Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar

As far as ideas go, this new concept is definitely very sweet and quirky, but I’d definitely say it’s more suited as a seasonal gift as opposed to a staple item in your collection. Only time will tell whether or not these jars will leave a lasting impression on Lush fans, although I can imagine this is not the last we will see of them...

Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar is one of two limited edition 'naked boxes' to make themselves known this Christmas. While brand new to the seasonal range, neither of them offer new scents - with this one, not surprisingly, sharing its scent with the popular Snow Fairy Range.

With an astonishing number of new products released in the scent this year, Snow Fairy fans are being spoiled rotten with their sweet, musky seasonal favourite. While this jar is reminiscent of the numerous products in this fragrance, I really liked the fact that this one was a little more powdery and a little less sickly-sweet than the shower gel. Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar is probably closer to Candy Fluff and the Liquid Perfume than anything: it’s a little more reserved and thus more exquisite because of this.

Contain an amalgamation of different butters and oils, the sparkle jars firstly work as massage bars. Simply massage them across your body and the heat will gently melt a thin layer away to moisturise and nourish your skin. I found that this one was a little stubborn to use at first, and I would recommend that you use it immediately after a shower or bath, as the heat will help the jar to be a little less stubborn when releasing those oils. If used when you’re cold, you could find that the product will leave sticky streaks across your skin, and you may need to rinse yourself and start again.  

As well as a massage bar, this product contains a filling of dusting powder - which should be used after you’ve applied the oils, to soften your skin further and leave a layer of sparkle to your skin. Although my picture shows that I severed the lid off to access the powder, you are supposed to pierce the two holes in the top and then sprinkle it into your skin. 

If using Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar, you need to be aware of two important things. Firstly, the massage bar is technically hollow inside, so you cannot apply as much pressure as you might normally do with a regular massage bar. In addtion, you may want to keep your eye on how much powder you have left inside (the more you use the jar), as if the outer layer thins too much after, you could end up with a messy spillage.

Secondly, the dusting power will leave a faint pink ‘glow’ across the areas of skin that you apply it to, and there will be a shimmer of silver lustre as well. For this reason, I would think carefully about when and how you’re using the sparkle jar, as this probably wouldn’t be very appropriate  to use all of the time. Having said that, I’m sure that most people who choose to use this, will probably have made me peace with both of these ideas beforehand.

While the concept was adorable and definitely something I would add to a small gift hamper or stocking, I don’t think this is a product that I would use regularly. Although always one for a Sparkle-fest, I am not overly bowled over by the Snow Fairy scent anymore, and I do had my limits when it comes to how much lustre I want to coat my skin in.

Another aspect that will prevent me from buying another is that I don’t find my skin particularly benefits from the butters and oils, anywhere near to the same standard as a regular massage bar. This is definitely more about the novelty than the nourishment of the skin - something I need to ensure does happen during the colder months.

Ultimately, I love that Lush are trying out new ideas, and this will prove really popular throughout the seasonal months. Snow Fairy fans will appreciate a new product to try their hands at, and handfuls of these will find themselves as gifts for certain. However, I will continue to use my Sparkle Jar every now and then, but I don’t have any interest in buying another one before they disappear.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao) ,Corn Starch (Zea mays), Sodium Bicarbonate, Magnesium Carbonate, Fragrance, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Musk (Ethylene Brassylate), Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide (Tin oxide), Iron Oxides, *Limonene, *Citral Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Red 7, Red 27, Lake. *Occurs naturally in essential oils.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

Best Washes Wash Card
Bubblegum Lip Scrub
Candy Fluff Ballistic
Candy Fluff Perfume
Candy Fluff Dusting Powder
Fairy Dust Dusting Powder
Father Christmas Bath Bomb
Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb
Godmother Soap
Lush Mechanic Cold-Pressed Soap
Magic Wand Bubble Bar
Melting Marshmallow Moment Bath Oil
Mmmelting Marshmallow Bath Melt
Pink Easter Egg Ballistic
Snow Fairy Body Conditioner
Snow Fairy Body Spray
Snow Fairy Cold-Pressed Soap
Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb
Snow Fairy Lip Tint
Snow Fairy Liquid Perfume
Snow Fairy Naked Body Conditioner
Snow Fairy Naked Shower Gel
Snow Fairy Shower Gel
Snow Fairy Solid Perfume
Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar

Snow Fairy Sparkle Massage Bar

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Fever Massage Bar

Lush cite their inspiration behind this massage bar as the 1950's revolution of smells - a time when manufacturers of perfumes were beginning to step outside the box and create new fragrances that were unlike any the world had ever experienced before. It was during this time that companies brought out some unique and rather iconic smells - ones that still influence many of the perfumes created today.

Fever Massage Bar was created to play homage to this exciting time - to extenuate the independent women of the 50's and produce a classic fragrance that would epitomise this era as well as add a modern day twist. Lush have done this wonderfully. 

With rose and jasmine absolute and sandalwood oil listed in the ingredients list, this sounds like another typical floral smell in the making. Yet it is distinctively different and magically captivating. It needs to be experienced to really understand the beauty and class of such a smell.

This product smells very heavily of rose - a crisp, natural smell that immediately awakens your senses and improves your mood. Coupled with this is a rather generous helping of jasmine which compliments the rose and gives the bar a natural sweetness. To top it off, the sandalwood oil adds a deep, rich and very sultry layer of scent. This gives Fever a very heady, woody aroma.

The massage bar reminds me of a combination of Potion Body Lotion and Tisty Tosty Ballistic - a musky, dried floral aroma that has it's roots dipped in old-fashioned fragrances but offers consumers a modern day twist as well. 

The consistency of this massage bar is spot on; it was fairly easy to melt without it releasing too much oil at once. It glided over my body wonderfully and then dissolved into my skin fairly quickly, not leaving any greasy marks behind. What is also great, is that this bar is one of the longer lasting ones; I got a good sixteen uses out of it, whereas some bars I only get 3-4. Bare in mind though that I use these bars as alternatives to body lotions, so I'm not using them for a prolonged amount of time. You may find that, when used as a massage bar, it actually only has a couple of uses out of it.  

The smell of Fever stayed with me long after I had applied it to my skin and I loved the fact that it's dominant scent engulfed my bedroom - I could smell little else for the whole time I had the bar in use. My skin felt really moisturised and soft for a good couple of days after using this so I didn't have to worry about reapplying this after every shower. They say you shouldn't be moisturising daily anyway so it was nice to see the results of Fever still going strong some 48+ hours after I had initially applied it.

I would love to see Lush bring back this massage bar alongside some of the other products scented with the fragrance. It's a very powerful aroma and one that will leave you feeling well-pampered and contented. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Perfume, Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album) , Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Benzyl Salicylate, Eugenol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Colour 73360.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

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Fever Massage Bar

Lush cite their inspiration behind this massage bar as the 1950's revolution of smells - a time when manufacturers of perfumes were beginning to step outside the box and create new fragrances that were unlike any the world had ever experienced before. It was during this time that companies brought out some unique and rather iconic smells - ones that still influence many of the perfumes created today.

Fever Massage Bar was created to play homage to this exciting time - to extenuate the independent women of the 50's and produce a classic fragrance that would epitomise this era as well as add a modern day twist. Lush have done this wonderfully. 

With rose and jasmine absolute and sandalwood oil listed in the ingredients list, this sounds like another typical floral smell in the making. Yet it is distinctively different and magically captivating. It needs to be experienced to really understand the beauty and class of such a smell.

This product smells very heavily of rose - a crisp, natural smell that immediately awakens your senses and improves your mood. Coupled with this is a rather generous helping of jasmine which compliments the rose and gives the bar a natural sweetness. To top it off, the sandalwood oil adds a deep, rich and very sultry layer of scent. This gives Fever a very heady, woody aroma.

The massage bar reminds me of a combination of Potion Body Lotion and Tisty Tosty Ballistic - a musky, dried floral aroma that has it's roots dipped in old-fashioned fragrances but offers consumers a modern day twist as well. 

The consistency of this massage bar is spot on; it was fairly easy to melt without it releasing too much oil at once. It glided over my body wonderfully and then dissolved into my skin fairly quickly, not leaving any greasy marks behind. What is also great, is that this bar is one of the longer lasting ones; I got a good sixteen uses out of it, whereas some bars I only get 3-4. Bare in mind though that I use these bars as alternatives to body lotions, so I'm not using them for a prolonged amount of time. You may find that, when used as a massage bar, it actually only has a couple of uses out of it.  

The smell of Fever stayed with me long after I had applied it to my skin and I loved the fact that it's dominant scent engulfed my bedroom - I could smell little else for the whole time I had the bar in use. My skin felt really moisturised and soft for a good couple of days after using this so I didn't have to worry about reapplying this after every shower. They say you shouldn't be moisturising daily anyway so it was nice to see the results of Fever still going strong some 48+ hours after I had initially applied it.

I would love to see Lush bring back this massage bar alongside some of the other products scented with the fragrance. It's a very powerful aroma and one that will leave you feeling well-pampered and contented. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Perfume, Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album) , Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Benzyl Salicylate, Eugenol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Colour 73360.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

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Ego Massage Bar

I have been eyeing up this particular massage bar for quite a while now. A part of me wanted to rip open the plastic wrapper and slather it all over my body, while a part of me has refrained from doing so because I know it's no longer available on the site. I hate discovering new favourite products when they've already been discontinued. 

Ego Massage Bar is one of Lush's oldest massage bars and first made an appearance some fifteen years ago. Designed to boost the self esteem of someone who needs their ego stroked, this product is packed with essential oils and butters to soften, moisturise and nourish the skin as well as the mind. 

To use the massage bar, you can do one of two things. I tend to warm my hands up a little before carefully rubbing the bar all over my body. Once I've smeared enough on my skin, I then use my hands to massage it all over evenly. You can also use the warmth of your hands to melt the massage bar somewhat, before using this to smother it all over your skin like you would a normal lotion. 

To make this bar different from the many that Lush offer, this one contains lavender, tarragon and rosemary oils which give this massage bar a wonderful herbal fragrance. Whereas at first, I was a little worried that these ingredients would be too overpowering, I was surprised and relieved to find that they are very subtle in the overall aroma of Ego. 

The lavender oil is definitely the more dominant ingredient here, although it only adds a subtle note to the bar; the tarragon and rosemary add a very gentle but equally gorgeous scent. Together, this bar gives off a calming, sensual herbal aroma that works wonderfully on your skin without being too potent on the senses. This is a bar you would use if you want a deep moisturise without being left smelling like a forest. 

What is great about Ego is that it's rather a large massage bar, so if you love the scent and the way it works on your skin, you'll get a lot more uses out of it than a regular bar. It's rather plain to look at - with it's name etched into the surface. However, I am always more interested in how it works with my skin as opposed to it's design. In fact, it is often the more elaborate-looking bars that are less effective on the skin - so the simpler the better, I say. 

Unfortunately, like a lot of Lush's massage bars, this one is a little stubborn at releasing it's oils and I have to make sure my hands are heated as much as they can before I begin to use this product. Once on the skin, this massage bar produces oils that do take a bit of time to absorb into the body, so this is not a product you would use if you're short for time.

Ego is definitely a bar to use for an intensive moisturising experience, not as an everyday moisturiser. I say this because it takes a good 10-20 minutes for the oils to penetrate the skin and leave you feeling smooth, and when I used this for a few days running, I found that my skin became a little oily and felt 'heavy'.

Despite this, this massage bar is very gentle on the skin and like most of the other bars, helped me to unwind before bed. The gentle lavender fragrance really helped me to relax, while the motion of applying this to my body released any tension I had in my muscles and coaxed me into a deep sleep.

This is definitely one I would invest in again and I hope that Lush chose to bring it back soon.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Lavender Oil, Tarragon oil, Rosemary Oil, Geranium, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: 

Scent Family:

Ego Massage Bar

Ooh La La Soap

Year Of Original Release: 1998.

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Ego Massage Bar

I have been eyeing up this particular massage bar for quite a while now. A part of me wanted to rip open the plastic wrapper and slather it all over my body, while a part of me has refrained from doing so because I know it's no longer available on the site. I hate discovering new favourite products when they've already been discontinued. 

Ego Massage Bar is one of Lush's oldest massage bars and first made an appearance some fifteen years ago. Designed to boost the self esteem of someone who needs their ego stroked, this product is packed with essential oils and butters to soften, moisturise and nourish the skin as well as the mind. 

To use the massage bar, you can do one of two things. I tend to warm my hands up a little before carefully rubbing the bar all over my body. Once I've smeared enough on my skin, I then use my hands to massage it all over evenly. You can also use the warmth of your hands to melt the massage bar somewhat, before using this to smother it all over your skin like you would a normal lotion. 

To make this bar different from the many that Lush offer, this one contains lavender, tarragon and rosemary oils which give this massage bar a wonderful herbal fragrance. Whereas at first, I was a little worried that these ingredients would be too overpowering, I was surprised and relieved to find that they are very subtle in the overall aroma of Ego. 

The lavender oil is definitely the more dominant ingredient here, although it only adds a subtle note to the bar; the tarragon and rosemary add a very gentle but equally gorgeous scent. Together, this bar gives off a calming, sensual herbal aroma that works wonderfully on your skin without being too potent on the senses. This is a bar you would use if you want a deep moisturise without being left smelling like a forest. 

What is great about Ego is that it's rather a large massage bar, so if you love the scent and the way it works on your skin, you'll get a lot more uses out of it than a regular bar. It's rather plain to look at - with it's name etched into the surface. However, I am always more interested in how it works with my skin as opposed to it's design. In fact, it is often the more elaborate-looking bars that are less effective on the skin - so the simpler the better, I say. 

Unfortunately, like a lot of Lush's massage bars, this one is a little stubborn at releasing it's oils and I have to make sure my hands are heated as much as they can before I begin to use this product. Once on the skin, this massage bar produces oils that do take a bit of time to absorb into the body, so this is not a product you would use if you're short for time.

Ego is definitely a bar to use for an intensive moisturising experience, not as an everyday moisturiser. I say this because it takes a good 10-20 minutes for the oils to penetrate the skin and leave you feeling smooth, and when I used this for a few days running, I found that my skin became a little oily and felt 'heavy'.

Despite this, this massage bar is very gentle on the skin and like most of the other bars, helped me to unwind before bed. The gentle lavender fragrance really helped me to relax, while the motion of applying this to my body released any tension I had in my muscles and coaxed me into a deep sleep.

This is definitely one I would invest in again and I hope that Lush chose to bring it back soon.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Lavender Oil, Tarragon oil, Rosemary Oil, Geranium, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: 

Scent Family:

Ego Massage Bar

Ooh La La Soap

Year Of Original Release: 1998.

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Love Potion Massage Bar

It was only a few months ago, that I began using massage bars as an alternative to body lotions. At first, I was a little hesitant to make that switch, as I was unconvinced that a slab of solid oils could properly moisturise my skin in the same way that liquid lotions could. However, the more I've been using these bars recently, the more I've realised that they have perks that outweigh that of a liquid alternative. Just one of the benefits that I can think of, is that there is something rather therapeutic and relaxing about using a massage bar. It really helps to de-stress your entire body and mind, perhaps due to the pressure that you apply to your body when you rub on the oils.    

Love Potion Massage Bar is perfumed with Lush's best-selling Love fragrance; a light, sexy apple scent with citrusy top notes and a strong jasmine undercurrent. Released as a limited edition Valentine's Day product back in 2012, the bar was one of the first to be sold with the addition of cornflour in the ingredients list. As well as the soft, melty cocoa and Shea butters, the flour was added to absorb any excess oils left on your skin after application. This means that you can moisturise and soften your skin without worrying about it being left greasy.

I was lucky enough to win two of these massage bars a few months back, and to begin with I was worried that they would be 'past' their shelf-life. However, I was pleased to discover that they were just as potent smelling and fresh as if they had been newly-bought that day.

The Love Potion is set apart from other massage bars because of it's appearance; a milky-cream coloured bottle shape with a baby-pink shaped heart etched into the middle. Its smell hits you immediately, before you've even began to use it; freshly baked cinnamon and apple scones - a rich, warm and spicy scent with just a hint of citrus tang. There are elements of jasmine here, and of ylang ylang and rose, but these ingredients all play a subtle part in helping to layer and deepen the overall fragrance of the bar. I absolutely loved the smell and found that it lingers on your body for a good few hours after using it. 

To melt the bar you can either rub it between the palms of your hands and then smear the oils onto the areas of your body you wish to moisturise. Or you can run the bar over your skin, after you've had a bath or shower, and then massage the excess liquid into your skin. The combination of different butters and oils helps to leave your skin feeling really smooth and soft after application, although I did find the consistency of Love Potion to be a little stickier than some of the massage bars I've used recently. I would like to point out however, that this latter point could have been caused by the age of the massage bar, and I'd have to try a fresher one to compare it to mine. 

The product shares it scent with Lush's unique Love Perfume, a favourite amongst Lush fans. I happen to own a bottle of the perfume myself, and was able to compare the difference in scents between the massage bar and it's liquid sibling. What I found was that perfume seemed to harvest a much stronger citrus scent, which is somewhat overpowering when it's sprayed onto your skin. Although it's still a lovely smell, I much prefer the scent of the massage bar as it's a lot easier to pick out the different layers of smells that have been used, making it a more homely, comforting fragrance.

Ultimately, this is a product I would love to use again. Although the scents are very different, it reminded me a little of Artemis Cream Body Lotion in the fact that it's a very comforting smell. Love Lotion really did feel less greasy and oily than other massage bars, yet it still moisturised my skin just as throughly. The inclusion of Rose and Jasmine absolute not only helped to padden out the overall fragrance, but added a calming element which helped to reduce both the tension in my muscles and any stress that I was harvesting in my mind at the time. As I mentioned above, it's a very therapeutic experience, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would definitely buy this massage bar if it was released again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Cornflour, Apple Blossom and Orris Root Infusion, Fair Trade Olive Oil, Kaolin, Perfume, Fresh Carnation, Bergamot Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Lemongrass Oil, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Magnesium Carbonate, Snowflake Lustre, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Famesol, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Colour 73360.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £7.25 each.

2016 Price: £7.25 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
Fizzbanger Bath Bomb
Lonely Hearts Bubble Bar
Love Apple Bubble Bar
Love Perfume
Love Potion Massage Bar

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Love Potion Massage Bar

It was only a few months ago, that I began using massage bars as an alternative to body lotions. At first, I was a little hesitant to make that switch, as I was unconvinced that a slab of solid oils could properly moisturise my skin in the same way that liquid lotions could. However, the more I've been using these bars recently, the more I've realised that they have perks that outweigh that of a liquid alternative. Just one of the benefits that I can think of, is that there is something rather therapeutic and relaxing about using a massage bar. It really helps to de-stress your entire body and mind, perhaps due to the pressure that you apply to your body when you rub on the oils.    

Love Potion Massage Bar is perfumed with Lush's best-selling Love fragrance; a light, sexy apple scent with citrusy top notes and a strong jasmine undercurrent. Released as a limited edition Valentine's Day product back in 2012, the bar was one of the first to be sold with the addition of cornflour in the ingredients list. As well as the soft, melty cocoa and Shea butters, the flour was added to absorb any excess oils left on your skin after application. This means that you can moisturise and soften your skin without worrying about it being left greasy.

I was lucky enough to win two of these massage bars a few months back, and to begin with I was worried that they would be 'past' their shelf-life. However, I was pleased to discover that they were just as potent smelling and fresh as if they had been newly-bought that day.

The Love Potion is set apart from other massage bars because of it's appearance; a milky-cream coloured bottle shape with a baby-pink shaped heart etched into the middle. Its smell hits you immediately, before you've even began to use it; freshly baked cinnamon and apple scones - a rich, warm and spicy scent with just a hint of citrus tang. There are elements of jasmine here, and of ylang ylang and rose, but these ingredients all play a subtle part in helping to layer and deepen the overall fragrance of the bar. I absolutely loved the smell and found that it lingers on your body for a good few hours after using it. 

To melt the bar you can either rub it between the palms of your hands and then smear the oils onto the areas of your body you wish to moisturise. Or you can run the bar over your skin, after you've had a bath or shower, and then massage the excess liquid into your skin. The combination of different butters and oils helps to leave your skin feeling really smooth and soft after application, although I did find the consistency of Love Potion to be a little stickier than some of the massage bars I've used recently. I would like to point out however, that this latter point could have been caused by the age of the massage bar, and I'd have to try a fresher one to compare it to mine. 

The product shares it scent with Lush's unique Love Perfume, a favourite amongst Lush fans. I happen to own a bottle of the perfume myself, and was able to compare the difference in scents between the massage bar and it's liquid sibling. What I found was that perfume seemed to harvest a much stronger citrus scent, which is somewhat overpowering when it's sprayed onto your skin. Although it's still a lovely smell, I much prefer the scent of the massage bar as it's a lot easier to pick out the different layers of smells that have been used, making it a more homely, comforting fragrance.

Ultimately, this is a product I would love to use again. Although the scents are very different, it reminded me a little of Artemis Cream Body Lotion in the fact that it's a very comforting smell. Love Lotion really did feel less greasy and oily than other massage bars, yet it still moisturised my skin just as throughly. The inclusion of Rose and Jasmine absolute not only helped to padden out the overall fragrance, but added a calming element which helped to reduce both the tension in my muscles and any stress that I was harvesting in my mind at the time. As I mentioned above, it's a very therapeutic experience, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would definitely buy this massage bar if it was released again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Cornflour, Apple Blossom and Orris Root Infusion, Fair Trade Olive Oil, Kaolin, Perfume, Fresh Carnation, Bergamot Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Lemongrass Oil, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Magnesium Carbonate, Snowflake Lustre, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Famesol, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Colour 73360.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £7.25 each.

2016 Price: £7.25 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
Fizzbanger Bath Bomb
Lonely Hearts Bubble Bar
Love Apple Bubble Bar
Love Perfume
Love Potion Massage Bar

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Black Magic Massage Bar

Black Magic is definitely not your typical massage bar - to look at or to use. First released some eight years ago, Lush describe it as a product 'for inspiring those men who wish women were supplied with an instruction book, the ones who take a rather mechanical approach to everything.' What they mean by this I have no idea, but I was intrigued nonetheless. 

The first stark difference between this and Lush's usual massage bars, is that this is more of a block than a bar. In fact, it reminds me a little of the chocolates you get in gift boxes - those miniature cube-shaped delights you wolf down during Christmas time. I figure, with a name like Black Magic, this product has to have been influenced by the classic chocolate selection box.

Despite its design, you wouldn't immediately assume that there was any chocolate in the ingredients list, as the smell that hits you when you remove the product from the packaging is highly floral. Made from a combination of clary sage, geranium and ylang ylang, the scent that engulfs you from the initial sniff is a dry but potent flowery smell. To me, the geranium dominates its fragrance, and it is bursts of this that linger on your skin all day. 

Lush claim that clary sage is said to 'help bring out deeper responses', whilst the geranium is used 'to inspire warmth and fantasy.' Whatever the reasons for their inclusion, these two radiate and overpower most of the other ingredients, creating a fragrance not unlike the rose scent that you get with Tisty Tosty Ballistic - it's definitely something you have to get used to. However, there is also an element of bitterness from the inclusion of the dark chocolate, and this works alongside the floral components to create a very sharp and very unique fragrance. Black Magic is by far the most potent-smelling massage bar I've yet to come across and it stunk out my room for the entirety of the two weeks I was using it.

As with all other massage bars that Lush offer, there are different reasons for using them as well as different methods to help you make the most out of one. As the name suggests, these bars are predominantly created for the purpose of being used during massages. This means that the masseur has time to melt the oils between their hands and rub into the skin.

With Black Magic, this is definitely the most effective way to use the bar as it didn't work that well as a body lotion. As the massage bar is topped with a layer of dark chocolate, when this bar begins to melt, it makes a bit of a mess; when you rub the cream section, it acts like a normal massage bar and bleeds oils onto you skin. However, when using the chocolate part, your skin ends up being covered in murky, brown looking smears. These then have to be either wiped off with a towel or properly massaged into the skin, which takes a bit of time to do so. Furthermore, these smears will also stain any clothing that comes in contact with your skin, so you have to be extra careful when using it. 

Normally, I would use this massage bar as an alternative to my normal body lotion; I don't often have the time or the 'hands' to use it for its main purpose. However, Black Magic definitely doesn't work well if it's in a rushed situation.  

Although I did enjoy the smell of this massage bar, and it did leave my skin feeling and smelling lovely, I wasn't happy with how much of a mess it left my skin and clothes in, and there are far better massage bars to choose from. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Dark Chocolate, Shea Butter, Ylang Ylang Petal Oil, Geranium Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Eugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £8.95 for 95g.

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