Tag Archives: skin care

Aug29

August 2021 Finishes

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August 2021 Finishes

Howdy! August is almost over and that means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. Because of the pandemic, I have been online shopping a lot rather than going in store so I haven’t been trying as many new products as I would like. So, this month has a lot of tried and true favorites which you all already know a lot about and a couple of newbies thrown in for good measure. Let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Beyond Belief Lotion: When it comes to lotion, I am really not picky at all because I only use it at night before bed. I can’t say that I have ever used a body lotion that I simply can’t live without so I could take or leave the Beyond Belief Enchanted Berries lotion. I will say that it was nice and moisturizing and it smelled exactly how I could imagine sugar plums do! However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it again. It took me a month of daily use on my hands and arms to finish this product.

LANEIGE Mask: Sephora’s birthday gift selection for their Beauty Insiders was fabulous this year and I went with their LANEIGE skin care set. I received a moisturizer, a lip mask, and the Water Sleeping Mask and enjoyed using them all very much. I love me a nighttime face mask so I was incredibly partial to the gel Water Sleeping Mask. It was so light yet insanely moisturizing and my skin was glowing when I would wake up in the morning. A little also went a long way and I got at least seven uses on my face and neck from the tiny test sized pot. I would happily use this mask again!

Pampering myself with skin care and bath and body care is so important to me and I can’t wait for next month because I will be trying out a new eye cream. It’s the little things, right? 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What is your favorite product to pamper yourself with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug10

Amazon Skin Care Haul

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Amazon Skin Care Haul

Heyyy! It is no secret that Lil Red is an absolute skin care fanatic and I love testing out new products as well as revisiting old favorites. I have a strict morning and nighttime skin care routine that I follow and I always have to keep my beauty hoard well stocked. As soon as I notice that I am running low on a product, I turn to Amazon to replenish it and this is my haul from my most recent restock:

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During the pandemic, it was a rarity for me to wear makeup when I went to work because there was nothing for my clients and I to do but stay at home. Fast forward to this past month, however, and I have been painting my face at least four times a week. Three for my new job in a public setting and four if Johnny and I go out over the weekend.

Wearing makeup means that it must be removed before I begin my nighttime skin care routine and I have been going through Garnier Micellar Water like crazy. It is so gentle but effective in removing my makeup, even my mascara which can sometimes be difficult to wash off. Not only is the micellar water excellent at makeup removal but it also makes my skin feel so clean without having to wash it with a cleanser.

It feels amazing to go to work sporting super cute business casual outfits and having my makeup done because it has been forever since I was able to do that. Having to restock my micellar water more often is just a small price to pay for it!

You might notice something different about this Amazon Skin Care Haul and that is because my usual Eclat Vitamin C Serum was unavailable. Since using the Eclat serum, I have been obsessed and I love the price (seven dollars per bottle) and noticeable difference it has on my skin.

I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a new Vitamin C serum after being so spoiled with the seven dollar Eclat bottles. Some of the serums on Amazon were upwards of twenty dollars and there was nothing cheaper than what I was paying. So, I decided to go with the Vitamin C serum by Tree Of Life. While it was a tad more expensive at ten dollars per bottle, it got great reviews and into the cart it went. I am excited to try it out but I will be purchasing more of my Eclat as soon as it is available again!

Which skin care products can you not live without? What is your morning or nighttime skin care routine like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul31

July 2021 Finishes

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July 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the last post of July 2021 here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to discuss my beauty finishes for the month and there are a lot of them so let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

LANEIGE Moisturizer: The LANEIGE birthday freebie from Sephora was, hands down, one of the best gifts that they have offered in years. It came with a lip sleeping mask, a sleeping face mask, and the Water Bank moisturizer. This travel size jar gave me a week of twice daily use and I would love to use it again after such a short amount of time. The Water Bank moisturizer left my skin soft, glowing, and oh so hydrated all without feeling heavy during the scorching summer days of July. Highly recommend. 🙂

Unfiltered Salt Soak: Lil Red loves a nice bubble bath and especially enjoys testing out products like bath bombs and salt soaks to enhance the experience even more. Sadly, the Pineapple + Mango salt soak missed the mark for me. The tropical scent smelled amazing in the jar but it didn’t translate to the water at all. It also dissolved really quickly, which eliminated the chance to do some exfoliating. I got four uses out of the jar but, I admit, I definitely poured heavy handed lol!

B&BW Body Wash: I have been using the body washes by Bath & Body Works exclusively for the past handful of years and have never had anything to complain about with them. The body washes lather so well and my skin always feels soft and hydrated every day after my shower. I truly think that my skin is healthier and smoother from consistent use of the washes and you can’t beat the prices if you shop during the semi annual sales!

It took me over a month to finish the Raspberry Tangerine scent and I wish I had another bottle of it because it smelled so good. The tart raspberry mixed with the sweet tangerine made for a perfect fruity scent and I actually just started using their Raspberry Tangerine hand soap a few days ago. Love it. 🙂

TBS Face Wash: While I love experimenting with the different skin care lines from The Body Shop, I don’t use the Tea Tree products often because of my normal skin type. However, I received the sample size of the Tea Tree face wash as part of a Christmas prezzie and beggars can’t be choosers!

I wouldn’t use this face wash in the winter as it would totally dry out my skin but it was a-okay for me for summertime use. It is so hot in my apartment and we have had a plethora of ninety plus degree days in Ohio which left my skin feeling less than its best from sweating constantly. Using the Tea Tree face wash helped get rid of all of the yuck that I felt was clogging my pores every day without making it feel dry or tight. This small bottle also lasted me over one month with daily use which is insane to me!

As you can see, July was a great month for beauty empties and I was thrilled to have used up a ton of products that I enjoyed. It is a rarity for me to have so many finishes for one month which is great because that means I can try out so many new products in their completion. 😀

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

 

Jul28

Face Mask Festivities: GlamGlow BrightMud Exfoliating Treatment Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: GlamGlow BrightMud Exfoliating Treatment Edition

Howdy and welcome to the last Face Mask Festivities post from my Sephora Haul! My online purchase provided me with fun new eyeshadow palettes to play with as well as lots of freebie products to try out too. Today, we are going to be discussing the BrightMud Exfoliating Treatment by GlamGlow which was free after spending twenty-five dollars. And, let’s be honest, that’s not hard to do at Sephora! Let’s get to it:

I have always been interested in GlamGlow products so I was very excited to have the opportunity to test the BrightMud Exfoliating Treatment out. It actually reminded me a lot of the Korres Pomegranate mask that was featured yesterday in terms of its texture and effectiveness. However, that mask was specifically for oily to combination skin and wouldn’t be something that I would use again.

What I liked about the GlamGlow treatment was that, even after twenty plus minutes of having it on, my skin didn’t feel tight like it did with the Korres mask – and that was only on for three minutes! The texture of the mask had a lot of grit to it so that was a pleasant surprise. To activate the Exfoliating Treatment, I applied it in circular motions as advised and did the same when washing it off. I was definitely eager to see the results because it was one of lengthiest amounts of time that I had a mask on.

My primary fear about the GlamGlow BrightMud mask was that it would leave my skin feeling really dry but that wasn’t the case at all. After removing it, my skin felt oh so clean and smooth and looked bright. This was very welcomed because I used it in a hotel room after a long drive to Indiana with my husband and mom and I was glad to see my skin didn’t look as tired as I felt!

Despite enjoying the BrightMud treatment, I can’t say that it would be one that I would purchase a full size tube of. When it comes to exfoliating, I am extremely partial to the St. Ives scrubs and just bought three different ones from TJMaxx. While it is so fun for me to test out new products, you just can’t beat the price of good ol’ St. Ives for the amount you get and how well they work. In fact, I think they are even better than the GlamGlow BrightMud Exfoliating Treatment. Sometimes you can get a lot more bang for way less buck with drugstore brands and this was the case for the GlamGlow treatment.

What is your favorite high end skin care brand? How about your favorite drugstore skin care brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

Face Mask Festivities: Korres Pomegranate Ahas & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Korres Pomegranate Ahas & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask Edition

Hello and welcome to another new edition of Face Mask Festivities compliments of my Sephora Haul! The best part of online shopping with Sephora is all of the freebies and promotions on the site and during my last haul, I received five items FO FREE. This never happens when shopping in store and I feel like I get so much more bang for my buck when I need to restock my beauty must haves.

Today, we are going to be discussing the Pomegranate Ahas & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask by Korres. This mask is made for people with oily or combination skin and, despite having normal to dry skin, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try! Now, let’s get to it:

My first impression of the Korres Resurfacing Mask was how good it smelled! I caught a strong strawberry scent and was reminded even more so of them by the crushed pomegranate seeds. This mask had a sandy texture, applied easily, and dried quickly so if you use it, you do not want to have it on more than the recommended time. I had the mask on for roughly three minutes before washing it off and that was plenty as my skin started feeling slightly tight.

Although I don’t have oily skin, I do sweat a lot in the summer because my apartment is so hot which is why I thought the Resurfacing Mask could still be beneficial. I was right on the money because my skin both looked and felt much better after using it. My skin had a nice glow to it thanks to the exfoliating pomegranate seeds and it didn’t look as shiny, either. Any tightness I felt also dissipated as soon as I put my serum and moisturizer on.

I wouldn’t be able to get away with using the Korres Pomegranate Ahas & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask regularly as it would really dry my skin out. However, I can definitely see how it would be great for people with oily or combination skin and recommend this mask if you have that skin type. It had a wonderful scent, worked quickly, and had instant results. It doesn’t get much better than that!

How would you describe your skin type? Which products benefit your skin the most? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jul26

Face Mask Festivities: Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask Edition

Hi! During my last Sephora Haul, I got a bunch of trial sized face masks to try out FO FREE. I have used and enjoyed both the Water Sleeping and lip mask by LANEIGE and tested out the Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask this morning. The clay mask was definitely not my favorite in the world and that’s fine by me since it was a freebie! Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

I was very excited to try this Innisfree mask because of the “Super Volcanic Clusters”. I thought that it would be similar to the huge pieces of charcoal in my favorite face mask from The Body Shop. The Himalayan Charcoal mask by TBS gives me a skin treatment and an exfoliater in one and it is ultra effective. When using the Innisfree mask for the first time, I was a little disappointed by the smooth texture. It also applied really thin for a clay mask and I never care for that. One positive first impression, though, was how good it smelled! This mask had a beachy scent and that was so refreshing in the morning.

I let the clay mask sit for eight or so minutes before washing it off and was still eager to see the results. Unfortunately, I wasn’t blown away once the mask was off. There were no instantly recognizable improvements to how my skin looked or felt. While I am not expecting miracles, it is nice to see a little something something after using a new mask!

Despite not being crazy about the Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask, it is always fun to try out a new product. This mask just didn’t pack enough of a punch for my liking. As I mentioned before, I am glad that it was free because I do not recommend it. #whompwhomp

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

Jul23

Face Mask Festivities: Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask Edition

Hi! Recently, my mom surprised me with the Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask by Yes To Tomatoes to test out. She is the literal sweetest and knows how much I enjoy doing face masks so every so often when she sees one for a good deal, she will treat me to it. While it wasn’t the best face mask I have ever used, the sentiment behind it was a ten out of ten stars for me! Now, let’s get to it:

I am a huge fan of charcoal skin care products, especially my favorite face bar by Destiny Boutique. I am always eager to test new charcoal products out because they are so effective in clearing the blackheads on my nose. I was expecting two results when using this Yes To Tomatoes mask: Clearing up my problem area as well as giving a nice glow to my skin since my fave face mask by The Body Shop does both. While this mask did clear up a lot of blackheads, it really didn’t do too much else for my skin.

Although I wasn’t overly blown away by the Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask, it did apply very easily. This was nice because some mud masks can be so thick. I had this mask on for about twelve minutes while I did some housework but it dried in roughly ten. I would definitely recommend washing it off right at the ten minute mark because it started feeling uncomfortably tight on my skin after just two additional minutes.

The Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask by Yes To Tomatoes is one that you could take or leave. However, if you’re like me and enjoy testing face masks just for the sake of trying something new, then it wouldn’t hurt to give this one a try if you find it for a marked down price!

What was the best face mask that you have used? Do you have a favorite ingredient when it comes to skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul20

Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask Edition

Hello! During my last online Sephora Haul, I was able to cash in on my freebie birthday gift right in the nick of time as the month of June was almost over. I went with the LANEIGE gift set which offered a travel sized moisturizer, lip mask, and sleeping mask. Since arriving in the mail, I have used all of these products and can easily say that I would buy a full size of any of them – especially the Lip Sleeping Mask!

This past week, I used the Water Sleeping Mask three days in a row and was blown away by the results every morning. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

When I saw the Water Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE in person, I remembered that I had actually tried it out before. It’s funny, because I was less than impressed in my previous review two years ago. Fast forward to present day and I am freaking obsessed with this mask!

Despite its rich gel texture, the Water Sleeping Mask applies really thin and this is so nice in my hot apartment. It can be unbearable having a thicker product on when I am sweating constantly! A little of it also went a long way and I have barely made a dent in it after three uses.

I was so excited to see the results upon awakening after my first use and when I looked in the mirror, I thought it was a fluke. When I wake up in the morning, I look and feel like the Swamp Creature lol but when I saw myself, my skin was absolutely glowing. It looked so healthy, bright, radiant, and *dare I say* younger! After three uses in a row, I woke up to the same results each morning and couldn’t believe my skin could look that good from just one product.

If you’re looking for instant radiance in the morning, then this nighttime mask is for you! I have no idea how I didn’t experience that during my first test run with the Water Sleeping Mask and am so glad I had the opportunity to try it again. Highly recommend!

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

 

Jul13

Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Berry Lip Sleeping Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Berry Lip Sleeping Mask Edition

Hello! At the end of June, I had an online Sephora haul just in time to get my birthday freebie. For my gift, I went with a skin care set by LANEIGE because I have always been interested in trying their products. While I can’t wait to test out the moisturizer and sleeping face mask by LANEIGE, I was most looking forward to using the Berry Lip Sleeping Mask. I see their lip masks all the time at TJMaxx but I could never justify the fifteen dollar price tag. After a few uses, however, I will happily be purchasing a full sized jar because I am obsessed! Let’s discuss:

In a world of skin care that revolves around moisturizers, serums, and eye creams, it is a rarity to find a product solely dedicated to the lips. While I do apply moisturizer to my lips, I have never used a treatment specifically for them, which is why I was so eager to test the Berry Lip Sleeping Mask out. I am very prone to chapped lips and after just three uses I have noticed a huge difference in both the hydration and appearance of my lips.

My first impression of the LANEIGE lip mask was how pretty the seashell pink packaging and product was! It also smelled amazing – just like the mixed berry Lip Smackers. The jar I received was, of course, a trial size but just a small swiping of it went such a long way and I have hardly made a dent in it after three uses. The texture of the mask is rich and creamy without feeling thick and I have been applying a small amount after my nighttime skin care routine every other few days.

When I used the Lip Sleeping Mask for the first time, I couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning to see the results! After washing it off, I couldn’t believe what I saw and felt. My lips had never felt so hydrated and cared for before and they looked fuller and healthy. I even think that the natural color of my lips has improved too from the berry tinged mask. The best part? My lips still were highly moisturized and had a supple, color tinted appearance after a handful of days without using it.

The LANEIGE Berry Lip Sleeping Mask is literally everything and I never realized how much I needed a product just for my lips until testing it out. I highly, highly recommend it!

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

Jul8

LANEIGE Birthday Gift From Sephora

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LANEIGE Birthday Gift From Sephora

Hello! I celebrated my 27th birthday on June 7th, got married on June 4th, and celebrated my husband’s birthday on June 1st. Needless to say, it was a whirlwind of a month! So much so, that I completely forgot about cashing in on birthday freebies from various stores and rewards programs. Thankfully, I remembered my Sephora birthday gift right in the nick of time and was really impressed by their different gift options. In my opinion, the choices were much better than last year! 

If you are a member of the Beauty Insider program at Sephora, you could select from a LANEIGE skin care set, a lip balm and bronzer by NARS, hair care from MOROCCANOIL, or two Rare Beauty lipsticks by Selena Gomez. For my freebie, I picked the LANEIGE skin care set because I have always wanted to try their products. TJMaxx usually has their skin care in store and online but I can never justify the fifteen dollar price tag for something that I might not like. Sephora’s birthday gift will allow me to test them out free of charge! Check it out:

While I love a good sleeping mask and moisturizer as much as the next person, I am most excited to try the Lip Sleeping Mask in Berry. While I haven’t used it yet, it smells amazing and has the prettiest ballet slipper pink hue. I am a member of a lot of rewards programs and Sephora definitely takes the cake for the best birthday gift. I also like that Sephora offers a freebie option for each beauty category: makeup, skin care, hair care, and occasionally perfume. And, of course, it’s nice that you don’t have to make a purchase to receive your gift.

I have discovered many a favorite product thanks to Sephora freebies and I have a feeling that I am going to fall in love with my goodies by LANEIGE!

Which birthday gift from Sephora did you select? What are your thoughts on LANEIGE 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

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