May26

100+ Beauty Tag Part One

Posted on by
Standard
100+ Beauty Tag Part One

Helloooo everyone and happy weekend! I found this super fun ONE HUNDRED PLUS QUESTIONNAIRE that I just had to complete. Mainly because I have no ideas for posts at the moment and also because I really enjoy doing these. Even Lil Red runs out of blog topics sometimes, so I decided to break this tag up into parts and give you my answers on all things beauty! Check it out:

 

What is your most favorite makeup brand? Hmm… I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite, but I will say NYX just because they carry my favorite lipstick. Other than that, I’m not too picky when it comes to brands.

What is your favorite cosmetic? Lipstick, of course. And I’ve grown increasingly fond of the highlighter by Becca that I’m using. And, does hair dye count??

Which brand’s eyeliner do you love the most? I love CoverGirl’s Liquid Blast eyeliner in Black Fire. It’s a pencil, but it has the perfect amount of moisture to it to give you the easiest application ever.

Name the brand that ever caused you a skin allergy: Aquaphor made my skin break out in a really weird bumpy rash when I was using it after getting a tattoo. Needless to say, I stopped using that immediately and switched to Lubriderm.

Which three cosmetics are always in your handbag? None, usually. But if I’m wearing a lippie, then I’ll keep that with me.

A concealer or a foundation? What do you apply first? Neither, because I don’t use them.

An eyeliner or mascara? What is your favorite? BOTH. Lol, I know that’s not an answer, but my makeup look isn’t really complete without either.

Which blush color is your favorite? Maybelline’s Dream Bouncy blush in Fresh Pink.

Name a cosmetic product that you avoid using in summers? None. But I do try and opt for a lighter moisturizer if I have one available.

Name a cosmetic brand that you avoid during winters? None.

Which face wash is your favorite? Destiny Boutique’s charcoal face wash. I love it and use it every day.

Which color of lipstick do you prefer during summers? RED.

Which color of lipstick do you prefer during autumn? RED.

Name the makeup brand that you always want to buy but your pocket does not allow? I wouldn’t say that I have one. If I like something that I know that I will get good use out of, then I will buy it. But, trust and believe that I’ll try to find a drugstore dupe first!

Name your favorite beauty soap? I’ll use whatever bar soap for my body, that doesn’t matter too much to me. But, I love Destiny Boutique’s charcoal bar for my face.

Name your favorite shampoo? I actually don’t wash my hair. I only get my hair wet once a month when I’m redyeing it and I will use a conditioner to wash it out, but that’s it. I gotta keep my red fresh, honey!

A hair straightener or a curler? Straightener! But I do like to try curling my hair every once in a blue moon.

How much time do you often require for a party makeup? Probably the same as my normal makeup, so like thirty-five or forty minutes.

Good clothes or a stylish makeup? What is more difficult to choose? Makeup. I’ve got fashion on lock, but I do need a little help with makeup!

Do you like multi-functional cosmetic products? Not really.

Name the product that without which you can’t leave the house? None.

How many lipsticks do you have right now? I’d say eight to ten but I only actively use three or so.

What is your favorite color of lipstick? RED!!!

Do you remove your makeup before bed? This is so bad, but no. I sleep in my makeup!

Name the body lotion you use: Right now I am using Cocoa Butter from The Body Shop.

Which moisturizer is your favorite? The Body Shop’s Vitamin E moisturizer.

Do you still like using a baby lotion? Lol, no?

Name your three favorite beauty stylists? I don’t have one. But I do love the looks of Kat Von D and Jeffree Star.

Which celebrity do you follow for hair styling? I love Julianne Hough’s shorter hair.

Name your favorite beauty salon: The Shear Shop. The woman who does my hair has been my stylist for well over a decade. I love her!

How would you answer some of the above questions? What kind of post should I do next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

May25

May 2018 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
May 2018 Finishes

Hello everyone and TGIF! If you can believe it, another month is almost done here on lifewithlilred! And guess what that means – IT’S ALMOST MY BIRTHDAY! I will be turning 24 on June 7th, so do be sure to mark it in your calendars! 😉 But I digress, so let’s get on to viewing this month’s finishes:

mayy.jpeg

Would I Use Again?

  • Le Petit Marseiliais White Peach & Nectarine shower gel: YES
  • Simple Micellar Cleansing Water: YES
  • The Body Shop Satsuma scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C moisturizer: YES
  • The Body Shop Oils Of Life serum: YES
  • Tarte Amazonian Clay blush: YES

Why/Why Not?

LPM Shower Gel: This shower gel and brand in general is awesome. The White Peach & Nectarine scent was so invigorating every morning and, although this was a gel and not a creme, I was still left feeling moisturized after my shower. I finished this body wash in about two and a half months and I am looking forward to using the two other scents that I have by Le Petit Marseiliais soon!

Simple Micellar Water: Even though I am not a huge fan of micellar water, it is way cheaper than eye makeup remover so I am okay with it! I can’t say much for the Simple brand, because I don’t really like it. BUT, I just purchased a bottle of Garnier cleansing water, so we’ll see if I like that kind better. It took me close to two months to finish this bottle.

TBS Scrub: The scrubs from The Body Shop are a must for me when I am shaving and the Satsuma scent is always amazing! I got this as part of a Christmas gift and I got about seven uses out of one of the mini sized bottles.

TBS Moisturizer: I LOVED the Vitamin C moisturizer from The Body Shop. It lasted me two months, it sat well under makeup, and my skin felt nice and hydrated after each use. I would definitely use this again and I hope that they have it back at TJMaxx soon! 😀

TBS Serum: And, of course, I loved the Oils Of Life Serum from The Body Shop, too. One bottle lasted me for five and a half months of daily use, it sat well under makeup, AND MY SKIN FELT NICE AND HYDRATED AFTER EACH USE!!!!!! I am lucky, because I have one more bottle of this and I know that it will last me for close to another half a year!

Tarte Blush: Normally, I don’t write about makeup finishes, but this Tarte blush is different. I got it for my Sephora birthday freebie last June and I JUST FINISHED IT last week. This was my most used blush for the year. The color was gorgeous and I wish that it wasn’t just a one time birthday color. 😥

May brought me a lot more finishes than normal and it was fun being able to use up all of them – especially since I enjoyed each product so much!

Have you used any of the products seen above? What are your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May24

My Beauty Hoard

Posted on by
Standard
My Beauty Hoard

Hey! When it comes to most of my material pleasures in life, I am lucky enough to have a lot of them. A beautiful collection of shoes, clothing, and accessories help to turn me into the fashionista by day so that I can delve into my pajama collection at night. And, when it comes to beauty products, a collector I am, as well.

I have always been a firm believer in buying in bulk and having the products on hand when I need more, rather than running to the store every month to reup. I am also a firm believer in the power of coupons, freebies, and treasuring gifts from friends, which also helps add to my collection seen below:

hoard

Now, that may look like a lot of stuff – but what if I told you that about fifty percent of the above products were free? Check it out:

  • The three cleansers in the front: FREE
  • Every single mini lotion or shower gel: FREE
  • The three shower gels from The Body Shop: FREE
  • Two mini body butters: FREE
  • Charcoal mask from The Body Shop: FREE

Meanwhile, the other products were all bought on the cheap. For example:

  • The seven perfumes from Bath & Body Works were purchased for about twenty dollars all together.
  • The body butters and skin care were all bought at TJMaxx prices
  • And the remaining shower gels were all bought with coupons.

So, where did all of the free swag come from? The three cleansers and some of the mini lotions are compliments of Walgreen’s freebie bags that I received when purchasing my hair dye. I always wait to restock my boxed color until I get an email saying that Walgreen’s is running their freebie bag promotion with a certain amount of money purchased so that I can score some free goodies while buying a necessity.

All of the Bath & Body Works minis are thanks to the free travel sized coupons that I get from B&BW. Right now I have over sixty dollars worth of free product from there in my hoard and I always have them handy for gift giving occasions. And, the rest of my free products were gifts that I use frugally so that I don’t have to buy more of my favorites until I absolutely have to!

The rest of my hoard was all purchased with the help of coupons or the amazingly low prices of TJMaxx. Very rarely do I purchase anything at full price anymore – and why would I?! With the power of apps, reward programs, coupons, and sale promotions, it’s simple to save and create a collection of your own.

Who else has a beauty care hoard at home? How do you score the best freebies and deals? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May23

7 Deadly Sins Of Beauty Tag

Posted on by
Standard
7 Deadly Sins Of Beauty Tag

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! If there’s one thing that a Lil Red loves, it’s fun beauty and fashion questionnaires. And, when I stumbled upon the 7 Deadly Sins Of Beauty Tag, I had to give it a try. I found this post on my friend Sarah’s page, Sparkle & Mine, and it was such a creative idea for a beauty tag that I had to give it a go. Check it out and see how the 7 Deadly Sins turn into the topic for each question:

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive? My most inexpensive beauty item is my eyebrow pencil. It is by Wet n’ Wild in a shade called Taupe Of The Morning and I pay a whole one dollar for it. AND it lasts me several months! My most expensive item is definitely my Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara, which runs at twenty-three or twenty-four dollars. It’s steep, but I love my lashes when I use it and I try to make it last for as long as I can.

2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? Hmmm… I don’t really know if I have a real love/hate relationship with any products that I use. I rarely branch out of the brands that I like and I’m not that adventurous when it comes to buying makeup so I’ve never really used anything that’s made me feel SOME TYPE OF WAY before.

3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products? My Cocoa Butter from The Body Shop. Hands down. It smells like the richest, creamiest milk chocolate fresh from the candy store. I also love their Fresh Picked Raspberry body butter, too. It smells like Lip Smackers and I’m obsessed.

4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness? So when I’m getting ready, I always do my skin care routine no matter what. But, if I’m feeling lazy that day, I won’t do my hair or makeup all together and go au natural. Painting your face every day gets exhausting so I definitely need some makeup free days throughout the week!

5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence? A bright, beautiful red lip, of course! Specifically my signature shade in NYX’s Pure Red Matte lippie.

6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex? Someone who’s tall. I love tall, lanky guys. Tattoos or piercings don’t hurt, either!

7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift? Oh, it doesn’t really matter to me. As long as I’m not paying for it, I’m happy to try out new products.

This tag was SO much fun to complete and do feel free to copy and paste the questions to answer on your page, too! How would you answer some of the above questions? What other beauty tags should I complete? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May22

Bath & Body Works May Freebie

Posted on by
Standard
Bath & Body Works May Freebie

Hi! So Bath & Body Works finally sent me a freebie coupon after months of not receiving anything, so I was excited to run into the store and grab a travel sized lotion or shower gel. I was in a rush when I was in the store, and their new packaging definitely didn’t help, because I couldn’t tell what the idea was for any of their scents. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean:

gel

I really did like B&BW’s old packaging, because it let you know what the product would smell like without having to flip the lid. Now, you can’t tell what their scent would be like from anything and, frankly, I think the packaging looks cheap. I selected a new scent of theirs called Happy Vibes and it smelled okay. It’s a floral/citrus scent and the only reason why I selected it was because I was in a hurry. The flowers in this gel definitely overpowered any notes of citrus that you could smell, so I am not a huge fun. But, hey, it was free! 😀

How do you feel about B&BW’s new packaging? What is your favorite shower gel fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May21

Forget Changing Careers, Here’s How To Really Refresh Your Work Life

Posted on by
Standard
Forget Changing Careers, Here’s How To Really Refresh Your Work Life

No matter our career choices, we all reach the stage where work drives us crazy. You know the feeling, right? Your alarm goes off, and you can think of nothing worse than the day ahead. Sometimes, this is a one-day thing. It might be that you’ve got a lot going on, or a big meeting. That’s natural stuff and nothing to worry about.

But, if you dread heading to work every day, it’s a sign that something has got to change. After all, this is where you spend most of your time. It won’t help your happiness or your health to treat each day as an obstacle that you need to get past. Hence, why many people opt to change careers.

And, a change can be as good as a holiday. But, changing jobs isn’t easy. What’s more, there’s every chance that another position in your field will make you feel the same way. With that in mind, consider the following options for shaking off that workday dread:

Seek more responsibility in your current workplace:

If you’ve done the same job for five or more years, it’s no surprise that you’ve had enough. Even the most exciting position would get tedious after that amount of time. But, if you did apply for roles elsewhere, there’s every chance that your workload itself would be much the same. As such, once the new-job excitement wore off, you’d be in the same position.

Instead, then, consider how you could gain more responsibility where you are. You’ve been here for years. Your boss knows and trusts you. So, they might be willing to offer you a promotion that you wouldn’t qualify for elsewhere. And, a promotion with more responsibility is sure to transform your career more than the same role in another firm.

Change your outlook:

You shouldn’t need us to tell you the importance of outlook. We’re all mad about mindfulness nowadays. So, why not consider this when it comes to work? Your outlook right now sounds pretty bad. And, that can fuel itself. The worse your attitude towards each day, the less likely you are to flourish. Instead, try getting into the habit of bringing a more positive outlook to each morning. You might want to repeat positive affirmations as you head to the office. Or, you may want to take some time out each morning to meditate and settle your mind. Either way, approaching work with a positive and engaging attitude could be all it takes to transform your experience.

Find new ways to approach your role:

As well as changing your mental approach, you could shake things up with something a bit more literal. By making suggestions for new systems in your office, you stand to bring fresh air to everybody’s days. If even in-office changes don’t do the trick, you could go all out here by opting to work a few days a week remotely. More employers are getting behind this, and it could be a fantastic way to reinvigorate your days.

Shaking off the blahs of a mundane work day can be a trying effort, but well worth it once you get the spring in your step back on your way to the job!

Featured Image By: Pexels

May21

Lovely Lavender

Posted on by
Standard
Lovely Lavender

Howdy! Despite 75% of the weather that Ohio experienced this spring being crappy, the flowers and greenery have all been magnificent. One of the crowning jewels of our yard, and something that my dad is particularly proud of, is his lavender bush. CHARLES planted his lavender when it was just a tiny sprig years ago. And, this year, it really is at its biggest and most beautiful. Take a look:

lavender2lavender1mothers1

Our ginormous lavender bush, that looks more like a tree now, stands by our back deck and envelopes it in a simply gorgeous aroma. It provides the perfect amount of shade from the hot sun to make reading on the deck more pleasant, and it makes sitting underneath its blossoms feel like you are in your own secret garden.

It’s so crazy how something that was barely a foot high a handful of years ago erupted into such a magnificent focal point in our garden. This lavender bush/tree really showcases my dad’s green thumb and it makes me proud to have it as a main feature in our yard.

Is anyone currently preparing a flower or vegetable garden? What are you growing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May20

Final Therapy Update

Posted on by
Standard
Final Therapy Update

Helloooo! I hope that all of you are having a wonderful weekend so far. As you can tell by the title of this post, this will be my Final Therapy Update until I choose to go again. I was definitely on the fence about going to my appointment this week, and I ended up canceling it.

I just feel tired of going over the same things week in and week out, and I almost feel like being in therapy gave me an excuse to engage in risky behaviors like binge eating or drinking, because I could just talk about it at my next appointment. My therapy sessions were very helpful to a point, but I felt like the metaphorical wall had been hit, and none of the advice that I was getting was anything that I felt like I could utilize.

This is not to say that I didn’t like my therapist at all, because I really did. But, I also felt like she was trying to force a belief system on me that I was not comfortable with, and didn’t seem to have any other advice but that. Although I could totally research things on my own, I did expect to gain some new insights during therapy and, after a while, I just wasn’t any more.

If a mental rough patch comes up, I do plan on returning again so that I have a safe place to communicate my feelings. But, for now, I am taking my medication daily and seeing what I can do on my own to start improving things for myself.

Has there been a time when therapy has been helpful for you? What are some of your mental health struggles? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May19

Proud Pacer Update

Posted on by
Standard
Proud Pacer Update

Hello! This past year has definitely been a struggle as far as my weight goes. As a recovering bulimic and a lover of binge eating, my weight jumped to a number that I was not happy with this year. My life has been extremely stressful, and binge eating did bring me a lot of comfort when I did it – but, the weight that I gained was totally not worth those before bed snacking sessions.

As someone who is recovering from an eating disorder, I had to *gasp* try and shed this weight the healthy way. And, let me tell you, it was a real bitch at first. From self harming to purging, my ways of feeling good were a quick fix. And, we all know that that isn’t what weight loss is in the slightest if you want to do it the right way!

I knew that I was making slow and steady progress as I attempted to complete 10,000 steps per day and work on my portion sizes during meals. But, I didn’t realize how much progress until I finally gained the courage to get on the scale, which is my worst enemy. I stepped on, took a deep breath, and was so happy to see that I lost twelve pounds!

I may not be loosing weight as quickly as I would like, but that doesn’t undermine my accomplishment any less! I am really proud of myself for actually doing this the “right” way for once in my life – totally self harm free. I am hoping that I can lose another ten pounds to get back to my normal weight in the next few months. But, for now, I am super happy with my progress so far!

Pacer Stats:

  • Days Active: 73
  • Steps Taken: 604,994
  • Calories Burned: 15,000
  • Active Hours: 93
  • Miles Walked: 200

(And, this is pre-written so the above stats are slightly higher!)

Who else uses a pedometer to help keep them active? What are your methods for losing weight? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May18

Want To Enjoy The Remote Working Lifestyle?

Posted on by
Standard
Want To Enjoy The Remote Working Lifestyle?

Today, the opportunity to work more flexibly, where we no longer need to commute to an office in order to make a living, can be viable for anyone. For as long as we have a decent internet connection, we can practically work (or study) anywhere in the world. Today, most people are valuing a much more valuable commodity than money, and that’s the ever depleting commodity of time. In particular, they want to squeeze as much out of life as possible and, in order to do that, they often have huge travel plans or at least aspirations, and to travel the world one needs the flexibility and finances that are made possible by remote working.

Indeed, today, “living the dream” is less about having a fancy car and a corner office, it’s more about having the freedom to do what you want, when you want, with who you want – rather than being chained to a job with colleagues you may or may  not get on with, being stuck in congested commutes and getting home knackered to the point you just flop and drop in front of the TV with your family (often, still catching up with work on your laptop).

The freedom of the remote working lifestyle means, quite literally, that the world is your oyster, and in these exciting times, many of us are looking for ways to tap into this lifestyle and the freelance economy.

Similarly, many people wanting to learn new skills are looking at ways of doing this that work around their life, rather than having to work their life around their studies. This is particularly pertinent for mature students who may have existing work or family commitments, and therefore can’t access the full time courses offered by many universities that require regular attendance.

Today, however, even prestigious universities like Exeter University will allow you to study advanced courses like a masters in education online. This means that you could, hypothetically, have your cake and eat it too – as many students finishing their undergraduate studies have the desire to travel the world and take a gap year; but studying online in this way means that you can literally have the best of both worlds.

In summary, the remote working lifestyle is clearly an attractive option, as it enables the time and freedom to enjoy life and ensure that you are living your life for yourself and your family, rather than having to try to squeeze your life in around the office. Today, many companies are offering people more flexible working hours and the ability to work remotely, as they see that in order to stay competitive within the job market, they need to offer the flexibility people have been craving for decades.

Featured Image By: Pixabay