| Product: |
Lush skincare products in general |
| Date: |
27/11/02 (289 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Works brilliantly, great value, combats oil
Disadvantages: the smell, the smell, the smell
Herbalism is a relatively new product from Lush, introduced into their stores this year. It is a facial cleanser and exfoliator formulated for oily skin. Though I am in love with their Angels on Bareskin cleanser already and had no reason whatsoever to change, I never can resist anything new so thought I'd give it a try, especially as I have an oily to-zone over the chin, nose and forehead.
Herbalism comes in clear plastic pots and you buy it by weight, with 100g costing £4.25.
Lush begin their description of Herbalism with the words 'When you see this you may question our claim that our new skincare products are the most beautiful we have ever made?'
Too right! Herbalism is a hideous shade of dark green, flecked with black bits, and the texture of gritty putty. Not very appealing, but then neither is Angels on Bareskin and that's just about the best beauty product I've ever come across, so experience told me not to be put off.
To use, first dampen your face, then take a small blob of Herbalism, rub between your fingers and then over your face. Sounds simple enough, but there's one big thing that makes it difficult: THE SMELL.
The smell of Herbalism first hits you when you lift off the lid, and as you put it on your face it's overpowering.
Herbalism smells of SAGE AND ONION PAXO. And because you're using it on your face, the stuff gets literally up your nose and even after rinsing your face the Herbalism is still up there, stinking out your olfactory canal.
Now don't get me wrong. I love a bit of Paxo with my Christmas dinner, and the festive period wouldn't be the same without it. It's almost an institution. But I don't want to personally smell like a STUFFED TURKEY.
Anyway, I persevered with my Herbalism, and it performed exceedingly well. Containing ground almonds, rice bran and rose petals, it exfoliated beautifully and left my skin very smooth
. Packed with powdered nettle, rose absolute, chamomile oil, sage oil, powdered chamomile, powdered marigold and powdered rosemary, it left my skin soothed and blotchless. With everything in a base of china clay, it also worked wonders on the oiliness of my skin and left it grease-free all day. And all this from a tiny blob that would fit on my fingertip three times.
I persevered for a week, during which I had an absolutely lovely, silky-soft, non-oily complexion. I looked great.
But carrying that smell around with me for a good few hours every time I'd washed with it was just too much. It really was that bad that I couldn't carry on.
No matter that it works out very good value for money, no matter that it works brilliantly, I just cannot suffer that much in the name of beauty.
It's that sage oil. Every time the lid is lifted it tries to take over the world.
If Lush would leave the sage oil out, or find a way to de-fragrance it, Herbalism would get five stars without question. As it is, I can give it only three, and recommend it only to people with no sense of smell or very blocked noses.
There's a time and a place for stuffing, and my face first thing in a morning isn't it.
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