LUSH body care. Part 3

Will repeat some info from my previous post about LUSH skin care:

I compared the prices for the UK and Finnish markets (quite a big difference, don't you think?). I won't "copy-paste" the full descriptions and the list of ingredients. You can easily find those on LUSH website if you want. I will present my personal thoughts only in the "claims, pros/cons and PS aka general stuff" manner. :)

Note: I won't mention all those "natural" ingredients in "pros" section, and "not so friendly" in "cons" section.

1. Soaps

Common cons:

• All soaps only lather a little bit and leave a weird "slippery-dry (paradox!)" residue. Finnish soft water might be the problem. Have no idea why these soaps act like this. :/ Haven't experienced anything like this with Palmolive or Dove soaps...
• Without a packaging (find a way to store it!)

Honey I Washed the Kids (2,95 GBP vs 5,7 EUR for 100 g)

Claims: calms, soothes, smells delicious.

Pros: honey-toffee sweet delicious scent!
Other cons:

PS I tried to use it as a body wash a couple of times, but after the weird feeling afterward (see the "note") I'm using it only for my hands, and only because of the delicious smell!:) I usually have extremely dry hands so this soap doesn't do anything to ease the situation.
PPS My hubby sometimes uses it as a face wash (!), he likes it. :)

Mud Flats (2,85 GBP vs 4,5 EUR for 100 g)

Claims: purifies, cleanses spotty backs and smelly feet (LOL!).

Pros: can't think of any... :/
Other cons: scratchy, muddy scent.

PS This is a total FAIL! :(
PPS My hubby uses it sometimes as a "scrub for his back" (he doesn't have a spotty back though), he likes the scratchy feeling (!). :)

Porridge (2,56 GBP vs 5,4 EUR for 100 g)

Claims: "Ideal for sensitive skin; irresistible to everyone else." If I remember correctly, it mildly exfoliates and softens skin.

Pros: creamy-milky-sweet-warm delicious scent!
Other cons: The soap melts so fast leaving those oatmeal bits that are extremely scratchy (for sensitive skin? r u kidding me?)!

PS I can only smell it... but not touch it! lol
PPS I've heard LUSH renewed their Porridge formula a little bit - oatmeal bits are much smoother. I'm not sure if I have the older version though (I bought mine in spring).

Sexy Peel (2,91 GBP vs 5,2 EUR for 100 g)

Claims: wakes you up = refreshes.

Pros: the soap looks nice (yellow with little bits of orange peel)...
Other cons: citrus fresh scent? Wrong! It smells plastic when wet. The citrus note is very VERY VEEERY mild.

PS This plastic smell can definitely wake you up, but do you really need it? :)

2. Bath Ballistics

Butterball (2,22 GBP vs for 95 g)

Claims: "It will fizz joyously, scenting the water with sweet musk and vanilla while softening you up nicely."

Pros: nice sweet vanilla scent (when dry), fizzes!
Cons: scent almost disappears once you wet it, didn't feel any "softening effect" afterward (the same story as with soaps - feels kind of oily first, but then dries out completely).

PS It is my first and probably the last bath ballistics, because I don't understand how one can sit in the seemingly plain dusty water without bubbles (!!!). lol

3. Deodorants

Note:

Pros for all the deodorants: no matter how much you sweat when using these deodorants, you won't feel "the odour" but the scent of the certaing deodorant you're using! :) A little goes a LOOONG way (should it be in the cons section? lol).
Cons for all the deodorants: the application is time-consuming and quite messy, because you have to apply it with your fingers/hands.
Attention! Don't rub it into your skin, just dab a little bit!

What I mean by:
"pretty well": if you sweat more than you usually do - you might get "wet armpits".
"works well": if you sweat a lot - you might get "wet armpits".
"works wonders": if you sweat a lot - your armpits stay almost dry (no discomfort)! :)

Coconut powder deodorant (3,69 GBP vs 7,5 EUR for 50 g)

Claims: deodorises (obviously), contains calming essential oils (from fragrant vetivert grass and benzoin gum), absorbs moisture.

Pros: nice smell (light powdery coconut), works pretty well on normal i.e. non-busy, non-sporty, non-active days.
Cons: the lid of the jar/container is so tight it makes the opening/closing "process" really painful sometimes! I guess it's my "luck" getting this stubborn lid... The deodorant irritates my skin (becomes red&itchy! awful!) when I happen to use it on busy/active days. I've heard it can leave dirty-yellow marks on light-coloured clothes (haven't "tested" it though).

Aromaco deodorant for all over your body (3,93 GBP vs 7,25 EUR for 100 g)

Claims: "Patchouli is cooling on the skin, astringent and soothing."

Pros: non-offensive scent (patchouli), works pretty well on active days also.
Cons: without a packaging (find a way to store it!). Sometimes irritates my skin (itchy! but at least no redness). On especially active days (when you sweat a lot) transforms into oily residue (nope, it's not sweat!). I've heard it can leave dirty-brown (!) marks on light-coloured clothes (haven't "tested" it though).

Aromacreme (4,25 GBP for 100 g) discontinued?

Claims: not only deodorises but also nourishes/softens, perfumes (!) armpits.

Pros: non-offensive scent (powdery almond&ylang ylang), works wonders on active days.
Cons: without a packaging (find a way to store it!). Rarely irritates my skin (itchy! but at least no redness). I've heard it can leave dirty-brown-yellow (!) marks on white clothes (haven't "tested" it though).

(Common) PS Hassle with the application, possible irritations - no, thanx, it's the least I want on my busy day!.. and on my normal day too...

4. Temple Balm

Whoosh (4,19 GBP vs 7,95 EUR for 10 g)

Claims: "Keeps your mind bright and active. <...> How does it work? It applies reviving essential oils of lime, lemon and grapefruit to your tired body and brain. Then it adds refreshing rosemary and stress reducing geranium so you stay nice and calm."

Pros: nice little tin, non-offensive scent (strong fresh lime-lemon-grapefruit) A little goes a LOOONG way (should it be in the cons section? lol) because you obviously don't need it every day.
Cons: expires in 14 months from the production (not when you actually open it!) date, meaning that you might end up with a half-full but spoiled (it dries out and starts to smell kinf of plastic!) product. Doesn't awaken me enough. :/

PS I sleep enough time, but sometimes it's so hard to wake up (especially some day in winter at 6!). Unfortunately, this balm doesn't do any difference. Maybe it's just me. or maybe it's Whoosh. lol Total fail IMO.

A little extra - the picture of some of the LUSH products previously discussed (incl. Mask of Magnaminty, Breath of Fresh Air toner, Imperialis face cream, Ocean salt mask), discussed in this post (incl. Whoosh temple balm, Honey I Washed the Kids & Mud Flats soaps (in the left corner of the picture), Aromacreme deodorant (in the clear jar)), and the ones that will be discussed in the near future (incl. Veganese hair conditioner).

LUSH skin care. Part 2

These are the products I used on a daily basis some time ago (meaning I don't use these products at the moment). They're organised in "step-by-step" order. I compared the prices for the UK and Finnish markets (quite a big difference, don't you think?). I won't "copy-paste" the full descriptions and the list of ingredients. You can easily find those on LUSH website if you want. I will present my personal thoughts only in the "claims, pros/cons and PS aka general stuff" manner. :)

My skin type: combination, acne-prone skin. The situation changes all the time (sometimes I have almost clear skin, sometimes I'm "a teen again" lol).

Note: I won't mention all those "natural" ingredients in "pros" section, and "not so friendly" in "cons" section.


1. Cleansers

Baby Face make-up remover (3,95 GBP vs 6,95 EUR for 35 g) (evening)

Claims: softens and cleans your skin, removes dirt and puts back moisture.

Pros: nice fresh-sweet scent, does remove make-up (to my surprise lol), skin feels softer (there is BUT in the cons below!).
Cons: melts too fast (be quick!) = waste of product, without a packaging (find a way to store it!), leaves an oily residue (easily fixed with the following step though).

PS Too much of a hassle...

Aqua Marina cleanser (5,42 GBP vs 9,95 EUR for 100 g) (morning)

Claims: deeply cleanses (and tightens!), calms, soothes irritated skin, makes your skin smoother, softer and firmer, helps to get rid of skin's toxins.

Pros: skin feels softer, non-offensive scent, nice colour (hmmm, can't think of anything else...), a little goes a long way (should it be in the cons section? lol)
Cons: who needs that "deco" seaweed in a cleanser anyway? = messy (peel it off and throw away! lol), leaves a powdery-peeling residue (when I used toner or cream afterward, I saw tiny pink peels), comes in a transparent plain jar (boring? :) ).

PS Even more hassle! lol

Fresh Farmacy (4,04 GBP vs 7,5 EUR for 100 g) (evening)

Claims: calms, soothes, cleanses, deals with spots and other skin troubles (!).

Pros: skin seemed just a tiny bit clearer, non-offensive scent, a little goes a LOOONG way (this could be in the cons! lol)
Cons: tightens too much (use once a day max!), without a packaging (find a way to store it!).

PS Too strong (= harsh), but not that strong to fight spots.


2. Toner

Breath of Fresh Air Skin Toner/Refresher (6,21 GBP vs 11,75 EUR for 250 g) (morning, evening)

Claims: Softenes, calms, soothes, revitalises/refreshes/rehydrates/remineralises (so many "re" :) ). "Makes your skin feel extra fresh and healthy. Tones without tightness".

Pros: nice packaging (there is a BUT in the cons section).
Cons: non-transparent bottle (can't see what's left, you can only hear or guess :) ), weird smell (sea mud+lemon? ironically "not fresh air" lol).

PS Can't comment on any of those "claims", because I used cream straight away, and have never used this toner as a skin refresher. Pretty average.


3. Cream

Imperialis (10,48 GBP vs 19,95 EUR for 45 g)

Claims: Balances the skin's sebum production, soothes irritations. "Balancing moisturiser to condition all skin types. Great for combination skin." "If you're not sure which moisturiser is for you, start here." (yep, it's about me! and it seems to be great for my skin type! lol)

Pros: nice jar, nice light consistency/texture (there is BUT in the cons section).
Cons: weird smell (plastic+cheap floral scent+medicine smell?), leaves a weird residue despite its seemingly soft&light texture (it kind of sits on the surface of the skin, and... it seems oily in the beginning, but then becomes dry! magic! lol).

PS Just WEIRD! lol


4. Masks

Mask of Magnaminty (4,09 GBP vs 7,65 EUR for 125 g) (once a week)

Claims: deeply cleanses/exfoliates, suckes the dirt out of your pores, refreshes and stimulates your skin senses.

Pros: nice smell (although it doesn't smell minty to me! it smells like a baked potato! lol), nice texture, nice jar, nice cooling sensation afterward.
Cons: quite difficult to remove (be quick, otherwise it tingles!).

PS It's average, nothing too exciting for my sometimes problematic skin.

Ocean Salt (5,96 GBP vs 12,95 EUR for 120 g) (once a week)



Claims: cleanses, refreshes, calms, nurtures, moisturises, softens the skin. "Use it on oily skin every day and use it to refresh and remineralise dry skin once a week."

Pros: fresh citrucy smell (where is my beloved coconut by the way? lol), skin feels soft and moisturised afterward, easy to remove, nice jar, nice texture (apart from the salt!).
Cons: tingles a little bit, salt is too harsh (be careful!).

PS Every day for my T-zone (oily)? No, thanks! lol This mask is pretty good... but I wouldn't buy it again though (haven't decided why yet :) ).

LUSH. Part 1

I came across LUSH about 2 years ago, when it was not yet available here in Finland and when it was not yet THAT popular among youtubers and bloggers.

One day I was reading a topic about hair loss and saw someone recommended LUSH "New" solid shampoo. I started the "investigation". I was SO impressed by all that "all so natural ingredients", "eco friendly", etc slogans, that I was immediately into the brand. I recon the same thing happened with my Body Shop experience several years ago when I decided I "need" only natural stuff... :)

Thankfully, we were planning to go to Stockholm the same month I discovered "the treasure chest". lol I prepared a huge "must-have" list. I bought everything I wanted, and to my greatest surprise my hubby got very interested too and even chose a couple of things! He still likes to go to LUSH shop and sniff soaps (and also make me buy some!). lol

Over these 2 years I've tried (but obviously didn't buy) almost everything they sell. However, I don't consider myself as a fan of LUSH. But somehow I always end up buying something and regret afterward... Yep, I know I'm weird... sometimes. lol

Back to the beginning of June, when I tried to take pictures of all the products I have, some of the LUSH products were already gone/consumed, and only bottles/jars or little pieces were left from the others.

That's being said, I decided (anyway!) to do mini review series of LUSH products I had and still have.

But before I start, I want to mention, that although I truly appreciate their marketing concepts, I don't think their products are for everyone, meaning that if it's written "natural", "eco", "fresh", etc on the label, it does not mean it is 100% natural and safe to use (perfume and parabens can still be there). By the way, all those "chemicals" also come from our mother Earth...

OPI Done Out in Deco

15 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in USA.

From South Beach collection 2009.

Seems to be 3 Big free (green label!).

Colour: lavender with a little hint of dusty rose (meaning that it's more of a warm tone). I've noticed a strange pattern regarding this polish when I was checking the swatches before ordering: it looks so pale on almost all the pictures I came across, when in fact it's "stronger" (darker? brighter?) lavender. This effect of "paleness" and "strength" could be seen on my picture: check the top ("strong") and bottom ("pale") of index and middle finger nails.

Finish: creme. I would call it milky! :)

Application: very smooth application , 2 coats is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: ranges between 5 USD - 15 EUR.

Pros: perfect coverage, easy application, nice brush, pretty bottle, big 3 free.
Cons: the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS This is when my love for unusual (for me at least) polishes started! :)

PPS This picture is also from my "first attempt" pictures back to June. As you can see it's still of an awful quality, but somehow it shows the colour pretty close to the original. :) It's so foggy and quite dark (no sun) here in Helsinki these days, but at least it's +6C! :) Tried to take several pictures outdoors, but no luck - awful pictures again. :(

8ty8beauty haul

I've never tried OPI and Orly nail polishes before as they're ridiculously expensive here (13-15 euro) and the colour range is rather poor (mostly pinks and reds - not my cup of tea). Until recently (this June)... I've checked so many swatches and websites before ordering my first bunch of OPI and Orly! I chose 8ty8beauty after all because they seem to carry all the nail polishes from my wishlist.

I was (and still am) very impressed with their service. Perfect customer service and very fast shipping! I was so shocked when I saw our postman with a package behind my door just a week after I placed my order. I thought I'd have to go to the post office in about one month or so! So naive! lol

For the start I decided to buy pastel "office-friendly" shades. I've already tried them all. And all I can say - I'm hooked! :) Since June I've ordered several more polishes from other suppliers. More on that some other day. Btw, I'm eagerly waiting for my 2nd order from 8ty8beauty! Hope to get it this week. :)


From left to right: Orly Golden Halo, OPI Done Out In Deco, OPI Suzi & The Lifeguard, OPI My Daddy's The King, OPI Sand In My Suit, OPI Your Royal Shyness.


My initial thoughts & short reviews:
Overall: nice bottles, perfect brushes, smooth & easy application. LOOOVE! :)

Orly Golden Halo (French Manicure): pale lavender - golden halo, shimmer. Very interesting shade. In some lights it's lavender, in some - golden. the only negative thing - the drying time is horrible! Even with a top coat, it dries for more than 2 hours. I've experinced the exact same problem with Orly Super Natural. It was my "all-summer" choice for my toe nails. :)

OPI Done Out In Deco (South Beach Collection 2009): lavender, creme.

OPI Suzi & The Lifeguard (South Beach Collection 2009): pale pink, shimmer. I have troubles with application. It is so liquidy-runny, but somehow manages to appear as a thick mess. SO weird!

OPI My Daddy's The King (Princess Charming Collection): pale peachy-pink, pearly shimmer. Gorgeous!

OPI Sand In My Suit (South Beach Collection 2009): sandy beige, shimmer.

OPI Your Royal Shyness (Princess Charming Collection): pale pink-beige, pearly shimmer. The beauty beyond words! :) I get the most compliments when I wear this shade. :) Although the colour is not unique, it's pretty classic-simple and the application is quite tricky (brush strokes!!!), I still think it's simply beautiful! :)

Maybelline Express finish diamonds "Coral Diamonds" + Gosh "Rainbow"

Layering: Maybelline Express finish diamonds in Nr. 510 Coral Diamonds and Gosh nail lacquer in Nr. 546 Rainbow (2 coats of Maybelline, 1 coat of Gosh, no top coat)

Note: don't pay attention to dents on my index and pinkie fingers - it's me trying to check if "60 sec" thing works. lol The flakes are better visible in the bottle than on my nails. These are still my first attempts (this spring) to take decent pictures of my nails, this is why everything seems so weird... :)

1. Maybelline Express finish diamonds in Nr. 510 Coral Diamonds (2 coats)

Claims: Dries in 60 seconds.

10 ml, exp. date: no info, made in France.

Seems to be 3 Big free (at least these are not mentioned in the list of ingredients :) ).

Colour: coral orange with golden shimmer.

Finish: shimmer-frost.

Application: smooth application , 2 coats is enough for a full coverage. Unfortunately, it doesn't dry in 60 seconds. Dries in 60 (or even more) minutes would sound fair enough. lol Brush strokes are almost invisible.

Retail price: around 8 EUR.

Pros: beautiful colour, good coverage, long lasting, big 3 free.
Cons: the brush is quite small and long (!) for my liking, shape of the bottle is not very comfortable when it comes to rotating (not shaking!) it before the application, pricey, 60 seconds = FAIL!

PS The nail polish itself is perfect, but the marketing thingy (bottle and brush design, slogan) is not that good...

2. Gosh nail lacquer in Nr. 546 Rainbow (1 coat)

8 ml (0,3 oz), exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in Denmark.

Seems to be 3 Big free (at least these are not mentioned in the list of ingredients :) ).

Colour: rainbow!:) although I can spot only orange and green... lol

Finish: light reflecting flakes!

Application: it's very sheer, but buildable if you want to have more flakes on your tips. Keep in mind that the removal process is a bit tricky. Nope, this polish won't scratch your nails, but those flakes will get everywhere! :) I would recommend using it as a top coat only.

Retail price: around 8-9 EUR.

Pros: fun, long lasting, big 3 free.
Cons: the brush is quite small and the handle (not the cap!) is short (only half of the bottle!), pricey, tricky removal.

PS I wouldn't call it a rainbow, nice effect though. :)

Barry M Nail Paint in Nr. 295 Turquoise

Note: ring and pinkie fingers appear to have a yellow tint because of the top coats. See the explanation below.

10 ml, exp. date: no info, made in England.

Claims: quick-drying, best applied with base and top coats (in order to avoid nail polish stains).

Seems to be 3 Big free from what I can see from their website (check product ingredients).

Colour: turquoise blue. Reminds me of the blue Scotch tape. lol

Finish: creme.

Application: very smooth application , 2 coats is enough for a full coverage. It dries pretty fast without a top coat, I'd say for less than 2 hours. I tried it with fast drying top coats (Sally Hansen Mega Shine extended wear top coat on my ring finger and Mavala minute quick-finish on my pinkie) and they really made a difference, ugly difference, as they gave a yellow tint which turned blue into green. I'm not sure you can tell from my picture but there is a difference. Hence I prefer it without any top coat.:)

Retail price: 2,95 GBP.

Pros: bright colour, good coverage, easy application, nice brush, pretty bottle, long lasting, big 3 free (not sure though), CHEAP!
Cons: can't wear this with a top coat (yellow tint thing, although it's top coat's fault!), not very quick-drying, strong smell, no ingredients on the bottle (you must visit a website to find those).

PS Even though it's not super fast drying and this shade doesn't work well with top coats it definetely is worth the wait!:)

Wild and Crazy Nail Enamel in Nr. W78 Super Dooper Blue

Left: sunlight; right: shadow (2 coats)

Toluene, formaldehyde and DBP free, 14 ml (0,4 oz), exp. date: no info, made in USA.

Colour: the name says it all - it indeed is super dooper blue!:) It's especially bright under the sunlight.

Finish: pearly frost (looks more like a creme most of the time though, weird :) ).

Application: smooth application , 2 coats is enough for a full coverage. However, I had a big problem with "bubbliness" - while it was drying those little bubbles began to appear. Haven't experienced this before. Have to try once again. :) It's also a little bit streaky like almost all frost finishes are. But those streaks are much less visible in a real life than on my picture. Looks like ridges. lol

Retail price: around 2-3 EUR.

Pros: beautiful colour, good coverage, long lasting, big 3 free, CHEAP!
Cons: the brush is quite small for my liking, bubbling!

PS Even those evil bubbles can't stop me from enjoying this gorgeos colour! lol

RIMMEL Wear Maxx "Pure Sin" + IsaDora Wonder Nail Extra long lasting Quick Dry "Sparkling Diamonds"

Layering: RIMMEL Wear Maxx in Nr. 283 Pure Sin and IsaDora Wonder Nail Extra long lasting Quick Dry in Nr. 620 Sparkling Diamonds (as a top coat) (2 coats of Rimmel, 1 coat of IsaDora, no top coat)



1. RIMMEL Wear Maxx in Nr. 283 Pure Sin (2 coats)

12 ml, up to 10 days super durable colour, exp. date: 30 months after opening, made in Spain.

Special features: Lycra + minerals (have no idea which minerals it contains, as this info along with ingredients is not written on the bottle).

Colour: pink with very fine silver-magenta-purple glitter.

Finish: pearly shimmer.

Application: very smooth application - 2 coats is enough for a full coverage. What comes to the durability - it's quite good when wearing alone, but certainly not 10 days as they claim! I haven't try not to wash my hands and not to clean anything though, maybe that's the key to those promissed 10 days. lol

Retail price: around 6 EUR.

Pros: easy application, not streaky, good coverage, long lasting.
Cons: the brush is quite small for my liking, no list of ingredients, no info about those mysterious minerals, 10 days = fail!

PS Lots of promisses but no explanation, otherwise everything is fine.

2. IsaDora Wonder Nail Extra long lasting Quick Dry in Nr. 620 Sparkling Diamonds (Holiday Collection 2008 Dazzling Diamonds) (1 coat)

6 ml (0,2 oz), exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in Sweden.

Special features: Wide brush - very easy to use. I'm not sure what I would tell if it'd be a much darker shade though. lol

Colour: pearly white-red-silver shimmery glitter.

Finish: glitter.

Application: very smooth application. It's quite sheer when applying alone though. I use it only as a top coat, it gives that silvery shimmery look. Is better used with cool toned darker polishes. What comes to the durability - it's quite good - up to 6 days without a top coat (I find nail polishes last longer without all those top coats), while with a fast drying top coat (Seche or Mavala) it's 3 days "till the first chip". It also takes a while to dry to the touch - around 3 hours.

Retail price: around 8-9 EUR.

Pros: easy application, cool brush, fine shimmer, long lasting.
Cons: sheer when applying alone, tends to get thicker over time, pricey.

PS What do they actually mean with "Quick dry"? Can I call 3 hours a quick thing? I doubt so. lol

LUMENE Quick & Chick Nail Polish "Our Last Summer"

It's been a while! Time flies SO fast! It seems I wrote my last post only a week ago. lol But now I'm back and really hope I won't disappear again. :) I bought (and also threw away!) so many things in these past few months. Planning to share my experience with you, ladies. :)

For the start, my first attempt to make a decent picture of a nail polish swatch. :) This picture was taken a while back (in April if I'm not mistaken).



LUMENE Quick & Chick Nail Polish in Nr. 16 Our Last Summer (2 coats, no top coat)

Hypo-sensitive, no formaldehyde, 6 ml (0,19 oz), exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in Finland

Special feature: "one-touch" brush - really easy to work with.

Colour: beige+golden+pink very fine pearly shimmer for a natural office-friendly look.

Finish: frost, a little bit streaky, but those streaks are less visible in a real life than on this picture.

Application: very smooth application - 2 coats is enough for a full coverage. Have no idea why it turned not so opaque on my picture though... :/ In case you don't have a fast drying top coat (I bought my fist one in May only!), it takes a while to dry to the touch (that's why I ended up with a couple of scratches on my index and middle fingers). In my experience it took around 3 hours! This nail polish is really long-lasting. Without a top coat it lasts for around a week without chipping while constantly cleaning and washing something.:) Amazing!

Retail price: around 6 EUR.

Pros: very nice brush, easy application, good coverage, long lasting.
Cons: takes much time to dry, a little streaky, smell is quite strong, pricey.

PS Although it's quite chick it's not that quick! :)