Tag Archives: review

Dec5

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Chopper

Posted on by
Standard
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Chopper

Hi everyone! Today, we are moving on to Urban Decay’s Naked 2 palette and taking a look at some of my favorites. This palette was a hand me down from my sister, Kristen, and I really like it. But, I’m pleased to say that I definitely own the drugstore dupe of it! For ten dollars, the Nude Rose Gold palette by Elf featured a lot of the same shades for a fraction of the cost. So, that’s a little pro tip for you if you love this Naked palette but don’t want to spend the cash on it. In case you forgot what the Naked 2 eyeshadow set looks like, here it is:

naked4

And, the color that I am going to feature today is the charming rose gold shade called Chopper. Check it out:

chopperchopper1chopper2

^^^ The top heart is Chopper wet and the second one is when it’s dry.

I bet you guys thought that I was going to go for the bronze shades in this post, huh? Haha, although I do deeply love my gold and bronze shadows, this past year has been about all rose gold everything in the beauty and fashion world. So, it only seemed fitting to showcase the lovely shade, Chopper, as we talk about the Naked 2 palette.

Rose gold is a fantastic color, because it’s flattering on literally any person no matter their skin tone. It’s a shade that looks universally good whether it be used on makeup, clothing, or accessories and it’s just darn right chic and sweet. I do love this shade from the Naked palette but, it did not apply well when it was dry at all. It was flaky, the color was dusty, and it didn’t do anything for me. But, when it was wet, it applied like BUTTAH so that’s something to remember if you’re interested in these palettes.

Despite some application issues, Chopper is still a beautiful shade and I can definitely see myself wearing it. The fact that it doesn’t stray far from my favorite golden color palette doesn’t hurt, either!

Do you like the Urban Decay Smoky or Naked 2 palette better? What is your favorite color from the Naked 2 palette? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Dec2

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Armor

Posted on by
Standard
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Armor

Hello everyone and welcome back to some more swatches from the Urban Decay Naked palettes. The metallic silver seen below called “Armor” is from the Smoky palette and I am a huge fan. Once upon a time, I used to use a metallic silver eyeliner from The Body Shop and it was the best. I used this eyeliner all of the time and, then, out of nowhere it gave my eyes an awful reaction. They must have changed the formula or something, because both of my peepers turned red and grossly swollen within minutes. It was disgusting! Ever since then, I’ve never bought a silver eyeliner or shadow to compensate for my TBS one, so it’s nice to have Armor in my arsenal. Take a look:

armorarmor1armor2

^^^ The big heart is the eyeshadow wet and the smaller one is when it’s dry.

Although Armor is pretty when its dry, the wet color is where it’s at. The striking, metallic silver with that slightest hint of gunmetal grey makes for a shade that will give your eyes a pop with an unexpected color. Silver is a very underrated eye makeup color, so I’m looking forward to bringing it back after all of those years of not using my TBS eyeliner.

When it comes to wearing any eyeshadow, I always wet my Q-tip applicator before I apply. I love the saturated pigment when the shadow is wet and the dry color just doesn’t cut it. Through my swatching research, I am finding that the Urban Decay colors don’t apply very well when dry, but the application is like BUTTAH when it’s wet. Although this might be annoying to some, it’s great for me, especially because I love this shade when it’s wet oh so much!

Do you prefer your eyeshadow wet or dry? What is the best drugstore or high end brand of eyeshadow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Nov30

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Smolder

Posted on by
Standard
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Swatch In Smolder

Helloooo! My sister recently bequeathed her Urban Decay Naked palettes onto me, so we are going to go through the Naked 2 and Smoky palettes and swatch some of my favorite colors. Today, we are going to look at one of the standout shades from the Smoky palette – a lovely deep purple called Smolder. Take a gander at these pics and let’s discuss:

^^^ The first heart is the eyeshadow when its wet and the second one is when its dry.

As we all know, I don’t change it up very often when it comes to my eye makeup. I like what I like, I know what shades work for me, and I stick to them like glue. However, one shade that I do like to apply when I’m feeling saucy is purple. Not ultra bright or metallic purple, but a nice, deep shade like the one seen above. Anything too bright looks crazy with my hair, and Smolder is just right. The dark, smoky shade makes my hazel eyes change to green, as purple and green are complimentary colors, and I love using it to make my peepers pop.

What I also like about Smolder is that the purple becomes really evident when the lighting is good. As you can see from the pictures, the eyeshadow looks almost brown in my yellow-ish bathroom lighting. But, as soon as the flash came on, you could really see that sexy, smoldering purple, which is a fun surprise. So, in a darker setting like a candle lit dinner, you get a delicious chocolate brown and, as soon as the flickering candles catch your eyes, you get a striking jewel tone. So cool!

What is your favorite shade of eyeshadow to wear? Which color compliments your eyes the best? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov25

November 2018 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
November 2018 Finishes

Howdy! November is on its way out the door and, with that, December is coming in hot to continue ringing in the holiday season. With yet another month drawing to a close at a crazy fast rate, it’s time for lifewithlilred’s monthly finishes post so that we can talk product reviews. Take a look at my empties for November and let’s discuss:

nov

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Micellar Water: I have been using Garnier’s Micellar Water for close to a year, I’d say, and I plan on using it until it becomes discontinued. And, hopefully, it never will! I use this product every day as a toner and eye makeup remover and it lasts me a month and a half or longer, which is a pretty good value. Although I can’t say that I’ve seen major changes in my skin, I still like the Garnier water well enough and it’s way cheaper than any eye makeup remover and toner on the market.

B&BW Shower Gel: I love me my travel size goodies from Bath & Body Works and I love that I get them FO FREE even more! Japanese Cherry Blossom isn’t my favorite scent but, boy, does it bring me back to my grade school years! It takes me three weeks or longer to finish one mini shower gel and you absolutely can’t beat that. So, B&BW, keep those coupons coming!

Vital C Serum: I live for all things Vitamin C when it comes to my skin care and I will always buy the Vital C serum when I see it at TJMaxx. For seven bucks, I get a bottle of magic that lasts me for two months, which is an amazing deal for something that makes my skin so radiant. Seriously, there’s been days where I’ve been tired as THE DICKENS but still manage to have glowing skin thanks to this product. And, a little goes a long way, which is always a plus.

Although I didn’t finish too many products this month, it was still successful because I liked everything that I used up. And, each item that I used was free or really cheap, which speaks to my ballin’ on a budget lifestyle and simply touches my heart. ❤ 😀

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

Nov17

Living Microbladed

Posted on by
Standard
Living Microbladed

Helloooo everyone and welcome to one of two follow up posts from Lil Red’s Adventures In Microblading! As you all know, I visited La Marie Brow Club in Pittsburgh in October to have my brows finessed by my cousin, Laura. And, now that my makeup routine has been literally cut back seventy-five percent and I never have to buy an eyebrow pencil again, I simply cannot believe that I didn’t have Laura do my brows when she began her business last year. Take a look at my result pics and let’s discuss:

lamarielamarie1

Living Microbladed is the best thing that ever could have happened to my face, lol. Seriously, the time that is saved from having perfect brows is second to none. I can sleep in longer or I can get up at my normal time and finish an extraordinary amount of work on my blog before I leave for work because I’m not wasting my time trying to get both eyebrows to look exactly the same with makeup.

My new eyebrows make me feel SO freaking confident. They frame my face in a way that my natural brows never could, with or without makeup, and they make my eyes pop, pop, pop! Even my boyfriend thinks that they make me look “more sophisticated” and I totally agree – I love it!

Laura is going to touch my brows up in mid December and during this session she is going to add any extra hair strokes that she might have missed. I am also going to have her darken them to the color that they were when I first got them done. The color that Laura chose is perfect because it’s the exact same color as the pencil that I was using. But, now that they have lightened to that color, I now know that I prefer them to be a bit darker. I’m excited! 😀

I cannot wait to visit La Marie Brow Club again in December and do be sure to check out my last blog post on my adventures and schedule your appointment with Laura today!

Would you ever get microbladed? What is your eyebrow makeup routine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov13

Sephora Freebies

Posted on by
Standard
Sephora Freebies

Hi! While getting some of my holiday shopping done on Sephora’s website, I received a major freebie haul! It. Was. Awesome. I cashed in my 500 point Beauty Insider gift for a Clinique goodie bag and I also received a free travel bag filled with good stuff for spending over fifty dollars. Plus, I got free shipping! I spent just one dollar over the fifty minimum and I got a ton of amazing travel sized products to show for it. Take a look and let’s discuss:

freeeeeeeeeefreeeeeeeeee1freeeeeeeeee2

The Haul:

  • Lancome: La Vie Est Belle perfume sample
  • Laneige: Water Sleeping Mask (Loved it!)
  • Lancome: Mascara
  • Rahua: Omega 9 Hair Mask
  • Urban Decay: All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
  • Fresh: Soy Face Cleanser
  • Briogeo: Heat Protecting Cream
  • Caudalie: Moisturizing Sorbet
  • Tarte: Lip Paint in Birthday Suit (LOVE! I was running low on my birthday gift color from last year!)
  • Clinique: Moisture Surge Face Spray
  • Clinique: Chubby Stick in Woppin’ Watermelon (See the swatch tomorrow!)
  • Clinique: Moisture Surge moisturizer sample
  • Clinique: Mascara
  • Clinique: Foundation + Concealer samples

^^^ So good, right?!

Sephora is such a wonderful company to shop with online, because the promotions that they offer are second to none. I have never not received a free product when shopping online, because they usually offer the promo when you spend over twenty-five dollars. And, let’s be honest, that’s not hard to do!

I used to shy away from Sephora, because when you shop in store there is never any type of promotion running to give you some bang for your buck. But, when I shop online, I always feel pleased with what I’m getting in free product for the amount that I’m spending. I will definitely still pop into the store to see what’s new and examine all the colors and products up close. But, I will go home and order whatever I liked online every time, and I recommend that all of you Sephora lovers do the same. Can you get that amazing haul seen above in store for absolutely free?? I think not!

Which stores offer the best online promotions? How do you shop smart when it comes to Sephora? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov12

Poshmark Review

Posted on by
Standard
Poshmark Review

Hiii everyone! If you guys remember from a post a few days ago, Lil Red tried Poshmark for the first time to get a moto jacket by Kensie. The jacket arrived a few days ago, one day after it shipped because, coincidentally, the woman who I bought it from and I live about twenty-five minutes away from each other! Let me give you a reminder of what this Kensie number looks like if you don’t remember and let’s discuss:

kensiekensie1kensie2

Overall, I’m really happy with this purchase and I love my new/used jacket. BUT, my major complaint is that it smelled so smokey and I could smell it as soon as I took it out of the packaging. Now, I get why this would be hypocritical of me to say since I smoke. However, if you’re sending out any type of product to someone, I think that it’s important for it to be in the best condition possible and that includes the smell.

Despite that little hiccup, I would definitely use Poshmark again, I just don’t think that I would buy from the seller that I purchased from. This is all hunky dory with me, though, because, at the end of the day, I got the jacket that I was so desperately seeking out. The price was also fair enough although, since the odor was an issue, I wish that I got it for a little cheaper. But, alas, beggars can’t be choosers!

Poshmark seller rating for @sundaygirlpicks:

6

What has your experience with shopping or selling on Poshmark been like? What else do you do to make some money off of used clothes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct21

Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

Posted on by
Standard
Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

Hello! During my North Carolina vacation, my brother and sister in law, Peter and Megan, and I went to Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards for a wine tasting. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to explore the vineyards, because it was a rainy day. But, we did get to hide out in their charming bar area, where we got to taste eleven of their wines for ten bucks each. It was quite the bargain and we even got to keep our tasting glass when we were done! Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Peter, Megan, and I spent an hour or so at Saint Paul’s testing the wines and just hanging out. Although the space appeared big with the beautiful high vaulted ceilings, the gentle glow of the soft lighting created a feeling of cozy intimacy. The rain pelting down outside increased this sensation tenfold and hunkering down with a glass of wine in hand was just right.

Taste testing all of the wines was an informative and delicious process. We got to sample five white wines, three reds, and three dessert wines in that order. Of course, I was partial to the sweet whites and the dessert wines weren’t so bad, either! My favorites were the sweet white Laurel Hill with hints of lychee and guava and the sweet tart blackberry dessert wine, Chestnut Gap Cottage. Peter and Megan enjoyed trying the reds and their favorite was a bold and peppery Cabernet Sauvignon called Chestnut Gap.

It was definitely fun trying all of the wines and deciding which ones we liked best. But, at the end of our tasting, we were unanimous in our opinion that despite enjoying some of the wines, we wouldn’t want to drink an entire glass of any of them. The tasting was absolutely worthwhile and it was an excellent value. It also offered us just enough of each wine to know that a glass full of any would be a less than pleasant experience.

This was just our conclusion and it’s interesting to see how different people pick up on different hints of the ingredients in each wine. So, one that we all didn’t care for could be another person’s favorite from across the bar. I loved spending time with my brother and sister in law and Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards provided us with the perfect space to cozy up for an hour and enjoy each others company. Definitely would recommend!

What is your favorite vineyard in your neck of the woods? Do you prefer white or red wine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct19

Lil Red’s Adventures In Microblading

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Adventures In Microblading

Hello! During a recent trip to Pittsburgh, I got to spend time with my super cool cousin, Laura, exploring the city, eating hella food, and having her microblade me! Laura is one of the pioneers in bringing microblading to Pittsburgh and owns her own studio, La Marie Brow Club, where she works her magic. Admittedly nervous, although I had absolutely no reason to be after the fact, I am now a walking testament to Laura’s work and am a firm believer in the power of microblading!

My nervousness definitely stemmed from the fact that I am a low key girl when it comes to my brows. I fill them in with an eighty-nine cent pencil annnnd that’s about it. Whenever I pluck them, I always end up overdoing it so, now, I just let them do their own thang. Have I wanted better brows? Sure. But, I’ve never been keen on constant waxing and maintenance and, at first, microblading sounded lightweight terrifying! But, now that I officially have amazing brows, I can’t believe that I didn’t do this sooner. Take a look at my before and after shots and, then, we’ll discuss everything further:

lamarie

As soon as we got to the salon, Laura immediately got to work preparing the space and explaining the first steps in the microblading process to me. First, we took some before pictures, which you can see above. And, then, Laura began to map out my brows according to my preferred side, which happens to be ol’ rightie. She used an eyebrow pencil to take measurements and used her makeup artist’s eye to create an outline that enhanced my right brow and made my left brow closely mimic its partner.

After a game plan was made special for my MUG, Laura applied a topical numbing agent to my brow area and we let it sit for twenty minutes before the microblading began. For those of you who aren’t hip, microblading is the manual process of implanting pigment into the upper region of our skin’s dermis in a way to mimic the appearance of natural hair. The blade that is used is dipped in pigment and each hair stroke is manually placed into the skin.

Once my brows were comfortably numb, Laura began the microblading festivities. The best way that I can describe the feeling of being microbladed is like getting papercuts on your eyebrows. Papercuts are a pain in the butt. But they are not unbearable and, although I could definitely feel some strokes more than others, the overall level of pain was extremely tolerable.

During a brief break after Laura’s first pass with my brows, a second numbing agent was applied to help ease any discomfort after wiping them down. Then, a second go was made for Laura to add the final touches and hair strokes to complete my beautiful new brows!

lamarie1

^^^ Peep those results!

Spending time with Laura in her salon has been the highlight of my last few months and I cannot wait to come back to Pittsburgh in two months for her to touch my brows up. La Marie Brow Club provided a sterile and safe environment for me to get eyebrows perfectly customized for my face. Laura made me feel so comfortable and secure with all of the choices that we made together and she walked me through every step of the way with ease.

Watching my cousin display her amazing talents and doing a damn good job of it was so inspiring to me. Laura’s artistry involves immense skill and she was able to complete a task that looks dauntingly difficult with a smile on her face and well thought out answers to all of my questions. Saying I recommend Laura highly is an understatement, because she instilled a newfound confidence in me with her craft, and nothing can ever top that.

Take an inside look at Laura’s salon, located behind Lantern Rose tattoo shop!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

More about Laura:

Laura opened her business, La Marie Brow Club, in April of 2017 and received her certification in January of 2016. Not only does she offer microblading, but she also does upper lash line enhancement, freckles, beauty marks, and tooth gems (Which are so cute!). Laura has spent over ten years in the field as a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician, but enjoys doing eyebrows the most. When she is not booked at the salon, she loves spending time with her boyfriend, Victor, and beloved pets: Randy the cat and Lucille and Igor the Boston Terriers (And they are all so cute, too!).

laura

Interested in getting microbladed? You can reach Laura with the following:

Social Media Platforms

Thank you so much again to my beautiful and talented cousin for finessing my brows! Laura has the Lil Red Guarantee for fantastic results and service so, if you were at all on the fence about being microbladed like I was, trust in that and schedule an appointment today!

Do you have microbladed brows? How were your results? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct6

Super Awesome Great Day

Posted on by
Standard
Super Awesome Great Day

Hellllooo everyone and happy weekend! This past Tuesday was one of the best days off that I’ve had in a good long while. To start my morning, I had a work review for one of my jobs and passed with high flying colors. Then, to celebrate, my mom and I went to Target so that I could shop to my heart’s content. Upon returning home, I shopped to my heart’s content on ModCloth – I’m so bad! And, to top it off, we ordered take out from one of my favorite restaurants, Aladdin’s, as a hurrah to cap off a great day.

I have been working a lot lately, and it felt so good to have all of that hard work verified by an excellent review. It was also really nice to spend the rest of the day with my mom, because I’ve been working a lot! We had a blast shopping together and you can check out my haul below and, then, we will go over my new fall pieces individually for the next few days!

hauly56hauly2hauly6hauly4hauly10

My haul from Target brought me a lot of autumn essentials. Funky jeans, a midi skirt, a kimono, a cardigan, and hoodie that, for the most part, can all be mixed and matched really well! Fall clothes will always be Lil Red’s jam and Target did exceedingly well this year in providing high quality and unique pieces for its shoppers. Be sure to tune in tomorrow as we discuss one of these pretty little numbers in detail!

What is your favorite season to dress for? Describe one of the best days that you’ve had recently. I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah