LUSH Tisty Tosty Bath Bomb

I rarely focus on the same brand two days in a row but my latest Lush haul is temporarily changing the way that I like to blog.  I have been digging around in my latest package from this company and thinking about the lovely Twilight Bath Bomb yesterday made me want to take another LUSH bath last night.  Therefore, today we are looking at the Tisty Tosty Bath Bomb and then we are going to move onto a few different brands and products in the next few days.  There are very few LUSH products that I do not love and Tisty Tosty is going to be yet another one of my favorite products from this company.  I wish that we had a store closer to my house as I either have to drive over an hour to visit one of these stores or I have to order all the products online and hope that I like the fragrances that I pick out.

Tisty Tosty is one of the few floral bath bombs that I have found from this company, this is a true floral fragrance and not one that mixes florals with either vanilla or fruit notes.  You will only like this Bath Bomb if you love true floral fragrances and I am sure that this is not a product for everyone.  This will be a favorite of mine but I cannot see this being one of the best selling bath products from LUSH, it does not have much universal appeal but will end of up being one of their products that achieves cult status among its devotees.

"At the heart of the matter, Tisty Tosty is a bathtime love potion that's made to stir passions. Drop it into the tub to luxuriate among the romantic aromas of rose and jasmine absolutes, and watch as whole rosebuds saunter across the softening waters. Invite a friend to share your bath—it'll be love at first sniff with this sensual fizzer!", states the LUSH USA website.  This website also states that this product was created as a limited edition for Valentine's Day several years ago and then ended up being such a crowd-pleaser that the company decided to keep it in the permanent line up.  I do not remember when the product initially released and I can't find this date anywhere in my past posts so this must have been released quite a few years ago.

This Bath Bomb contains a very strong mix of rose and jasmine notes and the fragrance lingered in my bathroom for several hours after my nighttime bath.  The bomb released dried rose petals as soon as the product hit the warm water and began to explode.  One of my favorite pleasures in life is watching any LUSH Bath Bomb explode in the water and seeing all of the assorted treats inside start pouring out.  With my love of floral fragrances and rose petals, this bomb was destined to be a favorite of mine and I will order a few more of these in the next few weeks.

I wish that I had found this Bath Bomb earlier, it was hidden at the bottom of the LUSH Bath Bomb category and I have never seen it displayed well during any of my store visits.  These facts back up my surmises that this will be a cult product but never one with universal appeal.  I have always loved LUSH Bath Bombs and this is yet another one of my favorites and will be repurchased over and over again!

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Twilight Bath Bomb

The most stressful season of the year has arrived in full force and I am trying to find ways to distress...without wine.  I have about ten days until finals are over and I am working on finishing all of my final projects as early as possible so that I can invest even more hours into studying for my dreaded finance final.  Last weekend, I received a small LUSH order and I took the time on Sunday night to try out a newer Bath Bomb.  The Twilight Bath Bomb came out a few seasons ago but I was ordering and trying it for the first time with my last order.  I purchased a few of these and plan to use them all throughout the holiday season for a bit of extra relaxation during this busy season. 

"Recreate the magic of a dreamy, starry night in your tub with our most relaxing bath bomb yet. As Twilight slowly fizzes away in the tub, its dusky pink exterior gives way to streams of purple, and finally to a deep indigo hue with delicate shimmering stars. Relaxing lavender oil and comforting tonka absolute soothe stressed bodies and minds, leaving you feeling warm, fuzzy and ready for a restful slumber.", states the LUSH website. 

Twilight might be the perfect fall and winter bathtime treat, I love using deeper lavender fragrances in the cooler weather and I love the strong mix of lavender and tonka bean that develops from this product.  I laid in this wonderful bath for about thirty minutes and had not a care in the world when I got out and went to bed.  This is the perfect scented treat to help me through finals season.

I am torn between what I love the most about this Bath Bomb, the relaxing fragrance or the color that it turns my bath water.  The Bath Bomb is a medium pink shade when it is first unwrapped and then turns into a pale purple when it first hits the water.  As the product dissolves, it develops into a deeper purple hue with small pieces of gold shimmer in it.  It really reminds of a beautiful sunset and then the full night sky.  I was enchanted with this aspect of the product.

I am very glad that I bought several of these and I will continue to use them all through the next few days of finals season and then to combat the rest of the holiday stress.  I will order a few more of these to use for the rest of the winter months.  Twilight is among my top five for LUSH bath bombs and it might be one of my favorite products from the whole line.

photo courtesy of LUSH

Bath and Body Works Luxury Bubble Bath

With the change of their whole Signature Collection packaging line, Bath and Body Works has updated the formula of their bubble bath.  The Signature Collection Bubble Bath was always one of the best formulated products in their store and I am interested to see how the product was updated and improved.  It is now called Luxury Bubble Bath and I was hoping that it might be similar in formula to the Aromatherapy but I found that it wasn't very different from the old formula.  I visited the store last night and picked up a new bubble bath in Pink Chiffon.

I must admit that I was a bit surprised to see that the company decided to update the formula on the Bubble Bath.  Over the past few years, this product has come out less and less with new fragrances and seems to be only available in what are considered the best selling fragrances in the store.  I remember from working there in college that this type of product was always the first to go once the fragrance wasn't selling as well and it was a barometer as to what fragrances were going to be discontinued soon.  I still have memories of the Coconut Lime Verbena bubble bath and I used every last drop of that formula when I was on my last bottle of.  I haven't found a bubble bath that I have loved so much since then...

The new formula of the Luxury Bubble Bath is described as follows, "Rich, creamy foam envelops skin in long-lasting, luxe bubbles. Fortified with nutrient-rich ingredients like protective Vitamin E, Jojoba and Aloe, our ultra-soothing formula leaves skin beautifully scented with irresistible fragrance."  I remember that the old formula had honey in the ingredient list but the addition of Jojoba is new. 

I purchased the product in Pink Chiffon and used it for the first time last night.  I used about two capfuls of the new formula...the exact amount that I would have used from the old formula.  I got a bathtub full of bubble from that amount however this is no different than what I would have gotten from the old formula.  The biggest difference seems to be that the new formula has a stronger fragrance than the older version.  I like this aspect of it but this many appeal to anyone who doesn't love to be fully surrounded by fragrance in the bathtub.  I can't say that this formula NEEDED to be revamped but I do like the new formula.

The new bubble bath only seems to be available in a few fragrances.  I was hoping to see it in Coconut Lime Breeze but my wish wasn't granted.  This product can be purchased in: Japanese Cherry Blossom, Twilight Woods, Warm Vanilla Sugar, Sweet Pea, Moonlight Path, Paris Amour, Beautiful Day, and Pink Chiffon.  I was a bit surprised to see this limited availability since the company just put lots of money and efforts into repackaging this whole collection but maybe this means that the product will be available in more of the new and limited edition fragrances.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

LUSH Valentine's Day 2013 Bath and Body Collection

We all know that I am not a fan of Valentine's Day itself and I can only tolerate it because so many great new beauty products and candy come out for it.  One of my favorite Valentine's Day collections come from LUSH, one of the most fun bath and body collections on the market today.  I have been buying heart shaped York Peppermint Pattys for over a week now and it is only fitting that LUSH has released their Valentine's Day products onto their website.  This company always releases a combination of limited edition single bath and body products and then a few giftsets that would be a treat to unwrap on the holiday.  If a guy gave me LUSH for Valentine's Day, he might capture my heart for quite a long time.  I am still working on a bottle of Snow Fairy Shower Gel from the holidays but I am more than ready to order some new products from this company.  Snow Fairy would also be great for this holiday and I would love to see LUSH incorporate it in this collection next year...

A combination of new products for this holiday, from bath products to a new pink lip gloss, are now available on the LUSH website and in the stores.  I would love to be able to get into the city and play with these products but this will not be happening anytime soon since the new semester is right around the corner. 

Here are some of reasons that I can tolerate Valentine's Day!

Willow Pattern Bar Soap - This creamy rose, Sicilian lemon and rosewood soap is sure to set hearts a-flutter this Valentine's Day. Inspired by a tragic love story of star-crossed lovers, and with a luxurious perfume called ‘A Thousand Rose Petals', this romantic, limited edition soap certainly suits the season of love. With skin softening and soothing ingredients, a lather with Willow Pattern soap is just about the most sensual way to wash this February!

The Kiss Lip Gloss - The Kiss is another first from the LUSH labs; a delicious vegan lip gloss that's absolutely free from preservatives! With luxurious shea and cupuaçu butters, we've created a light balm to moisturize and protect the lips, while giving them a subtle pink glossy sheen – and a delicious almond and mandarin flavor to boot. Re-apply frequently to keep your lips plump and soft after all that kissing!

The Ex-Factor Bath Bomb - When love isn’t a factor in your Valentine’s Day, it’s okay to indulge your wicked streak and celebrate the cynical! With the same vanilla-musk scent as our Butterball Bath Bomb, The Ex-Factor is especially fun for those of you who have a thirst for revenge. Pay no mind to the endless stream of cards, candy hearts and pink balloons around you, and drop our little blue man of bath time voodoo in your tub instead. Delight in watching his limbs dissolve one by one, into the calming, deep blue water until finally (finally!) his little heart explodes into a thousand tiny pieces, only to be washed down the drain into nothingness. Revenge satisfied.

Tender is the Night Massage Bar - Tender is the Night is the world's first soft-centered massage bar, with a light shea and murmuru butter shell that crushes easily in the hand to reveal the almond oil, glycerine, cupuaçu and agave syrup core. This soft centre makes your massage an unforgettable, slippery, sensual experience - letting hands slide tenderly over the skin while spreading an intoxicating jasmine, ylang and vanilla perfume all over.

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar - Everyone’s favorite toadstool has returned! Our enormously popular Magic Mushroom bubble bar is back again this Valentine’s Day, spreading his bubbles and soft, fruity scents everywhere he goes! His red cap contains the creamy Vanillary perfume, and is topped off with a perfectly white stem of fresh strawberries. Lay back in his enchanting waters and allow a spell of relaxation to wash over you. Although sharing a Valentine’s bath can be very enjoyable, you may not have mush-room for anyone else with this fungi!

From Dusk til Dawn Massage Bar - There are times, like Valentine's Day, when you want to make sure your partner is wide awake after a romantic massage. A good rub down with this stimulating bar will ensure your grateful partner has plenty of vim and vigor for other...activities! This gold-capped cone has an uplifting and invigorating perfume of Sicilian lemon and sweet wild orange oil to keep you going all night long, From Dusk 'Til Dawn!

My favorite piece is one that has been released several years in a row at the Valentine's Day holiday, the Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar is now the only way for me to get the fragrance from Yummy Yummy Yummy, a strawberry and vanilla scent that has now been discontinued for about a year now.  I loved that scent and I wish that I could get it much more than waiting for this product to come out at Valentine's Day.  It looks like I must have some reason to look forward to this time of the year and I will order at least two or three of these to use over the next few weeks. 

The next item that I want to order is the pink lip gloss, I always want more pink lip glosses and this one will be good for using right now and then all through the spring months.  I will use this product for many months to come.   I want the Ex Factor Bath Bomb more for the novelty value than anything else, I have class the night of Valentine's Day but I will take a bath with this product after class to fully finish up the holiday.  The Willow Pattern Bar Soap smells like lemons and rose petals and I would love to add this to my soap collection, I love LUSH soaps and anything that smells like rose.

Between the LUSH Valentine's Day collection and heart-shaped York Peppermint Pattys, I will try and tolerate this holiday...

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Holiday 2012 Bath Products

One of the best parts of the holiday season is the huge amounts of products that are released from LUSH, one of my favorite skincare and body product companies.  This is the time of the year that their cult favorite Snow Fairy is released and I buy enough of it to last me the entire year.  I first tried Snow Fairy the other year and fell in love with it instantly and am excited to see what all it is released in this year.  This company's holiday product line grows every single year, their are favorites that are re-released every single year and then new products come out.  This year I have divided the huge LUSH holiday product collection into categories, today we are going to look at all the bath bombs and other bath products that have been released for the holidays.  Several years ago, I received a gift set full of holiday bath products from LUSH and it is still one of my favorite beauty gifts and created some new favorites for me to order every single year.  There are some days that I am glad that the closest LUSH is well over an hour away from my home...

As I said above, we will start with the bath products that have come out for the holidays.  I find LUSH bath products to be one of the best gifts to give to anyone on your list and then to keep a few little items for yourself.  A LUSH bath is one of the best ways to take away the stress of the holiday and finals season and I fully plan to place a good sized order from this collection.

The bath part of the LUSH holiday collection!

Winter Bath Bath Bomb - Take warm-me-up soaks to the next level with our stirring Winter Bath bomb. This spicy wonder heats up your skin in a way that a rise in bath water temperature never could. Our inventors were inspired by Japanese bathing traditions and loaded this bomb with spicy ginger and clove bud oils. We also add moisturizing soya milk and bath melt mixture to help soften seasonally dry skin. So when the cold wind begins to blow, you'll know that winter chills don’t stand a chance.

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar - You’ve made the list and checked it twice. Bake cookies, check. Purchase presents, check. But what about taking some time for yourself? When you’re in need of some calm moments during holiday chaos, look no further than your bathtub. We combined relaxing jasmine and ylang ylang oils to create a peaceful soak. It’s the perfect bubbler to help you (or your little ones) get some shut eye the night before Saint Nick comes knocking.

Jingle Spells Bath Bomb - After extra celebratory evenings, try this morning after bomb to cast a vanishing spell over hangovers. We make this magically restorative potion from juniper berries, fennel, and tangerine oil to revive alcohol induced weariness. Then take a few cleansing breaths and relax into soothing ylang ylang oils. For you nondrinkers (and under aged) not to worry, this bomb is perfect for a relaxing soak no matter how retched you feel.

The Boog Bath Bomb - Our snowman returns to our online shop this year to brighten up winter baths all over the world. He's a color-changing bomb with 'fireworks' made from a combination of bubble bar and Bath Bomb mixture that creates a slow-fizzing froth. A wonderfully herbal scent accompanies this display, as we've included armoise oil, which has a fresh, green note and myrrh with its rich, amber-incense aroma.

Ruby Red Slippers Bubble Bar - Click your heels together three times and repeat after us, there’s no place like the bathtub. We were inspired by Dorthy’s flashy footwear and went to work designing our version of her famous ruby red slippers. What we came up with is this gorgeous ruby round covered in shimmery red glitter. As you crumble this floral stunner into your tub you’ll disappear into a mountain of rose and carnation scented bubbles.

Party Popper Bath Bomb - Our bright pink and blue bathing scent-sation is bound to be a hit this season. It fizzes around the tub, snapping due to the popping candy and releasing a 'dry champagne' perfume of bergamot, tangerine and rose oil. Then, out pops our special 'confetti' that is made of dehydrated honeydew melon soap flakes. Melt those into your skin to wash yourself and smell simply divine!

Magic Wand Bubble Bar - Stir up some magic in your bathtub this holiday season. For an enchanting spell of candy scented suds, just wave our reusable Magic Wand bubble bar through your bathwater. You’ll be amazed at the mountain of soft bubbles that appear out of thin air. And for our final trick? We borrowed the cotton candy fragrance from our best-selling Snow Fairy shower gel, proving that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar - This year our holiday favorite, Candy Mountain, returns with a sassy new outfit and the same sweet fragrance. We blend pure vanilla absolute with our signature bubble bar mixture to create a mountain of towering suds. You’ll reach the peak of relaxation as you soak your troubles away in a tub of sweet vanilla candy bliss.

Melting Snowman Bath Bomb - Melt away your tensions with the help of our friend The Melting Snowman. While he may not have a corncob pipe, our take on Frosty does have a redesigned hot toddy fragrance. He’s as sweet as he is spicy with a warming blend of cinnamon and clove oils. But like any other snowman a rise in temperature can only mean one thing. He’s melting…

So White Bath Bomb - Our favorite fizzer returns with a fresh makeover! This year we were inspired by Holi, a traditional Indian festival in which people throw colored powders at one another to celebrate the end of winter. With this in mind, we redesigned So White to be thrown into your tub just like a snowball. Once in water, So White dissolves to reveal a bright pink center and an enticing appley fragrance. Our inventors brewed up a soft, fruity and floral scent with an enchanting blend of bergamot oil, neroli oil and orange flower absolute, for bathing happily ever after.

Rocket Bubble Bar - We love the idea of reusable bubble bars, so this season we have a few to choose from. Just swish it around in your bath water and watch the fragrant bubbles rise, then set it aside for future baths! Rocket has a spicy violet, clove bud, ginger and fire tree oil fragrance that warms you up from head to toe. Twinkly stars and bright paper flames top it off for stellar bathtime fun.

Golden Wonder Bath Bomb - Celebrate the season with a fizzy present for someone you love (including yourself). Drop this festive package into the tub and watch it put on a colorful show as the vibrant gifts inside are revealed. The bright citrusy scent comes from a combination of uplifting sweet orange, cognac, and lime oils. You may recognize this luxurious, champagne-inspired scent from our beloved Snow Showers fragrance. It’s so festive, we couldn’t resist adding it to our Golden Wonder to make bath time a real cause for celebration.

Bubblebeard Bubble Bar - We know, it's a moustache - but it's for making beards of bubbles in the tub! The lavender and sandalwood scent is just stunning and the water is slightly shimmery thanks to snowflake luster. We've made this one with our reusable bubble bar formula so you can have baths and baths worth of fun for big and little kids this season.

Father Christmas Bath Bomb - This is the one you'll want to use on cold, dark winter nights to relax in the tub. Spicy clove bud oil, vanilla absolute and a dash of brandy combine to comfort and warm your skin and mind. A dash of red glitter lights up on the water, the shell melts away, and that's when you discover the inside of the bomb is bright green. How festive!

Santa's Sack Bubble Bar - Here's Santa's little sack, stuffed with presents for three baths worth of bubbles and fun. Take your little reusable bubble bar presents out and set them aside for future bathing, then crumble up the sack under running water, slip underneath mounds of warm, spicy bubbles and relax in the soft, fragrant waters.

A Gold Star Bath Bomb - Well done! Ten out of ten. Have a gold star. Give yourself a pat on the back with a golden bath that smells of frankincense. If you've been good all year round you can award yourself a few of these. Give a couple to everyone you know who deserved a reward for getting through 2012. A Gold Star is full of solar essential oils - sandalwood, frankincense and benzoin - which release as you bathe and fill you full of sweetness and light. Everyone deserves a bit of that.

Gingerbread House Bath Bomb - Seek refuge from winter chills with our Gingerbread House. We took inspiration from gingerbread houses of all shapes and sizes and settled on this idyllic snow covered cabin. As you crumble this cookie confection into your bath water you’ll be greeted with mounds of deliciously scented, warming cinnamon and ginger oil bubbles. It’s the closest you’ll come to holiday baking without pulling out the mixer.

Silver Cloud Bath Bomb - When the days turn short and gray we have the perfect solution to chase the clouds away. Now we know what you’re thinking, you’ve had enough of clouds and all you want to see is clear blue skies. Well you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Drop our Silver Cloud into your tub and watch as its sparkly silver lining fizzes and your bath water turns a delightful shade of turquoise. The sunny scent of orange, lime and floral gardenia reminds you that clear skies are ahead.

I see a bunch of favorites from previous years in this part of the collection.  I have used Candy Mountain for several years now and I love it so much.  This is one of the most pampering products that I have ever used in the bath tub and is the perfect treat for a season filled with stress.  In addition to that bath bomb, my love of bath products also leads me to love Magic Wand.  Magic Wand is great because it can be used multiple times (most LUSH products will be used once or twice only) and it also smells just like Snow Fairy.  I have already begun using my bottle of Snow Fairy Shower Gel to begin getting in the mood for holiday season.  Both Snow Fairy and Vanilla Bean Noel are the scents that I use to get into the holiday season and then all through the winter to stay cheery all the way until the beginning of the spring months.

Silver Cloud is a bath bomb that I have never seen before but sounds like a product that I must own.  It turns the bath water turquoise and smells like a mixture of tropical florals and citrus.  This will be the perfect product to keep the winter blues away and I will be ordering several of these to try out.  Party Popper also smells like tropical melon, a scent that I love and will be all over this winter and then into the warm weather months.  I am more likely to order the fruity scents from this part of the collection, many of the spicy fragrances will really irritate my skin and I will just stay away from all of them.  Therefore, Golden Wonder and So White are also on my shopping list.

The holiday collection is off to a great start so far and I am already seeing some great new bath products to try.  Next we are onto the bar soaps in this collection!

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Halloween 2012 Bath and Body Products

I have finished up with all of my fall makeup collections however I am dragging my heels on starting holiday collections.  I am just not ready to deal with holiday products yet, however I feel that I might in the minority on this.  Last week, Wal-Mart already had Christmas carols going in one of their sections in the store and all the makeup companies are starting to release their holiday color and gift collections.  Personally I would just like to celebrate Halloween a bit longer before I begin my holiday shopping and I am still trying to enjoy the first few crisp days of fall.  Thank you LUSH for just releasing a few Halloween products!

Some of the LUSH products for the Halloween season are only available on the website however I cannot tell which are simply by looking at the products.  I have seen some of these products over the past few Halloweens and while I have not ordered them, I just enjoy looking at some products that are perfect for the fall and I can use right now. I see some soaps and bath products in here and I also believe that I see the famed Twilight Bath Bomb has now been turned into a series of body products.  I am all about shopping for fun holiday-themed products as much as I can so I want to see what I can find from these limited edition products!

Here is the Halloween line from LUSH!

Jacko - Ghoulish fizzer for warming soaks.  This fall, carve out some time in your busy schedule for a spicy soak with this spooky fizzer.  Our great pumpkin will chase away your chills with a spicy, warming blend of clove bud and cardamom oils.  And for a shocking surprise, we add spearmint oil to our latern for a refreshing twist on traditional fall spices.  This one's worth waiting up all night in the pumpkin patch for.

Pumpkin - The leaves are changing color, the air is becoming crisper...and it can only mean one thing: Pumpkin soap is back!  There's nothing quite like washing with its creamy, spicy suds, filled with warming cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and a touch of spearmint.  It smells so much like pumpkin pie that we can't keep it outside the bathroom for fear of taking a nibble.  Lather up with Pumpkin on chilly fall days too.

Witches' Ball - Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.  When the weather gets darker, it can be tough to keep your spirits up.  We've created a spell of herbal bubbles to help you feel like yourself again, full of reviving peppermint, rosemary, and sage oils.  Sage is often used by pagan practitiioners to cleanse and renew energy.  We suggest making a wish on your star before before crumbling this magical bar under running water for huge frothy, warming bubbles.  You never know what might come true...

Ghost - He's back from the dead and ready to put quite a scare in your morning routine.  This year our favorite Ghost returns, but don't be afraid, he's actually more floral than he is frightful.  We added orchid infusion, jasmine absolute, and ylang ylang oil to give this shower jelly the haunting scent of lilies.  When you're feeling dead in the morning, get in the shower with this uplifting ethereal spirit, if you dare.

Something Wicked This Way Comes - When the doorbell stops ringing and the candy bowl is empty, it's time to indulge in this sensual soak.  We suspect you'll get up to some wicked fun after this bath melt leaves your skin silky smooth with the seductive scent of jasmine.  Turn out the lights, lock the front door and get ready to share this gorgeous fragrance in (and out) of the bathtub.

Calacas - Spooky, fruity wobbler.  Sugar skulls are an iconic image used in the Day of the Dead celebrations.  You can see them everywhere in Mexico in November; all painted, flowery, and truly beautiful.  We've created our own little wiggly skulls of seaweed and aloe vera gel to leave you soft and gorgeous, and filled them with neroli and lime oils to put you in the mood to celebrate.  Felicidades!

Twilight - Lavender lathers.  To our Twilight Bath Bomb fans, we heard your requests.  Here it is, a Twilight shower gel, so you can lather up in iridescent purple lavender and tonka bubbles.  If you haven't smelled this fragrance before, you're in for a treat!  It's slightly sweet with the perfect herbal balance.  Wonderful to use in the evening before bed, especially on cold, winter nights.  Dreams do come true!

I really want the Twilight shower gel, I love the scent of lavender and I have such a hard time finding good blends of it.  Many lavender blends are very heavy on whatever the herb is mixed with and much of herb itself is no longer able to smelled in the blend.  I hope this one is really good and the lavender is really prominent.  This is my top choice from the Halloween products.  I also love the sound of the Something Wicked This Way Comes bath melt, I love the scent of jasmine and I want to try this version of the scent.  The last piece that I would like from this collection is Calacas, neroli and line sounds like a great mix.  I will skip out on all the other products, spicy scents make me sick sometimes and I bet that they would irriate my skin too.  I don't really want to find out the hard way so I will skip over them this time around.

I see a tab for Christmas stuff on the Lush website, I don't think I can put holiday off much longer...

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Easter 2012 Bath and Body Products

Peeps!!!  My college is in the same city that the Just Born candy company was founded in so Peeps and all the rest of their candies have been a huge part of my life since I was a young child.  So I can't even think about Easter without thinking about those pink and yellow marshmellow chicks, I have already starting buying them for my family this year and I am gettting excited for the holiday itself so I can pig out on candy!  In addition to all kinds of candy, I have found some great new limited edition LUSH products that are Easter-themed.  Eating candy while taking a candy scented bath sounds like my version of heaven and these products might make my dream a new reality!

Here are the new Easter-themed products from one of my favorite body product companies!

Carrot Top Reusable Bubble Bar - Hop into the tub this Easter with our latest (and some might say greatest) reusable bubble bar!  This bubbly carrot may not improve your eyesight, but it will fill your bath with piles of frothy lemon and buchu scented foam.  Simply grab the carrot by its top (get it?  Carrot Top?) and swish, swish, swish around your tub.  This beauty is good for 7 - 10 bathes, so you should have lots to keep you busy until the Easter Bunny makes his to your house.

Immaculate Eggception Bath Bomb - Pink - The Immaculate Eggception is our newest Easter invention - and how innovative it is!  Inside each giant fizzy egg is a secret surprise.  What is it?  You'll just have to crack the Bath Bomb shell to find out!  Get a hold on your egg, line up the crease with the edge of a hard surface and give it one good WHACK!  Once it's cracked, you can drop the shell in your tub for a beautiful ylang ylang, grapefruit, and vanilla bath.  And of course, enjoy the mysterious treat inside too.

Immaculate Eggception Bath Bomb - Yellow - The Immaculate Eggception is our newest Easter invention - and how innovative it is!  Inside each giant fuzzy egg is a secret surprise.  What is it?  You'll just have to crack the Bath Bomb shell to find out!  Get a hold on your egg, line up the crease with the edge of a hard surface and give it one good WHACK!  Once it's cracked, you can drop the shell in your tub for a beautful ylang ylang, grapefruit, and vanilla bath.  And of course, enjoy the mysterious treat inside too.

Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb - Fluffy Egg is enormously popular every Easter.  While we love the cheery pink color, we think it might be because Fluffy Egg smells like vanilla ice cream that fell into a cotton candy machine.  The scent comes from the (now retired) Candy Fluff Dusting Powder, so those of you who adore Creamy Candy Bubble Bar will fall madly in love with Fluffy Egg.  This limited edition holiday bomb is better for you than chocolate, so you can use as many as you want - without the guilt!

Donkey Oaty Bath Bomb - We'll be honest.  We don't really know why we've got a donkey for Easter.  It's very odd.  We originally had the idea of creating a Bath Bomb pinata that you hung over the bath and then smashed, so we made a big donkey bomb.  Although we liked the idea, we couldn't work out what should be inside of the donkey (eggs?  A little donkey?) - so we made him a bit smaller.  Donkey Oaty has been blessed with the gorgeous Charity Pot fragrance, a beautiful and fresh floral perfume.

Hippy Chick Bath Bomb - Hippy Chick is back, and better than ever!  This grapefruit, bergamot, and frankencense fizzer has fluttered back into our hearts this Easter.  Hippy Chick is the Bath Bomb version of our best-selling Happy Hippy Shower Gel, which was one of our original Cosmetics To Go (an early incarnation of LUSH) products in the late 80s and early 90s.  Simon Constantine recreated its pink grapefruit fragrance when he joined the company as a perfumer, and now we simply can't get enough.  It's the perfect Bath Bomb to get you going in the morning!

I really only think that I need one or two products from this group, it is already two weeks until Easter and I don't have enough time to take 4 or 5 full bathes before then.  My first pick from the collection is the Fluffy Egg, I love Creamy Candy and therefore I know that I will love playing with this product too.  The other bomb that I would like is the Hippy Chick one, This one will be great to relax with as a the weather gets warmer or when I need a pick-me-up after the gym.

Peeps and LUSH!  Time to get redy for Easter!

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Holiday 2011 Collection - Bath Products

The LUSH holiday product line is one that I look forward to all year round.  Ever since I received my first bottle of Snow Fairy Shower Gel about two years, I have been ordering tons of the products during the holidays and then rationing it into I can order more the next year.  I never seem to order enough no matter how many products I end up purchasing.  The line seems to get larger and large every single year and I will be dividing this collection up in order to not have a super long post.  First we are going to focus on the bath products that were made specially for the holiday.  I recognize some of the products from last year and some look brand new to me.  My favorite bath product from the previous year was a bubble bar that looked like a candy cane and smelled like the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar (one of my first LUSH loves), it looks like this one is backed again but under a different name.

This year's holiday bath product collection!

Magic Wand Bubble Bar - Where do we start with the Magic Wand?  There are just so many things to love about it.  Let's start with the looks, a sweet pink star atop a wand with ribbons and bell.  The beloved cotton candy fragrance is borrowed from our seasonal best-seller Snow Fairy.  Then, there is the pure genius of being able to use it over and over again for many bathes.  With Helen's invention of the amazing Bubble Bar mixture, this one can be swirled around in the tube to make mass amounts of bubbles, and then put aside to dry for the next bath.  For lovers of all things Snow Fairy!  Each Magic Wand creates multiple candy-scented bubble bathes.  It may not come with whistles, but it certainly comes with bells and ribbons!

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar - You must have a Candy Mountain in your stocking this year.  Its the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar all dressed up for the holiday party in pink and white stripes, and swirled into a majestic peak (the LUSH elves in our factory have quite the time getting these just right).  Crumble a Candy Mountain under running water and witness the eruption of mass amounts of the bubbles, along with an intoxicatingly delicious candy fragrance, thanks to vanilla absolute.  The sweetest bath since last Christmas.  Our irresistable, vanilla scent comes back every holiday season, this year in twisty mountain form.  Wash with Snow Fairy Shower Gel and moisturize with Vanilla Dee-lite, you'll smell good enough to eat!  Vanilla absolute (extracted from vanilla beans) gives this one its delightfully comforting fragrance.

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar - When you're too excited to sleep on Christmas Eve, the best thing to do is crumble one of these deeply relaxing jasmine and ylang-ylang scented Bubble Bars in your tub.  Sink into the skin-softening water (thanks to the Irish Moss powder) and lie back in clouds of twinkling foam.  You'll emerge a sleepy-head who's ready to nod off to dreamland and have some very sweet dreams indeed.  T'was the night before Christmas, and everyone was relaxing in a jasmine-scented Bubble Bath.  Soothes excited minds and prepares you for a good night's rest.  Irish Moss powder turns into a gel when it hits the water, softening skin and hair.

Gingerbread House Bubble Bar - Spicy, warming, and absolutely scrumptious, this Gingerbread House is strictly for bathing - no nibbling.  It looks good enough to eat, but trust us and crumble it up under running water instead.  We know you'll find the mounds of cinnamon and ginger bubbles just as satisfying as a gingerbread cookie.  Use this one after a long day of snow sledding to banish winter chills.  Sprinkles, snow, and a cinnamon stick for a chimney make this one an irresistable holiday favorite.  Ginger, cinnamon, and sugar make for a sweet and spicy bubble cuddles.  Powdered ginger will warm your entire body as you soak.

Golden Wonder Bath Bomb - Just like any good present under the tree, Golden Wonder rattles when you shake it!  Are you wondering what's inside?  Pop our big, fizzing, multi-layer invention into the tub and the first thing you'll notice is the sweet orange, lime, and cognac oils as they unfold for a seasonal celebration.  Then, as this golden gift slowly dissolves, watch the water magically change colour before your eyes.  What else could be inside?  You'll just have to try one to find out!

Abombinall Bath Bomb - Seeing as the Boog Bath Bomb isn't returning this year, we just had to have another snowman bath bomb one way or another.  Abombinall it is then!  He rattles when you shake him.  "What's inside?", we hear you cry - you'll have to drop him in the tub to find out!  We will tell you he's got a stunning vanilla, peppermint, and sweet orange oil fragrance, and a bit of froth in his fizz, making him bob gently around in the tub to comfort and delight you on a cold winter night.

Rocketeer Bath Bomb - For an out-of-this-world bathing expedition, pop a Rocketeer Bath Bomb in the tub.  The blue rocket pack shoots around your tub, leaving a wake of froth, fizz, and the sweet scent of candy sticks.  Watch the water change from blue to yellow to green as the yellow "flames" push the rocket around the tub.  We made this one to entice our little ones into the tub for an exciting adventure, but it turns out (as usual) we like using it ourselves too!

Three Golden Rings Bubble Bar - Our most luxurious Bubble Bar this Christmas, Three Gold Rings shares the rich vanilla fragrance of our Creme Anglais Body Lotion.  Named for its three shimmering gold rings, this beauty is a sophisticated bath time treat.  With soya milk powder to soften skin, fluffy, cozy bubbles and a delightfully rich fragrance - a mixture of vanilla absolute, sweet orange oil, and myrrh, Three Gold Rings is pure indulgence - 'tis the season!  The creme de la creme of Bubble Bars.  Mounds of richly scented bubbles and golden waters make this a bath fit for royalty.  Vanilla absolute (extracted from vanilla beans) gives this one its delightfully comforting fragrance.

Superstars Bubble Bar - Truly a slice of summer in the wintertime, Superstars smells like fresh strawberries and a hint of herbel refreshment.  Helen has told us she's good at making strawberry fragrances, so she made a sweet and delicious scent especially for this holiday bar.  Enjoy the fragrance and feel of summertime, as anjelica root oil helps soothe the mind and black pepper oils warms up chilly bodies.  Now the only decision you have to make is red and yellow, or yellow and red...  Fruity fiends will love the strawberry scent Helen created just for these bars.  A Superstars bath will brighten your mood and warm you up when the winter blues are getting you down.  Black pepper oil is used in aromatherapy for poor circulation, headaches, and aching muscles.  Perfect for a winter bath!

Satsumo Santa Bath Bomb - Lift your holiday spirits with this jolly fellow.  Abundant with mandarin oil, bergamot oil, and orange flower absolute, Satsumo Santa rivals the zesty scent of real orange.  Winter can feel long and dreary, but we make it through with bright treats such as these.  Inspired by the tradition of putting an orange in Christmas stockings, we thought it would be more delightful to wake up Christmas morning and find a fresh and fragrant mandarin scented Bath Bomb.

The Melting Snowman Bath Melt - This cute little snowman is a bath melt - and he's melting!  He's the first Luxury Bath Melt made with our new fast-melting formula (those how have tried our melts know they dissolve very slowly), so the gorgeous essential oils, icing sugar, and skin-softening butters can disperse into your bath water more easily.  We just had to give him the beloved Snowcake fragrance, an almond icing, marzipan scent that leaves your skin smelling like dessert.  Pair The Melting Snowman up with Snowcake Soap for delectably soft, marzipan-scented skin!  Melt tension away in a hot bath with our Snowman.  We use a blend of cocoa and shea butters to soften and moisturize your whole body.

Cinders Bath Bomb - The moment Cinders drops into the bath, it begins to snap and pop thanks to a smattering of fizzing candy.  Inspired by crackling fairytale hearths, this sweet and spicy treat is meant to warm and relax you.  Cinnamon leaf oil heats things up when the weather outside is frightful, and since you've got no place to go, stay for a while and let the almond oil soften up your skin.

Li'l Lush Pud Bath Bomb - Sinking into a Lush Pud bathis like curling up next to the fire on a freezing winter evening.  Clove powder warms you up when you're chilled to the bone, while aloe vera extract and rose absolute soothe dry, winter skin.  Inspired by traditional British Christmas pudding made of figs (and often served flaming), our Lush Pud is more satisfying than dessert (although, admittedly we don't serve ours aflame).  Oh, did we mention it has the scrumptious almond-icing scent of our beloved Snowcake Soap?  Yum!

So White Bath Bomb - Simon worked hard to create the perfect apple fragrance - there is no such thing as real apple essential oil, you see.  A blend of bergamot oil, neroli oil, and orange flower absolute create a sweet, crisp scent.  He added a hint of romantic and fragrant rose absolute to care for sensitive winter skin.  So White is the fairest in all the lands, with grated Bubble Bar mixture to create a frothy, snowy white blanket on the water.  And we bathed happily ever after.

LUSH holiday is so exciting - I can't wait to go shopping and get some new items to play with.  I will be buying another Candy Mountain, I love the design of it even though I can buy Creamy Candy all year long.  The new product that I am the most excited about is the Magic Wand Bubble Bar, I love the Snow Fairy fragrance I love that it was designed to use multiple times.  And it's pink and girly, making me want it even more.  I will be ordering more than one of these for myself and I am thinking of having a few on hand to throw into gifts for friends.  I want to try Golden Wonder, it sounds like it will be fruity and I am wondering if it has another surprise inside it.  Three Golden Rings sounds lovely and I will be adding it to my shopping list, the vanilla fragrance sounds lovely and it will be a decadent treat for a snowy night.  Last Bath Bomb on my shopping list is So White, the apple and rose mix sounds fanstatic.

The Melting Snowman might end up on my shopping too, just for the fact that the Bath Melts have been reformulated.  I have grumbled before that there Bath Melts took so long to fully melt that I was down with the bath by the time that it finally finished melting.  I have to try this one and see if the melting time is much shorter, if so I might be tempted to go back to using this product.

Bath products are done and now we are onto to the Bar Soaps and Shower Gels!

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Avobath Bath Bomb

LUSH Bath Bomb's are among my favorite bath products, in fact they are among my favorite beauty products that I have ever used.  I tried a new one last night that I ordered from the LUSH website when I bought my Shark Fin Soap.  I couldn't just order a single, lonely soap, I had to try a few other new products out.  One of the ones that I ordered was the Avobath Bath Bomb, I had been wanting to try this one out for a few months now but I didn't get a chance to order from LUSH until the very end of the summer.  I am so glad that I decided to add this bath bomb to my cart since it quickly ended up being one of my favorites.

The first reason that I was attracted to it was the color.  As you can see from the picture, it is the prettiest shade of kelly green.  Kelly green happens to be my favorite color and the thought of having my bath water turn that shade was more than enough to entice me to purchase the product.  An added plus is that it smells like avocado and citrus, making it a pleasure to lie in. 
"Sharp citrus refresher that grabs you by the nose and sends you rocketing into the day.  It's our fruitiest Bomb with avocados mixed in to soften you up.  The bright green bomb turns the water into a shimmering haze.  As you inhale the invigorating fragrance, you'll find yourself ready to take on the world.  Each Avobath contains plenty of fresh avocados to rehydrate and moisturize dry skin.  The scent of lemongrass captures your mind and gives you a much needed boost."

The product is used exactly like ever other LUSH Bath Bomb; drop it in a warm bath and then let is fizz and melt.  Within minutes, my bathwater was turned into a bright green shade that made my entire day.  The scent is definitely citrus, it reminded me a stronger version of green Fruit Loops.  I can smell both the avocado and the lemon notes but I also thought that I smelled a strong lime note in it also.  The scent is very pleasant and isn't too strong.  Some people have complained that LUSH bath bomb scents are too strong to lay in for more than a few minutes but I can't see many people being able to complain about this one.  The scent could also be considered unisex, there is nothing girly about it and I could this being very refreshing after a run or other type of workout.  This is one fo the few Bath Bombs that doesn't leave a ring around my white tub in spite of the bright hue that it turns the bath water.

This Bath bomb is yet another winner for LUSH, all the hype that surrounded it was true and it is now up there with the rest of my favorite bath bombs.  I think that this might actually be up there with Big Blue for me, it is wonderful to lay and relax in and the scent is light enough to not annoy anyone.  This product is yet another reason that LUSH continues to be one of my favorite companies!

photo courtesy of LUSH United Kingdom

LUSH Freedom Foamer Bubble Bar

I am sure that everyone is aware of the current debates over marriage equality in the federal and state governments (victory just occured in New York but there is a long way to go in many other states).  Many people feel very strongly on this issue, on both sides of the debate.  LUSH has long been a company that campaigns for human and animal rights and therefore I wasn't surprised when I read that they have released a limited edition product with all proceeds going to Freedom to Marry, an organization that supports same-sex marriages.   

I have some information from LUSH, describing both their views on the same-sex marriage subject and the product itself.  "At LUSH, we believe that our employees, customers, and community are valued and should be protected equally.  On June 13th, we launched a North America-wide campaign to stand up for same-sex marriage rights in the United States.  We, along with our campaign partners Freedom To Marry, are calling for the U.S. Federal Government to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which would effectively overturn the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  The response so far has been remarkable; we've received an incredible outpouring of support from our customers and communities alike.  We're more hopeful than ever that change is truly possible.  We want to see an end to the ongoing discrimination against thousands of couples and families across America, but we can't do it without your support.  If you believe that same-sex couples and families in your community deserve the same civil rights and protections, join us by signing a postcard, telling your friends and family and sharing your story.  Together, let's make same-sex marriage legal in the United States."  Personally, I support the legalization of same-sex marriages in the United States so I am more than happy to give LUSH some press on this product and help to support their effects with Freedom to Marry.

But since this is still a beauty blog, let's check out the product itself.  "Lay back and soak in sparkling, emerald-green waters and mounds of fluffy bubbles.  We've created a limited edition Bubble Bar with the uplifting and refreshing scents of lemon, lime, and grapefruit oils - perfect for long, languid summer soaks.  We also think it's the perfect antidote to weary soles and a respite for freedom fighters.  LUSH is proud to partner with Freedom to Marry and their efforts to end discriminate in America.  All proceeds from the sale of this Bubble Bar will be donated to Freedom to Marry to support their "Why Marriage Matters" campaign."

Limited edition products like this from LUSH will sell out very quickly so if this is an itme that you find yourself interested in, you might wish to order it sooner than later.  This product will be wonderful on those hot days of the summer for refreshing and relaxing.  Personally, I have always loved any type of green colored bath product from LUSH since it leaves the water my favorite color.

Order this product and take a stand for human rights!

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH The Comforter Bubble Bar

The best way to spend a relaxing night in? Why, a LUSH bath of course! Instead of my usual Bath Bombs, I have decided to try out the Bubble Bars this time around. The Bubble Bars produce tons of fluffy bubbles, much like a traditional liquid formula bubble bath and the Bath Bombs color and scent your water without the production of the mounds of bubbles. I really love both formulas but I was just in the moods for bubbles this shopping trip. My latest purchase from LUSH is The Comforter Bubble Bar, their top selling Bubble Bar and a top selling bath product overall.

"This fruity bubble bar gives the feeling of being hugged by a jolly blackcurrant. When life is getting you down, crumble The Comforter under hot, running water for purple water and creamy bubbles. It was created to bring a real sense of comfort to people, just like a real comforter (or scarf) would. The warm aroma of cassis absolute is so relaxing that you'll go to bed feeling happier and the world will seem brighter the next day", states the LUSH United States website. The essence of the black currant is said to be both comforting and relaxing, placing this product into the aromatherapy category of products. This bar also contains orange, cypress, and bergamot oils to continue the work relaxation process.

The best way to use this bar is to cut it up into four pieces and them crumble one under hot running. Normally, I get two uses from each Bubble Bar but this one is huge so it can be divided up into four baths. When you smell the bar itself, I get a sweet blackcurrant and vanilla fragrance but in the bath tub, it smells more of a sweet berry and vanilla bath. Now I didn't get purple water from this, mine was a shade of bright magenta. I think you have to use the whole bar (or divide it in half) to get the full coloring but with how strong the fragrance it and how many bubbles just a quarter produced, I think that the full bar would be a huge overkill and a waste of the product.

I agree with the "comfort" part of this product. With all the bubbles that it produced, it did give me the feeling up being wrapped up in something. I think is great product to use in the fall and winter (especially when it is snowing or around the holidays) but I wouldn't use in the summer, it will just be too much. I can see why this is top seller for LUSH...

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Valentine's Day 2011 Products

There is nothing like LUSH to make a blah holiday fun and something to look forward to! This year's limited edition holiday products are sure to go fast since the United Kingdom website has been shut down (for full details visit the company's website). So order now from the United States website to make sure that you have all the products you need well before the holiday. "Let us proudly present our collection of suitably bizarre, romantically related Valentine's Day goodies for your bath and shower. It's not what it looks like, it's what you do with it that matters".

I love LUSH!!!

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar - Magic Mushroom has two distinct scents. In the red cap, there's the nostalgic fragrance of our Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel (sniff); and in the white bit, we've used our signature creamy vanilla scent. Together, it blends to give you bubbles that smell like a bowl of fresh strawberries covered in cream. There won't be mushroom for anyone else in your life - or bath - when you've got one. Welcome back little mushroom. It's been one long year since we said goodbye to our exceptionally fruity, sweetly creamy Bubble Bar and it's been tough. Make mounds of fluffy bubbles with this limited edition romancer.

The Ex Factor Bath Bomb - Valentine's Day isn't for everyone. It can make your blood boil when you're not with anyone and it can do the same when you are. Our blue bath bomb was invented for wronged lovers and those who dislike the romantic sentiments of Valentine's Day. While it has the cute blue colour of a smurf, there's nothing quite so sweet about Ex Factor. Its musky, creamy scent and dissolvable limbs make for a wickedly fun bath, where you can fizz away appendages and head until your thirst for revenge has been satisified.

Lust Perfume - It's a very heady perfume that's not for the shy and retiring. It starts off as a strong, pure jasmine and warms on the skin to a seductive floral scent. It lasts for hours and hours. Unlike some other things we could mention. Comes in both an EDT and a solid perfume stick.

Imogen Rose Perfume - He wanted to create a fragrance that smelt like real Damask roses, so he used the finest rose absolute with orris butter for a baby powder note that captures softness and innocence. Contains the following notes: rose, bergamot, vetivert, ambrette sead, tonka, orris. Comes in both an EDT and a solid perfume stick.

Frog Prince Bath Bomb - Another magical creation by Michelle, The Frog Prince is an extremely handsome and regal frog with a pair of vibrantly red and kissable lips. Give him a quick peck, drop him in the tub, and wait for your prince to come. Simon's new fragrance is an aphrodisiac blend with sweet undertones; he used jasmine, neroli, and rosewood to create a sensual fragrance for those longing for their prince - or princess - to come. It's not all about the fragrance with this one; it's also brimming with cocoa butter and almond oil for a luxuriously moisturizing soak.

Love Birds Soap - We've got something even better than Love soap this year. Love Birds is a creamy cake of jasmine and vanilla loveliness that everyone should try without hestitation. It has a softer scent than Love, with a powdery sweet fragrance that remind you of young love. Love Birds is moisturizing and Helen scented it with our popular Keep It Fluffy fragrance; it's very girly, very fluffy, and exceedingly sweet. With Mo's help, this is one of Michelle's fantastic ideas come to life! Everyone can use this beautiful hand and body soap - although, it would be especially good for people with dry skin, as it is softening.

I am so happy that the Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar is back again this year! This is my first item on my shopping list and I am considering getting a few so I can have back-ups to get me through the rest of the year. The Imogen Rose perfume also caught my eye since I haven't bought a rose fragrance all winter (I know!), this one is must try for me. The Lust perfume also sounds like a fragrance for me to try out so I must drive out to nearest store very soon, jasmine fragrances usually works out for so I am betting this one is a winner too. The Frog Prince Bath Bomb is just so cute and I love it, I will buy a few of those to give as gifts too. The last item on my shopping list is a bar or two of Love Birds soap because it is jasmine scented and because it is great for dry skin (mine is horrible right now).

photo courtesy of LUSH

Bath and Body Works Shea Cashmere Collection

Hello snowy morning! I hate snow and winter but I must admit that it does look pretty coming down... Anyway, several weeks ago, I wrote about the Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Lay It On Thick collection and how well it works in the dry winter weather. Bath and Body Works also has another option for those of us with dry, cracked skin who love wonderful smelling products that work as well as they smell. This line is also available in the True Blue Spa collection and is named Shea Cashmere. Both of these lines are top performing body products, the major different between these product lines in the fragrance. The Lay It On Thick has a subtle coconut fragrance while the Shea Cashmere has stronger vanilla caramel fragrance. Personally, I love both fragrances so I have products from both lines. Each line consists of the same basic products, however both lines have certain products that are standouts. All of the products in this collection contain rich African Shea Butter and cashmere extract to hydrate and soothe skin. Let's look at each product in this collection too.

Shea Cashmere Bubble Bath - This luxurious Bubble Bath is creamier and provides a longer lasting, comforting scent for the ultimate pampering and skin nourishing experience than ever before, leaving skin as soft as cashmere.

Shea Cashmere Shower Cream - Shower yourself with liquid cashmere. Infused with cashmere extract and rich shea butter, this skin-caressing shower cream blankets you in a sensual, soothing lather. The ultra-moisturizing formula leaves skin feeling soft as cashmere and lightly fragranced with a creamy vanilla scent that's both fresh and comforting.

Shea Cashmere Body Lotion - Wrap yourself in cashmere. This ultra-moisturizing body lotion is infused with soothing cashmere extract and rich shea butter to leave skin supremely silky. The perfect everyday luxury, it absorbs quickly to nourish head to toe, leaving skin addictively soft and lightly fragranced with a creamy vanilla scent that's both fresh and comforting.

Shea Cashmere Fragrance Mist - Love the scent of Shea Cashmere? Spritz it all over your body and wrap yourself in a warm blend of frothed milk, golden butterscotch, and Tahitian vanilla musk.

Shea Cashmere Body Cream - Envelop yourself in creamy cashmere. Infused with cashmere extract and rich shea butter, this ultra-moisturizing body cream leaves skin supremely soft and lightly fragranced with a creamy vanilla scent that's both fresh and comforting.

Shea Cashmere Hand Cream - Wrap your hands in cashmere. Infused with both cashemre extract and rich shea butter, this ultra-moisturizing hand cream glides on sensually to soothe and nourish. Non-greasy, it absorbs quickly, leaving hands supremely silky and lightly fragranced with a creamy vanilla scent that's both fresh and comforting.

I purchased most of this collection at the beginning of the fall. I started out with the body cream, the hand cream, and the shower cream and then added the fragrance mist on at the very end. When this line first came out, I passed over it as a copy of the Fekkai shea butter body product line, it really looked like Bath and Body Works was just trying to copy on his line. I was converted to this collection when one of the associates suggested that I try a bit of the hand cream and I really enjoyed both the feel of the product and the fragrance.

I loaded up on the body cream, hand cream, and the shower cream. As an afterthought, I sprayed on the fragrance mist and after several minutes, the scent developed into a lovely, unique vanilla that is sophisticated and smells like no other vanilla that I have ever owned. I think the fragrance mist if the gem of the this collection but you can't go wrong with any of it. the shower cream produces a rich lather and doesn't dry out or strip skin, I really recommend it during the winter months. The cream is better for very dry skin and helps to keep it hydrated during the worst of the winter. The lotion is a lighter texture and while I did like it, I found the cream to be much more hydrating. The bubble bath is limited edition just for the holidays (finding it is getting hard but I recommend that you try!) and is more of a soak than a true bubble bath. It provides a slight bit of foam but mostly made the water cloudy and fragranced.

Last but not least, the hand is the best selling product from the collection and if you buy nothing else, I insist you try this one. It works wonders on dry hands and comes in two versions. The traditional version has the same fragrance and feel as the body cream. There is a second version (one that I can never find in stores but is on the website) that also contains silk proteins. It has a slightly lighter texture and more of an almond scent than the vanilla fragrance. This hand cream is also available in select fragrances in the Signature Collection so if you prefer Moonlight Path, Dark Kiss, or something with a different fragrance, you can still find a hand cream to suit you.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

Fresh Rice Sake Bath

If you ask any major editor of fashion magazines to name their favorite company for luxury bath and body products, you will get an overwhelming response of people voting for Fresh. This company started back in 1991 and in the less than 20 years that they have been around, they have gained a full-fledged following from the beauty community. My favorite product from this collection is the Rice Sake Bath, a product that I first tried several years ago when Fresh released a limited edition line for the Memoirs of a Geisha flim. That started my love affair with Fresh and sake...

Since sake isn't a common ingredient in many body products, I looked on the Fresh website for the uses and benefits of this Asian ingredient. For those of you who are familiar with sake itself, it an Asian wine that is rice based. The Fresh website states that in Japan, geishas take purifying baths of 100% pure sake. This bath started as pure sake and then other ingredients were added to fragrance and refine the mixture. The final formula is what we have named one of the best bath products ever invented.

Fresh states, "Rice Sake Bath, composed of more than 50% pure sake, unleashes the detoxifying potential of rice and delivers a fusion of Japanese bathing traditions. Sake increases circulation and body temperature, inducing a purifying sweat to eliminate toxins, while active enzymes soften the sin and even skin tone. Pine extract promotes easy breathing as pure ginger renders muscles pliable and relaxed. Inspired by geishas who performed their baths with real peaches, an infusion of exquisite peach absolute makes for an unparalleled experience."

I love this product in the winter months since the sake raises body temperature and I am always freezing. The bath produces thick, rich bubbles that are a pleasure to lie in. The effect that I have often gotten from this bath is explained by the pure ginger included in the mix, I can almost fall asleep in this bath and I feel like rubber when I go to stand up and get out of the tub. I love the slight peachy fragrance and I get some florals out of it too. I bought both the Memoirs of a Geisha version of this product several years ago and the original when I needed to replace my bottle.

If this is how the geishas treat their customers in Japan, I can see why they have the following that they do... This is one of the world's best bath products and makes a lovely treat for yourself or a gift for a close friend or family member.

photo courtesy of Fresh

LUSH Valentine's Day Products

Well, now that MAC has released a line of romantic lip products and I am hoarding all the Valentine's Marshmellow Hearts that I can find, I guess it it now time to look at some different Valentine's Day collections that are being released. Lousy holiday, fun beauty products.

The first bath and body product collection that I am going to look at is the one that is being offered from LUSH. A LUSH Christmas gift made my holiday last month so maybe thye can get me to look forward to Valentine's Day. Maybe... This collection contains both Valentine's Day themed giftsets and individual products. We will love at the individual products first and then get into the giftsets.

Love Soap - Love Soap looks as you'd expect it to with sparkles to put hearts aflutter and and smells of our best-selling Sex Bomb, with all of its perfumed powers of seduction. We have jasmine, the queen of the night, a deep floral fragrance to help you relax, warm up your emotions and boost your confidence. Clary Sage helps reduce tension and stop you panicking. Ylang ylang is beautiful and it's amazingly relaxing and helps you feel joyful. Can you think of anything better to give your beloved on Valentine's Day?

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar - We're good at love spells, although we only make them work on people who are available: they are useless on other people's boyfriends or girlfriends and anyone further down the commitment chain. Starting with its charming mushroom shape we added two enchanting scents - Vanillary in the white parts and Yummy Yummy in the red cap - to bewitch everyone who bathes with it. Use it with your favorite fungi and you'll soon be making magic.

The Ex-Factor Bath Bomb - This is our antidote to Valentine's Day, inspired by a plan to rid the world of useless men (and useless women, if there are any) from the past. Limb by limb you dip the little chap into the bath water to dissolve away all that thoughts that are holding you back, so you are ready to start afresh with a nice person. At the same time you have a lovely deep blue bath with Butterball scent.

Vanilla Scoop Gift - You scream, we scream, everyone scream for Vanillary! It all started with Vanilla Fountain and then the obsession with our cinder-toffee, vanilla bean fragrance grew to an entire range. We've taken our sweet best-sellers and put them into a pink and cream confection bucket so you can satisfy your cravings top to bottom. Bathe in vanilla, dust in vanilla, Deelite in vanilla, and seduce everyone who crosses your path with vanilla. One scoop or two? This giftset contains a Vanilla Fountain Bath Bomb, Vanilla Dee-lite Lotion, Vanilla Puff Powder, and Vanillary Fragrance.

True Love Gift - There's nothing wrong with a bit of shameless romance, especially when you've got a satisfying mixture of bath and shower gifts inside, plus a vanilla massage bar for all the moves that come after dinner. We've wrapped up this selection of limited edition, and best-selling products in a glittery heart shaped box perfect for storing love letters in after you've bathed to your heart's content. This giftset contains Love Soap, Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, Heavanilli Soap, Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Gel, and Vanilla Dee-lite Lotion.

Be Mine Gift - If you'd like to make them yours, this is the one to give. Having your loved one's name tattooed on your body is one way of showing how much you care. We think we'll stick with the recycled paper version and get down to business with the products inside. There's our sensual jasmine shower gel Flying Fox, out kiss-inducing Honey Trap lip balm, and Soft Coeur, our seductive, melty cocoa and honey massage bar for sweet caresses.

I want all three of the single products, especially the Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar. From the giftsets, I would the Vanilla themed one but the other two are just too "romantic" for my mood this year. Actually, I might be getting one of the Ex-Factor Bath Bombs for myself and a bunch of others to give out to my friends...

photo courtesy of LUSH USA

LUSH Holiday 2009 - Bath

This is last installment of the new LUSH Holiday products - the bath collection. This collection contains all the bath products that made LUSH famous so this is the largest part of the Holiday collection. Some of the products appear to be repeats from the Shower collection so I will just skip over those products since you have already read all about them.

Here are the bath products...

Holiday Bubble Bar - You may recognize the gorgeous fragrance of carnation, rose, and tangerine oil from a certain Potion we've concocted in the past. It's such a sexy, seductive blend that we keep coming back to it. Crumble one of these bars into your bathtub and slide right in to the sparkling, ruby red waters to escape your worries for a while. This fluffy bubble bath reminds you that there's no place like LUSH.

Candy Cane Bubble Bar - If it's sweets you're craving, crumble this bar into your tub and climb into it's abundant, fluffy, vanilla candy scented bubbles. It was a bit tricky putting the curl into the top of Candy Cane, so we left ours straight, but it's just as satisfying as the real thing. If you love the smell of the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar, you'll adore this one as they smell just the same (except this one is full of Christmas spirit).

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar - Christmas Eve is infused with a gorgeous and feminine jasmine and ylang-ylang perfume to relax and inspire confidence. On Christmas Eve, children find it difficult to get to sleep, so give them a good bathing in Christmas Eve bubble bath and soon they'll be off to the land of nod. Once they're dreaming of Santa flying around in his sleigh, it's your turn to take some time out and escape from seasonal stress. Crumble one into the tub, inhale the gorgeous fragrance and exhale all your Christmas Eve jitters.

Father Frost Soap - This is a stunning new soap which looks like midnight and smells like a garden. If you've been good all year round, you may just be rewarded with a large piece of this Christmas soap made with apple juice and cranberries. It's inspired by Russian folk tales and has a beautiful mold of Father Frost on the top. Pick up an entire round for a gorgeous, fragrant centerpiece this Christmas. Then cut it up and share it with your friends.

Want To Believe Bath Melt - If you've been good all year round, you won't have to worry about finding a lump of coal in your stocking. What you will find is this coal black, refreshing, skin-softening Luxury Bath Melt. Each sparkling bar is full of gorgeous fennel and starflower oil fragrance to refresh your mind, along with soya milk and cocoa butter to soften your skin. Drop one in the bath and watch it froth up; it's meant to restore your belief in the joys of yuletide.

Satsumo Santa Bath Bomb - Last year Simon Constantine (co-head perfumer) created the gorgeous scent for our decant Chocolate Santa. This year, Santa's back and he's SUMO sized! Simon created a new lovely and refreshing citrus fruit blend with mandarin oil, bergamot oil, and orange blossom absolute. When the holiday season has gotten you all stressed out and tired, grab a Satsumo Santa and drop him in the tub with you. The smile-inducing orange flower will rise up from the water to lift your seasonal spirits and get you excited to finish up with the rest of your holiday chores.

Cinders Bath Bomb - Much like you cannot avert your eyes from the tantalizing flames in a fire, you will not be able to avert your nose from this bath bomb. This warming, sweet cinnamon and orange fragrance was inspired by a comforting yuletide drink in Sweden and is utterly irresistable on a chilly evening. Cinders is the colour of a glowing ember and crackles like wood on a fire (just like the fire that Cinderella slept beside in the fairytale). The cracking and popping is a result of the vegan fizzing candy (pop rocks!) that we put into each bomb. This one is quite special and we're sure it's going to be a hit.

So White Bath Bomb - The fragrance of this lovely Bath Bomb is inspired by the tempting apple a certain wicked stepmother tricked her beautiful stepdaughter into eating. We assure you, however, that this Bath Bomb is not full of poison to put you to sleep. It is made with an uplighting fragrance of refreshing oranges, apples, and romantic rose and is meant to awake you if you've been under a spell (or are just feeling tired). This one is quite a frothy bath as we've grated in some bubble bar mixture, so you can bathe in apple scented snow and feel fairest of them all.

Jingle Spells Bath Bomb - We brought back our favorite Christmas detoxifying Bath Bomb because we often find ourselves drinking a few too many around the holiday season. We make it with juniperberries and fennel oils to help you overcome the sensitivity to jingling bells and other loud noises the day after the Christmas Party. Kids and non-drinkers alike can still enjoy this Bath Bomb to help them keep up their holiday cheer. Get one, bathe in its purple waters with gold, silver, and black stars, and let it work its magic.

Lil Lush Pud Bath Bomb - This little bomb is a lovely dessert bath complete with holly leaf (a sugar one) and spicy cloves, fresh lemon, and rose for guilt-free indulgence. We made this year's LUSH Pud l'il because the gorgeous essential oils that we put into LUSH's Pud every year make it incredibly costly. So we could either give up making it, make it very expensive, or make it in a little Bath Bomb. We chose little; it's just as festive but not quite so heavy to carry home.

Christmas Party Bath Bomb - A bright orange, revitalizing Bath Bomb to dissolve your inhibitions and get you ready for another Christmas Party. It's one of our favorite Christmas-time Bath Bombs and has returned again this yet, much to our delight. Refreshing lime, orange, and cognac get you in the mood to party (which is why we put into Snow Showers Jelly and Supernova Bath Bomb). Stars, glitter, and coloured confetti decorate the tub to get the party started; drop one in and fizzle back to the top our your game.

Gnome Name Bubble Bar - Every culture has a different name for it's yuletide elves, whether it's jolly old St. Nicholas, Zwarte Piet who drops down the chimney covered in soot, Jultomten who gives people gifts when they've bene good all year or Knecht Ruprecht who deals out punishment to naughty people. That's why when you visit a LUSH shop you'll find that No Name (Gnome Name) has been given a different name in each one. But don't worry, he's the same warming, fruity, spicy, soda-scented bubble bar that creates fluffy, snow-like bubbles no matter what we call him.

Mister Butterball Bath Bomb - A LUSH holiday favorite returning year after year by popular demand. Mr. Butterball is made with helpings of skin-softening cocoa butter that melt into the water and softens skin whilst you soak. Sexy ylang-ylang and comforting vanilla help you relax and get sleep too. Pick up a few of these guys and pop them into everyone's stockings for a Christmas Day bath.

The Candy Cane Bubble Bar is the most exciting thing to me in this Bath collection, I love Creamy Candy already and I love the cansy cane shape of this product. I also want to get Holiday, So White, Christmas Party, and Mister Butterball. I hope this is LUSH filled season...

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Holiday Collection - Snow Fairy

LUSH Snow Fairy started as a single shower gel one Holiday season and soon became a cult favorite that was in demand all year round. Since LUSH continued to only offer it during the Holidays, it quickly became at item to stockpile and usually sold out well before Thanksgiving ever hits. This year, LUSH has released more items than just the shower gel, they now have a seasonal collection of multiple Snow Fairy items. I have been looking forward to the release of Snow Fairy since May of this year, so I am ready to stockpile this whole collection.

LUSH describes this collection as follows, "Funny how these things happen. Snow Fairy came to visit us one Christmas wither pink sparkles and candy flossy sweetness, then refused to leave. A favourite with small girls, as we'd predicted, and grown men, which we hadn't, Snow Fairy is back and she's brought her friends".

The first product is the traditional shower gel and here is the write-up of the product from the United States LUSH website. "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without our Snow Fairy shower Gel; this one makes a comeback every year because it's so very popular. The fragrance is as sweet as pink candy, mixed with soothing vanilla".

One of the new products introduced in this fragrance is the Star Melt Bath Melt. "Follow this star and you'll be sure to find your way to soft skin. This rich and creamy Luxury Bath Melt is scented with the best-selling Snow Fairy fragrance of vanilla and candy. To make it even more addictive, Helen added in helpings of icing sugar to give the bathwater a delectable, milky feel and spoonfuls of starflower oil to soothe dry and troubled skin. It's deeply softening and leaves you smelling sweet as sugar. It's the icing on the cake of Snow Fairies".

The other new product is a solid perfume in this fragrance. I want all these three products, especially the shower gel and the solid perfume. Bath Melts normally aren't my favorite of the LUSH bath products because in this fragrance, I think that I could overlook the fact that I prefer Bombs and Bubble Bars. However, I will be stocking up on the shower gel and buy enough to last me all through next year.

Joining the Snow Fairy cult...

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Halloween Collection

This is for all you ladies that love Halloween and are trying to put off thoughts of the upcoming Christmas season. I may not be a huge fan of Halloween but I do enjoy fall and try to put off the holidays as long as possible. This year, LUSH has made it possible to fully celebrate Halloween without ever dressing up in a costume or eating an entire basket of trick or treat candy. LUSH offers six bath and body products to celebrate Halloween and put Christmas off just a bit longer.

Here are they are...

Magic Bath Bomb - Marjoram and rose conjure up vitality and prosperity - Limited Edition. If we told that there was a surprise in this treasure, it wouldn't be a surprise any more, now would it? Magic is a 14-sided bomb that turns your bathwater a deep sapphire blue. Seen from the top, it's a hexagon, or "hex" bomb, with a blend of marjoram and rose in the shell to dissolve anxieties. Then, as the water changes color, basil and peppermint oils swirl in your tub to brong you growth, vitality, and energy. When the sprig of parsley inside floats free, prosperity looms.

Witch's Ball Bubble Bar - A bubbling cauldron with a magical blend of reviving herbs - Limited Edition. Clear mental blocks with this mystical bubble bar filled with rosemary, sage, peppermint, frankincense, myrrh, and benzoin. Deep fuschia like the very edge of sunset, Witch's Ball is a bewitching mixture studded with star anise seedpods, cloves, blackcurrants, and cranberries. Bathe in its brew of essential oils as often as you can before its disappears at the end of the year, making resolutions as you bathe.

(The Great) Pumpkin Soap - Our spicy Fall soap warms you up when you're chilled to the bone - Limited Edition. This limited edition soap is pumpkin-colored and shaped affair with a scent with a scent borrowed from our lovely and rejuvenating Spice Curls. So endearing that the headless horseman has tried to steal it for himself to wear around town! It's only around for Halloween so get yours before All Hallows Eve.

Ghost Shower Gel - Spiritually uplifting & shimmery - Limited Edition. Let the scent of this beautiful, floral shower gel lessen your fears of the supernatural. Made with rose and dove orchid infusions, Ghost first made an appearance in 2007 and now its back to haunt us. Translucent, lovely, and only around for a moment, Ghost merits a photograph or no one will believe that it really existed. All the will remain is soft skin and the fragrance of lilies.

Jacko Bath Bomb - You'll be haunted by this spicy fragrance long after your bath - Limited Edition. The ultimate ghoulish goodie after a night of trick or treating: drop this super limited edition pumpkin shaped bath bomb in your tub and soak this hollow's eve with the spicy scent of clove bud and spearmint.

Cobweb Bath Bomb - Tantalizing black sugar bath bomb to calm you down after a night of frights - Limited Edition. Drop this bomb into your bath for a soothing and fruity bath with our ever popular black pearl scent. Shaped like a cobweb and dusted with sparkle, the lavender and chamomile will calm, while the blackcurrant adds a touch of fruitiness. This small but mighty bomb is a major stress reliever (as long as you're not scared of spiders).

The only product that I would get from this little collection is the Ghost Shower Gel. I am not that big a fan of super spicy fragrances and with my luck, I would end up getting a reaction from all the products with spices in them.

Time to celebrate Halloween and fall! Eat some candy corn and watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special!

photo courtesy of LUSH