Tag Archives: treat yoself

Apr24

New Hair, Who Dis?

Posted on April 24, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Howdy!! After this past week, Lil Red is feeling like a whole new woman! I treated myself to new nails, new tattoos, and new hair and I am loving my new look. On Friday, I spent roughly six hours at the Shear Shop so my stylist, Anna, could work her magic. Our goal was to transition my hair from winter to spring with the motif of pink lemonade. This was going to be easier said than done to get the deep red, navy, and purple out of my hair and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. I wasn’t worried about it in the slightest because Anna always delivers and this time was no exception. Check it out:

^^^ Stay tuned for a brand new OOTD coming soon!

The first order of business to achieving this look was using a new to us product. To remove the color from my hair, Anna had Pulp Riot’s bleach called Blank Canvas ordered just for me. We are so glad she did because this stuff was AMAZING. Within a half hour of sitting in and out of heat, the deep colors from my hair lifted significantly and was almost all of the way out. Minus one glaring issue – a funky green hue where the navy used to be. Since we were using lighter colors, the green had to go and after a lot of scrubbing and a little more bleach, Anna was able to get it almost all the way out.

Next on the agenda was the fun part of painting my hair. Over the years, Anna and I have become very familiar with Pulp Riot colors. While we revisited old favorites, we also dabbled in some new hues too. We used a variety of different colors including Pyro (deep red), Fireball (bright red), Satire (bright yellow) mixed with Lemon (light yellow), and Candy (neon pink) mixed with Blush (ballet slipper pink). As always, Anna was absolutely genius in her careful application to keep any of the colors from blending. Before I knew it, I had a head full of foil and the color was left to sit for about fifty minutes.

Once the color was washed out, we were very pleased with the results… Other than one thing. My roots were popping through in some noticeable areas in the front. This was actually a really simple fix. Anna just added a bit more bleach to the surprise spots and after twenty minutes, it got to a yellow that blended seamlessly with the rest of my hair. After this inspired idea, my hair was just perfect. Even better than perfect, actually! I felt full on Malibu Barbie and am in love with this drastic change. This hair is going to be so fun for spring and summer and I feel amazing every time I look in the mirror. ❤

When I am at the Shear Shop, I am living my best life. When I leave the Shear Shop, I am living my best life too. HUGE thank you to Anna for this beautiful new do. I say this every time she does my hair, but this is definitely my favorite yet!

Are you changing your hair for spring? What are you getting done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr13

New Lemon Lime Nails

Posted on April 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week, I just couldn’t get enough of Elysian Nails and I am so not complaining! On Monday, I enjoyed a wonderful pedicure with my mom as a belated birthday gift. Then, I was back the following day for a much needed fill. And I mean very much needed because they were busted, broken, and lifted. As always, my amazing fabulous tech got me right and I am so happy to have my nails back to their former glory! Check it out:

Sometimes when I get a fill, I have no idea what polish colors I want. Other times, I know exactly what I want. The latter was the case for me this past fill because I had lemon lime on the mind. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I finally figured it out! I have had a can of unopened Sprite in my car from when I returned to work after being sick last month. I never bothered taking it out because I consider it my “emergency drink” in case I happen to get really thirsty while driving. Lol, I mean hey – it’s better to have it and not need it! I am definitely glad that I kept it around because it turned into my nail inspo and I am loving the yellow/green combo. 😀

This fill blew me away and was such a testament to my tech’s expertise. She replaced five nails that were either lifted or broken and rather than put on new tips, she painted the acrylic on freehand. I always assumed you needed the tips for acrylic nails so you learn something new every day. It really sped up the process and within minutes I had brand new nails and they were already shaped so well. My tech did such a good job with her freehand application that my talons only needed a little bit of sharpening to get the stiletto shape afterwards. She is the best!

My back to back appointments at Elysian Nails had me feeling like a billion bucks and I love my pretty new toes and nails. My claws look awesome and I seriously can’t stop looking at them. Lemon Lime for the win!

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

Apr11

Pedi Party

Posted on April 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Mondays are one of my favorite days of the week because I either work with my online boss in person or just get to work from home and it is great! I also love being able to spend that WFH time with the bunnies so it is a banner day to be me. This past Monday was even better than usual. I worked from home, Johnny was off, the solar eclipse happened (More on that soon!), and I got to hang out with my mom. As a belated birthday gift, I treated my mom and I to Spa Pedicures at Elysian Nails. This is the fourth pedicure I’ve ever had and my mom’s first and we both enjoyed ourselves so much! Check it out:

The last time I got a pedicure was when I got married and I just did the most basic one. I wanted to go all out for my mom’s birthday treat, though, so two Spa Pedis it was. This type of pedicure came with all of the bells and whistles and my mom and I loved every minute of it. After selecting our colors (Hot pink gel for her and black polish for me), we sat down in massage chairs and let the fantastic techs get to work. I think we would have both been happy with our feet in the warm water and letting the massage chairs do their thing!

For almost an entire hour, we were pampered with scrubs, rubs, hot towels, and the finest attention to detail on our tootsies. After just a few minutes of our pedicure, it was like looking at entirely different toes! We were both amazed at how the nails were essentially reshaped and it was a night and day difference. All of the treatments used worked wonders too. My feet and calves have never felt so soft and smooth and I didn’t think it was possible for them to feel that good. We both left our appointment feeling like a million bucks with pretty painted toes and a brand new memory to share together. ❤

As we drove home from our Pedi Party, we decided that twice a year pedicures should be a new tradition for my sister, mom, and me. I already can’t wait for our next one and, as always, Elysian Nails got us just right!

How often do you get pedicures? What is your favorite spa treatment? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar23

Face Mask Festivities: Rejuvenating Tea Tree Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Rejuvenating Tea Tree Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello! I spent the first week of March being sick AF and other than being sick, it was awesome lol. I worked from home, I watched endless TV, and enjoyed a bit of pampering with face masks too. It honestly felt like a mini vacation… minus the being sick part! As I was recuperating, I found myself growing rather fond of sheet masks even though I still think they are annoying. So, I decided to add a weekly face mask to my routine to bring back sick staycation vibes and have a little midweek treat. This past Wednesday, I used a Rejuvenating Tea Tree sheet mask by GlamUp and I actually really liked it! Check it out:

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a handful of GlamUp masks left to use and I went with the tea tree one simply for scent related purposes. I love a minty scent and thought this mask would feel brisk and refreshing. After work, I applied the mask, startled Johnny, and settled in for twenty minutes to let it sit. As per ushie, the sheet mask didn’t fit well in the slightest and I was constantly rearranging it. Despite all of the fidgeting, this mask felt SO nice on and, for once, I felt confident I would have good results from it.

As the mask set, I felt perked up by the bold mint scent and the pleasant, cooling sensation. The sheet mask was drenched with serum and I liked that I could literally feel it soaking in. To me, the experience of having a face mask on is just as important as the results and, in that regard, the tea tree mask was already the best GlamUp one I have used so far. After the twenty minutes was up, I removed the mask and was greeted by a fresh looking appearance and smooth to the touch skin. What I liked best of all, though, was that my skin was tingling from the time I took it off to when I went to bed. Now, that is what I’m talking about!

I am going to rate the Rejuvenating Tea Tree mask with an eight out of ten stars. I would happily use it again thanks to the excellent experience and satisfying results. Not too shabby for a sheet mask!!

Do you have any weekly pampering routines? What is your favorite brand of face masks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar17

Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! While I was sick AF, I found myself growing rather fond of sheet masks. Surprising, I know, because I don’t really like them or find them to be effective. However, what I did like was the ritual of it. That twenty or so minutes of just sitting and being while the mask sat was relaxing, even if I was constantly adjusting the mask! Returning back to work this past week after being sick for a week was absolutely exhausting and I was hitting a slump by the time Wednesday rolled around. What I really wanted was to go back to watching TV at noon, but that’s (sadly) not in the cards for me until I retire lol. So, I decided to do a sheet mask instead. Check it out:

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my schedule allows for a brief break in the afternoon between shifts and I thought that was the perfect time to do a little pampering. Thursday morning, I selected the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask by GlamUp to bring with me to work. Then, I put it on at my mom and dad’s, which is where I go on my break. Let’s just say that they were completely floored by my beauty as I sat at their kitchen table for twenty minutes with my mask on. Lol, I kid you not my dad literally shuddered when he looked at me!!

I chose the Japanese Sake mask for no particular reason other than that it was said to be “revitalizing” and to “enhance radiance”. I definitely needed a bit of that! As I let the mask sit, I tried to take myself back to sitting on the couch at my apartment, watching TV, and snuggled in my blankets – the pinnacle of relaxation. It was actually pretty nice to take that time to close my eyes, rest, and focus on my happy place. The only thing that was missing was an episode of Euphoria. 😀

After the twenty minutes were up I was, for once, impressed with the results. Before I used the mask, I looked as tired as I physically felt. My skin was dull as dishwater and I couldn’t believe that this mask helped me get my glow back. It was seriously a night and day difference and even though I wasn’t well rested in the slightest, I looked it! I also found that my skin was soft and smooth to the touch. This little pampering break really helped perk me up and I felt ready to take on the rest of my day afterwards.

I am going to rate the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask with a six out of ten stars. This was, easily, the best GlamUp mask I have used and I think I found my new favorite way to spend a quick break during the work week!

How do you spend your breaks at work? How do you give your skin a radiance boost? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar14

New Hot Pink & Magenta Nails

Posted on March 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I was sick AF, I had to cancel my appointment for a fill at Elysian Nails and it made me so very sad. Getting my nails done always perks me up and I really needed it because my nails were looking as awful as I felt! Thankfully, the owner of Elysian was able to get me in first thing on Monday morning to get me right and my nails are finally back to their former glory. It felt so good to get pampered after a long week of feeling like ass and I am loving how my nails turned out:

Prior to my go to girl leaving the salon, I would never dream about using anybody else for my nails. However, now that she is employed elsewhere, I alternate between a few different techs. This is fine by me because everyone at Elysian is excellent and I have never had a bad experience with any of them. Back in January, a new to me tech did my nails and she did an absolutely amazing job so I was excited to be back in her chair on Monday. I also couldn’t wait for the bright, poppy palette of hot pink and magenta I picked out to adorn my nails. I needed something fun and zippy after a long, gloomy week of being sick!

Because I couldn’t get in for my regularly scheduled time, my nails were in a worse way than usual when I go for an appointment. They were extremely grown out and the middle finger on my right hand was lifted badly. My tech blew my mind because instead of putting a new tip on the nail, she free painted it with acrylic and I can’t even tell the difference. Prior to my appointment, my nails felt very weak and she fortified them expertly. My acrylics feel so strong now and the length, shape, and color are perfect too. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think I might have a new go to tech. 😀

This was one of the best fills I have gotten at Elysian Nails because it was so desperately needed. My tech was able to turn my busted nails into something beautiful again and I can’t stop looking at them!!

Do you have a go to hair stylist or nail tech? How long have you been their client for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb20

New Matching T-Shirts!!

Posted on February 20, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When Johnny and I are watching our favorite shows or movies, we tend to make comments like “I want that shirt” that whatever character is wearing. For example, in the movie Step Brothers, Will Ferrell wears a Pablo Cruise baseball tee that we both loved. So, I got two of them for us so we could match! Although we frequently point out the shirts we like while we’re vegging out, we never really do anything about it… Until now. As a Valentine’s Day treat, I ordered two matching T-shirts for me and Johnny. These are truly an example of “if you know, you know” because they will be hilarious if you get it and will make you scratch your head if you don’t lol. Check it out:

Do you know what these shirts are from? If not, allow me to explain! Johnny and I are constantly quoting Flight of the Conchords and always enjoy watching their music videos from time to time. In their banger “Business Time” a “baggy T-shirt from the team building exercise you went to in 1999” is referenced and shown in the video. This is one of our favorite parts and I was tickled that the shirt existed when I looked it up. I mean, of course it did, but it was still a pleasant surprise! Our only regret is that we didn’t get them in a size too big to make it baggy lol.

The other shirt I got for us to match in simply states “Happy Birthday Jerusha”. This is from one of our all time favorite shows, Superstore. In one of the episodes, the store manager wants to take a picture for his wife, Jerusha’s, birthday with their huge brood of children. All of them are wearing a “Happy Birthday Jerusha” T-shirt, hence this purchase. We have seen every episode more times than I can count and, without fail, one of us brings up the fact that we need this shirt whenever this particular episode plays. It is exactly what I expected it to be and I am so glad that we finally have them!

If you got any of these slightly obscure references, kudos to you! If not, I can’t recommend watching these shows enough. Stay tuned because we will be rocking our new matching T’s together soon in a husband/wife photo shoot! 😀

What is your favorite Flight of the Conchords song? Who is your favorite character from Superstore? (I LOVE Dina!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb9

New Glitter Garnet & Ballet Slipper Nails

Posted on February 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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New Glitter Garnet & Ballet Slipper Nails

Hello!! This past Tuesday, I spent some wonderful time getting pampered at Elysian Nails. They had to push my appointment back because my normal gal was having wisdom tooth pain and I could totally sympathize. I definitely know a thing or two about that! This actually ended up working beautifully because I was able to make a quick pop in for a client and run a few errands beforehand. The best part, though, was that I was in and out of the salon in forty-five minutes flat thanks to the super speedy tech who filled in for my fill. I am loving how my nails turned out:

^^^ Also very aware that my right middle finger is still swollen from my tumble, but it’s getting better!

Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I decided to use a traditional V-Day palette of red, pink, and all of the glitter. Normally, I shy away from holiday themed nails because they don’t seem very appropriate the day after the fact. However, Valentine’s Day colors look cute anytime and I would use these colors again outside of February. They are so pretty! The garnet is called University Red and it spoke to me immediately. It was exactly the deep shade I wanted to add some edge against the lighter pink I planned on using. I chose Forgotten Pink for that in a soft ballet slipper hue and thought the colors look dynamite together.

Amazingly enough, I didn’t break any nails when I fell and trust and believe that was the first thing that I clocked afterwards lol. I did end up having a nail lift completely off weeks later, though, and that sucked massively! Despite having to do some repairs, my nail tech, Shelly, got me in and out with ample time to spare. She has done my nails several times before and knows exactly how I like them. Her speed and skill will never not amaze me when I’m in her chair and she turned my grown out, janky nails back into a work of art. In record timing to boot!

I feel like a whole new woman with my new hair and nails! It was so nice to get some back to back pampering and here’s to hoping my middle finger will be back to normal next time I get a fill lol SMH.

Do you like to wear traditional holiday colors when they roll around? What color of polish are you rocking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan12

New Coral & Lilac Nails

Posted on January 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Monday, I was able to finally get my nails done after work and it was SO very needed. I was unable to come in during Christmas week because sick and my salon takes a week off after New Years so that was a no go either. After a much deserved break for all of the wonderful employees of Elysian Nails, my appointment for a fill couldn’t have come sooner. My nails were looking awful – they were insanely grown out, dull as dishwater, and there was some lifting too. I couldn’t stand it! Thankfully, a new to me tech got me right and it was one of the best fills I’ve had in months. Check it out:

During the grey months of winter, I normally opt for deeper colors for my nails. However, after a not ideal holiday break, I needed some brightness in my life and decided to change things up. I was craving the poppy, fun shades of spring and a coral polish caught my eye as I was scouring my selection. This hue just screamed spring and was like an instant pick me up. To keep with the spring motif, I went with a lovely lilac as my complimentary color and loved how it turned out. I seriously can’t stop staring at my nails as I type this and they are a breath of fresh air to start the new year with.

For such a pretty color palette, I needed pretty nails to match and my tech did an incredible job. I was very impressed with her from the jump because she was so detail oriented. For example, she took the time to really work on my cuticles and that is something that I have never had a tech do before. I didn’t realize how bad mine were until she removed all of the dead skin that was ready to come off. My tech tended to everything wrong with my nails with so much precision and care. By the time she was done, it was like the lifted nails never happened in the first place. My nails felt strong, sturdy, and sharp enough to poke an eye out and that’s exactly how I like it!

One of my favorite things about Elysian Nails is that your hands will always be in the best hands no matter which tech is pampering you. Everyone is so amazingly skilled and even though I couldn’t get an appointment with my go to girl, I was still treated like a long term client by the tech who did my fill. You simply can’t beat that level of customer service! ❤

What color of nail polish are you currently rocking? Are you craving springtime already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan8

New Rachel Roy Vest Thing

Posted on January 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Tuesdays are one of my favorite days of the week because I don’t really have too much to do. I just have a short shift in the morning and later in the afternoon so I have from eleven to two thirty off. In that time, I either run errands, hang out with my parents, or work online. This past Tuesday, I decided to hit up TJMaxx because I had some Christmas gift cards and TJ rewards burning a hole in my pocket. I did a full restock of my skin care, which we’ll check out tomorrow and had just enough left over for this amazing Rachel Roy Vest… Thing? Lol take a look:

Post holiday shopping at TJMaxx is one of my favorite things to do. Until their spring shipment comes in, I feel like all of the weird stuff that didn’t sell throughout the year gets brought back out and everything is marked down. Luckily for me, I LOVE all of the weird stuff and have made some of my best purchases during this time of the year. During my rounds in the clothing department, I was searching specifically for these items and ended up finding this Rachel Roy Vest/whatever. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I did know I liked the pattern going around the edges and on the tie very much.

In the fitting room, I realized that you put this vest on like a poncho. It slips over your head so two panels of fabric are in the front and then you tie it together. Once it was on, I was completely sold! This vest is such a unique piece and I have never seen nor own anything like it. I love the traditional vest style quilting paired with the flowers in deep fall colors. The fit was also everything because after it was tied, the shoulders came jutting out and created such a cool shape. I found the only vest like this in the store and I highly doubt I’ll see anyone wearing one of them in public. This makes it feel exclusive to me and that is always a huge selling point for me because I don’t want what everyone else has!

Throughout the new year, I will be making lots of new content with Tim Misny and my Rachel Roy Vest Thing is the first thing I plan on rocking during our next shoot. I can’t wait to serve up fashion looks and a whole lot of fun!

What is your favorite day of the week? When during the year is your favorite time to shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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