Tag Archives: review

Feb23

Lil Red’s Book Club: No One Can Know By Kate Alice Marshall Edition

Posted on February 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today we are going to discuss a thriller by Kate Alice Marshall called No One Can Know in a spoiler free setting. It has been a minute since I had the chance to read one of my beloved “LifeTime Movie” books, as Johnny likes to call them lol. Hey, he’s not wrong – the books I tend to like do read exactly like a LifeTime flick! No One Can Know was a recommendation from my big sis as we tend to both read the same things. She gave this book rave reviews, but it wasn’t my fave. Before we begin our review, I will be placing a trigger warning on No One Can Know for murder, child abuse, animal cruelty, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Emma Palmer and her husband, Nathan, are officially down on their luck. Nathan lost his job, meaning they can no longer afford the house they planned on purchasing. They have to vacate their current housing and to top it off, Emma is pregnant. With no family to turn to and no other options available, they end up in Emma’s childhood home which hasn’t been occupied in a long time. The only thing remaining there is the horrible memories that Emma endured throughout her life.

Emma and her two sisters, Juliette and Daphne, lived in a gorgeous mansion with their parents in their youth. They had everything and wanted for nothing. Well, except for normal, loving parents that is. Emma and her siblings were subjected to physical and verbal abuse from their mom and dad. Juliette, as the eldest, did what she could to appease her parents to avoid their beatings. Daphne, the baby, was her father’s favorite and didn’t get the worst of it. That was all left to the middle child, Emma, who refused to obey the rules. Rather, she laughed at them.

All of the girls had had enough of their parents. But, enough to kill them – who’s to say? One night, when the girls were “sleeping” in their tree house, Irene and Randolph Palmer were shot to death. Although she was never arrested, Emma was the prime candidate for the murders in the name of protecting her siblings. Unsurprisingly, Emma isn’t popular in her original neck of the woods and, although it is expected, it is a harsh reality to return to after all of these years with her husband.

As Nathan and Emma set up their new digs, they are treated to vandalism and a near obsession with the cop who tried to arrest Emma as a teenager. Instead of constantly running from her past, Emma decides to face it head on to try and find out what really happened the night of her parents’ murder. Her sisters have to know something but, then again, Emma wouldn’t know because they have been estranged for fourteen years. Until now. If Emma didn’t kill her parents and she believes her sisters didn’t either, then there is still a killer at large. Can Emma, Daphne, and Juliette solve the case? Or will Emma finally be behind bars for her parents’ murder? Read No One Can Know to find out!

Based on the synopsis, No One Can Know sounds exactly like a book that I would like. I thought it was well written and the ending was pretty good even though I figured it out almost immediately. My major qualm with this book was the characters because they were, truly, nothing to sneeze at. To me, a book just isn’t great if I can’t get behind the main character and that’s how I felt about Emma. During the entirety of reading this book, I wanted Emma to get that bite back that she had in her youth. Rather, she was vague, distant, and read as weak. There was nothing exciting about her and nothing particularly likeable about her either.

I think I would have liked this book more if any of the characters had any redeeming characteristics, but that wasn’t the case. Juliette came off as insanely arrogant and sneaky and Daphne was just all together off putting. And, don’t even get me started on Nathan because he actively sucked. Perhaps the only person likeable was Gabriel, Emma’s old high school crush, but he was so rarely in the book that it didn’t even matter. With this combination of one of the worst casts in a book I have read recently, it certainly dragged on and I was SO ready for it to be over.

I am going to rate No One Can Know with a three out of ten stars. I thought it to be lackluster, at best, and wouldn’t recommend it. Whomp, whomp.

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb4

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Woman In Me By Britney Spears Edition

Posted on February 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Woman In Me By Britney Spears Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! After attempting to read the most boring book of all time, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into the much anticipated memoir by Britney Spears called The Woman In Me. My sister and I are diehard Britney fans and have been since our youth. She is and always will be the Princess of Pop and the news of the abuse she suffered under her conservatorship simply devastated us. Being able to read Britney’s story in her own words after she was silenced for so long was a gift and this book was truly unputdownable. Before we begin our spoiler free review, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Woman In Me for physical, mental, and emotional abuse and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

The Woman In Me chronicles Britney Spears’ life from her youth to the end of her conservatorship. Growing up, Britney lived with her parents and older brother (Jamie Lynn wouldn’t be born until years later). They were extremely poor and Britney’s mom and dad had a tumultuous relationship. Her father, Jamie, was an alcoholic who would disappear for days on end. Her mother, Lynne, shared a love for the drink as well and was extremely vocal in her displeasure towards Jamie. Britney can recall being kept up at night listening to her mother scream, padding into the living room, and begging them both to be quiet and go to bed.

Despite the sadness of growing up in a family so broken, Britney found joy in singing and entertaining her family and neighborhood friends. Everyone knew she was someone special and Britney was determined to make her dream to be a singer and dancer come true. Britney’s mom signed her up for dancing and acting classes and began signing her up for talent shows that her daughter shined in. She soon had an agent and auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club. She was rejected for being too young and ended up working in New York City as an understudy for a Broadway show.

After a year or so, Britney auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club again and earned the part. She spent long hours in rehearsal and enjoyed her time with her follow cast. Especially her soon to be love, Justin Timberlake. After the Mickey Mouse Club ended, Britney and her parents decided that she should pursue a career as a solo artist. She began working on her single “…Baby One More Time”, which would elevate her into pop stardom.

After the raging success of her first song, Britney became a household name and was on cloud nine. Tours, awards, having fun, and living her dream. She began dating Justin and believed in her heart of hearts that she found love. Unfortunately, her and Justin didn’t stay together for forever like she imagined. He ended up breaking up with her and she was left in pure shock from the betrayal of the man she wanted to marry. While Justin lived his best life, she described herself as “comatose” in her family home in Louisiana.

The breakup left Britney in a bad place and began her public downward spiral. She had one unsuccessful relationship after the next and was consistently hounded by the paparazzi. Her light during this time was finding Kevin Federline, marrying him, and having her two beloved sons. Things were great with Kevin for a while, until they weren’t. He would deny her access to her children and they filed for divorce. During this time, Britney was suffering from severe postpartum depression and was breaking down in front of the world.

Her public outbursts led people to believe that she was mentally unstable and incapable of caring for herself. So her dad did what any father would do and placed her under a conservatorship. In this arrangement, he had complete control of not only her finances but her entire life. When Jamie said jump, she had to ask how high. She was worked to the bone, denied the food she wanted to eat, and could barely see her children. Britney was subjected to unwanted treatment in rehab facilities that led her to be put on lithium. All the while, the lawyer who she was appointed to was less than helpful and she was never made aware that she could request her own counsel.

After the rehab stint that put Britney on lithium, she was done. She was hurt, angry, and completely traumatized and realized that she had enough. Britney also found that she had the strength to change things and was uplifted by the #FreeBritney movement. She fought tirelessly to come out from under her father’s thumb after thirteen years of living as a prisoner and won. After living for other people for so long, Britney is now learning to live for herself, have fun, and be her own woman.

Reading The Woman In Me was a heart wrenching experience. I was well aware of everything that was touched on in her memoir, but it is so different when you’re reading it and it’s coming directly from her. The book was honestly like reading something that was written by a high school student and that made me sad. It really was a direct reflection of how stunted she was in her life and made it hard to remember that she’s a woman in her forties. While this book was upsetting to read in that sense, it was also extremely endearing and her words and humor still made me smile.

What amazed me in this book was Britney’s strength. It was something that she didn’t believe that she had, but it’s so apparent on every page that she has always been a warrior. Even on her darkest days, she still found something to hope for and dream about. It was empowering when Britney chose to fight rather than continue to be victimized by her father. She has always been someone special to me and even though The Woman In Me made me an emotional wreck, it made me proud most of all. My biggest hope for her is to find her happiness and I know that she will be able to achieve it. ❤

I am going to rate The Woman In me with the coveted ten out of ten stars. Britney’s memoir was worth the hype and so much more. I cannot recommend it enough and it is a must read if you are a forever fan of the Princess of Pop!

What is your favorite celebrity memoir? What is your favorite Britney Spears song? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan27

Lil Red’s Book Club: Ghost Story By Peter Straub (Partial Review) Edition

Posted on January 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Ghost Story By Peter Straub (Partial Review) Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! It has been a fat minute since our last review because I was plugging away at the longest, most boring book I have ever read. It is called Ghost Story by Peter Straub and is one of the few books that I have given up on. Normally, I refuse to not finish a book that I have been reading, but I just couldn’t take it anymore lol. This book is the literal worst and I genuinely can’t understand why Stephen King said it was one of his favorites!! In fact, this was the only reason I wanted to read it in the first place smh. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Ghost Story for violence in all forms and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

LONG story very short… In the quaint town of Milburn resides four old men who call themselves the Chowder Society. During their meetings, each member takes turns telling a scary story. The prompt is “what is the worst thing you have ever done?” The response: “I can’t tell you that, but I’ll tell you the scariest thing I experienced.” Or something along those lines, but you get the point. These stories can be entirely made up or based on fact and the goal is to scare the pants off of each other. Little does the Chowder Society know, their ghost stories are going to come to life and wreak havoc on Milburn and it is up to them to stop it.

Now, with this brief synopsis, one would think that this would be a pretty good read. The plot is decent and has the potential to be truly frightening. However, this was just not the case whatsoever. Ghost Story moved along slower than a snails pace. It was a tedious read and time consuming too. I consider myself to be an incredibly fast reader and I could only finish thirty pages per hour. This book is five hundred and eighteen pages and after almost a month of reading it, I threw in the towel at page three hundred and ninety-eight. Like I said, I literally could not take it anymore.

What I consider to be a saving grace in a book is characters that you can really root for and that was something I didn’t experience in Ghost Story. None of the characters were likeable nor had anything special about them to make things more interesting. And the horror for what is considered a horror book? Minimal, at best. I was hoping for more of the supernatural and what I got was a tired retelling of werewolves and vampires to the point that it was almost comical. If you’re interested in werewolves and vampires, you’re honestly better off reading Twilight!

Ghost Story made me break my golden rule of never giving up on a book and I detest it even more for that. But, with one hundred and twenty pages to go, I refused to spend four more hours on it. Ghost Story will receive no stars and unless you’re a masochist, then I do not recommend it.

What is the worst book you have ever read? What is the scariest book you have ever read? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan26

Urgently Awesome

Posted on January 26, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! A few weekends ago, I took a tumble that resulted in some pretty gnarly cuts on two of my fingers. The boo boos were in the most inconvenient spot – right on the crease beneath the pad of the finger. My right hand ring finger was healing pretty well, but the one on my middle finger was a different story. I felt like the wound was barely closing and what’s worse, it felt infected too. By the time I was nearing the end of a course of antibiotics, I was worried that it wasn’t enough so Johnny and I decided to go to the Well Now urgent care clinic down the street from us. This place actually used to be a Family Video lol.

We went to Well Now this past Monday and we were both most impressed with it. We were in and out in less than an hour, which was great. The care was phenomenal and there were also TONS of goodies there too! Check it out:

Before going to the Well Now clinic, I looked up some reviews online to see other people’s opinions. For the most part, it came highly recommended. This was nice, but what stuck out the most to me was that this place had a Slushie machine in the waiting room! Obviously, I just had to see this for myself and by god there was. Lol, I have never seen anything like it before and it was so fantastic to sip on a blue raspberry Slush Puppie as we waited to get called back. It reminded me of when my dad would take me to skating practice because he would always get us a Slushie to share afterwards. Such a lovely burst of nostalgia. 🙂

We were called back to a room less than five minutes after sitting down and the PA who took care of us was the best. He was so nice and funny, which really helped put both me and Johnny at ease. He dressed my finger to help get it to close and wrapped it up in some crazy contraption that made it look like a banana. Trust and believe I couldn’t wait to flip people off with it! The process was quick and pain free and before we knew it, we were ready to walk out the door. Of course, we had to grab some snacks to go on our way out. Another very nice touch, indeed!

Going to the Well Now clinic was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it. Not just for the Slushie machine, but for the excellent level of care too!

What was the best waiting room you have ever been in? Have you ever been to an urgent care before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan25

Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Freddy Krueger Edition

Posted on January 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Freddy Krueger Edition

Hello!! This past weekend was a nice and relaxing one and I decided to take a soak with one of the amazing horror themed bath bombs my bestie got me for Christmas. These bath bombs by Rusted Acre Soap Co. are the literal bomb and I was highly impressed by the knife and Jason Voorhees ones that I used previously. They put on the most amazing show that put them on a Lush level for me and that’s really saying something! Needless to say, I was very excited to use the Freddy Krueger bath bomb but, unfortunately, it missed the mark in a big way. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

One, two Freddy’s coming for youuu

Similarly to the other two bath bombs that I used in this collection, not much happened for the first few minutes of the Freddy Krueger bomb being in the water. It fizzed out white bubbles and didn’t start turning the water red until the bath water was topped with a hazy film. Then, the bath bomb started really going into action with red and yellow bubbles bursting out at a rapid pace. This was pretty par for the course and I was actually willing the process to go faster because I was looking forward to the surprise finish that the previous two bath bombs had.

Nearing the end, the knife bath bomb spurted out inky, glittery black water and it looked SO cool. The Jason Voorhees one, on the other hand, erupted green and red from the eyes and ended up replicating his mask in the water. For the grand finale for Freddy Krueger, I was expecting to see the water bursts create a pattern like his gloves. This was the most logical way for it to go and I couldn’t wait to see it. Sadly, nothing happened once the bath bomb was about to fizz out completely and that was a big disappointment.

I will say that this bath bomb turned the water into a fantastic shade of deep, blood red and that was a nice touch. However, it basically did everything the other bath bombs did without anything unique about it. I’m not sure if this was because these bath bombs are a bit older. They did come shrink wrapped but maybe they needed to be used by a specific date to be at their most effective? We’ll see what the Ghostface and Michael Myers bombs do when I use them to determine if this was a factor or not.

Overall, I am going to rate the Freddy Krueger bath bomb with a four and a half out of ten stars. This was my least favorite one from the pack so far for its lack of excitement. Whomp whomp!!

Who is your favorite slasher villain? What is your favorite color palette for the water to change with a bath bomb? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec31

Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Jason Voorhees Edition

Posted on December 31, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Jason Voorhees Edition

Hello! Unfortunately, my holiday was less than holly jolly because I was sick AF. This was so incredibly disappointing to me because I took a whole week off of work to relax and visit with friends and family. I mean, I guess I did relax because I watched So. Many. Episodes. of My 600 Lb. Life lol. I also very much enjoyed using the bath bombs from my BFF Christmas gift. My darling Kate of Live In The Nautical treated me to the most amazing set of horror themed bath bombs by Rusted Acre Soap Co. They have been such a blast to use and it was so soothing to be able to soak my troubles away. After using the Knife bath bomb, I decided to use the Jason Voorhees one the following day. Check it out:

^^^ Note how the final formation in the second to last picture kind of looks like the Jason mask!!

After the great success of the Knife bath bomb, I couldn’t wait to try more! Johnny and I watched all of the Friday The 13th movies this past Halloween and even though those movies suck, it was still a lot of fun. Nothing about this bath bomb sucked, however, and I was shook from the show this bath bomb put on! While Jason Voorhees is our least favorite slasher star, this is one of my favorite bath bombs I have ever used. As I watched this bath bomb do its thing, I found myself wondering at every surprise just how Rusted Acre Soap Co. created something so freaking cool!

Like the Knife bath bomb, the Jason one really didn’t start doing anything noteworthy until a few minutes in. It took well over five minutes (maybe eight?) for this bath bomb to fizz out entirely and this is both a blessing and a curse. While it does look awesome, it isn’t ideal for my situation because we do not have a lot of hot water at our apartment. By the time the bath bomb was done, the water was less than steamy, but I digress. Like any good slasher, the climax had a slow build up and the end result was phenomenal.

Out of nowhere, streams of blood red and forest green water began to shoot out of the eyes of the mask. It went this way and that throughout the tub and began changing the water to the inky red that the Knife bath bomb produced. This went on for a fair bit of time and I was honestly mentally willing it to go faster so the water would still be hot. Then, I noticed what the bath bomb was actually doing. It was replicating the Jason mask in the water! It took a good while for this to happen, but what a thrill when I realized it!!

I am going to rate the Jason Voorhees bath bomb with an eight out of ten stars. Yes, it took a minute to get to the grand reveal. BUT, this bath bomb accomplished something I didn’t even know was possible and it was fabulous. I can’t wait to see what the remaining three slasher stars in my gift set does!

Who is your favorite slasher star? What is the best bath bomb you have ever used? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec30

Face Mask Festivities: GlamUp Nourishing Acaiberry Sheet Mask Edition

Posted on December 30, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: GlamUp Nourishing Acaiberry Sheet Mask Edition

Howdy!! After I enjoyed a super hot bath with the amazing bath bomb you saw yesterday by Rusted Acre Soap Co, I decided to go all out and do a face mask too. After being stuffed up and sick for several days, I was very much in the mood for some pampering! Even though the relief of something so pleasurable was short lived, it was nice to be able to take my mind off of the foul mood I was in for just a little bit. It sucks being sick over the holidays! For the face mask portion of my self care, I went with a Nourishing Acaiberry Sheet Mask by GlamUp. I figured my face could use all of the nourishing it could get after blowing my nose every minute of the past few days lol. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

^^^ I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!

I am not a huge fan of sheet masks and find them to be a bit of a chore. They never fit well and I like the convenience of continuing to go about my business while a clay face mask sits. In this case, I had no issues with having to lay down to let this sheet mask do its thing because it’s not like I was doing anything but laying in my own misery anyway. This sheet mask by GlamUp fit a lot better than other ones that I have tried, smelled delightful, and was loaded with serum to get the job done. Dare I say, too much because it was dripping everywhere!

I let this mask sit for twenty minutes and at that point it had began to dry and I was over scrolling through Facebook to see all of the Christmas fun I couldn’t participate in. I can’t say that I noticed any real difference in the way my skin looked or felt, which is pretty much par for the course of every other sheet mask I’ve used. This wasn’t surprising to me so it wasn’t disappointing. The act of having the face mask on was the most pleasing thing to me because it felt good on my feverish brow and it felt like I was taking care of myself even if it was in a simple way. I wouldn’t buy more from this brand, but the experience was soothing and you can’t ask for much more when you’re sick.

I am going to rate the GlamUp Nourishing Acaiberry Sheet Mask with a two out of ten stars. If it didn’t bring me some type of relief, I would have given it a zero lol. I still have several more GlamUp masks to use and I don’t expect any of them to be any better, but we’ll see what happens!

Do you prefer a clay or sheet mask? What is your favorite form of self care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec29

Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Knife Edition

Posted on December 29, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Knife Edition

Hello everyone!!! I hope you all had a merrier Christmas than me because I have been sick as a dog. Thankfully, I have tested negative for Covid several times, but your girl has been feeling ROUGH. This has been most upsetting because I literally never take time off and took an entire week off for the holidays only to get sick. One thing that made me feel better in a sea of yuck was some pampering thanks to my Christmas gift from my sweet blogging bestie. Kate of Live In The Nautical treated me to an absolutely amazing set of horror bath bombs by Rusted Acre Soap Co. and I am in loooove. It was so nice to soak away my troubles for a bit and I was blown away by the show that my Knife bath bomb put on. Check it out:

It is hard to find a true substitute to Lush bath bombs, but I think that they have met their match with Rusted Acre Soap Co. This is, easily, the best not Lush bath bomb that I have ever used and it makes me so eager to try out the other four in the set I got. The Knife bath bomb was a slow fizzing one with thrilling surprises during every stage. What started off at a leisurely pace ended with a massive bang (As you can see from how the water was colored!) and I almost wanted to draw another bath to see what the other bath bombs were going to do!

When I placed the bath bomb in the water, it began to fizz white and smoky grey with the tiniest flecks of red. This process lasted for about two minutes and I assumed that was going to be all. I was so happy to be so completely wrong!! Just when I thought that this bath bomb showed me all it had to offer, the knife erupted in red and began to change the color of the water. After over a minute’s worth of red, the bath bomb changed to black, creating inky, glittery blood red water. It was like watching the climax of a horror movie all from my own bathtub. 😮

This was arguably the coolest bath bomb I have ever used and it smelled great too. Even while severely stuffed up, I could still smell the tangy lemon in the air which was both soothing and invigorating. I only had two qualms with this bath bomb and they are minor. 1) It stained my tub horribly. 2) It wasn’t as moisturizing as a Lush bath bomb, which is my favorite thing about them. Regardless, what a unique experience and I can’t wait to use more!

I am going to rate the Knife bath bomb with a seven and a half out of ten stars. If you are a horror fan, then I cannot recommend the Thriller Bath Bomb Set by Rusted Acre Soap Co. enough. You will love them!

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

Dec28

December 2023 Finishes

Posted on December 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Helloooo everyone and welcome to the very last beauty finishes post of 2023! Skin care and bath and body care is very important to me all year round. However, there’s just something about using go to products that hits different during the wintertime. For a majority of the time since November, I have been in a perpetual state of freezing my nads off and it makes my morning and nighttime beauty routines feel even more pampering and luxurious. I finished lots of products this past month so let’s take a look and discuss further:

Would I Use Again?

Lubriderm Lotion: YES (but only for new tattoos)

Coconut + Niacinamide Skin Recovery Face Wash by My Beauty Spot: NO

Bath & Body Works Mango Mandarin Body Spray: YES

Bath & Body Works Among The Clouds Body Wash: MAYBE

Pearlessence Dewy Glow Serum: YES

Azure Retinol & Collagen Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

Lubriderm Lotion: This month, I was completely out of lotion aside from my bottle of Lubriderm that I use when I get new tattoos. I have never used this brand for normal bath and body care before and, I’ve got to say, I was not impressed. I am all for a nice, light lotion and prefer it. However, the Lubriderm is so light that it was less than helpful in combating my dry winter skin. I will forever use Lubriderm when I get some fresh ink (Coming soon, I hope!), but that is all. Thank goodness I got lots of new lotion for Christmas! 😀

My Beauty Spot Face Wash: I have been using this face wash since the beginning of August, making it a fantastic value. Unfortunately, that was the only thing that the Coconut + Niacinamide face wash by My Beauty Spot had going for it. The coconut scent was pleasing, but I never got the feeling that this face wash was serving a purpose other than cleansing my face. There were no noticeable differences and my skin didn’t feel any different, either – not even from a hydration perspective. I like all of the products that I use to pack multiple punches and this was just not it.

B&BW Shower Gel: I am a huge fan of Bath & Body Works products and Among The Clouds only received a “maybe” for reuse because of its scent. This was not my favorite by a long shot and I think I wasn’t feeling it because I had just used up a B&BW shower gel called Poppy and I LOVED it. While Poppy was bright and invigorating with notes of pear, Among The Clouds was more soft and subdued. This shower gel was a mix of vanilla and berry and it was nowhere near as well liked as Poppy for both me and Johnny! Having said that, the B&BW shower gels are the best and it took over a month of daily use to finish the bottle.

Azure Moisturizer: I will be turning the big 3-0 in June and decided that now was as good of a time as ever to introduce retinol and collagen products into my routine. The Azure moisturizer was the first one that I sampled and it did nothing for me. In a sense, I liked that this moisturizer wasn’t as extreme as other products and I could dip my toes in the water with it. But, not being as extreme meant not as effective and there was no difference in the way my skin looked or felt after over a month of twice daily use. I would definitely not buy or recommend this product!

This wasn’t my most successful month of beauty empties, but I’m honestly so fine with it! I was happy to be able to use all of these products up – especially the ones that I have been working on for a while. Now, I can enjoy all of the goodies I got for Christmas. Be on the lookout for posts about that soon!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above 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

Dec26

Lil Red’s Book Club: Foe By Iain Reid Edition

Posted on December 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Foe By Iain Reid Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a creepy Sci-Fi book called Foe by Iain Reid. It took me a minute to get into Foe, but once I was in, I was one hundred million percent in. This is one of the most unique books that I have ever read and it was thrilling because I have literally never read anything like it before. There wasn’t anything particularly triggering about Foe, so let’s dive right into the synopsis:

Junior and Hen live on a farm in the not so distant future. Their property is one of the few that hasn’t been taken over by the government and they are completely isolated in a rural setting. Every day for Junior and Hen is just like the day before. They do chores around the home, go to work, eat dinner, and do it all again tomorrow. Then, one day, things change thanks to a visit from an uninvited guest. His name is Terrance and he is a representative of OuterMore.

OuterMore is a high tech branch of the government that focuses on outer space – specifically living there and they are getting close to their goal. So close, in fact, that they are now using a lottery to select people to participate in the Installation. Junior’s name has been chosen, Hen’s hasn’t. During his visit, Terrance assures Junior that nothing is happening just yet and leaves. Over two years goes by until Terrance shows up at their door and let’s the couple know that the Installation is a go. The last thing Junior wants is to participate in this project, but he is left without a choice.

There is much to do to prepare for the Installation and Terrance turns their attic into a space to conduct interviews and takes up the guest room as his own. He wants to observe Junior and Hen’s lives fully because OuterMore has a trick up their sleeves. To help Hen cope with her husband being away for years, they are giving her a replacement. Think of it like a living hologram. He will look and behave exactly like Junior and both Hen and her husband will not be able to tell the difference between the real person and the replacement.

Once again, Junior and Hen are left with no choice but to go along with it. For an entire week, Terrance interviews the couple together and separately. He goes to Junior’s job at a grain mill and does the work for him. In this observation period, Terrance learns the ins and outs of Junior and Hen’s lives to create the perfect replacement while Junior is in space. As the week progresses, Junior grows more and more suspicious of Terrance and is convinced he is lying about the entire thing. But is he really? Read Foe to find out!

Reading Foe was my very first time exploring the world of Sci-Fi. I can’t say that I am interested in this genre, however, the combination of otherworldly technology with the creep factor of a horror book was stunning to read. Iain Reid crafted a delicate dance between the two genres and when they fully collided with the grand reveal, I was simply shook. As you all know, I pride myself on being able to sleuth out a grand reveal before it happens. This time around, though, I was dead wrong and I’m glad for it. The reveal was so shocking, yet so simple and it was absolutely divine.

There are only three characters in Foe (minus a few randoms) and, honestly, none of them are particularly likeable. Junior is fully content in his life, is fine with being an average person, and is slightly needy towards his wife. Hen, on the other hand, is cold and distant. She childishly expects Junior to know what is wrong at all times, but won’t tell him anything and they will go for weeks without talking. All the while, Terrance’s eerie presence lingers around them whether he is in the home or not. His arrival pries apart Junior and Hen’s already broken relationship and the tension created could be cut with a knife.

Despite the characters not being my favorite, I don’t even care. Iain Reid wrote Foe so beautifully that I found myself rooting for Junior and Hen anyways. Throughout the book, I was constantly hoping that their relationship would improve. With every turn of the page, I was willing Terrance to show up again and tell them that Junior’s lottery selection was a mistake. Reid was able to get your hopes up like this, knock it down, and keep you coming back for more. My only regret is that this book wasn’t longer because I couldn’t get enough.

I am going to award Foe with the coveted twenty out of ten star rating. You will never read something that is like this book and, if you do, it won’t be nearly as well done as what Iain Red created. Foe was a masterpiece and is an absolute must read!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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