Category Archives: Beauty

Apr29

Beauty Blogger Award #3

Posted on by
Standard
Beauty Blogger Award #3

Hey everyone and TGIF! On Wednesday I was nominated by my blogging BFF, Nida, over at Shopaholic Blogs for my third Beauty Blogger Award. Nida is one of my literal favorite people who I haven’t met yet so please be sure to check out her page because I know you’ll adore her as much as I do! And be sure to tune in to lifewithlilred on Sunday for a special guest blog from Nida! Now, onto the rules for the Beauty Blogger Award:

The Rules:

  • Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you.
  • Answer the questions assigned to you.
  • Nominate your own makeup/lifestyle/fashion bloggers.
  • Frame 10 questions for your nominees.
  • Inform the nominees about their award nomination.

Q & A:

Your favorite thing to eat?

Taco Bell! Always and forever.

List five beauty products you use everyday.

My moisturizer from Trader Joe’s, Nutriganics eye cream from The Body Shop, Vitamin C Skin Boost from The Body Shop, some type of cream cleanser (I’m not picky), an exfoliator, and usually a St. Ives body wash. (That was six but I could have named twenty!)

One tip for writing a great blog post.

Write as if you were talking to your best friend.

If you could buy five things for free from Sephora what would you choose and why?

Uh oh…I’m going to sound like the worst girl ever but I’ve never purchased anything from Sephora before! I’m the queen of drugstore makeup so I never really bothered with getting sucked into the hype of high end beauty products. I suppose if I could try anything, though, I would love to give some of the Kat Von D lipsticks a try – I hear they’re amazing!

Perfume or body mist?

Body mist all day every day!! Country Apple from Bath & Body Works is my mist of choice and I have four extra bottles of it in my hoard just in case they ever discontinue the scent!

One tip for making your makeup last through the day?

I would say to stick with makeup that you know works. I have a very set in stone makeup regimen that I don’t often steer from so if you were in a situation where a makeup melt down would be disastrous (a wedding or a hot summer day) then it’s best not to be ballsy with trying something new. I like to stay within the brands that I love and know that work best for me because I’d hate to waste money on a product that doesn’t last/work well!

Straightening iron or hair dryer and why?

Straightening iron because I’m not patient enough for the hair dryer! I also prefer my hair to be pin straight and that’s something that I can never achieve on the rare occasion that I blow dry my hair.

How have you improved as a blogger over time?

I would say that my posts are way cleaner from when I first started out a year and a half ago. I’m a big grammar and run on sentence stickler so I’ve been trying to eliminate those faux pas from my writing and I think I’m doing alright so far!

Liquid eyeliner or pencil? Which do you choose? State your favorite brand and why you love it.

Definitely a pencil! I use Covergirl’s Liquiline Blast eye pencils and they’re so awesome. I don’t like the super hard pencils and the Liquiline Blast is so smooth and creamy, it makes applying it such a breeze. I also don’t have the steady hand for liquid eyeliner!

A makeup product you wouldn’t use even if you got it for free.

Lol, that’s easy! The brand, Nourish Organic, has the literal worst cleanser I’ve used in my life. You couldn’t pay me to ever buy it again.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. What is your favorite beauty product to splurge on?
  2. What drugstore makeup brand do you swear by?
  3. What is your favorite fragrance?
  4. Your favorite junk food?
  5. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
  6. How do you usually style your hair?
  7. What is your go to nail polish color?
  8. What makeup shades look best on you?
  9. How about colors that just look awful?
  10. What is your favorite shade of lipstick?

So there you have it, my Beauty Blogger Award #3! Thank you so much again to Nida at Shopaholic Blogs for the nomination! Nida is the epitome of beauty inside and out so please give her page some love! How would you answer some of the questions that Nida asked her nominees? How about some of the questions that I asked mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

Birthday Beauty Wish List

Posted on by
Standard
Birthday Beauty Wish List

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! The month of April is a time when I get really excited about my upcoming birthday on June 7th. Three birthdays fall in succession in my family – my mom’s on March 22nd, followed by my dad’s on April 6th, and my sister’s on April 8th. So needless to say, birthday fever has got a hold on me like you couldn’t believe. I love birthdays. I love giving gifts to friends and family and of course, I. LOVE. PRESENTS!!!

True story, all my boyfriend had to do this weekend was mention that he ordered some of my birthday presents and it turned into forty-eight hours straight of poor Kyle having to listen to me ask twenty-one questions about my gifts. I hate surprises and I hate waiting so the fact that I have to wait over a whole month to see my birthday gifts killed me! If there’s one thing that soothes my birthday fever though, it’s making a list and checking it twice. Therefore, I created my Birthday Beauty Wish List to hang proudly on my refrigerator to give all of my family members a not so subtle hint on what to get me. Check it out:

Beautiful Sarah’s Birthday Wish List:

(^^^ Lol that’s how I labeled it!)

  • Cash money
  • Good but cheap cleansers
  • Good but cheap moisturizers
  • St. Ives tea tree, apricot, oatmeal, and pink mandarin and lemon scrubs
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost
  • The Body Shop Brush on Radiance, Ref. #63691
  • The Body Shop blushes, shades 05 Bubblegum and 01 Macaroon
  • Covergirl mascaras in the darkest shade possible
  • Covergirl Liquiline Blast eyeliner in the darkest shade possible
  • Maybeline Dream Bouncy blush shade 05 Fresh Pink
  • Wet n’ Wild eyebrow pencil shade 604A A Taupe Of The Mornin’
  • Vidal Sassoon’s Runway Red hair dye

On my birthday and Christmas, I almost always ask for a restock of all of my must have beauty products. To me, there is nothing better than receiving a box full of beauty goodies because then I don’t have to buy my most loved products by myself! It’s a win/win because I know exactly what I want so it makes gift giving to yours truly an easy and relatively painless process!

For my birthday, I’d love to have a garden style party because I have a really big backyard. My family has badminton, croquet, and bocci ball set up and I feel like those are some of the perfect ingredients to having a super classy and fun birthday bash. I picture cute little appetizer food, teas, and mimosas for the menu as well as a big fruit salad for dessert. I also would love to have some type of water activity like water balloons or squirt guns in case it’s really hot out. Hopefully I have enough friends to make it a success. 😉

So there you have it, my Birthday Beauty Wish List! How would you throw a perfect garden party? What are some must haves for my possible birthday bash? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr21

It’s In The Bag – Lost & Found Edition Update

Posted on by
Standard
It’s In The Bag – Lost & Found Edition Update

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! About a month ago my boyfriend brought me a makeup bag that was sitting in the lost and found of his restaurant. I wrote about it in my post, It’s In The Bag – Lost & Found Edition, and all of you seemed interested in what I did with the products next. In case you forgot, here’s a pic of the contents of a complete stranger’s makeup bag:

vip2

So what did I do? Nothing, really. Like all of the comments suggested, I ditched the lip glosses which kind of hurt because I’ve heard so many good things about Hikari. I also sanitized the stick makeup with rubbing alcohol and cut off the used portion which was something that I discussed in the comments, as well. I also threw away the nail file because 1) I don’t use them and 2) even if I did, I don’t think that I would be okay with using it considering all of the nail particles on it! (Is that even a thing?)

I kept the mirror, the creams, and the sanitizer but I just haven’t gotten around to using the products yet. As you might have gathered from my reviews before, I’m one of those people who has to finish what I’m already using before I start a new anything. Honestly, it’s going to take a while because you guys have no idea how many beauty items I have on back stock!

I look forward to trying all the different creams as soon as I finish the Jergens hand cream that I keep in my purse. I also love having the cute little mirror in my bag! Quite a few of the lipsticks will be going to my sister because if you can’t tell after close to two years of my blog being up – I only wear red lipstick! And the shades that the lost and found bag contained would look much better on her, anyways.

As soon as I can add a new product into my beauty routine once I finish something, I will try to make it an item from the makeup bag. But until then, rest assured that most of the contents of my stranger friend’s left behind beauty products did not go to waste! Thank you to whomever forgot to take their makeup bag home with them, wherever you may be!  ❤

So there you have it, an Update on my post, It’s In The Bag – Lost & Found Edition! What do you keep in your makeup bag? How would you feel if you left all of your go to beauty products behind somewhere? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr20

TJMaxx Trip

Posted on by
Standard
TJMaxx Trip

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Over the weekend my mom and I had our monthly TJMaxx Trip and returned home with a huge bath and body care haul. Let’s be honest, when you’re out shopping, sometimes it’s much easier to just browse through the things that you don’t have to try on. My mom and I were both feeling ambivalent about clothes shopping so when we stumbled upon the shelf of marked down bath and body care goods, we just couldn’t tear ourselves away. Take a look at some of our new goodies:

tjs1

The Haul:

  • Pure & Basic Creme Brulee scented lotion: $6
  • The Body Shop Honeymania shower gel: $8
  • The Body Shop Argon Oil shower gel: $8
  • The Body Shop Olive shower gel: $8
  • The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit jumbo body butter: $10
  • The Body Shop Smoky Poppy body butter: $4.50

In Store Value:

  • Approximately $130!!!!

For less than fifty dollars at TJs, my mom and I scored a major haul full of goodies from The Body Shop. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love the bath and body care goods from TBS. However, I would never ever pay thirty dollars for a jumbo sized body butter. Or twenty bucks for their mega shower gel. It all just seems so ridiculous to me. I do use their skin care products, which I am willing to shell out the cash for. But to pay so much for lotions and body wash seems like pure insanity. Having said that, I have absolutely no problem buying them super marked down at TJs…Obviously.

The great thing about this TJs haul is that it gave me the opportunity to try new TBS scents. The only product that we got that I’ve used before was the Pink Grapefruit butter so I’m looking forward to giving the Smoky Poppy, Honeymania, and Argon Oil a go. The Olive scent is a good fragrance for men so we got that shower gel to spoil my dad and brother a little! I also can’t wait to try out the super delicious smelling Creme Brulee lotion from Pure & Basic. It seriously smells like a rich vanilla and caramel cake so I’m kind of obsessed!

When you’re in a slump and don’t feel like clothes shopping you literally can’t go wrong with browsing the shoes, bath and body care, and home goods sections of TJMaxx. My mom and I walked away with new towels, makeup, shower gels, lotions, and a new pot and bird feeder for our garden. Our April TJMaxx Trip was an obvious success and I can’t wait to do it again in May!

So there you have it, my latest TJMaxx Trip! What is the best item that you’ve scored at a discount store? What was one of your favorite finds at TJMaxx? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr17

Glamour Girl MOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Glamour Girl MOTD

Hi everyone and welcome to a very special guest blogging post here on lifewithlilred thanks to my friend, Rehma, over at glamorousetoiles. I adore Rehma’s blog so much and I’m sure that you guys will, too, so please check it out and give her page some love! While Rehma and I discussed what her post should be about, I suggested creating an MOTD and she happily agreed. I’m so glad, too, because Rehma is a makeup queen. And me? Not so much. So check out her Glamour Girl MOTD that she created special for my readers on lifewithlilred and then let’s discuss:

^^^ Beautiful!

Makeup Used:

  • Foundation: TV Paint Stick by Kryolan (FS45)
  • Concealer: NYX Orange Color Corrector & Maybelline Eye Eraser (Nude)
  • Powder: Artistry Mineral Powder (Light)
  • Eye Shadows: Makeup Revolution’s Flawless Palette
  • Waterline: Rimmel London Kohl Kajal (Nude 005)
  • Mascara: Maybelline Sensation and Great Lash (Blackest Black)
  • Highlighting: Colourpop Supershock Cheek and NYX Highlight & Contour Palette
  • Contour: NYX Highlight & Contour Palette
  • Blusher: Sleek Antique
  • Lipstick: Medora in Dark Coco
  • Liner: Makeup Revolution’s black liner
  • Makeup Brushes: Morphe & Makeup Addiction
  • Setting Spray: Urban Decay Chill Cooling & Hydrating Spray

What I love the most about Rehma’s MOTD is her deep berry lip! Nothing screams glamour to me more than a dark lip paired with a dramatic eye. Seriously, this look belongs on the red carpet of a movie premiere! I also like that, for the most part, Rehma created this look with products that you could buy from your local drugstore. I’m particularly obsessed with the fact that she used my personal favorite brand, NYX, to help create her MOTD. You look so gorgeous, Rehma! You go, girl.

I want to thank Rehma again so much for doing such an amazing job on this guest post. It was such a huge help and it turned out fabulous! Once again, please check out her blog at glamorousetoiles and give her page a follow and some love! What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand? What is your favorite makeup brand to splurge on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Nourish Organic Face Cleanser Review

Posted on by
Standard
Nourish Organic Face Cleanser Review

Helloo everyone and happy weekend! I recently started using a new cleanser by Nourish Organic that I snagged from my skin care hoard and I have been nothing but disappointed with it. The worst part? That once I start a product, I completely refuse to not finish it. So now, I’m stuck with using one of the worst cleansers of all time until there’s none left. #FML. I desperately need a vent session about this cleanser so take a look at the packaging and then let’s discuss:

organic

Okay, first things first is the smell. The packaging claims that it’s fragrance free but it seriously smells like rotten sunflower seeds. That in itself completely turned me off from the cleanser because waking up and having to scrub that on your face is seriously hell. I’m okay with a fragrance free product if it truly is fragrance free or close to it but the marketing for the Nourish Organic Face Cleanser is a blatant lie. Not cool.

On top of the faulty marketing that Nourish Organic used, the packaging for it kind of sucks, too. The cleanser is so thin in texture that as soon as you pop the lid, the face wash starts pouring out. The first time I used the cleanser, I ended up with a substantial amount on my shower floor because I wasn’t prepared for the flood gates to burst free as soon as I opened it. Once again, not cool.

And finally, the fact that this cleanser doesn’t lather in the slightest is a major issue. Because the texture of the face wash is so runny, it feels like you’re just rubbing slime on your face. The result? That your face feels tight, dehydrated, and not even clean. Every time I finish using my cleanser, I’m always so thankful that I use an exfoliator afterwards to pick up the slack. I would almost be okay with the horrid smell and the shitty packaging if the product actually made my skin feel good but if anything, it just leaves it feeling worse.

So how do I rate this product, you may ask? I’m so glad you did! I give the Nourish Organic Face Cleanser: negative one million billion stars and I would not recommend it to anyone. All I can hope for now is that I finish this cleanser quickly so I can use something different because anything is an upgrade from this!

So there you have it, my Nourish Organic Face Cleanser Review! Has anyone used a product lately that they’re completely disappointed in? What face wash are you currently using? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr15

You’ve Got Mail

Posted on by
Standard
You’ve Got Mail

Hi everyone and TGIF! This has been the week of treats for Lil Red! Thanks to my previous post, Beauty Bloggers: HELP! Again., I got spoiled with Avon samples from my friend, Angela. But the wealth continued to be shared because yesterday I was surprised with a package of Arbonne samples from the darling Nicole over at wychwoodwayfarer. I don’t get fun stuff like beauty supplies in the mail very often so thanks to Angela and Nicole, this week has me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning!

I had so much fun sorting through my haul of Arbonne samples that Nicole sent me with my mom. We divided the goods because I was sent doubles of some samples and I don’t use a night cream, I prefer masks. My mom was so happy to be included in the beauty festivities and I felt the same way times a billion! This morning I enjoyed using my samples of a cleanser, toner, eye cream, day cream, and serum from Arbonne. They were all simply fantastic. I especially enjoyed using the cleanser because the one I’m using currently sucks. -__-

I can’t thank Nicole enough for shipping such amazing samples to me and it was so nice to be able to try so many new products! I’ve never used or heard of Arbonne before and I think I just found a new favorite skin care line. Again, please be sure to check out Nicole’s page at wychwoodwayfarer and take a look at all of the wonderful Arbonne products that she has for sale! You’re fabulous, Nicole.  ❤

I hope everyone is having a great week so far with many fun things to look forward to this weekend. Has anyone received a surprise gift in the mail lately? Who is a fan of letter writing? (ME!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr13

Avon Calling

Posted on by
Standard
Avon Calling

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! A week or so ago I posted the article Beauty Bloggers: HELP! Again. because I was in search of a new serum to add into my daily beauty routine. I was so blown away by all of the wonderful suggestions and helpful tips that all of you commented. But I want to give my friend, Angela, from dazzelme an extra special shout out because she was kind enough to send me some Avon serum samples in the mail.

Angela was so incredibly sweet and helpful when we communicated via email. It really was such a treat to receive a package in the mail from her with a catalogue stuffed with samples and a handwritten note. I am so excited to test out all of the goodies that she sent me and am so happy to have gained such a fabulous new friend! I encourage all of you to check out her page at dazzelme and be sure to take a look at all of the gorgeous Avon products that Angela has for sale! Thank you again so much, Angela! You’re amazing!  ❤

Apr4

Monday Update: Beauty Blogger Tag Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Monday Update: Beauty Blogger Tag Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! I’m so flattered by all of the awards that lifewithlilred has been nominated for in the past week and this latest tag is no exception. I was so excited when my friend, Aurora, over at hlauroremode nominated me for the Beauty Blogger Tag because I’ve never been before! Every time I see this tag on other posts I get green with envy and wonder when it’s going to be my turn so today’s post is such a treat! Thank you so much for the nomination, Aurora! Everyone please be sure to give her page some loving, too! Now let’s check out the rules for the Beauty Blogger Tag:

The Rules:

  • Tag the blogger that nominated you.
  • Answer the questions you were given.
  • Nominate 10 other beauty blogs of your choice.
  • Choose 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
  • Inform your chosen bloggers that you nominated them.

Q & A:

What is your beauty routine?

I use a cream cleanser and an exfoliater every morning and then use an eye cream, a moisturizer, and a serum afterwards. Once I get my skin ready for the day, I apply my makeup and then straighten my hair with the assistance of Fiji oil.

How often do you exercise?

Never. Unless eating pizza counts.

Do you organize your makeup and nail polish?

I wouldn’t necessarily call my makeup organized but I do know where everything I need is in my bathroom cabinet. I actually don’t really wear nail polish so keeping them organized is never a problem for me since I only wear black polish on occasion!

Can you go out without wearing makeup?

Yep! It took me a long time to be comfortable and confident enough to be able to do it but now I go out makeup free all the time. In fact, I went shopping without my makeup on just last night!

How long does it take to put on your makeup?

It used to take me such a long time to do my makeup but now I’d say that my morning routine (shower, prepping my skin, makeup, hair) takes about forty-five minutes.

How often do you wash your makeup brushes?

Oh jeez, never. That’s something that I definitely need to be better at!

What is your favorite store to buy clothes at?

I love H&M as well as the occasional splurge at Express and American Eagle Outfitters.

How do you keep your skin soft?

At least three or four times out of the week I apply lotion from my hoard all over before bed. I like putting it on before I hit the hay because I know that it’s going to do its thing all night and then I can get the residue and scent washed away in the morning.

What motivates you?

People who are successful because they did things their own way.

What is your “smell good” routine?

That’s an easy one! My Country Apple spray from Bath & Body Works. I LOVE apple fragrances and originally I was using Victoria’s Secret’s Enchanted Apple. Unfortunately, that scent was discontinued so when I found B&BW’s Country Apple during one of their big sales, I stocked up! I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do if they ever stop making that scent because I was legitimately devastated when VS no longer carried their Enchanted Apple.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. How old were you when you learned how to put on makeup?
  2. Did anyone teach you how to apply makeup or were you self taught?
  3. What is one beauty product that you can’t live without?
  4. What is your favorite beauty product to splurge on?
  5. Favorite fragrance?
  6. Have you used a beauty product recently that didn’t live up to your expectations?
  7. Would you rather not wear makeup for a month or wear the same outfit for a week?
  8. What brand of makeup do you use the most?
  9. What is your favorite beauty or fashion trend for spring?
  10. What is your favorite lipstick or gloss shade?

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Beauty Blogger Tag Edition! Thank you so much again to Aurora at hlauroremode for the nomination! How would you answer some of the questions that Aurora asked her nominees? What about the questions that I asked mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr3

Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

Posted on by
Standard
Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend! When it comes to my night time beauty routine, I LOVE using masks. I’m always on the hunt for a light but effective moisture mask and I happened to find exactly what I wanted in Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask. It is literally the best mask that I’ve ever used and it makes The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask pale in comparison. This is easily one of my favorite items in my beauty arsenal so I just had to review it! Let’s discuss:

olay1

Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask is complete and total magic. Not only is it an amazing product but it’s a very fair price, too. You can’t beat fifteen bucks for a big container! I think that this mask is a steal and it also passes my perfect product checklist with flying colors, starting with the smell. The best way that I can describe the scent is that it’s like a fresh rainfall. It’s so crisp and clean but it is in no way overpowering. The scent is so invigorating that it leaves me bright eyed and bushy tailed until I fall asleep.

The texture of the Active Botanicals Mask is really nice, as well. It fits snugly into the category of just right. I can’t stand when creams or masks are too heavy or light. I like for my masks to be light enough that they absorb well but still heavy enough to feel like they’re getting the job done. The texture of Olay’s mask is what I could imagine The Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask would feel like it it were a cream instead of a gel. It feels really aquatic and it only takes one small test of the Botanicals mask on your skin to know that using it is going to be the equivalent of giving your skin a huge gulp of water.

Good smell – check. Nice texture – check. Absorbs well? Check! Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask absorbs right into the skin as quickly as you rub it on. But, all of it doesn’t completely soak in. Every time I use this mask, a fine layer always remains on my face as if it knows that I’ll be needing more in my sleep. As soon as you put the mask on, you can feel it working. Within the first minute my skin feels tingly, bright, and hydrated. The following day my skin feels so supple and my under eye circles always look less severe. The reducing of my less than designer bags under my eyes is always a nice bonus!

There’s no way that I would rate this mask with anything lower than: five stars. It’s such an excellent and truly effective product. Olay’s mask is amazing for bringing dry skin back to life and leaving your face perfectly hydrated. I can’t recommend this mask enough, especially if you are looking to ease chapped skin from winter or for adding an extra dose of moisture into your beauty routine.

So there you have it, my Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review! Has anyone used this product before? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah