Tag Archives: pampering

Dec12

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Black Rose Edition

Posted on December 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Bath Bomb Blitz compliments of Christmas gifts from my darling bestie, Kate, of Live In The Nautical! Kate spoiled me with lots of goodies from Lush and I couldn’t wait to pamper myself after a long work week. On Friday, I used the Black Rose bath bomb and it was an absolute delight. It turned the water an inky black, which spoke to my soul, and it felt so good to sink into the water and let my troubles soak away. The Black Rose bath bomb put on an amazing show that lasted a solid five minutes and here are the highlights of the process:

^^^ I also shaved so beautiful Amy Winehouse no longer looks like a bearded lady. Also, peep those sweet slipper socks from one of my clients. They are SO comfy!

Lush bath bombs are so fantastic and no other similar products on the market even come close to comparing. It has been a long while since I have used a Lush bath bomb and that made the experience of the Black Rose one even better. As soon as I put it in the water, it began to work its magic and filled the bathroom with the gorgeous scent of lemon rose to uplift and soothe. I invited Johnny to watch the bath bomb fizz and he even commented about how good it smelled and found the process to be “fascinating” lol.

As the Black Rose fizzed, it traveled around the tub at lightening speed and within a minute or so, the water had transformed from clear to a midnight sky black. It was lovely! I, honestly, would have been happy with just the black water but Lush always throws a surprise into their products. About halfway through the fizz out, the inside of the rose opened up and revealed a magenta center. Johnny and I both agreed that it looked like the wings of the Golden Snitch from Harry Potter. Once the bath bomb fizzed out at about five minutes, the swirling magenta and cream against the black water looked like a huge slab of colored crystal. It looked stunning and it almost made me sad to get in the water and mess it up!

I spent close to forty-five minutes enjoying my bath and, as always, I was amazed by how hydrated my skin felt afterwards. It felt like I had just put lotion on even though I hadn’t and that was especially nice after shaving for the first time in forever lol. I will admit that I was a tad worried about the tub being badly stained from this bath bomb and I am happy to report that it left no ring or residue whatsoever. If this is something that put you on the fence about purchasing Black Rose, then you have the Lil Red Guarantee that your tub will not suffer. 🙂

I am going to rate the Black Rose bath bomb with an eight out of ten stars and I highly recommend it – especially if you, too, have a love for the dark and mysterious. The only reason that I didn’t give it a higher rating is because the scent dissipated rather quickly and it would have been nice if it lingered a bit longer. Overall, it was still VERY NICE!

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

Dec10

Happy Haulidays: Blogging Bestie Edition

Posted on December 10, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Happy Haulidays: Blogging Bestie Edition

Hello!!! Kate from Live In The Nautical has been one of my best friends for well over eight years. She was one of the first people who I came in contact with when lifewithlilred first began and the rest is history. These past few months have been difficult on our friendship. No, we absolutely did not have a falling out – we have both just been crazy freaking busy. My poor bestie was severely under the weather and my life was insane with a month of almost daily trips to downtown Cleveland to visit a loved one at the Cleveland Clinic.

They say that the holidays bring people together and this was so true for both of your favorite bloggers. This past Monday, I received Kate’s Christmas prezzie in the mail and the best friend telepathy was still as strong as ever. I had been waiting since Friday for Etsy links to the gifts I wanted to purchase for her!! As always, Kate spoiled me rotten and I can’t wait to relax with all of these goodies from Lush. I can feel my worries soaking away already! Check it out:

Anyone who follows me on my blog or social media knows that my husband and I share a deep love for Halloween and all things macabre. As you can see, Kate knows this too and turned my Christmas gifts into a part two celebration of the happiest time of the year for me. As soon as I opened my package, I knew that there were Lush products involved because I could smell them right away! Kate is so thoughtful because she knows that I would take a bath with a Lush bath bomb every day if I could but I literally never buy them for myself.

I cannot wait to pamper myself with all of these wonderful bath time treats and it is truly a two part present because it gives me the gift of content! Keep it posted for brand new Bath Bomb Blitz posts to see the scary good results of each product. While I am looking forward to using all of my gifts, I think I am most excited to try the Black Rose bath bomb. And, of course, I am especially partial to the vampire bubble bar or, as Lush cleverly calls it, the Bubble Lugosi lol! 😀

Kate’s Halloween themed Christmas gifts were all treats and no tricks. Not only did she go above and beyond with Lush goodies galore but she also got me a super cool music sheet of This Is Halloween from the Nightmare Before Christmas. It is going to look so amazing framed and hung up on mine and Johnny’s art wall! Anything that adds to the Halloween decor in my apartment is a GREAT SUCCESS of a gift and I also love the front and back of the protective covering she put the music sheet in. The skeleton couple on the back is definitely me and Johnny!

A month ago, I was not looking forward to Christmas at all. However, the holiday season got started with a bang after I received my gift in the mail from Kate. We are reunited and it feels so good and this Grinch’s heart is bursting at the seams!! ❤

What is your favorite Lush product? What gets you in the holiday spirit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov22

Planning The Ultimate Girls Night In

Posted on November 22, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! It has been snowing in Ohio for the past couple of days so, as far as I am concerned, winter is officially here. While it is always fun to have a night out, the cold weather makes me want to stay in until spring! Those winter nights gives the perfect opportunity to host the ultimate girls night in because why leave the comfort of your own home if you don’t have to?! Call up your besties and find your comfiest pajamas because it’s time to plan a GNI so good that it will make you scoff at a night on the town:

So Many Activities:

While nothing pleases me more than a good old fashioned girl talk, a night in begs for some fun activities to do together. This could be anything from pulling up a YouTube tutorial and having a wine and paint night to baking and decorating holiday cookies. How about making your own pizzas together instead of ordering delivery? Or putting together an ice cream sundae bar? Hey, a girl has gotta eat!

Spa Treatments:

A girls night in staple is, of course, getting to pamper yourselves. We’re talking face masks, painting nails, and aromatherapy – the works! Have your best girls bring their favorite products and turn it into a swap so that all of you can try something new. You could even create your own face masks and hair treatments with ingredients in your kitchen. Who knows, your girls night might turn into your first small business meeting with your skin care creations!

Snuggle Up:

What is a good girls night in without some chick flicks? Pop all of the popcorn and pop the champagne! Movie time means snuggling up, getting cozy, and unwinding so lots of soft blankets and fuzzy socks are a must. You could even order matching PJs if you want to be super extra! On the subject of blankets, fleece throws are super easy to make and can be added to your growing list of activities.

Cocktail Creations:

If you plan on indulging in the drink, how about creating a girls night signature cocktail (Or mocktail!)? Wine or champagne is always a good choice but it will be a blast to shake things up literally and metaphorically. Get inspiration for cocktails on Pinterest and put your own twist on it. You or your friends might just find your new calling as the best bartender ever. 😀

Playlist, Please:

Having awesome music on as you craft, eat, and talk the night away is so essential. Even more important is your selection, which means no mopey ballads! Girls night in means girl power anthems, one hit wonders, and beats that get you in the spirit for an impromptu dance party. And, what is a girls night in without Queen Bs, Britney Spears AND Beyonce? The answer is: NOTHING!!

If the winter weather has driven you to hibernation mode, you might as well have some fun. Your girls night in will be a GREAT SUCCESS and you could turn it into a tradition with a different host every month. Now, where’s my invite?!

What are some girls night in essentials? What is your favorite night in snack or drink? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov20

New Mocha & Glitter Pink Nails

Posted on November 20, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! During the trying times of Lil Red’s life right now, I find solace in the beauty salon. This past Wednesday, I got my hair done for the holiday season at The Shear Shop. And, this Wednesday, I visited Elysian Nails for an appointment with my favorite tech to get my nails looking right too. Now that I have been spending almost every day at the Cleveland Clinic (A sixty-six mile round trip drive), it is important for me to take some time for myself to avoid going crazy. Although my mental health was at a negative ten (Which is better than negative one hundred!) when leaving Elysian Nails, my acrylics still looked like a million bucks! Check it out:

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and, although I am not one for holiday themed nails, I like to choose colors that give a unique twist for the season. This fall, I have noticed a resounding amount of pretty beige, cream, and burgundy shades that look lovely but are just a smidge boring for my taste. At the nail polish wall, I was instantly drawn to the mocha hue that I selected and loved the grey undertones that added dimension to the neutral shade. Then, I decided to dress it up with glittery pink for some holiday flare without going overboard. The colors play against each other so well and they both pop beautifully in the light. This is one of my favorite color combos that I have done in a long while!

Last time I got my nails done, my go to girl was unavailable and that was okay because every nail tech at Elysian is awesome. However, the salon experience just hits different when your favorite gal and good friend is the one pampering you. It was SO nice to catch up with her after some time apart and it felt so good to chat about literally anything other than all of the stressful stuff happening in my world. And, of course, my preferred nail tech knows just the way I like my nails after almost two years of being her client and they are sharpened and shaped to perfection. The gorgeous shaping and nail polish colors look divine and it was a very much needed pick me up. ❤

The amazing staff and atmosphere at Elysian Nails truly feels like a home away from home each month and going there is a monthly treat that I always look forward to. I have my appointment already booked for December before the schedule fills up and I can’t wait to go back!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? Do you prefer gel or regular nail polish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov19

3 Top Pre-Wedding Beauty Tips

Posted on November 19, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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?

Posted on November 17, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

^^^ 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?

Knit Cardigan: ModCloth, Knitted Dove
Cami Top: French Rooster, mittoshop
Plaid Skinny Jeans: TJMaxx, Sound & Style
Heeled Oxfords: ModCloth, Lulu Hun
Necklace: Betsey Johnson

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

Posted on October 30, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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

Posted on October 11, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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

Posted on September 23, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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?

Posted on September 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

^^^ 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

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