Somewhere Over The Rainbow Soap

Most of you who read this blog are probably aware that I don't really use or appreciate soap. I have found very few that don't dry my skin out and even those ones never leave my body feeling as smooth or as moisturised as a shower gel would. Having said that, I still buy every soap that Lush bring out in the hope that one day I'll find one that is right for me. 

When Lush first announced the release of Somewhere Over The Rainbow Soap, both the pictures and the description had me really excited. If there was an award for most attractive Lush soap ever, I would probably say that this would win, with only Northern Lights scraping a close second. Unfortunately, everything else about this product is a little disappointing. 

Made from a combination of neroli and mandarin oils, I was expecting a bright, sweet and rather zesty-smelling soap. Instead, when I first bought this during the 2015 release, I found the soap to possess a very weak fragrance - one that was almost thwarted by the base smell of the soap itself. Much like the aforementioned Northern Lights, there was a very 'soapy' smell to this one and it was something I couldn't seem to shake off in the shower. Having said this, the 2017 edition is definitely a little stronger, and I don't feel as if I have to strain my senses in order to pick out the different components that make up the aroma. 

You can definitely smell both of the key ingredients in the mix - with the rose absolute rounding the smell off with a slightly powdery floral aroma. The neroli is definitely the dominating force behind this soap - offering a slightly woody, slightly smokey green smell. It's an odd one, made even more strange by the almost bitter note of mandarin that sits underneath the other components. I wouldn't describe this soap as being at all fruity - it has more of a naturally sweet note that gives Somewhere Over The Rainbow Soap a little more depth when in use. While all of these ingredients compliment each other well, it's a smell that doesn't leave that much of an impression on me - something that didn't alter either when the product came into contact with the hot water in my shower.

Whether or not Lush did this intentionally I'm unsure, but the combination of scents featured in Somewhere Over The Rainbow gives off a fragrance that is not that unlike B-Electro Shower Gel - a sort of light citrus, soapy smell. However, there is also a sweet, smoky element to it that sets it apart from the aforementioned shower gel. It's definitely not unpleasant by any means - it's just not particularly interesting, and is rather a let down when you see how beautiful the soap is to look at. 

Having said this, 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 I can imagine it would. The lather it does offer the user is not really all that fragrant, but it does leave a very faint after-scent on your body; you can smell this for a while after you've exited the shower and can then top up the aroma with B-Scent Liquid Perfume if you're looking for something similar.

Although it claims to contain golden lustre, the only evidence of this is a sprinkling on the surface of the soap, so those who dislike being covered in glitter, will be able to appreciate that there is not enough here to cause any sort of issue. While the soap is stunning to look at, this is one of the first products that has disappointed me in a while, which is a shame it's name and design is one of Lush's better ones.

I can imagine that there will be many people out there that appreciate the simplicity and subtleness of Somewhere Over The Rainbow - perhaps those who prefer gentle smells and ones that have more of a grounded, woody aroma. However, I for one was not bowled over by this seasonal offering from Lush and it's not something that I would purchase again in a hurry.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Perfume, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Neroli Oil, Rose Absolute, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Colour 42090, Colour 15510, Colour 45350, Colour 17200, Colour 59040, Colour 45410, Colour 14700, Snowflake Lustre; Dazzling Gold Lustre.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £4.25 for 100g, £10.62 for 250g, £21.25 for 500g.

2016 Price: £4.25 for 100g, £10.62 for 250g, £21.25 for 500g.

2017 Price: £4.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Scent Family:
Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bath Bomb

Somewhere Over The Rainbow Soap