Synaesthesia Treatment at Lush Spa Poole.

The definition of Synaesthesia is that of a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic reaction in a separate sensory outlet. Mark Constantine, Owner and Co-founder of Lush Cosmetics has synaesthesia and he used his experiences to create an eighty minute, personally tailored Spa experience which you can get at any of the Lush Spa locations. I chose to have my treatment at the Spa in Poole because not only is it situated at 29 1/2 High Street which still plays host to the very first Lush shop, but also because Poole is a quiet, little quayside town that I could imagine wanting to step out into after a fully immersive treatment. 

Set to a soundtrack of a 52 piece orchestra accompanied by whirling winds and birdsong, Synaesthesia combines mind, body and soul in such an overlooked way and it works wonderfully. It was also the first treatment ever designed for the venture that became Lush Spa.
When you arrive at the Lush Spa, you’re asked a few basic health questions and then whether you’d like to improve your sense of humour, gain perspective on life’s mysteries, gather the courage to tackle some mountains or some other equally as beautiful concepts. Given my own personal outlook on life at the moment, I thought it would be nice to gain some perspective and see if I could look at things in a bigger picture as opposed to obsessing over the smaller things. 

The word that you choose first matches with the massage bar that your therapist will be using on you, and apparently ‘perspective’ is one of the lesser chosen ones because most people tend to stick to what they think they’re expecting and choose the more basic ‘relax’ or ‘calm’ words from the initial paragraph of choices.
You’re then lead into the most quaint, English cottage style kitchen with a plethora of coloured bottles running along the shelves; without picking up and smelling each bottle, you’re asked to pick out another word that draws you in. 

These words match with the essential oil that your therapist will use during your treatment, in flasks that look like they should be upstairs in the Lush Product Creation lab, overflowing with what looks like dry ice and smoky, scented goodness. Words for the blended oils were things such as relax, be free, laugh, go do, meticulous, sweet, hug and good. I chose the word ‘good’ simply because the tagline was ‘lighter and brighter’ - after gaining a little perspective, who wouldn’t want to feel lighter and brighter in their outlook to life?

I was a little cautious with picking the words because I knew that the words would equate to my scents for the massage; what happened if I got stuck with a scent I hated?
In the end, I chose not to cheat and smell all the blends/words, and I went with my gut. This is my recommendation for anyone who is treated to the Synaesthesia in the future - base your choices on the words and your feelings; it’s the best way to get the full experience from the treatment.
A Lush Spa treatment is nothing like a regular spa experience; it’s much more immersive and tailored - never having had any kind of massages in a spa environment before my Synaesthesia, I can safely say I’ve been spoiled and now I’m not quite sure how other spas will ever match up in comparison. 

I wont talk about the treatment itself too much because I’d like anyone who goes to be just as enamoured with the whole surprise experience as I was. I will say, however, that Tori (my therapist) is a amazing masseuse and really worked hard to embody everything that Lush is trying to do with the Spa locations. While treatments are in progress throughout the Spa, therapists walk around in their socks so as not to disturb guests, they all talk in very hushed, melodic voices, and I’ve never felt more looked after.
The English Countryside feel is carried on throughout the whole Spa, from the treatment rooms, the kitchen and the lounge where you’re encouraged to spend as much or as little time as you’d like after your session, drinking the tea provided for you, laced with an intricate blend of your previous word choices as light flavourings. 

Synaesthesia is a full body massage, so you’re asked to strip down to just your pants (wear big pants to feel more comfortable) although I never felt exposed, or cold, or worried about that element. Tori was sweet and completely understanding that never having had any kind of Spa treatment before, I was a little nervous and hesitant. Your back, neck, arms, legs (front and back) are massaged with your massage bars, along with a choice of hot stone massage or stomach massage before a soothing facial massage at the end of your treatment. 

Feeling a little dozy and utterly pampered from head to toe, I was sleepily surprised when my treatment came to an end. “I feel so relaxed that I could sleep for a thousand years…” I mumbled to Tori in my daze. 

I can’t sing the praises for the staff at Lush Spa Poole, especially Tori, and the staff at Lush Poole, especially Charlotte anymore. They made me feel special, looked after and above all content - which I’ve not felt for a while. It’s almost as if Tori pressed my reset button. I may not have left with an energised spring in my step, but emotionally, I left feeling breezy and definitely with a little more perspective. 

Supercat Eyeliner Pen - Soap & Glory Review

I’m the girl in the winged eyeliner. I have been for as long as I can remember. I think I started really being committed to winged eyeliner in my first year of University, before that we’d just been on a few dates, but once I’d got the technique down I knew I was ready to commit to the long haul. 

Now, having said that, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never really branched out into the many ways of going about winged eyeliner. I’ve been partial to the 2True (Superdrug’s Own) black liquid eyeliner and after that was discontinued, I switched my allegiances to the Collection (previously Collection 2000) black liquid eyeliner and if I’m honest, which I’m going to be, they’re all pretty much of a muchness. Same-same. 

Up until recently, I’ve been in a fairly happy partnership with my liquid, winged out flick. However, there’s been some squabbling in the ranks and I’ve been watching ALOT of YouTube videos where people have been voicing their love for - hold onto your seats now - pen eyeliners. Like, no pot of paint to stick your brush in and flick on… All of the goodness is sealed up inside your pen and it just trickles out of the nib when you want it to…
This was all news to me. With this revelation in mind and a Boots Birthday Gift Card in hand, I trawled the stands for a pen-nibbed eyeliner that I might take a shine to. After reading reviews and having a good long peruse, I picked up the Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen. 

And oh- Good God.
The ease of which this pen glides over your eyelid is insane. The colour payoff may be it’s only downfall, as it could have been more of an opaque black, but going over the product works just as well. There was no drag across the eye and my-oh-my the easiest, quickest flick I’ve ever encountered. 

Sometimes with pure liquids or gel eyeliners, I have to say to myself ‘Now stop, because it looks okay and trying to make it better will just make it worse…’ - that  couldn’t be further from the truth with this beauty! Top ups are easy and the product doesn’t flake away with layering - the flick is simple and the corner of my eye has never been easier. If you want no mess, no fuss, no retouching and above all a quick perfect cat-eye, then look no further. 

This is the story of a Supercat convert. Well done, Soap & Glory. Well done. 

Rapunzel Rocks, Gravesend!

Well, twist-flap and clap-stamp. Rapunzel Rocks! 

I had the pleasure of seeing Wicked Productions latest pantomime venture on April 1st at The Woodville Theatre in Gravesend, Kent. Rapunzel Rocks is based on the story of Rapunzel/Disney’s Tangled; the show features not only subtle nods to the popular film, direct references too! 

Having heard nothing but good things about Wicked Productions and their man-in-charge Tom Swift, I was excited to see a pantomime for the first time since I left college - it’s been at least five years if not longer! Initially, I was unsure about the idea of a pantomime at Easter, having grown up in the UK I feel like we’ve been conditioned to associate pantomime with Christmas time and December festivities, but Tom Swift and company have proven it’s an all year round extravaganza. 

With rock voice Phil Washington as Strider, no-good thief turned handsome heartthrob with eyes for the Princess, the show was guaranteed to be a rockin’ one! 

Ant and Tom, comedy pairing on stage as Joey The Jester and his "slap head" older brother Silly Billy have such a connection you’d think they’d been performing together for years, but as far as I know that’s not the case. Something you can tell simply from watching the performance is that the cast of ten really are fast friends, whether they’ve known each other since childhood or met along the way. 

On stage chemistry ripples through the whole cast which really makes the whole experience; they're having fun and so are the audiences; feeding off the buzz. 

The meta ‘King's Song’ mocks various theatrical habits and the lyrical genius running throughout the show is slightly reminiscent of comedic Monty Python’s Spamalot, perhaps a PG version of Avenue Q. 

Wicked Productions have done it again with a fantastic show that keeps your children completely engrossed from the start to finish as well as making every audience member laugh out loud - no matter their age!

"Do the funky monkey, oh and dance like Cheryl Cole. Twerk like Miley Cyrus and move like Iron Man!" 

Fresh and enthusiastic, each performance feels brand new and uniquely special for the each venue and new audience, even though the cast will be performing up to three shows a day by the end of their run. The run isn't over for a week, so if you're free - it's definitely worth it!! You can check out the details for the remaining shows on their Facebook page, which I'll link below. 

If you’re looking for a true pantomime with modern stylings (which include a hilarious scene with a Segway, but that’s all I’m saying) puppetry, beautiful scenery, and a wonderfully talented rock and roll cast, Rapunzel Rocks is the perfect family-friendly treat this Easter.  

Wicked Productions are putting on The Little Mermaid next Easter, and if it’s even half as good as Rapunzel Rocks, I’d love to see it!
Check them out on their Facebook, have a sneak peek at their clips on Youtube here, or visit their Website!! 

The 'Retail Feet' Fixer-Upper

Unless you’ve worked retail at Christmas you’ll never know real emotional and physical exhaustion.  Okay, maybe that’s a touch dramatic (how unlike me) but if you’ve worked a retail orientated Christmas, then you know I’m not far off. The average person walks approximately four miles per day. The average person does not work in retail. 

^The amazing Lush Southampton lot, at our Christmas Staff Meal. One week before Christmas, we're trying not to look so mental.

It’s the aching feet-legs-arms-back and the feeling of being so tired that even your hair hurts. You’ve been smiling at Christmas Shoppers for the last 8 (9, 10, 11…) hours and you never want to smile again, let alone help someone who has no idea what they’re talking about, but is convinced that they do. 

I understand I’m not selling working in retail over the seasonal period very well, but there are upsides. Last year for example, a lady came into Lush with a Christmas list that her daughter had given her. But it wasn’t just your regular list, there were no product names; she’d drawn all the products she wanted and coloured them in the right colours and everything - for a seven year old, she did very well. 

Anyway - seeing as I work for Lush all year round, not just at Christmas, I’m fully aware of what retail feet feel like which is why I’ve planned out the perfect Lush based foot-fixer-upper for anyone who needs it. 

I would suggest doing this once you’ve completed your week and you don’t need to worry about getting things ready for your next day at work. 

1. Tidy up your room a little, I know this is a strange step in a foot-fixer-upper but I’m telling you - you’ll feel much better relaxing in a relatively tidy room than you will a messy one. Change your sheets as well, because climbing into fresh sheets after this routine will be the cherry on the top of a wonderful, wonderful cake. 
2. Grab yourself your warm beverage of choice; coffee, tea, hot chocolate, warm squash (or maybe something stronger, dependant on how hellish your week has been) and slip into your home clothes otherwise known as baggies, slouchies, tracks or pyjamas.
   
3. Foot Soak & Fancy Free, foot soak from Lush. Pop the whole crumbly circle into a bowl of hot-to-warm water and soak your feet in the water. The epsom salts in the water, along with the tagetes will help to soothe your aching feet, take down any hot swelling and soften the skin around your toes and heels. Irish Moss Powder is a magic ingredient when it comes to revitalising tired feet. Foot Soak also contains lavender and chamomile is not only calming and soothing for your feet, the scents will also help to chill you out, settle your mind and help you drift off to sleep tonight. You can do this for as long as you like, I like to do it until all the salt has dissolved or until the water is room temperature; stick Netflix on - you deserve to take your time!
   
4. Once you’re done with your soak, put your water aside for a minute, and reach for your Pumice Power bar. Zesty Orange Oils and pumice will help to boost circulation in your feet, as well as refresh and cleanse the skin. Whilst your feet are still wet, work the Pumice Power in gentle circles around your heels and the balls of your feet - the soak will have helped to soften all that tough skin caused by standing on your feet all day and the Pumice Power will help to slough some of it away. Once you’re done, rinse your feet in your left over Foot Soak Water.
   
5. Once you’ve soothed, softened and scrubbed your feet it’s time to really bring them back to life. Lightly dry them on a clean, fluffy towel and then it’s time for Christingle. Christingle is new to the Lush Winter collection this year and whilst it’s getting many a mixed review, I can’t help but gush about it. Everything from the colour, to the scent, to the… well, tingle! Christingle is a body conditioner, similar to the super moisturising qualities of Ro’s Argan or African Paradise but a bit more festive! Packed full of peppermint and spearmint oils, with a healthy dose of menthol crystals, not to mention a generous helping of grapefruit oils this conditioner is invigorating, reviving and stimulating; perfect for zombie feet. Slather it on and leave for a few minutes; as long as you want really, but I’d say somewhere between 5-10 minutes before rinsing again.
   
6. So, now you have revitalised feet and a clear mind. Pop all your pamper bits to one side and slide into bed (assuming that you’ve already brushed your teeth and washed your face!) I’m sure you wont need any help drifting off, but if you do I can’t recommend Sigur Ros or Helios more for the perfect falling asleep playlist. Check them out on Spotify and drift off into a cloudy, sleepy heaven.
   
   Hopefully we’ll all wake up in the morning feeling a bit more chipper and after a few (well-earned) days off feel ready to tackle another week of mayhem or January Sales. 

For all of those out in the retail world during this end of the year - I feel you. But it’s almost over and I can just about see the non-Christmas lights and the end of the seasonal tunnel of hell. 

See you on the other side - Happy Christmas. 

Frozen Bath Bomb - Lush Oxford Street

As soon as anyone, anywhere says the words; snowman, let it go, ice, or princess only one thing comes to mind – Disney’s Frozen, of course. It’s hard enough to go through day to day life without getting a Frozen song stuck in your head, but now Lush have made it just that little bit harder by naming a new Lush Oxford Street Exclusive bath bomb Frozen. 

Do you want to have a bath bomb?
Do you want to come and play?

Inventor Jack Constantine has many small children so his life was no doubt invaded by singing snowmen and reindeer when Frozen graced screens across the world, so of course he pulled inspiration from where he could, and created a bath bomb. 

 

Belonging to the same scent family that we all know and love, featuring Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioning Hair Perfume and Sea Spray, Tunisian Neroli and Grapefruit give this pale, yet iridescent blue orb a crisp lightness that fits its name perfectly. Of course, it wouldn’t be Disney without some glitter and it’s quite fair to say that this bath bomb is lustre heavy. Normally, lustre from the bath doesn’t stay on my skin but the sparkles from Frozen certainly lingered – not always a bad thing. 

One of the wonderful things about this bomb is that it’s a slow fizzer, lasting probably ten minutes of solid fizzing. Although some of the faster fizzers are beautiful, I do prefer a slightly longer lasting bath bomb. It’s hypnotic to watch them dissolve and see all the colours creep out. 

Initially, I was unsure about how the Happy Happy Joy Joy scent would come across in a bath bomb but it was beautiful; it’s crisp and fresh whilst being uplifting and clean at the same time. It’s happy! It’s a very happy feeling bath bomb.  I did half expect, knowing Lush, for there to be a paper insert similar to the Fizzbanger, Blackberry Bath Bomb or May Day – “Let It Go!” 

 I sat in the bath and watched the blue spin out, Do You Want To Build A Snowman stuck in my head for the duration. Frozen, the movie? It’s good, but predictable. Frozen, the bath bomb? Yes all around. Neroli has been said to be a natural mood enhancer and the grapefruit oils compliment it with uplifting happy notes, what about that doesn’t sound good?

Frozen Bath Bomb
Lush Oxford Street Exclusive - £3.75
“Do you want to have a bath bomb? Do you want to splash and play? Take this magical blend of uplifting grapefruit and Tunisian Neroli into the bath to thaw even the iciest of moods!”

Prince of Darkness Fresh Face Mask - Lush Oxford Street

Who’s the Prince of Darkness? Ozzy Osbourne, No. I am; the princess, in fact. Any friend of mine will tell you I have an affinity for the morbid, a terrifically dark sense of humour and a penchant for pretty little skulls. Who doesn’t?

On my visit to Lush Mecca/Lush Oxford Street I was determined to check out the new face masks; I’d heard there were three, and I couldn’t wait to see, feel and most importantly smell them all. The truly lovely girl, whose name I think is Lucy but I can’t be sure, was so sweet and so helpful; she told me all about her own skin care regime and how the new masks fit in with what she was using. Personal interaction with staff is one of my favourite things about Lush because you get to hear real opinions, from real people that are (mostly) helpful! 

Lucy (I think) had such great skin, I couldn’t help but ask and that’s when she introduced me to The Prince of Darkness. A shiny black mask with a consistency more similar to The Sacred Truth rather than Cupcake, full of glorious Fuller’s Earth , charcoal and sea salt. Perfect for slightly oilier skins, this mask works well and as you rinse it off, it gives your face a light scrub. 

Tentative towards anything that seems a little harsh, I let Lucy demo PoD on the back of my hand whilst we chatted; it went on beautifully smoothly and remained sticky. I can’t help but think that The Oxford Street Fresh Face Mask station is a little in-the-way of shoppers, it is in front of the tills and directly next to the new Emotional Brilliance Make Up additions which is always going to be an ever-popular station. As Lucy rinsed my hand off, Prince of Darkness scrubbed off well and left my hand cool, calm and exfoliated without a hint of irritation.
Straight in my basket it went. 

I wouldn’t go too far as to say that Prince of Darkness is a wonder-product, nor is it the Holy Grail of face masks, but it has helped me out and I would repurchase; my skin is clearer and ready for summer and I feel comfortable wearing less make up, so alls well that ends well! 

I’m not such a fan of the soapiness of Coal Face and I find Dark Angels works but is just too damn messy. The Prince of Darkness, however is not without its draw backs. It has a similar ingredients list to Dark Angels so the first and second time I used the mask I had to triple rinse and double cleanse after to remove all of the black – the most recent time was much easier, on the other hand. A little warm water and a flannel, I think is the ultimate combination – with a splash of cold water before a quick swipe with your toner of choice! 

It can be a little daunting, pasting your face with black and hoping for the best, but Prince of Darkness cleared what I can only describe as little pimples and brightened my skin. I feel much more comfortable in my skin now – it’s nice now it’s a little warmer too, no one wants to be caked in make up under that sun! 

Prince Of Darkness Fresh Face Mask
Lush Oxford Street Exclusive - £6.95
“We’re on a crazy train, heading for scrubbed up skin with the charcoal and sea salt packed into this mask!”

The Rough With The Smooth Solid Body Scrub - Lush Oxford Street

I started working for Lush in October of 2014, which means I was just in time for Halloween holiday products; all kinds of magical wands and sparkly pumpkins and it was in this season of trick-or-treating, I found one of my favourite Lush products to date; Lord Of Misrule Bath Bomb. 

Named after a pagan festival ‘The Feast of Fools’,  in which the town would name a peasant king for the day and allow all sorts of feasts and frivolities, this patchouli and black pepper scented bath bomb is the ultimate blend of sweet and spicy.  Who wouldn’t want a speckled green bath bomb that looked to be wearing a crown? I was sold. 

Of course, with my love of the bath bomb I was also quickly introduced to the perfume, the FUN bar, the shower cream and eventually...the scrub. 

When deciding what to pair with my (currently) Oxford Street exclusive Rough With The Smooth solid body scrub, I thought why not make it a complete Lord of Misrule bath? I fished out my penultimate Lord of Misrule bath bomb (the problem with loving a seasonal product!) and threw it in the bath with a splash of Lord of Misrule Moisturising Shower Cream for some bubbles. 

The shower cream is a little creamier (shocker) than the shower gels I’ve used from Lush before but in actuality it’s just thicker and glossier as well as being a little more moisturising so it gives great bubbles too. The lovely Lucy at LulabelleMUA picked me up a mini bottle of Shower Cream from Lush Oxford Street; they sell them in four sizes 100g, 250g, 500g and 1kg. 

Now, this past week we’ve been having a typical English summer – torrential rain followed by a day and a half of blistering heat and then back again. But of course, this means that I too followed natures course and behaved like a true Brit – I threw on a strapless summer dress and stayed out all day, playing in the sunshine. By 6pm the following evening I was uncomfortably pink, being the English Rose that I am I had forgone the sunscreen and burned like a bitch. 

Give it an extra four days and although I’m no longer sore from the sun, I’m peeling.
Sexy as hell, right?
For someone who usually takes pride in being soft-and-smooth, any kind of peeling freaks me out. Luckily, The Rough With The Smooth seemed perfect; murumuru butters and castor oils are said to be healing and supporting in the recovery of general skin complaints (including burns - score!) and hydrating for the skin.  Pairing that with the perfect creamy-come-crisp scents of Lord of Misrule and this product was just what I needed. 

Aesthetically, when you first use Rough With The Smooth it looks great; a warm, reddish brown with smooth on one side and (you guessed it) almost corrugated/rough effect on the other. Once used, the red fades a little and you are left with a brownish sugary square which melts away pretty quickly if left near the spray of the shower.
Obviously, the aesthetics should come second to what the product actually provides and it does – mine lasted a good amount of time as I remembered to put it away after each use, as opposed to leaving it out on the shower rack as I have done before (sorry, Sugar Scrub.) The Rough With Smooth is a really great scrub, I much prefer it to Sugar Scrub because it’s not too harsh but my skin feels buffed and soft – gentle enough for my whole body, but harsh enough for those tough spots.

After my bath which included all of the facets of Lord of Misrule which I currently own, I feel great – most importantly, I smell great. Lord of Misrule is one of those scents that lingers forever keeping you comforted and happy throughout your day. 

Lord of Misrule, as a scent, will always remind me of my first Christmas at Lush – making new friends, crazy days attempting to squeeze £15k+ worth of stock into a truly tiny stock room and laughing at the hysterics of serving, what felt like, fifteen customers at the same time, consistently, for eight hours a day. 

If you wanted to layer your scents even more, like I’ve mentioned, you could also introduce the perfume (solid or liquid) and the FUN bar. And why you wouldn’t want to, I just don’t know...

Rough With The Smooth Solid Body Scrub
Lush Oxford Street Exclusive – £4.95
“All of us have dead skin - some of just better at scrubbing it. If you like it rough take this sugar-packed scrub into the shower and scrub all over to reveal softer skin underneath, nourished with murumuru butter and castor oil.”