LUSH- first time experience!

NO LONGER A LUSH VIRGIN!

So, I have been reading about Lush for ages, but there is no store in my state, and I couldn't commit to ordering things online. I either would just want to order anything, or in reality was too scared to take the plunge to some of the bizarre looking products!

But last weekend on the way home from NYC, we took a detour and ended up in Boston. I saw people walking around with LUSH bags and sniffed out the store!
It was an incredible experience! My sister, who is 15 was with me, and I thought she'd be bored out of her skull, but she ended up being so excited and jumping up and down saying "OMG can we get this too??? PLEEEASE!" She didn't have to plead too much though, I am in love.

We walked around in a daze for a little while, sniffing stuff, and just taking it all in, but eventually I initiated and asked the lovely sales lady to show me products that would give me a good first impression and get me hooked.

She was definitely good at her job and whisked me over to the sink and used the best sellers which were: Ocean Salt scrub, Dream Cream,and lemony flutter cream. She let us walk around and take our time, but she told us about anything else we had questions about. My sister had a great time with the shower jellies, and I DEFINITELY will be getting a shimmer body moisturizer for the holiday season. I used the iridescent one on my arm and spent the rest of the day looking at it and saying "I'm a fairy!!" I thought my sister would slap me. But hey, it made me feel like a kid again.

Bottom line: I seriously could have bought half the store. I didn't even LOOK at hair products until we were on our way out.

At the end of the venture we left with:

· Dream Cream (which I have since fell in love with, and living in Maine, with 6 months of winter, i will never be without)- I have been using this every day when I get out of the shower, and have really noticed a difference in my skin. I'm tempted to get rid of all my other body lotions and just use this. It soaks right in, providing REAL moisture, and the smell is very pleasant and mild. Plus- a little bit goes a long way!

· Figs & Leaves soap- I have never been a fan of bar soap but with their vast variety I was willing to at least give it a try! This has a very pleasant, unique smell, and tiny exfoliating bits in it. When I use it in the shower, it does make my skin have that weird tight feeling that other soaps do when I rinse off. BUT when I get out and dry off, I notice the difference in my skin, it really is soft, moisturized, and clean. I will definitely be trying more LUSH soaps!

· Cupcake mask (for the sister- who has troublesome teen skin)- Haven't used this one, since it isn't for my skin type, I'll have to check in with the sis for a full review, but it smells DELICIOUS! A little like floral brownie batter! Strange but incredible.

· The seaweed mask for dry skin. I've used this several times since I've had it, and it is fabulous. First of all, just using it fresh from the fridge is very refreshing and reviving to my skin. The seaweed pieces make it exfoliating without being harsh, and my skin feels so soft and clean after! It smells like a product straight from an exclusive spa too! I will continue to use this through the winter to battle the dryness of my skin.

· Soft touch solid moisturizer (we tried this and couldn't stop sniffing our arms the whole way home). I rub this on my hands and feet before going to bed at night and when I wake up in the morning they are silky smooth. I actually have found myself slipping on my hardwood floor because my skin is so soft! Once again, like all LUSH products, the smell is unique but addicting! Love this for winter!

All in all so much fun. I've been using the stuff religiously and really seen a difference in my skin. I am already working on my wishlist for Christmas!

Let me know what your favorite products are so I make sure I don't miss out on anything fabulous!

xoxo

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Now playing: Mariah Carey - Heartbreaker

MAC fluidline is love!

Ok. So after years of hunting, this has been the pot of gold at my eyeliner rainbow!

However, not only is it my HG eyeliner, it is the one product that began my addiction to MAC cosmetics. That is giving it a lot of credit!

I had been using a generic pencil eyeliner, that worked, but by the end of the day it aways looked like I had been in a bar fight, or hadn't slept in six days. We all know the classic smudging. resulting in dark undereye circles. Annoying right?

I had always been sort of intimidated by makeup counters but I was on a mission. I stood by the MAC counter casually looking at the eyeshadows and lipsticks, when a fabulous M.A. asked me if he could help me. I said I had a question about eyeliner, and without hesitation he launched into a demo of every eyeliner they had, telling me the pros and cons of each one. Long story short, he gave me a look and taught me the basics of the fluidline, and it was love at first application!

It is absolutely perfect. It applies smoothly with a brush and you can apply it absolutely any way you want. Once it's on it lasts all day and into the night and does not smudge AT ALL!!!! It does wear off the waterline a little by the end of the day but on lids it lasts for ages. My only itty bitty complaints are.

1) The price. But a pot lasts forever, so it's easy to overlook.

2) I have to line my waterline/bottom lid before I put my contacts in or I get black smudges on my lenses which makes it look like I have black smudges on my eye whites! Ew.

It took me a little practice to get it down (lord it took me a whole summer to learn to apply eyeliner in general without getting it 6 inches from my lash line! So I'm growing up!) but now I'm a master and have even bought it in more colors, but black is my staple.

I also discovered a way to make it last a little longer on the bottom line, is to take a pencil liner, dip it in the fluidliner and apply both at once!

It's not a pencil, but it definitely as challenging as liquid (which I haven't even tried, but I have some coming to me, so stay tuned!) and it's super easy to learn! I recommend anyone who's hunting for a lasting, smudge proof eyeliner, at least give it a shot!

I know I'm glad I did, and I'm almost ready for my 2nd pot!

Job well done MAC!

Frederic Fekkai Glossing Line!

To be perfectly honest, I've never really given my hair the attention it deserved until recently. I was in school, and always just wanted to be in and out of the community shower as fast as possible. I often utilized 2-in-1 products and would just blast it dry quickly to get to class.

Now that I'm home I've really started taking care of myself more, and my hair is finally getting to do more than sit in a sad little pony tail!

When I was last in DC, I found myself at the Pentagon City Mall before a meeting, since I had some time to kill.

I spied Frederic Fekkai's Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner and bought the small bottle of this and the conditioner on a whim. I decided to just splurge and see what the hype was all about, figuring I wouldn't like it so it wouldn't matter.

My hair is very soft and fine and all the "glossing" products I've tried have made it look greasy and weighed down but I figured I'd give this one shot for kicks. Seeing as it's over $20 for a bottle of just shampoo, I was almost disappointed to find out it made my hair look FABULOUS!!! I used a teeny amount of the shampoo then the conditioner and blowdried my hair and it looks healthy and full. Usually there's a little frizz, so I quickly run a straightener through it and it looks like I just came from the salon.

I definitely get the hype now, and just recently used up my mini bottles. I will eventually bit the bullet and buy bigger ones. Now I'm dying to try the color protection line, and the glossing creme! Sadly. I am hooked.

My name is Mallory, and I love Frederic Fekkai. <3