LUSH Skin Saviours

About 2 months ago, I started having some serious skin issues. Prior to that, I had been having a dream run with my skin, it was fresh and glowing then BAM! Breakouts all over! They were awful, painful cystic pimples and they were everywhere. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason but the humidity was probably a contributing factor and I *might* have been using a very expired foundation too (oops…). In absolute desperation, I visited my local LUSH store for some advice and the lovely ladies there hooked me up with two absolute lifesavers that I credit with the miracle of getting my skin back to normal. 

The Brand - LUSH

LUSH originated in the UK waaay back in 1977 as Constantine & Weir, two co-workers at a salon who broke away to form their own business, which ended up supplying the Body Shop before being bought out because the Body Shop was uncomfortable having so many of their products formulas owned by another company. The duo then set up Cosmetics To Go in 1987 with a growing team and continued to flourish until 1994 when CTG when into administration. In 1995, they picked themselves up, started afresh and LUSH was born. From a slow start and a small, dedicated customer base, the brand snowballed into fame in the UK and continued barrelling across the globe from Canada to Australia (yay!).  

LUSH is dedicated to using ethically sourced ingredients, hand making products locally and fighting animal testing. This combination has resulted in a range of skin care products that look fresh, smell fabulous and have not yet failed to leave my skin feeling amazing. The staff are always so friendly and willing to spend time discussing your skin needs. On this particular visit, the lady who looked after me spent about 20 minutes talking me through the best options for my oily (and at that stage, very broken out) skin.

The Products – Mask of Magnaminty ($16.95 for 125g)

Mask of Maganminty is a deep cleansing mask specially formulated to fight breakouts. It contains bentonite gel and China clay to extract dirt, evening primrose and aduki beans to exfoliate and a healthy dose of peppermint oil. It’s quite a thick, green clay mask with bits of chopped up mint mixed through and it does smell very minty. Unlike the fresh face masks, this one doesn’t have to be kept in the fridge AND it lasts a fair bit longer too (3 months vs. 1 month). It has a very pleasant cooling effect on the skin has a slight exfoliating effect when washed off. Although I have only used this on my face, it instructions say it’s also good for fighting breakouts on your back too, double win!

The Products – Dark Angels Cleanser ($16.95 for 100g)

Dark Angels is the little sister to the super popular Angels on Bare Skin. It’s designed for people with oiler skin (moi) and is both absorbent and exfoliating. The appearance is a little scary, it’s very dark and it actually looks like a jar of dirt. And yes, you will look a bit scary using it (see photo evidence below) but the results are worth it! To me it smells like liquorice or aniseed, which is weird because neither of those are listed in the ingredients?? It does contain charcoal, Rhassoul mud and black sugar, all of which are designed to keep oiliness at bay.

Using the products

The Mask of Maganminty works like any other mask, you apply a generous layer and wait 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing off. The mask will start to harden and turn a lighter shade of green and you know it’s good to wash off once the whole thing has hardened. It leaves my skin feeling soft, fresh and squeaky clean without being tight. I have been using this a few times a week and haven’t found it drying at all.  

Side note: make sure you have time to spare while doing this mask as you face kind of becomes completely immobilised as the mask hardens. Could be a bit awkies if you need to answer the door for the postman... 

If you have ever used Angels on Bare Skin, Dark Angels works in the same way. You pinch off a pea-sized amount and mix with water in the palm of your hand to create a paste. Then you apply all over your face, working in gently circles with your fingertips and rinse off with warm water. I love the exfoliating nature of this cleanser, it’s very gentle yet extremely effective. My face always feels very clean after using Dark Angels. A little tip is to make sure you rinse thoroughly as the muds are very dark and have a habit of hiding in the creases next your nose. I always rinse twice and follow with a toner to make sure I haven’t left any embarrassing leftovers on my face.

Overall Score 

Mask of Magnaminty

The Good
Lasts longer than the fresh face masks.
Great at fighting breakouts.
Quick and very simple to use.

The Bad

 May not be compatible with sensitive skin.



Dark Angels

The Good
Great for controlling oil.
Very gentle but effective exfoliation.

The Bad

 A little messy to use.



KaBOOM! Cosmetics gives the LUSH Mask of Magnaminty & Dark Angels Cleanser:  

   

These products both get five out of five from me because they literally transformed my skin in a matter of weeks. Although they might not be suitable for all skin types, my skin is loving them and I will continue to use them in an attempt to prevent further breakouts. If you are having skin issues, I urge you to visit LUSH and spend some time discussing what is available for you. 

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx