Lush Product Review – Curly Wurly & Veganese

So as you all know, I’ve been trying to natural up my beauty routine and that goes for my hair too. I’ve also been having some moisture issues with my hair lately and thought it was time for a new shampoo.  I bought Curly Wurly (love the name!!) from Lush which claims to renew moisture and shine to unruly curls:

Coconut and vanilla to tame unruly curls. This thick, rich marvel is so unlike any other shampoo that your hair will think it’s discovered a parallel universe: one where curls soften, relax and shine on command. Amazingly enough, we make it all happen without preservatives. (Helen, LUSH inventor extraordinaire, says she’s rather pleased with that fact.) Coconut, cocoa and avocado butters, along with jojoba oil, control curls, weigh hair down and smooth hair follicles. Shredded coconut aids application and free-range eggs take the place of synthetic polymers, while lemons and papaya cleanse and add shine. Apply lovingly, then rinse out thoroughly (this might take a little extra effort due to all the exquisite natural ingredients). 

I have been using Curly Wurly for about a month now and am pretty pleased with it. It smells great and I can feel the difference in my hair when I rinse it out. I have two complaints. The first is that the shredded coconut bits are really tough to wash out. Especially since I have super thick, kinky hair. After I get out of the shower I have to spend an extra couple of minutes combing through my hair and picking out little coconut pieces. I still haven’t decided if this is a deal breaker for me or not. The other thing I was bothered by was that while Lush’s ingredients are mostly natural, there are still some harsh synthetic chemicals floating around in there. Granted there’s a lot more natural stuff than synthetic stuff so I’m not totally bothered by it but I am really striving towards a 100% natural routine. I think the pros out weigh the cons with this product so I will be sticking with it. For now anyway.

I also started using the Veganese Conditioner from Lush:

Lavender and lemon garden of goodness to gently detangle and add shine. Completely vegan, Veganese conditioner softens your hair with an agar seaweed infusion, a lovely natural ingredient used in jelly desserts in Indonesia. While certainly gentle enough for fine hair, this conditioner can soften and add shine to most any tress nest. With lemons, lavender, and rosemary, Veganese is perfect for regular use to keep your hair in shape. 

I really like this conditioner. It smells terrific and my hair feels incredibly soft once I wash it out. It also softens up my hair enough to allow some of the coconut bits to fall out on their own! Another plus is that it is completely vegan. I guess my only con with this would be the synthetic ingredients issue. But again I really enjoy this conditioner and will definitely continue to use it. 

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Laura Hooper Calligraphy

As you may remember my boyfriend proposed to me on Christmas and so lately I’ve been perusing bridal magazines and sites for ideas for our upcoming nuptials. While on Etsy, I stumbled upon LHCalligraphy Shop by Laura Hooper. Laura specializes in calligraphy and makes the cutest invitations, place cards  and custom maps ever! Here are some things that caught my eye:

Spring-y Place Cards – These place cards look so fresh and spring-y! We’re also leaning towards this green color as one of our colors. 

Super cute custom maps  - This is such a cute idea. We’re thinking about having a destination wedding and I think these would be great to include in the welcome package for our guests

Adorable sand dollar place cards  - Aren’t these adorable? These would fit right smack in the middle of our beach theme. And Laura’s calligraphy is just incredible. 

Thank You Cards  - Another great idea. This couple sent this picture out as their thank you card. Love it!

Laura’s shop is just so creative and gorgeous! I’m really happy that I found it on Etsy and I’m pretty sure that I’ll be using her services in the very near future. She doesn’t just do weddings either. I saw some pretty nice baby shower designs and other party invites as well. Check out her shop and her blog for more on Laura Hooper. 

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Lush Product Review – Angels on Bare Skin & Tea Tree Toner

I started using a great cleanser from Lush, Angels on Bare Skin, which has been doing wonders for my skin. I’ve been using it for about a month and have seen a great difference in my face. My skin is much brighter and clearer and smoother. I’ve also had less flare-ups since I’ve been using it. Angels on Bare Skin has ground almonds which gently exfoliates the skin. The rose absolute tones and lavender oil soothes achy skin. I paired the Angels on Bare Skin cleanser with a Tea Tree Toner which promises to calm inflamed pores and blemishes. It works especially well in the dry winter months. 

Angels on Bare Skin:

 

 

Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine, Kaolin, Water (Aqua), Lavender Oil (Lavandula hybrida), Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia), Lavender Flowers (Lavendula hybrida),*Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume,. 

Tea Tree Toner:

Tea Tree Water (Melaleuca alternifolia), Grapefruit Water (Citrus grandis), Juniperberry Water (Juniperus communis), *Limonene.

I’m a fan of both!

Have you had any good experiences with Lush? Any bad? Let me know!

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Safiya Beauty on the Web

So SafiyaBeauty.com is still in the works (it’s coming soon though!) but I decided to list my products on some other sites. I’m proud to announce that you can now buy Safiya products at Etsy, 1000markets and Artfire! Please go check out my shops and let me know what you think! 

http://safiyabeauty.etsy.com

http://1000markets.com/users/safiyabeauty

http://safiyabeauty.artfire.com

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Dior Nude Natural Glow Makeup Review…Kinda

So I wanted to give Dior’s new Natural Glow Makeup a try and was disappointed to find that they don’t make it in a dark enough shade for my skin tone. I’m not even that dark! I’m pretty saddened to see that Dior left out a whole segment of the population. Very unfortunate.

So no review for me. Boo.

UPDATE – My sister (who is far more beauty savvy than I) informed me that there might indeed be a dark enough shade for me. Maybe my local Nordstrom’s just didn’t carry it? I’ll keep looking and keep you posted. 

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HP Mini Vivienne Tam Digital Clutch

Now this is just adorable! It’s a Digital Clutch by HP designed by world renowned designer, Vivienne Tam. I think this is such a great idea especially for those of us who are always working on the go. Not only is it cute as a button, it has great technical specs:

• 10.2″ BrightView Screen
• Under 1 inch thick
• Slim & Lightweight – it weighs in at just over 2 pounds!
• 8 color finish
• Matching silk sleeve available
• Built in webcam and microphone
• 3G Broadband connection capabilities
• 1 GB of system memory
• Pricing starts at $699.99

I am definitely a Mac girl but I would consider switching over to for this lightweight laptop. I’m just a sucker for pretty packaging! Check out the HP site for more info.

What do you think?

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