Tag Archives: review

Jun2

IZME Rosehip Lip Sleeping Mask Review

Posted on June 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! I am most fond of lip masks and it has become part of my nightly skin care routine to use one. Do I feel like they’re the most effective product in the world? Not necessarily. Do I enjoy the extra pampering ritual? Yes, indeed!! After finally finishing up my lip mask from Trader Joe’s, I was on the market for a new one. I decided to go with a Rosehip Lip Sleeping Mask by IZME during my last skin care haul at TJMaxx and have been using it since I brought it home. It’s not the best, but not the worst lol. Let’s discuss further:

I will be the first to say that TJMaxx was utterly lacking in their lip mask selection. The IZME one that I purchased was the only brand available that was non animal tested. Had that not been the case, I would have picked out something different, but I took what I could get. The IZME lip mask promised nothing else but smoother lips, which is a pretty lackluster pitch. However, it was only four dollars and I needed a new one so into the cart it went.

While using this lip mask, I liked the subtle rose scent and its texture. It felt light and silky like a lip balm, which was nice. Some lip masks can be really thick in its consistency and I hate products that make my skin feel weighed down. Despite these good first impressions, I would definitely call this mask a glorified lip balm lol. Although my lips did feel smooth with every use, it was a short lived sensation and they didn’t feel nourished. In fact, I prefer my daily use lip balm to the mask and find it to be infinitely more effective. Yes, this mask did deliver on what it said for smooth lips but it was missing that extra something that would make me want to buy it again.

I will, of course, be using this lip mask until it’s done because I refuse to not finish a product. Maybe I will like it more as time goes by. Probs not, though, lol and I think this lip mask is one you can all skip on!

What is your favorite lip mask? What do you use for lip products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May28

May 2024 Finishes

Posted on May 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo darlings! We are nearing the end of May and that means that it is time to discuss my beauty empties for the month. It also means three more things: Johnny’s birthday, our wedding anniversary, and my birthday are fast approaching. AKA our birthaversary! Needless to say, it is a banner time to be me and Johnny – even if I am turning the Dirty Thirty lol sigh. Aging is a part of life and yada, yada, yada but here’s to hoping that products like these will help me maintain my youthful glow! Check it out:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Poppy Body Cream: YES

Trader Joe’s Berry Lip Mask: MAYBE

GlobalBeautyCare Retinol & Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

We already know I love me my micellar water and B&BW body cream so let’s move on to…

Trader Joe’s Lip Mask: In my perfect world, there would be a Trader Joe’s right down the street from me. Unfortunately, that is not the case and the closest one is about forty minutes from chez nous. While I simply refuse to make the drive, my parents will go there from time to time and picked the Berry Lip Mask out for me as a little Valentine’s Day treat. It took me over three months of nightly use to finish the jar and I enjoyed using it. However, I was ready for it to be over if that makes sense? Although I liked how smooth this mask made my lips, it didn’t do much else. If my parents were to get it for me again, I would use it happily. I definitely wouldn’t go forty minutes out of my way to get it myself, though!

GlobalBeautyCare Moisturizer: If you read my recent review for this Retinol and Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer, you will know that I freaking loved it. If you didn’t read my recent review: I freaking loved this moisturizer lol. This was, hands down, the best and most effective moisturizer that I have used in a long time. I noticed a significant difference in the fine lines that I have some concern about and it was amazing to get those results in one month of twice daily use. I also liked how gentle this moisturizer was even though it had retinol because it has caused irritation to my skin in the past. I was disappointed that TJMaxx didn’t have any more GlobalBeautyCare during my last haul (See yesterday’s post), but I will absolutely buy it if I see it again.

And, with that, my May Finishes are complete. I can’t wait to start using products from my last skin care haul and am keeping my fingers crossed that it will contain another diamond in the rough like the GlobalBeautyCare moisturizer!

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

May23

iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Problems

Posted on May 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! It has been a few weeks since we have had a new OOTD and I am sure you’re all wondering why. I recently upgraded from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max for work. My old phone is currently at storage capacity so I have been using my new phone to shoot content as it was intended. Unfortunately, I am having some major issues with the camera – I kid you not that my pictures look infinitely better on my iPhone 12 than on the brand new one. I have noticed a lot of people online complaining about similar issues so I thought I would put my two cents in too!

iPhone 12

iPhone 15 Pro Max

What I liked the most about my old phone is that no matter the lighting or the setting, the pictures I took on them always turned out crisp and clear. While I have shot a few cool pictures and the awesome pics of Constellations at their first show (See yesterday’s post), I have been overall very unimpressed with the quality of everything else. I notice that all of the pictures seem kind of blurry, grainy, and the colors appear muddled. It is such a 180 from what I am used to and it has been most frustrating trying to figure it out.

I have combed through different “help” pages looking for solutions to this problem. I have done every single thing suggested and nothing has worked. Johnny and I have shot from all angles and all lighting for just regular old pictures and they still look busted. My next step, of course, will be calling for support to see if this can be fixed or if I will need a new phone altogether. I wanted to write this post to say that you are not losing your mind if you just can’t seem to take a good picture on this phone. I pride myself on taking “good” pictures and I haven’t had a single one taken on the new phone that’s usable. I am not sure what Apple was thinking because this is most definitely a downgrade and this phone was advertised specifically for its camera. SMH!

Trust and believe that I have been attempting to shoot outfits – you just aren’t seeing them right now lol. I can’t wait to get this issue sorted out so I can go back to one of my favorite segments on lifewithlilred!

Do you have any troubleshooting tips for me? What do you think about the iPhone 15 Pro Max? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May22

Constellations Show

Posted on May 22, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Johnny and I had an incredibly busy weekend, but it was such a fun one. On Friday, our sweet niece had her preschool graduation. Saturday was the first show for Constellations, a metalcore band that I do social media management for. And on Sunday we celebrated my brother’s birthday. The show on Saturday was an absolute blast and I have been looking forward to it for a long time. This was the first time I got to meet all of the band members in person. The guys and gal of the Constellations crew were all exactly how I imagined them to be – a total delight. Not to mention they tore their first set up!

Constellations had their first show at Mahall’s, which is about forty-five minutes away from us in Lakewood. Mahall’s was such a cool venue that featured the concert space, a bar and restaurant, and a vintage bowling alley on the lower level. Before the show, Johnny and I enjoyed drinks at the bar, taking pictures, and mingling with the band and other concertgoers. Everyone was decked out in their emo/goth/metal best and we loved to see it! Constellations was the first opener for Until I Wake and that was great because Johnny and I can’t hang like we used to lol. They took the stage around six fifteen and…

It was INCREDIBLE!!! Right from the jump with their first single, RIP, they were completely in their bag. Between the music, their stage presence, and the vibey deep red and indigo lighting, Johnny and I were blown away. It was so very cool to finally see what the band is capable of and the joy that was radiating off of them when they were doing their thing. The guitarists, Chandler and Heather, went into the crowd with their instruments and the audience just went nuts. Max on bass gave the band a thumping heartbeat. Mike on drums was so effortless in his performance and our vocalist and screamer, Tre, led the show like a seasoned pro. Needless to say, I was beyond proud!

To Johnny’s delight, we helped the band load up their van after the performance (He missed it!) and got to hang out before it was time to make our way home. We sang Constellations praises the whole way back and can’t wait for the next show!

Who is your favorite local band? What is your favorite music venue? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May21

GlobalBeautyCare Retinol & Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer Review

Posted on May 21, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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GlobalBeautyCare Retinol & Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer Review

Hello!! On June 7th, I am turning the dirty thirty. I definitely don’t feel my age, but I was born in 1994 so you can’t argue with that. I take that back – sometimes I feel my age. I feel like I’m at the point where I injure myself from sleeping weird and have to grunt every time I hoist myself up from the couch! One other thing that I clocked, which is perhaps the worst of all, is the start of some fine lines on my face. We are our own worst critic so what is a glaring issue to me is more than likely unnoticeable to most. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to fix it, though! Which brings us to this moisturizer review:

Normally when I shop skin care at TJMaxx, I go for anything with Vitamin C or hyaluronic acid. They have both been staples in my beauty routine for years and really agree with my skin. However, the needs of your skin change and I began experimenting with products that have retinol in recent skin care hauls. I can’t say that I was overly impressed with any of the moisturizers I sampled and was okay with that. The world of retinol is a totally new ballgame for me. Then, the retinol and hyaluronic acid moisturizer by GlobalBeautyCare scored a home run in the clutch.

My past experiences with retinol moisturizers was either underwhelming or far too potent for what my skin needed. The GlobalBeautyCare moisturizer was the true definition of “just right”. I used this product twice daily for a month and never felt any discomfort. It felt like using a regular old moisturizer. This wasn’t just a regular old moisturizer, though! I can, without a doubt, say that I noticed visible results from using it. Results so good that I consider this moisturizer to be Botox in a jar. The area that I was particularly concerned about was the fine lines around my mouth. By the time the jar was empty, I could tell that my skin looked plumper and the lines seemed to smooth themselves out. I was amazed by this because it’s not every day that you find a product that is that effective. I was so sad when I finished this moisturizer and am keeping my fingers crossed that I can find it at TJs again!

12/10 highly recommend the retinol and hyaluronic acid moisturizer by GlobalBeautyCare – especially if you are in my age range. This is a perfect introduction to retinol products and your skin will thank you!

How old are you turning this year? Do you feel your age? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

April 2024 Finishes

Posted on April 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!!! I don’t know how it happened, but April is almost over and it went by at dizzying speed. This month was a combination of crazy busy with a handful of crazy relaxing days and I am hoping that things slow down in May. Primarily because I don’t want to turn thirty in June lol!! Since we’re wrapping up the month, it’s time to take a look at the beauty products that I finished up. It was basically duds on duds on duds so let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Thayers Witch Hazel: NO

Bath & Body Works Poppy Lotion: YES

Provence Beauty Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum: NO

Honest Calm & Heal Melting Balm: NO

Why/Why Not?

Thayers Witch Hazel: Way back in January, I had a huge skin care haul at TJMaxx thanks to my holiday gift cards. I got anything and everything, but the one thing missing was my beloved Evoluderm micellar water. As there was not a bottle in sight, I had to scrounge for more toners to use and ended up with a bottle of Thayers witch hazel. It took me about one month of daily use to finish the bottle as a toner and it was perfectly average. Definitely not worth writing home about or buying again!

Provence Beauty Serum: I was most excited to try out this serum, mainly because I thought the bottle was pretty lol. Unfortunately, the Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 missed the mark big time. Oddly enough, I am using a different serum by the same brand and am loving the results! The finished serum was just okay. It took me one month of twice daily use to finish the bottle. In that time, I noticed no positive differences to my skin’s appearance or texture. This was weird because a hyaluronic acid formula tends to really agree with me. Apparently not this one, SMH.

Honest Balm: This is the second time that I have used the Honest Calm & Heal Melting Balm. Originally, I was pretty impressed with this product and was looking forward to trying it again. This time around, the balm did nothing for me. In fact, the thick formula was almost too much and it felt like it was suffocating my skin. I still think this balm would be excellent for people with extremely dry skin. However, if you have a normal or mildly dry skin tone, I would stick with a more moderate moisturizer. I’m glad I got to reuse this product so I can officially add it to my “won’t use again” list.

Even though my April Empties were lacking in success, I was happy to finish them up. After all of these misses, I am loving the current products I’m using. I think the May Finishes will be much better!

Apr4

Fetch Review

Posted on April 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Way back to last October, I went out to dinner with my bestie at our favorite Mexican restaurant. As we were paying our bill, I noticed she was snapping a picture of her receipt and learned that it was for an app called Fetch. She explained that all you had to do was take pictures of your receipts and you would earn points towards gift cards. So, I signed up, we both got points for her referral, and I was ready to take the Fetch app by storm!

When I first started using the app, I thought it was great! It was exciting to see the points climb with each receipt scanned and you would get a bonus scanning one receipt per day. With your receipt, you could spin a wheel for additional points and that really helped speed up the process. Another thing that made a difference in my point count was occasionally scanning receipts that I unknowingly purchased “featured deals” with. This would normally happen during big grocery shopping trips – one time I got twelve hundred points from one receipt. 😀

Despite constantly increasing my points with almost daily receipts and “spin to win” bonus points, it still felt like I had a long way to go. A ten dollar Amazon gift card alone costed twelve thousand five hundred points! Then, Fetch eliminated the bonus points and my account began moving at a snail’s pace. It took me from the beginning of October to the end of March to get my ten dollar Amazon gift card and it felt like a drop in the bucket for using the app almost daily for over a half a year.

As I have continued using the app, I find myself wondering why I even bother and am probably going to delete it soon. These receipt scan apps are, honestly, more trouble than they’re even worth. If you are consistently referring friends and shopping deals on Fetch, I’m sure it can be a somewhat lucrative tool. However, if you’re like me who has no friends and never shops any of the deals, you are in for a slow going process. Am I happy to have an extra ten bucks on Amazon? Sure. Was it worth saving and scanning receipts for such a long period of time? Meh… Not really.

If you are thinking the receipt scan apps will have you cashing out immediately, it is not like that whatsoever. They sound awesome until you realize how much effort goes into getting one gift card!

Have you used any receipt scanning apps before? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr3

Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Green Tea Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on April 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Green Tea Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello everyone and I hope all of you enjoyed a lovely holiday weekend! I sure did. 🙂 Johnny and I both had Monday off and spent our long weekend doing a whole lot of nothing. We binged on all of our favorite shows, revisited a beloved video game called Unraveled, and tried out a new one called Little Nightmares. It was a blast and it felt so good to have some much needed R&R with my main squeeze. Between all of the vegging out, I decided to use a face mask by GlamUp and was expecting excellent results. The last one I used was delightful! Sadly, the Refreshing Green Tea sheet mask I tested missed the mark completely – a common theme with this brand SMH. Let’s discuss:

^^^ I’m sexy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only have a handful of GlamUp masks left to use and I chose the Green Tea one because I have tea on the brain lol. Johnny has had the nastiest lingering cold and has spent the past several days with a cup of tea constantly in his hands. He always insists that I smell the tea as it’s steeping and while this sheet mask smelled nice, it definitely wasn’t as good as the real thing! The Green Tea mask did offer a soft, refreshing scent that was reminiscent of green tea leaves and I liked that it wasn’t overpowering. I tend to prefer a lighter scent when it comes to my skin care, especially for something like a mask because I want it to be soothing.

After applying the sheet mask, I let it sit for about twenty-five minutes. Normally, I am done as soon as twenty minutes hit, but this mask was so saturated in serum that it needed additional time. As the mask sat, I felt a slight cooling sensation and that was about it. I was hoping for something with a bit more oomph to it for a full “refreshing” effect and was disappointed from the utter lack of it. Once I took the mask off, I did think my skin felt a bit smoother. However, I felt no lingering effects after it was removed and that was what I liked the most about the previous mask I used. This was a fine but nothing to write home about experience, for sure.

I am going to rate the Refreshing Green Tea Sheet Mask with a four out of ten stars. It wasn’t the worst mask I have ever used, but it was certainly a step below average!

What is your favorite kind of tea? How did you spend your holiday weekend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar30

March 2024 Finishes

Posted on March 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo everyone! Is it just me or did January and February drag major ass and March simply flew by?! We are already wrapping up the month, which means that it’s time to discuss my beauty empties. This past month, I used several new to me products and that is something that I always enjoy! Were they buy again worthy or total duds? Let’s find out!

Would I Use Again?

Hope Soap Grapefruit & Bamboo Body Cream: MAYBE

Clinical Works Cleansing Toner: NO

The Beauty Standard Vitamin C Moisturizer: NO

Bath & Body Works Dry Skin Moisturizer: MAYBE

Provence Beauty Collagen Serum: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Hope Soap Cream: Hope Soap is a local business in my neck of the woods and my darling mother in law gifts me with their products for Christmas. I have used their Body Nectar several times and while they were nice, they didn’t blow me away. The mango butter body cream called The Sauce, however, was much more like it! The Grapefruit & Bamboo scent was zingy and refreshing and it felt so rich and nourishing on my skin. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it again, but it is definitely my favorite Hope Soap product that I have used. It took me about a month to finish the bottle with once daily use.

Clinical Works Toner: During my TJMaxx holiday gift card skin care restock extravaganza (What a mouthful!), I was so disappointed that there was not a single bottle of my beloved Evoluderm micellar water in sight. So, I had to make do with random toners instead like this one by Clinical Works. I finished the bottle with once daily use in a month and I was less than impressed. What I like about the Evoluderm micellar water is that it really does feel like a beauty treatment. The toner by Clinical Works literally just felt like I was rubbing water on my face lol SMH.

The Beauty Standard Moisturizer: Normally when I use a product, I make mental notes in my head of what I liked and didn’t like about it. In the case of the Vitamin C moisturizer by The Beauty Standard, I am drawing a blank! I genuinely can’t remember if I felt any type of way about it so I’m assuming that it was very average. Since it was anything but noteworthy in my head, this is a moisturizer that I wouldn’t buy again!

B&BW Moisturizer: During my winter Semi Annual Sale shopping spree at Bath & Body Works, I was surprised to learn that they had a skin care line. I purchased one of their dry skin moisturizers out of sheer curiosity and it took me a month of twice daily use to finish the jar. During that time, I enjoyed using the moisturizer and loved how soft and smooth my skin felt with each use. It was very hydrating and it just felt nice to use. Would I buy it at full price? Hard no. But, if it is on sale again during the summer Semi Annual, I will be more than happy to buy a few jars of it.

Provence Beauty Serum: I have used several Provence Beauty products in the past because they are almost always available at TJMaxx. For the most part, I have found their skin care to be a bit above average and those are my sentiments for the Collagen Serum too. This serum absorbed nicely into the skin, sat well under makeup, and I did notice a slight difference in the tightness of my skin after a month of twice daily use. Like most of the products we discussed, the jury is out on if I would buy this serum again. However, if it were available at TJs and I needed a serum restock, I would *probably* add it to my cart.

My March empties were, clearly, nothing to write home about but were certainly worth blogging about. You are not missing out on a majority of the above if you bypass them in the store!

Have you tried any new products recently? What did you think about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar28

Condado – Not Impressed!

Posted on March 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Most people hate Mondays, but I absolutely love them. It may be a three AM morning for me, but I always look forward to it. I take a client to work, then I either work from home or go to my online boss’s office. Working with my online boss is just the best and it is so nice to collab face to face on all of our different projects. It’s also awesome to be able to work side by side with someone whose company I enjoy because I am so used to working by myself.

This past Monday, I had an in office day and decided to bring home a treat for me and Johnny: Condado! One recently opened by where I work and I haven’t had it in years. Not since a show Johnny played forever ago in Columbus. I remember it being really good then, but not so much now… Check it out:

For my meal, I did the build your own tacos with a double stacked Sweet Lucy shell (a soft and hard shell with guac and queso), elote queso, and a marg to go. I couldn’t wait to dig in when I got home because I didn’t have time to eat before I left for work. While it was good, it wasn’t that good. The rice was really bland, the queso and guac didn’t have much (if any) flavor, and the chips for dipping were basically cardboard. In fact, I thought the chips from Chipotle were infinitely better! One saving grace was that the to go margaritas were pretty strong and that definitely helped lol.

In my neck of the woods, Barrio reigns supreme in the build your own taco world. Barrio mainly has locations in Ohio, but also has a few scattered across random states too. Despite endless options to add to your taco, I always get the exact same thing every time because it’s just so good every time! Once you have found a combination that you like at a restaurant, it’s hard to try anything different because it simply isn’t the same. I’m happy that I gave Candado another try because it has been on my to do list, but Barrio will be the move from now on. Way better food and prices too!

I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t wishing my order from Condado was Chipotle or Barrio instead. If you already have a favorite build your own taco place like me, Condado is not going to blow your mind so you can save the trip! 🙂

Have you tried any new eateries recently? What was a restaurant you tried that was disappointing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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