Go Green Liquid Spray

It is not often that I trawl through eBay anymore, as it normally enrages me to see how many sellers have purchased Kitchen items and are trying to sell them for a large profit. However, on a recent scout, I was lucky enough to come across this bottle of body spray, and knew I just had to win it.

Go Green was first brought out in 2007, as both a solid perfume and a liquid body spray. Inspired by environmental activist, Rebecca Lush, this perfume plays homage to her keenness for green transportation and recycling. It's for those that need a pick me up whilst cycling too and from work in the busy traffic, and commuters that need to freshen up in the sweltering heat of the city. Those of us who have perhaps become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life, it's a nice little reminder that there are such things as trees and fields and forests outside of our tower buildings and Starbucks cafes.

As its name suggests, this body spray possesses an incredibly 'green' smell - a multi-layered fragrance that is as uplifting as it is refreshing. With an ingredients list that leaves much to the imagination, this limited edition scent is definitely more of an experience than just a simple perfume.

Unlike its solid counterpart, the liquid format is far more 'in your face' from the word go, and while the aforementioned edition is strong, robust but strangely subtle on the skin, this edition is potent from the start and may be a little overwhelming for the first few uses.

With grapefruit, vetivert, neroli, bergamot, oakmoss, tarragon, fennel and cedar oil all listed as ingredients, it's a wonder this product works at all. There is a lot going on here, yet this multi-layered perfume works really well - offering bursts of fragrance throughout the entire day and well into the evening.

An initial spray reveals that the top notes are definitely the more fruitier ones - grapefruit catches your nose with a burst of sourness, while neroli and bergamot compliments this with their own grassy citrus aroma. Although I have described these elements as being fruity, I'd definitely say that they're more the natural, tart and slightly bitter variation.

Underneath this, vetivert offers a gentle but powerful earthy, smoky element. While this is prominent in the overall spray, it acts a little like resin - giving a strong but sort of capped, oily smell that is softened a little in this mix - not being as dry as it usually is. Alongside this is a generous helping of oakmoss, which grounds the fragrance and gives a deeper, more sensual aroma. This deeper, slightly earthy scent is extended with the likes of tarragon, fennel and cedar oil - offering a herbal smell with a woody, forests undertone.

As I mentioned above, out of the bottle, this is quite a potent perfume, but it soon settles on the skin and gives off gentle bursts of fragrance that last for a good 4-5 hours before they wear off. While it's not my favourite scent form Lush, it's definitely one that would highlight and compliment a warm, spring day, or one that I like to use in the darker, colder months to reminisce of warmer days.

This aromatic offering from Lush is a wonderful, universal smell - one suited for male and female wearers. If you adore Grass Shower Gel, this is the closest thing you're going to get in a perfume format, and I suggest you hunt a bottle down if you can. While it's definitely not something I would hunt down to purchase again, I'll continue to enjoy spraying myself throughout the winter months, and just hope that spring and summer come around as quickly as they can.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi), Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Tarragon Oil (Artemisia dracunculus), Thyme Oil (Thymus vulgaris), Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata), Oakmoss Absolute (Evernia prunastri), Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Cedar Leaf Oil (Thuja occidentalis), Fennel Oil (Foeniculum vulgare), *Benzyl Salicylate, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: ?

Year Of Original Release: 2007.

Scent Family:
Go Green Liquid Body Spray
Go Green Solid Perfume
Green Green Bath Of Foam Bubble Bar
Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo

 

Emotional Brilliance Translucent Face Powder

All throughout my childhood, I had no interest in make-up of any kind - something I see frequently less as a teacher and this is such a shame. When I hit my awkward teenage years, I was introduced to the wonders of black eyeliner. Unfortunately, when you're thirteen and looking to stand out, it's all about how much black you can inflict upon the world, and I found I used my eye pencil in the same way a toddler would use a paintbrush.

It's only been in the last couple of years that I've begun to take more of an interest in make up that accentuates my facial features. I'm looking for subtle products that can mask the tiredness I feel when I've stayed up all night marking seventy-five books, but without clogging up my pores or making me look like I'm about to sell myself to the highest bidder.

Emotional Brilliance Translucent Face Powder is a product I've been saving myself for - partly because it's a little on the expensive side, and partly because I've just not had the time to experiment with it and see what it can do. After my relaxing two weeks off at Christmas, I decided to pull out my neglected tub and trial it out. 

Priced at £12 for an 8g tub, it is an expensive investment - especially if you don't know whether or not it will work for your face. However, when you consider the fact that other shop-brought varieties can vary from £4-£40 for a similar product, it doesn't sit too badly amongst these.   

So what is it? According to Lush, Emotional Brilliance is an 'ultra-fine translucent face powder' that works towards creating 'a flawless finish to set make-up or even tone on bare skin.' For those of us who aren't make-up-savvy, it's a powder that can be applied after concealer/foundation or instead of, to smoothen out pores or remove any sheen or shine that those with oily complexions might have. When used over foundation, it also helps to set it in place so you don't lose that smoothened skin tone that you've worked hard to craft. 

It works with all skin tones and is a wonderful mineral-rich powder that has light-reflecting properties - helping to give your complexion a natural glow that stays with you all day. What I found especially helpful is the fact that this powder can also be added after you've used eyeliner and eyeshadow - preventing it from running and smudging throughout the day. I found this aspect of the product particularly helpful as I am notorious for having eyeliner all over my face by lunchtime. If I had a pound for every time a child in my class has asked the questions; 'Miss, why do you have black smudges on your face?', I might have enough money to buy myself another pot of this stuff!

While I would normally shy away from face powders as I'm always very skeptical when it comes to the authenticity of most cosmetics, this one has made a real difference to my face. It feels really light once it's on and the inclusion of jojoba oil means that it won't dry out your face - instead nourishing it whilst it's working to keep you looking beautiful. 

The only downside I found with Emotional Brilliance - something a lot of people seem to suffer with, is that the size of the pot isn't very helpful when you come to apply it to your face. The best way to get a light, even coverage is to use a blusher brush and stroke the brush across your face in an outwards motion from your nose. This prevents a build up of product and leaves you with a wonderful finish. The size of the tub makes this rather difficult to do and I've found that I have to transfer the powder into something with a bigger surface area so I can apply it properly. 

Overall, I am actually really impressed with this powder and it's one I will now continue to use regularly. You don't need to use it more than once a day so an 8g tub will last you a really long time. You wouldn't immediately think of Lush as a great source for make-up, but this and their eyeliner has made me very keen to try other products in the near future.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Organic Jojoba Oil, Iron Oxides, CI77947.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £12 for 8g.

Goth Juice Hair Gel

It was during my first year of High School that I first 'went over to the dark side'. It was midway through year 9 when I was introduced to my first metal band and made it my mission to transform a once average-looking girl into one that wore nothing but black and subjected her hair to so much dye that I'm surprised I have any hair left to talk of.

Back then I had no idea how to look after my hair - I lived by the rule that unless I was going out on a Friday night, there was no reason to clean my locks, which resulted in some pretty nasty results. At the time I had no idea how to tame the bushy mane on top of my head and this meant I used excess amount hair spray, mousse, gel, wax - sometimes all at once, which as you can imagine, didn't exactly help the situation. 

Years later, and with a head of wonderfully conditioned and well looked-after hair, I am a little hesitant to start putting unknown cosmetics in without reading up on them first. Whether it was the name, the colour or the smell, there was something about this product that enticed me intro trying it, and I'm so glad I did. 

Goth Juice is a funky purple-coloured hair gel that claims to 'hold, style, fix and revive' your hair. It's especially designed to calm frizzy hair whilst giving it a natural volume. Containing a whole variety of different ingredients, this product probably boasts the strangest yet most beautiful smell for a haircare item.

With oakmoss absolute, hemp oil and fresh lemon infusion, this gel has a deep, dark and rather herby fragrance. Yet unlike Tramp and Supertramp, the lemon really stands out here and gives it an almost foody aroma. The lemon juice offers quite a fresh but bitter note that sits at the top whilst the hemp oil adds a subtle nuttiness that sets it apart from other 'forest' aromas that Lush offer. 

The gel has quite a smooth, gloopy consistency - it's a little like American Cream Body Lotion but with a more elasticated feel about it. Yet despite this, it's very light when you scoop it into your hands and it feels even lighter when you apply it to your locks. I just wanted to use it on the front part of my hair as it can get a little dishevelled after a long and tiring day's work. I just dipped my fingers into the pot and then ran my fingers through the areas I wanted the gel to sit - rather like a comb would do. 

It is quite sticky once it comes into contact with the hair and I was initially worried that I'd end up with horrible crusty sections where the gel had set and turned my hair to stone. However, once it was in place, you could barely feel it was there. More importantly, it kept my hair kempt and in place for the whole day but was then equally happy to be brushed out once I was home.

The great thing about this product is that it's highly versatile in what you can use it for. As well as using it to tame stray bits, this gel can also be used to style your hair. I really enjoyed scrunching my hair with this on my hands as it gave my hair a nice, natural-looking wave. 

Aside from damaging my hair, I also worry about trying new products in case they strip my hair of my dye. Luckily, I found that after using this most days for a few weeks, Goth Juice didn't strip my hair of it's colour and kept it in as good condition as it was before I began using it.

Last time this product was sold, it came in at £6.95 for a 100g pot. If we're to compare this to other brands of gels and waxes, this actually comes out on top as one of the cheapest. Yet unlike VO5 and other similar brands, this one didn't damage my hair or make it greasy at all. Most importantly, it was easy to wash away and I wasn't worried about the damage that it could do to my locks when the sun was beating down upon my head. 

Although the scent may put a lot of people off trying this, it is a really effective hair gel and one that lasts a really long time. I've been using my tub for over four months and it's only just about halfway full. Lush would do well to bring this back so us ex-goths can relive our teens again, without having to relive the bad-hair-days that went with it. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Lemon Infusion (Citrus limonum), Acrylates / Lauryl Acrylate / Stearyl Acrylates / Ethylamine Oxide Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerine, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate / Beheneth - 25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hemp Oil (Cannabis sativa), Flaxseed Oil (Linum usitatissimum), Oakmoss Absolute (Evernia prunastri), Olibanum Resinoid (Boswellia carterii), Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Colour 60725, Colour 14700, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

Lust Solid Perfume

I was recently browsing the Lush USA site, reading through some of the reviews and product descriptions to see how they differed from UK items, and I came across an expression which Lush used to describe the Lust Perfume. It struck me as being a rather fantastic way to describe such an intense and sophisticated fragrance. 

The phrase was 'unashamedly carnal' - a description that to me conjures up the natural and very wild desires of human nature. It's perfectly fitting for this exotic and sexy perfume. 

For those who've not experience Lust before, this is a fragrance that is led and very much dominated by jasmine. Lush have taken this extremely fragrant and heavily floral ingredient and let it lose on the world without dampening it's potency in the slightest. The liquid perfume offers fans a rich, woody and very comforting perfume - one that encourages your primal needs to come to the forefront. This is not a fragrance you can wear without turning heads, or one you'll be able to put on without wanting to do something very naughty. 

In its solid form, this perfume smells identical to the liquid counterpart and offers fans the same intense aroma that you would expect from Lust. The original perfume is known for being a little red when it comes out of the bottle, and this is no different. When applying it onto my pulse points, I noticed that my skin was tainted with a slight red tint - although it soon disappeared when the perfume had been massaged fully into the skin. 

There are many reasons why solid perfumes are a good investment. Firstly, they are very easy to transport from place to place. They take up very little space and have no way of leaking, so can be stored in pockets, purses and bags and taken near enough anywhere. Secondly, they are great value for money. This one in particular comes in at £6 for a 12g tub, and while the weight in conjunction with the price may seem rather expensive for perfume, it's far more compact than your typical liquid fragrances so you get a lot more bang for your buck.

With this particular perfume, I found that it wasn't as potent on the skin as the liquid version. To me, this works to its advantage as the original perfume is rather intense and I found it a little overwhelming when I sprayed on myself. The solid edition gives you control over how much you apply so you can enjoy the fragrance without it overpowering your senses - those who love the original perfume may find this a little off-putting. 

What I loved about this perfume, is that I was able to experience the different stages throughout the day. Initially, you can make out the jasmine and ylang ylang, which together give you a very strong, heady floral aroma. Behind this is a very subtle element of sandalwood, which comes forwards more on your skin and gives you a wonderful woody base. While you can detect the vanilla, it's there to give this scent a slight sweetness that compliments the jasmine and gentle rose notes, so don't expect it to weaken the intensity of the perfume because it doesn't. Over time, these elements disperse somewhat and you're left with a wonderfully gentle floral scent that stays on your skin for a good few hours. It's delicious. 

While it's not one of my favourite fragrances from Lush, I have definitely found the solid edition to be a little more enjoyable than its liquid sibling. For this reason, I will continue to use this on a day-to-day basis. It's definitely a very powerful perfume and one that takes a little getting used to, but once you do, you'll find it wickedly erotic, and as Lush say, 'dangerously sexy'.

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera), Perfume, Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Ylang Ylang Absolute (Cananga Odorata), Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill), Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Citral, Eugenol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, D&C Red No. 7.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £6 for 12g.

Scent Family:

Floating Flower Bath Ballistic
Flying Fox Body Lotion
Flying Fox Shower Gel
Flying Fox Solid Perfume
Fox Bath Bomb
Godiva Solid Shampoo Bar
Lust Liquid Perfume 
Lustre Dusting Powder
Lust Solid Perfume
Yes Yes Yes Massage Bar
Youki-Hi Bath Ballistic

Wow Gift Set

What is there really to say aside from - WOW! Its very name epitomises just how amazing this gift set is - from the vivid colours of the outside shell, to the spellbinding content that stretches right across the Christmas range. This is a collection that every fan wishes they could obtain - one intent on making an impression on anyone and everyone that feasts their eyes upon it - Lush fan or not.

Coming in at £155, this gift set is easily above most people's gift-buying budgets, but with a staggering 36 items inside, this collection has many uses. Firstly, if you're a Lush novice, and want to get yourself stuck into the seasonal range, this is the perfect place to start. While there are a small handful of products missing from this set, the majority of the Christmas range is present - making it an easier alternative than trying to find and purchase every product in store or online.

Secondly, the design of the packaging makes this a fantastic storage box. If you're already a collector, this box is carefully laid out so it can hold a large number of cosmetics without them getting squashed, crushed or damaged. If you're a newbie and this is your first purchase - this box is the perfect excuse to start collecting!

While I have a rather large Lush collection, I love the fact that there's so much variety in this gift set. There is enough here for a good twenty baths and even more showers, and there's something to cater for each and every mood you may be in, so you'll be spoilt for choice every time you come to choose the type of bath you want. Alternatively, if you're unable to purchase it yourself, you could always persuade your family members or flatmates to chip in and invest in it as a household. 

This gift set contains:

Snow Angel Bath Bomb

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar

Holly Golightly Bubble Bar

Five Gold Rings Bubble Bar

Bar Humbug Bubble Bar

Peeping Santa Bubbleroon

The Magic Of Christmas Reusable Wand

Magic Reusable Wand

Santa Baby Lip Tint

Santa's Lip Scrub (non vegan)

Salt And Peppermint Bark Scrub

Fairy Dust Dusting Powder

First Snow Dusting Powder

Celebrate Body Lotion

Christingle Body Conditioner

Baked Alaska Soap

Snowcake Soap

You Nog Soap

Old Father Time Soap

Reindeer Rock Soap

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

Rose Jam Shower Gel

Lord Of Misrule Bath Bomb

Father Christmas Bath Bomb

Butterbear Bath Bomb

Golden Wonder Ballistic

Dashing Santa Ballistic

Cinders Bath Bomb

Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb

Shoot For The Stars Bath Bomb

So White Bath Bomb

Star Dust Ballistic

Yog Nog Bath Bomb

Santa's Belly Shower Jelly

Snowman Shower Jelly

Lord Of Misrule Shower Cream

Individually, these items tally up to a little over £140, so you are paying roughly £10 for the privilege of having it all packaged up and presented in this display case. However, this box is sturdy and visually stunning, and in my opinion well worth the money, if only due to its 'WOW' factor. 

Whereas I have always wanted but never invested in Lush's bigger seasonal gift sets, I just could not let this one pass me by. And while I have enough of the  Christmas range to keep me going well into next year, I am forever grateful that I can dip into this set at any moment and enjoy a burst of seasonal goodness whenever I like.

Vegan?: Yes, aside from the Santa's Lip Scrub.

2015 Price: £155.