Tag Archives: products

Dec12

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Black Rose Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Black Rose Edition

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:

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^^^ 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

Nov30

November 2022 Finishes

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November 2022 Finishes

Howdy!! It is the end of another month that simply flew by and you all know what that means – it’s time to discuss my monthly beauty finishes! November brought me lots of new products to try out and that was so fun for me because I was feeling pretty blah with my skin care routine. Things definitely got shaken up with two new moisturizers and two new serums, one of which was a hit and the others… Not so much. Let’s get into more detail:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean Beauty Serum: This serum took me about four weeks of twice daily use to complete and it was pretty good. It lived up to its name of Deep Hydration because my skin definitely felt more hydrated and soothed after using it. However, there are a lot of serums out there that can do that and more so I can’t say that I was blown away by it. I would use it again if it was available at TJMaxx and nothing else spoke to me but other than that, this is a product that can be skipped on.

Clinique Serum: My aunt gave me a goodie bag of Clinique skin care samples and it took me four days of twice daily use to finish the Clinical Repair serum. While that isn’t enough time to see a product fully work its magic, it was enough for me to know that I couldn’t justify a price tag on a full size bottle. This serum was kind of weird in texture. It was thick but also runny if that makes sense? You also needed a quarter size or bigger dollop to fully cover your face and neck and even then, it still didn’t feel like enough. Who knows? Maybe this product is liquid gold but I just wasn’t seeing it.

Clinique Moisturizer: This moisturizer took me six days of twice daily use to finish the sample size jar and it was alright. I really liked that it had SPF 15 in it because that’s so important – even in the winter months! My skin also felt well hydrated after using it. Having said that, the Clinique Smart moisturizer features one of my biggest product pet peeves: It did a lousy job fully absorbing and I’m talking well over an hour. That is something that really bothers me because I hate feeling any type of residue on my skin, making it an instant no go for me.

Pearlessence Moisturizer: While the Clinique moisturizer I sampled was a dud, I cannot say enough good things about the Pearlessence Big Sky Cloud Cream. I paid six dollars for this huge jar and it took me over five weeks of twice daily use to complete, which is such an amazing value. My only regret is that it didn’t last longer! This moisturizer was the perfect happy medium between a cream and a gel and it made my skin feel so good after every use. I loved how soft it made my skin as well as making it look completely radiant. I would happily buy this product again and want ten of them to have on back stock! 😀

Although there were a few no gos in my November Finishes, it was still a nice treat to try out so many new to me products. If you are looking for a good moisturizer this winter, I can’t recommend the Pearlessence one enough… Buy me a couple of jars too lol! ❤

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

Nov19

Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream Review

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Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream Review

Hello! I don’t know about you guys, but it is about that time of the year for me to start experiencing extremely dry hands. Every morning when I walk my sweet pup, Archie, I step outside knowing that my hands are going to be raw by the time I get back. Combined with the fact that I have spent almost every day of the past three weeks Pureling constantly at the Cleveland Clinic and washing my hands a lot after interacting with the bunnies, my hands are awful by the end of the day.

I have tried many a lotion to combat dry skin and have been pretty impressed. However, I recently started using the Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream that I was gifted with by my bestie last year and I can confidently say that it blows every other lotion that I have tested out of the water. Let’s discuss:

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^^^ This product is cruelty free!

Before we get into the details, we must start with how good the Pomegranate Raspberry scent smells. The tart raspberry is counterbalanced by the soft pomegranate notes and it makes for a perfectly light fragrance. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a more powerful scent but this one is just right to use before bedtime because it’s comforting rather than stimulating. Before I rub the lotion in, I always have to take a whiff because it seriously never gets old! 😀

When it comes to my dry skin, it takes form on my hands through noticeable redness and parched skin. I never use a lotion expecting it to be a cure all to this issue on the first go so you can imagine my surprise when I woke up to see my hands back to their normal shade and totally hydrated. My hands felt so touch-ably soft and smooth and it almost made me forget how bad they were prior to using it. This was not a one off occurrence but an every use thing and I am marveling at the results even now as I type this.

While I am a huge fan of cocoa butter based creams, I have learned through trial and error that my skin responds better to shea butter and this cream has it in spades. A huge plus about this product is how easily it absorbs into the skin without a greasy residue despite the shea butter base. From my time working at The Body Shop, I learned that cocoa butter bases tend to have a thinner consistency than shea and this was a concern for me. I am a very tactile person and can’t stand when lotion doesn’t absorb fully. This was not the case with the Eos cream at all and it melted into my skin with ease even with a thicker texture.

I have been using the Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream since the beginning of November and I will be so sad when it is all gone. It is, hands down, one of the best creams that I have ever used and I would highly recommend it if you are experiencing winter skin too!

What is your favorite body cream or lotion? Do you prefer cocoa or shea butter? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov9

SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar Scrub Review

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SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar Scrub Review

Hello! I have been sitting on some new skin care from TJMaxx and have finally had the chance to use a Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar scrub by SpaScriptions that I bought in September. I have been using it every morning for about a month now and it is, easily, one of the best scrubs that I have ever used. My only regret is that there was only one of them at TJs because I would have happily bought ten of them! If you are looking for a gentle scrub to help ease dry skin this winter, then this is the one for you. Let’s discuss:

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^^^ This product is Leaping Bunny certified.

I had two first impressions when it came to the SpaScriptions scrub (Try saying that five times fast!): 1) The color was so pretty – like lavender pixie dust and 2) It smelled just like candy. These are small things but it enhances the experience every time I use it and the sugary scent is a nice perk me up in the morning! A little of this product also goes such a long way because it lathers up like crazy into a foam, making it so easy to work into your skin. The amount that you can see squeezed onto my hand is all you need for your face and neck, making for a great value. After one month of daily use, I have barely finished half of the bottle.

What I like the most about this scrub, other than out well it works, is the texture of it. It’s more like a cream cleanser with a bit of extra grit from the sugar rather than a full on scrub. With cold winter days drawing ever closer, it is the perfect option for removing dead or dry skin without drying your face out even more. Every time I use this scrub, my skin feels so soft and looks simply radiant. Saying these past few months have been tiring for me is a severe understatement but my skin never looks it!

The SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar scrub is one that I would most definitely use again. It checks all of my boxes of being cruelty free, an excellent value at just five bucks, and fully effective. I think that you will like it, too, if you give it a shot!

How often do you restock your skin care? Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct31

October 2022 Finishes

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October 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! October is drawing to a close, which means that it’s time to discuss my monthly beauty finishes! And by finishes, I mean “finish” because there is only one product that I used up this month. The current products in my bath and body and skin care routine are all bigger in size and have been taking forever to use up. I’m not complaining, though, because all that does is continue to lower my CPU or “cost per use”! Now, let’s discuss the lone body cream in one of my favorite scents that I managed to finish:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Body Cream in Gingham: YES!!!!

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: As you all know, Gingham is one of my all time favorite scents by Bath & Body Works. One of my sweet neighbors also knows it because this was a gift – an incredibly thoughtful one! I would apply this to my hands, arms, and trunk (lol) every night and it took me a little over a month to complete the bottle. This cream was thicker in texture but it applied easily and absorbed quickly without any greasy residue. That, in itself, is a huge selling point for me because I can’t stand when a lotion doesn’t absorb fully. Every morning, I would wake up to ultra smooth skin that both looked and felt healthy. And, oh yeah, it smells great too! I would definitely recommend this product.

Talk about a short and sweet post amiright?! Thanks for checking in at lifewithlilred and have a fabulous day. See you in November! 😉 ❤

Which beauty products did you use up this month? What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct8

Clinique Love Pop Lipstick Swatch

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Clinique Love Pop Lipstick Swatch

Hello!! This past week, we had a day full of visitors at chez parents. My aunt dropped by and she bequeathed some makeup and skin care samples for my sister and I to enjoy. As luck would have it, Kristen and my nieces came over shortly after and I divided up the loot. Skin care for me and makeup for Kristen. Of course, I had to ask her if I could swatch the Clinique Love Pop lipstick before she could take it home lol check it out:

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While I was snapping some pics of this new lippie, my Val Gal came up to me and asked why I was taking pictures of lipstick. Haha! I explained to her that her TT’s job is sometimes showing off products so people can decide if they want to buy it or not. She seemed to get it and was happy to get a story read to her as I finished up. 😀

The Love Pop color is the perfect raspberry hue and it is oh so pretty. However, it is not the shade for me. With really vibrant hair, I have to be careful of the lip color that I choose to avoid looking clown like. As much as it pains me to admit it, I am no longer a red lipstick girl and muted nudes are my new go to’s.

BUT, if my hair situation was different, I would be so rocking this lippie! It is such a lovely shade for fall and will look stunning against autumn blue skies and the changing leaves. The Love Pop color features deep pink undertones with the smallest touch of purple and will be great with a jewel toned top to reflect all of the rich colors that fall is known for.

If you are on the prowl for a raspberry tart pout, then Love Pop is the hue for you. Myself, on the other hand, loves the Bare Pop and just might have to give it a try!

What is your favorite lipstick? Did you buy new makeup if you made a drastic change to your hair? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct3

Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

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Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

Hello! I had a couple of free coupons to cash in at Bath & Body Works and they couldn’t have come at a better time. My lotion supply in the stock pile has been running low and you can also never have too much shower gel! Because of my fear that I would be rang up by an employee who followed the “limit one free coupon per day” rule, I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to buy two more wallflowers too. *Spoiler alert* the cashier didn’t care lol and I got all of the following for six bucks:

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A little fun fact about me is that I don’t really like birthday cake (It’s a texture thing) but I LOVE birthday cake ice cream and anything scented like it. I had never seen the Happy Birthday scent at Bath & Body Works before and was all over it like bees to honey. The scent description is “frosted vanilla” and it most certainly is! It smells just like a freshly made rich vanilla cake and I’ve already taken fifty plus whiffs of it while writing this. I am SO happy that I was able to get both the lotion and shower gel for free so if you catch scent of a freshly made pastry while out and about, it’s probably just me. 😀

As you all know, prior to purchasing my Halloween themed wallflower holders from B&BW, I was very much against buying them. This wasn’t because I didn’t like the idea of the product itself because I did. It was more of the fact that I would like them too much and it would just be another item that I’d have to keep up with buying. However, here we are now six wallflowers in and I ain’t mad about it. They are an absolute delight!

Johnny and I are currently using the Wild Berry Tea Spritzer and Honey Crisp Apple wallflowers. As expected, my favorite scent of apple is divine but we both can hardly smell the tea spritzer. I would have bought another Honey Crisp Apple if it was available but, alas, it wasn’t so I settled for Mahogany Apple, instead. There wasn’t a tester open of this scent so I’m not sure what it smells like but I’m hoping that the woodsy fragrances won’t overpower the apple. We’ll find out soon enough.

Since the tea spritzer wallflower was a bust, I decided to go with something that I knew I would enjoy and that is Gingham Love. I am obsessed with the Gingham line and when they added Love I almost lost my shit – it was my favorite scent this summer! With all of the original crispness of Gingham and juicy berries thrown in for good measure, Gingham Love is the sequel scent that I didn’t know I needed. It is the perfect summer in fall fragrance and I can’t wait to use the wallflower!

You just can’t beat six dollars for four products and I am thrilled with this B&BW Mini Haul. Is it bad that I’m already daydreaming about their holiday scents?!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? What is your favorite B&BW fragrance season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sep30

September 2022 Finishes

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September 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! It’s the end of the month and you all know what that means… It’s time to discuss all of the beauty products that I finished up! September was a wildly successful month for empties and I used up lots of products that I would happily use again. One serum in particular really blew my mind and I NEED more. Today, we’ll be talking about the new to me finishes so you can peep previous reviews in other posts. Now, let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Pearlessence Serum: I decided to take a break from Vitamin C serums for a spell and moved onto my current obsession of hyaluronic acid. When I saw the Dewy Glow serum at TJMaxx during a previous haul, I couldn’t not try it and I was in love with the very pleasing color of the bottle lol. I am SO glad that I did because this serum is AMAZING! It promised a “dewy glow” and it delivered a thousandfold. After just one use, I was blown away by how fresh my skin looked and felt and it stayed that way all day. After the month it took me to finish it, my skin looked brighter and felt softer. It also paired so well with the Pearlessence moisturizer that I tried. Highly recommend!

Vital Beauty Eye Gel: The Vital Beauty Cooling Eye Gel was another TJs purchase and it was a great value. It costed about six dollars and it took me roughly four months to finish it with morning and night use. I’m happy that I bought two of them because this product was another winner. A little of it went such a long way and I was so impressed by how untired it made me look. I have been perpetually exhausted for the past month and a half but it definitely didn’t show! The delicate skin around my eyes felt healthy and strong and always looked like I got excellent beauty sleep even though that was far from the case. Loved it!

Pearlessence Gel Moisturizer: As you all know, I freaking love me a gel moisturizer. I think that they are so refreshing and love how quickly it absorbs as well as the non-greasy feeling. The Pearlessence moisturizer was really nice and Johnny liked it too for his chronically dry forehead lol. This product was so light but effective and the double dose of hyaluronic acid from the serum made a noticeable difference. I feel like my skin has never looked better or more perfectly moisturized thanks to this pairing. It took me a month of twice daily use to finish one jar.

As you can see, September was a wonderful month for finishes. I found a new favorite skin care brand and used up products that I have been working on for a while. You can’t beat that and do check out Pearlessence next time you need to restock your skin care… I think you’ll like it!

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

Sep2

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello!! Last week, I visited TJMaxx strictly to get some more skin care. I was successful in that regard and also wound up leaving with way more than just skin care lol. Funny how that works out! I ended up walking away with some Halloween goodies, Christmas presents for my niece, two adorable sweaters, and all of the following:

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^^^ All of these products are Leaping Bunny certified!

It has been a while since I restocked my cleansers and eye cream so that was the mission I had in mind during my TJs trip. Every morning, I like to wash my face with both a scrub and a cleanser for a deep clean. I was almost completely out of both things and chose a Vitamin C cleanser by Clinical Works and a hyaluronic acid and sugar scrub by SpaScriptions. Each of these products feature two of my favorite ingredients for my skin care as a late twenty something and I can’t wait to try them out!

For my eye cream, I went with a manuka honey cream by Lanoline. And, of course, I had to grab another bottle of the Evoluderm micellar water, which I love. I have only used products with manuka honey in it a handful of times. However, it was a must have ingredient for skin care a year or so ago so I’m more than happy to give it a try in eye cream form. Fingers crossed that it smells as amazing as the Freeman face mask that introduced me to manuka honey. 😀

This Skin Care Haul turned into a major haul in general and it was just what I needed. There’s nothing like a little retail therapy to help soothe the soul!

What ingredients do you look for for your skin care? What are your favorite skin care brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Aug31

August 2022 Finishes

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August 2022 Finishes

Hi everyone!! We’re going to wrap up August here on lifewithlilred by talking about the beauty products that I used up this month. I don’t know about all of you, but August sucked majorly for me so here’s to September being friggen awesome. God knows I need it! One thing that I always find awesome is using up products, though, so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Provence Beauty Serum: I love me a Vitamin C serum and this one by Provence Beauty, unfortunately, missed the mark. I didn’t experience any noticeable differences in the way my skin looked or felt after a month of morning and night use. This serum was also quite thin in consistency, which was a pain because it was constantly falling out of my hand. This is a product that you can definitely skip on.

Evoluderm Micellar Water: You guys already know that this is my A1 favorite micellar water so there is no need to discuss in too much detail. I will say that this product blows me away every time I use it. It removes makeup so well and acts as a nourishing toner for me every morning. It takes me about five weeks to finish one bottle.

St. Ives Scrub: I have finally used up the last St. Ives scrub in my stockpile and I am SO happy about it. These scrubs are not good for your skin and the walnut shells they use as an exfoliant can subject your skin to micro tears. Waste not want not, though, and I finished it anyways lol *face palm*. It took me over a month of once daily use to finish one bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: First and foremost, I LOVE GINGHAM! It is, easily, one of my favorite Bath & Body Works scents and is nothing short of a delight in shower gel form. It is so crisp and refreshing and lathers into the most luxurious bubbles. It is the perfect way to start every morning! It took me about three weeks to finish the travel size bottle and I really wish I had a full size one because I am now all out of Gingham! 😦

August was pretty bad for me personally but the product finishes were pretty good. Keep it posted for more fun on lifewithlilred come September!

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