Don't Look At Me Fresh Mask

Lush fresh mask Don't Look At Me

I am always up for trying Lush fresh masks, mainly because it's a nice perk when you return 5 empty black pots. If I recall correctly I have tried almost all of them, but Don't Look At Me is a newer addition to the line. Without any hesitation I decided to pick it up and let's be honest the colour was just too fun to pass. 

As with all Lush fresh masks it comes in a black pot made from recycled material. Since these masks are fresh, they have a much shorter shelf-life compared to your traditional face masks and need to be stored in a fridge. Don't Look At Me is an exfoliating mask which helps to smooth and brighten your complexion. 

Some of the key ingredients are: fresh organic orange juice, murumuru butter, organic silken tofu, rice syrup, grounded white rice, grapefruit oil and neroli oil. It's vegan and cruelty-free.

The texture is that of a scrub, so you can feel the tiny little granules of rice when lathering the mask on your face. It has a fresh invigorating scent, not too intense, which I quite enjoy. You leave it on for 10-15 minutes and rinse it off. I usually never keep track of time so sometimes I end up having it on for 20-25 minutes and it hasn't caused any itching or irritation to the skin.

In terms of results it brightens and smooths out the skin. That being said, it's not that different from other scrubs or exfoliating masks I have tried before. Despite having the murumuru butter, I feel that it leaves my skin feeling a little bit tight, therefore I always follow up with a hydrating mask.

I think Don't Look At Me is an OK mask. It does what is says, but it lacks the WOW factor for me, if you discard the poping aquamarine colour. Do keep in mind that it's a fresh mask and you might not use all of it up prior to its expiration date. Granted you are like me and you prefer to rely on chemical exfoliators and rarely remember to use physical ones. My all-time favourite Lush fresh mask is still the Catastrophe Cosmetic, and I'd highly recommend picking that one up if you can't decide which one to get.

I hope you found this useful and let me know what's your favourite Lush fresh face mask and/or which one would you like to try next!

Until next time,
Muffy

Kalamazoo Beard and Facial Wash

I am such a sucker for Lush products. This time around I had an opportunity to try the Kalamazoo Beard and Facial Wash. Don't get put off by the name, you don't need to have a beard to use this product. As a matter of fact I was positively surprised by how well it works for me. 

Kalamazoo Beard and Facial Wash

As with all Lush products it comes in a minimalistic plastic packaging that is recyclable. You can bring 5 empty black pots (or spray bottles, which I was not aware of but since they are made of the same plastic they do count as well) and get a free fresh mask. You can purchase this product in two sizes. I grabbed the smaller one just to see how I get along with it. I do have to say that I am not a fan of dipping my fingers into the pot as opposed to having a pump, but that is just a minor inconvenience. 

When it comes to ingredients it includes: almond oil, apricot kernel oil, organic jojoba oil and fresh pineapple juice just to name a few. It's vegan and cruelty-free. This product does contain perfume and parabens, so keep that in mind if that is something you are wary of. 

Kalamazoo Beard and Facial Wash

It has quite a strong but pleasant scent of something citrusy and spa combined. I find it up-lifting especially in the morning. That being said if you don't like strong scents you might not like this. I am pretty picky when it comes to scents and very often prefer un-fragranced skincare products but weirdly enough I don't mind this one.

The product has a creamy texture, like that of a body butter. It's incredibly soft and silky. It doesn't dry my skin out but leaves it feeling super clean and soft. It hasn't broken me out or caused any sort of irritation to my sensitive skin. 

Overall I think it's a good cleanser with no extra bells and whistles. I would recommend using it as a second cleanse, after you have taken off your makeup or spf. I think the small pot (100g) would last a reasonable amount of time, since you don't really need much. As said I am a little bit iffy about the whole pot concept for something that I use on a daily basis. However, I can understand that perhaps the consistency could be troublesome for squeeze tube packaging.  

As always I hope you found this helpful. Do let me know what are your favourite Lush products, if any!

Cheers,
Muffy

Lush Rosy Cheeks Fresh Mask

I am a big fan of Lush. They make some really nice products like the Mask of Magnaminty, Lip Scrubs & Balms and the Comforter Bubble Bar. I have tried almost all of their fresh masks simply because I shop too much there. If you return five empty pots you can get one fresh mask for free. This time around when I was returning my empties I decided to try a recent addition to their fresh masks selection called Rosy Cheeks.
  

As you can see it's pink. The consistency is rather thick, which means it won't slip and slide all over your face. It dries in about 10-15 minutes completely. Some of the key ingredients are kaolin, calamine powder and rose oil. As with all Lush products it's not tested on animals. The main purpose of this mask is to sooth and calm the skin. I think that it does a pretty good job at that. However, I have hard time understanding how can something be soothing yet so strongly scented. In my opinion the scent is extremely overpowering and it lingers on the skin. Surely it smells like roses but the intensity is way too strong for my liking (and usually I am not too sensitive to scents).

Another aspect worth mentioning is when you rinse this mask off it leaves your skin feeling and looking matte. I think if you have acne prone or oily skin you would love it. For me personally, I would have preferred it to be more hydrating. 

Overall, I think it's an OK mask. It's good for those days when your skin feels a bit meh perhaps due to stress or flying and it needs a bit of soothing and balancing. If you are looking for something that would be calming and hydrating I would instead direct you to my all time favourite Lush fresh mask - Catastrophe Cosmetic. 

I hope you found this useful. Let me know if you have tried Lush's fresh masks, I'd love to know!

Until next time,
Muffy

The Route To Great Hair?

I am not a massive fan of hair products but I like to try some once in a while. What I am looking for in hair products is something that would give my hair lift, volume and texture. For texture I usually use something along the lines of texturising spray (e.g Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce) or dry shampoo (e.g Batiste). Imagine my excitement when I came across a Lush product called Roots, which promises fabulous hair with added volume. To find out if this is the route to great hair or not keep on reading!

Lush Roots Hair Treatment 

As with most Lush products, it comes in a pot and contains a generous amount of product, 225g. You don't need a lot since you have to distribute it on your roots only and this guy has lasted me for over 6 months and I am not even done with it yet. The consistency is that of a thick lotion and it has a very pleasant minty scent to it. The key ingredients are: honey, peppermint oil, sweet orange oil and extra virgin olive oil. It's cruelty free but not paraben free. This is a 20min leave in treatment, which you work into your scalp before shampooing and conditioning.

I tried to get this product to work for me multiple times but every single time I was left disappointed. In the end I just stopped using it altogether. The thing is that for my purpose which was to get extra volume and oomph it failed to deliver. It just left my hair feeling and looking flat. I did not notice any additional volume or lift from the roots. I used it consistently every week hoping that perhaps over time I will notice a difference. Nope. That being said I think this product could be a lifesaver for someone with itchy scalp since it feels very calming and cooling. However, if like me you are looking for something that will provide you with additional volume I suggest you look elsewhere.

Overall, I am quite disappointed with this product since I read so many reviews saying how amazing it is. Unfortunately it did nothing for my hair. I am by no means a hair expert but I'd rather stick to a shampoo such as Rahua Voluminous Shampoo or Lush Seanik Shampoo Bar (especially if you want to decrease waste) for added volume. 

Let me know if there are any hair treatments that actually help in making your hair look and feel like that of a lion's mane. 

Until next time,
Muffy

Unmasking the Mask

Very often masks are overlooked in the everyday skincare routine. I am not going to lie, I often forget to use them myself. Even if I have several masks in rotation I rarely see the results which make me want to comeback to a certain mask. What am I looking for in a mask? My main concern is to keep those pesky breakouts at bay and nourish my skin with good ingredients. Easier said than done. However, there has been one mask that hasn't left my skincare cupboard in a while and I doubt that this will change anytime soon. Of course, I am always thinking that maybe there is something better out there, but for the time being I am happy with what I have. This mysterious mask is the Lush's Mask of Magnaminty. Besides the tongue twisting name, it is a fantastic mask and here is why.

Lush Mask of Magnaminty

All Lush products are cruelty free and handmade. The self-preserving Mask of Magnaminty is also 100% natural. It is a new formula that they have brought out recently, which is great. This means that it is free from preservatives. They have managed to do so without altering the look, the feel and reducing the shelf life of the product. For instance, I have used an original formula that contained Mathylparaben and the self-preserving one that is paraben free. They have performed equally good and both have a shelf life of 4 months. The key ingredients are peppermint oil, african marigold oil, evening primrose seeds, fair trade vanilla and honey.

Consistency and Colour of Mask of Magnaminty

Let's talk about the consistency for a minute. It is pretty thick but you can easily scoop it out with your fingers. You can feel that it has been handmade as the texture is grainy, unlike with mass produced ones. As the name suggests, you can without fail distinguish the pepperminty scent and the colour supports the theme as well. I personally love both features. I find that peppermint is very refreshing and cooling to the skin. It says to leave this mask on for five to ten minutes, I usually keep it for 20 or 30 min. I am not too precise when it comes to timing my masks, unless it is a very strong one. The mask dries in about ten minutes and you can wash it off with warm water. It doubles up as a scrub due to its texture. The results are noticeable right away. You are left with more brighter and fresh looking skin. The inflammation and redness is reduced. It soothes the skin and you don't have that nasty feeling like your skin has been drained of all its moisture. I always bring this bad boy out when my skin is feeling dull, congested and needs a little bit of a pick me up. The only concern I have is that the big pot contains 315g of product and it is very difficult to use it all up in 4 months. Especially if you are using other masks in conjunction. Therefore, I would recommend starting with a smaller size (125g) and see how you get along. 

Tip: If you are unsure how your skin will react to this mask, you can ask for a sample. At Lush they can easily decant a little bit of product and give it to you to try at home. I advice doing this if you have sensitive skin. 

Overall I am very pleased with this mask. I have gone through numerous tubs of it. I like how it makes my skin feel, it is cruelty free, 100% natural and reasonably priced. The bigger pot retails for 17,65€ and smaller one for 10,50€. You can get it at your nearest Lush counter or online. 

Do you have any recommendations for what I should try next from Lush?

Cheers,
Muffy

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 vs Lush Honey Trap

Nobody likes the look and feel of dry lips. Lip balm is an essential product in anybody's everyday routine. Despite being such a staple, it is difficult to find one that actually works. Now I became even more picky as I want it to be cruelty free, paraben free and do it's job. Lately I have been testing out Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 and Lush's Honey Trap lip balm. If you want to hear my thoughts, then keep on reading!

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 and Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm

Kiehl's lip balm comes in a squeeze tube which I think is a big plus, as you don't have to dip your finger to get the product out. You get 15ml of product, and it retails for 8,00€, which is reasonable. It doesn't have any distinguishable fragrance, but to me it is very reminiscent of vaseline scent. My biggest problem with this lip balm is the consistency. It is very slippery, it doesn't absorb into my lips and just pretty much sits on top of them. Hence, you are left with a glossy finish on your lips. The list of ingredients is not too impressive either. At the very top you get Petrolatum and a few natural ingredients appear at the end like the Aloe Leaf Extract. Kiehl's is considered a brand that tests on animals since its products are sold in China, which requires imported cosmetics be tested on animals.

Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm and Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 Packaging

Next up is the Honey Trap lip balm from Lush. Unlike Kiehl's lip balm it comes in a pot so you have to scoop the product out, which I am a little bit iffy about. It comes with 8g of product and is sold for 11,50€. I really like the consistency, it is very moisturising without feeling greasy. It gives your lips a slight sheen but nothing too glossy. I personally really like the scent, I can definitely pick up the notes of honey and vanilla. In term of ingredients it is packed with nourishing goodies like shea butter, almond oil, honey and extra virgin olive oil. It does contain Beeswax, so it is not suitable for vegans. But don't you despair, Lush also has a vegan version called None of Your Beesewax. It replaces beeswax with an extra virgin coconut oil and shea butter to give it a light texture and a slip. Among other ingredients are exotic mandarin oil, murumuru and cupuaçu butters. I don't own this one but I tried it at the store and I think I will be picking it up when I run out of the Honey Trap.

Overall my verdict is that Kiehl's lip balm #1 is an overrated vaseline with not so good ingredients. Honey Trap on the other hand
ticks all the boxes for me: it is cruelty free, paraben free and helps my dry lips. If you are looking to try a new lip balm, I say skip Kiehl's and check out Lush's Honey Trap instead! You can get it at your nearest Lush store or online. 

If you know of a good cruelty free, paraben free lip balm with an spf, let me know!

Cheers,
Muffy