Noriko Soap

Despite owning close to 10kg worth of Lush soap, it has only been over the last few months that I've began to use it regularly. Being a big fan of their shower gels has meant that my collection of soap has been overlooked somewhat, especially when I'm deciding what to use in the shower, meaning that it's built up very quickly. 

Noriko Soap was at the top of my 'to try' list for two reasons; firstly, it happened to be one of my newest acquisitions, and I thought it wise to try the freshest blocks first; secondly, because I was rather intrigued with it's description, as well as it's inclusion in the Christmas 2013 range. 

First created back in 1999, this soap is named after its creator, Noriko, who was inspired to create a soap using Japanese-inspired ingredients. It's a weird sort of soap, with a very strange, almost-savoury scent to match. In fact, I find it very difficult to fully describe this scent as it's like nothing I've ever smelt before. 

What I can pick up are elements of ylang ylang, a woody floral sort of scent, which sits very subtly in the mix. Lush claim that rose absolute is also supposed to sit highly in it's fragrance, however, I could not detect this at all. There is a gentle citrus undertone here, which somewhat elevates the ylang ylang scent and is no doubt brought about by the addition of Brazilian orange oil in the ingredients list. It's a very unique scent, and one that would be best suited for those of you who don't like overpowering smells.

The soap is a creamy white in colour and is decorated with a thin slice of coloured jelly on the top. I get the impression that the jelly is to add a bit of colour to the soap as it doesn't serve any other purpose here and unlike a normal shower jelly, is quite rigid and hard in consistency. Interestingly, this soap is the first of Lush's soaps that I notice contains tofu, which supposedly helps to nourish the skin and add an overall creamy texture to the soap. 

On the positive side, this soap is very resilient in the water, which means that a 100g block lasted me a long time. It's very easy to lather up and leaves your skin feeling very smooth. Furthermore, the soap contains little bits of agar agar gel throughout each piece, which helps to exfoliate the skin and gently massage the body. It did leave my skin feeling soft and clean, without drying it out. 

Noriko leaves behind a faint floral scent, on both the skin and in the bathroom, which was very pleasant. This gentle smell is not obtrusive and can be overridden with body lotions and perfumes, without worrying there'll be a clash of smells.

The only small downside for me was that the smell wasn't to my particular tastes. In all fairness, I found it a little boring. Despite it making my skin feel wonderful and smooth, this wouldn't be enough to make me buy it again. It's an odd choice to include alongside the Christmas selection, but I'm glad I got to try it at least once.

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Rice Decoction, Sake, Tofu, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Agar Agar Gel, Titanium Dioxide, Perfume, Lavender Oil, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Gardenia Extract, *Geraniol, *Farnesol, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Linalool, Colour 42090, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes.

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The Snowman Ballistic

I'm going to hold my hands up and say that I am not one of those Lushies obsessed with the 'Butterball' fragrance. I know it's one of Lush's biggest sellers, hence why they feel the need to repackage the scent in a new product almost yearly. However, the truth is, as I mentioned in my review of the Butterball Shower Gel, the smell of cocoa butter by itself has been so overused in cosmetics (not just Lush!), that I'm pretty sick of it. By no means is it a bad smell, just not one I'm going to get excited about. So, as you can imagine, I wasn't initially bowled over by the idea of this bath bomb... 

The Snowman ballistic was released as part of the Christmas 2013 range, complete with a little extra decoration in the form of a red scarf and a nose made out of The Carrot Bubble Bar from their 2013 Easter range. On first sniff, the musky vanilla scent was very much present; in fact, I found that the smell of this ballistic was much stronger than the many Butterballs that I've had in the past, which was promising. 

Unlike the original Butterball ballistic, the Snowman is considerably smaller, so I was a little worried that it wouldn't leave as strong an impression in the tub as it's counterpart. Furthermore, I've recently found myself in a rut with Lush bombs, wherein the last few I've used have produced less than satisfactory results in the bath. Despite my initial concerns, I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

When this bath bomb hits the water, it immediately begins to fizz, releasing a stream of red and white foam that disperses throughout the water. Seconds later, little beads of what looks like oil, begin to seep from the bath bomb, most of which float on the surface, but some of which tend to spread out and rest against the edge of the tub. I found out, after some research, that this is the cocoa butter which has been included to soften the bath water and moisturise your skin whilst you're relaxing. 

After a while, the beads melt and leave an oily bath water behind, which really does moisturise and hydrate your skin. I found that I didn't have to use my normal body lotion afterwards, which was lovely. In fact, I experimented by not using my lotion the day after my bath, and was pleased to discover that my skin stayed silky-smooth, and retained a musky scent, for the entirety of the next day. However, I would pre-warn those of you who perhaps suffer from oily or greasy skin, as this is probably one of the most oleaginous baths I have ever had; I can imagine it perhaps irritating the more sensitive skin types with it's waxy consistency.  

Once it's fully dissolved, the Snowman leaves a pale and translucent red coloured water. The buttery smell of vanilla, ylang ylang and cocoa butter disperse somewhat and leave you with a subtle smell, but nothing that's too overwhelming for those of you who don't like potent scents.

Although it was a rather enjoyable bath, and it's a ballistic I would buy again, there were a couple of issues that I found. Firstly, although my dry skin basked in the oiliness of the water, I can imagine that there will be a lot of people who would find the greasy element to this bath far too overwhelming and 'clammy'. Secondly, once the water has drained away, the beads of cocoa butter leave smears around the edge of the tub, which you then have to clean up; not fun and a bit of a mood killer!

Overall, it's definitely one of the better ballistics I have used recently, and I will no doubt buy myself a couple more of these if they make a reappearance. However, it's not one that makes it into my favourite's list.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cocoa Butter, Synthetic Musk, Ylang Ylang Oil, Glycerine, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Carbonate, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 15510.

Vegan?: Yes. 

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Orange Jelly Soap

When I heard that Lush were releasing an orange-scented soap, I was so excited; alongside blackcurrant, orange has been one of my favourite smells since I was a little girl. Sometimes companies can 'overdo it' when it comes to the scents of their products; layering multiple fragrances over each other to give off a 'complex' smell, when all it really does is create a horrible heavy smell that permeates almost everything. So when I saw the simplicity of this soap's scent, I was really looking forward to testing it out.

Orange Jelly is a new soap released as part of Lush's 2013 Christmas range. Despite it not initially seeming to fit in with the Christmas theme, it does compliment many other products featured in the seasonal range; Golden Wonder, Ponche Shower Gel, Celebrate Lotion and Secret Santa are just some of the items that boast a citrusy scent, and Orange Jelly is perfect for anyone who may not like the complexity of these fragrances, and want something simple to try out. 

This soap is orange, pure and simple. It has freshly squeezed orange juice and Brazilian orange oil, both  packed with minerals, vitamins, and plenty of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant for the skin and will leave your skin toned, revived and resilient. Furthermore, this soap even contains fresh orange slices preserved in the top layer of jelly, and softening seaweed extract to beautify your skin even more.

What I loved about the soap is it's simplicity - it smells of fresh oranges - nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes it's lovely to appreciate a natural smell in it's natural form, something Orange Jelly does well. It's a very summery smell, which confuses me slightly as to why Lush decided to release this in the winter.However, one thing that disappointed me a little was the absence of a strong smell; with all that orange oil and juice added to make the soap, I was expecting a stronger smelling soap, at least when the soap is being used under hot water. I found that I was only able to pick up the zest of the orange, when I brought the soap close to my nose. 

Another aspect of the soap that puzzled me, was the decorative layer of jelly that featured on the top of every 100g piece. I'm guessing that it was put there just so that the soap could be given the name Orange Jelly, as it served no other purpose in the shower. I thought perhaps that you could use it to produce lather, like you would with other Lush jellies. However, I found that it was very unresponsive when I rubbed it between my hands. I'd much rather have had a slightly bigger slice of the soap, than a pointless piece of jelly on one end.

In the shower, Orange Jelly didn't do too badly at lathering up, although it produced more of an oily lather than a foam one. I found that once the soap's been used a handful of times, the lather does increase ten-fold and by the time I got halfway through the bar, it was producing lashings of soft foam to wash myself with. Furthermore, I found it best to use this before using a fruity shower gel, such as Snowshowers or Ponche, to give you that added feeling of softness.

Ultimately, this soap had a lot of potential which I don't think was quite reached here. It's a lovely idea, the scent was wonderful (when you could smell it), and it does leave your skin wonderfully smooth and gentle. However, Lush could do with making the scent stronger so that it stays on your skin longer. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Fresh Orange Juice, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Brazilian Orange Oil, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Colour 15510, Orange Slice.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Snow Fairy Sparkle

Snow Fairy Sparkle is a new product, first brought out as part of Lush's Christmas 2013 range. Shaped like a fairy, this exquisite pink massage bar immediately draws you in with it's strong, candy-scented fragrance. Available as a seasonal product only, I can imagine these products flew off of the shelves; catering for a young audience who no doubt loved the magic behind it's look and scent. 

Despite currently owning a good 30+ massage bars, it has only been in the last couple of months that I've began using them as a regular product. I always thought massage bars were too fiddly, too oily and too expensive, which is why I stuck to body lotions. However, since using Strawberry Feels Forever and Merry Xmas, I've discovered that massage bars are great for using after a bath, to give an extensive and intense deep moisturising session. They may work out a tad bit more expensive, but they're a luxury I'm willing to pay for. 

Marketed as a massage bar, Snow Fairy Sparkle is somewhat smaller than your regular bar; in fact, it is almost half the size and weight of most of the other bars in Lush's normal range. Immediately, this stands out as one of the more expensive products to buy, which I assumed would mean that it would be better quality than the likes of Tender Is The Night and Therapy. However, this is not the case.

The massage bar is rather different from the other ones available, as it not only moisturises your skin, but leaves a trail of silver lustre to make you sparkle. Unfortunately, this glitter only makes an appearance towards the end of the bar, when the top layer of pink has been melted away and the user is left with the white centre. This means that for those of us who want to add a bit of 'shimmer' to our routine, we cannot guarantee that we will get this effect every time we use the bar.  

Secondly, the neon outer shell leaves a trail of pink on you skin when you use the bar, which does somewhat disappear when you massage the oils in, but there's always that slight tint of colour when you're finished. These smears of colour then rub off on your clothes, and if you're wearing white, you end up with stains that can be stubborn to remove. Even when I waited twenty to thirty minutes for the oils to get absorbed, there was still an element of pink that stayed on my skin. 

Finally, there's the issue of how quickly this bar disappears; I only managed to get 4 full body massages out of it, when other, less expensive alternatives, can give me 8-10. The bar wasn't particularly fast when dissolving; the issue was more to do with the size of the bar to begin with. 

Despite this, Snow Fairy Sparkle is still a nice product to use. Filled with organic shea, murumuru and cupuacu butters, this massage bar is easy to use and will melt over your body and leave your skin feeling soft and glowing with health.

Overall, this isn't a bad product in the slightest. It does it's job, albeit the problem with the lustre being contained in the centre. However, I see it more as a product that you'd use on occasion; perhaps before a night out, or as a treat after a bath. It's definitely not a massage bar you could use regularly. I suppose that's what makes it a good candidate for a seasonal product. 

I have four of these in total, and I will get round to using all of them up, but I can see these lasting me all year as I'll probably only use it once a month. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Shea Butter, Murumuru Butter, Almond Oil, Illipe Butter, Organic Agave Syrup, Perfume, Cupuacu Butter, Glycerine, Synthetic Musk, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Methyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Sandy Santa Body Butter

This is how much I pay attention to the products I buy from Lush; it wasn't until I opened this in the shower to use as a body scrub, that I realised Lush had reformulated the recipe and turned it into a body butter. Inspired by the Brazilian sand sculptures on Copacabana beach, and with added coconut oil and butters, Sandy Santa Body Butter has been reinvented and hopefully, improved. 

Back in 2012, when I tried the Sandy Santa Sugar Scrub for the first time, I wasn't overall impressed. I appreciated the scent - a combination of juicy Brazilian orange oil, sandalwood and rosewood,which gave it an overall smell of fresh mandarins with just a hint of what I can only describe as flat coca cola. However, I found it very difficult to use it effectively in the shower, and ended up wasting a large percentage of it down the drain - I just don't feel that sugar scrubs are particularly practical. 

Despite this, when Lush bought the familiar Santa-shaped product back this year, I opted to give it a second chance and bought one to trial. Zoom forward a month, and I discover it's now become a body butter, which makes me rather intrigued to see how it compares with the old formula.

With murumuru butter and shea butter, Sandy Santa is both a body butter and a sugar scrub. Lush have crammed him full of butters to give a wonderful moisturising affect; including sugar and sand to smooth and polish your skin at the same time. 

On the positive side, Sandy Santa is definitely more moisturising this time around. Rather than experiencing the harshness of the sugar on my skin, I enjoyed the fact that I had a mixture of soft butters and sugar, which exfoliate as well as scrub. Secondly, this product lasts much longer than the previous rendition - I used this across my whole body a good 8-10 times, which is more cost efficient than the two uses I was able to get out of the 2012 edition. Finally, despite it being the same size and shape, the product was somewhat easier to use in the shower.

However, Sandy Santa hasn't been completely changed for the better. Firstly, this product has lost a lot of its scent, no doubt due to the addition of lots of oils, which must somehow disperse the scent somewhat. I found that I couldn't smell it at all in the shower, and there was no noticeable scent left on my skin afterwards. Secondly, this body butter still has the annoying red hat, which leaks colour all over you and the bath during use. I found that this can sometimes stain the bath tub.

Overall, I'm just not overly enamoured by what Sandy Santa has to offer. It's not a bad product at all, but neither is it a particularly good product. I would much rather use something like Rub Rub Rub to get my scrub and exfoliation going at the same time. This is not a product I would reinvest in again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sugar, Murumuru Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Organic Shea Butter, Illipe Butter, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cream of Tartar, Sand, Lauryl Betaine, Brazilian Orange Oil, Rosewood Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, *Limonene, *Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Perfume, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes. 

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Secret Santa Bath Ballistic

As I order almost all of my Lush stuff through their website, I'm never really 100% sure what I'm going to get before it arrives at my door. A product may claim to be a certain size or possess a certain smell, but until I eagerly unwrap that packaging for the first time, nothing is guaranteed. 

When Secret Santa was first announced, I was super excited about the prospect of a bath bomb smelling like Lush's 29 High Street perfume (originally called HQ). For those unfamiliar with this product, 29 was a perfume designed to smell just like a Lush shop. Remember that potent smell that first enticed you to step into the cosmetic equivalent of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory? Well the clever bunnies at Lush decided to take this wonderful mixture of fragrances and turn it into something you could wear on you all day. I'm actually rather surprised that Lush doesn't have a permanent ballistic with this scent as I'm sure it'll be very popular.    

Modelled on the original Lush shop, 29 Poole High Street, Secret Santa is a new bath ballistic that was first featured in Lush's Christmas 2013 range. The bath bomb is super sized, barely fitting inside one of Lush's generic paper bags and is supposed to be used across 2-3 baths. However, due to the fact that it is a very compact ballistic, it is slightly difficult to break apart to do this. Rather than bashing it against the bath tub, like I have done for other ballistics, this one works better when you use a knife to separate the two halves. Around the outside of the bath bomb, you'll find a 'seam' line that, when you press the sharp edge of a knife into it, will give way and present you with two equal-sized pieces. 

Lush claim that the Secret Santa contains a smaller, 'secret' Father Christmas bath bomb inside. However, when I broke one apart, I found that mine had a circular red core that was welded to the ballistic, so I don't think you could use this separately. 

Much like the perfume, Lush have chosen specific scents to represent their unique shop fragrance. Firstly, they've included both lime and lemon oil, which give the product it's uplifting scent and helps to soften the bath water. Secondly, they've used Jasmine Absolute; a rich, floral scent that helps to lighten your mood and relax your mind.

Up next is Sandalwood oil; a base note that is used in a whole array of Lush products, especially in their perfumes. This gives Secret Santa a light, woody scent that balances out the sweetness of the citrus oils and gives it a rounder overall fragrance. Finally, they've included Tonka absolute, which gives the ballistic a natural, sweet scent that compliments the citrus elements.

With the calming scent of ylang ylang as well as all of these diverse yet complimentary scents, Secret Santa is a feast for your senses. I really enjoyed it's citrusy smell, which I feel is more prominent than the other scents featured here. However, the longer you spend in the bath, the more you begin to notice those woody and floral fragrances coming through.

When you drop it into your bath, it starts to fizz and create the most wonderful bright orange shade in the water. As the ballistic fizzes away, the water begins to turn a beautiful fuchsia colour with a slightly glittery finish. This uplifting tangerine colour is a real treat for the eyes, and the scent, which remains throughout the entire bathing experience, perks you up and leaves your skin feeling warm and slightly scented. 

For £5.75, it's a rather expensive ballistic and this is part of the reason why I have rated it lower than I would have done. For the hefty price tag, it doesn't offer you any more than a usual bath bomb would. For almost £3 cheaper, I would much rather pick up a Father Christmas, which shares similar traits to Secret Santa, but offers me a lot more bang for my buck.

However, it does smell very similar to 29, one of my favourite Lush perfumes, so I cannot complain about the scent. I think if this was a limited edition ballistic that had come out for a special occasion, I would have understood the price tag and bought a few to last me. As it's most likely to come back next Christmas, I'll refrain from buying anymore and just hope that they harvest the smell in a more cost-effective bath bomb. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Absolute, New Caledonian Sandalwood Oil, Indian jasmine absolute, Lime Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Tonka Absolute, Water, *Citral, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Limonene, *Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 15510, Colour 45410, Snowflake Lustre.

Vegan?: Yes

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Melting Snowman Bath Melt (New)

Melting Snowman Bath Melt first made it's appearance during the Christmas 2012 range, boasting to be not only the cutest product in the Christmas selection, but also the cheapest as well. For this reason, I wasn't expecting to be overly impressed by what it could offer me. I was about to be proved wrong.

For those of you unfamiliar with what a 'bath melt' is, Lush have coined this term as meaning a product which is used in the bath, that does not create bubbles or give you a show with different colours, glitter and so on. Renowned for their moisturising properties, bath melts create a layer on the top of your bath water which helps to soften and smooth the skin, as well as releasing oils and fragrances to make your bath more relaxing. Often people will use one alongside a bath bomb to get both a colourful and moisturising experience. However, some bath melts can be used on their own with equally good results. Melting Snowman is one such product...

Lush describe the bath melt as an 'exquisitely fragranced' product 'with a spicy, warming, hot toddy fragrance to banish winter chills. Turn on your bath taps, put the plug in and fill up your tub with warm water before dropping in your cinnamon, clove and lime snowman on a hot summer's day!'

Melting Snowman possesses the same scent as both Snowcake Soap and Hot Toddy Bubble Bar, depending on how old the product is. In 2012, Lush switched the scent of the bath melt to that of the Hot Toddy fragrance; something perhaps spurred on by the popularity of the scent. Although it doesn't make me love this melt any less, it is a shame that there is one less Snowcake-scented product to enjoy. 

I found that Melting Snowman contains a spicy, fruity scent that has elements of both Glogg Shower Gel and Hot Toddy. Initially, you can smell cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon here. However, almost as soon as you detect the spiciness, you experience the orange, vanilla and rich fruits that intertwine themselves wonderfully with the cloves. 

This product was super easy to use; I simply dropped it into the bath, under the running tap, and the bath melt began to dissolve wonderfully by itself. Although it does take a little while to fully dissolve, you can get into the bath while it's working it's magic and enjoy the softness of the water straight away.

The only aspect of this bath melt that I didn't enjoy were the addition of the dairy-free chocolate chips for it's eyes and decoration. Once in the water, these little pieces melted very quickly. But rather than dissolve into the water, they instead left sticky marks on both my skin and the bath tub. I had to spend a good 5 minutes trying to scoop the 'gloops' of chocolate out before I could really relax.

Melting Snowman turned the water a cloudy white colour, which seemed boring when compared with the show that other Lush bath bombs put on. However, the bath melt was a hit for me. Containing both cocoa butter and shea butter, Melting Snowman made the bath water incredibly moisturising and left my skin looking radiant and feeling silky smooth and soft. 

Overall, I was really impressed with the results. For a product so cheap, I really felt that this was going to be one I tried and never went back to. As it happens, I would consider this to be amongst my favourite bath products ever. The scent stayed with my for a long time after I got out of the bath, and I didn't feel as if I needed to moisturise my skin afterwards, as the bath melt really goes to town on healing and softening your skin. 

This is now a staple in my house, and I tend to bulk buy at Christmas so I have enough to last me throughout the entire year. I dread the year that Lush choose not to bring this back as I don't think I could live through a Christmas without Melting Snowman being there to comfort me.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Icing Sugar, Citric Acid, Cocoa Butter, PEG-6 Caprylic / Capric Glycerides, Almond Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Perfume, Shea Butter, Benzoin Resinoid, Rose Absolute, Cassie Absolute, Dairy Free Chocolate Drops, *Benzyl Benzoate.

Vegan?: Yes

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The Christmas Penguin Bubble Bar

The Christmas Penguin bubble bar epitomises why I love Lush so much. Nowhere else on the high street would you expect to find animal-shaped bathing products, besides those awful one-shaded soaps you find in independent shops that have little fragrance and even less character.

Modelled on a species of penguin called Little Penguins, which are found on Philip Island, Australia and are considered the smallest penguins in the world, this bubble bar comes in many different shapes and sizes, making no two products alike.   

Scented with the infamous Olive Branch fragrance, this bubble bar has a slight citrusy scent intertwined with a gentle floral after-scent. But unlike the shower gel, there's no savoury element here, which could be due to the lack of vine leaves and olive oil in the ingredients list. For this reason, I was a little disappointed with this product. 

As with most Lush bubble bars, this bar can be used a number of ways and on more than one occasion. You could crumble or drop it under running water or, as many Lushies do, place it inside a sock or thin material and suspend it under the tap. This latter method prevents any undissolved pieces resting at the bottom of the bath tub and helps to create a haven of bubbly glaciers and silky-soft water. 

The bulk of the bar is made up of sodium carbonate and cream of tartar. It also contains sodium laureth sulfate, the ingredient used to stimulate bubble production in the tub. Although this is a key feature in a large percentage of bath products available on the market, it can irritate the skin of some people, so it's something to be aware of. 

In the bath, the water felt like velvet and the bubbles incredibly luxurious on the skin. I could pick up the fresh, uplifting scent of the mandarin oil throughout the whole bath, and this scent stayed with me long after I got out of the bath. My skin felt really soft once I was dried off- although I did have to apply a little moisturiser. 

For it's £2.95 price tag, The Christmas Penguin is good value for money. It creates a luxurious relaxing bath and works it magic to rejuvenate both tired skin and minds. Despite this, much like other bubble bars such as Dorothy, Sunnyside and Pumkin, I find it rather boring.

Those who like floral scents will not doubt love this bubble bar, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with the scent at all, so please don't be put off trying it. However, I much prefer unique and interesting scents, and this bubble didn't do anything to excite my senses. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Cornflour, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Water, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, PVP, Hydroxyethycellulose, Titanium Dioxide, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Colour 42090, Colour 42053, Colour 19140:1, Colour 77499, Cola Pip.

Vegan?: Yes

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Post-Christmas Competition!

Whether you didn't buy anything from Lush's Christmas range, missed out on getting those last few goodies during their Boxing Day sale, or simply want an opportunity to get a couple of discontinued goodies, this competition is for you!

I've selected a vast range of amazing products that'll cheer you up this miserable January and one lucky person will win the lot.

So, what's up for grabs?

One lucky person will win;

-A Party Time Goodies Gift set featuring Happy Hippy Shower Gel, Snow Globe soap and Green FUN
-A Snowman Ballistic
-A Shoot For The Stars Ballistic
-A Magic Wand Bubble Bar
-A Melting Snowman Bath Melt
-A Bombardino Bath Bomb
-A Tube of Gold FUN
-A Christmas Penguin Bubble Bar

To be in with this amazing chance, you have to do one or more of the following;

1. Leave a comment underneath this blog post. (Please remember to leave an email address if you're an anonymous poster as I'll have no way of contacting you if you win!)

2. Repost my competition blog entry on Tumblr.

3. Like my competition blog on Tumblr.

This is a worldwide competition so anyone can enter. You can do any or all of the above, and as many times as you like, so get re-blogging!

The competition will run until Friday January 24th, 9pm (English time). I will pick a winner using a random number selector so it is completely fair. Good luck!

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Celebrate Body Lotion

"Celebrate has been a best-seller in Japan for years – and we've finally brought it to North America, just for Christmas! A rich, creamy body lotion, Celebrate deeply hydrates and softens with almond oil and cocoa butter, while its intoxicating blend of orange flower, lime, benzoin and cognac oil perfumes the skin with a champagne fragrance that lingers for hours. Indulge in this decadent cream before going out for the night or after a relaxing bath with our Golden Wonder Bath Bomb." 

Celebrate Body Lotion shares the same fragrance as the Golden Wonder and Christmas Party bath bombs, a reason in itself to do exactly what it's name suggests. For those of you unfamiliar with the different Lush scents, this is also the same smell that is present in their Snowshowers range, a royal favourite among long-time Lushies. 

The scent is a blend of orange flower, lime oil, cognac oil and benzoin; a luxurious and sophisticated fruity scent coupled with the slight zesty sourness of the lime. When I rub it into my skin, the fragrance makes me think of freshly peeled tangerines doused with just a hint of tart lime that gives, it an almost sherbert-like after-scent. It's a fresh, youthful fragrance but one that bares a maturity that'll appeal to people of all ages. 

Aside from the fragrance, it contains a perfect rostrum of ingredients to help your skin look and feel fantastic. Cocoa butter and almond oil will replenish and moisturise your skin, whilst the mixture of cognac, lime and brazilian oils will help to hydrate your face and body and leave you smelling like a God/Goddess. 

This is much thicker in consistency than most of the Lush lotions I have tried, which worried me at first as I find these sorts of products can be rather heavy and constrictive on my skin. Although it as a little greasy at first, I found that my pores absorbed it fairly quickly and left my skin feeling nourished and super soft. I think it's one of those lotions that you need to practice using to apply the right amount, as by the third and fourth times of using Celebrate, my skin didn't feel oily at all. 

Unfortunately, Lush's Celebrate Body Lotion was a limited edition cream available only for the Lush Christmas 2013 Collection. This is such as a shame as I reckon it'll be popular enough to be added to their permanent range.

I can see this body lotion being incredibly complimentary during the summer months - the fresh, citrus kick would bode amazingly well with the heat and scent of the hotter weather. Equally so, Celebrate also helps to replenish and revigorate tired skin during the colder months, making it a versatile and incredibly sexy product.

If you missed your chance to purchase a pot during the Christmas months, or just like the sound of it from this review, I strongly advise that you keep you eyes peeled on eBay. This is a wonderful lotion that leaves your skin feeling supple and uplifted - a decadent treat for weary and tired bodies.

Quantitative Ingredients: Almond Oil, Water, Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Brazilian Orange Oil, Cognac Oil, Lime Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Tincture of Benzoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Linalool, *Limonene, *Citral, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes

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