A Total Lush

I kind of dread the mail. It feels like most of the time it’s just junk and bad news and bills. But SOMETIMES…it’s stuff like this. *I realize that the following is going to sound like a paid advertisement but I assure you, it is not. I am sharing LUSH with you out of the goodness of my heart. You’re welcome, Internet.

I’ve talked about LUSH on here before because, you know, it’s pretty much amazing. Who is seriously NOT interested in handmade, organic products made with vegetarian, cruelty-free ingredients that, oh yeah, smells like heaven in the form of a soap bar? Bonus: everything has a cute name like “Honey I Washed the Kids” or “Turkish Delight” or “Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds” and comes specially wrapped and packaged and sealed with a kiss, apparently.

For my birthday this year, Sarah sent me a gift certificate and I definitely spent some serious time picking out my merch. That’s short for merchandise, in case you didn’t know.

I settled on The Buffy Bar, which is a LUSH best-seller for a good reason. It’s an exfoliating bar that you scrub on and rinse off and it literally makes your skin feel like butter and silk (except not as greasy or weird as that sounds).

I ALSO bought the It Started With a Kiss tinted lip balm. Which smells like cupcakes and berries and is so cute in its little itty bitty tin.

I am also happy to report that LUSH included a copy of their latest newsprint catalogue which I never feel bad about having because A) it’s so pretty and fun to read and B) I use every last scrap of it to wrap presents. So much cooler than wrapping paper. Want to get your own? You can subscribe free here by going to the top of the page and clicking on LUSH Catalogue. If you’re in a different country than me, like Canada (where LUSH is made) or somewhere else, you can find your country’s website by going here.

So there you have it. LUSH is awesome and no one paid me to say it. Unless, of course, someone from LUSH is reading this and wants to pay me to say it.

What about you? Have you fallen for a new product or beauty line lately?

love, elizabeth

The No Make-Up Challenge

I really love make-up. I love to wear it. I love putting it on. But I sometimes find myself troubled by how much I need make-up to feel like myself. Sometimes I don’t like the face underneath. I’ve always been envious of those women who seem to have a natural, unmasked beauty, a radiant and organic glow that says “I just woke up so refreshed this morning. I took a bath in a forest stream and some little birds brought me these uber-flattering yoga pants. I moisturize…with apricot nectar and fairy dew drops.”  I’ve been dying to know…Do I have a natural beauty hidden behind the foundation and eyeliner? Where are my little birds and yoga pants? Where is my radiant glow???

So last week, I gave myself a little challenge – just a chance to try to appreciate my skin and my face, unenhanced by cosmetics. I used an exfoliating face scrub from Bath & Body Works, Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner (which I only mention because I recently discovered it through Sarah’s blog and it’s awesome), and the generic substitute for Aveeno Daily Moisturizer. One week, no make-up. I took pictures everyday. No touch-ups or editing. The only change I’ve made to any of these pictures is to use auto-levels to better represent natural light. The challenge was to love the face in the mirror sans make-up.

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

At the end of the week, I can say I’ve made a new peace with my appearance. This face is flawed. It has blemishes and freckles and unevenness. Maybe this face doesn’t have a place in a magazine or in a movie but it is my face, the one God gave me, a face that is half my mom’s and half my dad’s. It is a map of all the places I have been before, it is a signpost along a journey I am continuing to make. I will look back at these pictures and know what it is to have been there. I have found a comfort in that. I kind of like my face.

I still loving wearing makeup. But I think I’m ready to let my own skin shine through a little more.

I want to hear from you. Is wearing make-up an essential part of your routine? What makes you feel most naturally beautiful? What makes you feel confident as you begin a new day?

love, elizabeth