Yes to Blueberries: A review

I'm going to preface this review by saying THESE PRODUCTS ARE AMAZING!!!!

But first, a bit of background info about my skin and other cleansers and exfoliants I've been using.  I have a sensitive, combination skin type: dry and sometimes flakey with an oily t-zone. In summer though, my whole face is like an oil slick - gross. I have scarring from acne and using the wrong products on my skin in the past. I also have a lot of redness on my cheeks, which appeared when I fell pregnant with my first son, and has never left - yippee. AND I get little bumps on my cheeks too, when that time of the month rears its ugly head.

For the last few months I've been using St Ives Apricot Scrub and it was working ok in the beginning, but my skin seemed to be getting rougher and really inconsistent texture and colour wise. The product itself is also really quite rough, which i never liked,but id heard such good reviews, i ignored how i felt about it - stupid. I was using Clean and Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser and that didn't seem to be doing a lot either - although it was really good at washing off my makeup, but not so much cleaning my skin.  Prior to that I was using a cleanser and an exfoliator from the Swisspers skincare range and although they started out great, once I fell pregnant with my second son, it felt like they were burning my skin, so I abruptly stopped using them.

So I decided I needed a change.I found the Yes To Cucumbers range in my local Priceline, a range I'd heard nothing but good things about and liked that they used real ingredients and not heaps of fillers. But then I noticed the Yes To Blueberries range - same company, just different fruits/vegetables for different skin needs - and it's for ageing skin, or they call it, Age Refresh.

These are the 2 products I have been using and LOVING! My skin has only ever felt and looked this good after fancy pants facials i've had at 
beauty salons.  I am honestly astounded! Maybe because I've been using the wrong products for so long,I'm not used to having this kind of skin!

Now, a little about each product straight from the Yes To website:

YES TO BLUEBERRIES Smoothing Daily Cleanser

"This gentle facial cleanser will make you say YES to a fresh face. A gentle start to your skincare regimen, this creamy cleanser is formulated with apple, which is rich in powerful anti-oxidants and natural alpha-hydroxy acids to help refresh and brighten skin; and lemon peel, a naturally derived cleanser to help sweep away dirt and grime and brighten the skin. Mmmm....clean. Soft. Nice. 

95% Natural

Petroleum, SLS, & Paraben Free

Cruelty-free"

The natural fragrance of blueberries and other delicious ingredients are calming, creamy and light on the skin and a 5c or 10c piece is enough to wash my face and neck.  It doesn't foam or lather up, which is good, because I find those products really drying and leave my face uncomfortably tight. I haven't used it to take off my makeup - I'm still using the Clean and Clear cleanser for that as its cheap and works well for that - so I don't know how well it works for that, but I imagine it would work well! My skin feels so clean, moisturised and refreshed after using this product! I love it!

RRP: $14.99 (from Priceline)

YES TO BLUEBERRIES SOFTENING FACIAL EXFOLIATOR

"Our Softening Facial Exfoliator is formulated with blueberries to fight the formation of free radicals, apple to help refresh and brighten the skin's surface, and corn-derived gentle exfoliating beads to gently slough off dead skin cells. Your skin will feel fresh, smooth and fabulous! Follow  with a layer of Yes To Blueberries Daily Repair Moisturizer and your skin will thank you...

                                                    

99% Natural

Petroleum, SLS, & Paraben Free

Cruelty-free"

 RRP: $14.99 (from Priceline) 

Second best exfoliator I have ever used! My favourite is from Bella Pierre and it's a gel consistency, so no scratchy bits, and you can literally see little balls of dead skin rubbing off (which sounds gross and painful, but it's really not) I don't use it anymore because it is waaayyyyy expensive.I digress.This exfoliator has little beads in amongst the creamy goodness, but they are not, I repeat NOT abrasive or rough on the skin, so I don't feel like I'm sand papering my face - it's actually quite nice.  I use the same 5-10c piece size and just like the cleanser, it doesn't foam or lather.  I'm left with my skin feeling smooth, revitalised, clean, moisturised and best of all, a smile on my face! I will 100% be repurchasing this product!

They have many other products in the Yes To Blueberries range, moisturisers, night creams, cleansing towelettes and so on.  Once my current moisturiser runs out (Bliss Steep Clean Mattifying Moisturizer, from the Oily Skincare range - I was lucky enough to get it extremely discounted - it was still $25, but it's amazing!) I will maybe try a moisturiser from this range, and perhaps an eye cream too - I have really dark purple colouring under my eyes and really thin, crepe-y skin.

The Yes To company have other ranges: 

YES TO CARROTS Beta-Carotene rich formulas, perfect for normal-to-dry skin.

YES TO CUCUMBERS Gentle, hypoallergenic formulas for normal or sensitive skin types 

YES TO TOMATOES Clinically-proven formulas for combination or acne-prone skin.

YES TO GRAPEFRUIT Correct and repair uneven skin tone for a brighter, more glowing complexion.

Here is the mission statement from their website:

YES TO MISSION

So next time you're in the market for a skin care range to try, or even just a product or two, I would highly recommend giving the Yes To brand a try!

Ash x

P.S. As always, all opinions are my own based on my experience and I am not affiliated with this company :)

The Lush Experience

I decided it would be a really good idea for me to finally try some goodies from Lush, and boy, am i glad I did! But before I jump right in, let me give you some background info.You see, when it's my sisters' or girlfriends' birthdays, I've been giving them vouchers for Lush so they can spoil and pamper themselves with delicious smelling face and body treats.  I am always tempted to grab myself a sneaky treat too, but never do.

And here's why:

Price: seems a little exorbitant (for my income bracket at least) I mean $32.95 for some body wash, that's crazy - can I get an AMEN?!     

The store layout: my local store feels like a vortex - once you step foot inside, you can't leave empty handed and I find that very intimidating. It's also really small, so getting my pram through it without knocking  any  of their carefully stacked towers of soap and bath bombs is difficult, and that's when the store is empty - which, lets  face it, is pretty much never! 

No real knowledge of Lush: despite watching video upon video on YouTube of hauls, but that there's something about it that makes the masses flock to it like seagulls to hot chips 

Staff:  knowledgeable and friendly - which to most is exactly what you want in sales staff, but to me, it's a lethal combination.  In the past, at various stores and life experiences, I've found myself talked into various products, clothes, drinks (urgh) and situations because the other  person was 'knowledgable' and 'friendly' and found myself thinking "why on earth did I let this colossal disaster happen?", because I'm a people pleaser, that's why!

So, this one day, it was a Tuesday around 9:30am, I felt that I'd been extra excellent at life lately and decided I was going to treat myself.  Having warmed up to Lush by my various visits to buy vouchers, I decide I'm ready to try to get myself something without leaving feeling like an idiot.

The girl that greets me is one who's sold me vouchers in the past, so I instantly feel relaxed! I tell her I'm after a particular product (which I'd seen on shaanxo's latest video) and she takes me straight to it, tells me about it and asks if I'd like to test it, so, I oblige. Now I don't know if she was hypnotising me, or if the delicious scent that was fogging my brain, but by the end of it, I wanted to buy one of everything on the store!She was so friendly and had been so attentive, without being overbearing, I strike up conversation about the type of products I'm after, so she shows me some more. Long story short, I leave with 3 products and never did I once feel pressured or embarrassed like I tend to normally do.

So, here's how I was wrong about Lush:

IT WAS ALL IN MY HEAD. Which I was aware of beforehand, but felt like there was an element of truth to it all. The store layout was a little bothersome, but I was the only customer in the store (hallelujah!), so it wasn't so bad! as I mentioned, the staff were friendly and knowledgeable, in the good way. To address the price point and what Lush is about, let me enlighten you:

This is direct from their website LINK www.lush.com.au:

THE 'WE BELIEVE'

We believe in making effective products from fresh* organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not commission test on animals and in testing our products on humans.

We invent our own products and fragrances; we make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients and we tell you when they were made.

We believe in happy people making happy soap, putting our faces on our products and making our mums proud.

We believe in long candlelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again.We believe our products are good value, that we should make a profit and that the customer is always right.

*We also believe words like 'Fresh' and 'Organic' have an honest meaning beyond marketing.

If you head on over to their website www.lush.com.au and scroll to the bottom of the page, there is a heading that says Articles, and under that is links to info about their history, the charities they support,against animal testing, an ingredient finder, tips on living a 'greener' life, naked - which is about why the have simple packaging etc etc.Basically, they have a higher price margin because everything is organic,not tested on animals and handmade, which not what many other companies do. So even though I would never normally spend $30 on body wash, knowing the products are 'green', animal cruelty free, and not made of fillers, preservatives and fragrances, make it seem worth it.

So let me show you what I got!

Turkish Delight Smoothie

"Butter yourself up with our delightfully rosy body polish. Each pot is made with our new soap-base, packed with aphrodisiac jasmine and Turkish rose, smoothing almond oil, moisturising cocoa butter, and cheer-inducing neroli. Smooth it on in the shower for clean, soft and irresistibly fragrant skin. It’s the delight of everyone, not just the Turkish."

RRP: $32.95

Next I got a Mmm Melting Marshmallow Moment, Luxury Bath Melt

"Slow melting musky marshmallow marvel. MMM melts into a pink, fluffy waterbed of marshmallow and moisturizing cocoa butter. Each Melting Marshmallow Moment is made with marshmallow herb, which produces a sweet, skin-soothing mucilage that was used to make sugar candies for hundreds of years, and marigold, which is equally calming for your skin. Take your time, savour each moment and have as many marshmallows as you like."

RRP: $8.50

And last, but not least, Bubblegum Lip Scrub

"Our fabulous lip scrubs are here to keep your kissers sweet. This one will make your lips smell like our best-selling Snow Fairy shower gel. Bubblegum is made with exfoliating castor sugar and our delicious vegan flavour to gently scrub away rough skin, keeping your lips smooth and kissably soft. Simply rub it over your lips when they feel the need for some sugar".

RRP: $9.95

I have tried all 3 of the products, and I will be doing an in-depth review on all the products once I've been using them for a while, but I can tell you that so far, THEY'RE AMAZING! I am beyond happy that I took a chance on Lush and I will definitely be repurchasing from them time, and time again!  In fact, I am looking forward to going back again VERY soon - my body and my bathroom have never smelled to good!

Ash x

P.S. Lush also have a free magazine they give out when you make a purchase, called Lush Times.It's full of info about their products, behind the scenes, customer faves, makeup bag must haves, limited editions and new/upcoming products.

P.P.S. As always, all opinions are my own based on my experience and I am not affiliated with this company :)