Dainty Alice


A pretty little LUSH, Beauty & Lifestyle blog.


Review: LUSH Banana Skin Naked Facial Oil

LUSH Banana Skin review

Every year like clockwork, as soon as October starts to creep around the corner, something horrible happens to my skin. As the days get colder, my usual slightly-oily, peachy and (dare I say) supple skin becomes tight, dry and rubbery, flaking on my chin and the tops of my cheeks. It’s an absolute nightmare, and one that has only got worse since I started working in air-conditioned environments.

However, miracle of miracles, I don’t think I’ll be having that problem this year. All thanks to a tiny product I bought on a whim at the LUSH Showcase – the Banana Skin solid facial oil.
Being one of four naked facial oils available at the Showcase, Banana Skin was the only one I bought. So why did I pick it over the others?

To put it simply, the delicious scent that this product gave off drew me to it straight away over all the others. Banana Skin contains a gorgeous blend of fresh bananas, apricot oil, mango butter, cupuaçu butter and murumuru butter, which all work in harmony to create the most scrumptious banana and coconut scented product. (Despite not actually containing any coconut, it’s 100% there in the scent for me!)

I knew as soon as I put it in my basket that I couldn’t wait to get it on my face, and it was the first product from my haul that I tried the night after getting home. Usually when I buy products on a whim without any research I tend to feel a little guilty and unsure, but somehow I felt like I’d made a good blind buy right from the start.

Thankfully, I wasn’t wrong. Waiting outside in cold for an hour to get into the Showcase (more on that balls-up soon) had left my skin chapped and a little sore. Sliding that buttery bar of banana goodness all over my face felt like absolute heaven, it was so cooling and I instantly felt reviving my dried skin.

You can apply the naked facial oils in two ways, either melting a little onto your fingers and massaging it in with your fingertips, or by sliding the bar directly onto the skin like I did. I initially tried to melt a little between my hands, but it felt too messy and made my palms itch, so I opted for the direct-to-skin approach instead.

I have used the Banana Skin solid facial oil twice now, with slightly different results each time. The first time I used Banana Skin it was at night, after cleansing and scrubbing my face. The oil sunk beautifully into my skin overnight, feeling soft, hydrated and without any hint of oil left in the morning. I think this was as I’d prepped my skin first, then left it overnight to work its magic.

The second time I used Banana Skin was in the morning. I didn’t have time to properly cleanse and apply any foundation or other makeup, so I slid a little bit of the naked oil over my skin and the results were amazing. It gave me a fresh, dewy glow that lasted all day, and the oil sat like a barrier on the top of my skin, protecting it from the air conditioning in my office. As I mentioned previously, I usually have quite oily skin, and yet even with the layer of serum on top I didn’t feel greasy or uncomfortable at all. Only hydrated and plumped, which was such a lovely feeling.

Storing the bar is proving a little bit of a problem. It’s too long to fit in a round shampoo tin or my new cork pot, so I’m currently keeping it in the paper bag it was wrapped in at the till. I feel like they should have placed it in greaseproof paper first, as there is a danger of melting when stored this way, so I’m going to wrap it properly as soon as I can.

Overall, I love this product so much that I wished I had purchased a second bar from the Showcase to keep in reserve, until I found out the absolute best part – all of the naked skincare goodies will be launching in #LushLabs on Saturday! The naked facial oils are all solid, vegan and self preserving, and I’m 100% going to purchase another one.

Did you buy any of the exclusive skincare products from the Showcase?
What did you think to them?

A Big, Pink 21st Birthday LUSH Giveaway


First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has waited so patiently for the giveaway to come together! I first mentioned that I would be hosting a giveaway wayyyy back in June when I hit 1,000 followers on my @Wonderlushie Instagram account. Since then, I have been plotting, planning and collecting products to make this the biggest, best and pinkest LUSH giveaway ever.



To make it extra-extra-special, I decided to end this giveaway on my 21st birthday in order to mark the occasion! I've been thinking and thinking what to do for my birthday, and what could be more special than hosting a fabulous and sparkly giveaway for all my lushie pals?

Giveaway Prize

ONE lucky winner will win everything below!

Mainline
Sex Bomb bath bomb
Butterball bath bomb
Rock Star soap
The Comforter bubble bar
Bubblegum lip scrub
Shimmy Shimmy massage bar
American Cream hair conditioner 250g

Exclusive / Kitchen / Showcase
Pink FUN
American Cream shower gel
Goddess bath bomb

Christmas
Snow Fairy shower gel 250g
Snow Fairy dusting powder
Snow Fairy body conditioner


How to Enter

The only thing you have to do to enter? Pop over to my Instagram account @Wonderlushie and hit the follow button. That's it! There's loads of other ways to enter too, but that's the only mandatory one. Just make sure you verify your entry on the Rafflecopter widget below, or it won't count!

Please be sure to read the T&Cs before entering.

Terms & Conditions

Unfortunately, this giveaway has to be mainland UK only* due to the whopping size of the parcel, and the postage costs associated. I wouldn't want to upset anyone with the prize getting damaged or lost overseas, so I hope you can understand why I have made this initial decision.

*In the event that you do live outside the UK and are happy to pay the shipping costs, please send me a message before entering. I take absolutely no responsibility for overseas shipping once it has been posted in this event.

There is to be strictly NO spam/giveaway accounts to enter this giveaway. I check every entry manually and will delete anyone who I believe to be flouting the rules (creating separate Instagram accounts, entering on multiple accounts, using dedicated 'giveaway accounts' to enter) without prior warning.

The prize will be packaged in a large LUSH box with packing peanuts and tape. The prize will be sent tracked and recorded delivery. It may need a signature on delivery. This is to guarantee the safety and delivery of your prize and minimise any chance of loss. I am not responsible for the delivery of your prize once it has left my care, however in the event of a damage or loss I will do everything I can to try and solve the problem.

The prizes in this giveaway have been purchased in advance and are non-negotiable. Requests for items to be swapped or exchanged will not be accepted, except for in the case of a known allergy.

Review: LUSH Roots Hair Treatment

LUSH Roots Hair Treatment

Roots is a product that I've overlooked for some time, despite considering myself a fountain of knowledge when it comes to LUSH hair products.

I've tried almost every mainline shampoo and treatment in the last two years that I've been a hardcore Lushie, yet have neglected Roots as I've simply never felt like I needed a scalp treatment. I don't get dandruff, and have never had any problems with dryness or itching. It's also described as being for thin, fine hair, so with my thick mass of tresses I always felt like it wasn't for me.

Fast forward to now, and Roots has become a bi-weekly staple in my haircare routine for the last month. So how did this minty, unloved treatment suddenly grab my attention?

To cut a long story short, I'm desperately trying to grow my hair. I cut my waist length hair to my chin almost two years ago, and I've struggled to grow it ever since. Venting my frustrations on Instagram, a whole bunch of my followers recommended I try using Roots for it's stimulating and clarifying properties.

LUSH Roots Hair Treatment
I initially didn't know this, but it turns out that the best way to grow new hair fast is to stimulate your hair follicles and increase the flow of blood around your scalp. Roots hair treatment contains three types of cooling, tingly mint (fresh mint, spearmint and peppermint) which is the perfect ingredient for doing just that.

The triple mint also makes Roots smell absolutely incredible, along with the addition of orange oil, grapefruit, neroli and nettle. They latter gives Roots a slightly herbal edge to the scent, and I can only detect the sweet and fruity orange and grapefruit influences if I press my nose into the tub and breathe deeply - they're indistinguishable once the product is applied to the hair.

In regards to application, Roots is a super thick treatment that leaves you no choice other than to dive in and get sticky. I like to tie the lengths of my hair up into a bun on the middle of my head, then scoop out Roots with my finger tips and smooth it all over the rest of my head. I've found that you needn't worry about applying it directly to the scalp as once you start to massage the treatment in, it finds it's own way there.

LUSH recommend leaving this product for 20 minutes before shampooing out, however I tend to leave it as long as I can physically bear it. The longer it's on, the more intense the tingling sensation gets, and it can start to feel a little like stinging after an hour or so, but I can assure you that it's not doing any harm.

LUSH Roots Hair Treatment review
Coming in at £12.95 a pot, it's pricier than my usual choices of Marilyn and H'Suan Wen Hua, but I decided to take a chance and purchase a tub for myself. I'm very glad that I did, as I've found that the initial cost breaks down every time I use the treatment.

In explanation, I managed to get 8 uses out of my first 225g pot, which is actually incredible when you take into account how much product I was using each time. I absolutely did not scrimp on those applications - applying a thick, generous layer to the whole top of my head each time, from the seam of my scalp down to the bottom of my ears.

I usually only get 2 or 3 uses out of a treatment that covers all of my hair (such as H'Suan) so these multiple applications actually broke the price of Roots down to only £1.60 each use. Which is absolutely incredible value for money.

Each pot also has a shelf life of over a year, which stretches the value out even further if you choose to use the treatment only every couple of weeks instead of twice a week like I have been doing.

So how did I find using Roots for hair growth? Take a look for yourself. I didn't believe my sister when she mentioned that my hair was looking longer after only two weeks of using it, but after seeing the photos I'm gobsmacked.

Hair growth LUSH Roots


Just how amazing is that? To say my hair has barely grown at all in the last year, I almost cried with happiness when I put those pictures side by side. After only 3 weeks of use, my growth has gone crazy! I'm hoping it will be down my back by Christmas.

Aside from the fabulous hair growth, another direct result of this treatment is that I'm not having to wash my hair every other day like I used to. Roots has kept my scalp so moisturised that's it's no longer having to produce any excess oils, meaning my hair is lasting two (or three with dry shampoo) days before getting greasy. Score!

Overall, I am loving using Roots, and plan to keep it in my hair product arsenal for a long time to come.

Which product did you take a chance on and LOVE?

LUSH Gossip: New Kitchen Body Lotions



Can you believe it's now been a year since the LUSH Kitchen as we knew it officially closed up shop for the last time? And how has it only been 3 months since LUSH released the much-anticipated exclusive shower gels? I feel like we've been waiting years for a new release of goodies to obsess over!

In case you haven't heard, LUSH is going to be blessing us with 10 limited edition body lotions, which was officially revealed on the below post from the @LushKitchen instagram account.


Here's the down-low on all the information we have so far, along with my thoughts on the scents available...

Yog Nog - £14.95

Scented with fudge and nutmeg, Yog Nog smells like a chocolate and vanilla fudge slab of cake from a french patisserie.

I currently have a bar of the soap left from 2017, and whilst I can pick up enough of the scent to know that I like it, it's not strong enough for me to make a decision on whether or not I will be purchasing the body lotion.

Noni I Washed The Kids - £14.95

This body lotion is supposedly going to be the classic HIWTK scent, with the inclusion of Noni fruit instead of honey in order to make it vegan friendly.

While I really appreciate this move for anyone who chooses to eliminate animal products from their diet, Noni is also known as the 'vomit fruit' so I'm slightly worried at how exactly this will effect the cult classic HIWTK scent.

Avocado No-Wash - £15.95

Avocado No-Wash body lotion shares it's scent with the Avocado Wash shower gel released as an exclusive back in June. The creamy avocado and lemon pie scent first made an appearance in the Avocado Co-Wash shampoo/conditioner and has been a fan favourite ever since.

Unfortunately I am allergic to avocado on my skin so I won't be buying this one myself, however my boyfriend is obsessed with his bottle of Avocado Wash shower gel, so I may pick him one up as a treat.

Calacas - £16.95

The OG cult scent. Calacas is the flavour of green fruit pastilles and (to me) toilet cleaner. It seems to be everyone's favourite and I'm sure it will be one of the first to go out of stock when the lotions are eventually released.

Yuzu & Cocoa - £15.95

A delicious, Christmassy chocolate orange scent which should never have been discontinued in it's shower cream form.

I will 100% be picking up a tub of this absolute delight as I was never lucky enough to purchase a bottle of the shower cream when it was mainline.

Lord Of Misrule - £16.95

The smoky black pepper combined with the sweetness of vanilla makes Lord of Misrule a scent I love to hate. I can never make up my mind if I absolutely adore it, or can't stand it!

The lotion looks to be pale green in colour, and with Lord Of Misrule shower cream rumoured to be not coming back to stores this Halloween, I may have to pick up a pot just in case.

Butterball - £14.95

Now Butterball is one lotion that I will absolutely be purchasing. The scrumptious vanilla and cocoa butter scent is one of my favourites, and I can never resist picking up a Butterball bath bomb every time I'm in store.

I feel like this will also be a popular one, so make sure to snag it as soon as it's live to ensure you get one.

Sultana - £14.95

Another cult favourite, being the OG scent of the discontinued Blackberry bath bomb, and the mainline Sultana of Skin soap.

I personally won't be buying any of this, however if the shower gel launch was anything to go by, it's bound to be a popular choice.

Yummy Mummy - £14.95

The sweet fake strawberry scent is one that flits in and out of being one of my favourites, despite how overpowering and synthetic it seems.

I haven't made my mind up on purchasing Yummy Mummy yet, as I prefer the delicate strawberry scent of American Cream.

American Cream - £15.95

My own American Cream body lotion had literally just gone out of date when I bought it off eBay and is already smelling funky, so I am incredibly excited to be able to get my paws on a fresh tub.

This one is going to be super popular, however based on the huge amount of bottles they made for the shower gel launch, I think it will be available for a good while before selling out.

*
So when will we be getting these goodies? The exact date is being kept tightly under-wraps, however I have good reason to believe that it will be this Friday, the 7th September based on the information I received from the LUSH digital interns team.

If you check out the below screenshot, it contains a photo of what I believe to be the Lord Of Misrule body lotion being used, along with telling me to mark the 7th in my calendar.



Obviously this isn't a 100% confirmation, so don't fight me if they don't make an appearance on Friday! There's also the possibilty that the 7th could be when they're revealing more information as opposed to the full launch itself - but either way there should be more info!

As far as prices are confirmed, this is pure speculation but I'm willing to bet that they will be between £15 and £18 each, depending on the ingredients used in each lotion. When I purchased my The Comforter body lotion back in August 2017, it cost me £13.95, so with inflation £15 a lotion should be about right.

Which lotions will you be picking up?
As usual, I'll be updating this post as more information is released

Update: 04/09/18

Confirmed prices have been added (got it spot on), along with the release date - it's going to be a day earlier than expected on the 6th September! Even better!