Ol' Blue Skies is Back Shower Gel

I had to do my research before reviewing this shower gel as I also have a large bottle of Blue Skies Liquid Bubble Bath - a product that shares both its name and scent with Ol' Blue Skies Is Back. According to various sites, this product was re-invented and re-released after the bubble bath and Bubble Bar proved to be a major hit. This was back in 2006, and it was some seven years later that I was able to get my grubby mitts on a rare bottle to try.

Unfortunately, before the wonderful invention of the Lush Kitchen, eBay was my only option to obtain rare and wonderful discontinued Lush items. This meant that on many occasions I would pay above and beyond for a product that would turn out to be well and truly past its best. The difference can be quite extreme, as you can no doubt see when comparing a fresh one of these to a not-so-fresh bottle.

Ol' Blue Skies Is Back is definitely an acquired taste. Scented with the calming element of patchouli oil,  frankincense and cinnamon, this is a rather strange and unique scent. To me, the shower gel smells mostly of frankincense and cinnamon - together producing a rich, slightly sweet, yet equally dried aroma. The latter ingredient offers its usual spicy element, and without the inclusion of anything particularly sweet, it gives off a dried, almost herbal note.

Underneath this, you can definitely recognise the patchouli element, which again is rather dry and spicy. The inclusion of the orange oil elevates both the patchouli and the cinnamon a little - offering a subtle warmth that gives this shower gel an almost 'tangy' after note. However, Blue Skies doesn't let the fruity element take hold too much overall, and so you're left with a dry and very earthy, woody scent, with a richness that brings all of the key components together. 

While I have yet to see an original bottle, my ebay 'bargain' arrived as a murky wash of blue and green - definitely not what I envisaged when I imagined what a gorgeous blue sky should look like. The finished colour was a murky, pearly green colour, re-invented with added silver lustre to supposedly make it even more exciting. Unfortunately, everything about the shower gel didn't match up in my eyes, and I even questioned the inclusion of the glitter in the first place.

However, the recent round of Ol' Blue Skies turned out to be visually stunning - perhaps one of the greatest looking shower gels to come from Lush. The colour is definitely much more fitting to its name and description, and there is something rather fun about the cartoon-like colour as it oozes out of the bottle. 

In the shower, this product lathers up fairly easily and does what it's supposed to, although I feel as if it acts much more like a shower cream than a gel. It creates a light, fluffy foam to clean your body with, and stretches quite far when used on a shower puff. However, I would still say that it's nowhere near as generous with its lather as most other Lush shower gels. 

I found it easiest to massage the gel between my hands and stimulate the lather before rubbing it over my body to clean. When I tried applying it straight to my legs and arms, I discovered that I had to use much more this way, and the shower gel didn't always produce enough of a lather to clean with.   

As a word of warning, the heat of the water tends to intensify the patchouli and frankincense fragrance quite a lot in the shower, which can be a nasty experience for anyone not a fan of this scent. However, if you love the smell of Blue Skies And Fluffy White Cloud Bubble Bar, you might appreciate the additional herbal elements that come out when this product is in contact with the water. 

As with most of Lush's shower gels, Ol’ Blue supposedly also doubles up as a shampoo, although I was hesitant to test this out. My hair needs a lot of TLC after the many years of neglect that it has suffered, and I'm unsure whether using any of Lush's shower gels would do my hair any good. However, if you have had success in this area, I cannot see any reason why this one wouldn't do as good a job as any other.

To conclude, this is a product that I'm sure would be loved by those fans of Tramp Shower Gel, or those like me who just love another that smells strongly of patchouli. It smells like someone has reached into the forest and scooped out a handful of dirt, doused it in patchouli, and then turned it into a shower gel.

If you love Blue Skies, or look for interesting and very earthy smells, this will be another one that you'll need to add to your collection. However, if you're hoping of a repeat of Karma, or you prefer the sweeter aromas on offer, you may wish to give this one a miss.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Lemon Infusion (Citrus limonum), Sodium Alkyl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauramide MIPA, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Cetearate, Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Cinnamon Leaf Oil (Cinnamomum cassia), Frankincense Oil (Boswelia carterii), Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), *Eugenol, *Limonene, Perfume, FD&C Blue No. 1, Snowflake Lustre (Potassium Silicate & Titanium Dioxide), Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £11.25 for 250g.

2017 Price: £11.25 for 250g.

Scent Family:
Beanie Bubble Bar
Blues Skies And Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar
Blue Skies Liquid Bubble Bath
Ol' Blue Skies Is Back Shower Gel

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