Tag Archives: hump day

Feb21

Blush, Baby – Clinique Pansy Pop Edition

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Blush, Baby – Clinique Pansy Pop Edition

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Aside from lipstick, my favorite makeup is probably blush. Creams, stains, powders – I love it all. As a pale princess, I can always benefit from some added color to my cheeks and I think that it is such fun to pick out different shades to apply. I love pinks and peaches, but the color of blush that I am most fond of is lavender, like my favorite one seen below:

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In August of 2016, my sister surprised me with this blush from Sephora, because she knew that I desperately wanted a new lavender blush to replace my fallen favorite. It was the sweetest thing and here I am in February of 2018 with a decent amount left and still loving it every time I blend it from the apples of my cheeks to over my eyebrows for a beautiful band of color. I like to wear my Clinique Pansy Pop blush over one of my go to pink shades so that the color has a strong base, because without it, the shade is a bit too light. It works like a charm!

There is something about lavender blush that just speaks to me. I like it, because it is more interesting than your basic pinks and nudes – it really adds some flower girl fun to my face. I also like how shades of purple bring out the green in my hazel eyes, which makes for a change in my eye color for the day. I am usually not one to buy high end makeup, but this twenty-two dollar Clinique blush has lasted me a year and a half so far – and you really can’t beat that. 😀

What is your favorite shade of blush to wear? How do you make your eye color pop with makeup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb14

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

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Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Helloooo everyone and Happy Valentine’s Day! I just wanted to write a quick post to tell everyone to enjoy their day no matter how they spend it. For some people, V-Day sucks. For others, it’s the most awaited day of the year. So whether you’re with your significant other, best friends, or riding solo – try to make today your best day yet! After all, it’s just like any other day, except slightly more romantic.

Regardless of how you go about your day today, just remember that you are all my Valentines and I freaking love all of you!!

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How are you spending Valentine’s Day today? What is your best or worst V-Day memory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec6

Liebster Award #14

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Liebster Award #14

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! This past weekend, lifewithlilred was nominated for its fourteenth Liebster Award by my sweet friend, Joy, at Mademoiselle O’Lantern. Joy is such a doll and I love her page so definitely take the time to check it out. Thanks for the nomination!! Now, let’s get on to the award rules:

The Rules:

  • Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to them on your blog.
  • Answer the questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
  • Nominate blogs that you feel deserve the award.
  • Create a new list of questions for the nominees to answer.
  • List these rules in your post.
  • Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they’ve been nominated for the Liebster Award and provide a link for them in your post so that they can learn about it.

Q & A:

What is your holy grail makeup/skin care product? Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara and the Vitamin C Skin Boost from The Body Shop.

What is your favorite thing about Christmas? Spending time with my loved ones, a big dinner, and PRESENTS!!! 😀

Have you ever traveled outside of your country? If yes, where to? My family went to Canada when I was five or so. I don’t really remember it, though.

Who is your favorite beauty blogger/influencer/youtuber? I don’t really have one.

What is your current favorite song/music? I love Marilyn Manson’s new album Heaven Upside Down.

What do you wish to receive for Christmas? Shoes, shoes, and shoes!!

Salt or Sugar? Something salty and then something sweet! Wash and repeat.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. Favorite Christmas movie?
  2. Favorite holiday memory?
  3. What is winter weather like where you live?
  4. Weirdest holiday gift you ever received?
  5. Are you an early or last minute gift shopper?
  6. What are your favorite holiday decorations?
  7. Which celebrity would you like to find under the mistletoe?!

Thank you so much again to Joy for nominating lifewithlilred for its fourteenth Liebster Award! How would you answer some of Joy’s questions for her nominees? How about some of my questions for mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov29

Are You Cut Out For A Career In The Medical Field?

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Are You Cut Out For A Career In The Medical Field?

These days, if you cast your eye around for in-demand careers, it’s likely you’ll find plenty in the medical field. By ‘medical field’ we’re talking about all of the different careers and jobs in hospitals and other places of work related to medicine. So, that’s already a pretty broad stretch of jobs!

The reason they’re so in-demand is that people always need medical assistance. The population is getting older and older, which means more people are in hospitals and getting medical treatment. Therefore, healthcare institutions need all hands on deck, and they’re constantly looking for new employees.

Immediately, this might strike you as a great career move. After all, one of the hardest things in life is trying to find a job when there aren’t many available. Within this field there are plenty of jobs going, whether you are looking to build a new medical practice or join an existing team, there’s every chance that you’ll find work easily. However, things aren’t quite that simple in the medical field. These types of jobs possess certain challenges that you might not be cut out for. So, before you start aligning your career path, answer these questions to see if you’re a good fit for a medical job:

Do you like working long and unpredictable shifts?

Doctors, nurses, surgeons, consultants, and any other medical professional will not have a typical working life. They don’t always get the classic 9-5 shifts every single day. More often than not, particularly when working in a hospital, the shift patterns are sporadic. You could be in for some hours in the early morning or late at night, and this could completely change the next day/week. If you want to pursue a medical career, you need to enjoy this element of unpredictability. But, if you’re someone that loves a strict schedule and wants to work 9-5 Monday-Friday, then this is definitely not the right career move for you.

Are you prepared to study…a lot?

If your answer is a resounding yes, then this is the right career path for you, and it could be time to start looking for those open residency positions. With some careers in some industries, you can get away without studying much or having a lot of educational qualifications. Here, it’s the complete opposite. Take a look at your standard hospital and you’ll find that every single job requires a degree or qualifications of some sort. Nurses need to undergo RN courses to qualify for work, doctors have to study medical degrees, and so on.

Then, you have further studying to advance your medical career. A nurse can study a 100% online RN to BSN program while they work, to gain more qualifications to be able to perform more jobs. A doctor can go back to university and train to become a surgeon or specialist doctor, and so on. No matter which way you turn, education is at the forefront of your medical career. So, if you’re not prepared to study, don’t even think about it.

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Ready to hit the books?

Can you cope well with pressure?

This is a simple yes or no answer question. If the answer is yes, then you may fare well in this line of work. If the answer is no, well, you might want to look at a different career path. Every type of medical job will be conducted under immense pressure. You may have strict time constraints, which means that you’re rushing around in an emergency situation. Or, you have certain rules and things that you need to pay very close attention to, for the patient’s safety, meaning you’re under even more pressure. If you’re the type of person that thrives under pressure, then you might have found the ideal career option.

Are you able to handle stress?

Similarly, are you able to handle intense periods of stress? Everyone gets stressed, it’s just part of life. However, there’s no denying that some people cope better than others. For anyone out there that knows how to handle and manage stress by meditating or finding ways to relax, then you’ll survive a career in the medical field. It’s no secret that working in medicine is extremely stressful. It goes back to the point about pressure. Being under intense pressure day after day is bound to cause stress. But, if you can manage it, then go for it!

Are you a people person?

If you’ve gone through all of the previous questions and still think that you’re cut out for a job in the medical field, then this is your final test; are you a people person? Do you like talking to other people and being around other people? Is this something you’re confident at doing, or do you always shy away from others? Naturally, working as a medical professional, all of your daily tasks will involve interactions with other humans. You’ll work as part of a team and need to be good at working with others. But, most importantly, you need to be excellent at talking to patients – which can sometimes be more difficult than you think!

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Are you a team player?

If you answered yes to all five questions, then woohoo! A career in the medical field could possibly be for you. If you are interested in the medical field, or even public health in general, then you may be interested in this public health education degree. It’s a big decision to make, but you should always make sure to follow your interests when it comes down to it. Don’t let the downsides of a field push you away from your passions.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Nov29

Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s British Rose Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s British Rose Edition

Howdy! This week, I am excited to feature some new Face Mask Festivities on my page – three of them to be exact! Face masks are the it beauty product right now, and I thought that I would start off this mini series by talking about The Body Shop’s British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss. And don’t judge me too hard for putting this on over makeup because it didn’t say anywhere on the directions on the jar that a clean face was required! 😉

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This mask was interesting, because it was more like a gel in texture. As you can see in my picture with it on, you can barely even tell that I had it on! This was an instant bonus to me, because I knew that it wouldn’t be a pain to clean up in the shower, unlike The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Mask. But I digress. Despite being a fan of the gel texture for it’s easy clean up, it felt like it was doing a whole lot of nothing. I now know that I prefer thicker face masks that you can actually see when it’s on, because I like to “watch” and feel my masks working.

The scent of this mask was also just okay. For those of you who have smelled The Body Shop’s British Rose line before, it was not as pungent as the body butter – thank goodness! However, it definitely had that freshly cut rose smell to it. This was all fine and well, but I prefer a more minty, citrus, or oat scent to my face masks. But with a name like British Rose, you take what you can get! I’m glad that this mask didn’t smell as…bad…as the body butter, because that would have been ten minutes of pure misery when the mask was on!

Now to the real question: Did this mask “do” anything?

Mmm, I couldn’t really tell. Was it because I wore makeup while using the mask? Maybe. Or maybe you just need to use this mask a few times to get the full effect. But that’s never going to happen because this was a one and done try soooooooo……..

So why did you buy this mask if you hate it?

I didn’t! It came in the Mother’s Day tote bag last year and I didn’t even know that my mom had it!! When she told me how much she enjoyed it, I figured I would start up another Face Mask Festivities mini series by writing about it first. Trust and believe that I would have never bought this for myself, lol.

So there you have it, an albeit a little disappointing start to another Face Mask Festivities mini series with The Body Shop’s British Rose Mask! What is your favorite face mask? What are your thoughts on the British Rose mask if you have used it before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov22

The Pre Date Night Frenzy

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The Pre Date Night Frenzy

Going on a date is a serious business, right? We want to look good for our intended beau! However, in the run-up to the big night, logic seems to go out of the window. Partly due to stress, as well as ensuring we are the only girl on the guy’s radar during the evening, we take part in some weird rituals and habits that might seem a little crazy in retrospect. Take a look at what we mean below, and see how many you are familiar with:

Getting ready hours before the date: We want to look our best, so with all of our giddy excitement, we start getting ready hours before we are due to go out. There’s a lot of prep to be done, from choosing the outfit that we are going to wear to working out what makeup will match the look we are going for. We want to impress the guy, not look like something the cat just dragged through the back door, so we make every effort to get things right.

dateeAnd it’s only 9 AM!

We look to Hollywood for advice: You may not be going to the movies on your night out, but you can still pick up a few handy lessons from Hollywood in the day’s leading up to your date. If you want what she’s having, you may pick up some tips from Meg Ryan in ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ and if you want to know what not to do, there’s no better place to learn than from a ‘Bridget Jones’ movie. Of course, Hollywood isn’t reality, so don’t assume all of your Cinderella fantasies will come true. Real life is far more complicated, although watching Bridget make another embarrassing faux pas is going to lighten your mood before you go out.

datee1Flickr Image

We sabotage our good looks: While trying to look good for our date, we stand a greater chance of ruining things for ourselves if we overdo it. Popping zits may seem like a good idea, but it only increases the chances of another outbreak. Hint: Use decent acne cream, instead. Then, when waxing to get rid of body hair, we are in danger of breaking out in unflattering red bumps. Hint: Use these helpful tips to soothe skin after waxing. Hello, silky smooth skin!

We change your mind about the outfit…again: Remember that outfit you picked out at the start of the day? Maybe it’s not the right one after all, so you should probably try something else. You FaceTime your besties and ask (order) them to give you their valued opinion. After listening to their advice for an hour, you hang up on them. They clearly don’t know what they’re talking about. That blue dress with those shoes? Are they mad? In a frenzy, you go back and forth in your mind and body trying on each outfit, trying to preempt your guy’s opinion. In the end, you decide the outfit you chose the first time was the right one after all. Classic.

We become proficient at telling the time: What time is it now? Oh, it’s okay, there’s still hours to go before the date. What time is it now? Oh, it’s only two minutes after the last time you looked. Look, you aren’t going to make time fly by checking your watch every few minutes so relax and give yourself a break. Do something to distract yourself, and you won’t fret as much. Play some music, chat with your friends, watch Bridget Jones for the third time today. What time is it now? AHH, you’re meeting him in five minutes and you still haven’t done your hair. Where did the time go?!

We play the date through in our head…a hundred times: There’s no way that you will know how well the date will go until you actually get there. That doesn’t stop you from going over every eventuality. In your first daydream, you step out of your car door and into your fella’s arms. He whisks you off of your feet and into a ballroom in a scene that is reminiscent of that one part in ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Only, he’s no beast, he’s absolutely gorgeous, and he proposes to you before the first dance is over. ‘Yes’ you shout out, and everybody applauds as they relish in your celebration. Second daydream: you fall out of your car into a muddy puddle, ruining your dress. The guy doesn’t so much whisk you off of your feet as drag you through the mud as the crowd begins to gather. You stand in the middle of the puddle, just a girl standing in front of a guy, only you are no longer the Julia Roberts in your head, and you have stepped into the cringy world of Bridget Jones. Yikes!

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And then: After going through everything we mentioned, you finally get to your date. He compliments you on how you look and you tell him it was just something you threw together. When he then asks you how your day was, you look at him straight in the eye and say it was fine, just another chilled out day. Of course, you know different. Let’s just hope the date is worth it!

The pre date night frenzy is real and sometimes it can be brutal. Take a deep breath, eat some chocolate, and CHILL OUT! You’re great and it’s going to be a wonderful night!

Nov22

Elf Touch Of Pink Lipstick

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Elf Touch Of Pink Lipstick

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! Last week, my sister asked if she could borrow one of my lipsticks and I found a shade that I had totally forgotten to write about in my collection. This Touch Of Pink lipstick actually came with my Nude Rose Gold Palette that I had wrote about a while back ago, so that was a great deal.

BUT WAIT!

I thought you only wore red lipstick!

Good call! Of course, I prefer my bright red lipstick any day of the week. BUT, if I’m in a rush or just don’t feel like painting on my red pout, I normally opt for a nude shade, instead. Nude lipsticks are great when you’re on the go, because any application mistakes aren’t as noticeable – while reds are glaringly obvious! So now that we have this settled, take a look at Elf’s Touch Of Pink lipstick and let’s discuss:

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Whomever named this lipstick really hit the nail on the head, because from the swatch seen above, there really is just a Touch Of Pink in this shade. To me, the color looks more dusty peach, with just the slightest pinch of rose added in for a fresh new take on a nude lip. You will never ever catch me in a Barbie shade pink lip, but I can definitely handle the slightest rosey coloring in this Elf lipstick, for sure!

This lipstick is always a safe bet for work, but for play – best believe that it’s still all about the red lip for yours truly! What is your go to shade of lipstick? Which brand has the best lippie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov15

The Model Body

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The Model Body

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! Okay, so I came to a shocking revelation over the weekend when I saw my fourteen year old cousin at a family get together. This young woman is tall (5’7 or 5’8, easily), thin as a rail, and probably one hundred and five pounds soaking wet. She has what I would call a “model” body. Literally. She is the most modelesque person I know and she could send pictures to Teen Vogue and they would call her for a photo shoot immediately. So imagine my surprise when she told me that the skirt that she had on was

A SIZE 6!!

She told me that the size two was too tight and the store didn’t have a four, so she went with the six. My mouth probably hung open for an uncomfortable amount of time, because I wear a four. Me. Sarah. The 5’1 1/4 (Because the quarter counts!), muscular thighs and booty from figure skating, never going to be a model twenty-something. And my baby cousin who looks like she could be in a double zero was wearing a size bigger than me? It just didn’t make sense.

Now, I get that all stores have slightly different sizing. I wear a two at Express, but am generally a solid four. But I was so baffled by what my cousin told me, because she looks like a model. And if this young lady wears a four usually, like me, then what in the hell are the models on the runway and in Vogue wearing?

I can’t wrap my mind around it. If my cousin who could be on a runway right now wears a four, then could the models be wearing sizes other than the double zero, zero, and size two, which seems standard in the fashion industry? Obviously these sizes exist and they’re beautiful. But how can those sizes be so different from my equally model sized cousin?

I don’t really know where I’m going with this but I just thought it was interesting, albeit a little mind blowing. Have you ever met someone whose body type doesn’t match their clothing size? What are your thoughts on the infamous fashion industry size standards? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Biz Journal

Nov8

If The Shoe Fits: Reaction By Kenneth Cole Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: Reaction By Kenneth Cole Edition

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! This past weekend I had a lot of fun hanging out with my mom and sister, Kristen. On Saturday night we enjoyed a ladies night out at a Mexican restaurant (Yum!) and on Sunday afternoon we went shopping all together at the “fancier” TJMaxx in Fairlawn, Ohio that my sister works by. Of course, I love my home base TJs that I live closer to, but it’s fun to go to a different one, especially when it has a better collection of more high end designers.

Kristen rarely goes shopping with my mom and I, so it was really exciting when she asked if we would come with her while she did some browsing before work. My sister’s opinion means a lot to me, and it’s always such a high compliment when she likes something that I’m wearing because we have such different tastes in personal style. That’s why when she expressed such a positive opinion of these new twenty-four buck beauties, I couldn’t say no! Take a looksee:

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Although my nickname is Lil Red, I rarely wear any clothing/accessories/shoes that rings true to my namesake. In fact, I don’t own one pair of red shoes (Shocking, I know!), so when I saw these retro inspired brick red Kenneth Cole heels, I had to give them a try. These shoes spoke to me on a spiritual level. The faux suede, the fringe, the buckle, the clothed heel, and the COLOR! And the twenty-four dollar price tag with a “compare at” price of fifty was a price that I was more than comfortable paying.

These shoes looked great with the outfit that I was wearing when I tried them on. I was wearing a pair of tights underneath shorts along with a flannel and a moto jacket on top. Not only were they a hit with my sister, but the two older ladies that were perusing the shoe department were also swooning over them. Everything that I purchase is because I love it but, I have to admit, it is always nice to receive compliments on something as soon as you try it on!

Although these heels made a great addition to a more edgy, street style outfit, I am more looking forward to wearing them for work. I think that the shape and style of my new shoe collection addition is very chic and professional, but the color and the fringe still makes it young and fun for a twenty-something on the go. These will add a sweet pop of color to my work wardrobe and will also be a funky way to complete an OOTD on the weekends. And hey, it only seems right that Lil Red finally has a piece of red anything in her closet!

So there you have it, the newest issue of If The Shoe Fits: Reaction By Kenneth Cole Edition! How would you style these shoes? What is your favorite pop of color to incorporate into your outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct31

Hot Chocolate & Halloween, My Fall Favorite Things

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Hot Chocolate & Halloween, My Fall Favorite Things

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! This post is compliments of my friend, Geneva, from the blog GenneyDarling. You might remember this sweet little lady from her Mauve Maven OOTD during my Salute To Summer guest bloggers series. Today, Geneva is here to share her list of fall favorites with all of you. Cuddle up and get some inspiration for your next autumn outing with your friends:

Hot Chocolate & Halloween, My Fall Favorite Things

Hello followers of lifewithlilred! I am Geneva from GenneyDarling and I am writing to you guys today to tell you my favorite things about the fall season…

The fall scenery in New England: I love living in the North East region of the U.S. because of the fall time. The leafs changing colors and the brisk chill in the air leaves all of New England looking like storybook perfection.

Hot chocolate and tea: There’s nothing like a hot drink to warm you up on the chilly days of the season. Pull on your favorite fingerless gloves to keep from burning your hands, sip, and enjoy.

Pumpkin flavored everything: Now, I hate to be a basic white girl but pumpkin flavor is absolutely the best. I’m not the kind of person to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks every chance I get, though. I’m more of a pumpkin bread and muffin type of gal!

Halloween: One of my favorite holidays is Halloween. It’s always fun to dress up and decorate for Halloween even though I’m not a kid anymore and probably shouldn’t go trick-or-treating…OR SHOULD I?! 😉

Cuddling with your SO in warm blankets: Fall can be a busy season, so it’s nice to take advantage of a lazy day by cuddling with your boy or girlfriend and binge watching movies or a TV series.

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Cozy socks: This might be my absolute favorite part of fall. I LOVE thick wool socks. My feet are always cold so I constantly wear them around the house or with boots to go out. Sliding around on hardwood floors is another added bonus!

Sweatshirts and sweaters: Layering all of the things during the cold weather months is a must. You can always put more layers on but you can only take so many off. I love being able to layer clothes to keep me nice and snugly all day.

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Bonfires: Bonfires are fun in the summer, but are even better during the fall when it’s a little chilly. Fires are perfect for warming up and spending time with friends on a cold evening.

Baked goods: Another reason to love fall is that you can finally bake yummy treats in the oven without overheating the whole kitchen. In fact, you can use it to warm up the kitchen on a cold day. Plus, who doesn’t love eating pumpkin bread, warm cookies, and gooey chocolate brownies?!

Scary movies: I’ve never been a big horror movie person, but recently I have been learning to enjoy them more. Never mind the fact that I still have to look away at the suspenseful scary parts. A cold, dark fall night is the perfect atmosphere to snuggle up with your friends for a horror movie marathon – eyes shut the whole time or not!

I hope that all of you are enjoying the autumn season as much as I am!

Check out my other fall time posts below:

5 Nail Colors to Complete Your Fall Look

What I’m Listening to in October

Cosmic Love

Cranberry Apple Cider Smoothie

^^^ Thank you so much to Geneva for stopping by to guest post on lifewithlilred! What are your favorite things about fall? What are you being for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah