Tag Archives: december

December 2024 Finishes

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December 2024 Finishes

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:

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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

December 2023 Finishes

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December 2023 Finishes

Helloooo everyone and welcome to the very last beauty finishes post of 2023! Skin care and bath and body care is very important to me all year round. However, there’s just something about using go to products that hits different during the wintertime. For a majority of the time since November, I have been in a perpetual state of freezing my nads off and it makes my morning and nighttime beauty routines feel even more pampering and luxurious. I finished lots of products this past month so let’s take a look and discuss further:

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Would I Use Again?

Lubriderm Lotion: YES (but only for new tattoos)

Coconut + Niacinamide Skin Recovery Face Wash by My Beauty Spot: NO

Bath & Body Works Mango Mandarin Body Spray: YES

Bath & Body Works Among The Clouds Body Wash: MAYBE

Pearlessence Dewy Glow Serum: YES

Azure Retinol & Collagen Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

Lubriderm Lotion: This month, I was completely out of lotion aside from my bottle of Lubriderm that I use when I get new tattoos. I have never used this brand for normal bath and body care before and, I’ve got to say, I was not impressed. I am all for a nice, light lotion and prefer it. However, the Lubriderm is so light that it was less than helpful in combating my dry winter skin. I will forever use Lubriderm when I get some fresh ink (Coming soon, I hope!), but that is all. Thank goodness I got lots of new lotion for Christmas! 😀

My Beauty Spot Face Wash: I have been using this face wash since the beginning of August, making it a fantastic value. Unfortunately, that was the only thing that the Coconut + Niacinamide face wash by My Beauty Spot had going for it. The coconut scent was pleasing, but I never got the feeling that this face wash was serving a purpose other than cleansing my face. There were no noticeable differences and my skin didn’t feel any different, either – not even from a hydration perspective. I like all of the products that I use to pack multiple punches and this was just not it.

B&BW Shower Gel: I am a huge fan of Bath & Body Works products and Among The Clouds only received a “maybe” for reuse because of its scent. This was not my favorite by a long shot and I think I wasn’t feeling it because I had just used up a B&BW shower gel called Poppy and I LOVED it. While Poppy was bright and invigorating with notes of pear, Among The Clouds was more soft and subdued. This shower gel was a mix of vanilla and berry and it was nowhere near as well liked as Poppy for both me and Johnny! Having said that, the B&BW shower gels are the best and it took over a month of daily use to finish the bottle.

Azure Moisturizer: I will be turning the big 3-0 in June and decided that now was as good of a time as ever to introduce retinol and collagen products into my routine. The Azure moisturizer was the first one that I sampled and it did nothing for me. In a sense, I liked that this moisturizer wasn’t as extreme as other products and I could dip my toes in the water with it. But, not being as extreme meant not as effective and there was no difference in the way my skin looked or felt after over a month of twice daily use. I would definitely not buy or recommend this product!

This wasn’t my most successful month of beauty empties, but I’m honestly so fine with it! I was happy to be able to use all of these products up – especially the ones that I have been working on for a while. Now, I can enjoy all of the goodies I got for Christmas. Be on the lookout for posts about that soon!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above 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

 

 

December 2022 Finishes

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December 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! It is the end of the month and year here on lifewithlilred so let’s close out 2022 by discussing my beauty empties for December. This year seriously flew by and thank you so much to everyone who has spent time on my page! This month, I went through lots of products and was forever on the hunt to soothe my dry winter skin. Some worked well, some not so much so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

EOS Body Cream: This was a Christmas gift from my bestie and it has helped my dry skin so much this past month. I would apply this cream every night and would see and feel a noticeable difference every morning. When my hands get dry, they get really red. The EOS Heal + Repair cream stopped the redness in its tracks every time it came cropping up and that was a huge plus. The pomegranate and raspberry scent was also nice and light, which is always preferred by me.

Vital Beauty Eye Gel: This is my second jar of the Vital Beauty Cooling Eye Gel that I have used and it has impressed me yet again. It took me over three months to finish it, which I thought was an excellent value. I love the gel texture, the super fast absorbancy, and the improvements it has made to the delicate skin around my eyes. There has definitely been a reduction in fine lines and designer bags and I would happily buy it again.

Clean Beauty Moisturizer: It took me close to five weeks to finish this moisturizer and it was just so so for me. The gel texture was calming and cooling and it absorbed really well. My skin also felt well hydrated after each use. However, I didn’t notice any mind blowing differences to my skin once the jar was complete. It was a good moisturizer but not great and I would use it again if it was one of my only options at TJMaxx.

B&BW Lotion: I received this lotion as a freebie during one of my Bath & Body Works trips and the Happy Birthday scent smells exactly like what you would think: A delicious cake with vanilla icing. Although the scent was pretty pungent, I still liked it because I’m a fan of anything vanilla! It took me about two weeks to finish the travel size lotion and it left my hands feeling nourished and smooth with every use.

TBS Drops Of Youth: My mom picked me up the Drops Of Youth by The Body Shop during one of her TJMaxx trips. I was excited because I had never used the serum before and expected it to be a miracle worker because I have heard nothing but good things about it. It took about one month to finish the bottle and, unfortunately, I was less than impressed with the results. For such a small bottle, the texture of the Drops Of Youth was relatively thick and you needed a decent amount to cover your face and neck. For value’s sake, this is never a good thing. I also didn’t see any major differences to my skin so I’m glad I know that I can skip on it if I ever see it at TJs!

Several successes in my December Finishes seems like the perfect way to wrap up 2022 here on lifewithlilred. See you tomorrow in 2023!! ❤

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

Winter Proof Your Home With These Tips

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Winter Proof Your Home With These Tips

Looking after your home is harder in the winter because there are more threats to comfort and security that come with the cold weather. However, with preparation prior to the cold months, you can have peace of mind and plenty of comfort throughout the festive season and into the New Year. Be sure to winter proof your home with these tips:

Fix the Roof:

Some people put off having their roof repaired in the winter. It’s an extra expense and they might assume that roofers don’t work in the winter anyway. This is a misconception. A roofer can work in the winter and there and several reasons why it’s a good idea to have work done. Along with the obvious benefits of repairing leaks and damage to the roof for the onset of the winter weather, you can also benefit from lower prices in the winter months. Roofers still work in the winter but tend to charge lower fees because there is less demand for roofing services. If you are interested in discussing winter pricing deals or require roof repair or replacement before the freeze comes, simply search online for a “Roofing contractor in Dallas, TX” (or your local area) to see what services a reputable roofer can offer. 

Check the Boiler:

Boiler checks are highly recommended in the winter. According to the best advice, a home should have its boiler checked once a year, but twice a year or more is ideal. Checking a boiler requires a professional call out, so make it at the start of the winter season. A boiler engineer will look at your boiler and check that everything is working mechanically; they will also check the pipes for any residual soot that might compromise the system. Following a boiler check, you can have peace of mind that the system is operational and reliable for winter.

Protect the Pipes:

When the water pipes burst in the winter, your home can flood. This will end up costing you huge sums of money and you might have to take time off work or away from your family at Christmas. Water pipes can burst in the winter because the water in them freezes and then expands, splitting the metal. Water pipes are one of the easiest things to protect in the winter; all you have to do is buy a foam tubular from the hardware store and cut a slit down one side of it. Wrap the foam around the pipes and secure it with a tie wrap. If you did this last year, double-check the foam quality to see if it needs replacing.

Remember that it is always easier to prevent burst pipes than to take care of it after the fact! It is smart to have references for a Plumber in Perth or in your area who you can call on if this should happen to you. Due to the season, you will want to have several options as it will be a busy season for plumbers.

Check the Drains:

When the drainage system on your property gets blocked, you will notice flooding and debris in the garden and driveway. This is not a good thing to have to deal with in subzero temperatures! Unfortunately, dealing with blocked drains is more common in the winter months. Having your drains checked by a Blocked Drain Company is one of the best ways to clear them out after the fall and before the winter to avoid expensive and inconvenient repairs.

Use Insulation:

Don’t forget to use plenty of insulation options throughout the winter; not only will this keep you warm and comfortable in your home, but you will also protect the property from dampness and damage. Insulate walls with cavity insulation and the rooms with curtains and draft excluders.  

It’s freezing outside but the same doesn’t have to be true inside of your home. Check off your winter proofing chores and enjoy a nice and toasty winter in!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Stay Warm At Home With These Winter Tips

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Stay Warm At Home With These Winter Tips

A warm, cozy environment in your home will turn it into the place to be this winter. And, this is what we should strive for, considering the amount of time spent indoors when the weather takes a turn. Turn your house into the ultimate oasis from the cold with these tips:

Test Your Heating System: 

One of the most important steps to a warm home is to have a residential hvac company test your heating system. Your boiler will provide you with both heating that warms your property, as well as hot water that you use inside your shower, bath, and sinks. Experiencing any kind of fault with your boiler when the cold weather is in full swing will certainly impact on your health and happiness. No one wants to have a cold shower during the winter, nor would you want to be able to see your breath while you relax around your home, so test your heating system before it’s too late! There are lots of different experts that you can get in touch with to come out and test your heating system, including residential hvac repair and installation services. With any luck, if a fault or problem is found while they test your heating system, then they should be able to fix it then and there with whatever expertise and tools that they have on them.

It’s a good idea to schedule a check up on your heating system well in advance as you might not be able to get an appointment immediately as the weather gets colder. A company like Woolley Home (or a similar one in your local area) will be able to see if your system is functioning properly to avoid a frigid home when the temperatures drop. 

Stock Up Your Cupboards:

The last thing you’re going to want to be doing when it’s icy, snowy, and treacherous outside is traveling back and forth to the shop to get basics, as you could be putting yourself in danger each time. Instead, it’s much more efficient and a lot safer for you to stock up your cupboards with one large trip before the cold winter weather makes itself known. Head to your local grocery store and buy lots of different food items, including canned food, dried, preserved, and frozen food. These have a much longer shelf life, staying fresh and edible for weeks or even months on end. It’s also going to be helpful for you to stock up on a few other household essentials, such as cleaning products, hygiene products, and flashlights and candles that you can use if your power goes out. If you’re not sure about what items you should be filling your cupboards with then do not fret, as there are so many different resources online that you can utilize as inspiration.

Wrapping Up Warm:

Regardless of if your home has heating through Bumgarner Oil and Propane (or a similar company in your local area), it can still be chilly inside on especially cold days. Take the opportunity to dress yourself in some of the warmest clothing that you can find. You’ll be amazed at the difference your outfit can make to your body temperature and how warm you feel. One of the best investments that you can make is a dressing gown or other similar housecoat, as these feature selling points such as a soft yet thick material for ultimate warmth, along with a knee or even ankle length to make sure none of your body falls victim to the cold. You should also treat yourself to some fluffy pajamas and a few pairs of bed socks too, especially if you have a lot of hard flooring in your home. Tiles and wood can feel like ice beneath your feet when you don’t wear the right socks, so search for a cozy pair that can keep your toes nice and toasty!

With extreme weather events becoming more and more common, it would seem that severe winter conditions are slowly but surely evolving into the new normal. Knowing how to protect yourself and your family throughout the harsh winter months doesn’t have to be difficult. Get started with these steps and you can stay as warm and cozy as ever inside your home!

Featured Image By: Pexels

December 2021 Finishes

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December 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the last post of 2021 here on lifewithlilred! We’ll talk New Years tomorrow but, today, we will be wrapping up the year with my December finishes. There were a lot of them so let’s get started:

Would I Use Again:

Why/Why Not?

Clean & Clear Cleanser: I absolutely love the Morning Burst cleanser by Clean & Clear. It is so refreshing during my morning shower and the citrus scent never fails to at least sort of wake me up lol. This cleanser leaves my skin feeling invigorated and looking bright. It was also an excellent value! I bought it in a set of two for eleven dollars and it took me about five months to finish one bottle.

St. Ives Scrub: I have always loved the St. Ives scrubs and have been using them on and off since I was a teenager. My favorite, of course, is the Apricot scrub and I just had to buy it when I saw it for three bucks at TJMaxx. It has been a while since I used this scrub and I was honestly blown away the first time I used it again. My skin felt SO. Freaking. Soft. and I looked forward to using it every morning. It took me a little over one month to finish the bottle.

B&BW Body Wash: This lavender scented aromatherapy body wash was a gift from my bestie and I used it as a bubble bath. While I would happily use this again if I was gifted with it, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it for myself. I much prefer the regular old body washes from B&BW. That’s not to say that the aromatherapy one wasn’t pleasant to use, though. It smelled nice and bubbled up really well! I got about eight uses out of one bottle.

A La Maison Cream: If you read the linked review for this hand cream, then you will know that I freaking loved it. If you didn’t read the linked review, then I freaking loved this hand cream lol. It is one of the best products that I have used in a while and I wish I had more of it. I could take or leave the Wildflower scent but that’s no matter because of how well it worked. I noticed a huge difference in how my hands looked and felt after just one use. It took over a month of daily use to finish one bottle.

Tree Of Life Serum: It took my skin a couple of uses to get used to the Retinol serum by Tree Of Life. I rarely use retinol products so it dried my skin out initially. However, it did work well and I noticed a difference in the tightness of my skin after a month of twice daily use. This serum was also a great deal as I purchased a set of three for twenty dollars making it buy two get one free.

As you can see, December was a wildly successful month of beauty finishes. Now, here’s to hoping the new year will be just as good. 😀 See you tomorrow in 2022!

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

 

 

Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! To those who celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful day filled with joy, good company, and holiday cheer. For those who don’t celebrate – I hope the same for you! I will keep this post short and sweet so everyone can get prepared for their festivities but I just wanted to say how thankful I am for all of you. ❤

With the pandemic, everything feels crazy and scary. Writing on my blog every day brings a much needed touch of normalcy to my life and I hope that everyone tuning in feels that way too. My audience has turned into such dear friends and I love you all. I love your insights, your kindness, and the happiness I feel to have you in my life – even if it is from the computer screen.

For Christmas and every holiday celebrated, I encourage all of you to take proper safety precautions to keep things merry and bright for everyone. I can’t wait to hear how all of you spend your day and thank you for being you!

Merry Christmas!

Much love. -Sarah

Holiday Gift Ideas

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Holiday Gift Ideas

Hello! We are going full speed towards gift giving holidays so I thought that it would be the perfect time to share some gift ideas for all of those last minute shoppers out there. I have been done with my shopping since October and just the thought of completing shopping now gives me anxiety! On the contrary, though, I have been SO procrastinating on wrapping all of them lol. Whether you want to find unique gifts for phlebotomists or you want something more general, this list is going to give you the inspiration you need. Let’s get to it:

Baking Kits:

King Arthur Flour has an amazing gift selection filled with baking kits and gear. Even if you aren’t so handy in the kitchen, the kits make it easy to bake a delicious dessert and it’s also a fun activity to do if your giftee has little ones. This year, I purchased a hot chocolate kit for the families of my clients that included two mugs too. It was so reasonably priced and I think that they are going to love it!

Relaxation Station:

If you have a giftee who could benefit from some extra chill time, how about a relaxation kit filled with candles, aromatherapy oils, and bubble bath. You could even take it one step further and gift them with a gift card or membership to a yoga studio. These past two years have been so difficult for everyone and relaxing themed presents will also gift the person you’re buying for with some much needed “me time”.

Sports Fan:

If you have a sports fan on your shopping list, then you have a plethora of options to choose from. Customized gear of their favorite team will be much appreciated or you could get them a puzzle or model of their favorite stadium. You could even take them to try their hand on the links with a golfing instructor. If they are not the athletic type, sports games at an arcade bar will do just fine. As always, tickets to a big game will always go over well!

Travel Lovers:

Those who love to travel will surely enjoy guides to the next place they’d like to go to. You could get them all kinds of travel sized products, a subscription to Audible for those long plane rides, and a neck pillow or blanket. Then, put it all in a customized carry on. The ultimate gift for the wanderlusters on your list.

A Piece Of The Beach:

For many, the beach is their happy place. If you know someone who daydreams of the ocean on a dreary day, then bring the beach to them. There are many Etsy shops that put sand from a favorite beach into a locket style necklace for a beautiful and timeless gift. In fact, I bought something like that for one of my besties and she absolutely loved it!

If jewelry isn’t your giftees thing, then fear not. You could go with beach themed decor, a stack of books to tackle on their next ocean side vacation, or a noise machine so the sound of crashing waves can soothe them. Bringing a touch of the beach into freezing December has never been easier.

Subscription Services:

There are so many awesome subscription services out there, which are truly the gift that keeps on giving. You could sign your giftee up for Netflix, Spotify, Audible, or Amazon Prime for easy access to entertainment. There are also monthly gift boxes like Sephora Play! for makeup gurus, BirchBox for pampering, or Hello Fresh for those who can’t stand cooking. It will be like the holidays all over again when their monthly box arrives in the mail!

If you are stumped for gift ideas, then hopefully the ones listed above will help steer you in the right direction. If you guys finish your shopping, then I guess I can finish my gift wrapping! 😀

Are you an early or late holiday shopper? What is your favorite type of gift to receive? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

December 2020 Finishes

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December 2020 Finishes

Hi everyone and welcome to the very last beauty finishes post of 2020! I, for one, am ecstatic that this dumpster fire of a year is drawing to a close and I am sure we are all looking forward to better times ahead. With all of the stress of the pandemic, I turn to self care in the beauty and skin care department to help me relax. So, with that in mind, we have quite a few empties to discuss today including a new moisturizer by Garnier that I am obsessed with. Let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean & Clear Cleanser: I absolutely loved using this Skin Brightening cleanser every morning. The citrusy scent was invigorating, it lathered well, and I definitely think it made my skin more radiant. Not only was my face glowing but my skin never felt tight or dehydrated after each use. Bursting Beads are always a fun addition and I am extremely impressed – especially since I paid less than six dollars for this cleanser. One of the best parts? It lasted me close to five months with daily use! Total steal.

B&BW Fragrance Spray: A few years ago, I went absolutely NUTS at a Bath & Body Works semi annual sale. Lol, I purchased so many fragrance sprays in Mango Mandarin and Country Apple and I am STILL working my way through them! Granted, this is easier said than done considering one bottle of perfume normally lasts me a good five months to a half a year with daily use.

Of course, I don’t mind at all, though, because the Mango Mandarin spray is nothing short of delightful. I love the punchy citrus scent and it helps add a touch of summer to a cold winter’s day. Maybe I should practice buying in moderation next time I need more… Said no one EVER! 😀

Garnier Moisturizer: The last time I needed more of my usual SkinLab moisturizers, I noticed that their price on Amazon was TWENTY DOLLARS. I would never spend that much for skin care so I had to opt for something different. And, I’m actually really glad I did because then I never would have ended up trying the Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue gel moisturizer.

Nothing pleases Lil Red more than a good gel moisturizer and I think this one is the best. It has the most pleasant, clean scent and absorbs super quickly. Despite it being so lightweight, my skin has never felt smoother, softer, or more moisturized. With twice daily use, one jar lasted me one month and I got it for an absolute STEAL too – seven dollars for two jars on Amazon, baby!

December was a great month for beauty finishes for me and I was happy to be done with some of the products that I’ve been working on finishing for a while. Here’s to lots more successful empties in the New Year!

Which products did you use up this month? What is your favorite moisturizer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

December 2019 Finishes

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December 2019 Finishes

Good morning and we interrupt the normal scheduling of the Holiday Haul to bring you the last monthly finishes post of 2019! December was an excellent month for using up some long term products that I’ve been working on and I love being able to start something new after a two or three month run. So take a look at my empties and let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Softsoap Body Wash: I never understood why people spend a buttload of money on body washes when there are brands like Softsoap available for three dollars a bottle. I loved the pomegranate and mango scent, the moisturizing beads, and how it lathers so well. This body wash was so invigorating to use during my morning shower and it took me over one month to finish the bottle.

Garnier Micellar Water: We all know that I love my Garnier micellar water and I’ll be using it for forever, I reckon. The big bottle, which costs about twelve dollars, lasts me three months while the smaller one for around seven gets used up in one. Talk about a great value!

Clean & Clear Cleanser: I liked the Clean & Clear Morning Burst cleanser a lot. It always helped wake me up in the morning, it lathered well, and my skin would feel so fresh but not overly dry after using it. It took me at least two months to finish one bottle and I would happily use it again.

Provence Beauty Serum: This serum was a TJMaxx purchase and it lasted me a little over one month. I loved how the serum’s consistency was very liquidy because one dropper full was enough to cover my whole face and neck. Sometimes, you have to use a lot more when the consistency is thicker. The faint scent of orange in the serum was nice and it always seemed to rejuvenate my tired skin in the morning.

SkinLab Moisturizer: I absolutely love the SkinLab moisturizers and have been using them pretty exclusively for the past handful of months. The Detox Cloud moisturizer was a thicker texture but it never felt too heavy and still sat well under makeup. It is the ideal moisturizer to use during the winter months when dry skin can be a problem and it took me one month to finish one jar.

Laneige Sleeping Mask: This mini jar was a sample from Sephora and I was surprised that I was able to get at least six uses on my full face and neck from such a tiny container. I didn’t love this sleeping mask but I didn’t hate it. To me, it didn’t pack enough of a super hydrating punch but if the freebie option for it was available again I would probably go for it.

This was the perfect month of finishes to end the year on because every product was successful in their own ways. This is Lil Red’s last post of 2019 but I’ll catch you all tomorrow in 2020 for more of the latest and greatest!

Which products did you use up this month? How are you ringing in the new year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah