Tag Archives: fragrance

Jun20

Monday Update: Vacation Purchases Edition

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Monday Update: Vacation Purchases Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to another week here on lifewithlilred. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of spare time to do hella blogging this summer but I will try my best to at least get a weekly post in via the Monday Update. As you guys know, my family went on vacation to Asheville, North Carolina a week ago and your girl did some amazing shopping there! Take a look at the latest goodies that I added to my wardrobe and beauty collections:

^^^ Hurray!

One thing that I absolutely love to do while I’m on vacation (and basically every day of my life) is SHOP. There is nothing better than exploring the different stores that places outside of your hometown have to offer. Usually during family vacas we dedicate a day to shopping local and hitting up an outlet mall if the area has one. During our shop day, I scored some amazing bath and body care products and my new favorite shirt from Forever 21, so let’s discuss!

While shopping local, we came across the most fantastic store called Appalachian Naturals which offers homemade bath and body care products. The shop was filled with bar soap, shampoos, bath bombs, and even some soap for your four legged BFFs. My mom and I must have spent close to an hour scouring the store, chatting with the employees, and filling a shopping bag with our purchases.

We ended up leaving with twelve bars of soap, a bar of soap for our pups, shampoo, chapsticks, a bath bomb, and a “meatball” made from excess shavings from the soap making process. The meatball was literally a pound ball of over thirty different soaps combined together and it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen…so obviously we had to get it. Pictured above are three of the soaps that I wanted for myself – a face bar, and a Mountain Apple and Peppermint flavored bar soap. I’m very excited to work the complexion bar into my skin care routine after I finish the cleanser that I’m currently using and the same goes for the bar soap for when I finish the shower gel I have open.

At the outlet mall I was able to spend my birthday money on some new treats for myself which was so nice! I’m seriously obsessed with the gorgeous floral blouse that I got from Forever 21. I’m usually not a big fan of wearing white because I’m so pale that all it does is wash me out. However, this stark white top was so different because of the bright, Kimono style floral pattern. The colors complimented my hair and skin so well that the pure white base color made everything pop.

I’ve been trying to incorporate more business casual clothes into my wardrobe and I like that this shirt can be worn to work or my internship but I could still hang out with my friends in it. I purchased this shirt for $22.50 and I thought that it was a steal considering it looks so much like the clothes that I always ogle over at too expensive for me Express!

Speaking of steals, can we please talk about the Semi Annual Sale at Bath & Body Works?! Last year at B&BW’s sale, I discovered my favorite scent – Country Apple. This fragrance only makes an appearance during the Semi Annual Sale because it’s part of the oldie but goodie collection that they bring back special for the occasion. Knowing this, it was a must to stop in at the B&BW at the outlet mall to stock up on my gotta have it body spray.

All of the originally fourteen dollar body mists that were on sale were only $3.75 so, needless to say, I went HARD. I took four Country Apple sprays and four of the Mango Mandarin, too, because it smells amazing and it’s always nice to switch things up a little bit. As I walked up to the register, I remembered that back in good ol’ Ohio, there was a coupon for ten dollars off a forty dollar purchase sitting idly on my desk.

I was already at the thirty dollar mark with my bundle of perfumes and when I explained the situation to the worker behind the register, she was kind enough to provide the coupon for me. I was so incredibly thankful and went back to the front of the store to grab one more Country Apple and Mango Mandarin spray. I was at five perfumes each and I needed one more thing to reach a forty dollar purchase. I debated on which scent to get one more of – the apple or the mango but then realized that getting six of one and five of the other would drive me crazy. So I decided to go for a Sun Ripened Raspberry spray to get me to the price I needed to use the coupon.

Thanks to the kindness of the worker, my total bill for eleven body sprays was $33.44. The coupon knocked each perfume down to $2.86 for an originally FOURTEEN DOLLAR fragrance. Hell yeah! Because I was so grateful to the B&BW employee for helping a sister out, I emailed their customer service center to write her a rave review. I was so pleased to get an email response back from them saying that she would be receiving a certificate from the regional manager for excellence in customer service. She so deserved it! 🙂

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Vacation Purchases Edition! I’m so happy with all of the goodies that I got to return to Ohio with and I can’t wait to start using all of them! Has anyone shopped any good sales lately? What store has the best deals right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May22

Summer Beauty Essentials

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Summer Beauty Essentials

Hi everyone and welcome to an amazing summer time guest post thanks to Rachel from A Girl Recommends. This month, I asked all of the guest bloggers that I’ve featured on my page to come up with a beauty, fashion, or lifestyle post themed around sweet summer time. After emailing back and forth with the lovely Rachel, we decided on a post all about the beauty must haves that summer calls for. I was blown away by the quality and content of Rachel’s post and I’m sure that all of you will be too. Thanks a million, beautiful! Take a look at the Summer Beauty Essentials post that Rachel made special for my readers here on lifewithlilred:

Summer Beauty Essentials

Today I’m going to run you through my beauty must haves for summer time! In the UK we are slowly heading into this time of year, so I will definitely be bringing out my bright lips, colorful nails, and light weight foundations!

Hair:

There are a few products that I’d recommend for your hair in the summer time. The first one is Batiste Dry Shampoo. I have mine in the scent ‘Fruity & Cheeky Cherry’. It  doesn’t matter which scent you go for, this stuff works wonders and it’s super affordable. Although your hair feels pretty gross after using this, it looks ten times better than before with added volume. You can even buy mini cans to take to festivals/on holiday/by the beach!

I definitely like to combine dry shampoo with my trusty Tangle Teezer. I bought mine a couple of years back and it’s still going strong! I have mine in a super bright summery shade with an orange top and yellow comb. These are great for throwing in your handbag (they have special compact ones for this purpose) and taking them to the park, beach, or wherever you just need a quick brush through your windswept locks!

To touch up my color and make it brighter than ever I like to use the Scott Cornwall Color Restore Iced Platinum Hair Toner. This stuff is great for my dyed blonde hair and helps get rid of those yellowy brassy tones and freshen up my barnet. You can get these toners in a variety of different shades and add some candy colors into your hair just in time for summer!

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Nails:

My all time favorite nail polishes are definitely from Barry M. The quality is fantastic, they are a bargain, and I’m obsessed with the finish that the Gelly Hi-Shine varnishes give you. My favorite shades for the summer time are Blueberry, Passion-fruit, and Kiwi.

Skincare:

I’ve got a couple of skincare favorites to share with you. The first is the benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion. It hydrates, protects, and comforts your skin whilst giving you sun protection with SPF 15. This is perfect for day time use. I then like to fully moisturize and re-hydrate my skin in the evening with the Vichy Lift Activ Supreme.

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Makeup:

My foundation favorite is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. This is lightweight, oil free, and hydrating with a silky texture. It’s perfect for summer because you can build up the coverage if you desire, but it doesn’t leave you with a heavy feeling on your face and you don’t feel like you’re wearing foundation. I like to set this with either the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (Light) or the L’Oreal Nude Magique BB Powder (drugstore alternative). Both of these powders are really natural, light coverage, and non drying.

My choice of bronzer is the Benefit Hoola Bronzer Powder which gives you a healthy and natural looking tan. I love this product all year round but you can add a bit of extra glow in the summer time. I follow this with either my Ted Baker Lip and Cheek Tint for a shimmery glow or my Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabric Blush (305) for a pop of natural color.

Products with staying power are definitely your best friend at this time of the year. You basically have to glue your makeup on to your face so your eyebrows don’t finish the day on your chin. My favorite drugstore setting spray is the Maybelline Superstay 24hr Setting Spray. Now, I can’t say that I’ve tested the 24 hr theory but it definitely helps my makeup stay in place all day!

It’s crucial to use a waterproof mascara in the summer time to avoid having the dreaded panda eyes. I love the Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara. It’s cheap and gives you dramatic volume without clumpy lashes!

I think having a brow gel is key for all year round but is especially important in the summer time. A perfect face can be easily let down by messy brows. Rimmel Brow This Way Styling Gel does the trick for me and it’s an absolute bargain at £3.99.

I would be lost without my Urban Decay Primer Potion, however, I have recently been trying out the Benefit Air Patrol Eye Primer and I’m LOVING it. It’s a perfect base for eye shadows, especially if you get oily lids throughout the summer. This primer allows you to have intense color and a lasting eye shadow look all day.

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Lips:

Summer is your time to shine with bright lips. Say goodbye to your berry tones and hello to your corals and fuchsias. I like to prep my lips with the Nivea Sun Protect Lip Care (there is nothing worse than burnt lips – ouch!) and then apply my favorite bright lip colors. I’ve chosen two to share with you today. I have the Bourjois Paris Colour Boost Lip Crayon (Red Sunrise) and the YSL Rouge Volupte (13 – Peach Passion). The Colour Boosts are lovely and moisturizing with a bright pop of color, whereas the Rogue Volupte leaves a velvety smooth finish with a high pigmentation.

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Fragrance:

My love for the Marc Jacobs perfumes shines bright in the summer. Out comes Dot (“A signature floral heart signed by beautiful jasmine and the elegant base of vanilla with musk, leaving an addictive trail”) and Honey (“The fragrance opens with a fresh fruity hook, and melts to a beautiful floral honey heart for a long lasting and sunny signature fragrance”). These fragrances are absolutely perfect for the summer time and they remind me of so many great memories. I can’t help but smile every time I wear these scents.

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That’s all for my summer beauty must haves. What are your essentials for this time of the year? – Rx

^^^ Wasn’t this post fabulous?! Thank you so much, again, to the superbly talented, Rachel, from A Girl Recommends for such a terrific guest post. Everyone please check out her page and give it some love! What beauty product can you not live without in the summer? Which recommendations from Rachel’s post are you going to use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May11

Bath & Body Works May Freebie

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Bath & Body Works May Freebie

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Sorry I’ve been MIA these past couple of days, I’ve been uber busy and have had a little case of writer’s block so you weren’t missing out on much! As all of you guys know, I freakin live for my monthly, travel sized freebies from Bath & Body Works. In the past year or so, I’ve probably gotten close to one hundred dollars in free product thanks to these coupons. I always have so much fun picking out what lotion fragrance that I want for the month but this time around I decided to go for an old favorite, Love & Sunshine. Take a look at the sweet packaging and then let’s discuss:

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As part of my sister’s birthday gift last month, I added on a freebie set of my Love & Sunshine lotion and shower gel. It was awesome because it was an additional ten dollar gift that I didn’t spend a dime on but it also kind of sucked because it was my favorite scent that I had on back stock in my bath and body care hoard. The good news? My sister loved the Love & Sunshine scent. The bad news? I was without a Love & Sunshine lotion!

I spent my drive home from my boyfriend’s house yesterday morning debating on what lotion I should go with while running errands in the afternoon. I was at a crossroads between Warm Vanilla Brown Sugar and Love & Sunshine and I was simply beside myself on what to do. And then I remembered the painstaking moment when I plucked the L&S lotion and gel from my hoard last month and placed it in my sister’s gift bag and knew that Love & Sunshine was the way to go.

I can’t get enough of the fruit and floral fragrance that Love & Sunshine has to offer. The sweetness of the daisy scent is counterbalanced by tart lemon and strawberries which creates a scent perfect for summertime! I plan on taking my freebie with me while my family vacations in North Carolina next month as my fun in the sun fragrance. Can’t wait!

So there you have it, my May Bath & Body Works Freebie! What is your favorite scent from B&BW? What is your go to scent for summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr20

TJMaxx Trip

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TJMaxx Trip

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Over the weekend my mom and I had our monthly TJMaxx Trip and returned home with a huge bath and body care haul. Let’s be honest, when you’re out shopping, sometimes it’s much easier to just browse through the things that you don’t have to try on. My mom and I were both feeling ambivalent about clothes shopping so when we stumbled upon the shelf of marked down bath and body care goods, we just couldn’t tear ourselves away. Take a look at some of our new goodies:

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The Haul:

  • Pure & Basic Creme Brulee scented lotion: $6
  • The Body Shop Honeymania shower gel: $8
  • The Body Shop Argon Oil shower gel: $8
  • The Body Shop Olive shower gel: $8
  • The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit jumbo body butter: $10
  • The Body Shop Smoky Poppy body butter: $4.50

In Store Value:

  • Approximately $130!!!!

For less than fifty dollars at TJs, my mom and I scored a major haul full of goodies from The Body Shop. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love the bath and body care goods from TBS. However, I would never ever pay thirty dollars for a jumbo sized body butter. Or twenty bucks for their mega shower gel. It all just seems so ridiculous to me. I do use their skin care products, which I am willing to shell out the cash for. But to pay so much for lotions and body wash seems like pure insanity. Having said that, I have absolutely no problem buying them super marked down at TJs…Obviously.

The great thing about this TJs haul is that it gave me the opportunity to try new TBS scents. The only product that we got that I’ve used before was the Pink Grapefruit butter so I’m looking forward to giving the Smoky Poppy, Honeymania, and Argon Oil a go. The Olive scent is a good fragrance for men so we got that shower gel to spoil my dad and brother a little! I also can’t wait to try out the super delicious smelling Creme Brulee lotion from Pure & Basic. It seriously smells like a rich vanilla and caramel cake so I’m kind of obsessed!

When you’re in a slump and don’t feel like clothes shopping you literally can’t go wrong with browsing the shoes, bath and body care, and home goods sections of TJMaxx. My mom and I walked away with new towels, makeup, shower gels, lotions, and a new pot and bird feeder for our garden. Our April TJMaxx Trip was an obvious success and I can’t wait to do it again in May!

So there you have it, my latest TJMaxx Trip! What is the best item that you’ve scored at a discount store? What was one of your favorite finds at TJMaxx? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Monday Update: Beauty Blogger Tag Edition

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Monday Update: Beauty Blogger Tag Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! I’m so flattered by all of the awards that lifewithlilred has been nominated for in the past week and this latest tag is no exception. I was so excited when my friend, Aurora, over at hlauroremode nominated me for the Beauty Blogger Tag because I’ve never been before! Every time I see this tag on other posts I get green with envy and wonder when it’s going to be my turn so today’s post is such a treat! Thank you so much for the nomination, Aurora! Everyone please be sure to give her page some loving, too! Now let’s check out the rules for the Beauty Blogger Tag:

The Rules:

  • Tag the blogger that nominated you.
  • Answer the questions you were given.
  • Nominate 10 other beauty blogs of your choice.
  • Choose 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
  • Inform your chosen bloggers that you nominated them.

Q & A:

What is your beauty routine?

I use a cream cleanser and an exfoliater every morning and then use an eye cream, a moisturizer, and a serum afterwards. Once I get my skin ready for the day, I apply my makeup and then straighten my hair with the assistance of Fiji oil.

How often do you exercise?

Never. Unless eating pizza counts.

Do you organize your makeup and nail polish?

I wouldn’t necessarily call my makeup organized but I do know where everything I need is in my bathroom cabinet. I actually don’t really wear nail polish so keeping them organized is never a problem for me since I only wear black polish on occasion!

Can you go out without wearing makeup?

Yep! It took me a long time to be comfortable and confident enough to be able to do it but now I go out makeup free all the time. In fact, I went shopping without my makeup on just last night!

How long does it take to put on your makeup?

It used to take me such a long time to do my makeup but now I’d say that my morning routine (shower, prepping my skin, makeup, hair) takes about forty-five minutes.

How often do you wash your makeup brushes?

Oh jeez, never. That’s something that I definitely need to be better at!

What is your favorite store to buy clothes at?

I love H&M as well as the occasional splurge at Express and American Eagle Outfitters.

How do you keep your skin soft?

At least three or four times out of the week I apply lotion from my hoard all over before bed. I like putting it on before I hit the hay because I know that it’s going to do its thing all night and then I can get the residue and scent washed away in the morning.

What motivates you?

People who are successful because they did things their own way.

What is your “smell good” routine?

That’s an easy one! My Country Apple spray from Bath & Body Works. I LOVE apple fragrances and originally I was using Victoria’s Secret’s Enchanted Apple. Unfortunately, that scent was discontinued so when I found B&BW’s Country Apple during one of their big sales, I stocked up! I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do if they ever stop making that scent because I was legitimately devastated when VS no longer carried their Enchanted Apple.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. How old were you when you learned how to put on makeup?
  2. Did anyone teach you how to apply makeup or were you self taught?
  3. What is one beauty product that you can’t live without?
  4. What is your favorite beauty product to splurge on?
  5. Favorite fragrance?
  6. Have you used a beauty product recently that didn’t live up to your expectations?
  7. Would you rather not wear makeup for a month or wear the same outfit for a week?
  8. What brand of makeup do you use the most?
  9. What is your favorite beauty or fashion trend for spring?
  10. What is your favorite lipstick or gloss shade?

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Beauty Blogger Tag Edition! Thank you so much again to Aurora at hlauroremode for the nomination! How would you answer some of the questions that Aurora asked her nominees? What about the questions that I asked mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar29

March Finishes

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March Finishes

Hey everyone and happy Tuesday! First of all, I hope someone gets the There Will Be Blood reference in my featured image photo. No one? Okay, moving on. As you guys might have seen in a previous Monday Update, I have quite a substantial stockpile of lotions, perfume, and body wash that I’m working diligently on dwindling down. This month, I finished a solid amount of lotion which I’m really happy about! Take a look at my empties from March and then let’s discuss:

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^^^ Woohoo!

I admit that I’m not the biggest lotion fan in the world but this month I have definitely noticed that my skin feels a lot softer. My stretch marks (everyone has them) also seem to be less prominent, too, which is a nice bonus. As I mentioned before, a lot of the items in my hoard were either gifts, freebies, or dirt cheap so there are quite a few products in my stash that I wouldn’t use again upon completion. However, there were some items in my March Finishes that I would totally reuse if I had the opportunity. Check out how this month’s finishes fared and find out what products I would want to restock my stash with:

  • The Body Shop’s Amazonian Rain Lily lotion: NO
  • I Love… Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel: YES
  • Bodycology lotions: NO
  • LilaGrace Honey Almond lotion: YES

The Body Shop: I actually really like the Amazonian Rain Lily fragrance from TBS. I have two bottles of the perfume and am a big fan. But in lotion form, this scent was way too potent and I was very eager to finish the bottle. I really don’t care for lotions of fragrances so I’m so happy to be done with it.

I Love…: I wrote about this shower gel before and I like it a lot. I think the scent of it is really nice and the strawberry seeds thrown into the gel are an awesome touch. And you also can’t beat two dollars a bottle at the nearby discount store in my neck of the woods!

Bodycology: These little lotion tubes were a gift and they weren’t bad but they didn’t blow me away, either. Their scents were just a little off and I wouldn’t go out of my way to find and purchase them. I also think the name of the brand is insanely ridiculous!

LilaGrace: This lotion was actually my favorite finish this month and I would totally buy it again if I knew where it came from. My best friend gave this to me for Christmas and it’s just delightful. The scent is so light and subtle and the lotion absorbs quickly which is a must for me. I really enjoyed using this lotion and my only regret is that I didn’t have a bigger bottle of it!

My lotion testing journey as I try to clear away some of my bath and body care hoard has been a lot of fun so far. It’s a treat to get to try new products and my skin is definitely thanking me for it. Next month I know there will be a few makeup empties, as well, so I’m looking forward to breaking out some new makeup products and to continue picking away at the rest of my stash!

So there you have it, my March Finishes! Has anyone used any of the products that I had empties of this month? Does anyone have a beauty stash similar to mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar21

Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition

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Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! If you were to go into my bathroom and open the below the sink counter, you would find it stuffed full of all things bath and body care. I’m a self proclaimed bath and body care hoarder and I’m pretty proud of it! Thanks to shopping great deals and stockpiling gifts and freebies, I’ve accumulated quite a collection of stuff. From shower gel to lotion and perfume to makeup, I’ve got it all. I feel like I mention my hoard often enough that it’s finally time to pay it some tribute so take a look at my ever growing below the sink collection:

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^^^ So. Much. Stuff.

Let’s start out with a disclaimer – a lot of the items pictured above were things that I didn’t pay a dime for. Thanks to working at The Body Shop, I accumulated a solid amount of goods from there. The entire line of Bath & Body Works products were totally free as well as about half of the other lotions which were gifts. All of the other items seen above were bought from amazing sales. For example, the line dedicated to my Bath & Body Works Country Apple spray was a whole nine dollars! You can’t beat that!

The best part about my hoard, besides the fact that I’m never going to smell bad, is that I always have in case of emergency gifts handy. It’s always nice to be able to throw in a freebie lotion or two into a gift that I’m giving to lower the cost of buying other items in store. It’s also fantastic around the holiday times when someone might have gotten a gift for you and you didn’t get them anything – which totally happened to me this year! My hoard has saved me a solid amount of embarrassment and lots of moolah, to boot.

All of these little blurbs are all very well but do you know the funny thing about this hoard? I’m not a really big lotion fan. Ha! I hate the feeling of being greasy after I lather up with lotion and I don’t care for the residue or smell that some of them leave behind. I’m also really particular about lotions and fragrances so the fact that a lot of these were scents that I normally wouldn’t pick for myself has made me wary to use some of these products.

Despite my olfactory and tactile preferences, I’m trying really hard to dwindle my hoard down. On nights that I feel like it, I’ll slather on a healthy amount of lotion so that I can let it soak in while I’m asleep and don’t have to feel or smell it. This month, I finally finished one of my Body Shop lotions as well as three small tubes of lotion that provided about two or three uses each. So far I’m actually enjoying my lotion testing journey and am looking forward to making a post about all of the items that I finished in March! Definitely be on the look out for a finished product post at the end of the month!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition! What is your favorite product to stockpile? Does anyone have a hoard similar to mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar5

Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion Review

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Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion Review

Hey everyone and happy weekend! Today I’m going to be discussing my new favorite product, compliments of a Christmas gift from mi madre. I always ask for a supply of my beauty and skin care necessities for Christmas so my mom hooked me up with a new moisturizer from Trader Joe’s. I only recently started using my Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion because I’ve been in the process of finishing a Neutrogena moisturizer since November. Last week I finally finished my Neutrogena and began my TJ’s journey and let me tell you…I’m already hooked. Take a look at their packaging and then let’s discuss:

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I’ve been writing about quite a few fragrance free products lately which is weird but I actually really don’t mind this moisturizers lack of a scent – especially because it has SPF 15 in it. I find that most skin care products that have SPF in it always smell like you’re lathering yourself up to get ready for the beach. My Neutrogena moisturizer had SPF 15 in it, as well, and you could definitely tell by its scent. When it comes to products that have any amount of SPF in it, I would prefer for it to be fragrance free so that’s a major plus for Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion.

When I am browsing the market for a new moisturizer, I’m always very concerned about the texture of it. I can’t stand products that are greasy, oily, or too thick. Lucky for me, none of these issues were a problem with TJ’s face lotion. The texture was so lusciously creamy and it actually was quite thick – I know, I know, I just said that this was a problem. BUT to me, there’s a big difference between a thickness that’s goopy and heavy and one that is nice and rich. Obviously, Trader Joe’s lotion texture was the latter or I would not be using it!

The final “must” for me when it comes to a new moisturizer or lotion is how well it absorbs. I have to say, I was very impressed with how quickly Trader Joe’s lotion absorbed considering that it is a bit thicker than what I normally would use. A quarter sized squeeze sunk into my skin in record time and it left absolutely no residue. My skin felt hydrated and soft and I was amazed at the way my skin looked after using it. My prized super pale epidermis (science!) looked like porcelain. My face looked and felt so supple and I was blown away. I’ve never used a moisturizer before that had such evident results after ONE USE. You can’t beat that!

Of course, I’m going to have to rate Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion with: five stars. I really can’t recommend this product enough, especially for those with a normal to dry skin type. I’m aware that the packaging says that all skin types can use it but I fear that it might be a bit too heavy for problem skin. But, I suppose a thin layer can’t hurt!

So there you have it, my Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion Review! Has anyone used this moisturizer before? What did you think of it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar3

Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser Review

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Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser Review

Howdy! Okay, first off let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Garnier’s skin care line. I’ve used one of their cream cleansers and an exfoliater of theirs multiple times and I’ve always been really happy with them. After I finished my cleanser from Simple, I picked out the Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser from my hoard drawer and had very high hopes for it. I was really excited to try this cleanser out because I’ve been so pleased with their products that I’ve used before – but unfortunately, this face wash really missed the mark. Review their packaging and then let’s discuss:

garnier

I always start my product reviews out by talking about their smell but this cleanser doesn’t have any! I know a few of you have commented on my reviews before saying that you like when skin care doesn’t have a fragrance. That’s all very well, but that’s one thing that I can never get on board with. When I’m taking my morning showers, I love when a product has a really invigorating aroma because it helps wake me up. I don’t mind too much that Garnier’s cleanser is fragrance free because I use a lovely scented exfoliater in the morning, too. But the lack of smell definitely didn’t give this product any brownie points!

One of the reasons why I didn’t care for the Simple cleanser that I had finished before starting this one is that it barely removed any of my makeup. In fact, the only reason why I grabbed Garnier’s cleanser from the hoard drawer is because it spelled out for me right in its name that it was primarily a makeup remover. I like to think that I don’t wear a ton of makeup. I’m lucky enough that I don’t have to use any type of concealer and the only product that I use heavily is the mascara that I love to pile on so very much – which is also the toughest thing to remove. -_-

I didn’t doubt that Garnier’s face wash would do a good job of removing my makeup but I wasn’t blown away by it. Yes, it did get my eye makeup off BUT I’ve used so many cleansers that have done the exact same thing. In fact, Garnier’s other cream cleanser that I’ve used before removed all of my makeup and that bonus was barely even mentioned on their packaging!

The final thing that I discuss when reviewing a skin care or body wash product is if it lathers well. Nice and big suds while I’m scrubbing away are a must for me – I have a hard time feeling truly “clean” without it. This is where Garnier’s cleanser totally missed the mark. The packaging says that this product is for sensitive skin but that doesn’t mean it can’t lather just a little! The texture of the cleanser was thick and creamy but once you rubbed it on your face it literally just sat there and did nothing.

Every morning when I rinse the cleanser off, I’m always so happy that I have an exfoliater that I can use afterwards because the face wash simply does nothing for me. It doesn’t make my skin feel any cleaner and it certainly isn’t doing anything that another more effective cleanser can’t. I’m really disappointed in this product so I’m going to have to rate it with: no stars. There is absolutely nothing about this cleanser that I liked or that made my skin feel good. Now I’m just annoyed that I refuse to not finish products that I start because I’ll be stuck with this sucker for a long while. -__-

So there you have it, my Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser Review. I will continue using Garnier products after I finish this face wash but you couldn’t pay me to use this one again! Have any of you used this product before? What are your thoughts on it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Have a new picture of me for your troubles! I love the little wave that my boxer braids from this weekend left me with!

me3

Mar1

TJMaxx Haul

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TJMaxx Haul

Heyy everyone and happy Tuesday! Over the weekend my mom and I ventured to one of the bigger TJMaxx stores in our general area for some shopping and scored some amazing deals. My mom and I concluded long ago that a shopping trip to TJs is going to be a hit or a miss and lucky for us, it was a definite hit this time around! We snagged some fabulous products from The Body Shop as a treat which is what I’ll be discussing today! Take a look at our finds:

tbss

Our Purchases:

  • Satsuma body scrub: $5
  • Strawberry body scrub: $5
  • Jumbo Satsuma body butter: $10
  • Jumbo Honeymania body butter: $10
  • Cocoa Butter body butter: $6
  • Vineyard Peach body butter: $6
  • Grand Total: $42
  • Estimated In Store Price: $120+

During our TJs shopping excursion my mom and I spent quite some time in their bath and body care section which we don’t do very often. We rarely shop at the store that we were at, though, and we wanted to explore everything that it had to offer. I’m glad we did because we ended up with the haul of a lifetime thanks to their products from The Body Shop. When we saw all of the body butters, shower gels, and scrubs that were stocking the shelves, we couldn’t not grab a few! Especially when the prices were so amazing!

As an unspoken rule between my mom and myself, we never shop The Body Shop’s bath and body section when we’re in the store. We simply refuse to spend twenty-one dollars on a tub of body butter when we can get a huge jug of lotion at Target for a quarter of the price. Therefore, we only use the skin care and makeup products that TBS has to offer which is all we really need. My mom and I are longtime customers of The Body Shop and I also worked as their Assistant Manager for a while. With our knowledge of their body care prices in mind, we simply couldn’t believe how dirt cheap TJ’s selection was.

We scoured the shelves looking for all of the different scents that were hiding in all of the nooks and crannies and ended up with some of our favorites. I was SO excited because the Vineyard Peach and Cocoa Butter are my two all time favorite scents. We were also surprised to find jumbo body butter tubs so we grabbed a tub of Satsuma and Honeymania. You literally can’t go wrong with Satsuma and my mom loves Honeymania so I was glad I could talk her in to snagging a tub of her favorite for herself. It didn’t take much convincing though!

I rarely use body scrubs but I do have a soft spot in my heart for the Satsuma and Strawberry scrubs that The Body Shop has to offer. On the rare occasion that my sister and I have one of the scrubs at home, we use them to shave our legs. I had leg shaving on my mind when we were shopping (weird) because I planned on having a bath and shaving when we got home. So of course, I had to put a Satsuma and Strawberry scrub in to our pile. One for me and one for my sister.

At this point in our shopping, I had to go and get a cart so we could tote around our finds and browse some more. My mom ended up with a new pair of navy blue Keds to wear when she’s out and about. They’re so cute! We also spent a somewhat unnecessary amount of time in their animal section picking out a water dish for our newly adopted Ollie as well as some toys for him and his Golden Retriever big sister to play with. After inspecting our cart that was bulging full with doggy toys, I came to the conclusion that the time spent squeaking every single one was so necessary.

I can’t believe the stroke of luck that we had finding all of our TBS purchases. It’s going to be such a nice treat to use them because we literally never would buy them for ourselves otherwise. My mom and I already have plans of using up all of our half finished lotion and saving our butters for special occasions and colder weather. There’s nothing better than a good haul – especially when you get your purchases for the right price!

So there you have it, my most recent TJMaxx Haul! I had the best time shopping with my mom and I’m so happy with all of the fabulous treats that we found. What is your favorite beauty product to splurge on? What is your favorite fragrance from The Body Shop? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah