Tag Archives: the body shop

Mar29

March Finishes

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March Finishes

Hey everyone and happy Tuesday! First of all, I hope someone gets the There Will Be Blood reference in my featured image photo. No one? Okay, moving on. As you guys might have seen in a previous Monday Update, I have quite a substantial stockpile of lotions, perfume, and body wash that I’m working diligently on dwindling down. This month, I finished a solid amount of lotion which I’m really happy about! Take a look at my empties from March and then let’s discuss:

finish

^^^ Woohoo!

I admit that I’m not the biggest lotion fan in the world but this month I have definitely noticed that my skin feels a lot softer. My stretch marks (everyone has them) also seem to be less prominent, too, which is a nice bonus. As I mentioned before, a lot of the items in my hoard were either gifts, freebies, or dirt cheap so there are quite a few products in my stash that I wouldn’t use again upon completion. However, there were some items in my March Finishes that I would totally reuse if I had the opportunity. Check out how this month’s finishes fared and find out what products I would want to restock my stash with:

  • The Body Shop’s Amazonian Rain Lily lotion: NO
  • I Love… Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel: YES
  • Bodycology lotions: NO
  • LilaGrace Honey Almond lotion: YES

The Body Shop: I actually really like the Amazonian Rain Lily fragrance from TBS. I have two bottles of the perfume and am a big fan. But in lotion form, this scent was way too potent and I was very eager to finish the bottle. I really don’t care for lotions of fragrances so I’m so happy to be done with it.

I Love…: I wrote about this shower gel before and I like it a lot. I think the scent of it is really nice and the strawberry seeds thrown into the gel are an awesome touch. And you also can’t beat two dollars a bottle at the nearby discount store in my neck of the woods!

Bodycology: These little lotion tubes were a gift and they weren’t bad but they didn’t blow me away, either. Their scents were just a little off and I wouldn’t go out of my way to find and purchase them. I also think the name of the brand is insanely ridiculous!

LilaGrace: This lotion was actually my favorite finish this month and I would totally buy it again if I knew where it came from. My best friend gave this to me for Christmas and it’s just delightful. The scent is so light and subtle and the lotion absorbs quickly which is a must for me. I really enjoyed using this lotion and my only regret is that I didn’t have a bigger bottle of it!

My lotion testing journey as I try to clear away some of my bath and body care hoard has been a lot of fun so far. It’s a treat to get to try new products and my skin is definitely thanking me for it. Next month I know there will be a few makeup empties, as well, so I’m looking forward to breaking out some new makeup products and to continue picking away at the rest of my stash!

So there you have it, my March Finishes! Has anyone used any of the products that I had empties of this month? Does anyone have a beauty stash similar to mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar21

Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition

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Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! If you were to go into my bathroom and open the below the sink counter, you would find it stuffed full of all things bath and body care. I’m a self proclaimed bath and body care hoarder and I’m pretty proud of it! Thanks to shopping great deals and stockpiling gifts and freebies, I’ve accumulated quite a collection of stuff. From shower gel to lotion and perfume to makeup, I’ve got it all. I feel like I mention my hoard often enough that it’s finally time to pay it some tribute so take a look at my ever growing below the sink collection:

hoard1.jpg

^^^ So. Much. Stuff.

Let’s start out with a disclaimer – a lot of the items pictured above were things that I didn’t pay a dime for. Thanks to working at The Body Shop, I accumulated a solid amount of goods from there. The entire line of Bath & Body Works products were totally free as well as about half of the other lotions which were gifts. All of the other items seen above were bought from amazing sales. For example, the line dedicated to my Bath & Body Works Country Apple spray was a whole nine dollars! You can’t beat that!

The best part about my hoard, besides the fact that I’m never going to smell bad, is that I always have in case of emergency gifts handy. It’s always nice to be able to throw in a freebie lotion or two into a gift that I’m giving to lower the cost of buying other items in store. It’s also fantastic around the holiday times when someone might have gotten a gift for you and you didn’t get them anything – which totally happened to me this year! My hoard has saved me a solid amount of embarrassment and lots of moolah, to boot.

All of these little blurbs are all very well but do you know the funny thing about this hoard? I’m not a really big lotion fan. Ha! I hate the feeling of being greasy after I lather up with lotion and I don’t care for the residue or smell that some of them leave behind. I’m also really particular about lotions and fragrances so the fact that a lot of these were scents that I normally wouldn’t pick for myself has made me wary to use some of these products.

Despite my olfactory and tactile preferences, I’m trying really hard to dwindle my hoard down. On nights that I feel like it, I’ll slather on a healthy amount of lotion so that I can let it soak in while I’m asleep and don’t have to feel or smell it. This month, I finally finished one of my Body Shop lotions as well as three small tubes of lotion that provided about two or three uses each. So far I’m actually enjoying my lotion testing journey and am looking forward to making a post about all of the items that I finished in March! Definitely be on the look out for a finished product post at the end of the month!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Bath & Body Care Hoard Edition! What is your favorite product to stockpile? Does anyone have a hoard similar to mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar1

TJMaxx Haul

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TJMaxx Haul

Heyy everyone and happy Tuesday! Over the weekend my mom and I ventured to one of the bigger TJMaxx stores in our general area for some shopping and scored some amazing deals. My mom and I concluded long ago that a shopping trip to TJs is going to be a hit or a miss and lucky for us, it was a definite hit this time around! We snagged some fabulous products from The Body Shop as a treat which is what I’ll be discussing today! Take a look at our finds:

tbss

Our Purchases:

  • Satsuma body scrub: $5
  • Strawberry body scrub: $5
  • Jumbo Satsuma body butter: $10
  • Jumbo Honeymania body butter: $10
  • Cocoa Butter body butter: $6
  • Vineyard Peach body butter: $6
  • Grand Total: $42
  • Estimated In Store Price: $120+

During our TJs shopping excursion my mom and I spent quite some time in their bath and body care section which we don’t do very often. We rarely shop at the store that we were at, though, and we wanted to explore everything that it had to offer. I’m glad we did because we ended up with the haul of a lifetime thanks to their products from The Body Shop. When we saw all of the body butters, shower gels, and scrubs that were stocking the shelves, we couldn’t not grab a few! Especially when the prices were so amazing!

As an unspoken rule between my mom and myself, we never shop The Body Shop’s bath and body section when we’re in the store. We simply refuse to spend twenty-one dollars on a tub of body butter when we can get a huge jug of lotion at Target for a quarter of the price. Therefore, we only use the skin care and makeup products that TBS has to offer which is all we really need. My mom and I are longtime customers of The Body Shop and I also worked as their Assistant Manager for a while. With our knowledge of their body care prices in mind, we simply couldn’t believe how dirt cheap TJ’s selection was.

We scoured the shelves looking for all of the different scents that were hiding in all of the nooks and crannies and ended up with some of our favorites. I was SO excited because the Vineyard Peach and Cocoa Butter are my two all time favorite scents. We were also surprised to find jumbo body butter tubs so we grabbed a tub of Satsuma and Honeymania. You literally can’t go wrong with Satsuma and my mom loves Honeymania so I was glad I could talk her in to snagging a tub of her favorite for herself. It didn’t take much convincing though!

I rarely use body scrubs but I do have a soft spot in my heart for the Satsuma and Strawberry scrubs that The Body Shop has to offer. On the rare occasion that my sister and I have one of the scrubs at home, we use them to shave our legs. I had leg shaving on my mind when we were shopping (weird) because I planned on having a bath and shaving when we got home. So of course, I had to put a Satsuma and Strawberry scrub in to our pile. One for me and one for my sister.

At this point in our shopping, I had to go and get a cart so we could tote around our finds and browse some more. My mom ended up with a new pair of navy blue Keds to wear when she’s out and about. They’re so cute! We also spent a somewhat unnecessary amount of time in their animal section picking out a water dish for our newly adopted Ollie as well as some toys for him and his Golden Retriever big sister to play with. After inspecting our cart that was bulging full with doggy toys, I came to the conclusion that the time spent squeaking every single one was so necessary.

I can’t believe the stroke of luck that we had finding all of our TBS purchases. It’s going to be such a nice treat to use them because we literally never would buy them for ourselves otherwise. My mom and I already have plans of using up all of our half finished lotion and saving our butters for special occasions and colder weather. There’s nothing better than a good haul – especially when you get your purchases for the right price!

So there you have it, my most recent TJMaxx Haul! I had the best time shopping with my mom and I’m so happy with all of the fabulous treats that we found. What is your favorite beauty product to splurge on? What is your favorite fragrance from The Body Shop? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

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I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! In my neck of the woods, there’s a discount store called Marc’s that’s seriously the best. They have the most fantastic closeout products ever and their prices certainly won’t break your bank. When my mom does her weekly grocery shopping there, she’ll sometimes surprise me with a beauty treat from the closeout section. A couple of months ago she brought me home an exfoliating shower gel from the brand I Love… I finally got around to using it and finished the gel yesterday so take a look at the pretty in pink packaging and then let’s discuss:

gel.jpg

Those who have read my product reviews before will know that for me to like a gel, cleanser, or what have you – it has to smell good! Usually I’m not the biggest fan of strawberry fragrances because it’s too sweet but I actually quite liked the scent of the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel. What was nice about the aroma of the gel was that it wasn’t a straight up strawberry scent. The “milkshake” essence of the gel dulled down what would be a potent strawberry fragrance with the luxurious scent of rich, freshly churned cream. The result of this combination was true to the product’s namesake…It really did smell like a frothy strawberry milkshake!

When it comes to cleansers and shower gels, another must for me is that it lathers well. This is where I Love’s… exfoliating body wash fell short. The texture of the product was one that I thought would bubble nicely – it was rich and creamy. It also had what appeared to be strawberry seeds thrown in for good measure. Despite having a texture that I usually would love, the lather that this gel created was minimal, at best. I really don’t like that. I love seeing big, soapy bubbles when I’m showering. It enhances my morning hygiene experience and most importantly, it makes me feel clean!

I’m going to chalk the lack of lather up to the fact that this gel tried to do a two for one by combining an exfoliant with a gel. Frankly, I think this product would have been a better exfoliater than a body wash. On the rare occasions that I do use an exfoliater on my body, I prefer for it to be cream rather than gel based. Products that are strictly gel based dehydrate my body to the extreme. The Body Shop has a strawberry seed exfoliater that’s a gel and I honestly think that if I Love’s… body wash was just an exfoliater, I would prefer it over TBS. (For a product to trump The Body Shop usually never happens for me!)

Although this product wasn’t the best body wash, per se, it still has a lot of potential and I really do like the I Love… brand. I’m going to rate the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel with three stars. My mom paid a whole two dollars for this body wash (granted, it was a closeout) and I think that it was a solid product, especially for what she paid! I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy the shower gel again but I wouldn’t say “no” to using it if the opportunity came about!

So there you have it, my I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review! My mom scored some of the brand’s lotion at the Marc’s closeout recently so I look forward to giving that a shot soon! Is there a discount store in your area that you like to shop at? What is your favorite body wash fragrance? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

Bath & Body Works January Freebie

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Bath & Body Works January Freebie

Hi everyone and TGIF! First things first, before we start to discuss my Bath & Body Works January Freebie, I have to mention my all star student status. I’m writing this as I take a homework break and I had the most terrifying test taking scenario ever that I managed to overcome…

I was taking a timed test and less than half way through, I realized that I really had to go to the bathroom. I mean it was bad. I couldn’t just walk away from the test though, so I did what any normal person would do…squirm around in my seat, speed through the test as quickly as possible, and leave the grade up to fate. Despite this major bathroom set back, your girl still managed to get a 100!! HOLLER. #starstudent #selfcontrol #blessed

ANYWAYS, now that we got that important announcement out of the way, let’s talk freebies! Just about every month, I get a coupon from Bath & Body Works for a free travel sized product to add to my hoard. Thanks to a shopping trip this week with my sister, I scored my January freebie which was a travel sized lotion of their scent A Thousand Wishes.

I always really enjoy my monthly trip to B&BW to snag my freebie and I have to say, I love the scent that I picked out. A Thousand Wishes is a super sweet holiday scent with hints of cranberry and vanilla that I just can’t get enough of. I’ve always been fond of cranberry fragrances – I live for The Body Shop’s seasonal cranberry scent, so I was pleased to find this cranberry infused goodie from B&BW. I like that A Thousand Wishes has an aroma that’s very soft and subtle because if there’s one thing that Lil Red hates, it’s an overpowering fragrance. And can we talk about how cute the packaging is?! LOVE.

Thanks to my B&BW freebie coupons, I’ve been able to have monthly sweet treats for myself and who doesn’t love that? I’ve also been able to avoid the awkwardness of not giving a gift to someone who got me a present this holiday season. I was simply able to put together a little something from my collection and be on my merry way without being labeled as a non-gift giving asshat. Thank you, Bath & Body Works! 😉

To get monthly freebies of your own, simply put in your email address or phone number next time you make a purchase at Bath & Body Works to get some coupons sent your way. You can also do some shopping and enter in your email address on their website! To keep the B&BW coupons coming, make sure you enter your email address or phone number each time you make a purchase or cash in a freebie coupon to keep all of your information up to date. You’ll be glad you did once you have a nice little hoard of your own!

b&bw

So there you have it, my Bath & Body Works January Freebie! What stores give away the best coupons or freebie items? What is your favorite B&BW scent? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

Perfumania

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Perfumania

Hii everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope you all are having a fabulous week so far. As I tried to clean through some clutter over my winter break, I found that a lot of it lied in the abundance of perfume that I have. Over the last year or two, I’ve refined my taste to just a few specific scents and have found no use for the extra overflow of fragrances in my collection. This has left me with a lot of barely used and brand new perfume that I haven’t the faintest clue what to do with. So I figured, why not post them on the ol’ blog to see if any of my readers are interested in buying some of them. Take a look:

Photo on the left:

  • Victoria’s Secret: Very Sexy Now – over 1/2 bottle left, originally $24
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sunny Brights Sun Blissed – almost brand new, originally $14
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sparkling Citrus Lemon Escape – almost brand new, originally $14
  • Victoria’s Secret: VS In Paradise Ocean Bloom – almost brand new, originally $14

Photo on the top:

  • Harajuku Lovers: Baby – brand new, originally $25
  • Britney Spears: Circus – over 3/4s full, originally $35
  • The Body Shop: Strawberry – almost brand new, originally $12
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sunny Brights Sun Blissed toilette – almost brand new, originally $20
  • Victoria’s Secret: Sparkling Citrus Lemon Escape toilette – almost brand new, originally $20

Photo on the bottom:

  • Juicy Couture: Peace, Love, & Couture – brand new, originally $60
  • Juicy Couture: original fragrance – 1/4 bottle left, originally $60
  • Gwen Stefani: L.A.M.B. – over 1/2 bottle left, originally $65
  • PacSun: Kirra – brand new, originally $20

But wait, there’s more! I also have a container full of high end perfume samples. There are twenty-one samples in all and will be three for a dollar for those who are interested! You also might find some of these added on to your purchase as a freebie treat!

perfume5.jpg

It really is Perfumania here on lifewithlilred! If you are interested in any of these fragrances or have any questions, feel free to email me at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com. All of the prices, shipping, etc. will be figured out by me and you! 🙂 What is your favorite fragrance? What is your least favorite scent? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan18

Monday Update: My Second Beauty Blogger Award Edition

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Monday Update: My Second Beauty Blogger Award Edition

Hellooo everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! On Friday I got nominated by my friend, Kezzie, at: kezziescorner for the Beauty Blogger Award. I was so flattered to be nominated for the second time by such a fantastic blogger so make sure you check out her page! With all of the fun blogging awards comes rules, of course, so take a look and then see how I answered the questions that Kezzie asked her nominees:

The Rules:

  • Tag and thank who nominated you.
  • Respond to the questions that your nominator gave you.
  • Nominate 10 new beauty/fashion bloggers.
  • Create 10 new questions for these bloggers to answer.
  • Tell the blogger that you nominated them.

Got it? Good! Now let’s take a look at Kezzie’s questions:

Q & A:

Are you studying? If so what?

Yes, I am! I’m currently working towards getting my Associate of Arts degree at Tri-C in Cleveland, Ohio.

What are you reading right now?

I just started The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I’m about one hundred pages in and I really like it so far!

What is your favorite lipstick shade?

That’s easy! I love NYX’s Pure Red matte lipstick. It’s seriously the best matte lipstick I’ve ever used and the shade is perfect for Lil Red!

What is your go to outfit for winter?

During the winter, I like to wear my black skinnies (obviously), with a chunky sweater, my Michael Kors booties, one of my many peacoats, and the super warm gloves my boyfriend got me for Christmas.

What is your favorite all time TV character?

This is also an easy one. Elaine from Seinfeld will always be one of my all time favorite TV characters. I want to be her when I grow up.

Do you have a favorite Youtuber?

Not really, I don’t go on YouTube very often.

What inspires you the most in life?

People who are working their asses off to improve their lives and themselves.

What do you do when you are having a bad day?

Hmmm…Before, when I had a bad day I used to use really unhealthy coping mechanisms. Now that I’m clean from that, I like to take bubble baths, write, and binge watch Netflix in bed when I’m having a bad day…So basically what I do every day. 😉

What is your favorite nail polish shade?

Black. Black. Black. I don’t paint my nails often but when I do I always paint them black. Lol, I sound like the Dos Equis guy! When I used to have my talon like fake nails, they were always black with red for an accent nail and a cross on both of my middle fingers. I miss my fake nails so much but they were a lot of upkeep and not having them is a total money saver. Now every time I do something that definitely would have broken a nail, I breathe a little sigh of relief in knowing that I won’t have to rush to the salon to get it fixed!

What is your favorite makeup store?

I love The Body Shop and a lot of my makeup does come from there but honestly, I’m just as happy getting the last odds and ends of what I need at Target. They have a shockingly wonderful makeup selection and I like to use Covergirl and Rimmel. For a treat, I like to use their Pixie brand!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. What is your favorite beauty item that you treat yourself with?
  2. What was one of your worst fashion or beauty moments?
  3. If you could raid one celebrity’s wardrobe, who would it be?
  4. Would you rather wear the same outfit every day for a week or not wear makeup for a month?
  5. Bubble baths or long showers?
  6. Did someone teach you how to wear makeup or did you learn how to do it on your own?
  7. What is your favorite makeup or clothing store to score a bargain?
  8. What was your favorite fashion or beauty moment?
  9. How would you describe your style?
  10. Everyone has a color that just looks perfectly awful on them. What color is that for you? What about the color that looks best on you?

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: My Second Beauty Blogger Award Edition! Thank you so much again to my friend, Kezzie, at: kezziescorner for the nomination! How was everyone’s weekend? How would you answer some of the questions that I asked my nominees? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan13

Beauty Blogger Award

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Beauty Blogger Award

Hellooo everyone and happy Hump Day! On Monday I was so flattered to be nominated for the Beauty Blogger Award by my sweet friend, Brittany. Make sure you check out her page at spontaneousencouragement! Thank you to everyone who has been nominating me for all of these fun awards lately – it’s much appreciated! With the Beauty Blogger Award comes a set of rules for the person nominated to follow. Check them out and then see my answers to the questions that Brittany asked to her nominees:

The Rules:

  • Tag and thank who nominated you.
  • Respond to the questions that your nominator gave you.
  • Nominate 10 new beauty/fashion bloggers.
  • Create 10 new questions for these bloggers to answer.
  • Tell the blogger that you nominated them.

Q & A:

What is something you are passionate about?

My family, my friends, my education, writing, helping people and animals.

How long have you been blogging?

I’ve been blogging since September of 2014.

What is your go to makeup brand?

For a majority of my makeup needs, I use The Body Shop but I also use Covergirl and Rimmel, as well.

What daily cleansers do you use on your face?

I don’t use a set in stone cleanser, I just buy whatever is on sale. Because my skin doesn’t experience problems such as dryness, acne, or unevenness I can get away with using a pretty basic cleanser. My only requirement is that it can remove my makeup. Right now, I’m using Simple’s cleanser but I don’t care for it too much. I’ll be looking forward to starting a new cleanser soon and I’m always up for suggestions!

Do you have a favorite clothing brand? If so what is it?

I don’t really have a favorite high end clothing brand but I love, love, love H&M! The closest H&M to me is about an hour away so it’s always such a treat when I can shop there.

Does makeup and clothing define your character?

I wouldn’t say it defines my character but I think it definitely enhances it. I’m a quirky girl with an edgy sense of style so I love playing that up with the clothes and makeup that I wear.

What makes you feel confident?

A bold red lip, a pair of heels, my piercings, and a sharp All Black Everything outfit.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

It depends on the day! When I’m tired, I find that I always take much longer to get ready but usually I can be done with my morning routine in forty-five minutes to an hour.

Could you live without mascara?

Hmm…I don’t think so. To me, mascara completes the way that I paint my face so if I couldn’t use it, I think I would feel and look very off.

If you could meet anybody in the world who would it be?

Oh jeez… I have so many people who I would love to meet but if I had to choose just one, it would be Jack White. I love him so much it hurts.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. Do you prefer a glam or natural makeup look?
  2. How old were you when you started wearing makeup daily?
  3. What is the best beauty advice that you’ve ever received?
  4. Do you buy makeup from the department or the drug store?
  5. Do you have any makeup tricks or hacks that you swear by?
  6. What is your favorite skin care product to use?
  7. Do you have a favorite fragrance?
  8. Do you feel comfortable wearing no makeup out in public?
  9. What is something that you consider a “no no” when it comes to makeup?
  10. Would you rather not style your hair or wear no makeup for two months?

Thank you so much again to my friend, Brittany, at spontaneousencouragement! You’re a doll! I hope all of you are having a fabulous day so far! How would you answer some of my questions for the bloggers that I nominated? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan8

Philosophy Spiced Gingerbread Cookie Shower Gel Review

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Philosophy Spiced Gingerbread Cookie Shower Gel Review

Helloooo everyone and TGIF!! This Christmas I was given some Philosophy bath and body care goodies by my boyfriend’s mom. I’ve never tried any of Philosophy’s products before but have always wanted to because the scents sound amazing and I’ve heard many rave reviews. Needless to say, when I received a lotion and my Spiced Gingerbread Cookie shower gel, I was beyond excited! For the most part, I agree with the excellent reviews that I’ve heard, so let’s discuss:

phil

Philosophy is a brand that I would never buy on my own because to my understanding, it’s quite expensive. Receiving the lotion and shower gel as a gift was so special to me and I couldn’t wait to give the products a try! I stored my lotion in my stockpile because I’m still working on finishing a bottle from The Body Shop. Then, I stowed the gel safely in my shower to enjoy the following morning.

The day after Christmas, I turned the water in my shower on nice and hot and took a deep sniff of the gel as I waited for the water to heat up. The Spiced Gingerbread Cookie scent was to die for! It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and it was balanced out impeccably. The fragrance was potent but not so much so that it was overpowering. Had it been too sweet, the smell would have been too sugary and young. Had it been spicier, the scent would be much too pungent. The in between level that was concocted by Philosophy really was wonderful.

Once I was in the shower, I poured a small amount onto my scruffy and lathered up. I was pleasantly surprised at how well a small amount of the gel bubbled. This shower gel was really nice to use because the texture of it once it was lathered was very creamy – it didn’t feel harsh like some gels tend to do. My skin felt soft and smooth after I washed myself rather than dry and tight…I didn’t even feel the need to apply lotion afterwards, which was an added bonus!

My only minor complaint about Philosophy’s product is the bottle that it comes in. I know, I know – I’m such a stickler! But seriously, the plastic that the bottle is made out of is incredibly strong and firm, so squeezing the gel out proved to be quite difficult. I’ve used bottles like this before and once there’s not much gel left it gets even harder to use. I’m really not looking forward to that. I wish the bottle had a pump on it because that would make it a lot easier to get the product out rather than squeezing it for dear life!

All in all, I’m really enjoying my Philosophy Spiced Gingerbread Cookie shower gel and I’m going to rate it with: four stars. There is no question that Philosophy makes excellent products. I don’t plan on buying it for myself once my lotion and shower gel are all used up, however. Despite how nice each of them are, I’m sure I can find similar products elsewhere for a cheaper price!

So there you have it, my Philosophy Spiced Gingerbread Cookie Shower Gel Review! Who uses any of Philosophy’s products? What is your favorite scent by them? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec28

Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition

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Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition

Hello everyone and happy Monday! Welcome to this week’s Update: Holiday Haul Edition! Lil Red made out like a bandit this Christmas and it’s still not over! I still have presents to receive from my sister and my best friend later this week. But so far, the loot has been fantastic. I feel so spoiled because I’ve never had a boyfriend during the holiday season and Kyle and his mom were nice enough to give me some amazing presents. Take a look at what I received on Christmas according to each person:

My parents:

I am SO in love with the gorgeous coat that my mom and dad got me. I’ve been eyeing this jacket from Target for over two months now and I’m so happy that it’s finally mine! My mom got it for me the day after I tried it on in front of her in October and has been hiding it for my surprise ever since. What a lady! I also received a generous donation to the Lil Red Foundation as well as a fresh supply of my favorite beauty products from The Body Shop and Trader Joe’s. Thanks, mom and dad!

My brother and sister-in-law:

From Peter and Megan I received my first Adult Coloring Book, complete with colored pencils and a sharpener. My sister and I have been interested in these for a while so I’m so excited to unleash my inner child and crack open the coloring book with her. I also got a Groupon for two free admissions to a Paint Nite. In Ohio, there are certain bars that offer a night of drinking and canvas painting and I’ve heard that they’re so much fun! It will be the perfect date night for me and Kyle!

The most special gift I got this Christmas, however, was the rosary that Peter and Megan brought home for me from their honeymoon in Italy. It’s my favorite color and it is also blessed by Pope Francis from when they had the honor of meeting him. How cool is that?!

My other brother:

cash

From my second oldest brother, Andrew, I received another generous donation to the Lil Red Foundation. You can’t go wrong with cold hard cash!

My boyfriend:

My darling Kyle spoiled me rotten this year with some of the most fantastic gifts ever!! He gave me an entire family of stuffed animals from Despicable Me – one of our favorite movies. I also got a stuffed Moogle from Final Fantasy, which I’m pretty stoked about! To continue with the Minion theme, Kyle got me the most comfy pair of Minion patterned fleece pajama pants, which were unfortunately in the washing machine while I was taking my haul photos! Rest assured, they’re cute. 🙂

Kyle did a wonderful job of picking me out some beautiful accessories as well. I was so surprised when I opened the boxes of gorgeous jewelry, which included two stunning bracelets and a necklace. Kyle also knocked it out of the park with a burgundy and grey infinity scarf (Which I’m wearing right now!) and burgundy and black trimmed gloves. I can’t wait to wear my new scarf with all of my favorite sweaters and pair my gloves with my new coat from my parents! Thanks, babe – I love you! ❤

My boyfriend’s mom:

I was so humbled by the lovely gifts that my boyfriend’s mom treated me to. She got me the absolute cutest ornament for my tree of a little penguin ice skating. I made sure to put it right by my human skater, which I got at a figure skating competition in New York. Mrs. Kyle’s Mom also gifted me with some luscious bath and body products from Philosophy. I’ve never used their products before but have always wanted to so I was SO excited to try both of them out! Spoiler alert: They’re amazing and they smell heavenly!

As much as I enjoyed receiving all of these beautiful presents, I enjoyed giving everyone the gifts I picked out special for them even more! I am so thankful for all of the goodies that I was gifted with but would have been just fine with only having the quality time with my family and loved ones. My Christmas this year was one of the best ever and I can’t wait to continue the celebrations this week with my sister and darling best friend!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition! How was everyone’s holiday? What was your favorite gift that you received or gave? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah