Wednesday, March 13, 2013

LUSH Angels on Bare Skin and LUSH Dark Angels cleanser review + photos



          When it comes to my skincare routine, cleansing is my favorite step, hands down. It's a refreshing start to the morning and a relaxing end to evenings. I can live with only one moisturizer, but I like to keep a variety of cleansers on hand for different occasions and states of my skin. By this time, my affinity for LUSH should be well-known --- though LUSH is famous for fizzy bath bombs and colorful concoctions, many of my favorite LUSH items are actually basics from their skincare line. The short and largely natural ingredient lists seem to agree well with my finicky skin. I recently finished my tub of LUSH Let the Good Times Roll cleanser (reviewed here), so I decided it was time to try something new. Today, I have a review of my newest acquisitions, two skincare 'angels' : LUSH Angels on Bare Skin cleanser and LUSH Dark Angels cleanser!




        LUSH Angels on Bare Skin cleanser and LUSH Dark Angels cleanser are packaged in LUSH's classic black plastic pots. (By the way, if you return five empty pots to LUSH you get a free fresh facemask!) Both cleansers have a doughy consistency; it might seem odd at first, but they're easy to use. Simply take a pinch of your cleanser, work it into a paste in your wet hands, and then cleanse your face as usual!

LUSH Dark Angels cleanser (left) and LUSH Angels on Bare Skin cleanser (right).
          LUSH Angels on Bare Skin cleanser is LUSH's best selling cleanser for all skin types. It has kaolin clay to cleanse, rose and lavender to sooth and balance, and ground almond to exfoliate. A  couple years ago, I would have been hesitant to try a non-sudsy cleanser with essential oils in it; however, I've since learned that sometimes a gentle cleanser and the right variety of oils can do good!  LUSH Angels on Bare Skin becomes a nice milky paste with a soothing lavender scent. The almond scrub is nice, but on the mild end of exfoliators. The glycerine, lavender oil, and chamomile oil leave a hydrated, comfortable finish. Overall, I found LUSH Angels on Bare skin to be a soothing and balancing wash great for everyday use.

 Ingredients: Ground Almonds, Glycerine, Kaolin, Water, Lavender Oil, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tagetes Oil, Lavender Flowers, Limonene, Linalool. (100% natural, preservative free).

LUSH Angels on Bare Skin cleanser
          LUSH Dark Angels cleanser is a lump of (char)coal for incorrigible, naughty skin!  Dark Angels is LUSH's exfoliating cleanser for blemished skin. Rhassoul mud lends antimicrobial properties, cold pressed avocado oil softens and moisturizes, and rose wood and sandalwood soothe. Dark Angels takes exfoliation seriously; it's LUSH's scrubbiest facewash. It can be used daily or as a situational scrub depending on your skin. The exfoliants are small charcoal granules; there are also larger ones (as seen below) encrusted on the outside for decoration, however they aren't present throughout. If the exfoliation is too harsh, you can always dilute with more water for a gentler effect. As a side note, LUSH Dark Angels is a nice alternative to Ocean Salt if you like a scrub without acidity. I, for one, love a good, non-drying scrub, so I'm thrilled to have this in my stash. It makes for a very clean and polished complexion!

Ingredients : Rhassoul Mud, Cold Pressed Organic Avocado Oil, Glycerine, Powdered Charcoal,  Black Sugar, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Perfume, Linalool, Sandalwood Oil, Rosewood Oil.

LUSH Dark Angels cleanser
           Both LUSH Angels on Bare Skin ($10.95 for 3.5 oz.) and LUSH Dark Angels ($28.95 for 8.8 oz.) are two scrubby cleansers that I enjoy for very different reasons. The former is a gentle wash that's perfect for everyday use, while the latter is great for getting a thorough scrub and polish. Two 'angels' for skin, indeed! Thanks for reading! What cleansers or skincare items have you tried from LUSH? Have you tried doughy or non-traditionally textured cleansers?
          
Love, Dovey.
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.

26 comments:

  1. I LOVE Angels on Bare Skin and I recently ran out of it. I'd like to try Dark Angels but don't know how it will react with my sensitive skin, maybe the only thing scary about it is the dark colour. xo

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    1. Hi Judy,

      Thanks so much for the comment! I really love the texture and smell of Angels. As for Dark Angels, it is pretty scrubby --- perhaps you can sample it next time you visit a LUSH :)

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  2. I love my Let the Good Times Roll cleanser! I don't know what I'm going to do when I run out, since it's limited edition. The scent, the texture - love it all! I love to top it off with one of their fresh face masks.

    I've heard a lot of great stuff about Angels on Bare Skin, but Dark Angels scare me a bit. That powdered charcoal, does it leave a tint on the skin? This might be a silly question, but just from looking at the product it looks like something that would "stain". Does it?

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    1. Hi Marianna,

      I'm really missing Let the Good Times Roll--- it was amazing! As for Dark Angels, residue and skin staining wasn't an issue for me; the charcoals seems to wash away easily with water :)

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    2. That's good :) I guess it just looks a bit scary then. I'll have to get a sample of both of these next time i stop by LUSH :)

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  3. Cleansing is my favorite part of skincare too! I only use one and have one lotion but my bathroom closet is full of cleansers. I really really wish I had a LUSH near me, not for their bombs or bath items but for the skincare! These both look really lovely.

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    1. Hi Kelly,

      I'm so glad we can relate on the cleanser topic! :-) As for stores I agree--- it definitely helps to have one nearby to sample.

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  4. Oh, C+M, I hate to be a downer but lavender and sandalwood oils shouldn't be used on your face. I'm not a fan of Lush, because they sell us the 'natural is better' line, when a lot of their products contain really irritating ingredients - even if you don't feel it straight away, they cause damage to skin cells that doesn't show up til later. I promise I'm not employed by any cosmetic companies, I'm just a cosmetician and I know a bit about dermatology. But of course you have to go with what you like. I like cleansing too, Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming Cleanser is my must-have and I don't have to bother with the extra step of eyemakeup remover.

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    1. Hi Aerialgrrl,

      Thanks for the comment! You bring up an interesting point. I agree that 'natural' is not always better, as the industry seems to suggest. It depends on quality and formulation. However, the same thing could be said of non-naturals; I've had my share of bad reactions to skincare marketed as 'hypo-allergenic' and 'for sensitive skin'. I'm a fan of LUSH skincare because it keeps my very sensitive skin happy --- I'm pretty equal opportunity when it comes to trying natural vs. non-natural products! Thanks for sharing your favorite cleanser --- it sounds like a good one :)

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  5. Whoa! Angels on Bare Skin sounds so cool. Would you recommend it for someone with dry skin though? I love the idea of oils cleansing skin.

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    1. Hi MakeupWithTea,

      Thanks for the comment! Angels is marketed for all skin types and is quite gentle so it would probably work nicely. It's more milky during use--- the oils are present in smaller quantities. If you live near a LUSH, ask for a demo :)

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    2. I actually just picked it up the other day and am loving it so far! So gentle and really does a great job with the exfoliation. Thanks so much for this post!! :D

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    3. Hi MakeupWithTea,

      Thanks so much for letting me know! I'm so glad you're enjoying it too :-)

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  6. Love the contrast of these two - and thanks for posting the ingredients! Angels on Bare Skin sounds dreamy. So much lavender! I'm in love already.

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    1. Hi Larie --- Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you're an ingredient person too! (Lavender is always good in my book--- how can you go wrong?)

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  7. Angels on Bare Skin looks like it smells amazing! I've got a thing for good smelling face cleansers! hahaha

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    1. Hi Annick - me too! Good smells are always welcome :)

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  8. I've always been so scared to try these two cleansers because I have really sensitive skin too, but I need not worry I see! Thanks for the great review Dovey!

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    1. Hi Tracy, Thanks for the comment! Angels is definitely gentle. My skin tends to be ingredient sensitive and dislikes being overdried--- it's ok with the scrubby stuff which is what these two are!

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  9. They look kind of scary for cleansers but you make them sound so good! I think Dark Angels is probably best for my skin but I really want to try Angels on Bare Skin now. :D

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    1. Hi Liz, LOL! Well said---- I was scared of them myself for quite some time; so I tried LUSH's more 'normal' textured cleansers at first. Now, I'm up for anything :-P

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  10. Lately I've been into Lush and lost myself a little.. Got a few items including Angels on a bare skin. It is promoted as a cleanser for normal-dry skin but even though I have oily skin I use it daily (in the evening regime). It is a very good cleanser, I sometimes change between Herbalism (like in every three days or so) and since I started using these two, my blackheads on my nose and chin are disappeared and I am very glad with my overall look!
    Dovey I love your posts about Lush they were very informative and I read all of them before I buy stuff so thank you :)

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    1. Hi Casey, Thank you so much for the sweet comment! It's wonderful to hear feedback --- skincare is tricky since I can only write on my personal experience. I have not tried Herbalism yet, but I'm now intrigued thanks to your glowing review. Adding it to the list! :)

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  11. I tried a CVS Simply something hypo allergenic skin lotion,, and it was so hypo allergenic it didn't work at all, just like water with a bit of hydration in it.. Mineral, Parabans, Petroleum oil, now that is something that will hydrate my alligator skin..I have not tried Lush, I used to use Avon's Moisture Therapy, but I haven't purchsed that in awhile.. Have you ever tried Sween Creme? its usually recommended for elderly patients, and it has a fishy undertone smell to it. .but it works.

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    1. hi WHTLS, Thanks for the comment! I really enjoy Avene as well --- their simple ingredient lists are definitely sensitive skin friendly too! I had the Cleanance lotion but it was a bit light for winter :)

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  12. i love lush as well, but haven't ventured much into their skincare yet!! would like to though, for sure!

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