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.