LUSH Honey I Washed My Hair

Honey I Washed The Kids soap scent + shampoo bar = hair heaven. Another scent I will always love. Similar to to the Pearl massage bar, I threw this in my basket immediately after smelling it. Honey I Washed My Hair is that deliciously amazing toffee scent, and includes honey as an ingredient. Love love LOVE.

What it Does:

Cleans your hair and scalp while moisturizing- thanks to the honey. 

How to Use It:

Rub the bar directly on your head until you get a lather going (which doesn't take much- these shampoo bars massage up quick and offer much more lather & suds than typical liquid shampoo)

Tips and Tricks:

My only tip is that if you haven't tried a shampoo bar, you definitely should give it a shot. A lot of people are unsure of these products because they're obviously used to seeing shampoo as a liquid, but they work better than liquid shampoo AND are much better for your hair. In addition-solid bars last up to 80 washes...which is equivalent to three bottles of shampoo.

Lush Pearl Massage Bar

I LOVE THIS BAR. Seriously my favorite massage bar yet, which is saying a lot because I adore Strawberry Feels Forever and Each Peach. I instantly had to buy Pearl the second I smelled it. One of my all-time favorite scents from Lush is Rose Jam, which unfortunately is a seasonal scent. Pearl is actually scented with the Rose Jam fragrance, explaining why I was immediately hooked.
The cute pink beads in the bar are tapioca and sago bubbles, and the amazing scent come from argan and rose oils. Its freaking amazing, I literally can't recommend it enough!

What It Does:

If you haven't used a massage bar- you need to get one ASAP! Lush's massage bars are amazing at moisturizing and soothing your skin, I actually prefer them to lotion. 

How to Use It:

Grab your bar and smooth it onto your skin, it will liquify and become easily spreadable due to your body heat.  

Tips and Tricks:

I usually swipe the chosen area my skin once with the bar, then just massage out the oil. If you rub it around too much you'll be an oily mess, and the bar won't last as long. A little goes a long way!

I'm so excited Lush incorporated a product with rose jam that is available year round, I'll definitely have Pearl on sitting on my vanity alllll of the time.

LUSH Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask

I just picked up Love Lettuce yesterday, I used it last night and I loved it so much I had to review it ASAP.

I haven't done a face mask review in awhile, mostly because I haven't had time to make a Lush stop in far too long. Love Lettuce was one of the masks I've yet to try, so I was eager to get it in my hands/ on my face.

Love Lettuce is a gritty exfoliating mask filled with ground almonds, seaweed, honey, kaolin, agar agar gel, and French lavender oil. Oui Oui.

What It Does

The ground almonds exfoliate while the seaweed, honey, and lavender nourish and soothe skin. My skin had a few red spots previous to applying this mask, and to my surprise they were gone in the morning- my skin was also extremely soft. 

How To Use It

Scoop the desired amount and massage onto your face. Massaging with this mask is key since it is an exfoliant. Let dry for 5 minutes and rinse off with warm water and a washcloth.

Just a little closeup to show the texture of the mask. This stuff really is an excellent exfoliant, the ground almond is great for removing dirt, but not as abrasive as many exfoliants out there.

The dried mask should make you look like a fabulous green swamp witch. Notice you don't need to apply too thick of a coat. Also notice I make one hot fabulous green swamp witch.

Tips & Tricks

Really massage this is to get the full effect. It tends to dry somewhat quickly, so I just added more when I felt the amount I was working with was beginning to dry.

I definitely recommend Love Lettuce, but I honestly don't think you can go wrong with many of the Lush face masks. However, I saw a difference so quickly after this mask that I'll definitely be buying this again and again. 

How to Grow Your Hair Long

I planned to put the rest of my TJ product reviews up, but first I wanted to do another mulit-item review entry, like my Lush Bath Bombs  and Lush Top Skincare Picks posts. I wanted to do something on a topic a lot of people can relate to, packed with some amazing cruelty-free products. I don't know about any of you, but I can't count how many times I googled "how to grow your hair long" before my hair FINALLY grew, and theres not really an abundance of sites with real info that doesn't involve a miracle pill, a crazy lazer, or extensions- so I figured doing a post on what actually worked for me might hopefully help some of you. Remember, everyone's body is different, so different things work for different hair types.  These products are pretty general, and should work for most hair types.

Now to start off: in regards to the previously mentioned "miracle pill", or anything that promises instant gratification when it comes to your hair, let me just say - IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. This is not going to happen overnight, and if thats what you're looking for you should probably go the way of extensions. I used to wear extensions religiously because my hair just would not grow past my shoulders. It was literally the most aggravating thing ever, granted I wasn't doing all that much  to help the situation besides throwing a hair mask on now and then & hoping for the best (mostly because the products I was using advertised hair growth, and I was a sucker for good advertisement). Growing your hair is like a science, and it takes more than just product to make it happen. 

Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditioner

Okay so this is a new addition to my hair regimen, but I already can see a lot more hydration in my hair after two weeks of use. I definitely have less split ends, and even before I put any leave in product in, this stuff has my hair curling up rather than frizzing out. If you google this conditioner you'll see A LOT of hype, especially from girls with curly hair. In your google search you'll also see people pissing and moaning about the recent change in ingredients, which I don't really care about because I happen to love the new formula.  Theres also a Nourish Shampoo, which I have and love, but I'm sticking to the essentials for this list, and the conditioner takes precedence over the shampoo. 

Tips & Tricks:

I probably overuse this product but it seems to be working, so I suggest doing the same. Put enough in so it covers ALL of your hair and scalp. Then let it sit for a couple minutes, like you would with a hair mask treatment. Now one of the gripes some people have about the new formula I mentioned is silicone as an ingredient; a lot of people are saying they have trouble rinsing it out which ends up making their hair greasy/unmanageable. This has NEVER happened to me,  but if you're worried about it just use less product and really, really, make sure you give your hair a good rinse.

Lush R&B

R&B is a leave-in hair moisturizer by Lush, and its preeetty fantastic. R&B stands for "Revive & Balance", which is fitting because this product definitely delivers.  The ingredient list includes organic avocado butter, oatmeal, olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, jojoba oil and candelilla wax- all excellent advocates for healthy hair and scalp. The scent is jasmine and orange blossom- and I'm pretty much obsessed with Jasmine so I loved R&B the second I smelled it. This product is known to work great on African American hair as well as curly hair -and- no silicone! So if you're part of the anti-silicone mob, this one should get you excited.

Tips&Tricks

The jar looks kinda small, but I've had mine for months and it doesn't look like I've even touched the stuff. As with many Lush products, a little goes a long way- so I like to concentrate on my ends as thats where most of the damage is. I only use this product on DAMP hair, You could probably use it on dry hair as a mask, but you'd have to wash it out or your hair will definitely look greasy. I've read that some people do use this product on dry hair for flyaways- I haven't done this, and I'm sure the results are circumstantial (based on hair type), but If I were to try that technique I'd probably only use a tiny bit.

Coconut Oil

The Almighty Coconut Oil! I use this for a plethora of things, but one of my favorite uses is for hair health. Coconut Oil has a ridiculous amount of benefits for your overall health, and if you haven't read about any you should definitely search the web & check out a few pages. If you're looking into purchasing, you want Organic Virgin Coconut Oil- it should be solid at room temperature, but turn to liquid quickly with any heat source. I use this as a mask for my hair every so often.

Tips&Tricks:

This is another product that will make your hair appear greasy if you use too much of it. I use coconut oil on my ends a few times a week before I shower, and I'll do an all out mask about once a month or every two months. With regular use on my ends: I only use a little bit of oil, warming it in my hands followed by pressing it onto the ends of my hair. When I do a full hair mask I heat up the oil so it's easier to apply, I massage some into my scalp and distribute it down through my hair. I generally keep the mask on for 10-20 minutes, then wash/ condition my hair. Usually my hair still feels pretty oily after the initial wash, but after my second wash the oil is definitely out. The fact it takes two washes to remove the oil is why I don't do the mask often, but the benefits outweigh the couple days of greasy looking hair. 

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

When it comes to Argan Oil, Josie Maran has to be my favorite. I've tried a bunch of "Argan Oil" infused products- and this is the only one thats given me noticeable results.  This oil is the real deal, its 100% Argan, and as with most real oil products it's equipped with a glass dropper for application.

Tips&Tricks:
I always start by separating my damp hair into sections, this makes it easier to be sure all of your ends recieved some oil. Next, I apply three drops of the oil into my hands, rub them together, and press the oil onto the chosen section of hair. After pressing the oil in I run my hands down my hair to spread the oil out. I like to spread it up the hair shaft about four inches, mainly because I don't have any issues with split ends/breakage past that point of my hair.
I like to use this on towel dried hair after I shower, but sometimes I'll apply it onto my ends if they're looking frizzy. I don't use this on my scalp, I suppose you could but you may get the greasy- effect that many moisturizing products produce.

The Tangle Teezer

This is one of those products I bought and afterwards couldn't figure out how I lived life so long without having it. I just LOVE this weird looking thing. Its completely plastic, with pointy bristles that massage you scalp and separate tangled hair- wet or dry.

The fact that this is plastic makes for really easy cleaning, which can be a problem for a lot of brushes. The top of the brush is curved to fit your hand, which makes for easy brushing even when dealing with especially snarly hair. Theres a few dupes of this brush now, but I prefer the original because I think "Shawn P" deserves the credit for creating this magical tool, whoever he is. They sell the Tangle Teezer at Sally Beauty, and most likely Ulta although I've never looked there.


The Wet Brush

I found the Wet Brush before the tangle teezer, I loved it from the first time I used it. Before this brush I would have been an idiot to even attempt to brush my hair when it was wet. Seriously, your hair is most delicate when it's wet, and brushing it with a regular is just asking for breakage and split ends.  The only con with this brush is cleaning it. Lint tends to get stuck on the bristles and its next to impossible to get off (so annoying). Difficult cleaning aside, the Wet Brush is amazing and definitely a must have.

Professional Hair Scissors & Elastic Hairbands

Lastly- and especially if you currently have breakage or split ends, invest in some nice shears & those funky elastic hairbands. The scissors are for your split ends- TRIM THEM OFF. Don't pick at them or ignore them, they'll continue to split up the hair shaft creating a frizzed out mess on your head. The elastic hairbands are definitely more gentle then the typical bands, and anything thats gentle on your hair is a plus when shooting for growth. You could go get a trim regularly at a salon, but I hate the salon, none of those women ever really listen to how I want my hair.

*I'll post pictures of my hair later, because I'm going to have to get out the wretched straightener aka torture chamber in order to show the actual length of my locks.*

It honestly only took about two years for my hair to grow from a little past my shoulder's to the point its at now (about two inches above my derrière), but 5 years ago I had pretty much given up on my  hair ever being long sans extensions. Some people can get length faster than that, but I'm definitely not one of them. Along with the products above, you need to eat well and take care of yourself. I noticed my hair getting a lot healthier when I stopped drinking alcohol, and I know theres basically nobody that will stop drinking altogether for the sake of their hair, so I'll just say cut down on it, eat nutrient rich foods, and get enough sleep. The healthier your body is the more beautiful your hair will be. 

Trader Joe's All-In-One Cleanser

UGH I love this cleanser. Like, a lot. I haven't been to Lush in awhile, and I wasn't planning on getting out there until a little closer to Christmas so I'd actually buy things for other people, instead of spending $500 on myself, as usual. However, not going to Lush meant I was out of cleanser...and moisturizer...and everything that matters in life. To sum it up,  world war 3 was taking place on my face, and I was losing BADLY. I have somewhat sensitive skin with an oily/ breakout prone t-zone. My forehead was looking terrible, so terrible that even my best Tarte and Benefit concealers couldn't hide the disaster happening beneath them. Enter Trader Joe's/ the gorgeous Beauty Bloggers that raved about the All-In-One cleanser. I had nothing to lose so I picked it up...for $4.99!

What It Does:

Cleanses skin from makeup, dirt, and oil.

How To Use It:

Put two or three pumps of the product into your hand and lather it onto your face. Massage from a couple minutes then rinse and dry with a clean towel.

Tips & Tricks:

I like to apply this to dry skin after I've removed my makeup with coconut oil. The bottle says you can apply to dry or wet skin, but I prefer to work it into dry skin at first, then add small amounts of water slowly to increase the lather. This lathers up really nice as you'll see in the picture below, and my skin feels very refreshed after use. Lately my skin has been breaking out a lot, and this product really helps. It completely stopped my face from breaking out more than it already had, and reduced redness and size of the current blemishes on my face. I really love it and highly recommend it!

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos/ some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Smith's Rosebud Salve Review

So I'd honestly never heard of this stuff until I was reading a "steal vs. splurge" entry on a well-known beauty and fashion blog. Even after I read it I wasn't really planning on buying it, but I was at Sephora today and I saw it in the "grab and go section" so I grabbed it. So glad I did! My lips look glossy and hydrated with a pink tint, but they aren't sticky at all. This products looks like a gloss but wears like a chapstick, the consistency is comparable to vaseline and the scent is awesome. This product is made with petrolatum, cotton seed oil, and a rose perfume- as always with my product choices its cruelty free. Its formulated by a physician, and was created in 1892! I'm in love, and for $7 I'll definitely be re-purchasing again and again.

What It Does:

Hydrates and soothes chapped, dry lips while giving them a pretty pink tint and glossy shine.

How To Use It:

Twist open the pot and apply with your finger.

Tips & Tricks:

I don't really have any, only that I sally avoid lip products that involve a finger for application because the pot inevitably gets gross. I recommend using sanitizer on your hands before dipping your finger into the pot. I really love this stuff, I had to take some pictures of how pretty it made my lips look!

     

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos/ some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Trader Joe's Pomegranate Body Butter Review

If you read my last post you know I've finally come to know the wonder world of TJ's, and had to pick up a few of their skincare/hair products to review after reading so many blogger's posts raving about them. My first review is on the Pomegranate Body Butter I picked up for only $3.99! Usually when I buy any beauty product for this price, especially body butter, I expect it to be a few baby steps above awful. So is the Pom Body Butter awful? Hellllll no.

This body butter is made with Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, Pomegranate Seed Oil, Shea butter, and Palm Butter. Yes, I said Argan oil- and yes, it's really $3.99 (in my area at least). These days anything with Argan Oil has the price outrageously jacked up, but not at TJ's! The Pom Oil is so potent, I could smell it before I even opened the pot! Also, when I buy a body butter I want it to be the consistency of soft butter, duh. Usually I'm disappointed with how thin the body butters I purchase are, but this stuff really delivers. It's thick, exactly how a body butter should be.

What It Does:

Smooths and soothes dry skin, leaving you moisturized and soft.

How To Use It:

Open it up & rub it on!

Tips & Tricks:

The only tip I have is that a little goes a long way, and it smells so great I've been skipping using my body spray because you can literally smell this stuff through my clothes. It obviously doesn't have the  scent longevity of perfume, but when I'm just going to work or running errands this stuff does the trick for me.  Lastly, and unfortunately- This is a SEASONAL product (BOO!), so if you try it and love it- stock up! Go buy a dozen of them, after all- they cost less than a freaking Starbucks latte!

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos/ some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Trader Joe's Mini Haul

Trader Joe's is the almighty mecca that so many people are completely obsessed with/ rave about. I however, have never stepped foot inside of one-until yesterday. I'm not sure how it happened, but I stumbled upon a beauty product review site with some excellent reviews on TJ's beauty products. I honestly couldn't believe the prices, and I'm kind of a product snob going on the notion that "the more expensive it is, the better the quality". That being said,  I've spent crazy amounts of money on various high-end products from labels everyone is familiar with, some have been good and some have completely sucked. After reading the reviews on the following products, I had to seek out the ONLY Trader Joe's in my area and see what they had to offer.  I'm going to do separate reviews for each product, but in this post I'll just list what I bought, the prices, and my personal rating (so far)- either Average, Good, or Great.

(In order left to right, top to bottom)

1. Nourish Oil-Free Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer $4.99  - Great

2. Nourish Antioxidant Facial Serum $9.99 - Average

3. Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser $4.99 - Great

4. Nourish Spa Balanced Moisturizing Conditioner $2.99 -Great

5. Nourish Spa Balanced Moisturizing Shampoo $2.99 - Good

5. Pomegranate Body Butter $3.99 -Great

As you can see, the prices are RIDICULOUS, in a very good way. So not only are they cheap, they're packed with ingredients you would find in higher end skincare. For details on each product check my posts on each! If you don't have time for all of that I'll just suffice it to say Trader Joe's is definitely worth checking out, and if you end up purchasing then hating any of these products for whatever reason, at least you didn't waste a lot of money giving them a try!

Lush Shine So Bright Review

I picked up Shine So Bright a LONG time ago, it's been in my makeup bag since then and I literally just realized I never did a review on it. It comes in a cute little tin which makes it super easy to just throw in your purse for on-the-go use. Shine So Bright is a hair balm used for the purpose of mending split ends. I've always had a problem with split ends and breakage, so when I saw this I immediately wanted to give it a try. What also caught my attention was the ingredients- olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter and free range eggs, all notorious hair and skin healers. I'm a huge believer in coconut oil for just about anything, so the presence of coconut oil totally sold me. Aside from the main ingredients the product also contains rosewood, grapefruit, neroli, and orange flower to produce a pleasant smell. The consistency is comparable to Lush's solid perfumes. The tin is small, but I've literally had this stuff forEVER, so it has some longevity if you're concerned about the price in conjunction with how many uses you'll get.

What It Does:
Conditions dry hair & mends split ends

How To Use It:
Rub your index finger in the tin until the of the solid oil warms and liquifies on your finger, then rub your index finger and thumb together. Once your finger and your thumb have some oil on them, place the damaged hair in between & rub on!

Tips & Tricks:
This product is more for your ends, I don't even want to imagine the greasy mess you'd have for roots if you tried to use it up top. If I'm planning on using this on a lot of my ends I'll usually open the tin and hold it under a heat source ( blow dryer, electric heater, etc) for a few seconds- it liquifies quick but if you're using a lot relying on your fingers to warm it feels like it takes forever. This may go without saying, but just incase- if you're using a heat source please don't liquify the whole pot. I like to use this in the winter months, or when I've been using my flat iron (abusing my hair) more than usual. LASTLY, after you put this on your ends brush them- preferably with a boar bristle/ nylon bristle combo brush (Mason Pearson, anyone?), your hair will look shiny & healthy :) I wasnt really into this stuff at first, and I wouldn't consider it a "holy grail" hair item, but lately I've kinda been falling in love with it.

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos / some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Lush Brazened Honey Fresh Face Mask Review

Lush Haul 7/20

I've been dying to try this one! Brazened Honey is another one of Lush's amazing "fresh face masks", made from fresh perishable ingredients. This mask includes free-range eggs, lime oil, kaolin clay, honey (of course), and ground almonds for exfoliation. Theres also a handful of spices throw in to warm the skin- sage, juniper, rosemary, parsley, turmeric, and fennel. These ingredients make for an amazing combo, and not to be completely repetitive and annoying, but this ones my new favorite! (until I find another new favorite).

What It Does:

Brazened Honey has been the best mask for my skin thus far- mainly because of its oil pulling properties. This mask literally sucks the oil out of my skin. My problem area is my T-zone, and this mask has cleared up that area after three uses. The clay in this product plays a huge part in sucking up oil, but another huge factor the the success of clearing up skin is Brazened Honey's exfoliating properties. The exfoliation I receive while massaging this mask into my skin creates a deep cleanse, leaving my skin so smooth and oil-free.

How To Use It:

Scoop your needed amount out and massage into your skin-spreading out all over your face. The consistency of this mask is not as thick as Cupcake or Cosmetic Warrior, which makes it easier to spread out/ massage in. You can create a thick layer over your face, or a very thin one. To make the mask thinner wet your face first to make it easier to spread, or mix a scoop of Brazened Honey with water in your hands before applying. I don't add water before applying ( I like my masks thick) , but if I'm spreading it out and I feel its not spreading easily enough I just splash some water in the desired area of my face and smooth out the mask. Leave on for 5-10 minutes and rinse off.

Tips & Tricks:

Massage, massage, MASSAGE. Really rub this into your skin, it will feel great and give you a deeper cleanse. I love clay masks, which was one thing that drew me to this product, but if you normally have dry or sensitive skin the clay might be too harsh for you. Don't worry- you can still do this mask if you have skin thats more on the dry or sensitive side, but I recommend applying a moisturizer on your face, like Full Of Grace, before putting on Brazened Honey. You can use this technique for any mask if you feel your skin is too dry/sensitive to handle a mask on it's own. As with all fresh face masks- REFRIGERATE! *All Face Masks are $6.95 US*

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Lush Aqua Marina Review

7/20 Lush Haul

I decided to step out of my regular cleanser (again), mainly because they were out of Let The Good Times Roll and Ultrabland the day I went to the store. Once again, I'm sooo glad I tried something new (thanks to the girls at Lush Walden Galleria!). I know I say this all the time, but I really think this is my new favorite cleanser! Aqua Marina has been working wonders for my skin, and it's only been three days! The calamine and kaolin in this product cleanse the skin, while aloe vera moisturizes. I also really love the seaweed (irish moss gel) mixed in, it's a really unique ingredient and its packed with vitamins and minerals. There's supposedly salt thrown in to exfoliate, but I didn't feel any exfoliation while using it. I didn't know about the salt when I purchased my jar of Aqua Marina so I wasn't even expecting exfoliation to begin with. One of the girls at Lush warned me that many people do NOT like the smell of this product when it's in the jar due to the seaweed. It really doesn't bother me at all, but I do think it smells different in the jar than it does on your face. The smell of baby powder is a good comparison to Aqua Marina, especially when scrubbing it on your skin. When in the jar you can still smell the baby powder, its just not as strong due to the seaweed.

What It Does:

Cleanses skin while hydrating and restoring skin cells.

How To Use It:

Pinch off a small amount of Aqua Marina and mix with water in your hand until you've reached desired consistency. Spread the mixture on your face and massage in. Rinse off with warm water or wipe off with a warm damp washcloth. This can also be used on your body if you wish to do so.

Tips & Tricks:

I've found that I prefer to only mix a little bit of water with the product in my hand- I keep it a little thick and then smudge some on my forehead, chin, and cheeks. From there I add water and spread it evenly over my face. I also like to refrigerate this product. You don't have to, I've stated many times that I refrigerate almost everything I buy at Lush simply because I like the way the products feel on my face/body when cold. DO NOT let the seaweed scare you away! This product really does smell great and seaweed  is so good for your skin, I highly recommend you at least get a sample and try it out.

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Lush Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar

7/20 Lush Haul

Sorry Lushies, I've been on hiatus for awhile due to a demanding job/ lots of schoolwork! I just picked up a pretty decent haul & decided to review Strawberry Feels first because I adooore it. I've actually been buying this product for awhile, I just haven't had time to review it. I'm a huge fan of Lush's massage bars ( I couldn't get enough of them after trying out Each Peach), and Strawberry Feels has become a new staple product for me. I love the way this feels on my skin- it's ultra creamy and smells like a fruit sundae! The creaminess comes from virgin olive oil, along with organic fair trade shea and cocoa butter. The shea and cocoa also contribute to the amazing scent with some help from infused hibiscus flower and crushed strawberries. It smells even more amazing once you massage it into your skin!

What It Does:

Hydrates and heals dry skin while making you smell ahhhmayyyZING

How To Use It:

Simply take the entire bar and rub onto your skin. Once you feel you have enough from the bar, massage it out evenly over your body. You do not need to keep rubbing the bar continuously- Lush's massage bars melt when exposed to heat, if you continue to slather it all over yourself you will be an oily mess. Also, only rubbing a little on and spreading it out will increase the number of uses you'll get out of it.

Tips & Tricks:

As with most of my Lush products, I like to refrigerate my massage bars. I like the way the bar feels when its cold, and keeps the product for being too oily during the summer months. You don't HAVE to refrigerate it, but I actually recommend it- if nothing else it will give you less of a mess during uses!

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

LUSH Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser Review

This is the first Lush cleanser I've tried other than Ultrabland & I'm happy to say that it works just as well! Ultrabland and Let The Good Times Roll both worked great on my skin, but they're two very different cleansers. I will say that Ultrabland works a lot better in terms of taking makeup off, so if you're looking for something to get rid of running mascara this ones not for you. But as far as exfoliating and deep cleaning, I think Let The Good Times Roll works better! My face just feels softer and cleaner after using an exfoliant, so I'm partial to Let The Good Times Roll for that reason.

This cleanser is made from maize flour, corn meal, corn oil, cinnamon powder, and popcorn. Similar to a number of Lush products, it smells like you could eat it. The scent reminds me of a sugar cookie, although they report it as a "butter-caramel" scent. 

What It Does:

  Exfoliates, cleanses, moisutrizes, and maintains skins elasticity. LOVE IT!

How To Use It:

Scoop a small sized amount out of your container (about the size of a marble, you can go smaller or larger depending on your judgement), mix it with a little water until its easily spreadable. Massage it into your face, then rinse off with warm water.

Tips & Tricks:

I like to wet my face with a washcloth before I begin to spread this on my face, but don't use too much water on your face or in the cleanser/water mixture- it will end up runny!

LUSH Caca Brun Henna Hair Color Tutorial

So after my first Henna review I received a lot of questions about it, mostly asking for just a little bit more of an in-depth description than what I offered up the first time around. So, instead of just writing another review to compliment my last one I'm giving you a whole step-by-step on the henna process along with pictures so I don't have to try to describe what this stuff looks like throughout the dye job. I did my second Henna dye to my hair last night ( My first time doing it was in November), here's my method & how it turned out :

1. Choose Your Henna

Once again, This is CACA BRUN. Lush henna also comes in CACA NOIR (black) and CACA ROGUE (red) & CACA MARRON (chestnut). The brick actually comes with 6 squares, but as I said before this is my second time using the henna so I only have 4 squares left.

2. Open Henna Instructions

The wrapped pictured above opens up and all of your instructions along with needed materials are listed. There are a few things on the material list that I think are unnecessary, so I'm only going to list the things you ABSOLUTELY NEED:

*Rubber Gloves *Double Boiler  *Saucepan *Coloring Brush *Hair clip(s) * Towels 

It also lists newspapers to cover the floor.... I guess if you think this little project is going to turn into a total trainwreck you might want to cover your floor with something. I never needed anything, but I've always had somebody do this to my hair for me. I guess if you're brave enough to try this alone I'll suggest the newspapers.

3. Prepare Double Boiler and Saucepan

So the instructions on the henna wrapper say you only need a double boiler OR a small saucepan inside of a larger saucepan, but I think my way is easier. Here I have a double boiler, which is where I will put my two squares of henna. I also have a saucepan next to the boiler, which has extra water I will pour into the double boiler little by little until the henna is the consistency I want it. 

4. Place Henna Into the Double Boiler

Break Two squares off of your brick and put them into the double boiler. If you have really long, thick hair you might want to go with three. I have hair that goes down to the middle of my back, and two squares coat all of my hair.

Let the henna squares sit in the double boiler for a couple minutes just to soften, NOT to melt.

5. Add Boiling Water On Top Of Henna

Pour the boiling water from your saucepan into your double boiler (on the henna). Add it in a little at a time and mix as you add it. When the consistency of your henna is similar to that of brownie batter its ready to be applied to your hair.

6. Apply Henna Into Hair

This is when you'll realize why I'm really stressing the use of rubber gloves! This part can get pretty messy, especially if  you're doing it yourself (you're insane). You can apply this on just using your hands, or the coloring brush (I think a mix of both works best). Either way, you need to separate your hair into layers, start from the bottom & work your way up, clipping up the parts you haven't reached yet.

When finished, your hair should be completely covered. Immediately after you finish applying, clip it up to make it stay in place while you wait. If you want a red tone to your new color: tightly cover your hair with saran wrap or a plastic bag.

7. Leave On At Least 2 Hours

Yeah I know, Is a LONG time. But hello, its natural dye...it takes time! I'd sit 12 hours with this in my hair before I ever used chemical dye. The package actually says 1-2 hours, so you can get away with one but I always go for 2 hr minimum. After a little while your Henna will start to harden, and I can't speak for any of the other colors but the Caca Brun looks green when it's hardened... GREEEEN. But the brick looks green when you buy it so I guess Its not surprising. 

If you compare the above pictures to the ones in step 6 you can see how my hair in these shows the signs of the henna hardening. 

8. Rinse Out Dye

Sorry, No picture for this one :). When you get in the shower start rinsing out the henna with warm water ( I usually use hot but warm will work too). Tip your head back so you don't get it in your eyes. After you have rinsed some of it out grab some shampoo and wash your hair normally. This will help get the remaining parts of the dye out. You may have to wash & rinse twice. Once the dye is all out condition your hair as usual. 

I love my Results from using Caca Brun. I let my hair air dry naturally & brushed it before I took the after picture. i had done the same thing in my before picture, and as you can see my hair is A LOT less frizzy after Henna. Henna doubles as a moisturizing treatment, there is a very noticeable difference in the texture of your hair once it dries, its extremely hydrated and healthy looking.

Before

After

This picture makes my hair look a little more red than it actually is. It's a really nice chocolate brown, when the sun hits I get a hint of deep red.  I absolutely love the color I get, I get much better results from this than chemical dyes & my hair comes out healthier too.

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

LUSH Karma Solid Perfume Review

I won't be doing my usual review for this one because we obviously know how perfume works and what it does. So i'll just keep it simple with a quick description and a few tips I picked up from using it.

Karma is hands down one of my favorite scents from my perfume collection. However I think Karma is and acquired scent,  people love or absolutely hate it.  After I bought Karma Kream I was hooked on the smell so I jumped at the chance to get a perfume. If you've never tried any of the karma scented products, it's a blend of patchouli, lemongrass, and orange oils.  Sounds like a weird combo, but its actually nice and unique.

 The bottle is really small, about the height of a regular sized lipstick which makes it a perfect on-the-go product. The price ( around 20$) looks kind of high considering the small size, but this product is VERY concentrated. It's extremely potent so you do NOT need to use a lot of this or you'll literally leave a trail of patchouli lingering behind you wherever you go.

How To Use It:

The bottle is a push-up stick, and if you push too hard the whole thing will pop up and good luck getting that thing back down without getting orange gel everywhere. Push gently on the bottom, then apply a small amount on your skin. I usually just put some on my wrists then wipe from my wrists onto my neck. Once again, do not over do it, its very strong!

I like this product, but the push-up part is a big con. If it were a twist up stick I think I would like it a lot more. However the size is convenient and the perfume itself will last you a long time.  Overall I'll definitely be buying another Karma solid perfume once mine runs out, and I'll probably try a few more scents too. If only Lush would tweak the design of the tube a little bit....

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay