EuropaFb: Lips

Showing posts with label Lips. Show all posts

Black Rose Naked Lip Scrub

castor oil, charcoal, coconut, Halloween, halloween 2017, limited edition, Lips, murumuru, naked, orange, Scrub, spearmint, ylang ylang

Despite it being a regular thing: my lips being chapped, I hardly ever use any of Lush's sugar scrubs to rectify the problem. There's a small part of me that almost forgets that the company even do such a thing, so if i own any they're usually buried away underneath the mountains of other products waiting to be used.

When I first caught a glimpse of the three new naked lip scrubs for this year's Christmas and Halloween ranges, I was immediately bowled over by how pretty the designs were. Aside from the lack of packaging (hence the 'naked' part), the shape and etched surfaces made these limited editions so much more appealing than the boring tubed varieties.

Yet, my very next thought was: how exactly am I supposed to use this and not completely soil the bag/purse I'm carrying it around in? Ultimately, while I have been using the cardboard boxes that they were delivered in, I've still yet to find a more effective way of carrying these lip scrubs around: they certainly don't travel very well naked.

Having said this, all three variations of this year's naked scrubs are exceptional in what they do, and offer a much better experience than the old-style scrubs.

Firstly, the product is much easier to use and less of a hassle to clean up afterwards. Whereas the original lip scrubs would need to be applied with the use of a finger, and you'd often cover yourself in sugar while doing so, these naked versions can be applied in seconds, without the unnecessary mess. Simply massage the block across your lips, applying as much pressure as you want, before either licking away the sugar or rinsing it away with warm water.

Secondly, you can apply more pressure when using these blocks, so you'll find that these naked scrubs are far better at scrubbing away excess skin. Furthermore, you can focus on particular areas of the lips, so if you have a particular stubborn spot, this scrub will do wonders at removing the dried skin.

Thirdly, there is less sugar to contend with, when it comes to the naked blocks. The condensed form means that there won't be as much sugar as there once was, but it also means that you can feel how nourished your lips feel after application, and this leaves your lips soft, smooth and plump. With the original lip scrubs, I sometimes found that you'd be massaging your lips for ages, unable to see exactly which areas needed a little extra buffering. Furthermore, there is an extra generous helping of butters and oils in the ingredients list, to make this a far more moisturising experience overall.

Obviously, the fact that these lip scrubs are naked means that there's zero wastage, which makes them much better for the environment.

What I really liked about Black Rose Naked Lip Scrub was that it was rather robust, and so I found it far easier to buffer away without the fear of it crumbling away. As someone with quite naturally dry skin, I enjoy a coarse scrub to remove excess dried skin and clean out my pores before I moisturise. The strength of this block means that I can apply quite a bit of pressure when I'm scrubbing my lips, without worrying about using too much product, or breaking the lip scrub in the process. Having used this daily, for almost two weeks, I have barely dented the corner of the scrub, and I see this lasting a good 4-5 months before it'll need to be replaced.

Scentwise, this beauty has a scent that reminds me a little of Yummy Mummy Shower Cream. While not identical at all, the combination of mandarin oils, along with the sultry and quite treacle-esque nature of the charcoal give off a fruity smell that is both as rich and as fruity as the aforementioned aroma.

One thing I will say about the Naked Lip Scrub is that the taste you get when licking your lips clean is definitely not the best flavour that Lush have offered, and I cannot imagine anyone wanting to nibble on this when they get a little peckish (which a lot of Lush fans do.) However, it functions incredibly well as a Lip Scrub and will easily last me another twelve months, before it makes a reappearance and I can buy another one.

Quantitative Ingredients: Castor Sugar (Sucrose), Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru), Illipe Butter (Shorea stenoptera), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Sicilian Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), Spearmint Oil (Mentha Spicata), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Charcoal (Charcoal Powder), Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Benzyl Benzoate, Flavour (Fragrance), Tin Oxide (Tin oxide) Iron Oxides.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.75 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Lush Puppy Lip Scrub

limited edition, Lips, lush creative showcase, Scrub

While Lush have only had three events to date, it's become a normal affair to look forward to their showcase events. Not only is it a way to connect with the companies, charities, people and places that go into making Lush what they are, it's a great opportunity to get involved with exclusive up-and-coming products before they hit the shops. Unfortunately, there are some products that make an appearance only to disappear into obscurity, for whatever reason the company decide makes it unworthy of a commercial release.

Lush Puppy Lip Scrub is one such example - a brilliant, vibrant sugar scrub that smells like the world's freshest bowl of sorbet. Sharing its scent with the now discontinued Passionfruit Lip Balm, this rare gem smells like a glass of rich, fruity passionfruit juice, with an abundance of sweetness that will have you salivating with each and every use.

Featuring sweet orange oil as the key ingredient, this scrub offers a warming burst of fruity goodness, which is far sweeter and more rounded than I was expecting. I definitely wouldn't describe Lush Puppy as being in any way citrusy or zesty. While I couldn't detect any rose in the overall aroma, I would say that it does bring a gentle syrup-like essence, which is what gives this scrub its passionfruit aroma. Finally, the vanilla adds a subtle, warming layer that again contributes to the overall smell, but doesn't exactly offer up much by itself.

As with any of Lush's lip scrubs, the basic premise is that these remove excess skin or dry patches on your lips, and leave them super smooth and kissably soft. To use, simply scoop a little out with your finger and massage the product across your lips, in a circular motion. You can apply as much or as little pressure as you like, before either licking your lips of patting them dry with a damp cotton pad. You can then follow this up with a lip balm, lip stick etc...

The inclusion of the sugar and the carefully selected oils means that this product can be ingested. This means that you can apply this while you're out and about, and you don't have to worry about carrying tissues with you to clean up afterwards. You'll find that Lush Puppy has a very subtle fruity taste, which definitely made the whole experience more pleasant, and perhaps made me eat slightly more than is recommended in a single use.

Afterwards, I found that my lips were really soft, and the dry skin had all but disappeared. My lips also appeared to feel and look slightly plumper, which was a welcome reward, and a great boost before heading out for the night. Moreover, once I had applied my lip balm after, I discovered that my lips stayed feeling and looking refreshed for the rest day and into the next. For those who have quite parched lips, I would suggest that you should use this once in the morning and again, just before bed, to heed great results within a day or two. For those who just want softer lips, a few times a week would be more than enough to achieve this.

My only grouch with Lush Puppy, as is with every other lip scrub, is that things can get a little messy when applying the product. Despite my best intentions, I always find that I get sugar on the clothes I'm wearing, and scattered across various crevices in my face as well. Maybe it's just my inability to use this product correctly that heeds these problems, but I feel I should still warn you that things can get a little messy at times.

Overall, this is a wonderful addition to Lush's lip scrub collection, and it's a shame that the company haven't yet made it into a commercial release. I would definitely like to see it released at some point in the near future, and I hope other products in the same fragrance make it into the range at some point as well.

Quantitative Ingredients: ?

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.75 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Lush Puppy Lip Scrub

Passionfruit Lip Balm

Chocolate Sugar Lip Scrub

chocolate, cocoa butter, jojoba, limited edition, Lips, Lush Kitchen, orange, Scrub, Tangerine, Vanilla

There are some products you can go your whole life without, until you introduce them into your routine and then find that you cannot imagine your life before they existed. Chocolate Sugar Scrub is one of those products - an original limited edition Kitchen release that was unleashed a few weeks ago and now holds a V.I.P pass into any bag that I choose to leave the house with.

At the risk of repeating myself, I have never really been overly invested in lips products despite the fact that they should really be one of my most-prized compartments within the company. The truth of the matter is that I suffer from sore, cracked and dried lips a lot, made worse by the fact that I have a bad habit of picking this dried skin when I'm stressed or anxious. Ultimately, this means that I need a permanent lip balm at the ready to keep that pout as soft and as smooth as possible, and adding a lip scrub to that routine would make all the difference.

If I'm honest, I wasn't as excited about the idea of this product as I would have been if it had the promise of being fruity. While I am more than happy to indulge in a bar chocolate as often as possible, chocolate and most other 'foody' scented products don't sit well with me at all. However, this brand new release has definitely impressed me enough to want to make this a permanent feature in my daily travel kit.

While it wouldn't win any awards for its name, Chocolate Sugar Lip Scrub is the epitome of gorgeous, in every sense of the word. Not only is it small and compact so it can be stored in a pocket or small compartment in almost any bag, it also smells and tastes irresistible. While chocolate scented products from most other companies would be a nasty affair for me, I always know that when it comes to Lush's take on the fragrance, there is going to be something of abetter quality to look forward to.

Containing a combination of dark chocolate, vanilla absolute, cocoa absolute and cocoa powder, this sugar scrub immediately gives off a rich, decadent and very robust chocolately smell. The beautiful buttery layers engorge your senses immediately, with the dark chocolate offering a subtle bitterness that sits under all of the other layers and the cocoa powder that brings a musky, almost chalky element that gives this scrub an intense smell.

The vanilla absolute is also heavily in the mix, and it is this component that prevents the scrub from being overly rich as it adds a sweet, sugary layer that smooths down the full sharpness of the dark chocolate. Alongside this you also have both tangerine and sweet orange oil - two additions that work perfectly with the aforementioned ingredients to add a note of warm, fruity orange to the aroma.

On the one hand, it does smell very similar to Sonic Death Monkey (which it's supposed to share its scent with). However, I would describe it as being far closer in scent to Almond Buttercream, albeit more full-bodied and intense. It reminds me almost of Terry's Chocolate Orange segments, although the dark chocolate element does make the smell of this multi-layered and more potent than that.

As with any sugar scrub, the idea is that you use this if and when you have dried lips and want to clear peeling skin, or if you simply want to pamper your puckers before applying a lip balm or lip stick. To use, you rub your finger across the surface of the scrub (or scoop out a little if you find it easier) and then apply the product to your lips - massaging it from side to side to exfoliate and gently remove excess dried skin. Ensure your lips are moist before you do this as it makes it easier to transfer the sugar without it dropping off and making a mess of your floor. Once you've done this, use your tongue and the movement of your mouth to lick off the product, and any excess can be dusted away with a tissue.

Chocolate Sugar Lip Scrub, as with all of Lush's sugar scrubs, is edible and completely safe to digest, and the company make sure that each and every one of these scrubs have a wonderful flavour that you can enjoy alongside with your newly-beautiful lips. Surprisingly, despite the emphasis on the chocolate-led ingredients in this product, this particular scrub had a delicious vanillary taste to it - definitely not what I was expecting from its fragrance.

I found that this scrub worked really well as an exfoliator - I appreciated the fact that I could use as much pressure as I wanted while applying the product and this really helped to remove stubborn skin on my lower lips. My only qualm about the success of using this is that I found it not to be as moisturising or as softening as some of Lush's other lip scrubs. However, as I carry my trusted Buttered Brazils around with me daily, I always have this at hand to give me that instant moisture afterwards.

Overall, this is such a beautiful, rich and very pleasing lip scrub to come from the Lush Kitchen. If you're keen on foody smells, this would be one you'd appreciate and enjoy, and if you're a chocolate fiend, it's one you have to make a permanent feature in your day. This will live in my bag for the remainder of the year and I only hope that it banishes a few of those winter blues - to put a smooth and radiant smile upon my face.

Quantitative Ingredients: Caster Sugar, Organic Jojoba Oil, Dark Chocolate Flavour, Tangerine Oil, Sweet Orange Oil, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Cocoa Absolute, Cocoa Powder, *Limonene, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Chocolate Sugar Lip Scrub

chocolate, cocoa butter, jojoba, limited edition, Lips, Lush Kitchen, orange, Scrub, Tangerine, Vanilla

Lip Dip Lip Scrub

cranberry, Discontinued, Face, Lemon, limited edition, Lips, Scrub, Skin

I seem to have amassed a rather large collection of lip scrubs as of late, which is worrying as I know they are best used fresh, and unlike a lot of Lush products, these are more likely to go off because of certain ingredients featured within them. Despite owning a good 6-7 different varieties, they're a product that tends to get shoved in the bottom of a bag and forgotten about. So I made it my mission to use these scrubs religiously over the next few months; firstly, so I can use a few up, and secondly so that I can really notice any difference they make to my lips.

Like most people, when I first heard about the lip scrub, I was dubious that they would actually work. My mind was somewhat altered when I tried Bubblegum for the first time, and found that my lips did feel a lot smoother and velvety after use. But would Lip Dip do the same?

Much like Bubblegum, this scrub is another sugary delight that seems more like a pot of sherbet than a cosmetic. Lip Dip is more of a fizzy scrub, scented with sweet cranberries and fresh lemon to make it a sweet treat for the lips. It contains both cranberry oil, a natural source of omega oils which helps to keep your lips moisturised, and lemon oil which gives the product it's scent and is known for it's toning properties. Surprisingly, this scrub also features almond oil to soften and smoothen the lips - supposedly to give your 'smackers' an all-round amazing pampering session.

What I love about all of Lush's lip scrubs, is their use of Fairtrade sugar, which not only makes this product slightly edible, but the sugar is finely granulated to gently scrub away rough skin. With other lip scrubs, my lips feel instantly soft and sexy, and I only have to add my favourite lip balm and my lips will stay smooth and moisturised for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Lip Dip, I found that the consistency made it somewhat difficult to use. Unlike most other lip scrubs, this one is definitely more finer and 'wetter', meaning it's more difficult to get out of the tub and far trickier to apply to your lips. I found that this product seems to stick together and doesn't break apart easily, meaning that when I was rubbing it across my lips, it would fall off and I'd lose clumps of the stuff on the floor. Furthermore, because of this, I found that I used up a lot more than that any of my other ones. This means that despite it's price tag being the same as the other scrubs, it actually works out a little more expensive.

Secondly, I read somewhere that the scrub was meant to replicate the sensation of fizzing sherbet, tingling on your lips once you've applied it. Unfortunately, I didn't experience this at all, which was a shame. However, in it's defence, this scrub definitely smells like lemon sherbet, which brought me back to my youth and reminded me of the lemon sherbet sweets I used to eat as a child.

Overall, I wasn't overly impressed with this lip scrub, and it's definitely not one I'm going to rush out and purchase if Lush choose release it again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sherbet, Sugar, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Cranberry Seed Oil (Vaccinium macrocarpon), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), *Citral, *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

None of Your Beeswax Lip Balm

Lemon, Lips, Vanilla

If there's one part of my body that suffers the most, my lips would be it. You see, I have an annoying habit of biting and picking at my lips when I'm either stressed or bored. Given that my job = constant day-to-day stress and my evenings see me lazing around bored, my lips are bombarded with a constant stream of abuse. Despite trying to get myself out of the habit, I've come to accept that it's a subconscious action I find myself doing without even realising it, so I couldn't even quit if I tried. I figure it's better than smoking, so I'm not too worried about.

My way of tackling my constant dry, cracked and sore lips is to arm myself with a good quality lip balm and just hope it counteracts some of the damage I'm doing. This is where None of Your Beeswax Lip Balm comes in.

NOYBW is a lovely honey colour, much like all of Lush's solid perfumes. The initial smell that greets you on opening the tin, is a citrusy scent with an underlying waxy smell. It's texture is more stubborn than most shop-brought varieties, and I found it took me a couple of uses to melt the balm slightly into a consistency I found easier to apply.

Those used to more commercially-available lip balms may find None of Your Beeswax a little strange to use at first. The mixture of waxes and butters that make up this product means that this balm is a little on the oily side. I wouldn't say it's a greasy lip balm, just that it has a different consistency to most other brands.

What I love about NOYBW, is that when you apply it, your lips immediately feel smooth and moisturised. With a comprehensive ingredients list that contains the likes of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Japan Wax, Fairtrade Shea Butter, Carnauba Wax, Cupuacu Butter, Murumuru Butter and scented oils, you can definitely appreciate why this product works so effectively.

I also found that my lips healed a lot quicker whilst using this product, sometimes overnight, and this only intensified when I used it alongside one of Lush's fantastic lip scrubs.

I was a little mystified at first as to why the lip balm was so effective, when I found it's staying power to last no longer than ten minutes at a time. However, I realised that with such an impressive ingredients list, there was a reason it was working so well.

Firstly there is Shea Butter and Olive Oil which are known to moisturise the skin; Mandarin Oil helps to create the citrus scent as well as improving the circulation of your blood vessels, giving your lips a fuller look; fresh Lemon helps to relieve irritations as well as intensifying the zesty fragrance. These, among many others, also help your lips to penetrate the essential oils and butters, supporting quicker recovery and healing.

Quite a number of people have commented on the balm's 'grittiness' and said they found that the tin leaks quite a bit during transit. However, I haven't found either of these two aspects an issue. My balm did melt after I accidentally placed it in direct sunlight for a long time. However, the balm cooled down and reformed it's same consistency. Not once did it escape the tin. As for the former complaint, I have yet to discover this grittiness that people have spoken about. My lip balms have been nothing but smooth from beginning to end.

Overall, this is now a staple product in my beauty regime. Although a little overpriced (£5.95) for the tin size (10g), it's definitely worth it for those with neglected and damaged lips. I find a tin lasts me a good 6+ months, meaning that the price tag is easily justifiable.

Quantitative Ingredients: Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Fresh Lemon Infusion, Japan Wax, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Carnauba Wax, Cupuacu Butter, Murumuru Butter, Glycerine, Mandarin Oil, Vanilla Absolute, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

2016 Price: £5.95 each.