Tag Archives: bath and body care

Jul2

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Posted on July 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Howdy!! Although I wasn’t able to get everything I wanted from the Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale, I still did pretty well for myself. Thanks to promotions and a birthday gift card, I only spent forty dollars for twenty products and you can’t beat that. I was keeping my fingers crossed that I could get a bunch of the foaming hand soaps as they are tried and true staples in my apartment. The selection was slim pickings by the time I shopped the sale, but I did manage to find a couple as well as an awesome deal on hand sanitizer. I got a five pack for two dollars which was a total score! Check it out:

Would I Use Again?

Firecracker Pop: YES

Wild For You: YES

Bright Summer Days: MAYBE

Mahogany Teakwood Hand Sanitizer: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Firecracker Pop & Wild For You: One of the classic B&BW tricks is that they will recycle the same scent with a different name and packaging. Hence, why we are discussing Firecracker Pop and Wild For You together. As I took a whiff of each scent, I found them to be very similar. Then, I looked at the back and the scent description of “Red cherry, fresh citrus, and juicy berry” was almost a perfect match. The only difference being that Firecracker Pop offered juicy berry and Wild For You featured frozen berry. So, in other words, a perfect match lol.

I like this scent well enough so it’s a good thing I have two of them. However, I would have went for a different scent had I realized I was buying two of the same products. Both options smell exactly like a Bomb Pop and is delightfully reminiscent of summer. Something that I don’t love, though, is the slightly medicinal after scent from the cherries. It’s not terrible, but it does smell like straight up cough syrup if you are looking hard enough for it!

Bright Summer Days: Shopping for fragrances online is, of course, a difficult thing to do. When I am online shopping with B&BW, I never pay too much attention to the scent description because it could be hit or miss regardless of what I end up picking. Had I done my Semi Annual Sale haul in stores, I would have skipped over Bright Summer Days but it’s not the absolute worst. This scent features notes of “Coconut milk, sunny starfruit, and warm sands”. I can’t speak for the starfruit or sand, but the coconut is there!

I wouldn’t say coconut is one of my favorite scents but I am especially partial to the Coconut line from The Body Shop. It is such a pure fragrance without anything else mixed in. Knowing that the B&BW coconut isn’t nearly as good is enough to make me not like it too much. If the price is right, however, I would probably still buy it again.

Hand Sanitizer: I really like the hand sanitizers from B&BW. Yes, the scents are always nice. The best part, though, is how they don’t dry out my hands like other sanitizers have done before. The Mahogany Teakwood five pack of sani was the only option available online and I went for it. I knew Johnny would appreciate the manly scent and even if it’s one I normally wouldn’t use for myself, it was an excellent deal. As far as the scent goes, have you ever smelled Old Spice products? It is literally just that lol. I will keep one handy in my purse but I will be purchasing more hand sanitizer in a scent that I actually like the next time I go shopping!

This Hand Soap Haul wasn’t the best and that’s okay. Although the scents weren’t all slam dunks, I got what I needed and got it for a song. Not too shabby!

Did you shop the Semi Annual Sale? What is a scent that you can’t stand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Posted on July 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Something that I always look forward to is the Semi Annual Sales at Bath & Body Works during the summer and winter. Countless products are marked down to seventy-five percent off and it is perfect for bulking up my stockpile and purchasing gifts. There is nothing better to me than a revamped bath and body care hoard that was bought at an amazing price! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get to the store to shop the sale so I did it online. And, unfortunately, by the time I got around to it everything was pretty picked over. However, I still did alright – actually better than alright. Thanks to a birthday gift card to B&BW from my sister, I got twenty items for… FORTY DOLLARS!! You simply can’t beat two bucks a pop for each product! Check it out:

I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed with myself during this haul. I actually looked at the B&BW website shortly before going to bed and there were at least fifteen pages worth of marked down product. Fast forward to when I shopped it the following day and there was only five pages left. I was SO annoyed as I was hoping to rebuy several things that Johnny and I liked before. Their selection was very limited, especially for the men’s department and a majority of what was left online was candles, wallflowers, and a random assortment of lotion and shower gel.

Although I was wishing to score some cheap skin care and the gummy vitamins that Johnny loved, beggars can’t be choosers. And, at the end of the day, I still got lots of goodies for a song! I was able to get a great supply of wallflowers (Which I don’t think work all that well, but I like them anyways!), hand soap, and lotion and shower gel in my favorite scent of Calypso Clementine. I am also really eager to try the body butter, which is entirely new to me. I live for the body butter from The Body Shop and nothing will hold a candle to it. But, it doesn’t hurt to try! 😀

In the next few days, we’ll go over some of these different scents that haven’t been discussed on my page before. I am confident that there will be a few duds in the mix so we can all better learn what to skip on during our next B&BW shopping spree! The winter Semi Annual Sale, perhaps?!

Who else shopped the summer Semi Annual Sale? What was in your haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun29

June 2024 Finishes

Posted on June 29, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! Just like that, my birthday month is close to drawing to a close. It was a wonderful, celebratory time but all good things must come to an end. So, there is no better time than the present to discuss my beauty empties for the month! I was able to use up a lot of new to me products and quite liked a majority of them. In fact, I would happily use everything again minus one thing so it was a highly successful month indeed. Let’s take a look and discuss further:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Calypso Clementine Body Wash: YES

Bath & Body Works At The Beach Body Cream: YES

Provence Beauty Vitamin C + Salicylic Acid Serum: YES

40 Carrots+ Brightening Eye Cream: NO

SOQU Moisturizing & Brightening Rice Cream: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Products: I am a huge fan of the products from Bath & Body Works and use them on a daily basis. My morning showers would not be complete without their body wash and the body creams and lotion are a nighttime staple. I absolutely LOVED the scents of the Calypso Clementine shower gel and At The Beach body cream. The shower gel was bright, fruity, and had the perfect amount of citrusy zest. And, in case you couldn’t guess, At The Beach smells exactly how you think it would – like sunscreen lol. However, it was blended with a soft coconut scent and served pure summer vibes. It took me one month of daily use to finish the shower gel and a week of daily use to finish the travel size body cream.

Provence Beauty Serum: I find serums to be very hit or miss for me. Some are great, some do nothing for me, and some are somewhere right in the middle. The Provence Beauty Vitamin C + Salicylic Acid serum definitely fell under the “great” category! After one month of twice daily use, I can absolutely say that my skin looked brighter and better than it did before. One might even say: Radiant. Provence Beauty is a brand that is very average for me, but I would buy this serum again in a heartbeat. In fact, I would buy a few bottles!!

40 Carrots+ Eye Cream: It took me three months of twice daily use to finish the 40 Carrots+ Brightening Eye Cream and I couldn’t wait for it to be over lol. This product was a total dud and is one that can be skipped on. After ninety days of use, I did not notice one difference to the skin around my eyes. This is in stark comparison to the brightening eye cream that I used prior to starting the 40 Carrots+ because I saw a real difference with it. It’s a HARD no from me, dawg.

SOQU Rice Cream: I very much enjoyed the Moisturizing & Brightening Rice Cream by SOQU and was really sad when I finished it after a month of twice daily use. The texture of this cream was nice and light, making it ideal for the summertime. It absorbed quickly, was non greasy, and sat well under makeup. My skin felt softer and more hydrated with each use and it looked a lot brighter too. Most importantly, my skin felt genuinely healthy with each application and it doesn’t get better than that!

It’s bon voyage to my beauty empties and bonjour to brand new ones. I still have lots of new to me products in my stock pile and I can’t wait to keep testing them out! 😀

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

May31

Blogging Bestie Birthday Gift

Posted on May 31, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello darlings!!! This past weekend, I received the most fabulous box of birthday greetings from my blogging bestie, Kate, of Live In The Nautical. Kate and I became fast friends when lifewithlilred came into existence almost a decade ago and my life simply wouldn’t be the same without her. She is the absolute best friend a gal could ask for and even though we are in opposite states, I always feel like she is right next door when we are texting or FaceTiming. For my Dirty Thirty, Kate spoiled me with my favorite thing – spooky surprises from Brightside Organics! Check it out:

Kate and I are Gemini twins and our June birthdays are only six days apart. Just like me and Johnny! This is a time of year that we revel in and it is so much fun to celebrate each other together – even more than we already do every day lol. Our siren call when gifts are on the way is “you’ve got mail” and it is most exciting. Kate is one of my all time favorite people to shop for and she shares the same sentiments about me. I always know that her gifts are going to be on point for her horror loving BFF and this gift was no exception.

For my birthday, Kate treated me to all kinds of enticing products from Brightside Organics. Body butter, soaps, candles, and a bonus surprise. The skull candle doubles as a lidded glass. I was wondering why a plastic straw was included in the gift box and then it all made sense lol. I love the tombstone shaped bar soaps and they smell exactly like a crisp autumn day. The scent is called Magical Brew and is the same for the skull candle and body butter. My You A Spooky Bitch (And proud of it!) candle is of a lovely lavender and sage and it will be perfect to burn while winding down at the end of the day. I also thought it was such a cool touch that a little vial of matchsticks were included.

Because I get so much free product from Bath & Body Works, bath and body care is never on my agenda to buy for myself. And, while I like the idea of having candles in my apartment, I never replenish them once they have burned out. Regardless, Kate knows that I love stuff like this and makes it a point to make sure I get some for my big day. We both are all for the pampering route of self care and I always look forward to seeing which products she enjoys for herself that I would like by default. What can I say, her and I are insanely similar and, as per usual, this gift set knocked it out of the park!

I can’t wait to test out all of my new goodies and begin browsing for gifts for Kate’s upcoming birthday too. I am so lucky to have a BFF like her! ❤

What is your favorite thing to be gifted with? Are you and your BFF really similar to each other? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May28

May 2024 Finishes

Posted on May 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo darlings! We are nearing the end of May and that means that it is time to discuss my beauty empties for the month. It also means three more things: Johnny’s birthday, our wedding anniversary, and my birthday are fast approaching. AKA our birthaversary! Needless to say, it is a banner time to be me and Johnny – even if I am turning the Dirty Thirty lol sigh. Aging is a part of life and yada, yada, yada but here’s to hoping that products like these will help me maintain my youthful glow! Check it out:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Poppy Body Cream: YES

Trader Joe’s Berry Lip Mask: MAYBE

GlobalBeautyCare Retinol & Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

We already know I love me my micellar water and B&BW body cream so let’s move on to…

Trader Joe’s Lip Mask: In my perfect world, there would be a Trader Joe’s right down the street from me. Unfortunately, that is not the case and the closest one is about forty minutes from chez nous. While I simply refuse to make the drive, my parents will go there from time to time and picked the Berry Lip Mask out for me as a little Valentine’s Day treat. It took me over three months of nightly use to finish the jar and I enjoyed using it. However, I was ready for it to be over if that makes sense? Although I liked how smooth this mask made my lips, it didn’t do much else. If my parents were to get it for me again, I would use it happily. I definitely wouldn’t go forty minutes out of my way to get it myself, though!

GlobalBeautyCare Moisturizer: If you read my recent review for this Retinol and Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer, you will know that I freaking loved it. If you didn’t read my recent review: I freaking loved this moisturizer lol. This was, hands down, the best and most effective moisturizer that I have used in a long time. I noticed a significant difference in the fine lines that I have some concern about and it was amazing to get those results in one month of twice daily use. I also liked how gentle this moisturizer was even though it had retinol because it has caused irritation to my skin in the past. I was disappointed that TJMaxx didn’t have any more GlobalBeautyCare during my last haul (See yesterday’s post), but I will absolutely buy it if I see it again.

And, with that, my May Finishes are complete. I can’t wait to start using products from my last skin care haul and am keeping my fingers crossed that it will contain another diamond in the rough like the GlobalBeautyCare moisturizer!

Apr28

April 2024 Finishes

Posted on April 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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!

Apr27

Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

Posted on April 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! One of my neighbors blessed me with a Bath & Body Works coupon he got in the mail as he had no use for it. So, on Tuesday I popped in the shop during my afternoon break to double dip on my April freebies. My bath and body care hoard runneth over but you just can’t beat free! I had no intention of getting anything besides the travel size item the coupon allowed for, but B&BW was running a good promo on their wallflowers so I grabbed two of those too. The fragrances I picked have me feeling oh so spring! Check it out:

I don’t know if it’s just my Bath & Body Works or all of them, but I have noticed that their travel size selection is severely lacking the past several times I’ve went in. There were only a handful of scents, maybe three, that were available and it was mainly fragrance sprays and lotion. I am pretty well stocked on all of my bath and body products thanks to the winter semi annual sale and I didn’t want any more perfume. Then, I had a brain blast and remembered that their bar soap is part of the free travel size promo too. This was much more like it! I have used their bar soap a few times and loved it so I picked one out in Apple – my favorite scent. And, as you guessed, it smells exactly like biting into a crisp, juicy apple!

For my wallflower fragrances, I followed a similar motif with fruity scents. I couldn’t say no to Pink Apple Punch, which features notes of “crisp apple, melon, and sugared crystals”. I can’t speak for the melon portion of the fragrance because it just smelled like apples to me and that was perfectly fine! I also purchased Aloha Kiwi Passionfruit as my Johnny loves a tropical scent. This one offers notes of “tropical passionfruit, radiant kiwi, and juicy pineapple”. I could really smell the pineapple on this wallflower and it was such a sweet, punchy fragrance that will definitely brighten up the living room. I can’t wait to use it. 😀

This quick visit to B&BW was such a nice little treat. The fruity fragrances I left with put a spring in my step and will compliment the lovely spring weather beautifully!

What kind of fragrance do you like? What is your favorite fruit scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Mini Madness

Posted on April 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! During the work week, I typically have an hour and a half or so of time in between shifts to run errands on Tuesday. I take full advantage of this because then I don’t have to pencil in time during the weekend to make it happen. If I have nothing that needs done, I’ll post up in a Panera or Starbucks and grab a drink and set up my laptop there. This past Tuesday, I had a few little odds and ends to take care of including a quick stop in Bath & Body Works and TJMaxx for some mini goodies. Check it out:

I have been running dangerously low on my Better Than Sex mascara. However, I simply refuse to buy more from Sephora until my birthday month in June so I can get my free birthday prezzie with the purchase. During my last TJs shopping trip, I purchased some Ellen Tracey mascara to tide me over. Unfortunately, it was the most crap lousy product I have ever used in my life. I needed to go to TJs anyways to make a return so I just bought a mini MAC tube of mascara to get me through until June. I was disappointed they didn’t have some Better Than Sex mascara in store because they sometimes do, but beggars can’t be choosers. -_-

After my astoundingly quick time in TJMaxx, I went to Bath & Body Works next to cash in a free travel size product coupon. Normally when I get a freebie coupon, I like to try new to me scents. This time around, I reverted back to a fragrance I got in my January freebie haul: Calypso Clementine. This scent is exactly what you think it is and it’s delightful. I am extremely partial to citrus and just had to get Calypso Clementine in a fragrance spray too. I have a feeling I am going to be wearing it all summer. It is bright, zesty, and screams sunshine! Highly recommend. 😀

Good things come in small packages and that was definitely the case with this Mini Madness. Now, here’s to hoping I won’t need any more mascara until June! #fingerscrossed

What is your favorite brand of mascara? What is your favorite summertime scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr11

Pedi Party

Posted on April 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Mondays are one of my favorite days of the week because I either work with my online boss in person or just get to work from home and it is great! I also love being able to spend that WFH time with the bunnies so it is a banner day to be me. This past Monday was even better than usual. I worked from home, Johnny was off, the solar eclipse happened (More on that soon!), and I got to hang out with my mom. As a belated birthday gift, I treated my mom and I to Spa Pedicures at Elysian Nails. This is the fourth pedicure I’ve ever had and my mom’s first and we both enjoyed ourselves so much! Check it out:

The last time I got a pedicure was when I got married and I just did the most basic one. I wanted to go all out for my mom’s birthday treat, though, so two Spa Pedis it was. This type of pedicure came with all of the bells and whistles and my mom and I loved every minute of it. After selecting our colors (Hot pink gel for her and black polish for me), we sat down in massage chairs and let the fantastic techs get to work. I think we would have both been happy with our feet in the warm water and letting the massage chairs do their thing!

For almost an entire hour, we were pampered with scrubs, rubs, hot towels, and the finest attention to detail on our tootsies. After just a few minutes of our pedicure, it was like looking at entirely different toes! We were both amazed at how the nails were essentially reshaped and it was a night and day difference. All of the treatments used worked wonders too. My feet and calves have never felt so soft and smooth and I didn’t think it was possible for them to feel that good. We both left our appointment feeling like a million bucks with pretty painted toes and a brand new memory to share together. ❤

As we drove home from our Pedi Party, we decided that twice a year pedicures should be a new tradition for my sister, mom, and me. I already can’t wait for our next one and, as always, Elysian Nails got us just right!

How often do you get pedicures? What is your favorite spa treatment? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar30

March 2024 Finishes

Posted on March 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo everyone! Is it just me or did January and February drag major ass and March simply flew by?! We are already wrapping up the month, which means that it’s time to discuss my beauty empties. This past month, I used several new to me products and that is something that I always enjoy! Were they buy again worthy or total duds? Let’s find out!

Would I Use Again?

Hope Soap Grapefruit & Bamboo Body Cream: MAYBE

Clinical Works Cleansing Toner: NO

The Beauty Standard Vitamin C Moisturizer: NO

Bath & Body Works Dry Skin Moisturizer: MAYBE

Provence Beauty Collagen Serum: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Hope Soap Cream: Hope Soap is a local business in my neck of the woods and my darling mother in law gifts me with their products for Christmas. I have used their Body Nectar several times and while they were nice, they didn’t blow me away. The mango butter body cream called The Sauce, however, was much more like it! The Grapefruit & Bamboo scent was zingy and refreshing and it felt so rich and nourishing on my skin. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it again, but it is definitely my favorite Hope Soap product that I have used. It took me about a month to finish the bottle with once daily use.

Clinical Works Toner: During my TJMaxx holiday gift card skin care restock extravaganza (What a mouthful!), I was so disappointed that there was not a single bottle of my beloved Evoluderm micellar water in sight. So, I had to make do with random toners instead like this one by Clinical Works. I finished the bottle with once daily use in a month and I was less than impressed. What I like about the Evoluderm micellar water is that it really does feel like a beauty treatment. The toner by Clinical Works literally just felt like I was rubbing water on my face lol SMH.

The Beauty Standard Moisturizer: Normally when I use a product, I make mental notes in my head of what I liked and didn’t like about it. In the case of the Vitamin C moisturizer by The Beauty Standard, I am drawing a blank! I genuinely can’t remember if I felt any type of way about it so I’m assuming that it was very average. Since it was anything but noteworthy in my head, this is a moisturizer that I wouldn’t buy again!

B&BW Moisturizer: During my winter Semi Annual Sale shopping spree at Bath & Body Works, I was surprised to learn that they had a skin care line. I purchased one of their dry skin moisturizers out of sheer curiosity and it took me a month of twice daily use to finish the jar. During that time, I enjoyed using the moisturizer and loved how soft and smooth my skin felt with each use. It was very hydrating and it just felt nice to use. Would I buy it at full price? Hard no. But, if it is on sale again during the summer Semi Annual, I will be more than happy to buy a few jars of it.

Provence Beauty Serum: I have used several Provence Beauty products in the past because they are almost always available at TJMaxx. For the most part, I have found their skin care to be a bit above average and those are my sentiments for the Collagen Serum too. This serum absorbed nicely into the skin, sat well under makeup, and I did notice a slight difference in the tightness of my skin after a month of twice daily use. Like most of the products we discussed, the jury is out on if I would buy this serum again. However, if it were available at TJs and I needed a serum restock, I would *probably* add it to my cart.

My March empties were, clearly, nothing to write home about but were certainly worth blogging about. You are not missing out on a majority of the above if you bypass them in the store!

Have you tried any new products recently? What did you think about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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