Tuca Tuca Massage Bar

It wasn't until I accidentally purchased the Tuca Tuca Liquid Perfume one day, that I realised that particular fragrances are interlaced with stories and memories of my childhood. Neither did I realise until I fell in love with the perfume, how much I love and pine for violet-scented products, and how this is probably the most prominent scent of my youth. 

When I found out that Lush would be re-releasing their Tuca-scented massage bar, I could not contain myself and I ended up spending a good ten minutes basking in the aroma of the perfume - imagining what it would be like to smear the violet goodness all over myself. 

When this massage bar arrived, I was a little disappointed to discover that it's a lot smaller than every other massage bar I have tried from Lush so far. It's circumference is probably the same size as a face mask pot, with a depth of about 1.5cm. Needless to say, I was less than impressed, especially given the £7.95 price tag. 

However, my heart was soon won over as I lifted the bar from the Lush box and was greeted by a gorgeous, seductive and seriously sexy aroma. This product smells identical to that of it's perfume counterpart, so if you like Tuca Tuca, you'll need to get your greedy mitts on one (or ten) of these. 

Made from a combination of cassie, vanilla, sandalwood, vetivert, violet leaf and ylang ylang oil, this massage bar is a sensual, sweet and flirty fragrance dominated by the vanilla and violet. It smells exactly like the parma violet sweets I used to eat when I was little, except that this fragrance is far more exquisite and complex than that. Laced throughout the fragrance is the sandalwood to pad out the scent and give it depth, ylang ylang and rose to add subtle elements of floral and vanilla absolute to add a warm, comforting and overall musky aroma.

Much like all of Lush's other massage bars, this one has a ton of wonderful ingredients to give your skin a feast; cocoa butter and shea butter are both present to help moisturise and remove dry, scaly skin; oils such as vetivert and sandalwood alter and improve your mood so you can de-stress whilst using the bar. Lush have then chosen a refined, sexy violet scent that will linger on the body long after your massage has ended, ensuring you feel and smell divine throughout the day. 

What I loved about Tuca Tuca is that it offers a balance between being generous with it's oils but not being wasteful with them either. The bar melts fairly easily, so I found it straightforward to use when massaging across my skin, yet it doesn't produce an abundance of oils at any one time so you don't have to worry that you'll overdo it and waste any of the liquid. 

It disperses into your skin fairly quickly so you won't be left with sticky, greasy skin - yet it leaves your arms feeling really nourished and soft. I couldn't stop marvelling at how smooth and radiant my arms and legs felt after using this massage bar. The icing on the cake was the fact that the gorgeous scent stayed on my skin all day and into the night - I didn't have to top up once.

As the bar was perfectly designed, I found that I used very little each time, so despite it's small size, I can see this lasting me almost as long as a normal size massage bar would. I can see me getting a good 10-12 full body massages out of this product and I think that makes it good value for money.

This is one of my favourite massage bars from Lush (as I thought it would be) and I think the company would benefit from making this a regular product. None of Lush's other bars have a scent close to or like Tuca Tuca and I think their range is crying out to feature a product such as this. I hope I don't have to wait another couple of years for it to show it's face again as this is now one of the staple items in my daily routine. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Perfume, Fresh Rose Petal Extract, Cassie Absolute, Vanilla Absolute, Sandalwood Oil, Vetivert Oil, Violet Leaf Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Titanium Dioxide, Colour 77019, Colour 77007.

Vegan?: Yes.

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29 High Street Liquid Perfume

I feel rather privileged owning one of these bottles; it's almost as if I own a piece of Lush's Holy Grail. 29 High Street was the original name given to this perfume, back when Lush first revealed it to the world. Many years later, the company decided to change it's title to 'HQ' and re-released the perfume in one of their generic black 'forum special' bottles. 

In recent years, Lush have chosen to bring back the old-style glass bottle and offer it to customers who are lucky enough to visit their original store in Poole. Thanks to my favourite site, eBay, I was able to pick up a brand new bottle of this liquid gold, and I've been hooked ever since.

29 High Street is named after the very store that now sells it, and has been designed to supposedly mimic the wonderful aroma of a Lush shop. Although this smell has diminished somewhat over the last few years, I'm sure that most Lush fans will admit that it was the enticing scent of a store that originally hooked them in and has kept them hanging many years later. 

What I noticed immediately when looking at the ingredients list of this perfume, is that the main notes are all key elements that you'll find in hundreds of Lush's products. Firstly, there's ylang ylang - a sensual floral ingredient found in most of Lush's products - most notably their Sex Bomb Ballistic; Sandalwood oil gives off a rich woody note that can be found in the wonderful Aqua Mirabilis Body Butter; Jasmine absolute adds another floral element to the mix and is a key scent in Lush's Tender Is The Night Massage Bar. Then there's the inclusion of both lime and lemon oil - two uplifting ingredients that make Avobath Ballistic so wonderful whilst tonka absolute gives the perfume a sweetness displayed in all of Lush's Vanillary range. Altogether, these ingredients collaborate amazingly well and create a unique, vibrant and wholly special perfume. 

In the bottle, it is the tonka and jasmine that first makes it's presence known - offering fans something far more complex than any of the perfumes that Lush currently offer online. Although, once the perfume has been sprayed onto the skin, all of the different ingredients make their presence known. 

When applying this perfume, I can detect the slight woodiness of the sandalwood, but it sits comfortably behind the ylang ylang and interlaces itself with the citrus oils so it's not as dominating as it is in Breath of God. 

If you were worried that this perfume would be too overwhelming or too strange, don't be - it's superb. It's both mature and playful at the same time  - equally sensual and sweet -uplifting without being overzealous. Lush have crafted this product well so that each layer compliments the next and they all sit comfortably together. 

29 High Street is a long lasting perfume and will remain on your skin for the whole day. Throughout it's wear, the different layers will make themselves known; constantly changing so that you'll never get bored of the scent. I absolutely love spraying this on myself but have to limit myself because of how precious a bottle of this stuff is. I would definitely buy a few more bottles if the opportunity arose as it's probably one of my all-time favourite fragrances from Lush.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Absolute, Sandalwood Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Lime Oil, Lemon Oil, Tonka Absolute, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Methyl Ionone.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Death & Decay Liquid Perfume

When Lush first announced the name of their new perfume line, there were some who complained that the title was too strange and morbid to sell the perfumes well. However, I for one was rather intrigued by the alluring names and descriptions that accompanied the release - this perfume being one of the ones I was most interested in testing out. 

Death & Decay Liquid Perfume has a lot to live up to, given that it's name is the closest to that of the entire Volume 3 range. Surprisingly, for a signature scent, it also comes in at the cheapest - a 30ml bottle will set you back £30, which I think is very good value for money given the longevity of the fragrance. 

Lush claim that it's name will 'invoke something sinister and morbid', yet I was surprised to find that the accompanying scent from this perfume doesn't do anything of the sort. Instead, it's a rather resonant floral aroma that is a little haunting at times, but definitely not something I would describe as 'sinister'. 

Made from a combination of ylang ylang and rose oil with helpings of both jasmine and tonka absolute, this is a very old-fashioned smelling perfume - one that is rather pungent inside the bottle but flourishes when it matures on the skin.  

From my experience, this perfume is one that doesn't really showcase multiple layers when being worn - all of the floral elements seem to intertwine together and give off this really strong, robust scent. Normally this would be to the detriment of the perfume as most wearers want to experience the different notes throughout the day. However, with Death & Decay, the smell it showcases is so wonderful that you don't want it to develop and change.                                                                                                             Despite it not featuring in the ingredients list, this perfume gives off a strong lily fragrance - a smooth, powerful but equally feminine smell that fans of Lily Savon will love. When comparing this product to the aforementioned perfume, this one is equally as potent but it doesn't have a sickly sweet layer that made me dislike the older scent. I can only describe the fragrance as being slightly more grounded than Ghost-scented products - it's far richer and full-bodied - it doesn't have that pungent lily scent that I dislike. 

This is definitely a very floral-led perfume - one that is slightly musky on the skin but equally as fresh and uplifting. It has that cloudy aroma you get from dried flowers but with a little sweetness added in thanks to the tonka absolute. I can see why Lush have used particular words to describe this scent as it is very reminiscent of funerals - that exquisite but equally sad and comforting smell that lilies give off.

This perfume is by far the longest lasting - remaining prominent on my skin for a good 4-5 hours after application. While I would normally shy away from heavy floral aromas, this one makes me feel beautiful and powerful - a timeless fragrance that makes a statement whenever it's being worn. I love it!

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorate), Rose Oil (Rosa damascena), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum), Tonka Absolute (Dioteryx odorata), Benzyl, Benzoate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Citral, Farnesol, Geraniol, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Lilal, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal.

Vegan?: Yes. 

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Kerbside Violet Liquid Perfume

When I initially heard that Lush were releasing a third volume of perfumes, I had a mixture of strong and rather contradicting emotions. On the one hand, I was really excited about the new smells that they would introduce and was hoping that I'd discover a few favourites amongst the collection. I was also hopeful that the new releases would appeal to me more than Volume 2 - I found many of those to be not to my liking and this was rather disappointing.

However, I was rather worried about how much it would cost me to invest in these perfumes. I have to try each and every perfume over a couple of days to really experience the fragrance - I cannot spray a little on myself in the shop and hope it wins me over. I was also worried about how much time it would take me to review the lot - I still have almost fifty perfumes in line to be reviewed and I was hoping my 'to do' list would shrink over time, not expand.

Kerbside Violets is the first perfume to be released from the new collection - a fragrance influenced by the 'chance encounters on the street that spark a fleeting interest that just as quickly disappears around the corner.' Whatever that means I'm unsure, but it sounds poetic at least.

Lush have described this perfume as 'fresh, sweet and uplifting' and claim that it's their second attempt to get the violet scent 'right'. I'm a little confused by this claim because their Tuca Tuca Perfume, which is also predominantly violet, is a stunning example of a fragrance well mixed. Each to their own, I guess.

This perfume contains a combination of violet leaf and jasmine absolute and it is the former that comes through the strongest. In the bottle the violet is very fresh smelling - it doesn't have that heavy, cloying fragrance that Tuca Tuca gives off. Instead, it has a very light, grassy aroma which intertwines with the jasmine and gives off a naturally sweet smell. The ylang ylang oil adds to the floral element nicely and helps to pad out the floral element without making it too heavy on the senses.

In the bottle, Kerbside Violet smells very much likes Tuca Tuca, just without the sugary, syrupy element that some fans dislike. However, on the skin it becomes a gentle, refreshing scent that releases different smells over the two-three hours it remains on your skin. At first you get the natural violet leaf, jasmine and ylang ylang coming through. However, as the scent matures, the rosewood oil makes an appearance and adds a very comforting and sweet impression.                                                                                                                                   It's definitely more of a feminine smell - something that would appeal to those who like complex but not overly dominating smells. Although I prefer Tuca Tuca a little more, I know this is because I am a sucker for sugary-sweet fragrances, whereas Kerbside Violet is more of an uplifting, floral aroma. 

Despite this, I really enjoyed the perfume and it's a great first release for Volume 3. Priced at £18 for a 10ml bottle, it's definitely something you have to commit to. However, I am really glad I bought myself a bottle and I will definitely buy this again. Whereas Lush's last perfume collection seemed more experimental and strange, this would sell well in a normal high street shop so I can see it being one of the most popular ones in this collection.  

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Violet Leaf Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Rosewood Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Eugenol, Farnesol, Isoeugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Citronellol, Geraniol.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Damp Squid Bath Ballistic

For about three months, back towards the beginning of 2013, I went through a phase of scouting eBay every single day, desperately seeking out rare and discontinued bath bombs to add to my collection. While I'm far too embarrassed to admit the amount of money I spent on this venture, I was definitely rather successful in my quest. By the end, I had amassed close to 400 different ballistics, bubble bars and melts; a sizeable lot that I had to try and fit into my tiny room.

One of the items I was most excited to find/try was the Damp Squid Ballistic, of which I managed to pick up three of. This ballistic was one of Lush's original products, released back in the day when they called themselves Cosmetics To Go. Although I don't know the story behind why this bath bomb was made to look like a squid, I find it endearing and rather cute nevertheless. 

For ballistics as old as these, I was expecting them to be rather weak in scent. However, I was surprised to find that all three of them were still very strong smelling and in tact; I wonder whether the canvas incasing had anything to do with the retention of smell. These bath bombs are much smaller than the average size ballistic, similar in size to Cinders and Keep It Fluffy, although they're not as attractive in design. Underneath the canvas, they're a simple white in colour. 

Damp Squid is very similar to another one of Lush's old bath bombs, Silent White, of which I also managed to amass a few. However, this one smells a little more potent and slightly more herby, which I appreciate. Made using a combination of ylang ylang, patchouli and rosewood oil, it has an earthy and floral scent, which somewhat heightens once the bath bomb has fully dissolved. Whether this is due to it's age or not, but I also noticed a slightly powdery sugary edge to the bath bomb; a sherberty element not unlike the after scent of the Dragon's Egg Bath Ballistic. 

Together, this sweet but earthy scent created a wonderfully calm and relaxing bath, one that went incredibly well with my Karma Shower Gel. 

As this is an old ballistic, it did sink to the bottom of the tub, and it didn't produce any colour once it had fully dispersed. Furthermore, the canvas outer shell proved a little annoying when it became caught up in the chain of my plug, and I had to spend a good five minutes fiddling with it to sort it out. 

However, it left my skin feeling really soft and smelling beautiful. For a product nearly six years old, I was extremely impressed with how well it performed; even outdoing some of the Lush products that are mere 2-3 months old.

I've only given this ballistic a rating of three, due mostly to it's performance when it hit the water, and my overall reaction to it's fragrance. However, I can imagine if Lush ever brought back a fresh batch for me to try, I would no doubt re-evaluate this review and award it higher. I can imagine this being more beautiful back in the day - I wish I was there to enjoy it then. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Citric acid, Fine sea Salt, Perfume, Irish Moss powder, Rosewood oil, Patchouli Oil, Petigrain oil, Ylang Ylang, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellas.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Charity Pot / Formulae Known As Body Lotion

Charity Pot epitomises what I believe Lush to be about - a product that stands for the good causes that Lush represent and educate their consumers on. Having watched the episode of Canada's Undercover Boss a while back, the discussion surrounding this product only furthered my love and understanding of this company.   

As it states on the tub, 100% of the money made from the sale of this lotion goes towards the good causes that are featured on the tubs - causes that change every so often depending on the plights of the thousands that need it. Aside from the small bit of V.A.T that has to go to the government, if Lush only sell 10 pots per store, per day, they've made over £100 for a charity that needs it. This equates to thousands each and every single day, which is incredible if you think about the amount of people who benefit from this little pot of body lotion. But aside from what the product stands for, is it actually any good?

A fact you may not know about this product, is that it was actually revamped a few years ago, and up until then, possessed a completely different fragrance. Back when it was first released, Charity Pot used to possess the Lily Savon scent; a fresh floral and highly lily-scented range of products, which includes both the Ghost Shower Gel and Jelly, and the Lily Savon Soap. However, Lush changed this, probably due to consumer demand and it now possesses a completely different, and dare I say it, better scent.

Charity Pot is described by Lush as an 'all-round body lotion', which is just the sort that I need as I tend to moisturise my entire body once or twice a day. Made with fair trade cocoa butter, almond oil and geranium, this is a product packed with key essential oils to moisturise and tone the skin. Furthermore, Lush have also included ylang ylang, geranium and tagetes, which when mixed with the oils, creates a rich, sweet and floral scent with a chocolately element to die for. 

Normally, I'm not normally keen on chocolate-scented products, but when it comes to Charity Pot, I have to make an exception. To me, this smells of the rose-centred chocolate you used to get as part of the Quality Street range, which also happens to be the same smell that Fry's Turkish Delight is scented with. It's a gorgeous cocoa-orientated aroma with an exquisite rose twist that lingers on your skin all day. I don't think I've gotten more compliments over a body lotion as I have done with this one. It's a rich, generous and highly indulgent fragrance; one that makes you feel like a million dollars after a single use. 

At first, I was worried that, with all of the different oils and butters, this would be a rather heavy body lotion, and one that my skin wouldn't absorb very quickly. However, I found it to be the opposite. After rubbing it across my legs, I was surprised to find that my skin actually absorbed it very quickly and I wasn't left with any oily smears or stickiness.

On opening the pot, you'll notice that it is quite a runny body lotion and not as thick as you would expect from something that contains both cocoa butter and at least 4 different oils. However, the key to Charity Pot's success is in the initial ingredient; water. Lush have carefully crafted an emulsion using both this water and the various oils, to create a thinner lotion so that it's absorbed easier and doesn't leave heavy residue on the surface of your skin. 

Having used it daily for almost a month, I wouldn't say that it's the most hydrating or moisturising of Lush's body lotions. However, it does make your skin feel and smell wonderful, and has that presence that helps you feel really special when you're having a bad day. I tend to use this when I need that added comfort, either from the cold weather or from the stresses of work. The gorgeous chocolate and floral aroma helps me to indulge my senses without indulging in too much vegan chocolate. 

With the recent release of their Self-Preserving Charity Pot, Lush have used this opportunity to update Charity Pot's scent. However, due to the popularity of this particular fragrance, Lush have decided to keep this scented lotion and sell it under it's new name, Formulae Known As. I hope this is a permanent decision, as although it's not my regular body lotion, it is one I would buy regularly. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Ylang Ylang Oil, Geranium Oil, Tagetes Oil, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Amyl Cinnamal, Isoeugenol, Methyl Ionone, Geraniol, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, *Farnesol, Perfume, Gardenia Extract, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Breath of God Liquid Perfume

Breath of God is described by Lush as being a 'critically acclaimed, perfectly balanced perfume.' They go on to claim that this fragrance bridges a gap between masculine and feminine smells; creating one that is universally pleasing to all, and one that develops differently on everyone who wears it so that it moulds to your senses, not yours to it. I suppose, like every opinion, there are going to be those of us who agree with those claims and those who very much disagree. Unfortunately, I am in the latter category. 

The first time I experienced the Breath of God scent was when I tried the toothy tabs of the same name, which I thoroughly enjoyed and have been buying ever since. A few months later, and Lush release Inhale/Exhale, a limited edition bath bomb that also presents the same scent. Again, after initial concerns, I ended up enjoying the experience very much and raved about this unique scent that I just 'had to try more of'. However, when I dared to purchase a bottle of the Breath of God perfume, my reaction was very different to the above.

Described as being a 'thought-provoking fragrance', there are many elements that make up this perfume. There is a mixture of sandalwood, cedarwood, rose, ylang ylang, neroli and benzoin oils, which have all been blended together to create this distinctive smell. Immediately upon smelling this, I can pick up the strong, woody scent of sandalwood alongside the undertones of smoky cedarwood. Then straight after, I also get elements of the lemon and grapefruit oils, which masks the poignancy of the other ingredients somewhat. 

Unfortunately, I did not experience the 'gentle, yet fresh delicious flavour' that Lush describe it as, nor the vanillary, melon-citrus fragrance that other reviewers as described it as being. Instead what I smelt was a mixture of men's aftershave and burnt charcoal - the overwhelming smell you get if someone sprays themselves with too much Lynx and you get a strong whiff up your nose before you have a chance to hold your breath.  

Rather than being able to isolate individual smells and enjoy different layers of scent, I found that Breath of God's fragrance was very domineering and very heavy. To me, it felt as if there were too many ingredients in the mix, which caused them to clash with each other rather than working to create a well-rounded perfume. 

However, like most Lush scents, it quickly fades into a delicate-yet-strong smell that continues to evolve throughout the day. In it's defence, it did remain on me for the entirety of my work day and it did get more bearable when it had mellowed somewhat. However, I still thought that it was a very masculine scent and not something that made me feel uplifted or sensual at all. 

It seems to me that this is very much a 'marmite' type of perfume; you either love it or you hate it. Unfortunately, it didn't match well with my personality and made me feel very boisterous when I had it on. It's too overpowering for my liking and is not one that I'd use again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Cedarwood Oil, Rose Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Vetivert Oil, Lemon Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Neroli Oil, Black Pepper Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Cade Oil, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Citral, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, Geraniol, *Citronellol, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, *Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

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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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Lust Liquid Perfume

Before I began buying and collecting Lush products, my interest in scents were particularly limited; I'd always pick the sugary-sweet, synthetic type fragrances that were as generic as the other 500 bottles of perfume on the shelf. I was not interested in trying out any of the interesting more complex scents and would shy away from anything that was particularly strong.

Fast forward two years and I have ordered a bottle of Lush's 'Lust' perfume - a powerfully sensual, dirty jasmine perfume that I never imagined myself enjoying. Although there are other notes in here, such as ylang ylang, vanilla, sandalwood and rose, jasmine is definitely the predominate scent. The sandalwood gives the perfume a wonderful warmth that intensifies on the heat of your skin; the rose adds a sweet, floral kick that gives the perfume a sexy edge. 

This is a perfume that takes no prisoners. It's strong, it's seductive and it'll upstage any other scent that you may be wearing at the time. This is not a subtle perfume in any way, so if you want something simple and gentle, this is not the one for you. This is a perfume that'll empower you when you're wearing it, and it makes you feel confident throughout the entire day. 

Lust comes out as a red-tinted liquid but it does not stain the skin so there's no need to be alarmed by this. Additionally, I would say that you should be rather scrupulous when spraying this perfume as you don't need very much at all. This latter point means that a 30ml bottle should last you a lot longer than most shop-bought varieties, meaning it's create value for money. 

Sharing it's scent with ‘Flying Fox’ shower gel, a product that is unfortunately not vegan, this perfume stays with you, and will let off small bursts of scent throughout the day. I have worn the same scarf to work for the past few months, and I can still smell Lust on there some six+ weeks after last using it. It's a sophisticated, unique fragrance that may be too overpowering for some, but one that will grow on you over time.

I happen to love this scent, and I love it even more knowing that a few years ago, I would have turned my nose up at such a unique and empowering smell. I always get compliments when I wear this, and most people comment on how fresh and natural it smells. It's become a staple perfume in my household now.

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, Candelilla Wax, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Sandalwood Oil, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Cinnamal, *Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Citral, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Isoeugenol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 15850.

Vegan?: Yes.

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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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FUN With A Twist

As part of Lush's usual range, the company have a selection of five different scented FUN Bars that are available all year round. They are Pink FUN, which is a fruity candy smell, Yellow FUN, which has a vanilla scent, Red FUN, which is mandarin and orange, Green FUN, which possesses a lemon and lime scent, and Blue FUN, which offers a lavender scent.

Being one of the most versatile products they offer, as well as being good value for money, FUN is a wonderful concept that offers affordable cosmetics for those that aren't lucky enough to have their pockets lined with gold. Working as a shampoo, shower gel and bubble bar, a small 100g bar of FUN should be a steal at £5 a pop. But is it?

Recently, Lush extended it's family of FUN and released a limited edition Gold bar as part of their Christmas 2013 range, promising to release other uniquely scented variations in the near future. Two weeks ago, Lush kept their promise and released a brand new edition - FUN With A Twist. 

Initially, I was overwhelmed with excitement about this new product. Not only did it look beautiful - a decorative bright orange and deep purple dough, moulded and twisted together to make the most attractive FUN bar to date, but Lush described it as possessing both the Twilight and Dragon's Egg fragrances - two of my favourite smells to come from Lush. 

For those unfamiliar with these two smells (how is that possible?!), Twilight is a beautiful creamy, malty lavender aroma with elements of tonka to give it a sensual but vanillary note, while Dragon's egg offers a zesty, sherbet-y, playful burst of lemon and lime. Two completely different smells; two equally gorgeous aromas. 

When my FUN With A Twist arrived, I was immediately bowled over by it's scent - both of the different fragrances were clearly defined and they were equally potent in the wrapper. Up close, you could pick out the Twilight when sniffing the purple section, and the Dragon's Egg on the orange. Strangely, when smelling them together, it was the Twilight that shone through, yet it was the Dragon's Egg scent that came through more when being used in the bath. 

As with all of the FUN bars, I like to use mine as a replacement for more expensive bath ballistics, when I'm after a short bath as opposed to a longer soak. So I pulled off a generous sized chunk and crumbled it under the running tap. Immediately my bath tub began to fill with fluffy, zesty bubbles and the water merged into a lovely shade of orange. Unfortunately, both the colour of the water and the overall scent was lost quite a bit once my bath had been run, and I found that I could barely detect much of the fragrance at all within a matter of minutes. 

Secondly, whereas other Fun bars work almost as well as a bubble bar and leave my skin smooth to the touch, I found this one was very drying and the water felt rather rigid, almost as if I'd dissolved a piece of soap in the tub. Most of the bubbles stayed until the end of the experience, but the colour of the water turned a murky orange colour and my skin didn't seem to benefit from these aspects at all. 

On my second attempt at using this, I opted to use FUN With A Twist as a shower gel/soap and found that it lathered up quite well. I had to experiment with how much water to add to get a good lather going but it did seem to work very much like all of the other FUN bars I've tried. The lather is much thicker in consistency, and may need a little coaxing to spread across your skin, but the compressed format of the product means that a tiny piece will go a lot further than your usual splodge of shower gel and this makes it worthwhile. 

Using it in this way meant that I was able to see the specks of glitter that are distributed throughout the bar, and these tended to stay on my skin, although there was very little in the way of lustre and I couldn't find any on my skin once I'd rinsed myself off. 

Lavender, lemon and bergamot oils are just some of the ingredients used to try and help make FUN a moisturising, uplifting and refreshing product. While the scents are true to the original aromas, these smells were somewhat lost during use and I wouldn't say that this was the best product to use if you wanted to improve the condition of your skin.  

Overall, fans of these scents will no doubt be rather interested in trying out a new product, and if I was judging on smell and design alone, it would win many awards. However, I was a little disappointed with it's productivity and I feel the gimmick of FUN doesn't deter from the fact that I'd get a lot more out of a bubble bar, even if it works out more expensive.

Quantitative Ingredients: Talc, Cornflour, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lemon Oil, Bergamot Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Benzoin Resinoid, Tonka Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Perfume, Citral, Geraniol, Coumarin, Linalool, Gold Glimmer Lustre, Snowflake Lustre.

Vegan?: Yes.

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