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21 May 2015

Princess Dusting Powder


I don't really know what it is about dusting powders that gets me excited, but when I discovered that Lush had four new ones available at the Oxford Street store, I couldn't wait to bag them all and give them each a big sniff. While it's not a product that I use regularly in the winter, I find that I crave them during the warmer weather; where they become an essential handbag filler for all of those times when I find myself a little sweaty and in need of a freshen up. 

Princess Dusting Powder was actually the one that I was least excited about - not because I dislike the smell of Princess Cottongrass Perfume, which shares the same scent, but because it's not the sort of fragrance that I get particularly excited about. While I enjoy floral smells, they certainly wouldn't be the scent I would gravitate towards if I was given a choice. 

Having said that, I found that I really enjoyed this one because not only did the fragrance last for a good few hours on my skin and worked well with the perfume to maintain the scent all day, but also because I found that it gave a slightly different experience than the liquid perfume offered. 

Scanning the ingredients list, it reads very much like the liquid perfume, with neroli, pine, nettle and violet leaf being the key components. Yet what sets this dusting powder apart from the other products, is that it contains calamine powder as one of the key elements as well. This makes Princess distinctively different from its siblings and may even disappoint those who wanted a straight-up replica of the aroma. 
In the bottle, the calamine powder gives off the strongest impression - a fresh, green and almost clinical aroma that is complimented by an element of pine that sits comfortably alongside this. As your nose becomes more accustomed to the smell, you can detect a thin but rather defined thread of violet as well, which pads out the scent and gives it that overall floral element. While the neroli oil is not obvious, it's definitely there to give the product a very subtle sweetness that rounds off the other ingredients nicely. 

Once on the skin, the smells doesn't seem as potent, and disperses into the air leaving behind a gentle, sweet floral scent to enjoy. While Princess does lose most of its fragrance very quickly once it's been applied, there is still a subtle aroma that lingers on the skin for a good couple of hours. 
So what is a dusting powder? According to Lush, it is a product of many talents - one that can be used on both the skin or the hair, depending on your preference. Its main purpose is to be applied after a bath or shower, when your skin is clean but dry. Simply sprinkle some into the palm of your hand and massage into your skin. The ingredients absorb the excess oils on your body and help to soften the skin, giving it a light, sensual fragrance. These dusting powders also work at removing excess sweat so can be carried around and used in the warmer weather. 

Princess, just like all of Lush's other dusting powders, can also be used as a dry shampoo. All you need to do is sprinkle the product into your hands and work throughout your hair to remove unwanted grease. This will tie you over until you can wash your hair thoroughly and works at removing and reducing the appearance of oily hair. I tried this out on a few occasions (although I tend to wash my hair daily) and found that it did make my hair feel softer and look good enough to wear out that day. However, I can't comment on whether this would work with severely oily hair as mine sides more on the drier side. 

What is great about this particular dusting power is that it's packed full of kaolin, which works at softening and healing damaged skin. Therefore it can be applied alongside or after a body lotion and you don't have to worry about it drying out your body. Furthermore, the inclusion of calamine powder means that this product works well at soothing irritated and sensitive skin types - meaning that those who find lotions too heavy or need something that won't clog up their pores, will be able to use this as an alternative. 

For £9.95, this is the most expensive out of the current four available at the Oxford Street store, which may initially put people off trying it out. However, I found solace in applying this before I left to catch the bus home from work, where it gave me that extra burst of fragrance to tied me over until I was able to shower. Although the scent wasn't my favourite, it did the trick at leaving me feeling smooth, clean, dry and smelling rather lovely to boot. A lovely addition to the Lush family. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Talc, Magnesium Carbonate, Calamine Powder, Kaolin, Lycopodium Powder, Perfume, Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara), Nettle Absolute (Urtica urens), Pine Absolute (Pinus sylvestris), Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata), Benzyl Benzoate, Lilial, Citral, Citronellol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Gold Sparkle Lustre (Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide). 

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £9.95 for 45g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Scent Family:  
Princess Cottongrass Body Spray

5 comments

  1. Replies
    1. It's not heavy at all - I could barely detect it on my skin 😀

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  2. does this / other dusting powders at oxford street have a lot of lustre?

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  3. This one does, but I'm not sure on the others. Thanks Jen. I'm thinking of going for some if any is left but was put off by itchy sparkles before your reply.

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