Healthier Hair | Lush 'The Plumps' Conditioning Bar

Pregnancy comes with a whole host of benefits (for some) and I have been very lucky to benefit from thicker, fast growing hair during these last few months which has been a lovely side effect of all of the hormones and almost makes up for the odd twitches and unfortunately stretch marks I have been subject to. However with the good, of course comes the bad. While my hair may be growing in faster and thicker than ever before I have found that the general health hasn't improved very much, it's quite dry, frizzy and just damaged! So in light of this I have been taking some steps over these last few weeks to improve the overall look and condition such as going for a chop to remove dead weight, using some new heat defense tools, cutting out straightening entirely and finally purchasing this conditioning bar by Lush.

Whenever I feel as though something is lacking in my routine, whether that's dry skin, dull skin or in this case, dry and damaged hair I'll turn to Lush. I'm always pulled in by the more natural ingredients they typically use in their products and this time was certainly no different. I was on the hunt for either a hair mask or oil treatment to inject a bit more life and shine into my hair but instead I found it in the form of a conditioning bar, something I didn't realise Lush did alongside their shampoo bars. 

The Plumps solid conditioner contains a range of ingredients specifically formulated to help your hair retain moisture, such as honey, while also giving you glorious volume through the fine grains of sea salt in the bar itself. The bar works in much the same way as their shampoo bars - after shampooing as you regularly would work the bar between your hands and run it down the lengths of your hair then rinse. 

Many have complained that the bar doesn't lather or foam when going on to your hair - it is very subtle and can be quite difficult to tell if you're doing it correctly the first time, this is something I find quite appealing as I don't feel as if the product is drying out my hair and is instead oiling it up. While it is on the more 'natural side' it leaves your hair smelling of sandalwood, it is quite a strong smell so if you don't like smelling it through the day this might be one to skip out on. As I write this post I have been using the conditioning bar every 2 or 3 days now for the past 3 - 4 weeks, I have found my hair doesn't feel as heavy or bogged down with product, it's easier to brush out when it's wet which means less breakages overall and generally my hair does feel that bit healthier in comparison to when I was using a liquid conditioner. 

I'm thinking of making the move back to shampoo bars to pair with my solid conditioner simply to see if the combination of the two makes any more of a difference - stay tuned for the verdict! Though I would be super interested to know if you've ever tried a conditioning bar - by Lush or otherwise . Leave your hair health suggestions in the comments below - because while I love make up and could study cosmetics for hours on end I just don't have the same affinity for hair so I really do need help! Otherwise you can find me and my mop on the usual channels, Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Brushing your teeth with powder? | Lush Ultrablast Tooth Powder Review

In the name of beauty I'll try pretty much anything. Contouring, strobing, oil pulling, coconut oil for every nook and cranny all huge yeses and things I have been happy enough to try. Tooth powder however, just seemed like a bit of a strange and foreign concept. I had seen toothy tabs, oil for your teeth, but never a sub for stable tooth paste! That is until Lush introduced me to my new daily obsession, Ultrablast powder!

Lush describe Ultrablast as, 'A galactically good blend of mint and wasabi takes your mouth to a different dimension. This potent mix of garden pea powder, peppermint and spearmint will leave your mouth as clean as a whistle.' Sounds minty fresh right? I was taken in more so by the blend of mint and wasabi, I love spicy foods and that fresh feeling that a chilli, mint or obviously wasabi dish will give you so incorporating that into a health and hygiene routine, yes please!

You use tooth powders by dipping your damp toothbrush lightly into the pot and then go to town on your teeth as usual. The texture is a bit difficult at first, I thought it would feel quite dry and bitty but instead it just lathers up into a very light foam, the hardest bit to get over for the one I ended up going for was the colour (green for those wondering, green!) but I will say was surprised at just how clean my teeth did feel afterwards, I'd even go as far as to say cleaner than using regular toothpaste. Since using this, twice daily over the last 4 weeks my teeth are looking a bit whiter than usual (not a quality they promote on their packaging) so I really do think the powder cleans better than a paste. The pot is really lightweight and pretty airtight when you put the lid back on correctly so it'll be great for when we are going off on holiday, or for packing in an overnight bag. These pots retail at £4.95 but I bought mine about 3 / 4 weeks ago and I'm not close to finished, suffice to say a little really does go a long, long way.

The only drawback I will say is that it can get pretty messy. Mine for example has congealed a bit in the pot just with water getting in from my tooth brush. You can still use it however it has turned parts of it into a pastey mess! And my towels are perpetually green and powdery and the corners of my mouth?! Let's just say if you're partial to doing your skin and foundation routine prior to brushing your teeth - that's going to be something you'll want to flip around.

Overall though I'm pretty pleased with my new oral routine and I'm definitely going to continue purchasing these in the future. I'm looking forward to trying their other flavours, for example their strawberry flavoured 'Tooth Fairy' powder and their cinnamon and clove aptly named 'Atomic' powder - perhaps one for the festive season! 

Have you ever tried a revolutionary tooth cleaning product? I'd love to hear what you thought or tried in the comments down below, come share your pastey experiences with me on Twitter or of course if you'd just like to keep up with me and my faces you can catch me on Instagram and the blog on bloglovin.

Until next time folks, aaaah powdery fresh (it's the future ladies and gentlemen don't fight it!)

H.Elizabeth x

Lush Skincare | Imperialis Facial Moisturiser Review

 

It was the rainiest day in the history of the world when I ran soaked through to my bones into my local Lush store, and at 5.25pm no less (5 minutes before closing; sorry again guys!) desperate for some skincare goodies and a bit of skin TLC. Recently my face has been a nightmare of immense proportions, after suffering a cough an cold for a good two weeks my nose has been rubbed raw and my face seems to have broken out in that hellish rash again, leaving me resembling the unsexy side of the Phantom of the Opera. Lush were the answer.

I came away with a good couple of products, one of my favourite fresh face masks (which I hope I don't forget about again!) another bubble bar and finally my current skincare favourite Imperialis which the lovely lady helped me pick out, and if you hadn't guessed happens to be the subject of todays post.

The Imperialis moisturiser is known as one of Lush's great all around products that is a treat for your face whether you have dry, oily, combination or even scaley skin and if I'm going to be totally honest the tipping point of my purchase was the scent, it is divine, though I have been struggling to put my finger on just what the smell I'm drawn to is, I have a hunch it's the lavender or the cocoa butter but stay tuned!

And if the scent wasn't enough to draw me in I just had to take a peak at the ingredients, with balancing properties such as lavender and lily petals, soothing elderflower and throw that in with the olive oil, shea butter and orange flower absolute, I was sold, and couldn't wait to see what the shea butter would do to my skin. The pretty pale pink formula is a bit heaver than the Enzymion which I used throughout the summer last year, but my skin drinks this stuff I'm never left sitting with an oily face for very long and afterwards my skin feels so silky smooth and hydrated though because it is still quite a thin consistency and my skin is very dry I do sometimes need a bit more than one coat which is a bit of a downer give the price tag of around £12.50 per pot.

Throughout the interwebs I have found a lot of people have broken out using this moisturiser, this isn't something I have found personally thus far but it's something to consider if you're thinking of giving this a go, and I'd steer clear if you have a lot of allergies or have particularly sensitive skin, but as I'm sure you can tell I've found this months match at least and hopefully this will save me through the remaining winter months!

What are your favourite lush products? Or do you even have a recommendation for other similar moisturising products that might save my scaley, dry, phantom esque face? Be sure to leave everything in the comments below, come be a pal and share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with my own reviews, recommendations and rambles be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, off to tune my organ.

H.Elizabeth x

Have Yourself a Very Smelly Christmas | Lush Magic of Christmas Bubble Wand

If there's something I love about Christmas it's the smells. And I'm not talking about the latest Yankee Candle everyone and their cat seems to be buying at the moment (I'm a clean cotton type of gal) I'm talking about the smells from the great outdoors, and admittedly indoors. From the smell of fresh baked cinnamon buns and rolls in local supermarkets to the sickly sweet hot chocolates and ginger bread lattes wafting down the high street, and let's not forget the seasonal goodies from Christmas German markets, a treat only just afforded to the Granite City this year, let's just say the only time it feels like Christmas is when I can literally smell it in my nasal cavity. And according to any and all beauty bloggers you seem to speak to, nothing smells as good as a Lush Christmas bath does, so I thought okay, this year I'll give it a bash.

For someone who loves smells so much it's hard to believe that I have never been afforded the luxury of a Lush bath, let's face it I've had just about everything else from them, moisturisers, cleansers, eye creams, face masques, shampoo bars, you name it I've probably had it, but a bath? Unfortunately not, that is until now! This was something on my list when searching for our new home this year, it MUST have a bath...I swear I didn't move so I could have a bath... ahem. So a few weeks ago off I popped to my local Lush store and picked up their Magic of Christmas Bubble Wand.

You could say it was love at first sniff (I seem to be falling for an awful lot lately!) with a couple of cinnamon sticks as the wand as well as almonds and orange oil as the key notes I was sold, cinnamon and orange happen to be my favourites scents, so between that and the gorgeous gold and glitter filled appearance I was sold! And so it was that after a long week back at work and a rather stressful evening I would have my Lush bath after all.

Like a regular Lush bubble bar / wand you use this by holding it under your running tap and swishing it around (rather magically and flamboyantly) in the water, you can reuse this one which would have been great... had I known that before and not wasted the entire thing on a single bath! Nevertheless the bar changed my water into a gorgeous deep orange colour with glitter throughout and an abundance of fluffy silky bubbles that left my skin feeling pampered! I must have lay there for a good half hour just taking it all in and relaxing before finally admitting defeat and rinsing off in the shower. I have to say the scent didn't scream cinnamon or orange to me and I wracked my brains for a good hour afterwards sniffing the bag to try and unpuzzle what it really reminded me of. It wasn't until much later when I was brewing my nighttime Chai Tea that I realised it was literally like bathing in Chai Tea, a very luxe, silky smooth Chai Tea mind!

Overall I think I would repurchase this bubble wand, with the intention of using it properly and not treating myself to the entire thing all at once! My only criticism is that the scent didn't hang about for very long and I had expected to continue feeling the warming and relaxing effects throughout the rest of my evening - this didn't happen. But perhaps that's just me and I'm just overestimating the power of baths, for which I blame my fellow beauty bloggers, don't be duped baths won't solve all of your problems!

What has been you favourite Lush  Christmas product so far? Or even just your favourite Lush product full stop, I'd love to hear your top picks. Be sure to leave them all in the comments below, come share your smelly goodness with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to hear more from Granite City Girls and future bathing adventures be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, it's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

H.Elizabeth x

Lush | Copperhead Shampoo Bar Review

It has been a good while since I have done a Lush post, if I'm honest Lush has been a bit of a sore spot for me recently as a while ago I bought two gorgeous face masks which I had intended to get into quite a routine of using however after a few weeks of hectic schedules and busy evenings I completely forgot about them only to discover them at the back of my fridge covered in mould and unsalvagable! Disappointed is not even the word (not with Lush but with myself, which feels even worse!) But on my recent journey to Dundee, who have a way better Lush than Aberdeen, I couldn't resist a cheeky Lush purchase, and determined to try something new I decided to be a bit more adventurous and buy my first ever shampoo bar.

There were so many to choose from but for me it wasn't a difficult choice. Since having my hair dyed last month the colour has faded quite a bit and I needed something that would lather a bit more oomph and life into it, and being a natural redhead Copperhead was the only way to go, and it smelt amazing to boot! Lush describe the shampoo bar feel, scent and qualities on their site as follows:

'Don’t be latte for work, invigorate with a double shot of coffee grounds and roasted cocoa extract. Persian red henna leaves hair feeling deeply conditioned and gloriously glossy. Escape the daily grind with Fair Trade vanilla absolute and vetivert oil for a rich, enticing aroma. Great for darker shades and those with red tones.'

As everyone undoubtedly has when confronted with a shampoo bar I was apprehensive, how does this thing work? Do I melt it on my head? Do I break bits off and use it that way? What if when I put it in the water it melts my £5 away?! But I really didn't have to worry, you simply wet the bar as you would with a bar of soap and lather it into your hair as you would with a liquid shampoo. It is surprising how quickly the bar lathers up, I expected to have to put in a great deal of elbow grease just to get a bubble from this sucker but nope, the bar was so easy to use and smelt even better when it was in my hair. The scent reminds me of a mans aftershave but not in a bad or hyper-masculine way, more in a way when you get a whiff you go 'oooh..' (but perhaps that's just me) 

Now I can already hear you all screaming, 'But does it make a difference!?' and having been using it for a week and a half I can tell you I have absolutely noticed a difference. First of all when I was the product out of my hair it actually feels clean (squeaky clean!) I say this as a big selling point because at times when you get a new shampoo, instead of actually stripping product from your hair it just feels as if it is putting a sheen or gloss over the top of you hair rather than actually washing it well that problem is over with your new shampoo bar! In addition to cleaning your hair properly it also makes your hair feel incredibly soft, which makes me wonder just how amazing their conditioning bars must feel (a must have on my next Lush trip) Lastly I have noticed the redder tones in my hair have been coming through much more, which is fantastic for me as sometimes the more yellow tones come through in summer which I don't really like so this is the perfect combating treatment for me.

In short I have loved using this shampoo bar and this could mark the end of all things liquid shampoo for me, who knows!? I think it all depends on how long it lasts, I have been using it for 2 weeks now, unfortunately I did run in to a spot of bother as it crumbled quite spectacularly and melted in my shower! Undeterred I have purchased another one and luckily the girl in Lush (Aberdeen) explained to me how I should be using it (i.e DO NOT immerse it in water!) and as an apology for not being told the first time I was given a complimentary tin to keep my shampoo bar in (aren't they so lovely?!)

Let me know if you have tried any of the Lush shampoo and conditioning bar range? What is your favourite or do you perhaps have an alternative that is EVEN better? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below, Tweet your thoughts at me or if you'd just like to see more from me be sure to follow the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm gonna wash that product right outta my hair.

H.Elizabeth x

Having and Giving and Sharing and Recieving | Lush Recyling Scheme

It finally happened! Throughout the last year I have been loving Lush and since losing my Lush virginity all the way back in February last year with my 'Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser' and I'm pleased to today report that I have accumulated enough empty Lush pots to take part in their recycling scheme. I say I have only just managed this, truth be told I actually have 8 pots at home!

For those of you who have never been or are unfamiliar with the Lush recycling scheme (where have you been one may ask?!) it is basically a 'you scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours' which has economical (for Lush), environmental (for the world, obviously) and of course consumer (us) benefits. Lush ask that you collect and wash out any of your little black pots which have the wee recycling symbol on them and when you have 5 of them, take them back to your local store where they will exchange them for a free fresh face mask. The pots are then transported back to their production warehouse in Poole I believe, where they are then cleaned out thoroughly and reused for the next person to take home and love. Lush are working towards a closed loop system whereby they no longer have to produce their little black pots due to their durability and re-usability and of course by relying on the loyalty of their customers - and honestly who wouldn't be opting into their scheme?

Anyway, moving along from the techy techy environmentalist side of things, today I thought I would share with you which 5 pots I shall be trading in, alongside a mini review of what I thought of each product and finally what I shall be trading them in for.

Enzymion Moisturiser (x2)
My skincare savior! Following a horrendous experience with a rather thick (such as concrete) MAC foundation I wanted to use something a bit more natural and less chemically on my skin, and my usual moisturiser (Nivea) just wasn't cutting it! The consistency of this moisturiser is quite runny and can drip off your face if you use too much, but it smells lovely. I wouldn't say it leaves your skin feeling amazing or soft right away but give it a week and your dry, dull skin will have cleared entirely! You can read my full review for the Enzymion Moisturiser here.

Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser
You can see my full review of this cleanser here, but as you'll know if you've already read it, this helped to soften my skin and clear any and all blemishes I had. Although I had originally gone in the day I bought this for a cleanser that would also remove eye make-up (which this obviously doesn't and wouldn't) I still fell in love with it. The smell is lovely (if like me you are a fan of lavender) and the consistency is great too. A little of this goes a long way, it'll last you for weeks as long as you use it sparingly which I do!

Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask
I had a bit of a love hate relationship with this mask, while I loved the scent and the feeling it left on my skin it was incredibly flaky and the chunks of berry kept falling off of my face and into my tea! Because this was kept in the fridge it was quite hard to get out of the tub and onto my face and often flaked while it was drying so messy messy! I totally agree with the synopsis on their site however it is a very calming and soothing mask but I would not recommend if you are looking for something low maintenance!

Love Lettuce Face Mask
Fresh, fresh, fresh, is all I can say about this face mask. What I love about Lush's Fresh Face Masks is that because they are kept in the fridge to prolong their goodness, every time you put them on your face it is like getting a huge breath of fresh air, but maybe that's just me who enjoys a cold compress. Another thing I loved about this mask was the grainy quality meant you were not only moisturising (and cooling) your skin, but when you wash it off you're exfoliating too, which is why I would only recommend you use this one once or twice a week max. The smell is divine too, I believe it's a mix between honey, almond and lavender all of which I love. This is one I'll definitely be repurchasing in the future.

For all of these empty pots I can treat myself to one of their fresh face masks again, and I'm going to try and go for something different this time which of course is still good for dry skin as I'm still a bit of a sufferer, especially with Aberdeen having now joined the rest of the UK in the cold weather slump! At the moment I have been swithering between their Oatifix mask which sounds like a dream for dry skin or their BB Seaweed, because it looks and sounds so fresh. Do let me know your thoughts on what I should treat myself to in the comments below or of course any Lush products you yourself have been loving lately, I'd love to hear from you! As always you can catch me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more reviews, ramblings and rambunctious goings on you can follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin

Until next time folks, getting fresh!

H.Elizabeth xx

February Best Buys

Hello everyone, so it's that time of the month again, time for me to show you my best buys from the past month and give a little review of this months favourites.

#1 Furry Slipper Boots, Dorothy Perkins £5.00 down from £15.00

So I saw them, I loved them, I had to have them. I have awfully cluttered wardrobe at the moment and believe it or not it's about 25% made up of pyjamas or comfy related articles of clothing. These boots are oh so comfy they're barely off of my feet when I'm lazing around the house, they are made mostly of a knitted material and came in a red tartan (none my size) or this lush cream colour with faux brown fur trim. Great for lazy home bodies like me!

#2 L'Oreal 24hr Infallible Make Up in Porcelain, Boots £9.99
Earlier in February I began to run out of my staple L'Oreal 16hr infallible foundation and in a bid to get the most of my money, for about a week and a half I resorted to scraping my tub with a cotton bud, but enough was enough and I faced up to the fact that yes, I need a new foundation! So traipsing along to boots I panicked when I didn't see my ever trusty 16hr Infaillible Foundation, but did see a 24hr one, panic over. This has been my face staple for a few years now, the foundation offers high coverage and hides my blemishes a least and doesn't dry out my face, don't think I'll be changing any time soon.

#3 Lush Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser, Lush £6.35 100g

As you'll know I recently expressed my love of this cleanser in a previous review, but thought it definitely deserved a wee mention in my best buy blog post this month, so if you want to read the full review click right here!

#4 About Time DVD, HMV £10.00

Favourite romantic comedy in such a long time. When I saw this in the cinema I was so skeptical because of the cheesey poster, yes I'm afraid I do judge a film by its poster, honestly the poster made it look like another Nicholas Sparks film adaptation but I am happy to report that this is not the case. I won't give away any spoilers in case any of you rush out to buy it but it combines quirky 'real life' comedy, time travel, romance, family and such a refreshing take on life and love.

#5 Cat Pyjama Bottoms, Asda £6.00

 My second comfies/pyjama purchase of the month in the form of the amazing multi coloured and cosy cat bottoms from my latest Asda shop. These are lighter than my current cosies so perfect for summer days in our (fingers crossed) brand new flat.

I promise next month won't be filled with comfy related articles like my boots and bottoms, but stay tuned for my March wish list which I guarantee will contain a little more Lush products! Hope you have enjoyed this month's best buys, if you like what you see you can keep up to date with my latest and greatest on Bloglovin, drop me a comment on here to let me know what you think or you can always catch me on Twitter.

H. Elizabeth

Losing My Lush Virginity | Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser Review

Today I am going to be chatting to you about my recent Lush purchase which ashamedly enough was a result of me losing my 'Lush Virginity' yes that's right ladies and gents, before last week I had never bought a single product from Lush! Anyway onwards and upwards it is safe to say that now I am addicted and even now wish to move house specifically to accommodate a bathtub, as obsessions go that's quite a commitment!

Our local Lush store is located on Aberdeen's Union Street and is quite small in size so all of the scents in the store sort of hit you all at once, but it wasn't nauseating like I was expecting, if anything I could accuse the scent of sending me into a purchase frenzy and brainwashing me through my nose!

Even though tempted by the many soaps, washes and scrubs Lush has to offer, I did go in with a specific aim. Recently my skin has been rather lack luster due to our terrible weather, you name it, I've had it, blotchy patches, dryness, blocked pores, it has been awful so I really wanted a miracle cleanser to give my skin that sort of kick it desperately needed to get back to its usual glowing self.

The sales assistant was so helpful and really seemed to know her stuff, she was very attentive to what my requirements were and eventually she recommended I try this nifty product, the Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser.

The woman in the store told me this was a very well balanced cleanser as it's sensitive enough to use on dry, sensitive skin but also dense enough to help those with a more oily skin condition, so it's quite a good all rounder if you aren't looking for something too specific. The cleanser isn't much to look at, granted, in fact when I first spotted it I thought it looked like an oatmeal concoction with some plants spread throughout, but honestly if you like lavender it smells divine and that really helped me past the initial appearance!

I have been using this cleanser for about 4/5 days now and have implemented it into my morning routine, before applying my moisturizer and a little definitely goes a long way with this solution. I have so far loved using this cleanser, it's a nice feeling when you're using an all natural product on your face especially and it might be psychological but that all natural feeling makes me think I'm doing good for my face.

For the sake of being honest and open I will say this, unfortunately you cannot use this cleanser as a two in one to remove your make up unless of course you rub very very vigorously which I would not recommend. With all Lush products this one does have a use by date which in my case is May, and with the amount you use daily with a cleanser of this consistency it probably won't even be finished by then. And finally I would say that for a single purpose cleanser that Lush are on the pricey side, this one is 100g and it set me back £6.35. A nice little luxury I would say!

Overall though I look forward to trying out more Lush products in the future and a bathtub is certainly on the top of my wishlist for when we move in May! What are your favourite Lush products or which ones are you dying to try out? Drop me a comment below, catch me on Twitter or if you want to keep up to date with my latest posts follow me on Bloglovin

H.Elizabeth