Tropical Jungle Body Lotion

It wasn't until the recent release of the rare body lotions through the Lush Kitchen, that I realised I have a bit of an obsession with them. Normally, it is their range of shower gels that I fawn over religiously; searching the very corners of the internet to find rare and limited edition specimens to lather myself all over with. However, since Lush have released Tramp, The Comforter, American Cream and The Olive Branch lotions, alongside this one, my fingers have begun to itch for more scented creams to be made.

Tropical Jungle is by no means a new product, although it does possess a new title. Originally known as simply Jungle, this body lotion shares it's scent with the regular solid conditioner of the same name. Unfortunately, the conditioner and I never got on that well, and I was left with a slightly bitter taste in my mouth after experiencing some pretty nasty results from using it. However, I never got over how much I adored the scent. So when I realised this lotion was making a comeback, I couldn't wait to stock up.

This product has a strange but wonderful fragrance. When you think of tropical-scented cosmetics, I'm sure you imagine a combination of Caribbean fruit; pineapple, mango and papaya - perhaps a little coconut to boot. And while this body lotion does have a sweet, fruity fragrance, there's a certain extra element that makes this nothing like anything you've ever smelled before. 

Initially, I think this lotion has an almost woody, wheatgrass smell - there's definitely remnants of damp grass and reeds in the mix. However, at the same time as this, you also get a slightly bitter zest that's a little like Kiwi fruit or soured passionfruit. Underneath this is a very gentle layer of ylang ylang, which brings it all together and creates an incredibly fresh and natural smelling exotic fragrance. Tropical Jungle is not reminiscent of hot sandy beaches, palm trees and cool, crisp summer waves lapping the shore - it plays more of a homage to a damp rainforest after a gentle storm. It's really rather wonderful. 

Unlike most of Lush's body lotions that I've tried, this one has stepped away from using almond oil and cocoa butter to concoct it's scent. Instead, these ingredients don't play any part in the overall fragrance of the product - only working to soften, smooth and moisturise the skin during and after application. 

With it's slightly thin consistency, Tropical Jungle is absorbed very easily into the skin and should be used scrupulously to avoid any build up or greasy areas. As with most of my body lotions, I applied this by massaging in circular motions across my skin, and found that it only takes a matter of seconds for it be fully absorbed. 

It's definitely not the most moisturising body lotion I've used from Lush, but it does make your skin look and feel softer after use. One aspect I did appreciate is that this product leaves a very slight gleam on the skin, which adds a bit of healthy glow to your body, without making it look greasy or shiny; Perfect to use over tanned areas to make that colour pop a little more.  

The most impressive part about this product is that the scent stays with you all day - having first applied it at 6am in the morning, I could still pick up remnants  of the aroma when I arrived home some twelve hours later. This is definitely a body lotion you'd have to commit to, with results like that, as once it's on your skin, you're not going to be able to rid yourself of the scent for a long time.

Overall, I really love Tropical Jungle and cannot wait to smell it on my skin during the hot summer months - I can imagine the aroma would be wonderful to coat yourself in before heading to the beach/park for the day. I would definitely buy this again if it became available in the future. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Ylang Ylang Oil, Vetivert Oil, Cypress Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.