It's Time To Strengthen That Core & Massage It! | Lush New Core Massage Bars 2023 (True Romance & Turmeric Latte) First Impressions

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post. I saw recently that Lush had some new Massage Bars out so I decided to go into store and check them out and talk to you all about them today. 

Lush have recently updated their range of Massage Bars which included creating a new curated range for certain stores (which means that certain stores can curate a selection of massage bars from the range to be sold at their store. These include Karma, Celebrate, Junk, Sex Bomb and many others) and adding some new core massage bars to all stores. 

The two new massage bars that have been added to all stores are True Romance and Turmeric Latte. 

True Romance: 

Ingredients:

Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Shea Butter, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute, Neroli Oil, Osmanthus Absolute, Rose Oil, Argan Oil, Rose Clay, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citral, Citronellol, *Eugenol, *Farnesol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool.

If you have experienced The Comforter? Spa Treatment then you may recognise this scent from the scrub and massage that is offered within the treatment. To me, the main scent that comes through the most is the Rose. To me, the Jasmine and Neroli are background notes and maily help the Rose and Osmanthus to pop through more. Lush have a fair amount of Rose scents such as Rose Jam but to me this a sort of more fruity with a touch of powdery Rose than a sweet Rose (eg Rose Jam) which is probably due to the Osmanthus. The Cocoa and Shea Butters mixed with the Argan Oil help to create a nourishing oil that sinks into the skin quickly which I adore. This bar melts quite well onto the skin which makes for the best massage bar as it stops you from trying to warm the bar for ages to get any of the skin softening oils to come out. I think this product would be amazing for anyone who wants a at home spa experience or a body product to help them relax at night. It would also be a great additional gift for something like a birthday or Mothers Day. For example, pair it with a Rose Jam Shower Gel and a The Comforter Bubble Bar and you’ve got the perfect package for someone who needs a bit of me time. I think that I would give this a 8/10. I think that because I’ve experienced the scrub and massage aspect of the treatment through a Bloggers Event I just have some memories attached to that and thus think that I prefer that a tiny bit more to the massage bar as the scrub/massage bar is a bit more powerful in regards to scent but I still think that its an amazing Massage Bar. Priced at £11.

Turmeric Latte: 

Ingredients: 

Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Shea Butter, Perfume, Tonka Absolute, Benzoin Resinoid, Vanilla Absolute, *Anise Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Cinnamate, *Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, *Limonene.

If you have read my blog for a while then you will know that I absolutely adore Turmeric Latte from Lush. Am I annoyed that the Bath Bomb has been discontinued? Maybe. Did I get as many Turmeric Latte bombs through the Lush Boxing Day Sale as soon as I heard that this Massage Bar was being released? Maybe (including asking Alex to get me a couple at their local store in Sunderland). Am I  slightly ecstatic that this product has been released? Maybe. 

This Massage Bar is very true to its scent. Just the right balance of creamy, sweet and spicy without being too cloying. To me the smokiness that I believe is created from the Benzoin comes through straight away and then within seconds of this scent coming through the Vanilla and Tonka blast their way through onto the skin. To me, this scent of this massage bar lasts quite a long time on the skin compared to a couple of the others which blends into the skin a bit too quickly for my liking. Again, I think that Lush have perfected the base of the Massage Bars as the oil comes out quite quickly but also sinks into the skin quite quickly. I’ve been using this on a night recently when its been cold and I love it as it just warms me up but I think that I will mainly be using this bar as a sort of solid body lotion to go along with all of the other Turmeric Latte scented products that I own.  (I think the only one I don’t own is the Turmeric Latte scented Hair Conditioner). I think that this bar is quite universal and would be perfect as a gift for anyone who needs a little bit of moisture adding to their body. Okay, I may be bias but I am going to give this 10/10. I am trying out the Curated Massage Bars soon so I may regret giving it a 10/10 but ah well. Priced at £9. 

Have you tried either of the new Core Massage Bars/ Let me know down below. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Becoming All Things Ooky & Spooky With The Lord of Misrule | Lush Halloween 2022 Range First Impressions - Everything Else

 Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. If you read my last post then you will know that I have split up my first impressions of the Lush Halloween 2022 range into two blog posts. 

Face: 

Mr. Pumpkin Fresh Face Mask 

Who’s this Mr Pumpkin you speak of? Who doesn't love a good face mask for those times when you need to just relax and have a little bit of me time. This mask contains Pumpkin Puree, Organic Pumpkin Seed Butter, Ground Pumpkin Seeds, Cinnamon Leaf, Lime, Sweet Wild Orange and Sicilian Red Mandarin Oils Yes that's right, this mask contains three different types of Pumpkin. The Butter gives the mask a very creamy texture to me whilst the Ground Pumpkin Seeds adds a bit of a gritty texture which helps to buff dead skin away. I normally need both of these in my skincare due to having dry yet acne prone skin due to lactose intolerance, stress and may other things. The scent of this product is delicious for me but I can also instantly get that it might be a bit overwhelming for some. I love spices and citrus so having a face mask that smells of both of them things is the best thing that I could have. If you have used Punkin Pumpkin then imagine that but in a face mask format. Priced at £10. 

Pumpkin Sheet Mask 

Who doesn't love a good Pumpkin shaped mask on their face? I'm surprised that this is the first time that Lush has released a Sheet Mask. This mask contains Pumpkin Puree and Brazilian Orange Oil. To me, I like the scent of this mask but I'm not the biggest fan of sheet masks in general. This one from Lush is more of a hydrogel sheet mask and to be frank I'm not the biggest fan of them either. Furthermore, when Luke got this out of the packet, it instantly ripped and caused a mess which I'm not a big fan of either. Priced at £6.

Pumpkin Eye Pads 

The Pumpkins have eyes... These eye pads contain Pumpkin Puree, Carrageenan extract and Activated Charcoal. I like the concept of these and that you can use them with the sheet mask to create a Jack-O-Lantern on the face but the shape just isn't the best for eyes themselves and with them being able to hydrate the eyes, the corners make it a bit troublesomee for the product to actually hydrate. I like the concept and they would be great for a themed pamper party or a night in but they just aren't for me. Priced at £3.50. 

Body Spray: 

Lord of Misrule* 

It's time for the Lord of Misrule to spray their madness all over you. Everyone has been asking for it and finally Lush have decided to give it to the masses. This Body Spray contains Dark Sumatran Patchouli Oil, Black Pepper Oil and Vanilla Absolute which creates the iconic LOM scent that everyone knows and loves. I love this Body Spray as it is the signature scent but in a new format. I have had a bit of a problem with this spray just due to the packaging as I travelled to see Alex with it and even when locked and in its own bag, the spray still managed to leak which shouldn't have happened but overall I love it. Priced at £25. 

Candle: 

Loed Of Misrule* 

The Lord of Misrule is shining bright tonight! Who doesn't love a candle that smells like LOM and goes well with a LOM bath? This candle contains the iconic scent of LOM (Dark Sumatran Patchouli, Black Pepper and Vanilla Absolute) with a base of rapeseed wax, coconut oil, coconut wax and. castor wax. I love the candle but the scent is muted if you are a bit away from the candle itself even when its burning and honestly I'm not the biggest fan of the texture of the candle which has been created from the mixture of oils and waxes but I love it as a candle to use when I want something to burn whilst I'm having a bath. Priced at £12. 

Lips: 

Vampire Kisses Lip Scrub 

Halloween is made for giving Vampire Kisses... This Lip Scrub contains a base of Caster Sugar and Organic Jojoba Oil and Juniperberry Oil and Sweet Wild Orange Oil. I love a good lip scrub to the point that I have far too many. This scrub kind of has a scent/flavour of sugary fizzy sour Grapes. If you've ever drank the Grape Fanta then imagine that but a little bit more tart. I like it but I feel like Lush have had better seasonal lip scrubs out. Priced at £6.50. 

Massage Bar: 

Lord of Misrule* 

Let the Lord of Misrule massage you from head to toe. This Massage Bar has a base of Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter and Organic Shea Butter and contains Dark Sumatran Patchouli Oi, Black Pepper Oil and Vanilla Absolute I quite like this massage bar but in my opinion it takes a bit of a while to get the scent to come through. Maybe it was just the one that I tried in store. I was kind of expecting it to be stronger in scent like the Joints one is but it might have been an issue with the batch that I tried or something. Priced at £8.

That's it for this years Lush Halloween range. There is the gifts and tin but I thought that I would just focus on the products this year. Let me know what your favourite product from the range is. 

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x

Products with an asterisk are available until Christmas. 

Photos were provided by Lush PR. All views and opinions are my own. 

Creating A New Beauty Ritual | The Body Shop Briggate Bloggers Event

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! The wonderful guys over at The Body Shop invited me to their Leeds Briggate flagship store for a bloggers event and I thought that today I would tell you guys what happened at the event.

*Sadly I didn't get all the photos that I wanted of the new products which is my own fault more than anything but I'm sure you can find pictures of the products on Instagram/online.*

We started off by walking along towards The Body Shop and for once we arrived a few minutes late as I normally end up there a good five to ten minutes early. Myself and Luke greeted the staff member that was at the door to tick us off the guest list. We then walked into the grand store and I decided to grab my DSLR out of the bag to take a few photos whilst other bloggers were still arriving.

We perused some of the sale stock whilst we made our way around the store, Myself and Luke then went over to the Whittards stand. Whittards were giving out refreshments of their amazing Tea at this event. The two Teas that they were giving out were Cucumber & Mint and Grapefruit Yerba Mate. I loved the Cucumber and Mint Tea as it reminded me of a Summery Gin Cocktail but sadly I wasn't completely sold on the Grapefruit Yerba Mate but that's probably because I'm not the biggest fan of Grapefruit but I think this Tea would be grat for those who like something that has a deep Citrusy flavour. There were also gorgeous goodies at the Whittards stand including fresh juicy Apples and ripe Raspberries.

After this, Kimberley (one of the staff members at The Body Shop Briggate) introduced us to the other members of The Body Shop Briggate. Once this had happened, Kimberley started to talk about the new products that are arriving at all stores.

The first product that we were shown was the Amazonian Saviour Multi-Purpose Balm. This product helps to revitalise the appearance of tattoos, nourishes extremely dry skin and helps the appearance of skin marks. The product contains only 9 ingredients and is 100% Vegetarian. I love the fact that it sorts out extremely dry skin but sadly I wasn't that keen on the scent as it smelt of a very deep resinous scent.

Next on the list was the Ethiopian Green Coffee Cream which helps skin feel firmer and smoother. This product is a new addition to the Spa Of The World range. You know that it's going to be great as Ethiopia is known for it's Coffee and due to the Coffee, this cream has stimulating properties. (I'm keeping this one short as I shall be talking about this product later on in a bit more depth.)

Moving along on the spiritual conquest, we then got to have a play with the Spa Of The World French Grape Seed Body Scrub. This product contains Organic Sugar from Paraguay. The scrub as a whole helps to invigorate, exfoliate and radiate skin which means that once you've used the scrub then your skin will be feeling absolutely beautiful and brand new. I wasn't honestly sure on what I thought of a Grape Seed infused product scent wise but I do love a good scrub!

The last two Spa Of The World products include the Indian Turtle Massager which is wooden and has 4 balls to really get into the nooks and crannies of the body when massaging. This can be used on anyone including yourself or your partner. There was also the Thai Makrut Lime Toning Oil. This Oil is one that firms the body but at the same time it's absorbed by the body quickly which helps to nourish the body. Lime is an astringent which helps to cleanse and tone the skin.

Everyone in the room also got told about the new Green Tea Hair Mask and Shampoo and Conditioner which are coming to The Body Shop. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to properly sniff them but I think that they will be an amazing addition to the hair care range at TBS. It's for Dry Hair and the mask helps with hair conditions such as Psoriasis and the Shampoo/Conditioner is suitable for people with coloured hair.

We then wandered around and got to sniff and test out some great products such as the Pink Grapefruit range. and grabbed some more food from the Whittards range.

Myself and Luke then got hand and arm massages of the new products at the Spa Bar. If you want to find out what product Luke was pampered with then read his post when it goes up but I loved the Ethiopian Green Coffee Cream so the staff member massaged my arm with it. We talked about the product and realised that this product texture wise is inbetween a sorbet and body butter which means that you get the quick time absorbing qualities of a sorbet and the nourishing properties of a body butter. I also think that this has a scent of a green shake which sounds weird but I think its great as Spa products normally have a fresh clean cotton scent whereas this didn't.

We also got the chance to see the Beauty Lounge which is only available via the Leeds Briggate flagship store where you can get a one to one consultation, a lovely drink and much more. You can even have parties within the room. The way that you pay for the lounge is that you pay upfront but you can redeem the costs via products at The Body Shop.

It was time to say goodbye so we we finished our chat with the wonderful staff who gave me a couple of samples for my face as my face decided to act differently every week. The lovely staff assistant told us about a few secret products that are coming within August so go to your local TBS to check them out then, We then got given a wonderful goodie bag with some samples from The Body Shop including their wonderful Drops Of Youth: Youth Liquid Peel which I can't wait to try.

Whats your favourite The Body Shop product? Let me know down below! 

Thanks to the wonderful staff at The Body Shop Briggate for inviting myself to the bloggers event and thanks to them all and the Whittards staff that attended the event for putting on an amazing night!

I hope that you've enjoyed this beauty based blog post and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x