Monday, August 27, 2012

LUSH Skin's Shangri-La face moisturizer review

Shangri-La (noun): a remote, beautiful place where life approaches perfection*

           With a name like LUSH Skin's Shangri-La, one can't help but imagine a product that will take your skin to a enlightened, harmonious state. And indeed, it does. LUSH Skin's Shangri-La was an unlikely fit for me, since this moisturizer is marketed for 'mature faces.' (For the record, I'm in my twenties and have combination skin). However, after sampling nearly all of LUSH's facial moisturizers, I found this to be the best fit. LUSH Skin's Shangri-La left my face feeling so comfortable and well rested that I knew it was the one. 

          Skin's Shangri-La is LUSH's richest moisturizer and boasts an ingredient list that includes Queen of Hungary water (a decoction of rosemary and vodka), Sweet Almond oil, Jojoba oil, and Aloe. (I've included to complete ingredient list below so you can check out all the good stuff.) While it does contain richer ingredients, it did not break out my acne-prone skin. The reason is that oils like sweet almond and jojoba are typically skin friendly and non-pore clogging, just like your natural oils. If anything, proper (and even rich) moisturization after a good cleanse can stop excess oil formation since the skin senses that it already has been adequately protected. It may seem paradoxical, but it works for me! LUSH Skin's Shangri-La also has a comforting smell, which to me resembles light cocoa butter and vanilla. When I apply LUSH Skin's Shangri-La, my skin gets a slightly warm sensation, as if it's being wrapped in a comforting blanket. The consistency of the cream is quite rich, and very little is required for each application. One tub should last a long time. Because LUSH Skin's Shangri-La is a richer cream, I prefer to use it as a night cream or as a day cream during the winter.

          Overall, LUSH Skin's Shangri-La facial moisturizer ($49.95 for 1.5oz.) deserves a utopian name. It took me a long time to find my fit, but my skin couldn't be happier. All in all, the moral of this story is that it's worth taking the time to find a good skincare fit. The sales associates at LUSH are friendly and knowledgeable about their skincare line and will usually provide a sample (or two) of the moisturizer you're interested in. It's worth a try and you might be surprised at what you find! Thanks for reading! Have you tried any LUSH moisturizers? Do you have a favorite? Do you typically sample face creams before purchase?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. The pretty paper cutout was a gift from a coworker from China!

Ingredient List: Queen of Hungary's Water (Aqua, Vodka & Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Extract, Fucus Gardneri Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) seed butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Lanolin, Triethanolamine, Beeswax, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Viola Odorata Leaf Extract, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Linalool, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.
*from Merriam Webster online www.merriam-webster.com
**Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own

12 comments:

  1. The ingredient list looks promising and I'm happy it works well for you! It's true that it takes some looking around to find stuff that works, and it varies so much from person to person! At the moment I very often slather on a dry oil at night and call it a day, but dry oils have worked more miracles than any moisturizer for me so I'll stick to them!

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    1. Hi Sunny, I've never tried a dry oil, but I suppose it's the same concept. No need to shy away from oils as long as they're skin friendly :)

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  2. that paper cutout is so cute... i'm going to have to look into getting a sample of shangri-la :)

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    1. Hi Sarah, thanks! It's hard to believe some cutouts are done by hand; they're so delicate. Let me know what you think if you do try it!

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  3. I like idea of Lush skincare...but the reality can be a little stinky. I purchased a Lush acne skin treatment that smelled of egg salad...I threw that away...I bought another for oily skin...no unpleasant smell, but it felt like putting food on my face...this doesn't sound so bad...

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    1. Hi Fairytales and Coffee, that's a shame that it hasn't worked for you! I think with naturals there are both pleasant and unpleasant scents. Maybe the egg-salad scent was from a sulfur ingredient? I know that's an acne fighting compound present in a lot of natural products. It does smell bad, but it tends to work well! Skin's Shangri La is most definitely a good smell though. I always take a big whiff whenever I open my tub :)

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  4. I absolutely adore the paper cut out! What a cheerful item to include with something that worked so well for you :) I may have to try this for painfully dry winter skin.

    ♥ Jessica

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    1. Hi Jessica, thank you! I'm always fascinated by the cutouts :) I really think this would be excellent for dry skin. I was more surprised that it worked for my combination skin.

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  5. Ooh that sounds waaay to rich for me--but I am curious about Lush's other moisturizers though

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    1. Hi Becca, I was really surprised that it worked for me because I have combo skin. LUSH has a nice range of moisturizers; I do like some of the others too!

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  6. ooh i haven't tried a lush moisturizer but would definitely like to! i have been thinking about a new moisturizer, so maybe i'll sample some from lush and sephora over the weekend?

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  7. I've never tried skincare from LUSH but now you're making me curious!

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