Love Lush: Helping Hands hand cream

During one of my shopping frenzies in Lush last year, I bought a Think pink set- here, where I got a 10g  tin box with a Helping Hand hand cream inside.

When I first laid my eyes on it I was enchanted by its rosy colour... Yes, sometimes us women really get carried away with a look of something or someone. That is how we end up with handsome but stupid men. Totally off topic. On the other side, it was a bit weird in texture. Something between gel consistency and rich body butter?! I must admit that this teeny-tiny size lasted me for quite some time because this cream is very rich and I would say oily, which means that you need the smallest amount for your hands.

Pfff! I heard and read amazing things about this cream, how light and non-greasy it is, but still so nourishing for the skin in which it sinks and disappears without any residue...

My opinion is quite the opposite. Yes, at first glance it seems nourishing, but it is most definitely greasy and it definitely leaves an oily reside after application. With all mentioned above, I applied it only before going to bed. For me, it is not the most handy cream for busy days.

Since it is quite heavy and greasy, one would think that it nourishes the skin. I don't know what to say to that? It is not the worst cream, it nourished my hands until morning but during the day it was like I never applied it. So, not a miracle cream also. For me, this is a mediocre hand cream with a tough, yet less expensive competition at the drustores.

Ingredients:
Chamomile Water (Anthemis nobilis), Linseed Mucilage (Linum usitatissimum), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Triethanolamine, Honey (Mel), Lavender Oil (Lavandula hybrida), African Marigold Oil (Tagetes erecta), Fragrance, Alkanett Extract (Alkanna tinctoria), *Limonene, *Linalool, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Chamomile, almond, shea butter and marigold.... I must admit that I am surprised with its lack of magic?!

How Lush describes it:
The name says it all. Our miracle-working, calming chamomile and cocoa butter cream has been saving hands worldwide for years. It’s perfect for people who work with their hands and suffer from dry, chapped skin as a result. Soothing honey, moisturizing oils and nourishing butters help to protect and care for hardworking hands and make them soft and flexible once again. You might be a person who thinks that hand cream is merely one more non-essential thing to spend your money on. Give your hands a little help; smooth some on and feel the difference it makes.

• Handy helper: Soothes sore hands with a powerful mixture of marigold and lavender oils.
• Softens you up: Shea butter and almond oil are effective emollients, proven to moisturize and keep skin soft.
• What's Linseed Mucilage?: Linseeds swell when exposed to water. Rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, the gel helps to protect the skin.

And my thoughts about its scent... Well. it is unusual, not bad but a bit unusual. A mixture of citrus and Lush shop scent, with a hint of clay. I know I probably won you over with these words.... But, if you have tried or smelled this cream, please write how you experienced its smell. I must say one more time that to me its smell wasn't bad or offensive, but I do think that it is a bit strong and if you don't like it, you will hate this cream.

If you decide to buy this cream you can find it in Lush shops. In Croatia a 100 g plastic pot will cost you 84 kunas, around 11 Eura, 8.79 GBP, 14 $. Mine is in a small tin, but it usually comes in plastic pots which are recyclable. It is possible to get it in a bottle with a pump, also.

To sum up: this wasn't the best or the worst cream I have ever tried, and if I get it again in some kind of set I'll use it up, but I will not be buying this cream for what it is for sure.

What about you? Have you tried it? Interested?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

AVEDA Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner

I've been hearing and reading a lot about AVEDA for quite some time now, but I never really tried any of their products. Then, they opened a hair salon in Zagreb which reminded me that one day I should really get something from their line. I knew that they were striving to be a "natural" based company, respecting the earth. AVEDA is the first beauty company manufacturing products with 100% certified wind power. RESPECT!

During a special offer on lookfantastic, I went a bit AVEDA crazy and bought a couple of their products, including shampoo and conditioner from their Rosemary Mint collection that I am reviewing today.

They come in plastic, recycled bottles and they urge you to recycle them again. Many ingredients are organically grown and if so, they are specially marked. My bottles are 8.5 fl.oz/250 ml sized, and this whole rosemary mint line should invigorate your hair and senses.

Both shampoo and conditioner are available in three different sizes, and each size comes at the same price for both products: travel size- 50 ml/1.7 fl.oz. (4.50$ each at their official website- www.aveda.com), 250 ml/8.5 fl.oz. (13.50 $ each at their official website) and a big 1l/33.8 fl.oz. bottle (40 $ each at their official website). Having said that, as usual, prices of their products in Europe come with a higher price tag.

Both od these products are ment for fine to normal hair.

This unique daily shampoo adds body to fine hair—without stripping, build-up or static electricity. Formulated with peppermint to awaken your senses and rosemary to help protect from environmental damage. Its pure plant aroma naturally energizes and motivates your mind and body. (Aveda's words)

This daily conditioner adds weightless body and shine while preventing tangles and static. The tonic properties of rosemary and peppermint cool and revitalize your scalp. After shampooing with Rosemary Mint Shampoo, add a small amount of Rosemary Mint Conditioner to hair. Massage onto hair and scalp. Rinse.(Aveda's words) Ma hair tends to get greasy but I' also applied it all over my hair, even close to my roots and that didn't make my hair greasier than usual or weighed it down so I must agree with their claims.

This duo was my choice for summer vacations. I was at the seaside so leaving salt in my hair was not an option, which resulted in washing my hair every day with these and I can say that they worked great and my hair survived the summer without any damages.

This shampoo really offers deep cleaning of the hair without stripping it, it leaves it clean, light and fresh. It doesn't foam up as most of the shampoos, especially not during first aollication. Since I washed my hair almost every day, when frequently used, I shampooed it only once. So, the moral of this story is that I agree with Aveda's claims.
As for the scent of it, it is mostly minth which is perfect after lots of sun for a touch of freshness, it lightly stays in the hair but I think that it wouldn't be tto much for most people. You feel fresh, it gives a cooling sensation and the hair looks healthy, shiny and a bit bouncy, meaning...it also adds a bit of volume.

The conditioner is very light in texture, o much that I first rolled my eyes thinking that it would be like I didn't apply anything, ut it will surprise you. After shamppoing, I applied this conditioner and leyve it on while I wash my body, then I comb out my hair with Macadamia No Tangle brush and rinse it off. It is soo good. Washes out nicely, leaves hair clean and nourished but not heavy. Its scent is also mostly minted but you can also sense rosemary somwhere in the background. For me both of these products get really good grades! The only thing is that it doesn't do anything foe my greasy hair, it is not like they weigh it down more, but it gets greasy as fast as with any other products.

Shampoo ingredients:
Aqueous (water/aqua/eau) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Babassuamidopropyl Betaine, Vinegar/Acetum/Vinaigre, Camphor, Menthol, Cocamidopropylamine Oxide, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Polyquaternium-4, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Limonene, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid <ILN36155>.

Conditioner ingredients.
Aqueous (water/aqua/eau) Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearalkonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-11, Vinegar/Acetum/Vinaigre, Wheat Amino Acids, Tocopherol, Oryzanol, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Mentha Pipierita (Peppermint) Oil, Glycine Soya (Soybean) Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Olealkonium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate <ILN36156<

I bought these two at lookfantastic during an Aveda special offer for about 17 Euros, shipping is free, which is more expensive than in the USA, but honestly I am used to higher European prices.

I really like these products an would buy them again, but don't go surfing the web for any Aveda products, because I tried some more products from their range which didn't wow me as much.

What about you? Have you tried any Aveda products? Like them? Any recommendations?


Tell me....


Love, beautyandbrains007

L'Oreal Elseve Fibralogy shampoo and conditioner

I've written many times before, that I am always in the market for my HG shampoo and conditioner, so it is no wonder that these two also got their chance. I present you the L'Oreal Elseve Fibralogy shampoo and conditioner.

In Croatia there are quite strongly advertised, so after using up my Garnier Ultra Doux Purifying duo- review here, which is quite strong to the hair, I wanted something more gentle in my routine.

Sometimes I am a real girly girl so the cute turquoise and hot pink packaging helped me to decide that I need them. Also, a colleague of mine tried them and liked them very much. Nice colours and recommendation? Of course I bought them. ;)
You can find the shampoo in smaller 200 ml bottle, but I went for a king size 400 ml bottle of shampoo, and 200 ml bottle of conditioner. There is also a mask from this line but I haven't tried it. In Croatia, you can pretty much find them anywhere: Kozmo, Bipa, DM, Müller, grocery stores, and a 400 ml bottle of shampoo costs around 40 kunas (around 5.27 Euros/4.27 GBP/7.19 $), while a 200 ml condtioner bottle costs about 23 kunas (around 3.03 Euros/2.45 GBP/4.13 $). Bottles are made from plastic and are quite sturdy, I would say travel friendly.

The whole idea behind this line is to add volume to your hair by making it thicker.
"The latest in hair thickening technology. Specially developed with Filloxane to help increase the hair's diameter*, the formula provides deep cleansing whilst giving you luxurious-looking body & bounce."

I want to let you know first, that my hair isn't thin and I have a lot of it. It is prone to greasing, so I was a bit worried if these products will make it heavier but my experience wasn't bad at all.

What L'Oreal says about the shampoo:
"A breakthrough in the science of hair, L'Oréal Laboratories have created our 1st haircare range proven to give thicker hair wash after wash."

From my experience this shampoo is quite gentle and nourishing to the hair. It will wash your hair without making it squeaky clean and tangled up. Having said that, if you have dry hair you will definitely need a conditioner after it. Even my greasy hair needs it to make combing out easier.

shampoo ingredients

Conditioner is also nourishing, it leaves hair softer and makes combing out much easier. You have to find the right measure, how much of it do you need for your hair, and then it will not be bad. Otherwise, it can and will make your hair heavier. Then again, I wouldn't say that it is a substitute for a deep conditioning hair mask.

What L'Oreal says about the conditioner:
"A light formula containing Filloxane, that helps thicken hair* while leaving it feeling nourished and weightless."

As far as the scent goes, both products smell the same to me, and although it is not an offensive and strong smell, it isn't something that will make your knees shake. It is too floraly for my taste but fortunately it doesn't stay long on the hair so I don't think it will really bother a lot if people.
If you have extremely greasy hair, a continuous use can build up product on your hair, which wasn't a problem for me because I always wash my hair once a week with Head&Shoulders just to keep any signs of dandruff away. That also prevented any build up.

And for adding thickness, I think that it would help doing that for thin hair but since mine is quite thick to begin with, I must be honest and say that it didn't do much for me, but it also isn't really ment for my type of hair. Because of that I wouldn't buy these products again but think that they are not bad at all.

This is not the end of my search after all....

Have you tried these products? Like them? Interested?

Love, beautyandbrains007

Lush of the week: Lush Rose Jam bubble bar

By now, you are probably used to my Lush posts, especially the ones about bath products. Since bubble bars are my favourite type of bath luxury products, I was very happy to try Rose Jam, which was a part of a Think pink set that I bought for 50% less.

When I saw this french macaron like bar in bright pink colour, it was love at first sight! Rose Jam has two parts which is great because by dividing them in half you immediately have two uses.

It is marketed as a product with a rich rose scent, and yes there is a hint of rose, but to me it smells more like tea with honey. It has a stronger scent in the beginning but it disappears too soon, if you are drawn to this bubble bath because of its scent.

It is a bit oily in texture, probably because it contains virgin coconut oil and shea butter, which makes it more nourishing than you expect a bubble bath to be.

Like all the other bubble bars, you must crush it under running water and leave your tub to fill in, and then you should just enjoy luxurious foam.

This is how Lush describes it:
Pep your spirits in a bath filled with Rose Jam: lemon, rose and geranium oil will help perk you up, while coconut oil and shea butter leave you feeling gorgeous. You’ll end up feeling as cheered as though you'd been been given a bunch of flowers. Rose oil and rose absolute give a double dose of rosiness, rose it's mind-clearing and used by aromatherapists as a mood booster.

Rose Jam bubble bar is available all year round and you can buy it directly from Lush shops or order it online. For a 100 g bar in Croatia you will pay 44 kunas which is about 8$, 5.78 Euros, 4.75 GBP. When I was researching for this post I looked at other countries sites to check the prices, and was surprised that Lush is cheaper in the UK, where you will pay 3.50 GBP for it. But, since I got mine in a set which was reduced for 50%, I got a good deal.

And now it is my turn to share my experience with this one. It was OK but it didn't have an amazing scent for my taste. Also, the foam wasn't luxurious enough. And just when I wanted to look the other way and say that the reason for that is my cheap nature and the fact that I cut them in half, I cut a piece of my beloved Christmas eve and it immediately made my bath experience magical.... Wonderful scent and luxurious foam gave me just what I needed after a long work day. The difference was huge!

from start

to finish

Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate, Tartaric acid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocos nucifera, Lauryl Betaine, Fair Trade shea butter- Butyrospermum parkii, Perfume, Rosa damascena, Pelargonium graveolens, Rosa damascena, Citrus limonum), Cocamide DEA, PEG-6 gliceridi kaprilne , Coumarin, Geraniol, Citronellol, *limonen (*Limonene), Titanium Dioxide, Colour 17200.

To conclude, my advice to you would be to start your Lush experience with a different bubble bar because this isn't their best one. Of course, if you are crazy about the scent, go for it but, for example, Comforter is much nicer. I wouldn't buy it individually again.

Which is your favourite Lush bubble bar?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

STERIPOD toothbrush sanitizer

I'm not sure if you already heard for this product because I haven't been hearing or reading about it, but it is definitely worth of mentioning.

The story behind it is really simple. It is a toothbrush cover that is not only great for travelling, because it prevents dirt an hair getting on your toothbrush (YUCK, to say at least!), but also because it actively protects your toothbrush from germs present in the air.

It has a small part, like a little pillow inside that offers protection.

It lasts up to 3 months and I love it!!!

So, if your toilet is in the bathroom along with the sink and your tootbrush, you are good and protected.

It is very easy to manage. It opens up like a butterfly and just clicks on the tootbrush with a cut out part facing down. You can put it on your electrical toothbrush or a regular one.

When you are finished with washing your teeth, rinse off your toothbrush and clip your Steripod on it.

It comes in several shades (red, yellow, orange, blue, green and pink) and there are two Steripods in one packaging.

Unfortunately, they are not available in Croatia so I have to order them online. I buy them on ebay. Their price in the USA is around 5$ for a pack. On ebay you can also find them around that price but with shipping it becomes a lot more expensive.

I bought 4 packages with all the colours.

Since I travel a lot, Steripod is a must for me.

I already went through one and have a new one. I don't plan to be without a Steripod in the near future. My husband and other members of my family also got their Steripod and everybody loves them!

my mother's choice... a red one

When it arrives it is well protected. It is in a cardboard packaging, and each one is extra protected with a foil.

If you are into dental hygiene this is a product for you. I LOVE IT!!!

What do you think? Is this something that might be interesting for you?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007