Lush Christmas 2012 Haul No. 1

Lush Christmas 2012 Haul No. 1

I am excited about all of Lush's Christmas stuff!  My first shipment came in last week.  I ordered on-line because the stores weren't carrying any of the Christmas items yet.  Also, I wanted to purchase some on-line only Retro items.  Here's what I got:

1. Twilight Bath Gel (8.4 oz) - love the smell of lavender so I have high hopes for this
2. Snow Fairy (8.4 oz) - the best-selling cotton candy scented pink gel now has a new label
3. Sexy Boy Massage Bar (2) - this is a retro item and I wanted to try it because it sounds so good, a chocolate-y lime scent!  This is bigger than I thought it would be, doesn't fit into any of the tins.
4. Snow Globe Soap
5. North Pole Soap - I'm excited about this one, it's supposed to be similar to Candy Cane Soap
6. Snow Cake Soap - smells like almond icing, mmmmm.  I have the hand cream in Smitten which has the same scent.  It's subtle, not like Laura Mercier's almond scented bath products (of which I am also a fan)
7. Snuggle Body Butter - I haven't tried this yet but I like body butters so we'll see. This one is for use at bed time. It's supposed to dry to a powdery finish which is intriguing.  

I have two more shipments of Christmas items coming.  The problem is that some items sell out quickly and are restocked at different times.  I have an order of only Bath Bombs and Bath Melts coming as well as an order of Buche de Noel facial cleanser which was sold out for a while.  I am finished with Herbalism and wanted to give Buche de Noel a try in the winter months.  I'll post those hauls as well as some reviews when I use these items.

Thanks for stopping by!  

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with this company.

Lush Halloween 2012 Haul - Pumpkin Soap and Calacas Shower Jelly

Lush Haul - Halloween 2012

I missed out on some of the Lush limited edition Halloween stuff since I checked on-line too late but I was able to find a few items at my local store.  I called around and it seems like most of the stores in Los Angeles are carrying the same 4 items:  Calacas Shower Jelly, Pumpkin Soap, Twilight Bath Gel and the Enchanter Bath Bomb.  I purchased the Pumpkin Soap and Calacas Shower Jelly.

The Pumpkin Soap smells delicious and the scent is perfect for the fall.  Smells a little bit like pumpkin pie filling but not as sweet.  It suds well and the scent does not linger on the skin.  I prefer this because while I love the smell of pumpkin during the fall, I don't necessarily want to walk around smelling like one.  I bought three of these, 2 for me and 1 to give to a friend.

I was a little hesitant about purchasing the Calacas Shower Jelly because shower jellies in general look like a lot of work.  I've read that some reviewers chop them up and then put a little on the loofah.  Some pinch off a piece and then work it up into a lather.  Others say that a lot of it ends up wasted since it can be messy to work with.  However, this jelly comes in a smaller size and the Lush associate did a demo where she just used it like a bar of soap.  She plopped the whole thing into her hand and then rubbed it around her arm.  Suds up a little bit.  This smells like those generic lime lollipops with clear plastic wrappers.  I love that one side looks like a skull in celebration of Dia De Los Muertos:

Love Lush!  I already placed an order for some of the Christmas 2012 limited edition items.  They are stocking more and more stuff each day.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with this company.

Lush Mini-Haul: Smitten, Gumback Express and The Strokes

Retro Lush!  Please excuse the messy lids.  Looks like some of the products leaked during shipment.

I recently placed an on-line order for three Retro Lush items: 

1. Smitten - a handcream scented like their famous Snowcake soap.  The handcream itself is great - rich and moisturizing.  But the scent was not what I expected.  I don't know what Snowcake smells like so I had to go based on the description on the website (almond icing).  I was expecting something rich and decadent, sort of like Laura Mercier's Almond Coconut.  This scent is very light and almost artifical smelling.  It smells nice enough but it's not my fave.
2. Gumback Express - a banana-nut shower smoothie.  I know some people hate bananas but I like the scent!  If this smells like banana cream pie, then I'll be happy.  I haven't used it yet so I am storing it in my fridge.  I am finishing up a tub of Creamed Almond Coconut.
3. The Strokes - a rich hair treatment for frizzy hair.  I have poofy hair and I will try anything that claims to make it look sleek and tamed.  This conditioner has really high ratings so I wanted to try it.  The only thing is that the description of the scent scares me.  It's supposed to smell like beer...which I don't really want to smell like.  So we'll see.  This is also being stored in my fridge for a later date.

You can buy all the products I mentioned on the Lush website:  www.lushusa.com

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with Lush.

Review: Lush Cupcake Mask

Lush Cupcake Mask (pic taken with flash) - color is a little lighter and more grey in real life

This is my first experience using a Lush Fresh Face Mask*.  I originally went into the store to purchase Sacred Truth or Brazen Honey but the salesgirl suggested Cupcake.  The Lush website says this about Cupcake:

Features

• Sleepover staple: Cupcake is definitely a fixture at slumber parties for it’s wonderful effect on teenage skin.
• It looks good enough to eat: But no, it doesn’t taste like chocolate pudding. Trust us.
• Refreshing minty tingle: We combine spearmint, fresh mint and peppermint oils in Cupcake.

I actually really wanted to try the Cupcake mask because it sounds fun!  Chocolate on my face - sign me up!  But teenage skin?  I am in my 30s and I have normal/combination skin.  I do get occasional zits so maybe the salesgirl took one look at my face and thought I could use a good detoxifying mask.  I like to think she mistook me for a teenager but that's probably not the case.  Either way, I happily added it to my basket.

The mask is good for up 3 weeks (expiration date on package) and I was able to use it 6 times before it expired.  There was still some left over but this isn't the type of mask you could use everyday and I didn't want to overdo it.

Application

It's thick.  My fridge is also set on a somewhat higher temperature so it sort of freezes things a little bit.  The first few times it was hard to spread all over my face but I learned to let it sit out so that it is easier to apply.  It does smell great although for me, the scent was overwhelming after a while.  Smells like minty chocolate batter...with a little bit of clay.

Effectiveness

The first time I used this mask I simply rinsed my face with water to remove it.  I did cleanse my skin before applying it!  I got a few new zits the next day because it left a filmy layer.  After that I decided to use a toner (Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner) after washing off the mask.  I like the way my skin looks after using this mask with the toner - brighter and refreshed.  It's only temporary though.  The next morning, my skin looked the same.  I didn't have any breakouts when I used the mask so I am not sure if it would help in clearing skin.  I can say that it didn't cause my face to breakout!

Would I purchase this mask again?  Yes, but I want to try the others first.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with any of the companies or brands mentioned.

*These masks need to be refrigerated. 

Lush Mini Haul - Herbalism, Cupcake Mask, etc.

I went to the Lush store at Universal City Walk this past Friday.  The store was pretty busy.  I found the salespeople to be very helpful although at times they can be a little overbearing about wanting you to try everything.  For reference, I have normal/combination skin, occasional mild acne and I'm in my 30s.  I ended up taking home the items above:

1. Herbalism Cleanser - I originally wanted to get the Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser but the salesgirl advised me to get Herbalism since it's summer and my t-zone tends to get oily in the summer.  She told me to save the Angels Cleanser for the winter since it is more moisturizing.  I also asked about Dark Angels since it has charcoal but I was advised that it is recommended for people with oily skin who are prone to breakouts.  Herbalism expires in 3 months.  The amount I purchased above is good for 1 month.
2. Cupcake Mask - I wasn't sure which fresh face mask to get when I walked in.  I was thinking maybe Sacred Truth but based on my skin and the season, the salesgirl recommended Cupcake.  I was excited since I actually wanted to try this one but on the Lush website it's recommended for teenage skin.  A teenager I am not, that's for sure.  Smells like...cupcakes! This masks expires in 3 weeks or less.  It needs to be refrigerated.  
3. Mint Julips Lip Scrub - They had 3 flavors to choose from:  Bubblegum, Mint Julips and Sweet Lips (chocolate).  I chose Mint Julips because I like mint and chocolate together.  The scrubbing granules in this are huge.  Smells delicious though!
4. Honey Trap Lip Balm - Had read about this and wanted to try it.  Very moisturizing and smells yummy.

I will try to review my these items later, after using them for a while.  You can find Lush products here:  http://www.lush.com/