Tag Archives: whomp whomp

Jul22

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Girls In The Garden By Lisa Jewell Edition

Posted on July 22, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Hi! As the old saying goes: “when in quarantine, do as those in quarantine do”, which is just Greek for I’ve been reading a lot. Lol, I’ve been devouring books left and right and have been loving every minute that gives my brain a break from the America’s Next Top Model marathons. The most recent book I finished was called The Girls In The Garden by Lisa Jewell. It was… Okay I guess?

Without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss. But, please be warned that there is some subject matter in The Girls In The Garden that could be very triggering. Now, let’s get to it:

Virginia Park may seem like the perfect, picturesque place to raise a family. Quaint flats, a communal park that stretches close to three acres, and tons of children running about. However, the situation that brought young mother Clare and her two daughters Pip and Grace into the neighborhood was anything but picture perfect.

Clare, who is estranged from her husband, is weak and vulnerable upon their arrival. This, in turn, leaves her twelve year old daughter, Grace, and eleven year old daughter, Pip, free to explore the park and get acquainted with the other kids. Handsome Dylan, frigid Tyler, and the eccentric sisters Willow, Catkin, and Fern. The parents of the three sisters, Adele and Leo, are essentially the “cool parents” and their house is constantly full of kids running in and out.

As the preteens and teenagers hang about the park, cliques begin to form and catty attitudes cause a palpable tension. All the while, the children’s parents aren’t doing much better, shielding dark secrets of their own that span from their childhood. Long buried memories begin to reveal themselves ranging from pervy old men to affairs and, oh yeah, murder.

One fateful summer night, the present mimicked the past after a young, pretty girl is found bloody, unconscious and uncovered in the park. So similar to the death of another young, pretty girl in the park decades prior. Who is responsible for the past and present attacks? And will history try to repeat itself once more? Read The Girls In The Garden to find out more!

Okay, so I know what you guys are thinking: A whodoneit with intertwining stories and secrets. How did Sarah not like it? Believe you me, all of that is very fair and I did enjoy certain aspects of the story line. However, there were a lot of parts that made me just plain uncomfortable to read. This includes some insanely inappropriate displays of affection between a freshly turned thirteen year old girl and her boyfriend.

After that part went down, I really didn’t care what happened next in the book because I just didn’t care anymore. It was such a stomach churning thing and it literally made me feel disgusting after reading it. It’s really too bad too because if the author wasn’t so focused on being “edgy”, she would have had a hell of a book on her hands. Although, I did see the ending coming.

Had a crucial part of this book not made me nauseous, I would have rated The Girls In The Garden much higher. But, that is not the case. So, for the first time in history, Lil Red will be awarding no stars out of ten stars. I really didn’t care for the direction this book took towards the end and I couldn’t look past it. Not sorry about it and I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for your next book club meeting!

Which book is currently on your night stand? Do you have any reading recommendations for me? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul19

Things I’m Missing

Posted on July 19, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! Johnny and I have been living in a lock down style state since March 19th when the restaurants and bars in Ohio closed down. Since then, the only things I have left my apartment for other than work has been the grocery store, gas station, and my monthly nail appointment. And, on occasion, we might have a friend over for a drink through serious social distancing in my living room.

Despite being constantly surrounded at home by “entertainment” like the TV, streaming services, video games, books, and board games there are definitely some activities in the community that all of the America’s Next Top Model marathons in the world couldn’t replace. I eagerly await going to all of the following once it is safe to do so:

TJMaxx:

Lol, of course TJ’s was going to be the first on my list! You guys have no idea the amount of TJMaxx related memes that I have been sent by people who have genuinely been thinking of me during this pandemic for that reason alone! I miss going on my monthly shopping trips to TJMaxx with my mom more than anything but we have all been picking and choosing what we do very carefully. For example, my monthly “treat” outing is visiting the nail salon where I feel most comfortable. I know I wouldn’t feel safe in a store full of people so online shopping has been the move for months now.

But, trust and believe that as soon as I feel one hundred and fifty million percent okay, TJ’s will be the first place I visit. I have plenty of birthday gift cards burning a hole in my pocket and I intend on using them on a gigantic haul. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to, haha. 🙂

Restaurants/Bars:

It’s not like Johnny and I went out a ton pre-coronavirus but we would usually go to the bar or out to eat maybe once a week or so. These outings were the best last summer when we could have drinks on all of the outdoor patios in Kent. It was just such a nice way to spend an hour or two after work and I miss being able to unwind with our friends.

Most of all, however, I miss going to the bars where the band my boyfriend is in, The Outside Voices, would play. Going to their shows over the weekend was always something we really looked forward to and I know it has been so hard on him to not be doing anything musical. In fact, I think he misses performing just as much as I miss shopping at TJMaxx and that’s really saying something.

Guilt Free Hang Outs:

I have been able to Skype with and social distance hang out with a few of my friends on occasion. Of course, it’s always nice to see them whether that be on the laptop screen or at the opposite end of the room. But what I really miss is being able to hug them and interact more closely. For example, when Lea usually comes over we like to curl up on the couch and drink wine. Not so much anymore, lol.

I miss all of the little things that I never thought much of before. Big hugs goodbye, sitting on the same couch, or venturing out for random adventures – just for starters. A lot of thought goes into doing just about anything now and I miss the spontaneity that comes with guilt free hang outs with all of my besties.

What are the activities that you’re missing the most right now? Do you have a safe “treat” outing that you participate in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul10

Face Mask Festivities: BAWDY X Sephora Flaunt It Butt Sheet Mask Edition

Posted on July 10, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Face Mask Festivities: BAWDY X Sephora Flaunt It Butt Sheet Mask Edition

Hello! During my last online Sephora haul, I was ten measly dollars away from free shipping and I didn’t want to spend a ton of money to get myself over the threshold. So, I hit up the clearance section and decided on a face mask AND a butt mask. I already reviewed the sheet mask for my face and today it is all about the sheet mask for the bootay! Lol, take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

A butt mask may seem silly to some but, hey, I’m willing to try a new product out to put on the blog for a whole four bucks! And, you know what? I’ve used beauty treatments that have been worse. At the end of the day, I felt pampered and my butt felt firmer so no harm no foul!

My first impression of the mask was that it was adorable, obviously! I wasn’t sure what the butt mask was going to look like but the watermelon slices with “FLAUNT IT!” written across seemed perfect to me. The application was simple and I figured the easiest way to let the mask sit was laying on a towel.

After fifteen minutes of having the mask on, it dried out. I didn’t notice any mind blowing physical changes to my derriere but it genuinely did feel firmer and much more moisturized after using it.

The real question is: Would I use a butt mask again? Probably not. I wasn’t impressed enough with this sheet mask to continue buying them or a similar product. I think I will stick with the masks for my face from now on! 🙂

Has anyone ever used a butt mask before? What did you think of it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr24

No New Nails

Posted on April 24, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! If you recall, I recently bought a DIY acrylic kit to attempt to fill my talons from home. I’d love to tell you that it worked and my nails look fabulous. But, sadly, it ended up being a crap lousy attempt during a crap lousy day. Mannnn, I don’t know what it was. I guess it was a combination of a bunch of stuff, so let’s discuss:

Despite all of the ideas that I have been posting to keep all of you entertained in self-isolation, no one is saying that it still doesn’t suck. Lol, I guess the day I tried to do my nails, I was really feeling down – blame it on my impending period or all of the coronavirus panic but, damn. Once the acrylic on my nails just refused to dry, the waterworks started flowing.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t just the nails but a build up of a difficult few weeks. Work has been long and boring, tax season and car repairs bled my bank account, and the weather has been crap so leaving the house just for a walk with my boyfriend has been impossible. Call it cabin fever or the pre-period crazies but your girl just cracked.

I cried, and I cried, and I cried some more. Thankfully, my boyfriend was nothing short of supportive and always talks me through my moments when my struggle with depression just gets the best of me. Eventually, once I calmed down, I removed my fake nails and after another cry sesh, Johnny put America’s Next Top Model on for me like the angel he is.

Like I said, no one is saying that this isn’t a hard time and it manifests itself in different ways. Have you felt over emotional lately? Has your normal sleep pattern been disrupted? Are you exhausted all the time? Cause same. And my best advice? Seek the comfort of those you love.

It’s easy when you’re feeling upset to not want to be around someone but, seriously, talk to someone. In my case, I ended up having to cry into the arms of my boyfriend after avoiding talking about how I was feeling once the metaphorical straw broke the camel’s back. Don’t let yourself get to this point because, chances are, everyone is feeling the same way and maybe they need to talk, too.

Contact your friends, do something that makes you smile, or watch a funny movie and get yourself back on track. We can all do this!

How have you been dealing emotionally with the coronavirus? What do you do to make yourself feel better? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Bath Bomb Blitz: Dove Milk Swirls Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle Edition

Posted on April 4, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Bath Bomb Blitz: Dove Milk Swirls Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle Edition

Hello! This past week, my mom gifted me with a marked down bath bomb by Dove that she got while grocery shopping. I like Dove products well enough and the Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle scent definitely had me invested so I was looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately, I can totally see why this product was marked down after using it and it instantly fell under the “wouldn’t use again” category. Let’s discuss:

When I think of a bath bomb that promises a “bath milk” style feature, I always think of the water looking rich and creamy – kind of like half and half, lol. I figured the raspberry hue and fragrance would offer me a really lush bath filled with delicious, light pink, moisturizing water. Instead, I was offered scuzzy lavender pond water with no change in how it felt or smelled at all.

As soon as I put the bath bomb in the water, it began to fizz and I felt hopeful that it would work how I wanted it to. Especially because it initially fizzed very quickly and the water around it was changing. Unfortunately, about halfway through placing the bath bomb in the tub, it stopped working completely and I just broke the rest apart with my hands.

The sudden halt in the bath bomb working left for murky water and a less than impressive experience. But, I should have known that it wasn’t going to be that great from the beginning. Upon taking the bath bomb out of its plastic wrap, I literally couldn’t smell the Vanilla Raspberry Creamsicle scent that I was so excited for at all. Normally, this is a tell tale sign that the bath bomb is going to be A DUD… And it was. Whomp whomp.

What is your favorite bath bomb? Which bath bomb would you not use again? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar29

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara Swatch In Deep Burgundy

Posted on March 29, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara Swatch In Deep Burgundy

Hello! As you saw yesterday, the L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Cobalt Blue was a bust. And, unfortunately, the mascara sucked in Deep Burgundy, too. Whomp whomp. I can’t say that I was surprised when I gave it a shot and it wasn’t that great but it’s always disappointing to buy a product, test it out, and have it be an epic failure. But, hey, it happens and now you know what not to buy! Let’s get to it:

Despite not being crazy about the mascara formula, at least the Cobalt Blue shade offered some hint of the color – albeit not much! And that is my main bugaboo about the Deep Burgundy hue. I was expecting something more shocking and ended up with brown lashes. I was hoping to see the deep red more clearly and it did not translate that way at all. It applied brown, it dried brown, and even in natural lighting it didn’t show any of the shade that I thought I bought.

And, of course, it must be said again that the formula for this mascara is far from impressive. My lashes looked stumpy while wearing this product and I can’t deal with that. Lol, the mascara clumped and it stumped and it just wasn’t a good look all around. This begs the question of “what’s the point” because this mascara did the polar opposite of what it should do. No volume, no length, and not even a fun color to appease me. Huge disappointment and I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy… Well, maybe. 😉

Which product have you been disappointed with recently? Which product have you been obsessed with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar28

L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara Swatch In Cobalt Blue

Posted on March 28, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara Swatch In Cobalt Blue

Hi! My skating coach has been rocking burgundy mascara during my last few skates and I am obsessed. I love the pop of color in an unexpected place and was eager to find some of my own the next time I went makeup shopping. I wasn’t expecting to find any funky colors of mascara at the grocery store I was at but I was pleasantly surprised to see a cobalt blue and burgundy shade by L’Oreal and bought them both.

Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at the cobalt blue hue and be sure to tune in tomorrow to talk about the burgundy! Let’s get to it:

I was really looking forward to trying the cobalt blue mascara because I thought that it would give me a more obvious color pop than the burgundy. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with the results. The color was just not saturated enough for a noticeable effect and I could really only tell that the mascara was blue when I was in natural lighting.

Aside from the pigment of this mascara not being shocking enough, I am not too thrilled with the mascara in itself, either. I am so used to my big, bold, fanned out lashes from religious use of Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced so anything less than over exaggerated lashes are going to be a no from me, dawg. And, because the cobalt pigment is so dull you can’t even layer it over top of a base coat because it will literally do nothing… Believe me, I tried.

I can’t say that I would recommend this mascara and I plan on trying something a bit more high end when self-isolation is lifted and I can actually go play in Sephora. Maybe the burgundy hue will be a bit better? Find out tomorrow!

What is the best colored mascara? How do you add funky color to your makeup looks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar27

Covergirl Katy Kat Eyeliner Swatch In Kitty Katdabra

Posted on March 27, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Covergirl Katy Kat Eyeliner Swatch In Kitty Katdabra

Hi! This past week, I stocked up on some fresh food at the grocery store and couldn’t resist looking at the makeup selection. I haven’t been shopping in store or online in so long and I honestly feel like I’m going through withdrawal. So, I just had to treat myself to some funky colored mascara and a glittery eyeliner from the Covergirl Katy Kat collection in Kitty Katdabra. Check it out:

I have been running low on my Black Onyx Covergirl liner and, sadly, the store I was at didn’t have the kind I liked. I was a bit disappointed because you can’t go wrong with a solid black liner but I figured that one with a little glitter wouldn’t hurt. And, normally, Lil Red never says no to a little bling!

I was looking forward to giving this new liner a try because it looked really cute. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t apply as harshly as I would like. I was hoping for something deeper with a sprinkling of midnight stars but the base color applied in an almost grey fashion and I don’t love it. I plan on using this color simply because I have it now and I’m not going to return it but I won’t be buying it again in the future.

How do you add some sparkle to your makeup looks? What is your go to brand of eyeliner? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar20

Coronavirus Vibe Killer

Posted on March 20, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hi everyone! In the midst of all of this coronavirus craziness, I hope that all of my dear friends and readers are staying safe, happy, and healthy as panic spreads and toilet paper runs scarce. Everyone seems to be quarantining themselves from work, school, and other commitments and gatherings at movie theaters, concerts, and the like have been cancelled.

Normally, I would be stoked on literal government permission to not leave my house. Believe you me, I fantasize about that on mornings where it’s particularly hard to get out of bed and get to work. But, goddamn gang, I am SO disappointed because all of the fun events that I have been looking forward to are dropping out like flies.

For example, I was supposed to see Jesus Christ Super Star twice within one week at Playhouse Square in Cleveland and when it got cancelled your girl was just devastated. I have wanted to see that show live since my youth and seeing it twice was probably one of the best things to ever happen to me… until it didn’t. -___-

My boyfriend’s band, The Outside Voices, was also supposed to open for Molly Hatchet in April, which got the boot amid this unnerving time worldwide too. Am I shocked? No. It’s the right thing to do to protect our vulnerable populations. Am I disappointed? You better fucking believe it!

Yes, I’m disappointed in my festivities being cancelled. But, damn, I’m the most disappointed about certain behaviors that I have seen manifesting during this difficult time. There is absolutely NO need to be stockpiling mass amounts of food and product, preventing those who also need some to be left empty handed. I have also been sickened to see that people have been selling their hoards at an extremely marked up price on Facebook marketplace to make a quick buck. It’s shameful.

I’m sick of the racist remarks, I’m tired of the selfishness, and I urge all of you to take a minute and reflect on everything that is going on and how you can help. Whether that be Purel-ing your hands constantly to stop the spread of germs or packing a lunch for children who might need it now that the schools are shut down. We are all in this together, so let’s start acting like it! Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

How have you been dealing with the coronavirus panic? How has your life been affected by it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar17

Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color Swatch In Moonstone

Posted on March 17, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color Swatch In Moonstone

Hi! At the bridal expo my bestie and I attended they had so many damn vendors I thought we were never going to get through them all. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a bridal expo without your friendly neighborhood Mary Kay representative breathing down your throat. But, they had freebies! In their little goody bags, there was the lip gloss sample you saw yesterday and a single use eyeshadow application that we’ll look more closely at today:

Let me start off by saying, that I have never seen an eyeshadow sample like Mary Kay’s before. The makeup was protected by a thin sheet of plastic and, once peeled off, you could help yourself to the eyeshadow underneath. I thought this was so clever and it’s a great way to test a color out without committing to the purchase. And, god forbid you end up not liking the color you buy!

Having said that, this eyeshadow sucked lol. At first glance, it looks like this pretty pale yellow mixed with fairy dust. Then, on application, it just looked white with a ton of shimmer and I would never wear anything like that… Even when I was a teenager I didn’t wear anything like that! It also wiped off completely with one gentle swipe of a dry paper towel, so do with that info what you will.

Although I wouldn’t wear this as an eyeshadow, I thought it might make for a pretty highlighter. But, that’s what buying a highlighter is for! I give this Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Moonstone a big fat WHOMP WHOMP and I can guarantee you that you would have better luck with makeup from the dollar store.

Which brand of makeup do you find overrated? How do you rock a shimmery MOTD? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

	Adventure Friendship on Uber Safety
	lifewithlilred on New Hair, Who Dis?
	Dear Quiet on New Hair, Who Dis?
	lifewithlilred on Wedding Party OOTD
	lifewithlilred on Travel Turmoil In New Orl…