Good Karma

Yup, it's a gift set from Lush! But that's not really what this post is about!! :)

I was in Lush yesterday (again!) because I decided in work on Friday that I would buy a pressie for a colleague who was in a minor road accident this week so she had something nice on her desk when she gets back to work. As she is vegetarian (bordering on Vegan) I decided something from Lush would be a safe bet! After some research I opted for the Good Karma gift set!

I'd been in Lush on Thursday evening as they were having a party but had forgotten to bring my shopping list. When I went in yesterday to grab the gift set I also wanted to pick up some items I had forgotten: H'Suan Wen Hua and Jungle conditioner. So with the three items in the basket I had a quick potter around... Only to discover that Ultrabalm had FINALLY arrived instore!! (This is a Lush equivalent of Vaseline but uses no petroleum jelly and is all natural and has only 3 ingredients!!) Popped that into my basket and headed to the till... to discover the party was still going and I was entitled to a goody bag!!

The lovely Fergus (♥ him!) was serving me! He was very excited that I had bought Ultrabalm (and possibly that I had admired his guts for working in a towel as it was a themed party) and went off to rummage to get me an extra nice goody bag which was *so* nice of him. He slyly asked me what scents I liked/disliked and after a bit came back with a teeny tiny goody bag... containing Vanillary perfume and Sultana soap!! The perfume alone is worth €34.95 and is my favourite scent!! I was ecstactic!

Hence the title of the post! I wouldn't have gone to Lush if I hadn't wanted to do something nice for someone else... And if I hadn't I would still be waiting on my Ultrabalm and not have gotten such an amazing goody bag!! That's good karma for sure!! :)

Nails Inc offers (May 2010)

Recently InStyle Magazine had an offer where you got a free nail varnish. Despite having LOADS of nail varnish I had no 'nude' colour that I could put on and forget about no matter what the outfit so one of the three colours being offered by InStyle caught my eye and after much watching out I managed to track it down.

(From L-R: Mink, Beach and Candy)

I had never heard of the brand, Nails Inc, and to be honest figured it was some cheapo brand looking for publicity. How wrong could I be?? Well, InStyle retails for €5.21 and Nails Inc varnishes retail for €15.44 in Boots. Essentially this means that had I managed to buy all three colours I would still only be forking out the cost of one of these fabby nail varnishes!

Mink was my colour of choice and I am loving it. The varnish has a lovely shine to it and lasts really well in comparison to other brands I have used! InStyle Mink is “greige”, the colour of the season and perfect to go with the current nude fashion palette. Unfortunately these polishes were created specifically for the InStyle offer so when it's gone, it's gone!

Bearing that in mind, just imagine how happy I was when I stumbled across another Nails Inc offer! Diet Coke and Nails Inc are currently running an offer in Boots (which I believe is going on until June 30th but don't quote me!) where if you buy 2 500ml bottles of diet Coke (€1.40 each) you get one of 4 nail varnishes (subject to availability) which were custom made for this offer!

(L-R: London, Paris, New York, Milan)

The 'Diet Coke City Collection' is a collection of four colors inspired by the four fashion capitals of the world – London, Paris, New York and Milan. The nude tone is said to depict the cool fashion of Brits living in London, while the deep purple that represents Paris is made to represent a sunset over the Eiffel Tower. New York is the city that never sleeps and to put that tagline into color form, it’s vivid fuchsia and Milan is depicted in a fiery Italian red hue.

Originally I had just wanted to get the London polish but this was such a bargain (I actually do drink diet Coke) that I ended up getting all four. Surprisingly I am actually loving the New York hot pink shade (which my lovely friend referred to as 'homewrecker pink') so have that adorning my nails at present! I think this is a brilliant bargain so will possibly even pick up a few more should I be buying diet Coke in Boots over the next 6 weeks!

Not all beauty and glamour!

Unfortunately my life is not all glamour... Recently I had the lovely experience of a blocked shower drain meaning a shower consisted of running the water for 2 minutes, letting it drain for 5 - all for fear of flooding the place!

I think this was due to a previous tenant having broken the bit you pull out to keep the drain cleared which meant that I couldn't clear it out on a regular basis and my long hair and the residue from the various products I use gradually clogged it! Damn you Lush and your luscious bubbles!! :(

I tried everything I could think of (pouring hot water down it, using a plunger and so on) before I gave in and tried using chemicals... However, in the end the only thing that worked was Mr Muscle Sink and Drain Foamer.


You put this down the drain, the liquid from the two compartments mix in the process and it foams up and all you have to do is leave it to do its magic for two hours. I was sceptical at first but I have to admit, it worked a charm! I think I'll be keeping this in stock from now on! At only €4.33 from Tesco it certainly worked out much cheaper than getting a plumber in!!

Lush Shower Gels

When tidying my stash this weekend just gone I discovered that I have *way* too much Lush shower gel ~ twelve different ones to be honest!!

This is about as creative as I get (Google Images and Microsoft Paint!)

Here's a list of what I have (and a bit on what Lush says about them!) and if anyone wants a review of a particular one just let me know in the comments section.

Regular Range:

*Yummy Yummy Yummy (100g): "It's a deliciously fragrant strawberry and almond cream for the skin.... created with wonderfully natural ingredients: fresh strawberries, soothing honey and moisturising almond oil, with a drop of rejuvenating olibanum."

Flying Fox (100g): "has the stunningly sensual scent of jasmine, ylang, cypress and palmarosa. It's is so relaxing that even the most frantic, frazzled person will relax into a restful mood after a warm shower."

Happy Hippy (100g): "The smiley and revitalizing grapefruit one. Our pink grapefruit shower gel is a magic potion to make the office seem inviting and dreary Monday mornings. It's made with fresh, organic pink grapefruits."

The Olive Branch (250g): "The Olive Branch has a welcoming, Mediterranean warmth to it, with organic olive oil to soften your skin, an infusion of vine leaves, sea salt and the fresh juice of mandarins."

*Tramp (250g): "Tramp is beautiful, lovely and gorgeous. It is soothing, calming and refreshing for the skin. White horehound calms the mind and lifts the spirits, balm infusion is soothing and oakmoss keeps it healthy. It smells of mature, earthy patchouli, which will entrance your senses."

*Both Yummy Yummy Yummy and Tramp are on the current discon list and will be leaving the shelves shortly. Rumour has it that Tramp will be a retro item in future but there are no guarantees when that will happen.

Forum/Shop Specials:

Butterball (500g): Smells like shea butter and cocoa butter and has a similar creamy consistency to Yummy Yummy Yummy, but is supposed to be more moisturising. If you like sweet, rich foodie scents then you'll definitely like it. To me, this smells like a Frappacino!

The Comforter (500g):I adore this smell and I have to be honest and say that since I got this shower gel all others (bar flying Fox) have been seriously neglected! It is a beautiful blackcurrant fragrance that to me really does signify pure comfort as it reminds me so much of drinking hot blackcurrant drinks as a child.
"Just like it's namesake, this luxurious shower gel is just as wonderfully fragrant as LUSH's The Comforter bubble bar. It's made with cypress and bergamot oils and tantalizing cassis for mysterious and seductive showering pleasure."

(Ingredients: Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume, Cocoamphoacetate Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Colour 45410, Colour 17200.)

Avoshower (500g): “Imagine the loveliness that is Avobath, with its fresh lemongrass fragrance to wake you up in the morning and put a spring in your step. Now imagine that same stirring scent in a shower gel….. Well, you can start clapping your hands and hopping up and down in glee because Avoshower is here!”

(Ingredients: Lemongrass Infusion (Cymbopogon schoenanthus), Water (Aqua) , Sodium Alkyl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fine Sea Salt, Glyceryl Staerat – PEG 100, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Cetearate, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Betaine, Organic Avacado Oil (Persea gratissima), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon schoenanthus), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Perfume, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides) , Green Glitter ((Polyethylene terephthalate), Methylparaben, Propylparaben.))

Aura Suavis (500g): "The Aura Suavis Shower Gel is made with all the essential oils deemed necessary to balance your aura. We've made pink to represent the way a balanced aura is supposed to appear. We have clary sage to help you see things in perspective and enhance your inner perception, and we have coriander, named the spice of happiness by the Ancient Egyptians. Spearmint is used to refresh a tired mind, and geranium wakes you up and lifts the spirits? The Aura Suavis also gives you a lovely aura of clean, perfumed skin, detectable by almost everybody."
(Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume, Clary Sage Oil, Geranium Oil, Spearmint Oil, Gardenia Extract, Colour.)

Retro:

Back for Breakfast (100g and 500g): "Step into the shower with Back for Breakfast, inhale the refreshing lime, grapefruit and lemon oils; feel the smooth honey and fresh juices as they cleanse your body. Lemons help you to think clearly, limes banish anxiety and depression, while grapefruits revive and alleviate stress."

Chai (500g): "Tea is an astringent, so it tones your skin. That's why strong tea feels as if its sucking your mouth inside out when you take the first sip. We mix ours with fresh lemon juice, which is also a very cleansing astringent, plus a stash of spices, including warming ginger, allspice and cinnamon leaf. "

Happy 4 Sad (100g and 500g): "Happy 4 SAD is a cheery shower gel for everyone who doesn't see enough sunshine. To bring some extra light to your life, we've bottled refreshing mandarin oil, grapefruit oil for its traditional anti-depressant properties and rose oxymel to help soothe tension. We also add serious quantities of neroli oil, the one that's been proven to induce euphoria."

Christmas:

Snow Fairy (500g): "Candy floss pink and sweet as sugar with iridescent sparkles and a hint of wicked fruitiness...."

(Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Sea Salt (Sodium chloride), Lactic Acid, Synthetic Musk (Ethylene Brassylate),Cocamide DEA, Titanium Dioxide, Iridescent Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate and Acrylates copolymer), Benzyl Benzoate, Colour 18050, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.)

Forum Party - Lush

As some of you may be aware Lush have a forum for those registered on the site. The forum attached to the lush.co.uk site is called the International Forum for some reason. This is despite the lushusa.com forum being the North America (NA) forum and the lush.com.au forum being the Oz/NZ forum... Not that it really matters anyway!

One of the advantages to the forum is that we 'forumites' are supposed to get previews of upcoming products, the scoop on the discontinued items and so on. In essence it is a place for Lush to keep in contact with those who are most addicted to their products. Recently there has been some grumbling on the forum however as the Facebook page seems to be taking over to a certain extent. Personally I'm all for the information being shared and not too fussed on how it happens!

Another benefit however is that Lush on occasion spoil their forumites by having 'forum parties' where a limited edition/once off product is offered and made up after orders are placed so that only those who order on the day can get their grubby mitts on it! The items can only be ordered by phoning in to mail order between specific times and while this is going on the forum is turned into a party playground with people posting about how difficult it is to get through and the Lush staff running competitions throughout the day.

Lush had a forum party on April 7th to mark the fact that Auntie Pamela was leaving Lush Times and Big Harry was taking over. A number of the forumites weren't too thrilled however as many of the products offered weren't new and had been or would be offered as shop specials. One example being that my adorable friend had phoned me on the Saturday to say that the Cork store were selling Karma (shower) jelly and that she had picked one up for me... Only for it to be offered at the forum party the following Wednesday! Also, I ordered the Aura Suavis shower gel from the Forum party... Only to see it in my local store before my order arrived! Regardless it was lovely to take part in the Forum party: the choosing what I wanted to get, the agony of trying to get through, the stress of making sure I ordered exactly what I wanted and didn't forget anything... it was all part of the experience!!

The products offered were a combination of those made to order and some that had been 'discovered' in the stockroom apparently. You had to get in early to get the items that were already made but all others were going to be made afterwards, meaning that the orders would take a few weeks to arrive.


The items available were:

Made to Order:
Comforter Shower Gel (500g) ~ £11.95
Aura Suavis Shower Gel (500g) ~ £14.95
Karma Shower Jelly (100g) ~ £4.25B Electro Shower Gel (500g) ~ £19.50

Items 'discovered' were:
Avoshower Gel (500g) ~ £14.95 (made February 2010)
Avoshower Gel (250g) ~ £8.25 (made February 2010)
Butterball Shower Gel (500g) ~ £10.50 (made February 2010)
Snow Fairy Shower Gel (500g) ~ £5.95 (Special discounted price! +1 free Snow Fairy Solid Perfume with every bottle ordered) (Made December 2009)


Also on offer were all of the new products (which were not due instore for another few weeks) and the 100g bottles of the retro products.


I already had Butterball shower gel, Snow Fairy SG and solid perfume, and the Karma jelly, and am waiting on some B Electro to be sent on to me from where I had it sent to my friends house in Boston!(Lush NA don't deliver internationally!) I ordered Comforter, Aura Suavis and Avoshower. Each order also got three free mini bath ballistics and mine were: Blackberry, Big Blue and Think Pink.

My Order :)

I tried to phone from 10am and finally got through at 10:25am - seemed like the longest 25 minutes ever as I must have redialled the number about 100 times! The girl who took my order was absolutely adorable but in my nervousness I didn't actually catch her name!

All in all I loved the experience of the party... Or did I just love the fact that I now get to shower in Comforter?? Either way, roll on the next party!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Comforter Lotion the next time! What's that you say?? 5 pots?? Don't mind if I do!! :P

Review: Volcano Foot Mask

Today I decided that this is a product I probably won't repurchase. It's not that it is a bad product as such, it's just one that I don't find practical and don't really get the hype about!

I have purchased two pots of this and finished neither of them. One I used about 1/2 of and today I threw out a pot that I can only recall using once! Volcano foot scrub has a shelf life of only 3 months and I just don't use it often enough to make it worth purchasing. The texture is almost putty-like in my opinion and the smell is unusual, although one I am getting used to as it is the same scent as H'Suan Wen Hua which is now a staple for me!

It requires you to cover your feet in the mask, wrap them in plastic (cling film or old plastic bags), sit for 10-15 minutes and then scrub it off. It drives me insane that I am so limited for those 10-15 minutes. Have you ever tried to walk with your feet covered in plastic?? As someone who is naturally clumsy it is virtually impossible for me!

Like I said, not a bad product; I've loved the results when I have taken the time to do it! Unfortunately it's just a product that isn't for me and two pots later I've decided to spend my money on better things! Does anyone else feel the same about this? Or indeed about other products?

Review: Vanillary Perfume

Firstly I have to admit that I am not a perfume fan, I'd love to be but it is one thing that I have identified that triggers my migraines :( As a result when I first got into Lush I never passed a second glance on their two liquid fragrances - Karma and Vanillary.

Then came Christmas... And the quandry of what to get for one of my best friends - a fellow Lushie! Knowing she loved Lush and loved Vanilla scents (something I usually detest!) it seemed *way* too simple - a Vanilla Scoop giftset from Lush!! It contains vanilla dee-light body lotion, a vanilla puff dusting powder, a vanilla fountain bath bomb and the Vanillary fragrance all in a gorgeous hat box! (For those considering buying it as a gift for someone, hope your wrapping skills are better than mine!) Well, when my friend finally unwrapped the gift and I got a whiff of the scent I was hooked - and promptly ordered a Vanilla Scoop as a gift to myself!!

I would probably have been better off just ordering the perfume and the body lotion to be honest as I haven't used the dusting powder yet (4 months later!) and I have given away the bath bomb as I don't like baths. The perfume however, is now a staple and gets used at least 3-4 times a week. As someone who isn't in the habit of wearing perfume for fear it triggers a migraine this is equivalent to applying a perfume 5-6 times a day for a regular perfume user!! I adore the scent and, touch wood!, it hasn't triggered a migraine so far!!

I'm not very good with scents but the Vanillary fragrance is less sweet than most vanilla fragrances I have experienced and seems to have many more layers to it. It has a hint of sandalwood and burnt caramel to it and lasts for ages on the skin (and in your hair!). There are times when I have still been able to smell it the next morning having had it on for almost 24 hours.

The thing that prompted me to write this review? The compliments I have gotten! On a few nights out in recent times the menfolk have picked up on the scent (maybe there is some truth to the way to their hearts being through their stomachs?) and a number of women have sniffed me out to ask what the fragrance was! The best compliment however was from my cousin's little girl who informed me that I smelled like a princess!! Isn't that what every girl wants?? :)

My New Obsession: Urban Decay eyeshadows

My newest obsession is Urban Decay eyeshadow. I love the vibrant colours and how easy it is to apply. Of course, as usual I have gone OTT and in a short length of time (6 weeks) have purchased all four of the currently available eyeshadow palettes but they are being used, as are the mini primer potions which are something I would never have considered purchasing in the past!


Sustainable Shadow Box:


This was my first ever Urban Decay purchase and I am in love with it! The set is really eyecatching and comes presented in eco-friendly packaging. The case itself is made from bamboo and the interior tray which holds the eyshadows is made from recycled paper.

This box contains 10 Shadows, an applicator and Mini Eyeshadow Primer. The shades included are:

• Flash (bright iridescent purple),
• Flipside (electric teal w/ blue sheen)
• Grifter (sheer lavender w/ lots of silver microglitter)
• Half Baked (subtle, lustrous bronze)
• Kiddie Pool (ocean blue w/ iridescent glitter)
• Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (golden beige w/ bronze, gold & silver glitter)
• Oil Slick (black with silver glitter)
• Twice Baked (brownie brown w/ gold glitter)
• Uzi (metallic silver w/ big iridescent sparkles)
• YDK (bronzed mocha w/ golden microglitter)

Deluxe Shadow Box:

This set contains a mini Eye Shadow Primer Potion as well as two applicators in addition to the 9 Deluxe Eye Shadows:

• Fishnet (light purple)
• Graffiti (green)
• Honey (gold)
• Peace (turquoise)
• Ransom (dark purple)
• Scratch (champagne)
• Shag (bronze)
• Underground (fawn)
• Zero (black)

The casing is very 'bling' as it is wrapped in faux purple suede and features a window of irresistibly touchable shiny silver mesh on the front.


Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box:

This limited edition eyeshadow box was released to celebrate Urban Decay's tenth birthday. When you open the box you are presented with 10 of UDs best-selling shadows arranged as five sets of coordinating duos.

This eye shadow box contains the shades of:

• Chopper (coppery fawn w/ silver microglitter)
• Grifter (sheer lavender w/ lots of silver microglitter)
• Last Call (plum punch)
• Maui Wowie (antique gold with silver glitter)
• Mildew (deep green)
• Oil Slick (black with silver glitter)
• Polyester Bride (white w/ silver glitter)
• Shattered (bright green/blue shift)
• Sin (champagne)
• Smog (deep bronze)

The Urban Decay Ammo Shadow Box is covered in a touchable, matte black paper with overlapping textures of violet metallic foil and rich velvety flocking. It comes complete with a perfectly sized mirror, applicators and a magnetic closure to ensure that it will stay closed in your handbag.

This is the only eyeshadow box I have purchased from Urban Decay that did not come with eyeshadow primer potion.

Preen Shadow Box:
This set contains 6 eyeshadows (only one with glitter!) and also comes with a 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Zero (black) and a mini eyeshadow primer potion in a really cute bottle.

The colours in this set are

• Flash (electric purple)
• Mildew (deep green)
• Painkiller (turquoise shimmer)
• Smog (deep bronze)
• Snatch (peachy-pink w/glitter)
• Toasted (copper)

This palatte is one that you could use for day-to-day wear and also for going out. It's ideal for packing for holidays as it is quite versatile with the shades ranging from neutral to quite bright.


Matt eyeshadow:

The one problem that I have with the Urban Decay eyeshadows is that the majority of them have a large amount of glitter in them. I love a small amount of glitter at times, but not to the extent that it goes everywhere. I purchased the matt eyeshadow in Yeyo so that I can use this as a base and hopefully reduce the amount of glitter as a result!

Boots Haul

I got a notion into my head yesterday that I wanted to go to the Boots in Liffey Valley so off I went. This was inspired by a quest for the Preen eyeshadow box from Urban Decay which is my latest obsession! (I will be dedicating an entire blog post to Urban Decay as soon as I find the lead for my camera!)


Boots were doing an offer where instead of the usual 4 points per €1 spent you got 10 per €1 spent if your purchase came to over €22. You also got a voucher for €7.50 off Ruby and Millie if you spent over a certain amount. I ended up doing three different transactions in order to take advantage of the offers.


My first transaction was:


The Preen Shadow Box from Urban Decay

This comes with 6 colours (two of which are exclusive to this set: Snatch (peachy-pink with glitter) and Painkiller (turquoise shimmer)), Zero 24/7 eyeliner pencil and a mini eyeshadow Primer Potion.


From No7 range:

A Foundation brush

Stay Perfect eyeshadow Palatte in Smoky Mint

Stay Perfect Lip Lacquer in Lovely Pink


And because I spent so much on the No7 range I was entitled to a free "Pink Box" which has 6 mini No7 products in it.


This transaction put me well over €22 so I got plenty of points and also gained a voucher for €7.50 off Ruby and Millie. I'd already been eyeing up some of the products so decided to have a little look to see what I could use the voucher for.


Second Transaction:

I found a Smoky Eyes Kit from Ruby & Millie for €19.50 which contained 4 eyeshadows in pink, light blue, grey and a dark blue, a black eyeliner (with smudger) and a really decent double ended eyeshadow brush. At only €12 when using the voucher it was a bargain I couldn't leave behind!

Unfortunately the Ruby & Millie concession was really close to the nail varnishes and I couldn't help having a look.

My lack of willpower meant that I also ended up purchasing 3 nail polishes from 17: Cocoa Berry (from the High Gloss range) and Mint Choc Chip and Orange Soda (from the Lasting Fix range). They too had an offer on so I got a free "Nautical But Nice!" makeup collection.


Of course this transaction meant I got yet another €7.50 off Ruby & Millie voucher so I ended up carrying out a third transaction and getting a 7mm eye liner brush which came to exactly €7.50 and refused to let myself look at any other products!!

So approximately €95 left behind me in Boots but I feel I got plenty of bargains with my free makeup brush, free 17 set and free No7 gift set! I also nabbed about €10 in points which means I now have over €35 worth so my next spree may be free!

Lush: Emotibomb review

Prior to the discon announcement one of the items that was rumoured was to be going to be discontinued was the range of emotibombs! I could actually cry at the thoughts of this because these are one of my mainstays that I rely on to restore me to the little sanity I have left after a tough day at work!! They've been saved this time but I need to face up to the fact that in time some of my beloved products will be no more!



I'm so obsessed with emotibombs that as some of you will know I recently placed an order from the Australian Lush site as they had the Up the Wooden Hill emotibomb which is a more relaxing one and ideal for bedtime.

Up the Wooden Hill:
Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Lavender Oil (Lavandula augustifolia), Lavender Absolute (Lavandula augustifolia), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Neroli Oil (Citrus amara).

Description:
"...If you've only got time for a shower (or you've only got a shower), you can use a lavender, camomile and neroli scented Up the Wooden Hill for a quick, powerful dose of sleeping potion. Brush your teeth first before you get into the shower because you might be too sleepy afterwards."

My take on it:
These are amazing. Even just the smell of them in my room helped me to sleep better. They're a lovely burst of Lavender without being overpowering and I am going to use them sparingly to make them last as long as possible.



The emotibombs that are more readily available due to the fact that they are in the stores here and on the Lush.co.uk website are:


Too Drunk (aka 'Too Drunk to F**k')

Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Perfume, Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), Tagetes Oil (Tagetes minuta), Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Fennel Oil (Foeniculum vulgare), Chocolate Bean

Description:
It has essential oils of peppermint, tagetes, fennel and reviving sweet wild orange to refresh you, soothe a sore head and bring you back to life. Just stick one in the shower, turn on the water and stand there - or sit if you can't manage being vertical - getting drenched, until it all feels a bit better. Of course, you don't have to have a hangover to use one.

My take on it:
This is probably my least favourite of the emotibombs although there are days where I am drawn to them so I still keep one or two in the house just in case. The smell isn't really definable in comparison to the other emotibombs but I do love the shape of them and the fact that they aren't just plain white.



Up You Gets

Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Perfume, Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum)

Description:
"If you need to wake up in the morning, Up You Gets with this reviving Emotibomb. While it can't give you winning lottery numbers, it can send its tiny little fragrance molecules clambering up your nostrils to give you a lime, lemon and grapefruit slap. There isn't anything that works better than this. Nothing legal anyway."

My take on it:
I love this emotibomb. I find it really does what it says to give you a boost both in energy and in emotional well-being as it seems to uplift my spirit as well as my flagging energy levels. It's a vibrant, almost summery scent and when paired with Happy Hippy shower gel puts a smile on my face and a pep in my step!



Sex In The Shower

Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Perfume, Juniper Berry Oil (Juniperus communis), Ginger Oil (Zingiber officinale), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Rose Oil (Rosa damascena), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum), Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), Mimosa Absolute (Acacia decurrens)

Description:
"Our new Sex in the Shower Emotibomb encourages people to share a shower to conserve water. As the warm water touches its surface, wafts of sensual scents entwine themselves around you. Get some soap and lather your partner all over. Just remember to turn the water off while you're in a lather. With great showers comes great responsibility."

My take on it:
Without a doubt this is my favourite of all the emotibombs I have tried. As a single girl I can't vouch for its aphrodesiac properties (and being honest I'm not sure I'd be willing to share it!) but this product never fails to calm and destress me after a tough day. If this shows up on a discontinuation list in the future without a good alternative having been made available I can guarantee I will be stashing about 50 of them to get me through!!

Lush Discon List Spring 2010

The dreaded discon list was announced on the Lush forum by Hilary on Friday 23rd April...

So the following products will be disappearing from the stores and the website:

Happy Pill bath bomb
Supernova bath bomb
Q10 Toner Tab
Mirror Mirror neck cream
Razorantium shaving cream
Shave the Planet shaving cream
Tramp shower gel
Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel
Crash Course In Skincare fresh face mask
Candy Fluff Dusting Powder
Karma Dusting Powder
I Should Coco soap
Hard Shampoo Bar
Soft Shampoo Bar

It's a Wrap is also going to be discontinued.



Out of all of these products It's A Wrap and the Crash Course In Skincare fresh face mask were actually the only things I had used so it didn't hit me too hard... Crash Course In Skincare fresh face mask is the one I use when my beloved BB Seaweed is out of stock but I'm not overly dedicated to it. I find the smell of yogurt can be a bit much.

The announcing of the discon list has (not surprisingly) spurred me on to get my hands on some of the products before they were discontinued. As a result my last trip to Lush saw me splashing out on some I Should Coco soap and a small bottle of Yummy Yummy Yummy. They didn't seem to have any Tramp in stock so I have ordered some of that from the website. We've been told that it is almost definitely going into the Retro range before long so that fans can still get their hands on it.

I have also ordered two of the It's A Wrap from the website as I love the one I have in my bathroom and it is getting very crowded so I have been putting off buying another for the last while... I think it's a great bargain at only £9.95stg off Lush.co.uk when you consider that it is a Fairtrade product and includes three of the tins which bought separately would retail at £8.40stg. Not sure what I will do with all the massage bar tins I am accumulating though so might ask one of the sales assistants if there is any chance I can swop them for body butter tins as I find them a much better shape! Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Worst they can say is no!