Washday Greens Shampoo

Having been a late collector of Lush, there are hundreds of products I was not around to enjoy or try out - ones that I can only ogle at on the internet and hope that Lush choose to bring back in the near future. Now that Lush have brought out their 'Kitchen initiative', which has seen the re-release of many old favourites from across the years, I'm hopeful that there'll be appearances from many forgotten products from their vaults - a promising but equally expensive wish.  

I was lucky enough to purchase a sample bottle of Washday Greens Shampoo from a forum member a few months ago and was rather keen to test it out. Having not made an appearance since 2009, this was rather an exciting find, although one that I worried was perhaps a little too out-of-date to perform effectively.      

This shampoo is designed to be refreshing, to revitalise your hair and stimulate your scalp; aimed at consumers with normal to oily hair. On first sniff, Washday is a rather unisex smell, which wasn't off-putting, but definitely a different kettle of fish from the Godiva I had been using for the latter three months. 

Consisting of fresh garden mint, spearmint oil and peppermint oil, this shampoo is obviously a very minty product. Normally, I would be rather hesitant to get over-excited about this shampoo as I'm not somebody too enamoured by mint-scented items. However, as soon as I applied this to my hair, my opinions changed immediately.

To me, Washday Greens smells almost identical to the mint jelly that I used to slather all over my meat when I was younger - a naturally sugary but equally refreshing aroma. Aside from the mint, I could detect the beautiful fragrance of the bay leaves, which added a layer of freshness to the shampoo and just gave it that little extra special touch. 

When applying this to my hair, I really feel like I am being transported back to when I was a young girl, eating roast dinner outside in the evening sun and lapping up that fresh greenery that my mum grew around her garden. It's a wonderful experience.

The consistency of the shampoo is very similar to that of Cynthia Sylvia Stout but perhaps slightly runnier. It lathers up easily and for most people, you'd probably only need a teaspoon amount each time to cover your entire head. I have semi-thick hair that runs down just past my shoulders and this amount foamed and spread throughout my locks without feeling like I was spreading it too thinly.  

Lush claim that this shampoo helps to revitalise your scalp, which I assumed meant that the mint would leave it tingling like Dirty Springwash or Freeze. However, this was not the case. Instead, this shampoo left my hair feeling as if it had been given a new lease of life. I began using this right after I dyed my hair, and whereas normally I would experience days of dryness, instead my locks looked healthy and glossy right away.    

Washday Greens is really gentle on my hair, and after monitoring it from day one, I found that it didn't strip the colour out of my hair, which is something I rate highly in shampoos as I dye my hair regularly. Furthermore, it left my skin feeling super-soft, without looking frizzy or thin, and this feeling stayed with me throughout the entire day and into the next.

The only negative aspect about this shampoo is that my hair didn't retain the wonderful smell, something I was really hoping it would. However, this could be due to it's age and I'd be interested in hearing from someone who has used it fresh, to tell me as to whether this is a product fault or something to do with it's age. I'm so happy that Lush have brought this out again so I can buy a few bottles to keep my going. Although I'm reverting mostly to solid shampoos, this is one I'm happy to make an exception for. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Bay Infusion (Laurus Nobilis), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Fresh Garden Mint (Mentha Arvensis), Lauramide DEA, Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Spearmint Oil (Mentha Viridis), Peppermint Oil (Mentha Piperita), Menthol, Perfume, Chlorophyll, Methylparben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Ice Blue Soap

There's something about this soap's crisp blue demeanour that catches the eye - it certainly did for me. Some would argue that the simplicity of it's design is actually detrimental to it's overall appeal - who wants to purchase a soap like this when you can have one with swirls and glitter, blocks of colour and shapes of stars - ladened with real fruit and honey or topped with fresh sea salt and oats? However, it was the soap's simplicity that intrigued me, and led me to buy a small chunk when I visited a Lush store the other day. 

Although a 'new' addition to Lush's current regular range, Ice Blue is not a brand new addition to the family; having been first introduced some eight years ago as part of their 2006 collection. Claiming to be both refreshing and uplifting, this product uses the power of peppermint and orange oil to create a crisp, clean mint-scented soap to awaken your senses and help freshen you up first thing in the morning.

This soap's dominating ingredient is peppermint oil. Firstly, this supplies the product with a wonderfully strong and natural mint fragrance, with just the slightest herbal undertones. Secondly, the oil stimulates the blood vessels and nerve endings in your body, which cools and soothes your body, leaving your skin feeling seriously clean and tingling slightly. Although you don't feel this sensation immediately, it's a wonderful feeling when you step out of the shower and towel yourself down. For the summer months, this would be the perfect company after a hot day on the beach or if your skin is feeling slightly parched or dehydrated.  

Although it's very subtle, Lush have also included both sweet wild orange oil and bergamot oil in here, which just adds the slightest note of citrus in the overall fragrance. I couldn't pick out either of these two ingredients until I had begun using it - the heat from the water will coax these scents out and add a touch of zest to the experience. 

In the shower, Ice Blue works as you would expect. Although it doesn't produce an amass of lather to clean yourself with, it does create enough foam to massage across your body. What I really liked about this soap, is that it leaves your skin velvety soft and highly moisturised, two effects you would not expect from a soap. It's quite stubborn at releasing any lather, producing more of a creamy, oily substance instead, although it still makes your body feel soft and clean. 

I find that this soap works better if you massage it directly onto your skin and not try to lather it between your palms. A bonus feature of this soap is that it lasts for ages, it's not one that tends to shrivel or shrink when it's come in contact with liquid, so don't be afraid to use this one directly under the shower hose. 

Once you've left the shower, the peppermint smell will linger on your body for a few hours after use, while your skin will feel clean, cool and smooth throughout the day. As you would expect with a soap that shares it's scent with Freeze Shower Gel, this is a uni-sex product, and one that works best at times when you just need that little extra something to awaken your senses. I would definitely buy this again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Fine Sea Salt, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Stearate, Perfume, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Bergamot Oil, Peppermint Oil, Coarse Sea Salt, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Karma Shower Gel

It probably comes as no surprise that I've rated Karma Shower Gel so highly in this review. Without sounding too obsessed, I consider the day that I discovered this scent to be a rather momentous occasion; it probably goes to show what little else I have to focus on in my life! Karma happens to be one of my all time favourite fragrances, and as you guys know, Lush's shower gels happen to be my favourite part of their range. So putting these two elements together was like the cherry on top of the world's best-ever vegan cake.

However, despite my excitement, my feelings towards Karma Shower Gel is also a little vexed in places: I am perplexed and somewhat saddened by the fact that this product has only ever been sold in limited edition batches, and released so seldomly that a single bottle on eBay can go for nearly twice the retail price because of it. For a product that possesses one of Lush's all-time top selling fragrances, further proven by the permanent feature of both a bubble bar and body lotion in this scent within their range, I have no idea why Lush are so keen to keep this product out of the limelight. 

Aside from this SMALL annoyance, the actual product itself is truly wonderful and a delight to use. It's a thick shower gel, similar in consistency to the likes of Dirty Springwash and B-Electro shower gels. It lathers up fairly easily and a small blob goes a long way, meaning I can extend the life of this rare bottle for longer than other shower gels. Furthermore, this shower gel also works wonders in the tub, creating a mountain of gorgeous smelling bubbles to cocoon yourself in whilst bathing. However, I wouldn't recommend that you use this shower gel in this way very often, as it's a sure fine way to finish the bottle up a lot quicker.

My first bath of this shower gel came to me a couple of years out of date so I was a little worried about the consistency and 'freshness' of the product. However, the shower gel was still a thick, gloopy liquid, reminiscent of Lush's other shower gels, so I was happy that the product was still usable. Although it looks brown, the gel comes out as a pretty burnt autumnal orange colour, which is different from any of Lush's other shower gels. The scent was also 'intact',  giving off it's beautiful fragrance the second I removed the lid and took a sniff. 

As with the perfume, bubble bar and body lotion of the same name, Karma Shower Gel is comprised of a few key ingredients that make it's fragrance so wonderful. Karma is an ambient fragrance reminiscent of the sixties. Spicy orange oil is definitely the heart and soul of this fragrance, with warm, earthy hints of patchouli to compliment the main scent. An occasional burst of lavender gives it a herbal touch and pine oil seals the deal, making this a multi-layered festivity of smells. The scent is both sweet and citrusy, and reminds me of those old-fashioned cola bottle sweets you used to get when you were little. Yet it is somehow quite a mature smelling gel, and one that wouldn't go amiss on people of all ages. 

What is great about this product is that it is so hydrating and wonderfully nourishing. Once you've lathered yourself up, your body feels instantly silky soft and a gentle scent lingers on your skin. This effect lasts for a good many hours and can be topped up with any of Lush's other Karma-scented products.  

Even though most of the Karma range is supposed to share an identical scent, I found that this shower gel was slightly less spicy and more subtle smelling than the soap and perfume. In the bottle, it is the orange that comes through the most, and when it's being used in the shower, the lemongrass compliments this through the heat of the water. Although it's clearly 'Karma', it definitely doesn't smell completely identical to the other products.

As you can imagine, I would give my left leg for Lush to bring this back as a permanent addition to their shower gels. It offers a scent far different and more complex than anything from the current range, and would be, without a doubt, a best-selling product. Although I am really excited that I've been able to top up my stash from this latest Lush Kitchen release, I really hope it becomes a more permanent fixture. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Perfume, Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Lavendin Oil (Lavendula hybrida), Pine Oil (Pinus), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogan flexuosus), Elemi Oil (Canarium commune), Sodium Chloride, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides).

Vegan?: Yes.

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Hippy Chick Ballistic

The most exciting aspect about the Lush Kitchen initiative, is the endless possibilities of older, hard-to-find ballistics making a reappearance. Many hours of my life have been spent traipsing through websites ladened with bath bombs and cosmetics from the inception of Lush. Further hours have been spent searching eBay, buying up any discontinued products I can find - a task that often appears fairly fruitless. Even when I am lucky enough to pick up a handful of rare beauties, there's always the issue that many of them do not smell or perform as well as they used to. 

Hippy Chick is one of Lush's older ballistics, first appearing in 2010 as part of their limited edition Easter range. Although this is a beautiful smelling bath bomb, I find it a little baffling that this was Lush's first choice for release - there are far more popular and talked about bath products amongst Lush fans. 

Sharing it's scent with Happy Hippy Shower Gel, this beautiful smelling ballistic is packed full of essential oils to soothe your skin, uplift your senses and declutter your mind. You'll find a combination of grapefruit, bergamot and olibanum oil in here - all of which help to create the wonderfully light, fruity scent that greets you immediately upon opening it's packet. 

This ballistic is definitely one of the strongest-smelling ones to grace my house in a while, but that does not mean that the smell is particularly potent. Hippy Chick has a fresh, zesty and highly citrus scent, yet it's offers something different to the usual humdrum of lemon-scented cosmetics. Unlike many of the ballistics I've had recently that lose their smell very quickly, this one continues to give off it's wonderful aroma throughout the entire bathing experience, and lingers on your skin and in your bathroom for hours after use. 

Unfortunately, this bath bomb is very quick to dissolve in the bath and doesn't change the colour or consistency of the water at all. This is great for those of you who enjoy baths but don't want any of the theatrics, but for £3.25, I was expecting a little more for my buck. 

What Hippy Chick does offer however, is a relaxing bath full of essential oils that cleanse, soften and moisturise the skin and leave you feeling distressed and beautiful. It's a great bath bomb for those early mornings, when you're in need of something to perk you up. And coupled with Happy Hippy Shower Gel or Lush's recent Prince Charming Shower Gel, this product is a sure fine way to reenergise your body and mind for the day.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Oil, Bergamot Oil, Olibanum Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Colour 15510.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Demon In The Dark Soap

Demon In The Dark is perhaps the all-time greatest name for a soap, sharing it's title with a rare shower gel that Lush released very scrupulously many years ago. Last year, I was incredible lucky to get my hands on a large bottle of the shower gel, so I knew what fragrance to expect with this product. However, what I was not prepared for, was the strange, unique and very interesting design that the soap arrived to me as.

Firstly, this soap has a thin layer of black wax that coats the outer sides of the product. As all of Lush's other soaps do not display this characteristic, I assume that it's been placed there for effect as opposed to function. Before being cut up for sale, this wax coats the entirety of the block, thus casing the soap within a black cocoon and giving ode to the name, Demon In The Dark. 

Secondly, the soap is a rather dark, murky green colour with chunks of what I believe are peppermint leaves, scattered throughout the entire block. At first, I was a little befuddled when deciding whether it was ugliest looking soap I'd ever seen, or the most attractive. Conclusively, I believe it to be one of the weirdest but equally beautiful products to come from Lush.

Much like the shower gel, this soap is composed of fresh, organic apple juice with an infusion of mint; both spearmint and peppermint are featured here. The mint oils and fresh peppermint leaves help to give this soap an uplifting, invigorating mint fragrance, that stimulates the skin and leaves it feeling refreshed and cool - the apple juice adds it's own layer of sweet fruitiness and is very nourishing on the skin. 

Together, these three main scents create a strange concoction that you would naturally assume wouldn't work well at all together. You'd also be expected to think, as I did, that the mint ingredients would dominate the fragrance, creating a scent not unlike Freeze or Dirty. However, you'd be wrong to assume that.

First impressions gave me a balance of both peppermint and apple juice, a sharp, potent but equally warming smell. I wouldn't say that that these two ingredients go naturally together, so to begin with I was a little unsure about whether I liked the smell or not. I think this is definitely a fragrance that you have to grow accustomed to, I cannot imagine too many people falling in love with it instantly. 

As your senses become accustomed to it's strange aroma, you begin to notice the warming clove bud oil, which intertwines with the astringency of the apple juice, to form a complementary but rather unique twist.

Initially, I wasn't bowled over by Demon In the Dark, simply because it's scent didn't pertain the instant freshness of mint, nor the generic natural sweetness of apple. However, over time I came to appreciate the fact that this soap, just like it's shower gel brother, could have been far more acrid than it was, and it was Lush's weird and wonderful pairing that prevented it from being simply another generic mint-scented product. 

In the shower it lathered up well, although it produced more of an oily lather than a foam one. It was at this point that the sweetness of the juice came through a lot more and surprisingly, the mint took a back seat throughout use. Much like Ice Blue Soap, the peppermint did leave it's mark on your body and I found that my skin tingled slightly once I had patted myself dry. 

For those that find this soap works for them, you'll be interested to know that the soap seems to leave your skin looking slightly polished, without seeming greasy. Furthermore, if you love this scent, you'll be pleased to learn that it's smell lingers on your skin for a long time after your shower. Unfortunately, I found that this product left my skin a little on the dry side, which is why I wouldn't choose to use it again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Water (Aqua), Organic Apple Juice, Sodium Stearate, Dried Peppermint Leaf, Peppermint Oil, Spearmint Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium, Etidronate, Eugenol, Limonene, Perfume, Gardenia Extract, Colour 42090, Black Wax (Specerit Black Z).

Vegan?: Yes. 

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Competition Winner Announced!

Thank you to everyone who entered my latest competition - your support is very much appreciated. As per usual, to make it fair, I've picked my winner using the random number generator. 

This time the number 16 was picked;

Congratulations to schwabj for being the 16th entry, therefore being the sole winner of all of these amazing goodies! I will email you all of the details and hope to get these wonderful products out to you asap.

For those who weren't lucky this time around, keep checking my blog as I'm currently in the process of setting up another fantastic competition, featuring more amazing goodies from Lush's Kitchen range...

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Sakura Bath Bomb

Sakura bath ballistic is a Japanese-themed bath bomb, first released back in 2006. Sharing it's scent with the popular Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub and the lesser-known 17 Cherry Tree Lane Soap, Sakura translates as meaning 'cherry blossom'; a rather strange title to give a product, which I don't think, represents this in any way, shape or form. 

Scented with mimosa, jasmine, orange flower blossom and lemon oil, you would assume that this ballistic would be a rather fruity concoction. However, if I hadn't known that it shared it's scent with the above products, I would have been very surprised with what greeted me after opening the packet. 

To me, this bath bomb smells of a combination of sea salt and lemon - it's an almost savoury smell that wouldn't go amiss standing on the cliff tops during a stormy day. I can almost envisage the ocean lapping against the base of the coastline, while the excess salt from the sea swarms in the air and travels up your nose. It's a very fresh, clinical fragrance which does smell extremely potent before it has been dropped into the bath. Initially, I wasn't too keen on it, despite being a big fan of Rub Rub Rub. It's one thing to use the salty scrub to refresh and exfoliate your skin; it's another to bathe in, what is essentially salt.

However, once the bath bomb has dissolved in the water, the gentle floral elements of the jasmine and the sweet, floral and slightly woody aroma of the mimosa come through and make a much more enjoyable experience. 

To look at, Sakura is an interesting bath bomb and a rather mis-matched one in regards to the scent it gives off. It's design is made up of mostly a white top layer, with specks of fluorescent pink and forest green dotted all over it's body. To finish, there is a small cluster of turquoise-coloured salt that sits at the top of the ballistic, which when added to the tub, dissolves into the water and softens your skin. 

When added to the tub, this bath bomb dissolves very quickly, spewing out trails of white foam across the surface of the water. Unfortunately, Sakura offers little other colour or show, and what's left afterwards is a tub of murky, cloudy water to bathe in. 

On the positive side, the bath bomb is one of the strongest-scented one I have experienced from Lush in a long time. And even after it's fully dissolved in the water, the scent is very strong and stays with you throughout the entire experience. 

It's refreshing and very up-lifting, leaving you feeling really clean and invigorated afterwards. Furthermore, the addition of salt in the ingredients mean that the water is soft and hydrating - working hard to moisturise and repair your skin whilst you bathe. You leave the bath tub with beautiful smooth, velvety skin, which would be perfect after spending a long, dry and rather dehydrating day at the beach. 

However, I found that it's fragrance was rather one-dimensional and this grated on me after a little while. With Rub Rub Rub, I'm only using this for a few minutes at a time so it smells and feels really refreshing on skin. But when made to bathe in this smell for long periods of time, Sakura can be too harsh and potent on the senses, and for this reason, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. 

Ultimately, this is the perfect bath bomb to use if you need a little something to perk you up and refresh yourself with. However, it's not something I would be able to use regularly, unless I coupled it with something more floral or fruity to balance out it's fragrance.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Fine Sea Salt, Lemon Oil, Mimosa Absolute, Orange Flower Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Gardenia Extract, Citral, Limonene, Lilial, Colour 42090, Colour 14700, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes. 

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