Tag Archives: products

Dec24

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Bigfoot Edition

Posted on December 24, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Bath Bomb Blitz! This past Tuesday, I had an easy day and ended up getting back home early. As much as I would have liked to put Hoarders on and become one with my couch, I put on my adulting pants and completed the dreaded chore of cleaning the bathrooms. It sucked lol. After my cleaning session, I felt the urge to douse myself in hot water and decided to make use of one of the bath bombs my bestie gifted me with for Christmas. I used the Bigfoot bomb and, although I didn’t like it as much as the Black Rose bomb that I used last week, it was still pretty good. Check out some pics and let’s discuss:

The Bigfoot bath bomb was fairly run of the mill, however, there were still a few aspects of it that surprised me. I thought it was really cool how the bomb started fizzing from the toes when I dropped it in the water. It looked like little torpedoes taking off and that was fun to see. Other than that, this bomb didn’t have much movement around the tub and stayed relatively put in one spot until it fizzed out. It was fine but it didn’t give as good of a show as other Lush bath bombs that I have used before.

I was also taken aback by how long the Bigfoot bomb took to fizz out. As you can see, it is definitely smaller than your typical Lush bomb and I thought it would be lucky if it lasted for three minutes, tops. I was completely wrong and the bomb didn’t dissolve until a solid five minutes. This additional length of time was neither here nor there because of the lack of movement from the bath bomb. If it were a more entertaining fizz out, I would be there for it but I was SO ready to get in the tub after two minutes of the lackluster performance.

In terms of scent and color, the Bigfoot bath bomb was just alright. It had a really light citrus scent that was pretty but dissipated rather quickly. The pink, blue, and lavender fizz was also nice enough but didn’t blow me away. There were times when the water was actually looking quite murky so its end result of glittery dark purple water was a welcome change of pace. I wish that it had more of that darker hue throughout the fizz!

The last surprise of the Bigfoot bath bomb wasn’t exactly a good one – it left residue! This was, perhaps, the biggest shock that the bath bomb offered because I wasn’t expecting it at all. The Black Rose bath bomb by Lush left no staining even though it turned the water jet black. So, just be warned that the Bigfoot bomb does require some additional clean up after the water has drained.

Overall, I am going to rate the Bigfoot bath bomb with a five out of ten stars. It was far from the best Lush bath bomb that I have used and I wouldn’t get it again. If you are considering it, I would highly recommend choosing something else instead with a bit more pizazz!

What is your least favorite chore? How do you relax after a cleaning session? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec23

Bath & Body Works Haul

Posted on December 23, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I moved into my very first apartment, I thought it was the coolest thing to be able to buy Bath & Body Works hand soap for my place. We never used them at my parents’ house so it was exciting to pick out scents just for me (Clearly I lead a thrilling life). They have been a staple in my home ever since my move in date and I always look forward to the next time Johnny and I need to restock our supply. With only one hand soap left in the cupboard, it was about that time! Check out my haul:

Would I Buy Again:

Peach Bellini: YES
The Apple Of My Eye: YES
Vanilla Bean Noel: YES!!!
Twisted Peppermint: YES
Winter Candy Apple: NO
Fresh Sparkling Snow: MAYBE
The full size lotion was free with my purchase!

With four scents that are a resounding rebuy and only two “mehs”, I’d say that this was a very successful haul. Even more so because I ordered these online! Granted, I did know some of the scents already but still lol. While the Peach Bellini will always be my A1 hand soap scent, the Vanilla Bean Noel was a close second this time around. I have used the vanilla before but I forgot how freaking good it smelled. Some vanilla scents can become sickly sweet with the add ins of “sugar cookie” or “frosting” and the Vanilla Bean Noel is just right. It smells purely like vanilla bean without any unnecessary additions and I cannot wait to use it!

The Apple Of My Eye and Twisted Peppermint are also scents that I would happily buy again. Sometimes, there will be a dud of a scent in my order because it smelled nothing like what I pictured in my mind. That was not the case at all with these two soaps and there were no surprises when I took a whiff. The Apple Of My Eye smells exactly like my favorite candy of caramel apple suckers and the Twisted Peppermint smelled like… Peppermint! What a shocker. 😀

The two scents that missed the mark for me was Winter Candy Apple and Fresh Sparkling Snow. I thought that I was going to love the Winter Candy Apple but in this instance, the apple scent did nothing for me. It’s very sweet with floral notes and is one of my least favorite scents from the holiday collection. Fresh Sparkling Snow was alright. Its scent was very light, which is to be expected. However, the combination of icy melon and pear was pretty lackluster. I would buy it again if it were on sale for the cheap but would skip on it otherwise.

Overall, I am really pleased with my Bath & Body Works Haul. My only regret is that the free lotion I picked out was in the only scent that I didn’t like. SMH!!!!!!!!

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

Dec18

Face Mask Festivities: Elf Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask Edition

Posted on December 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Elf Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we will be discussing the Elf Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask. I purchased this product during my last skin care haul at TJMaxx and was excited to test it out. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me and I am happy that I only paid four bucks for it rather than its original ten dollar price tag. While it was an okay mask, it wasn’t great and Lil Red won’t settle for anything less! Let’s get into the details:

I love me an overnight mask and that is the main reason why I purchased the Elf Dope Dreams one in the first place. It is a no muss no fuss solution to better skin and it doesn’t get much better than that. Before coming to my conclusions about the product, I used it twice as a sleeping mask and once as a wash off mask before my morning shower. What I liked about this mask was that it’s unscented. Not that I was expecting it to smell like straight up weed but I always prefer little to no scent when it comes to skin care. And, of course, the jojoba beads were a nice touch for a bit of exfoliation to help remove dead skin.

After my first use, I woke up in the morning and didn’t really feel one way or the other about how it worked. Before and after rinsing it off, my skin felt the same as if I had completed my normal skin care routine without anything special to it. I decided to use it again the following night and, once again, didn’t notice any mind blowing results. Since the overnight use was shaping up to be a bust, I figured I would change things up by using it as a wash off mask a few days later. I left it on for about fifteen minutes and was still unimpressed with the condition of my skin.

The purpose of the Dope Dreams mask is strictly hydration and I thought that it would make a good addition to my skin care routine during the winter. However, my skin felt better when I was just using my every day products and that essentially eliminated the need for the mask. For skin care, I like products that serve multiple purposes and if it only focuses on one thing like moisturizing or radiance, then it better be the best! The Dope Dreams mask was a far cry from ultra hydration for my skin and once I finish the bottle, I will not be purchasing it again.

Even though the Elf Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask wasn’t my favorite, it was still a treat to try something new. I will say that this mask received pretty good reviews overall so use your discretion if you are thinking of making the purchase. We are all different and what didn’t work for me could be amazing for you!

Have you ever used this sleeping mask before? What are your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec13

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on December 13, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! After reorganizing my work bag, I realized that I had a ten dollar rewards certificate from TJMaxx due to my expert spending this year lol. I couldn’t have stumbled upon this at a better time because I was running low on lots of my skin care staples and decided to take a TJs trip during a free afternoon. As always, I told myself that I was only going to look at beauty products but that was just a lie to make myself feel better because you all know I got some clothes too! Take a look at what should have been my only purchases during my shopping and keep it posted for what I treated myself with:

Prior to the pandemic, I would say that I was going to TJMaxx at least bimonthly and would restock my beauty products as needed. This worked for me at the time but my shopping process has certainly changed since 2020. Now, when I make it to my beloved TJMaxx (It has been over three months since my last visit!), I stock up on what I need so that I don’t have to keep returning back. An all around restock was definitely what I needed this time around and all of the products seen above will last me close to four months. I consider this a blessing because it will keep me away from all of the temptations of winter clearance! 😀

My skin care routine is a fairly simple one that includes a scrub, cleanser, micellar water, serum, eye cream, and moisturizer. I use most of these products twice daily and it is easy to see why I would go to TJs in shorter intervals because some of the items can get used up rather quickly. I am used to finishing a product like a serum or moisturizer every month but I had a revelation while writing my November 2022 Finishes post: Sometimes, bigger is better. This past month, I finished up a gigantic tub of moisturizer that lasted me close to a month and a half. It really blew my mind and I thought that I would incorporate my discovery into this skin care restock, as you can see by the huge bottles of serum! I was disappointed that I couldn’t find any similar sizes of moisturizer to the Pearlessence one that I used and loved but what can ya do?

There are lots of new to me products in my skin care haul that I am excited to try out like the eye cream and Neutrogena cleanser. I actually just used the SpaLife serum with the beads in it and it was pretty good. Yes, I mainly bought it because it looked cool! But I digress. I am most looking forward to trying the Dope Dreams sleeping mask by ELF. I have used a CBD moisturizer before that I wasn’t too impressed with but this mask intrigued me. Keep checking back for a new Face Mask Festivities about it soon!

I am obsessed with skin care all year round but it just hits different in the winter. When I saw my go to products running low, it was off to TJs I went and I think I should be pretty well stocked until spring! 😀

What is your winter skin care routine like? 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

Dec12

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Black Rose Edition

Posted on December 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

^^^ 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

Posted on November 30, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES
Bath & Body Works Pretty As A Peach shower gel: YES
Clean Beauty Deep Hydration serum: MAYBE
Clinique Smart Clinical Repair serum: NO
Clinique Smart moisturizer: NO
Pearlessence Big Sky Cloud Cream: YES!!!!

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

Posted on November 19, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

^^^ 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

Posted on November 9, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

^^^ 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

Posted on October 31, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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

Posted on October 8, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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

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