I just started a regular workout routine again and oi, my body is sore. So much so that I think an overall massage would actually hurt too much at this point. So I am starting slow and glad I have LUSH’s Hottie Massage Bar on hand for my calves (we did 100+ lifts!) and triceps from the brutal pushups.

The shape of the bar is square so it’s easy to hang onto whilst rubbing and the bumps on the bar actually need to help massage the oils into the skin!  

The formula in this bar is specifically made for really sore muscles and contains black pepper oil to help get the circulation going as well as ginger oils and then their usual Shea Butter, jojoba oil and cocoa butter to nourish the skin. Overall I wasn’t really wild about the scent and I saw that they have this one. Must. Get. Hands. On. It!

I keep a few of their massage bars  on the coffee table in front of the TV so when I’m their watching my latest VH1 reality show, I can mindlessly some into elbows, knees and especially heels. $8.95/1oz @ lush.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

There’s just something about the honey-based products that LUSH puts out. They are the best (bold) smelling honey products I have ever come across and I just want to shout this from the mountain tops! The latest one I’m loving is It’s Raining Men. It’s a shower gel for the body and hair and maybe it smells so yum because the first ingredient listed is Honey, then Rosehip, Lotus Flower and Tiger Lily. If you are a Lush fan, this is one to check out. $8.95/3.3oz, $16.95/8.4oz, $24.95/16.9oz @ lush.com.

This product contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. Read more here.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I’m pretty obsessed with LUSH’s new fragrances. The Tuca Tuca one ruled my world a few weeks ago and I finally was able to try the others and wow, q-u-a-l-i-t-y! As I mentioned before, there are 7 new scents: Tuca Tuca, Imogen Rose, Lust, The Smell of Freedom, Orange Blossom, Karma and Vanillary. I’ve been alternating between Orange Blossom and Karma. The Orange one is really summery and starts off very floral but dries down to what they call a honeyed wood.

And Karma is the one I’ve been wearing in the eves. It’s more earthy, with the pine oil inside coming from Eurasia. Mix that with patchouli and citrus notes and you’ve got Karma. I know that the patchouli scent can turn off most but this one really does not make it stand out, it only adds to the depth of the scent. 

And they even offer these scents in a solid form. Thank you Lush! $8.95 to $64.95 @ lush.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

LUSH is on a total roll with me these days. They call their Crème Anglaise Hand and Body Lotion the most luxurious creams they make and I must agree. The ingredient list opens with Almond Infusion, Saffron Infusion and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter, all of which are very good for the skin. Then listed are the oils that attribute to the nice scent. So how does it smell? It’s a combo of almond, vanilla, saffron and myrrh so it is very decadent and powdery but might not appeal to everyone. But you like these kinds, know that the scents lasts quite a long time on the skin!

Now the bad news – the cost for this is $44.95 for 7.9oz and I think that’s because it contains real saffron, which is one of the most expensive spices in the world but this might turn into one of those splurge products that is so worth the price like my beloved mascara. Available @ lush.com. 

This product contains Propylparaben, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. Read more here.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

This Turkish Delight from LUSH has really thrown me (I vaguely remember the candy, btw). They call it a Body Polish but it’s more of a glorified soap or body wash and I didn’t feel any granules in it nor did I see any exfoliating ingredients, except salt about half way down. Hmmm. It kind of reminds me of this one because it is a solid milky, pink in this case, color and not at all like the texture I am used to from a body polish. It kind of looks like a shiny cake frosting! Anyway, the first ingredient in this is rose water and mmm, what a great scent that is! I have had this one sitting on my desk for about 1 week now to write up and everytime I see it, I have to open and get a sniff!

It’s soap-based and is also made with jasmine, almond oil and cocoa butter among others. $29.95/7oz @ lush.com.

And don’t forget about their recycling program – bring back 5 black pots (like this one comes in) and get a free fresh face mask.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

It’s been hotter than hot in most parts of the country so why not give a mist a shot? I can’t think of a better way to give yourself an instant cool down and all three of these are over-the-makeup approved.

 

SKINDINAVIA Summer Moisturizer SPF8 (39/4oz @ skindinavia.com) – made especially for the summer months (the SPF could be higher, no?), this one contains hygroscopic moisturizer that mimics the skins own hydrating elements and is great for those with oily/combo skin.

KANEBO Hydrachange Mist ($75/3.4oz @ sensai-cosmetics.com) – From the Sensai Collection, this one contains their Hydrachange Complex to moisturize the skin and their Aqua Floral fragrance.

SKYN ICELAND Arctic Face Mist ($29/3.99oz @ skyniceland.com) – The name of this just sounds refreshing! Spray on some of the Multivitamin Complex with vitamins like A, B, C and E amongst others to nourish the skin.

LUSH Breath of Fresh Air ($8.95/3.3oz @ lush.com) – Never have to worry about bad ingredients inside any Lush products! Be like New Edition and Cool It Down with aloe vera gel, fresh sea water and rose oil, among others.

A tip for all of these - keep them in the frig so when you spray, instant cooling relief.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes. Some I bought.

Here we are at the end of our on-going Spring Color Picks feature. So have you added any of the suggestions like Coral, Turquoise, Tuscany, Violet or Tomato Puree to your makeup routine? Here are some more recs for Tomato and Turq. What’s great about turquoise is that sometimes it’s on the green side and sometimes more on the blue side. The two nail polishes here really depict that.

From L to R clockwise:

MAYBELLINE NEW YORK Color Sensational Lipstick in #635 Very Cherry ($7.49 @ walgreens.com)
GIVENCHY Phenomen’Eyes Waterproof Mascara in Water Turquoise ($29 @ sephora.com)
ESSIE Nail Polish in Turquoise & Caicos ($8 ulta.com)
SULA BEAUTY Paint and Peel Nail in Haze ($9 @ sulabeauty.com)
CHINA GLAZE Nail Lacquer in Italian Red ($6.50 @ jcpenney.com)
LUSH Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb ($3.95/2.1oz @ lush.com)
DIOR Addict Ultra Gloss in Little Red Dress ($26.50 @ qvc.com)
JOSIE MARAN Eye Shadow in Bali ($20 @ qvc.com)
DAVINES Wizard No 9 Structuring Mist ($26/8.45oz @ walmart.com)
L’OREAL Infallible Plumping Lip Gloss in Plumped Red ($9.99 @ lorealparisusa.com)
ERNO LASZLO Blue Firmarine Treatment Bar ($39/5oz @ sephora.com)

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes. Some I bought.

If you follow any aspect of fashion, you’ve heard that the Pantone Color of the Year for 2010 is Turquoise. Just hearing that news recently made me want to redo my living room or at least add some turquoise accents. Did I? No but I it did make me think of beauty products and how I could reflect the trend in my everyday makeup look with a splash of liquid on my nails or powder on my lids. “Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.”

Other colors of the Spring Season? Tomato Purée, Fusion Coral, Violet and Tuscany, to name a few. So what does that mean to you? I’ll be highlighting some products that showcase the colors in an on-going feature called Spring Color Picks. First up? Turquoise and Tomato Purée. I’m pairing the soothing blue-green and the tangy classic red in one feature as I think they balance each other out nicely. 

So you wanna see the product picks? 

Click here to read more

When I was little, one of my favorite books was called Little Bunny Follows His Nose. It’s a scratch-and-sniff book and I pretty much wore it out. Just remembering this book and doing a Google search for it really brings back nice memories! Maybe that’s how my fascination will scents began. Here are two I can’t stop smelling right now.

LUSH really hit it right on the nose with these new vanilla products! Gimme the Heavanilli Massage Bar ($9.95/1.9oz) for when I’m sitting in front of the TV catching up on VH1 reality shows. And then gimme the Vanilla Deelite Lotion ($24.95/8.45oz) for post shower. The Hawaiian tamanu and monoi oils in this one sink in my skin super quick. Both @ lush.com.

If you’ve been a reader of the site for a while, you know I’m wild about the smell of honey. I just got my hands on some of the new Naked Honey collection from MAC, so look for a feature on that coming soon. In the meantime, UPPER CANADA SOAP’s Body Butter Warm Honey Nectar ($13/6.4oz @ uppercanadasoap.com) from the Naturally Collection, is delighting me right now. It’s really thick and is free of parabens and mineral oil and perfect for those areas that need a little extra attention like heels and elbows.

I’m bored with my face lotion. I have been using the same one for the past month since it’s been kinda cold out here on the west coast and I’m just board with it. Hanging out in the “to try” bin was LUSH’s Imperialis Moisturizer ($21.35/1.5oz @ lush.com) and this seemed to not only perk my skin up but also my mood.

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