Review: Sweet Lips lip scrub

Heyy guys,

It's Day 6 of the brand challenge and my product for today is the Sweet Lips lips scrub from, of course, Lush. I've been using Sweet Lips for years (literally) and I love it so much. 

Lip scrubs exfoliate your lips, and Lush has come up with this clever scrub in the form of flavoured sugar. And here's the other thing... you can eat it! Although I wouldn't use it in baking :P What you do is scoop out a bit of the sugary stuff, rub it on to your lips, and lick it off. It doesn't actually tell you to lick it off, but the shop assistant said I should, and everybody with a Lush lip scrub seems to do it.

 I love Sweet Lips, and I use it almost every day. It leaves your lips so soft and smooth, and helps if they are chapped. It is vanilla and chocolate flavour, and tastes and smells delicious. The sugar doesn't make your lips greasy, but removes dry and dead skin. I find it really useful if I want to apply lip gloss/lipstick, because it smoothens your lips and rubbing on the sugar even plumps them up a bit.

The downside is that the sugar can be a bit messy. It sticks to your face, and obviously if you get it on your cheek or your nose (like I did) then you have to have a seriously long tongue to lick it off. Because of this, I can't put it on without a mirror, which is annoying if you're somewhere without one. Also, if you get it wet when it's on your skin then it goes very sticky, and if your don't manage to lick it all off it kind of congeals on your face. Urgh.

The only other thing is that it's quite expensive for a very simple lip product. It's £5.25, so it's worth considering cheaper options too. Still, the pot lasts an extremely long time, but it does go a bit weird after a while, like normal sugar. I accidentally got a droplet of water in the pot and it dried in dark lumps. But that was my fault. Here are some more photos of Sweet Lips and me using it...

 

Despite the negatives, I do love Sweet Lips, and also another of the Lush lip scrubs, Bubblegum flavoured, which is bright pink and tasted like candyfloss. I definitely recommend Sweet Lips for people with dry lips, but for people with already lovely lips, I think a cheap lip scrub from Boots or a good quality lip balm might be just as effective.

Thanks for reading!

Lorna xxx

Review: Lush Breath of Fresh Air toner

Hey guys,

Today I tried my first toner! I've been wanting to try a toner for soooo long, and I thought this would be a good one to start with. So for the 5th day of the Brand Challenge, here's a quick review...

Breath of Fresh Air facial toner

Because I'm new to toners, I wasn't sure what to buy. My skin has got very dry and sore in places from the chemically skin products I've been using, so I wanted something that would sooth and hydrate my skin, but wouldn't give me an allergic reaction. I have super sensitive skin.

I was stuck between two toners, both from Lush. Breath of Fresh Air and Eau Roma Water. But Breath of Fresh Air seemed to have more natural ingredients, so I bought it. And I'm so glad I did :)

Breath of Fresh Air is a really lovely product, I used it in the morning before I went out and it really refreshed and invigorated my skin. You are meant to spray it directly onto you face, and my face felt soft and smooth afterwards, which it hasn't done in a while. It looked less chapped and dry. The sore patches on my cheeks stung a bit when I first used the spray but then they went down loads and this evening they feel a lot better. 

On the bottle it says 'the sea breeze captured in a bottle', and I think this is a really good way to describe it. I can't help imagining shells and waves! If you've tried it you'll know what I mean. As a facial cleanser it was great and it opened my clogged pores. The smell wasn't particularly nice, in fact it didn't smell of that much. One of the main ingredients is Aloe Vera gel, which I guess doesn't have much of a fragrance in it. It would be nice if it was lovely smelling too, but it doesn't matter much in a toner.

I would like to try some more toners, any suggestions would be great!

Thanks for reading :)

Brand Challenge Day 4- solid perfume review

Holaaa!

Today I'm going to change the subject a bit from bath ballistics and soaps, to perfumes. And not just ordinary perfumes, but solid ones. 

I bought my first solid perfume last year- I really wanted to get one, and my friend recommended Lust from Lush. However, I found this way too strong for my liking, so I decided on another perfume from the same range (Gorilla Perfumes) called Vanillary. 

At the time, Lush's solid perfumes came in little tins, though they now come in tubes. The tin on my one didn't come all bent out of shape, but being an idiot, I thought the lid of the tin was a pull off one, so I tried pressing  and bending and levering the lid off before realising you just had to twist it. Oh dear ;) The actual perfumed bit inside is a creamy colour and you rub it on your skin. I go for my wrists. This is one of the things I love about solid perfumes- because you just rub them on yourself, they don't really ever run out. Literally, it would take years.

Also the tin is handy and fits neatly in your pocket, so you can carry around or put it in your handbag without having to worry about it leaking like a normal perfume. Then you can reapply it whenever you need to.

The thing about Vanillary is that when I first put it on, it's so overwhelmingly strong that sometimes I end up coughing. Sounds awful, right? But after 10 or so minutes it really dies down and then the fragrance is subtle and sophisticated. I love the vanilla fragrance, it's so rich and creamy, and there's also a hint of jasmine which adds a floral touch. The smell lasts for hours doesn't really matter how long it lasts because it's so easy to reapply.

The downside is that I can't really wear it during the week, because I have to get ready quickly and it doesn't have the chance to die down before I go. I did once try going to school with the solid perfume on my wrists, and it was so strong that I'm sure I got some weird looks over the day. But Vanillary is perfect for an evening out, and it's just something a bit different from your average perfume. The only other thing that I don't like about the product is that the edge of the tin picks up specks of dust or dirt- you might be able to see what I mean in this photo, but it's quite hard to see.

I've heard that others from the Lush 'Gorilla perfumes' range are lovely too. The price depends on what quantity you are buying, but I think I got mine for £7.00, which I don't think is too bad. It's a cheap alternative to expensive perfume, and one I definitely recommend.

Brand Challenge Day 3- Retro products

Heyy guys,

I picked up the latest Lush Times and in the newspaper there was some information on a few products which are now being classed as 'Retro'. This basically means that the product has been discontinued, but will still be permanently available online. They can also be bought from the Lush store in Poole, but unfortunately this is one I've never had the chance to visit. Here are a few of the products which have been added to the Retro range:

 Waving not Drowning bath bomb

Although I've never tried this bomb, I know it's quite popular. The aim of Waving not Drowning is to help you get to sleep, and the fragrances are lavender and ylang ylang. I think this sounds like the ultimate relaxation bath bomb, and it's only £2.80 per bomb. I'm glad that this product has gone Retro and not completely dissapeared, because I think it could be really handy on a particularly tiring or stressful evening.

Smitten hand cream
'Just one touch and you're smitten'

Now this is one I have tried, as I bought it for my Mum last christmas. I also offered to 'test' it for her, and I was very pleased when she agreed. This is one of the only hand creams that will keep my fingers from getting dry and cracked in the winter, and it leaves your skin really soft and hydrated. It doesn't leave your skin oily like some rich moisturizers do. And I could literally sit there for hours smelling the pot, it smells so good, like marzipan and almond. Soooooo nice :)

Red Rooster soap

This is one of the coolest looking soaps I have ever seen! It makes me think of Autumn, with the bold, warm colours and the dried fruit on top. It may be pricey, really pricey, but I think it would probably be worth it. The fragrances are orange and cinnamon, which I think would be the perfect mix to give you a gentle wake up in the morning.

I doubt I'm the only one who is grateful for these products still being available online! I think making products Retro is a really good idea, and it means that I can still buy my favourite things even if they are discontinued in the stores.

Thanks for reading!

Brand Challenge- Think Pink Review

Heyyy,

I'm sooooo sorry for not posting for ages! But I'm going to pretend that I only posted yesterday and continue on to Day 2 of the 14 day Brand Challenge. So here's my contribution to the challenge today...

Review: THINK PINK bath bomb

I can't believe that I've had this bath bomb sitting around for so long without realising it! But I know Think Pink is really popular so I think it's a good one to start with.

Bath Bomb ID-
Name: Think Pink
Appearance: Pink (I never would have guessed!) with flower decorations
Fragrance: Vanilla, lavender and tonka
Price: £2.50

Think Pink is an amazing price for how lovely it is. This smell is delicious- girly, floral and somehow really warms. The smell is meant to be vanilla and tonka, but I'm not really sure what 'tonka' is. You really can smell the vanilla though, and I could still smell it on my skin the next day. My friend even asked me what my new perfume was, and I was like, 'It's a secret recipe' ;) But I'm sure it was from the Bath bomb. The appearance is bold, hot pink with bright flowers like the type that are put on top of cakes as decoration. I was tempted to eat one, but somehow I think that might not be such a good idea! The flowers came in different colours, but the ones on mine were yellow, red and blue, and they dissolved in the bath like the bomb.

The bubbles aren't from the bath bomb, I added those myself :)

My bath turned a lovely pink colour and I was pleasantly surprised by the heart shaped confetti concealed in the bomb. Actually the confetti got a bit annoying after a while because the little hearts kept getting stuck to my skin. But apart from that, I really can't fault this bath ballistic. The only other thing I would say is that Think Pink is relatively small for a Lush Bath Ballistic, but the price makes up for that, and I don't think it really makes much of a difference anyway.

Sorry that last photo's a bit blurry, I had to go quite close up. But anyway, this is what I mean by the confetti. It has a slightly different small to the bomb itself, a bit richer and more fruity. The bathroom smelt amazing for hours afterwards! I think this bath bomb would be perfect for a Valentine's day present, though maybe not for a boy because it really is very pink. 
But I would definitely recommend Think Pink as a treat for any girl.

Thanks for reading!

14 Day Brand Challenge- Day 1

Heyy Fabulosities,

Yesterday I posted about the 14 Day Brand Challenge which I was going to start today, but I accidentally deleted the post! So if you did not manage to see it, let me fill you in.

The 14 Day Brand Challenge is when you select a brand and basically become obsessed with it for 2 weeks. I will be posting about products and designs all from my chosen brand.

This was the clue I gave you (about which brand I had chosen):

I often go to this shop to get my favourite bath ballistics

Have you guessed it? My brand is...

LUSH of course!!! And for Day 1 of the challenge, I'll tell you a bit about Lush and why I picked it as my brand.

Firstly, it's one of my favourite and most visited shops. I like it that there's a Lush store in any good shopping town, and I already have loads of Lush stuff so that won't be a problem. They sell such an amazing range of products, from bath bombs to shampoos and ranges for men too, and the prices aren't that bad. Another thing which I love about Lush is that all of their products are handmade from natural ingredients, so the cosmetics are suitable for anyone with sensitive skin like me. Lush are also against animal testing.

This is an image of a Lush store, though it's not my local one. I love Lush's look- the blackboards and how busy everything is. It's hard to know where to look, but somehow it's still easy to find the right product. The people in the stores are always really friendly and helpful, although they do try very hard to sell stuff to you. Still, what shop assistant doesn't? ;)

This is a display of bath bombs, known in Lush as Bath Ballistics. They come in all different colours and sizes and fragrances. There's often certain bath bombs on display- like the carrot and bunny shaped bombs for Easter, which you can just see at the top of the photo. My fave bombs are Honey bee and Twilight, which is one with lavender oil to help you get to sleep. I will be reviewing these bombs in a few days.

Honey Bee Bomb

Twilight Bomb

 Lush also sell amazing soaps, and most of them smell delicious. My favourite Lush soaps are the jelly ones- they are literally like chunks of jelly but they leave your hands feeling really clean and smelling lovely. They're a bit difficult to hold though, jelly and water are a very slippery mix :P The face masks are also really nice, and in the shop they display them next to their main ingredients so you can see exactly what's in them.

I just want to say that all my opinions are genuine, and I am not advertising for Lush. I chose Lush as my brand simply because I love their products, not because I am trying to sell them.

I know so many people who are addicted to Lush like me, if you haven't got any of their products then I seriously recommend them! I could talk on and on and on and on and on about Lush products but that's what I'm going to be doing for the next 2 weeks, so I'll stop now!!! If you have a favourite Lush product then feel free to comment below. I'm always on the lookout for new products to test :)

Thanks for reading,

Supercat continued...

Heyy people,

A few days ago I posted about my new felt tip eyeliner, Soap & Glory's Supercat. I said I'd upload some images of me wearing the product so you can see what it's like when it's actually used on the eyes, but I lost track of time! Anyway, I have uploaded the photos now :)

Before you look at the pics, I'm sorry about the awful application. I'm a bit of a newbie to eyeliner- I have mega sensitive skin and I've never been able to find a liquid liner which doesn't give me an allergic reaction. So this product is a life saver! But as I said, I'm not very good at putting it on, so you'll have to bear with me.

Sorry it's not very clear :/

Also I forgot to curl my eyelashes, so you can't see my mascara! But FYI,  it's Maybelline Smoky Eyes.

You get the idea. I love this eyeliner because it's so bold and easy to apply (although I did stick the pen in my eye a few times!) See my post 'Review- Supercat Liquid Liner' for more info on the product.

I like the look of eyeliner flicks, winged eyeliner, etc. Here are some really good examples...

All of these lovely ladies are wearing winged eyeliner in some shape and form. The celebs- Katy Perry, Fearne Cotton, Rita Ora, Emma Watson, Cara Delevingne, Beyonce and Taylor Swift. It would be a miracle if mine came out like this, but I'll keep practising!