Review :: LUSH 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion

I picked this up at Lush while I was looking into different face washes.  The sales associates I talked to assured me this product was just a lighter version of Ultrabland, which I really love, you can check out my review on that product here.

Compared to Ultrabland, it does leave less of an oily feeling on my skin, but it still feels moisturized.  It definitely feels more like moisturizer on the skin after rinsing, instead of a waxy/greasy film like Ultrabland can.  It honestly feels like lotion, just like smearing lotion all over your face to remove your makeup, which is kind of interesting.

I've heard other reviews complain that it smells too floral and old-lady-like, but I enjoy the scent, it smells like a nice floral lotion to me.  

The way I use this product is to massage it all over my face for a minute, then rinse off with a warm, damp wash cloth, then sometimes rinse afterwards too with just water.

As a facial wash, I like it, but it honestly can't handle removing makeup.  It takes a couple washes to get Revlon Colorstay off and it does take significantly more work to remove mascara than Ultrabland.  If you just wear light makeup, I'm sure it works well, but I don't think it's really meant for removing heavy duty face or eye makeup.

Lush's website:
LUSH Cosmetics

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

June/July 2013 Beauty Favorites

Lush Ultrabland 

This is a very cool makeup remover, I just feel like it's so much gentler than your typical "oil free" eye makeup remover, etc.  It's more relaxing to use too, it forces you to be gentle and use smaller circles to remove your makeup, which I find to be calming.  It doesn't sting your eyes and it will be awesome for wintertime when my skin gets a little dry at times. 

Blog post review: Ultrabland Review

LUSH Cosmetics

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly

This stuff is definitely made to wake you up and I think it is at an awesome price point (especially compared to other Lush products).  It lathers up with just a little tiny amount of product to cover your whole body and it leaves my skin feeling more moisturized than any typical body wash I have used before. 

Blog post review: Whoosh Shower Jelly Review

LUSH Cosmetics

Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm

I use these baby lips pretty much everyday just to bring a little bit of color to my face.  I don't wear makeup on an everyday basis in the summer because I work full time and don't want to sacrifice sleep for looking pretty lol.  I see makeup as fun me time, not a necessity, I don't want to feel like I HAVE to do my makeup, that takes the fun out of it. 

Other lip favorites blog post: Favorite Spring/Summer Lip Products

Revlon ColorStay Makeup

I have been absolutely in love with the Revlon Colorstay foundation, I'm so glad I tried it because it is perfect for my crazy super oily summertime skin, not to mention I could pretty much go swimming with this stuff on and it wouldn't move. 

Blog post review: Revlon Colorstay Whipped vs. Original

NYX Cosmetics Mosaic Blush Powder

This was my favorite blush for the month of June, I think I wore it pretty much every time I wore makeup.  It's just such a nice mixture of colors that I really like on my skin tone.  It's nice to use half of it to bronze up my face and the other on my cheeks.

Seche Vite Top Coat 

My bottle of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat has started drying up and getting too thick to use, and I've been wanting to try Seche Vite to see if it's really worth the price!  I didn't want to spend so much on a top coat, so I made the search on Amazon and found it for less than $5, which is much more affordable.  This stuff is definitely worth it, it dries deep into the nail polish, where I found that with Sally Hansen's, sometimes the polish would still rippled underneath the top coat because the bottom layers hadn't dried.  I choose Seche Vite over Sally Hansen.

Where I got mine: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Nail Coat

ELF Blush/Bronzer - Turks & Caicos

For the month of July, this blush and bronzer have been my favorite.  The bronzer is super deep and very pigmented and although it does have shimmer in it, I still thinks it's a good contour color if you use it very lightly. The blush is a nice light pink and I think they go really well together if you want to mix the two.

Where I got mine: ELF Blush Bronzer Duo

Chella Lace Highlighter Pencil

I've been trying to grow my brows thicker this summer and they sure have had a mind of their own.  I like to use this crayon to try and clean up the edges of my brows a bit.  It's a nice color for my skin tone and I like to use it on the waterline and inner corner of my eyes as well.

Bath & Body Works Candle Garden Bouquet

This candle smells like awesome! It reminds me of my childhood for some reason lol, but I really think it smells like an actual garden, minus the scent of earth.  I wish I could burn it everyday! 

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Review :: Maybelline Pure Pigments

 Check out the video using these here!

I wasn't super impressed by these.  Not that I think it was a bad purchase, I just didn't think they were any better than your typical loose shadow.  They're not super pigmented when used dry, but they come off beautifully when wet.

The colors themselves are kind of flat.  They have sparkle, but they are just one solid color, there isn't a lot of dimension to the powder, which I would like to see more of.

They are on the cheaper side though at $5.94 at my local Walmart, the same price as a Maybelline Color Tattoo.  In that respect, I would rather spend the $6 on the Color Tattoo over these.

I'm not super disappointed, I just don't think these are crazy super awesome and you need to run out and find them now! kind of a product.  The gold is a very pure gold color, but in my opinion, the bronze is just like any other bronze you can find (ELF has a few $3 bronzey shades, but don't trust the swatches on ELF's site, they are not always the most true to color).

I hope this was helpful!

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Review :: LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask

This is the first mask I have tried from LUSH and I just can't wait to try more!  It just sucks that since it's a "fresh face mask" they don't last super long and my closest Lush store is about a 45 minute drive, and I don't usually go down that way, so I probably won't be making trips every month to get a new one. :-(

I asked the sales associate which mask I should choose to combat my oily skin and she recommended this one or the Cupcake face mask.  After smelling them both, I decided on this one, Catastrophe, because the idea of smearing cocoa all over my face just didn't sound appealing.  I'm not a super chocoholic and really don't care too much for that idea.

Catastrophe smells pretty good but almost has an alcohol smell to it too.

It dries to a mud mask kind of texture, so I think it works well for oily skin by really dragging out the oil with that powdery finish.

My face felt nice and clean afterwards, but not squeaky clean like all of the moisture is gone and your face is super dry.  In the morning I still felt somewhat oily (I used the mask the night before), but I'm always oily by morning.  My pores are looking smaller, which I also noticed since I've been using Ultrabland as my makeup remover.  So far, this LUSH stuff really seems to be helping my silly skin.

This mask is a bit messy though.  Because it has those chunks of blueberries in there, sometimes they can fall off while you're smoothing the mask on.  My particular mask seemed to be a little on the dry side after the first use (could have been because I didn't mix it well the first time I used it), so I just add a bit of water to my fingertips when I smooth it on and it works fine. Also, as the mask dries, if you applied it too thickly, you may also experience flaking of the mask off of your face, just as a head's up.  I use the mask relatively thinly on my face to avoid this.
Overall I love the feeling of it; the powdery finish, and the way it makes my skin feel afterwards & I can't wait to try more, plus these are on the more affordable side of Lush stuff, in my opinion, at $6.95.

Lush's website:
LUSH Cosmetics

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Colors of the Rainbow Tag & Mini Reviews

Watch the video here if you haven't already!  Here are some of my favorite products from each color category, with the addition of pink and multi-color.  I hope you enjoy!

RED: Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick

This is my favorite red lipstick of the moment, and has been for awhile.  These lipsticks leave a stain behind, which most people either love or hate, I personally love it.  It has an almost matte looking finish, it isn't glossy or anything like that, but it isn't drying.  It lasts such a long time due to the stain effect, and it just glides on and is over all wonderful, I would definitely recommend these lipsticks.

ORANGE: Bath and Body Works Signature Collection Butterfly Flower Triple Moisture Body Cream

This is one of my very favorite scents from Bath & Body Works and I would also recommend the Body Creams over the regular lotions.  I think the lotions are really not an excellent moisturizer, but I do enjoy the creams.  Basically, I just love this scent.  It reminds me of honeysuckle, but it also has other floral scents in there too, however, I don't think it smells "old lady-like."

YELLOW: Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette - Beethoven

This is one of my favorite shadows of the moment.  I love to use it all over my lid with darker colors in he crease and outer v, I think the amount of shimmer is just perfect, it isn't overpowering, but it still gives light to the eye area.  I use it on top of Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded and I think the two are just made for each other.

GREEN: Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towelettes

These are my favorite makeup removing wipes.  Of all the ones I have tried in the past, these are by far my favorite, I've been using them for probably a year and a half now.  They don't sting my eyes, but still remove even waterproof stuff pretty well.  They also stay moist for quite a long time (a couple months+) if you keep the little sticker over the opening everytime you take one.

BLUE: Wet n Wild Color Icon Collection Eyeshadow Set, Blue Had Me at Hello

Row 2, Collumn 2 eyeshadow is my favorite blue shadow in the whole wide world.  It's just perfect and this palette is inexpensive, so it's worth it to buy even if you don't like any of the other colors.

INDIGO: Clean & Clear 3-In-1 Exfoliating Cleanser

The minty feel of this cleanser definitely wakes me up in the morning and the exfoliants make my skin glow.  I find it gentle enough to use everyday as well.

VIOLET: Jordana Easyliner Retractable Pencil for Eyes Purple Fusion

These liners are inexpensive, but they are still a great product.  They don't stay all day in the waterline, but they do last awhile, they also will smudge if you don't set them with powder, at least on my oily lids.  However, they glide on like butter, unlike many other inexpensive drugstore brand eyeliners that will really tug on the skin and drag along, creating skip marks.  The two things I love about them are that they glide on and are super smooth, and also they are retractable, overall I think they are a good deal for the money and they also come in some really nice colors other than purple.

PINK: Mica Beauty Shimmer Eyeshadow - Earth

I received this product in an Ipsy Glam Bag and it is so great.  It's the perfect summertime eyeshadow and I think you could even use it to highlight for a great bronzy glow on medium or darker skintones.  I love to use it as an all over lid color on top of my Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded and it comes off even more beautifully when wet.

MULTI-COLOR: Wet N Wild Nail Polish: Kaleidoscope #460D

I use this polish on top of pretty much any other polishes.  It gives awesome sparkle and shine and it's just great, plus it's inexpensive and this bottle has been lasting me forever and hasn't even dried up a bit, like other polishes can do.  It's just an awesome glittery topcoat.

What’s on my nails in the video?

Loreal – Pink Me Up

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Lainamarie91

Review :: LUSH Butterball Bath Bomb

I just used this thing and holy cow, it has to be the most moisturizing bath/shower product I've ever used.  In the water, it felt like it was super moisturizing and definitely kept my skin feeling that way afterwards too!(the Twilight bath bomb felt moisturizing in the bath, but afterwards, my skin didn't feel any softer than usual) I feel like I just covered my body in moisturizing oily goodness.  Awesome!

There was no scent really to this bath bomb once it was in the bath.  It did smell nice in store, but it didn't really make a big scent when being used.  There also were no bubbles with it, so I feel like this would be perfect to use alongside a bubble bath or bubble bar from Lush.  I haven't tried any bath melts yet, but I think this Butterball is probably very similar!

I would definitely recommend this, it was very moisturizing and I loved it!

More Lush bath bombs:
Lush Bath Bombs

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Review :: LUSH Whoosh Shower Jelly

Lush's website:
LUSH Cosmetics

When I smelled this stuff, I knew it would be the perfect morning shower product, it just smells so invigorating and I could tell it would really wake you up in the morning!  Although this scent doesn't last long on the skin, it's still really nice to wake up to.  I also think it's a great scent for both guys and chicks.

And a little goes a looong way, plus it's shelf life is over a year, so you don't have to worry about it expiring, like other Lush products.  One downside for me is that it's a little difficult to get a chunk of this stuff out of the jar, it's almost like you need a spoon to scoop it out because it just wants to stick to the rest of the jelly.

About a teaspoon size blob of this product will make enough lather to cover your whole body and wash your hair.  I take that amount and put it in my shower pouf and squish it around till it lathers up lol.  I put it inside folds of the pouf so it doesn't slip out and fall down the drain.  I personally didn't like using it as a shampoo, it made my hair feel really stripped, which is strange cuz it didn't make my skin feel that way.  After my previous experiences with products such as Alkmaar Bar Soap & Twilight Bath Bomb, I assumed all of these natural things really didn't have the moisturizers I was so used to and really wanted out of my bath products, but I'm glad I tried the Shower Jelly because it is even more moisturizing than my typical BBW Shower Gel, that I used to use everyday.  It doesn't leave your skin feeling tight like a typical soap, it gives it moisture and it just feels nice, the way I want to feel when using a shower gel type product.

To those who are like, "this is my first visit to lush, where do I even start?" I would say, pick up one of these, (along with a bath bomb because you just have to try the bath bombs because they are pretty much the signature item there). They are a great price; this 3.5 oz jar was $6.95 & the 8.4 oz was $11.95, which is honestly on the cheaper side of Lush stuff, in my opinion.  I just wish they had more scents in these Shower Jellies!

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Makeup Tutorial :: Dramatic Blue & Purple Eyeshadow

I know I have a bit of an obsession with blue eyeshadow, but here's another tutorial!

Items Used:

EYES…

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil

-Milk

-Peacock

-Purple

Loreal Infallible Eyeshadow – Endless Sea

Urban Decay Mariposa Eyeshadow Palette – Infamous

-          Rockstar

NYX Bohemian Chic Palette

-          Matte white

Urban Decay Glide On Pencil – Junkie

Mica Beauty Gel Eyeliner

FACE…

NYX Blush Taupe

NYX Bohemian Chic Palette – Peach Blush

LIPS…

Flower Beauty Pocket Fleur Lipstick PF7 light shade

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91