Tag Archives: beauty

Nov30

November 2019 Finishes

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November 2019 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the last day of November here on lifewithlilred! This month felt like it went by SO quickly with all of the holiday shopping, Thanksgiving, and working my little tail off to make up for the days I took to myself for the holiday. Despite November passing by in the blink of an eye, I managed to use up a lot of products that I am here to discuss today with all of you. Check it out:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Jergens Ultra Healing lotion: YES
  • Solimo Shea Butter & Oatmeal body wash: YES
  • Bath & Body Works Blueberry Crumble hand soap: YES
  • Rusk thermal heat serum: YES
  • SkinLab Moisturizing Gel Cream: YES
  • Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment: NO

Why/Why Not?

Jergens Lotion: I have been buying Jergens as my lotion of choice since moving into my apartment. It’s fairly inexpensive for a big bottle, it smells great, and it leaves my skin feeling so well loved. I do a weekly all over use after my Wednesday night bubble bath and my skin definitely thanks me for it – especially during the cold winter months. It takes me close to two months to finish a bottle and I always have to restock whenever I do my grocery shopping!

Solimo Body Wash: I don’t love this body wash and I also don’t hate it. It smells fine, it’s moisturizing, and it lathers well but it’s kind of boring. During my morning shower, I like something really invigorating and this just doesn’t do it for me. My mom purchased a ton of these body washes off of Amazon and gave me a few so I’m not mad about that but it also isn’t my go to choice. It took me over one month to finish one bottle.

B&BW Hand Soap: I love, love, love my Bath & Body Works foaming hand soaps! The Blueberry Crumble scent smells exactly like, well… blueberry crumble and it is amazing. The B&BW foaming soaps are so nice because they make my hands feel seriously clean without drying them out. It takes me over three months to finish one bottle because a little goes such a long way and I always look forward to using one up so I can start a fresh one with another delicious scent.

Rusk Serum: The Rusk thermal heat serum is a must in my hair care arsenal and I use it whenever I straighten my hair. It is definitely a salon worthy product and my hair never feels dry or damaged despite my 450 degree straightener. Combined with my favorite IGK Mistress leave in conditioner, my hair has never looked shinier or healthier and I highly recommend both products. It took me over four months to finish one serum bottle.

SkinLab Cream: I always enjoy a good gel moisturizer and this one by SkinLab is my favorite. It feels so light but it is so crazy hydrating, which is awesome, because sometimes the really light gels don’t leave your skin feeling completely moisturized. This product absorbs quickly, sits amazingly under makeup, and keeps my skin dewy and glowing. It takes me one month to finish one jar.

Sunday Riley Treatment: I received this sample as a freebie from Sephora and was only able to use it four times. Granted, that isn’t a lot of time to see if you like a product or not but I was unimpressed. However, the reviews for it on Sephora’s website are for the most part very positive so, maybe if I had a little more, I would have liked it better. So, do with that information what you will!

Overall, November was a very successful month for empties. I love when I can finish up products that I’ve been using for a while and am ready to start fresh in December with some new skin care and bath and body goodies!

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

Nov23

Fairy Hair!

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Fairy Hair!

Hello everyone! While vacationing in North Carolina this past summer, I stumbled upon a cute little boutique that offered “fairy hair”. This was enough to get me in the store and when the saleswoman explained that it was strands of colored tinsel tied into your hair, I was sold. I was so enamored with my sparkly locks that I just had to purchase a hair tinsel kit on Amazon to make the hair bling a reoccurring theme once the ones I got fell out.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t even get one strand of tinsel into my sister’s hair let alone on myself. But, lucky for me, my wonderful hair stylist, Anna, used to do fairy hair all of the time at her old shop and said she would do it for me during my next hair cut. I was really looking forward to this because we were going to do a ton of tinsel as opposed to the ten measly strands I got on vaca.

Although it was a long process, it was worth the hour in the salon chair and I have a head full of sparkles compliments of Anna. I’ll get better pictures when I’m not taking them by myself, but check it out:

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Anna and I dubbed my tinsel tresses as “disco hair” and I am so in love with the results. The compliments I get everywhere I go doesn’t hurt, either! Hair tinsel is such a fun, simple, and inexpensive way to spice up your do as I only paid ten dollars for ten huge packs of sparkles. These will literally last me a lifetime and I can’t wait to continue the hair tinsel trend during my next appointment at the Shear Shop!

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What is your favorite trend for funky hair? How do you make a statement with your locks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov22

Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipstick Swatch In Nu Prefere

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Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipstick Swatch In Nu Prefere

Hello everyone and welcome to the last swatch of the Rouge Essentiel Silky Lip Cremes by Laura Mercier. Unfortunately, I saved the worst for last, which was totally unintentional! I honestly thought that I was going to like this nude shade the best but, I daresay, I might like the orange color more than this one. Shocking, I know. Take a look at some pics and I’ll let you decide:

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At first glance of Nu Prefere, I thought that I was going to like it a lot. I love a good nude lippie and this shade looked like a pretty dusty pink that I could get down with. Sadly, that just wasn’t the case. If you can recall from the last two Laura Mercier swatches, the pigment was very rich and I don’t know what went wrong with this one but it was definitely lacking in that department. What I really wanted was for the color to be as highly saturated as the others and, as you can see, it just looks like a cheap gloss rather than a lip creme.

My other qualm with this hue is the orangeness once it was applied. It has this really rusty undertone to it, which is less than flattering and a far cry from the swatch on the marketing seen above. Nu Prefere was a huge hell no for me and that’s saying a lot when I like a straight up orange shade better than a nude one! Smh.

Overall, I am unimpressed with the samples I received of Laura Mercier’s Rouge Essentiel lipsticks. The colors were not the best, the price for a full tube is outrageous, and I am confident that you could find a drugstore brand to suit you and your wallet better. Whomp whomp.

What is your favorite nude lipstick? Do you prefer neutral shades or bold colors when it comes to your lippie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov21

Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipstick Swatch In Rouge Ultime

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Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipstick Swatch In Rouge Ultime

Howdy! Today, we are on to our next swatch in the Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel sample pack that I got from Sephora. This shade in the Silky Creme Lipstick is called Rouge Ultime. But, is it the ultimate red? Lil Red is a little bias because I like to think that I am. Ba dum chhhh! I’ll let you all decide for yourselves, though. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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As I’ve mentioned before, I am very picky when it comes to my red lipsticks. Due to my complexion and hair color, only a pure red looks flattering on me. Anything with too blue or orange undertones just misses the mark. I’ve made the mistake before of buying lipstick shades willy nilly and that turned out to be a massive waste of money. So, sticking to my preferred brands and colors is usually what I opt for.

I’ve swatched a lot of lipsticks on my day on lifewithlilred and the Rouge Ultime hue by Laura Mercier isn’t bad! I like the poppy crimson color and, as we discussed yesterday, I really enjoy the creme texture of this lippie. My only qualm with this shade is that it might have a tad too much blue undertones to it for my liking.

Am I upset about it? Absolutely not, because one tube of the lipstick is a whopping THIRTY-TWO DOLLARS!! I will keep using my five dollar tube of NYX, thank you very much. Sephora samples are truly a double edged sword. On one end, it’s nice to be able to test new products out. But, on the other, if you fall head over heels for it, you usually end up thirty bucks in the hole!

Do you prefer high end or drugstore brands? What is a beauty item you splurge on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov20

Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipstick Swatch In L’Orange

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Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipstick Swatch In L’Orange

Hello!! When shopping with Sephora online, you get to pick two samples out of eight or so for free. Normally, I’ll select a perfume tester for my mom because she’s a fragrance gal and, if they’re available, lipstick sample pods for me. I am not the most adventurous when it comes to my lippie colors because I will always prefer my NYX matte red lipstick over anything else.

However, I do like swatching the shades that I get as Sephora freebies on lifewithlilred. During my last haul, I selected the Laura Mercier tester pack to share with all of you. This is the Silky Creme Lipstick in L’Orange:

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I have never been an orange lipstick kind of girl. Anything with the faintest orange hue in it appears awfully clown like on me when it is paired against my red hair. This is unfortunate, because I love the idea of peach colored lips in the summertime. I think L’Orange would be a perfect summer or late spring shade but with snow falling consistently in Ohio now, the cheerful shade seems almost inappropriate while it’s so crap lousy out.

Would I be willing to try this shade out on myself? Hell no. Do I think it would be pretty on the right person? I think it would be stunning. But, orange is a really tricky shade to pull off so it would have to be done right. When paired with a simple all white ensemble and a more natural MOTD, a huge statement could be made with one small pop of color.

Now, as far as the consistency of this lippie goes – it really wasn’t bad. Shocking, I know, because Lil Red is a matte girl through and through. Despite L’Orange having a shiny luster to it, it wasn’t a glossy feel at all. It felt heavier than your standard gloss lipstick but not as much as a full on matte lippie. I could get down with this, especially in the colder months when it’s so easy for your lips to get dried out, which can become even worse with a matte lipstick.

Overall, I’m still impressed with this product so far but not in this shade. So, I’ll be looking forward to trying another hue tomorrow!

Do you prefer a matte or glossy lipstick? How do you rock a bold lip color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov19

Face Mask Festivities: Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Edition

Hi! During a recent Sephora haul, I got a ton of free goodies including a sample size of a Water Sleeping Mask by Laneige. I was really excited about this face mask because I absolutely love the jelly style sleep masks – especially the Drops Of Youth and Vitamin E Sleep Masks by The Body Shop. I am always up for trying new skin care products and I look forward to testing different brands out from Sephora because I consider them to be a bit more “high end”.

Unfortunately, an expensive price tag doesn’t always mean a high quality product and the Water Sleeping Mask by Laneige left me feeling no type of way. Let’s discuss:

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What I love the most about the Drops Of Youth and Vitamin E masks from The Body Shop is the sensation I get when I wake up. My skin feels so nourished and hydrated and it feels like absolute peaches and cream perfection. I just didn’t get this feeling in the morning with the Laneige mask or even when I first applied it.

I enjoyed the texture of the product because I never say no to a good jelly style moisturizer or mask and the light aquatic scent was also nice. Sadly, that was about it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy I got to test this product out for many reasons. 1) I didn’t have to commit to a full size jar. 2) It was free. 3) I get to write about it here. And 4) It served as a reminder that, often times, a “lower end” brand is just as good if not better than something uber expensive.

Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend this mask but it makes me highly recommend the ones I mentioned from The Body Shop even more!

Do you have a favorite face mask? What are your thoughts on the one by Laneige if you have used it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov17

Sephora Haul

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Sephora Haul

Hi!! Whenever I need to restock my Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced, I always shop Sephora online to get the best deals. With free shipping with a fifty dollar purchase (Which isn’t hard to do!), two free samples, and an option for more freebies with a coupon code, it just makes sense to do – especially if you know exactly what you want. And, if I ever did want to play around with new products in store, I would definitely go home and order the goods online to bank in on all of the great promotions! 😀

This time around, I scored an amazing goodie bag filled with trial sized products to try out and I am looking forward to testing them all and sharing my findings with you. Check it out:

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The Haul:

  • 2 Better Than Sex mascaras
  • Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
  • Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream
  • Replica perfume
  • Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment
  • Ouai Leave In Conditioner
  • Bite Beauty Lip Crayon in Glace
  • Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara
  • Laura Mercier Lipstick samples
  • Atelier Vanilla Incense perfume

For fifty dollars total, I got all of the products seen above and I consider that a steal. There is nothing better than getting a lot of bang for your buck and I feel like I get that every time I shop with Sephora. I also love being able to try out beauty products without having to commit to them and, who knows, maybe I will find a new favorite in the sample sizes.

I wouldn’t be a good sister or daughter if I didn’t share the wealth and have given my mom the perfume samples because she’s a fragrance gal and the Tarte mascara and Bite lippie to my sister. I already have both of those and will not be using either up any time soon. Sharing is caring and it’s nice to be able to enjoy all of this awesome stuff together. Both of those very special ladies in my life always know how to make my day with something as simple as a text message so I take every opportunity I can to treat them, too!

How do you score the best deals at Sephora? What did you get in your most recent beauty haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov16

Londontown Pampering Party

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Londontown Pampering Party

Hi! This past week, I treated my mom to a pampering party with some amazing products by Londontown. My sweet mother, JANE, tested out the Nourishing Cuticle Oil and Restorative Nail Cream and fell in love with the Londontown brand as much as I have. Of course, I would have liked to use these products myself, but they wouldn’t have been much good over top of my talons! But, it was even more fun letting my mom get the royal treatment because we always revel in the chance to play beauty shop. 🙂 Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

Nourishing Cuticle Oil:

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Restorative Nail Cream:

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^^^ Peep my claws in Londontown’s Buckingham Blue and Electric Avenue!

My mom is the literal queen of surprising her loved ones with beautiful gifts that catch her eye when she’s out and about. So, whenever I have a chance to give back to her, I jump on it. On a day when I finished work early, I headed over to chez mom and dad, enjoyed a Chinese dinner, and prepped the station for an impromptu beauty salon.

First, I soaked my mom’s nails in warm water. Then, I applied the Nourishing Cuticle Oil, rubbed it in, and let it sit for a while before I pushed her cuticles back. The oil made the cuticles much more pliable and it was so easy to remove all of the overgrown parts once they were nice and soft. After using the Nourishing Cuticle Oil, my mom had actual nails again that looked long and healthy.

The pampering had only just begun, though, because it was now time to top if off with the Restorative Nail Cream, which is what we are both the most excited about. This product is absolutely INCREDIBLE! Let’s start with the fact that it smells so good – the light as air, fresh cotton scent was just right with the rich, super hydrating cream.

And, most importantly, the non greasy formula left my mom’s nails and the surrounding areas smooth as silk. It also made her nails so insanely shiny which was a vast improvement to the dull hue that they were before. There was a noticeable difference after just one use and we are both looking forward to seeing her nails look better over time with continued use of the Restorative Nail Cream.

The Londontown Pampering Party that I had with my mom was a huge success. It was such a blast being able to spend time with her and it felt so good to let her be the one to get treated for a change. We can both attest to Londontown’s fabulous products and highly recommend the Nourishing Cuticle Oil and Restorative Nail Cream for your pampering pleasure!

How do you care for your nails? What is your favorite Londontown product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov15

Bath & Body Works Holiday Haul

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Bath & Body Works Holiday Haul

Hello! Some of my favorite go to gifts to give are candles and bath and body care. These are things that your friends and family might not splurge on for themselves so they are always sure to please. And, who doesn’t like a little pampering?! To get some of the presents that I needed to purchase for the holidays out of the way, I hit up Bath & Body Works and got some delicious smelling stocking stuffers for all of my favorite lady friends. Check it out:

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It is always exciting to see all of the holiday themed decor and scents available in store. Bath & Body Works is completely filled with wall to wall holiday scented goodies, which made coming to a decision a difficult task. But, I am really happy with the products that I purchased.

I am not too wild about the super sweet holiday scents like snickerdoodle and hot chocolate and I despise the spicy fragrances like cinnamon and nutmeg. The Frosted Cranberry candles, Winter Candy Apple hand soap, and Fresh Sparkling Snow lotions and shower gel all smell appropriate for the holidays without being overpowering. They are also scents that you could get away with using after December 25th, which made them the perfect candidates to purchase.

Some might say that the candle and bath and body care route is an overdone one. BUT I SAY DIFFERENT! Probably because I would love to receive these gifts, myself. I know for a fact that all of the products above will go over well and, although B&BW can be a bit pricey, they were worth every penny. I am slowly but surely checking all of my giftees off the list and am eager to be completely done hopefully come December! 😀

How far along are you in your holiday shopping? What is your favorite holiday scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov13

New Lime Green & Navy Nails

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New Lime Green & Navy Nails

Helloooo everyone! I spent a much needed Saturday morning at the salon after an even earlier morning at the skating rink getting my talons fixed up. It was so nice to sit back and relax after a work out that dragged me out of bed at 6:30 (Wah, wah, wah!) and now my claws are all ready for a Thanksgiving extravaganza with the most non-Thanksgiving colors imaginable – but that’s neither here nor there.

I brought my own polishes to Elysian Nails this time around because I had some new shades from Londontown that I have been dying to try out. I used Electric Avenue and Buckingham Blue and the final result is gorgeous. Check it out:

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Londontown is an amazing one stop shop for all of your nail care needs that features a vegan and 9-free formula. Their polishes offer gel like wear, a flawless application, and dries faster than any nail polish I’ve ever used before. I absolutely love all of my Londontown polishes but I think that this navy and funky green combination takes the cake. My nail tech was just as obsessed with the super rich and ultra glossy hues as I was and bringing in such a high end feeling polish made my experience even more posh.

If you have a nail crazy person in your life or you are one, yourself (Like me!), then Londontown is definitely the place to be for all of your holiday shopping needs. With the best nail and cuticle treatments and a wide array of stunning colors to choose from, your stockings will be stuffed with the most lux goodies on the market. Happy shopping!

What color of polish do you have on? What is your favorite funky color to rock? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah