Tag Archives: finishes

Dec31

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

 

 

Nov28

November 2021 Finishes

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November 2021 Finishes

Hey everyone!! It’s about that time to discuss my product empties for the month because we are almost done with November! I swear, the days seem to fly by in double time during the holiday season and before we know it, we will be in 2022. This month, I finished a ton of products which included a few that I have been working on for forever and that is always exciting for me… It’s the little things lol! Let’s take a look:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: After what seemed like FOREVER of using the Portofino Pink Prosecco lotion, I am finally done with it! For about three months, I have been using this lotion on my hands before bed every night so it was a welcome change to switch to a new lotion that I have been loving. Of course, I always enjoy my B&BW products but I will be the first to admit that the boozy scent of this one definitely got old lol. If given the opportunity, I would use it again because I never say no to B&BW but I think a new scent will be in order during my next semi annual sale haul.

B&BW Shower Gel: Gingham from Bath & Body Works is one of my favorite scents and I finished this shower gel in two months. It was also a freebie, which is nice since it’s a full size product! This scent reminds me of a picnic on a warm spring day, which is a great thing to manifest during my morning showers in the cold winter months.

Now that I’m done with this shower gel, I have moved onto one of the bars of soap that I got when I was on vacation. While I always prefer shower gels, I love me a bar soap every once in a while so the ultra moisturizing soaps by Our Own Candle Company will do the trick for dry winter skin just fine.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum: This serum by Tree Of Life was the “dud” of the multi pack that I purchased and if it wasn’t such a darn good deal, I wouldn’t use this product again. I was looking forward to trying the Hyaluronic Acid serum out because it’s a wonderful ingredient to incorporate into your skin care routine. However, after completing a bottle with morning and night use, I noticed no difference in how my skin looked or felt. #notimpressed

Summer Fridays Mask: I got the Jet Lag face mask by Summer Fridays as a freebie during my last Sephora haul and it left a lot to be desired. I got about eight uses out of the tube and I did like the way my skin felt but I would never pay forty-five dollars for a full size of it. As a freebie, this was a nice mask to try out. However, my skin feels equally as good, if not better, when completing my normal skin care routine with mostly drugstore products.

November brought me so many finishes and I am glad for it! There is nothing better to me than completing a product that I have been using for a while and I can’t wait to see which empties I’ll have in December for our last finishes post of 2021. 😀

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

Oct30

October 2021 Finishes

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October 2021 Finishes

Hello! Sadly, official spooky season is drawing to a close which means that it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. It also commences spooky season all year round for Johnny and I lol! Last month, we had a ton of beauty finishes to discuss while today we only have a mere three so this will be a short and sweet post. Also, make sure you tune in tomorrow to see some Halloween accessories that I purchased when Johnny and I went costume shopping. 😀 Now, lets get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

e.l.f. Eye Cream: Prior to the pandemic, I was loyal to the SkinLab products and loved their gel eye cream that I could purchase at TJMaxx. Unfortunately, my monthly TJs trips ended due to COVID and I turned to Amazon for my beauty products. I was surprised to see the gel eye cream that I would normally buy for seven dollars was selling for twenty and I couldn’t bring myself to make the purchase. So, I began searching for cheaper but effective eye creams, instead, and ended up with the Holy Hydration! cream by e.l.f..

I bought this eye cream because it received great reviews on Amazon and was only six dollars. Despite the almost five star rating, I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t a little wary of just how cheap this eye cream was which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I fell in love with it. The Holy Hydration! eye cream lasted me close to two months and in that time, I noticed that the sensitive skin around my eyes felt smoother and oh so hydrated and my designer bags were decreased too. 😀

For the price, you just can’t beat this eye cream and I highly recommend it. This just goes to show that you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg for your skin care! If you would like to read about my other finishes that have already been discussed, be sure to check out the linked posts. ❤

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

Sep28

September 2021 Finishes

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September 2021 Finishes

Howdy! September was a super exciting time for Lil Red as I completed my 1,000 day streak of writing! It was also a hugely successful month for product empties because I got to finish up a lot of the skin and bath and body care that I had been using for a while. Some of these products were new to me too, which is always fun! Take a look at my empties and let’s discuss:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Body Wash: Other than apple, vanilla is one of my favorite scents and I was really eager to try Bath & Body Works interpretation of Vanilla Bean. It definitely didn’t disappoint and this is actually one of my favorite scents that I have tried from them. While I love vanilla, I hate when it is scented too strongly or too sweet. B&BW’s Vanilla Bean was nice and light and wasn’t sugary in the slightest. It took me a month and a half to finish one bottle.

Tree Of Life Serum: For some reason, Amazon has stopped selling the Eclat Vitamin C serum that I was using and I was so disappointed! The Eclat serum had an unbeatable price (seven dollars) and my skin had never looked better when I was using it. The Tree Of Life Vitamin C serum was the next cheapest alternative (ten dollars) that still had good ratings so I gave it a shot.

This serum is much thicker than the Eclat one, which is nice because you don’t need to use as much of it. Most importantly, it worked well on my skin and gives an extra boost of brightness and radiance. My main qualm with this product isn’t so much the product itself as it is with the dropper. It is so short that by the time you finish two thirds of the bottle, you have to start tipping it out into your hands because it can’t reach the rest. Annoying? Totally. Deal breaker? No.

LANEIGE Mask: I so enjoyed using the Berry Lip Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE, which you can read about more in the linked post. It took me almost four months to complete the tiny sample sized jar!

TBS Mask: The Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask was, easily, one of the worst products that I have used by The Body Shop. That is really saying something because I have a deep love for most of their products. After twelve or so uses of this mask, I still didn’t notice any type of difference in my skin afterwards. Whomp Whomp.

TBS Eye Cream: On the contrary, the Vitamin E eye cream from The Body Shop is the absolute best! My favorite thing about this eye cream is that it literally lasts for forever and it took me about three months of morning and night uses to complete the tube. This eye cream makes the delicate skin around my eyes feel so moisturized and stronger too. It also does wonders in decreasing the designer bags under my eyes which isn’t so bad, either. 😀

Like I mentioned before, I finished a lot of products this September and almost all of them were a success. Here’s to pampering products for all in October!

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

Aug29

August 2021 Finishes

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August 2021 Finishes

Howdy! August is almost over and that means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. Because of the pandemic, I have been online shopping a lot rather than going in store so I haven’t been trying as many new products as I would like. So, this month has a lot of tried and true favorites which you all already know a lot about and a couple of newbies thrown in for good measure. Let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Beyond Belief Lotion: When it comes to lotion, I am really not picky at all because I only use it at night before bed. I can’t say that I have ever used a body lotion that I simply can’t live without so I could take or leave the Beyond Belief Enchanted Berries lotion. I will say that it was nice and moisturizing and it smelled exactly how I could imagine sugar plums do! However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it again. It took me a month of daily use on my hands and arms to finish this product.

LANEIGE Mask: Sephora’s birthday gift selection for their Beauty Insiders was fabulous this year and I went with their LANEIGE skin care set. I received a moisturizer, a lip mask, and the Water Sleeping Mask and enjoyed using them all very much. I love me a nighttime face mask so I was incredibly partial to the gel Water Sleeping Mask. It was so light yet insanely moisturizing and my skin was glowing when I would wake up in the morning. A little also went a long way and I got at least seven uses on my face and neck from the tiny test sized pot. I would happily use this mask again!

Pampering myself with skin care and bath and body care is so important to me and I can’t wait for next month because I will be trying out a new eye cream. It’s the little things, right? 😀

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

Jul31

July 2021 Finishes

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July 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the last post of July 2021 here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to discuss my beauty finishes for the month and there are a lot of them so let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

LANEIGE Moisturizer: The LANEIGE birthday freebie from Sephora was, hands down, one of the best gifts that they have offered in years. It came with a lip sleeping mask, a sleeping face mask, and the Water Bank moisturizer. This travel size jar gave me a week of twice daily use and I would love to use it again after such a short amount of time. The Water Bank moisturizer left my skin soft, glowing, and oh so hydrated all without feeling heavy during the scorching summer days of July. Highly recommend. 🙂

Unfiltered Salt Soak: Lil Red loves a nice bubble bath and especially enjoys testing out products like bath bombs and salt soaks to enhance the experience even more. Sadly, the Pineapple + Mango salt soak missed the mark for me. The tropical scent smelled amazing in the jar but it didn’t translate to the water at all. It also dissolved really quickly, which eliminated the chance to do some exfoliating. I got four uses out of the jar but, I admit, I definitely poured heavy handed lol!

B&BW Body Wash: I have been using the body washes by Bath & Body Works exclusively for the past handful of years and have never had anything to complain about with them. The body washes lather so well and my skin always feels soft and hydrated every day after my shower. I truly think that my skin is healthier and smoother from consistent use of the washes and you can’t beat the prices if you shop during the semi annual sales!

It took me over a month to finish the Raspberry Tangerine scent and I wish I had another bottle of it because it smelled so good. The tart raspberry mixed with the sweet tangerine made for a perfect fruity scent and I actually just started using their Raspberry Tangerine hand soap a few days ago. Love it. 🙂

TBS Face Wash: While I love experimenting with the different skin care lines from The Body Shop, I don’t use the Tea Tree products often because of my normal skin type. However, I received the sample size of the Tea Tree face wash as part of a Christmas prezzie and beggars can’t be choosers!

I wouldn’t use this face wash in the winter as it would totally dry out my skin but it was a-okay for me for summertime use. It is so hot in my apartment and we have had a plethora of ninety plus degree days in Ohio which left my skin feeling less than its best from sweating constantly. Using the Tea Tree face wash helped get rid of all of the yuck that I felt was clogging my pores every day without making it feel dry or tight. This small bottle also lasted me over one month with daily use which is insane to me!

As you can see, July was a great month for beauty empties and I was thrilled to have used up a ton of products that I enjoyed. It is a rarity for me to have so many finishes for one month which is great because that means I can try out so many new products in their completion. 😀

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

 

Jun30

June 2021 Finishes

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June 2021 Finishes

Hi! It’s the end of another month here on lifewithlilred, which means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for June. Tomorrow, we will continue on with a super fun clothing haul from TJMaxx and then it’s onto makeup and skin care thanks to a little Sephora shopping. Be sure to keep it posted for all of the latest and greatest! Now, let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

TBS Clay Wash: It has been a long while since I have tried out a brand new skin care product because once I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. This clay wash from The Body Shop had been sitting in my stock pile for months and I was so happy to have finally been able to use it! I love TBS products and the Himalayan Charcoal clay wash was part of a Christmas gift from my brother and his family.

TBS skin and bath and body care always makes me feel perfectly pampered and this face wash was no exception. The wash had a thinner consistency than a clay mask and it felt so gentle on my skin while still working effectively. The scent was invigorating and my skin looked bright and fresh after using it every morning. A little of the wash also went such a long way and the bottle lasted me at least a month and a half. I highly recommend this product and would really like to use it again!

Nothing pleases Lil Red more than a bunch of monthly empties and I would recommend each and every one of the products above. There are lots of skin care and Face Mask Festivities posts on the horizon so stay tuned on lifewithlilred for more! ❤

Which products did you use up this month? Which skin care products do you recommend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May31

May 2021 Finishes

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May 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy last day of May! Normally, I am a huge fan of the month of May but this year, it couldn’t end soon enough. Not only are both mine and Johnny’s birthdays in June but our wedding is too! We are so incredibly excited and I can’t wait to share our joy with all of you. Before we say farewell to May, let’s discuss my beauty finishes for the month:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Neutrogena/Garnier Moisturizers: I love a good gel moisturizer, especially in the summertime and plan on using both the Neutrogena and Garnier moisturizers all season long. While I am more partial to the Neutrogena Hydro Boost, you just can’t beat the low price of the Garnier and it is a wonderful less expensive alternative. The Hydro Boost moisturizer is fourteen dollars on Amazon and the Moisture Rescue is around seven. To help cut the cost, I alternate between the two and think that my skin looks much brighter, clearer, and supple because of it.

Eclat Serum: The novelty of the Eclat Vitamin C serum still hasn’t worn off on me yet and I love the way my skin looks and feels after each use. I highly recommend this product and if you purchase it for yourself, I would also highly recommend buying more than one bottle. Despite the excellent quality and unbeatable price (Seven dollars!) one bottle alone will not get you through an entire month if you are using it twice daily. I find that I need at least a bottle and a half to last me for a whole month.

SkinLab Eye Gel: SkinLab products were my go to for the longest time because I could get them on the way cheap at TJMaxx. I would pay about eight dollars for the moisturizers and eye creams or gels. However, during the pandemic, I only shopped online and was shocked to see that the SkinLab products were over double what I paid at TJMaxx on Amazon.

I opted for different moisturizers but still would shell out for the Lift & Firm eye gel since one jar lasts me about three months. After a few repurchases of the eye gel on Amazon, I just couldn’t justify the twenty dollar price tag on it any longer. Once I finish the eye cream that I am using from The Body Shop, I will be testing out a seven dollar one by Elf and have my fingers crossed that it will work well!

There! Now we can officially bid adieu to May. 😀

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

Apr25

April 2021 Finishes

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April 2021 Finishes

Hi everyone! April is drawing to a close and it’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. There isn’t too much to talk about because a lot of my empties for the month you have all seen and heard before. However, I’m super happy because I finally finished the rest of the Azure Lux serums that I had in my stockpile so I can move on to exclusively using the Eclat Vitamin C serum for the foreseeable future. It’s about time! Now, let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: I have a love/hate relationship with lotion and I’m either really good about using it or don’t want to use it at all! This past winter, however, I began applying lotion every night before bed and have stuck with this routine since. I definitely notice a difference in the softness of my skin and I even think my tattoos look better and brighter than usual from being moisturized daily. My new routine also gives me the opportunity to use up the endless supply of Bath & Body Works lotion and body butter from The Body Shop!

It took me a solid two months of daily use to finish the Pink Prosecco body cream from B&BW. While I enjoyed using it, I must warn all of you that it smells a tad boozy and by a tad I mean a lot lol. You can certainly pick out the scents of the different fruits like nectarine and pomegranate but the base of sparkling pink prosecco is there in abundance. If I was a daytime lotion wearer, I would say no to this lotion because I wouldn’t want to smell like alcohol during the work day but I will say yes to night time use!

Neutrogena Moisturizer: I freaking love the Hydro Boost moisturizer by Neutrogena and I consider it well worth the fourteen dollar price tag. I have reviewed this product before in previous posts but I just wanted to share with all of you that Johnny loves it too! His forehead gets pretty dry so I apply the moisturizer for him as needed and you can tell a huge difference in just one day. Skin care for men is just as important as it is for the ladies and I plan on creating a skin care routine for Johnny during my next online shopping sesh.

Azure Lux Serums: I have been using the Azure Lux Sparkling Oil serums almost exclusively for the past two years and change and I honestly think my skin is immune to any benefits of it as this point. That’s not to say that the serums weren’t effective and I remember first using the Rose Gold one and noticing a big difference in my skin. However, after seeing immediate results with the Eclat Vitamin C serum, I knew it was time for a change. I think that the Azure Lux serums are fabulous for people in their younger twenties and would still recommend them. As for me, at almost twenty-seven, I just outgrew it!

Although I won’t be using the Azure Lux serums again, I am so pleased with my finishes from April because that means I can use new products. There is also nothing better than depleting the ol’ stockpile a little so I can get new goodies in the near future! 😀

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

Mar27

March 2021 Finishes

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March 2021 Finishes

Hi everyone! Can you believe we’re almost through with another month of 2021 already? March was such a happy and exciting time for me because I got engaged and my family got to celebrate my amazing mom and lil niece’s birthdays too. Between birthdays, house hunting, and wedding planning the days have been flying by. Hustle and bustle has never prevented me from completing my daily beauty routines, however, and March has also left me with lots of empty products to discuss so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean & Clear Face Wash: I absolutely LOVED the Morning Burst hydrating facial cleanser by Clean & Clear and it helped keep my skin nice and moisturized all winter long. Not to mention that the eight or so dollar bottle lasted me all winter long too – it took me close to five months of daily use to finish it. I am all about effective and budget friendly beauty products and I would definitely use this cleanser again. It smelled amazing, lathered well, was invigorating, and my skin felt so soft and hydrated after each use.

B&BW Spray: While I would never pay full price for Bath & Body Works products, I am happy to buy huge hauls during their semi-annual sales. This fragrance spray is actually from a perfume haul several years ago and I am still working on finishing them all up. It’s taking a lot longer than expected, though, considering each bottle lasts me around half a year with daily use! That’s perfectly fine by me, however, because the Country Apple spray smells so good. I love apple scented anything because of its sweet/tart fragrance and, lucky for me, I still have a few more bottles left!

Neutrogena Moisturizer: A month ago, I did some research about beauty products that people in their late twenties should be using and hyaluronic acid was an ingredient that was encouraged. I purchased the Neutrogena Hydro Boost moisturizer for that reason and I am glad that I did because it is really nice. In fact, I have already bought a few more for myself despite it being a bit more pricey at around thirteen dollars per jar.

Although this moisturizer has a price tag that I usually wouldn’t pay, I have noticed a difference in my skin after a month’s worth of use so I thought it was well worth it. My skin looks more radiant and rested and it feels so soft too. The light gel texture is also a welcome change of pace after the heavy creams of winter.

Nothing pleases me more than finishing up products that I would happily use again because that means it was money well spent. March was a very successful month for me so I guess it only makes sense that all of the products discussed today were successful too! 🙂

Which products did you use up this month? What kind of skin care products are recommended for your age? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah