Tag Archives: shimmer

Jul14

Bath & Body Works Freebie Haul

Posted on July 14, 2025 by lifewithlilred

Hello! On Tuesdays, I have an hour and a half or so break until my last shift of the day. During that time, I will work, read, run errands, have coffee with a friend, or an impromptu shopping date. It’s such a nice little hiatus and I always look forward to it. This past Tuesday, I had a few errands to run before posting up at Starbucks with my Passion Fruit Tea and a good book. I needed bunny supplies and a trip to Bath & Body Works to cash in on all of the freebies. I had a free travel size coupon as well as two free full sized products from their rewards program. It truly couldn’t have come at a better time because they just launched their Halloween line!! Thanks to a helpful employee, I found my new favorite thing and I seriously can’t wait to use it! Check it out:

^^^ You can peep my review for Gingham All-American here!

When it comes to B&BW freebies, I have a system. I always alternate between a shower gel and a lotion so that my stockpile is relatively even Stevens. I had every intention of doing the same with my freebies and that got turned on its head! As soon as I walked in the store, I couldn’t help but share my excitement for the Halloween line with the first employee who talked to me. She asked if I wanted to see her favorite new product and I said ABSOLUTELY. I have been missing the Halloween collection since it left the shelves last year and wanted to see everything B&BW had to offer!

The employee returned with a Shimmer Fizz Body Lotion in my absolute favorite scent of Vampire Blood. When she put some on for me to sample, my mind was blown. This lotion looks like shaving cream when you use it and quite literally fizzes on your skin. It felt like little bubbles dancing and it was the most delightful sensation. Not to mention it was insanely light and hydrating to boot. The piece de resistance, however, was the shimmer. The lotion left behind a sparkly trail of glitter and I was totally and completely sold. So much so that I just had to get another bottle in their newest scent, I Scream Float.

You can check out my Vampire Blood review here, but let’s discuss the brand new addition to the Halloween collection:

I Scream Float: Thanks to Facebook ads, I knew that I Scream Float was going to be hitting the stores and I was SO excited to take a whiff lol. The fragrance notes offered are “fizzing cola, frightful vanilla float, and spooky sugars” and I couldn’t agree more. I Scream Float really does smell like a Coca Cola float with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream and sugar crystals on the rim. It is absolutely delicious and speaks to my Diet Coke addicted heart. I never thought I wanted to smell like my favorite bevvie but here we are now and I can’t get enough. And, yes, I feel that way about I Scream Float and my beloved Diet Coke!

The Shimmer Fizz Body Lotion from Bath & Body Works is going to be oh so sweet for summer concerts and complimenting Halloween costumes. I can’t wait to use it with my summer OOTDs! My freebie haul totaled out to forty-seven bucks in product and I am beyond happy with it. So much so, that I actually might pay full price for more Shimmer Fizz. RUN don’t walk to get a bottle for yourself!

What is your favorite holiday collection from B&BW? Have you scored any good freebies recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct5

New Light Pink & Purple Shimmer Nails

Posted on October 5, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! I live for my monthly break time fills at Elysian Nails and had an appointment this past Tuesday. I am also getting my hair done later this month so LOOK OUT because your girl is about to be feeling her goddamn self. During Treat Day with my niece, I asked her what colors I should get my nails and she suggested pink and purple. She read my mind because that’s exactly what I planned on doing! Check it out:

I’m not sure if I mentioned what mine and Johnny’s Halloween costumes are so if I did, sorry for repeating myself lol. He is going to be Lord Licorice and I will be a Candy Queen inspired by Candyland. It is going to be cute as can be and I am SO excited to order my costume! As you might have guessed, what I picked out primarily features pink and purple so I needed nails to match the vibe. When I approached the nail polish wall, I found two perfect shades of shimmery pink and purple sitting side by side. It was like they were waiting just for me! 😀

As per ushe, my tech did a bang up job and exceeded her former personal best on my nails. She was done in one hour flat and that provided me with the time to actually sit and wait for my nails to dry, run an errand, and still get to work on time. It was absolutely amazing! Boy, did the hour fly by too. We spent the entire sesh gabbing about the Monsters series on Netflix as we both had recently binged the two seasons. Like everything about this appointment, it was exactly what I needed because I really wanted to talk about the show with someone. That ish was CRAZY. 😮

My nails are fully prepped for Halloween and my hair is next. I can’t wait for all of you (and myself) to see the end result!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? What are you going to be for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep5

New Burnt Orange & Gold Glitter Nails

Posted on September 5, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! My break time fill at Elysian Nails is my monthly treat and I always look forward to it. My nail tech and I have this process down to a science and by the time my nails are semi dry, I am able to get to my next shift with a few minutes to spare. Although I love an after work fill, I love going home after work more so it really does work out perfectly. Despite the super speedy session, I always leave the salon feeling as pampered as if I spent hours there. Going back to work with fresh new claws tends to have that effect! Check it out:

After a stint of ninety plus degree days in good old Akron, Ohio it has blessedly began to feel like fall. The temperatures have been in the seventies and low eighties and even though that’s still warm, the significant drop feels breezy. I am living for it because I have been waiting for fall since it ended last year lol. With crisp days, crunchy leaves, and Halloween heavily on my mind, I wanted to do an autumn hued motif for my nails. There was an ample selection at the nail polish wall that matched my fall aesthetic and all of them had their merits. My first pick was the lovely burnt orange with some shimmer to it. Then, I went for a glittery gold for a dose of bling and to accentuate the shimmer in the orange even more. The end result? Fall leaves with a boost of sparkle!

Normally when I get a fill, there is almost always a repair that needs done for a lift or break. I am pleased to report that this time around, my nails were in top notch condition minus the regrowth. This was an anomaly that my tech and I both noted and we agreed that she must have worked some magic during my last fill. She always does, but it definitely hit different! Because the time consuming task of repairs wasn’t necessary, I was in and out in record time. I even was able to let my nails fully dry at the salon and that rarely happens! I am keeping my fingers crossed that this fill will be just as successful and knowing my tech, I am sure it will be. 😀

I have been feeling so fall and I now have the nails to match. I just have to smile every time I see the sparkly splendor of my new talons!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? What is your favorite fall color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May10

New Pink & Deep Purple Nails

Posted on May 10, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Three of my houses of worship are TJMaxx, the Shear Shop, and Elysian Nails. They are where I go to find solace, shelter from the storm, and inner peace. I leave each location a transformed woman and always feel much better than I did before! On Tuesday, I had a fantastic fill at Elysian Nails and it turned out beautifully. There is nothing quite like that fresh fill feeling and no one could tell me NOTHIN for the rest of the day! My nail tech got me just right and I am loving this cute color combo:

^^^ Peep those new finger tattoos!

It has felt like summer for the past several weeks in Ohio and I always like to transition to brighter nail polish when it starts warming up. My plan was to go for sunny, poppy hues for this fill but I was feeling very uninspired at the nail polish wall. Every color combination I could think of was something that I had done before and while I have no problem repeating combos I liked, I just wasn’t in the mood for it. After staring at my choices for what felt like forever, a bubblegum pink caught my eye and I could work with that! Rather than continue with summer colors, I decided to expand my horizons and chose a shimmery, deep purple. It was different than anything I have used recently and I can’t believe I haven’t selected it before because it’s so pretty!

When I go in for my Tuesday fill, I am in between shifts and it can be hard for me to fully relax when I know I have to go back to work. But, after I sat down at my nail tech’s station, I could literally feel my stress melting away. My girl is the absolute best and I never realize just how bad my nails are until she goes to work on them. As we chat away, she expertly repairs, fortifies, and sharpens my claws back into their former glory. Once I leave the salon and am on my way back to the grind, I always feel like I’m ready to take on the rest of the day. It’s amazing what some fresh new talons can do for me. 😀

Elysian Nails is, truly, my happy place and I think it is having the same effect on my mom… She has been itching to go back for a mani since we got our toes done and I am SO there for it!

What colors do you like to wear in the summer? Where is your happy place? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep12

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on September 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! On Labor Day, I had the potential to go into work but as luck would have it, I had the day off. Johnny and I made the most of our free day by visiting his parents, going grocery shopping at Aldi, and shopping at TJMaxx. I was fresh out of moisturizer and needed to do a restock of my beauty hoard. And, of course, I never say no to early holiday shopping and treats like a gorgeous new sweater you will see tomorrow! The skin care department was severely lacking during this trip, but I managed to walk away with the following:

Normally, it doesn’t take me long to pick out skin care when I’m at TJs. I know which brands I like and are cruelty free so it’s just a matter of locating them and filling up my cart. This time around, I couldn’t find any of my go to brands! I was really hoping to find another jar of the Rescue Me moisturizer by goodhabit, but it was nowhere to be found. To add salt to the wound, the majority of the selection was from brands that weren’t cruelty free. I spent SO long going through all of the moisturizers and serums and coming up empty handed. Not that I mind the thrill of the hunt for skin care, but even I was getting annoyed!

For moisturizers, I ended up with three jars that I probably wouldn’t have bought if the pickings weren’t so slim. I’m sure they will be fine and maybe I’ll end up liking them, but I am always partial to a gel based moisturizer! These were the literal only cruelty free ones I could find and were relatively cheap at six bucks a pop so what can you do? I also found a serum that I am kind of interested in trying out with all of that shimmer. I love a touch of glitter and I’m hoping it will bring a pop of brightness during the grey months of fall and winter.

One final thing that caught my eye was some floss picks, which I also happened to be running low on. Rather than making a separate trip to Giant Eagle for them, I thought I’d give these plant based picks a go. You never know what you’ll find at TJMaxx! I have taken my oral health very seriously since my raging success at my last periodontist appointment. Floss picks have become a must have staple for me and it makes me feel good to be taking much better care of my teeth. I’m just hoping these plant based picks will be as durable as the ones that I usually use!

Am I thrilled with this TJMaxx Skin Care Haul? Not particularly and it was a very lackluster showing on TJ’s part. On the bright side, these are all new to me products and it’s always fun to test out new brands. We’ll see what happens!

What are your must have beauty products? What is your favorite cruelty free brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar12

New Shimmer Ocean Blue & Glitter Pink Nails

Posted on March 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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New Shimmer Ocean Blue & Glitter Pink Nails

Hello!!! This past Wednesday, I spent a lovely morning before work being pampered with a fill at Elysian Nails. I was bummed because I couldn’t get an appointment with my usual tech, but it honestly ended up working just as well. The tech that did my nails was SO fast and I ended up making it to work early instead of fifteen minutes late like I had originally planned. Normally, I crave extra time at the salon but, in this case, everything was coming up Lil Red! Check out this fill that was completed in forty-five minutes:

As I made my way to Elysian Nails, I struggled to come up with a color combination that spoke to me. So, I decided to let fate decide and left it up to whatever struck my fancy first at the nail polish wall. After a quick once over, my eyes locked in on the bottle of the shimmery ocean blue polish and decided to go for it. It looked so pretty in the bottle and the color reminded me of mermaids! With the mermaid motif in mind, I selected the glittery pink for my second color and waited for my appointment to start.

The tech who did my nails has been at Elysian for forever, but he was new to me. It was freaking amazing to watch him work because he was both fast and efficient but the quality of my nails was still on par if not better than someone who took their time. I admit that I was a bit nervous to have him do my nails because I don’t trust just anyone with my claws. However, my mind was quickly put at ease because he wouldn’t be at the salon if he wasn’t excellent. As we settled into our comfortable silence, I was able to relax and get my HGTV on but before I knew it, he was already done!

I love how my nails turned out and I can’t stop looking at them to save my own life! The shape is perfect and the colors are so playful in the light. Of course, the flash of blingy glitter from the pink is always fun, but I am obsessed with the ocean blue. In just the right lighting it looks emerald green and no matter what color you see it as, it is still gorgeous! 😀

I would happily see the tech who did my nails again and it is good to know that there is another option if my usual gals are booked up. This was definitely another successful trip to Elysian in the books!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? Do you prefer gel, dip, or regular polish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

bellapierre Cosmetics Mineral Blush Swatch In Desert Rose

Posted on October 28, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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bellapierre Cosmetics Mineral Blush Swatch In Desert Rose

Hello! We are going to wrap up our swatch posts from my hand me down haul from my sister by discussing a mineral blush by bellapierre Cosmetics in Desert Rose. This loose powder blush is oh so pretty and even has SPF 15 in it which I thought was very cool because I have never had a blush that offered that before. Now, let’s get swatching:

When opening the jar of Desert Rose blush, my initial impression was that it was a bit too dark for my liking because I have such a fair complexion. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how light it applied and can definitely see myself using it as a nice change of pace from my Body Shop blushes which I have been using since I was a teen! My makeup motto has always been if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it so it will be fun to try something new that I didn’t have to commit to buying.

This bellapierre blush applied so smoothly and I love that it had a pinch of shimmer in it for glowing skin and protection from the sun all in one. None of my blushes have ever had a touch of glitter in it so this blush is full of firsts for me. 😀 When I do my makeup next time I can’t wait to try it out!

Many thanks to my big sis for passing her unwanted makeup onto me – I LOVE YOU!!!!!! ❤

What is your favorite blush? Where do you like to shop for makeup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct26

Meech & Mia Eyeshadow Swatch In Beige

Posted on October 26, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! Today, we are going to get our swatch on with a hand me down Meech & Mia eyeshadow from my big sis in Beige. No longer used products from the makeup guru herself are always a treat and I was delighted when she handed me a Birchbox box full of makeup! 😀 Let’s get started and be on the lookout for more product swatches soon:

This eyeshadow was a bit of an enigma because upon first inspection, it looks burnt orange to me – not beige at all. When on, I still see an orange tint depending on the lighting which reminds me of that dress that everyone freaked out about on social media because they couldn’t tell if it was blue or grey or something? Lol but I digress. This is not to say that the color isn’t lovely, it’s just not what I expected!

I do like this color a lot and it is pillowy soft to the touch. However, I am not a huge fan of loose powder eyeshadow. When it comes to makeup, I am not the best at applying and I feel like this eyeshadow would get everywhere if I tried to use it. In fact, it did get everywhere just from opening the jar.

I can’t say that I would use this as the only eyeshadow on my MOTD because it is not pigmented enough for my liking. But, I think I will try dusting it over the color that I choose for some extra shimmer – it’s way too pretty to not at least give it a shot!

What color does this eyeshadow look to you? Do you prefer a loose powder or more compact eyeshadow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov8

Lisa Frank X Glamour Dolls Eyeshadow Swatch In Stargazing

Posted on November 8, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Lisa Frank X Glamour Dolls Eyeshadow Swatch In Stargazing

Hi! Back when I was in grade school a million years ago, it was all about all Lisa Frank everything. From her colorful designs, lots of shimmer, and cute animals adorning school supplies and book bags, it was impossible to not get into the Lisa Frank hype. It has been forever since I have thought about that brand but memories of my favorite LF notebooks came rushing back when I found a Lisa Frank eyeshadow in the hand me downs my sister gave me.

This eyeshadow in Stargazing is a special nod to Lisa Frank’s signature style and it also happens to be one of my fave colors. So, take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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

Everything about this eyeshadow is so fab to me. From the punchy purple and silver packaging to the glittering hue of shooting stars once you open the compact, this is Lisa Frank to the T. When I first saw this eyeshadow in my hand me down haul, I was shocked because I had no idea that a collaboration between Lisa Frank and Glamour Dolls even happened. But, now that I see it, my only question is why the heck it didn’t happen sooner!

This eyeshadow also couldn’t have come soon enough because I was running dangerously low on my go to bronze shade from The Body Shop. Out of all of the eyeshadows that I swatched these past few days, I can definitely say that I will be wearing this Stargazing hue the most. I just know I’m going to love it and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s even prettier than my old TBS fave seen here. 😀

Bring on all of the fun of early 2000’s Lisa Frank with this amazing eyeshadow!

Did you have any Lisa Frank gear back in the day? What did it look like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov7

Beaute Basics Eyeshadow Swatch In Satin Taupe

Posted on November 7, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Beaute Basics Eyeshadow Swatch In Satin Taupe

Hello! Today, we are going to be taking a look at an eyeshadow by Beaute Basics thanks to a hand me down haul from my sister, Kristen. The shade that I’m swatching is called Satin Taupe and I can definitely picture myself wearing it! So, take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

^^^ The top heart is the eyeshadow applied while wet and the second one is applied while dry.

As you all know, nothing pleases Lil Red more than a metallic hue from the bronze or brown family. I just think it looks so flattering with my eyes and skin tone and I never venture too far from those shades when it comes to my makeup. My sister knows this better than anyone because she constantly makes fun of me for it, lol. But, she is also my biggest supporter because when I get hand me downs from her, nine times out of ten there is some type of shimmery gold or brown eyeshadow waiting for me.

Beaute Basics was right in calling this shade Satin Taupe because it seriously applied smooth as satin. The eyeshadow felt so soft but it was still nice and compact. This was a huge bonus because I find that the softer shadows usually apply pretty flaky and you end up with more makeup around your eyes than on the lid itself.

What I liked the most about this eyeshadow is the fact that the color on my skin was true to what I saw in the compact, unlike the Elizabeth Mott shade that I swatched yesterday. My only recommendation would be applying it wet because the eyeshadow is more of a shimmer when dry as opposed to an actual, bold color. I can’t wait to add this Beaute Basics hue into my makeup arsenal!

Do you like to experiment with makeup? Or, like me, do you have a handful of shades that you stick with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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