Lush's Valentine Products

I got some of Lush's Valentine Edition products to try out. I was curious of what kinds of products they'd come up with this year and/or if they'd release any products made last year, which I've missed!

' Here are my reviews ^.^ ... ,

It's Raining Men Shower Gel

The shop assistant at Lush told me that this consists of 40% honey, which explains its slight stickiness and sweet scent.

This has to be one of my best shower gels because it smells like Honey I Washed the Kids soap (which is one of my favourites!).

Plus it lathers up so well and leaves your skin silky smooth...

...The after smell is deliciously fragrant!

Aromaco Solid Deodorant

I've been on the hunt for a natural deodorant for a long while now after reading several negative highlights on deodorants containing chemicals.

I've seen this solid deodorant at Lush, yet have always been reluctant to give it a try - so Lush was kind enough to give me a good sized sample of it (thanks Lush! ^.^)

I'm liking the Valentine's edition of Lush's shopper paper bag - I shall be adding this to my collage of pictures.

Love Lettuce Face Mask

I got my favourite face mask for the once or twice a week pamper ^.^

Having tried out 3 types of face masks from Lush now, this remains my all time favourite.

A postcard that was added into the paper bag, advertising the Lush Spa.

Love Birds Soap

I'm absolutely 'adoring' this soap at the moment!

It smells like a remix of Sex Bomb, The Joy of Jelly... and The Love Soap!

The Love Soap was a red hearted shaped soap which was released for last year's Valentine editions. I've finished all my Love Soap stocks from last year, so I was happy when I smelt this and discovered it was one in hiding =P

It's very creamy and lathers so well.

Jasmine & Vanilla go so well together!

Frog Prince Bath Ballistic

I haven't tried this yet, although the staff at Lush told me that the red lips in this frog is a bath melt, which should be interesting. So I'm assuming, as the green frog slowly fizzes away, it should leave a red pair of lips to slowly melt away... ahh... relaxing!

The Ex-Factor Bath Ballistic

To me, this smells like a spicier version of the Butterball Bath Ballistic. The staff at Lush told me what a lot of customers like doing is slowly dipping this in the bath, head first, or arm first, or leg first o.O... (haha...!)

Having tried this last year, I liked this quite a lot! Although, the only exception is.... the smell wasn't as strong and long lasting after everything fizzed away.

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar

I think this has to be my favourite Bubble Bar. I've a stock of these! And even though I won't be stocking any more of this until I finish up the remainders I currently have, I was glad to see this back at Lush.

The design is cute. The price is reasonable, seeing as you can probably use all of it in 3 baths! That's the advantage with bubble bars.

Also, its scent lasts for a long while on your skin. And it reminds me of one of my favourite discontinued products - the Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel.

Lush New Year with 212 anyone...?

With the bank holiday gone by, I think it has finally dawned on me that 2011 is here and it is now Tuesday the 4th of January!

Somehow I didn't feel 2010 has quite passed ... until this morning (is it just me?)

I normally fill in my diary the day before new year, with the exception of this year where I bought my diary only 2 days ago; and I completely forgot about any New Year's resolution (bizarrely enough!).

So I reached out for my new diary and off I began filling it out... ahhh =] the start of a new leaf... and Spring is just around the corner!

Before the VAT increase, I decided to opt for some Lush goodies I need - namely a conditioner and a free face mask!

I've decided to spend on only necessary things this year and save the pennies! =P (And no, this isn't a resolution I've made. I think for a lot of us it's a habit or skill we have to learn or develop - to be 'wise spenders').

I got an edition of the latest Lush Times, which I haven't read through yet (if you want to read it, I think there is an online version of it - check out their website).

Have you heard?

The founders of Lush got a spectacular recognition award, obtaining an OBE! This just shows how much LUSH has grown as a company, not just in the UK, but worldwide. I checked their store locations and they have a LUSH at countries you wouldn't guess, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Philippines etc.

One of the things I like about LUSH's success is that they seem to achieve success in a humble way, through launching animal cruelty campaigns, to being concerned about the environment. You can sense just how passionate they are about what they do and what they believe in.

As far as I know, I don't think LUSH uses advertising for their company. Most of their success and expansion happens through word of mouth and networking sites such as blogs or youtube etc.

All in all - it's very rare nowadays to find a decent company who tries to succeed in a humble approach...

Lush offer a free face mask for every 5 empty black pots. I've managed to collect 5 of them: 2x Retread Conditioner (my favourite conditioner), 2x Love lettuce (my favourite face mask), 1x Cupcake (which is a great face mask but not my favourite as it doesn't have exfoliating bits in it).

I exchanged it for the 'Brazened Honey' face mask. On the first trial, I found this very gentle on the skin. It has the exfoliating scrub bits which I like. It smells wonderful. And it makes one's face glow and supple soft upon washing it off. This might just be better if not as good as the Love Lettuce face mask.

And finally, a quick review on the 212 Sexy perfume by Carolina Herrera. I've been wanting to get its original version for the longest time (which comes in a white bottle). However, I avoided getting that because some reviews commented on how putrid it smells! Although I don't quite agree...

212 Sexy featured below is a twist of its original version. It smells more spicy on its top notes. I can almost make out some kind of ginger smell (??) and pepper. Frankly, I don't like the top notes but what I do like is.............the notes it settles to right after that!

It smells almost like a personal fragrance, calm and light... I make out hints of musk and vanilla.

This is a great perfume for those who don't want to be spraying themselves with over powering perfumes. To me, it's almost as if only the wearer can smell the perfume after the top notes settle down - which is another reason I described it as a personal fragrance.

It's a Lush Life

Belle D'Opium

This is my favourite evening scent right now. It smells immaculate, feminine, powerful...a much fresher version of the original Opium.
I'll let YSL describe it:

'A woman full of ambivalence, elusive and obsessive,
powerful and troubling, ingenue but dangerous.
Her perfume, a disconcertingly bewitching new oriental.
An overdose of rare and precious ingredients:
the narcotic scent of Casablanca Lily
blends with spicy swirling Incense and
mysterious overtones of a Nargileh accord.
Her bottle, tinted with electric blue, is crossed by
a flamboyant red wick, defining the line
that unites it with her skin. '

I'm addicted.





LUSH

I paid a trip to Lush... (yes, I couldn't resist >.<)... I wanted to get all their new products, but I think I shall wait for a few more months before I do. I still have a number of bath bombs, bubble bars, shower gels, soaps, etc...! I keep stocks of Lush goodies, especially the limited edition products. I'll blog about those in due time. So anyway, I got the following - scroll on down ^.^
Top of the Blocks - Honey I Washed the Kids & Karma Soaps

Just 2 of my favourite soaps...

Karma - wakes you in the morning and greets you with a burst of fresh citrus scents. Now, I'm not fond of citrus smelling soaps.. I don't mind them, except for the fact that, citrus, in general, remind me of washing liquid! So Karma isn't like this at all... smell it for yourself and discover what I mean.

Honey I Washed the Kids - who likes toffee and maple and caramel (apart from me!)? This can be used for any occasion... Apparently, Lush staff do say it's the most popular soap. I can see why. Yummy...


Get this as a pack rather than individually if you want to get 100g of each. It'll save you money =)


See the names at the back? Mirek & Iko - followed by dates. These are the people who made the soaps (Lush is all handmade products, which is nice to know) and those dates are when they were made - i like!


Cupcake Face Mask

I usually go for the Love Lettuce face mask. I wanted to try out another one, so I went for this. It smells lightly of chocolate. It's meant to be great for oily skin and teenagers (I'm sure it'll be great and useful for everyone, not just particularly teenagers!)

Below are some descriptions taken from the Lush site.


'Rhassoul mud

Rhassoul is a natural mineral product that also has a foaming, de-greasing action and acts as a natural shampoo.'

'Cocoa powder and spearmint

We use cocoa powder to colour the product. It also works with rhassoul and spearmint to remove dirt and refresh the complexion.'

'Deep cleansing goodness for oily skin.

Rhassoul mud reigns supreme in this fantastic face mask, deeply cleansing the pores, balancing oily complexions and soothing skin that's become irritated by spots. Cupcake is one of our more commercial masks. The scent of chocolate is one of the best you could ask for in a facial.'

'Truly scrumptious.

Sitting with a face mask on for 15 minutes needn't be a chore when it's as yummy as Cupcake. Delicious cocoa powder, peppermint and spearmint turn your facial into a truly scrumptious experience.'

Lady Catrina Soap

This is a limited edition Lush soap. I will be stocking up...! Again... descriptions from the Lush site.. this smells am-az-ing!

'Agave nectar contains fructose and glucose. It is sweeter than sugar and has a low glycemic index. We use organic agave nectar in our Lady Catrina hallowe'en hand and body soap as a vegan alternative to honey for its soothing and softening qualities.'

Shaped like a fruity hat and decorated with flowers, there's a hauntingly beautiful quality to our purple soap, the Lady Catrina. But the zesty fragrance of fruit pastilles and freshly cut limes will revive even Kirkman's Walking Dead when you wash your hands and body.'

Sugar Plum Fairy

Look at how nice this looks like! Below are, yet again, more descriptions from Lush. I don't use this as a whole. It's best to cut it into 4 (with a kitchen knife or anything sharp!) and use those blocks separately. I love the sugar they use in it. It leaves your skin feeling silky. I used Sugar Babe in the past - my favourite sugar scrub! We'll see how well this performs...shall we?

'Plum Kernel Oil

The high oleic acid content of plum kernel oil is suited for lip balms, massage products and other cosmetics for dry skins. It has a nutty, plum-like aroma and is deeply moisturising.'

'Our newest scrubber was inspired by the Tchaikovsky ballet. When Helen was inventing, she thought that plum kernel oil would work a treat because it moisturises the skin and makes it feel silky smooth and adds an almondy scent to the product.'

If anyone has a favourite product at Lush, do recommend!