Tag Archives: august

Sep6

August 2025 Finishes

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August 2025 Finishes

Howdy!! September is here and I am feeling so fabulously fall and LOVING every second of it! However, we will have to time travel a bit because we have yet to discuss my beauty finishes from August. In July, I had beaucoup empties and some were total and complete duds. This time around was a GREAT SUCCESS and I would happily use each product I completed again. Particularly one of my new favorite serums! Take a look and let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES!!

Bath & Body Works Poppy Lotion: YES

Bath & Body Works Gingham All-American Shower Gel: YES

Precision Beauty Vitamin C + Collagen Serum: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: As you all know, I am incredibly loyal to my preferred brand of micellar water and have been using it for years. In all of that time, I have never seen the jumbo bottles at TJMaxx before and jumped on buying a few of them. You just can’t beat seven dollars for that size when the smaller size was being sold for five! The mega bottle has lasted me over two months as opposed to one and I have another one on standby. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that TJMaxx continues to have the XL bottle available because it is a steal and the epitome on ballin’ on a budget for great skin care.

B&BW Products: The products from Bath & Body Works just make me happy and Poppy is one of my favorite older scents while Gingham All-American has stood out as a new favorite. When you think of a scent called Poppy, you think floral, but that is not what it is in the slightest. If it was, I would hate it because I am so not a flowery fragrance girl! Rather, Poppy smells like a delicious strawberry/pear combo and I simply adore it. It is soft, sweet, and packs a delightfully fruity punch. If you are a fan of berry fragrances like me, you will also love Gingham All-American which invokes the scent of a big summer fruit salad. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries combine to make a scent perfect for the season and, honestly, whenever you want!

Precision Beauty Serum: I have been partial to the Precision Beauty serums for the past several months and have been loving them. They are long lasting and it takes me over five weeks of twice daily use to finish a bottle. I also like that they are thicker in texture, leaving my skin feeling so nourished after each application. The Vitamin C + Collagen serum certainly delivered on its promises. My skin looked radiantly sun kissed and I could literally feel the tightening properties of the collagen and there is nothing better than actually feeling a product work. Highly recommend!

This batch of empties was small but mighty and were wonderful additions to my beauty routines. I can’t wait to see what September brings!

Which products did you use up last 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

Sep1

Bath & Body Works August Freebie

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Bath & Body Works August Freebie

Howdy!! I always get so excited when a Bath & Body Works coupon book arrives in the mail because ninety-nine percent of the time it contains a percentage off and a freebie coupon. The latest one I received was for ringing in all of the autumn scents and was actually one of their better ones. There was a free travel size product as well as twenty-five percent off your purchase. Usually it’s only twenty percent so hell yeah because every little bit helps. During my break on Tuesday, I stopped in to cash in my free product and will definitely be back for a reup of my foaming hand soap soon. I don’t need a restock quite yet but that twenty-five percent off is too good to pass up! Let’s take a look at my freebie and discuss:

If I am not rocking a fruity fragrance, I am a vanilla girl through and through. Ever since I was little, my mom and I would revel in all things vanilla because that’s her favorite too and our sentiments have yet to change. So whenever a new to me vanilla scent is on the market at Bath & Body Works, I always have to see what that’s all about! Is Vanilla Romance the best vanilla scent I have ever tried? Not especially lol but it is nice enough just not nice enough to eventually purchase a full size body wash or lotion.

Vanilla Romance features fragrance notes of “fresh cardamom, vanilla absolute, and captivating woods”. I can’t speak for the captivating woods and I swear B&BW just throws anything in their scent notes. The first two notes are usually right on the money and the third one is a kitchen sink addition and it never ceases to make me laugh! Also are they referencing vanilla absolute like the vodka or saying it’s absolutely vanilla? But I digress. Vanilla Romance is more spicy and musky than what I prefer, which is a true vanilla that’s soft and sweet. It’s not pungent enough to be overpowering but it’s definitely on the fence about it. If you are looking for a vanilla scent with some oomph, you might like Vanilla Romance. If you are a fan of pure vanilla, then this is not the scent for you or me!

Although this is not my favorite B&BW fragrance by a long shot, free is free and it gives me a chance to try something new sans commitment. Not mad about it!

Are you on the market for fall fragrances? How often do you restock your bath and body care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug31

August 2024 Finishes

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August 2024 Finishes

Howdy and holy smokes! It’s the end of August already?! This month literally flew by. In fact, the whole summer flew by but a second wind is nigh. Unfortunately, we have reached the dreaded point in Ohio better known as “second summer”. It’s been hot as all living F here and I am dying. Plz send help! I am stepping into September manifesting breezy temps and all of the cardigans. But first, it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. Let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

CleanBeauty Vitamin C Niacinamide Serum: YES

Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser: MAYBE

BrightsideOrganics Magical Brew Body Butter: MAYBE

Bath & Body Works Pink Chiffon Lotion: NO

Bath & Body Works Poppy Lotion: YES

Neutrogena Face Serum: NO

Why/Why Not?

CleanBeauty Serum: I absolutely LOVED this serum. It promised an “all day glow” and, I must say, CleanBeauty held good on it. This serum was an instant radiance boost every morning and I didn’t think a glow like that was achievable at 3:30 AM. It was nice and light which made it perfect for summertime use and a little bit went such a long way. It took me over one month of twice daily use to finish the bottle and I would happily purchase a few more if I see it again at TJMaxx.

Youth To The People Cleanser: I received the Kale + Green Tea Superfood Cleanser by Youth To The People as my freebie birthday gift from Sephora. I can’t say I was overly impressed with the other products included in the gift set, but I quite liked this cleanser. It lathered up so nicely and left my skin feeling fresh, clean, and nourished with every use. However, it did smell like you were rubbing your face with a handful of spinach lol. This tiny bottle packed a big punch and it took me over two weeks of daily use to finish it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a full size because I’m sure it’s insanely expensive. However, if it were ever on a freebie promotion again with Sephora I would be all over it!

BrightsideOrganics Body Butter: This lovely jar of body butter from BrightsideOrganics was part of a birthday gift from my blogging bestie. The Magical Brew scent was a bit too woodsy for my liking, but oh my goodness did it moisturize like a dream. I am an avid fan of the body butters by The Body Shop and this was comparable, if not better than them. My skin felt insanely soft and it was fantastic to wake up to after a nighttime application. It took me about two and a half weeks of daily use to finish the jar and I would be very interested in trying a different scent.

B&BW Lotion: Lol, the Bath & Body Works Pink Chiffon lotion was actually given to Johnny by a coworker. She claimed it smelled terrible and he said he’d take it because he knows I don’t care about the scent of lotion as I only wear it at night. What a doll! I have to say, his coworker was right. The Pink Chiffon scent wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the absolute worst. It was quite musky but it was toned down the slightest bit by the red pear in the fragrance notes. I wouldn’t buy it for myself but I would happily use it for free! It took me one month of all over daily use to finish the bottle.

Neutrogena Serum: This travel sized bottle of serum was a freebie from Target. Every once in a while there will be a basket of free product at customer service and I always grab what I can get! It was lucky to have this free bottle because I accidentally broke the serum I was using when I dropped it and it shattered all over the bathroom. It sucked lol. Having said that, I still wouldn’t use this serum again. I liked that it offered a hefty dose of SPF but it was SO heavy and made my pores feel and look clogged. Free is free but this was a definite no go. It took me two weeks of twice daily use to finish the bottle.

Despite a dud or two in the mix, this was a pretty decent beauty roundup for the month of August. I can’t wait to pamper myself with more new to me skin and bath and body care in September!

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

Aug31

August 2023 Finishes

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August 2023 Finishes

Hello everyone! I blinked and we are already at the last day of August! The end of the month means that it’s time to discuss my finished beauty and skin care products. This post will be short and sweet because I only used up two – in July I had seven empties to discuss! Let’s take a look at my August Finishes and chat some more because they were both duds lol:

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Would I Use Again?

Honest Beauty Vitamin C Radiance Serum: NO

Goop Glow Vita-C Brightening Eye Cream: NO

Why/Why Not?

Honest Serum: This is the second product by Honest Beauty that I have used and I was expecting a bit more from the Vitamin C Radiance Serum. I was most impressed by Honest’s Calm & Heal Melting Balm and was hoping for another rave review. I wanted to like the Vitamin C serum, but it just didn’t do anything for me. I loved its shimmery orange hue and that’s about it. I needed a decent amount of serum to fully cover my face and neck. Despite the bigger bottle, it was finished in under a month. In that time, I noticed no positive changes in my complexion. I suppose my skin looked a tad brighter, but literally any serum can do that. This is one you can definitely skip on.

Goop Glow Eye Cream: I received this product as a freebie during my Sephora Birthday Haul and it was pretty good. This was actually a nice free item to receive because the tiny jar lasted me over two weeks of morning and night use. I did notice the skin around my eyes to be brighter and a lightening in my under eye circles. However, I simply refuse to pay fifty-eight dollars for a full size jar of it. That’s ridiculous and even if it were at TJMaxx it would still be too expensive. It’s another no from me, dawg.

My empties for August were not anything to write home about. That’s okay, though, because they can’t all be winners and whether I like the products or not, it’s always fun to try something new. See you in September!

What products did you finish this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above 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

 

Aug31

August 2022 Finishes

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August 2022 Finishes

Hi everyone!! We’re going to wrap up August here on lifewithlilred by talking about the beauty products that I used up this month. I don’t know about all of you, but August sucked majorly for me so here’s to September being friggen awesome. God knows I need it! One thing that I always find awesome is using up products, though, so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Provence Beauty Serum: I love me a Vitamin C serum and this one by Provence Beauty, unfortunately, missed the mark. I didn’t experience any noticeable differences in the way my skin looked or felt after a month of morning and night use. This serum was also quite thin in consistency, which was a pain because it was constantly falling out of my hand. This is a product that you can definitely skip on.

Evoluderm Micellar Water: You guys already know that this is my A1 favorite micellar water so there is no need to discuss in too much detail. I will say that this product blows me away every time I use it. It removes makeup so well and acts as a nourishing toner for me every morning. It takes me about five weeks to finish one bottle.

St. Ives Scrub: I have finally used up the last St. Ives scrub in my stockpile and I am SO happy about it. These scrubs are not good for your skin and the walnut shells they use as an exfoliant can subject your skin to micro tears. Waste not want not, though, and I finished it anyways lol *face palm*. It took me over a month of once daily use to finish one bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: First and foremost, I LOVE GINGHAM! It is, easily, one of my favorite Bath & Body Works scents and is nothing short of a delight in shower gel form. It is so crisp and refreshing and lathers into the most luxurious bubbles. It is the perfect way to start every morning! It took me about three weeks to finish the travel size bottle and I really wish I had a full size one because I am now all out of Gingham! 😦

August was pretty bad for me personally but the product finishes were pretty good. Keep it posted for more fun on lifewithlilred come September!

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

Aug8

Bath & Body Works August Freebies

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Bath & Body Works August Freebies

Hello!! I had lots of coupons from Bath & Body Works including twenty percent off a purchase as well as a free full sized product and wallflower. I went in planning on just getting a free shower gel because I don’t use their wall plugins. However, I changed my mind about that very quickly when I saw that their Halloween line was already available! The twenty percent off definitely came in handy lol.

Today, we’ll be chatting about the freebies because they are a delight. You can also peep a sneak peek at the full haul which we’ll be discussing in detail tomorrow! Let’s get to it:

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I haven’t been in Bath & Body Works in ages as I do my hand soap shopping online and my beauty care hoard is still well stocked. I planned on using my freebie coupon for another Gingham Love shower gel because it is my current favorite. There were so many new to me scents available, though, that I decided to live a little and try something new!

For my shower gel, I went with Summer Melody and it is so lovely. With fragrance notes of golden honeydew and bronzed vanilla, it smells just like a freshly made fruit salad. Oddly enough, I hate honeydew and always pick it out of my fruit salads but that’s beside the point because apparently I love the way it smells! This is going to be a perfect shower gel to use during the dark days of winter when we could all use an extra dose of sunshine.

The wallflower that I chose is the first one I have ever owned and I can’t think of a better option than Vampire Blood from the Halloween line. I used this fragrance last year in hand sanitizer form and it is still one of my faves. Vampire Blood features strawberry, plum, and jasmine and it is such a bold, rich scent. Normally, I am not a huge fan of floral scents like jasmine but the fragrance notes of it are minimal. It is the ideal spooky scent to use with my new Halloween plugs!

I cannot wait for all of you to see the rest of my haul tomorrow because the light up plugs have a spooky surprise. See you then!

What holiday line from Bath & Body Works is your favorite? What is your go to B&BW scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug29

August 2021 Finishes

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August 2021 Finishes

Howdy! August is almost over and that means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. Because of the pandemic, I have been online shopping a lot rather than going in store so I haven’t been trying as many new products as I would like. So, this month has a lot of tried and true favorites which you all already know a lot about and a couple of newbies thrown in for good measure. Let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Beyond Belief Lotion: When it comes to lotion, I am really not picky at all because I only use it at night before bed. I can’t say that I have ever used a body lotion that I simply can’t live without so I could take or leave the Beyond Belief Enchanted Berries lotion. I will say that it was nice and moisturizing and it smelled exactly how I could imagine sugar plums do! However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it again. It took me a month of daily use on my hands and arms to finish this product.

LANEIGE Mask: Sephora’s birthday gift selection for their Beauty Insiders was fabulous this year and I went with their LANEIGE skin care set. I received a moisturizer, a lip mask, and the Water Sleeping Mask and enjoyed using them all very much. I love me a nighttime face mask so I was incredibly partial to the gel Water Sleeping Mask. It was so light yet insanely moisturizing and my skin was glowing when I would wake up in the morning. A little also went a long way and I got at least seven uses on my face and neck from the tiny test sized pot. I would happily use this mask again!

Pampering myself with skin care and bath and body care is so important to me and I can’t wait for next month because I will be trying out a new eye cream. It’s the little things, right? 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What is your favorite product to pamper yourself with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug10

Keeping Safe At Home During A Heatwave

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Keeping Safe At Home During A Heatwave

When a heatwave strikes, everything becomes more dangerous. Spending too much time outdoors can lead to an array of serious issues, and many activities become off limits as a result of high temperatures or water limitations. It can be hard to figure out how to stay safe during a heatwave, especially if you haven’t had much experience with extreme weather in the past. Thankfully, there are a few key tips and tricks that you can make the most of to protect yourself despite the unrelenting sunshine. Read on to uncover some of the most effective steps that you can follow to keep cool and calm this summer:

Protect Your Property:

Your home should act as a safe sanctuary during a heatwave and there are many different ways that you can create a cool, refreshing environment in which you and your family can stay refreshed and healthy. The color of your home’s exterior can contribute massively towards its overall temperature as dark colors are more likely to absorb the heat whereas light colors like white can reflect it.

It’s a good idea to invest in a set of shutters that you can install outside of your windows because once closed this will act as a barrier between your home and the intense sun outside. You will be able to keep your windows open to benefit from a breeze without filling the room with sunshine, so it’s the perfect solution for a hot day. Installing an air conditioning unit may be something that you want to consider, but it’s important to note that the unit itself will emit a lot of heat which can intensify under the harsh summer sun. Stick with a simple fan if you want a cooler breeze, which is also far more environmentally conscious.

Adapt Your Garden:

It’s absolutely vital that you make an effort to adapt your garden to better suit the heatwave and its risks, as there are certain features that can pose a serious danger in the event of severe sunshine. For example, leaving piles of old branches, leaves, and grass cuttings out to dry may have been an acceptable activity during the winter, but this can easily lead to a fire if you make such a mistake during a heatwave. You don’t need to read a property damage restoration FAQ page to know that a fire in your garden could spread to your house in less than a couple of seconds, so you must be vigilant and adapt your outside space to suit the extreme weather that’s headed your way.

Heatwaves can come with a few benefits, as it’s a great time to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that thrive on the intense sunlight. Extra spicy chilies, sweet melons, and juicy tomatoes will be great in your garden, so you may as well make the most of the opportunity to get some home grown vitamins to power you through the heatwave!

Stay cool this summer by adapting your property to the extreme heat!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Aug6

Rest Of Summer Goals

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Rest Of Summer Goals

Hi! Can you believe we are already in August? I feel like July flew by! When the month of August arrives, I always feel like summer is about to be over when, in reality, we still have a good month and a half left. There is still much I want to do in that time, including the following:

Let’s Go To The Movies:

The first movie I saw in theaters since several months prior to the start of the pandemic was Demon Slayer The Movie and it was excellent. Sadly, I haven’t been to a movie since seeing it in May and that definitely needs to change. When Johnny and I first started dating, we were always going on dates to the movies and there is plenty to pick from this summer – especially if you’re a horror fan like us. I am dying to see A Quiet Place 2, The Conjuring 3, and Don’t Breathe 2. A few weeks ago, Johnny and I watched Don’t Breathe because he had never seen it and it is just in time for the sequel’s release later this month. 😀

Fun In The Sun:

I love being able to use the pool at my apartment community and, despite making an effort to go weekly, it still doesn’t feel like enough! There is nothing better than taking a dip on a hot summer day and I just know I will regret not using the pool more often once it closes for the year. To remedy this, I plan on visiting the pool at least two times a week so I can make up for lost time when it wasn’t open last year.

More Pictures, Please:

One of my favorite types of posts to create for lifewithlilred are Outfit Of The Days. It is so much fun to me to style outfits, come up with an idea for a photo shoot, and selecting the perfect pics for my blog. It’s basically just me pretending to be on America’s Next Top Model and I live for it lol. It would be a shame to not take advantage of the beautiful weather and shoot some more summer looks so I am hoping to do another handful of photo shoots before the weather turns. Then, keep it posted for my all time favorite: FALL FASHION!!!

Every Day I’m Hustlin’:

I am on the verge of a 1,000 day writing streak on WordPress and am quickly approaching a year in a row of practicing five languages on Duolingo. I am incredibly proud of this and won’t stop even after I have reached these landmark achievements. It is so exciting to get one step closer to my goals every day and who knows? We just might have to do a 1,000th post extravaganza on lifewithlilred with a giveaway! What do you think? 🙂

Here’s to sunny days and lots of fun for all this August!!

What are your goals for the rest of the summer? Do you have any exciting plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug3

Bath & Body Works August 2021 Freebie

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Bath & Body Works August 2021 Freebie

Hello!! I love shopping bath and body care at Bath & Body Works and recently had a huge haul during their semi annual sale. B&BW always runs the best promotions and I love that they send coupon packets every few months for freebies and percentages off your purchase. This month, I ran into Bath & Body Works to pick out my free travel size hand cream and it smells just as good as the name of it sounds! Check it out:

When it comes to freebie coupons, B&BW usually offers a travel size lotion or shower gel. I have never had the option to pick out a hand cream before so I am definitely excited to test this Vanilla Butter Cream scented hand cream out. This product smells exactly how you are probably imagining it smelling right now – a rich, sugary vanilla like a birthday cake. While it does have an absolutely delicious aroma, it is a tad overpowering. I would never wear this hand cream during the day but I’ll be happy to lather some on before bed!

It is also worth noting that the Halloween fragrances are already out at Bath & Body Works and the scents and packaging are divine. It took a lot of self control for me to leave the store without buying multiples of each Halloween themed product. My favorite things to look out for were the spider shaped hand sanitizer holder and the spooky snow globe candle holder. SO. CUTE. 😀

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Which store offers the best promotions? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah