Tag Archives: fragrance

Sep22

Bath & Body Works September Freebies

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Bath & Body Works September Freebies

Hellooo everyone and happy Thursday! This month’s Bath & Body Works freebie haul was a particularly good one because I ended up getting three free travel sized item coupons in the mail. I’m not really sure why I got three of the same coupons considering I only put my email address info in every time that I stop in the store but hey, I’ll take it! My three free travel sized lotions ended up being a fifteen dollar value that I didn’t have to pay a penny for. Take a look at the freebies that I chose for the month of September:

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My freebies for September were travel sized lotions of B&BW’s French Lavender & Honey, Orchard Leaves & Blue Sky, and Pretty as a Peach. I blogged about Pretty as a Peach before so feel free to read that post which I have linked but if not, just know that I love it very much. As far as the French Lavender & Honey goes… I LOVE THAT, TOO! My best friend got me that scent for Christmas, I believe, and I’m seriously obsessed. The only way that I can describe its smell is that it smells SO GOOD! Lol, I can’t even put a finger on how I would describe the scent to you but I promise that it has the Lil Red stamp of approval for anyone interested in trying it.

One of the newer B&BW scents is Orchard Leaves & Blue Sky and it is a lovely fall fragrance. If you could bottle up the scent of a brisk, autumn day, then that’s what this lotion would smell like. As soon as you take a sniff of the lotion, you can smell the autumnal inspiration by taking in the scents of the crisp fall air and bright red apples picked fresh from the orchard. This lotion is like nothing that I’ve had before and since I love anything with even the slightest hint of apple fragrance, I really enjoy it! It is a great scent to welcome fall with and it would make an amazing addition to an autumn themed gift basket for a friend (or yourself!).

If you are interested in receiving coupons from Bath & Body Works, make sure you enter your email address or phone number when shopping in store or online!

So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works September Freebies! What is your favorite B&BW scent? How about your favorite seasonal scents that they carry? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug24

August Finishes

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August Finishes

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! I hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far. Sorry that I haven’t posted a lot this week. With classes starting this upcoming Monday, I’ve been super busy making all of the final preparations so this fall semester can be a good one! Although I have been a busy gal this month, that didn’t stop me from using up some wonderful products so take a look at my empties for the month of August:

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Would I Use It Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Country Apple body mist: YES
  • St. Ives Apricot Cleanser: YES
  • Michael Design Works Into The Woods lotion: YES
  • TopCare Eye Makeup Remover: YES
  • The Body Shop Vineyard Peach body butter: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Mist: Country Apple is my all time favorite Bath & Body Works scent so of course I would use this again! I better have every intention of using it again considering I have eight more of the mists in my hoard! I love all things apple scented and this crisp and bright body mist is just perfect. It took me about six months to finish this spray and I used it multiple times per day.

St. Ives Cleanser: Out of all of the St. Ives products in the world, their Apricot Cleanser is my favorite. I could use this every single day and not get sick of it. The scent is just delicious and the texture of this product is wonderful. It is the perfect amount of creamy and gritty so it scrubs away all of your imperfections without leaving your skin feeling raw or dried out. My skin felt so fresh, clean, and rejuvenated after using this cleanser and I wish I still had more of it! It took me about five weeks to finish this product.

MDW Lotion: My boyfriend got me this lotion for Christmas and I have to admit, I wasn’t a fan at first. If any of you are familiar with The Body Shop’s Absinthe line, then that is exactly what this lotion smells like. Unfortunately…I hated the Absinthe line! However, I began using the lotion and eventually the scent grew on me. Not only that, but it absorbed so nicely and left my skin feeling so good that I was legitimately disappointed when I finished it. The packaging is so precious that I didn’t want to part with it, so I filled it with hand soap so I can continue to admire it! It took me about three weeks to finish this lotion.

TopCare Makeup Remover: This eye makeup remover is one of my old faithful products. It is fragrance free – which is important to me. AND it’s effective – which is even more important to me! This makeup remover has been part of my daily beauty routine for the past four to five months and not a day went by where it didn’t do its job well.

TBS Body Butter: Vineyard Peach is one of my absolute favorite TBS scents. To make this sweet scent even better, I got it for a steal at TJMaxx for six bucks as opposed to the usual twenty-one! Everyone knows that TBS body butter is the best so I won’t go into detail about how amazing it is. Rather, I will say that body butter is the literal best thing that you can give to your legs after you shaved. Vineyard Peach kept my legs prickle free for the better part of a week and that’s seriously amazing! It took me about three weeks to finish this product and I miss it every day!

August left me with a fabulous list of finishes because I loved all of my empties and would definitely use every single one of them again! Each product worked extremely well and I thoroughly enjoyed using all of them. This has been my best month for finishes in a long time and I’m happy that I got a lot of bang for my buck with each of my empties!

So there you have it, my August Finishes! What products have you used up this month? Has anyone used any of my August empties before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

Bath & Body Works August Freebie

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Bath & Body Works August Freebie

Hey everyone and happy Monday! So I know I just recently wrote about my July Bath & Body Works Freebie but they have been hooking it up with their coupons lately so I already got to cash in on two free products for the month of August. I received another free full sized item coupon as well as a free travel sized product and I was eager to put them to good use! Take a look at my freebie picks for this month and then let’s discuss:

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As you guys already know, Love & Sunshine is one of my B&BW favorites. Since I have wrote about it so frequently before, I don’t plan on saying anything else about it other than that it’s fabulous! Instead, I’m here today to talk about the deliciousness that is their Summer Marshmallow scent from their Beach Nights collection. I decided on this scent on a whim and I am so glad I did because I am simply gaga over it.

While browsing the beautiful, newly remodeled B&BW in my area, I thought I knew what I wanted for my free full sized item. I planned on going for their Limoncello lotion because last month I was debating on getting it but settled for a full sized Pretty As A Peach cream instead. I had the bottle of Limoncello lotion in hand and decided to spend a few more minutes perusing the store to get an idea of what scent I want for next month’s freebie.

This is when I stumbled on the Summer Marshmallow fragrance. As soon as I read the label, I immediately thought to myself, “ew”. I hate marshmallows so I made the assumption that this lotion was going to smell nasty. WRONG. I took one whiff of Summer Marshmallow and instantly put the Limoncello lotion back to its proper place on the shelf. This. Lotion. Smelled. AMAZING!

The Summer Marshmallow cream smelled nothing like the sugary scent that I had in mind, thank god! This lotion smelled like toasted vanilla, the salty ocean breeze, and a campfire that is lightly smoldering after a huge bonfire. All you had to do was take one sniff of the fragrance and you could tell exactly what they were trying to do with this scent. B&BW created the aroma of an ideal Beach Night in a bottle. A night under the stars, with a warm and gooey s’more in hand, and the ocean waves lapping in the distance. It is just perfect.

Normally, I never go for a scent like what I described (even though I made it sound delicious!) because I am such a lover of fruity fragrances. But obviously, B&BW’s Summer Marshmallow is the exception. I one hundred and fifty percent recommend this fragrance to everyone. If you are in need of ideas for future presents, I suggest making a gift basket with this Bath & Body Works fragrance along with all of the fixings to make a fresh batch of s’mores.

You can shop the Beach Nights collection in stores and online, just make sure to include your email address so you can snag Bath & Body Works freebie coupons, too! What is your favorite B&BW scent? What is your must have summer fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Pretty please check out my MyLikes page and help me get paid! THANKS. 🙂

Jul30

July Finishes

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July Finishes

Hello everyone and happy weekend! The month of July has been an uber busy one and it left me with only two measly finishes. Although I only got through two products this month, I was happy because they were both fantastic. Take a look at my empties and then let’s discuss:

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Would I Use It Again?

  • Softsoap Citrus Splash & Berry Fusion shower gel: YES
  • VU Skin System Hydrating Body Lotion: YES

Why/Why Not?

Softsoap Shower Gel: I absolutely freaking LOVED this body wash. Softsoap gels always lather really well which is something that I like a lot. But, most importantly, the Citrus Splash & Berry Fusion scent was to die for. It seriously smelled like blue raspberry lemonade and it was the best scent to wake up to every morning. Sadly, I finished this body wash within a month because I used it as bubble bath soap and may or may not have put an obnoxious amount in the tub each time. -_-

VU Lotion: This lotion was SO NICE!! My mom and I actually got this for free with a purchase of a VU skin care product months ago and I was happy to finally get around to using it. The lotion is so light that it absorbs almost instantly and it left my skin feeling so fresh and velvety smooth. The best part about this lotion, though, was that it was unscented and the actual product stayed true to that. I cannot tell you the amount of times that a fragrance free product that I have tried has a scent to it. It was really refreshing to use a lotion that stayed true to its claim and left my skin feeling beautiful, to boot! I finished this lotion in about two weeks.

I am so pleased with my small but mighty list of July empties. Both products were successful because 1) I enjoyed using them. And 2) I would definitely use them again!

So there you have it, my July Finishes! What products have you guys finished up this month? What beauty or skin care product do you need to restock? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

Bath & Body Works July Freebie

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Bath & Body Works July Freebie

Hey everyone and TGIF! This month’s Bath & Body Works Freebie was a good one because the coupon was for a full sized product! This was very exciting for me because 1) Who doesn’t love free? And 2) A full sized product means lots of choices to pick from. I went with their Pretty as a Peach body cream which was a thirteen dollar value that I didn’t pay a penny for. Check out the adorable packaging for my new lotion steal and let’s discuss:

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My favorite fragrance when it comes to perfume is anything apple scented. However, my favorite scent when it comes to bath and body care is, hands down, peach! I live for the Vineyard Peach body butter from The Body Shop (In fact, I’m using it right now!), so when I saw a peach scent from B&BW that I didn’t even know existed, I was stoked. What I really like about peach scented products is that it’s the perfect combination of a sweet and fruity fragrance. Peach scented anything walks the fine line between too sweet for my preference and just right and I friggen love it for that.

Bath & Body Works’ Pretty as a Peach scent is dangerously close to crossing the line to something that I don’t care for. However, this was redeemed by the fact that Pretty as a Peach is a really unique take on a peach scented product. Instead of being solely peach scented, Pretty as a Peach has a lot of really interesting fruit and floral undertones. These include vanilla orchid, apple blossom, and jasmine.

Normally, I despise really floral-y fragrances. I like scents that are tart and have a little bit of bite to them so I am kind of shocked that I like my new lotion as much as I do because the floral undertones in it are really evident. I still really like the scent despite this because it smells like total and one hundred percent summer. It will be really nice to break this lotion out on a cold fall or winter day and be reminded of sweet summertime thanks to the juicy peach and fresh floral combination that is Pretty as a Peach.

If you are a fan of sweet, fruity, floral, or all three fragrances, then I definitely recommend this B&BW scent. Pretty as a Peach is a light and lovely fragrance that will keep you in a summertime spirit all year long. You can shop on Bath & Body Works’ website to check out Pretty as a Peach and all of their other fun and fabulous products!

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

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