LUSH Sweet Japanese Girl Cleanser ($10.25 for 1.2 oz.) is quite possibly my favorite LUSH product of all-time. It’s a “facial massage and exfoliation bar.” I don’t really say it’s a massage bar (though you could, since it’s grooved), but I love it for how it hydrates skin with a buttery goodness feel while gently exfoliating. I prefer to use mine at the end of my shower, so my skin is warmed from the hot water; this product just melts into the skin. I rinse with splashes of warm water, then gently dab my face dry at the end. My face feels moisturized and so, so smooth. Just ridiculously silky soft!
Snowcake Soap ($6.95 for 3.5 oz.) is one of Lush’s cult-favorite products that only comes around once a year (the holiday season or winter season, whichever you prefer!). Funny enough, Lush really does know how popular this product is–in their product description, they write, “If we didn’t bring out a fresh batch of Snowcake every Christmas we’d probably be chased down the street by irate LUSH customers.” I wouldn’t be surprised at the truth of that statement! I know the lovely Muse over at Musings of a Muse stocks up on this every year, buying it by the bucket load!
I hope my Lush fans don’t put me on a spit and roast me up, but Snowcake isn’t part of my must-have, very favorite, to-die-for Lush products. But let me explain myself first! I am simply not into soaps. I never liked them growing up as a kid (discovering shower gel/body wash was a dream come true) because there’s this slight “squeaky clean” feeling at the end. It’s difficult to describe, but I just can’t jive with that feeling, which pretty much leaves most soap bars out. This is the only reason why I’m not all over Snowcake like melting snow (oh, that was terrible)–otherwise it is a great product.
So, for the soap lovers out there, Snowcake is a deliciously scented milky white soap bar that smells like marzipan and amaretto with a little almond in it. In the shower, it melts against the body into a creamy lather. The scent fades after an hour or two post-shower, but it’s enjoyable for that hour. I don’t find the majority of soaps, shower gels, body washes, etc. to have prolonged scents after you step out of the shower. For me, it’s not a big deal–if I want to be scented everywhere, I opt for a good body lotion layered over a coordinating (or very lightly scented) shower gel/wash or a spritz of perfume.
Fear not, for those who aren’t so head-over-feet in love with bar soap, the good folks at Lush have bottled up the scent and excellence of Snowcake Soap into Smitten hand cream! (Review is forthcoming, but I’ll tell you I do recommend it!)
Holiday Bubble Bar ($6.95 for 3.5 oz.) has a lovely spicy, cinnamon-y rose scent that really blooms once the product hits the water, rather than just sitting on your shelf. A huge plus to this holiday bubble bar is how awesomely it bubbles up your bathwater. Sometimes the amount of bubbles you get can vary from okay to fun, and this one is VERY fun. I only used about a third of the bar for a single serving of 5-year-old splashing fun. The glittery red bits are pretty fine, but you can still see them in the water. The water itself turns a pinkish shade (not blood red!) with a little orange in it. Get yours at Lush!
A Gold Star Bubble Bar ($6.25 for 3.5 oz.) is pretty when you look at it, and it has a strong lemony-citrus scent. It bubbles OK compared to other Lush bubble bars, and I personally found the scent to be just a little too reminscent of Sprite or 7-Up (the sweet lemon-lime flavor) to work for my nose. I don’t mind glittery bits in my bathwater, but this one isn’t overly glittery, so it’s not an issue if you’re really adverse to glitter! The color of your bathwater is a little *ew*, considering it’s, well, a yellow bath bar. But you know it’s just the bubble bar, so there’s no reason to get gross about it Get yours at LUSH!
LUSH Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser ($9.95 for 3.5 oz.) has been my go-to morning cleanser lately, because it’s a mild exfoliating cleanser that’s perfect for both sensitive skin and everyday use. If you’re new to Lush, this might be a little more adventurous product type than other products they offer, just because it feels very natural/organic.
It’s sort of a gummy roll of product, which you take a pea or two peas-sized dollops out of. You add a little water, then rub it between your hands until it starts to break down into almost a paste consistency. Then you apply it like your usual cleanser–gentle, circular motions. Rinse, then pat your face dry, and you’re all done. Of course, you can choose to follow up with toner and/or moisturizer if you so desire.
Angels on Bare Skin includes the following ingredients: Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine, Kaolin, Water (Aqua), Lavender Oil (Lavandula hybrida), Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia), Lavender Flowers (Lavendula hybrida), *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume. The Rose Absolute is supposed to tone, while the Lavender Oil soothes your skin. I list the ingredient list so you can see what’s in the product, but also so you can have an idea as to why this product has a shelf life of a mere three months. This is not a product to stock up on! That huge chunk of product in the photo will surely last me at least three months!
The scent of Angels on Bare Skin reminds me of going out in the woods or a field–it’s not that compost heap “natural” smell or anything, but more like the invigorating scent of nature. I don’t mind it, though I know a few are put off by the scent of this. I don’t feel this removes makeup 100% (especially not eye makeup–hello, it does have ground almonds in it, aka not going near my eyes), so I prefer to use something else in the PM or else I’ll use something else to remove makeup, then follow-up with this cleanser in the PM.
Overall, I recommend trying this product, because it’s worked well in recuperating from my silicone-based break out. It hasn’t caused any additional acne, and I believe it has helped in reducing inflammation of those stubborn pimples (thus, making them appear less red and making me feel less self-conscious!). I’ll be posting more about my favorite Lush skincare products soon!
LUSH always has a lot to offer for the holiday season! Last week, I mentioned how great their all wrapped up holiday gifts were, because they were filled with awesome products and easy to give (and receive!). Now, let me tell you about just a few of my favorites that they’re offering this year that you can buy one at a time… or you know, ten at a time You’ll notice the price points for most of the products are under $10 and dominated by bubble bars and bombs. These kind of lend themselves to the stocking stuffers category (guess what everyone I know is getting?!), but they’re also easy gifts to give to casual friends.
I picked up A Gold Star Bubble Bar, Holiday Bubble Bar (so pretty!), LUSH Pud Bath Bomb (x2), Snow Fairy Shower Gel, Snowcake Soap (x2), and Let Them Eat Cake Lip Balm. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back for more soon enough! My only disappointment with their holiday offerings is their Jingle Jelly didn’t make a reappearance. I really LOVED that scent. Smelled exactly like Christmas to me.
Holiday Offerings…
Holiday Bubble Bars/Bombs: A Gold Star Bubble Bar ($6.25), Candy Cane Bubble Bar ($6.95), Chocolate Santa Bath Bomb ($6.95), Christmas Kisses Bubble Bar ($6.95), Christmas Morning Bubble Bar ($5.95), Christmas Party Bath Bomb ($5.95), Frothy the Snowman Bubble Bar ($5.95), Holiday Bubble Bar ($6.95), Humango Bath Bomb ($14.95), LUSH Pud Bath Bomb ($5.50), Magic Bath Bomb ($6.95), Marzibain Bubble Bar ($5.95), Mr. Butterball Bath Bomb ($3.95), Snowdrops Bath Bomb ($6.25), Twinkle Star Bath Bomb ($5.75)
Get yours at 
But I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back for more soon enough! My only disappointment with their holiday offerings is their Jingle Jelly didn’t make a reappearance. I really LOVED that scent. Smelled exactly like Christmas to me.
