Tag Archives: skinlab

Jan28

January 2023 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
January 2023 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the first beauty finishes post of the new year! I used up a lot of new to me products this past month and also got a lot more to try out from TJMaxx thanks to my Christmas gift cards. 😀 My beauty hoard runneth over! We have much to discuss from our empties roundup for January so let’s get to it:

image_50461185(4)image_50441985(3)

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

SpaScriptions Scrub: I started using the SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar Scrub at the beginning of November and it took me until the end of January to finish it. At five dollars for the bottle, it was a great value and you only needed a small amount for full coverage on the face and neck. I liked this scrub because it was gentle enough to use every day. It was really creamy in texture with only the slightest touch of exfoliant and it smelled as sweet as candy. My skin felt well hydrated and looked radiant after every use and it is a perfect scrub for the cold winter months.

SpaLife Serum: It took me about six weeks to finish the SpaLife Hyaluronic Pearl Serum and I was unimpressed by it. The pink hyaluronic pearls were pretty and that was pretty much all that this serum had going for it. The SpaLife serum was quite runny in texture and I never noticed a difference one way or the other in how my skin looked or felt. While I love a longer lasting product, this serum missed the mark completely and I definitely wouldn’t use it again.

Elf Sleep Mask: I was so excited about the Elf Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask when I got it because sleeping masks are my fave. Using them is literally the easiest way to achieve great skin because all you have to do is go to bed! It took me about three weeks of every other day use to finish the Elf mask and I thought that it was a massive dud. I was expecting ultra soft and hydrated skin every morning when I woke up and that was never the case. In fact, my skin felt better after returning to my normal nightly skin care routine.

Clinique Eye Cream: My aunt gave me a makeup bag full of Clinique skin care samples and I couldn’t wait to test them out because I have never used Clinique products before. The moisturizer and serum that I tried didn’t blow me away but I actually really liked the Smart Clinical Repair Eye Cream. It took me two weeks of twice daily use to complete the tester jar and a little of the product went a long way. After each use, I noticed that the skin around my eyes looked so much better and brighter. This eye cream helped diminish my designer bags and I definitely didn’t look as tired as I felt! If I got this eye cream for a good deal, I would probably buy it. However, I still wouldn’t pay a full price tag for it so it is a “maybe” for me.

SkinLab Moisturizer: I like the SkinLab brand and purchased the Hydra Moisturizer during a past TJs haul. I was expecting a good experience with this moisturizer because I am familiar with the brand and that, unfortunately, wasn’t the case. It took me three weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar because a lot of moisturizer was required to fully cover the face and neck. For value’s sake alone, I wouldn’t buy this moisturizer again. It also did nothing for my skin to improve its appearance or feel so this is a big fat no from me!

Although there were a fair amount of duds in this month of empties, there were several winners too. Whether I would buy the product again or not, it’s always fun to pamper myself and my skin felt surprisingly well taken care of regardless of the chill and snow!

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

Mar5

SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate Gel Cleanser Review

Posted on by
Standard
SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate Gel Cleanser Review

Hello! As you guys all know, I am an absolute skin care fanatic and take great pleasure in my twice daily routine. I have a lot of brands that I enjoy using and I was particularly fond of SkinLab before the pandemic began because I would get it for a song at TJMaxx. After seeing the twenty dollar price tag on Amazon for the products that I was getting for six bucks at TJs, I moved on to less expensive brands.

It had been ages since I did actual shopping at TJMaxx so I was so happy to find some SkinLab cleansers during an outing because they were cheap and I had never used them before. Then, during a more recent haul, I bought another of the SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate Gel Cleansers super marked down on clearance. I just couldn’t help myself!

I have been using the Revitalize & Hydrate cleanser for about two weeks but I feel SO conflicted about it so let’s discuss:

image_67181057(1)

I don’t know about all of you, but I have a really difficult time using products when they don’t smell good. In fact, if it were up to me, a majority of the products that I use other than shower gel would be unscented. And, unfortunately, that’s where I’m at with this cleanser because I think that it smells awful! The first time I tried it, I seriously almost just let it go down the drain because it smelled like cleaning products.

I have this little quirk where I refuse to not finish something, whether it be a product or a book that I hate so I couldn’t let the scent of this cleanser get me down. Especially due to the fact that it makes my skin feel So. Freaking. Soft. Washing my face with it feels even better than my normal skin care routine and I can’t stop touching my face after my shower. So, you can see why I feel very conflicted!

You know that feeling when you just can’t wait to finish a product because you have been using it for forever? That’s how I feel with this cleanser and I haven’t even been using it for that long. Lol, if scents don’t bother you, then I guess give it a try. But, if you’re sensitive to the way things smell, definitely skip on this one. And I still have a bottle and a half to go, smh. *Face palm*

What is your favorite scent? Do you have to finish a product once you’ve started it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

Posted on by
Standard
TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

Hello! If you look at my newly organized beauty hoard, it is very easy to think that I definitely don’t need any more skin or bath and body care. I say FALSE and figured that my TJMaxx gift cards would be perfect to use for fortifying my stock pile and eliminating restock orders for a good long while. When scouring the beauty aisles in TJs, I had my eye open for moisturizer, serum, eye cream, and whatever else tickled my fancy. I ended up walking away with all of the following:

image_50400001(1)image_50412033image_50435841(1)image_50386945(1)

As I mentioned before, it has been such a long time since I shopped in TJMaxx and I forgot how much fun it was to find new treasures in their beauty section. Prior to the pandemic, I would test out new skin care from TJs every couple of months when I needed a restock. Now, however, I have stuck to using tried and true favorites that I can order easily and have available at home. While this shopping trip would have been much better with my mom or sister there, it was still exciting to browse the aisles by myself!

While I paid full price for several of the products that I purchased, I was happy to find that a few of them were on clearance, which sweetened the deal even more. I am especially thrilled about the Evoluderm micellar water from France. It is, easily, the best micellar water that I have ever used so I had to grab the last two big bottles available.

I am most looking forward to testing out the new serums because I have been using the Tree Of Life ones for a while. They are fine and I have no major complaints but I am always open to trying new products. The same goes for moisturizer and eye cream. The Garnier SkinActive moisturizer and Elf Holy Hydration! eye cream have been staples in my skin care routine for almost a year so I can’t wait to shake things up!

Finally, I just had to buy another St. Ives scrub because they are my absolute favorite as well as one more SkinLab cleanser. I haven’t even used the SkinLab face washes that I have yet but I love that brand so how bad can it be? 😀

When it comes to my beauty stock pile, it never hurts to have extra – obviously! This huge haul will serve me well for many months to come and nothing beats when it was all purchased on a gift card!

Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? What is in your beauty hoard? 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

Posted on by
Standard
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

 

May31

May 2021 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
May 2021 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy last day of May! Normally, I am a huge fan of the month of May but this year, it couldn’t end soon enough. Not only are both mine and Johnny’s birthdays in June but our wedding is too! We are so incredibly excited and I can’t wait to share our joy with all of you. Before we say farewell to May, let’s discuss my beauty finishes for the month:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Neutrogena/Garnier Moisturizers: I love a good gel moisturizer, especially in the summertime and plan on using both the Neutrogena and Garnier moisturizers all season long. While I am more partial to the Neutrogena Hydro Boost, you just can’t beat the low price of the Garnier and it is a wonderful less expensive alternative. The Hydro Boost moisturizer is fourteen dollars on Amazon and the Moisture Rescue is around seven. To help cut the cost, I alternate between the two and think that my skin looks much brighter, clearer, and supple because of it.

Eclat Serum: The novelty of the Eclat Vitamin C serum still hasn’t worn off on me yet and I love the way my skin looks and feels after each use. I highly recommend this product and if you purchase it for yourself, I would also highly recommend buying more than one bottle. Despite the excellent quality and unbeatable price (Seven dollars!) one bottle alone will not get you through an entire month if you are using it twice daily. I find that I need at least a bottle and a half to last me for a whole month.

SkinLab Eye Gel: SkinLab products were my go to for the longest time because I could get them on the way cheap at TJMaxx. I would pay about eight dollars for the moisturizers and eye creams or gels. However, during the pandemic, I only shopped online and was shocked to see that the SkinLab products were over double what I paid at TJMaxx on Amazon.

I opted for different moisturizers but still would shell out for the Lift & Firm eye gel since one jar lasts me about three months. After a few repurchases of the eye gel on Amazon, I just couldn’t justify the twenty dollar price tag on it any longer. Once I finish the eye cream that I am using from The Body Shop, I will be testing out a seven dollar one by Elf and have my fingers crossed that it will work well!

There! Now we can officially bid adieu to May. 😀

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

Jan29

January 2021 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
January 2021 Finishes

Hello!! We almost have the first month of 2021 down in the books so that means it is time to discuss my finishes for January! This was a good month for empties, if I do say so myself, because I was able to finish up a few products that I’ve been using for forever as well as revisit some old favorites compliments of Christmas. Take a look at my finishes and let’s get to it:

E9E93F8F-937D-4397-AD99-9C6E9D94E648

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Body Wash: I have never used a Bath & Body Wash shower gel that I didn’t enjoy and the French Lavender & Honey is no exception. I am normally not a lavender girl in any sense of the word, however, this scent is so much more than floral. There is a delicious kiss of nectarine and rich honey mixed in making for a fragrance fresh from the most lush fields of flowers. The French Lavender & Honey is sweet without being overpowering and the nectarine gives it a fruity pop – I just love it and would gladly use it again! It took me over one month to finish the bottle.

Tree Hut Scrub: I have been working on finishing my Lemon Blueberry Tart Shea Sugar Scrub by Tree Hut for literally the past year and was so happy to finally finish it! Not because I didn’t like the product but because I have another Tree Hut scrub that I would like to use eventually, lol. This scrub rocked and I would use it every time I shaved for the closest, smoothest results. Not only did the sweet tart scent smell good enough to eat but it left my skin so soft and hydrated after shaving that I didn’t even have to use lotion after. A little went such a long way too, which is why I had been using it for so long!

TBS Moisturizer: This travel sized Vitamin E moisturizer came in one of my Christmas prezzies from my brother and I was so happy to use one of my Body Shop favorites again. The Vitamin E moisturizer is so rich and creamy and it always leaves my skin looking and feeling peaches and cream soft after each use. It also really is the perfect travel size as I got exactly one week of twice daily applications from the tiny jar.

And, finally, in case you were wondering why there is no lid on my SkinLab Lift & Firm eye gel, it’s because I dropped it while I was putting it back on and it bounced right into the toilet. I was so mad, lol, it was just one of those mornings, I guess! -_-

Which products did you use up this month? Do you have a favorite scent from Bath & Body Works or The Body Shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov28

November 2020 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
November 2020 Finishes

Howdy! Can you believe we’re already coming to the end of November? 2020 has, admittedly, sucked on ice but at least we’ve been flying through these past few months! November drawing to a close means it’s time to discuss all of the beauty products that I finished up so let’s get to it:

64103D20-13FF-4BFF-AD5F-9F137F50D797

Would I Use Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast shower gel: YES
  • Garnier water proof micellar water: YES
  • Azure Lux 24K Gold serum: YES
  • SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate eye gel: NO
  • SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: The Champagne Toast scent from Bath & Body Works rocks! Originally, Johnny thought that this shower gel was called Champagne & Toast, which is what we call it now but no matter what name you give it – the fragrance is divine.

I ordered this body wash online without ever smelling it and I was worried that it would have an alcohol like scent. Thankfully, that was not the case at all! Rather, Champagne Toast has all the allure of fizzy bubbles mixed with sweet berries and tangerine making it oh so sweet and totally luxurious. Speaking of bubbles, this shower gel lathered like a dream and it took me one month to finish the bottle.

SkinLab Eye Gel: I have never tried the Revitalize & Hydrate eye gel by SkinLab before and I would definitely not use it again. While working through this little jar, which took me over two months, I did not notice a single difference to the delicate skin around my eyes. It also would flake clean off if you happened to rub your eyes within a half hour of applying it. Not a good look. I will be sticking to the Lift & Firm eye gel from now on!

For More On The Other Products:

Which products did you use up this month? Are there any products that you would not recommend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct29

October 2020 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
October 2020 Finishes

Hello!!! Holy COW October is just about over and I don’t know how it was for all of you but it went by so quick for me. I swear, as soon as I start all of my early Christmas preparations, the months leading up to the big day just go by in turbo speed. And, with one of my favorite months of October nearing completion, that means it’s time to chit chat about all of the beauty products I used up so let’s get to it:

84CA23F4-E87B-4EF4-9260-21A4F5B6BE8C

Would I Use Again?

  • Garnier Micellar Water: YES
  • Bath & Body Works Gingham body wash: YES
  • Azure Lux Rose Gold serum: YES
  • SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES
  • SkinLab Lift & Firm eye cream: YES

If you would like to read more about these products, please visit some of my old empties posts because I literally use the ones above all of the time! And, in case you missed any of my beauty posts this past month, check out some of the following:

Pampering myself with my must have products has been one of the main things keeping me sane during all of this COVID craziness. Please, everyone, keep being good to yourselves and, sometimes, feeling much better is only a face mask or a bubble bath away!

What are some of your must have products? Are there any discontinued products that you miss? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug31

August 2020 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
August 2020 Finishes

Hi everyone and welcome to the last post of August 2020 here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to be discussing all of the products I used up this past month and there are quite a few of them. Let’s get started and, then, I will see all of ya’ll in September! Here we go:

0E4FB14F-2509-43B3-BA9D-757E1729DA6E

Would I Use Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Champagne Apple & Honey shower gel: YES
  • Garnier Micellar Water: YES
  • Garnier Waterproof Makeup Micellar Water: MAYBE
  • Azure Lux Rose Gold Serum: YES
  • SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer: YES
  • SkinLab Hydrate & Replenish Eye Cream: NO

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: As per ushe, I gotta have my Bath & Body Works goodies stocked and at the ready in my apartment and their shower gels are one of my favorite things to hoard! The Champagne Apple & Honey fragrance smells so good and I must have bought at least six bottles of it at their Semi Annual Sale! It takes me over one month to finish one bottle.

Garnier Micellar Water: Garnier’s Micellar Water is another statement item in my beauty routine and I always have a bottle or two handy at home. It usually takes me at least two and a half months to finish one bottle and I use it morning and night as a toner and eye makeup remover. It is especially nice to use after a very hot day – so refreshing!

Garnier Waterproof Micellar Water: This travel sized bottle came as a freebie when I purchased my normal pink bottle of micellar water. I noticed no real difference between the waterproof and regular formula so I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it again. But I never say no to free! It took me less than three weeks to finish the mini bottle.

Azure Lux Serum: As always, I absolutely love the Azure Lux serums. The Rose Gold is my fave but I enjoy the 24K one too! It takes me one month to finish one bottle with morning and night use and my skin has never looked brighter or more radiant. Highly recommend and it can be found on Amazon or, if you’re lucky, TJMaxx. 🙂

SkinLab Moisturizer: Like a lot of these empties, I keep a healthy supply of my SkinLab moisturizer on hand at all times too. It takes me a little under one month to use one jar with morning and night use and my skin thanks me for it every day. I feel like the Lift & Firm formula has kept my skin so youthful and… firm. Lol! The SkinLab products can also be purchased on Amazon or at TJMaxx if you come across them.

SkinLab Eye Cream: I normally use SkinLab’s Lift & Firm eye cream but I decided to give the Hydrate & Replenish formula a try. I really liked the gel texture, however, I never felt like it did a whole lot. It did not absorb nicely and when I would rub my eyes, little bits of eye cream gunk would rub off with it. It took me about two or so months to use one tiny pot and I would not use it again.

August 2020 left me with a lot of finishes and I’m ready to go in September slightly cooler, hopefully, and with lots of pampering in my future!

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

Jul30

July 2020 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
July 2020 Finishes

Hello!! July was an insanely hot and busy month and I found that, other than my normal day and night skin care routine, I let any other pampering fall by the wayside. I know what you all are thinking: “That is so not like you, Sarah!” However, Lil Red does not do well in extreme heat (I literally get sick) and it is always extremely hot in my apartment. Not to mention, most of July was in the high eighties and mid nineties in my neck of the woods. Therefore, any movement away from being directly in front of my fan was deemed unnecessary.

I only finished one product that you all haven’t heard of already so we will briefly chat about that. Then, I will provide you with some links to previous beauty themed posts this past month in case you missed them. And, finally, make sure you tune in tomorrow for a new Face Mask Festivities to close out the month. Alright! Let’s get to it:

865451F7-75EF-427A-A65A-315F7C00652F

Would I Use Again:

Why/Why Not?

SkinLab Moisturizer: As you all know, I love my SkinLab Lift & Firm moisturizer and it took me one month to finish one jar. You can read more about it in this post, since it pops up often enough lol. 🙂

Azure Lux Serum: During a recent Amazon haul, I needed to stock up on my skin care. Originally, I was going to stick with my usual and just order a bunch of the Azure Lux Rose Gold serums. I purchased a few but I also decided to give the 24K Gold serum a try, as well. Was it much different than its Rose Gold sister? Not really. But I love the Rose Gold sister so, obviously, I loved the 24K serum too!

My skin feels so bright and radiant whenever I use the Azure Lux serums and they are so nourishing, to boot. I definitely think my skin has become more glowy and fresh since using the Azure Lux products and it takes me one month to finish one bottle.

More To Enjoy:

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a brand new Face Mask Festivities!

Which products did you use up this month? Which products have you been impressed with lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah