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Christina Alyce Beauty

Testing and reviewing the best of clean beauty.

If you’re at all familiar with Lush’s Sugar Scrub Body Scrub, you’ll notice mine looks a bit different than what you’re used to.. Sugar Scrub comes as a hard, half-sphere of product with no packaging. As much as I adore this scrub and find that it works beautifully on my skin, i find that it is just too harsh to use in the original format (except perhaps on rough heels, but there’s Pumice Power for that!). Instead, I crush it up and store it in a container, as seen here. I promise I will add photos once I have repurchased this product!
I have quite sensitive skin, so using a hard clump of solid product as a scrub is just too rough on me. But after I crush it up, I can scoop out just enough, and rub in a circular motion onto my skin until it dissolves in the water. This method is gentle, but effective, and leaves my skin wonderfully exfoliated without any irritation.
I find that it is best to step out of the direct stream of water when using this, in both it’s solid bar or crumbled form. If you are using the solid form of this, the bar will quickly start to crumble and dissolve, shortening its number of uses immensely. If you are using it in the crumbled form under the water, it will dissolve even quicker, before you even have a chance to get a good exfoliation.
Aside form exfoliating, I find that this product also leaves your skin feeling quite toned without feeling tight or dry. This is from the fennel and ginger, both of which offer toning and antiseptic properties. This makes this scrub a great product for those who suffer from body acne, because it will clear your pores, and lavender oil will help to sooth and heal.
This scrub has a very green, fresh scent, no doubt from the fennel and ginger, and it is soothing and herbal from the lavender. I am really excited to pair this with my B-Electro shower gel, as they both feature Fennel as an ingredient.
Rating: 4/5
Price: 
  • UK £2.95
  • US $6.55
Status: Permanent
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase?: Yes
Ingredients: Granulated Sugar, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fresh Fennel, Fennel Oil, Lavender Oil, Fresh Ginger Root, Lauryl Betaine, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Chlorophyllin, 
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Big Blue is one of Lush’s more popular bath bombs, often mixed with Sunnyside to create a shimmery turquoise cocktail known as “Mermaid Water”. I skipped the bubble bar and tried this strikingly blue bomb all by itself, and enjoyed every moment.
This ocean inspired bomb is packed full with wonderful treats from the sea. Nourishing Arame seaweed is used to detoxify, soothe, soften, and protect the skin against moisture loss. Unrefined coarse and fine sea salt are added for their astringent and cleansing effects, as well as beneficial minerals like sodium and magnesium. Sea salts are also thought to promote healing and contain anti-inflammatory and muscle soothing properties, which will be of benefit post-workout, to relieve menstrual cramps, and to reduce the pain of arthritis. I suffer from severe cramps as well as arthritis in most of my joints, so this bath bomb is truly a miracle for me!
This bomb also contains lovely ingredients that hail from dry land, such as lemon oil and lavender. Lemon oil brightens and cleanses skin, while lavender acts as an aromatic to promote relaxation as well as soothe joint pain. The combination of the two create a light, clean scent. The lemon oil is uplifting, while the lavender is calming, and the salt and seaweed give a hint of the sea.
I found this bath bomb very softening, and I felt refreshed, relaxed, and clean once I got out of the tum. My skin was lightly fragranced for a while afterward. I really enjoyed the relief this bomb brought my joints, and I will surely be repurchasing it as a staple in my stash. I know some people have concerns about the seaweed because it leaves behind quite a lot of it, and while this is not an issue for me, I can understand how it would be worrisome. An easy solution would be to drop the bomb into the oe of an old pair of tights and cut it off at the ankle, (or wrap it up in cheesecloth), secure the top, and drop it in the bath. this way, the bomb is free to dissolve in the water and release its nutrients, but the messy stuff stays inside the little sachet. It’s also a great way to recycle a pair of ruined tights!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Price: £3.50/$6.50
Status: Permanent
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase?: Yes
Ingredients:  Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Coarse Sea Salt, Fine Sea Salt, Perfume, Arame Seaweed, Lemon Oil, Lavender Oil, Seaweed Absolute, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 42090, Colour 19140.
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Out of the small fraction of Lush fragrances I have encountered, The Olive Branch has a secure place at the top of the list, right beside Yuzu & Cocoa and The Comforter. The Olive Branch was the very first Lush shower gel I tried, so I had no Idea what to expect. It’s a beautiful orangey amber color, with a thin consistency. I was surprised to discover that despite the watery consistency, just a couple drops on my netted sponge lathered beautifully.
This gel contains bergamot, olive, mandarin, and olive oils, which not only make for a moisturising and brightening wash, but mingle to create a warm and bright scent. The smell is more complex than just citrus, it has a complexity to it that is mature very sultry. This is one of the most glamorous smelling products I have ever smelled, and it’s absolutely stunning. Vine leaf infusion conditions the skin, and sea salt cleanses, leaving you with nourished, clean skin. 
This is an all around beautiful product, the only criticism I have would be that it’s a little too watery, and I know this puts many people off. I personally don’t find that it affects it’s overall performance, and as long as you are mindful of how much you’re using you won’t run out any faster than with thicker gels. This is the first shower gel that I’ve been tempted to order in a 1kg bottle, and that might just be what I ask for for Christmas…
Rating: 5 out of 5
Price: 
  • £4.95/$9.95 for 100g/3.3oz
  • £9.75/$19.95 for 250g/8.4oz 
  • £16.50/$30.95 for 500g/16.9oz
  • £27.95 for 1kg (UK only, converts to $42.51 for 35oz)
Status: Permanent
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase? Yes
Ingredients: Vine Leaf Infusion, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Fresh Mandarin Juice, Fair Trade Olive Oil, Perfume, Propylene Glycol, Bergamot Oil, Lemon Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Mandarin Oil, Fine Sea Salt, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Colour 14700, Methylparaben. 
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I was intrigued by the charitable aspect of this hand cream, and I was on the hunt for a new lotion to keep on my desk at work. This little black pot is full of nourishing ingredients, and 100% of the proceeds go towards various grassroots organizations. You can read all about the Charity aspect of the product and the company’s SLush Fund initiative here. 
This lotion contains moisturising ingredients such as olive oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera, shea butter and cocoa butter. This makes for a nourishing cream. I was a little unsure at first because it ends to be a little greasy if you put too much on, but overall it is very hydrating and it has a beautifully silky texture. I also find that the “greasiness” left behind feels more like a protective barrier against dehydration, which makes this a great cream for winter. 
When I smelled this lotion for the first time, I immediately thought of a little Italian bakery I pop into from time to time. I’m not sure how the geranium, rosewood, ylang ylang, and vanilla essential oils combine to create that doughy, sweet smell, but I swear it does. The scent is quite strong when you first apply the lotion, but after 15 minutes or so, it mellows out to a gentle sweet fragrance, pretty much undetectable unless you put your hands right up to your nose.
I love the creamy luxurious feel and the charitable aspect of this cream. This is the first lotion I have tried from Lush, and I’m really excited to see what else they have to offer!
Rating: 5
Price: Small £6.95/$6.95 for 95g/1.7oz or Large £13.50/$25.95 for 240g/8.4oz
Status: Permanent, charity item
Vegan? Yes
Would I repurchase?: Yes
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Fair Trade Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Glycerine, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Moringa Oil (Moringa Oleifera), Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Stearic Acid, Fresh Aloe Gel (Aloe Secundiflora), Fair Trade Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Triethanolamine, Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla Planifolia), Cetearyl Alcohol, *Citronellol, *Coumarin, Geraniol, *Linalool, *Limonene, Fragrance . *Occurs naturally in essential oils
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I was excited to try this Fun because of the novelty of a yummy smelling moldable bath product, but I really didn’t expect much when it came to the it’s overall performance. 
This bright tri-color log of moldable soap carries the same strong and sweet scent of Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb and Shower Gel, as well as The Rough With The Smooth Shower Scrub. It was very strongly scented, even through the wrapper. The scent grew even stronger when I opened the wrapper and started to mold it into mini bubble bars. Even though I like the LOM scent, I had been smelling quite a lot of it lately, and it became pretty overpowering for me. I was also frustrated when I was molding the Fun, because it was much more crumbly and drier than I had anticipated. After some struggle, I was able to form my swirly bubble bars by rolling out the colors, stacking them, then rolling it up jellyroll style, and slicing it into 4 pieces. By the time I was done my head was hazy with the scent so I wrapped them all up and threw them in with all my other products and decided to forget about it for a while. 
Fast forward a couple weeks, and I was craving a sweetly scented bath. I rediscovered my little handcrafted rolls, and was happy to discover the scent had mellowed slightly. I grabbed one of the rolls, set in a strainer, and held it under the tap. Ond I just could not believe the luxurious bath that formed. I was worried what color the water would turn, because I had taken the risk of mixing purple and pink with bright green.. I was expecting a murky color, but was surprised to discover it created a beautiful, rich mauve purple which is one of my favorite colors. The bubbles this created were fluffy and plentiful as well. 
I didn’t find that the Fun did much benefit to my skin, aside from making it feel very clean, so I added a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil to the bath so I wouldn’t feel too dry after exiting the bath. The scent of the coconut mingled nicely with the vanilla scent of the Fun. 
Overall, the bath was very pleasant. The scent mellowed out and stayed through the entire bath, he bubbles were very nice, though they disappeared more quickly than a bubble bar would’ve. Also, I will get 4 baths out of this product (and that’s with a generous amount of bubbles, many people could stretch it to 6 baths), so I think it is pretty cost effective.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Scent Family: Lord of Misrule
Price: £5.00/$6.95 (Much cheaper from US)
Status: Halloween 2015 Limited Edition
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase?: Yes
Ingredients: Cornstarch (Zea mays), Talc, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Black Pepper Oil (Piper nigrum), Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla Planifolia), Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), *Limonene, Fragrance, Red 33, Blue 1 . *Occurs naturally in essential oils
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I was super excited to see the Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar with the Halloween collection! This one is perfect for getting you in the fall mood. With bronzy glitter and a cute little cinnamon stick for a stem, this is one glamorous little pumpkin. I was happy to discover it was not your typical pumpkin spice smell (because let’s be real, that is SO overdone!) but a yummy citrus scent. It contains lime and grapefruit oils, which are intended to lift your mood and refresh your skin and mind, so this would be fantastic for a morning bath. It also contains juniper berry, which is used as an antiseptic and to treat acne, so this would make a fantastic soak if you’re trying to combat acne on your body. The smell of juniper is also woody yet refreshing, and I think it is a wonderful wintery scent.
This bubble bar did a fantastic job moisturising, which I found a little surprising because it does not contain any ingredients that are meant to moisturize. It softened the water and turned it a pretty orange with subtle glitter running through, and created a decent amount of bubbles. I really enjoyed this autumnal bomb, and I’m glad I was able to snag two!
Rating 5 out of 5
Price £3.65/$7.95
Ingredients Sodium Bicarbonate , Cream of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate) , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Lauryl Betaine , Cornflour (Zea mays) , Fragrance , Juniper Berry Oil (Juniperus communis) , Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia) , Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi), *Citral , *Geraniol , *Citronellol , *Limonene, *Linalool , Orange 4 , Red 21 Lake , Gold Glimmer Lustre (Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Iron Oxides, Silica) , Cinnamon Sticks (Cinnamomum cassia) . *Occurs naturally in essential oils
Vegan? Yes
Would I repurchase? Yes
Goes Well With You’ve Been Mangoed Bath Melt, Nightwing Shower Jelly,  Jumping Juniper Shampoo Bar, Sexy Peel Soap
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As a licensed esthetician, I would most definitely say a good face mask (or any skincare products really) gets me a lil bit excited. As soon as I saw this one with all the fresh and interesting ingredients, I knew I needed to try it.


My two main skin concerns are acne and sensitivity, and the ingredients in this mask tackle both of those problems beautifully. When treating acne, it’s best to use products and ingredients that will soothe, cleanse, and act as an antiseptic because acne occurs when a sebaceous gland or hair follicle becomes inflamed or infected. Lime tree flower, honey, and rosemary lend this mask their antiseptic properties, while Kaolin, like most clays,is useful in masks to absorb excess oil. Along with ground almonds, it also helps to give this mask its exfoliating texture. Sweet Violet Leaf is healing and gentle, which helps to soothe and heal existing acne or other skin irritations, and the various rose ingredients calm redness. Seaweed, this Mask’s namesake, is a powerhouse ingredient that not only soothes irritation, but is rich in vitamins A, C and E. Olive oil is used to add some moisture to the skin.

 It is important to mention that masks are most effective when used on clean skin, after you have steamed your face, so your pores are open and able to absorb the ingredients of the mask. I love using this after the Tea Tree Toner Tab, which is excellent for acne prone skin. To apply my product, I scoop a generous amount out with a wooden spatula (you can find them at craft stores, amazon, or cosmetic stores) because this prevents any contamination from your hands from getting into your product. This is really my only complaint about many of lush’s products- dipping your hand into a big black pot to scoop out your lotion, moisturiser, etc, is so unsanitary. I really wish they would transfer their creamier products into shower gel style bottles so consumers don’t have to contaminate their products or create excess waste by using spatulas….but, I am getting off topic. I apply the mask to my entire face, in an even layer. There are chunks of seaweed in this mask which may be annoying and clumpy, and it’s perfectly fine to dispose of these while you apply the mask. Once the mask is on, I let it set for 10 minutes.

This mask contains clay, so it does dry while it sits on the skin. This drying process helps to draw out impurities, gently stimulate facial muscles, and soak up excess oil. With the amount I use, it is usually dry by the 10 min mark. To remove the mask, I splash my face with water to reconstitute the mask, and gently rub my face all over to loosen the mask and take advantage of the exfoliating aspect of the product. Next I rinse my face with water til the mask is gone.

After removal, my face felt incredibly soft. Despite your face feeling very dry and tight while the mask is on, you manage to come away with very moisturised and fresh feeling skin. After a spritz of toner and a dollop of moisturiser, I was absolutely glowing. I noticed a reduction of redness after use, and my acne began to heal and I had no new breakouts the next day. I’m on a long journey trying to find the perfect skincare routine to tackle my problem skin, and this is one product that I am happy to include permanently.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Price: £6.75 for 75g/ $7.95 for 2.1oz

Status: Permanent

Vegan?: No, contains honey.

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients:Lime Tree Flower (Tilia Europaea) & Sweet Violet Leaf (Viola Odorata) Decoction, Kaolin, Honey, Glycerine, Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis), Bladderwrack Seaweed (Fucus gardneri), Organic Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe barbadensis), Millet Flakes (Panicum miliaceum), Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Bentone Gel, Fresh Rose Petal (Rosa centifolia), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis), Seaweed Absolute (Fucus vesiculosus), *Citral, *Geraniol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Limonene, *Linalool, Fragrance . *Occurs naturally in essential oils
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About Me

About Me
Welcome to my world of green beauty! I'm Christina, a twenty-something esthetician with a passion for natural, non-toxic, and effective products.

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