LUSH cosmetics!

I am absolutely in love with the company lush and how could I not be. The products are cruelty free. The products are all vegetarian with a lot being vegan. They are amazing quality. Lush works to make sure they are fair trade. They campaign for equality and animals. I mean seriously how could you not love them. I own lots of lush goodies and I am going to share them all with you!

Bubblegum Lip Scrub            

This lip scrub is amazing for smoothing out the lips before applying lip balm, especially in the winter months (or in the UK all year round) as our lips get all chapped and flaky. It contains only 4 ingredients.
Caster sugar, Organic jojoba oil and Flavours Colour 45410 and Colour 45380.
The ingredients is what makes this product. The caster sugar means you are able to eat it after, it is so hard not to like your lips straight away.The Jojoba oil is used as a replacement to the oil that we get from whales. Woo for lush's ethics! Its amazing for softening things like hair cuticles and of course lips. And the colours simply do what it says on the tin, adds this beautiful and uplifting pink colour to the product.

This product is 100% suitable for vegans and the pot is made of glass so when you finish the product you can reuse it which is great.

This product retails on the lush website for £5.50

Link here:  https://www.lush.co.uk/products/bubblegum

Skindrink Facial Moisturiser

This moisturiser is great if you experience drying skin. I experience this a lot around my nose and forehead. With the rest of my face being combination. It leaves your face feeling smoother, less bumpy and rigid. It doesn't leave you feeling greasy after applying it even though it leaves a protective barrier to help the skin in hot or windy conditions and keep it from drying. So its definitely a moisturiser which will provide you with a good results whether it be after prolonged use and after even one use.

It contains 22 ingredients all of which are natural ingredients or safe synthetics and a lot of ingredients that occur naturally in essential oils. You can find the full list of ingredients and what they do on the LUSH website. But here is the main one :
Organic sesame oil, this ingredient is the part of the product which provides the  rehydration for the skin, it contains vitamin E and is made up of fatty acids.

This product contains lots of natural fat based ingredients which nourish and rehydrate the skin. The packaging can be recycled at a local lush store and reused and is also suitable for vegans. Awesome.

The product retails on the website for £11.95

Link here https://www.lush.co.uk/products/skin-drink

Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water 

Toners can be used to end your skin care routine before applying moisture to help wipe away any of the dirt left on the skin and help balance the skins natural pH levels as well as leaving it felling refreshed and clean and this one certainly leaves it feeling fresh, with the scent of the sea it produces mixed with the refreshing cool mist it produces.

I use this product by spritzing it on my face and either using clean hands or a cotton pad I wipe away any dirt and settle the product on to my skin.

It contains 12 ingredients which again can all be found on the LUSH website with what it does. But here are some of the best ones:
Fresh Sea Water contains lots of minerals as well as lots of dissolved natural elements like oxygen, magnesium, nitrogen and of course sodium chloride (salt) the minerals in the sea water is what balances the pH of the skin and also keeps it from looking tired and dry.
Organic Fair Trade Aloe Vera Gel, we have all experienced sun burn at one time or another and that is when our mother brings out the aloe gel and it cool sensation soothes the burn and this is exactly what it does in this product.
Seaweed Absolute has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. It contains vitamins A, C and E which adds further nutrients to the body.

This product is great for the sunny months as well as the cold ones. It does your skin a favour and feels amazing in the skin.This is also suitable for vegans and the bottle is recyclable.

A 100g bottle costs £3.95 on the LUSH website.

Link to the product here https://www.lush.co.uk/products/breath-fresh-air

Happy Hippy Shower Gel

This shower gel smells absolutely phenomenal. Its zesty smell makes it perfect for waking up in the morning but its also perfect for calming the senses before bed, and as I like to think of myself as a bit of a Modern Age Hippy then this is just perfect.

I think these gels are perfect for keeping in your overnight bag or when you want to go travelling. I keep it in my overnight bag as I can use it as both a body wash as well as a hair treatment saving so much room. It lathers so nicely in the hair and I always get compliments on the smell of my hair when I use it, it's crazy.
Another shower gel of lush's I recommend is 'The Olive Branch' very good for nourishing the hair and body.

It contains 14 ingredients one of which is Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice. This juice is acidic with antibacterial properties making it perfect for people with acne and oily skin. The smell is also used in aromatherapy to refresh us as it is said to remind us of the suns energy, so basically good smell to wake us up in the morning (but I also find it soothing).
Another ingredient is Frankincense Oil this contains products which cause it to ease breathing, be antiseptic and astringent. It produces a sort of protective film over the skin evening out fine lines and softening the skin.

This product is also 100% vegan and the bottle is 100% recycled and you are able to recycle it at your local lush store.YAY environment!

This product retails for £3.50 for a 100g bottle on the lush website.

Link here https://www.lush.co.uk/products/happy-hippy

No Drought Dry Shampoo

This is, with no doubt, one of my absolute favourite LUSH products. It leaves my hair feeling refreshed, smelling amazing, voluminous and all with no white marks and very little build up. As well as all this it seems to last forever. This product is truly amazing.

It doesn't come in a spray can like most which are not only bag for the environment, but they are so concentrated they leave my hair white and slightly damp and it wears of very fast leaving lots of build up. This is the best one I have ever come across.

It contains 10 simple ingredients. One of which is cornflower, this is the product which absorbs all of the oils in the hair, simple and effective. Another ingredient used is Lime Oil, this is what gives the product it's incredible scent. I love zesty aromas! As limes are also astringent it make the hair look shinier by actually making the hair shinier. It helps to boost circulation which it can help with flakiness of the scalp. It also contains vitamin C protecting the skin against harsh environments.

Need I say more! This product is amazing. Vegan and again the bottle is recycled and it can be recycled at a LUSH store!

A 50g bottle (which lasts forever might I add again) retails for £3.75 on the online store.

Link here https://www.lush.co.uk/products/no-drought

I love LUSH products, I love their ethics, the care they put into there products and also the quality of their products. But I will never lie about what I think of a product. These are my 100% truthful opinions of these products.

Peace, Holly. 

Marriage??

So recently I was asked by an elderly man if I wanted to get married. As I was working when this was asked I couldn't give my what would normally be opinionated answer so I just said 'I don't know I don't really see the point in it any more.' Again I was given the old speech which I get every time I give that answer 'but its more of a commitment' followed by 'you can't just walk away after an argument' again followed by 'and definitely better if there are children involved' and all I wanted to say was 'bullshit...bullshit....bullshit!'.

Please don't think of as hating on people who do get married everyone has there own reasons but I don't see how anyone should think of a partner as any different to a married couple.
I argue this point because of many reasons and it will probably be easier for me to organises my mess of thoughts in list form. Everyone loves lists right?

1. Materialism

Now this isn't really a reason I don't want to get married but it is a reason why I kind of don't look upon it as a true 'commitment'. Marriage was originally put in place as in exchange of women for land as women weren't allowed to buy land at the time. That eventually moved on to people marrying so the women could pop out babies and look after the children and then it moved on to be about love. But these days it seems to be more about who can do it the biggest and the best. I seems to be focused on how much the ring costs or how expensive the dress is or who can throw the best party. Young girls grow up wanting there end goal to be married with kids, they start thinking about what to name there children from the age of 8 and designing there wedding when doing arts and crafts. They don't think about the person the would like to spend the rest of their life with, they just think about the glamour which goes along with this socially constructed thing we call marriage.

     2. Children

Is it really better for the children? I have witnessed divorce with children involved and I have seen the end result of a partnership end with children. In divorce the children seem to be more used as a weapon for money or as a weapon to hurt the other person and because in a marriage you have to go through this long and unfair process the children experience more pain as most couples will only go through this process if absolutely necessary. Yet in a partnership it is between two people, there are no solicitors involved, money belongs to the person who earned it. The children are less likely to be used as weapons for money and hurting the other person, and as it isn't such a process to get out of a partnership there is less pain involved so it is more likely to end on good terms. I have witnessed this happen and the couple involved and their new partner/wife get on so well which was good for the now grown up children in these circumstances.
So for me after seeing both these happen its hard for me to believe it is ever better for children involved to have a better life when the parents are married compared to when they are not.

   3. Old fashioned traditions

Sex with in marriage and children within marriage and last names! WTF! People still believe these today and it absolutely baffles me. What if it ends up that you and your partner are completely not sexually compatible, you are unable to experience that intimacy that every couple should have and now you are tied together in this socially constructed made up thing called marriage and its a long and laborious process to get out of. And then with children! There is absolutely no evidence what so ever that proves that children conceived inside of wedlock compared to ones outside of wedlock are any more happier, are any smarter, are any more creative, make any more money, live more fulfilling lives than the other. And the old taking the mans name thing! Like seriously you are willing to lose your whole connection to your ancestors and take someone else's name, and then you are considered family, now I don't know about you but all I can think about when couples call them selves family is 'please tell me you're not cousins'...just me...okay.

I don't think marriage is relevant in this day and age, women are allowed to own property. Commitment can be expressed as much through a long term relationship as a marriage. Marriage doesn't mean you love a person more than people in a long term relationship. All it means is that you either have religious values which favour marriage which is absolutely fine if its your choice, your you simply prefer the idea of being married, that's fine to. But please don't force these views on someone who doesn't care for it. Don't see 'get married all ready' or 'when is the wedding' after they have had a child.

Just accept peoples values, feel free to express and opinion, but understand the other persons choice.

Holly.

You do you!

You do you! This has become one of my favourite quotes recently. I am thankful that I live in a society where for the most part you are allowed to express yourself freely. You can be gay, lesbian, a complete tree huger, religious and for the most part people won't judge you. But a lot of people are not that lucky, where they grow up in societies where you have to be a certain religious group, you have to wear certain clothes and you have to hide your real sexuality.

I have never really understood why people judge other peoples lives when it doesn't hurt them or effect their lives. I don't understand why some extremest Christians like people from the Westboro Baptist Church feel the need to force their religious views on others by picketing outside of fallen soldiers funnels saying they deserve to die. Picketing on the streets and out side concert venues preaching against homosexuality.

I am all for freedom of speech however I just can't comprehend how human beings are so willing to do this. Some say it because they love us and want us to repent our sins so we do not end up in hell. But I just feel sorry for them they have grown up in a society where it is normal to hate people who are a bit different, imagine how hard it would be if your whole life you where subjected to think a certain way and how hard it would be to be open to a different view. This not only goes for homophobia but also for religion. People are forced to believe things they don't or are subjected to views and are unable to search for other views. I was very lucky as a child, my parents never Christened me or my brothers. There mind set being that when I am old enough I will be able to make that decision. People growing up in places like Saudi-Arabia where they have to follow a certain religion, women have to dress certain ways in public whether they want to or not. Some people may think that we have reached freedom, but if you dig a little deeper there are still people hiding in fear of their govenment, of their families, of what other people may think. It is very hard to change the opinion of people set in their way, but the people we can help who are trapped in these forceful societies we still can. Be yourself, you do you. There is always light at the end of the tunnel you just have to look for it. 

Holly. 

My life is changing

This blog is a bit like a diary for my. I am quite a closed of person this is because I like the idea that in your mind you are completely a loan, its all your thoughts, all your ideas, your own little world inside your head, so this blog kind of gives my the freedom to express my feelings to people close to me and people I have never met.
This last month my life has completely and utterly been turned upside down, it wasn't even much of a transition. I was pushed straight into this world wind of emotions, activities and just a different perspective of life. To put it bluntly I met an incredible person in the weirdest circumstances and since then I have felt like nothing else matters but this person. I will follow them to the end of the earth. But this came at a cost, I had to hurt some people I was very close to, I have to rebuild a few relationships and it is still very much a working process, it hurts, there where tiers and there still are sometime. But this person I met just makes everything seem completely irrelevant. The feeling i feel are impossible to describe, I just know that my life will never be the same again.
I was told very recently that sometimes we have to let life take its course and stop trying to control it, so we can gain new opportunities and I couldn't agree more. We are all on this journey called life, all 7 billion of us and although we will not all meet each other we all touch others lifes, and that needs to be respected, never go out to hurt someone, go out an try to make people happy because in the end we all end up in the same place in the end whether that be heaven, hell, limbo, another life, oblivion. All that matters is that we take what we have now and grasp every opportunity with two hands and let it take you somewhere amazing. There may be hurt, heartbreak and tiers but that's all part of the roller-coaster.
To the person who inspired this I love you, thank you for kick starting my life of which you are the most important thing.

Holly.

Can you define love?

Writing here always makes me feel that little bit better. Like my thoughts have reached someone I don't know, like I have maybe introduced some openess into someones heart but it also allows me to spill out my thoughts which get caught up round and round in my head.
Love is a huge part of everyones life. It can be expressed in so many ways. It can be given to so many people. I personally think everyone thinis of it in there own way. I believe there are many forms of love, it can grow and change but it will always be there! Because love in its simplist form is caring, for a pet, family, a partner or your friends. I am so lucky to be surrounded by people that love me.
Love grows and changes this can be hard but it happens no one has control of it. You cant just flick a switch. I dont think love ever dies it just changes. I know this hurts people but I also know it can lead people to places they never imagined they could go.
Never fill your heart with hate! Replace it with forgiveness and love. Never let hatred become yourself because thats when you loose yourself!

Love, peace and happiness is all we need!

Holly

GOING CRUELTY FREE

One of my new years resolutions was to go cruelty free which has been very successful. I guess when you fully realise the situation it is a no brainer. I would rather have a mouse live than have a foundation. Now I am much happier knowing that my vanity isn't to the suspense of an animal life. I wish I had made this decision earlier, I've been vegetarian for so long yet I seemed to have been so obnoxious to the fact of animal testing. I think this is because we are so shielded from it, it is kind of the out of site out of mind kind of thing. But I also think a lot of it is due to human vanity, humans as a spices are very selfish, you only have to look as far as looking at where you are sitting right now and seeing of the materialistic things that have been made by people you have never and never will meet. I think vegetarians miss this concept as a lot do it for health reasons so they have no real moral value to choose not to go cruelty free, of course this is just an assumption I may be completely wrong, I can't judge a persons values unless I know there perspective.
PS. I can see myself rambling on about random stuff a lot on this subject.
There are lots of arguments which surround animal testing for both medical and cosmetic use. If I am totally honest I don't see how anyone can condone animal testing for cosmetics, the fact that the way we look comes before the life of an animal is completely bizarre to me. I hear the argument that humans are the most intelligent species therefore we can use them to benefit ourselves and make the human race more advanced, but the blue whale is the biggest animal on earth and it doesn't use other animals for its own selfish benefit. I think what I am trying to get across with that analogy is that why is intelligence which decides the greatest and 'most important' mammal why is it not size or speed. Why are our looks more important than a mouses' life? Another thing I don't understand why if it is a mouse or a rat it is suddenly less important on the scale of animal life. I understand they breed like crazy, but every single mouse has its own heart, its own brain, its own lungs. It lives like any other creature so why is it less important than a cat, a dog or a monkey.
This may be a bit distressing to hear but in the UK it is required by law for all batches of botox produced to be tested on a rodent. The botox is injected in to the mouses stomach which causes the mouse to become paralysed and die. YES they still use the botox batch because that is supposed to happen, the mouse is meant to die a horrible death. If the mice survive they are gased or they have there necks broken. This sickens me, and how does this benefit us? OH we have no more wrinkles. A round of applause for humanity please (sarcasm). When I talk about for cosmetic I mean literally anything we use to keep up basic hygiene like toothpastes, shampoos even things like domestic cleaning products like dish washing powder. What happened to natural ingredients? In my opinion natural is best, it raw and its meant to be in our bodies. To name just a few of the brand which test on animals are:

• L'oreal (and daughter companies excluding The Body Shop)
• Benefit
• Unilever (this means Lynx, Dove, Sure, Tresemme to name just a few)
• Revlon
• Estee Lauder 
• Mac
• Garnier
• Herbal Essences

Then there is the animal testing for medical use debate, at least this on has some sustenance to it. I understand where some people come from when making the argument that animal testing for medical use is somewhat acceptable. However I still find it very hard to make it seem right in my head for some reason torturing an animal which is unable to give consent to what is happening to them doesn't sit well with me. The fact that an animal was breed to be an experiment just seems so cruel. However I also understand that cures for diseases can be found that can save many peoples lives. But whenever I hear this argument there is always the thought that maybe if we kept our bodies healthy by giving it the nutrients and exercise it needs all this research maybe irrelevant. How often have you heard a doctor prescribe a healthy life style rather than drugs which contain chemicals you probably have never heard of and you will be putting it into your body. I don't think I will ever be able to completely cut out this aspect of animal cruelty from my live as many others won't. But what I am trying to achieve is a very reduced intake of it, by this I mean not turning straight to ibuprofen or paracetamol every time you feel ill but allow your body to fight it by its self and help it by using natural methods. I also feel like medical science has advanced enough not to need animal research, with all the stuff we know about stem cells and there uses it seems like we have a pretty good way of determining how drugs will effect the body as well as how viruses function in a piece of living tissue rather that giving the virus to a living creature to see how they react or forcing then to be injected with chemical cocktails to test the safety. 

Well that's what I think anyway, I think the only way you can form a real discussion on any of this is by doing your own research. I would have included stuff like certain legislation and maybe more facts and figures but I could act bias and interpret it in a way in which may force a reader to think a certain way. At least with opinions it is just a persons thoughts.

Holly

WOW

I have never been so happy, exited, interested and confused ever. Life you are one amazing thing.
Holly