Lush Naked Slap Stick Foundation (in 4C)
Such innovation, much disappointment. Lush has released its naked foundations last year, and everyone was hyped. Well, after its release, the Lush Community has been divided about this product: you either love it, or you hate it (like not merely dislike it). It comes in 40 different shades, with different undertones to choose from. So, that's great. Except the formula. Lush claims that "this medium-coverage foundation, composed of 14% pigment and 45% Indonesian coconut oil, makes mask-like foundations a thing of the past, keeping your complexion looking fresh all day long at no compromise to your preferred level of coverage". Anything striking? Yes, coconut oil, and a whopping 45% of it. Hmmmm... (For those who are new to this, claims have been made that coconut oil blocks pores). I have dry skin, so I thought I would try it anyway. Maybe it will moisturise me and not accentuate any dryness? No. It settles into fine lines, does smudge, accentuates dryness, and basically doesn't really cover that well unless you have perfect skin. But as far as I could see, it did not block my pores (maybe because I actually clean my face thoroughly). Pros: vegan, packaging free. May fit you, if you are lucky. Cons: not long lasting, even if set with powder. Face feels wet, even if you set it. Settles into fine lines quickly, smudges. Would recommend? I really wanted to like it. But for £17, get yourself an actual foundation, not a brick of coloured coconut oil.
Lush Mortal Kombu Under-eye seaweed mask
Apparently, these masks have now been discontinued, which is absolutely devastating. At least we have saved a small stash at home. Retailing at £1.50 (no more), these are round pieces of seaweed (with a seam in the middle so they can look like an under-eye mask). They come dry. No packaging (no plastic). You boil some water, put it in a cup, set the mask, and after 10 seconds, it is soft and slightly slippery. You tap off access water, divide at the seam and put under your eyes. Surprisingly, they stick very well. Made out 100% sustainable, mineral rich Kombu Seaweed which is sourced in Japan-- seaweed is perfect for calming the skin. With Witch Hazel Extract and Green Tea Infusion. We leave them on for 25min. After it, the skin feels so fresh and relaxed. We love it. Please, Lush, bring it back!
Lush Silky Underwear Dusting Powder (60g)
When you apply body lotion, do you still feel wet and that makes unwilling to put clothes on? Worry no more, apply this powder on top of the lotion, and your skin will feel soft, hydrated but dry. Oh, it costs $10.95, and is jasmine scented. Also helps with excessive body sweat during hotter months (albeit not after 40 Celsius).
Lush Hair Custard (100ml)
Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? Nom nom "Custard". Unfortunately, it is not eatable. Although it smells divine, like a highly vanilla infused custard cream. But this is actually an interesting hair product. A hybrid, in fact. It is both a moisturiser but also a styling product. With argan oil, fair trade organic cocoa butter and softening honey. You really only need a tiny bit. If you take more, then you might end up looking greasy. Take a pea size amount into your hands and then apply it into your hair (not into the roots) with "grabbing" movements to give your hair more volume. That way, you can achieve a beachy-wavy look in a second. Unfortunately, our hair is a bit longer now, but it works well for shorter hair.
Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
We are super lazy in putting on our lotion after the shower. So to combat such laziness, Lush has created a product for people like us. A Body/Shower conditioner is essentially a body lotion that you apply in the shower, let it sink in for a minute and then you wash it off under the shower stream. Then you get out and don't need to apply your lotion (i.e. get cold). Instead, you just towel dry yourself, and put your PJs (or whatever else you want to put or not put on yourself). It ain't cheap, and smells like roses. But we love that it helps with our laziness and keeps our skin super nourished.
Lush Boom! Toothy Tabs ($10.95)
Lush has Toothy Tabs and Mouthwash Tabs, which are your toothpaste and mouthwash, except the product has no water in it. It is absolutely amazing for travel-- instead of taking a toothpaste tub, you take the tabs that basically don't weigh anything. Alright, back to the actual product. This is probably the most intriguing (and hence selling the best) toothy tab. The one with charcoal, which allegedly helps to whiten your teeth (although Lush officially doesn't have it in their product description). You take one tablet, crunch between your teeth, then take a wet toothbrush and brush your teeth. We personally stopped using them. First of, it doesn't whiten the teeth, which is okay, we can live with that. But the problem was that it left our teeth so squeaky clean that it felt uncomfortable. Like, in an unhealthy way. So, we are kind of on the fence about it. It has its good sides, but then, we would rather stick to a normal toothpaste.
Lush Magical Moringa ($22.95)
This is Lush's take on a primer. With Shea butter, rosehip oil and argan oil. Lush claims that it moisturises and primes the skin at the same time, leaving it feeling velvety and looking matte". The main real ingredient here, however, is corn starch, which is the ingredient that mattifies the skin. You take a little bit and rub between your hands, after that pat into your face. The problem with companies like Lush is that, although highly innovative, there is a high percentage of "fails"-- "fails" that actually make it to the market and make customers waste their hard-earned cash due to a "cult"-like following pressure. This is not a product we can recommend to you, not as a primer, not as anything, really. If you want to cover your face in corn starch, you don't need to spend $23 on that. You really feel the corn starch on your face. Like, that mattifying effect is not soft like we want it to be. Furthermore, when the product dries down, you can actually see the powder on some parts of our face (especially eyebrows). We are sorry, Lush, but we know you so well, and it pains us to say this, but maybe you should stick to making bathbombs and body lotions since you seem to fail us in so many other areas (like, shampoos, conditioners, make-up etc)? Constant experimentation at the cost of your loyal followers is starting to get tiresome.
Lush Salted Coconut Hand Scrub
This smaller tub retails at $16.95, but will last you for ages. Hands need scrubbing too, occasionally, and we personally love this product. With fine sea salt, fresh lemon infusion, cupuaçu butter, argan and extra virgin coconut oils. We take a small scoop and massage it on our hands for 20 seconds. Once rinsed off, hands would feel extra soft. However, you do need to put a hand cream after it, maybe 10min after rinsing off the scrub.
Lush Fantasy Liquid Eyeliner (around $18)
We think, we have bought one of the last ones ever produced, which is very sad. It is actually probably the only good makeup product Lush has produced. It is a nice golden liquid eye liner. Great colour, really "bang on"
Lush Scrubee ($7.95)
Ain't he adorable? He totally is. He is so adorable that you almost feel bad to start using him. This is in fact a body butter and body scrub all in one product. The scrubby particles are made out ground almonds and coconut shells, while the nourishing part is made out of honey, cocoa and shea butters. We take this friend into the shower with us. On a wet body, we first apply the nourishing part, and then scrub ourselves with the scrubby part. The scrub is actually rather strong. You wash everything off, and you are left with a silky but already buttered skin. Exfoliation and nourishment in one! Highly recommended.
Lush Little Pot of Energy ($12.95)
This is a naked body lotion. It means it is packaging free (yay, less plastic). You get out of the shower, take this into your hand, and massage it across your body. The scent is a citrusy wake me up one (grapefruit and orange puree). With Shea and cocoa butters. Now, if you don't like your skin to feel more oily (or greasy), you have to either use some dusting powder on top or not use this product. Lush Body Lotions (in tubs) are normally not ultra-nourishing (except Charity Pot), so if you want to go for the nourishing effect, this is good place to start. We find it to be convenient.
Lush Cup O'Coffee
This was in fact our first ever product we bought from Lush. Not a bathbomb, but this. You can use this coffee scrub as both a face scrub and a body scrub. Initially, we used it as a face scrub, however, we soon realised that it is a bit too tough for the face. Since then, we use it as a body scrub (in the shower). If you compare it to the Frank Body scrub, this one is actually of a gooey thick consistency. It smells like a cup of coffee with cream. It is advised to leave the scrub on for a bit, before rinsing it off (which will take some time). In the meantime, we usually wash our hair. We love this scrub specifically before shaving-- we never get cut after using it.
Lush Gorgeous (45g)
Do you have a spare $88? Because that's how much this cream costs. This is by far Lush's most expensive individual item for sale. And you know, Lush really tried to create a gorgeous cream. They thought that by combining an array of cold-pressed oils and organic juices, that it would make it worth a whopping $88. Or maybe Mark Constantine accidentally made a typo in the price, and everyone else just didn't bother to correct him. When you read Lush's description of this product, surprisingly, Lush doesn't really promise anything. It doesn't say "it will hydrate your skin" or "decrease the appearance of wrinkles". Nothing. That's actually smart. Can't complain as a customer if no promises are made, right? Lush highlights "orange blossom honey, extra virgin olive and wheatgerm oils" in the description-- please tell us how these ingredients are so expensive! They aren't, by the way. We don't know for whom this cream is made. You know, Lush went even bolder, by saying the following: "we firmly believe it’s the finest quality moisturizer on the market". Lush, dearest, it's not even YOUR best moisturiser, and you are comparing it to the whole market? However, if you really must try it-- it is more suitable for normal to semi-dry skin. It is not enough for dry skin in terms of moisturisation. In our opinion, this cream performed worse than other creams from the same brand. Do we recommend it? No. This cream should not cost nearly as much. If you want something similar, try Celestial, which is also from Lush. Like Lush Oxford Street employees say "Celestial is like Gorgeous, just correctly priced".
Lush Tea Tree Toner Tab (£1 each)
Probably the most overlooked Lush product. This small but mighty Toner Tab has actually helped us a lot with our skin (at the back of the photo, you see another type, but we want to concentrate on the ones at the front). So, how and why use it? During those days when you are extremely acne prone, this tab will soothe and calm down your skin. Clean your face. Boil some water. Take a Pyrex type glass bowl, pour the water (hot water) into it, and then drop the tab in it (just like a bathbomb, it will fizz). I recommend taking a plaid, and put it on top of your head and bowl (so you create a mini sauna). Spend around 3 minutes under the plaid, with your face right above the evaporating water. After that, finish with toner and the rest of your skincare routine.
Lush Magic Crystals Shower Scrub ($17.95 for 300g)
Want to give your body a cooling-off? This is a perfect shower scrub for that. We once made a mistake and took it to our "bathtub session". You are lying in a beautifully warm water, everything is warm and comfortable. And then, you get an idea "oh let me scrub myself a bit". And you do. And it goes well. And then you go lie back down in the warm water, except... ...your whole body is cold, freezing cold -- while being full submerged in hot water. The power of spearmint and peppermint, ladies and gentlemen. We do recommend this scrub, but preferably in the summer. Otherwise, it may be uncomfortable. It scrubs well too, and, of course, the colour is fun. The smell might not be the best-- herbally-menthol-y.
Lush Skin's Shangri La Facial Moisturiser ($50 in the US)
This is Lush's thickest and technically most moisturising and nourishing face cream. It is, in comparison to all others, not liquid-y, but is rather thick and firm. Most suitable for dry and mature skins, according to Lush. We have normal to dry skin but this cream doesn't seem to want to sink in into our skin. It feels slightly greasy, almost. Maybe it's too oily (because they have literally put in every single oil they had in their Lush cabinet)? In my books, moisturiser and oils are separate. Of course, moisturisers can have oil in them, that's normal, but not such a huge content of it. Moisturiser needs to sink into the pores first, and then you seal them with the oils. Honestly, I don't get a watery moisturisation feel out of this cream. There is something missing, and I cannot point out what exactly it is. But let us tell you for sure, a nourishing moisturiser without any other skincare benefits for $50 is too high of a price to pay.
Lush Pink Peppermint Foot Lotion ($27.95 for this tub)
This is Lush's version of a peppermint foot cream/ lotion. Honestly, I am not a big fan of it. There is no possibility to buy a smaller size so you are stuck with 225g of it. It is a lotion, so it is a lot thinner than The Body Shop's foot cream. It absorbs rather quickly, but our feet don't seem to see any real moisturisation from it. Lush-- please make this available in a smaller size!
Product review:
Lush Roots Scalp Treatment (225g for £12.95)
This is a pre-shampoo treatment mask, to be applied on dry hair (apply it mainly on the scalp though). The texture is very thick, so you do need to use quite a bit of product (but the whole tub should last you for at least 10 uses). Massage the product in, and leave for at least 30min before shampooing it out. With fresh mint infusion, spearmint and peppermint oils, it does tingle the scalp a bit. These ingredients draw nutrients to the roots to nourish the hair follicles, as rich honey strengthens hair and nettle absolute brings balance. Citrus oils add shine. The mask is enjoyable, it does tingle and does refresh the scalp. Honestly, apart from that, I don't see anything else. But maybe, I just have strong healthy hair?
Product review:
Lush Marilyn Hair Treatment (225g for £10.95)
This is a pre-wash hair treatment designed more for blonde people. Apparently, it can remove orange tones out of the blonde hair. With Chamomile Infusion and Lemon Juice. Also present: SLS, alcohol, perfume and parabens. I also loved how Lush says to use basically the whole tub for one treatment. Are you kidding me? What a waste! The treatment is super liquid-y, and hence can be spread easily all over the head. I never managed to use up more than 1/5 for one treatment. Honestly, I am not super wowed. Actually, I am not wowed at all. It doesn't do anything to remove the yellow/orange hues-- try Fanola shampoo, that one does the job. Furthermore, as a treatment, it is rather weak. Of course, the hair does feel slightly more soft, but not much that I would recommend this product to anyone. I will personally not rebuy.
Product review:
Lush American Cream Hair Conditioner (100g for £6)
I have personally tried all of the non-special edition Lush's hair conditioners-- and this is the best. I mean, they are all very bad, but this is the best one out of them. It smells of strawberry milkshake and basically doesn't do anything to the hair. Conditioning? Veeery mild. So mild that you wonder whether there is something wrong with your hair. The others are even worse at the conditioning department. With Honey Water, Lanolin and Fresh Strawberries. I wish it did something cause the ingredients aren't bad. But it doesn't. And guess what? Lush employees know that. The ones I have spoken to did confide in me that they think Lush Hair Conditioners are terrible. So, there you have it.
Product review:
Lush Atmospheres (£12)
Alright, let's talk about this Lush product. Lush really tried, really tried. They had a great idea-- how to make a liquid shower gel without plastic bottles. That outer layer is made out of seaweed, which can be washed down the drain or put into compost (or better, rubbish bin).
You only get 4 atmospheres for £12. When fresh, each atmosphere has 20g of product. So, basically, 80g of shower gel for £12. So, basically, 2 (or 2.5) times more expensive than any Lush shower gel (which is already more expensive than the market average shower gel by like 200- 300%). When they first came out, a lot of people contacted Lush because their atmospheres have bursted during transportation. So, Lush had to send them out new ones. Mine have not bursted, thankfully. But if you thought of taking them on a trip, not a good idea because they are so sensitive and could burst any time.
Furthermore, 20g of shower gel is way too much for one shower. So, it is basically a waste. When it "dries down" (after a few months), the inside content goes down to 12g (as the water evaporates). From my conversation with some Lush employees at Lush Oxford Street-- even they are embarrassed of this product. They try to discourage customers from buying it (of course, indirectly, otherwise they might get fired). They highly believe that it is a rip-off. Oh, it is! Great invention, poor execution and the price is way too high.
Product review:
Lush Ro's Argan Sparkly (£11.95)
This naked body lotion was released by Lush for Christmas 2018. Naked means that it doesn't come in any plastic packaging, but I still store mine in a zip bag. When I read "sparkly", I didn't think it will be THAT sparkly. It's basically a conditioning body glitter (see second picture). I didn't know that. So, one day, I used it all over my body-- the next day, I had my physiotherapist appointment. Let's just say, I tried to wash the glitter off before my appointment, but somehow, my doctor still ended up being covered in glitter. I came home and I saw that my whole bed was in glitter and so were my clothes. I think I got the last glitter particle off my body after about a week since my first application.
Product review:
Lush Yog Nog Yule Log (200g for £5.95)
I have made a conscious decision to not go through every Lush bathbomb or bubble bar for review purposes-- it would take a really looooong time, and you will probably be bored. I would probably get bored too. Why am I mentioning this product though? Is it because it is super awesome? No.
Unfortunately, I am mentioning it because it was so hyped up and it failed miserably at what it was supposed to do. This is a bubble bar (2018 Christmas edition)-- you take a bit and crumble it under running water, and you create bubbles for your bath! Bubbles! Yay. (Apparently some people forgot that shower gels can do the same thing). Well, anyway, I would say that this bubble bar barely created any bubbles. Everyone was so hyped-- a year before that, Lush released a Yog Nog bathbomb for Christmas, and everyone loved it. Unfortunately, this product didn't live up to the expectations. Smells amazing though.
Product review:
Lush Pumice Power (£4.50)
Dry skin on your feet? Worry not, this product will probably not help. It is designed more for very gentle scrubbing-- taking off very dry and thick second skin is not its forte, unlike what Lush claims. I have used it sometimes when I was soaking my feet, but only a real pumice stone can remove the real nasty stuff. At least it smells nice-- orange.
Product review:
Lush Mamma Mia Body Scrub (600ml for £20)
Mamma mia, here I go again... Sorry, it's a "Swedish" thing. You might think, £20 for a 600g body scrub is not so bad. You are right, but you will actually need quite a bit of it, so, overall, it isn't so financially advantageous. This body scrub is 2019's Mother's Day limited edition one. And thank God it is limited edition. It contains sea salt, pink grapefruit puree, Himalayan salt and some oils as per usual. Like I said before, "I like it rough" (yes, quoting one of Lady Gaga's old songs). This scrub is just super weak. As much as I enjoy Cup O'Coffee, I dislike this one. It's pretty and pink, and I can totally ride a unicorn after it, but my skin would not feel too nice, unfortunately.
Product review:
Lush Ocean Salt Scrub (£18.50 for 250g-- more expensive in US)
This is Lush's most expensive body scrub (do not use it as a face scrub unless you want to ruin your skin). It is arguably also Lush's strongest scrub too. (Self preserving formula is apparently gentler, but I personally have not tried it). "Limes steeped in vodka, grapefruit and lashings of salt", says Lush about the ingredients. Yes, it does smell of alcohol, and for some, it is a turn on. For me, it is not. They have also added "avocado butter, coconut oil and seaweed absolute to keep your skin soft, smooth and conditioned". The scrub is good, yet, overpriced if you think about the simplicity of the ingredients. It is not my favourite scrub either (Rub Rub Rub is a lot nicer).
Product review:
Lush Fresh Pharmacy Facial Soap (£8.50)
TBS has the black charcoal soap, but the problem with that is that it leaves my squeeky clean, which I don't like. This facial soap doesn't do that, but cleans face superbly. It removes foundation and other makeup products. And it will last you for a while
Product review:
Lush Solid Perfumes
I actually have 4 of them, but "Lust" decided to disappear (probably hiding in a bag). Those of you who don't know, Mark Constantine's (one of the founders of Lush) passion is perfume. Lush's perfume is peculiar. Either, it's very simple or very not simple. And that "not simple" perfume is often very multi-layered and not always appealing on the first sniff. Furthermore, choosing perfume in a Lush store is virtually impossible-- everything smells so strong so you wouldn't understand how it smells. Hence, I bought mine off from simple description and reviews (highly risky, I know). But why I like them is obvious: they travel well. And I travel a lot.
Product review:
Lush Not Sleepy Shower Bomb (£2.75)
Don't have a bathtub? "No worries", said Lush. "Let us create a product for those who only have showers and milk out their money anyway", probably thought Lush. I cut mine in half, as the full size product is far too much for one shower. Yes, it smells like citrus, which should not come as a surprise since 70% of their products smell of citrus. This is what Lush says about it: "hold your shower bomb under the rain of water and watch it expand. Take a deep breath, allow the essential oils to surround you and scoop up the foam and use it to cleanse, going back for more until the bomb is all gone. Ground white rice adds that little bit of scrub to the seaweed lather, just the way you like it". So, basically, a body scrub with a cleansing foam. Those who don't know, Lush actually already has a very similar product, albeit in powder-ish form (i.e. a disintegrated shower bomb, which, if you think about is basically the same thing). The second picture shows them to you. They are the Showders where you get a whole lot 400g of product for £10. The shower bomb is 35g. Yes, now you see the rip off. You are welcome.
Product review:
Lush Café Vegan Protein Shampoo (£15 for 100g)
This shampoo bar is made with Aquafaba, which is chickpea water. It's consistency is similar to the one of egg whites (I guess, the vegan alternative) and can also be used in baking. It creates a good emulsion and strengthens hair. With caffeine powder as well.
Lush says: "Packed full of fresh mint and menthol crystals to help reduce hair loss and cleanse the scalp, lather directly into wet hair and rinse away thoroughly before conditioning as usual". Alright, I will save my constructive rant on Lush hair products for another time. I am just going to talk about this product. Do you know how long it took me to lather up my hair to the desired level with this product? About 5 minutes. I mean, if you are not in a hurry or don't have anything else to do, then maybe this is a product for you. However, I value my time, and I definitely don't like wasting it. In all fairness, this product is not bad. It is not super drying on my scalp and hair as the rest of Lush's "creations". But don't waste your breathe on it. I simply don't have time for such products. Plus, it ain't the cheapest (although, apparently that block should last you for at least 50 washes).
Product review:
Lush Herbalism Face and Body Cleanser (100g for $16.95)
Do you need to have an expensive cleanser? Not really. However, this is also a gentle scrub as well. Does it still justify the price? Probably not. But it's fresh and cruelty free. Alright, alright. So what is this green "thing"? Nettles, rosemary and rice bran vinegar work to cleanse the skin, removing dirt and grease, leaving bright and beautifully clean skin. Chamomile blue oil and rose absolute are used for balancing skin tone. Rice bran and ground almonds will gently exfoliate the skin and when mixed with water, the almonds create a soft cleansing milk. Lush's chlorophyllin is extracted from alfalfa, which is rich in vitamins and minerals and is great for revitalising the skin. This product is marketed towards oily or acne prone skins. Honestly, it's interesting. But do you have to have it? I personally do not think so. I used to use it often, but I didn't see much effect. Plus, exfoliating your face every day might not be the greatest idea.
Product review:
Lush Ultrabland (45g for $18.95 or 100g for $30)
This is Lush's answer to cleansing balms. "Ultrabland is a thick, rich emulsion of essential oils, honey and beeswax that removes makeup and daily grime with a quick swipe. Unlike most makeup removers, it leaves skin feeling soft and nourished thanks to soothing rosewater and iris flower extract, moisture-locking glycerin and protective beeswax", according to the Brand. No, it doesn't leave skin nourished. Imagine taking a chunk of melted butter/soft lard and putting it on the face. Your skin will be suffocating, and this is exactly what this product does. TBS Chamomile leaves the skin nourished, this leaves it in a layer of uncomfortable butter/ grease. I literally have to use a gel cleanser after just to remove this layer. As a makeup remover, it's alright, however, because it's so fatty, my eyelashes stuck together in butter.
Product review:
Lush Shower Jelly
This is not a review about the specific shower jellies in the photo. It is a review about all shower jellies that Lush produces. Shower Jellies are shower gels in a jelly format. Wobble, wobble, wobble-- that's what they do. They wobble. And guess what? They are also highly impractical in the shower. Because if you take something wobbly and add water, it becomes wobbly and slippery. And what do things that are wobbly and slippery do? Correct, they slip out of the hand all the time. Some people cut them out into smaller pieces-- yup, those pieces fall out of your hands even quicker. Some put it in a cloth-- I guess the list goes on on how to try to save this product. There is a solution. It's called a shower gel. So, if you are curious about them, go play with them in any Lush Store. But don't buy them, however.