New Soaps!

We have most of the new soaps at my store, and I've been able to try them all! Here's what I think of them.

Porridge
This is my favorite of the new ones, and the only one I bought to use at home. Upon first cutting this soap, one gets a nutty, almost toast-like scent. As the scent matures, you smell the orange and molasses in it, like a tasty breakfast cereal bar.

In the shower, Porridge is creamy and lathers well, though it disappears quite quickly. I think if I let it cure a bit, that would solve the disappearing issue. The ground oats provide a nice scrub, though there are a lot of them! I would probably like just a few less oats myself... they're a bit of a pain to make sure I wash them all down the drain. It's a nicely moisturizing soap, and I usually don't use lotion or a body butter afterward.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Godmother
This one is really cute, and comes in a HUGE round like Honey I Washed the Kids. We also got a fairy stamp with glitter to stamp all over it, though there's no glitter in it. It's a clear-ish pink/purple glycerine soap, soft when it's fresh but not creamy. The scent is very sweet, and smells exactly like Snow Fairy shower gel from last holiday season.

I haven't used this one in the shower, though I've washed my hands with it at work. It seems like it would be a little drying on the skin, as there's really no extra moisturizers in it. The glycerine soaps always seem to be less moisturizing to me. This one seems about like Happy as far as the feel of it. The scent is nice, and does linger on the skin for awhile. It makes a nice combination with Candy Fluff dusting powder.

Rating: 3/5

B Electro
This very brightly colored soap also comes in a large round, with a sun molded onto it, along with three contrasting sunbeam stripes. The scent is very strong, and almost hard to describe. I can definitely get the fennel notes from it, along with the grapefruit, but the other florals are harder to distinguish.

I'm not a fan of this one, other than the color. I don't usually like florals all that much, and the fruity scent just isn't enough to make me want to buy it. I did try it in the store on my hands, and the scent stays, so if you like it, by all means you should get some! I do like the color and design of it, though.

B Electro is another clear glycerine soap, so I think it would be rather drying to use in the shower. Also the scent is very strong, so you'd definitely smell like it for awhile! I think it would be very refreshing and would wake you up in the shower, though.

Rating: 2.5/5

Go Naked!

Yesterday our manager and MIT at my store went NAKED for a half hour to promote unpackaged, "naked" products. They were wearing aprons that said "Ask me why I'm naked!", and handed out brochures on plastic waste and how unpackaged products help lessen our impact on the environment.

We were featured on the KC star website! An interview also played on the Topeka news.

Working at this store has definitely made me more eco-conscious. I never used to think about all the plastic bottles and such that I threw away. Sure, we recycled cans, but that was about it. Now I'm trying to find ways to stay "green" as much as possible. I'm even going to try to buy a bike to ride to work!

Lovely baths

While visiting my parents this past weekend, I had the opportunity to use their nice large bathtub! Being 5'11' is a disadvantage when one wants to take baths, especially when one lives in an apartment with a small tub. So I packed up my stash of bombs, melts, and bubble bar slices for my trip.

Here's some of the bath cocktails I enjoyed on my visit:

Emerald City's Been Mangoed
-Sunny Side BBS
-Avobath Bomb
-You've Been Mangoed Melt

This was a delightful citrus scented bath, perfect to revive me after my long travels. I loved the swirly gold water, which took on a green-gold tint once I added the bath bomb. The melt diminished the bubbles a bit, but it was worth it to get the extra moisturizing effects! I wished I'd brought my Each Peach massage bar to moisturize afterwards, but I didn't really need it.

Jazzy Island
-All That Jas Bomb
-Floating Island Melt

Oh my, what a wonderfully soft bath. The fragrances of jasmine, vanilla, lemon, and sandalwood complimented each other beautifully, and the milky green water was as soothing to the eye as it was to the skin. I used some Silky Underwear powder after the bath and smelled jasmine and vanilla all day.

Blackberry Sugar
-1/4 Comforter BBS
-Blackberry Bomb
-MMM Melt

Sugary sweet! The water started off a bright pink with the Comforter bubbles and MMM melt, then turned a pretty purple-pink once I added the bomb. Again, the melt made the bubbles go away a little faster because of the oils, but I didn't mind too much. I loved how the bomb left a purple topping on the mounds of bubbles, too! It left me feeling girly and sweet. I wished I'd brought my Snow Fairy to wash my hair, but American Cream conditioner complimented the sweetness.

Now, with all of these, I probably could have done fine with 1/2 of a bomb or melt when I used the whole one. But hey... I was spoiling myself! The only one I'd recommend using the whole slice all the time is Sunny Side, because you really want the effects of the swirly gold water.

Happy bathing, everyone!

Introduction

Hello everyone! I'm glad you've found my blog. I wanted to have a place where I could just rant and rave about my favorite store and its products. What store, you ask? That would be LUSH! (If you didn't figure it out already...)

In case you didn't know, LUSH is a bath product and skincare company that started in the UK about 15 years ago. Its products are all handmade, and use natural and safe synthetic ingredients. They never ever test on animals, and never buy ingredients from companies who test on animals either. Whenever possible, they buy fairly-traded and organic ingredients, and all of their product is minimally packaged.

I've been a fan of LUSH for several years now, ever since a friend of mine bought a gift certificate for my birthday and told me to buy some massage bars to "put my husband to work." I've been hooked! I would pay the extra shipping to have my LUSH soaps, shampoos, and skincare shipped from Canada. I kept begging on the forums and in email for the company to put a store here in my hometown, as every time I traveled I would see if I could visit a store in that town.

Finally, I got the good news that LUSH was opening in my city... in the mall right across the street from where I live! I knew I was going to have to work there, even if only for a few hours a week just to get the employee discount. The store has been open for about two weeks now, and I've been loving every minute I work. I've had to learn a lot about the products and ingredients that go into them, and there's always more to learn!

I can't wait to share more of my experiences and favorites with all of you. Have a LUSH day!