German Sausage Facial Cleanser

I cannot say that I've ever loved the smell of sausages enough to want to smother my face in them. Having said that, I feel the same way about coffee and yet I use Cup O' Coffee like my life depends on it, which it does on some occasions. 

German Sausage Facial Cleanser is a weird concept to say the least. Yet it is often those weird and wonderful inventions that make the biggest impact, and this particular product is definitely one that leaves a lasting impression. Made from base of rhassoul mud and potatoes, German Sausage is a very 'foody' smell, and one that may take a little getting used to before it can be fully appreciated. 

Although it may seem like an odd ingredient for a cosmetic, potato happens to be naturally rich in vitamin C, which is great for maintaining the skin's natural radiance. Furthermore, it is this component that helps to give the cleanser a slight gritty consistency, which works alongside the oatmeal to act as a gentle exfoliator as well. The rhassoul mud also plays a part at helping to soften and smoothen-out the complexion - acting as both a gentle exfoliator, while also absorbing excess oils that may be present on the skin. 

Alongside the above two ingredients, you also have the inclusion of both cocoa butter and almond oil. Both of these ingredients help to moisture and nourish the skin, and when the product is left on the face for a short while before being washed off, it can improve the condition of your complexion over a number of days.

In terms of the other key notes, the inclusion of sage, parsley, basil and rosemary are what gives this cleanser its distinctive and rather potent aroma. My nose detects the sage and rosemary at the forefront - both offering a heady but rather dry, herbal fragrance. On top of this, you can even smell the dry, starchy components of the potato - almost like a tray of overly roasted potatoes that have been left out overnight to dry. You can smell each of these ingredients quite easily, and I'd say that these are the components that give German Sausage its distinctive smell.  

To use, you simply take a small amount (perhaps the size of a small grape), and massage it across the face. For best results, I tend to leave this on while I continue my shower, and then rinse it off just before I get out. This allows the cocoa butter and rhassoul mud to work their magic and improve the condition of the skin. 

Luckily, this scent doesn't linger too much on your face after you've washed it off, so you don't have to worry about justifying to strangers why you smell a bit like a human hot dog.

Having used this daily for the last couple of weeks, I have found that this can, and perhaps should, be used daily to get the best results. I found that within 2-3 days of using this in the morning, my complexion seemed to look brighter and my skin felt noticeably smoother. 

Having said this, I didn't feel as if this was as effective either Buche De Noel or Angels On Bare Skin. Furthermore, the consistency, although not at all scratchy or rough, was not as easy-going on the face as the products mentioned above. For those with sensitive skin, I can imagine that this cleaner could have the potential to irritate the pores a little.

In terms of complexion types, I think that this cleanser would suit most consumers' needs. However, I think that perhaps it would work a little better for those with normal to oily skin, as the rhassoul mud and potato would definitely help to remove any excess grease.

Overall, this is an odd one to say the least. Not many other companies would be brace enough to bring out a facial product that both looks and smells like something you'd have in a cooked breakfast. Although not a fan of meat in any shape or form, I appreciated the uniqueness of this cleanser and will continue to use it daily until my tub finishes. This has opened even more possibilities for what this company might make, and I for one am excited to see what they do next.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Potatoes, Ground Almonds, Rhassoul Mud, Kaolin, Cocoa Butter, Aloe Vera Extract, Fine Sea Salt, Soya Milk Powder, Fresh Sage, Fresh Parsley, Sage Oil, Basil Oil, Rosemary Oil, Alpha-Isomethyl iphone, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £7.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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Tea And Sympathy Bath Bomb

For someone who considers them self to be fairly intelligent, I don't know why I didn't think about the ingenious concept of bathing alongside a tea bag or two. Known for being incredibly detoxifying and softening on the skin, it's the perfect bathing companion, and one that will be making a reappearance alongside many of the cocktails that I concoct in the future.

Tea And Sympathy Bath Bomb is easily one of the most boring ballistics that Lush have ever produced. However, it doesn't need to be particularly attractive when the name is enough to warrant a good many sales. Add in the unique feature of including a tea bag at its core, and you've already appealed to the British mentality - enough to sell a batch or two without too much of a problem.

What immediately struck my about this bath bomb, when it arrived, was that it smelt very different to what I had envisaged. Described as being 'like white and green tea', I was expecting something very two-dimensional and perhaps a little bitter. However, what I found was that this bath bomb was far sweeter and prettier than I had initially given it credit for.

Containing calamine powder and chamomile oil as the two key components, I expected the bath bomb to be very overpowering and medicinal smelling. Instead I found Tea And Sympathy had all of the refreshing, herbal properties of both ingredients, but with a wonderful musky layer alongside this. The olibanum oil really does work its magic at sweetening the chamomile and offering an almost resinous quality to the bath bomb.

While the clary sage is one of the last ingredients, I could really appreciate the prevalent herbal thread that is featured because of this. Despite the fact that every component works in harmony with each other, you can definitely make out each ingredient individually as well, which makes this one of the prettiest smells that I have experienced from Lush in a while.

Having said this, the bath bomb still wouldn't win any awards in the tub. Upon contact with the water, Tea And Sympathy begins to froth and fizz, and it doesn't take more than a couple of minutes for the product to dissolve completely. While puddles of white froth and bubbles pattern the surface, these disappear very quickly, and you are left with a very boring-looking bath. This bath bomb does not colour the water at all, and if it wasn't for the lovely smell radiating off of the water, and the single tea bag floating across the water, you wouldn't really be able to tell that you've used a product in there at all.

In it's defence, the bath bomb is rather moisturising and softening, without being at all greasy. The inclusion of the tea bag definitely helps to purify and detoxify your skin during bathing, and you'll find that your pores will feel much clearer afterwards. 

Having said that, I found that the fragrance faded during my experience, and after using a couple of stronger products, I was no longer able to detect the smell at all. Furthermore, the aroma didn't permeate my skin enough to leave any sort of impression afterwards either.

Overall, this bath bomb is definitely one you have to try, but perhaps not one you need to rush out and buy. Although its not one that I need to have at all times in my life, I would definitely say that adding a couple of colours to Tea And Sympathy would make it far more appealing, and one that I would be far more inclined to buy.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Soya Milk Powder, Calamine Powder, Perfume, Chamomile Blue Oil, Olibanum Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Water (Aqua), Chamomile Tea Bag, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 42090, Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.25 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?

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Sexxx Bomb Bath Bomb

Lush are known for their novel ideas - from the wash cards, shower jellies and solid mouthwash tabs, to the weirdly-shaped bubble bars and bath bombs that adorn their shelves in any given store. In almost all of the above cases, the purpose of the product far outweighs any alluring factor that an item may possess, and even when it's not a favourite you can still appreciate its worth. 

However, if there is one product that seems to serve no extra purpose aside from being a novelty factor, it is their ever-growing collection of enlarged bath bombs. Magnified in size as well as price, these limited editions often appeal to both collectors and avid lovers of a particular ballistic - holding no extra merits aside from a physical difference, and the fact that it warrants you having an incredible expensive session in the tub.  

The Sexxx Bomb Bomb is one of two extra large bath bombs to have come out in the Lush Kitchen recently, and the first to make its debut this year. As the name and design suggest, this enormous bath bomb is modelled on one of Lush's biggest selling products, the Sex Bomb. Coming in at nearly four times the size and weight of the regular ballistic, this is good value for money in that sense. However, using it as a one-off will definitely make it one of the biggest investments you might make this year, on a bath bomb alone. 

Containing a collaboration of jasmine and ylang ylang, this limited edition is as sweet as it is floral. This is definitely one for the jasmine fans as the flower's naturally uplifting and rather euphoric aroma makes itself known immediately - creating an intoxicating blend of fresh but fruity floral notes. The ylang ylang extends the floral smell further by adding in a little muskiness to dampen and ground the resinous properties of the jasmine. 

Finally, the clary sage oil deepens the smell with its musty, earthy undertones. It is this element that makes it such a sensual-smelling bath bomb, and the  ingredient that I think prevents the jasmine from being as narcotic and as heady as it normally is by itself. Sexxx Bomb is definitely as sexy and as sensual as it's older sister, and  

Surprisingly, before this bath bomb was added to water, it didn't appear to be any stronger in scent than the smaller version. In order to prevent any users from developing a reaction to the surplus ingredients in the tub, Lush have to dilute the ingredients in all of their bigger bath bombs. This is to ensure that they're not too heavy in the way of smell, and also to prevent any irritation on the skin that could be caused from the prolonged contact with an excess amount of oils.   

On the positive side, once this bath bomb had dissolved in the tub, I found that the aroma was the perfect level; not too strong that it stifled your senses in any way, yet not as weak as the original Sex Bomb, which underwhelmed me quite a bit when I tried it out for myself.

While the colour of the water remained a pastel pink colour, I did notice that the effect was far more prominent: the colour was more opaque and appeared to be thicker in consistency, and this helped me to appreciate the experience a little more. Furthermore, while I wouldn't say the effect of the bath bomb was anywhere near as nourishing as a bubble bar, it was definitely more softening and more moisturising than a regular bath bomb. My legs and arms developed a glean within minutes of submerging myself in the water, and I could feel the effects of this long after I had exited the tub.

Despite the fact that all of the magnified bath bombs that I have tried so far have been fast-fizzers, I really appreciated the effect that Sexxx Bomb created while it was dissolving. As it projected waves of gorgeous pink across the surface, the bath bomb also generated thousands of little air pockets, which floated across the water and created a stunning array of miniature patterned bubbles. I've never seen this happen with any of Lush's other bath bombs before, and this was a welcome sight to observe.

After exiting the bath nearly two hours later, I appreciated the fact that I could still smell the bath bomb on my skin, and I found that was able to detect it on my hair the following day as well. Furthermore, the fragrance lingered around for a good couple of hours in the bathroom, which was a welcome bonus for my flatmates and I.

Although I enjoyed using this bath bomb, and I am happy that I made the decision to purchase a couple of these when they were available, this wouldn't be one that I would be interested in buying again. As a novelty gift for a loved one, a special treat for an avid fan of the regular-sized Sex Bomb, or a one-off purchase for collectors who need to try everything once, this bath bomb works well, and offers users something a little different from the norm. However, its price tag does not justify this being used very often, and for that reason, I'll reserve my one remaining bomb for when a very special occasion arises.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Sesquicarbonate, Jasmine Absolute, Clary Sage Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Soya Milk, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Musk, Propylene Glycol, *Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpha-Isomethyl ionone, Perfume, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Rice Paper Flower.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £10.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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The Boog Bath Bomb

It has been quite a while since something new from Lush's vaults has made an appearance in their kitchen - something that had me in a bit of a state when they first announced the menu back before Christmas. As per usual, I took a leap of faith and purchased a handful of these beauties, and as is normally the case, it paid off. 

Inspired by a Swiss tradition, The Boog is a symbol of celebration - a bath bomb that draws from the colourful and playful nature of the original custom that dates back to the early twentieth century. During the month of April, the Swiss celebrate the ending of winter by creating an effigy of a snowman - its head stuffed with fireworks whereupon it is hoisted onto a bomb fire and observed until it explodes. The idea is that the longer it takes for his head to explode, the better the following Summer will be.

While I cannot guarantee that this bath bomb will influence the weather in any shape or form, I can assure you that it'll definitely banish away those winter blues, and alleviate the cold a little from your weathered skin.

Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was that they didn't smell anything like I had imagine them to do, and they were also slightly different to the version released a few years ago. With clary sage, rosemary and myrrh cited as the key ingredients, I was expecting a strong, herbal fragrance. Instead, what I detected was sweeter, much less imposing and far more beautiful than I could have imagined.

An initial sniff reveals a smell not unlike the May Day Bath Bomb - a gentle, powdery vanilla and lemon smell - something very unexpected given the ingredients list. Behind this you can detect notes of both the clary sage and the rosemary, which not only hold their own, but also intertwine with the other ingredients to create a smell that replicates Grass Shower Gel.

While I would describe this bath bomb as a very light, calm-smelling herbal scent, I wouldn't say that this factor is detrimental to the experience at all - if anything, it's the very opposite. It's primarily a sweet and slightly lemony, grassy smell with herbal elements that make themselves more pronounced in the water. In my opinion, I think that the fragrance of this would work really well as both a perfume and a dusting powder, and I look forward to such releases from Lush in the future.

Not only was the scent different to what I have envisaged, the design has been altered to what it was a few years back. Whereas the original had the coloured discs on the outside, visible for all to see, the newer edition keeps the colours as somewhat of a mystery and secures them on the inside. Not only this, but judging from pictures and videos of the original release, it seems as if this newer version is a tad bigger as well, which is great.  

When The Boog hits the water, it immediately begins to fizz and froth, and thick waves of white foam begin to decorate the surface. It is not until a few minutes later that the different colours begin to make their presence known - sending out little trails of blue, purple, pink, green, orange and yellow that dissipate across the water, creating a rather lovely looking display to observe.

As the heat mixes with the fragrance, the grassy, herbal aroma becomes more pronounced, and I was surprised by how much a little hot water can coax out the smell. Despite this, I found that within five minutes of submerging myself below the surface, the scent has all but disappeared, and I was only able to detect the aroma once I was out of the bath and towelling myself down afterwards.

Having said this, I was grateful to see that once the ballistic had fully dissolved, the water was left silky-soft and creamy While it wasn't as moisturising as you would expect a bath melt to be, it did leave a pronounced, buttery layer across the surface that meant my skin felt so soft and smooth afterwards. It was just a shame that the bath bomb didn't alter the colour of the water at all, so I would recommend that add a bubble bar or another ballistic to add a bit of excitement. 

Ultimately, this is definitely not a bath bomb that I would rush out and grab as I would one of my favourites. However, it is a very lovely product with a wonderful smell - one that made a difference from my usual baths, and one that I would definitely like to experience again. I shall enjoy my handful of The Boogs and may be tempted to buy a couple more, if they ever make their presence known in the Kitchen again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Armoire Oil, Myrrh Resinoid, Rosemary Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Cream of Tartar, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Dipropylene, Glycol, Gardenia Extract, Citral, Limonene, Linalool,  Colour 15510,  Colour 45350,  Colour 42090,  Colour 17200,  Colour 45410.

2015 Price: £3.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2010

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The Boog Bath Bomb

It has been quite a while since something new from Lush's vaults has made an appearance in their kitchen - something that had me in a bit of a state when they first announced the menu back before Christmas. As per usual, I took a leap of faith and purchased a handful of these beauties, and as is normally the case, it paid off. 

Inspired by a Swiss tradition, The Boog is a symbol of celebration - a bath bomb that draws from the colourful and playful nature of the original custom that dates back to the early twentieth century. During the month of April, the Swiss celebrate the ending of winter by creating an effigy of a snowman - its head stuffed with fireworks whereupon it is hoisted onto a bomb fire and observed until it explodes. The idea is that the longer it takes for his head to explode, the better the following Summer will be.

While I cannot guarantee that this bath bomb will influence the weather in any shape or form, I can assure you that it'll definitely banish away those winter blues, and alleviate the cold a little from your weathered skin.

Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was that they didn't smell anything like I had imagine them to do, and they were also slightly different to the version released a few years ago. With clary sage, rosemary and myrrh cited as the key ingredients, I was expecting a strong, herbal fragrance. Instead, what I detected was sweeter, much less imposing and far more beautiful than I could have imagined.

An initial sniff reveals a smell not unlike the May Day Bath Bomb - a gentle, powdery vanilla and lemon smell - something very unexpected given the ingredients list. Behind this you can detect notes of both the clary sage and the rosemary, which not only hold their own, but also intertwine with the other ingredients to create a smell that replicates Grass Shower Gel.

While I would describe this bath bomb as a very light, calm-smelling herbal scent, I wouldn't say that this factor is detrimental to the experience at all - if anything, it's the very opposite. It's primarily a sweet and slightly lemony, grassy smell with herbal elements that make themselves more pronounced in the water. In my opinion, I think that the fragrance of this would work really well as both a perfume and a dusting powder, and I look forward to such releases from Lush in the future.

Not only was the scent different to what I have envisaged, the design has been altered to what it was a few years back. Whereas the original had the coloured discs on the outside, visible for all to see, the newer edition keeps the colours as somewhat of a mystery and secures them on the inside. Not only this, but judging from pictures and videos of the original release, it seems as if this newer version is a tad bigger as well, which is great.  

When The Boog hits the water, it immediately begins to fizz and froth, and thick waves of white foam begin to decorate the surface. It is not until a few minutes later that the different colours begin to make their presence known - sending out little trails of blue, purple, pink, green, orange and yellow that dissipate across the water, creating a rather lovely looking display to observe.

As the heat mixes with the fragrance, the grassy, herbal aroma becomes more pronounced, and I was surprised by how much a little hot water can coax out the smell. Despite this, I found that within five minutes of submerging myself below the surface, the scent has all but disappeared, and I was only able to detect the aroma once I was out of the bath and towelling myself down afterwards.

Having said this, I was grateful to see that once the ballistic had fully dissolved, the water was left silky-soft and creamy While it wasn't as moisturising as you would expect a bath melt to be, it did leave a pronounced, buttery layer across the surface that meant my skin felt so soft and smooth afterwards. It was just a shame that the bath bomb didn't alter the colour of the water at all, so I would recommend that add a bubble bar or another ballistic to add a bit of excitement. 

Ultimately, this is definitely not a bath bomb that I would rush out and grab as I would one of my favourites. However, it is a very lovely product with a wonderful smell - one that made a difference from my usual baths, and one that I would definitely like to experience again. I shall enjoy my handful of The Boogs and may be tempted to buy a couple more, if they ever make their presence known in the Kitchen again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Armoire Oil, Myrrh Resinoid, Rosemary Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Cream of Tartar, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Dipropylene, Glycol, Gardenia Extract, Citral, Limonene, Linalool,  Colour 15510,  Colour 45350,  Colour 42090,  Colour 17200,  Colour 45410.

2015 Price: £3.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2010

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Skinny Dip Buttercream

Being heavily involved in the online Lush community has allowed me to recognise which products are considered by fans, ancient and new, to be the 'holy grail' of Lush. These are products that create an excitement by a mere mention or a picture - the items that dominate the company's Facebook feed and go for extortionate sums of money on eBay. 

Skinny Dip Buttercream, alongside most of the products within this scent family, is one of those holy products. It is probably the most requested item on forums and through the Lush Kitchen, and builds up an impressive amount of 'buzz' when the two words are ushered in the same sentence. Yet, it is a product that does absolutely nothing for me. 

First released over eight years ago to replace the shower gel format that was notorious for separating in the bottle, the buttercream was Lush's way of rectifying the problem whilst still being able to offer fans the unique violet and clove aroma. 

For those unfamiliar with what a buttercream is, it's a product that sits in between a soap and a shower gel; a softer-style soap that can be used like a shower gel, but contains key ingredients to help soften and repair dry skin. It doesn’t contain as many surfactants as traditional soap, so it won’t lather up like you’re used to, but this does mean it’s especially good for those people who find that normal soap can sometimes dry their skin out.

Made from an array of skin-softening butters and containing an impressive nine different oils, this 'shower soap' should in theory be incredibly moisturising on the skin. With a base of creamed coconut, rapeseed and coconut oil, Skinny Dip is very light in colour and extremely creamy in the tub. You can detect a very gentle nutty aroma from the coconut underneath the other ingredients but it is the inclusion of the other oils that give it it's original fragrance. 

Clove bud and cedarwood oil dominate the smell of this - creating a rather strange, lightly-spiced and delicately-floral aroma with a subtle woody undertone thrown in there as well. Lush's description states that the key scent here is clove and violet and I can definitely detect both of these notes, although where and how the violet smell is created, I am unsure. 

Aside from these scents, the inclusion of both aloe vera gel and clary sage adds a freshness to the fragrance that gives it a rather clean smell; the ylang ylang oil also gives the buttercream a sweetness that brings all of the different elements together. 

To my nose, Skinny Dip Buttercream gives off an aroma that reminds me of spicy, indian tea - very similar to something like Masala Chai or those liquorice and cinnamon ones you can buy from health food shops. While the scent wasn't bad, I found it rather underwhelming and struggled to muster a lot of enthusiasm when trying it out in the shower. 

Aside from it's scent, this buttercream cleans the skin well and is very easy to use. A little goes a long way as I found that I only needed the equivalent of a dessertspoon to lather my whole body. This means that a 250g tub would probably last for at least 20 full body washes - making it a more expensive investment than soap but something that should be used in moderation to get your moneys worth. As I mentioned above, this doesn't lather like a soap does, but it does leave a light white foam when it's massaged into the skin, and is very easy to wash off afterwards.

Despite it's productivity, it's a rather costly alternative to shower gel or soap, and for those of us with normal or slightly dry skin, you may find that this is not as nourishing as some of the other products available from Lush. Despite the impressive ingredients list, this product left my skin rather dry - much like a lot of Lush's soap do, so it's not as effective as the Heavenly Bodies or Almond Buttercream varieties that I love.   

Although I have grown to appreciate it more after using it daily, it wasn't as instantly gratifying as other Lush buttercreams and it's not a product I would buy again. While I am always open to new and interesting fragrances, I found this one to be pretty boring and not something I can imagine ever getting excited about, even if Lush were to bring out the shower gel equivalent. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Creamed Coconut Infusion, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Water (Aqua), Perfume, Clove Bud Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Vetivert Oil, Palmarosa Oil, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eugenol, Linalool, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £10.25 for 250g. 
2017 Price: £10.50 for 250g. 

Scent Family:
Skinny Dip Body Lotion
Skinny Dip Bubble Bar
Skinny Dip Buttercream
Skinny Dip Lip Perfume
Skinny Dip Shower Gel

Year Of Original Release: 2006.

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Skinny Dip Buttercream

Being heavily involved in the online Lush community has allowed me to recognise which products are considered by fans, ancient and new, to be the 'holy grail' of Lush. These are products that create an excitement by a mere mention or a picture - the items that dominate the company's Facebook feed and go for extortionate sums of money on eBay. 

Skinny Dip Buttercream, alongside most of the products within this scent family, is one of those holy products. It is probably the most requested item on forums and through the Lush Kitchen, and builds up an impressive amount of 'buzz' when the two words are ushered in the same sentence. Yet, it is a product that does absolutely nothing for me. 

First released over eight years ago to replace the shower gel format that was notorious for separating in the bottle, the buttercream was Lush's way of rectifying the problem whilst still being able to offer fans the unique violet and clove aroma. 

For those unfamiliar with what a buttercream is, it's a product that sits in between a soap and a shower gel; a softer-style soap that can be used like a shower gel, but contains key ingredients to help soften and repair dry skin. It doesn’t contain as many surfactants as traditional soap, so it won’t lather up like you’re used to, but this does mean it’s especially good for those people who find that normal soap can sometimes dry their skin out.

Made from an array of skin-softening butters and containing an impressive nine different oils, this 'shower soap' should in theory be incredibly moisturising on the skin. With a base of creamed coconut, rapeseed and coconut oil, Skinny Dip is very light in colour and extremely creamy in the tub. You can detect a very gentle nutty aroma from the coconut underneath the other ingredients but it is the inclusion of the other oils that give it it's original fragrance. 

Clove bud and cedarwood oil dominate the smell of this - creating a rather strange, lightly-spiced and delicately-floral aroma with a subtle woody undertone thrown in there as well. Lush's description states that the key scent here is clove and violet and I can definitely detect both of these notes, although where and how the violet smell is created, I am unsure. 

Aside from these scents, the inclusion of both aloe vera gel and clary sage adds a freshness to the fragrance that gives it a rather clean smell; the ylang ylang oil also gives the buttercream a sweetness that brings all of the different elements together. 

To my nose, Skinny Dip Buttercream gives off an aroma that reminds me of spicy, indian tea - very similar to something like Masala Chai or those liquorice and cinnamon ones you can buy from health food shops. While the scent wasn't bad, I found it rather underwhelming and struggled to muster a lot of enthusiasm when trying it out in the shower. 

Aside from it's scent, this buttercream cleans the skin well and is very easy to use. A little goes a long way as I found that I only needed the equivalent of a dessertspoon to lather my whole body. This means that a 250g tub would probably last for at least 20 full body washes - making it a more expensive investment than soap but something that should be used in moderation to get your moneys worth. As I mentioned above, this doesn't lather like a soap does, but it does leave a light white foam when it's massaged into the skin, and is very easy to wash off afterwards.

Despite it's productivity, it's a rather costly alternative to shower gel or soap, and for those of us with normal or slightly dry skin, you may find that this is not as nourishing as some of the other products available from Lush. Despite the impressive ingredients list, this product left my skin rather dry - much like a lot of Lush's soap do, so it's not as effective as the Heavenly Bodies or Almond Buttercream varieties that I love.   

Although I have grown to appreciate it more after using it daily, it wasn't as instantly gratifying as other Lush buttercreams and it's not a product I would buy again. While I am always open to new and interesting fragrances, I found this one to be pretty boring and not something I can imagine ever getting excited about, even if Lush were to bring out the shower gel equivalent. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Creamed Coconut Infusion, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Water (Aqua), Perfume, Clove Bud Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Vetivert Oil, Palmarosa Oil, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eugenol, Linalool, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £10.25 for 250g. 
2017 Price: £10.50 for 250g. 

Scent Family:
Skinny Dip Body Lotion
Skinny Dip Bubble Bar
Skinny Dip Buttercream
Skinny Dip Lip Perfume
Skinny Dip Shower Gel

Year Of Original Release: 2006.

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