Montreal's Lush Bounty

Rich and I went to Montreal for our anniversary - one whole year, how nuts is that? - thus proving that we truly grasp the concept of Independence Day in a meaningful way, one year getting married and the next, leaving the country...whoops? In any case, it was glorious. If you haven't been to Montreal, I really can't recommend it enough. It's a gorgeous walking city with everything you could possibly want: friendly people, wonderful restaurants, great shopping, vibrant cultural scene, casino, THE BEST GODDAMN HOCKEY ON THE PLANET, you name it.

Rich had told me for ages about the Hotel Vogue and the magic of its in-room jacuzzis and such. We went for a drink there the last time we were up north, even though we were staying at the Art Deco confection that is the Hotel de la Montagne right across the street. The bar area was a luscious conversation-pit-y area and the drinks were great, but Rich couldn't stop raving about the rooms (it was booked solid that weekend). We finally stayed at the Vogue and it was wonderful beyond even Rich's rave reviews. You should all go book a weekend RIGHT NOW. I'll wait.

Great! Hope we see you up there. Anyway, the hotel was freaking fabulous and the people there were so helpful and friendly, but the important part is that our room had the world's most perfect jacuzzi in it as well as a TV so you could while away your life in a state of bliss. I always stop at Lush when I'm in Montreal and the perfection of said jacuzzi seemed to demand some extra bath goodies. Here's the haul.

I love Lush's bubble bars, because the bubbles are really luxurious and the bar form frees you from the Icky Bubble Bath Bottle Top Scum Effect which is particularly troublesome for quasi-neurotic people like me. You just break off a chunk of bubble bar and drop it in the tub and it goes nuts. I tried the Ma Bar, which is a cocoa and honey toffee scented bar with a sugar cube in the center. It was a very relaxing scent, and I loved the way it moisturized. It's a good one, though I was sorely tempted by the French Kiss one. Next time!
I figured I'd get one good bath in while I was up there, so I picked up the Avobath bath bomb, which is full of moisturizey avocado goodness and lemongrass essential oil. I could be mostly dead a la The Princess Bride and still wake up at the scent of lemongrass - it's such a great zesty smell! The Avobath is one of their top sellers and I can easily see why. I'
I also wanted to get one for Rich, so I went with one that was robot shaped (....obviously). The Ickle Baby Bot is a sweet lavender scent, and it smelled terrific. Rich reports that it was "fun" and "good" which for bath products is pretty abundant praise.
Those evil, evil ladies at Lush made sure to tell me about the new serums they had, including the Full of Grace variety which I wound up picking up. (NB, Retailers of the World: if you put lavender in something, odds are good I will buy it. Wish it were otherwise, frankly.) You can think of serums as conductors for whatever you're putting on your skin - they help suck the moisturizer or mask you put on top of them into your face. This one is all-natural, which I appreciate, and it smells beautiful. A little goes a long way, and I'm really happy with this one!
I also picked up a pot of Creme Anglaise, which is possibly the best lotion I've ever used. The Lush wizards have put together a selection of lovely butters and oils for a vanilla-y, orange-y lotion that just leaches right in to your skin. The teensy bit I use each morning lasts all day and completely removes the need for perfume. I try to minimize everything in summer - makeup gets wholly problematic and lotions get greasy - so this works into my routine perfectly. If nothing else, you should pick up a container of this.