Lust for Lush and Charity Talk (Haul)

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First of all sorry about this photo, EEVEE is nosey and this was the only clear shot I had. Can't say that I blame her - everything did smell pretty good lol.

#dogmomproblems - #bloggerproblems

On Sunday we stopped by the mall to grab a quick bite to eat and Steve had some errands to run as well. I had been meaning to stop by LUSH since my last video due to all of the recommendations from my subscribers so after Steve picked up his dress shirt I decided to stop in. (I actually haven't shopped at LUSH in about a year because sadly I have become sensitive to some of their products. (even though I had been using them on and off for years.))

I did end up finding a few new things (and one re-purchase) that I thought I would share with you. 

LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub

Retail $9.95

 I am no stranger to the Mint Julips lip scrub - I love it! This will be my 3rd jar (admittedly I did lose my first one though >_<). I'm a little more than 1/2 way through my current jar so I decided to grab another one for when I am finished. 
(I did also purchase the Sarah Happ Peppermint Lip Scrub from Nordstrom as well this week but I haven't tried it yet. I'll let you know how they compare in my February Hits & Misses : ) I'm really on the quest for the Sara Happ Lip Slip but it was sold out.)

LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter 

Retail $16.95

The Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter was the product I was most after this trip. I believe I had seen Kimberly of Tryst Lacquers, whom I mentioned in yesterday's nail post, say that this is what she uses for her cuticles so I was on it. 

I don't cut my cuticles and my hands tend to get quite dry so I really needed something for them because just lotion was not cutting it! I even had some cuticle oil but it was just sinking right in and I was still left with dry, peeling cuticles. 

I've only had this since Sunday but I am LOVING it! It makes the skin around my nails look SO much healthier! It has been amazing. I have never had a cuticle product give me such great results! I do need to re-apply a couple times a day right now though. 

It doesn't stop there:

 I am also using this on my toes, rubbing in the excess onto the rest of my foot and am loving the results there as well. (I don't typically have problems with my feet but I always try and moisturize them because I was looking at a few shoe posts of celebrities in Christian Louboutins and O_o dang. An ugly foot can really kill a great shoe. lol. So many women had wrinkly, veiny feet! Of course with age that may happen but these women were not that old (it looked more like they had been baking in the sun for too many years vs. just regular aging skin) so I have been really trying to take care of the tops of my hands and feet.)

Lastly I am using this on a stubborn dry patch on my leg. I am not sure why but this year I have been getting this really itchy patch and I am someone that if I have an itch - I gotta scratch it. Then of course I end up irritating my skin further and it's a whole big fiasco. (I actually was worried I had eczema or psoriasis, it was that bad for a bit. I've had something similar before on the same leg and with intensive moisturizing it eventually went away and never returned. This time it is on a naturally dryer area, my shin, so I am having a hard time keeping it hydrated. I've tried so many things, body oils, body butters, doing wraps, etc. all with minimal improvement so I am really hoping this works.) The woman at LUSH said not only is it super hydrating but the lemon in it also works to "eat away at the dry/dead skin" - she said she even uses it on her lips. 

Fingers crossed on that. I will keep you posted! 

(btw. I have gone to a dermatologist about my itchy skin and she did not know what it was so had suggested allergy testing. I may go that route because it would be good to know exactly what the issue is I just "haven't had time" to go get it done. (I say it with " " because we so often say that when in reality we just need to SET ASIDE time.)I have had reactions in the past to things like laundry detergent etc. so my skin is pretty sensitive. This time is a bit different than what I went for originally, dryer, and only one spot but I guess I have just been too lazy to go back.)

Limited Edition for Valentine's Day - Willow Pattern Soap

Retail $XX

Price will vary depending on what size chunk you buy but I purchased a small $5 piece to try out. (Plus I liked the shape, a little more normal than most LUSH soaps I have purchased in the past. Sometimes they give you really funky pieces and it's like O_o okay that's inconvenient to use. This one just felt special in my hand. Okay - I'm weird.)

Limited Edition for Valentine's Day - Willow Pattern Soap

There actually aren't too many soaps I enjoy from LUSH - I'm not really into "naturey" scents so most of them don't appeal to me. In the past I have enjoyed 'Sultana' and 'Honey I Washed the Kids' but that's pretty much it from their permanent line. Around Christmas they have a seasonal soap called 'Snowcake' and I really enjoy that one! It smells of sweet almonds. 
(I LOVE ALMOND SCENTS!)

BUT I must say I think I love this one even more! 

It's called 'Willow Pattern Soap' and it is Limited Edition for Valentine's Day. (Of course it is because anything I ever like is either limited edition or gets discontinued. #whyyy) To me it smells like creamy rose petals, almonds and something else but I'm not sure what...similar to the Sultana soap I believe.

 (I am really starting to like the scent of rose as well. I never use to, always thought it was so old fashioned but if it's a light, more natural rose scent I'm about it. 
I also like Rose Milk Tea (as well as Almond) and Rose Macaroons (salted caramel is my favorite for those though) which are new to me so that's probably part of it. New things I enjoy that I can associate the scent with.)

What makes me love this soap even more though is how creamy it is! I feel like this is much more moisturizing than the 'Snowcake' and the scent lingers a bit longer as well. 

At the end of the day it's just soap. I don't go nuts for it nor experience miraculous changes in my skin but as far as bar soaps go I think this is my favorite right now. 


Time to stock up. 

Charity Pot Shea Butter Hand and Body Lotion

Retail $5.95

These little pots of Shea Butter Lotion were add on purchases at the counter, but for a good cause. : )

Normally this is where stores always get me. The "would you like to....to donate to....charity?", for whatever reason I can't say no! (Which isn't a bad thing I guess.) So she explained to me all of the different charities they work with etc. Basically they raise money and then at the end of the fiscal year divide it up depending on which of those charities say they need funding. 

Sadly you can not choose which charity your $6 bucks goes to but I guess it's good that it gets delivered to where it is most needed. 

You CAN however choose the lid of the lotion to show off which charity you support most! 

I narrowed it down to three. 

(which is already a lot - who needs to buy 3 of the same lotions at once!!? #thisgirl)

Charity Pot Shea Butter Hand and Body Lotion

First one - you know I had to do it. 

CONNECTICUT! Woot woot! My home state. 

I was so surprised to see this that it almost didn't matter what the charity,  I was buying it! lol. Luckily it was a charity supporting a group "working to provide humane legislation in Connecticut" for animals.

(Most of the charities I support end up being for animal care (the other charity I donate to is for veterans and then sometimes different things I come across for the troops.) I'd like to find a good one to support better elderly care especially after what my grandma went through in her final days so if you know of any please send the info my way. I wanted to start my own but don't know where to begin. Any information would be most helpful : )

Next up - I think this one is also a great cause. 

In my opinion the fur trade is absolutely disgusting. I think it is one of the more pointless animal exploitations, one that I feel could be so easily turned around. I truthfully don't know why anyone would want to wear another creature's fur/skin. It's kind of creepy if you think about it. Silence of the Lambs status.

I could go on about this for days but I really don't want to get too political on my blog. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I certainly don't mean to push my beliefs on anyone. I want my posts to be more informative and positive than preachy. 

We all have different levels of support we are able commit to but I can say that I am 100% against the use of fur. It is the true definition of "Killer Fashion". 

And lastly - this little guy. ^_^

I thought this was a wonderful cause as well, one that I think a lot of people would over look. We all want to help on such a big level that we can sometimes forget about the wildlife right in our own backyards!

I grew up in an area that is all old farmland and still very rural so we have TONS of wildlife around us! This charity really speaks to me as it gives "orphaned, injured and displaced wildlife" the care they need. 

Most charities I see that get a lot of attention are all for domestic animals or exotic animals - I never really hear anyone talk about the more common wildlife so I was happy to see this. 

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Now with all that being said, something I always get any time I want to share a charity drive type of event going on is the "well it's only... $" or "but....takes a cut, why not just donate directly to the cause", etc. etc. And of course it is great to donate directly or make a larger contribution but in all honestly most people aren't going to do that out of no where. There are so many charities out there that it can be overwhelming to find one without a little guidance. 

Things like this are great for the general public because it not only brings attention to some of the different charities and causes but you are also getting something in return which is always an encouraging incentive for people.


Buying a product to support charity does NOT mean you need to stop there. 


As I mentioned earlier, we all have different levels of support that we are able to commit to. I think that supporting a charity through product purchase is a great stepping stone. It sets the idea in motion and can really help you discover new organizations/causes, increasing your chances of finding one that you are truly passionate about. 


Lastly, your time and advocacy is just as important and powerful as a monetary contribution.


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Well this post ended up being way longer (and on a different topic) than I thought it would be. lol. I was thinking it would be just a haul. I don't plan out what I want to write before I start writing it (just like in my videos - you know how long those can be!) so sometimes I just get on a roll. It's just how my process works.

As always thank you all for reading and for following my blog! 

It's been one week, over 100,000 views, and I am still going strong! Your enthusiasm for my posts and kind words are truly motivating. 

: ) See you back here tomorrow. 

-Holly 

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