Category Archives: Fashion

New NYX Lipsticks

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New NYX Lipsticks

Hellooo everyone and happy weekend! I absolutely love the makeup brand, NYX, and I recently restocked my favorite shade of their matte lipstick and purchased a color in their new Liquid Suede cream lipstick, too. NYX has the literal best matte lipstick that I’ve ever used in my life and I swear by my go to color, Pure Red. In almost every single picture of me that I have posted on lifewithlilred, chances are that I’m wearing my favorite shade. I was running low on my lipstick so I had to snag another tube from Target and also ended up with their Liquid Suede lipstick in Stone Fox. Take a look at the packaging and my skin swatches and then let’s discuss:

Before I began using NYX’s matte lipstick, I was using Covergirl and blow drying the bejeezus out of my lips to give it the perfect matte finish. At the time, there really was no reputable matte lipsticks out in any brand so I thought that I would be stuck blow drying my lippies until they fall off. Then, one day, I stumbled upon NYX’s matte lipstick at the grocery store and was so impressed by the ones that I tested that I bought at least five different shades that day. Of course, Pure Red ended up being my favorite and I’ve been a faithful user ever since.

As soon as I saw that I was running low on my Pure Red, it was vital that I got a new tube ASAP. Thankfully, a trip to Target remedied my restocking needs and I had a brand new matte lippy stored safely in my basket. During that shopping trip, I had the insatiable urge to try something new, as well. I’ll be frank, I’m not keen on the super colorful lipstick trend. I don’t care for the blues, greens, and purples that have been flooding my Facebook and WordPress newsfeed as of late. However, I was very interested in trying to find a grey or a black lipstick to try.

I knew that NYX had recently come out with their Liquid Suede line that boasted a wide variation of colors so I was really happy to see that Target had the new collection fully stocked. They had your classic reds and pinks as well as the funky crayon box colors, too. But at the very end of their color spectrum, they had a deep grey shade called Stone Fox. It was exactly what I wanted but I was very nervous to buy it without testing it in case it looked fucking miserable. So I did what any self respecting asshole of a shopper would do…I removed the plastic wrapping on the lipstick, went to the nearest mirror in the clothing section, and gave it a try…

It. Looked. Horrible. The dark grey was just too much and I looked like a total freak. I panicked, because I didn’t know how I was going to get the color off because it was clinging to my lips for dear life. Then, I had an idea. I dug into my purse and grabbed one of my berry flavored tinted chapsticks to see if I could coax the color off by applying some moisture. I smudged on the chapstick and rubbed my lips together like I was trying to start a fire and then I examined the results in the mirror…

Not bad. Not bad at all. The Liquid Suede/chapstick combo resulted in a smokey pink with the most subtle hint of lavender and it looked so cool! I showed my mom the shade that I concocted and she loved it, too. I asked her what color she thought it was and she was dumbfounded when I told her that my custom color was born from a lipstick shade that looked like I had smeared car grease onto my mouth.

After achieving a unique kind of success with the Liquid Suede shade, I couldn’t not buy it…Especially considering I had already opened it. I tested my Berry Smokey color around my best friend and boyfriend and it was the first thing that they complimented me on when they saw me. I was so pleasantly surprised when my boyfriend noticed because makeup isn’t his forte in the slightest! Honestly, makeup really isn’t my strong point either so I was so happy that I was able to turn a totally dreadful color into something edgy and cool all on my own.

So after reading the tale of my small lipstick victory, the real question is, would I recommend the products that I purchased? If you are a fan of red lipstick, I would without a doubt recommend NYX’s Pure Red matte lipstick. It’s the most gorgeous shade of red that I have ever seen and if you don’t believe me – check out all of my pics from yesterday’s photo shoot post!

As far as NYX’s Liquid Suede cream lipstick in Stone Fox goes, I’m kind of wishy washy about it. If you want to look like you fell face first into wet tar, then yes, totally buy this product. If you want to create your own smokey shade by mixing it with another lipstick or balm, then yes, totally buy this product. However, if you’re looking for a subtle way to rock a dark lipstick shade, then this cream lipstick is not for you. Wearing the deep grey color alone was too much, even for me, and that’s really saying something considering I’m the queen of all things edgy and quirky. So, yes, I suppose I do recommend this product, too, but just know what you’re getting yourself into before you buy it.

All in all, I’m really pleased with my New NYX Lipsticks and I’m so happy that I found such a reliable brand to suit all of my makeup needs. What is your favorite NYX product? How do you feel about the lipsticks that I wrote about today if you use either? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Photo Shoot Album (Pt. 2)

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Photo Shoot Album (Pt. 2)

Hi everyone and TGIF! I thought that today would be a great day to post the rest of my favorite pictures from my recent photo shoot with Britta Photography. Britta did such an amazing job photographing me which resulted in tons of pics that I’m totally obsessed with. Keep in mind that some, not all, of the pictures that Britta took are featured in part one and two of my Photo Shoot Album. But fear not! If you would like to see all of the pics from the photo shoot as well as additional pictures, statuses, and Twistfire ads I will be posting the link to my Facebook page below! Now, let’s take a look at part two of my Photo Shoot Album:

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^^^ Ahh, I love it!

As aforementioned, if you would like to view the rest of my photo shoot, you can check out my Facebook page (pretty please follow me!). While you’re scanning my profile, please be sure to give lifewithlilred’s page some loving, too! And if you want to be really nice, you can click on my ads compliments of Twistfire Media and help me get paid! As always, if you’re interested in signing up for Twistfire you can email me at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com!

So there you have it, my Photo Shoot Album (Pt. 2)! Thanks again so much to Britta Photography for doing such an incredible job! What is everyone up to this weekend? Any big plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New American Eagle Outfitters Jeans

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New American Eagle Outfitters Jeans

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! I hope all of you are having a great week so far. A little fact about Lil Red is that I freaking hate blue jeans. I absolutely one hundred and fifty percent despise them. I feel like they are so unflattering on me and that they make me look like a total heifer. Therefore, I only wear black skinny jeans. But here’s the thing – the skinnies can’t look or feel like denim. I’ve been in need of a new pair of these hard to come by pants for a while and finally caved this past weekend and purchased a pair from American Eagle Outfitters. Despite a few issues that I have with them, they’re alright so far so let’s discuss:

My holy grail pair of black skinnies is from H&M. They’re the literal best pair of pants that I ever owned and I love them so much. Unfortunately, my H&Ms as well as my pair from Express are starting to show signs of wear and tear which needed to be remedied ASAP. The nearest H&M to me is about an hour away and Express is way too expensive for my liking so I had to do some soul searching around the mall to find a pair that I could live with.

After trying on a few duds, I ended up settling for the AEO Sateen Jegging. I really liked the material that it was made out of because it didn’t feel like denim at all. They seriously feel like cloth on my legs when in all reality, they’re made out of a Super Super Stretch cotton blend of denim. This was a major plus for me because I hate the texture of denim and the way it lays on my body. And even though these jeggings felt awesome on my skin, they didn’t look like cloth by any means which I would never be caught dead in.

Another bonus about my new jeggings is that they fit skin tight but because the material is so stretchy, you never feel constricted. My other pairs of skinnies no longer fit closely to my skin anymore from over a year of wear so it felt really good to try on a pair of skinnies that fit nice and tight, like they should. I think that my new jeggings look really flattering and I love the way that they make my legs and booty look thanks to their super snug fit.

Although I really do love the fit and make of AEO’s Sateen Jeggings, I can’t help but think that they’re a little boring. My pair from Express was embellished with a snakeskin pattern while my H&M pair was coated and had quilted patches on the knees. It’s essential to me that the clothes that I buy have a little extra something to them to make them unique and unfortunately, there isn’t anything special about my AEO pair. Don’t get me wrong, I do like them but because I was in such desperate need for new pantalones, I ended up settling for the pair at the mall that didn’t suck the least.

Another major downside to American Eagle’s denim is their outrageous prices. These jeggings cost me fifty dollars which I was not thrilled about. My favorite pair of skinnies from H&M were half the price at twenty-five bucks so to pay double for a pair that didn’t totally knock my socks off kind of hurt. I think the prices at AEO are absurd to begin with so I was kind of mad that the jeggings I went with were from there. But hey, I was desperate and beggars can’t be choosers.

Even though I feel pretty wishy washy about my New American Eagle Outfitters Jeans, I am happy that I got them. They were much needed, they fit well, and I know that I’ll get a lot of use out of them. The clothes that I have purchased from AE has lasted me such a long time so I know that these jeggings will be no exception. Now if only I can make it out to H&M to restock my black skinnies collection with some pieces that are more reasonably priced!

You can check out my new AEO Sateen Jeggings as well as all of American Eagle’s clothing on the link provided. What is the best place to find black skinny jeans at? What is your favorite store to splurge at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Girls Night Out OOTD

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Girls Night Out OOTD

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! Welcome to another guest blogging post here on lifewithlilred, compliments of Nida, from Shopaholic Blogs. I am so lucky to have Miss Nida writing a post special for lifewithlilred every Sunday for the month of March! Her blog is fantastic so make sure you check it out and give it some love. This week, I asked Nida if she could create an OOTD perfect for a Girls Night Out and as usual, she did a fabulous job! You can see all of Nida’s OOTDs if you click on the Fashion category on my page but for now, take a look at all of the model status pics of Nida showcasing her outfit. Then, be sure to stick around to hear what she has to say about all of the pieces in her look:

 

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Hello loves! 💖
This week’s OOTD collab with the fabulous Sarah is all about hanging out with the girls! 😍 I love girls night out! It’s a time for us to get dressed up, relax, and have a great time together. For me feeling comfortable = feeling confident. ✨ All of the looks that I put together are 100% something I would wear. So without further ado here’s to a great night out with the girls! 🎉
✨ Top: Loft – Black is the color I reach for time and time again. With the right accessories it transitions seamlessly from day to night.
✨ Pants: Old Navy – From spring to summer these crop pants are comfortable and stylish. And unlike skinnies they won’t cut off your circulation half way through dinner! 😋
✨ Kimono: Garage – This flowy, gorgeous piece is right on trend with its beautiful print and fringe detail.
✨ Shoes: Nine West – I’m not a heels person at all but a special night out with the girls is not complete without blingy, sky high footwear! 💖
✨ Jewelry: Forever 21 – F21 allows me to stay on trend with the latest pieces at prices that won’t break the bank. 💸
✨ Bag: Mango – I usually don’t buy small bags since most of the time I’m lugging a truck load of stuff. But I love the detail on this bag and it doubles as a clutch! 😍
✨ Makeup – I’m clueless when it comes to makeup and I consider it a major victory if I can get the liner on both eyes to match. For this look I literally had ten minutes so I had to keep things short and sweet! ⏰

Makeup Used:
💫 Moogoo tinted face cream in Beige
💫 IT Cosmetics concealer in Neutral Medium
💫 Bare Minerals blush in Rose Radiance
💫 IT Cosmetics lipstick in Damsel
💫 Bobbi Brown gel liner in Caviar
💫 Coastal Scents ultra shimmer palette
💫 IT Cosmetics Celebration Foundation in Medium Beige
💫 IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes mascara
💫 Fashion Files nail polish in Cotton Candy

There you have it, ladies, an OOTD for a night out with the girls! Show us some love and let us know what you think about this look! Sarah and I would love to hear your comments! Many thanks to Sarah once again! 💞
Until next time xoxo! 💋

^^^ Thanks again to Nida from Shopaholic Blogs! Make sure you tune in next Sunday for her tips on how to style the summer staple that is the black maxi dress! Much love. -Sarah

Photo Shoot Album (Pt. 1)

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Photo Shoot Album (Pt. 1)

Hey everyone and happy weekend! It’s been a few weeks since my photo shoot with Britta Photography and I’m still obsessed with all of the shots that were taken of yours truly. And now that I know that there’s a handy slideshow tool on here for picture viewing, I figured why not put up the album in its entirety? I wish that I would have known this fun fact sooner! All in all there’s about fifty photos so I thought that I would divide up the pics and post the album in separate parts. Take a look at part one of my Photo Shoot Album and then let’s discuss a little further:

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I love having these pics readily available on Facebook because one of my favorite things is when I catch a glimpse of them and am kind of shocked that it’s actually me in the shots. I would really like to get some prints made of at least some of them but it’s going to be so hard to pick which ones I want! It’s seriously impossible to pick a favorite because I adore all of them equally and differently. If any of you are interested in getting some prints of your favorite Lil Red pics, just let your girl know!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful start to your weekend and make sure you stay on the look out for part two of my Photo Shoot Album! What is your favorite subject to photograph? What is one of your favorite pics in my album? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Garden Party OOTD

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Garden Party OOTD

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! Last week you might have noticed that I had a very special guest blogger on Sunday’s post. Nida from Shopaholic Blogs graced lifewithlilred with her presence and did such a fantastic job that I asked her to come back each Sunday for the month of March. This week I asked Nida if she could create an OOTD perfect for an afternoon Garden Party and she sure didn’t disappoint. Nida came up with a gorgeous look perfect for a day spent lounging in the sun and sipping iced tea with a group of equally glamorous friends! Take a look at how Nida styled her Garden Party OOTD and then be sure to give some love to her page!

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Hello lovely people! 💞
As you all know I have been collaborating with the lovely Sarah from lifewithlilred for guest posts on her awesome blog!
When she came up with the idea of a garden party theme, I was thrilled! 💐
Who doesn’t want to get all dolled up to go to a tea party? 🍰
Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of celebs pair dresses with pants and rocking it so I wanted to give it a try! 🎉. You can make this look your own by swapping out the pants with dark skinny jeans or ditching the pants part totally and showing off those tanned mile long legs.  😘
So here you go ladies, my take on a spring Garden Party OOTD! Frosting anyone? Yum! 🍰
✨ Dress: Garage – Lace is so feminine and perfect for spring. 🌹
✨ Pants: Banana Republic – You can wear jeans if you want the look to be a little more causal.
✨ Scarf: Beech Tree – Silk and lace is a match made in garden party heaven. 💐
✨ Shoes: Max Studio – I love that they have a rosette on the front! 🌹
✨ Clutch: J Crew – I adore this sleek clutch! It has a chain strap if you want to go hands free and stuff your face with all of the treats. Hey a girl’s gotta eat!
✨ Earrings: Macy’s – I loved pairing these turquoise earrings with the soft pink and white in my outfit. They bring the perfect pop of color to your face. 😘
✨ Bracelets: Fossil & Tiffany – Lately I’ve been hooked on rose gold and can’t wait to add more pieces to my collection.
✨ Necklace: Fossil – Hearts in rose gold, what’s not to love? 💖
✨ Hat: Forever 21 – This floppy sun hat makes me feel like I should be at the race track placing some winning bets right about now! 💵
✨ Nails: Kinetic Solargel – This shade is called Pink Power.
  ✨ Makeup:
  • Moogoo tinted moisturizer in medium.
  • Kat Von D lipstick in Backstage Bambi.
  • It Cosmetics blush in Radiant Rose.
  • Bobbi Brown smokey eye mascara
  • Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in Caviar Ink.
There you have it, ladies, my take on the spring garden party theme! How do you guys rock a garden party look? Let me and Sarah know right here!
Again many thanks to Sarah for this collab!
Until next time xoxo 💋
^^^ Thank you so much again to Nida from Shopaholic Blogs for creating a Garden Party OOTD for lifewithlilred! Make sure you tune in tomorrow for a brand new Monday Update! Much love. -Sarah

Final Photo Shoot Favorites

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Final Photo Shoot Favorites

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! I had a photo shoot this past weekend, as you guys know from my previous two posts. I had such a blast being photographed by my darling friend, Britta, who has her own photography business, Britta Photography. Britta did such an amazing job and I’m so in love with all of the pictures that she took. So much so, that I had to stretch all of my favorite pics out into three posts. I’m here today to show you my Final Photo Shoot Favorites out of the many that Britta snapped of me. You can go on to Britta’s website or my personal Facebook page to see the entire album. If you do, be sure to give Britta’s page some love and send a friend request my way!

^^^ Obviously I’m such a fan of all of my cigarette pictures!

I want to thank my dear friend, Britta, so much again for the fantastic photos that she took of me. I am so in love with all of them and I can’t wait for you to shoot me again! And once again, if you would like to view the full album from my photo shoot you can check out Britta’s Facebook page or my personal page! What is your favorite photo that I featured on lifewithlilred? Do you prefer to be behind or in front of the camera? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Photo Shoot Favorites

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Photo Shoot Favorites

Helloooo and welcome to some more of my Photo Shoot Favorites from my weekend photography excursion with my fantastically talented friend, Britta. I selected some more of the pictures that I was totally in love with to share with all of you today, so take a look! And then be sure to give Britta’s photography Facebook page some love and check out some more shots of yours truly. 🙂

Thank you again so much to Britta for doing such an amazing job at making me look good! It was so hard to pick just a few shots to post so be sure to keep tuning in to lifewithlilred and Britta’s photography page for some more Photo Shoot Favorites! What has been your favorite picture posted so far? What is your favorite location to photograph at? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Welcome, Spring! OOTD

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Welcome, Spring! OOTD

Hi everyone and welcome to a very special Sunday post! When I got emailed from Nida at Shopaholic Blogs inquiring about guest blogging here on lifewithlilred, I couldn’t say no. Her blog is just darling and I knew that she would do an excellent job. My hunch was right, because she came up with a fabulous OOTD post to welcome spring weather to share on my page. Take a look at what Nida created special for lifewithlilred and then give her page some love:

If there is one thing I enjoy just as much as shopping it’s getting all dressed up 👗! I love mixing and matching different pieces in my wardrobe and getting the most out of my purchases 💵. Adding accessories like scarves, jewelry, and watches can really make your outfit pop!✨
Here’s one outfit that I put together just for spring 💐. Thanks to Sarah from lifewithlilred for giving me the opportunity to do this OOTD post on her awesome blog 😘!
I like to invest in neutral pieces that I can wear different ways and change up with a few accessories.
This look uses one of my favorite color combos especially for warmer weather.
✨ Top & Pants: Loft Petites
The ivory top is light, drapes beautifully, and goes well with the khaki crop pants.
✨ Scarf: Old Navy
I added my pop of color with a coral scarf that has embroidered flower accents .
✨ Blazer: Hollister
The checkered blazer is my way of adding a pattern to the look and gives my casual outfit a more polished finish. (Plus I am forever feeling cold so I always keep an extra layer with me to combat those chills 🌬)
✨ Shoes: Vince Camuto
I’m a flat shoe girl all the way. These ballet flats are super cushiony and cute.
✨ Handbag: Marc Jacobs
I love my tote bags! This is technically a hobo but carries just as much as a medium tote. Plus it has a cross body strap for those days when you want to be hands free!
✨ Watch: Mistura
This adorable watch has a wooden case and a real gold leaf and flower inlay. Perfect for spring  😘!
✨ Nails: Sally Hansen Extreme Wear in Strobe Light
I’m a sucker for all things glittery and sparkly  😍✨. You need at least 3 to 4 coats to get a real shimmer with this polish.
That’s it peeps! 💞 My spring outfit of the day! Hope you guys like the look and many thanks to Sarah for doing this!
Until next time xoxo 💋!
^^^ Isn’t she amazing?! I enjoyed Nida’s post so much that I invited her back for future Sunday articles. Thank you so much again for your adorable Welcome, Spring! OOTD, Nida! What is your favorite piece from your spring wardrobe? What is your favorite season to dress for? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
 * And once again, be sure to check out Nida’s page at Shopaholic Blogs!

TJMaxx Haul

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TJMaxx Haul

Heyy everyone and happy Tuesday! Over the weekend my mom and I ventured to one of the bigger TJMaxx stores in our general area for some shopping and scored some amazing deals. My mom and I concluded long ago that a shopping trip to TJs is going to be a hit or a miss and lucky for us, it was a definite hit this time around! We snagged some fabulous products from The Body Shop as a treat which is what I’ll be discussing today! Take a look at our finds:

tbss

Our Purchases:

  • Satsuma body scrub: $5
  • Strawberry body scrub: $5
  • Jumbo Satsuma body butter: $10
  • Jumbo Honeymania body butter: $10
  • Cocoa Butter body butter: $6
  • Vineyard Peach body butter: $6
  • Grand Total: $42
  • Estimated In Store Price: $120+

During our TJs shopping excursion my mom and I spent quite some time in their bath and body care section which we don’t do very often. We rarely shop at the store that we were at, though, and we wanted to explore everything that it had to offer. I’m glad we did because we ended up with the haul of a lifetime thanks to their products from The Body Shop. When we saw all of the body butters, shower gels, and scrubs that were stocking the shelves, we couldn’t not grab a few! Especially when the prices were so amazing!

As an unspoken rule between my mom and myself, we never shop The Body Shop’s bath and body section when we’re in the store. We simply refuse to spend twenty-one dollars on a tub of body butter when we can get a huge jug of lotion at Target for a quarter of the price. Therefore, we only use the skin care and makeup products that TBS has to offer which is all we really need. My mom and I are longtime customers of The Body Shop and I also worked as their Assistant Manager for a while. With our knowledge of their body care prices in mind, we simply couldn’t believe how dirt cheap TJ’s selection was.

We scoured the shelves looking for all of the different scents that were hiding in all of the nooks and crannies and ended up with some of our favorites. I was SO excited because the Vineyard Peach and Cocoa Butter are my two all time favorite scents. We were also surprised to find jumbo body butter tubs so we grabbed a tub of Satsuma and Honeymania. You literally can’t go wrong with Satsuma and my mom loves Honeymania so I was glad I could talk her in to snagging a tub of her favorite for herself. It didn’t take much convincing though!

I rarely use body scrubs but I do have a soft spot in my heart for the Satsuma and Strawberry scrubs that The Body Shop has to offer. On the rare occasion that my sister and I have one of the scrubs at home, we use them to shave our legs. I had leg shaving on my mind when we were shopping (weird) because I planned on having a bath and shaving when we got home. So of course, I had to put a Satsuma and Strawberry scrub in to our pile. One for me and one for my sister.

At this point in our shopping, I had to go and get a cart so we could tote around our finds and browse some more. My mom ended up with a new pair of navy blue Keds to wear when she’s out and about. They’re so cute! We also spent a somewhat unnecessary amount of time in their animal section picking out a water dish for our newly adopted Ollie as well as some toys for him and his Golden Retriever big sister to play with. After inspecting our cart that was bulging full with doggy toys, I came to the conclusion that the time spent squeaking every single one was so necessary.

I can’t believe the stroke of luck that we had finding all of our TBS purchases. It’s going to be such a nice treat to use them because we literally never would buy them for ourselves otherwise. My mom and I already have plans of using up all of our half finished lotion and saving our butters for special occasions and colder weather. There’s nothing better than a good haul – especially when you get your purchases for the right price!

So there you have it, my most recent TJMaxx Haul! I had the best time shopping with my mom and I’m so happy with all of the fabulous treats that we found. What is your favorite beauty product to splurge on? What is your favorite fragrance from The Body Shop? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah