Mask of Magnaminty

Hey guys! So this week on my regular trip to lush, I was pondering which products were actually left for me to try out and critique for you. Then I spotted the 'Mask of Magnaminty'. Now I am a virgin to the Lush face masks, so I thought as this one doesen't require all the hassle of putting it in the fridge, and using it up within the month of expiry, I decided to give it a try, so here's how I got on.
     The first noticeable thing about it is that the product is a sludge green, as there's mint in there (obviously) I thought it would be a grassy, fresh colour, so that was a bit off-putting. and the scent is a musky, peppermint. It's very pleasant, and the smell is more obvious when applying it, which brings me to my next point, it is a very strange texture, it says in the ingredients that it has 'ground aduki beans' which is probably why, when I trialed the mask on my dad, he turned his nose up and claimed 'it felt like having cold bolognese sauce rubbed on his face'. Lovely Father. However I do see where he's coming from, the texture is strange, thick but a bit lumpy, but the lovely thing is that it's cold when it's first slathered on the face, which is lovely and refreshing. There are 3 stages to this when it starts getting to work that I've noticed:
1. A mild stinging sensation, (don't worry, it's not just me, my dad agreed!)
2. It starts to make your face really cold, wherever you happen to move a rush of icy air envelops the face, and the mint gives you a tingly feeling.
3. It dries up, which makes your face feel very strange, having a crusty layer plastering it.
    When the product is drying, your face tightens up a considerable amount, which isn't unpleasant, just makes you feel like you've had botox like Madonna, I was barely able to talk! I normally leave it on from 10-20 minutes, until it's primarily dry on the face. 
              One thing I wouldn't recommend is trying to remove it with a flannel/washcloth, as it is too crusty and just doesen't come off. Use some water and the good old fashioned splashing technique. Works every time! I think my favourite thing overall about this product is that when I was washing it off, and the mask had nearly all gone, my face was actually squeaking it was so clean, I was absolutely amazed, I'd never had that with ANY skin product before, so to feel my face so clean was a new record, as always my face felt ridiculously soft after it had all been washed off and the squeaking had subsided, I expect nothing less from the lush skin-care now though, an extraordinary product, and if all the face-masks perform to that level, many more reviews will be coming your way! Ciao! 
Check it out here: https://www.lush.co.uk/product/287/315g-Mask-of-Magnaminty-Face-Mask

My steamy session with the Tea Tree Toner Tab!

This week my skin has NOT been behaving itself, Just when I thought the battle with my spots had been won and my skin was starting to behave as it should. After using aqua marina for a couple of weeks, and having a mild stinging sensation every time, I assumed that was the cleanser just working it's magic and pulling all the unwanted dirt out from my pores, but it turns out it was reacting to the calamine, so my skin has broken out really badly, so I will not be trying fresh farmacy as I understand that contains quite a bit. So my skin was feeling really sore and sensitive, it was breaking out, I didn't know what to do as whatever I put on burnt my face. So I thought about steaming it, because that's not using any harsh ingredients at all, just releasing the blackheads and controlling oil, So i went on an emergency trip to lush, and bought the cheapest of their steamers, which happened to be the tea tree toner tab. It cost me £1, which seems reasonable I suppose? As they recommend bottling up the water and reusing it within a week, it does seem moderately priced.  I am yet to use the Dream Steam, which costs £2.50 for a little tab. So I bought one of the tea tree circles and walked home, eager to see if this would calm down my Irritable, Problematic skin.
       So this little tab is around the size of a £2 coin, with the depth of a lip balm pot, so big enough, and the colour is light green/white, the smell isn't too obvious. It has a 'T' in the centre of the product. When I got round to using it, I boiled the kettle and put the boiling water into a big glass bowl, when dropped into the water it fizzed and bubbled, and was completely instant, which I was so impressed with, and the water turned a subtle emerald green colour. The smell of tea tree suddenly dispersed around the whole room, and the scent was fresh and aromatic. I put my head under and got down to some steaming business, until it wasn't hot enough to generate any more steam.
      I tested the sensitivity of my skin after I had finished steaming, and it felt as though it had departed, so I put on the mask of Magnaminty (Review coming later his week) and my skin felt better than it had in weeks, It was no longer sensitive, it had relieved my face of the patchiness, with oily and dry parts, (much more than it normally is with my combination skin). So I would definitely recommend if your skin is misbehaving, and is feeling very sensitive and you aren't sure quite what to do with it, go and check it out here: https://www.lush.co.uk/product/402/Tea-Tree-Toner-Tab

Charity Pot: Hand and body lotion

Ok, so here is the mini review I promised to make on the little tester I was given on the way out of my lush trip on Saturday,  it's the Lush charity pot, now this little thing smells like a piece of Turkish delight that has been put through the blender, with a slight nutty aroma at the end, it is pleasant, but overwhelmingly strong. I know there's also 'organic cocoa butter' in there, along with many other beautiful products, which is just standard for lush, because they don't make anything without the finest ingredients being involved somewhere.
    The truly magnificent thing about this product is that 100% (not including vat) goes to a charity, I think that's amazing, how lush will spend their money and their time, with beautiful expensive ingredients involved, and they don't keep any of the profits. 'What a lovely thing to do, on the website it says 'Lush will give our time, Lush will give our raw materials, if you will be kind enough to buy it'. I think what I love the most is that they made a product that will actually attract people, and will buy it regardless of the fact all the money goes to charity, which is an ingenious way of getting more and more money to a good cause. 
   Down to the actual results, it is a milky white colour, and the texture is slightly thinner than what you'd expect from a hand and body lotion. It dries very quickly on the hands, it absorbs into the skin straight away, once your hands have soaked it all up they are left feeling very very moisturized, and smooth, on the body (I tried it on my legs) it does work, and it leaves skin feeling very nourished and smooth, but I prefer it as a hand lotion. The scent left on your hands is as though you've been a little bit greedy with a box of Turkish delights, that's the only accurate description I can muster. Charity Pot, go and check it out here: 
https://www.lush.co.uk/product/84/Charity-Pot-Hand-and-body-Lotion-240g

(The lighting on my camera was being strange, I apologize)

Lush toner review!

After I cleanse, I really love spritzing on a bit of toner, for a slight tight feeling, and just as a nice finish to my routine (when I can't be bothered with the moisturizer.) So as I have been so impressed with the lush cleansers, I thought the toners would surely be as remarkable, so I thought i'd give it a go. I started off with the tea tree water, because as I said I had problem skin the lady suggested that one, but when I'd finished that one off, and I had some money on me, I thought why not, so I bought the other two. So I hope you enjoy my review on the lush toners!

Breath of Fresh air

 I'll start with 'Breath of fresh air, The title of the toner is perfectly fitting, as it does smell like just that, you get scents of lavender, and citrus, and a hint of aloe I think, It says it's recommended for  all skin types on the bottle, which is handy if you don't have oily/combination skin like I do. The ingredients are so beautiful, that's why I love lush, because they do use the finest ingredients imaginable and the prices aren't even that ridiculous, they are definitely at a higher price range, but by god they are worth it. Breath of fresh air claims that it's a 'pick me up for the mind and skin', I do agree with that, when I spray it on I feel ready for the day ahead, I feel calm, It wakes me up, and it just gives the picture in your mind of being by the beach, (In england though!) except the scent is just intensified, so all of the usual seaside holiday smells multiplied by 100. there's the smell of seaweed, which is fresh and energizing, you get the floral scent, there's just everything in there and the scent really is so pleasant and refreshing, would definitely recommend it as a morning toner.
     Ok, so let's get down to the actual results, When spritzing it the spray comes out quite directly, Like a jet of toner, rather than coming out in a nice even mist, but that's probably just be being fussy like usual! DON'T GET THIS TONER IN YOUR EYES, it stings like hell! It also takes a remarkably long time to dry, I don't quite know why this is, but it can slow down the time it takes to put on my moisturizer. Anyway those are just my own personal complaints. It works for combination skin, definitely, it moisturizes the dry parts, and dries out the oily parts to a certain extent, which I was delighted about. After it has dried, skin feels nice and soft, it has a pleasant tight feeling, but not too much so, which is effective, as my skin is sensitive, and your skin just feels so clean? I can't put it into words, but your skin just feels clear, and free of unwanted toxins, which is just what you want when you wash your face! *Hint* If you put it into the fridge overnight, it will close your pores even more successfully, and it will wake you up and refresh you, which brings me to my next point, It's better for a morning routine, as it is very refreshing and  Rejuvinating. This toner is an absolute breath of fresh air, and would definitely recommend it. It costs £3.95 in the UK, check it out here!
https://www.lush.co.uk/product/60/Breath-of-Fresh-Air-Toner-Water-250g

Eau Roma

On each of these mini reviews i'm going to start with the scent, so here goes! when I first sprayed this on my face, childhood memories just came flooding back, because I had such a traditional stereotypical English granny, she baked apple crumbles, we went for roast dinners at her house every Sunday  and she smelt of lavender, and roses, and that was just the scent of her whole house, You're thinking how on earth is this relevant aren't you.. Thought so. It's relevant because the smell of 'Eau Roma', is my granny's house..  Lavender, roses, and perfume, captured in this tiny bottle, it's beautifully fresh too! I am in love with the scent and it is one of my favourite things about the whole product.

     It comes out in a beautiful mist, the spritz is very evenly distributed, which I like. It dries very quickly, and it's very gentle, i.e if it got in the eyes by mistake it probably wouldn't sting, because the only thing in there really is lavender and rose. So how does it work for oily/combination skin? It moisturizes the dry skin I have on my face without a doubt, but it is just slightly too gentle for me, I don't get the clean feeling in my face that I do with the other two toners. I can't feel my pores closing or my skin tightening. However it doesen't sting or burn my oily skin, something that the tea  tree and breath of fresh air do slightly, so an added advantage for that! After the short period of drying, your face feels beautifully smooth and I have noticed that it slightly evens out my skintone too! Which is an added bonus that wasn't advertised as part of the results of Eau Roma! Not the toner I would recommend for oily/combination skin, But still a beautiful product and I'm sure it will work wonders for anyone with drier skin. Go and check it out! 

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/140/Eau-Roma-Toner-Water-250g

Tea Tree Water

This is the first toner that was suggested to me as I described my skin to the shop Assistant in my local store, and it was the first ever toner I tried from lush, and It must have been good, because I went back for more! 

      Now this spritzer is halfway between Eau Roma and Breath of fresh air, It is quite misted out and evenly distributed, but it does have that element of a direct jet, if I was to describe the whole product in one word, it would just be fresh. Fresh ingredients,  fresh scent, fresh idea, etc.. It is nearly completely made up of tea tree, which would give you the idea that it does nothing, but it's shocking really how much it does for your skin!  This is the only toner water that is targeted for oily skin, as oppose to all skin types, so I thought that was interesting, so that was one of the main reasons I did want to try this product, as well as being recommended it, and it's a good job it is recommended for oily skin, because it is so drying, more so than the other two. It does have a refreshing smell, that prepares you for the day ahead, but it's not too zingy and bright, so it could also be one of your night toners, as the smell is quite soothing and calming. Tea Tree is such a beautiful smell, it's so pure, and for me it is just the scent of cleanliness, Lovely scent, it is a very drying toner though, so I'd recommend it more for the oily side of skin, however if I have used a moisturizing cleanser beforehand, e.g aqua marina, then I don't mind using this, because I like to have a balance, so if you had skin that was slightly more dry, but you loved the smell of tea tree, that could definitely be an alternative for you. Go and check it out on their website! 

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/403/Tea-Tree-Toner-Water-250g

Overall I would rank the toners on suitability for oily/combination skin:
1. Breath of Fresh Air
2. Tea  Tree Toner Water
3. Eau Roma Water

Bear in mind they are all fantastic products and would probably all work just fine for you, I am  just being picky, Furthermore Breath of fresh air and the tea tree toner are both quite similar products, it is just my personal preference.

        

Update..

Hello lushies, I went into my local store today, and restocked on Dark angels, which I can't live without, and I bought some breath of fresh air toner water, and as I was leaving I got a little charity pot hand and body lotion for free, so I will be doing a big review of all 3 lush toners, (Breath of fresh air, the tea-tree water, and Eau Roma) and saying which I feel is the most effective for combination/oily skin, and doing a small review on the charity pot! So stick around for that! Sorry I haven't done a review in a few days, I've been a bit busy and just haven't got round to it.

Enzymion Moisturizer

This is my first experience of a lush moisturizer, because the price always put me off, but my first experience has definitely been a pleasant one and I will be repurchasing. I chose Enzymion because the lush girl said it was the perfect moisturizer for oily/combination skin, and after previous experiences I have much trust for lush and their products, so I thought I might as well give it a go!

     I'll start with the smell, it is absolutely heavenly, it just smells fresh, and floral, but it's one of those that I just can't put my finger on, I can smell lavender I think it's slightly citrusy too, with a hint of aloe. It is pure white, and the texture isn't too thick, which I really like, it's like thin sun-cream.
          I'll apply my moisturizer after toning my face (with the tea-tree toner water by lush) and it goes on nice and thinly, and the smell is obvious when the product is being worked on the skin, which is lovely. After it's dried my skin feels really nice and soft, my dry patches just disappear, but without making my face feel extra greasy etc etc, when I wake up it definitely doesn't break me out, and my skin isn't very oily in the morning like when I use heavier moisturizers, Very good product and I will enjoy using it. Go and check it out on their website! (my camera is currently in repair, so a picture will be uploaded soon!)

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/144/Enzymion-Moisturiser

Aqua Marina

So yet again I went into lush on a mission to find the best skincare product for oily/combination skin, Now I know it says on the website that it is recommended for dry skin, but when I called up customer service and described my skin, The first thing they suggested was 'Aqua Marina', So I bought a tub and I thought i'd let you guys know the results and how I feel about the product!
     I'll start with the smell, as you may have heard from other reviews, it is very very strange, it has like a fishy scent with a floral note? I know it sounds totally disgusting, and even the notion should be absolutely repulsive, But in a really Bizarre way, It actually is quite pleasant? It's like a fish that's been wrapped in lavender and rose and lovely smells, Odd I know. It looks like a pink mousse with bits of seaweed stuck inside, and the texture is like a really really thick clay. It is also rather sticky, But being a slight lush freak, i'm used to the madness of all the products, because the results are usually so beautiful.
     So when applying it to the face, I' will wet the face first, and then put a little into my fingers, I put the Aqua Marina in my hands under the tap, so it is more supple when applying on the face. when it's being smeared on, it comes out as like the texture of milk, more and more comes out of the little blueberry sized amount, until you have a light coating of pinkness, I leave it on for 5/10 minutes, during that time i'll brush my teeth and comb my hair and things like that, during that time i feel a mild stinging on my face, which is the kaolin digging deep into the pores and removing all the gunk stuck down there, you can also sense the product drying, like a clay mask, I'll wash it off before it dries too much..
    When you've finished rinsing off the excess product, there is no residue, no product left, just your baby smooth skin, and what I think impressed me the most is that I had a blackhead on my chin before using Aqua Marina, and it just wouldn't budge, i'd tried all the products, all the squeezing methods, and it stayed there, as stubborn as anything. After 1 application of aqua Marina, just 1, It was gone, completely gone, with no remains. I was just so thrilled, because it may sound so minor, But just that blackhead being gone proved to me that the product had worked. So the product makes your face feel baby soft (which by the way stays throughout the whole day). And I don't have to apply nearly as much moisturizer, smiles all round! Would definitely recommend it. However the shelf life is only 3 months, which is a bit of a down-side, but i'm sure i'll get through it ok, it costs £6.25 in the uk.
https://www.lush.co.uk/product/32/Aqua-Marina-Solid-Cleanser

CoalFace, Facial Soap

This product is a really good exfoliator, the elements of charcoal powder is what makes it so good as an exfoliant and a scrub. When you run it under the tap it does go liquidy and it makes it smooth and easy to apply to the face, and the charcoal lumps that come out are lovely for really working into the face, and scrubbing out clogged pores, and the fact it is a soap makes it much more straightforward when applying  on to the face than e.g herbalism or Dark Angels. It is Definitely, Definitely meant for oily skin, which brings me on to my next point, It is SUCH a harsh exfoliant, I don't know what it is about it, but every time I use it, my face just stings and burns, So for anybody out there with sensitive skin like me, this is NOT for you.. It can be used on the body as well, which is quite a nice factor, but the charcoal dries the face so much, and as there is no moisturizing elements to it, there is nothing to balance out the drying factor! It makes the skin feel kind of soft, but as it stings my skin so much I don't really concentrate on how smooth it feels. It's only meant for the people with real excess oil on their faces i'm afraid! Go check it out at their website, it's one of those where you get to the store, and they measure out how much you want to spend, which is handy if you just want a small amount! But lush is really good for samples, so if you're not sure whether this product is for you, just try it anyway..
https://www.lush.co.uk/product/89/Coalface-Cleanser-100g

(Mine has nearly run out, so this is the remains of it!)

Happy Hippy Shower Gel

Happy Hippy

This is a great shower gel, it's lovely and fresh, fruity, and invigorating, it's a best seller too, I can see why! The smell is like grapefruit and citrus, which is gorgeous in the morning, it gives you a really zesty citrusy scent which stays on you, which I think is important. It lathers up really well, I literally just put a drop on my scrubbing brush with some water, and BAM there is enough lather to cover the whole body. There is loads of grapefruit juice in there, and it can be used for the hair or body, and it says it's perfect for waking you up in the morning, which is totslly true, I don't know what it is about grapefruit, but the scent is just so fresh it automatically wakes me right up. I know there used To be a picture of a hippie on the packaging, and they stopped doing that, which is sad, because it definitely added a certain something to the product. Sad :( It costs £3.15 for the 100g bottle, £6.25 for the 250g, and £10.75 for the 500g. Worth a try! Especially as it's rated 5 stars on the website, go check it out! 

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/193/Happy-Hippy-Shower-Gel-500g

Skincare Favourites!

Skincare Favourites

So I have oily/combination skin (which is also sensitive), and I was having an absolute nightmare finding a way to clear up my spots and excess oil, without stinging or burning my face, so I went online and did some research, and apparently the most effective skincare line is lush, for not upsetting the sensitive skin-type whilst absorbing oils at the same time. So I checked the website and saw the ingredients, once I read through, I automatically assumed 'as if that's going to help'. NEVER HAVE I BEEN MORE WRONG!  

Herbalism

I tried Herbalism as it was was targeted at my skin-type   so just to give lush a go I bought a pot. I am so glad I did, because I have fallen in love! It has changed my skin for the better.. Herbalism is one of the finest facial washes I have ever used in my life,(among other lush products!)  It is an absolute nightmare to put on, the smell is like vinegar made out of leaves and herbs, and it is bright green, but  if you can get past that,the effects it has on your skin are just astonishing, This product absolutely ticks all the boxes for me, it's slightly exfoliating, but still gentle.. you can feel it working on your face and really scrubbing out the pores, fantastic..2 weeks after purchasing my skin had improved a noticeable amount, a significant amount of people were asking what i'd been using, and I swear by this product now, I'm lost without it! It is a pain to put on, I grant you, as it's a solid cleanser (as many lush cleansers are) You have to dig whatever amount you need from the tub, (around a pea to a popcorn size, depending on how oily your skin is.) You take the amount and run it under the tap, then rub it all over your face, or get a little amount, and put it into your palm and add water to create a milky texture and apply to the face..Honestly it's absolutely fantastic if you can get past the colour, odour, and the fact it's solid. In the UK it sells at £6.25, which I feel is completely worth it. Go check it out! 

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/200/Herbalism-Solid-Cleanser

Ocean salt

This product is beautiful for when your face is just not going right, all your pores are clogged, your skin feels oily, and spots are erupting out of your face like volcanoes.. This is perfect.. to me it just smells like summer, it has a scent like citrus, the sea, coconuts, avocado etc, It is a beautiful turquoisey white colour, and it is the ultimate scrub, the coarse sea-salt is used as the exfoliating beads, and the avocado moisturizes as the sea-salt can be slightly drying, so there is a perfect balance.. you can really feel this product digging deep into your pores, it goes on smoothly,  it's a lovely, soft and creamy product. However it is very invigorating, it definitely wakes you up in the morning, (can be used for the body as well, but I like to use it on my face)  but so i wouldn't recommend it if you had seriously sensitive skin, however my skin is quite sensitive and I enjoy it, but don't use it too much, only 1/2 times a week, because it is very exfoliating, so make sure you don't tear your skin to shreds! It's meant for all skin types, I have oily skin, and it works fantastically well for me.. The ingredients are all fresh and fruity, the only thing that puts some people off is that the limes that they use are soaked in vodka, this doesen't bother me, but I thought i'd mention it just in case. It's easy to take off, no residue and doesen't make a mess.. a great product.. £6.95

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/306/Ocean-Salt-Facial-Scrub-100g

Angels on Bare skin

I genuinely do not understand why this is a worldwide best seller, It's ok and everything, but it's nothing spectacular, as herbalism or dark angels was for me. It smells like lavender, which is pleasent, and looks a bit like dried up porridge with some specks of lavender, which i don't mind, because that's relatively normal for lush's products... It is nice, it's quite thick and it's easy to create the lumps needed to spread onto the face, I suppose it's just because i need a stronger product.. There is almonds in there to give an exfoliating element, but i just don't think it's suited for oily skin.. Lush claims that this product 'evens out skin-tone  reduces redness, and improves the health and appearance of your skin'.. just empty words i'm afraid lush. Afterwards it does make your face feel quite soft, but nothing extraordinary. I purchased after reading all the amazing reviews and in my opinion it just didn't live up to them. Sorry angels on bare skin! Costs £6.25 in the UK
https://www.lush.co.uk/product/29/Angels-on-Bare-Skin-Cleanser

Tea Tree Toner Water

The 'Tea Tree Water' Toner from lush, whatever product I use on my face i'll always spritz this on my face afterwards, It smells lovely and fresh, It closes your pores after cleaning them out, so you don’t let in all the dirt you just cleaned out. You can spray it on to a cotton pad and wipe your face with it if you’re having a bad day, or just squirt directly on to the face, which is what I usually do.. But honestly, This is one of those products every bathroom needs, it wakes you up for the day ahead, gives a slightly tight feeling, (but not unpleasant) It smells absolutely gorgeous and fresh, it dries relatively quickly, and it is a perfect finish to any skincare routine, fabulous product. The only down side I would say, is that it is quite a drying product, which isn't too great because despite I have oily patches, I do have combination skin, so I need something that will work for my whole face.. It retails in the UK at £3.95 for a 100g bottle, and £7.20 for a 250g bottle. it’s definitely worth the price.

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/404/Tea-Tree-Toner-Water-100g

Dark Angels

This has to be drawing with Herbalism for me. It's just the perfect exfoliating cleanser, the best I've ever used (sorry ocean salt)  it's just perfection, when i'm washing my face, i'll always use this one first, just to empty any clogged pores, wake me up, etc, because it's quite a soft exfoliant, but you can definitely feel the scrubiness, it's just a joy to use. It is black as coal, and it smells like Liquorice mixed with lavender, and personally I don't really like Liquorice, the scent is very strong, but I can get past it for the absolutely faultless product that it is. Great for if your skin , it completely gets soaked is misbehaving and being oily. When you apply it to your face, it just goes smoothly on, It does make a mess of your sink I grant you, but completely worth buying.. The product makes your face completely black as black, when I put it on it looks a bit like I'm a chimney-sweep from Victorian times, which I always find quite amusing. The ingredients are lovely and natural, there's things in there like organic cold pressed avocado oil, to soften and moisturize  so that you don’t take too much out of the oils. There's things like Sandalwood and rosewood which give a rich deep fragrance whilst also being cooling and antiseptic. I just love it, and it is the perfect scrub for me, because it isn't too harsh on my skin, So for all you sensitives out there, GO FOR IT! It costs £6.25 in the UK, which for the fantastic product it is, it's quite moderately priced!

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/113/Dark-Angels-Cleanser