(Review) Unicorn Horn: They DO Exist!

I'm not gonna lie...I have NO idea how to start this blog entry.  I've kind of just been staring at this page eating ravioli, pondering and chewing...pondering and chewing.  Because how do you explain to your readers the link between unicorns and Valentine's Day?  Is it because unicorns are mythical beings, much like my single, bitter heart wants me to believe true love is as well?  Is it because unicorns will protect hurt souls by stabbing the hearts of their cheating spouses with their majestic horns?!  What DO beautifully majestic, heart stabbing unicorns and Valentine's Day have in common?!

Well I have no idea and neither do you, because there's no link between the two (lol rhymes).  It baffled me last year when a bubble bar called Unicorn Horn was being released along with the pink, frilly, and sweet smelling products Valentine's Day usually dishes out.  Little did I know the effect it would have on Lushies everywhere...

Unicorn Horn first made it's pastel swirled appearance last year, wrapped in star shaped sprinkles and finely milled silver shimmer.  It sold like crazy in my store...to the point where we only had it two days for the entire month-long campaign!  So when Unicorn Horn came back this year, brighter than ever with not a sprinkle to be seen, I warned every customer, every friend, every blog follower I had to pick it up while you can!  And thankfully this year Lush was a little more prepared for the demand of this ever popular bubble bar (last year's Valentine's Day also saw the upswing in sales from the "galaxy bomb" going absurdly viral).

Despite a brighter appearance and less sprinkles, Unicorn Horn still shared the same lavender, ylang ylang, and neroli scent that makes this bubble bar much more subdued than the bright hues would lead you to believe.  Unicorn Horn was also inspired by unicorn poop cookies (spoiler: they're not made from actual unicorn poop.  That's just silly) and is a permanent product in Lush Japan.

Seeing as I didn't get a chance to try out Unicorn Horn last year, I was excited to see what all the fuss was about!  I always save my more herbal bath goodies for rough days at the "office" or post-workout treats, so after a grueling day of work followed by an even more grueling workout, I decided there was no time like the present to bust this baby out.

Even though I didn't use Unicorn Horn last year, I demoed it plenty of times to know the turnout in both color and scent, and I was very surprised to see the water turn more of a fruit punch color rather than the icy silver/lavender color it was last year.  As I mentioned in other reviews, Lush has really amped up the saturation in their products, and this is something I don't mind at all.  I didn't mind the color last year, but this year's turnout was quite a refreshing change.  The fragrance smelled very light and relaxing, but there was some type of almost synthetic "after-scent" (is that even a thing?) that I sniffed shortly after all the herbs came into play.  I have a hunch it was the soapy scent of the bubbles, but it didn't make my night time bath any less relaxing!  The hot water running out halfway through did that!

Overall Unicorn Horn definitely lived up to its expectations.  Like all things majorly hyped up I did find it a bit overrated, but that's not a bad thing!  It was definitely an enjoyable bathing experience and really relaxed me after a day filled with tons of physical labor and oddly cranky customers.  Definitely stock up on this baby, as it won't be around for long!

**Unicorn Horn is certified Vegan

(Review) Prince Charming: Baby I've Changed!

It's always a little nerve wracking when a new Lush holiday is on the horizon.  I always anxiously bite my nails awaiting the eventual list of product that will be coming out.  Will my absolute favorite from last year be back, or was it a one time deal; a beautiful product I possessed for one fleeting moment never to be seen again and leaving me pining.  Since my heart had already been broken by the disappearance of my favorite Christmas Eve bubble bar a few months ago, I didn't know how much more my poor heart could take!  But then, in a flurry of hot pink suds, my Prince Charming came back to me...a changed product, but from what I was told, it was for the better!

I was first introduced to Prince Charming last year, my very first Valentine's Day campaign with Lush!  Like a lot of best selling products at Lush, my coworkers were split between loving and hating it.  I personally fell for it and fell for it hard.  Last year Prince Charming was a pale pink shower gel, thick and goopy in all the right ways, with a rich bubbly lather that wouldn't quit.  Packed with marshmallow root, pomegranate juice, and almond oil, Prince Charming to me smells a lot like shortbread cookies with a fine smattering of orange zest grated in.  While I'm not into food scents, this was just enough and natural enough to be something I found pleasing.  Prince Charming was bliss last year, and I was hoping the changes Lush has made to the formula would make it just as, if not more, luscious.

It's no secret that Lush has been experimenting with shower cream formulas, which are a thicker, richer, and more moisturizing formula than the shower gels available all year round.  Making its reappearance with a much more saturated pink, a sprinkling of shimmer and a formula just as thick as the gel, Prince Charming still carries that same scent of pomegranate and marshmallow, but instead of almond oil fair trade organic cocoa butter has arrived to take its place.  This I found was a very good move, as cocoa butter is much more moisturizing and those with nut allergies won't have to worry!

When I first used this in the shower, I found that the lather wasn't as thick and bubbly as it was in shower gel form, but was rather creamy.  Still bubbly, but a more creamy lather, and there was something I loved about washing with hot pink suds (you could say I was...tickled pink...).  But my nose did pick up a distinct difference in scent.  While the shower gel gave me the cozy, delicious scent of citrus infused shortbread, I picked up only an undertone of that with the dominate scent being the pomegranate juice!  That honestly surprised me, but not unpleasantly so as pomegranate is one of my favorite fruits.  It was just a shock to get such a different scent from a product that I had used before.  When I rinsed the pink lather off my body, I noticed my skin felt a bit squeaky clean, but wasn't tight, itchy or dried out feeling in the slightest.  As an avid user of bar soaps, I don't mine feeling squeaky clean, but it was just surprising to me that a moisture rich product could make my skin almost literally squeak.

Overall I'm stoked that Prince Charming is back this year.  As for the new formula I have mixed feelings about it.  I still feel the shower cream formula isn't quite perfected, and even though I still think the smell is delicious, I wish the scent would've stayed the same on my body as it did last year.  But the moisture was definitely there, and despite the differences, still remains an absolute favorite of mine!

**Prince Charming is certified Vegan   

(First Impressions) Lush Valentine's Day 2016!

Valentine's Day is back and once again, I'm single for it!  While I don't mind spending my Valentine's Day in bed with Netflix and pity chocolates sent from my dear mother, it just means I have more room in my heart for Lush's Valentine's Day collection!

Smaller than last year and with many returning favorites, the #lushcrush campaign is filled with colorful and sweet smelling goodies to keep you warm and cozy even though your bed is cold and empty!  Check out my first impressions of the collection below!

Prince Charming shower cream:  A returning (kind of) product, Prince Charming is back with the same pomegranate & marshmallow fragrance as last year, but with a creamier, more luxurious and moisturizing formula.  Prince Charming shower cream is thicker than a lot of the shower creams from this past Christmas, and much more sweeter smelling!  As an avid fan of the shower gel last year, I'm unbelievably stoked that this is back and hopefully better than ever!

The Kiss lip scrub:  Another favorite of mine!  The Kiss lip scrub is back with the same salty sweet flavor and colorful sprinkles it possessed last year!  Castor sugar and sea salt will polish your pout while almond oil and cocoa butter will give you a touch more hydration!  In my opinion, the scrub tastes a bit more salty than it did last year, but it still polishes and exfoliates my lips into pure bliss!

The Kiss lip gloss:  Back and with much better packaging!  The Kiss lip gloss still has fair trade shea butter and organic agave nectar to moisturize and give a ton of shine, with a slightly frosty, shimmery pink finish.  The formula feels much more thicker than it did last year, so I'm hoping that the staying power will be much longer lasting!

Unicorn Horn bubble bar:  Arguably our best seller last year and a product we could barely keep in stock (I think we had it for a grand total of 3 days before it was gone for good), Unicorn Horn is back and much less sprinkly than it was last year!  Lavender, ylang ylang, and neroli oil have returned to give this bubble bar its relaxing scent, and the colors have been evened out so the water turns a beautiful tangerine fruit punch color rather than the storm cloud gray it was last year.  Inspired by unicorn poop cookies, rainbows, and all things magical, this product is back, brighter and better than ever!

Roses All the Way soap:  A brand new innovation from Lush for Valentine's Day!  Roses All the Way contains Turkish rose oil, white rose petals, and enough kaolin clay to thoroughly cleanse and leave you smelling sweeter than a bouquet.  Inspired by the white roses painted red in Alice in Wonderland, each pre-formed bar of soap starts out white and is misted red by Lush's fantastic team of compounders!

Wash that Man Right out of my Hair shower gel:  A permanent product launching with the Valentine's Day collection (though some stores, my own included, received in as early as pre-Christmas) Wash that Man Right out of my Hair is Lush's herbal replacement for the now discontinued Flying Fox shower gel.  Containing jasmine, rose, fig, and guava extracts, Wash that Man smells both floral and fruity and is a rather peculiar mishmash of scents I've never quite smelled before.  Not overly fruity or floral, but very much a sophisticated scent (and the South Pacific-inspired name was a missed opportunity for a shampoo!).


Overall Valentine's Day this year is promising!  I will admit I'm disappointed at the lack of newer products, but if they had to bring back a bunch of oldies, I'm glad they're goodies!  What do you guys think of this year's #lushcrush collection, and what are you loving so far?  Let me know in the comments below!

(Review) So White: Seven Dwarves Optional

As I mentioned in my review of Stardust, I'm a big fan of occasional simplicity.  Most of the time I enjoy the bells and whistles that come with bath bombs and bubble bars, but sometimes I just want something plan.  No muss, no fuss, no thrills, no frills.  Maximum satisfaction with minimal effect and effort.  Sometimes I don't want to wash down my tub from a turbo glittery bath bomb, and sometimes I don't want to bathe in brightly colored water.  Sometimes I just want something nice and simple.  But there's always a fine line.

I feel like there's a fine line between simplicity and boredom.  For me, there always has to be a little something special to keep me interested.  Like if I'm curled up on the couch reading a book.  For one thing, that couch better be really damn comfortable, as there's nothing worse than a rock hard couch or a busted spring poking your buttcheek.  And that book had better being entertaining as well.  Full of plot twists and romance, with just the right amount of action to keep me teetering on the edge of that oh so comfy couch.  Believe it or not, a lot of work goes into something being considered "simple."

With its simplistic, white as snow appearance, So White from what I'd heard in years past was a simple treasure.  Blindingly white and hard as a rock, So White hides within a petal pink core that supposedly melts down into a rose colored bath.  When demoing this at my shop, myself and my coworkers would eagerly gather around and take in a deep breath of the crisp apple fragrance.  Ironic that it would smell so much like the fruit, when not a trace of apple is in So White at all!  Bergamot, rose absolute, neroli, and orange flower absolute are the oils that make up this refreshing fragrance.

I have to say, I'm not one for apple fragrances.  After smelling the same synthetic, sickeningly sweet apple fragrances in everything from lotions to candles to potpourri, I had had enough of anything apple scented (however, apples...granny smiths to be exact, are one of my favorite fruits!).  So White was a breath of fresh air for my nostrils, and smelled just like the joy I feel when I take that first crunchy bite (okay...sounds a little cheesy, but I really like apples, okay?).

The night I chose to use So White was a night smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, where my eyes were so tired they burned and I could hear my body screaming for pillows and blankets.  But I desperately wanted a bath and So White was the closest within reach.

I've heard of people smashing this lovely bomb on the bathtub bottom, much like a snowball, but I chose to just drop it in and watch it fizz.  It didn't take long to get to the baking soda packed, pastel pink center, but my goodness did it take forever to fully dissolve.  I actually timed it and this bath bomb clocked in at a full 20 minutes before the last of it fizzled away!

After peering into my tub after it dissolved, I was surprised and a little disappointed to find that the promised rose colored bath was nothing than a slight rosy tint to my water.  In the bowls at work it was a vibrant pink, and while I knew it was more concentrated in bowls than in tubs, I didn't realize the color difference would be so drastic.  Nonetheless, my bath was nice and cozy warm, and the intoxicating apple scent filled my bathroom for hours afterward.

Overall, my feelings on So White are mixed.  While So White smells absolutely beautiful, the final turnout was something I found to be a bit underwhelming.  To me, So White toed and fell over the line between simplicity and boredom, into boredom.  Even last year I wish they kicked up the color in the middle a bit, and this year I was still disappointed to find it was still such a dull color.  Still, So White is a Christmas favorite and has been coming out every Christmas for the past few years.  While the bath bomb wasn't one of my absolute favorites, it could be that minimal amount of simplicity you've been craving for your bath!

***So White is certified Vegan

(Review) Yog Nog: Sugar & Spice

Whenever I wake up and see the sun shining through my blinds, I always smile and snug a little bit closer to my blankets and pillow.  There's something about a nice, cloudless sunny day that just puts me in a good mood.  My apartment is bright and cheery, I can hear kids outside playing...there's just something about sunshine that makes the days a little bit better.  And then I go outside and am met with the sharp wind at my cheek, the cold air numbing my nose, and the sudden chill creeping through my clothes down to my bones.  And then I remember it's December.  And I live in the midwest.  And winter sucks.

Cold weather is all well and good when you're inside with your blankets, a hot mug of cocoa, and a good book or Netflix marathon to keep you warm, but when you're running around outside and actually have to leave the house, the minutes become hours and the thought of a warm fire and your PJs will never leave your mind.  That, and the sharp, biting cold and wreak havoc on your skin.  I know for sure it's wreaking havoc on mine!

Where I live in the summer is always sticky with humidity and sweat, but a complete 180 happens when the weather turns cold.  From dry skin to chapped lips to nosebleeds on the regular, I dry out from head to toe.  So one lone night when my skin felt as dry and tight as a finely tuned violin string, I decided my nightly post-work bath needed to help remedy this problem.
 

I wasn't surprised in the slightest to see Yog Nog make a return in a different form.  I recall the buttery, cinnamon sprinkled blocks of soap practically vanishing before my eyes last Christmas.  This year I've noticed it's been selling a little more slowly, but I've been seeing the bath bomb of the same name being sold in droves.

Yog Nog bath bomb is essentially a triple threat.  The standard bath bomb formula also contains grated bubble bar mix, which makes for a slower, frothier fizz, and a bath melt tucked in the middle makes this creamy, spicy bath bomb a much needed moisturizing treat!

Watching Yog Nog fizz away in the tub was like watching a cadbury cream egg dissolve.  Even though the Golden Egg bath bomb from Easters past is more inspired by the treat than this one, it looked a lot more like the actual chocolate candy that makes my teeth sting.  The foam was yellow and white, and the bath melt in the middle looked like a pat of butter on toast.

I'm always wary of yellow bath bombs since they tend to look like...well...you know, but I feel like Lush is getting their yellow pigments down so that won't be a problem!  The yellow was more neon rather than earthy toned, and looked bright and vibrant.  Sinking into the tub was a definite treat...like being wrapped in a spicy knit blanket!  And when I popped out, the water beading on my skin was a good indication that I was well moisturized and soft to the touch.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with Yog Nog and its turnout.  I'm not one for food smells, and spicy cinnamon and clove scents remind me of any and every baked good at Christmas, but this one really took the cake (yes that was a pun and yes I'm very proud of it).  The scent was warming and comforting, and it really moisturized my all over dry, scaly winter-lizard skin.  If you're a fan of the bar soap, you definitely need to get the bath bomb!

***Yog Nog bath bomb is certified Vegan

(Review) Love Soap: #gayisOK

(Been a little quiet around here, hasn't it kiddos?  Sorry about that...writers block is a foul mistress.  Lucky for me, I've found inspiration in our current campaign at Lush!)

If there's one thing I know about humanity (being a human myself and not some lizard creature you see in backwater conspiracy theory videos), it's that love in any form plays a powerful part.  Love is one of the main emotions that defines humanity.  Love for a parent, love for your spouse, love for that one guy in your science class who doesn't even know you exist but dear god his hair is perfect...oh yes...humanity is all about the love (politicians excluded as they're our reptilian overlords).  So imagine my surprise when the #gayisOK campaign came around, and upon researching the material given to us for the product and talking points, I discovered the horrifying fact that love in some countries is illegal.  Not only love, but just being yourself is illegal.  In 76 countries, same sex love is illegal, and in 10 of those countries it is punishable by death.

I can actually pinpoint the first time I found out what being gay was.  It was a simpler time...pre 9/11 America where brown lipstick was the trend and boy bands roamed the earth.  I was a wee scrawny ten year old munching my lunch in my dance studio's lobby when he came through the door.  The tall, handsome sixteen year old little me had been innocently crushing on.  He had gorgeous brown hair, a chin stud, and could pirouette right into a girl's heart.  Maybe one day he would ask to hold my hand, I would think (that's like second base to fifth graders).  I must have been beet red because my childhood friend (we'll call her K) sat next to me and snapped me out of my dreamlike fantasy. 

"You can't have a crush on him Robyn!" she said loudly after he went into his class.

"Huh?  Why not?" I asked, ever the meek one.

"Because he's GAY!" K exclaimed.

I remember sitting there giving her an odd look.  I asked her what she meant by gay.  Like, happy?  Well that's okay by me, I like happy people!  Obviously that's not what she meant.  Being the older one by a year, K explained to me in all of her eleven year old wisdom that it meant a guy liked guys instead of liking girls.

"Isn't that WEIRD?!" she asked, her nose wrinkling at the thought.

And I sat there with my Snickers bar and thought for a minute.  "No," I answered.  "I don't think it's weird at all." 

Fast forward to high school, where hair is frizzy, braces and pimples are had, and every move you make is so awkward you nearly cringe yourself into a black hole.  Two of my best and most dearest friends had come out as gay/bi men respectively, and it was during those few years in high school that I had to watch as they endured the toughest years of their young lives.  It was then I learned that not everyone has the same mindset I did when it came to matters of the heart.  I was fortunate to go to a high school that was not only big in student body, but largely accepting.  No one really cared who was gay and who wasn't, and anyone who dared attack my friends or any other person identifying as LGBTQ+ was put in their place. 

Reality struck me hard one day when walking with one of these friends to the bus.  We were chatting about teenage things and all that (most likely how awful this new "scene" trend was and how Myspace will live forever) when we both heard the squealing of tires on pavement.  We both turned and saw an object hurtling towards us from a car window, hitting my friend in the shoulder and splattering us both with some kind of unknown content.  "F*G!" they shouted, speeding off across the parking lot and laughing.  It turned out, the idiots in that car threw a cup of urine at my friend, which we both realized rather quickly from the smell.  I don't think I'll ever forget the look on his face.  It wasn't anger.  It wasn't sadness.  It was nothing.  I never thought someone could convey nothingness in a single look, but he did it, and it tore me up inside.  Because here I saw this amazing, caring, and creative friend who loved to sing, draw, and braid my hair, and he was demonized for daring to love a little differently.  And it was in that moment I realized that there was nothing as a friend that I could do to help him.  I could always be there as a friend, to listen, to let him cry on my shoulder, to hear him scream and yell and throw things, but there was absolutely nothing I could do to take that hatred and bigotry other people would throw at him away.  That realization was one of the hardest pills I've ever had to swallow in my entire life.

I won't lie, the #gayisOK campaign made me nervous.  Mainly because it was the first majorly political campaign and controversial topic that my store has taken place in since opening last year.  And while I grew up in a fairly liberal town with fairly socially liberal parents, the town I live in currently isn't that open minded.  But upon the start of this campaign, I was pleasantly surprised to see that many people in this red colored state of mine were quite open to the idea, mainly the younger generation.  It warmed my heart to see them snagging the big "selfie" bar of soap and snapping away on their phones, and it made me even happier to see older generations coming in and praising our campaign for daring to have a say in the matter.

Love Soap is scented with Lush's Love Perfume, a beautifully spicy candy apple cinnamon scent that will lift you up when you're feeling down.  The top is imprinted with a glittery hashtag, the perfect accessory to ANY Instagram photo, and best of all, all proceeds go to an organization entitled All Out, a grassroots charity fighting for LGBT rights worldwide.  Love Soap is scented with my all time favorite fragrance, and finding this out only made me want to buy more of it!  When using it, I was surprised that the glitter didn't wash off as easily as I thought it would, leaving me with fabulously glittery palms (which I don't mind...glitter is awesome!).  The scent, which is the same as my favorite bath bomb Fizzbanger, lingered quite strongly on my skin and perfumed my apartment quite nicely!  My skin was also quite soft after using it, not dry and tight like a lot of bar soaps leave my skin.  Overall a fantastic bar of soap that helps an even more fantastic cause!

While I suppose this wasn't too much of a review for a Lush product, I just felt that I needed to write all of this just to put it out there, and to tell my story from a bystander point of view.  I will never know the struggle or the oppression and discrimination felt by the LGBT community, and I won't pretend to.  But I've witnessed a lot of it from my beloved friends.  And from what I've witnessed, I feel I've felt maybe a shred of what they've ever had thrown their way.  But with the SCOTUS ruling here in the U.S, I feel as though the tides are turning.  With the positive feedback from my shop, the legalization of marriage equality in my country and many others, it restores my faith in humanity and shows that people can change and do some good.  There will always be bigots and there will always be homophobes, but out of all of that bad, there is good.  In those quiet moments where we feel we're losing our sanity, that is the light to hold onto. 

So to my LGBT followers, customers, family and friends, I just wanted to say you are loved.  You are SO loved you have no idea.  The fact that you have been given this beautiful gift to love whom you choose just shows how big of a heart you have, how good you are and how beautiful you are as a person.  I can't take away the hatred.  I can't take away the bigotry.  But I can and will always be here, and in my heart, you will always be loved, you will always be accepted.  You are beautiful, you are human, and it is ok to be you!

Everybody say LOVE!

Thanks for reading! <3 br="">

(Review) Fluffy Egg: Sweet Sugary Goodness

And so another Easter has come and gone.  Between violently competitive Easter egg hunts with my sister (even though we're both twenty somethings), baskets full of chocolate, a snappy pair of Simon Pegg earrings, and a stand still traffic jam in which you put your car in park and devour the plate of cupcakes Mama Llama packed for you on your way home, this years Easter was eventful and slightly exhausting.  Upon coming home from my nearly 4 hour commute to my parents' house, I unpacked everything I needed for the next day and went straight to bed, face full of makeup and all, snoring the night away until my alarm blasted me awake at 6 in the morning for inventory.  

Easter's never been a big holiday for my family, but it's always been fun.  Memories of shiny black buckled shoes, white tights, floral dresses and straw hats always come to mind when I think of Easter as a kid.  Papa Bear would always hide the Easter eggs we colored the night before while Mama Llama filled our Easter baskets with sidewalk chalk and bubbles.  Dark chocolate for my sister and milk chocolate for me.  But after a few days of gorging on the stuff, you kind of get sick of it after a while.  Therefore I decided to indulge my infamous sweet tooth in a different way.  With a sweet pink bath!

 

 

If you're still heartbroken over the fact that Christmas has come and gone, along with every Snow Fairy scented product on the planet, have no fear!  Fluffy Egg has the same fragrance!  Invented in the days of Cosmetics to Go, Fluffy Egg was originally created because customers were requesting an Easter egg shaped bath bomb.  Mo Constantine, one of Lush's cofounders, refused to do it, but as the requests kept pouring in, she caved and created Fluffy Egg.  It was a huge hit and has been an Easter classic ever since, coming back year after year!  Despite getting many a box of Fluffy Egg, my store was barely able to hold onto it, selling out of the sweet pink bomb within days of receiving it and facing the wrath (well not wrath...more like minor annoyance) of customers wanting one of their own but coming in to find them gone.  Lucky me, I happened to snag two before they were cleaned off the shelves!

 

Fluffy Egg is quite a decent fizzer.  Not too fast, but not painfully slow to the point where your water is cold when you finally dip your tootsies in.  The Snow Fairy scent to me is one I've had a turbulent relationship with.  While the scent is similar from product to product, I find some variations to be more sweet and others to be more tart.  Fluffy Egg is one of those tart variations.  Anything too sweet and I start to get a headache. 

 

Bathing in Fluffy Egg is a nice and sweet experience.  With the vibrant pink color, I reveled in my girly side and the bright color and fragrance overall boosted my mood.  The fragrance, aptly named Candy Fluff, sat nicely on my skin and didn't smell like a box full of marshmallow peeps, which are the one Easter candy I truly despise.  And when I got out of my bath I felt refreshed, revitalized, soft as a fresh spring flower petal and as sweet as a freshly frosted cupcake (with rainbow sprinkles...otherwise it's not a true cupcake).  And if you didn't manage to snag a Fluffy Egg bath bomb, dry your tears!  MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt and Godmother bar soap have the same exact scent AND are sold year round! 

Overall, Fluffy Egg was a nice, simple and sweet smelling bath bomb.  It's a good one to crack out when I'm feeling extra girly and in the mood for something bright and sweet to soak in.  It's one of those scents I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy, but when I'm in that mood, I make sure to bask in its sugary sweet glory.  Though the turnout is a gorgeously vibrant spring pink, it's an easy bath bomb to cocktail with, and one I will definitely pick up again if it comes out for Easter next year!

***Fluffy Egg is certified Vegan

(Review) Buche de Noel: Have Your Cake and Wash Your Face With it Too

Ever since I can remember, my mother has been nuts about skincare.  I remember I would sit in her bathroom on the edge of her tub, watching her apply her washes and creams, massaging them gently into her skin.  Every so often if I were home sick or feeling mischievous, I'd root through her cosmetics, opening jars and flinging powders, and the only telltale sign that I had been there would be tiny terra cotta handprints on the lavender-gray countertop.  Of course she would tell me not to go into her things again...and of course I never listened.  I was a precocious little scamp ;)

As I grew older, my mom taught my younger sister and I all about good hygiene, skincare being one of her main focuses.  When I was nine she bought me a gentle, drugstore face wash and a light, mild moisturizer and explained to me the benefits of good skincare.  At first I fought her.  Washing my face in the morning cut WAY too far into my pre-school cartoon time, and my bangs always got wet.  But again, with age, experience, and the discovery of headbands, I grew to love washing my face.  Not only skincare, but showering and bathing in general are like a morning meditation for me.  It helps me wake up and prepare for the big bad world outside.  And a nice hot bath at the end of my day helps me re-center, wind down, and have my stresses melt away.  Skincare does the same for me as well, and ever since I started working at Lush, I've fallen head over heels for their skincare.  While bath bombs and bubble bars from Lush are all well and good, I feel like the hair and skincare products don't get the recognition they deserve

Buche de Noel is a limited edition cleansing roll that only comes out for Christmas.  Described as a more moisturizing form of Angels on Bare Skin, Buche de Noel was inspired by and named after the holiday cake of the same name, and is meant to look like a yule log.  Buche packs in dried cranberries, ground almonds, and brandy, which sounds good enough to eat!  But there's also kaolin for deep cleansing, cocoa butter and soy glycerine for supreme hydration!  Like all cleansing rolls, these can also be used on the body.  Most cleansing rolls have ground almonds included for a nice scrub!  These babies come to the store wrapped in recycled cardboard and recyclable wrappings.  When unrolled from their packaging, they look like uncut swiss rolls, one big log of face cleansing goodness.  Then we as Lush employees weigh, cut, and pot these babies so everyone can enjoy them!

When my Let the Good Times Roll ran out, I quickly snagged a pot of this stuff, curious about it since Bossman hates it with a passion ("it just doesn't make sense!" he says, emphasizing his point with a dramatic wave of arms.  "Why bring out a cleanser JUST for Christmas?!").  I can definitely see his point of view, but that's one thing I love about Lush.  I'm a very non-commitable person when it comes to anything and everything (my romantic history is a travesty and clear example of such).  I like to switch things up lest I get bored, and I found a great opportunity with Buche! 

To me, Buche de Noel smells like the delicious almond bread my mom will sometimes bake (which she hasn't done in a while...I should ask her to bake me a loaf the next time I'm home!) with a slight seaweed scent that doesn't spoil the overall scent.  The texture and even appearance are very similar to Angels on Bare Skin, and the ability to mix it into a paste was similar as well.  Since Buche has a very crumbly consistency, one needs to pack the cleansing roll quite tightly as to not have chunks fly everywhere when you mix it into a paste.  I enjoy it though.  I'm one of those people that savors a shower, staying in as long as time and hot water will allow, and this only adds to my experience.  So I took a chunk the size of a chickpea, added water, vigorously mixed it into a face, and washed my face.  The ground almonds were soft, but still scrubby enough to leave me feeling invigorated, and the smell was intoxicating and made me hungry.  When I rinsed my skin felt very soft and supple, but not like there was a layer of something making it feeling that way.  My skin looked bright and fresh and felt pillowy soft. 

With time and continued use, I found Buche de Noel made my skin soft, bright, even, and lessened the impact of my monthly hormonal breakouts (I enjoy being a girl).  While I am bummed this only comes out once a year, it gives me another reason to look forward to Christmas at Lush!  I highly recommend anyone who needs a bit of extra moisture and care in the dry winter months pick up a pot of this.  It's very much worth it!

**Buche de Noel is certified Vegan

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