Review: Moisturizers

When I first discovered Lush in August, I fell in love with Imperialis.  I don't know how it works, but it works.

I have no idea what my skin type is.  It's hard to categorize when people ask oily, dry, combination?  All of the above!  It depends on a lot of things: the weather, the type of cleanser I use, my level of activity (like when I've just taken a shower after working out and I'm still sweaty), etc.

During the summer months, Imperialis was the perfect moisturizer for me.  It was lightweight with a matte finish.  My face did not feel greasy.  It was easy for me to apply powder immediately afterwards (yes that's all the makeup I wear!) and my face was balanced all day.

Then winter hit, and my skin needed more.  I tried Celestial, because I love the way it smells, but it was too greasy for me.  (I still keep it on hand because I could use it as a night moisturizer.)  But eventually I settled on Vanishing Cream, and I think I'm in love with this one even MORE than Imperialis!

And now I know why they call it Vanishing Cream. (:  It instantly soaks into your skin.  It is so light, yet clears up any dry patches that appear when I get out of the shower.  It smells a little like Dream Cream -- must be the lavender -- but I'm getting used to that.

Overall, I'd say you can't choose which moisturizer is right for you based upon my review.  You should go to a Lush store, demand samples of all of them, and give them a try.  Price-wise, they're cheaper than most department store cosmetic facial moisturizers -- and you'll feel better about using it.

Haul: Boxing Day

The long-awaited Boxing Day sale is here!  There are always huge rumors about if there will be a sale, what will be on sale, etc.

I received my email last night: buy one get one free on all holiday gift sets, regular gift sets, holiday products and soaps.  I quickly looked through my Lush times to make a plan.

Well, unfortunately for me, I don't like a lot of the holiday items or the gifts.  But I was excited about the soaps.  My top three favorites are Honey I Washed the Kids, Alkmaar, and Vanilla in the Mist.

Sadly, I can no longer get Vanilla in the Mist, because it was on the Discon 2011 list and my Lush store has completely sold out.  I think I did pretty well, regardless.

I purchased:

• 2 Christmas Delights tins, which include: Heavanilli massage bar, Angel's Delight soap, Candy Cane soap, Vanilla Dee-lite lotion, Sugar Babe sugar scrub, and Snow Fairy shower gel.
• 2 large Snow Fairy shower gels
• 2 Superstar bubble bars
• Appox 3 pounds of Honey I Washed the Kids soap (cut in two pieces)
• Approx 5 pounds of Alkmaar soap (cut into two pieces)

I think we're set on soap for the entire year!!

Cocktail: Shampoos and Conditioners

Ok, so not so much a "cocktail" as a perfect pairing of Lush shampoo and conditioners.

I think I love Lush hair care more than anything.  It's done wonders for my hair and the shampoo bars are just so dang ingenious!  I've tried most of the shampoo bars, aside from the obvious that wouldn't work well with me (Soak and Float, Jumping Juniper), and my husband has toiled around with all of the liquid shampoos.  The winners?  Well, he loves Rehab.  My favorites are:

Irresistible Bliss shampoo bar with American Cream conditioner -- I was really surprised with Irresistible Bliss and the mild honeysuckle scent that lingers.  However, its cleansing agents are also mild.  It leaves my hair a little dry, so I feel like I need to use a heavier conditioner with it.  Luckily, the scent of American Cream conditioners pairs nicely and my hair smells yummy all day.

Karma Komba shampoo bar with Veganese conditioner -- I never thought I would like anything Karma scented, but the orange oil really balances out the patchouli smell.  Also, its magical oils (orange and lavendin) really nourishes my hair, so a light conditioner like Veganese pairs well.  Also, the light citrus scent of Veganese matches the citrus tones of Karma Komba perfectly.  Lush really knows their stuff, huh? (:

Godiva solid shampoo bar with Forever in Bloom -- Godiva is my favorite shampoo bar, and I've reviewed it before.  Because there's no need for conditioner, I use it on my three year old.  In the past, I've rarely used it because I used to pair it with American Cream, and the combination of the two was really too heavy for my hair.  But since, I've discovered Forever In Bloom...

Forever in Bloom was made to be paired with Godiva!  The consistency is very runny, similar to Coolaulin, both more runny than Veganese.  I also feel like it absorbs into my hair quickly, so I find myself using more of it than my other conditioners.  But it works, so I don't mind.  It has infusions of chamomile, jasmine and honeysuckle.  The scent is very mild -- you don't feel like you've been hit with a heavy floral scent, but it does pair nicely with floral shampoos.  If it works for you, you could also pair it with Irresistible Bliss.

With the many shampoos Lush has to offer, I feel like there's something for everyone.  These are just a few of my favorites.

Haul: Soaps and Stuff

For Black Friday / Cyber Monday, Lush had a promotion for $10 e-Card and free shipping with purchase over $100 ($120 for air shipping).  I decided this was a good time to get some retro items and soaps for my family.

• Forever in Bloom conditioner
• Irrisistable Bliss shampoo bar
• Soaps: Alkmaar (2), Demon in the Dark (2), Dirty, Vanilla in the Mist (2), 13 Unlucky, 17 Cherry Tree
• Brrrrilliant Gift (includes Snow Globe soap and Australian Igloo sugar scrub)
• Samples: Alkmaar and Sexy Peel soap
• Dream Wash & Dark Angels (purchased at my local Lush today)

I expected the soaps to come in neat pre-packaged rectangles, like they do in gift sets.  It's ok -- soap is soap.  I'm just glad I didn't get any awkwardly cut shapes.

And my package arrived fairly quickly!  Maybe because Canadians don't celebrate Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday. (:

Review: Ghost

I used to work in the fragrance department at Macy's many many many years ago.  My favorite moments are when someone would come up and say, "I'm looking for a perfume for my mom."  I follow up with, "Well, what kinds of scents does she like?"  Their response: "Something floral."
....
......... Really?  You gotta give me more than that, buddy.

I'm sure most of you are aware (assuming I have an audience of Lushies) that different flowers produce a vast array of different scents.  Rose does not smell like jasmine does not smell like gardenia does not smell like lily.  I could go on forever.  But I won't.  I'm here to write a review about the wonderful limited edition shower gel, Ghost.

Ghost shower gel and Pumpkin soap!

It's white (hence the name) with iridescent glitter.  The glitter does not come off on your body, so it really just looks pretty in the bottle.  And boy, is it pretty. (:

Ghost has a nice floral scent.  LOL.  It smells like lilies.  Do you like lilies? Chances are, they probably don't offend you.  It's a really mild, sweet smell.  I will warn you, though, smelling Ghost directly from the bottle is kind of like taking a whiff of grandma's linen closet.  It's pretty pungent.  But once you shower with it, it's wonderful!

Also, it's very liquidy.  I'm used to thick shower gels like Back for Breakfast and It's Raining Men, which are both honey based.  Ghost is runny, so be careful not to use too much -- it's still a Lush product and a little goes a long way!

I'm a little bummed that this is a limited edition item that only comes around Halloween time, but I'll definitely get another bottle next year. 

Haul: UK Forum Order

Lush UK had a weekend-only special with their forum perfumes.  I had no hesitation to purchase a few bottles of perfume as well as other products that aren't sold in the US.

In the photo are:
- American Cream and two Twilight perfumes (coming to an eBay near you!)
- Narcotics, a limited edition shower gel that is supposed to be terrific at fighting body acne
- Snowshowers, a limited edition shower jelly that smells like the infamous Golden Wonder bath bomb

I was surprised at how quickly the package arrived.  Everything was in great shape, but no samples.

Haul: Christmas and More

My three year old loves all things pink and princess.  So naturally, I had to buy some Snow Fairy products for her.  The Snow Fairy gift set included Snow Fairy shower gel, a star shaped Angel's Delight soap, and a Shimmy Shimmy.  I also bought 2 Magic Wands and a large bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel -- the small one will not last long enough! 

I also purchased the Gingerbread Tin -- mostly for the cute reusable tin!  But it also contained lots of Christmas items I have yet to try: Cinders and So White bath bombs, and Gingerbread House and Candy Mountain bubble bars.  Unfortunately, no Golden Tickets in either gifts.  Maybe next time!

Oh, and a big bottle of Veganese that'll last me a few months. (: