29 and a Half Soap

As I stated in my review of the limited edition 29 Gift Set, it was rather sneaky of Lush to create a box set where two of the products are not available anywhere else. For collectors and avid fans, this poses a problem - while we might not want or need the majority of the products in the set, the idea of missing two exclusives is enough to warrant most people to splash the cash.

Out of the two items, 29 and a 1/2 Soap was the one I was most intrigued by - not only because of it's beautiful presentation, but because of it's scent. This stunning fluorescent-green soap, which has been decorated with a gorgeous layer of golden lustre on top, shares it's smell with the fragrance of the same name. 

29, or HQ as it was previous called, is a limited edition perfume designed to mimic the experience of walking into a Lush shop. Notorious for the smell that their shops elevate onto the High Street, Lush decided to create a scent that allowed wearers to experience all of the smells most prominent in their local store. While the perfume was incredible, I have to say that the smell of the soap is even better. 

Just like the perfume, the main notes of this soap are made up of all of the key elements that you'll likely to find in the hundreds of Lush's products currently available. Firstly, there's ylang ylang - a sensual floral ingredient found in most of Lush's products - most notably their Sex Bomb Ballistic; Sandalwood oil gives off a rich woody note that can be found in the wonderful Aqua Mirabilis Body Butter; Jasmine absolute adds another floral element to the mix and is a key scent in Lush's Tender Is The Night Massage Bar. Then there's the inclusion of both lime and lemon oil - two uplifting ingredients that make Avobath Ballistic so wonderful whilst tonka absolute gives the perfume a sweetness displayed in all of Lush's Vanillary range. Altogether, these ingredients collaborate amazingly well and create a unique, vibrant and wholly special perfume. 

While both the perfume and the soap have all of these elements, there are some clear differences in how the aromas work on the skin. While the ylang ylang is the most prominent note in the fragrance, I found that the lemon and lime oils were slightly more overpowering in the soap - creating a slightly tangier fragrance that reminded me of both Egg Hunt and Miranda Soap. 

29 and a Half Soap seems less powdery and gives off a far more pronounced scent - you can really detect each layer, yet they seamlessly combine together when you're using it in the shower. This is a stunning soap - one that I feel is being wasted sat there as a limited edition item. It's light, fruity and fragrant - youthful enough that younger Lush fans will enjoy it, but complex and interesting enough that other consumers will love it as well. 

While the soap has the same base as most of Lush's regular soaps, I found that this one is really sturdy and hardly changes size or shape between uses. Whether Lush did this purposely to allow those of us who have invested a lot of money in the gift set, to own something that would last a fair while, or whether it's the multiple oils and absolutes that feature in the ingredients list, I don't know. What I am happy about is the fact that this 100g bar will last a good few months - making it great value for money.

In the shower, it lathers up nicely, creating light, foamy soap suds that glide over your skin with ease. It's not overly generous on the amount it produces, but this no doubt helps it to last as long as it does. The lather it does offer the user is really fragrant, and leaves it mark on your body; you can smell this for a long time after you've exited the shower and I received many compliments about the smell, hours after I had initially used it.

Although it has been decorated in golden lustre, this doesn't accumulate on your skin at all, so those of you who have a phobia of glittery things can rest assure that you won't be left looking like a disco ball. This has very quickly established itself as one of my favourite soaps and I only hope that Lush see sense and release this as a regular product. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Absolute, Sandalwood Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Lime Oil, Lemon Oil, Tonka Absolute, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Methyl Ionone, Lilial, Citral, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal, Lyral, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 42090, Radiant Gold Lustre (Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides).

Vegan?: Yes. 

2014 Price: Not Available for Individual purchase. 

Scent Family:
29 and a Half Soap
29 High Street Liquid Perfume
29 High Street Solid Perfume
29 High Street Shower Gel
HQ Perfume
Kiss Me Quick Business Wash Card

Secret Santa Ballistic