Bewitched Massage Bar

When I first began collecting Lush products, I remember browsing the website and looking at all of the different massage bars available at the time. Unfortunately, despite their amazing properties, most of them weren't very interesting to look at, and I remember thinking that a good handful of them looked almost identical, which begged the questions: exactly which one should I go for? Bewitched and Hottie were two such bars that looked a little less than appealing - like a bar of chocolate that had gone horribly wrong and come out in boils. Yuck!

However, once I had tried out my first few bars, I realised that what they looked like really didn't matter at all (isn't that a lesson I should have learned ten times over with Lush by now?), and that Lush nearly always create something a certain way for a specific reason.

Bewitched is a bar that stands out from most of the other massage bars that Lush have produced, past and present. When you think of massage bars, your mind conjures up images of a relaxing experience - one that will perhaps inspire the best sleep of your life, or at least entice you to head in that direction with its calming, herbal properties. Bewitched however, is very different in the fact that it has been designed to be uplifting and is actually supposed to help you stay awake. As a chronic insomniac, I suffer from some of the most mentally painful mornings imaginable, and this massage bar has proven itself to me time and time again.

Much like all of Lush's other massage bars, this one has a ton of wonderful ingredients to give your skin a feast; cocoa butter, shea butter and coconut oil are all present to help moisturise and remove dry, scaly skin; lime oil has been added to give the bar it's overall zesty scent whilst containing key properties to clean your skin. Lush have then chosen a mixture of chamomile, violet and jojoba to add a floral undertone to the scent that will linger on the body long after your massage, ensuring the persistence of memory.

To me, this massage bar smells mostly of lime, although there is a gentle floral element that lingers at the back. The smell is rather subtle in both bar form and on your skin, so you don't have to worry too much about it's scent overpowering your perfume. However, I recognise it as being from the chamomile - which adds a calming layer that grounds the fruity elements a little, and will also keep the skin calm while it is being applied.  

Much like Hottie Massage Bar, Bewitched is made in the same way - carved to have a flattened base with lots of bobbles on top. It wasn't until I began using it that I realised this design was perfect to massage the oils into your skin, helping to loosen tense muscles and banish aches and pains. 

I tend to apply the flat side across my skin first, careful not to hold the bar too long because of how quickly it melts between your hands. Once I've finished, I will then either use my fingers and hands to massage the oils across my body, or use the bobbly side to stimulate areas that are tense or aching from. It’s made with plenty of coconut oil, which gives the product such a smooth and luxurious texture as it melts on the skin, and you wont find that you have to hold the bar for too long to coat your entire body. 

As I stated, the consistency of this massage bar is spot on; it's really easy to melt between your hands, and glides over the body wonderfully. What makes it even more special is the fact that this does not leave the skin feeling sticky or greasy. Instead, the oils immediately begin the absorb into the skin, and within twenty minutes of application, you'll be able to reapply clothing without getting them greasy.

What is also great, is that, despite how quickly is melts, this bar is one of the longer lasting ones. I got a good sixteen full-body uses out of it, whereas some bars I will only only get 4-5 because of how much 'product' is needed. Bare in mind though that I use these bars as alternatives to body lotions, so I'm not using them for a prolonged amount of time, as you would do a massage. You may find that, when used as a massage bar, it actually only has a couple of uses out of it.  

The only issue I found with this product is that the bobbly surface flattens after a couple of uses, so you wont be able to target those sore areas with the bar itself after that. Instead, you'll have to revert back to using your fingers to pinpoint and massage these areas. Having said this, I really liked Bewitched, and I would like to see it back in store so that I can purchase a few more.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Lime Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Chamomile Blue Oil, Violet Leaf Absolute, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Limonene, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.50 each.  

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Flower Market Liquid Perfume

I have Lush to thank for my increasing interest in floral perfumes. Before I discovered the company, I only ever opted for sugary-sweet, rather immature smelling fragrances that had very little staying power and certainly wouldn't have suited anyone above the age of 25. Lush taught me that stronger, more defined scents are often far more beautiful. Unfortunately, there are often exceptions to that rule and Flower Market is one of them. 

Having read glowing reviews about this perfume, I was so excited to win a 40g bottle on eBay last year. Sporting an old design, I couldn't wait to get it home and spray it all over myself. However, upon trying it for the first time, I was less than impressed. Don't get me wrong - it's not a terrible smell and I can imagine that many people will love this aroma, but it's not one that appeals to my tastebuds.

As the name suggests, this smells like you've walked into an dusty hall full of fresh flower stalls and little else. It's a strong, spicy and rather complex green-flower smell. The floral aroma is a fresh one - it's not a sweet, powdery scent like Potion Lotion - it smells more like you've collected up a handful of freshly-picked flowers and arranged them inside a bottle. 

The ylang ylang immediately makes an impression - giving the perfume a sweet, refreshing and very heady floral aroma. Coupled with this is the galbanum, which sits underneath and gives off the main grassy note. The violet leaf and carnation absolute add elements of muskiness that round the fragrance off and give it a very powerful, multilayered experienced. Although there is subtle elements of spice when the perfume is freshly sprayed, it's not until it has matured on the skin for a while that you can detect a layer of cloves.                                                                                                                                                                                           On the positive side, this perfume lasts an incredible amount of time on the skin - it doesn't weaken for ages and I could still smell elements of it the day after I sprayed it on my skin. This is obviously a little unfortunate if you dislike the scent as I did. I think I took a disliking to it simply because it's rather overwhelming and too 'in your face' at the start - it's slightly more pleasant once it's settled. 

While I can see the beauty of Flower Market, and as I said earlier, fans of floral scents will no doubt love the strength, complexity and longevity of the aroma, I've come to realise that I prefer sweeter floral notes - ones that have stronger elements of violet, rose and jasmine. 

Lush haven't released anything with this scent for a good number of years now, so there is a possibility that you'll never get to try this perfume or indeed the dusting power or bubble bar that shared the scent. However, with the many beautiful floral aromas that they currently offer in their perfume collection, I don't think it's a major loss.  

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Galbanium Oil (Ferula galbaniflua), Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata), Elemi Oil (Canarium luzonicum), Carnation Absolute (Dianthus caryophyllus), Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Eugenol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family: 

Flower Market Dusting Powder

Flower Market Liquid Perfume

Monet's Garden Ballistic

Lemon Days & Ginger Beer Bath Bomb

Inspired by the wonderful world of Enid Blyton, Lemon Days & Ginger Beer Bath Bomb conjures up images of picnics on the beach and warm, lazy days basking under the sun; it's a bath bomb that invigorates and uplifts your mood before it's even had a chance to perform in the bath. It's a universal ballistic that can be used to enhance those hot summer days, or bring clarity to the weathered minds of those who have forgotten what it's like to feel the heat on their bare skin. 

Made from a combination of lemon peel, mandarin and geranium oils, this is a spicy, floral and slightly zesty offering from Lush. As the name suggests, this is a ballistic that features lemon and ginger heavily in it's scent - something that I was both intrigued and concerned by. 

Having not previously researched much about this bath bomb at all, I was disappointed to discover that it shared its scent with the Ginger range - a fact that made me slightly hesitant to try it at all. Unfortunately, I have not liked anything with this fragrance so far, so I was expecting to experience the same disappointment that I have done so with all of the other products I have tried so far. 

Initially, the fragrance I picked up from this ballistic was dominated by the ginger; I could smell next to no lemon at all when the bath bomb was in the wrapper. Underneath this, I could detect a hint of floral shell, which did remove the natural spicy potency that I dislike about ginger but didn't mask it completely. Together, these smells gave the bath bomb a very warm and comforting, yet strangely refreshing fragrance - one that wouldn't be out of place in spring, summer, autumn or winter. Despite this, I was still not bowled over at all - that was until I placed the ballistic in the water. 

In the bath, Lemon Days & Ginger Beer is a fast and rather noisy fizzer; bobbing across the surface whilst unleashing a fury of bright yellow streams that disperse themselves throughout the water very quickly. This is a bath bomb that doesn't take long to dissolve, and once it's fully dispersed in the tub, you're left with a rather vivid sea of sunflower-yellow water - a factor that really helps to revive your mood and refreshen your senses. 

Not only is it a beautiful summery shade of yellow, but the properties of the water itself is perhaps what makes this bath bomb really impressive. Packed full of fresh ingredients, this is a ballistic that not only uplifts your senses, but softens and cleanses your skin as well. The addition of different oils - mimosa absolute and geranium oil in particular, gives this bath bomb the power to help tone and tighten skin. 

Within seconds of climbing into the bath, I could feel just how silky-soft the water really was. There are very few ballistics that I have tried that have been this softening on my skin, let alone any that have felt so incredible to be bathing in. Lemons Days And Ginger Beer makes the water feel thicker - almost like you are bathing in liquid gold. While Lush's bath melts give the same nourishing properties as this bath bomb promises, not one of them creates water as creamy and as velvety as this product does.

Furthermore, once I was in the tub, I began to pick up the lemon scent that had been missing to begin with. Although the use of fresh ginger and ginger oil gives the bath bomb a spicy kick to stimulate and warm the skin with, the citrus elements of this product come through a lot more once it's come into contact with the hot water. This meant that I actually really like the scent when I was in the tub.

Although I was initially worried by the addition of ginger, (It gets my vote for worst-smelling herb ever) this wasn't as prominent in the mix as I was expecting. Although it was at the forefront alongside the lemon to begin with, once the bath bomb had fully dissolved the scent somewhat mellowed, and I could only detect the odd spicy remnants, which was lovely. 

The addition of so many different oils in this ballistic meant that the entire experience left my skin feeling lovely and soft. Furthermore, the scent lingered on my skin for a while after my bath, and as the day went on this smell transpired into a beautiful light scent of lemon peel. Although I wouldn't claim this to be anywhere near my favourite ballistic, it was an enjoyable experience and one I'd like to try again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Lemon Peel (Citrus limonum), Powdered Ginger (Zingiber officinalis), Perfume, Ginger Oil (Zingiber officinalis), Mimosa Absolute (Mimosa tenuiflora), Red Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Geranium Oil (Pelargonium crispum), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.75 each.
2016 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2004.

Scent Family:

Badass Gel Shower Gel
Boo Bath Melt and Bubble Bar
Ginger Bath Oil
Ginger Body Lotion
Ginger Liquid Perfume
Lemon Days And Ginger Beer Bath Bomb
Sex N The Shower Emotibomb

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Red Rooster Soap

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.

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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Lily Savon Soap

After my experience with Ghost Shower Gel and jelly - two products that possess the same scent as this soap, I wasn't overly excited about trying this item out. Don't get me wrong - this is far from the worst fragrance family that Lush have ever brought out, but it's definitely one of my least favourites. 

Lily Savon is described as having a 'haunting aroma of lilies, jasmine, ylang ylang and neroli' and these are definitely the most prominent notes on first sniff. To me, the lily head infusion is the most dominant smell - a fresh, light and unique floral aroma that will appeal to anyone looking for a vastly different floral offering than the usual Lush incarnations. The soap offers a gentle and rather feminine fragrance, one that could be described as a little 'old-fashioned' but it's definitely an acquired taste. There is a slight 'soapy' smell to this product, but this soon vanishes once it's come into contact with water.

To look at, this soap isn't the most attractive one I have come across - a pale, creamy yellow block that doesn't have any decoration on top or throughout the middle. However, what is great about it is that it's very withstanding in the water and a 100g block will last you a good two months with daily usage. Despite it's long-lasting nature, it's surprisingly soft to touch and gives way under your fingers when you press down on the surface.

One of the redeeming features of Ghost Shower Gel is the inclusion of joboba oil, which is why it conditions the skin so well. As I didn't see this ingredient in the soap, I was worried that Lily Savon wouldn't be as gentle on the skin. However, Lush have included an array of products that actually make this soap equally, if not better for your skin than the jelly and gel.

The inclusion of jasmine absolute gives a very strong but equally calming fragrance and helps to tone and strengthen your skin; the neroli oil calms sensitivity while the lily head infusion moisturises and nourishes; the ylang ylang oil helps to remove unwanted grease and balance out the skin's natural oil secretions. Together, these ingredients make this a highly effective and wonderfully gentle soap to use. 

What is great about this soap is that it lathers up very easily in the shower, which means that you don't have to use much to clean your whole body. Lily Savon creates a gorgeous soft, fragrant foam that when lathered over your body, leaves it smooth and smelling wonderful. This soap doesn't dry the skin out at all and I was impressed when my hands didn't feel taut after rubbing this between my palms. Furthermore, the soap also leaves it's scent lingering on your skin for hours after use, and this helps you to feel and smell clean for the most part of the day.

I would go as far as to say that Lily Savon Soap has altered my opinion of this scent and has opened up my mind to try other same-scented cosmetics. While it's still not anywhere near at the top of my list of favourites, I can still appreciate the fact that it's a highly effective soap, and one that smells rather lovely to boot. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water (Aqua), Lily Head Infusion (Lilium candidum), Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Neroli Oil (Citrus amara), Sodium Chloride, Glycerine, EDTA, Tetrasodium Editronate, Limonene, Linalool , Hydroxycitronellal, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Colour 18050, Red and Golden Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate).

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £4.25 per 100g.

2016 Price: £5.00 per 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2007.

Scent Family:

Ghost Shower Gel
Ghost Shower Jelly
Lily Savon Liquid Perfume
Lily Savon Soap
Moon On A Stick Bath Bomb

Ego Massage Bar

I have been eyeing up this particular massage bar for quite a while now. A part of me wanted to rip open the plastic wrapper and slather it all over my body, while a part of me has refrained from doing so because I know it's no longer available on the site. I hate discovering new favourite products when they've already been discontinued. 

Ego Massage Bar is one of Lush's oldest massage bars and first made an appearance some fifteen years ago. Designed to boost the self esteem of someone who needs their ego stroked, this product is packed with essential oils and butters to soften, moisturise and nourish the skin as well as the mind. 

To use the massage bar, you can do one of two things. I tend to warm my hands up a little before carefully rubbing the bar all over my body. Once I've smeared enough on my skin, I then use my hands to massage it all over evenly. You can also use the warmth of your hands to melt the massage bar somewhat, before using this to smother it all over your skin like you would a normal lotion. 

To make this bar different from the many that Lush offer, this one contains lavender, tarragon and rosemary oils which give this massage bar a wonderful herbal fragrance. Whereas at first, I was a little worried that these ingredients would be too overpowering, I was surprised and relieved to find that they are very subtle in the overall aroma of Ego. 

The lavender oil is definitely the more dominant ingredient here, although it only adds a subtle note to the bar; the tarragon and rosemary add a very gentle but equally gorgeous scent. Together, this bar gives off a calming, sensual herbal aroma that works wonderfully on your skin without being too potent on the senses. This is a bar you would use if you want a deep moisturise without being left smelling like a forest. 

What is great about Ego is that it's rather a large massage bar, so if you love the scent and the way it works on your skin, you'll get a lot more uses out of it than a regular bar. It's rather plain to look at - with it's name etched into the surface. However, I am always more interested in how it works with my skin as opposed to it's design. In fact, it is often the more elaborate-looking bars that are less effective on the skin - so the simpler the better, I say. 

Unfortunately, like a lot of Lush's massage bars, this one is a little stubborn at releasing it's oils and I have to make sure my hands are heated as much as they can before I begin to use this product. Once on the skin, this massage bar produces oils that do take a bit of time to absorb into the body, so this is not a product you would use if you're short for time.

Ego is definitely a bar to use for an intensive moisturising experience, not as an everyday moisturiser. I say this because it takes a good 10-20 minutes for the oils to penetrate the skin and leave you feeling smooth, and when I used this for a few days running, I found that my skin became a little oily and felt 'heavy'.

Despite this, this massage bar is very gentle on the skin and like most of the other bars, helped me to unwind before bed. The gentle lavender fragrance really helped me to relax, while the motion of applying this to my body released any tension I had in my muscles and coaxed me into a deep sleep.

This is definitely one I would invest in again and I hope that Lush chose to bring it back soon.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Lavender Oil, Tarragon oil, Rosemary Oil, Geranium, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: 

Scent Family:

Ego Massage Bar

Ooh La La Soap

Year Of Original Release: 1998.

Whoosh Temple Balm

When I saw that Lush had released this as part of one of their retro releases back in 2013, I was instantly intrigued. I've always loved the Whoosh scent but due to the shower jelly not being vegan-friendly, I've only ever been able to appreciate it from a distance. At first, I suspected that this product would also contain a non-vegan ingredient, and because Lush didn't mark this as vegan, I figured my theory was correct. 

However, after having trouble figuring out why it wasn't vegan, and having researched near enough every ingredient and coming up blank, I took a risk and ordered myself a tub. I cannot tell you how pleased I was to discover that it was marked as vegan on the tin, and that Lush had just forgotten to label this correctly on their site.

Whoosh Temple Balm wasn't always vegan - in fact, it was the retro release that I got mine from that saw the change of ingredients and the removal of the honey water that had made it unsuitable beforehand. Made from an impressive array of different oils and waxes, this product shares the same consistency as one of Lush's more greasier lip balms. However, this balm is not to be used on the lips.  

For those unfamiliar with the term ' temple balm', you might be interested to know that Lush have released a small array of different ones over the years; all with different scents, but all designed to carry out a particular job. By massaging the oils into your pulse points (temples, neck and wrists), these balms are supposed to stimulate and revive your tired body and keep you going for longer. These areas are highlighted in particular because when the oils are absorbed into the skin, they reach your blood circulation quicker and get to work on waking you up. 

This temple balm is probably the nicest smelling one I have tried - giving off a fragrance that reminds me of Refresher chews and limeade. Whoosh has a wonderfully uplifting and bright citrusy smell that sits on your skin for a good half an hour and acts as a perfume as much as anything else. Although I couldn't detect any other ingredients in the aroma, this balm also contains both geranium and rosemary - two ingredients that are supposed to refresh and invigorate the senses whilst also helping you to stay calm and focussed.

I'm going to be honest when I say that I couldn't detect much of a change with regards to my mood or energy levels after I had applied this product. I did feel a little happier within myself, but I put that down to enjoying the fragrance and not because I felt more physically or mentally revived.

Despite this, I did find the product very refreshing and it did awaken my senses for this reason. I have also experimented and applied this to various areas of my head if I'm suffering from a headache, and I have noticed that it helps to calm the pulsating pain a little bit at times.

Overall, I cannot say it's a miracle worker but it definitely does affect you in some way. It's a handy product to carry around with you if you want an uplifting boost throughout the day, or if you just want to smother it under your nose so you can enjoy the smell. It's not a product I will run out and purchase again, but I will enjoy my tub whilst it lasts. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, Candelilla Wax, Grapefruit Oil, Rosemary Oil, Geranium Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £5.95 each.

2016 Price: £6.25 each.

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Scent Family:

Whoosh Shower Jelly 

Whoosh Temple Balm

Queen Of Hearts Facial Soap

The Queen of Hearts is one of the most infamous fictional characters of our time - an impatient tyrant who rules the Wonderland with a heavy hand and has a particular interest in beheading anyone who she disagrees with. How this well-known figure relates to a cosmetic, I'm not sure, but I cannot deny that this is a great name for a soap.

Queen Of Hearts was a soap that first made its appearance almost 15 years ago  - a soft, creamy soap designed specifically for those with sensitive or easily irritated skin. With almond oil and cocoa butter to moisturise, and a combination of rose infusion and rose absolute to give it its beautiful scent, this soap boasts multiple super powers. Furthermore, alongside the inclusion of glycerine, this product shouldn't dry out your skin - in theory.

To look at, this soap is rather plain - a shade of caramel-brown with strips of white glycerine throughout the middle. On all sides of this soap, I noticed that there seems to be a thin, hardened layer that makes the soap look like it has dried out. However, if you skim this away, you'll see that it's shiny and moist inside. Whether this outer shell was formed because it's dried out over the last few months or whether it's part of the design, I'm not too sure, but it doesn't make it look very appealing at all. 

Combining rose, violet and geranium has worked well for this soap - the scent almost mimics that of what fresh roses smell like. It gives off a wonderfully natural, fresh flower fragrance, with just a subtle powdery element that helps to keep the fragrance on your skin for many hours after you have used it. It's not a sweet rose scent like Lush's Rose Jam collection, it's more like the latest incarnation of Charity Pot, but stronger and slightly musky. 

What I didn't realise about this soap before I started using it, was that it was designed as more of a facial soap, although it can be used across your entire body if you choose. Much like other complexion soaps that I have used in the past, this one produces less of a fluffy, soapy lather and more of a thick, slightly oily sun. This can either be generated between the palms of your hand and then applied that way, or gently rubbed across the surface of your face and then massaged with your fingers.

In it's favour, a 250g piece of Queen of Hearts lasted me almost six months, which is rather impressive. For those that love this soap, it's definitely one of the longer lasting one and works out great value for money because of this. What surprised me most of all was that I found it to be incredibly moisturising on my face. As someone who has quite a dry complexion, I was amazed to find that my skin felt radiant and smooth after the initial use, and this soap was able to maintain this for the whole time I was using the product.

On average, I used Queen Of Hearts about three to four times a week, and found that my skin retained a glow to it that I didn't have before. I found that my chin broke out in spots less than I was used to, no doubt because of the fact that my pores were far cleaner and clearer than before. Furthermore, I also found that the condition of my hands improved as they were exposed to this soap as well.

While you could use this across your whole body and no doubt get amazing results, I was hesitant to do this, simply because I was worried that I would use up my single piece far quicker than I wanted to. This soap definitely captivated my heart and would be one I buy again, if it was to make an appearance in the Lush Kitchen.

Quantitative Ingredients: Rose Infusion (Rosa centifolia), Vegetable Soap, Glycerine, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Perfume, Geranium Oil, Rose Absolute, Violet Leaf Absolute, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol (wax), Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.75 for 100g.