Tag Archives: sephora

Jun23

Face Mask Festivities: Youth To The People Hydrate & Glow Dream Mask Edition

Posted on June 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today we will be discussing the Superberry Hydrate & Glow Dream Mask from Youth To The People. This mask was compliments of my free birthday gift from Sephora and I was excited to try it out. While I love all kinds of face masks, I am quite partial to sleep masks because you just have to put it on and forget about it. Although it doesn’t give you the full experience of relaxing while your mask sits, it’s always nice to think that you are being pampered even as you catch some Zs! Without further ado, let’s get to this review:

My first impressions of the Superberry Dream Mix was not really what I expected lol. I was surprised when I opened the package and saw the banana colored product! It also smelled exactly like bananas, which is great if you love the smell of bananas. Unfortunately, I don’t so this wasn’t ideal but thankfully the scent wasn’t too strong. The texture of this mask was really thick, which is also something that I didn’t care much for – especially in the summer heat. The Superberry mask took a considerable amount of time to absorb and it still hadn’t completely sunk in after an hour and a half. At that point, I was falling asleep so I can’t say for certain the full length of time for absorption, but I definitely prefer something more fast acting.

The Superberry Dream Mask features my favorite ingredients for skin care – Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid as well as other antioxidants to hydrate and brighten. After waking up, I did feel like my skin was softer and I also thought it didn’t look as tired considering I was up at three in the morning. Having said that, this mask costs fifty-two dollars for a full size jar and that is something that I can’t justify. Had this mask been an absolute miracle worker, I might reconsider. However, I have had similar results from other cheaper products so this will be the first and only time I use the Youth To The People mask.

It’s hard to gauge a product after just one use, but I am fine with not using it again. I will say that this mask would probably be really nice in the wintertime as opposed to the summer and could be worth a shot if you want to shell out for it!

What is your favorite face mask? What is your nighttime skin care routine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun16

Too Faced Lip Injection Swatch In Filler Up

Posted on June 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Too Faced Lip Injection Swatch In Filler Up

Hi!!! I am very unadventurous when it comes to makeup. Once I find a brand and shade that I like, I tend to stick with it for the long haul. This past month, I used up my go to lipstick by Bite Beauty in the most lovely mauve shade called Chai. It was no biggie because I needed new mascara from Sephora so I planned on restocking my lipstick too. It turned out to be a HUGE biggie because I learned online that the Chai shade has been discontinued. Just my luck. I spent some time browsing Sephora online for a comparable lipstick but didn’t want to take the plunge in case I didn’t like it. So, I went to shop in store and after a lot of trial and error, ended up with a gorgeous shade by Too Faced called Filler Up. Check it out:

I very rarely shop for new makeup and opt to spend my extra cash on new clothes and shoes. I like to consider myself to be an excellent shopper, but I met my match at Sephora. Who knew something as simple as picking out a new lipstick would be so difficult? NOT ME lol. Shopping brings me inner peace – makeup shopping is a whole different ballgame. Every lipstick looked like it could be good and, then again, every lipstick looked like it might not work. This was so totally overwhelming considering the expansive lippie selection at Sephora!

After swatching, reswatching, and swatching again throughout the store, I was at a complete loss. Then, the tides turned in a major way when I took a closer look at the Lip Injection collection by Too Faced. There was no perfect match to my fallen friend by Bite Beauty, but it was closer than anything I had seen. I ended up choosing a shade called Filler Up which is described as a “muted mauve pink”. Although I still preferred the true mauve of Chai, I knew that Filler Up was the closest I could get and I’m happy with it. I have used matte Too Faced lip products before and love their saturated pigments. However, I find matte products to be a bit too drying now so this cream lippie is just right. Is it my new favorite shade? Who’s to say? But I’ll give it a try. 🙂

Did I have fun during my Sephora shopping trip? Not at all lol so I am so glad I found something “close enough” to my OG lippie so I don’t have to do it again anytime soon! 😀

What is your least favorite thing to shop for? What is your go to lipstick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun15

Sephora Birthday Haul

Posted on June 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I have been in dire need of my beloved Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced for several months now. However, I refused to buy it until recently so that I could cash in my Sephora birthday gift. You all know I live for my freebies! Normally, I shop Sephora online because they run some great promotions like a freebie after spending X amount of money. This time around, though, I went in store because I needed some new lipstick too. Unfortunately, my go to lippie is no longer made so I spent some time browsing the store and swatching different shades as I went. We’ll check out a swatch from my new Too Faced lipstick tomorrow. But, for now, take a look at my birthday haul:

The Haul:

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Too Faced Lip Injection in Filler Up

Youth To The People skin care set with a Superfood Cleanser, Superberry Dream Mask, and Superfood Moisturizer

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it time and time again: The Better Than Sex mascara is, hands down, the best I have ever used. During my time without my favorite mascara, I tried out a few different brands and nothing even came close in comparison. Needless to say, I am very happy to have a new tube and back up one again! I missed my big, bold, look at me lashes so much and consider each twenty-six dollar tube to be worth every penny. I especially find this to be true now after using cheaper brands that did nothing for me. And, hey, sometimes you have to splurge for the good stuff!

During my Sephora shopping trip, I started at the Too Faced department and ended there too during my lipstick search. Although I am not a big makeup girl, I figured it would be pretty easy to find a lippie in a similar shade to the one I used up. WRONG. There were SO. Many. Options. to choose from and it was overwhelming lol. It felt like I totally forgot the color I was even looking for and everything I swatched wasn’t quite right. I was about to give up when I realized I didn’t pay too much attention to the Too Faced Lip Injection collection. This was much more like it and I cannot wait for all of you to see Filler Up. It’s sooo pretty. 🙂

The last order of business was checking out and selecting my free birthday gift. There are several options online for what you can pick out for your prezzie – skin care, hair care, fragrance, or makeup. In the store I went to, however, the choices were limited. But, as luck would have it, the Youth To The People skin care set that I wanted was up for grabs. It’s no secret that I am skin care obsessed so it is always fun to test out higher end products. I am particularly excited about the Air-Whip moisturizer, which promises to be nice and light and perfect for the summertime!

After this trip to Sephora, I came to the conclusion that I don’t know anything about makeup lol. I was definitely jonesing to go to TJMaxx afterwards to get reacquainted with simpler things like shoes and clothes! Either way, I’m happy to have gotten what I needed and next time I need new makeup, I am bringing my sister along for help. 😀

What is your favorite makeup brand? How often do you get new makeup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov28

November 2023 Finishes

Posted on November 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! November is drawing to a close, which can only mean that it’s time to discuss my monthly beauty finishes. I can’t say that this was the most successful month of empties, but damnit if it isn’t satisfying to finish products up lol. Good or bad, I always enjoy trying something new so it’s always exciting for me to use something up and move onto the next thing! There isn’t too much to discuss today so let’s keep things short and sweet and get right to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm: YES!!!!

Bath & Body Works Mimosa & Spearmint Hand Cream: MAYBE

Peptid+ Collagen Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

IGK Hair Balm: The Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm from Sephora is an absolute must in my stockpile. I got a sample of it many moons ago in a free Sephora Play! Box and immediately bought it in full size and have been using it ever since. I use this product before straightening my hair, but also sporadically throughout the week to give my locks the moisture boost it needs. The IGK hair balm leaves my hair so soft and shiny and serves as an amazing heat protector too. With my shorter hair, I only need about a nickle sized dollop because a little goes such a long way. It takes me between five or six months to finish one bottle and is worth every penny.

B&BW Hand Cream: I am not a fan of the hand cream from Bath & Body Works in any sense of the word. In my opinion, they don’t moisturize well and the texture is very greasy. I am always disappointed when I get a freebie coupon for a hand cream in the mail, but free is free. The Mimosa & Spearmint scent left a lot to be desired and it smelled neither here nor there. I noticed no positive improvement in the dryness of my skin in the week it took me to finish the travel size tube.

Peptid+ Moisturizer: I have been dabbling more in moisturizers with collagen or retinal in it as I approach my thirties. Unfortunately, this Peptid+ Collagen Moisturizer was not it. It took me about four weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar. While I appreciated the value of it, this moisturizer is one that I wouldn’t use again or recommend. It did nothing for my skin and, therefore, did nothing for me. In fact, I am noticing more positive differences with the moisturizer I just started using as opposed to this one! It’s a no from me, dawg.

November was a bit of a dud for empties, but that’s okay! It’s nice to know what products to not spend money on again and I like to let all of you know my findings too. A penny saved is a penny earned or whatever! 😀

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

Jul19

Glossier Cloud Paint Swatches In Storm & Dawn

Posted on July 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! Yesterday, we took a look at the first two swatches from the Glossier Cloud Paint sample pack I received during my Sephora Birthday Haul. And, today, we will be wrapping things up by checking out the remaining two in Storm and Dawn. Although I’m not overly impressed with any of the colors from the Cloud Paint samples, I will say that I definitely liked Storm and Dawn much better than Eve and Spark! Now, let’s get to it:

Storm:

Dawn:

Out of all of the colors we have swatched, I think I like Storm the best. Would I buy it? No, but it was the only one I didn’t completely dislike! Storm is described as a “warm rose” on Sephora’s website and if it matched that description more on my skin, I would have been there for it. However, this shade had a lot of purple undertones to it and that is what showed through more on me. I love the idea of Storm and it’s really pretty, but it is something that I would never wear myself.

Like Spark, Dawn was bright and poppy with the description of “sunny coral”. Like Storm, this was an almost but not quite color for me. Dawn showed as really orange on my skin and not only do I feel like it would wash me out, but it would also clash against my hair colors. In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that the colors I swatched would look better on a darker complexion and I feel the same about the ones today. The Cloud Paint is so pigmented and that’s awesome, but it would just be too much on me.

Although Storm and Dawn did nothing for me, it is worth mentioning again the ease of use of the Glossier Cloud Paint. I can see why it was reviewed so well on Sephora because the colors are gorgeous and it’s fun to apply! I am sure a tube of the Cloud Paint would last forever because a tiny dab went such a long way. It is not for me, but I am loving them for someone else!

What is your favorite makeup to apply? How long does it take you to complete your makeup routine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul18

Glossier Cloud Paint Swatches In Eve & Spark

Posted on July 18, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Glossier Cloud Paint Swatches In Eve & Spark

Hello!! During my Sephora Birthday Haul, I wasn’t overly impressed with the free sample selection for my purchase. As per ushe, I opt for skin care as my two free samples of choice and loved the Alpyn Beauty moisturizer I received. The remaining options were makeup, hair care, and fragrance which I usually shy away from as I’m pretty unadventurous in that regard. For swatches’ sake, I went with a sample pack of four Cloud Paint blushes by Glossier. Today, we are going to take a closer look at Eve and Spark. Tune in tomorrow for a peek at Storm and Dawn! Now, let’s get to it:

Eve:

Spark:

When swatching Eve, I put what I thought was a tiny dab on my finger and blended away onto my hand like the instructions said. However, our definitions of a tiny dab were way different! I blended and blended and blended some more and it still applied quite dark. The rich plum color was gorgeous, though, and I resolved to use an even smaller amount when I swatched Spark. Even with the minuscule amount I used, it still showed up really visible in a bold, pure red.

While all of the colors from this sample pack are very pretty, Eve and Spark were too much against my complexion. I suspect the same will be true for Storm and Dawn as well. These blushes would look stunning against a darker skin tone, but it is a definite no from me in terms of ever buying a full size. I will say that the Cloud Paint applied so easily and was soft to the touch. Once it was on, I couldn’t even tell that it was there and that is a high point for these blushes for sure.

I am always curious about what other people think about products that I am sampling and the Glossier Cloud Paint got really good reviews on Sephora for the most part. The resounding comments were in terms of ease of use and the high pigmentation of each shade. Although the colors in my sample pack did nothing for me, I am very curious about Puff, which is a frosty light pink. I might have to treat myself to a full size of that next time I shop Sephora!

Keep it locked tomorrow for the swatches of Storm and Dawn as well as a date night OOTD coming soon!! ❤

What is your favorite blush? Do you prefer a powder or cream blush? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul17

Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Hydration Mask Edition

Posted on July 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Hydration Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities!! It has been so long since I tried out a new face mask and I was very much looking forward to testing out one from my recent Sephora Birthday Haul. For my free birthday gift, I selected a skin care set by Farmacy which included the Honey Potion Plus Hydration Mask. I have been most impressed with the moisturizer that I have been using from this gift set so I assumed the Honey Potion Plus would be awesome too. And it was… meh. Let’s discuss further:

I had great first impressions of this mask and absolutely loved the bright yellow color! The texture felt exactly like scooping jelly into my hand and it smelled just like honey. Step one for the Honey Potion Plus was rubbing it into your skin until it formed a white cream. During that time, the mask heated up and it felt fantastic after a long day. I read some reviews about it burning during the heat up process, but I didn’t experience that and the sensation of heat went away as quickly as it had appeared.

Once the mask was applied, it had to sit for between ten and fifteen minutes and rinsed off afterwards. I was eagerly anticipating the rinse off because I thought this mask was going to leave my skin SO soft. I left it on for about twelve minutes as it had dried completely at that point. I rinsed my skin, patted it dry, and… nothing. In fact, I daresay it made my skin feel less hydrated. It didn’t feel tight, more like I didn’t use skin care at all that day.

I completed my nighttime skin care routine and went to bed thinking that I’d feel some results in the morning and… nothing. The reviews I have read for the Honey Potion Plus were hit or miss with some people loving it and others left disappointed. I definitely fell into the “miss” category and my skin felt better with my normal routine than with the mask used at all. I’m sure it works well if you have a really dry complexion, but that’s not the case for me. This mask started out strong and ended in a massive WHOMP WHOMP.

Although this mask did me no favors, it was still pretty fun to use and I liked how it brought the heat. I will finish the sample jar I got because I refuse to let it go to waste. However, it is one that I would never buy a full size of. The Honey Potion Plus was a no for me but a yes for others so if you try it, I would just say to go in with low expectations because you never know what you’re going to get!

Have you used this face mask before? What are your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul13

Sephora Birthday Haul

Posted on July 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Before my birthday month wrapped up, I had to make sure that I did a little online shopping with Sephora to cash in my free birthday gift. If you are a Beauty Insider, you are treated to your pick from three or so travel size beauty bundles and I look forward to it every year! It was the perfect time for me to place an order because I was running dangerously low on one of my favorite hair care products – the Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm by IGK. Two bottles of the hair balm were the only things that I paid for and the rest of this haul was completely free! Check it out:

^^^ All of these products are from cruelty free brands!

The Haul:

2 bottles of IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm: $29/bottle

Farmacy Birthday Gift: FREE

Goop Glow Vita-C Eye Cream: FREE with $25 purchase

Alpyn Beauty Melt Moisturizer Sample: FREE with purchase

Glossier Cloud Paint Sample: FREE with purchase

Every time I have an amazing Sephora Haul, I always have to mention the merits of making the purchase online. There is typically free shipping for orders over fifty dollars, you get to pick two free samples with every order, and there is a HUGE selection of free product with purchases over twenty-five dollars. You get so much more bang for your buck and I feel satisfied with the money I spent rather than robbed. Hey, you can never go wrong with free!

For my Sephora birthday gift, I chose the skin care set by Farmacy. Every year, the freebie bundle selection usually follows the same formula, just with different brands. There is one for hair care, makeup, fragrance, and skin care, respectively. As I am pretty inflexible with my makeup and hair care, I pick the skin care sets nine times out of ten. Even if I were more adventurous when it comes to makeup, I would still make the same choice because I can never have enough skin care. 😀

Farmacy is a brand that I have heard of, but never tried and I am looking forward to it! This birthday set includes the Honey Potion Plus Hydrating Mask, a moisturizer, and a cleansing balm. I haven’t used a face mask in months so I am most excited to try the Honey Potion Plus. The cleansing balm is one that I could take or leave, but who knows? Maybe I’ll end up loving it! And, of course, testing new moisturizers is always fun. 🙂

For the remainder of my haul, I got a Goop Glow eye cream as my freebie for spending more than twenty-five dollars. Like Farmacy, this is a brand that I am familiar with but haven’t tried anything by. The brand definitely has a name that I wouldn’t soon forget! A moisturizer and blush were my free samples and I have already used the Alpyn Beauty one – it was lovely and would be especially nice for those with a dryer complexion.

I am so happy with my Birthday Haul from Sephora and can’t wait to use all of the new to me products. Keep it locked for a new Face Mask Festivities and swatches from the Glossier blush coming soon!

Which store offers the best promotions? Do you like to shop Sephora in store or online? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul30

July 2022 Finishes

Posted on July 30, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! It’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month of July and it was a good month, indeed. I got to try some new to me products, used up some of the ones that took forever, and revisited some old favorites. It was a GREAT SUCCESS so let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Country Apple spray: YES
SkinLab Lift & Firm cleanser: YES
Bath & Body Works Gingham Love shower gel: YES
Tatcha Water Cream: MAYBE
Lanocreme moisturizer: YES
Hope Soap Vanilla & Fig lotion: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Spray: Omg, did this spray take forever to finish lol – at least half a year of almost daily use! This is fine by me, though, because I love anything apple scented and B&BW always delivers. The Country Apple is the perfect mix of sweet and tart and it is the perfect pick me up before leaving for work. I would definitely use it again but am fine with not using it for a while!

SkinLab Cleanser: I love SkinLab products and the Lift & Firm Daily Gel Cleanser was amazing. After about a month and a half of daily use, my skin looked more supple and felt smoother. It was invigorating to use every morning and also removed remnants of makeup really well. Although, I have to admit that it’s a bit sad to be moving onto products that Lift & Firm lol.

B&BW Shower Gel: Normally, the travel size shower gel from B&BW lasts me three weeks of daily use. However, this month I used up two of them because Johnny helped me out after he ran out of his shower gel. We both smelled awesome for the month of July and I adore the Gingham Love scent. It has all of the fresh, crisp feels of the original Gingham with juicy berries thrown in for good measure. Although I think it’s super cute that Johnny used my shower gel, I’m bummed out that I’m all out of Gingham Love!

Tatcha Moisturizer: This moisturizer was a freebie during my last Sephora Haul and it was nice but I wouldn’t use it unless I got it as a free item again. I love a water cream formula, especially during the summer and this one was delightful. It absorbed so quickly while still leaving my skin feeling ultra hydrated. It took me four days of twice daily use to finish the sample jar.

Lanocreme Moisturizer: I purchased this moisturizer during a winter haul at TJMaxx and finally got around to using it towards the end of June. Although it absorbed well, it was a bit too thick for my liking during the summertime. That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be great for fall and winter use, though! This moisturizer was rich, creamy, and left my skin looking and feeling peaches and cream perfect. It took me about five weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Lotion: This is the second lotion that I’ve used from Hope Soap, which is a local shop in my area. I received both of them as a gift and the first one that I finished in June wasn’t my favorite because its texture was so runny. The Vanilla & Fig was the polar opposite, however, and had the consistency of a normal lotion which I liked much better. It also smelled awesome! As nice as it was, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it for myself but it made a wonderful gift. It took me a little under two months to finish the jar.

As you can see from all of these empties, July was a month full of pampering. Whether the product was good or bad, I am glad to have used them up and am ready for lots more finishes come August!

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

Jun26

Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask Review

Posted on June 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hey! I had a fantastic little three dollar haul from Sephora so that I could get my Beauty Insider birthday gift. I made the most of their free shipping at the time and ordered a pack of makeup wipes and lots of freebies. For my birthday gift, I chose the Ilia makeup set and have been so pleased with everything in it. I’m obsessed with the tinted lip oil, I gave my sister the mascara, and I just started using the Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask:

I love the idea of a lip mask but they never seem to love me. I have never been blown away by any of the ones that I have tried and always find that the chapstick that I normally put on before bed is more effective. I was expecting similar results of “fine but not impressed” by the Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask and was so happy that I was wrong! 😀

The packaging on the lip mask promises “fuller and softer lips” and it definitely delivered. Upon waking up after one use, my lips felt ultra hydrated and even looked more supple. My bottom lip is fuller than my top one and I noticed a huge difference in my top lip’s size which I was shocked by. It looked much better portioned in comparison to my bottom lip and I have never had results like that after one or several uses of a lip mask.

Although I did really like the Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask, I don’t know if I can justify its twenty-six dollar price tag from Sephora. I was also surprised by a lot of negative reviews for it, one of which being that it had a gritty texture. I noticed that too but it was overall very creamy with a little grit that I just wiped off.

If you can snag this product as a freebie, then I say go for it. I know that I will be doing the same. However, twenty-six dollars is steep for a little jar of lip mask and no matter how impressed I was by it, I would never spend that much!

What is your favorite lip product? Which birthday gift did you choose if you are a Beauty Insider? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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