LUSH 2014 Spring Limited Edition Products


 Lush is a fresh, handmade cosmetics company. Literally:



 Their All-NEW 2014 Limited Edition Products are in stores now.

Here is a run down of some of the Spring Collection products Lush UAE was super kind enough to send me for PR purposes:
  • Brightside bubble bar 
  • Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
  • Golden Egg bath ballistic
  • Carrot Soap
(Quick side note: 1- Feel super grateful *Alhamdullilah* and honoured that a company such as LUSH has seen this little blog of mine. 2- I love how they didn't ask me what to do, i.e: 'review these'/'put this on your blog' etc. All they was say "hey, we have these new products we'd like to send you. Please give us your address and number!". Yep, that's all. Love when companies respect creative freedom.)

Anyways! Back to the collection, here are some quick pictures and then I will share my thoughts on who I feel will enjoy this most!

LUSH Spring 2014 Collection
Top-down: Brightside, Golden Egg
Left: Carrot Soap, Right: Bunch of Carrots

You'll be interested in these if...

  • You like to have special products to pamper yourself with during the weekend
  • You have siblings/children/nieces/nephews to gift things to (these are so adorable, children will love these in their bath time. I'm actually going to share some of these with my niece!) 
  • You are a bath product junkie
  •  You support, love, and enjoy natural beauty products
There are a few Mother's Day LE products I have which are also part of this collection. I will mention those in my next post!

If you are curious where LUSH can be found in Jeddah, you can check out the Facebook page and website:

LUSH Saudi Arabia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LushSaudiArabia
LUSH Saudi Arabia website: http://www.lush.com.sa/

See you in my next post!

All You Need To Know About Moroccan Soap / صابون مغربي

If you are intrigued with natural beauty products even in the slightest, I believe you will find today's curated post enjoyable!

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MOROCCAN SOAP/صابون مغربي


WHAT IS IT?
  • Moroccan black soap is part of the traditional hammam ritual (source)
  • With a texture of butter, this natural vegetable paste based with black olives is rich in vitamin E (source)
  • It is obtained from a mixture of oil and crushed olives, soaked in salt and potash. In the nineteenth century it was used as a product of Dermatology and later became a real beauty tool for the body suitable for every type of skin (source)

WHY IS IT BLACK?
  • Named after its black color, the black or brown or dark green color appearance of the depends on the oil used in its production. First manufactured in Syria from olive oil and vegetable soda, and then made its way to Morocco (source)
  • The basis of the recipe remains the same in both countries. It was improved by adding fragrances of essential oils and included in the traditional hammam. The treatment with the scrubbing kessa glove is now an essential part of the Moroccan hammam experience (source)
BENEFITS?
  • It is rich and natural and will clean and detoxify your skin while leaving an extraordinarily smooth  finish (source)
  • It is a great emollient, exfoliator and moisturizer (source)
  • It cleanses the skin by removing dead cells and toxins leaving the skin softer than you could ever imagine (source)
  • Thanks to this high content of vitamin E, it helps to revitalize the skin, acting against dryness, dehydration and aging (source
  • Removes dead skin (the rough and dry outer surface) (source)
  • Deep cleans the skin by removing toxins and dead skin cells, making our skin softer (source)
  • With its anti-microbial proprieties Moroccan black soap is rich in vitamin E (source)
  • Highly advised to relieve itchy backs due to an excess of dead skin and clogged pores (source)
  • Ideal to reduce in-growing hair (source)
  •  After the scrub your skin is ready to better absorb your next skin care treatment - whether its a mask, moisturizing or tanning (source)
BUT I HAVE OIL/NORMAL/DRY/MATURE SKIN...
  • It is suitable for all skin types and particularly enjoyable for dry and mature skin (source)
 OKAY, IT SEEMS GOOEY- HOW SHOULD I USE IT?
  • FACE: Put a small amount in the palm of your hand and rub until the soap is white, then wash your face,avoiding the eyes and lips (source)
  • SHOWER: Massage Moroccan Soap into wet skin, rinse then scrub vigorously with brush or glove. Rinse with cool water and continue scrubbing to eliminate dead skin cells to reveal healthy, vital skin. Can replace a normal soap or shower gel. Leaves skin super soft (source)
  • BATH: Apply to body with your hands then scrub vigorously with brush or glove. Removes dead skin cells and stimulates circulation leaving skin supple, soft and firm (source)
  •  TIP: Try the scrubbing with a dry loofah glove on warm damp skin (not wet skin). Use circle motion then wash off all dead skin. Dry and moisturize with argan oil or your body lotion (source)
  • A weekly exfoliation is recommended (source)
CAN I USE IT AS DAILY SOAP REPLACEMENT?
Yes! Just have the soap sitting in a small jar near your wash basin. Every time you wash your face, scoop out a little and lather over face like you would with any soap or face wash. Yes, *Alhamdullilah* it's that easy!

OK, THIS SOUNDS INTERESTING! WHERE CAN I GET IT?
As far as Jeddah is concerned, Moroccan Soap/ hammam maghrabi can be purchased in many areas. From various malls to souqs.

My friend runs her own Moroccan Soap business here in Jeddah where she offers home delivery. This is her contact information in case you are interested!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moroccan.soap
Phone No: +966 553294234+966 553294234


MY EXPERIENCE
I'm flexible when it comes to body care but when it comes to my facial skin, I've had my share of ups and downs. No matter what I use, at the end of the day when I come back to use moroccan soap- everything gets better Alhamdullilah! My skin tone is more even, my pores are cleaner and not as visible, the dryness is at it's least. I definitely recommend it to anyone who believes that taking care of one's skin should not have to take a fortune. All it takes is a natural product such as the Moroccan Soap to do the job.

So beauty enthusiasts, over to you- have you used Moroccan Soap before? Thoughts?

Guest Post: How To Make An Elegant Perfume Last All Day

Learn the art of making your perfume last all 
day with Zohoor AlReef.
-VicinityMakeup
________________________________________________________________________



THE ART OF MAKING AN ELEGANT PERFUME LAST ALL DAY


The scent of a beautiful perfume shouldn’t be a fleeting luxury; it should last all day. And while there’s a true art to making a fragrance last longer, even the lightest, most delicate perfume can be made to linger by mastering the art of applying it. 

The first golden rule is to always apply your perfume to the skin before dressing. Heat and chemical reactions activate your perfume’s aroma, so you can maximise its effectiveness by applying it to the body rather than to clothing. The perfect place to apply perfume is at your pulse points – where your heart rate can be felt through blood vessels that lie close to the skin. The warmth of your blood at these points will activate the perfume, making it even more fragrant and noticeable. Being strategic is essential, so apply it to your temple, below the ear lobe, inside the wrist and elbow and at the base of the throat to produce maximum effect.

Dabbing is likely to leave much of the perfume on your fingertips, so spraying your perfume is always best. Spray the perfume about 20cm (8 inches) away from the skin to apply the fragrance across a wider area. And most importantly, avoid rubbing the perfume after you’ve applied it as this will break down the molecules and “crush the fragrance” – potentially making it disappear completely.

Use other products with the same scent


The best way to ensure a long-lasting fragrance is not just to rely on perfume. Fragrance gift sets that contain several different products with the same scent are ideal for this as they allow you to incorporate a fragrance into your whole beauty regime.

Enhance the rich scent of your perfume with scented shower gels, moisturisers and deodorants that can be bought all together for a complete perfume experience.

Adapt your perfume to seasonal changes


If you’re worried that the scent of your perfume isn’t lasting very long, it could actually be linked to seasonal changes in the weather. Heat encourages chemical reactions that release fragrances and create stronger scents; so on those warm summer nights you probably won’t need to apply as much as usual.

Heat also speeds up evaporation so if you’re wearing a light eau de parfum or eau de toilette, you’ll probably need to reapply it more often in hot weather. And in winter, the cooler weather will lead to slower chemical reactions and fragrances that develop gradually and with less intensity. So in winter, you may just need to give your perfume that extra spritz to ensure it stays fragrant. This would also be an ideal time to start using scented toiletries that enhance the scent of your perfume.

Store your perfume well


Making your perfume longer is not just about how you apply it; it’s also about how you store it. Storing your perfume badly can make it lose its scent and if certain new chemical compounds are formed, it could start to irritate your skin or develop an unpleasant smell.

The best way to preserve your perfumes is to store them in cool, dry conditions away from sources of heat and direct sunlight. Avoid keeping them in the bathroom as this will allow humid air to infiltrate the bottle.

Finally, buy your perfume in a spray bottle to let in less air and protect it against evaporation and contamination. Following these storage tips will keep it at its best for as long as possible and if your perfume is in its optimum condition, it’ll last longer on your skin too.

About the author


Inspired by the sights and sounds of the Orient and beyond, Zohoor Alreef has been creating luxury perfumes for over 20 years. There are now 200 stores in the Gulf region with exotic fragrances inspired by countries as far afield as France. Now available to buy online, browse our range of luxury perfumes online at http://www.zohooralreef.com/.