Tag Archives: products

Pricing Your Products The Right Way

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Pricing Your Products The Right Way

Much has been said about gaining the trust of your customers. You need to have great branding efforts and your marketing materials should be engaging enough to draw them in. However, building trust goes beyond all of these. You need to show that your brand is genuinely caring – that you will always provide them with products and services whenever they need them. You shall act as a friendly advisor. On top of these promises, you have to be fair. Fairness is among the values that establishes the foundation of customer relationships. One way of exemplifying fairness is through pricing the products the right way.

Many business people, though they are genuinely caring, often make the mistake of putting up a high price tag. Your goal is to earn profit, but that does not mean that you will not be transparent with your dealings. You just don’t give prices without any basis. There are a lot of factors that come into play. Here are some of them:

Gauge the market:

The market shall always be your compass when determining the prices of your product. Just look at your competitors. They may be offering the same products and services, and you have to know how much they are charging. By simply looking at this factor will allow you to play the game with your ear. If you charge too much, your customers will go to your competitors. When your prices are too low, there will be risk of overwhelming demands, which in turn may compromise the quality of your offerings. Find the middle ground and take it from there. You can use various price monitoring tools in this case for guidance.

Consider your costs:

Sometimes, you will need to look at your own resources and production to gauge how much you are going to charge. You need to have a breakeven and even get your ROI. Otherwise, you will experience loss, which is not a good thing. Take into account other factors besides product development and manufacturing and include overheads, such as rent, staff salary, and marketing in your list. If you are having difficulty breaking even due to a struggle with efficiency, software services like PLM can assist with task management and production. Tools like this could be the game changer your business needs to experience meaningful growth.

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Talk to your customers:

Before you release or launch a new product, you have to talk to your customers first. Find out if they are willing to spend their money for the product or service you are releasing. You can conduct a survey or a focus group discussion to make this prospect easy. You can also streamline the process with online services like the Kano Model that can be employed to give you more insight into the customer experience.

Look at the economy:

You will also have to look at what the economy does to various industries. The effects of macroeconomic activities trickle down to businesses. They affect the prices of raw materials and manufacturing services. The price of your products should depend on the costs you incur at a specific economic phase.

The price is right, that should be the guiding principle you follow when deciding on the price tags of your product. When you price the products right, you are showing your commitment to being transparent and building trust. Pricing the products the right way should not be difficult, as there will always be methods and tools that will help you.

Exporting 101: Tips For Small Businesses

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Exporting 101: Tips For Small Businesses

Depending on your line of business and the products you’re selling, there’s a chance that you’ll need to export your products for customers, business partners, or resellers abroad even if you’re still just operating as a small-scale enterprise. Global trade is quite competitive, so when there’s a demand for your product to be shipped to another country, you want to do it right and profit as much as possible. With this in mind, as well as the tips below, you may wish to access site of someone like 3G and invest in shipping software that can help you streamline your processes and enable you to keep tabs on your shipments so that you can be sure they will arrive safely at their destination. 

Here are a few things to remember when exporting your products as a small scale business:

Know the Law and Restrictions:

Before you export your products, you’ll want to know if the product is legal or complies with any regulations and restrictions in the country it’ll be exported to. So, do your research before contacting a logistics company or upping your production to meet the demand in your target country.

Get Partners:

When talking about exporting your products as a small business, you might be thinking about sending your products directly and individually to your clients. However, this can be quite costly in terms of shipping and would take a lot of time and effort to track individually. As such, the best way for you to sell your products abroad is to find partners who are willing to buy and sell the product for you in their country.

This way, you’d be able to send products via air freight or whatever method you choose in bulk, which is cheaper and more convenient for you. Having partners would also mean that you’d be able to sell your products and have you earn more consistently. Your partners may even be willing to process and pay for the shipping for you. But it’s also important that you do your research regarding your partners to know that they’re legitimate and could be trusted to avoid risk.

Packaging:

You may also want to have different packaging for your exported products; perhaps with better packaging or provide a translation of your product’s manual and other information (such as ingredients and nutritional value). It is so important for your product to be accessible to all future customers and translations are a huge part of it. Whether it’s a small recipe book or wine bottles labels with unique logos and phrases, it is a great idea to print them in the most spoken language of each country you ship to. It could make the difference between someone purchasing it or not.

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Decide on the Pricing:

Another thing you’d also want to consider when exporting your products is the pricing. Your pricing would depend on whether you’re selling directly to a customer or a partner, as well as various other factors that make up your transportøkonomi (transport economy). When selling to a business partner, you’d have to consider your bulk pricing and should also include all the costs related to shipping, customs, and logistics, as well as the cost of labor. The price should be agreed upon by you and your business partner in a way that you’re both able to profit while your business partners can still sell it at a competitive and reasonable price in their respective countries.

Exporting products can be expensive, but there are software solutions that can help with cost control, economic freight analysis, and more. These solutions will be tailor made to your company to help ensure best results.

Choose a Good Logistics Company:

You’d be sending valuable products to your partners or customers in another country that’s miles away, so it’s important that you find a company to ship it safely and make sure that it arrives on time to its intended destination without any hitch. As such, you will want to choose a licensed customs broker that would be able to store, handle, and deliver your products on time and also handle all of the necessary legal paperwork and customs clearances. The bottom line, is that you want to ship your products safely, legally, and on time.

Utilizing the best technology can ensure that your products are always ending up in your customer’s hands. Freight Management Software can be a huge assistance in this as it handles the management of shipments, manifests, and customers. It can also include label printing, least cost routing, and real time quotes. A service like this can save you a lot of extra time and money so look into the best fit for your company. A happy customer is one with the product they purchased arriving in a timely, safe manner.

Knowing how to export your product properly can be the key to turning your small business into a huge enterprise. As such, it’s important to keep these pointers in mind when you’re shipping your products abroad.

Lanoline Eye Serum: Do Not Use!

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Lanoline Eye Serum: Do Not Use!

Hellooo everyone! I feel like all of you know by now that when I start using a beauty product, I stick to it and finish it off until the bitter end – even if I’m not crazy about it. But, for this particular eye serum by Lanoline that I have been using, I just had to put my foot down and stop using it. It is the literal WORST and it would behoove all of you to not even consider using it on the delicate skin around your eyes. Smdh.

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I purchased this serum from TJMaxx back in January but didn’t begin using it until mid March or so. I can recall using it for the first time and it stung so badly. However, I was in the midst of seasonal allergies at the time, so I credited that sensation to my itchy eyes. So, I continued using the serum and assumed that my eyes would feel better soon. But, once my allergies subsided, I was still experiencing such dryness after each use with the serum that I would have to take my one a day contacts out and swap them for a new pair.

Although this serum was giving me grief, I tried to continue using it like an idiot. But, once I realized how low I was running on my contacts supply that should last me six months, I gave up that ghost. There was nothing soothing about this serum, despite what its packaging says, and it left my eye area stinging and feeling tight all day.

I am currently using an eye cream by Mokita now and could notice a difference in how my eyes felt after just one use. After this disappointing run with the Lanoline serum, I would never use any of their products again and, at the very least, I would tell all of you to not buy this serum even if it was the last one on earth!

What is a beauty product that you would never recommend? What type of eye serum or cream do you use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

April 2019 Finishes

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April 2019 Finishes

Hi! Another fun filled month has passed by on lifewithlilred with a lot of exciting stuff that has happened – namely my big move into my apartment. I thank all of you for being so supportive and offering me advice and encouragement, it has been so appreciated! I really have the best readers in the world. And, with the end of another month comes our usual empties post, so it’s time to go over the measly amount of beauty products that I finished up in April. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Travel size lotions: MAYBE
  • The Body Shop Nutriganics eye cream: YES

Why/Why Not?

Mini Lotions: In my bath and body care hoard, I have an obscene amount of lotions that have been gifted to me or were freebies including the two above by CeraVe and Eufora. Both of these lotions absorbed quickly without being greasy and, because the CeraVe one was for babies, it was especially gentle which was nice after shaving. I wouldn’t go out of my way to by either of them again but I would use them if given the option.

TBS Eye Cream: We all know that I love me my Nutriganics eye cream and, sadly, it has been discontinued by The Body Shop. I am so upset about this because I’ve been using this cream for what feels like the past decade and the one that I bought from TJMaxx by Lanoline just isn’t cutting it. The Nutriganics eye cream was seriously the best. It was so gentle on the sensitive skin around the eyes but it was effective and sat well under makeup. I wish I could buy a ton in bulk so that I can continue my skin care journey with it, but it looks like that isn’t going to happen. Le sigh. 😦

April was a very underwhelming month for finishes and saying goodbye to an old beauty product companion is never easy. So, here’s to hoping for some fun products to discuss in May that won’t be discontinued in the near future! 😉

Which eye cream do you recommend? What is one of your favorite products that has been discontinued? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Detoxifying Your Lifestyle

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Detoxifying Your Lifestyle

They say we should treat our body like a temple, but many of us are very good at ignoring that advice. In fact, some of us behave more like our bodies are toxic dumping grounds and completely forget that the things we consume actually have a significant effect on our health and well being. Luckily, if we know what is good and bad for our body, we can make much more educated and healthy decisions. A topic you can read more about in the post below:

Liquids:

There are some things that are good to drink and some that aren’t so great for you. Of course, water is essential, as staying hydrated can not only help you be more mentally alert but can help your body function better all the way down to the molecular level! Be careful, though, because you can have too much of a good thing. In fact, if you go over your recommended daily water amount it can actually make you quite ill.

There are some drinks that you should try to stay away from, as well, or at least minimize your consumption of, due to their toxic nature. These include alcohol, sugary soft drinks, and even caffeinated beverages. You don’t have to give them up entirely if you don’t want to, but they all can have a dehydrating effect. Sugar and caffeine can also cause an increase in anxiety, while too much alcohol is not only bad for the liver but can seriously impair your judgment.

Products:

I know you’re expecting the next section to be all about things you should not eat because they are toxic, but before we get to that, we want to talk about the lesser known issue of products that we use that can have an adverse effect on our health. In particular, makeup, perfume, and cosmetics need mentioning here, because they are nearly always applied directly to the skin and so are easily absorbed by the body. What that means, is that if there is anything nasty in them, it will end up in you!

In fact, recently, there has been a move towards more natural and healthy products in the cosmetic and toiletries industry including non toxic perfume and paraben free toiletries. Using beauty products that are better for you has never been easier.

Food:

Finally, when it comes to food, there are plenty of things that can be toxic if you consume them. However, apart from the basic poisonous plants and berries, there are also other things that you need to watch out for. These include sugar which, while we love the taste is beginning to be thought of like a narcotic style substance that can cause many problems when ingested.

It’s also wise to be mindful of the containers you store your foods in, as some can leach out plastic molecules, which we then end up ingesting. This is something that can lead to a toxic buildup in our system and contribute to all sorts of health problems!

Treating your body as a temple includes being mindful of what you’re putting in it, so use the tips above to detoxify your lifestyle today!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Tiny TJMaxx Haul

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Tiny TJMaxx Haul

Helloo!! Whenever I get a gift card to TJMaxx, I always try to stock up on things that I know I’m going to need in the future. So, despite always wanting new shoes, I normally will purchase my skin care essentials like moisturizer, micellar water, and serums. My neighbor who I dogsit for treated me to a leftover TJs gift card of hers to spend while I was watching her pups and I ended up with two new moisturizers that I’m really looking forward to trying. Check it out:

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^^^ First of all, peep the Cosmo and Wanda green and pink a la the Fairly Odd Parents! 😀

While browsing the beauty section, both of these Skin Lab moisturizers spoke to me. And, it was impossible to just choose one, considering they both have a really different formula but they each look equally as beneficial. I also liked how the packaging fully explained what each ingredient in the moisturizer does so that you feel like you’re taking charge of your skin care routine.

When choosing a moisturizer, texture is one of the most important things that I look for in determining if it will work for me or not. With normal skin, anything too heavy is just too much and doesn’t sit well under makeup. While anything too light leaves my skin feeling thirsty for more hydration. Both of these moisturizers have either a whipped or gel texture, which is exactly what I like. The gel one will be perfect during the warm summer days, while the whipped will be great for the spring, as it can still be chilly and windy.

Another added bonus, is that these two moisturizers together cost me about fifteen bucks, which definitely beats buying one for that price at a drugstore. I can’t wait to try both of these Skin Lab products out and all of you will be the first to know if they are worth trying out for yourself! 😀

What is your favorite store to get a gift card at? Do you have a skin care stockpile at home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Fresh Face Tips & Tricks

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Lil Red’s Fresh Face Tips & Tricks

Hiii! Since I posted some no makeup selfies on Facebook and on the blog, I have had a lot of people inquire about my skin care routine. I have to say that I’m flattered, because I do take really good care of my skin and my complexion is something that I’ve always liked about myself. I have never had a pimple in my life, and I thank the stars for that. I always tell people that if I had to deal with acne during the major brunt of my mental health struggles during my teenage years, I honestly don’t know if I would be here today.

That sounds extreme, but it’s the truth. If skin problems was something that I was going through during teenager-hood (Which is completely normal!) on top of everything else, that might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. So, from about freshman year on, I’ve stuck to a very strict skin care regimen and it works! And, now I am going to share some of my tips and tricks with all of you.

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1) Double Wash

I have been double washing my face during my morning showers for years and I think that is one of the main reasons for my clear skin. Depending on what products I have handy, I will use a regular old cleanser and then a scrub or a charcoal facial bar. I’m bad, and I don’t take my makeup off at night, so I know that I need some extra cleansing power to get all of the gunk off from the previous day. And, whether you take your makeup off or not, a double wash is still good to get off any grime or dead skin lingering around that the first wash doesn’t always remove.

If your skin is sensitive, then a second wash can be incorporated every other day or every third day to prevent yourself from drying out. And, make sure the products you’re using are creamy in texture. But, if your skin is normal or problematic, give yourself a daily double wash and see what happens!

2) Skin Care

I don’t have a magic face mask or home remedy, but I do have some skin care products that I couldn’t live without. After I double wash in the shower my skin care routine goes as follows:

Micellar water: I start with wiping my face down with micellar water to act as a toner and get my skin fully ready to make the best use of the next three products I apply.

Serum: A good serum is a must. I always recommend using something with Vitamin C, gold, or anything with the words “rejuvenating” or “revitalizing” in it. All of the previously listed things will help with brightening your skin, giving you a youthful glow. This is when you know your skin care is working right.

Eye cream: I’ve been using eye cream since high school and I swear by The Body Shop’s Nutriganics cream. Wrinkles, crows feet, and dark circles around your eyes can really age you, so it’s crucial to work in an eye cream to your regimen if you don’t have one already. It’s all about youthfulness, after all!

Moisturizer: And, finally, a moisturizer. This will complete your skin care routine by giving you a peaches and cream finish. But, do be sure that you’re not over hydrating your skin, which can lead to oiliness. It’s all about balance. If I’m using a thicker, oil based serum, I stick with a lighter moisturizer. But, if the serum I’m using at the time is thinner, then I go with a heavier moisturizer to make sure I’m still getting hydrated. Also, pay attention to the weather. You might have to go with a heavier moisturizer during the cooler months and something lighter during the summer.

3) Hydrate!

I’m sure everyone tells you this, but water, water everywhere is a must for glowing and clear skin. It helps detoxify your body and it keeps your skin from getting dried out. And, then, people wonder why they are having skin issues if all they do is drink sugary beverages all day. I try to drink at least three to four bottles of water a day. It’s great for your skin and it might help you lose a little weight, too. What could be better?!

4) Makeup Mindfulness

The last thing we will be talking about is makeup mindfulness. Be aware of what you’re using when you’re painting your face and notice the reaction your skin is having. No makeup should be making your skin feel oily or greasy. And, be careful of the amount you use on your face. When you really cake a foundation or powder on, it basically suffocates your skin and makes it very easy for gunk to get trapped in your pores.

This is not to say to walk around with no makeup on every day. And, if applying your makeup heavily is what gives you confidence, then do it up. But, just be on the look out for any changes in your skin. If you start breaking out or if you’re starting to feel oily, it might be your makeup that’s causing the problem.

Will the above tricks work for everyone? Maybe. But, they definitely work for me and I had to give the people what they asked for! So, hopefully they will come in handy for you, too.

What are some of your tips and tricks for clear skin? Will you be implementing any of the suggestions above? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

January 2019 Finishes

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January 2019 Finishes

Hiiii everyone and welcome to our first finishes post of 2019! We are one month into the new year and, since basically anything beats the month that I had in December, I’d say that I’m feeling pretty good! Because I wasn’t well enough to comply with my beloved beauty routines last month, it felt good to fall back into the swing of all of my self care and this brought me lots of empties to chat with you about today. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Suave Almond Verbena body wash: Maybe
  • Bath & Body Works Mango Mandarin body spray: Yes
  • Lubriderm Daily Moisture lotion: Yes
  • Unknown brand Radiance Crystal Cleansing Foam: YES!
  • Garnier Micellar Water: Yes
  • AlpineSilk moisturizer: Yes
  • Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer: YES!

Why/Why Not?

Suave Body Wash: This Almond Verbena body wash by Suave was just okay. It smelled fine, it lathered fine but could be better, and I finished the bottle in one month. I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it again but, if it was cheap and available, I would probably get it.

B&BW Body Spray: I loooove the Mango Mandarin body spray from B&BW and I stock up on it every year during their summer sale. It’s the perfect fragrance for a warm day, but it is also nice to use during the colder months to add some sunshiney pep to your step. Any citrus scent always goes down well with me, especially when it takes me over five months to finish one bottle!

Lubriderm Lotion: I am constantly getting new tattoos and Lubriderm has become a staple in my bath and body care hoard. It feels oh so good on fresh ink and it helps move along the healing process. My tattoo artist recommends applying it to new tattoos once in the morning, afternoon, and night and it takes me about four months to finish one bottle.

Crystal Cleansing Foam: I, sadly, have no idea what brand made the Radiance Crystal Cleansing Foam and I really wish I did, because I LOVED IT. Foam cleansers are my favorite to use, simply because it feels really good and my skin always feels so fresh after using it. This face wash removed my makeup and left my skin feeling so soft and looking really bright. I started using this product in mid October and I finished it at the end of January, so it was an amazing value, to boot!

Garnier Micellar Water: Another product that has become a staple in my beauty routine is the Garnier Micellar Water. I like to use it as a toner and a makeup remover and it always does its job well. And, as per ushe, it took me one month to finish one bottle.

AlpineSilk Moisturizer: I purchased this moisturizer from TJMaxx a while back ago and finished it up in mid January. I liked this product because a little went a long way and you didn’t need to cake it on for your skin to feel hydrated. It took me about a month and a half to finish this moisturizer up and I would definitely use it again if I found it the next time I was at TJ’s.

Clinique Moisturizer: This is my second sample of the Moisture Surge moisturizer by Clinique and I love it just as much the second time around. I can’t even describe the texture of it – it’s a lot lighter than a gel moisturizer, though, so it spreads so easily across your skin and, my god, does it hydrate. After one use, my skin felt so good and supple and it just glowed. I would LOVE to get a full sized jar of this product and am hoping to find it at TJMaxx some day. Fingers crossed!

January was a great month for empties and I loved being able to pamper myself the way I like with all of my favorite products. I missed using all of my bath and body and skin care goodies in December, so it felt so good to indulge in all of the items that have become must haves in my beauty routine. 🙂

Have you used any of the products discussed above? What were your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Beauty Haul

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TJMaxx Beauty Haul

Howdy! Thanks to some generous gift cards to my favorite store, TJMaxx, which I received for Christmas and some extra spending money compliments of their store credit card, I was able to have quite the beauty haul this past weekend. Whenever I have gift cards for TJ’s, I always try and purchase the things that I am going to need with it, like the products that I use in my skin and hair care routine. I made out like a bandit and got all of the following, which means that I won’t have to restock my hoard for a good long while. Check it out:

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The Haul:

  • Alba Botanica Hawaiian facial wash
  • Evoluderm micellar water
  • Global Beauty Care Glowing Metallic face mask
  • The Body Shop Oils Of Life serum x2
  • Lanoline eye serum
  • Rusk heat protecting serum
  • Danielle Laroche day cream

When it comes to all of my skin care products, I like having the next one that I am going to use handy so I don’t have to make any emergency trips to the store because I ran out of moisturizer. My haul was completely free, and I was able to restock everything that I will need for the next handful of months. And, for the Oils Of Life serums, I’ll be set for at least a half a year. 😀

All of the products that I selected seemed to be of great quality, reasonable prices, and Leaping Bunny Certified. I am looking forward to trying out all of these new brands because, aside from The Body Shop, I’ve never used any of the above before. I am the most excited to try out the moisturizer and face mask. Since purchasing my Azure Lux Rose Gold Sparkling Serum from TJ’s a few months ago, I have been obsessed with products with gold in it. So, be on the lookout for a new Face Mask Festivities post coming soon!

Has anyone used any of the products that I purchased in my haul? What were your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

December 2018 Finishes

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December 2018 Finishes

Hellooo everyone and welcome to lifewithlilred’s final beauty finishes post of 2018! Can you believe that tomorrow is Christmas and 2019 will be here in mere days?! What even. This past month didn’t bring me too many empties, as I have been too miserable to use a lot of my products thanks to my surgery. In fact, I just recently started doing my skin care routine again, which is so unlike me, but everything just hurt too badly. Luckily, these finishes were all used up prior to my time in Ouch Land and I enjoyed them both thoroughly. Take a look:

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Would I Use Again?

  • The Body Shop Sun Ripened Raspberry body butter: YES
  • Bath & Body Works Happy Vibes shower gel: YES

Why/Why Not?

Body Butter: Aside from my favorite Cocoa and Peach body butter from The Body Shop, Sun Ripened Raspberry is one of my other number ones. This body butter smells like what I would imagine raspberry Lip Smackers would and it is absolutely to die for. Normally, I hate having the scent of lotion on me but, for once, I can’t get enough of this one! I got six full body uses out of one body butter tub.

Shower Gel: This travel sized shower gel in Happy Vibes was one of my many freebies from Bath & Body Works and I really liked it! Not only did it smell nice and vibrant, which was a great way to start my mornings, but I got over three weeks of use out of one tiny bottle. Talk about an amazing value for completely free!

Although December didn’t bring me lots of beauty empties, I still loved using up the products above – especially my body butter. And, I know that January will bring me tons of finishes considering I’m starting to feel well enough to actually participate in my beauty routine again. 🙂

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