Wash Behind Your Ears Shower Gel

For weeks on end now, I have pondered how to go about approaching this review. While the words for most reviews normally flow pretty naturally when I sit down to write, I found myself completely stumped when it came to reviewing this new seasonal shower gel.

Wash Behind Your Ears is one of those rare products that left me feeling pretty confused after using it for the first time. And the second. And the third. While my appreciation or dislike is normally instantaneous when it comes to trying out new products for the first time, this limited edition Easter gel had me completely stumped. I certainly didn't dislike it, as I continued to use it on a daily basis for near on a month after it entered my bathroom. Yet, I couldn't work out whether I really liked it all that much either. 

Offering fans a brand new fragrance, this shower gel doesn't look like the scent that wafts out of the bottle when you first open it. Expecting a bright, zesty-type aroma, I was surprised to find that it was a reserved, floral smell instead. And while it features lots of recognisable ingredients that go into making this flowery fragrance, this is definitely not something you have experienced before. 

What sets this shower gel apart from every single other one to come before it is that it features a carrot infusion as the base component. Aside from giving this product its rather delicious colour, carrots are known for their ability to replenish skin, reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes, and add a natural radiance to the skin. Interestingly, although it's not very strong in the mix, you can definitely make out the sweet, savoury element of the carrot deep down in the overall fragrance. 

Besides the carrot, you also have a combination of neroli and rose oils, alongside jasmine absolute, which all play an important part in the scent of this shower gel. On the surface you can smell the neroli - a sweet and slightly intoxicating fruity smell. Strangely, the top layer of this shower gel reminds me a little of Prince Charming Shower Gel, despite not sharing any of the same ingredients. 

Underneath this sweet, slightly green note, you get a musky, cloudy combination of the rose and the jasmine. Both of these floral elements appear slightly dampened and not as sweet as you would initially expect them to be. I think this is because the carrot removes a little of this, and with a gentle helping of sunflower oil, both components ground the fragrance a little. 

From the bottle, Wash Behind Your Ears is quite a thick, gloopy consistency and it takes a little more effort than usual to squeeze it out of the bottle. Once in your hands, the gel needs a little water to get it working, where it produces a light, fluffy lather to spread across your skin. I found that this shower gel was a little stubborn at producing foam unless I had enough liquid to stimulate those bubbly suds. However, once the product was mixed with enough water, it worked really effectively. 

In its favour, the shower gel was just as beautiful in the shower - emitting the same level of fragrance, if not a little more, than it did in the bottle. I found that it withstood any other products that I chose to use at the same time, and I was able to detect a light smell on my skin afterwards, even when I used a scrub right before I exited the shower.

While this is definitely one that might need to grow on you, I am beginning to really appreciate not only its unique aroma, but the fact that it has something a little different that sets it apart from all of the other floral fragrances that Lush have produced in the past. Not only did it leave my skin feeling soft and radiant, but it gave me a warm feeling that helped to ease me into my day. Although this is not one I would rave about, I will be buying another bottle or two before the season is out.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Water, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Carrot Infusion, Stearic Acid, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Neroli Oil, Rose Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Organic Sunflower Oil, Gardenia Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Colour 19140:1, Colour 15510, Colour 45350. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £?

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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You Wash My Back Soap

If there's one thing I don't like about soap, it's when it smells like soap. As strange a statement as that is, there is a reason why I have turned to a company like Lush to alter my perception of a product that has been manufactured for the last 5000 years. 

Before I became involved with the company, I thought soap meant slabs of colourless stuff that smelt disgusting and left your skin feeling parched and dry. Lush changed all of this and I couldn't be more grateful to discover the magical world of Sandstone, Oh La La and Snowcake. So to me, You Wash My Back is a step backwards.

Shapes like a yin yang, this soap is circular in design with two halves coloured pink and green. To look at, it's quite an attractive soap. Unfortunately, I discovered a design flaw almost immediately with this product - I only had to press it gently against my skin for it to break in half - an issue that a lot of other Lush fans have commented on as well. 

I recognise the fact that this soap was designed to be shared with a partner - half for them to wash your back, half for you to wash theirs. The problem I found with this is that the pieces you are left with are then very fiddly to use and it was trickier to clean myself with than with other, more sturdier blocks. 

Sharing it's scent with the White Wedding Ballistic, this soap boasts as array of different floral elements - rose, bergamot, ylang ylang and jasmine. I was expecting a very uplifting, musky and rather sophisticated multi-layered aroma. What I discovered however, is a combination that mimics those cheap 30p bars of soap you get from a supermarket. How Lush have managed to combine such beautiful fragrances and end up with what I detected, is rather disappointing. 

It wouldn't be so bad if the fragrance was quite a subtle scent, as I can see this being a lovely hand soap for those who like more mature smells. Unfortunately, this is a very poignant smell and one that follows you around the room. It's not something I was to be bathing in. 

In it's defence, the soap does lather up rather well in the shower and the foam it dispels is really moisturising on the skin - something which cheaper soaps cannot boast. Furthermore, if you love the scent, you'll be pleased to learn that it lingers on your skin for a long time after you've left the shower. 

However, this is not a soap I would really want 'hanging around' and I don't even think I'd want to use it as a hand wash. For this reason, it's one I'd ever consider buying again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocus nucifera), Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Soya Milk (Glycine soja), Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Jasmine Absolute (Jaminum officinale), Rose Oil (Rosa damascene), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, Benzly Salicylate, Eugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxcitronellal, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Colour 45410, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: ?

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
White Wedding Ballistic
You Wash My Back Soap

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You Wash My Back Soap

If there's one thing I don't like about soap, it's when it smells like soap. As strange a statement as that is, there is a reason why I have turned to a company like Lush to alter my perception of a product that has been manufactured for the last 5000 years. 

Before I became involved with the company, I thought soap meant slabs of colourless stuff that smelt disgusting and left your skin feeling parched and dry. Lush changed all of this and I couldn't be more grateful to discover the magical world of Sandstone, Oh La La and Snowcake. So to me, You Wash My Back is a step backwards.

Shapes like a yin yang, this soap is circular in design with two halves coloured pink and green. To look at, it's quite an attractive soap. Unfortunately, I discovered a design flaw almost immediately with this product - I only had to press it gently against my skin for it to break in half - an issue that a lot of other Lush fans have commented on as well. 

I recognise the fact that this soap was designed to be shared with a partner - half for them to wash your back, half for you to wash theirs. The problem I found with this is that the pieces you are left with are then very fiddly to use and it was trickier to clean myself with than with other, more sturdier blocks. 

Sharing it's scent with the White Wedding Ballistic, this soap boasts as array of different floral elements - rose, bergamot, ylang ylang and jasmine. I was expecting a very uplifting, musky and rather sophisticated multi-layered aroma. What I discovered however, is a combination that mimics those cheap 30p bars of soap you get from a supermarket. How Lush have managed to combine such beautiful fragrances and end up with what I detected, is rather disappointing. 

It wouldn't be so bad if the fragrance was quite a subtle scent, as I can see this being a lovely hand soap for those who like more mature smells. Unfortunately, this is a very poignant smell and one that follows you around the room. It's not something I was to be bathing in. 

In it's defence, the soap does lather up rather well in the shower and the foam it dispels is really moisturising on the skin - something which cheaper soaps cannot boast. Furthermore, if you love the scent, you'll be pleased to learn that it lingers on your skin for a long time after you've left the shower. 

However, this is not a soap I would really want 'hanging around' and I don't even think I'd want to use it as a hand wash. For this reason, it's one I'd ever consider buying again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocus nucifera), Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Soya Milk (Glycine soja), Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Jasmine Absolute (Jaminum officinale), Rose Oil (Rosa damascene), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, Benzly Salicylate, Eugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxcitronellal, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Colour 45410, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: ?

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
White Wedding Ballistic
You Wash My Back Soap

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Christmas Cake Slice Soap

With the release of so many retro products, I am finding that many of my old, original reviews are having to be updated - not only to reflect the versatility of my preferences nowadays, but also to offer a better representation of the products at hand. Many of my early reviews were based on old products that I had been gifted to me, or ones I'd managed to acquire through eBay. Therefore, they were never in the best condition to begin with, and certainly didn't reflect the fresh ethos that the company stand for.

Christmas Cake Slice Soap was a product that I managed to get my hands on, back when I first began collecting Lush in the spring of 2012. While I thought myself lucky at the time, I realise now that the piece I acquired was most likely from the original batch released, which came out some five years before this in 2007. Thus my experience of the cement-like, brown brick was not ever going to receive any glowing reviews, which wasn't going to be helpful for my readers wanting to know about the soap a little more.

Described by Lush as being 'like a slice of Christmas cake on a plate next to an open fire of fragrant, smouldering wood logs', this soap promised to be a calorie-free indulgence for those with a sweet tooth. As someone who has never been a fan of the traditional Christmas Cake, I was skeptical that I would appreciate the soap for what it was worth. However, upon arrival, I was really impressed by how much it played the part, by both looking and smelling like a slice of the festive season.

Made from a combination of rapeseed, sunflower, coconut, almond, vetivert and cedarwood oil, this limited edition product promises to be a moisturising and rather sensual experience for those who need a little extra indulgence around the holiday season.

Surprisingly, it is the latter two oils that offer the most dominating smell here. Vetivert oil has a smokey, woody note, and has both a calming and soothing effect on the skin; sandalwood is also woody, possessing a spicy element that works to relax the mind and body. Together, they produce a fruity, aromatic smell that has similar traits to Snowcake but with a more boozy, masculine smell. 

Strangely, this soap does not feature any benzoin resinoid. I say this because it does have a strong note of marzipan, which is very similar to how Snowcake smells because of the aforementioned ingredient being present. This is one product that I can see dividing Lush fans - it's one that will really appeal to some consumers, whereas others will find it rather nasty and too much like food to want to use it on their skin. 

One of my disappointments with this soap is that it's a very ugly combination of brown, white and yellow - nothing like the beautiful multicoloured, multi-layered Christmas Cake that my mum makes every year. Having said that, the idea is that it's supposed to resemble a Christmas cake through its scent, more than its physical design. I can't really imagine Lush being able to pull off a direct replica without making it appear like a gimmick, or adding in unnecessary ingredients which would just add to the price and take away from its usability overall.   

In the shower, Christmas Cake Slice Soap works as most of Lush's other soaps do, in that it produces a good amount of lather when you stimulate the block between your hands. The aroma is definitely a very robust one and lingers on your skin and in the bathroom for a long while after you have exited the room. For this reason, unless you're a fan of scents similar to that of Snowcake, and enjoy using them all year around, this soap is very limited to the colder months of the year. I cannot imagine this being very pleasant when used during the summer months, which limits how often this soap can be used throughout the rest of the year. 

Despite all of these issues, my skin did feel rather smooth once I had exited the shower and there was a slight woody, almond smell left on my skin afterwards. In addition, the waxy and rather robust consistency of this soap means that my 100g block lasted throughout the whole of December and January, and is still going strong some three months later. It's a soap that, as long as you pat it down between uses, could last you upwards of five to six months, making it great value for money.

While the productivity of my original piece may have given me a soured impression of this product to begin with, I was slightly more engaged and more impressed with the fresher piece that the Lush Kitchen produced last year. Having said that, the smell of the soap limits when it can be used, and it's also not an aroma that I particularly want to use very often in the shower - especially not when there is any hint of warmer weather to come. For this reason, I will continue to appreciate my single piece for now. However, it is not something I would buy again.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Organic Aloe Vera Extract, Almond Oil, Vetivert Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Sodium Chloride, Cinnamal, Linalool, Colour 42090, Gardenia Extract, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Titanium Dioxide.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.50 for 100g

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Christmas Cake Slice Soap

With the release of so many retro products, I am finding that many of my old, original reviews are having to be updated - not only to reflect the versatility of my preferences nowadays, but also to offer a better representation of the products at hand. Many of my early reviews were based on old products that I had been gifted to me, or ones I'd managed to acquire through eBay. Therefore, they were never in the best condition to begin with, and certainly didn't reflect the fresh ethos that the company stand for.

Christmas Cake Slice Soap was a product that I managed to get my hands on, back when I first began collecting Lush in the spring of 2012. While I thought myself lucky at the time, I realise now that the piece I acquired was most likely from the original batch released, which came out some five years before this in 2007. Thus my experience of the cement-like, brown brick was not ever going to receive any glowing reviews, which wasn't going to be helpful for my readers wanting to know about the soap a little more.

Described by Lush as being 'like a slice of Christmas cake on a plate next to an open fire of fragrant, smouldering wood logs', this soap promised to be a calorie-free indulgence for those with a sweet tooth. As someone who has never been a fan of the traditional Christmas Cake, I was skeptical that I would appreciate the soap for what it was worth. However, upon arrival, I was really impressed by how much it played the part, by both looking and smelling like a slice of the festive season.

Made from a combination of rapeseed, sunflower, coconut, almond, vetivert and cedarwood oil, this limited edition product promises to be a moisturising and rather sensual experience for those who need a little extra indulgence around the holiday season.

Surprisingly, it is the latter two oils that offer the most dominating smell here. Vetivert oil has a smokey, woody note, and has both a calming and soothing effect on the skin; sandalwood is also woody, possessing a spicy element that works to relax the mind and body. Together, they produce a fruity, aromatic smell that has similar traits to Snowcake but with a more boozy, masculine smell. 

Strangely, this soap does not feature any benzoin resinoid. I say this because it does have a strong note of marzipan, which is very similar to how Snowcake smells because of the aforementioned ingredient being present. This is one product that I can see dividing Lush fans - it's one that will really appeal to some consumers, whereas others will find it rather nasty and too much like food to want to use it on their skin. 

One of my disappointments with this soap is that it's a very ugly combination of brown, white and yellow - nothing like the beautiful multicoloured, multi-layered Christmas Cake that my mum makes every year. Having said that, the idea is that it's supposed to resemble a Christmas cake through its scent, more than its physical design. I can't really imagine Lush being able to pull off a direct replica without making it appear like a gimmick, or adding in unnecessary ingredients which would just add to the price and take away from its usability overall.   

In the shower, Christmas Cake Slice Soap works as most of Lush's other soaps do, in that it produces a good amount of lather when you stimulate the block between your hands. The aroma is definitely a very robust one and lingers on your skin and in the bathroom for a long while after you have exited the room. For this reason, unless you're a fan of scents similar to that of Snowcake, and enjoy using them all year around, this soap is very limited to the colder months of the year. I cannot imagine this being very pleasant when used during the summer months, which limits how often this soap can be used throughout the rest of the year. 

Despite all of these issues, my skin did feel rather smooth once I had exited the shower and there was a slight woody, almond smell left on my skin afterwards. In addition, the waxy and rather robust consistency of this soap means that my 100g block lasted throughout the whole of December and January, and is still going strong some three months later. It's a soap that, as long as you pat it down between uses, could last you upwards of five to six months, making it great value for money.

While the productivity of my original piece may have given me a soured impression of this product to begin with, I was slightly more engaged and more impressed with the fresher piece that the Lush Kitchen produced last year. Having said that, the smell of the soap limits when it can be used, and it's also not an aroma that I particularly want to use very often in the shower - especially not when there is any hint of warmer weather to come. For this reason, I will continue to appreciate my single piece for now. However, it is not something I would buy again.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Organic Aloe Vera Extract, Almond Oil, Vetivert Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Sodium Chloride, Cinnamal, Linalool, Colour 42090, Gardenia Extract, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Titanium Dioxide.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.50 for 100g

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Vanilla In The Mist Soap

It is thanks to Lush that I am so heavily into vanilla-scented bath and shower products. Before I discovered the company, I was bored of the synthetic vanilla smells that encompass the majority of high street brands. So you can imagine how I reacted when sniffing Vanillary for the first time - I was hooked. 

Fast forward a year and it is then that I have my first experience with Gentle Lentil Shampoo - a product that completely changed my opinion on solid haircare and one which has cemented itself as one of my all-time favourite Lush products. So when I heard about Vanilla In The Mist Soap, I thought I was about to stumble on another pot of gold. Unfortunately, my first experience with this soap was less than pleasing. However, when Lush brought this back out, I was the first in line to buy another chunk, just to see if a fresh one was any better. Needless to say, it blew my previous experience out of the window.

Vanilla In The Mist is in fact a vanilla and coffee scented soap, and although I dislike drinking the popular beverage, I do normally enjoy the inclusion of coffee in other products. This particular soap contains real vanilla pods which have been dried and crushed to coax out as strong an aroma as possible. This was very evident the second this beauty arrived in the post - when even my post man commented on the marvellous smell that was emanating from the box. 

Described as a 'quadruple espresso and a top quality Italian ice cream', I was expecting an exquisitely sweet and highly sensual soap, not far off the warm, rich aroma of Honey I Washed The Kids. What I found however, was a soap far richer and more rounder than I could have imagined. This soap smells like freshly made toffee - a delicious, buttery fragrance that makes for pure indulgence in the shower. For me, it's far stronger and more sickly-sweet than Vanillary - I can't imagine it working as a perfume as it would be very heavy and perhaps too cloying on the senses. However, in soap form, it's bliss. 

While you cannot detect a strong coffee aroma, there is some of it's presence behind both the vanilla aroma and the roasted cocoa extract. The same can be said for the coconut oil, which adds a subtle layer of scent whilst not being so obvious. In the shower, the scent did intensify a little and the coffee aroma came through more clearly, although not so strong as to put non-coffee fans off of trying it. 

The rich shade of saffron that this soap is presented in makes me envisage the wonderful Caramac Bar I used to eat as a child, and the experience I had in the shower echoed this sentiment. It's a beautiful golden colour, etched with the black specks of the vanilla pod that you find throughout the soap. When I first saw this, I thought the fragrance of VITM would be as equally exquisite - I was right.

On the positive side, this soap lathers up really well and a 100g bar does tend to last you as long as most of Lush's other soaps (4-5 weeks, depending on how often you use it). I would suggest that you use this out of the flow of the water as it's quite a soft soap and I can see it shrinking rather quickly if it's exposed to too much moisture. It does make you feel really clean after use and leaves it's wonderful aroma on your skin for a while after use. The little pieces of vanilla pod do act as an interesting albeit scarce exfoliator for your skin, while the bar itself leaves a creamy trail of sunflower-yellow lather on the skin.

The only downside I found with this was that the soap dried my skin out a little bit and I had to apply shower gel on top to moisturise at times. However, I'm beginning to wonder whether this latter problem is down to my skin type as a lot of soaps seem to cause a similar reaction for me, so I wouldn't be put off with this factor. 

Vanilla in the Mist does a great job at cleaning your skin and leaving it feeling soft and well-pampered. It's such a comforting smell and would be perfect for those colder months - when you want something highly decadent to indulge in to warm up those cold body parts. This is one I would buy again - if only to spend hours sniffing it and wishing it was edible!

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Vanilla Pod Infusion, Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Water (Aqua), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Gardenia Extract, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Cocoa Roasted Extract, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Titanium Dioxide.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2016 Price: £4.50 for 100g.

2017 Price: £4.50 for 100g.

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