I think a beauty blogger who does not know of/love Lush products is an unusual one. With their handmade assortment of goodies it's hard not to fall head over heels the second you walk through the door of one of their stores and catch that heavenly scent rolling through the air.
I remember the first Lush product I ever got was a bath bomb (naturally!) absolutely heaving with glitter and the experience revolutionized bath time for me.
Whilst showing my mum around Utrecht during her weekend visit, we popped into the Lush store to check out the new Halloween and Christmas collections. My nose was treated to many a whiff of deliciously sweet, spicy products that brought forth vivid memories of Christmas puddings, hot glasses of egg nog and cosy family celebrations. I am a complete sucker for anything 'Christmas scented'.
My mum, wonderful lady that she is, offered to treat me to something and it took me forever to decide which of the Christmas range I would go for, flitting backwards and forwards across the store having a sniff of this and a feel of that. I finally settled on the Bûche de Noël face and body cleanser, handmade with fresh ingredients including cranberries, satsumas, crushes almonds and brandy! It's nutty, sweet, rich and the hint of booziness gently tickles the back of your nose (fear not, if alcohol is not your thing, there is an alcohol free version of any Christmas products containing a tipple). I knew the smell reminded me of something (other than the generic Christmas smell) but it didn't hit me until today, if you're from Yorkshire you'll probably know what I'm on about, the smell is just like a 'Tipsy Imp' from Thomas The Baker! If I remember correctly, It's basically a boozy mince pie with a lovely sugary icing over the top instead of pastry, but they are divine whatever they are and they smell like this.
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| The greeny-brown layer on the top is Nori seaweed, yes, like the sushi! |
To use the face cleanser (I only use it for my face as my skin can be problematic and I like to make the product last a little longer by only using it on a smaller area) you pinch out a little lump, I generally go for something in the region of a small grape or large blueberry, and mix it in to a paste with a little water in the palm of your hand. Then take this and rub it over the area you wish to cleanse and finally rinse it off. I suggest doing this in the shower as you don't need to worry about lumpy bits flying everywhere! The cleanser contains cocoa butter and a variety of essential oils which get massaged into your skin as you scrub and leave it feeling moisturised and smooth afterwards. I've only used it a couple of times and already a little flare up of spots I had has started to retreat. Big, jolly 10 out of 10 for this one, folks!
Whilst queuing at the checkout to purchase the aforementioned cleanser I spotted the range of Toothy Tabs on a nearby shelf. I first experienced these a few months ago when Arjan's sister bought some of the 'Breath Of God' tabs and I was allowed to try some. They are basically little, solid pills of toothpaste but without preservatives and instead of a big plastic tube, they come in a tiny recycled cardboard box. The flavors are anything but conventional as well, ranging from sandal wood and fennel to mint and wasabi. You chew up the pill between your front teeth, wet your brush and carry on as normal. At first its a bit of an odd sensation, solid toothpaste that you chew?! But when you feel those squeaky-clean pearly-whites and notice how long the freshness lasts you will be hooked.
I opted for 'Chou Chou... I love you' which is a delightful blend of rose and lemon. It's reminiscent of good quality Turkish Delight and leaves the breath floral without smelling like Granny's perfume. Arjan is even enjoying them and, as someone who is always insistent on super-minty toothpastes, the pleasantly surprised look on his face when he first tried them was... well... pleasantly surprising!
I can honestly say I think we have been converted from toothpaste to Toothy Tabs and I plan on trying a different variety every time we need a new box!
