Christina Alyce Beauty

Tomatoes are by far one of my favorite foods, and I find myself craving them on an almost daily basis. So when I found out the Lush Kitchen would be hosting the beautiful Cream of Tomato soap, I jumped on the chance to extend m love of the food into my cosmetics collection. I know many people probably think a tomato and basil scented soap sounds a bit strange, but after the first use I was convinced this is one of the best soaps Lush has ever released.

I will admit that a dry sniff of this isn’t the most mouthwatering aroma Lush offers, there are many prettier scents out there. But what I do love about the still-on-the-vine scent is a unique savoriness that not many other soaps offer. Cream of Tomato boasts a very green, fresh, and tangy scent, very much like how a live tomato plant smells, mixed with lemon. Once the soap hits the water, it does take on a slightly more sweet and creamy scent, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I think this soap is very unisex, and would be a fantastic first Lush product for any guy in your life.

Lush recently updated their soap base, and this is one of the few soaps that uses this new recipe, and it proves that the reformulation is a winner. Cream of Tomato has one of the most velvety lathers I’ve ever experienced, and only takes a moment to produce a luxurious foam. This soap contains coconut oil and rapeseed oil, making it relatively moisturizing, while the grapefruit oil, lemon oil, and fresh tomato keep it toning and cleansing. This soap left my skin feeling clean and soft, but a little taut and I did need lotion after my shower

I think this is a very unique soap, that fells very high quality during use, and I really hope this becomes available in all stores because I would love to repurchase it.

Rating: 5/5

Price: £2.95 /100g

Status: Oxford Street and Kitchen Exclusive

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase? Yes

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil: Coconut Oil (Brassica napus: Cocoa nucifera), Sorbitol, Talc, Perfume, Passata, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Stearate, Grapefruit Oil Citrus paradisi), Sicilian Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Violet Leaf Infusion (Viola odorata), Basil Oil (Ocimum basilicum), Titanium Dioxide, Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus), Fresh Tomato (Lycopersician), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Colour 14700.

I think I have discovered my ideal scrub. So far, everything I have tried from Lush has been either too harsh or to crumbly to use 100% effectively, but oh my goodness, this beauty is perfect. Not only does this product gently exfoliate your skin with sugar and sand, but it is combined with many oils and butters to leave you with soft and hydrated skin as well. I love scrubs and body butters, so a product that combines the two is always a winner. 

This deliciously tropical scrub is packed with all the best hydrating ingredients out there - murumuru butter from brazil to hydrate and protect your skin, organic shea butter to absorb easily into the skin, coconut oil to hydrate, and illipe butter to richly nourish and even combat a multitude of skin problems. 

When using this scrub in the shower, I found that this is the first that I’ve used that I have not had to cut up or crush first, in fear that it will fall apart during use. Normally Lush scrubs either fall apart very easily, as Sugar Babe does, or they are much too harsh to use without crushing them up first, like with Sugar Scrub. I found that this was the perfect consistency to rub on my body as is, and got an effective exfoliation and perfect dose of hydration, simultaneously. I use this as the very last step in the shower, after washing. This paired deliciously with Beautiful Shower Gel. While this does stay together very well, I will cut it into single-use segments next time to preserve it more effectively, otherwise it’s at risk of dissolving too quickly. This is a dense scrub that will last many showers, but it’s pricey (and limited edition) so I don’t dare waste it!

Of course, since this product is a body butter, the scent absorbs into your skin and lingers long after you have left the shower, and it really is a fantastic fragrance. Inspired by sand sculptures, this body butter’s scent conjures up images of warm, tropical beach. Coconut oil, rosewood oil, orange oil, and sandalwood oil combine to mimic the aroma of a tropical cocktail or high-end suntan oil. I don’t think I could imagine a more beachy and inviting smell.

My only complaint with Sandy Santa is the red of his hat tends to make a bit of a mess in the shower, but it is easily rinsed off the shower and skin. I would love to see this product released in the summer months in a different shape (and without the annoying red) so that I can stock up on this Holy Grail of a scrub. I am very disappointed I didn’t gab more when I had the opportunity, because this is now a solid favorite.

Rating: 6/5 (yep, it’s that good!)

Price: £5.75 ($8.59)

Status: Discontinued Christmas Product, Kitchen Exclusive

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients: Sugar, Murumuru Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Organic Shea Butter, Illipe Butter, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cream of Tartar, Sand, Lauryl Betaine, Brazilian Orange Oil, Rosewood Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Perfume, Colour 14700.

FUN is an incredibly cool product from lush that can be molded like Play-Doh, crumbled under the tap for bubbles in your bath, or used as soap or shampoo. Magic of Christmas is perhaps even more exciting, because unlike most other colors of FUN, this one is coated in gorgeous luster. 

This festive fun comes in 4 colored segments- Blue, magenta, gold, and white, each with an exterior coordinating shimmer, giving them a beautiful pearlescent effect. All four segments share the same beautiful scent, that of Jingle Spells Bath Bomb, which is composed of Juniper berry, Tangerine, Fennel, and Ylang Ylang. Strangely, I thought this smelled much more like the Honey I Washed the Kids scent family than Jingle Spells, because while the bath bomb is quite herbal, this FUN bar is sweet, warm, and more of a berry & honey scent in my opinion. Either way, it is a gorgeous scent nonetheless and would pair beautifully with products from either scent family.

I usually use my FUN as a bubble bar, and I decided to use a mix of the blue and white segments for my first bath with this. I used about 1/3 of each color, popped them in a strainer, and upon contact with the water mounds of bubbles formed and the water turned a gorgeous turquoise blue. I was sad to see that the luster didn’t make much of an impression in the water, but the multitude of bubbles and the soothing color made for a pretty bathing experience nonetheless.

I do find that with FUN, the bubbles do tend to disperse much faster than with a traditional bubble bar. Also, I did notice the scent of this was very strong once it mixed with the water. I have not used this to mold or roll up and slice, but this seems to be a much nicer consistency than my Aliens and Monsters FUN, so I think it will stick and hold its shape much better than that did.
Overall this was a nice, gentle product that was pretty and kind to my skin, but not overwhelming in scent. I would probably repurchase this, and I look forward to using the remaining colors!

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: 

Status: Limited Edition, Christmas 2015

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients:Cornflour, Talc, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Juniperberry Oil, Tangerine Oil, Fennel Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Radiant Gold, Gold Glimmer and Pearl White Lustre, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Colour 42090, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.

Winter is a tough time for my feet. They’re constantly freezing, and dry as a bone. I knew I needed to be proactive this year and have all of the supplies I need to fend off my winter woes. In addition to foot scrubs and plenty of fluffy socks, a good foot lotion is a must, and that’s where Pink Peppermint comes in. 

More than just a moisturizer, Pink Peppermint contains some very smart ingredients that have many benefits on battered feet. The first function this foot lotion serves is to ease the pain of tired feet. Peppermint oil offers a cooling effect upon contact, but stimulates blood flow and warms up cold feet.. It even acts as a natural analgesic, relieving some pain from overworked feet. Peppermint and Spearmint are both refreshing and invigorating. Arnica infusion is a miracle ingredient when your feet have been overworked. it not only shares the same pain relieving property as peppermint, but also acts as an anti inflammatory and anti fungal, perfect for after the gym, or just being on your feet all day. And of course, a lotion isn’t a lotion without moisturizing ingredients. This one  contains beautifully light and hydrating almond butter to absorb easily into the skin, and silky and rich cocoa butter, and lanolin, to hydrate the most cracked winter feet.

I really love this lotion, everything from the bright pink color, to how smoothly it applies, and how fresh it smells. The beautiful sweet peppermint scent perks up both your feet and mind. While this is not the most hydrating lotion I’ve ever used (I do need to reapply before bed on really dry days) It quenches my dry skin and absorbs easily, without leaving a greasy layer behind. 

Rating: 4/5

Price: 

Status: Permanent

Vegan?: No, contains Lanolin

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Arnica Infusion, Fair Trade Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Spearmint Oil, Peppermint Oil, Tagetes Oil, Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Limonene’ *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 17200, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

I am usually cautious about purchasing higher priced Kitchen Items, like Shower Gels and Body Lotions, because at $15 or $20, it’s a bit of an investment for something I may not like. I went back and forth on this one for quite a while and though I didn’t want to spend the money, I’ve learned from experience that I’d probably regret passing it up and give in weeks later buying it for a very inflated price on eBay or elsewhere. I could always sell it myself if it didn’t agree with me anyway!

The list of ingredients and online description certainly make the scent of this sound unique. With a few floral ingredients, grapefruit oil, and fennel, you’d perhaps imagine a fresh floral scent, with a dash of licorice. But in reality, the scent is nothing like what I expected. I will do my best to explain how it actually smells to me, but in all honesty, this scent was rather weird and difficult to describe. 

I could definitely detect a little bit of citrus in the aroma, but It doesn’t smell at all floral to me- my nose can’t pick out the rose or jasmine ingredients, whatsoever. There is a slightly powdery note that may come form the rose, but I really can’t be sure. The fennel gives the shower gel an equally sweet and bitter twinge, and brings everything together to create an overall fresh, sweet, yet almost plastic scent... a rather strange way to describe it but it’s not necessarily a bad smell. I have certainly smelled worse things from lush.

Moving past the strange scent, this gel is also pretty unique to look at. A neon green opaque liquid, this shower gel certainly looks electrifying. The creamy consistency is similar to that of Lush’s new shower creams, and I did find this shower gel to be a little more softening than other shower gels, and it still lathered really well. The scent lingered very softly on my skin after using this. 

Overall, B Electro is a pretty decent shower gel, and while I don’t think I will repurchase it, it is definitely an eye catching product with a unique scent, and feels great on the skin.

Rating: 3.5

Price: £11 ($16.64) for 240g

Status: Kitchen Exclusive

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Probably Not

Ingredients: Fresh Rose Petals, Water (Aqua), Sodium Alkyl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate, Fine Sea Salt, Cocamide MEA, Perfume, Glycol Cetearate, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Betaine, Grapefruit Oil, Fennel Oil, Rose Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Tincture of Benzoin, Organic Jojoba Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 59040, Colour 42090, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Full of Grace had been sitting on my wishlist for quite a while. When I first saw it in the catalog as a brand new Lushie, I was pretty intrigued. At the time, I was starting to incorporate a lot of natural oils into my skincare routine, so a bar that featured a plethora of gorgeous oils sounded like a dream to me. I let it sit on the back burner for months without purchasing because at first glance the price seems a bit steep for 20g of product, but I finally decided it was worth it and made the order. I’ve had this little serum bar in my possession for a week now, and in conjunction with my Coalface Soap, my skin certainly looks the best it has in months, if not years.

So many people tout this as a miracle for the skin- softening, reducing redness, scars, discoloration, even fine lines. While I don’t suddenly have skin as even and supple as an infant’s, I have absolutely noticed a difference. I apply this in the evening, as my moisturizer. So after cleansing and toning, I rub the bar either between my hands, or directly on my face (It’s all up to how I feel that day, both methods work equally well!) and smooth the melted oils into my skin. I love this before bed, because aside form having wonderful skincare benefits, the rose oil and chamomile blue oil are incredibly relaxing. I find the scent of this is quite similar to the Dreamtime Bath Melt, so it is definitely a calming scent, perfect for your evening routine. 

As I stated, I use this in the evening as my sole moisturizer, but you can use this underneath or on top of another moisturizer if you have incredibly dry skin, or only on certain pats of your face that need an extra boost in moisture. It really depends on your skin’s needs, and I may layer this with another moisturizer later in the winter if I notice increased dryness, and in the summer I may cut back my use. I think that this is a very versatile product, and though it was formulated for dry, sensitive skin, I think many people can benefit from it, even if you only use it as an occasional treat. One way I would not recommend using it is under a mask, which is one method Lush suggests on the website- this seems quite silly to me, from an esthetician’s standpoint. Not only are you wasting a product by washing it off with your mask after 10 minutes, when you would reap so much more benefit by leaving it on for an extended period, but the oils in the serum also create a barrier of sorts, that will prevent your mask from being absorbed fully into the skin, hindering it’s full effectiveness. I’m really not sure why they recommend using it this way, but you will notice many more benefits to your skin when keeping the two steps separate!

So, what is it exactly that makes Full of Grace so wonderful for the skin? Aside from leaving out preservatives and filler ingredients, this serum is packed full of beneficial oils. Almond oil mimics the skins own natural oils, so it won’t clog your pores, and absorbs easily. Murumuru butter is known as a miracle butter. It’s highly emollient and hydrating, and it is wonderful for acne prone skin, as it is naturally antibacterial and anti inflammatory, and also boasts many antioxidants and fatty acids. Portobello mushroom is also incredibly antioxidant rich, and contains B and C vitamins, potassium, vitamin D and ergothioneine all of which show this is a good candidate for protecting the skin from damage  Ingredients such as almond oil and murumuru butter broaden the market for Full of Grace, because while it is gentle and highly moisturizing, it has the potential to work well with oilier and acne prone conditions, as well as for anyone who is looking to protect their skin from environmental damage. I have not had any breakouts since using Full of Grace, and my skin is normally very acne prone.

Calamine powder, rose oil and infusion, and chamomile blue oil are all very soothing on the skin and should help with redness. I currently have a lot of acne in the healing stage, so my face is quite sensitive and I have a smattering of red along my jawline and temples. Since I started using this serum, I have noticed the healing process seems to be going much faster than usual and my redness is fading quickly. 

I am completely enamored with Full of Grace so far, and though I have only been using it for a short time, my skin is softer, more hydrated, and feels wonderfully soothed. I would recommend this to all skin types, and it is totally worth the price!

Rating: 5/5

Price: 

Status: Permanant

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

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

To say I was unsure about truing a solid facial soap was an understatement. Basically, everything you learn about bar soap in Esthetics school is that it is bad, and you shouldn’t use it on your body, and you most certainly should never use it on your delicate face! Of course, these warnings are aimed more at traditional, harsh soaps with damaging ingredients, that Lush tends to leave out of their products. The composition of Coalface is very far from that which makes up a standard drugstore brand soap- Lush does not use tallow, lye, lauric acid, titanium dioxide, or any other ingredients that are still used in soaps that cause dryness, irritation, and not much benefit. Instead, the majority of ingredients in Coalface are very natural, and boast many benefits that not only cleanse the skin, but improve the overall condition. 

First on the list is liquorice root decoction. Liquorice root is known to be  antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing, which means that it is fantastic for treating acne (which is essentially a clogged, infected pore) by killing the bacteria, soothing swelling and redness, as well as keeping your skin from feeling stripped. This soap also contains rosewood oil to act as an additional antiseptic, as well as add an uplifting aroma.  

Rapeseed oil and coconut oil are two oils that are fantastic for moisturizing the skin. Of course, coconut oil is pretty comedogenic for some skin types, so if you are prone to acne, this may prove to be a problem. I have had good luck so far, despite being acne prone, and I have not noticed any increased clogging- but we will get to that in a moment. 

Powdered charcoal is an ingredient that has become increasingly popular in recent years for it’s oil absorbing properties. In this soap, it also lends a slightly rough texture which means you’re also getting a gentle exfoliant along with your cleanse. Sodium Chloride (or salt) also acts as an exfoliant, while cleaning the skin. It’s also used to formulate the soap base.

Of course, Coalface is not 100% natural. It does contain  a few humectants such as sorbitol and glycerin, to give the soap a consistency that spreads easily on the skin. Sodium Hydroxide to react with coconut oil and rapeseed oil to create a soap base, instead of a more traditional combination such as tallow and lye. SLS, while not the best ingredient because it can be drying and irritating, produces a foamy, cleansing lather. EDTA and  Tetrasodium Etidronat safely preserve the color, scent and consistency of the product.

So looking at the ingredients, quite a few jump out to prove this is a good choice for those with oilier or acne prone complexions. While I do not have a particularly oily face, I do suffer from some truly awful hormonal acne, that until now, has been very difficult to improve. I have tried many different cleansers and other skincare products that have claimed to work wonders on acne, but they did not do much for me. Hormonal acne comes from under the skin, so it’s not just as easy as washing your face to get rid of it. Luckily, Coalface is one of few topical products that has actually made a difference in my skin. I started using this facial soap while I was in the middle of one of the worst breakouts I’ve ever had- my jawline and chin was completely covered, I had mountain ranges on both temples, and a smattering of spots on my cheeks and forehead. My skincare at the time was obviously not effective, so I was so glad once my order containing Coalface finally showed up. 

I washed my face with Coalface, and was a little concerned with how stripped my face felt while rinsing, but luckily once I patted myself dry, my skin felt supple again. I spritzed my face with my usual toner and put on my moisturizer, and went to bed. In the morning, I did notice my acne was reduced. Most of my spots had shrunk noticeably, and redness and inflammation was improved. I decided to continue washing with coalface once each day, and over the next week, my skin cleared by about 80%. 

I have been using Coalface for about 3 weeks now, and my skin has not yet returned to the awful mess it was before. My face is not completely clear by any stretch, but I have not broken out once on my forehead since I’ve started using this, and I never have more than 4 or 5 pimples at any given time now. I do not notice my skin becoming any drier, or more oily since I have started using this, so that is fantastic. I am really glad I have introduced this soap into my routine, and I hope it continues to improve my skin.

Rating: 4/5

Price: 

Status: Permanent

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase? Yes

Ingredients: Liquorice Root Decoction, Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Water, Perfume, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Powdered Charcoal, Sandalwood Oil, Rosewood Oil, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, *Geraniol, *Linalool, Silver Edible Lustre. 

Roulades are quite a new concept to me, and I’ve had my eye on both Dreamwash and Icing on the Cake for a while. I was excited to try a sample of their blueberry-scented sibling, which was in a handful of surprise product samples in a recent Kitchen order. Upon first sniff, I wasn’t all that impressed. I was hoping for a sweeter blueberry scent, something fresh and fruity, but what I found was far from it. While not the most unpleasant thing I’ve ever smelled from Lush, I wouldn’t exactly call it mouthwatering. I found it to be a very natural blueberry scent, and quite earthy and even a bit sour. Very unlike the homemade jam scent I was expecting!

As I mentioned above, I am new to the whole roulade thing. It is a soft but solid bar shape, so I assumed it would be easy enough to use it like a bar soap. Unfortunately, It was not so simple. I dug my little grape tomato sized chunk of roulade out of the container, wet it, and attempted to lather it directly onto my body, but this proved to be rather slippery and messy. When mixed with the warm water, the roulade got a bit softer, so it squished unpleasantly in my hands and pieces fell off and a lot of product got wasted. It also didn’t produce much lather to speak of. I really didn’t like using this directly on my skin, so I decided to use it on my netted sponge the next time I used it.

With the netted sponge, I had slightly better results, but it was really more effort than it was worth. just rubbing the roulade on the sponge didn’t give me any lather to work with, so I ended up mashing it into the netting and really working it in, to finally produce some suds to work with. What lather I had didn’t stretch very far, and the bits of roulade fell out of my netted sponge and made a mess of the shower.

After washing with both methods, I didn’t feel any more moisturized than I would with a shower gel, or even a traditional soap. I certainly didn’t feel the moisturizing effects of soya milk, coconut oil, almond oil, or cocoa butter. On paper, this sounded beautiful and nourishing, but in reality, I just found this a really disappointing product overall, and I’m apprehensive to try the sample of Orange Roulade that I received. I would never spend close to $13 on this product!

Rating: 1/5

Price: 

Status: UK Exclusive

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase? No

Ingredients: Fresh Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), Rapeseed Oil: Coconut Oil (Brassica napus;Cocos nuciferal), Glycerine, Water (Aqua), Soya Milk (Glycine soja), Organic Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Perfume, Olibanum Oil (Boswellia carterii), Osmanthus Absolute (Osmanthus fragrans), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 17200.  

The Comforter is certainly one on Lush’s more popular products and fragrances. This sweet and fruity bubble bar shares it’s scents with quite a few delicious products and is large enough to spread across multiple baths. It was one of my very first bubble bars from Lush and remains one of my absolute favorites. 

The comforter is a pretty massive bubble bar, designed in the same style as Brightside, and Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds. I find that I can spread it across 3 baths for the perfect amount of color, scent, and bubbles. I know some people prefer to use the whole thing in one go (which I’ve done and is amazing, though expensive!) or spread it across 4 or more baths. The Comforter produces glorious mountains of fluffy bubbles, and turns the water a beautiful dark pink. Something about being enveloped in a blanket of bubbles and sweet pink water is truly very comforting. I also find that it is quite moisturizing and softening in the water, and I don’t need to rush to apply lotion after my bath.

The scent of The Comforter has to be in my top five Lush Scents. I adore anything fruity and sweet, and the Blackcurrant and Bergamot scent of the Comforter is the perfect balance. its candy like without being sickeningly sweet, and perfect for both winter and summer. I really hope to try this scent in other formats soon. Using this alongside the shower cream and body lotion would make a perfect trio for a sweet blackcurrant themed bath.

Rating: 5/5

Price: 

Status: Permanent 

Scent Family:

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients:  Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Cocamide DEA, Bergamot Oil, Cassis Absolute, Cypress Oil, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45410, Colour 17200.