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Yuge Hot Hair Treatment

agave nectar, Hair, jojoba, olives, peppermint, salt, spearmint

Although the quality of my hair is improving near on every day, I am still very hesitant to put anything new into my hair. The slightest wrong choice and my mane looks and feels like a birds’ nest. It’s fascinating and equally terrifying that the smallest decision can have such a dramatic impact, which is why it has taken me so long to try this product out for size.

Yuge Hot Oil Hair Treatment is one of a select few solid treatments that are currently available to try out in stores. Originally making an appearance at the Lush Summit event in February, this turquoise-looking block proved to be so popular, that the company decided to release it as a global product.

What struck a chord with me is the fact that this particular treatment plays homage to Donald Trump, or more particular - his downright political stupidity. Based on his idea of building a ‘huuuuuuuge wall’ to separate Mexico from the world, this product nourishes your sense of humour as well as your hair. What excited me about Yuge was that it proclaimed to not only nourish and rehydrate your hair, but to give it volume as well - the two aspects of my hair that I struggle with every day.

Firstly, this hot hair treatment contains fine sea salt. Although in large doses this can actually dry out the hair and scalp, this helps to add volume. From experience, I know that this product can have some serious impact on my hair, as Sea Spray has already demonstrated to me in the past.

Yuge also contains hair gum, which is a thickening agent that not only helps to add more volume, but also works at conditioning the hair as well. This works with the agave syrup, to help lick in moisture and give the hair a wonderful shine. Finally, Yuge contains jojoba oil to support the agave syrup in adding vibrancy to your locks, and it truly works.

As the ingredients list suggests, the fragrance of this is created from a combination of spearmint and agave nectar. The mint not only helped to stimulate the hair follicles across my scalp, but offered up a gentle sweet minty smell that was pleasant enough for as long as it lasted.

To use, simply add the stick to an empty mug and pour in some boiling water. In order for you to achieve the consistency of the treatment, you need to fill the mug until it’s about two-thirds of the way full. Stir it around with the wooden stick, until all of the product has melted away from the stick and then leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

I found that a single treatment lasted me for two separate uses, so I then massaged half of the gel across my head, making sure I started from the roots before moving onto the ends of my hair, and then the part in between. You can then carefully wrap some cling film or a plastic bag around your head to allow the moisture to stay warm and stimulate the process a little more, or just relax in a bath until the time comes to rinse it out.

After about 20 minutes you will need to massage your hair under the shower, in order to remove as much of the treatment as possible. Given its consistency, you will find that Yuge is not all that easy to wash out. For this reason, I would then shampoo my hair as per usual, and this usually does the trick at removing any excess product. I wouldn’t recommend that you condition as well as it’ll be too much for your hair, and you may find your ends become rather brittle afterwards.

Once my hair was dry, I found that Yuge did impact my hair in many ways: some good and others not so good. For starters, it did give my hair a lovely shine to it, which came about more once I had brushed it and it was completely dry. As my hair is usually quite frizzy, I also noticed that my locks appeared far more tame. They seemed to have lost their waviness, which was a great aspect for me, but some may not appreciate this so much. Finally, my hair did appear to be volumised a little, although I wouldn’t say it was apparent enough to get too excited.

On the other hand, I didn’t think my hair felt all that moisturised once it was dry. In fact, I had to apply some extra Argan oil on afterwards because the hair felt quite coarse. Secondly, I found that traces of the treatment were still present in my hair, once I had towelled myself down. It appears as if all of Lush’s hot oil treatments are a little stubborn to use, so you will need to double check that your hair is fully exempt before jumping out of the shower.

Finally, I found that the positives of Yuge didn’t last for more than a few days, and within a week my hair felt and looked exactly as it had done before I had used the treatment. While I didn’t expect this treatment to perform miracles, I was expecting it to have a lasting impact, similar to the likes of The Strokes and Jasmine And Henna Fluff-Ease.

Overall, I did feel that my hair benefitted from me using this, although I don’t think it would be too pleased if I used it more regularly than I do. Once every couple of months is more than enough to help revamp my hair a little, and I would be more inclined to used Damaged anyway, as that’s much more suited to my hair type. Although it’s a great thing that Trump’s idea of building a wall lasted little more than the time it took me to apply this to my locks, I would have liked to have seen more longevity in terms of the impact this had on my hair.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cetearyl Alcohol & Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Organic Agave Syrup, Fine Sea Salt, Organic Jojoba Oil, Guar Gum, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Coarse Sea Salt, Cream of Tartar, Spearmint Oil, Perfume, Citric Acid, Peppermint Powder, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Limonene, Colour 4209.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Hidden Mountain Soap

castor oil, Christmas, christmas 2017, cocoa butter, ho wood, kaolin, labdanum, lavender, limited edition, salt, Seasonal, Skin, Soap

At the risk of repeating myself, most of my readers know that I am not a huge fans of soap at all. Despite Lush creating some incredible scents in this format, they just don't get on with my skin. As someone with quite a dry complexion, I have found that most of the company's soaps leave my body feeling parched, and then I need to moisturise heavily afterwards, which brings about problems of its own.

For this reason, I was not particularly enamoured to see so many new variations in this year's seasonal range. As someone who feels the need to try and review every vegan product Lush offer to consumers, I knew that I would need to work my way through every single one of them - which wasn't going to be the best news for my already winter-touched skin.

Hidden Mountain was the first one I reached for - not because I was overly excited with the scent, but because the premise and design grabbed my attention immediately. If there is one (only) thing I love about the cold weather, it's the brisk through the local woodlands, while wrapped in a million layers to keep myself from freezing to death. I am definitely a country person at heart, and the cold weather brings about a romanticism when I think about exploring woods and forests.

This soap immediately offered a rapport that reminded me of both Needles And Pine Shower Jelly and Tramp Shower Gel. In fact, I have heard rumours that the soap is supposed to be a combination of the latter and Grass, and I can definitely relate to that description as well. Either way, this product is definitely one for those who like grassy, earthy smells.

Containing ho wood oil and labdanum resinoid, Hidden Mountain offers a green floral smell with woody undertones that support and pad out of the overall fragrance. Labdanum has a very rich, resinous smell about it and I see this as the dominant note overall. Despite it being low in the mix, the lavender can be detected, and offers a subtle dry, floral component as well.

To me, this soap really is like walking through a forest after it has snowed - the ferns and woodland plants wet and bleeding that earthy, green phosphorus smell into the air; the shrubbery and fallen branches adding a cloudy and quite saturated woody smell. It's definitely not a scent for the faint-hearted, and when you use this you will find the aroma follows you around for hours later.

What I enjoyed about Hidden Mountain was that the inclusion of cocoa butter meant that this soap was a little gentler on my skin. While I would never claim that it was moisturising for me, I did use it for successive weeks as a hand soap, and I never once suffered from dry or damaged skin. In fact, the soap brought about a slight clarity to my hands - meaning that there was almost a radiance to my skin after using it. Furthermore, the scent clung to my skin like an icicle on a tree branch, and I was once complimented on my 'perfume' some three hours later, which was impressive.

For those who appreciate soaps more than I do, and love the fragrance of this one, I should warn you that this shrunk at an alarming rate. After using it around 3-4 times in the shower, the 100g piece I had bought had almost halved in size. For this reason, you need to make sure that it does not come into contact with the running water very often, and that you pat the piece down once you have finished bathing.

Ultimately, this was never going to be a product I would rave about; neither was it ever going to be one that I bought multiple pieces of. However, I did really appreciate the smell of Hidden Mountain and I can see how someone with skin that's a little less drier than mine might benefit from using this.

Quantittaive Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Kaolin, Ho Wood Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Lavender Oil, Coarse Sea Salt, Citric Acid, Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Iron Oxides, Alpha-Isomethyl ionone, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, Oakmoss Extract, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.40 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

German Sausage Facial Cleanser

Almond, aloe vera, basil, cocoa butter, Face, kaolin, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, parsley, potato, rhassoul mud, rosemary, sage, salt, Skin

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.

Dear John Shower Gel

cedarwood, clove, coriander, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, nettle, rosemary, salt, Shower, Shower Gel, Skin, vetivert

Dear John is a fragrance that I forget how much I appreciate, until I whip out the body spray and fall in love with it all over again. With so many different layers and such an interesting range of ingredients, this is a scent as unique as it is complex.

When the Lush Kitchen announced that they would be making a shower gel version of this smell, I was equally intrigued and perplexed. On the one hand I was really excited to try a brand new shower gel, as those who follow this blog will know how much I love this format. However, there was a part of me that wondered if such a fragrance would actually work well outside of being a perfume.

Upon first inspection, I was rather pleased to notice the deep, forest green that Dear John Shower Gel sported. Given the design of the perfume bottles and body spray, I was expecting a cream-coloured liquid, so the actual product was definitely an upgrade of the colour I originally envisaged.

Unfortunately, what I also noticed very quickly was that the shower gel was very thin - offering the same consistency as The Olive Branch. This meant that I found myself using far more than I would normally do so, as the product wasn't as compact in my hands as I would expect from most Lush gels. While the product lathered up really quickly and produced a generous amount of foam to wash myself with, I felt as if I used more that I usually would, just because of how runny it was and how freely it flowed from the bottle.

Supposedly a 'unisex' fragrance, this shower gel is quite complex: featuring layers of vetivert, cedar, clove, coriander, lime, coffee and pine. What I noticed about Dear John from the get-go was that it was the former three ingredients that made the biggest impression. From the bottle you can make out the sweet, smoky characteristics of the vetivert, blended with a gentle layer of woody cedar. Together, these two ingredients create an almost resinous smell, which when combined with a subtle hint of warming clove, makes for the most comforting of fragrances.

How this shower gel differed from other Dear John products, is the fact that the lime was not as noticeable as it is in other formats. While you can definitely detect its fruity presence, it was a little subtler than it is in other formats - meaning that I found this shower gel to be a little less refreshing than the body spray is.

What I also found a little disappointing was the fact that the shower gel was not as moisturising as most other variations available. I felt clean afterwards, and the fragrance lingered around for a short while on my body. However, my skin didn't feel as soft or as nourished as I was expecting it to be. For this reason, I can imagine those with very dry skin may benefit from using a body lotion afterwards to replenish the skin of moisture.

Fans of Dear John will definitely appreciate this new addition to the family, and I have been enjoying having a bottle to indulge myself with on a daily basis. Having said that, those with a keen nose will notice that there are differences between this and the perfume, and some may not appreciate the subtle changes that have been made. The fact that I am half way through a bottle in just under three weeks, also suggests that this is not necessarily as good value for money as some of Lush's other shower gels.

Quantitative Ingredients: Rosemary Infusion, Nettle Leaf Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Perfume, Proplyene Glycol, Fine Sea Salt, Vetivert Oil, Coriander Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 42090, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £11.25 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
Copperhead Solid Shampoo
Dear John Bubble Bar
Dear John Body Spray
Dear John Liquid Perfume
Dear John Shower Gel
Dear John Solid Perfume

Dear John Soap

Shut Up And Get Over It Bath Bomb

Bath, Bath Bomb, Grapefruit, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, Mandarin Oil, neroli, salt

Part of the allure of trying retro Lush products for the first time, is the knowledge that I gain from being able to use and review that item for myself. While I feel as if I have quite an extensive knowledge of Lush products - past and present, I am always yearning to learn more, and the release of a 'new' old product allows me to try it out firsthand, which is the perfect way of gauging that greater understanding.

One of the most exciting aspects of researching and discussing products is reading the stories behind the creation of the item, and the reason behind the company's choice of name. With that in mind, no bath bomb has intrigued me as much about its title as this one has.

Shut Up And Get Over It is a pretty blunt name for a bath bomb. Never has a Lush product appeared to be quiet as passive aggressive, and almost quite rude, yet equally as endearing as this one has. First appearing in 2009, this limited edition was a one-off release that never made it past its first batch - making it extremely rare and one that has been on my 'in search of' list for a very long time. Only those lucky enough to be a member of the Lush forum at the time would have been able to get their hands on the ballistic - that was until the Lush Kitchen brought it out for the community to enjoy last month.

Sharing its scent with Happy For SAD Shower Gel, this bath bomb was created with the intention of helping those who suffer from Seasonal Adjustive Disorder - after a forum member requested that such a product needed to exist. At first, the idea was met with resistance and in as many words, the person was told to 'shut up and get over it'. However, with the seed planted, the concept grew into more than just an idea, and before long Lush had released a bath bomb in homage of the exchange - one that was geared towards lifting spirits and curbing anxiety in the colder months.

Designed to bring a little extra happiness during bath time, this limited edition is packed full of neroli, grapefruit and mandarin oils. The former is the key ingredient here, as while it's gentle floral properties are not the strongest element, neroli is known to be a natural aphrodisiac as well as an antidepressant. The inclusion of this works to supposed to elevate happiness whilst calming and unburdening the mind.

Both grapefruit and mandarin are not only great oils for cleansing the pores and clearing the skin, but they're also bright and uplifting ingredients that support the neroli in giving this bath bomb an overall refreshing fragrance - one that is going to leave you looking and feeling radiant.

As with the shower gel, I cannot say I was overly impressed with the strength of the scent in this format. To me, the dominating notes are both the mandarin and neroli, with the grapefruit taking the back seat and adding its unique citrusy element underneath. The mandarin smoothens out this scent, although it definitely comes across as slightly sour and tartly; the neroli brings about a bitter grassiness that intertwines with these elements and gives the bath bomb a crisp, spring-time smell. Imagine adding a mandarin, skin and pith and all, into a blender along with a single squeeze of grapefruit and quite a generous amount of neroli, and you might have an idea of what this bath bomb smells like.

In the tub, this is one of those bombs that doesn't offer much besides the colour of its design. Upon contact with the water, it sends out waves of orange, and the cluster of sea salt on top, which has been dusted with blue, dissolves and sends out threads of colour across the surface. What you are left with is a deep, sunset-orange bath - one that visually very beautiful, and will definitely bring some much-needed sunshine after a long winter's day.

Unfortunately, I found that nearly all of my bombs weren't able to stay afloat for the entirety of their time in the water, and within 30-40 seconds, Shut Up And Get Over It sunk to the bottom of my tub. Not only this, but I found that I could barely detect the scent once I had submerged myself under the water. Despite leaving the bathroom and coming back ten minutes later, the fragrance was very weak to my nose. Given how strong the bath bomb was out of the packet, I was disappointed to discover how non-existent it was in the tub.

As if the experience wasn't enough of a let-down, I found that when I drained away the water, I was left with smudges of orange all around the outside of my bath tub, and I had to spend a number of minutes cleaning this away so that it didn't stain. This latter problem was rather surprising because the bath bomb hadn't been in the least bit greasy, which is normally the main culprit for causing staining and 'messy' baths.

In its favour, the colour of the water was mentally fairly warming, and I did feel very calm but uplifted afterwards, albeit not overly so. Furthermore, the inclusion of the sea salt did mean that my skin felt really cleansed afterwards, and I found that my complexion did feel a little more radiant than usual.

Overall, this is not a bath bomb I would be interested in rushing out to buy again. While it may have improved my overall mood (in that respect, Lush have done well), the other benefits are not impressive enough to say it stands above any of Lush's regular bath bombs. I could probably digress a little more about how disappointed with this product, but I guess I should heed the advice given and just Shut Up And Get Over It.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Coarse Sea Salt, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi), Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara), Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 18050, Colour 61585.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £3.95 each.
2017 Price: £4.25 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2009.

Scent Family:
Happy For S.A.D Shower Gel
Shut Up And Get Over It Bath Bomb

Shut Up And Get Over It Bath Bomb

Bath, Bath Bomb, Grapefruit, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, Mandarin Oil, neroli, salt

Youki Hi Bath Bomb

Bath, Bath Bomb, cypress oil, Discontinued, Jasmine, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, lustre, salt, ylang ylang

If there's one thing I enjoy about the weekly releases from the Lush Kitchen, its the process of being able to cross off products that have been on my 'most wanted' list for years. Despite having my firm-favourite choices that I would opt for if I had a say in the matter, this list is merely comprised of everything I have yet to experience from Lush. As you can imagine, this list started out rather hefty and long, but is getting ever smaller thanks to the releases that Lush have been spoiling us to most recently.

Created as homage to the Chinese New Year festivities, Youki Hi Bath Bomb takes it name and inspiration from the very lady who came up with the idea in the first place. This sensual and very visually pleasing ballistic is supposed to represent the beauty behind the carnivals that laden the streets as part of the celebrations.

Made with buckets of jasmine absolute, ylang ylang and palmarosa oil, this product is definitely one to split the audience. For the most part, I can imagine this being one of those bath bombs that you either love or hate. The generous helping of jasmine, which gives Youki Hi the same scent as Flying Fox Shower Gel, is definitely an acquired taste.

This ingredient is so potent in the mix that it bursts out of the packet with its piercingly sweet, heady floral aroma. There is something rather narcotic but equally sensual about the popular flowery ingredient - one that is only made more pungent by the inclusion of the sweet, herbaceous helping of ylang ylang and palmarosa underneath. I found that this bath bomb gave me a bit of a headache straight out of the bag, and it wasn't until I added it to water that I found I could finally breathe again, and it was then that I was able to appreciate the smell a little more.

In its defence, this bath bomb has everything going for it. Not only is its peachy facade delightfully pretty to look at - especially with the sprinkle of golden lustre that paints the surface, but the the ballistic also has a centre piece made up of sea salt that has been coloured bright red to imitate the dragons that make up part of the street parades.

Not only does this latter feature make this bath bomb look exquisite and exciting, but once in the tub the salt helps to soften the water and inject it with restorative properties that cleanse, detox and condition the skin. In its favour, I could really feel how smooth the water felt once I was submerged beneath it, and my skin continued to feel this way for quite some time after I had exited the tub.

A fast fizzer, Youki Hi froths upon impact with the water and sends out waves of peachy-orange colour that make up the basis for the finished experience. As far as scent goes, the jasmine, ylang ylang and palmarosa dampen slightly, so I was able to appreciate the smell a little more without feeling as nauseous as I did when I first caught a whiff of the aroma.

Ultimately, I actually really appreciated how nourishing this bath bomb was on the skin, and I actually preferred the scent of this to the shower gel (which isn't even vegan to begin with). If you appreciate anything in the Lust family, this bath bomb will be right up your alley, and I would highly suggest that you try to grab yourself a few when you next can.

Furthermore, I appreciated the fact that I could still detect a faint hint of the fragrance on my skin afterwards, and this I followed up with a spray or two of the Lust perfume to maintain the smell throughout the day. Not only did this bath bomb offer a soothing, relaxing colour of water to bathe in, but it washed away without any staining and left me feeling pretty happy with myself for investing in another four of them to enjoy.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Coarse Sea Salt, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Cypress Oil, Palmarosa Oil, Gardenia Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, *Linalool, Gold Glimmer Lustre, Colour 77492, Colour 14700, Amaranth Flowers.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.10 each.

2017 Price: £4.25 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family: