The Towson Town Center Guru

Our Green Week continues!  I stopped in to LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics (Level 2) to get some ideas for spring and to check out the eco-friendly options.

Every time I pop in, I’m  inspired by the innovative products, am a magnet to all the happy hues and tend to linger to take in the scents.  If you’ve never been, it’s an experience. “A self-appointed cosmetic-deli, LUSH makes effective products out of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, the finest essential oils and ingredients that are ethically and sustainably procured from around the world,”  describes the company.

I’ve seen the colorful soap bar display in passing before, but never knew that the bars are eco-friendly! According to LUSH, “Solid bar soaps take their liquid counterparts to the cleaners!  Bar soaps are sterile because they contain no water, which is required for bacterial growth. Because of this, solid soaps can be made without chemical preservatives while liquid soaps are predominantly water, a breeding ground for bacteria, and so require chemical preservatives.”

Soap by the Slice

Plus, you can opt to take home your soap sans packaging. Nearly 40% of the products at LUSH are package free! Or you can have it wrapped, deli-counter style, in paper and later recycle it. Another option is to bring a reusable container in from home to transport your soap or other products.

Here are just a few of the soap choices you’ll find in store. Pictured below from top left to right: Ice Blue features refreshing peppermint oil, bergamot and lemon citrus oils. Like spearmint and need a wake-up-call? Try Dirty. Lust is all about “bringing soapy back.” It has jasmine absolute, which “is said to relax, ease tension and act as an aphrodisiac,” according to LUSH.

Rock Star is vanilla scented. And, I think my kids would be a little happier about washing up with Honey I Washed the Kids! It has a caramel fragrance!

To maximize the lifespan of your soap, LUSH suggests using a well-drained soap dish between uses.

While we’re talking about bars, did you know that shampoo and conditioner also come in bar form? It was news to me!  Each shampoo bar will give you about 60-80 washes! You can buy the weight you want of the “Big” conditioner.  You can take your bar home package free or opt to have  it wrapped in paper. LUSH just released its second bar form of conditioner called “Big” to go along with the “Big” shampoo.  The sea salt  in the conditioner helps with volume and shine.  The coconut oil will help control those pesky fly aways!

Feeling on the pale side after winter? Give yourself a little sun-kissed tint with the Silk Stockings Body Tint. This one is for a lighter skin tone. It also comes in a version for darker complexions. Plus, it also comes package free. You’ll find it and several other temptations in bar form at the store,  including massage bars and a facial serum bar.

To get ready to show some leg and toes as the temps climb, here are two solutions. The round green items, pictured below, are ginger and fennel sugar scrubs and used to exfoliate. They also contain lavender, which is known for its calming properties. The green, foot-shaped, Stepping Stones can be used to help scrub off the dry, rough skin on your feet. Enjoy the scents of lemon and lime as you use the stone.

Get your skin ready to bare!

LUSH also offers a beauty line called Emotional Brilliance. “Ambition,” pictured below is a poppy-hued liquid lipstick.  The lipsticks feature a jojoba oil, rose wax and candelilla wax base, which helps to soften the lips and helps hold the pigment. Each of the lip and eye colors feature a personality trait as the name. You can play an Emotional Brilliance game in store to see what colors and corresponding traits match your mood at the moment. I featured the game on the blog  when the line debuted last summer.

The Emotional Brilliance line is 100% vegan. The packaging is 100% post consumer recycled. You can recycle everything except for the wand.

If you’re buying a gift for someone else, consider a Knot-Wrap. They can pull double duty as gift wrap and later can be worn as a scarf. They’re made from recycled plastic bottles. It takes two, 250ml plastic bottles to make one Knot-Wrap. The end product material is called Greenspun. LUSH reports that thanks to Greenspun, 3 million bottles were saved from the landfill last year and turned into fabric.

Made from recycled bottles!

Did you know that LUSH offers rewards for doing your part to recycle? If you return five of the black pots, used to house various creams and skincare products, LUSH will give you a free face mask.  Here’s a fun fact, when the black pots are recycled, a portion of them are used to make the tops for the liquid lipsticks!

Have you entered out GREEN WEEK 2013 Sweepstakes? Enter for a chance to win a $50 Shop Etc. Mall Gift Card by leaving a comment on any blog post that runs from 4/15 through TOMORROW (4/22) on Earth Day.  A winner will be selected in a random drawing.

Open to U.S. residents, 16 or older.  Entry dates:4/15 through 4/22.  For the Official Rules, click on this link.  Limit one entry per person.

Tags: beauty, beauty tint, conditioner bar, earth friendly, eco-friendly, green, LUSH, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, shampoo bar, skincare, Towson Town Center

With spring in full swing and Earth Day around the corner on 4/22, I stopped in to LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics (Level 2) to get some ideas for spring and to check out the eco-friendly options.

Every time I pop in, I’m  inspired by the innovative products, am a magnet to all the happy hues and tend to linger to take in the scents.  If you’ve never been, it’s an experience. “A self-appointed cosmetic-deli, LUSH makes effective products out of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, the finest essential oils and ingredients that are ethically and sustainably procured from around the world,”  describes the company.

I’ve seen the colorful soap bar display in passing before, but never knew that the bars are eco-friendly! According to LUSH, “Solid bar soaps take their liquid counterparts to the cleaners!  Bar soaps are sterile because they contain no water, which is required for bacterial growth. Because of this, solid soaps can be made without chemical preservatives while liquid soaps are predominantly water, a breeding ground for bacteria, and so require chemical preservatives.”

Soap by the Slice

Plus, you can opt to take home your soap sans packaging. Nearly 40% of the products at LUSH are package free! Or you can have it wrapped, deli-counter style, in paper and later recycle it. Another option is to bring a reusable container in from home to transport your soap or other products.

Here are just a few of the soap choices you’ll find in store. Pictured below from top left to right: Ice Blue features refreshing peppermint oil, bergamot and lemon citrus oils. Like spearmint and need a wake-up-call? Try Dirty. Lust is all about “bringing soapy back.” It has jasmine absolute, which “is said to relax, ease tension and act as an aphrodisiac,” according to LUSH.

Rock Star is vanilla scented. And, I think my kids would be a little happier about washing up with Honey I Washed the Kids! It has a caramel fragrance!

To maximize the lifespan of your soap, LUSH suggests using a well-drained soap dish between uses.

While we’re talking about bars, did you know that shampoo and conditioner also come in bar form? It was news to me!  Each shampoo bar will give you about 60-80 washes! You can buy the weight you want of the “Big” conditioner.  You can take your bar home package free or opt to have  it wrapped in paper. LUSH just released its second bar form of conditioner called “Big” to go along with the “Big” shampoo.  The sea salt  in the conditioner helps with volume and shine.  The coconut oil will help control those pesky fly aways!

Feeling on the pale side after winter? Give yourself a little sun-kissed tint with the Silk Stockings Body Tint. This one is for a lighter skin tone. It also comes in a version for darker complexions. Plus, it also comes package free. You’ll find it and several other temptations in bar form at the store,  including massage bars and a facial serum bar.

To get ready to show some leg and toes as the temps climb, here are two solutions. The round green items, pictured below, are ginger and fennel sugar scrubs and used to exfoliate. They also contain lavender, which is known for its calming properties. The green, foot-shaped, Stepping Stones can be used to help scrub off the dry, rough skin on your feet. Enjoy the scents of lemon and lime as you use the stone.

Get your skin ready to bare!

LUSH also offers a beauty line called Emotional Brilliance. “Ambition,” pictured below is a poppy-hued liquid lipstick.  The lipsticks feature a jojoba oil, rose wax and candelilla wax base, which helps to soften the lips and helps hold the pigment. Each of the lip and eye colors feature a personality trait as the name. You can play an Emotional Brilliance game in store to see what colors and corresponding traits match your mood at the moment. I featured the game on the blog  when the line debuted last summer.

The Emotional Brilliance line is 100% vegan. The packaging is 100% post consumer recycled. You can recycle everything except for the wand.

If you’re buying a gift for someone else, consider a Knot-Wrap. They can pull double duty as gift wrap and later can be worn as a scarf. They’re made from recycled plastic bottles. It takes two, 250ml plastic bottles to make one Knot-Wrap. The end product material is called Greenspun. LUSH reports that thanks to Greenspun, 3 million bottles were saved from the landfill last year and turned into fabric.

Made from recycled bottles!

Did you know that LUSH offers rewards for doing your part to recycle? If you return five of the black pots, used to house various creams and skincare products, LUSH will give you a free face mask.  Here’s a fun fact, when the black pots are recycled, a portion of them are used to make the tops for the liquid lipsticks!

Starting  Monday (4/15) , we are launching a Green themed week in celebration of Earth Day! You’ll have a chance to enter for a chance to win the GREEN WEEK 2013 Sweepstakes!  I’ll have all the details for you on Monday. Stay tuned…  

Tags: beauty, beauty tint, conditioner bar, earth friendly, eco-friendly, green, LUSH, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, shampoo bar, skincare, Towson Town Center