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16 September 2014

Full Of Grace Facial Serum


Full of Grace is one of two serum bars that Lush released a few years ago, designed specifically to accommodate a certain skin type, and to help counteract any problems that this type of skin might face. Unfortunately, the other bar, Saving Face, didn't last long and was removed from the shelves before I was given a chance to grab one. However, this little beauty has survived the test of time and is currently Lush's only solid facial serum in store. 

Designed for sensitive and/or dry skin, Full of Grace is a combination of natural, fresh ingredients that support, protect and enhance your complexion. 

Firstly, this bar is solid, meaning that Lush are not required to include any preservatives or chemicals needed to keep the product in a liquid state. Much like Sweet Japanese Girl, Coal Face and Fresh Farmacy, Full Of Grace is as natural as it can possibly be. This is great for those complexions that have perhaps spent years being caked in different make-up and lotions, and who now need something a lot more gentle on the pores. 

Containing a combination of rose and chamomile oils, this product is already laced with key ingredients to moisturise and calm the skin; the cupuacu and murumuru butters work wonderfully with the oils, producing a serum that hydrates and lubricates the skin, without making it greasy. The combination of almond oil and tagetes oil has been added to brighten the skin, again without making it look shiny or oily. Finally, and probably the ingredient I was most intrigued by, Lush have included portobello mushrooms, which are supposedly packed with antioxidants and vitamins to bring life to your complexion and leave you feeling beautiful.   

Although there is sometimes a little confusion as to how to use this product, Lush recommend that you either apply it before you use one of their fresh face masks, just to give your skin a little bit of a moisturise before it experiences it's deep cleanse. Or as I do, apply it gently after exiting the shower, just like you would with any one of their facial moisturisers. 

Initially, I was hesitant to purchase Full Of Grace as for it's £8.25 price tag, the bar itself is tiny, weighing in at only 20g. However, what I found when I started using it, is that you only need to apply it gently onto the skin, meaning a single bar lasted me upwards for 5-6 months. This means that, not only is Full of Grace the healthiest moisturiser to use on your face, it also happens to be the most cost effective. 

But does it actually work?

Having applied it to you face, I found that, despite what Lush claim, the oils didn't really absorb that well into my skin. After admiring my face some ten minutes after initial application, I could still see a slight shine from where the oils were resting on the surface of my skin. However, I wouldn't say that my complexion looked in anyway greasy, if only just a little shiny. 

This solid serum bar melts very easily when exposed to the heat of your skin, so it's worth using it methodically but quickly. If you apply too much pressure to the area, you'll end up with a surplus of oil, which can then make your skin rather greasy.

Much the same as Sweet Japanese Girl Cleanser, this is a product that takes it time to fully absorb into the skin, so I wouldn't recommend it as your daily facial moisturiser. Although, after trialing it out for a couple of weeks, I found that it did improve the health and look of my pores, so noticeable in fact that I received a complement on the quality of my facial skin. 

Despite this, I wouldn't feel comfortable using this first thing in the morning as I need something refreshing and instantly hydrating, without leaving me with a complexion that smudges or rejects make-up like it did. For this reason, I would suggest that, like me, you apply Full Of Grace just before going to bed, which gives your skin a good 7+ hours to fully absorb it's moisture and benefit from this product, without it affecting your complexion throughout the day. Using a combination of this serum at night, with Enzymion during the day, my skin has vastly improved and I can honestly say, my skin has never looked or felt better.   

A lot of consumers have commented on the smell of this serum; something that seems to put a lot of people off from buying Full Of Grace. However, I rather enjoy the smell. To me, it's a rather subtle smell - a mixture of rose and chamomile with just a hint of the various oils and butters that accompany these two main ingredients. It's definitely not the most captivating smell ever, but it's not one that's going to overpower anything else that you wish to use during your daily cosmetics routine. For this reason, I cannot fathom why it would put people off of buying it, especially after the benefits it harvests. 

Overall, I think Full Of Grace is excellent value for money and one that definitely suits the drier, more sensitive complexions. If used correctly and regularly, it can bring about about some really fantastic results. Although it leaves my skin a little shiny for a while after application, it does make me feel nourished and replenished after use. It's definitely a product I'll keep on using, and one that I won't have to stock up on regularly as its design means a single bar will last me a good part of the year.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Murumuru Butter, Calamine Powder, Cupuacu Butter, Fresh Rose Petal Infusion, Organic Almond Oil, Perfume, Fresh Portobello Mushrooms, Chamomile Blue Oil, Rose Oil, Tagetes Oil, Eugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl, Cinnamate, Citronellol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £8.25. for 20g.

13 comments

  1. Great review, and I'm really glad you liked this one! "Full of Grace" is my "desert island" product, the one I'd rush down the beach to save as all my other little black pots and bottles and soaps washed away on the waves. If they ever discontinue it I shall have to start a protest march. I use it as a night cream on my extremely dry skin (cleanse first, then spritz with a toner water, then apply) and the difference in appearance was clear within a week or so. It appears more or less to have halted the fine lines which were developing around my eyes, and it means that I don't wake up with that flaky, papery feeling of dryness. I'm glad to find someone else who likes the smell; I've come to love falling asleep with that slight hint of rose, and I simply can't smell the mushrooms at all (!). I've introduced quite a few friends to "Full of Grace" and it's amazing how passionate they have become about it. anna xx

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  2. I Love Full of Grace as well, and I have combination/oily skin! I would never have thought so but it seems that the oils in full of grace stop my own skin from producing too much oil, and when I use it at night I wake up with completely matte skin, which is lovely :) I also use it under face masks to counter the drying effect that some face masks may have. No need to moisturise after.

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    1. After reading this, I really want to try Full of Grace myself! I have oily/comination skin myself, and I've been put off trying the serum because it's for dry/sensitive skin. But if it works for more oily skin, then it's definitely worth a try.

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  3. Great review you're always very thorough in describing products it's very useful! Just one question, surely the solid nature of the bar would be a breeding ground for bacteria? I own a few of the lush massage bars and tints and I'm really not sure what to think of them! At first it seems like a good idea, but even rubbing them onto clean skin you still get the natural oils/ dead skin cells redeposited onto the bar, meaning the next time you come to use it you're just smothering them onto your skin again?! Hmm I'm torn when it comes to solid lush products!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words :) I see what you mean in regards to the natural oils being deposited onto the solid bars after use. Firstly, the very nature of solid massage bars, shampoos etc.. is that they make it incredibly difficult for bacteria to grow and multiply. As there is very little moisturise in a solid product, bacteria has no platform on which to grow, which is why solid products tend to have a longer shelf life than liquid alternatives. The more liquid you have in a product, the more space there is for bacteria to spread and grow. That's why a massage bar may start going dry after a year or so, but it's unlikely you'll find it going mouldy - unless you put it somewhere very warm where it will begin reverting back to it's liquid state and open the door for the bacteria to multiply :)

      Secondly, after using solid products, I find that a quick wipe down will remove most of the dead skin/ dirt that may have transferred from your skin and then you'll good to go. Once you've given it a wipe, it's worth patting it dry to remove any liquid so that a. the product doesn't shrink and b. there's no room for bacteria to grow.

      I happen to love most of Lush's solid range - especially their shampoos and massage bars. Most of their solid products definitely work out better value for money and last longer, they're easy to transport around with you and they contain less preservatives so you're putting less 'rubbish' on your skin :)

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  4. I love my Full of Grace bar and I use it twice daily. I gave combination skin, and yes it does make things a bit shiny. If I'm readying myself for a day at home I'll finish my morning routine with it. But if I'm about to go out, I find it's a great primer for foundation and makes the application so easy!
    I cut my bar in half and stored each half in a Tupperware container. I found it easier to handle like this.
    And it seems to go on forever! I only started using it twice a day about 6 months ago, and I'm still going strong on the second half of the bar. I found this blog in a search to see if I should replace the bar due to its age!

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  5. I looove this product! I have combination skin, with oily forehead and nose and dry cheeks and chin, which make it really hard to find products that work for me. I have used this for a few months, and I bring it with me on every trip or weekend away.
    It leaves my skin silky smooth and the formula is super lightweight, so it doesn't feel greasy or sticky. I think it's a great base for makeup if you use just a little bit, and for me it sinks into the skin in under 20 minutes. I love using my bar under a face mask to open up the pores, which works great, and my skin benefits from the mask so much more.
    I store my bar in the little schampoo bar metal container from Lush, and it is perfect. The shape is not exactly right but the size is ideal. I've had mine maybe 4 months, and i've barely used half.

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  6. Another plus of Full Of Grace is that the Fresh Portobello Mushrooms actually skins into the second layer of skin. This is great especially before using a mask as it draws all the good properties drown a bit further meaning you are not only healing the first layer of skin but also the second.

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  7. Buy Dr Rashel 24k Gold Serum for Face at Best Price in Pakitan. Dr. Rashel Gold Collagen Elastin Face WHITENING SERUM ,ANTI-WRINKLE serum and Anti-Aging Serum.

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  8. Hello, this weekend is good for me, since this time i am reading this enormous informative article here at my home. professional machine

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  9. Great read. Although I prefer liquid serum over bar.

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  10. Serums have wonderful results on all types of skins. Do try!

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