It’s been quite a while since my last LUSH haul! I did purchase a couple small things earlier this Spring, but my last major one was probably during the famous yearly Christmas Boxing Day Sale. I usually shop the sale at both LUSH USA and LUSH UK sites because they often offer different products. The sale terms are actually quite different too: the US store offers BOGO, while the the UK store is a 50% discount, so you don’t need to buy doubles and have a chance to try more things.
Now, the UK site always had better pricing for everything, considering the exchange rate. Usually there is about $2-$5 difference on most things, which quickly adds up and turns into a decent discount if you are buying several products. The shipping charges are also very reasonable: £5.95 if your package is not very heavy, and £7.95 for larger ones. There is also an option for courier delivery that costs £26, and it’s the only options for orders that are either too heavy or too expensive. I personally never ordered enough to meet that mark though, so maybe there’s hope for me after all, haha 🙂
Anyway, do you get where I’m going with this? If you are familiar with major world news, then you know that United Kingdom recently voted to leave the EU, which was a global event that sent the pound sterling into a sharp downward spiral, weakening it against US dollar, euro, and other major currencies. That is terrible news for the British economy, but good news if you like to shop at the UK stores. My LUSH haul today would’ve cost me over $100 with tax and shipping if I bought these products through the US website. But thanks to the current USD to GBP conversion rates, all of these goodies totaled around $60 shipped. Not bad, eh?
Alright, now that I’ve successfully enabled you, here are the mini reviews for the things I bought.
The Olive Branch [$19.95, available here] – This body wash was actually my second choice, but my first choice was sold out at the time and I took a chance with The Olive Branch. Unlike traditional body washes, this one was quite runny and separated easily, so I have to shake it before every use. The citrusy fragrance is mild, but pleasant – nothing special really, it’s definitely not one of those strong-smelling LUSH products we’re used to. I thought The Olive Branch nice, but not a must have or anything. So far out of all LUSH body washes the only must have I found is their Rose Jam from Christmas collection. I stock up on it every year, but my supply always runs out before the spring even begins.
Mask of Magnaminty Self-Preserving [$13.95, available here] – Unlike the US website, the UK e-store allows you to purchase fresh masks online, but they don’t guarantee freshness upon arrival. Considering that the order from UK to US can take anywhere between 2 and 3 weeks to arrive, I think it’s safe to assume that any fresh mask that needs to be refrigerated soon after the purchase will have its own unique bacterial ecosystem at that point. While I much prefer my Mask of Magnaminty to be fresh, I had no choice but to buy this one instead, and to be honest it’s just as good as the original, just slightly runnier. I love using it for pretty much everything: it clears the pores, perks up my skin, increases circulation, cools down the surface, and gently exfoliates. This is one of my favorites and ranks highly among my top-5 must try LUSH products. If you want, I can make a list for the other 4 in a separate post.
Sympathy for the Skin [$27.95, available here] – This has to be one of the most nourishing body lotions I currently own, but it’s also quite runny and easy to apply. It looks like a pancake dough in a pot, and I seriously can’t get enough of it. LUSH packed it with crushed bananas, vanilla, cocoa butter, and added a touch of sandalwood oil to ground this overly sweet concoction, and guys it’s totally heavenly! I seriously can’t think of a single negative thing to say about this body lotion. I guess maybe if you don’t like body lotions in pots then this one might not be for you, but that’s a LUSH thing and a lot of their products come in black pots like these.
Ocean Salt Alcohol Free [$36.95, available here] – This is a cult LUSH scrub that’s loved by so many people, and when I first tried a sample many years ago I liked it too. When I saw that LUSH had an alcohol-free version, that’s what I went for because supposedly alcohol in large quantities is bad for your skin. I have to say, although I do like it I don’t think I love it enough to buy again. Right now I’m using it as a body scrub and it does a great job exfoliating my legs before I shave . When I tried it on my face it felt like my skin was set on fire 🙁
Have you tried any of this stuff? What is your favorite LUSH product? Let me know in the comments below!
Disclosure: This post features products purchased by Glamorable and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
