Perfume Vaults: The Olive Branch

Today, I thought I'd do a little bit of shameless gloating! LOOK WHAT I OWN!


The Olive Branch is a shower gel that I truly love, and so I feel pratically honoured to own it in perfume for. Originally made for the Lush forum, I found this on eBay (Although a member of the forum, this was before my Lush time) This is exactly the scent of the shower gel, bang on!

For those of you who haven't smelt The Olive Branch yet, it's an eclectic mix of calm, and citrus. It's main notes are mandarin and bergamot, meaning that although it is fruity with a citrus punch, it is subtle in nature due to the inclusion of Vine Leaf. The perfumes lasting strength is also fantastic, it's one of those that goes for hours and hours and hours! Almost as if it won't give up! Lol! I'd say you'd get about 8-10 hours of wear out of this perfume. It's almost mouthwatering, this truly is the perfect perfume!

I cannot recommend this enough. If you can ever get your hands on a bottle, no matter the price, I say LEAP FOR IT! The only reason for me not giving this an ALL STARS Lush product title is the fact that it can't be bought anymore in stores or online, otherwise it would be in there in a heartbeat. Seriously, guys, hunt this down! You won't be dissapointed.

February Lush Favourites 2016

So, March has been going for a little while, so I thought.. Why not do a February favourites post? This will be short and sweet, with not much of a review for each product, but if they're on here, know that recently, I've been loving them!!


1) 25:43 perfume (shamless double picture use) - This is so sweet, and citrusy that it has been perfect for summoning the spiritual spring that we are all well and truly ready for! I smell lime, and white chocolate, so it's lovely and sweet. I think I've worn this every day since I had it delivered.

2) Whoosh Shower Jelly - I used to HATE shower jellies, like really super hate them, but recently I've been totally digging them. I've found the best way to use them is like a bar of soap, as opposed to breaking pieces off. It works better with the smaller ones because they seem firmer and easier to grasp, but the bigger ones last SO much longer! Whoosh is my favourite because of the smell, it's zesty with a bit of seaweed, it's a quintessential Lush smell to me. It's also perfect to wake you up in a morning!

3) Sunny Day - I've really been loving this recently! It's perfect to absolutely soak your hair in after you've washed it, and then blow dry out! Fly aways be gone, and say hello to sleek, soft hair! It's super easy to use and you get loads of product for your money. PLUS, it's got Lemon Juice in there which makes hair shiny and glossy! 

So those are my 3 Feb favourites! These aren't quite ALL STARS products yet, but I've been using and adoring these throughout February, and probably will do into March!

Lush ALL STARS: Sympathy For The Skin

So, my blog is doing well and better than I'd expected which I love! Thank you to everyone whos' been reading thus far! I've made some big steps, one being the addition of a twitter account linked to the blog (@freshmadelush) where I tweet funny things, and remind people every time I post, and then there's also this new series I'm going to be starting. I'm going to be calling it, Lush ALL STARS (fans of the drag race can unite here!) This series will collate the best of the best Lush products into one smooth category for your viewing pleasure. I don't yet have a frequency at which I plan to post this series, but for now it will be as and when I find a product worthy. So, without further ado, let's begin!

As you can tell by this title, the first product making it's way into this list is, Sympathy For The Skin Hand and Body Lotion.

This cream packs a hella good punch of moisture! I use this all over my body in a morning, and I'm good to go for the whole day. It's predominant ingredient is Fair Trade Vanilla Pod Infusion. Besides this smelling absolutely fantastic, it has a beautifully softening effect on the skin. This, partnered with the Almond Oil, and Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, means this lotion can really deeply moisturise, without feeling at all greasy.

For me, the best part of this lotion is the inclusion of Bananas. Bananas, in the context of cosmetics, are an emollient (Meaning it helps to keep moisture in the skin) and are also highly moisturising and softening, meaning skin is flexible, and getting rid of that tight, dry feeling!

The scent of this is a mix of Lemon, Rose, Sandalwood, Labdanum, and Vanilla, but honestly, all I can smell is cookie dough. The perfume of this is so absurdly delicious. It's strong enough to wear on it's own, but partnered with Vanillary perfume, and you are literally a walking bakery.

Members of the Lush ALL STARS will not receive a rating out of 5. They are an ALL STARS product because they score a 6.

Review: D'fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap

Shaving is perhaps the most ignored part of the Lush store, and for good reason really, is there anything 'exciting' about a shaving cream? Perhaps not. The answer Lush are giving to this is D'fluff, a strawberry milkshake scented shaving soap.

So, how do you use it? Wet the area you wish the shave, scoop some D'fluff up in your hand, lather it up on the area you wish to shave, and then use that as your shaving cream. Simple enough. This is a product that I really didn't want to like, simply because 'it's boring' but alas, I've fallen in love.

First of all, this contains SO many ingredients to soften and hydrate the skin, which for anyone with dry skin like me, is a MUST when shaving! We have; Coconut Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Glycerine, Cocoa Butter, Strawberries, and Fresh Organic Free Range Eggs Whites, to name to just a few.

This helps to combat after shave fluffy-ness and dryness, by hydrating and smoothing.

This also contains Rose Absolute, which is perfect for avoiding post-shave irritation due to it's soothing nature.

Personal experience of the product? I find it easy to use in the shower, I use it to shave my underarms and belly (I can't stand body hair!) and not my face, I think it might be a little bit too rich for my sensitive skin, but go ahead and try it for yourself. I do notice a notable difference between D'fluff and any drugstore bought shaving cream. It's thick, creamy and luxurious. My only downside is that recently, Lush seem to have added chunks of Strawberries inside of there. This makes it a little bit messy to use at times, especially if in a rush, but apart from that I cannot fault it. I've not had an ingrown hair since using it, and oddly, I find I don't need to shave as often (once every week, as opposed to once every three days) 

I would rate this product a 4.5 out of 5. The only reason it's not a 5 is because of the recent addition of strawberries. Fucking god damn strawberries.

My Current Hair Routine For Thick Unruly Hair

Today I'm going to take you through a really simple routine for hair like mine. Thick and unruly, my hair has a mind of it's own. I have a lot of fly-aways and flicks in my hair where it does not go the way I want it to, and sometimes struggle with grease and oil. This routine would also work really well on thin hair with the same troubles, but don't go as heavy with the conditioner would be my advice!

Step 1 is Big Shampoo. Big is an ultra clarifying and volumising shampoo due to it's high content of Sea Salt. Massaging this into the scalp will add bounce to hair that often falls flat, I love to really work this one in!
Big also contains Lemon and Lime, which will help to add shine to the hair, making it look vibrant and luscious (Pun!)
It also contains Coconut Oil, which will soften the hair, making it more sleek, and taming fly-aways.

Big has almost a jelly-like consistency, with the chunks of Sea Salt floating throughout. It's super easy to use, all you do is scoop out a small amount in your hand, and rub it in to your hair/scalp! It has a really beautiful, yet neutral sea-side fragrance to it, which lingers in the hair too. This is one of the best-sellers, and I have no reason to ask why! If you have thick or even fine hair, that often falls flat and flumps, you need this!

Step 2 is Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioner (HHJJ) This one is perfect if, like me, you find Veganese too light, and American Cream too strong! This has a luxurious base of Almond Milk, Rose Oil, and Orange Blossom Water, all helping to smooth, add shine, and to protect the hair.
Perhaps the best thing about HHJJ is the scent! It's a mélange of Orange Blossom, Neroli, and Grapefruit. Fans of Orange Blossom Perfume, Sakura Bath Bomb, or Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub will love this! This conditioner is perfumed, and so the scent really does last in the hair. Sometimes after using this, I find I don't feel I need to wear perfume that day, which for me, is a big deal.
The high content of oil in this conditioner, means it lightly coats the hair. Adding gloss and shine, without weighing the hair down, and making it look over-conditioned, or greasy.

Step 3 is really simple. After you've washed everything out, spray Sunny Day generously throughout the hair before blow-drying. This is going to tame those damn fly-aways and stop hair from getting so tangled. Out, damned knot!
It contains Honey to soften the hair, and moisturise it. The number one cause of fly-aways is dry hair, so this really helps as an active ingredient, there's also Lemon Juice to add shine, and Rosewood Oil to tame hair down and make it behave! Sunny Day can also be used on dry hair, though I find it does work best on wet hair.

I'm quite into breaking the cost down for you readers recently, so the subtotal for this routine is:
Big Shampoo: 330g/£12.75
Happy Happy Joy Joy: £9.75/100g (This one IS worth it, I promise!)
Sunny Day (Not Vegan) £9.95/100g

Lets Talk... Temple Balms

For those of you who don't know, Lush has a spa! *Angels sing* There are 10 treatments available over 8 locations in the UK. I've had three of them, The Validation Facial, The Tailor Made, and The Synaesthesia. All of them leaving me feeling fantastic and grounded. I will talk more about the spa in another post, today I'm going to talk about the Temple Balm products used in some of the treatments, that are actually available to buy, only in the stores with a Spa inside.

There are two available, and if I remember rightly (My store is not a spa store) they retail for about £5.75. I own both of them, Whoosh, and Dream Time, both scented with the corresponding products in the store.
So, how do you use them? You warm them up with your finger, and apply them to your temples (I do wrists and sides just below forehead) to provide relief or stimulation. They both contain different essential oils, designed to soak into your skin and 'do a thing'. Do I find they do a thing? No.

Whoosh is designed to wake you up and get you going on your day, which scent-wise I agree, however I don't think the concept of the balm works. This works very well as aromatherapy (smelling it straight from the tin) in a morning, or even in an exam, but I don't think as a balm, it works for the intended purpose. I use this mainly as a solid perfume actually, as Whoosh is a lovely, zesty scent, which is very clean and classy. I don't think this one is worth the money.

Dream Time, however, I do think works. This one is naturally calming and is scented with the Dream Cream scent, or the Dream Time bath oil, if you're lucky enough to have Oxford Street as your local Lush store. This one I apply to my head and within minutes I'll be calm and ready for bed. I find this one amazing for nerves and anxiety in daily life, as a little bit of this on the wrists of the forehead does wonders to soothe and rationalise my thinking and my nervousness. I actually really do love Dream Time. This one is available in the Lush Spa gift set that is sold in all stores for £33.95.

All in all, I'm not entirely sure a Temple Balm is a real thing, I think it's a clever marketing strategy and is a good money maker, and although I do love the Dream Time Temple Balm, I'm not sure I'd pay for it again, as I just don't think they're up to par with the rest of the amazing products Lush has to offer.

Tallow From The Other Side

I am a massive supporter of cruelty-free cosmetics, and will only allow myself to use brands that are cruelty free. Animal testing in particular is not a thing that I understand. In my head, if a consultation with a customer went like this;
Shop Assistant: So that's our best selling cream
Customer: Oh, okay, will I get a reaction from it?
Shop Assistant: Well, I rubbed a bit on a bunny, and it worked out fine, so you're good!

I would be incredibly worried. I don't find rubbing things on animals comforting. I believe in human tested cosmetics, it's more reliable, more ethical, and a darn sight more fair. For years, The Body Shop has been known to support animal rights and campaign against animal testing. It was a brilliant and highly ethical brand. That was, until it was bought by a parent company, L'Oreal, who do infact test on animals, and contribute to animal testing. Up to this point, The Body Shop still did not test, it was just owned by a company that did. Slightly forgivable to some, until recently...

Photo credit to: Alessandro Commisso.

In Brazil, The Body Shop have recently taken over a small cosmetics brand called, Empório Body Store. Meaning they are no selling this soap, containing Sodium Tallowate - Animal Fat.

Turns out this lucky four leaf clover soap is only lucky if you're a human. Sorry animals, you don't get luck from The Body Shop.

If you really want to be cruelty free, then do your research, there's lots of resources available to find out what brands do and don't test. This is not vegans or vegetarians 'shoving their lifestyle down your throat' before you start, because I'm neither. I simply believe in animal rights.

The following video is fantastic, as Emma talks about a list of non-cruelty free brands that you maybe thought where: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoCdwrPUu2I