Black Rose Naked Lip Scrub

Despite it being a regular thing: my lips being chapped, I hardly ever use any of Lush's sugar scrubs to rectify the problem. There's a small part of me that almost forgets that the company even do such a thing, so if i own any they're usually buried away underneath the mountains of other products waiting to be used. 

When I first caught a glimpse of the three new naked lip scrubs for this year's Christmas and Halloween ranges, I was immediately bowled over by how pretty the designs were. Aside from the lack of packaging (hence the 'naked' part), the shape and etched surfaces made these limited editions so much more appealing than the boring tubed varieties.

Yet, my very next thought was: how exactly am I supposed to use this and not completely soil the bag/purse I'm carrying it around in? Ultimately, while I have been using the cardboard boxes that they were delivered in, I've still yet to find a more effective way of carrying these lip scrubs around: they certainly don't travel very well naked.

Having said this, all three variations of this year's naked scrubs are exceptional in what they do, and offer a much better experience than the old-style scrubs.

Firstly, the product is much easier to use and less of a hassle to clean up afterwards. Whereas the original lip scrubs would need to be applied with the use of a finger, and you'd often cover yourself in sugar while doing so, these naked versions can be applied in seconds, without the unnecessary mess. Simply massage the block across your lips, applying as much pressure as you want, before either licking away the sugar or rinsing it away with warm water.

Secondly, you can apply more pressure when using these blocks, so you'll find that these naked scrubs are far better at scrubbing away excess skin. Furthermore, you can focus on particular areas of the lips, so if you have a particular stubborn spot, this scrub will do wonders at removing the dried skin. 

Thirdly, there is less sugar to contend with, when it comes to the naked blocks. The condensed form means that there won't be as much sugar as there once was, but it also means that you can feel how nourished your lips feel after application, and this leaves your lips soft, smooth and plump. With the original lip scrubs, I sometimes found that you'd be massaging your lips for ages, unable to see exactly which areas needed a little extra buffering. Furthermore, there is an extra generous helping of butters and oils in the ingredients list, to make this a far more moisturising experience overall.

Obviously, the fact that these lip scrubs are naked means that there's zero wastage, which makes them much better for the environment. 

What I really liked about Black Rose Naked Lip Scrub was that it was rather robust, and so I found it far easier to buffer away without the fear of it crumbling away. As someone with quite naturally dry skin, I enjoy a coarse scrub to remove excess dried skin and clean out my pores before I moisturise. The strength of this block means that I can apply quite a bit of pressure when I'm scrubbing my lips, without worrying about using too much product, or breaking the lip scrub in the process. Having used this daily, for almost two weeks, I have barely dented the corner of the scrub, and I see this lasting a good 4-5 months before it'll need to be replaced. 

Scentwise, this beauty has a scent that reminds me a little of Yummy Mummy Shower Cream. While not identical at all, the combination of mandarin oils, along with the sultry and quite treacle-esque nature of the charcoal give off a fruity smell that is both as rich and as fruity as the aforementioned aroma.

One thing I will say about the Naked Lip Scrub is that the taste you get when licking your lips clean is definitely not the best flavour that Lush have offered, and I cannot imagine anyone wanting to nibble on this when they get a little peckish (which a lot of Lush fans do.) However, it functions incredibly well as a Lip Scrub and will easily last me another twelve months, before it makes a reappearance and I can buy another one. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Castor Sugar (Sucrose), Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru), Illipe Butter (Shorea stenoptera), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Sicilian Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), Spearmint Oil (Mentha Spicata), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Charcoal (Charcoal Powder), Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Benzyl Benzoate, Flavour (Fragrance), Tin Oxide (Tin oxide) Iron Oxides.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.75 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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Christingle Naked Body Conditioner

I felt a little sad when I reached for my next naked Body Conditioner and realised that I was down to my last one. While each and every variation has yet to live up to its liquid sibling, I have enjoyed the process of using something that I know is the beginning of the future, in regards to its self-preservation and lack of packaging. These small, colourful blocks may look like something a child has made out of play-doh, but the ethics and concept behind such a move is a pinnacle moment for the future of sustainability. 

In all fairness, I normally save the best to last, just because I like to enjoy the most exciting part of a meal at the end. However, with Christingle Naked Body Conditioner, I actually held off from using it out of fear of how freezing I would feel after using this when the weather is so bitterly cold.

Sharing its scent with both the potted Conditioner and Eskimo Bubble Bar, Christingle has multiple purposes. Firstly, it’s main job is to moisturise and nourish the skin whilst you’re in the shower, in replacement of using a body lotion afterwards. As the product is exposed to the warm temperature of the water, the Conditioner not only melts quickly - making it easier to massage across the body, but the steam also opens up the pores, which encourages more butters to be absorbed. This gives the user a much more intense moisturising session, that lasts far longer than a body lotion would. 

When it comes to Christingle, I could definitely recognise these oils and butters at work. My skin felt instantly revitalised; supple and smooth during and after the Shower; and it came with a radiant glow that stayed with me the whole day. In fact, my partner actually commented on how shiny my legs looked after using this, and I noticed a vast improvement in the condition of my skin after a couple of days. 

What sets Christingle apart from the other body conditioners is that it actually contains menthol crystals as well. This means that one the Body Conditioner has had a few minutes to settle and absorb into the skin, you begin to experience a cooling sensation that continues even after you’ve patted yourself down. While the liquid version was incredibly powerful, and I found myself shivering near on every time I used this in my showers, the naked edition wasn’t as potent. Although I would probably normally see this as a negative trait, I actually preferred the less intense cooling effect that this product offered. 

Much like above, I found the combination of peppermint and spearmint to be a little less intense on the senses as well. While you could still smell the distinctive ‘Christingle’ aroma from the start, and more so in the shower, l really appreciated that it wasn’t as strong as it’s liquid sibling. For this reason, you can enjoy all of the refreshing benefits that Christingle has on offer, but just at a much more tolerable level. 

As with all of the naked and regular body conditioners, I often use these in replacement of a shaving cream. And just like all of the variations I have tried so far, this one was equally as good at offering me a very close shave. The inclusion of the various oils and butters in these conditioners means that the skin is far more supple, meaning that you’re much less likely to cut yourself with your razor. Moreover, you’ll be left with smooth, shiny legs to boot, that won’t need any body lotion applied afterwards (that may irritate the freshly-exposed pores.)

I found that Christingle worked far better in the shower, although I was able to use the product in both environments. Your pores are usually open, when exposed to the hot water of the shower, but they’re not saturated with water, like they would be in a bath. Therefore, the Body Conditioner was easier to massage across the skin, when I wasn’t sitting in water, and I found that more of the product melted onto my skin this way.

Once I had applied the Conditioner, I stepped out of the shower and patted myself down with a towel. This allowed the various butters to continue working on the skin for the next hour, and it kept me feeling cool and refreshed as well. While the scent of this dispersed within the first twenty minutes of exiting the shower, the effects of the menthol kept my body temperature down for a good while afterwards, which is why this would be perfect for the warmer weather.

My only gripe with this, as is with every one of Lush’s naked conditioners, is that it’s far too easy to use the product up within a handful of goes. If like me you enjoy scorching showers, it’d be a good idea to step well away from the water before applying this. Furthermore, I certainly wouldn’t expose it to any water aside from the dampness of your skin. This will help extend its shelf life and make it as good value as its older sibling.

Overall, Christingle has many merits that outweigh the original version, and this would suggest that it’s the best Naked version I have yet to try. Not only will it leave you moisturised and feeling super refreshed, but it’ll make you feel good to know that you’ve done your bit for the environment at the same time. I will definitely be buying another one or two of these before the season is out.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao) ,Water (Aqua), Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru), Fair Trade Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Japan Wax (Rhus succedanea), Carnauba Wax (Copernicia Cerifera), Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), Spearmint Oil (Mentha spicata), Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi), Cassia Oil (Cinnnamomum Cassia) (Cinnamomum Cassia Oil), Menthol Crystals, Lauryl Betaine, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Fragrance Blue 1.  

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Christingle Body Conditioner
Christingle Naked Body Conditioner

Eskimo Bubble Bar

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Golden Pear Soap

Once every so often, Lush bring out a product that completely defies the  general constraints of cosmetics, and showcases exactly why this company are at the top of their creative game in the industry. This particular product is artistically stunning and makes you feel almost bad that you have to use it to clean yourself with.

Golden Pear Soap must have caused major excitement when it was first created in the laboratory - a soap that is not only extremely beautiful to look at but also contains so many exquisite ingredients, should be celebrated without a doubt. In fact, each and every time I have used this product, I have felt extremely grateful that the opportunity for me to do so has been there. 

First and foremost, this soap contains an entire jar of pear puree - an ingredient that Lush don't use all that often, and certainly not to that extent. This not only brings out the extraordinary scent that I'll describe in a minute, but it also helps to give this soap a wonderful consistency when being used. There is something rather thick and wholesome about the lather that this product produces, and I think the pear puree has a big part to play in that. 

As if this wasn't enough, Golden Pear also features both sandalwood and cardamom oils. Neither of these components offer particularly strong notes of fragrance overall, but they do give a warmth that you can feel and smell in the shower. In as many words, this soap is a rich, dessert-like feast for the senses, and you can feel that decadence when using it in the shower. 

Surprisingly, I found that the soap was incredibly moisturising from the get-go.  In a rare feat from Lush, this soap not only produced a lather that immediately softened my skin, but one that continued to work long after I had exited the shower. In fact, it has only happened to me on two other occasions, that a soap has not dried my skin out or at least made me want to moisturise afterwards. For this reason, the soap is very much revered by me, and there is no doubt that I will be buying many more of these before the season is out. 

A combination of coconut oil and cocoa butter help to produce a thick, wholesome lather to wash yourself with. While it can be a little rigid at first, when massaging across your skin, I found that stimulating it between my hands first heeded better results. The inclusion of the murumuru butter that sandwiches both pieces together in the middle, help to add moisture to your experience, and you can feel that while you're massaging it across your body.

What I found most surprising was that, despite its size (which I thought was a little on the small side, given the price tag), the soap didn't seem to shrink as quickly as a lot of the other seasonal soaps that I was using around the same time. In fact, while a 100g chunk normally lasts me no more than a month with daily usage, this one is still sitting in my bathroom after almost two months. Unlike a lot of other soaps that also like to 'bleed' on surfaces, this one dries really quickly, and so you don't have to worry about finding messy glitter trails across your bathroom after you've used this. 

To describe this scent is like trying to explain what it must smell like to walk through Wonka's chocolate factory. For such a gentle fragrance, there are so many elements that tantalise the senses. To my nose, the scent is like hot stewed pears and oranges, with a little dash of cardamom to bring a warmth that is very much needed during this time of year. It's super sweet and fruity; sultry and rich - there is something rather succulent about the aroma that gives it a real rounded appeal. 

Despite the incredible fragrance that this offers, there were two downsides that I found. Firstly, the scent is not particularly strong to begin with. While some will no doubt appreciate the subtle sweetness that it offers, I would much prefer to enjoy this smell at a more intense level. Secondly, the aroma didn't linger much on the skin afterwards and it was completely masked after I had sprayed perfume on myself.

Overall, I would love to see this fragrance made into a body lotion or a shower gel. While I may have to wait another year to see this become a reality, the wait would be worth it I'm sure. As I stated above, I will be buying more of these, and I highly recommend that you grab yourself one to try before they disappear (hopefully not forever!)

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Pear Puree, Perfume, Glycerine, Cardamom Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Murumuru Butter, Almond Oil, Organic Agave Syrup, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Iron Oxides Silica, Tin Oxide, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, *Limonene, Colour 45410, Colour 45350, Fair Trade Whole Organic Clove.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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Once Upon A Time Naked Body Lotion

Whether or not Lush's naked wave will continue to expand over the coming months, Christmas 2017 will definitely be remembered as the season when the company solidified everything. This is first year that the company have offered naked versions of their seasonal range, and while the initial release was met with resistance, most consumers have since recognised that there is something to the concept.

Once Upon A Time was the first solid Body Lotion that I ever tried - only because I mistook it for a body conditioner and realised soon after my shower that I'd made a huge mistake. While it wasn't the worst experience in the world, I wouldn't say that most humans need to be that heavily moisturised in a single session.

While the naked version is same size as the normal version, this naked body conditioner is far lighter than the 100g tub. Yet it lasts just as long as the small pot, and boasts many properties that makes it equally pleasant as its sibling. 

Firstly, I found the smell of this far more pleasing on the senses from the get-go. Although not as strong as the liquid version, Once Upon A Time Naked Body Lotion has a wonderful, crisp apple aroma that tantalises your tastebuds immediately. Just like all of the other products that share the same fragrance family, this one offers a naturally sweet fruity smell unlike any other apple-scented products on the market right now. 

What you'd think would be a light, summery smell, actually works incredibly well in the colder months, and leaves your skin with a little added radiance that we all need during the harsher weather. The inclusion of the apple infusion not only creates the delicious fragrance, but helps to add shine to your skin, while removing excess grease and dirt at the same time.

To apply, you can either massage this directly across your skin, or between the palms of your hands and then transfer it onto your body that way. I found it easier to do the former, although I should warn you that don't want to completely cover your skin with it. Sliding it over most parts will create enough 'lotion' to then distribute across the rest of your body. The naked tub then needs to be stored somewhere cool and dry, preferably with a piece of grease proof paper underneath so that it doesn't leave any sticky marks. Just like a massage bar, this product will dry almost instantly when it's not exposed to your body heat, so you don't have to worry about it melting when left unattended.

What I found with the naked version is that the consistency of the lotion is far thinner than that of the regular variation. In fact, I thought that this limited edition was almost like a massage bar - as it produces more of an oil-based lather as opposed to a cream. However, it is certainly not as sticky as a massage bar can be, and would definitely suit those who opposed lotions that take ages to absorb into the skin.

When compared to the regular lotion, this one only takes a matter of minutes to full permeate the body, and what you're left with is a slight glint that coats the skin for a short time afterwards. This product is not as all sticky, and I certainly wouldn't call it greasy either. However, I would allow five minutes for the lotion to absorb into the skin before reapplying any clothing.

Secondly, I found that the naked version wasn't as moisturising as the regular edition. The effects of this product only really felt as if it lasted an hour or so, and I needed to reapply to get the deep moisturising feeling that I wanted. While the fragrance was a little sweeter and to my nose a little nicer than the liquid lotion, as it was slightly less potent to begin with, it faded far quicker when on the skin. 

Having said that, I found that this version was easier to glide across the skin, and far far more enjoyable to do so. Furthermore, I found that I needed less of this product to moisturise my whole body with, so although it feels and looks smaller than the 100g tub, both would probably last similar lengths of time. 

Despite this, the affects of both editions were fairly short term, and I found that I needed to reapply the lotion a few times a day to help keep my skin looking radiant and feeling as nourished as I was hoping it would. As I said in my other review,  I noticed my hands in particular felt rather dry only after an hour or two of using Once Upon A Time, so I don't know how well this would work for my skin type when the weather gets very harsh.

Overall, I do really appreciate Once Upon A Time Naked Body Lotion and will continue to use it daily to give my skin the natural radiance it is currently lacking. I think I may even double this up with the liquid version - using this as an afterthought to add give my skin a little extra glean in the winter months. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Apple infusion, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Murumuru Butter, Japan Wax, Spring Water, Perfume, *Limonene, Carnauba Wax, Organic Illipe Butter, Grapefruit Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Lime Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Almond Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butylphenyl, Methylpropional, *Citronellol, *Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Linalool, *Citral, Coumarin, Colour 42090:2, Colour 19140:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £7.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Once Upon A Time Body Lotion
Once Upon A Time Naked Body Lotion
Santa's Belly Jelly
So White Bath Bomb
So White Body Spray
So White New 2016 Edition Bath Bomb
So White Liquid Perfume
So White Shower Gel

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Once Upon A Time Body Lotion

Once Upon A Time there was a Lush fan who didn't like the So White Bath Bomb at all. She had no idea why the boring ball of bicarbonate of soda continued to make an appearance every Christmas; why Santa's Belly Shower Jelly was such a big seller during the seasonal period; and why So White Shower Gel caused such excitement when it was released in the Kitchen. But in 2016, the company revamped the bath bomb slightly: a small change that ignited a new-found love of the ballistic for her, and opened up an interest in the scent family a little more than she had previously felt.

For 2017, Lush have released two brand new limited editions that are guaranteed to leave your skin feeling truly magical: Once Upon A Time Body Lotion and Once Upon A Time Naked Body Lotion. Both sharing the same fragrance, these seasonal releases are a big step away from the usual warm, spicy scents that dictate the Christmas range. And while they're similar in many ways, there are also differences that will divide So White fans when it comes to which they prefer.

Once Upon A Time Body Lotion is made using an infusion of apple, grapefruit, lemon and lime oils. While on paper it sounds like a zesty and rather citrusy affair, the aroma you get from this product is very different than some people would expect. It is the apple infusion, along with its ability to brighten and detoxify the skin, that dominates the overall smell, and Lush have done well to capture the very essence of the fruit, in its natural form. 

Much like the shower gel and jelly variations, this body lotion offers a crisp, fruity apple aroma. As I said in my other reviews, the smell reminds me of freshly-picked and washed Granny Smith apples - a bright, crisp and very naturally sweet aroma that offers an almost cooling effect on the skin because of how light and fresh it smells.

As with all of the products in this family, this is one of Lush's most natural fruit scents, although there does appear to be a very subtle 'perfumed' element to the body lotion that gives the overall smell a little more depth and a touch of what I would describe as a floral component. However, it is the apple fragrance that dominates overall and offers something far superior to any apple-scented products that I have ever experienced in my life. 

Pastel-green in colour, Once Upon A Time is a Lotion of medium thickness, meaning that while it doesn't absorb into the skin immediately, it doesn't take more than about 5-10 minutes to permeate the surface and leave you feeling dry enough to apply clothing over the top. What is great about this Lotion is that you don't need a lot to cover your whole body, so my 100g tub is still almost completely full, despite using it multiple times this month. 

As with all body lotions, you only need a small amount on your fingers before massaging it in a circular motion across your skin. From the tub and on the body, Once Upon A Time offers a very strong aroma - much like Santa's Belly, if I'm going to compare it to anything. It's almost slightly sharp in scent when you initially apply it, and I find it almost smells acidic and rather plastic- like in the tub, although this settles down very quickly once it begins to get to work. 

In fact, for who strong it was to begin with, I was rather disappointed to find that the scent didn't stay on the skin for more than about 30 minutes in my case. Whether the subtlety of the lotion meant that my nose wasn't able to detect it, whereas other people around me could, I'm unsure. However, it would have been much more enjoyable if the sweet apple fragrance had worked better with the heat of my skin and lingered around for longer. 

What I did find with this lotion was that it left my skin feeling a little more moisturised than the solid edition, although not overly so. While I wouldn't use the word 'sticky' to describe the feeling, I felt as if my skin was a little more plump and slightly damper after using the liquid edition. Furthermore, the fragrance stayed around for longer, albeit briefly, than that of the naked edition.

On the other hand, I found that this version wasn't as easy to glide across the skin as the solid version demonstrated, and I needed to use more of this to ensure that I had moisturised myself as efficiently as I had done with its naked sibling. Having said this, the affects of both editions were fairly short term, and I found that I needed to reapply the lotion a few times a day to help keep my skin looking radiant and feeling nourished. I noticed my hands in particular felt rather dry only a couple of hours after using Once Upon A Time, so I don't know how well this would work for my skin type in the colder months. 

Overall, this is a lovely edition to the So White range, and definitely one that will win over the hearts of those who are missing the bath bomb this year. While I love the smell in this format - in fact, I think the fragrance suits this product more that any other in the range, I just wish that the fragrance of this lasted a lot longer than it does. While I won't be stocking up on this before the Christmas season ends, I will continue to enjoy my tub of Once Upon A Time while it lasts me.

Quantitative Ingredients: Apple infusion, Almond Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Glycerine, Murumuru Butter, Stearic Acid, Perfume, *Limonene, Organic Illipe Butter, Triethanolamine, Grapefruit Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Lime Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Citronellol, *Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Linalool, *Citral, Coumarin, Colour 42090:2, Colour 19140:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £7.95 for 100g, £13.95 for 225g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Once Upon A Time Body Lotion
Once Upon A Time Naked Body Lotion
Santa's Belly Jelly
So White Bath Bomb
So White Body Spray
So White New 2016 Edition Bath Bomb
So White Liquid Perfume
So White Shower Gel

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Golden Handshake Hot Hand Mask

While I pamper my face, moisturise my body, scrub my legs and buffer my toes, I rarely do anything to improve the condition of my hands. This is surprising as I would say, like most people, my hands probably get a pretty rough deal when it comes to how much I work them. This lack of love and attention has left me with weak nails and very scaly skin - something I have been desperately trying to rectify over the last few months.  

Golden Handshake Hot Hand Mask was one of the first products that grabbed my attention when I entered the Oxford Street superstore a few weekends ago. While I was intrigued by both the write-up and choice of ingredients used to construct it, I was more interested in the alluring and rather unique design - something I'm sure will make it a very popular seller. 

Shaped to look like a marshmallow about to be roasted, this solid mask is packed full of essential butters and oils to nourish, hydrate, moisturise and rejuvenate over-worked and tired looking hands. Cupuacu butter is one of the main ingredients - known for its emollient consistency that makes it a highly effective moisturiser for the skin. The butter boasts a range of fatty acids that replenish the oils lost in dry skin - helping to condition the hands and leave them feeling velvety-soft and smooth to the touch. 

Murumuru butter is another ingredient that I have noticed features in many of Lush's newer products - working with the cupuacu butter to condition the body while also secreting a thin layer of oil to protect the skin and leave it with a glossy finish. Lush have also included avocado oil which is known to reduce the appearance of scars and help to heal small cuts and abrasions. 

Aside from its moisturising properties, the presence of almond, argan, castor, rosewood and sandalwood oil also gives Golden Handshake a rather strange but pleasant aroma. To me, this solid hand mask gives off a rather soapy fragrance - one that reminds me of expensive but rather generic-smellling soap. It is the latter two oils that make the biggest impression here - offering a slightly floral aroma that has elements of Ghost Shower Gel and Lily Savon Soap to it. While this product does not smell identical to either of these two products, it does have its similarities.  

Lush claim that you should stir this into roughly 200ml of warm water until it has completely dissolved and converted into a thick, white paste. The company then suggest that you should submerge your hands underneath the liquid and allow them to bask in the butters and oils for 10-15 minutes, before rinsing off and patting dry. 

Firstly, I would highly suggest that you use boiling water. When I attempted to dissolve Golden Handshake in warm liquid, it didn't work at all and I ended up with a bowl of murky water decorated with clumps of butters that refused to melt until I microwaved them. 

Secondly, while it is described as being a one-use hand mask, this product easily produces enough paste to see you through two or three separate sessions. As you can see from my picture, I used an awful lot of product on my hands, so you'll still get the full, intense treatment even if you decide to use only part of the bar. 

For this reason, I would suggest that you cut off a small chunk each time and use a normal spoon to stir it in as opposed to using the whole stick in one go. Exposing it to the water will give Golden Handshake less of a shelf-life and I can almost see this deteriorating in between uses, so you want to try and preserve it by keeping it as dry as you can when it is not being used. 

After keeping my hands submerged in the thick, creamy mask for a good 20 minutes, I was really pleased to discover that my hands felt hydrated and looked visibly softer. The areas around my cuticles looked far healthier and less bitten, and the crevices between my fingers were silky-smooth and free of the dry patches that I had been plagued with up until then. 

My only qualm with this product is that I did feel as if I still needed to moisturise my hands afterwards - they felt much smoother and softer, but they didn't feel as conditioned as I was expecting them to do. Having said this, for £2.95, Golden Handshake is incredible value for money and one that I will be using regularly to keep my hands in tip-top condition.     

Quantitative Ingredients: Cetearyl Alcohol & Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Guar Gum (Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, Cupuacu Butter (Theobroma grandiflorum), Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru), Sodium Bicarbonate, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Organic Avocado Oil (Perdea gratissima), Citric Acid, Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa), Organic Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Labdanum Resinoid (Cistus Ladaniferus), Sandalwood Oil (Fusanus spicatus), Citral, Coumarin, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £2.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

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Golden Handshake Hot Hand Mask

While I pamper my face, moisturise my body, scrub my legs and buffer my toes, I rarely do anything to improve the condition of my hands. This is surprising as I would say, like most people, my hands probably get a pretty rough deal when it comes to how much I work them. This lack of love and attention has left me with weak nails and very scaly skin - something I have been desperately trying to rectify over the last few months.  

Golden Handshake Hot Hand Mask was one of the first products that grabbed my attention when I entered the Oxford Street superstore a few weekends ago. While I was intrigued by both the write-up and choice of ingredients used to construct it, I was more interested in the alluring and rather unique design - something I'm sure will make it a very popular seller. 

Shaped to look like a marshmallow about to be roasted, this solid mask is packed full of essential butters and oils to nourish, hydrate, moisturise and rejuvenate over-worked and tired looking hands. Cupuacu butter is one of the main ingredients - known for its emollient consistency that makes it a highly effective moisturiser for the skin. The butter boasts a range of fatty acids that replenish the oils lost in dry skin - helping to condition the hands and leave them feeling velvety-soft and smooth to the touch. 

Murumuru butter is another ingredient that I have noticed features in many of Lush's newer products - working with the cupuacu butter to condition the body while also secreting a thin layer of oil to protect the skin and leave it with a glossy finish. Lush have also included avocado oil which is known to reduce the appearance of scars and help to heal small cuts and abrasions. 

Aside from its moisturising properties, the presence of almond, argan, castor, rosewood and sandalwood oil also gives Golden Handshake a rather strange but pleasant aroma. To me, this solid hand mask gives off a rather soapy fragrance - one that reminds me of expensive but rather generic-smellling soap. It is the latter two oils that make the biggest impression here - offering a slightly floral aroma that has elements of Ghost Shower Gel and Lily Savon Soap to it. While this product does not smell identical to either of these two products, it does have its similarities.  

Lush claim that you should stir this into roughly 200ml of warm water until it has completely dissolved and converted into a thick, white paste. The company then suggest that you should submerge your hands underneath the liquid and allow them to bask in the butters and oils for 10-15 minutes, before rinsing off and patting dry. 

Firstly, I would highly suggest that you use boiling water. When I attempted to dissolve Golden Handshake in warm liquid, it didn't work at all and I ended up with a bowl of murky water decorated with clumps of butters that refused to melt until I microwaved them. 

Secondly, while it is described as being a one-use hand mask, this product easily produces enough paste to see you through two or three separate sessions. As you can see from my picture, I used an awful lot of product on my hands, so you'll still get the full, intense treatment even if you decide to use only part of the bar. 

For this reason, I would suggest that you cut off a small chunk each time and use a normal spoon to stir it in as opposed to using the whole stick in one go. Exposing it to the water will give Golden Handshake less of a shelf-life and I can almost see this deteriorating in between uses, so you want to try and preserve it by keeping it as dry as you can when it is not being used. 

After keeping my hands submerged in the thick, creamy mask for a good 20 minutes, I was really pleased to discover that my hands felt hydrated and looked visibly softer. The areas around my cuticles looked far healthier and less bitten, and the crevices between my fingers were silky-smooth and free of the dry patches that I had been plagued with up until then. 

My only qualm with this product is that I did feel as if I still needed to moisturise my hands afterwards - they felt much smoother and softer, but they didn't feel as conditioned as I was expecting them to do. Having said this, for £2.95, Golden Handshake is incredible value for money and one that I will be using regularly to keep my hands in tip-top condition.     

Quantitative Ingredients: Cetearyl Alcohol & Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Guar Gum (Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, Cupuacu Butter (Theobroma grandiflorum), Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru), Sodium Bicarbonate, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Organic Avocado Oil (Perdea gratissima), Citric Acid, Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa), Organic Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Labdanum Resinoid (Cistus Ladaniferus), Sandalwood Oil (Fusanus spicatus), Citral, Coumarin, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £2.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

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