Bright Eyes

A year ago, I wouldn't have thought anything of spending fifty quid on something I wanted just after pay day. It's not that I had a high income, as I didn't, but I was quite the impulsive and frivolous shopper. I was one of those girls who spent the majority of her disposable income during the first week or two of the month, and spent the last two weeks scraping by. I know I'm not the only one...

Today, fifty quid is a big chunk of my income, but I don't feel like I go without because I've learnt to spend wisely. I buy the things I love most online using discount codes and promotions where possible or sell old things on ebay to buy new ones. My wardrobe is now filled with beautiful clothes I wear regularly which were bought on a budget.

I spent a couple of days last week deciding between a forest-green shirt from H&M, or some Lush make up. I really wanted to buy both, but I couldn't afford to, so chose the make up.

 Lush brought out a new make up range called Emotional Brilliance in July, which I was immediately very excited about as I adored their late Sister make up company Bnevertoobusytobebeautiful which folded a few years ago. I probably owned at least three quarters of the range. Now Lush have introduced a small make up collection of cream eyeliners and shadows, lipsticks, mascara, and bases, which I personally think are very similar to the make up B used to sell which makes me very, very happy!

I ordered the parcel on Saturday and it arrived yesterday.



I ordered three eye liners, and a toner tab. They were very well packed in biodegradable materials.



The hardest part for me was deciding what colours to choose this time, as I like them all. I eventually chose to buy a vibrant lime green (Healthy), a two-toned peacock blue (Motivation), and a bright purple (Feeling Secure), which are all eyeliners. Although the idea with Emotional Brilliance is to wear the colours we're first drawn to on their colour wheels as the colours we're drawn to on different days tell us what moods we're feeling. Healthy was actually one of mine (how ironic!), but I feel most people will just buy the colours they like at the end of the day. I was drawn to a bright orange lipstick on the colour wheel, but I don't think I'd ever wear an orange lip.

I also treated myself to this toner tab called A Token to the Forest Gods as it was only £1. I haven't used the toner tabs before, but this one has a lovely citrus scent, and the reviews for it on their website were very positive. The idea is to pop one in a bowl of hot water, and let the steam cleanse the face (the face of course, lowered above the bowl with a towel over the head to trap in the moisture).

Everything in the box...

Lush also provided a free copy of their catalogue, The Lush Times, which is great as I spilt a drink over the last one before I had a chance to read it.  There are also some applicator brushes in the 'Fighting Animal Testing' bag.

The bottles are a really good size, but still small and light enough to take on the go. They're about the size of a nail polish. They're each meant to have a eye liner brush in the lid, but for some reason Motivation was the only one fitted with one. I was a little peeved, but luckily I have an eye liner brush as I really couldn't be bothered to return them. The brush is easy to work with, but quite short, so I think a longer brush would be needed to reach the bottom anyway.

The colours are all very brightly pigmented. It doesn't take much product to get a vibrant result- which is usually a look I prefer, but they're also blendable for softer looks and don't dry straight away. They can also be used as eyeshadows and worn together. Each of the colours is absolutely stunning and just like the old B shades I used to love. I can't decide which I like most!



I'm not sure if you can see the pink and yellow marks on my hand, but those are stains left behind from the purple and green liners after removing them with a cleansing wipe. They did later come off with soap and water, though.

To give you an idea of size...

My current Lush eyeshadow collection. I bought the bronze-gold 'Happiness' eyeshadow a week or two ago.

I haven't done a full image for my closed lids as my eyebrows need sorting and my make up wasn't that neat, but I tried out Healthy over the lids and Motivation as a liner on top of it yesterday. I'm also wearing Benefit's They're Real! Mascara on my lashes here.

And this is the result...

The liners were very soft and nourishing to my skin, went on easily, and didn't budge during the six hours or so I kept my make up on. I'm very impressed with the products, and will be buying more from the range in the near future. I've read quite a lot of reviews with people not happy with the £14.50 price, and yes they are expensive, but they're fantastic quality and the pots give you a lot for your money. They're perfect for a bit of pay day indulging! They're also great vibrant colours, vegan, and not tested on animals! What more could you ask for? I never begrudge spending a little more on make up that hasn't brought harm to defenceless animals.

Lush have definitely provided me with a new obsession and as always, I'm a very happy Lush shopper!

Have you bought anything from Lush's new make up range yet? Are you planning to buy in the future?