DIY Lip Scrub!

Lush's Sweet Lips Lip Scrub has been in my monthly favorites a couple times in the past year, as I think it is a great way to slough off dry skin and smoothen and soften my lips.

I finished my pot recently and instead of shelling out $9 for another little tub, I headed in to my kitchen. Sweet Lips is basically oil, sugar, and cocoa flavoring....all things I have in my kitchen. I decided to skip the flavoring, but here is how I made my own do-it-yourself (DIY) lip scrub:

1. Pour olive oil into the palm of my hand:

2. Add some white sugar and mix:

3. Apply to lips and scrub a dub dub:

My DIY version was just as effective as the Lush scrub, and 100% natural. There are so many variations you can do:

• Use coconut oil, almond oil, or any other oil of your preference
• Store the scrub in a little tub and keep it ready for anytime use
• Use brown sugar or salt for different sized granules
• Add cocoa powder or another flavoring

My lips are as smooth as ever and I have a few more bucks to spend on a lip product to apply to those smooth lips. =) 

Lush BB Seaweed Face Mask Review

Hey gals and guys! I was in Lush and wanted to try out their fresh face masks. Apparently those get sold quite quickly and they get shipments only once a week. So I had only 2 options, and I chose the BB Seaweed Face Mask. It is supposed to be relaxing and refreshing, and it was!

It feels very cool on the skin, and when you wash it off, you feel very fresh and clean. It does give your skin a bit of a glow. There is no tight feeling afterwards, which is nice, because it does just what is says on the tub. The only thing a little funny, was that is has chunks of seaweed in it, and that was a new experience. But it did not feel odd or anything, just something new, since most face masks are thin or even in consistency, not chunky. Oh, and the tub seems small, but my mom and I both used this at least 3-4 times each, using generous portions, so there really is a lot of product in the tub.

Kajal Couture Overall Rating: A

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: Great face masks for a refreshing feeling. If you want some other properties like firming or deep pore cleansing, this might not be the one for you. But if you want your skin to be relaxed and clean, and just be in a balanced state, this is a great mask.

How is your V-day weekend? Mine just got a little sweeter. My fiance brought me red roses this morning! Yay!! I don't think we are doing anything that spectacular or romantical (yes that is a word my fiance and I made up), as we are attending an annual college friend reunion party tonight, and tomorrow (V-day) we will probably go see the movie Valentines Day. Yes, very cliche, but I have been wanting to see that movie since the first preview I saw months ago!

What are you plans? Of course its wonderful to have a significant other, but I think some of my most fun V-days were hanging out with the girls doing anti-guy stuff. =)

Lush Bath Bomb and Bubble Bar Review

So this past weekend I did something I hadn't done in over 10 years: I took a bath.

For those of you who use the words "bath" and "shower" interchangably, don't get confused, I shower everyday, sometimes twice a day. I never take baths because they are so time consuming and kind of a process. But this past weekend, I had nothing to do, I had a bunch of Lush goodies I had picked up months ago and never used, and decided this was the best way to de-stress from all my wedding planning drama.

You may remember my Lush Haul from a few months ago, where I picked up the following Honey Bee Bath Bomb:

A lot of bloggers had mentioned that Lush Bath Bombs are very strong, and if possible, use only half or a quarter. I took this advice and cut this in half with a kitchen knife, before dropping it into my bath. Let me tell ya....the fizzing and yellow color that took over the water was sooooo fun! This bath bomb has aloe vera and honey, both of which are very soothing and moisturizing. Using half was the perfect amount to leave my skin feeling soft and smooth, and I didn't even need to apply moisturizer afterwards. It smells like honey, but is not so overpowering that you feel like you are on a bee farm. It was the perfect mellow-out fragrance to help me relax and de-stress.

Kajal Couture Overall Rating: A

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: This is perfect if you want a relaxing bath and want soft, smooth skin. I definitely recommend this one, and will most definitely re-purchase as it will do wonders at calming me down as my wedding approaches.

Since Lush Bath Bombs are only fizzy and not bubbly, I decided to crumble in a small chunk of the A French Kiss Bubble Bar:

Bubble Bars are very soft, and I broke off a small chunk (maybe 1/4 of the bar) and crumbled it into the bath. In addition to adding fun bubbles, this product has lavender, thyme, and rosemary, which are soothing ingredients. Coupled with the Bath Bomb, I was in relaxation heaven.

Kajal Couture Overall Rating: A

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: Again this is great if you want to indulge in a calming environment, and the smell is not too strong, so you can actually enjoy the bath without feeling suffocated by the scent.

On another note, have you ever met person who you feel you could be BFFs with, only to find out they don't live anywhere near you, and the opportunities to hang out with him/her would be few and far between? Well, I met someone a few months ago, and we finally got around to hanging out last night, and she told me she is moving to the East Coast next week. =( It was so exciting to bond with her over our love of makeup and Indian parent issues, and now I won't be able to hang out with her often. I hope that our friendship goes against the norm, and we actually do keep in touch via phone and email. Girl, I know you are reading this, and I just want to tell you it was great hanging out and don't worry, my fingers are crossed for you and "V"!!

Lush-ious Skin for the Wintertime

For months I have been reading about other bloggers' addictions to Lush products, how some of them have totally transformed their beauty routines and how fabulous and effective they are. So you can imagine my curiosity and desire to test out the brand for myself. Therefore, last month, I trekked down to the nearest Lush store (half an hour away mind you), spent over an hour sniffing and staring and rubbing, and finally walked out with some goodies of my very own.
This first one is by far my favorite. It is a chunk of the Heavenly Bodies Buttercream. It is 20% soap and 80% moisturizer so you can use it in the shower as a combined body cleanser and body lotion. This one smells like chocolate and cocoa combined with some heavenly floral scent that I can't pinpoint. This stuff melts easily when in contact with water, so I used it by cutting small slivers, with each one lasting 3-4 days. This stuff is creamy and smooth and provides buttery moisture, without feeling greasy. The moisture actually lasts long after you towel dry, and I even think its more effective than most in-shower moisturizers that you get in bottles. This, as with most Lush products, are quite expensive so I see this as a winter time treat, especially great during the holidays when you want to pamper yourself and delight in soft skin.

Kajal Couture Rating: A

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: Pricey, but smells great and is a fabulous moisturizer so I think it is a great way to treat yourself to something special!

This next one is the massage bar in Heavanilli. You can use massage bars by rubbing them between your hands for a few seconds, then giving a special someone a massage, or just rubbing the moisture on your own skin as a moisturizer. Since this is intended for massages, it is a bit greasy and doesn't absorb into the skin quickly. It smells like sweet vanilla and jasmine and I love using this as a moisturizer because the effect is long lasting, and in the wintertime, the greasiness actually feels a little nice because the cold weather can make my skin crackle.

Kajal Couture Rating: B

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: I like the moisturizing effects, but I tend to lean towards fast-absorbing products. The smell is great and this would be a good massage product, but really, how often do you give people massages?

When I walked into the Lush store, the sales assistant had me try this Soft Coeur massage bar and I instantly knew I had to have it! It smells like chocolate and honey, and I have to be careful not to accidently take a bite because it smells soooo delicious! I absolutely recommend this one.

Kajal Couture Rating: B+

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: Same overall opinion as the other massage bar, but I gave a little higher rating because of the divine smell!

Finally, this is the Honey Bee bath bomb. Now, I haven't actually used this yet, because it is one of those products that you are supposed to use whole and just drop in your shower and watch it fizz and enjoy the soothing, fragrant properties of honey and aloe vera. I have heard of people cutting these with a knife so they can use them a couple times. That is something I will try, because I feel like having a $6 item get used up in 1 shower is just not worth it for me. For that much, I can buy a whole bottle of body wash that will last a couple months!

My final thoughts are that I appreciate the fragrances and the intention of Lush products, but they are just too expensive for me to include them as regular items in my beauty routine. I think they are a great treat every once in awhile and I may pick up a buttercream every so often. The massage bars are also good because they will last a long time so you do get a good amount of usage for your buck. I also really like that the products are natural and handmade, but as of late I have been finding the natural Korres products to be a bit more practical for me. On that note, keep a watch for some Korres product reviews coming up....I have been falling in love with a lot of them!