Twilight Shower Gel

I began collecting Lush stuff a few months before the Christmas 2012 range came into the shops, and initially it was their shower gels that I was most interested in collecting. It might seem like a strange interest, given that Lush are probably best known for their bath bombs, not to mention the fact that they have so many amazing products on offer. However, there's something alluring and incredibly sexy about those colourful little bottles full of weird and wonderful smells; it reminds me a little bit of the BFG and his bottles of dreams.

So when I first purchased a small bottle of Twilight Shower Gel, I initially bought it because it was another product to add to my collection. On sniffing it when it arrived, I remember thinking that it smelt alright, although I have never been a fan of lavender smelling cosmetics, so I wasn't overly keen. However, that all changed when I used it for the first time last week. I was amazed at how much I loved it!

Lush state that this shower gel contains lavender infusion and essential oil to calm and relax both the mind and the skin. This is coupled with tonka to add notes of vanilla and fruit to it's scent, and benzoin to give it a sweet balsamic quality. I don't know whether it's the tonka or the benzoin that did it for me, but something in this gel turned it from what could have been a typical lavender smelling bath product, to a magnificent shower experience.

Whereas most lavender products are often very harsh smelling to me, Twilight has a silky sweet overtone which dampens the lavender smell slightly and gives it a gorgeous sweet smelling scent. In fact, ever since I have started using this gel, I have been haunted by the knowledge that I have smelt something like this before, when I was a child, in a local sweet shop.

Despite what other reviews have said, this shower gel did not dry out or irritate my skin in anyway. In fact, since I began using this, I have noticed a vast improvement in the quality of the skin on my legs. They have managed to keep both smooth and supple throughout the cold weather, without the use of other potions and lotions. 

The only complaint I have about this shower gel, is when comparing it to other gels in the Lush range, it doesn't lather up as easily or as much as others do. This means that I often have to use more of the product than I would if it was, say, Snow Fairy.

On their site, Lush state that 'the period between sundown and nightfall is often called the blue hour, because of its distinctive ambient light.' They have tried to recreate this moment by turning this gel into a rich, deep blue purple shower gel, with a twinkling of stars added in the form of silver glitter. 

Although I wouldn't say it portrays this vision very well, it is still an extremely gorgeous looking gel, and one that works as a perfect companion on a bitter, cold night.

I'm so glad I bought a large 500g bottle when it was featured in the after-Christmas sale, as I'd be disheartened if I knew I had to wait a whole 12 months before I could get my hands on anymore.

Ingredients: Quantitative Ingredients, Lavender Flower Infusion, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Lactic Acid, Lavender Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Tonka Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, *Linalool, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Methylparaben, Snowflake Lustre

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Let The Good Times Roll Facial Cleanser

Lush's Let the Good Times Roll is a new facial cleanser that was released as part of the Christmas 2012 range. Unfortunately, it was also released as a limited edition product, and I was saddened to discover that they'd discontinued it a couple of weeks back. However, like a lot of Lush products, there are still many floating around on eBay that you can pick up fairly cheap if you're interested.

On the Lush site, LTGTR comes with the description; 'We popped corn oil, polenta, maize flour and cinnamon in here.  The perfect recipe to gently exfoliate, moisturise and soften your skin for those times when you want to get ready for close-ups.

Let The Good Times Roll is a gentle treat for the skin, leaving you soft to the touch with a lingering buttery caramel popcorn fragrance - when you look and feel this good you can give your Body Double the day off!'. 

Looking at the ingredients list, it's fair to say that I was a little hesitant to believe that Maize flour, Corn oil, Polenta or Popcorn could have any positive effect on my skin. It sounded like such a strange concoction for a facial cleanser, so I had no choice but to test it out.  

At first I was a little put off by the strange, straw coloured paste that greeted me on opening the container. However, as soon as I had a sniff of the buttery,  caramel fragrance, it was love at first sniff!

The texture is smooth but as you massage it on you’ll feel the finer, grainy texture of the cleanser. The grainy texture feels a little like sand, however it polishes the skin to a smooth, refined finish and leaves it feeling soft and radiant.

One downside to this cleanser, and something that must differ with different skin types, is that I am unable to use this successively for more than two days in a row. I once used this cleanser for five days straight, and found that it began irritating my skin, stripping too many layers of skin off and leaving it feeling raw and dry.

However, I tend to use this alongside other Lush cleansers so whenever I do use this, it leaves my skin exfoliated and silky smooth. This product is a mix-up between a cleanser and a daily scrub. It won’t remove makeup or deeply cleanse your skin. However, it will clear your pores of unwanted dirt and fill your bathroom with a beautiful buttery fragrance.

For me it’s one of Lush’s best products, which is saying a lot given that I absolutely adore Lush. I have no idea why they have chosen to remove it from their range, but I sure hope it makes a reappearance soon.

Quantitative Ingredients: Maize Flour, Glycerine, Talc, Water, Corn Oil, Polenta, Fair Trade Organic Cinnamon Powder, Perfume, Gardenia Extract, Popcorn

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Buche De Noel Facial Cleanser

This is one of Lush's limited edition Christmas cleansers, and admittedly one of the first cleanser of theirs that I have tried. Bursting with seasonal ingredients such as cranberries, brandy, fresh satsumas, and ground almonds, this product is a feast for your face. 

Buche De Noel is made by taking fresh satsumas and blending them with dried cranberries, vegetable glycerine, brandy, almond essential oil, vetivert oil and cedarwood oil. When that’s all whizzed up, Lush mix it with grated cocoa butter, ground almonds and kaolin until it becomes a thick paste. 

Simply scoop out a small piece ( I use an amount that equates to the size of a medium grape), place it in the palm of your hand, trickle a little warm water onto it, and work into a paste. Then massage it all over your face, leave it on for a few seconds, and then wash it off in the shower. 

I love the way this feels on my skin, as it gives a very gentle scrub that exfoliates my pores and leaves my face feeling super clean and radiant. The cleaner has a slight grainy, chunky texture that helps to scrub away dirt and unblocks pores, without being too harsh on my sensitive skin.

The essential oils in the mix will cleanse and balance skin, the cocoa butter adds moisture and the almonds act as a gentle exfoliant. What's great about the product is that as soon as you rinse it off, you can instantly feel how soft your face is.

The smell that radiates from your skin is also absolutely heavenly, however I should note that it doesn’t taste nearly as nice as it smells! (Yes, I did attempt to eat the cleanser) 

One piece of advice I would give when using this product, and it's the same with all of Lush's fresh cleansers, is that you use dry hands when removing a piece from the container as I find this helps to extend the life of the cleanser. 

It's preservative free, so while it doesn't need refridgerated as the fresh face masks do, it only lasts around 3 months before it needs to be discarded. This is probably the only downside to this product, as it's a Christmas special so not something you'd be able to use regularly throughout the whole year. However, I have heard that you can freeze these cleansers and they still work well. 

Overall, Buche De Noel is one of my favourite Lush products and it really sucks that I can only use it fresh for a few months of the year. It's sweet almond scent with the spicy tartness of cranberries and satsumas makes it a unique cleanser, and one that I only wish would become a regular lush item. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Ground Almonds, Kaolin, Glycerine, Fresh Satsumas, Dried Cranberries, Cocoa Butter, Brandy, Almond Essential Oil, Vetivert Oil, Cedarwood Oil, *Linalool, *Cinnamal, Perfume, Nori Seaweed, Candy Pine Tree.

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

I cannot contain myself anymore, I just have to review what is possibly my favourite Lush product ever, Snow Fairy Shower Gel. This limited edition shower gel is only sold for a short time in the Winter months and is Lush's Christmas bestseller, as well as being one of their most popular products ever.

This gorgeous bright pink gel is decorated with glittery, blue iridescent sparkles that often fall to the bottom of the bottle, so be sure to give it a good shake before using it. This is so unlike most products that Lush have to offer, and it wouldn't seem out of place in your local boots, next door to the infamously-pink Soap and Glory Range. 

However, what sets this product apart from the usual hum-drum of beauty products, is it's smell. 

Lush describe this product as a 'shower hair and body gel that's bursting with fruit fragrance, not your classic hippy dippy Lush herbal offering. Instead it is an intensely sweet, fruity pink shower gel loved by people everywhere.' 

It is described on the bottle as "candy floss and pear drops" and that is exactly what it smells like! It is ridiculously sweet smelling; a mixture of candy floss, bubblegum, pear drops and sugary goodness that would reek havoc on your teeth, were you supposed to eat it (and I'm sure you've all been tempted!).

What is great about this product is that it is so versatile - Snow Fairy can be used as both a shower gel and shampoo, and it works wonders in both of these areas. The shower gel is quite creamy and lathers up really well, releasing even more of that great scent as it mixes with the steam from the shower. The gel then leaves a gorgeous smell that lingers on your skin and in the air for hours after use. 

Despite this product containing glitter, don't be put off using this as a shampoo, it's not the sort that sticks to your skin or hair. 

Overall, this is an amazingly beautiful product. It lathers up perfectly, moisturises my body and leaves my skin feeling so luxurious and loved. I cannot fault this product in the slightest, and I urge you, if you've not tried it yet, to pick yourself up a bottle as soon as you can. 

Keep an eye out on this blog as I'll be giving away a big bottle of this in the near future!

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, *Lactic Acid, Synthetic Musk, Titanium Dioxide, Blue Glitter (Polyethylene Terephthalate), Methyl Lonone, Benzyl Benzoate, Colour 45410, Colour 45380, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Cynthia Sylvia Stout

They always say that it's the aspects of our life where we hold the least expectation, that usually have the most profound effect on us. Okay, so perhaps that's a little 'deep' and 'profound' for a shampoo review, but the sentiment is still very much true. 

I bought Cynthia Sylvia Stout merely on the basis that I needed a new shampoo and it happened to be the first one to reveal itself on the Lush website. It was probably not the best choice as I absolutely hate the smell and taste of beer, however, it did seem to come highly recommended by a lot of my friends.

When it arrived, I had absolutely no expectations about the smell or usage of the shampoo, and was even slightly put off by the murky, brown liquid that inhabited the bottle.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really liked the smell. In fact, it reminds me a little of one of my favourite Lush smells, Karma. 

Lush have added a mixture of yeast, which is a protein conditioner, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice to close the hair cuticle, give shine and help the hair to lie flat, as well as filling half of each bottle with a vegan-friendly stout. It’s hard to ignore the smell of half a bottle of beer – so instead Lush have also added essential oils that compliment the smell; with lemongrass to add a dash of lemonade scent and cognac oil to give a smoothness and sophistication. 

CSS claims to tame fluffy and frizzy hair, leaving your maine silky smooth and replenished. And I cannot argue with that. Cynthia Sylvia Stout also gives hair some moisture without weighing it down; it adds shine and glossiness to hair that tends to be dull without the help of some sort of magic hair product.

Although this is not publicised on other sites, I also found that this shampoo helped to bring out the natural redness in my hair, which I was really impressed with. 

Overall, I absolutely love this product. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and more; it smells great, and it works wonders alongside my other favourite hair product, Veganese. This is a must have product for all fans of Lush.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Stout, Water, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate, Fine Sea Salt, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Fresh Organic Lemon Juice, Cognac Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Yeast, Balsamic Vinegar, *Citral, *Geraniol, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Haagen Bath Ballistic

What is a Bath Ballistic? Well for those of you who are not familiar with Lush and their wonderful products (where have you been?) a Bath Ballistic is a tennis ball shaped bath bombs, which are made up of bicarbonate of Soda which gives them the ‘fizzing effect’ and they are packed full of essential oils, which give off wonderful aromas to help you to relax, unwind and turn your bath water a pretty shade of some colour. 

Unfortunately, Haagen Bath is currently a discontinued Lush product, however I know that it has been brought back numerous times in Lush's retro range, so if you like the sound of it, keep your eyes peeled for it's return!

I first used this product one early morning, when I had a bad case of insomnia and found myself with nothing to do at 4am in the morning. Having not read anything about this ballistic beforehand, I had no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised when a mint-smelling bath bomb greeted my nose. 

When released into the bath, the ballistic immediately starts turning the water a gorgeous pink colour. The creamy consistancy of Haagen Bath means it dissolves much slower than normal ballistics so you can truly have a long relaxing bath. The overall scent is minty which is very refreshing, although it's not poignant enough to put off those of use who dislike strong, minty smells. 

This bomb smells like a sweet mint chocolate ice cream and is super-mosturizing on the skin. The only downside is that it has bits of chocolate that float around in the water until they melt. These would have probably been fine with a fresh bath bomb, but given that my Haagen Baths are a good 1+ year old, these little pieces of chocolate didn't melt so well in my tub and I had to scoop them out afterwards. 

Lush have carefully compiled a selection of high-quality ingredients to make this the best experience possible. This ballistic contains a mixture of Cocoa Butter and Almond Oil, both known for their abilities to moisturise, soften and smooth the skin, Spearmint Oil which helps to soothe and calm congested skin, and Cocoa Powder, which helps to draw impurities out of the skin. 

This is the first Lush product that I've tried that contains a minty fragrance, so it was quite a unique experience for me, and one that I was unsure whether or not I'd enjoy. I always proclaim to be a fan of the sugary, sweet and citrusy scents, however, I was surprised by how much I loved this bath bomb.

The experience left my skin smooth and refreshed, with a gorgeous minty fragrance that lingered on my body for hours afterwards. This is not a ballistic that I'd reach for normally, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric acid, Cocoa butter, Soya Milk powder, Almond Oil, Laureth 4, Perfume, Spearmint oil, Cocoa powder, Colour 77891, 18050.

Vegan?: Yes

Read More

Henata Bath Bomb

Mexican piñatas are colourful model animals that children smash to reveal hidden sweeties inside. Lush decided to use this premise to create their very own Mexican bathing experience. As part of their Easter range, Lush chose a Hen to fulfil this idea, naming her the very witty Henata!  

You are supposed to smash her against the side of your bath to create an 'explosion of wonderful surprises', however, I couldn't bring myself to do such a thing to a poor, defenceless animal. (It's the vegan in me coming out again!) Instead, I filled my bath tub to the brink, dropped her in and let her work her magic. (hardly any less 'cruel' really).

Straight away, this bath bomb froths and fizzes, releasing wave upon wave of beautiful yellow and orange that quickly taints the water and fills your bathroom with a sweet, citrusy fragrance. As Henata dissolves, it also releases a bunch of pretty, scarlet paper flowers that perch on the water's surface. Lush also claim that it releases a 'shower of green glitter', however I did not spot this in my bath bomb. I'm guessing this must be a factory error as I've heard other people complain of the same problem. 

The best part about this bath bomb, is that it 'gives birth' to two mini ballistic eggs, that float around your bath for a long time after the Henata has fully dissolved. Henata carries a really lovely fragrance full of sunny citrus oils like Sicilian mandarin, tangerine and bergamot. This is such a great bath bomb to wake you up in the morning, and one that I'll definitely use again, despite it's lack of glitter.

As with other bath bombs that contain 'added extras', those of you who dislike picking waste out of the plug hole may wish to avoid this one as the petals were a little bit of a nuisance to remove. However, that does not take away from the wonderful calming experience that this bomb offers. 

This is definitely one that I'll return to when I need a boost to start my day off and I hope Lush opt to bring this out during future Easter releases. 

Quantitative Ingredients; Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Pink Soap Paper, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Tangerine Oil, Bergamot Oil, Cornflowers, Marigold Petals, Red rose petals, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Gardenia Extract, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 19140, Colour 15510, Green Glitter

Vegan?: Yes

Read More