(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) Melting Snowman: No I Don't Wanna Build a Snowman, Stop Asking Me

I have no idea what my deal has been lately.  Every part of my body has been so itchy lately I feel like I should be a human sized cat scratching post.  While lounging around on one of my rare days off, playing a video game on my newly purchased Playstation 4 (money well spent I might add), I had to pause the game multiple times in order to satisfy the scratchy irritation that was mainly on my legs.  I actually scratched myself to the point of bleeding.  Well what's a little blood if I get some kind of momentary relief from this hell?!  My skin dries out in the winter, but it's NEVER been this bad.  The recent polar vortex that's whipped through my town in a flurry of snow and ice might have something to do with it, or the fact that I've been wearing thick, knee high stockings underneath my work leggings.  Or maybe life just hates me and doesn't want me to have nice things, I have no idea.  But amidst killing a hoard of renegade mages, I put down my controller and sighed.  Time for a bath with a much needed bath melt.

 

Melting Snowman was a fleeting bath melt that my store had for quite a short time.  Not only was it a huge seller, but it sold extremely fast and was like we never had it after our supply was gone.  I was lucky enough to receive one in my staff box, and I was in love at first whiff.  The cinnamon and clove scent is something I love very much, very spicy and not too sweet, so it didn't remind me of bathing in a big, sticky cinnamon bun (which I have no problem eating.  Bathing in...totally different story).  It's actually the scent of Swedish mulled wine, but to me it just smells like chocolate and cinnamon. 

It also surprised me to learn that this little guy contains patchouli, which I couldn't smell at all!  I didn't even know that until I dipped into my training manual and found it listed underneath the ingredients!  I know patchouli is one of those love it or hate it smells (that I love a lot) but don't let that scare you off if you don't like it.  You can't smell it at all!  And of course, what would a bath melt be without lots of nourishing butters and oils like cocoa, shea, and almond to make you nice and soft.

 

Melting Snowman has a bit of baking soda included so when you pop it in your bath it sinks right to the bottom and fizzes.  Meanwhile I flitted around my tub with my camera, snapping pictures for this blog entry and pausing every so often to scratch my legs like a cricket singing his mating song.  When I pulled Melting Snowman from the depths of the tub, I couldn't help but laugh at his eyes and buttons melting everywhere.  His eyes and buttons if you didn't know are vegan chocolate chips, which actually taste quite nice!  The remnants left little brown flecks floating on top of the creamy white water which I prefer to see as freckles and not as something else (you guys are gross).  After he was all gone ("and he waved goodbye saying "don't you cry, I'll be back again someday!") I popped a Fizzbanger bath bomb into the water to give a bit of color and amp up the spiciness of the cinnamon.  This is a cocktail I like to call "The Nostril Stinger" and Holly Golightly bubble bar can be added for more intensity and bubbles!

KILL MEEEEEEEEEEEE

 Once I sat in my tub I was immediately given a massive amount of relief when the softening butters coated my legs in a layer of warm, cozy, and slightly spicy moisture.  The scent was to DIE for (I LOVE cinnamon) and my bath was nice and hot.  I cracked open my book and enjoyed my spicy soak.

When I got out my legs felt so much softer and I didn't even need any body lotion.  My legs, being currently the driest part of my body soaked everything up immediately while my arms and torso needed a bit of massaging since some of the oils were still sitting on my skin.  It left me feeling soft and not greasy and the scent really stuck!

Overall I was very pleased with this product.  It has to be one of my favorites from the holiday range and something I really really hope they bring back next year!  Next time I'm prying out one of those vegan chocolate chips and eating it...just so you know ;)

(Review) Cinders: Snap! Crackle! Pop!

When I woke that morning, it was with a pit of dread in my stomach.  The moment my eyes opened, I knew something was amiss.  I crawled out of my massive pile of blankets and pillows and stood stock still in my pajamas.  The apartment was oddly silent.  I could hear people outside walking...the odd clang of the radiator pipes every so often.  Everything seemed as it should be.  But when I threw up the blinds in my window, I saw what was wrong.  My stomach dropped and my heart ceased to beat.  With a cry I fell to my knees in despair, gazed up at the heavens and cried:

"SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!"

...okay, so maybe I was a little overdramatic.  But if you lived where I live, you'd understand.  Being in a Midwestern state in winter takes a strong, rugged sort to survive.  The cold is biting, it takes forever to clear your car of the smothering white powder, and people magically forget how to drive.  But there's a certain coziness to it I guess.  On my rare days off, I like to snuggle in my blankets in my pjs with a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate, a book or video game, and just forget that winter exists.  Freshly fallen snow is also the perfect weather for a nice, hot (and I mean HOT) bath!

 

I will admit that I'm one of those people that's always freezing cold.  When at work, I'm constantly apologizing to customers for my cold hands, to which they laugh and say it's no problem.  I've been in hot, 80 something degree weather and have been frigid.  I might just be one of those lizard people everyone in those conspiracy theory videos rants about.  So when I take a bath in the winter, I essentially boil myself alive, to where I can see steam rising off of my flushed skin (and it's cool...makes me feel like a dragon!).  So that one fateful day of our first snowfall, I was feeling especially comfy cozy, and longed for a nice hot bath with a spicy winter scent.

 

Cinders to me smells exactly like winter.  With a spicy cinnamon scent, Cinders is like a down comforter for your nostrils.  First released in 2009, Cinders was inspired by Cinderella, as well as a crackling fire burning away in the warmth of your home.  Cinders is supposed to smell like hot fruit punch, but to me it just smells like straight up cinnamon.  Which makes sense because of the cinnamon leaf oil infusion, which warms you up after a chilly day shoveling snow.  I actually managed to snag one last year, but ended up swapping it away for something else, as I wasn't interested in baths at the time.  And if I could go back and kick my butt for giving it away, I'd gladly go and wear steel toed boots.

 

My excitement for this bath bomb was pretty high, since I positively love the scent and found it perfect for winter.  But when I dropped it into the tub, my excitement dwindled a bit.  The smell was quite strong, permeating my bathroom with that spicy warm scent of cinnamon and chai, but the visuals were less than stellar.  Now I've already used a few yellow bath bombs like Golden Egg and Honey Bee, but there was something about this one that just grossed me out.  When I think of warm crackling fires, I think of the orange gold glow of the flames, or the red orange glow of hot coals.  Not neon yellow with a red smear on the bottom from the popping candies.  And I know we're all taught to see one's inner beauty, but with this one...well, let's just say it has a "pretty face" or "nice eyes."

Still determined to take my piping hot bath, I sank in and soaked.  The smell was intoxicating!  It was a nice warm clove blanket on a cold winter's eve.  But when I opened my eyes from my meditative soak, the color snapped me out of it.  I still feel awful about not liking the color, I mean it's such a petty thing to not like about a product, but it was just something I couldn't get over.  When I explained my dilemma to Bossman, he told me the girls at his old shop described it as rust colored water, and I think they matched that description perfectly.  Another coworker of mine informed me to turn the lights off and light candles, which I suppose I could do (I call it the "brown paper bag" of bathing).  But I will admit that despite the color, my spicy cinnamon soak was nice and relaxing and put me in the winter spirit...at least until I had to get up the next morning and drive through snow-ridden roads to work.  But it was nice while it lasted!

 **Cinders bath bomb is certified Vegan
***Purchase Cinders at your local LUSH store or online here

(Review) Phoenix Rising: Feathers Not Included

"We believe in the right to make mistakes, lose everything, and start again."

Just a small snippet of LUSH's "We Believe" story.  When I read the full statement, that particular line resonated with me quite strongly.  Goodness knows I've made many mistakes during my life, and many of you readers have too.  I feel for any company to admit that they've made mistakes and talk about them at length and detail is a bold move.  It was one of the things that piqued my interest in LUSH, and showed that behind this company were humans with hopes and dreams and feelings like me.  It makes them relatable and it's one of the reasons they're a fantastic company.  Phoenix Rising was a bath bomb designed to pay tribute to that statement.

Phoenix Rising is a royal purple and gold pot shaped bath bomb that packs quite a punch in both color and scent.  It's half bath melt too, so if moisture is what you're looking for, this bath bomb is for you! 

I have to admit, lately I had been feeling a bit down in the dumps.  I'm still wallowing in that post-college lost phase a lot of twenty somethings my age go through.  For the most part I'm fine and dandy, but sometimes I get a little sad and feel a bit lost and lonely.  So Phoenix Rising seemed like it would be a great pick me up.  Plus I'm nuts about cinnamon scented things!

Not only was Phoenix Rising inspired by the We Believe story, but the We Believe story was inspired by LUSH's own story.  Before LUSH became LUSH, they were Cosmetics To Go, a company many U.K residents would be familiar with.  Cosmetics To Go was a popular cosmetics company back in the late 80s-early 90s that had the same goals and morals LUSH has today (i.e. no animal testing, natural ingredients, etc), but ultimately went bankrupt.  For the founders, it was quite a dark time, until they rose from the ashes and formed LUSH in 1994.  And it's been all uphill ever since!

So into the tub Phoenix Rising went.  It immediately plunked to the bottom with a loud "thunk", but soon rose up to the surface, letting loose a beautiful, floral patterned purple froth that smelled warm and cozy.  I could see some oil floating around the surface, which didn't surprise me because of the bath melt interior.  Phoenix Rising contains tons of shea and cocoa butters, which are super moisturizing, as well as bergamot (a known mood lifter and one of my favorite scents), jojoba, and cinnamon leaf oils.  The bomb kind of swam around the surface like a flying saucer, taking it's sweet (and spicy!) time fizzing away, the tub becoming a gradually darker shade of purple.  Soon, flecks of green and shimmer started to appear.

Phoenix Rising's inner bath melt core is a light, seafoam green that doesn't clash with the purple and make it brown.  The green is a frosted holly luster (the same luster that's also in the Avobath bath bomb) and isn't opaque enough to clash.  I stuck my hands into the water and could feel how silky smooth it was, but not greasy.  On the contrary, it felt like a very light oil, not heavy in the slightest.

So into the tub I went, sinking into what felt like silk bedcovers.  The bergamot helped tone down the cinnamon scent so it didn't singe my nostrils and added a lighter note so it wasn't so heavy.  I could see oil deposits outlined in gold shimmer floating around the tub.  I soaked for a good two hours, feeling like royalty in a royal purple bath speckled with gold shimmer.  When I patted myself dry after, I found I didn't need lotion afterwards as the oil was enough to moisturize my skin and leave it lightly scented.  The only downside is that it left a bit of a purple stain in my tub, but it was faint and easily washed off.  I've heard of this bomb staining before, so it had me a bit worried, but it was easily removed with some bath cleaner and some elbow grease.

Overall, Phoenix Rising was a fantastic bath bomb to soothe a sad soul.  The cinnamon was invigorating and a deep purple bath just had me totally psyched.  And it looks like a bath bomb Dumbledore would use...which is of course, awesome.  Was it a miracle worker in terms of mood lifting?  Of course not.  If all of our problems were solved with baths I'd never get out!  But it did help clear my mind and help me focus.  And it did help me forget my troubles for a while, which is always a good thing.  But overall, I was pleased with this bath bomb.  Happy or sad, I'd use it over and over again!

  "It's okay to make mistakes, and it's okay to fall down.  Get up.  Look SICKENING.  And make them EAT IT!"

                                                  - Latrice Royale

** This bath bomb is certified Vegan

** Purchase Phoenix Rising at your local LUSH store, or buy it online here