My Lush Adventure Part 2: Ocean Salt, Imperials, and Herbalism (plus my new Instagram account!)

Sorry about the giant picture, folks! I took these pictures on my cell phone and I’m still getting used to using pictures on WordPress. Before I get to today’s Lush post, I want to talk about an upcoming project I’m working on.

I have recently made an Instagram account. For years I avoided this social media site because I’m not the kind of person that takes a lot of pictures. But I was inspired over the weekend by a book reviewer on Youtube called abookutopia (https://www.youtube.com/user/abookutopia). She posts  videos all about books and even gets to go on literary themed trips and gets advanced reader copies of books from various publishers. I thought hey! I do written reviews of books  all the time on WordPress and I’ve been wanting to do video reviews. So, I have decided to make an Instagram account to add to my up and coming Youtube channel. You can follow me on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/90sgrungechick/

Now, my ultimate goals from all of this is not to become famous or anything. Really, I just want to talk about things I enjoy and hopefully get the attention of some publishers to give me some advanced readers copies. I think I may have mentioned to you guys before that I do have a video camera, but the charger is M.I.A. and it is dead. So, my first video that will go up on Youtube will be done on my laptop webcam. However, imagine my luck with I came across the newer version of the video camera I have on sale for $10! I have already placed my order for it. I won’t be without a camera for very long!

For those of you that want to know, my first video will be a review on the book I am currently reading, which is the second book in the Ruby Oliver series. However, my Youtube channel will not just cover books but will cover anything I feel like discussing.

I will still be posting everything (including videos) here on WordPress as well. Now that I got all that covered, let’s get to the Lush stuff!

Herbalism

I don’t actually have a picture of Herbalism to post up here because I only bought a small sample from Lush. Which was probably a good thing because I am still fighting a breakout that I got from this stuff! Needless to say, I am not repurchasing.

But for those of you that might be interested, this is the main acne fighting cleanser from Lush and it is another “cleanser roll” that works like Angels on Bare Skin (see my previous Lush post). For pricing information check out Lush’s website.

Ocean Salt

This exfoliating cleanser is made with sea salt, organic lime juice, and avocado butter. It was suggested to me by a clerk that said it would help with my breakouts and brighten my skin. However, the sea salt in this stuff was way too harsh for my skin for every day use and I wanted something I could use every day.

But I discovered that Ocean Salt is actually very good for getting rid of the breakouts on my back. The downside is the steep price tag though, a little tub of Ocean Salt is around $21. I am currently using Lush’s Happy Hippy shower gel on my back, but if I don’t like it as much, I may switch back to Ocean Salt

Imperials

Imperials is the first facial moisturizer that I bought from Lush because on the website it says that if you are not sure about what kind of moisturizer you need, this one was a good one to start with. Imperials is made with lavender and orange blossoms and it smells absolutely wonderful! However, it is a bit too thick for my oily skin and once I use it up I plan to move on. I would recommend this moisturizer for anyone with normal to dry skin. This is actually one of the cheaper moisturizers at Lush. But a lot of the other ones run at over $40!

 

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My Lush Adventure Part 1: Angels on Bare Skin, Eau Roma Water, Enzymion, and Grease Lightning

If you guys have been keeping up with my skincare segments, you would know that my main reason for skincare product hopping is because  I would preferably like to find products that are natural and help with my acne and the overall dullness of my skin. I discovered a Lush store in the local mall upon moving in with my fiance. Lured in by the packaging, nice smells, and promise of natural products, I started my relationship with the Lush brand.

The first cleanser I was suggested by the clerk was Angels on Bare Skin. I was really there for Herbalism, but they were all sold out. When I told her about my acne and brightness problems, she immediately reached for the container and told me she used it all the time.

My first impression of using Angels on Bare Skin is that it was kind of a pain to use. Some of Lush’s cleansers are what they call “cleansing rolls” and you have to take a small pinch of the product and roll on your hand with a couple of drops of water. You roll it until it turns into a paste then rub it into your damp skin. As you can imagine, I soon learned that this was very messy and started only using it in the shower.

I liked the smell just fine. It smelled like lavender and somewhat herbal. But after using the whole tub of this stuff, I saw no change in my acne or any improvement in the brightness of my skin. I wouldn’t buy this product again.

 

I love using toners. They are actually my favorite part of my skincare routine. After I use a cleanser, they get any part of your face you might have missed and they make the face feel so fresh. I opted for the Eau Roma Water Toner from Lush because tea tree never works for my acne. I’ve had really good luck with rosewater based toners for brightening and acne. They also smell really great.

I found that I had better luck with cheaper rosewater toners than this one. There was no change in my acne nor did it help with the dullness. Though it did smell good, I wouldn’t buy this again either.

A clerk suggested this moisturizer to me when I told her I had oily skin. Lush’s moisturizers are very expensive, so I left with a sample. I’m really glad I didn’t buy a whole container. I just can’t get past the smell. This stuff smells really funky! Not to mention, I didn’t like how it felt under make up and I could just get a cheaper moisturizer that I actually like.

I really liked this product…at first. When I bought my first bottle, it did really help keep my acne at bay. However, when I bought my second bottle I noticed that the scent was off. I actually liked this scent a lot better, however since these products are handmade I was guessing that the ingredient ratio was off. The second batch really didn’t do as good and I have since discovered that products with stronger acne fighting ingredients help my skin better anyway. So, this is another one I won’t be buying again.

Just because I didn’t like any of these products doesn’t mean I have totally given up on Lush. I actually have a lot more products from them to review and will try more. What I have learned is that a Lush facial routine isn’t for me and sometimes cheaper brands are the way to go.

Thanks for the Feedback and the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

I would like to thank the few of you who gave me feedback on some questions I had yesterday. Only one of you gave advice about my itchy scalp problem. Shout out to Kimmykimmycocopuff (that is such a cute screenname!) So, I will most likely follow some of that advice and record the results here. We actually don’t have hard water around here, so I’ll be on the look out for that Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo at my local Sally Beauty Supply soon.

As for the video reviews, I actually have a nice handheld video camera. Unfortunately, I must have forgotten to pack the charge cord when I moved annnd my grandmother might have put it up in storage. So, for now, I may be testing the waters with videos with my laptop webcam.

I’m thinking about posting up my first video possibly tomorrow. I didn’t know what to talk about, but then it hit me. A few months back the fiance and I finished up my favorite animated TV series, Daria. This show was a huge part of my life when it aired and still is today. It was his first time seeing it. I thought it would be razor to do a retrospective video together (if I can get him to agree to it). What do you guys think? If not tomorrow, I think that will be the first video. I’m going to try to do a balance of both writing and film. This is going to be a fun experience.

In other news, I want to give a big thank you to those at https://bookidote.wordpress.com/. For nominating me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. When I first started this blog, I never thought I would get the amount of recognition that I have been receiving. I really am very appreciative that all you readers out there want to see what I have to say.

Rules are:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.

2. Put the award logo on your blog.

3. Answer the ten questions sent to you.

4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.

5. Nominate ten blogs.

I am guessing that since this is a “sisterhood,” my choices should be ladies. So, here we go!

1. What are your September favorites ? (books, music, products,etc.)  I never really did the whole “monthly favorite thing.” I just like what I like at any given time. But I can tell you about some wonderful products I bought this month! I recently discovered LUSH and have fallen in love! For those of you that don’t know what LUSH is, it’s a homemade cosmetics store that makes everything by hand and uses natural ingredients. So far I’ve gotten Grease Lightening (an acne fighter), Angels on Bare Skin (a facial cleanser), Eau Roma (facial toner), Imperials (facial moisturizer), and Happy Hippy (body wash). So far I have used Angels on Bare Skin, Grease Lightening, and Imperials. I can’t wait to try the rest!
2. What is THE ONE BOOK everyone should read at least once in their lives? The Perks of Being A Wallflower. That book really helped me during a dark time.
3. Where is your favourite place to read ? I used to love to read outside on my college campus. I guess I’m an outdoorsy reader. I like to read in coffee houses too.
4. How did you come up with your blog name ? I actually took it from lyrics from the Everclear song “Rocket for the Girl.” I thought it summed up how my fiance makes me feel. Look it up and give it a listen! I also met the lead singer of Everclear back in June.
5. What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you? I honestly don’t know.
6. What’s your worst habit? Low self esteem
7. Out of all the places around the world you’ve been to, what’s your favorite? I haven’t been to many places, so Disney World
8. What are 3 essentials a blogger must have? Patience, good writing skills, and manners
9. As a blogger, what do you think we can contribute to the community? A different perspective.
10. Best comment on your blog so far. I’ll have to comb through them and get back to you on that.

I nominate:

1. http://veganneeds.com/
2. http://inbetweenmoderation.com/
3. http://hollypopdoesbeauty.com/
4. https://daisy9979.wordpress.com/
5. https://abrashattitude.wordpress.com/
6. http://creatyvebooks.com/
7. https://justinaluther.wordpress.com/
8. https://ashonthird.wordpress.com/
9. http://beautyforgood.net/
10. http://problemswithinfinity.com/

My questions:

1. What was the first book you ever found yourself attached to?
2. What was the first television show you ever found yourself attached to?
3. Describe an embarrassing moment.
4. Describe an event that actually scared you.
5. What movie can you just not watch? Why?
6. If you could date a fictional character who would it be?
7. If you could create your own perfect partner, what traits would you give him?
8. Worst date moment.
9. What was your first concert?
10. If you were granted three wishes by the Robin Williams genie, what would they be?

Book Reviews: Douglas Adams’s the Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Book 2 of 5)

Hi guys! I promise I didn’t disappear off the face of the Earth again. Like I’ve said before, I’ve been a bit swamped with my freelance writing and that has been holding my posts up. What may also help bring in more posts is the fact that I just got a new wireless keyboard. The keyboard on my laptop was starting to fade out and I had to click buttons on the on screen keyboard for the longest time! You can imagine how tedious and frustrating this can become after months of it. So, I found a wireless keyboard and mouse (my mouse has completely died on the laptop) combo for just $12.50 on Amazon. Well, my uncle found it for me. He’s so awesome.

Before we get to the review, I will just be updating you on what’s been going on and what you can expect to see sometime soon. I’m still waiting to find out the results of my library exam. For those of you that might not know, I took the exam so I could go work at a library. Fingers crossed. I really want that job!

As for my beauty reviews, once I use up the the Vitamin E and Aloe Vera line for the Body Shop, I am going to do a compare and contrast review. But to be perfectly honest, I have since discovered LUSH and I am in LOVE! There will be LUSH reviews after that.

Now that we’ve got all of that out of the way, let’s get to this book review! For those of you that are just joining me on these book reviews, I’m doing something a little different with this book series. Usually, I post a review on Goodreads first and then bring it here. But since I bought the series in one big collection on my Kindle, I thought it would be easier just to write individual reviews of each novel here and just give an overall star rating on Goodreads once I finished the whole thing. Now, let’s move on to book 2 of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

I really do love science fiction. But these books just aren’t doing it for me. Like I said in my previous review, I think it’s because logic and plot take a back seat to humor and absurdity in this series. I tend to like books that are more driven by plot and character development. Something that I can relate to. However, my fiance loves this series because he’s a goofy guy!

However, I have to give the second book props because it did hold my attention a lot longer than the first book did. The antics of the actual Restaurant at the End of the Universe did get me laughing. Although, I don’t know if I could actually eat a cow that wanted to be eaten and could tell me so.

Once the crew actually left the restaurant, I found myself getting bored again though. Towards the end, the crew are separated from one another and I was very upset that Marvin the Paranoid Android (my favorite character) wasn’t mentioned again. I was worried that something might have happened to him. But my fiance assured me that he is in the third book again.

Even though this book was slightly better than the first, I would still rate this book a 2/5 stars on Goodreads.

I will see you guys tomorrow with a special announcement.

Back from M.I.A.

Hi everyone! I know I’ve been off the radar for a while now. Things have been a bit busy lately. I’ve been swamped with my freelance writing lately. I took my library test last week, so now it’s just a waiting game. Hopefully, I passed my exam so that my resume will be sent out to all those libraries. That would be my dream job. I must admit it was much harder than I thought it would be. But the instructor informed me that all I needed was a 60.

It won’t be too long till I post another book review. I’m getting closer to the end of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  I’m reading the whole collection in one book, so I’ll review each individual novel separately. I’m going through it slower than I would like. It just isn’t holding my attention too much just yet.

As for my beauty reviews, I’m stilling going through the Body Shop products. At the moment, I’m not too impressed with the results. However, I’m still working on the Vitamin E line and there is still the Aloe Vera line sitting in my bathroom. I ran out of moisturizer though, so I have tried the Aloe Vera moisturizer. Meh.

I have discovered LUSH recently and decided to try their “Grease Lightening” acne fighter because my Terminator Ten acne fighter wasn’t as good as the one that came in the AcneFree set. Wow. I love that Grease Lightening stuff! It really reduced some of my larger zits fast. It is really pricey though. It’s about $15 a bottle. But the nice packaging and promise of handmade natural products have reeled me in. The Aloe Vera moisturizers for the Body Shop are really small, so I have ordered the Imperials moisturizer from LUSH and I can’t wait to try it.

Before I end this entry, I want to give a shout out to http://veganneeds.com/ for nominating me for the Bloggers Recognition Award. Thank you so much! Sorry, I didn’t post it up. I’m a little burned out on typing now. Hopefully, it won’t be too long till the next entry.