Greetings Divas! Quick question...how many of you have heard of the store LUSH? For those of you who don't know, LUSH is a cosmetics company that boasts handmade products, including soaps, shower gels, shampoos and hair conditioners, hand and body lotions, body conditioners, makeup and face masks. LUSH's products do not contain animal fat and are not tested on animals. Sadly, LUSH is also my new addiction....I blame Vernicka for this!
The truth is that LUSH really does have some great products. I ventured into LUSH yesterday with Vernicka, who swears by their products. She originally tried to get me to drink the LUSH Kool-Aid last year when we were visiting Chicago. I made it out of the city with just one product! This weekend, she tried again...and succeeded! In her defense, she had some help getting me on board with the LUSH family of products. Leanne and Will, the fabulous sales associates at LUSH, made it hard for me leave the store empty-handed. After trying on and sampling dozens of products, I walked out of the store with a bag full of goodies. And since I am all about getting you all to drink the Kool-Aid with me sharing, I thought it only appropriate share my thoughts on my new products. So here they are!
Wait! Before I start, I want you all to know that LUSH has not commissioned me to review their products, and I am not being paid to say what I really feel about them. I am just a humble Diva who listened to her friend, and found herself in the presence of a bunch of cosmetics. Sharing my thoughts is my way of tricking myself into believing I spent all of this money to help out my fellow Divas. With that being said, enjoy!
Brazened Honey
What Lush Says...
"Brazened Honey was inspired by traditional Indian ayurvedic principles, which put emphasis on balance as the foundation to health. Helen combined fresh free-range eggs and honey to soften, with astringent lime oil, antiseptic rosemary and exfoliating ground almonds. Kaolin reaches deep down into pores to pull out dirt and impurities, leaving your skin noticeably brighter and fresher. Our deepest cleansing mask, Brazened Honey is the perfect way to revive sluggish or congested skin."
What the Pro Diva Says...
Not bad at all! Because this product needs to be refrigerated, it was cool and really felt great on my skin. The ground almonds were a little rougher than I expected, but they did allow me to get in a good scrub. After removing the mask, my skin felt really soft, refreshed, and clean. From what I've been told, this product only lasts a couple of weeks before going bad, so use it or lose it! I give this product 3 1/2 stars!
Turkish Delight
What Lush Says...
"Butter yourself up with our delightfully rich and gorgeous rose-scented body polish for indulgent showering luxury. Each pot is made with superb quality ingredients including our new soap-base, packed with aphrodisiac jasmine and Turkish rose, smoothing almond oil, moisturizing cocoa butter and neroli - the euphoric essential oil. Smooth on this softening smoothie in the shower for clean, touchably soft and fragrant skin. A pot of this suits all skin types, but it is particularly good for dry bodies that need moisture."
What the Pro Diva Says...
Love it! Not only does this product smell amazing, but it left my skin feeling clean, soft, and smelling great. The almond oil and cocoa butter served as as great moisturizer, and it was not too greasy. I can see myself using this product after my evening workouts because the scent is also calming. And calm is always a good thing! I give this product 4 stars!
Ocean Salt
What Lush Says...
"Back in 2005, our inventors had come up with a number of fantastic cleansers but there was one category they had yet to conquer: The scrub! A sea salt scrub! With that, they whipped up (our now enormously popular) Ocean Salt. Washing with Ocean Salt is like taking your face on a trip to the seaside for an invigorating splash in the water. We mix in fresh avocado and coconut to hydrate thirsty skin, while the antibacterial effects of lime and vodka is ideal for blocked pores, blackheads or blemishes. The minerals in sea salt soften as it scrubs away dirt and blockages."
What the Pro Diva Says...
I am a multi-tasker, so any product that allows me to take care of three different issues in one jar is worth a try. And I am so glad I did! Ocean Salt can me be used to exfoliate your face, hands, and feet! And it smells like a dream! The wonderful Leanne introduced me to Ocean Salt by using it on my hands. I was amazed with how soft my hands felt after rinsing off the product. Of course I asked whether I could used Ocean Salt as a foot scrub. Imagine my delight when I learned that Ocean Salt could not only be used as a foot scrub, but also as a face wash. Winning! Later that night, I used Ocean Salt to exfoliate my face...amazing! And the next morning, I used it as a foot scrub...I'm in love! I give this product 5 stars! Go get it now! Or after you finish reading this post.
Eau Roma Water
What Lush Says...
"Dry, sensitive or mature needs a gentle touch. In a world of “technology” loaded cosmetics, using a toner with only two active ingredients may seem unusual. But at LUSH, we believe in using effective ingredients instead of filler. Our most moisturizing toner, Eau Roma relies on the King and Queen of the essential oils world, rose and lavender. Both oils have been used for thousands of years to treat dryness, redness or irritation. Rose is particularly nourishing and cooling, while lavender helps your skin produce the right amount sebum (oil) to keep it suppler. Simplicity at it’s best."
What the Pro Diva Says...
I was originally attracted to this product because it contains lavender. Given my history of not sleeping well I have recently gravitated towards lavender, which is supposed to help with sleeping. When Leanne told me that this toner serves as a cooling moisturizer and helps to suck in your daily moisturizer, I was in! After washing my face, I spritzed on some Eau Roma Water...my skin definitely felt cool. One other thing...you know that short time period between when you wash your face and put on your moisturizer? Depending on how long you wait, your skin may start to feel a little tight. This product is great for providing moisture during that time. And now for the best part...this toner can be used throughout the day as a refresher, even when you are wearing makeup! This fact alone was enough for me to purchase this product, especially since the weather has been really warm. I give this product 4 stars!
Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
What Lush Says...
Nada! The website lets the customer review this product...I guess.
What the Pro Diva Says...
This is the ultimate product for Professional Divas in a rush! You smooth on this body conditioner after lathering up, and right before you step out out of the shower. Rinse it off, towel off, and go! No need for an additional body moisturizer. This body conditioner is so rich that you can see water beads dripping off your freshly moisturized skin. And it smells so good! I can see myself using this product on those morning when I've hit the snooze button one too many times. I give this product.....5 stars!
Vanilla Dee-Lite Lotion
What Lush Says...
"Our decadently soothing, creamily smoothing vanilla-scented lotion is one of our lighter moisturizers, but no less effective. It’s made with the perfect recipe of organic coconut water, coconut oil, illipe butter and hibiscus infusion to hydrate the skin and keep it soft, but feeling light and fresh. Vitamin-packed fresh kiwis are blended into our vanilla-scented cream base to aid skin and help it recover from exposure to the elements. Oh, and it has our famous Vanilla Fountain fragrance too, to keep your skin smelling sweet, as well as supple. Deeliteful!"
What the Pro Diva Says...
Does this lotion moisturize you skin? Yes! Does it make your skin feel soft and smooth? Yes! Does it smell good? Yes, Lord! Exactly 2 seconds after putting on this product and leaving Lush, I was asked what fragrance I was wearing because I smelled so good. There are plenty of products on the market that moisturize and soften your skin and that smells great, and this product can certainly join the ranks. I am not sure, however, that I would run out to Lush simply to purchase a new bottle. But if I'm already there.... In sum, I give this product 3 stars!
Dream Cream
What Lush Says...
"Our number one, best-selling product of all time, Dream Cream contains every ingredient nature makes for soothing sore skin. One our proudest product achievements ever, we love this body lotion because it makes people happy. It transforms suffering bodies into states of peace with our calming blend of oat milk, lavender and chamomile to care for irritations, reduce redness, and banish blotches. Olive oil and cocoa butter are perfectly suited and incredibly effective for dry or chapped skin, and especially gentle for even the most sensitive types. Do your skin a favor, treat it right with Dream Cream."
What the Pro Diva Says...
I'm not going to spend a lot of time discussing Dream Cream because I fear that it will prevent you from rushing out to Lush to get yourself a jar. This cream is everything that Lush says it is and more. Go get it now! I give this product 5 stars!
Buffy Body Butter
What Lush Says...
"Massage our Buffy body butter all over your wet skin in the bath or shower to make you softer and smooth to the touch, paying special attention to your backside. We add ground rice, almonds and beans to Buffy to act as exfoliants; the rough textures eliminate lumps and bumps and sloughs away dry skin cells to reveal brighter, fresher looking skin. Rinse off the exfoliating bits and pat yourself dry. There's no need for body lotion after a Buffy slaying session, because the cocoa and shea butters keep your skin beautifully smooth, moisturized and soft to the touch."
What the Pro Diva Says...
Honestly, I'm not sure how I have lived my life without this product for so long. It is EVERYTHING! If you plan on wearing a short skirt, or shorts, or a mini dress, or a swimsuit, you will do yourself a huge favor by using Buffy before you step out. It smooths away all of the dead skin cells that tend to make your thighs, legs, and booty look dull. Almost instantly, brighter, smoother, and sexier looking skin emerges. Every woman should have a Buffy! And a tin can to store it in. I would give this product 5 stars, but it really deserves 6!
Lemony Flutter
What Lush Says...
"We made Lemony Flutter to soften your dry, cracked cuticles and nourish your nails; it’s our thickest, zestiest cream yet. In fact, it’s so good as softening you up our customers have been using it on other rough body parts, like feet, elbows, and knees too. Fresh lemons are put into an infusion and lovingly blended in our rich butter base to brighten skin and lighten nails. Each batch contains twenty-two pounds of beeswax and cold-pressed avocado oil to moisturize and soften your skin. There are so many nutritious butters and oils in each pot, it’s no wonder that such a little amount can go such a long way."
What the Pro Diva Says...
This is the product that started my Lush obsession. Until recently, it was the only product I used from Lush. It's a good thing that Lemony Flutter is such a great, versatile product, or I may not have been convinced to return to Lush and try out all of these other great products. Lemony Flutter is so much more that a cuticle cream. It also does wonders for those sometimes-forgotten body parts (elbows and knees)...they need love too! And, you don't need a lot of the product to make a difference, so it lasts a long time. I give this product 4 stars!
That's all for now Divas! I want to send a special shout out to Leanne and Will at the Lush store at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey for being so patient and showing me all of the great products. They were both super attentive, had wonderful attitudes, and had great information regarding the products. They were an absolute joy! Muah!
Do any of you Divas venture into Lush? If so, what are some of your favorite products?
