Get Closer Solid Deodorant

When the Lush Oxford Street store first opened some five years ago, the company brought out so many new dusting powders: one of which was called Get Closer. While not strictly advertised as a deodorant, most of Lush's dusting powders are versatile enough that they can be used in this way, and this is perhaps the reason why this solid rendition appeared at the Showcase event last year.

What I will say about this solid deodorant is that it does a good job at replicating the scent of the original dusting powder, which features neroli oil, jasmine absolute and lemon oil. Alongside an extra dosage of jojoba oil, this naked block of deodorant is very close in scent to the wonderful Happy Happy Joy Joy Hair Conditioner and Frozen Bath Bomb, albeit slightly lighter and not as floral-dominated. Instead, imagine HHJJ with a heap of calamine and kaolin powders thrown on top, and you may begin to understand what this exclusive smells like.

On the skin, you can definitely detect the neroli - a light and slightly bitter citrusy aroma that intertwines with the lemon oil and intensifies the fruity element. To compliment this, the jasmine adds its own soulful floral aroma that gives the deodorant a slight sweetness, making it delectable and utterly refreshing on the senses.

Alongside these elements, Get Closer then offers a strong herbal note of calamine, coupled with a dry and slightly earthy note of the kaolin, which I happen to think is perhaps a little more prominent in this format: more so than it is in the dusting powder. Either way, the smell you get is definitely not as clinical as many of Lush's other deodorants but there is still something very clean-smelling about this fragrance that I think works well.

At risk of repeating myself, I was initially worried about the strength of this solid deodorant, as I imagined it would just crumble when I applied even the slightest amount of pressure: it is definitely not as resilient as the likes of Aromaco Solid Deodorant by any means. However, it is fairly straight forward to use and the product comes away really easily on the skin, so you don't need to apply much in the way of pressure at all.

What was great about this deodorant was the fact that it was far easier to apply as a block as opposed to bottled powder. Trying to apply a powder without spilling it all over the place is a rather tricky task. However, when it came to The Get Closer Solid Deodorant, I found that simply massaging it gently under my armpits was enough to get what I wanted out of the product. While my armpit was left slightly dusty afterwards, it certainly didn't cause me any problems and I certainly didn't develop any stains on my clothes from it being this way.

Like most of Lush's dusting powders and deodorants, this one has a great level of absorbency - thanks to the inclusion of the kaolin - so any sweat that develops on your skin across the day will be absorbed fairly quickly and your armpits will be left fairly dry.

As I have stated in other reviews, this deodorant is not an antiperspirant, so it will not prevent you from sweating at all. Instead, it just helps to absorb the sweat so it doesn't have time to go stale and develop an odour, and if you sweat quite profusely at times, reduce the amount of 'damp' that remains on your skin.

After using it for near on a month, I found that Get Closer definitely worked at eradicating smells that may have accumulated throughout the day, and it was very easy to reapply the product whenever I felt like I needed to. In a typical day, I felt I needed to reapply about 5-6 times, although this may just have been my desire to be super clean: you may be able to reduce this number by half and preserve the life of the deodorant for longer. 

However, what I should point out is that this solid deodorant wasn't very effective both before and after the gym. As I work out most days, I really noticed that I would start to smell my sweat a little more prominently if I used this deodorant over my usual Nivea variation. As I have found with some of Lush's deodorants, this solid product is not as effective when you're someone who sweats a great deal or when used during a time when you're perspiring a lot because of physical activity. In these moments, I had to reply on my regular shop-bought variation to see me through my workouts.

Ultimately, this solid deodorant is actually quite effective at what is does and offers a rather lovely floral aroma to boot. I honestly think that I just need to continue using this for a few more months and I should hopefully notice even more changes in the way that my body responds to this.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Cornflour, Magnesium Carbonate, Water (Aqua), Calamine Powder, Kaolin, Organic Jojoba Oil, Perfume, Neroli Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Lycopodium Powder, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, *Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Citral, *Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, *Benzyl Cinnamate, *Cinnamal. *Farnesol

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £8 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Fairy Jasmine Bath Bomb

After making my way through all of the new bath bombs that Lush brought out earlier this year, I decided to go back through each of my reviews and choose my favourite ten from the bunch. As a few of the 'new' releases were actually older bath bombs, I had opted not to buy them as a way of reducing my spending down as much as I could. However, it was only after furiously searching for almost an hour on my blog that I realised I had never reviewed, which also meant that I had never tried this classic bath bomb.

Despite its rather plain demeanour, Fairy Jasmine is one of the most talked about bath bombs on Instagram and it seems to have won over a large following of new fans, as well as rekindle the love of the older fanbase as well. Possessing the same scent as many other classic products that have made an appearance over the years, this is a bath bomb that is celebrated for its aroma as opposed to the display it puts on in the water. 

Sharing its scent with both Alkmaar and Fairy Ring Soap, Silky Underwear Dusting Powder and the most recent Coconut Rice Cake Solid Shampoo Bar, Fairy Jasmine offers a warm blanket of both jasmine and vetivert: the jasmine offering a rich, sweet floral layer with a subtle hint of green underneath; the vetivert, which is the more prominent ingredient, adding a rich, sweet, woody aroma that brings warmth and depth to the overall floral fragrance.

As if that wasn't already powerful enough, the latter ingredient also creates a gentle smokiness, which pads out the fragrance quite a bit and helps to bring about a muskiness that only serves to give this scent a complexity and a uniqueness that needs to be experienced at least once. This isn't a smell that you forget very quickly and in the right format can be simply gorgeous.

However, as far as bath bombs go, Fairy Jasmine would never win any awards for its design or productivity in the water. Sporting a simple white shell, with no hidden colours inside, this bath bomb does very little to change the colour of your water. Many years ago, when the original bomb was first released, Lush added a large dosage of purple lustre inside, which created a huge mess in the tub and did very little else aside from painting your skin with glitter.

Fast forward to 2019 and this latest rendition still contains a generous helping of lustre. However, this feature doesn't make a mess at all; doesn't stick to and decorate your skin; and washes away with ease once you exit the tub. In fact, the shimmer of the lustre on the surface is the only thing that Fairy Jasmine does to change the look of the water. If you're looking for a show, you'll want to avoid this one.

What I will say is that despite its lack of colour, Fairy Jasmine more than makes up for this with how strong its scent is both during and after your bath. As soon as the bath bomb hits the water, the vetivert and jasmine make their presence known in a cloud of wonderful floral notes, and these stay with you throughout your experience in the water.

Upon exiting the bath, the muskiness of the vetivert and the sweet, green tang of both the jasmine and the ylang ylang remain on your skin and hair for hours. In fact, I could still smell this bath bomb on my pillow the following day, and it was probably the strength of this fragrance that helped me to have a really good sleep that night. As if that wasn't enough, Fairy Jasmine offered a wonderfully soft and smooth water during my time in the tub, and I could definitely feel the difference that it made to my skin when I was towelling myself down.

Unfortunately, the lack of colour in its design matched with the hefty price tag that goes with it, Fairy Jasmine will probably not sell as many as other bath bombs, even if it performs better than a lot of the ones that Lush have released this year. Many new consumers, who may have never heard of the scent of this one, might opt to purchase something else instead, which is a real shame.

Despite it's lack of character, the bath bomb performs really well in the water and offers an aroma that is beautifully sweet and yet majestically floral as well. While not a bath bomb I would invest in again (if only because I'm bitter that Lush never brought back Mistletoe Bath Bomb instead) this is definitely a contender for one of the best-smelling 'new releases' for sure.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute, Vetivert Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Hexyl Cinnamal, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

coming soon!

Sex Bomb Shower Gel

Those who have been following my blog for a while will know that Lush shower gels were always my favourite aspect about the company. Any new bottles of colourful liquid and I was all over them like a rash, which is exactly the same reaction I gave when I first found out that Lush were bringing out six brand new bottles of the stuff earlier this year.

Despite the fact that most of the limited editions wouldn't have been ones I would have chosen to make into shower gels myself, I was willing to give each of the variations a fair trial without any preconceived ideas about what I should or would expect. And as it turned out, there were definitely some surprises along the way...   

Sex Bomb is perhaps the shower gel I was most surprised about, only because I don't really hold much of an opinion about the original bath bomb that this release has been named and influenced by. I could probably describe the classic bomb as being 'nice' and 'lovely' if I wanted but I'll be honest and say that it's a product that doesn't really inspire me very much at all. It's by no means bad, it's just not particularly interesting.

However, I will say straight away that this limited edition shower gel showcases the Sex Bomb scent perfectly, and fans of the bath bomb will be absolutely delighted with the result. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the fragrance is far more suited to this format than the bath bomb, so the aroma is much more pronounced and stronger, without taking away from the original concept in any way.

In the bottle, this limited edition presents all of the key components so wonderfully that it's a pleasure to simply sniff the gel and take in all of the main elements. Clary sage and ylang ylang oil; jasmine absolute and synthetic musk, Sex Bomb Shower Gel is a light, sensual floral smell, with elements of natural sweetness to boot. In addition, you also get the gentle herbal properties of the clary sage coming through a little more strongly than in other formats, which almost gives this gel certain refreshing qualities about it as well.

What I think that Lush have done well is to produce the fragrance perfectly, without losing any of the key elements that go into making this popular scent. At the same time, they've also added strength to the smell itself so that the gel is not as dusty or as delicate as the bath bomb. This has served the scent well.

What I also loved about Sex Bomb Shower Gel was that the format is very silky-smooth whilst being slightly on the thinner side. This meant that I didn't need very much to produce an impressive amount of thick, creamy and very foamy lather. Yet, at the same time, its properties left my skin feeling instantly clean and smooth and shiny, all at the time.

In fact, I think it is the inclusion of the passion fruit juice that makes all of these wonderful miracles happen. I truly believe that these fruit juices leave your skin looking and feeling radiant, and at the same time I am sure that it is this very same ingredient that elevates the overall scent of this as well. It's pure magic.

Adding on to this, the gentle combination of jasmine, clary sage and musk lingered on my skin for a good couple of hours after I had towelled myself down. Furthermore, I found that using this before bed was a sure find way to ensure that I fell into a deep sleep very quickly, as it was super efficient at making me feel relaxed and good about myself.

Despite note being at all interested in using or promoting Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, I was very surprised by how much I took to the shower gel and how much I enjoyed the experience far more than I ever imagined that I would. Fans of the bath bomb will no doubt be incredibly pleased with the result of this limited edition shower gel and I will continue to use this before bed each and every night. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Jasmine, Rose and Ginseng Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Perfume, Lauryl Betaine, Jasmine Absolute, Clary Sage Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Fresh Passion Fruit Juice, Carrageenan Extract, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Musk, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45410, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £12 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Anise Stars Bath Melt Tablet

With Christmas 2019 fast approaching, it seems almost surreal that I'm still trying to review some of the products that came out close to a year ago. However, given that these were released for only a matter of days before disappearing completely, they quickly got placed on the back burner in replacement for the many new releases that came out soon afterwards.

Understandably, many readers might never have heard of Anise Stars; an interesting extra large bath melt that came out in a select few European countries during December 2018. About 9cm in width, 6cm wide and about 5mm thick, this seasonal special was designed to be hung up as a decoration during the festive period. Whether on your Christmas tree or placed somewhere around your home, this limited edition offered a scent that would fill the room for days on end.

Obviously, the main purpose for this bath tablet however is to infuse your bath water with an array of essential oils and butters: adding in some much needed moisture when the bitter weather is threatening to parch your skin and leave it looking far from its best. This gigantic block proved that it was definitely up to the job.

While fairly plain to look at, I actually really appreciated the brown and cream design swirly, only because it felt very rustic to me, especially with the inclusion of the star anise for decoration on the surface. Unfortunately, the fragrance wasn't one that went down particularly well with me, and here's why.

Sharing its scent with the Ginger range, this seasonal special contains a combination of mimosa, rose, jasmine and ginger oils. The former three ingredients help to give this bath oil a little depth - showcasing a slight sweetness from the mimosa and a delicate floral element from the rose and jasmine. However, it is the inclusion of the ginger that gives this product its distinctive aroma.

Imagine removing the heat of the ginger and leaving behind its natural herbal aroma; then combining it with the floral elements to create something slightly sweet and rose-like about the fragrance. While I've come a long way from when I first experienced this scent, and I can definitely say that I do not dislike it as much as I did in the past, I am still a long way from appreciating it enough to get excited over what it has to offer.

As I mentioned above, as far as bath melts go this one is beautiful to look at and looks fantastic as a decoration in your bathroom. Left this way, you can expect a wonderful aroma to greet you every time you enter the room and with a thickness little under a centimetre this is definitely one of the biggest bath melts that Lush have ever unleashed into the world. While it is definitely a very pretty experience to put the whole thing into the tub at once, I would suggest that you cut this into three or four pieces to make the most out of it.

You certainly don't need to use the entire melt in one go, and it would be far less messy breaking off pieces whilst its dry than hanging or storing the tablet once it's already been in the water. Having said that, I found that the melt dried fairly quickly after I pulled it from the water, so I didn't have to worry too much about cleaning up afterwards.

When it came to Anise Stars Bath Melt Tablet, I found that it didn't tend to put on much of a show in the water. The bath melt floated on the surface whilst it slowly dissolved and then sent out little splodges of oils that seemed to disappear fairly quickly into the water. Every so often I found myself massaging the bar itself to release the oils into the water because they were quite thick and resistant to dissolve by themselves. I think if you simply waited for the bath tablet to melt by itself, you'd probably be in the tub for a matter of hours. 

Once the tablet had fully melted, I found that the water was left without any colouration whatsoever, which is probably a good thing given that the colour would have been brown if it had left an impression. There was also quite a few flecks of oils still left floating around in the water. These never proved to be a problem whilst I was in the water but they didn't make for the most exciting of displays.

Once I exited the bath, I found that I could detect a gentle note of both ginger and rose on my body and my skin felt super soft and replenished. To be honest, I would have been worried if my skin hasn't looked and felt so smooth, as I had opted to use the whole tablet in one.

Why Lush decided to bring these little beauties out for a matter of days before they disappeared for good, I will never know. While Anise Stars is not a personal favourite of mine, I'm sure there are many fans of the Ginger scent who would have loved to have gotten one of these. I can only hope that these make a reappearance this festive season so consumers can appreciate them a little more.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Bitartrate (Tartar), Fair Trade Shea Butter, Beeswax, Cupuaçu Butter, Perfume, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Myrtle Oil, Titanium Dioxide,* Citral,* Limonene, Cl 42090, Cl 42090: 2.

Vegan?: No.

2019 Price: £8.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Goddess Shower Gel

When Lush re-introduced the scent of Zen Soap as their brand new Goddess range, I was taken back by how little I was compelled by some of the initial products. While the bath bomb was stunning to look at, I really wasn't as blown away as I remember being when the aforementioned soap first appeared in Oxford Street. There was something about the magical fragrance of Zen that seemed to be missing, and I did initially wonder whether the change in colour was perhaps part of the barrier for me.

Since the bath bomb has arrived on the scene, the company have gone on to release an impressive number of other products in this same aroma. And when it comes to their latest offering: the beautiful looking shower gel, I can safely say that the scent is beginning to win me over again.

From the bottle, this gorgeous deep purple gel may at times appear to be two different shades. Most likely because of the vast number of different oils that have gone into making it, this is one of those products that separate quite easily. However, if you leave the bottle upside down overnight, you'll awake to find a rich and very sparkly shower gel in your bathroom.

With so many ingredients present, it's actually surprising that every component works so well together. From the bottle, the aroma you discover is a very condensed and fairly intense one. In fact, I can imagine many consumers being put off by just how potent the fragrance comes across to begin with. In a way, it sort of loses its beauty because it is a little too heavy.

However, I would really recommend that you make a judgement once you've tried it out for yourself because the aroma levels out quite a bit in the shower, and it's much more pleasant. To my nose, I could initially detect a thick, woody and very resinous smell, with a light dosage of floral over the top of this. It does smell a lot like sandalwood dipped in the sap of a tree and then coated with a sprinkle of jasmine.

The rose oil adds a little sweetness to the fragrance of this shower gel, and I think it's perhaps this component combined with the osmanthus that gives Goddess its resinous bite. There is definitely something very beautiful about the smell of this, but it's also a little too much to begin with, and I feel as if it loses some of its beauty because of this very fact.

Having said, once you begin to use the shower gel under the running water, each of the components becomes much lighter, and it is here that you can make that connection between the gel and the bath bomb. It is here that something a little more playful comes about in the way of the sweet side of the shower gel. Other consumers have described there being an almost 'cola-like' element to the gel and I would say that's a good representation of what I experienced as well.

Goddess Shower Gel lathers up really generously so you don't need much at all. Furthermore, the gel itself is - what I would describe as being - slightly syrup-like, so it coats the body with an almost oily foam and spreads with ease across the skin. I found that I barely needed more than a raisin-sized amount to clean my whole body with so this 250g bottle is going to last me a long time.

This limited edition left my skin feeling really smooth and moisturised and there was almost a delicate glean to my body after every use: the shower gel definitely has some wonderful nourishing properties to boast. However, I was a little disappointed to discover that I could barely smell the gel on my skin after I had towelled myself down. Given how prominent the scent is in the bottle, and how many different exquisite oils it features in its ingredients list, I would have hoped for something that stuck around on my skin and hair.

Overall, this is a wonderful shower gel from Lush and I am truly glad that the company chose it as one of their limited editions. I can really see why this would not be made into a regular product, as I do believe it isn't a fragrance that many would want to shower with all of the time. However, this is perhaps my favourite rendition of the scent and there's just something really beautiful about it that gives my showers a little more oomph!

Quantitative Ingredients: White Tea Infusion, Glycerine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Rose Water, Lauryl Betaine, Titanium Dioxide, Perfume, Lactic Acid, Jasmine Absolute, Osmanthus Absolute, Rose Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Oudh Oil, Carrageenan Extract, Tincture of Benzoin, Xanthan Gum, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 77007, Colour 17200, Colour 42090:2.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £15 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Strawberries & Clean Toothpaste Jelly

It is my belief that adults are simply children in bigger bodies, carrying around many more responsibilities and merely pretending we have a clue about what's going on in the world. I don't for one second think that any of us truly 'grow up, and neither do I believe that many of us really want to anyway. So products such as this latest toothpaste jelly will always appeal to the children inside of us, and Lush know this only too well.

One of ten brand new innovative toothpaste jellies that Lush have recently created, Strawberries & Clean is for those with a super sweet tooth. If, like myself, you're fairly well versed in the impressive array of different flavours featured in Lush's oral range, you'll find the transition into using this one fairly straight forward. However, if you're someone who has been instilled with the idea that a tooth paste needs to be mint-flavoured, you may find using this one a bit of a shock. 

What I first loved about Strawberries & Clean is that this is one of only two translucent variations, and seems to be the only toothpaste jelly that features a little lustre in the product design. With its playful shade of red, this toothpaste jelly really replicates that of a gummy sweet, which only makes the experience even yummier in your mouth. Please don't be put off by the lustre however, there won't be any evidence left of this inside of your mouth afterwards.

Containing vanilla, lime, jasmine and rosewood oils, this jelly has a bright, fruity and very playful fragrance. The inclusion of the strawberry extract is, alongside the lime oil, definitely the key note to both the smell and taste of this product. The jasmine absolute sits very mildly at the back of the smell, and along with the vanilla, simply pads out the aroma a little more. 

In fact, without trying to diminish how much I enjoyed using this product, I will say that Strawberries & Clean has a very boring, generic smell. Given the unique fragrances that Lush are known for, the smell of this jelly pales in comparison, and to be fair it wouldn't be seen as strange to find similar smells within other brand's products. Having said all of that, this product is primarily a toothpaste and so isn't looking to win any awards for the complexity of its scent.

As soon as I began to brush, I was able to recognise the sweet and fruity strawberry taste within my mouth and around my teeth, although it wasn't particularly strong at the start or finish of my experience, and as I mentioned above, it was rather a simplistic taste. When in my mouth, this toothpaste jelly reminded me very much of the limited edition strawberry Wrigley's chewing gum that came out in the UK last year, for anybody that may have tried it themselves and can recognise the comparison.

The idea with all of these new tooth jellies is that you simply scoop your toothbrush across the top of the surface of the product and a small amount (or however much you wish to use) will rub off onto the bristles, and this is what you use to brush your teeth with. With all ten of these new jellies, I found that it was very easy to apply only the smallest of amount to my brush: I barely dented the surface at all to begin with, so these little 60g pots will last you a very long time. In fact, I would even say that they may outlast that of a regular-sized 200g tube of toothpaste.

Once I began brushing, I found that it 'lathered up' exactly like a regular toothpaste and at no point did I feel or experience any jelly pieces still in my mouth. The product dissolved very quickly and then worked exactly as you would hope a tooth paste would do so. Furthermore, I was able to spit the paste out multiple times and never once ran out of foam on my toothbrush. These jellies are super generous when it comes to how much foam they produce in your mouth, despite how little product you need to use. Whereas I would normally use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, I was able to use a piece the size of a grain of rice and yet heed the same results.

What I would say is that as the product is self preserving, it's important to keep your toothbrush fairly dry when you run it across the product. Adding moisture of any kind to these naked cosmetics could reduce the shelf life of the jelly and may open up the possibility of bacteria multiplying over time. For this reason, it's also essential that the lid is left on so as not to attract any unwanted germs. Given that I can imagine one of these pots lasting me a good 3-4 months as a minimum, I certainly wouldn't want the paste exposed to any bacteria, if I can help it.

Once I had finished brushing my teeth, I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to detect much more than just a mild taste of Strawberries & Clean. This is definitely a toothpaste for those who plan to eat pretty soon afterwards, as the smell and taste of this one doesn't last particularly long in your mouth. Having said that, my teeth did feel squeaky clean (which I think was thanks to the inclusion of the lime oil) and there was no trace of any food smells afterwards as well.

As I will say in all of my toothpaste jelly reviews, it was nice not to have to worry about any annoying lumps that some of Lush's toothy tabs can leave in your mouth during brushing. This little gem simply dissolved as soon as I started brushing and there wasn't any wastage from bits getting stuck in my teeth or falling out when I spat into the sink.

As with most of Lush's new toothpaste jellies, this one contains many key ingredients to actually help this product to act like a toothpaste. Hydrated silica works well as a whitening and teeth cleaning agent: helping to remove the stains from the surface of your teeth without damaging the enamel. Then there is xylitol, which is a natural sweetener that doesn't contain any fructose, so will help to protect your teeth from damage, and will hopefully help to reduce your risk of cavities over time.

While probably one of my least favourite variations of toothpaste jelly, this is for those who want to feel rebellious brushing their teeth with 'sweets', and for those who want a lighter, less potent tasting toothpaste. Strawberries & Clean definitely appealed to the children in me and I will continue to use this tub until it has been finished. However, there are many more interesting and also stronger variations that I would ultimately choose over using this one.

Quantitative Ingredients: Vanilla Pod Infusion (Vanilla planifolia), Sorbitol, Glycerine, Silica, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Xylitol, Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Strawberry Extract (Fragaria ananassa), Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana), Agar Agar (Gelidium cartilagineum), Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Menthol Crystals (Menthol), Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Flavour, Colour 77491, Colour 45430:1.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2019 Price: £ each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Goddess Hair Moisturiser

This year has certainly been the year of the Goddess and what a wonderfully empowering message that has been to hear. While in no way one of my favourite fragrances, I am extremely delighted that a smell so strong and complex as this one is getting as much love and appreciation as it has been doing.

Featuring an array of powerful ingredients, this hair moisturiser is no less intriguing or any less beautiful than the other products with the very same aroma. Sandalwood and Oudh oils work to create a very heavy, resinous smell that overall governs the most part of this, while the heady jasmine adds its own layer of sweet, intoxicating floral notes alongside the other components. As I have said in my review of the liquid perfume, this is not a smell to be messed with: it's heavy and alluring, and strong enough to represent the name it's been given. 

What I will say is that Goddess Hair Moisturiser does seem to be a little tamer than the perfume and soap, in that the scent is perhaps not as potent as you may expect it to be. Given how strong the fragrance is known for being in other formats, I assumed that once applied, this moisturiser would act as a hair perfume as well. However, I found that this Liverpool exclusive doesn't want to stick around long after application, so this may disappoint a few people to hear this. Having said that, this limited edition certainly offers an abundance of other positive properties to make this well worth the £14 you'll pay for the tub.

To use this product, it's very important to note that you should never apply this to dry hair. Having tried it out for myself, out of curiosity, I found that my hair became very sticky before hardening a short while later, leaving it feeling matted and dry and disgusting for the rest of the day.

After completing your usual routine in the shower, simply towel dry your locks and then apply a small amount into the lengths and ends of your hair. While it may not initially feel as if the product goes far, you'll discover just how well it works once your hair is fully dried, so try not to overindulge by adding too much product as it will just be wasted. As it's so thick, a small amount goes a long way, so tread carefully...

As soon as my hair was fully dried, I wouldn't believe how shiny, manageable and ultimately hydrated my locks felt. The inclusion of the coconut oil just added so much vibrancy, whilst the jojoba served to make my hair look and feel super nourished. After running through my hair multiple times, I couldn't believe how much this product had transformed my hair in just a matter of minutes. While not a permanent solution by any means, Goddess definitely offers you a quick fix to beautifully smooth and stronger hair, and I have been using it religiously ever since.

Despite the hefty price tag, I have found myself using this product in such small amounts that my 100g tub has lasted me almost a month with daily use. While I foresee myself finishing this product within the next couple of weeks, I still think an average of £7 a month for a product that works so well is great value for money. As many people would only use this once or twice a week, your 100g tub would probably last much longer.

My only qualms with Goddess Hair Moisturiser is that the fragrance is too weak to hold itself on my locks after application, which would have made this an all-round perfect product if it was able to do so. Given how strong other versions of this scent are, I thought that would have been a given, but I was sorely wrong.

Quantitative Ingredients: Oat Milk, Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Fair Trade Olive Oil, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100, Stearate Cetearyl, Alcohol, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Organic Jojoba Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Osmanthus Absolute, Rose Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Oudh Oil, Cupuaçu Butter, Candelilla Wax, Avocado Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Eugenol, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £14 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Cilla The Caterpillar Bath Bomb

With the amount of new Lush items that have made themselves available over this past year, it's becoming incredibly difficult to keep up with all of the releases, especially when items appear unannounced and are sold out in a matter of days. Luckily, I was able to grab one of these limited edition bath bombs, however I know that many fans missed out on these beauties. 

First appearing in the Liverpool store, Cilla The Caterpillar Bath Bomb was originally designed for consumers booking parties within the store itself. Alongside a few other products, this wonderful bath bomb is only available for those who invest quite a lot into celebrating their birthday in style. However, Lush was kind enough to release a limited run online, and I was lucky enough to grab one before they disappeared. 

Priced up at £7.95, this is an investment that many consumers will want to evaluate before they hand over their cash, which is why I hope that my review will serve to help you make up your mind. While initially I was a little taken a-back by the seemingly extortionate price, you'll be relieved to hear that Cilla comes in two separate pieces, which means you're technically investing in two bath bombs at the same time.

What I will say is that each piece is definitely slightly smaller than your regular sized bath bombs. However, the scent, design and just how well this works in the bath makes this party exclusive definitely worth the investment, in my eyes. If it makes a reappearance on the Lush website, I myself would be happy to purchase another one. 

Sharing its scent with the Vanillary range, this gorgeous little insect boasts a strong, musky vanilla aroma: one that I have described before as being like burnt caramel with a sprinkling of floral underneath to give it more 'bounce.' This is such a warm, comforting aroma and matches the scent of the liquid perfume so well. In fact, I feel as if the smell of this bath bomb is far better and stronger than the original Vanilla Fountain Bath Bomb, which also offered the same aroma. 

While I used both of mine at the same time (for aesthetically pleasing pictures) this bath bomb can be used across two baths, both of which will provide you with a strong, robust fragrance to engage with; and both of which will offer you a silky smooth and incredibly nourishing bath water to boot.

Having said that, it's definitely worth you climbing into the bath before you drop Cilla The Caterpillar in as she tends to perform most of her show rather quickly, dissolving until she becomes a few small pieces that bob silently and fizzle away on their own accord.

Within a split second of hitting the water, green and orange foam race out from beneath her and sweep out across the surface of the water. While she stays afloat for a matter of seconds, her body soon disappears under a fluffy of coloured foam, until all that is left are her rather accusing eyes. These take a long time to dissolve and they tend to drop to the base of the bath tub after a while, which isn't a problem. 

Once the bath bomb has fully dissolved, you're left with a beautiful moss-like shade of green, which is thanks to the inclusion of the orange alongside the green itself. This shade is definitely in-keeping with the concept of a caterpillar bath bomb, and I thoroughly enjoyed the surprise as I continued to bathe my stresses away. 

What was impressive about Cilla was that the water not only radiated a sweet, warming aroma that wrapped around me like a blanket, but the water was super moisturising and left my skin feeling brand new. Furthermore, the fragrance also lingered on both my body and hair afterwards, and this was just what I needed before heading to bed.

While I don't really associate the Vanillary smell with partying by any means, Cilla The Caterpillar is definitely worth trying out at least once, and I just know that kids will love using this one themselves. Soothing and beautiful in every way possible, this is definitely one of my favourite bath bomb releases of the year.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Jasmine Absolute, Tonka Absolute, Vanilla Absolute, Cream of Tartar, Water (Aqua), Chlorophyllin, Sodium Coco Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coumarin, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Perfume, Colour 15510, Colour 19140:1, Colour 47005, Colour 47005:1, Colour 42090:2, Candy Eye.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £7.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

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