About a month and a half ago I took a trip out to LUSH for the very first time, and I was like a kid in a candy store, I absolutely wanted to buy everything and I was so excited to try it all. I ended up getting the Herbalism face wash, I Love Juicy shampoo, Veganese conditioner, No Drought dry shampoo, None of your Beeswax lip balm && a Mint Julips lip scrub. I wanted to wait a little while before reviewing, especially with the face and hair products because I’ve had many experiences where I thought I loved something at first and then after a month you start seeing less than thrilling results. And also I want to add that I got the smallest available sizes of the shampoo and conditioner to try them out before committing to a fuller size. 

Product #1 Herbalism solid cleanser for face, I had never used, or even heard of solid face washes until Lush and I was a bit skeptical about them but ultimately my curiousity got the better of me and I purchased it. At first it was a little awkward to use, because I was so used to liquid face wash, but it’s actually very simple. You just take a pea sized amount and when it’s mixed with water it becomes a paste texture, I let mine sit on my face for about 20 seconds to get the full effect..At first I wasn’t impressed, but after using it for almost 2 months my skin is really under control (it still gets oily), but my breakouts are gone, after using it my face just feels so wonderful and clean so I will be repurchasing this and I would 100% recommend it.

Product #2 No Drought Dry Shampoo, I normally used a dry shampoo by Bedhead but decided to buy this as I was out of my other product. The consistency of this is similar to baby powder (which I also used as a dry shampoo) and because my hair is so dark I have to take some extra time to work it into my hair so my head doesn’t look grey, which isn’t a good look! I was really happy with the results of this, it works well between showers to absorb excess oil and it leaves a fresh fruity smell that I have recieved several compliments on. My sister used it as well and was equally impressed. A little goes a long way with this, and my bottle is still almost completely full so I don’t anticipate having to repurchase this anytime soon, but I will when the time comes!

Product #3 && #4 The I Love Juicy Shampoo and The Veganese Conditioner. I’m just gonna start by saying I was not at all thrilled by either of these, so this review will not be as detailed. First of all, I was really weirded out because the LUSH shampoos and conditioners did not match, and I have never seen that before. But anyways the shampoo smelled decent enough, it was a nice fruity smell, but the conditioner smelled odd to me. I don’t have much detail to provide on these, I just felt that they really didn’t clean my hair at all. 

Product # 5 None of Your Beeswax Lip balm. This has been in my purse and it has really taken a beating, that’s why it’s looking so rough! I really like this a lot, first of all the container is really thin and flat so it fits perfectly in all of my smaller  clutches, so that’s a definite bonus and second of all it isn’t greasy or sticky it goes on well and  can’t Oh my gosh, it makes your lips so soft. I am in love with it and this is another product that has really lasted me, I will not have to repurchase this for some time! 

Product #6 Mint Julips Lip Scrub First of all, can I just say how heavenly this smells? It doesn’t have a cheap synthetic fragrance like most beauty products tend to, and I love that. The scrub itself, works great and truly does soften your lips. I don’t use it everyday, I use it a couple of nights a week and before lipstick I use it as well for a smoother surface. You only have to use a teeny bit of product to get results, so I have a feeling I won’t need to re purchase this again for sometime. I have to be fair though, I don’t think this is a must have, I think for 9 dollars you could make your own sugar scrub that’s just as effective. But I do enjoy Mint Julips, my favorite part is licking it off!

I picked up the Summer/Spring 2012 Elle Collections and was not disappointed. My eye was immediately caught by the small feature they had on theatrics that were put into some of the runways this year, and I am so into the idea of the simple runway shows being a thing of the past. Karl Lagerfeld has really been a front runner in putting on these elaborate and sometimes quirky fashion shows for some time, and other designers have been pulling it off in recent collections now too. I love the campiness of it all, and think that it’s a brilliant way for designers to set the mood for the collections. My favorite this season was the carousel at Louis Vuitton, followed closely by the understated throwback to cabaret over at Marc Jacobs! 

Fashion Sketchbook by Bina Abling is a wonderful tool and guide for aspiring designers, as well as other prospective careers in fashion. It is comparable to several design courses in college, and a great resource to have on hand when working. I bought this copy a couple years back because like most people, I was stuck in a school that’s art program left a lot to be desired. So with this wonderful book, I was teaching myself basic, as well as intermediate sketching techniques in a makeshift fashion design course. The book covers the basics from proportions in the human body, sketching dimension and texture as well as more in depth fashion sketching such as how to do pleats, draping, patterns, shirring and smocking. The book may be considered a little bit pricey at around $90 bucks, but I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in design. The author Bina Abling has taught multiple courses at FIT and at Parsons.

*Note the book is re-released every couple of years with new information, so the book I have is not the most current edition.