Ladies Who Lush

Yes, I know it’s not just the ladies who like Lush, but I cannot resist a pun.

So. Lush! I love it! And I know lots of other people who also love it. But not until I started reading makeup/cosmetics blogs and forums did I realize that opinions were as polarized as they are on this controversial topic. But they are! There are apparently people out there who think that Lush products are TOO SMELLY. There are even–it’s true–people who believe that Lush products smell BAD.

Yes! Smell BAD! Consider my pearls clutched!

I love Lush. I love everything of theirs I’ve ever tried. Well, almost everything. I didn’t love this, which might mean that I’m not as open-minded about patchouli as I could be. It instantly takes me back to this one particular head shop in Boulder, and it’s a scent that I feel is much better suited to head shops in Boulder than to my bathroom in Long Beach.

But I really love most of their stuff. I’ve tried lots of Lush things–soaps, lotions, scrubs, solid fragrances, body butters, dusting powders, I’m about to give a few of their skin care products a whirl–and I just keep coming back to the bath products. I love anything that smells sweet and desserty, and they have those fragrances in spades. My favorites?

• Creamy Candy bubble bar
• The Comforter bubble bar
• Marzibain bubble bar
• Honey Bee bath bomb
• Butterball bath bomb
• Think Pink bath bomb
  
• MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt

Speaking of MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment, here’s something that Lush does that irks me a little bit: they use the same fragrance across multiple products but don’t call them the same thing. Or, if not the same fragrance, very similar fragrances. For instance, is it just me, or do MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment and Bubble Gum lip scrub both smell like Snow Fairy, which smells the same as The Godmother soap? I might be wrong about this, but I think they’re all the same scent, in which case, I wish they would give them all the same name and be done with it. (Come to think of it, the Think Pink bath bomb is the same fragrance as Rock Star soap, which I believe is also the same fragrance as Candy Fluff dusting powder. Why, Lush? Whyyyyy?) They could even, like the good people at Haus of Gloi, go a step further and let you shop by scent. Wouldn’t that be nice?

But I’ll forgive them their categories weirdness as long as they keep producing their incredible-smelling, highly moisturizing bath stuff. I spend a LOT of time in the bath–ask anyone–well, ask anyone who knows me–so I’m constantly on the lookout for bath products that really moisturize. And Lush stuff REALLY moisturizes. You know when you use a high-quality bubble bath or bath bomb, and you can just tell by the way it makes the water feel that your skin won’t be dry when you get out? That’s how Lush stuff is. I can’t get enough of it.

And disagree with me if you will, but there IS something addictive about the fragrances. I don’t know what it is … it’s like they all have this common undertone of CRACK SMELL that makes you want more, more, MOOOOOORE, until you have a whole shelf in your medicine cabinet devoted only to Lush, and you grow increasingly antsy as it starts to get depleted, until one day you lose all semblance of self-control and place an order that costs more than your monthly car insurance bill, which is pretty impressive considering how high your premiums have been since an old boyfriend totaled your car. OK, maybe that’s just me.

So, now that it’s perfectly clear that I’m Team Lush all the way, tell me … what are your thoughts on Lush? Tried it? Not tried it? Addicted? Not interested? One of those “Lush is smelly” people? Have another favorite bath/body line?

In Praise of Haus of Gloi Sugar Scrub

Just a quick followup to yesterday’s post because guess what, still no camera.

Used one of my sugar scrubs (Twice is Nice) from Haus of Gloi this morning in the shower and oh, holy crap. I’m going to need a full-sized one once I use up some (OK, maybe one) of my current scrubs-in-progress. I LOVE the scent. It’s sugary sweet–the description says it smells like sugar cookie, coconut, and almond–but somehow not cloying. If you’re the type of person who prefers not to walk around smelling like dessert, this is probably not the scent for you, but I LOVE scents like that, and this one is just delicious-smelling. Like, “I want to put this in my mouth” delicious.

And the scrub itself is excellent as well–coarse, but not overly so, and very moisturizing. I am something of a … let’s say, “collector” of exfoliants, and this one’s right up there with my favorite scrubs from Lush. Which, if you know my feelings about Lush, is a pretty freakin’ strong endorsement. You can feel the sugar crystals start to dissolve as you rub this in, and you’re left with delightfully scented, slightly oily skin that dries to a yummy-smelling softness. I didn’t even bother to moisturize after I got out of the shower; I could tell just by the way my skin felt that I didn’t need to. Good stuff. The scent lingered for quite a while too, which I like, and didn’t conflict with my perfume, which I really like. (Although given that my perfume lately has been Aquolina’s Pink Sugar, that wouldn’t have been a huge conflict anyway.)

So, to conclude, I used the word “love” in all-caps twice in this review. That’s how you know it’s serious. Full-sized-product serious. Awwwwww yeah.

Look On My Blogroll, Ye Mighty …

And despair, at how very, very many products there are in the world to spend money on.

Still no camera batteries, hence still no pictures or, you know, actual content. I hope to remedy all of those things this weekend.

In the meantime, I’m going to vigorously recommend that you go check out Haus of Gloi if you’re in the mood for some high-quality yet affordable aromatic things to smear, scrub, or dab onto yourself. I ordered a few little items from them last week via the magic of the “Internet” and am enjoying them right now, even as we speak, in the comfort of my own home. They shipped at lightning speed and came nicely wrapped, with a little thank-you note. I purchased sample sizes of their lotion in Honey Tree and Satyr, their sugar scrub in Vice and Twice is Nice (with bonus unintentional rhyming!), and Depravity perfume; they also threw in a free sample of Madcap Garden perfume. I didn’t order that one first time around because I knew it would be minty, and it is, but it smells very wearable–sweet, but not too sweet, and there is definitely an undertone of tea in there. The fragrances are unique and sophisticated (you can check out their fragrance catalog here), and the lotion seems to be good quality, very smooth. Will report back on the scrubs, which I haven’t tried out yet.

I’d also like to note that their sample sizes are quite generous (this would be a great place for a photo, don’t you think? Well, TS!). The one-ounce scrubs will last for at least two trips through the shower, longer if you just used them on your hands or something, and the two-ounce lotions would be the perfect size to keep on your desk at work. I know, because I have about 7 different lotions on my desk at work.

This, incidentally, is an EXCELLENT way to have a little splurge if you’re short on cash: do your research on Etsy sellers, and become a fan of samples! Lots and lots of indie beauty-product companies and Etsy sellers provide samples, and they’re definitely worth looking into. After reading a very positive review of Haus of Gloi on Le Gothique, I wanted to try out their stuff for myself without blowing a bunch of money in case I didn’t like it, and I got those five samples for $17.25, shipping included. I’m 100% impressed and would order from them again in a heartbeat. Gives a person that “Oh, I did something nice for myself” smug warm fuzzy feeling, made even smugger by the fact that it cost under $20. Success!

Postscript: I put on Depravity as soon as I got it out of the box. I think I love it. Better stock up, since something weird seems to be going on with their supplier …