Howdy! Today, we are going to discuss the other bath bomb that I purchased from the Dollar Tree that was equally as disappointing as the first one, lolol. It’s fine, though, because it’s not like I was expecting anything different and my curiosity has been tended to. So, now, I have even more of an excuse to shop at Lush because any other brand is a disgrace! Take a look at some pics and let’s get to it:
^^^ Whomp whomp.
I selected the bath bomb above because the colors reminded me of the always popular galaxy print and I had a fleeting hope that it would be reminiscent of Lush’s intergalactic style bomb. But, obviously, I was dead wrong. Although the colors of the bath bomb were pretty, all it did was create a murky mauve once it hit the water and that was that.
Now, can any of us say that we’re surprised? Absolutely not. This is a Dollar Tree bath bomb we’re talking about. But, I’m glad that I conducted this little experiment for your viewing pleasure and for my knowledge in the future. I now know that these are not the move for an add on gift or a treat to myself. And, it is also a friendly reminder that sometimes you have to splurge to get a product worth using. So, let’s hit Lush and do some shopping! 😀
What is your favorite Lush bath bomb? How about your favorite Lush product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hey there! Welcome to the last day of October here on lifewithlilred and thanks for stopping by. Today, we will be discussing my monthly finishes of skin and bath and body care products. I am pretty happy about this month’s empties, mainly due to the fact that I finally finished the jar of eye cream that I have been working on using up for the past half a year! There is something so satisfying on finishing a product that you have been using for forever and needing new skin care means a shopping trip to TJMaxx for me, so it truly is a win/win all around. Lol, take a look at my empties for this month and let’s get to it:
Coffee Scrub: For those of you who don’t know, I take shaving very seriously. I have perfected my shaving routine to a science and the Wonder Therapy coffee cream scrub will always be a part of it from now on. First of all, the coffee/lavender/coconut scent was absolutely divine. It was rich without being overpowering and the coffee aroma was invigorating.
And, most importantly, it gave me the best, closest shave of my life. The exfoliating coffee grounds mixed with the moisturizing cream provided the perfect combo for prepping my skin for a shave while protecting it from drying out. My skin has never felt smoother and my shave lasts for at least four days without prickles. Does your favorite scrub do that? One bottle of this miracle product lasted me about two months with weekly, full body use.
Rose Gold Serum: I love me my Azure Lux serum and will always purchase a bottle when it is available at TJMaxx. With pieces of twenty-four karat gold and rose hip mixed in the formula, this serum leaves my skin feeling blinged out and super hydrated with just a thin application. My only qualm with the product is that the consistency of the serum is quite thick, which makes the bottle go quickly as I finished it in under a month. It leaves my skin positively radiant, though, so I’ll deal with it!
Manuka Honey Face Cream: I quite liked this moisturizer by Lanocreme! It was so rich and creamy without feeling greasy and it sat well under my makeup. The light honey scent was delicious and I loved using it in the morning after my shower. I like a thicker moisturizer during the cooler months and I would definitely use it again. It took me a little over one month to finish this product.
Mokita Eye Cream: My mom bestowed this eye cream onto me at the beginning of May and it took me until the end of October to use up. The large jar was completely filled to the brim with product and even daily application didn’t put a dent in it. I’ve never really worried about eye wrinkles because I legit have been using an eye cream since I was fifteen and this Mokita cream helped keep them at bay for a while longer. Although I liked the product, I was very happy to use it up because I love trying new skin care goodies. But, if given the opportunity, I would for sure use it again.
As you can see, October was a very successful month for empties and I would highly recommend all of the reviewed items above. So, hit up TJMaxx and get you some, STAT!
Which products have you used up this month? What are your thoughts on any of my empties 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
Yo yo yo. Yesterday, you all saw my little beauty haul from the Dollar Tree, which included two bath bombs. Obviously, I was not anticipating a Lush quality treat from the bombs that I purchased. But, I also wasn’t expecting it to suck so bad, lol. Either way, I’m glad that I tried it out. The Dollar Tree is one of my favorite places to buy small add ons to holiday and birthday gifts like candles, candy, and coffee mugs. And, now I know (and all of you will, too) that the bath bombs are something that you can take a hard pass on for your stocking stuffers this year. Let’s discuss:
The rainbow bath bomb is, admittedly, very cute and I thought that it would be a fun one to try out for the ol’ blog. I wouldn’t say that I was excited to give it a shot, I was more curious than anything. So, I filled up my bath tub, dropped the bomb in, and watched as the fizzy spectacle took place. Sadly, that’s all that happened when the bath bomb touched the water. It fizzed for a solid minute or two, turned the water a murky pink, and that was that.
Was I surprised? Definitely not. And, oddly, I was still okay with testing it out to give all of you the details and because it was a whopping one dollar so it didn’t break my bank! I still have one bath bomb by Treat Me left to try and I am not anticipating any bath tub magic a la Lush but, maybe – just maybe, the other one will be better. #wishfulthinking
What is your favorite bath bomb by Lush? How do you do stocking stuffers for the holiday season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helloooo everyone! I recently just finished the fifth book out right now by Ruth Ware called The Death Of Mrs. Westaway. I, for the most part, have had a very positive experience with this author. Though there were a few books like The Woman In Cabin 10 and In A Dark Dark Wood that I wasn’t wild about, I highly enjoyed The Turn Of The Key and The Lying Game. Unfortunately, The Death Of Mrs. Westaway was a big miss for me with the grand reveal so, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:
The Death Of Mrs. Westaway revolves around twenty-one year old Harriet AKA Hal, a tarot card reader who runs a small stand on Brighton Pier. She inherited the shop from her mother after she was killed in a car accident and needed to take up shop immediately to try to make ends meet. Young, broke, orphaned (she doesn’t know who her father is), and owing money to a dangerous loan shark Hal is in way over her head when bills pile up, her stand is lacking customers in the winter season, and the threats from the man she owes to turns dangerous.
Hal feels the need to escape and she can do that if she can swing fooling an entire family into believing she’s related to them. When she receives a letter in the mail claiming that she is the recipient of a substantial inheritance from the deceased Mrs. Westaway, it seems almost too good to be true – especially considering that she believed her grandparents to be dead. Despite committing a major act of fraud, Hal has nothing left to lose and everything to gain and heads to the funeral with the claim that she is the daughter of the deceased woman’s daughter, Maud.
At the funeral, Hal encounters the three brothers of her “mother” and, though lots of questions are raised, she is supposedly in with a family that she seemingly has no connection to. Or so she thinks. Because when she discovers her real mother in a photo of the siblings at their elaborate Victorian manor, everything she thinks she knows about herself and her mother becomes flipped. Does this family know who her father is? What is Hal’s mother’s relation to them? Is she a rightful heir to the inheritance after all? Read the book and find out!
I am not sure how to feel about The Death Of Mrs. Westaway. I actually loved it until the grand reveal and, although I saw it coming, I was disappointed with the outcome. I genuinely can’t say anything more than that without giving it completely away. But, what I will say, is that I did enjoy a solid ninety percent of the book. It was well written, suspenseful, downright sinister at times, and I liked almost all of the characters.
I appreciated Hal’s bravery throughout the novel and I liked that she didn’t back down to find the answers that directly pertained to her. She was able to play herself off as the mousy long lost niece and all the while she was making plans and using her intuition to solve the mystery of her own life. She was a heroine that I rooted for the entire time and I wish that the grand reveal did her more justice.
All in all, I’m going to rate this book with a six out of ten. I did not hate it but it was certainly not my favorite Ruth Ware novel by any means. I feel like I ended my reading journey with her on a sour note and am looking forward to a new book by her so that redemption can possibly happen.
What are you reading right now? How did you feel about The Death Of Mrs. Westaway if you read it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello, hello! My dad and I have been looking forward to seeing Joker and spent an afternoon together bearing witness to the amazing spectacle created by Joaquin Phoenix. The buzz on this flick has been strong, especially with talk already of Phoenix bagging Best Actor at the Academy Awards and an eight minute standing ovation at a Venice film festival. Within mere seconds, I understood that the hype was real, because Phoenix’s performance was one of the best I’ve seen in years. Take a look at the trailer and, without giving spoilers away, let’s discuss
^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video!
Arthur Fleck, AKA the Joker – a villain that everyone loves to hate and was famously portrayed by the late Heath Ledger was gifted with a two hour film showing just how exactly he came to be. From the lack of care from his delusional mother, severe abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, and a penchant for uncontrollable fits of laughter, no one can say that the Joker had it easy.
And, now, as a middle aged man with a love for vaudeville trying to make his way in the hardened Gotham City as a hired clown and stand up comic, things seem far from hopeful for Arthur Fleck. Mentally unstable, down on his luck, and making the claim that he never felt like he “existed”, Joker explores the transition from man to villain. Showcasing every beating, disappointment, and uncovered truths from the lies he’s been fed his whole life, Fleck begins a dangerous downward spiral into a life of crime amidst a city devoured by darkness and political unrest.
What follows? Pure and total anarchy, just as the newly formed Joker likes it.
This movie was absolutely haunting to me. Joaquin Phoenix, who lost fifty pounds to play this role, was an emaciated skeleton of a man, which made his screeching high pitched laugh even more unsettling. Blatantly placing his violent behaviors on his mental illnesses was also a disturbing one and it begs the question of if this movie is a “safe” one to be viewed by the general public. Is it a popcorn flick that tells a backstory of one of the most well known villains in history? Or, could it be viewed as a manifesto for the bullied and scared to make a stand – especially in the current political state we are in as we speak.
Regardless of your views on the issue, there is no denying that it was a well made film with a stellar performance by Phoenix. The imagery of streets filled with garbage, rain pelting down, and a man in painted face and a suit is one that I will not be forgetting any time soon.
Joker took its sweet time building up and by the final action packed scenes, the tension was ready to be cut with a knife. This resulted in a simply delicious viewing experience of seeing all of the dominoes that were so carefully placed throughout the film begin to topple to form the big picture. My dad and I left the theater feeling nothing short of shook up. And, honestly, there were some scenes that were genuinely hard to watch. But, I think that was the whole point of Joker and every tense, gut wrenching moment was a testament to that.
Not for the faint of heart but a damn good flick, I’m giving Joker a prestigious ten out of ten stars. Love it or hate it, Joker is going to be talked about, analyzed, and either applauded or frowned upon for years to come. Joaquin Phoenix gave an iconic performance and I’m already ready to watch it again.
What were your thoughts on Joker? Who is your favorite comic book villain? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello! In today’s edition of Lil Red’s Book Club, we are going to be discussing another one of Ruth Ware’s novels called The Turn Of The Key. If Ruth Ware’s name sounds familiar to you, that’s because it probably is! I have spent this past summer reading all of her novels and she has been featured in many a Lil Red’s Book Club posts these past few months.
While recovering from the car accident, I was able to dedicate my time to reading The Turn Of The Key in a matter of days and I enjoyed it very much. So, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:
The Turn Of The Key revolves around Rowan, the new live in nanny for an extremely wealthy husband and wife architect duo and their four daughters. They live in a remote location in the hills of Scotland in an old house with an eerie combination of extremely modern technology and the original layout of the home from decades ago. The technology is so advanced, in fact, that everything can be controlled by an app called “Happy”. The shower settings, lights, curtains, doorbell, coffee machine, and oh yeah – the video monitoring in the bedrooms.
Rowan gets thrown right into her new position, as Sandra and Bill, the parents travel a lot for work and is almost immediately left alone with the girls Maddie, Ellie, Petra, and Rhiannon. The seemingly “perfect” position with the plush pay and fancy accommodations is anything but, though. Especially considering all four of the previous nannies were driven out by forces that can only be described as supernatural.
These powers that be get to work as soon as Rowan starts her new gig. From creaking in the attic to a freezing cold bedroom and the Happy app working on its own, all of the frustrations of caring for the difficult children and a lack of sleep begin to catch up with her and everyone is a suspect. The maid, handyman, children, – heck, even the parents could have a role in what’s going on because Rowan firmly doesn’t believe in ghosts.
Is what’s going on a prank, the old house just being an old house, or something far more sinister? And is everyone in the home really who they say they are? Read The Turn Of The Key to find out if Rowan can uncover the mystery before someone gets seriously hurt.
The Turn Of The Key has easily become one of my favorite Ruth Ware novels. Wrote in the form of a series of letters, this page turner keeps you guessing until the very last sentence of what really happened in the house during Rowan’s stint as the nanny. So many bombshells were dropped and twists and turns happened that I simply didn’t see coming and, normally, I’m really good at that!
I can’t give too much away in the synopsis of the book without spoiling the surprises but, if you’re in need of a good story to crack into, then definitely give The Turn Of The Key a try. Especially since I’m rating it with an: eight out of ten stars. For a unique story line, interesting characters, and being absolutely un-put-down-able. Bravo!
What book are you reading right now? Have you read any of Ruth Ware’s other novels? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Salutations! Some of you might recall that my family had a vacation to Hilton Head planned. However, with Hurricane Dorian wreaking havoc, my dad didn’t want to take the risk and we ended up in North Carolina again for our yearly family vaca. My family loves Asheville, NC and have vacationed there at least three or so times in the past handful of years. The art scene, the nature, and, of course, the delicious food are all reasons why we keep coming back and I, for one, am not mad about it!
Speaking of delicious food, we ended up at an amazing Japanese restaurant called Soba in Weaverville and it was literally to die for. Normally, I’m not the type of blogger who has to take a picture of every meal I eat. But, I had to be “that girl” because my noodle soup bowl was out of control crazy good. Check it out:
^^^ Peep me using chopsticks correctly for a whopping one time!
Before our main course, my mom and I ordered avocado sushi rolls to share, which was a vegetarian delight. My mom has never tried sushi before and, although she used a nose running amount of wasabi, she enjoyed it as much as I did! For my meal, I went with the Thai Coconut Noodle Soup Bowl with tofu and absolutely no mushrooms, which are the bane of my existence. According to the menu, this entree was made up of: “Red peppers, mushrooms, cilantro, lemon, spicy sesame oil & vermicelli rice noodles in creamy coconut & lemongrass broth”.
I have never tried a noodle soup bowl and it was actually my second option because I really wanted Pad Thai but, unfortunately, their recipe was made with fish oil which made it a no can do for me. So, I ended up with the noodle soup bowl which was a total blessing because it was one of the best meals I’ve had in months. The broth was rich and flavorful, the veggies were crisp and fresh, and the soft tofu was bursting with the taste of the broth it was soaking in.
I love a good, Oriental cuisine and, sadly, my stomping grounds in Ohio are severely lacking in that department. Akron and the surrounding areas have a lot of chain restaurants without much diversity so, when I can have an ethnic meal, I revel in it. I absolutely adored the bold flavors featured at Soba and it was nice to have a lot of vegetarian options to choose from, instead of having to opt for the veggie burger which happens at basically every Ohio restaurant ever, lol. *massive eyeroll*
If you find yourself close to Weaverville in North Carolina, definitely do yourself a favor and have a meal at Soba. The restaurant was cute and clean, the service was outstanding, and the food will blow your mind. 🙂
What is your favorite kind of food to eat? What kind of restaurants do you live by? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Howdy! We’ve reached the end of another wonderful month here on lifewithlilred and that means it’s time to discuss my monthly empties. I used up some really good stuff this past month. Stuff that I’ve been using for forever, stuff that took me a short amount of time to finish, and just stuff in general! So take a look and let’s get to it:
Would I Use Again:
Softsoap Citrus Splash & Berry Fusion body wash: YES
Yes To Cotton micellar water: NO
IGK Mistress leave in conditioner: YES
Clinicals Anti-Aging Vitamin C facial oil: YES
Why/Why Not:
Softsoap Body Wash: As you all know, I am a huge Softsoap fan. The brand is cheap as can be but all of their body washes smell amazing, they lather well, and are always so damn invigorating during my morning shower. The little moisture beads are a nice touch, too! It takes me one month to use one bottle which includes daily use and a weekly bubble bath and at three bucks and change, I can definitely swing that.
Yes To Micellar Water: My mom got this bottle of micellar water for me on sale and I was very unimpressed. I used up the bottle in a month because I wasn’t going to not finish it but I was happy to have been done! It just didn’t make my skin feel as fresh and clean as the Garnier micellar water and it was also not the best at removing all traces of makeup. I’m sure it’s significantly cheaper than the Garnier brand but I have a rule of thumb of not skimping on the good stuff when it comes to my skin care!
IGK Leave In Conditioner: I absolutely love this product by IGK! I have been using it for the past year or so and I honestly don’t think that I could live without it. The Mistress leave in conditioner smells so good, it smooths out all of my frizz, it makes my hair shiny, and it protects my locks from the heat. Does your leave in conditioner do that? Although the price is steep at twenty-nine bucks a tube, it takes me over six months to finish it up and, with all of that in mind, it is worth every penny.
Clinicals Serum: What I love about skin care products with Vitamin C in it is that I can always see noticeable results from it. My skin glows and is radiant without having to break the bank on an expensive treatment. I really enjoyed using the Vitamin C serum by Clinicals. It sat well under makeup and I loved how my skin looked and felt after each use. My only qualm with this product is that the serum was in a spray bottle, which I didn’t like because I felt like I had to use a ton of it to get full coverage on my face and neck. Despite that, it still took me one month to use up the bottle.
With a seventy-five percent success rate, I’d say I did pretty good with my empties for the month of September! I would recommend all of the products that I liked above but definitely stay clear of the Yes To Cotton micellar water!
Which products did you use up this month? What were your thoughts on any of the products above 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
Helloooo everyone! I can’t say that I am a HUGE Disney fan but it’s not like I don’t enjoy the movies, either. It has been an exciting time in the movie world because live action remakes of Disney classics are the new trend. Unfortunately, I wasn’t overly impressed with Beauty And The Beast or The Lion King’s remake. However, I absolutely LOVED the live action Aladdin, despite its poor reviews. So, take a look at the toe tapping trailer and let’s discuss:
^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video!
Normally, a Disney film isn’t my first choice to play after a day at work but, I’m not going to lie, I was looking forward to watching Aladdin. Last Christmas, I had the absolute pleasure of being able to see the Broadway rendition of Aladdin at Playhouse Square with my family and I felt like the 2019 film was a wonderful blend of the Broadway show and the original cartoon. Spending the evening watching the movie gave me a new appreciation for the music and artistry that went into the iconic original and it was such a beautiful, modern nod to its predecessor.
The costumes, scenery, and *most* of the characters were divine but Will Smith as the genie completely made the film for me. He was utterly brilliant and I think Robin Williams would be proud of the performance that was so inspired by his own but with a fresh, new spin on it.”You Ain’t Never Had A Friend Like Me” reminded me so much of the Broadway performance that I really enjoyed and Will Smith’s fabulous flamboyance kept me in stitches the whole time.
I thought Jafar and Jasmine were also exceptionally strong characters and were cast well. But, I wasn’t too crazy about the choice for Aladdin. Had he not been acting alongside such powerful cast mates he would have totally sizzled out and he was outshined the entire movie. He was just too meek and mild and, although he was the title character, he didn’t stand out in anyway shape or form. But, because the rest of the film was so spot on, a poor casting choice for the lead was just a blip on my radar.
What I loved the most about Aladdin was the big picture that was created in every scene. The glorious palaces, the bustling market of Agrahbah, and the vast deserts all seemed so real that I felt like I was right there, too. The magnificent choices in color, costumes, and oh yeah – the fantastic musical numbers just seemed like the cherry on top of what was already splendid. Saying that Aladdin was visually stimulating is a severe understatement and the beauty of the rapidly changing scenery in “A Whole New World” moved me to tears.
If you’re a die hard Disney fan, I think you’ll love this movie. And, if you’re like me, who isn’t the most avid Disney fan – you are still going to love this movie. Aladdin was a fast moving tale of being true to yourself, unexpected girl power, and that everything is a little bit better with your friends by your side… magic powers or no! I rate this movie with a nine out of ten and I highly recommend it!
What were your thoughts on the new Aladdin? What has been your favorite Disney movie remake? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Howdy! I recently finished another Ruth Ware novel called The Lying Game and have read The Woman In Cabin 10 and In A Dark, Dark Wood by her this summer, too. I have to say, I wasn’t overly impressed with either of those books but The Lying Game was a great read and I am happy that I chose to give Ware one more try before calling it quits and finding another author to read. So, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:
The Lying Game revolves around new mother, Isa, and her three best girlfriends from high school, Kate, Thea (Whose name I’m still not sure how to pronounce!), and Fatima. At their boarding school, the girls reveled in what they called “The Lying Game” and would keep a scoreboard to record the points from the tall tales that they would spin based on the quality and if people actually believed them. The game was supposed to be all in good fun and the rules were simple, including “never lie to your friends” and “know when to stop the lie”.
The girls spent one year at the boarding school together, which came to an abrupt halt when they were asked to leave quietly in the wakes of a possible scandal that directly involved them. And, although it’s a rarity that they talk now as they are all in their thirties, when a friend texts the three words of “I need you” the now women drop their responsibilities immediately and flock to the one in distress.
So, when Kate sends Isa the call to action, she packs up her belongings with her six month old daughter in tow and makes the journey to her, near the old boarding school. The text was indeed an urgent one because once the ladies arrive to Kate’s, it is revealed that a human bone was found in the sea – a result of their “game” being taken too far. With a police investigation nipping at their heals, the once best friends have to come up with a plan and unravel the truth behind their lies before an arrest is made. Were they murderers? Covering something up? Or just plain stupid? Read the book and find out!
I absolutely adored The Lying Game and devoured it in a matter of days. It was so refreshing to read a book with a tangible plot and told from the perspective of someone with a sound mind. Because, let’s be honest, the unstable narrator shtick has been hopelessly drawn out. The Lying Game was filled with twists and turns that actually seemed plausible and I really had no idea what the end result was going to be.
It was interesting to see how a mistake that happened in their teenage years has haunted each woman in the almost two decades since it happened. Each one dealt with the trauma in a different way and it made for fascinating characters with realistic flaws and personalities. The Lying Game was a wild ride and I am now ready to tuck into another Ruth Ware novel ASAFP!
And, now for the star rating…. I award The Lying Game with an eight out of ten. The plot was riveting, the characters were all likeable in their own ways, and I genuinely enjoyed myself while reading it. Highly recommend.
Has anyone read The Lying Game? 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
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