Category Archives: Beauty

Being Female Isn’t Easy, But You Can Make It Fun!

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Being Female Isn’t Easy, But You Can Make It Fun!

As a woman, you can often feel like life is either on your shoulders or an absolute blessing – we never really spend a lot of time in-between (thank you hormones). Although we have some tough times to deal with, it’s not all that bad. Being a woman has it’s woes – think childbirth, periods, and taking longer to get ready in the morning, it also has it’s highs. When you’re female, you get to have a whole lot of fun and be girly in ways that really highlight the little perks in life. So, if you’ve all but given up on being a girl, these little reminders should pick you back up and perk you up on your (high heeled) toes.

You Get To Dress Up: What girl doesn’t love to dress up? We all did it as children, and sometimes, being able to raid your mom’s closet was the best fun you could ever have. But now, you get to do it all in your own closet – and who wouldn’t want that. Sometimes, we get wrapped up in the idea of looking good and shaming our own bodies, that we forget how fun it is to get all dressed up!

And Play Around With Makeup: If the whole idea of wearing an incredible outfit isn’t enough, we also get to wear makeup, too. To some people, it will be a chore. But, when you have enough time to do it, playing around with makeup is a whole lot of fun. Not only can you experiment with different looks and try out different hacks, but you also get to feel beautiful throughout the entire process.

We Have More Clothing Options: Whoever invented the dress and skirt should be given a medal! Not only does that mean we can explore more options to choose from in the morning (and who doesn’t love options), we also get a lot more choices than men do. Skirts and dress are huge wardrobe staples. They have the power to make you feel girly and sexy and they can be pretty exciting to buy, too.

Feeling Sexy Is Fun: And while we’re on the topic of feeling sexy, let’s talk underwear. As women, we’re well and truly spoiled. Men usually have a total of three underwear options to choose from! But us, we have so much more. Choosing sexy underwear can be just as fun as wearing it. Whenever you’re feeling down, you can buy a new set, like the Freya underwear and lingerie options and completely change your panty drawer game.

And So Is Wearing Heels: Being female really does become the ultimate treat when it comes to fashion. We’ve talked about clothing, underwear, and beauty too. But it all really kicks up a notch when we get to the footwear. A good pair of shoes is all every girl could ever ask for, right? And, flats are great and everything, but, we all have to agree that heels are the best! When you get to wear heels, you not only feel fantastic, but you look it, too!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Exciting News!!

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Exciting News!!

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! I have some very exciting news for my Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series that I just couldn’t wait to share. As you guys know, my friend Angela (who I wrote about yesterday) has a delightful little Etsy shop dedicated to homemade bath and body care goodies. And because Miss Angie and I are in cahoots with each other, I ran an idea by her to get her crafty self to participate in my series. So, I am very excited to share with you guys that as a Lil Red Exclusive, Angela will be creating a signature spring scent special for my readers as a part of the series.

The product will launch on her Etsy shop as well as through an article on lifewithlilred during the series. I am also hoping that we might be able to employ a special discount available to my readers! I am SO excited to see what Angela comes up with but I also want to hear your input, too. What scents do you think are perfect for spring? What is your favorite bath and body care item to treat yourself with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: If you’re interested in participating in the guest bloggers series, shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com !

Blogger’s Blooming Business

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Blogger’s Blooming Business

Heyyy guys! When I have a friend who is very dear to me, I always make sure that I am one hundred percent supportive of all of their creative endeavors. One of my beloved blogging beauties, Miss Angela, has been a reader turned friend of mine for quite some time now. I can always look to Angela for rays of positivity and sunshine whether it be on her Facebook page or in my comments section and it always brightens my day infinitely.

Recently, Angela opened her own Etsy shop, Angie’s Bath & Body, which is chock full of amazing homemade and natural bath and body goodies. There are body butters, bath salts and fizzies, sugar scrubs, and so much more to browse through and I promise you that they both look and smell simply delicious! I encourage all of you to take a look at Angie’s Bath & Body and give some love to one of my dear blogging friends and maybe even treat yourself to some new luxury bath and body care! Love you, Ang!

Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series

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Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series

I’m still looking for some fabulous guest bloggers for this series! 🙂

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Hi everyone and happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a fab week so far. So during the past few months I really wanted to host a holiday themed guest bloggers series but I was so busy with graduation stuff that I didn’t get the chance. Now that the holidays are long gone and the winter blues are starting to kick in, I thought that now would be a perfect time for a series that celebrates all things spring. So break out the pastels and florals and apply some sweet peach blush to your cheeks and show me your best spring styles!

If you are interested in participating, shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com with some ideas for a guest post and we’ll pick which one works best. I’d love to be able to publish the series during the first week of February. Looking forward to hearing from all of…

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Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series

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Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a fab week so far. So during the past few months I really wanted to host a holiday themed guest bloggers series but I was so busy with graduation stuff that I didn’t get the chance. Now that the holidays are long gone and the winter blues are starting to kick in, I thought that now would be a perfect time for a series that celebrates all things spring. So break out the pastels and florals and apply some sweet peach blush to your cheeks and show me your best spring styles!

If you are interested in participating, shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com with some ideas for a guest post and we’ll pick which one works best. I’d love to be able to publish the series during the first week of February. Looking forward to hearing from all of you! -Sarah

Selfie Spam

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Selfie Spam

Hi everyone and happy weekend! Thanks to a fun post Christmas shopping trip to the mall and a shopping spree for my graduation, I wound up with an outfit this week that I was really feeling. This past Tuesday, I unleashed my inner David Bowie with a bright red pompadour (complete with hair glitter), a chic pair of velvet skinnies, and a faux fur jacket that screamed rock n’ roll glam. And, finally, my signature red lip to top it off! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Excuse the Selfie Spam, but there is something about walking around in an outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks that cost you less than one hundred that feels SO. DAMN. GOOD. I felt like rock royalty while running every day errands and then going out to dinner with my family and it was definitely something that I could get used to! I feel like this look would have made one of my idols, David Bowie, proud and I was able to fall in love with fashion all over again with just one killer outfit.

Not only was I in love with the clothing itself that I was wearing but I was really proud of my pompadour! I stopped attempting fun hair styles on myself long ago but with the outfit that I had in mind, I would be damned if I didn’t at least give a glam updo the old college try. Thanks to beaucoup hair spray and an all over dusting of gold hair glitter, I was left with a look that stood out and totally sparkled. Now that I know that I can actually do some of the hair styles that I would normally leave to my hair dresser, I can’t wait to experiment with my hair more. Score!

Some days you just feel like getting yourself dolled up and taking selfies until you’re literally sick of yourself. I admit that I’ve been lacking on my selfie game both on here and on social media so my dress up day felt like the perfect opportunity to get some fierce new pics onto the interwebs. I am so happy that I took some pictures that I actually like because, I have to say, it was exhausting! I genuinely don’t understand how some people take selfies every day that always look good. Luckily, now that I have a few newbies up, I can take a selfie break so don’t expect any more from your girl Lil Red for a good long while! 😉

So there you have it, some Selfie Spam for you to feast your eyes on! What are some of your selfie taking tips? What is your favorite filter? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Best Of My Holiday Haul

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Best Of My Holiday Haul

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope this holiday season brought you lots of fabulous goodies and some amazing quality time with your family and friends. This Christmas brought me a great big holiday haul thanks to celebrating with two families (mine and my boyfriend’s) and my best friend. I won’t bore you with featuring all of my prezzies but here are a few of my favorites from my holiday haul! Take a look:

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The Haul:

  • Arturo Chiang heels from my sister
  • Thug Kitchen cookbook from my sister’s boyfriend
  • Philosophy bubble bath, a stuffed bunny, and plaid gloves from my boyfriend

What I Like About You:

Arturo Chiang Heels: My sister spoiled me rotten with these shoes!! Kristen knows that I love all things footwear and I told her I needed one more pair for an empty space on my shoe wall. She took this need to heart and picked out a perfect pair for me in my favorite color – black! I was so excited about these because I was looking at a pair of perforated heels from TJMaxx and didn’t end up buying them but I like my gifted pair so much more! I am so happy to add my Arturo Chiang heels to my shoe wall arsenal and can’t wait to stomp it out in them once the weather warms up.

Thug Kitchen: Finally, someone sees me for the thug that I truly am! My sister’s boyfriend, Ramon, gave me this cookbook along with a Starbucks gift card and I thought that it was so thoughtful. Ramon is one of my best friends and I really appreciated that he picked out something that I actually really like – an all vegetarian cookbook doused in profanity! Thug Kitchen is filled with amazing vegetarian dishes and is freaking hysterical. Not that I would expect anything less from a cookbook that is subtitled “Eat Like You Give a Fuck”!!

Boyfriend Presents: As always, my Kyle spoils me during gift giving occasions and this Christmas was no exception. Among a huge haul of gifts from him, my bath wash, bunny, and gloves are some of my favorites. I love Philosophy products but I would never buy them for myself so I am so excited to use my Vanilla Birthday Cake scented body wash, especially because my favorite fragrance is anything vanilla!

There is actually a cute little story behind my blushing pink stuffed bunny. I have been begging Kyle to get me a real rabbit for Christmas since the beginning of the year but unfortunately, my mom is not on board with the idea. So for now, the stuffie will do but it definitely doesn’t beat the real thing! And finally, I adore my new gloves. The gift shop at Kyle’s restaurant has new variations of these gloves every year and I loved the black and maroon pairs that he got me last Christmas. But I think that this plaid pair is even better! I love the colors and the bow that goes across the wrist is too cute. 🙂

This is just a tiny peek at my holiday haul and I am so thankful for everything that I received this year as well as the time spent with my loved ones. So special shout out to them for making my Christmas one of the best yet!

So there you have it, the Best Of My Holiday Haul! What did you guys score this holiday season? Did you receive anything that you were madly in love with or ehh not so much? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

December Finishes

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December Finishes

Hello everyone and a very happy Monday to all! I hope that those who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a fantastic day and that everyone is enjoying the holiday season. This is my last post about my monthly empties for 2016 and it is kind of a blah one because all of the products are from The Body Shop! This month was about sticking with what I know and using up some of my favorite products from my go to bath and body and skin care shopping spot. So take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • The Body Shop Strawberry Body Scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturizer: YES
  • The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost: YES

Why/Why Not?

Strawberry Scrub: The scrubs from TBS are a must for me when I am shaving, as they exfoliate, moisturize, and lift the hair from their follicles which results in a smoother shave. I love both the strawberry and satsuma scrub and was lucky enough to find both at TJMaxx for five dollars apiece. Score! The best thing about this scrub is how well it lathers – a small quarter sized squeeze can easily cover your entire leg! A little goes such a long way with this product which is why I finally finished it after the better part of five months. I essentially paid a dollar a month to use my scrub and I can totally get down with that!

Moisturizer: I have wrote about my beloved Vitamin E Moisturizer many a times and my love for it grows with every use. This cream is perfectly in between a heavy and light consistency which leaves your skin feeling like peaches and cream every time. Your skin will look and feel so smooth, soft, and dreamy creamy. Thankfully, I got another jar for Christmas since I’m all out! It took me about a month and a half to finish this moisturizer.

Cocoa Butter: The cocoa butter is easily my favorite body butter that the store has to offer. It smells deliciously rich and chocolate-y in the most subtle way and you can feel it nourishing you as soon as it makes contact with your skin. This was the scent that I always recommended when I worked at The Body Shop because I feel like everyone who uses it loves it just the same. The nice thing about cocoa butter is that it is not as heavy as the Shea butter for those who like something lighter, like myself. Make sure you ask the employees at the store about which butters have a cocoa or Shea butter base next time you shop to get the consistency that you like! It took me about a month to finish this body butter which I scored for six bucks at TJs!

Vitamin C Boost: I am sure that all of you guys know by now about my undying love for the Vitamin C Skin Boost. I have been using this stuff since I was a teenager and I honestly don’t think that I will ever stop. I really feel like my skin looks brighter and more radiant thanks to consistent use of this product and I am so thankful for it! Nothing is better to me than luminescent skin so to achieve that with two pumps of the skin boost per day seems like a no brainer! It took me three months to finish this product.

It was such a treat to use up some of my favorite goodies from The Body Shop this month. It left me feeling perfectly pampered and incredibly happy that I was able to take care of my body with some of the products that I feel are the very best. Here’s to many more skin, beauty, and body care must haves in 2017!

So there you have it, my December Finishes! Please stay tuned this week for some of my favorite new items in my holiday haul! What was your favorite beauty product of 2016? Did anyone score any new makeup or beauty items for the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Hot Pink & Black Nails

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New Hot Pink & Black Nails

Hiii everyone and TGIF! Yesterday, I had a little pampering party to get myself perfect for the holiday weekend. I got my nails filled in the morning and then spent the evening dyeing my hair to get it nice and bright red for Christmas. As always, my nail tech, Vinny, did an amazing job shaping and sharpening my nails. I opted for a color for the accent nail that I rarely pick but am actually loving right now. Hot pink! It is far from your classic, run of the mill highlighter hot pink but more like a bright fuchsia and I think it is so fun! Take a look:

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The color looks admittedly red in this picture because poor camera quality but you get the point! Normally, when I am picking an accent nail color, I go with red or shades like grey, beige, or white. This new accent nail color is definitely out of my comfort zone considering I don’t own one pink item in my wardrobe but I’m glad that I went for it! Small changes to your daily routine are always fun and the little things like a new nail polish color or lipstick can really set yourself up for having an amazing day. Make sure that you find time to TREAT YOSELF this holiday season!

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I hope everyone has a fab Friday and a great Christmas Eve Eve! What accent color should I pick next time I get my nails filled? What is your go to shade of nail polish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

7 Secrets To Create A Spa Experience In The Comfort Of Your Home

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There is no denying it, at the end of the year, sometimes all you need to enjoy the holiday is to relax and feel good in your skin. Easier said than done, you may comment, and you would be completely right. As a modern society, it is becoming more and more difficult to be able to sit down, relax, and forget the everyday pressures of work, studies, and life in general.

While some rely on a night out with friends to get rid of the stress of the routine, others prefer to spend a day at the spa where they will be pampered and looked after. It’s not always easy to find the time to get to the spa, and it’s never 100% relaxing anyway: You are away from home and there’s the possible awkwardness of being surrounded by strangers wearing nothing but towels. So why not take the best of the spa experience and re-create it at home?

#1 Get The Best Hot Towels Experience:

The one thing that is common to every spa is the warm towels that the professionals use to wipe off excess product on your face. This immediately gives a delicious feeling of comfort and care, which helps you relax. If you think that this is impossible to achieve at home, think again. If you have a tumble dryer, you could wet your favorite towels and place them to dry for a few minutes before you start the spa treatment. Make sure that they are not fully dry when you stop the tumble dryer! They will be nice and warm on your face.

Alternatively, if this is not an option, you could soak your towels in hot water and wring them out until they are nearly dry. Let them stay slightly damp. To maximize the sensation, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water to benefit from the aroma-therapeutic smells as you place the towel on your face.

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Warm towels are a spa must have!

#2 Relaxing Candles:

You can’t have a proper spa treatment under the harsh light bulbs of your bathroom. You need a soft and calming source of light, such as candles – especially scented ones that help to relax the mind. The light of candles has an immediate relaxing effect, its soothing dimness will ease your thoughts and get you in the spa mood in less time than you need to say ‘spa treatment.’ Choose your candle scents carefully because you don’t want something that smells so overpowering to the point that it’s unpleasant. Wellness candles that contain essential oil will have a positive impact on your mood: Lavender is a common choice, for example.

If candles aren’t your thing, there are countless other ways to help set the vibe. Aromatherapy diffusers, CBD gummies, or even a percolator bong can get you in a relaxed state of mind to fully enjoy your spa experience!

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Thomas Wanhoff Image

#3 Find The Right Music:

When you walk into a spa, you generally hear soft and quiet music such as bird songs, the sound of water, or a tranquil oriental piece. While you may not consciously register it, this music can slow down your mind and prepare you to enjoy your spa treatment. If you are one of those people who naturally find it difficult to relax at the end of a long day, you want all the help you can get to set the perfect mood for your spa experience. Finding a calming playlist, with slow tempo music, will help to reduce your blood pressure and let go of the stress that your day brought about.

#4 The Importance Of Massage:

A good massage is not only a relaxing experience, but it also contributes to your overall health. However, you will find it difficult to find a professional masseuse for your at home spa! You could find chairs on the market with heated roller heads that can prove incredibly relaxing, too. If you are not keen to invest in a new piece of furniture, you can still find a smart alternative that will be just as helpful, such as taking a warm bath to soothe your muscles.

#5 Use High-Quality Skincare:

Start your spa day with a facial mask to clear out your skin from all of the impurities that it could have gathered outside. You can decide to treat yourself to a high-quality skincare mask, with the advice of a skin expert. But, if you prefer the organic feel of a spa treatment, you can make your own facial mask by mixing one tablespoon each of turmeric, raw honey, and milk. Then, apply the thick mixture onto your face and leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes. The combined actions of the three ingredients – anti-inflammatory turmeric, anti-bacterial honey, and exfoliating milk – will leave your skin feeling clear and healthy.

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Ahhhhh 🙂

#6 Make The Most Of Essential Oils:

Essential oils are common in most spa locations and are used in a variety of treatments for their relaxing, exfoliating, and moisturizing properties. If you, too, want to follow the essential oil route, do make sure to choose only organic oils that will offer the best of the plants. While there are plenty of choices including luxurious blue lotus oil or invigorating citrus, lavender and eucalyptus are two favorites that you will find in most spas. The key when using essential oils is to remember not to apply them directly onto your skin. Instead, you could mix them to your bath water, for example, or soak a washcloth in a mix of water and a few drops of oil. You don’t need much to get the best of them, so make sure to be cautious when using them, as too much could harm your skin.

#7 Make It A Healthy Rendez-Vous With Yourself:

Finish your spa day at home with a healthy treat, such as a cup of fresh green tea, a berry smoothie, or maybe a matcha cupcake if you are feeling a little naughty. Also, do make sure that you are drinking plenty of fresh water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated. Remember that the spa day is about feeling good inside and out, and one of the best ways to do that is to stick to a healthy diet at the same time!

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Fresh Green Tea Leaves