Showing posts with label Vanilla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vanilla. Show all posts

Lord Of Misrule Body Spray


For most Lush fans, we all knew that this body spray was being released into the world - it was just a matter of when, and for how long. Furthermore, given the nature of this scent family, it was never a case of wondering whether it would be any good: the question was always, just how great was it actually going to be? The answer: superb!

Lord Of Misrule has established itself as not only my favourite fragrances from Lush, but one that is universally celebrated across the Lush globe. The initial release of the bath bomb, back in 2014, made an immediate rapport within the community, and is perhaps one of the most (if not the most) popular bath bomb to ever grace the Lush shelves each year. 

Made using a combination of patchouli, black pepper and tonka absolute, this scent is one both rich and spicy on the senses. The combination is incredibly warming and comforting from the moment the scent hits your skin: the patchouli adds a sweet and exotic; slightly spicy; slightly peppery note; while the black pepper brings a subtle heat to the aroma that creates a perfect, winter blanket to mask yourself behind. Moreover, the tonka offers a thick, musky note of vanilla - that not only creates a wholesome cloud of sweetness to envelop your senses in, but rounds the other notes off perfectly to create a combination so unique and so beautiful that it needs to be experienced to be believed.

When I first sprayed the body spray on my skin, I was amazed by how different it was to the liquid perfume. While the recognised 'Lord Of Misrule' essence was of course there, it was far-removed from the fragrance in many ways. In fact, Lord Of Misrule Body Spray smells very much like the original bath bomb. While the perfume has a strong thread of patchouli on top, with the tonka acting as a thick, sweet base note to round off the fragrance, the body spray sees all three components merging together far better, and the vanilla component is a little less sickly-sweet, and more powdery overall. 

You get more of the earthy side to the patchouli in the body spray; it's less heated and not as rich; the black pepper is not as fiery, and offers more of a gentle herbal note to pad out the scent. Overall, the aroma seems better suited for the fans of the original bath bomb, but may be a little disappointing for those who have developed a love for Rough With The Smooth and the limited edition body conditioner

On the skin, one spray is all it takes to offer a big burst of fragrance that will last you for a good few hours. I found that the body spray lasted a good 3-4 hours before I needed a top up, and even then I could still smell a faint presence of the smell still. While the liquid perfume lasts a good many hours more on the skin, this was something I was expecting, given how compact Lush perfumes normally are.

One thing that some may see as a negative about Lord Of Misrule Body Spray, is that the smell didn't really change or develop overtime on my skin or clothes. Instead, the scent just seemed to diminish slowly over time, with all three of the key components remaining interlocked together. Therefore, every burst of smell contained all three key notes: there was no dominating aspect here.

Overall, this body spray is a must have for Lord Of Misrule fans, and for £20, is an absolute steal. Whether you own the liquid perfume or not, this limited edition offers a much different experience, which means that no collection should be without either. If, like me, you fell in love with the bath bomb from day one, this is the perfect way to bask yourself in your infatuation, without having to hop into the bath every five minutes. I am completely and utterly smitten with this body spray, and only hope it makes another reappearance really soon. 

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Water, Perfume, Glycerine, Patchouli Oil, Black Pepper Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £20 for 200ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.



Funny Face FUN Bar



Before the Lush Kitchen released both this and the popular Keep It Fluffy Bath Bomb earlier this year, I had read about this amazing scent family but had never had the privilege of trying anything out first hand. While I saw the potential in the bath bomb when it arrived, I wasn't particularly bowled over by its performance. For this reason, it wasn't until this little beauty came into my life that I was finally able to appreciate how incredible this fragrance is, and now I dream of getting my hands on a fresh bottle of the liquid perfume.

Funny Face FUN Bar first made an appearance at the Lush Summit event earlier this year - a product that was initially overlooked because of the excitement surrounding many of the other exclusives that had made themselves known at the same time. However, a little hype was enough to get the Lush community into a bit of a frenzy, and the product sold out very quickly in the Lush Kitchen a few weeks later.   

Containing both vanilla and jasmine, this limited edition FUN Bar has an aroma that is so beautifully delicate, that it is this very subtlety that makes it as exquisite as it is. Showcasing a sweet and rather musky floral scent, there is something rather innocent and child-like about this smell - yet one that also offers something that is quite old-fashioned - to my senses at least.
It's what I would describe as being a very light, feminine fragrance. The notes of vanilla and rose really compliment each other - producing a musky, almost powdery floral aroma that is as sweet as it is sensual. It's a very 'pink' smelling fragrance, and reminds me a little of the scent you get when using a powderpuff.

Despite the light, delicate floral smells, there is something very foody about it at times. Don't get me wrong: it's not a smell that tantalises your tastebuds - just one reminiscent of icing sugar and sweet things - a powdery collaboration of what you might expect an old jar of marshmallows to smell like, from an old-fashioned sweet shop.

Despite the subtly of the overall fragrance, I was really surprised to discover that the scent was robust enough to last on the skin. Furthermore, I was impressed that I could still smell remnants of the aroma a good while after I had exited the shower. While it wasn't exactly the most moisturising affair (none of the FUN bars can offer this much), it did leave me feeling soft and clean - perhaps a little more successfully than most soaps would.
  
As with all of Lush's FUN bars, you can use this one in replacement of a shower gel, bubble bar or shampoo. To create bubbles in your bath, simply break off the amount that you wish to use and hold it under the running water. If you're using it in the shower, take a small grape-sized piece, add a little water and lather between your hands. 
My only warning about Funny Face is that you have to ensure that the product is kept both cool and dry in between uses. In addition, you need to ensure that the bar is stored in a container if you wish to keep it in the bathroom. If left exposed, FUN Bars will sweat and melt, and leave a horrible mess all over the counter it's perched on.

Overall, this product has done nothing but intensify my cravings for either a perfume or a body lotion in this fragrance, and I only hope that Lush will satisfy these urges at some point in the near future. I also hope that this FUN Bar makes a reappearance as well, as I could happily buy a couple more to tide me over.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Cornflour, Talc, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lemongrass oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Citronellol.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Funny Face Fun Bar
Keep It Fluffy Bath Bomb
Keep It Fluffy Liquid Perfume

Love Birds Soap

Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb




Here we go again, says the skeptic old-school Lush fan, who may have fallen in love with Snow Fairy back in the beginning, but has since moved on to bigger and better-smelling products. I'm sure there are many consumers who felt the same way as I did when this limited edition jelly bomb was first announced in the Lush Kitchen: disenchanted. 

While I have a very clouded viewpoint on the newly-designed jelly bombs at the moment, I cannot say that I was particularly enamoured with the idea of this one from the start. Neither the scent or the colour leant itself to my personal preferences, and I assumed that this would be one that I would use once and grimace.

Surprisingly, I actually found that Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb was a strong specimen of a product: a ballistic that not only showcased the fragrance truthfully and wonderfully, but one that worked a lot better at impressing me than nearly all of the other variations that I had tried before it.

True to the scent family, this rumoured-to-be Christmas product has a strong, sweet and very musky aroma - one that I can only describe as being like a cloudy bubble of raspberry candy floss, with a sprinkling of musky vanilla cupcakes thrown in for good measure. It's a light, youthful, powdery smell, and resembles the likes of Fairy Dust and Snow Fairy Liquid Perfume very much so.

For those who adore this fragrance, you'll be pleased to hear that it is as robust and as long-lasting as the shower gel, and I could still smell it in my bathroom a full twenty-four hours after I had used it in my tub. Furthermore, the smell is just as strong when you're in the water; it stays with you throughout the entire experience; and it lingers on your skin for a short while after you had towelled yourself down.

As with all of Lush's jelly bombs to date, this one immediately began to fizz as it hit the surface of the water: sending out waves of pastel-pink and white colour that would go on to set the precedence for the finished look. This one takes quite a while to disperse a lot of colour as the outer white layer tends to be the predominant colour to begin with.

Another pattern I'm noticing with the jelly bombs, which this one displayed as well, is that after a good ten minutes the product is still very much active on the surface of the water. In fact, I had to break a lot of the bath bomb down with my own hands as the jelly parts tend to prevent the ballistic from being able to fully dissolve by itself. 

What I was left with was a bath bomb with quite a number of pieces of jelly floating around the tub. While it would have been nice for these to have dissolved by themselves, they didn't really affect the overall experience that much, and I just needed to remember to rinse the rub afterwards to ensure these pieces didn't attach themselves to the base of the bath.

Having said that, I did find that a small number of pieces managed to attach themselves to my legs and back, and I did have massage these from my skin before I exited the tub. Although the water is normally always fairly hot in my baths, I do get the impression that all of Lush's jelly bombs should be exposed to water of a high temperature, to ensure that they dissolve as much as possible beforehand. 

Overall, Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb left my skin feeling really smooth and soft; the fragrance and colour of the water was exceptionally relaxing; and while I am not a huge fan of this smell that much, I really believe that this is a product that does the scent family well. For a bath bomb that I wasn't expecting to like, I would definitely invest in this again if it was to be released as part of the Christmas range. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonat,e Citric Acid, Sodium Alginate, Perfume, Cream of Tartar, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Musk, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide *Limonene, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 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




No Name Bubble Bar



No Name sounds like an odd choice for the name of a bubble bar - almost like Lush just couldn't be bothered to conjure up a name when it came to finalising the product. However, the story behind this limited edition gives its name a rather endearing touch, and it made me appreciate it even more when I discovered the meaning behind it.

As part of the Christmas range a few years ago, Lush brought out this nameless bubble bar and sent it to every store across the country. As each and every culture have their own name for the mythical creatures that feature in their yuletide celebrations, the company decided to let each store come up with their own name for the bubble bar. From classic elf names to down-right obscure results, this seasonal product brought that extra swish of magic to the holiday season.

With two adorable vegan chocolate eyes, No Name resembles the long distant cousin of The Bearded Lady Bubble Bar, although they are very different in scent. Containing lime and neroli as key ingredients, this limited edition is an uplifting, fruity experience - one that is very different from anything else that I have experienced from Lush before.

On the surface, this bubble bar smells like a super sweet glass of old-fashioned soda pop. Imagine the aroma of the jellied cola bottle sweets that you can buy as part of the Pic 'N' Mix range, and you'll be on the right path to imagining how this product smells from the packet. There is something very bright and slightly zesty about the lime. Yet there is almost a sweet, resinous note that rests beneath this, that allows the fruity element to settle. 

Alongside both of these ingredients is the inclusion of the vanilla absolute, which doesn't have a huge impact on the overall smell, but does offer a gentle touch of sweetness to the overall experience. Together, these three components create a very pleasant sweet and fruity aroma, that although different, might interest those people who enjoyed the Reindeer And Robin FUN Bar from last Christmas.

As with most of Lush's bubble bars, this one is easy enough to crumble under the running tap, and creates a generous amount of bubbles that decorate your bath. Given its size, you could easily halve or quarter No Name and use it across multiple baths, although I opted to use the full one for a truly decadent experience.

The bubble bar turns the water a beautiful shade of red, which is both warming and comforting at the same time. Furthermore, the water was lovely and softening the whole way through my experience, so my skin felt nourished and replenished after my bathing. Finally, the scent wasn't excessively strong when in use, but I was able to detect the lime and neroli while I was submerged under the blanket of bubbles, and there were traces of the fragrance in the bathroom for a while afterwards.

Although originally designed as a Christmas product, I really feel as if the scent of this is also very much suited to the warmer months of the year as well. There is never a bad time to enjoy a No Name in the tub, and I will definitely be buying a few more of these if they make an appearance in the near future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Lime Oil, Neroli Oil, Vanilla Absolute, *Limonene, *Linalool, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Vegan Dark Chocolate.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?


Choccy Egg Bath Bomb





Call it greed, call it being a little compulsive: I don't like not being able to try out certain products. While my veganism is a personal choice, and I could opt to use any of the cosmetics that feature honey, beeswax etc... if I wanted to, my ethics are not something that I willing to sacrifice, just to use a bath bomb. For this reason, I usually have to wear a sad expression at times and just except that there will always be releases that I have to live without.

Choccy Egg Bath Bomb used to be vegetarian, which was why I didn't even consider logging into the Lush Kitchen website on the day of its recent release. It both surprised and frustrated me a few days later then, when I discovered that the ballistic had been altered slightly, and now seemed to be vegan. Luckily, a few kind individuals managed to cough up a couple of spares for me to use and review, and I was gifted with a rather wonderful smelling parcel a few days later.

For its price tag, I was surprised to discover just how small the bath bomb was to begin with. Weighing in at roughly 120g, this product is only slightly bigger than the original Think Pink Bath Bomb, which does make it a little more of an investment than to begin with. In its favour however, it does possess the  longevity to see you through an entire bath.
Made from a combination of vanilla, cocoa and mimosa absolute, Choccy Egg is a decadent offering from Lush, but perhaps one that isn't what you'd expect it to be. From the get-go, I was amazed to discover that the bath bomb was far more floral than I was expecting. In fact, it was also far less 'chocolately' than I had envisioned as well.

I would describe the fragrance of this as a very floral, cocoa aroma. There is something very musky and sweet about the fragrance, which is reference to both the cocoa and vanilla. However, there is a powdery component which I can very much relate to the inclusion of the mimosa. Despite the cocoa absolute and dark chocolate flakes on the outside, I wouldn't describe this as being foody at all, and in fact it is far more rich and decadent than I expected it to be.

In the water, this ballistic begins to dissolve immediately - demonstrating quite an impressively loud fizz for such a small bath bomb. Despite its size, it also happened to captivate the tub, and indeed the bathroom, as I found that the scent was strong enough to last a good fair while in the water. I would say that using any potent-smelling products would probably thwart the aroma of this quite a bit, but it's strong enough to linger vaguely on your skin afterwards.

Disappointingly, this bath bomb does not heed any colour in the water, and the inclusion of the chocolate flakes doesn't make this bath bomb very enticing in the water. I found that a lot of the flakes took a while to dissolve, so there were a good many splodges of chocolate on the base of the tub for the first half of the bath. Once they have dissolve, they create a sort of murky, brown water, which is probably the least attractive colour you could possibly ask for.
Despite this, I did find that the inclusion of the cocoa butter made this a little more moisturising than some of Lush's other bath bombs, and my skin did feel the better for it afterwards. Furthermore, the chocolate didn't stain the outside of the bath tub when the water was drained away, so it wasn't as messy as I initially thought it was going to be.

Overall, I feel as if the scent of this would be rather lovely in other formats, and I would be interested in trying it out in future products. However, the Choccy Egg didn't offer a very appealing bath, and the scent was lost as soon as I began using other products. For this reason, I would probably not purchase this product again, unless I was planning on cocktailing it alongside a bubble bar or bath melt.     

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Mimosa Absolute (Mimosa tenuiflora), Cocoa Absolute (Theobroma cacao), Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe barbadensis), Coumarin, Isoeugenol, Perfume, Dark Chocolate Flakes.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £3.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2009.




Think Pink Bath Bomb (2017 Updated Edition)



Once you've been a fan for a number of years, you'll begin to notice that Lush will often tweak and change products to keep them updated and relevant with the times. This is no doubt how they ensure that new fans will be enticed into the shops, while established fans will remain excited and interested in products that have been around for a good many years.

Given the fact that I often forget about this bath bomb, Think Pink is one of the items that I'm surprised is still popular enough to be a member of the regular range. As one of only two small bath bombs left, I can understand why consumers might overlook this one in favour of its bigger, more fragrant counterparts.
For this reason, I am not at all surprised that Lush have chosen to revamp this stale bath bomb and turn it into one of the most exciting products of the year. While there has not been a date set for when this officially makes it into all stores, the general consensus is that this ballistic will be replacing its older sibling at some point in the coming months.

Featuring tonka, vanilla absolute and neroli oil, Think Pink is a delicate, candy-inspired delight. Both of the former ingredients offer a creamy, musky layer of vanilla, while the inclusion of the neroli adds a fruity sweetness that makes this one of Lush's most interesting 'pink smells'. When compared to its older sibling, I feel as if the new bomb is both stronger in scent and in sweetness: it is definitely more fruity before and during use. 

Although there is also lavender absolute in this product as well, I find that this has the smallest impact over all. You can smell a very gentle lavender fragrance underneath the other elements, but it's very subtle, and not an ingredient you'd necessarily list as being featured, unless you were told it was present to begin with.
In the water, the bath bomb is a fairly silent fizzer - emitting waves of thick, frothy white foam that ebbs and swirls across the surface. Alongside this, trails of pink begin to taint the water a beautiful pastel pink colour, and clusters of vibrant, colourful bubbles settle in puddles around the tub.

As the bath bomb continues to dissolve, the core reveals itself to be a sparkly silver layer of lustre. While you cannot really detect this lustre while the ballistic is showcasing its magic, you will definitely be able to enjoy it afterwards, as it pulsates under the surface whenever the water is disturbed.

All in all, Think Pink takes a good five to ten minutes to fully dissolve, leaving  you with a wonderfully rich and very sultry smelling bath to enjoy. The fragrance was present throughout the whole experience, making it much more effective than its predecessor, and I found that my skin felt wonderfully soft and clean afterwards. Furthermore, I was able to detect a very slight lasting aroma on my skin once I had towelled myself down. However, it wasn't anywhere near as strong as I would have liked, and I wasn't able to smell it an hour later.    
What is great about this reimagined product is that I feel as if both the scent and the design offer a much more mature experience for the consumer. Think Pink makes a much stronger impression, both visually and sensually, and I would be far more inclined to pick one of these up regularly, if they replaced the smaller ballistic. 

Quantitative Ingredients: ?

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.25 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family: 
My Two Front Teeth Bubble Bar
Pink Custard Shower Jelly
Think Pink Bath Bomb





Which Came First? Bath Bomb (2017 Edition)





No one aside from the Lush team knows why the name of a product is ever changed. Don't get me wrong - I can understand why a design might be tweaked and improved upon: whether to appear better suited for a seasonal range, or just because it needs a little updating to cater to current consumer needs. However, I've never understood why the name of a product needs to be discarded and replaced, unless it caused offence in any way when initially released. 

Originally known as The Immaculate Eggception, this bath bomb was updated and re-released under the guise Which Came First? for the Easter 2016 range. This year has seen it undergo yet another transformation in the form of its new design. However, the name and indeed the scent has remained the same as its predecessors. 
Containing grapefruit, lemon and vanilla as its key components, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this bath bomb was going to be a bright, citrusy affair. Surprisingly, it is very far from the fragrance I envisaged upon first reading the ingredients list. In fact, it is sweeter and far lovelier than I originally expected it to be.

The inclusion of the latter ingredient is what gives this bath bomb its smell, although the vanilla absolute is not the dominant scent at all. Both the grapefruit and the lemon give Which Came First? its wonderful fruity aroma. However, it is the vanilla that rounds these two components together and gives the overall musky scent that you experience when you first smell this ballistic.

As with The Immaculate Eggception, Lush have included the grapefruit oil to help clear the mind and refresh the body, while the lemon oil is added to brighten, tone and cleanse the skin. Together, they create a beautiful fragrance that invigorates the senses whilst leaving your body feeling velvety soft and clean. There is something rather complex about the aroma of this bath bomb - one that comes alive when it meets the water and lasts on your skin long after you've left the bath.
This year's renditions feature two of the same colour bath bomb, yet both have been etched with slightly different markings that set them apart from each other. As to be expected, both varieties perform the same in the bath tub - sending out an array of vivid colour that immediately darkens the water and creates a sultry pink haven to submerge yourself beneath.

As I mentioned in my other review of this bath bomb, I always felt as if the pink variation was a little more pleasing on the eye, and I found the scent appeared a little more rounded in this format. For this reason, I am very pleased that Lush has seemingly replaced the yellow version of this ballistic in favour of the pink version. 

The only downside I found with Which Came First? is that the bath bomb tends to dissolve very quickly, so its not one that you get much of a show out of. Furthermore, if you're someone who enjoys snapping shots of your baths, you might find this one is fairly difficult to photograph, hence why my pictures are not up to the standard that other bath bombs might heed. 

Ultimately, I really enjoyed using this ballistic, and it's one that I would buy again if Lush choose to release it next Easter. Priced at £6.95, it is a little on the expensive side. However, I think that as a seasonal product, you can justify purchasing it as a one-off luxury treat for either yourself or a loved one. It's definitely something that I would rather receive as opposed to a chocolate one.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Grapefruit Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Water, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 47005, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 45410, Orange Pip.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017 (for this version)