Tag Archives: review

Jul30

Groovy Movies: The Lion King Edition

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Groovy Movies: The Lion King Edition

Hey hey! This has truly been the summer of Disney movies with Aladdin, Toy Story 4, and The Lion King being released in theaters. One of my clients has a particular fondness for Disney movies, so taking her to see the new Lion King was an absolute must. Now, you all know that I am a scary movie girl through and through with some suspense, thriller, and comedy peppered in for good measure. So, of course, I didn’t enjoy this film as much as your average bear. But, it still had its moments so take a look at the trailer and let’s discuss:

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video.

I can’t exactly say that I had a strong Disney childhood, because I honestly barely remember any of the movies. As the baby of the family, my older siblings weren’t interested in watching the classic Disney flicks by the time I was old enough to enjoy and comprehend them. So, although I know the basics about The Lion King, it is definitely not one that I can recall in detail.

I feel like this was an advantage for me to go into this movie not really knowing much about it, because I didn’t have any expectations based on the cartoon. Overall, I can’t say that I loved The Lion King, by any means. But, it was a pleasant enough flick to sit through.

The Lion King really did boast an all star cast including James Earl Jones, Donald Glover, and BEYONCE for crying out loud. And, they were alright. But Seth Rogan as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon took the cake. Rogan and Eichner were freaking hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud in all of their scenes. They had great chemistry with each other, the singing wasn’t bad, and they were the only characters in the live action movie that I could actually envision saying their lines.

And, that, brings me to my main qualms about The Lion King. Rogan and Eichner embodied their characters perfectly and somehow managed to sound like how a warthog and meercat might if they had human voices. But, all of the other characters felt so disjointed from their voices and the songs that they were singing. It almost made it feel like a documentary with Beyonce just happening to do the music for it.

I also was a bit disappointed with how the scenes with Scar and the hyenas played out. From what I do remember of the cartoon Lion King, Scar was a major A-HOLE. Like, he was this sneering, rotten villain who killed his own brother. In the live action version, Scar just appeared bored and the hyenas were really annoying. I didn’t get this sense of looming darkness that I remember Scar having and that made Mufasa’s death be kind of like an “oh” moment, instead of bringing me to tears – which I totally thought it would.

Was this movie worth seeing in theaters? For die hard Disney fans, yes. For anyone else, use your discretion. As your average person going in to this movie expecting nothing, I’ll give it an average rating of six out of ten stars. I think that it was a difficult task to create a live action version of singing animals and this one missed the mark for me.

How did you feel about the new Lion King? Which Disney movie are you hoping they remake next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Heroic Hollywood

Jul27

AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder Review

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AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder Review

Greetings! During my last Sephora haul, one of the two free samples I chose with my order was the AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder. Woo, that is a mouthful! I tested this product out a few days ago and I’m not sure how to feel about it. Of course, it’s always nice to try something new. But, just one tester sample isn’t exactly enough to give you a full idea of how the product works. We’ll get into that further in a sec but, first, take a look at some pics:

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My impression from reading the reviews for the peel on Sephora’s website is that it is viewed as a miracle product by its users. The reviews boasted of how well it exfoliates and that after using it, their skin was perfect. But, I have a hard time seeing how that was possible during my tester run with the powder to foam product.

After adding a few drops of water to the powder seen above, any attempt at “lathering” it onto my skin was in vain because it dried almost instantly. While some reviewers said that the peel tightened their pores, my skin was only left feeling dry and dehydrated. The name of this AmorePacific peel is all very confusing because the reviewers claim that it’s an exfoliater and not a peel. Meanwhile, I didn’t think it was much of anything!

If you have the option to sample this product with your online Sephora purchase, I wouldn’t recommend it. This exfoliater/peel/whatever it is is something that needs to be used several times before you can form an opinion on it and the amount that I was given really wasn’t enough to do anything for me. And, maybe this product is a holy grail one – but, I just wasn’t seeing it.

Has anyone used the AmorePacific peel before? What were your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul25

Lil Red’s Book Club: In A Dark, Dark Wood Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: In A Dark, Dark Wood Edition

Hiii everyone! Today, we are going to be discussing Ruth Ware’s debut novel entitled In A Dark, Dark Wood. Miss Reese Witherspoon actually just bought the rights to this book to be made into a movie so be on the lookout for a Gone Girl-esque, twist and turny murder mystery flick on the horizon. And, *without spoilers* let’s discuss:

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In A Dark, Dark Wood tells the back and forth tale of an adorably British term “hen do” AKA bachelorette party gone horribly wrong. Our story is told from the point of view of Leonora, Lee, Nora, or Leo depending on who she’s talking to and saying she’s not the most reliable narrator is an understatement. Especially considering that she found herself waking up in a hospital after a murder that she can’t quite remember the details to.

The hen do gathering is for Leonora’s high school best friend, Clare, but – the trick is that she hasn’t spoken to her in ten years. So why did she receive an email from Clare’s extremely passionate bridesmaid, Flo, in the first place? Reluctant at best to go, Leonora and another high school friend, Nina, make a pact to go together but leave if they see fit.

Surrounded by strangers at the bachelorette bash in a house made of all glass in the middle of the forest, Leonora finds herself trapped for a long weekend. Tensions build, secrets are spilled, and someone gets shot with a gun that was supposed to be filled with blanks. And, the question now is, whodoneit?

This is actually my second time reading In A Dark, Dark Wood because my mom thought it might be something that I would like. By the time I was about twenty pages in, I had realized that I read it before so that kind of shows you how memorable the book was to me, despite it’s grand reveal at the end.

Was this book entertaining? Quite. Was it just like Every. Other. Gone. Girl. Style. Book.? Abso-freaking-lutely. I won’t say I hated it, because that’s not true. I wouldn’t have reread it if I didn’t. However, it wasn’t the best thing that I’ve ever read and none of the characters were particularly likeable, which made it hard to get really into it.

Overall, I’d give this book a 5.5 out of ten. It was readable and a nice page turner to spend an afternoon with. But, I think you will find the superficial characters over the top and the narrator to be a bit of a bore. Read it, maybe. Or, better yet, just wait for the movie to come out, instead.

Has anyone else read In A Dark, Dark Wood? What were your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul20

Groovy Movies: Crawl Edition

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Groovy Movies: Crawl Edition

Howdy! This past week, I took one of my clients to see a new creature horror movie called Crawl. Normally, I am not big on the flicks with giant animals terrorizing people, but this one was highly entertaining, super suspenseful, short and sweet, and the actors weren’t half bad, either. Take a look at the trailer and then read on to find out my rating for this new release:

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video.

Long story short, a hella hurricane is happening in Florida and when swim star, Hayley, has heard nothing from her dad, she ventures to their old home to investigate. He is nowhere to be found inside of the house but the family dog, Sugar, leads her to the crawl space beneath, which she begrudgingly goes into.

After some searching in the claustrophobic bottom layer of the house, Hayley finds her dad severely injured with an alligator bite to the shoulder and leg compliments of the one that entered the premises through a flooded drain pipe. And, to make matters worse, there’s not one but two of them. And, to make matters worse AGAIN, the crawl space is beginning to fill with water thanks to the major hurricane happening. So, their options are to drown or figure a way out despite the massive gators making home there…

And save the dog, of course.

Like I said earlier, these types of movies are normally not my cup of tea. But, I thought that Crawl was an absolute HOOT. It was a really fun watch and the suspense was nonstop thanks to a combination of things like the close quarters of the crawl space, the flood waters steadily rising, and oh yeah – the big ass alligators. I also liked how this movie was relatively short at an hour and a half because it moved quickly and made the anticipation of the flood waters rising feel even more desperate.

Hayley and her dad were also both very likeable and I found myself rooting for them and their safety the entire movie. So, whenever a setback would happen or a plan didn’t work, it definitely felt like a major blow. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie and I would give it a seven out of ten. It was a great summer flick to see in theaters and I would for sure recommend it!

Who else has seen Crawl? What were your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: AMC Theaters

Jul16

If The Shoe Fits: Y.R.U British Invasion Platforms

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If The Shoe Fits: Y.R.U British Invasion Platforms

Hellooo everyone and welcome to the piece de resistance of my Dolls Kill haul! I have been on the hunt for a pair of Union Jack platforms for at least a year now and every pair that I would like to purchase always seems to be sold out or wayyy more than I’m willing to spend. But, finally, I found the pair of my dreams thanks to Dolls Kill and Y.R.U and I am now here to share it with all of Y.O.U! Take a look:

Flash Off *clap, clap*

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Flash On *clap, clap*

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Out of all of the wonderful styles of shoes in the whole wide world, platforms have always been my favorite. Whether they are boot or strap style, I love them dearly and have literally no problem buying any pair that tickles my fancy… obviously, lol. BUT, I really am just pleased as punch about these It Brit babies because after a whole year of scouring Poshmark, EBay, Amazon, and every boutique from A to Z I was able to conclude the search with a successful hunt.

So glam rock and oh so Ginger Spice, my Y.R.U. platforms needed to happen in the worst way and all I want to do is wear them constantly! For some girls, confidence can be found in a brand spanking new pair of stilettos and that is how platforms feel for me. The added height, the perfectly punk rock feel, and the flow from the chunkier shoe to my muscular skating legs helps to create a look that fits seamlessly with my style and body type. They just make me feel good and that’s what clothing and accessories are meant to do because, if they don’t, then what’s the point?

Despite my excitement to wear my new platforms, I plan on breaking them out once it’s black jean weather again. Summer is the time for my strappy platforms to shine and these boot style ones would definitely get my feet really hot really fast. But, when the time comes these babies will be popping against faux fur, peacoats, and all of the moto jackets to give a nod to all of my dear friends from across the pond. Cheers!

What is your favorite style of shoe? How would you style these platforms? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul15

If The Shoe Fits: Cape Robbin Blazin’ Glory Boots Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: Cape Robbin Blazin’ Glory Boots Edition

Hiiii everyone! I promised two new editions of If The Shoe Fits yesterday and, as always, Lil Red delivers. During my first shopping experience with Dolls Kill, I ordered beaucoup de hair clips and two new pairs of shoes – some funky boots and an even funkier pair of platforms a la Austin Powers that you will see tomorrow. Be sure to tune in for that and, now, check out these Lil Red Must Haves while blasting this song:

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this song or video!

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These absolutely insane Cape Robbin blazin’ glory boots showed up on my adds on Facebook and, damnit, I caved. For forty bucks I couldn’t say no because they had me feeling some type of way TO THE MAX. Part Sonic The Hedgehog, Wonder Woman, and firefighter my new boots combine all things fiery cool but, sadly, do not help me run to the fridge any faster than usual. #buzzkill

Despite that grave disappointment, I could not be happier with this flamin’ hot pair of boots. Actually… that’s a lie, because I could. I assumed that these would be a more combat boot style meaning that they would have a zipper and wouldn’t be straight up rubber. But, assume makes an ass of U and ME and I was kind of like “what?” when I opened the box.

HOWEVER, after the initial shock of the difference of what I was expecting versus what I got, I was still really happy with my purchase. I don’t own any rain boots so these will do nicely for inclement weather purposes and good weather purposes, all the same! I have never seen a pair of shoes like my new Cape Robbin ones before, except for maybe in a cartoon or something. So, needless to say, I am so looking forward to breaking them out.

From splashing in rain puddles, trudging through the snow, or just being worn on a nice day, these boots add instant spice to any look. I’m honestly not sure what I plan on wearing these with because they are pretty random. But, with it still being hot, hot, hot here in Ohio with TONS of rain, these will be perfect paired with knee highs and shorts for a combo that will definitely make me the coolest kid on the block. 😎

How would you style these boots? Where do you score the wackiest pairs of shoes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

June 2019 Finishes

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June 2019 Finishes

Helloooo and happy last day of June to all of my darling readers! This month flew by and, for the most part, I really enjoyed myself despite a shitty break up. But, what can ya do? You blog about it and move on, of course! June is an exciting time because of my birthday on the seventh and I loved being able to celebrate with my friends and family throughout the month. The month of June for finishes was pretty lackluster, though, as I only finished two measly products! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Garnier Micellar Water: YES
  • Alba Botanica Hawaiian facial wash: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Micellar Water: As per ushe, I finished my monthly bottle of micellar water that I use as a toner and makeup remover. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it and I will continue to have this product in my arsenal until something better comes along.

Alba Botanica cleanser: This face wash that I got from TJMaxx was fairly average. It smelled awesome compliments of the coconut milk but it was a bit too creamy for my liking. It did make my skin feel nice and hydrated but it wasn’t that great at removing makeup, which is what I like for my cleansers to do. However, this bottle lasted me over two months so it was a good value and if it were available at TJ’s I would consider buying it again.

As you can see, I didn’t have much to show for the month of June as far as empties go so I’m sure that July will be overflowing with finishes to discuss at the end of the month!

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

Jun29

Dear Evan Hansen Review

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Dear Evan Hansen Review

Howdy! This past weekend, I enjoyed an outing with an old theater friend, Sabrina, to see Dear Evan Hansen at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Despite both of us not loving the musical, it was still a fun day filled with good food, drinks, and wonderful company. I was so happy when Sabrina invited me to see the show because our schedules never work well with each other so it was really nice to make up for lost time. As we are both theater nerds, we were able to have a great discussion about the show afterwards so here is what we thought as well as a brief synopsis (Without giving too much away!)

So, what you need to know about Dear Evan Hansen is the following: A troubled teen who is an outsider at school has homework from his therapist where he has to write letters to himself explaining why it’s going to be a great day. As Evan is printing his “homework” out in the library, an even more troubled teen named Conner snatches the letter and confiscates it after seeing his sister’s name in it. She just so happens to be the object of Evan’s affection but doesn’t know he exists.

A few days later, Conner commits suicide and the letter that Evan wrote is found in his pocket. A web of lies then begins because Conner’s parents obviously want to know who Evan is and he begins to spin a tale of how him and Conner were best friends. This quickly raises his popularity at school with the offset of The Conner Project and, suddenly, Evan exists because of his fake friendship with the kid who just died.

Okay, so the story line isn’t bad, but the writing and staging left a lot to be desired as well as lackluster performances from the cast as a whole. It was interesting to see the phenomenon of everyone instantly becoming “best friends” with someone who just passed. However, the main culprit of this was a girl named Alana and she was SO. FUCKING. ANNOYING. Omg, the scenes with her were just unbearable and I couldn’t stand it.

Another character who really didn’t do it for me was Evan’s mom. It was very tough to invoke sympathy for the mother of a struggling teen when she was so unlikable and all of her slow ballad songs felt lame and drawn out. Honestly, I didn’t feel any type of way about any of the characters because it just felt like they were there saying their lines and singing their songs and then the applause happened and it was on to the next scene. The play felt very disjointed and the flow was off.

A lot of this disconnect felt due to a poor choice in staging. It went from social media news feeds plastered all over moving walls and banners to a tiny room on a rotating circle in a matter of minutes. This felt very high school theater for a Broadway level show and didn’t create any visual interest on stage.

The quality of the script and songs just weren’t that good, either. A powerful message of looking out for the mental health of our teens was overshadowed by plot points that weren’t fully realized and writing that was subpar, at best. I understand that this show got a lot of hype but, frankly, I don’t understand why because I left the theater feeling very unsatisfied with the finale and the plot holes that never got filled.

I never say no to a night at the theater but, I think I could have passed on this one. I would rate Dear Evan Hansen with a five out of ten stars and I can’t say that I would recommend going to see it. If you’re into sappy teen musicals, though, I say go for it!

What were your thoughts on Dear Evan Hansen? What is your favorite musical? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: TrustArts

Jun26

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Marshmallow World Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Marshmallow World Edition

Hi! To conclude my work week this past Friday, I enjoyed a glass of wine, a bath with a Lush bath bomb, and the sixth installment of Saw as I am marathoning the movies. Last week was filled with break up bullshit and I was left feeling pretty down and out, so it was so nice to be able to have an evening just for me filled with things that I like to keep my mind occupied.

I got to use up the last of my bath bomb birthday treats from the darling Kate at Live In The Nautical and I think that I saved the best for last! Marshmallow World was an absolute delight and it certainly offered a jolly good show in my mustard yellow bathtub fresh out of the 1970s, lol. Take a looksee:

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What I really like is when bath bombs have a lot of movement to them and Marshmallow World definitely had that. As soon as I dropped it in the tub, it began shooting all over the place leaving swirling paths of pink and cream in its tracks. And, as the bath bomb got closer to fizzing out, it cracked in half and made the yellow incorporated in it look like two shooting stars. I loved it!

The soft pink, lavender, pale yellow, and cream made for a dreamy palette and the bath water felt rich and moisturizing. It felt so good to take a long soak in the tub, because the colors were really calming. For the first time in all of last week, I actually felt relaxed and somewhat okay and that was a treat in itself.

I would give Marshmallow World an eight out of ten. It was fun to watch, it made me happy to use, and it gave me the R&R that I so desperately needed. This bath bomb would make an awesome gift and I couldn’t imagine anyone not liking it!

How do you unwind after a hard day? Which bath and body products do you use to help you relax? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun21

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Goldrush Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Goldrush Edition

Hellooo everyone! This past week, I enjoyed taking a soak with a bath bomb from Lush called Goldrush. Giving the ultimate mermaid experience with gorgeous turquoise water and glitter for dayz, this bath bomb was a definite hit. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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Although Goldrush was small, it was a mighty little bath bomb. The blue power ball was really pigmented, which I was so happy about. Sometimes the smaller bath bombs just tint the water and that’s always disappointing. About halfway through the bomb fizzing out, the glitter started coming from the core and it just didn’t stop! It made for a bath that was perfectly lux and oh so pampering.

Goldrush was a very solid bath bomb overall and it would be a great one to gift to someone or just for yourself! I give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Do you prefer bath bombs or bubble bath? What is your favorite color for your bath water? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Special thanks to Kate from Live In The Nautical for this treat! ❤

PPS: Sorry this post is a bit lackluster – I am writing it with a horrible hangover. #justbeinghonest #whoops