Ghost Shower Gel

Having carried out quite a bit of research before writing this latest entry, I know I am probably in the minority when I write this rather dampening review of Ghost. There seems to be quite an underground fan-base for this product/smell and unfortunately, it just didn't sit well with my senses.

Ghost brings with it the haunting aroma of lilies, jasmine, ylang ylang and neroli – the same fragrance that's found in Lush's discontinued Lily Savon soap. It’s made with rose water and dove orchid infusion, a beautiful combination that’s mild and gentle on the skin. Ghost’s thick creamy texture is made even more luxurious with the addition of jojoba oil, to gently moisturise and soften. 

This unique shower gel also contains an ingredient labelled as 'snowflake lustre', which helps to give the gel a really lovely opalescent appearance. It's viscous consistency means that it's a gel that doesn't lather up easily, but does smooth very easily onto the skin and leaves it feeling soft and moisturised instantly. I found this product to be very similar in texture to the likes of Snowshowers. 

The bottle says it has the 'haunting scent of lilies' which it certainly does, although there does not appear to be any lilies listed in the ingredients, which is rather odd. I found that Ghost has a very strong floral smell, which you'll either have a love or hate relationship with. Much like Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioner, it possesses a very potent smell that grabs you immediately upon opening the bottle. The result is a subtle and quite feminine nutty scent that lingers on the skin but is not at all over powering. 

Unfortunately, unlike the conditioner, this particular floral scent was not something I found to my liking. However, it is quite a light and feminine fragrance and would probably suit someone who appreciates the natural smell of lilies more than I do. 

Lush state that Ghost is thick and creamy in texture, but I found it to be very runny. I am putting this down to the fact that this bottle of shower gel is probably close to three years old. However, I have read of other people who have has a similar complaints with fresh batches as well, so I'm not sure what to make of that. 

In it's favour, the shower gel does soften the skin quite a bit and lathers up nicely, meaning you only need a slight squirt when using it in the shower. 

The gel cleanses very well and the lovely scent is easily detectable in the shower. Luckily for me, the scent is not one to linger on your skin for too long (again, this could be due to the age of the product), so I was able to use it up in the shower, whilst not having the fragrance follow me around all day. 

Overall, I recognise why this scent combination is rather popular amongst fellow Lushies, and aside from the smell, Ghost is a great shower companion. It lathers up wonderfully and moisturises the skin nicely. However, it is not one I would buy again as the fragrance is not to my liking and I feel there are far far better alternatives available.

Quantitative Ingredients: Dove Orchid Infusion, Rose Water, Sodium Alkyl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fine Sea Salt, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Cetearate, Perfume, White Wine Vinegar, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Betaine, Organic Jojoba Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Neroli Oil, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Snowflake Lustre, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

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Soot Ball Bath Ballistic

When I first heard that Lush were having a 'Spirited Away' themed Halloween, I didn't know what to expect. I have never seen the film myself, and although I recognise that it has a large cult following, I was more concerned with the scents and designs that would be on offer from my favourite company.

As it happened, when the products went on general sale, I was not initially bowled over by any of the bath bombs aside from Lord of Misrule. Furthermore, having carried out research on all of the Halloween range, I was rather dubious about trying Soot Ball, as there were a lot of complaints made from consumers about various aspects of the product.  

When I first saw Soot Ball, the first thing that concerned me was it's colour. With it's powdery black exterior, reminiscent of coal, it's a rather intimidating ballistic and I was worried about it staining either my bath tub or myself while in use. 

Initially, I was slightly relieved to find that Lush had addressed my concerns in their write-up, stating that the bomb would not turn my bath water black - instead giving me the experience of 'bathing in luxurious liquid gold'. Wow, I thought, this will be definitely be an interesting experience if Lush have pulled this one off. 

However, I was very disappointed to find that my concerns were justified - the bath bomb dissolved in the tub to leave a murky, sewage-green coloured water. Furthermore, after having my bath, I found that the bomb had stained my finger and toe nails and left a grey residue around the edge of my tub, which took quite a while to remove. 

Although Soot Ball released it's golden lustre as it was dissolving, the resulting colour and experience was disappointing and it did absolutely nothing for my skin. In fact, this is probably one of the first bath bombs that has left my skin noticeably dry after use.

Despite this, I cannot fault the scent at all. The addition of olibanum (frankincense) gives the ballistic a balsamic-sweet fragrance, whilst the burnt caramel scent of tonka absolute and earthy sandalwood oil together create a sweet, spicy scent. I do hope that Lush are able to revamp this ballistic and bring it back in another form, as the smell is both unique and exciting. However, I would not recommend anyone trying the bath bomb in this form. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Tonka Absolute, Australian Organic Sandalwood Oil, Fair Trade Columbian Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Cream of Tartar, Olibanum Resinoid, Benzoin Resinoid, Gardenia Extract, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, PEG-6 Caprylic / Capric Glycerides, & PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, *Coumarin, *Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate, Perfume, Colour 77499, Colour 15510, Radiant Gold Lustre (Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides), Paper Eyes.

Vegan?: Yes

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Lord Of Misrule Bath Bomb

Even it's name inspires people to shudder in it's midst; Lord of Misrule is a new bath bomb, bought out as a limited product for Lush's 2013 Halloween range. Inspired by the ruler of the Pagan Feast of Fools, Lush claim that the bath bomb brings mischievous revelry to the tub with a spicy herbal blend of patchouli and black pepper oil. 

When I first found out about this product, I was rather intrigued (and slightly excited) to try it out. Knowing how beautiful the patchouli scent helps to make one of my favourite scents, Karma, smell so good, I couldn't imagine disliking this bath bomb. Coupled with the intriguing addition of black pepper oil, I couldn't wait to throw one of these bad boys in my tub and see what it could do. 

When they were first delivered to my door, I was instantly bowled over by it's look; a gorgeous shade of shamrock green, speckled with pieces of pink and white, and it's scent; an incredible aroma of patchouli intertwined with the softness of vanilla absolute and the spiciness of black pepper. To me, the scent is reminiscent of both the Twilight and Luxury Lush Pud bath bombs but with a peppery twist.

As it slowly froths in the water, hypnotic swirling silver luster is released and the deep green exterior soon gives way to a rich, wine-colored center. This stunning red colour permeates the entire bath water and is one of the most stunning shades I have seen come from a Lush bath bomb. 

The scent is even more pronounced when in the water and maintained it's scent throughout my entire bathing experience. The water left my skin feeling wonderfully soft and cleansed and the peppery scent lingered on my body for a long while after. If you're looking for a gentle scent, this isn't it. Lord of Misrule comes at you with all it's got, and leaves a very strong impression on yourself and the environment.  

This has become one of my favourite ever bath bombs from Lush and I feel it would make a wonderful addition to the permanent range. It's unique in smell and look, and is wonderfully decadent. I highly recommend that you grab yourself one (or ten?!?) if you ever get the chance. I really hope that Lush realise how unique and wonderful this scent is and choose to release other products that feature this scent as I would buy them up like they're going out of fashion.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Popping Candy, Cream of Tartar, Black Pepper Oil, Patchouli Oil, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Gardenia Extract, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes

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Jacko Bath Bomb

2013 will be the first year I get to experience the excitement of Lush's Halloween range, as it was just after Halloween last year that I began to collect their stuff. Having scoured all over the internet, reading reviews on all of the past products and feeling envious that I'll most likely go without ever trying them, I was so excited when I spotted a collection of Jackos going for a bargain price on eBay. 

It's named after the American term 'Jack-o-Lantern' and is probably one of the most intriguing looking ballistics that Lush have ever released. What makes it stand out from the usual humdrum is it's slightly-sinister, slightly-endearing face and the fact that it's flat, as opposed to the regular sphere shaped bath bombs. This latter fact did bother me a little bit as I'm aware that smaller ballistics (such as the Ickle Bot) tend to fizzle out rather quickly and leave limited comfort in the tub.

My worries were somewhat suppressed when the Jacko hit the water and quickly turned my entire tub into a bright orange liquid. However, I was a little disappointed to see that the colour faded very quickly, and within 5 minutes of being in the bath, I found myself laying in a yellow tainted water that looked far from pleasant. 

With clove bud and cardamom oils to give it remnants of spice, and peppermint oil to soothe and soften skin, this is a bath bomb to be enjoyed when you're cold or overrun by a cold. The scent really helps to clear your mind and relax those weary eyes. However, this is another one of those ballistics that fade rather quickly in the water and I found myself tempted to put a second ballistic in to top up the scent.

Overall, it is far from the worst ballistic I've tried, but it's not one that I would use again and again. I do feel however that this scent would work really well as a shower gel. Perhaps Halloween 2013 will bring such things! 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cardamom Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Spearmint Oil, *Cinnamal, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 15510.

Vegan?: Yes

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Lady Catrina Soap

Shaped like a fruity hat and decorated with flowers, Lady Catrina is a beautiful looking soap. Released as part of Lush's limited edition 2010 Halloween range, this is not a product that is easy to come by. But it's definitely one worth hunting for. 

What I especially love about this product is that no pieces of this soap are alike, and it possesses the most gorgeous colours of any soap ever released from Lush. My pieces were cut from the leaf decoration that sits on top of an entire soap wheel but I've seen an array of stunning chunks that include deep purples, fluorescent greens and vibrant oranges. 

The zesty fragrance of fruit pastilles and freshly cut limes will entice anybody with a nose for citrusey scents, and the addition of Mexican agave nectar will soften your body to bring it back to life. The soap shares it's wonderful fragrance with many other products, including the very rare Calacas Shower Gel and matching perfume. 

There’s organic agave nectar in Lady Catrina, which is derived from the agave plant (a sort of cactus). Agave is used as a vegan alternative to honey so this soap is vegan friendly. It has the same uplifting fragrance as the Calavera and Calacas.

Like all of Lush's soaps, it has a wonderful palm-free soap base, which is not only environmentally friendly but also incredibly foamy. This was noticeable from the very first use, as I needed very little moisture to create a nice lather.

The soap is mostly made up of rapeseed oil and coconut oil. Once you begin using it, you'll notice how soft these oils make the soap, and how gentle it is on your skin. The addition of lime and neroli oil help to create this soap's absolutely delicious scent. It's a subtle sweet scent that isn't overpowering, but strong enough to  infuse the whole bathroom and last on my skin for an hour or two after use.

This is a gentle product that doesn't wear down quickly or irritate my skin at all. Neither does it dry my skin out; something I'm always pre-cautious of when I'm using soaps. This would work amazingly well as both a perfume, shower gel or shower jelly, and I'm really hoping Lush reincarnate it for this year's Halloween range.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, *Glycerine, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Organic Agave Nectar, Lime Oil, Olibanum Resinoid, Neroli Oil, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 45410, Colour 45350.

Vegan?: Yes

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June 2013 Lush Inventory - Shower Jellies

I'm getting there!

Up next is my rather small collection of Lush jellies. I'm not a big fan of using these in the shower, I much prefer adding some to a bath and watching the water foam up. However, jellies such as Sweetie Pie and Jingle Spells have such amazing scents, I only wish Lush would release them in shower gel form. 

My Lush jellies...

Current Stash:

Calacas

Deep Sleep

Ghost

Happy Blooming

Jingle Jelly

Karma

Snowshowers

Spank Me with Saplings

Strawberry Santa

Sweetie Pie 

The Joy of Jelly.

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Video: My Bath Bomb Stash

Just like I promised - here's my first video blog, showing you all of the wonderful bath bombs I currently own.

If you own any others (which are vegan), and wish to sell/trade, please get it touch with me.

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Skullduggery Bath Bomb

I apologise for the rather large gap between this post and my last. I have been planning and drafting multiple reviews for the last two weeks, and I've barely had a second to sit down and finalise any of them. Any free time that I do get is spent having baths or fiddling with my Lush collection. 

Today's review is of another seasonal product, the Skullduggery bath bomb. These bath bombs are probably one of the cutest ones I have seen released from Lush, despite the slight morbidity of it's design. I adore the red sequin hearts for the eyes, giving the skull either a blood-red menacing glare or a sweet, playful take on the Calacas, depending on what you consider to be 'cute'. This is one of Lush's many homage's to the traditional Mexican sugar skull.

The initial smell is a tame, zesty but fruity fragrance that is quite soft and not as overpowering as some of Lush's other products. This bath bomb contains a lime and neroli fragrance - sharing it's aroma with the much loved Calacas range. As well as the above ingredients, this ballistic contains olibanum (also known as frankincense resinoid), which helps the citrusy smell stay on your skin for longer. Apparently neroli oil is one of the few essential oils to be scientifically proven to increase serotinin production, which if you don't know what that means, may be interested to know it's a hormone that regulates your mood, supports healthy sleeping patterns and regulates intestinal movements. 

When you pop one of these in the bath, it begins to bubble and froth in the water, and I was surprised at how quickly the bomb disintegrates under the surface. This product doesn't boast a colourful display in the tub, instead decorating the surface with a creamy white froth that makes the bath seem very inviting. Once fully dissolved, the smell isn't very poignant, which for those of you that are deterred from overwhelming smells, is rather pleasant. For me, who loves strong, zesty fragrances, I would have opted for something a little stronger.

This bath bomb left my skin feeling hydrated and soft, and even helped to heal some of the cat scratches I had picked up the previous evening on my hands. It was very relaxing and didn't leave any unwanted stains once the water had been emptied. Furthermore, the smell lingered on my skin for quite a while after initial use, even though it dispersed very quickly when I was in the bath. 

I understand that once your senses become accustomed to a fragrance, it doesn't smell as strong as the initial whiff. However, I found that within a few minutes the smell had all but dissipated and I found myself 'topping up' with Snow Fairy throughout my bathing experience. 

Despite this, I appreciated the fact that this ballistic produced a fair amount of bubbles in the water, something you wouldn't expect a bath bomb. I would definitely be interested in trying a fresh one of these, and I only hope that Lush bring them back at some point for me to do just that.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lime Oil, Olibanum Resinoid, Neroli Oil, Lauryl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Salicylate, Red Sequins.

Vegan?: Yes.

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