Tag Archives: weekend

Apr30

April Finishes

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April Finishes

Hi everyone and happy weekend! The end of the month brings us to another post about all of the beauty products that I used up in April. I emptied out a solid amount of lotions, skin care, and makeup so take a look at my finishes and then let’s discuss:

finished2

Would I Use Them Again?

  • St. Ives Nourish & Smooth Body Wash: YES
  • Victoria’s Secret Rockin’ Body Cream: NO
  • Bath & Body Works Vanilla Brown Sugar Shimmer Cream: NO
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost: YES
  • Garnier Makeup Removing Cleanser: NO
  • The Body Shop Mango Whip Lotion: NO
  • Maybelline Falsies Pushup Drama Mascara: NO

Why/Why Not?

St. Ives Body Wash: St. Ives is one of my all time favorite skin care brands and I love everything from their scrubs to their body washes. The jumbo sized body wash bottle is a great value and it leaves you feeling clean and hydrated after every use. It took me about a month and a half to finish this body wash.

VS Cream: This month, I tried to finish up all of the shimmer lotions that my sister left behind when she moved to her apartment. I would never use this product again simply because I despise shimmer lotions and this particular VS cream didn’t do the best job of moisturizing, either. It also didn’t make me look 5X Sexier, as the marketing claimed. 😦

B&BW Cream: Same goes for this Bath & Body works number. I love the Vanilla Brown Sugar scent, I hate the cup full of glitter that they dumped into the bottle.

TBS Skin Boost: This is my old faithful serum that I’ve been using for years. I am trying to find a less expensive serum but until I find just the right one, I’ll be sticking with this bad boy.

Garnier Cleanser: This was one of the worst cleansers that I’ve ever used. You can read my full review here but if not, just know that I hate it.

TBS Lotion: As I’ve mentioned countless times, I love all of the bath and body care products from The Body Shop. However, I can’t stand their Mango scent. It seriously smells like rotten fruit to me and I was so happy to finally be done with it because it took me for friggen ever to finish.

Maybelline Mascara: I read so many reviews on how amazing this mascara was but I just wasn’t a fan. The Falsies Pushup Drama Mascara was so clumpy that I had to rake through my lashes after I applied it to get them separated. I was thrilled when I finished this number and am currently using Covergirl’s special edition Star Wars mascara and loving it!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t too successful as far as liking all of my finished products go this month. But that’s okay, because I still have an entire under the sink cabinet filled with beauty products to try during the month of May. As of now, I’m using Victoria’s Secret’s Pear Glace lotion, a cocoa butter body wash from Suave, a shameful cleanser from Nourish Organic, and a fabulous exfoliator from Olay. I can’t wait to give some new products a try and kick the finished ones to the curb so be sure to join me next month so we can discuss what I finished in May!

So there you have it, my April Finishes! Has anyone used any of the products that I emptied this month? What did you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr25

Monday Update: Really Good Scones Edition

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Monday Update: Really Good Scones Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new week here on lifewithlilred! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend. If there’s one thing that Lil Red loves, its cooking and baking. I could spend all day in the kitchen whipping up new meals and treats and have the time of my life. Recently, my mom acquired a new recipe from Today’s Kitchen in Wooster, Ohio to make Raspberry White Chocolate Scones and they are just as amazing as they sound. These scones are one of my favorite things to make and I just had to share the recipe with all of you since I made a fresh batch this weekend. They were delicious, if I do say so myself, so take a look at my finished product and then stick around for the recipe:

scones

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones:

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, or milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (I use 1 tsp)
  • 1/4 cup raspberries (I use 22 raspberries on the dot)
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

The Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla powder (I use 1 tsp)
  • 3 tbsp cream or milk

Directions:

  1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2.  Whisk sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in butter until it is in small pieces. With a spatula stir in 3/4 cup cream, extract, berries, and white chocolate chips. Add more flour if dough is too wet. (Dough should form a relatively smooth, firm ball.)
  3.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead gently. (I usually have a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour handy because the dough will still be pretty wet.) Press or roll out into a 6 to 8 inch circle and cut into eight wedges. Place the wedges, not touching, on baking sheet. Bake scones for 20 minutes or until golden and slightly firm when pressed. (I bake mine for 12 minutes because my oven sucks.)
  4.  Cool on a wire rack and then coat with glaze.

These scones are simply to die for and I hope all of you enjoy them as much as my family and I do! Thank you so much again to Today’s Kitchen in Wooster, Ohio for the divine recipe!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Really Good Scones Edition! What is your favorite thing to cook or bake? Has anyone had any kitchen disasters lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr23

Guest Bloggers Update

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Guest Bloggers Update

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I wanted to thank everyone who shot me an email after this week’s Monday Update to inquire about being a potential guest blogger here on lifewithlilred. I have four fabulous bloggers selected for the month of May and am very excited! I want May to be filled with posts about sweet summertime so every Sunday will feature beauty, fashion, or lifestyle tips from across the globe! I can’t wait to ring in the summer season with some new and old blogging friends so be prepared for tons of fun posts!

If you didn’t get picked for the month of May, fear not! I will be away on vacation June third through the tenth so I will need a lot of guest bloggers while I’m away. So if you are interested, please keep those emails coming to sarah.mush6794@gmail.com and I will be sure to get back to you at some point during the month to discuss blogging for me while I’m on vaca!

No email? No problem! You can also get in touch with me on my personal Facebook page or my page for lifewithlilred. Just please make sure you give me a like, follow, or a click on my Twistfire ads while you’re there! 😉 Have a great weekend and I look forward to hearing from all of you soon! Much love. -Sarah

Apr18

Monday Update: Guest Bloggers, I STILL Want You Edition

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Monday Update: Guest Bloggers, I STILL Want You Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to another week here on lifewithlilred! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! As the title of this post may suggest, I’m still on the hunt for guest bloggers. I have the month of April covered with a wonderful post that’s in the works as we speak so now I have my sights set on May. Ideally, I’d like to have a guest post on the last two Sundays of the month but I’m not opposed to having more!

What I want is a team, so to speak, of reliable and talented bloggers that I can turn to for these next few months because they’re going to be insanely busy. I would much rather have posts from my blogging friends than no posts at all when I don’t have time to write them! I’m looking for everything from beauty and fashion gurus to fitness and health tips and everything in between. If this interests you then PLEASE email me at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com. If you comment on here but don’t send an email, I’m not going to hunt you down! (I sound like a teacher there. -_-)

Guest Bloggers near and far, I STILL Want You so don’t be afraid to get in touch if you are interested! How was everyone’s weekend? Did anyone attend a concert or see a movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Nourish Organic Face Cleanser Review

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Nourish Organic Face Cleanser Review

Helloo everyone and happy weekend! I recently started using a new cleanser by Nourish Organic that I snagged from my skin care hoard and I have been nothing but disappointed with it. The worst part? That once I start a product, I completely refuse to not finish it. So now, I’m stuck with using one of the worst cleansers of all time until there’s none left. #FML. I desperately need a vent session about this cleanser so take a look at the packaging and then let’s discuss:

organic

Okay, first things first is the smell. The packaging claims that it’s fragrance free but it seriously smells like rotten sunflower seeds. That in itself completely turned me off from the cleanser because waking up and having to scrub that on your face is seriously hell. I’m okay with a fragrance free product if it truly is fragrance free or close to it but the marketing for the Nourish Organic Face Cleanser is a blatant lie. Not cool.

On top of the faulty marketing that Nourish Organic used, the packaging for it kind of sucks, too. The cleanser is so thin in texture that as soon as you pop the lid, the face wash starts pouring out. The first time I used the cleanser, I ended up with a substantial amount on my shower floor because I wasn’t prepared for the flood gates to burst free as soon as I opened it. Once again, not cool.

And finally, the fact that this cleanser doesn’t lather in the slightest is a major issue. Because the texture of the face wash is so runny, it feels like you’re just rubbing slime on your face. The result? That your face feels tight, dehydrated, and not even clean. Every time I finish using my cleanser, I’m always so thankful that I use an exfoliator afterwards to pick up the slack. I would almost be okay with the horrid smell and the shitty packaging if the product actually made my skin feel good but if anything, it just leaves it feeling worse.

So how do I rate this product, you may ask? I’m so glad you did! I give the Nourish Organic Face Cleanser: negative one million billion stars and I would not recommend it to anyone. All I can hope for now is that I finish this cleanser quickly so I can use something different because anything is an upgrade from this!

So there you have it, my Nourish Organic Face Cleanser Review! Has anyone used a product lately that they’re completely disappointed in? What face wash are you currently using? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr15

You’ve Got Mail

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You’ve Got Mail

Hi everyone and TGIF! This has been the week of treats for Lil Red! Thanks to my previous post, Beauty Bloggers: HELP! Again., I got spoiled with Avon samples from my friend, Angela. But the wealth continued to be shared because yesterday I was surprised with a package of Arbonne samples from the darling Nicole over at wychwoodwayfarer. I don’t get fun stuff like beauty supplies in the mail very often so thanks to Angela and Nicole, this week has me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning!

I had so much fun sorting through my haul of Arbonne samples that Nicole sent me with my mom. We divided the goods because I was sent doubles of some samples and I don’t use a night cream, I prefer masks. My mom was so happy to be included in the beauty festivities and I felt the same way times a billion! This morning I enjoyed using my samples of a cleanser, toner, eye cream, day cream, and serum from Arbonne. They were all simply fantastic. I especially enjoyed using the cleanser because the one I’m using currently sucks. -__-

I can’t thank Nicole enough for shipping such amazing samples to me and it was so nice to be able to try so many new products! I’ve never used or heard of Arbonne before and I think I just found a new favorite skin care line. Again, please be sure to check out Nicole’s page at wychwoodwayfarer and take a look at all of the wonderful Arbonne products that she has for sale! You’re fabulous, Nicole.  ❤

I hope everyone is having a great week so far with many fun things to look forward to this weekend. Has anyone received a surprise gift in the mail lately? Who is a fan of letter writing? (ME!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr10

DOGS

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DOGS

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend! As you guys know, our newest addition to the family was adopted on Valentine’s Day. He’s a little dog named Ollie and he’s seriously the cutest thing on the planet. Every day my family learns something new about Ollie and it has been recently discovered that he’s really afraid of storms.

The first major rainfall in Ohio happened a couple of weeks ago and Ollie was so scared that he retreated under my bed. We didn’t know this, though, and my dad ended up calling my boyfriend and I upstairs from the basement because he couldn’t find Ollie anywhere. We scoured all of the closets, cabinets, and corners and finally Kyle found him curled up under my bed. It was so scary not being able to find him for those few minutes so it was definitely a huge relief when Kyle discovered Ollie’s hiding place.

Now that we know of Ollie’s storm phobia we decided to break out the thunder coat that belonged to one of our past precious pooches. But the trick is, is that the thunder coat is five times too big for little Ollie! My mom and I managed to figure out a way to get the coat wrapped and secured on Ollie and he was then able to brave the next storm like the big boy that he is! Take a look:

^^^ Omg. SO cute.

I love how the thunder coat looks like a little cape on Ollie! He looks like a tiny super hero dog. The picture of me holding him was taken when it was raining and I couldn’t get over how adorable the way I was holding him was. He got himself like that on his own and it was like cradling a fury little toddler!

So there you have it, some cute new pictures of my brave wittle Ollie!! Has anyone welcomed a new pet into their home recently? How do you help comfort a pup that is afraid of storms? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Versatile Blogger Award #2

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Versatile Blogger Award #2

Hellooo everyone and happy weekend! Last week I was nominated by my friend, Teressina, over at teressinascrive for my second Versatile Blogger Award. I’m finally getting around to posting it and I’m just pleased as punch. I am so appreciative to everyone for the awards that I’ve been nominated for as of late so muchos gracias to all of you. Also, please be sure to check out Teressina’s page, it’s a real gem! Thank you so much, darling! With all of the blogging awards comes a set of rules to follow so take a look and then let’s get to it:

The Rules:

  • Show the award on my blog.
  • Thank the person who nominated me.
  • Share 7 things about myself.
  • Nominate 10 blogs.

All About Me:

  1. The most recent exciting thing in my life is that I got a summer internship at my school! Tri-C offered me three different internships and unfortunately I only could pick one but I went with working in the Learning Commons. I can’t wait to spend my summer semester working on campus and am looking forward to all of the experience that comes with it!
  2. I turn 22 on June 7th and I really want to get a bunny for my birthday! A female, jet black, dwarf rabbit to be specific. 😉
  3. My guilty pleasure television shows are My 600 Lb. Life and Botched.
  4. I seriously despised high school but college is literally my favorite thing in the world.
  5. My go to drink at the bar is a Vodka Sour or a Mojito if I’m feeling saucy. But I would much prefer just staying at home and drinking a cheap bottle of wine. My boyfriend and I call my favorite super sweet wine “Princess Juice”.
  6. I love to read and have finally jumped on the bandwagon that is The Hunger Games. I’m halfway through Catching Fire and I’m freaking obsessed.
  7. Shopping is my sport of choice and my favorite stores are easily H&M, Forever 21, TJMaxx, and Target.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

So there you have it, lifewithlilred’s second Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks again to Teressina at teressinascrive for the nomination! What are some fun facts about yourself? Does anyone have any big weekend plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr3

Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

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Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend! When it comes to my night time beauty routine, I LOVE using masks. I’m always on the hunt for a light but effective moisture mask and I happened to find exactly what I wanted in Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask. It is literally the best mask that I’ve ever used and it makes The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask pale in comparison. This is easily one of my favorite items in my beauty arsenal so I just had to review it! Let’s discuss:

olay1

Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask is complete and total magic. Not only is it an amazing product but it’s a very fair price, too. You can’t beat fifteen bucks for a big container! I think that this mask is a steal and it also passes my perfect product checklist with flying colors, starting with the smell. The best way that I can describe the scent is that it’s like a fresh rainfall. It’s so crisp and clean but it is in no way overpowering. The scent is so invigorating that it leaves me bright eyed and bushy tailed until I fall asleep.

The texture of the Active Botanicals Mask is really nice, as well. It fits snugly into the category of just right. I can’t stand when creams or masks are too heavy or light. I like for my masks to be light enough that they absorb well but still heavy enough to feel like they’re getting the job done. The texture of Olay’s mask is what I could imagine The Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask would feel like it it were a cream instead of a gel. It feels really aquatic and it only takes one small test of the Botanicals mask on your skin to know that using it is going to be the equivalent of giving your skin a huge gulp of water.

Good smell – check. Nice texture – check. Absorbs well? Check! Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask absorbs right into the skin as quickly as you rub it on. But, all of it doesn’t completely soak in. Every time I use this mask, a fine layer always remains on my face as if it knows that I’ll be needing more in my sleep. As soon as you put the mask on, you can feel it working. Within the first minute my skin feels tingly, bright, and hydrated. The following day my skin feels so supple and my under eye circles always look less severe. The reducing of my less than designer bags under my eyes is always a nice bonus!

There’s no way that I would rate this mask with anything lower than: five stars. It’s such an excellent and truly effective product. Olay’s mask is amazing for bringing dry skin back to life and leaving your face perfectly hydrated. I can’t recommend this mask enough, especially if you are looking to ease chapped skin from winter or for adding an extra dose of moisture into your beauty routine.

So there you have it, my Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review! Has anyone used this product before? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr2

Beauty Bloggers: HELP! Again.

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Beauty Bloggers: HELP! Again.

Howdy everyone and happy weekend! Once again, I am calling upon all of the fabulous Beauty Bloggers of WordPress for some HELP! I’ve been using The Body Shop’s Vitamin C Skin Boost for as long as I can remember. Although I’ve always found their price of twenty-seven dollars per bottle a little steep, I still shell out the cash when there’s a good sale. However, the price for the Boost is now almost thirty dollars and that doesn’t mesh well with my lifestyle of ballin on a budget.

I’ve been wanting to wean myself off of TBS products for some time now because I truly feel like I can find similar products for a better price elsewhere. Now that one of my favorite items in my daily beauty routine has hiked up in price, I feel like there’s no better time to start browsing the market for a new serum style product. Does anyone who’s familiar with TBS’s Vitamin C Skin Boost have any suggestions on a similar item? I have normal skin and am willing to try anything within reason. Thank you so much! -Sarah

tbs2.jpg

^^^ Old faithful.