Tag Archives: opinions

Oct17

Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Glacier Water & Pink Peony Hydrating Gel Cream Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Glacier Water & Pink Peony Hydrating Gel Cream Mask Edition

Hello! During one of my previous Amazon hauls, I ordered a set of six new face masks from Freeman. Unfortunately, the first one I tried was a dud and this gel cream mask just didn’t do anything for me, either. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

When I decided to use this gel cream mask, I thought it sounded so refreshing that it would have to be good. I love gel masks because of their bouncy texture and the glacier water/pink peony combo seemed like it would just add to the enjoyment. So, I prepped my bath water and applied my face mask for an evening of pampering.

As I squeezed the mask into my hand, it reminded me so much of one of my favorite gel masks from The Body Shop and I was taken with the pale blue color it was tinted. The gel cream dried fairly quickly and, as per the instructions, I left it on all night.

The following morning, I was eager to wash my face and see how my skin felt as I had the mask on for well over ten hours at that point. Sadly, I noticed no difference to my skin. In fact, after I got out of the shower my skin felt tight and was practically begging me for my moisturizing routine.

I have never used a gel mask that did this little for me before and I was honestly shocked. With some of my favorite gel masks, it left my skin looking so radiant and feeling hella moisturized but, obviously, all of them can’t be winners. -_-

I definitely wouldn’t recommend this face mask and, as of now, I am striking out on my Freeman haul. Here’s to hoping the next few will be better so keep it posted for more Face Mask Festivities coming soon!

Which face masks would you not recommend? Do you have a favorite gel cream mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct16

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Hunting Party By Lucy Foley Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Hunting Party By Lucy Foley Edition

Howdy and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be talking about a book called The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, without giving any spoilers away, of course. Now, this author might sound familiar to you because I actually just finished up another book of hers a few weeks ago. While I enjoyed the last book I read of Lucy Foley’s well enough, The Hunting Party missed the mark severely.

Read on to find out more and find out what star rating this book ends up with:

It’s a New Year’s bash and anyone who is anyone in the posh “inner circle” will be there. A group of the closest friends who, for the most part, all met during their university years at Oxford. Every New Year, couples Giles and Samira, Julian and Miranda, Mark and Emma, Nick and Bo, and odd one out Katie embarks on a mini vacation to celebrate.

They end up somewhere different each time, as it’s always up to a different person to plan it, and this year they find themselves in the Scottish Highlands. Scenic and beautiful, yes, but extremely remote and with a startling lack of WiFi. Each respective couple has their own tiny cabin on the resort but their primary hang out is the rustic chic Lodge with plush rugs and couches, mounted deer heads, and oh yeah… It’s made entirely of glass.

For the most part, this all sounds relatively nice. However, as the booze is poured, celebratory pills are popped, and a downfall of snow threatens to keep them barricaded all of their dark secrets and rivalries begin to bubble to the surface. The Hunting Party covers their entire New Year’s excursion from the moment they board the train to the ghastly murder that concludes their trip. Anyone and everyone is a suspect and it’s up to you to find out who if you read The Hunting Party.

Similarly to Foley’s last book, The Hunting Party is told in an interweaving tale between beautiful Miranda, homely Emma, quiet Katie, as well as the gamekeeper of the property named Doug, and the property manager called Heather. Similarly to Ruth Ware’s In A Dark, Dark Wood, this book revolves around a celebratory weekend gone awry in a remote location in a house made of glass.

Because of both of these identical nods to books that I have already read, it felt really impossible to enjoy this book. It almost felt like I was reading a combination of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley instead of individual books from each author. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters. None of them were incredibly relatable in terms of their personalities, professions, and backstory and I never felt like I was getting “in” to the book. Rather, just speed reading to finish it up.

Perhaps, all of these other issues would be less damning had the grand reveal been amazing. Unfortunately, that fell flat too. I figured it out extremely early and every Red Herring introduced was debunked so quickly that there were no real “twists and turns” throughout the book.

I honestly can’t say that I would recommend The Hunting Party to any of you and have to rate it with a zero out of ten stars. The plot was tired and used before, the characters felt like caricatures instead of real people, and the grand reveal was so simple I think that a fifth grader could figure it out. It is not worth your time and definitely wasn’t worth mine. WHOMP WHOMP.

Have you read any lackluster books lately? Do you have a recommendation for what I should read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep29

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Family Upstairs By Lisa Jewell Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Family Upstairs By Lisa Jewell Edition

Hello! While I had to take an entire week of work off for being sick, I was able to finish the book I’ve been working on called The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. Despite enjoying this book very much, it is easy to say that it is not for everyone. Before we discuss (Without spoilers, of course!), I’ll be putting a trigger warning on The Family Upstairs for child abuse and heavy cult activity. Now, let’s get to it:

Libby Jones lives the average life of a freshly turned twenty-five year old. Struggling to make ends meet, constantly attempting to climb the corporate ladder, and trying to figure out just who the heck she is in this world (Ringing more true for her, as she is adopted). But Libby has been somebody to her real family since she’s been born and now it’s time to find out where she came from.

Shortly after Libby’s birthday, a letter arrives claiming that she is the inheritor of a mansion as well as learning about her real parents. Although ramshackle, abandoned, and with a dark history the home is still worth a fortune. A dark history, you say? Well, what else would you call a home in which children have gone missing and a perfectly healthy ten month old baby girl is living among the corpses of three adults in black robes?

This entire story is honestly just weird. But good weird! The mansion Libby inherits was once magnificent with fine furnishings, designer clothes in each closet, and the best of the best or it wouldn’t do. So how in SAM HILL was there nothing left in the home when the baby was found by the police? What was the baby doing there to begin with?!

The baby was not old enough to take care of herself so who was taking care of her? While Libby is searching for herself, there are others hot on her trail. The “baby” has now turned twenty-five and a handful of people have been waiting a quarter of a century for it. Friends? Foes? Family? Read The Family Upstairs to find out!

Told in an interweaving round between Libby and two others who may or may not have lived in the home previously, there are surprises and red herrings during every chapter making it impossible to put down. In fact, just talking about it is almost giving too much away. Life changing secrets are looming in the dark of the once grand home that Libby is now the owner of and each sick twist brings her one step closer to who she was, is, and will be.

Now, if you think my description of this book is intense, then you are in for a wild ride if you actually read it. The Family Upstairs turned and writhed throughout each sentence into a fireworks finale of the grand reveal. It was a great reveal, by the way, but I am proud to say I figured most of it out beforehand, thank you very much! 😀

I highly recommend this book if you can stomach it and am awarding it with an eight and a half out of ten stars. This has been one of the best story lines I’ve read in a long while and each and every character will leave you shocked for good or bad. Tuck into this page turner and enjoy, you won’t regret it.

Which book are you currently working on? Who is your favorite author? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep27

September 2020 Finishes

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September 2020 Finishes

Hi! So it’s already the end of September, which is mind blowing to me. I know all of you think I’m crazy for starting Christmas shopping so early but, damn, the countdown feels on now! We’re coming in hot to 2021 and all I can hope with each passing month is that things get a little better, lol.

Because times are so stressful, it is very important to me to continue doing all of the things I love to pamper myself. I revel in my bubble baths and face masks and still stick to a strict skin care regimen. These empties are the fruits of my labor to keep me from going insane and I’d say they served their purpose well. Check it out:

Would I Use Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Champagne Apple & Honey shower gel: YES
  • SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES
  • Azure Lux Rose Gold serum: YES
  • Azure Lux 24K Gold serum: YES

As you can see, these are my “usual” finishes for the month and you can read more about them by clicking the link. For more of the best beauty on lifewithlilred, how about checking out the following?

It’s easy to feel down and out about everything from COVID to the election and all of the craziness of daily life. It’s also easy to take some time just for you to help sooth your nerves and relax. Soak your feet, paint your nails, or get dressed up for the first time in forever. Or maybe use up that bubble bath that has just been taking up space so you can have some empties too. 🙂

Which products did you use up this month? How do you destress? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep25

Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Clearing Peel Off Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Clearing Peel Off Mask Edition

Hi! During my last Amazon haul, I purchased some new face masks for myself. Experimenting with different kinds of face masks has been my quarantine treat as it is a cheap way to get some pampering in after a long day at work. This past week, I tried out a peel off clay mask by Freeman and, suffice it to say, it left a lot to be desired. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

When I saw that this Freeman Clearing face mask was a peel off one, I was so excited. I tried out a peel off mask for the first time a few months ago and I LOVED it. There was honestly nothing more satisfying than peeling the mask off after it was dried and I was very much looking forward to doing that again.

Unfortunately, this Freeman mask never dried! The clay formula was so thick and sticky that even well after the fifteen minute recommendation time, it was still wet. Knowing that it was going to take at least another fifteen to twenty minutes to dry, I washed it off. That was also a hassle, though, because of its consistency and I had to rub and scrub with warm water until my face was clean.

Although I wasn’t able to peel the mask off, I was still eager to see the results. Unfortunately, again, they were really nothing to sneeze at. Did my skin look more radiant? Slightly. The only thing I was really happy about was that my blackheads on my nose were gone.

I wouldn’t recommend this Freeman mask because, at the end of the day, it wasn’t a peel off mask. It was just a really sticky clay mask, lol. Had the results been mind blowing, I might have a different opinion. However, that wasn’t the case, either, so I think it’s safe to say that all of y’all can skip on the Freeman Clearing Peel Off Mask.

How do you pamper yourself? Which kind of face mask do you prefer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep22

Face Mask Festivities: Garnier Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Garnier Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask Edition

Howdy! During my last Amazon haul, I picked out some new face masks for myself as a little treat. After a long day, I love to unwind with a sheet mask and my favorite show. Like on Wednesday, for example. Wednesday is my long day at work as I see multiple clients. However, when I get home, Johnny is gone because he’s at band practice so I get the apartment to myself.

I take full advantage of my Wednesday evenings by my lonesome because I watch all of the shows that Johnny refuses to watch with me like America’s Next Top Model, My 600 Lb. Life, and now Dancing With The Stars. I had myself a pampering party by tucking into the new season of DWTS and enjoying this new face mask:

Obligatory sheet mask selfie lolol.

I have been curious about the Moisture Bomb masks by Garnier for a while because they are definitely not the newest one on the market. I like their products well enough and it seems difficult to mess up a hydrating mask so I decided to try it out and I am so glad I did. This sheet mask rocked!

After removing the mask from its packaging, I was pleased to see that it was smaller than some of the ones that I have used before and it fit so nicely on my face. This always helps add to the relaxation because slipping and sliding face masks are never any fun and when it gets in your eyes it makes it even worse.

The directions instructed me to keep the sheet mask on for fifteen minutes but after just one minute of it on, I could feel my skin just soaking up all of the moisturizing goodness. I have never seen a mask described as “comforting” before on the package but it really was. I felt exhausted after my long day and lounging with my show and face mask on was just the pick me up I needed.

Once my fifteen minutes were up, I removed the mask and I was eager to see the results which just happened to be… FANTASTIC! I don’t know how this mask did it but I shit you not I looked like I had just woken up from a night of beauty sleep even though I had been working all day. And, even after taking it off, I could still feel the product doing its thing as it promised twenty-four hour hydrating.

When I woke up the following morning my skin was still glowing and it felt fresh as a daisy. I am so impressed with the Moisture Bomb mask by Garnier and I would absolutely recommend it. In fact, I think I’d like to get a few more for myself!

How do you unwind after a long day? What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep17

Disappointment Of The Day: Mango Outshine Popsicles With Tajin Edition

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Disappointment Of The Day: Mango Outshine Popsicles With Tajin Edition

Howdy! I recently had a huge grocery shopping trip because Johnny and I were down to below the bare minimum at our apartment. I picked out plenty of our favorites but I also snagged something that I’ve been curious about compliments of never ending Facebook ads about it: Mango Outshine popsicles with a coating of chili lime Tajin seasoning on it.

I love trying out new foods and unique flavors and after seeing it advertised for what felt like forever, I just had to give these popsicles a shot. I thought the sweet heat of the mango and chili lime combination would be tasty but I guess I didn’t take into consideration the fact that I would have to eat an entire popsicle’s worth of it.

My first bite into the popsicle was great, I’m not going to lie. So, I had a few more and got maybe a quarter of the way into it. Then, the taste got really old really quickly and I was totally done. The mango portion of the popsicle was sickly sweet in comparison to the spicy seasoning and it left a really questionable taste in my mouth and stomach.

The combination of the way too sweet fruit with an, on its own, very tasty and kicky seasoning was anything but refreshing which is what you want in a popsicle. I don’t think I could ever eat a full one of these fruit bars and I definitely regret buying them because I know damn well the remaining five are going to sit uneaten in my freezer for the next century, lol!

Save yourself some cash and skip on these Outshine fruit bars because they were a big fat Disappointment Of The Day. -_-

Have you bought any duds lately? What are your thoughts on these popsicles if you have tried them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep14

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Guest List By Lucy Foley Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Guest List By Lucy Foley Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we’re going to be talking about a total dream wedding gone totally wrong in Lucy Foley’s The Guest List. Without giving any spoilers away, of course, let’s discuss. But, first, I will be placing a trigger warning on this book for references to self harm, suicide, and plenty of relationship wrong doings.

Now, let’s get to it:

^^^ Peep how my nails match the title text! 😀

Jules and Will. Will and Jules. The ultimate power couple, as Jules runs her own online magazine and Will is the host of the popular TV show, Survive The Night. Their fast moving relationship resulted in a wedding less than a year later and this should be an event for the ages with both of their celebrity status.

Do dream weddings always end happily ever after, though? Told in a back and forth style between Jules, Will, the bridesmaid (Jules’ little sister, Olivia), the best man (Will’s “best friend”, Johnno), the plus one (Hannah, wife of Jules’ best friend), and the wedding planner named Aoife we learn that not everyone is who we think they are.

Everyone in this wedding party is seemingly connected and you must finish the book to find out how. As the cover says, it’s an event so big and posh that you would “kill to be in on it”.

I really enjoyed The Guest List for several reasons. I loved the back and forth between the five main characters and it was cool how each chapter filled in a blank piece that was missing before. This build up made for tension so thick you could cut it with a butter knife and I had to make myself put it down so many times just so I could get to bed!

The grand reveal was also one which I didn’t see coming – a rarity as I like to consider myself a bit of a sleuth! Although some of the characters were absolutely horrendous in their past and current actions, there were others that shined like beacons and it’s up to you to figure out which bad seed ruined this whole bunch.

I am going to rate The Guest List with an eight out of ten stars. I have never read anything by Lucy Foley before and this was an excellent introduction. The unputdownable story line combined with a startling location and unique characters left for a “put you on the edge of your seat” thriller and I can’t wait to read more from Foley!

Which book are you reading? Have you finished anything good recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug31

August 2020 Finishes

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August 2020 Finishes

Hi everyone and welcome to the last post of August 2020 here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to be discussing all of the products I used up this past month and there are quite a few of them. Let’s get started and, then, I will see all of ya’ll in September! Here we go:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Champagne Apple & Honey shower gel: YES
  • Garnier Micellar Water: YES
  • Garnier Waterproof Makeup Micellar Water: MAYBE
  • Azure Lux Rose Gold Serum: YES
  • SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES
  • SkinLab Hydrate & Replenish Eye Cream: NO

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: As per ushe, I gotta have my Bath & Body Works goodies stocked and at the ready in my apartment and their shower gels are one of my favorite things to hoard! The Champagne Apple & Honey fragrance smells so good and I must have bought at least six bottles of it at their Semi Annual Sale! It takes me over one month to finish one bottle.

Garnier Micellar Water: Garnier’s Micellar Water is another statement item in my beauty routine and I always have a bottle or two handy at home. It usually takes me at least two and a half months to finish one bottle and I use it morning and night as a toner and eye makeup remover. It is especially nice to use after a very hot day – so refreshing!

Garnier Waterproof Micellar Water: This travel sized bottle came as a freebie when I purchased my normal pink bottle of micellar water. I noticed no real difference between the waterproof and regular formula so I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it again. But I never say no to free! It took me less than three weeks to finish the mini bottle.

Azure Lux Serum: As always, I absolutely love the Azure Lux serums. The Rose Gold is my fave but I enjoy the 24K one too! It takes me one month to finish one bottle with morning and night use and my skin has never looked brighter or more radiant. Highly recommend and it can be found on Amazon or, if you’re lucky, TJMaxx. 🙂

SkinLab Moisturizer: Like a lot of these empties, I keep a healthy supply of my SkinLab moisturizer on hand at all times too. It takes me a little under one month to use one jar with morning and night use and my skin thanks me for it every day. I feel like the Lift & Firm formula has kept my skin so youthful and… firm. Lol! The SkinLab products can also be purchased on Amazon or at TJMaxx if you come across them.

SkinLab Eye Cream: I normally use SkinLab’s Lift & Firm eye cream but I decided to give the Hydrate & Replenish formula a try. I really liked the gel texture, however, I never felt like it did a whole lot. It did not absorb nicely and when I would rub my eyes, little bits of eye cream gunk would rub off with it. It took me about two or so months to use one tiny pot and I would not use it again.

August 2020 left me with a lot of finishes and I’m ready to go in September slightly cooler, hopefully, and with lots of pampering in my future!

Which products did you use up this month? Which beauty products do you recommend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug28

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Boy From The Woods By Harlan Coben Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Boy From The Woods By Harlan Coben Edition

Hi there and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be talking about a book that I enjoyed very much by Harlan Coben called The Boy From The Woods. I devoured this three hundred and seventy page thriller in about a week and I would definitely put it under the “un-put-down-able” category. Bold and interesting characters mixed with a modern story line as well as a nod to the unsettling political times we are in made for an exciting read. So, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:

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The Boy From The Woods is an interweaving tale between Hester Crimstein, seventy something criminal attorney with her own TV show and Wilde. Simply Wilde with no last name because he doesn’t have one. Wilde was found living in the woods, all alone but somewhat thriving as he learned how to read and talk through breaking into homes and watching TV and instructional videos. Wilde’s first and best friend was Hester’s now deceased son, David, and they played in the woods together before Wilde was even discovered.

Wilde remains a “family figure” in Hester’s world because he is the godfather to David’s son, Matthew, and lover to his widow, Laila. All is going well in Wilde’s world, until a distressed Matthew asks him for a favor. Find Naomi Pine. Who is she? A bullied classmate who spent her school life in torment and has been missing for a week.

Hester and Wilde team up to find Naomi, using Hester’s TV platform and connections to help the cause. When a second child goes missing from Naomi and Matthew’s high school is when things start to get a lot more complicated. Cue uber rich TV producer moguls Dash and Delia Maynard and their son, Crash. The only difference between Crash and Naomi? A ransom note was delivered for Crash, with a promise for his release if and only if damning tapes of megalomaniac politician Rusty Eggers are turned in.

Dash Maynard found fame through documentaries and used to record everything back in the day. And by everything, I mean everything. Him and Delia supposedly have tapes that would destroy Rusty’s potential presidency and someone wants them back. But who? Could Crash and Naomi’s disappearances be connected? Are they together right now? And what dark secrets are connecting this cast of characters to a final shocking conclusion? Read The Boy From The Woods to find out!

What I absolutely loved about this story line was the extremely modern take they had on, well, everything. I wonder which politician Rusty Eggers reminds me of (lol) and Naomi’s troubled life was a sad but very fresh take on your traditional high school student drama. The Boy From The Woods also embraced the media through texting, videos, apps, and Hester’s TV show. It almost felt like I was watching a movie in my head as I read because of the graphic and somewhat flashy descriptions of showbiz, baby.

The best thing about The Boy From The Woods, though? The grand reveal! The brilliance of this book is that Every. Single. Red. Herring. was hidden in plain sight and I thought that was really cool. The books I am used to reading involve a lot of guesswork and intuition to figure out the reveal before it’s… revealed. So, I was using that mentality to figure this book out and I couldn’t.

The grand reveal left me in absolute shock and when all of the clues were divvied up, I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. I haven’t read a book that threw me for this big of a loop in a long time and for that reason I am giving The Boy From The Woods an eight out of ten stars. I highly, highly recommend it!

What are you reading right now? Have you read anything good lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah