Review : Lush 9 to 5 Orchid Oil Cleansing Lotion

Product Description
This gentle cleanser is made with almond oil, dove orchids and everlasting flower absolute to remove your leftover make up, dirt and grime at the end of a long work day. A straight forward cream cleanser for simply perfect skin.

Features :

Safe for sensitive skin: Treat your face to 9 to 5 after a long, hard work day.

Wash the day away: 9 to 5 is fantastic for taking off stubborn make up and leaves you with a fresh feeling after use.

Soft and gentle: The dove orchid is used in 9 to 5 to calm and soothe irritated skin

I bought this 95g product in HK last year which last me for more than a month, with a daily usage in the evening. I was rushing for time and the lady did not quite understand my questions when I asked about the texture and purpose of this product so I just grab and go.

I thought it was either a cleansing lotion or a cleansing oil product based on the name " Orchid Oil Cleansing Lotion" but it was actually a cleansing milk!

It comes in a flick-top cap opening with a small hole where the cleansing milk oozes out easily. White in colour and runny yet creamy in texture, it has a musty smell which is bearable. Since it is a cleansing milk, I used it on dry skin and promptly cleanse it off with water. Big mistake. Because the skin feels unclean, with a thick greasy and slippery feel. When I swiped the skin with some toner, there were still some make-up remnants left. Simply yucky!

However on dehydrated skin, I like that it is gentle and moisturising, with a veil of film on the skin after cleansing with 9 to 5 and cleanser. Still, I didn't feel that it was a good make-up remover, using this method of cleansing.

Next, I tried the recommend method written on the bottle, that is, to use on dry skin but remove it with cotton pads. The cotton pads help to ensure all the make-up gunk goes off the face and this is indeed the right method to utilize the full potential of this make-up remover. Note that I don't use it on the eye area though, because I have a separate eye make-up remover for that purpose.
The skin feels clean and not taut and there is no greasy after-feel.
Almond Oil : Moisturise
Ylang Ylang Oil : Balance the sebum, soften and smooth the skin
Fresh Dove Orchid Extract : Calm and soothe irritated skin

However, do note that it does contains Triethanolamine, Perfume and Parabens, near the bottom of the list. These are all considered as the dirty dozen.

The product scored 4.2 from 28 users on Makeupalley. And if you are keen in some DIY to duplicate the lotion, do check out SwiftCraftyMonkey

Source : Lush

Review : Lush Angels On Bare Skin

Product Description
For heavenly soft and balanced skin, take a smidge of Angels on Bareskin, mix with a little water and massage in. The kaolin clay base deep cleanses while ground almonds gently exfoliate the dead skin away. Rose and lavender are added to soothe and help balance out combination skin. It's our best selling preservative-free and packaging-free daily cleanser for all skin types, so if you don't know which cleanser to choose and it's heavenly skin you're after, start with Angels.


Lush always have such wacky names, don't you think so? The long names can be such a chore to remember, but its all in pure fun. I first came across Lush many years ago, when a good friend of mine recommended a mask which we shared. I always remembered Lush as the shop with scents that are not for the faint-hearted. It used to be in Isetan Wisma, many years ago and the scents are really a handful. The products are mind-boggling and without my friend, I wouldn't know what and how to choose. The products not cheap and it has a short expiry date, hence we always requested the Lush ladies to separate into 2 containers for us. I am not sure if its still do-able now. I can't even remember the name of the mask now.
It was so good that I recommended to another 2 of my friends but sadly, they experienced breakouts from that so I never ever recommend products to them anymore.

I picked the cleanser from Hong Kong late last year, I didn't know what to choose, but just picked up some of the bestseller products. I actually thought it was a mask! The lady couldn't explain it properly to me and I was in a hurry. I suppose its a language barrier because I spoke in English and the lady was clearly more proficient in Cantonese which I do not use.

I was told it only has a short 3 months lifespan, I am not sure if it starts from the day of opening or from the day I purchased it. Nevertheless, you can see the remaining amount I had, from the photo taken. 50% left and I need to throw it away by end of this month. Mind you, its not cheap, I only wish that there was a smaller tub but there was none in the store.

You can watch the video here, if you are unsure on how to use it. Basically, you just pinch a pea-sized chunk onto the palm of your hand and add water to create a paste. Apply to your face using small, circular motions

The usage can be abit messy, because if the paste is not properly done, the chunks would be too big to be used on the skin and would fall off from my face to the sink.

It is like an exfoliating cleanser which I don't think its suitable to be used everyday because it may be too harsh on sensitive, delicate skin. I used it on wet face and as a cleanser after removing my make-up.
It contains a soothing blend of essential oils so the scent was rather pleasant. After using it on alternate nights, I see a visible improvement to my skin right from the first usage. I really like the results it gave me. Smooth, clean, supple skin. I looked fresh and glowing!

However, after a few weeks of usage, the effects seem to be going downhill. When I had poorer skin condition, the cleanser failed to revive the radiance back to my skin, instead, it left my skin drier. Slight flakiness was apparent after each wash. And my sebum increased, especially on the T-zone.

It scored 3.9 from a whopping 726 reviewers on Makeupalley.

Ingredients :
Ground Almonds, Glycerine, Kaolin, Water, Lavender Oil, Rose Absolute, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume

Source : Lush