LUSH HAUL

Hi beautiful people!

Today I'm sharing a lush haul along with a few Mac goodies that I picked up. 

A few of these items were Christmas gifts and others were purchases with gift cards that I received for Xmas. You all know that I swear by Lush products and a lot of these are repurchase for me!

First up is the Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask that I've repurchased tons of times. I got this one free from bringing back 5 clean empty containers to the store. Next is the Celestial Moisturizer, which I've talked about a million times. It's by far the best Moisturizer that I've ever used.

Next is the Sleepy Hand and Body Lotion. This is a new product to me and it's by far the best hand lotion from Lush that I've used. I've loved the other lotions I've tried from Lush as well but this one is definitely the winner. It's s sweet lavender scent and I'm obsessed.

The Honey Trap lip balm is another product that I've purchased quite a bit of times from Lush. No lip balm that I've tried compares to this.

And the Bubbly Shower Gel is another new product for me. This is a mini size that came with a gift set I received for Christmas. It's an amazing shower gel, smells amazing, and also doesn't dry out my already dry skin (thanks winter!). I'll definitely be purchasing a full size of this in the future.

Next up are some bath bombs. From left to right are Yoga Bomb, Twilight, and Golden Wonder. I've tried all 3 of these before and love them all.

And on the bottom of those photo is the Fresh Pharmacy Face Bar. I tried a sample of this and fell in love. I couldn't wait to purchased a huge piece of it and this is now my daily face cleanser. *Does anyone want to see a updated skin care routine?*

Lastly are two goodies from Mac. I ran out of my Pro Longwear concealer so that is a repurchase from me. I also wanted a new blush and picked out Mac Pro Longwear blush in Make You Mine. If anyone is interest in a review for this blush with swatches let me know!

Have you tried any of these products before? If so, let me know your thoughts on them in the comments!

Lush Face Bars | Fresh Pharmacy + Coalface

Hello! Long time no see! I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and long weekend if you celebrated. I took last week off from blogging, because well, I don't exactly have an excuse or reason. I'm working on getting some motivation back to blog more and start making YouTube videos again. .

But for today I'm going to be reviewing two Face bars from Lush that I've been trying out for the past month. I had no idea what a face bar was until my last trip to Lush when I was looking for a new face scrub. I didn't leave with a scrub, but a chunk of something that resembled bar soap, and a sample of other one because I had a hard time choosing between the two that were recommended to me.

So what is a facebar? Like I said before, it has the same concept as a bar of soap, but for your face. You  lather it up by getting it wet and then rubbing it between your hands and use the suds from your hands as your face wash.

Let's start with the one that I purchased- Coalface

From Lush's website
"Coalface is ideal for those of you who loving washing your faces with a good, old-fashioned bar of soap. Except, there’s nothing antiquated about this preservative-free facial cleanser. Inspired by the complexion bar in ‘Annie Hall’, we created Coalface for combination to oily faces. Powdered charcoal absorbs excess sebum and acts as a mild exfoliator, while rosewood and sandalwood oils reduce redness and clear up blemishes. Use Coalface daily for clear, balanced skin."

This one was recommended to me because I wanted something with charcoal because my skin responds really well to it. I was using the Dark Angels face exfoliating cleanser, but it's super messy so I wanted something with a little less maintenance. This face bar was a perfect choice because it has the charcoal, it has a tiny bit of grit to it so it exfoliates gently, and it does a great job at cleansing my skin and it removes makeup well. It isn't harsh but I only like to use this 2-3 times a week, however it can be used  daily.  This is definitely something I'd recommend if you like using charcoal in your skin care, and if you had oily or combo oily skin. I purchased a good sized hunk of this and I see it lasting a long time. I haven't even made a dent in it in the past month.

Next up is the sample- Fresh Pharmacy

From Lush's Website
"Feel like you have the world’s most sensitive skin? Allow us to prescribe you a bar of our pale pink cleansing bar. Fresh Farmacy contains chamomile extract to calm, rose and lavender to soothe dry patches, and tea tree to keep skin clean and clear. With lots of calamine powder to calm troubled skin, this facial soap is great for gently easing skin back into balance."

This little sample I received has seriously lasted me more than a month, I still have some left. For the first two weeks, I was using this once or twice a day (except for the two days I used the coalface), and since then I've been using it a few times week, mainly because I'm trying to savor it. I do love the coalface but I definitely think this is the one I'd repurchase first. It's awesome and calming for sensitive skin. I love that it has camomile, calamine, Rose, lavender, and tea tree. My skin also responds very well to tea tree, so not only is this gentle enough for my sensitive skin, it helps to calm an breakouts. This one also cleanses my face really nicely and removes makeup really well.

My final verdict on these facebars is that they are both amazing and I definitely recommend both of them, depending on what your skin type and needs are. The concept of a face bar was kind of weird for me, but I haven't minded using it like you do a bar of soap, it's something new and fresh (literally), and a nice change up from my usual cleanser. My skin has felt amazing since I started using them.

Have you tried Lush face bars before? If so, leave your thoughts on them!

Extra Bits-
-I've been trying to catch up on my blog and youtube news feed! I've neglected them over the weekend, but I think I'm all caught up now.
-I could do a collective haul post on some random natural products and healthy things I've recently purchased. It probably won't be too exciting though, anyone interested??

Lush Rosy Cheeks Fresh Face Mask

Hello! I hope everyone has had a good start to their week! My (blogging) week is starting out by talking about a new face mask that I've been trying out. I've had my eye on the Lush Rosy Cheeks Fresh Face Mask for so long, and since I've never had a bad experience with Lush products, I had really high hopes for this mask. I'm happy to say that this mask is incredible, but before I get into why, I'll give a little info on it first.

About this Mask from Lush's Website

"Calm and soothe rosy cheeks

Find the happiness you seek by cleansing cheek to cheek with this gorgeously soothing fresh mask. A simple blend of kaolin, calamine and Turkish rose oil to delicately calm the skin and restore balance. Whether you're feeling hot and bothered or just fancy showering your complexion with roses, cleansing calamine and kaolin will gently remove dirt while exquisite rose oil nourishes and tones your face. Calm, matte skin, here you come!"

This mask uses a ton of amazing ingredients, and the main one is calamine which is really soothing. Kaolin Clay is something that works very well for my skin, and it's something that I definitely recommend as an ingredient, especially if you have skin type similar to mine (combo oily, or even oily skin), or if it's an ingredient that's worked well for you in other products. I've had some dry patches on my face lately (thank you cold weather), and this definitely helped soothe any irritation that I had.

The texture is very creamy, but typical for you usually clay masks. It a good constancy of not being too thick, so it spreads over and covers your skin nice. I know that some people are turn off by Lush's fresh face make because they have a shorter shelf life. I personally can use mine twice a week and use it up in about 3 weeks. If you don't think you can use them that fast, you can opt for putting it in the freezer instead of the fridge to keep it fresh longer. I also go by my own policy of using my own judgement as to weather its still good to use or not. If it doesn't look or smell weird, and feels fine on my face, then its still fine to use.

Now let's talk about the scent. If you aren't a fan of rose scents, then this might not be for you. I personally love rose scents, and this one is one of the most amazing rose scented products I've used/smelled. It doesn't have an of those 'fake' or unnatural scents. It's pure and amazing. I do suggest smelling this in store before hand or getting a sample though. 

This has definitely become one of my top favorite masks, and I've had good results with it. My face feels super soft and fresh afterwards, with no irritation. I do suggest only leaving it on no longer than 10 minutes like it suggest though!

Lastly I wanted to add that one of my favorite things about Lush is their use of natural ingredients and that their products are cruelty free. Both of these play a huge factor of me when choosing my skin care products. I can do a post on why I choose to natural products and the ones I've switched over to recently if anyone is interested!

Have you tried out Lush Rosy Cheeks? What's your favorite face mask?

Lush Cup o' Coffee Face Mask Review

Hello!

Today I'm going to review the Cup o' Coffee face mask from Lush. I first heard about this face mask from Becky and being the coffee fiend lover that I am, I instantly wanted to try it. After using this for about 3 months, I'm ready to share my thoughts.

From Lush's website 

If you're a sucker for the strong, dark, stimulating type, this coffee-filled mask is just the thing to kick-start your day. Wake up and invigorate the skin and mind with the rich, intoxicating aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sweet roasted cocoa extract. Kaolin deeply cleanses impurities from the pores and ground coffee acts as a gentle scrub to buff away dryness and reveal the glowing skin beneath.

This mask is just how it sounds. Coffee. It smells like you've walked into a coffee shop. The scent is strong, so if you don't like the way coffee smells, stay away. There's coffee grounds in this mask, so this can be used as an exfoliator as well. 

I leave this on my face for about 10 minutes (recommended time) and then wet my hands and very gently do a quick scrub on my face before washing it off. The coffee grounds are a little rough, so if your skin is sensitive to scrubs then you can skip this step and just wash off the mask.

Another thing I've noticed with this mask is that you should follow the recommended 10 minutes that they suggest. Becky also mentioned that if she left the mask on longer it caused breakouts. I had already been using the mask prior to this, so when I read her review my mind kind of went 'ooooh'. Which is why it's taken me three months to review this, because I wanted to make sure if wasn't just my skin. After using the mask for a short amount of time, I had better results and no breakouts. I've also noticed too that it's better to not use a different exfoliator on my face the night before or after. 

My overall thoughts 

-The first thing I noticed and loved about this mask was how clean my pores (blackheads) on my nose looked after using this. It's amazing.

-I love the scent and the texture with the coffee goinds.

-My skin always feels super clean and fresh after using this. I was also excited to see Koalin in the ingredients because Michael Todds Koalin Clay mask worlds really well for my skin. 

-This isn't one of the fresh masks from Lush, so it has a longer shelf life which is great. 

-I'm not necessarily sure I'd recommend this to certain types of skin, but rather you'd have to try it out and see if it works for your skin. I definitely recommend giving it a try, or grabbing a sample though! 

-I do love this and it's a lot of fun, but I think I still prefer the Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic and the Mask of Magnaminty. 

Have you ever tried the Lush Cup o' Coffee mask? If so, leave your thoughts on it in the comments!

Lush Yog Nog Bath Bomb

Hello!! 

This will be my last post until after Christmas so I wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas if you and your families celebrate! And a Happy Birthday to my good friend Pilar who's birthday is on Christmas as well!!

Today I'm going to share one of the Lush Bath Bombs that I picked up at the end of November! I picked up two of them, and I believe they were both new ones that came out for the holiday season. I shared some pictures and clips of the yoga bomb a month or so ago on Instagram, but today I'm going to share my thoughts on Yog Nog!

This bath bomb was inspired by vegan egg nog. On lush's website this is described as "Spicy clove bud oil stimulates the senses while soy milk powder and organic shea butter create creamy, comforting waters. Luxuriate in comforting toffee soaks with clouds of gold and a touch of luster". 

This immediately turned my bath water fluorescent yellow. 

 After a minute or so the top half fizzed away and this is what it looked like. The center was kind of like a bath melt, so that was kind of cool. It felt really creamy and soft. It kind of looked like the yolk of an egg, which makes since since its egg nog inspired, but I thought that was kind of....strange. And since I personally think eggs are gross (other than the delicious Panera egg soufflés I shared recently, I know I'm weird), I was a little turned off by this. 

The scent was okay, not my favorite. I prefer bath bombs that change colors more, but I didn't mind the fluorescent yellow much. The was some glitter but nothing over the top like some of the bath bombs have. And I did like the concept of a two in one bomb/melt, I just wish it didn't resemble eggs LOL! This is one I wouldn't repurchase, but I do like to try them all so I can't complain much. 

What is your favorite bath bomb? 

Skin Care Sunday | Lush Cosmetic Catastrophe Fresh Face Mask

Hello! It's been a while since I've done any Skin Care Sunday Posts! I haven't tried anything new on my face in the past few months, but a few weeks ago I picked up a fresh face mask by Lush called Cosmetic Catastrophe. 

For the rest of this month, I'm going to be reviewing a diffenret face mask every Sunday! 

I'm obsessed with Lush Products, you all know that! Cosmetic Catastrophe is the first of the Fresh face makes that I've tried from Lush 

, and I bought this one on a whim. I do love their Mask of Magnaminty and have been using it for years, but I wanted to try something new. 

This is about $7 for 2.1 oz, which is fairly cheap but I'll talk more about that later. 

After telling the person who was helping me about my skin type (combo oily, sensitive, slightly acne prone but not too much, and have some redness) this is one of three that she recommned to me. I picked this one because it's made with blueberries. Yum. 

Here's a little bit more about this mask from Lush's website 

Blueberry-packed maintenance mask

Prevent disasters by taking regular care of your skin with our deep-cleansing, nutrient-rich blueberry mask. The little blue bulbs are packed with vitamins, and blended into calamine, rose absolute and chamomile blue oil to soothe redness, irritation and cleanse the skin without stripping it of its natural oils. This one is wonderfully soothing on sensitive skin. Treat your face to Catastrophe Cosmetic as often as you can to keep your skin looking its best.

Gentle enough for everyone:Catastrophe is one of our best-selling masks because it’s gentle on all skin types.

 Local matters: We buy our blueberries for Catastrophe Cosmetic from a local farmer here in British Columbia.

Calm catastrophes: We use calamine powder for its calming and soothing effect. Use often for a smart skincare routine.

Here is what the mask looks like swatched on my skin. 

My Thoughts-

-First I wanted to say that I love Lush because they use all natural ingredients. This mask is made from fresh things, it's vegan and Lush is cruelty free. 

-I mentioned before that this is $7 to 2.1 oz. I wanted to touch on this again because I think that is a very good price, and you do get quite a lot product since you don't need too much to cover your face. The down side to this though, is that these only have a shelf life of about 2-3 weeks. They expire because there are no preservatives in these because they are fresh, like the name states. I've used mine about 5 times and am only half way done with it. 

-The texture is pretty thick but it's easy to spead over your face.

-These need to be kept in the fridge since they are fresh ingredients, but the coldness gives a really nice cooling effect to your skin. They can also be stored in the freezer to help them last longer. 

-I do agree with the claims of this being very soothing and deep cleansing. My face always feels amazing and clean afterwards.

-I can see how this would be great for all skin types too. My always feel hydrated but oil free after I use it.

-I've been using it twice a week, so it's gentle enough to do that as where other masks I've used, I only used once a week. 

Over all I am really enjoying this mask! I definitely will repurchase it in the future, but I'm curious about their other fresh masks so I might try out some more first!

Have you tried any Fresh Face Masks from Lush?? If so, let me know so I can check them out! 

Lush Bath Melts

Hello!!!

Has anyone tried any bath melts from Lush before?? I'm a huge fan of Lush's bath bombs, so when  I saw that lush had bath melts I had to try one. I don't know if these are new prodcuts or not, or if I've just neve noticed them before. 

The one I picked up was called 'You've Been Mangoed' and I was drawn to it by the amazing citrusy scent. 

This was $6.25 at the lush store and online. 

What this does-

Bascially you just drop half of it or the whole bar into a warm bath and it melts. The oils in it moisturize and condition  your skin. This one is made with mango and avocado butters for moisture, and lemon grass oils that is an antiseptic for toning your skin. 

My thoughts-

I was so amazed by this bath melt. It smells amazing and I was just in heaven because of the scent. I picked this one up because the scent reminded me of my favorite bath bomb called dragons egg, which is also a bit citrusy. 

The bar melts slowly in the bath and you can see the oils coming out of it and into your bath water. 

This really did help moisturize my skin, and it was super relaxing. 

Even though the bar was orange, it didn't turn my bath water a different color, which is one of the reasons I like bath bombs so much.

Overall I really loved this bath melt and I will definitely repurchase it. I really recommend this to anyone who loves their bath bombs!

Have you tried a bath melt before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Lush Tea Tree Water Toner Review

Hello! A few months ago I purchased a Tea Tree Toner from Lush and have been meaning to do a review on this product for quite some time now! The great thing about Lush is that you can try samples of almost anything in their store before you purchase it! I got a sample of this toner so I could test it out and I knew I had to buy a bottle of it next time I went in there. I have been using this toner for a few months and I have never used anything like this product before. 

What this product is

Oily, dull, tired and spotty skin brightens up with a routine spritz of Tea Tree Water. Antibacterial tea tree, juniperberry and grapefruit waters keep skin clear of blemishes and balance skin tone. Light and refreshing Tea Tree Water reduces redness and clears excess oil without drying so you can put your best face forward.

Features

• Tea tree that T-zone: Particularly effective for oily, combination or blemish-prone skin. Alcohol-free: Alcohol can be drying and irritating on sensitive skin, so we've ditched it for gentler, more effective options. Effective against blemishes:Antibacterial and antifungal tea tree helps banish imperfections.
• 
  

This product comes in two different sizes. I bought the bottle that is 3.3 fl oz for $9.95 but you can get a    8.4 fl oz for $21.95. Even though it's a better deal for the larger bottle, I ended up getting the smaller size because I didn't want to spend over $20 for a toner. This toner is a lot more expensive than ones you can get at the drugstore but it's really worth every penny. I really love this product and it does wonderful things for my skin, however, I do not think this is something that I will repurchased every time I run out. I will repurchase it eventually, but I will have to wait until I feel like splurging a little. 

Why I love this toner

This is the most refreshing thing I have ever put on my skin. It feels so nice and it's really gentle so it doesn't dry out or irritate my skin. I have really sensitive skin so sometimes toners can be too harsh and make my skin feel really dry (even though my skin is oily) which can irritate it and make it feel tight and uncomfortable. This also removes any excess makeup and oil really well and leaves my skin feeling really clean. 

Tea Tree is antibacterial so it helps fight acne as well, which is really great because I have slightly acne prone skin. I have had fewer breakouts since using this product as well! I still use my Neutrogena Toner as well, because I am dreading the day that this product runs out! 

If any of you have oily or acne prone skin then this is a toner that I highly recommend, even though it's on the more expensive side. If you ever are near a Lush store, go and pick up a sample of this to try out! 

Have you tried this Lush product before? If so, leave your thoughts on it in the comments!