LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub!

Ahhh the Canadian winter. Every year, it wreaks havoc on my skin. My hands crack, my skin flakes, and my lips peel. It never fails.

Using my trusty Nuxe Reve de Miel isn't always enough to soften my chapped lips.  While the Reve de Miel is great for moisturizing my lips, it does nothing in terms of taking care of the leftover dry skin. This is where LUSH's Mint Julips Lip Scrub kicks in. I apply this softly on my lips on nights where my lips feel particularly chapped, and rub it in softly to help loosen dead skin.

I'm not sure if this is just me, but I find the formula of this a bit dry, and messy. The sugar doesn't quite stay on the lips while I'm trying to rub it in, and I don't find there is enough oil. Nevertheless, the scent (mint/chocolate) is pleasant, and I do like using it. I didn't find it was too expensive either at $10. Plus, it does leave my lips quite soft and makes any lip balm work like a dream after usage.

Do you use lip scrubs? If so, which ones? Do you find they are useful?

New at LUSH: Blousey Shampoo for Color-treated Hair!

When I first sniffed the contents of LUSH's new Blousey* shampoo for color-treated hair, I was taken aback. I really didn't like the scent. The shampoo contains bananas, and if you know me, you know that bananas are almost never in my home (I do, however, have them when I intend to make banana bread, which I love!). I hate bananas. The texture of them is just completely unappealing to me. I got my boy to sniff the shampoo as well, thinking I was being a bit unreasonable with my first impression. He did not like it either, laughing at the fact that I'm going to have to use this atrocity, and lather it in my hair. The Blousey shampoo and I had a rough start.

Now that I've completely bashed the scent, I'm going to tell you it is actually really really nice lathered in the hair. I know, weird right?! The banana smell isn't obvious at all when you lather the shampoo, and instead, the other notes of the shampoo come forward: blackcurrant, juniper, berries. It's really nice. So nice in fact, that after a shower, my boy smelled my hair and complimented me on the way my hair smelled! He had a hard time believing it was the product he initially smelled. Point is, if you're put off initially by the scent of this product, don't be, it really changes when you use it.

The go-ey insides:

I'm very happy LUSH decided to come out with a shampoo for color treated hair. I have long been a fan of their solid shampoo bars, but they tend to strip color in my hair. This shampoo is very gentle, but cleans very well. I was worried it would leave my hair a bit oily (since my hair tends to lean towards that) but it didn't at all. In fact, I was able to not wash my hair on the second day, which isn't something every shampoo allows me to do. It's also so gentle that it doesn't encourage oil production in my hair. Blousey left my hair soft and moisturized and my scalp content. A+! You also don't need a a whole lot of product to wash your hair - just make sure you take the time to lather properly! Also, fun fact from the website: the shampoo is preservative free!

Overall, I'm very happy with this shampoo. The scent of it proved to be great when used in the shower and it was quite moisturizing without weighing my hair down (keep in mind that I have very very thick hair). If I ever run out of this (seems bottomless to me!) I'd definitely consider repurchasing.

Hope every one is having a good week! I'm officially on vacation and loving it! I'm not quite done my Christmas shopping (I still have my mom to do!) but I cannot wait to hang out with my family, play card games, and eat my mom's delicious stuffing. Hopefully I will be updating during that time with some Christmassy pictures!

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

LUSH soaps! Mr. Punch, Snow Globe and Snowcake review!

If there's something that puts me in the holiday spirit, it's holiday scents. Candles, the smell of cookies baking, the smell of Christmas trees, the smell of my parent's house when turkey is in the oven. My memory is very much scent oriented - I associate the Fructis shampoo scent with Harry Potter (I read the books while using this shampoo!). So when I was offered to review some Christmas soaps from LUSH*, I jumped a the chance - who knows, maybe I was going to find THE Christmas soap of the year? Maybe by using them around Christmas time, they'll remind of of Christmas year round?

I brought these soaps along for a weekend trip with my mom, and since she had forgotten to bring any kind of soap or body wash (oh mom!), I thought it the perfect opportunity to ask for a second opinion on these products to see what she thought of them. She's quite a fan of LUSH so I didn't have to ask too hard.

My mom immediately gravitated towards the Mr. Punch soap. She loved the fruity but clean smell. The smell isn't too sweet either, which she loved. She was however, a bit disappointed with the fact that it doesn't lather up as much as she would have liked. She loves the smell of it very much though! So do I, but I find the slight smell of booze a bit surprising - it's great, but I wouldn't use it on hangover morn. 

From left to right we've got Mr. Punch, Snow Globe and Snowcake soaps.

I, on the other hand, LOVED the Snow Globe soap. The lemony, earthy smell was exactly what I want in a soap. I love getting out of the shower and smelling "fresh" if that make sense. Snow Globe is perfect for that. It lathered really well (other soaps I've tried such as the Demon in the Dark lathered much less) and left my skin squeaky clean, but not dry.

I also tried the Snowcake soap and while it's not a smell I would gravitate towards, I actually quite liked the scent on me. It smells to me, just as LUSH describes, like creamy almonds. They also say it smells like marzipan, but I have no idea what marzipan smells like. The soap was very moisturizing (more than Snow Globe in my opinion) and the scent lingered on my skin for a while. This was the biggest surprise to me - I really expected to not like it.

Also, just to add to this soap fiesta, I recently tried the Karma soap in sample form and guys, it was so good. I understand it's not a scent for everyone, but goodness, I thought it was AMAZING. It smells of oranges and patchouli. The boy said I smelled like a hippy, but I ain't care! It's definitely something I will purchase in the future.

So all in all, my Christmas soap? I think Snow Globe is definitely a winner. You can't beat LUSH's signature earthy scent - I absolutely love it. If you're into fresh scents, I think you would definitely like it. If you like softer, milder scents, Snowcake is for you - it's very lovely and gives a good lather even if it's moisturizing. Mr. Punch's scent, in my opinion, for everyone.Who doesn't like the smell of fresh punch?

Have you gotten LUSH goodies for Christmas gifts? I've gotten (SHHHH!) some things for some unnamed family members, who hopefully, will not be reading this last sentence.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

* I have received these products for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Used up in March

I must admit, I don't usually use up many products fully. If I don't like something very much, I usually give the product away to someone who will enjoy it/use it (hi sister of mine!) or chuck it in the trash if it's really bad. I know, it's sinful. For the month of March though, I gave myself the goal of trying to use up stuff as best I could. Here's the empties I ended with!

Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon Shower Gel: I got this from my mom as a gift a looooong time ago and never got around to using it! I quite liked it - it smells very fresh and the smell lingered on my skin for a bit after showering. It wasn't very moisturizing or super special in any way so I have moved on. I probably won't repurchase because we don't have a Bath and Body Works around here - even if we did, there are a million other delicious smells to choose from so I doubt I'd go back to Cucumber Melon.

Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Spray: This was only okay. Honestly, it may be because I suck at using dry shampoo. I just think it always looks ashy in my hair. Either way, I loved the smell of this - it's lemony and fresh without being too strong like Batiste's shampoos. I won't be repurchasing this particular bottle because I saw that Oscar Blandi makes dry shampoo for brunettes! If it has the same great smell, I'll definitely be getting that one.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation: I used to think that this foundation was a MUST for me but now I'm not so sure. The foundation is long wearing, yes, but it does oxidize on my skin. Plus, it's quite heavy and blending is a pain if you don't do it really fast. It was a sample so I didn't waste any money on it, at least.

L'Oreal Explosion Telescopic and Collagen Mascaras: Both awful for me. I hated the Telescopic - spider lashes all the way. And I don't like fiddling with mascara. The Collagen mascara was waterproof, and this was the worst of the waterproofs - it flaked AND wouldn't come off. Will not be repurchasing these.

Seche Vite: There's about 1/3 of the polish left in there. Sadly, it's a complete gloopy useless mess.  Seche Vite is infamous for this but I can't help but love it. It dries so fast! I'm already using another bottle.

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator: I actually quite liked this product. Every time I used this, I felt like my skin was fresh and properly exfoliated but not irritated. However, my Clarisonic has replaced my exfoliation needs so I will not be repurchasing.

Rimmel Stay Matte: Yes, this isn't completely empty, but I'm chucking it because I hate this powder! It was cakey and smelled bad. I much prefer my Clinique Loose powder at the moment. I don't think I'll ever come back to a compact powder.

And what's not pictured because it's been used up is Lush products! I used up my Aqua Mirabilis scrub bar and a Fluffy Egg bath bomb. The Fluffy Egg smelled divine but it's a one time treat so I will probably not be repurchasing simply because it's not very practical. I liked the Aqua Mirabilis as well but not enough to repurchase. The grains in the bar were quite rough and I found it a bit harsh on my skin. I prefer my Body Shop exfoliators at the moment.

Do you throw things away sometimes when the product just isn't cutting it for you? I can't help it! I get so impatient when a product isn't working out for me.

LUSH Love!

I don't have a Lush anywhere near where I live - the closest is 4 hours away. Online ordering is difficult because you can't really tell what things are going to smell like. Patchouli? Wtf is that?! I'm really not good a remembering what smells like what. I have a good sense of smell but a crap memory.

So yeah, I kind of ordered this stuff on a whim, and pretty blindly. Luckily, I'm happy with most.

This is what everything looked like all packaged up. I'm probably the only one who thinks this is insanely awesome.

I have used the Each Peach Massage Bar on my freshly shaven legs last night and this morning and I am in LOVE. It smells so delicious (of lemon not peach in my opinion) and makes your legs silky smooth. Of course, it's a massage bar, but I read somewhere of a person who used it on her legs. It works fabulously!

I have tried the Green Bubbleroons in the past and LOVED them. They make so much bubbles! I get bored in the bath, I'm not going to lie. But the bubbles make it pretty entertaining! I have yet to try the Yuzu & Coco one but I am loving the smell of them.

This is the only product that the smell has me a bit disappointed. It's just so... soapy? And it smells of like... a sweet dairy product. I'm not a fan of the smell but I'm sure I'll be using it up anyway. It's not off-putting by any means but it's just not my cup of tea.

This massage bar was solely purchase for my main man, fruit snacks (he'll get a kick out of this). He complains of sore muscles all the time and LOVES a good massage. The smell of this is... strange. It kind of smells of cinnamon, and kind of like those medicated Blistex in the little pots? It's weiiiird! But my main man doesn't mind it and neither do I really. It's just very a very medical kind of smell. So be warned - you will NOT like this if you like vanilla, fruity or sweet smells.

All together now! As you can see in the picture, I also got a Pop in the Bath bubble bar, which smells amazing, and a Demon in the Dark soap which reminds me of gum. It's nice though! But what the hells is that rind around it? Am I supposed to cut that off? Because I used it in the shower and it left black bits on my body! So confusing!

Clearly I'm a Lush newbie but it's been really a blast trying these things out. Any recommendations from you guys?

Shopping Trip Results

I went shopping last weekend. Out of town shopping. That means new stores, new products.

I did some damage.

I got another Tarte Amazonian Clay blush, this time in Blissful (I already have exposed), MAC Pro Pan eyeshadow in All That Glitters, Estee Lauder Day Wear BB Cream in Light (so excited about this one!), MAC liner in Teddy, Butter London nail polish in Aston, and some Lush products! I'm already in LOVE with the Jumpin Juniper shampoo bar. I forgot to include my Clinique Almost Lipstick in Spicy Honey, which I've already worn a lot and now want all the other shades.

I got some clothing as well, including a skirt, a chunky knit cardigan/sweater, another cream cardigan and a tank. And these:

They are Pour La Victoire flats. And how much did I pay for them? Twelve effing bucks. I was so happy about this find! Hopefully they'll get loads of wear after the snow melts!

I meant to buy the Clarisonic on my shopping trip but found it at Sephora for more than a Canadian online retailer I'm familiar with. So I'm happy to announce that I finally have a Clarisonic coming my way. I ordered it from Spaboutique.ca where they do have a 10% coupon floating around, and free shipping. Woop! I shall update with a review soon, hopefully!