Review: Lush Big Shampoo

Hey all, this week I'm brining to you the famous Big shampoo from Lush. I've never been really satisfied with any shampoo I used except maybe the Body Shop's Banana Shampoo & Conditioner (but that was more a scent thing then actual performance). The problem is my hair is very fine and straight but sheds like crazy, but I also tend to get annoying dandruff every other month or so and the oily quality tends to weigh down my hair, on top of all that it's also colored (black) .

What I wanted (needed) was a clarifying and voluming shampoo and having largely failed in the department store variety, I did some research and as usual my first port of call when I have a skincare or haircare issue I think of Lush and after perusing their collection I picked up Big. A sea salt based shampoo that promises Big hair. 

I've since been using this for a week and a half and gotten my partner to try it too, and I'm very satisfied with it, it will be a clear and obvious repurchase. Depending on how long the tub lasts it might even reach HG status. Here is why; it cleans your hair exceptionally well (as in your hair will squeek, weird!), it get's rid of any build up from hair products including silicones and such from other shampoo that you might use, and it makes my hair fluffy, not huge and frizzy but full and healthy.

I was initially concerned about the sea salt, thinking it might too abrasive, too drying, or the texture would just be too uncomfortable or perhaps it might strip or ruin my hair color. Turns out that non of that was true, yes the texture was weird but not in a way that made it bad to use it just took a little getting used too.

I believe my boyfriend summed it up for us very nicely, here was his description when I asked him about it:

1.At first I was concerned with texture, felt like pointy bits covered in goo

2. Then it felt like shampoo with rocks it in...

3. then after scrubbing it felt like regular shampoo

4. then after washing it out my hair was crazy squeeky clean, which was weird because it's never that clean, and it felt really soft.

5. I also didn't have to wash it again as soon because it stayed clean longer.

My partner washed his hair with this and after one use it bubbled and foamed like crazy, where as for my longer color treated hair it took two washes to get the same effect, which is what to bottle suggests. He also didn't need any conditioner because his hair is short where as my hair was so clean that it stuck together so I required a small amount of conditioner to smooth it out. It's true though that I didn't need to wash my hair as often and it felt like first day clean hair for for an extra day and it didn't seem to get the same build up as quickly. I'm overall very happy with it but it's quite strong so some people will only need to use this one a week or less but personally I think I could be happy using it everyday without issue.

What's your favorite shampoo?

Review Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

I received this from my partner as part of a Valentines day present and I really love it, I had a minty one years before but the sugar was so big and ended up being quite painful to actually use. The bubblegum however, or over the years the formula has changed, is much nicer, it's very finely ground so it feels super smooth and doesn't hurt at all.

Since starting work I bought a Maybelline 24hr Superstay which is great t actually staying on all day but isn't generally very kind to dry or cracked lips and this goes a long way toward making that look good, and look clean and neat.

I know sugar scrubs are easy to make yourself, but with the small size of the sugar grains and the lovely smell I would probably repurchase this just because it smells awesome and is much easier then anything I could make at home.

February Empties

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel - This has to be my favorite shower gel of all time, it's a sweet mix of rose and citrus but i don't find it to be too sweet or overly fragrant. It's just sweet enough to be amazing and bubbly and smooth. I have another little bottle of this but I'm tempted to keep it until I know if it will be back again for Christmas or something. But I'm also not sure I can wait that long. I would repurchase this a thousand fold.

Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Shower Gel - I picked this up in Melbourne and am truly sad to see it go, but it;s not soo bad as I was gifted the Cookie Dough version for Christmas so that helps makes the loss a bit more bearable. This was a white and super hydrating shower gel that actually smelled like cinnamon buns, can't ask for a much better way of finishing of the night. I would repurchase this but I like trying different scents first.

Nivea Pure & Natural Cleansing Toner - The big thing for this product was that it was 95% natural ingredients, as well as the inclusion of argan oil and aloe vera. This has been my favorite toner so far and I will go back to it after I use up my current one, this felt so refreshing and hydrating and didn't give my skin that uncomfortable tight feeling that is common from toners. (at least for me) It smells nice too.

Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Balm - A sweet but light smelling thick balm that is probably the only lip balm I have ever finished, why? Because this is the best one I have used and I made sure not to loose it! It's that good. In some ways the reason I like this is the reason I like the Rose Jam shower gel - it's sweet without being cloying and it's fresh without being irritating. Going to repurchase today!

Face of Australia Nail Polish Remover - I took a break from painting my nails for about 2-3 months because they were so horribly wrecked and weak I could do nothing with them. Second time around I'm trying to help minimize the damage by using nail strengthening products and moisturizing or strengthening polish removers. I don't know how that actually works but if nothing else maybe it will work if I believe it does. This remover was pretty good. not stinky and not painful and I do think it made some difference to the quality of my nails. I would repurchase this.

Davore Replenish Hair Treatment - My first hair treatment ever, it seemed to do a nice job of smoothing and re hydrating my hair but was kind of annoying to mess around with since i would have a shower, wash my hair, put on the mask and have to wash it again 10 minutes later. I would perfer a leave in or dry treatment because I just can't be bothered messing around so much. I did an okay job but not enough to not be a bit of pain in the the booty.

Aveda Purifying Gel (sample) - I quite enjoying this cleansing gel and would repurchase except I am a sworn convert of using my Lush Fresh Farmacy cleanser and really don;'t need this, it was good but i still think by FF does a far better job and smells much nicer.

Aveda Hydrating Lotion (sample) - The moisturiser was nice too as far as it goes, it was quite thin and almost gel rather then lotion like. Probably better then the cleansing gel but i still like my Moo Goo moisturser bettter. Sorry Aveda

Swisspers Cotton Pads - A staple, I like these for everything from nail polish remover, to toner to all thing in between. They stay whole and don't tear apart and rarley leave fuzzy bits on me.

Lush Fresh Farmacy (not pictured) - Went through 2 bars of this and have already repurchased this. My HG product.

Lush/iHerb Haul

Hello all, here's something a little different: a mini haul - half from Lush and half from iHerb (btw my code for iHerb is KRN216 if you want discounts and such). This originally wasn't going to be a haul but when my iHerb order arrived on the same day that my boyfriend presented with a some Valentines Lush stuff it seemed like destiny.

Let's start with iHerb, I usually only use iHerb for shopping for makeup brushes, all my Real Tech brushes cam from iHerb and some of my ecotools too, even with shipping it's just so much cheaper then trying to buy them in Priceline. This time around I was waiting for the RT miracle complex sponge and decided to try the famous Queen Helene Mint Julep masque as well. While I was looking at the range, being a fan of face masks I decided to also pick up the Queen Helene Grape Seed Extract mask as well and since it seemed interesting I also picked up some African Black Soap (good for thinning fine lines, evening out dark spots, eczema, razor bumps and eliminating blemishes) .

I knew that the Valentine stuff would be coming out any day now and asked my partner to keep an eye out since he works in the city and can get into Lush much more easily then I can, he usually goes in once every 2-3 weeks to fil up our stash of Fresh Farmacy, my HG cleanser of all time and the product to which I attribute my acne-free skin too. So he came home that same day with a few little surprises which are still available until at least Valentines day but the limited edition stuff always seems to sell out quick to if your interested go right now. Here is the stuff I got:

Prince Charming Body Wash - Pomegranate juice, Marshmallow root, Grapefruit, Sandalwood and Vanilla. However personally i only really smell Pomegranate and it is quite a strong scent especially when mixed with hot water and steam. After use my entire bathroom smells like Pomegranate for a good few hours. It's great but It makes me miss Rose Jam.

Neon Love Soap - This one is a mix of Rosewood, Bergamot, Figs, Passion Fruit juice and Soya yogurt and it smells divine! I love it probably more then the body wash which is unusual for me.

Lust Solid Perfume - This isn't part of the Valentines collection but it certainly fits the theme, I asked for this one because I've been missing the Lust soap that Lush discontinued which was one of my favorites and this smells the same. Awesome and so easy to carry around and I think a perfect scent for Valentines day - not in a soft sweet kind of way but more the hot and heavy side of Valentines day.

Lush has heaps of other Valentines stuff, bath bombs and lip products if your still interested. Happy Valentines day everyone!

October 2013 Most Reached For

Better late then never right? It occurred to me that 1) Lush has Rose Jam in again and 2) My new RT Expert Face brush is amazing and you guys should totally know about it. Two of these items are making a return from last month; my Illamasqua blush in Katie which I fell in love with so much I actually didn't wear any other blush since I got this, NARS Orgasm and Deep Throat lie lonely and abandoned in my makeup storage case.Second item making a return for another month is Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction perfume, a amazing sweet and fruity perfume, though i wish it stuck around a little longer.

Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder has been my go to for a little over 2 months now an it does a fantastic job of keeping my makeup in place, getting rid of shine and has great oil control.

Can't believe it took me so long to pick up the expert face brush from Real Techniques, its so good, the short dense domed shapes bristles are perfect for applying foundation and I can't see myself going back to the stippling brush for that purpose ever again.

At the same time I'm loving using the NYX Jumbo Pencil in milk as a eye primer, it stays on all day and makes every color pop. Now that NYX is in Australia you can try it too!

Last but not least is Lush's Rose Jam shower gel, there is nothing better. I bought 3 bottles and i'm considering getting more before they are gone. Just go smell it.

Possibly Fake MAC & LUSH Haul

A few days ago i was sitting at home (playing Skyrim if you must know) when my partner calls me from Uni to tell me that there is a stall there selling a huge load of MAC stuff that had been seized at auction. I was pretty skeptical but at the prices they were offering, even if it is fake it was still cheaper then buying similar products at Priceline or Chemist Warehouse so i decided to had down and pick up some stuff. When i got there and questioned the sellers it seemed to pretty legit from what i could glean and from what i can tell it seems authentic enough - sized are correct, labels match other MAC products i already had, everything seems to be of an exceptionally high quality including the brushes which are the only items that i would question the authenticity of. Either way though i got some stuff and I'm really happy with everything i got. But i bet you want to know just exactly what it is that i got? Well I'll show you.

MAC Eyeshadow Refills : Sable, Shroom, Passion and Carbon

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in B01 Light

MAC Brushes in 187, 194 and 266

(If these are fake, which the handle on the 187 makes me think they are, they are still freakin' amazing and so incredibly soft and delicate that whoever made them should just make their own brush company because these were a complete steal)

 

Very Fake, MAC Eye/Lip Liner Pencil with Aloe Vera & Vitamin E

I was pretty sure this one was a fake right of the bat, mostly because i don't think MAC eyeliners have silver lids and there was no name of the color, I also wasn't able to find any reference to this lip/pencil when i got home. It still work pretty well though an i quite like the colors.

MAC Lipmax Lip Pigment

Not much to say about this, i was hoping it would be similar to a lip tar but it's mostly just clear with a slight pink tint to it. I should have just gotten more eyeshadows instead of this. The only real disappointment.

After this spree which amounted to about $40 i also needed to get my monthly dose of Fresh Farmacy from Lush and whilst there i also picked up some Sexy Peel Soap for the boyfriend as he doesn't like Shower Gels.

Overall I'm very happy with the things i got, especially the brushes and eyeshadows as they both seem great quality products so even if they are fake (which most likely they are) they were still a amazing deal. I don't really have too many feelings about fake makeup products, it can be annoying and disappointing if you go in thinking it was the real deal but that wasn't the case here as i was pretty sure it was all fake going on it. Keeping that in mind i was able to purchase a few things that were good quality and seemed like good products to try. What do you think about buying fake makeup products? Is it inevitable in Australia where prices are so incredibly steep?

Empties: August 2013

I don't usually do Empties post (read : never) because my apartment is small and i have enough stuff filling it up without keeping junk that;s empty or used up. However this month i set myself the challenge to do it and i ended up finishing enough products to make it worth posting.

The products are as follows:

Swisspers cotton wipes

++++ repurchase: yes

Go to cotton wipes, i find them soft and easy to use though i prefer the pads, especially for nail polish removal, but those are a little expensive. The work just as well but can be a bit fluffy when it comes to nail polish.

Savvy makeup remover wipes

- - -  repurchase: no

These made my skin sensitive, i don;t usually have sensitive skin so no way am i repurchasing this. They smelled fine and worked okay but after a swipe or two they started to make my skin feel raw and achy, sort of like how your nose area feels when you have a cold and have to keep wiping it.

Bastise Dry Shampoo in Tropical

+++ repurchase: yes

Great dry shampoo, i sometimes forget to use it though because i perfer to just wash my hair but on the odd days i forget or get lazy this is a god send, i'm currently trying out the cherry one and i really love the scent so i might look for a full size of that rather then my go tropical.

Models Perfer Mattifying Primer

+ repurchase: no

This worked well as a primer, not exceptional but not bad. The reason i won't repurchase is because after about two months the lid would no longer stay screwed down and started to get gel over items in my makeup bag. Not fun so this one is a no go.

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in black

+++ repurchase: yes

I love this mascara and will repurchase as soon as i have gone though a few others or they have a sale on L'Oreal as the thin brush makes it so easy to get the lashes on your lower lid but does a great job separating lashes in the top lid. My lashes are naturally long so i don't need a huge amount of volume but this still does add extra oomph.

Schwarzkopf Brilliance Conditioning Sample

- repurchase: no 

This was okay, i noticed my hair color leaked a lot after i used this, i 'm not sure if it was because of this or because it had only been my second wash since dying it but this didn't do anything special, smell especially nice or give me any other reason to repurchase.

Aveda Conditioning Sample

+ repurchase: no

This conditioning cream was a bit nicer in that it smelled good but there honestly wasn't enough product for me to tell if it was any good so i might try the brand at some point but feel no inclination ti go out and try this any time soon.

Lynx For Her Deodorant

+ + repurchase: yes

I like this, it lasts throughout the day and the lock cap makes it great for travel. You can even take it on a plane because of that. It smells pleasant enough and works, with good packaging. Not sure if this is still limited edition or not.

Honey I Washed the Kids shower gel

++++repurchase: yes

A great honey smelling gel, it's a gel version of the solid soap that Lush have had for a long time and i will surley repurchase this again, however right now im rotating Philosophy's Cinnamon Buns shower gel and Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction shower gel both of which are super yum.

Not pictured

Fresh Farmacy

+++++ repurchase: yes

I go through at least one of these or more in a month and i will continue to buy this until i die because it's the most amazing cleanser. That is all.

Rainbow Tag

The Colours of the Rainbow Tag has been making its way around so, I thought I'd give it a go, and also it's my birthday today :) So a rainbow tag seemed wholly appropriate. Hope you are all having a great day too.

 Red:

Illamasqua Deamon eyeshadow - a gorgeous deep matte red. Goes on and stays smoothly  on for ages, an impulse buy from Illamasqua, one i am totally happy with and i love using it with the gold Maybelline eye tattoo/

Orange:

Korres Lip Butter in Mango, i had no idea what to do for orange until i looked through my photos. and duh! of course it would be this, my first ever Korres lip butter was a magical and wonderful experience and i always keep this in my makeup bag.

Yellow:

Lush Brazed Honey face mask, i don't get a lot of masks from Lush because of the time restriction but they always feel great and i haven't had a bad experience with any, but this one if probably my favorite, it's a great detox mask and a pretty reasonable ex foliation mask too.

Green:

A England St George nail polish, perhaps the greatest gem in my entire collection, and I'm not usually a fan of green, my photos of this nail polish don't even do it half justice. It has a depth of color that i have never seen in any other polish and it has a beautiful multicolor shine in sunlight.

Blue:

Lush's Calm liquid eyeliner, I no longer use this as much as i used to as it is approaching it's expiry date which i find terribly depressing because for the price i would like it to last longer but for a colored liner this is unparalleled by anything else i have tried, Great for a pop of color when your makeup is a bit drab.

Indigo:

Lush's Sweetie Pie shower jelly, is on this list because i had nothing else i really liked in this color, and the scent on this thing is absolutely amazing, i was a body spray in this scent. However as a soap it's not awesome and really hard to use, but if you put it in the fridge it's quote awesome for hot days.

Violet:

This was a no brainer, it's right in the name Mac's Star Violet, my lust product for the longest time i love it still, it's a beautiful color perfect for lid or transition colors and even though it looks a bit red in this photo it does lean more toward a violet plum. Looks great paired with bad to the bronze eye tattoo.

Pink:

There was alot of contenders for the pink section, but my most loved and missed shower gel from Lush, called Rose Jam is a missing part of my heart. It was gorgeous, it was love at first scent and it was limited edition. I pray this comes back, it smells like the condition cream Ro's Argan Body Conditioner.

Multicolored:

My Maybelline eye tattoo collection has grown significantly since i bought tenacious teal on a whim, these are great bases or their own eye shadows. Although the formula has a bit of variation I'm still quite fond of the colors i have and would happily purchase some of the other colors out there, assuming Australia ever gets them. My top 3 would be bad to the bronze, tough as taupe, and pomegranate punk.

Travel Supplies

So i haven't really traveled much since getting into the whole makeup thing so i thought it might be fun to share the stuff that i decided to take along with me, what i thought counted as essentials for my time away.

So here is the list of what i packed:

Base

x MUA Matte Perfect Primer

x Korres Ginger & Vitamin Foundation

x Garnier Oil free BB cream

x Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Cameo

x Essence Breaking Dawn Shimmering Powder

Eyes

x Naked 2 Pallet (essential neutral eyeshadow for any occasion)
x Maybelline Eye Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
x MAC Star Violet eyeshadow
x Models Perfef Eyebrow Pencil in medium
x Essence Long Lasting eye pencil in teal
x Essence Long Lasting eye pencil in brown
x Maybelline "The Falsies" waterproof mascara
x Napoleon Perdis mascara (don't which one because the name has faded away)
x Face of Australia black gel eyeliner

Lips
x Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stains in Honey and Crush
x Australis Long Lasting Lipstick in Foxtrot and Oogie Boogie
x Korres mango lip butter

Blush
x NARS Blush in Deep Throat
x Illamasqua blush in Rude

Brushes
x Real Techniques Duo Fiber Blending brush
x Real Techniques Blush Brush
x Real Techniques Buffing Brush
x Real Techniques Blending Brush
x Eco Tools eyeshadow brush
x Urban Decay double sided Naked 2 brush

Lush

x Godiva Shampoo Bar

x Fresh Farmacy cleansing bar

x Godmother soap

x Butterball bath bomb

Other

x Moo Goo Full Cream moisturizer

x Swisspers cleansing wipes

x Paw Paw ointment

x Antispeptic cream

x Bandaids

That seems like a huge list having typed it up but I'm pretty confident that everything there will be useful, if not I'll do an updated post with what was most useful and what wasn't useful at all. What beauty stuff do you pack when your going away?

Review: Lush 9-5 Orchid Oil Cleanser

Recently I've been having some issues with my make up removal process; it seemed like it was taking too long and eye makeup specifically wasn't ever disappearing entirely so i would wake up with panda eyes and my FoA budge proof eyeliner still well and truly not budged off. For background i was previously using a combination of Savvy makeup wipes (not bad, not great), Dove Foaming makeup remover and Models Prefer Eye Makeup remover. The wipes and eye makeup remover seemed to be the big culprits, so i went on line in search of something new to try.

I would love to get the Bioderma Makeup Remover as i have tried it before and it is amazing, however it also needs to be ordered online for me and i needed something now. Also i hate to pay shipping unless I'm getting a lot out of it, so i wanted to buy something locally if i could at all help it.

Now my favorite HG cleanser of all time is Lush's Fresh Farmacy and is the product i attribute my much changed and acne free skin to. I used to like scrubs and much rougher and "stingy" products but it turned out this gentle cleansing and calming bar was the answer. I discovered that they had two cleansers which were also makeup removers; 9-5 Orchid Oil Lotion and Ultrabland.

Ultrabland is a thick almost waxy translucent balm that you rub onto your skins and then wipe away with a wt towel or paper but although it had some fantastic look i didn't want anything so heavy on my skin so i looked at the alternative. 9-5 had some very contrasting reviews, and not the iffy kind bu as in complete opposites, everyone seemed to either love it or hate it with venom. Needless to say i was skeptical going in, but Lush has rarely if ever disappointed me, if anything i feel i disappoint them by not having a bath and being unable to use their bathbombs. 

So i thought i would give the product a bit of a test, before leaving the house i covered my hand in a few swipes of makeup that i find hard to remove; my budge proof eyeliner from FoA, a swipe of lipstick from Australis, some blush both powder and cream and a bit of my regular foundation. so despite looking a bit silly i was able to try out in store how it would fare against my regime. It did surprisingly and amazingly well, and on top of that it smelled amazing. If you tried their Ghost shower gel at  Halloween then this is very similar scent, Ghost was technically a Lilly scent but it's still very similar.

To help you make a decision here are some tests i did; first up Illamasquas Cream Blusher after it was rubbed in;

Secondly these are some quite dark/bright lipstick swatches;

For the lipstick i had to rub it back once and then the staining effect from the lipstick disappeared as well.

So since i purchased this i have been using it everyday to remove my makeup after wearing it all day, and after taking swatching pictures and the like. It works very well, requires very little effort on my part and gets rid of almost all my makeup in a single swipe. It does sting just a little if i get it in my eye b accident but that doesn't happen very often. I would be happy to repurchase this and look forward to using it more, the scent really makes it a relaxing and luxurious experience. I think one of the best things about this cleanser is that it makes my skin feel better, as i had used a moisturizer beforehand. I've never had a make up remover that actually seemed to do anything other then get makeup off.

However all the negative reviewed make me thing that you should test this out yourself before purchasing awesome people seem to be quite sensitive to the Orchid oil.

What's you favorite Makeup Remover?