Tag Archives: beauty

Mar12

New Shimmer Ocean Blue & Glitter Pink Nails

Posted on March 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!!! This past Wednesday, I spent a lovely morning before work being pampered with a fill at Elysian Nails. I was bummed because I couldn’t get an appointment with my usual tech, but it honestly ended up working just as well. The tech that did my nails was SO fast and I ended up making it to work early instead of fifteen minutes late like I had originally planned. Normally, I crave extra time at the salon but, in this case, everything was coming up Lil Red! Check out this fill that was completed in forty-five minutes:

As I made my way to Elysian Nails, I struggled to come up with a color combination that spoke to me. So, I decided to let fate decide and left it up to whatever struck my fancy first at the nail polish wall. After a quick once over, my eyes locked in on the bottle of the shimmery ocean blue polish and decided to go for it. It looked so pretty in the bottle and the color reminded me of mermaids! With the mermaid motif in mind, I selected the glittery pink for my second color and waited for my appointment to start.

The tech who did my nails has been at Elysian for forever, but he was new to me. It was freaking amazing to watch him work because he was both fast and efficient but the quality of my nails was still on par if not better than someone who took their time. I admit that I was a bit nervous to have him do my nails because I don’t trust just anyone with my claws. However, my mind was quickly put at ease because he wouldn’t be at the salon if he wasn’t excellent. As we settled into our comfortable silence, I was able to relax and get my HGTV on but before I knew it, he was already done!

I love how my nails turned out and I can’t stop looking at them to save my own life! The shape is perfect and the colors are so playful in the light. Of course, the flash of blingy glitter from the pink is always fun, but I am obsessed with the ocean blue. In just the right lighting it looks emerald green and no matter what color you see it as, it is still gorgeous! 😀

I would happily see the tech who did my nails again and it is good to know that there is another option if my usual gals are booked up. This was definitely another successful trip to Elysian in the books!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? Do you prefer gel, dip, or regular polish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar6

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Posted on March 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I can’t tell you all the last time that I actually shopped for hand soaps in store at Bath & Body Works. Once the pandemic began, I would just order them online and hope for the best that I would like the scents I selected. This past week, I had several coupons from B&BW and decided to restock my soap in person. I always get my sister a bunch of the hand soap for her birthday because she loves it too and I wanted to make sure she would like all of them. For thirteen hand soaps and two freebie products, I paid forty dollars and you just can’t beat that! Here is what I picked out:

Normally, we begin discussing hand soaps by stating if I would purchase the scent again. However, that was when I was shopping online and had no idea if I would like the scent. We can skip on that because I decided with my own nose that I liked each soap! We will also skip on talking about the classic scents of Warm Vanilla Sugar and Peach Bellini so we can talk more about each new fragrance. Let’s get to it:

Pink Peach Blossom: Peach is one of my all time favorite scents and even though I already had the Peach Bellini soap in my shopping bag, I had to get the Pink Peach Blossom too! The Pink Peach is soooo pretty and it combines the softer peach fragrance with bold mandarin and sweet magnolia. It is definitely more fruity than floral and I was happy about that as it’s what I prefer and this scent had the potential to go either way.

Pink Pineapple Sunrise: My Johnny subscribes to the island lifestyle despite his elder emo status so I always have to get a few tropical soaps for him. If you are a fan of pineapple, then you will love this scent because it is straight up pineapple. The fragrance notes include “palm sugar and sun-drenched nectar” but it is all pineapple lol. Not sure where the pink comes from, though!

Raspberry Tangerine: I rarely use the gel soaps from B&BW because I love the foaming. However, I had a coupon for a three dollar gel soap so I said “why not?”. While the formula isn’t my favorite, I do really like the scent. I am a huge fan of sweet/tart raspberry fragrance and the combination of tangerine and lemon is heavenly.

Some Bunny Loves You: As a bunny mom, I couldn’t pass up on the packaging for this soap! The scent is Pink Apple Punch and I am sensing a theme for the fragrance names; SO much pink! Apple is another one of my favorite fragrances and this is very much a springtime apple scent. Paired with melon, this soap is more sweet instead of tart, but it is still pretty nice – if nothing but for the picture alone!

Mango Papaya Paradise: This was another soap for Johnny to pretend he’s laying under a palm tree with and I like it a lot too! This scent is basically the Golden Mango Lagoon fragrance we discussed yesterday and it’s lovely. It smells like sunshine, a fresh cut tropical fruit salad, and the island breeze. Perfect for summertime!

I really enjoyed my little shopping trip to Bath & Body Works and I deeply appreciate the novelty of liking every hand soap scent I picked out. I think I will be shopping in store from now on!

Do you prefer foaming or gel hand soap? What is your favorite fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar5

Bath & Body Works March Freebies

Posted on March 5, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Is it just me or have the Bath & Body Works coupons in the mail gotten so much better? This past week, I received a coupon packet for a free travel size item, a free full size item, and twenty-five percent off a purchase. They could not have come at a more perfect time because I needed to restock my hand soap supply (Peep that haul tomorrow!) and pick out a few prezzies for upcoming birthdays. In total, I got FIFTEEN items for just forty dollars and it was awesome! Take a look at the freebies that I selected, which totaled to almost twenty-four dollars in product:

For the longest time, a free travel size coupon from B&BW was limited to a lotion or shower gel because that was basically all that was available. However, this past year, B&BW upped their add on game considerably with mini fragrance sprays, hand creams, and bar soap. When I learned that these other items were up for grabs with a coupon, my mind was blown and I decided to go for a fragrance.

While I do have my tried and true full size sprays, I thought that it would be nice to change things up without committing to a scent in its entirety. B&BW recently released several new fragrance lines for spring and I chose the Golden Mango Lagoon. Normally, Johnny is a fan of the tropical scents and I prefer fruity and tart, but the Golden Mango was too nice to pass up. It seriously smells like a day at the beach and freshly sliced mango and it will be a perfect summertime fragrance. In fact, I liked it so much that I got a similarly scented hand soap too.

For my full size freebie, I opted for a shower gel because I recently purchased a few new lotions and will be set for a while. I was instantly drawn to the pretty robin’s egg blue and red packaging of Poppy and wasn’t expecting it to be a winner as I am not a floral girl. Poppy is so much more than just a floral scent, though, and combines the freshness of a spring day with pear, rhubarb, and wildflowers. This scent reminds me of airing your house out on the first warm day after winter and is subtle enough for it to make a great gift for anyone on your list… Or yourself!

The more I shop the deals at B&BW, the more impressed I am by the amazing value I am getting for my money. It turns even the most mundane thing of shopping for hand soaps into something exciting! Keep it posted tomorrow for the rest of my Bath & Body Works Haul!

Which store offers the best coupons or rewards program? 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

Mar4

Great Deal Alert: Pacifica Lip Balm Multipack

Posted on March 4, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Great Deal Alert: Pacifica Lip Balm Multipack

Hello! I recently discovered Pacifica lip balm and it is, hands down, the BEST balm that I have ever used. After suffering from severely chapped and cracked lips for weeks on end, the Rainbow Watermelon balm came through in the clutch. In under a week, my lips were completely healed and had never felt softer or more hydrated. I used the Pacifica balm religiously and was so upset when I finished the tube in its entirety in less than a month. Nothing beats the satisfaction one feels after using up a chapstick, but I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying more at TJMaxx when I had the chance!

About a week ago, I had a few odds and ends to order on Amazon and decided to see if I could find the Pacifica balm for a good price. Happily, I ended up finding a great price and purchased a multipack of three for just ten dollars. 😀 Check it out:

Prior to the Pacifica balm, I never really understood why people needed multiple chapsticks in multiple locations. Now, I totally get it and used my multipack accordingly. I keep the Rainbow Watermelon in my purse, Bali Coconut on my bedside table, and the Island Vanilla keeps me company at my desk when I am working. My main goal with the multipack was to prevent my lips from ever getting so jacked up again and I think that this new setup is going to work just fine for achieving it.

As I waited for my order to ship, I figured that the Island Vanilla would be my favorite scent of the three because vanilla is one of my go to fragrances. Surprisingly, I remained partial to the Rainbow Watermelon – maybe because it helped so much or because it smells exactly like Lip Smackers… The world may never know! The Island Vanilla is nice but its scent is really subtle. The same goes for the Bali Coconut. They both smell more like the idea of vanilla and coconut if that makes sense? Lol the Rainbow Watermelon scent is much more obvious and I love the dose of nostalgia it gives with each use!

I am SO pleased with my purchase from Amazon and cannot recommend the Pacifica multipack enough if you are on the hunt for a new lip balm. This set also makes a great gift and I bought a few extra as add on prezzies for upcoming birthdays!

Where do you keep your chapstick? Have you got any good deals on Amazon lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb28

February 2023 Finishes

Posted on February 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! How is another month of 2023 already over?! Hey, I’m not mad about the winter months flying by; I’m ready for springtime, baby! As always, we will be wrapping up the month with my beauty finishes and then it is onto a brand new month of fun here on lifewithlilred. Keep it posted for new OOTDs, bloopers, and product reviews coming soon! Now, let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Garnier Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Happy Birthday Shower Gel: MAYBE

Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm: YES!!!!!

SpaLife Vitamin C Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: I am a faithful user of the shower gels from Bath & Body Works. I love how well they lather and the formula leaves my skin feeling so hydrated. The Happy Birthday scent just wasn’t my favorite and I’m glad that I had a travel size of it because I got tired of it pretty quickly. At first, the vanilla cake fragrance was awesome and then it started smelling almost sickly sweet. I would use it again if I received it as a gift, but I wouldn’t buy it or use a freebie coupon on it. It took me three weeks of daily use to finish the bottle.

Pacifica Lip Balm: As per my recent review, you will know how much I freaking LOVE the Rainbow Watermelon lip balm by Pacifica. Check out that post for all of my thoughts on it because it is the best lip balm I have ever used. I cannot wait for my multipack to ship and plan on using them exclusively. Why mess with perfection?!

SpaLife Moisturizer: It took me close to a month of twice daily use to finish the Vitamin C moisturizer by SpaLife. During that time, I really did want to like it. However, it was a good moisturizer but not great and I was ready to try something new. The gel texture was nice and my skin looked slightly more radiant after using it, but I wasn’t blown away by the results. I’m glad that I tried it out, but I wouldn’t purchase it again.

Overall, it was a pretty alright month for finishes because I got to use up some lackluster products and move onto new ones. It’s also good to know which ones aren’t worth buying again and sharing my findings with all of you! See you all next month! 😉

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

Feb26

Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm Review

Posted on February 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm Review

Hello!! During the wintertime, I like to switch up my skin care and use more nourishing products to combat dryness. In Ohio, our winter has been super mild and, other than my hands, I experienced minimal dryness overall. However, that cannot be said for a new to me issue that cropped up over the past month and change: My lips have been permanently chapped. Around the beginning of January, my lips went from completely fine to totally awful. And, it was TOTALLY AWFUL!!

My lips were so dry and flaky and they were constantly cracking at the sides. It was annoying and, honestly, a little painful because they were so sore and tender. I tried at least three different chapsticks and all of them literally did nothing and that was frustrating because it just kept getting worse. At the beginning of February, I decided I needed to up the ante and headed to TJMaxx to see if I could find anything with more oomph. There weren’t too many options to choose from and I walked away with a lip balm by Pacifica and the hopes that it would help:

^^^ Can we please talk about how my nails match this lip balm perfectly?!

I wasn’t expecting much from this lip balm at all, if anything. Then, I used it and ate my words. The Pacifica lip balm is, hands down, the absolute BEST balm that I have ever used. In fact, after just a few short weeks of having it, I already had to order more because I refuse to let chapped lips be a problem for me again. And, now I know that it won’t be!

Let’s start off with the scent, because it is delightful. The Rainbow Watermelon smells exactly like the Watermelon Lip Smackers of my youth and nothing pleases me more than that fun dose of nostalgia! It’s also nice to have a touch of summertime even in the winter. Even if this balm didn’t do jack, I would have been happy to use it based on scent alone lol.

But guess what? This balm did do jack. It did A LOT of jack! After using this balm religiously since buying it, I will never use a standard chapstick again. It wasn’t until using the Pacifica balm that I noticed how a regular drugstore chapstick just sits on top of your lips. When I used the Pacifica balm for the first time, I could actually feel it absorbing and working on a deeper level to rid myself of perma-chap.

I figured that it would take a while for my lips to heal fully because they were pretty bad, but I began noticing results so quickly. Within a few days, the dry and flakiness were eliminated. By the end of the week, the cracks on the sides of my mouth healed completely and during that process they didn’t break open once. The Pacifica balm moisturized so well that even when I didn’t have a fresh application on for a while, my lips didn’t feel in danger of resorting back to the way they were before. I can’t believe I went so long suffering from chapped lips when my solution was just a trip to TJMaxx away!

If regular chapstick is failing you, then I cannot recommend the Pacifica lip balm enough. I’m so excited for my multipack to ship so that I can try the Coconut and Vanilla scents! 😀

What is your favorite chapstick flavor? What is the best product for chapped lips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb25

Sujata Gazder Valinora Serum Review

Posted on February 25, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hey! One of my favorite things to do is test out new skin and bath and body care products. Nothing pleases me more than scouring the shelves of TJMaxx’s beauty department for a good haul and trying a new product or two is a relatively cheap way for me to treat myself. As a fanatic for all things beauty, I couldn’t wait to receive a goodie box from my dear friend, Sujata, to celebrate the launch of her new website. 😀

During my unboxing, I was ecstatic to find a body bar and a bottle of Valinora serum. So much so, that I did something that I literally never do: I stopped using the serum I was working on halfway through to try out the new one! Of course, I’ll return to it later but not until I finish every last drop of the Valinora serum. It. Is. AMAZING! Let’s discuss:

During my unboxing post, I used the word “nourishing” to describe the Valinora serum based on sight and scent alone. And, after just one use, I patted myself on the back for using the perfect description because this serum is so incredibly nourishing. I have been using the Valinora serum morning and night for the past week and every time I use it, I like it even more than I did before. All of these sentiments are mine alone and are not said because Sujata is my friend… this stuff is just that good.

The first thing you will notice about the Valinora serum is its scent. Sujata effortlessly combined a shopping list of various oils and essential oils to create this botanical serum. I can really smell the hemp and frankincense but everyone is different and will surely be able to pick up on fragrances that don’t stand out to me. At first, I thought the serum’s scent was a bit overpowering. However, after I gave it a chance, I found it to be invigorating in the morning and soothing at night. I love this, because as a permanently sleepy gal, I need all of the extra pick me ups that I can get in the morning!

This serum is actually quite different from what I usually prefer. While the texture is thin, it is jam packed with skin care magic and takes a decent amount of time to fully absorb. This is something that would normally bother me and it surprisingly doesn’t at all. In fact, I like it! As the serum sets, I know that it is working and the way my skin looks confirms it because it has never looked or felt better.

Yes, the Valinora serum is insanely hydrating and that is awesome in itself, but it is so much more than that. I never have considered myself to have an uneven skin tone and I still don’t. Regardless, whatever was going on with my skin is a problem solved now. Using this serum truly allowed my best face to come forward and my complexion really does look much more even than it did before. I also noticed a HUGE decrease in my designer bags – they are essentially gone! To top it off, my skin simply glows with each use. Like, radiant level glowing and you just can’t beat that!

The Valinora serum by Sujata Gazder is, hands down, one of the best that I have ever used and I cannot sing its praises enough. I have never used a product before and experienced such immediate results and I know all of you will love it too. Shop along at Sujata’s new site and treat yourself to the best in skin care and fashion!

What is the best product you have ever used? Do you like trying new products or sticking to what works? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb24

Sujata Gazder Body Bar Review

Posted on February 24, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I had a horrible sinus infection this past weekend and felt pretty worse for the wear for the majority of the week. Once I was feeling a little better, I decided that I definitely needed some pampering because I felt gross lol. My skin felt so dehydrated and I knew that I needed something more to get myself feeling right again. Thankfully, my body bar by Sujata Gazder did the trick and I am BEYOND obsessed with this product. It is a miracle in an adorable heart shape! Let’s discuss:

I received some goodies for the launch of Sujata’s new website and was so excited to find a body bar and serum during my unboxing. The body bar intrigued me because it was something that I never knew could exist! It’s essentially a bar of pure cocoa butter mixed with a litany of essential oils that you simply rub into your skin. After discovering the delightful citrus rose scent during my unboxing, I couldn’t wait to give the body bar a try. Product scents are very important to me and the body bar smelled so light that I knew I could enjoy it without being overpowered by fragrance.

I used my body bar before bedtime so that I could hydrate my skin in my sleep and not have to worry about if it felt greasy (Something that I can’t stand!). Using the body bar was, honestly, so much fun and I definitely preferred its application over normal lotion or body butter. It wasn’t necessary to rub the body bar into the skin so all I had to do was swipe it over my body for quick and easy moisturizing. The process took less than a minute and as soon as I was done, I could instantly feel the cocoa butter and essential oils working their magic.

After using the body bar, Johnny and I watched some TV and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t mind it on my skin. It didn’t absorb quickly but it didn’t leave me with that residue coated feeling that I get from a full body lotion application. I knew for a fact that I was going to wake up with my skin feeling back to normal and I was right. After my morning shower, my skin felt AMAZING. It was not only soft to the touch but felt hydrated on the deepest level. You know how your skin feels after using a Lush bath bomb? It was like that only a billion times better and I loved that I could still feel the ingredients working even after washing it off.

One full body application used up half of the body bar and I am saving the rest for later this week when I shave. I will be sad when it’s gone, though, because how can you go back to using normal lotion after a product as fabulous as this?! If you are suffering from dry skin or just need a treat, then I cannot recommend the body bar by Sujata Gazder enough. You can shop along at Sujata’s website for all of the best in fashion and skin care. Enjoy and keep it posted for my review of the Valinora serum tomorrow!

What is your favorite product to pamper yourself with? What is your favorite bath and body care scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

Sujata Gazder Skin Care Unboxing

Posted on February 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I met my dear friend, Sujata, seven years ago thanks to lifewithlilred. She was the first person who I ever wrote a guest article for and it featured one of her drop dead gorgeous wedding dresses. We have kept in touch through social media ever since and I always enjoy catching up with her and keeping tabs on her fashion and skin care line. Sujata recently launched her brand’s website and I was lucky enough to be sent some of her skin care products. Check out my unboxing and keep it posted for reviews coming soon:

Receiving my package in the mail from Sujata was like Christmas day all over again and I couldn’t wait to tear it open! My first impression during my unboxing was an important one: The packaging itself. Skin care can be tricky to ship and it is not uncommon for bottles and jars to leak or crack. The products that I received were handled with so much care and wrapped tightly in tissue paper. The box was also filled with extra tissue and crinkle paper for additional padding. I could tell that Sujata wants everything she ships to her customers to be in absolutely perfect condition and it was very appreciated.

In my goodie box, I was so excited to find a body bar and face serum. The body bar came in an adorable individual box, which was a really nice touch! I am eager to try the bar out because I have never seen or used a product like it before. It is essentially cocoa butter with a shopping list of essential oils that you rub into your skin. This seems like the perfect solution to eliminate dry winter skin and it smells lovely. I love the notes of citrus and rose and I like it even more because it isn’t overpowering. Sujata expertly handled the delicate dance of combining fragrances and I was so impressed by how light it smells because products like that have the potential to go either way.

The Valinora face serum was also included in my gift and I can’t wait to use it. So much so that I am willing to put aside the half finished bottle of serum that I’m currently working on, which I never do! This serum targets fine lines and wrinkles and will also help to even out your skin tone. I will admit that when I first took a whiff of the serum, I thought that it was fairly pungent. Then, I kept smelling it and realized how awesome it is! Like the body bar, the ingredients consist primarily of essential oils. I could really pick out the hemp oil and frankincense but I think that this product will smell different to everyone, which is cool! I can already tell how nourishing the Valinora serum is going to be and I am so proud of my friend for creating this magic in a bottle.

If these products look as amazing to you as they do to me, be sure to shop along on Sujata’s brand new website. Stay tuned for reviews and thanks again to Sujata for her generosity! ❤

What is your favorite essential oil? How do you pamper yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb12

Lil Red Says: Check This Out!

Posted on February 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Way back in January of 2016, lifewithlilred had been up for a year and a half and opportunities for collaborations and money making were non-existent. So, you could imagine my surprise when the amazing fashion designer, Sujata Gazder, offered me my first go at guest blogging. The goal was to create a modern and edgy look with one of Sujata’s gorgeous wedding dresses and it was so much fun! After the post was published, Sujata and I remained friends across social media and would check in with each other from time to time.

For over seven years, I have enjoyed ogling all of Sujata’s extraordinary designs and am constantly blown away by her talent. I feel so lucky that we kept in touch after our paths crossed and I will always be cheering her on from afar! This past week, Sujata’s official brand website launched and I just had to share it with all of you. You can visit her page here and be sure to enter your email for the newsletter and alerts to receive ten percent off of your first order.

Not only can you browse Sujata’s jaw dropping collections but you will also be able to shop skin care too! The skin care line is the latest endeavor in the Gazder empire and it looks simply divine. I am currently daydreaming about the body bar and cannot wait to use it. Do be sure to keep it posted here on lifewithlilred for a review of that and more updates on Sujata as they come up. I think you will be seeing a lot of her on my page in the near future! ❤

Yet again, I find myself so thankful to lifewithlilred for introducing me to an entire world of new friends. I am thrilled to be able to collaborate with Sujata again at the place where our friendship began: Right here!

What is your favorite thing about blogging? Do you have any close friends that you made on your page? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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