Back in the 1980s, when I was a teenager, I took a bus to New York City with about $30 in my pocket and lived in the Port Authority on
42nd Street with all the other homeless people. My $30 was spent on three things: 1) a handful of subway tokens, 2) one meal at
Hard Rock Café (I know, I know...but it seemed far more important to eat for only one day at a place I'd seen on MTV than it did to eat a
little every day), and 3) a small bottle of The Body Shop's Peppermint Foot Lotion to soothe all 33 joints and 20 muscles in each of my
aching feet. After years of devotion to that foot lotion (partly because it was so darn good and partly for sentimental reasons), imagine
my surprise when I discovered that it had been designed by Lush's founder Mark Constantine back in the early days of his career as a
supplier for The Body Shop! And imagine my delight when I heard the news that he'd be making yet another pink peppermint foot
lotion for Lush! My little piggies immediately did an involuntary jig and ran to the nearest Lush shop the first day it had become
available for purchase. "Fair Trade," they called it, but while the cocoa butter used in this lotion is indeed fair trade, it's my opinion that
we fans of Peppermint Foot Lotion did not get a fair trade! A decent foot lotion that pales in comparison to the simple, cheap
application of a Vitamin E capsule to feet each night (best healer on earth, that), I've only ever found one draw to pricier foot lotions:
something with a perkily cooling, anti-inflammatory effect. But unlike the eye opening "wowsa" minty freshness of Peppermint Foot
Lotion, Fair Trade has more of a candied mint fragrance, and so, that tingly feeling of yore is no more. Additionally, though it's
coloured pink much like Mark's original lotion, Fair Trade's dyes have a tendency towards staining fabric; you have to be ultra cautious
when applying this lotion with trousers on, and equally careful while this lotion is still on your hands, as everything it touches turns
pretty in pink. So make sure you thoroughly massage this lotion into your skin, and note that when liberally applied as an intensive
overnight treatment, it will permanently stain your moisture booties! With all of this need for additional care, and without the cooling
sensation that one has come to expect from a mint lotion, my advice is to save yourself a "mint" by heading to a health food store and
picking up a bottle of those Vitamin E capsules for half the price. Religiously apply one capsule nightly, bid hardened heels a
permanent "adieu" (they'll be altogether cured within one or two days, after which the rest really comes down to basic maintenance),
and spend your saved pennies on a pot of Mask Of Magnaminty for occasional use as a cooling, exfoliating foot, ankle, and lower leg
mask to relieve swelling and to soothe your joints and muscles after a long day's work (or a long flight). You'll be mighty glad you did.
42nd Street with all the other homeless people. My $30 was spent on three things: 1) a handful of subway tokens, 2) one meal at
Hard Rock Café (I know, I know...but it seemed far more important to eat for only one day at a place I'd seen on MTV than it did to eat a
little every day), and 3) a small bottle of The Body Shop's Peppermint Foot Lotion to soothe all 33 joints and 20 muscles in each of my
aching feet. After years of devotion to that foot lotion (partly because it was so darn good and partly for sentimental reasons), imagine
my surprise when I discovered that it had been designed by Lush's founder Mark Constantine back in the early days of his career as a
supplier for The Body Shop! And imagine my delight when I heard the news that he'd be making yet another pink peppermint foot
lotion for Lush! My little piggies immediately did an involuntary jig and ran to the nearest Lush shop the first day it had become
available for purchase. "Fair Trade," they called it, but while the cocoa butter used in this lotion is indeed fair trade, it's my opinion that
we fans of Peppermint Foot Lotion did not get a fair trade! A decent foot lotion that pales in comparison to the simple, cheap
application of a Vitamin E capsule to feet each night (best healer on earth, that), I've only ever found one draw to pricier foot lotions:
something with a perkily cooling, anti-inflammatory effect. But unlike the eye opening "wowsa" minty freshness of Peppermint Foot
Lotion, Fair Trade has more of a candied mint fragrance, and so, that tingly feeling of yore is no more. Additionally, though it's
coloured pink much like Mark's original lotion, Fair Trade's dyes have a tendency towards staining fabric; you have to be ultra cautious
when applying this lotion with trousers on, and equally careful while this lotion is still on your hands, as everything it touches turns
pretty in pink. So make sure you thoroughly massage this lotion into your skin, and note that when liberally applied as an intensive
overnight treatment, it will permanently stain your moisture booties! With all of this need for additional care, and without the cooling
sensation that one has come to expect from a mint lotion, my advice is to save yourself a "mint" by heading to a health food store and
picking up a bottle of those Vitamin E capsules for half the price. Religiously apply one capsule nightly, bid hardened heels a
permanent "adieu" (they'll be altogether cured within one or two days, after which the rest really comes down to basic maintenance),
and spend your saved pennies on a pot of Mask Of Magnaminty for occasional use as a cooling, exfoliating foot, ankle, and lower leg
mask to relieve swelling and to soothe your joints and muscles after a long day's work (or a long flight). You'll be mighty glad you did.
Pied de Pepper is a refreshing change from the usual minty foot lotions on the market: you get a cool, tingling feeling but this time from
spices instead of herbs. This foot lotion has a lovely but potent vanilla, clove, cinnamon, and ginger scent—one that lingers with
excruciating intensity, actively interfering with any other scent you might be wearing. So before use, you really should be prepared to
commit to Pied de Pepper's sweet fragrance. For those who enjoy slathering their feet with a thick layer of lotion each night as an
intensive foot treatment with moisture booties, do note that if you don’t rub this lotion completely into the skin, it can permanently stain
fabric. As for the effects Pied de Pepper has on the skin, for normal to dry feet that don’t altogether seem like a lost cause (or soft feet
that require a little maintenance), Pied de Pepper will work wonders for you, leaving your feet silky smooth and ageless. For severely
calloused, thick, opaque white soles, however, I’d recommend regular exfoliations with the oil-rich Buffy The Backside Slayer, and a
nightly application of a single Vitamin E capsule. Because ultimately, when compared to all other available (and less expensive,
considering one Vitamin E capsule costs pennies) options, Pied de Pepper functions as a mid-strength foot lotion; those whose feet
are genuinely in desperate need of a major overhaul probably won’t benefit from this lotion as quickly as they’d like (whereas Buffy and
Vitamin E each offer an instant, total recovery within a mere one or two treatments), and there are certainly better, more intensive and
immediate remedies out there (even on Lush’s own shelves!)
spices instead of herbs. This foot lotion has a lovely but potent vanilla, clove, cinnamon, and ginger scent—one that lingers with
excruciating intensity, actively interfering with any other scent you might be wearing. So before use, you really should be prepared to
commit to Pied de Pepper's sweet fragrance. For those who enjoy slathering their feet with a thick layer of lotion each night as an
intensive foot treatment with moisture booties, do note that if you don’t rub this lotion completely into the skin, it can permanently stain
fabric. As for the effects Pied de Pepper has on the skin, for normal to dry feet that don’t altogether seem like a lost cause (or soft feet
that require a little maintenance), Pied de Pepper will work wonders for you, leaving your feet silky smooth and ageless. For severely
calloused, thick, opaque white soles, however, I’d recommend regular exfoliations with the oil-rich Buffy The Backside Slayer, and a
nightly application of a single Vitamin E capsule. Because ultimately, when compared to all other available (and less expensive,
considering one Vitamin E capsule costs pennies) options, Pied de Pepper functions as a mid-strength foot lotion; those whose feet
are genuinely in desperate need of a major overhaul probably won’t benefit from this lotion as quickly as they’d like (whereas Buffy and
Vitamin E each offer an instant, total recovery within a mere one or two treatments), and there are certainly better, more intensive and
immediate remedies out there (even on Lush’s own shelves!)
This is Lush’s tea tree dusting powder for keeping feet and shoes dry and odour-free. And it does indeed keep new shoes safe from
becoming weapons of mass destruction. But if you have shoes, boots, or trainers that are already quite stinky, well…at first you might
think “all’s well that smells well”! Yet contrary to Lush’s claim, the bacteria that cause odours are never altogether successfully
eliminated, leaving T For Toes to ultimately serve more as a temporary cover up on fabric, requiring that you reapply religiously. On the
other hand, dusting this powder directly on your feet (as is also recommended by Lush) certainly keeps whiffs permanently under
control; in fact, for as long as you use this powder, your tootsies will remain dry and won’t smell anything but fresh as a summer’s
breeze. Yet owed to this powder’s dense, chalky, china clay (kaolin) base, if you don’t blend it into the skin with the sweeping strokes of
a powder brush, you’ll also wind up with white odourless feet (particularly around the ins and outs of your toes), especially if you don’t
apply this powder super sparingly. This takes me to my final point: as soon as you bring it home from the shop, repot this powder into
a seal-tight container of your own. The packaging for this powder doesn’t exactly permit sparing applications, even if used in tandem
with a powder puff/brush. There are two sets of dispenser holes on the lid: a large demi-lune hole that provides you with a constant,
in-bulk pour, or 3 large square holes providing you with a constant, in-bulk pour. And traveling with this ill-sealed, leaky pot, even if it’s
only to the gym? Do yourself (and everything in your bag) a favour: don’t even think about it.
becoming weapons of mass destruction. But if you have shoes, boots, or trainers that are already quite stinky, well…at first you might
think “all’s well that smells well”! Yet contrary to Lush’s claim, the bacteria that cause odours are never altogether successfully
eliminated, leaving T For Toes to ultimately serve more as a temporary cover up on fabric, requiring that you reapply religiously. On the
other hand, dusting this powder directly on your feet (as is also recommended by Lush) certainly keeps whiffs permanently under
control; in fact, for as long as you use this powder, your tootsies will remain dry and won’t smell anything but fresh as a summer’s
breeze. Yet owed to this powder’s dense, chalky, china clay (kaolin) base, if you don’t blend it into the skin with the sweeping strokes of
a powder brush, you’ll also wind up with white odourless feet (particularly around the ins and outs of your toes), especially if you don’t
apply this powder super sparingly. This takes me to my final point: as soon as you bring it home from the shop, repot this powder into
a seal-tight container of your own. The packaging for this powder doesn’t exactly permit sparing applications, even if used in tandem
with a powder puff/brush. There are two sets of dispenser holes on the lid: a large demi-lune hole that provides you with a constant,
in-bulk pour, or 3 large square holes providing you with a constant, in-bulk pour. And traveling with this ill-sealed, leaky pot, even if it’s
only to the gym? Do yourself (and everything in your bag) a favour: don’t even think about it.
Volcano started out as a Bio Fresh product in the 1990s, but in 2004, Lush reformulated it into a preserved product (though its shelf life
is still rather short at 3 months). Of course, foot masks can be a bit of a nuisance to apply, and this fact is even truer considering this
preserved version of Volcano is much thicker and pastier than the original Bio Fresh recipe, owed to the replacement of papaya with
dense, stodgy potatoes. (The key is to have someone else apply it while you sit waiting and ready with a sheet of cling film in your
clean hands to wrap your coated feet in…and you’ll want to have a pair of socks on hand as well, to keep the plastic wrap in place as
you walk about, rather than allowing the mask to simply squish around, resulting in uneven coverage). Like the original Volcano, it’s
still marketed as a foot deodorizing mask, intended for taming wild, odoriferous beasts that otherwise need to be quarantined for fear
that their toxic vapours might eat through our entire ozone layer within days of being exposed to the atmosphere. HOWEVER….that’s
not all it does, so don’t draw the erroneous conclusion that since your feet don’t reek, you won’t be needing a pot o’ this stuff. ‘Cuz
while the texture and consistency of this preserved incarnation of Volcano is a bit different from the original Bio Fresh creation, it still
gives you the same tingly, refreshing and cooling feeling, reducing swelling, improving circulation, and waking up tired, worn out
tootsies. (Plus, it’s a must after long flights, in which case, you’ll want to apply Volcano not only to your swollen feet and ankles, but
also to your calves for instant relief and rejuvenation.) Even after you rinse it away, you can still feel the tingle for several hours to come.
So there you have it: china clay cleanses, tomato deoderizes, and limeflower and cleavers sooth. But then as if that weren’t enough,
glycerine softens and pumice exfoliates. For feet which are dry but not insanely so, this will get your heels back to perfection in no time,
even if the Bio Fresh After Tango foot mask still tends to be a more intensive overall skin softener. And while Buffy the Backside Slayer
works far better when it comes to sloughing and softening unusually thick, calloused heels, this foot mask will still provide you with
some useful assistance. Yet the thing After Tango and Buffy won’t give you is that wonderful chill. Seriously, the lower quarter of your
body will never have felt better; this sensation is like an addictive drug, and if you’re like me, you could leave Volcano on your feet all
day long, as the cling wrap keeps the solution just moist enough for an exfoliating, circular rinse, no matter how long it takes you to
finally bid this mask “farewell”.
is still rather short at 3 months). Of course, foot masks can be a bit of a nuisance to apply, and this fact is even truer considering this
preserved version of Volcano is much thicker and pastier than the original Bio Fresh recipe, owed to the replacement of papaya with
dense, stodgy potatoes. (The key is to have someone else apply it while you sit waiting and ready with a sheet of cling film in your
clean hands to wrap your coated feet in…and you’ll want to have a pair of socks on hand as well, to keep the plastic wrap in place as
you walk about, rather than allowing the mask to simply squish around, resulting in uneven coverage). Like the original Volcano, it’s
still marketed as a foot deodorizing mask, intended for taming wild, odoriferous beasts that otherwise need to be quarantined for fear
that their toxic vapours might eat through our entire ozone layer within days of being exposed to the atmosphere. HOWEVER….that’s
not all it does, so don’t draw the erroneous conclusion that since your feet don’t reek, you won’t be needing a pot o’ this stuff. ‘Cuz
while the texture and consistency of this preserved incarnation of Volcano is a bit different from the original Bio Fresh creation, it still
gives you the same tingly, refreshing and cooling feeling, reducing swelling, improving circulation, and waking up tired, worn out
tootsies. (Plus, it’s a must after long flights, in which case, you’ll want to apply Volcano not only to your swollen feet and ankles, but
also to your calves for instant relief and rejuvenation.) Even after you rinse it away, you can still feel the tingle for several hours to come.
So there you have it: china clay cleanses, tomato deoderizes, and limeflower and cleavers sooth. But then as if that weren’t enough,
glycerine softens and pumice exfoliates. For feet which are dry but not insanely so, this will get your heels back to perfection in no time,
even if the Bio Fresh After Tango foot mask still tends to be a more intensive overall skin softener. And while Buffy the Backside Slayer
works far better when it comes to sloughing and softening unusually thick, calloused heels, this foot mask will still provide you with
some useful assistance. Yet the thing After Tango and Buffy won’t give you is that wonderful chill. Seriously, the lower quarter of your
body will never have felt better; this sensation is like an addictive drug, and if you’re like me, you could leave Volcano on your feet all
day long, as the cling wrap keeps the solution just moist enough for an exfoliating, circular rinse, no matter how long it takes you to
finally bid this mask “farewell”.
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