Fyrinnae Comparisons (Rapunzel Had Extensions) + LUSH Dynamic Bonus!

FYRINNAE! So maybe some of you have heard that they have finally released some pretty cool PRESSED eyeshadows, right?

Have you been wondering about any of the shades and what they look like compared to their potted, loose cousins?

Well I have! Specifically the "Rapunzel Had Extensions" color. It is by far my absolute favorite Fyrinnae shade. I decided to go ahead and buy one and compare it to the one I already have.

Also did a much needed comparison of their old Romantique lip lustre to their new one. There is a bit of a different. I confirmed with them that this was on purpose and not an accident in their lab, lol. Click below for comparisons! I also threw in LUSH's "Dynamic" face color just for funzies because it's also a pinkish gold color of awesomeness.

I should just retitle this post as "pinkish gold awesomeness." Hehehehe. ;)








Sorry for this ulta-gross close-up of my face (ew pores!) but I figured I'd show off the shadows. I am wearing both the loose and pressed version, one on each eye. Truth be told, I forgot which eye had which but that's OK... because they are effectively the same, I mean, I can't even tell which is which so that's testimony to the fact that when they pressed it, any additives did not change the formula. I don't think it should (adding dimethicone?) but I am also not a chemist, so yeah. @___@; but I just wanted to shed doubt if anyone had any that the pressed ones would differ in color from the old shadows. It DOES look a little different when swatched next to the loose pigment but once again, I think it has to do with what they added to the formula to make it stay put.






Please click on it to see full version of pic with text. :D Here are all of my swatches. I tried to get a good flash on this because the lighting in my bathroom was terrible Friday morning when I was getting ready for work. @__@; But yeah, you can clearly see the difference between their old and new lip lustres and you can see that the eyeshadows remain relatively the same here. Also LUSH swatch in just for fun! :)




The above is a swatch of LUSH's (newish) "Dynamic" pigment. I *think* they market this as an eyeliner but truth be told, I almost never use it as such.... I always use it as a BLUSH or highlighter, to be honest, or even as eyeshadow or lip color. I rarely use it to line my eyes because it's hard to get it all where it should go. It ends up becoming mascara for my bottom lashes if I try to use it as a bottom liner, and if I use it as a top, it's so liquidy that I need to use a hair dryer to seal and dry it else it turns into an eyeshadow when I blink and smudges. ;) This is why I hate liquid and creamy shadows/liners! It's a really gorgeous color, though and I am totally in love with it. It stays put all day as a blush but tends to smudge more and crease more as an eyeshadow unless you use primer. Hope this post was semi-useful! Sorry for my bad photograph as always. ;___;

I DID IT!!!!! :)

Dear readers,

I am so excited!

I got the holiday part-time job at LUSH Cosmetics! :)

Seriously, super excited. I've already been to a few training sessions and I'm now officially on their payroll. Now all I have to do is not spend my entire paycheck there in the store, hehe. The discount is awesome but I don't think it would be right to disclose how much it is. But it's enough to have the employees try out a lot of different products. I am more willing to try something I don't normally buy just to see if I'd like it, and that way I can help customers better when it comes to deciding what they can buy to suit their needs...yay! :)

I guess that's all I wanted to say with this post, haha. But I guess if anyone has any questions about what it's like to work for LUSH feel free to ask me, and I can try to answer your questions but some things are confidential! I obviously don't want to get in trouble by answering anything. >__<;; but I am so excited! :)

BTW If you've never heard of LUSH, check out their website to learn more and to find a store near you. They make everything by hand, do not test on animals or buy supplies from companies who do, and everything they make is fresh, vegetarian, and good value! Their products actually work, especially their skin care which is on par with a lot of the other really great skincares I've used, but even better because it's super fresh and no animal testing. :) What more could ya ask for? Anyway! That's all I wanted to say in this post. :3

Here's a great post with more info on how to get a job at LUSH!

And here is the rest of it.

Latest Favorites for Skincare/Bath + Random Stuff!

You know you can't resist cosmetics sold in cute little pepper-shaped tubes marketed by sexy Asian menz with blonde hairz. o.o;;



Whew, I totally had two huge projects and a test this week. BLAH. The test was today and I feel....okay....about it, haha. That's all I am gonna say because everytime I think I did well on an exam, I ended up doing poorly...and everytime I think I did shitty on a test, it's like BAM, I ended up doing well. O_o;

Anyway!

So today I just wanted to mention some random stuff...I have been using Baviphat's products a LOT lately and let me say...I am IN LOVE. I'll do another post after this (hopefully! LOL!) with more in-depth thoughts on a few of their different products. Here are the ones I am currently using.

Currently Using
- Magic Girls BBcream fresh for oily skin
- Strawberry Detox Mask
- Peach Peeling Gel
- Apple AC Sleeping Pack
- Fruity/Jelly(?) Lip and Cheek Tint (jar has no label on it? LOL.)

On the Way
- Magic Girls BBprimer fix (sample of this sold me!)
- Paprika Pore Solution Toner
- Paprika Pore Solution Essence/Serum
- Paprika Pore Solution Moisturizer
- Peach Sebum Solution Compact in 01 Light
- Apple Lip Scrub

Wishlist
- Lip stuff (more jelly tint!)
- Cheek stuff (blushing girl powder)
- Sheet masks (anything but the Snail stuff! LOL!)

Plus I have a ton of samples I've yet to try. x3 (OH GOD, please excuse that icky hair in that photo...gah. I never notice those things until it's too late!)
Samples are what got me into Baviphat in the first place. I was trying BBcream from an eBay seller and then they sent me some of the Baviphat AC Apple Sleeping Pack as a bonus and I was hooked when I tried it! My face was SO clear. :3
Currently hooked on the Paprika stuff which is why I bought moar of it. Hehe! I got some Tony Moly samples too but I didn't like them near as much as Baviphat...I somehow thing that their suuuuper cute packaging has something to do with that, haha. Totally lures ya in! But at least their product DELIVERS! :D

Pics and some randomness behind the cut! :3



Baviphat is coming out with (already came out with?!) cute new make-up bags! OMG! I dunno about you but I really dig on #04 and #09!! :)






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LUSH--OMG!

I have an interview with LUSH this Sunday. I am sooooooo excited. :3 I love that store and working there would be like a dream come true even though I already have a part-time job as an intern.... I would die for the product discount too, haha. (Gorgeous facial moisturizer for less? W00T W00T!) And getting to play with their products all day and showing ppl how to use them. Omg. So much fun. haha.

Also I tried some of their new 'secret' products that came out on the British site. Specifically these:

- Dirty Soap
- Rose Jam Bubbleroon
- Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
- Phoenix Rising Bath Bomb
- Rose Queen Bath Bomb
- Dream Steam Toner Tab (was expensive but I plan to save it in a spray bottle to make it last!)

Want to try this ASAP: Lustre Body Shimmer, scented like the Lust perfume! :3

Had to order it all from the UK but the shipping was surprisingly affordable. I just regret not getting any free samples in my box. ;___; They tossed in a LUSH times though! :)

Reviews forth coming!!

******

I just organized my shoe "collection" haha:



Crazy huh? @___@; It's scary to think I own so many shoes. But what can I say, I love them? This is like 4+ years worth of buying shoes, and I still have a few more pairs at my other home. :3 I donate to Goodwill when I can and sometimes I end up having to trash a well-loved pair. My Japanese loafers are suffering this fate and I hope I can rescue them before they have to be trashed! :'(


******

TIGHTS! From ICING! :)


My most worn pair, they look AWESOME with Dolly Kei. :)

Got grey tights too <3!


And these awesome black with flocky stuff:


I love Icing and Claire's! (Owned by same company.) Do you all have a favorite accessory or tights shop? These stores sell lots of cute necklaces too. If any of you international gals who read my blog want any cute stuff but you don't have a Claire's or Icing in your countries, just let me know what you're looking for and I can get it for you, no extra charges, just pay for the item + shipping. :) I am more than willing to shop for you too if you just want, say, a cute animal necklace or something and you're open to a surprise, haha. :D
I love shopping! >_<;;

******

Moar random:

New bedding set I got on Overstock. Damn, I love that site. So friggin' cheap!


******

Last random note...I've been listening to SO much girly-pop music lately. What's up with that?! xD Guilty pleasure... :3


Demi Lovato <3 I just ordered her new album. xD
She is sooo beautiful, and I totally love her make-up in that movie. Shame she struggled with eating disorders...I can totally relate though. :-/ I think a lot of young girls can. Take care of yourselves!! <3<3<3
And keep rockin' on. :)

xoxo
******

PS: Coming up next time!

More cosmetics reviews - Geek Chic Cosmetics, Purely Cosmetics, Morgana's, and more! :)
ALSO: Planning to order and review more Fyrinnae samples in the near future as soon as they open again! Here's to hoping they come back soon! >_<;; I love them! And I can't live w/o my Rapunzel Had Extensions! :3

LUSH Get!

So it's already been a while since my last post and it only seems like yesterday that I posted. Hah. Time flies during finals...meh!

So yeah, final exams are here and you know what that means? Stress stress stressss!

Readers....how do you like to de-stress?


For me, it's usually a nice hot BATH! :D


Yeah, you're looking at a $39,000 bath tub. It's covered in DIAMONDS! Sounds like the ultimate gyaru-deco-bathtub to me. :D hehehe. *noted for when I strike it rich*
;3


So yeah, I love baths, and especially bath products. I got a package last night from LUSH which is a fabulous store that I've blogged about before. I love LUSH so much that I even applied for a summer job there. :D



RETRO LUSH is the name of their line of products that have been very popular in the past (hence the "retro" bit) but they just don't have the shelf space in the majority of their actual stores to carry ALL of these products. So instead of buying them in-store, you can find them on LUSH's website. They ship all over the world from Vancouver, Canada which is wonderful! :)

The RETRO products come in white tubs and bottles with white wrappers. This is how you can distinguish them from their ordinary counterparts. (Or I should say, main product line.)

So click below to see what I got and some brief (?!) banter about each thing. :3




This was my second ever order from LUSH's website. The first time I ordered back in like 2009 or so, they still had really expensive shipping. Well I guess a lot of people bitched about it, so they dropped the shipping prices which is nice.

I think it might be by weight though and the size of your overall order.

Anyway!

Here is the stuff I got....!

Gumback Express Shower Smoothie

$17.95
8.8 oz.

Their description:

Bananas makes your skin really, really soft, so we squashed a bundle up and mixed them with ground almonds. Ground almonds are nutritious and exfoliating, which also leave the skin very soft. Honey and almond oil are also very softening and moisturizing. So you can imagine how you'll feel after lathering up in this creamy shower smoothing. Soft. Very, very soft (and clean too!).

My thoughts:

I have no idea what a "Gumback" is supposed to be.... but this is a banana almond scented shower "smoothie." You rub the stuff on your body in the shower and then rinse. The almond bits exfoliate while the banana stuff moisturize. Your skin will feel moisturized and smooth and chances are--it'll smell good too. LOL.

I have yet to try this product specifically so I can't comment on it just yet, but it does smell pretty good. Not 100% like Sympathy for the Skin lotion (which is also banana scented) but it's pretty rich smelling. Not sure if I like it yet or not!
Edit: OK so I tried it. I actually don't like this one too much. I think the gardenia flower gives it a weird 'bubblegum' sort of after scent. Maybe hence the gum in the name? LOL. I doubt it but yeah. Not a keeper for me though it did cleanse and moisturize my arms fairly well.

Flying Saucers Shower Gel

$17.95
8.4 fl oz

Their description:

We were thinking more about dishes flying than aliens landing when we named this shower gel. It's for calming down uppity folk and girls who are PMSing. Soothing honey, calming vetivert and refreshing pine will help you get those alien emotions under control. Next time, instead of throwing things, run a nice warm bath and give yourself a washing with Flying Saucers shower gel (or pour it under the tab and use it as a bath foam!).

My thoughts:

This stuff is pretty awesome! I was kinda skeptical about it being good for PMS relief...as in I didn't expect anything but a nice-smelling shower gel. But really, it does work! I felt so amazing last night when I was uber stressed about exams (and maaaybe a little PMS-y too) and I poured some of this under the tap. It seems to work better as a bubble bath than as an actual body wash. It REALLY smells like honey in my opinion, with a twist of citrus. It smells nothing like "Honey I Washed the Kids" from their normal line of products, so yeah.... I wasn't expecting it to, nor did I buy it because I wanted that scent (I still have some "It's Raining Men" gel left, which is their L.E. release of HIWTK scent in shower gel form.) I bought it to de-stress and it really works. I would probably buy this product again. :)


The Strokes Hair Treatment

$18.95
7.9 oz.

Their description:

It's the latest craze to have hair that looks sleek rather than fluffy. The fluffy hair trend is passe. That's why we like patting fluffy hair down with The Strokes; it flattens down the surface cells to smooth and add shine to unruly manes. For best results, plaster it onto dry hair and wrap your head in a towel. Give the fresh herbal infusions time to soak in (say 20 minutes) then rinse off and shampoo as usual. You'll emerge with a soft, shiny, frizz-free mane.

My thoughts:

I am ABOUT to try this. As in, as soon as I finish typing up this post, haha. I will report back the results afterwards. I am not going to even try to take a before and after picture because I am so terrible with lighting and my camera sucks.... esp in non-natural light. So yeah. D: But I will say that so far.....it smells like....beer. And lemons. It has stout in it, so the beer scent isn't a surprise. I guess I pretty much love the smell of beer since I like to drink it. But having my hair smell like beer? I guess I do not care much if my hair smells like that as long as it's soft and tangle-free and healthy!!! :D LUSH hair treatments are expensive for how much I need for my hair (meh!) and they tend to smell overly potent (the Jasmine one...I am looking at you!) but they really do make your hair feel salon-quality amazing. xD Some reviewers mentioned the beer scent fades to lemons after a while so I guess I will have to try and see for myself and report back!



Sonic Death Monkey Shower Gel
$18.95
7.9 oz.

Their description:

Our rocking coffee, chocolate and lime juice shower gel is back to tempt you into the shower and kick-start your day. If you're wondering about the name, it's from High Fidelity; Jack Black's character is in a band call Sonic Death Monkey. This seriously intense shower gel will get you smiling before your first cup of coffee; it'll take you right to the edge, over the edge in fact!

My thoughts:

I was really curious about this. It seemed like it could either be a huge hit or a huge miss. Coffee + chocolate = awesome. But add in lime juice? Why can't they just stop at the chocolate and coffee?! Jeez, LUSH! But that's OK....I have noticed that sometimes when my face goes O__O; at their ingredients, sometimes things work out really well together. Unexpectedly good. Well, I have yet to try this--I've just sniffed it in the bottle--so will need to get back to this one too!

(both Fox in the Flowers and the Sicilian!)
Fox in the Flowers Bath Bomb
$6.00
6.3 oz.

Their description:

If you need an escape, drop one of these into the bath and sink into a fresh, wild flower-filled woodland. With a very green scent (a good helping of it comes from chlorophyll, the stuff which makes leaves green) Fox in the Flowers is a refreshing bath that can take you away to another time and place. You'll feel like Maid Marion washing in a sun-dappled pool ready for Robin to get back from a hard day's wealth redistribution.

My thoughts:

I bought this because once upon a time, LUSH had a wonderfully green bath bomb with a name like English Countryside or something like that, and it had real flower petals in it. But it was discontinued! SAD! :( The floating flowers were slightly annoying but not if you wrap it in old pantyhose or some type of netting to catch the floaty bits. I have yet to try Fox in the Flowers but I bought it b/c a lot of LUSH lovers mentioned it is almost like a replacement for the bath bomb that was discontinued. But it's expensive. I got this as a sort of special occasion treat for myself. $6.00 for a one use item is a bit much IMHO, esp since I could basically taking some baking soda from my kitchen, buy a small bit of citric acid at a health shop and mix together to make my own bath bomb if I wanted. I guess that's not the point, but still.... it's sort of a "Zen" experience as my roommate says....watching your hard-earned $ wash down the drain, lol.


The Sicillian Bath Bomb
$6.25
6.3 oz.

Their description:

Take a trip to the sunny orange groves of Sicily in your tub. We put a fresh orange slice in each bomb, and drop in the essential oils of orange, tangerine, mandarin and neroli for the ultimate citrusy fresh bath. Float around in the reviving water and inhale the uplifting fragrance. You'll feel as relaxed as if you were laying out in the warm Italian sun, and you won't even have to take a plane to get there.

My thoughts:

I got this because I wanted to see if it was like a bath bomb version of The Olive Branch. I haven't sniffed it or tried it yet (I'm hoarding it for a special occasion! LOL!) Also because it just sounds plain awesome. :D

Close-up!

Pleasure Dough Bubble Bar

$6.95
3.5 oz.

Their description:

Wake late, take breakfast in bed then rise at noon for a Pleasure Dough bubble bath. The scent is based on a secret recipe from 17th Century French courtesan, Ninon de Lenclos. She used a blend of lavender, rose, peppermint and orange blossoms to perfume herself and seduce her lovers (which she had quite a few of). She was noted for her style, taste and politeness (and other skills we won't mention) so we're quite certain that you'll be delighted we borrowed her recipe.

My thoughts:

OMG Pleasure Dough! :D For those who do not know, bubble bars are basically like solid bubble bath. You crumble these under warm running water and they generate a crapload of bubbles. It's fantastic! :D I have ordered this twice now. My second time! That's how much I loved it. It's floral with a hint of herbal, and overall just wonderful for your skin and a delight for your nose too! :) I had to google to see who Ninon de Lenclos was....she sounds like a badass. Haha! A+

Gavarnie
$7.95
3.5 oz

Their description:

Picture a green, grassy field high up in the mountains of Southwestern France. Wild flowers are growing in the field, and a waterfall roars in the distance. Now take a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and the wild green grass. This is the fragrance of Gavarnie, a soap inspired by a commune in the gorgeous Pyrenees with the same name. We make it a bright jewel green to reflect the grass and top it with wild flowers to evoke the mountain fields. Wash with this soap daily and escape to the fragrant fields of Gavarnie.

My thoughts:

Oh my gosh! I LOVE this soap. It smells just like "Jungle" solid conditioner. I love it for that because I love the Jungle conditioner scent, but I hate their solid conditioner formula because it makes my uber chemically treated hair all clumpy. That is my number one grip with LUSH hair products. Apart from Retread Conditioner, and a select few hair treatments, I can't really use LUSH hair stuff. It contains mostly natural ingredients which you'd think would be optimal for anyone, really, but not so true when it comes to color treated or chemically dyed hair. If I had perfectly natural, virgin, un-dyed hair, I guess it wouldn't bug me so much. But nothing seems to work for me from LUSH. So I continue to use mostly salon shampoos. *sigh*

ANYWAY. why did this become a mini rant about shampoo? GOSH, I really have ADD. lol. So yes. I got this because the description sounded lovely. I adore floral scents. I'm glad I got this because not only is it floral but it smells like much-loved Jungle! And it's green! :3 What's not to love? :) My whole bathroom smells good when I use this stuff.

....aaand......
FREE SAMPLES!



Usually LUSH gives free samples when you buy something. They seem to always do this for when you order on-line and not as much in the stores, but the stores do tend to have special promos from time to time like if you spend $50 you get a free bar of soap or shower gel or something like that. But both times I've ordered from the site, now, they've given me free samples. And this time both samples I got were of Retro LUSH items! I guess they figured since my entire order was Retro stuff, they'd give me more! :) I am pleased because it's the only way to try Retro products! :3

Queen of Hearts Soap

$7.95
3.5 oz.
(mine was free though, and def. not a 3.5oz piece!)

Their description:

We give you permission to wash your face with this soap; it's one of the few LUSH soaps you can wash your face with in fact. Why? Other soaps are designed for much stronger skin while the Queen is made with a beautiful rose petal infusion base making it much gentler than other body soaps. Cocoa butter keeps skin flexible while moisturizing almond and balancing geranium oils make skin soft. The Queen cleans without drying out your face; if you must wash your face with soap, please, choose this one (orders from the Queen).

My thoughts:

Smells really good, like the "Charity Pot" hand lotion only in soap form. Interesting how so many Retro LUSH products remind me of their regular line of stuff...only with a twist. I guess these versions are popular enough to continue to manufacturer but not enough to keep in their shops. A shame, b/c I really like some of these more than the normal stuff. I do enjoy Queen of Hearts' scent but prolly not enough to order a full sized one next time....

Waylander Rhassoul Soap
$7.95
3.5 oz.
(also free...woo samples!)

Their description:

Made with Rhassoul mud from the Atlas Mountains - a traditional Moroccan skin and scalp treatment, this soap works marvels on troubled skin. Perfumed with earthy patchouli, each creamy bar contains pumice powder; after the Rhassoul mud cleans away dirt, use the ground pumice to slough away dead skin. Use it on feet, elbows and knees, all the tough bits. By the time you start up a new creamy, muddy bar, you'll find that your skin has already transformed itself magically from dull to bright.

My thoughts:

Wow this sample smells....really...earthy and herbal, for lack of a better word. And rich. I am not sure if I like this one or not. Will need to try in the shower/bath and get back to you! :)

That's all for now! I would love to order again but I need to use this stuff up first! My roommate also ordered the "Pineapple Grunt" soap but I didn't review it since it's not mine....!



Maybe she will let me cut off a sliver to try myself. It does smell wonderful, though, like a Pina Colada. :3 LUSH stuff DOES have expiration dates b/c it's all fresh and handmade, so I need to get bathing NOW! xD

PS: Don't forget a copy of the LUSH Times!

They sent me a copy along with my package. It's basically like a catalog of their products (sans Retro, I've noticed) but it also contains really awesome extra stuff like articles about how LUSH employees get to travel around the world to visit the suppliers for their wonderful product ingredients. For instance, one lady traveled to Turkey where the oh-so-fragrant roses come from in their Turkish Delight Body Polish product. For every pot they sell, a good chunk of the money from that sale goes to supporting a school in Turkey for children ages 6 and under! Apparently education in Turkey is not free for that specific age group. So you can feel good about buying LUSH's products b/c not only do they support a fair amount of charity efforts (see their Charity Pot lotion as well!) but they also source their ingredients in such a way that there is minimal waste, carbon footprint, and always fair trade... which makes you feel good inside and out! :D

<3 LUSH!

How to Enjoy LUSH on a Budget + Lolita Sales

Today I will be talking briefly about my most fave place to buy soap and shampoo in the whole wide world--LUSH! :]

And I would also like to mention I am selling a lot of my lolita stuff here:
http://community.livejournal.com/egl_comm_sales/11729601.html

If you mention this blog post I can give you a $5 discount from whatever you want to buy assuming it's over $10 itself. xD

Click the button below to read more about LUSH...





So freshman year of college (2007) is about when I discovered the LUSH and all it's glory! My roommate owned a bar of their buttercream soap, Skinny Dip (since discontinued...BOO!) and one day when I was taking a shower, I was curious about it so I picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled GOOD. I asked her about it, and she told me to try some...so I did! And VOILA. A LUSH maniac was born! Seriously, though. O.O; It's scary what sniffing one bar of soap can do to a person....sniff with caution! xD

I soon discovered a store that might as well be called "land of magical wonders" because each time I go in there, I find something new and delightful to add to my skin, hair, or bath routine. :D I've gotten quite a few friends and family addicted too hah.

The unfortunate part of all this is...well...Lush = expensive. One trip to that store, I can spend up to $100, and maybe even $50 for a few items! So how does one who is new to LUSH or just wanting to budget shop there??

Here are my tips!

(1.) Samples. Samples samples samples. Obviously, though, if you go into any store that does this and ask for 10 different free samples w/o buying anything is going to look tacky or rude. Or just plain cheap! So make sure you buy at least one thing, even a small thing before asking for samples. Or if you aren't sure, ask for help. The shop girls (and guys!) of LUSH are sooo very friendly, at least most all of the ones I've ever met. So don't be shy! Ask for help! :]


(2.) Smaller = cheaper. It's so true! While some of the large sized bottle of stuff are a better deal because you're paying less per ounce or w/e, it's definitely cheaper to buy a small bottle than a larger one, esp if you aren't sure if you really like it or not yet. Even if you've tried a sample, it's hard to see long term results with a small size of product. For instance, I got a tiny sample of Rub Rub Rub and I really like it but not enough to buy a gigantic bottle of it. So I bought a small one, tried it, loved it, and now I buy the larger sized portions!
This goes for soaps and other products as well. Because it takes me FOREVER to use up my Fresh Farmacy cleanser (it comes in big slices) I always ask for a smaller slice about $4.50 worth or so, and that usually lasts me for MONTHS. Because LUSH products are handmade and fresh, each item has an expiration date on it. The expiration date is usually a good indication of when the product should be discarded. You don't have to throw it away or use it up by the specific date on the jar or bottle, it's kind of a guideline. But if you wait way longer after that date, you will notice your product will lack punch! So get the most bang for you buck and pick something that is small enough for you to use up fast enough! :D

(3.) Giftsets. I cannot stress this enough. Giftsets ROCK. For example...I wanted to try a moisturiser called "Gorgeous." It's a VERY expensive product, too, you only get 1.5oz in a tiny little black pot for $89.95!!! Crazy right? Well there are a lot of expensive ingredients in it. I wanted to try it so badly because $90 must = good, right? Well a tiny little sample of it comes in the "Gorgeous" giftbox along with some other products I haven't tried yet plus two of my all time faves--Sakura bath bomb and a Rub Rub Rub body scrub. :D

(4.) Recycle. If you bring in 5 empty, clean black pots or bottles you can get a FREE fresh face mask. The fresh face masks can be seen on display near the register, at least at my local LUSH, and they are in little metal bowls with spoons so you can pick some product up and sniff it. It's a great way to experience their face masks before choosing a free one. :)

(5.) Promotions. Every so often LUSH will do a promotion! Sometimes it's "buy $50 worth of stuff, get a free full sized whatever!" Or sometimes it's a mini cardboard box filled with anywhere from 5 - 7 mini sizes of their regular products. These are an excellent way to try a lot of LUSH products for one low price usually like $15 - $25!

The only other way I could think to save money is to befriend a LUSH store employee and use their awesome employee discount, haha, but that's a little bit extreme. One of my friends used to work there but she moved away. If she still worked at my local store I might politely ask if she could buy me something with her discount and then give her money for it later. Probably not legal somehow haha but whatever. As long as you don't hardcore abuse it, I do this with a friend who works for MAC too. xD



And here are some of my favourite products. I sadly cannot list all of them because it would take up sooo much time and space and you'd probably get bored reading it! Hehehe!


Soap: Ring of Roses

It smells heavenly. This paired with the "Grass" shower gel makes you coming out of the shower smelling like a rose garden! If you really want to get into it, use their new Mud cleansing bar in the shower for full garden effect. :D


Shower Gel: The Olive Branch

Tried and true! The Olive Branch smells...amazing! But that's what I say about all of their products! Boiled vine leaves, fresh olive oil, and mandarin orange juices go into this luscious shower gel!! You have to shake it so the oils and juices are reunited since they tend to separate.


Bath Bomb: Golden Slumbers

It smells like lavender and it has little tiny sticks of lavender that float out when it fizzes in your tub. It's best for before bedtime because the lavender is calming, soothing, and overall relaxing. :)



Bubble Bar: Bathos

It smells like VIOLETS and turns your bath water PURPLE! SUCH a wonderful bath bomb, I usually get 2-3 uses out of mine! It also fills your tub with TONS of bubbles!! :D


Shampoo: Big

I cannot recommend it enough! It smells like fresh dryer sheets for your laundry and it has real piece of sea salt to make your hair shiny, fresh, and clean! It really gets the grease out! I have oily skin and greasy hair so this works wonders!



Conditioner: Retread (liquid) and Jungle (solid)



Retread smells AMAZING and it makes my hair feel amazing too! Jungle smells equally amazing, like the rainforest!! :) It is solid too!! Less packaging = less environmental damage.



Cleanser: Ultrabland (paste) & Fresh Farmacy (solid)


Both of these products are beyond wonderful. My skin is SO oily. I start with Ultrabland. I smear this paste all over my skin and eyes. Its primary function is to remove pollution, dirt, dust, and grime off your beautiful face! It can be used alone but since my skin is soooo oily I followed up w/ Fresh Farmacy. The ultrabland is also marketed as a safe makeup remover! :)

Fresh Farmacy has both chamomile and calamine in it to sooth your face. If you have REALLY oily skin, Coalface might be a better option since it has charcoal in it and it's a bit more abrasive. If your skin is both oily AND sensitive, Fresh F. is the way to go. LUSH also makes little crumbly cleansers you can add water to to make a paste but I find those are pretty messy (think Herbalism, Angels on Bare Skin, Dark Angels, etc.) and are best left for shower cleansing!


Toner: Tea Tree Water

This stuff is pretty awesome. You mist a few pumps onto your face after you cleanse. It removes the excess cleanser and helps your skin's pores absorb the moisturiser which goes on next! :D


Moisturiser: Vanishing Cream

This special cream costs about $37 and it's worth every penny! Throw that old Clinique shit away, those drugstore creams, etc. You might even pay more for a moisturiser from Sephora. Well, don't! Buy this stuff instead! (Or a similar LUSH moisturiser for your skin type! They range from normal to combo skin to oily and sensitive skin!) If your skin is oily, Vanishing Cream is for you. It's got witch hazel, lavender water, rose water, and I think tea tree. It's perfect because it literally "vanishes" off your face and absorbs into your skin rapidly without making your face feel oily or greasy!!


I hope that was helpful to some of you gals (and guys!) who are interested in trying LUSH but not sure how to afford it or what to buy!