Tag Archives: beauty

New Red Glitter & Black Nails

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New Red Glitter & Black Nails

Howdy! Last week, I indulged in a much needed fill for my nails to last me until the new year. I have been holding very true to my four plus weeks without a fill challenge as a money saving technique, and I am rocking it. Now, I get a fill every four and a half weeks or so instead of every three weeks and it makes getting pampered that much more sweeter. Take a look at my new December nails featuring my watermelon bed sheets (lol) and let’s discuss:

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I’m not entirely happy with this fill, if a woman is being honest. My nail tech, Steve, used the UV top coat on my nails and it did make them way shinier. BUT, when I went home and tried to do my middle finger crosses, the rhinestones would not stick to the super glue and nail to save my life. A five minute task turned into a half hour easily and I was pissed. Worst of all, Steve didn’t really ask me if he could switch it up, he just kind of did. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a change up as much as the next person, but not if it makes my bedazzling a big, fat pain in the buttinski!

Despite the above irritation, I do really like the red sparkles accent nail color. I was going to go with neon green, but I thought that a lovely, glittery red would be more appropriate for Christmas time. My crosses are not as on point as I would like, but at least the accent nail is distracting enough that hopefully no one will notice! Fingers crossed! Ba dum chhhhhhh.

What would you do if a beauty tech did something that you didn’t ask for? What color of polish do you have on right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feet Treat

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Feet Treat

Hey everyone and happy Tuesday! Last year for Christmas, my BFF treated me to some fun products to pamper my feetsies with. It’s sad but true that I’m just getting around to using it, but that doesn’t mean that I like it any less! These footsie fabulous goodies from Perfectly Posh are SO delightful to use, and my DOGS (AKA feet!) have never been the same. Let’s discuss:

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The appropriately named Warm Your Sole and Schwanky & Soft products by Perfectly Posh are amazing. I like to put a dollop of both on my hands and mix it up to get the best of both worlds on my feet. And, of course, covering them with socks afterwards is a must for the best hydrating effects.

The Warm Your Sole balm is SO nice! It’s basically like The Body Shop’s clay warming mask but for your feet, because it literally gets warm. Having freshly heated tootsies in my freezing home is a blessing in disguise, but when my feet get smooth and soft in the process – it’s a downright miracle.

Meanwhile, the Schwanky & Soft product is more like a scrub. It has the texture of a lotion but with some extra grit thrown in to help remove dry and dead skin. This is great for me, because my heels get unbearably dry during the winter. And no one, especially me, likes cracked feet!

Having the combination of the warming balm and scrub working their wonders on my feetsies feels so lush, because I rarely pay attention to them. I don’t get pedicures and, until now, I’ve never really used lotion on my feet before. After using these products for a few days, I find that downright shocking – especially considering that I’m constantly shoving my feet into heels every day! Even after I finish these products, I want to continue caring for my feet more as an extra addition to my pampering parties. How can I not?!

Although it’s taken me close to a year to start using these Perfectly Posh products, I am so enjoying it and it’s definitely a Feet Treat! How do you treat your tootsies? Do you prefer manicures or pedicures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

NYX Pure Red Matte Lippie Swatch

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NYX Pure Red Matte Lippie Swatch

HELLOOOO everyone and happy Monday! I constantly get asked what shade of lipstick I wear for my signature red pout and I’m actually really surprised that I never posted about it until now. I guess I wanted to keep it my little secret, but today I’m going to share the wealth by talking about NYX’s Pure Red matte lipstick. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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^^^ OH LOOK – A bunch of pictures of me sporting Pure Red!

I started wearing this NYX matte wonder shade about three years ago, and I have never looked back a day in my life. Throughout the years, I have tried other red colors, but truly nothing beats Pure Red. And what an accurate name it is. Talk about a “Pure” firetruck, stop sign, Crayola crayon red pout. It’s exactly what I wanted…and more. :*)

While searching for a signature shade of red, a few things were a must for me:

  1. It had to be matte. Homegirl doesn’t mess with anything glossy.
  2. It couldn’t be too red. I don’t want to look like a vampire/goth girl – Even though, let’s be honest, I totally am.
  3. It couldn’t be not red enough. Other shades are too orangey and that equals me looking like a clown. Not cute.

With all of these essential guidelines to Lil Red’s Perfect Red Lip, you could only imagine my difficulty in finding the perfect shade…and that’s when NYX came along. I had actually never heard of the brand until the grocery store that I go to started carrying it and, let me tell you, I initially went crazy. They had a sale to introduce the brand, and I bought FIVE lipsticks, Pure Red being one of them.

One by one, each lipstick that I chose sucked in one way or another but it was Pure Red that stuck. It had everything that I wanted in the above list and the matte was just fantastic. This lippie Does. Not. Budge!! This is important, because 1) I really like to eat. And 2) I friggen hate reapplying lipstick. Every single thing about this lipstick was right on the money, and it became my staple shade instantly.

Along with my red hair, NYX’s Pure Red lipstick gave me my namesake of Lil Red. It will always be my favorite shade and I will always opt to wear it over any other brand. And at about seven bucks a tube, you really can’t beat that! From date nights and special occasions to a shopping trip to the mall, this shade covers it all, and you will rarely see me on a night out without it. Thank you, NYX. ❤

Do you have a signature lipstick shade? How do you rock a red pout? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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^^^ Guess what lippie shade I have on! 😉

NYX Liquid Suede Stone Fox Swatch

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NYX Liquid Suede Stone Fox Swatch

Helloooo everyone and happy Sunday! I hope that all of you are having a lovely weekend full of fun, friends, and family. Today, I thought that we would talk about a lipstick that I have no genuine idea why I bought, but I figured it would be beneficial to someone out there to see the swatch for. We’re talking NYX’s Liquid Suede lipstick in Stone Fox. Take a looksee and let’s discuss:

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First of all, I love NYX products. My all time favorite shade of red lippie is NYX and I will be sure to write about it later, because it is divine. This shade for me, though? Not so much. I was stoked when the Liquid Suede line came out, because it offered an array of different jewel toned shades that all looked gorgeous. It also featured the color seen above, Stone Fox.

The Liquid Suede line came out at just the right time, because that’s when jewel tones and black/grey lipstick was becoming extremely popular. I had seen dark grey and black lippie shades all over the blogosphere, and I really wanted to give it a try. I am an emo kid at heart, and the idea of wearing a dark, almost costume style lip and have it be seen as fashion forward instead of weird was exhilarating to me.

Unfortunately, the exhilaration of the prospect of a charcoal lip was short lived. I tried this shade on at home and it looked like SHIT on me. Seriously, it looked like I smeared car grease all over my mouth and it was anything but fashion forward. It’s a damn shame, because all of the girls that I have seen rocking this trend look stunning. So, why not me? Well, there’s a few reasons:

  • This color looked a lot “much” with my face full of piercings.
  • This color looked abysmal when paired with my bright red hair.
  • And, at the end of the day, your girl was just not meant for charcoal lips.

Whomp, whomp.

In a desperate attempt to get this lippie off once I realized that it looked like I ate paint, I applied a lavender shade of chapstick over top of it, because this product doesn’t budge once it dries. Shockingly, the Stone Fox mixed with the lavender looked like a really pretty, smokey lilac and I loved it. BUT, ain’t nobody got time for that and despite liking the concocted color, it just wasn’t for me. That story was just an idea for the girls interested in giving this shade a go. YOU’RE WELCOME! :*)

I do like trying new lipstick colors but, true to my namesake, Lil Red will always love red lipstick the best! How do you feel about black and jewel toned lipstick? Could you pull off charcoal colored lips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Face Mask Festivities: St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub & Mask

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Face Mask Festivities: St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub & Mask

Helloooo everyone and welcome to the last post in my Face Mask Festivities mini series! Today, we are going to talk about a brand that I love oh so very much – St. Ives. I use St. Ives products every day, whether it be a scrub or body wash, and I always thoroughly enjoy using their skin care and bath and body goodies. The Oatmeal scrub that I’m currently using just so happens to double as a face mask, so I thought that I would finally use a beloved product in a brand new way. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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I was curious to see how this mask would work, because I’ve used it as a scrub countless times but never really bothered to try it differently. I love this St. Ives product as a scrub, but not so much as a mask. The mask instructions read to leave it on for five to seven minutes and I genuinely don’t know how that’s possible. Within about three minutes, this mask felt tight, tight, tight on my face and had already hardened from its dampened form. As you can see by my “after” pic, it left my skin quite irritated and I had to use a heavy moisturizer to get my skin feeling hydrated again.

I will say that this mask smells absolutely delicious. I am a sucker for oatmeal scented products, and this one is no exception. There’s something about the rich, creamy scents that just get me. It makes my skin feel nourished and well taken care of and I really love that. Now, if only this mask made me feel that way, because it left my skin parched for moisture rather than lush and lovely.

The entire time that I had this mask on, although it was short lived, I was thinking about how much I would rather be using The Body Shop’s Honey & Oat Mask, instead. From now on, this St. Ives product is going to stick to its uses as a scrub, because that is where this skin care treat shines.

So there you have it, the last post for this round’s Face Mask Festivities: St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub & Mask Edition! Which mask from this series would you like to try? What are your thoughts on this mask if you have ever used it before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Cision

Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Sleeping Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Sleeping Mask Edition

Hi everyone and Happy Thursday! Today, we’re going to talk about The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Sleeping Mask. Out of all of the wonderful skin care lines that The Body Shop offers, Vitamin E is definitely my favorite. I love the rich, creamy texture, the rich, creamy smell, and the peaches and cream perfection effect that it has on my skin. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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In the picture above, I had just put on the Vitamin E mask after using the British Rose mask that we chatted about yesterday. My skin felt very tight and dry after using the British Rose mask and the Vitamin E one took care of that in an instant. Within just a few minutes, the rosiness in my cheeks was gone and my skin felt supple and hydrated. Thank gawd, because nothing is worse than dry skin during the winter!

In the intro paragraph, I mentioned how much I love the smell of all of the Vitamin E products and that rings so true with this mask. As soon as you open the jar, it smells like opening a fresh carton of heavy cream and it’s so lush and dreamy. The pillowy soft texture is also another lovely added bonus. As soon as this mask hits the skin, it sinks in and provides instant moisturizing protection. Talk about a tall drink of water for your face!

I always love going to bed with this mask on, because I know that when I wake up my skin will be picture perfect and so soft to the touch. The six dollar price tag from TJMaxx also doesn’t hurt when you want gorgeous skin but are ballin on a budget! I highly recommend this mask and am looking forward to many more uses of it.

So there you have it, another issue of Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Sleeping Mask Edition! What is your favorite skin care line from The Body Shop? What are your thoughts on this mask if you have used it before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s British Rose Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s British Rose Edition

Howdy! This week, I am excited to feature some new Face Mask Festivities on my page – three of them to be exact! Face masks are the it beauty product right now, and I thought that I would start off this mini series by talking about The Body Shop’s British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss. And don’t judge me too hard for putting this on over makeup because it didn’t say anywhere on the directions on the jar that a clean face was required! 😉

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This mask was interesting, because it was more like a gel in texture. As you can see in my picture with it on, you can barely even tell that I had it on! This was an instant bonus to me, because I knew that it wouldn’t be a pain to clean up in the shower, unlike The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Mask. But I digress. Despite being a fan of the gel texture for it’s easy clean up, it felt like it was doing a whole lot of nothing. I now know that I prefer thicker face masks that you can actually see when it’s on, because I like to “watch” and feel my masks working.

The scent of this mask was also just okay. For those of you who have smelled The Body Shop’s British Rose line before, it was not as pungent as the body butter – thank goodness! However, it definitely had that freshly cut rose smell to it. This was all fine and well, but I prefer a more minty, citrus, or oat scent to my face masks. But with a name like British Rose, you take what you can get! I’m glad that this mask didn’t smell as…bad…as the body butter, because that would have been ten minutes of pure misery when the mask was on!

Now to the real question: Did this mask “do” anything?

Mmm, I couldn’t really tell. Was it because I wore makeup while using the mask? Maybe. Or maybe you just need to use this mask a few times to get the full effect. But that’s never going to happen because this was a one and done try soooooooo……..

So why did you buy this mask if you hate it?

I didn’t! It came in the Mother’s Day tote bag last year and I didn’t even know that my mom had it!! When she told me how much she enjoyed it, I figured I would start up another Face Mask Festivities mini series by writing about it first. Trust and believe that I would have never bought this for myself, lol.

So there you have it, an albeit a little disappointing start to another Face Mask Festivities mini series with The Body Shop’s British Rose Mask! What is your favorite face mask? What are your thoughts on the British Rose mask if you have used it before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Estee Lauder “Candy” Lipstick Swatch

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Estee Lauder “Candy” Lipstick Swatch

Howdy! Over Thanksgiving, my sister brought me a lipstick that she didn’t want by Estee Lauder. My sister, Kristen, is far more adventurous than I am with makeup, so it’s always fun when she brings me some of her rejects to try, because I would never buy it for myself. I’m not sure if I would ever use this sparkly, purple-pink shade, but it sure is pretty! Take a look:

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As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not huge on pink lipstick. However, I liked that this shade seemed to have a more purple base to it, which made the pink not so overpowering. And, what girl doesn’t love a bit of sparkle when it comes to makeup? I loved the red L’Oreal lipstick that I got a while back ago with glitter in it, so I figured that it was worth it to give this Candy color a shot, even if it is a bit out of my comfort zone.

This shade is one that I can’t picture myself wearing around on a daily basis. I feel like I need just the right outfit to pull this color off and I can see myself wearing it with something navy blue or even an oversized flannel to glam up a tomboy look. I think that I’m going to test drive it with one of my favorite navy blue peacoats from ModCloth and we’ll see what happens! Fingers crossed!

What is a lipstick color that would push you out of your comfort zone? How would you incorporate this Estee Lauder shade into your makeup routine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

November 2017 Finishes

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November 2017 Finishes

Hi everyone and happy weekend! I can’t believe that it’s already time for another monthly finishes post as November begins to draw to a close. This month, I happened to love all of the beauty products and bath and body goodies that I finished up so take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Softsoap Honey Creme & Lavender body wash: YES
  • Dickinson’s Witch Hazel: YES
  • The Body Shop Strawberry scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin E body butter: YES
  • Yes To Coconuts moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

Softsoap Body Wash: I absolutely loved this product. IT SMELLS SO GOOD!!! Normally, I’m not a lavender fan in the slightest, but the floral hints are so subtle that it makes for a totally delicious scent combination. The honey creme fragrance is so rich and creamy – it makes showering feel like a luxury. And, because the body wash is a cream instead of a gel, it left my skin feeling silky and hydrated. In my efforts to make my products last longer, it took me two months to finish this body wash. Woah!

Dickinson’s Witch Hazel: Witch Hazel is a must in my beauty routine and I use it religiously every day once I get out of the shower to clean my piercings and then I use it all over as a toner. This wonder product tightens my pores, relieves any redness, and helps remove any leftover makeup that I didn’t get off in the shower. Talk about incredible! And the best part? It took me about five months to finish this product!

TBS Scrub: I got this scrub from TJMaxx for five dollars and it provided me with at least twenty full body uses when I’m shaving during bath time. I love the strawberry scent from The Body Shop and this scrub gives me a close shave and doesn’t dry out my skin in the process. Now, I need to find me a Satsuma scrub at TJs so I can change it up!

TBS Skin Boost: Yes, yes we all know that I love this product. It took me about three months to finish it.

TBS Body Butter: I love all things Vitamin E from TBS and this body butter is no exception. I got it for six bucks at TJMaxx and it provided me with five full body uses, which lasted me one month and one week. I can’t describe the Vitamin E scent in any way but creamy. It just smells so lush and I love being able to wrap my body in a souffle of it. The pretty light pink color is another added bonus!

Yes To Moisturizer: This product cost me six bucks at TJs and I probably got thirty uses of it on my face and neck. I love, love, love this moisturizer. The whipped coconut scent is simply to die for and the ultra moisturizing concoction leaves my skin glowing with peaches and cream perfection.

November was definitely a successful month for finishes and I loved being able to use up so many products that I genuinely enjoy! Which products are you finishing up this month? Have you used any of the above products before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

The Pre Date Night Frenzy

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The Pre Date Night Frenzy

Going on a date is a serious business, right? We want to look good for our intended beau! However, in the run-up to the big night, logic seems to go out of the window. Partly due to stress, as well as ensuring we are the only girl on the guy’s radar during the evening, we take part in some weird rituals and habits that might seem a little crazy in retrospect. Take a look at what we mean below, and see how many you are familiar with:

Getting ready hours before the date: We want to look our best, so with all of our giddy excitement, we start getting ready hours before we are due to go out. There’s a lot of prep to be done, from choosing the outfit that we are going to wear to working out what makeup will match the look we are going for. We want to impress the guy, not look like something the cat just dragged through the back door, so we make every effort to get things right.

dateeAnd it’s only 9 AM!

We look to Hollywood for advice: You may not be going to the movies on your night out, but you can still pick up a few handy lessons from Hollywood in the day’s leading up to your date. If you want what she’s having, you may pick up some tips from Meg Ryan in ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ and if you want to know what not to do, there’s no better place to learn than from a ‘Bridget Jones’ movie. Of course, Hollywood isn’t reality, so don’t assume all of your Cinderella fantasies will come true. Real life is far more complicated, although watching Bridget make another embarrassing faux pas is going to lighten your mood before you go out.

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We sabotage our good looks: While trying to look good for our date, we stand a greater chance of ruining things for ourselves if we overdo it. Popping zits may seem like a good idea, but it only increases the chances of another outbreak. Hint: Use decent acne cream, instead. Then, when waxing to get rid of body hair, we are in danger of breaking out in unflattering red bumps. Hint: Use these helpful tips to soothe skin after waxing. Hello, silky smooth skin!

We change your mind about the outfit…again: Remember that outfit you picked out at the start of the day? Maybe it’s not the right one after all, so you should probably try something else. You FaceTime your besties and ask (order) them to give you their valued opinion. After listening to their advice for an hour, you hang up on them. They clearly don’t know what they’re talking about. That blue dress with those shoes? Are they mad? In a frenzy, you go back and forth in your mind and body trying on each outfit, trying to preempt your guy’s opinion. In the end, you decide the outfit you chose the first time was the right one after all. Classic.

We become proficient at telling the time: What time is it now? Oh, it’s okay, there’s still hours to go before the date. What time is it now? Oh, it’s only two minutes after the last time you looked. Look, you aren’t going to make time fly by checking your watch every few minutes so relax and give yourself a break. Do something to distract yourself, and you won’t fret as much. Play some music, chat with your friends, watch Bridget Jones for the third time today. What time is it now? AHH, you’re meeting him in five minutes and you still haven’t done your hair. Where did the time go?!

We play the date through in our head…a hundred times: There’s no way that you will know how well the date will go until you actually get there. That doesn’t stop you from going over every eventuality. In your first daydream, you step out of your car door and into your fella’s arms. He whisks you off of your feet and into a ballroom in a scene that is reminiscent of that one part in ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Only, he’s no beast, he’s absolutely gorgeous, and he proposes to you before the first dance is over. ‘Yes’ you shout out, and everybody applauds as they relish in your celebration. Second daydream: you fall out of your car into a muddy puddle, ruining your dress. The guy doesn’t so much whisk you off of your feet as drag you through the mud as the crowd begins to gather. You stand in the middle of the puddle, just a girl standing in front of a guy, only you are no longer the Julia Roberts in your head, and you have stepped into the cringy world of Bridget Jones. Yikes!

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And then: After going through everything we mentioned, you finally get to your date. He compliments you on how you look and you tell him it was just something you threw together. When he then asks you how your day was, you look at him straight in the eye and say it was fine, just another chilled out day. Of course, you know different. Let’s just hope the date is worth it!

The pre date night frenzy is real and sometimes it can be brutal. Take a deep breath, eat some chocolate, and CHILL OUT! You’re great and it’s going to be a wonderful night!