Tag Archives: obsessed

TJ’s Trip

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TJ’s Trip

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! As you guys know, I freaking LOVE TJMaxx. I live for all of the fabulous but affordable finds there and always enjoy a TJ’s shopping trip even if I leave empty handed. My mom and I go to TJ’s once or twice a month to see what’s new and we had one of our excursions this past weekend. We left with a scarf for both of us, a new toy for both of our dogs, and a little “Ollie sized” food dish for our most recently adopted pup. I’m seriously so in love with my BCBGeneration scarf that I can’t even handle it so take a look at the darling new addition to my wardrobe:

^^^ So cute!

Usually when my mom and I shop at TJ’s, we breeze by their selection of scarves because we don’t wear them often. However, my mom said that she would like a new and lighter one for spring so we took our time and thumbed through the many scarves that TJ’s had on display. I found my mom a lovely black, grey, and white striped scarf that looked so adorable on her so we decided to go with that one and continue scouring the store.

As we were walking away to go check out the shoes, I took one last survey of the scarves and found the only Popsicle print square scarf that was hanging up. I was instantly enamored by the whimsical pattern, creamy colors, and vintage feel of the silky BCBGeneration scarf. I knew right away that I wanted it. The scarf was the perfect amount of cute and quirky that I love and it was at just the right price of eight bucks. How can you say no to that?!

As soon as I saw the scarf, I began thinking of all of the different ways that I could wear it this spring and summer. Tied in a bow around my neck, Parisian style, as a turban, as a hair wrap, casually flung over my shoulders – the possibilities were endless! I love pieces that are versatile and can be worn during all or most seasons. This sweet little square scarf passed that requirement with flying colors!

The best part about this scarf is the pure luxury of it for such an amazing price. The rich cream, mauve, and baby blue palette just screams vintage chic and the silky material feels so fabulous to the touch. I adore the BCBGeneration brand, too, so the fact that my scarf came from their collection was another added bonus. I’m so excited to sport my quirky and sweet new scarf this season and I’m so beyond happy with my latest TJMaxx find!

My mom and I’s latest TJ’s Trip was an obvious success and I live for our monthly shopping excursions together! What is your favorite way to wear a scarf? What was the latest purchase you made while out shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

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Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend! When it comes to my night time beauty routine, I LOVE using masks. I’m always on the hunt for a light but effective moisture mask and I happened to find exactly what I wanted in Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask. It is literally the best mask that I’ve ever used and it makes The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask pale in comparison. This is easily one of my favorite items in my beauty arsenal so I just had to review it! Let’s discuss:

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Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask is complete and total magic. Not only is it an amazing product but it’s a very fair price, too. You can’t beat fifteen bucks for a big container! I think that this mask is a steal and it also passes my perfect product checklist with flying colors, starting with the smell. The best way that I can describe the scent is that it’s like a fresh rainfall. It’s so crisp and clean but it is in no way overpowering. The scent is so invigorating that it leaves me bright eyed and bushy tailed until I fall asleep.

The texture of the Active Botanicals Mask is really nice, as well. It fits snugly into the category of just right. I can’t stand when creams or masks are too heavy or light. I like for my masks to be light enough that they absorb well but still heavy enough to feel like they’re getting the job done. The texture of Olay’s mask is what I could imagine The Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask would feel like it it were a cream instead of a gel. It feels really aquatic and it only takes one small test of the Botanicals mask on your skin to know that using it is going to be the equivalent of giving your skin a huge gulp of water.

Good smell – check. Nice texture – check. Absorbs well? Check! Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask absorbs right into the skin as quickly as you rub it on. But, all of it doesn’t completely soak in. Every time I use this mask, a fine layer always remains on my face as if it knows that I’ll be needing more in my sleep. As soon as you put the mask on, you can feel it working. Within the first minute my skin feels tingly, bright, and hydrated. The following day my skin feels so supple and my under eye circles always look less severe. The reducing of my less than designer bags under my eyes is always a nice bonus!

There’s no way that I would rate this mask with anything lower than: five stars. It’s such an excellent and truly effective product. Olay’s mask is amazing for bringing dry skin back to life and leaving your face perfectly hydrated. I can’t recommend this mask enough, especially if you are looking to ease chapped skin from winter or for adding an extra dose of moisture into your beauty routine.

So there you have it, my Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review! Has anyone used this product before? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Photo Shoot Album (Pt. 1)

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Photo Shoot Album (Pt. 1)

Hey everyone and happy weekend! It’s been a few weeks since my photo shoot with Britta Photography and I’m still obsessed with all of the shots that were taken of yours truly. And now that I know that there’s a handy slideshow tool on here for picture viewing, I figured why not put up the album in its entirety? I wish that I would have known this fun fact sooner! All in all there’s about fifty photos so I thought that I would divide up the pics and post the album in separate parts. Take a look at part one of my Photo Shoot Album and then let’s discuss a little further:

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I love having these pics readily available on Facebook because one of my favorite things is when I catch a glimpse of them and am kind of shocked that it’s actually me in the shots. I would really like to get some prints made of at least some of them but it’s going to be so hard to pick which ones I want! It’s seriously impossible to pick a favorite because I adore all of them equally and differently. If any of you are interested in getting some prints of your favorite Lil Red pics, just let your girl know!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful start to your weekend and make sure you stay on the look out for part two of my Photo Shoot Album! What is your favorite subject to photograph? What is one of your favorite pics in my album? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Photo Shoot Favorites

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Photo Shoot Favorites

Helloooo and welcome to some more of my Photo Shoot Favorites from my weekend photography excursion with my fantastically talented friend, Britta. I selected some more of the pictures that I was totally in love with to share with all of you today, so take a look! And then be sure to give Britta’s photography Facebook page some love and check out some more shots of yours truly. 🙂

Thank you again so much to Britta for doing such an amazing job at making me look good! It was so hard to pick just a few shots to post so be sure to keep tuning in to lifewithlilred and Britta’s photography page for some more Photo Shoot Favorites! What has been your favorite picture posted so far? What is your favorite location to photograph at? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion Review

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Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion Review

Hey everyone and happy weekend! Today I’m going to be discussing my new favorite product, compliments of a Christmas gift from mi madre. I always ask for a supply of my beauty and skin care necessities for Christmas so my mom hooked me up with a new moisturizer from Trader Joe’s. I only recently started using my Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion because I’ve been in the process of finishing a Neutrogena moisturizer since November. Last week I finally finished my Neutrogena and began my TJ’s journey and let me tell you…I’m already hooked. Take a look at their packaging and then let’s discuss:

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I’ve been writing about quite a few fragrance free products lately which is weird but I actually really don’t mind this moisturizers lack of a scent – especially because it has SPF 15 in it. I find that most skin care products that have SPF in it always smell like you’re lathering yourself up to get ready for the beach. My Neutrogena moisturizer had SPF 15 in it, as well, and you could definitely tell by its scent. When it comes to products that have any amount of SPF in it, I would prefer for it to be fragrance free so that’s a major plus for Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion.

When I am browsing the market for a new moisturizer, I’m always very concerned about the texture of it. I can’t stand products that are greasy, oily, or too thick. Lucky for me, none of these issues were a problem with TJ’s face lotion. The texture was so lusciously creamy and it actually was quite thick – I know, I know, I just said that this was a problem. BUT to me, there’s a big difference between a thickness that’s goopy and heavy and one that is nice and rich. Obviously, Trader Joe’s lotion texture was the latter or I would not be using it!

The final “must” for me when it comes to a new moisturizer or lotion is how well it absorbs. I have to say, I was very impressed with how quickly Trader Joe’s lotion absorbed considering that it is a bit thicker than what I normally would use. A quarter sized squeeze sunk into my skin in record time and it left absolutely no residue. My skin felt hydrated and soft and I was amazed at the way my skin looked after using it. My prized super pale epidermis (science!) looked like porcelain. My face looked and felt so supple and I was blown away. I’ve never used a moisturizer before that had such evident results after ONE USE. You can’t beat that!

Of course, I’m going to have to rate Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion with: five stars. I really can’t recommend this product enough, especially for those with a normal to dry skin type. I’m aware that the packaging says that all skin types can use it but I fear that it might be a bit too heavy for problem skin. But, I suppose a thin layer can’t hurt!

So there you have it, my Trader Joe’s Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion Review! Has anyone used this moisturizer before? What did you think of it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Puppy Pictures!

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New Puppy Pictures!

Hey everyone and TGIF! We are having so much fun at home with our newly adopted pup, Ollie. So far he loves playing with toys, eating treats, and lots of snuggles! The last time my mom and I went shopping, we picked out a special little Ollie sized toy for him to play with and he’s kind of obsessed. Take a look at some adorable new pics of peanut:

^^^ So precious! ❤

Watching Ollie figure out how to play with his new donkey toy was seriously one of the cutest things of my life. It’s the perfect size and color and Ollie loves to make it squeak and shake him around. Ollie took a quick break from playing with his new friend to pose for the first picture but otherwise, he’s constantly romping about with his buddy and Golden Retriever sister.

Another sweet thing about Ollie is that he loves to be tucked in! The very first day that we had peanut at home, I wrapped him up in a blue towel after he had a bath and he took a little snooze. Now every night that I’m home, I’ll tuck him into a blankie after he’s all settled in for the night. The second picture of Ollie was taken the night that he got his new toy. He brought it with him onto the chair that he likes to sleep on and tucked his buddy under his chin while I covered him with a blanket. Needless to say, my heart was melting!

Every day is a new adventure with little Ollie so definitely expect some more New Puppy Pictures in the future! Do you have any pets at home? If so, what kind and what are their names? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Vidal Sassoon Runway Red Review

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Vidal Sassoon Runway Red Review

Hi everyone and happy weekend! When it comes to my personal appearance, there is nothing, NOTHING more important to me than my red hair. I’ve had my hair red for quite some time now thanks to my wonderful stylist at the salon but only recently have I started to dye my hair at home. I discovered Vidal Sassoon’s Runway Red box color from their London Luxe collection over a year ago and have been a faithful user ever since. Frankly, I’m shocked that I haven’t reviewed this product before now but there’s no better time than the present so let’s do this:

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Once upon a time when I was paying close to eighty dollars monthly to get my hair colored, I thought that there would never be a box color that was as good as what I was getting at the salon. Honestly, there really wasn’t until Vidal Sassoon came out with their London Luxe collection. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I browsed through the box color section of Target or the grocery store only to find reds that weren’t red enough. Then, one day, I saw a commercial on TV for VS’s new collection. I took one good look at the girl with her hair dyed “Runway Red” and thought to myself, “this is it”.

I’m not really sure what brought on the need for me to stop getting my hair done professionally aside from the fact that I wanted to save money. I had been getting my hair done in the salon for years and I was nervous as hell to make the jump to at home coloring. But the next week, I went to Target with my mom and purchased my very first boxed hair dye, Vidal Sassoon’s Runway Red.

That evening, I would leave the very capable hands of my stylist and into the hands of my mother, who helped me on my first go at coloring my hair from home. We set up shop in the bathroom and my mom gave me the step by step guide on how to get situated. Step 1) Lay down LOTS of towels on the floor and around the sink. 2) Mix your color. 3) Put on your gloves. 4) Apply the color. And most importantly, always wear a top that you don’t have to lift up over your head!

My mom applied my color for me with the seasoned touch of a woman who’s been dying her hair from the comfort of her bathroom for years. Once my roots were completely covered, there was no turning back. That’s when the nerves really started to kick in! Loops of “What have I gotten myself into? Why did I let my mother near by head with hair dye? What happens if it looks ugly?” were running through my head at a hundred miles per minute.

By the time I eased myself out of a semi panic attack, our timer rang and it was time to apply the color to the rest of my hair. Once all of my hair was covered in red muck, my fate was left up to the gods. I waited for the color to set and then when it was time to rinse, I walked to the shower like I was on my way to the gallows. Once more, I thought to myself, “this is it” and placed my head under frigid cold water to wash away the dye.

As I stood in the shower freezing my nads off, I was shocked by how blood red the water was turning. It was so disgusting but kind of awesome! It took a while to get all of the dye washed away and I felt like I had developed hypothermia by the time I got out of the shower. I wrapped myself in a bunch of towels and held my breath as I rubbed away the fog from the mirror to inspect the color. I relaxed a little when I saw that my hair looked exactly the way it did once the dye is washed out at the salon. But I didn’t celebrate quite yet because the real moment of truth would come once my hair was completely dried.

I never blow dry my hair because it takes forever but I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to grab the dryer so I could start the process. I dried, and dried, and dried my hair some more and then took a tentative look in the mirror when I was finally done. Thankfully, the gods were in my favor because the color looked better than I could have ever expected. It was brighter than what I was getting done at the salon, it was bold, and it looked fabulous. See for yourself the power of Runway Red:

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I couldn’t even tell you the amount of time and money that Vidal Sassoon’s box color has saved me. It is the BEST thing that has ever happened to my beauty routine and I’m so thankful to have found a color that’s even better than what I was getting at the salon. Therefore, I rate Vidal Sassoon’s Runway Red with: one million stars, for making me look beautiful without breaking my bank!

So there you have it, my Vidal Sassoon Runway Red Review! Do you dye your hair at the salon or at home? What box color do you swear by? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jergens BB Hand Cream Review

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Jergens BB Hand Cream Review

Hi everyone and happy Super Bowl Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend so far. Over the holidays, I was lucky and won a giveaway by my friend, Victoria, over at livingdisrobed. I won some Jergens body care goodies which included the most fantastic hand cream ever. The Jergens BB Hand Cream is the best thing that has ever happened to my hands and their tendency to get insanely dried out. I have nothing but good things to say about this cream, so let’s discuss:

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If I could describe myself in one word when it comes to body care products, I would use “picky” with a capital P. If the product is greasy – no can do. If it has a scent that I don’t like – see ya never. And if it’s ineffective – girl, BYE. Lucky for me, the Jergens gods heard my prayer for the perfect cream and they responded by making their BB Hand Cream.

My hands are incredibly sensitive so it doesn’t take a lot to get them dehydrated. On top of this sensitivity, I’m a bit of a germophobe so I’m a hand washer as well. When my hands get dry, they get extremely red, they crack, and they legitimately hurt. You would think that with all of these problems, I would have found the perfect hand cream by now. Unfortunately, I’ve never been so blessed. #fml

It seems like every product that I’ve tried has missed the mark and I don’t like to pay for products unless I’m 110% sure that they’re going to do the job. My last attempt at a hand cream was when I used The Body Shop’s almond cream which worked well but was much too greasy for my liking. I thought that my days of red and raw hands was never going to end and then I ended up winning Victoria’s giveaway.

When my package arrived in the mail, I opened it with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas. I inspected my goodies and then eagerly squeezed some of the hand cream onto the palm of my hand. I took a whiff of the cream and was pleased that it was a nice and light fragrance that wasn’t overpowering in the slightest.

After the cream passed the smell test, I began to rub it into my skin. The only way that I can describe it was that it was like my hands were taking a long and much needed drink of water. The hand cream went in so smoothly and within seconds I couldn’t even tell that I had applied a healthy helping of the cream. There was no grease, no residue, and no strong fragrance left behind.

After just one use of Jergens BB Hand Cream, the redness of my skin was reduced, the scaliness was smoothed down, and my hands felt perfectly hydrated. I’ve never experienced a cream that truly helped revitalize my skin without leaving behind any kind of residue. Honestly, I thought that it was impossible. My Jergens BB Hand Cream has helped my winter hands become a thing of the past and that is something that I am so thankful for.

I would be ridiculous to rate my Jergens BB Hand Cream with anything less than: five stars. This is easily the best cream that I’ve ever used and I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you so much again, Victoria, because it was all thanks to you! ❤

So there you have it, my Jergens BB Hand Cream Review! What is your go to hand cream? What body lotion do you swear by? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Making A Murderer Verdict

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My Making A Murderer Verdict

Hey everyone and happy weekend! My boyfriend, Kyle, and I jumped on the bandwagon last weekend and binge watched Netflix’s documentary, Making A Murderer. The show followed the trial of Steven Avery for a sexual assault and murder that he may or may not have committed. From the first few minutes of the show, we were both hooked and completed the ten one hour long episodes in three days. I’ve had to laugh because on Facebook everyone has turned into a lawyer while discussing the show but in all reality – Kyle, my sister (who watched the series too), and I have all been doing the exact same thing.

We have all come up with the verdict of NOT GUILTY and now I want to hear from my fellow binge watchers. To those who have watched Making A Murderer or who followed the case closely when it was happening, what is your verdict? Why do you think that Steven Avery was guilty or not? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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^^^ Lol, these are priceless!

Monday Update: Forever 21 Haul Edition

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Monday Update: Forever 21 Haul Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! Last weekend my mom and I ventured to one of the bigger malls that my area of Ohio has to offer, Southpark Mall in Strongsville. We rarely go to Southpark and the last time that I went was years ago. The mall is absolutely gigantic and we went during the holiday season last time around so needless to say, it was quite overwhelming. Last week we went just to change things up a little bit and I died and went to Forever 21 heaven. Their store was huge! Take a look at my latest goodies from my most recent shopping trip:

^^^ I’m a fan.

As all of you know, Lil Red rocks all black everything more often than not so when I saw these edgy hoodie dresses, I knew that they had to be mine. When I used to work at an urban clothing store called Next, they carried the brand HBA (Hood By Air) and I was obsessed. I think that these hoodies are very reminiscent of HBA which is one of the many reasons why I like them so much. Plus, they were infinitely cheaper which was an added bonus! For both of these hoodie dresses I paid fifty dollars which is a quarter of the price of one HBA top. Score!

Usually I’m not one to gravitate towards hoodies or sweatshirts. I much prefer sharp sweaters, tops, or jackets. However, I really liked that these hoodies both went down below the normal at the hip length. The “Killin’ It” sweat dress went down to a little below my knees and the “In High Demand” zip up went down to my calves. This automatically made them way more edgy to me and it created endless styling possibilities.

The great thing about these hoodie dresses, asides from how cute they are, is all of the different outfits that you can wear with them. I tried the sweat dresses on over my black skinnies which worked really well but the possibilities are endless! I can’t wait to wear them with nothing underneath as a real dress or with a pair of opaque or sheer black tights. I also plan on wearing the “In High Demand” dress with the zipper undone to show off a cute pair of shorts and top in the summer. I really like pieces that you can wear all year round so that you can get creative with how you style it!

I’m so aware that these sweat dresses are really similar to each other but I couldn’t pick just one to save my life! I know that if I chose only one that I would be thinking about the hoodie that I left behind for forever. I’m also really glad that I did buy both because when my boyfriend and I went to the mall that he lives by, I popped in the Forever 21 there and they didn’t have either of them! That made me even happier with my decision.

I’ve worn both of my hoodie dresses multiple times already and I can’t get enough of them. I like that these pieces are both amazingly comfortable but they by no means sacrifice style while wearing them. The “Killin’ It” sweat dress is so fun and I had to laugh because I wore it on Thursday night when I was coaching figure skating for the Special Olympics and we just happened to be taking photos that day. I’m sure all of the pictures that I’m in turned out really swell since I’m rockin a hoodie with “Killin’ It” plastered across the front!

As I write this post I’m wearing my “In High Demand” zip up over a pair of black skinnies and a graphic baseball tee and it certainly spruces up the outfit! It also keeps me nice and warm because it’s very chilly in my neck of the woods today. I’m so pleased with my latest purchases and I can’t wait to wear them for many seasons to come. Thanks, Forever 21! ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Forever 21 Haul Edition! I hope all of you are having a wonderful start to your week so far. How was everyone’s weekend? Who has recently snagged some cute new clothes while shopping? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah