Sep6

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

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Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

Hello! For a while now, my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub has been sitting in my bathroom waiting to be used. Since my birthday in June, more specifically, because it was part of my Beauty Insider birthday treat from Sephora. Don’t ask me why I never used it, because I don’t know. But, I am glad that I held off, because it definitely came in handy last week!

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While I was sick with the flu, my skin suffered because I was so dehydrated. My lips took a real beating, and by the time I was feeling better, they were raw from the cracking and peeling. I was picking at them until they bled (Shame on me!), and there still seemed to be dead skin that I wasn’t getting. So, I enlisted the help of the Bite balm and scrub.

First, I used the sugar scrub to buff my lips and try to remove any excess skin that was hanging on. The scrub tasted great – like sugar and honey. It worked well, too! I let it sit on my lips and rubbed them back and forth for a handful of minutes and they felt awesome after wiping the product off. They were so smooth and a good amount of yucky stuff came off, too. But, not all of the huge pieces of skin that hurt too bad to remove came off.

Instead of trying to take matters into my own hands, I applied the balm. The Agave Balm was nice and thick and I put a generous amount on my lips. Both the balm and scrub had a really tasty honey aroma, and the balm sat really well – no budges or anything. After an hour or so, I checked the progress on my lips and was able to remove the rest of the excess pain free. It also helped take away the stinging pain that comes with severely chapped lips.

My lips felt really good after using the sugar scrub and balm duo. It felt amazing to get them back to feeling normal after being so sick and they were even better than how they were before falling ill. I liked this product, and I would love to make a DIY sugar scrub so that I can indulge in this treat more often. I don’t think that I would purchase the Bite Beauty combination, though, just because a cheaper alternative is definitely out there somewhere!

Who has a good sugar scrub recipe? How do you take care of your lips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep5

Sephora Golden Hour Highlighter In Dusk Swatch

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Sephora Golden Hour Highlighter In Dusk Swatch

Yo! Back in March, I tried out my first highlighter from Sephora. I used my Beauty Insider points to get a mini Becca highlighter in Opal during one of my orders. I’ve been using my highlighter for the past five months and am just about finished with it. And, five months isn’t bad at all for a mini product! While picking up my Mistress Hair Balm by IGK, I decided to get a new highlighter, too. I ended up with a Sephora brand one for a multitude of reasons, but price was definitely the main factor. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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^^^ The alternating pictures are with the flash off and the flash on, so you can see the illumination of the highlighter.

Originally, I had planned on getting another Becca highlighter. I really liked the shade that I was using and, if I was feeling saucy enough, maybe I would try a different one. But, then I realized that one of their highlighters costed thirty-five dollars and I said hell no. That would be the most that I’ve ever spend on a makeup product before and I just wasn’t comfortable with it.

I asked one of the workers if she could show me some of the different highlighters that the brands had and, everything but the Sephora brand, which ran for sixteen dollars, was upwards of thirty bucks. So, the Sephora brand it was. I liked that the color I went with, Dusk, was lighter than the shade that I’ve been using. Opal was nice and warm, which was perfect for summer. But, Dusk is cooler and more subdued, which is going to be lovely for the fall and winter months ahead.

I did like a lot of the more expensive highlighters that were shown to me, but I’m glad that I stuck to my guns and went with the cheapest option. I feel guilt free about my purchase and I definitely think that I would be feeling buyer’s remorse if I bought a thirty-five dollar highlighter. I’m looking forward to playing with my Sephora highlighter once I finish my Becca one in its entirety and will have to take some pictures to show you guys the makeup goods when I can! 😀

What is the most expensive beauty product you own? What about the least expensive? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep4

Small Sephora Shopping

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Small Sephora Shopping

Hello! Literally hours before I fell ill last week, I did a spot of shopping at Sephora to get myself a new highlighter and grab a full sized item that I fell in love with after using a tester in my Play! box. If you remember from my unboxing of the goodie bag, then you will know that the product that I’m talking about is the IGK Hydrating Hair Balm in Mistress. It is absolutely divine and is what we will be talking about in this post, as I will be swatching the highlighter tomorrow. Check it out:

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Now, normally, I would never pay TWENTY-NINE DOLLARS for a tube of hair product, but, then, I remembered that it took me three weeks to finish the tester and sometimes I used it twice a day. So, a little obviously goes a long way. I suspect that I will have this product for close to a year and that makes the initial, somewhat expensive investment, well worth it.

And, the fact that this balm kicks ass makes the investment worth it, too. My hair had three weeks of feeling simply lustrous and I would be a monkey’s uncle if I gave that up! The coconut oil in IGK’s leave in conditioner gives it a rich, creamy smell without being too perfumey or overpowering. It leaves your hair with the perfect amount of sleekness and shine but it doesn’t weigh it down, so your locks will still be able to maintain body and volume. Frizzy days are definitely a thing of the past thanks to Mistress, and your hair will look and feel like you got it done at the salon after styling it with each use.

I put a dime size dollop into my hair after my shower and by the time I’m ready to straighten it, the product is locked, loaded, and ready for action. I love the shine that my hair has from using this IGK balm and it feels so silky to the touch all day. It’s like you don’t even have anything in your hair. So consider it our little secret, okay? 🙂

Tomorrow, we’ll swatch my new highlighter from Sephora’s Golden Hour collection called Dusk. But, for now, what is your favorite hair product to use? What is one of your at home remedies for perfect hair? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep3

Flowers From Friends

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Flowers From Friends

Hey everyone and Happy Monday! To me, there is nothing better than a bouquet of flowers for the kitchen table. Whether they’re store bought, home grown, or picked on the side of the road, it doesn’t matter. Just as long as they’re pretty. And, because they’re flowers, you never have to worry about them not being pretty! This past weekend our wonderful neighbor stopped by with this gorgeous bouquet to celebrate an exciting development in my mom’s health and it’s so lovely that I had to share it with all of you! Take a look:

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There is no sweeter surprise than receiving Flowers From Friends and the above sure are beauties. I am particularly obsessed with the little purple fuzzy ones, even though I have no idea what they are. But, they sure are cute! I love that this bouquet looks like the upcoming fall season in its colors and selections, which makes me very excited because I do love me an autumn arrangement!

Having a neighbor as amazing as ours is a blessing, and these flowers are a special reminder of her surprise stopping over to celebrate my family’s happy news with us. This bouquet will definitely be making me smile for many days to come. 🙂

Who else has a really good relationship with their neighbor? Has anyone ever had a bad next door neighbor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep2

Mystery Blogger Award #9

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Mystery Blogger Award #9

Hello! Upon returning back to lifewithlilred after my hiatus from the flu, I saw that the adorable Hunida from Hunida’s Blog nominated my page for its ninth Mystery Blogger Award. This was such a sweet surprise, especially since I’ve been feeling so shitty! Hunida is such a doll and I love chit chatting with her. Her page is a real treat, too, so be sure to check it out! Now, let’s get on to the rules for this award:

The Rules:

  • Thank whoever nominated you & include a link to their blog
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
  • Answer the questions from the person who nominated you
  • Nominate 5-10 bloggers
  • Ask your nominees 5 questions of your own [with a choice of one weird or funny one]
  • Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog

Fun Facts:

  1. I used to say that I’d prefer to have the flu over a cold because usually the flu goes away more quickly, while a cold lingers on for forever. But, after my week of literal hell, I’ll take a cold on any day!
  2. The only bonus of being sick is that I do feel a little skinnier, so it’s never too late to get your bikini body. 😀 lololol
  3. Speaking of bikinis, why in SAM HILL did Victoria’s Secret stop selling them?! Now I have nowhere to buy a bikini even if I wanted to. I call bullshit.

Q & A:

My weird question: Do you eat ketchup with your eggs? It depends. If I’m eating just eggs and toast, then no. BUT, if I’m eating hashbrowns and eggs, then yes. Ketchup is a must for hashbrowns and if it gets on my eggs, then so be it. lol

What’s hanging up on the walls in your bedroom? In the bedroom I sleep in, AKA my sister’s old room before she moved out, there’s literally nothing on the walls. But, in my room with all of my stuff in it, I have pictures from magazines completely covering the walls. It looks awesome.

What do you keep on your nightstand every night? A bottle of water, my medicine to take in the morning, and my Kindle.

What is your favorite magazine to flip through? I’m a sucker for browsing through the celebrity rags like People and Us Weekly, but my favorite magazine to actually read is Rolling Stone.

Do you prefer gold or silver wedding bands for men? I never really thought about it, but silver.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. *Silly Question* Would you rather walk around with a wad of bubble gum on your shoe for the day or walk into an important meeting with toilet paper on your shoe?
  2. What is your least favorite day of the week?
  3. What is your favorite thing that you have done this summer?
  4. What was the last concert you went to?
  5. What is your favorite summer time treat?

Thank you so much again to Hunida for lifewithlilred’s ninth Mystery Blogger Award nomination! Let’s get to number ten soon! How would you answer some of Hunida’s questions for her nominees? How about some of my questions for mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep1

Weekend Update: Sick AF Edition

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Weekend Update: Sick AF Edition

Hiii everyone and happy weekend! You might have noticed that I haven’t been very active on my page this past week, even though I had posts publishing, cause pre-writing. And, that is because I came down with a really nasty bout of the flu. It. Was. Awful. What started out as an earache on Tuesday morning led to full blown incapacity by the early afternoon and I was completely down for the count.

We’re talking a fever that reached to 103 at its peak, a sore throat, an earache, chills, sweats, soreness all over, and not a snowball chance in hell of being able to eat anything. I would sweat so badly at night, that I’d wake up and see red all over my sheets because it made my hair color bleed! I am writing this post on Friday afternoon and am just now feeling semi-normal, even though the morning was really rough.

Because of my mom’s ongoing health struggles, I had to be quarantined to my bedroom for three days. This sucked on ice, because my room doesn’t have a TV! But, I was honestly so out of it that it didn’t even matter. Everything that I tried to do from taking a sip of water to swallowing much needed medicine caused me so much pain that there were points when I just started crying. It was totally and completely miserable.

But, after what felt like an eternity, I am finally back on the blogosphere and all I gotta say is thank gawd for pre-writing! I was so pleased when I discovered that all of my days away were covered because I had totally forgot! And, of course, I am so glad to be feeling better and back with all of you here on lifewithlilred. ❤

Aug31

Pacer Update (Finally!)

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Pacer Update (Finally!)

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I updated you guys on my Pacer pedometer app progress and, honestly, that’s because there wasn’t much. This past month and a half has been a total doozy. I was so mentally and physically drained, and the last thing that I wanted to do was commit to walking 10,000 steps per day when I could have been laying on my sorry behind watching TV!!

But, that wasn’t really getting me anywhere and, as soon as the events that were taking place in my life that caused me a lot of anguish turned around, I was excited to pick up the Pacer again. This past week, I have been really dedicated to getting my 10K steps in at least four days of the week and I have blown that goal out of the water. It feels good to get myself moving again and although a lot of progress hasn’t been made, I’m back on the horse and I’m proud of that. Take a look at my stats:

  • Steps Taken: 1,364,282
  • Calories Burned: 33,311
  • Miles Walked: 445
  • Hours Active: 211
  • Days As A Pacer User: 177

I was also really pleased to see that I’ve been more active than sixty percent of the users on Pacer because, the last time I did an update, I was at a measly thirty percent. I doubled that! Things are looking up, and my exercise regimen is back in full swing, which makes things seem like they’re looking up even more! I feel really happy, and I can’t wait to get my 10,000 steps in today! 😀

Who else uses a pedometer app? How do you get back on the horse after a hiatus from working out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug30

Sephora Brand Lipstick Review In The Red

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Sephora Brand Lipstick Review In The Red

Hey! After unboxing my goodies from one of Sephora’s Play! boxes, a lot of you took interest in the Sephora brand lipstick that I received in The Red. If you can remember from the swatching post, I definitely didn’t care for this color because of its heavy blue undertones. But, I love you all so much that I thought I would give it a try so that I could accurately review it. Here we go:

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My first impression of this lipstick was that the application for it was quite difficult. It didn’t want to work on the corners of my lips at all. It applied well to my top and bottom lip, but when I got to the corners, color wasn’t even getting on them even though I was rubbing it on. So that kind of sucked. The texture of this lippie is also really creamy, so that made the application a little tricky for me, because I’m so used to matte. It glided on well, but it got everywhere outside of my lips, so touch ups were much needed.

Once the lipstick was on, I put it to the ultimate task of eating lunch and seeing what happened. I had cheese and crackers with mustard to dip it in and I made no efforts to eat carefully. I was really hungry so I was ravenous and I figured that the lippie would be all over my face after that feeding frenzy. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it didn’t budge at all, and it was very easy to wipe off afterwards.

After having this Sephora brand lipstick on, I still don’t think that I would use it in a color that I like, because I am not a cream lippie girl. And, the difficulty with applying it was definitely a turn off for me. I wouldn’t recommend this product, though, because there are a lot of other brands that are cheaper and do a cream lipstick much better.

Final Verdict: Don’t bother.

Are you a fan of Sephora brand products? What is your favorite cream lipstick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug29

Face Mask Festivities: Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Brightening Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Brightening Mask Edition

Hello! The face mask that we will be discussing today is one that I strongly urge that none of you buy, because it was honestly the worst mask I’ve ever used in my life. Its literal only saving grace was that it smelled like Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but don’t get it twisted, because this mask burned like the DICKENS. Take a look at some pics and let’s get to it:

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^^^ Although the color of this mask looks pumpkin-y, it actually went on clear. So, a picture of it on wasn’t necessary.

I shit you guys not, within one minute of this Andalou Naturals mask being on, I felt a burning in my skin that was so intense that I needed to wash it off immediately. My skin felt red hot and the sensation of my face being on friggen fire made me scrub my skin raw trying to get all of the mask off. And, to think it said leave it on for ten to twenty minutes on the directions! I THINK NOT!!

If you want to feel like a scalding hot Pumpkin Spice Latte just got thrown on your face, then this is definitely the mask for you. But, if not, then don’t go anywhere near this product, because it sucked on ice. And, that’s all I have to say about that. SMH.

Which products have you used that have irritated your skin? What has been the worst face mask that you’ve ever used? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug28

All Autumn Everything Guest Bloggers Series Reminder

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All Autumn Everything Guest Bloggers Series Reminder

Hello!! I just wanted to send out a friendly reminder that guest bloggers for my All Autumn Everything series are still welcome to participate! If you want to be featured on my page for the day with a fall themed post, do email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com with some ideas. It will be a fall fiesta and a lot of fun so don’t be afraid to reach out! 🙂