D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap (Egg Free Vegan Version)

Back when I first began buying and collecting Lush, there was a shaving product called Shave The Planet, which was one of my favourite products to buy from the 'retro range', as it was called back then. Just like my much-loved 9 To 5 Facial Cleanser, there was never a day when I didn't use this to give myself the closest shave possible. However, the one big issue I had with this shaving foam was that I always struggled to get the remnants out of my razor between shaving. The product was rather on the thick side and I broke many a blade trying to tap the excess gunk out of the razor.

Fast forward to 2019 and Lush announce that many of their products were now being replaced with egg-free versions instead. Although there were many consumers unhappy with this decision, I found myself suddenly able to buy one of the products that I'd always wanted to try, but hadn't been able to up until that particular moment.

D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap is very unique in that it's the only one of its kind in stores across the globe. Sharing its scent with my favourite fragrance, Yummy Mummy, this pastel pink liquid soap is designed to be used by anybody and everybody, and across any areas of the body that you wish to remove unwanted hair.

While I won't be able to document any experience with shaving beards or moustaches, I can safely say that this wonderful soap is perfect for getting the smoothest, softest legs, armpits and bikini lines. Not only does it make shaving far easier and more effective, but the beautiful fragrance lingers on the skin afterwards as well. 

Quite an odd consistency, you only really need about a grape-sized amount of each leg, and the same again for both the bikini line and the armpits. Make sure the areas of you wish to shave have been softened under the bath water for a few minutes, or exposed to the heat of the running shower water, and then massage the soap across the areas you wish to shave.

D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap will doesn't lather up like a regular soap: instead producing a lather that is slightly soapy but also a little creamy as well. It's hard to explain but this product definitely has a consistency that is different from most gels, creams and soaps, but is equally not that far away from these either. 

Once applied, simply shave as you normally would and then rinse the product away once you have finished. Although not particularly moisturising, this shaving soap does leave the skin feeling really clean and smooth: you can definitely feel the difference it makes, as opposed to if you were to shave without using anything. However, it's hard to explain how that feels unless you try it out for yourself.

As I've only been shaving for twenty years, I still struggle from time to time with catching areas around my knees and ankles with the sharp blade. D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap has all but eradicated this issue for me, and I can safely say that I haven't accidentally made myself a blood donor during any of my showers since buying this product.   

This has definitely become a staple in my household, and I will continue to use this most days to create a clean and close shave. Furthermore, my skin remains really soft and smooth for most of the day after using this in the shower, and I don't always need to shave again the next day, as the results last longer than when using a gel or regular soap to shave with.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil, Golden Syrup, Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Rose Hip Oil, Fresh Strawberries, Aquafaba, Organic Maple Sugar, Vanilla Absolute, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Rose Absolute, Silken Tofu, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Bentone gel, Propylene Glycol, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, *Eugenol, Hexyl Cinnamal, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 16035, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £6.95 for 70g, £12.95 for 150g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Five O'Clock Whistle Shaving Smoothie

When my flatmates saw the products that were being released from the Kitchen last week, their responses were along the lines of - 'well at least you'll save your money, what use do you have with a beard wash, shaving cream and moustache wax?'. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way in my world. As a wise woman once said, 'I'll damn well grow a beard if it means I am able to use these products'...

While that last quote might have actually come from my own mouth, the ideal still remains. With Lush products being so multifaceted, there is always more ways than one to use a single item; the fun comes in discovering the versatility of each and every product.

Five O'Clock Whistle is a shaving smoothie - the first of it's kind to be released from Lush. While it is predominantly designed to aid men in trimming and removing their facial hair, I didn't see any harm in using it to banish my leg hair either.

This smoothie is packed with multiple ingredients - all especially included to give you the smoothest, most enjoyable shave of your life. With jojoba, rapeseed and coconut oil to help moisturise and nourish, extra virgin olive oil to condition and strengthen the skin and kaolin clay to cleanse and absorb excess oils, this sounds like the perfect product. 

As well as the above ingredients, this shaving companion also contains a coffee and lavender infusion, which despite being the predominant ingredient, doesn't offer much in the way of scent. It is the inclusion of both fresh lime juice and lime oil that gives this product it's dominating smell. To me, this shaving smoothie smells like a good quality chocolate lime - a strong, zesty citrus aroma that awakens your senses and makes your skin tingle. The coffee and lavender do add a very subtle note in the overall scent, but it's not enough to write home about. 

Original Kitchen Batch

To use, simply scoop out a handful and massage it across the area you want to shave. I found that I needed a little more than a teaspoon worth for each leg and my male 'testee' needed about the same for his face. Much like most of Lush's other smoothies, this one doesn't produce a very soapy lather but it does create an oily substance that coats your legs nicely.

Five O'Clock Whistle wasn't as effective as Shave The Planet in the fact that I didn't feel as if my legs were taut enough to avoid cutting myself. While it was more effective than regular shower gel or soap, I didn't feel as protected as I normally would with this sort of product. Having said that, my male counterpart commented on how it tightened his facial skin much like a normal shaving gel would do. He was able to shave as per usual and didn't inflict any injuries on himself. 

The shaving smoothie did leave my legs and my flatmate's face feeling squeaky clean, and I was impressed at how the gorgeous lime smell permeated our skin and remained with us for a long time afterwards. However, Five O'Clock Whistle was a little drying on the skin and I felt that my legs weren't as smooth or as soft as other shaving creams have made them. My flatmate experienced the same after shaving his beard and had to moisturise afterwards as his face felt a little on the dry side. 

Overall, I am really happy that there is going to be a permanent shaving smoothie for vegans, as there is next to nothing on the Lush site that can offer the same soft of protection. Furthermore, this smoothie smells delicious and is the perfect accompaniment in those early mornings when you need something vibrant and uplifting to wake you up. However, it isn't the most moisturising product and you'll probably need to use a body lotion afterwards to replace some of the skin's oils that may have been removed. It's definitely a step in the right direction but it's not quite good enough to join my regular 'must haves'. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Coffee and Lavender Infusion, Organic Jojoba Oil, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Water (Aqua), Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Glycerine, Perfume, Fresh Lime Juice, Kaolin, Lime Oil, Aloe Vera Extract, Carrageenan Extract, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £7.95 for 100g, £15.95 for 250g. 

June 2013 Inventory - Lotions

This is the second part of my inventory, detailing all of the Lush products that I currently own. 

If you are interested in receiving a free sample of any of the products I showcase, please get in touch. I cannot promise I can cater for everyone, as there are a couple of products I would not be willing to share, but most items I would be happy to send out a trial. It doesn't cost to ask!

Hand, feet, face and full body Lotions;

Current Stash:

9 to 5

Almond Kisses

American Cream

Celestial

The Comforter

Creamed Almond and Coconut Smoothie

Creamy Candy Lotion

Dream Cream

Ginger Lotion

Glitter Bug

Karma Kream

Pied De Pepper

Potion

Ro-Argan Body Conditioner

Shave The Planet

Skin Drink

Skinny Dip

Starcraft

Sympathy For the Skin

Tiny Hands Solid Hand Cream

Turkish Delight

Vanilla Dee-Lite

Shave The Planet Shaving Cream

What Lush say about Shave the Planet: 'Scritch, scratch, scrape; every morning we attack our skin with sharp bits of metal – no wonder it gets red and sore! Most standard shaving creams might help your razor move more smoothly but do nothing to protect your poor skin from the traumas of the daily shave. Luckily, the Lush inventors have come up with some beautiful shaving creams that work in a different way; protecting against the scratchiness, softening stubborn bristles and moisturising the skin.'

In all honesty, looking at the way this product has been marketed, I'm guessing it's aimed more at the daily shaving routine of a man's, as oppose to a woman's. However, I know that Lush are not a company that would produce a product solely for one purpose. So I felt like I had to give it a go.

Despite shaving my legs for near on 12 years now (wow!), I still manage to scratch, scrape and slice my legs to pieces most times I put a razor near my skin. I've tried almost every style of shaving possible to improve the complexion of my legs, but to no avail. Whether I soak my legs in the bath first, dry shave them, use the razor gently or more rigorously, I still manage to cut my legs to pieces.

Shave the Planet is a shaving cream packed with many different ingredients, all aimed at helping you to have a sensuous, painless shave (I feel like I'm recreating a Gillette advert now!). Lush have added soothing bamboo infusion, antioxidant acai juice, organic wheat germ oil and vitamin rich pumpkin seed oil, all to help create a smooth, calm shave. This product may not have the most alluring of smells, but it definitely does it's job.

I tend to soak my legs in the bath for a while, and when I'm feeling ready, scoop out a small amount of STP and smother it all over my legs. I probably use about a level dessertspoon for each leg, so a large 225g pot normally lasts me about 4-6 weeks. Almost instantly, your skin feels taut and this makes it rather difficult to cut yourself. In fact, since I began using this cream a few months ago, I have not had a single shaving incident to date. 

What I love about this lotion is that it makes your skin feel instantly hydrated and silky, so would make the perfect accompaniment for anyone wanting to spruce up before a night out. It also leaves very little scent on your skin afterwards, so you are able to use your own choice of lotions and creams without the worry of scents clashing.

However, Shave The Planet is a rather thick lotion, and I found that it tends to clog up your razor while you're shaving. Between each sluice, I have to shake it quite vigorously under the water, or bang the razor on the side of the bath to remove the hairs. 

I also find that if you leave your hair growth too long, Shave The Planet doesn't work as well; It definitely does not like longer, more softer follicles of hair. So although it does its job very well, it does need to be used under the right conditions. 

It is a very gentle shaving cream, and one that leave your skin feeling fresh and clean. It doesn't leave any bumps or rashes after use, and for this reason, it will remain one of my Lush staples for a long time to come. It would be nice however, if Lush could come up with a vegan lotion that works better with longer hairs, and one that doesn't leave me unclogging my razor after every swish.

Quantitative Ingredients: Bamboo Stem Infusion, Shea Butter, Goji Berry Decoction, Glycerine, Water, Stearic Acid, Organic Acai Juice, Triethanolamine, Fresh Sugar Cane Juice, Lavender Oil, Fennel Oil, Rose Absolute, Cold Pressed Rosehip Oil, Organic Cold Pressed Wheatgerm Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Cupuacu Butter, Candelilla Wax, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Salicylate, Isoeugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

2017 Price: £10.50 for 225g

Year Of Original Release: ?