Trying out Lush skincare |Smugnificent

About a month and a half ago I was invited to attend the 15th anniversary of Lush here in Switzerland, at their first store here in Bern. I already loved the Lush store here in Bern; it is one of the few stores I visited my first day in the city. And that's when I got my Lush card, my first store card here even before I decided to move here. I was amazed by the renovation of the store close to the style of their flagship store in Oxford street in London. Very clean, very eco-friendly as expected by Lush, certainly a joy to shop there.

Besides presenting us the new look of the store, we had the opportunity for a very thorough presentation of the Lush skincare line with demonstration of several products resulting in specific recommendations based on our skin type and needs. I have tried very few skincare products by Lush so far and I am a known skincare junkie so I was pretty intrigued to try out the products they recommended for me and let you know how it went.

As expected, I am starting with the most important step in every skincare routine: cleansing. From all the cleansers available by Lush I decided to try out one of the few without any scrubbing properties. As you might know I am using daily exfoliating toners so I try to not go overboard and I avoid mechanical exfoliation as much as possible. Aqua Marina comes in a pot, as most Lush cleansers, containing 100gr and at a first look I admit it doesn't look very appealing. It looks like a pink-beige gooey blob with bits of seaweed in it. The scent is also quite strong and very seaweed-y so that's something you have to keep in mind. Concerning the ingredients, besides seaweed (irish moss gel specifically which is supposed to be full of minerals and vitamins), it also contains glycerine, calamine and kaolin which absorb excess oils and aloe vera. I was also surprised to see that it contains a bit of fine sea salt for light exfoliation, although I was told that this was not an exfoliating cleanser. In any case, you cannot feel the salt and for sure this is not a harsh facial exfoliant. I used this as a morning cleanser, taking a bit of it in my hands and making it into a thin paste with a bit of water. The scent is quite strong at first but doesn't really persist after washing your face. This is aimed specifically for oily but also sensitive skin and it does a quite decent job. My face feels clean and not stripped afterwards and in long term I think it help with controlling the oil production. On the negative side, this is not the easiest cleanser to use, it is a bit messy and leaves bits of seaweed in your sink. It is also difficult to wash away unless you use a flannel which makes everything much easier. Otherwise it feels like it leaves a kind of thin "film" on the skin, but this might also have to do with the glycerine and the fact that it is a very hydrating cleanser. In Switzerland this retails for 16CHF and although I enjoyed using it I don't think I will purchase it myself in the future mainly because of the scent which is for me very important and because the scent of seaweed makes me gag (and not in a good way) early in the morning. If that is not an issue for you, give it a go!

Next product I was given, is the Breath of Fresh Air toner. It comes in a bottle containing 100gr and it is one of these spray type mists. Don't spray this directly on your face, the way it sprays is not really pleasant and it is definitely not creating a nice fine mist. But to my knowledge it doesn't claim that and it is supposed to be sprayed onto your hands (or a cotton pad) and then applied and massaged to your face. This one is quite wonderful; it contains spring and sea water, rose and seaweed absolute and different oils. It just smells fresh and feels refreshing and soothing. I really liked using this as my hydrating toner and I can see everyone liking this product especially in warm weather. This is a product which I am sure I will purchase myself in the future. It retails for 9.5CHF and comes also into a larger size. 

In addition to these two products we were also given samples of 2 moisturisers. Magical Moringa is a quite unique product something between a moisturiser and a primer I would say, perfect for the ones who love a matte result before putting on their make up. I really liked it and I am considering buying the full size especially because I loved the consistency and how it melts into the skin. I don't think this is appropriate for dry or dehydrating skin as I see it more as a skincare primer and less as an actual moisturiser though. The full size contains 75gr and retails for 59CHF. Gorgeous on the other hand is very lightweight, super thin in consistency but still hydrating. It contains fresh fruit juices and enzymes and I enjoyed using it. I am not quite sure yet because I always want to use a skincare product longer to form a clear opinion and the price is quite steep with the 45gr retailing for 95CHF. I think it deserves getting a sample to try out and in a simple skincare routine this could be the star. However, I am using a multiple step routine with many active ingredients and I don't usually choose very pricey moisturisers as I tend to choose oils, serums and treatments as the most important steps for my routine.

Of course since we were focusing on skincare I had to get one of their fresh face masks as I am a mask addict. We had a demonstration of several masks and the one I chose and purchased was the Don't look at me mask.  This is a brightening mask so of course it was the one to which I was most attracted. It is also bright neon blue and I loved this. This has also kaolin and glycerin in, together with fresh lemon juice, grapefruit and other fresh oils, moisturising murumuru butter and ground rice for exfoliation. I really like this one. As all Lush masks it is fresh made, preserved in the fridge and has a short expiration period. The pot contains 75gr for 16CHF and I am for sure getting this one again! The next one I will try will be Rosy Cheeks though, a soothing and balancing mask.

Overall, I enjoyed trying out Lush skincare products. Not everything worked out for me but I was also not really disappointed by any of the products. I am for sure willing to try more and repurchase some of these products and I think that younger ages with less complex skin needs can put together a nice simple skincare routine choosing from the large variation of Lush choices. My only small complain is that there are not a lot of choices if you want to avoid completely mechanical exfoliation even if the products are not harsh at all. I think it has also to do with the fact that the Lush cleansers are not made to be combined with chemical exfoliants frequently. I just think this is something important to have in mind.

I am also very pleased with the store renovation and I think everything look so much better organised and more pleasing to the eye right now. I include few photos from the different areas in the store so you can see how much cooler it looks now!

 

What about you? Have you tried any Lush skincare products and do you have any recommendations for me to try? Are you usually more fans of the one-brand skincare routine or do you prefer to mix brands building a routine completely tailored to your needs?