Tag Archives: july

Aug3

July 2025 Finishes

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July 2025 Finishes

Howdy everyone and welcome to a brand new month here on lifewithlilred! We can’t let the beginning of August pass us by without going back in time to July to discuss all things beauty finishes. This past month provided beaucoup empties and while some were great, others missed the mark completely and I was SO happy to be done with them! Let’s take a look at some of the must have highlights as well as the ones that you can thank me later for skipping on:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Lotion: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Precision Beauty Brightening Serum: NO

Bath & Body Works Gingham All-American Body Cream: YES

Bath & Body Works Always & Forever Body Cream: HARD NO

Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea Shower Gel: YES

Azure Collagen & Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Twisted Peppermint Lotion: Do you enjoy the scent of Thin Mint cookies? If so, you are going to freaking LOVE Twisted Peppermint. This is easily one of my favorite scents from the holiday collection and I was so sad when I used up this lotion after three or so weeks of daily use. It served all of the Christmas in July vibes and I can’t wait to get a re-up on my Twisted Peppermint fix as soon as the holiday season hits!

Precision Beauty Serum: This brightening serum by Precision Beauty was a major disappointment for me. First and foremost, I didn’t notice any differences in my skin’s radiance. Equally as important, this serum was not a great value either. I needed several pumps of the serum to achieve full coverage on my face and neck. It took me a little less than three weeks of twice daily use to finish the bottle. In stark contrast, the serum I have been using since I finished this serum in mid July is not even halfway done yet. This is definitely a product you can bypass.

B&BW Gingham All-American Body Cream: Do you enjoy the scent of Rocket Pops? Or perhaps a juicy bowl of red berries? Then you are going to freaking LOVE Gingham All-American! I am a HUGE fan of all things Gingham from B&BW and their newest addition is pure summer fun. Sweet strawberries and tart raspberries do all of the talking and All-American is high up on my list of favorite Gingham expansions. Don’t get me wrong, nothing will ever beat the OG but All-American is a fabulous all around effort.

B&BW Always & Forever Body Cream: Sometimes when I have a freebie coupon for B&BW, I go fully random. I’ll grab the first travel size item I see, check out, and see what happens later lol. Honestly, I should have given Always & Forever a sniff test because I never would have gotten it! If you are a fan of smelling like an old lady, then go for it obvi. However, if you don’t want to smell like a lace doily, stay clear of Always & Forever for always and forever!

Azure Moisturizer: There were a lot of things that I liked about this moisturizer. The texture was nice and light, which is perfect for summer. It absorbed quickly and sat well under makeup. This moisturizer was also very long lasting and took me over a month of twice daily use to complete the jar. These are all important to me but unfortunately mean nothing because this moisturizer was not it. It made literally no difference to my skin’s appearance after extended use and didn’t provide the tightening sensation that I love in a collagen based product. In theory, this was a good moisturizer. In practice, not so much.

I finished up lots of goodies in July and for the most part, it was a pretty damn successful month on the empties front. I can’t wait to break out new skin care and smell goods all August long! 😀

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

Jul29

July 2024 Finishes

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July 2024 Finishes

Howdy!! And just like that, another month has gone by and I hope it has been a wonderful one for all of you. July was actually a banner month for me – work has been going awesome and I was still able to pepper in lots of summer fun with Johnny too. This was also a highly successful month in terms of beauty empties. I got to use up lots of products that have taken FOREVER to complete and there is just something so satisfying about that lol. It’s like finishing up an entire tube of chapstick! Let’s take a look at some of these long term products and discuss further:

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Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Lotion in Butterfly: YES

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel in Tropidelic: NO

Bath & Body Works Breathe Deep Hand Cream in Eucalyptus & Lavender: YES

IZME Rosehip Lip Sleeping Mask: NO

Youth To The People Superfood Moisturizer: NO

The Face Shop Rice Water Foaming Cleanser: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: As you all know, I loves me a Bath & Body Works product – especially their shower gels. My morning showers would not be complete without the pretty scents and a surplus of foamy bubbles! However, I just could not get behind Tropidelic. I don’t know what I was thinking when I picked it out as a freebie because I thought it reeked when I was using it lol. It smelled like moldy mangoes, which is such a specific scent but it really does hit the nail on the head. I am just thankful it was a travel size shower gel and I was done with it in a week or so because I couldn’t stand it! Definitely skip on this one.

B&BW Lotions: In stark contrast to the shower gel, both the Butterfly and Eucalyptus & Lavender scents were divine. Butterfly smelled like whipped raspberries. It was nice and light, but had the slightest bite of tartness and I was so there for it. Raspberry is one of my favorite fragrances! It took me one month of once daily use to finish the bottle. The Breathe Deep Hand Cream in Eucalyptus & Lavender was also fantastic and I wish it came in bigger sizes because I would love to have one right now. I have a summer cold (The worst) and this hand cream seriously worked like Vicks VapoRub but smelled infinitely better!

IZME Lip Mask: I used the Rosehip Lip Sleeping Mask by IZME for two months. In that time, I noticed no real difference in my lips in terms of fullness or hydration. It was no harm no foul because I only paid four bucks for it at TJMaxx. This is a product that is not worth buying, even if you see it on the cheap. I found that my favorite chapsticks by Pacifica worked so much better and am excited to incorporate them into my nighttime routine again.

Youth To The People Moisturizer: I received this travel size Superfood Moisturizer by Youth To The People as part of my free birthday gift from Sephora. I love trying different skin care (Particularly more expensive brands) out and was really looking forward to giving this new to me brand a go. I can’t say that I was overly impressed, though. In the two weeks of twice daily use, there was nothing to write home about which just goes to show that sometimes you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg for quality skin care.

The Face Shop Cleanser: It took me close to four months to finish the Rice Water Foaming Cleanser by The Face Shop and I really liked it! I used it every day and every time I noticed how soft my skin felt and how radiant it looked. I get up super early for work and by the time my skin care routine was complete, no one would be any wiser to how tired I am! Lol you can’t beat that. This cleanser had no scent, lathered well, and a little went a very long way. One dime sized dollop was all I needed to get the job done!

Wow! We had a lot to talk about for my July Finishes. I am so happy to kiss the dud products goodbye and say hello to new skin and beauty care goodies!

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

Aug10

Bath & Body Works July Freebie

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Bath & Body Works July Freebie

Hello! I have been busy, busy, busy these past few weeks and completely forgot about my July Bath & Body Works Freebie. This was a quick pop in because I really didn’t need anything, but I sure felt like I did. B&BW’s Halloween collection is already out and it is absolutely fabulous! The self constraint that I showed was admirable, but I can’t speak for the purchases that will probably happen when I get my hand soaps soon. 😉 So, I put my blinders on, cashed in my coupon, and got out of dodge lol. Check it out:

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I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of B&BW’s hand cream. It’s okay, but I have mentioned in previous posts that I would only use it if I got it for a freebie and I stand by that. Coincidentally, the coupon I had was for a free hand cream specifically so here we are. Told ya I stood by it! Not only was I trying to avoid blowing my paycheck during this trip to B&BW, but I was on a time crunch too. Rather than smell all of my different options, I simply grabbed one and checked out.

I went with the Breathe Deep Eucalyptus & Lavender from the Aroma care line. Not because I like lavender because I don’t, but because the Aroma line hasn’t been available in travel sizes until recently. When I smelled it after the fact, I was surprised that I didn’t completely hate it! It definitely is more eucalyptus than it is lavender. The lavender is almost an afterthought and it’s quite pleasant. And, knock on wood that I don’t get a fall or winter cold, but I could imagine that this would be so nice to slather on when you’re stuffed up.

Although the hand creams from Bath & Body Works aren’t the best, you can’t beat free! Keep it posted for my hand soap haul soon with ALL of the fall scents! 😀

What is your least favorite fragrance? Are you stocking up on fall goodies already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Aug5

July 2023 Finishes

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July 2023 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to a slightly late beauty finishes post for July! I used up a ton of new to me products this past month so we have a lot of ground to cover. Even more so because I would happily use all of them again and that rarely happens! Let’s get started:

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Would I Use Again?

Clinical Works Brightening Vitamin C Facial Cleanser: YES

Bath & Body Works Body Cream: YES

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Pearlessence Brightening Facial Serum: YES

Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm: YES

Farmacy Honey Halo Moisturizer: YES

Lanoline Manuka Honey Eye Cream: YES

Why/Why Not?

Clinical Works Cleanser: I absolutely loved this cleanser!! It had a great citrus scent that was so invigorating in the morning and it was super long lasting. A little dollop went such a long way that I was using it for months. I found my skin to look brighter and healthier after consistent once daily use. Highly recommend!

B&BW Body Cream: The Shea Butter + Hyaluronic Acid Body Cream from Bath & Body Works is the best. It is so much better than their regular lotion and I am always impressed by how soft and hydrated it leaves my skin. The only problem? It’s never enough! Every night before bed, I apply lotion to my arms, chest, and stretch mark areas so I go through the bottle quickly. The travel size ones were used up after about five days and the full size was empty within two weeks. Thankfully, I usually get them for free with coupons or close to free when shopping the semi-annual sale so it’s all good. 😀

Pearlessence Serum: The Brightening serum by Pearlessence was a good one and I wish I had more of it. Although it was quite thin in texture, I still felt like it was highly effective in giving my skin that extra boost of radiance. Sometimes a thin serum makes me feel like it isn’t doing anything at all and that wasn’t the case in the slightest. Three pumps was enough to cover my entire face and neck and it took me close to two months to finish the bottle. Combined with my additional brightening products, my skin has never looked better.

Pacifica Lip Balm: The lip balms by Pacifica are, hands down, the best I have ever used and I will never use anything different. I always have to have one by my bedside, by my computer, and in my purse! What this lip balm does in one application couldn’t be accomplished by a standard balm in ten. The Pacifica balms leave my lips hydrated and supple and I have completely kissed chapped lips goodbye since I started using them regularly.

Farmacy Moisturizer: The Honey Halo moisturizer was part of my birthday gift from Sephora and it was really nice! It smelled exactly like honey and a little of it went a long way – it took almost two weeks of twice daily application to finish the travel size jar. My skin felt so hydrated with each use and looked like peaches and cream perfection. It was my favorite part of the Farmacy gift set I received!

Lanoline Eye Cream: Holy WOW was this eye cream long lasting. It took me FOUR MONTHS of twice daily use to finish the jar! This was just a nice eye cream to use and I noticed big improvements. My under eye designer bags cleared up so much, which was a huge win. The delicate skin around my eyes felt stronger and looked more supple and this was, easily, one of the best eye creams that I have ever used.

Talk about a GREAT SUCCESS for beauty empties, amiright?! If you happen to find any of these products when out and about, they all received the Lil Red Stamp of Approval and I just know you will love them too! 😀

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

Jul30

July 2022 Finishes

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July 2022 Finishes

Hello!!! It’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month of July and it was a good month, indeed. I got to try some new to me products, used up some of the ones that took forever, and revisited some old favorites. It was a GREAT SUCCESS so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Spray: Omg, did this spray take forever to finish lol – at least half a year of almost daily use! This is fine by me, though, because I love anything apple scented and B&BW always delivers. The Country Apple is the perfect mix of sweet and tart and it is the perfect pick me up before leaving for work. I would definitely use it again but am fine with not using it for a while!

SkinLab Cleanser: I love SkinLab products and the Lift & Firm Daily Gel Cleanser was amazing. After about a month and a half of daily use, my skin looked more supple and felt smoother. It was invigorating to use every morning and also removed remnants of makeup really well. Although, I have to admit that it’s a bit sad to be moving onto products that Lift & Firm lol.

B&BW Shower Gel: Normally, the travel size shower gel from B&BW lasts me three weeks of daily use. However, this month I used up two of them because Johnny helped me out after he ran out of his shower gel. We both smelled awesome for the month of July and I adore the Gingham Love scent. It has all of the fresh, crisp feels of the original Gingham with juicy berries thrown in for good measure. Although I think it’s super cute that Johnny used my shower gel, I’m bummed out that I’m all out of Gingham Love!

Tatcha Moisturizer: This moisturizer was a freebie during my last Sephora Haul and it was nice but I wouldn’t use it unless I got it as a free item again. I love a water cream formula, especially during the summer and this one was delightful. It absorbed so quickly while still leaving my skin feeling ultra hydrated. It took me four days of twice daily use to finish the sample jar.

Lanocreme Moisturizer: I purchased this moisturizer during a winter haul at TJMaxx and finally got around to using it towards the end of June. Although it absorbed well, it was a bit too thick for my liking during the summertime. That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be great for fall and winter use, though! This moisturizer was rich, creamy, and left my skin looking and feeling peaches and cream perfect. It took me about five weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Lotion: This is the second lotion that I’ve used from Hope Soap, which is a local shop in my area. I received both of them as a gift and the first one that I finished in June wasn’t my favorite because its texture was so runny. The Vanilla & Fig was the polar opposite, however, and had the consistency of a normal lotion which I liked much better. It also smelled awesome! As nice as it was, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it for myself but it made a wonderful gift. It took me a little under two months to finish the jar.

As you can see from all of these empties, July was a month full of pampering. Whether the product was good or bad, I am glad to have used them up and am ready for lots more finishes come August!

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

Jul31

July 2021 Finishes

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July 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the last post of July 2021 here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to discuss my beauty finishes for the month and there are a lot of them so let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

LANEIGE Moisturizer: The LANEIGE birthday freebie from Sephora was, hands down, one of the best gifts that they have offered in years. It came with a lip sleeping mask, a sleeping face mask, and the Water Bank moisturizer. This travel size jar gave me a week of twice daily use and I would love to use it again after such a short amount of time. The Water Bank moisturizer left my skin soft, glowing, and oh so hydrated all without feeling heavy during the scorching summer days of July. Highly recommend. 🙂

Unfiltered Salt Soak: Lil Red loves a nice bubble bath and especially enjoys testing out products like bath bombs and salt soaks to enhance the experience even more. Sadly, the Pineapple + Mango salt soak missed the mark for me. The tropical scent smelled amazing in the jar but it didn’t translate to the water at all. It also dissolved really quickly, which eliminated the chance to do some exfoliating. I got four uses out of the jar but, I admit, I definitely poured heavy handed lol!

B&BW Body Wash: I have been using the body washes by Bath & Body Works exclusively for the past handful of years and have never had anything to complain about with them. The body washes lather so well and my skin always feels soft and hydrated every day after my shower. I truly think that my skin is healthier and smoother from consistent use of the washes and you can’t beat the prices if you shop during the semi annual sales!

It took me over a month to finish the Raspberry Tangerine scent and I wish I had another bottle of it because it smelled so good. The tart raspberry mixed with the sweet tangerine made for a perfect fruity scent and I actually just started using their Raspberry Tangerine hand soap a few days ago. Love it. 🙂

TBS Face Wash: While I love experimenting with the different skin care lines from The Body Shop, I don’t use the Tea Tree products often because of my normal skin type. However, I received the sample size of the Tea Tree face wash as part of a Christmas prezzie and beggars can’t be choosers!

I wouldn’t use this face wash in the winter as it would totally dry out my skin but it was a-okay for me for summertime use. It is so hot in my apartment and we have had a plethora of ninety plus degree days in Ohio which left my skin feeling less than its best from sweating constantly. Using the Tea Tree face wash helped get rid of all of the yuck that I felt was clogging my pores every day without making it feel dry or tight. This small bottle also lasted me over one month with daily use which is insane to me!

As you can see, July was a great month for beauty empties and I was thrilled to have used up a ton of products that I enjoyed. It is a rarity for me to have so many finishes for one month which is great because that means I can try out so many new products in their completion. 😀

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

 

Jul24

Whirlwind Weeks

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Whirlwind Weeks

Hello! I don’t know about you guys, but this summer has been flying by for me because it has been so busy. I got married, my husband and I celebrated our birthdays, and I started a new job. Not to mention that over the weekends, Johnny’s band, The Outside Voices, is usually performing. While these are all incredibly exciting things, it can also be incredibly exhausting!

Busy? Yes – but I am LOVING my new schedule thanks to the job I accepted and never get home any later than four o’clock Monday through Friday… It is beautiful and I feel much more well rested. And, although my weekends haven’t been the most relaxing this summer, it is so nice to see all of our friends again as Johnny and I have been fully vaccinated since May.

My favorite hang out to date this summer was when our dear friend, Shannon, stayed with us for a weekend. He is a wonderful photographer and he took pictures of The Outside Voices playing at a gig. Shannon also was kind enough to take some pictures of yours truly too – some of which are taken on a Polaroid camera which was really cool. Tune in tomorrow for an OOTD with some of the sneak peek photos he has sent me!

^^^ This was the first picture Shannon took with his new Polaroid camera and it is one of my favorites of me and Johnny. ❤

What has your summer been like so far? How do you relax after whirlwind days? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul30

July 2020 Finishes

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July 2020 Finishes

Hello!! July was an insanely hot and busy month and I found that, other than my normal day and night skin care routine, I let any other pampering fall by the wayside. I know what you all are thinking: “That is so not like you, Sarah!” However, Lil Red does not do well in extreme heat (I literally get sick) and it is always extremely hot in my apartment. Not to mention, most of July was in the high eighties and mid nineties in my neck of the woods. Therefore, any movement away from being directly in front of my fan was deemed unnecessary.

I only finished one product that you all haven’t heard of already so we will briefly chat about that. Then, I will provide you with some links to previous beauty themed posts this past month in case you missed them. And, finally, make sure you tune in tomorrow for a new Face Mask Festivities to close out the month. Alright! Let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again:

Why/Why Not?

SkinLab Moisturizer: As you all know, I love my SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer and it took me one month to finish one jar. You can read more about it in this post, since it pops up often enough lol. 🙂

Azure Lux Serum: During a recent Amazon haul, I needed to stock up on my skin care. Originally, I was going to stick with my usual and just order a bunch of the Azure Lux Rose Gold serums. I purchased a few but I also decided to give the 24K Gold serum a try, as well. Was it much different than its Rose Gold sister? Not really. But I love the Rose Gold sister so, obviously, I loved the 24K serum too!

My skin feels so bright and radiant whenever I use the Azure Lux serums and they are so nourishing, to boot. I definitely think my skin has become more glowy and fresh since using the Azure Lux products and it takes me one month to finish one bottle.

More To Enjoy:

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a brand new Face Mask Festivities!

Which products did you use up this month? Which products have you been impressed with lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul7

July 2020 Funky Time Jams

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July 2020 Funky Time Jams

Helloooo! As a rule of thumb, Lil Red never listens to the radio while driving. I prefer to play my own music because I know that I will always be satisfied. Lol, except when it’s Throwback Thursday, that is. TBT is a radio program hosted on 88.1, which is the student station for The University Of Akron.

Every Thursday pop, rap, and R&B bangers from the 90s and early 2000s are played all day. It honestly doesn’t get much better than that and all day on Thursday my radio stays tuned into 88.1. Until last Thursday when Johnny refused to let me play it in his car, that is! But, it’s no matter, because I can just dedicate a whole blog post to it. Haha, check it out:

^^^ As always, I have no right to these songs or videos!

My sister’s boyfriend and I had a laugh because he told me that he played a throwback station on Spotify for her that is very similar to 88.1’s TBT and she was entertained and happy for a five hour car ride. I know that I would have been, too! There is something about the hits from however long ago that you still know all the lyrics to that just… Well… Hit different, lol.

Everyone has something that they look forward to during the week. Whether that be a standing hair appointment, lunch time with coworkers, or simply a weekend off. My instance happens to be my drive to and from clients every Thursday so I can have my solo singalongs in the Little Red Love Machine. Silly? Maybe. But it is a hell of a lot of fun for me!

What are a few of your favorite throwback hits? What do you look forward to throughout the week? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul31

July 2019 Finishes

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July 2019 Finishes

Hellooo everyone! July wraps up today and that means it’s time to go over the products I finished up this month. Aside from a body wash that I’m not too crazy about, I enjoyed two new moisturizers that I would definitely recommend to all of you, so take a look at some pics and let’s get started:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Solimo body wash: Solimo is Amazon’s brand of bath and body care and it works well enough, it’s just not my favorite because it’s kind of boring. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Shea Butter & Oatmeal scent as much as the next gal, but I’ve been using the same body wash for three or so months now, so I’m pretty over it. However, this product lathers well, smells good, and lasted me over a month for one bottle so it’s not like I hated it – just ready for something new!

Drunk Elephant cream: I chose a Drunk Elephant cream and cleanser as my Sephora birthday gift this year and I absolutely loved this cream. A small amount of it really went a long way and the small tester size lasted me about a week and a half. The cream was rich without being too thick and left my skin feeling so hydrated and protected. It also sat well under makeup, which is a big plus in the summer time.

SkinLab cream: When it comes to moisturizers, the gel kind is my favorite. Using this SkinLab cream was a treat and one jar lasted me well over one month. The aqua bomb like burst of moisture felt invigorating after my morning shower and it was so light, which I love in the summer, because sometimes the cream based moisturizers make my face sweat. Although I loved the Drunk Elephant cream, the SkinLab one is definitely my favorite and I highly recommend it.

July was a really good month for empties for me, because I used up a product that I was eager to finish and got to enjoy two moisturizers that were so lush and effective. Looking forward to seeing what finishes August will bring me!

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