Tag Archives: haul

Jan9

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on January 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Howdy!! For Christmas and my birthday, I know for a fact that I am going to receive lots of gift cards to TJMaxx. Everyone seems to know by now that it is my happy place and a gift card to TJs is truly the perfect gift for me. With my Christmas gift card hauls, I always like to do a major restock of my skin care supplies. While it would be fun to blow the lot on new clothes and shoes (And I have before!), I like to get things that I actually need and skin care is of the highest priority. I take my skin care routine very seriously and I got enough product to last for at least five months FO FREE. You just can’t beat that! Check it out:

^^^ All of these products are Leaping Bunny Certified!

I visited TJMaxx on January second and the store was understandably pretty bare to prep for their spring shipment. Unfortunately, this meant the skin care department was nowhere near as well stocked as usual. I had to really look to find the serums, moisturizers, toners, eye creams, and cleansers that would not only work for me but were cruelty free too. This was a lot easier said than done and I spent a majority of my shopping trip scouring the shelves. While I did walk away with everything I needed, the biggest disappointment was not being able to find any of my tried and true Evoluderm Micellar Water. Normally, TJs has an entire shelf full so that was a bummer but, luckily, I have more gift cards for when they get a restock! 😀

For this haul, I walked away with two toners, one cleanser, four moisturizers, four serums, and one eye cream. I was very happy with this because of how bare the skin care section was and I was able to find some familiar brands and brand new ones to try. What I am particularly curious about is the Provence Beauty serums in the bright yellow and baby pink bottles. And, yes, I did get them specifically for what they looked like lol. What can I say, I’m a sucker for pretty packaging! I was also most excited to find another Simple eye cream because of what a fantastic value they are. I have been using a similar product by Simple for the past FIVE months and I am still not even close to being done. Highly recommend!

I am very pleased with my gift card haul from TJMaxx and planned it out to perfection. I only paid nine additional dollars for what my gift cards didn’t cover and I thought that was a great success. Nothing makes me happier than a fully restocked skin care hoard and I can’t wait to test out the new to me products!

What are your thoughts on any of these products if you have used them before? What is important for you when it comes to skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan2

Happy Haulidays: Second Family Edition

Posted on January 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Prior to me getting sick on Christmas day, Johnny and I had a wonderful holiday celebration with his parents and aunt over the weekend. It is such a joy to be able to spend Christmas with both of our families and I love the traditions that Johnny and I participate in every year with his. We have a delicious meal, open presents (Including a stocking for each of us on the mantel, which I adore!), and have our annual viewing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – our favorite! I had never seen that movie until my first Christmas with Johnny’s family and now I think I can out-quote all of them lol. 😀 As always, Johnny’s family is way too generous with their thirty something year old kids and we are so enjoying everything that was waiting for us under the tree:

Every year, Johnny’s mom gifts me with amazing goodies from Hope Soap, which is a local business in Cuyahoga Falls. These products couldn’t have come a moment too soon because I was literally all out of lotion! In fact, I just started using the jar of Fruity Loops Body Nectar last night and it is divine. It smells exactly like Fruit Loops, as I’m sure you all guessed, and I am so there for it. I also received two bottles of the body cream from Hope Soap in Grapefruit & Bamboo and Honey & Almond. The grapefruit scent is zingy and refreshing and the honey one is SO lush and rich. I am very partial to a Honey & Almond fragrance and I can’t wait to use it!

As always, Johnny and I received lots of chocolate to satisfy our sweet tooths and we have been in heaven! Every night since, we have had a piece or two during our viewings of Criminal Minds and it is with sheer willpower and determination that we don’t have everything in one go haha. My favorite gift of all, though, has to be the sweet leopard print shawl that Johnny’s mom got for me. It is just SO damn cute and I am most eager to wear it with my French Rooster cami top. The shawl is soft and cozy, perfectly unique, and such a fun cold weather accessory. I don’t own anything like it whatsoever, making it the ideal gift for me. ❤

Two holiday celebrations make for twice the holiday joy for me and Johnny on Christmas and it is the best gift to be able to spend time with our amazing families!

How did you celebrate the holidays? What is your favorite gift you received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec24

Bath & Body Works Holiday Scents Pt. 2

Posted on December 24, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! I used an afternoon off on Tuesday to pop into Bath & Body Works because I was running dangerously low on my beloved foaming hand soaps. The soap from B&BW has been a staple at chez moi ever since I got my own apartment and I simply refuse to buy anything else. They are the absolute best! While I enjoy many of the fragrances that are always available at Bath & Body Works, it’s fun to do a restock when their holiday scents drop. Yesterday, we discussed three of these fragrances and we will chat about the remainder today! Let’s get to it:

Twisted Peppermint: From fragrances to flavors, I love all things peppermint! The Twisted Peppermint from B&BW is exactly what you would expect it to smell like and offers notes of “cool peppermint, sugared snow, and fresh balsam”. Now, I don’t know what sugared smell or balsam is supposed to smell like. I don’t even know what balsam is lol. But, you can definitely smell the peppermint and that is all that matters to me! Some peppermint products can be almost harsh smelling and super mentholy but not this one. The Twisted Peppermint is minty, yes, but it doesn’t sting your nostrils when you take a whiff. It is just right!

Frosted Cranberry: A few years back, I gifted Frosted Cranberry candles for Christmas and I remember really liking the scent. Fast forward to present day and it wasn’t as good as I recall it being, but it’s still nice enough! The fragrance notes for Frosted Cranberry are… “frosted cranberry (lol), red delicious apple, and blonde wood”. What I like about the Frosted Cranberry is that it is much richer in its berriness than the Golden Berry Mistletoe which we reviewed yesterday. Not the best, but certainly not the worst either.

Snowy Peachberry: I think I saved the best for last because the Snowy Peachberry is the bomb.com! This scent serves with hints of “snow-kissed cranberries, frosted peach blossom, and shimmering woods”. I can’t speak for the shimmering woods portion, but this is a perfect wintery peach fragrance. It smells fresh and sweet, but also has some tartness to it compliments of the cranberries (the scent not the band). Snowy Peachberry is a fragrance that I would buy any time of the year and I wish that it would linger beyond the holidays. See what I did there? 😉

My favorite to least favorite scents:

Snowy Peachberry

Pink Sparkling Spritz

Twisted Peppermint/Vanilla Bean Noel (I can’t decide between the two!)

Frosted Cranberry

Golden Berry Mistletoe

Normally after a haul from Bath & Body Works, I consider myself to be well set. However, I think I will definitely be shopping the post holiday sales because some of these fragrances are just too good to only have around this time of year. Give me ALL of the Snowy Peachberry, please! 😀

Will you be doing any sale shopping after the holidays? What is a B&BW fragrance that you wish they had year round? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec23

Bath & Body Works Holiday Scents

Posted on December 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooooo darlings! It has been a FAT minute since I received any coupons from Bath & Body Works in the mail. Honestly, I get it though because I literally never buy anything lol. I cash in my freebie coupons, I do my foaming hand soap hauls, and that is about it. Hopefully this most recent purchase of holiday scented soap will put me back in B&BW’s good graces because your girl is running desperately low on shower gel and lotion!! Fingers crossed! As I eagerly await some mail from B&BW, let’s chit chat more about their holiday scents. We’ll start with three today and do the remainder tomorrow:

^^^ Very aware that Peach Bellini isn’t a holiday scent, but it’s my fave so I always have to buy it! 😀

Pink Sparkling Spritz: This might just be one of the best ones from the Bath & Body Works holiday/winter line. It is bright, poppy, and oh so delightful with notes of “bubbly ginger ale, pink sugar, and raspberry fizz”. It kind of reminds me of another B&BW scent called Champagne Toast (or as Johnny would say, Champagne AND Toast). Imagine that Champagne Toast is a dry champagne. Pink Sparkling Spritz, on the other hand, is sweet as can be and always goes down smooth! 10/10 would recommend!

Vanilla Bean Noel: I have always been fond of Vanilla Bean Noel and am thrilled that B&BW brings it back time and time again. I am a huge vanilla fan and this scent is simply scrumptious with hints of “fresh vanilla bean, warm caramel, and sugar cookies”. Freaking YUM! Also, major shout out to one of the employees who looked all around the store to find my Vanilla Bean Noel for me. I would have been SO disappointed if they were completely out of stock because it has become one of my holiday scent staples.

Golden Berry Mistletoe: I feel very in the middle about Golden Berry Mistletoe. It’s nice, yes, but it isn’t my favorite. Why did I buy it, then? Because I was freaking sick of smelling everything lol! I was starting to go nose blind so I just went for it. This scent features notes of “sparkling berries, sugared spruce, and frosted air”. Whatever frosted air means. If you are looking for a softer holiday fragrance, Golden Berry Mistletoe is a safe bet. If you want something that packs more of a punch, however, you should skip on this one.

So far so good with this holiday hand soap haul! Stay tuned tomorrow because we will be talking Twisted Peppermint, Frosted Cranberry, and Snowy Peachberry. I bet you can already guess which one is my favorite! 😉

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works holiday scent? What is your least favorite holiday scent (I HATE cinnamon and pine!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov14

New Steve Madden Winter Accessories

Posted on November 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Helloooo!!! Yesterday, we took a look at my new favorite dress purchased from my last shopping trip to TJMaxx. That wasn’t the only thing I got, however, and today we’ll be checking out the super fun New Steve Madden Winter Accessories that came home with me too. I have a huge collection of hats, scarves, and gloves for the cold weather and it is safe to say that I am a little bit obsessed with winter accessories. They are such a great way to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank! The selection at TJ’s was excellent and I walked away with an adorable pair of earmuffs and a knit balaclava. Let’s get to it:

^^^ Peep the original price tag for the earmuffs. I purchased them for ten dollars. SCORE!!

This was a rather exciting accessory haul for me because I don’t own earmuffs or a balaclava. That is the beauty of TJMaxx – you never know what you’re going to find to spice up your wardrobe! The first thing that my eyes locked in on at the accessory wall was the smiley face earmuffs. How cute are those?! They were over the top, vibrant, so much fun, and oh my goodness were they comfortable on. They fit just right without being too tight and my ears were so toasty and warm. I knew that these would make a vibrant addition to the grey days of winter and the price I got them for was a total steal. 😀

The next thing that spoke to me was the knit balaclava, which is something that I knew existed but have never seen before in store. My new balaclava was something that was instantly appealing to me. I only own one jacket with a hood on it and it isn’t warm enough for winter wear. This was not only a fashion purchase but a practical one. There are some days when I have to go to work really early to get a client to work and it is always freaking freezing when I get in the car. Now, I have a balaclava to help with that – do you know how much heat we lose through our heads?! Not only will this help in the warmth department, but it is such a bold statement piece. Balaclavas are most chic and my new one will add a touch of sophistication to all of my winter coats!

I have no intention of buying a new coat this year and I love that I will be able to freshen my winter wear up with these fab new Steve Madden accessories. TJMaxx, you always continue to surprise me! ❤

What is your favorite winter accessory? How do you update your winter wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov11

Akron Comicon Haul

Posted on November 11, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Akron Comicon this past weekend was a blast and I spent the best afternoon with Johnny and my brother. We came, we saw, we shopped and each walked away with a bagful of goodies featuring all of our favorite things. I wasn’t able to attend the Con last year and Johnny surprised me with all kinds of gifts to decorate our apartment with. It felt so good to be able to participate this time around and I am loving all of our new swag! Check it out:

^^^ The last three posters were made by Vile Consumption and the Wolfman was painted and autographed by Drac of Transylvania Tonight!

It was SO hard to exercise self restraint at the Comicon because there was a ton of merchandise from my favorite fandoms to buy! We’re talking Demon Slayer, Assassination Classroom, horror flicks, Lego, and much more. The first thing I selected was my Funko Pop of The Little Prince. I had no idea that this Funko existed and my brother got it for me in exchange for paying for our tickets. I have countless tattoos from the book and it is a piece of literature (and film) that is very dear to my heart. Best believe it is proudly displayed on our knick knack shelf! ❤

Johnny also treated me to a few little prezzies including the V mini fig from V For Vendetta and the crocheted Plague Doctor. Like The Little Prince, V For Vendetta is another book/movie that is one of my all time favorites. And, also like The Little Prince, I have a buttload of tattoos from V For Vendetta too! The mini fig is perfect and I love that Johnny always knows exactly what I would like without consulting with me. We both fell in love with our tiny Plague Doctor friend and as soon as Johnny saw me give it a cuddle, it was as good as ours lol.

Finally, the Akron Comicon was an amazing place to gather more art for our expansive collection. While visiting with Drac and Countess Carita of Transylvania Tonight, we noticed that Drac had a new piece of his artwork on display: The Wolfman. This was a must buy because we already have all of his other movie monster prints from last year’s Con. Now, we have the Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein, the Creature From The Black Lagoon, Doctor Jekyll, and the Wolfman all painted and signed by Drac! We also couldn’t say no to the posters by Vile Consumption because they are hilarious lol. I was geeking out over the Sister Act one from The Nun, it wasn’t even a question about the David Pumpkins print, and Trick R’ Treat was an obvious choice because it’s one of our fave Halloween flicks. SAM!!! 😀

The Akron Comicon was a GREAT SUCCESS and I am so happy with all of our fun purchases. I can’t wait to get our new artwork hung up around the apartment! 🙂

What is your favorite fandom? What is your favorite horror movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct22

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on October 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! During my last shopping trip to TJMaxx, I went with the intention of finishing up my in store Christmas shopping and I am pleased to say that I did. The last thing that I want is to be in a crowded store, browsing through a picked over selection as the holiday season gets closer! Of course, I couldn’t say no to a few treats for myself either and I’m amazed I made it this long into my early shopping without purchasing a gift for myself too lol! While I was at TJs, I decided to restock the skin care items I needed to get me through the rest of the year. Now, I really don’t need to be in a store until 2024. 😀 Check it out:

^^^ All of these products are cruelty free!

Thanks to previous Skin Care Hauls from TJs, my beauty care hoard was still fairly well stocked. However, it wasn’t good enough to bring me into the new year and that was the goal. The first order of business was more of my beloved micellar water by Evoluderm. I am halfway through my last bottle in the stock pile and that simply won’t do! There have been several products that I have gotten from TJs that I have loved and never seen in stock again. Thankfully, that is never the case with my micellar water and there was still plenty to spare on the shelves after picking up three bottles!

As a rule, I like to have three of each item in my beauty routine readily available. I was all set for eye cream but definitely needed to achieve my perfect balance for moisturizer and serum. For a new moisturizer, I found a Palmer’s cocoa butter night cream that I think will be fantastic. I am a fan of anything cocoa butter and I’m sure this cream will be lovely once it starts getting really cold out. I also went with a collagen serum by Provence Beauty. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the skin care options during this shopping trip as a majority of the products weren’t cruelty free. I probably would have selected a different serum if more choices were available, but maybe this one will surprise me.

The last item on my restock list was a new face wash and I am excited to try the Hydrate Foaming Cleanser by ValJean Labs. I have never heard of this brand before, but foaming cleansers are my absolute favorite. A foaming formula always makes my skin feel squeaky clean without drying it out and I was glad to find one for the winter months. The brand name also reminds me of my niece’s name, Valerie Jane, so it was like a sign that I had to get it! 😀

With my beauty hoard fully intact again and my in store holiday shopping complete, I am thrilled to be done. Now, all that’s left to do is online shop till I drop for the remainder of my gifts and it will be smooth sailing all the way till Christmas Day! 🙂

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? What are your winter skin care staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep12

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on September 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! On Labor Day, I had the potential to go into work but as luck would have it, I had the day off. Johnny and I made the most of our free day by visiting his parents, going grocery shopping at Aldi, and shopping at TJMaxx. I was fresh out of moisturizer and needed to do a restock of my beauty hoard. And, of course, I never say no to early holiday shopping and treats like a gorgeous new sweater you will see tomorrow! The skin care department was severely lacking during this trip, but I managed to walk away with the following:

Normally, it doesn’t take me long to pick out skin care when I’m at TJs. I know which brands I like and are cruelty free so it’s just a matter of locating them and filling up my cart. This time around, I couldn’t find any of my go to brands! I was really hoping to find another jar of the Rescue Me moisturizer by goodhabit, but it was nowhere to be found. To add salt to the wound, the majority of the selection was from brands that weren’t cruelty free. I spent SO long going through all of the moisturizers and serums and coming up empty handed. Not that I mind the thrill of the hunt for skin care, but even I was getting annoyed!

For moisturizers, I ended up with three jars that I probably wouldn’t have bought if the pickings weren’t so slim. I’m sure they will be fine and maybe I’ll end up liking them, but I am always partial to a gel based moisturizer! These were the literal only cruelty free ones I could find and were relatively cheap at six bucks a pop so what can you do? I also found a serum that I am kind of interested in trying out with all of that shimmer. I love a touch of glitter and I’m hoping it will bring a pop of brightness during the grey months of fall and winter.

One final thing that caught my eye was some floss picks, which I also happened to be running low on. Rather than making a separate trip to Giant Eagle for them, I thought I’d give these plant based picks a go. You never know what you’ll find at TJMaxx! I have taken my oral health very seriously since my raging success at my last periodontist appointment. Floss picks have become a must have staple for me and it makes me feel good to be taking much better care of my teeth. I’m just hoping these plant based picks will be as durable as the ones that I usually use!

Am I thrilled with this TJMaxx Skin Care Haul? Not particularly and it was a very lackluster showing on TJ’s part. On the bright side, these are all new to me products and it’s always fun to test out new brands. We’ll see what happens!

What are your must have beauty products? What is your favorite cruelty free brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug14

Bath & Body Works Halloween Scents Pt. 2

Posted on August 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Bath & Body Works Halloween Scents Pt. 2

Hello!! Yesterday we took a look at my Bath & Body Works hand soap haul featuring the Halloween collection. As you recall, I was loving Purrfect Pumpkin and Spellbinding Sweets. Moonlit Graveyard did nothing for me, however, which is strange because the name really speaks to my spooky soul. Let’s see how our next batch of scents fairs:

The Haul:

Purrfect Pumpkin

Moonlit Graveyard

Spellbinding Sweets

Ghoul Friend

Wicked Vanilla Woods

Vampire Blood

Afternoon Apple Picking

Ghoul Friend: Ghoul Friend and Vampire Blood are scents that I’m familiar with as they were available last year too. Despite purchasing Ghoul Friend for the sake of Halloween, I am not a huge fan. This scent offers notes of “dark strawberries, ghostly peony, and spine-chilling citrus”. It’s nice if you are into super sweet florals but, alas, I am not. The peony paired with strawberries is almost sickly sweet and actually might be my least favorite of the bunch, moving Moonlit Graveyard up a notch.

Wicked Vanilla Woods: Hmmm… close but not quite. I was expecting to love this fragrance because I love vanilla when it’s done right. This one just kind of missed the mark for me. The fragrance notes feature “magical vanilla, glowing amberwood, and enchanted pink pepper”. While I do get a nice whiff of vanilla, the amberwood and pink pepper turn it into something really musky. Dare I say, old lady-ish? Not good.

*Note that I am smelling these soaps in real time and yesterday’s batch is definitely doing better so far!

Vampire Blood: Okay! Now we’re talking! I was very fond of Vampire Blood last year and my sentiments remain the same. Vampire Blood’s description is “red berries, night-blooming jasmine, and petrifying plum”. This is a berry/floral fragrance done right. While Ghoul Friend felt like the strawberries and peony were competing with each other, the berries, plum, and jasmine of Vampire Blood complimented each other perfectly. There is a reason this scent was brought back and it delivers every time.

Afternoon Apple Picking: Lol, this just might be my favorite one from the post and it’s not a Halloween fragrance. Is that bad? I am an apple gal and Afternoon Apple Picking is a delight. With notes of “crisp apple, succulent pear, and cinnamon” this one gave me ALL the fall feels! Imagine strolling through an apple orchard on a crisp fall day and taking a deep, refreshing breath. That’s this scent! 20/10 would recommend!

This post was a bit of a bummer because I was expecting a lot better from Bath & Body Works’ Halloween line. My ranking is as follows:

Purrfect Pumpkin

Vampire Blood

Spellbinding Sweets

Moonlit Graveyard

Ghoul Friend

Wicked Vanilla Woods

My advice? If you are craving the Halloween collection as much as I was – do a smell test before buying. Some of these scents were massive duds!

How do you feel about the B&BW Halloween scents? What is your favorite fall fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug13

Bath & Body Works Halloween Scents Pt. 1

Posted on August 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Bath & Body Works Halloween Scents Pt. 1

Hello! My reserves of hand soap from Bath & Body Works was running dangerously low and it couldn’t have happened at a better time – Halloween fragrances are in! This trip into B&BW was a quick one because, for once, I truly didn’t care about the way the soaps smelled. I was so ready for all things Halloween that I took one of each scent and hit the road. I wasn’t going to not because the packaging for this year’s spooky collection is fantastic!

Today, we’re going to talk about three of the scents and move onto the remaining four tomorrow. Let’s get started:

The Haul:

Purrfect Pumpkin

Moonlit Graveyard

Spellbinding Sweets

Ghoul Friend

Wicked Vanilla Woods

Vampire Blood

Afternoon Apple Picking – Granted not a Halloween scent, but I love all things apple! 😀

Purrfect Pumpkin: I am not a huge fan of pumpkin and if you haven’t already guessed, apple is my go to fall fragrance and flavor. However, I am LOVING Purrfect Pumpkin and it is just right for those who can’t get into pumpkin spice and everything nice. This scent features notes of “carved pumpkin, spiced cinnamon, and moonlit vanilla”. To me, it smells more like a glass of warm apple cider. It’s spicy and a little bit sweet and this is a fragrance that perfectly embodies the fall season. I wish I had it as a candle to light during scary movie nights!

Moonlit Graveyard: The Moonlit Graveyard scent is just okay for me. This was one of the ones I was ambivalent about when I read the description of “tombstone moss, cold foggy air, and eerie incense”. Even though that does sound awesome! While it does sort of remind me of a crisp fall night, my weird nose picked up an almost powdery aroma and I really don’t like that. This is one that I would have skipped on if I did a sniff test, but my potion… I mean hand soap set wouldn’t have been complete without it.

Spellbinding Sweets: Now this one, is much more like it! This scent offers notes of “haunted lollipop, sweet bubblegum, and bewitched berries” and I am so there for it. I didn’t pick up any of the featured notes but bubblegum and that is fine by me. It smells exactly like Double Bubble and brings me back to the excitement of Trick-or-Treat night. It is such a nostalgic scent and anyone with or without a sweet tooth will enjoy it. I also love the wicked green apple color. ❤

Other than Moonlit Graveyard, I am most impressed with Purrfect Pumpkin and Spellbinding Sweets. The fun colors of the soap and the amazing stained glass artwork make all three even better, though! Tune in tomorrow for the rest of the Halloween scents!

What is your favorite holiday collection from B&BW? Have you gotten any of the Halloween scents yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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