Category Archives: Beauty

May14

Amazon Skin Care Haul

Posted on May 14, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Hello! If I knew the last time that I went to TJMaxx was the last time, I would have bought out their entire skin care selection. But, hindsight is 20/20 as the saying goes. A few weeks ago, I ran completely out of my selection of moisturizers and serums and was running dangerously low on everything else. As the other saying goes… There’s a first time for everything.

Normally, I would go to TJMaxx’s website to order some more skin care but they are not shipping out currently. So, I turned to Amazon and bought all of my necessities in bulk so that running out never happens again. Check out my haul:

The Haul:

2 Garnier micellar waters with a free travel size bottle
3 SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizers
2 Azure Lux Rose Gold serums
1 Azure Lux 24K Gold serum
2 SkinLab Lift & Firm eye gels
1 SkinLab Hydrate & Replenish hydra eye cream

I know, I know… It’s a lot. But, now I won’t have to worry about replenishing my hoard for a good long while and I feel great about that. What I don’t feel so great about? How much more expensive these products were on Amazon than they normally are at TJs! For example, I paid about eleven dollars for each moisturizer on Amazon when I normally pay six at TJMaxx. That hurt.

You know what else hurts, though? Your skin literally aching to be moisturized after a few days of going without! That was really rough, especially since I’ve been following a strict skin care regimen since I was at least fifteen. I am so thankful that Amazon had brands that I was familiar with so that I didn’t have to spend money on products I potentially might not like. It might have cost a bit more but it was worth every penny.

I would never be a toilet paper hoarder but I have been a proud beauty care hoarder for years now and it is nice to finally have my stockpile sitting pretty again. 😀

What are some beauty products that you stockpile? Which products have you been having a hard time finding in stores? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May7

Bath Bomb Blitz: Bombs & Balms Edition

Posted on May 7, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! While Ohio’s stay at home order is still in place, I’ve been trying to do a lot of pampering at home until I can get to the salons. This means bubble baths, face masks, and (I can’t believe I’m saying this) but painting my nails with regular old nail polish. Lol, it’s a far cry from acrylics but what can ya do?!

I love a good at home pampering sesh as much as the next but, damn, am I looking forward to leaving it to the professionals! In the meantime, it’s not so bad, especially when bath time involves using wonderful treats from my friend, Annie’s, business of Bombs & Balms. Annie makes amazing bath and body care treats including the Harry Potter themed bath bomb we’re going to discuss today:

Okay, everyone knows I am a Lush snob when it comes to bath bombs. I friggen love them and, I hate to be the one to say it, but some homemade bath bombs just aren’t good. The ones I have used in the past that weren’t from a name brand always ended up being a disappointment, which is why I was so blown away by Annie’s Death Eater inspired bath bomb.

Of course, anything Harry Potter is alright by me so we were already off to a good start. And, as soon as I dropped the bath bomb in the water it was putting in work! Before I knew it, my tub was filled with inky black water but it wasn’t over yet. I kid you not, this bath bomb fizzed for at least seven minutes, and it was still going by the time I just couldn’t wait anymore and had to get in the tub!

Annie’s bath bomb put on a great show and I fancied thinking that I could almost see the Dark Mark from Harry Potter in the water. So cool! I also loved seeing all of the green, gold, and silver glitter twinkling about for a magical touch that felt oh so Slytherin.

Annie’s bath bomb was easily of Lush quality and I would use any of her products again in a heartbeat. In fact, it was one of my favorite bath bombs that I have used in a while! Annie is currently in the process of rebranding her business to now include homemade jewelry and you can shop with her on all of the following platforms:

Facebook
Etsy: BombsAndBalms
Instagram: bombsandbalms

95309135_868980526946483_7691862389309833216_n

Looking for some high quality bath and body care with the perfect touch of fun? Be sure to check all of Annie’s work out today! 🙂

How have you been pampering yourself at home? Which Harry Potter house do you belong to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

April 2020 Finishes Pt. 2

Posted on April 30, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! The month of April brought me so many empties that I had to break our normally scheduled discussion into two posts. Ah yes, the stay at home order has been making me go through my products like water. So much so that I had to have a major online order with Amazon to restock, so be on the look out for that later! Now, let’s wrap up April’s finishes with the rest of my reviews:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Cactus Blossom shower gel: NO
SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES
Provence Beauty Vitamin C & Ferulic Acid serum: NO
SkinLab Lift & Firm serum: MAYBE
SkinLab Lift & Firm eye cream: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: I received some mini B&BW products as part of a Christmas gift and I wasn’t a huge fan of the Cactus Blossom fragrance. I am not a floral scent gal in the slightest and much prefer tangy, fruity fragrances and the Cactus Blossom was just a bit too overpowering for me. I will say that I love the convenience of the B&BW travel sizes and I got at least seven full body uses from one little bottle.

SkinLab Moisturizer: I love the SkinLab products and I am sure that you all have seen this brand show up on my posts many times. At twenty-five, I figured it was time to start using skin care with more firming and lifting power and I definitely got in in the SkinLab Lift & Firm line. I have seen a noticeable difference in my skin from using it regularly for the past several months and I can’t wait to get more from Amazon soon. It took me one month to finish one jar.

Provence Beauty Serum: I purchased this serum the last fateful time that I went to TJMaxx and I was less than impressed. First of all, the dripper or whatever you call it was broken so it already wasn’t off to a good start. And, the formula of the serum was just too thin to feel effective. It was a tad thicker than the consistency of water and I like something that feels more substantial when it comes to my skin care. It took me one month to finish one bottle.

SkinLab Serum: Speaking of consistency, I like the SkinLab Lift & Firm serum but it was too thick! Where is my Goldilocks serum that is just right?! I typically finished a bottle of the SkinLab Lift & Firm serum in under a month and that didn’t seem like the best value to me. Therefore, I began playing around with brands like Provence Beauty (But was still disappointed!). I probably wouldn’t use this serum again but I am looking forward to getting more Azure Lux serums from Amazon soon!

SkinLab Eye Cream: Despite not being a huge fan of the Lift & Firm serum by SkinLab, I love the eye cream from the same line. A little bit goes a long way and it takes me at least three months to finish one tiny jar. The sensitive skin around my eyes feels much stronger and any fine lines that were starting to crop up definitely got put in their place. I also can’t get enough of the gel like consistency – love that!

Although I had a few duds during April, all in all it was a very successful month for empties. And, as Ohio continues to follow a stay at home order, I’m sure May will be just as full of finishes too!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the products above 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

Apr29

April 2020 Finishes Pt. 1

Posted on April 29, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! Being inside for a majority of the day minus going to work means that I have had ample time to use up a lot of the items in my bath and body and skin care stock pile. I have been taking plenty of bubble baths and am generally not wearing makeup during the day, so I now perform a skin care routine at night making my products go by even quicker.

So quick, in fact, that I had to break my April 2020 Finishes up into two parts because, yeah, there were that many empties. Tune in tomorrow for the next batch of finishes and let’s get started with Part One:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Pink Prosecco lotion: YES
Bath & Body Works hand soap: YES
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: YES
Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple shower gel: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: During Bath & Body Work’s last major sale this past winter, I stocked up on all of my favorite shower gels, hand soaps, and lotion. I got each product for a fraction of the cost and it was definitely easy to just keep throwing stuff into my little basket, lol. During my haul, I purchased a few tubes of the Pink Prosecco lotion and I love it. The smell is just divine, like fresh and sweet sparkling pink champagne – my favorite! It also leaves my skin so insanely soft and smooth it’s unreal. I got three full body uses from one tube of lotion.

B&BW Hand Soap: The hand soaps from B&BW have become a staple in my apartment ever since my first shopping trip for supplies last year before I moved in. The foaming formula means a little bit goes a long way and I have a bottle faithfully posted up by my bathroom and kitchen sink. While we are all, hopefully, washing our hands more often during the coronavirus panic, this is the soap for you. It leaves my hands feeling so clean without drying them out and the Peach Bellini is my absolute favorite scent. Margarita Time isn’t half bad, either! 😉

Garnier Micellar Water: As usual, a skin care staple in Lil Red’s world. It took me at least three months to finish the bigger bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: Anything apple scented is my favorite, so during my B&BW haul it was necessary to get all of the Winter Candy Apple shower gels! It takes me over one month to finish one bottle because it lathers like no other. Every morning, my showers are filled with luxurious sweet/tart apple bubbles and it doesn’t get much better than that!

Part One of my April 2020 Finishes focused on all things bath and body care so be sure to stop by tomorrow while we discuss the skin care portion! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

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

Apr22

Pampering Yourself At Home

Posted on April 22, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! I, like many of you, am absolutely itching to get back to all of my normal pampering routines once the coronavirus dies down. Heck, I’m absolutely itching to get back to ALL of my normal routines! But, the pampering aspect holds a special place in my heart because it’s something I value and enjoy a lot. If you are ready to get your beauty on in self-isolation, start with the following tips:

Do Your Makeup:

I know it’s easy to blow off doing your morning makeup routine if you’re at home right now but I promise it makes a huge difference. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had many a makeup free day and it feels great. However, it feels even better to do your makeup after a long stint of makeup free days, lol.

Whenever I am feeling a bit down, I wake up early and do my makeup before work and I always have sky high confidence the whole day. Doing your makeup gives a nod to the normalcy of a “regular” day at work and did I mention all of the quarantine selfies you can take after? Bonus!

Do Your Nails:

Of course I just had to get a DIY acrylic kit because I literally can’t live without my claws. This is a great option for those who are going crazy without their scheduled trips to the salon! If you’re not too bent out of shape about your acrylics, set up a manicure bar at home for something more low key. Soak your nails, shape and file them, and pick a perfect spring color to paint them. (This is also a great idea for a little mommy and me time, too!)

Do Your Hair:

Right now I am doing nothing to my hair because I plan on changing it up post quarantine. But, if this is not the case for you, then do keep up with your hair maintenance if you dye it. This suggestion is not a suggestion to cut your hair on your own because we all know that it can lead to catastrophe!

Rather, this is a suggestion to take some time to yourself in the evening for a long shower and maybe a deep conditioning treatment. To really bring the beauty salon to you, have someone in your house wash your hair for the ultimate pampering.

And Remember:

Many of your favorite salons are offering gift cards right now and that is a wonderful way to support them during this crazy time. I plan on buying gift cards to all of my stomping grounds so that as soon as this passes, I will be the first one in the salon chair! 😀

How do you pamper yourself at home? What helps you relax during this stressful time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Bath Bomb Blitz: Dove Milk Swirls Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle Edition

Posted on April 4, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Bath Bomb Blitz: Dove Milk Swirls Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle Edition

Hello! This past week, my mom gifted me with a marked down bath bomb by Dove that she got while grocery shopping. I like Dove products well enough and the Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle scent definitely had me invested so I was looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately, I can totally see why this product was marked down after using it and it instantly fell under the “wouldn’t use again” category. Let’s discuss:

When I think of a bath bomb that promises a “bath milk” style feature, I always think of the water looking rich and creamy – kind of like half and half, lol. I figured the raspberry hue and fragrance would offer me a really lush bath filled with delicious, light pink, moisturizing water. Instead, I was offered scuzzy lavender pond water with no change in how it felt or smelled at all.

As soon as I put the bath bomb in the water, it began to fizz and I felt hopeful that it would work how I wanted it to. Especially because it initially fizzed very quickly and the water around it was changing. Unfortunately, about halfway through placing the bath bomb in the tub, it stopped working completely and I just broke the rest apart with my hands.

The sudden halt in the bath bomb working left for murky water and a less than impressive experience. But, I should have known that it wasn’t going to be that great from the beginning. Upon taking the bath bomb out of its plastic wrap, I literally couldn’t smell the Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle scent that I was so excited for at all. Normally, this is a tell tale sign that the bath bomb is going to be A DUD… And it was. Whomp whomp.

What is your favorite bath bomb? Which bath bomb would you not use again? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar29

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara Swatch In Deep Burgundy

Posted on March 29, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara Swatch In Deep Burgundy

Hello! As you saw yesterday, the L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Cobalt Blue was a bust. And, unfortunately, the mascara sucked in Deep Burgundy, too. Whomp whomp. I can’t say that I was surprised when I gave it a shot and it wasn’t that great but it’s always disappointing to buy a product, test it out, and have it be an epic failure. But, hey, it happens and now you know what not to buy! Let’s get to it:

Despite not being crazy about the mascara formula, at least the Cobalt Blue shade offered some hint of the color – albeit not much! And that is my main bugaboo about the Deep Burgundy hue. I was expecting something more shocking and ended up with brown lashes. I was hoping to see the deep red more clearly and it did not translate that way at all. It applied brown, it dried brown, and even in natural lighting it didn’t show any of the shade that I thought I bought.

And, of course, it must be said again that the formula for this mascara is far from impressive. My lashes looked stumpy while wearing this product and I can’t deal with that. Lol, the mascara clumped and it stumped and it just wasn’t a good look all around. This begs the question of “what’s the point” because this mascara did the polar opposite of what it should do. No volume, no length, and not even a fun color to appease me. Huge disappointment and I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy… Well, maybe. 😉

Which product have you been disappointed with recently? Which product have you been obsessed with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar28

L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara Swatch In Cobalt Blue

Posted on March 28, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara Swatch In Cobalt Blue

Hi! My skating coach has been rocking burgundy mascara during my last few skates and I am obsessed. I love the pop of color in an unexpected place and was eager to find some of my own the next time I went makeup shopping. I wasn’t expecting to find any funky colors of mascara at the grocery store I was at but I was pleasantly surprised to see a cobalt blue and burgundy shade by L’Oreal and bought them both.

Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at the cobalt blue hue and be sure to tune in tomorrow to talk about the burgundy! Let’s get to it:

I was really looking forward to trying the cobalt blue mascara because I thought that it would give me a more obvious color pop than the burgundy. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with the results. The color was just not saturated enough for a noticeable effect and I could really only tell that the mascara was blue when I was in natural lighting.

Aside from the pigment of this mascara not being shocking enough, I am not too thrilled with the mascara in itself, either. I am so used to my big, bold, fanned out lashes from religious use of Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced so anything less than over exaggerated lashes are going to be a no from me, dawg. And, because the cobalt pigment is so dull you can’t even layer it over top of a base coat because it will literally do nothing… Believe me, I tried.

I can’t say that I would recommend this mascara and I plan on trying something a bit more high end when self-isolation is lifted and I can actually go play in Sephora. Maybe the burgundy hue will be a bit better? Find out tomorrow!

What is the best colored mascara? How do you add funky color to your makeup looks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar27

Covergirl Katy Kat Eyeliner Swatch In Kitty Katdabra

Posted on March 27, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Covergirl Katy Kat Eyeliner Swatch In Kitty Katdabra

Hi! This past week, I stocked up on some fresh food at the grocery store and couldn’t resist looking at the makeup selection. I haven’t been shopping in store or online in so long and I honestly feel like I’m going through withdrawal. So, I just had to treat myself to some funky colored mascara and a glittery eyeliner from the Covergirl Katy Kat collection in Kitty Katdabra. Check it out:

I have been running low on my Black Onyx Covergirl liner and, sadly, the store I was at didn’t have the kind I liked. I was a bit disappointed because you can’t go wrong with a solid black liner but I figured that one with a little glitter wouldn’t hurt. And, normally, Lil Red never says no to a little bling!

I was looking forward to giving this new liner a try because it looked really cute. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t apply as harshly as I would like. I was hoping for something deeper with a sprinkling of midnight stars but the base color applied in an almost grey fashion and I don’t love it. I plan on using this color simply because I have it now and I’m not going to return it but I won’t be buying it again in the future.

How do you add some sparkle to your makeup looks? What is your go to brand of eyeliner? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar26

March 2020 Finishes

Posted on March 26, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Salutations! So, for a lack of a better word, March has been crazy. Not so much in terms of having done anything exciting. In fact, quite the opposite as the coronavirus panic spread and self-isolation was recommended. With all of the extra time at my apartment, I definitely found that I went through many of my beauty products quicker. Especially considering that I wasn’t wearing makeup when I was just at home and would apply skin care as a night time routine. HENCE, we have a lot of empties to go over:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Watermelon Lemonade hand soap: YES
Bath & Body Works Champagne Apple & Honey shower gel: YES
Garnier Micellar Water: YES
IGK Mistress hair balm: YES
The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimizer: YES
SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Hand Soap: I absolutely live for the foaming hand soaps from Bath & Body Works. They all smell friggen amazing, the formula doesn’t dry out my hands, and you can’t beat the value for the price as B&BW normally runs a special on them. The Watermelon Lemonade scent was the perfect combination of summery sweet and tart and it just felt good to use. One pump of this soap goes such a long way and it took me about two months to finish one bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: With all of this coronavirus panic buying, I am grateful to have my bath and body care hoard fully stocked from a recent B&BW haul. Their shower gels are my fave and I love anything apple scented so the Champagne Apple & Honey scent was a must. The B&BW gels are fun because of how much they lather and the crisp scent of a freshly bitten apple with sparkling champagne doesn’t hurt, either. It took me one month to finish one bottle.

Garnier Micellar Water: Lol, of course a bottle of micellar water was bound to show up eventually! I always try to purchase the bigger sized bottles if I can find them and the value is just insane. One normal sized bottle would last me about a month while the next size up lasts me three. And, for three to four bucks more, it doesn’t get much better than that!

IGK Hair Balm: I turned into an avid lover of the IGK Mistress hair balm after receiving it in one of Sephora’s Play boxes. I use it every time I straighten my hair, as it is a heat protector, and it leaves my hair perfectly sleek and frizz free with each styling. It also adds such a lustrous shine to my hair that definitely didn’t exist before I started using this product. It takes me at least five to six months to finish one bottle.

TBS Pore Minimizer: The Tea Tree Pore Minimizer by The Body Shop is one of my favorite skin care products and it is such a treat when it pops up at TJMaxx. I always end up buying the lot because I love the matte finish and how it helps shrink up some of my larger pores. If it was possible, I would use this product in my daily routine for forever! It takes me about a month and a half to finish one tube.

SkinLab Moisturizer: I love the Lift & Firm moisturizer by SkinLab and I have noticed a huge change in my skin since using it. Especially since I’ve been applying it more frequently compliments of my fresh face a la quarantine. My complexion looks a lot more radiant and hydrated and I can feel an obvious difference in the tightness of my skin. It takes me one month to finish one jar.

March was an excellent month for finishes and I highly recommend each product on my list of empties. Here’s to hoping that there’s not so many in April so I don’t have to write as much! 😉 😀

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

	lifewithlilred on New Lark + Grey Dress
	Stephanie bowerman on New Lark + Grey Dress
	lifewithlilred on New Lark + Grey Dress
	Dear Quiet on New Lark + Grey Dress
	lifewithlilred on Makeup Magic OOTD Blooper…