I've got some shit skin.

I've long been riddled with the dreaded "combination skin" (somehow oily and dry at the same time), and a face full of blackheads as a result. Lately things have gotten even worse with some hardcore severe cystic acne (we're talking huge lumps all over my face. Children stare. Strangers try to tell me what I need to do about it. It's not pretty).

So suffice it to say that I have some, ah, special needs skin. Drugstore products just weren't cutting it. Face washes left me incredibly dry, and moisturizers left me feeling just about as dry as without them at worst, or the dreaded greasy-yet-still-kinda-dry at best.

The tipping point for me came when I tried to start wearing makeup to help lessen the appearance of these nasty cysts. Unfortunately for me, I have such extremely pale skin that every BB cream (something that's supposed to be sheer and easy to match!) I could find was still way darker than my skin. I finally found that matched... but it was labelled as being for acne treatment as well. While it certainly wasn't going to help my acne (cystic acne is hormonal, so regular acne products don't do anything to it), I hoped it would at least cover it. Well, it did... and it also wrecked my skin. I'm talking dead skin flakes up to an inch big! It was so painful.

So in my desperation, I decided to give up drug store stuff (and prices) if it meant I could get something that actually treated my skin well. I found Lush.

If you're not familiar with the brand, Lush is focused on natural, handmade, almost entirely vegan (some products have honey) products that aren't tested on animals. And man, is this stuff awesome.

First off, they have a makeup that actually matches my skin tone! While it doesn't look so pretty on my flaky dead skin (what makeup would?), it looks amazing on the clearer parts of my face. Secondly, I bought a hardcore moisturizer to try to heal my face after that dragon scale fiasco. I was also given a free sample of a gentle clay scrub that I've been using every few days to help remove dead skin and makeup from my pores, and it always makes my skin feel amazing. And, alright, I fell prey to a checkout counter impulse buy and bought a face steamer tab. I probably would have gotten similar results just using hot water by itself, but it was a nice experience!

It's been a couple weeks now, and I have to say I'm addicted! My skin is slowly healing from the havoc wreaked on it by the last makeup, and my skin feels so lovely and... taken care of! It's verrrry tempting for me to just ditch every single product I use and switch fully over to Lush. Sadly, their stuff is freaking expensive.

Okay, now that I've prattled on for quite some time... is anyone else in love with Lush? Curious about them? Tried them and didn't like it?

I've never heard of Lush. I was told once that e.l.f. was vegan, but I never actually bothered to check because I wasn't really attracted to what they were offering at the time. From what I've noticed now, they're a decent substitute to name brands.

Skincare is kind of tough. Even people who have a dermatologist or use weapons-grade (okay, okay, I'm exaggerating a little) medicine seem to have some trouble. For my own personal use, it alters bit by bit depending on the season or what I happen to be wearing. My sister really likes using a tea tree facewash by Trader Joe's. For a little while, she used a cream cleanser from the Yes To company; yes to carrots. I wasn't sure how to feel about it, but I suspected it's because I was unused to the feel of a cream facewash. I'm a fan of their products, though, and use the facial wipes when I don't want to go to the sink. I also don't wash my face with products very often; I used a hot washcloth and wipe it each morning and each night. Kind of like a mini facial to remove any makeup at night, and then excess drool, sweat, oil, etc. from sleeping in the morning. I also take care to change my pillow cases fairly frequently.

I guess for my own routine, I will use an alcohol-less rosewater witch hazel as a toner, and sometimes I will put a little jojoba oil on my fingers and rub it over my cheeks and around my eyes. The oil doesn't dirty my skin, and it leaves it very soft (and able to apply makeup very nicely). If I want to use a BB cream, I have the Korean Holika Holika watery one; I have pale skin as well, and it works beautifully. There's an assortment of powders that I might use to set the cream, but really, from this point the makeup is kind of a personal preference choice.

However, I did just discover L'Oreal's new "infallible lacquer" gel liner, and holy shit. It goes on really nicely (comes with a cute little brush) and doesn't come off.
I actually have difficulty getting the black one off, so it's kind of nice. Through the day my eyelids get glossy (or sweaty, whatever) and makeup looks creased even with a primer. This stuff stays and doesn't fade. If black isn't your deal, the brown one (there's an espresso and a bronze, and I use the bronze) is really pretty and is easier to remove.

I went to Lush once and got the Silky Underwear Dusting Powder (I think it was actually on Cherry's recommendation, LOL!). I liked it and it was definitely a step up from your average baby powder but the packaging just wasn't my thing. I ended up dumping it into a pan and using a powder puff to apply it. It was nice though kind of expensive but I'd consider getting some more.

Looking at the cleansers, I think I might be interested in trying the Angels on Bare Skin cleanser. Looking at the price it's not too far off of what I'm using for the same amount of product. I'm tempted to give it a try. My skin was clearing up really nicely until I had my monthly and now it's just a mess. I haven't been able to sort it out at all, lots of blemishes on my cheeks and chin and they just aren't healing up or going away. I also like the YesTo brand but though it's good for a normal everyday cleanser it just doesn't seem to cut it when I'm having breakouts.

I've also been having very dry skin this winter. I did find a product that really works but it's mega expensive: THIRSTYMUD™ Hydrating Treatment - GLAMGLOW | Sephora It dried up my flakes pretty much overnight each time but the bottle is tiny and cost like $20. Still, if you only use a little at a time only a few times a week I think it would last most of the season so that's not too bad in my book. Still, the skin drink moisturizer from Lush is more bang for your buck if it works well. I wouldn't want to get it until I finish up the Glamglow stuff (I have too many beauty products lying around as it is) but maybe I can keep that in mind for next winter.

Along with the dry skin I've had some severely chapped lips so that The Kiss Lip Scrub looks like it would be right up my alley. I'd definitely give that a try since I've been having a super hard time finding any good lip scrubs.

Darn you Cherry, you're making me want to go back to Lush! To be honest I was pretty uncomfortable with my experience when I went last time. I sort of knew what I wanted to buy already but the sales person was kind of pushy and made me try out all sorts of different things. Since I'm sort of shy it didn't really end well. I didn't want to be pressured into buying things I wasn't sure I wanted but felt bad for only buying the one thing after she showed me everything else... V_V

---------- Post added 02-12-2015 at 10:22 AM ----------

Hm, I just looked up the cleanser on the Beautypedia and they don't really give it a good review:

Lush - Angels on Bare Skin: Reviews

I like the site because they give summaries of products and brands that make sense. Sometimes I agree with their opinions, other times not so much. One good point they have though is about jar packaging. Whenever you have to put your hands in a jar to get the product out it is contaminating it. In that respect tube products are much better so I'm not sure if I'd actually go for this cleanser or not. I'm just desperate to get my face under control at the moment. Just when I thought things were looking up for my skin my hormones messed everything up again. >.<

LUSH makes me so happy. I'm glad you found them Cherry.....cause it's right up your alley for sure. I almost took a job there part time a few Christmases ago JUST so I could get the 50% employee discount (you heard right)...but it interfered with my job's hours...which paid better. I even got in their Fresh magazine once after I snapped a picture of myself using one of their fresh face masks!

Here's my goobery face (top w/ glasses) in it wearing the Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask


My favorite products are (in no particular order):
Ro's Argan Body Conditioner Ro's Argan It's glorious. Smells like a dream, and the smell really clings and lingers. You apply it right at the end of your shower (I use it after I shave my gams) and then rinse it off. It conditions and softens your skin. Perfection!

Silky Underwear Silky Underwear Dusting Powder This bad boy can go anywhere after your shower. I dust it on my arms, under my armpits, etc just because it makes your skin supremely soft and it smells like jasmine. It's great in the summer time when the humidity makes your skin stick. Sometimes I dust a little on just before I go to bed because I love the smell.

Tea Tree Toner Tabs Tea Tree Toner Tabs Treat yo self! ;) I nab these little beauties on occasion and they're great. After you're done doing a steam with them, you can use the reserve liquid on your skin with a warm washcloth, gently patting it on your face. Or, if you have distilled water, toss it in a spray bottle and spritz it on.

Cupcake Mudmask Cupcake I have that combo skin too, Cherry. It's never fun. But this fresh mudmask soothes your skin and makes it smell like chocolate.....oh so good. It's got a nice peppermint oil after tingle to it too, and your skin will feel nice and tight without being over dry. Lovely!

BIG Shampoo BIG This is such a good treat for your hair. I just can't use it daily, because the sea salt can dry out your hair too much. BUT, it gives great volume, smells amazing, and just really really cleanses your scalp and hair like nothing else. It's your friend if you have fine or flat hair...or if you just need a boost once in a while.

Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo Cynthia Sylvia Stout This smells like beer. Not gonna lie. But, not in a bad way at all. I really love the scent, but it might not be everyone's cup. It's got a nice dark stout scent (thanks to the beer they put in it) as well as an herbal citrusness to it. It's another scent that just lingers in your hair all day, in a very lovely way. It's also vegan and it makes your hair really shine. I've got a bottle in my shower right now!

I can go on and on...trust me. So I'll keep it short this time. There are seasonal goodies I'm gaga over (I've got Rose Jam shower gel right now from Christmas and I miss their Twilight scent so much!).

Give their solid shampoos a try too guys! I haven't had one I've been disappointed with. If you're travelling, grab one. Honestly, one bar will last 3 or 4 months so long as you take it out of the shower every time you use it and make sure it's nice and dry. The one time I left it in...well.. RIP little guy. When I went to the west coast for 4 months, I survived off of just one the entire time. They're such a money saver in the long run.


I'll stop ranting. ;)

Great names

They always have cute names :3

I'm jealous that you folks all have Lush stores near you! If I wanted to visit one, I'd have to drive down to NYC. And if I'm going to visit the City, I wouldn't be spending time shopping like that.

I've always been curious about their product, especially since people started posting photos of their bath bombs on tumblr. But it's tough to pick out bath/body stuff without being able to smell it and feel it. Ordering it online is tough since you have to base everything off the product descriptions and reviews, and that stuff isn't always accurate. I'd much rather check it out in person.

Some of those face masks are ridiculously tempting, though...

I've heard of Lush, their stuff is pretty cool! I haven't tried any of their skin products (their extremely expensive!!), but I do like some of the perfumes there. I haven't been there in a long while. There isn't a Lush anywhere near me, the nearest one is two hours away from where I live. I don't get to drive two hours to shop at Lush And I don't have that kind of money, either, so that is a no. I like to window shop for the stuff that I really like. I have a tendency to do that ^^;

Originally Posted by Knerd

I'm jealous that you folks all have Lush stores near you! If I wanted to visit one, I'd have to drive down to NYC. And if I'm going to visit the City, I wouldn't be spending time shopping like that.

I've always been curious about their product, especially since people started posting photos of their bath bombs on tumblr. But it's tough to pick out bath/body stuff without being able to smell it and feel it. Ordering it online is tough since you have to base everything off the product descriptions and reviews, and that stuff isn't always accurate. I'd much rather check it out in person.

Some of those face masks are ridiculously tempting, though...

You really can't go wrong with a face mask, Knerd, they're great. I'd keep a watch out. They're popping up like daisies now all over the place. When I first started shopping there was just one in my state. Now there are 4. Two within easy distance.


And you can easily drop a lot of cash there if you're not careful, Wanderer. I always have a budget or 2/3 item limit so I don't break the bank every time. Plus, they give you up to three samples each time. More if you ask nicely ;) ;)

I never got any samples when I bought the Silky powder. How depressing...

Oooh. Just ask away and they'll hook you up. Sometimes they give nice big samples too. :D I always express an interest in something I've not tried and if they don't say they'll give me some to try I cave and ask. I just got a sample of the dry shampoo, though, I might give that to someone else. I shower daily else my fine hair (and my combo skin) would hate me. I just though if I was going out at night it might be nice to sprinkle in and see if it revives my hair a bit if it went all blah.

Yay, some fellow Lush addicts!

To those not sure... like others are saying, they do give free samples a-plenty. I mean, within reason - you would need to seem legitimately interested, there's a limit, it probably helps if you're actually buying something... But the sales people are supposed to suggest lots of products to you based on what you communicate your needs to be, so they're always happy to send you off with a sample if you're curious but wary of the price. And it's nice to just walk around and smell everything. Knerd, I'd definitely suggest stopping in next time you're in NYC. If for nothing else, then to sniff the bath bombs. I've given 'em all a sniff and you'd really be surprised by which ones do and don't smell good - some that sound amazing smell straight up nasty, and some that sound weird smell great. So you've really got to smell them to know for sure.

I've been waiting for their new shampoo bars for months now.... I can't wait to get my hands on Jason and the Argan Oils

Jason And The Argan Oil Solid Shampoo | Shampoo Bars | LUSH

Mostly because it smells like their Ro's Argan Body Conditioner.

Shampoo bar... Hm... Have you tried one before?

Yup! I get them all the time. They're awesome. It'll outlast a regular bottle of shampoo (or two) by a long ways. Just make sure and get it out of the shower after you use it, cause it'll melt. :/

I've used Seanik, New!, Jumping Juniper, and the Ultimate Shine bars. Ultimate Shine and Seanik were my favorites.

Ugh... I guarantee you I would forget to bring it back into the shower every single time, and I wouldn't remember it until I was completely and thoroughly soaked.

<.< I've done that. If I leave it out on the sink I remember it. :P

I see there are tins available to store it in. Could you just leave the tin in the shower?

Yaah. I've done that. But it always get damp some how, you know? I keep the tin right outside the shower on the floor so I can pop it back in when I'm done. Then I just leave it open to make sure it's nice and dry. Cause honestly, if you do that it'll last for a few months. And I shower daily (thank you oily skin).

Interesting! Though I'm still not sure if it's for me. My hair is prone to greasy build up, even though I shower daily. Once this... oil slick developed on the back of my head, and none of my normal shampoos would get rid of it! I ended up having to use Dawn. Freaking dish soap. Then I found an "deep cleanse" shampoo from tresemme that cleared it up and kept it away, and I've been terrified to try any other shampoo since.

I hope you give one of them a try! I have silly hair too. It's fine and it will go from dry and poof, to nice, to oil in 0-60. Even if I shower before bed, I have to still the next day cause half way through the day my hair says, "nope!" Some of the LUSH ones are meant for cleanses like Seanik, but then Ultimate Shine is a nice, every day mild kinda shampoo. Worst case scenario, if it doesn't work out nice for you, give it to your boy!

Honestly, the only products I stay away from are Lush conditioners. I've yet to find one that I like that washes out nicely (in my hair type) or actually conditions well enough to work a comb through.

Mm, I do like "sea" shampoos. I used to use this really nice Head & Shoulders shampoo called Ocean Lift, or something to that effect. It smelled so nice, and made my hair lay so smooth and beautifully. I absolutely loved it! Then they very abruptly changed the formula - it smelled like plastic, didn't do nice things for my hair anymore, and while using it is when that gross "oil slick" developed. I'm still so sad that it, as I knew it, is gone!

Conditioners are one thing I'm not very picky on. I like them to keep my hair moisturized and help it lay smooth. But I have wavy/curly, frizz-prone hair so I don't have high expectations of it at all. That's what my mousse is for. I did just switch to a new conditioner after finding that something on sale makes my hair feel noticeably silkier. Body washes are another area I'm not picky - I just use suave like a cheapskate.

I go back and forth on body wash. Lush stuff, then I love the lavender scented Bronner's castille soap.

It's annoying. If I don't get a rich enough shampoo, it's hell to comb through my hair. If it's too rich, then it makes it all limp. We need magic wands for perfect hair. I'm convinced that's half of what the witches did at Hogwarts....made all their cosmetic woes go away. ;)

I know Lush! I have been there several times. Their soaps smell amazing! I received a free sample once of one of their sea salt scrubs as well.

Originally Posted by Cherry Who?

Conditioners are one thing I'm not very picky on. I like them to keep my hair moisturized and help it lay smooth. But I have wavy/curly, frizz-prone hair so I don't have high expectations of it at all. That's what my mousse is for.

Out of curiosity - What mousse do you use?
I used to swear by Suave, since the old formula was so thick and heavy that it would penetrate even my tangled nest of hair, but they changed it last year. Now I'm on the hunt for new recommendations.

Darn companies, messing around with products that worked just fine!