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Tips for New Social Work Graduate (MSW) Students

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  Happy start of the school year! Perusing social media, I came across a NASW blog article called “Guide for the First Year Social Work Student”. This post provided lots of great information tailored for new undergraduate students interested in studying social work. I wanted to take that NASW post a bit farther and compile a list of tips specific to graduate students pursuing a masters in social work (MSW). In my opinion, graduate school is a completely different experience from undergraduate, so my hope is that these tips will serve to be beneficial. Tips for New Social Work Graduate (MSW) Students -Don’t worry about grades so much When I was in graduate school, one of my professors told a story about a straight A student who committed suicide several years after graduation. His point was that given the people we need to work with, we social workers need to focus less on being perfectionists (as demonstrated by obsessing over grades and test scores) and work on being empathetic and co
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Thank you, LUSH Cosmetics!

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LUSH
I love getting mail!
As mentioned in my previous post, I won LUSH's #freshnewlush contest during Generation Beauty.  My prizes came in the mail, and I thought I'd share some pics and thoughts on each product!

LUSH
LUSH sent me 6 full-sized products!  So generous of them!
LUSH sent me a total of six products: African Paradise Body Conditioner, Zeste Medium to Short Hair Gelly, D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap, Granny Takes a Dip Bath Bomb, and bar soaps in Parsley Porridge and Mangnificent.  Since LUSH products tend to have slightly shorter expiration dates because they have no preservatives, I went ahead and opened them up!

LUSH
Granny Takes a Dip
Granny Takes a Dip is an invigorating bath bomb with lemon oil, ginger, and pepper.  Its psychedelic look reminds me of a bubble gum flavored popsicle I used to eat as a kid!  I still need to clean and disinfect my bathtub before I try this out, but in the meantime check out this video of it fizzing here: Granny Takes a Dip

LUSH
Magnificent (left) and Parsley Porridge soap bars from Generation Beauty for reference
Mangnificent and Parsley Porridge soap bars were also in my swag bag during Generation Beauty.  Mangnificent, made with natural ingredients such as mango and various fruit oils (including neroli) has a candy-like citrus tropical smell.  Perfect for aromatherapy after a stressful day at work!  Parsley Porridge, on the other hand, is made with ingredients such as tea tree oil, aloe vera, thyme, and parsley and has a refreshing herbal scent.  Intended as a detoxifying soap, I'm looking forward to see if it has any clarifying effects on my skin! 

LUSH
D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap
D'Fluff has a sweet floral chocolate covered strawberry scent.  Makes sense since the product is made with strawberries, rosehip oil, and cocoa butter.  While I usually epilate (saves on the cost of razors and shaving), I gave D'Fluff a try and found that it made my skin slippery enough for a smooth shave.  However, be careful that none of the product accidentally washes off prior to shaving!  I'd turn off the shower before using this.

LUSH
Zeste Medium to Strong Hair Gelly
Zeste is made with avocado and citrus oil and smells like guacamole according to my boyfriend.  Personally, I like the avocado citrus scent, but it may be too strong depending on your environment/workplace.  This will be a product I use when I'm not in a hospital setting.

LUSH
Zeste on my hand
At first, I was confused as how to use Zeste because I couldn't seem to get any on my finger.  Then I read the directions and dumped the entire container onto my hand, which came out as a dense, conglomerated blob of gel.  Passing the blob between my two hands coated them with just the right around of product.  Zeste does provide decent, non-crispy hold, but I'd recommend not using too much to prevent oily, bogged down hair.

LUSH
African Paradise Body Conditioner
African Paradise Body Conditioner is chock full of moisturizers (aloe gel, shea butter, cocoa butter), natural oils (almond, moringa, marula, baobab, Kahari melon, ylang ylang, clove bud, and sandalwood), and mango juice.  Its complex scent is something I can best describe as an earthier version of a moringa shower gel I use.

At first, I had trouble getting the product on my body and made a huge mess in my shower.  This is definitely another product where I'd recommend turning off the shower or stepping away from the water stream before using.  However, a quick rub and rinse of African Paradise reveals smooth and glowing skin that eliminates the need for lotion.  Also 24 hours later, I still can't believe how soft my skin is!  As someone who hates applying lotion after a shower, I plan on repurchasing this product (and all its iterations) over and over again!  By far my favorite prize of the bunch!


I will admit that LUSH is not the most affordable cosmetics and body care company out there.  However, they are certainly one of the greenest with their use of natural ingredients, recycled packaging, non-animal/human testing practices, and environmental activism.  This, coupled with the quality and longevity (especially in the case of their solid shampoo) of products makes it worth the occasional splurge!  Thank you again for the prizes, LUSH!  I will see you at next year's Generation Beauty and really soon at my nearby mall!

*Disclaimer* I am not affiliated with LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics in any way, shape, or form.  I am simply an excited fan who won a prize from them!

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  Happy start of the school year! Perusing social media, I came across a NASW blog article called “Guide for the First Year Social Work Student”. This post provided lots of great information tailored for new undergraduate students interested in studying social work. I wanted to take that NASW post a bit farther and compile a list of tips specific to graduate students pursuing a masters in social work (MSW). In my opinion, graduate school is a completely different experience from undergraduate, so my hope is that these tips will serve to be beneficial. Tips for New Social Work Graduate (MSW) Students -Don’t worry about grades so much When I was in graduate school, one of my professors told a story about a straight A student who committed suicide several years after graduation. His point was that given the people we need to work with, we social workers need to focus less on being perfectionists (as demonstrated by obsessing over grades and test scores) and work on being empathetic and co
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