Lushie 4 Lyfe: Lush's BB Seaweed Face Mask, D'Fluff Shaving Soap, and You Snap The Whip Body Butter

It is no secret that I love Lush products. So when I had five empty black pots, I headed straight over there to get some more that I could use up and turn in for another free face mask.

I ended up getting BB Seaweed at the recommendation of the Lushy girls (who are always amazing). It's made with seaweed, honey, rose, and aloe vera so it's not only soothing and moisturizing but it smells amazing. This mask didn't leave me feeling dried out like some others do, but left my face feeling really soft and silky. I was really really pleased and I can't wait to continue using it. Plus the joy of hearing WHY IS THERE SEAWEED CRAP IN MY FRIDGE from my father is totally worth it.

Second pick is D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap. First off, this shit smells so good you want to eat it. I'm serious. My boyfriend kept smelling my legs like a freak. Plus, I have never been left so silky smooth after a shave. No razor burn, no missed spots, only clean and smooth and strawberry-scented skin. Loving it that I may as well go back and buy a huge pot of it now because I'm never gonna use another shaving cream ever again.

I love me a body butter, so I went with You Snap The Whip this time instead of King of Skin. It's got charcoal in it, which is the new thing for beauty products - charcoal soaks up impurities, so its great for a deep clean. Plus, this little beauty has exfoliating stuff in it too, so you're cleaned, scrubbed, and moisturized all in one. And let me tell you, I am about that life. That's the goal right there.

All in all, it was a successful mini-Lush haul. No regrets here.

From The Queen of Bones: Lush's Caca Rouge Henna Hair Dye

I have just past shoulder length, dark brown curly hair. I don't mean wavy, I don't mean frizzy (I've gotten that under control), and I don't mean "just-past-straight-but-not-pin-straight-so-I-call-it-curly." I mean Mufasa-mane, so-big-its-full-of-secrets, I-used-to-have-a-white-girl-'fro-when-I-was-6 curly. And I like dying all that hair red. I'm fair skinned with freckles so it works. When I first dyed my hair red, my grandmother mentioned that she used to dye her hair similarly using henna, but at 16 I had no idea where to find such a thing. 

Once I developed a love for beauty products and exploring new ones, I saw that Lush had a whole line of henna dyes in varying shades from indigo to auburn and red. I decided I wanted to give Caca Rouge, the reddest shade they carry, a shot. I last dyed my hair about 6 months ago, so I do still have some chemical color in it. With that, I decided it was best to actually heed the directions and perform a test strand to see how the color came out. After leaving the henna in for 45 minutes, it really didn't do much. I waited a few hours hoping that the color would brighten and it did, but not as dramatically as I had hoped and it didn't stick to my roots very well. Luckily, I was going to be in the area of my local Lush store so I could stop by and ask a few questions!

Compare: Left side is dyed with Caca Rouge, right side is not

All of my suspicions were confirmed once I asked what happened. I could have added more water to the henna to make it a thinner consistency (mine was a little chunky and still a bit too dry to apply properly), my associate suggested trying a new test strand right above my ear instead of at the nape of my neck to get a more accurate representation of the color, as well as leaving it in for the full two hours that a full head of henna should be left in for. I was informed to go with my gut and give another test strand a shot, so I did. After leaving it in for a full 2 hours, I rinsed and was hopeful for a brighter hue. Alas, I experienced the same results and was exceptionally disappointed. I do think I'm going to wait for my chemical color to grow out and give it a shot again if I can muster up the energy later down the line. While it's a fairly simple process to break the bricks down into the applicable color, it is extremely time consuming requires being in the kitchen to use a double boiler, then I had to apply the dye where there was a mirror in the room down the hall, blah blah blah. It would have been easier as a two person job.

Luckily, Lush is awesome about returns and I traded in my henna for a few products I was interested in. 

Since the toner tab I grabbed last time did wonders for my face, I decided to try another skincare product called Grease Lighting. The tea tree and witch hazel based spot treatment will be acting in the place of Clearasil for those pesky zits.

The other product that I'm SUPER excited about using regularly is Ro's Argan, a full-body skin conditioner. The associate helping me said it for your skin what regular conditioner does for your hair, and I was not disappointed when I tested it out in store. All you do is rub it all over you in the shower, let it sit, and rinse it off. My arm felt instantly rehydrated, so much so that I didn't realize how dry my skin had really been until I was feeling both arms back and forth.  I can't wait to see how my legs feel after I shave and use it! 

Last but not least, Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter is going to be my regular replacement for hand lotion. No more CVS brand, or Target $1 section hand creams to toss in my purse. This stuff is fantastic. It smells delicious, goes on a bit greasy but soaks in very quickly. I've noticed a marked improvement in my hands, especially since became a serial cuticle-picker when I stopped biting my nails.

Even though the henna didn't work out, everyone who helped me at Lush suggested great products and I'm immensely satisfied with the items that took its place!

Do Ya Blowout

I don't know about you, but I still find it really difficult to get the perfect blowout at home. I always feel really great after going to the salon, and a salon blowout will usually last me about two days. But I have short hair, I can't manage to do it as good as a stylist can. So I need some product help.

Obviously starting off with a great wash is the best way to get great hair. I've been using Redken's Color Extend Magnetics shampoo and conditioner to protect my color, and I love it. I also try to do a treatment once in a while (try Lush's Jasmine & Henna Fluff Eaze ) to keep my hair smooth and well hydrated. This is especially important if you're using a lot of heat with your hair. I blowout and flat iron, so I have to be really careful. My hair is also naturally very frizzy and poofy, so a smoothing treatment helps keep it under control.

Before blowing out, I'm using Redken's Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer to keep my hair smooth and protected while I blowdry, but this also helps speed up the process. I have thick hair and it takes a long time to dry, so I don't want to be sitting here for a half hour just working on my blowdry. Ain't nobody got time for that.

After my blowdry, I flat iron to perfection (read: till it's bone straight) and spray with Redken's Pillow Proof Blow Dry Two Day Extender & Oil Obsorbing Dry Shampoo. Now, I am not a dry shampoo girl. Usually they're too heavy and make my hair really sticky and gross. But this one is nice and light, and if it keeps my hair nice overnight so that I don't have to do anything when I wake my ass up at 6am for work, I am all about that.

The Redken products are a good alternative to Bumble and bumble's Straight Blow Dry cream which I also really love, but is a little more expensive. I've been using this system regularly and I've never been so happy with my blowout.

What products give you the best blowout! Tell me in the comments below!

LUSH Madness: The Sequel

Okay y'all, you know I love me some LUSH products. I actually have been meaning to do this post for a while. I ended up returning a few products from my first haul and exchanging them for the above, and again had a wonderful experience in the store near my hometown.

This time I'm much happier with the products I picked up, and I can't wait to go back for more!

T for Toes is much more useful and practical than the foot mask I initially picked up - it's a fresh smelling powder to put in your socks/shoes and it really does work. I've always had a problem with my sneakers and flats getting a little stinky and so this has been a miracle for me. The only downside is if you're like me and you don't wear socks, it will stick to the bottom of your feet. So make sure you clear it out of your shoes before you put them on and then wipe down your feet before you go padding around anywhere.

The Jasmine & Henna Fluff-Eaze hairmask has been good so far. I don't see a gigantic difference in how poofy my hair is, but it does calm down the frizz. The best part is, the great, floral smell stays for a while, even after shampoo and everything. Every time I showered it seemed to re-ignite the smell, and I was really into that. It's 25 minutes on dry hair, then shower off. Easy peasy.

I also picked up Lovely Jubblies which is not pictured. It's a firming cream specifically made for your ta-tas, but I've been also using it on my thighs. Again, it smells amazeballs. It's one of those things that isn't gonna show immediate results, but I don't want my tits to sag later on, so whatever. Firm them babies up.

Bubblegum lip scrub is pretty boss - not only does it work great as a gentle exfoliant, but it also smells great and doesn't taste gross like my favourite Fresh Brown Sugar Lip Scrub does - cuz I mean, it's on your lips. You can't avoid licking your lips or getting some in your mouth. It happens. This lipscrub is actually totally safe for that, and it even says on the back that you can lick the rest off after you scrub. Nice and smooth lips, good aftertaste. What more could you want?

I decided not to pick up either Dream Cream or Dream Wash again - it doesn't make a huge difference with my itchy skin like I was promised, so I was a little disappointed. But I did get a sample of Charity Pot, which is another body lotion. It smells much better, and the proceeds also go to Lush's charitable efforts (read more here ). It's a good lotion, and for a good cause. Another win for Lush.

I decided to pick up 9 to 5 Facial Cleanser instead of Ultrabland, which I found left a weird residue on my face. And okay those thick balmy cleansers are supposed to be great. But I thought it was weird, so I was recommended 9 to 5 instead. 9 to 5 is more of a lotion, it's much thinner and easier to use and leaves my face feeling clean and naked. It smells nice, works fast, gets off all my lipstick and eyeliner, and I'm very pleased with the switch. I think it's definitely a rebuy.

King of Skin body butter is a game changer. It's a bodybutter unlike any other. I actually picked it up because I saw someone on twitter write that it left her skin "so soft it cried at the end of Armageddon", and if that's not a glowing review than I don't know what is. But seriously, this shit works. It's sort of a thick, moisturizing coat on your skin. So you take it in the shower, get it a bit wet, rub it all over (seriously, do it everywhere), and then you're left with smoothy smooth silky soft super touchable. I was seriously going around telling people to touch me. It was probably pretty creepy. Downside to King of Skin is, there isn't enough of it. It runs out too quickly. GIMME MOAR.

Dark Angels is seriously the most badass cleanser of all time. It's a charcoal based product, and charcoal is the new in beauty thing so of course I had to try it. It's kind of hard to use cuz it comes dry and you sort of have to scoop it out of the thing and then mix it with water yourself, but it goes on black and makes you feel like a jungle warrior. It's punk cleanser, that's what it is. It works great, but you do kind of have to scrub off the blackness. I'm enjoying it, but I will admit it's mostly for the novelty factor. It's not the most convenient thing in the world.

All in all, I'm still pretty satisfied with Lush's products, and I want to give a big thank you to the amazing help I got again, so shoutout to Victoria from Quakerbridge Mall!

Can't wait for the next major Lush haul!

Lush Madness!

I've been wanting to try Lush for a really long time. There's something really excited about all-natural products when it comes to skincare - I feel much better about the glop that's going on my face when I can look at the back of the container and see what's actually in it. And Lush has a really great vibe - they're all anti-animal testing and their new campaign for Valentine's Day was all about love and supporting the LGBT community, which is a cause close to my heart. 

I also had a really great in-store experience. My local mall is known for having crap customer service, so I did a lot of research about the products before going in to the store because I didn't expect the girls to really pay attention to me or know anything about the products. BOY WAS I SURPRISED to the point where I wrote Lush an email, which I will excerpt for you here: 

" I usually don't like shopping in stores because the stores are crowded, I don't get enough attention when I have a question, and most of the time the employees don't really know what they're doing. But the girls in the store were incredible. In particular, an employee there named Stephanie was a big help. She saw me staring confused at some products and offered some great advice, showed me how to use everything, and introduced me to new products I wouldn't normally try. All the girls took interest in my story and my blog and were ready and willing to help with expert product knowledge. I went home with a mountain of Lush products to try and review on my blog, and I've never been so excited. As a lifelong psoriasis sufferer, it's exciting to feel like I possibly have miracle products in my hands now. I just want to let you know that you have some great girls there. I've worked retail, I know how hard it can be, and it's rare to get customer service like that"

And an even bigger surprise, THEY WROTE BACK: 

"Thank you for taking the time to contact LUSH! You and I would make the best shopping buddies. I also go online first, get an idea of what I want and then hit the stores. I hate crowds! I'm so happy to hear that you had a fantastic experience at LUSH. I often sit at my desk and day dream about all the action that goes down at the stores. So, hearing about great experiences really makes my day! I think it's the people who used to work in retail that's hard to impress. I'm very happy that LUSH met your standards of good customer service! I will forward your feedback to our friends at the mall location so, Stephanie and the rest of the team will get all the kudos that they deserve. Your blog looks great! I tried to start one years ago but didn't keep up with it. I really admire your dedication. If there's anything else that I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask."

No, guys, this is for real. An actual response from an actual person. I'm really amazed. 

I ended up with a little bit of everything.

I don't usually do face masks but Stephanie recommended Mask of Magnaminty to help with my blackheads. I've used it once and it really does work - I saw a significant change in the softness of my skin and it did get rid of some of the blackheads. Next time I think I'm going to try it just on my nose - way better than any of those pore strips! Volcano is a foot mask, which is kind of weird because you have to wrap your feet in plastic wrap for ten minutes while it works it's magic, but it's great for winter feet that are trapped in tights and closed toed shoes!

Curly Wurly is a shampoo for frizzy curly hair (read: poofball hair like mine) and smells AMAZING. It's made with coconut and I mean it - real bits of coconut in there. So cool. And my hair is super soft right now (de-poofing is gonna take years, so game on,  Curly Wurly), so I'm loving it.

I love me  a scrub so I actually picked up two - both Ocean Salt and the Sugar Scrub. I've only used the Ocean Salt so far but it's really great. I'm super smooth and it's a way less expensive alternative to my favourite Fresh sugar scrub, and works just as well. The great thing about Ocean Salt is that it's also a facial scrub, so it's like getting two exfoliants for the price of one. Plus my boyfriend says I taste salty. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but it's better than tasting not good? Right? Right.

Ultrabland is a really thick, creamy cleanser for makeup and dirt removal. When I was in the store, Stephanie rubbed it on my hand and you can really feel the way it pulls everything out of your skin. It's a bit strange at first since I'm used to a really light cleanser, but there was nothing leftover on my face after I used it.

I am always looking for badass moisturizers for my dry skin and Skin Drink has been working really well so far. It smells a bit strange (it's made with sesame oil) and it's kind of a weird brown goop, but it hydrates for the whole day. I'm never left wanting and my skin feels super soft. I'm all about soft, hydrated skin, especially since it's been such a harsh winter.

Stephanie also recommended using both Dreamwash and Dream Cream for my dry, itchy skin. So far they've been working great - Dreamwash smells amazing and is nice and creamy, and Dream Cream is very soothing and I've been lathering it on like a maniac every time my skin gets itchy. I'd heard a lot about Dream Cream (it's their best seller) so I was eager to try it, and so far it's been going very well.

Overall I'm really really pleased with my Lush products and I'm really excited to go into the store and try more, especially after such a great experience. Plus it's nice that I can feel really good about what ingredients I'm putting on my body. Lush products are relatively inexpensive (this huge haul was just over $100) and I really am loving their brand as a whole. Can't wait to try more!

Christmas Wishlist Part 1

The holiday season is quickly approaching and this year it is all about the Naked 3 Palette. I am a huge fan of Urban Decay but so far the Naked Palette's haven't impressed me - or rather, they're not colours I'd actually use. I'm not a brown kind of girl, and yes I get that the whole point of the Naked palettes is neutrals, but neutrals don't have to be brown. So, I fucking love this palette. It's pink and purpley instead of browny, which is 100% up my alley. I'm obsessed. I need it. I have to have it. It better be in my damn stocking come Christmastime.

Since I'm trying to change up my makeup routine a little (read: experiment with something other than what's come to be my signature MAC black liquidlast winged eyeliner), I think it's time for some COLOURED EYELINER INSTEAD (because the wings are mine forever), and I'm going with Stila this time:

What's appealing to me about the Stila High Shine Liquid Vinyl Eyeliner is the applicator tip. The MAC is definitely a brush, which makes it a little hard to apply and get even every time. I like that this applicator has more of a pointed tip, so if I wanted to, say, wear a line of purple above my black, I think it would be much easier to do with this.

I'm also going to ask for the TokyoMilk Dark Body Souffle in Destiny No. 79, which is the same as my rollerball perfume.  I'm really into this brand right now, not only because their packaging and marketing is totally on point, but also because the scents are just fucking badass. There is no other way to describe it. Destiny No. 79 musty, mysterious, sexy, and make you feel like the fucking Queen of the Wood Nymphs or something. It smells like a fairy tale, and not the Disney kind, the original Grimms Brothers kind where people get their limbs cut off and eyes pecked out by creepy birds. I love it. It's Evil Queen epitomized. I want to bathe in it (oh wait, there's a Shower Gel? Add that to the list too).

I want to start experimenting with Lush products so I'm going to go with their Dream Cream first, which I hope will be good for my extremely dry skin. I've heard a lot of great things (Mindy White of States is a fan and I fucking love her) about the brand and since I've got so many skin problems (dry patches, itchiness, etc) I'm hoping Lush will be good for me. It's so hard to find products that really work, so we'll give this a go and see how it works.

Also in desperate need of some new wardrobe additions, so I'm going with:

Faux Shearling Mix Biker jacket from Topshop

Luxury Rebel Aberdeen Lace Up Boot from Free People

Amulet Maxi Dress from Nasty Gal

Real Evil Queen Style. 

xx

C