Wednesday 14 November 2012

Twenty minute reviews- Love Lettuce.

Looking hilarious...
 Hi guys, today I'm reviewing Lush's 'Love Lettuce' fresh face mask. As I mentioned in my previous Lush review, I'm a big fan of their products (mainly due to the ingredients and the scent) so I have a tendency to wander into the store and buy far too much...so this is a review of something I bought in the 'spur of the moment'.

First, I'll set one thing straight, I'm not a fan of ready-made face masks. I've never really been interested in them as, for me they haven't really improved my skin. The first Lush face mask I've ever used was 'Cupcake' which was bought for me as a Christmas gift. Normally I wouldn't be drawn to face masks in Lush but on this occasion I was feeling a little run down and felt like treating myself.
It was a good decision, lets just say that for now...




So, first the ingredients...as I've said Lush takes pride in it's products, using natural ingredients to produce vegetarian/vegan cosmetics. The ingredients in this mask are as follows: Agar Agar Gel, Kaolin, Honey, Fullers Earth, Glycerine, Almond Oil, Ground Almond Shells, Ground Almonds, Lavender Oil, Chlorophyllin, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool and Perfume.

So, lets look at all the ingredients...
To start with, agar agar gel is best known as a vegetarian version of gelatine made from a species of seaweed called 'agarophytes'. It's a jelly-like consistency which softens and moisturises the skin. Kaolin is said to draw out toxins and impurities from the skin and to add texture to the mask. Honey is packed full of antioxidants which help to prevent free radicals, it protects the skin from the damaging effects of the sun and it also adds moisture to the skin. Fullers Earth is a natural clay which adds texture and reduces excess oils and dirt from the skin. Glycerine is used for it's moisturising qualities and similarly, almond oil is used to moisturise and soften skin. Both ground almond shells and ground almonds are used as an exfoliant; they are gentle and help to improve skin tone. Lavender oil is very beneficial as it can help treat a range of skin problems, it is antiseptic and anti-bacterial so helps to rid the skin of dirt. Chlorophyllin I believe is a variant of chlorophyll, it is used to make the mask a green colour.
Geraniol, limonene and linalool occur naturally in essential oils and are used for their fragrance. Finally, perfume is of course used for the fragrance also.

So ingredients aside...how do you use it?

As shown on the photo the mask is a thick creamy consistency and green in colour.
Obviously because it's a mask, you would apply a generous amount onto your face, leave on for five-ten minutes until it begins to dry out and then wash it off with warm water. Per pot, I would say that there would be enough to apply three times.

So...does it actually work?

According to the pot the mask will leave your face feeling fresh and exfoliated.
I definitely agree with this. As I have combination skin I usually find most products leave my skin either too dry or feeling greasy and dirty but this mask makes my skin feel fresh and moisturised to the correct level.
Because the mask is made fresh and should be kept refrigerated it might come as a shock when applied but I think this makes the skin feel even more replenished and hydrated.
To test the mask somewhat more, I've tried using it to remove make up when I haven't cleansed beforehand and if massaged into the skin I found that it does remove all traces of foundation and concealer, so this mask is an all-rounder really.

Because the mask is fresh it does have a shelf life, they normally keep well in the fridge for just under a month but if you use home remedies/home-made masks like myself then you may have to make sure you don't leave it in the fridge for months and waste it.
Also because the mask is very thick it may be a little messy when applying and removing from the face so may be slightly problematic for those who don't use products like this.
Otherwise I would recommend the mask, it's hydrating and cleanses and exfoliates gently.

As I've mentioned before, Lush products are relatively expensive, for a 75g pot of Love Lettuce, it's £5.95 but again the pot will last for a while as most don't use masks daily. If you prefer to use a ready-made mask often then I wouldn't recommend it as it may break your bank balance, maybe this one is best as a treat for you?
Overall, I would give this product 4.7/5 .

Oh, and again a little thank you to Przemek for this pot of Love Lettuce, Thanks Przemek!

Thanks for reading my review, I hoped it helped you in some shape or form.

Bisous

Beckie Adlington.

P.S If you would like to read more about Love Lettuce then here's the link: * Click me*

Friday 9 November 2012

Life at the moment...

Bonjour encore! Sorry that it's been a while...
I know that I promised a 'Love Lettuce' face mask review for you which I haven't finished as of yet, but now that I've got a few days to put my feet up, you'll expect to find a few new posts soon. 
Here's a few photos depicting my life at the moment: 

1. I've discovered a new love for Twinings hot chocolate...especially when made with hot milk, cream and mini marshmallows in my new Tigger mug.
2. Happy belated Halloween everyone! I had a lot of fun carving my cute little pumpkin. Thinking of Halloween, happy belated Bonfire night too! I spent Bonfire night at my auntie's eating all of her delicious butternut squash soup and toffee apples...
3. Even on the freezing cold days I'm still taking Ozzy for walks, he loves going out... apart from when the wind is blowing towards him and when I don't walk him on the concrete.
4. I finally bought the cat cushion that I've been staring at for weeks... as well as two other cushions for my collection. 
5. Ozzy finally got a haircut! Hurrah! He looks a little skinny and strange but his fur is growing back rather quickly...
6. We also bought Oz a new Frisbee, which he can't carry because it's huge, so he decides to run around with it hung around his body.


 Anyways, I'll leave you with a lovely cover of Mcfly's 'Love is Easy' by Barnaby from Dive Bella Dive.

Thanks for reading.
Bisous
Beckie Adlington (and Ozzy)



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