Monday, April 12, 2010

Lush Coalface review

What they say:

"If you love the feeling of squeaky clean skin, this is the bar for you. We put in powdered charcoal because it's such an amazing exfoliator and absorber of excess oils. We add in rosewood and sandalwood as a balance to soothe and calm, and softening licorice root decoction. We recommend this lathering, sparkly cleansing bar for oiler skin because it's so great at absorbing excess oils and leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean. Don't use regular body soap to wash your face please; use this instead.

Liquorice Root Decoction (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Stearate,
Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeordora), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Powdered Charcoal, Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, *Linalool, Perfume, Silver Edible Lustre (Potassium aluminum silicate, Titanium dioxide, Iron oxides and hydroxides)."


What I say:

I am on a Lush kick lately. The smell of the store might make the paint peel off the wall, but I can't deny that they've got some good products. I like how I can read their ingredients label and actually know what the ingredients are, that way I know what I'm really putting on my face.
This cleanser is part Lush's line of bar cleansers, meaning that it looks and feels like a bar of soap and you use it like you would a bar of soap. I know some girls cut theirs into little pieces for individual use, I, however, prefer to keep it whole and just use the whole bar on my face each time.
It is described as an exfoliator and it does contain exfoliating granules. These granules are, in my opinion, a tad too coarse and I have in the past experienced light cuts and scratches on the surface of my skin as a result of rubbing my skin too vigorously with the granules. The weird thing about these granules is that they are only present in the top and bottom layer of the cleanser. I don't know if this is intentional or just a result of the manufacturing process, but if you use this cleanser either from the top down or from the bottom up, you will discover that after about a week of use, you will have a smooth lather with no exfolianting particles. I guess the solution would be to use the sides of the bar, that way you'll have less harshness as your skin won't be in contact with so much of the exfoliants. I like to use from the bottom up, using the top when I feel I need more exfoliating action xD.
I only use this cleanser at night, when my face is dripping with yummy oil, and my half melted MAC forcefield. As to it's cleaning power...it can remove CG's Lashblast, enough said!
If your skin is dry and sensitive in general, I would advise that you get yourself a sample and try it out first. Its oil absorbing properties are just a little TOO effective. My night cream is quite rich yet I find that my face isn't oily when I wake up in the morning. It must be this cleanser because usually my face has enough oil to fry chips when I wake up. This doesn't mean that it leaves that horrid tight feeling thankfully!
One thing I really don't understand is why they added sparkly bits. It's up there in the ingredients list as "silver edible lustre", thankfully it doesn't stay on your skin or you'll look like a disco ball.
Another word of warning, this cleanser smells of liquorice T.T

Damage: C$10.95 per 100g
Verdict: Good for oily skinned individuals who are looking for a cleanser with mild exfoliation.

Foundation, Blush, Eyeshadow, Pencil Liner, Liquid Liner, Waterproof Mascara

No chance against this cleanser!

For some reason this photo makes it look like the waterproof mascara wasn't removed. It was! just look at the second photo. I think I wiped my arm dry and in the process removed more of the others T.T

11 comments:

  1. Awesome review, glad it works for you. LOL at the yummy oil part. XD It does have great cleaning powder, the arm demonstration is really nice. :) You do such good reviews!

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  2. This cleanser may be a bit too harsh for my skin but damn it sure cleans it well! =D

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  3. wow looks like a great cleanser to use. and yeah I agree with you ont eh beauty diary masks, for me they don't really go much either... my blemishes and pimples are still same color etc but I do feel more moisturized afterwards I suppose!

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  4. Lol its funny.
    another friend was like...so how is the exfoliation on it...
    and I went...
    O_____O?
    lol then realized that yes, it was meant as an exfoliator, but my sliver didn't seem to have any!
    So I like it without it, and have to agree that (just by playing around w the odd one that I do find) that it is pretty sharp. Much more lethal than the Apricot Scrub from St Ives.
    But I do love it~

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  5. This looks like a good product. I once read about a coal facial cleanser and the lady who wrote it swore by it to remove zits and impurities from her skin. I'm glad to know this one does the same.

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  6. thanks for following, i'll be following too!

    oh coalface >< this did not work for me...left me with a red face and i never looked back on lush. glad it works on for you. i'm loving your great photos!

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  7. Oh wow the Lush cleanser is amazing! Too bad I have to pass on this since you recommend it for oily skin. I need stuff for my extremely dry skin.

    I heard about the Asian eyes and the Maybelline website. I guess even with that I still buy it... hehe~ :X I did look at the EyeStudio palettes and they're all made in Canada. I guess that's where Maybelline company is at.

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  8. Woah!! Amazing results! I can't see any residues! My irk about products are that shelf life are too short!

    Ryc- the Spray shouldnt affect oily skin I think. I have oily tzones and it refreshes nicely. I always blot before tho!

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  9. lol I love the dramatic after picture! I really want to try this cleanser, it seems many love it. But I do have dehydrated sensitive skin, so it doesn't sound like my skin will like it as much.

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  10. oh also about your question re Prim & Proper, I can't say because I didn't get to swatch Ripe Peach before it got sold out in my area...sorry :/

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  11. Light cuts and scratches? >< That irks me just reading what you wrote.

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