Beauty

Beauty - Lush Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser Review

3:30:00 pm


Beauty, Skincare, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Lush, Lush Let the Good Times Roll, Exfoliating Cleanser, exfoliating skincare, Cruelty Free Beauty,

Beauty, Skincare, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Lush, Lush Let the Good Times Roll, Exfoliating Cleanser, exfoliating skincare, Cruelty Free Beauty,


Exfoliation is an essential step in my skincare routine, I find that it helps my skin to look healthier, feel softer and ensures I get the best results from other products as it helps to remove dead and dry skin, ensuring serums and moisturisers are easily absorbed into the skin.  I use two exfoliating cleansers, one of which I will be reviewing today,  Lush's Let The Good Times Roll.

This little pot of joy, which made it's first appearance as part of the Christmas range a couple of years ago, has now been made a permanent fixture to the amazing skincare range in store and online, thank you to the genius who made that happen!

I like to use this every second day as part of my evening skincare routine once I have removed my make up. The vitamin rich polenta and gently exfoliating maize flour work together with stimulating cinnamon powder, to gently buff away any dead skin cells, leaving my skin really soft and hydrated with a healthy glow.
Lush describe the scent of Let The Good Times Roll as a buttery popcorn, which I agree with to an extent but to me smells slightly sweeter than this, more like toffee popcorn.  It's difficult to explain how delicious it smells, I urge you to visit your nearest Lush shop and experience it for yourself, thank me later.

Let The Good Times Roll is a completely different texture to any other cleansers I have used, this different approach makes it really fun to use.  I just get a pea sized amount and mix in the palm of my hand with some water, creating a paste, I then massage into my skin for about a minute and rinse off with warm water.  What I love about this is you can control how scrubby you want this to be depending on how much water you add when making the paste.   Some exfoliating skincare products have often left me feeling the need to moisturise instantly after use, like they strip my skin of any natural oils and moisture.   This is not the case with this one, after rinsing my skin feels deeply moisturised but not oily, it's fantastic.

I was using this for about six months,  and have gone through three 100g tubs in that time, finishing my last pot at the end of March.  As the formula is preservative free it is recommended that it is used within three months of being made, Lush make this really easy to remember by placing stickers on each little black pot, these detail when it was made, who made the product and when it should be used by.  I know people use this after the recommended use by date but personally I wouldn't do this.  It may feel okay to use but the results will not be as effective compared to a fresh batch,

As I mentioned I finished my last pot of this around the end of March and have not repurchased as now the weather is warming up a little, my skin is feeling less dehydrated and will gradually become oilier as we come into summer.  I think for my skin this is most effective when it's colder outside.  I am now using an exfoliating cleanser that is in my collection all year round and will be sharing it with you very soon.

This can also be used as an all over body cleanser, I haven't tried this as I like to save it all for my face, please let me know if you have and what it was like in the comments below.


Beauty

Beauty - Lush Buffy Body Butter Review

2:36:00 pm

Beauty, Body Exfoliator, Buffy Body Butter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lush Buffy Body Butter Review, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics,

























Beauty, Body Exfoliator, Buffy Body Butter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lush Buffy Body Butter Review, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics,
























They say you don't realise what you've got until it's gone, this is definitely the case for me with Lush Buffy Body Butter.  I tried this for the first time after seeing Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady rave about it way back at the beginning of 2013,  I think it was even the first product I bought with my discount as an employee.  Since that moment I have been hooked, unfortunately the one in the photograph is my last one I have until I get back from Morocco, major sad face.

In case you don't know Buffy Body Butter is a solid moisturising exfoliator for use in the shower, allowing you to moisturise and exfoliate at the same time, killing two birds (sorry lushies bad choice of reference) with one stone if you are in a hurry.  Being solid it is great for travelling, especially if stored in one of the Lush Body Butter Tins.

This preservative free, solid bar works by exfoliating the dead skin cells away using ground almonds, ground rice and ground aduki beans.  This means even if you have sensitive skin you could use it without causing a reaction that sugar and salt scrubs may create.  My friend used this last week and she suffers with severe eczema but this actually improved her skin after one use not causing any problems at all.  The cocoa and shea butters mixed with lavender oil refuel your skin with the moisture it needs to keep soft and supple.  With these ingredients I find the smell very similar to the covetted Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion, using the two together is a real treat.

I love using this in the shower, making sure my body is warm and damp and stepping out of the water to massage all over,   paying special attention to my thighs and derriere.  As this is worked around the body the butters melt into your skin leaving it really soft and dewy.  After rinsing off I get out of the shower, it feels like you have applied a really heavy moisturiser but the oils sink deep into the skin really quickly.

Lush Buffy Body Butter would without a doubt be in my top 10 products of all time, I do love the other solid body butters in the shower range for different reasons.  You Snap The Whip is a good one for the summer mornings as the charcoal helps to soak up excess oil and sweating.  King of Skin is very similar to Buffy but less exfoliating and Aqua Mirabilis is again similar to Buffy but more exfoliating.  They cost between £5.50 - £10.95 for 75g-200g of product and I can normally get 5 uses from each small bar.  I think they are great value for money but to be honest if they were to go up in price I would still purchase, these are holy grail body products in my eyes.


What are your favourite body exfoliators?

Full of Grace Review

Beauty -Lush Full of Grace Solid Serum Review

11:09:00 am


Hello Everyone,

So last week I shared with you the first couple of things I use in preparation for using one of my favourite face masks, which you can read HERE.  Hopefully you enjoyed those and will be glad to know that today I will be telling you all about the next product I use

This stage in my routine is something really special and makes the whole experience more like an at home spa treatment, I find it really relaxing and slightly more pampering than just applying a mask on its own.

Full of Grace Serum Bar

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Full of Grace Serum Skincare Review

Full of Grace Serum Bar looks just like one of the Lush body massage bars but do not be confused, this little beauty is all for your face, it is about half the size of one of the solid shampoo bars . This was developed for using in the Lush Spa's during the Validation Facial Treatment. It was created to be very special and luxurious for use during facial massage, that could be worked into the skin with ease without it feeling too heavy or oily.

Packed into this product are so many amazing ingredients that help with so many different aspects of your skin. This was created by Helen one of the Lush founders. She started by taking fresh rose petals and soaked them in water, creating the calming rose water.  Mixing this rose water with murumuru butter, capuacu butter and almond oil, created the base of Full of Grace. These all work really well together and leave the face feeling moisturised and supple. You would think this bar couldn't get any better, well fortunately for us, it does. Helen also managed to work in some fresh portobello mushrooms for their vitamins and antioxidants and calamine powder to cool the skin whilst controlling excess oil. After adding a blend of only the best essential oils Full of Grace was completed and ready to take on the world.

I like to use Full of Grace prior to applying my chosen face mask for a number of reasons;
  • It makes the application of any face mask smooth and effortless, it just glides across the skin making for an even layer every time.
  • A serum helps other products work into the skin and go deeper, so this helps the ingredients in  face masks be even more effective, allowing you to get better results from face masks.
  • It makes the removal of your face mask a pleasure revealing moisturised, supple skin every single time.
  • It can also be used as a moisturiser and I love applying this underneith my night cream, when my skin is feeling particularly dry or irritated, allowing my skin to feed on the ingredients as I sleep.
Using Full of Grace could not be more simple, I just take the bar in one hand and glide it across the other, the heat of your body slightly melts the serum bar leaving the perfect amount of product on the palm of your hand. I then massage this into my skin in upward motions until my entire face is covered. As you only ever use a tiny amount this little bar last forever.

One initial concern was that it may be too oily for my oily/combination skin but the calamine powder actually helped to control the excess oil I experience on my t-zone area and it is easy to control than ever before. Serums I have tried before now all were basically a mix of water and silicone, Im delighted Helen managed to make one that was made entirely of natural ingredients that contains no preservatives. I have now been using Full of Grace since April 2013 and couldn't imagine my face mask routine without it.
Do you use any serum in your skincare routine, which one do you use and why?


Gemma

x


Face Mask Routine

Beauty - Lush Tea Tree Toner Tab Review

9:13:00 am

Giving myself time to relax and enjoy pampering is something I always make time for, in my eyes a pamper session without a face mask wouldn't be idulgent enough, therefor every sunday evening there I will be with some kind of mask smeared all over my skin.

Lush is famous for having the freshest facemasks in the world, in most Lush stores the delicious looking fresh table always has pride of place and is one of their most eye catching displays.This fresh table is home to all of the Facemasks.
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Lush Face Mask Shop Display
Even before working for Lush the  facemasks were something I always purchased and loved using, since working for the company it has allowed me to learn which ones best suited to my skin and which gave me the best results. I have started using my facemasks in conjunction with two other products which I feel has boosted the results from each application and the overall pampering experience. I want to share with you over the next few weeks what these products are and why I love them.

After cleansing with my Elemis Pro-Collagen Balm I follow the step below.

Tea Tree Toner Tab



In the picture above you can see the Tea Tree Toner Tab is one of the naked products meaning it has no packaging and being a tablet, which is a similar texture to one you would use for laundry,  I like to store two or three in one of the shampoo bar tins.  This keeps them safe, preventing breaking or crumbling.

After cleansing my face I fill a bowl with warm (not boiling) water and pop the whole Tea Tree Toner Tab in and it begins to fizz away. While it is fizzing the very subtle scent of tea tree fills the air which I love as it smells so refreshing and clean.  I then bow my head over the warm tea tree infused water and cover my head with a towel.  I try to do this for as long as I feel comfortable, normally I last about ten or fifeteen minutes which is more than enough time for the steam to open my pores and gently cleanse.  The tea tree oil vapours sink into your skin in a concentrated way that is antibacterial but not harsh on the skin, so won't spoil my skins natural defences.

Once the water is cool enough to touch I like to sink my flannel in and squeeze away any excess water and wipe over my skin, this is just a very gentle second cleanse removing any left over cleanser or dirt. Something I don't do myself is store the toner water after use as I already have the Tea Tree Toner Water but to get the most from your Tea Tree Toner Tab you can decant into a spray bottle and if stored in the fridge it can be used as your daily toner for up to a week.

Using the Tea Tree Toner Tab before applying my chosen facemask helps to calm any redness in my skin and stops my skin from feeling tight, this makes my skin feel deeply cleansed and hydrated.

Tea tree oil is great for oily and spot prone skin like mine and helps to balance the most oily areas so using this once a week has helped balance my t-zone area and prevent breakouts.

Look out for the next step in my facemask routine next week!

lots of love
Gemma

Clark Desert Boots

Fashion - I Do What Like, I Like What I Do

1:23:00 pm

Hello Everyone, 

I seem to talk about work quite a lot these days (nothing but enjoyment I promise) so I thought I could let you see one of my typical work outfits.  In Lush I don't have a uniform as such but I am asked to wear black and white.  I can wear what make up I like, the jewellery I fancy and my hair the way I choose to help jazz up the formal colour scheme.

At the moment I am wearing a lot of dresses, I have found a shape of dress I feel comfortable in and feel that it flatters my figure, making me feel confident every time I wear one.  The skater style is my go to style of dress and I can see it being that way for a long time.  The cut of this style just seems to just skim over any lumps or bumps I prefer to keep covered and also is tighter at the waist which helps to take the focus away from my tummy and give my chest a boost. 

 Dress - Primark £13.00
Tights - Primark £2.00

Primark Black Skater Dress, Clarks Desert Boot
 This dress is one of my new found favourites.  I like how easy it is just to slip on in the morning it sits at the perfect length and can be dressed up or down.  For work I keep this quite simple with just tights and boots and maybe a cardigan but I often have to go somewhere straight from work so remove the boots add some wedges and a nice blazer or leather jacket.  I like  the lace detailing on the capped sleeves, back and the sides as it adds a bit of interest and a sexy feminine twist on what would be a standard black dress.

Primark Black Skater Dress

















This dress is so versatile when it comes to choosing footwear as pretty much anything goes.  I have styled this with pumps, sandals and boots.  This day in particular I wore my Clark's Desert Boots.  As I am on my feet sometimes for more than 12 hours a day with a 1 hour commute each way I need shoes that can offer my legs and feet support.  These boots are perfect for my long days on my feet, giving them the support they need to ensure my feet are not aching by the end of the day.

I am a firm believer in that if you wear a £4 pair of shoes and expect your feet to be fine and not achy by the end of the day, you need to wake up.
These on the other hand are quality 'good for your feet' boots.  As soon as my feet were in them the comfort was second to none and it hasn't changed after wearing these a few times, I still enjoy the comfort all day long.

I put the comfort down to the sole.  The signature crepe sole of the Desert Boot, one of nature's great shock absorbers and water repellents, makes these boots what they are.  Crepe's made from latex tapped from the para rubber tree, mixed, mashed and dried before being rolled into sheets.  The only way I can describe how this feels is sustainable spongy rubber.  I know I'm amazing at describing right....
These just feel so supportive, but light so you don't feel like you have two lumps of led attached to your feet which I have felt with boots similar to these.

 These black suede boots are simple but make a statement being a classic style that is so off the moment, Always have been, Always will be.
 
Clarks Original Desert Boot

Clarks Original Desert Boot



























Did you like this outfit?

lots of love

Gemma
xxx

Emotional Brilliance range from Lush.

Event - Lush Redditch Emotional Brilliance Showcase

11:17:00 am

Lush's Make Up Range, Emotional Brilliance is something that I think is not raved about enough in the blogging community.  With little hype I was never really aware (or overly interested) in the range, until I attended a recent event at the Lush store in Redditch, this was held on the evening after my first shift at Lush so has been extremely helpful in learning for work also. With my new found knowledge and raised interest I want to share with you this quietly brilliant highly pigmented range with feeling behind it.

Lush Emotional Brilliance


Why is it different to other make up ranges?
Normally we would associate colours with what suits our eye colour, skin tone and hair colour, the clever lady behind this range has decided to do it differently and link colours with emotions and feelings, this is such a different approach and one I have never seen done by any brand before.  This is great as you can and normally end up with colours you wouldn't normally pick up and be spookily amused by the process of choosing your colours.

The Emotional Brilliance game!
This is what makes the Emotional Brilliance experience different than any other.  The thought behind it is that every colour on the Emotional Brilliance Wheel is named after an emotion and through your choices of colour you can determine you feelings or thoughts on that particular day, your Emotional Brilliance 'reading' can change daily depending on your feelings and the colours you choose, from experience this can be quite accurate.  

My reading
At the event in Redditch I was given my first Emotional Brilliance reading, Charlotte made this a very memorable and enjoyable experience.  I was stood before the Emotional Brilliance Wheel when Charlotte asked me to look away from the wheel for a few moments while it was spinning, once it has stopped spinning she asked me to pick the first three colours that jumped out to me, not my favourite colours or what I think would suit me but just the first three that caught my eye.  The order in which you pick the colours is important so as I picked them she placed them in the center of the wheel in that order
I picked my three colours, two of which I would never have picked up because I liked the shade and awaited my reading.  
Lush Emotional Brilliance, Healthy, Vibrance, Passionate












The first Colour I Chose was Healthy which represents my strength this was explained to me that everybody notices my  greatest strength – ‘HEALTH.  At first I was not able to relate as I do not live a very healthy lifestyle, I eat the wrong foods and only do about 1 hour of walking daily but this can mean many things and only you will know which one applies to you. Then Charlotte asked are you HEALTHY in mind, body or spirit? It might be all three or just one or two. HEALTHY minds allow ambitions and relationships to flourish. This is when I was able to relate to this emotion, I have a very HEALTHY appetite   for life and making the most out of each and every day.  This is a product more commonly used  for the eye either as an eyeliner or a shadow.  This vivid green reminds me of well mowed lawns, that always make a garden look HEALTHY.  This is a really amazing creamy formula and glides on the skin. For bolder looks it can be used as a liner but can just as easily be blended out to create a softer look.  

The next colour Vibrance this shows my subconscious feelings, so that little voice at the back of your mind that is constantly telling you something.  VIBRANCY is described as to be full of life, be enthusiastic about life and any projects or situations you may be in.  I do feel that I am full of life and enthusiastic about things I enjoy doing but my subconscious could be telling me that I need to try harder to show my inner VIBRANCY  in situations where interest lacks.  This shimmery orange is one of the many lip colours in the range although I personally would not use this alone, I have been experimenting and this looks amazing mixed with a little bit of lip balm just to create an all over soft shimmer or mixed with my favourite red from the range Decisive just making a simple red more interesting.

The final colour I picked was Passionate which is my aspiration or talent and the quality that my friends and family or anyone who knows me would use to describe me.  This is when the power of Emotional Brilliance really captured me, this was so accurate.  I was at an event because of my blog which is one of the things I am extremely PASSIONATE about and as the event was for Lush this is also something I am very passionate about as I now work for the fantastic company in my dream position.  I love this colour so much, it is one of the colours from the range that caught my eye straight away, as you all know I adore Mac's Candy Yum Yum and was looking for a glossy alternative, well I have found it!  This is such a 'Gemma' colour.  I am now the proud owner of this shade so look out for a review very soon.

Lush Emotional Brilliance with Karla Powell, Celebrity and international Make Up artist
L-R Waiting for the wheel to stop, Amy from PYT and myself, Karla Powell and myself, choosing my colours


I was super impressed with my reading as I found it scarily accurate but so interesting.  After my reading I had the opportunity to have a chat with the lovely Karla Powell, International Make Up Artist who was at the event demonstrating the different products from Emotional Brilliance.  Karla loves the range and has used it on previous shoots.  This pleasant lady had all the time in the world to talk to everyone and even shared some top secret tips, so thanks Karla for taking the time to share your knowledge with us all.

The most amazing thing about Emotional Brilliance is although they have been targeted towards specific areas of the face, the can be used anywhere on the face and body and hair, making them a favourite with make up artists.  These three shades all contain a high content on Jojoba Oil which you can read a full description and detailed benefits of here but in short it is an extremely moisturising ingredient and protects the skin from the many different weather changes we experience.  

If you haven't had an Emotional Brilliance reading yet it would be definitely worth while making a trip to your local Lush store. Have a play around with all the shades as there are some beautiful colours waiting to be experimented with.  If you are local to Birmingham, I know for certain myself and all the stuff at Lush Birmingham will be more than delighted to give you your very own Emotional Brilliance reading.
  Like the Lush Birmingham Facebook Page to make sure you are the first to know about anything Lush!

Lots of Love

Gem
xxx

Lush

Beauty - Lush Fluffy Egg Bath Ballistic Review

9:05:00 am

I don't know about you but I adore the limited editions Lush bring out for special occasions like Christmas, Halloween and Easter.  This Easter I may have found one of my favourite Bath Ballistics.


Fluffy Egg Bath Ballistic




















How cute are these little egg shaped ballistics, perfect for hiding as part of an Easter egg hunt, and better for you than chocolate.  A few years ago after begging and pleading from Lush staff the first ever egg shaped ballistic was made and it has been a massive best seller ever since, which doesn't surprise me.  

The scent is exactly the same as the much loved Snow fairy shower Gel only available at Christmas, so this is snow fairy in ballistic form, so for all you fellow Snow Fairy addicts you will love this.  The sweet candy scent lingers long after your bath is finished on your body and in the bathroom.

Turning your water bright pink this is the ultimate girly bath, not only pink but the softest pink water leaving your skin scrumptiously smooth.

I am sad this is not available all year round but then it would take the fun and excitement away from when it is available, I will be guarding my last few of these with dear life as once they are gone online the year long wait will begin until I can stock up again.

Did you try any of the Easter treats from Lush?

Gem

xxx




Bath Bomb review

Life - The Supreme Accomplishment is to Blur the Line Between Work and Play

7:52:00 pm

Good Evening lovlies!


I have just got home from my first ever shift at Lush, and wowie was it the bestest four hours ever.  At first I was really nervous but as soon as I was on the shop floor I was fine, I felt completely comfortable and like I was meant to be there.  Every single member of staff were so helpful and friendly it made me feel so welcome and part of the team.  I learned loads about the different products and love that I will be learning more and more every single day because there is no way I could learn it all in a day.  

I love that I have discovered and love so many products I didn't know a lot about before and hopefully my excitement and enthusiasm shines through to the customers because I am genuinely thrilled to be working there.  From discovering all of these new fantastic products look out for lots of Lush reviews.

I am most excited to learn more about the cosmetics range Emotional Brilliance, from what I have seen today   the whole range is fantastic and I have really enjoyed wearing 'decisive' as a lip colour today.  I will be going to an event tomorrow in Redditch to learn more about this range and meet the amazing Karla Powell, Make Up Artist, so expect a post in the near future about that.



I was so lucky to be given a few products today to try out, so I can tell the customers what they are really like and use my personal experience as guidance. 
I choose Ultrabland Cleanser, Love Lettuce Face Mask, Twilight Bath Ballistic, Buffy Body Butter, Its Raining Men Shower Gel and Imperialis Moisturiser.  I was also given Honey I washed the Kids Soap and The Easter Egg Hunt Soap.  I aim to switch all my skincare over to Lush products over the next couple of months so i'm excited to try out the cleanser and moisturiser the most.

Tonight I will be enjoying a bath with twilight to unwind and relax ready for my extra busy weekend.

Hope you all have a lovely evening whatever you may be doing 

Lots of Love

Gem

xxx

Bathtime

Beauty - Lush Melting Marshmallow Moment Bath Melt / Cream Candy Bubble Bar Review

4:01:00 pm

Hey Hey!


Today I have possibly the most exciting news EVER!  I have an interview for my local Lush store, this is  such an amazing opportunity and im so super excited.  Ever since the age of 12 I have loved the amazing products and in store experience that Lush provide. If anyone has any Lush specific interview tips (i have a feeling it is a group interview) I would be extremely happy to see them in the comments.  The interview is not until  the last week of March but I will off course keep you updated.  

So with this exciting news I want to share with you one of my favourite Lush bath time combinations.

 and 

Cream Candy £2.50 available on the official website here
Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment £3.85 available on the official website here


This is one of the Luxury Bath Melt's from Lush's collection of five, I chose this on my recent visit due to the name, colour and scent.  On trying this it has become one of my favourite Lush products of all time, yes even after just one use.
It is shaped like a giant marshmallow and in my favourite colour pink, the size is very generous and bigger than the other bath melts available.  
This is very sweetly scented, which I love.  Its very similar to the popular Snow Fairy Shower Gel (read a review of snow fairy here from the lovely lil miss chickas) and Godmother Soap.  This smell reminds me of candy floss and sweets, taking me back to visits to old fashioned sweet shops with my Grampa, so full of memories.
When I use something other than a liquid bubble bath I want it to be different and exciting to use, with the Lush bath range I love all the different effects and colours that happen when added to water.  This was beautiful in the water, turning it a dusty light pink colour and added a creamy foam to the water.  It also took a long time to melt which is great because it keeps foaming away long after you are in the bath and continues to do so for about 10-15 minutes.  Below are the pictures which I think do more talking than words themselves.



This is fabulous for those of us with dry skin (im sure it would be equally great for other skin types).The almond oil and cocoa butter will leave your skin really smooth while in the bath and long after. With chamomile, marigold and marshmallow these help loads to calm irritated or delicate skin types. 

When I have a really relaxing luxurious bath I could not do so without bubbles, so as lovely as the Mmmelting Marshmallow moment is alone, I added half of my Cream Candy Bubble Bar to the bath water.


Before this use I had never tried this bubble bar before as I always sway towards The Comforter, but after smelling this and it being cheaper than my usual I decided to give it a go.The Little sugar flower and chunks of  bath oil mix helped in my decision off course.  
I like the shape of this as it makes it very easy to cut as I always cut my bubble bars to get the maximum uses from one bar.
This is another sweet smelling wonder with vanilla being the smell I noticed the most, this scent is just lovely and so girly.  

"A sweet creamy candy-floss pink bath that’s like a hug in a soft fluffy towel." - Lush

I only crumbled half of this bar into running water and the amount of bubbles that were produced was amazing,, the best thing is these bubbles lat in your bath, they don't just dissapear after a few minutes.  
With the chunks of bath oil and creamy pink water you you can have a truly girly pink bath and get super smooth skin at the same time, what more could I want from a bubble bar?



These two products work so well together and leave my skin so soft, I love experimenting with different products to make the perfect bath, wonder what I will do next?

Have you invented a fabulous Lush Combo, tell me about it!

Lots of Love

Gem

xxx