Tag Archives: micellar water

Dec13

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello! After reorganizing my work bag, I realized that I had a ten dollar rewards certificate from TJMaxx due to my expert spending this year lol. I couldn’t have stumbled upon this at a better time because I was running low on lots of my skin care staples and decided to take a TJs trip during a free afternoon. As always, I told myself that I was only going to look at beauty products but that was just a lie to make myself feel better because you all know I got some clothes too! Take a look at what should have been my only purchases during my shopping and keep it posted for what I treated myself with:

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Prior to the pandemic, I would say that I was going to TJMaxx at least bimonthly and would restock my beauty products as needed. This worked for me at the time but my shopping process has certainly changed since 2020. Now, when I make it to my beloved TJMaxx (It has been over three months since my last visit!), I stock up on what I need so that I don’t have to keep returning back. An all around restock was definitely what I needed this time around and all of the products seen above will last me close to four months. I consider this a blessing because it will keep me away from all of the temptations of winter clearance! 😀

My skin care routine is a fairly simple one that includes a scrub, cleanser, micellar water, serum, eye cream, and moisturizer. I use most of these products twice daily and it is easy to see why I would go to TJs in shorter intervals because some of the items can get used up rather quickly. I am used to finishing a product like a serum or moisturizer every month but I had a revelation while writing my November 2022 Finishes post: Sometimes, bigger is better. This past month, I finished up a gigantic tub of moisturizer that lasted me close to a month and a half. It really blew my mind and I thought that I would incorporate my discovery into this skin care restock, as you can see by the huge bottles of serum! I was disappointed that I couldn’t find any similar sizes of moisturizer to the Pearlessence one that I used and loved but what can ya do?

There are lots of new to me products in my skin care haul that I am excited to try out like the eye cream and Neutrogena cleanser. I actually just used the SpaLife serum with the beads in it and it was pretty good. Yes, I mainly bought it because it looked cool! But I digress. I am most looking forward to trying the Dope Dreams sleeping mask by ELF. I have used a CBD moisturizer before that I wasn’t too impressed with but this mask intrigued me. Keep checking back for a new Face Mask Festivities about it soon!

I am obsessed with skin care all year round but it just hits different in the winter. When I saw my go to products running low, it was off to TJs I went and I think I should be pretty well stocked until spring! 😀

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

 

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Sep2

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello!! Last week, I visited TJMaxx strictly to get some more skin care. I was successful in that regard and also wound up leaving with way more than just skin care lol. Funny how that works out! I ended up walking away with some Halloween goodies, Christmas presents for my niece, two adorable sweaters, and all of the following:

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

It has been a while since I restocked my cleansers and eye cream so that was the mission I had in mind during my TJs trip. Every morning, I like to wash my face with both a scrub and a cleanser for a deep clean. I was almost completely out of both things and chose a Vitamin C cleanser by Clinical Works and a hyaluronic acid and sugar scrub by SpaScriptions. Each of these products feature two of my favorite ingredients for my skin care as a late twenty something and I can’t wait to try them out!

For my eye cream, I went with a manuka honey cream by Lanoline. And, of course, I had to grab another bottle of the Evoluderm micellar water, which I love. I have only used products with manuka honey in it a handful of times. However, it was a must have ingredient for skin care a year or so ago so I’m more than happy to give it a try in eye cream form. Fingers crossed that it smells as amazing as the Freeman face mask that introduced me to manuka honey. 😀

This Skin Care Haul turned into a major haul in general and it was just what I needed. There’s nothing like a little retail therapy to help soothe the soul!

What ingredients do you look for for your skin care? What are your favorite skin care brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Aug31

August 2022 Finishes

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August 2022 Finishes

Hi everyone!! We’re going to wrap up August here on lifewithlilred by talking about the beauty products that I used up this month. I don’t know about all of you, but August sucked majorly for me so here’s to September being friggen awesome. God knows I need it! One thing that I always find awesome is using up products, though, so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Provence Beauty Serum: I love me a Vitamin C serum and this one by Provence Beauty, unfortunately, missed the mark. I didn’t experience any noticeable differences in the way my skin looked or felt after a month of morning and night use. This serum was also quite thin in consistency, which was a pain because it was constantly falling out of my hand. This is a product that you can definitely skip on.

Evoluderm Micellar Water: You guys already know that this is my A1 favorite micellar water so there is no need to discuss in too much detail. I will say that this product blows me away every time I use it. It removes makeup so well and acts as a nourishing toner for me every morning. It takes me about five weeks to finish one bottle.

St. Ives Scrub: I have finally used up the last St. Ives scrub in my stockpile and I am SO happy about it. These scrubs are not good for your skin and the walnut shells they use as an exfoliant can subject your skin to micro tears. Waste not want not, though, and I finished it anyways lol *face palm*. It took me over a month of once daily use to finish one bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: First and foremost, I LOVE GINGHAM! It is, easily, one of my favorite Bath & Body Works scents and is nothing short of a delight in shower gel form. It is so crisp and refreshing and lathers into the most luxurious bubbles. It is the perfect way to start every morning! It took me about three weeks to finish the travel size bottle and I really wish I had a full size one because I am now all out of Gingham! 😦

August was pretty bad for me personally but the product finishes were pretty good. Keep it posted for more fun on lifewithlilred come September!

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

Jul25

TJMaxx Haul: Skin Care Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Skin Care Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the last of my TJMaxx Haul! Today, we are going to be discussing some brand new skin care and then it’s onto bigger and better things. Keep it posted for a new OOTD and a few watercolor paintings by yours truly. They aren’t museum worthy but I’m pretty proud of them! Now, let’s get to it:

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The main reason for this haul in the first place was to get some skin care with my birthday gift card from my sister. Cut to two hours later and I had a cart full of goodies! As the old saying goes, you don’t go to TJMaxx for what you need… It tells you what you need lol at least that’s what I say, anyways. 😀

Although I was looking for some eye cream and cleansers, I was happy to walk away with a new serum (which I can always use) and two micellar waters by Evoluderm. I have been obsessed with this product since I tried it out over three years ago and just have to grab a bottle or two whenever its available at TJs. It is, hands down, the best micellar water I have ever used and makes everything else pale in comparison.

I am a faithful user of micellar water both morning and night and love the way the Evoluderm makes my skin feel. While the Garnier micellar water is great at removing makeup, it never made my skin feel nourished. The Evoluderm is the polar opposite and not only leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean but hydrated and well protected. I can’t recommend it enough if you are on the hunt for a micellar water or if the Garnier brand just isn’t cutting it anymore!

There you have it, a fabulous haul for the ages at TJMaxx in its completion. Is it bad that I’m already daydreaming about a fall haul?!

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

Jun28

June 2022 Finishes

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June 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! My birth month is drawing to a close and it has been a whirlwind time indeed. Between birthday celebrations and working with new clients, I have been busy but in the best way! No matter how jam packed of a schedule I have, I always have time for my daily beauty routines and am so happy to have finished up products this past month that felt never ending. Let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: This micellar water is a TJMaxx find and I was thrilled to be able to buy more of it during a haul this past February. I loved it as soon as I tried it at least a year ago and *pun intended* it blows the Garnier micellar water out of the water! The Evoluderm micellar water removes makeup effortlessly and feels so nourishing to the skin. It leaves my face feeling refreshed, hydrated, and clean. It took me about a month and a half to finish one bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: Pearberry is a retired scent from Bath & Body Works and I always have to snag more of it during their Semi-Annual Sale. I love fruity fragrances and Pearberry’s crisp scent of juicy pears mixed with tart berries was so invigorating every morning. I was very sad to finish this bottle because it was my last one and it took me close to two months to use it up.

St. Ives Scrub: I used to love me a St. Ives scrub until I learned that they are not the best for your skin lol. Unfortunately, you all know that I simply refuse to not use up a product so I finished the Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub out of spite. Although I wouldn’t use a St. Ives scrub again once I’m done with the one I’m currently using, I will say that they would be the bomb if it didn’t use crushed walnut shell as the exfoliant. It took me about a month and a half to finish this scrub.

Provence Beauty Serum: I have been having some fun testing out new serums after I felt like I reached the limit of effectiveness with my normal Tree Of Life serums. I found the Provence Beauty Vitamin C serum to be pretty good and I would probably buy it again if I didn’t have any other options at TJMaxx. My main qualm with this product is how liquidy it is. It had the tendency to fall right out of your hand after using the dropper and it didn’t feel as nourishing as I would like. However, I did notice a difference in the brightness of my skin. It took me five weeks of twice daily use to finish it.

Hope Soap Lotion: I received this lotion from a local shop in my neck of the woods as a Christmas gift. The Gingerbread Caramel scent was divine and it smelled good enough to eat. It also did make my hands feel nice and smooth, without a doubt. Although, similarly to the Provence Beauty serum, its texture was very runny. I prefer a thicker lotion at nighttime so this was definitely a negative factor for me. It also took for freaking ever to use up and took over four months (And accidentally dropping it!) of once a day use to finish it. If I were gifted with it again, of course I would use it but I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase it for myself.

There is nothing better than using up products that took a long time to finish and, despite some wishy washy reviews, I am still pleased with my empties this month. I can’t wait to try lots of new products out in their place this July! 😀

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

 

Feb2

TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

Hello! If you look at my newly organized beauty hoard, it is very easy to think that I definitely don’t need any more skin or bath and body care. I say FALSE and figured that my TJMaxx gift cards would be perfect to use for fortifying my stock pile and eliminating restock orders for a good long while. When scouring the beauty aisles in TJs, I had my eye open for moisturizer, serum, eye cream, and whatever else tickled my fancy. I ended up walking away with all of the following:

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As I mentioned before, it has been such a long time since I shopped in TJMaxx and I forgot how much fun it was to find new treasures in their beauty section. Prior to the pandemic, I would test out new skin care from TJs every couple of months when I needed a restock. Now, however, I have stuck to using tried and true favorites that I can order easily and have available at home. While this shopping trip would have been much better with my mom or sister there, it was still exciting to browse the aisles by myself!

While I paid full price for several of the products that I purchased, I was happy to find that a few of them were on clearance, which sweetened the deal even more. I am especially thrilled about the Evoluderm micellar water from France. It is, easily, the best micellar water that I have ever used so I had to grab the last two big bottles available.

I am most looking forward to testing out the new serums because I have been using the Tree Of Life ones for a while. They are fine and I have no major complaints but I am always open to trying new products. The same goes for moisturizer and eye cream. The Garnier SkinActive moisturizer and Elf Holy Hydration! eye cream have been staples in my skin care routine for almost a year so I can’t wait to shake things up!

Finally, I just had to buy another St. Ives scrub because they are my absolute favorite as well as one more SkinLab cleanser. I haven’t even used the SkinLab face washes that I have yet but I love that brand so how bad can it be? 😀

When it comes to my beauty stock pile, it never hurts to have extra – obviously! This huge haul will serve me well for many months to come and nothing beats when it was all purchased on a gift card!

Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? What is in your beauty hoard? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug10

Amazon Skin Care Haul

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Amazon Skin Care Haul

Heyyy! It is no secret that Lil Red is an absolute skin care fanatic and I love testing out new products as well as revisiting old favorites. I have a strict morning and nighttime skin care routine that I follow and I always have to keep my beauty hoard well stocked. As soon as I notice that I am running low on a product, I turn to Amazon to replenish it and this is my haul from my most recent restock:

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During the pandemic, it was a rarity for me to wear makeup when I went to work because there was nothing for my clients and I to do but stay at home. Fast forward to this past month, however, and I have been painting my face at least four times a week. Three for my new job in a public setting and four if Johnny and I go out over the weekend.

Wearing makeup means that it must be removed before I begin my nighttime skin care routine and I have been going through Garnier Micellar Water like crazy. It is so gentle but effective in removing my makeup, even my mascara which can sometimes be difficult to wash off. Not only is the micellar water excellent at makeup removal but it also makes my skin feel so clean without having to wash it with a cleanser.

It feels amazing to go to work sporting super cute business casual outfits and having my makeup done because it has been forever since I was able to do that. Having to restock my micellar water more often is just a small price to pay for it!

You might notice something different about this Amazon Skin Care Haul and that is because my usual Eclat Vitamin C Serum was unavailable. Since using the Eclat serum, I have been obsessed and I love the price (seven dollars per bottle) and noticeable difference it has on my skin.

I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a new Vitamin C serum after being so spoiled with the seven dollar Eclat bottles. Some of the serums on Amazon were upwards of twenty dollars and there was nothing cheaper than what I was paying. So, I decided to go with the Vitamin C serum by Tree Of Life. While it was a tad more expensive at ten dollars per bottle, it got great reviews and into the cart it went. I am excited to try it out but I will be purchasing more of my Eclat as soon as it is available again!

Which skin care products can you not live without? What is your morning or nighttime skin care routine like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov18

Amazon Skin Care Haul

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Amazon Skin Care Haul

Hello! Whenever I needed new skin care back in pre-COVID days, I would go to TJMaxx and browse the aisles for everything I needed/didn’t need. Now, when I am running low on my skin care, I order a three or so month’s supply from Amazon. Originally, I was having a lot of luck finding all of the brands that I liked from TJs on Amazon. The prices weren’t as good but I was still happy to use what was familiar to me.

This time around, it came as a HUGE shock to see that the SkinLab brand on Amazon that I love so very much had all of their prices jacked up to twenty dollars. I was normally paying seven to eight bucks at TJs and eleven or so on Amazon. Twenty dollars for moisturizer and eye cream is just ridiculous so I had to try out some new products at prices I was more comfortable with. Check it out:

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The Haul:

  • Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream for normal/combo skin
  • Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream for dry skin
  • Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating facial cleanser
  • Pacifica Kale Charcoal Foaming Facial Detox Bar
  • 3 Azure Lux Rose Gold serums
  • Garnier Micellar Water

After I discovered the high price of my SkinLab products, it took me a while to find a moisturizer at a price point I was okay with. Finally, I found a great deal on the Garnier pack of two moisturizers for SEVEN BUCKS! I thought that was a steal and I love Garnier products as well as gel cream moisturizers. Do I wish that I could have gotten my usual SkinLab Lift & Firm? Yes. But, I am excited to try something new.

Another product that I was sad to see wasn’t available on Amazon that used to be there was the Destiny Boutique charcoal face bars. I have been using their face bars for years and always like to have one or two handy at my apartment. Sadly, the brand was nowhere to be found on Amazon so I had to try my hand at the Pacifica bar, instead. I like that it is a foaming bar but I don’t like how small the bar is in comparison to the picture online. It was also packaged really poorly, which was kind of a turn off so we will see!

Along with my other usuals of Garnier micellar water and the Azure Lux serums, I bought a new Clean & Clear cleanser, as well. I am currently finishing up their Skin Brightening Morning Burst cleanser and have enjoyed it. However, it was really expensive on Amazon – over ten bucks, if I recall correctly. So, I went with the less pricey Hydrating cleanser. I am okay with this swap, though, because my skin needs all the hydrating it can get come winter.

I am looking forward to trying out all of my new products because it certainly has been a while since I went for something totally different. The almighty dollar talks every time and I don’t think I will be using my old faithfuls again until their prices go down.

Do you have a favorite product that got discontinued or really expensive? Does the substitute you picked out compare? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May14

Amazon Skin Care Haul

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Amazon Skin Care Haul

Hello! If I knew the last time that I went to TJMaxx was the last time, I would have bought out their entire skin care selection. But, hindsight is 20/20 as the saying goes. A few weeks ago, I ran completely out of my selection of moisturizers and serums and was running dangerously low on everything else. As the other saying goes… There’s a first time for everything.

Normally, I would go to TJMaxx’s website to order some more skin care but they are not shipping out currently. So, I turned to Amazon and bought all of my necessities in bulk so that running out never happens again. Check out my haul:

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The Haul:

  • 2 Garnier micellar waters with a free travel size bottle
  • 3 SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizers
  • 2 Azure Lux Rose Gold serums
  • 1 Azure Lux 24K Gold serum
  • 2 SkinLab Lift & Firm eye gels
  • 1 SkinLab Hydrate & Replenish hydra eye cream

I know, I know… It’s a lot. But, now I won’t have to worry about replenishing my hoard for a good long while and I feel great about that. What I don’t feel so great about? How much more expensive these products were on Amazon than they normally are at TJs! For example, I paid about eleven dollars for each moisturizer on Amazon when I normally pay six at TJMaxx. That hurt.

You know what else hurts, though? Your skin literally aching to be moisturized after a few days of going without! That was really rough, especially since I’ve been following a strict skin care regimen since I was at least fifteen. I am so thankful that Amazon had brands that I was familiar with so that I didn’t have to spend money on products I potentially might not like. It might have cost a bit more but it was worth every penny.

I would never be a toilet paper hoarder but I have been a proud beauty care hoarder for years now and it is nice to finally have my stockpile sitting pretty again. 😀

What are some beauty products that you stockpile? Which products have you been having a hard time finding in stores? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan8

HUGE TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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HUGE TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Howdy! Thanks to SO many generous people in my life who know of my undying love for TJMaxx, I was able to go on a post holiday spending spree with my gift cards. I went into the store with a clear vision of what I would like to spend my money on and that was stocking up on all of my skin care needs for the next few months and then some treats for myself with the remainder.

I hate to toot my own horn, but I only ended up spending eight dollars over my gift card amount and I was very pleased with my mental math and the haul below! Check it out:

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The Haul:

As you can see, I am a huge fan of SkinLab products and have been using them pretty exclusively for the past half a year or so. At twenty-five, I feel like it is now time to start looking into skin care that lifts and firms and the SkinLab regimen I purchased does just that. I have been using the lift and firm products for over a month now and I already see a noticeable difference in the tightness of my skin. I’m really happy that I was able to nab more of the goods to keep this beauty routine going and hopefully they will be still be at TJMaxx when I need more!

I also took it upon myself to grab some more heat serum for my hair because, might as well. I have been using the Rusk serum for the past year now and have had no complaints. It leaves my hair silky without getting greasy and it protects my locks from the 450 degree heat of my straightener so it is an obvious must. Plus, it smells awesome!

And, finally, the micellar water and the pore minimisers. The Evoluderm micellar water is easily the best one I’ve ever used and I was so excited that TJMaxx had it again. The bottle I purchased came with a free travel size, too, which made the find even sweeter. I was also thrilled to have purchased the pore minimisers by TBS because I was obsessed with that product when I worked there. It leaves your skin so perfectly matte while shrinking pesky open pores that can cause blemishes. A little of the good stuff goes a long way so I suspect I’ll have these two bottles for a while. 😀

I am beyond appreciative to my loved ones for hooking me up with a post holiday shopping spree and had so much fun sharing the experience with my mom. ❤ Tune in tomorrow for more of my gift card haul!

Do you have a beauty product hoard? What kind of stuff do you stockpile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah