Tag Archives: lilred

Jan13

Beauty Blogger Award

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Beauty Blogger Award

Hellooo everyone and happy Hump Day! On Monday I was so flattered to be nominated for the Beauty Blogger Award by my sweet friend, Brittany. Make sure you check out her page at spontaneousencouragement! Thank you to everyone who has been nominating me for all of these fun awards lately – it’s much appreciated! With the Beauty Blogger Award comes a set of rules for the person nominated to follow. Check them out and then see my answers to the questions that Brittany asked to her nominees:

The Rules:

  • Tag and thank who nominated you.
  • Respond to the questions that your nominator gave you.
  • Nominate 10 new beauty/fashion bloggers.
  • Create 10 new questions for these bloggers to answer.
  • Tell the blogger that you nominated them.

Q & A:

What is something you are passionate about?

My family, my friends, my education, writing, helping people and animals.

How long have you been blogging?

I’ve been blogging since September of 2014.

What is your go to makeup brand?

For a majority of my makeup needs, I use The Body Shop but I also use Covergirl and Rimmel, as well.

What daily cleansers do you use on your face?

I don’t use a set in stone cleanser, I just buy whatever is on sale. Because my skin doesn’t experience problems such as dryness, acne, or unevenness I can get away with using a pretty basic cleanser. My only requirement is that it can remove my makeup. Right now, I’m using Simple’s cleanser but I don’t care for it too much. I’ll be looking forward to starting a new cleanser soon and I’m always up for suggestions!

Do you have a favorite clothing brand? If so what is it?

I don’t really have a favorite high end clothing brand but I love, love, love H&M! The closest H&M to me is about an hour away so it’s always such a treat when I can shop there.

Does makeup and clothing define your character?

I wouldn’t say it defines my character but I think it definitely enhances it. I’m a quirky girl with an edgy sense of style so I love playing that up with the clothes and makeup that I wear.

What makes you feel confident?

A bold red lip, a pair of heels, my piercings, and a sharp All Black Everything outfit.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

It depends on the day! When I’m tired, I find that I always take much longer to get ready but usually I can be done with my morning routine in forty-five minutes to an hour.

Could you live without mascara?

Hmm…I don’t think so. To me, mascara completes the way that I paint my face so if I couldn’t use it, I think I would feel and look very off.

If you could meet anybody in the world who would it be?

Oh jeez… I have so many people who I would love to meet but if I had to choose just one, it would be Jack White. I love him so much it hurts.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. Do you prefer a glam or natural makeup look?
  2. How old were you when you started wearing makeup daily?
  3. What is the best beauty advice that you’ve ever received?
  4. Do you buy makeup from the department or the drug store?
  5. Do you have any makeup tricks or hacks that you swear by?
  6. What is your favorite skin care product to use?
  7. Do you have a favorite fragrance?
  8. Do you feel comfortable wearing no makeup out in public?
  9. What is something that you consider a “no no” when it comes to makeup?
  10. Would you rather not style your hair or wear no makeup for two months?

Thank you so much again to my friend, Brittany, at spontaneousencouragement! You’re a doll! I hope all of you are having a fabulous day so far! How would you answer some of my questions for the bloggers that I nominated? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan12

Sign Up For Twistfire Media!!

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Sign Up For Twistfire Media!!

Heyyy everyone and happy Tuesday! My second month of posting for Twistfire Media is coming to an end and once again it did not disappoint. For those of you who don’t know, Twistfire Media is an advertising company that you can post for on your Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. You get paid per click when you post an ad and it’s a great way to make a few extra bucks per month. Why wouldn’t you want to get paid to use social media?!

The ads that you post are often for fun quizzes, DIY projects, and silly articles. There is nothing inappropriate in any of the posts, either, which often tends to happen with some of the ads that I see in the world of social media. If you’re a Facebook buff, a Twitter celeb, or a Pinterest queen then I can’t recommend signing up for Twistfire Media enough! If you’re interested in signing up for Twistfire, you can email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! 🙂

ALSO:

While you’re on my pages, make sure you check out the ads that I post to help a Lil Red get paid! THANKS! ❤

Jan9

My Second Liebster Award!

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My Second Liebster Award!

Hi everyone and happy weekend! On Thursday I was nominated for my second Liebster Award by my sweet friend, Alyson, at silverpepperofstars! Her blog is a real gem so make sure you check it out! The Liebster Award comes with some rules for those who are nominated so check them out:

The Rules:

1. Create a post, tagging and thanking your nominator.

2. Answer the eleven questions they asked you.

3. Nominate a new eleven bloggers.

4. Ask eleven new questions for those you have nominated to answer.

5. Notify your nominees.

Q & A:

1. What is your biggest pet peeve – what really grinds your gears?

Oh goodness. I guess my biggest pet peeve would probably be when people drive under the speed limit or exactly at the speed limit. That’s so annoying!

2. If your house was on fire, what one item would you grab before you leave?

Uhm…I honestly have no idea. That’s a tough one.

3. What was the last film you watched?

I watched one of my favorite films, Let The Right One In, last weekend for the seven hundredth time.

4. Which food item can’t you live without?

TACO BELL!!!

5. What are you really passionate about?

Writing, my family, my friends, and helping people and animals.

6. If there was one thing that was guaranteed to cheer you up when you were at your most cranky, what would it be?

Hanging out with my sister, my boyfriend, or my best friend.

7. Are you allergic to anything?

Not that I know of!

8. What is your favorite book?

I have too many! The Little Prince, Coraline, The Book Thief, Night Film, and the Sandman graphic novel series – just to name a few.

9. What is your favorite song/track?

Once again, I have a lot, but if I had to pick one and only one it would probably be “Beautiful Day” by U2. It’s been one of my favorites since I was little. So much so, that I got lyrics from that song tattooed on me the day I turned eighteen.

10. Do you have any hidden talents?

Does eating a lot of food without gaining weight count?

11. Describe yourself in 3 words.

Passionate, quirky, red.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

  1. mommyteacherfashionista
  2. sujatagazderblog
  3. fantageecho

My Questions For You:

  1. What are the most important qualities that you look for in a friend?
  2. What is your favorite thing to write about?
  3. What is your favorite candy or sugary treat?
  4. Where is your favorite place in the world?
  5. Where would you like to travel to?
  6. What inspired you to create a blog?
  7. Do you prefer shopping in store or online?
  8. What is one beauty item that you can’t live without?
  9. If you had a pet while you were growing up, what was its name?
  10. When you were a child, how did you answer the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up”?
  11. What is one color that you love? What about a color that you hate?

So there you have it, all of the fun details to My Second Liebster Award! Thank you again to my friend, Alyson, at silverpepperofstars for the nomination! What is everyone up to this weekend? Any fun plans? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan7

Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash Review

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Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash Review

Helloo everyone and happy Thursday! As many of you know, my mom and I have quite the stockpile of bath and body products – lotions, perfumes, shower gel…You name it. Our hoard also includes skincare products like face washes and moisturizers, as well. To me, a face wash is a dime a dozen but I’ve been quite disappointed with Simple’s Moisturizing Facial Wash. I’ve been using this product as of late and have been less than impressed, so let’s discuss:

simple1.jpg

My skin type is completely normal – I don’t get break outs, I don’t experience dryness or oiliness, and my skin tone is even. All I really need in a face wash is something that’s strong enough to remove my makeup when I do my daily cleansing in the shower. Usually, I can get away with whatever cleanser I grab from my stockpile but Simple is just not doing it for me.

I understand that Simple’s products specialize in sensitive skin but the facial wash that I’m using seriously feels like it was made for a baby. The texture of the wash is something in between of a cream and a gel and it doesn’t create any type of a lather to cleanse your face with. The lack of lather is evident to the point that it feels like you’re washing your face with nothing. Not to mention, it makes the removal of makeup nearly impossible.

When I wash my face, my skin can always tell. It feels invigorated, supple, and ready for the day. Unfortunately, with Simple, I don’t feel much of anything – except the desire to cleanse my face with another product. Like I said before, I don’t have “problem” skin in the slightest but Simple’s face wash just doesn’t do what I like my cleansers to do…make my skin feel clean! This product had to have been made for those with the most sensitive of sensitive skin…Babies! So if you like your face washes to do a little something extra than Simple is definitely not for you.

I’m going to finish my tube of cleanser because once I start a product like a face wash or exfoliater, I refuse to not finish it. However, the next face wash that I choose will be either strictly a gel or a cream – not something in between. All in all, I’m going to have to rate this product with: half a star. Simple’s Moisturizing Facial Wash receives this low rating for an all around disappointing product as far as cleansing, the texture of it, and the removal of makeup goes. I would not recommend this and do not plan on using any Simple products in the future.

So there you have it, my review of the Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash. How many of you have used Simple products before? How do you feel about them? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan6

Target Haul

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Target Haul

Hello everyone and happy Hump Day! I’ve been on a bit of a shopping hiatus these past few months thanks to my college tuition, my car, and purchasing holiday gifts. Last week, however, I finally got some fun new pieces to add into my wardrobe, compliments of Target. Take a look and then let’s discuss:

What I love the most about these pieces, starting with the button down, is that it’s a smart shirt with an added surprise. Usually I would never pick something like this out for myself (all black everything, please) but when I saw the back of it, I just had to try it on. I love anything with a peek a boo back because I like to show off my tattoos so the surprise sheerness was what made this shirt a definite contender.

I’ll admit, I was slightly nervous to try this shirt on because I didn’t want to look like a freaking goon but I was so pleased with the results! The top in itself really isn’t very edgy, which is what I like. However, I was able to alter the sweetness of the shirt with my piercings and tattoos and that turned it into a very cool and unexpected piece to add into my wardrobe. This button down will also be great to wear year round which is another bonus, in my opinion.

The black cardigan with white crosses decorating it was obviously a no brainer. It has everything that I like on it – my favorite color, my favorite pattern, and just the right amount of rocker edge that I love. As soon as I saw the cardi, I knew that I would be purchasing it. I’m actually wearing it right now as I type this! My style is very distinctive, so when I find pieces that scream out “Lil Red”, like my new cardigan, I just have to splurge!

Currently, I’m rocking my new cardi with my snakeskin patterned black skinnies, a graphic white tank, my black cross dangle earrings, and my Michael Kors combat boots. I plan on wearing my button down with my mustard yellow suede skirt from H&M, a cool pair of heels, and a sharp little jacket for a fun take on a woman on the go outfit. I can’t wait!

I’ve been very bored with my wardrobe as of late and have fallen into the pattern of wearing the same things over and over again. I definitely needed a clothing pick me up and my new button down and cardigan were the perfect pieces to do that with. I’m looking forward to incorporating both tops into my day to day outfits to freshen things up and make my old clothes feel like new again. Thanks for the cute new clothes, Target! ❤

So there you have it, my latest Target Haul! Where is your favorite place to score some new clothes? Who has recently had a haul for themselves? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan4

Monday Update: New Year’s Eve Edition

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Monday Update: New Year’s Eve Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the first Monday Update of 2016! On New Year’s Eve my darling boyfriend, Kyle, took me out on the most wonderful date night ever. We enjoyed dinner at Gervasi Vineyard, where he works as the assistant manager. In our over four months of dating, I had never eaten there before – asides from food heated up in the microwave, which so doesn’t count! When Kyle told me he had made New Year’s Eve reservations for us I was beyond excited! Take a look at us being a cute couple and then let’s discuss:

kyle!

^^^ I love us!!!

Gervasi Vineyard is one of the most gorgeous eateries in the Akron/Canton, Ohio area. There are three restaurants on the property, Tuscan style villas to stay in, an apple orchard, a beautiful lake, and of course – their vineyard! Kyle has been working there for close to five years and is amazing at his job. I kept telling myself it was only a matter of time until we had a special dinner there, so as I mentioned before, I was so thrilled when he told me about our reservations!

The entire night was so fun and even just getting ready to go to our 6:15 reservation was a treat. I got to help pick out Kyle’s outfit for the evening and it was so cool! Haha, I always love exploring a new wardrobe! We got dressed to the nines and made our way to the restaurant, which he lives very close to. We were the perfect amount of fashionably early for our table and got seated right away so we could begin our meal.

One thing (of many) that I love about Kyle, is that no matter what restaurant we go to, he always plans the dishes that I can eat ahead of time by researching their menu because I’m a strict vegetarian. Since we were on his home territory, however, he spent the whole car ride there describing all of the different things that I could order. Believe me, by the time that we were seated I was drooling like a dog in front of a tub of peanut butter. Classy! 😉

Thanks to Kyle’s expert descriptions of all of my options, I didn’t even have to look at the menu to know what I wanted. For our first course, I chose their butternut squash soup and Kyle got the apple salad. We also ordered a bottle of their sparkling white wine to enjoy with our meal. Butternut squash is my all time favorite kind of soup and it was seriously the best bowl I’ve ever had. It was so creamy and perfectly seasoned and it was so worth the four month wait to try it out!

For our entrees, Kyle ordered the lobster gnocchi and I opted for their linguini with an aglio e olio sauce topped with fresh spinach and arugula. While we waited for the main course we were serenaded by the saxophone player who was performing in the restaurant and it was all so very romantic! Our entrees came very quickly and they were to die for – just like the entire meal!

We finished the main course in record timing and then ordered a small dish of their bread pudding for dessert. We could barely finish half of the serving before tapping out but it was delicious! It had a caramel sauce and rum ice cream to top if off and it’s safe to say that I was in carbohydrate heaven! Once we completed the three course meal, I felt like I was going to explode from my belly full of food. I also was wearing a skirt that wasn’t very forgiving so I’m sure the whole restaurant got a nice view of my big ol’ gut! 😉

To finish our night, Kyle and I went to Giant Eagle after we decided that we could move again and purchased a bottle of champagne to toast with. It was around eight thirty when we got home and after a glass or two of champagne and a few episodes of Malcolm in the Middle, I was beyond ready for bed. I ended up falling asleep at nine thirty, well before the commemoration of the new year at midnight!

By the time I woke up the next morning, I felt like such a goon for falling asleep so early and missing what would have been our first new year’s kiss together. Lucky for me, I have a boyfriend who’s always coming up with sweet surprises for his girl! Kyle showed me a poorly lit but super cute picture that he took of him giving my sleeping self a kiss on the forehead at midnight for proof that I still got my new year’s kiss. How lucky am I? Very. ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: New Year’s Eve Edition! My evening was straight out of a fairy tale and I’ll never forget it. I hope all of you had just as great of a time celebrating! How did everyone ring in the new year? Is there a place similar to Gervasi Vineyard in your neck of the woods? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love and happy 2016. -Sarah

Jan1

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

Helloooo everyone and Happy New Year!!! I’m actually prewriting this, so technically I’m still in 2015! 😉 I’m not really one to post some type of sappy “new year, new me” article so this will just be a brief post to wish all of you an amazing start to 2016. I hope that you succeed at whatever goals or resolutions you made for yourself. I hope that 2016 brings you happiness, laughter, and good health. And I hope all of you have a wonderful time ringing in the new year with your friends and family! TURN UP!!!!

me1

I get to celebrate the new year with my darling beau, Kyle! He made dinner reservations to Gervasi Vineyards, the restaurant that he works at. I’m pretty stoked because even though we’ve been dating for a while, I still haven’t ate there! This will be my first New Year’s Eve where I have a boyfriend to kiss at midnight rather than a bottle of booze! Score!!

Dec31

One Lovely Blog Award

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One Lovely Blog Award

Hey everyone and happy Thursday and the last day of 2015! My pal, Matthew, over at Ignite18 nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award so here’s to you, Matt! Thank you so much! There are some rules that come along with this award, so take a look and then check out some fun facts about yours truly!

rules

About Me:

  1. I’ve been a proud vegetarian for as long as I can remember.
  2. I got my nickname “Lil Red” from one of my old coworkers at PacSun thanks to my bright red hair and lipstick. The name has stuck ever since.
  3. I used to be a competitive figure skater and now I coach skating for the Special Olympics.
  4. I desperately want to travel to Europe after I finish getting my Associate of Arts degree next fall.
  5. I have a collection of over fifty pairs of shoes and I love them as if they were my children.
  6. My blog, http://www.lifewithlilred.com, is read in over one hundred and fifty countries and I’m super thankful to all of my readers!
  7. I live for Taco Bell and actually got it right before I started writing this.

My nominees:

  1. My friend, Carlie, at Bombshell
  2. One of my cherished readers at migueltio
  3. The darling Luiza at Style on Board

Thank you again to Matthew for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award! It’s very much appreciated and I hope all of you learned a new Lil Red fun fact today! How is everyone celebrating New Year’s Eve tonight? Do you have any family traditions for ringing in a new year? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec28

Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition

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Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition

Hello everyone and happy Monday! Welcome to this week’s Update: Holiday Haul Edition! Lil Red made out like a bandit this Christmas and it’s still not over! I still have presents to receive from my sister and my best friend later this week. But so far, the loot has been fantastic. I feel so spoiled because I’ve never had a boyfriend during the holiday season and Kyle and his mom were nice enough to give me some amazing presents. Take a look at what I received on Christmas according to each person:

My parents:

I am SO in love with the gorgeous coat that my mom and dad got me. I’ve been eyeing this jacket from Target for over two months now and I’m so happy that it’s finally mine! My mom got it for me the day after I tried it on in front of her in October and has been hiding it for my surprise ever since. What a lady! I also received a generous donation to the Lil Red Foundation as well as a fresh supply of my favorite beauty products from The Body Shop and Trader Joe’s. Thanks, mom and dad!

My brother and sister-in-law:

From Peter and Megan I received my first Adult Coloring Book, complete with colored pencils and a sharpener. My sister and I have been interested in these for a while so I’m so excited to unleash my inner child and crack open the coloring book with her. I also got a Groupon for two free admissions to a Paint Nite. In Ohio, there are certain bars that offer a night of drinking and canvas painting and I’ve heard that they’re so much fun! It will be the perfect date night for me and Kyle!

The most special gift I got this Christmas, however, was the rosary that Peter and Megan brought home for me from their honeymoon in Italy. It’s my favorite color and it is also blessed by Pope Francis from when they had the honor of meeting him. How cool is that?!

My other brother:

cash

From my second oldest brother, Andrew, I received another generous donation to the Lil Red Foundation. You can’t go wrong with cold hard cash!

My boyfriend:

My darling Kyle spoiled me rotten this year with some of the most fantastic gifts ever!! He gave me an entire family of stuffed animals from Despicable Me – one of our favorite movies. I also got a stuffed Moogle from Final Fantasy, which I’m pretty stoked about! To continue with the Minion theme, Kyle got me the most comfy pair of Minion patterned fleece pajama pants, which were unfortunately in the washing machine while I was taking my haul photos! Rest assured, they’re cute. 🙂

Kyle did a wonderful job of picking me out some beautiful accessories as well. I was so surprised when I opened the boxes of gorgeous jewelry, which included two stunning bracelets and a necklace. Kyle also knocked it out of the park with a burgundy and grey infinity scarf (Which I’m wearing right now!) and burgundy and black trimmed gloves. I can’t wait to wear my new scarf with all of my favorite sweaters and pair my gloves with my new coat from my parents! Thanks, babe – I love you! ❤

My boyfriend’s mom:

I was so humbled by the lovely gifts that my boyfriend’s mom treated me to. She got me the absolute cutest ornament for my tree of a little penguin ice skating. I made sure to put it right by my human skater, which I got at a figure skating competition in New York. Mrs. Kyle’s Mom also gifted me with some luscious bath and body products from Philosophy. I’ve never used their products before but have always wanted to so I was SO excited to try both of them out! Spoiler alert: They’re amazing and they smell heavenly!

As much as I enjoyed receiving all of these beautiful presents, I enjoyed giving everyone the gifts I picked out special for them even more! I am so thankful for all of the goodies that I was gifted with but would have been just fine with only having the quality time with my family and loved ones. My Christmas this year was one of the best ever and I can’t wait to continue the celebrations this week with my sister and darling best friend!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition! How was everyone’s holiday? What was your favorite gift that you received or gave? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec27

Give Me A Like!!

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Give Me A Like!!

Howdy everyone and happy Sunday! I know I said I would be taking a little weekend break from the ol’ blog but that obviously didn’t stop me from putting a shameless plug in to like my page on Facebook!

As you look through my pages, you’ll notice that I have different articles posted on various subjects. These are from the wonderful advertising company Twistfire Media. If you are interested in posting for Twistfire on your Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest you can let your girl know at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! I can’t recommend it enough!

If all of my fabulous readers could Give Me A Like on my Facebook page, that would be great – so thank you in advance! Feel free to friend me on my Facebook page as well! And following lifewithlilred wouldn’t hurt either! 😉 I hope you’re all having a great holiday weekend and I’ll see you soon for the Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition! Much love. -Sarah