Lush Upon A Time

Skydancer Far From the Madding Guns Bath Bomb from Lush

The Skydancer Far From the Madding Guns Bath Bomb is a limited edition Lush product created to raise money for England’s endangered hen harriers.

As England’s current most endangered bird, I’m so happy that Lush are providing them with a life line as well as a voice. All profits made from the sales of the Skydancer bath bomb will help fund the satellite tagging of future hen harrier chicks. This will allow research to be carried out in the hope of saving the hen harrier from extinction.

The Skydancer bath bomb’s design is unique when compared to any other bath bomb from Lush, it resembles a harrier hen flying with the sun on its wings.

Skydancer has bergamot, Sicilian lemon and cinnamon leaf oil in, all of which are firm favourites of mine. With all of those ingredients Skydancer has quite a complex scent. It is sweet, spicy and fruity too. The cinnamon leaf oil in it gives Skydancer a warmer and much spicier tone than I am used to for a product with bergamot and Sicilian lemon oil in. Despite the long list of ingredients, the final product however has a very subtle fragrance, all of the ingredients compliment each other beautifully. It appears that Lush have managed to add each ingredient in the perfect quantity.

Upon hitting the water Skydancer starts to fizz, the yellow foam is really thick and silky smooth, I couldn’t quite believe how slowly this bath bomb fizzed away. As soon as it hit the water the scent of Skydancer really hit me, I could also pick up hints of aniseed, I’m not a huge fan of it but luckily it wasn’t too strong. I remember people saying that the May Day bath bomb had hints of aniseed too but I couldn’t really detect it in that bath bomb either.

After about 10 minutes I got inpatient and dunked the blue bird under the water to see how it looked… Sorry! I’d say this bath bomb took a little over 15 minutes to fully dissolve, I imagine it would have taken a little longer if I hadn’t dunked it.

My skin felt fabulous after a long soak in its water.

I’m really angry with myself as with this being a charity bath bomb I should have done this review sooner. The Skydancer bath bomb is still available in most stores and is currently still available online. If you haven’t tried it, please give it a go as it’s for a good cause and it is quite an impressive bath bomb if I say so myself.

Be quick though as they won’t be available for very much longer!

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Don’t Look At Me Fresh Face Mask from Lush

Lush’s Don’t Look At Me Fresh Face Mask was one of my Oxford Street buys, luckily for the rest of the world, it’s now available in most Lush stores as well as online.

Don’t Look At Me has a rich, fine, exfoliating texture and is packed with murumuru butter and zingy lemon juice. The murumuru butter nourishes the skin while the lemon juice helps tone the complexion.

The substance is a lot lighter than other Lush face masks I have used before.

Comparing it to the face mask Cupcake, it has a completely different consistency. I’d describe Don’t Look At Me as being runny and icing-like where as the face mask Cupcake is more of a thick, porridge-like mix.

I really liked Don’t Look At Me, the fact it has lemon juice, grapefruit and neroli oil in gives it more of a zing than the other masks I have tried.

In my personal opinion I’m not overly keen on the scent, there’s something in there that makes the sharpness of the lemon juice have less of a kick. It masks what should be a pleasant smell making it a little too earthy for my liking.

I however didn’t let my dislike of its scent deter me, upon application I found my skin instantly soothed, it helped me slip into a well needed state of relaxation.

The application of Don’t Look At Me is really easy. When I am ready to put it on, I take it out of the fridge and apply a generous layer around my face with a tea spoon. (As shown below)

I use the back of a teaspoon to apply it as I don’t like to use my fingers. With fresh products I like to be as sterile as possible, no matter how clean your hands may be, I wouldn’t want to risk speeding up the process of mold growing.

You can get 2 to 3 face masks out of one pot so the less contact you have with the left over product the better. Obviously, fresh products don’t last forever. I find using a spoon prolongs their shelf-life.

After 15 minutes of wearing the face mask, I rinsed it off with warm water, followed by a splashing of cold.

My skin felt great and I will most certainly be using this product again.

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Sacred Lotus Bath Bomb from Lush

I have been waiting to try out this bath bomb ever since it was released as a Lush, Oxford Street exclusive, it has a design like no other bath bomb. It resembles the shape and appearance of a lotus flower, its uniqueness makes it one of the more attractive, exciting and greatly anticipated products that were created exclusively for the Oxford Street, grand opening collection.

In colour it is white and yellow with purple upright petals; Often described as ‘star-shaped’ the Sacred Lotus is a very pretty product. Unfortunately the shape of the bath bomb leaves it vulnerable. I still haven’t managed to transport one from Oxford Street to my home in North Yorkshire safely. I’m hoping that should Lush decide the bath bombs vulnerable shape is a fault, that the idea of a redesign outshines the choice to discontinuing it as they did the easily breakable Granny Takes A Dip bath bomb earlier this year (2015).

The Sacred Lotus Bath Bomb has neroli oil, jasmine and tonka absolute in. When I finally made it to Oxford Street and I had a big pile of them in front of me all I could really smell was the jasmine. I was completely oblivious to the neroli oil within it. I had expected the Sacred Lotus to have a very strong scent it was however quite the opposite, very gentle.

When I very first used the Sacred Lotus bath bomb it wasn’t until it was half way through its show, fizzing away in my bath water that I realised its scent had so much more depth to it. All of a sudden I was hit with a wave of fruityness and I realised that it also had neroli oil in.

Neroli is one of my favourite essential oils as it not only smells beautiful but it has been scientifically proven to increase the production of serotonin levels in the brain, a.k.a the happy hormone.

Apart from its delicacy, Sacred Lotus is a very enjoyable bath bomb. A real sacred lotus is an aquatic plant, similar to a lily pad and it is found in India. I like how the bath bomb resembles this in use.

Jasmine absolute is a very popular ingredient throughout India too. It therefore made perfect sense for Lush to pair the jasmine ingredient in with the Sacred Lotus bath bomb.

Upon hitting the water Sacred Lotus begins to fizz, leaving a trail of white, purple and yellow foam. During the bath bombs reaction with the water near the end, the purple petals break off going off on their own little journey of purple fizz.

Sacred Lotus is a truly unique Lush bath bomb that every Lushie has to experience in the flesh at least once, it isn’t until you see a bath bomb like this in action that you appreciate how much work goes into each and every Lush product.

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Love Soap from Lush #GayIsOk

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I was so pleased to get my hands on Lush’s Love Soap, its creation was to support equal rights for all.

It isn’t hard to see what it’s all about, the hashtag #GayIsOk cannot be ignored while looking and using this product as it is literally written all over it. I couldn’t think of a better more prominent and eye-catching way of designing it.

Did you know that at the point of writing this post it is still a crime to be gay in 76 countries? I thought everyone in the world was protected by the human rights act so I am really confused that people in this day and age are still being told who they can and can’t love? Really?! sadly this is a lot of peoples reality.

Although this soap is primarily supporting equal rights for same sex couples across the globe, it also sends out a message of hope to anyone who has ever been told who they can and can’t be in love with.

It isn’t just same sex couples that are in the firing line. You could be criticised because the person you love is older than you, younger than you, a different race from you, a different religion from you or even because the person you love has a disability or mental health issue. It’s not fair on anyone.

People in life will always express their disapproval of things that have nothing to do with them. Being gay does not make you a bad person, no one should be made to feel ashamed of who they are.

I’ve never publicly spoke about it but I went through hell as a teenager all because of someone that was too scared to come out. I would have had a much better childhood if being gay wasn’t ‘frowned upon’. Even in the countries that it is perfectly legal in, people don’t come out as they’re too scared of people’s reactions.

The person who put me through hell as a kid is gay. I’m sad that they couldn’t be comfortable being themselves back then. They instead told everyone that would listen that I was a lesbian, not her, me. It was almost like they were testing the waters to find out what their peers thought of gay girls. Rumours were started and just like that I became ‘Lesbo Lu’. The stories were constant, they never stopped, never took a break. It felt like everything she said was about me being a lesbian. No other topic was ever brought up. My ‘friends’ would sit in a corner sniggering to everything she said, never once standing up for me because they were too scared of associating with a ‘lesbian’.

It got to the point where I thought maybe I was a lesbian and I hadn’t realised it yet? everyone thought I was gay, everyone said I was gay, why did I not feel gay? – simple answer is because I’m not.

It’s very easy to fall into a trap of doubting yourself because of other people’s opinions, this isn’t fair. If only we lived in a world that allowed us to be comfortable in our own skin no matter what.

The way I was treated by most people (because of these rumours) was disgusting and I haven’t forgiven the person who caused it neither have I forgiven the people that thought it was a thing to dislike/laugh at me for.

In adulthood I actually found out on my way to work that the person who had started and fueled the rumours had come out as gay. I finally understood why she had done it.

I can’t forgive what went on but I do now understand.

At the time I didn’t have any reason to think she was, I would never have suspected it and I guess that was all a part of the plan to protect herself. I know now that she was also going through her own hell because she was to frightened to be her true self. The softie in me wishes that I had known, maybe I could have helped her and saved us both a whole lot of heartache.

Not being able to have the courage to be yourself is a lonely position to be in.

This is why we all need to stand together to spread the message that who we fall in love with should be our choice, no one else’s. It should not be against the law and people should not have to fear for their life just because of who they are.

Let’s take the fear out of being ourselves,

#GayIsOk let’s tell the world!

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Cupcake Fresh Face Mask from Lush

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Cupcake was the very first fresh face mask from Lush that I tried.

There are several different fresh face masks to choose from in Lush, I decided on Cupcake as its ingredients were the best suited to my faces needs at the time. I am often surrounded by stress and my skin pays for it. Even at 25 I still get blemishes all over my face, something I am very self conscious about.

Cupcake face mask is an excellent choice if you are suffering with oily or blemish prone skin, the cocoa powder and rhassoul mud that is in it are both highly absorbent making it an excellent product for drawing out dirt and impurities from your skin.

Mixed in with the cocoa powder and rhassoul mud is fresh mint. Fresh mint is another great ingredient, it’s a herb that is used in thousands of cosmetic products as it is both antiseptic and cooling, it is the perfect ingredient to stimulate, soothe and tone angry skin.

Cupcake balances out my skin perfectly. It draws out all of the impurities while cleansing and soothing my skin all at the same time.

Application is easy, I like to keep mine in the fridge to keep its ingredients fresh. When you’re ready to put it on, take it out of the fridge and apply a generous layer around your face/your problem area. I like to use a teaspoon to apply mine, I prefer using a spoon as it doesn’t get all over your hands and also stops any bacteria from your fingers ending up in the left over product. Using this spoon method every single one of my face masks have lasted well past their sell by date.

Cupcake rinses off really easily, I like to leave it on my face for 15 minutes to about half an hour. Once the time is up I grab a clean flannel and rinse it in hot as I can stand it water. I then slowly wipe the mask off, sweeping it in downwards motions, I like to use hot as I can stand it water as I find this really helps to drag all of the dirt and impurities out of my pores.

There wasn’t much difference to my skin after the first use but after I had Cupcake twice my skin was noticeably in a much better condition. My pores had also shrunk in size which really impressed me.

I get 3 maybe 4 face masks out of one of the small pots from Lush, I therefore think Cupcake is a really cost effective, high end quality face mask. I am really pleased with this product and will certainly be buying it again when my skin decides to have another break out.

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May Day Bath Bomb from Lush #VotesForAnimals

The May Day Bath Bomb has a badgers face. A lot of people say that they can not make it out but I can and I think it is a really clever and interesting design.

For every May Day bath bomb sold by Lush, proceeds (minus VAT) goes towards the activist groups behind the ‘Votes For Animals’ campaign.

I bought the May Day bath bomb as I love the idea of donating towards something good, especially something that is doing wonderful things for animals. In this not so fair world animals like so many other unfortunate things do not have a voice, as an invisible illness and disability activist I can relate to this. It makes me feel very uncomfortable when I realise that although I sometimes feel as if I am lost in the world due to my disability that I can in fact shout about it, I can write a post like this on the internet, animals can however not.

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To look at, the May Day bath bomb is quite plain. I have heard people refer to it as ‘ugly’ when comparing it to other Lush bath bombs. Although it isn’t the prettiest of bath bombs, it is bright, has a very clean white and neat appearance and has an amazingly refreshing scent. Not all bath bombs are meant to be drop, dead gorgeous. It’s what is inside that counts.

The scent for this bath bomb surprised me, I thought it would be as subtle as its presentation is plain. I was wrong as always, never judge a bath bomb until you’ve used it at least once. May Day has a lovely sherbet smell as well as notes of bergamot, rosewood and fennel oil, making it an incredibly fresh, outdoorsy and somewhat fruity treat.

May Day is not a great choice if you’re looking for a colourful bath, I however loved it without all of the theatrics as I found its scent both uplifting and very refreshing.

Once in the bath I felt instantly relaxed, my skin was well and truly moisturised. My only upset for this bath bomb was how quickly it disappeared, for its size it dissolved very quickly in comparison to others I have previously used. It however made for a beautiful bath, it was a real treat for my skin and was clearly working some sort of magic well after I had left the tub.

Once the bath bomb is no more, you are greeted with a small piece of paper as seen in the photo below. This is a great way to spread awareness and money for a very deserving charity. Well done Lush.

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Bubblegum Lip Scrub from Lush

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When I very first see the little pot of Bubblegum Lip Scrubs in amongst the others I knew it was the one I wanted to try first. I didn’t care what it smelt or tasted like, I just had to have it. It’s such a shockingly bright pink and with pink being my favourite colour it made sense for me to try Bubblegum before any of the others.

Lush lip scrubs come in the dinkiest of jars, don’t let the small size of them put you off though, each pot really does go a long, long way and each individual jar are always filled to the brim too.

The main ingredient in all of Lush’s lip scrubs is caster sugar. Bubblegum in particular has a very short list of ingredients, caster sugar and jojoba oil; When I see how basic the ingredients list I wasn’t expecting amazing results but tried it nonetheless.

Comparing the Bubblegum lip scrub to other brands of lip scrubs I have used, I would say that it is most certainly the best at exfoliating my lips. I am so, so impressed at the results it gives. I now choose Lush lip scrubs over all others not only because of the quality and instant results but because of Lush’s ethical buying policies too.

Bubblegum lip scrub gives instant results and with minimum effort. The fact that it is better for the environment (no micro plastics!) and better for you in regards to its natural ingredients etc is just an added bonus and one that we should all be more conscious about as we only have one life and one planet.

I have really bad, rough lips (or should I say had). After the very first use of this Lush product my lips felt and looked in a much better condition. Using it daily has further shown me amazing results, I now have the confidence to wear lip colour.

I have read that some people have eaten their Bubblegum lip scrub, So far I have restrained myself from doing the same. In all seriousness, it’s obviously not meant to be eaten but if a bit does end up in your mouth in the process of scrubbing your lips with it, don’t worry, you’re not going to die.

I am so, so excited with all of the wonderful products that Lush have on offer and look forward to reviewing more on my blog here very soon. I’d also be very interested in your own personal opinions on the Bubblegum lip scrub, let me know below! ☺️

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Why Lush?

I absolutely adore Lush Cosmetics, which is not at all obvious from the title of this blog. Every time you get close to a Lush store even if it is out of sight, you know it is nearby. Lush do not advertise at all, they are 100% eco friendly and solely rely on word of mouth, customer to friend. I LOVE how identifiable all of their stores are just because of their famous Lush scent. Looking at it from a business point of view it’s genius marketing.

Lush’s products sell themselves too. Once you’re hooked on just one product you won’t be able to walk past a store without popping in ever again. It’s a bit like when you are out and about and someone walks past you with chips smothered in Salt & Vinegar, you just can’t resist getting a bag of your own.

Back before I became a hardcore Lushie I ignorantly thought Lush only sold bath bombs and soap. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a bath bomb but my Mum doesn’t like anything weird in her bath so when I was still counting home as her house (meaning us both sharing the same bathroom) I just avoided using any fancy products. I now realise this was a huge injustice, I had missed out on so many years of Lush… I well make up for it now though!

Ever since moving into my own house I have been able to fully embrace Lush Cosmetics with no limits, out of that came Lush Upon A Time. Once you’ve visited a Lush store there really is no way of forgetting the experience, there’s just something about the products and the shops atmosphere that makes you so happy. It’s addictive and leaves you wanting to go back even if it is just for a quick browse.

I know other companies have tried to do spin off’s of bubble bars and bath bombs etc but let’s be honest, Lush outshines every other cosmetic company out there. When it comes down to natural, cruelty free products that are exciting, fresh and handmade with love, Lush Cosmetics is where the talent’s at.

Welcome to my blog, I hope you like Lush because if you don’t you’re in completely the wrong place!

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