A Lush Catastrophe

Recently I've been reading a lot of beauty blogs. Make-up expert I am not, but feeling a little stressed lately has really had a bad effect on my skin [if only due to a constant presence of the middle man...chocolate] and so I've really enjoyed picking up hints and tips from a different genre of blogging. 

Frankly, after seeing the care that so many people take over their skin, I've realised how lacking my skincare routine is, and so have taken it upon myself to buy some lotions and potions in order to get it in tip top shape for the summer. I'm hoping that this and some serious water guzzling will do the trick [usually, I have the water capacity of a Camel and feel no need to drink for most of the day....bad Danni].

Lush is a chain that I've avoided as far back as I can remember. When I was younger, I could hardly bear to be in the shop because of the smell...it was so overwhelming, and as a complete asthmatic nerd [the two are, of course, not related, I just happened to conform to every unfortunate stereotype going] I could never force myself to stay in there for more than a few seconds.

Now I've grown up [debatable] I've learnt to avoid Lush for different reasons - mostly as I always associate heavily perfumed products with irritation...that's usually the way it goes for my fickle, flaky skin. But during my day trip to Oxford a while back, my friends [and a particularly sweet member of staff] managed to persuade me to buy one of their facemasks, and now I believe I'm what you call a convert.

After explaining the condition of my skin [extremely dry, tendency to break out with stress] the salesman suggested Catastrophic Cosmetic, a blueberry facemask. He explained that it draws out the spot-inducing oils in the skin, without dehydrating it and thus keeping it moisturised.

SOLD. And here's what I thought.

Smell: From the pot, there was a very faint herby smell which I was indifferent to in all honesty, but once applied, the scent took on a much fruitier character - delicious indeed.

Texture: A much thicker consistency than I'm used to for facemasks, but this was no bad thing. There were small blueberry pieces in it which was a great natural touch. A little went a long way and there were no annoying drips. Gloopy in a good way.

Results: Skin felt incredibly soft throughout the day, I didn't need to moisturise which for me was a shocker. Spots have reduced since using, but that outcome was unnoticeable straight away, and is probably due to drinking more water.

Overall: Despite not having an immediate effect on any breakouts, this facemask felt like a real treat for my skin, and I'm guessing with more applications it will only improve. The smell was divine once applied, and I'm more than happy that I spent my money on it. It's not a cheap, everyday product, but if your skin needs a treat it'll do the job perfectly.

Next up I'm hoping to try some of their bath products - I've heard great things about The Comforter, and for my next facemask I'd love to try out the chocolate one... I just hope it ends up on my face and not in my belly.

I'd love any recommendations or products to avoid - if you're a lush lover/hater, get in touch!

xxx