Tag Archives: guest blog

Jun9

Shoes Muse: Follow Your Heart, Not Fads

Posted on June 9, 2016 by lifewithlilred

Hi everyone and welcome to another vacation guest post brought to you by the beautiful Tara over at Tarabells. If there’s one thing that Tara and I know, it’s that girls love shoes. So what better way to pay tribute to every female’s undying love for all things heels, flats, booties, and wedges than discussing some super cute summer footwear trends? Please take a look at Tara’s blog because it’s absolutely fantastic and then enjoy this post that she created special for my lifewithlilred readers:

Shoes Muse: Follow Your Heart, Not Fads

I’ll be the first to admit, when I read a trendy fashion blog post about the hottest thing this season (aka lace-up ballet flats) I turn into Cookie Monster (“me WANT!”). But so often what’s ‘in’ turns out to be uncomfortable, forgettable the next year, incompatible with most of our wardrobe, or worst of all – guilt inducing to wear out (I think this is because deep in our hearts we know shopping should be more of a thoughtful ritual and less of a hasty catharsis).

One thing I have been hasty with is SHOES. So this year I did something different. Instead of vacant online perusing and clicking, I decided to visit stores in person A LOT. I did my research and took mental notes. I read four fashion books, yes, FOUR (I will share at the end of this article). I journaled about my personal style and asked myself what makes me unique.

I’m nowhere near done with this process; even the fashion gurus say finding your own style takes time. But I did gather a nice assortment of summer shoes that I’m happy with so far! Here’s the lineup:

Navy Print Keds: SO unbelievably cute, casual, and COMFORTABLE. These will go with just about anything in your wardrobe. And you don’t even have to wear socks, for crying out loud (as long as you’ve got foot powder)! I like them so much because I can take the dog for a walk and my feet still feel adorable.

Vintage Cowboy Boots: These warm my heart because they were purchased at a local music store next to a bar that I used to play music at frequently. There’s nothing like a pair of cowboy boots to hold all of those Kentucky memories of summer nights in the dive bar with no A/C, sharing crappy beer and original songs!

Kitten Heels: Sometimes you find the best things when you’re not looking. These sexy kitten heels peeked out at me from the size 10s and 11 section (I wear a size 7 1/2 or 8!). Somehow they got misplaced and how on earth I was able to spot the tiny size 8 tag I will never know. I guess their magnetism just drew me to them!

Green Goddess Sandals: Ha, well that’s what I call them. They represent everything about me that’s ME. They aren’t really trendy at all. They’re well worn (bought from a local used clothing store). They are bright green (one of my favorite colors!). And most of all, my feet feel good in them. I especially love that they add a little pop of color and make a basic outfit chic!

Jewel Encrusted Sandals: I have had my eye on this style for years…it started when I read about them in a Paris Street Style book. Mystical as they were, to wear anything with gems, sparkles, or jewels felt foreign to me. Could I pull it off? Now I realize it’s less about ‘pulling it off’ and more about having fun. Go ahead and feel fancy from time to time – we all deserve that! FYI, you’ll be delighted to know that they did not cost a fortune – these babies were thrifted for six bucks!

Thanks so much for reading. Click here for a lil’ freebie (it was a grad school project that involves fashion and I now give it away on my site). Cheers!

^^^ LOVE IT! I can’t thank Tara enough for creating such an amazing post for lifewithlilred. It was so much fun being able to see her gorgeous pics and what she thought about each shoe and I’m very thankful to be able to host such brilliance on my page! Please be sure to check out Tara’s blog if you’re interested in more posts like this one! What is your favorite type of shoe to wear? How about least favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun8

What’s In My Purse?

Posted on June 8, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a What’s In My Purse? guest blog compliments of Miss Rehma from Glamorous Etoiles. Rehma is one of my regulars here on lifewithlilred and I am always so happy when she joins me on my page. Working with Rehma is such a joy and I just love her blog so please be sure to check it out! Now let’s find out what Rehma keeps in her bag when she’s on the go this summer:

What’s In My Purse?

Pop or water
Victoria’s Secret body mist
Victoria’s Secret moisturizer
Rimmel Stay Matte foundation
ABH That Glow palette
Baby Lips chapstick
Hand sanitizer
Powder brush
Sunglasses
Books

I love that Rehma has books at the ready to toss into her bag and hit the beach. She’s definitely a woman after my own heart! I also think that she’s brilliant for keeping some matte-fying foundation handy to freshen up with in the summer heat. Even though girls don’t sweat, they glisten (duh!) – we all need a little touch up from time to time!

Thanks again to Rehma from Glamorous Etoiles for emptying out her summer tote for my readers! What do you keep at the ready in your purse? What item can you not leave the house without? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun6

Accidental Lip Facelift

Posted on June 6, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hi everyone and welcome to a guest post from my friend, Lori, over at The Bluntist! As all of you know, I am on vacation right now and am lucky enough to have such amazing blogging friends to help maintain lifewithlilred while I’m away! So without further ado, enjoy a hilarious post from the beautiful Lori, with a guest appearance by tequila:

Accidental Lip Facelift

On Saturday we invited 30 of our closest friends over to celebrate my husband’s birthday. At a loss for what to drink, I opted to just do tequila shots all night long. I figured it would save me all the calories I would be consuming if I had selected a mixed drink or beer. After shot number 4 or 5 my lips felt crazy chapped. I felt like the 9 year old kid back at summer camp with the super chapped and peeling lips, except mine weren’t visibly chapped, they just felt like they were. I kept looking in the mirror and they looked plump and I didn’t need lip gloss. I kept up with the tequila shots.

The next day, I kept applying coconut and olive oil because Vaseline and Carmex weren’t cutting it. Come Monday, I was irritated and told myself that I would moisturize for one more day before taking to my lips with a toothbrush to exfoliate them. Patience has never been my strong suit so I grabbed a tissue and gave my lower lip a swift wipe right to left and then dragged the tissue left to right over my top lip. Instantly dead skin flaked off my lips and they were left feeling softer than a baby’s behind! What the hell had just happened?

Months ago, I had stumbled upon an easy natural-ish one ingredient cleanse and it appears that I’ve now discovered another easy natural one ingredient lip facelift! Here are the easy steps on how to rejuvenate your lips.

Directions:

1. Cut up fresh limes into wedges.

2. Fill shot glass with Patron Silver.

3. Take the shot of Patron Silver and follow up by sucking on a lime wedge.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 numerous times.

5. When your lips begin feeling chapped, begin moisturizing with Vaseline, coconut oil, olive oil, or any other lip moisturizer. Do this for 24-36 hours.

6. Swipe a tissue swiftly across your lips. Wipe away the flaky dead layer of lip skin. Is lip skin technically a thing?

7. Enjoy your new soft supple lips….. compliments of my accidental lime lip facelift!

You’re welcome!

^^^ So funny! This is one beauty hack that I definitely don’t mind trying! Thanks again to the always wonderful, Lori! Please make sure to check her page out at The Bluntist and give it some love! Also, remember to tune in tomorrow for another guest post here on lifewithlilred! Much love. -Sarah

Jun5

Summer Body Workout

Posted on June 5, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hi everyone and welcome to another guest blog compliments of the lovely Jess over at Acorn Life & Fitness. I am so freaking excited about this post because lifewithlilred has never had a workout themed anything because I don’t workout! I was thrilled when I learned that Jess was a fitness guru and had her create a workout regimen special for my readers to get that perfect summer bod. Check out Jess’s post and then please be sure to give her page some love!

Summer Body Workout

When it comes to burning fat there’s only one way to do it: cardio. Unfortunately, I despise cardio with a passion so I’m always looking for ways around it. So far, I’ve found that doing a HIIT style cardio workout is the best way to burn as much fat as possible in a short amount of time, while also toning up! HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training so, like the name suggests, it’s short bursts of really hard work. For me, it’s better than going for a run or sweating it out on the cross trainer for 40 minutes because you can be done a lot quicker and you tend to get faster results.

The whole idea of HIIT training is to do an exercise for a short amount of time at full force and then move straight onto the next exercise. It’s pretty hard to get bored of what you’re doing which is a huge bonus for me!

This is a HIIT style cardio workout that I’ve designed. It can be adapted to your wants/needs but it’s a good place to start! You want to do each exercise with as much intensity as you can (while going at your own pace!) and try to only take a 30 second to 1 minute break between circuits. If you need to take more/longer breaks, then do. There’s no need to hurt yourself. But if you can, try not to rest during a circuit. I’ve put a step-by-step description of how to do each exercise at the bottom of the post if you’re unsure about how to do any of them!

I’m going to be making a series of these HIIT style workouts on my blog (targeted at core, upper, and lower body) so if you’re interested in trying out the different routines check it out!

Circuit One:

2 mins jog in place

1 min jumping jacks

2 mins jog in place

30 sec burpees

Circuit Two:

2 mins jog in place

1 min in and outs

2 mins jog in place

30 sec squat jumps

Circuit Three:

2 mins jog in place

1 min in and outs

2 mins jog in place

30 sec burpees

Circuit Four:

2 mins jog in place

1 min fast feet

2 mins jog in place

30 sec squat jumps

How to Safely do Each Exercise:

Jog in Place – Gently jog on the spot, you’ll get tired of this quite quickly so don’t push yourself too hard!

Jumping Jacks – Also known as star jumps, start standing with feet together and hands by your side. Jump into the air and land with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and hands swept up in the air and repeat.

Burpees – Starting in a standing position, crouch down to the floor with your hands and jump feet out into plank position (hands and feet on the floor with back straight). Now, lift feet back into crouching position and stand. Repeat as many times as you can in the time given.

In and Outs – Sitting on the floor, lift your legs off the floor and out in front of you (bend at the knees to make it easier) and rest your hands on the floor to support you. Your body should be in a ‘V’ shape with only your bum and hands touching the floor. To make the ‘in and out’ action, bring your knees and chest together and then back out again.

Squat Jumps – Start standing, feet shoulder width apart and hands out in front of you for balance. Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor (remember to stick your bum out!!) and then jump as high as you can. This all should be one swift motion.

Fast Feet – This is essentially just jogging in place REALLY fast. Like the name says, move your feet as fast as you can. You don’t need to lift your knees high!

^^^ Wasn’t that awesome? I so enjoyed working with Jess and am so impressed with how her guest post turned out. Once again, please take the time to look at Jess’s page at Acorn Life & Fitness. You won’t be disappointed! What is your workout routine (or lack-thereof)? What is your secret to staying in shape? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun4

Summer Time MOTD

Posted on June 4, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hi everyone and welcome to a drop dead gorgeous Summer Time MOTD guest blog by my darling friend, Reeva, at Beauty By Reeva. Miss Reeva is the queen of all things beauty and makeup so I am so excited to be able to house her here on lifewithlilred for the day. While emailing back and forth, we decided that her post should be a bright and fun MOTD perfect for a sunny summer day. Obviously, she aced it! Please be sure to give her page some love and enjoy the guest post that she created special for my readers:

Summer Time MOTD

Hey beauties! Summer time is all about fun and colorful MOTDs. It’s time to work that gorgeous summer glow, wind swept hair, and pop of color makeup. Here is my version of a bright makeup look using pinks and blue:

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Makeup Used:

Eyes: Sephora Eyeshadow Palette, colors are indicated in the pic
Lashes: Eyelure #117
Brows: Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set
Cheeks: MAC Cosmetics, Warm Soul
Highlight: MAC Cosmetics, Global Glow
Lips: Inglot #64 mixed with #56 lip paint
Body: The Body Shop, Honey Bronze

My face makeup is usually very light as we tend to sweat a bit (gross I know) when the heat is up. I stick to my concoction of mixing one of my favorite concealers, MAC Prolong Wear, with my moisturizer. I’ve been doing this for years as opposed to wearing a heavy, full coverage foundation which will slip and slide off of my face within minutes. This combination gives me a full coverage and bullet proof foundation without the fear of my makeup melting off. I know that I used Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream but I would recommend a moisturizer that contains SPF.

This look required minimum products because the focus is on the colorful eyeshadow which is what makes it fun. Oh, and don’t forget the highlight which I go a bit heavier on than usual to achieve that fresh, glowing appearance.
Hope you enjoyed this makeup look!
Thank you Sarah for featuring me on your wonderful blog and I hope that you have the best vacation ever!!!
Thanks for stopping by! 😊

^^^ I want to thank Reeva for creating such an amazing post for my vacation guest bloggers series. And can we please talk about how beautiful she looks?! Once again, make sure you check out her page at Beauty By Reeva – you won’t be disappointed! What are your favorite summer makeup trends? What is your favorite bright colored eyeshadow to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun3

Mascara Battle: Who Won? Who’s Next? You Decide!

Posted on June 3, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Mascara Battle: Who Won? Who’s Next? You Decide!

Hello everyone and welcome to the very first post to kick start my vacation guest bloggers series! While I am away, my blogging friends will come out to play by helping me maintain lifewithlilred until I return. Today’s post is from the gorgeous Gintare from Saturday On Wednesday.

Gintare knew the way to my heart by referencing The Hunger Games in her initial email and from then on it was a beautiful collaboration. My guest blogger today told me about her idea of doing a Mascara Battle for her post and I told her to do the damn thing! The article that Gintare created is freaking awesome and her blog is even better so please be sure to check it out! Without further ado, here is the guest post that Gintare created special for my readers here on lifewithlilred:

Mascara Battle: Who Won? Who’s Next? You Decide!

We start with five mascaras, but only one will be the winner! Aka I bought these so you wouldn’t have to. These scores are just a reflection on how I felt about them. But if a mascara is performing well on my close-to-nothing lashes, chances are they will do well for you, too.

I am pleased to present the following mascaras for you to judge:

Better Than Sex by Too Faced – £17

♦ Length 7/10 ♦ Volume 7/10 ♦ Curl 8/10 ♦ Ease of use 9/10 ♦ Lower lash 8/10 ♦ Blackness 6/10 ♦ Best at separating the lashes. ♦ For everyday use. Very lightweight, non- committing lashes that would suit most day looks. However some lashes looked misshapen.

Tarteist Lash Paint by Tarte – £18

♦ Length 8/10 ♦ Volume 7/10 ♦ Curl 8/10 ♦ Ease of use 7/10 ♦ Lower lash 7/10 ♦ Blackness 8/10 ♦ Best at length. ♦ Natural to casual wear. Good for length, not so much for volume. I don’t have either so I do need both. 😦

O!Mega Lash Volumizing Mascara by Mark Jacobs – £20

♦ Length 9/10 ♦ Volume 8/10 ♦ Curl 8/10 ♦ Ease of use 8/10 ♦ Lower lash 10/10 ♦ Blackness 9/10 ♦ Best at a little bit of everything. ♦ Very natural yet pronounced. Actually buildable to a more night appropriate look. Easy to take off but stays all day.

Ubame by Milk Makeup – £17

♦ Length 8.5/10 ♦ Volume 6/10 ♦ Curl 9/10 ♦ Ease of use 7/10 ♦ Lower lash 8/10 ♦ Blackness 7/10 ♦ Best at curling. ♦ This a very subtle mascara, perfect for the ‘no makeup’ makeup look, not so perfect for anything else. Pretty brush though, so there’s that.

Triple Shot Mascara by Ciate – £19.50

♦ Length 8/10 ♦ Volume 7/10 ♦ Curl 8/10 ♦ Ease of use 5/10 ♦ Lower lash 5/10 ♦ Blackness 10/10 ♦ Best at color pay off. ♦ This is hands down the messiest mascara I have ever tried. Don’t even attempt the lower lashes because you’ll just end up smearing this everywhere. The color is really opaque and it might be really nice for people who like clumpy mascaras. More dramatic than the rest of them but the messiness put me off.

For me, the winner was definitely Mark Jacobs. It had the most satisfying effect on my lashes with a very stress free application. I was expecting Better Than Sex to steal the show, as I’ve heard so much about how life revolutionizing it is. What can I say, it wasn’t better than sex after all. 😦

Who won for you? What do you want to see battling next?

Pssst: Sneak peak to the next one! Recognize some?

Thanks for reading,

❤ Gx

^^^ Okay. That was amazing. Gintare, you are a beauty goddess and I absolutely adore you for this post! If you loved this guest blog as much as I did, then PLEASE check out Saturday On Wednesday for more! What mascara do you think won the battle? What do you want to see Gintare try out next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun2

Away On Vaca

Posted on June 2, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone! I will be taking my vacation hiatus starting tomorrow and will not be available until the twelth. “Does this mean there won’t be blog posts on your page while you’re gone?” you might ask. The answer is NO because I have organized a vacation guest bloggers series for while I’m away. These posts were created special for all of my readers by new and old blogging friends and are there for your enjoyment until I return.

My guest bloggers have created some really fantastic articles for you guys and I just know that you’re going to love them. All of these guests will always have a home on lifewithlilred if they so choose and I hope that all of you will make them feel welcome on my page!

“Does this mean we’re not going to hear from you at all while you’re gone?” you might ask. The answer is NO because I will have access to WiFi at the cabin my family will be staying in. I will check in on the blog from time to time but for substantial vacation updates, you can find me on my personal Facebook page! I will be posting pictures, statuses, and the good ol’ Twistfire ads so please feel free to follow me on there for lots of vaca fun!

I hope all of you have a super fabulous time while I’m away and I look forward to hearing from all of you when I return! Ta ta for now because I’m off to North Carolina, baby! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Sorry I’ve been MIA these past few days – my summer classes, internship, and job with NCI has taken over my lifeeeeeeee!

May29

DIY Summer Festival Style

Posted on May 29, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to an amazing arts and crafts guest blog by my talented friend, Emma, at Randomina. My guest blogger that was originally scheduled for today bailed on me and I was getting antsy as to what I would do since I promised a guest blog for every Sunday of May to my beloved readers. Luckily, an email from Emma shined like a beacon of hope and she was able to create a simply fantastic tie-dye tutorial post.

I am so appreciative to Emma for making this post on a time crunch and am so pleased to be able to house her on lifewithlilred for the day. I encourage all of you to check her blog out – I assure you that you won’t be disappointed! Now, take a look at the post that Miss Emma created special for all of my lifewithlilred readers:

DIY Summer Festival Style

Hello everyone! My name is E from Randomina, I do make up and clothing tutorials along with designing and manufacturing my own textile works while blogging part-time. I thank Sarah of Lil Red very much for having me as her guest blogger today as she is going away on holiday. This gave me the inspiration to teach you four fabric dying styles, three from the Japanese art called Shibouri, to have a fun and creative way to a Coachella Chic wardrobe at your fingertips!

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You Need:

1 bucket/container of water
2 gloves (plastic or rubber will do)
Dye packets/tie-dye kits
Paint brushes
Elastics
A bundle of pebbles
A finished toilet paper roll
The garment you want to customize (in my case fabric samples)

Tutorial 1- Arashi/Pole Wrapping: Wrap the garment around the toilet roll and secure with elastics. Use as many bands as you please but when wrapping, scrunch as you go along to wrinkle it. Whatever dyes you are using PLEASE be careful as some dye packets can be harmful to the skin. And, of course, follow the instructions on how to make your color and how to store it. After you make your color, put a portion of it in your container (small doses makes the color pale) and mix it with your brush and then paint your color on your “pole” and leave to dry.

Tutorial 2- Kumo/Pebbles: Take the garment and the pebbles and place the pebbles in any way you like with the garment on top. Pull the pebble through and trap it in place with an elastic until the whole garment is covered in the “pebble pattern”. Get your brush and paint on the pebble silhouette and on the elastic around it. Take your time and when you’re done, leave it to dry.

Tutorial 3- Itajime/Folding: Fold your garment like an accordion until it becomes a small square or rectangle. Secure the bundle with elastics. With your container of dye you can (unless you want to have a delicate pattern) put the garment in the container and evenly coat it in dye. Take off the bands and unfold when dried.

Tutorial 4- Twisty Stripes: Hold a corner of the garment and twist tightly and secure with bands as you go. You can submerge the garment in the container or you can paint as many colors as you wish sparingly. Wait until dried.

**Note: When washing your creations, rinse after the dying with cold water until it runs clear. Once it’s dried, it will be ready to wear. Wash it individually in a normal machine 2-3 times before mixing it in with the rest of your clothes.

Thank you for tuning in today! If you liked that tutorial, I also have a few other crafts that you might enjoy on my blog. See you later! Loads of love and happy crafting!

^^^ So. Much. Fun! I loved Emma’s cool new take on tie-dye and I hope that all of you enjoyed it, too. Again, please venture to Randomina for more from the lovely Emma! What is your favorite summer craft? Who plans on following the steps that Emma provided to create their own hand dyed fabrics? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May25

Vacation Guest Bloggers Update

Posted on May 25, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! There has been a change in the lineup for my vacation guest bloggers series because I had to 86 two bloggers from the list. However, thanks to my wonderful friends in the blogging world, I was able to fill their spaces with two of my previous guest bloggers on lifewithlilred. The new lineup will feature Miss Rehma from Glamorous Etoiles on the 8th and Tara from Tarabells on the 9th.

I want to thank Rehma and Tara so much for being willing to create an article for the series on a time crunch. They are total lifesavers and I’m so happy to have been able to add them to the lineup. But I’m even happier to have them as my blogging friends! You two are so amazing and I can’t wait to have you both featured on my page again. Let’s give a round of applause to these supergirls, shall we?

May22

Summer Beauty Essentials

Posted on May 22, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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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!

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.

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.

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.

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

	oliveunicorn on Labubu Or Lafufu?!
	lifewithlilred on Labubu Or Lafufu?!
	oliveunicorn on Labubu Or Lafufu?!
	lifewithlilred on Bath & Body Works February…
	Dear Quiet on Bath & Body Works February…