Tag Archives: scents

Mar3

Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser Review

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Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser Review

Howdy! Okay, first off let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Garnier’s skin care line. I’ve used one of their cream cleansers and an exfoliater of theirs multiple times and I’ve always been really happy with them. After I finished my cleanser from Simple, I picked out the Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser from my hoard drawer and had very high hopes for it. I was really excited to try this cleanser out because I’ve been so pleased with their products that I’ve used before – but unfortunately, this face wash really missed the mark. Review their packaging and then let’s discuss:

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I always start my product reviews out by talking about their smell but this cleanser doesn’t have any! I know a few of you have commented on my reviews before saying that you like when skin care doesn’t have a fragrance. That’s all very well, but that’s one thing that I can never get on board with. When I’m taking my morning showers, I love when a product has a really invigorating aroma because it helps wake me up. I don’t mind too much that Garnier’s cleanser is fragrance free because I use a lovely scented exfoliater in the morning, too. But the lack of smell definitely didn’t give this product any brownie points!

One of the reasons why I didn’t care for the Simple cleanser that I had finished before starting this one is that it barely removed any of my makeup. In fact, the only reason why I grabbed Garnier’s cleanser from the hoard drawer is because it spelled out for me right in its name that it was primarily a makeup remover. I like to think that I don’t wear a ton of makeup. I’m lucky enough that I don’t have to use any type of concealer and the only product that I use heavily is the mascara that I love to pile on so very much – which is also the toughest thing to remove. -_-

I didn’t doubt that Garnier’s face wash would do a good job of removing my makeup but I wasn’t blown away by it. Yes, it did get my eye makeup off BUT I’ve used so many cleansers that have done the exact same thing. In fact, Garnier’s other cream cleanser that I’ve used before removed all of my makeup and that bonus was barely even mentioned on their packaging!

The final thing that I discuss when reviewing a skin care or body wash product is if it lathers well. Nice and big suds while I’m scrubbing away are a must for me – I have a hard time feeling truly “clean” without it. This is where Garnier’s cleanser totally missed the mark. The packaging says that this product is for sensitive skin but that doesn’t mean it can’t lather just a little! The texture of the cleanser was thick and creamy but once you rubbed it on your face it literally just sat there and did nothing.

Every morning when I rinse the cleanser off, I’m always so happy that I have an exfoliater that I can use afterwards because the face wash simply does nothing for me. It doesn’t make my skin feel any cleaner and it certainly isn’t doing anything that another more effective cleanser can’t. I’m really disappointed in this product so I’m going to have to rate it with: no stars. There is absolutely nothing about this cleanser that I liked or that made my skin feel good. Now I’m just annoyed that I refuse to not finish products that I start because I’ll be stuck with this sucker for a long while. -__-

So there you have it, my Garnier Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser Review. I will continue using Garnier products after I finish this face wash but you couldn’t pay me to use this one again! Have any of you used this product before? What are your thoughts on it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Have a new picture of me for your troubles! I love the little wave that my boxer braids from this weekend left me with!

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Feb18

I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

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I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! In my neck of the woods, there’s a discount store called Marc’s that’s seriously the best. They have the most fantastic closeout products ever and their prices certainly won’t break your bank. When my mom does her weekly grocery shopping there, she’ll sometimes surprise me with a beauty treat from the closeout section. A couple of months ago she brought me home an exfoliating shower gel from the brand I Love… I finally got around to using it and finished the gel yesterday so take a look at the pretty in pink packaging and then let’s discuss:

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Those who have read my product reviews before will know that for me to like a gel, cleanser, or what have you – it has to smell good! Usually I’m not the biggest fan of strawberry fragrances because it’s too sweet but I actually quite liked the scent of the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel. What was nice about the aroma of the gel was that it wasn’t a straight up strawberry scent. The “milkshake” essence of the gel dulled down what would be a potent strawberry fragrance with the luxurious scent of rich, freshly churned cream. The result of this combination was true to the product’s namesake…It really did smell like a frothy strawberry milkshake!

When it comes to cleansers and shower gels, another must for me is that it lathers well. This is where I Love’s… exfoliating body wash fell short. The texture of the product was one that I thought would bubble nicely – it was rich and creamy. It also had what appeared to be strawberry seeds thrown in for good measure. Despite having a texture that I usually would love, the lather that this gel created was minimal, at best. I really don’t like that. I love seeing big, soapy bubbles when I’m showering. It enhances my morning hygiene experience and most importantly, it makes me feel clean!

I’m going to chalk the lack of lather up to the fact that this gel tried to do a two for one by combining an exfoliant with a gel. Frankly, I think this product would have been a better exfoliater than a body wash. On the rare occasions that I do use an exfoliater on my body, I prefer for it to be cream rather than gel based. Products that are strictly gel based dehydrate my body to the extreme. The Body Shop has a strawberry seed exfoliater that’s a gel and I honestly think that if I Love’s… body wash was just an exfoliater, I would prefer it over TBS. (For a product to trump The Body Shop usually never happens for me!)

Although this product wasn’t the best body wash, per se, it still has a lot of potential and I really do like the I Love… brand. I’m going to rate the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel with three stars. My mom paid a whole two dollars for this body wash (granted, it was a closeout) and I think that it was a solid product, especially for what she paid! I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy the shower gel again but I wouldn’t say “no” to using it if the opportunity came about!

So there you have it, my I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review! My mom scored some of the brand’s lotion at the Marc’s closeout recently so I look forward to giving that a shot soon! Is there a discount store in your area that you like to shop at? What is your favorite body wash fragrance? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb13

Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

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Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I recently started using Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser and I’m really pleased with it so far! When I wash my face in the morning, I usually use some type of cream cleanser and then I use an exfoliater so it’s been nice using Olay’s product which is my two skin care staples in one. Take a look at the sunny bright packaging of my latest cleanser and let’s discuss:

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I’ve always liked using Olay’s skin care products and their exfoliating cleanser is no exception. As you guys know by now, it’s essential that the products I use smell good and my new cleanser passed the smell test with flying colors. As it says on the packaging, it has the essence of honeysuckle and white tea which makes for a sweet and bright scent. I love when my cleansers have a really invigorating aroma to them because it makes for a great pick me up during my morning showers. There’s a slight hint of floral to the scent but it’s not overpowering at all which leaves you with a fragrance that’s perfectly fresh and clean.

It is important to me that my cleansers create a lush and powerful lather when I’m scrubbing away and this product does exactly that. I was using one of Simple’s cleansers before this one and my biggest complaint about it was that it created no lather. Needless to say, I’m in bubble heaven now. What’s amazing about this product is that despite the exfoliater beads in it, it still feels so soft on the skin. A lot of exfoliating products leaves my skin feeling tight and dry but Olay’s “Bead Me Up” cleanser leaves my skin feeling supple and hydrated.

The best thing about this exfoliating cleanser is its personal vendetta against my blackheads! I have five nose piercings and I tend to get a lot of blackheads surrounding my studs. I’m not exactly self conscious of them because they’re really not noticeable but I know that they’re there and it drives me crazy! After just one use of “Bead Me Up”, 90% of my blackheads were gone. I rarely find cream cleansers that are strong enough to eliminate my blackheads so I am very happy with Olay’s exfoliating cleanser.

My one complaint about my cleanser is that it’s not gritty enough. What I love about exfoliaters is how rough it feels on my skin. I like the feeling of really scrubbing away and removing all of the dead skin and gunk clogging my face. If this exfoliating cleanser were just a smidgen grittier, it would be perfect.

Despite my desire for the exfoliating aspect of this cleanser to pack a bit more punch, I’m going to rate Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser with: four stars. I’ve really enjoyed incorporating this product into my hygiene routine and I’m excited to see the effect that it’s going to have on my skin!

So there you have it, my review of Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser! What is one of your must have skin care products? What cleanser are you using right now? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb5

Bath & Body Works February Freebie

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Bath & Body Works February Freebie

Hi everyone and TGIF! This week I stopped in to Bath & Body Works to snag my February Freebie and ended up with a super sweet travel size lotion. As many of you know, I live for my monthly freebie from B&BW and as I counted and calculated all of my loot from my past few visits, I learned that I collected over sixty dollars worth of free product! Not bad! This month, I went with their Pink Chiffon fragrance. Take a look at the pretty in pink packaging and then let’s discuss:

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I had a difficult time picking what fragrance I wanted when I went to Bath & Body Works this week. When you cash in your freebie coupon, you’re limited to the scents in B&BW’s signature collection and at this point, I’ve sampled almost all of those fragrances. I wanted something that I haven’t had before, so I decided to finally give the Pink Chiffon lotion a try.

The Pink Chiffon fragrance is very sweet – it seriously smells like spun sugar. I’m not a really big fan of “girly” smelling fragrances, to be honest. I much prefer something fruity, which I think has a little more kick. But the great thing about the Pink Chiffon scent, is that it still smells nice to me despite my preferences. It’s one of those scents that I think everyone would like because it’s so soft and light.

My thought process behind choosing the Pink Chiffon lotion was that it would make a good add on to a birthday or holiday gift because it’s such a universal scent. Thanks to my B&BW freebie hoard, I’ve dodged many an awkward bullet when someone has got me a gift and I didn’t get them anything. My Pink Chiffon lotion will be a great addition to my stock pile and will save me some money when I’m putting together a gift basket or care package. Sweet!

If you’d like to score some free swag from Bath & Body Works, make sure you enter in your email address or phone number next time you go shopping there. This will get you signed up to receive their coupons. You can also do some shopping online at their website! Whenever you shop with B&BW, make sure you enter your information in again at the cash register so you can continue receiving emails and snail mail with their coupons and promotions!

So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works February Freebie! I can’t wait to pick out another fragrance again next month! Are there any good freebie sites that you use? Which store do you think has the best coupons and promotions? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

Bath & Body Works January Freebie

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Bath & Body Works January Freebie

Hi everyone and TGIF! First things first, before we start to discuss my Bath & Body Works January Freebie, I have to mention my all star student status. I’m writing this as I take a homework break and I had the most terrifying test taking scenario ever that I managed to overcome…

I was taking a timed test and less than half way through, I realized that I really had to go to the bathroom. I mean it was bad. I couldn’t just walk away from the test though, so I did what any normal person would do…squirm around in my seat, speed through the test as quickly as possible, and leave the grade up to fate. Despite this major bathroom set back, your girl still managed to get a 100!! HOLLER. #starstudent #selfcontrol #blessed

ANYWAYS, now that we got that important announcement out of the way, let’s talk freebies! Just about every month, I get a coupon from Bath & Body Works for a free travel sized product to add to my hoard. Thanks to a shopping trip this week with my sister, I scored my January freebie which was a travel sized lotion of their scent A Thousand Wishes.

I always really enjoy my monthly trip to B&BW to snag my freebie and I have to say, I love the scent that I picked out. A Thousand Wishes is a super sweet holiday scent with hints of cranberry and vanilla that I just can’t get enough of. I’ve always been fond of cranberry fragrances – I live for The Body Shop’s seasonal cranberry scent, so I was pleased to find this cranberry infused goodie from B&BW. I like that A Thousand Wishes has an aroma that’s very soft and subtle because if there’s one thing that Lil Red hates, it’s an overpowering fragrance. And can we talk about how cute the packaging is?! LOVE.

Thanks to my B&BW freebie coupons, I’ve been able to have monthly sweet treats for myself and who doesn’t love that? I’ve also been able to avoid the awkwardness of not giving a gift to someone who got me a present this holiday season. I was simply able to put together a little something from my collection and be on my merry way without being labeled as a non-gift giving asshat. Thank you, Bath & Body Works! 😉

To get monthly freebies of your own, simply put in your email address or phone number next time you make a purchase at Bath & Body Works to get some coupons sent your way. You can also do some shopping and enter in your email address on their website! To keep the B&BW coupons coming, make sure you enter your email address or phone number each time you make a purchase or cash in a freebie coupon to keep all of your information up to date. You’ll be glad you did once you have a nice little hoard of your own!

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So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works January Freebie! What stores give away the best coupons or freebie items? What is your favorite B&BW scent? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

Perfumania

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Perfumania

Hii everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope you all are having a fabulous week so far. As I tried to clean through some clutter over my winter break, I found that a lot of it lied in the abundance of perfume that I have. Over the last year or two, I’ve refined my taste to just a few specific scents and have found no use for the extra overflow of fragrances in my collection. This has left me with a lot of barely used and brand new perfume that I haven’t the faintest clue what to do with. So I figured, why not post them on the ol’ blog to see if any of my readers are interested in buying some of them. Take a look:

Photo on the left:

  • Victoria’s Secret: Very Sexy Now – over 1/2 bottle left, originally $24
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sunny Brights Sun Blissed – almost brand new, originally $14
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sparkling Citrus Lemon Escape – almost brand new, originally $14
  • Victoria’s Secret: VS In Paradise Ocean Bloom – almost brand new, originally $14

Photo on the top:

  • Harajuku Lovers: Baby – brand new, originally $25
  • Britney Spears: Circus – over 3/4s full, originally $35
  • The Body Shop: Strawberry – almost brand new, originally $12
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sunny Brights Sun Blissed toilette – almost brand new, originally $20
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sparkling Citrus Lemon Escape toilette – almost brand new, originally $20

Photo on the bottom:

  • Juicy Couture: Peace, Love, & Couture – brand new, originally $60
  • Juicy Couture: original fragrance – 1/4 bottle left, originally $60
  • Gwen Stefani: L.A.M.B. – over 1/2 bottle left, originally $65
  • PacSun: Kirra – brand new, originally $20

But wait, there’s more! I also have a container full of high end perfume samples. There are twenty-one samples in all and will be three for a dollar for those who are interested! You also might find some of these added on to your purchase as a freebie treat!

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It really is Perfumania here on lifewithlilred! If you are interested in any of these fragrances or have any questions, feel free to email me at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com. All of the prices, shipping, etc. will be figured out by me and you! 🙂 What is your favorite fragrance? What is your least favorite scent? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah