Nightwing Shower Jelly

While it can be a little disappointing at times when Lush bring out a seemingly 'new' product and it turns out to contain the scent of an older product, I recognise that this is a great opportunity for those who love that particular fragrance, and I'm always happy to stock up on my favourites so I cannot really complain. 

However, when pictures and descriptions of this shower jelly first appeared online, the Lush world were convinced that it pertained the Calacas scent. I for one was a little disappointed by this news as I already had a stash of jellies and shower gels to feed that particular addiction of mine. To my delight, the moment that I opened the lid and gave the product it's very first sniff, I realised that the gossip and rumours had been wrong all along... 

Initial thoughts about Nightwing suggested that this was everything a Halloween product should be. Shaped like a bat and presented as a deep, inky shade of black, this brand new offering epitomises the very essence of the horror-riddled season. While most people would normally associate Halloween with the beginnings of colder weather; of cinnamon-dusted hot chocolate and thick socks tucked into winter boots, I've come to associate this time with fruity, booze-furled punches and generous helpings of zest - an expectation brought about by my love and dedication to Lush.

Containing a generous helping of lime oil and a little aloe vera for comfort, this product has a unique and very beautiful aroma - one that'll guarantee to wake you up during those traumatising early morning showers. While the aforementioned Calacas is lime-oriented as well, this jelly has a much more straight forward, zesty aroma. 

Imagine taking a freshly squeezed lime and combining it with the subtle essence of garden shrubbery in the wintertime, and you might begin to understand how this shower jelly smells. While Calacas smells like a fruit pastille - a fizzy lime scent with a slight sugary element to it, Nightwing is like it's serious, older brother - it has a 'tang' to it that reminds me of the green wine gums or American hard gums. In fact, the scent of this is very similar to Five O' Clock Whistle. 

In the shower this jelly lathers up pretty easily - producing a foamy lather laced with charcoal-coloured suds. While it initially makes a mess on your skin, and can be pretty daunting for those who have either white walls or a white tub, I can assure you that this product does not stain at all, and your skin and surroundings will not be decorated in the process of using this. 

Despite loving the fragrance, I was disappointed by Nightwing for two reasons: Firstly, the shape of the product means that you have to cut this into pieces if you wish to use it effectively. The animal-shaped design does not work well when combined with water and the motion of producing suds between your hands and against your skin. I cannot tell you the number of times I dropped this bad boy before I relented and cut it up into smaller pieces. 

Secondly, after applying this to the skin and rinsing the lather away, I found that the fragrance of this doesn't stay at all. In fact, this is probably the weakest shower jelly I have ever tried from Lush. Normally, the smell will at the very least stay on my skin until I towel myself down, but the smell of Nightwing dispersed in a matter of seconds, which was disappointing   

While my skin did feel clean after using this, I wouldn't say that it felt anywhere near as soft as it would have done had I used some of Lush's other jellies and gels. Although the inclusion of carrageenan extract would suggest that this product should be as softening on the skin as other variations, I didn't find this at all.

For this reason, I will continue to use the two tubs that I initially bought from Oxford Street, but this is not a product I would invest in again. As a self-proclaimed citrus obsessive, I was really looking forward to trying a new lime-oriented fragrance. Unfortunately, I've been left wishing that this jelly had been Calacas scented all along.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Fresh Lime Juice and Aloe Vera Gel Decoction (Aloe barbadensis; citrus aurantifolia), Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Carob Syrup (Ceratonia Silliqua), Citral, Limonene, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 77266.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.95 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.