Showing posts with label Lush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lush. Show all posts

Oh, Honey


It's time for one of those post again, when I have a craving for a certain scent and go all bonkers for all the products (previous posts for coconut, chocolate/cocoa, tropical and peach). This time it's honey.

 Lush Honey I Washed the Kids  
HIWTK is probably one of the most famous products by Lush. It's a bar soap and honestly, a pretty average one when it comes to quality. Though it's marketed for dry skin, I find it drying as any other much cheaper bar soap and it leaves that (for me) awful stripped, squeaky clean feeling. I got quite a big 200 g chunk of it because that was the smallest piece they had at the time, but I cut it in much smaller pieces to use. The top "honeycomb" part is essentially useless. It smells exactly like Honey Bee bath bomb, Soft Coeur massage bar and the already discontinued Ma-Bar bubble bar. I don't get any honey at all, rather a very gourmand, toffee scent, however, it is not one of my favourites (I do like it and everyone that sniffed it, loved it so far). Though the scent is relatively strong, in my experience it doesn't last that long on the skin, which is a a pity. It is priced €4.95  for 100g.
If you want a shower gel version of HIWTK, it is called It's Raining Men. I didn't get it because I hate Lush's plastic bottles with passion as they are so bloody hard to squeeze. 

 The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter
I'm a fan od TBS body butters, actually this is my seventh so far and it is another great quality product. Texture-wise it's similar to the shea butter, grapefruit and passion fruit versions from TBS, which in my opinion is one of their best kind - properly buttery, not too hard and easy to apply. You might be surprised at how freshly floral the scent is when you smell it in the pot. I certainly was concerned at the lack of honey, however, applied on the skin, the proper honey note finally appears. It's a nicely blended mix of soft honey note with a fresh wildflowers scent. It may not be a warm, sweet scent that L'Occitane excels at, but it's a well made floral interpretation, which I find quite lovely.
By the way, we need TBS in Slovenia. Just sayin'.

 L'Occitane Honey Foaming Gel
If there is one company that makes their honey scents perfectly, it's L'Occitane. So far all the products I tried from their various honey lines were amazing. Unfortunately, they have all been discontinued or LE, including the Honey Foaming Gel, which has a gorgeous sweet honey scent and jelly-gel texture. It is basically the same thing as the discontinued Honey Harvest Foaming Jelly from their old honey line. This is the best honey scent I've found so far.

Fame eau de Parfum by Lady Gaga
Fame became my favourite scent mainly because it has honey in it. However, this is not a full-on honey scent, but rather a lovely honey-floral fragrance with a strong fruity note in the beginning represented by apricot and a hint of smokiness from the incense. I did a full review here.

 Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm
A lip balm that smells like soft honey mixed with beeswax and I also detect a hint of rose (it's an earthy, natural scent). The texture is quite waxy for a lip balm, therefore not my favourite, yet it's still an okay product. What I like about it is how small the tube is, so I carry it in my overstuffed makeup/essentials mini zip bag that's in my bag. However, I doubt I'll ever repurchase it since I've had it for a year and rarely used it.
I stumbled upon Burt's Bees products in Müller and almost every product has a tester there. I was sadly disappointed by all the scents, it's not what I expected by a brand with a honey tradition.

Rosal Lip Balm Milk & Honey
Another lip balm, but this time in the milk and honey version. The scent is more of a honey and milk meet plastic and beeswax, but not in a bad way. It's pretty much just a run-of-the-mill lip balm. Basic is the best way to describe it and most like petroleum jelly in a sense that it feels like it's just coating the lips rather than nourishing them. It's really similar to Labello (Nivea) lip balms in texture. I wouldn't repurchase since I already found my HG lip balm (Palmer's cocoa butter formula Swivel stick). This is Croatian brand and mine is a bit old now, so I don't know in which countries it's sold, but's it's inexpensive and comes in a lot of flavours. Labello has a honey and milk scented lip balm as well, but I have never tried it.

Milka Milchcréme & Honig
I found this on my recent trip to Müller. Milka often has fun new editions and honey is one of the current ones. It's can get quite sticky if you're not careful because the drops of honey ooze from the chocolate, but the taste is surprisingly good. It's mostly regular Milka with cream, but that bit of honey gives it that bit of extra yummy sweetness.


Some more honey based products
I've been eyeing the Lavera Body Spa Organic Honey Moments line that is available in a local Müller but I never took the plunge as my previous experience with this brand was not that great. It sound interesting though, especially since it has a eau de toilette in the line.

Whilst researching for best honey scented products I came across a recommendation for Kings & Queens Nefertiti Honey Body Butter (a part of Korres brand), which supposedly smells like very sweet honey. But since I can't see it in person, I doubt I'll go as far and buy it.

As an affordable option there is always Balea and their Milch & Honig line of products. I recall having a hand soap, but I believe I was unimpressed by it and switched to by favourite Peach & Nectarine version.

The amount of rave reviews Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask got is good enough reason by itself to include it here. It's described as a deeply moisturising, cleansing and anti-oxidising treatment, but it is not the cheapest face mask.

Though Marc Jacobs Honey eau de parfum has honey only in it's name, I included it here solely because I find the bottle adorable. I tested it yesterday and it smells like fruit punch. Why name it Honey then, right? At least Daisy smells like daisies.

NUXE's Reve de Miel line with it's famous Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm, is a line of products for all dry and sensitive skin types. It consist of several products and I've read some great reviews for most of them. They are quite expensive, though.

Tigi Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Conditioner is an old favourite of mine. I used it for years before it was discontinued and now it's finally being relaunched with an addition of a hair mask to the original shampoo and conditioner. It doesn't smell exactly like honey, but it does smell like Christmas cookies: vanilla, cinnamon and gingerbread - all the goodness that make washing your hair a special treat. Once I use up my stash of hair masks and conditioners, I'm definitely buying it again.


That's quite a lot of honey based products. Most brands use honey in at least a few of their products, but there are rare ones that actually smell like honey. I still use honey as a face mask when my skin gets super dry (it was my saviour a few years ago, when my skin became dry) and I even used honey as a face wash for a few months, though I wouldn't recommend it because it's very difficult to completely wash it off.
If you have any recommendations for products with a good honey scent, write them in the comments.

Have a great day!

New In #7


Dark berry or oxblood lips were all the rage last autumn and it looks they'll be pretty popular this one as well, so I finally ordered Rimmel's 107 on Asos, but mostly because it was 30% off. I quite like the colour on me.

Plastic Lipstick and Makeup Holder
This is my second one so far. The other one is a lipstick holder only and holds 9 of them, while this one is much bigger with space for 12 lipsticks and additional different sized spaces for other makeup. It was 11€ in Műller. I have the pictures of the small one here.


My purchases from iHerb. I'll do individual reviews for all the products:
Queen Helene The Original Mint Julep Masque
A basic clay mask, but seriously the tube is just massive. Must be one of the best value face masks on the market since it was less than 3€ for 226g.

The packaging is much more flimsy than I expected, thought the product itself is a beautiful blush. I took so many pictures of it, so expect a picture heavy post. Price: 8.6€.

The packaging is cute, but the scent is something I'll have to get used to. Price: 4€ for 21g.

First off I love the scent. It smells similar to Aussie conditioner, so like bubble gum. I'm using it in the mornings, so I'll report in time how I get on with it. Priced 2.5 € for 141g.

 Urban Decay Naked Basics palette
When I saw the offer for 20% off on Look Fantastic, I jumped at the chance and bought Naked Basics palette. I paid about 19.50€ for it. I love it - it's just perfect for me. I prefer matte shades and these completely suit my needs, since it's a collection of such shades I tend to wear every day, but in a palette form.   

I got this from eBay without smelling it beforehand. I plan to do a honey inspired post next with a full review of this, but for those that are curious about the scent: it is indeed very freshly floral, especially when you smell it in the pot. Applied on the skin, the proper honey note finally appears, but it is still mixed with a fresh wildflowers scent. This is not a warm, fuzzy scent, but a fresher and very floral honey scent. 

The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter 
I got a sample of this with the Honeymania body butter. Unfortunately 8 ml was far to little for my hair (which reach end of my back now), so I can't give you a proper review. The scent was unpleasant for me, strange, a bit like being in a forest, but more exotic. The texture is more on the thicker side, however, average for a hair masks. Since the amount was to little, my hair was still dry after using it. Ingredients here.

It smells exactly like Honey Bee bath bomb, Ma-Bar bubble bar and Soft Coeur massage bar which all have a caramel/toffee scent. 9€ for 200 g.

L'Occitane Amande Delicious Hands Hand Cream
Is the name odd or what? Why would my hands need to be delicious? Anyway, I wanted the honey version, which was LE, but I was too late. So I quickly grabbed this one because I only had a minute and I couldn't find the original Shea Butter one. This is just the Almond Milk Concentrate in a hand cream packaging (that super luxurious cream that comes in a glass pot). It's feels and smells exactly the same. It sinks into the skin literally in seconds, which is just perfect for me since I avoid hand creams because I can't stand touching things with greasy hands. It's moisturising enough for me, though my hands aren't particularity dry. It was 7.60€ for 30 ml.

Balea Duschöl 
(shower oil)
I got this for my brother who has been complaining about itchy, dry skin (I suspect the lingering effect of acne medicine Roaccutane). I tried it myself of course, and it's quite nice. Similar to L'Occitane Almond Shower oil, but not as luxurious and thinner. It works the same - an oil which turns to a milky consistency (it emulsifies) with water. The scent is medicinal and not too strong. I believe it was about 2€. 

Dove Maximum Protection deodorant 
This is in a cream/mousse form and has a similar applicator as Secret deodorants (twist and the product comes through mini holes). The scent is very lovely and powdery, though not strong. The effect is supposed to last 48 hours, but I haven't tested it for so long since I always apply it once a day. I'm not much of a sweater so I can't really give a good review, but it works fine for me. It was about 3€ in DM.

Seche Vite Top Coat
My favourite top coat and I have been using it for years. The nail polish is dry to the touch in about 30 seconds, which is perfect for a girl like me who has zero patience (I still don't touch stuff for a few minutes just to be sure, even though I probably could). Also my manicure lasts ages with no chipping, but keep in mind that I have very strong and healthy nails. I got it off eBay for 9€.

Balea Tropische Früchte Badezauber
(tropical fruit bath "magic")
I just got it today, so I haven't used it yet. It smells just like the Pina Colada shower gel by Balea - a pineapple/pina colada scent. There is also a citrus and vanilla version, though I haven't seen the latter yet in our DMs. It was 1.65€ for 500 ml.

Essence Metal Glam TE Gold Topper
Another product I just got today, but I used it on one nail and it looks so beautiful. I'll do a post with swatches in the next days since it's a LE. It was 2.19€


Balea Verwöhndusche Lavendel & Honig 
(mini "spoiling" shower gel Lavender and Honey)
Such an amazing scent of lavender with a hint of honey. Basically, it's a regular Balea shower gel, but they only sell these small packet (25 ml) for 0.55€. I hope they release a full size, I would buy it in a heartbeat. There is also a "lavender & vanilla" version available.
Yves Rocher samples of Un Matin Au Jardin scents
(A Morning in the Garden)
I really liked all of the scents, but they have poor staying power. None lasted more than a hour.
Lilas Mauve eau de toilete (Lilac) - a spot-on scent of lilac. I used to walk past a lilac tree every day and this evokes many memories. 
Rose Fraiche eau de toilete (Fresh Rose) - I usually dislike anything with a rose scent, but surprisingly I liked this one. It's a sweet rose scent - fresher and younger than rose scents tend to be. 
Agrumes en Fleurs eau de toilete (Citrus flowers) - Quite a sugary citrus scent and my favourite out of the three.
Muguet en Fleurs eau de toilete (Lily of the valley) - Smells exactly like lily of the valley. A great scent for spring.

There will be full reviews for Lush Honey I Washed the KidsThe Body Shop Honeymania Body ButterRimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107, Urban Decay Naked Basics palette and all four things from iHerb. If you would like to see any of them first or have any quick questions, you can tell me in the comments (keep in mind I have to test the skin care stuff thoroughly for a proper review), otherwise I'll just post them in a random order, but starting with the gold topper from Essence

Have a great day!

What I Bought in France and Other Recent Purchases


It's been more than two weeks since I've returned from France, but I wanted to a least try some of the products before I wrote anything. I didn't get much stuff. Strangely I left Sephora empty handed, but I did purchase a couple of things in Yves Roche, Douglas and Carrefour. 

I already reviewed the Dream Touch blush here -> click

I got two things in Douglas: I love... peaches & cream set and Bourjois Magic Nail polish remover.
I love... peaches & cream set includes a shower gel, lotion and a mesh bath sponge in the prettiest light peach colour.    Both products have a nice peach-mixed-with-a-bit-of-cream scent, so sweet and fruity. Actually, it reminds me a bit of Britney Spears' Midnight Fantasy, or at least on how it smells on me. I was quite impressed by the lotion, because it's thicker than I thought it would be and it moisturises well.  

Bourjois Magic Nail polish remover really cuts the amount of time you spent on removing nail polishes to a mere couple of minutes. I'm sure most of you already heard about this product. I do like it a lot, however, it is way to expensive for what it really is (I paid over 8€), so a bit of sponge with some remover. I'm just waiting for cheaper knock-offs to appear on the market. It does smell nice, like fruit and vanilla, also it leaves your fingers and nails quite moisturised, so it is better than your run-oft-he-mill nail polish remover.

I left Yves Rocher with two items: LE fragrance Mango and Passion Fruit and Monoi de Tahiti oil. I regret purchasing the latter as, if I use the description of my (male) friend, it smells like grandma. Ok, that's a bit harsh, but it is a bit to flowery for me (a lot of people like it a lot, judging by the good reviews on MUA). I expected a nice coconut-beachy fragrance and this is not it. But it does have a nice consistency and sinks into the skin quite fast.
The mango-passion fruit fragrance is lovely. It's a typical summer-coctail-Escada type of scent and I really like it. It doesn't last long though. There was another LE fragrance, which smelled like pina colada, but I restrained myself from purchasing a small bottle of that too.

Last month I suddenly wanted some jasmine scented products and after some well executed Google searches, I found that Lush Flying Fox shower gel and Lust perfume fit my wishes best. Both have a very strong jasmine scent, Flying Fox also has a bit of honey mixed in. It's not the type of scent I'd love to smell every day, but sometimes I do like something different. Flying Fox is very runny and I hate Lush packaging with passion (does anyone else find their plastic bottles so damn hard to squeeze?), so in general I probably won't repurchase it. I much prefer my L'Occitane almond shower oil for pampering. 
Lust solid perfume has a very strong jasmine scent that I think a lot of people wouldn't really like (my friend  - btw the same as above- pointed out it's nice, but too strong). The scent lasts really long on the skin, also beware that it leaves red stains on clothes. 


Ruby Kisses nail polish in Tropical Blend looks amazing in the bottle. It's an amazing bright pinky-coral shade that unfortunately translates into neon orange on my nails. And I don't like that, so it's a miss purchase for me. The quality of the polish itself is quite nice though.

Essence recently released a collection of 6 fragrances that are available in 50 and 10 ml bottles. After testing all, I liked the Like a First Day in Spring the most and I purchased a small bottle. It's again a very Escadaish type of scent, so very sweet and fruity, but also a bit fresh. Top notes: orange, tangerine, pineapple. Middle notes: rose, blackberries, praline. Base notes: musk, sandalwood, vanilla. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long (but so don't Escada fragrances for a much heftier price tag), I don't mind respraying it anyway. The 10 ml bottle is a great purse size and not that expensive, it retails for around 3-4€.


Thanks for reading!