LUSH OF THE WEEK: Rose Queen i Creamy Candy

There was an absence of Lush posts here on my blog, so I decided to change that by reviewing two products in this post. Both are bath products, but with a very different performance. Lush Rose Queen ballistic and Lush Creamy Candy bubble bar. If you have noticed the pink theme, well...it is intentional. Both of these were a part of a Think Pink box that I bought during Christmas 50% off sale, which I wrote about here.

To me, the name Rose Queen immediately takes me to the Buckingham palace and the Queen of England. That is the reason that I took photos of it with an afternoon tea time set. Don't mind that mine has tulips all over... You get where I was going with that?!

So... Rose Queen is a round pink ball marbled with white, and with a piece of baby blue at the top that reveals its inside. I don't recommend cutting it in half but for the purposes of this post I did it. It has a baby blue interior with glitter and looks really cute. Unlike bubble bars that are great for two or more baths, depending on a size of them, ballistics are best if used all at once.

You will get a 90 g ball for 32 kunas here in Croatia (4.18 Euros/3.46 GBP/5.77 $). Quite a lot for one bath but we all know that Lush isn't cheap.

You can read below how to use it. But you have to start with bathtub and water.

For me, Lush ballistics are a fireworks of colours and beautiful scents. Well, some of them. This particular one was rose scented and you could smell it by puting it directly under the nose but in the tub, NOTHING! I called my husband to smell it because I had a cold, but he didn't smell anything either. So, colours- PLUS, smell- MINUS.

first contact with water

developing

For all of you who are new to ballistics, colours and scents are all you will get. Ballistics aren't made to provide rich foam and that is why I personally don't buy them often. I usually get them in sets.

a hint of blue

How Lush describes it:
Whenever you need a little lift, indulge in a Rose Queen bath. Its light, floral fragrance and effect on your bathwater will help you escape to the country, while rose absolute quenches thirsty skin. The bomb is filled with petals including blue mallow, tiger lily, honeysuckle, apple blossom and amaranth flower, which swirl around you in rosy pink water. 

I wanted more pink in my water so I added some Melting Marshmallow Moment- luxury bath melt, which I already reviewed here. I also have to say that the fireworks of colours is concentrated to a smaller part and I really wasn't impressed with this one. Wouldn't buy it again and, naturally, don't recommend you to get it.

you can see how it concentrates in the tub

Rose Queen ingredients

Creamy Candy bubble bar is a complete opposite which would be more likely for me to get.

It is a cylindrical bar with a little flower on top. Mine fell off somewhere in the box and since the box looks like this...

I didn't find it.

A 100g Creamy Candy bar will cost you 31 kunas (about 4.05 Euros/3.36 GBP/5.59 $) and since you can cut it in two pieces which will still give you luxurious baths, it is a better deal than the ballistic. If you are into rich foams, don't cut it in more than two pieces (not this one).

To get the best experience, crumble it under running water and then leave your bathtub to fill, forming rich foam.

Unlike the Rose Queen, Creamy Candy has a strong but not overpowering scent. It is marketed as vanilla scented bar but to me it is a warm almond scent softened with a hint of cocoa and vanilla. It actually reminds me of L'Occitane's almond body oil.

How Lush describes it:
If you’d normally reach for a sweet treat to lift your mood, this bubble bar does just the job. Its sweet candy floss smell raises your energy levels and perks you up. It also offers extra moisturisation than the average bubble bar as it has a blend of almond and cocoa butter. Creamy Candy contains almond oil and butter chunks that melt onto the surface of the water, giving skin a velvety texture.

starting point

I used half of the bar and it formed nice and rich foam. If you have massage bathtub it will be even more rich and luxurious. This bubble bar also contains oils so it won't dry out your skin. I suggest to put some cream or lotion onto your skin after your bath, but this  bubble bar will not leave your skin completely dry.

quite nice foam

Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate, Tartaric acid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Theobroma cacao, Lauryl Betaine, Laureth 4, Perfume, Prunus dulcis, Cocamide DEA, Fair Trade apsolut vanilije, Methyl Ionone, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Colour 17200, Candy Flowers

Although I like this bubble bar, I suggest to try it in the shop first, just to see if you like the scent. If you like it, try it. This is not my favourite Lush bubble bar, but it has my approval.

You can also order Lush online, it has stores worldwide- LINK. Another thing I love about Lush is that they are cruelty free brand, so a HUGE PLUS for that!!!

What about you? Are you a bubble bar or ballistic type? What is your favourite Lush bath product?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

NARS- Pierre Hardy Sharplines nail polishes

For someone who wears nail polishes all the time, it has been a loooong time since my last nail post. I know that spring is already knocking on our doors and , very soon, I'll probably be all over pastels and neons, but I decided to do a post about a duo that I have been wearing a lot during autumn and winter.

This duo was a part of the Pierre Hardy collection for NARS. There are lots of combinations, but I decided to buy this one because of the deep red colour in it. Fabulous!!! All duos come in a white cardboard boxes in 15 ml/0.5 fl.oz. glass bottles with rubbery tops which are made from the same material as NARS makeup cases. The ones that show every fingerprint.

For some reason, you also get a small dust bag?!

These two are my first NARS nail polishes, but you can still find this and other duos from the collection at HqHair. There is a choice of six duos. Their price is 22 GBP. You can always find a coupon code and get them for less. I had a 20% off coupon.

In this set, Sharplines, there are two completely different shades, orange and a red one. The orange one is a bit of a pumpkin lighter shade, and the red one is a beautiful, deep burgundy shade that almost looks black.

sharplines left

We'll start with the orange one. Not a bad shade to wear at all. It is a perfect autumn shade, especially around Thanksgiving, but since it changes a lot, depending on the light and angle of looking, you can pretty much wear it all year round.

As a part of Sharplines duo, it dosen't have a particular name or number, it is just called Sharplines left, and the red one is Sharplines right.

two coats, no top coat, daylight, with flash

two coats, daylight, no flash

When applied, it has an amazing shiny finish and it will not need a top coat to add some shine. But, it has a very thick and creamy consistency, so when you apply necessary two coats to get full opacity, it will take more than 20 minutes for this nail polish to dry. I paint my nails before going to bed, and hate imprints, so I usually used Seche Vite on top, just to dry it faster, and it worked. 2 or 3 minutes later, I could sleep like a baby, not worrying about the look of my nails. As I said, you will need at least two coats, because one is just too uneven and streaky.

two coats, no top coat, direct sun

For the purposes of this post, I tested out both of these on their own, without a top coat, and must say that this one is very long lasting. It was great looking for 3 days on my nails, and I'm pretty rough on them and remove nail polish as soon as it gets the smallest chip.

sharplines right

But, in my opinion, most people will buy this set for this deep red colour.

This one also has a creamy formula but not as "thick" as the orange one. It is interesting that although it is not as creamy as the orange, you could get away with just one coat. I prefer two, for more opaque and dramatic look.

two coats, no top coat, direct sun

It also has a shiny finish and you don't need a top coat for that. But, since it is on a creamier side, it also takes some time to dry, about 15 minutes. It is not as long lasting but will be good for two days. That is OK since it is such a deep colour which can and will show every sign of wear.

two coats, no top coat, day- in the shadow

To me, this is a perfect deep red shade, which I proudly wore all winter. So many people asked me about this one!!! Everyone thought that it was beautiful!

ingredients

So, not bad NARS! Good quality nail polishes and if you think that they are not durable enough, let me explain. I paint my nails like I am going to have a lead role in Princess's diaries, but I am rough to them like G.I. Jane! ;)

I almost forgot. These nail polishes have thinner brushes but they do its job. I've made a picture of one compared to my nail so you can see better what I mean.

All the pictures in this post are with two coats of nail polish, without a top coat.

One minus is the price. Having said that, it is NARS! Everything from them is on the higher end.

What do you say? How do you like them? Have you got any recommendations?

Tell me....

Love, beautyandbrains007

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Ever since Lisa Eldridge first mentioned Bioderma Sensibio Micelle Solution as her HG make-up removing product that she buys in France, everyone got micelle water obsessed. Including me, of course. In Croatia, Bioderma is easy accessible and although its price is on the higher end of the scale, it is refreshing to have a product on hand, not worrying about shipping costs. Since I started using micellar waters to remove my make-up with, I used up liters of several versions of Bioderma, and deciliters of Vichy and Eveline versions. So, when I noticed this bottle at the drugstore (I bought mine in DM) and for a drugstore price, I knew that it was something I had to try!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water comes in a 400 ml, transparent, plastic bottle with pink accents.

It is ment for all skin types, including sensitive skin, and it is also mild enough to use it on your eyes or lips. It should remove make-up, cleanse and sooth the skin, and you don't have to rinse it off. It is also stated that it has no perfume, and I really can't smell any.

Garnier claims:

A super efficient and gentle way to cleanse, remove makeup, soothe the feel of skin and hydrate in just one step – it’s not magic, it’s Garnier Micellar!
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water contains micelles which act like magnets, gently lifting away makeup and impurities from the skin, without the need to rub or rinse. The result?
Beautifully cleansed and refreshed feeling skin in an instant. The formula is suitable for the face, eye area and lips, has no perfume and comes in a generous 400ml size.
How to Use 
Apply the product to a cotton pad and wipe your face, eye area and lips. No rinsing required.

As I already mentioned, it comes in a solid, plastic 400 ml bottle and here you can buy it anywhere (DM, Kozmo, Müller...) at a price of 39.90 kn (about 5.22 Euros/4.37 GBP/7.25 $). If you compare that with a full price 500 ml Bioderma Sensibio bottle, it is much cheaper, but if you compare it with a 1 liter Bioderma ABC-derm bottle which you bought on sale (20% off is quite frequent here) or for a full price, than it is a win on Bioderma's side.

My impressions are great!!! For me this product is more efficient than ABC-Derm when removing my UD eye pencils. The same thing is with my mascara, although I must say that since my Dior Diorshow waterproof mascara fiasco, I 'don't wear waterproof mascaras anymore. My method of removing eye make-up stayed the same. I take cotton pad, put micellar water on it and then place it on my eye, hold it there for about 30 seconds, and then with soft pressure remove everything. No rubbing!!! I don't need any premature wrinkles or lines. I always use 2 or 3 cotton pads for that, no matter which micellar water I'm dealing with at that time.

ingredients

And for my face make-up, I don't stop at the micellar water, no matter the brand. I like my face to be completely clean, especially before going to bed, so I always wash it with water. Just to be safe.

In my opinion, this is a good competitor for Bioderma. I won't stop buying Bioderma Sensibio (which is my favourite), but I will occasionally treat myself with Garnier's version, too.

Have you tried this product? Any thoughts?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

Korres- Jasmine Lip Butter

Korres is a greek brand located in Athens. They were first homeopathic pharmacy in Greece- Tzivanides Pharmacy. While still studying Pharmacology at the University of Athens, in 1988., George Korres joined their team. Though sceptical at first about homeopathy, he was soon overwhelmed by the power of natural ingredients. Led by the pharmacy heritage, his knowledge and understanding of over 3,000 herbal remedies and his quest for a more natural approach, he started developing formulations that were first tested on his own friends. As I already said, they use natural ingredients from the native plants in Greece. They chose not to cultivate the herbs themselves, but to cooperate with small farmers and their unions. That way they cooperate which results in better knowledge on organic farming and later using those herbs for their products.

To be honest, I first heard about Korres and their lip butters via YouTube. Everyone was raving about them. And during an amazing sale at HqHair I got mine, in Jasmine, for 4 Euros. Money good spent there! Their usual price is 8 GBP and you can find them at Korres, and of course on sites like feelunique or hqhair, where it is on sale for 6 GBP right now, and if you use a coupon code HQNOV, you get additional 10% off. Shipping included.

When it first arrived, I was surprised by the packaging. Two cardboard boxes that go one in another, hiding a small 6 g/0.21 oz. white pot with a light pink lid. It comes in six different versions and shades: Quince, Guava, Pomegranate, Mango, Jasmine and Wild Rose. Every shade has a matching colour lid, although jasmine is more of a nude tone than pink. But you get the idea!

These lip butters will lightly add some colour to your lips but they are not a substite for lipsticks and lip glosses. Their first and foremost role is to condition your lips leaving them perfectly soft! They should prevent chapped lips and in my case, jasmine really does just that.

Another thing that I love about my Jasmine choice is the smell of it... I am in love with it! I wasn't sure what to expect, but was hoping that it will not have a strong floral scent, since I am not a fan of it. But this, this has a beautiful scent of warm caramel that is just strong and light enough at the same time. The intensity of it will lessen during time, both on your lips and in the pot, but it will never vanish which is a good thing.

And this whole story about jasmine... Stories like the one about the Chinese riverboats that sailed the river Yangtze and offered rich merchants the services of beautiful courtesans who wore jasmine flowers and roses in their hair. Aromatherapists today, following on from the findings of ancient doctor and physicians, believe that the regular use of jasmine essential oil boost self-confidence and helps one break free from the grip of mild depression. Of course, they do not disregard jasmine's asociation with sexuality. It also offers invaluable services to beauty care, as it helps nourish and tone dry, sensitive skin and revive prematurely aged skin.

All Korres lip butters are shea butter based. Shea butter is traditionally added in soaps by African natives to protect the skin and hair from rough climate. It is also used to protect babies and newborns from extreme weather conditions. By recent discoveries, shea butter also protects the skin from UV rays, helps preventing wrinkle formation, soothes irritated and chapped skin, and moisturises the epidermis.

ingredients

I really love this lip butter! When I apply it, I immediately feel more beautiful and pampered. Is it because of the jasmine or that beautiful scent, I don't know? But it is a bit magical... I apply it in the evening, before going to bed, and in the morning my lips are smooth and nourished. But I will also reach for it during the day when I'm at home and want something sweet. Better than eathing a bar of chocolate. For those of you who are more interested in the ingredients of your products, you can read them in the above picture. But this is a natural product, which doesn't contain mineral oil, silicone, propylene glicol and ethanolamine.

It has a soft and buttery texture but without beeing greasy or sticky.  This particular shade is a neutral nude and it will just add a little oomph to your lips. It reminds me of "barely there" lip glosses that young girls use when they are just starting wearing makeup. But who am I kidding? I wear these kind of "shades" all the time!

There is one thing that I think has to be mentioned and it is the fact that it comes in a pot, so you pick this product up with your fingers. Some don't like that because it can be unsanitary but I don't really have a problem with that because I don't wear it in my bag. I just use it at home with clean hands.

And finally... Do I like it? Absolutely!!! I love it and I would definitely buy it again and then again!

What is your fighter against dry and chapped lips? Have you tried this one?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007