Lush Haul

Recently I went with a friend to Lush in Westlake Center in Seattle. This place is dangerous! Everything smells amazing and the sales people are very...well helpful to say the least. They are very pro Lush and can tell you about every product in the store. I have a love hate relationship with this company. There products are "home-made", smell great, and they place a huge emphasis on customer service. However, the products are not nearly as "eco friendly" as they perceive to be. They still use parabens. The one thing that really gave me a sour taste about the company is their online site and the "education" they give you about parabens by discrediting peer reviewed articles about the dangers of parabens from major institutions. As a scientist I really believe in being transparent about facts and they are not being that. However they do offer a large selection of products that are paraben free so I decided to give them another shot. And the sales associate we had was very patient, informative, and helpful.

Charity Pot lotion(1.7 oz) ($5.95) One of two items I gave into that have parabens. This lotion has a cocoa smell to it and all proceeds are donated to charities around the world. I really liked the smell and wanted to try a new lotion as I experiencing dry skin this winter. The sales associate talked me into it while ringing me up.

Lemony Flutter Cuticle Cream ($16.95) My favorite scent in the world is lemon and this product smells like a lemon wonderland. This product softened my skin in the store and it is suppose to be used on cracked cuticles and rough body parts. But this product also brightens tattoos! The sales associate showed us on her tattoo and it looked incredible after she applied it. So I gave in and threw it in the basket.

Cosmetic Warrior (6.95) I had a great experience with the Cupcake face mask last time. It smelled great and made my skin super soft. But cupcake is designed for oily skin and recently I have been experiencing breakouts but super dry flaky skin as well so the sales associate said she wouldn't recommend it this time. After explaining my skin condition and what I wanted out of a face mask she gave me three suggestions and let me try them each on my hands. I loved the ingredients in cosmetic warrior and it felt great in the store. This mask has moisturizing egg whites and honey, cleansing garlic, and tea tree oil to fight breakouts. on paper this seemed like the perfect mask but when I tried it it seemed to irritate my skin and left me red. I want to try this one more time though. 

Angels on Bare Skin ($13.95) I couldn't decide which skin care i wanted to try but I had read many raves about this product and after speaking with the sales associate I had to try it out. The associate explained that this helps balance the skin and calm redness which is what I need right now. I loved the smell as well. I tried this once and the results were great! my skin felt so smooth and the redness was calmed. The only thing i don't like is that I cant use with my clarisonic because of the grounds of almond and lavender in it, but I will work this into my skin care routine.

*UPDATE* This is my new favorite face cleanser! I was having a huge breakout this week. Like literally a patch of ten zits it was horrible. I used Dark Angels once, and then Angels on Bare Skin and my face cleared right up! and my skin is way more balanced. This stuff isn't drying out my skin either, which everything else seems to be doing!!. I have been using it with my MIA, as the brush head is at the end of its life. I haven't had any real issues but i think it is slightly wearing out the brush head. I think when I switch out the heads I am going to disinfect the current one and keep using it with just my Angels On Bare Skin so I don't wear out the new one too quickly.

Dark Angels Cleanser ($12.95) The sales associate who helped me choose between angels on bare skin and dark angels gave me a sample of dark angels to try as well so I can compare the two at home. I loved that this was described as a detoxify-er meant to draw out the impurities. Charcoal cleansers seem to be very in right now and I can't wait to try this one out. I will update once I do.

*UPDATE* my skin feels great after I use it! However I am not a fan of the charcoal/licorice scent, my friend doesn't mind it though. It's a great scrubber! But be warned it's super messy!! My sink and counter are a disaster after I use it!

25:43 Perfume (15.95) I am not a fan of perfume but my friend wanted to learn about them so the sales associate told us the stories of each of the gorilla perfumes. This one in particular was invented by the LUSH inventor and co-founder for his sons wedding. The bride wore a citrusy perfume and combined it with tonka and lime. The groom later added lemongrass, vanilla, and ylang ylang and listea . It was named 25:43 because it took 25 minutes and 43 seconds to create the perfume. I hate to review perfumes online because scent is such a personal preference. My friend really loved Lust but I wasn't a fan. When I smell this perfume I immediately smell the lemon mixed with a warm vanilla scent mixed with a woodsy note.

I really love the Lush products I have tested out. And I really like the recycle program they have. If you bring back 5 empty pots then you get a free face mask! Even after the review I still have a love hate relationship with Lush. I love the products, the charities they contribute to,  the sales associates helpfulness, but I wish they would phase out parabens and didn't provide falsifying data to the public. However if you live near a Lush I highly recommend smelling everything!

-K