1. No more guilt about sending shampoo bottles to landfill- I now use a lovely shampoo bar which you use in the same way as soap! No packaging needed at all.

2. No more overly packaged moisturisers full of chemicals. I use Imperialis a beautiful cream made from lavender infusion and tiger lily extract. I also know that once I collect 5 pots I can return them to Lush getting a free fresh facemask and know they will recycle these pots.

3. Forget shower gels- get funky and use Lush shower jellies. Not only are they fun as you can freeze them if you want, they come in a fully compostable box.

4. I have cut down on the number of products I use by getting a lovely massage bar (Fever) which is a fab moisturiser, tames frizz and eliminates the need for perfume.

5. Egg Nog lipbalm is the best lip balm in the world- smells amazing and lasts forever.

6. Big Blue bath ballistic is yummy, who needs a holiday or a swim? These transport you to the perfect place and you can get two baths from one ballistic. I love the seaweed in it and the scent.

7. How fantastic are Lush bags for collecting your greens for the compost bin? I am surprised at how sturdy these paper bags are.

8. Don’t bother with air or wardrobe fresheners, do what I do and keep your Lush treats in your sock/ underwear drawer. Everything will smell absolutely gorgeous.

9. Coalface has settled my skin to the point where I am happy to not wear any makeup at all. I never believed this was possible.

10. And last but not least the staff… how great are they?!?!!! I wonder if it is the magic of the smell of the oils but everyone at every Lush I have been to has been really brilliant. They are knowledgeable about the products, not too pushy, happy to give samples and just really happy people.

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Caca Marron Henna

Blessed with a curly mop of thick hair I am obsessive when it comes to conditioning my hair. Summer can be difficult with my hair type as if I’m not vigilant it can end up getting frizzy and coarse to the touch. Fortunately I found that cacas from Lush is wonderful in coating the hair, making it stronger and shinier with a lovely colour. As I don’t use chemical dyes and have incredibly dark hair this is the only way to play with the colour of my hair and I like how subtle it is. Indians claim that henna is cooling to the skin and hair and recommended for the hotter months- not sure if this is true but I like the idea!

Dark Angels Cleanser

This black cleanser lasts forever as a little goes a long way. It is actually really effective on ingrown hairs and though it is so messy and a pain to clean up in the shower I still use it. It is excellent on oily skins as the charcoal deals with any excess oil.

Dream Cream

Dream Cream is a must have whatever the season but in the summer I find it is wonderful at dealing with all sorts of hassles- mild sunburn, itchy scalp, dry skin, heat rash and more. I think it is the fact that it feels so cooling and soothing on skin which makes it a winner.

Ocean Salt

It is only a matter of time before I scoop out a little of this scrub and eat it- I love the scent that much. I already lick my lips after using it as I like the taste. Flavour aside, the scrub makes skin a lot smoother which is important when skin is more likely to be on show in the summer. It puts me in a holiday mood with its citrus fragrance and it is a bonus that it works so well.

Avoshower Shower Gel (Forum Special)

This is where I demonstrate my Lush credentials, I had to get my hands on this forum special as I am a big fan of lemongrass. The citrus scent gets me up in the morning and it is incredibly revitalising. I am also happy that it creates plenty of lather!

Sugar Babe Scrub

Sugar Babe contains a delightful ylang ylang and mimosa fragrance and gets skin feeling wonderful with its exfoliating properties. I am amazed at how soft my skin feels after using this. It is the best shower product I have used in terms of smoothing skin. My skin was left feeling absolutely amazing after using half of this scrub, the combination of oils and sugar is perfect and I doubt I could mix up a concoction in my kitchen that does what Sugar Babe does. My skin felt soft, not at all sticky or dry like it can do after using strong exfoliators, and the smell stayed on my skin for hours (which delighted me).  I have heard that people break the scrub up for more uses but I would prefer two amazing showers than four okay ones. The fact that you can skip moisturing after uses this makes it even more appealing to me.

Slammer

Slammer is the first Retro product I tried and I really loved it. The strong lime scent is evocative of summers spent eating sweets as a child. I find a 100g bottle lasts six months so that’s pretty good for £3.95 (bear in mind I alternate with other products).

Ice Blue

And last but not least Ice Blue has to be in this list as it is amazingly good at making you feel cooler and refreshes hot and tired skin with its menthol tingle. I must admit I had my reservations as to whether it would actually do what Lush claim- make your skin feel cool in summer and warm in winter. I only use this is the summer though. Highly recommended for icky sweaty feet!

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Sugar Babe – The Scrub

Sugar babe is an exfoliant and rather easy to overlook in the store as it is just a dome shaped mound of sugar- no colour or sparkles. Lush promote the solid benefit of this product- solid as in not liquid and therefore they can be sold without packaging or naked in Lush speak. Sugar Babe contains sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar, coconut oil and a delightful ylang ylang and mimosa fragrance.

On opening the trademark yellow Lush bag the first thing that hits you is the lovely subtle floral scent of mimosa blossom. I can’t explain to you how fantastically sophisticated and beautiful this fragrance is to me. The scrub is surprising hard and it appears to be impossible to simply break it in half to take in the shower.

How to Use Sugar Babe

Using the scrub is tricky – ensure that you keep it away from water as it will quickly disintegrate. Instead get in the shower and wet the scrub in your hand and rub everywhere making sure you massage it into skin everywhere It helps if you move away slightly from the water while doing this. The scrub quickly melts away so make sure it scrubs your skin before the grains disappear in the water.

The first time I used Sugar Babe I pretty much used it like a soap rubbing the rounded side into skin. When I saw it was quickly melting in the shower I lobbed half of it into the sink. This worked out pretty good and I will continue to use this technique.

Results on Skin After Use

My skin was left feeling absolutely amazing after using half of this scrub, the combination of oils and sugar is perfect and I doubt I could mix up a concoction in my kitchen that does what Sugar Babe does. My skin felt soft, not at all sticky or dry like it can do after using strong exfoliators, and the smell stayed on my skin for hours (which delighted me).

Value

A Sugar Babe scrub will set you back £2.60, which is a tad pricey if you only get one or two uses out of it. I think it is totally worth it, and would love to be able to use half everyday but that is a ridiculous luxury. It is more special as a weekly treat. I have heard that people break the scrub up for more uses but I would prefer two amazing showers than four okay ones. The fact that you can skip moisturing after uses this makes it even more appealing to me. In short I would highly recommend this scrub and would love it if Lush created a fragrance range in this scent (like Vanillary or Karma).

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Here are a handful of my favourite home remedies to bring out natural highlights and have healthy looking hair. As usual the recipes are suitable for vegans and with the added benefit of being safe for use during pregnancy.

Infused Herbal Hair Rinse

Dark hair can be rinsed with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and certain herbs to both condition and enhance hair colour

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 pint boiling water
• ½ pint apple cider vinegar
• Muslin bag

Place the dried herbs in the muslin bag and put in a saucepan adding the boiling water. Lower the heat and cover pan with a lid. Simmer for five minutes and let it steep until cold. Allow the liquid to cool and add the apple cider vinegar mixing carefully. To use simple pour over hair after shampooing, then finish by rinsing with clean water.

Henna Dye for Blue Hair Highlights

Lush’s Caca henna makes an excellent choice of dye for dark hair. Apply lemon juice mixed with olive oil to hair in random sections from root to tip and leave for ten minutes. Go out into the sun for fifteen minutes. Lemon juice is not advised for lightening dark hair as it can make it look orange or brassy. However as this will be followed up with henna we can get away with it! Use either caca noir or brun for bluish tones in hair. Read Lush Les Cacas review for detailed instructions about how to use the henna.

Herbal Hair Mask for Dark Hair

Rosemary and cloves bring out the highlights in hair, and coconut milk conditions leaving hair soft and silky.

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender
• ½ teaspoon powdered cloves

Combine ingredients and mix well. Apply to hair massaging carefully to cover all hair. Leave for twenty minutes and then wash and condition as usual.

Herbs to Enhance Dark Hair

Herbs that are recommended for dark hair include comfrey, elderberries, , nettles, raspberry leaves, bay leaves, rosemary, burdock root and sage. Natural herbal remedies enhance dark hair without damaging it like chemical treatments. These homemade remedies condition the hair and leave it stronger and shinier. Home treatments are inexpensive, easy and more environmentally friendly (cutting out packaging etc).

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1 ) Take A Break.

I would advise taking short breaks to relax eyes- preferable with a relaxation exercise or cold herbal compress. I like to lightly dab Enchanted Eye Cream under my eyes.

2) Try Yoga Eye Exercises

My dad claims his eyesight has improved after regularly doing yogic eye exercises. He has even quit using his reading glasses (though I have noticed he still holds reading material at a distance). Read this article for Yoga Eye Exercises.

3) Wash Eyes with Cold Water

Splashing eyes several times with cold water clears away dirt and contracts the eye muscles. A hot flannel alternating with cold splashes refreshes the eyes and is a good way to relax.

4) Look Away From the Screen

Focusing on a screen for long periods is tiring- something as simple as looking out of the window stops the eye muscles becoming lazy.

5) Reuse Teabags

Cucumber slices are a great way of soothing tired eyes but cold used teabags are even better. Cold chamomile teabags are excellent and help alleviate puffiness.

Right go have a break and rest your eyes now!

Enter Lush’s latest offering:  Colour Supplements: a vegan multi-purpose base colour.

The timing couldn’t be better as the release coincided with my pampering party at Lush- where six of my friends and I got the chance to have facials and a Lush make up expert do our faces using the colour supplements. It was wonderful having someone find the perfect colour for us. So not only did I see first hand how good the different colours looked on six of my friends; I also got to see how to achieve the best results.

The Supplement

Lush Colour Supplements are the first make up item that Lush have released, and it is encouraging after Be Never closing to see that not only is there an opportunity for products to migrate but also for new ones to be created under the Lush umbrella.

The supplements come in four shades which can be mixed together to create the right tone for your skin. All the shades contain the same base of soya and rice brain oils to care for all skin types.

Lush Colour Supplements come in a glass jar (great to store tiny things like beads once empty) and can be blended with moisturiser for a natural tint or used on its own as foundation. Cynics will argue that this can be done with other foundations too. It comes in four different shades:

• Light Pink
• Dark Pink
• Light Yellow
• Dark Yellow

The palest of the four supplements is the Light Pink which is ideal for those with pink based pale skin tones. The Dark Pink supplement made my slightly darker Indian friends look naturally glowing and gave coverage when needed.  The Light Yellow supplement looks suitable for ivory skin tones, and the Dark Yellow is perfect for darker olive skin tones.

How to Use

The best way to get the correct skin colour is to go to your nearest Lush shop and ask a sales assistant to help you find a good match. I was lucky to have someone trained in makeup to do this for me. I was even luckier that Dark Yellow was a perfect match so I only needed to buy one supplement.

The creative Jules at Leicester’s Lush showed me that less than half a pea sized of moisturiser with around the same amount of supplement was more than enough for my face. She used a wooden drink stirrer (like the Starbucks ones) to mix them together on the back of her hand before applying to my face. Once mixed the make up should be applied evenly with fingers on the face, and the supplement can be used directly from the pot for areas that need more coverage such as under the eyes. I could detect no scent when I wear this product despite the fresh rose petal infusion being most foremost on the list of ingredients.

The Results

The supplements are so light and natural that it is easy to forget that you’re wearing make up. Close inspection of the skin shows more even looking skin without it looking like makeup. It’s not something that will cover bad scars or marks as I could make out my chicken pox scars but that’s not what this product is about.

Every time someone appeared after the makeover their skin looked better than before. Almost all of my friends purchased the supplements after seeing how it looks – even the not so lucky ones who required a mixture of two shades.
It was pouring with rain after the party and despite having an umbrella I did get a little wet. I noticed a bit of a smear around the corners of my eye which wasn’t too attractive. However this is just due to the oils in the supplement which stops it from easily washing off. As someone who has always used an oil-free foundation I found this surprising.

Value

A 20g jar of Colour Supplements costs £7.50. This seems reasonable but the shelf life is yet to be discovered with it being a new product. If it lasts until the 12th April 2011 as the label states (which I sincerely hope it does) then that is a pretty good value especially if you plan to use it mixed with a moisturiser rather than on its own.  From my experience of the product so far I would most definitely recommend it.

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Bananas contain potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, calcium, vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, copper and a lot more. Coconut oils and milk have a long history of being used in hair products, and some even claim that it can help straighten hair by weighing it down.

The mask

1 organic banana
½ cup coconut milk
A squeeze of fresh lime
1 teaspoon olive oil (optional- best for dry hair)

Peel banana and chop into small pieces, slowly add coconut milk and olive oil while mashing it together with a spoon. Add the lime last and stir the mask well.

Spend at least five minutes massaging the tropical hair mask into the hair and scalp. I separate hair into sections to ensure I cover all hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes– preferably with an old shower cap on to maximise penetration by keeping the heat in. Shampoo and condition hair as usually, I prefer to let hair air dry.

The results

Hair is left feeling soft and shiny, and the smell tends to disappear pretty quickly. My natural curls are manageable waves, and all done without any hair products. Another bonus is the tropical theme is great to get you in the mood for a holiday. This mask is an ideal pre-holiday hair treat. So raid your kitchen and try it!

 

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Here are ten tips to save you money and reduce the amount of chemicals you are exposed to.

Rose water for toner

A good toner not only removes dirt and make up residue it also refreshes the pores and is believed to reduce the appearance of fine lines. You do not need an expensive toner to work wonders on your skin. In fact from personal experience- the simpler the better. It is believed that Cleopatra used rose water to wash her skin with, and it is advocated in Ayurveda to tone skin and reduce blemishes. A simple rose water smells great and is pretty inexpensive compared to branded toners available on the high street. I would recommend Pukka or Neal’s Yard Remedies.

Make your own face masks

This is so simple and will save you a lot of money if you tend to purchase them. All you need to do is raid the kitchen- honey is wonderful for skin. As are avocado, oats and coconut oil. See my beauty section for easy recipes.

Olive oil

Olive oil is a wonderful oil that can be used to cleanse your face, as a deep treatment for your hair and even as a moisturiser for your body. Get rid of hard skin from your feet using a mixture of olive oil and sugar- this exfoliator is also brilliant at eliminating ingrown hairs. If you have very dry skin you can use olive oil as a facial moisturiser too. There is now a skincare company that have based their whole range on olive oil called DHC skincare.

Massage Bar

My choice of massage bar is from Lush – Therapy a lovely lavender and lemon scented bar.

Massage bars are great to moisturise skin, and I also use a teeny amount as a pomade on my curls to protect them from humidity. I now don’t bother with hand or foot lotion- my massage bar is ideal for banishing dry skin. This is another multi use product which feels like a nice treat.

Solid face cleanser

If you really like keeping your cleansing routine simple then I would recommend using Coal Face or other similar solid face wash. A 100 bar of Coalface lasts me about a year and at £4.16 that is a pretty good bargain.

Solid Shampoo bars

Shampoo bars are more green than bottled shampoos as they require fewer preservatives- last longer and heavily reduce packaging. My last shampoo bar lasted my more than two years. My current personal favourite multi use shampoo bar is Pure Nuff Stuff’s Hair and Body Bar. It contains no SLS and is just jam packed with natural ingredients. Unusually it also lathers up wonderfully and lefts both hair and skin  clean and soft. What else can you ask for? It is the essential holiday beauty item.

Eco perfume

Most designer perfumes contain a disturbing amount of chemicals which include carcinogens and even formaldehyde. I have heard personal accounts of women who previously worked on fragrance counters and had to leave their jobs because of reactions to chemicals in perfumes. Don’t follow the hype and be very careful about what fragrance you purchase. Creating a signature scent should be fun, look at perfumes by Jo Woods, Patyka, Lush, Tsi-La, Florame, Willow Organic, Be Never to Busy to Be Beautiful or you can even make your own!

Luscious Lips

Lipstick or lip gloss is something most women keep as a staple in their make up routine. I know that I feel so much better with a lip gloss or shiny lip balm on my lips. Don’t feel like you can’t buy beautiful ethical makeup that make you feel like a goddess. Splurge on a vegan lip tint from Be Never to Busy to be Beautiful. This leaves lips nice and velvety soft without the rubbery feel you can get with tints. If it is out of your budget at £8.30 then Burts Bees do a lovely Lip Shimmer which is cheaper but still perfects your pout! The Burt Bees Lip Shimmer that is on my wish list is Cocoa. Having a search online tends to brng up a lot of bargains so see what you can find.

Make  up

Foundation is a tricky thing to buy- often containing skin irritants. Most of the designer high end names test on animals when adding “new and improved” ingredients to their formula. Beauty Without Cruelty do a nice moisturising matte base for only £5.25 (they also do it in satin and a natural look tinted moisturiser perfect for summer). The foundation contains vitamin E and sunscreens and is also vegan. Unfortunately there are only four different tones: Light, Fair, Natural and Beige.

Nails

Nail Polishes generally aren’t very eco friendly. Especially as bottle are sometimes impossible to recycle due to the polish inside. Not to mention the nasty chemicals they contain- formaldehyde, phthalates and toluene to name a few. However if being polish free fills you with dread there is a brand called Suncoat that makes primarily vegan nail polishes without these nasty chemicals. In fact their polishes are even free of acetates and are not flammable. These are not exactly cheap at £10.95 for 8ml, however it will mean you are less wasteful with your polish. Also Suncoat lasts for longer than most brands I’ve tried (especially cheap brands) so it is worth the money.

Photo Courtesy of Muffet.

I do my best to eat fruit that grows locally but in the UK this can get pretty unsatisfying especially in the winter. My mum loves avocados and they are packed with a lot of nutrients- nearly twenty vitamins and minerals including the eye friendly Lutein. Avocados also contain other antioxidants, including alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin.
Avocados are also full of healthy fats and therefore are excellent for dry hair and skin. Research has shown that avocado oil is more penetrating than almond, olive and safflower oils. This makes avocados the optimum way to deliver nutrients into the deeper layer of the skin- an additional benefit is that this fruit also has natural sunscreen properties.

The Hair Mask

Ingredients
1 small ripe avocado (I prefer Hass avocados)
1 spoon yoghurt
½ spoon honey

I am happy to say that this is an incredibly easy mask to make, just mix all ingredients together until it is nice and creamy and apply immediately. Spend at least ten minutes massaging it into the hair and scalp. I separate hair into sections to ensure I cover all hair. You can in fact mash up and massage just plain avocado on your hair. Bear in mind I have very thick hair which seems to suck up anything I put on it, half an avocado is probably enough to treat short to medium hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes– preferably with an old shower cap on to maximise penetration by keeping heat in.

This hair mask doubles as an excellent facemask for dry skin. If your skin is a bit oily add half a teaspoon of fresh lemon.

The results

Be sure to stand in the shower until water runs clear before shampooing- massage all your scalp and hair carefully as avocado contains little fibres which can be left in hair. After washing and conditioning hair as normal my hair is softer and easier to manage than usual. In fact I cannot stop touching it as it feels so great. My hands are also lovely and soft from taking time massaging the mask into my hair!

This is my favourite home hair treat, I have tried olive and almond oils in the past but found the smell horrid and they were difficult to wash out completely. The last time I put olive oil in my hair I had to wash it again after realising it hadn’t all washed out after drying my hair. Needless to say that put me off oiling my hair again. In comparison avocados are so easy to wash out and don’t leave any scent in hair.

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I have been using this mask fortnightly lately but would advise you use it weekly as part of a pampering routine.

Facemask recipe

Ingredients

1 heaped tbsp chickpea flour
2 tbsp rice milk
½ tbsp honey or rose water

Mix all ingredients together and it should make a runny paste. Add more flour or milk to get consistency right. Apply mask to face and neck avoiding eye area, wash off with warm water after twenty minutes.

Chickpea flour can be purchased at any good Indian greengrocers if you struggle finding it.

Add more honey if you have dry skin, but if you have oily skin this face mask will be a really nice treat. If you want to add something to make it more exfoliating; grate an almond and add it to the mask.