Tag Archives: haul

Jul2

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Posted on July 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Howdy!! Although I wasn’t able to get everything I wanted from the Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale, I still did pretty well for myself. Thanks to promotions and a birthday gift card, I only spent forty dollars for twenty products and you can’t beat that. I was keeping my fingers crossed that I could get a bunch of the foaming hand soaps as they are tried and true staples in my apartment. The selection was slim pickings by the time I shopped the sale, but I did manage to find a couple as well as an awesome deal on hand sanitizer. I got a five pack for two dollars which was a total score! Check it out:

Would I Use Again?

Firecracker Pop: YES

Wild For You: YES

Bright Summer Days: MAYBE

Mahogany Teakwood Hand Sanitizer: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Firecracker Pop & Wild For You: One of the classic B&BW tricks is that they will recycle the same scent with a different name and packaging. Hence, why we are discussing Firecracker Pop and Wild For You together. As I took a whiff of each scent, I found them to be very similar. Then, I looked at the back and the scent description of “Red cherry, fresh citrus, and juicy berry” was almost a perfect match. The only difference being that Firecracker Pop offered juicy berry and Wild For You featured frozen berry. So, in other words, a perfect match lol.

I like this scent well enough so it’s a good thing I have two of them. However, I would have went for a different scent had I realized I was buying two of the same products. Both options smell exactly like a Bomb Pop and is delightfully reminiscent of summer. Something that I don’t love, though, is the slightly medicinal after scent from the cherries. It’s not terrible, but it does smell like straight up cough syrup if you are looking hard enough for it!

Bright Summer Days: Shopping for fragrances online is, of course, a difficult thing to do. When I am online shopping with B&BW, I never pay too much attention to the scent description because it could be hit or miss regardless of what I end up picking. Had I done my Semi Annual Sale haul in stores, I would have skipped over Bright Summer Days but it’s not the absolute worst. This scent features notes of “Coconut milk, sunny starfruit, and warm sands”. I can’t speak for the starfruit or sand, but the coconut is there!

I wouldn’t say coconut is one of my favorite scents but I am especially partial to the Coconut line from The Body Shop. It is such a pure fragrance without anything else mixed in. Knowing that the B&BW coconut isn’t nearly as good is enough to make me not like it too much. If the price is right, however, I would probably still buy it again.

Hand Sanitizer: I really like the hand sanitizers from B&BW. Yes, the scents are always nice. The best part, though, is how they don’t dry out my hands like other sanitizers have done before. The Mahogany Teakwood five pack of sani was the only option available online and I went for it. I knew Johnny would appreciate the manly scent and even if it’s one I normally wouldn’t use for myself, it was an excellent deal. As far as the scent goes, have you ever smelled Old Spice products? It is literally just that lol. I will keep one handy in my purse but I will be purchasing more hand sanitizer in a scent that I actually like the next time I go shopping!

This Hand Soap Haul wasn’t the best and that’s okay. Although the scents weren’t all slam dunks, I got what I needed and got it for a song. Not too shabby!

Did you shop the Semi Annual Sale? What is a scent that you can’t stand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Posted on July 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! Something that I always look forward to is the Semi Annual Sales at Bath & Body Works during the summer and winter. Countless products are marked down to seventy-five percent off and it is perfect for bulking up my stockpile and purchasing gifts. There is nothing better to me than a revamped bath and body care hoard that was bought at an amazing price! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get to the store to shop the sale so I did it online. And, unfortunately, by the time I got around to it everything was pretty picked over. However, I still did alright – actually better than alright. Thanks to a birthday gift card to B&BW from my sister, I got twenty items for… FORTY DOLLARS!! You simply can’t beat two bucks a pop for each product! Check it out:

I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed with myself during this haul. I actually looked at the B&BW website shortly before going to bed and there were at least fifteen pages worth of marked down product. Fast forward to when I shopped it the following day and there was only five pages left. I was SO annoyed as I was hoping to rebuy several things that Johnny and I liked before. Their selection was very limited, especially for the men’s department and a majority of what was left online was candles, wallflowers, and a random assortment of lotion and shower gel.

Although I was wishing to score some cheap skin care and the gummy vitamins that Johnny loved, beggars can’t be choosers. And, at the end of the day, I still got lots of goodies for a song! I was able to get a great supply of wallflowers (Which I don’t think work all that well, but I like them anyways!), hand soap, and lotion and shower gel in my favorite scent of Calypso Clementine. I am also really eager to try the body butter, which is entirely new to me. I live for the body butter from The Body Shop and nothing will hold a candle to it. But, it doesn’t hurt to try! 😀

In the next few days, we’ll go over some of these different scents that haven’t been discussed on my page before. I am confident that there will be a few duds in the mix so we can all better learn what to skip on during our next B&BW shopping spree! The winter Semi Annual Sale, perhaps?!

Who else shopped the summer Semi Annual Sale? What was in your haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun15

Sephora Birthday Haul

Posted on June 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! I have been in dire need of my beloved Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced for several months now. However, I refused to buy it until recently so that I could cash in my Sephora birthday gift. You all know I live for my freebies! Normally, I shop Sephora online because they run some great promotions like a freebie after spending X amount of money. This time around, though, I went in store because I needed some new lipstick too. Unfortunately, my go to lippie is no longer made so I spent some time browsing the store and swatching different shades as I went. We’ll check out a swatch from my new Too Faced lipstick tomorrow. But, for now, take a look at my birthday haul:

The Haul:

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Too Faced Lip Injection in Filler Up

Youth To The People skin care set with a Superfood Cleanser, Superberry Dream Mask, and Superfood Moisturizer

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it time and time again: The Better Than Sex mascara is, hands down, the best I have ever used. During my time without my favorite mascara, I tried out a few different brands and nothing even came close in comparison. Needless to say, I am very happy to have a new tube and back up one again! I missed my big, bold, look at me lashes so much and consider each twenty-six dollar tube to be worth every penny. I especially find this to be true now after using cheaper brands that did nothing for me. And, hey, sometimes you have to splurge for the good stuff!

During my Sephora shopping trip, I started at the Too Faced department and ended there too during my lipstick search. Although I am not a big makeup girl, I figured it would be pretty easy to find a lippie in a similar shade to the one I used up. WRONG. There were SO. Many. Options. to choose from and it was overwhelming lol. It felt like I totally forgot the color I was even looking for and everything I swatched wasn’t quite right. I was about to give up when I realized I didn’t pay too much attention to the Too Faced Lip Injection collection. This was much more like it and I cannot wait for all of you to see Filler Up. It’s sooo pretty. 🙂

The last order of business was checking out and selecting my free birthday gift. There are several options online for what you can pick out for your prezzie – skin care, hair care, fragrance, or makeup. In the store I went to, however, the choices were limited. But, as luck would have it, the Youth To The People skin care set that I wanted was up for grabs. It’s no secret that I am skin care obsessed so it is always fun to test out higher end products. I am particularly excited about the Air-Whip moisturizer, which promises to be nice and light and perfect for the summertime!

After this trip to Sephora, I came to the conclusion that I don’t know anything about makeup lol. I was definitely jonesing to go to TJMaxx afterwards to get reacquainted with simpler things like shoes and clothes! Either way, I’m happy to have gotten what I needed and next time I need new makeup, I am bringing my sister along for help. 😀

What is your favorite makeup brand? How often do you get new makeup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun2

IZME Rosehip Lip Sleeping Mask Review

Posted on June 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! I am most fond of lip masks and it has become part of my nightly skin care routine to use one. Do I feel like they’re the most effective product in the world? Not necessarily. Do I enjoy the extra pampering ritual? Yes, indeed!! After finally finishing up my lip mask from Trader Joe’s, I was on the market for a new one. I decided to go with a Rosehip Lip Sleeping Mask by IZME during my last skin care haul at TJMaxx and have been using it since I brought it home. It’s not the best, but not the worst lol. Let’s discuss further:

I will be the first to say that TJMaxx was utterly lacking in their lip mask selection. The IZME one that I purchased was the only brand available that was non animal tested. Had that not been the case, I would have picked out something different, but I took what I could get. The IZME lip mask promised nothing else but smoother lips, which is a pretty lackluster pitch. However, it was only four dollars and I needed a new one so into the cart it went.

While using this lip mask, I liked the subtle rose scent and its texture. It felt light and silky like a lip balm, which was nice. Some lip masks can be really thick in its consistency and I hate products that make my skin feel weighed down. Despite these good first impressions, I would definitely call this mask a glorified lip balm lol. Although my lips did feel smooth with every use, it was a short lived sensation and they didn’t feel nourished. In fact, I prefer my daily use lip balm to the mask and find it to be infinitely more effective. Yes, this mask did deliver on what it said for smooth lips but it was missing that extra something that would make me want to buy it again.

I will, of course, be using this lip mask until it’s done because I refuse to not finish a product. Maybe I will like it more as time goes by. Probs not, though, lol and I think this lip mask is one you can all skip on!

What is your favorite lip mask? What do you use for lip products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May31

Blogging Bestie Birthday Gift

Posted on May 31, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello darlings!!! This past weekend, I received the most fabulous box of birthday greetings from my blogging bestie, Kate, of Live In The Nautical. Kate and I became fast friends when lifewithlilred came into existence almost a decade ago and my life simply wouldn’t be the same without her. She is the absolute best friend a gal could ask for and even though we are in opposite states, I always feel like she is right next door when we are texting or FaceTiming. For my Dirty Thirty, Kate spoiled me with my favorite thing – spooky surprises from Brightside Organics! Check it out:

Kate and I are Gemini twins and our June birthdays are only six days apart. Just like me and Johnny! This is a time of year that we revel in and it is so much fun to celebrate each other together – even more than we already do every day lol. Our siren call when gifts are on the way is “you’ve got mail” and it is most exciting. Kate is one of my all time favorite people to shop for and she shares the same sentiments about me. I always know that her gifts are going to be on point for her horror loving BFF and this gift was no exception.

For my birthday, Kate treated me to all kinds of enticing products from Brightside Organics. Body butter, soaps, candles, and a bonus surprise. The skull candle doubles as a lidded glass. I was wondering why a plastic straw was included in the gift box and then it all made sense lol. I love the tombstone shaped bar soaps and they smell exactly like a crisp autumn day. The scent is called Magical Brew and is the same for the skull candle and body butter. My You A Spooky Bitch (And proud of it!) candle is of a lovely lavender and sage and it will be perfect to burn while winding down at the end of the day. I also thought it was such a cool touch that a little vial of matchsticks were included.

Because I get so much free product from Bath & Body Works, bath and body care is never on my agenda to buy for myself. And, while I like the idea of having candles in my apartment, I never replenish them once they have burned out. Regardless, Kate knows that I love stuff like this and makes it a point to make sure I get some for my big day. We both are all for the pampering route of self care and I always look forward to seeing which products she enjoys for herself that I would like by default. What can I say, her and I are insanely similar and, as per usual, this gift set knocked it out of the park!

I can’t wait to test out all of my new goodies and begin browsing for gifts for Kate’s upcoming birthday too. I am so lucky to have a BFF like her! ❤

What is your favorite thing to be gifted with? Are you and your BFF really similar to each other? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May27

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on May 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! This past Tuesday, my mom and I enjoyed a fabulous shopping trip at TJMaxx. TJs is our happy place and, although I like to go by myself, it is SO much better with my mom. These shopping outings have been a tradition since I was little (What can I say, I’ve always loved popping tags lol) and I don’t plan on breaking it ever! My main priority at TJs was restocking my skin care hoard because it was getting quite bare. Nothing pleases me more than a skin care haul because I love testing out new products and I got exactly what I wanted. Check it out:

When I am shopping skin care, I like to get a three month supply for my moisturizer, serum, and eye cream. While that may seem a bit impractical, it is one of my money saving techniques. Trust and believe I could go to TJs monthly to restock my skin care, but I would most definitely end up buying more than that! My requirements for which products I pick are pretty simple, they must be non animal tested and they have to have at least one ingredient that I am partial to like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, retinol, or collagen. Last time I had a big skin care haul, it was difficult to reach those parameters because the shelves were pretty depleted. This time around, it was smooth sailing and it was awesome!

For my selection, I was able to find some new to me brands like IZMO, AllAboutSkin, Skin Assistant, and Purifect. I am particularly interested in trying the Purifect serum because the packaging is ridiculous and it spoke to me. I already tested out the IZMO lip mask and it is so very nice! I also scored some new to me products from familiar brands like Provence Beauty, Clean Beauty, and Vital Beauty. I guess I am drawn to brands with Beauty in the name lol. In total, this haul costed less than sixty dollars and you just can’t beat that. I don’t even want to know what the grand total would be if I paid full price and, as a full fledged maxxinista, I never have to. 😀

Tune in tomorrow for more skin care as we discuss my May empties and be on the look out for reviews for some of these products coming soon!

What is your favorite skin care brand? Where do you get the best deals on skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

Hawaii Haul

Posted on April 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! In mid April, my mom, dad, and brother went on a guided vacation to Hawaii. This was their dream trip and we were all thrilled that they got to go on such a wonderful adventure. Although I was happy for their fun in the sun, I was missing them something fierce. Honestly, I couldn’t wait for them to come home as soon as they left! Prior to their departure, they asked all of the family what kind of souvenirs they might like. I answered with jewelry and my history buff husband wanted something from Pearl Harbor. I am pleased to report that my travelers delivered! Check it out:

When I visited my family after they returned, it was like a mini Christmas on the dining room table. It was laden with gifts for the kids and grandkids and it warmed my heart that all of us were thought of no matter how far apart we were. Johnny received some guitar picks and a model of the USS Arizona Memorial. He was SO excited to build the model and when I returned home from work the following day, he was almost done with it already. In fact, he enjoyed the build so much that he plans on buying more from the brand. Both the picks and model are proudly displayed on our knick knack shelves.

For my gift, I got exactly what I wanted – a stunning necklace and earrings! I am loving the shell necklace and it will be a fabulous accessory this summer. I am going to wear it wrapped as a bracelet and the pretty, neutral palette will allow me to wear it with anything and everything. The piece de resistance, however, was the earrings for sure. The delicate gold cutouts of sea turtles blew me away and they are also highly sentimental. Sea turtles are my brother’s favorite and what he was most looking forward to seeing. Like the necklace, these earrings are going to enhance any outfit and it will be like a hug from my family every time I wear them. ❤

My family had the best time on their trip and I had the best time welcoming them home. I call dibs on next vacation!!!

Do you have any vacations planned? Where are you going? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb19

Bunny Galore Home Decor

Posted on February 19, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! As you all know, Johnny and I are bunny parents to the sweetest mother and son duo named Melvin and Penelope. They are our little pride and joys and life simply wouldn’t be the same without them scampering about the apartment and being cute. This past week, we took a look at some gorgeous new clothes from my TJMaxx haul. This is all well and good and I love everything I got. However, there were some home decor pieces that I couldn’t pass up and they just might be my favorite things of all! Check it out:

^^^ LOL pardon my shedding husband in the last picture. SMH!!

Have you ever noticed how there is never a shortage of home decor for dog and cat owners in stores? No matter the time of the year, there will always and forever be “dog/cat mom” items to pick from. I have, honestly, never thought about this until this past shopping trip. When my mom and I made our way to the home decor department, I almost died and went to bunny heaven. There were bunny decorations everywhere and it took me a minute to realize this was in preparation of Easter lol. Now, I know that this is truly the bunny owner’s time to shine!

If I had all of the money in the world, I would have bought every single bunny item in the store. They were all just SO cute! The first thing that caught my eye was the topiary bunny on a pedestal and it immediately went into the cart. This was a great substitute because they had a huge topiary bunny that I wanted desperately, but lacked the space for. Next, my mom showed me the beautiful flower print bunny figurine and that also had to come home with me. They had this little statue in a variety of patterns, but the one my mom pointed out was the first one I saw and I liked it the most. I especially like that it makes me think about her when I see it. ❤

The last bunny items I purchased were some adorable decorative plates with images from Peter Rabbit on them. I have several Halloween themed plates from TJs that I just like to have so I was happy to add onto the collection. The pictures are so incredibly sweet and I actually have a few teacups with Peter Rabbit on them to match. Finally, Johnny and I are avid fans of wall art and after some deliberation, I added the butterfly illustration to my cart too. I have quite a few prints of scientific drawings of plants that I got from the Goodwill and this will look perfect hanging next to them. I love the frame and bold colors and, of course, I always think about my niece when I see butterflies – her favorite!

Now that I know when to find bunny themed home decor, you can catch me at the same place, same time next year. Thank you, TJMaxx, for making this bunny mom an extremely happy customer!

Do you change your home decor out every season? What is your favorite season to decorate for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

New Solitaire Trench Coat

Posted on February 18, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hi!! To me, there is nothing better than refreshing my wardrobe with the change of seasons and TJMaxx delivered during my last shopping trip. Despite the crappy weather, spring was in the air at TJs and it was infectious! Today, we will be discussing the last item from my clothing haul and, in this case, I really did save the best for last. This trench coat by Solitaire made me clutch my pearls and it has skyrocketed to one of my new favorite things in my wardrobe boutique. Check it out:

The trench coat is, hands down, my all time favorite classic wardrobe staple. They are just so incredibly chic, universally flattering, and I love the versatility that a signature tan trench offers. I have had the same trench coat from PacSun since I was fifteen and it still looks as good as the day I bought it. Because of this, trench coats are never really on my radar as something I need. Why mess with perfection, amiright? Of course, I ate those words as soon as I saw this pretty little number by Solitaire. Hey, I have the classic trench already and now I have the 2.0 version too!

I consider myself to be a highly seasoned shopper, but never have I ever seen anything like my new coat before. The pattern is simply stunning with huge blooms and butterflies and the soft faux suede just makes you want to wrap yourself in it. I also can’t get enough of how the colors in the patterns pop against the dusty pink base. From top to bottom, this coat was everything I could possibly want and it’s amazing that I almost didn’t get it! Wait *record stops*… What?

Lol, yes. This coat almost didn’t come home with me! I tried it on in a medium and it was a bit too big. However, I couldn’t find a small on the racks to save my own life. That is, until my mom stepped in! At the beginning of our shopping trip, I explained my golden rule to my mom of always checking the sizes of each item in case it’s on the wrong size hanger. I broke this rule with the coat, but my mom remembered! She ended up finding a small on a size large hanger and it was nothing short of miraculous. I’m glad someone remembered my words of wisdom because I sure as hell didn’t haha.

Thanks to an astonishing assist from my mom, my dream trench coat was as good as mine. I cannot wait to show it off in a new OOTD soon. Peep the rest of my TJs haul tomorrow because my home decor got a refresh too in the best way possible! 😀

Do you have any golden rules when you shop? What is one of your spring wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb17

New Modern Works Top

Posted on February 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Howdy!! I had a surprise afternoon off two weeks ago and I got to spend it with my mom. We lunched at Panera and shopped at TJMaxx and it was absolutely fantastic! It’s finally time to take a look at my haul and it was a good one. TJs was fully restocked with spring fashion and, better yet, bunny decor galore! It was my lucky day and I walked away with a gorgeous new jacket, the cutest bunny themed decorations, and a top by Modern Works that we’ll check out now:

I think it’s extremely safe to say that I have an eclectic personal style and my wardrobe tends to reflect that. However, while I love bold fashion choices, I have a huge passion for classic pieces as well. We’re talking staples like trench coats, crisp button downs, and pants that fit like a glove. They’re clothes that will never go out of style and helps turn some of the louder pieces in my wardrobe into work appropriate when combined. The top above might not seem like a usual Lil Red choice but, with all of what we just discussed in mind, I was immediately drawn to it.

This top by Modern Works is a classic staple to the T. It is form fitting without being too tight, vertical stripes are always in, and the pearl white base makes for a perfect neutral. Not to mention that the top is soft and comfortable as can be. It felt fantastic on and I knew it was a winner because the outfit building portion of my brain began spinning into overdrive. I was picturing this little number tucked into black jean shorts during the summer and worn with a great pair of trousers for meetings at work. This is definitely a top that can be worn for work and play, which is always very appealing to me because I love versatile pieces!

I am so looking forward to featuring my new Modern Works top in an OOTD as well as sharing the rest of my haul with all of you. Stay tuned because I also have some matching shirts with Johnny that showed up in the mail that are hilarious if you know what they’re from! 😀

What is one of your favorite classic wardrobe staples? Are you updating your spring wardrobe soon? 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…