Tag Archives: beauty

Feb12

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Hello! A few weeks ago, I spent a whopping six hours at the Shear Shop getting my hair done by my fabulous stylist, Anna. After several months of red, pink, and violet, I was ready to change things up with red and white hair. While the white portion isn’t quite where we want it yet, Anna achieved an amazing first start and feels confident that we can ice it out even more during my next appointment. I can’t wait! Check it out:

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^^^ The colors used were Pulp Riot’s Fireball and Icy toner.

This new do took a lot of trial and error at the salon, which resulted in my long day spent there. But that was a-okay with me! I love my time at the Shear Shop so much and between reading, gabbing with Anna, and chatting with all of the ladies there, it was six hours well spent. I am incredibly appreciative to Anna for always making me look my best but even more so this time around because of how hard she worked for this beautiful in between stage for my hair.

Originally, the titanium section of my hair looked really beige and there was a red patch on it from the other side of my hair. We both knew that this would not do and, while Anna wasn’t thrilled about it for my hair health, we had to bleach parts of it again. Anna was careful to not do any more damage to my hair than needed and was able to get the red splotch out as well as lift the beige into a more unnatural shade, which we ended up loving.

If you could have seen what the silvery part of my hair was at first, you would have been just as astounded by its transformation as we were. Even while my hair was still wet, we were both very relieved because we could tell right away how much better it was. Anna refused to let us leave the salon feeling disappointed and she worked her magic into something that we were obsessed with.

Anna spent a lot of time before my appointment researching how to get my hair to how I wanted and, knowing her, she’s looking at ways right now to get my hair to a pure white. Not only does her incredible work speak for itself but she is the most beautiful person inside and out. I feel like a billion bucks every time I leave her salon chair! ❤

What color is your hair? What is your relationship with your hair stylist like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Feb6

Organic Aromas Aurora Nebulizing Diffuser Unboxing & Review

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Organic Aromas Aurora Nebulizing Diffuser Unboxing & Review

Hello everyone! We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming from my TJMaxx Winter Haul again because I have an exciting product to share with all of you! Today, we are going to be discussing my gorgeous new Aurora Nebulizing Diffuser by Organic Aromas. I have had it on nonstop in my apartment since I received it in the mail. In fact, it’s on right now as I write this post! Check out my unboxing and continue reading on for the review:

Peep this video to see it in action:

My Aurora Nebulizing Diffuser kit from Organic Aromas came with everything that I needed for soothing scents to envelope my apartment all of the time. Not only did it include all of the items that I need for cleaning it but it also came with two essential oils to get me started. I am currently using the Signature Blend essential oil, which is a lovely mixture of Elemi, Clary Sage, Cajeput, Chamomile, and Bergamot – it is divine and perfect to use when chilling at home. I also received the Peppermint oil, which will be great to help wake me up in the morning!

The amazing thing about this product is that it is pure scent particles coming out of the diffuser – not water. This provides the ultimate experience for all of your aromatherapy needs because the oils are not being diluted, giving you the full benefits of whichever essential oil you choose. As soon as I turn on my Aurora Diffuser with the Signature Blend, I instantly feel more relaxed, making it the ideal scent after a long day at work.

Not only are the products by Organic Aromas effective, but they are beautiful too. I love the pearl like shape of my diffuser because it reminds me of my engagement ring! The diffusers will enhance your home decor with their simple yet elegant designs. Some of the diffusers can even change colors with the LED lights so you can suit the color palette in your living room or bedroom.

I cannot recommend the Organic Aromas essential oils and diffusers enough. Treat yourself or someone else for a gift because you have the Lil Red Guarantee that it will make a much loved edition to anyone’s home!

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

Feb2

TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

Hello! If you look at my newly organized beauty hoard, it is very easy to think that I definitely don’t need any more skin or bath and body care. I say FALSE and figured that my TJMaxx gift cards would be perfect to use for fortifying my stock pile and eliminating restock orders for a good long while. When scouring the beauty aisles in TJs, I had my eye open for moisturizer, serum, eye cream, and whatever else tickled my fancy. I ended up walking away with all of the following:

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As I mentioned before, it has been such a long time since I shopped in TJMaxx and I forgot how much fun it was to find new treasures in their beauty section. Prior to the pandemic, I would test out new skin care from TJs every couple of months when I needed a restock. Now, however, I have stuck to using tried and true favorites that I can order easily and have available at home. While this shopping trip would have been much better with my mom or sister there, it was still exciting to browse the aisles by myself!

While I paid full price for several of the products that I purchased, I was happy to find that a few of them were on clearance, which sweetened the deal even more. I am especially thrilled about the Evoluderm micellar water from France. It is, easily, the best micellar water that I have ever used so I had to grab the last two big bottles available.

I am most looking forward to testing out the new serums because I have been using the Tree Of Life ones for a while. They are fine and I have no major complaints but I am always open to trying new products. The same goes for moisturizer and eye cream. The Garnier SkinActive moisturizer and Elf Holy Hydration! eye cream have been staples in my skin care routine for almost a year so I can’t wait to shake things up!

Finally, I just had to buy another St. Ives scrub because they are my absolute favorite as well as one more SkinLab cleanser. I haven’t even used the SkinLab face washes that I have yet but I love that brand so how bad can it be? 😀

When it comes to my beauty stock pile, it never hurts to have extra – obviously! This huge haul will serve me well for many months to come and nothing beats when it was all purchased on a gift card!

Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? What is in your beauty hoard? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan31

Bath & Body Works January Freebie

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Bath & Body Works January Freebie

Hello! I am always excited to receive coupons from Bath & Body Works in the mail because that usually means something for free. Sometimes, they will go all out and give you a free full size product but nine times out of ten, it’s just a travel size lotion or body wash. This is totally fine by me, though, as they make great extra gifts for friends or a little treat for myself! This month, I picked out a body wash in Champagne Toast or, as Johnny calls it, Champagne & Toast. Lol, check it out:

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Since the pandemic, I rarely go out to do actual shopping and have turned to online orders for everything I need. However, I had some returns to make after spending some Christmas gift cards online with TJMaxx so I ventured out after work to get that done. I had a huge haul both in store and online with TJMaxx, which we will begin discussing tomorrow! And, lucky for me, a Bath & Body Works just opened down the street from TJs, so I was able to pop in and get my freebie too.

Although I could have spent a solid hour in B&BW picking out a bunch of bath and body care that I don’t need, I had my eye on the prize to get in and get out. The clock was ticking and I had to get home for a FaceTime date with my blogging bestie. To make things quick, I went with Champagne Toast because it is a scent that I know and love. It is fizzy and sweet without smelling boozy like their Portofino Pink Prosecco. I just might have to keep this travel size body wash for myself!

It has been a while since I have used a shower gel because I am diligently working through the bar soaps I got on vacation. Once those are out of the way, I know which shower gel in my stock pile I’ll be using next! 😀

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

Jan30

January 2022 Finishes

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January 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the first beauty empties post of 2022! Beauty care in the winter is all about hydrating dry skin, which I tended to this past month with lots of body butters that I finally got around to using from The Body Shop. My hands have suffered from dry winter skin for as long as I can remember and they have looked much better this time around thanks to these product finishes:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

TBS Body Butters: I have always been fond of the products from The Body Shop and their body butters are wonderful. Using them is such a lush experience and it feels like the ultimate treat from my own self care perspective. The Moringa butter is not my favorite scent by TBS but that’s because I’m not a floral girl, however, if given the opportunity I would happily use any of their product lines!

It took about a week and a half to finish each mini jar from nightly use on my hands and areas where I have stretch marks. After the body butter is on my hands, I put on my compression gloves for bed and have noticed a huge difference in the discoloration and texture of my dry skin. TBS body butters are the best extra oomph that you need for nourishing winter skin.

Equilibria Oil: This oil treatment was a Christmas gift that actually included soothing CBD in its ingredients. It took me roughly two months to finish the Equilibria Daily Oil Treatment and I would use it again if it was gifted to me but wouldn’t buy it for myself. The scent wasn’t the most pleasant and it was also a mixed bag in terms of effectiveness. Sometimes, it left my skin feeling even dryer than before and left my face with unsightly red patches. Other times, it felt hydrating and my skin looked picture perfect. Not the best product but not the worst.

Clinique Moisturizer: The Moisture Surge moisturizer by Clinique was a freebie from a past Sephora haul and I really enjoyed it. I finished the jar after a week of morning and night use and wish that I had more of it! This moisturizer had a slightly thicker texture than a traditional gel one and was ultra nourishing but never felt heavy. It absorbed quickly and sat well under makeup. I probably will never get a full size of this moisturizer but will always order it if it is a freebie option with Sephora!

Overall, my first beauty finishes of 2022 was pretty good. While I’m pleased with most of the products, I’m even happier to be using up lots of the goodies in my new and improved beauty hoard! 😀

Which products did you use up this month? How do you combat dry skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan25

Bouquet Beauty

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Bouquet Beauty

Hello! My dad is an excellent gardener and for as long as I can remember, there is always a wildflower bouquet on the kitchen table for my mom in the summertime. It’s pretty much the sweetest thing ever and his flower arrangements are beautiful every time. My grandma also had a green thumb so, between her and my dad, the majesty of flowers is something that I have enjoyed from a young age.

I love receiving flowers as gifts and I even still have the dried roses from mine and Johnny’s “one week anniversary” of dating and an arrangement from a Valentine’s Day together. In my opinion, dried flowers are just as pretty as fresh ones and I have endless bowls on my knick knack shelf filled with dried petals.

A couple of weeks ago, Johnny’s mom surprised me with a lovely Christmas bouquet. While it looks like it has seen better days now, I still love it just the same:

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Flowers are such an amazing any time gift and they are always special to receive. It shows such thoughtfulness on behalf of the bouquet giver and I was so appreciative to Johnny’s mom for this gift. Although I am constantly cleaning off dried petals from the floor, I just can’t part with the arrangement. It also makes a fine centerpiece on my coffee table with my other vases of dried flowers. Plus, how pretty are those Lil Red blooms?! 😀

Dried or fresh, flowers are the best and I smile every time I look at mine. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! ❤

What is your favorite flower? Who else has a green thumb? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

 

Jan20

Nars Blush Swatches In Behave & Dolce Vita

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Nars Blush Swatches In Behave & Dolce Vita

Hi! Today, we are going to take a look at swatches from the last two blushes in my Nars Basic Instincts 1 palette. These colors are called Behave and Dolce Vita. While they might not be my favorite colors at first glance, I do intend on at least giving them a shot as an attempt to break out of my makeup comfort zone – we’ll see what happens! Now, let’s get to it:

^^^ The fourth picture is the swatch in Behave and the fifth picture is Dolce Vita.

When first looking at Behave, I thought that it might be too dark for my liking so I was pleased to see that it applied as a dusty rose. I think I could work with this blush but it’s not one that I would pick out for myself as I prefer brighter colors on my cheeks. Behave might be a nice shade for fall and winter but it wouldn’t be my go to choice for spring or summer. It is still pretty, though, and I will use it to dip my toes in the water of something other than my favorite shade of bubblegum pink.

On the other hand, we have Dolce Vita and it actually reminds me of the blush that my mom would put on me for skating competitions. Which is probably why I am tentative on it because we all know that competition makeup can be over the top! While the shade is almost identical, I admit that it’s much more subtle lol. I can’t picture myself using Dolce Vita too often but it could be a good look for a date night. In the end, I do think it would be more flattering on someone who isn’t me!

Although I am not head over heels about all of the blushes in the Nars Basic Instincts 1 palette, I am looking forward to using it. I do love the first blush in Orgasm and the other three hues will be ones that I can experiment with. I’m thinking that if I mix them with other preferred shades, I might have a better outcome. Many thanks again to my sister for this gift! ❤

What is your favorite blush? Which colors of makeup push you out of your comfort zone? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

Nars Blush Swatches In Orgasm & Orgasm X

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Nars Blush Swatches In Orgasm & Orgasm X

Hi! My big sis gifted me with some new makeup for Christmas and today we are going to check out some swatches from the Nars Basic Instincts 1 blush palette. She claims that the Nars blushes are “the best” so I am very excited to incorporate them into my makeup routine. Here’s to stepping out of my makeup comfort zone in 2022! Let’s get started by talking about Orgasm and Orgasm X and tomorrow, be sure to tune in for the remaining shades:

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^^^ Orgasm is the fourth picture and Orgasm X is the fifth.

When first opening my new palette, I was immediately drawn to our first swatch in Orgasm… Which feels funny to say but, then again, I have the sense of humor of a twelve year old lol. I loved the bubblegum, glittery hue that isn’t too far of a cry from a blush that I already use. Give me any makeup with a touch of shimmer in it and I am so there for it. I can definitely picture myself using this shade often and think that it will really compliment my fairer complexion.

Orgasm X, on the other hand, is a pretty color but is one that I can’t say that I would use for myself. It has the glitter going for it, however, I fear that it would look clownish on me because it is a deeper shade than I have ever used before. I do think it would look lovely on someone with a darker complexion, especially because it has an orangey tint to it for the ultimate sunkissed look.

When it comes to blushes, I prefer a cream one and don’t use packed powder too often. So, I was very impressed with how soft and creamy these Nars blushes were. It was so easy to apply and didn’t feel cakey in the slightest. Some powder products just crumple to the touch but that wasn’t the case for this palette at all. Very nice!

Tomorrow, we will be taking a look at the final two shades in Behave and Dolce Vita. Then, keep tuning in for future OOTDs so you can see these new blushes in action!

Which blushes do you like from this palette? What are your thoughts on Nars products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan18

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick Swatch In Dazed

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick Swatch In Dazed

Howdy! Today, we are going to be swatching the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick that I got from my sister for Christmas in a shade called Dazed. I have never used anything by ABH before so I was very excited to receive it as a gift! This ultra pretty pinky maroon hue is a perfect shade for fall and winter and I cannot wait to complete an OOTD with a swiping of it on my lips. Check it out:

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When it comes to makeup, I prefer to stick with my old faithfuls rather than try anything different. It might not make for the most exciting MOTDs, but it’s what I’m comfortable with and capable of applying lol. That is why I am so thankful for my sister because whether it be hand me downs or new makeup as a gift, she always tries to get me out of my comfort zone!

This ABH liquid lippie is definitely a color that I wouldn’t have picked out for myself but, then again, what do I know? I consider my sister to be a makeup guru so if she thinks that it will work, then I trust her. When swatching, I was pleased by how quickly this lipstick dried into a nice, matte hue. I am a matte girl all the way – mainly because you can eat with it on and it won’t budge. 😀

I think that the Dazed shade will look simply charming with a comfy cozy OOTD of a soft cardigan or sweater, skirt with tights, and knee high boots. The deep raspberry color will pop against the grey days of winter and I will be sure to wear it during mine and Johnny’s next date day.

In my opinion, a present that you wouldn’t get for yourself is the best kind so my new Anastasia Beverly Hills lipstick was a wonderful surprise. Thanks again, sis! Be sure to tune in tomorrow for some swatches from my Nars blush palette. ❤

What is your favorite makeup brand? Who do you turn to for makeup inspiration? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan17

New Harbor Blue & Shadow Grey Nails

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New Harbor Blue & Shadow Grey Nails

Hello! This past Wednesday, I spent some time at Elysian Nails after work getting pampered. It was much needed because some of my acrylics were lifting and they were looking all around jank. Thankfully, my fave nail tech quickly solved all of the problematic claws and I even had a gift card to spend from Johnny’s aunt for Christmas. Getting pampered is great but it’s even better when it’s free! Check it out:

Before my appointments at Elysian Nails, I normally have a pretty good idea of what polish colors I would like to use. This time around, however, I had no idea and stood at the nail polish wall waiting for something to speak for me. At first, I had a cobalt blue in mind and thought that grey would look nice with it. I was all set with these two hues until the harbor blue bottle of polish caught my eye and I knew that I had found my match. Right away, my nail tech told me how much she liked my choices so, needless to say, I was feeling my damn self!

As soon as I got to my nail tech’s station, I literally sank into the chair. I don’t think I realized how tired I was from my holiday weekend with my family until I had time to myself to relax! As always, it was an absolute delight to get my nails done and the conversation was great as per ushe too. It is so fun to be able to have my monthly catch up with my tech so we can dish about anything and everything. What is said in the salon chair stays in the salon chair, after all.

I am in love with the end result of my fill and the stormy seas color palette is one of my favorite combinations I’ve done in a while. It feels so perfect for those grey January days! After my nails have dried, I always leave Elysian Nails feeling like a million bucks. I can’t wait to go back next month and spend the rest of my gift card! 😀

What color are your nails? Which colors should I get next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah