I have spoke in quite some detail about my trip to the Lush Cosmetic factories in Poole which you can read here. To round off the trip we were kindly invited along to the first ever Lush store in Poole (29 High Street should you ever visit the area) and here I was treated to not only a facial but also a skin care consultation. As much as I enjoyed every aspect of my trip this was the part I looked forward too most. Who can say no to being pampered and of course I was very keen to learn what Lush skin care products would work best for my skin type.
I should stress that it has only been a week since I was gifted the following products so I will of course update with full reviews in a month or so. Due to my skin breaking out a week or so ago - a crazy, itchy and bumpy rash took over my face, because I am less than confident to begin with I took to caking (yes I said it, caking) myself in make-up. Out of sight, out of mind but that did require a deeper cleanse each evening. This gave me the opportunity to try out Lush Ultrablend Facial Cleanser which has a balm like texture that quickly heats to an oil and then emulsifies within contact of water. If you have always liked the idea of Emma Hardie's Moringa Cleansing Balm but been put off by the price this is the product for you, same applies if said balm irritates your skin (a new problem I have encountered due to all the oils). Lush Ultrablend Facial Cleanser contains a mere 10 ingredients in total most of which have been selected to calm and soothe the skin so even the most sensitive of skins can benefit from a luxurious but through cleansing experience. Personally I rather like that this balm is gentle yet quickly "melts" off all my make-up with no rubbing or scrubbing, I've also been using this to take off my mascara with no complaints. Unlike some balm cleansers this doesn't leave a coating on my skin. So far, so good!
Lush Full of Grace Serum took so getting used to, this solid bar of serum evolves into a silky oil based serum with the heat of your hands. The idea is that you use this serum before your usual moisturiser to calm, soothe and further hydrate your skin. I swear by Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Serum each night and won't be changing that any time soon but as my skin has been so dehydrated I have been applying a little of this serum each morning. I like that it feels light on my skin, hasn't further clogged my pores (forever a worry with oil based products) and doesn't leave my skin feeling oily despite being oil based - it doesn't alter any make-up applied on top and certainly is hydrating. I feel like this is one of those products that I am going to have to use for at least a month to see any real benefits. I will be honest in saying that the novelty of it being a solid bar waned rather quickly and it is probably better suited to night time use.
Like most I knew all about Lush Fresh Face Masks but very little else about their skin care line, I was surprised to learn just how vast the skin care selection is with no less than 10 moisturisers to choose from. As you will know and be sick of hearing about by now, I have oily skin. Super oily and often blemish prone skin. Like most I want to control excess sebum without stripping my skin and was matched to the balancing Lush Enzymion Moisturiser. The idea is that Enzymion controls excess oil naturally due to the fresh lemon addition all the while brightening and softening in one quick step. What sold me is the fact that it contains
enzymes (I'm guessing that is where the name comes in) to remove dead skin cells with each and every use. I'm not all that wonderful at remembering to exfoliate every day so anything that can do this without any extra effort gets my vote. So far (again we are only a week in) I have found that this moisturiser when used in the morning helps to hydrate the currently dry areas on my face while controlling my oil prone t-zone. I probably won't repurchase the Full of Grace Serum but if this continues to impress me this may be my go to daily moisturiser.
Have you ever used a product and instantly understood what all the hype was about? For me that was Lush Eau Roma Water. A simple product that essentially combines lavender and rose water. The lavender hydrates and soothes where as the rose water calms and can help reduce redness. The redness aspect I can't comment on as that isn't something I typically suffer from but I do find a quick mist to be refreshing and soothing in one quick step. I like that I can use this whenever I wish to re-freshen without it being too wet - you know the story, you mist on a facial mist and bye bye make-up. Yet the same toning water can be used after cleansing to close the pores and ensure every little scrap of cleanser/make-up is gone. I didn't think I would be a huge fan of this and yet I would recommend it to everyone. If you buy anything from this post let it be this and the Ultrablend Cleanser. New staples in my book.
This post contains press samples.
I do need a new good moisturizer, will definitely have a look at these next time I stop by Lush!
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