Tag Archives: beauty

Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

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Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

Hello! I had a couple of free coupons to cash in at Bath & Body Works and they couldn’t have come at a better time. My lotion supply in the stock pile has been running low and you can also never have too much shower gel! Because of my fear that I would be rang up by an employee who followed the “limit one free coupon per day” rule, I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to buy two more wallflowers too. *Spoiler alert* the cashier didn’t care lol and I got all of the following for six bucks:

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A little fun fact about me is that I don’t really like birthday cake (It’s a texture thing) but I LOVE birthday cake ice cream and anything scented like it. I had never seen the Happy Birthday scent at Bath & Body Works before and was all over it like bees to honey. The scent description is “frosted vanilla” and it most certainly is! It smells just like a freshly made rich vanilla cake and I’ve already taken fifty plus whiffs of it while writing this. I am SO happy that I was able to get both the lotion and shower gel for free so if you catch scent of a freshly made pastry while out and about, it’s probably just me. 😀

As you all know, prior to purchasing my Halloween themed wallflower holders from B&BW, I was very much against buying them. This wasn’t because I didn’t like the idea of the product itself because I did. It was more of the fact that I would like them too much and it would just be another item that I’d have to keep up with buying. However, here we are now six wallflowers in and I ain’t mad about it. They are an absolute delight!

Johnny and I are currently using the Wild Berry Tea Spritzer and Honey Crisp Apple wallflowers. As expected, my favorite scent of apple is divine but we both can hardly smell the tea spritzer. I would have bought another Honey Crisp Apple if it was available but, alas, it wasn’t so I settled for Mahogany Apple, instead. There wasn’t a tester open of this scent so I’m not sure what it smells like but I’m hoping that the woodsy fragrances won’t overpower the apple. We’ll find out soon enough.

Since the tea spritzer wallflower was a bust, I decided to go with something that I knew I would enjoy and that is Gingham Love. I am obsessed with the Gingham line and when they added Love I almost lost my shit – it was my favorite scent this summer! With all of the original crispness of Gingham and juicy berries thrown in for good measure, Gingham Love is the sequel scent that I didn’t know I needed. It is the perfect summer in fall fragrance and I can’t wait to use the wallflower!

You just can’t beat six dollars for four products and I am thrilled with this B&BW Mini Haul. Is it bad that I’m already daydreaming about their holiday scents?!

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

 

September 2022 Finishes

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September 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! It’s the end of the month and you all know what that means… It’s time to discuss all of the beauty products that I finished up! September was a wildly successful month for empties and I used up lots of products that I would happily use again. One serum in particular really blew my mind and I NEED more. Today, we’ll be talking about the new to me finishes so you can peep previous reviews in other posts. Now, let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Pearlessence Serum: I decided to take a break from Vitamin C serums for a spell and moved onto my current obsession of hyaluronic acid. When I saw the Dewy Glow serum at TJMaxx during a previous haul, I couldn’t not try it and I was in love with the very pleasing color of the bottle lol. I am SO glad that I did because this serum is AMAZING! It promised a “dewy glow” and it delivered a thousandfold. After just one use, I was blown away by how fresh my skin looked and felt and it stayed that way all day. After the month it took me to finish it, my skin looked brighter and felt softer. It also paired so well with the Pearlessence moisturizer that I tried. Highly recommend!

Vital Beauty Eye Gel: The Vital Beauty Cooling Eye Gel was another TJs purchase and it was a great value. It costed about six dollars and it took me roughly four months to finish it with morning and night use. I’m happy that I bought two of them because this product was another winner. A little of it went such a long way and I was so impressed by how untired it made me look. I have been perpetually exhausted for the past month and a half but it definitely didn’t show! The delicate skin around my eyes felt healthy and strong and always looked like I got excellent beauty sleep even though that was far from the case. Loved it!

Pearlessence Gel Moisturizer: As you all know, I freaking love me a gel moisturizer. I think that they are so refreshing and love how quickly it absorbs as well as the non-greasy feeling. The Pearlessence moisturizer was really nice and Johnny liked it too for his chronically dry forehead lol. This product was so light but effective and the double dose of hyaluronic acid from the serum made a noticeable difference. I feel like my skin has never looked better or more perfectly moisturized thanks to this pairing. It took me a month of twice daily use to finish one jar.

As you can see, September was a wonderful month for finishes. I found a new favorite skin care brand and used up products that I have been working on for a while. You can’t beat that and do check out Pearlessence next time you need to restock your skin care… I think you’ll like it!

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

New Aegean Blue & Fire Orange Nails

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New Aegean Blue & Fire Orange Nails

Hello!!! This past Monday, my pampering session at Elysian Nails was the best because my favorite nail tech is back after an almost half year hiatus. I missed her terribly and, although all of the nail techs at Elysian are superb, there is nothing better than seeing your go to girl. This time around, I got a brand new set and was in desperate need of it – almost all of my acrylics were lifting! It turned out great and I am loving this color combo:

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I spent a lot of time praying over what colors I wanted my nails to be on Monday and had some general ideas. I knew that I wanted shades that welcomed fall without being really obvious about it and decided to let the nail polish wall speak to me. As soon as I began looking over the different options, the super dark blue didn’t speak but SCREAMED at me and I knew that I had found a winner. I also had orange at the forefront of my mind and went with a fiery hue to compliment the blue – which it did perfectly, I might add. 😀

I have never been one for holiday or seasonal themed nails and just go with what I feel like at the time. However, fall is my favorite season and I wanted to pay my homage to it. This color combination reminds me of when the sun goes down on an autumn night and changing leaves and I think it is just so pretty. It subtly whispers “fall” without going overboard and I am so happy with it!

And, of course, my nail tech did a bang up job as per ushe. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a new set until I got a new set lol. My nails feel nice and strong again and are sharpened and shaped just the way I like. Now, here’s to my tech not going anywhere anytime soon after finally being reunited lol. Thanks, Elysian Nails! ❤

What color of nail polish are you currently rocking? What colors make you think of fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

5 Tips To Up Your Selfie Game

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5 Tips To Up Your Selfie Game

Posting selfies on your social media is a great way to show your personality and give your followers a closer look at your life. Never fear if you feel like your selfie game isn’t up to snuff because we are going to discuss six simple tips to take your selfies like a pro:

Find the Right Angle:

When taking a selfie, it’s important to find the right angle. If you hold the camera too high, you may end up with a double chin. Too low, and your nose will look bigger than it actually is. The best angle is usually somewhere in between. For a slimming effect, try holding the camera slightly above eye level and tilting your head down. This will also create the illusion of longer lashes. Another tip is to experiment with different poses until you find one that flatters your features. So go ahead and snap away – with a little practice, you’ll take amazing selfies in no time.

Get the Lighting Right:

One of the most important factors in getting a great selfie is lighting. The proper lighting can make all of the difference in accentuating your best features and creating a stunning image. First, try to find a location with natural light. Soft, diffused light is always ideal, so outdoor areas like parks or gardens will work well. Try to position yourself so that the sun is behind you. That way, you won’t end up squinting or with harsh shadows on your face. If you’re indoors, try to find a spot near a window where the light isn’t too harsh. And avoid using flash, as this can often create unflattering shadows. However, you can always experiment with how lighting impacts your photos. Take the time to play around with different lighting setups until you find one that works for your style.

Use Facial Expressions to Convey Emotion:

A good selfie should capture more than just your physical appearance, it should also show off your personality. Use facial expressions and body language to convey emotion in your selfies. Are you feeling happy? Sad? Sarcastic? Playful? Let your followers know what’s happening with you by using facial expressions that match your mood. Moreover, when you smile, make sure it reaches your eyes. That way, you will appear genuinely happy and aren’t taking a selfie for the sake of having a photo.

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Edit Your Photos:

Many people think that they need an expensive camera to take high quality photos. However, the truth is that anyone can take great photos, regardless of their equipment. The key is to know how to edit your photos to improve their quality. With today’s technology, there are many ways to edit photos. For example, photo-editing software can crop out unwanted background elements, adjust the exposure and color balance, or even remove blemishes from your selfies. Filters can also give your photos a particular look or feel.

If you’ll be endorsing a brand, you must take your post-production efforts to a higher level. For example, you agreed to endorse a piece of jewelry in one of your blog posts. Then you will be expected to show it in the best light possible. This might include retouching the image to make it look more polished and professional. But suppose you aren’t sure how to edit specific items. In that case, it may impact the quality of your photos, so it’s always best to leave this task to professionals. You can hire a reputable jewelry retouching service to help you achieve your photos’ desired look. Doing so will not only improve the quality of your photos but also make your blog posts more visually appealing.

Take Lots of Pics and Choose the Best One:

Don’t be afraid to take a ton of selfies until you find one you’re happy with. It’s better to have too many options than too little! You should also try varying angles and poses, so you have more options to work with. And if you’re struggling to get a good photo, ask a friend to take a picture of you. Having someone else take your photo will often lead to better results. They can help you relax and capture a more natural expression.

Have Fun:

Taking selfies is honestly a ton of fun so have a blast! Experiment with cool backgrounds, make a silly face, or pose with your pet. It is the opportunity to showcase yourself and your personality so let it shine. For even more selfie fun, you could use an ai selfie generator to pose in pics with your favorite celebrities. You could rock out with Mick Jagger, serve face with Winnie Harlow, or get goofy with Jim Carey for stop scrolling through the newsfeed worthy pics!

As with everything, practice makes perfect and the same goes for selfies. After a bit of playing around, you should see a noticeable and more natural improvement in all of your pics!

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Hello everyone!! I have been hinting at a change to my hair for a while now and it is time for the grand reveal! This past Wednesday, I enjoyed some fabulous pampering at the Shear Shop and my stylist, Anna, truly outdid herself. Lil Red is back, baby, with fireball hair to welcome the fall with! Check it out:

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^^^ Lol, give me my phoooone!

Colors Used:

  • Pulp Riot’s Pyro on the roots
  • Pulp Riot’s Lava and Satire in the middle
  • Pulp Riot’s Fireball on the ends

After several attempts at white and red hair, I decided that I was ready for a change as soon as Anna perfected the combination. Haha, that’s always how it goes but I was just ready for something fun and different that brings me back to my Lil Red roots. I am IN LOVE with my new cut and color and I have, honestly, never felt better about my appearance before. It’s amazing what some time spent in Anna’s chair can do for your girl’s self esteem! 😀

To start this process, Anna bleached my hair for about a half an hour. We didn’t need it on too long this time around because we were using darker colors, which was nice. After the bleach lifted the color to a shade that Anna was happy with, my hair was washed, dried, and ready for all of the amazing Pulp Riot colors.

I have to mention this every time I get my hair done but the Pulp Riot hair dyes smell SO. Good. They smell exactly like SweetTarts and literally everyone in the salon has to take a whiff whenever we use it lol. Anna masterfully applied and blended the color and each chunk of hair used the four colors mentioned above. Although we didn’t see as much of the yellow “Satire” as we would have liked, it was a great first go and gives me all of the David Bowie vibes.

With fiery new hair, I needed a cool new cut to match because I was straight up bored with my old standby. I found inspiration for the “Dewdrop” haircut online and decided that it was the one – bangs included. I have toyed with the idea of bangs for forever but never did it and I am really glad that I took the plunge. I think that it looks so edgy and chic and is exactly what I had pictured in my head.

When I arrived home from the salon, Johnny and I had a Middle Class Fancy moment when he said “Who are you and what have you done with my wife?” Lol, he loves my hair just as much as I do! Tune in tomorrow for a brand new OOTD to showcase my brand new look!

How often do you change your hair’s style or color? Where do you find inspiration for new hairdos? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello!! Last week, I visited TJMaxx strictly to get some more skin care. I was successful in that regard and also wound up leaving with way more than just skin care lol. Funny how that works out! I ended up walking away with some Halloween goodies, Christmas presents for my niece, two adorable sweaters, and all of the following:

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^^^ All of these products are Leaping Bunny certified!

It has been a while since I restocked my cleansers and eye cream so that was the mission I had in mind during my TJs trip. Every morning, I like to wash my face with both a scrub and a cleanser for a deep clean. I was almost completely out of both things and chose a Vitamin C cleanser by Clinical Works and a hyaluronic acid and sugar scrub by SpaScriptions. Each of these products feature two of my favorite ingredients for my skin care as a late twenty something and I can’t wait to try them out!

For my eye cream, I went with a manuka honey cream by Lanoline. And, of course, I had to grab another bottle of the Evoluderm micellar water, which I love. I have only used products with manuka honey in it a handful of times. However, it was a must have ingredient for skin care a year or so ago so I’m more than happy to give it a try in eye cream form. Fingers crossed that it smells as amazing as the Freeman face mask that introduced me to manuka honey. 😀

This Skin Care Haul turned into a major haul in general and it was just what I needed. There’s nothing like a little retail therapy to help soothe the soul!

What ingredients do you look for for your skin care? What are your favorite skin care brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

August 2022 Finishes

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August 2022 Finishes

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

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

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Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

Hello!! This past week, I had a bunch of errands to run and decided to partake in a little retail therapy. You can peep a new TJMaxx Haul soon but, today, we are going to chat about my finds at Bath & Body Works. I had two freebie coupons to cash in for a travel sized product and a hand sanitizer. I also decided that I should probably buy some more of their wallflower fragrances while I was there! Check it out:

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Prior to my last haul at B&BW, I had never used their wallflowers before. However, I had a coupon for a free one and their Halloween plugins were too cute to pass up! Now that I have two in my apartment, one upstairs and one down, I can’t believe it took me this long to join the bandwagon. They are DELIGHTFUL! The wallflowers provide the perfect amount of fragrance without being overpowering. They are also super long lasting and after over twenty days of use I still have half a vial left.

Aside from freebie coupons, I also had a twenty-five percent off one so I bought two wallflowers with it. I went with Honeycrisp Apple and Wildberry Tea Spritzer. As you all know, I live for apple fragrances and the one I selected is so fabulous for fall. It smells like a just bitten apple and I can’t wait to use it. The Tea Spritzer fragrance is nice but it is not my favorite – I just happened to like it the most out of the available options. It actually smells exactly like the summery beverage I imagined but it is just a little too sweet for my liking. We will see what it’s like when I try it!

I am a huge fan of the B&BW hand sanitizers and was excited to be able to pick out a free one. Their PocketBacs leave my hands feeling so clean without drying them out and have become a must have when I’m on the go. I decided to keep with the squeaky clean vibes and chose Sunshine & Lemons. It’s zingy, tart, and will be a nice reminder of summer come fall.

For my free travel sized item, I got the old standby scent of Japanese Cherry Blossom. Not because I wanted to but because I was running low on lotion in my stockpile and it was the literal only option there lol (I was shopping at a pop up store because they are adding a White Barn to a nearby location). We all know the scent, we loved it in high school, and that’s all I have to say about that. But, hey, a free lotion is a free lotion!

For twelve bucks, I got four products and you just can’t beat that. I also contained myself and didn’t buy anymore Halloween goodies so it was a GREAT SUCCESS of a Mini Haul!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? What was your favorite fragrance in high school? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Violet & Punch Pink Nails

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New Violet & Punch Pink Nails

Hello! After several long and stressful weeks, I was in desperate need of some self care and had been counting down the days till my next appointment at Elysian Nails. Not only did I need a pampering session but my nails were looking JANK. As always, Elysian got me right and my nail tech did a fabulous job on my talons. Check it out:

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Normally, I have a color palette in mind before I go to the salon for a fill. This time around, however, I decided to let the polish wall speak to me and made my choice almost instantly. Directly in my line of sight was the OPI shades in Strawberry Margarita (Which I totally get) and Grandma Kissed A Gaucho (Which I don’t get at all).

Lol despite one nail polish name making no sense to me or my nail tech, I am in love with this color combo. It is such a perfect palette to wrap up summertime with before we move onto plum, oxblood, and jewel tones for fall. These nails look like a sweet candy treat or summer sunset and I catch myself looking at them constantly. So cute!

As you all know, pampering is my favorite form of self care and this trip to Elysian Nails definitely helped put some pep back in my step. It’s almost impossible not to when I leave the salon with nails looking like a billion bucks!

What color of nail polish are you wearing? What are your favorite summer nail polish colors? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Bath Bomb Blitz: Bath & Body Works Bath Fizzy Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Bath & Body Works Bath Fizzy Edition

Hello! It has been a long while since I used a bath bomb and I decided to purchase one from Bath & Body Works during my Halloween Haul. After a long and depressing past week, I used it on Sunday for a little dose of self care. When I bought the bath fizzy from B&BW, I wasn’t expecting a Lush quality product because no one does bath bombs better. However, I definitely wasn’t expecting it to suck as badly as it did, lol. Let’s discuss:

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This bath fizzy in Ghoul Friend missed all of the marks that I consider important when it comes to products like it: A change in the water color, a good fragrance, and not fizzing out quickly. I love the Ghoul Friend scent of strawberry, citrus, and peony and figured that it would have had a stronger smell than what I experienced. I honestly couldn’t smell anything once I added it to the bath water, which was disappointing.

The bath fizzy also fizzled out in about twenty seconds or less, which did nothing but leave my bath water a murky lavender. Yes, it’s a Halloween themed product but I wasn’t particularly thrilled to get into a bath that looked like a swamp. Yuck!

One thing that I love about Lush bath bombs is how nourished my skin feels after using one. I always was amazed by how my skin felt as hydrated as if I slathered myself in body butter. I’m sure you can guess that that was not the case in the slightest with the B&BW bath fizzy! It felt like I was sitting in hot water with nothing else to it. I think I would have been better off just taking a regular bubble bath. SMH.

This product is definitely one that you should skip on and was a massive waste of ten dollars. Buy yourself literally anything else from B&BW, instead!

Have you used a product that you were disappointed by recently? What is your favorite bath bomb from Lush? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah