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19 June 2014

Black Pearl Shower Gel




I'm a busy busy person - sometimes I'm surprised that I've managed to keep this blog going for as long as I have. Often I'll watch, bid and order Lush items without checking more than if they're certified vegan or not. Therefore, it's only when I begin using a product that I'll discover that they share their scent with 'X' or feature particular characteristics. This is definitely not the best way to go about things, as I often fall in love with items, only to realise that they've since been discontinued. 

When I first won my bottle of Black Pearl Shower Gel, the only aspect that I knew about this product was that it was rare, and that it was obviously popular (given the insane amount I spent on making it mine!). According to the scraps of information I can find online, this shower gel was released as a limited edition a few years back for the Australian forumites only. Since poking it's head out briefly in 2010, it has never been seen since...That is until I managed to find a rare beauty floating around on eBay.
With it's gloopy consistency and ashen-grey colour, it's definitely not the most appealing of shower gels. When out of the bottle, it's colour reminds me a little of water mixed with oil; a shiny, slick-looking liquid. It's quite a thin gel, very similar to the likes of Avowash and Snowshowers. However, what it lacks in thickness, it more than makes up for in other ways. 

In the shower, Black Pearl lathers up beautifully; it's one of the most effective shower gels I've come across so far. You only need a small amount to produce a large mass of soft, creamy bubbles, helping to make this product last a lot longer than most other Lush shower gels. In fact, this 250g bottle lasted me just as long as a 500g bottle did, making it great value for money. 

This lather spreads wonderfully over your skin and leaves it feeling beautifully soft. So noticeably silky in fact, that when I first began using the product, I spent a good 30 seconds stroking one of my arms because I was so shocked about how instantly smooth it had become. 

Having recently purchased a couple of new bottles of this shower gel through the Lush Kitchen, I did notice a few differences between the old and new versions. From my old bottle, this shower gel has a gorgeous fresh berry scent to it, that stays with you long after you've finished your shower. It's fragrance reminds me of blackberries and cream; a beautiful sweet and nutty scent that smells a little bit like a smoothie.

However, my new bottles had a slightly different scent - one that was still sweet and fruity but which has a strong thread of lavender thrown in for good measure and a sprinkling of herbs as an afterthought. The overall smell is what I imagine it would be like to take Twilight Shower Gel and add a little of The Comforter.  
I know that other Lush fans have commented that they cannot detect the blackberry that I describe it as having, and it does seem odd, given that there is nothing in the ingredients list to suggest the shower gel should have a scent like what I've described. But there's just something about the aroma that reminds me of fresh blackberries, or more particular, blackberry yoghurt.

For those who love sweet-smelling products, but perhaps don't appreciate the synthetic scent of Snow Fairy, or the overly-sugary fragrance of The Comforter, this is probably a shower gel that you'll love. 
Despite it's less than appealing appearance, it's a product that I have happily stocked up on as it so unique in it's fragrance, leaves your skin looking, feeling and smelling incredible and has a pretty cool name to boot. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Alkyl Sulfate, Chamomile Infusion (Matricarja recutita), Lavender Infusion (Lavandula angustifolia), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fine Sea Salt, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG 100 Stearate, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Cetearate, Perfume, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Betaine, Silver Edible Lustre, Lavender Absolute (Lavandula angustfolia), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Olibanum Oil (Boswellia carterii), Myrrh Resinoid (Commiphora myrrha), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Limonene, Linalool, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.  

2014 Price: £10.25 for 250g.
2015 Price: £10.25 for 250g.
2016 Price: £11.25 for 250g.
2017 Price: £11.25 for 250g.

Scent Family:
Black Pearl Ballistic
Black Pearl Liquid Perfume
Black Pearl Shower Gel

20 comments

  1. Oh gosh this really makes me want to try it. But do you think there is another chance of seeing one of those forum party bottles pop up in this lifetime? :( Maybe they'll make it in the Kitchen...

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    1. It will be on sale tomorrow in the kitchen :)

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  2. Given what Lush have brought out so far, I definitely think this will make an appearance in the kitchen. I'd love them to bring back the ballistic as well as I did have one but it was well past it's best.

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  3. I read somewhere that this smells like ICON? Is that true?

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  4. Having recently used up my piece of Icon soap, I cannot say that it reminded me of Black Pearl at all. However, this could be due to the freshness of both the soap and the shower gel. Black Pearl is far sweeter than Icon :)

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  5. Jen! Please help me. I am in dilemma which one should I grab, Black Pearl or Twilight?

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    1. Twilight! That would be my pick between the two :)

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  6. I've just tried this bought fresh from Lush Kitchen, and I couldn't smell any kind of berry scent at all. I got lots of fresh lavender with more herbal notes underneath, then under the warmth it evolved into something slightly more floral, although I can't quite put my finger on it. The consistency was very thick and gloopy too. Did you pick up a fresh bottle from the kitchen? I'd love to know how the old and new compare

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    1. Hi Phillippa - I've just updated my review as I feel I need to add a little more detail. In all honesty, there wasn't that much difference between my old bottle or my new ones that arrived today. The only big difference I detected was the strength in the amount of Lavender that I could detect, and as you said, there's definitely a herbal note as well. However, I still maintain it smells like blackberries to me! As for consistency, it's the same as my older bottle - that much has stayed the same.

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  7. Hi Jen. This is coming on the kitchen this week and I'm really dying to get a bottle as it looks really unique. Does it smell much like Twilight? I'm just wondering because I know they're both lavaender/dusky related gels.

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    1. I know why people compare the two. There is definitely a malty lavender smell about it and I'm sure most fans of Twilight will appreciate this. From the bottle, it does remind me somewhat of Twilight. However, once you begin using this is the shower, a strange and rather unique fruity fragrance comes out and overrides the lavender a little. I would say that if you love Twilight, you'll no doubt love this as well. I would highly recommend that you get a bottle as its rather wonderful :)

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  8. Any comments on the scent's lasting power after use?

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    1. HI Kat - the scent lasts for a good amount of time on the skin. I found that I could smell it on me for most of the morning at work. It wasn't a constant smell but occasionally I'd get a whiff of it while I was teaching, which was lovely and comforting :)

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  9. This is in the UK Kitchen again tomorrow ladies!!!!!

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  10. I got a bottle of this based off of your review and I love it so far! I know others haven't been able to detect a berry scent but I was able to pick up a hint of one underneath the lavender. It smells lovely and I'm so glad I followed your advice and got a bottle while it was in stock. I was so sad the last time that it was on and I wasn't able to get any before it sold out.

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    1. I am so glad that my review proved helpful and that you love it! I know it sounds strange when I mention that I can detect a berry scent here - I think it's the lavender and other ingredients together that give a sweet sort of aroma that just reminds me of blackberries :) Enjoy your bottle!

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  11. This is out on the kitchen this Monday! I was hoping you could give more detail on how sweet it is; is it like rose jam with the sweet/floral scent type or more herby?

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  12. Finally got my hands on this!
    I'd say it smells like floral jelly babies!

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  13. Finally got a bottle of this! Don't know if it's because you put the idea in my head but I could also detect a berry scent that reminded me of mixed berry gelato..

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  14. I don't see how this could ever be seen as non appealing, dark mysterious gun metal silver, one of the most beautiful shower gels Lush has ever made! Sparkly liquid metal, almost like a dark new age-potion! Stunning. I recently had a friend sniff it, he said it smells like OLIVES. omg. And he is right! If anyone remembers the Olive face mask from the Bath and Body pure simplicity line. Just like it. Yet you still sense the lavender. Strange.

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