Review: LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub

I got to try out this product thanks to the lovely Sheila of Mademoiselle Loves Beauty : )

Price: $8.95 (Lush USA)

What they say: Our fabulous lip scrubs are here to keep your kissers sweet. When you use Mint Julips, you'll find yourself craving a bowl of mint-chocolate chip ice cream. It's made with refreshing peppermint oil, which will make your lips feel soothed and tingly, and sweet vanilla extract to lock in moisture and protect your lips. Simply rub it over your lips when they're feeling the need for some sugar.

What's in it: Castor Sugar (Sucrose), Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Vanilla Extract (Vanilla planifolia), Tagetes Oil (Tagese minuta), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), *Limonene, Flavour}

The good stuff:

• Sturdy packaging
• Smells/tastes good... you can eat it
• Worked better for me than Smashbox Lip Exfoliator

The low-down:

• Messy
• Has an aftertaste
• Only decent at exfoliating for me

My take: This is a chubby little pot of flavored sugar. And yes, you can eat it (I mean, not like diggin' your fingers in there just to snack on some!). While the packaging is sturdy, the product... I feel like I could make it in my kitchen :/ While it does smell/taste nice (just like peppermint chocolate!), I find that it leaves a strange sweet aftertaste that I don't particularly like. I will say, it did do a lot better job on the first go at exfoliating my lips than the Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant (reviewed here). It is a lot messier though, I get sugar all over the place, even if I try to use just a little! Plus, sugar gets around the rim of the container, making it messier to screw on the lid.

Still, it decenty exfoliates my lips and makes them smooth, but nothing so amazing that I use it often (mostly due to the aftertaste). Another thing to note, on the Lush UK website, the sugar looks brownish and... wet-ish. Mine is whitish-yellowish, and dry. On the Lush USA website, it looks more like mine. But mine is the Lush UK version. Is it supposed to be more on the wet side??? I think that would make it a lot less messy.

Would I repurchase/recommend? No, I don't think I would repurchase this product. While it's adorable and a decent exfoliant, I think it's a bit gimmicky. I guess I would recommend this to those who have a sweet tooth, and want to get their sugar fix while exfoliating their lips!

The Rundown:

Packaging: 4/5
A cute, sturdy glass jar, but sugar gets stuck in lid.

Product: 1/5
Good concept... but messy. Could use some improvement.

Price: 3/5
Not the priciest lip exfoliant I've ever seen, but still, it's like you're paying for a tiny pot of sugar.

Overall:


[ click here to read about my Review & Rating System ]

Review: LUSH CoalFace Cleanser

Hello loves, just thought I'd pop in to do a quick review. Also wanted to add, to everyone who guessed my age in the previous post.... nobody got it right (;

Price: $10.95 for 3.5 oz. (Lush USA)

What they say: If you love the feeling of squeaky clean skin, this is the bar for you. We put in powdered charcoal because it's such an amazing exfoliator and absorber of excess oils. We add in rosewood and sandalwood as a balance to soothe and calm, and softening licorice root decoction. We recommend this lathering, sparkly cleansing bar for oiler skin because it's so great at absorbing excess oils and leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean. Don't use regular body soap to wash your face please; use this instead.

What's in it: Liquorice Root Decoction (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocos nucifera), Water (Aqua), Perfume, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Powdered Charcoal, Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill and Fusanus spicatus), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Sodium Chloride, *Geraniol, *Linalool, Silver Edible Lustre}


The good stuff:

• Absorbs / helps control oil
• Soothing and gentle
• Nice foamy lather!
• Leaves skin feeling squeaky clean & smooth
• Lasts a long time
• Has little silver sparkles in it... cute : )

The low-down:

• I hate the smell!
• Somewhat messy

My take: I LOVE THIS CLEANSER. I love you Sheila! :D First off, the only downsides are the smell and that it's kinda messy to use. It smells like... licorice, I guess. And I'm not a fan of that. Sooo I pretty much hate the smell but I endure it because I adore this product! I'm not sure if this is the proper way to use this, but I break the bar into small pieces and use them like little bars of soap. It's been several months since I've had this cleanser, and with daily use, I still have half the bar left!

It lathers really well but some uses are messier than others. For example, sometimes it'll be a nice whitish-light gray foamy lather. Other times, it'll be a foamy gray lather with itty bits of charcoal dust. But that doesn't bother me because although the latter is messier, it offers a gentle exfoliating effect and in the end, it all easily washes down the drain! So I would say it's "messy" but not in a bad way : ) The cleanser bar itself also has these silvery sparkles in it, but that does not come off on skin. I just thought it was a cute touch~

As for the effects, it certainly absorbs excess oil from my skin and helps control shine. However, throughout the day, I still tend to get oily/shiny. Just not as bad as before. I wouldn't say shine control is PHENOMENAL, but still pretty good. Doesn't beat Kanebo Naive Foaming face wash though (review coming soon!). It does leave my skin feeling nice and clean and soft though, NOT dried out or like there's a "film" on my face after rinsing it off.

Would I repurchase/recommend?
Yes, if there was a LUSH here, I would DEFINITELY repurchase this product. It has been my staple cleanser since I received it! I would recommend this product mainly to those with oily skin, but I think other skin types can still use this cleanser because it's gentle and soothing; it isn't drying to the point where my skin feels stripped and it does leave my skin feeling soft and clean.

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Review: LUSH Honey Trap & Chocolate Whipstick Lip balm

Price:
Honey Trap (Lush UK): £4.75 for 10g
Chocolate Whipstick (Lush USA): $6.95 for 10g

What they say:
Honey Trap: For sweet, vanilla-honey kisses. If you mixed up honey and silk and turned it into a sound, you'd probably get the voice of Eartha Kitt singing Old Fashioned Millionaire. Eartha was the embodiment of sweet, soft, sexy and wicked. We like to think that our Honey Trap has the same qualities. Smooth on some wicked white chocolate, sweet honey, softening butters and delicious vanilla for temptingly tasty lips.

Chocolate Whipstick: A gorgeous chocolate lip balm whipped up to a perfectly smooth consistency. Pucker up and smooth on this oat infused, honey and Shea butter lip balm to moisturize and soften your lips. Let's not forget the chocolate and vanilla absolute that make your lips irresistibly tasty. This is a balm too delicious to keep to yourself – be sure to give everyone you love a nice kiss so they can taste it too, just remember to lock it up unless you want it stolen!

What's in it:
Honey Trap: VEGETARIAN, Oat Milk (Avena sativa), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Beeswax (Cera alba), White Chocolate, Glycerine, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Flavour, Honey, Cold Pressed Organic Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum vulgare), Carnauba Wax, Sodium Borate (Borax), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), *Limonene, Methylparaben}

Chocolate Whipstick: Oat Infusion (Avena Sativa), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Beeswax (Cera alba), Chocolate, Glycerine, Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Honey (Mel), Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum vulgare), Carnauba, Flavour, Sodium Borate, Tangerine Oil (Citrus Tangerina), Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Cocoa Absolute, *Limonene, *Linalool, Methylparaben.

The good stuff:

• Smooth texture
• Moisturizing & soothing
• Decent lasting power
• Natural ingredients

The low-down:

• The smell. I don't like either smell.
• Packaging isn't the greatest
• Hardens

My take: I was so happy to be able to get these two lip balms! I got Honey Trap from Sheila and the Whipstick from Mai. I'll start off by saying that the 2 packaging is different because the Honey Trap is the UK version and the Whipstick is the US version (uhh but made in Canada apparently). The Honey trap is a screw-on lid and the Whipstick is a pull-off. To me, both are equally just as difficult to open. I feel like either the lid should be shorter or the container should be longer... you have to hold the bottom in order to take the top off... but the amount of space to hold onto is rather small, making it more difficult to easily take the lid off. Either that or I just suck at it, buut I still think the packaging could be improved. Also to note, the Whipstick is a bit bigger than the Honey trap, but both are supposed to contain 10g.

Ugh, the smell, the smell, the smell. I definitely don't care for either. Honey Trap smells like...Idk. I can't even describe it. I know I read "moldy honey" somewhere, and I guess that's pretty accurate. Whipstick smells just like Tootsie Roll IMO, and I don't like Tootsie roll :/ So needless to say, the smells drive me crazy when applying. They do fade after awhile though. The taste is not so great when you get it in your mouth... you know how hotel soap smells like? That's what these taste like. Don't ask me how I got that correlation... just imagine it :P

With that being said, the texture of these balms are pretty nice and smooth, easy to slather on. The Whipstick is more on the thick/creamy side while the Honey Trap is more thin/slick. I prefer the texture of the Honey Trap because Whipstick makes me feel a little like I'm rubbing Crisco on my lips. Still, both are decently moisturizing and soothing. I only use them at night though, because it kind of feels like the product just sits on your lips instead of fully absorbing in. Both harden when not in use, so you have to warm it up with your finger when you want to use it again. They last a decent amount of time, at least a few hours. Less with eating/drinking.

Would I repurchase/recommend?
No, I personally would not repurchase these products, mostly because of the smell and I have a ton of other lip balms that I prefer and I feel work just as well (and better) for the price. If you're into natural products though, I guess these are worth a shot. Definitely a no-go for people who don't like strong scents!

PS - Thanks everyone for getting me to 5,300 profile views & 384 followers! : )
Luuurve you all ♥

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LUSH Sexy Peel Review

The lovely miss Sheila was so nice to recommend this soap, and gave me some to try too! I love you Sheila :D ♥

Price: $5.40 for 3.4 oz. (Lush USA)

What they say: If you love the way citrus fruits and juices make you feel (fresh and energized), you'll need to try Sexy Peel hand and body soap. We squeeze fresh orange and lime juice in, along with lime peel and grapefruit oil to brighten up your day and get you squeaking clean. Soft and fresh, Sexy Peel will wake up your nose and mind; we recommend using this one in the morning before breakfast for an extra fresh start to the day.

What's in it: Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocos nucifera), Propylene Glycol, Cornstarch (Zea mays), Lemon Peel (Citrus limonum), Orange Peel (Citrus dulcis), Sodium Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Fresh Lemon Juice (Citrus limonum), Fresh Orange Juice (Citrus dulcis), Lime Peel (Citrus aurantifolia), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Perfume, Grapefruit Oil (Citrus grandis), Fresh Lime Juice (Citrus aurantifolia), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Sodium Chloride, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Citronellol, *Limonene, *Linalool.

The good stuff:

• SMELLS AMAZING! Citrus-y and yummy
• Refreshing
• Lathers well
• Little scrubby bits of orange peel

The low-down:

• Scent doesn't linger! :(
• The scrubby bits can be a little harsh

My take: This soap makes me excited to take a shower! :P It just smells so good! Reading the reviews on Lush though, some people think it smells like lemon scented cleaner. But I think it smells heavenly! The citrus scent is so fresh and invigorating. Definitely refreshing! However, the scent does not linger on skin, and after you use the soap for awhile, the smell starts to wear off :( Like when I first got it, it made the bathroom smell like it was full of orange and lemon. But now the smell wore off... :(

Also, some people say the soap is drying. Luckily, I have not had that problem. It makes my skin feel nice and clean. There are little bits of orange peel in there which make it kinda exfoliating, but if you rub too hard it is a little harsh. It lathers really well for me too.

Would I repurchase/recommend?
Yes yes yes! If we had a LUSH here, I would definitely repurchase this soap! As for recommend, if you are a fan of citrusy, refreshing scents, I would say go for it!

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LUSH Fair Trade Foot Lotion Review

Price (Lush USA): $19.50 for 7.9 oz.

(I got this from the lovely miss Sam! ♥)

What they say: Feet are hard working and darn it, they deserve to be recognized! At the end of a long day, dip your fingers (or toes) into this creamy pink mixture and let the spearmint and peppermint cool your tootsies while arnica soothes and almond oil and fair trade cocoa butter soften and moisturize. Not only will your feet thank you, but so will those around you when your feet feel soft and smell divine. Use this after a Volcano foot mask for post-pedi softness.

What's in it: Arnica Montana Infusion (Arnica montana), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Spearmint Oil (Mentha viridis), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), Tagettes Oil (Tagetes glandulifera), Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, D&C Red No. 33, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

The good stuff:

• It's pink!!!
• Smells good
• Light smooth texture
• Absorbs quickly, no greasy residue
• Soothing and relaxing

The low-down:

• Pricey
• Crappy packaging

My take: This is a really good lotion! :D Normally I hate using any kind of body/hand/foot lotion because it leaves a greasy residue and that ain't fun when I'm trying to open things and my hands are slippery... or when I walk around and I'm sliding all over the place... or when I'm getting stickyness all over my clothes. This lotion is definitely soothing and relaxing for my feet and the best part is that it absorbs quickly without leaving any residue behind, and leaves your feet soft & smooth! My whole family loves this stuff. Again, my only gripe is the tub packaging, only because I dislike tubs because they're unhygenic.

Would I repurchase: Maybe, if there was a Lush store here :(

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LUSH Ocean Salt review

Price (Lush USA): $32.95 for 8.8 oz., $18.55 for 4.2 oz.

(I got this through a swap, thanks Maria!)

What they say: We make this best-selling scrub out of fine and course sea salt to give your skin a fresh glow like you've just spent a week at the beach. Brightening and cleansing grapefruit infusion and lime oil are balanced with nutritious and moisturizing fresh avocado butter and coconut fat. Cleanse with Ocean Salt and you'll notice an immediate difference. We recommend those with flaky or dry skin use this once a week to exfoliate while those with oily skin cleanse daily with it (lucky you!).

What's in it: Fine Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Fresh Grapefruit Infusion (Citrus grandis), Coarse Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Stearic Acid, Fresh Lime Extracted in Vodka (Citrus aurantifolia), Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycol Cetearate, Triethanolamine, Fresh Avocado Butter (Persea gratissima), Coconut Fat (Cocos nucifera), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Seaweed Absolute (Fucus vesiculosus), Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata), Glycerine, Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, FD&C Blue No. 1, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

The good stuff:

• A little goes a long way
• Smooths skin & improves texture
• More radiant complexion
• Natural ingredients
• Great exfoliant for face AND body
• Helps with oily skin

The low-down:

• Expensive
• Might be too harsh for some people
• Smell might bother some people
• Crappy packaging
• Mine wasn't blue! :(

My take: I really like this scrub! First thing I want to note though, is that mine wasn't blue like the pictures on the product page :( I guess the blue part... melted? When I received it, mine was pretty much whitish and SLIGHTLY blue/green. But not pretty and blue like on the website. Oh well.

Mine is also A LOT more grainy than I've read in other reviews, but this isn't a problem for me. I use this in the shower, so the big grains dissolve quickly and it doesn't bother me. However for people with sensitive skin, it might be too harsh! THe good thing is if it's too harsh for your face, you can use it on your body too for soft smooth skin.

The smell might also bother some people, at first it is refreshing but after awhile I didn't like it so much. But then again you're washing it off so it doesn't matter too much. I used this scrub for a week straight, day & night, and it DID give me super soft skin and a glowing complexion as promised. It also was great at cutting back oil and leaving my skin feeling very clean and refreshed. But as with most products that give great results, my skin starts to tolerate it after awhile and doesn't get that same radiant glow like when I first started using it. So now I only use it 1-2 times a week to give my skin a great pick-me-up =)

My only gripe with this product is that the packaging sucks. Well I can't complain because many LUSH products are in tubs anyway. But still. I don't really like products in tubs because of the contamination issues... plus I find that the scrub tends to get stuck around the rim of the tub, which makes it harder to tightly close the lid when I'm done using it. But eh, not a huge deal.

Would I repurchase: Probably, if I had a LUSH where I live :(

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