Cocktail Liquid Perfume

When it comes to perfumes, I think it is incredible that a mere three years ago, I did not own one single perfume. I saw no reason to lather myself with wonderfully exotic smells, as I always felt clean enough just having a shower and rolling on some deodorant. However, it was on the fateful day I made the decision to invest in a bottle of Karma perfume, that I became hooked into buying as many as I could. Luckily, I've never had the ambition to collect perfumes outside of Lush, as I'd probably be living on the streets right about now; sleeping on a bed of empty bottles...

Lush describe Cocktail as a 'perfumed portrait of a Hollywood star's dressing table' - a strangely non-telling but equally descriptive review. Initially, I imagined this fragrance to be quite a crisp and almost clinical smell; in some ways similar to one of my favourite perfumes, Ponche. However, the more I thought about the above comment, the more I began imagining the Hollywood scene in the 20's and 30's, and I began to conjure up a scent that wasn't too far off of what this product actually smells like.

Described as a homage to Fresh perfumery, this fragrance gets it's smell from a combination of ylang ylang, cananga, jasmine, rose, orange blossom, oakmoss and sandalwood. Whenever Lush release a product featuring rose, I always expect it to dominate it's overall scent. However in Cocktail, it is the ylang ylang that overrides the other elements, which is surprising as it's fifth or sixth in the ingredients list. Ylang Ylang is very similar in smell to that of Jasmine, but I find it has a slightly more woody fragrance, which makes it that little bit more sophisticated. 

When I first smelled this perfume, it reminded me a little of 1000 Kisses Perfume, with both it's fresh floral and sweet aroma. Except, unlike the above perfume, this one matures on your skin throughout the day and moulds into a delicate, feminine scent. It is the Ylang Ylang and Orange Blossom that dominate this smell, both inside the bottle and on your skin. 

On first sniff, I could smell the aroma of ylang ylang with just a hint of lavender and the after scent of orange blossom. However, throughout the course of the day, I began to recognise the sweetness of the jasmine and the powdery rose fragrance coming through on my skin. A few hours into my day, the smell had almost faded aside from the gentle lingering smell of the sandalwood, which was a little disappointing.

Cocktail definitely doesn't have the staying power of other Lush perfumes, and it's definitely not the strongest one to begin with. For this reason, it might be suited for those people who dislike heavy, dominating smells. This smell could also be described as a unisex scent, as there's nothing in it that I would state as being overly feminine.

Overall, it's not my favourite perfume by a long shot, but it's definitely better than a lot of perfumes I've had the displeasure of trying over the last couple of years. What is great about Cocktail, as with most of Lush's other perfumes, is that it smells similar to a lot of commercially available perfumes, yet it doesn't possess that acidic and rather domineering alcoholic tone that weighs down these sorts of perfumes. 

I definitely won't be rushing out to buy another bottle of this, but I'm not opposed to picking up a small sampler to wear every so often when I'm looking for a change.

Quantative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Lavender Oil, Bergamot Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Rose Absolute, Sandalwood Oil, Ylang Ylang Absolute, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Cinnamal, *Citral, Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Isoeugenol, *Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, *Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

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Hollywood Bubble Bar

There are times when products epitomise the very essence of their name - when you can look at the bath bomb or bubble bar and understand how or why Lush have chosen to call it what they have. And then there are odd moments when you wonder what the company were thinking when they decided to gift such a title to something unworthy or just downright odd. 

Hollywood Bubble Bar is one such product that stumped me when they first arrived in the post. When I picture Hollywood, I imagine the glamour; the colours; the lights; the excitement - nothing that this plain white bubble bar seemed to epitomise physically. While I understand that the fragrance itself is very reminiscent of the 1950s, and definitely in-keeping with the glamorous theme, I’ve yet to figure out why Lush didn’t throw in some much-needed colour and lustre to give this bubble bar a little more vigour.

Sharing its scent with the Fever range, Hollywood contains a heady combination of rose, jasmine and sandalwood. Potion Body Lotion, Almond Kisses Facial Moisturiser and Ruby Red Slippers are just three of the many products that possess the same smell, although you’ll have to be patient as not one of these are available regularly to buy in stores nowadays.

This is definitely a floral scent with a heavy kick to it, and there is something very old-fashioned about the fragrance that will either entice or deter consumers from loving the combination. The rose absolute offers a strong, musky sweet layer that encompasses the rich, floral fragrance that you can smell immediately upon taking one of these bars out of the packet. The jasmine interlaces itself around the rose and adds to the sweet hit natural cloudy floral aroma; the inclusion of the sandalwood grounds all three note and offers a wholesome but very musty floral aroma. 

While the design didn’t exactly immediately bowl me over to look at, I was really impressed by just how soft the bubble bar is to use. I only had to press down gently and the bar crumbled between my fingers. This was a sure sign of what I could expect in the bath because Hollywood created an impressive mound of thick, fluffy bubbles and the water was incredibly soft.

Although the product wouldn’t win any awards for its lack of colour in the water, this is a great bubble bar to use in the winter months - as your skin will feel silky-smooth and velvety after bathing with one of these. Furthermore, the sweet, floral fragrance will linger on your skin for a while afterwards - offering you a winter hug that you’ll want to experience again and again. 

As there is an absence of colour with this bubble bar, you may wish to use a Bath Bomb alongside it. Not only will you get a much richer and far more fragrant experience, but the scent of Hollywood is strong enough that it won’t get lost behind another product. To conserve your products, you may also wish to break this Bubble Bar in half and use it across two baths. The aroma is just as strong if you decide to do this, and you don’t lose any of its moisturising properties in the process.

While the bubble bar may not look like it's come from Hollywood, you sure feel like royalty after using one of these. If you love this scent family, you’ll want to get your hands on some of these when the opportunity next arises, and although I wouldn’t rush out to buy any more, any time soon, I will definitely be enjoying the many I have stashed away for the future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Titanium Dioxide, Cocamide DEA, Perfume, Rose absolute, Jasmine absolute, Sandalwood oil, Candy Star. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2004.

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Polyamorous Bath oil

Polyamorous means the practice of intimacy with more then one partner, in which all involved are aware of, and consent to, the arrangement. With humans being far more open and accepting of different sexualities and practices these days, it is only fitting that Lush have decided to celebrate this freedom and highlight one such different outlook on life.

Polyamorous is a new contender for my favourite Bath Oil, as well as being a new addition to the impressive array of oils and melts already on offer from the company. While I cannot claim that I turn to bath oils all that often, I have definitely found myself craving this one a number of times this last month, and I have enjoyed every single experience.

Shaped like a heart with smaller hearts painted across the surface, this is perhaps the most beautifully designed oils of all the ones currently available. For such a small product - coming in about the 3cm in length and 1.5cm in height - this miniature masterpiece is warming, comforting, and perfect for those who perhaps wish for more company but only have a bath tub to explore. 

Containing a combination of orange, sandalwood and jojoba oils, you would expect Polyamorous to offer a fruity aroma. However, it is the inclusion of the violet leaf absolute that provides the strongest component overall.  

To me, this bath oil has a warm, sweet and slightly musky violet scent - nowhere near as sultry and potent as Tuca Tuca, yet equally not as grassy as Kerbside Violet. In fact, it smells very similar to how I remember Metropolis smelling. The inclusion of the sandalwood grounds the different notes again, and you can detect a very subtle uplifting element that I thinks comes from the orange oil. However, this Bath Oil is predominantly violet with a touch of wordiness to completely to compliment the floral components.

In the water, this bath oil sinks like the majority of Lush oils and melts. This is always disappointing to be because I usually like to indulge in a bath melt or bath bomb whilst I am already in the bath myself. Once submerged, I like to watch the product dissolve across the surface of the water and see the oils become absorbed into the skin. Unfortunately, Polyamorous simply sunk to the bottom of the tub and I ended up melting the product down between my fingers because I didn’t want to find myself sitting on it while I was bathing.

Once fully dissolved, the Bath Oil didn’t really do anything to the water, which was expectation anyway so it wasn’t as if I was disappointed by this. However, I would recommend that you use this along a bath bomb (Ylang Song, Ne Worry Pas) or Bubble Bar (Baa Bar, Bathos) as you’ll end up with a rather disappointing looking bath if you use it by itself.

Another aspect of Polyamorous that I was little disappointed with was the fact that the scent didn’t linger on my skin after I had towelled myself down. Although I expect a lot from my products, and the main purpose of this bath oil is to add extra oils and butter to soften, I would still have liked to have detected a slight musky sweetness on my body. While I can vouch that the scent does make an impression in the water, and I was rather impressed by how much it held itself against other cosmetics I was using at the time, I would have assumed that at least a small note could have made itself known afterwards.

Having said that, my skin did feel lovely and smooth afterwards, and Polyamorous is definitely a bath oil that makes a difference to the softness of the water when it’s fully dissolved. You could probably cut this in half, if you’re rather reserved about using your Lush products. However, I think using the whole product in a single bath will heed the best results, and help you to make the most of this softening little gem.

To conclude I will say that this is a fantastic edition to Lush’s extensive bath melts and oils. It’s wonderful to have a violet-scented Bath Oil available at all times, as I know a lot of consumers love the naturally sweet and floral components of violets. This is definitely one I would buy again - perhaps over most of the other variations currently on offer - and I am equally excited to try the other two new editions to see if they’re equally as impressive.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Laureth 4, Cream of Tartar, Perfume, Alpha-Isomethyl ionone, Organic Shea Butter, Brazilian Orange Oil, Sandalwood Oil,  Violet Leaf Absolute, Organic Jojoba Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Titanium Dioxide, *Citral, *Limonene, Colour 17200, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £2.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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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

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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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Smugglers Soul Solid Shampoo Bar

While I usually opt to use the limited edition perfumes that I own, there are a few regular-line ones that I always revert back to on occasions. Smuggler's Soul Liquid Perfume in my number one choice from Lush's extensive fragrance collection, and there has never been a time when I've used the perfume and not felt better afterwards. 

Initially, it was rather disappointing when Lush brought out their exclusive Father's Day range for the first time last year, and I discovered that the solid shampoo bar was labelled as vegetarian only. However, with a slight change of ingredients and an improved formula, 2017 has seen the seasonal product turn vegan, and we are all the better for it.

Described as being both poignant and smoky, Smugglers Soul Solid Shampoo Bar is a royal treat for the hair: a product that not only showcases one of the best smells in this format, but also works far better than a number of the regular bars in store.

Containing a combination of sandalwood, vetivert and tagetes, this limited edition is both sweet and sultry. The lemongrass not only offers the hair a shine that helps to bring out any natural highlights that your locks may possess, but it is also one of the key notes in the overall smell. In fact, it is the lemongrass that compliments the smoky elements of the sandalwood, and what also intertwines with the vetivert to give off a delicately sweet smell.

While I was a little confused at first by the inclusion of the watercress infusion, I have since learned that this ingredient is great for stimulating hair growth, and also helps to give this solid shampoo bar a very moisturising lather that softens, strengthens and repairs hair at the same time. 

You only need to stimulate this for a couple seconds for it to create an abundance of silky-soft lather to massage into your hair. In fact, I found that I only had to wet the product briefly for it to produce enough 'foam' to coat my whole head with. Once applied, I would leave it on for around five minutes before rinsing it out and using conditioner. 

Although I tend to use Avocado Cowash to add in moisture and keep my hair in tip-top condition, there were a few times when I opted to use Smugglers Soul Solid Shampoo by itself, and I found that my hair was just as smooth and manageable as it would have been after using conditioner. Despite there being nothing in the ingredients list that hinted at why this seasonal special was so effective in that manner, it was not something I was going to question.

What I loved about this shampoo was that I was firstly able to enjoy the wonderful smell of Smugglers Soul in the shower, albeit briefly. Although this scent unfortunately didn't seem to last once a conditioner had been applied, nor when used by itself, it was a fleeting luxury that made me wish that Lush would bring out a shower gel or jelly with the same fragrance.

My only qualm with this solid shampoo bar was the fact I felt as if it seemed to shrink a little quicker than other bars of its kind. If left to dry naturally, I noticed that the bar would be smaller the next time I went to wash my hair. For this reason, I would highly recommend that you pat it dry after use, to ensure you get the most out of it. 

Unfortunately, this bar does not stick around to become a regular member of my hair care routine. However, I have bought a few bars to see me through a good many months. For fans of Smugglers Soul, and indeed those who appreciate a good-quality shampoo, I would highly recommend that you give this one a go. I hope, for my hair's sake, that this makes a reappearance next Father's Day.     

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Watercress Infusion, Rosewood Oil, Sandalwood Oil,  Vetivert Oil, Tagetes Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Polyquaternium-88, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citral, *Coumarin, *Limonene, *Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Colour 15510, Colour 17200, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £7.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Smuggler's Soul Body Lotion
Smuggler's Soul Body Spray
Smuggler's Soul Facial Scrub
Smuggler's Soul Liquid Perfume
Smuggler's Soul Solid Perfume
Smugglers Soul Solid Shampoo Bar

Veerappen Moustache Wax

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Grass Solid Perfume

 There's an age-old saga of waiting exceptionally long for a bus, only for three to come along at once. As someone who is not normally impressed by many of Lush's solid perfumes, I was both surprised and excited to discover that two of the voted-for editions were not only good - they were really good.

Grass Solid Perfume is perhaps the one that impressed me the most - not only because the scent really suits this format, more so than most of the solid perfumes I have experienced in my life - but because the smell is everything you would want and expect from the name. Fans of Grass Shower Gel are going to love this.


Aside from the lack of wheatgrass in the ingredients list, the solid perfume shares the same traits as the aforementioned gel. Sandalwood, bergamot and neroli oils have been blended together to create this limited edition, and you can detect all three of these really well from the tub.

From the start, the sandalwood makes a big impression on your senses. You can smell the dry, woody aroma as the top note, and I think it is the inclusion of this that makes the fragrance both very grounding, as well as helping to aid its impressive longevity on the skin. The neroli is what gives Grass its signature 'grassy' scent  - offering a honeyed and somewhat metallic green note; while the bergamot adds a very sweet, sharp, citric aroma to boot.

Together, you get a fragrance that replicates the scent of grass perfectly. It smells like both wet and dried grass combined, with an element of folliage on top. What I love about this perfume is that not only does the scent last for a good two to three hours on the skin - which is a long time for a solid perfume - but the smell changes into more of a sweet, crisp grass aroma over time. It's a little bit more like the bubble bar, in that sense.

For those unfamiliar with solid perfumes, there are multiple ways that you can  utilise them. The primary use is as a perfume - massaging a little into your pulse points and allowing the warmth of your skin to  stimulate the notes and leave you smelling wonderful. Although not as potent as a liquid perfume, solids are great to 'top up' a smell throughout the day, although they can be used by themselves.

Sometimes I even massage a little into the ends of my hair and use them as hair perfumes. I find that the hair tends to hold the smell longer than it does on the skin, and you'll stimulate a burst of fruity goodness every time your hair is caught by a breeze. My hair has even been known to benefit from this practice as the waxes and oils add a little moisture to my split ends and leaves them shiny.

For someone who isn't a huge fan of the Grass scent, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this solid perfume. Both its longevity on the skin, and the actual fragrance it gives off is both true to the shower gel and impressive enough that it makes a lasting impression. Again, I would definitely have preferred this in a liquid format. However, I feel as if this would have been far heavier and perhaps not as sweet as this variation. This is definitely a solid perfume I recommend, and Grass fans will not be left disappointed.

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Candelilla Wax, Perfume, *Linalool, Sandalwood Oil, Bergamot Oil, Neroli Oil, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Citral, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Isoeugenol, *Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £9 for 12g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Against Animal Testing Soap
Autumn Leaf Bath Ballistic
Grass Body Lotion

Grass Bubble Bar

Grass Shower Gel

Grass Solid Perfume

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Grass Body Lotion

There are times when I have a real craving for Grass-scented products: I cannot get enough of its unique smell, which I consider to be one of Lush's most exquisite inventions to date. However, there are also times when the bottle of shower gel lays stagnant on my bedroom shelf for months at a time, collecting dust.

When it was first announced that Grass Body Lotion was going to be made a reality, I was in two minds. While I enjoy using the shower gel, especially in the warmer months of the year, I find that both the shampoo bar and the Bubble Bar have a more pleasing aroma. My nose detects less of a sandalwood thread in both of these products, so they're not as heavy as the original shower gel, and therefore more grass-like.

With such a small selection of products in this fragrance, I was unsure whether or not the body lotion would be more like the shampoo bar and bubble bar, or closer in scent to the shower gel. As it turned out, I think the lotion is far closer in scent to the latter product, and was far more robust than I was initially expecting.

Firstly, I happen to think that the fragrance is very much suited to this format. Much like the shower gel, I feel as if the different components that make up the smell have a lot of room to showcase their capabilities in the body lotion. Despite the addition of the base ingredients to ensure that this lotion actually moisturises and softens the skin, not one of the key ingredients is lost on the senses. 

From the start, I was able to detect the layer of sandalwood at the forefront of everything. This offered a grassy, woody aroma, and helped to give the lotion a deep and very grounded overall smell. The addition of both the bergamot and the neroli oils also played key parts in the scent - giving Grass Body Lotion what I would describe as a rich, sultry but very green-smelling grassy aroma. If you love Grass Shower Gel, I can guarantee that you will be besotted with this limited edition product. It is everything you would expect the body lotion to be, and more.

As with all of the other limited edition body lotions featured in this exclusive release, Grass is a rather thick lotion - on par with the likes of Sympathy For The Skin and Lemony Flutter. This means that you need to use very little during application, and once it's on the skin, you will need to massage it in until it has been fully absorbed.

Given the consistency, you may find that this lotion takes a little more effort to manipulate across the body, and once it has been applied, you will need to give your skin enough time to utilise the butters and oils properly before putting clothes over the top. Furthermore, I found that once the lotion was on the skin, you were aware of it being there for a good hour afterwards, so those who dislike the heavier lotions may wish to avoid this one.

Having said that, my skin did feel conditioned and replenished immediately upon application, and this feeling stayed with me for the entire day. Packed full of cocoa butter to smoothen, soften and nourish the skin, it not only helped to support and strengthen the colour of my tan, but visibly reduced dry-looking skin and left my skin feeling really healthy and vibrant.

Unlike The Brightside Body Lotion, the fragrance of Grass Body Lotion stayed with me for a good hour or two after application, and I found that it was more present in the warmer weather - where I would get bouts of fragrance throughout the day, from the heat of the sun bouncing off of my skin.

Overall, while I would never claim that Grass is a favourite scent of mine, I do really appreciate how wonderfully natural and unique the smell is. For fans of the shower gel, you'll be pleased to discover that this does replicate the smell incredibly well, and I think that this is perhaps my favourite format in this fragrance. A wonderfully refreshing and grassy body lotion to see you through the summer months.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Sandalwood Oil, Bergamot Oil, Neroli Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl, Ionone Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Coumarin, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Methylparaben Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £13.95 for 225g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Against Animal Testing Soap
Autumn Leaf Bath Ballistic
Grass Body Lotion

Grass Bubble Bar

Grass Shower Gel

Grass Solid Perfume

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Hokkaido Bath Bomb

With so many products left to review, I have found myself reaching for the most interesting ones as opposed to the ones that have been in my possession for the longest amount of time. Therefore, a miniature bath bomb with very little colour, doesn't have any hope of being noticed when its competing with far more interesting counterparts.

Hokkaido Bath Bomb was first released in the Lush Kitchen back in January 2017 - appearing to generate little excitement as it remained available for the whole week and into the successive week as well. Although it wasn't a product that I had tried before, I found myself placing an order without feigning too much excitement. Upon arrival, it joined the stack of bath bombs that were waiting to be tried and tested, and it wasn't until I used one for the first time yesterday, that I realised how much I had underestimated this little gem.

One of Lush's smaller bombs, this limited edition ballistic appears a little on the expensive side to begin with. However, while I would say that the £4.25 price tag is definitely on the high side and doesn't necessarily reflect the overall quality of experience that you get, there is good reason as to why it is more than you would expect it to be.

Containing a bigger range of oils than perhaps any other bath bomb I have seen from Lush, Hokkaido is surprisingly subtle in smell: a factor that would normally dampen my experience with a product, but in this case made me appreciate this ballistic far more than I initially thought that I would.  

A combination of ginger, clove bud and cedarwood oils gives this product a gentle, spicy and rather warming aroma. Firstly, I should start by saying that I was surprised by how subtle the overall fragrance was. This is perhaps one of Lush's most delicate scents that features clove bud oil, and it's one so gentle that you would almost expect to lose the smell completely in the bath tub.

The cloves and ginger offer a light, herbal aroma, while the inclusion of the lemongrass gives this bath bomb an element of grassiness to it. What is rather peculiar about this arrangement is the fact that the lemongrass doesn't offer any of the citrus elements that you would normally expect. If you were to compare Avoshower to this bath bomb, it's unbelievable to think that the two products could share the same component: they are so far apart in fragrance.

Alongside these different smells, this bath bomb also contains cocoa butter, rice bran oil and soya milk powder. Together, these three components make this one of the most moisturising bath bombs that Lush have ever released. For something so small, you would not believe how thick and nourishing the water was after one of these had fully dissolved.

While the bath water ends up a slightly murky shade of green, there is an impressive blanket of foam that rests on the surface, and you can see the droplets of oil in the water as your bathe. For this reason, this is definitely not suited for bathers who dislike the greasier bombs, as you can definitely feel the impact of the cocoa butter in the water. Furthermore, I would not recommend that you try to wash your hair in the water as it's likely to impact the overall condition of your locks. Moreover, I would ensure that you give the sides of your tub a wipe down afterwards as some of these oils tend to smear themselves across the surface. 

Overall, the only aspect of this bath bomb that lets itself down is its colour performance in the water. Yet, the purpose of Hokkaido is to provide a sensual experience with additional skin-softening properties, and so I cannot actually imagine the bath bomb working as well if these additional colours were included. This is definitely one that I would buy again in the future - it's just a shame that many people would have missed out on this one because it isn't the most interesting to look at, nor the most exciting on paper.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Laureth 4, Soya Milk Powder, Perfume, Rice Bran Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Cedarwood Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Ginger Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Gardenia Extract, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £3.75 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?

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