Tag Archives: pampering

Apr24

New Hair, Who Dis?

Posted on April 24, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Howdy!! After this past week, Lil Red is feeling like a whole new woman! I treated myself to new nails, new tattoos, and new hair and I am loving my new look. On Friday, I spent roughly six hours at the Shear Shop so my stylist, Anna, could work her magic. Our goal was to transition my hair from winter to spring with the motif of pink lemonade. This was going to be easier said than done to get the deep red, navy, and purple out of my hair and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. I wasn’t worried about it in the slightest because Anna always delivers and this time was no exception. Check it out:

^^^ Stay tuned for a brand new OOTD coming soon!

The first order of business to achieving this look was using a new to us product. To remove the color from my hair, Anna had Pulp Riot’s bleach called Blank Canvas ordered just for me. We are so glad she did because this stuff was AMAZING. Within a half hour of sitting in and out of heat, the deep colors from my hair lifted significantly and was almost all of the way out. Minus one glaring issue – a funky green hue where the navy used to be. Since we were using lighter colors, the green had to go and after a lot of scrubbing and a little more bleach, Anna was able to get it almost all the way out.

Next on the agenda was the fun part of painting my hair. Over the years, Anna and I have become very familiar with Pulp Riot colors. While we revisited old favorites, we also dabbled in some new hues too. We used a variety of different colors including Pyro (deep red), Fireball (bright red), Satire (bright yellow) mixed with Lemon (light yellow), and Candy (neon pink) mixed with Blush (ballet slipper pink). As always, Anna was absolutely genius in her careful application to keep any of the colors from blending. Before I knew it, I had a head full of foil and the color was left to sit for about fifty minutes.

Once the color was washed out, we were very pleased with the results… Other than one thing. My roots were popping through in some noticeable areas in the front. This was actually a really simple fix. Anna just added a bit more bleach to the surprise spots and after twenty minutes, it got to a yellow that blended seamlessly with the rest of my hair. After this inspired idea, my hair was just perfect. Even better than perfect, actually! I felt full on Malibu Barbie and am in love with this drastic change. This hair is going to be so fun for spring and summer and I feel amazing every time I look in the mirror. ❤

When I am at the Shear Shop, I am living my best life. When I leave the Shear Shop, I am living my best life too. HUGE thank you to Anna for this beautiful new do. I say this every time she does my hair, but this is definitely my favorite yet!

Are you changing your hair for spring? What are you getting done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr13

New Lemon Lime Nails

Posted on April 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week, I just couldn’t get enough of Elysian Nails and I am so not complaining! On Monday, I enjoyed a wonderful pedicure with my mom as a belated birthday gift. Then, I was back the following day for a much needed fill. And I mean very much needed because they were busted, broken, and lifted. As always, my amazing fabulous tech got me right and I am so happy to have my nails back to their former glory! Check it out:

Sometimes when I get a fill, I have no idea what polish colors I want. Other times, I know exactly what I want. The latter was the case for me this past fill because I had lemon lime on the mind. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I finally figured it out! I have had a can of unopened Sprite in my car from when I returned to work after being sick last month. I never bothered taking it out because I consider it my “emergency drink” in case I happen to get really thirsty while driving. Lol, I mean hey – it’s better to have it and not need it! I am definitely glad that I kept it around because it turned into my nail inspo and I am loving the yellow/green combo. 😀

This fill blew me away and was such a testament to my tech’s expertise. She replaced five nails that were either lifted or broken and rather than put on new tips, she painted the acrylic on freehand. I always assumed you needed the tips for acrylic nails so you learn something new every day. It really sped up the process and within minutes I had brand new nails and they were already shaped so well. My tech did such a good job with her freehand application that my talons only needed a little bit of sharpening to get the stiletto shape afterwards. She is the best!

My back to back appointments at Elysian Nails had me feeling like a billion bucks and I love my pretty new toes and nails. My claws look awesome and I seriously can’t stop looking at them. Lemon Lime for the win!

What is your favorite kind of pop? What color of nail polish are you rocking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr11

Pedi Party

Posted on April 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Mondays are one of my favorite days of the week because I either work with my online boss in person or just get to work from home and it is great! I also love being able to spend that WFH time with the bunnies so it is a banner day to be me. This past Monday was even better than usual. I worked from home, Johnny was off, the solar eclipse happened (More on that soon!), and I got to hang out with my mom. As a belated birthday gift, I treated my mom and I to Spa Pedicures at Elysian Nails. This is the fourth pedicure I’ve ever had and my mom’s first and we both enjoyed ourselves so much! Check it out:

The last time I got a pedicure was when I got married and I just did the most basic one. I wanted to go all out for my mom’s birthday treat, though, so two Spa Pedis it was. This type of pedicure came with all of the bells and whistles and my mom and I loved every minute of it. After selecting our colors (Hot pink gel for her and black polish for me), we sat down in massage chairs and let the fantastic techs get to work. I think we would have both been happy with our feet in the warm water and letting the massage chairs do their thing!

For almost an entire hour, we were pampered with scrubs, rubs, hot towels, and the finest attention to detail on our tootsies. After just a few minutes of our pedicure, it was like looking at entirely different toes! We were both amazed at how the nails were essentially reshaped and it was a night and day difference. All of the treatments used worked wonders too. My feet and calves have never felt so soft and smooth and I didn’t think it was possible for them to feel that good. We both left our appointment feeling like a million bucks with pretty painted toes and a brand new memory to share together. ❤

As we drove home from our Pedi Party, we decided that twice a year pedicures should be a new tradition for my sister, mom, and me. I already can’t wait for our next one and, as always, Elysian Nails got us just right!

How often do you get pedicures? What is your favorite spa treatment? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar25

Trying To Take It Easy

Posted on March 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! The irony has not been lost on me that the past two times that I had any time off from work were spent being sick. I spent my week long holiday break this winter with RSV and had another week off due to a nasty virus at the beginning of the month. It was a huge bummer to be sick over the holidays, but I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t awesome having some time off this second time around! As someone who has been self employed for almost a decade, it is incredibly difficult for me to justify time off – even if it is for fun things like vacations. However, after enjoying being sick more than I probably should have, I realized that I really do need to make an effort to *try* to take it easier. So, I have been doing the following:

Sleeping In:

I have always been adamant about waking up as soon as my alarm goes off because I need my jam packed days to run like clockwork. This proved to be very hard after a whole week of getting up sans alarm, though. After my sick spell, I have given myself permission to hit the snooze or even sleep for another extra hour. And guess what? My days still are going without a hitch and I feel much more well rested too. This isn’t an every day thing, but I have been taking advantage of getting some extra shut eye on the days where I have a bit more wiggle room. I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and will absolutely continue with this!

Face Masks:

One of my sick day rituals was using face masks so I could feel some semblance of pampered while I was a gross, sweaty mess lol. This is another thing that I have been sticking with and I have enjoyed a weekly face mask since the beginning of March. I tend to do this as soon as I get home one day during the week and even though it’s only a twenty minute process, I see its merits. Rather than diving into the next thing I have to do (computer work, cooking dinner, cleaning), I am able to take those twenty minutes to recharge and continue going about my day. This is a win/win because I love doing skin care and I feel like it gives me a second wind until bedtime. It’s amazing what taking twenty minutes for you out of your day can do!

Making Plans:

I can’t tell you the amount of weekends I have spent doing literally nothing because I am too tired. Then, I would go about the work week feeling disappointed that Johnny and I didn’t do anything fun at all. While we still have our lazy weekends, we have both been making an effort to do more and have a good time during our time off. Within this past month alone, we have reincorporated date nights and I have tried my best to make plans (and keep them) with my friends. For a long while, I was going through the motions of the work week without much to look forward to once the weekend rolls around. Now, Johnny and I have been adding at least one fun outing to our weekend and it has been fantastic. On Mondays, I feel happy with the hang outs we’ve had and am eager to see what we’ll do the following weekend.

I have been on the grindset mindset for so long and, although these seem like small changes, they are huge to me. I plan on continuing with all of these improvements and adding new ways to make things easier for myself when I feel like I need it. I already notice a difference!

How do you take time for yourself? What are some improvements that you have made recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar23

Face Mask Festivities: Rejuvenating Tea Tree Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Rejuvenating Tea Tree Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello! I spent the first week of March being sick AF and other than being sick, it was awesome lol. I worked from home, I watched endless TV, and enjoyed a bit of pampering with face masks too. It honestly felt like a mini vacation… minus the being sick part! As I was recuperating, I found myself growing rather fond of sheet masks even though I still think they are annoying. So, I decided to add a weekly face mask to my routine to bring back sick staycation vibes and have a little midweek treat. This past Wednesday, I used a Rejuvenating Tea Tree sheet mask by GlamUp and I actually really liked it! Check it out:

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a handful of GlamUp masks left to use and I went with the tea tree one simply for scent related purposes. I love a minty scent and thought this mask would feel brisk and refreshing. After work, I applied the mask, startled Johnny, and settled in for twenty minutes to let it sit. As per ushie, the sheet mask didn’t fit well in the slightest and I was constantly rearranging it. Despite all of the fidgeting, this mask felt SO nice on and, for once, I felt confident I would have good results from it.

As the mask set, I felt perked up by the bold mint scent and the pleasant, cooling sensation. The sheet mask was drenched with serum and I liked that I could literally feel it soaking in. To me, the experience of having a face mask on is just as important as the results and, in that regard, the tea tree mask was already the best GlamUp one I have used so far. After the twenty minutes was up, I removed the mask and was greeted by a fresh looking appearance and smooth to the touch skin. What I liked best of all, though, was that my skin was tingling from the time I took it off to when I went to bed. Now, that is what I’m talking about!

I am going to rate the Rejuvenating Tea Tree mask with an eight out of ten stars. I would happily use it again thanks to the excellent experience and satisfying results. Not too shabby for a sheet mask!!

Do you have any weekly pampering routines? What is your favorite brand of face masks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar17

Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! While I was sick AF, I found myself growing rather fond of sheet masks. Surprising, I know, because I don’t really like them or find them to be effective. However, what I did like was the ritual of it. That twenty or so minutes of just sitting and being while the mask sat was relaxing, even if I was constantly adjusting the mask! Returning back to work this past week after being sick for a week was absolutely exhausting and I was hitting a slump by the time Wednesday rolled around. What I really wanted was to go back to watching TV at noon, but that’s (sadly) not in the cards for me until I retire lol. So, I decided to do a sheet mask instead. Check it out:

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my schedule allows for a brief break in the afternoon between shifts and I thought that was the perfect time to do a little pampering. Thursday morning, I selected the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask by GlamUp to bring with me to work. Then, I put it on at my mom and dad’s, which is where I go on my break. Let’s just say that they were completely floored by my beauty as I sat at their kitchen table for twenty minutes with my mask on. Lol, I kid you not my dad literally shuddered when he looked at me!!

I chose the Japanese Sake mask for no particular reason other than that it was said to be “revitalizing” and to “enhance radiance”. I definitely needed a bit of that! As I let the mask sit, I tried to take myself back to sitting on the couch at my apartment, watching TV, and snuggled in my blankets – the pinnacle of relaxation. It was actually pretty nice to take that time to close my eyes, rest, and focus on my happy place. The only thing that was missing was an episode of Euphoria. 😀

After the twenty minutes were up I was, for once, impressed with the results. Before I used the mask, I looked as tired as I physically felt. My skin was dull as dishwater and I couldn’t believe that this mask helped me get my glow back. It was seriously a night and day difference and even though I wasn’t well rested in the slightest, I looked it! I also found that my skin was soft and smooth to the touch. This little pampering break really helped perk me up and I felt ready to take on the rest of my day afterwards.

I am going to rate the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask with a six out of ten stars. This was, easily, the best GlamUp mask I have used and I think I found my new favorite way to spend a quick break during the work week!

How do you spend your breaks at work? How do you give your skin a radiance boost? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar14

New Hot Pink & Magenta Nails

Posted on March 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I was sick AF, I had to cancel my appointment for a fill at Elysian Nails and it made me so very sad. Getting my nails done always perks me up and I really needed it because my nails were looking as awful as I felt! Thankfully, the owner of Elysian was able to get me in first thing on Monday morning to get me right and my nails are finally back to their former glory. It felt so good to get pampered after a long week of feeling like ass and I am loving how my nails turned out:

Prior to my go to girl leaving the salon, I would never dream about using anybody else for my nails. However, now that she is employed elsewhere, I alternate between a few different techs. This is fine by me because everyone at Elysian is excellent and I have never had a bad experience with any of them. Back in January, a new to me tech did my nails and she did an absolutely amazing job so I was excited to be back in her chair on Monday. I also couldn’t wait for the bright, poppy palette of hot pink and magenta I picked out to adorn my nails. I needed something fun and zippy after a long, gloomy week of being sick!

Because I couldn’t get in for my regularly scheduled time, my nails were in a worse way than usual when I go for an appointment. They were extremely grown out and the middle finger on my right hand was lifted badly. My tech blew my mind because instead of putting a new tip on the nail, she free painted it with acrylic and I can’t even tell the difference. Prior to my appointment, my nails felt very weak and she fortified them expertly. My acrylics feel so strong now and the length, shape, and color are perfect too. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think I might have a new go to tech. 😀

This was one of the best fills I have gotten at Elysian Nails because it was so desperately needed. My tech was able to turn my busted nails into something beautiful again and I can’t stop looking at them!!

Do you have a go to hair stylist or nail tech? How long have you been their client for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb9

New Glitter Garnet & Ballet Slipper Nails

Posted on February 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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New Glitter Garnet & Ballet Slipper Nails

Hello!! This past Tuesday, I spent some wonderful time getting pampered at Elysian Nails. They had to push my appointment back because my normal gal was having wisdom tooth pain and I could totally sympathize. I definitely know a thing or two about that! This actually ended up working beautifully because I was able to make a quick pop in for a client and run a few errands beforehand. The best part, though, was that I was in and out of the salon in forty-five minutes flat thanks to the super speedy tech who filled in for my fill. I am loving how my nails turned out:

^^^ Also very aware that my right middle finger is still swollen from my tumble, but it’s getting better!

Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I decided to use a traditional V-Day palette of red, pink, and all of the glitter. Normally, I shy away from holiday themed nails because they don’t seem very appropriate the day after the fact. However, Valentine’s Day colors look cute anytime and I would use these colors again outside of February. They are so pretty! The garnet is called University Red and it spoke to me immediately. It was exactly the deep shade I wanted to add some edge against the lighter pink I planned on using. I chose Forgotten Pink for that in a soft ballet slipper hue and thought the colors look dynamite together.

Amazingly enough, I didn’t break any nails when I fell and trust and believe that was the first thing that I clocked afterwards lol. I did end up having a nail lift completely off weeks later, though, and that sucked massively! Despite having to do some repairs, my nail tech, Shelly, got me in and out with ample time to spare. She has done my nails several times before and knows exactly how I like them. Her speed and skill will never not amaze me when I’m in her chair and she turned my grown out, janky nails back into a work of art. In record timing to boot!

I feel like a whole new woman with my new hair and nails! It was so nice to get some back to back pampering and here’s to hoping my middle finger will be back to normal next time I get a fill lol SMH.

Do you like to wear traditional holiday colors when they roll around? What color of polish are you rocking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb7

New Hair, Who Dis?

Posted on February 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! This past Friday was an excellent day! I spent my morning and afternoon getting my hair done at the Shear Shop and had a slumber party with my bestie, Lea, that evening. I haven’t had a day off since the holidays so it was really nice to have a full day dedicated to some R&R and fun! As always, my amazing stylist, Anna, transformed my hair into something fresh and new and I am loving the results. That Pulp Riot color is absolutely everything! Check it out:

^^^ Shout out to my husband for never taking a nice picture with me lol. Also peep a brand new OOTD coming soon from the above look!

Going to the Shear Shop is one of my favorite forms of self care. Spending time with Anna is like seeing a best friend/therapist and I have never once left her chair without feeling like a billion bucks. The past few times we have done my hair, we have tried to incorporate one of our favorite Pulp Riot shades called Satire amidst Nightfall (navy), Pyro (deep red), and Fireball (bright red). When the bright yellow color was fresh, it looked awesome. However, the Satire and Nightfall would begin to blend together after a while and created an unsightly shade of green. Although we’re never normally mad about random colors that pull, this was one we wouldn’t stand for!

This time around, we decided to scrap Satire altogether and use Pyro, Fireball, and Nightfall. Anna also mixed up some lilac dye with the navy to make a deep purple to place throughout the hair. The entire process took about five hours from start to finish and we began with bleaching the roots for about twenty-five minutes. It’s always fun to see how my hair looks after the bleach is out because the colors can look pretty crazy. For example, there were streaks of emerald green in my hair afterwards. I kind of liked it, actually lol.

After my hair was washed and dried, the hair dye application came next. To achieve this look, Anna painted the top of my roots with Pyro. This deep red is stunning and it’s also strategic. The deeper shade against my roots looks so much better as it’s growing out. Then, she painted the framing of my face with Nightfall and did a halo wrap of it around the bottom layer of my hair and streaked it with purple. All that was left after that was to paint the remainder of my hair with Fireball, sit for about an hour, and see what happened!

Beauty is pain, people, because the water Anna used to wash the dye out was bitter cold. Like the coldest I think the water has ever been, but I will do anything for the best results possible. It felt like heaven to get my hair blow dried shortly after! The ice bath was completely worth it because we are loving how my hair turned out. Not using the Satire was a great move and we have never seen the red looking more vibrant since it wasn’t muddled down with another color. I will also never not be obsessed with Nightfall and I think the color is so flattering on me. Not to mention the wonderful haircut that was much needed after growing out for a few months. C’est magnifique. ❤

I feel my absolute best after an appointment with Anna and know I am looking it too. We plan on lightening things up for my springtime session and I can’t wait to see what we come up with!

How long do you go between getting your hair done? What colors should I get for spring? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan12

New Coral & Lilac Nails

Posted on January 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Monday, I was able to finally get my nails done after work and it was SO very needed. I was unable to come in during Christmas week because sick and my salon takes a week off after New Years so that was a no go either. After a much deserved break for all of the wonderful employees of Elysian Nails, my appointment for a fill couldn’t have come sooner. My nails were looking awful – they were insanely grown out, dull as dishwater, and there was some lifting too. I couldn’t stand it! Thankfully, a new to me tech got me right and it was one of the best fills I’ve had in months. Check it out:

During the grey months of winter, I normally opt for deeper colors for my nails. However, after a not ideal holiday break, I needed some brightness in my life and decided to change things up. I was craving the poppy, fun shades of spring and a coral polish caught my eye as I was scouring my selection. This hue just screamed spring and was like an instant pick me up. To keep with the spring motif, I went with a lovely lilac as my complimentary color and loved how it turned out. I seriously can’t stop staring at my nails as I type this and they are a breath of fresh air to start the new year with.

For such a pretty color palette, I needed pretty nails to match and my tech did an incredible job. I was very impressed with her from the jump because she was so detail oriented. For example, she took the time to really work on my cuticles and that is something that I have never had a tech do before. I didn’t realize how bad mine were until she removed all of the dead skin that was ready to come off. My tech tended to everything wrong with my nails with so much precision and care. By the time she was done, it was like the lifted nails never happened in the first place. My nails felt strong, sturdy, and sharp enough to poke an eye out and that’s exactly how I like it!

One of my favorite things about Elysian Nails is that your hands will always be in the best hands no matter which tech is pampering you. Everyone is so amazingly skilled and even though I couldn’t get an appointment with my go to girl, I was still treated like a long term client by the tech who did my fill. You simply can’t beat that level of customer service! ❤

What color of nail polish are you currently rocking? Are you craving springtime already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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