My everyday LUSH shower products

Before delving into LUSH, I thought I'd show a Matisse I saw a few weeks back. I was blown away by the size (the people in it are larger than me), colors, and balanced beauty of this painting. Bathers are a theme found throughout art history, dating back to ancient times. This painting is a nod to that theme, but done in a modern way. Apparently X-ray data shows that Matisse painted and repainted this work over several years, each time reworking it to become progressively more modular and modern. Really cool. I'm not an expert or even knowledgeable in the basics of art or art history, but it's something I enjoy and would like to learn more about. As part of finding my "blog voice", I'll include tidbits of art and other inspirations in Cute and Mundane.

A while after snapping the photo, I realized the blues and greens in the painting were reminiscent of my own bathing products! Completely unplanned. I figured I should do a post on my current favorite shower products. LUSH is one of my brands. It originates from the UK and is full of colorful, fun, and naturally fragrant bath and body products. What I like most is their socially and environmentally conscious message. None of their products, not even their ingredients from suppliers, have been tested on animals. They're one of the most rigorously adherent companies to this mantra, which I really appreciate. They also espouse other important causes as well. The products are a little pricey, but to me, they're worth it because of the focus on natural ingredients and social awareness (both of which make ingredients more expensive).

So here's what you'd find in my shower:

1. LUSH Seanik shampoo bar- By using solid shampoo bars, as opposed to liquid, so much energy is saved on both shipping (since liquids are really heavy) and packaging (no plastic bottle required). Isn't it such a great "duh" type idea? I've used liquid shampoos all my life, but I'm never going back. This bar is the best thing that's happened to my hair. It lasts 3-4 months for me, and I'm currently on my second bar. LUSH has several different kinds of shampoo bars for different hair types (colored, dry, oily, etc.) Seanik is good for volumizing thin hair like mine. If you're familiar with LUSH's Big shampoo, this is the closest solid version to Big. Seanik cleans off all oils and residues which might weigh hair down and adds salt, which causes hair follicles to stand up and add volume. There's seaweed extract for softening. My hair is very oily so this is perfect for me, and I feel like my scalp can breathe now. However, if you have a normal or dry scalp, everyday use could be a bit too drying. The salt does work a little, kind of like beach hair from a salty ocean, but thin-haired folks like me aren't expecting miraculous Blake Lively type hair! My hair is wavy too, so I find the salt brings out a the waves a little more which is nice. The bar is really sudsy (a few swipes make a lot more foam than regular shampoo) and smells really fresh and sea-like. Overall: A+++++. I highly recommend trying a LUSH shampoo bar. They don't have all the crazy chemical or silicone additives which only give the appearance of healthy hair. My hair actually is clean, soft, and healthy now.

2. LUSH Jungle Conditioner- This is a more recent purchase, and it's a conditioner in bar form. I was skeptical at first, but I really love it now. I wanted to get away from the heavier chemically conditioners, so I gave it a try. It took a little getting used to, because it's not as slippery as regular conditioners that coat your hair with silicone. The conditioning agents are shea butter and other moisturizing agents (I believe). Over time I found that my hair soft and happy. The lack of silicone and other coating agents is good for my face as well, since my skin is sensitive and hair does often come into contact with one's face! The only downside is that this bar is softer and will use up faster than the shampoo bars. However it is cheaper at ~$6. I anticipate this lasting around 2 months. I've tried LUSH's American Cream (liquid) conditioner before, and also had good results. I'm not sure if Jungle is my favorite, but I definitely will continue to purchase LUSH conditioners.

3. LUSH Noubar soap- This is a really creamy soap that's great for the winter months, but also good in summer too. The smell is kind of like an almond-y soy-milk-y smell. I really like the smell, but I don't think it's one of LUSH's most popular soaps. One of the coolest things about the soap is its variegated appearance. The main color is a pistachio green. It has dark nut(?) chunks and also chunks of non-creamy soap mixed in to give it a nutty appearance. Along from being cool looking, these chunks provide a texture to the soap which is massaging once a little of the cream soap has melted away. It feels really really good.

Overall, you can tell I really love LUSH products. They're known mostly for their fun and fragrant soaps, but I think the shampoos and conditioners are really high quality and my favorite products in the store. They do take some getting used to, since the texture is a bit different from the traditional slippery shampoos and conditioners, but I think in the long run it's probably makes for better healthier hair. One thing worth mentioning is that LUSH products are a bit more high maintenance than you standard plastic bottled soaps and shampoos; they need to be kept out of the water stream, else your goodies will melt away! It's not a problem for me, because I keep them at the end of my tub or behind the shower curtain.

Phew. Hope you enjoyed my review of LUSH Seanik shampoo, Jungle Conditioner, and Noubar soap! Do you have any LUSH or other bath favorites?

Love, Dovey.