Majestic Imperialis (Lush Imperialis)

Member Name: NikkiH

Product:	Lush Imperialis
Date:	31/01/05 (475 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Balanced my skin, Lasts ages

Disadvantages: Took me so long to discover it

I normally have quite clear skin, but every winter, the combination of central heating, office air conditioning and the ever changing weather leaves me with skin that can’t quite decide what it wants to be. One morning it can be so dry it is literally flaking off my face, and the next day, it is so oily, the shine could blind people if the sunlight hit it at the right angle! As if that is not bad enough, my skin decides to punish me even more by having days when it wants to be dry and oily, which is less than pleasant I can assure you.

I think being pregnant made it worse last winter, and out of pure despair (and not being able to afford £30+ for the so called miracle moisturizers from Estee Lauder etc), I headed off to my trusty local Lush shop. After chatting to one of the assistants for a while, she recommended some products to cleanse and tone with, and then as a moisturiser, she recommended Imperialis, and also told me that when my skin is oily it still needs to be moisturised, which is certainly where I was going wrong, because adding cream to already oily skin was something I avoided, but this was making the condition worse.

Opening the pot, I was greeted by a rather luminous salmon pink/orange coloured cream with a nice pleasant scent which I think was the lilies but I could not be sure, although it was not as in your face as many of the other fragrant Lush products. Many moisturisers I have used tend to leave an almost slimy film on my skin which makes putting any make up on a definite no no for at least 30 minutes afterwards, but this was not the case with Imperialis. My skin felt softer immediately after application, although the product sank into the skin where I presume it does more good than if it were just sitting on the surface. I was able to put make on minutes after application, which is a huge bonus for a working mother with 2 children who does not have time to spare when getting ready.

I have always gone for cheapness over quality where moisturisers were concerned, as I really struggle to justify to myself how a £2.99 cream can be so different to a £50 cream. I still feel that way as Imperialis costs £7.75 for a 45g tub, so it won’t break the bank just yet. It looks like it will last no time at all, as the pot was small in comparison to some I have bought, but you need to use such a small amount that I am nowhere near needing to buy another pot just yet.

I have been using Imperialis for just over a month, and I have to say that the results have surpassed my expectations, and my skin has improved to the point that people are starting to mention it when they see me.

The ingredients include lavender infusion, orange blossom water, olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and glycerine, along with extracts of many other plants. (A full list is on the website www.lush.co.uk). Give this one a go, you won’t be disappointed.

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