Odango Solid Shampoo

For the past two years, I have been using solid shampoos religiously and cannot believe just how much the condition of my hair has improved within this time. While they are much better value for money and are far easier to transport than their liquid counterparts, it is their lack of preservatives that make them a star product in my eyes.  

When I first saw Odango Solid Shampoo on display, I was equally enthralled and skeptical - the former because it sported such a stunning design to behold; the latter because the design also looked rather frightening for someone who didn't want to end up with half a bunch of flowers in my hair. While the garnish was rather beautiful to look at, I definitely didn't want to be sporting, what could be perceived as, colourful dandruff to the general public. 

As it happened, I was rather surprised by how effective this shampoo bar was and how the excess flowers really didn't leave me looking like I'd tried to pollenate the local wildlife with my head...

Sharing its scent with the wonderful Dad's Garden Chamomile And Honeysuckle Liquid Perfume, this shampoo bar is a feast for the senses in every way. Containing a combination of chamomile, lavender, jasmine and orange flower, this Oxford Street exclusive is a well-rounded floral fragrance. Although it's strong enough to make an impression, it's light enough to compliment those cooler summer evenings that I only hope will make an appearance soon.

With honeysuckle and rose infusion being two of the main ingredients, its no wonder that you can detect both of these quite heavily in the mix. The honeysuckle gives this shampoo a gentle, sweet and slightly clinical aroma, while the rose adds a powdery floral note beside this. Both the chamomile and the lavender oils deepens this flowery fragrance and offers a rich, almost earthy note that brings all of the elements together perfectly. 

While the smell is something of an indulgence on the senses, the productivity and effectiveness of this shampoo is even more impressive. As with all of Lush's other solid shampoos, you can either massage it through wet hair, or rub it between your hands and create a lather, which can then be applied to your locks. Either way, you can really tell how much shampoo is compacted into a single bar as it lathers up really easily but takes forever to shrink in size. 

While it doesn't produce the lather as quickly or as easily as Lush's circular shampoo bars, it does produce enough to make your hair feel as if it's being given a thorough clean. What I loved about Odango was that my hair was left feeling beautifully soft and noticeably glossier immediately, and it made my hair brighter rather than stripping or fading the dye that I use regularly. I also noticed that my hair seemed more manageable and I was able to wear it down without having to straighten it first - it supported my natural wave but worked on reducing any frizz that would have given me a bad hair day. 

Furthermore, it left a wonderful aroma that stayed with me for some time during the day - which was very comforting and a perfect scent to radiate off of me on such a warm day. Finally, I was surprised to find that the rose petals and cornflowers that decorated the top and side of my piece didn't get caught in my hair - instead washing away easily under the shower nozzle and leaving no clutter around the plughole. 

To conclude: I absolutely adore this solid shampoo bar and it has now become one of my all-time favourites. While it's slightly more expensive than most of Lush's other shampoos, and doesn't last as long as those in the regular range, it's a luxury that I am willing to invest in after seeing and feeling the amazing results that it does to my hair.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Honeysuckle and Rose Petal Infusion (Lonicera caprilolium; Rosa damascene), Glyceryl Stearate & PEG 100 Stearate, Soya Lecithin, Perfume, Roman Chamomile Oil, Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum gradiflorum), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Aurantium amara), Guar Gum (Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride), Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), Rose Petals (Rosa centifolia), Benzyl Benzoate, Lilial, Farnesol, Linalool. 

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £6.95 for 100g. 

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Scent Family: 

Dad's Garden: Chamomile And Honeysuckle Liquid Perfume
Odango Solid Shampoo