I was feeling a little unwell at the weekend and decided to root around in my collection for a few new Lush products to help perk me up. Lush describe this soap as 'refreshing and warming' - two characteristics that I thought would help to banish my body of it's cold and get it back on track for work.
With it's translucent orange body, Red Rooster is an alluring soap and definitely one that offers an air of comfort about it. To make it even more attractive, on the surface of this soap are pieces of dried cinnamon stick and slices of orange and lemon. These decorative additions give this soap a slightly retro feel about it and I find it one of the better looking soaps from the company.
Made from a combination of cinnamon leaf oil, orange oil and freshly squeezed orange juice, this soap gives off a spicy, fruity aroma that would appeal to fans of Hot Toddy, Glogg or Sexy Peel Soap. However, unlike these other products, I don't feel that Red Rooster is as well balanced or as pleasant to sniff.
When I smell this soap, I get rather a harsh and slightly musty cinnamon scent at the forefront, which isn't as comforting as the spice normally is in cosmetics. Secondly, whereas I normally appreciate the fresh zesty smells that Lush create from their ingredients, the orange aroma I get from this product is rather astringent and has a nasty aftertaste which intensifies when coming in contact with hot water.
Imagine trying to eat the pith from the outer shell of an orange - that bitter, pungent-smelling layer of white casing between the skin and the actual piece of fruit. Now imagine that taste becoming a smell and you'll begin to recognise what aroma this soap gives off.
The soap lathers up really well, and for those that like this scent, the smell does linger on your skin for many hours after use. It also tends to permeate the bathroom for a while after your shower. Furthermore, despite not enjoying the smell all that much, it did wake me up a little after I had used it and I found that I was far more alert after trying it out. However, I am unsure whether this is due to the fragrance or just the experience of being in the shower.
The soap lathers up really well, and for those that like this scent, the smell does linger on your skin for many hours after use. It also tends to permeate the bathroom for a while after your shower. Furthermore, despite not enjoying the smell all that much, it did wake me up a little after I had used it and I found that I was far more alert after trying it out. However, I am unsure whether this is due to the fragrance or just the experience of being in the shower.
What is good about this soap is that the dried pieces of fruit work really well as an exfoliator, and unlike other soaps that tend to shed their decorations very quickly, the cinnamon sticks and fruit peel stay attached to the chunk for a long time. There is also a better ratio between the amount of soap and the excess pieces present, so there's enough here to clean yourself with as opposed to just using it as a scrub.
Furthermore, Red Rooster maintains a good consistency in the shower/bath so it doesn't become too slippery to hold, making it easier to use. A 100g block will last for a long time and it doesn't shrink at all when left to dry between uses, so it's also good value for money.
Unfortunately, as well as it's smell, this soap didn't bode well with my skin and left it feeling rather taut after use. After testing this out for a few days in a row, I began to find dry patches of skin on my legs and it was then that I decided to stop using it. While it possesses a fantastic name and is appealing to look at, this soap didn't work well with my skin type or my sense of smell. For this reason, it's not a soap I would be interested in buying again.
Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water (Aqua), Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice (Citrus sinensis), Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cinnamon Leaf Oil (Cinnamomum cassia), Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Cloves (Eugenia caryophyllus), Cinnamon Sticks (Cinnamomum cassia), Orange or Lemon Slices (Citrus dulcis, Citrus limonum), Star Anise (Illicium verum), Sodium Chloride, Glycerine, EDTA, Tetrasodium Editronate, Perfume, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), FD&C Red No. 4.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £4.00 for 100g.
2017 Price: £4.25 for 100g.
Year Of Original Release: 2005.
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