My Travel Essentials - The Bathroom
Of course it's Lush.
As my boyfriend likes to remind me I'm basically a walking advert for Lush Cosmetics but in my defence I've worked for the company, know the products and understand their effectiveness.
In the picture from left to right is Silky Underwear Dusting Powder, Godiva Solid Shampoo, Jungle Solid Conditioner and Movis Facial Soap.
Starting with Silky Undwear, it's a white matifying dusting powder which has a light jasmine, lavender smell. I brought it under the recommendation from an old coworker who's travelled all through Asia and she said it saved her life in the humidity. She was right, there really have been days where I've literally walked outside and just been instantly sticky. What this powder does is basically takes that tacky, gross feeling away by absorbing excess moisture and oil from your skin. It comes in a small 100ml bottle perfect for slipping into a backpack and it lasts forever; I bought mine like six months ago and have made hardly a dent in it. It also keeps forever because it's essentially made of cornstarch. Only 8.95 a bottle and available in Canada here :
http://www.lush.ca/Silky-Underwear-Dusting-Powder/03634,en_CA,pd.html
Next is Godiva Solid Shampoo. If you like floral scents and especially the scent of Jasmine you'll love this shampoo. It also has some rich cocoa butter in it for those of us who need a bit more moisture in their hair. I was majorly sceptical about the solid shampoos before I started working for Lush but really they are super easy to use, with just a little up keep. Just get the product wet, run it through your hair and place it back in its tin. Oh, yah Lush sells shampoo bar tins and I highly recommend buying one. There only like 3$ and they'll save you cleaning up after. But yah simply stand the bar up in the tin to let it air dry and afterwards just put it back in the tin. With that regiment it should easily last you a month or two. Sixty to eighty washes is what's average and it gets you as clean as if you used a bottle shampoo. It's more travel friendly and better for the environment too. The price is 11.95 and available here :
http://www.lush.ca/Godiva/02392,en_CA,pd.html
Thirdly is Jungle Solid Conditioner. At time of writing Lush currently has two different solid conditioners, Jungle and Big. Although a third should be in stores by I think June. I basically choose Jungle because I've travelled with it before. Through a sample I got Big is just as good, just with slightly different ingredients. But I like Jungle for the smell and the way it leaves my hair feeling. The fresh mashed bananas team up with a base of cocoa butter to perfume and moisturizer your hair leaving it super soft and with a light, fruity scent. Works just the same way as the solid shampoo just work the product around your hair and rinse off. I tend, as with most conditioners to let it sit in my hair for like five minutes just so the product really soaks in. Don't know if that makes a difference or not but it can't hurt. I find it doesn't last quite as long as the shampoos but you still get a good two months out of it. 9.95 and available here :
http://www.lush.ca/Jungle/03399,en_CA,pd.html
Last but certainly not least we have Movis Facial Soap. This wheat germ based soap is part of Lush's skin care collection. Having worked for Lush I've tried most, if not all of the products so when I'm at home I generally prefer Dark Angels but for traveling this facial soap is perfect. You can easily fit it into a travel tin and again it's solid so no packaging and no liquids to spill. Usage wise it's much like the solid shampoo / conditioner in you get it wet and just massage it onto your face. It'll lather up a little bit but it's super gentle. It's made to moisturize as well as clean with lots of cocoa butter and wheat germ oil in it. Strangely enough it has a bit of added whole wheat breadcrumbs to add a tiny bit of a scrub. I personally don't feel it but my face is used to being scrubbed with salt and charcoal products so I may be slightly biased. It's 9.95 per 100 grams and sold here :
http://www.lush.ca/Movis/05052,en_CA,pd.html