FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Lush 'Braziliant' Shampoo Bar and 'Jungle' Solid Conditioner

Solid shampoo and conditioner. It's a strange concept really, isn't it? After Lush released their six new shampoo bars, one really caught my eye - 'Braziliant' - and so I thought I'd try it once my regular shampoo ran out. I snapped up one of their older products, 'Jungle', a shot too as scent wise I knew they'd work together beautifully. 

Brazilliant's bright, fresh orange shade and fruity fragrance make this a product with a feel good, Summery vibe. Braziliant is packed with organic fresh orange juice (apparently full of hair loving nutrients, who knew?!), andrioba oil (highly moisturising nut oil), sweet orange oil (Lush say it lifts the spirits - well, it does smell amazing) and ylang ylang oil (as well as smelling incredible, used by aromatherapists to help tackle depression and stress) to create a shampoo that should improve your mood as well as your hair!

As well as all the good stuff, Braziliant's main ingredient is SLS, which is obviously an issue for many people. 'Braziliant' also contains five more ingredients for scent as well as colouring. 

'Jungle' is currently Lush's only solid conditioner and sounds like a real power house in writing! Jungle's main ingredient is the ever so nourishing cocoa butter - it then contains five ingredients to assist in its texture and general composition (including SLS, although mixed with cetearyl alcohol), soy lecithin, avocado, fig, ylang ylang, a few more oils for perfume and natural colourant. 

'Jungle' feels like a more solid version of coconut oil and requires you to really work it to deposit any product on your hands before smoothing it on the hair. I can see myself getting a bit bored of working with this one, but we'll soon see! Brazilliant - £5.75 for 55g product  Jungle - £3.50 for 55g product
Available online at Lush, and in Lush stores.
Have you tried either of these Lush products? Or solid shampoos/ conditioners in general? What do you think to them? Let me know! Comments above! Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Lush Cosmetics 'Big Blue' - Or, 'The Biggest Lush Bath Bomb Fail to Date'

When you combine the sea, bright blue, seaweed and a mention of mermaids what do you get? SOMETHING I WANT, THAT'S WHAT. So that's how I was sold on Lush 'Big Blue', a bath bomb full of vitamin and mineral rich kelp, lemon oil, sea salt and lavender - Lush described it as 'evoking a Summer's day at the seaside' and reviews described it as fit for a mermaid - oh, how far from the truth that really was...

Now, mine and Blue's friendship started well. The beautiful oceanic scent, the vibrant colour...but soon, it became evident we just weren't meant to be friends. Upon placing 'Big Blue' in the bath, I noticed how quickly it fizzed away to nothingness. I soon realised this was because at least 1/3 of the 'Big Blue' is just seaweed, not bomb.

A suspicious looking pile of scraggly black stuff lay waiting for me on the bottom of the tub - seaweed. 'It can't be as grim as it looks,' I thought, 'It's just seaweed...' After about five minutes the seaweed became slimy to the touch, turning the water equally slimy in the process. It felt revolting and reminded me of stagnant pond water - I had to get out!

After my five minute slime bath, I then spent a further five minutes swishing a sieve about the water to get the seaweed out, a further five wiping the tub down and rising it clean of slime trails and another five scrubbing seaweed out of the sieve. After all that fuss and effort cleaning up, I felt grubbier after a bath with 'Big Blue' than before! 

Sexy.

Among the major downsides however, there were a few perks. The scent is lovely and it made my skin feel very soft - however, so do plenty of bath bombs that don't leave me in need of a sieve and feeing like I've been sat in a dirty pond...
Overall, I can't recommend 'Big Blue' - it's more fitting for a swamp monster than a mermaid!
However, if you're still curious, you can get it online or in store priced at £3.35.
Have you tried 'Big Blue'? What's your fave Lush item? Had any Lush fails? Let me know! Comments up top!
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REVIEW - Lush 'Love Lettuce' Fresh Face Mask

Want a free Lush face mask? All you have to do to get a free Lush face mask is bring five CLEAN Lush pots into any store, pick your face mask, go to the counter and hand your empty pots over - fantastic! This is a permanent offer, which is fabulous for any Lush junkies and also means those little black pots will get recycled instead of ending up in land fill, win win!

Recently I traded five pots in for 'Love Lettuce', a lavender scented, gray-green pot of goop. The lady in the store told me was best for oily/ combination skin as it helps to moisturise dry areas while controlling sebum production in oily areas, clever, eh? I always ask for advice from the Lush staff - they're the experts after all, always helpful and never pushy. Hands down my favourite shop staff as a company in general.

I wont lie, I was a bit put off seeing as I absolutely loathe the scent of lavender. Seriously. The Summer my Mum decided to plant lavender behind the swing in the garden when I was a kid, I thought she was trying to kill me. That aside, 'Love Lettuce' does have a strong lavender scent, but you don't actually notice it once it's applied (thank God.)

The pot may seem small but a little goes a LONG way. I've used it four times and have barely made a dent. The almond shells give a fantastic scrub as you rub it on, while kaolin sets to work calming down any oily parts and honey and almond oil adds a little moisture to dry areas. Honey is also a great antiseptic, so it could be helping keep blemishes at bay.

After 15 minutes I rinse it off to reveal soft, smooth skin. I then apply a little light moisturiser just to lock in the goodness and my skin is happy as larry.
Overall a simple, fun product ideal for oily - combination skin. I imagine young teens would love this as a special sleep over treat (though at 22, I'm loving it as part of my skincare routine too!)
Trade five empty Lush pots at any store for 'Love Lettuce' or buy it in store or online for the bargain price of £6.25 for 75g of product (seriously, it lasts ages.)
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REVIEW - Lush 'Ahoy There!' Gift Set

Not too long ago my best biatch, Lis, gifted me with Lush 'Ahoy There!' as a well done for finishing uni with a first *fist pump* She said she'd picked it since it's one of the new sets, so it would be a decent thing to review on here - anyone would think she's a blogger herself with that kind of though process! Either way, on to the review...

The packaging is bright and fun, perfectly wrapped for a gift (ideal if, like me, you suck at wrapping presents!) I actually liked the paper so much I saved it to wrap a notebook with - how very secondary school of me! The box is full of packaging peanuts to keep the products safe, and includes a paper slip with product info.

The box contains two products, a soap and a scrub, both of which have quite nautical themes (as you may have guessed by the name of the box!)

First up, 'Sandstone' soap, which has a fresh lemony scent and a fine sandy coating for light exfoliation. It's a fairly big wedge at 120g, so I have chopped it up into smaller chunks to make it more manageable, which also means it will last a heck of a lot longer. I've been using it as both hand and face soap with no complaints from my skin. The sandy layer provides a bit of scrub ideal for daily exfoliation.

'Ocean Salt'. This is the stuff of the Gods. A mix of sea salts for exfoliation perfection, fresh organic lime extracted in vodka of all things for its antibacterial properties, mango butter, avocado butter, coconut oil, lime oil...Need I even say any more?! 'Ocean Salt' is the ideal body and face scrub for those with oily skin which loves to misbehave, it smells incredibly fresh and clean and leave your skin silky smooth. I find it best to apply to dry skin before showering to provide the best results.
All together a fantastic little duo which work perfectly together. Lovers of fresh, citrusy scents would adore this as a gift (or a treat for themselves, perhaps) and I also think it would be fantastic for those with oily or combination skin. At £10.75 it also happens to be a bargain buy...
Buy 'Ahoy There!' from Lush stores and online.
Have you tried either of these products? What's your favourite scrub or soap from Lush?

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Empties/ Mini Reviews

I seem to have amassed quite a few empties this time around, perhaps because I've started a kinda almost sorta low buy. I have two Ikea boxes full of perfectly good products I just don't use - mainly hair and body things and found myself contemplating getting a third box recently, madness! Instead of buying and hoarding more, I'm using up what's in those boxes before buying anything else.

Bit of a mix this time...

Superdrug 'Coconut and Shea Butter Body Lotion' - This smells SICKLY sweet! I actually loved the smell when I first bought it, but eventually it became a little over powering. The moisurising properties are nothing special, but okay for daily use on normal skin. Repurchase? Maybe in a different scent.

Creightons 'Raspberry and Pomegranate Bath and Shower Gel' - A cheapy bubble bath that doubles as shower gel, it has that sweet, slightly naff fruity smell we've all probably come across before but at less that £2 for 500ml I aint gonna complain! Repurchase? If strapped for cash and in need of shower gel, I can't see why not.

The Body Shop 'Strawberry Beautifying Lotion' - I adooore this stuff! Oils are a God send and this ticks all the right boxes. Great for skin and hair, plus it smells amazing and you can usually snap up a bottle pretty cheap in The Body Shop sales. Repurchase? I'm 3/4 the way through my second bottle!

Boots 'Simply Sensitive SPF 15 Moisturiser' - Truth be told, I haven't finished this, but it has sat unused in a box for about the last year. It's light, softening and sinks into the skin quickly - it's actually great, I just prefer something that feels a bit more luxe for face cream. Repurchase? Nope, I'm becoming a face cream snob *hides*

Marshmallow Blends 'Apple Jack Body Butter' - Great for SUPER dry skin, definitely one to apply at night because it sits on the skin quite heavily. However, it smells amazing and does a good job of banishing dry patches. Repurchase? No, I'm not a huge fan of the feeling of products sitting on my skin.

Lush 'Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioning Hair Perfume' - I barely made a dent in this as the smell of it made my Mum, sister, boyfriend and (probably) housemates want to run for miles in the opposite direction. I actually liked the herbal scent but I guess it isn't a very popular one! Repurchase? No!

Tresemmé 'Platinum Strength Conditioner' - A fantastic day to day conditioner for those of us with very dry or damaged hair. It makes my bleached, frizzly locks feel much smoother and stronger. Repurchase? Already have.

Pure Coconut Oil - I'm so lucky I live somewhere with a huge Asian community, as my local Morrisons stocks this stuff for just 99p in the Asian cooking section - winning! I find it's a lot more effective than the Superdrug stuff, plus the glass bottle makes it easy to melt the oil inside. Repurchase? I think I'm on my third bottle now... 

Phillip Smith 'Dry Clean' Dry Shampoo - A dry shampoo is a dry shampoo is a dry shampoo...Repurchase? Nah, the bottle top stopped working so I only used about half of it!

Superdrug 'Deep Action Facial Cleansing Wipes' - While I don't believe facial wipes do any more than baby wipes, I do enjoy Superdrug's own versions. They're strong and moist enough to remove most make-up in a doddle. Repurchase? I've been buying these for years!
Yes to Tomatoes 'Skin Clearing Facial Mask' - Probably the worst mask I've ever bought, it wasn't even enjoyable to apply or relax in (which, let's face it, is the reason we really buy face masks!) and dried out really quickly. Plus I believe it was about £13 - eek. Repurchase? Never.
MUA 'Lash Boom' Mascara - I wish I'd noticed that it has one of those silly torture device type wands before I bought it, because I dislike them greatly! However, at £3 it wasn't bad...it just wasn't good either. Repurchase? Nope.
Maybelline 'Stay Matte' powder and Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer - Do I need to say anything?! Repurchase? Aaaall the time!
And now I can go and fling this lot in the recycling and start another 'empties' box - a little strange when you realise just how much you actually get through! 
See anything here you use? Link me to your last 'empties' post!
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REVIEW: Lush 'Blousey' Shampoo

The busy folk at Lush have been listening to our hair prayers and decided to try and unleash a little miracle for us in the form of brand spankin' new shampoo - 'Blousey'. 

 

Made with moisturising banana pulp (strange, huh?), nourishing cocoa and capuacu butters as well as organic cloves, star anise and pimento berries for shine - 'Blousey' is damaged hair's knight in shining (yet strangely scented) armour.

Let me just say - 'Blousey' looks and feels more like baby food that something you should be rubbing into your hair! Once you're past that 'Are Lush pulling my leg?' feeling, though, it's actually quite enjoyable! The scent is initially very strong, but washes out to leave just a hint of rose, blackcurrant, rosemary and juniper - a scent I rather like, but none of my family do! Give it a whiff in store before buying online.

 I've been using 'Blousey' for a month now and I probably have about three uses left in the tub - which at £18 a pop definitely makes it a product to buy for a treat! However, my hair does feel more resilient, smoother, stronger and I'm sure it looks shinier to. If 'Blousey' weren't so pricey, it would be a regular on my bathroom shelf.

Do you use any Lush products on your hair? How would you feel about having banana pureé on your head?!

Product provided by Lush Manchester Arndale store as part of the Arndale Student Night.

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Most Recent Empties

It amazes me how many bloggers manage an empties post every single month without fail! I'm not one of those who try to finish things in order to buy something else, so it takes me much longer to amass anything post worthy. Maybe I should try to, though...I have so many unloved products!

 There's something kinda satisfying about a pile of used up products, isn't there?!

COLLECTION 2000 PRESSED POWDER: Your run of the mill, budget friendly face powder. It's very similar to Rimmel 'Stay Matte' powder, just cheaper! Repurchase? Already have.

SHU UEMURA MATTE PEACH BLUSH: I was in two minds about this blush, on the one hand - it's definitely NOT worth the amount you pay for it since it's so poorly pigmented and doesn't feel at all luxe. On the other, it's entirely fool proof and a gorgeous colour. Repurchase? Nope! I can find cheaper, nice alternatives.

MUA SHADE 19 MATTE EYESHADOW: I've used this shade religiously as my 'brow filler ever since MUA first launched in Superdrug. It's perfect for those of us with dark hair, plus it's only £1! Repurchase? I already have!

COLLECTION 2000 'LASTING PERFECTION CONCEALER': A great concealer with medium, buildable coverage. I've used both light and medium shades, which look near enough identical once oxidised (though medium is a wee bit pinker). Repurchase? I'm on my third tube, so there will probably be a fourth...

LUSH 'DARK ANGELS' CLEANSER: I love this stuff! It's hard to find really gritty, rough exfoliators and the 'gentle' kinds do absolutely nothing for me. 'Dark Angels' is ideal for my oily skin and leaves it squeaky clean. Repurchase? I'm planning on buying my third tub soon.

FIGS AND ROUGE BALM: I really liked this until I left it in the Sun...bad idea! It turned gritty and disgusting, the top layer went semi-solid and I could pick it off like skin on rice pudding - grim! So, while it's not technically finished, my ability to use it definitely is. Repurchase? No, I'd only end up leaving it in the Sun again.

No.7 'BEAUTIFULLY MATTE FOUNDATION': Oooh No.7, you give me my only 'from the bottle' match with shade 'New Ivory'...then change all your foundation shades. However, I am looking forward to trying their new skin matching system and hope another shade matches me! Otherwise I'm heading to Bobbi Brown. Repurchase? Entirely depends on whether any of the new shades match me from the bottle!

TRESEMME LONG LASTING HOLD HAIR SPRAY: I bought this aged about 17 and it's only just run out! That's almost four years - impressive or what?! It also does a pretty darn good job of keeping your hair in place for a full day. Repurchase? No, I find the lids on Tresemme hair sprays tend to be faulty, resulting in sticky hands and bottles. Yick!

SOAP AND GLORY 'GLAM-A-LOT' SPRAY: Possibly my favourite scent ever! I wear this practically every day and this bottle has lasted me almost an entire year. Repurchase? Definitely.

UMBERTO GIANNINI 'INDULGENT BEAUTY MOISTURE MASK': While this hair mask did the job, I wouldn't call it particularly indulgent. It left my hair feeling like any regular conditioner would. I think those with normal hair would enjoy it, but if you have truly dry hair - look elsewhere. Repurchase? No.

Do you use anything I've mentioned here? Can you suggest a decent high street hair mask for mega dry, frizzy hair?

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Latest Purchases from Lush

I grew to enjoy bathing so much over the Easter break that I couldn't wait to buy a few more things from Lush! There really is nothing quite as relaxing as a long, hot, bubbly soak...

 I settled on a 'Creamy Candy' bubble bar as well as 'Think Pink' and 'Dragons Egg' bath bombs. Don't they look pretty all lined up? I'm pretty excited to try the 'Dragons Egg' bath bomb - it smells amazing!

Roughly 90% of the reason I bought this was because I thought it was called 'Candy Mountain'. Yes, I was disappointed when I realized that it wasn't. I want something named after unicorn kidney thieves, damn it!

'Think Pink', bought on a whim because it's cute. Apparently it's full of confetti hearts, which will be a soggy pain to get out of the bath I expect. I should start reading product descriptions before buying them, right?

And since Lush have made is annoyingly impossible for me not to say something about their 'Fighting Animal Testing' campaign with their campaign packaging - here we go. I can get behind the cause since I have a respect for all living things, but I can't say I strongly back it without feeling like a hypocrite. Why? Because this blog is not 'cruelty free' and I've never gone out of my way to buy 'cruelty free.'

While Lush's methods with the window display were undeniably ill thought out on some levels (how would you explain that sight to a young child?) it was effective. It has people talking. It has people questioning their morals when it comes to cosmetics. It sparked debate and, in all honesty, I hope Lush succeed.

Current Skincare Routine for Oily/ Combination Skin

After giving up on caring for my stubborn, oily, blemish ridden skin for years, I started to look back into skin care towards the end of last year. My skin has obviously changed since my younger days, namely that it's become drier in places and less spot prone. I have an oily t-zone, dry patches around my nose and cheeks and large pores. I've mainly been looking into oily busting, blemish clearing products which don't break the bank to balance and revive my skin...

Lush, Yes to Tomatoes and Boots 'Simple Sensitive' range have been making up my favourite routine so far.

Lush 'Coal Face' Soap/ Cleanser: A lightly exfoliating soap perfect for oily, congested skin. The black shade comes from the charcoal (to absorb grease) and liquorice (to soften skin). Lush also add rosewood oil to act as an antiseptic to help keep spots at bay and sandalwood oil to soothe problem skin. I use this as my regular face soap (and occasionally in the shower) and have noticed a significant reduction in break outs, I also love the earthy, liquorice scent and how fresh this makes my skin feel.

 Lush 'Dark Angels' Cleanser: Sometimes, I need a face scrub which, if it were a person, I feel would slap me hard and call me its bitch - that is 'Dark Angels'. When my skin feels particularly worse for wear, I use this thick, super exfoliating cleanser to buff away rough patches, soak up excess oil, add a little moisture and give some antiseptic love. I wouldn't recommend this to those with delicate skin - this is definitely the bad boy of facial exfoliators.

Yes to Tomatoes 'Clear Skin Facial Mask': At £12 for 50ml of product, I did hesitate to buy this at first. However, I do believe that with skin care you get what you pay for - and it would be easy to spend way more if I had the money! You don't need much to cover your face and the results are fantastic. The next day, my skin feels softer and healthier and looks more even. I'd happily re-purchase!

Boots Simple Sensitive 'Protecting Day Moisturiser SPF 15': I originally bought this as part of one of the '3 for 2' deals in Boots, not expecting much at all. There are, however, some utter gems out there for next to nothing! This moisturiser is light, fragrance free, soaks into my skin quickly and keeps oil at bay for quite some time. I actually find this works better as a make-up primer that my £20 Illamasqua 'Matt Primer' - 'nuf said.

Lush 'Coal Face' cleanser - £4.50 for 100g, which lasts ages!
Lush 'Dark Angels' cleanser - £5.95 for 100g, which will last the 3 months it stays fresh for.
Yes to Tomatoes 'Clear Skin Facial Mask' - Around £12 for 50ml, hunt around Google for the best deal.
Boots Simple Sensitive 'Protecting Day Moisturiser' - £1.86 for 125ml of product.

Next I'll be venturing into Murad - wish me luck!

REVIEW - Lush 'Sunnyside' Bubble Bar

Before this week, I hadn't had a bath in years. Not that I'm stinky or anything, but for me baths just conjure up memories of boredom and Dove soap from when I was little! And 20 is probably too old for those colour changing bubble baths - not at all though, can you still buy those?! -  which were the one 'fun' thing about bath time! However, when I set eyes on the Lush 'Sunnyside' bubble bar, it had to be mine.

IS IS GOLD AND IT GLITTERS.  

Do I even need to explain? It is gold. It is glittery. Shiny things make me happy.

*Happy dance*

Giddiness aside, the glitter can be a tad annoying...Directly after I bought this, I had glitter all over my hoody, over the floor, on my jeans, my face, I also got some around my camera lens when I came to photograph it! If you buy 'Sunnyside', prepare to sparkle.

I chopped my bubble bar into two, then crumbled one half under the tap as my bath filled. It crumbles and dissolves pretty quickly. At first, the water just looked plain yellow and I was disappointed by the lack of visible glitter. When I climbed in, it was a totally different story...

The water swirls with golden shimmer, like little clouds of colour just below the surface. Everytime you move, the shimmer clouds stir up - they're beautiful to watch! This is down to 'Gold Lustre Sparkle' - basically, a mix not too far off mineral eyeshadows. The orangey, citrus smell is delicate and refreshing, certainly perked me up. I was surprised by how silky the water felt, I was also left with equally silky skin! I was sad that no glitter stuck to me, though, but most people would prefer not to look like a glitter ball after a bath.

Once the water drains away, 'Sunnyside' leaves a trail of mica and glitter which washes away easily. I couldn't help but think what a gorgeous eyeshadow 'Sunnyside' post-bath residue would make, just look at those swatches!

Overall, a genuinely awesome product which looks, smells and makes you feel 100% fabulous.

Available at Lush stores and online at £3.50 for 100g of product.