I leave no stains behind! (Lush Whoosh Temple Balm)

Member Name: Sarccyslayer

Product:	Lush Whoosh Temple Balm
Date:	07/01/08 (295 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It works, it smells divine, easy to find and purchase

Disadvantages: none for me personally

Do you ever have one of those Monday mornings when you come into the office after a nice relaxing weekend and the list of things to do increases by the day instead of getting shorter despite completing numerous tasks? That is generally how my Monday mornings go and by lunch time I'm feeling annoyed, tired and generally eurgh hoping the afternoon flies by and before you know it is Friday.

Usually I drink a can of red bull to give me that little zap of energy that I am craving to see me through the day and then I was browsing the Lush website for something new to try as I randomly do when bored stupid on a telephone conference, when I came across the temple balms. I have used the lip balms in the past and my current one is close to running out, so that needs to be replaced anyway so I decided to look at the temple balms to see what they are all about. Temple balms are promoted as being "four mood enhancers for your pulse point" and then when you look more closely there are currently three different ones online to view.

So off I went to my little Lush shop to enquire further about the temple balms. As I mentioned before there are three different temple balms to choose from and I ended up buying "Whoosh" because it was designed to give keep my mind active throughout the week to give me that little perk instead of relying on Red bull. The idea behind the temple balm is that it includes essential oils specifically picked to react with your body chemicals, much like Red Bull but without the caffeine to keep you on your toes.

The temple balms are sold in little 10g tin which is exactly the same size as the lip balms and on the top of the tin is the word "Whoosh" to indicate which product I have bought and to open the tin you screw the lid slightly to the right and it comes off relatively easy or if you have a good grip you can just pull it off and for this you can expect to pay £3.95 which I feel is justified because it does last quite a long time.

When it comes to using Whoosh the first thing I noticed was the fruity smell of apricot and mangos which was absolutely divine because both of these ingredients together work really well as a fragrance. To use you simply apply a very subtle trace of the Whoosh balm to what are known as being your pulse points: notably your wrists, neck and temples and you only need a small amount any time, even less than a 5p piece is enough and you place the balm onto your pulse point and gently rub it in which should take a few seconds and although this balm contains natural oils I was pleasantly surprised to note that it didn't leave a little greasy stain behind.

So how does it work? The clever people at Lush have selected specific essentials oils to kick start your brain. For example this balm contains Fresh Lemon, Lime and Grapefruit oils all of which have an uplifting effect on the mood and helps with stress and depression. Closely following the citrus oils comes Rosemary oil which is refreshing and helps with mental fatigue and when working with the Geranium Oil which helps to reduce stress. Those ingredients alone have been included to help you feel less stressed and more relaxed and alert and when they are combined with grapeseed oil which is used as a carrier oil in this instant to allow the fragrances of the ingredients to flow, it is also known to reduce stress in particularly to the skin (stretchmarks). The lovely smells I have mentioned come through the use of Mango Butter which is used in many cosmetic products as a skin lubricant and mosituriser and Avocado oil whose oil is deep penetrating into the skin and is high in vitamins A, D and E and finally there is Apricot Kernel Oil which again is used for its moisturising, nourishing and revitalizing properties. As always with Lush there is a whole host of other ingredients which you can find listed on the relevant webpage.

Once you have applied this 'Whoosh' balm to your pulse points you won't suddenly feel like you have been kicked into action like someone has just shoved smelling salts under your nose and you are now more alert. The feel is a little more subtle in its approach. You do feel less irritable and stressed that is absolutely true and although I don't quite feel as alert as I do when I've drank a can of red Bull I am definitely more awake and with it. So to that extent I do actually believe this 'whoosh' balm works as it is meant to do.

The one thing Lush don't tell you is how often you are supposed to apply it and me personally, well it depends how I am feeling on any particular day, some days I am more sluggish than others so I might use it twice a day and others I am more alert and don't actually feel like I need to use it, so I guess it is down to each individual to decide as and when they want to use it. The tin is small enough to fit into your bag without feeling weighed down, so it isn't an extra burden to carry with you should it not be used.

I have used this 'Whoosh' balm for the last 3 months now and I am still on my same little 10g tin, there is a dip in the middle of the balm where I have been using it, more excessively since I came back to work I admit but you still cannot see the bottom of the tin through the balm, so I've not quite worn it out yet but I am getting there and at a cost of £3.95 for 3 months usage, sometimes twice a day it is definitely good value for money and does exactly what it promises to do with an appropriate name to accompany it. So if like me you want a little (legal) pick me up then it is definitely worth a try.

If you are not too sure then you can always visit the Lush website at www.Lush.co.uk is set out very clearly with headings to make your navigation throughout the site really easy. If you have never used Lush products before then I would suggest you click on the 'Find out more' for more information about who Lush are, what they do, how they do it, their policies on animal testing, information for pregnant women and much more. On this website you are able to click on each product to see what ingredients they contain, how much they are and what sizes they are sold in.

Summary: A little pick me up