mariahvalerie:

Review:

Had my free lush spa treatment today worth £125 (so happy I work there lol)

I had the LUSH signature treatment called Synaesthesia, it was amazing: aromatherapy,hot stones, full body and head massage and was utterly whimsical. lasted 1hr 20mins…

you pick one of the ‘word bottles’ containing essential oils related to it.

before starting the massage you also choose a word from this board and then the massage is centered around that feeling/emotion. I chose Peace and then the entire massage was done with the lush ‘peace’ massage bar.

then had a shower and herbal tea afterwards before using all the creams and perfumes and getting a complementary peace bubble bar and massage bar to remember the day by.

In a nutshell the entire treatment was beautiful and I’d highly recommend it.

So, I’d basically give my left arm to be able to do this.

I admit, up until this point I still hadn’t made the switch over to natural deodorant from Lush — and deodorant was one of the only skin/hair/body products that I wasn’t Lush exclusive for. I do sweat a fair amount, and I had struggled with not having an anti-perspirant deodorant.

For those unaware, Lush deodorants (and natural deodorants in general) differ from many drugstore deodorants because they do not contain aluminum. Aluminium is the sweat blocker most commonly found in anti-perspirant deodorants — and obviously, clogging your pores with metal isn’t a great practice.

I tried Aromarant deodorant (now discontinued) from Lush last summer, and especially since I sweat more in the warmer months (like most people, I’m sure), I found it didn’t give me enough coverage absorption or scentwise, so I went back to my drugstore deodorant.

Because it’s wintertime here now and I’m sweating less, my coworker suggested that was a better time to try a natural deo again if I was interested in switching. Lucky me! The Guv’ner just arrived in my store, and I grabbed it the first day it was on shelves to give it a go! I LOVE it!!

This brand new powder deodorant from Lush is based on the highly absorbing powder formula of The Greeench deodorant. The Guv’ner is formulated with charcoal for uber sweat absorption, plus patchouli and sage as cooling astringents — whoa! Charcoal is obviously black colored known for leaving residue behind, but hasn’t stained or settled on any of my clothes so far! I’ve only tested it for about a week, but Mark Constantine himself says he wore it under white shirts for 3 months with no staining issues. Time will tell if it continues to live up to the “no staining” description, but I have high hopes!

A powder deodorant can seem a little tricky to apply, but I’ve found it’s pretty simple if I just sprinkle a bit into my palm and apply it to my underarms. No need to try to aim the spout where you want it to go — that’s much more difficult and unnecessary!

Not only has it been working just as well as my old drugstore deo that contained aluminum, I love the smell of The Guv’ner! To me, it’s a combination between Dark Angels and Grass shower gel… yummy! I like a fresh scent for my deodorant, and The Guv’ner satisfies that for me more than any of the other deodorants that Lush current carries. I’m a huge fan already!

The Guv’ner powder deodorant was released in the UK a while back, and it’s finally made it’s way to NA! It’s still not available online, but my store got it’s first shipment last week and I assume other stores have gotten theirs or will be getting it soon. I don’t have an ETA for online availability in NA for you, but call or Facebook your local store! To read more about it or order in the UK, click here.

My boyfriend/friend stayed a lot later than expected last night, and I had to go to bed due to having work this morning. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I got home and generously applied Hair Doctor and Catastrophe Cosmetic, and hopped in the bath with Spacegirl bath bomb. :)

ALSO

For those of you who are unaware, most of the “Mafia” (the founders and very high ups at Lush UK — pretty much Mark, Mo, Rowena, Helen, etc.) use Ultra Bland as their cleanser, and many don’t use much else for skincare. If you look at the sign in the store for Ultrabland, it says “100% staff recommended” — because it is! I had tried a sample of it when I first started looking for cleansers, and I don’t think I used it correctly. I used it in the shower as I do my normal cleanser, and really didn’t understand the need to remove it with a wet washcloth or toner soaked cotton pad. The beeswax in it will really stick to your skin if you don’t force it off, and your skin won’t appreciate it if you leave wax all over it! I thought the cleanser just wasn’t for me, but I now know I wasn’t getting it all off correctly.

The cleanser itself is really simple — ultra bland! A total of only ten listed ingredients! The almond oil in it is really fantastic — super nutritious for the skin and very softening. The rose water and honey are going to be really calming and soothing, and the beeswax along with being calming and soothing is going to be really moisturizing for dry skin and lift dirt. Skincare experts everywhere will tell you simple is best, and when you’re using too many products, the actual caring for your skin can get lost in the shuffle. Your skin needs to be treated gently, and Ultra Bland will definitely do that!

So, the Ultra Bland challenge is where you use nothing other than Ultra Bland (except your toner if you take it off that way) for a week. No masks, no moisturizer (unless you REALLY need it), nothing! Try just the Ultrabland the first day, and if you need the moisturizer — go for it. But if not, keep using just the Ultrabland for seven days! My coworker did this when she was having a bad acne break out last week and it really worked for her, and she suggested this challenge to me. I’m doing it! I’m starting tonight! I’ll definitely let you know how it goes!! :) I’m super excited about it.