Vanilla Puff Dusting Power ~ CookingFood.Org

If I'm going to be honest, Vanilla Puff Dusting Powder was brought on impulse; not because it sold itself to me on scent, productivity or good-value for money. It was the next product on my list of those that I still needed to try from the company, so I brought it for that reason alone.

When most new fans begin to shop at Lush, they are nearly always swept away by the colourful array of bath bombs, shower products and hair care on offer - items such as the deodorants, temple balms and toner tabs just aren't as appealing or as instantly noticeable. However, once you become a regular buyer, you do start to branch out, and it was when this happened that I first tested the water with Lush's dusting powders.

Vanilla Puff first made it's appearance when Lush released their Vanillary range - a selection of products that share the same scent but offer consumers different experiences. Unfortunately, a number of this range have since been discontinued but if you love the scent, you can relive it through their Vanillary Perfume and Vanilla Dee-Lite Body Lotion, both of which are still available in store and online.

I'll start off by saying that the vanilla fragrance that Lush offer in all of their products is far from the generic, watered-down vanilla you would expect from most other shop-brought cosmetics. As with both the perfume and body lotion, Vanilla Puff gives off a natural-smelling, mellow, subtle scent that doesn't contain any of the nasty fake tones that you would expect from your average cosmetic. It also contains a hint of jasmine which gives it a mildly sophisticated and slightly more mature infusion, without masking the natural smell of the vanilla absolute.

Unfortunately, I do feel that this powder is the weakest smelling product of the Vanillary family but I tend to use it in conjunction with the perfume and/or body lotion to layer the smell and make it last all day.

So what is a dusting powder? According to Lush, it is a product of many talents. It's main purpose is to be applied after a bath or shower, when your skin is clean but dry. Simply sprinkle some into the palm of your hand and massage into your skin. The ingredients absorb the excess oils on your body and help to soften the skin, giving it a light, sensual fragrance.

Vanilla puff can also be used as a dry shampoo. Just sprinkle and work throughout your hair to remove unwanted grease and tied you over until you can wash your hair thoroughly. I tried this out on a few occasions (although I tend to wash my hair daily) and found that it did make my hair feel softer and look good enough to wear out that day. I can't comment on whether this would work with severely oily hair as mine sides more on the drier side. I'd be interested to hear of any experiences that you guys have had.

Finally, Lush also recommend dusting your clean sheets or towels to give it a light scent, although I haven't given this a shot yet.

Admittedly, this product is a little messy to apply and you will find that surplus amounts will decorate the floor if you're not careful. I would also recommend that you practice applying this product when you're not wearing dark clothing as the first few times saw me getting rather frustrated with the white smears that found their way onto my black t-shirts and jeans.

Priced at £4.95 for a 50g bottle, it does sound like an expensive investment. However, I must have used it a good 6-8 times so far, and as you can see from the picture above, I'm not even anywhere near reaching the top of the label yet. I can imagine this small bottle will last me a good year, making it great value for money.

Vanilla Puff does leave your skin wonderfully smooth, and it works on skin of all ages. It's a beautiful powder to use before a night out or if you need that little extra pampering after a relaxing bath. The only let down for me is the fact that the fragrance is not as strong as other members of it's family, and I did have to spray myself with Vanillary if I wanted to really indulge in the scent. However, it's a really lovely product to carry around with you and top up with throughout the day.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cornstarch, Magnesium Carbonate, Talc, Perfume, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Tonka Absolute, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £4.95 for 50g.

2016 Price: £6.25 for 50g.