Mar26

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

Mar25

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

Mar24

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

Mar23

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Yesterday was a very special day because it was my mom’s birthday!! I am so lucky to have the best mom in the whole wide world and I love her so much. She is the smartest, funniest, bravest, most beautiful person that I know and I’m privileged to be able to call her mom! I hope your new year is filled with nothing but happiness because if anyone deserves it, it’s you. Take a look at us being cute and then be sure to give my mom some happy birthday loving:

momm

^^^ When we took these pics, my madre said that she wasn’t “selfie material”. I say FALSE!!!!

❤ Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!! ❤

Mar22

Bath & Body Works March Freebie

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Bath & Body Works March Freebie

Howdy everyone and happy Tuesday! As all of you know, I live for my monthly freebie from Bath & Body Works. Thanks to their coupons that I receive like clockwork each month, I get to select another goodie to add to my stock pile (which was featured on yesterday’s post!). Usually, I pick out a travel sized lotion for my monthly treat – but this time, I decided to switch things up. My trip to Bath & Body Works resulted in a shower gel this time, so take a look at my selection and then let’s discuss:

gel1

As you can see, I went with the Love & Sunshine shower gel this time around. Why the sudden switch up? Well, I already have the Love & Sunshine lotion so I decided to grab the matching body wash. My sister’s birthday is coming up soon and I thought that a shower gel and lotion set would be a nice little addition to her many presents that I selected. The lotion just doesn’t seem complete without its travel size shower gel counterpart!

I was going in blind to my most recent visit to B&BW – nose blind, that is. I snagged my freebie right in the midst of one of the worst colds of my life and I couldn’t smell anything. I couldn’t even smell the lotions that I already had stockpiled to determine which gel I should get to match. I remembered really liking the floral and slightly fruity Love & Sunshine, though, so I figured that it would be a safe bet to go with. I’ve never used the shower gel from B&BW but I can imagine that it’s really nice, as far as gels go!

My sister isn’t huge on Bath & Body Works products but a travel size gel and lotion set seems just right to counter her ambivalence. I plan on tying the two products together with a bow and tossing it into one of her gifts from her fabulous little sister! A ten dollar add on to her presents and it didn’t cost me a penny. Thanks, B&BW!

So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works March Freebie! What store gives away the best coupons or freebies? Have you shopped any great sales lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar21

Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition

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Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! If you were to go into my bathroom and open the below the sink counter, you would find it stuffed full of all things bath and body care. I’m a self proclaimed bath and body care hoarder and I’m pretty proud of it! Thanks to shopping great deals and stockpiling gifts and freebies, I’ve accumulated quite a collection of stuff. From shower gel to lotion and perfume to makeup, I’ve got it all. I feel like I mention my hoard often enough that it’s finally time to pay it some tribute so take a look at my ever growing below the sink collection:

hoard1.jpg

^^^ So. Much. Stuff.

Let’s start out with a disclaimer – a lot of the items pictured above were things that I didn’t pay a dime for. Thanks to working at The Body Shop, I accumulated a solid amount of goods from there. The entire line of Bath & Body Works products were totally free as well as about half of the other lotions which were gifts. All of the other items seen above were bought from amazing sales. For example, the line dedicated to my Bath & Body Works Country Apple spray was a whole nine dollars! You can’t beat that!

The best part about my hoard, besides the fact that I’m never going to smell bad, is that I always have in case of emergency gifts handy. It’s always nice to be able to throw in a freebie lotion or two into a gift that I’m giving to lower the cost of buying other items in store. It’s also fantastic around the holiday times when someone might have gotten a gift for you and you didn’t get them anything – which totally happened to me this year! My hoard has saved me a solid amount of embarrassment and lots of moolah, to boot.

All of these little blurbs are all very well but do you know the funny thing about this hoard? I’m not a really big lotion fan. Ha! I hate the feeling of being greasy after I lather up with lotion and I don’t care for the residue or smell that some of them leave behind. I’m also really particular about lotions and fragrances so the fact that a lot of these were scents that I normally wouldn’t pick for myself has made me wary to use some of these products.

Despite my olfactory and tactile preferences, I’m trying really hard to dwindle my hoard down. On nights that I feel like it, I’ll slather on a healthy amount of lotion so that I can let it soak in while I’m asleep and don’t have to feel or smell it. This month, I finally finished one of my Body Shop lotions as well as three small tubes of lotion that provided about two or three uses each. So far I’m actually enjoying my lotion testing journey and am looking forward to making a post about all of the items that I finished in March! Definitely be on the look out for a finished product post at the end of the month!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition! What is your favorite product to stockpile? Does anyone have a hoard similar to mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar20

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

Mar19

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

Mar18

Sarah & Lea’s Eggcelent Adventure

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Sarah & Lea’s Eggcelent Adventure

Hey everyone and TGIF! Last week my best friend, Lea, and I had the best time coloring Easter eggs. Lea and I have been BFFs for over seven years and dyeing Easter eggs is one of our many bestie traditions. Every year we always have so much fun, even though our eggs never really turn out all that great! This year, Lea’s mom de-yoked the eggs so we were working with empty shells for the first time. It was all very well until I walked away from the first egg that I sat down on the table for one second and it rolled off! Lucky for me, it only left a crack and we had no further incidents! Take a look at our eggs and us being cute and then let’s discuss further:

^^^ I love us! :*)

As you can see, our eggs clearly aren’t worthy of gracing the Good Housekeeping pages BUT we have a really good excuse for it! The colors in the egg coloring kit that we got sucked! It was seriously the most random compilation of colors ever, with two blues, one green, a yellow, one pale orange, and a pink. I wouldn’t be so upset about the color selection that we were working with had they been bright and vibrant but these colors were dull as dish water! Part of it may have been that we mixed the dye wrong but I’m just going to go ahead and blame it on the coloring kit. 😉

So our eggs didn’t turn out picture perfect – big deal, because we still had such a good time! I can remember dyeing eggs in high school with my bestie so the fact that we have kept this tradition alive after all of these years makes my heart feel very warm. There’s nothing better than sitting at the kitchen table, dyeing sub par Easter eggs, and having girl talk with your best friend! We dyed our eggs pretty early in the month, so who knows? Maybe another Eggcelent Adventure is in our future soon. With much better colors, hopefully!

❤ Love you, best friend! ❤

So there you have it, Sarah & Lea’s Eggcelent Adventure! What concoction do you use to make Easter egg dye? What is one of your favorite traditions with your BFF? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Quick shout out to myself because I think that the title of this post is a hoot! I’M SO FUNNAYYYYY! #ihatemyself

Mar17

5,000 Facebook Friends!

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5,000 Facebook Friends!

Heyyy everyone and happy Thursday! Great news! I finally reached the 5,000 friend mark on Facebook which I’m really excited about! BUT I could still use your help. It’s true that I can’t accept any more friend requests but I can still be followed (creepy). If you follow me on Facebook, you get all of the benefits of being my friend on there without technically being my friend. It’s still a win/win in my book! So be a pal and follow me and/or give my page for lifewithlilred a like! Doing both is preferable 😉 :

While you’re checking out my pages, you may notice some of the different ads and articles that I have posted. Those are all compliments of Twistfire Media and guess what? When you click on them, it helps me get paid! So please help your favorite redhead out by checking out those links. All of the articles and quizzes are super fun, too! And as always, if you’re interested in signing up for Twistfire, you can shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com!

❤ THANKS!!! ❤