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.
