Girls Night In With Lush…

Any ‘girls night in’ is usually guaranteed to be a hoot but when it includes my 10 year old daughter’s version of a mama-daughter pamper-party it’s sure to include mess, giggles, plenty of ridiculous selfies (as you can see from below) and of course a face masks!

Combining a few fun hours with my mini bestie (& testing out new beauty products) is such a treat for relaxing on those fabulous Friday nights that mark the end of a busy week. Of course to add to the excitement, it was my debut testing of the Lush BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask. How exciting gals! 😀

Fancy finding out more? Then let’s get started…

On what was my third visit to the very lively Lush Belfast store I was warmly welcomed by yet another cheery customer advisor who just so happened to be a mini guru on skin care. Unfortunately I couldn’t catch her name or I’d have given her a quick shout out, however she was so incredibly helpful & knowledgeable of the products on offer. I have to admit Lush is one of the very few shops I consistently depart from feeling so much cheerier than when I go in . Whatever magical formula they use to select and educate their staff it works wonders – they’re all so darn happy! Then again, who wouldn’t be skipping to work if it looked anything like this?…

 

(Lush Oxford Street Display)

After a 10 minute chat with my Lush face mask guru it was determined that I was a BB Seaweed kinda girl. Now I have to admit ladies, when the assistant first introduced me to the little pot of greyish coloured goop it most definitely wasn’t love at first sight… a concoction of British coastal seaweed smeared all over my face? Hmmm. Bang goes my dream of a delightfully tropical scented fruity fusion from some far flung corner of the Carribean *sigh* HOWEVER, being a newbie (and in the supple hands of an expert) I thought I’d take her word for it and wisely invest…  whilst all the time secretly hoping it was every bit as good as what she claimed it would be!

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What Lush Say about the BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask: 

A calming fresh face mask with fresh seaweed, ground almonds, rose absolute and aloe vera to soothe and soften the skin. We also use rosemary oil for its regenerative qualities, kaolin to remove any excess dirt or oil, and millet flakes to gently exfoliate away dead skin as you scrub it off. To use, smooth a generous layer of this mask onto your face and leave for 10 to 15 minutes.

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First things first: like any of the Lush Fresh Face Mask range it’s essential you keep these little pots refrigerated. You’ll also notice a ‘Use By’ date labelled on the tub, so do ensure you use it up before that date. Because it’s stored in such a cool climate, applying the mask initially feels intensely cold on the skin and although I’m not a fan of teeth chattering environments this feels so incredibly soothing and not at all uncomfortable… if anything I wanted it to stay as cool as possible be as my skin seemed to really enjoy the cold sensation.

 

In terms of aroma, thankfully it doesn’t smell anything like the old pile of seaweed I imagined it to honk off. It’s most definitely not an offensive smell but is in fact quite a distinctive clay based aroma. Considering that I only kept it on for 10-15 minutes it really wasn’t an issue… even for someone as fussy about fragrances as I am! However if you are quite sensitive to smells I’d recommend dabbing a little flavoured lip balm just at the base of your nostrils to help distract from the sea/clay mineral scent!

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The consistency of the product is naturally quite thick. As it contains chunks of seaweed it does feel a little lumpy when smearing the initial layer on, however I’d highly recommend applying with a clean spatula. It’ll certainly spare your hands from getting smothered & stops any transference of bacteria from hands to tub or face – especially as there’s enough product for multiple uses!

 

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As the minutes ticked by, I could feel the product begin to set. That beautiful ice cold sharpness slowly began to fade as the magic ingredients worked their magic on my weary pores. It’s not often I (if ever) I’ve felt a mask actively working on my skin, but I could really feel my skin absorbing the goodness of the minerals. After 15 gorgeous relaxing minutes, I dully plodded my way to the bathroom to reluctantly wash my seaweed covered face clean. The Lush assistant also recommended that I washed it off using small massaging circular motions to ensure an extra deep clean – wow, she wasn’t wrong as it felt amazing.

After dabbing my face dry with a towel & inspecting the results in the mirror I was in shock… gone was my blotchy red patches that had looked tired and worn-out less than 20 minutes earlier. Hello velvety soft smooth skin that had an even tone & glorious fresh glow. It actually looked how skin SHOULD look… healthy.

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I’ve already recommended the Lush BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask to quite a few of my friends who are now converted fans of it. Considering I’d probably get 3 or 4 uses out of this little tub, £6.50 is exceptionally good quality for such impressive results. It may seem small but it definitely packs a surprising punch in terms of how much sea-weedy goodness it holds.

Realistically this has to take the crown for the most impressive face mask I’ve used to date. If you haven’t tried it then don’t resist temptation, give yourself a treat you will not regret it one bit!

*click here* to check out the range of face masks & other goodies via the Lush UK website.

Have you tried the Lush Fresh Face Mask range? What’s your favourite beauty essentials for a girly night in? Whatever your thoughts do let me know in the comments below! As always have a super weekend – we surely will as Emma celebrates her 10th Birthday on Sunday *woo hoo* Bring on pressies, cards & cake gallore!

Cheerio chums…

(and Emma xo) 🙂

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