Tag Archives: pampering

Mar21

Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Vitamin B Night Mask Edition

Posted on March 21, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing the Vitamin B Night Mask by Farmacy, which I got as a freebie during my last Sephora Haul. Shopping online with Sephora provides lots of options for free product and I always try to make the most out of my purchase with trial size face masks and moisturizers.

This new face mask was free with a twenty-five dollar purchase and it was a no brainer because I love me a night time mask. While I enjoy pre-shower clay or exfoliating face masks, night time ones are a no muss no fuss option and it makes me feel pampered even while I’m catching Z’s. Let’s get to it:

When first opening the Farmacy Vitamin B mask jar, I was obsessed with the pale blue color and I also liked that it was scent free. I don’t mind skin care with a bit of scent to it but no one wants an especially potent product, especially before bed! I used about three dollops with a Q-tip to cover my face and neck and it felt so nice on my skin. The gel like texture was cooling and it was much needed because I had spent the evening at the park with my niece. We were running around the entire time and as soon as I got home, I got ready for bed lol.

In the thirty or so minutes before nodding off, a majority of this mask absorbed and I knew that the remainder would continue to work its magic throughout the night. When I woke up, my skin felt really smooth and it also looked way less tired than I felt because my legs were like jelly!

While I liked this mask, it probably isn’t one that I would go out of my way to use again. My all time favorite night masks are The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleep Masks and I can’t help but compare every mask I use at bedtime to them. As a freebie, the Farmacy mask was great but it doesn’t hold a candle to my tried and true faves.

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

Mar17

Pixi Beauty Peel & Polish Review

Posted on March 17, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy everyone! This past week, my mom treated me to a couple of new products including a face mask and the Peel & Polish by Pixi Beauty. I absolutely loved the instanatural mask as per yesterday’s post and I was eager to try the Peel & Polish because I have never used any skin care products by Pixi before. Despite its not so pleasant scent, I would use it again! Let’s discuss:

My first impression of the Peel & Polish was how it smelled because it was… interesting lol. It seriously smelled like vegetable broth and it was quite pungent. I have never used any product that had this aroma before and I can’t say that I was relishing the fact that I had to rub it on my face! Thankfully, the directions said that it only had to be left on for two minutes because I couldn’t imagine having it on for any longer than that.

I applied the Peel & Polish just before getting into the shower and I was interested in seeing the results because two minutes isn’t a very long time for it to sit. I was surprised by how well it worked after scrubbing it off because my skin looked noticeably brighter and it felt nice and smooth. This product was also so gentle, which made me even more impressed with it.

I could tell that it had made a difference when using it on Sunday morning because Saturday night is mine and Johnny’s game night. Saturday night is our standing date night in and we stay up late listening to music, playing board and video games, and talking until we’re practically falling asleep in the living room. Needless to say, my skin always looks dull and tired the following day!

I don’t know if I would go out of my way to order just the Peel & Polish from Pixi Beauty but if it were on promotion, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. According to the reviews on Pixi’s website, it is a product that its users can’t live without so maybe I’ll feel differently after finishing up the trial size bottle!

What is a beauty product you can’t live without? What is your favorite skin care brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar16

Face Mask Festivities: instanatural Exfoliating Glycolic Mask Edition

Posted on March 16, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: instanatural Exfoliating Glycolic Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! It has been a while since I tested out a new face mask so I was very excited when my mom gifted me one by instanatural. This past week, I tried out lots of new skin care compliments of my last Sephora haul and I wasn’t loving the way my skin looked after the fact. I think it was too many new products at one time and my face looked dull and clogged by the time the week was out.

Thankfully, the Exfoliating Glycolic Mask by instanatural did the trick and this is a mask that I would happily use again. Let’s get to it:

Upon opening the new mask, my first impression was how happy I was that a little spoon was included to ladle out the product. I think this is such a nice touch and I love when companies do that! When I opened the jar, I could see why it came with a spoon because the mask was fairly thin and runny in texture. As a side note, it also smelled exactly like the gingerbread cake that my mom makes which was a nice bonus lol.

I used about three spoonfuls to cover my face and neck and let it sit for a little under fifteen minutes before washing off. I really enjoy using masks with exfoliating properties because it feels like getting a double treatment. I was eager to see the results when I got out of the shower and I was very impressed.

This instanatural mask not only scrubbed all of the yuck from the past week away but it left my skin looking so much brighter and radiant. It was such a huge difference from the way my skin looked prior to using it and it also felt soft and smooth to the touch. I am writing this post about an hour after using it and my skin still feels tingly, cool, and invigorated. It was like a mini spa treatment right in my apartment!

I’m excited to use the instanatural Exfoliating Glycolic Mask again and it is one that I would definitely recommend. This mask was gentle despite the intense exfoliation it provided and I am loving the results! 😀

What is your favorite face mask? How do you pamper yourself at home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar15

New Orange Sorbet & Taffy Pink Nails

Posted on March 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! After a long month in between my last fill, I was so ready to go to Elysian Nails and get my claws looking right. Although I got pink nails last time too, I found myself craving spring colors and ended up with this combination that I am loving:

When I was driving to the salon, it was completely grey outside and I felt a bit disheartened over the fact that we were due for some snow the following day. I needed something bright and fun on my nails as a pick me up and found myself thinking of colors of the sunset, hence the hues that I chose. My darling nail tech told me that my polish colors reminded her of Polly Pocket and that made me feel even happier with my selections. I freaking LOVED Polly Pocket in my youth and I still do now. I regret every day that I gave my old Polly dolls away!

Since January, my work schedule has been jam packed with a lot of driving. Like a lot, a lot. It felt so good to clock out for the day, head to Elysian, and sink in the salon chair to get pampered. As soon as I entered the salon and saw all of the techs who I just adore, I instantly perked up and, as always, walked out feeling like a billion bucks. Now, if only the colors on my nails reflected the weather outside! 😀

What color are your nails painted? What was your favorite childhood toy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb15

New Black & Ballet Slipper Pink Nails

Posted on February 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! My monthly fills at Elysian Nails have truly become a highlight for me because I love hanging out with my nail tech. Catching up and girl talking with her is SO much fun and I, honestly, never even look at my nails anymore when she’s doing them because she always makes them perfect. For Valentine’s Day, I almost considered doing red and pink nails but decided against it last minute and went with this, instead:

As you all know, I am not one for holiday themed nails and on the drive to the salon, I made the choice to go with black and pink for some sugar and spice. It has been forever since I had black nails and, I have to admit, that my husband’s nails that are always painted black made me jealous! While I do love experimenting with different color combinations, nothing beats the old standby and I think they turned out so cute.

At the polish wall, I was inspired by my new Marc Fisher platforms for the shade of pink that I wanted but I had such a hard time finding black polish. Every shade that I thought was black just ended up being deep purple! Lol, when my tech came over, she showed me where the black polish was hiding and it was in the one spot that I completely overlooked. Whoops!

Because my nail tech is so gifted, I never think that my nails look that bad before my fill but I am amazed at the huge difference when she is done. In fact, I don’t even tell her what I need anymore because she already knows what it is lol. With a little nod to V-Day and a bigger nod to my emo roots, I am obsessed with the end result and seriously can’t stop looking at them. It’s going to take a lot of effort to not have them painted black next time around!

What color of nail polish do you have on? How often do you get your nails done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb12

New Hair, Who Dis?

Posted on February 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! A few weeks ago, I spent a whopping six hours at the Shear Shop getting my hair done by my fabulous stylist, Anna. After several months of red, pink, and violet, I was ready to change things up with red and white hair. While the white portion isn’t quite where we want it yet, Anna achieved an amazing first start and feels confident that we can ice it out even more during my next appointment. I can’t wait! Check it out:

^^^ The colors used were Pulp Riot’s Fireball and Icy toner.

This new do took a lot of trial and error at the salon, which resulted in my long day spent there. But that was a-okay with me! I love my time at the Shear Shop so much and between reading, gabbing with Anna, and chatting with all of the ladies there, it was six hours well spent. I am incredibly appreciative to Anna for always making me look my best but even more so this time around because of how hard she worked for this beautiful in between stage for my hair.

Originally, the titanium section of my hair looked really beige and there was a red patch on it from the other side of my hair. We both knew that this would not do and, while Anna wasn’t thrilled about it for my hair health, we had to bleach parts of it again. Anna was careful to not do any more damage to my hair than needed and was able to get the red splotch out as well as lift the beige into a more unnatural shade, which we ended up loving.

If you could have seen what the silvery part of my hair was at first, you would have been just as astounded by its transformation as we were. Even while my hair was still wet, we were both very relieved because we could tell right away how much better it was. Anna refused to let us leave the salon feeling disappointed and she worked her magic into something that we were obsessed with.

Anna spent a lot of time before my appointment researching how to get my hair to how I wanted and, knowing her, she’s looking at ways right now to get my hair to a pure white. Not only does her incredible work speak for itself but she is the most beautiful person inside and out. I feel like a billion bucks every time I leave her salon chair! ❤

What color is your hair? What is your relationship with your hair stylist like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan17

New Harbor Blue & Shadow Grey Nails

Posted on January 17, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Wednesday, I spent some time at Elysian Nails after work getting pampered. It was much needed because some of my acrylics were lifting and they were looking all around jank. Thankfully, my fave nail tech quickly solved all of the problematic claws and I even had a gift card to spend from Johnny’s aunt for Christmas. Getting pampered is great but it’s even better when it’s free! Check it out:

Before my appointments at Elysian Nails, I normally have a pretty good idea of what polish colors I would like to use. This time around, however, I had no idea and stood at the nail polish wall waiting for something to speak for me. At first, I had a cobalt blue in mind and thought that grey would look nice with it. I was all set with these two hues until the harbor blue bottle of polish caught my eye and I knew that I had found my match. Right away, my nail tech told me how much she liked my choices so, needless to say, I was feeling my damn self!

As soon as I got to my nail tech’s station, I literally sank into the chair. I don’t think I realized how tired I was from my holiday weekend with my family until I had time to myself to relax! As always, it was an absolute delight to get my nails done and the conversation was great as per ushe too. It is so fun to be able to have my monthly catch up with my tech so we can dish about anything and everything. What is said in the salon chair stays in the salon chair, after all.

I am in love with the end result of my fill and the stormy seas color palette is one of my favorite combinations I’ve done in a while. It feels so perfect for those grey January days! After my nails have dried, I always leave Elysian Nails feeling like a million bucks. I can’t wait to go back next month and spend the rest of my gift card! 😀

What color are your nails? Which colors should I get next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan9

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Golden Wonder Pt. 2 Edition

Posted on January 9, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Golden Wonder Pt. 2 Edition

Howdy! When it comes to my self care, it is all about pampering myself. Whether it’s a face mask, bubble bath, or getting my hair or nails done, I always feel like a million bucks afterwards. This past Tuesday, I was very eager to return home from work because I had big plans for a hot bath featuring one of the Lush bath bombs that I was gifted with this Christmas.

I used a bath bomb called Golden Wonder, which is actually one that we have discussed before. However, this time around there are much better pictures involved thanks to my newish phone! Let’s get to it:

During my last review of the Golden Wonder bath bomb, I awarded it with eight out of ten stars. But, upon using it again, I am not so sure why because it was definitely not as good as I remember it being. When first using this bath bomb, I was surprised to see a ton of different colors emerge from the gift box like orange, yellow, dark blue, and pink. This time, only a small amount of hot pink came out with no other colors in sight.

This was a bit of a disappointment because bath bombs from Lush always put on the best shows that last several minutes. The Golden Wonder bath bomb missed the mark on this too and fizzed out pretty quickly, leaving the water a murky teal that did not look the most inviting against my ultra 70s mustard yellow bathtub.

Not only do I look forward to the display that a Lush bath bomb puts on but I am also excited for the way the water feels. I don’t know how to describe it other than the bath water feels velvety, leaving my skin feeling so moisturized and nourished. The extra dose of hydration wasn’t there, either, making this bath bomb experience a total dud. Ba dum chhhhh!

After using the Golden Wonder bath bomb again, I am going to give it a five out of ten stars. It was still nice to use, of course, but it just didn’t hold up to my original memory in the slightest. This is one that you can skip on during your next Lush haul.

What is your favorite bath bomb from Lush? Where is your favorite place to shop for bath and body care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec20

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Shoot For The Stars Pt. 2 Edition

Posted on December 20, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Shoot For The Stars Pt. 2 Edition

Hi! This past week, I enjoyed a nice hot bath with the Shoot For The Stars bath bomb from Lush compliments of my beautiful best friend’s Christmas gift. Kate of Live In The Nautical knows me so well because Lush products are my favorite and it has been a long while since I have used a bath bomb from there. If I could, I would use one every day!

This is a bath bomb that has actually been discussed already on lifewithlilred. However, I have much better pictures this time thanks to my new phone so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to showcase the Starry Night magic one more time. Check it out:

What I love the most about bath bombs from Lush is that, no matter what, they put on a great show. As soon as the Shoot For The Stars bomb hit the water, it sprung into action coloring the bath water a stunning cerulean dotted with twinkling stars. I loved seeing the swirling, twirling streaks of white, gold glitter, and navy blue and the water almost looked too pretty to even want to go in once the bath bomb fizzed out.

The Shoot For The Stars bath bomb lasted about five minutes before it was complete and the runaway stars fully dissolved after ten. For an extra dose of hydration, I rubbed the stars into my skin and my legs felt so moisturized even after shaving. Not to mention how freaking luxurious I felt soaking in my bath tub that looked worthy of a Van Gogh painting!

During a normal bubble bath, I am always fine with exiting the water fairly quickly. However, with this bath bomb I must have stayed in the tub for at least a half hour and even after a long soak I was still disappointed to lift the drain stopper. But, just because the water was gone doesn’t mean that the Shoot For The Stars surprises stopped. My skin felt soft and nourished and remained that way for several days after. Such a perfect way to get rid of dry, winter skin!

I rated this bath bomb with an eight out of ten stars during my last review. But, my opinion has changed and I will be awarding it with: ten out of ten stars. The Shoot For The Stars bath bomb is an amazing way to introduce yourself or giftees to Lush products and I would happily use it again… and again, and again. 😀

What is your favorite bath bomb from Lush? How do you like to pamper yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec19

New Silver & Holographic Lavender Nails

Posted on December 19, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! These past few weeks of work have been really difficult so I have been absolutely dying to get my nails done at Elysian Nails. As soon as I am in the chair of my nail tech or hair stylist, I can instantly feel my stress melt away as the pampering and wonderful conversation commences. As a total material girl, shopping or time at the salon is basically my cure all for everything! Hey, if it’s not broken don’t fix it, right? 😀

As you all know, I am not a huge fan of themed holiday nails but I wanted to do something wintry to commemorate the holiday season. Instead, I ended up with intergalactic nails that remind me of that old Disney Channel movie, Zenon: Z3 lol. Check it out:

As you can see, my new nails definitely don’t fit the bill for holiday themed at all but I still love them just the same! Prior to coming to Elysian, I had silver on my mind because it makes me think of freshly fallen snow. Then, at the nail polish wall, I saw the holographic lavender and said “why not?” Reminiscent of winter? No. Still fabulous? For sure!

As always, my nail tech did an amazing job on my nails and shaped them to perfection as well as made the nail I busted a weekend ago good as new. Girl talking and laughing for an hour and a half also helped to cheer me up and I left the salon feeling like a million bucks – as per ushie.

Elysian Nails is my happy place, safe haven, and shelter from the storm. Just like the Shear Shop and TJMaxx, it’s a place where the world makes sense lol. I am so thankful to the wonderful staff for their friendship, care, and treating everyone who comes in like royalty. I hope that they have the happiest of holidays and can’t wait to come back in the new year! ❤

What is your favorite Disney Channel movie (Life Size is mine!)? Where is your happy place? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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