Veerappen Moustache Wax

Despite not owning a moustache (funny that!), I was still intrigued enough by it's description and back-story to purchase one of Lush's newest additions - Veerappen Moustache Wax. Named after an infamous sandalwood smuggler of the same name, this product plays homage to the struggles of buying pure, non-corrupted sources of sandalwood to use in cosmetics.

This is the first of it's kind to come from Lush, but like most of the company's other products, I knew there would be more than one way to use it. Priced at £10 for an 8g tub, this initially seems like a large price tag for such a small product. However, like all of Lush's lip balms and solid perfumes, a tiny tin goes a long way.

What is special about this wax is that it shares it's scent with one of Lush's newest perfumes, Smuggler's Soul. However, I did notice that there was a slight difference between this and both the solid and liquid forms of the aforementioned perfume. Veerappen has a very natural, light woody smell - one that comes alive once the warmth of your fingers have stimulated the different oils. It's a very gentle scent so wearers don't have to be worried that it'll be too overpowering to wear throughout the day.

Packed with beneficial waxes and oils, including castor oil, candelillia wax, Japan wax, rose wax, and two types of sandalwood oil, Veerappen is initially very hard in consistency - it's far more stubborn than other Lush balms so it takes quite an effort to get any from the tin. Whereas the solid perfumes melt underneath the touch of a finger, this moustache wax has more of a rough, sticky feel and it takes a lot of effort to get any out to use.

My male guinea pig tested this out on his facial hair and found that it was very effective at styling his moustache without leaving any greasy residue behind. He commented that once the product had been applied during the styling process, his moustache kept it's shape throughout the whole day. However, he did mention that he found it very difficult to get much of the product out of the tub. He had to rub both his thumb and finger across the surface for a good 40 seconds to retrieve anything, and even then there was barely more than the faintest smear of grease on his finger.

On the positive side, this does mean that the minuscule amount in the tin will last for a very long time - there's no way you could accidentally use too much. It also means that this is very unlikely to melt in your bag, so you can take it on your travels and top up if and when you need to. However, it also means that it can sometimes be a hassle to use, especially if you're short for time.

Lush claim that this wax conditions as well as styles so I decided to use this wax on the few stray hairs that plague the top of my head. Despite my hair being in the best condition of my life, I still have a few short strands that tend to stick up in the heat and cannot be controlled with most other hair products. A tiny massage of this wax on my hair and I found that I was able to tame these annoying strands without covering my entire head in unnecessary wax, mousse or gel. Perfect.

Overall, I think this is a great new product to come from Lush - despite it being one that I wouldn't have immediately thought of if I was asked for ideas - I'm happy to have a more compact and easy to use 'hair tamer' and my male counterpart can style his moustache to his heart's content. Win win all around!

Quantitative Ingredients: Castor Oil, Candelilla Wax, Japan Wax, Carnauba Wax, Stearic Acid, Perfume, Rose Wax, Indian Sandalwood Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Madagascan Vetivert Oil, Tagetes Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

Read More

Five O'Clock Whistle Shaving Smoothie

When my flatmates saw the products that were being released from the Kitchen last week, their responses were along the lines of - 'well at least you'll save your money, what use do you have with a beard wash, shaving cream and moustache wax?'. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way in my world. As a wise woman once said, 'I'll damn well grow a beard if it means I am able to use these products'...

While that last quote might have actually come from my own mouth, the ideal still remains. With Lush products being so multifaceted, there is always more ways than one to use a single item; the fun comes in discovering the versatility of each and every product.

Five O'Clock Whistle is a shaving smoothie - the first of it's kind to be released from Lush. While it is predominantly designed to aid men in trimming and removing their facial hair, I didn't see any harm in using it to banish my leg hair either. 

This smoothie is packed with multiple ingredients - all especially included to give you the smoothest, most enjoyable shave of your life. With jojoba, rapeseed and coconut oil to help moisturise and nourish, extra virgin olive oil to condition and strengthen the skin and kaolin clay to cleanse and absorb excess oils, this sounds like the perfect product. 

As well as the above ingredients, this shaving companion also contains a coffee and lavender infusion, which despite being the predominant ingredient, doesn't offer much in the way of scent. It is the inclusion of both fresh lime juice and lime oil that gives this product it's dominating smell. To me, this shaving smoothie smells like a good quality chocolate lime - a strong, zesty citrus aroma that awakens your senses and makes your skin tingle. The coffee and lavender do add a very subtle note in the overall scent, but it's not enough to write home about. 

To use, simply scoop out a handful and massage it across the area you want to shave. I found that I needed a little more than a teaspoon worth for each leg and my male 'testee' needed about the same for his face. Much like most of Lush's other smoothies, this one doesn't produce a very soapy lather but it does create an oily substance that coats your legs nicely.

Five O'Clock Whistle wasn't as effective as Shave The Planet in the fact that I didn't feel as if my legs were taut enough to avoid cutting myself. While it was more effective than regular shower gel or soap, I didn't feel as protected as I normally would with this sort of product. Having said that, my male counterpart commented on how it tightened his facial skin much like a normal shaving gel would do. He was able to shave as per usual and didn't inflict any injuries on himself. 

The shaving smoothie did leave my legs and my flatmate's face feeling squeaky clean, and I was impressed at how the gorgeous lime smell permeated our skin and remained with us for a long time afterwards. However, Five O'Clock Whistle was a little drying on the skin and I felt that my legs weren't as smooth or as soft as other shaving creams have made them. My flatmate experienced the same after shaving his beard and had to moisturise afterwards as his face felt a little on the dry side. 

Overall, I am really happy that there is going to be a permanent shaving smoothie for vegans, as there is next to nothing on the Lush site that can offer the same soft of protection. Furthermore, this smoothie smells delicious and is the perfect accompaniment in those early mornings when you need something vibrant and uplifting to wake you up. However, it isn't the most moisturising product and you'll probably need to use a body lotion afterwards to replace some of the skin's oils that may have been removed. It's definitely a step in the right direction but it's not quite good enough to join my regular 'must haves'. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Coffee and Lavender Infusion, Organic Jojoba Oil, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Water (Aqua), Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Glycerine, Perfume, Fresh Lime Juice, Kaolin, Lime Oil, Aloe Vera Extract, Carrageenan Extract, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

Read More

Kalamazoo Beard And Facial Wash

Kalamazoo was one of the first Lush Kitchen products that I heard about, back when the company's new initiative was first forming. At the time, it wasn't something that immediately appealed to me - partly because it's aimed more towards a male audience and partly because I've already perfected my facial routine. However, I couldn't let it pass without trying it out.

Packed full of skin-enriching ingredients, this beard and facial wash claims to cleanse and soften both skin and hair - leaving you ready to start your day. Almond oil acts as the base here, helping to moisturise and repair broken skin whilst apricot oil helps to nourish and provide a protective layer over the skin - keeping in moisture and giving you a natural glow. 

Pineapple Juice is an excellent anti-inflammatory and boosts your skin's natural radiance - giving your complexion a healthy glow; orange oil is also known for it's skin-healing properties and works with all of the ingredients to support and improve the condition of your skin.

Together these ingredients help to create a beautiful smelling facial wash. You can really detect the orange, pineapple and apricot here, and combined they create an uplifting and highly fruity fragrance. Kalamazoo gives off a wonderfully rich and wholesome citrus smell and is now easily one of my favourite zesty smells from Lush. It's like Sunny Citrus Soap meets The Sun perfume meets Celebrate Body Lotion. In the simplest terms, it's gorgeous.

As strange as it is to say, this product does have a slight masculine smell about it. That's not to say it cannot be enjoyed by all, as I will certainly be buying more of this when it becomes a regular product. However, there is something about it that reminds me a little of men's aftershave. Having said that, I think this would be incredible as a perfume so it's more of a unisex fragrance than anything else. 

In the tub, Kalamazoo's consistency is far thicker than a body lotion - somewhere in between Dirty Hair Cream and Sympathy For The Skin Body Lotion. It's quite condensed in this way so you don't need to use a lot with each use, extending the life of the 110g pot that little bit further.

In the shower, simply scoop about a level teaspoon amount into the palm of your hands and lather across your face or massage into your beard. Leave it for the desired amount of time before rinsing away under the running water. If you're using it on your beard, don't expect any foam - this is more of a moisturiser than a soap in that sense.

Initially, this facial wash made my skin a little rigid - much like when a soap removes some of the natural oils in your skin and leaves your complexion a little parched. My face felt very clean but a little too tight for my liking. However, once I had patted my face down and it was dry, my skin began to feel really soft and I could feel a slight radiance omitting from my cheeks and forehead. I could detect a little of the scent afterwards, but it didn't stay around for long. 

My male test subject commented that his beard did feel clean after he had tried it out, but that it didn't provide an experience any better than when he uses a regular shower gel to clean himself. However, he did notice that the smell stayed in his beard a lot longer than it did on my skin, and he could still smell the wash for many hours after use. 

Having used this across the last few days, I have found that I haven't had to moisturise my face afterwards and the condition of my skin has improved slightly with daily use. It's a lovely product to use first thing in the morning as the smell is highly refreshing and invigorating, and it leaves your skin feeling dirt-free and healthy for the whole day. Now is the perfect time to bring this out as it does a great job at making you feel clean and refreshed, even when you're sweating from the excess heat outside.

For £6.50, I think this is great value for money and works out a lot cheaper than investing in a facial moisturiser. It gets rid of debris build up and gives your skin a healthy glow that stays with you through even the hottest of days. I will be investing in this wash in the future and I only hope that more products with this scent are brought out for Lush fans to enjoy. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Perfume, Organic Jojoba Oil, Cupuacu Butter, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

Read More

Start Of Summer Competition!

Summer's here and I only have one week to go before my five week vacation starts! To celebrate another school year coming to an end, I am giving one lucky reader a chance to win a whole helpful of Lush Kitchen goodies. 

I am touched by all of the comments and support that Lush fans have given this site over the last few months. So much so that I want to give something back to show my appreciation and make another Lush fan just that little bit happier!

Up for grabs is:

- A 250g bottle of Prince Shower Gel
- A 100g bottle of Vanilla Puff Dusting Powder 
- A 230g Tub of Bada Bing Bada Boom Shower Jelly
- A 100g Tub of Zest Hair Styling Gel
- A Mrs Whippy Bath Ballistic
- A Baby Face Solid Cleanser 
- A Tub of The Kiss Limited Edition Valentine's Day Lip Balm
- A 100g Bar of Red FUN
- A 100g Bar of Green FUN
- A 100g Chunk of Summer Pudding Soap
-2/3rds of a Bar of Solid SUNBLOCK


Most of these items are now no longer available and may not show themselves again for years to come!

To be in with a chance to win the lot, all you have to do is leave a message (and your contact details) underneath this blog post. Although I open it up for fans to enter as many times as they like, I ask that you are sensible about it.

The competition is open worldwide and will run until Thursday 24th July, 9pm (English time). I will pick a winner using a random number selector and will email you within 2 days of the competition closing. Please make sure you include an email for me to contact you with. Good luck!

Read More

Imperialis Facial Moisturiser

I'm always wary when trying out new facial moisturisers, just because I know how temperamental my skin can be. Even the slightest change in temperature can make my nose greasy or cause my chin to break out in spots. So committing myself to using a lotion on my skin for three months, not knowing how my face will react, makes me rather nervous.

Imperialis is the second to last vegan facial moisturiser left for me try from Lush's range. This product claims to be suitable for all skin types and is supposedly 'great for skins that can't make up their minds', which is exactly how I'd describe my face. 

One aspect of this moisturiser that I appreciate, is that it is quite a light face cream, similar in consistency to Almond Kisses and Celestial. Before I discovered facial moisturisers, I would always use a normal body lotion on my face, and would hate how heavy and cloying it felt against my skin. I know the best way to start the day is by refreshing my face with something hydrating and gentle, so this product bodes well with my routine. 

Infused with an array of different ingredients, this product owes is scent to the mixture of elderflower, lavender, mullein, St John's wort, sweet violet and sunflower extracts that feature in it. All of these wonderful natural, earthy plants have been used for centuries to restore, revive and replenish skin across the ages, so Lush saw it as reason enough to feature them all here. Why fix something that isn't broke, right?

I find Imperialis' scent hard to describe. To me, I can pick out a subtle blossom scent with elements of both lily and orange, all of which intensify when massaged into the skin. The lillies also act as a firming agent alongside the lavender, whose scent I cannot detect in the mix. Lush then use a mixture of olive oil, shea butter and cocoa butter, to act as emulsifiers, helping to thoroughly nourish and moisturise the skin.

This product doesn’t leave a heavy residue behind and is quickly absorbed into the skin, so is great to use as a base for your foundation or concealer. I tend to use this after each and every shower, applying it onto my face after I've used 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion to cleanse my pores. It leaves my skin wonderfully soft and doesn't leave behind any strong lingering smell that may interfere with your perfume or body lotion.

I would definitely use this again as I found that after a week or so, my skin felt really radiant and soft. Across the three months that it took to finish a tub of Imperialis, I found that I rarely broke out in spots and my face remained smooth even on the days when I forgot to use it first thing in the morning. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Lavender Flower Infusion, Mullein Leaf Infusion, Orange Blossom Water, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Stearic Acid, Shea Butter, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Orange Flower Absolute, Brunello Lily Petals, St. John's Wort Extract, Elderflower Extract, Sweet Violet Extract, Sunflower Petal Extract, Alkanet Extract, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

Read More

Grease Lightning Spot Treatment

When you're a teenager, you envisage a time in the future when you'll be spot free and sporting a clear complexion. No one ever tells you that when you grow up, there's not a miracle cure that'll just stop you from breaking out when you eat too much sugar, or when the weather changes etc... Some people are blessed with an inability to get spots; for the rest of us, there's always Grease Lightning.

Grease Lightning is a gentle but powerful spot treatment gel designed to target and eradicate pesky spots, without drying out or effecting your skin in any other way. I remember when I first began 'going through the changes', I relied heavily on various spot treatments to help clear my skin up. However, what I found was that most of these commercial brands completely dried my complexion out, which then caused me to get flaky, easily-irritated patches on my chin and nose.  

Lush's answer to this was to create a gel from carrageenan seaweed, aloe vera and sea water; three ingredients that help to cleanse and moisturise the skin without stripping the skin of it's natural oils. Furthermore, Grease Lightning contains an infusion of rosemary, thyme and tea tree oil to give the gel antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help to eradicate pesky spots and stop them from re-appearing. This face gel is tea tree scented but it's quite a light fragrance.

To use, you simply have to squeeze a small amount onto the tip of your finger and apply it to the area you want to target. The clear gel will dry and set on your skin and get to work immediately. What I love about this product, is that it's less wasteful than your average spot treatment. Rather than smearing half a bottle over your entire face, just to target an annoying cluster of spots on your nose, Grease Lightning is only used on the specific areas where it's needed. This means that for £5.95, it's great value for money as it'll last a lot longer than a £6 bottle of *insert generic product name here*.

In addition, this bottle is small and compact enough to fit perfectly in your bag, and can be used without  any cotton wool or a mirror, so can be applied throughout the day, with ease. I tend to apply this in the evenings and before I go to bed, and in the morning, my spots are always less inflamed and smaller. Within a couple of days, the offending spots have all but disappeared. 

I don't tend to use this often, as I'm lucky enough not to break out more than a couple of times a year, but I like to keep a bottle handy as it also works to quicken the healing process on cuts/inflamed areas.

Quantitative Ingredients: Thyme, Rosemary and Tea Tree Infusion, Water, Fair Trade Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Sea Water, Grape Juice, Carrageenan Extract, Lavender Oil, Witch Hazel Extract, *Limonene, Perfume, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Read More

Almond Kisses Facial Moisturiser

Almond Kisses Facial Moisturiser was actually one of the first retro products that I invested in, back at the start of last year. I remember being rather surprised and a little shocked at it's £22.95 price tag, as I felt, for a 45g tub, this was extremely expensive. Having now used a range of different facial moisturisers, I realise that they're worth their price tag - firstly, because they last a good 3+ months, and this is using it twice daily; secondly, if you get a good one, they can do wonders for your complexion. 

Lush say that 'around 20 minutes after smoothing Almond Kisses on your skin, your face feels softer, flexible and pliable; your cheeks are gently bouncy like little cushions (in a nice way). It stays that way for hours too! It's the glycerine that makes most of the difference and the almond oil makes it even better.'' I actually agree with this statement.  

It's a light and very emollient moisturiser, similar in consistency to Enzymion. But unlike Enzymion, it does tend to take a lot longer to absorb into the skin, meaning that your face does feel somewhat tacky for a while after application. However, it is this aspect of the lotion that makes it perfect for people with dry skin; it keeps it moisturised and moist for a long period of time without making it look or feel greasy.   

Almond Kisses is definitely one of the best moisturisers for dry or dehydrated skin as it cleared up my dry patches and left me with a face that glowed night and day. I find that it tends to calm my skin, especially when I have a break out of spots, and it does this without feeling like it's cloying up my pores. 

It gives off a strong scent of carnations that, to me, smell as if they're mixed with the nuttiness of almonds and the spice of fresh cloves. The addition of tangerine gives this facial moisturiser a fresh and sultry finish that makes you feel incredibly sexy.

I wish Almond Kisses was a regular product in Lush's range, as I would have liked to alternate between this and Enzymion as my facial moisturisers. Lush also have the body lotion, Potion; a cream that shares the same delicious scent as Almond Kisses. The works wonderfully well on the skin and would be a perfect combination alongside this facial moisturiser, although I'm not sure when Lush will choose to re-release this next. I'm really glad that Lush have brought this out again and I'll be buying a few pots to support and nourish my skin throughout the summer.

Quantitative Ingredients: Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Rose Water (Rosa centifolia), Glycerine, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Coconut Butter (Cocos nucifera), Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia), Carnation Absolute (Dianthus carophyllus), Tangerine Oil (Citrus reticulata), Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Sweet Japanese Girl Solid Cleanser

There seems to be rather a lot of confusion regarding the use of Sweet Japanese Girl Solid Cleanser; a premise even I was stumped about to begin with. Although it's title should have been somewhat of a clue as to why it's been made, mixed reviews threw up many questions regarding it's official purpose. However, spurred on by the thought of a challenge, I relished in finding out the best way to utilise this product, and reached some quite intriguing conclusions. 

Sweet Japanese Girl is a unique solid bar made from cocoa butter, extra virgin coconut oil and shea butter - a powerhouse of natural ingredients to help cleanse, moisturise and protect your skin. What makes it stand apart from Lush's massage bars and other solid products, is it's use of ground adzuki beans and almonds, which not only give it a wonderful nutty, savoury fragrance, but help to make this product work as a solid. 

This product also contains a mixture of tea tree, juniper berry and lemon essential oils, which help to cleanse the skin and add a natural glow. The latter ingredient also adds to this product's scent, giving it a gentle and very beautiful lemon aroma, which reminds me somewhat of lemon cheesecake.

This is a surprisingly effective cleanser because the different oils bond with each other as they dissolve into the skin, which helps to flush out dirt and grease trapped in pores, whilst moisturising your skin at the same time. The added ground almonds and adzuki beans help to unblock the pores even further, which can prevent blackheads and spots from occurring. 

So how exactly do you use it? Well that would depend on what works best for your skin. I found that I was able to use it effectively in two different ways, both of which left my face feeling velvety soft and deeply moisturised. 

Firstly, I found that this solid cleanser can be applied to dry skin and used as more of a moisturiser than a cleanser. Take the bar between your hands, extract a small amount of oil onto your palms, and then lather it gently onto your face. When used like this, I did find that my face felt a little greasy for the first 20-30 minutes. However, it wasn't a heavy greasy feeling, and once this had subsided, my face felt smooth and clean, whilst gently glowing. 

Secondly, Sweet Japanese Girl can be used in the shower. Just before you're about to get out, take the bar and very gently massage it into your wet face. Be careful not to get the bar too wet otherwise it'll become greasy and unbearable. Once you've applied as much as you want, wash the excess away under the water and then pat your face down once you get out. Again, my face felt slightly greasy, but this disappeared as soon as I'd dried myself off. Doing it this way means that you'll also get a gentle exfoliation from the Adzuki beans, which was wonderful.

In this instance, my complexion felt really moisturised and soft, and I didn't have to apply any facial moisturiser afterwards as it kept my face feeling smooth all day. Both methods left me with results I was very happy with, and it made it even better knowing that, as a solid product, this bar had no preservatives or 'nasties' clogging up my pores. 

I find this cleanser particularly good for blackheads and congested skin (I suffer a lot from the latter due to the stressful nature of my job). The tea tree oil helps to prevent the spots without drying skin out too much and the butters moisturise so well that it's not necessary to use a moisturiser afterwards. 

One of Sweet Japanese Girl's greatest attributes is that it's incredible value for money. This bar only weighed in at 40g, and cost a little over £5. However, it lasted me a good couple of months, and this was using it twice a day. 

Ultimately, this cleanser has opened the door to many more solid possibilities, and I hope it's popularity will encourage Lush to release more products in this format. I would definitely buy this regularly if it became a permanent cleanser.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Ground Almonds, Ground Aduki Beans, Lemon Oil, Juniperberry Oil, Tea Tree Oil, *Citral, *Limonene, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Read More

Lip Dip Lip Scrub

I seem to have amassed a rather large collection of lip scrubs as of late, which is worrying as I know they are best used fresh, and unlike a lot of Lush products, these are more likely to go off because of certain ingredients featured within them. Despite owning a good 6-7 different varieties, they're a product that tends to get shoved in the bottom of a bag and forgotten about. So I made it my mission to use these scrubs religiously over the next few months; firstly, so I can use a few up, and secondly so that I can really notice any difference they make to my lips. 

Like most people, when I first heard about the lip scrub, I was dubious that they would actually work. My mind was somewhat altered when I tried Bubblegum for the first time, and found that my lips did feel a lot smoother and velvety after use. But would Lip Dip do the same?

Much like Bubblegum, this scrub is another sugary delight that seems more like a pot of sherbet than a cosmetic. Lip Dip is more of a fizzy scrub, scented with sweet cranberries and fresh lemon to make it a sweet treat for the lips. It contains both cranberry oil, a natural source of omega oils which helps to keep your lips moisturised, and lemon oil which gives the product it's scent and is known for it's toning properties. Surprisingly, this scrub also features almond oil to soften and smoothen the lips - supposedly to give your 'smackers' an all-round amazing pampering session. 

What I love about all of Lush's lip scrubs, is their use of Fairtrade sugar, which not only makes this product slightly edible, but the sugar is finely granulated to gently scrub away rough skin. With other lip scrubs, my lips feel instantly soft and sexy, and I only have to add my favourite lip balm and my lips will stay smooth and moisturised for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Lip Dip, I found that the consistency made it somewhat difficult to use. Unlike most other lip scrubs, this one is definitely more finer and 'wetter', meaning it's more difficult to get out of the tub and far trickier to apply to your lips. I found that this product seems to stick  together and doesn't break apart easily, meaning that when I was rubbing it across my lips, it would fall off and I'd lose clumps of the stuff on the floor. Furthermore, because of this, I found that I used up a lot more than that any of my other ones. This means that despite it's price tag being the same as the other scrubs, it actually works out a little more expensive. 

Secondly, I read somewhere that the scrub was meant to replicate the sensation of fizzing sherbet, tingling on your lips once you've applied it. Unfortunately, I didn't experience this at all, which was a shame. However, in it's defence, this scrub definitely smells like lemon sherbet, which brought me back to my youth and reminded me of the lemon sherbet sweets I used to eat as a child.

Overall, I wasn't overly impressed with this lip scrub, and it's definitely not one I'm going to rush out and purchase if Lush choose release it again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sherbet, Sugar, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Cranberry Seed Oil (Vaccinium macrocarpon), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), *Citral, *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Read More

Coalface Solid Cleanser

There is something incredibly off-putting about black 'soap'. I don't know whether my concern stems from my less than pleasant experience with Dark Angels, or whether there's an element of fear that black is a rather 'permanent' colour - what would happen if my face was stained after using it? What would happen if I stained my bath/walls etc... after using this? What would happen if I stained....?

Despite my worries, I knew I would have to face it sometime. So after using up the last of my Buche De Noel (*sniff*), I decided to take the plunge and try a piece of Coalface. 

My Initial thoughts were that it smelt exactly like Dark angels - that slightly sweet and earthy liquorice scent that I wasn't too keen on the first time around. Although you can smell the charcoal as well, it's a very subtle part of the fragrance, hiding behind the prominent hint of rosewood and sandalwood, which stop the soap smelling too potently of aniseed. 

In all fairness, I don't think Lush compiled this collection of ingredients for the smell, so I was keen to establish whether, together, these key ingredients could pull off something marvellous for my face. At the forefront is liquorice root, which dominates the smell and is apparently detoxifying for the skin; the powdered charcoal supposedly removes oil while the rosewood and sandalwood oils are in there to make it that little bit softer. 

During my first use, a few problems arose. Firstly, the shape of the piece of coalface (which is the generic shape for anyone ordering online), doesn't make it easy for you to apply on your face. I found that there were certain contours that couldn't be reached without a bit of clever manoeuvring on my part. Secondly, the surface is rather gritty, which actually caused me to cut myself. I don't know whether you are supposed to build your face up to using that part but with regular use, I can really see the harshness causing sensitive skin to flare up; I know my face would become very sore and overly exfoliated if I used this every day. Finally, once I'd applied Coalface on my skin and washed it off, my face felt really taut and dry; it was if someone had just sucked the moisture right out of my pores. 

Despite all of this, my skin didn't feel too bad once I'd dried myself down and it seemed to work effectively with my facial cleanser (Almond Kisses), even reducing my spot count and keeping them at bay. 

Although I had slightly different reactions to this, as opposed to Dark Angels, I don't really notice a difference in what they do to my skin. Both make my complexion feel dry, just like a bad soap would, and both made my skin feel really oily seconds before ridding my skin of moisture altogether! On the positive side, Coalface is definitely not as messy as Dark Angels, which might be why consumers would opt for this over the crumblier alternative. 

Despite it not specifically claiming to be for greasy skin, I think this is another product for those who want to reduce the oil in the pores. For someone like me, who doesn't have a lot of moisture to give, this might be too strong. It's not the worst product in the world, and I will continue to use my block until it's diminished. However, it won't be one I use again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Liquorice Root Decoction, Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Water, Perfume, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Powdered Charcoal, Sandalwood Oil, Rosewood Oil, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, *Geraniol, *Linalool, Silver Edible Lustre.

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Eye's Right Mascara

As silly as it sounds, I never even considered Lush to be a company I could buy my make-up from, despite using them for every other cosmetic need on the planet. A part of me always thought of them as being rather expensive; I would sometimes browse their Emotional Brilliance range but not even consider investing in anything to try out. That was until I went to buy my usual eyeliner at my local SuperDrug store, and realised that the price was actually not that far off Lush's fresh, more natural variation. So for Christmas last year, I asked my mum to buy me their Eye's Right Mascara. 

Packed full of wheatgrass, Eye's Right claims to help condition and nourish your lashes, using natural ingredients with plenty of vitamins and minerals, to strengthen and lengthen them. This mascara also boasts key elements to ensure that this product does not irritate or worsen sensitive eyes.  

When my mascara first arrived, I was a little bit taken back by the size of the container. Housed in an apothecary-style bottle, my first impression was that you don't really get a lot for your money. However, after investigating further, I realised that there was the same amount in this bottle, as there is in any other average-sized mascara tubes available commercially. 

One key difference between Eye's Right and any other mascara, is that Lush offer a much more practical packaging solution for their customers. The short brush means that mascara doesn't get 'lost' or  wasted in the bottle and it's a lot easier to monitor how much you have left, without running out beforehand. Additionally, it also means that you have much more control when applying it; this helps you to style your lashes much more effectively. 

Another difference is that Eye's Right contains both Japan and Caranuaba wax, two ingredients that prevent smudging and flaking once the mascara has been applied. With previous mascaras, I always expected to have to wipe away liquid that had rubbed off, onto my face, because I had blinked at some point during application. With this one, I found that this didn't happen at all. 

The main ingredient in Eye's Right is fresh wheatgrass, a natural, gentle plant extraction that helps to make this mascara really sensitive on your eyes. Boasting the inclusion of only one preservative (most mascaras can have up to six), this mascara is suitable for anyone looking for a simple, caring alternative to commercial products. 

What I found is that this product didn't feel heavy on my lashes. Neither did it dry, harden or clump; something I have found every other mascara to do. In fact, a few months prior to receiving this product, I was finding many of my lashes were falling out, most probably due to the heavy and unnatural elements in the products I was using. Ever since I switched to Eye's Right, not a single lash has fallen out.  

I cannot believe that I have taken so long to invest in Eye's Right. It's easily the best mascara I have ever used, and I love the fact that I know it's completely cruelty free. It gives me great coverage throughout the entire day and is easy to remove in the evenings, before bed. It sits wonderfully inside my handbag and works a treat if I ever need to top up throughout the day. I'm hooked!

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Wheatgrass Infusion, Water, Japan Wax, Stearic Acid, Talc, Triethanolamine, Carnauba Wax, PVP, CI77499, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

ratingTextUndefined

Read More