Lush Reviews

LUSH Face Mask Catastrophe Cosmetic

After a very long time, I had five empty Lush pots. You know what that means – I can claim a free face mask, woo! It has been a while since I’ve had any new Lush products, so as soon as there was a good time I headed over to get it and this time I picked Catastrophe Cosmetic, one I have never used before.

As with all Lush face masks, it will need to be kept in the fridge and used with 28 days. Use a generous amount and put onto clean skin for 10-15 minutes before washing off. The clay-like mask itself is a grey/blueish colour which is thanks to the main ingredient; blueberries which are full of antioxidants. The other main ingredients are calamine powder and chamomile blue oil. I have tried other face masks like Don’t Look At Me and Rosy Cheeks and I remember in particular Don’t Look At Me having a really positive effect on my skin.

Catastrophe Cosmetic is very soothing when applied and with having the bits of blueberries, it adds to that natural vibe Lush is so known for. It also smells sweet and gorgeous which lasts as you wear it. You can feel it tighten on your skin but not too much. The main drawback I would have would be the consistency of the mask, it is very thick and clumps can get a bit stuck on your fingers as it dries while applying. It’s a mask that is suitable for anyone really no matter your skin type. Ultimately, I don’t think this is my favourite compared to some of the others and I would be inclined to try other Lush face masks first before coming back to this one but it is not bad at all.

LUSH X ASOS Exclusive Bath Bomb Duo Set

Following a collaboration between the two companies, certain Lush products are available for purchase on the ASOS website. One of which is the bath bomb duo set which is exclusive to it. It comprises of two bath bombs – Intergalatic which is a predominately bright blue bath bomb and White Noise, a bath bomb that is more of a lighter grey/blue colour. Intergalactic contains peppermint oil, grapefruit oil, vetivert oil and cedarwood oil. I would say it’s the more striking of the two based on colour alone. White Noise contains cedar wood, sicilian red mandarin oil and patchouli oil.

The Intergalactic bath bomb was a lot more colourful and turned the water into a bright blue colour, with glitter visible. While the bomb is fizzing away there were lighter blues, pinks and purple colours which looked really pretty. It also smells really nice, as Lush products tend to be! Out of the two, this one was definitely my favourite and it was the one I went for first. It’s a good contrast to the White Noise bath bomb as it’s louder in presence but the White Noise bath bomb is a bit calmer. Visually, it isn’t as much to look at it, it turned the water into a predominantly grey colour although like the Intergalactic bath bomb, it made the water glittery which is always nice.

It has been a while since I’ve had a Lush bath bomb so it was a welcome treat. It made for a couple of very relaxing baths and like the above face mask, I didn’t pay for this one either as it was gifted. I definitely want to go to Lush at some point in the near future and treat myself to a few new things because unfortunately one side-effect of enjoying these products is that I no longer have them!

Review: Simple Day Cream, Simple Illuminating Radiance Cream and Superdrug Chocolate Orange Mask

Lately I’ve started popping into Superdrug more and more, as I work in the Bullring there are many nearby shops which prove tempting but Superdrug is always the one that is nearby and one where you can pick up a few bargains! I especially love going in there before work when I have a spare five minutes or so and buying a few things, it makes me feel productive particularly because once I finish work I tend to just head straight to the train station. But anyway! Yesterday, I saw some Simple creams which caught my eye, partly because they are at half price at the moment and I also picked up a face mask because that was what I came in for. So how are they?

Little bit of buying before work

I’d been running out of general face cream so I decided to pick up the Simple Vital Vitamin Day Cream. I must admit I quite like it, it isn’t greasy as with other face creams I’ve used in the past and it absorbs easily. The consistency is light and it says that it has a SPF of 15 so that’s an added benefit there- especially if you’re like me and loathe sun cream- it makes you feel a little less guilty! At least if there’s a little bit of sun you know you have that protection (but of course do use sun cream if it is really sunny!!).

Here’s the pot of cream in all its glory…

The only downside is that most creams tend to have a protective cover of foil when you first purchase them but this one didn’t so when I opened it, it was a bit messy! What I like about Simple though is that their philosophy of not having any harsh chemicals in their products and more focus on important vitamins for the skin such as Vitamin E. It also makes this product suitable for both sensitive and non-sensitive skin, so essentially it makes it suitable for anyone. This is why there are several Simple products around my house such as the antibacterial hand wash and even shampoo/conditioner because it is a fairly reliable brand.

Aaaand here’s what it looks like without the lid. Creamy.

It says that it keeps skin hydrated for 12 hours and I find that it lasts personally and as long as you don’t have excessively dry skin it should be ok for throughout the day and then you can team it up with night cream before bed. I also tend to use this cream (or any face cream) with the Simple Kind to Eyes Soothing Eye Balm as it’s important to look after the eyes as well because the skin underneath our eyes are sensitive and our eyes are one of the most expressive parts of ourselves!

Next, I’ve never used Simple’s Illuminating Radiance Cream before but what first strikes me is the bottle itself suggests a serum but the actual product is a light moisturiser and I have to say it’s quite nice having a pump instead of having to dip your fingers into it as with the aforementioned regular day cream. Makes it seem a bit fancier! As with the day cream, this also has an SPF of 15 so you have a bit of added protection from the sun which is always a bonus.

Looks more like a serum bottle right?

When I looked at my skin after using it, I noticed little bits of glitter on my skin which I’m assuming is the ‘light reflecting minerals’ it describes, the key thing is that it’s certainly nice for a quick radiance boost. I don’t think I can notice any dramatic changes to my skin, but I can imagine this product would look really good during the summer months with the glitter particles (ahem, I mean light reflecting minerals…) reflecting from the sun. I try not to wear foundation day to day as I like to let my skin breathe, but I can definitely see this cream being less effective under the foundation.

So like I say, this product is best during the summer months which isn’t much use for me now as today is the beginning of October! Overall, it is very lightweight and keeps my skin feeling fresh and clean so it’s not too bad, it certainly does no harm anyway.

Then lastly… ahh, the Chocolate Orange Mask! To be honest as soon as I bought it I thought that I would have been better off going for one of the clay masks such as the Dead Sea Clay Mask because this runs into the same problems as the Sugar and Spice Self Heating Mask that I’ve tried before. Because it is self-heating too, it doesn’t actually dry and while it initially smells lovely and gives a comfortable warm feeling, it drips everywhere and even gets on your lips! Mmmm, nice. You actually feel like your face is melting, so while it does make your skin feel nicer after, I recommend using this one in the bath! A bonus to using it in the bath is then you know the rest of your body will benefit from it too.

So there are my little mini reviews, hope you enjoyed it! I’m especially pleased that I’ve managed to write all this while getting ready for work. It’s always good to have a productive start to the day!