Tag Archives: garnier

Feb28

February 2023 Finishes

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February 2023 Finishes

Hello!! How is another month of 2023 already over?! Hey, I’m not mad about the winter months flying by; I’m ready for springtime, baby! As always, we will be wrapping up the month with my beauty finishes and then it is onto a brand new month of fun here on lifewithlilred. Keep it posted for new OOTDs, bloopers, and product reviews coming soon! Now, let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Garnier Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Happy Birthday Shower Gel: MAYBE

Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm: YES!!!!!

SpaLife Vitamin C Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: I am a faithful user of the shower gels from Bath & Body Works. I love how well they lather and the formula leaves my skin feeling so hydrated. The Happy Birthday scent just wasn’t my favorite and I’m glad that I had a travel size of it because I got tired of it pretty quickly. At first, the vanilla cake fragrance was awesome and then it started smelling almost sickly sweet. I would use it again if I received it as a gift, but I wouldn’t buy it or use a freebie coupon on it. It took me three weeks of daily use to finish the bottle.

Pacifica Lip Balm: As per my recent review, you will know how much I freaking LOVE the Rainbow Watermelon lip balm by Pacifica. Check out that post for all of my thoughts on it because it is the best lip balm I have ever used. I cannot wait for my multipack to ship and plan on using them exclusively. Why mess with perfection?!

SpaLife Moisturizer: It took me close to a month of twice daily use to finish the Vitamin C moisturizer by SpaLife. During that time, I really did want to like it. However, it was a good moisturizer but not great and I was ready to try something new. The gel texture was nice and my skin looked slightly more radiant after using it, but I wasn’t blown away by the results. I’m glad that I tried it out, but I wouldn’t purchase it again.

Overall, it was a pretty alright month for finishes because I got to use up some lackluster products and move onto new ones. It’s also good to know which ones aren’t worth buying again and sharing my findings with all of you! See you all next month! 😉

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

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Jan28

January 2023 Finishes

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January 2023 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the first beauty finishes post of the new year! I used up a lot of new to me products this past month and also got a lot more to try out from TJMaxx thanks to my Christmas gift cards. 😀 My beauty hoard runneth over! We have much to discuss from our empties roundup for January so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

SpaScriptions Scrub: I started using the SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar Scrub at the beginning of November and it took me until the end of January to finish it. At five dollars for the bottle, it was a great value and you only needed a small amount for full coverage on the face and neck. I liked this scrub because it was gentle enough to use every day. It was really creamy in texture with only the slightest touch of exfoliant and it smelled as sweet as candy. My skin felt well hydrated and looked radiant after every use and it is a perfect scrub for the cold winter months.

SpaLife Serum: It took me about six weeks to finish the SpaLife Hyaluronic Pearl Serum and I was unimpressed by it. The pink hyaluronic pearls were pretty and that was pretty much all that this serum had going for it. The SpaLife serum was quite runny in texture and I never noticed a difference one way or the other in how my skin looked or felt. While I love a longer lasting product, this serum missed the mark completely and I definitely wouldn’t use it again.

Elf Sleep Mask: I was so excited about the Elf Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask when I got it because sleeping masks are my fave. Using them is literally the easiest way to achieve great skin because all you have to do is go to bed! It took me about three weeks of every other day use to finish the Elf mask and I thought that it was a massive dud. I was expecting ultra soft and hydrated skin every morning when I woke up and that was never the case. In fact, my skin felt better after returning to my normal nightly skin care routine.

Clinique Eye Cream: My aunt gave me a makeup bag full of Clinique skin care samples and I couldn’t wait to test them out because I have never used Clinique products before. The moisturizer and serum that I tried didn’t blow me away but I actually really liked the Smart Clinical Repair Eye Cream. It took me two weeks of twice daily use to complete the tester jar and a little of the product went a long way. After each use, I noticed that the skin around my eyes looked so much better and brighter. This eye cream helped diminish my designer bags and I definitely didn’t look as tired as I felt! If I got this eye cream for a good deal, I would probably buy it. However, I still wouldn’t pay a full price tag for it so it is a “maybe” for me.

SkinLab Moisturizer: I like the SkinLab brand and purchased the Hydra Moisturizer during a past TJs haul. I was expecting a good experience with this moisturizer because I am familiar with the brand and that, unfortunately, wasn’t the case. It took me three weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar because a lot of moisturizer was required to fully cover the face and neck. For value’s sake alone, I wouldn’t buy this moisturizer again. It also did nothing for my skin to improve its appearance or feel so this is a big fat no from me!

Although there were a fair amount of duds in this month of empties, there were several winners too. Whether I would buy the product again or not, it’s always fun to pamper myself and my skin felt surprisingly well taken care of regardless of the chill and snow!

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

May31

May 2022 Finishes

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May 2022 Finishes

Hi everyone! It’s the end of May already and that means that it’s time to check out my monthly beauty finishes. While I didn’t use up too much this month, I am super happy about it because I can now finally use more products from a big TJMaxx skin care haul. There’s also nothing more satisfying to me than fully using up a product… I imagine it’s a lot like actually finishing a tube of chapstick lol! Let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Radiance Serum: Prior to purchasing a bunch of new serums during a TJMaxx haul, I was a faithful user of the Tree Of Life serums. Of course, I would still use those serums again but I was ready to try something different and I really liked the Pearlessence Radiance Perfecting serum. At about five dollars a bottle and a month and a half worth of twice daily use, it was a great value. I also think my skin benefited from it in the brightness department.

If you use this serum, just be careful because it is very thin in texture. You will have to cup your hand just so to prevent it from spilling and a little bit of it will go a long way.

Elf Eye Cream: The Holy Hydration! eye cream by Elf is another product that I have been using for quite some time now. Like the Tree Of Life serums, I would definitely use it again but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try something new and I am loving the Vital Beauty eye cream that I am currently using. That’s not to say that the Holy Hydration eye cream is a bad product because it has served me well.

The Elf eye cream is an amazing value at around ten bucks a pop and at least three months of twice daily use. It sits well under makeup and helped to decrease puffiness and under eye circles. I would never turn down a jar and still highly recommend it!

Olay Moisturizer: I really liked the Double Action moisturizer by Olay and it served as both a primer and moisturizer. I was amazed at the difference of how my makeup looked when applying it after using this product – it was so much brighter and longer lasting! This moisturizer smelled amazing, was rich and creamy in texture, and absorbed quickly. It took me a little over a month to finish one jar.

After this month of finishes, it is out with the old and in with the new products! While pulling from my stock pile, I have noticed that it is dwindling so be on the lookout for a skin care haul soon. 😀

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

Feb28

February 2022 Finishes

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February 2022 Finishes

Hellooo everyone and happy last day of February! I don’t know about you guys but January seemed like it lasted a year and February went by in a week! Today, we will be wrapping up the month by discussing my beauty finishes and there are a lot of them so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

St. Ives Scrub: I love me a St. Ives scrub and, although there are reviews about how bad they are for your skin out there, I really don’t care lol. I have been using these scrubs for well over a decade now and have literally never had a problem with them. The Coconut & Coffee scrub is SO nice in the mornings and using it always made me feel much more alert and invigorated.

It took me twoish months to finish the bottle and I noticed a difference in my skin right away when I was no longer using it. My skin looked a little more tired and my pores felt clogged. I think I will have to incorporate a scrub as an all the time product in my beauty routine.

Innisfree Mask: I received this mask as a freebie from a Sephora haul and it has been sitting on my bathroom counter for months now. I finally decided to finish it a few days ago when I noticed that my skin was looking a bit lackluster. While I did think it helped clear my pores a little bit, I wasn’t blown away by any means and felt just as ambivalent as the first time I used it. I got three uses out of the travel size pot and would not bother using it again.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum: I haven’t been a fan of the Hyaluronic Acid serum by Tree Of Life since I got it in a multipack about a half a year ago and have been using it simply because I have it. Despite morning and night use, I never noticed a difference in how my skin looked or felt. It takes me about three or so weeks to finish one bottle and once I was done, I was eager to start using the Vitamin C one again. The Tree Of Life Vitamin C serum is one that I would definitely recommend and I always love seeing a difference in my skin’s brightness after just one use.

TBS Body Butters: I have been diligently chipping away at my travel size body butters from a Christmas gift and the Shea and Almond Milk & Honey were the last of them. They also happen to be two of my favorite product lines from The Body Shop. Their rich and creamy scents are so soothing and my winter skin has vastly improved from using them in terms of red and dryness. It took me about a week and a half to finish each mini jar with nightly use on my hands and areas with stretch marks.

Despite some duds in February’s beauty finishes, I am very happy with everything else. I am even happier to use more products from my beauty hoard, though, after all of these empties!

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

 

 

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

Oct16

Lil Red’s Must Have Beauty Products

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Lil Red’s Must Have Beauty Products

Hi! I consider myself to be a skin care fanatic. I have had a full fledged skin care routine since I was fifteen and I love testing out new products and revisiting old favorites. So, when my dear friend Libby over at Goddess Attainable emailed me about her upcoming post about her must have products, I just had to participate too! Today, we are going to look at some of my go to’s when it comes to skin and hair care. Let’s get to it:

IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm:

I received this product in a Sephora Play! box and it became an instant staple in my beauty routine when I straighten my hair. The IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm offers heat protection, decreases frizziness, and leaves my hair feeling silky smooth. The hair balm receives top marks from me because I don’t wash my hair at all and it never makes my hair oily or greasy, which is a huge necessity.

Ban Deodorant:

Who remembers Teen Spirit deodorant back in the day lol? As soon as I outgrew that sickeningly sweet deodorant, it was all about the unscented Ban roll on! Now, normally, I am a huge scent girl but I just can’t do it when it comes to deodorant. I have been using the Ban deodorant since my teens because it keeps me fresh all day long and doesn’t dry out my skin, either. Who wants dry armpits? Not me!

Bath & Body Works Lotion:

Wrapping up my nighttime skin care routine is not complete without a healthy dose of lotion afterwards. I cannot stand wearing lotion during the day time due to the texture and overpowering scents so I only wear it at night. I am currently working on the Portofino Pink Prosecco scent from Bath & Body Works, which I purchased during a semi-annual sale haul. This is one that you wouldn’t want to wear during the day, anyways, because it smells super boozy!

Garnier Micellar Water:

The Garnier Micellar Water has been a staple in my beauty hoard for the past several years. I use it as a makeup remover, toner, and clean my nose piercings with it too. I always keep several bottles handy at home and might have to restock more often! I have been trying to do Johnny’s makeup since our vacation and it has not gone very well so we have been going through a lot of micellar water. Practice makes perfect, though, and I’m confident that he’ll be rocking guyliner with the best of them soon!

Tree Of Life Vitamin C Serum:

Vitamin C serum has been an essential in my skin care routine since I was a teenager and I have just recently started using the Tree Of Life serum. I love Vitamin C serum because it makes my skin luminous and bright even on days when I feel dead tired. Both my morning and nighttime skin care routine has started with a Vitamin C serum for so long and I often wonder what my skin would look like without being such a dedicated user for over a decade.

e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Eye Cream:

More often that not, you can catch Lil Red using drugstore brands as you can see from several items on this list. I am nothing if not frugal when it comes to skin care and don’t believe in paying an arm and a leg for it. At about six dollars per jar, the e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Eye Cream is a true testament to that. This is the first time I have used this product and I plan on rebuying it again. At two months plus, I am still using the same jar. It is so gentle on the sensitive skin that it targets and I feel like my designer eye bags have decreased too. 😀

Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue Gel Cream:

I have been using the Garnier SkinActive moisturizers since the beginning of the pandemic and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. You simply cannot beat the price at eight or so dollars per jar for such an effective product. The Moisture Rescue gel cream absorbs quickly, sits well under makeup, and leaves my skin feeling so nourished and soft. With twice daily use, I typically finish one jar per month which is also a great value.

Thank you so much again to Libby from Goddess Attainable for inviting me to join in on her beauty post. And, keep it posted, because we will be talking makeup must haves soon on lifewithlilred! ❤

What are some of your beauty staples? What is your favorite skin care brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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