Snowcloud Soap

Sometimes I get the impression that Lush put a great deal of effort into their releases; other times it seems almost as if they’ve not thought things through. When it comes to Snowcloud Soap, this beautiful little seasonal special is sure to be overlooked, when up against the likes of the stunning Golden Pear Soap, and the classic Baked Alaska, that is so potent in smell and colour. However, those that do venture into trying this soap out to size, will hopefully appreciate just how lovely the soap actually is. 

Shaped like a cloud and sporting a rather dull-looking white/grey design, Snowcloud offers a sweet and slightly fruity floral fragrance. Sharing its scent with the non-vegan Orange Blossom Liquid Perfume, I was extremely happy that I was finally able to enjoy this scent, although I would obviously have preferred it if I had a better format in which to do it with. While I was able to briefly appreciate it when I used Elbow Grease for the first time, my guilt at discovering it wasn’t vegan was enough to turn my experience bitter very quickly.

Made from a collaboration of rosewood, ylang ylang, orange flower, sandalwood and neroli, this soap sounded on paper like it was going to offer a very heavy fragrance. Yet, Lush have managed to balance out these components so that you experience something rich and robust; yet something that is also beautifully delicate and feminine. 

The rosewood, ylang ylang and orange flower create a dry, musky and very floral base for this soap - yet one that isn’t particularly heavy on the senses. I think the inclusion of the sandalwood helps these floral notes from being too aggressive, as there is a very subtle wordiness that rounds all four components off perfectly. Alongside this, the inclusion of the neroli adds a delicate sprinkling of citrus, which adds a slight bitterness, but helps to make the aroma slightly refreshing as well.

As with all of Lush’s gourmet soaps, this one features a base of cocoa butter - which means that it is a little more moisturising than their usual soaps. As with most of the seasonal range, I did find that this one was created a thick, slightly oily lather to clean myself with, and there was an abundance of it to use so I didn’t keep having to hold this under the shower to stimulate the ‘foam’. In fact, I would highly recommend that you keep this away from the running water as much as you can, as this soap shrunk really quickly for me, and definitely doesn’t work out good value for money when it’s dissolved away into nothing after only two weeks.

What sets this soap apart from the other seasonal releases, is that this one also features kaolin - an ingredient known for absorbing excess moisture, cleaning out pores and softening the skin. I found that Snowcloud was great to use on my hands after a day out in the freezing cold. Using this straight away helped to elevate the redness and soften my skin at the same time. Having said that, I wouldn’t only use this soap as a hand wash, as it does leave its scent on your skin afterwards, and it seems like a bit of a waste to use it on only one body part. 

Ultimately, Snowcloud is definitely a soap that most likely got overlooked in favour of some of the more vibrant-looking variations - which is a shame given how much this soap offers. I actually really enjoyed using my single piece of this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this appeared at some point in the near future. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Marshmallow Root Decoction (Althaea Officinalis) (Althaea Officinalis Root Extract), Kaolin, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Water (Aqua), Organic Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Talc, Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Aurantium amara) (Citrus Aurantium Amara (Orange) Flower Water) Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Sandalwood Oil (Fusanus spicatus), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Linalool, *Limonene, *Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Benzoate, Geraniol, Blue 1, Red 4, Red 33.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.75 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family: 
Elbow Grease Moisturising Bar
Mandarin's Tea Party Soap

Orange Blossom Bath Oil (Oxford Street 2015)

Orange Blossom Candle 

Orange Blossom Liquid Perfume (non vegan)

Snowcloud Soap

Read More

Running Man Reusable Bubble Spinner

As my review of Lush's original bubble spinner stated a few months ago, I was not particularly enamoured with the concept or the scent that it offered. As a teacher, the fidget spinner (and all of the problems that came with it) was the bane of my existence for a few months at the start of the year. However, I recognise that Lush like to stay in-keeping with the latest trends, so I understand the demand for it. 

Designed around one of the Cosmetics To Go catalogue covers, Running Man is the second fidget spinner bubble bar to come from the company. For those unfamiliar with Cosmetics To Go, this was the name of Lush before they changed their name. Back when the internet was a fairly new concept for online shopping, Lush would sell their products in both their shops as well as send out mail order catalogues for people to purchase products. One such cover featured a design similar to this bubble bar.

Running Man features a combination of lemon, mandarin and bergamot oils, and orange flower absolute, which offers a scent that Lush state supposedly shares its scent with The Olive Branch fragrance. While I can see the similarly in the scents, I wouldn't say that this is a direct replica of the scent at all, I found the orange flower absolute was more prominent in this format that any other.

For those not familiar with this smell, The Olive Branch is a gentle floral scent with light citrusy notes that create a sort of perfumed aroma. The bergamot oil adds a very gentle green aroma as well, which normally merges with the inclusion of vine leaves to give the aroma a slight Mediterranean smell.

Much like the other bubble spinner, this reusable bubble bar should be held under the running tap, where the water supposedly stimulates the movement of a bubble spinner and turns the product. Unfortunately, while the inclusion of the wooden centre is a great, environmentally friendly idea from Lush, I didn't find that I could get my spinner to work at all. While not really much of a problem, I would have appreciated at least a little movement before my experience.

On the positive side, as soon as Running Man comes into contact with the running water it creates lots of light, fluffy bubbles. However, the combination of blue and yellow turned the water a murky shade of green, which wasn't the most attractive of experiences. Having said this, the bubble is generous in the fact that this product could easily be used across at least two different baths, making it cheaper than a bath bomb for each use. 

As with all of Lush's reusable bars, I didn't find this one anywhere near as moisturising as a regular bubble bar. The water, when using these types of products, always feel slightly less nourishing than that of a bath bomb, and this was no exception. After using this, I either needed to add a bath oil into the water, to soften it a little more, or apply a body lotion afterwards to retain that moisture.

Overall, this is a fun, novelty product for those who have children - especially those that are hesitant to take a bath. However, the original bubble spinner is still the more endearing and most effective of the two, and I can imagine many people opting for that one over this one. Had The Olive Branch scent being more predominant in this product, I might have enjoyed this a little more, but I'll stick to my regular bubble bars from now on.

Quantitative Ingredients: Lemon Oil, Mandarin Oil, Bergamot Oil, Orange Flower Absolute.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Read More

So White Body Spray

So White is a scent that can steal my heart one moment, yet inspire next to no reaction from myself the next. In some formats it's like a dream to use, and I'll happily buy a handful to stash away for future months; yet there are other products in the scent family that I cannot wait to get rid of within moments of using them for the first time. Luckily, this body spray sits more with the former than the latter.

Lets be honest and say that this fragrance has been a long time coming. Having been lucky enough to score a bottle of the liquid perfume a few years back, I knew that this fragrance had to make a reappearance at some point. And with the Christmas range offering two brand new So White scented goodies this year, now is a good a time as any to introduce a portal spray to supplement and support the other products in the seasonal collection. 

Containing bergamot, Brazilian orange and neroli oils, not to mention orange flower and rose absolutes, this body spray does not read at all like the fragrance it produces from the bottle. As most fans will already know, So White is known for its sweet, crisp and very natural apple aroma, and this liquid spray continues to offer the same, compelling aroma.

Imagine biting into a Granny Smith apple: how light, fruity and fresh the smell is, and you may begin to understand how natural the scent of this is. It's a very natural and very refreshing smell, yet there is also a subtle element of floral underneath that gives the scent of this a little more weight behind it. The inclusion of the neroli offers a subtle note of green, which is what aids the natural, apple aroma; while the orange flower absolute brings about a gentle cloudy note to ground the fragrance and give it a little more depth than simply smelling like an apple.

What I didn't like about So White Body Spray is that the smell from the bottle, and the initial spray, has a rather potent note that almost appears to echo that of the inclusion of the alcohol. When I first used this on my skin, I was put off by this element, and although I was able to smell the So White scent alongside this, the aroma was a little acidic for my liking. However, once you've given it a few minutes to settle on the skin, and begin to work with the heat of your body, you'll find that this element disperses really quickly, and leaves you with a beautiful, refreshingly-fruity fragrance to enjoy. 

Surprisingly, So White lasted for a good 2-3 hours on the skin, which is impressive for a scent that is so uplifting and light. Furthermore, I found that the aroma lasted even longer when sprayed on clothes, although it did lose a little of its radiance as it clearly works better with the heat of your skin. 

When compared to the seasonal body lotion and naked lotion, this spray is probably a little fruiter on the senses and a little less sweeter overall. I found that it complimented the lotions perfectly, but I could clearly smell a difference between the two. Having said that, I think So White Body Spray is closer to the aforementioned products than the Bath bomb, and the ballistic is far more musky and if so fruity. 

Ultimately, I really enjoyed using this limited edition body spray. For those fans (new or old) who have fallen in love with the lotions or Santa's Belly Shower Jelly this year, or those old-schoolers who are trying to find a replacement for this year's absence of the bath bomb, So White Body Spray is a great way to fill that void. This is a great fragrance to use all year round: I can imagine a lot of people will be stocking up for the summer months, and rightly so. While it's not my favourite Lush fragrance, I can appreciate how and why this limited release will be popular, and I suggest you grab a bottle if you can.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Water, Perfume, Glycerine, Bergamot Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Rose Absolute, Neroli Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £15 for 200ml.

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

Read More

Icon Liquid Perfume

After years of pining, I finally managed to snag myself a bottle of Icon Liquid Perfume - an occasion that should have been marked with happiness and elation. Instead, I found myself rather disappointed when I removed the lid and found that I didn't appreciate the smell that greeted me at all. It was nothing like I remember the soap being, and this was devastating. Even spraying it onto my skin heeded little comfort to me, and I began to question whether I had truly loved the soap as much as I had remembered I had. That was until I left the fragrance to settle and develop on my skin, and discovered that a little patience is all it takes to bring this aroma we very much to life.

Sharing its scent with the soap of the same name, Icon Liquid Perfume is a product that has a lot to live up to, given the nature of its title. Anything less than near-on perfection would be inadequate for a fragrance of its calibre, and luckily it doesn't disappoint.

Much like the soap, what I love about this smell from Lush is that it's so incredibly complex and robust on the skin; it's not a perfume that's merely worn, but instead one used to make a statement. A bold one at that. If you're looking for a signature scent, this fragrance ticks every box and leaves a lasting impression - one that will turn heads and no doubt inspire many a compliment.

Strangely, the ingredients list appears fairly simplistic, and almost boring when compared to the aroma Icon offers. Featuring bergamot, tangerine and mandarin oils as the key ingredients, you'd be mistaken for thinking this is similar to the likes of What Would Love Do? or 1000 Kisses Deep. In fact, the perfume probably wouldn't be too far off either if it wasn't for the inclusion of the myrrh resinoid - a component that I truly believe makes this perfume as special as it is. 

Lush describe the smell of Icon as having 'lots of deep, heavy layers which build up to make the whole sound, with high light notes dancing up above it'. While this description may be rather cryptic about the actual smell of the fragrance, it's a good description of how the perfume works on the skin. For me at least. 

Firstly, much like the soap, I was able to pick out a spicy, mandarin fragrance that gave this perfume a warming, sensual layer to it. This note reminded me a little of crystallised fruit peel (also known as candied peel) and so Icon to me is a very wintery scent because of this reason. There is definitely a delicate spicy element present that teases and tantalises your senses, whilst it is working with the heat of your skin, and offers a very sophisticated twist to the usually quite bitter fruit. 

With the inclusion of both sandalwood and myrrh resinoid in the ingredients, this perfume also has an element of smokiness about it - something you'll either love or hate. Although very subtle in the overall smell of the soap, this pungent, woody, smoky smell definitely dominates the scent as a whole - sitting comfortably as the base note and encouraging that rich, sultry Iconic aroma to captivate the user. In hindsight, it is only through the inclusion of the orange blossom and mandarin oil that stops Icon from being too heavy a scent. These citrus notes give the soap subtle uplifting qualities that help to elevate all of the other ingredients and give them all a chance to shine through.   

From the bottle, the myrrh is far too dominating and over zealous on the skin, and I can imagine many people will be deterred from using it for this reason. However, within five minutes of it being sprayed, that's cloudiness to lifted and you are left with a wholesome, very comforting aroma that is both delicately sweet and wonderfully rich and complex.

As I mentioned above, Icon is one of Lush's most interesting and charismatic fragrances, and one that definitely needs to be tried and tested by anybody who calls themselves a Lush fan. It's truly unforgettable and remains one of my favourite scent families from Lush - if only the company would offer us a shower gel or jelly to divulge in.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Water, Glycerine, Tangerine Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Myrrh Resinoid, Orange Flower Absolute, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £39.50 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
Icon Bubble Bar
Icon Dusting Powder
Icon Liquid Perfume

Icon Soap

Read More

Road From Damascus Liquid Perfume

I say this time and time again: I have never understood how or why Lush work in the way that they do. On the one hand, I understand and agree on their stance for allowing the consumer to promote their products as opposed to them doing it themselves. This incites a level of honesty that most companies try to diminish, which means that promotion from companies other than Lush don't  very often offer a true reflection on the products on sale. However, Lush's 'exclusivity' is both confusing and frustrating, and from an outside perspective I just cannot make sense of it all.

Road From Damascus Liquid Perfume is yet another fragrance from Lush's recent Volume 4 collection that hasn't made it to commercial release. After attending the Gorilla Perfume exhibition in Edinburgh, this is one that I was convinced would be a popular seller, and it left a lasting impression on me: not least because it was the opening act as you walked through the door and into the gallery. 

Inspired by perfumer Simon Constantine's travels into and across Lebanon, this fragrance is a full-bodied and very powerful combination of bitter orange and Damascus rose. During his time in the country, Simon learned the struggles and the dangerous journey that thousands of refugees had to make on a daily basis to flee the neighbouring, war-torn Syria. Witnessing the ordeal of having to cross checkpoints that were guarded at gunpoint, and collecting hundreds of stories from the people around him - fleeing their livelihoods to survive, the harsh reality was enough to inspire him to create a perfume in homage of his ordeal.

For starters, Road From Damascus is a strong, powdery combination of rose, orange and violet. Sharing its scent with both the bath oil that was released last year in the Lush Kitchen, and Magic Bubble Bar that came out at the Lush Summit, this limited edition fragrance is perhaps one of the strongest perfumes from the Volume 4 range. One for floral lovers, for sure.

While I shouldn't really compare this to Rose Jam Liquid Perfume, I will say that the initial burst of smell holds a very small remnant of similarity. There is something very cloudy about the rose smell that gives that impression, although this is quickly diminished when the underlying note of violet leaf steers it away from being 'strictly rose'.

Both of these ingredients create a sweet but equally very powerful floral aroma - one that showcases all three of the key components by themselves, while also working in harmony so that they combine perfectly. The orange absolute not only supports the naturally sweet element of the other two ingredients, but offers a thread of bitterness that comes through the longer it is on the skin.

This latter note sets Road From Damascus apart from other Lush floral perfumes, and it is this gentle tartness that gives this fragrance its poignancy. It's a perfect reminder that while life is and should be sweet, there is always that element of bitterness that makes itself known.

This is one of my favourite perfumes from Volume 4, despite not really being a huge advocate of floral smells. The perfume is strong enough that it lasts for hours on the skin. In fact, I can spray this in the morning before work and still smell remnants of the scent as I'm leaving to go home. Lush would be silly not to celebrate this fragrance in other formats, and I look forward to seeing these releases in the near future.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Rose Absolute, Orange Flower Absolute, Violet Leaf Absolute, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Farnesol, Eugenol, Citral.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £50 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Magic Bubble Bar
Road From Damascus Bath Oil
Road From Damascus Liquid Perfume

Read More

Marmalade Jelly Bath Bomb

When it comes to Lush's latest invention: the jelly bomb, there doesn't seem to be any middle ground. With each of the variations I have tried so far, I have either come to appreciate them an awful lot, or relish in the thought of rinsing the water down the drain and never speaking of my experience again. 

Unfortunately, Marmalade isn't one that made a very good impression on me, in any sense of the word. While the description led me to believe that it may well be my favourite of the current four, the reality was far less pleasing, and I doubt if I will invest in another one any time soon.

While I have never been a fan of marmalade as a condiment, the very idea of juicy oranges and lemons being intertwined into a jam-like spread, sounds like an amazing description for a bath bomb. With a combination of grapefruit and orange oils, as well as a slice of actual orange to boot, this bath bomb sounded like a dream. 

Yet when the jelly bombs first arrived, I found myself very confused and slightly bewildered by the scent. Whereas I was expecting something wholesome and fruity, I found that the orange flower absolute seemed to be one of the strongest elements overall. This meant that in the place of what I thought would be a very juicy smelling bath bomb, I found the aroma rather intoxicating and a little 'harsh' on the nose. 

A number of consumers have described this as being very medicinal in fragrance, and I can understand why they have used this word to describe the bomb. To me, it has a very green-like smell, coupled with a bitter orange note. Imagine taking the skin and pith of an orange and extracting the scent from there, and you may begin to envisage what this bath bomb smells like. 

At the same time, there's a musty, powdery element to the smell that gives Marmalade Jelly Bath Bomb a very potent, dry smell. There is definitely no resemblance here between the scent of the bath bomb and the condiment that it is named after. Having said that, I can imagine this jelly bath bomb being good for those looking for something uplifting: something to awaken their senses and get them ready for the day ahead.

In the bath, this bath bomb begins in the same way that its counterparts do: begin fizzing and frothing immediately, and sending out waves of orange and yellow foam across the surface of the water. As the loud fizzer continues to dissolve, a puddle of sticky jelly-like consistency begins to form across the tub.

Unlike most of the other jelly bombs, Marmalade didn't fully dissolve over time, and I was left with chunks of orange bath bomb that seemed even too stubborn to break between my fingers. After I had exited the bath and drained the water, I found a number of these chunks were still lingering by the plughole, and I had to throw them away, which seemed a waste. 

Out of the four regular jelly bombs, this one also appeared to be the slipperiest, and I really had to take care when getting both in and out of the bath. For those who are a little unsteady on your feet, you may find using one of these will become something of a health hazard for you, and I would advise that you seek help if you can do so.

Once in the water, I found that like Dark Arts, the jelly didn't ever fully dissolve into the water. So while the bath was very moisturising on my skin and I finished the experience feeling lovely and smooth, it was rather messy while I was in the tub, and there were multiple times when I had to scrub away accumulations of the jelly from the sides of the bath and from my own body.

When rinsing away the water, I also discovered that parts of my tub were tinged slightly yellow from the experience, and I had to spend a short while afterwards trying to remove these marks with a scrub. Furthermore, because of the 'gunk' that I found myself bathing in, I didn't feel as clean after my bath as I would normally do with any other bath bomb. 

Overall, while the concept of the jelly bombs can be a positive experience, I didn't find that to be the case with this one. Despite what I said above, I will be trying this jelly bomb out one final time (if only to get a few better shots than the ones I originally collected), just to see whether my bath bomb was a faulty one or just the nature of the product.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Alginate, Grapefruit Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Orange Slice, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, *Limonene, *Linalool, *Hydroxycitronellal, *Citral, Geraniol, Perfume, Colour 47005, Colour 14700, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

coming soon!

Read More