REVIEW: LUSH Shoot for the Stars Bath Bomb

This bath bomb from LUSH was an absolute fireworks show for the eyes. It just spun around and turned the bath water into a foaming, tie-dyed mixture of white, yellow, and blue. And each color had some shimmer mixed in that really made this bomb a celestial experience. I definitely recommend trying this one for yourself, and I also think it'd be fantastic for kids.

Description 
Calming, shimmering, mood-enhancing
Featured Ingredients
Brazilian orange oils, bergamot oils, silver lustre
How-To
Drop this in a warm bath and enjoy the explosion of colors as it releases its pigments into the water. Make sure to breathe in the heavenly, calming scent as you enjoy.
My Review
I found this bomb to be quite enjoyable, if only for the show. I have used LUSH bath bombs that were more nourishing, and left my skin feeling better. But this has to have been the most beautiful experience of any bomb I've used. It left a bit more residue than I typically see, but again my little secret is always to run the shower afterwards to really make sure there's no glitter or pigment left over after my bath. The smell was very pleasant and quite a classic sweet-smelling LUSHy scent. I am definitely able to set aside my disdain for all things orange when it comes to LUSH products. I would maybe repurchase this just for fun, and for the visuals, but if my skin needs a good moisturizing soak-session, I will always go with Butterball or Honeybee, both of which are quite plain in terms of the colors.

I'm very excited to try a few new Valentine's Day products. How about you guys? Anything catching your eye at LUSH lately? Post a comment below. I'd love to hear about it!

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Weekly Favorites - January Week 1

To wrap up the week, I thought it would be fun to start doing little Weekly Favorites posts! I spend so much time on the internet, and shopping, and trying new products through various subscription boxes and it adds up! I may not always have quite so many, but this week was jam packed with new discoveries I'm dying to share with you guys!

1  Kiss True Volume Lashes in Chic
These lashes are absolutely incredible. I am obsessed! Since I first tried them, I've literally worn them every single day. Even to work and other daytime activities. This particular style looks so unbelievably natural and not at all fake. They have this amazing fluttery shape and a tapered edge to more closely resemble natural lashes. On me, they totally double the volume of my natural lashes for even more impact. I can't say enough about these!
*I received this product complimentary from Influenster in exchange for my honest review.

2  Kiss Strip Lash Adhesive with Aloe in Clear
This lash glue is actually the easiest I've used. It's a tube style with a little brush inside and you can just paint the adhesive onto your lashes and then apply. I know lots of people like to use the black adhesive, but I actually prefer this style because I want to be able to see that I've got enough on there and then let it dry after the fact. It works great, it's easy to use, and it's so not messy. Highly recommend this product too! It's def the best lash glue I've tried so far.
*I received this product complimentary from Influenster in exchange for my honest review.

3  Revlon Pro Collection One Step Dryer & Styler
When I was home for Christmas, I obsessed over finding this hair dryer. I tried it at an Ulta store, but literally called everywhere and it was completely sold out. I finally found it online at Target and now that I've got it, it has seriously changed my life. It's shaped like a paddle brush with all the impact of a regular hair dryer. You can seriously just brush your hair with it, and pull straight to give yourself a salon-quality blowout. As someone who has never been able to blow dry her hair because I have super thick, usually super long strands...this is something I could not live without now. I am buying a second just in case they discontinue it and my current one breaks. Is that crazy? No...right?

4  Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 
This, along with my new hairdryer has elevated my hair game beyond belief. I first tried this last week when my roommate picked it up at Sephora and I owned my own the next day. It gives you such amazing volume at the root, brings amazing texture, and smells incredible. I don't find that it completely replaces the need for their Detox Dry Shampoo (another major fave of mine) because it's not really going to totally absorb oil. But for volume, texture, and scent it can't be beat.

5  Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner
I was a bit hesitant about trying this product, but was curious enough to request it for my January Birchbox sample choice. It just really looks like a black magic marker, and I thought there was no way I'd be able to get a good, controlled liquid line with them... But the truth is, it actually makes it way easier to hold and to use. And the tip is so firm that it gives you great control and accuracy. The color is a perfect matte, deep black also. I'm a big fan!

6  LUSH Milky Bath Bubble Bar
This took the cake as my favorite LUSH bath product ever. It gave me the most bubbles of any other bubble bar I've tried, and it turned my bath into a relaxing, sweet-smelling, moisturizing dream come true. I wish I had bought ten...

7  Double Sided Earrings
These are such a fave of mine for a really strange reason. Don't get me wrong, I like the look of them for sure. But I also travel everywhere using over-the-ear headphones and listening to music/watching YouTube videos all day. And headphones press the spiky post of an earring right into my neck, which is sooo uncomfortable! These double-sided earrings make it so much more comfortable.

And that's that for January Week 1! What products have you guys been loving this week? Leave a note in the comments below.

#Blogmas Day 1: Fall Favorites

Sidebar: Can you begin with a sidebar? Whatever, I'm 30, I do what I want... Ahem... Today is my birthday! I'm 30 years old, can you believe it? I can remember back in the heyday of writing this blog, I was turning 26 and announcing my big move to NYC (where I sort of fell into a black hole and barely ever blogged again...but that's irrelevant, right?) and now four years have gone by in what feels like the blink of an eye! I don't really have any anxiety about being in my thirties *yet* so I'm just kind of enjoying the day and celebrating the things and people and life I love. If I DO decide to have anxiety, I may drop those feelings here for all of you, because it's cheaper than therapy!

OKAY, back to our regularly scheduled programming. I'm attempting to do #Blogmas this December. No, no, another bad start! I'm DOING #Blogmas this December. I'm carving out some time to devote to doing what I love! And I thought I'd begin by saying Farewell-to-Fall-and-Welcome-to-Winter® by listing a few of my fall faves for all of you below! These are things I have been beyond obsessed with across the beauty/skincare realm, with a few candles thrown in because nothing says fall like a 3-wick candle from Bath & Body Works.

1  Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Glow Palette

I need to preface by saying that this palette has literally vanished from Sephora's website since I bought it, and as far as I knew, it was a Holiday item...which I'm taking to mean that it's sold. out. everywhere. If so, I am not surprised because the Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop highlighter from Becca was THE top-selling product of the summer, and this palette gives you that signature shade in the center along with two other beautiful shades on either side - a light, stunning highlight that mixes beautifully with Champagne Pop for pale skin, and a blush overlay that looks gorgeous on the apples of your cheeks or wherever your want some GLOW. I looooove this (like, I'm obsessed) and will probably cry when I hit pan on these, but a little goes such a long way that I hope it will last me quite a while. 

2  All Things LUSH Bath

I fell for LUSH very, very hard this fall. I had never really purchased any bath bombs before (or even used my bathtub really) but LUSH bath bombs, bubble bars, and bath melts have become my ultimate guilty pleasure and the best way to #treatyoself. If you have a tub, get yourself to LUSH and try these. They're all-natural cruelty-free products and they smell and feel amazing. (Note: LUSH sells tons of other beauty and body/shower products, but I haven't tried them yet so stay tuned for reviews on non-bathtub related items!)

3  Boscia Luminizing Black Mask

This mask from Boscia has been a super fun addition to my beauty routine this Fall. It's like shiny, black vinyl applied in a thick layer on your skin, and it tightens up and peels right off in one go, taking blackheads and imperfections with it (kind of like a pore strip for your entire face!) I am addicted.

4  Cargo Cosmetics Venice Enchantment Eyeshadow Palette

I got this Cargo palette from Birchbox specifically for Fall, and I have really enjoyed creating looks with it! Full disclosure, it isn't my absolute favorite eyeshadow formulation in the entire world, but most of the shades and pigmentation are gorgeous – especially the maroons and browns in the top row. Most of the shades have glitter, and some are more shimmery but there's no true matte shade in here. While I love matte eyeshadow, I also love my glitter so this wasn't a deal-breaker for me! It was perfect for Fall, and I wore it QUITE a bit.

5, 6, 7  3-Wick Candles from Bath & Body Works

Fall isn't Fall without a 3-wick candle burning in the background, and these three were some of my absolute favorites this season. Autumn was such a perfect, crisp almost apple-like scent (I went through 2 of these) and unfortunately it's not for sale anymore, because the holiday candles have moved in after Halloween. Pumpkin Pecan Waffles is a super-sweet, delicious confection of a candle to burn in the kitchen and I bought a few of these to gift to friends and family this season. And Party Dress, I will be going back for 2-3 more of these to stock up for Winter. It's girly, feminine, and not too overpowering. This is the one where guests will always ask "What is this amazing smell emanating from your bedroom?" Obsessed. Look out for sales where these are 2 for 24 (and 12 for each additional candle). You can get a great deal!

8  Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen

This liquid liner from Clinique is the bomb. I have tried (and failed) to master liquid and gel liners for basically my entire adulthood, and this product helped me succeed! It's super easy to apply, does not budge all day, and creates the perfect super-black winged eyeliner I've been rocking this Summer and Fall. It's a must-have!

9  Clinique Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse

I am in love with this brow mousse from Clinique, and it really adds some extra definition to my naturally sparse, blonde-ish brows, more so than a clear brow gel would. I still use other brow pencils to define the shape, but this is always my last touch to polish off a bold brow. Love!

10  L'Oreal Color Riche Le Matte Lip Pens

Saving the best for last, these lip pens were my absolute favorite discovery this Fall. I bought every shade, and each one is incredibly wearable. They are super easy to apply, and extremely long-wearing. And the matte finish is incredible for the price. I don't usually gravitate toward drugstore makeup because I work literally next door to a Sephora, but I'll keep buying these again and again as long as they sell them! If you try ONE thing from this favorites list, make it these!

Review: LUSH Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb

While Halloween may have come and gone, I still really wanted to review this bath bomb because it was absolutely one of my favorites from LUSH to date. The Lord of Misrule bath bomb put on quite a beautiful, spooky show in my tub and felt incredibly luxurious as well. I'm hoping this one will be back next year!

Description
Frothing, Herbal, Mischievous
Featured Ingredients 
Patchouli Oil, Popping Candy, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute
How-To
Pop into a warm bath (I particularly enjoyed this on a crispy Autumn evening just before Halloween) for a surprise-filled show in your bathtub. This bomb turned my bath into a work of art as it fizzed and released its crackling popping candy, and it smelled incredible–a little feast for (almost) all the senses! Read: Don't taste your bath bomb. But feel free to enjoy the sights, smells, sounds, and of course the feels of it!
My Review
I absolutely loved this bath bomb, in case you couldn't tell. Immediately upon dropping it in the bathtub, it started fizzing and foaming, turning my bath a lime/slime green shimmering color. But as the exterior dissolved it gave way to a bright poppy red interior that shot out from any openings, creating really beautiful foamy, fizzy designs in the bathtub. Once it had fully dissolved, the water was a deep wine-red color and the texture felt very smoothing and nourishing. Despite the popping candy, red pigment, and the shimmery materials, it didn't create any additional mess in the tub and I completely cleaned up just by draining and giving the edges a quick rinse with water. I highly recommend Lord of Misrule next year, but am highly looking forward to trying some of their Holiday offerings that have quickly taken over! Stay tuned.

Review: LUSH BlackBerry Bath Bomb

A super-friendly LUSH employee tipped me off that the BlackBerry bath bomb may be discontinued pretty soon, and sure enough it's marked as "online only" already so it must have been pulled from shelves. In short, order this before it's gone if you want to try it!

Claims Fruity, Shimmering, Uplifting

Featured Ingredients  Frankincense Oil, Citric Acid, Bergamot Oil

How-To  Just like any bath bomb, drop into a warm bath and enjoy! This one is quite consistent in terms of color and fizz throughout its duration. Meaning, it's less of a "show" but it leaves your water a shimmery blue and it even has a little surprise inside (as you can see from the photo on the right). SPOILER ALERT: It's a little picture of an explosion with the words "Boom Boom!" written on it to go along with the fact that it's labeled "BOMB" on the actual bomb itself). Very cute.

My Review  I am not normally a fan of Frankincense scents, but this was definitely not too overpowering (unlike some other LUSH products that feature the scent, like the Blue Skies bubble bar - yikes! Not for me!). But this smelled perfectly nice to me! Quite a few reviews have indicated that this left a stain or residue on their bathtub, but I definitely didn't find that to be the case for me. TIP: I usually turn the shower on after having a LUSH bath, to give the tub a good rinse-down. And it definitely saves on the clean-up. The verdict: BlackBerry was quite invigorating and fun, vs. some of the other more relaxation-themed bath bombs. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but since I'm a bit of a newbie to all things LUSH, I think I'll be okay to let this one phase out. I'll try to stick to new things and true faves. 

Reviews: LUSH Twilight Bath Bomb

Claims  Comforting, Relaxing, Restful

Featured Ingredients  Lavender Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Citric Acid

How-To  Drop into a warm bath and enjoy! This bath bomb puts on a bit of a show as it changes from pink bubbles to blue bubbles, turning your bath water from pink and frothy to lavender to a beautiful deep purple, even leaving behind a milky shimmer. 

My Review  This smell is incredible. The lavender oils made my bath (and my skin) smell amazing, and it put me perfectly in the bedtime zone, which was exactly what I was counting on! The name "Twilight" is quite appropriate considering the colors and the scent, even the shimmery dreamlike texture. While all of Lush's bath bombs feel luxurious while you're immersed in the tub, I've found some to be more moisturizing than others, especially after the bath is over. Twilight definitely made my skin feel softer. The verdict: this is my favorite bath bomb so far. I will definitely stock up on these.