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?

October Favorites

Happy November everyone!

I love November because it's filled with some of my favorite events such as my hubby's birthday and Thanksgiving! :) Now on to my October favorites...

MAC Texture

Texture is very versatile because you can use it in many different ways/looks. It's great as an all over the lid color with a darker crease (such as MAC Print) and as crease color with more neutral lid (like MAC's Grain, Femme-Fi etc) or you can also use it as part of a smokey look with Print/Carbon all over lid and Texture on crease. I am using it more as a crease color with neutral eye though.

Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner in Brown

As you may already know, I am in love with these eyeliners. They are amazing in every aspect! But because I'm just not doing much black eyeliner these days, I have been using my brown one and love it just as much as the black one! You can read my review about Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner in Black by clicking here.

MAC Shy Girl

Shy Girl is one of my favorite everyday lipsticks. It's a coral-y beige color in Cremesheen finish which I just love! With Cremesheen formula, you really don't need a lipgloss over your lipstick. It goes with pretty much almost all my looks I'm wearing these days so I've been using it quite a bit!

Clockwise - Texture, Shy Girl, Milani Brown Eyeliner, Brow Duality Matte Side

Anastasia Brow Duality Highlighter & Clear Brow Gel

I am putting these two together because I always use them in conjunction. I try to keep my brows as groomed as possible at all times. I never really used to use brow gel or highlight during the day and would keep them limited to special occasions for some reason. But for the past month or so, I've been using these two products everyday. I love that the Brow Gel keeps my eyebrows in place as I have crazy, untamed brows. I also really love that this gel doesn't flake once dried as I did have bad experiences with other brow gels in past. I am not really using the shimmer side of the highlighter unless for nighttime looks. Matte side is great for everyday use and does a great job highlighting right under the brow. I use a bit of it above my brows too. That way they look super clean and defined.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

This is the newest product in this post but it's quickly become one of my favorites. With the weather getting cooler, my lips are starting to become drier and more chapped. Thanks to this amazing lip scrub by Lush that I don't have to embarrass myself in public walking around with cracked lips. It does a very good job removing the dead skin from my lips and leaves them super smooth and moisturized. That way I can wear any kind of lipstick I want, no more fear of matte lipsticks yippee!

Narciso Rodriguez For Her

I've had For Her for a while and used it for a while. Then it got old and was put in the back burner. This perfume reminds me a bit of fall/winter/holidays as it has that spiciness to it so now that we're in that season bracket I am back to using it again! I can definitely pick up musk, woods and amber in it. It's not one of those light perfumes that vanishes 15 minutes after you spray it at all. In fact, I would say it's pretty heavy, it's almost in the same category as Calvin Klein's Euphoria (which I heart).Very sensual, seductive and sexy!

What were your favorite products in October?

Bubblegum

 Hello there beautiful people!

Today I'm sharing with you my recent Lush purchase because I'm stoked and I think everyone should know about this cute little thing!

I've never tried a lip scrub in my life. In fact I've first heard about such a thing in a video on YouTube maybe a year ago (What kind of a beauty blogger am I?!) Recently I was pointlessly gazing through the yummy website of Lush and I came across these lip scrubs! I knew immediately I must have the bubblegum scented/flavored one so I swung by Lush and made it mine!

Why did I pick the bubblegum one? Well...because I love bubblegum. It’s pink and girly. They do however come in three other scents and they are cranberry (which is currently sold out on US site), peppermint and chocolate. They all smell delish. I'm sure I'll try them all sometime in my life. While I was testing the scents, I was told by the Lush guy that these are actually edible! Huh?! Yes, I heard it right. He said, I can scrub my lips with the scrub and just lick it off LOL! I actually tasted it and it almost tastes like a bubblegum flavored Pop Rocks (except it doesn’t pop!) I wouldn’t make eating this a daily habit but if you ‘accidentally’ get a little bit in your mouth, you may as well enjoy it! It comes in a little glass jar with all the classic Lush labeling and I like this scrub quite a bit!

Quick Facts

Scent: Almost identical to that of Snow Fairy. I think it smells way better than Snow Fairy (actually I despise how SF smells but I love the way this lip scrub smells) If you enjoy the scent of Snow Fairy (as I know many people do) you will most likely love this lip scrub!

Flavor: Bubblegum

Texture: Very finely-milled Castor sugar

Ingredients: Castor sugar, organic jojoba oil, flavor (vegan), aurora pink(which I think is the artificial coloring agent)

Price: $8.95/.8oz (25g)

More information: Lush

Testing Bubblegum

Bubblegum - Quality Approved!

 After using this lip scrub, I have noticed a major difference on the smoothness of my lips. I have the annoying habit of picking my lips especially when they are dry or peeling. Of course doing this creates a not so pretty sight when I apply lipstick. I have noticed that I have nothing to pick now that the dry skin is lifted off using a lip scrub. Even in the not so great picture above, I think they look pretty smooth and soft! Definitely looking forward to trying to other flavors!

Have you tried this lip scrub?

LUSH Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar

Hola chicas!

I hope everyone had a lovely v-day, no matter how or who you celebrated with :) Speaking of v-day, my today's post is, as you can tell, about one of the Lush v-day goodies. I know there has already been a number of reviews on them but here are my two cents regardless! Yesterday the adorable magic mushroom bubble bar and I separated ways, well we both went in the tub but still, he went down the drain. Look: First of all, I must say that my bath tub is baby blue so when I crumbled the bar it turned into this orange-ish color, imagine orange colored water on blue tub...it looked like there was blood in the tub, gross! I know it's not Lush's fault, obviously they can't cater to everyone's needs and make bubble bars according to people's tubs but it just looked gross to me. Smell: Heavenly, but then again I don't know of too many products from Lush that don't smell yummy, with a few exceptions of course. Bubbles: Got a decent amount, definitely didn't beat the Flosty Gritter or Comforter bubble bars and probably that's why it's a seasonal product. They stuck around for a good while though, so I'll give'em that. Afterward: I don't think Lush claims this bubble bar to be moisturizing but if they do then they're wrong, my skin felt a bit dry and the beautiful smell unfortunately vanished. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this bubble bar, if it was a permanent bar I probably wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it, maybe if they were sold out of everything else.

Review: Godmother soap + Flosty Gritter bubble bar

As you may know, I have recently been to Lush and picked up a few items. I thought why not do a review on the ones I used so far to let everyone know how good they are so everyone can hit up a Lush store and buy some too?! :)

 Godmother Soap

I have been using the Godmother soap pretty much since I bought it on Friday (the 29th). Now, I haven't heard many talking about this soap so I got my self a smaller chunk about 1/4 lbs just to try it out. I love it so much there is no way I can go back to using my Bath and Body works body wash, nope! First of all it smells yummy, I have to confess I am taking a whiff here and there throughout the day. More importantly I love the fact it lathers so richly without having to rub it all over my loofah for a long time. Also it left my skin very soft and feeling squeaky clean. One thing that I am not crazy about is the fact that basically what happens in the shower, stays in the shower meaning, once you rinse yourself the scent of the soap doesn't really stay on skin :/ Regardless, I will be repurchasing this soap! (Next time I will also buy "Porridge" soap, it's made with molasses and smells like breakfast, I don't necessarily care for molasses but the smells is bomb dot com)

Flosty Gritter Bubble Bar

This is how much I put in...

...and this is how much I got!

I used Flosty for the first time today, honestly I didn't check Lush's directions on how to use it anyway I think most of the time they say either cut it in half or put the whole thing in (duh so people will buy more!) Initially I was going to put about 1/4 in then I decided put half in because after I cut it it looked sort of small. I cut it in half and put it under running water and twirled my hand in the tub a few times and the bubbles started forming right away and a lot of it, yay! Sorry no pink bubbles with this bubble bar, though the water turned a little pinkish. I enjoyed taking a bath using this bubble bar, it did what it was supposed to do, the bubbles stayed about half an hour then slowly started disappearing. Anyway I don't take a bath longer than that so it was perfect for me. When I was at Lush the saleswoman told me the water will be glittery however that's not the case at all, the bar itself has glitters all over it but once you put it in the water, no glitter. 

MAC & Lush Haul

Today I have been to MAC and LUSH like the title says (they are seriously right across the street from each other, so if you go to one it's nearly impossible to not go to the other!) I have actually been planning this visit for a while and just found the chance to go today! Like most of us I have an unnecessarily long wish-list of products (mine are mostly MAC eye-shadows he he what are yours??) so I thought it was about time to cross off a few of those items, here is what I got...

From MAC:

Antiqued (Veluxe Pearl) Ash brown with bronze

Era (Satin) Soft golden beige with shimmer

Goldmine (Frost) Intense gold with shimmer

...and I also got another pro color palette!

From LUSH:

Flosty Gritter Bubble Bar ~ Smells like bubblegum, has glitters all over it and it's pink, so girly!

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar ~ Vanillary in white parts, Yummy Yummy Yummy in red cap, or in plain English vanilla+strawberry scented

The Ex Factor Bath Bomb ~ Vanilla musk scent, he is too cute to use up!

Godmother ~ Smells sort of like Snow Fairy, but better in my opinion...smells like candy/gummy bear/juicyfruit/berry-ish

Also, the lovely ladies at my local Lush threw in a couple samples for me and they are: Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Gel and American Cream Conditioner.

What are your favorite Lush products, any suggestions for my next visit? :)

Oh LUSH how I love you so!

The first time I ever went to Lush was 6-7 years ago in Vancouver B.C. I probably wouldn't have if I didn't see 5 million people showering this place, ok maybe not 5 million but a lot of people! I thought, hey it must be something that these people wanna see! Turns out it was bunch of tables that had bunch of soap pyramids on them lol until I started seeing what these soaps looked like let alone how they smelled! I was amazed by all this smell in the air and certainly looking at these cute soaps that looked more like cookies of some sort, I wanted to eat them all! Don't you? To this day whenever I go to Lush, the thought of eating a soap because it looks edible still crosses my mind, then I remind myself they are soaps. Lately I am seeing many girls AND guys too now doing reviews and raving about their favorite Lush products, so I thought my time to rave has come!

All time favorite Lush products:

Ma Bar Bubble Bar

O.M.G! If you love chocolate, you will die for this, what a way to die! They must have had me in their mind while they were creating this piece of heaven! I call this toffee heath-bar mocha with a pump of white chocolate, it's yummy! It smells beyond this world good, the bubbles are just uh-amazing, they seriously last forever, you will wait for them to slowly disappear like most other bath bubbles and while you're waiting you will fall asleep in the tub believe me! I don't even know what to say about the way it looks, it definitely screams "EAT ME RIGHT NOW" You can easily get 3 uses out of this, then run to your closest Lush store ASAP because I'm telling ya, you should never be without this bubble bar, if you haven't tried this already, you better go pick some up soon, you're missing out honeys!

The Comforter Bubble Bar

I am having another OMG moment, and this bubble bar definitely deserves it! Obviously anyone who knows me would know exactly why I ever bought this bubble bar, umm because it's PINK and it's swirly, but let's lean towards the fact that it's pink, yeeaaahhh! They say don't judge a book by its cover, well in this case, do judge a book by its cover, I did and I couldn't be merrier than I am that I found this square of pinkness! I had no idea when I was buying this product how well it will do once I break it and put it in my bathtub, like I said I got it simply because it's pink oh and it smells delicious. To my surprise it exceeded my expectations even though I had none! Lush advises us to break it half and use it for 2 baths, I say break it in hundred pieces and use it that many times because to me half was just too much. Love bathing in pink water!

          Demon in the Dark - handmade soap

This is my go-to soap when I'm feeling under the weather. A few minutes spent with this soap in the shower definitely makes me feel better and cleaner too. If you're not a fan of (spear)mint scent, then this soap is not for you. I AM a fan of anything minty so I'm lovin' this soap! I heard some people say bad things about this soap like the fact that it smells "manly". I don't get how men and mint have in common, hello people, don't you chew spearmint gum?? Another thing I wanna point out is that Lush claims this soap makes green bubbles, and no it doesn't I'm sorry Lush. It lathers up nicely though, I'll give you that, just no green bubbles.

Alkmaar - handmade soap

I use this soap when I want something extra in my shower session, like something luxurious. This soap makes me feel like a queen for some reason, it must be the jasmine in it perhaps? I love how it lathers and leaves my skin baby-soft. I also think that this soap could be used in multiple ways because it's very milky and gentle. Consider using it as a hand soap or even a face soap. Love it when I can pay for one thing and use it 3 ways, yay!