Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly

I often forget that Sweetie Pie is a regular product in Lush's range; it often gets overlooked for the large bottles of shower gel that I love so much. However, every once in a while, something stirs my mind into remembering how much I love it's incredible scent, and I end up going on a mad dash to the nearest store to stock up on a few tubs. 

Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly is described as a 'shower jelly with cherries, coconut and sparkles for bathtime fun.' Much like most of Lush's other shower jellies, this one replicates the popular dessert perfectly - possessing a slightly elasticated and stringy consistency. Showcasing a deep purple complexion, with blue and silver lustre lightly decorated throughout, this shower jelly looks like a feast fit for a god. 

Furthermore, the fragrance it possesses is incredibly gorgeous, and quite easily one of the best scents that Lush have ever come up with. It shares its fragrance with other products from The Comforter range, which includes the likes of You Snap The Whip Body Butter and The Comforter Bubble Bar. However, unlike the latter product, I find the smell of this jelly to possess a much thicker and creamier aroma - closer to the shower gel equivalent than the bubble bar that it's originally based on.

It's a rich but equally fruity fragrance; a mixture of bergamot oil, cassis absolute and cypress oil. These ingredients are both uplifting and refreshing, helping to clear the mind as well as creating a scent that most Lushies would die for. Cypress oil also boasts toning properties that can calm the skin in times of emotional stress. 

To me, this fragrance doesn't smell of cherries at all, nor does it possess much of a coconut smell either. I think Sweetie Pie has a strong, deep and fresh blackcurrant scent that reminds me of the Blackcurrant Jolly Rancher sweets I used to get as a child. It's simply wonderful.

There are several ways that you can use any of Lush's shower jellies, and I find that everyone has their own preference, which is completely understandable. Firstly, you can break a small piece of (or select a piece that's been segmented prior to your shower) and rub the block directly onto your skin. The amount of lather this creates differentiates vastly depending on the type of jelly, how old the product is and the size of the piece you're using. While some users find this way works for them, I find that this is fairly ineffective as it does not create much of a lather and the jelly becomes too wet, making it slippery and difficult to hold on to. 

Secondly, you can use a shower sponge, puff or exfoliating glove to create a lather before rubbing it all over your body. For me, I found this method far more successful as it helped to break down the jelly properly and create a nice foamy effect to wash your body with. Finally, you can break off slabs of the jelly and use them as you would a bubble bar, placing them underneath a running tap to stimulate bubbles. I tend to use mine for this reason, as I can get 4-5 baths out of one 100g tub, which I consider to be great value for money.

Sweetie Pie, as with other Lush jellies, is rather versatile. You can keep the tub of jelly in your bathroom so it stays at room temperature, or you can put it in the freezer to enjoy a much cooler experience during those summer months. Lush also state that you can use this product to clean your hair in place of an ordinary shampoo, but I'm happy using this as nothing more than a luxurious shower soap. However, I would be interested to hear from anyone who has tried this in place of their regular shampoo.

Ultimately, this jelly has cemented itself as one of my firm favourites in Lush's range; it smells wonderful, leaves your skin feeling smooth and gently scented, and perks you up immensely. Although I'd find it easier to use The Comforter Shower Gel, as long as I have Sweetie Pie to top up my Comforter obsession, I'll be a very happy girl.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Cherry Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coconut Infusion, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Cassis Absolute, Cypress Oil, *Limonene, *Linalool, Snowflake Lustre, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly

Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly is a product very popular with the majority of Lush fanatics. It's a product that gains a lot of attention and excitement, often by consumers who are keen to try this out for the first time. Making it's last appearance during the 2011 December retro range, it's a shower jelly that has built it's notoriety through the praise and adoration from those of us lucky enough to have tried it. 

Initially, I was a little skeptical that this product would be anything special. Presented as a rather ugly, and slightly 'gloopy' brown coloured-jelly, it's not the most attractive product in the world. At first, I was even tempted to scorn the fact that Lush had decorated the jelly with sprinklings of golden lustre, on the basis that it's near impossible to 'dress up' anything that resembles the colour of mud. However, I was quick to forgive this jelly on the basis that two of it's key ingredients are, in fact, brown in nature; Stout and Frankincense feature heavily here so there's no wonder the jelly is coloured as it is. 

When I hazarded a first sniff, I was pleasantly surprised by it's wonderful fragrance and was rather excited to see how it performed in the shower. This shower jelly is definitely a lot sweeter than you would imagine; concocted from a mixture of mandarin and star anise, mandarin juice and sweet orange oil, it possesses somewhat of a fruity edge to it, which was unexpected but very much loved by myself. 

However, it is the ingredients in it's name that dominate this product's fragrance. The smell is rather hard to describe; a sort of pungent stout scent with elements of sugary sweetness coming from the inclusion of frankincense. It is this latter ingredient, alongside the citrus elements, that give this shower jelly it's unique scent, whilst removing the sourness that you would expect from the beer. 

It's quite a sophisticated and rather sexy smell, although it definitely sides more with Lush's more masculine fragrances than it does the likes of Snow Fairy and Rose Jam. It's got a slight earthy musk to it, alongside a subtle spicy kick from the addition of black pepper and cinnamon, making it a very warm and comforting scent; it reminds me very slightly of the chewy ale bottle sweets that I used to eat as a child. 

The jelly is made from carrageenan extract which is a natural and nutritious seaweed gel full of vitamins and minerals to help soften and condition your skin. Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly also features four different types of oils, which is perhaps why this jelly is a little softer and less elasticated than the likes of Calacas or The Joy Of Jelly. However, this shower jelly lathered up wonderfully and produced quite a thick and creamy lather, which worked wonders at softening your skin and leaving it feeling radiant.

There are several ways that you can use the shower jelly. Firstly, you can rub the whole block, or a broken-off piece, directly onto your skin. However, I find that this is fairly ineffective as it does not create much of a lather and the jelly becomes too wet, making it slippery and difficult to hold on to. What I find works for me, is breaking off a grape-sized piece and then rubbing it into a sponge or shower-puff, before lathering all over my body. This tends to help the jelly foam up, wherein the puff them holds the lather whilst you clean yourself.  

As Gold, Frankincense & Beer is a rather soft jelly, I found that this method of application was pretty effective. The jelly tended to smoosh into the shower puff nicely and create a velvety lather that I could then use all over my body.

What is promising is that I was left with a wonderful sweet and woody smell on my skin, which clung to my hair and clothes for most of the day. I received a number of compliments, which only served to demonstrate that this is a product with a long-lasting and poignant scent.   

I thoroughly enjoyed Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly, despite convincing myself beforehand that I would hate it. It's a unique and very sultry-smelling jelly, and one that I would be very interested in buying again. I only hope that Lush bring it back again sometime soon.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Stout (Beer), Mandarin and Star Anise Infusion (Citrus nobilis, Illicium verum), Propylene Glycol, Mandarin Juice (Citrus reticulata), Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Clove Bud Oil (Eugenia caryophyllus), Black Pepper Oil (Piper nigrum), Cinnamon Leaf Oil (Cinnamomum cassia), Fine Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), *Citral, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Methylparaben, Golden Sparkles (Polyethylene terephthalate).

Vegan?: Yes.

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Start Of Summer Competition!

Summer's here and I only have one week to go before my five week vacation starts! To celebrate another school year coming to an end, I am giving one lucky reader a chance to win a whole helpful of Lush Kitchen goodies. 

I am touched by all of the comments and support that Lush fans have given this site over the last few months. So much so that I want to give something back to show my appreciation and make another Lush fan just that little bit happier!

Up for grabs is:

- A 250g bottle of Prince Shower Gel
- A 100g bottle of Vanilla Puff Dusting Powder 
- A 230g Tub of Bada Bing Bada Boom Shower Jelly
- A 100g Tub of Zest Hair Styling Gel
- A Mrs Whippy Bath Ballistic
- A Baby Face Solid Cleanser 
- A Tub of The Kiss Limited Edition Valentine's Day Lip Balm
- A 100g Bar of Red FUN
- A 100g Bar of Green FUN
- A 100g Chunk of Summer Pudding Soap
-2/3rds of a Bar of Solid SUNBLOCK


Most of these items are now no longer available and may not show themselves again for years to come!

To be in with a chance to win the lot, all you have to do is leave a message (and your contact details) underneath this blog post. Although I open it up for fans to enter as many times as they like, I ask that you are sensible about it.

The competition is open worldwide and will run until Thursday 24th July, 9pm (English time). I will pick a winner using a random number selector and will email you within 2 days of the competition closing. Please make sure you include an email for me to contact you with. Good luck!

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Bada Bing Bada Boom Shower Jelly

If there was ever a product that sold itself on name alone, this would be the one. Ever since Lush announced that this shower jelly was going to be one of their Kitchen releases, I have annoyed everyone around me by inserting it's title into almost every sentence that comes out of my mouth. It's seriously catchy!

However, my enthusiasm was short lived when I realised that Bada Bing Bada Boom Shower Jelly is just another name for The Joy Of Jelly; a product that didn't win my heart over at all. Having carried out a little research, I found out that Lush decided to revamp Joy of Jelly a few years after it had first made it's appearance. They changed it's appearance and gave it a far catchier name. The rest, as they say, is history. 

In all fairness, Bada Bing Bada Boom is a lot more visually stunning - sporting a beautiful deep shade of red - reminiscent of the red wine that features as a key ingredient in the product. At first, I thought that Lush had also included little specks of gold lustre as the jelly has a slight glimmer that seems to reflect the light. However, on closer inspection I realised that the shimmer is caused by thousands of tiny bubbles that pass right through the jelly. 

As well as wine, this jelly offers both a herbal and a floral element to it's aroma. Firstly, Bada Bing features thyme and sage; both of which build a subtle aromatic layer that nestles itself alongside the other key ingredients. Secondly, and most prominently, this jelly has a combination of rose, lavender and jasmine. These three ingredients make up the strongest part of the scent and give this jelly a rather heady, unique floral smell. Finally, the inclusion of white wine vinegar adds a slight savoury-sweet after-thought that wraps all of the smells together. If you're worried about the red wine, as I was, you'll be happy to know that you can detect elements of it's scent in the mix, but it's not at all pungent or overpowering. 

Together, these ingredients make for an interesting fragrance, and one that I'm not very keen on. Lush describe it as being sexy and alluring, and I can imagine why some people would think this about it. However, I find the aroma a little strange and not one that has any redeeming features. On their own, I enjoy each and every one of the scents that have gone into creating this jelly. However, when combined, they give off a rather odd aroma that doesn't really do much for me. 

Although I'm not keen on it's scent, I cannot deny that Bada Bing Bada Boom Shower Jelly does lather up well in the shower. If you enjoy it's fragrance, you'll be pleased to know that it intensifies somewhat when exposed to the hot water and it does tend to linger on your skin for a long time after use. The shower jelly also lathers up really nicely and is amazingly moisturising; something we can thank the inclusion of the seaweed for. It did leave my skin feeling super clean and not at all dry like a lot of other shower products I have used in the past.    

This is obviously a popular product, hence why Lush have chosen to bring it back through their Kitchen. Fans of Sex Bomb will no doubt want to check this out, as it does share it's scent with the popular bath bomb. However, it's not one that appeals to me or my senses. For this reason, I would not choose to buy it again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Red Wine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Thyme, Rose petal and Lavender infusion, Rose Petal Infusion, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute, Clary Sage Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Synthetic Musk, White Wine Vinegar, Lilial, Linalool, Limonene, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Deep Sleep Shower Jelly

This product has been on my shelf for near enough forever, and it was only when I was doing an inventory recently, that I realised I should have used it sooner. Throughout the beginning of this year, I suffered from a serious bout of insomnia, brought on because of the pressures of my teaching job. After multiple pills were shoved my way, none of which had any effect on my 'one-hour-a-night-habit', I began to think that I'd have to live like this until I collapsed from exhaustion. Thankfully, my sleeping is somewhat more substantial now, but this would have been a great product if I ever needed a natural remedy to bring about a good night's rest. 

Firstly, this jelly is beautiful; a wonderful deep orange colour with just the slightest pearly glisten to make it look that little bit more magical. Deep Sleep has tiny specks of golden glitter sprinkled within the product, which helps it to look just that little bit more appealing in the tub. Don't worry about the glitter through, it doesn't stick to your skin so you don't have to worry about getting covered in plastic lustre. 

Lush describe Deep Sleep Shower Jelly as an 'insomniac's salvation', and I can see why. Made from a combination of chamomile, lavender and just a hint of neroli, this is a shower jelly packed with essential natural ingredients to bring about a subdued state. 

The jelly possesses a very natural-smelling scent, mostly dominated by the lavender. This lavender smell is a strong, aromatic sort of fragrance, very similar to the scent of Lush's Angels On Bare Skin Facial Cleanser. To compliment this, Lush have included a slight orangey scent that comes through when using this jelly in the shower. This just makes the product's fragrance more uplifting and slightly sweet. Furthermore, I can also detect the chamomile smell coming through, which gives the jelly a nice floral and herbal scent. 

Like most of Lush's shower jellies, Deep Sleep contains multiple oils that not only adds to it's overall fragrance, but gives it moisturising properties. Lavender oil is known for it's antiseptic, antibacterial and deodorising effect; Neroli oil helps to improve the tone and texture of the skin. I found that this jelly felt very velvety and I did notice my skin became smoother and softer after using this. 

Unlike other jellies I have tried such as Sweetie Pie and Calacas, this one creates a more oily lather, which makes your skin feel incredible after use. Furthermore, it's quite a thick, elasticated sort of jelly which means you don't have to use as much as you normally would for jellies such as the ones I've mentioned above. Unfortunately, it is this latter point that also makes this product rather difficult to use. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have lost pieces down the drain whilst trying to lather this across my body. It's incredibly annoying.

However, this product does do what it's supposed to do when it comes to helping detox your mind from any worries or stresses that may be preventing you from sleeping. Neroli is one of the few essential oils to be scientifically proven to increase serotonin production in the brain, which enhances your mood and helps you to feel happier and more relaxed. Used alongside lavender oil, which is also supposed to help calm your senses, this jelly really does help you to feel your best and get a good night's sleep.

I can see why Deep Sleep is such a popular product from Lush, and it really does help aide a better night's rest. Despite this, there's still the issue with the wastage that comes with using such a fiddly product, and the smell doesn't stay on your skin, which was disappointing. Furthermore, I found the lavender scent a little overpowering at times, which is why I haven't rated this product as high as I could. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Sunflower Petals Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Sunflower Seed Infusion, Fresh Organic Orange Juice, Carrageenan Extract, Lavender Oil, Chamomile Oil, Lavender Absolute, Neroli Oil, *Linalool, Perfume, Gardenia Extract, Colour 14700, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Radiant Gold Lustre.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Party On Shower Jelly

A few years ago, I would have been rather confused if someone had presented me with the idea of a shower jelly. However, having used close to 40 pots of the stuff within the last 18 months, I now consider myself to be somewhat of an expert. I don't think I'll ever claim to prefer the solid variation to it's gel counterpart, but it definitely makes for an interesting shower experience. 

To begin with, I disliked how fiddly the jelly could be when in contact with the water, and I would often lose more down the drain than I managed to utilise on my body. However, after a good number of practices, I've finally developed the knack of how how to use the jelly without wasting it. So when I received my rather attractive pot of Party On Shower Jelly from a generous US Lushie, I couldn't wait to put this product to the test. 

One thing that makes the jelly stand out from other showering products, is that it can either be stored at room temperature or frozen to offer the user a cool, refreshing experience during those hot summer months. I opted to try the latter method with this product as I felt it's scent lended itself well to a cooler shower.

  

Lush described this jelly by saying that 'the first whiff of its zippy fragrance will have you reaching into the wardrobe for your posh frock and high heels.' While I don't own any such frock, and I can safely say that I've never owned a pair of high heels, I was intrigued to find out what scent could possess a woman (or man) from doing such a thing. 

With it's almost psychedelic yellow appearance, I was expecting a sharp, sweet, fruity scent, but was surprised to find that the colour of this jelly doesn't relay what it actually smells like at all. Upon extraction of the lid, I was immediately greeted with a strong menthol aroma, which smells exactly like the Vicks Vaporub that I remember using as a child. However, Party On also has a layer of lime oil, which seems to mask the sharpness of the menthol and compliment it perfectly. 

It wasn't until I began using this in the shower, that I was able to pick out the slight mint note that sits well with the menthol, and the very gentle layer of rosemary, which just gives the shower jelly that subtle complexity as a whole. Infused together, these ingredients create a fresh, invigorating and highly-refreshing shower companion - one I found was excellent at awaking my senses first thing in the morning. 

As the name suggests, this jelly has been designed to be used in conjunction with a night on the town; to either revitalise you before a night out, or to be used in the morning to clear away those 'morning after' cobwebs. Either way, Party On lathers up really well and produces a creamy foam that cleans and conditions your skin. The inclusion of menthol means that you can also feel a slight tingling sensation on your body, which in turn creates a cooling effect on your skin - a perfect companion after a long day on the beach!

This is quite a rubbery jelly, in the same league as Big Calm, and only needs a minuscule piece each time to clean your entire body. I find the jelly works best if you massage it into a shower puff as this tends to heed the greatest amount of lather. As I had placed this in the freezer beforehand, I used this directly on my skin and found that it still produced a good amount of lather to work with. 

What is great about Party On, is that the effects of this shower jelly continue after you have exited the shower. Not only did my skin feel revived and refreshed for many hours after use, the menthol kept my body temperature in check so the stuffiness of my house was more bearable. 

Furthermore, the inclusion of lime, rosemary and juniperberry oil helps to not only calm sensitive and irritated skin, but moisturises and softens the body. My skin definitely felt a lot smoother after use and the scent stayed with me for a few hours after I had exited the shower. 

Despite Party On having a strange scent that I wouldn't normally go for, it was an enjoyable experience to try something so refreshing and unique in the shower. As this product was sold in a 250g tub, this pot lasted me a little over a month, which is on par with how long it would normally take me to use between 300-350g of shower gel. Although this isn't my first choice for a shower product, I would be very interested in seeing this made into a shower gel. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Fresh Rosemary Infusion (Rosmariunus officinalis), Fresh Mint (Mentha arvensis), Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Perfume, Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Menthol, Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis), Juniperberry Oil (Juniperus communis), *Limonene, D&C Green No. 8, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Big Calm Shower Jelly

Despite being an obsessive fan of Lush, it is not very often that I discover a product that is either one of the extremitys - incredible or atrocious. I enjoy most of the purchases that I acquire from Lush, but it's rare that an item surpasses my expectations to the extent that this shower jelly did. When a product leaves such a strong impression on me, I know I've stumbled onto something amazing.

Big Calm Shower Jelly is a product that I've been desperate to get my hands on since I first stumbled upon it's existence a few years back. Described as being a 'Pina Colada' scented jelly, I was worried that my expectations would shroud my judgement when this product arrived and make me like it less than I thought. Luckily, this shower product turned out to be, in my opinion, one of the most incredible-smelling items to grace Lush's shelves in a long while.

Containing a coconut and pineapple infusion, this refreshing shower jelly also uses a combination of carrageenan seaweed and sweet orange oil to give it a strong tropical scent unlike anything you'd expect to find on the high street. To me, most coconut-dominated cosmetics tend to smell very two-dimensional and rather cheap. Not this one. 

An initial sniff offers the user a fresh, fruity pineapple element - it reminds me very much of fresh pineapple juice without the tartness that normally accompanies such a fruit. Intertwined with this, is a beautiful sweet, nutty coconut scent that merges itself with the pineapple fragrance and compliments it perfectly. It's one of those products that compel you to smell it every time you're near it. 

Aside from it's wonderful aroma, Big Calm possesses all the characteristics of a perfect shower companion. Firstly, the addition of the seaweed in the ingredients moisturises and conditions your skin wonderfully, whilst the pineapple juice cleanses your skin and flushes out any toxins clogging up your pores. The orange oil not only adds it's sweetness to the overall smell of the shower jelly, but also helps to awaken the senses, while the vetivert oil helps you to unwind and relax. 

I only had to massage it over my skin for a few seconds to notice how smooth and velvety it made my skin look and feel. It instantly conditions your skin and leaves it feeling beautifully soft for the entirety of the day. You definitely don't need to use a body lotion after showering with this bad boy, which makes it fantastic value for money.

It's scent is one of the strongest I've come across in a shower jelly, and this wonderful aroma permeates your skin and leaves you smelling amazing for many hours after your shower.

Big Calm has a rubbery and slightly rough texture in places, but this doesn't effect the productivity of the product at all. In fact - it's consistency means that you can use a lot less each time, as a penny-sized chunk will easily clean your whole body, making it better value for money than other Lush jellies.

Much like Deep Sleep and Party On, this jelly produces a thick, oily lather, which makes your skin feel incredible after use. It also helps that this product doesn't need a lot of coaxing to create any foam, so you don't have to rub it for ages between your palms. I didn't drop any pieces while I was using it, which is probably a first when it comes to my experience with shower jellies. 

Big Calm is the epitome of a summer product - it's design of blue and white swirls paints a beautiful image of crashing waves and fresh surf on the shore. For anyone looking for a product to use after a long 'hard' day at the beach, this one will refreshen your senses, repair sun-kissed skin and leave you smelling like a beach goddess. So if like me, you're not able to spend your summer holidays in the Caribbean, why not bring the Caribbean to your house and indulge in this wonderful product? Lush need to make this a permanent.                 

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Coconut and Pineapple Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Sweet Orange Oil, Vetivert Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 60725, Colour 42090, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Strawberry Twin Tub Shower Jelly

You may think it strange that I'm choosing to review this product, when I've already posted on my blog of Strawberry Santa Shower Jelly - a festive item that is near enough identical aside from it's shape. However, especially with recent Lush releases, I've found that being able to try something fresh often brings out different elements of a product's fragrance, and can sometimes alter the effectiveness of the product altogether. Such is the case with this shower jelly. 

Strawberry Twin Tub was initially released in 2005, and until it was brought out last week in the Lush Kitchen, I didn't realise just how popular a product it was. Marketed as a shower jelly with multiple dimensions of scent, the key ingredients that make up it's fragrance is fresh strawberries combined with a coconut and vanilla pod infusion. To me it sounds like a recipe for a cheesecake, which can never be a bad thing in my eyes.

As I mentioned on my review of the festive edition of this jelly, it's not very often that Lush bring out strawberry smelling cosmetics, which is odd given the popularity of the fragrance. However, whenever they do, I expect the product to offer me something far more fresh than the over-processed toiletries you'd find in your local pharmacist. 

This shower jelly immediately gave me a strong impression upon opening the lid, when I was able to pick up the fresh strawberry aroma right away. It's not as natural smelling as you would expect from Lush, and reminds me a little of the strawberry glycerin sachets that my mother used to use to make the glaze for cheesecakes. However, it does possess a faint tartness reminiscent of slightly underripe berries. 

As with Strawberry Santa, I can definitely detect hints of the vanilla in the fragrance as well, although again it's not as fresh or natural smelling as Vanilla Dee-Lite Body Lotion or Vanillary. As my tub of the shower jelly was as fresh as it could be, there was a very subtle coconutty element in the overall smell and this showcased itself more when heat had been added during the shower. 

There are several ways that you can use any of Lush's shower jellies, and I find that everyone has their own preference, which is completely understandable. Firstly, you can break a small piece of (or select a piece that's been segmented prior to your shower) and rub the block directly onto your skin. The amount of lather this creates differentiates vastly depending on the type of jelly, how old the product is and the size of the piece you're using. While some users find this way works for them, I find that this is fairly ineffective as it does not create much of a lather and the jelly becomes too wet, making it slippery and difficult to hold on to. 

Secondly, you can use a shower sponge, puff or exfoliating glove to create a lather before rubbing it all over your body. For me, I found this method far more successful as it helped to break down the jelly properly and create a nice foamy effect to wash your body with. Finally, you can break off slabs of the jelly and use them as you would a bubble bar, placing them underneath a running tap to stimulate bubbles. I tend to use mine for this reason, as I can get 20+ baths out of one 250g tub, which I consider to be great value for money.

In the tub, Strawberry Twin has a slight sparkle to it - which gives a wonderful glimmer and makes it just that little bit more special. It's rather elasticated in texture and would work best if you chopped it up into pieces beforehand. You can tear a piece off whilst you're in the shower, but I found that I always over-estimated how much to use and some was wasted in this way. 

Much like the festive edition I tried many months ago, this shower jelly did make my skin feel lovely and soft. The addition of carrageenan seaweed helps to give this jelly a silky consistency in the tub, and this softness is inherited by your skin whilst it's being massaged across your body. It lathers up wonderfully in the shower and left me feeling clean and summery; a trace of the scent lingering on my skin until the very next day, when I received some rather positive comments. 

Overall, Strawberry Twin Tub is a nice product for anyone who loves strawberry-scented cosmetics. It's a lovely smelling shower jelly, and definitely one that would suit most people's tastebuds. Unfortunately, I think this fragrance is just rather generic and boring for my liking - not the usual quirky and unique concoctions that Lush are known for. As I said for Strawberry Santa, it's a product that would work best with younger children, not adults who are perhaps looking for something a little more complex and mature. 

Lush claim that this shower jelly 'is reminiscent of sweet-shops, picnics and the great British summertime.' While I wouldn't say it's aroma is as natural and fresh as this suggests, it is a lovely treat for when you're craving something sugary and don't have any sweets in the house. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Spring Water, Coconut and Fair Trade Vanilla Pod Infusion, Fresh Strawberries, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Benzoin Resinoid, Geranium Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Zest Hair Gelly

I cannot say that I'm ever enamoured when Lush bring out new hair styling products - simply because it's not an area of cosmetics that I'm particular interested in. After years of abusing my hair with cheap shampoos, over-dying, straightening and hair spray, I've fought so hard to restore and retain my youthful locks in as natural a way as possible. Now that my hair has forgiven me, I'm not about to revert back to using cosmetics that dry or damage my hair again. 

However, ever since I discovered Sea Spray and have been using it religiously ever since, I'm a little less reluctant to test out styling products, as long as they're natural, of course.

Zest Hair Gelly is a new and innovative styling gel, designed to mould and hold hair without leaving it greasy or feeling heavy. Unlike any of Lush's previous hair-styling products, or indeed any other company's styling products that I've come across, this item is solid in consistency. It's almost identical to the shower jellies that the company offer, although a little softer and slightly more stickier to touch. 

Containing wild orange, petitgrain and neroli oils, these ingredients not only give this product a potent citrus smell, but help to create a hair gel that both performs effectively as well as conditions and moisturises the hair. 

In fact, it is Zest's strong scent that first grabbed my attention when it arrived in the post. To me, the scent is dominated by the fresh orange juice that features as one of it's main ingredients. This overpowering citrus fragrance is coupled with petitgrain oil - a fresh, green and woody aroma that gives this gel a unique but very natural smell. It's a scent that wouldn't work as a body lotion or anything that requires you to smother on your body, but is a lot better smelling than any other hair styling product I've used before. 

As per usual, Lush have included many of these key ingredients to perform multiple jobs whilst still creating an effective gel; orange is great for rejuvenation, helping to soften your hair without drying it out. It also supports those of us with dyed hair as it helps to brighten your locks; the various oils hydrating and conditioning your hair whilst this is going on.

To use, the tub recommends that you tip the jelly into your hands, where you transfer it backwards and forwards between your palms. Once some of the product rubs off onto your hands, you should pop the chunk of jelly back in the tub and then style your hair as you please. I found that this works really effectively and I was left with the perfect amount to use on my hair. 

As I often wear my hair down, I used Zest to style and set the front of my head so that the little wayward strands I normally deal with were kept in place. I found that this was really effective and kept my hair in place for the majority of the day, without leaving it greasy or dry. In fact, once I had styled my hair, it didn't feel as if there was anything in my hair at all; neither was their any evidence to show I my hair was anything but natural - factors I was very happy with. 

The only problem that I wondered might happen with Zest, is that it could end up being a little greasy for those of you with more oily hair. This didn't happen with me because I have quite dry hair although I'd be interested to hear from those of you with different hair types. Furthermore, I'm not sure whether or not this jelly would be very effective at doing anything other than 'flattening' stray hairs - I definitely cannot see this helping to hold hair in place for those of you who enjoy styling it to great extremes. Having said that, I'm not sure whether this product is really meant for this sort of styling anyway...

Overall, it's a good quality product and I will definitely enjoy using my tub. However, it's not good enough to replace my much loved Sea Spray, so not a product I'll be using regularly. 

Quantitatives Ingredients: Glycerine, Fresh Organic Orange Juice, Water (Aqua), PVP, Perfume, DRF Alcohol, Carrageenan Extract, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Tagetes Oil, Petitgrain Oil, Violet Leaf Absolute, Lilial, Citral, Farnesol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Strawberry Santa Shower Jelly

When I think about the hundreds of cosmetics that Lush have brought out over the years, I'm surprised to realise that there have been very few Strawberry-scented products released. There are some obvious popular candidates that have strawberry as one of their key ingredients; Mrs Whippy Bath Ballistic, Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar and Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel to name but a few. However, in the overall scheme of things, Lush have had many more citrus and vanilla items, than the popular berry.

I only mention this because I was recently carrying out some research on different cosmetic procedures, and learning how a product gets from the 'idea table' to the shops, and I found out that the strawberry fragrance is one of the most popular (and biggest selling) scents in the cosmetics industry.

It seems out of place then that Lush should release a product called the Strawberry Santa, a festive shower jelly that combines strawberry, coconut and vanilla to create a sweet, fruity alternative to shower gel. First released in 2009 and shaped like a Santa Claus, this red shower jelly is a light, simple-scented jelly that smells like nothing else that Lush have released.

Although this jelly has a multilayer of different scents, it is definitely the strawberry that stands out. You can pick up a slight hint of vanilla here, however, the coconut was non-existent to me. Unfortunately, this fragrance is not a fresh, natural smell that you would expect from a Lush product. Instead, what we have here is probably their most generic, synthetic-smelling product that they have released so far; it wouldn't be out of place on the shelf of a cheap cosmetics shop.

As this jelly was rather old when I purchased it (3 years old to be precise), I wonder whether it's scent has somewhat weakened due to it's age, so maybe a fresh one would possess a much stronger, natural and more defined scent. This shower jelly was also rather runny in places so I found myself using a lot more each time due to it's consistency.

There are several ways that you can use any of Lush's shower jellies, and I find that everyone has their own preference, which is completely understandable. Firstly, you can break a small piece of (or select a piece that's been segmented prior to your shower) and rub the block directly onto your skin. The amount of lather this creates differentiates vastly depending on the type of jelly, how old the product is and the size of the piece you're using. While some users find this way works for them, I find that this is fairly ineffective as it does not create much of a lather and the jelly becomes too wet, making it slippery and difficult to hold on to. 

Secondly, you can use a shower sponge, puff or exfoliating glove to create a lather before rubbing it all over your body. For me, I found this method far more successful as it helped to break down the jelly properly and create a nice foamy effect to wash your body with. Finally, you can break off slabs of the jelly and use them as you would a bubble bar, placing them underneath a running tap to stimulate bubbles. I tend to use mine for this reason, as I can get 4-5 baths out of one 100g tub, which I consider to be great value for money.

I've awarded this product 3/6 because, after using this, my skin did feel lovely and soft, and there was a trace of the scent on my skin which lasted for a few hours after application. Furthermore, the scent the jelly does possess is in no way a terrible smell - it's just rather generic and boring for my liking.

Overall, Strawberry Santa is a product that would work best with younger children, not adults who are perhaps looking for something a little more complex and mature. The main downside for me, was that mine seemed to have been reduced to liquid somewhat, so a 100g tub only lasted me a handful of times. If it was a more sophisticated and rich fragrant product, I would not begrudge paying that sort of money for a few luxury showers. However, when it smells as bland and uninspiring as Strawberry Santa does, I expect far more product for my money.

If Lush were to bring these out again, I may invest in one just to see whether it was age that left me disappointed, or whether it's the trait of the shower jelly. However, it's definitely not one of Lush's particularly interesting releases, and not one I'm interested in using again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Desiccated Coconut and Vanilla Pod infusion (Cocos nucifera and Vanilla planifolia), Spring Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Fresh Strawberries (Fragaria vesca), Perfume, Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax benzoin), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), *Cinnamal, *Linalool, Colour 14700, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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