Category Archives: Beauty

Jul18

Amazon Makeup Haul

Posted on by
Standard
Amazon Makeup Haul

Guys. I’m literally going through the worst time of my life when it comes to beauty products, because I feel like all of my signature staples are being discontinued. The most recent ones being The Body Shop’s Brush On Radiance Beads. I have literally been using those amazing, pearly wonders since high school and now they’re laying this shit on me?! Ugh, I seriously can’t even.

But, thankfully, there’s always Amazon, which allowed me to purchase three jars of my beads before they might go bye bye. It sucks, though, because The Body Shop always runs awesome promotions and I had to buy the beads for full price, which I have never done before. Was it worth it? Yes, because one jar lasts a really long time. Am I pissed at The Body Shop? HELL YES, and they better bring back my blusher beads pronto!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

beads.jpg

Pinterest Image

Have any of your favorite products been discontinued? What do you use now as a substitute? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul17

Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask Edition

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! Until I acquire more face masks, this will be the last Face Mask Festivities post on lifewithlilred for a while. But, it has been a hoot trying out four different masks and I’m looking forward to trying out some of the ones that my wonderful readers have recommended next! To wrap things up, we are going to talk about Freeman’s Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask, so take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

fmfffmff1fmff2fmff3

I am a huge fan of all things avocado and oatmeal when it comes to skin care, and it was nice to use a mask with those ingredients that wasn’t a massive disappointment like the one I tested from CVS in May. This clay mask by Freeman really was just right and it left my skin feeling completely cleansed without being starved for moisture.

I love the way that this avocado and oatmeal mask smells, for starters. It doesn’t have the scent of either of its main ingredients but, rather, smells oh so creamy and rich. The lush, heavy cream aroma went hand in hand with the texture of the mask. It was thick without being too thick and spread perfectly during application.

The best part about this mask, however, was the fact that when it dried, it didn’t leave my skin feeling as dry as the desert along with it. It was easy to wash off and, after applying my moisturizing routine, my skin felt amazing. It had a vaguely cool feeling to it and my pores felt like they were taking a huge sigh of happiness. I would definitely recommend this mask for what it is – a simple product done exceedingly well. 10/10 would use again!

What are your favorite ingredients when it comes to face masks? How do you care for you skin after you wash your mask off? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul16

Face Mask Festivities: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Face Mask Festivities: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque Edition

Howdy and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to talk about a lesser liked mask of yours truly – Queen Helene’s Mint Julep Masque. From the very first squeeze out of the tube, I could tell that this wasn’t a mask for me. So, take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

queenqueen1queen2

My first impression of this mask was how thick the texture was. So much so that squeezing it out of its tube and onto my hand required some serious elbow grease. The mask did smell nice and minty, however, and it applied fairly easily. Unfortunately, that’s really all this Queen Helene product had going for it.

Despite a wash off time of five to ten minutes as listed on the directions, this mask began to dry and tighten on my face literally as soon as it hit my skin. By the time I got to the point in my shower routine to wash it off, it was probably on for seven minutes or so and my skin was left feeling dry as a bone. I was so eager to get my eye cream, serum, and moisturizer on post wash off and my skin still felt parched after hydrating it. Whomp whomp.

I love the idea of an invigorating and minty mask more than the next guy, but all of that doesn’t mean much when it feels like the product vacuum sealed your face. I wouldn’t recommend this mask to my worst enemy (Over dramatic, I know.), and definitely won’t be using it again in the future despite it being in my skin care arsenal.

Have any beauty products disappointed you lately? What has been one of your least favorite face masks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul13

A Summer Bouquet

Posted on by
Standard
A Summer Bouquet

Hey hey everyone and TGIF! I hope that you all have had a fabulous week and are looking forward to a fun weekend ahead. Us Mushenheims are a plant loving people. My mom’s mom and my dad have the greenest thumbs of literally anyone I know, and they can make something grow out of nothing. It really is amazing.

Because of my dad’s talent, our front and back yards are simply overflowing with beauty. From flowers and greenery to herbs and veggies, we have a little bit of everything and can appreciate it from any window that we look out of in our home. Our supply of flowers grown by my dad never seems to run low, and almost every week he will arrange a lovely summer bouquet for the kitchen table – like the one below:

wildwild1

For as long as I can remember, my dad has always been a master flower arranger, whether it be with bouquets from the garden or store. He seems to know exactly which bloom should be placed where and every arrangement turns into a work of art. The wild flower bouquet seen above is a particularly inspired one and it’s so lovely that I just had to share it with all of you!

What is your favorite flower? Who else has a green thumb? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul12

Face Mask Festivities: Freeman’s Charcoal + Black Sugar Gel Mask & Scrub Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Face Mask Festivities: Freeman’s Charcoal + Black Sugar Gel Mask & Scrub Edition

Hello darlings and welcome to a riveting new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing another Freeman mask, which consisted of charcoal and black sugar. We all know that I love all charcoal everything, so this gel mask was an obvious hit for me! Take a look and let’s get to it:

charcoalcharcoal1charcoal2charcoal3charcoal4

^^^ Peep that freshly dyed hair! 😀

In my humble opinion, charcoal products have been the most major game changer since Vitamin C skin care. It detoxifies, it cleanses, and it leaves the skin simply glowing after all of the gunk that’s been clogging your pores has been rinsed away. And, of course, this Freeman mask did all of that, which left for a really satisfying face mask experience.

The best part about this mask is the texture, because it isn’t your standard clay mask. This Freeman gel mask is a sugar scrub, too, so you got to exfoliate your skin while you were washing it off. And, speaking of texture, this mask literally never over dries. I had my mask on for the entire forty minutes that my hair dye was setting and it stayed the same consistency as when I first applied it until I washed it off. So amazing!

After giving my face a good scrub when rinsing my mask off, my skin felt so good. This Freeman mask gave my face such a deep clean and it was nothing short of invigorating. My pores feel like they can breathe, my blackheads are gone, and I would happily use this mask again.

Who else is a charcoal product fan? How do you keep pesky blackheads at bay? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul11

Bath & Body Works July Freebie

Posted on by
Standard
Bath & Body Works July Freebie

Hello everyone and happy Hump Day! It’s no secret by now that 99% of the time that I go into Bath & Body Works is because I have a travel sized freebie coupon. That certainly rang true when I ran in last week to pick up this here mini shower gel! Take a look:

sugarrr

In my humble opinion, you can NEVER go wrong with vanilla scented anything. Candles, perfumes, lotions, and, of course, shower gels! I’ve been a bit underwhelmed with the freebie fragrances that I’ve been getting lately, so I decided to go for an old standby this time around with Warm Vanilla Sugar. It combines the decadence of vanilla that I love with the sweet warmth of brown sugar, making for a totally delicious scent during shower time!

What is one of your go to fragrances when it comes to bath and body care products? What is your least favorite scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul10

Tiny TJMaxx Haul

Posted on by
Standard
Tiny TJMaxx Haul

Hello everyone! Thanks to a generous birthday gift card from my big bro, I was able to ball out at TJMaxx this past week. After my first shopping trip, I had about ten dollars left on my card and it was burning a hole in my pocket, so of course I had to go back! For eight cents over the ten bucks that I was working with, I was able to get the last of the beauty supplies that I need to last me for a good long while. Check it out:

tiny

As you guys know by now, I am an avid lover of all charcoal everything when it comes to my skin care routine. Destiny Boutique has the literal best charcoal products that I’ve ever used, so it was an absolute must to grab another one of their face bars, especially because I just finished up the one that I was using. And, did I mention that it takes me SIX MONTHS to finish one of their beauty bars?! For five dollars per bar, the cost per use is less than one penny and you definitely can’t beat that! 😀

I also treated myself to a new body scrub by Kind Natured. Using an exfoliator is a necessity for me when I am shaving, and since I finished up my Strawberry scrub from The Body Shop, it was high time for me to grab another. My new Kind Natured scrub smells freaking amazing – like oats and honey, which is one of my favorite bath and body and skin care scents. I did want to get another scrub from The Body Shop because they’re my favorite, but it will be nice to try something new and maybe it will become a favorite of mine, too.

What is one of the longest lasting products that you use? Who else is a lover of charcoal products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul8

Face Mask Festivities: Freeman’s Anti-Stress Clay Mask Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Face Mask Festivities: Freeman’s Anti-Stress Clay Mask Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Face Mask Festivities. Today, we are going to be discussing Freeman’s Anti-Stress Clay Mask. Delightfully reminiscent of Lush’s Don’t Look At Me mask, this blue baby definitely was a hit and was a fraction of the cost at only $3.29. Plus, no refrigerator to keep this mask fresh is required! Check it out:

freemanfreeman3freeman1freeman2freeman4

If there’s one thing that the ballin on a budget lifestyle has taught me, it’s that drugstore brands are equally, if not better, than name brands. This mask by Freeman’s was essentially the exact same thing as Don’t Look At Me by Lush for so much less. And, this made me enjoy it even more, because I felt so pampered completely guilt free.

Using Freeman’s Anti-Stress Clay Mask was the perfect treat after a long day of working and getting caught in the rain during a hike. I ran a bath, applied the mask, and was instantly transported to Relaxation Station. This mask smells awesome, for one. It is so minty and invigorating with the slightest touch of an ocean breeze, thanks to the dead sea minerals in the formula. It also was the perfect texture. It wasn’t too light or too thick, but right in the middle, and it didn’t over dry when my bath took longer than the wash off time.

Because this mask didn’t over dry, it left my skin feeling amazing after washing it off. My pores felt like they got deep cleaned and all of my blackheads were removed, to boot. Once my face was nice and clean, I applied my Vitamin E Sleep Mask from The Body Shop and drifted off into the Land Of Nod feeling like I just spent my evening at the spa. Except this spa costed me less than ten dollars to enjoy, and I can definitely swing that!

What is your favorite face mask to use? How do you create a spa experience at home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul6

TJMaxx Beauty Haul

Posted on by
Standard
TJMaxx Beauty Haul

Hey! My gifts from my 24th birthday just keep on giving, because I was finally able to go to TJMaxx and spend some of my birthday gift card from my brother. I ended up with a gorgeous new top, which I’ll discuss tomorrow, but, for now, we will go over my little beauty haul that got me a bunch of my necessities for an amazing price! Check it out:

card1card

The Haul:

  • ArganiCare moisturizer: $5.99
  • Castelbel Watermelon and Mango bar soap: $3.99 each
  • CoverGirl eyeliner: $2.99

Grand Total: $17

I was so happy to have been able to stock up on some products that I definitely am going to need within the next few months. I can always use a new moisturizer, so I’m looking forward to trying ArganiCare for a whole six bucks. My skin type is completely normal, so it’s nice to be able to experiment with different skin care goodies at TJ’s ON THE CHEAP!

Not only was I able to get something new, but I also got to revisit old favorites with my Castelbel soaps and CoverGirl liner. Both the Mango and Watermelon scented bar soaps smell SO. Freaking. Good. They literally smell like Lip Smackers and are super hydrating – totally perfect for my morning showers! And, you can’t go wrong with my usual black eyeliner that normally costs me OVER SEVEN DOLLARS at the drug store for a whole three bucks at TJ’s. This results in over four dollars in savings and I am all about that. #ballinonabudget

I am completely thrilled with this TJMaxx Beauty Haul, because it’s not every day that you can spend less than twenty dollars for four items in skin care, makeup, and bath and body care. I can smell the savings now! 😀

Where do you score the best deals on beauty? How do you cut the costs on your beauty routines? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul5

Amazon Hair Dye Haul

Posted on by
Standard
Amazon Hair Dye Haul

Helloooo! Is a haul really a haul if you are only buying one item in bulk, lol? Asking for a friend, and by a friend, I mean ME. I have been having the most difficult time finding my beloved Vidal Sassoon Runway Red box color from their London Luxe collection for the past half a year or so now. IT SUCKS, because this miracle in a box has probably saved me over one thousand dollars throughout the years that I’ve been using it, as it gives me the exact same color that I was paying a buttload for at the salon from home.

I have been on a frantic hunt for the past month to reup my stash of hair dye, and literally none of the stores that I’ve purchased from were carrying it anymore. So, I had to resort to the one stop shop of Amazon to provide me with the tools that I need to stay Lil Red. So, for good measure, I bought EIGHT boxes of my Vidal Sassoon hair color to last me into the new year.

runway1

Is buying eight boxes of hair dye the most fun haul ever? No. Well, actually, YES – because it was a necessity. And, in general, I am all about buying in bulk to save time and money in the long run. I am eagerly awaiting for my package of THE GOODS to arrive and am also earnestly begging Vidal Sassoon to get Runway Red back in stores again ASAFP!! *kissy face emoji* 😀

Are there any products that you like to buy in bulk? Has a favorite item of yours ever been discontinued? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah