Review: LUSH full of grace moisturizing serum bar

Has anyone heard of LUSH before? I first discovered LUSH as a junior in highschool, walking down 23rd Avenue in Portland (side: if you're ever in the Portland area, check out 23rd avenue!). I was definitely fascinated by the fact that all the products in LUSH are handmade. Moreover, the products don't use any preservative, making them better for you skin.

Last month, I purchased the "full of grace" serum bar for $14.95. I felt a bit guilty for purchasing this because I was on the lookout for birthday gifts for my friends (XD), but the saleswoman told me it'd last for up to 3 months (for both my twin and me)! I couldn't resist and purchased it.

"Full of grace" is made of all natural ingredients, including the featured ingredient: fresh portobello mushrooms! Isn't that interesting? I've only eaten portobello mushrooms. I never would have suspected that they were good for my skin, too! According to LUSH's website, portobello mushrooms are full of antioxidant B and C vitamins and have skin-conditioning properties. How exciting~~

How to use: melt the bar in your hands by rubbing it; then massage the serum into your face.

REVIEW

The first thing I noticed was the smell; it's amazing. I really appreciate the fact that it's not too overpowering. In fact, this scent is very soothing and relaxing. In terms of effectiveness, the "full of grace" bar works quite well; it's very moisturizing and helps brighten my complexion.

However, the bar is difficult to keep sanitary. You'll have to make sure too keep your hands clean before touching the bar and touching your face. Additionally, the serum is a bit thick and difficult to spread; in order to massage the serum into your face, you'll be tugging a little on your skin.

Overall rating:     

Packaging: N/A

Ease of use:     

Effectiveness:     

Ingredients:      (CosDNA)

Hygeine:     

Discovering the skin care industry + mini haul

School has gotten extremely busy recently...particularly for my entrepreneurship class. There's a constant barrage of assignments and projects. The big ones are:

1. interviewing 3 "strangers" in a chosen industry (mine is skin care)
2. fundraise over $200 in 4 hrs for a particular nonprofit group (given 2 days to prep)

I just completed the first assignment (the interviews) today. I went with my sister to a nearby high-end mall, using Lyft and Uber, since we don't have cars. We just went around the mall, looking for different skin care brands and talking to managers. Some of the brands we interviewed were LUSH, Benefit, Origins, Estee lauder, and Skin Food.

At first, I was super intimidated and afraid that each interview would go badly. However, they all went pretty smoothly, and all the managers were super sweet and easy to talk to. I learned so much from the skin care industry and skin care trends--particularly from the retail end. It was definitely a great learning experience! I know for sure I would never have done something like this if not for the class--the class is really pushing me out of my comfort zone, but it's definitely helping me become a better speaker and communicator. 

Anyways, because I had the opportunity to check out lots of different skin care brands at the mall, I ended up purchasing lots of products from Skin Food and LUSH...good and fun experience, but bad for my wallet >___< 

Skin Food
Wildberry Milk Cleansing Cream ($9.40)
Black Sugar Mask samples (x5)
Avocado Rich Toner sample
Green Tea Mask ($2.00)
Potiron Au Lait Essence Mask ($3.50)

LUSH
BB Seaweed Mask ($6.95)
Full of Grace Serum ($14.95)

LUSH packaging - isn't this cute? So artsy!

The other project will happen tomorrow. Some people in my group have contacts with some semi-famous individuals. We're hoping to raffle off autographs and a small, $20 Chick-fil-a gift card at our school's home football game. Once again, I'm pretty worried about how this will turn out. But hopefully lots of people will be interested not just in buying and winning raffles but also in donating towards a good cause. 

I will update you all to let you know how this fundraiser went~

What types non-profit groups or charities would you guys love to work with?