Category Archives: Beauty

Feb17

New Nails!

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New Nails!

Hey everyone and TGIF! As you guys know if you follow my stiletto nail saga, I have a wonderful relationship with Vinny, my nail tech. He is such a fantastic friend and a nail wizard but, unfortunately, is now working at a salon closer to his home but way far away for me. I wouldn’t have minded continuing to go to the salon that he worked at previously but I was never happy with how the other technicians working there did my nails when Vinny couldn’t. So, I began the hunt for a new salon to go to.

I searched through Google, asked for recommendations from friends, and turned to Facebook which helped me settle on a salon that’s a whopping two minutes away from my house, LT Nails. For the most part, the salon had excellent reviews and their prices were fair so I figured that I would give it a shot. I’ve been itching to get new nails for a while now as I’ve had the same set since the beginning of November so the technician at LT hooked me up with these little beauties:

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Now, wait, something appears to be missing…My middle finger crosses perhaps? Yeah. I honestly wasn’t sure if the salon even had airbrushing because it wasn’t advertised on their price menu and also the lady who did my nails kind of scared me. But, that’s no big deal, I’ll snag some nail art pens or something elsewhere and draw the crosses on myself because how hard can it be?!

Anyways, I’m really happy with how my nails turned out, especially because they’re longer than the old set that I had taken off. I wanted them long enough for them to still feel like talons but short enough to be functional and I think that this was a good in between length. But, I am secretly looking forward to them growing out a little!

The one thing that I wasn’t too thrilled about at LT asides from my fingers getting stabbed quite a few times was that they charged five dollars extra for all services involving long nails. I mean, okay, I get it because they do take more time but I had never been to a salon or even heard of one doing that before which was a little annoying. So, now I’m on the great debate of continuing to go to LT when I need a fill or going to my old salon to see if a tech that I haven’t been to before could potentially do a good job. Oh, what a tangled web we weave!!

But, regardless, my new nails still look really good which is all that matters, I guess! Who else likes to sport stiletto nails? What is one of your favorite nail polish colors to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb16

Sweet Spring MOTD

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Sweet Spring MOTD

Hii everyone and welcome to the next post in my Think Spring guest bloggers series by my darling friend, Jackie, from Makeup and Beyond. I am so excited to have her share her makeup expertise with all of you because you and I both know that I wear the same makeup literally every day! Jackie is going to teach you guys how to create a soft and sweet look perfect for a spring afternoon with the girls. For more fabulous MOTDs and beauty advice, please be sure to check out her page and give it some love!

Sweet Spring MOTD

Hey Guys!!

My name is Jackie from the blog Makeup and Beyond. My usual posts are about makeup/beauty products and this blog is no different apart from…being a guest blogger. The lovely lifewithlilred is doing a series on guest bloggers and I am honored to be a part of it. Spring is in the air, which brings new makeup looks and a fresh color palette to compliment the season. I have put together a look that I would use for going out for a coffee with mates or a stroll through the park if the weather permits!

First, I want to apologize for the bad photo quality, I took about 40 photos to try and get this look perfect, but I just couldn’t get the quality through the pictures. These were the best that I could do and any tips would be much appreciated. (I think they look great! -Sarah)

I always start with moisturizer first. I personally use Clinique Dramatically Cream, but whatever you use will be fine, this is just my preference at the moment. I let that settle into my skin for a couple of minutes to make sure that it all seeps in nicely. I then move on to my primer. I love using the Benefit POREfessional, this is great for disguising pores, which I have on my cheeks, nose, and forehead. I tend to use this all over my face, though, as it gives a smooth base to apply my foundation.

That’s the prep work done for my base and now I am just going to list the products I used and how I used them:

  • Foundation – Estee Lauder Double Wear (2N1 Desert Beige) – I apply this with a damp Real Techniques sponge all over my face.
  • Concealer – Maybelline Eye Eraser (Light) – I apply this under my eyes and blend out with the damp sponge used to apply my foundation.
  • Powder – Rimmel Stay Matte (Translucent) –  I apply this all over my face to set my foundation and concealer.
  • Bronzer – Makeup Revolution Ultra Bronze – I do a slight contour with this on my cheeks and blend into my forehead and under my chin
  • Blush – Milani Baked Blush (Luminoso) – I apply this to the apple of my cheeks, just to give a nice healthy glow.
  • Highlighter – I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love (Goddess of Faith) – I used this to highlight my cheek bones, down my nose and my cupids bow
  • Eye Primer – Urban Decay Original Primer Potion – I apply this all over my lid to ensure that it’s blended well and then apply my face powder over the top. I do this as the primer is quite tacky and powder makes it easier to blend the eyeshadows.
  • Eyeshadow – Morphe 350 – I used numerous colors from this palette, so I have numbered them below:

jackie3

I used 1,2 and 3, all separately, but all blended into my crease. Layering them on top of each other to create a good gradient. I then applied 4 to the center and inner part of my eyelid, then used 3 to apply to my outer corner and blended this together to create a smokey effect.

Over the top of color 4, this being a quite pinky, glittery shade, I wanted to make it pop more. I decided to apply the Maybelline Eyeshadow Color Tattoo in Pink Gold over the top, just to make it stand out more and have a more creamy look to it. I would really recommend this, it’s great to work with and the color is absolutely gorgeous. It definitely gave this look the spring feel that I was looking for.

I then used color 2 and 3 on my lower lash line, to warm up under my eyes.

Eyeliners can be applied if you were looking to turn this into a more evening look, but I think for during the day, smoking out an eyeshadow on your lower lash line is the best option for creating an approachable and soft look for day time wear.

And, finally, here are the products that I used to complete the look:

  • Mascara – Benefit Roller Lash – I used this on my upper and lower lashes. This is one of my new favorites, as it’s made my lashes look longer but also helps them look fluffier by separating them.
  • Eyebrows – Sleep Eyebrow Stylist (Medium) and Benefit Gimme Brow (3)
  • Lips – Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss (Rose & Shine) – I’m not much of a gloss person, but as I was going for a spring look, I thought that the matte lipsticks I have were too bold and I wanted something more subtle.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did making it and hopefully this will inspire you to create a soft and smokey spring time look of your own! Please visit my page and give me a follow at Makeup and Beyond and thank you to Sarah at lifewithlilred for allowing me to share my passion on her blog.

^^^ Thank you so much again to Jackie for creating this drop dead gorgeous Sweet Spring MOTD! Make sure to tune in tomorrow for some super helpful spring cleaning tips by Christie Adams Writer. Until then, how do you sport a soft makeup look for spring? Do any of you have some of the same products as Jackie in your arsenal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb16

Fix Your Skin Expert Roundup

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Fix Your Skin Expert Roundup

Heyy guys and happy Thursday! So a couple of weeks ago I was contacted by my friends at Fix Your Skin to give some advice in their 2017 Expert Roundup. I have to say, I was completely flattered to have been one out of the 200 dermatologists, makeup artists, bloggers, and skin care experts that were chosen to participate. Not only flattered but SO FREAKING EXCITED!! What an honor!

Skin care has been something that is extremely important to me since I was a teenager. My complexion has always been a feature of mine that I take a lot of pride in so I have always wanted to maintain peaches and cream perfection since I entered high school. Teenage skin made me nervous. Breakouts, acne, blackheads, whiteheads, pimples – whatever name you have for problem skin, I was scared.

The fear of having high school being even shittier if acne was a problem motivated me to create a regime and find products that worked for me. Through trial and error, I was able to find cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and creams that helped to enhance my skin’s beauty, some of which I still use to this day. And, I hate to jinx myself now, but at twenty-two years old I have never had a pimple in my life!

When I tell people my “never had a pimple” fun fact, I always feel very lucky, especially since all of my life and to this day, I constantly commit the biggest skin care no no: I sleep in my makeup!! But, you know what? That’s okay. If sleeping with makeup on is my one bugaboo after close to ten years of diligently caring for my skin, I’d say that I’m doing alright!

Believe me, my high school years were still shit despite a fresh face but I am so thankful that acne was not a problem that was added onto my pile of stress that came from an abundance of mental health issues. I graduated high school, then, when I was eighteen, I began to work at The Body Shop as one of their assistant managers and that just took my always growing knowledge and passion for skin care to a whole other level.

Working at The Body Shop will always remain one of my favorite retail jobs that I have ever worked. I reveled in being able to assist my customers with their skin care needs and create custom regimens to help solve their problems and boost their confidence. It really was a joy and I loved being able to swap skin care stories and secrets with everyone that walked into my store.

I was hungry to learn about all of the products that The Body Shop as well as our competitors offered to provide customers with the best answers to their questions and I was consistently complimented on my expertise. It felt good to be praised for something that I learned, which rarely happened during my high school career and even after I quit working at TBS, I still would always drop skin care knowledge on my mom, sister, friends, and randoms on Facebook when they needed advice.

When lifewithlilred was born in 2014, I knew that product reviews had to be something that was included on my page. I loved being able to steer my readers in the direction of products that I loved while helping them avoid the ones that were ehh…not so much! And you know, I guess this rambling little story about the past ten years of my skin care experimentation is a roundabout way of getting at that I am really freaking proud of myself to have been chosen by Fix Your Skin to be a part of a roundup of people that they considered experts in skin care.

I may not be working in a skin care based field anymore but I do have a blurb on a website dedicated to helping people with their skin care needs. Check it out and be sure to take a look at the full article for more advice:

blurb

I want to thank Fix Your Skin again for including little old me in their Expert Roundup because it means much more than people probably realize! What are some of your skin care tips and tricks? What is one of your most loved skin care products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb15

A Welcome Letter To Spring

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A Welcome Letter To Spring

Hi everyone and welcome, welcome, welcome to my Think Spring guest bloggers series. This six day extravaganza was created to help everyone shake away the blahs of winter by celebrating all things spring. From creative writing and spring cleaning tips to the perfect soft spring time makeup looks, this series has it all. To kick start the fun, this series will start out with A Welcome Letter To Spring by my dear friend, Tanya, over at TanyaTales. Her blog will help take your imagination to a new level and I encourage everyone to check it out! Now, let’s get to it:

A Welcome Letter To Spring:

Dear Spring,

In truth, I know it has only been a year since we have been apart and though I know you have only just returned I fear that soon you will depart. A year may not be long in the grand scheme of things but it has given me a chance to reconsider what each month you offer me brings. I look upon the long and difficult year I seem to have ahead of me and see not tasks or challenges but the four seasons of which there will be. The winter, the autumn, the summer and not to forget you. For spring is the season which starts the cycle of life brand new.

Each seasons in the year presents its own role within the family and you, young spring, know your role as the bringer of life and vitality. You are a fresh start, of that I am sure, and act as a constant reminder that when god closes a window he opens a door. You are my favorite of all the seasons and this letter should outline all of my reasons. While most choose to ignore your friendly and gentle breeze which causes the grass to shiver slightly and shake the high standing trees, I chose to see only the good for us you do and although it isn’t acknowledged by many it is appreciated by us few.

The way you dress giggling children, hooded and footed in rain boots and coats as they jump in puddles pretending to be pirate boats as across the sea they float. While you, dear spring, watch on quietly not seeking attention or feeling need to gloat. Your breeze fills their sails and creates new tales of which they will play out. Untold tales of undiscovered lands and shores which glitter with multi colored sands.

But as children grow into young teens your spring days are suddenly given very different means. It offers new tales of bright and blossoming love in the time old image of flying white doves. Fluttering through the sky their feathers floating to the ground as they fall around us without making a sound.

Your days they bring images of fluffy yellow ducklings breaking free from the confinements of their shells and brings pictures of babies, pure and innocent, taking their first breath and telling worried mothers that they are alive and well. As fresh air fills every newborn’s room with clean and fresh scents of flowers in bloom and your unpredictable April showers rain down on young birds chirping in the early hours. As dams are built by busy beavers, message of your arrival spreads in the form of hay-fever.

Oh spring, you may not offer the hot and relaxing summer holidays but you bring back stolen light in a warm spring blaze. You wash away the winter snow while placing glistening dew on the green grass which glows. You put back the leaves which autumn took away and by the time the year reaches May, our windows are graced with bright pastel colors and beautiful leaves which takes out the anguish every time you make me sneeze.

Oh spring, if I am only sure of one thing it is that, I am most definitely glad that you have come back.

^^^ Thank you again to Tanya for such a beautiful post to start the Think Spring guest bloggers series with. Tanya offers new pieces of creative writing on her blog every Friday at 7 PM so definitely take a look if you like the piece that she wrote special for lifewithlilred. What images comes to mind when you think of spring? What is your favorite season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb14

Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style

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Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style

Hello everyone and happy happy Valentine’s Day! Shout out to the couples celebrating today and also shout out to the single ladies (like me) who will be enjoying wine, chocolate, and chick flicks solo dolo! But hey, whether you’re in a relationship or not, there is one thing that I’m sure we can all agree on: Valentine’s Day is a day to get cute. It’s no matter if it’s just for yourself or for your significant other, V-Day is the day to pull out all of the girly fun stops that might not fly for you on the regular. We’re talking florals, lace, darling dresses, and accessories for days.

“But Sarah, you’re the farthest thing from girly when it comes to your style”, you might say? Yeah, I know but watch me put together the best of both worlds of rocker chic and totally sweet with this look:

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My Outfit:

  • Butterfly Moto Jacket: Nasty Gal, Signature Eight
  • Floral Dress: One Love Yoga & Boutique, Millibon
  • Dove Detailed Heels: ModCloth
  • Heart Shaped Sunnies: PacSun
  • Pearl Necklace: My grandma’s! ❤

When styling this look, I knew that I wanted to create something very feminine and pretty but I also wanted to give myself a bit of edge so that I would still feel like myself. I started the process with my burgundy floral Millibon dress and began to piece together a cohesive outfit from there. The butterfly moto jacket from Nasty Gal was a no brainer to throw over the dress. The olive hue of the jacket matched those in the dress perfectly but what sold me on it was the shape. To toughen up a sweet as pie dress, all you need to do is throw on your favorite motorcycle jacket and you’re off!

My dove detailed heels are from ModCloth and they are actually so worn that I can’t even tell what brand it is anymore! Anyways, I was toying with putting on one of my many pairs of black heels but my ModCloth pair just looked too cute to pass up on wearing them. How can you go wrong with something so darling on Valentine’s Day? My heart shaped sunnies seemed like the perfect way to go to add some cheeky fun to the look, but the accessory that I’m the most excited about is the pearls that you can see peeking out in the pictures. This strand of pearls belonged to my beloved grandma and it is my favorite piece of jewelry to wear with basically everything. Not only are the pearls timeless and beautiful, but I love knowing that my grandma is with me, especially when they’re fastened around my neck.

After assembling an outfit that I was pleased with, it was time for hair and makeup. As you can see, I went with a rocker chic pompadour to add that little extra something something to the look. Nothing makes me feel more glam rock than a hair to the heavens pompadour a la David Bowie and this is what kept me feeling like me while sporting such a pretty look. And, of course, there is no better time than Valentine’s Day for a set of ruby red lips to pucker up with. I’m sure all of you already know that I went with my favorite shade of Pure Red by NYX considering that’s literally all I wear!

Now, I realize that Valentine’s Day is the day for us accessorizers to get some new jewelry to add to our collection. Whether your new jewelry is a gift from your special someone or a total TREAT YOSELF splurge, I am sure that all of my darling readers will go gaga over the gorgeous jewelry from AUrate. This company specializes in the most fantastic gold accessories to add a touch of glam to your look and I just had to share two of my favorite pieces with you from their gold necklace collection. Take a look and proceed to drool:

^^^ SO. PRETTY!!

If you guys haven’t gathered by now, I love, love, LOVE pearls. The glamour, the elegance, the pure beauty – pearls just speak to me. That’s why I simply adore the Simple Pearl Necklace that AUrate offers. The single drop of a perfectly shaped pearl on a glistening gold chain? Woof! I’m sold.

And this wouldn’t be a signature lifewithlilred post if I didn’t go all heart eyes over a piece of clothing or accessory with my favorite color: black. Say hello to AUrate’s Black Diamond Choker. This piece is so totally in right now and nothing screams Lil Red more than an expertly crafted black diamond accessory. SO gorgeous! *insert heart eyes emoji*

Do check out the rest of the stunning gold necklace collection from AUrate and be sure to leave the page up on your computer as a little hint to your honey! 😉

So there you have it, a look perfect for date night, girls night, or a TREAT YOSELF day as seen in my Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style post! How do you sport the perfect Valentine’s Day look? What are you and your significant other doing to celebrate? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb9

Accessory Story: All Gold Everything Edition

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Accessory Story: All Gold Everything Edition

I treasure all of the moments that I shared with my late grandma equally but one thing that I particularly remember about her is her sense of style. My grandma (like me) loved to shop. She loved looking her best and she always wore outfits that were simple but elegant. I remember one time, we went to her favorite store, Talbots, and I helped her pick out a brand new winter wardrobe. Once the bill was tallied all she could do was laugh and say “I went hog wild!”

No outfit is complete without the right accessories, though, and this is something that my grandma was an expert in. She had the most divine jewelry and I kid you not, over one hundred hats!! I have such fond memories of playing dress up in grandma’s closet and jewelry box as a child while she played the piano or baked a delicious meal or sweet treats. After my grandma’s passing, a lot of her pieces of jewelry went to myself, my sister, and my mom (her daughter). Quite a few of her hats and floral maxi skirts also ended up in my collection, as well.

I have to say, I’m not the biggest accessory girl in the world. I literally wear the same earrings and necklace every day. But I am getting more adventurous with accessorizing my outfits after I looked at all of my necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings and realized that all of them were essentially going to waste. That was when I decided to add one of my grandma’s necklaces to an outfit that I was wearing and it became my new favorite:

About a week ago, my outfit consisted of my new Forever 21 cheetah print jersey, Nasty Gal patched moto jacket, Loft velvet black skinny jeans, a backwards baseball cap, and a killer pair of heels. But, it felt like I was missing something. I was trying to go for an urban chic look that day and all I could think about was how fabulous a big, chunky, gold necklace would be to complete the look. Then, I remembered that I already had one!

I snagged the drop dead gorgeous necklace seen above from my dresser and as soon as it was on, it instantly transformed the outfit. I wasn’t just trying to emulate an urban chic vibe, I was urban chic and it felt amazing. It’s funny to think that such a cool, almost tough girl feeling came from a necklace that belonged to my grandma (as seen in the featured image photo), who was the most sweet as pie, beautiful woman that I know. But hey, I think that she would be proud that I was wearing her jewelry in a way that helped enhance my personal style and was thinking of her the entire time that it was around my neck.

Since last week, I think I’ve worn my new favorite outfit at least three times and I still love it just as much as the first time that I wore it. I can’t wait to begin utilizing all of the wonderful accessories that I have from my grandma and the ones that I have accumulated over the years. I am so excited to see which piece of jewelry will transform one of my outfits next and am looking forward to sharing it with all of you!

These silly pictures of me and my sister are from my brother’s rehearsal dinner from his wedding but they give you an idea of what the necklace looks like on:

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So there you have it, my first Accessory Story: All Gold Everything Edition! What is your favorite accessory that you own? What is your favorite kind of accessory to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb9

Bath & Body Works February Freebies

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Bath & Body Works February Freebies

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! Bath & Body Works is back on track with their freebies after taking December off and I couldn’t be happier. This month, I switched things up and went with shower gel instead of lotion since I already have like ten travel sized lotions that accumulated over the months. I went with shower gel because when I make my way to Europe hopefully within the year, it will be nice to have travel approved body washes that I didn’t have to pay a dime for. Hey, every little bit helps!

The shower gels will also be a nice addition to add on to gifts to friends and family when their birthdays come around. Adding in a few mini lotions with their shower gel counterparts brings an extra ten or more dollar value to the prezzie without having to break out the plastic or cold hard cash. That’s such a win in my book! Seriously, nothing is better than having a stock pile of beauty items to turn to when you feel like a gift is kind of blah because of either lack of funds or inspiration. What girl doesn’t love a few extra bath and body care goodies to add to her collection?!

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Today, I got two travel sized shower gels in Beautiful Day and Pretty As A Peach. Both of these scents are equally delicious but that’s not what I want to talk about in this post. Instead, I want to discuss the possibility of doing a giveaway on lifewithlilred soon – the very first one, as a matter of fact! February is all about my Think Spring guest bloggers series but come March, a giveaway with a little bouquet of four or five travel sized lotions or gels could be lots of fun! Like I said, what girl doesn’t love a few extra bath and body care goodies to add to her collection?!

So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works February Freebies! How does everyone feel about a giveaway? Which scents do you think I should include? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb6

TJMaxx Gift Card Purchases

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TJMaxx Gift Card Purchases

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This past week was the Special Olympics games and it was a fantastically fun time. All of my students were very successful in their events and I couldn’t be more proud. At the banquet following the games, one of my students and his family presented me with a late graduation present – a beautiful framed photo of myself and my student from last year’s games and a gift card to my favorite place on earth…TJMAXX!!! I was so thankful for such a thoughtful gift because they seriously hit the nail on the head. I love having my new picture of such a happy memory on my desk and I had a blast doing some shopping with my mom to spend my gift card this past weekend.

The prezzie actually couldn’t have come at a better time because I’ve been wanting to do a major skin care haul so I can have a year’s supply of all of my must have beauty items without the hassle of waiting around for deals all year. Until the price is right at The Body Shop for all of my necessities, I was able to put two new moisturizers (as I was running low on my Vitamin E TBS cream) and one of my favorite cleansers on back stock. Take a look:

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The Haul:

  • Destiny Boutique charcoal cleanser
  • Lanocreme day cream
  • Arad day cream

In case you guys don’t already know, I’m obsessed with Destiny Boutique and I got this cleanser from TJs not too long ago. But, I saw it in the beauty section and thought it would be a great addition to my skin care back stock so into the cart it went. After finding my favorite cleanser, it was time to look for some new moisturizers. When it comes to creams, my skin really isn’t picky at all but I had the hardest time finding them in the TJs beauty aisle. Seriously, all they seemed to have was night creams and masks so I felt lucky that I found two day creams that I think will work just fine.

I’m always excited to try products that isn’t native to the ol’ USA so when I saw that the Lanocreme moisturizer was made in New Zealand, I definitely wanted to give it a go. As far as the Arad cream goes, I have never used any of their products but I have heard good things so I decided to go with that one, too. I’m a little anxious to try both of these out considering I’ve been using The Body Shop’s Vitamin E moisturizer steadily for the past couple of months so we’ll see how it goes. Fingers crossed that I’ll have good things to say about it in an upcoming monthly beauty finishes post!

The last of my gift card was used on restocking the communal TBS body butter and lotion hoard that my mom and I share. A Raspberry body butter for me, Vanilla Chai for her, and a cocoa butter lotion – my favorite! If you love The Body Shop products as much as my mom and myself and you have a TJMaxx near you, then I can’t recommend stopping in and scoping out their beauty aisle enough. You never know what you might find!

So there you have it, my TJMaxx Gift Card Purchases! What is one of your favorite items from The Body Shop? What is one of your favorite scores from TJMaxx? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb4

Mystery Post!

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Mystery Post!

Hi everyone and happy weekend! This week I’ll be working on a very fun post for a super chic company that I am so excited for. I can’t give away all of the details but I’ll give you guys a little hint with the picture below:

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What do you think the balloon says? Can you guess the theme of the Mystery Post? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

January 2017 Finishes

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January 2017 Finishes

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. With January coming to a close and the reminder of Valentine’s Day in February coming in at full force, it’s time to talk about my empties for the month. I actually had a lot of finishes in January which I was so happy about because I was working on a few of them for quite a while and it’s always fun to start something new! Take a look at the products that I bid adieu to this month and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • The Body Shop Argon Oil body wash: YES
  • Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture lotion: NO!!!!
  • Jergens BB Protect lotion: YES
  • St. Ives Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange scrub: YES
  • Olay Total Effects moisturizer: MAYBE
  • Yes To Grapefruit Correct & Repair treatment: NO
  • The Body Shop Almond body butter: YES

Why/Why Not?

TBS Body Wash: This jumbo sized body wash was compliments of TJMaxx for a whopping EIGHT dollars. It took me well over three months to finish completely and I would definitely use it again. The Argon Oil scent is mild and soft and it left my skin feeling well moisturized after each use. It might not be my favorite scent that TBS has to offer but getting the jumbo sized shower gels from TJs is a steal so I take what I can get!

Juicy Couture Lotion: This is a product that I’ve been putting off using for a long, long time because it smells like butt! Many Christmases ago my mom gifted me with a Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture box set that came with the perfume and this lotion. I don’t think that I have ever even used the perfume and the only reason that I finally caved and used the lotion was to be rid of it! The smell…it just isn’t for me. It is so overpoweringly flowery and god knows what else and I (and my entire family, who reminded me every time I wore it) completely hated it. It took me about three weeks to finish this lotion and I could not have been happier to see it go! BYE FELICIA.

Jergens Lotion: I won this Jergens BB lotion from a giveaway last year along with the BB hand cream, which I loved. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this body lotion again but if it were offered to me or if it were cheap enough, I would snag it. I liked how light it smelled and how quickly it absorbed but it was not an incredibly great value as I finished it after about four uses!

St. Ives Scrub: You guys already know that I love my St. Ives products and this scrub is no exception. First of all, the Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange scent is delicious. It is so invigorating and bright and I loved using it first thing in the morning. Second of all, my skin felt great after every use. It both felt and looked radiant and instantly took away the dull, tired look that sleep can bring to your skin. It took me a little over one month to finish this scrub.

Olay Moisturizer: This empty is actually compliments of my mom who handed it down to me two days before Christmas because I was all out of whatever I was using. She said there was about two uses left which was great because I knew that I would be getting more moisturizer and skin care goodies under the tree! My mom was dead wrong though, because I got about three weeks of use out of the rest of this product which shows that just a little bit of it goes a long way. This moisturizer absorbed quickly and its scent was subtle and mild which I liked, however, the texture was too thin for my liking. I like moisturizers with a little bit of heaviness to it, like The Body Shop’s Vitamin E cream, so this Olay one just didn’t pack enough of a punch for me. I won’t say that I wouldn’t use it again but it’s not something that I’m dying to buy after using it for close to a month.

Yes To Grapefruit Treatment: I like the idea of this Correct & Repair treatment but it really didn’t do much for me. The grapefruit scent did smell great but I never saw any noticeable differences in my skin after using it. I used this product about three to four times per month and it lasted me three months so the value of it was good but that’s really all I have to say for it. I think that this product was trying really hard to be a peel and it just didn’t work out that way. Rather, it was more like a scrub that sat on your face for ten minutes before washing off. -__-

TBS Body Butter: I love, love, LOVE the almond scent from TBS so when I saw this for SIX bucks at TJs, I had to grab it! The light nutty scent is so rich despite its subtleness and it just feels (and smells) so good on the skin. I love putting body butter on after a nice, long bath so it was a treat to be able to use one of my favorites for the past month which is about how long it lasted for me, too!

The month of January brought me seven finished products and some I loved and some…not so much! But that just means that I have seven new products to test in the months ahead which is something that I always look forward to. I would say that this month was still very successful as there were quite a few empties that I would definitely use again but I am so ready for the newbie products come February!

So there you have it, my January 2017 Finishes! Have any of you ever used any of the above products before? What did you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah