Lush Finds

I have seen Ocean Salt mentioned in blogosphere maaaaany times but the thought of salt and scrub together made me think twice about this scrub until a recent trip to Lush. I was actually searching for a cure for my out-of-control cuticles and after reading a bunch of rave reviews about Lush's Lemony Flutter cuticle cream on nail blogs I just had to give it a try! So off to Lush I went. I usually don't fall for the "let us give you a hand massage etc" line that sales associates try to pull on customers. This time I gave in and let them do their thing! One of the products they tried on my hand was Ocean Salt...

I was really surprised that though it has a salt content, it was not abrasive on my skin at all! Instead it left me feeling squeaky clean and really smooth. Even though this product has 50% sea salt, it has other ingredients such as avocado and coconut fats which I assume help make it non-abrasive. Unfortunately the scent is not coconut-y, but more citrus-y - I can definitely pick up lime.When I was told I could even use it on freshly shaven skin, I was sold! How many body scrubs are out there that can be used on freshly shaved skin? I am not the one who necessarily exfoliates after shaving but still, it's good to have a product that can be used on hand :D I had to have it! No really, I was actually on the market for a new body scrub because I just ran out and was in the mood for trying something new :)

I was given this wooden stick with my purchase to mix up the scrub. After mixing it, scrub is quite creamy but you can still feel the salt particles to some extent. Although Ocean Salt markets as part of Lush's Facial Care line, I personally haven't used this as part of my facial care regimen as my skin has been really sensitive as of late. Therefore I don't want to contribute to any potential breakouts because I will die! However, on other areas of my body, I have seen great results. I think Ocean Salt does an excellent job removing dead skin from drier areas such as elbows, knees and I have noticed less flakage on my upper leg area (once winter rolls by, I get super dry here! :/) Ocean Salt comes in two sizes; 4.2 oz (which is what I have here) for $19.95 and 8.8 oz for $34.95. Because I wasn't sure about how my skin will react to it, I decided to go with the smaller container.

Lemony Flutter quickly became one of my favorite everyday products. (I carry it in my purse just in case)This freezing Chicago weather took a huge toll on my cuticles; they are dried to point of no return. Not even Bio-Oil works at this point :/ Then Lemony Flutter came to my rescue! There is something in this product that smooths my cuticles and helps them stay that way for a good while. Perhaps the combination of beeswax and avocado oil? Obviously it's ridicilous for me to expect the moon and stars from any product, but with continuous use I can say that I have benefited from Lemony Flutter. What I have been doing since I started using it is that I apply product and then gently push cuticles back. It's definitely not sticky by any means but if you don't like the oily feeling then you may want to skip this. I am not too crazy about oily hands but oils seem to provide a prolonged moisture which is what I need. Lemon scent is always a plus :) Lemony Flutter retails for $14.95 for a 1.5 oz. container. It is not cheap but it's one of those products you would call "a little goes a long way" so I can't complain!

What are you favorite Lush skincare products?

DANI Plum Flower Sugar Scrub

Hey girls!

I have been to a waxing salon a while back and was introduced to this brand while there. I was actually in need of a body scrub back then and decided to give it a try regardless of the price tag (it's $20.00 for 13 oz. container). Then, like many products, this container kind of went to the cabinet right below my sink and sat there for a good while until a few weeks ago I randomly felt the urge to organize. So I was pulling stuff out, moving them here and there, tossing some out, and I saw this scrub sitting there. After a whiff, I wanted to use it right away because the smell is just ahhhh so good! I don't know how to describe it, it smells very sweetp/plummy/fruity :) So I have been frequenting this scrub for quite some time now (on and off because Flake Away got between us) and I love it. I love Flake Away by Soap and Glory too, and I guess the battle is on, I will need to choose one or the other, who will win?? What I love about this brand is that they make natural bath products.  That is and will always be a plus for me. I say this all the time, yes I love make-up and beauty stuff and I know 90% of the products I use has a lot of chemicals in them but if I can do something good  for my skin, why not? So I do use natural and paraben-free products when I can, I'm always on the look out for them. Funny because at the time I purchased this scrub, I had no idea it was a natural product. DANI says that "DANI Natural Products® are made with 100% vegetable oil bases, pure soy waxes, essential oils, and organic ingredients whenever possible; and without petroleum, paraben, artificial colors, dyes, animal by-products, or sodium or ammonia laurel/laureth sulfates". They also don't do animal testing. Yay!! I looked up the website before using this scrub and read that you can use this after shaving and there will not be any stinging, initial reaction? Get outta here! Scrubbing after shaving? No thanks, I haven't lost it just yet. But of course deep inside I wanted to know, so I gave it a try anyway and I seriously didn't experience any stinging what-so-ever! And I have pretty sensitive skin! I personally scrub first then shave, but it's great to know there is a product out there which can reverse this routine if you really must do it that way, stuff happens. Overall I am very happy with this scrub, it exfoliates pretty good and leaves my skin super smooth. Also it doesn't leave that oily film after you dry your skin but at the same time I think it moisturizes well, I didn't experience any dryness or scale-like skin. If I could change one thing about this product, what would be? The packaging, I am not really crazy about containers, I get along better with tubes or pumped bottles. I will check out their body lotions! I am not sure what stores carry this brand, but they have products for sale on their website, click here if you're interested.