LUSH Little Green Bag review + swatches

         For Earth Day, I'll be indulging in the LUSH Little Green Bag, thanks to the folks at LUSH Cosmetics! Inside, you'll find four solid bath and body products and one travel tin --- all wrapped up inside a  delightful leaf-patterned organic cotton scarf. LUSH solid products are eco-friendly for a number of reasons; they are preservative-free, packaging-free, and lighter, which means less energy is required to ship products. Of course, this makes them easier for you to carry around on your travels as well!

           LUSH Sexy Peel Soap is an fresh citrus soap that I can't get enough of! True to its name, it's full of peels; it has a mixture of orange, lemon, and lime peels to give it its zingy scent. LUSH Each Peach Massage Bar is a citrusy massage bar. It has moisturizing mango kernel oil and cocoa butter. The uplifting scent comes from the inclusion of lime, mandarin, and orange essential oils. As you might expect, it pairs perfectly with Sexy Peel soap. Massage bars can, obviously, be used for massage, but they're great for regular moisturization as well. LUSH Mini Sugar Scrub is a solid scrub that's great for getting rid of unwanted bumps and cellulite. It also contains fragrant ginger and fennel to stimulate circulation!

          As you might know by now, I'm a big fan of LUSH Shampoos; I've been using their solid bars for years (see my reviews of LUSH Jumping Juniper and LUSH Seanik). They're super sudsy and great for clarifying the scalp. I've been wanting to try LUSH Squeaky Green Shampoo Bar for some time now, so I'm excited to see it in this set. It has rosemary, nettle, peppermint, and tea tree oils for treating and cleansing  stressed scalps. It's also accompanied by a LUSH Shampoo Bar Tin. I actually have a couple tins already; they're necessities if you like LUSH shampoo bars. The bars are perfect for travel and storage. You never have to worry about weight, liquids, or spillage! 

          The LUSH Little Green Bag ($25.95) is a hit for me, as I'm already a big fan of LUSH's travel friendly, preservative-free solid formulas. It has everything you would need for a shower routine and would be a nice set for those looking to get into LUSH products, or even for seasoned LUSHies like me!

        Thanks for reading! Have you tried any of LUSH's solid products? What are your current favorite LUSH products? How are you celebrating Earth Day?

Love, Dovey.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. 

LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo review

         In honor of Saint Patrick's day festivities, I'd like to share a beer-inspired favorite from my shampoo collection!  LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo is a stout, cognac, and lemon scented liquid shampoo from LUSH's permanent lineup. It doesn't just smell like beer- it's actually made with organic vegan stout beer from a local brewery! In addition to giving the shampoo an enticing scent, the beer adds protein to give hair weight, smoothness, and gloss. It's good for those who have curly hair or hair that tends to go frizzy in humid environments. I found LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo easy to use. The formula provides a bit less lather than typical LUSH shampoos, thanks to the use of Ammonium Lauryl sulfate instead of the bubblier Sodium Laureth Sulfate. In addition to leaving a heady beer scent, the shampoo adds weight and volume to my hair.

Ingredients :  Stout, Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Fine Sea Salt, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Fresh Organic Lemon Juice, Cognac Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Yeast, Citral, Geraniol, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

          With LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo ($19.95 for 8.4fl.oz.), your pint is always half full! It's a protein-rich shampoo that cleanses and adds weight and shine to hair. The cognac, stout, and lemon scent is a refreshing way to enjoy stout at any time of day (or night)! As you might imagine, this is a very man-friendly shampoo, and Mr. Lovey's already taken to using the bottle already! Thanks for reading! Have you tried LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout or other LUSH shampoos? What do you think of a beer shampoo?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. If you're interested in LUSH Shampoos, be sure to check out my reviews of LUSH Seanik, LUSH Jumping Juniper, LUSH Fair Trade Honey, and LUSH Blousey!
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.

New LUSH Haircare Part 1: Fair Trade Honey shampoo, Blousey shampoo, and Happy Happy Joy Joy conditioner review

          I've been having a lot of 'lush'-ious hair days recently, thanks to a brand new haircare collection from LUSH Cosmetics! The eight piece collection consists of shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments. LUSH haircare is a staple in my everyday routine, so I've been having a blast testing out the latest products before they hit store shelves. My coverage of LUSH haircare will be split into two parts: 1) Shampoos and Conditioners and 2) Hair Treatments. I have reviews of LUSH Fair Trade Honey shampoo, LUSH Blousey shampoo, and LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy conditioner to share with you today!

           I'm a honey aficionada, so I was excited to try LUSH Fair Trade Honey shampoo. LUSH Fair Trade Honey shampoo has a beautiful amber color that looks a lot like honey. That's because 50% of the product is honey! Honey provides natural luster, volume, and shine to hair. It's also a natural preservative; jars of honey stored in tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs for millenia remain edible to this day! For this reason, LUSH Fair Trade does not require any other preservatives. LUSH Fair Trade Honey is a thick liquid and lathers surprisingly well for a honey shampoo. The trick is to make sure you start with enough to work into your hair. I like to let it sit in my hair for a minute or two before rinsing. The effects are immediately evident. There is a tactile difference to strands; they have the thick moisturized feeling that honey imparts. There is a hint of shine as well, though not nearly as much as imparted by an oil. Overall, I really like LUSH Fair Trade Honey shampoo. It's cleansing enough for my oily hair, yet imparts a healthy level of moisturization to the dry ends of my hair. I'm going to try and rotate between this and my more stripping shampoo bars.

NOTE: You might notice that LUSH Mr. Bumble made a reappearance in my photos. You can find a whole post devoted to the sweet little bee here!

           LUSH Blousey shampoo fills an important niche within LUSH's shampoo lineup, as a gentle and color-friendly hair shampoo.  It's a non-stripping, preservative-free cleanser that is full of moisturizing bananas and butters. LUSH Blousey lacks the super sudsy Sodium Laureth Sulfate found in most LUSH shampoos; instead it has Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. LUSH Blousey has a thick paste-like texture. It does take a bit more effort to lather up than typical shampoos, however it did a good job of cleaning my hair. Even after rinsing, a good amount of moisturizing treatment is left to condition your hair post-shower. One of the most appealing points to the LUSH Blousey is its beautiful floral and banana scent. Rose, blackcurrant, thyme, and rosemary oils and extracts that will add fragrance to your hair both in and out of the shower. In fact, 'Blousey' was named for the big, floppy, 'blousey' flowers that the fragrance brings to mind. LUSH Blousey shampoo is a great cleanser for normal to dry or color-treated hair. The level of moisturization is a bit heavy for my already-oily scalp, but I may use it once in a while as a fragrant mask-like treatment for my hair.

          LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy conditioner has an orange blossom and neroli scent that imparts a mood as joyous as its name would suggest. LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy is vegan and relies on rose water, orange blossom water, and almond milk to soften hair. The conditioner has a super-light creamy feel, and absorbs into wet hair upon contact. In terms of conditioning power, I would say this is at the lightest end of LUSH conditioners, near Veganese. Because the formula is light, I would recommend rinsing only briefly (if at all) to preserve the beautiful scents. Because the scent is top note heavy, it will fade somewhat quickly so that only hints are left. LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy is a light and uplifting conditioner that's sure to please a number of noses. I always keep a range of LUSH conditioners on hand so I can accommodate different hairstyles. LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy would be great on days I'd like my hair to be natural and light.

         LUSH Fair Trade Honey shampoo ($9.95 for 3 oz.) , LUSH Blousey shampoo ($24.95 for 8.4 oz.), and LUSH Happy Happy Joy conditioner ($12.95 for 3.3oz.) will be available in stores on Black Friday! LUSH has done a great job with their new haircare collection; each product offers a beautiful scent and new function to the current lineup. My favorite of the three would be LUSH Fair Trade Honey Shampoo, since it suits my hair well and I love anything honey related! Thanks for reading! Have you tried any LUSH Haircare? Which one of these new products appeals to you most?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. For more new LUSH Haircare, check out my review of LUSH Shine So Bright (see here). The second half of my LUSH New Haircare review is coming up, so stay tuned!
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.

LUSH Jumping Juniper shampoo bar review

         I just can't quit LUSH shampoo bars. How could I? They're so sudsy, fragrant, and cleansing. Perhaps you already know of my obsession. (I was tickled when Liz of Beauty Reductionista mentioned that she thinks of me when she sees them!) My long-time favorite is LUSH Seanik, the salty blue volumizing shampoo bar (reviewed here). After wearing my current bar down to a nubbin, I decided it was time to get a new one. This time, instead of buying Seanik for the fifth time in a row, I branched out and tried LUSH Jumping Juniper.

         I bought my Jumping Juniper shampoo bar from LUSH on State Street; it was my first time purchasing there. The associates were really nice and even cleaned out the old shampoo tin I brought with me before packing Jumping Juniper in it. (Note: You can purchase the shampoo tins at LUSH; they're great for travel. I brought mine to the store so I wouldn't have to use any paper packaging.) I also got a sample of BIG Shampoo, which I'm happy about.

          The LUSH Jumping Juniper bar has a really nice fruity lavender scent to compliment its lavender color. Every bar has a sprig embedded in it. Lavender is one of my favorite garden flowers; my apartment complex had some growing in the common area this year (see above). LUSH Jumping Juniper washes away oil and balances your scalp. Juniper berry helps cut out the oil, lemon and lime add shine, rosemary is antibacterial, and lavender balances and soothes the scalp.  When used in a hot shower, the beautiful fresh citrus scents in Jumping Juniper become evident. The shampoo suds up well and thoroughly cleans my hair. My hair felt a little less dry than with Seanik. I think this is because Jumping Juniper is more 'balancing' and lacks the salt found in Seanik. I think this will make sense for me in the winter months when I'm going for a less beach-y hair look.

         It's love. I'm already worrying about which LUSH shampoo bar I'll repurchase the next time around: Jumping Jumpier or Seanik? Good thing it'll be a couple months before I have to decide again. Thanks for reading! Have you tried any LUSH shampoo bars? Have you tried any LUSH recently?

Love, Dovey.

Snapshot of a small haul

        On Saturday, I took a whirl around town and picked up a few things for myself. I'm not an impulse shopper when it comes to makeup or skincare, so these three things were more or less what I planned on getting. My beloved LUSH Seanik Shampoo bar (see review here) is nearly finished, so I had to get a new bar. I decided to be a little 'adventurous' this time and go for LUSH Jumping Juniper instead. My medium sized bottle of Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water was 2/3 finished, so I picked up the large size this time at Look Bar / Walgreens. Since I've had so much success with other products from the Cleanance Line, I decided to try Avene Cleanance Toner. All three items may seem basic and very vanilla, however I find considerable satisfaction in knowing each one will get a lot of love. Thanks for reading! Have you stocked up on any old favorites recently?

Love, Dovey.

Leonor Greyl haircare review: milk, honey, and jasmine

          There's something so decadent about ingredients like milk, honey, and jasmine. Such beautiful natural ingredients star in haircare by Leonor Greyl PARIS. For forty years, French luxury brand Leonor Greyl has been formulating hair care products full of active botanical ingredients. The current line of products do not contain silicones, parabens, or sodium laureth sulfate and are not tested on animals. Leonor Greyl is relatively new stateside; it is better known in Europe, where it can be found on the shelves of French Sephora boutiques. As a beauty enthusiast, I'm constantly trying to better educate myself on international beauty brands, so it was a real treat to try a handful of products from Leonor Greyl. Today I have reviews of Leonor Greyl Shampooing Au Miel, Leonor Greyl Lait Luminescence, and Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin.

          Leonor Greyl Shampooing Au Miel, which translates to Honey Shampoo in English, is a gentle volumizing shampoo that adds volume without stripping the hair of essential moisture. The shampoo is the color of dark honey and has an earthy floral honey scent that is absolutely gorgeous. When working it into hair, it is helpful to work it between your hands before massaging it in. The shampoo does not lather well and does require a bit more product to effectively cover all of my scalp. I was worried that because of the lack of lather, it would not clean my hair properly leading to flatness, however this was not the case. After blow drying my hair, I did notice that there was nice added volume, as promised.

          Leonor Greyl Lait Luminescence is a detangling milk spray that offers protection, shine, and manageability.  The spray comes in bi-phase form and should be shaken before use. Leonor Greyl Lait Luminescence should be sprayed into wet hair after cleansing. It comes out as a fine mist and has a soft sweet milky scent.  After several spritzes into my hair, I find that it is so much easier to run a fine toothed comb through my hair; there's no more fighting with knots. When dry, I did not notice any residue; the spray dries to a nice light finish. There is absolutely no heavy or oily residue. Lait Luminiscence would be wonderful those with long curly/wavy hair like mine. It adds a healthy shine and manageability to the hair, though it should be noted that it does not function as a an anti-frizz product.

          Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin is a nourishing hair mask for all hair types that contains essential oils, organic acids, proteins, and softening vegetal oils. The mask has an intoxicating (in a good way) true jasmine scent. I love opening the jar just to take in the aroma. The mask is a thick cream that you can work. This mask is meant to be applied on towel-dried hair after cleansing. It should be worked in, then combed through to ensure maximum contact with all hair fibers. You leave it in for ten minutes then rinse it out. The result is really soft hair with a lingering jasmine scent. This mask is definitely a keeper.

          Overall, I had a wonderful experience with my select Leonor Greyl Paris haircare products. Each product is effective, luxurious, and comes with a gorgeous natural scent. Though I enjoyed all three, I'm particularly fond of the Leonor Greyl Lait Luminiscence as it's easy to use and makes my everday post-shower hair detangling routine a bit easier. If you're interested, I would say the line is worth a try.  Leonor Greyl seems like a great luxury niche brand that would be a good fit for ladies looking to stay ahead of the curve. Leonor Greyl Shampooing Au Miel ($30 for 4 oz.), Leonor Greyl Lait Luminiscence ($45 for 5.2 oz.), and Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin ($60 for 7oz.) are available at Leonor Greyl online and Nordstrom.  Thanks for reading! Are you familiar with Leonor Greyl? What are you favorite haircare brands? Do you enjoy seeking out international or niche brands or do you stick with stateside basics?

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

A little LUSH haul

          It's a like a candy store. When I walk into a LUSH, I can't help but succumb to its bright colors, fragrant scents, and general charm. If you can believe it, I can easily browse a Sephora and walk out with nothing. That's a piece of cake. LUSH, however, is a weakness of mine. I went in to get a bar of shampoo and walked out with a couple extra things. The things is, I don't even feel bad about it. They're products are cruelty free and environmentally conscious, and work for me. I don't have  difficulty using things down to the last drop. Without further ado, here's my little LUSH haul.


           I picked up LUSH Seanik bar shampoo (reviewed here). This is my fourth repurchase, at least, and that's not counting the ones I bought for my mom. I've never had a shampoo that suds up, clarifies, and decongests my scalp as well as this. I've noticed decreased hair fallout since I've been using this. Who doesn't like thicker hair? LUSH Mask of Magnaminty (reviewed here) is one of my favorite masks. After running out of my last tub, I figured I would try some more cost effective mud masks. From that experience, I realized that I missed Mask of Magnaminty. This time, I got the smaller sized tub. I only apply a thin layer of mask and this tub should be last through the four month expiration date, even with frequent use. My final item is LUSH No Drought dry shampoo. There's no doubt that I'm excited about No Drought. I prefer dry shampoo in powder form (as opposed to aerosol) and this is great so far. It works in well and has a really nice natural citrus scent. I have a feeling that this is going to be yet another staple for me.

          Finally, if you're familiar with LUSH products, you might know that they put stickers with the likeness of person who made you product (see below). I've always thought this was fun and made each product more personal. LUSH is also really good about providing the expiration dates of each product, which is important since each has fresh ingredients mixed in. To be honest, I don't take the expiration dates to be hard and fast rules. I think they're 'safe' dates and if you store the products well (like in the fridge for Mask of Magnaminty), you'll be good for a while longer.

         I've started digging into each of these three products already. With two staple products and one will-be-staple product, you can say I'm a happy LUSHie. While there, I asked for samples of LUSH R+B hair cream, LUSH Veganese conditioner, and LUSH Ultrablam. I'm looking forward to testing them out too! Thanks for reading! Have you hauled from LUSH recently? What are your favorite LUSH products?


Love, Dovey.