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Showing posts with label vetivert. Show all posts

Big Calm Body Lotion

Almond, Body Lotion, cocoa butter, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, orange, Skin, vetivert

For most of my life, I have dreamt of travelling; of visiting new places and exploring new terrain; of creating lasting memories and discovering my full potential as a human being. Unfortunately, my career-driven head has meant that I have spent the majority of my time working, and have barely visited anywhere of note as of yet.

Big Calm Body Lotion is like the plane ride I have never been able to take: a feast of smells that engulf your senses and leave a lasting mark on the skin. If you're as much of a fan of the shower jelly as I am, you will be pleased to hear that this limited edition is the perfect partnership, and replicates the fragrance perfectly.

From the moment I removed the lid, the smell engulfed me like a tidal wave - a thick, sweet, nutty collaboration that'll have you salivating from the get-go. With the key ingredients being sweet orange and vetivert oil, this body lotion has both a fruity and a sultry side to it, and the two work in perfect unison to make this one of Lush's greatest body lotions to date.

On the one hand, the latter ingredient gives the lotion a thick, creamy coconut base: one that is both warming and comforting, while still managing to be cooling and crisp on the skin. There is a very subtle element of sweetness, which is what gives Big Calm its creamy fragrance.

Alongside this coconut element is a note of orange, which offers tropical bursts reminiscent of juicy pineapple. Together both components create a fragrance not unlike that of a Pina Colada - one that is slightly musky and sultry, while also being rather uplifting, cooling and refreshing on the body.

What I loved about this body lotion was the strength of the overall smell, and just how long it lasted on the skin. After applying a generous amount all over my body, I was surprised to find that although the lotion was quite thick, it was absorbed into the skin fairly quickly. Within five minutes of massaging it across my body, I was able to reapply my clothes without any excess product transferring itself onto my attire. Furthermore, I was left with instantly smooth skin that not only lasted for the most part of the day, but had a wonderful glow about it.

Despite my opposition at using body lotion in the warmer months, I was impressed by just how light the lotion felt, and how long the aroma lasted, once it had been applied. I would be more than happy to use this in the summer because not only does the smell compliment the warmer weather, but the lotion doesn't leave you feeling at all sticky.

After settling on the skin for a matter of minutes, the coconutty element comes to the forefront and the fruitiness diminishes a little, and you are left with a sweet, musky fragrance that lasts a good couple of hours.

Unlike some of the body lotions that I have experienced recently, I found that Big Calm improved the condition of my skin from the very first use, and then maintained and continued to replenish even further with every application. Having used this lotion near on solidly for a week, I have noticed that my legs, which have sported small areas of dry skin due to the humid weather, now appear radiant and soft at all times.

Overall, this is perhaps my favourite body lotion that Lush have ever produced, which is a big statement to make given knowing that they've made a number of exceptional creations over the years. Not only am I glad that they have chosen this as a fragrance to explore in other formats, but that I have two tubs of this beautiful body lotion to see me through the summer months. This has definitely become a staple in my household, and I just hope this is not the last time it makes an appearance in the Lush Kitchen.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Almond Oil,Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, *Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Sweet Orange Oil, Vetivert Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, *Citral, Coumarin, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Methylparaben Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £13.95 for 240g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Big Calm Body Lotion
Big Calm Shower Jelly

Big Calm Solid Perfume

Integgalactic Bath Bomb

Bath, Bath Bomb, cedarwood, Easter, Easter 2017, Grapefruit, limited edition, lustre, peppermint, popping candy, Seasonal, vetivert

It is most surprising that I have left it so long to indulge myself and use this bath bomb, given how much I gush over Intergalactic on an almost daily basis. Truth be told, the only reason I haven't used it before now is because of the time constraints my career has placed on my free time. Having finished writing my reports, I couldn't think of a better time to indulge in one of my favourite ballistics, and I was not disappointed.

Sharing its scent with the original Intergalactic, the only difference between the two is down to their shape, size and price. Costing considerably more than the regular version, you might initially be a little put-off by the raised price tag. However, the extra 'product' you receive more than makes up for the extra pennies, and if anything I'd say Integgalatic Bath Bomb is even more superior when compared to its older sibling.

Released as part of Lush's 2017 Easter range, Integgalatic is a powerhouse of fragrance and colour - a bath bomb that guarantees you will feel as refreshed as you will relaxed. A product that is as cooling and uplifting as it is comforting: a bath bomb that offers a far more interesting and colourful experience than any other ballistic available to buy in a shop.

The first sniff revealed a lot of different layers, one of which was a slightly smoky/woody but also subtlety sweet aroma that ground the overall fragrance. While I have compared the scent of this bath bomb to Dirty Springwash in the past, I'd say that Integgalatic is far more potent, and has a dark, sultry layer of woodiness running through that makes it stand apart.

Alongside this is a strong thread of peppermint oil, which intertwines with the grapefruit oil perfectly and creates a mint-dominated aroma with a very subtle thread of citrus running alongside this. This latter ingredient dampens the harsh kick that you would normally expect from a minty product and instead offers something invigorating and refreshingly beautiful, yet very rounded at the same time.

Just like its older sibling, this limited edition explodes into a cloud of colour as it hits the water - sending out waves of deep blues, pinks and yellows across the surface of the water. At the same time, the popping candy descends to the base of the tub and offers a background of noise reminiscent of a crackling fire.

Once the bath bomb has fully dissolved, you are left with a beautiful tub of dark blue water that glistens as the lustre swirls around under the surface. Not only this but the water itself is so silky soft and inviting: one that is guaranteed to leave you feeling very moisturised and smooth afterwards.

As if this wasn't enough, the fragrance also remains prominent throughout the entire experience and lingers on your skin for a while afterwards. The bath
water rinses away with ease, leaving you feeling nothing but refreshed, clean and ready to face the day.

While the price tag is a little higher than a regular Intergalactic, this limited edition is definitely worth investing in, if only for a single indulgence one day when you really need it. Although I would rather have had a brand new bath bomb as opposed to a few regulars just spruced up a little this Easter, I cannot say anything negative about this ballistic whatsoever.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Popping Candy, Peppermint Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Vetivert Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Cream of Tartar, Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Snowflake, Lemon Ice and Gold Glimmer Lustre, Colour 42090, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Intergalactic Bath Bomb

Intergalactic Bath Bomb

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

The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb

Bath, Bath Bomb, Easter, Easter 2017, limited edition, Seasonal, Tonka, Vanilla, vetivert

It's hard to believe that The Experimenter Bath Bomb has been around for near on two years, ever since the doors of the flagship Oxford Street store first opened in 2015. While not the biggest selling product, this ballistic has become a firm favourite within the community, and offers one of the most vibrant and impressive displays in the bath tub.

2017 saw the release of The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb - a product with the same scent and colours as the original ballistic, but one that is bigger, and as the name suggests, a different shape. While the concept is a novel idea for the Easter period, I was slightly disappointed that Lush didn't attempt to be a little cleverer with their words and call this The Eggsperimenter.

Containing a combination of vertivert, vanilla and tonka, this bath bomb is both sweet and sultry, as well as rich and smoky. The vertivert offers the smokey component, which gives this bath bomb a robust and slightly overwhelming resinous fragrance to begin with. However, the generous inclusion of the other key ingredients means that The Experimenter Egg is equally as sweet. The tonka in particular adds a burnt element that compliments the vertivert, whilst removing a little of its strength' the vanilla adds a powdery note to the overall smell - making this one of the most powerful bath bombs available at the moment.

If the scent wasn't enough to win you over, the display it puts on in the bath tub should. Upon contact with the water, it immediately begins to fizz and froth on the surface - sending out wave upon wave of bright, vivid colour across the bath tub. Blues and whites, yellows and pinks - every colour fizzing loudly as they spread out across the water, interweaving with each other to form patterns and bubbly puddles on the surface.

As the bath bomb dissolves further, the water begins to change colour: first to a light green and then as more and more colour integrates into the water, a darker shade of turquoise green. Each colour makes its mark on the water so you're left with multicoloured swirls while the popping candy crackles at the bottom of the tub - like an open fire waiting to warm your body up.

Despite the price tag being far higher than the original Experimenter, this limited edition egg works out the same price, gram for grams, as the bath bomb. For this reason, it might be more suited to grab one of these and half it, if you were looking to conserve your spending, as you'll get more out of half of the egg than you would the ballistic.

Much like the aforementioned bath bomb, the smell stays prominent throughout the entire experience - offering short, sharp bursts of fragrance that help you to feel really relaxed and calm throughout the whole process. Furthermore, once you leave the bath, you're left with a gentle smoky smell on your body that makes your skin smell beautiful and seems to compliment most perfumes that Lush offer.

My only qualm with The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb is that it can leave your skin and hair feeling a little bit on the greasy side, because it is a very moisturising bath bomb. In fact, I can imagine some people disliking the feeling of using this one because the water does become very thick and slippery on the skin.

Overall, there is nothing hugely different about using this compared to its older sibling, but it does make a nice seasonal change for a few weeks of the year. Those who love The Experimenter will no doubt appreciate the added weight that this bath bomb offers. However, there is still a big part of me that wishes Lush had bought out new bath bombs in the shape, rather than transferring current ones.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Popping Candy, Vetivert Oil, Tonka Absolute, Vanilla Absolute, Cream of Tartar, Water, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Limonene, Calcium, Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Colour 42090, Colour 45410, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: 5.95 each.

Year of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

The Experimenter Bath Bomb

The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb

Big Hugs Soap

Jasmine, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, Skin, Soap, vetivert

Although my job is a very social one, and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by some amazing characters every day, I live what some people would consider a very reserved life. While I am enthusiastic and very much 'present' when in charge of the thirty children in my class, I find myself reverting away from social situations when at home. This stems partly from the fact that I enjoy my own company - I've never been one to need interaction with others to feel contented; and partly because being so actively engaged all day is incredibly draining.

This is why I am usually to be found embracing the warmth and reassurance of a hot bath - rounding off the day with a sensual experience that'll lead me into the next with a revived sense of clarity. This is why I was rather excited when I discovered that Lush had created a soap intent on bringing you the joys of a much-needed hug through the use of carefully selected fragrances.

Big Hugs Soap is the epitome of its own name. From the moment your piece is released from its wrapper, the sweet and creamy aroma greets you like a long-lost friend. While Lush have created many warming scents over the years, this really is one of the prettiest and most comforting floral arrangements that they have released so. While it will never replace the feeling of real human interaction, skin-on-skin, it's definitely a great temporary replacement for those in need of a comforting embrace.

Sharing its scent with both Alkmaar and Fairy Ring Soap, this smell works exceptionally well in this format. Led by both the jasmine and the vertivert, Big Hugs is a warm blanket of smells: the jasmine offering a rich, sweet floral layer with a subtle hint of green underneath. This latter note allows the jasmine to come across as uplifting and refreshing, and its wonderful floral properties are elevated by the warmth of the shower.

Alongside side this is the vertivert, which I believe is just as prominent in the overall fragrance as the jasmine is. Vertivert has a very deep but equally as sweet, woody aroma - one that has a faint element of smokiness to it that adds depth and richness to the soap. This ingredient builds up a complex and very well-rounded smell - it adds muskiness to the scent, and an element of earthiness as well.

While I don't want to downplay either of the unique ingredients mentioned above, I will say that for those who have never experienced anything in this scent before, the easiest way of describing the soap is to say that it has a full-bodied coconut fragrance with added floral elements alongside this. Big Hugs is definitely more complex and more interesting than the aforementioned description, but it's a good way to envisage whether or not you'd enjoy the scent.

This is one of Lush's more rigid soaps, and its hardened consistency means that it takes a little extra effort to create a generous amount of lather. I found it easier to collect water in the palm of my hand, stimulate the foam by massaging the soap in a circular direction, and then run my hands across my skin to build a little extra foam.

What is great about Big Hugs is that the scent lends itself so well to permeating the skin, and you will smell its warming embrace on your body for a few hours after exiting the shower. The nature of the fragrance means that it doesn't change at all when in contact with the water and heat. Instead, the aroma is projected and elevated in the wisps of steam around the room, and cocoons you like a warming blanket.

My only issue with the soap is that it wasn't as moisturising as a shower gel or jelly would have been. As I've stated multiple times, my skin tends to become rather dry and parched after using a lot of soaps, and I found that I had to moisturise afterwards to ensure my skin didn't become taut or dry. However, my skin did have a wonderful glean to it after I had towelled myself down, and those who can use soaps regularly will unlikely have a problem using this one.

Overall, this is a soap for those who like jasmine in its more gentler form, and for those for enjoy the sweeter, creamier floral fragrances. While I'll continue to use this during the colder months, there'll be a small part of me that hopes that it wont be the the only form of hug I receive this year.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Stearate, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute, Styrax Resinoid, Vetivert Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, *Cinnamyl, Alcohol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Colour 17200, Colour 14700, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.50 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2006.

Scent Family:
Alkmaar Soap
All That Jas Bath Bomb
Big Hugs Soap
Factory Mix-up It's A Date Bubble Bar
Fairy Jasmine Ballistic
Fairy Ring Soap
Mistletoe Bath Bomb
Silky Underwear Dusting Powder
Silky Underwear Liquid Perfume
Silky Underwear Solid Perfume

Turbo Bubble Bar

Green Green Bath Of Foam Bubble Bar

Bubble Bar, bubbles, cedarwood, Christmas, Grapefruit, limited edition, Lush Kitchen, neroli, Seasonal, vetivert

This year I have really struggled when it comes to getting into the festive mood. Normally, I am the one who has all of my presents bought and wrapped by the end of September; the annoying friend who winds everyone else up by playing Christmas songs months in advance. However, this year has been far too busy for my liking, and I think this may be the reason why, with only hours until the 'big day', I still find myself rather uninspired by the whole charade.

To try and coax me into enjoying the festivities, I decided to use my very first Green Green Bath Of Foam Bubble Bar. Released for the first time in the Lush Kitchen this year, this beautiful bar offers the same fragrance as the Go Green range, which currently features a body spray and solid perfume. Although I have enjoyed using both of the aforementioned fragrances, I wouldn't say that it was one of my favourite scent families from Lush. However, this bubble bar is on a whole other level.

While I fail to make a strong link between this product and the song, this bubble bar is a play on words of the original country tune 'Green Green Grass of Home'. The hit is about a man dreaming of going home and seeing his loved ones again, only to awaken on the day of his execution and realise that his wish will never be fulfilled. In fact, the only way he'll be able to do this is to be buried there after his death so that his family and friends can visit his grave under the shade of the old oak tree.

Similar in scent to the Green Day Bubble Bar, Green Green features a blend of vertivert, grapefruit, neroli and cedar leaf, combined together to create a product so incredibly fresh and so wonderfully crisp on the senses. Imagine taking an early walk through a forest on Christmas morning - a gentle layer of snow at your feet, the bitter wind nipping at your nose. As the morning dew defrosts around you, you can smell the chlorophyll of the wet shrubbery, and a gentle, sweet grassy note from the saturated leaves and flowers.

It is such a natural and very invigorating fragrance - one that is elevated by the inclusion of both the grapefruit and neroli oils, without either ingredient adding any of the fruity qualities that you might expect. The addition of the cedar leaf is the strongest component featured, and gives this bubble bar a robust, very pronounced pine smell. To finish up, Lush have also added in a touch of smoky vetivert to give the product a deep, sweet and slightly woody aroma. This latter component is very low down in the mix, and almost acts as a basket to support and carry the other elements, while offering a solid base for them to work from.

Surprisingly, I found that the Go Green fragrance works best in this format, and it was because of how effective the smell was that made me fall in love with this bubble bar very quickly. It was definitely not one that I expected to be as enamoured with as I was, and I would definitely say that this is far superior to the Green Day Bubble Bar is almost every way.

To begin with, the design is wonderful - a vibrant emerald-green cone that has been shaped to look a little like a Christmas tree, and adorned with red peppercorns for decoration. Although these tend to fall off fairly quickly, they don't cause any mess in the bath tub, and can be removed before use if you're at all worried about them being washed away down the drain afterwards.

What is great about this bubble bar is that it is the perfect consistency to crumble under the running tap, and I found that a third of it was more than suffice to offer me a beautiful bathing experience. As well as turning the water a vivid shade of green, Green Green Bath Of Foam produced a very generous amount of soft, silky bubbles, and I thoroughly enjoyed submerging myself beneath them.

Furthermore, I was really impressed to find that the fragrance of this product stayed with me throughout the entire experience, and I was able to detect the scent on both my skin and my hair afterwards. Moreover, the bubble bar was really moisturising, without being at all greasy, and I really appreciated how soft and smooth my body felt - particularly my hands as they were looking and feeling rather weathered at the time.

Overall, I feel really grateful that I managed to pick up a handful of these bars because I was not expecting to love them as much as I did. While they are definitely geared towards more of a festive feel, I can't help but think that these would also work well in the spring/summer months, as a light and refreshing option when the weather is a little warmer.

Green Green Bath Of Foam Bubble Bar is a product that I would definitely be interested in buying again, and I do hope that this is not the last time they are seen in the Lush Kitchen. If you have one of these lying around, and you've lost your Christmas spirit, I would highly recommend that you try it out for size and see how you feel afterwards. While I am still nowhere near wanting to air guitar to Slade, or adorn a Santa hat at all, I am definitely a little further away from the Scrooge I felt like before using this gorgeous product.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, *Limonene, Cocamide DEA, Grapefruit Oil (Citrus grandis), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Frankincense Oil (Boswelia carterii), *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellol, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), D&C Green No. 8, D&C Blue No.1, Lustre Holly Sparkle (Potassium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Yellow No.5, FD&C Blue No.1), Red Peppercorns (Piper Nigrum).

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2007.

Scent Family:
Go Green Liquid Body Spray
Go Green Solid Perfume
Green Green Bath Of Foam Bubble Bar
Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo

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