’s not a huge jump from Nightfall but it’s enough for something different and I am never one to shy away from new Pulp Riot colors. I can’t wait to see it and smell it lol because all of their hair dye smells like Sweet Tarts! 😀

With red always being featured in my hair, we also had to decide on a new color for the middle layer. Currently, we have a pretty peach mixture of Desert Sky and Lava and that won’t do for fall. I told Anna I was thinking purple and coincidentally, she was looking at purple options when I suggested it! We considered it fate and will be using a Kelly Osbourne-esque violet called Elixir. I felt very inspired by her hair when she hosted Lego Masters Junior and repeatedly told Johnny how much I liked her color. Elixir is a perfect match and I adore that we read each other’s minds to pick it out. ❤

Red, purple, blue – oh my! Peep my brand new do soon on lifewithlilred!

How often do you get your hair done? Are you changing your hair for fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep27

Face Mask Festivities: Trader Joe’s Honey Hydration Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Trader Joe’s Honey Hydration Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! I love me some skin care from Trader Joe’s and my mom is so sweet to always pick me out a treat when her and my dad make the trip to go shopping there. Unfortunately, the closest Trader Joe’s to us is close to an hour away which is a major bummer. I would do ALL of my grocery shopping there if it wasn’t such a trek! A week or so ago, my mom got me the Honey Hydration Face Mask from Trader Joe’s and it is just as fabulous as it sounds. It has been a while since I used a good face mask and it was so nice to pamper myself! Let’s discuss:

^^^ This product is cruelty free!!

Spoiling myself with pampering is my absolute favorite form of self care. It doesn’t matter if it’s at the nail or hair salon or my own bathroom – I savor every second. After a particularly rough week, I couldn’t wait to test out the Honey Hydration mask and have been using it as often as I can since. It is fantastic! This mask isn’t particularly pungent but it has the faintest scent of honey. It also offers a honey like consistency in a gel texture that isn’t as sticky or goopy as the real thing. However, when the scent and consistency are paired together, I feel like I just rubbed a honeycomb on my face and it’s definitely not a bad thing lol. 😀

As soon as this mask is applied, you can literally feel it working and I live for that sensation. After putting it on, it transforms from gel into a bubbly foam which remains that way until washing it off ten to fifteen minutes later. I knew my skin was going to be soft once it came off but I didn’t expect it to be soft AF. With every use, my skin feels so smooth that I legit can’t stop touching my face. It looks radiant and supple and I swear I can still feel it working even after it has been removed. This is the perfect mask for any skin type but will be particularly nice for those with dry skin or to soothe after combating the winter cold. I just used it again this morning and I seriously can’t wait to use it again and again!

If you have a Trader Joe’s in your neck of the woods, I cannot recommend treating yourself to the Honey Hydration mask enough. Your skin will thank you and you can thank me later! ❤

Where is your favorite place to shop for skin care? What is your favorite face mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep12

New Raspberry & Mauve Nails

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New Raspberry & Mauve Nails

Hello! This past Friday was a wonderful one. After work, I treated myself to a brand new full set at Elysian Nails and then had a delicious dinner with my birthday girl bestie at one of our favorite restaurants. My day concluded by playing Lego 2K Drive with Johnny and it was the perfect way to break in my new nails! It has felt so gloriously fall in good ol’ Akron, Ohio and I wanted to pick some colors to ring in the best season of all. It was bye bye to my neon hues from last month and hello to an updated Strawberry Shortcake palette. Check it out:

I absolutely live for fall fashion. Part of it is because I come alive in a good cardigan or jacket and the other part is loving fall colors. Burnt orange, gem tones, and deep berry hues play an integral part in the many gorgeous shades of fall and I hate to toot my own horn but they all look really nice on me too lol! With fall colors weighing heavily on my mind since last fall, I was so excited to pick out nail polish colors to match the autumn aesthetic. As soon as I opened the nail polish book, my eyes instantly locked in on the deep raspberry sample nail and it was a winner. For my complimentary shade, I went for a mauve polish and the pair had me feeling like a grown up Strawberry Shortcake!

It has been a phat minute since I got a full set and it took around an hour and forty-five minutes in total. The process would have been quicker but I need my nails soaked off no ifs, ands, or buts. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but I simply cannot do popping off acrylics. It makes me hurt just thinking about it! Once the nails were soaked off, my new acrylics couldn’t get placed soon enough. It’s SO weird seeing my hands without my signature claws! Just as soon as they were off, fresh new talons were well on their way and all that was left to do was sit back and relax. When I get a fill, I go during my break at work and the pressure of returning on time is always in the back of my mind. This time around, I had nothing to do but be pampered, chat away with my beloved tech, and anticipate a dinner out with my best girl. ❤

New nails, who dis?! I can’t think of a better way to welcome my happy fall time than with some fresh new acrylics with a color palette to match!

What is your favorite fall color? 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

Sep11

Marc’s Mini Halloween Haul

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Marc’s Mini Halloween Haul

Hello! I love shopping here, there, and everywhere for Halloween goodies and it’s such fun for me to see what all of the different stores have to offer. Whenever spooky season hits, there is one place that I ALWAYS have to visit: Marc’s. For those of you who are not hip, Marc’s is a discount grocery store in Ohio. They have great prices on their products and have a fabulous “closeout section” of random and seasonal decor, children’s toys, clothing, and the list goes on. My parents shop there frequently and when my dad sounded the alarm that their Halloween decorations were out, I just had to swing by the next day for some swag on the cheap. I got all of this for ten dollars and change! Check it out:

^^^ How amazing is that sign?!

I will say that the Halloween selection at Marc’s this time around was not as good as the years prior but that is okay because I still made out like a bandit! The first thing I added to my cart was a pair of spooky leggings that I got for a whole buck fifty which was a total score. I only have one pair of leggings that double for work and pajamas and couldn’t resist snagging a new pair specific to lounging. These babies might not be my size but they are cute as can be and will keep my work leggings for work only. Also I love the dancing pumpkin skeleton. 😀

Next in the cart was one of my favorite things in the whole world: Hair glitter! Glitter hair spray is just pure fun and adds a sweet touch of sparkle to Halloween costumes, concert OOTDs, or every day wear. At Marc’s the hair glitter was only one dolla holla and I got my usuals of gold and silver. I also was so happy to have found a blue hair glitter spray too! Johnny and I plan on being Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl for Halloween and the blue and silver glitter is going to be perfect on whatever wig I end up picking out. These glitter sprays were definitely a lucky find because I could imagine that one bottle at Spirit Halloween would be at least five dollars or more. Such a steal!

The last of my purchases is easily my favorite and gave me and Johnny a fit of laughter – a five dollar sign proclaiming “give ’em pumpkin to talk about” LOLOL. It’s a freaking HOOT and too cute to boot. I just love that spooky garland at the bottom! This is one of those sayings that I wish I came up with because I think it’s so damn clever and I live for a good play on words. In the past week, I have visited several different stores for Halloween decor and there is no way I would have found something so well made, sizeable, and cheap at any of them. Long live discount stores!!

I balled on a budget during my traditional Marc’s Halloween shopping trip with five items for ten dollars. You simply cannot beat that!

What is your favorite discount store? Where is your favorite place to shop for home decor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep6

August 2025 Finishes

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August 2025 Finishes

Howdy!! September is here and I am feeling so fabulously fall and LOVING every second of it! However, we will have to time travel a bit because we have yet to discuss my beauty finishes from August. In July, I had beaucoup empties and some were total and complete duds. This time around was a GREAT SUCCESS and I would happily use each product I completed again. Particularly one of my new favorite serums! Take a look and let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES!!

Bath & Body Works Poppy Lotion: YES

Bath & Body Works Gingham All-American Shower Gel: YES

Precision Beauty Vitamin C + Collagen Serum: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: As you all know, I am incredibly loyal to my preferred brand of micellar water and have been using it for years. In all of that time, I have never seen the jumbo bottles at TJMaxx before and jumped on buying a few of them. You just can’t beat seven dollars for that size when the smaller size was being sold for five! The mega bottle has lasted me over two months as opposed to one and I have another one on standby. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that TJMaxx continues to have the XL bottle available because it is a steal and the epitome on ballin’ on a budget for great skin care.

B&BW Products: The products from Bath & Body Works just make me happy and Poppy is one of my favorite older scents while Gingham All-American has stood out as a new favorite. When you think of a scent called Poppy, you think floral, but that is not what it is in the slightest. If it was, I would hate it because I am so not a flowery fragrance girl! Rather, Poppy smells like a delicious strawberry/pear combo and I simply adore it. It is soft, sweet, and packs a delightfully fruity punch. If you are a fan of berry fragrances like me, you will also love Gingham All-American which invokes the scent of a big summer fruit salad. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries combine to make a scent perfect for the season and, honestly, whenever you want!

Precision Beauty Serum: I have been partial to the Precision Beauty serums for the past several months and have been loving them. They are long lasting and it takes me over five weeks of twice daily use to finish a bottle. I also like that they are thicker in texture, leaving my skin feeling so nourished after each application. The Vitamin C + Collagen serum certainly delivered on its promises. My skin looked radiantly sun kissed and I could literally feel the tightening properties of the collagen and there is nothing better than actually feeling a product work. Highly recommend!

This batch of empties was small but mighty and were wonderful additions to my beauty routines. I can’t wait to see what September brings!

Which products did you use up last 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

Sep1

Bath & Body Works August Freebie

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Bath & Body Works August Freebie

Howdy!! I always get so excited when a Bath & Body Works coupon book arrives in the mail because ninety-nine percent of the time it contains a percentage off and a freebie coupon. The latest one I received was for ringing in all of the autumn scents and was actually one of their better ones. There was a free travel size product as well as twenty-five percent off your purchase. Usually it’s only twenty percent so hell yeah because every little bit helps. During my break on Tuesday, I stopped in to cash in my free product and will definitely be back for a reup of my foaming hand soap soon. I don’t need a restock quite yet but that twenty-five percent off is too good to pass up! Let’s take a look at my freebie and discuss:

If I am not rocking a fruity fragrance, I am a vanilla girl through and through. Ever since I was little, my mom and I would revel in all things vanilla because that’s her favorite too and our sentiments have yet to change. So whenever a new to me vanilla scent is on the market at Bath & Body Works, I always have to see what that’s all about! Is Vanilla Romance the best vanilla scent I have ever tried? Not especially lol but it is nice enough just not nice enough to eventually purchase a full size body wash or lotion.

Vanilla Romance features fragrance notes of “fresh cardamom, vanilla absolute, and captivating woods”. I can’t speak for the captivating woods and I swear B&BW just throws anything in their scent notes. The first two notes are usually right on the money and the third one is a kitchen sink addition and it never ceases to make me laugh! Also are they referencing vanilla absolute like the vodka or saying it’s absolutely vanilla? But I digress. Vanilla Romance is more spicy and musky than what I prefer, which is a true vanilla that’s soft and sweet. It’s not pungent enough to be overpowering but it’s definitely on the fence about it. If you are looking for a vanilla scent with some oomph, you might like Vanilla Romance. If you are a fan of pure vanilla, then this is not the scent for you or me!

Although this is not my favorite B&BW fragrance by a long shot, free is free and it gives me a chance to try something new sans commitment. Not mad about it!

Are you on the market for fall fragrances? How often do you restock your bath and body care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug15

Pool Party

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Pool Party

Hello! Swimming is easily the best summer activity and, unfortunately, I can’t tell you the last time I actually went swimming. I’m not talking the wading and treading water like I normally do but swimming for real. My hair has not been my natural color since my mid teens (I honestly have no idea what my natural color is at this point lol) and swimming + dyed hair is a recipe for disaster. Because I refuse to sully my funky colored tresses, getting my front and back stroke on is just impossible. However, I was determined to go swimming with my nieces and nephew when we went on a mini family vaca to Idlewild Park and SoakZone a few weeks ago. Our hotel had a pool and the water park looked like a blast and I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way – my beloved freshly dyed hair included.

At the time, I had what I thought was a genius idea: Get a swim cap. My hair would be safely tucked away and despite a swim cap being the least cute accessory I can think of, at least I could swim. As soon as we got to the hotel after a day at the park, I made a beeline to the bathroom to get in my swimsuit, put on my cap, and hit the pool. Listen, I have NO idea how swimming enthusiasts get their caps on with ease because my experience was about a bitch lol. My bright purple cap was skin tight and I had to enlist the help of my sister to get it on and tuck away any loose strands. After wrestling with the cap for what felt like an eternity, it was time to put my idea to the test.

As soon as I got in the pool, I made use of the countless swimming lessons of my youth and it was absolutely delicious. I was doing laps with different strokes like nobody’s business and it felt SO good to be fully immersed in the cool water after a long day in the heat. I swam for a solid half hour or so solo and then went back into the hotel to gather the littles and swim altogether. I also couldn’t wait to see how my handiwork with the swim cap paid off. Let’s just say that it didn’t lol.

When I took my cap off, my hair was drenched. Not just a little damp but soaking wet. My hair was bleeding red, orange, and blue profusely and I all but destroyed several hotel towels. I had no idea where I went wrong. Maybe I wasn’t wearing the swim cap the right way? So, I gave it a Google and learned the hard way that swim caps are not meant to keep your hair from getting wet, it’s all about the aerodynamics. SMH this would have been a good thing to research beforehand! Blessedly, my hair didn’t turn into any weird colors but that was besides the point – it was still wet! -_-

My master plan had failed and I genuinely didn’t know what I was going to do at the water park the next day. Then, a little package of silver caught my eye in the bathroom and I saw that it was a shower cap. Was it going to work? No clue. But, it was my only option of protecting my hair and I knew it couldn’t hurt to try. At the water park, I changed into my suit once again and put the shower cap on too. It was kind of funny because I was getting compliments on my hair left and right and it was like everyone knew damn well why the cap was on which I really appreciated. 😀

I am pleased to report that my shower cap didn’t falter during my time in the wave pool, lazy river, and getting splashed by my littles in the Little Squirts section. It was a GREAT SUCCESS, for sure, but I am not convinced that a shower cap would help my hair during actual swimming and I’m too nervous to do a test run. So, I guess the point of this long winded story is that if you know of anything you can wear to keep your hair dry while swimming, let a Lil Red know!

What is your favorite summer activity? How do you protect your hair when swimming? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug12

New Neon Orange & Pink Nails

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New Neon Orange & Pink Nails

Hi!! This past Tuesday was a big day for yours truly. I had a nail appointment, a shopping trip to TJMaxx, and went to see The Struts at the House Of Blues for my birthday that night. It was SO fun to get primped and pampered, shop for a sassy addition to my planned OOTD, and show everything off at the concert! It definitely made the day feel like a birthday adventure even though it has been two months since I turned thirty-one. Elysian Nails was where the extravaganza started and I wanted to go bright with the colors for two reasons. 1) It would be fab for the concert. And 2) It would also be a final hurrah for summer colors. Check it out:

Elysian Nails has a nail polish wall and several books that are exclusive to gel and dip colors. Before, I would browse the polish wall for my selection. My past two fills, however, I have been able to consult the books! Elysian recently got a collection of gel polishes with matching nail polish and I have loved exploring brand new colors. It was incredibly easy to make a decision on what colors I wanted to use because they were actually side by side in the book of beauty: A neon orange and pink. They looked so good paired together that I didn’t even bother thinking about other options!

Have you ever had a fill when as soon as your tech starts working on your nails, you know damn well you should have got a full set instead? That is exactly what happened when my go to girl started working her magic. One of my nails had popped off a few days before and that needed tending to. I didn’t realize as soon as the polish was off that everything needed tending to! They were SO janky with lifts and regrowth and I felt terrible that my tech had to deal with all that mess. As always, she dealt with it in genius fashion and by the time she was done, it was as if I had got a full set anyways. They felt so strong and sturdy and looked amazing to boot. A full set is DEFINITELY in order next time though and I can’t wait to spend an evening at my happy place next month. ❤

A great concert needed great everything, nails included. Shout out to my tech for always getting me right!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? What colors should I get next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug11

Trader Joe’s Watermelon Lip Mask Review

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Trader Joe’s Watermelon Lip Mask Review

Howdy! I loves me a good lip mask and haven’t used one in a while. When I shop for skin care at TJMaxx, I am browsing for the core four: Micellar water, moisturizer, eye cream, and serum. Then, I’ll use a chapstick during my nighttime beauty routine to wrap things up. While lip masks are nice, they aren’t a necessity for me but are a treat. And it was the nicest treat of all that my mom picked me up a Watermelon Lip Mask from Trader Joe’s when her and my dad went on a grocery shopping trip! I have been using it for the past week and a half or so and it has been SO fabulous:

Using this lip mask is such a pleasing experience from start to finish. The color of the balm and packaging is just so pretty and as soon as you open the jar, you are greeted by the watermelon scent. If you have ever used the Watermelon Lip Smackers back in the day, then you know exactly what this lip mask smells like! It’s such a fun trip down memory lane with every use. 🙂

The lip mask from Trader Joe’s is an incredibly simple one. It offers no bells and whistles, just the promise of intense hydrating and moisturizing and it fully delivers. One small swab across your lips is all that is needed for this mask to do its thing and I love that you can literally feel it working the second it’s applied. Every morning I wake up with lips that are soft and smooth and the effects are long lasting. During the day, I feel like I am putting on chapstick constantly and I have noticed that I am reapplying it far less than usual. It’s a small thing but I’ll take it!

Trader Joe’s always boasts really great skin care and I highly recommend giving this lip mask a shot. You will love it!

Do you have a favorite lip mask or chapstick? Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah