Having moved into my new flat two months ago, I have already established myself as the dictator of the bathroom. Within a matter of days I was already governing half of the ledge space with my cosmetics, and now I could probably boast that I take up more that eight per cent of the shelf. I don’t know whether my partner wants to laugh about the fact that he’s met possibly the cleanest person on the planet, or cry about the fact that he has to ask permission to put a single bottle of Shower Gel on HIS window ledge.
With so many solid versions of products released this year, there’s no wonder that I have a good eight to ten products on the go at any one time. Plum Rain Naked Shower Gel has been a prominent feature in my bathroom for a good six weeks now, yet it has taken me this long to finally sit down and write my thoughts on the product.
Released as a one-off a month ago in the Lush Kitchen, Plum Rain is no doubt one that’ll come back as a permanent in the coming months. As the company are clearly trying to move away from unnecessary packaging, this is just one of many naked versions that’ll probably be dominating the shelves in the foreseeable future. It’s only fitting then that it’s currently dominating the bathroom that I reside in on a daily basis.
One of the first aspects that impressed me about this naked version was how generous it was in the shower. While I have found that the naked gels are a mixed bag, the majority of the ones I have used have been a little more stubborn than their liquid counterparts. When it came to Plum Rain, I was surprised that this offered just as much of a lather as it’s liquid sibling.
While it has the same scent as the original shower gel, just like all of the other naked gels I have tried, this one is not a direct replica, and in fact that there is something rather lovely knowing that one of your favourite fragrances has multiple takes on it that you can enjoy.
As the same suggests, Plum Rain smells like fresh, fruity stewed plums - with an emphasis on the inclusion of the mandarin oils. Much like the Body Spray, there is something deliciously mouth-watering about this Naked Gel, and the fruitiness is perhaps what makes it so appetising. Unlike the original, I find that the osmanthus is a little more prominent here, and I can smell a gentle but crisp note of green in the mix, which gives this product an extra layer that doesn’t feature so much in the liquid gel at all.
What I especially loved about this naked version was that the hot water of the shower brings out a bright and very uplifting fruity component, which makes this the perfect accompaniment first thing in the morning - when you’re not feeling your best and would rather not by leaving the house to face the winter weather.
As with all of the naked gels so far, this one was just as moisturising as you’d expect a shower gel to be. It lathered up well across my skin - leaving it feeling radiant and smooth to the touch, and left a gentle scent that stayed for a brief whil on my body. While I know that these naked versions last longer when they’re not exposed to too much water, I have found that Plum Rain Naked Shower Gel lasts a long time, and doesn’t diminish as quickly as some of the other naked gels. In fact, after almost six weeks, I wouldn’t say that my is bottle has even shrunk to under half the size yet, making it great value for money.
Ultimately, this does offer something a little different from the original Gel, but this should be celebrated. The scent is unique in its sweet but slightly green-like notes; the naked version is likely to last longer than a 250g bottle, making it better value for money; and your skin is still blessed with the softness that you would expect a normal gel to offer. If only Lush would release a body lotion with his fragrance: my life would be very much complete if they did.
Quantitative Ingredients: ?
Vegan?: Yes.
2017 Price: £11.25 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2017.
Scent Family:Hedgewitch SoapPlum Rain Body SprayPlum Rain Naked Shower GelPlum Rain Shower GelPlum Snow Bubble Bar
blackberries, castor oil, Christmas, christmas 2017, cocoa butter, coconut, honeysuckle, limited edition, mandarin, mulberries, osmanthus, petitgrain, Seasonal, Soap
Too many soaps; too little time I say - my skin is certainly not going to be happy with me when I manage to get through this year's seasonal collection. Yet it is such a shame that my skin doesn't react well to the many variations that Lush offer, as the fragrances that come with them are far superior to their rather pathetic range of shower gels that are currently on show.
One of two brand new products to feature the Plum Rain fragrance, this limited edition will have you salivating with its collection of different berries - which not only offer a beautiful, fruity scent to indulge in, but also works at cleansing the pores and radiating the skin at the same time.
Based on a witch who creates herbal and plant-based healing concoctions, Hedgewitch claims to put the spring back into your skin. With freeze-dried blackberries and dried mulberries in the ingredients list, Hedgewitch reads more like a dessert than a cosmetic. Both of these components help to clean the pores and work as antioxidants to clean and clear the skin at the same time. The inclusion of the osmanthus absolute adds a sweet but subtly green fragrance to the soap, which along with the mandarin oil gives this seasonal special a light, sweet but very fruity fragrance.
Strangely, the soap features a honeysuckle infusion which is something that neither the body spray or the shower gel feature. However, honeysuckle is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which is a bonus for those using the soap regularly on your skin. As I use most of my soaps as hand soaps anyway, this extra feature is a welcome bonus for my skin.
While this soap does have the same fragrance as Plum Rain, it is not an exact replica. The inclusion of both the honeysuckle and the osmanthus add a green, almost floral note to the scent, which sits alongside the fruity components and add a different spin
Unfortunately for me, I ended up being sent a slab that was mostly red, which is a shame given that the whole wheel contains a combination of different colours. However, it did complement the fruity fragrance so I wasn't overly bothered by that fact. I was also hoping to receive a number of pieces of both mulberries and blackberries in both of the pieces I bought, as I was hoping the soap might be a little exfoliating with these under the surface. Unfortunately, these are sparsely added in across the entire wheel, so you may be lucky if you get one or two piece throughout the whole chunk.
Surprisingly, I discovered that this, along with many of the seasonal soaps, features a gourmet base - which I was hoping would mean that Hedgewitch would be far more moisturising than a typical Lush Soap. I did find that the lather it created was super creamy and slightly oily in consistency, although this still didn't perform miracles for my skin.
What I will say is that the soap produces a rich, creamy gel-like foam that massages across your body with ease. You need very little water to stimulate the ingredients in this seasonal special, and those who love fruity fragrances will love how the scent lingers for a short time on the skin afterwards. This 100g block lasted me a good two-to-three months before it was too small to hold under the water. For this reason, it is much better value than the shower gel.
While in use, I found that my skin looked and felt really radiant, and after I had towelled myself down, my skin appeared quite plump and soft - thanks no doubt to the inclusion of the cocoa butter. However, some areas felt quite taut after a short time, and I did need to apply a body lotion to ensure that my skin stayed as supple as it felt in the shower.
This is a great soap to use in the winter time and I will continue to use my last piece until I run out. As I said above, Hedgewitch is great for fans of Plum Rain, who want something a little brighter, fruiter and slightly greener. However, it's unlikely that a soap will ever be able to replace my love of shower gels, and I will not be buying any more of these before the season is out.
Quantitative Ingredients: Honeysuckle Infusion (Lonicera capifolium), (Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Extract), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Water (Aqua), Organic Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Osmanthus Absolute (Osmanthus fragrance), Petitgrain Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara), Sicilian Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), Freeze Dried Blackberries (Rubus Fruticosus) Dried Mulberries (Morus Alba), Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Red 4 Yellow 8 Red 28 Red 33 Green 5.
Vegan?: Yes.
2017 Price: £4.95 for 100g.
Year Of Original Release: 2017.
Scent Family:Hedgewitch SoapPlum Rain Body SprayPlum Rain Naked Shower GelPlum Rain Shower GelPlum Snow Bubble Bar
