Lush Loot, I went Bath Ballistic

As the title suggests, I did go on a bit of a jolly with the new bath ballistics. I only really wanted my AOBS face wash and to trade in 5 washed black pots for a free face mask, but then I saw all the new bath ballistics. There was quite a crowd in there at the time so I couldn't really see anything properly so I figured try them all out and decide which one's best at home! I've never really had a bad experience with Lush bath ballistics anyway.

So from top right going clockwise, we have Dragon's Egg, Twilight, Mrs. Whippy and Fizzbanger. Twilight had practically sold out at the Lush in Covent Garden, I got the second to last Twilight left! Clever marketing by Lush on their part, I'm not expecting much from this one, it seems like it's a lavendar scented, relaxing bath bomb, nothing too out of the ordinary but it's seen a surge in popularity just as it's name sake film.

I'm looking forward to trying all of these ballistics out, I will post a review separately, the one I'm most looking forward to trying is the Dragon's Egg as the lasy was demonstrating the product in the store, it did a colour changing, noise making spectacle I can't wait to see in my own bath-tub! I do love Lush for making bath-time fun! Above are the more essential products I bought, AOBS which I have previously reviewed, Brazened Honey face mask which was a freebie after trading in 5 old pots. Again it was difficult navigating my way around the store so I just grabbed the one nearest/most appealing to me, which happened to be this. I liked the look and the name of it, but I should've paid a bit more attention because this is actually more suitable for dry skin which I don't have. There are a few others that would certainly be more appropriate for my combination skin, I'm thinking more along the lines of Cosmetic Warrior to try out as I've tried Sacred Truth before. This one actually smells how I remember Sacred Truth to smell, which made me think I'd picked up a wrongly labelled mask. I don't know, but it just doesn't smell anything like honey to me. It does have exfoliating properties in it which I think is good for any skin from time to time and I think all of Lush face masks will leave you feeling pampered and that's what it's all about for me.

Also in the picture is Summer Pudding soap which I threw in as a last minute whim because it was love at first sniff! Absolutely amazing. It has glacier cherries in it and I know everyone says this about Lush, but this soap really does smell good enough to eat. Cherries are my favourite fruit so that's a bonus. I love how in the shop it actually looked like a big summer fruit pudding as well, I needed me a slice! It looks and makes my bathroom smell great and is very kind to my skin. I'd used Sea Vegetable before this which was a lovely, fresh smelling soap but somewhat drying, so I'm pleased this one doesn't dry my skin out.

Skincare Routine: Updated and budgeted!

Every now and again I like to mix up my skincare a bit. I find something, or a combination of products that work for me, but then still feel the need to try something else, in case maybe it’s better. I’ve been on the poor side recently so I’ve been looking for inexpensive yet efficient products. I love the brand Simple, and have done for a long time now, I like that I’m using products that both do the job they’re intended for and are kind to my skin. Their oil balancing moisturiser is one I’ve stuck with even if I’ve changed my cleanser and toner. It’s not that I don’t want to try anything else; I know that one day my skin will change and I will need a moisturiser more hydrating, but for now this is the perfect moisturiser for me. Having said all this, I did actually change it recently! I ran out of my HG moisturiser and had to replace it, I only had time to go to one shop and they only stocked the light and heavy (or intense?not sure what it’s called) Simple moisturisers. I went for the light, and I think it’s great. I really don’t like to use perfumed moisturisers, or perfumed anything for that matter, on my face. This is just a really basic, no frills moisturiser that will suit most people, yet when I buy Simple I still feel like I’m buying a decent product, where the quality isn’t jeopardised. I’m also using Biore’s Pore Unclogging Scrub in place of my favourite face wash Lush’s Angels on Bare Skin, because it’s half the price! It does the job, but I don’t believe it’s a better product in any way and I can’t wait to go back to my Lush. The cleanser by Simple is pretty standard, not designed for a specific skin type as is the toner which I’m using in place of Lush Tea Tree Water, all to save the pennies!

I start my new job tomorrow (eeee!) so after payday I can carry on shopping as normal and would like to experiment a bit more with high end products, or at least return to my favourite mid-range: Lush, but really I’m wondering if I need to spend a lot on beauty products. I know I shouldn’t really moan about having no money in times like these because I wasn’t made redundant unlike the scenario for a lot of people out there, I left my job willingly to move to London, and luckily it worked out for the best. But in my time of thrift, I’ve learned how to budget properly and not waste money, important life lessons! I was thinking, when it comes to skincare, what products do I really not need to spend very much money on. For a face-wash, I like the product to be as close to nature as possible, which often means it’s more expensive. I prefer using Lush because even though the product gets washed away, there are no nasty chemicals in there which can make your skin worse. I believe a cleanser, since it’s a product that has a primary purpose to take off make-up and wipe away impurities, can be skimped on. It doesn’t really benefit your skin too much to have fancy ingredients. The ingredients will not stay on your skin long enough to make any real difference. Toners and moisturisers on the other hand stay on the skin longer. Toners leave a residue as they tighten and close your pores, and moisturisers are obviously designed to sink into your skin. So finding a good quality moisturiser that works for you is important, since this is also the base for your make-up. I’ve always felt like I would be willing to spend more on a great moisturiser, but then I’ve seen television programmes and read in magazines how Simple comes out on top even next to a brand like Chanel in a blind test and wonder if it’s really necessary to splurge, especially since I love Simple myself.

So I guess this is a post to show you what I’m using right now, and give you some ideas if you’re budgeting like me! But also to ask the question: which high end skincare products do you use that you don’t feel like you could find a drugstore equivalent to? Or are you happy using drugstore?

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