Tag Archives: beauty

Jan20

CleanBeauty Barrier Support Facial Oil Review

Posted on January 20, 2025 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! In mid-October, I had a most excellent skin care haul at TJMaxx. I ended up with several new to me products as well as one that I was really excited about because I truly thought that I had used it before. During a previous haul, I fell in love with a Vitamin C serum by CleanBeauty and had my fingers and toes crossed that I would find it again. I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I saw a CleanBeauty serum on the shelves that I assumed was the same one because, at a glance, the bottles looked exactly the same. But, you all know that old saying about when you assume lol. Rather than my beloved Vitamin C serum, I ended up with a facial oil, instead *face palm*. Take a look and let’s discuss:

I consider myself to be very lucky because my skin type has been incredibly normal all of my life. I don’t experience acne, oil, or dry skin and this allows me to be able to experiment with a lot of different types of skin care. Normally, I do shy away from facial oil products just as a personal preference. However, when I realized I had a case of mistaken serum, I was eager to try the facial oil by CleanBeauty anyways. This Ohio winter has been absolutely brutal, especially within the past few weeks, and I figured it would do my skin good to have an extra protective barrier against the frigid cold. In theory, it sounded great. In practice, not so much.

This product is a prime example of why I don’t like facial oils lol. Every time I apply it, I try to use the smallest amount humanly possible on my face and neck. Regardless of the thimbleful application, this facial oil sits on your skin All. Day. Long. It doesn’t absorb whatsoever and after an hour or so, it just feels like you have residue that won’t come off. I hate it! This facial oil is a pain in the keister to apply makeup over so I just haven’t been wearing any – even on the weekends. Is my skin softer? No question. But, that’s not the end all be all because I have achieved softer, smoother skin with plenty of other products!

If you have extremely dry skin, then I think you will love this facial oil and it will be beneficial. For any other skin type, though, this is a product you can skip on and I cannot wait to use it up so I can kiss it goodbye!

How do you protect your skin during the winter? Which products have you not been impressed with recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan15

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel Haul

Posted on January 15, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! I had a most successful Semi Annual Sale shopping experience with Bath & Body Works. I was able to stock up on our tried and true favorites as well as a few new shower gels for myself and Johnny. For Johnny’s shower gel, literally every single one had some type of alcohol in the name lol. Mine, on the other hand, all had fruit! What can I say, I just love a fruity fragrance. By the time I was ready to place my order, a few of the shower gels that were in my cart had sold out. That was a bit of a bummer because the remaining selection were all scents I haven’t used before. Are they a hit or miss? Let’s find out together:

Costa Rica Pink Pineapple Surprise: We already have a winner!! Pink Pineapple Surprise is an extremely straight forward fragrance – it literally just smells like pineapple and I am SO there for it. This scent is bright, tangy, and will be perfect to wake up with during my morning shower. If you are a pineapple fan, this one is for you!

Fruity Sherbet Scoop: This scent is just okay for me and is fairly muted. With a name like Fruity Sherbet Scoop, I was expecting something with a little more oomph. This fragrance offers notes of “rainbow sherbet, zesty orange, and sun kissed strawberry”. It’s fine, but it reminds me of how a bowl of Fruity Pebbles smells after it has been sitting for a while. I wouldn’t get it again.

Strawberry Soda: Finally, we have Strawberry Soda and it definitely lives up to its name! With notes of “fresh strawberries, bubbly seltzer, and crushed ice” it really does smell like a Waterloo sparkling water. It’s sweet without being overpowering and this might sound weird, but I can smell the fizz! I wouldn’t say this is my favorite scent or even that I would buy it again, but I certainly won’t mind using it.

The Pink Pineapple Surprise was the obvious winner from this batch so I’m glad I got two of them. And, even if the other two aren’t great, it’s always fun to try some new scents!

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

Jan13

Bath & Body Works Men’s Line Haul

Posted on January 13, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! During my holiday break, I treated myself to some online shopping. As my Christmas gift, I ordered the completed set of the graphic novel series, Preacher, as well as shopped the Semi Annual Sale at Bath & Body Works. I scored big at B&BW and spent seventy dollars for twenty-one full size products. Talk about a steal! During the Semi Annual Sale, I always like to get some shower gel from the men’s line for Johnny. While he doesn’t mind using my fruity fragrances, he still appreciates some variety! Like most men’s bath and body care, all of these shower gels feature “whiskey” or “bourbon” in the title lol. So let’s review and see if these shower gels will leave you smelling amazing or like you just left the bar:

Gingham Legend: Gingham is one of my all time favorite scent collections from B&BW and I had no idea that Gingham Legend for men even existed. So, into the cart it went! Gingham Legend offers notes of “bergamot, rich oak, and sandalwood reserve” and I really, really like it. It’s kind of foresty and fresh and I can tell that it was definitely inspired by Old Spice. This is one that would go over well if you are gifting it because it’s such a classic men’s fragrance – almost anyone will like it!

Single Barrel Bourbon: Okay, onto the boozy stuff! Single Barrel Bourbon features notes of “spiced citrus, smooth tonka, and aged oak”. I’ll be perfectly honest with you, I think it smells exactly like Gingham Legend. This is a classic B&BW move to slightly change up previous scents and the only real difference is the spiced citrus. Single Barrel Bourbon is very rich and the most pungent one of the bunch so just be wary of that because it might be overpowering to sensitive noses.

Whiskey Reserve: To continue with our booze crawl, we have Whiskey Reserve. With notes of “crisp apple, single malt whiskey, and white oak”, Whiskey Reserve is my favorite because I love all things apple. This scent is nice and light and has all of the vibes of a brisk fall day. While I can pick up on the hints of whiskey, it is not the main focal point of the fragrance. Whiskey Reserve is, easily, the most dimensional of the four and is a refreshing take on a men’s product.

Sweet Whiskey: Finally, before last call, let’s discuss Sweet Whiskey. The name is spot on because this fragrance is incredibly sweet and quite feminine. No fragrance notes were listed on the bottle, but it smells like straight up vanilla with a dollop of caramel to me. I like it, of course, because I am a fan of anything vanilla. However, if you are purchasing for a real “man’s man” this probably isn’t the best way to go. I would actually be happy to use this shower gel and would consider it to be more gender neutral.

Johnny was most excited about his shower gel surprise and I was too! We really don’t have a lot of “men’s line” products in our home so it was fun to do an ol’ sniff test and review. 😀

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

Jan11

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Posted on January 11, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Every summer and winter, I look forward to the Semi Annual Sale at Bath & Body Works. I simply refuse to pay full price for anything from there, so it is my time of the year to stock up on my favorite products for a song. Rather than visit the store over my holiday break, I shopped online and was adding items to my cart like a mad woman. And why not? I got twenty-one products for seventy dollars!! I think Johnny and I will be A-okay in the bath and body care department for a long while with this haul:

When shopping the Semi Annual Sale at B&BW, I like to get a little bit of everything. This includes shower gels, lotion, hand soap, and hand sanitizers. Even if it seems like a lot, these are products that I know will be used and I’d rather buy them on the cheap now than on the expensive later lol. Typically, a shower gel at B&BW runs for close to sixteen dollars (Ridiculous!) and my cost per item ended up being three dollars and thirty-three cents. When you run the numbers like that, it makes sense to load up the shopping cart like your life depends on it!

Every Semi Annual Sale, I make a point to get several different shower gels for Johnny from the men’s line. He happily uses my fruity fragrances but is never opposed to switching things up with a scent that almost certainly as “bourbon” or “whiskey” in the title! The rest of the haul is, honestly, whatever struck my fancy. It can be tricky to shop for something like bath and body care online because, obviously, you can’t smell it lol. So, I went with tried and true favorites as well as a few new to me fragrances too. Whether they are a hit or miss, we’ll find out together in my upcoming reviews so keep it posted. 😀

There is nothing better to me than a full bath and body care stockpile. I can’t wait to replenish my skin care at TJMaxx next with my Christmas gift cards!!

Which stores run the best sales? Did you shop the B&BW Semi Annual Sale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan9

New Lavender & Plum Nails

Posted on January 9, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My beloved salon, Elysian Nails, takes a well deserved week long break during the first week of the New Year. I am so happy that they do that because all of the techs work incredibly hard and are incredibly skilled. I could not imagine how exhausted they all are after the big holiday rush! I have to admit, I was very excited for the salon to reopen because mama needed a fill and I was able to get a spot with my go to girl on Tuesday. This made for five weeks in between my last fill and I was surprised at how good my nails were looking until my tech took a better look lol. After some repairs for almost popped off nails, shaping, and sharpening, my talons are back to their former glory. Check it out:

I’m not sure why, but I was in a very purple mood for my nail polish selection. It probably has to do with the fact that I was with my niece this weekend and she always let’s it be known that purple is her favorite color lol. I was in a rush to get to my appointment so with no time to consider other options, purple it was! I went for a pretty, deep plum that is oh so chic for winter and rather than fiddle around with a compatible combo color, I went with more purple! I thought it would look nice to do a dark and light variation with the plum and lavender. And, I hate to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT because I love it!

Once my old polish was off, my tech was properly able to assess the damage of five weeks sans fill. I couldn’t believe how loose three of the acrylics were because they still felt so sturdy to me. A true testament to how amazing she is! As quickly as the worn nails were off, three new ones were placed in what felt like no time at all. Even with this extra step on top of all of the detail work my tech does to keep my stilettos on point, I STILL made it to work on time. My appointments are kind of a mad dash and my tech knows I am in between shifts. No problem with my nails is ever too big to not be handled and I have yet to be back to work late. Once again, I am in the best, most skilled, capable, and speedy hands to boot. ❤

A full set is next on my agenda at Elysian Nails and I am so looking forward to a lengthier, evening appointment so that I can sit back, relax, and enjoy. This fill was an excellent way to treat myself now that it’s back to the grind after the holidays, though!

What are your favorite colors for the winter? How often do you get your nails done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec28

December 2024 Finishes

Posted on December 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy and holy WOW!! I am here today to discuss the last batch of Beauty Finishes for 2024. It seems hard to believe but I know it to be fact every time I look at the calendar in a state of shock lol. I used up a few new to me products and some old favorites this past month and, as you can imagine, I am SO excited to do my annual post-holiday skin care restock with my TJMaxx gift cards from Christmas. So out with the old in this post and in with the new! Let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Lotion: YES

Vital Beauty Cooling Eye Gel: YES

SheaMoisture Deo Cream: NO

Purifect CEO Of H20 Serum: YES

Why/Why Not?

Vital Beauty Eye Gel: The Cooling Eye Gel by Vital Beauty is one of my go to products. It is one of those things that check all of my boxes when it comes to skin care – longevity and effectiveness. It took me two and a half months of twice daily use to finish the jar and I always notice a nice difference in my skin when using this product. My designer bags significantly reduce in color and puffiness for the wide awake look on a permanently sleepy girl!

SheaMoisture Deo Cream: I got the whole body deo cream by SheaMoisture as a freebie from Target. For my personal preference, I would not use this product again and was eager to go back to my tried and true Ban deodorant. That’s not to say that I don’t see the good in it, though, and I think it would be great for those who need full body coverage. I was very surprised that this travel size bottle took me over a month of once daily use to finish it so you will be getting a bang for your buck.

Purifect Serum: I really, REALLY liked the CEO Of H20 serum by Purifect and its namesake delivered. With every use, my skin felt so hydrated and soft and looked radiant. You can read my full review in the link above, but my one qualm with the serum was that I did use it up quickly. By three weeks of twice daily use, I had to hit up my stockpile for a new serum. I would definitely still use it again, though, and now I know to buy a few extra if I see it again at TJMaxx!

And, with that, the 2024 Finishes are complete and ended on a strong note. Now, get me to TJMaxx to go skin care crazy ASAP!

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

Dec20

Bestie Christmas Haul

Posted on December 20, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! It has honestly been an exhausting month and I am so completely drained. Can holiday break get here now or?! Despite not feeling holly or jolly in the slightest, I am feeling the slightest bit better thanks to Santa Mail from my A1 best girl, Kate of Live In The Nautical. I was surprised with a heated blanket that is simply the best over the weekend and was greeted to another package when I got to chez mom and dad on Tuesday. Kate spoiled me totally rotten this year and I cannot wait to spoil myself with these goodies from Rusted Acre Soap Co.:

Kate got me hip to Rusted Acre Soap Co. last Christmas when she gifted me with these amazing horror themed bath bombs. I have to admit, I am a Lush bath bomb snob so I was curious to see how the set would compare with my tried and true favorite. I have used many bath bombs in my day that didn’t hold a candle to my beloved Lush so I was incredibly surprised that the ones by Rusted Acre were comparable, if not better. 1) There’s nothing better than being gifted with something that supports a small business. And 2) Has Lush ever made a Jason Voorhees bath bomb that actually looks like the mask in the water when it dissolves? I think not and I rest my case!

I am completely enamored with my Rusted Acre holiday gift set and I legit felt more relaxed just thinking about taking a bath with these goodies! The love potion is definitely my favorite one… Actually, maybe the skull haha but also how cute is that gingerbread man with a bite taken out of it?! This is just the treat I needed and I know for a fact Kate felt like I needed it too. Which is why she is the best friend/gift giver ever! My favorite thing about Lush bath bombs is how entertaining they are to watch dissolve. There is something about the ones from Rusted Acre that hit different, though, and I can’t wait to see how they perform. They also hit different because they’re from my ride or die. ❤

Being besties with Kate is seriously like Christmas every day because she is an absolute gift. Thank you to my doll for making my day merrier and brighter with this fabulous self care surprise! ❤

What is your favorite small business? Where do you like to holiday shop at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec14

New Magenta & Gold Glitter Nails

Posted on December 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last week, Johnny and I came down with a little forty-eight hour bug that knocked us out. I have to admit, it was freaking awesome having a few sick days. What sucked was having to cancel my standing nail appointment! You all know my talons are my pride and joys so I had to be feeling pretty awful to not get them back to perfection. I was extremely worried that my tech wouldn’t be able to fit me in her schedule because Elysian Nails is absolutely slammed this time of year. Thankfully, she was able to squeeze me in at a random time to get my nails looking right for the holidays. #blessed Check it out:

I am so not a holiday nail girl and you will never catch me sporting seasonal designs. I think they’re nice for a while, but I can’t commit to a month’s worth of it in between fills. As I pondered what to do about this moral quandary for my color combination, my mind went to gold. I am a huge fan of All Gold Everything (The color AND the Trinidad James song) and knew I could work with that. Gold is ideal for the holidays for my preferences because it’s festive but not in your face about it. For the other color? I had no idea! All I knew was that the magenta glitter polish was calling my name and it was a done deal. Christmasy? Not really. On point with my personal style? Totally.

As per ushie, my amazing nail tech hooked it up and it was so desperately needed considering it had been five weeks since my last fill. Despite how jank they were, my girl breezed through the fill like it was nothing. In fact, she got done so quickly that I actually had time to let my nails dry before running off to my next shift. It. Was. Great. lol. We both agreed that while these are not holiday nails in the slightest, we are legit obsessed with the color combo anyways. That glitter magenta is just fabulous!

My Christmas miracle was my tech being able to fit me into her insane schedule and for that I am thankful. Here’s to no cancelled fills in the New Year!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? Do you like getting seasonal designs? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov30

November 2024 Finishes

Posted on November 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!!! November is wrapping up and, goodness me, did it go by quick!! Another month is officially in the books, which means that it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes. Were there many? Not really. Are they worth blogging about? Absolutely! There has been a game changer to one of my least favorite Bath & Body Works products and I am SO there for it!! Take a look and let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Poppy Body Cream: YES

Provence Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum: NO

Bath & Body Works Hand Creams: YES!

Why/Why Not?

Provence Beauty Serum: The Hyaluronic Acid Serum by Provence Beauty was nothing to write home about. In fact, I like it even less now after falling in love with another hyaluronic acid serum (Which you read about in yesterday’s post). After twice daily use of the Provence Beauty serum for a month any improvements were unnoticeable. This is in stark comparison to the results I saw in one use of the CEO Of H20 serum! The Provence Beauty one is definitely a product you can skip on.

B&BW Hand Cream: I often get coupons for a free hand cream from Bath & Body Works and, although they aren’t my favorite, free is free! I wouldn’t say the hand creams by B&BW are bad, but they’re just not as good as the traditional lotion or body cream. However, after using my most recent freebies of Platinum and Vanilla Romance, I feel much differently. B&BW must have changed the formula because the hand cream was WAY better than it was before. It was rich, creamy, thicker in texture and my hands/upper body were smooth as silk after each use. I finished both tubes within a week and even if they don’t last very long, I will be happy when I get another freebie coupon in the mail. This was a stellar improvement and they would make great stocking stuffers!

Was this the best month for Beauty Empties? Nope! But Bath & Body Works made my freebie treats even better and that is a GREAT SUCCESS!

Nov29

Purifect CEO Of H20 Serum Review

Posted on November 29, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Nothing pleases me more than a good skin care haul. It just feels like such a treat to browse through the skin care department of TJMaxx and pick out new brands and old favorites. I enjoy my skin care routine every morning and night and it is one of the small ways that I try to incorporate self care into my day. I have been using a lot of new to me products recently and can’t say that any of them have particularly blown me away. However, I started using a serum by Purifect in the past two or so weeks and I cannot get enough of it! Let’s discuss:

^^^ I just love the picture so much lol

Out of all of the different types of skin care, I probably strike out the most with serums. I have had some tried and true favorites in the past but the ones I have been using in my stockpile have done nothing for me. Upon my first use of the CEO Of H20 serum, I was expecting more of the same lackluster sentiments. To my surprise, I was treated to the best serum I have tried out in recent memory. Even if it wasn’t, it was the best marketing I have seen in recent memory! 😀

When it comes to serums, I am very particular about the consistency. I don’t like when they’re too thin or too thick. They have to be just right! The Purifect serum had a much heavier consistency than my usual preference and it felt more like a gel. In this case, I freaking loved it! I am a huge fan of gel moisturizers and revel in that instant boost of hydration. CEO Of H20 was that exact same feeling but in serum form. It applied like a dream, a dime sized dollop was all I needed, and it still absorbed really fast.

The best part? My skin has been GLOWING. Like seriously glowing. Every time I use it, this permanently tired girl looks like she got twelve hours of beauty sleep. My skin looks so much brighter and supple and I know it’s not good to touch your face but sometimes I can’t help myself. It is WAY softer too!! This is the first serum I can recall that has given me instant effects and I simply can’t recommend it enough.

The CEO Of H20 serum by Purifect is aptly named and you have just got to try it if you are on the hunt for a good serum too. In fact, this is the one product I plan on ordering online in case I don’t find it again at TJMaxx. It is that good!

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

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