Tag Archives: brands

New Kyodan Mini Skort

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New Kyodan Mini Skort

Howdy!! This past week I made a trip to TJMaxx for a few things. I needed a reup on serum, beaucoup Bluey gifts for our almost birthday girl niece, and kept my fingers crossed to find a new skirt. The TJs gods smiled upon me because I got everything I wanted in spades! For my birthday, Johnny gifted me with tickets to see The Struts at the House Of Blues (Peep a post about the show and my OOTD soon!). I knew which top and shoes that I wanted to wear but I thought a sassy little mini skirt would take the OOTD OTT (Over The Top lol). It took a while to find what I was looking for but success was oh so sweet when I did:

^^^ Originally forty-eight bucks and I got it for thirteen! SCORE!

When I am shopping for clothing at TJMaxx, I typically follow a specific method: Make one round in the women’s and junior’s department, try clothes on, then make a second round for anything I might have missed or different sizes. During my initial trip around the store, I found several options for mini skirts that could have worked and had no such luck with any of them. After a lackluster fitting room session, I made my way back to hunt for more skirts and was coming up empty. Then, inspiration struck right in the knick of time.

As I went through my mental Rolodex of skirts in my wardrobe, I recalled that one of my favorites wasn’t found in my usual departments at TJs. It was actually a tennis skirt that I found in the athletic section. It was just the brain blast I needed and just as soon as I began browsing the athleisure, I discovered exactly what I had in mind. A bright white school girl style skort by Kyodan. It also happens to be the same brand of my fave tennis skirt!

I knew that the white skort was going to work and trying it on only confirmed it. It was the perfect neutral to pair with the crazy platforms I was going to wear and provided the best movement to dance the night away. This skort was also nice and light and I freaking loved the fact that it was a skort. I was definitely trying to let loose for the concert but I wasn’t trying to let everyone see my underoos all night lol. For thirteen bucks, this skort elevated my OOTD and I can’t wait for all of you to see it. 🙂

An amazing concert deserved an amazing outfit and I felt as much like a star as one of my favorite bands on the stage. Thank you, TJMaxx! ❤

Do you have a method you follow when you shop? What is one of your favorite brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Howdy! I get a plethora of TJMaxx gift cards for Christmas every year and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. TJs is where I find true and perfect peace and after a lot of holiday shopping for my big family, it is so nice to have a good haul for myself – free of charge. It is my tradition to do a skin care restock with my gift cards because those products are something I will absolutely need and use. A few weeks ago, my mom and I enjoyed a shopping trip together so I could do just that as well as pick up a few fun odds and ends. And, surprisingly, I didn’t go over budget and STILL have gift cards left. That never happens! Check it out:

When I am shopping skin care, I have my method down to the T with standards that I have perfected over time. 1) First and foremost, each item I select must be cruelty free or it will not be coming home with me. 2) I will happily buy old favorites but am always looking for new products to review and enjoy. And 3) I like to get at least a three month supply of product to sustain me for a while. As much as I would love to go to TJs every time I need a restock, it would be very damaging to my wallet lol.

For this skin care haul, I needed everything but the kitchen sink. We’re talking cleansers, serums, moisturizers, eye cream, and micellar water. I was ecstatic to have found a couple of my go to Evoluderm micellar waters in a huge pump bottle, which I have never seen before. I bought the lot and a few small bottles for good measure. I was also able to restock my eye cream with a tried and true favorite of Vital Beauty’s Cooling Eye Gel AND find a brightening eye cream of the same brand too – something else that I haven’t seen before. The final familiar brand I revisited was with a face scrub by ValJean Labs. This is a new to me product but I am currently using a cleanser from this brand and am loving it. I am definitely in for a treat if this scrub is half as good as the cleanser!

As far as moisturizers and serums go, the selection was pretty bare in terms of what I could buy according to my standards. A majority of the offerings were not cruelty free, which was a bummer. What remained was brands that I have never used before so I am very interested in trying them out and seeing what’s the what. I’m particularly looking forward to the bottles of Precision Beauty serum for no reason other than that the packaging is really pretty lol. It was a cold AF day during this shopping trip and the colors reminded me of sunshine which is probably why I gravitated towards them. And, in case you were wondering, NO. I am NOT okay over the fact that “wrinkle reducing” is now a key component in the moisturizers I choose. But, hey, here’s to *hopefully* slowing down that process. 😀

I have a stockpile full of goodies waiting for me so keep it locked for brand new product reviews coming soon!

Have you used any of the above products before? What did you think about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello!!! During my Tuesday afternoons, I have an hour and a half or so in between shifts of time to kill. Usually, I will spend it posted up in a cafe working on the computer. If I don’t have much to do online, I will read a book or graphic novel OR go to TJMaxx as it is right next to the cafe. I’m sure you all can guess what my preferred option is! This past Tuesday was one of those days where I didn’t have much of anything to do and nothing to read, either. So, TJs it was to knock out some holiday shopping! I completed purchases for several people on my list and I didn’t even look at clothes – shocking, I know. I did, however, need to reup my skin care stock pile so I walked away with some goodies for me too:

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^^^ All of these products are cruelty free!!

Nothing will ever please me more than a good clothing haul. Skin care is a very close second, though! I absolutely love the skin care department of TJMaxx and it is a very rare occasion that I don’t find everything I need and then some when it’s time to replenish products. My general rule of thumb when it comes to skin care is to get three of everything – moisturizers, serums, and eye creams. Then, I don’t have to keep returning back every month for more (No matter how much I would like to!). I haven’t had a skin care haul since the end of May and according to my normal time frame, I was right on time to find what I hope will be some new favorite products and brands!

When I started perusing the skin care department, I was already a happy girl. The shelves were stocked to the brim with bottles and jars and it was like the staff knew I would be in for a visit! In no time at all, my cart was full of five dollar or less products to keep my skin care on lock beyond the new year. I ended up with three moisturizers, two serums, two eye creams, a cleanser, micellar water, and some desperately needed lip balm. I realize this doesn’t follow my rule of threes but my stock pile wasn’t completely bare before this haul. I am really looking forward to trying the Dirty Works moisturizers because I have never used that brand but have always been interested in testing it out. What I am most excited for is the lip balm, though. In this past week, I have finished almost all of the lip chap I have been painstakingly working through which was highly inconvenient albeit highly satisfying. 😀

Stay tuned for new product reviews coming soon here on lifewithlilred and we’ll find out what works and what doesn’t together!

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