Tag Archives: b&bw

Oct24

Bath & Body Works Haul

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Bath & Body Works Haul

Hello! When it comes to my beauty hoard, I like to keep it very well stocked. This means having at least two backups of my most used products on hand at all times. Johnny and I are both extremely partial to the hand soaps from Bath & Body Works so when I saw that we only had one left, a restock was definitely in order! Check it out:

Would I Buy Again?

  • Island Papaya: YES
  • Ghoul Friend: YES
  • Afternoon Apple Picking: YES
  • Blueberry Maple Pancakes: NO
  • Peach Bellini: YES
  • Let’s Get Nuts: MAYBE
  • Spooky Hand Sanitizers: YES!

Despite a couple of misses during this B&BW haul, I am still pleased with it. The Island Papaya was a huge success with Johnny who loves all things tropical and I am always happy to get another Peach Bellini hand soap – it’s my favorite! Afternoon Apple Picking was also a scent that we both really liked because it smelled strictly like apples without a touch of cinnamon, which we both hate lol. Now, let’s move on to the not so liked buys:

When I saw the Blueberry Maple Pancakes soap, I thought that it would smell amazing and was looking forward to its arrival in the mail. Unfortunately, it missed the mark big time. Instead of a delicious blueberry bakery scent, it just smells like straight up syrup and is almost sickeningly sweet.

Let’s Get Nuts is another scent that I could probably do without. It is your basic vanilla and, don’t get me wrong, I am a huge vanilla fan. However, vanilla can be kind of boring when there are so many other fun hand soap scents to explore. I actually didn’t plan on buying the soap but almost all of the Halloween scents were sold out so I added it to the shopping cart to make the most of the six soaps for twenty-four dollars deal.

The biggest success of this haul was not the soaps but the hand sanitizers! Last month, I got a coupon for a free sani and I absolutely loved it. The scent was nice and light and it made my hands feel clean without drying them out. Since we couldn’t get many Halloween scented soaps, we settled for the five for eight dollars spooky sani pack which is a great deal. Johnny and I are both currently using Vampire Blood and the only thing that would make it perfect is if we had the hand soap too – it smells SO good!

Hit or miss, you can never go wrong with the foaming hand soaps from Bath & Body Works. I am already looking forward to the next restock! 😀

What is your favorite B&BW scent? What is in your beauty stock pile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct16

Lil Red’s Must Have Beauty Products

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Lil Red’s Must Have Beauty Products

Hi! I consider myself to be a skin care fanatic. I have had a full fledged skin care routine since I was fifteen and I love testing out new products and revisiting old favorites. So, when my dear friend Libby over at Goddess Attainable emailed me about her upcoming post about her must have products, I just had to participate too! Today, we are going to look at some of my go to’s when it comes to skin and hair care. Let’s get to it:

IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm:

I received this product in a Sephora Play! box and it became an instant staple in my beauty routine when I straighten my hair. The IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm offers heat protection, decreases frizziness, and leaves my hair feeling silky smooth. The hair balm receives top marks from me because I don’t wash my hair at all and it never makes my hair oily or greasy, which is a huge necessity.

Ban Deodorant:

Who remembers Teen Spirit deodorant back in the day lol? As soon as I outgrew that sickeningly sweet deodorant, it was all about the unscented Ban roll on! Now, normally, I am a huge scent girl but I just can’t do it when it comes to deodorant. I have been using the Ban deodorant since my teens because it keeps me fresh all day long and doesn’t dry out my skin, either. Who wants dry armpits? Not me!

Bath & Body Works Lotion:

Wrapping up my nighttime skin care routine is not complete without a healthy dose of lotion afterwards. I cannot stand wearing lotion during the day time due to the texture and overpowering scents so I only wear it at night. I am currently working on the Portofino Pink Prosecco scent from Bath & Body Works, which I purchased during a semi-annual sale haul. This is one that you wouldn’t want to wear during the day, anyways, because it smells super boozy!

Garnier Micellar Water:

The Garnier Micellar Water has been a staple in my beauty hoard for the past several years. I use it as a makeup remover, toner, and clean my nose piercings with it too. I always keep several bottles handy at home and might have to restock more often! I have been trying to do Johnny’s makeup since our vacation and it has not gone very well so we have been going through a lot of micellar water. Practice makes perfect, though, and I’m confident that he’ll be rocking guyliner with the best of them soon!

Tree Of Life Vitamin C Serum:

Vitamin C serum has been an essential in my skin care routine since I was a teenager and I have just recently started using the Tree Of Life serum. I love Vitamin C serum because it makes my skin luminous and bright even on days when I feel dead tired. Both my morning and nighttime skin care routine has started with a Vitamin C serum for so long and I often wonder what my skin would look like without being such a dedicated user for over a decade.

e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Eye Cream:

More often that not, you can catch Lil Red using drugstore brands as you can see from several items on this list. I am nothing if not frugal when it comes to skin care and don’t believe in paying an arm and a leg for it. At about six dollars per jar, the e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Eye Cream is a true testament to that. This is the first time I have used this product and I plan on rebuying it again. At two months plus, I am still using the same jar. It is so gentle on the sensitive skin that it targets and I feel like my designer eye bags have decreased too. 😀

Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue Gel Cream:

I have been using the Garnier SkinActive moisturizers since the beginning of the pandemic and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. You simply cannot beat the price at eight or so dollars per jar for such an effective product. The Moisture Rescue gel cream absorbs quickly, sits well under makeup, and leaves my skin feeling so nourished and soft. With twice daily use, I typically finish one jar per month which is also a great value.

Thank you so much again to Libby from Goddess Attainable for inviting me to join in on her beauty post. And, keep it posted, because we will be talking makeup must haves soon on lifewithlilred! ❤

What are some of your beauty staples? What is your favorite skin care brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct1

Bath & Body Works September Freebie

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Bath & Body Works September Freebie

Hello! This past weekend, I had a much needed girl’s day at the mall with my friend Danielle to scope out new clothes for fall. I got there early because I needed to pick up a few quick odds and ends including a freebie from Bath & Body Works. This month, they really upped their freebie game with an $8.50 limit so it included hand creams and body sprays!

Thanks to shopping B&BW’s semi annual sales as well as doing huge hand soap hauls, my beauty stock pile has been overflowing. But that doesn’t mean I can’t use more and cashed in my coupon for a body spray in one of my favorite scents, Gingham:

Johnny’s mom gifted me with a Gingham body wash during our first Christmas together two years ago and I have been a huge fan ever since. In fact, I am currently using a Gingham body wash right now compliments of another free coupon! While I usually prefer fruity scents when it comes to bath and body care, I can’t get enough of how fresh and clean Gingham smells and it reminds me of having a picnic on a slightly brisk spring day.

In all of the years that I have been receiving coupons in the mail from Bath & Body Works, they have never offered a free mini body spray before so this was a treat! Although it is about a third of the size of a full sized body spray, it is sure to last a good while because it takes me over six months to finish the full size.

Once I finish my Country Apple spray, I can’t wait to use Gingham and know that I’ll be purchasing more of it during their next big sale! 😀

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

Sep28

September 2021 Finishes

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September 2021 Finishes

Howdy! September was a super exciting time for Lil Red as I completed my 1,000 day streak of writing! It was also a hugely successful month for product empties because I got to finish up a lot of the skin and bath and body care that I had been using for a while. Some of these products were new to me too, which is always fun! Take a look at my empties and let’s discuss:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Body Wash: Other than apple, vanilla is one of my favorite scents and I was really eager to try Bath & Body Works interpretation of Vanilla Bean. It definitely didn’t disappoint and this is actually one of my favorite scents that I have tried from them. While I love vanilla, I hate when it is scented too strongly or too sweet. B&BW’s Vanilla Bean was nice and light and wasn’t sugary in the slightest. It took me a month and a half to finish one bottle.

Tree Of Life Serum: For some reason, Amazon has stopped selling the Eclat Vitamin C serum that I was using and I was so disappointed! The Eclat serum had an unbeatable price (seven dollars) and my skin had never looked better when I was using it. The Tree Of Life Vitamin C serum was the next cheapest alternative (ten dollars) that still had good ratings so I gave it a shot.

This serum is much thicker than the Eclat one, which is nice because you don’t need to use as much of it. Most importantly, it worked well on my skin and gives an extra boost of brightness and radiance. My main qualm with this product isn’t so much the product itself as it is with the dropper. It is so short that by the time you finish two thirds of the bottle, you have to start tipping it out into your hands because it can’t reach the rest. Annoying? Totally. Deal breaker? No.

LANEIGE Mask: I so enjoyed using the Berry Lip Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE, which you can read about more in the linked post. It took me almost four months to complete the tiny sample sized jar!

TBS Mask: The Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask was, easily, one of the worst products that I have used by The Body Shop. That is really saying something because I have a deep love for most of their products. After twelve or so uses of this mask, I still didn’t notice any type of difference in my skin afterwards. Whomp Whomp.

TBS Eye Cream: On the contrary, the Vitamin E eye cream from The Body Shop is the absolute best! My favorite thing about this eye cream is that it literally lasts for forever and it took me about three months of morning and night uses to complete the tube. This eye cream makes the delicate skin around my eyes feel so moisturized and stronger too. It also does wonders in decreasing the designer bags under my eyes which isn’t so bad, either. 😀

Like I mentioned before, I finished a lot of products this September and almost all of them were a success. Here’s to pampering products for all in October!

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

Sep6

Bath & Body Works September Freebie

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Bath & Body Works September Freebie

Hi! Treating myself to my favorite bath and body care is one of my favorite things to do, which is why I love shopping with Bath & Body Works. When you shop their sales or their amazing semi annual sale, you can score the best deals and I always look forward to replenishing my beauty care hoard with them. What’s more, they are constantly sending coupons in the mail for freebies and percentages off your purchase. This past week, I picked up this super handy September freebie:

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no better freebie than a pocket sized hand sanitizer! When it came to picking out which scent I wanted for my hand sani, it was important to me to find one with a fairly neutral scent. The last hand sanitizer by B&BW that I picked out years ago was a fall fragrance but it was so overly pungent that I never wanted to use it. While there were more exciting scents to choose from, I ended up with Be A Good Human, which is a simple citrus fragrance.

This pocket sized hand sanitizer is ideal for being on the go since it fits so comfortably on your person or in your purse. Although it was an inexpensive freebie, I was so happy with it and thought that it was a great idea on B&BW’s part. I will definitely be using my Be A Good Human sanitizer often and plan on purchasing it again once I run out!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Which store offers the best freebies and promotions? 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

Jul31

July 2021 Finishes

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July 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the last post of July 2021 here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to discuss my beauty finishes for the month and there are a lot of them so let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

LANEIGE Moisturizer: The LANEIGE birthday freebie from Sephora was, hands down, one of the best gifts that they have offered in years. It came with a lip sleeping mask, a sleeping face mask, and the Water Bank moisturizer. This travel size jar gave me a week of twice daily use and I would love to use it again after such a short amount of time. The Water Bank moisturizer left my skin soft, glowing, and oh so hydrated all without feeling heavy during the scorching summer days of July. Highly recommend. 🙂

Unfiltered Salt Soak: Lil Red loves a nice bubble bath and especially enjoys testing out products like bath bombs and salt soaks to enhance the experience even more. Sadly, the Pineapple + Mango salt soak missed the mark for me. The tropical scent smelled amazing in the jar but it didn’t translate to the water at all. It also dissolved really quickly, which eliminated the chance to do some exfoliating. I got four uses out of the jar but, I admit, I definitely poured heavy handed lol!

B&BW Body Wash: I have been using the body washes by Bath & Body Works exclusively for the past handful of years and have never had anything to complain about with them. The body washes lather so well and my skin always feels soft and hydrated every day after my shower. I truly think that my skin is healthier and smoother from consistent use of the washes and you can’t beat the prices if you shop during the semi annual sales!

It took me over a month to finish the Raspberry Tangerine scent and I wish I had another bottle of it because it smelled so good. The tart raspberry mixed with the sweet tangerine made for a perfect fruity scent and I actually just started using their Raspberry Tangerine hand soap a few days ago. Love it. 🙂

TBS Face Wash: While I love experimenting with the different skin care lines from The Body Shop, I don’t use the Tea Tree products often because of my normal skin type. However, I received the sample size of the Tea Tree face wash as part of a Christmas prezzie and beggars can’t be choosers!

I wouldn’t use this face wash in the winter as it would totally dry out my skin but it was a-okay for me for summertime use. It is so hot in my apartment and we have had a plethora of ninety plus degree days in Ohio which left my skin feeling less than its best from sweating constantly. Using the Tea Tree face wash helped get rid of all of the yuck that I felt was clogging my pores every day without making it feel dry or tight. This small bottle also lasted me over one month with daily use which is insane to me!

As you can see, July was a great month for beauty empties and I was thrilled to have used up a ton of products that I enjoyed. It is a rarity for me to have so many finishes for one month which is great because that means I can try out so many new products in their completion. 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above 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

 

Jun24

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

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Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Hello! The Bath & Body Works semi annual sale is like a siren call and, whether I need new bath and body care goodies or not, I always end up doing a little shopping. This past weekend, I met my friend Danielle at Summit Mall for an outing and I showed up early enough to run into B&BW beforehand to make some purchases. I got eleven items for under thirty bucks with a total savings of one hundred and two dollars. Talk about a steal! Check it out:

The Haul:

  • 2 Champagne Apple & Honey shower gels
  • 2 Pearberry shower gels
  • 2 Pretty As A Peach shower gels
  • 1 Raspberry Tangerine body spray
  • 1 Pretty As A Peach body spray
  • 1 Market Peach hand soap
  • 1 Boardwalk Vanilla Cone hand soap
  • 1 travel size Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel (Free!)

I know what you all are thinking… Sarah, did you really need all of the above? And my answer is YES, yes, a thousand times yes! When it comes to my beauty stock pile, my motto is the more the merrier and why not buy products that I know I am going to use at a fraction of the cost? I exclusively use the shower gel, hand soap, and body spray from B&BW and if I can get a great deal on it, I am going to stock up.

Not only is my bath and body care hoard good for me, it’s especially beneficial during gift giving occasions as well. If I feel like whatever I am gifting needs a little something extra, I am happy to add in a goodie or two from Bath & Body Works to sweeten the pot. After this haul, I am thinking that I will be good for bath and body care products for close to a year…

The only reason I didn’t buy more? I knew the bags were going to be so heavy while shopping with Danielle that I restrained myself and I’m glad I did. Toting around the purchases above for over two hours was a work out!!

Which store has the best sales? What do you have in your beauty stock pile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

May14

Bath & Body Works May Freebie

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Bath & Body Works May Freebie

Hi! Since being fully vaccinated, I have been more willing to run small errands and am, finally, able to start utilizing the Bath & Body Works freebie coupons that I get in the mail. This month’s coupons were especially good as I got to pick out a free full size bath and body care item and you know Lil Red always likes to add to her beauty hoard! The coupon would work for any product priced $14.50 or lower and I went with a shower gel in one of my favorite scents, Gingham. Check it out:

This past weekend, Johnny and I hung out with a friend in Kent and drove right by a B&BW on the way so I ran in to get my freebie. I actually chose a travel size shower gel in Gingham last month for my free item and it smells so good that I just had to get it as my full size gift too. I have been obsessed with this scent since Johnny’s mom gifted me with a shower gel of it last Christmas and it is one of my sister’s faves as well.

While Gingham has notes of peach, clementine, and freesia I think it smells just like clean laundry and crisp springtime air. It is so fresh and light and when I smell it, I immediately picture a full clothing line drying and swaying gently in the breeze. Gingham is the perfect fragrance for spring and summer and it has such a specific, lovely scent without being overpowering in any way. Highly recommend for yourself or as a gift because it is sure to please!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Which store has the best coupons and promotions? 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