LUSH Honey I Washed The Kids Bar Soap

Late winter is the time of the years when my skin is the driest and I have found that I benefit from swapping out my Bath and Body Works Shower Gels for more gentle bar soap formulas.  This always means that I need to have a decent-sized LUSH order made well before the end of December.  This usually presents no problems as I order from them in late fall once their Christmas collection releases and then I often order again right after Christmas so that I can grab up some last items from their big sale.  This time around, I decided to order a combination of holiday products and a few of the best sellers that I haven't tried yet.  One of the best sellers that I ordered is the best-selling Honey I Washed The Kids Bar Soap and I am regretting that I only ordered one bar of it...

Honey I Washed The Kids has been a cult LUSH product that I remember ever since I started shopping the brand in 2008.  This caramel-scented product is perfect the fall and winter and I can easily see why this is one of the best sellers of the brand.

"This is one of our best-selling soaps and it's no wonder why: it's simply irresistible!  One sniff and you'll need this sweet caramel fragrance in your life.  But get ready to share, because it's so gentle, buttery, and scrumptious that you'll have a hard time keeping it to yourself.  We use real honey and beeswax in every batch to soothe skin, while honey water and aloe help soften and moisturize, leaving the whole family clean and smelling bee-autiful.", states the LUSH website.

The star ingredient in this product is Honey, a natural humectant and hydrator.  I have used honey in my winter skincare for years now and this ingredient (plus the smell!) are what made my try this Bar Soap over some of the other ones that they offer.  Honey will attract moisture from the atmosphere and pull it into the skin and the thicker texture of this ingredient will also help keep moisture locked into the skin.  This is exactly what I need at this time of the year and I will be using this product until it runs out.

I have tried using this product applied directly to wet skin and applied to a washcloth.  I tend to prefer my bar soaps applied directly to wet skin, they will usually lather less and help my skin stay hydrated for longer periods.  I still liked it when applied with a washcloth but I would prefer to use it right on wet skin in the shower.  I have also found that applying the product directly to my skin makes the soap lasts longer and I should be able to use the same bar until the beginning of March.

The caramel fragrance is light and wonderful, this is pretty fragrance for fall and winter but will be too heavy in the warm weather months.  The scent remains lightly on my skin but fills the whole bathroom with fragrance, this is typical of most LUSH bar soaps and is one of the major reasons that I keep purchasing them over and over.

I can't say that Honey I Washed The Kids is any more or less hydrating than any of the other LUSH Bar Soaps that I have used in the past.  All of their Bar Soaps hydrate my skin nicely and I will continue to order these every year.  I will order another bar of this product once the cooler weather starts to roll around again!

photo courtesy of LUSH

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

LUSH Karma Bar Soap

I have been on the fence about trying the LUSH Karma Bar Soap for quite a long time, I can stand the scent of patchouli but I don't think that I love it enough to use it on my body.  This is a cult LUSH product so I really wanted to see what all the hype was about and decide for myself if this is a fragrance that I could wear in small doses.  I don't mind patchouli notes in perfume and they were well on my skin so I thought that I would be able to wear it on my skin.  Turns out...I can't and this is not the Bar Soap for me.

I waited for cooler weather to arrive before I tried this strongly fragranced soap and I will only use this soap at night.  Even with the advent of fall, this fragrance is still too strong on my skin to use during the day.  As much as I love LUSH soaps, this is not the fragrance for me and I will use this one bar and then not order it again.

"An all-time classic, Karma is the ultimate LUSH scent. Spicy patchouli is complemented with refreshing lemongrass, orange oil and pine oil to create a clean and lovely smell that lasts on the skin for ages after you've washed. One whiff and you'll be hooked - for this life and the next. There's enough Karma fragrance in each bar to perfume your whole body each time you wash, and transport you back to the days of free love and flower power. Give yourself good Karma; if you've been mindful and brimming with loving kindness, this is the soap to reward you.", states the LUSH website. 

This soap performs very similarly to the rest of the LUSH Bar Soaps that are translucent, foams up well and rinses clean without drying skin out.  I have no issues with the way that this soap performs. The reason that this soap is not for me is the fragrance, it reminds me of entering a head shop and this is not a fragrance that I can wear.  Incense doesn't bother me in small doses but I cannot wear this fragrance on my skin.  I was hoping that a bar soap would leave the lightest amount of fragrance but this is still too strong for me so I cannot buy this product again.

This is a very polarizing product, people either love or hate this fragrance however this same effect tends to occur anytime that patchouli is used in a fragrance.  I cannot wear this fragrance on my skin, the only aspect of this fragrance that I like is the smell that is leaves in my shower after I get out.  It reminds me a bit of the yoga studio after a class and I love that fragrance.  I am realistic enough to think that this fragrance would begin to annoy me toward the end of the bar.

I love and will continue to order LUSH Bar Soaps but this cult product is just not the fragrance for me.

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Silky Underwear Dusting Powder

Silky Underwear is one the cult products from LUSH, this product has been featured in nearly every magazine over the years and is almost always featured when LUSH creates huge giftsets of their best-selling products.  In addition to this being a cult favorite, the fragrance of Silky Underwear has now been released in other products and nearly a whole line of jasmine products has been crated by this company.  I love the scent of jasmine and I love adding more jasmine products to my body product collection.  I ordered this product from LUSH a couple weeks ago and now I want to add more of their jasmine products. 

I only ordered this product because I was curious out about it and I wanted to see why this was such a top selling product.  I have never used a dusting powder before and I decided that summer was the best season to try this type of product out.  The heat is now here and I have been working out both in the gym and outside so I need a couple extra products to make me feel like a lovely lady this time of the year.  This product appealed to me because of the cute name and pretty fragrance, I have been feeling pretty gross after some workouts lately.

"Silky Underwear was the first dusting powder that we ever created, and it has continued to capture the imagination (and more), of our customers. It remains the smoothest, most luxurious and best-selling powder we make. Grated cocoa butter melts onto the skin for a silky sensation, and the absorbent powders make sure your body doesn't feel greasy. In fact, it helps your clothes go on more easily or even better, slip off easier. With the sexy jasmine and vetivert scent that clouds you in aphrodisiac fragrance it’s been known to happen. Slip on some Silky Underwear and find out for yourself."

The main ingredient in this product is Jasmine and the LUSH website provides even more details on this ingredient and then the other products that it is contained in.  "Jasmine belongs to the large olive family (Oleaceae), which consists of woody shrubs and climbers. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, but has been widely cultivated elsewhere. Jasmines can be grown in cold climates, but usually require frost protection or greenhouse cultivation to flourish. We buy our jasmine absolute from Egypt and India.  The star-shaped flowers are white to pale yellow and extremely fragrant. They open to release their scent at night. Several unrelated plants are also referred to as 'jasmines'.  Indian Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese traditional medicine feature the use of jasmine blossoms and oil. In India, the oil was considered luxurious and an indication of wealth; and the flowers are widely grown in home gardens as well as for commercial production. Jasmine flowers are also important in Hindu ceremonies and are mentioned in religious texts.  Both men and women have long used jasmine oil in India as an aphrodisiac, hair and beauty tonic and as a sensual perfume."

I sprinkle a bit of this powder on it the morning (in the areas that females tend to have a higher amount of sweat glands) and it helps to keep me fresh all through my work day and the hot commute home.  I have to reapply after the gym or running but that is to be expected.  I would also reapply before going out at night.  The best part of this product is the pretty fragrance, I love the sweet scent of the jasmine flower and it makes me feel pretty just to apply this product.

This product is a great addition for those who work out and run during the summer time, if you don't then this product may not be necessary.  Whether you work out or not, this product is a great way to make yourself feel pretty and girly in even the hottest of weather.

photo courtesy of LUSH

Five Favorite - Pink Beauty Products

Today is the first of February and I will try to salute the month of romance and lovers in my own way.  And the only way that I can do this is to talk about my favorite pink beauty products, I love pink lipsticks and matching nail polishes and I later ended up falling in love with the Bath and Body Works Pink Chiffon body products (even though I wasn't a fan intially).  I am considering purchasing a little something for this holiday and perhaps this will take the sting out of the day, I will work all day that day and then I have class at night so at least the day will go by quickly and I won't be in a funk about not having a date that night...

Today we are going to look at my Five Favorite pink beauty products.  Ladies, any of these products will be great for a Valentine's Day date and then will still be in style all throughout the spring months.  No matter what your thoughts on the holiday are, you will find a product or two to try from this group!  I may hate Valentine's Day but I love pink lipstick shades!!

Here are my favorite pinks!

NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Schiap - "A pure, creamy lipstick formula for bold color.  Nars Lipsticks are enriched with vitamin E to increase wearability and keep true color intact. Sheer finish creates the most natural, stained-looking lips. Semi-matte produces velvety, full-bodied lips. Finally, satin fashions creamy, moist-looking lips."  Schiap is a "semi-matte shocking pink".  This is my favorite pink lipstick and I am not alone in my love since it it sold out all the time at Sephora.  This shade is a bright matte pink, it creates the best bright pink lip and it lasts all day long.  The matte finish keeps this shade looking classy and I wear this shade all throughout the year.  The shade was named after designer Elsa Schaiparelli, an avant garde designer from the 20th Centruy who loved bright pink hues such as this one.  I really love to wear red lip hues all the time but this bright pink actually makes me put the reds to the side and rock the pink.  This is a great choice for Valentine's Day or any day of the year.

Bath and Body Works Pink Chiffon Body Lotion - "Our exclusive Signature Collection Body Lotion is fortified with powerful ingredients like super conditioning Shea Butter, fast absorbing Jojoba Oil and protective Vitamin E to hydrate skin with moisture that lasts all day. Our non-greasy formula absorbs quickly and completely to leave skin feeling incredibly soft, smooth and nourished, making it the perfect daily moisturizer.  Our exclusive Pink Chiffon is a light-as-air pairing of soft pink petals & vanilla chiffon icing.  Key Fragrance Notes: Sparkling Red Pear, Vanilla Orchid and Whipped Chiffon Musk."  I hated this fragrance when it first came out, I tried the perfume on and it was so sweet that it turned on my skin.  I cannot wear these sweet fruity-floral scents, they either get much too sweet to handle or go sour, this one went the sweet route and I went on my merry way past this scent.  I stayed away from this fragrance for quite a long time but last holiday I received some small bottles of it and decided to re-try the products.  I got the Shower Gel and Body Lotion and I discovered that I really like the body products in this fragrance, it is light floral on my skin with just hints of sweetness.  This scent is just enough to be noticeable and I went through my small sizes very quickly and will be buying those products in the full sizes to use all spring.  The shower Gel is more fruity than the lotion, I smelled the pear the most but in the lotion, I smell the florals and the vanilla.
Sometimes first impressions need to be re-visisted...

LUSH Bath Bomb in Pink - "Inspired by the delightful Audrey Hepburn, Pink is sophisticated, sexy, elegant, and witty. Fragranced with edgy tonka bean, neroli, and the sweetness of vanilla absolute, it turns baths into candy-scented fantasies with a fragrance that lingers on your skin long after you’re out of the bath. It's sweet, but not overbearingly so, with a subtle bite of something cheeky. Spoil yourself; instead of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, have an indulgent bath with Pink."  This Bath Bomb is a yummy mix of vanilla and tonka bean, it is relaxing and the best way to treat yourself after a long week.  In addition to the wonderful scent and the pure fun of watching the bomb dissolve, this bath product turns the bath water bright pink.  Nothing is more fun than bathing in bright pink water and is the perfect Valentine's Day treat especially for the single girls that crave a bit of pampering this day.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Collide - "A vivacious nail varnish.  Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colors that stand out. The formula is long-wearing and chip-resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high-gloss. Apply two coats for high-intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish. Make a statement and talk with your hands!"  Collide is a "bright neon pink with a satin finish" and matches the NARS Schiap Lipstick almost perfectly and I wear the two shades together all spring and summer.  Illamasqua's Nail Varnish formula is one of the best nail polishes on the market, the formula lasts several days with only minor tip wear and wears glassy without an extra top coat.  I will start using this shade in pedicures as soon as it begins to get warm out and then follow with the matching manicure.  This is shade that I wore the most last summer and I am willing to bet that the same will hold true for this year!

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Flirty Honey - "A glossy, ultra-light lipstick.  Not quite a gloss, and not quite a lipstick, this transparent formula merges with the unique, natural tone of your lips to create a look that's all your own. Its sheer, emollient-rich formula glides on for easy layering."  Flirty Honey is one the shades that was released in early 2012 when Clinique decided to expand the Almost Lipstick range and release a series of shades in this formula.  Flirty Honey is a "sheer bright rose" that delivers a sheer rose look to the lips.  This shade is brighter than many traditional rose hues and is perfect against pale skin or medium skin, it creates a subtle pink lip that is an easy way to ease more into a bright lip look.  Another aspect of these lip glosses that I love is that this formula is very hydrating and is perfect for use in the winter and early spring when I am still battling chapped lips. 

I hope that my favorite pink items have given you some shopping ideas.  I love pinks and am very excited to wear them at the end of this winter and then all the way into spring and summer.  What are some of your favorite pink beauty products?!

photo courtesy of Sephora

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 Body Products

This is the last part of the LUSH holiday 2012 collection, we have looked at the bath products and bar soaps already and now we are heading into the smallest part of the collection.  We are going to finish up be looking at the assorted body products that have been released for the holiday season, including my favorite Snow Fairy products that I use all throughout the year.  I would love if Snow Fairy was available all year long but I guess that I will just have to stock up on the products this time of the year. 

The body products part of the collection is a combination of shower products, moisturizers, and then some of the hydrating massage bars.  Massage bars aren't exactly what my single self is looking for right now but I will state that they work very well for hydrating and I might use them throughout the winter when my skin is at its driest.  I am mostly looking for more shower products, LUSH makes shower gels in huge sizes and I want to see how much Snow Fairy I need to order this time around.  Not that I need more huge shower products but Snow Fairy is just too good to pass over and is one of my signature holiday products.  It's not holiday until I shower with Snow Fairy...

Here are the body products from the LUSH holiday collection!

Snow Fairy Shower Gel - Our famous fairy is back and sweet as ever! This returning holiday classic is the perfect shower-time treat for those of you with constant candy cravings. The delicious scent of cotton candy and sweet vanilla will be dancing in your head as you lather up with care. And a dose of iridescent glitter makes shower time a moment to shine. What could be sweeter?

Twilight Shower Gel - 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!

Glogg Shower Gel - Spice up your shower time routine with a generous helping of our cleansing libation. This celebratory shower gel is loaded with a generous nip of real organic red wine to help you get the party started on dismal mornings. A shot of brandy, cinnamon and clove bud add spicy warmth to help shake off a case of the winter chills. We round out this mulled wine concoction with orange juice to keep things sweet and keep skin glowing.

Sandy Santa Body Scrub - Buff, scrub and polish away dead, winter skin with Sandy Santa. Sand and sugar work together to exfoliate the skin leaving you with a toned, glowing complexion. Don't neglect those hidden parts just because they are hiding under pants and sweaters. Smooth them out and make yourself feel good with this scrubber. Plus, the orange, rosewood and sandalwood oils tone and soften skin and make you smell marvelous.

Ponche Shower Gel - A festive new shower gel to help us celebrate the season! With the fruit punch scent of petigrain, buchu and davana oils, Ponche is a wonderfully fresh body wash for those who live in warm places year-round (lucky you!) and helps the rest of us wake up with a smile on dark winter mornings. The plum extract and orange juice base keep skin soft while cleansing. It's fresh, fun and festive!

Midnight Massage Massage Bar - We wanted a sensual massage bar this season, so we put in the deliciously sticky, forbidden fruits of fig, quince and carob. Combined with LUSH perfumer Simon's special "Jasmine Revolution" perfume, this is a bar that is going to make you melt! We shaped it like a Salvador Dali clock to play up the pun Midnight Mass-sage; we think it's funny!

Sexy Boy Massage Bar - We've brought Sexy Boy back to our online Retro Christmas shop because we just couldn't stop thinking about his warm, chocolately lime scent after we launched him in 2009. Although he may not look sexy (he is in the shape of a gingerbread man after all), give him a chance by rubbing him onto your partner and you'll discover he really does bring sexy to your back.

Once a Year Massage Bar - When massages come few and far between you have to make the most of every chance you get. Maximize the moment with this memorable spicy massager perfect for your grumbling Santa (or Mrs. Clause). We loaded this moustached wonder with brandy and cinnamon leaf oil for a festive unisex scent that’s sure to please both parties involved. Whether you plan to give or receive, this massager is sure to spice up your evening by the fire.

Well none of the massage bar scents are appealing to me at all so I guess that I will skip over these this time around and just stick to the shower products.  The Ponch Shower Gel I am very interested in, I have never owned a product that smells like plum and orange and I am very excited to try this one.  I will first order it in the smallest size possible as I do not wish to get stuck with the huge bottle if I end up hating it.  I have wanted the Glogg Shower Gel in previous years but the cinnamon in it is a bit scary for me, my skin will most likely rebel and therefore I will skip over it again.

Twilight was in the Halloween collection and is back in the holiday collection.  I would order a bottle of this along with Snow Fairy as I love the lavender scent.  And of course there will be a Snow Fairy purchase this year...

In addition to the great single products that we have looked at in the past three posts, LUSH does offer full giftsets on their website and in their stores.  Many of their giftsets are on the larger side so they would make fantastic sets for your family members and close circle of friends.  I love LUSH holiday products and sets!

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH Holiday 2012 Bar Soaps

We have just wrapped up the bath products from this company and now we are moving onto to another favorite LUSH product of mine, Bar Soaps.  I mostly use bar soaps in the winter months as some of the chemicals in traditional shower gels can really dry my skin out in the winter and soap is much gentler on my skin.  I have a hard time finding good bar soaps anymore, they are getting harder and harder to find in many traditional beauty product stores and I am turning to LUSH and the farmer's market to find great formulas to use.  The only other place that I have found great bar soaps is some of the independant etailers (Cleanse Your Soul) that I have ordered from in the past (I need to get back on ordering from this company, I haven't placed an order in way too long!) and I will need to keep ordering bar soaps online in order to get my fix for the winter months.

I have used several holiday bar soaps in the past from LUSH and I am so excited to see the limited edition soaps out again.  Every single holiday soap that I have used from this company is fantastic and I can't wait to reorder some favorites and try some new ones this time around!

Here are the holiday Bar Soaps!

Snowcake Bar Soap - Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a festive cake. So this holiday we brought back our customer favorite, Snowcake! This almond icing and marzipan scented confection is just what you need during the season of sweet indulgences. Its rich, creamy lather and rose absolute infusion make it a gentle treat for dry winter skin. So what are you waiting for? Grab a slice of this holiday treat before it’s gone.

Angel's Delight Bar Soap - When you're need of some holiday cheer, ask the angels to help raise your spirits. Our best-selling Angel’s Delight soap returns with the same merry tangerine and orange scent we all love. Inspired by the popular English custard of the same name, our uplifting sudser is just as sweet and fruity as the beloved dessert. If you're lucky enough to encounter a whole round of Angel's Delight in store, you're sure to be mesmerized by its beautiful gold moon "frame". LUSH co-founders Mark and Mo Constantine happened upon a similar gilded frame in an antique shop while on an inspiration trip to Venice, but we think they may have surpassed the original design with this beautiful soap!

Northern Lights Bar Soap - When designing new products, inspiration can come from the most faraway places. For our neon wonder, Northern Lights, a few of our lucky LUSH inventors traveled to Finland and were taken by the midnight light show called the aurora borealis. Once back in the UK they enlisted the help of our Finnish perfumer Pia, who created a phenomenally fresh scent that recalls the chilly adventure to the land of the midnight sun. She combined pine needle, cypress and lime oils to create a refreshing woodsy fragrance that’s as unique as the phenomenon this soap was inspired by.

Snow Globe Bar Soap - When the weather outside turns frightful and your spirits aren’t looking so bright, it’s time to lather up with Snow Globe soap. A blend of grapefruit, lemon and lemongrass oils refresh mind and soul after long, snowy days. As the season begins to take its toll, turn to this turquoise wonder to give you a feeling of relaxation. We add ylang ylang oil to help you keep calm during moments of festive frenetic energy. And those suspended white globes? We wanted to recreate those blizzards of faux snow you see swirling in traditional snow globes. No shaking required.

Spice Mountain Bar Soap - After an epic day of shredding the slopes, your muscles can get stiffer than that unfortunate fruitcake your granny sends every year. When you’re feeling in a pinch it’s time to unstrap your skis and lather up with this mulled wine scented sudser. We add a warming blend of clove bud and cinnamon leaf oils to heat things up and help ease stiff muscles. If you plan on skipping the slopes, this soap is perfect for those weekend warriors who have to string Christmas lights too.

Mr. Punch Bar Soap - When you turn it upside-down, this soap looks like a delicious bowl of punch with fruit floating in it. We were inspired to make a fruity, tropical, boozy punch scent for this soap, and we did so with juniper berry oil, blackcurrant absolute, lime oil and a splash of gin. That'll cheer you up on dark winter mornings!

I can't even pick my favorite of these Bar Soaps - I just want all of them!  I have used Angel's Delight (the soap pictured here) many times before and therefore I know that my order will start off with a large bar (or two) of this soap.  This soap smells exactly like a sweet orange scent and I have used it all year long.  I just love how pretty the bar itself is, it is just so nice to see it when I get up in the morning and it helps to start my day off right!

What other soaps do I want from this collection?  Snow Globe sounds great and I love citrus scents in the shower.  The aqua color of the bar is so pretty and it makes me love the product even more.  Snowcake is a wonderful almond scent and it is very easy to see why this soap became a best selling cult favorite for this company.  Good almond scents are rare and I would love to see a full product line in this scent.  LUSH are you listening?!

We have one more part of the holiday collection to look at, the rest of the body products that come out for the holiday season.  And this is the part that includes my favorite Snow Fairy line of products.  Snow Fairy!!

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 Fair Trade Foot Lotion

Several years ago, my LUSh stash was huge.  I went to the store in Macy*s one day and just bought a massive pile of store and then I was consistently ordering from their website.  But since their product line contains many natural ingredients, every item has an expiration date and I decided to use down my stash of their products before all of them began to go bad before I got to finish them up.  That being said, my stash has almost completely depleted and the Fair Trade Foot Lotion is one of the last products that I have to use and review from this company.  I finally opened it up the other morning, it has mint oils in it so I decided to wait for the hottest months of the year to use it.  I have been using a lot of mint-based products for the past few weeks and I am happy that I have another one to add to my regime.

"Refreshing Arnica and Mint infusion for sore feet.  Put your feet up and treat them fairyly with our pinkest, perkiest, and mintiest foot lotion.  Our restorative cream for feet is made with mega moisturizing organic Fair Trade cocoa butter.  An added double dose of revitalizing spearmint and peppermint makes sore feet cool and helps to relieve aches and pains after being stuck in shoes.  Plus, we've added soothing arnica and marigold herbs to take away the weariness and get your feet ready for another day in the rat race.  Treat your feet fairly and slather on generously at the end of a long day." 

The cocoa butter comes from purely Fair Trade sources, it is good for both my feet and the world.  I love that LUSH goes out of the way to use the most responsible ingredient sources and isn't interested only in the profit margin of their products.  The combination of the two mint oils helps to really refresh feet at the end of the day and smells wonderful.  Lastly, the addition of the arnica oil helps relieve discomfort and aches. 

The texture of this product is a lotion, not a cream.  I wouldn't find this thick enough during the winter months or for feet that are very dry and cracked.  The mint oils create a tingling sensation on the foot which works well to help relax at the end of the day or to brighten up my morning.  The lotion is absorbed very quickly and doesn't leave a residue on my skin.  This is one of the few foot products that I have tried that I won't need to always use with socks, it sinks in fast enough that I could use it and then put flip flops on within a few minutes.  And of course I love that it has a pink hue, I can never turn down any type of pink beauty product!

LUSH almost never disappoints me, this is one of the best beauty product lines that I have ever used and this product is no exception.  I would recommend this lotion for use more in the summer months since the mint oil combination is so soothing and refreshing, you can use it in the winter but it is best when used in the warm weather months.  Likewise, with the light texture of this lotion, I wouldn't use it in the winter when my skin is so much more dry.  I love the scent of the mint oil however you will need to like this scent to use this product, if you dislike the scent or feel of the mint oils on your skin then this will be a product that you want to skip over.  And the fact that this lotion is pink just makes it all the much better in my opinion!

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 Sugar Babe Body Scrub

Since my love for LUSH bath products is never ending, I have decided to start trying more of their shower and facial care products in the hopes that I find more products to use and love.  I don't need any skincare items at the moment so I decided to order a new product for my body and bought the Sugar Babe Body Scrub from this collection.  Normally I use scrubs from jars and this one is very different in that it is a solid bar of sugar and isn't mixed with a oil to change the texture.  So this was my first time trying both a solid type of scrub and a scrub from this company, I wasn't quite sure what to expect on either counts with this product. 

LUSH provides the following product description about this scrub, "Our solid Sugar Scrub is tough on cellulite and unwanted bumps, but kind on your skin.  It's no nonsense attitude doesn't waste any time getting down to business; sweetly exfoliating with Fair Trade sugar and stimulating circulation with fennel and ginger.  It's not all rough stuff though; calming lavender has a balancing effect and encourages healthier skin.  Get yourself wet in the bath or shower (but don't let the bar get under the running water).  Scrub, scrub, scrub and rinse away!  You'll be left with smother, cleaner, and radiant skin.  Water are you waiting for?  Get scrubbing!"

This product is preservative and packaging-free so it is very good for the environment.  However storage of it is very tricky, I had to store it in the plastic bag that it arrived in.  I couldn't leave it in the shower since it would dissolve if any water got on it and therefore I would lose the whole product.  I wish that LUSH sold a reusable container to put this product in, they do for other products and I wish that this one also had a container.  Even storing it in the plastic bag, I realized that this product was diminishing much quicker than it would if I had it in some other type of container.  This was my first disappointment with the product.

This type is scrub is very scrubby, much more so than many other sugar scrubs that have to be mixed with oils before use.  I liked this product on my legs and my upper arms however it hurt when I used it on my stomach and left marks after I got out of the shower.  I could only use this product on my legs and arms but I can't use this product all over my body, I have had reactions before with certain types of scrubs on my torso so I wasn't all that shocked when I couldn't really this product on all areas of my body.  However being that I can't really use this product as it is designed, I wouldn't repurchase the product again. 

The scent is ok but isn't really my favorite type of fragrance for body products.  It smells woody and herbal with a bit of a lavender fragrance added in.  I could stand the fragrance enough to get through the few uses of it that it takes to get through the bar but I wouldn't buy anything in this fragrance again.  I have seen this product released in other fragrances before in limited edition products, I wish that I had the Christmas version that was released a few years and smelled more like strawberries and cream.  That type of fragrance would make this product easier to use and deal with but until it is released again in that fragrance, I wouldn't rebuy this scrub.

My first experience with LUSH scrubs wasn't the best but I know that this company carries some of the best products in the beauty industry so I know that I will try other scrubs and body products from this company again.

photo courtesy of LUSH

LUSH The Godmother Bar Soap

I may have just reported on the new Valentine's Day product offerings from LUSH but I am currently using one of their core product line bar soaps.  The Godmother is a product that is carried all year round but always makes me think of the holidays.  It is little known fact but the limited edition Snow Fairy scent is carried more times of the year than just the holidays.  For the longest time, I thought that it was carried only at the holidays and I was always surprised that it never came offered in their best-selling Bar Soap formula.  I learned last summer that The Godmother is the Snow Fairy scent but in a bar soap formulation.  I ordered a bar of it with my next LUSH order and I was so happy that it actually does smell exactly like Snow Fairy!  I am on my last bottle of Snow Fairy Shower Gel and I know that it won't last until next October when the holiday products come out again.  I am glad to know that I can order a bar of this soap anytime that I need my Snow Fairy fix...

"For really soft hands that smell like the famous fairy.  Our loyal fans and customers wanted a soap that smelt of our Snow Fairy Shower Gel and we just couldn't say no.  Your hands and body will smell like sweet bubblegum and they'll do more than wishes.  These days, liquid hand soap is used by most North Americans for daily hand washing.  But, did you know that solid soap is just as effective and much less wasteful?  Put down the liquid soap and step away slowly!  Mo, our soap-inventor supreme, has made this special soap for keeping by the kitchen sink.  Think of it as your fairy godmother."

I don't waste this product at the sink, this one lives only in my shower and I use it every morning to start my day off on a good note.  This soap is exactly like the Snow Fairy Shower Gel in a solid form, a product that I have been wishing would come out at Christmas for the past few years.  Apparently I wasn't the only one since this product was made based on the demand of the Snow Fairy fans.  Once you try Snow Fairy, your outlook on body products will change and you will fall in love with this fragrance.

I love LUSH Bar Soaps in the wintertime, they are hydrating and don't strip my skin like most normal soaps do.  This one produces very little foam and therefore is very good for dry skin.  My skin isn't as tight after I get out of the shower (versus when I use a traditional shower gel) and I love this product so far.  I just love LUSH products so much and this might be in my Top Ten of favorites...

photo courtesy of LUSH UK

LUSH Valentine's Day Products

I am not going to go into my thoughts on Valentine's Day, I may not love this holiday but a new crop of LUSH products can brighten my day no matter what the theme of the line is.  And I must admit that the Valentine's Day product line is among the best of the limited edition products that they release during the year.  Valentine's Day is the perfect time for pink and girly products and what company does that better than LUSH?!  I remember the Leap Frog product from last year, who could forget that cute little frog product?  I always want to buy another one of him for novelty value alone, he makes me giggle and just looking at him always brightens my day.  So I might actually be able to say that I look forward to Valentine's Day just for this product collection...

LUSH's collection consists of a mixture of body and bath products and has the introduction of a fragrance this year, I have not yet tried their fragrance line in the store and I am very interested to see what type of fragrance this company feels is a good choice for this holiday. Since I am most interested in the fragrance choice, I have decided that that is where we will begin...
25:43 Gorilla Perfume - LUSH inventor and co-founder Marc Constantine created this perfume especially for his son Simon in honor of his wedding day.  Simon's bride wore this fresh and citrusy perfume down the aisle, and it captured the moment beautifully with notes of tonka and lime accord.  Simon (not to be bested by his Dad) later added notes of lemongrass, vanilla, ylang ylang, and litsea to round out the already light and clean essence of 25:43.  Born of a truly romantic notion, share this perfume with your partner to create your own scented memories!  Love is in the air: Since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the number of proposals there has tripled!  This inspired Simon to share his perfume.  Did you know?  The strongest sense tied to memory is smell.  Create beautifully fragranced moments with our most romantic perfume yet.  Behind the name: It took Marc twenty-five minutes and forty-three seconds to blend this masterpiece for Simon.  Talk about a flash of brillance!

Love Potion Massage Bar - Some people like to give candy-grams or flowers, but at LUSH, we think you should pop the all-important "Will you be my Valentine?" with a sensual, full body massage.  Call us forward, but we think few gestures are as effective!  Offer to massage your beloved with our Love-scented cocoa butter bar, Love Potion.  Fresh apple blossom, orris root infusion, and bergamot oils (along with aphrodisiac jasmine) cast a spell on their senses, leading them right down the path to shouting out, "Yes!  Yes!  I'll always be yours!" in sheer pleasure.  Job done.  It's all about the foreplay: Prep for your massage by drawing them a bath with our Fizzbanger Bath Bomb.  Plus, a name like that is definitely an icebreaker.  Double the 'Love': Follow your Love Potion massage with a spritz of our Love perfume!  Soft, romantic scents: Love Potion is full of gorgeous floral oils like carnation, ylang ylang, rose, apple blossom, and jasmine.

Sweetheart Bar Soap - If you have to declare your feelings for that someone special, give them a slice of our limited edition Sweetheart soap.  After all, it smells better (and is kinder to the environment) than a valentine and they'll be reminded of your adoration every time they soap up with the jasmine, vanilla, and sandalwood suds.  The cramy, moisturizing lather will leave them soft, smiling - and thinking of you!  If you are not quite ready to gift them with a P.S. I Love You, take it slow and work them into a lather with a slice of Sweetheart.  Chocolates are so last year: Give your Valentine a scrumptious smelling slice of Sweetheart instead of chocolates - it will definitely last longer!  No honey here: Like most of our handmade soaps, this skin softening wonder is vegan.  Snap up a slice: Sweetheart is only available for a limited time.

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar - Magic Mushrrom has two distinctive 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 siganture 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-ve said goodbye to our exceptionally fruity, sweetly creamy Bubble Bar and it's been tough.  Make mounds of frothy bubbles with this limited edition romancer. 

Leap Frog 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 wiat 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.

The Ex-Factor Bath Bomb - Valentine's Day isn't for everyone.  It can make your blook 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 color 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.

The Leap Forg isn't the only giggle that I get from this collection, The Ex-Factor gives me a good laugh too.  I will have to order both of these bombs just for the amusement that I get from them.  I think that Ex-Factor might be the perfect product for me to use on Valentine's Day night, I can play in the bathtub and kiss the holiday away until next year!

I think the Sweetheart soap is adorable even though I normally hate those types of products, I really must order a bar of this very soon.  And I must buy another Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar, I am on my last bottle of Yummy Yummy Yummy and I love that fragrance, this is now the only way that I can get my hands on it.

photo courtesy of LUSH

My Favorite Products at this Time

I might already be thinking about the spring months but that doesn't mean that I'm not enjoying some lovely holiday beauty products!  Right now I have been using some of the best candy smelling holiday body products and some party ready beauty products.  Even though this is the season of stress, I have been trying to take some time out and enjoy the best part of the holidays - all kinds of fun new beauty products and makeup shades.  This is the best time of the year for body products, especially for those of us like myself who have a major Snow Fairy addiction and have to purchase all of it this time of the year and make it last until next Halloween.

My favorites of the holiday season!

LUSH Snow Fairy Shower Gel - "The fairy is back again this year for her legion of fans.  The sweet bubblegum and cotton candy scent of this shower gel is mixed in with iridescent glitter, making her irresitible to those who love all things pink and fluffy (and those who deny loving all things pink and fluffy too!).  Mark and Mo's daughter Clarie asked for a sweet, shimmery gel when she was 15, so Mark came up with this fragrance.  We'd imagined that it would be popular with girls, but never believed that it would be so popular with grown men too!  Use to wash your body and hair, and smell like a sweetie all day long.  Lathering up in mounds of sparkly bubbles always tickles us pink!  Being a vegetarian company, we use synthetic musk to give Snow Fairy her sweet vanilla-y scent."  This is the perfect cotton candy scent that makes your whole shower smell sweet but doesn't linger after the shower and compete with your perfume.  This is a returning best seller for a reason, this is one of the original cotton candy scents and I think it is the best out of all of them.  I am considering buying another bottle before LUSH completely sells out.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Phallic - "Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colors that stand out.  The formula is hard wearing and chip resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high gloss.  Apply two coats for high intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish.  Make a statement and talk with your hands!"  Phallic is a deep midnight blue shade with a shimmer finish.  This was my favorite shade when I reviewed the product and I am still in love with it, I have done my last few pedicures in it and I keep falling more and more in love with it.  It is the perfect midnight blue with shimmer that can be shine in certain lights.  In certain lights, the shimmer comes out and the shade looks as those it is twinkling on my nails.  This is the best midnight blue shimmer since Ciel de Nuit from Chanel and that is the highest praise that I can give any polish shade.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Half Baked - "An industry favorite and our best-selling product!  Available in over 50 shades, our pigment-rich shadows are versatile, blendable, and beautiful.  This is the product we were born to make - our best-seller!  Professionals, celebrities, and makeup junkies swoon for our wide array of shades.  Each one is pigment-rich: we load the shadow with color, and add very few binders (the stuff that holds shadow together), resulting in beautiful color that blends easily and lasts.  Lots of finishes to suit your mood: sparkle, shimmer, duotone, or unsparkly satin.  Our subway token compact comes complete with a window (see your shade without opening), and snaps shut with one hand - no more lost lids."  Half Baked was first introduced to me in the original Naked Palette and now is featured again in the Naked 2 Palette (bought it just haven't finished playing with it to review yet), where I got to play with it again.  It is a "rich gold" and that is exactly what it is.  This is a lovely gold, rich and buttery in texture and is always flattering to my blue eyes.  It made more sense in the original Naked than it did in Naked 2, but I am more than happy to already have a back up of it.

Stella by Stella McCartney - "A fragrance based on the contrast between the freshness and softeness of the rose, and the dark sensuality of amber, Stella is a sophisticated scent focused on an intense sense of feminity.  The concept of Stella McCartney bath line is based on ecological and organic cosmetology, selecting the best natural raw materials and capitalizing on vegetal extracts based on organic agriculture and on extraction methods that respect and protect the natural life force of the plants.  Notes: Rose, Peony Flower, Mandarin, Rose Absolute, Amber."  I just bought another bottle of this scent and the matching roll-on and I have been wearing it almost every single day since.  This has been a favorite fragrance of mine for years and I never cease to get compliments every single time that I wear it.  This is one of the perfect rose fragrances and the amber note in it makes it very unique and adds a depth to the fragrance that is sometimes missing in single rose fragrances.  I also love Stella McCartney and how vegan-friendly all her product lines are.

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Ruby Pumps - "China Glaze is a professional-level nail enamel made with a special balance of polymers and resins that combine to create a nail lacquer that is long-lasting, chip-resistant, and resistant to color and shine fading.  Will not thicken in the bottle, no thinners necessary."  Ruby Pumps is a bright red with red glitter in it and it is made to look like Dorothy's pumps in the Wizard of Oz, this is the perfect holiday party color.  It is impossible to look at this color and not feel festive.  I have done my past few manicures in this shade to lead right up to the holiday itself.  Wear is ok on this shade, it is bright and shiny however I get tip wear within a day of putting it on, so I do need to redo this manicure more than I do with other shades.

Happy holiday beauty everyone!

photo courtesy of Urban Decay

LUSH Holiday 2011 Collection - Body and Shower Products

Last post was the holiday bath product line and I found some wonderful products to shop for.  This post is about the shower products, including the famed Snow Fairy Shower Gel that I use throughout the whole year.  I already know that I will be buying at least one more bottle of the Snow Fairy and I will be looking at everything else in this part of the collection.  I do miss the year that LUSH did a whole line of Snow Fairy-based products since I would love to own this fragrance in as many types of products as possible. 

I have used both the Snow Fairy Shower Gel and the Angel's Delight Bar Soap and I love both of them.  They are back this year along with some other returning products.  I see some new ones too, including a candy cane-inspired soap that looks very promising. 
Time to check out the shower part of the LUSH holiday collection!

Snow Fairy Shower Gel - The Fairy is back again this year for her legion of fans.  The sweet bubblegum and cotton candy scent of this shower gel is mixed in with iridescent glitter, making her irresistable to those who love all things pink and glitter, making her irresistible to those who love all things pink and fluffy (and those who deny loving all things pink and fluffy too!).  Mark and Mo's daughter Claire asked for a sweet, shimmery shower gel when she was 15, so Mark came up with this fragrance.  We'd imagined it would be popular with girls, but never believed that it would be so popular with grown men too!  Use to wash your body and hair, and smell like a sweetie all day long.  Lathering up in mounds of sparkly bubbles always tickles us pink!  Being a vegetarian company, we use synthetic musk to give Snow Fairy her sweet vanilla-y scent.

Glogg Shower Gel - Get into a lather with Glogg (pronounced Glug), our limited edition shower gel inspired by a festive Swedish mulled wine.  While it may be tempting to take a swig, we recommend you save the warming effects of the organic red wine, brandy, and spice oils for the benefit of your body.  Wash up with these suds to get circulation flowing down to your toe-sicles and heat up those cold, sore muscles.  What better way to beat Father Frost than a steamy, revitalizing shower with Glogg?  Back again this year because we missed it so much!  Winter can chill you to the bone; Glogg spices things up and gets your blood flowing.  We use vegan red wine from a small organic winery in Canada to warm you up!

The Jilted Elf Jelly - Inspired by a brilliant fig, honey, and vodka cocktail from New York City, the Jilted Elf brings a dash of pizzazz to our winter showers.  He's a verdant, sparkling jelly with the sophisticated and stimulating fragrance of ginger and cinnamon leaf oil.  If you're feeling like a bit of a Scrooge or if you just need a pick-me-up this holiday season, pop in the shower with the Jilted Elf.  He's sure to work his holiday charm on you!  Brilliantly uplifting and warming fragrance.  This spicy fellow warms up chilly bodies; perfect for winter showers.  Honey and fig infusions are wonderfully softening on the skin.

Snow Globe Bar Soap - When Mark and Mo went looking for Christmas inspiration last year, they happened upon a giant snow globe in the middle of Hyde Park that you could climb inside and be part of the festive scene!  Mo was instantly inspired and headed home to make an equally spectacular frosty globe of snow, with a refreshing lemon, herbal myrtle, and zippy grapefruit scent to lift your spirits on a cold day.  We loved it so much; we had to bring it back this year.  Brightens your day during dark, winter months.  Refreshes body and mind with a single citrusy lather.  Grapefruit oil is used in aromatherapy for lifting the mood and clearing the mind.

Snowcake Bar Soap - Smitten with almonds?  You're not the only one...  For the softest, creamiest, most luxurious suds imaginable, grab a great big slice of Snowcake and float away on a cloud of marzipan and rose absolute.  Snowcake smells exactly like our Smitten hand cream, and is an all time holiday favorite among staff and customers alike.  It softens and cleans your body and scents it with a long-lasting almond fragrance.  The blend of rose, cassie, and benzoin gives Snowcake its irresistable scent; but those oils are also great for the skin, too.  Your body will be silky smooth and ready to face the cold outside.

Northern Lights Bar Soap - Every winter, a handful of lucky LUSH UK creators travel around different countries gathering inspiration for our holiday products.  Last year, Simon and Jo saw the Northern Lights while visiting Finland and Norway.  Although Simon admitted it was a little tricky to smell anything in Finland (his nose was frozen, it was so cold!), he asked one of our Finnish perfumers to knock out a fresh, interesting fragrance.  If you like clean, pine, lime, cypress, you're in for a treat!  Every piece of Northern Lights soap is unique and colorful, no matter how we slice it!  A super, natural vegan soap that smells of a fresh forest.  Pine needle oil is used for it's fresh, woody scent and cleansing properties.

Angel's Delight Bar Soap - How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways...  Angel's Delight is one of our LUSH Christmas classics and a best seller every year.  It really is hard to say what we love most about our heavenly holiday creation.  There's the refreshingly fruit scent, bursting with tangerines and black currants.  And the beautiful iridescent glitter mixed throughout a sea of bright purples, oranges, blues, and pinks.  What about the adorable star and moon shapes throughout each slice?  Oh, we give up!  We love it all, and we have a sneaking suspicion you will too.  Angel's Delight has a fantastic new look!  Mark and Mo (LUSH co-founders) were inspired by a gigantic, golden moon-shaped picture frame they happened upon in Venice.  And we have to admit, we agree with her: Angel's Delight is stunning.  If you really want to impress the guests at Christmas dinner this year, why not place a whole Angel's Delight on the table as a centerpiece?  Sweet orange oil comes from the peal of sweet oranges.  Orange blossoms have been regarded as highly symbolic in many cultures, often being worn by brides as a symbol of fertility.

Australian Igloo Sugar Scrub - First of all, we know there aren't any igloos in Australia.  Our perfumer Simon went igloo building in Finland, and an Australian fellow in his group had major trouble makin his, so we made one for him!  Fair trade sugar polishes and exfoliates away dry wintery skin, while extra virgin coconut oil sinks in to moisturize and soften.  The refreshing blend of Siberian pine, Australian eucalyptus and sandalwood oils revitalize your mind as well as your skin.

The first two items that I need are more of the Snow Fairy Shower Gel and the Angel's Delight Bar Soap.  Both are fantastic and the Angel's Delight can be saved for use in the spring and summer since it is so citrusy scented, that fact might make me want to purchase more than one of them; one to use now and a few to save for later in the year.  I also must order Snowcake and Snow Globe soaps, I haven't tried either of them but I have heard so many rave reviews on them that I believe they are worth an order. 

I am considering taking a chance of Glogg, I am a bit worried that it might irritate my dry, sensitive skin with some of the spice oils in it but I love red wine so much that I am really tempted to try it.  Perhaps I will see what is the smallest size that I can order it in (or see if it comes with other products in a gift set) so I don't feel bad if it doesn't turn out to be a great product for me.  I know that I will be skipping over the two products that have a pine scent in them, I can deal with the scent of pine in small amounts for home fragrance but I couldn't stand to have it on my body for any length of time.

LUSH holiday products make me happier than any other products that come out throughout the year and I really recommend that everyone try this company out this time of the year.  The returning favorites are best sellers for a reason and Snow Fairy has now achieved cult status and I can't wait to replenish my stock of it!

photo courtesy of LUSH UK