Tag Archives: skin care

Jul7

Sephora Haul

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Sephora Haul

Hi! During my birth month of June, I love taking advantage of all of the free birthday gifts from the various rewards programs that I am signed up for. Between mine and Johnny’s double birthdays and our wedding this past month, I had all but forgotten about getting my freebie on until it was almost too late. While I missed out on the day of my birthday freebies, I placed an order with Sephora just in time to receive my gift from them.

I was in desperate need of more Better Than Sex mascara and I also bought two eyeshadow palettes to play around with. The palettes are absolutely fabulous so be on the look out for swatches soon! Equally as fabulous, is the fact that I also got five free items with this order. 😀 Check out my Sephora Haul:

The Haul:

  • 2 Better Than Sex mascaras by Too Faced
  • Le Macaron palette by Violet Voss
  • Rare Beauty palette by Selena Gomez
  • LANEIGE birthday gift set (FREE!)
  • Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask (FREE!)
  • GlamGlow BrightMud exfoliating treatment (FREE!)
  • Volition Snow Mushroom Water Serum sample (FREE!)
  • Korres Pomegranate Resurfacing Mask sample (FREE!)

It took me a while to get hip to Sephora and I could never justify buying anything from there while shopping in store because they never have any promotions. Online shopping, however, is a totally different story! Sephora offers free shipping with purchases over fifty dollars, two free samples per order, and promotional freebies with purchases over twenty-five dollars. I don’t order with Sephora very often but I make the most of it whenever I do, as you can see!

Multiple free items per order make me feel like I am getting way more bang for my buck and I cannot wait to pamper myself with all of my new face masks. I am also very excited to test out my new palettes. After getting my makeup done professionally for my wedding, it inspired me to be more adventurous with my makeup. It will be fun to try colors that are way different than the three that I alternate between (lol) and I know my sister will be proud because she always makes fun of me for that. 😀

Tomorrow, we are going to take a closer look at the LANEIGE birthday gift with three test size products. Then, it will be onto Face Mask Festivities and eyeshadow swatches galore! Keep it posted. ❤

Which store offers the best online promotions or rewards programs? What are your thoughts on any of the products 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

 

Jul6

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hellooo! Today we are going to finish up my TJMaxx Haul by discussing some skin care that I couldn’t pass up. I know, I know – I literally just got a bunch of skin care from Amazon but when in Rome… Or in TJMaxx! Despite an overflowing beauty stock pile, I have no issue buying products that I know for a fact I am going to use. So, I ended up purchasing the following old favorites and new to me face washes:

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love face scrubs and it has been a long while since I used one. I was tickled to find St. Ives scrubs for only three dollars at TJs and I considered it a steal as they are usually around five bucks at full price stores. The Apricot scrub by St. Ives was one of the first skin care products that I can remember trying as a teenager and it always hits right in the nostalgia whenever I use it. The Apricot and Coconut & Coffee scrubs will be great in the summer while the Oatmeal one will be soothing for dry winter skin. You can’t beat three scrubs for under ten dollars!

Pre-pandemic, I was using SkinLab products purchased from TJMaxx exclusively. I have always been highly impressed with their skin care and was paying seven dollars or so for the moisturizers and eye gels. During the pandemic, I didn’t do any in store shopping that wasn’t grocery related and turned to Amazon for my skin care needs. I was so disappointed to see that my SkinLab products were priced at twenty dollars and once I used up the SkinLab brand items I had, I never bought them again.

While TJs didn’t have my favorite SkinLab moisturizers, they did have gel cleansers in the Lift & Firm and Revitalize & Hydrate formulas. This was the first time I saw SkinLab cleansers at TJMaxx and, obviously, I had to give them both a shot since I’m writing about it now! I haven’t tried a new to me product in so long and am eager to test out these cleansers. I have a feeling that they are going to be incredibly refreshing in the morning and I think the colors are so pretty too! 😀

Every TJMaxx trip with my mom is my favorite but the one from this haul is very high in the ranks. We had the best time shopping together and I can’t wait to do it again! ❤

What is your favorite skin care brand? Do you remember the first skin care product you tried? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jun30

June 2021 Finishes

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June 2021 Finishes

Hi! It’s the end of another month here on lifewithlilred, which means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for June. Tomorrow, we will continue on with a super fun clothing haul from TJMaxx and then it’s onto makeup and skin care thanks to a little Sephora shopping. Be sure to keep it posted for all of the latest and greatest! Now, let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

TBS Clay Wash: It has been a long while since I have tried out a brand new skin care product because once I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. This clay wash from The Body Shop had been sitting in my stock pile for months and I was so happy to have finally been able to use it! I love TBS products and the Himalayan Charcoal clay wash was part of a Christmas gift from my brother and his family.

TBS skin and bath and body care always makes me feel perfectly pampered and this face wash was no exception. The wash had a thinner consistency than a clay mask and it felt so gentle on my skin while still working effectively. The scent was invigorating and my skin looked bright and fresh after using it every morning. A little of the wash also went such a long way and the bottle lasted me at least a month and a half. I highly recommend this product and would really like to use it again!

Nothing pleases Lil Red more than a bunch of monthly empties and I would recommend each and every one of the products above. There are lots of skin care and Face Mask Festivities posts on the horizon so stay tuned on lifewithlilred for more! ❤

Which products did you use up this month? Which skin care products do you recommend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun22

Face Mask Festivities Follow Up: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities Follow Up: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

Howdy! When it comes to bath and body care as well as skin care too, I always find myself partial to products from The Body Shop. In my youth, we always had goodies from TBS handy like their bath beads, bar soap, and shower gel. Then, in my teenage years, my mom took me there for one of my very first skin care and makeup hauls.

The Body Shop always hits right in the nostalgia for me and for good reason! So you could imagine how disappointing it was when all of their storefronts in my area closed several years ago. TJMaxx definitely saved the day when they started carrying TBS products in their beauty department and my mom and I were ecstatic to get our favorite lotions and skin care for a fraction of the cost.

A few months ago, my mom surprised me with The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing mask which she found at TJMaxx. It had been a long while since I tested out a new face mask and if you read my original review, you will remember that I felt the mask left a lot to be desired.

While I always enjoy using a new face mask, good or bad, I did find myself a bit disappointed with the Pollution Clearing mask. Yes, my skin felt slightly softer and looked a tad brighter but that was about it and I was very surprised to see so many five star reviews for it on Google. The reviews made me feel like I was missing something and I also refused to believe that The Body Shop could have made such a dud (For a lack of a better word!) of a mask. So, I began using it bi-weekly for about a month and, I have to say, I still don’t get it lol.

There is no denying that using this mask is a pleasurable experience, however, I still don’t see or feel any groundbreaking results after regular usage. Then again, what’s my one negative review among a sea of five star ones?! I still stand by my lackluster opinions but learned from reading user reviews that this mask proves to be highly effective for acne prone skin. My skin type has always been normal so it makes sense that I might not have seen such obvious improvements but it still would have been nice!

Acne prone skin or not, I still wouldn’t recommend paying the full twenty-eight dollar price tag for this mask. But, it is worth a try if you find it at a discount store like TJMaxx. I’m happy that I continued to try this face mask despite little to no results and plan on finishing my jar of it. But I think I will stick to my Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow mask from The Body Shop from now on.

Which products have you been unimpressed with recently? What is your favorite product from The Body Shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun19

Give Yourself An Instant Summer Makeover

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Give Yourself An Instant Summer Makeover

After over a year of being cooped up due to the pandemic, it is only understandable to want to put your best self forward now that it is possible to be out and about again. There is no better way to wow those who you haven’t seen in so long with a makeover! The options we’ll discuss will have instant results and you will be sure to stun the next time you step out. Let’s get to it:

Visit The Dentist:

It was so strange to not be able to see what anyone really looked like during the pandemic because of the face masks and it is nice to see people smiling again. Speaking of smiling, how is yours looking? Bi yearly trips to the dentist are a must and a cleaning will make your pearly whites even prettier when you flash a smile. If more extensive work needs done, your dentist could use the high quality appliances from orthodontic laboratory Toronto to completely perfect your smile. Instant makeover? I think yes!

Upgrade Your Wardrobe:

There is no need to buy a brand new wardrobe with the changing of the seasons. Rather, upgrade what you already have by purchasing a few statement and weather appropriate pieces to refresh your wardrobe. It will be such fun to go shopping again and now that fitting rooms are open, don’t be afraid to experiment with things you wouldn’t normally try on. You never know if something works unless you try it and new to you shapes and colors will be an automatic boost to your closet.

Don’t Skimp On Skin Care:

There is something to be said for bright, soft skin so don’t skimp on skin care this summer. You can’t go wrong with a gel moisturizer for lightweight hydration and don’t forget to get one with SPF in it! The same goes for a body lotion with SPF too. We see a lot more of everyone in the summer thanks to shorts and tank tops so no dry patches allowed! Make your complexion the most radiant with a Vitamin C serum and now we’re in business.

Work On You:

People just glow differently when they are happy, don’t they? Spend some time each day with yourself to meditate, journal, do yoga – whatever. As long as you are relaxing and focusing on inner peace your “me time” could be anything. The important thing is that you are working to improve your mind and body so you can smile more often and make your aura even more beautiful.

Give yourself an instant makeover this summer with the tips above and don’t be afraid to shine. We all deserve it after facing so many difficulties this past year!

Jun18

Amazon Skin Care Haul

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Amazon Skin Care Haul

Hi! Throughout the pandemic, you just couldn’t beat the convenience of ordering off of Amazon and I know that firsthand lol. I didn’t go on any non grocery related shopping trips for over a year, which meant no more monthly outings to TJMaxx for a restock of my skin care necessities. Rather, I turned to Amazon whenever I needed more supplies.

A few weeks ago, I had one last big Amazon Skin Care Haul and am looking forward to bringing my monthly TJMaxx visits back in full swing. My birthday gift cards are burning a hole in my pocket! The following purchases have become staples in my skin care routine during the pandemic and I still plan on keeping a few of each handy in the hoard. It will definitely be fun to experiment with different skin care products and brands again, though! 

I have always been partial to gel moisturizers and I love the way my skin looks and feels from using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost and Garnier Moisture Rescue gels. My favorite thing about these moisturizers is how light they apply and quickly they absorb. They make my face look bright and alert while still feeling highly moisturized without any heaviness. Gel moisturizers are also perfect for the hot summer weather!

Another product that I got privy to during the pandemic is the Vitamin C serum by Eclat. It is, hands down, one of the best serums I have ever used in my life and it only costs seven dollars per bottle. It doesn’t get much better than that! After just one use, I thought my skin looked radiant and I still feel that way after several months of using it exclusively. As you can recall from my Azure Lux obsession, once I find a serum I like then I stick with it and I plan on continuing to use the Eclat Vitamin C serum for a long while.

Finally, I needed a few more cleansers in my stock pile and decided to go with a Destiny Boutique charcoal bar and a two pack of Clean & Clear cleansers. I thought the multi pack was a complete steal at just seven dollars! The Clean & Clear cleansers have always been a fan favorite of mine and I love how invigorating they feel during my morning shower. They also last such a long time for their price and it takes me several months to finish one container.

The charcoal bar by Destiny Boutique is another old faithful in my skin care routine and once I am done using a cleanser, I’ll wash my face with a charcoal bar too. It provides the ultimate deep clean and no product has been more effective in keeping blackheads at bay. The Destiny Boutique charcoal bar is the first one that I have ever tried and while I do enjoy trying different ones out, none of them seem to compare to Destiny Boutique’s.

There are few things more satisfying to me than a fully stocked beauty hoard and I am so pleased with all of my purchases. Each product was a quarantine staple and I think my skin has never looked better after the long term use of all of them!

What are your skin care staples? Where do you like to shop skin care at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! It has been a while since I tried out a new face mask and I feel like I haven’t written a review for one in forever. For a hot minute, I was trying out at least one new sheet mask per week but I fell out of it so I was very excited when my mom surprised me with a face mask from The Body Shop when she was doing some shopping at TJMaxx. It is always such fun for me to try out a new product and, although the Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask left a lot to be desired, I still felt so pampered afterwards all the same. Let’s discuss:

Because there is no Body Shop in my area, I have fallen behind on all of their product lines and didn’t even know their Japanese Matcha Tea line existed. Other than a few random online orders, I pretty much exclusively will get TBS products at TJMaxx and I love when I am able to find their skin and bath and body care for a fraction of the price. My mom was so sweet to get the Pollution Clearing Mask for me and, as always, she is the queen of Sweet Surprises!

Over this past weekend, I tried out my new face mask and my first impression of it when I opened the jar was that it looked like mint chocolate chip ice cream, lol. It also smelled just like a fresh cup of green tea, which was really nice. The mask had a creamy texture, which made its application super easy and I left it on for ten minutes, as recommended.

When using a new face mask, I never expect too much in terms of the results so that I am never disappointed. While I did notice that my skin looked a bit brighter and felt slightly smoother, I was not blown away after washing the mask off. Had this been an actual TBS purchase, this would have been a bigger blow because their face masks are not cheap and I would never recommend paying full price for it. However, if you happen to see it at a discount store like TJs, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

Despite not seeing groundbreaking results, there is something to be said about the wonderful quality of The Body Shop’s products and I did enjoy using the Japanese Matcha Tea mask. I also loved being able to break out my Ralph Lauren robe from my brother and his family for the ultimate spa experience. The Pollution Clearing mask was mild enough that you can use it fairly often throughout the week, which is what I plan on doing, and I will be looking forward to more pampering in my future!

What is your favorite line from The Body Shop? Where do you get the best deals on skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Apr25

April 2021 Finishes

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April 2021 Finishes

Hi everyone! April is drawing to a close and it’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. There isn’t too much to talk about because a lot of my empties for the month you have all seen and heard before. However, I’m super happy because I finally finished the rest of the Azure Lux serums that I had in my stockpile so I can move on to exclusively using the Eclat Vitamin C serum for the foreseeable future. It’s about time! Now, let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: I have a love/hate relationship with lotion and I’m either really good about using it or don’t want to use it at all! This past winter, however, I began applying lotion every night before bed and have stuck with this routine since. I definitely notice a difference in the softness of my skin and I even think my tattoos look better and brighter than usual from being moisturized daily. My new routine also gives me the opportunity to use up the endless supply of Bath & Body Works lotion and body butter from The Body Shop!

It took me a solid two months of daily use to finish the Pink Prosecco body cream from B&BW. While I enjoyed using it, I must warn all of you that it smells a tad boozy and by a tad I mean a lot lol. You can certainly pick out the scents of the different fruits like nectarine and pomegranate but the base of sparkling pink prosecco is there in abundance. If I was a daytime lotion wearer, I would say no to this lotion because I wouldn’t want to smell like alcohol during the work day but I will say yes to night time use!

Neutrogena Moisturizer: I freaking love the Hydro Boost moisturizer by Neutrogena and I consider it well worth the fourteen dollar price tag. I have reviewed this product before in previous posts but I just wanted to share with all of you that Johnny loves it too! His forehead gets pretty dry so I apply the moisturizer for him as needed and you can tell a huge difference in just one day. Skin care for men is just as important as it is for the ladies and I plan on creating a skin care routine for Johnny during my next online shopping sesh.

Azure Lux Serums: I have been using the Azure Lux Sparkling Oil serums almost exclusively for the past two years and change and I honestly think my skin is immune to any benefits of it as this point. That’s not to say that the serums weren’t effective and I remember first using the Rose Gold one and noticing a big difference in my skin. However, after seeing immediate results with the Eclat Vitamin C serum, I knew it was time for a change. I think that the Azure Lux serums are fabulous for people in their younger twenties and would still recommend them. As for me, at almost twenty-seven, I just outgrew it!

Although I won’t be using the Azure Lux serums again, I am so pleased with my finishes from April because that means I can use new products. There is also nothing better than depleting the ol’ stockpile a little so I can get new goodies in the near future! 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What is a must have in your beauty stockpile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr12

The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash Review

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The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash Review

Hi! When it comes to my beauty care hoard, I like to be well stocked at all times and am just now starting to work on using some of the products gifted to me for Christmas. My brother and his family gave me lots of products from The Body Shop so I could have at home spa treatments and I have been especially eager to try out the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash. It took me a while to get around to it because the last cleanser I used lasted me almost five months! This clay wash was definitely worth the wait, however, as I am freaking obsessed so let’s discuss:

I am a huge fan of products from The Body Shop and have never really been disappointed by anything from there so I already knew I was in for a treat with this cleanser. Their Purifying Himalayan Charcoal face mask is also one of the best that I have ever used. Needless to say, I was excited to try the cleanser out because I didn’t even know it existed and I also don’t get TBS products very often so I feel so pampered whenever I get the chance to use them.

Like the face mask from the Himalayan Charcoal line, the clay wash smells awesome. It’s really earthy but has a faint minty scent thanks to being made with tea tree oil and it is nice and invigorating to use every morning. I can’t say I have ever used a clay wash before so I didn’t know what to expect when I used it. I was actually a bit worried that it would have a clay mask texture, which would make using it as a face wash kind of difficult. But, while this clay wash is thicker in texture, it lathers and rinses so easily and my skin feels nourished and healthy after each use.

The best thing about the Himalayan Charcoal face mask was the fact that it completely eradicated my blackheads and the same goes for the clay wash. The charcoal works like a magnet to remove all of the gunk and my skin is left soft and glowing after my morning shower. A small amount of the clay wash also goes a long way and I would happily use it again. It has been a while since I have tried out a product that was brand new to me and I highly recommend the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash!

What is a staple in your skin care routine? What is your favorite product from The Body Shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar27

March 2021 Finishes

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March 2021 Finishes

Hi everyone! Can you believe we’re almost through with another month of 2021 already? March was such a happy and exciting time for me because I got engaged and my family got to celebrate my amazing mom and lil niece’s birthdays too. Between birthdays, house hunting, and wedding planning the days have been flying by. Hustle and bustle has never prevented me from completing my daily beauty routines, however, and March has also left me with lots of empty products to discuss so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean & Clear Face Wash: I absolutely LOVED the Morning Burst hydrating facial cleanser by Clean & Clear and it helped keep my skin nice and moisturized all winter long. Not to mention that the eight or so dollar bottle lasted me all winter long too – it took me close to five months of daily use to finish it. I am all about effective and budget friendly beauty products and I would definitely use this cleanser again. It smelled amazing, lathered well, was invigorating, and my skin felt so soft and hydrated after each use.

B&BW Spray: While I would never pay full price for Bath & Body Works products, I am happy to buy huge hauls during their semi-annual sales. This fragrance spray is actually from a perfume haul several years ago and I am still working on finishing them all up. It’s taking a lot longer than expected, though, considering each bottle lasts me around half a year with daily use! That’s perfectly fine by me, however, because the Country Apple spray smells so good. I love apple scented anything because of its sweet/tart fragrance and, lucky for me, I still have a few more bottles left!

Neutrogena Moisturizer: A month ago, I did some research about beauty products that people in their late twenties should be using and hyaluronic acid was an ingredient that was encouraged. I purchased the Neutrogena Hydro Boost moisturizer for that reason and I am glad that I did because it is really nice. In fact, I have already bought a few more for myself despite it being a bit more pricey at around thirteen dollars per jar.

Although this moisturizer has a price tag that I usually wouldn’t pay, I have noticed a difference in my skin after a month’s worth of use so I thought it was well worth it. My skin looks more radiant and rested and it feels so soft too. The light gel texture is also a welcome change of pace after the heavy creams of winter.

Nothing pleases me more than finishing up products that I would happily use again because that means it was money well spent. March was a very successful month for me so I guess it only makes sense that all of the products discussed today were successful too! 🙂

Which products did you use up this month? What kind of skin care products are recommended for your age? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah