Tag Archives: april

May1

April 2026 Finishes

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April 2026 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy May!! April in Ohio brought all of the showers so here’s to hoping for beautiful May flowers for all! Before we jump into this new month, let’s jump back slightly to discuss the beauty products I finished up in April. There weren’t too many but they were all very nice *Borat voice* and I would definitely use them again! You ready? Let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES!!!!

Bath & Body Works Vampire Blood Body Cream: YES

Glow Elixir Hyaluronic & Retinol Serum: YES

Why/Why Not?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: I have been using the Evoluderm Micellar Water faithfully for I don’t even know how long and it is, hands down, the best I have ever used. It is so gentle and hydrating but so effective on makeup removal with no harsh scrubbing required. About a year or so ago, TJMaxx began carrying the mega bottles of Evoluderm and I always have to buy one when I see them. The last micellar water I used was completed in mid January and this bottle lasted me until the middle of April. That is fantastic value for every day use!

B&BW Body Cream: I loves me the B&BW body cream, however, I am happy that I finished my bottle of Vampire Blood up before the weather started heating up. I only wear lotion before bed and it can get rather stuffy in my apartment. The B&BW body cream is nice but it is SO heavy and makes me sweat like crazy when it is warm at chez nous in the evening. It’s a fantastic product and so nourishing but I like to swap to the classic and light B&BW lotion come the late spring and summer weather. It took two and a half weeks of once daily use to finish this bottle and, as always, Vampire Blood is their best Halloween scent. 😀

Glow Elixir Serum: I have been using my bottle of Glow Elixir Hyaluronic & Retinol serum since the end of February and just finished it a little over a week ago. That is awesome for twice daily use! This is the third or so time I have purchased this serum from TJs and I will continue to do so every time I see it. It is SO freaking nice! The Glow Elixir serum is thin and light but oh so hydrating and brightening too. My skin looks fresh and simply glows with every use and a little of it goes such a long way. A dime sized amount allows for full face and neck coverage and it is a perfect year round product. Highly recommend!

These April finishes were short and sweet but they all packed a punch. Definitely give any of these products a go if you see them in stores!

Which products did you use up this past month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr25

Bath & Body Works April Freebie

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Bath & Body Works April Freebie

Hi! When my sister and I went to New Orleans, I was genuinely shocked that I didn’t have a travel size shower gel from Bath & Body Works to bring with me. I thought my bath and body care hoard was much better stocked than that and it sucked having to use the products provided by the hotel. It was impossible to feel clean with the awkward combo of bar soap and shampoo I had to use! Because my family is going to Italy this year, I made damn sure that I got a travel size body wash for my March freebie from B&BW. I also went ahead and got another one this month in case my mom needed to share. Like my selection in March, I went for a classic B&BW scent that I never bothered trying before. Check it out:

Once again, the travel size options I had to pick from were slim to none at B&BW and In The Stars was literally all they had for shower gels. Since my choice was made for me, I didn’t even smell it so let’s give it a whiff in real time lol. Here we go… And it is pretty good! Actually, upon another sniff it is actually really nice. In The Stars features fragrance notes of (get ready for it because it’s a doozy) “Starflower, sandalwood musk, sugared tangelo, white agarwood, and radiant amber”. Whatever any of that means! Does anyone know what a tangelo is?!

The little scent story on Bath & Body Works’ website says that In The Stars is a warm fragrance that feels like you’re in the middle of the forest. However, I feel like I’m in the middle of the ocean with this scent! In The Stars smells crisp and clean to the point that I would classify it as an aquatic scent and I am SO not mad about that. I absolutely love an aquatic fragrance and it definitely doesn’t translate to the fragrance notes or scent story whatsoever. Isn’t it weird how scents smell different to every single person? I can’t stand a musky fragrance and would have despised In The Stars if it smelled true to its notes to me. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and I would happily get it again. 🙂

What will In The Stars smell like to you? Who’s to say? Lol but I’m incredibly curious to find out!

What is a scent that you love that other people hate? What is your go to B&BW fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

April 2025 Finishes

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April 2025 Finishes

Howdy!! Just like that, April is drawing to a close and it went by in the blink of an eye. Honestly, I’m sad to see it go because April was a pretty good month for me. In its entirety, I got to bask in the glow of being, blessedly, way less busy and enjoying all of the fun that comes with it. It has been a gift to make plans, keep them, and genuinely look forward to what’s next. Speaking of looking forward to what’s next, I can’t wait to test out lots more skin and bath and body care goodies. This past month was nothing exciting in that regard which typically means that May will be the month to finish long term products and try something new. Take a look at these empties and let’s discuss:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Costa Rica Pink Pineapple Sunrise: YES!!!!

Bath & Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Lotion: Yes

Pearlessence Argan + Vitamin E Facial Oil: No

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: Johnny is a huge fan of tropical scents. Me? Not so much. However, I absolutely love the scent of pineapple and the Costa Rica Pink Pineapple Sunrise from B&BW was the bomb.com! This fragrance was incredibly straight forward and if you love the smell of fresh pineapple too, then this scent is for you. This shower gel gave me a heaping dose of sunshine even on the greyest April days and I enjoyed using it daily for the whole month.

Pearlessence Facial Oil: I decided to experiment with facial oils this winter and the lesson I learned is that I don’t like it at all lol. The initial test product by CleanBeauty was an instant no from me but I still had the Argan + Vitamin E oil by Pearlessence and wanted to just get it over with. I will say that this was a fair bit lighter as far as facial oils go and while I appreciated that, it was still much too heavy for my liking. If you have very dry skin, the Pearlessence oil could be a good option for you. If not, this is a product you can definitely skip on. It took me about five weeks of twice daily use to finish the bottle and I was so happy to be done with it!

Like I said, this wasn’t a very exciting product roundup so let’s wrap it up and I will see all of you darlings in May! ❤

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

April 2024 Finishes

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April 2024 Finishes

Howdy!!! I don’t know how it happened, but April is almost over and it went by at dizzying speed. This month was a combination of crazy busy with a handful of crazy relaxing days and I am hoping that things slow down in May. Primarily because I don’t want to turn thirty in June lol!! Since we’re wrapping up the month, it’s time to take a look at the beauty products that I finished up. It was basically duds on duds on duds so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Thayers Witch Hazel: NO

Bath & Body Works Poppy Lotion: YES

Provence Beauty Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum: NO

Honest Calm & Heal Melting Balm: NO

Why/Why Not?

Thayers Witch Hazel: Way back in January, I had a huge skin care haul at TJMaxx thanks to my holiday gift cards. I got anything and everything, but the one thing missing was my beloved Evoluderm micellar water. As there was not a bottle in sight, I had to scrounge for more toners to use and ended up with a bottle of Thayers witch hazel. It took me about one month of daily use to finish the bottle as a toner and it was perfectly average. Definitely not worth writing home about or buying again!

Provence Beauty Serum: I was most excited to try out this serum, mainly because I thought the bottle was pretty lol. Unfortunately, the Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 missed the mark big time. Oddly enough, I am using a different serum by the same brand and am loving the results! The finished serum was just okay. It took me one month of twice daily use to finish the bottle. In that time, I noticed no positive differences to my skin’s appearance or texture. This was weird because a hyaluronic acid formula tends to really agree with me. Apparently not this one, SMH.

Honest Balm: This is the second time that I have used the Honest Calm & Heal Melting Balm. Originally, I was pretty impressed with this product and was looking forward to trying it again. This time around, the balm did nothing for me. In fact, the thick formula was almost too much and it felt like it was suffocating my skin. I still think this balm would be excellent for people with extremely dry skin. However, if you have a normal or mildly dry skin tone, I would stick with a more moderate moisturizer. I’m glad I got to reuse this product so I can officially add it to my “won’t use again” list.

Even though my April Empties were lacking in success, I was happy to finish them up. After all of these misses, I am loving the current products I’m using. I think the May Finishes will be much better!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

April 2023 Finishes

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April 2023 Finishes

Hello!! Another month of 2023 is about to draw to a close and that means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes! I was able to use up four new to me products in April and I liked them all a lot. It also depleted my reserves in my beauty stockpile considerably so thank goodness for this past TJMaxx skin care haul! I would definitely recommend all of the following so let’s find out why:

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Would I Buy Again?

Sea-el Miracle Kelp Eye Cream: YES!!

Bellyssima Vitamin C Moisturizer: YES

Kopari Coconut Water Moisturizer: YES

Spa Cosmetics Vitamin C Serum: YES

Why/Why Not?

Sea-el Eye Cream: The Miracle Kelp Eye Cream by Sea-el is easily one of the best that I have ever used. I noticed a huge improvement in my under eye circles and the delicate skin around the eyes felt so much stronger and hydrated. I started using this eye cream at the beginning of January and just finished the small jar yesterday, which is an amazing value! A little bit of this eye cream went such a long way and I was so disappointed that I didn’t find another one during my last TJs shopping excursion.

Bellyssima Moisturizer: I was a huge fan of the Vitamin C moisturizer by Bellyssima and so was my mom because I got her one too. I loved the whipped texture of this moisturizer and it absorbed so quickly, but left my skin feeling insanely nourished. It also sat so well under makeup and made my skin look simply radiant. This moisturizer smelled really good too! It had the lightest scent of oranges and I enjoyed using it very much. It took me one month to finish the jar.

Kopari Moisturizer: I couldn’t wait to try the Kopari Coconut Water Moisturizer because it just sounded nice lol. And it was! This moisturizer was delightful with the faintest hint of coconuts and cream. It featured a whipped gel texture and I was astounded by how little I needed to cover my entire face and neck. My skin felt so hydrated after each use and it felt SO soft too even when using the tiniest dollop. It took me about three and a half weeks to finish the jar, which isn’t the best value, but I would happily treat myself to another if I found it again. I feel like it would be the perfect summer moisturizer!

Spa Cosmetics Serum: The Vitamin C Serum by Spa Cosmetics was great! It took me close to two months to finish the big bottle and I loved that for value’s sake. Like all of these products, you only needed a little bit to cover the face and neck and I saw a noticeable difference in my skin with only the serum on. It looked a lot brighter and it always helped perk me up in the morning with its moderate orange scent. After using a product for a few months, I usually feel ready to try something new, but I was wishing I had another bottle of this serum as soon as I used it up. 😦

If you come across any of these products, you have the Lil Red Guarantee that you will like them too! All of these skin care staples were so lightweight and absorbed quickly, making them ideal for the hot days of summer. I promise they won’t melt off of your face as soon as you step outside! 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above empties if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr3

Finally, Flowers!

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Finally, Flowers!

Hello!! Spring and autumn are the seasons when your favorite Lil Red blogger thrives. I live for not too hot/not too cold weather as I don’t do well in extreme summer temps and I am a huge freeze baby come winter! While I love the weather that comes with spring and fall, I love the way the world looks even more; Blooming flowers and trees coming back to life and leaves changing colors and Halloween decor. While driving this past week, I have noticed lots of pretty spring flowers popping up. And, finally on Friday, flowers were in my parents’ yard too. It made me so happy!

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After a winter that felt like an eternity due to crap weather and a massive amount of stress, these past few days of true springtime have hit different and in the best way. Although it has been technically spring on the calendar, I don’t consider it to be spring until the weather and the outside world reflects it. Seeing the sun and feeling its warmth, brisk winds, and new life growing all around has been so invigorating and healing. While everything still isn’t awesome in my world, it makes it a bit easier to go about the day with a newfound pep in my step.

I look forward to seeing flowers in my parents’ yard every year because it is a perfect reminder of better times ahead. It’s hard not to smile and feel hopeful when tiny blooms and bursts of color are making their way onto the scene. It is also a great time to reflect on how flowers grow. Despite heavy rainfalls, grey days, and unstable temperatures, flowers still grow and turn into something beautiful when they open up towards the sun. It’s a great metaphor to help myself remember that when things absolutely suck, there is still going to be a light at the end of the tunnel. ❤

I have been waiting for springtime basically since winter began and all I have to say is: Bring it on. Here’s to warm days, birds chirping, and flowers blooming everywhere!

What is your favorite flower? What is your favorite part about the spring? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Apr30

April 2022 Finishes

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April 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! The end of the month means that it’s time to take a look at all of the beauty products that I have used up and my recommendations. April was a great month for empties because I finally was able to finish some of the products that I have been using for what felt like forever! Let’s get started:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean & Clear Face Wash: I have been using the Clean & Clear Night Relaxing face wash since mid December and I am finally finished with it. I got a pack of two Clean & Clear cleansers from Amazon for about twelve dollars and that value speaks for itself. While I don’t like the Night Relaxing as much as the Morning Burst cleanser, I would still use it again. Even though it was meant for nighttime use, I would use it every morning in the shower and I loved the deep clean feeling it gave my skin.

SkinLab Face Wash: It took me about two months to finish the SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate face wash and it was pretty good. My skin felt insanely soft after each use, however, this cleanser smelled SO. Bad. For the “Would I Use Again” section I would have put “no” but, unfortunately, I still have one of these cleansers in my stock pile. Once that one is finished, it will be getting a big fat no from me for the scent alone.

Fresh Lip Mask: I got the Fresh Sugar lip mask as a freebie from Sephora and I wasn’t a fan. I love a lip mask as much as the next person but this one did nothing for me. It took me two weeks to finish the trial sized jar and in that time I hoped it would help ease my chapped lips. That definitely wasn’t the case, though, and the chapstick that I had been applying every night before bed worked much better.

Olay Moisturizer: I purchased the Olay Double Action moisturizer from TJMaxx and it was really nice! The double action means that it is both a primer and a moisturizer and my makeup looked amazing when I would apply it after the moisturizer sat. It also smelled great too – so rich and creamy. It took me about a month and a half to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Body Wash: The Honeysuckle & Aloe Soapy Pouch from Hope Soap was a gift and I wouldn’t go out of the way to purchase it for myself. It smelled divine, lathered well, and lasted for close to two months but the pouch shape was inconvenient at best. When the pouch was still full, it was so easy to accidentally squeeze more out than required which resulted in a lot of wasted product. Then, when the pouch was almost empty it was difficult to get the remainder out. Had this body wash been in a regular bottle, it would have been a totally different story!

Despite a couple of duds during this round of finishes, I am so happy to be able to use new products in their place. This makes April a GREAT SUCCESS for beauty empties!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr26

April Snow Still Brings Flowers!

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April Snow Still Brings Flowers!

Howdy! In good ol’ Akron, Ohio, it has been a wild mash up of seasons this April. We all know the saying “April showers bring May flowers” and, thankfully, so does April snow, freezing rain, chilly fall like days, and summer level hot. Like I said, Mother Nature has been having some massive mood swings! The best of spring is blooming, though, so all is right with the world:

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Every year, my dad’s yard hosts the most wonderful flowers and veggies and every year seems more spectacular than the last. I love seeing my favorites of daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses popping out come spring time and it never fails to make me smile. The piece de resistance, though, is the massive cherry blossom tree in the front yard. Watching it bloom and seeing the petals fall like snow is, honestly, nothing short of magical.

With the wonky weather, I feared the worst for the spring flowers and the fact that they’re all still going strong makes me appreciate them even more. Flowers are Mother Nature’s pop of color and they are also her favorite perfume too. Walking through my parent’s neighborhood last week, I saw bright bursts of yellow, purple, pink, and white and I could smell sweet blooms with every step. There is nothing better than a stroll on a day that actually feels like spring!

When the weather allows, take some time to take a walk and smell the roses (Or whatever flower is blooming!). It sounds cheesy but it will certainly put a spring in your step! ❤

What is spring time like where you live? What is your favorite flower? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr10

Bath & Body Works April Freebie

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Bath & Body Works April Freebie

Howdy! Literally two days after I cashed in my freebie coupon in March at Bath & Body Works for a travel size shower gel, I got another freebie coupon in the mail. I’m not going to not use it so I went back again, albeit a bit awkwardly, to get another travel size of the Gingham Love body wash. It smells so good and I am obsessed!

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When I walked into B&BW the second time around, I was silently praying that the same employees who were there the last time would have the day off. Lol, don’t get me wrong, I love the Bath & Body Works products but there is nothing that I needed to buy. I don’t know if this is just my B&BW but the salespeople there are pretty intense and I can always feel their disappointment when I tell them I’m just grabbing a free item!

During my second rendezvous, I knew exactly what I needed and declined a million offers for help so I could get in and get out. As I mentioned in my last freebie post, Gingham Love is the best thing to happen to me in a while and, although I could have picked another scent, why mess with perfection? I also don’t know if it’s a seasonal or all of the time scent so it only makes sense to stock up. 😀

If you get the Bath & Body Works coupons in the mail go grab a Gingham Love shower gel today. And, do your best to not buy items you don’t need no matter how insistent the salespeople are. They’ll get you every time!!

What is your favorite B&BW scent? Do you like when salespeople help you or would you rather be left alone? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr25

April 2021 Finishes

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April 2021 Finishes

Hi everyone! April is drawing to a close and it’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. There isn’t too much to talk about because a lot of my empties for the month you have all seen and heard before. However, I’m super happy because I finally finished the rest of the Azure Lux serums that I had in my stockpile so I can move on to exclusively using the Eclat Vitamin C serum for the foreseeable future. It’s about time! Now, let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: I have a love/hate relationship with lotion and I’m either really good about using it or don’t want to use it at all! This past winter, however, I began applying lotion every night before bed and have stuck with this routine since. I definitely notice a difference in the softness of my skin and I even think my tattoos look better and brighter than usual from being moisturized daily. My new routine also gives me the opportunity to use up the endless supply of Bath & Body Works lotion and body butter from The Body Shop!

It took me a solid two months of daily use to finish the Pink Prosecco body cream from B&BW. While I enjoyed using it, I must warn all of you that it smells a tad boozy and by a tad I mean a lot lol. You can certainly pick out the scents of the different fruits like nectarine and pomegranate but the base of sparkling pink prosecco is there in abundance. If I was a daytime lotion wearer, I would say no to this lotion because I wouldn’t want to smell like alcohol during the work day but I will say yes to night time use!

Neutrogena Moisturizer: I freaking love the Hydro Boost moisturizer by Neutrogena and I consider it well worth the fourteen dollar price tag. I have reviewed this product before in previous posts but I just wanted to share with all of you that Johnny loves it too! His forehead gets pretty dry so I apply the moisturizer for him as needed and you can tell a huge difference in just one day. Skin care for men is just as important as it is for the ladies and I plan on creating a skin care routine for Johnny during my next online shopping sesh.

Azure Lux Serums: I have been using the Azure Lux Sparkling Oil serums almost exclusively for the past two years and change and I honestly think my skin is immune to any benefits of it as this point. That’s not to say that the serums weren’t effective and I remember first using the Rose Gold one and noticing a big difference in my skin. However, after seeing immediate results with the Eclat Vitamin C serum, I knew it was time for a change. I think that the Azure Lux serums are fabulous for people in their younger twenties and would still recommend them. As for me, at almost twenty-seven, I just outgrew it!

Although I won’t be using the Azure Lux serums again, I am so pleased with my finishes from April because that means I can use new products. There is also nothing better than depleting the ol’ stockpile a little so I can get new goodies in the near future! 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What is a must have in your beauty stockpile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah