Tag Archives: maxxinista

Jan20

CleanBeauty Barrier Support Facial Oil Review

Posted on January 20, 2025 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! In mid-October, I had a most excellent skin care haul at TJMaxx. I ended up with several new to me products as well as one that I was really excited about because I truly thought that I had used it before. During a previous haul, I fell in love with a Vitamin C serum by CleanBeauty and had my fingers and toes crossed that I would find it again. I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I saw a CleanBeauty serum on the shelves that I assumed was the same one because, at a glance, the bottles looked exactly the same. But, you all know that old saying about when you assume lol. Rather than my beloved Vitamin C serum, I ended up with a facial oil, instead *face palm*. Take a look and let’s discuss:

I consider myself to be very lucky because my skin type has been incredibly normal all of my life. I don’t experience acne, oil, or dry skin and this allows me to be able to experiment with a lot of different types of skin care. Normally, I do shy away from facial oil products just as a personal preference. However, when I realized I had a case of mistaken serum, I was eager to try the facial oil by CleanBeauty anyways. This Ohio winter has been absolutely brutal, especially within the past few weeks, and I figured it would do my skin good to have an extra protective barrier against the frigid cold. In theory, it sounded great. In practice, not so much.

This product is a prime example of why I don’t like facial oils lol. Every time I apply it, I try to use the smallest amount humanly possible on my face and neck. Regardless of the thimbleful application, this facial oil sits on your skin All. Day. Long. It doesn’t absorb whatsoever and after an hour or so, it just feels like you have residue that won’t come off. I hate it! This facial oil is a pain in the keister to apply makeup over so I just haven’t been wearing any – even on the weekends. Is my skin softer? No question. But, that’s not the end all be all because I have achieved softer, smoother skin with plenty of other products!

If you have extremely dry skin, then I think you will love this facial oil and it will be beneficial. For any other skin type, though, this is a product you can skip on and I cannot wait to use it up so I can kiss it goodbye!

How do you protect your skin during the winter? Which products have you not been impressed with recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan5

Hand Me Down OOTD

Posted on January 5, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred. Today, we are going to take a look at a look I put together with a Hand Me Down sweater from our best friend, Cliff. Technically, it’s a double hand me down because said featured sweater belonged to Cliff’s grandpa! Johnny came home with a ton of clothes that Cliff was clearing out the last time they were together and nothing really caught my eye except for this spiffy little number. You can read why this will be the first and last time I wear this sweater in the Blooper Reel tomorrow, but let’s get to it:

Who? What? Wear?

Striped Sweater: Designed by Arnold Palmer for Robert Bruce

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Snakeskin Patterned Kitten Heels: Splendid, TJMaxx

The earrings were purchased forever ago from PacSun!

I have been telling Johnny for forever that he would look So. Good. in sweaters like this Robert Bruce one. When he brought it home, I liked it for me but LOVED it for him. Unfortunately, he saw things differently than me and claimed that the sweater was “too small anyways” so never mind lol. After he discarded the notion, I tried it on for myself and, aside from one glaring issue, was all about it. And, rather than wearing it over top of something like a cardigan, I decided to button it up as a top since the V-neck wasn’t plunging. From the cut to the colors, this is truly a “grandpa chic” piece and I just know Cliff’s grandad was styling in it. ❤

Since black skinnies were the way to go, it was time for shoes and accessories. To keep with the vintage vibes, I chose one of my favorite pairs of stud earrings from PacSun. The gold frame and red roses in the center remind me of brooches and tend to be my go tos when I am building an outfit with vintage clothing. For shoes, I selected a gorgeous pair of snakeskin patterned kitten heels by Splendid. Despite the pointed toe, they made me think of loafers and that was perfect for the elderly aesthetic I was working with lol. The colors in the pattern of the shoes and the sweater blended beautifully together and I felt like all I was missing was a cup of tea to complete the look!

As cute as this sweater might be (I really do love it!), it has since been retired from my wardrobe. Whoever ends up with it will have a triple hand me down!!

Do you like to wear vintage clothing? Where do you purchase yours at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec29

It’s In The Bag: Anne Klein Edition

Posted on December 29, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello to you and welcome to a brand new edition of It’s In The Bag! Today, we are going to take a look at the piece de resistance from my mother and father-in-law for Christmas – a gorgeous new bag by Anne Klein! Johnny’s mom managed to get me SO many things that I was planning on buying for myself and she read my mind with this purse. After restocking my skin care with TJMaxx gift cards, I thought it would be nice to use the remainder on a new bag! So, maybe shoes instead?! Take a look:

When I opened my new Anne Klein purse, I literally clutched my pearls. It’s just so beautiful and I am in love with the dusty rose hue. Dusty rose looks absolutely stunning on my mom and sister, but it washes me out badly. So, it is a color that I don’t have any of in my wardrobe, accessories included. Until now, that is! The shape and color of this bag are the epitome of chic to me and I cannot wait to empty my old bag out so I can have this pretty little thing draped from my arm, instead.

Speaking of my old bag, it has not been it for a while and I have just been too lazy to change it out lol. It has several different compartments on the inside and you have no idea how many times I find myself per day digging through it like a racoon trying to find my chapstick. What is also especially pleasing to me about my new purse is that there are, blessedly, no compartments for all of my odds and ends to get lost in. It might not be as spacious as my old bag, but I’m using that as motivation to stop putting Every. Receipt. Ever. in it and not throwing them out! 😀

This purse is, hands down, one of my favorite gifts from Christmas. I am so excited to be a woman on the go with my new bag in tow!!

Which colors look great on you? How about not so flattering? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec28

December 2024 Finishes

Posted on December 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy and holy WOW!! I am here today to discuss the last batch of Beauty Finishes for 2024. It seems hard to believe but I know it to be fact every time I look at the calendar in a state of shock lol. I used up a few new to me products and some old favorites this past month and, as you can imagine, I am SO excited to do my annual post-holiday skin care restock with my TJMaxx gift cards from Christmas. So out with the old in this post and in with the new! Let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Lotion: YES

Vital Beauty Cooling Eye Gel: YES

SheaMoisture Deo Cream: NO

Purifect CEO Of H20 Serum: YES

Why/Why Not?

Vital Beauty Eye Gel: The Cooling Eye Gel by Vital Beauty is one of my go to products. It is one of those things that check all of my boxes when it comes to skin care – longevity and effectiveness. It took me two and a half months of twice daily use to finish the jar and I always notice a nice difference in my skin when using this product. My designer bags significantly reduce in color and puffiness for the wide awake look on a permanently sleepy girl!

SheaMoisture Deo Cream: I got the whole body deo cream by SheaMoisture as a freebie from Target. For my personal preference, I would not use this product again and was eager to go back to my tried and true Ban deodorant. That’s not to say that I don’t see the good in it, though, and I think it would be great for those who need full body coverage. I was very surprised that this travel size bottle took me over a month of once daily use to finish it so you will be getting a bang for your buck.

Purifect Serum: I really, REALLY liked the CEO Of H20 serum by Purifect and its namesake delivered. With every use, my skin felt so hydrated and soft and looked radiant. You can read my full review in the link above, but my one qualm with the serum was that I did use it up quickly. By three weeks of twice daily use, I had to hit up my stockpile for a new serum. I would definitely still use it again, though, and now I know to buy a few extra if I see it again at TJMaxx!

And, with that, the 2024 Finishes are complete and ended on a strong note. Now, get me to TJMaxx to go skin care crazy ASAP!

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

Dec9

Thanksgiving Pt. 2 OOTD

Posted on December 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to my Thanksgiving OOTD from my family celebration! Before we begin, if it looks like I am sweaty in these pictures, it’s because I was lol. I had literally JUST gotten done cooking five or so minutes prior to taking them and let’s just say it was really steamy in the kitchen!! The sweater I was wearing probably didn’t help matters, but all was well once the house started cooling down. 🙂 Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Polka Dot Sweater: Lucky Brand

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Snakeskin Pattern Boots: Vince Camuto, TJMaxx

The earrings were purchased forever ago at PacSun!

When celebrating with Johnny’s family, they handle all of the cooking and all I need to do is sit back and enjoy. At my family’s home, I love being able to prepare dinner with my mom so I didn’t want to wear any clothes that I was worried about ruining but, of course, still looked cute. Because I didn’t learn from being WAY too hot in the cardigan I wore to Chez Miller’s the day before, I decided a sweater was the way to go at my mom and dad’s. Makes sense, right? 😀

As I browsed through my sweaters, I wasn’t really sure what to choose. I had several that I would be devastated if they got stained and a lot of light colored options which wouldn’t work either. Then, I remembered my polka dot sweater by Lucky Brand and we were in business. The reasoning behind it, other than being absolutely adorable? It’s basically just a prettier color of Thanksgiving food lol. I managed to avoid cooking without any spills but I truly believe that if I did, it wouldn’t have been that noticeable!

Black skinnies were the way to go since the sweater already featured a bold, fun pattern. So, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with one of my favorite pairs of heeled boots by Vince Camuto. As you all know, I am a fan of anything snakeskin and the unique combination of chocolate brown and black fit so well with the look. The black skinnies blended perfectly and the brown was a nice pairing with the mustard yellow sweater. I didn’t want to be bothered with necklaces or bracelets while cooking so I popped on a lovely pair of antique-vibe studs with roses on them and was ready to create some culinary delight!

I didn’t break a sweat while putting this look together but I certainly did while getting dinner together. Keep it locked for the Blooper Reel coming soon!!

Who prepares holiday dinners at your celebrations? What is your go to dish to bring to a get together? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec7

Thanksgiving Pt. 1 OOTD

Posted on December 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! For Thanksgiving, Johnny and I had a two part celebration. We went to see his family on Wednesday and went to mine on Thursday. The food coma was intense, but it was so nice to be all together and we had the best time. At Chez Miller, we did what we always do – eat, chit chat, and play a game afterwards. Since I knew it wasn’t going to be a super active visit, I wanted to wear something to be cute and comfy in. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Cardigan: O’Neill, PacSun

Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Heeled Boots: Free People, TJMaxx

The earrings are Lucky Brand!

When I think of comfy and cute, my mind always gravitates towards cardigans. They are soft, cozy, and are so perfect for just wrapping yourself in them like a cocoon. I have quite a collection of cardigans so I started this look by browsing in that department. Out of all of my different options, I decided to go with the oldest one in the bunch. The O’Neill cardigan was purchased at PacSun over FOURTEEN YEARS AGO when I ended my first stint as a seasonal worker. It has always been one of my favorite purchases from my extensive tenure there and I simply can’t part with it. I love the colors and the fit and, although it is a well loved cardigan, I still think it looks great!

With my cardi selected, the rest of the outfit pretty much built itself. The O’Neill cardigan is incredibly warm – so much so that I had to take it off at dinner lol. With that in mind, something light underneath was the way to go and I selected a black cami by mittoshop. And, with such a bold pattern on the cardigan, all that was needed was my go to black skinny jeans to form the base of the outfit.

Next on the agenda was shoes and accessories. For jewelry, I opted for a dangly pair of turquoise teardrops and that was just right. Between the pattern and the huge collar of the cardi, anything more would have been too much. Then, I chose one of my favorite pairs of heeled boots by Free People. They please me so much because they remind me of lacing up ice skates whenever I put them on! The creamy hue of the boot and pink laces added a fun color pop to the mix and I was ready to sit around the house looking awesome lol.

Thanksgiving Pt. 1 was a wonderful day and I can’t wait to show you more from the rest of our celebrations. Keep it posted!

What is your go to comfy cute item in your wardrobe? What is your favorite holiday food? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec1

Date Night OOTD

Posted on December 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Friday, Johnny and I enjoyed a Middle Class Fancy night on the town at the Olive Garden. I was looking forward to it all week and it did not disappoint. The OG never does! Of course, it wouldn’t be date night if Johnny and I didn’t get spruced up so I had to put together a little something something. Take a look and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Blazer: Express, Goodwill

Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Dagger Earrings: Spirit Halloween

The heeled boots were purchased forever ago at Target!

By the time Johnny and I returned home from work, we were pretty hungry so we did a mad dash to get ready. As I applied my makeup, I began sorting through my mental wardrobe Rolodex so I wouldn’t have to spend time browsing my selection. I decided to go the blazer route and I had just the one in mind: A four dollar Express blazer from the Goodwill. It was an incredible find and I feel like a sexy, sophisticated, woman on the go whenever I wear it. So, clearly, it was perfect for date night!

For underneath the blazer, I went with a pretty oyster shell hued cami top by mittoshop. The soft color and the lace looked so pretty and delicate under the jet black blazer! I love how girly and sweet this top is and the lace serves as an accessory in itself – no necklaces required. This top also incorporated some sheen, which was exactly what I needed for the jeans I planned on wearing.

I chose my favorite pair of coated, snakeskin patterned skinnies by Seven Jeans and the sheen from the top and pants flowed beautifully together. Despite the blazer being plain, it was still the focal point of the outfit. It essentially gave me a blank canvas to play with different textures and patterns for what was worn underneath without negatively impacting the overall look. The visual interest from both the jeans and top turned a plain black blazer into something special.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. I popped on a dangly pair of daggers with red gemstones to elongate my neck as it was the only skin showing. And, because of the lace on the top, a necklace wasn’t necessary. So, I wrapped up the look with a pair of heeled boots from Target that are literally old as dirt lol. In fact, I realized I should probably throw them out! But, they added height, kept with the established palette, and I just love the curved shape of the heel. With that, I was date night ready!

Johnny and I had the best time on our Middle Class Fancy extravaganza and I can’t wait for our next night out together! ❤

Where is your favorite place to go on a date? What is your Middle Class Fancy favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov29

Purifect CEO Of H20 Serum Review

Posted on November 29, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Nothing pleases me more than a good skin care haul. It just feels like such a treat to browse through the skin care department of TJMaxx and pick out new brands and old favorites. I enjoy my skin care routine every morning and night and it is one of the small ways that I try to incorporate self care into my day. I have been using a lot of new to me products recently and can’t say that any of them have particularly blown me away. However, I started using a serum by Purifect in the past two or so weeks and I cannot get enough of it! Let’s discuss:

^^^ I just love the picture so much lol

Out of all of the different types of skin care, I probably strike out the most with serums. I have had some tried and true favorites in the past but the ones I have been using in my stockpile have done nothing for me. Upon my first use of the CEO Of H20 serum, I was expecting more of the same lackluster sentiments. To my surprise, I was treated to the best serum I have tried out in recent memory. Even if it wasn’t, it was the best marketing I have seen in recent memory! 😀

When it comes to serums, I am very particular about the consistency. I don’t like when they’re too thin or too thick. They have to be just right! The Purifect serum had a much heavier consistency than my usual preference and it felt more like a gel. In this case, I freaking loved it! I am a huge fan of gel moisturizers and revel in that instant boost of hydration. CEO Of H20 was that exact same feeling but in serum form. It applied like a dream, a dime sized dollop was all I needed, and it still absorbed really fast.

The best part? My skin has been GLOWING. Like seriously glowing. Every time I use it, this permanently tired girl looks like she got twelve hours of beauty sleep. My skin looks so much brighter and supple and I know it’s not good to touch your face but sometimes I can’t help myself. It is WAY softer too!! This is the first serum I can recall that has given me instant effects and I simply can’t recommend it enough.

The CEO Of H20 serum by Purifect is aptly named and you have just got to try it if you are on the hunt for a good serum too. In fact, this is the one product I plan on ordering online in case I don’t find it again at TJMaxx. It is that good!

What is your favorite brand of skin care? What is your go to serum? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov22

Pattern Pop OOTD

Posted on November 22, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! We have had an incredibly mild November in good ol’ Akron, Ohio and I’m honestly pretty annoyed by it lol. I just want to wear my cold weather clothes consistently without having a heatstroke, damnit! This past weekend after several warm days, the temperature took a slight drop and I was SO excited to break out one of my favorite statement jackets. It was short lived because we have had sixty plus degree days since, but it was great while it lasted! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Snakeskin Print Trench Coat: Stella Luce, TJMaxx

Black Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

I’m pretty sure the teardrop earrings are from Target!

As you all know, I am a jacket fanatic. While I do have a lot of heavier options that I love, my main preference is a light trench coat or topper jacket. They are very appealing to me from a lazy perspective because they aren’t thick enough to be too warm so you don’t necessarily have to take them off once you reach your destination. Meaning that you could literally wear the worst outfit ever underneath and no one would know! The snakeskin trench by Stella Luce is perfect for this because its warmth factor is that of a slightly thick cardigan making it ideal for all purpose wear. Even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to take it off because it’s such an eye catching statement.

When you have a piece as bold as a full fledged snakeskin print trench coat, the rest of the outfit basically builds itself. Could you imagine pairing this coat with anything other than basic essentials? Me either! It would form a cacophonous outfit rather than a cohesive one. So, I slipped on my go tos for underneath. Black skinnies were a given as well as a black sweater too. The sweater by Shrinking Violet was just what I needed to wear below the trench coat because it is incredibly thin. It works so well for layering purposes and I highly recommend finding simple staples to come in with the assist when you are styling a look featuring a statement item.

Finally, it was time for shoes and accessories. As the trench coat hits below my mid calf, a shoe with a pattern was simply not an option. Once again, we want cohesiveness not cacophony! I chose my platform boots by Olivia Miller to keep the color palette intact and offer a pop outside of the snakeskin pattern with the huge silver chains. With no open real estate for bracelets or necklaces, I put on one of my favorite teardrop pairs of jet black dangly gemstones. They allowed for further elongation of the neck, which was important to play up since minimal skin was shown in this look. With that, I was ready to take on the day!

Since I haven’t been able to dip into my coat collection as much as I would like, I was in love with this Pattern Pop OOTD. There is nothing better than wearing one of your all time favorite things!

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

Nov8

Lil Red Jacket OOTD

Posted on November 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! When I shoot outfits over the weekend, I might not necessarily be wearing them in public. Sometimes, I’ll get back in my pajamas immediately afterwards and that was definitely the case with this look lol. Johnny and I had a crazy busy week between work and life craziness and desperately needed some time to veg. That didn’t stop me from putting a little something something together and Johnny absolutely shot these pics in his pajamas! Take a look:

Who? What? Wear?

Houndstooth Topper Jacket: Philosophy, TJMaxx

Black Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Coated Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Gold Necklace: Mia Fiore, TJMaxx

Gold Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Combat Boots: Forever 21

One of my favorite things to shop for has got to be jackets. From blazers and trench coats to toppers and moto jackets, there are so many styles to pick from and they can instantly transform any outfit. I always look forward to the fall so I can break out the coats in my expansive collection and decided to start in that department when I began building my outfit. The very first one that caught my eye was the red houndstooth topper jacket by Philosophy. Of course, I love the color but it was also a perfect pairing for the temperate weather as it was nice and light.

Because the Philosophy topper jacket is so bold, I wanted to keep the rest of the look simple. Remember that if you are styling around a statement piece, less is always more. With that approach, I added a plain black sweater to wear underneath to avoid clashing with the red because I didn’t want two loud colors on top of the other. It was also an obvious choice because it is one of the only sweaters I own that doesn’t feature a pattern. Finally, the sweater was just right for layering because it was thin like the jacket. Had the sweater been bulkier, it wouldn’t have laid anywhere near as well beneath the topper.

For jeans, I added some texture and visual interest with a coated pair of Seven skinnies. The sleek coating created such a cool pop against the cloth pieces on top without deterring from the rest of the outfit. Even if you are rocking a simple ensemble or a minimal color palette, you can always spice things up by adding some sheen, shimmer, and glitter as you build your outfit. These skinnies are one of my go tos come fall because they give that little something extra while letting whatever jacket I have on shine.

Finally, it was time for shoes and accessories. As I had a blank canvas on my sweater, a long necklace was in order. I chose one of my favorite chunky coin necklaces by Mia Fiore and loved how it filled the space with some bright, blingy gold. In the shoe department, I selected my white heeled combat boots by Forever 21 for a surprise addition to the color palette. I also liked how the boots have a matte finish so a shiny pair of shoes wasn’t competing against the sleekness of the coated jeans. With that, I was ready to take pictures and go back to bed lol!

My Lil Red Jacket OOTD was short lived, yes. But, I do plan on actually wearing it out this fall! This was just a trial run. 😉

What is fall weather like in your neck of the woods? Do you prefer cold or hot weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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