Child Friendly Products from Lush

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Fiona Martin

Lush is the home of bath bombs and a multitude of other cruelty free products and always the place to visit for a bath time treat although equally great for body care, skin care and even makeup but have you thought about grabbing a few goodies for your children? I know my daughter has tried a few bath bombs and soaps out but my little boy was new to the Lush experience. We were excited to be invited to a Mother and Child event at our local store, Lush Plymouth, to check out some of their top ideas for kids.

After a warm welcome by all the staff and a round of introductions it was time to get hands on. The children were all super excited to actually get the chance to make their own bath bomb from scratch – how cool is that? (although I must admit I’ve made a Big Blue before myself). The super cute ‘Ickle Baby Bot’ is packed full of lavender, perfect to relax children before bedtime. Suitable for babies over six months, it’s aromatherapy oils also work to soothe irritable skin as well as calm and relax. The children started using their hands to mix the ingredients in a big bowl before individually packing the mixture into robot shaped moulds as tightly as they could whilst we watched on and learnt about the process.

The robot needs to be left in the mould for a minimum of 24hrs before taking out to ensure it is dried out enough and solid making the perfect bath bomb. The children were really excited with their creations and it was definitely an experience that they loved, remembered and talk about. I also think it’s really nice for them to see how Lush products are made first hand and realise how natural they are with minimal ingredients.

A few days after the event the children had a bath with their own hand-made Ickle Baby Bot bath bombs. They smelt gorgeous, I’ve always been a fan of lavender and it’s the perfect scent for a relaxing bath time.

Having a bath bomb meant they had an extra long time in the bath tub and their skin was lovely and aromatic at the end which meant they got extra cuddles before drifting off into a heavenly sleep!

Fun was the next item on the agenda and oh my – this really is a fun product – modelling clay that doubles as a bath/shower/soap product! How can that not be appealing to kids? Whilst the children played and created random aliens, the adults learnt of the joys of this product. Versatile is an understatement – you can mould, play, roll, cut, design, but then run it under water and you have bubble bath, shower gel or soap to make you clean and fresh. Double the fun in one product!

Next we checked out some of the honey products, one of which was the Honey I Washed The Kids soap, a delectable caramel smelling soap with a rich creamy lather. Both the children and I love using this in the bath and a chunk actually lasts a good while. Also containing honey is the It’s Raining Men shower gel which has a creamy consistency and sweet smell suitable for all the family.

Shampoo bars aren’t something I’ve tried before but after seeing them being demonstrated they look really simple to lather and creamy enough that I would consider using them on my hair. We had a look at a few including the Honey I Washed My Hair and Trichomania which both smell good and look really inviting to use to clean my hair.

Shower Jelly was next on the agenda and has proved a huge hit with my children over the last couple of weeks. The boy chose Refresher, the girl Whoosh (their favourite colours of course!) and they couldn’t wait to give them a try at home. In the shower I tip these into the palm of their hands and they have a wobble of them before lathering them up over their body. The bathroom smells good too when they are using these and it’s certainly given them motivation to wash!

On to body products and along with the ever popular Dream Cream we were shown Sleepy, a body lotion perfect for using at night time as it’s enriched with lavender and cocoa butter. It’s a really pretty pale lilac colour and comes with a sprinkling of silver on the top! I really like this and find it the perfect lotion to use after bath time on either me or the children. Therapy is a massage bar made with a blend of cocoa and shea butter along with sweet orange, neroli and lavender oils. It melts at body temperature so you just rub it up and down your body to spread the sweet smelling product around leaving your skin super soft. Finally onto Powdered Sunshine, such a unique and clever product. Sun protection in a powdered format, you just sprinkle it on, spread it around and you are sun ready, great for things like scalps or places you don’t like putting lots of sticky lotion. I know for me it’ll be ideal for putting behind kids ears and around the back of their necks.

The array of bath bombs adorning the shelves in Lush are always something I love to look along and admire and the children were no different, fascinated at all the different shapes and colours. They were lucky to bring home a Yellow Submarine bomb which has a lemon fragrance. It has the most amazing fizz in the bath filling it with yellow followed by a trail of pink which merges to make the most gorgeous Summery coloured bath tub.

All in all we had an amazing experience at Lush Plymouth with a friendly, knowledgeable bunch of staff who did their utmost to tell us about the products while keeping the children occupied throughout letting them try, smell and experience the products first hand. There certainly are many products that are ideal for kids and families to use. The children always talk about Lush now and tell other people about it so they are definitely helping to spread the word about the amazing products Lush has to offer!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Beauty from Holland & Barrett More Stores

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Fiona Martin

Who’d of thought you would be shopping at Holland & Barrett for all your must have beauty buys? The brand has been revolutionised with it’s new chain of ‘More’ stores and having been to the launch of the Plymouth branch (which you can read more about here) I can assure you they have so much to offer and the choice is vast. The beauty section is bigger than you expect and packed full of beautiful natural products including interactive displays and products you can make yourself.

The first range I have been trying out over the last few weeks is by Dr. Organics, a multi award winning brand that utilises the finest natural and organic ingredients wherever possible. The products are of a high quality with formulas that work and have a luxurious feel.

Dr. Organic Rose Otto Body Wash is heavenly scented and if you love the smell of roses, then you must try this. The scent just surrounds you in the shower as you wash and leaves you feeling uplifted and energised ready for the day ahead. Packed with heaps of natural ingredients including Organic Rose Otto Oil, Aloe Vera, Limeflower, Chamomile, Passionflower, Calendula plus Geranium and Clove Essential Oils.

Next up is Dr. Organic Organic Snail Gel Eye Serum, which I have to admit sounds rather strange, but you’d never know it contained snail gel if it didn’t mention it on the box. It comes in a handy to dispense tube and has a light creamy consistency that is easy to spread around the eye area leaving the skin feeling cool and firm. Along with snail secretion filtrate, this serum contains oils from safflower seed, olive fruit, candlenut, moringa seed along with aloe vera leaf juice, vitamin E and jujube seed extract. Loads of natural ingredients to boost your eye area and clinically proven to make you look 6 years younger within 4 weeks of use.

I’ve always loved painting my nails and hate to have them bare so finding the range of Zoya nail polishes in Holland & Barrett was amazing. The array of colours are gorgeous and I chose a shade called Freja, a shimmery dark grey that goes with pretty much anything to try out. The polishes are natural and organic with a long lasting formula that’s resistant to chipping. I found the polish lasted well and only had to remove it due to natural wear around the edges after over a week of wear. It also had a good sheen that I loved.

Who doesn’t love a bath bomb? An indulgent treat to add to a relaxing bath and Beauty Kitchen have come up with an array of 100% natural bath bombs to enjoy. They all look gorgeous and this ‘Moon Shine’ looks particularly sparkly and pretty. It smells incredibly relaxing and soothing packed full of lavender and rosemary to leave you ready for a good night’s sleep.

Ok, so this next one isn’t a beauty product, but if your vegetarian like me or perhaps on a vegan or a gluten free diet, then this product will revolutionise your lunchtime and snacks. If you don’t eat meat, or are fed up with cheese, then this granoVita organic Herb Pate is just the thing you need. Made from a yeast and tofu base there are five amazing flavours to choose from and I just love spreading them onto crackers or a chunk of fresh bread. Totally delicious and a really tasty snack, I highly recommend this for a savoury treat!

As you can see above a lovely selection of products that I have been able to try from the Holland & Barrett More Store, some incredible products that you maybe wouldn’t expect to find in the store – the new ‘More’ store concept has really opened it’s doors to a wider audience and with the high standard of products available, it’s well worth a look inside.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Save

A Sparkly Christmas at Lush

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Christmas at Lush is a sparkly, glittery and seasonally fragrant affair that will leave you feeling all festive with all the products and gifts they have on offer. I had a preview on the launch day of the new Christmas and Halloween ranges as they were fresh into my local store in Plymouth, to see what amazing new products have launched and which firm favourites have returned from previous years for another festive season.

We were greeted with drinks and some fabulous cupcakes from the local Mrs Brown’s bakery which looked too good to eat and very festively decorated!

Then it was on to the bath section, packed full of glorious bath bombs, melts and bubble bars. We had some demonstrations of bath bombs in action but here are some that caught my eye.

The Magic of Christmas reusable bubble bar is so festive, a star shape decorated with cloves and star anise, it’s perched on a cinnamon stick. It’s burnt orange colour gives a warming feeling as the chilly evenings draw in and it’s covered in golden glitter, perfect for a hot bath to relax in the evening. It has a cute ribbon tied around it’s collar along with a cute anti rusting bell. The idea is you swirl it in the bath water to create a heavenly, softening bubble bath, packed full of bubbles and a Christmassy aroma of cinnamon, orange and almond.

Stardust is a snowy white Frozen inspired bath bomb with bergamont to uplift you. Inside it’s white exterior lies a blue and white swirly mass of bubbles and a surprise of edible stars that will float around your bathtub twinkling under the lights.

Magic Wand is a silver glitter coated pink bubble bar on a stick with a festive bell and ribbon attached. I know my daughter will just love this so got her one to try out.

Five Gold Rings are individual bubble bars, glistening and tied onto a ribbon. With a sparkly gold coat they are infused with fair trade vanilla and uplifting moringa oil.

Peeping Santa is a rather cute bubble bar that can be split into two halves for two baths! Bursting with strawberry sweet bergamot and geranium oils and cocoa butter in the middle section, this sounds like a refreshing but relaxing bath full of bubbles.

Candy Mountain is a swirling pink bubble bar rich in vanilla for a soft, relaxing soak.

Next stop, the shower section which was packed full of an array of different and interesting products. First off, Snow Fairy, a popular favourite with candy floss aromas in a delectable pink colour. I was tempted but opted to try the Rose Jam as I’m rather partial to to roses and love their fragrance. Never having tried Rose Jam I’m keen to give it a try in the shower over the next few weeks and trust me, it smells heavenly!

The Icing on the Cake Roulade is a shower smoothie and definitely one that looked quite luxurious, full of citrus peels and chestnut puree. Perfect for a relaxing shower at the end of the day.

Santa’s Scrub is a mixture of castor sugar, dates and cherries to leave your lips smooth and soft and then you can follow it with Santa Baby, a long lasting lip tint with carrot oil and cinnamon.

Something that was new to me was shower jelly in the form of Santa’s Belly or Snowman. They literally are just like jelly but quite stable and you rub them over your body to lather them up and wash.

The Cranberry Festive Face Mask smelt lovely and felt great on the back of my hand. I think this would be wonderful on your face, packed with cranberries, fennel seeds, argan oil and rose clay. It left the back of my hand feeling smooth and soft.

The soap bars available this Christmas are Yog Nog, Snow Cake and Baked Alaska shown below along with Reindeer Rock which I didn’t catch a picture off.

With so many products on offer, you really need to visit a store to check them all out. Some I haven’t had time to mention are Christingle a body conditioner, Fairy Dust a fun glittery powder along with lots of other bath bombs and bubble bars. Get along to your local store today and check out the amazing array of ethical goodies to fill your bathroom during the festive season.

I must just mention the Christmas gift selection with it’s cleverly thought out packaging, all very ethically sourced I must add. Christmas Wishes is a wind up carousel that plays a festive tune, Sleeps ‘Til Christmas has a countdown dial on the front to help you count down the days and The Human Cannonball with it’s cracker snap to open the box that greets you with a colourful display!

I’m going to finish off with a quick overview of the Halloween range of which includes Lord of Misrule bath bomb and shower gel, Nightwing shower jelly and Sparkly Pumpkin which I couldn’t resist trying. With juniperberry, lime and grapefruit oils this filled my bath with bubbles and left my skin feeling supersoft and relaxed. Definitely one to use again.