Hey guys! Just wanted to share with you my skincare routine. I did a Youtube vid on it awhile back but I just wanted to update you on some new products.
LUSH Breath of Fresh Air Toner (morning + night) - this is the second toner that I've tried from LUSH (first being Eau Roma Water). I think I prefer Eau but I'm going to try them all, so the last one will probably be Tea Tree. You can either spray it onto a cotton ball or directly onto your face - I tend to do the second option cause I can never find cotton balls haha
Bare Escentuals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper (morning + night): I got this with a Sephora gitfcard after reading really good reviews about it. At first I didn't really care much for it, and I figured I probably wouldn't purchase it again after I used it up. But now, with only a tiny bit of it left, I realized how good it has been for my skin. My skin is much more smooth and my complexion is clearer. It has a lot of great ingredients for your skin (such as glycolic acid) so I think it is a definite re-purchase.
Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (night): Before cleansing your face at night, you need to make sure to remove your makeup first. You can either just cleanse your face twice with the same cleanser to do this (if you have one that works at removing makeup) or just use a makeup wipe like these. Neutrogena has the best ones so far that I've tried (other ones I'm tried are Olay, Ponds, and Garnier). They're soft and smell great :)
LUSH Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser (night): I think I'm on my second container of this cleanser. Its a really gentle exfoliant and one of Lush's bestsellers. All you do to use it is break off a little piece, add a few drops of water and make it into a paste. It has balancing ingredients so its great for combo skin like mine...and my face feels so soft after using it at night! One container also seems to last forever for me (which is both good and bad since it only has a shelf life of 3-4 months) I usually keep most of it in the fridge to keep it fresh haha
LUSH Mask of Magnaminty (once a week): LOVE this mask from Lush! I think I'm on the fourth pot of it or something around there haha. I'm surprised I've never done a full blog review about this. I'll try to remember to do one in the future. In short, its amazing. You leave it on for about 15 mins (sometimes I'll leave it on longer if I lose track of time) and your skin is suuuuper soft, smooth, and refreshed after taking it off.
A non LUSH product? How dare I! haha. I stumbled upon this product after watching Sardun1's Youtube Review about it. At the time I hadn't been using a morning cleanser for quite a while (just LUSH Angels on Bare Skin in the evening) and I had ridiculous acne and flaky skin all over my face from my trip to Charlotte, NC (I suppose the air was dry...). I bought the soap off of The Source Skincare's website, but its also available on Amazon.com. At first when I recieved the product I was extremely disappointed in the size. I had it in my head that it would be at least an average size bottle (being that is cost $15), but it was only 4oz which is practically travel-sized. I decided that I'd use it every morning but probably not purchase it again. The first thing I liked about it was the consistency and color (it is a really deep burgundy/brown color). I also love how you can wash it off your face with barely any effort...just throw some water on your face a couple times, no washcloth needed. Within roughly 2-3 days my acne was GONE. Like...completely. My flaky dry skin was also gone as well. I wasn't expecting this product to work so well! (Tip: combine this with LUSH's Mask of Magnaminty - first use this product to wash your face and then use the mask- and its an amazing acne killer! lol) I've been using it for about two weeks. I did end up getting a little bit more acne on my forehead this week (where I always always seem to get it) but I'm almost positive its hormone-related. I can tell the soap is already working to make them less visible. I will keep you updated on this product a few months from now to let you know if it is still working for me! Also, keep in mind that the product can double as a mask...just leave it on for about 5-10 mins.
The one thing I don't like about this soap? The price tag! I still don't really want to pay $15 for just a 4oz bottle (although I've learned that you only really need a little bit of product so it should last a good amount of time). When this runs out, I will probably look around the interwebs to find a similar but cheaper alternative. African Black Soap seems to be fairly popular. Coastal Scents (where I've already bought a few things from) has African Black Soap in the more-popular bar form for $8. If anyone tries this, please let me know how it goes =)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me and is based on my own personal experience. I have no affiliation with Shea Terra Organics or The Source Skincare and am not getting paid to review this product.
Some more Lush for ya! This review is on the Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar. I loveee this bubble bar to death! Even more than The Comforter (which happens to be my favorite color, pink...so you know this one must be good. haha). Its really huge so it can easily last 4 or 5 baths. I only broke a tiny corner off and got tons of bubbles. For those who have never used a bubble bar, basically you just break off a piece of it (or you can use the whole thing if its a smaller bubble bar) and crumble it into your bathtub below the faucet (it should end up being almost like a powder after you crumble it). Then you run the water and...bubbles! Some people like running the water first and then crumbling it in, but I've found that crumbing it and just kind of swishing the crumbles around so it hits the faucet water makes more bubbles. Anyway...the smell of this one (which is frankincense and patchouli) is amazing. If you like kind of woodsy types of scents (like I do) you would definitely love this. It kind of smells like incense except not as strong. The best part about this bubble bar though is the color it turns the water, which is this gorgeous bright blue-green! It was so pretty I found myself trying to move away the bubbles just to see the water. haha. All in all, a definite favorite and something I will surely re-purchase =)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me and is based on my own personal experience. I have no affiliation with Lush and am not getting paid to review this product.
Another Lush review! This one is on the Imperialis Moisturizer (and I've just realized that for the life of me, I cannot seem to spell the word "moisturizer" correctly without spellcheck). I have been using Clique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion since April, and I like it as well but I'll explain later why I prefer the Imperialis so far. To give you guys some background, I would say I have combination/dry skin (this is especially true in the winter months). I haver verrry dry skin around my nose and on my chin, but very oily skin on my forehead, which is where I'm prone to acne. Yay best of both worlds, right? haha. I used to never use moisturizer (yay I spelled it right without spellcheck!) but I realized I needed some after going on medication that made my face very dry and tight. First I tried Olay (cause it was the first thing I saw at the drugstore) which wasn't enough for my skin and disappeared an hour after I put it on. Then I used Cetaphil for awhile, which really did work and eliminated my flaky-ness, until one day it just stopped working. Meh. So then I decided to invest in a good moisturizer and get the Clinque, which I've been using for six months. I've liked the Clinque, and it did help reduce my flaky skin but mostly in the summertime. In the winter it was still a struggle with the dry skin. So now I've decided to go with a Lush moisturizer, since the rest of my skincare routine is from Lush (cleanser, mask, toner), so why not the moisturizer as well? Lush has a TON of moisturizers to choose from (and a ton of price ranges as well) Right now, Imperialis costs $21.35 on the Lush website, which was a couple bucks cheaper then the Clinque so thats a plus right there! I choose Imperialis because it was supposed to be for combination skin. I've been using it for a couple days and and really like it! The main thing I noticed was how un-greasy it made my skin feel and look. After using the Clinque, I would usually have to put on a powder over top of it if I were going to go out because my face would be so shiny. With Imperialis, my face looked matte after I put on the moisturizer and also felt very soft instead of greasy. The consistency of it is a lot thinner than I was expecting, but I find that it helps it to smooth on better. Most importantly, I've noticed that it has kept my flakes at bay so far. Of course, the true test will come when the cold weather hits, so perhaps I will do an update! But so far, I really am enjoying it. Hopefully it will continue to work for me unlike so many of the products I use that work at first but then stop =/
Rating: 5/5 stars
ETA: As of 1/6/09 this moisturizer is skill working great for my skin! My skin has been getting more flaky but its probably cause of the cold weather. Once the moisturizer is on its usually able to stop the flakes.
Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me and is based on my own personal experience. I have no affiliation with Lush and am not getting paid to review this product.
My scalp has always been dry and flaky my entire life. At one point I had to see a dermatologist and buy perscription medication to treat it. The more potent shampoo for dry scalp that can be found at the drugstore used to work great for me, but lately for some unexplainable reason, my scalp has stopped responding to it. Enter Soak and Float! I was wary about trying another solid shampoo from Lush. I had tried a sample of one a while back and wasn't too impressed, but I figured I would give it a go since I was at the last straw with my scalp problem.
To use a solid shampoo, all you do is wet your hair and the shampoo bar, then rub the shampoo bar across your hair 3 times (the left, right, and middle). I also like to lift my hair up and do one more under my hair. I didn't really think doing this would produce any kind of lather, but wow was I mistaken! It lathered up more than any of my other liquid shampoos had. Now, the smell of this is not for everyone. It is described as smelling like a "campfire" but I think it smells kind of like beef jerky seasoning. I guess its a good thing I like beef jerky! I noticed that the smell doesn't really stick to your hair for too long after the shower, especially if you cover it with other styling products like I do. Anyway...on to the results. I immediately noticed a decrease in the flakyness of my hair, but moreso I found that it was unexpectadly soft. Like...just-came-back-from-the-salon soft. I even used 2 different conditioners to make sure it wasn't just the conditioner making it super soft and both times I got the same results. While this shampoo does certainly reduce the flakes, it doesn't completely elliminate them altogther (which I wasn't expecting anything to do anyway), but I'm sure with regular useage it will have a huge impact on the health of my hair! Overall, I love this and I am convinced to try more solid shampoos from Lush!
Update: I'm going to have to knock off a point from the perfect score because I've noticed that after a few months of usage, the effectiveness does tend to wear off a bit. Or maybe I just have fickle hair! lol
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me and is based on my own personal experience. I have no affiliation with Lush and am not getting paid to review this product.
Here is my review on Lush's Dreamtime Bath Melt. Like the Vanilla Fountain Bath Bomb, it was something that I got for free along with other purchases. I probably would have never tried their bath melts if I had not gotten this one for free (since I love bubbles so much!)It is described as "a natural moisturizer to help to soften your skin while lavender, jasmine, sandalwood and chamomile help you relax and get ready for bed". The smell of the bar itself was so nice and calming. You can either drop the whole bar into a bath or cut it in half to use for two baths. I chose to drop the whole bar in since it had been melting in my drawer anyway. As much as I loved the smell, I didn't really notice it at all while it was melting...it was very faint. I found myself smelling the actual bar in the bath while it melted because it wasn't really giving off too much fragrance to the room. However, the moisturizing effects of it were amazing! It made my skin feel the way the Butterball Bath Bomb usually does. Theres also something about a melt, as opposed to a fizzy bomb, that makes it so much more relaxing. All in all, I would have to say that I would probably not consistantly buy bath melts (they are so small for the price!) but would probably purchase more-so as a luxury every once in awhile.
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me and is based on my own personal experience. I have no affiliation with Lush and am not getting paid to review this product.
Hi all! This is my review of Anderson Soap Company's Whipped Soap in True Lavender! I discovered this lovely online soap store from LePooke's YouTube Channel and purchased the soap from the company's shop on Etsy.com. The first thing I noticed about the online store was how many different types of creative products and scents were available! The prices are also amazing! I knew right away I wanted to try the whipped soap because I have never tried anything quite like it before. They are currently $5.25/ea. Choosing a scent was extremely difficult because there were so many options, but I eventually decided on True Lavender because the scent is listed as having very therapeutic and stress-relieving effects, and with the job market these days, whats not to be stressed about? The shipping was way faster than I expected. Usually it seems like I'm waiting on packages forever but I was suprised to recieve it only a few days after ordering! The scent was quite strong and almost reminded me of eucalyptis (which I love)...I could tell right away it was going to be a great stress-reliever. The consistantsy is really neat...kind of like a marshmellow paste! I only needed about a finger-scoop full on my bath poof to get a really rich and bubbly lather. And the aroma of the lavender had definate lingering power. Theres also quite a hefty amount left, as the tub it came in was packed to the brim with soap! All in all, I would definately purchase again! Anderson's soaps also seem like they would make really great gifts, as they come in all kinds of shapes and colors. Next on my list? Cotton Candy Whipped Soap and the Strawberry Shortcake Soap Bar!
Rating: 5/5
Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me and is based on my own personal experience. I have no affiliation with Anderson Soap Co. and am not getting paid to review this product.
So here is my review on the Vanilla Fountain bath bomb from Lush. Its part of their new vanilla-scented collection and I got it for free with a $50 purchase. I'm not huge on bath bombs...if I'm taking a bath I'd prefer it to have bubbles in it and I don't usually like the fact that bath bombs are only one use. The only bath bomb I LOVE is Butterball because of the way it makes my skin feel after using it. But since I got this one for free, I thought I'd give it a try. The initial smell of it before putting it in the bath was amazing. I love the smell of vanilla...but not a really over-powering vanilla smell, and this seemed to balance out perfectly with that. I also love the cute little vanilla stick (I'm actually not sure what it is) sticking out on the top. =) After putting it in the bath, the most noticable thing was the color of the water. I think its supposed to turn your water bright yellow, but the tiles in my bathroom are blue, so the water ended up being this really cool shade of neon green. This was fine with me, since yellow seems to be an unpleasent color for bath water (in my opinion) haha. The smell at first was really delicious, but I noticed it wasn't as strong as I had hoped. I had to kind of think about smelling the scent first and then I would smell it...it really didn't just hit me. I also found that the scent didn't really stick to my skin for very long either. It could be that I was just having a bad nose/smelling day though haha. All in all, I love the bath bombs for their moisterizing effects or for the color they turn the water, but not nessesarily for the scent cause I find that (at least in the bath bombs I've tried) it doesn't seem to linger.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me and is based on my own personal experience. I have no affiliation with Lush and am not getting paid to review this product.
Shea Terra Rose Hip and Red Bush African Black Soap Face Wash (morning): I've been using this for a couple weeks now and its great!...Continue to read the full review!
LUSH Breath of Fresh Air Toner (morning + night) - this is the second toner that I've tried from LUSH (first being Eau Roma Water). I think I prefer Eau but I'm going to try them all, so the last one will probably be Tea Tree. You can either spray it onto a cotton ball or directly onto your face - I tend to do the second option cause I can never find cotton balls haha
Bare Escentuals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper (morning + night): I got this with a Sephora gitfcard after reading really good reviews about it. At first I didn't really care much for it, and I figured I probably wouldn't purchase it again after I used it up. But now, with only a tiny bit of it left, I realized how good it has been for my skin. My skin is much more smooth and my complexion is clearer. It has a lot of great ingredients for your skin (such as glycolic acid) so I think it is a definite re-purchase.
LUSH Imperialis Moisturizer (morning + night): Well we all know how much I love this amazing moisturizer! Read the Full Review Here!
Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (night): Before cleansing your face at night, you need to make sure to remove your makeup first. You can either just cleanse your face twice with the same cleanser to do this (if you have one that works at removing makeup) or just use a makeup wipe like these. Neutrogena has the best ones so far that I've tried (other ones I'm tried are Olay, Ponds, and Garnier). They're soft and smell great :)
LUSH Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser (night): I think I'm on my second container of this cleanser. Its a really gentle exfoliant and one of Lush's bestsellers. All you do to use it is break off a little piece, add a few drops of water and make it into a paste. It has balancing ingredients so its great for combo skin like mine...and my face feels so soft after using it at night! One container also seems to last forever for me (which is both good and bad since it only has a shelf life of 3-4 months) I usually keep most of it in the fridge to keep it fresh haha
LUSH Mask of Magnaminty (once a week): LOVE this mask from Lush! I think I'm on the fourth pot of it or something around there haha. I'm surprised I've never done a full blog review about this. I'll try to remember to do one in the future. In short, its amazing. You leave it on for about 15 mins (sometimes I'll leave it on longer if I lose track of time) and your skin is suuuuper soft, smooth, and refreshed after taking it off.
medication to treat it. The more potent shampoo for dry scalp that can be found at the drugstore used to work great for me, but lately for some unexplainable reason, my scalp has stopped responding to it. Enter Soak and Float! I was wary about trying another solid shampoo from Lush. I had tried a sample of one a while back and wasn't too impressed, but I figured I would give it a go since I was at the last straw with my scalp problem. 
