Review - Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner !

I have always wanted to try the ever popular Ro's Argan Body conditioner but it took me so long to buy it as I was not a fan of the fragrance, well at least at first. 

I finally decided to buy it with some other Lush products. I started using it and gradually the sweet rose jam fragrance grew on me. 

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is described as a skin conditioner which works like a hair conditioner but for your body, or in other words you can also call it a in shower body lotion. You use it as a last step in your shower, slather it on your body and rinse it off and it will leave your skin moisturised. If you don't have dry skin, you can skip body lotion.

5 Rose Beauty Products that we are Loving !

Today's post features 5 Rose products I have been loving lately ! If you are not big on Rose products, there is still something in this post for you as these products are not typical rose products but have some rose element to them.

I am not much of a typical rose or sweet smell lover but still I decided to buy Ro's Argan Body conditioner because of the hype. I gradually started to love the smell. It is a sweet jam kind of a scent with some rose in it. 

I have been loving the Nivea lip butter in Raspberry Rose recently, its a bang on raspberry scent with just a bit of rose, the raspberry is definitely more overpowering. 

I was gifted the Kiehl's Patchouli & Fresh Rose set consisting of the body lotion, the shower gel and the EDT. I absolutely love the scent of this and would definitely repurchase the EDT some day. Kiehl's Patchouli & Freshrose Fragrance, is a beautiful floral smell with a subtle rose, fresh and citrus mix.  

Burt's Bees tinted lip balm is one of my favorite balms as it is so moisturising plus it is tinted so its good for on the go. Burt Bees Tinted lip balm in Rose is a beautiful sheer red shade that works for every day.

I have raved about the Sukin Hydrating Mist toner multiple times on the blog. I continue to repurchase it, its a refreshing mist that feels like spraying rose water on your skin. I love using it before my moisturiser and even as a refreshing face mist.

Which are your top Rose products ?

Mecca Maxima and Lush Skincare Haul !

Hi guys, Haul time ! Haul time ! YAY !! 

I am so excited about this haul, I shopped at Mecca Maxima and Lush and have some goodies to share. I am very happy with my purchase and so excited to try all this.

 Mecca Maxima goodies (From L to R)

Origins Never a Dull Moment Skin - Brightening Face Polisher
I have been wanting to try a new scrub and I love Origins and brightening products, so decided to pick this one. Will have to see how it goes.

REN Rosa Centifolia Foaming Cleanser 
This was recommended by the Mecca SA, based on my current cleanser which is The Body Shop Vitamin E cleanser, she suggested that this is gentle but a foaming cleanser. I am excited to try this.

Origins Dr. Andrew Weil Mega-Bright eye cream 
This was again a recommendation by the SA for hydration and dark circles so am curious to see how it performs. I am yet to find a good eye cream and nothing seems to work for my horrendous dark circles.

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask 
I picked this because I have heard so much about this mask and had to try it and to be honest my skin can definitely benefit from this good stuff. 

Soap and Glory Rich & Foamous Shower Gel 
I loved the Soap & Glory Breakfast Smoothie scrub and wanted to try one of their body washes, so decided to pick this one. Well, I guess you can sense a pattern, foamy, brightening !

Lip Tints/Stains galore !

One of my dearest friends had requested a post on lip tints/stains last year. At that time, I was not well equipped to do this post, I only had a lip stain (read : Revlon Just bitten kissable balm stains) and a tinted lip balm. 

I have a few more lip stains/tints kind of things in my collection now and in today's post, I will share with you my thoughts on the different ones I have tried. 

Rituparna, this is for you :)

Lip Balms and Lip Stains are terms used synonymously however, I do think they are slightly different. 

Lip tints, in my opinion, give your lips a subtle tint/flush (e.g. a tinted lip balm, sheer products) and Lip stains are products that leave your lips with a stain behind (e.g. long wearing lipsticks), or products that are sold as stains (e.g. marker type products). They can be drying as usually are long wearing.

I have categorized the different products I have tried (in the order 1 to 5, as numbered in the pic above)

1. Cheek and Lip tint - Featured in the pic above is Benetint, a cheek and lip stain by Benefit. Don't be scared by the color, this comes out as a very sheer flush of red color (it is buildable). If you are looking for a very natural color, then this is a good one to go for. 

• Love the packaging
• Smells gorgeous
• 2 in one product, can be used both as a blush and lip tint
• Benfit does them in other colors as well
• Not moisturizing, however not too drying either
• Pricey

2. Tinted Lip Balm - I have been using this Burt's Bees tinted lip balm for a while now and I completely love this product. I have it in 'Hibiscus'. Its comes out as a gorgeous peach MLBB color, perfect for when you cannot be bothered with a lipstick but want some color.

• Natural
• Very moisturizing
• Not long lasting
• Subtle color 
• One of the best lip balms out there IMO
• Available in other colors as well
   

3. Lip Crayons (lip balm stains) - The market is full with the crayon products, every company has their own version. The only lip crayons that I have tried are the Revlon Just Bitten lip balm stains. I have tried the original release and also the newly released matte variant. These are moisturising on the lips (like lip balms). The originally released were sheer, while the recently released matte ones are pigmented and creamy. If you fancy the whole crayon thing, do these give a try. I prefer the latest matte release.

• Moisturizing
• Mint flavor and fragrance
• Leaves a subtle stain behind
• Easy to apply 
• Affordable
• Stay for 4-6 hours
• Twist up (no need for sharpening)
• Lots of shade variety

4. Lip Lacquers - Super pigmented, liquid Lipsticks that pack a punch and leave behind a stain. The only liquid lipstick that I have tried is Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar. It is a gorgeous, bright color. 

• Pigmented
• Creamy and Opaque
• Leaves a stain behind 
• Not drying, not moisturizing either
• Exfoliation of lips prior to using is a must
• Available in bright to nude shades
  
  

5. Lip Tint - The lip tint featured in the picture above is the Lush Santa Baby Lip tint (Christmas Collection 2013). It comes in a little pot like lip balms/tints from Lush. Santa Baby is a beautiful bright red color. The texture is quite creamy and comfortable on lips. Blot it for a softer stain like look.

• Super Pigmented 
• Little goes a long way 
• Leaves a stain behind
• Exfoliation of lips prior to using is a must

Hope you liked the post.So these were the lip tints/stains I have used. 
Which are your favorite lip stains/tints ? Any recommendations (leave them in comments below) ?

Cosmetics retailer LUSH bans the use of plastic water bottles

- National campaign to reduce unnecessary plastic consumption -

Each year 8 billion bottles and cans are thrown into landfill or littered in Australia.* This alarming statistic is one that high street retailer, LUSH Cosmetics hopes to challenge this week as it launches a national campaign encouraging Australians to recycle and refill their water bottles instead of purchasing more unnecessary plastic. From the 17th until the 23rd of February 2014 LUSH is partnering with environmental conservationist group, TAKE 3 to raise awareness about the impact plastic has on the environment, our health and wildlife.

Australians spend over half a billion dollars on bottled water every year. Not only is bottled water on average 2000 times the price of regular tap water,* it is also a large contributor to environmental damage globally. By choosing tap water over bottled water, people are choosing to care for oceans and wildlife, as well as their own personal health and the right to water without paying excessive amounts for it.

 
From the 17th February 2014, single-use plastic bottles will not be used by any staff member in LUSH’s 26 Australian retail stores, as well as the LUSH kitchen and head office.

LUSH will also be turning its stores into official refill stations, encouraging people to refill their water bottles for free as opposed to purchasing more unnecessary plastic. 

Customers will be able to purchase a limited edition campaign drink bottle (RRP $15.95) with all profits donated to TAKE 3.

Throughout the campaign, LUSH’s eight flagship store windows will display 266 plastic water bottles in fishing nets, representing the amount of bottles and cans littered or thrown into landfill each second in Australia. LUSH staff will be educating customers in-store and encouraging them to take three simple steps of action to help reduce unnecessary plastic consumption.

1. Refill – Purchase a reusable drink bottle and refill it in any LUSH store.
2. Take 3 – Anywhere people go, they can take 3 pieces of litter away and dispose of it thoughtfully.
3. Sign – Sign a petition asking for a 10 cent refund on beverage containers to reduce litter and double recycling rates across Australia.

Tim Silverwood, co-founder of TAKE 3 says, 

"Over 6 million tonnes of trash enters the world's oceans every year to become marine debris. Marine debris is responsible for the death of over a million innocent sea creatures every year. Estimates suggest that up to one third of total global plastic pollution comes from the beverage industry alone! We all have a part to play in reducing the amount of plastic entering our oceans and landfills. Refilling your reusable water bottle is a simple action that will help save the planet, our oceans and save you money!” 

Emma Hart, Ethical Campaigns Co-ordinator says, 

“At LUSH we believe in not using excess packaging. Single-use plastic makes up a huge percentage of waste that makes its way into our oceans, so we have decided to be part of the solution. While we are running this campaign with Take 3 in our shop windows for one week, we are committed to making a longer lasting difference. We have banned the use of plastic beverage containers throughout our business and have turned our stores into permanent refill stations to encourage our customers to refill their reusable drink bottles.”

* Statistic from: http://kickingthecan.org.au/ 
* Statistic from: http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/

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Lush Christmas Goodies !

I was lucky enough to attend the Lush Christmas Blogger Event last year. I was very busy the past month and did not get time to try these gorgeous goodies.

This is a quick post sharing the Lush* goodies I received :)

I have always wanted to try some of Lush's shower gels and body cream, so I was very excited to see 'Ponche Shower Gel', 'Snow Fairy Shower Gel' and 'Sikkim Girls Body Lotion'. 

I am also very excited to try 'Santa Baby Lip Tint' and 'Santa's Lip Scrub'. I have the Mint Julips lip scrub,

which I love. 'Santa's Lip Scrub' is cola flavored.

Also got these bath products,'Secret Santa','Shoot for the Stars', 'Candy mountain', 'FUN' and 'Bombardio'.

Have you tried any of these ? How was your experience ?

*All the products shown in the post were provided to me by Lush at a Blogger event.

Rave Review - LUSH 'Ambrosia' Shaving Cream

I had bought this shaving cream 'Ambrosia' for the husband, but it so happened that I started using this cream and am so glad I did. I am in love with this shaving cream. It gives a super clean deep shave unlike any other cream or gel I have used before. I love that it can be easily used out of the shower and is not messy at all. There is no need of any washing or wiping the skin after shaving, you can just massage the remaining cream on to your skin.

Lush 'Ambrosia' has a creamy texture that sinks into the skin as opposed to the usual shaving creams that foam up.

The Good

• Gives a cleaner and deeper shave 
• Leaves the skin feeling super soft and moisturized like no other shaving creams or gels. 
• You can easily use out of the shower without it being messy. Just apply, shave and massage any left over cream. No need to wash or wipe.

The Bad

• Pricey
• You will need to keep cleaning your razor as the cream blocks the razor. 

The Price 
19.95 AUD (250 gms)

Where to Buy
Lush Stores or Online

Over all I love this shaving cream and If you are willing to shell out the money, you should definitely try this out or may be get yourself a sample to give it a go.

LUSH Blogger Event - A Cruelty Free Christmas *PIC HEAVY*

I got to attend the Lush Christmas Blogger Event this Monday and it was fabulous. It was great meeting some of the lovely bloggers. 

Towards the beginning, the Lush team talked to us about the ethics behind the brand and moved on to introduce us their Christmas limited edition goodies. 

You can spot Sara-May from Makeup Utopia here. 

We learnt how to make fresh face masks and we got to keep the mask as well :). The one featured below is 'Cupcake'. A big thank you to Emma from My Fair Lipstick for holding the masks so we could click :)

Another exciting activity that we did was the 'Furoshiki Wrapping'.

We learnt how to make this flower headband :)

We also got to see the awesome bath extravaganza. The one in the below pic is the famous Bombardino ..

A note on how you get a CRUELTY-FREE CHRISTMAS with LUSH

Our ethics drive everything we do at here at LUSH. This Christmas we’re celebrating the many examples of how we put our ethics into practice through our fresh, handmade cosmetics. With 35 brand new products and even more stunning new gifts, you can feel good about the broader impact of your Christmas shopping when choosing LUSH.

Freshness is intrinsic to LUSH. All of our products are freshly handmade, locally in our LUSH kitchens. They are so fresh, that when LUSH products reach the customer, they are literally weeks, days or even just hours old. Not only that, but every product is labelled with the exact date that it was made, along with the person who made it, and the date you should use it by. This ensures maximum freshness and effectiveness of the product.

Lush uses its buying power to affect positive change in the world by only buying from suppliers that respect the environment, as well as the animals and people living there. Our creative buying team travels all over the world to source the highest quality ingredients. Whether it's 100% recycled cardboard or hand-picked roses, biodegradable wrapping, we’re always after the best environmental innovations across all areas of our material sourcing.
 

Creating ‘Naked’ and packaging-free products is at the core of Lush’s philosophy. As little packaging as possible is used in our LUSH shops worldwide, and customers have the option of going completely ‘Naked’ - referring to our products with absolutely no packaging at all - like our bath bombs, massage bars, and solid shampoo bars. This means that there is absolutely no environmentally damaging plastic packaging material used.

Lush’s ‘Charity Pot’ donates 100% of the money raised through the sale of this product to grassroots organisations and charities who work for environmental, human rights and animal protection issues. This is our way of giving back to the community, and supporting projects that work hard to bring about social change and protect the environment.
 

Animal testing is a cruel practice that is still commonplace for most cosmetic companies. Here at Lush, we don’t test any of our products on animals. Not only that, but we won’t buy any ingredient or material from a supplier that tests any of their products on animals either. We’ve been against animal testing for over 30 years and will continue to inform, encourage and participate in the fight for animal rights.
 

Lush frequently runs in-store campaigns to bring about change for various environmental, social, and animal rights issues. Do to our high volume of stores; we have a unique platform with which we can draw attention to such issues. Some of Lush’s recent campaigns include; Marriage equality, anti-animal testing, anti-unrecyclable packaging, human rights for the West Papuan people and asylum seekers.

What are you excited about from the Lush Christmas Range ?

* This is NOT a sponsored post.

LUSH's boozy treats for the festive season

LUSH FRESH HANDMADE COSMETICS

Boozy treats for the festive season

Here at Lush, we love to celebrate the festive season with a few drinks… in our products! The below limited-edition Christmas treats are inspired by delicious festive drinks and some even include boozy ingredients within them like cognac and vodka. These products smell great and pack an extra punch to help you get ready to party, plus they won’t give you a hangover!

All of these items are available in Lush stores nationally and online at LUSH.COM.AU until stocks last or until December 26^th 2013.

**NEW!** Celebrate hand and body lotion ($28.95) … Bottoms Up!

Celebrate the festive season with this beautiful unpreserved hand and body lotion.  Rich and wonderfully emollient, the cocoa butter and almond oil will replenish and moisturise your skin, while the intoxicating cocktail inspired fragrance uplifts your spirits.  Brazilian orange oil and lime oil tones the skin and lifts you out of the winter blues while cognac oil gets you into the party mood.  Vegan

**NEW!** Bombardino bath ballistic ($5.50) … Alpine Indulgence

Bombardino shares its name with a drink enjoyed in the Italian Alps and smells of rich lemon cheesecake.  We’ve added cocoa butter to soften the skin; whilst Sicilian lemon oil and Fair Trade vanilla absolute (the first Fair Trade absolute in the world!) give your bath a sweet and delicious fragrance.

Mr Punch soap ($5.90 for 100g) … A Slice of Summer

This soap certainly packs a punch with a concoction of fruity essential oils – there’s cleansing juniperberry oil, blackcurrant absolute, uplifting lime oil and softening coconut oil … there’s even a dash of gin in there to help tone the skin, well it does look a bit like a punch bowl after all, there’s whole bits of fruit in there and everything!  Vegan

Bûche de Noël fresh cleanser ($15.95 for 100g) … Gentle and Nourishing

This cleansing roll is food for your face, containing lots of softening and nourishing ingredients to care for any skin type.  With ground almonds to gently exfoliate the skin; dried cranberries and fresh satsumas to tone and brighten; nutritious almond oil to soften; and a splash of brandy for festive cheer!  Helps lock in moisture and keep skin soft.  Wrapped in a sheet of nori seaweed, it resembles a festive Yule Log.   Vegan

Ponche shower gel (prices start at $7.95 for 100g) … Tequila at Sunrise

Spanish for punch, this shower gel is inspired by the Mexican fruit punch made from seasonal fruits such as plums, oranges, cinnamon and vanilla.  All ingredients that can help warm and stimulate the senses.  Wash your hair and body with this fruity, softening shower gel and lift your spirits and get into party mode - there’s even a dash of tequila to give it a little kick and add some festive cheer!

Golden Wonder bath ballistic  ($7.50) … A Wonder to Behold

Drop this gold dusted gift into a warm bath and watch in wonder as golden stars burst out, dissolving in the water before your very eyes, turning the bath water a vibrant blue. The champagne-like fragrance of sweet orange oil, cognac oil and lime oil will uplift your spirits.  Vegan

Are you excited about the Lush Festive season collection ?

Fragrance Fridays - Lush 'Big'

TGIF !! It is Fragrance Fridays time. 

If you missed the previous Fragrance Friday and are wondering what it is, it is a new section on my blog, click HERE to see the previous Fragrance Friday featuring Lush Mint Julips lip scrub. 

I was never much into Lush, but in case you are wondering, YES, I am having a big LUSH moment ..and I really looking forward to haul soon ..

Anyways, coming to today's post, this Friday features Lush 'Big' Sea Salt Shampoo.

This shampoo is freaking different and AHHH I am in love with it ..I am in love with the smell, to the extent that I keep smelling my hair after using it ..I am not sure how to describe the smell, but it is a very fresh and has a hint of citrus notes. I want to keep using it as I love the fragrance so much.

It is different as it comes in a tub and feels like putting big chunks of salt on your hair, which I for one find very interesting. The texture is gritty and I would not recommend it as a regular shampoo, as it can be a bit drying. 

I use it once a week. It cleans up the hair well. I do not notice it making my hair BIG as it claims, but makes my hair all fluffy and nice and gives them some added volume over regular shampoos. 

Have you tried BIG ?

Fragrance Fridays - Lush Mint Julips

Hi everyone, 

We are starting a new section on The Vanity Bag Diaries called 'Fragrance Fridays', this section is all about awesome smelling products, products that I am smitten by ..

Fragrance Fridays will be featuring mini reviews of these products.

This Fragrance Friday features Lush's 'Mint Julips' lip scrub.

If I have to sum up this  product in a line, I would say, this product is a sugary, minty, chocolatey goodness that makes your lips soft and smooth. 

If you are a lipstick lover, then there is nothing worse than having dry and flaky lips .. Lush Lip scrub is here to rescue.. It is actual castor sugar with peppermint and jojoba oil. The texture is gritty but not harsh on the lips ..leaves your lips smooth and moisturized ..Overall the scrub is a win for me ..

The smell is so good, that you want to  eat it and like Lush says, it makes you crave mint-chocolate chip  ice  cream.

Price - AUD 9.95 for 25gms 

Hope you enjoyed the new section..Have a good weekend..

Lush Mini Haul !

I have a haul post today .. Its a Lush Mini Haul. I am very excited to try these products out as I hauled at Lush for the first time ..

1. Jumping Juniper Solid Shampoo for oily hair - I have heard lots of good reviews about it, so I thought I should give this a go.
2. Soak and Float Anti dandruff Solid Shampoo - I am having some scalp issues these days, dandruff, flakiness, etc so I thought I would use this shampoo in rotation with Jumping Juniper.
3. Ambrosia Shaving Cream - for the husband - I was hauling so I decided to pick something for the husband to make him happy :)
4. Snake Oil Treatment - I am having some scalp issues these days, dandruff, flakiness, etc. I will use this with the Soak and Float shampoo.
5. Jungle Conditioner - Just got this because it smells heavenly ..love
   
   Are you into LUSH ? Have you tried any of these products, if yes, did they work for you ?