Dirty Dusting Powder

Having tried so many Lush products over the expanse of the last three years, you would think that I would forget about the key characteristics, ingredients, scents of a large percentage of these items, right? Well as it happens, I have a very good memory, so feel confident that I could probably describe about 99% of the cosmetics that I have used during this period.

Unfortunately, there are always a few products that slip my memory - mostly ones that didn't really make an impression on me to begin with, but some because they seem to merge into the background and not really hold my interest at all. 

In fact, it took me three visits before I realised that Dirty Dusting Powder was a new product in the Oxford Street store - three visits to realise that it hadn't always been there and that I hadn't actually ever used or reviewed it at all. With all of the interesting and rather exciting new offerings that Lush had brought out, this product just didn't seem that important to me. 

So I was rather surprised then when I discovered just how much I enjoyed using this dusting powder, and indeed how much I actually benefitted from it as well.

Like most of Lush's dusting powders, this one features kaolin to cleanse and soften, as well as to absorb excess moisture and leave you feeling as smooth as can be. Surprisingly, this is another one of Lush's dusting powders, much like Princess and Karma, that doesn't feature sodium bicarbonate.

Instead, Lush have included a healthy dosage of talc to help bulk out the product and make this one of the smoothest dusting powders around. Also known as hydrated magnesium silicate, this soft chalk is often ground down and used in cosmetics - offering the skin a chance to reap the benefits of using a natural mineral to clear the pores, soften the skin and leave it feeling incredible.   

To use this product, simply shake into the palm of your hand and then rub into your skin. You can also apply it directly onto any areas you wish to, although I found that this can cause a lot of the powder to fall off and get onto your clothes and/or carpet. You only need a small amount to cover your whole body - I found a teaspoon amount was more than enough each time.

Much like every other dusting powder, this one sits beautifully on the body, immediately being absorbed into the skin so you don't have to worry about it rubbing off on any clothes you put on afterwards. What you are left with is soft, beautiful skin with a very light fragrance that stays with you for a short time.

Sharing it's scent with the popular Dirty range, this powder contains spearmint as one of the key ingredients, which is what gives the product its signature minty smell. Alongside this is a generous helping of thyme oil - a strong, herby element that makes this fragrance very different from the usual humdrum of mint smells you find in other shops. 

Not only do both of these ingredients help to give this powder a wonderful refreshing and uplifting aroma, but they also help to cool the skin - perfect for those long, sticky summer months. With the help of the lycopodium powder, which comes from the spores of plants and works wonders at absorbing moisture and neutralising bad smells, this dusting powder couldn't have come at a better time. 

In the bottle and indeed on the skin, I found that this powder was slightly different from many of the other products found in this scent family. For one, I found that the mint element was thwarted slightly by some of the other components - whereas the spearmint is normally the main note, I found that it wasn't so much in this format. 

Instead, I found that the rosemary, thyme and rosewood oils were more defined, which made it more enjoyable for me. On the skin, I detected a really strong, herby smell on the surface, with the spearmint adding a crisp burst of fragrance underneath to make this a well-rounded and very refreshing experience.

Although this dusting powder can be used all over the body, making a rather uplifting experience when applied straight after a shower, I found that this also worked really well as a foot powder. A small sprinkle of this in my shoes and indeed on my feet, and I found that it neutralised any odours that were present at the time - helping to keep my feet clean and fresh for the rest of the day.

While I would normally expect the smell of any dusting powder to linger for a few mere minutes, I was impressed to find that elements of Dirty were still detectable on my body an hour after application. Dare I say it - this might be the best format in this fragrance that I have had the pleasure of using, and might very well become a regular purchase for me - that's if I ever manage to get through the twelve other bottles of dusting powder that I currently have. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Kaolin, Talc, Magnesium Trisilicate, Lycopodium Powder, Thyme Oil, Rosemary Oil, Rosewood Oil, Spearmint Oil, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £6.95 for 45g.
2016 Price: £6.95 for 45g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.