Jul4

Hand Mask Hullabaloo: Lush’s Golden Handshake Edition

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Hand Mask Hullabaloo: Lush’s Golden Handshake Edition

Helloooo and happy Hump Day! In this post, we will be talking about my last birthday goodie from Lush, a hand mask called Golden Handshake. Before my darling friend, Kate, gifted me with this, I had no idea that hand masks even existed – but here we are now! I really enjoyed using this product and, what’s even better, is that I got to pamper my mom with it, too. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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To use the Golden Handshake hand mask, you boiled water and then swirled the product around in it until it melted and changed the H2O consistency into rich, creamy lusciousness. I used a baking pan for my concoction, which was a good move because it was big enough for both mine and my mom’s hands. It was initially a long process to get the mask to melt, so we opted to break it apart, which helped speed it up immensely.

From getting Golden Handshake ready for use to applying it and letting it sit was a totally unique and indulgent pampering experience. First, I loved the way that this product smelled. It had a rich, nutty aroma to it, which is one of my favorite scents for bath products. I also thought that the light dusting of gold glitter was a lovely touch! And, most importantly, Golden Handshake felt so soothing on my hands and left them feeling soft and moisturized. They still feel as smooth as ever even after my shower and multiple hand washes.

Another nice thing about this hand mask is that it’s reusable. My mom and I poured the water through a sieve so that we could catch the chunks of product before it went down the drain. We then put the remainders of the mask in a little container and let it harden in the refrigerator so that we can use it again during our next pampering session. I can’t wait!

What is your favorite way to pamper yourself? Have you ever used a hand mask before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul3

July 2018 Funky Time Jams

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July 2018 Funky Time Jams

Hellooooooo! How is everyone doing today?! It’s July now, which is crazy. But, that means that it’s time to explore my Funky Time Jams for the month. Listen up and, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos:

The past few weeks have been about exploring old favorites of mine. I’m sure that’s glaringly obvious, considering that a majority of the songs seen above came out close to a decade ago! In late June, my car needed new breaks, so I had to drive my mom’s car for the better part of a week until I could get it fixed. Unfortunately, her car was not compatible with my AUX cord, so I had to play my music just through my iPod instead of through the car speakers. It was hell!

Upon getting my car back, all I wanted to do was to drive with my windows down and my music loud. After a week without the Little Red Love Machine, I didn’t have time for songs that weren’t my favorite, and the above list came into being. And, let me tell you, there’s nothing better than blasting these bangers on a hot summer day for all of the world to hear while I zip past in my little red car!

What are your summer anthems? Do you play your music quiet, medium, or loud in volume? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul2

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Twilight Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Twilight Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This will be the last issue of Bath Bomb Blitz for a while until I can restock my supplies from Lush. I told myself that I would try to space out my birthday bath bombs, but we all see how well that worked out, because I used up four in less than a month! The bath bomb from Lush that we’re going to discuss today is called Twilight and it was AIGHT. Take a look:

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(I like to call the second pic “Journey To The Center Of The Bath Bomb” haha)

Although I definitely liked Twilight better than the Sakura bomb, it was still a bit of a disappointment. I was looking forward to using it, because I thought that the water was going to turn fully pink. But, because the center of the bath bomb was baby blue, the water turned dish water grey, instead. Not a good look.

Twilight also fizzed out rather quickly, which didn’t help the water color situation, either. The bath bomb had completely disappeared within two minutes, so there wasn’t much of a display aspect to using Twilight – and that’s no fun! The final nail in the coffin, is that I didn’t feel moisturized at all from this product, which sucks, because I’m so used to Lush bath bombs making me feel like I just took a soak in body butter. So, even though Twilight was a step up from the Sakura bomb, I definitely wouldn’t bother with this one again.

Which body care products do you like to use during bath time? What would your perfect bath bomb be like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Happy July!

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Happy July!

Hi everyone and welcome to another month here on lifewithlilred! June flew by, so hopefully time will slow down so that we can all continue to enjoy sweet summertime. You can tune in again with me tomorrow for all of the latest and greatest but, in the meantime, I’ll just leave this here:

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How has your weekend been? What are your plans for the Fourth Of July? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Sakura Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Sakura Edition

WARNING:

This post features pictures of my dirty ass bath tub. I apologize in advance. – The Management

Okay! Now that that’s out of the way… Hi everyone! Today, we are going to discuss the first product that I have not been happy with from Lush. Their Sakura bath bomb. In the words of all of my dad joke telling friends, it truly was a “dud”. *Massive eye roll* Take a look and see for yourselves:

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Like everyone else on the planet, when I use a bath bomb, I’m expecting to see some action. Fireworks, explosions, at the very least the bath water changing colors! But, unfortunately, none of the above happened with the Sakura bomb. Hell, it didn’t even smell good.

Upon first inspection of the bath bomb, you’ll notice the pale blue and pink incorporated into the color palette. So, I assumed that the water would reflect that with the soft pink and blue and a creamy white for good measure. But, to assume makes an ass of U and me, as the old saying goes! After dropping the bomb in the water, it fizzed out in less than a minute, and left the water a murky, foamy white. And, even that disappeared after being in the tub for about thirty seconds.

One of my favorite things about bath bombs from Lush is how moisturized they leave your skin feeling after using them. And, this bath bomb didn’t have that going for it, either. My skin felt dry and tight after I got out of the tub and I had to use a healthy amount of body butter afterwards to shake away that feeling. Whomp whomp.

If you’re looking for a bath bomb that does literally nothing, then the Sakura bomb is the one for you. But, if you’re looking for a bath bomb that does something, then the Sakura bomb is definitely not the one for you! 😉

Have any products disappointed you lately? What is your least favorite bath bomb that you have used? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun29

My Girl Power Anthem

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My Girl Power Anthem

Hello! Once upon a time when my sister and I were on our way to X-Fest, my ex-boyfriend and I had just broken up and your girl was not really FEELING HERSELF. Even though that day ended up being one of the best days of my life, it initially started out very mopey until things turned around by hearing one song. Kristen decided that I was in desperate need of hearing “Smile” by Lily Allen and, as always, she was totally right. Take a listen:

(I have no rights to this song or video.)

I feel like this song is the perfect Girl Power Anthem. It completely sums up the feelings of a break up all while telling you to just smile instead of wallowing in your own misery for days on end. Being happy and moving on with your life is the best revenge in any relationship or friendship that has turned sour and there is nothing like a totally catchy song encouraging you to do just that to motivate you to do it, too. This has been my go to song whenever I start feeling even a little sad for the past month, and with Lily and her devil may care attitude on my side, nothing can stop me.

What are some of your girl power anthems? Are there any songs that you like to start the day with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun28

Pacer Progress (Or Lack Thereof)

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Pacer Progress (Or Lack Thereof)

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! This past month has been a total and complete shit show and, needless to say, my activity level has been pretty low. All of my motivation to make big gains on my pedometer app has essentially flown out the window, and I’ve been having a hard time peeling my depressed self off of the couch. So, my stats for the month are definitely not the best. 😦

  • Total Steps: 959,262
  • Calories Burned: 23,591
  • Hours Walked: 148
  • Miles Walked: 315

And, to make matters worse, my activity level dropped from being ninety percent more active than the people using Pacer to a whopping forty-three percent. Whomp freaking whomp.

Now that I realize how low I let my movement get during my depression stupor, I am SO ready to get back on the horse and keep going until I start making good progress again. It’s going to be difficult, because I’ve been feeling so sluggish lately. But, once I get started, it will go back to being easier to get my 10,000 steps in no time. So, here we go!

How do you get yourself back on the horse after a stint with depression? What motivates you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun27

Bath Bomb Blitz: Secret Arts Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Secret Arts Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Bath Bomb Blitz! This amazing Jelly Bomb from Lush is called Secret Arts and it was part of my birthday gift from the beautiful Kate of Ankhor You. Kate knows me all too well, because only a true best friend would gift me with a bath bomb that turns the water black! Check it out:

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When I first popped Secret Arts into the bath tub, I was so pleased to see the water turning into an inky black, because bathing in black water is one of my emo kid fantasies. And, as the bath bomb began to dissolve, it revealed a deep magenta core that spiraled out into the water. It actually looked a lot like a Golden Snitch from Harry Potter… except not golden at all, but you get the point.

As I made my way into the tub, I noticed a layer of film over the water that didn’t look like anything I’ve seen before while Bath Bomb Blitzing. Little did I know, I was using a Jelly Bomb, and it transformed the water into a rich, creamy gel. It actually felt a lot like butter and it definitely felt a lot like magic. A coincidence from my BFF who also loves Harry Potter as much as me? I think not!

After making the discovery that I had a skin treatment included in this bath bomb, I took the time to rub the body butter film all over myself and it was so delicious. It moisturized my skin so well that I didn’t even need to apply lotion upon exiting the tub but, of course I did anyways to revel in the full bath time experience.

The only negative about this product was the clean up afterwards. It left a slippery, black residue in my tub that needed serious elbow grease to remove. It literally looked like an oil spill took place in my bath tub. So, if you’re not interested in a heavy duty tub scrubbing after your bath, then Secret Arts is not for you. But, if you don’t mind it, then it will be a magical bath time, indeed.

*Cue Harry Potter theme music*

What is your favorite bath bomb from Lush? What color do you like your bath water to turn? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun26

Lovely Lingerie: Upbra Edition

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Lovely Lingerie: Upbra Edition

Everyone has those articles of clothing that they just hate shopping for. Some find dread in having to purchase a new pair of jeans, others go ballistic over bikini shopping. And, meanwhile, there’s me – who hates, hates, HATES shopping for bras. My breasts are always something that I have been self conscious about because of their size, and it has brought upon a sense of impending doom when the time comes that I need a new bra.

Will it give me proper support?

  Will the larger bras be as pretty as the smaller ones?

Will it fit properly?

Will it give me cleavage that looks appropriate?

All of these thoughts and then some swirl around in my head when a new bra needs to be purchased. But, what if I told you that there was a brand of bras on the market that eliminates literally all of the above problems?

Allow me to introduce Upbra:

Upbra, a California brand, has dedicated over half a decade to designing the technology to bring comfort, support, and perfect cleavage to breasts of every shape and size. These bras aren’t your standard Victoria’s Secret lingerie by any means, because Upbra allows you to customize the amount of cleavage that you get without bulky padding.

Six years of research and design created Active Lift technology, which is featured in every Upbra bra. And, what is Active Lift technology, you might ask? I’m so glad you did! Check it out:

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Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Active Lift technology. You might notice a few different things about the Upbra bras in comparison to your lingerie from Victoria’s Secret.

First:

My personal favorite thing about the Upbra bras are the specially formulated vinyl hearts that act as grippers from the inside of your bra. Not only do they look adorable, but they help to keep your cleavage in check all day by keeping your breasts placed inward and upward as soon as you adjust your cleavage control straps.

And, speaking of cleavage:

Perhaps the most important part of Active Lift technology are the cleavage control straps, which you can see on the bottom band of each bra. The locking system in the bra’s band are connected to platforms within the bra cups, which allow your breasts to be moved upward and inward when adjusted for perfect cleavage every time. The amount of cleavage that your bra gives is completely up to you. For a more natural look, pull and lock your straps just a little for a day on the job. But, for a night out, you can pull a lot to lock and load your girls for after work drinks!

The best part about Upbra bras, though, is that they are made with every size in mind. That’s why it was so exciting when their Miraculous Stay-Up Strapless Bra was released. I know. I initially rolled my eyes, too – because whether you have small, medium, or large breasts, it can feel nearly impossible to find a strapless bra that keeps you lifted all day. That’s why you can always see my bra straps when I’m wearing a top or dress that definitely needs a strapless bra.

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So annoying, right? But you know what’s even more annoying? Wearing a strapless bra that is falling down every second of every minute of every day!!!! That’s why Upbra created their Miraculous Stay-Up Strapless Bra with a grip around the band so that you stay lifted and supported all day. No bra straps required. Check it out and see how I went from Bra Strap Betty to Strapless Sarah thanks to Upbra:

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Upbra’s Miraculous Stay-Up Strapless Bra provided me with the confidence that I needed to go strap free for the first time in my life, and that is so special to me. Say goodbye to straps and hello to support all day and, dare I say, perfect cleavage too!!!

I know that all of my lovelies will be looking forward to getting their own gorgeous lingerie from Upbra, and I’m here to help with that. You can use this coupon code to get ten dollars off of your purchase:

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How has a good bra changed your life? Where do you do all of your lingerie shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun25

Five Ways To Learn When On The Go

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Five Ways To Learn When On The Go

Knowledge is power, as they say, yet judging by how people spend their time, you wouldn’t necessarily know it. We spend the best part of our first two decades on earth getting educated, and then, we simply stop. On the one hand, it’s understandable: we’ve learned the essentials during our formal schooling, and now it’s time to enjoy other things in life. But on the other, education is always worth pursuing. There’s much to know that they would never have taught you in school! But we know time is in short supply. That’s why we’ve put together some ways to learn while you’re on the move. On the commute, when you’re jogging – there’s always time to learn something new.

Put the Phone Down:

You’re sitting on the bus. You’re at a cafe, or the bar, waiting for your friend to arrive. Wherever you are, the temptation these days is to pull out your smartphone and start scrolling. But what are you missing out on when your mind is in a digital space? Education about the real world! There’s much to learn just by keeping our phones in our pocket and looking around every once and awhile. It’s a good chance to think big.

The Best Minds:

You might be a smart person, but you don’t know everything. As such, there’s much you can learn by listening to talks from some of the world’s best minds, past and present. There are plenty of inspirational talks on YouTube, which you can then convert to MP3 by using Convert Video. The next time you’re traveling from A to B, you’ll be able to fire up some inspiring words of wisdom and learn something new just as you’re going about your business.

Tune into the Radio:

It’s a good idea to learn about things which interest you, but it’s also good to learn about new things, too, things that you’ve never heard of before. Practically everything is interesting if you go deep into it enough! When you’re in your car, look at firing up talk radio, such as NPR. They usually talk about issues that you won’t hear about anywhere else, or things that you’ve never heard about before. In the process, you’ll be broadening your knowledge base, and may just pick up a new passion. Nice!

Carry a Book Around:

Are you always carrying a backpack or handbag around? Then keep a book in there. You’ll be surprised by just how many minutes of downtime you have during the day. These minutes present you with the chance to get your book out, get to reading, and learn something new. You’ll also significantly increase the number of books you read each year, too.

Strike up a Conversation:

Everyone’s smart in their own way. Next time you’re by yourself and have some downtime (or you’re on a plane), strike up a conversation with a stranger. They will always tell you something that you didn’t know before, and you can tell them something new, too. Plus, they might become a friend!

Continuing your education after school can be about street smarts, too. So try and learn something new the next time you’re on the move!

Featured Image By: Pexels