Overwhelmed with the amount of new products that I had bought during my initial visit to the Oxford Street store, it wasn't until a couple of weeks later that I found myself unwrapping my slab of this soap...and being completely floored by the aroma that greeted me out of the packet.
While I don't know why Lush have combined the symbolism of the maypole with this particular fragrance, all I can say is that it works. Containing both peppermint oil and maple syrup, this product has a stunning scent that reminds me very much of mint humbugs or the rock you find in seaside shops. The peppermint is very much at the forefront here - offering a refreshing, uplifting and very clean-smelling soap. Alongside this is the maple syrup, which not only prevents the mint from being too sharp or overbearing, but adds a rich, honeyed sweetness that makes this soap smell so good that you'll find it difficult not to sink your teeth in and take a bite. It's a very 'foody' smell overall, but unfortunately that doesn't make it edible for the consumer.
As well as adding to the wonderful scent, the latter ingredient also works on improving the condition of your skin and adding a radiance to it to give your body a natural, healthy glow. The rapeseed and coconut oil then work on nourishing and moisturising the body - leaving pores clean and clear and feeling really smooth.
What impressed me about Maypole was how generous it lathered up in the shower - producing a thick, creamy lather to massage all over your body. A little amount of water produced a surplus amount of foam to work with, and for those that like this scent, the smell does linger on your skin for many hours after use. It also permeated my bathroom for hours, so if you love this fragrance, you'll be able to enjoy it long after you'd left the shower. The product leaves your skin feeling really clean and soft, although it did dry my hands out a little when I was massaging this between my palms. I focused mostly on using this soap on my legs and found that it worked as a great alternative to shaving cream. It kept my legs moisturised and lubricated but taut enough that I didn't cut myself whilst shaving.
A 100g block will set you back £3.10, which makes it one of the cheapest soaps you can buy from Lush, and definitely a bargain given its productivity and fragrance. It is also quite a compact soap so will last a lot longer than the softer variations you can get. If you keep this dry between uses, a chunk could easily last you up to two months, which makes it good value for money.
I would love for Lush to bring this out in body lotion format as it's simply stunning - a soap that I will buy again and again and use throughout the entire year. While I think it'll work well as a product to cool and refresh you in the hotter months, it would be equally comforting in the colder months. A wonderful new addition to the Lush family, I say. Quantitative Ingredients: Rapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera), Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Sorbitol, Perfume, Canadian Maple Syrup, Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), Sodium Stearate, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Colour 17200, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Colour 42090.
Vegan?: Yes.
2015 Price: £3.10 for 100g.
Year Of Original Release: 2015.
Maypole Soap
Salt And Peppermint Bark Body Scrub
