Tag Archives: bath and body care

Feb24

Major Body Shop Haul

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Major Body Shop Haul

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! So The Body Shop recently had a forty percent off sale online that I took full advantage of on Valentine’s Day. I decided a while ago that the next time TBS had a good percentage off sale, that I would order a year’s supply of all of my must have products so that I wouldn’t have to spend the year chasing the best deals. Not only did I get all of my necessities for a fraction of the cost, but I also got two body butters for FREE! Take a look at my haul and let’s discuss:

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The Haul:

  • 4 Vitamin C Skin Boosts
  • 1 Nutriganics Eye Cream
  • 2 Vitamin E Moisturizers
  • 2 Brush On Radiances
  • 2 British Rose Body Butters (free!)
  • 2 sample products (also free!)

The Total: $110

So normally I don’t like to post about how much I spend on myself BUT this was such a great deal that I really felt the need to talk about it in its full extent. For about twelve dollars a pop, I was able to get everything that I needed (for the most part) for an entire year. That’s huge. Not only was I completely thrilled with the amount that I spent, but I was also so happy to get two free body butters out if it! For Valentine’s Day, TBS was offering a free British Rose body butter, lotion, shower gel, or bubble bath with a fifty dollar purchase so of course I went with the body butter as it was the best value. I can’t say that I totally love the British Rose scent but beggars can’t be choosers and they will still be a nice addition to my lotion hoard!

You guys already know that I love to shop and I rarely have a problem with spending money BUT I always look for the best deal when I’m making a purchase. I really felt like I was getting the best value for my money with this online haul. I mean, 110 bucks for a year’s supply of your skin care necessities? Hello! Of course the moisturizers will need restocked but that’s what Target and TJMaxx is for as well as my June birthday!

I am so SO happy with my Major Body Shop Haul and am looking forward to a year of barely having to make any skin care purchases. That in itself made this order money well spent! What are some of your favorites from TBS? What skin care item can you not live without? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb9

Bath & Body Works February Freebies

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Bath & Body Works February Freebies

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! Bath & Body Works is back on track with their freebies after taking December off and I couldn’t be happier. This month, I switched things up and went with shower gel instead of lotion since I already have like ten travel sized lotions that accumulated over the months. I went with shower gel because when I make my way to Europe hopefully within the year, it will be nice to have travel approved body washes that I didn’t have to pay a dime for. Hey, every little bit helps!

The shower gels will also be a nice addition to add on to gifts to friends and family when their birthdays come around. Adding in a few mini lotions with their shower gel counterparts brings an extra ten or more dollar value to the prezzie without having to break out the plastic or cold hard cash. That’s such a win in my book! Seriously, nothing is better than having a stock pile of beauty items to turn to when you feel like a gift is kind of blah because of either lack of funds or inspiration. What girl doesn’t love a few extra bath and body care goodies to add to her collection?!

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Today, I got two travel sized shower gels in Beautiful Day and Pretty As A Peach. Both of these scents are equally delicious but that’s not what I want to talk about in this post. Instead, I want to discuss the possibility of doing a giveaway on lifewithlilred soon – the very first one, as a matter of fact! February is all about my Think Spring guest bloggers series but come March, a giveaway with a little bouquet of four or five travel sized lotions or gels could be lots of fun! Like I said, what girl doesn’t love a few extra bath and body care goodies to add to her collection?!

So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works February Freebies! How does everyone feel about a giveaway? Which scents do you think I should include? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb6

TJMaxx Gift Card Purchases

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TJMaxx Gift Card Purchases

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This past week was the Special Olympics games and it was a fantastically fun time. All of my students were very successful in their events and I couldn’t be more proud. At the banquet following the games, one of my students and his family presented me with a late graduation present – a beautiful framed photo of myself and my student from last year’s games and a gift card to my favorite place on earth…TJMAXX!!! I was so thankful for such a thoughtful gift because they seriously hit the nail on the head. I love having my new picture of such a happy memory on my desk and I had a blast doing some shopping with my mom to spend my gift card this past weekend.

The prezzie actually couldn’t have come at a better time because I’ve been wanting to do a major skin care haul so I can have a year’s supply of all of my must have beauty items without the hassle of waiting around for deals all year. Until the price is right at The Body Shop for all of my necessities, I was able to put two new moisturizers (as I was running low on my Vitamin E TBS cream) and one of my favorite cleansers on back stock. Take a look:

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The Haul:

  • Destiny Boutique charcoal cleanser
  • Lanocreme day cream
  • Arad day cream

In case you guys don’t already know, I’m obsessed with Destiny Boutique and I got this cleanser from TJs not too long ago. But, I saw it in the beauty section and thought it would be a great addition to my skin care back stock so into the cart it went. After finding my favorite cleanser, it was time to look for some new moisturizers. When it comes to creams, my skin really isn’t picky at all but I had the hardest time finding them in the TJs beauty aisle. Seriously, all they seemed to have was night creams and masks so I felt lucky that I found two day creams that I think will work just fine.

I’m always excited to try products that isn’t native to the ol’ USA so when I saw that the Lanocreme moisturizer was made in New Zealand, I definitely wanted to give it a go. As far as the Arad cream goes, I have never used any of their products but I have heard good things so I decided to go with that one, too. I’m a little anxious to try both of these out considering I’ve been using The Body Shop’s Vitamin E moisturizer steadily for the past couple of months so we’ll see how it goes. Fingers crossed that I’ll have good things to say about it in an upcoming monthly beauty finishes post!

The last of my gift card was used on restocking the communal TBS body butter and lotion hoard that my mom and I share. A Raspberry body butter for me, Vanilla Chai for her, and a cocoa butter lotion – my favorite! If you love The Body Shop products as much as my mom and myself and you have a TJMaxx near you, then I can’t recommend stopping in and scoping out their beauty aisle enough. You never know what you might find!

So there you have it, my TJMaxx Gift Card Purchases! What is one of your favorite items from The Body Shop? What is one of your favorite scores from TJMaxx? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

January 2017 Finishes

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January 2017 Finishes

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. With January coming to a close and the reminder of Valentine’s Day in February coming in at full force, it’s time to talk about my empties for the month. I actually had a lot of finishes in January which I was so happy about because I was working on a few of them for quite a while and it’s always fun to start something new! Take a look at the products that I bid adieu to this month and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • The Body Shop Argon Oil body wash: YES
  • Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture lotion: NO!!!!
  • Jergens BB Protect lotion: YES
  • St. Ives Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange scrub: YES
  • Olay Total Effects moisturizer: MAYBE
  • Yes To Grapefruit Correct & Repair treatment: NO
  • The Body Shop Almond body butter: YES

Why/Why Not?

TBS Body Wash: This jumbo sized body wash was compliments of TJMaxx for a whopping EIGHT dollars. It took me well over three months to finish completely and I would definitely use it again. The Argon Oil scent is mild and soft and it left my skin feeling well moisturized after each use. It might not be my favorite scent that TBS has to offer but getting the jumbo sized shower gels from TJs is a steal so I take what I can get!

Juicy Couture Lotion: This is a product that I’ve been putting off using for a long, long time because it smells like butt! Many Christmases ago my mom gifted me with a Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture box set that came with the perfume and this lotion. I don’t think that I have ever even used the perfume and the only reason that I finally caved and used the lotion was to be rid of it! The smell…it just isn’t for me. It is so overpoweringly flowery and god knows what else and I (and my entire family, who reminded me every time I wore it) completely hated it. It took me about three weeks to finish this lotion and I could not have been happier to see it go! BYE FELICIA.

Jergens Lotion: I won this Jergens BB lotion from a giveaway last year along with the BB hand cream, which I loved. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this body lotion again but if it were offered to me or if it were cheap enough, I would snag it. I liked how light it smelled and how quickly it absorbed but it was not an incredibly great value as I finished it after about four uses!

St. Ives Scrub: You guys already know that I love my St. Ives products and this scrub is no exception. First of all, the Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange scent is delicious. It is so invigorating and bright and I loved using it first thing in the morning. Second of all, my skin felt great after every use. It both felt and looked radiant and instantly took away the dull, tired look that sleep can bring to your skin. It took me a little over one month to finish this scrub.

Olay Moisturizer: This empty is actually compliments of my mom who handed it down to me two days before Christmas because I was all out of whatever I was using. She said there was about two uses left which was great because I knew that I would be getting more moisturizer and skin care goodies under the tree! My mom was dead wrong though, because I got about three weeks of use out of the rest of this product which shows that just a little bit of it goes a long way. This moisturizer absorbed quickly and its scent was subtle and mild which I liked, however, the texture was too thin for my liking. I like moisturizers with a little bit of heaviness to it, like The Body Shop’s Vitamin E cream, so this Olay one just didn’t pack enough of a punch for me. I won’t say that I wouldn’t use it again but it’s not something that I’m dying to buy after using it for close to a month.

Yes To Grapefruit Treatment: I like the idea of this Correct & Repair treatment but it really didn’t do much for me. The grapefruit scent did smell great but I never saw any noticeable differences in my skin after using it. I used this product about three to four times per month and it lasted me three months so the value of it was good but that’s really all I have to say for it. I think that this product was trying really hard to be a peel and it just didn’t work out that way. Rather, it was more like a scrub that sat on your face for ten minutes before washing off. -__-

TBS Body Butter: I love, love, LOVE the almond scent from TBS so when I saw this for SIX bucks at TJs, I had to grab it! The light nutty scent is so rich despite its subtleness and it just feels (and smells) so good on the skin. I love putting body butter on after a nice, long bath so it was a treat to be able to use one of my favorites for the past month which is about how long it lasted for me, too!

The month of January brought me seven finished products and some I loved and some…not so much! But that just means that I have seven new products to test in the months ahead which is something that I always look forward to. I would say that this month was still very successful as there were quite a few empties that I would definitely use again but I am so ready for the newbie products come February!

So there you have it, my January 2017 Finishes! Have any of you ever used any of the above products before? What did you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

Time To Take Care Of Your Body: Easy Ways To Show It Some Love

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Time To Take Care Of Your Body: Easy Ways To Show It Some Love

We are often so busy in our lives that we leave little time to think about ourselves. But for the sake of your health, you need to look after number one. Our body is so important and if you don’t make time to care for it, you will end up feeling so blah and run down. Here are some easy ways to take care of your body and show it the love it deserves:

Give Your Body a Chance to Relax: It’s often the case that we are on the go constantly. Whether it’s being busy at work or running after the kids, we are not left with much time to relax. But for the sake of our body, we need to make sure that we do have a chance for a little R&R. As we said before, relaxation is essential to lowering your blood pressure, clearing your head, and easing knotted muscles. Try and make sure to spend at least an hour in the evening relaxing. Whether it be with a bath or a good book, allow yourself the time to take a breather. And make sure that you are getting enough sleep at night. It can be a challenge to get plenty of shut eye, but sleep is so important as it gives your body a chance to rest and rejuvenate to make sure that you’re ready for the next day.

Pamper Yourself Occasionally: You can also show your body some love by enjoying a pampering session every now and again. You could have a pampering session from the comfort of your home. Have a warm bubble bath and relax for a while. You can then use a great lotion or body butter to moisturize your skin and leave it in good condition. Also, take the time to give your hands and feet a massage and apply some creams to ensure that they are shown some love, too! If you fancy something even more relaxing, you might want to consider heading to a spa. Take your loved one or a good friend and go and relax in the pool and Jacuzzi. You could even book some treatments such as a massage and a facial to ensure that your body gets the pampering it deserves. You will come away feeling refreshed and ready to move forward with your life and all of the tasks you need to face for the week ahead.

Make Sure You Eat a Healthy Diet: It’s not just the outside of your body that you need to worry about. You need to make sure you are taking care of the inside, too. And one of the easiest ways that you can do this is by making sure that you are consuming a healthy diet. Make sure you are consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables to help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid high fat and sugar foods. If you start eating a healthier diet, your body will definitely love you for it!

Finally, make sure you exercise regularly to keep the rest of your body machine in working order. Here’s to the best you possible thanks to a little self love!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jan26

Bath & Body Works January Freebie

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Bath & Body Works January Freebie

Hii everyone and happy Thursday! So this month I was growing increasingly wary that Bath & Body Works was finally on to the fact that whenever I come into the store, it’s usually just to cash in my freebie coupons. I had not received anything in December so by late January, I assumed that my free ride was over. But, as they say, assume makes an ass out of you and me because this past week I received some of my beloved freebie coupons in the mail. I was really happy about this because after the holiday season, my hoard was beginning to run dry thanks to peppering many a gift with a few travel sized goodies. Lucky for me, I was able to add to the stock pile with these two lotions:

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On Tuesday, I picked up a travel size Pink Cashmere and Magic In The Air lotion. I really like the Pink Cashmere scent because it smells so barely there light which is perfect for someone who doesn’t like an overpowering fragrance. I am one of those people so if I decide to keep this one for myself or gift it, I know that it will be a hit either way. I also LOVE, love, love the packaging for this lotion. It is so girly, soft, and pretty which was the perfect way to go for such a delicate scent.

Magic In The Air is one of B&BW’s winter fragrances and will definitely be one that I’ll be saving for the next holiday season (or perhaps a giveaway!). It won’t do much good to gift someone with a wintery floral scent for a summer birthday! Regardless, I think that this lotion smells really pretty! It has a lovely winter berry scent layered with some sweet florals, which is all combined with the freshness in the air that comes with a crisp winter wind. Normally, I’m not one for floral fragrances but Magic In The Air is one that I can get down with!

I am so #blessed that Bath & Body Works decided to bestow more freebie coupons onto me and am looking forward to refilling my stock pile with lots of wonderful smell goods!

So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works January Freebie! Who thinks that I should do a lotion giveaway? What is your favorite B&BW scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan11

Exciting News!!

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Exciting News!!

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! I have some very exciting news for my Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series that I just couldn’t wait to share. As you guys know, my friend Angela (who I wrote about yesterday) has a delightful little Etsy shop dedicated to homemade bath and body care goodies. And because Miss Angie and I are in cahoots with each other, I ran an idea by her to get her crafty self to participate in my series. So, I am very excited to share with you guys that as a Lil Red Exclusive, Angela will be creating a signature spring scent special for my readers as a part of the series.

The product will launch on her Etsy shop as well as through an article on lifewithlilred during the series. I am also hoping that we might be able to employ a special discount available to my readers! I am SO excited to see what Angela comes up with but I also want to hear your input, too. What scents do you think are perfect for spring? What is your favorite bath and body care item to treat yourself with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: If you’re interested in participating in the guest bloggers series, shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com !

Jan10

Blogger’s Blooming Business

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Blogger’s Blooming Business

Heyyy guys! When I have a friend who is very dear to me, I always make sure that I am one hundred percent supportive of all of their creative endeavors. One of my beloved blogging beauties, Miss Angela, has been a reader turned friend of mine for quite some time now. I can always look to Angela for rays of positivity and sunshine whether it be on her Facebook page or in my comments section and it always brightens my day infinitely.

Recently, Angela opened her own Etsy shop, Angie’s Bath & Body, which is chock full of amazing homemade and natural bath and body goodies. There are body butters, bath salts and fizzies, sugar scrubs, and so much more to browse through and I promise you that they both look and smell simply delicious! I encourage all of you to take a look at Angie’s Bath & Body and give some love to one of my dear blogging friends and maybe even treat yourself to some new luxury bath and body care! Love you, Ang!

Dec26

December Finishes

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December Finishes

Hello everyone and a very happy Monday to all! I hope that those who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a fantastic day and that everyone is enjoying the holiday season. This is my last post about my monthly empties for 2016 and it is kind of a blah one because all of the products are from The Body Shop! This month was about sticking with what I know and using up some of my favorite products from my go to bath and body and skin care shopping spot. So take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • The Body Shop Strawberry Body Scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturizer: YES
  • The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost: YES

Why/Why Not?

Strawberry Scrub: The scrubs from TBS are a must for me when I am shaving, as they exfoliate, moisturize, and lift the hair from their follicles which results in a smoother shave. I love both the strawberry and satsuma scrub and was lucky enough to find both at TJMaxx for five dollars apiece. Score! The best thing about this scrub is how well it lathers – a small quarter sized squeeze can easily cover your entire leg! A little goes such a long way with this product which is why I finally finished it after the better part of five months. I essentially paid a dollar a month to use my scrub and I can totally get down with that!

Moisturizer: I have wrote about my beloved Vitamin E Moisturizer many a times and my love for it grows with every use. This cream is perfectly in between a heavy and light consistency which leaves your skin feeling like peaches and cream every time. Your skin will look and feel so smooth, soft, and dreamy creamy. Thankfully, I got another jar for Christmas since I’m all out! It took me about a month and a half to finish this moisturizer.

Cocoa Butter: The cocoa butter is easily my favorite body butter that the store has to offer. It smells deliciously rich and chocolate-y in the most subtle way and you can feel it nourishing you as soon as it makes contact with your skin. This was the scent that I always recommended when I worked at The Body Shop because I feel like everyone who uses it loves it just the same. The nice thing about cocoa butter is that it is not as heavy as the Shea butter for those who like something lighter, like myself. Make sure you ask the employees at the store about which butters have a cocoa or Shea butter base next time you shop to get the consistency that you like! It took me about a month to finish this body butter which I scored for six bucks at TJs!

Vitamin C Boost: I am sure that all of you guys know by now about my undying love for the Vitamin C Skin Boost. I have been using this stuff since I was a teenager and I honestly don’t think that I will ever stop. I really feel like my skin looks brighter and more radiant thanks to consistent use of this product and I am so thankful for it! Nothing is better to me than luminescent skin so to achieve that with two pumps of the skin boost per day seems like a no brainer! It took me three months to finish this product.

It was such a treat to use up some of my favorite goodies from The Body Shop this month. It left me feeling perfectly pampered and incredibly happy that I was able to take care of my body with some of the products that I feel are the very best. Here’s to many more skin, beauty, and body care must haves in 2017!

So there you have it, my December Finishes! Please stay tuned this week for some of my favorite new items in my holiday haul! What was your favorite beauty product of 2016? Did anyone score any new makeup or beauty items for the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec19

The Perfect Festive Night In

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The Perfect Festive Night In

The countdown to Christmas is on, by the end of this week we’ll be tucking into a big dinner and ripping open the presents under the tree! But in the meantime, why not enjoy the run-up to Christmas? It’s that perfect time of year when everyone is truly in the festive spirit; chances are you’ve already broken up from work and have free time to relax and enjoy yourself. Here’s everything you need for a perfect, festive night in.

Make Your Surroundings Cozy: Whether it’s your comfy sofa with plenty of throws and pillows, or your bed with gorgeous, clean sheets make sure that you have everything situated for cold winter cuddles. If you want to really treat yourself you could buy a brand new set to use; Christmas bedding is a popular choice, or you could go with something luxurious like hotel bedding from Richard Haworth. Light some candles, turn on the heating, draw the curtains and create the perfect cozy environment to enjoy your evening.

Use Some Pampering Products: A pampering bath is the perfect way to begin your cozy night in. A soak in a hot bath with a luxurious bath oil, bath bomb, or bubbles will warm you up and have you feeling perfectly relaxed. You could use a face mask to treat your skin, and a hair mask to nourish your locks. You could paint your nails in a festive shade and use your most indulgent skin care to leave your skin feeling extra smooth and soft. We all have those products which we save for a special occasion, so why not make that now!

Change into Comfy Pajamas: Once you’re out of the bath, comfy pajamas are a must. You can buy pajama sets, dressing gowns, fluffy socks, and slippers all for relatively cheap, and they’re great for this time of year. You want pieces that are ultra soft and comfortable so you can properly lounge. I recommend TJMaxx for all of your pajama needs – that’s where I stocked up!

Prepare Some Festive Food and Drink: Enjoy some of the delicious festive snacks that you probably wouldn’t have during the rest of the year. Hot chocolate with all the trimmings, or a glass of mulled wine. Lots of chocolate and indulgences- Christmas isn’t a time to be counting calories! Allow yourself whatever you want, guilt free. The inevitable New Year’s detox is right around the corner so may as well enjoy it while you can!

Decide On a Few Things To Do: Do you have a box set that you’ve been dying to start, or a program you want to catch up on? Now is the time to put it on. You could scour Netflix for some Christmas films or download lots of books to your Kindle. You could listen to music, Skype a friend or family member, or even put on a meditation app and just relax. This is a great time to catch up on all of the fun things that you want to do on a regular day, but just don’t have the time for. Having time to sit around and do whatever you want gives your mind a much-needed break from work. When you eventually do go back in in January, you’ll be well rested and ready to go.

Featured Image By: Pexels