Guiltless Goodies: Valentine's Day LUSH-iousness

Hi all!

I'm a little bit cynical about Valentine's Day (did I say little bit? When I say that I mean, very), but I understand that there are millions of loved-up couples out there who aren't, so this post is for them.

LUSH, an all-natural, cruelty-free store which challenges the olfactory senses every time you enter, has some great products on the menu for Valentine's Day treats. In the days when I wasn't so bitter and cynical and celebrated Valentine's Day with my then-boyfriend, we bought some products from LUSH so I can assure you these recommendations are tried and tested.

Vanilla Scoop
This goody bag of items all have one thing in common: you guessed it - vanilla. I personally am not a big fan of food scents on my body but I know some people just go nuts for ice cream flavoured body lotion or chocolate mud wraps, so this would be the ideal gift for a girlfriend or - hey, why not? - boyfriend who is so inclined.

Containing Vanilla Dee-Lite (body lotion), vanilla-scented puff powder for the body, Vanillary fragrance and a vanilla fountain bath bomb, this kit covers all the bases. If you know what I mean.

LUSH Vanilla Scoop, $79.95, lush.ca

Be Mine
This kit contains a Honey Trap lip balm, Flying Fox shower gel and Soft Coeur massage bar. LUSH's massage bars are genius - they look and feel, at first, like soap, but when they are used to massage the skin the body's heat melts the bar into a cross between massage oil and body lotion. This one is chocolate and honey scented, so again, works well for those who like a culinary twist to their body products.

LUSH Be Mine, $24.95, lush.ca

True Love

In an elegant heart-shaped box, this gift is packed with goodies. Touted as "everything you need for a romantic night in", the box includes: Love Soap (a sparkly heart-shaped soap scented with jasmine, clary sage and ylang ylang), Vanilla Dee-Lite body lotion, Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel (strawberry-scented), Sex Bomb bath bomb and the return of the massage bar with Heavanilli, a vanilla-scented massage bar. You can't really go wrong with this selection; there's enough variety for everyone to end up ...well, satisfied.

                                 

LUSH True Love, $44.95, lush.ca

So for all you happy couples out there, Happy Valentine's Day - ignore my cynicism, head to LUSH and have yourself a great night :-).

Proving you don't have to be cruel to be kind,

GiGi

Guiltless Goodies: H20 refreshes the face with these beauty boosters!

Full feature in October 2009 issue of FITNESS magazine (www.fitnessmagazine.com).

Hi all:

In the October 2009 issue of FITNESS magazine the mag's beauty editors focused on H20-quenching beauty products that do wonders for your face. Guiltless & Glamorous weeded through the picks to reveal the cruelty-free options that you can feel guiltless about adding to your make-up bag!

You don't have to be cruel to be kind,

GiGi

In the Clear - Add a drop of cleanser to Mark Berry Grand Exfoliating Beads ($9, meetmark.com). The fine fruit seeds and rice powder buff skin.

Tester says: "It's perfect for blackhead zones like the nose, especially after a sweat session." - Leah Wyar, beauty director

Make-up Multitasker - Powder lids with Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner ($10.95, drugstores) or apply it with a wet brush to your lash line.

Tester says: "The many colours offer a new look every day." - Cassie Chellis, Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Solid Choice - Bye-bye, bulky bottles! Each Lush Shampoo Bar ($9.45 each, lushusa.com) is packed with nourishing essential oils and lasts for 70 washes. Rub onto damp strands and rinse.

Tester says: "It foams up like liquid shampoo, plus it leaves hair soft." - Irma Villasana, Provo, Utah

For more on Lush's cruelty-free policies see post "Caring Companies: LUSH comes up clean".

Caring Companies: LUSH comes up clean!

Hi all:

Lush Cosmetics have one of the strongest-smelling stores you'll ever enter, but once your nose adjusts, you won't need to worry about your conscience.

At www.lushusa.com, the company lays out all of its policies for the conscious consumer to appreciate. I have put them below for ease of reading! Let's all encourage Lush in its efforts to make our world better!

You don't have to be cruel to be kind,

GiGi

Our Core Beliefs

We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We invent our own products and fragrances. We make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients, and tell you when they were made.

We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans.

We believe in happy people making happy soap, putting our faces on our products and making our mums proud.

We believe in long candlelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again.

We believe our products are good value, that we should make a profit and that the customer is always right.

* We also believe words like fresh and organic have honest meaning beyond marketing.