Category Archives: Beauty

Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Pt. 2 Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Pt. 2 Edition

Howdy! Today we are going to talk about the other bath bomb that my BFF gifted me for Christmas. It was a lovely purple and pink one with a Jasmine Rose scent. Although I am not big on either fragrance, this bath bomb was super pleasant to use and I LOVED the color that it made the bath water. And the dried rose petals were definitely a luxurious added bonus! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Even though the Cran Orange bath bomb from yesterday’s post was fun, I think that I like the Jasmine Rose one better. I didn’t get any hints of Jasmine at all when I put the bath bomb in the water, it just gave off this soft floral scent that was really pretty. Speaking of pretty, the lavender hue that my water turned into looked so gorgeous and I loved seeing the rose petals and pink glitter swirling around. It made me feel so lux and pampered!

I officially have no more bath bombs to use and now I am craving going to Lush something fierce! Taking baths is one of my favorite ways to relax and bath bombs just add to the R&R in the best way possible. I never thought that I would find myself wanting to go to Lush so badly, but here we are now, and some of their bath bombs sound like the perfect way to treat myself. ๐Ÿ˜€

What is your favorite Lush product? How do you make your bath time luxurious? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Xmas Gift Edition

This is Bath Bomb Blitz, this is Bath Bomb Blitz, lalala – sung to the tune of Ballroom Blitz, anyone? No? Lol, didn’t think so. Anyways, my BFF got me some homemade bath bombs from a craft show for Christmas, which I was very excited about because I haven’t used one in a while. I’ve used some really good homemade bath bombs before and some really bad ones, so I was a bit ambivalent about what I was getting into, but ended up being pleasantly surprised. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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First of all, the Cran Orange scent was delicious. As soon as I popped the bath bomb in the water, you got an instant waft of orange-y goodness. And I do love me my citrus scents! And, although the water looks pretty murky in the pictures, it was actually a really pretty medium-peach color and that was fun to soak in. Not to mention the red glitter as an added visual bonus!

This was by far the best homemade bath bomb that I’ve used before. Did it fizz as long as a bath bomb from Lush? No. But it lasted for at least a minute, which is pretty good for a homemade treat. The fragrance used was nice and strong and the soft color of the water made me feel so relaxed. Am I the biggest fan of glitter? No. Cleaning it up afterwards is a pain in the behind. But the red and orange combination looked so pretty that I didn’t even mind it! ๐Ÿ˜€

Who likes to home make bath and body care products? Does anyone have a favorite recipe that they use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Black & Magenta Nails

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New Black & Magenta Nails

Hi hi hi everyone! My last fill was a fun one, because my mom joined in on the festivities!! My mom enjoys a manicure every now and again so my sister got her a gift card to the salon that I go to for Christmas. Getting your nails done is a pampering, albeit a little boring, process so it was definitely nice to be able to wave at my mom when we happened to look at each other during our time at the salon. For this fill, I chose a magenta color as my accent nail and I love it! Take a look:

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I thought that the accent nail color was so pretty that it didn’t even need glitter on it to make it pop. I love how the purple undertones shine through when it catches the light and it has an almost hologram-y finish that I am obsessed with. And, this time around, my nail tech didn’t put the gel top coat on my phalanges like last time so I am completely satisfied with my fill.

I’ve been going at least four and a half weeks between fills now and I’m really happy with that. My bank account is definitely thanking me for not going every three weeks like clockwork anymore! I’m all for treating myself, but ballin on a budget it important to me, so I’m proud that I was able to accommodate my pampering sessions to that lifestyle choice! ๐Ÿ˜€

What color of nail polish do you have on right now? Are you a gel, shellac, or normal polish type of gal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Mini Haul

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Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Mini Haul

Bonjour! Back in the day, I can’t say that I was a huge Bath & Body Works fan, but as the years go on, I find myself eating my words. I stopped into a B&BW the other day, because I noticed that their semi annual sale was on, which is when they bring back their old school favorites – which happen to be some of my favorites! It was actually pretty fun to go into the store and rummage through the huge bins of product that were all marked fifty to seventy-five percent off. And it was even more fun to score three fragrance mists for the price of one. Take a look:

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It should be no surprise that there’s two Champagne Apple & Honey sprays in my mini haul since all apple everything is my favorite. I really like this scent, because it still has the tart bite of a crisp apple but there is definitely some dry, fizzy sweetness added to it thanks to the champagne and a dollop of honey. Can we pop some bubbly now, or?

And, after all of these years, WHO NEVER TOLD ME THAT PEARBERRY SMELLS AMAZING?!?! I lucked out and snagged the last body spray of it and I am so happy, because I freaking love it. It seriously smells like biting into a fresh, juicy pear and all the while there is a huge bowl of strawberries and blackberries to snack on, too. I am always more partial to the fruity fragrances and Pearberry is the perfect summery scent to brighten up a snowy winter day.

I am super happy that I stopped into Bath & Body Works to shop their semi annual sale and I am looking forward to their SA sale in the summer time to hopefully stock up on more Pearberry spray! What is your favorite old school B&BW scent? Who else shopped the SA sale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Skin Care Routine

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My Skin Care Routine

Hellooo! I frequently get compliments on my complexion and questions on my skin care routine. So, today, I thought that I would share my daily regime with all of you. Of course, everyone’s skin is different so you can tailor your routine to the products that suit you best. The products that I use are all for a normal skin type and quite a few of them can be bought at your local drugstores.

Step One: Beauty Bar

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I start off my skin care routine by washing my face with a beauty bar. I take care of this in the shower, because I hate getting water all over my sink. And, a sink doesn’t give you all of that fantastic steam that helps open your pores for a deep clean.

I love to use bars with charcoal in them to help clear blackheads around my nose. But, for now, I am using one of my favorites from Appalachian Naturals, a homemade soap store in North Carolina where my family vacations. This bar is great, because it has some grit in it to exfoliate, but is overall very gentle and also removes makeup, which is another added bonus.

Step Two: Exfoliate

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After I finish washing my face, I use a scrub to get rid of anything that my beauty bar left behind – dry skin, blackheads, makeup, etc. I usually always use a St. Ives scrub and am currently finishing up their Oatmeal Scrub & Mask. I love this mask because it smells delicious and it has a creamy texture with a fair amount of grit in it for a gentle but effective clean. My skin always looks so much fresher and brighter after I use a good scrub, and I would never go a day without one.

Step Three: Toner

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Before I moisturize or use any treatments, I always apply witch hazel as a toner. I first use the witch hazel to clean my nose piercings, as it’s a great antiseptic. Then, I apply it all over my face to prep my skin for my moisturizer and to remove any final crud that washing left behind. Witch hazel minimizes my pores and leaves my skin feeling so clean. I also get fantastic value for the bottle, as it lasts me well over four months.

Step Four: Moisturize & Treatments

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To complete the process, I use a moisturizer and two treatments to get my skin ready for the day. After applying my witch hazel, I use:

  • Nutriganics eye cream from The Body Shop. I have been using this product for close to five years and, at twenty-three, any traces of eye wrinkles are nonexistent.
  • Then, I apply my moisturizer, which I got at Walgreen’s for THIRTY THREE CENTS thanks to their rewards program. I normally use the Vitamin E moisturizer from The Body Shop, but this Olay one works just as well and has lasted me over two months. The texture is light, but it provides a lush hydration and it absorbs well.
  • And, finally, I finish up by using Vital C’s Vitamin C Brightening Face Serum. I always use something with Vitamin C in it to give my skin a radiant glow and this serum is the truth. It gives my skin a smooth finish, perfect for applying makeup, and leaves my skin looking bright and refreshed.

I have been using a skin care routine to the likes of the one seen above since I was about fifteen. Now, as a twenty-something, I have it perfected and could not live without my favorite products!

What is one of your must have skin care products? How do you achieve a flawless complexion? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pibiplast

DLS Vengeance Swatch

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DLS Vengeance Swatch

Hellooo! With a makeup queen for an older sister, I am lucky enough to receive all of her hand me downs when she decides that she dislikes a product or is sick of it. There is also the occasional miss from her Ipsy subscription that falls into my lap, as well. I recently was given the lippie seen below by DLS, which I now know stands for “Dirty Little Secret”, and I don’t particularly care for it.

SO WHY ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT IT?!?!

Because someone might! This shade in “Vengeance” is wayyyy too purpley for my taste. I stick to my reds and nudes, thank you very much. With my pale complexion and vibrant red hair, I avoid purple makeup like the plague, because it looks very clown-like on me. Not a good look! But if you are #blessed enough to be able to rock purple lipstick, then this shade might be for you:

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So, the first heart seen above is taken without the flash and it looks quite pink, right? At least, to me, it looks like a deep rose. The second heart picture was taken with the flash on and WOAH, hello purple! My mind was blown by this, because in the tube you can see that Vengeance looks like a dusky magenta but you really couldn’t see that color pop until the flash was on.

This intrigued me, and I had to bite the bullet and apply the lipstick – even though I knew that it would look horrible – to get to the bottom of this color mystery. And, what do you know? The lipstick looked super purple on my lips. This was all so crazy to me, because to my eyes, it looked so pink on my hand – but on my lips it was a different story!

Was the pink shade picture a camera fluke? Maybe, my iPod doesn’t take the best pics. BUT, that doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t see purple in the original swatch until the flash setting was on my camera. Is it all in the lighting, how you see color, and where on your body you apply the lippie? I guess so!

What shades of lipstick look best on you? Which shades of lippie are ehh…not so much? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Holiday Haul: Beauty Edition

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Holiday Haul: Beauty Edition

Hi everyone! My Holiday Haul was bountiful and beautiful and I had a wonderful Christmas day spent with my family. To commemorate all of the sweet thoughts behind each present, we’ll go about each main gift individually. Today, I think that we will start with some delightful beauty and bath and body care goodies compliments of my brother and sister in law, as well as my older sister. Take a looksee:

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Peter and Megan treated all of the girls in my family to a box set from The Body Shop, which is so amazing because all of us really love their products. I am also totally obsessed with their body washes right now, so I’m happy to have another one to add to my hoard. I then got a double whammy of Better Than Sex mascara from Kristen and Peter and Megan and I am so thrilled about it, because I desperately needed a new tube. And now I have two! What whattttt.

Kristen knows me all too well, because I always ask for Better Than Sex mascara for every gift receiving occasion. And Peter and Megan were very clever in their purchase because they looked on lifewithlilred to know that that’s what I wanted, thanks to completing a Holiday Q & A! It was really sweet, because as soon as I opened it, I knew that that’s how they figured out what I wanted. Peter and Megan often turn to my blog to gather inspiration for gifts for me, and I think that that’s freaking awesome. It’s nice to have siblings that put tons of thought into presents, because it’s a physical reminder of how much they care. :*) I LOVE THEM!!

So there you have it, part one of my Holiday Haul: Beauty Edition! Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more Christmas fun here on lifewithlilred. What was your favorite gift that you received this year? What was your favorite present that you gave? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

December 2017 Finishes

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December 2017 Finishes

Helloooo everyone and welcome to my final finishes post for 2017! Crazy, right? December brought me two of my favorite fruity flavored finishes, so this post is going to be short and sweet. Here’s to health, happiness, and more empties in 2018!

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Would I Use Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Country Apple body spray: YES
  • The Body Shop Vineyard Peach lotion: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Spray: We all know by now that all apple everything is one of my all time favorite scents. I love me some Country Apple fragrance and I use it constantly. I pay about three dollars per bottle when Bath & Body Works brings back their discontinued products and it takes me approximately five months to finish one. I can definitely swing that! This scent is so refreshing – a sweet, crisp apple with just that perfect bit of bite to it. Country Apple brings you fresh from the orchard deliciousness in a bottle!

TBS Lotion: We all know by now that my other all time favorite scent is all peach everything! I got this lotion of my fave scent from The Body Shop for five bucks at TJMaxx and it lasted me five full body uses. It’s not the best cost per use but, hey, sometimes a girl has to throw caution to the wind and pamper herself! The Vineyard Peach scent is divine. It’s so light and sweet but not the overpowering kind of sweet. It’s more the “I just bit into a ripe peach” kind of sweet and it is such a treat.

Although I didn’t finish a ton of products in December, I got to enjoy two of my favorite scents in perfume and lotion form and there is really nothing better than that! Which products did you finish up this month? What is your favorite scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Naked Cosmetics Mother Nature Swatch

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Naked Cosmetics Mother Nature Swatch

Howdy! The best part about having a beauty guru for a sister is that I get all of her reject makeup products that she doesn’t want anymore. Last week, she bestowed me with a Naked Cosmetics eyeshadow called Mother Nature, and after doing the swatch both wet and dry, I can totally see why! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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^^^ The first heart is dry, the second is wet.

So when I originally looked at this eyeshadow, I didn’t really realize that there was a dark, glittery green sprinkled into the bronzey-brown color. It was actually until I took a wet swatch and a picture of the container with the flash on that I was able to see the green. Imagine my surprise when I did! I thought that this shade was just going to be another brown shadow to add to my collection, but I was so wrong. The green is a really fun surprise and it’s so cool that you can wear one eyeshadow two different ways depending on if it’s wet or dry.

I actually have yet to wear this Naked Cosmetics color because I’ve been sick but, when I do, I plan on wearing it wet as an eyeliner. The dry, brown color is just too light for my liking and there is nothing like a green eyeliner to make hazel eyes pop! I’m really excited to try it out! ๐Ÿ˜€

What is the most flattering eyeshadow/liner color for your eyes? Which other eyeshadows look totally different when wet or dry? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Red Glitter & Black Nails

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New Red Glitter & Black Nails

Howdy! Last week, I indulged in a much needed fill for my nails to last me until the new year. I have been holding very true to my four plus weeks without a fill challenge as a money saving technique, and I am rocking it. Now, I get a fill every four and a half weeks or so instead of every three weeks and it makes getting pampered that much more sweeter. Take a look at my new December nails featuring my watermelon bed sheets (lol) and let’s discuss:

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I’m not entirely happy with this fill, if a woman is being honest. My nail tech, Steve, used the UV top coat on my nails and it did make them way shinier. BUT, when I went home and tried to do my middle finger crosses, the rhinestones would not stick to the super glue and nail to save my life. A five minute task turned into a half hour easily and I was pissed. Worst of all, Steve didn’t really ask me if he could switch it up, he just kind of did. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a change up as much as the next person, but not if it makes my bedazzling a big, fat pain in the buttinski!

Despite the above irritation, I do really like the red sparkles accent nail color. I was going to go with neon green, but I thought that a lovely, glittery red would be more appropriate for Christmas time. My crosses are not as on point as I would like, but at least the accent nail is distracting enough that hopefully no one will notice! Fingers crossed! Ba dum chhhhhhh.

What would you do if a beauty tech did something that you didn’t ask for? What color of polish do you have on right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah