Tag Archives: november

Nov30

November 2025 Finishes

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November 2025 Finishes

Howdy and holy WOW! Happy last day of November, everyone! Is it just me or did this month fly by? I literally feel like I blinked through spooky season and now here we are in *almost* December. I’d say I’m mad about this super speedy time warp but I’m so not. I have been DYING to give everyone their Christmas gifts for months now lol. Let’s wrap up this month here on lifewithlilred the old fashioned way… By discussing my beauty empties, of course:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Waikiki Beach Coconut Body Cream: YES

Bath & Body Works Vanilla Romance Shower Gel: NO

Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Lotion: YES

Dirty Works Vitamin C Miracle Moisturizer: YES!!!

Why/Why Not?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: You all know I am a HUGE fan of the Evoluderm micellar water and I am so sad because I haven’t been able to find it at TJMaxx for months. This was my last bottle and I can only hope for a restock soon. I just wanted to reiterate what a great value the eight dollar mega bottle is. It took me over three months to finish this baby which makes its cost per use next to nothing. Love that!

B&BW Body Cream: If you need a dose of sun, sand, and surf during these dreary days of winter then you are going to love the Waikiki Beach Coconut scent from B&BW. This is literally sunshine in a bottle and smells so exactly like the beach that you will feel like you’re there! It took about two weeks of daily use to finish this bottle and I enjoyed my mental vacation every time. 😀

B&BW Shower Gel: I am a vanilla scent girl through and through. SO not a Vanilla Romance girl though! If you live for a pure vanilla fragrance like me, definitely skip on this one. It is straight up musky with the littlest drop of vanilla added in. I grabbed this freebie for the hell of it and it was the first and last time for me!

Dirty Works Moisturizer: If you are on the market for a new moisturizer, the Vitamin C Miracle Moisturizer by Dirty Works was absolutely fabulous. It took me close to a month and a half of twice daily use to finish the bottle and I so wish I had more! A not even dime sized dollop fully hydrated my skin to silky smooth perfection and provided a huge radiance boost. This moisturizer absorbed quickly, sat like a dream under makeup, and left my skin looking and feeling amazing. Highly recommend!

Not bad, not bad at all. November was a solid month in the beauty department and I can’t wait to test out more goodies in December!

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

Nov30

November 2024 Finishes

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November 2024 Finishes

Hello everyone!!! November is wrapping up and, goodness me, did it go by quick!! Another month is officially in the books, which means that it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes. Were there many? Not really. Are they worth blogging about? Absolutely! There has been a game changer to one of my least favorite Bath & Body Works products and I am SO there for it!! Take a look and let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Poppy Body Cream: YES

Provence Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum: NO

Bath & Body Works Hand Creams: YES!

Why/Why Not?

Provence Beauty Serum: The Hyaluronic Acid Serum by Provence Beauty was nothing to write home about. In fact, I like it even less now after falling in love with another hyaluronic acid serum (Which you read about in yesterday’s post). After twice daily use of the Provence Beauty serum for a month any improvements were unnoticeable. This is in stark comparison to the results I saw in one use of the CEO Of H20 serum! The Provence Beauty one is definitely a product you can skip on.

B&BW Hand Cream: I often get coupons for a free hand cream from Bath & Body Works and, although they aren’t my favorite, free is free! I wouldn’t say the hand creams by B&BW are bad, but they’re just not as good as the traditional lotion or body cream. However, after using my most recent freebies of Platinum and Vanilla Romance, I feel much differently. B&BW must have changed the formula because the hand cream was WAY better than it was before. It was rich, creamy, thicker in texture and my hands/upper body were smooth as silk after each use. I finished both tubes within a week and even if they don’t last very long, I will be happy when I get another freebie coupon in the mail. This was a stellar improvement and they would make great stocking stuffers!

Was this the best month for Beauty Empties? Nope! But Bath & Body Works made my freebie treats even better and that is a GREAT SUCCESS!

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

Nov28

November 2023 Finishes

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November 2023 Finishes

Howdy!! November is drawing to a close, which can only mean that it’s time to discuss my monthly beauty finishes. I can’t say that this was the most successful month of empties, but damnit if it isn’t satisfying to finish products up lol. Good or bad, I always enjoy trying something new so it’s always exciting for me to use something up and move onto the next thing! There isn’t too much to discuss today so let’s keep things short and sweet and get right to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm: YES!!!!

Bath & Body Works Mimosa & Spearmint Hand Cream: MAYBE

Peptid+ Collagen Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

IGK Hair Balm: The Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm from Sephora is an absolute must in my stockpile. I got a sample of it many moons ago in a free Sephora Play! Box and immediately bought it in full size and have been using it ever since. I use this product before straightening my hair, but also sporadically throughout the week to give my locks the moisture boost it needs. The IGK hair balm leaves my hair so soft and shiny and serves as an amazing heat protector too. With my shorter hair, I only need about a nickle sized dollop because a little goes such a long way. It takes me between five or six months to finish one bottle and is worth every penny.

B&BW Hand Cream: I am not a fan of the hand cream from Bath & Body Works in any sense of the word. In my opinion, they don’t moisturize well and the texture is very greasy. I am always disappointed when I get a freebie coupon for a hand cream in the mail, but free is free. The Mimosa & Spearmint scent left a lot to be desired and it smelled neither here nor there. I noticed no positive improvement in the dryness of my skin in the week it took me to finish the travel size tube.

Peptid+ Moisturizer: I have been dabbling more in moisturizers with collagen or retinal in it as I approach my thirties. Unfortunately, this Peptid+ Collagen Moisturizer was not it. It took me about four weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar. While I appreciated the value of it, this moisturizer is one that I wouldn’t use again or recommend. It did nothing for my skin and, therefore, did nothing for me. In fact, I am noticing more positive differences with the moisturizer I just started using as opposed to this one! It’s a no from me, dawg.

November was a bit of a dud for empties, but that’s okay! It’s nice to know what products to not spend money on again and I like to let all of you know my findings too. A penny saved is a penny earned or whatever! 😀

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

 

Nov30

November 2022 Finishes

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November 2022 Finishes

Howdy!! It is the end of another month that simply flew by and you all know what that means – it’s time to discuss my monthly beauty finishes! November brought me lots of new products to try out and that was so fun for me because I was feeling pretty blah with my skin care routine. Things definitely got shaken up with two new moisturizers and two new serums, one of which was a hit and the others… Not so much. Let’s get into more detail:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean Beauty Serum: This serum took me about four weeks of twice daily use to complete and it was pretty good. It lived up to its name of Deep Hydration because my skin definitely felt more hydrated and soothed after using it. However, there are a lot of serums out there that can do that and more so I can’t say that I was blown away by it. I would use it again if it was available at TJMaxx and nothing else spoke to me but other than that, this is a product that can be skipped on.

Clinique Serum: My aunt gave me a goodie bag of Clinique skin care samples and it took me four days of twice daily use to finish the Clinical Repair serum. While that isn’t enough time to see a product fully work its magic, it was enough for me to know that I couldn’t justify a price tag on a full size bottle. This serum was kind of weird in texture. It was thick but also runny if that makes sense? You also needed a quarter size or bigger dollop to fully cover your face and neck and even then, it still didn’t feel like enough. Who knows? Maybe this product is liquid gold but I just wasn’t seeing it.

Clinique Moisturizer: This moisturizer took me six days of twice daily use to finish the sample size jar and it was alright. I really liked that it had SPF 15 in it because that’s so important – even in the winter months! My skin also felt well hydrated after using it. Having said that, the Clinique Smart moisturizer features one of my biggest product pet peeves: It did a lousy job fully absorbing and I’m talking well over an hour. That is something that really bothers me because I hate feeling any type of residue on my skin, making it an instant no go for me.

Pearlessence Moisturizer: While the Clinique moisturizer I sampled was a dud, I cannot say enough good things about the Pearlessence Big Sky Cloud Cream. I paid six dollars for this huge jar and it took me over five weeks of twice daily use to complete, which is such an amazing value. My only regret is that it didn’t last longer! This moisturizer was the perfect happy medium between a cream and a gel and it made my skin feel so good after every use. I loved how soft it made my skin as well as making it look completely radiant. I would happily buy this product again and want ten of them to have on back stock! 😀

Although there were a few no gos in my November Finishes, it was still a nice treat to try out so many new to me products. If you are looking for a good moisturizer this winter, I can’t recommend the Pearlessence one enough… Buy me a couple of jars too lol! ❤

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

Nov24

Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!! The holiday season is now in full swing and I am so thankful to be able to share in it with all of you for the eighth year in a row. Normally, Thanksgiving is my freaking JAM. A family meal with all of my favorite foods makes for a very happy me. However, that will not be in the cards this year because it has been a very tough few months for my family and we will be missing someone at the table until she is able to come home. Rather than feast, I will be spending my day being incredibly thankful that that special someone is on the mend and will be back really soon. Although the food is important to me (lol), feeling #blessed on Thanksgiving is what the day is all about and I’ll be doing that in spades. ❤

Holidays are such a special, joyous time and it can be hard when they don’t feel that way. If that is the case for you too, then we can look forward to better days ahead together. If that is not the case for you, then please take some time out of your day to feel thankful for it. While my stomach won’t be full of my beloved green bean casserole (Hate all you want!!), my heart will be bursting at the seams for all of the good that has happened and will be coming up soon.

Thank you to all of my sweet lifewithlilred family for being a reason why I will be smiling today. My message to you today is that even when things suck massively – there is always a reason to smile. No matter how you spend the day, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and I am thankful for each and every one of you! Much love. -Sarah

Nov28

November 2021 Finishes

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November 2021 Finishes

Hey everyone!! It’s about that time to discuss my product empties for the month because we are almost done with November! I swear, the days seem to fly by in double time during the holiday season and before we know it, we will be in 2022. This month, I finished a ton of products which included a few that I have been working on for forever and that is always exciting for me… It’s the little things lol! Let’s take a look:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: After what seemed like FOREVER of using the Portofino Pink Prosecco lotion, I am finally done with it! For about three months, I have been using this lotion on my hands before bed every night so it was a welcome change to switch to a new lotion that I have been loving. Of course, I always enjoy my B&BW products but I will be the first to admit that the boozy scent of this one definitely got old lol. If given the opportunity, I would use it again because I never say no to B&BW but I think a new scent will be in order during my next semi annual sale haul.

B&BW Shower Gel: Gingham from Bath & Body Works is one of my favorite scents and I finished this shower gel in two months. It was also a freebie, which is nice since it’s a full size product! This scent reminds me of a picnic on a warm spring day, which is a great thing to manifest during my morning showers in the cold winter months.

Now that I’m done with this shower gel, I have moved onto one of the bars of soap that I got when I was on vacation. While I always prefer shower gels, I love me a bar soap every once in a while so the ultra moisturizing soaps by Our Own Candle Company will do the trick for dry winter skin just fine.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum: This serum by Tree Of Life was the “dud” of the multi pack that I purchased and if it wasn’t such a darn good deal, I wouldn’t use this product again. I was looking forward to trying the Hyaluronic Acid serum out because it’s a wonderful ingredient to incorporate into your skin care routine. However, after completing a bottle with morning and night use, I noticed no difference in how my skin looked or felt. #notimpressed

Summer Fridays Mask: I got the Jet Lag face mask by Summer Fridays as a freebie during my last Sephora haul and it left a lot to be desired. I got about eight uses out of the tube and I did like the way my skin felt but I would never pay forty-five dollars for a full size of it. As a freebie, this was a nice mask to try out. However, my skin feels equally as good, if not better, when completing my normal skin care routine with mostly drugstore products.

November brought me so many finishes and I am glad for it! There is nothing better to me than completing a product that I have been using for a while and I can’t wait to see which empties I’ll have in December for our last finishes post of 2021. 😀

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

Nov25

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!! This has been a year full of exciting things for yours truly including getting married, achieving a 1,000 day writing streak, and being fully vaccinated with a booster shot included. I am so thankful for all of this and, as always, I am so thankful for all of you – my dear readers and friends. ❤

Without your unending support, lifewithlilred would not be going strong for seven plus years and I love being with all of you on my blogging and life journey. While I feel lucky for this every day, days like Thanksgiving make me feel extra sentimental about it and I can’t express my gratitude enough.

I will keep this post short and sweet so you can go back to enjoying your Thanksgiving day. I just wanted to say that I love you all and hope you have the most joyous time with family and friends! ❤

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? What are you thankful for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov28

November 2020 Finishes

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November 2020 Finishes

Howdy! Can you believe we’re already coming to the end of November? 2020 has, admittedly, sucked on ice but at least we’ve been flying through these past few months! November drawing to a close means it’s time to discuss all of the beauty products that I finished up so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast shower gel: YES
  • Garnier water proof micellar water: YES
  • Azure Lux 24K Gold serum: YES
  • SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate eye gel: NO
  • SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: The Champagne Toast scent from Bath & Body Works rocks! Originally, Johnny thought that this shower gel was called Champagne & Toast, which is what we call it now but no matter what name you give it – the fragrance is divine.

I ordered this body wash online without ever smelling it and I was worried that it would have an alcohol like scent. Thankfully, that was not the case at all! Rather, Champagne Toast has all the allure of fizzy bubbles mixed with sweet berries and tangerine making it oh so sweet and totally luxurious. Speaking of bubbles, this shower gel lathered like a dream and it took me one month to finish the bottle.

SkinLab Eye Gel: I have never tried the Revitalize & Hydrate eye gel by SkinLab before and I would definitely not use it again. While working through this little jar, which took me over two months, I did not notice a single difference to the delicate skin around my eyes. It also would flake clean off if you happened to rub your eyes within a half hour of applying it. Not a good look. I will be sticking to the Lift & Firm eye gel from now on!

For More On The Other Products:

Which products did you use up this month? Are there any products that you would not recommend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov26

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Compliments of COVID, the 2020 holiday season is going to be a lot different. Family get togethers might be taking place over Zoom rather than in person or the celebrations could be pushed back until everyone can participate without crippling anxiety. No matter how you spend your day, I urge all of you to do it as safely as possible so all of your loved ones will be around to celebrate a *hopefully* normal Thanksgiving and Christmas next year.

2020 has been a wild ride and the craziness just reminds me of how thankful I am for all of the wonderful things about my life. A beautiful family, loving relationship, rewarding job, and fabulous friends both in person and online in the blogosphere are certainly nothing to sneeze at!

Thank you all so much for sharing in lifewithlilred with me because each and every one of you help keep me motivated to write each and every day. I am so proud of the sense of community that I feel on my page and I wish nothing but health, safety, and all of the good things for you and yours. ❤

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov30

November 2019 Finishes

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November 2019 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the last day of November here on lifewithlilred! This month felt like it went by SO quickly with all of the holiday shopping, Thanksgiving, and working my little tail off to make up for the days I took to myself for the holiday. Despite November passing by in the blink of an eye, I managed to use up a lot of products that I am here to discuss today with all of you. Check it out:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Jergens Ultra Healing lotion: YES
  • Solimo Shea Butter & Oatmeal body wash: YES
  • Bath & Body Works Blueberry Crumble hand soap: YES
  • Rusk thermal heat serum: YES
  • SkinLab Moisturizing Gel Cream: YES
  • Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment: NO

Why/Why Not?

Jergens Lotion: I have been buying Jergens as my lotion of choice since moving into my apartment. It’s fairly inexpensive for a big bottle, it smells great, and it leaves my skin feeling so well loved. I do a weekly all over use after my Wednesday night bubble bath and my skin definitely thanks me for it – especially during the cold winter months. It takes me close to two months to finish a bottle and I always have to restock whenever I do my grocery shopping!

Solimo Body Wash: I don’t love this body wash and I also don’t hate it. It smells fine, it’s moisturizing, and it lathers well but it’s kind of boring. During my morning shower, I like something really invigorating and this just doesn’t do it for me. My mom purchased a ton of these body washes off of Amazon and gave me a few so I’m not mad about that but it also isn’t my go to choice. It took me over one month to finish one bottle.

B&BW Hand Soap: I love, love, love my Bath & Body Works foaming hand soaps! The Blueberry Crumble scent smells exactly like, well… blueberry crumble and it is amazing. The B&BW foaming soaps are so nice because they make my hands feel seriously clean without drying them out. It takes me over three months to finish one bottle because a little goes such a long way and I always look forward to using one up so I can start a fresh one with another delicious scent.

Rusk Serum: The Rusk thermal heat serum is a must in my hair care arsenal and I use it whenever I straighten my hair. It is definitely a salon worthy product and my hair never feels dry or damaged despite my 450 degree straightener. Combined with my favorite IGK Mistress leave in conditioner, my hair has never looked shinier or healthier and I highly recommend both products. It took me over four months to finish one serum bottle.

SkinLab Cream: I always enjoy a good gel moisturizer and this one by SkinLab is my favorite. It feels so light but it is so crazy hydrating, which is awesome, because sometimes the really light gels don’t leave your skin feeling completely moisturized. This product absorbs quickly, sits amazingly under makeup, and keeps my skin dewy and glowing. It takes me one month to finish one jar.

Sunday Riley Treatment: I received this sample as a freebie from Sephora and was only able to use it four times. Granted, that isn’t a lot of time to see if you like a product or not but I was unimpressed. However, the reviews for it on Sephora’s website are for the most part very positive so, maybe if I had a little more, I would have liked it better. So, do with that information what you will!

Overall, November was a very successful month for empties. I love when I can finish up products that I’ve been using for a while and am ready to start fresh in December with some new skin care and bath and body goodies!

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