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Time to Celebrate!

April 23, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

Congrats, guys! We successfully completed our first year at PSU! It’s hard to believe that one year is done already, but I’m thankful I made it through (relatively unharmed). I have enjoyed this class especially since it gave me a platform to profess my passion for LUSH. Luckily for all the tired and exhausted students, LUSH has one of the best ways to celebrate a victory: big rich hollywood style bubbles. My mind is set on taking a luxurious bubble bath as soon as I have finished my last final. The trouble is… which one should I choose?

Immediately my mind rushed to the beloved Comforter bubble bar. Its blackcurrant scented bubbles and light purple waters are the reasons why this bubble bar is a best-seller all year round. Not to mention, it’s huge and you can cut it into 4 big pieces for 4 glorious baths. I’m not kidding when I say that this bubble bar creates bubbles like in the movies. I always say that I will take a bath when I get everything accomplished ahead of time.. well it suffices to say that I have only taken 3-4 bubble baths this entire freshman year. I think I’m due for a nice soak… Perhaps Comforter will be there to comfort me?

My first Comforter– from Montreal

Smells like: Blackberry bath bomb

But what about my darling Rose Jam Bubbleroon? Oh, it would surely be the sweet treat to appease my cravings. It’s rosy, moisturizing, softening, loving, pink, perfumed and gorgeous! Plus I have the soap, shower gel and body conditioner to accompany my dear sweet friend. I have three of these dearies tucked away in a box just dying to be used. I surely would feel rewarded by using this dreamy bubble maker.

Smells like: Scentenary Soap (limited edition), Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner, Rose Jam Shower Gel (limited edition)

However, I still have several holiday bubble bars in my possession that are in need of being used. Such as the Candy Mountain which smells just like the vanilla and candy scented Rock Star soap and the year round Creamy Candy bubble bar. It’s a lovely twist with gentle sparkles and loads of charm. This would be a fun and girly way to celebrate the end of the spring semester.

Smells like: Rock Star Soap, and Creamy Candy Bubble Bar

And then there is absolutely unique and wonderful Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon whose scent reminds me of one of my favorite miniature German cookies. Like the Rose Jam Bubbleroon, it is super cute and super softening to the skin. The inner “jam” part is filled with coconut oil and shea butter. I have two of these darlings which I have yet to try and I’m thinking that maybe this could be the one?

Smells like: nothing else!

These are my top contenders to celebrate this victory in my life. I’m hoping that all of you get a chance to just relax and enjoy the feeling of being accomplished. I hope that your finals go well and that you all have continuing success!

Bon travail et bonnes vacances, mes amis!

~Jayme Renee

P.S. I figure that now is probably the best time to show you my embarrassingly large LUSH collection… Enjoy!

Jayme Renee’s LUSH collection

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Wash the Stress Away

April 23, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

I’m feeling the stress. I’m pretty sure the rest of you are too. We are so close to finishing this freshman year but it seems like thousands of projects, speeches, exams and papers are holding us back from enjoying these last few weeks. During times of enduring stress, it is important to find time to eat well, drink lots of water, sleep enough, exercise and to even take some time to relax. One of the best ways I know how to relax involves a pinch of facial cleanser from LUSH and a good scrub. I’m here to talk about facial cleansers from LUSH and how they can relax you and your stress induced breakouts!

I have tried all of LUSH’s facial cleansers except for one: Ultrabland. It is a very gentle cleanser that is best used as a make-up remover but I chose to use 9 to 5 instead to fill that purpose. Their facial cleansers come in different forms: solid (like soap), scrubby cleanser, liquid and cleanser roll.

Solid Cleansers: To use– wet your face and hands, rub the soap in your hands to make a lather, smooth lather onto the skin. Wash away with warm water.

Fresh Farmacy is a wonderfully gentle and effective solid cleanser. I have an entire post devoted to this magical product. It is filled with calamine, chamomile, rose and lavender, so it is very soothing on the skin. With the solid cleansers, you first wet your face and hands, rub a little bit of the bar with you hands and then gently smooth the lather onto your face, then wash away. Fresh Farmacy is so nice for a gentle clean and will work well to get all of your makeup off, as well as calm those pesky breakouts.

Fresh Farmacy

Coal Face is the other solid bar cleanser, but it isn’t as gentle. It is very scrubby because of the powdered charcoal inside. It’s a perfect exfoliator and will leave your pores feeling refreshed and cleaned! The charcoal helps to absorb excess sebum so it’s great for oily skin. And the great thing is that this bar is not harsh on the skin, it has sandalwood and rosewood oils to reduce redness and to tackle blemishes. I like to use Coal Face when my skin feels like it needs a little extra cleaning. Plus it smells a little bit like licorice which I really like!

Coal Face

Liquid Cleansers:

The only liquid cleanser I have used from LUSH is 9 to 5. It was made to be a very gentle with dove orchid and almond oil. I love to use this to take off my makeup, it’s so gentle on the skin that I can even use it to take off my eye-makeup. It’s a great thing to have on hand, it’ll clean up dirt and makeup in no time and I even use it to clear up any eyeliner mistakes. It smells a little bit like baby lotion but the product is so worth it. I just wet my face and hands, rub a little of the lotion-like cleanser onto my hands and then smooth over my face. I then use a wash-cloth to remove it and my makeup is gone!

Scrubby Cleansers: To use– wet your face and gently rub the cleanser on your face, focusing on problem areas. Wash away with warm water.

Dark Angels is the more powdery form of Coal Face. It is a charcoal scrub that really cleans out dirt deep in pores. It’s perfect to clean oily skin, especially because it has not only deep cleansing ingredients but also calming and soothing ingredients. I really enjoy this scrub, it buffs out my skin to make it feel fresh and soft. I will warn you, it’s pretty messy so I think it’s easiest to use it in the shower. It smells really nice too!

Ocean Salt was one of the first cleansers I used from LUSH. It is filled with sea salt, coconut, lime and vodka– it is almost like a beach cocktail! It scrubs away dead skin really well and brightens up your skin tone. I recommend getting a sample of it first, because it can be harsh for certain skin types.

Cleanser Rolls: To use– place a little pinch of the cleanser in the palm of your hand, add water, make a paste and smooth over the skin. Wash away with warm water.

Angels on Bare Skin is a fan-favorite. It is calming for the skin but it also exfoliates. The lavender inside is meant to really balance the skin for a healthy complexion and it is really nice. It’s so herbal and fresh, it just feels like a natural spa treatment for your face.

Herbalism is the ultimate herbal cleanser! It almost smells like soy sauce to me in a weird way but I really like it. It’s something I like to use from time to time whenever I want to change things up. It makes my skin feel nourished and it helps to calm down breakouts. I only have a sample size and it’s lasted for a long time!

Aqua Marina is probably the gentlest cleanser you will ever use. It has so much calamine inside and it just feels so great on the skin. This would be the perfect cleanser to use on very sensitive skin, even on a sunburn– especially because it has aloe vera gel! The smell is interesting, it is wrapped in seaweed so it smells like the beach. I like it, but it’s not my favorite scent. But I would keep buying this product just because of its calming effects on the skin.

Let The Good Times Roll… This is my number one all time favorite cleanser on the planet. I love it. It exfoliates, moisturizes, cleanses and beautifully scents my face. It smells like yummy salted caramel popcorn. It has the perfect amount of scrub to make my skin feel fresh and renewed but at the same time Let The Good Times Roll somehow hydrates my skin. My skin never feels stripped with this cleanser. Oh just writing this post makes me want to go and use some LTGTR right now! Seriously, this is something you have to try. I would use this morning, day and night if I had enough time to.

Hopefully you all will have some time to relax within these last two weeks!

Love,

~Jayme Renee

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Masking the Imperfections

April 8, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

I know I’ve talked about face masks before but I feel like I should have a specific post for LUSH’s masks. There is one regular mask and nine fresh face masks to choose from. The thing that makes the fresh face masks different is that they are only able to be purchased in-store because they have to be refrigerated. Why? Because they are “handmade with the finest essential oils, fresh fruits and veggies, deep cleansing clays and nutrient rich herbs” all without any preservatives. They last for about 2 weeks in the fridge (and I learned that they actually do spoil– meaning that they really are preservative-free)! I have tried the regular face mask (Mask of Magnaminty) and three of the fresh face masks (Catastrophe Cosmetic, Love Lettuce and Cupcake)

Mask of Magnaminty is LUSH’s face mask that has a shelf life of about four months. It is filled with peppermint that freshens the skin and aduki beans to exfoliate away problems. I first bought this face mask during my reunion with LUSH in NYC at Herald Square. I used it that same night and I fell in love! It’s one of those products that I always have in stock in my bathroom. I use it once or twice a week as a nice refresher if my skin feels like it need a little pick-me-up. I put it on 5-10 minutes before I hop in the shower and it perfectly washes away without leaving any annoying residue. It smells and looks just like mint chocolate chip ice cream! I really love this product and I’m sure I’ll always keep coming back to it.

Catastrophe Cosmetic is my favorite face mask that I have ever tried. I love the Mask of Magnaminty because I can have it all the time, but I wish I could have Catastrophe Cosmetic on hand at all times. It is a perfect blend of blueberries, calamine and rose absolute. It smells like a blueberry yogurt parfait and it feels so nice on my skin. It doesn’t exfoliate but somehow it cleans out my pores so well. The first time I had this face mask was after my trip to King of Prussia last fall and my skin was in its best condition it had ever been in. I was reluctant to use it all up but I had to. I really really really love this face mask. I have bought it twice now and anytime I go to a LUSH store I will try get a pot of the Catastrophe Cosmetic.

Love Lettuce is another fresh face mask, but unfortunately I did not like it.. at all. The smell was really weird; it was almost nauseating! It has lavender and almond which sounded really nice but mostly it smelled like old lettuce. I don’t even remember if it worked well because I couldn’t get over the smell. I didn’t use it up, and after having it for about 3.5 weeks in my refrigerator it started to grow mold. I was happy about that because it proved that LUSH wasn’t lying about it being preservative free! They really do have fresh ingredients in their face masks.

Cupcake Fresh Face Mask

Cupcake is a chocolate and mint fresh face mask. It is practically like a chocolate milkshake that is beneficial for your skin. It was a really fun face mask and I enjoyed using it! The smell was delicious and it worked rather well– it is specifically made for young and oily skin. I felt like it left a little residue but it came off when I used a facial cleanser. It’s a perfect face mask to use for spa-sleepovers like I have with my girlfriends. I would buy this again because it’s just so fun!

Ciao!

~Jayme Renee

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Silly for Strawberry Stuff

March 31, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

Most strawberry scented items in the beauty industry are artificial, sickly sweet and just nasty. I love strawberries, they are my favorite fruit (besides grapes), and I am so glad that LUSH came into my life so that it could give me strawberry scented masterpieces.

My love for LUSH’s strawberry scented products started while I was vacationing in Montreal, Quebec and Tadoussac during the summer of 2011. Before going on this trip, I researched LUSH for months because I knew that there would be a plethora of stores in Canada (all North American LUSH products are hand-made in Vancouver so they have a lot of Canadian stores). This would be my first time going to a LUSH with knowledge of how awesome it is. My first time was in New Zealand and I was brand new to the store, the second time was in NYC with my friend and I didn’t know any of the products nor realize that I already knew this store. This time in Canada was different, because I knew all about the store and I had researched all of the products and found out which ones I wanted. So with my list in hand, I went into the best LUSH store I have ever been to– in Montreal. My mother and I spent literally 3 hours there with the help of the nicest LUSH employees. I bought so many items, but one of the items I didn’t buy was Strawberry Feels Forever… I regretted it tremendously.

LUSH store in old Quebec

After that haul in Montreal, I was lucky to continue my adventure in Quebec. We were walking around old Quebec city and I knew that a LUSH was near by. Against the wishes of my parents, I went in to the quaint (and very uniquely painted) shop and I couldn’t leave the store without buying Strawberry Feels Forever. So for less than 2o bucks I got Strawberry Feels Forever, Sunny Side bubble bar and a massage bar tin. My parents didn’t understand why I needed to get anything else after getting all those LUSH goodies just three days prior, but I knew the scent of that massage bar would haunt me if it didn’t belong to me.

My very first Strawberry Feels Forever

Since then, I think I have bought three or four Strawberry Feels Forever bars! I always like to have one in stock because it just smells so gosh darn good. So Strawberry Feels Forever is a massage bar…now that may seem strange, but basically LUSH’s massage bars are solid lotions. They melt on your skin and work just like normal lotion (only they work and smell better than any other lotion on the planet). This bar in particular smells like the freshest strawberries with a dainty coating of vanilla and white chocolate. The best part is that the smell lingers for so long! I remember sniffing my arm constantly (without shame) whenever I would use this massage bar as my body lotion. I’m obsessed with this massage bar and I only wish they had more year-round products that smelled like it. I know there used to be a creamy shower gel called Yummy Yummy Yummy but that was discontinued before I knew about LUSH and sometimes for Valentine’s Day they bring out the Magic Mushroom bubble bar which smells like SFF! Please LUSH, make more strawberry scented products!

Discontinued strawberry scented shower gel

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar

Ciao!

Jayme Renee

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Spring Fever

March 30, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

Yay! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, Lilly Pulitzer floral skirts are being worn around! It’s Spring!… Oh.. That might be happening somewhere else but we are stuck in this whirlpool of a winter that doesn’t seem to be letting up. I’m sure I’m not the only one itching for blue skies and slightly breezy weather with a warm sun smiling on all of humanity but we aren’t there yet. So, I have turned to LUSH for good Spring vibes. And they are happy to oblige with their Easter line of products!

I always get so excited for their seasonal items. And this year there are so many new products to ogle over before I can actually get to a LUSH store. This Easter line is filled with fresh and bright innovations that are just tempting me to get in my car and drive to the nearest LUSH. Here are some goodies that I’m so excited to see and smell in person!

Carrot Soap

This is an entirely new invention for this Easter! It is a fruity soap with the cutest details– it looks like a giant carrot and each slice has a white rabbit inside! I’m always amazed at how they create these masterpieces.

Golden Egg

This too is a brand new invention. It’s a shimmery mix between Bath Bomb and Luxury Bath Melt, meaning it will fizz a bunch but also moisturize the skin. Added bonus: it smells just like the honey-toffee wonder of the beloved Honey I Washed the Kids soap.

Bunny Bubble Bar

Well golly, this is new too… But yeah it is a Bubble Bar that supposedly smells of rich vanilla. Inside this cute little bunny are blue cornflower petals! LUSH likes to add little touches like that to make bath time more interesting.

Brightside Bubble Bar

Yet another entirely new invention. It is shaped just like the Comforter Bubble Bar but it is scented with mandarin, tangerine and bergamot. LUSH does anything with bergamot so well, I just know I will love this creation.

Now for some previous products that I know are great:

Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb

This is a superbly sweet and girly Bath Bomb which has been returning to the shelves year after year due to customer demand. It smells just like the extremely well loved Snow Fairy shower gel that comes around for Christmas.

Immaculate Eggception (pink and yellow)

Mmm the smell of this 3-1 Bath Bomb is to die for! It’s very fruity yet vanilla-y and very comforting. The price seems steep but each one can be split into halves and there is another bath bomb inside! Also, it comes in two colors: pink and yellow.

Good lord, I knew I would crave LUSH too much by writing this post. For all of us here in State College, I hope we soon get Spring-like weather. I’m dying for some sunshine and happiness… so if this weather continues I think I’ll be forced into making an order on LUSH.com.

Au revoir,

Jayme Renee

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Solid Scents

March 19, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

“Perfume is art for the nose” says LUSH. And it is the work of true artists to make the beautiful scents at LUSH. Not only are the bath and body products uniquely scented but LUSH also does have their own line of distinct perfumes– called Gorilla Perfume. They use real ingredients like rose and vanilla pod to create the beautiful scents rather than most perfumes that are filled with artificial oils and extracts. But what also makes LUSH perfumes so unique is that they are both in liquid and solid form!

I know solid perfume isn’t a new or extremely exciting idea but have you ever seen or used a solid perfume in a Push-Pop like bottle? My guess is probably not. So my post today is about LUSH’s solid perfumes, of which I have three.

There are so many LUSH solid perfumes to choose from, all with very unique scents. I have Lust, Tuca Tuca and Vanillary. They come in these really handy black containers that are a lot like Push-Pops; you push from the bottom and the stick of perfume moves up. It’s so much easier than most solid perfumes because you don’t have to dip your finger in to put the scent on your skin. You simply rub the solid perfume onto your skin and it’s beautifully scented for hours without a mess! Plus, that means you won’t have to worry about spilling any liquid perfume when you travel. They are perfect to carry around, especially in a purse. However, I will warn you that they can melt if they get too hot. But other than that they are the most portable perfumes. PLUS! They are not at all expensive. Most perfumes don’t have quality ingredients, but they cost a bunch of money just because of advertising. LUSH doesn’t advertise at all so the costs are extremely reasonable and based on what is actually inside.

Lust was my first solid perfume. I bought it while I was in Quebec. It smells like gardenia and jasmine and it lasts for a long time. I normally don’t like jasmine but this scent is beautiful. Smells like: Lust soap and a little bit like the Sex Bomb bath bomb.

Tuca Tuca is so unique that I actually left a LUSH store (with this scent on my wrist) in Toronto and came back within five minutes just to buy this perfume because I couldn’t stop smelling it! I don’t even know how to describe it but it is filled with violet and vanilla. It’s somehow fruity and floral at the same time. It really doesn’t smell like anything else!

Vanillary is one of my favorites and it reminds me of my sunny and LUSH filled day in Santa Barbara last summer. It is (as you can guess) very vanilla-y. It’s such a warm and inviting scent, I love to wear it on days when I need a little extra comfort. Smells like: Vanilla Dee-Lite lotion (which I absolutely adore)

Another cool thing about these perfumes is that they work really well with other scents. I like to wear LUSH solid perfume on my wrist and a liquid perfume (from L’Occitane, The Body Shop or Lilly Pulitzer).

Ciao!

Jayme Renee

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NYC Treats

March 6, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

All my goodies from NYC

So this past weekend, I was lucky enough to be able to go to NYC with my boyfriend and his family. I love the city because in some weird way it feels comfortable to me. I also love it because there are LUSH stores all over the place! I was able to visit two LUSH stores, one in Herald Square and the other in Union Square (where our hotel was). Of course I was super excited to go to LUSH even though I don’t need any more products. But! I forced myself to believe that I needed to go because I wanted to bring in five black pots for recycling to receive a fresh face mask for free! I have never returned any of my black pots from LUSH because I am admittedly sort of a LUSH hoarder.. but I told myself that I had to do this.

My five black pots that I returned

With my five clean black pots, I gladly skipped over to the LUSH in Union Square. In return, I received a free Catastrophe Cosmetic. This fresh face mask is a miracle worker. The last time I used it, my skin on my face was in its best condition ever! It is filled with fresh blueberries and calamine and it makes my skin feel so great. Plus it smells delicious!

Free face mask!

However, I wasn’t content just getting one thing.. so I asked if I could get a free sample of the Neon Love soap. I don’t know if I have said this before but LUSH gives out free samples of just about anything in the store. I love getting samples and testing things out, plus it makes me feel like I got a lot of stuff without spending lots of money. This soap was limited edition for Valentine’s Day and I was surprised they still had it in the store. I smells really fruity and I like it a lot!

After that little and free trip to LUSH, my boyfriend and I went and put my fresh face mask in the refrigerator in our hotel room (because fresh face masks have to be kept cold or else they spoil). Then we started our trek all the way up to Times Square… But of course we had to stop at the LUSH in Herald Square. I told myself that I wasn’t going to get anything but my boyfriend is an enabler and he actually persuaded me to get a lot more than I needed to. Oh well, that’s why I love him. A very friendly LUSH worker named Nicole hung out with us for about an hour and she was really helpful! I love making friends with the LUSH staff (if you are friendly with them, they tend to give you a lot more samples). I first caved in when I came to the lip scrubs. I have been wanting Mint Julips for a while. It is so minty and it has been really beneficial to the texture of my lips! I’m really glad I bought it.

Then I walked around more, she got me a few samples; one being Lemony Flutter, a cuticle cream. It smells so lemony and it’s very moisturizing, I’ll definitely buy the full size one next time I visit LUSH.

I then walked over to the hair products and I couldn’t help but to fall in love with Karma Komba. It is a solid shampoo bar that smells so fresh and lovely. It smells exactly like Karma soap, Karma bubble bar and Karma Kream body lotion.

Nicole then persuaded me to get Roots, which is a really minty hair treatment. It smelled so good and promised to make my hair feel nice so I bought it too! I then used it that night and my hair had never been softer nor smelled so good!

I had been searching for Independent, their black eyeliner, for quite some time. But I found out that they were reformulating it so it was no longer in stores. However, Nicole let me in on a secret– I could use the Eyes Right Mascara as eyeliner! So I bought that, and she gave me a free eyeliner brush. It works really well as an eyeliner and now it’s really cool that I have a two-in-one product for my eye makeup!

She also gave me two more free samples, Lovely Jubblies (which I am using as an eye-cream) and Fair Trade Honey shampoo. Before leaving the store, I hugged Nicole and thanked her for being such a great help. Overall, it was one of the best experiences I’ve had at LUSH and it made me extremely happy. I’m just waiting for my next chance to visit NYC! I miss it so much already.

Xoxo,

Jayme Renee

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Shower Gels.

February 20, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

I know I have talked about several of LUSH’s shower gels in other posts, but I finally have a large enough repertoire of gels in order to make an entire post about them. In general, LUSH’s shower gels are extremely effective, long-lasting and fragrant. On average, the largest size (16.9 fl oz or 500ml) lasts about 1 year and 3 months because the product is so highly concentrated. In this case, a little does go a very long way. Before LUSH came into my life, I probably went through one large bottle of shower gel per month, so only using one bottle for over a year is wonderful!

The shower gel section of my LUSH collection

Some shower gels are seasonal, meaning that they only are on the shelves or online during a certain holiday or a limited period of time. Sometimes they keep bringing back a certain shower gel during the same time of year because people love it; for example– Snow Fairy shower gel. This gel is a huge LUSH fan favorite and so they bring it back every Christmas. These are the seasonal/limited time shower gels that I own:

Rose Jam Shower Gel

The Rose Jam shower gel came out last year around October. I was so freaking excited to buy this shower gel because it has the same scent as my favorite bubble bar– Rose Jam Bubbleroon. The scent is a modern rose with a hint of lemon. For our one year anniversary, my boyfriend surprised me with a LUSH present that included one small Rose Jam shower gel and Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner. The Rose Jam shower gel is one of the best gels I have ever used! It smells just like the Bubbleroon and it lathers up so well. The gel is super softening for the skin, plus you can use it as a shampoo. I give it an A++! And I now have one large size, one medium and two smalls… I’m a happy and lucky girl!

Smells like: Rose Jam Bubbleroon, Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner, A Million Kisses lip tint and Chou Chou toothy tabs.

Ponche Shower Gel

I think Ponche has been around for the past two Christmas seasons at LUSH. I never smelled it in the store, but I ordered it online this past Christmas during the BOGO sale. After Christmas is over, LUSH has a sale in stores and online that you can buy one product and get one for free! So I bought the medium and the small size bottles of Ponche just because I wanted to try it out and the reviews were very positive. It is inspired by a Mexican Christmas punch– so it is very fruity and slightly boozy. I really like the smell of it! It lathers up extremely well and helps to wake me up. It deserves an A+!

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

Snow Fairy is the most popular Christmas time shower gel. It is a light pink shower gel with glitter and it smells like cotton candy… No wonder people love it! It’s a really fun treat to use when I want to feel especially girly. It makes really nicely fragrant bubbles and would be great as a bubble bath as well! I give it an A!

Smells like: Bubble Gum lip scrub, MMM bath melt and Creamy Candy bubble bar.

Prince Charming Shower Gel

This was actually a free gift from LUSH because of a problem I had with one of my other orders… but I don’t like it. This is one of the first LUSH products that I just do not like. It came out for Valentine’s Day and it is supposed to smell like pomegranate, marshmallow and vanilla, but the whole thing just smells like really sour grapefruit when it’s on my skin. It lathers well and does its job, but I just do not like the smell of it. I think there is just too much going on for my nose to handle, therefore the scent is lost to me. I give it a C. Sorry LUSH!

Now for the Year- Round shower gels!!

The Olive Branch

This has turned into one of my favorite shower gels. I think Rose Jam and The Olive Branch are my two favorites. This one smells so, so, so uniquely good. It is filled with fresh mandarins, bergamot oil and olive oil. All the ingredients have come together in a perfect harmony in this shower gel! Because of the Fair for Life olive oil, this gel is so softening to the skin. It is noticeably different how much softer my skin is after using this gel. Plus the linger of The Olive Branch scent is more than most shower gels. I feel truly blessed to be able to use this shower gel. I only have the small size but I will definitely buy the large one as soon as I need it. A definite A++!

Smells like: The Christmas Penguin bubble bar (seasonal) and Pop in the Bath bubble bar.

It’s Raining Men

I have another post that includes this shower gel so I’ll just keep this one short. It is a wonderful shower gel that lathers well and smells great! I have a new bottle of it and unfortunately the smell is not at all the same as my previous It’s Raining Men. I think they may have even changed the formula of it, because it is drastically different. But even as a new smell, it is really nice. So I give it an A!

Smells like: Honey I Washed the Kids soap, Honey Bee bath bomb, Soft Coeur massage bar and Gold FUN (seasonal).

Rub Rub Rub

I mostly bought this shower gel because it smells like my favorite shampoo bar, but I loved it because it was such a great gel! Instead of being in a normal bottle, Rub Rub Rub is in a classic LUSH black pot because it is filled with sea salt for a great exfoliating gel. It smells very fresh, clean and floral. It can also be used as a wonderful shampoo! It is scrubby while also being very softening for the skin. I really like this shower gel and it deserves an A!

Smells like: Seanik shampoo bar and Sakura bath bomb.

Grass

I only have a sample size of this shower gel and I do quite like it. It honestly smells just like a freshly mown lawn– which might seem strange, but it’s very relaxing for me. It’s such a fresh scent and kind of herbal. It wouldn’t be something that I would want to use every single day but I think it would be nice to have around if I had an especially stressful day. So I give it an A!

Smells like: The Green Bubbleroon

Arrivederci!

~Jayme Renee

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Gorgeous in all aspects.

February 3, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

Unfortunately, we are still living in a winter wonderland. And without proper care during the winter, skin can really get messed up; hands crack and dry out, lips chap easily and faces lose moisture. Thankfully LUSH is in the world to help to banish these issues. Today, I want to talk about their facial moisturizers– which are expertly concocted face lotions. There are several choices, so practically any kind of skin (dry, oily, combination, normal, etc.) can be taken care of by LUSH.

Gorgeous is their most expensive (and luxurious) facial moisturizer. My boyfriend’s mother surprised me with Gorgeous for my birthday! I honestly look forward to putting this magical lotion on my face. It’s packed with the finest quality ingredients in their best forms which makes this moisturizer so effective. Fun fact: this was created specifically for Princess Diana! It is perfect for all skin types. I feel like my combination skin is a lot less oily but still very moisturized. I use this twice daily after cleansing my face with Let the Good Times Roll and toning with Breath of Fresh Air toner water. I really love this facial moisturizer and I’ll be very sad whenever it runs out, but that shouldn’t be for a long time because LUSH’s moisturizers last about a year for me. Seriously, just a dab will do!

Imperialis is a really great face lotion for combination skin. It works to moisturize wherever needed and make oily skin matte. The smell is really nice because of the lavender and orange blossom water. I just loved how it really did what it claimed. I have combination skin and Imperialis helped to regulate the balance of my skin. I highly recommend this if you’re not really sure which moisturizer to choose from LUSH. It’s a good starting point to figure out what works best for your skin.

Celestial was the moisturizer I tried after I ran out of Imperialis. I was in Los Angeles and I was going to buy another Imperialis but the smell of Celestial was just too good to pass up! It has vanilla water, dove orchid and almond oil/milk–so this lotion smell slightly like a vanilla cupcake. It was made for really sensitive skin, but it’s perfect for most kinds. Even though it is heavier than some of the other moisturizers, it doesn’t make my skin oily. When I use this lotion my face feels really soft and well taken care of. I think it’s a great year-round moisturizer and especially perfect for the winter time. I still have probably half of my Celestial left after 7 months and now I use it when I don’t want to use up my Gorgeous or when I need a little extra lotion.

Vanishing Cream is one that is perfectly crafted for really oily skin. I only had a sample size of this and it wasn’t moisturizing enough for my skin, but I could tell that it worked really well. It has a really nice smell to it too. This is something that would be especially nice to use during the summer or whenever you need a lighter face lotion.

Cosmetic Lad is one that is geared towards men, but plenty of women use it too! It smells like an orange creamsicle and it works well. It was made as a post-shaving cream to make sure that chins are well taken care of. It is soothing for skin that has been damaged or harmed by shaving. My boyfriend used this and his skin looked and felt better. Plus his face seemed to stay smoother for longer. He now uses Celestial, which works as well as Cosmetic Lad to sooth and smooth. This lotion is marketed specifically for guys, but all LUSH moisturizers would work as a post-shave treatment.

I really recommend LUSH’s facial moisturizers! They seem pretty costly, but I swear that they are worth it, and they last a long time since you only need to use a little bit. And the ingredients are expertly chosen to make the best skin-care possible. They don’t just throw in fancy ingredients, LUSH specifically chooses each flower or fruit or oil for its certain skin-care qualities.

Hopefully this was informative!

~Jayme Renee

P.S. Guys, you should know that it is extremely important for you to moisturize your faces! LUSH’s facial moisturizers are made for both women and men. Often times men think that it’s too ‘girly’ to use lotion, but it’s really beneficial for keeping skin in its best form. Plus, ladies love men with healthy and soft skin. So don’t be afraid of lotion!

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New (and loved) products.

January 30, 2014 by Jayme Renee Rhoads

Since I last posted about LUSH products, I have received four shipments in the mail, received LUSH items as birthday presents and gone to a LUSH store in the King of Prussia mall. With that being said, I have added to my LUSH collection tremendously. Some items are returning favorites, while others are completely new to me. So the ones I really want to talk about in the post are the new products that have really impressed me. A lot of them have been in the LUSH inventory for a long time, but I just never really paid attention to them. I’ve learned that everything is worth looking into a little bit more. Don’t just pass up on things, give everything a try!

LUSH package!

Firstly, I want to talk about The Olive Branch shower gel. This is a LUSH staple, and has been around for a very long time. It just doesn’t receive as much hype as other products do, but I absolutely love this shower gel! It smells of fresh mandarin juice and bergamot oil with real organic olive oil. It’s like a trip to the Mediterranean captured in a 100% recyclable bottle. They first made this shower gel for men, since the smell isn’t as sweet as other LUSH shower gels. I think it’s a very beautiful smell that both men and women would love. I certainly love the smell of it! It’s fresh and warm at the same time. In the shower, it really lathers well and it softens the skin with the olive oil. I used to just pass this shower gel but once I bought the Christmas Penguin bubble bar (which has the same scent as the Olive Branch) I knew I had to get this shower gel. I really really love it!

Then there is Sea Spray. This was probably added to the LUSH line within the past two years, and normally I try to obtain all new products, but this one didn’t interest me for some reason. I guess I just never realized that it’s actually a natural hair spray! Once I found that out, I bought it while I was at the King of Prussia LUSH store the weekend before the semester started. It smells absolutely amazing! It has neroli oil which is very fragrant and it somehow just smells like the best natural smells at the beach. It is perfect for my hair because I like to just let it air dry and let the natural curls come out, Sea Spray is perfect at making those curls stay and perfuming my hair with a lovely natural scent. I really recommend this product if you want to take a more natural approach with your hair spray.

Handy Gurugu. Honestly, I feel bad saying this, but I never knew about this product before. I always looked at the hand care items, but this one never crossed my mind. However, when I went to King of Prussia, my hands were terribly red and dry because of some reaction I had to the fabric of my new pair of gloves. I was in need of some help, and this rich and herbal hand cream smoothed out all my skin issues within one day of using it! It was the miracle cream I needed! It’s one of the richest hand creams on the planet, but it magically smooths into the skin and hands are not left all greasy. It moisturizes all day long, which I love because I used to have to bring hand cream with me wherever I went. It has even kept my hands soft during these really cold winter days. I love this stuff!

Potion Lotion. OH MY LORD. I love this body lotion. I just love it. Oh my goodness. So I was on LUSH.com (like every other day of my life), and I decided “Hey, I’m going to go through the Retro section on LUSH”. The Retro section is online only; it includes products that have been around for a long time and have been taken off the shelves so that new products can be bought in store. But these Retro products are ones that people begged to have kept around for purchase. I normally don’t look through the Retro stuff because I have no idea what it smells like. But, I looked through anyways, and I came across Potion Lotion. I never paid attention to it before, but I did this time. The description sounded way too good to be true: a spicy carnation scent with rose undertones. All the customer reviews raved about how great this product smelled, so I caved and I bought it instantly. I waited for it to arrive in the mail, and our meeting was glorious. Potion Lotion smells wonderful! It’s literally a warm and spicy floral scent. It’s so unique and beautiful and it blends so well with the other scents of my LUSH products. I only need to use a little bit from head to toe and my skin is so soft. I will always return to this product. Just absolutely wonderful!

Alla prossima!

Jayme Renee

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