The Gift of Relaxation This Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is just a few days away and of course the wonderful people at Lush have come out w/ a line of products especially for those special women in our lives!  Plus being the wonderful and generous people they are they sent me a few things to try out (even though I'm not a mom myself ;) ).

With this line of products targeted to mothers there is definitely a theme of flowers...which makes sense I mean what mom doesn't want flowers on Mother's Day.  The products are also broken into two categories - Energizing and Relaxing.  For the most part they seem to be bath products this time.  I have to say I really liked everything I tried this time...but for different reasons w/ each item.

Rose Bubble Bar - Very affordable and can be broken up into two bubble baths.  The bar has rosehip oil and cocoa butter to create a very luxurious and skin softening experience.  I think I liked this product so much b/c of the fragrance.  Sometimes I find the fragrances w/ Lush products to be a bit strong but I really liked this one and I didn't find it overpowering.

The Mum Reusable Bubble Bar - This product is great b/c you can get several uses out of it. Sometimes my complaint w/ Lush products have been that you don't get enough use out of them for the amount you pay.  This product is really cool b/c it's shaped like a flower on a stick and you swish it under running water to create a bubble bath and then set it aside to dry out and use at a later date.  Plus there is a tag that comes w/ it and if I read it correctly I believe if you soak the tag and plant it wild flowers will grow from the tag...which is pretty cool if your mom is the gardening type.

Inhale Exhale - This was probably my fav product out of the three I tried.  It's a bath bomb w/ two sides and two fragrances.  The "inhale" side fizzes up quickly in the bath and has a light melon fragrance while the "exhale" side is a slower fizz w/ a heavier/deeper amber and sandalwood fragrance for a meditative soak.  My fav. part of the bomb was the "secret" message that waiting on the inside...very nice surprise for mom!

LUSH Valentine's Day Treats

The wonderfully generous people over at LUSH Cosmetics sent me another wonderful package full of goodies to test just in time for Valentine's Day!  Now I know not everyone is a big fan of V-day being that it's a "fake" and "commercialized" holiday and all that stuff but that doesn't mean whether you're single or taken you can't still enjoy a little luscious treat for your skin.

Personally, even when I've been single over V-day...which has been most years to be perfectly honest the holiday hasn't really gotten me down...but that's just me...it's just one day so who really cares when it comes down to it.

With that said that doesn't mean if you are a little down you can't pick yourself up w/ some really nice smelling, skin friendly body treats.  I know nothing quite picks me up or de-stresses me like a nice, relaxing bubble bath.

Also, boys listen up...don't want to get your girl flowers for V-day b/c they are overpriced and die anyway...well she's probably expecting something so why not get her some bath products...all girls LOVE bath products...it's in our DNA or something lol!

So here's  a little low down on the cool products I got sent to me this time!

First off I think I'll start w/ my FAV of the bunch!

Tender is the Night Massage Bar - This product is so cool.  It's a lotion for your skin that comes in a bar and it melts upon contact w/ skin!  It leaves your skin feeling very silky and soft and I LOVE the bar concept.  It's great for travel as you don't have to worry about spills or accidents - plus don't have to worry about it in your carry on if you were going on a plane!  Also, could be fun to rub down and massage w/ another person too ;) .  I really like the vanilla, jasmine and ylang ylang smell too.  Not overpowering but definitely has staying power.  Very relaxing right before bed after a nice hot bath!

Speaking of baths...next up Love Locket!  This is a giant bath bomb from LUSH.  In the past I've commented that I like the bath bombs but don't necessarily love the cost per use ratio.  While I would still consider this a "treat item" rather than a regular purchase item.  I did appreciate the size of this bath bomb.  It can definitely be broken up into at least 3 baths.  It turns your bath water a pretty pink colour and the outer layer is speckled w/ little hearts that will float into the pink water as it dissolves.  It's got a jasmine and vanilla fragrance too so it's a nice compliment to the lotion...although I found the fragrance to be a lot less strong w/ this product so if you're someone who doesn't like a ton of fragrance but only a hint this might be a good option.

Also for bath time Neon Love Soap.  If you like bar soaps this is a nice option.  It's pink w/ a white heart in the middle to celebrate Valentine's Day.  Doesn't leave a residue on the skin and overall I feel it's holding up pretty well in the shower.  I hate when you buy a bar of soap and it seems to dissolve in a week!  This one is made of passion fruit juice and has essentials oils like cinnamon, rosewood and bergamot....so a little more citrusy and spicy then the other two products which are more floral in fragrance.

Last but not least Prince Charming Shower Gel. I'll be honest I'm more of a shower gel girl then bar soap girl so I probably like this a bit better than the Neon Love Soap.  But I also think I like it b/c it has a bit of a sweet, candy like fragrance to it and I really love sweet smelling things...I think this probably has to do w/ the marshmallow root, almond oil and vanilla pod infusion.  I really like this product although I don't notice the fragrance staying w/ me (which is too bad) as long as the Rose Jam shower gel I reviewed at Christmas...still gotta say that is definitely a fav!

So doesn't matter if you're single or taken treat yourself...or someone you know to some Valentine's Day Bath Products!

Christmas Time With Lush Cosmetics!

 Christmas came early for me this year!  After my excellent experience w/ Lush Cosmetics Halloween line I of course jumped at the chance to try and sample some of their products from their current Holiday collection.

If you're struggling w/ a gift for an friend, family member or someone in the office some of these little treats would make an excellent addition.  As I mentioned before Lush Cosmetics are handmade and fresh w/ little to no preservatives or packaging.  All products are vegetarian friendly and many are vegan friendly.  The only thing some people aren't a fan of (and I mentioned this before) is the fragrances.  The products do tend to have a lot of natural fragrance so if that's not something you're cool w/ you might want to pass on these things.

Now on to the treats!

Sandy Santa - This is a shower body exfoliant in the shape of Santa.  Good for buffing away that dry Winter skin for your feet, legs and elbows.  I'd probably avoid the face w/ this one as I think it would be a little too coarse or rough for that.  This year they've also added coconut oils and shea butters to soften the skin while exfoliating.  It's a good product but beware that Santa's red cap does bleed once wet so can be a little messy and your shower might need a bit of a rinse...I think my boyfriend referred to this product as "bloody Santa" or "bleeding head Santa" lol.

Buche De Noel - Another exfoliant/cleanser but this one is for the face.  It usesground almonds to gently exfoliate the face and almond oil and seawood to hydrate and nourish it.  I like this product and I do find a little goes a long way....which is great b/c my one complaint about some Lush products is that they get used up very quickly considering the price.  I personally wouldn't use this as my everyday face shower cleanser maybe more like 1 or 2 times a week.  Because of the ground almonds...even though they are ground finely I think it could be a bit much for the skin to use it everyday...plus I sometimes worry about the the micro tears almond exfoliants can create on the skin b/c of the rough edges (even when finely ground).  I do really enjoy the smell of this product though and I do not find it drying to the skin.

Snowcake - This bar soap has been a hit w/ my boyfriend...so much so I'd say I actually only used it a couple of times lol.  He even said he'd consider buying other soaps from Lush as sort of "special soaps" to sometimes use instead of his regular day to day "man soaps".  I really liked the almond icing and marzapan fragrance and I did overall find the soap very moisturizing...although I'll be totally honest and admit I'm more of a shower gel girl anyway ;)

Rose Jam - Speaking of shower gel this leads me to my next product and actually probably my FAV out of the bunch.  I LOVED the way this shower gel smelled!  And I'll be honest I'm not usually a big "rose" fragrance fan but I really like this!  Plus unlike a lot of other shower gels the fragrance stayed w/ me after the shower.  I remember one time in particular thinking what is that lovely smell...then I realized it was me lol!

Bombardino - These are one of those cute and fun stocking stuffer type gifts!  It's definitely a little treat for your skin and a bit of an indulgence b/c they aren't really long lasting but that's what makes them perfect to give as gifts.  I personally love gifts that I'd never actually buy for myself but would still like to try and this little bath bomb is perfect for that!

Santa's Lip Scrub - This lip scrub feels and tastes so yummy on my lips.  It's very moisturizing and the sugar exfoliates while the coconut oil moisturizes.  Sure you could make this scrub (minus the flavour and colour) at home but this is a nice little treat that's easy to keep in your purse or again throw in a stocking or gift bag for a friend!  It has a cherry cola fragrance and taste and it's edible so you just lick it off your lips after you exfoliate...it tastes so good I also lick it off my finger after I apply it too lol!

Santa Baby - This is a perfect companion gift for the Santa's Lip Scrub.  Made w/ shea and cocoa butters to moisturize lips during the cold, harsh Winter mths.  This lip tint/moisturizer does give some intense colour pay off so if you're not looking for some rosy lips I'd try something a little more neutral like the Eggnog Lip Balm. Another neat trick - you can use this lip tint to give your cheeks a nice rosy flush...I love when products have duel purposes!

The Christmas Penguin - Last but definitely not least!  How did Lush know my fav animal is the penguin ;) This little guy is another bubble bath bomb and every penguin is unique as they are each made from hand.  I thought this one was just too cute!

This is just a sample of the items available in the Holiday Collection by Lush this year so there's definitely something for everyone and definitely worth checking out online or in-store!

Lush Cosmetics - Limited Edition Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner and Lush Cosmetics was nice enough to send me some of their Limited Edition Halloween bath products to try out and review.

For those of you that aren't familiar w/ Lush Cosmetics they are basically a bath, cosmetic and skincare line that believe in creating fresh handmade products from organic fruits, vegetables, essential oils and safe synthetics.  Their products are free of animal testing, vegetarian friendly and handmade using little packaging and little to no preservatives in their products.  You can find free standing stores in malls or in major cities throughout North America.

One thing to be VERY clear on though even though their products are made from natural ingredients for the most part a large majority of their line has strong fragrances (anyone who has walked by a LUSH store can testify to this) so if you DO NOT like fragrance in your products these products that I'm going to talk about are NOT for you as all of them have a strong fragrance (it's not bad but if you don't like scented things you won't like these products).

First up is Pumkin Bubble Bar - I love bubble baths and I actually had the pleasure to try out this lovely item on a recent trip to Montreal in a very luxurious whirlpool soaker tub made all the more amazing by this little pumpkin looking treat.  It creates a nice amount of bubbles and turns the water orange.  It has a sweet and earthy aroma of orange flower absolute and ylang ylang oil and it's vegan.

Lord of Misrule - similar to Pumkin in that it's used in the bathtub. I'd say at least to me this product has the strongest fragrance but it may just be that I'm sensitive to the smells of patchouli and black pepper oil...not that the smell is unpleasant to me I just found that it's strong and lingers longer than the others.  Again this product is added to your bath and it froths in the water.  The green colour gives way to a wine coloured centre - soon popping candies fizz and crackle...so maybe not the most relaxing at first but definitely enjoyable and a little entertaining lol...after the fizzing it's very relaxing and a great aromatherapy treat.  This product is also Vegan Friendly.

Demon in the Dark  - I tend to like a lot of fruity or tropical fragrance bath products so this was actually a nice change or treat to my usual bath soap or body wash.  Plus if you have a guy over it's a good alternative for them as it doesn't look or smell super girly so your boyfriends/husbands won't complain lol!  It's fragranced w/ spearmint and peppermint so very invigorating if you're looking for a pick me up...just remember to peel of the wax coating before using it or it won't work (obviously) lol! Vegan Friendly.

Ceridwen's Cauldron Bath Melt was probably my fav. product if we're talking about fragrance.  It's a mix of oats, sandalwood and lavender which are not only relaxing but the bath melt which is made w/ cocoa butter and walnut oil is also very moisturizing and softening for the skin.  My only complaint w/ this product is the price point seems a bit high for a one time use product...I guess it's sort of an indulgence but def. a little pricey to be using all the time.  Like the other products mentioned today it's also Vegan Friendly.