Tag Archives: pampering

Nov19

3 Top Pre-Wedding Beauty Tips

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3 Top Pre-Wedding Beauty Tips

A beauty regimen before a wedding will help you look your best on your big day. You’ll want to look back on this day fondly, so it’s only natural that you want everything to be perfect. While there are plenty of beauty preparations you’ll want to do so you’re picture-perfect for the wedding, you need to realize that there will be some things you’ll need to do far in advance. So, what are these? Keep reading on to learn all about them:

Go easy on the skincare:

It’s odd to say, as most brides will improve their skin care regimen and may even get a facial from the local spa. While it’s great and even aspiring to have that perfect skin for the wedding, you’ll have to be cautious. Getting a skin care regimen in place for your big day is crucial to looking your best. The last thing you want is a breakout or dry skin. Make sure to avoid new skincare products in the month before the wedding.

Considering a tan?

Some brides enjoy tanning, whether it’s a spray tan or visiting the local tanning bed. However, if you want to get your glow on before the wedding, you must be careful. Spray tans are a great way to add a natural glow to your skin. They can also help to camouflage any imperfections in your skin. These tans can contour and define your muscles too. Getting a spray tan before your dress fitting when starting a wedding beauty regimen is a great way to ensure you get the shade you want. You can schedule a trial tan a month before the wedding.

Give up teeth-staining drinks:

Who doesn’t love their coffee, teas, red wines, and maybe even munching on berries? While these are all nice indulgences, you shouldn’t consume too much each day as you risk staining your teeth. Whether you’re looking to get white teeth for your wedding or just want to keep them bright, there are several things you can do to keep your teeth white. A dentist can also remove stains from your teeth if necessary. One of the easiest ways to prevent stains from wine is to rinse your mouth with water after you drink.This helps to loosen up the acidity that’s causing the stains.

You can also brush your teeth with whitening toothpaste. This type of toothpaste uses mild abrasives to remove stains from your teeth. However, it can take several months to see results so it’s important to do this far in advance. Another way you can kick up your teeth a notch would be through Invisalign. If your teeth aren’t straight, you can count on this to give you the smile you’ve always wanted for your wedding!

Be your most radiant, picture perfect self on your big day with the tips above!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Nov17

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Hello! This past Wednesday, I had a wonderful afternoon of pampering at The Shear Shop to not only freshen up my hair but to improve on the changes that my stylist, Anna, made the last time. While we loved the combination of Pulp Riot colors Fireball (bright red), Pyro (deep red), Satire (yellow), and Lava (orange), we weren’t seeing enough of the yellow, which is both of our favorites. Thankfully, my friend and stylist is a literal genius and gave me a gorgeous halo of Satire that I am beyond thrilled with. Check it out:

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^^^ This was the outfit I wore to see Cats this weekend. While this isn’t an OOTD post, here is the outfit info anyways:

Who? What? Wear?

To begin the process of allowing each Pulp Riot shade to pop rather than blend together, Anna started by bleaching my roots as well as my bangs and the surrounding circle for Satire. Now that we have moved past my white and red hair, the bleaching process is much shorter and easier on my hair because it doesn’t have to lift as much. The bleach only had to do its thing for about twenty minutes until it was ready to wash out and I can tell. My hair feels way healthier and my ends aren’t fried, which is a huge plus!

Once the bleach was washed out and my hair was cut and dried, it was time for the fun part – the color! To achieve this look, Anna painted my roots with Pyro. Then, she began to expertly place each additional color. Satire was next, followed by Lava, and Fireball at the tips. As always, the Pulp Riot colors are simply spectacular and the dye smells like Sweet Tarts. This only seems appropriate with candy colored hair. 😀

As Anna painted each chunk of hair, she wrapped it up in foil and it wasn’t long before I was completely protected from aliens. The color sat for about thirty-five minutes or so until it was ready to be washed out and the results were exactly what we wanted. By changing up the order of colors and the space that they were painted on, each individual hue became infinitely clearer and was much truer to our fireball inspiration. The color and cut are divine and I also am very much enjoying having bangs to add some more variety to my look!

There is nothing like a day at The Shear Shop to lift my spirits and have some fun. My stress melted away as soon as I walked in the door and I am so thankful to my wonderful Anna for always keeping Lil Red looking her best! ❤

What is your favorite Pulp Riot color? Do you have any plans to change up your hair soon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct30

New Deep Red & Black Nails

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New Deep Red & Black Nails

Hello!! October has been a crazy busy/stressful month for yours truly and it took me forever to find some spare time to get to Elysian Nails. My old nails were definitely reflecting the craziness because they were looking JANK – so grown out, dull, and some of them were lifting! Thankfully, the wonderful techs at Elysian are always there to get me right and my girl, Shelly, hooked it up:

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I have been going gaga over the gorgeous Halloween nail art that has been plastered all over my Facebook newsfeed. Ghosts, mummies, spiders, and dripping blood nails sent my Halloween loving self into a tizzy. While I would love to indulge in nail art, I just can’t justify the additional cost. Between my nails, hair, and a constant desire to treat myself, it is expensive being Lil Red! So, I decided to go for my old spooky season standby of black and deep red. Is it as exciting as a full Halloween set? No way. But, my nails look fabulous and, for that, I am grateful.

Because my go to nail tech wasn’t working during my appointment, I was treated by the fabulous Shelly doing my fill. It is always so nice to catch up with her and her sister because they work side by side. Shelly is also the literal fastest nail tech I have ever been to. Despite the fact that she had a lot of fixing up to do on my nails, I was still out of the salon in an hour and that blew my mind. At other salons that I have been to, the techs can be hit or miss. However, every single nail tech at Elysian is so incredibly skilled and kind so it is never an issue when I can’t be fit into my usual tech’s schedule. For that, I am also grateful! ❤

There is nothing like getting pampered at the salon after a long and trying month and I left Elysian feeling way better than I did before. As always, I can’t wait to go back already!

What color of nail polish are you wearing? Do you get nail art when 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

Oct11

Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Rejuvenating Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Rejuvenating Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask Edition

Hello!! Friday is usually Johnny’s big night out and my big night in. During my evening with the apartment to myself, I love to play Paper Mario and Animal Crossing and watch all of the shows that Johnny refuses to watch with me (IE: Hoarders!). As I was getting settled, I realized that it had been a long while since I used a face mask so I decided to do a little pampering:

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For my spa night, I used the Freeman Rejuvenating Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask and it was pretty good. My first impression was how nice it smelled – just like freshly cut cucumbers, which was really refreshing. The pale blue color was also very pleasing too! The directions for this mask said to remove after seven to ten minutes so I applied the mask and waited…

When I’m using a face mask, I try to leave it on for as long as I can. However, that was so not the case with this mask. It dried very quickly and by the five minute mark it was already hardened considerably but not unpleasantly. Fast forward to minute seven and my skin was begging me to take it off. I experienced a mild burning sensation and it was like heaven when I began removing it.

Although it wasn’t the most pampered I’ve ever felt during my face mask time, I was still impressed with the results. The exfoliating pink salt worked well and my skin felt smooth and looked nourished. It was super drying, though, and I actually had to apply my nighttime skin care routine twice because of how thirsty my skin was. It was all good after that extra moisturizing boost!

I liked this mask well enough but I don’t think that I would use it again. If I were to try it one more time, I would definitely remove it at five minutes, which I would recommend if you try it too!

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

Sep23

New Aegean Blue & Fire Orange Nails

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New Aegean Blue & Fire Orange Nails

Hello!!! This past Monday, my pampering session at Elysian Nails was the best because my favorite nail tech is back after an almost half year hiatus. I missed her terribly and, although all of the nail techs at Elysian are superb, there is nothing better than seeing your go to girl. This time around, I got a brand new set and was in desperate need of it – almost all of my acrylics were lifting! It turned out great and I am loving this color combo:

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I spent a lot of time praying over what colors I wanted my nails to be on Monday and had some general ideas. I knew that I wanted shades that welcomed fall without being really obvious about it and decided to let the nail polish wall speak to me. As soon as I began looking over the different options, the super dark blue didn’t speak but SCREAMED at me and I knew that I had found a winner. I also had orange at the forefront of my mind and went with a fiery hue to compliment the blue – which it did perfectly, I might add. 😀

I have never been one for holiday or seasonal themed nails and just go with what I feel like at the time. However, fall is my favorite season and I wanted to pay my homage to it. This color combination reminds me of when the sun goes down on an autumn night and changing leaves and I think it is just so pretty. It subtly whispers “fall” without going overboard and I am so happy with it!

And, of course, my nail tech did a bang up job as per ushe. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a new set until I got a new set lol. My nails feel nice and strong again and are sharpened and shaped just the way I like. Now, here’s to my tech not going anywhere anytime soon after finally being reunited lol. Thanks, Elysian Nails! ❤

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

Sep15

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Hello everyone!! I have been hinting at a change to my hair for a while now and it is time for the grand reveal! This past Wednesday, I enjoyed some fabulous pampering at the Shear Shop and my stylist, Anna, truly outdid herself. Lil Red is back, baby, with fireball hair to welcome the fall with! Check it out:

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^^^ Lol, give me my phoooone!

Colors Used:

  • Pulp Riot’s Pyro on the roots
  • Pulp Riot’s Lava and Satire in the middle
  • Pulp Riot’s Fireball on the ends

After several attempts at white and red hair, I decided that I was ready for a change as soon as Anna perfected the combination. Haha, that’s always how it goes but I was just ready for something fun and different that brings me back to my Lil Red roots. I am IN LOVE with my new cut and color and I have, honestly, never felt better about my appearance before. It’s amazing what some time spent in Anna’s chair can do for your girl’s self esteem! 😀

To start this process, Anna bleached my hair for about a half an hour. We didn’t need it on too long this time around because we were using darker colors, which was nice. After the bleach lifted the color to a shade that Anna was happy with, my hair was washed, dried, and ready for all of the amazing Pulp Riot colors.

I have to mention this every time I get my hair done but the Pulp Riot hair dyes smell SO. Good. They smell exactly like SweetTarts and literally everyone in the salon has to take a whiff whenever we use it lol. Anna masterfully applied and blended the color and each chunk of hair used the four colors mentioned above. Although we didn’t see as much of the yellow “Satire” as we would have liked, it was a great first go and gives me all of the David Bowie vibes.

With fiery new hair, I needed a cool new cut to match because I was straight up bored with my old standby. I found inspiration for the “Dewdrop” haircut online and decided that it was the one – bangs included. I have toyed with the idea of bangs for forever but never did it and I am really glad that I took the plunge. I think that it looks so edgy and chic and is exactly what I had pictured in my head.

When I arrived home from the salon, Johnny and I had a Middle Class Fancy moment when he said “Who are you and what have you done with my wife?” Lol, he loves my hair just as much as I do! Tune in tomorrow for a brand new OOTD to showcase my brand new look!

How often do you change your hair’s style or color? Where do you find inspiration for new hairdos? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug21

New Violet & Punch Pink Nails

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New Violet & Punch Pink Nails

Hello! After several long and stressful weeks, I was in desperate need of some self care and had been counting down the days till my next appointment at Elysian Nails. Not only did I need a pampering session but my nails were looking JANK. As always, Elysian got me right and my nail tech did a fabulous job on my talons. Check it out:

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Normally, I have a color palette in mind before I go to the salon for a fill. This time around, however, I decided to let the polish wall speak to me and made my choice almost instantly. Directly in my line of sight was the OPI shades in Strawberry Margarita (Which I totally get) and Grandma Kissed A Gaucho (Which I don’t get at all).

Lol despite one nail polish name making no sense to me or my nail tech, I am in love with this color combo. It is such a perfect palette to wrap up summertime with before we move onto plum, oxblood, and jewel tones for fall. These nails look like a sweet candy treat or summer sunset and I catch myself looking at them constantly. So cute!

As you all know, pampering is my favorite form of self care and this trip to Elysian Nails definitely helped put some pep back in my step. It’s almost impossible not to when I leave the salon with nails looking like a billion bucks!

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

 

Aug11

Treat Yourself With Some Self Care

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Treat Yourself With Some Self Care

Hello! When we think of the phrase “treat yourself”, Parks & Recreation usually comes to mind when Donna and Tom splurge at the mall. A great shopping trip is definitely a treat yourself occasion but so is a day of self care! Self care is all about taking the time out of your day to do things that make you feel good. Let’s explore some ideas for when you’re feeling like you could use a pick me up:

Pampering, Please:

My favorite form of self care is definitely some pampering! Whether it’s a face mask or bath bomb from Lush, getting my nails or hair done, or simply using a nice lotion – I love it all. Being pampered whether it’s at the salon or at home is so soothing and it’s always nice to feel like a million bucks!

If you are in the mood for pampering with the works, it could be a fantastic treat to book an afternoon at a Day Spa. Take note of what you loved about your visit and then you could even host your own personal “spa day” so your friends can get in on the self care too. Everyone could bring their favorite products, drink tea and spill the tea as you catch up, and enjoy each other’s company. How fun would that be?

Treatments:

I am a firm believer that if there is something that makes you feel self conscious, it is worth going to a professional for. Whether you want your teeth whitened, Botox, lip filler, dermal fillers in Chicago (or your local area) or anything else – go for it. There is nothing wrong with any of this and if it makes you feel good about yourself, then that’s all that matters.

Of course, treatments are not always cosmetic. If you are experiencing aches and pains, you could try PEMF treatment for health maintenance and pain relief. Or, you could book a monthly massage to help work the kinks out. This is also an excellent practice in self care to help you feel your best inside and out.

Veg Out:

Sometimes the best form of self care is sitting on your favorite armchair or couch and vegging out. You could spend the afternoon with a good book or binge watching that show that you have been dying to watch. Taking the time to just sit, relax, and be can do wonders for your mental health. Vegging out gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a different world and you will return to reality feeling refreshed.

Work Out:

Whether you are hitting the gym or just taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood, it will feel good to get your body moving. I love to take my mom and dad’s dog for runs and when I’m done, I feel happy that I gave both of us a work out – even when my legs feel like Jello! After your exercise, you could treat yourself to a yummy smoothie or a delicious dinner to refuel your body.

Everyone could use some self care in this crazy world and these are just a few ideas to help perk you up whenever you need!

Jul30

July 2022 Finishes

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July 2022 Finishes

Hello!!! It’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month of July and it was a good month, indeed. I got to try some new to me products, used up some of the ones that took forever, and revisited some old favorites. It was a GREAT SUCCESS so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Spray: Omg, did this spray take forever to finish lol – at least half a year of almost daily use! This is fine by me, though, because I love anything apple scented and B&BW always delivers. The Country Apple is the perfect mix of sweet and tart and it is the perfect pick me up before leaving for work. I would definitely use it again but am fine with not using it for a while!

SkinLab Cleanser: I love SkinLab products and the Lift & Firm Daily Gel Cleanser was amazing. After about a month and a half of daily use, my skin looked more supple and felt smoother. It was invigorating to use every morning and also removed remnants of makeup really well. Although, I have to admit that it’s a bit sad to be moving onto products that Lift & Firm lol.

B&BW Shower Gel: Normally, the travel size shower gel from B&BW lasts me three weeks of daily use. However, this month I used up two of them because Johnny helped me out after he ran out of his shower gel. We both smelled awesome for the month of July and I adore the Gingham Love scent. It has all of the fresh, crisp feels of the original Gingham with juicy berries thrown in for good measure. Although I think it’s super cute that Johnny used my shower gel, I’m bummed out that I’m all out of Gingham Love!

Tatcha Moisturizer: This moisturizer was a freebie during my last Sephora Haul and it was nice but I wouldn’t use it unless I got it as a free item again. I love a water cream formula, especially during the summer and this one was delightful. It absorbed so quickly while still leaving my skin feeling ultra hydrated. It took me four days of twice daily use to finish the sample jar.

Lanocreme Moisturizer: I purchased this moisturizer during a winter haul at TJMaxx and finally got around to using it towards the end of June. Although it absorbed well, it was a bit too thick for my liking during the summertime. That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be great for fall and winter use, though! This moisturizer was rich, creamy, and left my skin looking and feeling peaches and cream perfect. It took me about five weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Lotion: This is the second lotion that I’ve used from Hope Soap, which is a local shop in my area. I received both of them as a gift and the first one that I finished in June wasn’t my favorite because its texture was so runny. The Vanilla & Fig was the polar opposite, however, and had the consistency of a normal lotion which I liked much better. It also smelled awesome! As nice as it was, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it for myself but it made a wonderful gift. It took me a little under two months to finish the jar.

As you can see from all of these empties, July was a month full of pampering. Whether the product was good or bad, I am glad to have used them up and am ready for lots more finishes come August!

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

Jul17

New Red & Peach Nails

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New Red & Peach Nails

Hey!! After a super lame streak of bad luck, I am finally getting back into the swing of things. Of course, some retail therapy (Peep a brand new TJMaxx haul soon!) and pampering at Elysian Nails definitely helped the cause! I had a short work day this past Wednesday so I treated myself to some shopping before and a fresh fill after, which was just what the doctor ordered. Check it out:

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Unfortunately, my favorite nail tech no longer works at Elysian Nails and I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t feel weird having someone else care for my claws. However, the staff at Elysian is simply the best and I knew that my hands would be in capable ones no matter who is doing them. This past fill was actually awesome because the tech who did my nails when I first started going to Elysian is back. It was SO nice to catch up on lost time and see how much she improved at her craft while working at different salons!

For my color combination this time around, I went with a fiery red and peach combo and I am loving it. Alone, the red is very vibrant but it popped even more against the subtle peach and I think that it is such a fun, summery palette. When the peach polish was wet, I was a bit worried because it looked darker than I anticipated but it dried into the perfect pale shade that I had in mind and was instantly sold. So cute. 😀

With new hair, nails, and gorgeous new additions to my wardrobe, I feel ready to take on the world again. Big ups to my stylists for keeping me looking my best and TJMaxx for helping me dress my best! ❤

What color of nail polish do you have on? Who else turns to the salon or retail therapy when you are feeling down? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah