HAIR: Lush Shampoo Bars in Braziliant and Copperhead

Ditch the shampoo bottle and opt for shampoo in solid form. The much loved Lush Shampoo bars are now available in six new varieties - Jason And the Argan Oil, Braziliant, Copperhead, Lullaby, Honey I Washed My Hair, and Montalbano. I find the shampoo bars to be mega-travel friendly (i.e. not a liquid) and super easy to use. I've previously reviewed Squeaky Green - which I find is great for removing buildup but a little harsh on my scalp for regular use. Thus, I was excited to test out a few more varieties from the line. 

Braziliant ($9.95)

Get Rio-lly good hair with this shampoo bar, reminiscient of the Brazilian sun. Whole fresh organic oranges are packed with nutrients which will make your locks super shiny. Andiroba oil makes this especially moisturising when use on curly or Afro-Caribbean hair. We've also added ylang ylang oil and sweet orange oil to treat your hair to tropical fragrance.

Pre-Braziliant, I had been experiencing a bout of dandruff. Post-Brazilliant and there’s no white fluffs in sight. I definitely don’t have Afro-Caribbean hair but I my locks do get frizzy and dry and dull during the winter months. Not only does the orange scent smell bright and invigorating but the shampoo bar leaves my hair looking and feeling soft, shiny and healthy without creating build-up.

Copperhead ($11.95)

Don’t be latte for work, invigorate with a double shot of coffee grounds and roasted cocoa extract. Persian red henna leaves hair feeling deeply conditioned and gloriously glossy. Escape the daily grind with Fair Trade vanilla absolute and vetiver oil for a rich, enticing aroma. Great for darker shades and those with red tones.

What crazy lady wouldn't want their hair to look like a richer colour. Although I don't have red tones, I have quite dark hair that could use a bit of a shiny pick-me-up. Copperhead isn't as true-to-ingredients smelling as I expected. It's more of an herbal scent rather than coffee, cocoa and vanilla. The result was kind of meh. My hair felt cleansed after use but I couldn't see much gloss or shine. 

It's important to note that both of these shampoo bars contain Sodium Laurth Sulfate, which is in most non-natural shampoos, is also an irritant to many people's scalps, and not particularly environmentally friendly (doesn't degrade easily). So if you're not a fan of SLS, please be aware. 

Overall, I'm quite happy with Braziliant and Copperhead is totally useable but just so-so. Lush Shampoo bars seem to last much longer than traditional shampoos and the resulting quality of my hair is equally as good if not better using shampoo in bar form. 

Have you tried the Lush Shampoo Bars?

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Love from Lush - The Kiss, Prince Charming & Unicorn Horn // Valentine's Day 2015

What's not to love about limited edition Lush stuff? From locket-shaped bath bombs (Love Locket Bath Bomb - $11.95) to heart-shaped soaps (Cupid's Love Soap - $6.95) to gift sets containing both, Lush is a one stop shop for the perfect Valentine's Day bath and body gift. Here's a few thoughts on three from the Lush 2015 Valentine's Day collection: 

Lush The Kiss Lip Scrub ($9.95)

Prime your lips for the perfect kiss! Lush's The Kiss Lip Scrub is formulated with pink caster sugar and sea salt. It smells like bubble gum and has adorable little sprinkles and candy hearts distributed throughout the pot. While I'm not sure how I feel about lickng the dead skin off my lips, you can safely eat this lip scrub after you apply it! My only gripe is that it's a little messy. If you pick this up, avoid opening it sideways (or face sugar all over your floor). Plus, it gets stuck under my nails when I scoop it out of the pot. Other than that, The scrub is not overly gritty and definitely gets the job done while being pink and glittery and smelling adorably bubble-gummy. 

Lush Prince Charming Shower Gel ($9.95)

If Prince Charming smelled like this, I'd run off with him in an instant. I've heard a lot of complaints about Lush's products being too sweet. I kind of like it real sweet. The only way I can describe the aroma is... juice from concentrate. The combination marshmallow root, fair trade vanilla and pomegranate juice with grapefruit, sandalwood and geranium smells so juicy that I could just drink the stuff up. Like other Lush Shower Gels that I've tried, it lathers up quite nicely and makes me feel squeaky clean but not dried out. But buyer beware, this does contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), so if that bothers you or makes your skin dry than watch out. 

Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar Before and After

Lush Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar ($7.95)

YES. UNICORNS! I wish I could wear this on top of my head. Fittingly, it's sparkly and pastel-rainbow-coloured. Unfortunately, the strong ylang-ylang/neroli/lavender scent is a little too herbal right out of the packaging but in the bathtub it's more diffused and quite relaxing. Using the entire bar yields fluffy and long-lasting bubbles. Also totally noteworthy, the bubbly, magical, purple bath that comes from this pretty bubble bar kind of makes me jump for joy. 

Have you checked out this year's Lush Valentine's Day Collection? 

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New from LUSH: Mangnificent and D'Fluff #freshnewlush

Attention! Attention! Lush has just released 6 brand-spankin'-new products and here's two of the six fruity beauties: 

D'Fluff ($9.95 for 70g) and Mangnificent ($6.95 for 100g)

D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap

"When you've had enough of the rough stuff, there’s D’Fluff! This fluffy, sweet shaving soap will have you dreaming of Strawberry Fluff sandwiches while you shave. It’s packed full of effective ingredients: fresh strawberries, egg whites and golden syrup, all whisked together with rosehip oil, coconut oil and maple sugar to create a light, marshmallowy texture that will leave your skin silky smooth. Plus, Fair Trade cocoa butter leaves skin moisturized and helps keep post-shave redness to a minimum."

A little word of warning - beware of the way you store this guy. When I broke the seal, a sticky red liquid started dripping out - yum! The strawberry scent is quite light, not as fresh and punchy as I would have expected. When applied over wet skin, D'fluff the pillow-like strawberry fluff turns into a light lather. I found the product overly slick and oily when lathered which made it hard to catch some of the itty bitty leg hairs with the razor, but D'fluff left my legs feeling smooth, soft, and moisturized (like baby dolphins)... 

not why girls shave: boys why girls shave: so our legs can feel like fucking baby dolphins
— tina (@tinatbh) July 14, 2014

INGREDIENTS: Water , Rapeseed Oil , Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) ,Saccharide Hydrolysate , Glycerine , Organic Rose Hip Oil (Rosa canina) , Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao) , Fresh Strawberries (Fragaria vesca) , Fresh Organic Free Range Egg Whites ,Fragrance , Organic Maple Sugar (Acer saccharum) ,Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla Planifolia) , Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis) , Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena) , Sodium Chloride , EDTA ,Tetrasodium Editronate , Sodium Hydroxide , Titanium Dioxide , *Eugenol , *Limonene , *Benzyl Alcohol ,Hexyl Cinnamal , Red 27 , Red 40

Mangnificent Hand and Body Soap

"Turn up the energy on groggy mornings with this juicy splash of soapy paradise! Simply strip down and suds up to get whisked away on a sunny adventure of fresh fragrance: zingy Sicilian lemon oil, mandarin oil and neroli oil awaken your senses and brighten up dull-looking skin. Fresh pureed mango and dried mango slices tone and gently exfoliate the skin, leaving it looking vibrant, feeling fresh and smelling gorgeously fruity. Now you’re ready for action!"

Mangoes are my favorite fruit and I can't resist sniffing and smelling or oohing and ahhing over body products that smell as such. Mangnificent is the epitome of delicious body products. I can leave it sitting in my shower and the whole washroom smells delightful 24/7. Soap and cleaning properties aside, I could probably leave this soap in my closet and all my clothes will be left smelling like mangoes and citrus. I can't say much about the "exfoliating" properties of the dried mango inside Mangnificent, as I can't feel any physical scrubbing. Though what this soap does do is leave me feeling fresh and clean - which is basically all I ask for from a soap.

INGREDIENTS: Water , Rapeseed Oil , Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera) , Glycerine , Fresh Mango (Mangifera indica) , Dried Mango (Mangifera indica) , Fragrance ,Sicilian Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum) , Sicilian Mandarin Oil (Citrus Nobilis) , Tunisian Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara oil) , Sodium Chloride , EDTA ,Tetrasodium Editronate , Sodium Hydroxide , *Linalool ,*Limonene , Lilial , Red 4

No lie, I think I've spent a good half an hour sniffing these two products up. So if you're looking for a sweet (calorie-free) treat, be sure to check these delicious new products out! 

Find the fresh new products at Lush.ca or a LUSH store near you:

• African Paradise Body Conditioner
• D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap 
• Granny Takes a Dip Bath Bomb
• Mangnificent Hand and Body Soap 
• Parsley Porridge Hand and Body Soap 
• Zeste Hair Gelly 

Which fruits do you like your body care products to smell like? 

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Lush Easter Goodies! - Immaculate Eggception, Bunch of Carrots, Bunny Bubble Bar, and Carrot Soap

T-minus three days till Good Friday! The tax deadline at work is April 30th, so I may or may not be working during the long weekend. Even though my weekend may be a bit rough, what better way to relax and rejoice at the fact that it's Easter by taking a yummy, natural bath. Lush always has the most adorable goodies to celebrate! Here's four from the limited edition collection of 6 - Lush Immaculate Eggception Bath Bomb (Pink) ($12.95), Bunch of Carrots Bubble Bar ($12.95), Carrot Soap ($6.95), and Bunny Bubble Bar ($6.95). 

Not going to lie, I haven't tried all of these products, but Easter is coming and I thought I should share what's out there before it's gone! I can only take so many baths in a span of two weeks. However, I have indeed smelled them to the fullest! Since most Lush products come without packaging, they've been sitting in my room the smell of Lush has engulfed my room with delight. 

I actually did try the Immaculate Eggception Bath Bomb. To be honest, I picked it for my bath because I was so excited to crack it open and see what was inside - good thing it wasn't a yolk. Immaculate Eggception is a hollow shell casing with a cute surprise inside, which means that it's also good for 3 uses (two pieces of shell and one chickadee/yolk). Breaking the "egg" part of the bath bomb was a little messy but the end result was squeal-worthy. EEEEEEEK SOOOOO CUTE! 

As for my bath, the pink "egg shell" yielded girly pink bathwater. Since it's a Bath Bomb not a Bubble Bar it fizzed rather than bubbled into my bath as expected. The scent was on point - grapefruit and lemon oils with ylang ylang and vanilla. Sweet with a hint of citrus and relaxation...mmmmmm. 

The Bunny Bubble Bar has not yet graced my bath waters. If you're interested in a little demo, check out the Lush youtube channel here. By the looks of it, the bunny seems to create a sufficient amount of fluffy bubbles for an entire bath. The bar contains vanilla and shea butter for moisturizing the skin and a warm and cozy scent. 

It's a new Lush offering and is already sold out online :( ... until next year I guess. 

For a more fresh-scented bubble bath, try putting a Bunch of Carrots in your tub. According to Lush this will be the "best-smelling vegetable you'll ever enjoy". I concur. The lemon and bergamot aromas are bright and perfect for getting into the springtime mood (as it snows while I type..). Three carrots = three baths... can't wait! 

Fear not, the Lush Carrot Soap doesn't actually smell of carrots. If anything, it's more of a tropical scent due to its smart blend of oils including coconut oil, lemon oil, bergamot oil, buchu (fruit) oil, and most importantly... carrot oil! Soap appears to be a little boring, but I tested it out on my arms and hands and the result is pretty awesome - what crazy lady doesn't like soft, clean hands? 

Whether you're in a rush to pick up some Easter presents or just want a great bath, you'll be sure to love the whimsy shapes and scents of the Lush Easter collection. Happy bathing! :) 

What are you up to this Easter weekend? 

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Lush Hair Heroes: Squeaky Green and No Drought Dry Shampoo

If I only had to wash my hair once a week, I would. Gross, I know. My love-hate relationship with my hair is never-ending. I love my long locks but I wish they were more low-maintenance. Enter the Lush Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo Bar ($11.95) and the Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo ($6.95 - 1.0 oz). It's a bird... It's a plane... It's... the-solution-to-all-my-hair-problems!

Before I give you the lowdown on this dynamic duo, let me tell you a little about my hair: (1) It's long - a couple inches below my bust (2) Similar to my skin, my hair is combination-oily - dry at the ends due to my Summer 2013 Ombre and an oil slick at the roots. 

Lush Squeaky Green is a solid shampoo bar formulated for oily hair and stressed scalps. Upon popping open the tin, I got a whiff of this stuff and boy, is it strong! The combination of rosemary, peppermint, tea tree, vanilla, and chamomile smell of what I like to think might be the aroma of a picturesque half-naked Ryan Gosling. In other words, it smells a bit manly. But fear not ladies, if a you're scent-sitive and don't want to smell like a man, there is absolutely no lingering scent after you rinse this shampoo out of your hair. 

The "bar" form was a bit intimidating at first, as it gave me a flashback to the nightmare that was my Grandma giving me a bar of soap to wash my hair (don't try this at home, kids). Getting over the initial fear factor, the shampoo bar is quite simple to use and the product is formulated differently than your average body soap. I wet my hair and the Squeaky Green shampoo bar, then rub it a few times in circular motions on my scalp. From there, it's just like regular, old liquid shampoo. The shampoo bar lathers very well (note: it contains sodium lauryl sulfate) and rinses out like any other. Upon rinsing, my hair feels cleansed and oil free but not stripped of all its healthiness and shine. 

To add onto my new-found love for solid shampoos, the format is ultra-travel-friendly. The no-liquid factor makes it easy to throw into a carry-on without worrying about all those rules and regulations of flying. 

I was never a fan of dry shampoos, so I had always resorted to baby powder. The Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo is a step up. I'm crazy for anything that smells like citrus fruit and No Drought is cleverly infused with lemon, lime, and grapefruit oils for a fresh, clean scent. 

I'm not fond of the packaging. The bottle isn't capable of dispensing the product in small amounts, so I find it to be a bit wasteful and very messy. Despite its packaging transgressions, No Drought works wonders for my hair. I rub a grape sized amount in between my hands and then comb through my hair with my fingertips, focusing on my roots and bangs. The powder is very soft and lightweight, and it disappears almost immediately. The result? My hair is left feeling matte in texture without weird white powdery patches. However, one of the issues I had with this product was when I used it for the second day in a row, I could feel it on my head, but that was probably just a sign that I needed to actually wash my hair. 

All in all, these two non-conventional hair products caught me off guard. They performed much better than I expected, even compared to my traditional big box shampoos and conditioners. Thanks to the Lush Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo and the No Drought Dry Shampoo I sneakily can get away with third (even fourth) day hair without looking like I poured oil over my head. *swooon*. My heroes. 

What kind of hair do you have? Have you tried Lush haircare? 

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