As someone who likes to document the change in Lush products and their ingredients, I'm always intrigued when the company bring out a product in both a naked and a liquid version. Each and every time that they do, I'm able to see clear differences between the formats, which then help me to understand what the key components in cosmetics are able to do.
When it came to American Pie Body Conditioner and its naked counterpart, I noticed some distinct differences between the two right away. Whereas this liquid version uses shea, cupuacu and murumuru butters to create the base ingredients, and feature the orange and strawberry infusion first, the naked version instead features cocoa butter as the main component, which definitely explains the few differences that I noticed between the two products.
American Pie Body Conditioner is a brand new release for the Valentines Day range this year, and follows on from the trend of all of the American Cream scented items that has appeared over the last twelve months. If you're a fan of this fragrance family, you'll be pleased to know that both formats replicate the aroma well, with only mild discrepancies - which I shall document below.
I'll be honest and say that initially I was rather underwhelmed when I opened the tub of this conditioner and gave it a sniff. Although the American Cream scent is by default quite a mild, gentle smell, I could barely smell the product at all to begin with, and it took until I began using it in the shower for me to adjust my understanding, and appreciate the subtleties a little more.
Don't get me wrong: this is still a very gentle fragrance, and I would even go as far as to say that it is a little weaker than the original hair conditioner. So if you're looking for something that's going to awaken your senses with its potency, you will definitely need to look elsewhere. However, there is beauty to be found in the gentlest of things.
To my nose, I can make out a very faint of note of floral strawberry, with a delicate warming undercurrent of vanilla. During use, the fragrance doesn't get any stronger under the heat of the water. However, both the clary sage and the lavender oils come forward a little bit and offer a delicate herbal aroma.
When compared to the likes of Marshmallow World Bath Bomb, the liquid perfume, and my favourite, I AM 10 Bubble Bar, the strength of this pales quiet a lot. This body conditioner is not going to win any awards for the strength of its aroma. However, it definitely works effectively in many other ways.
For those who haven't used a body conditioner before, the idea is that you clean yourself in the shower and then spread a little of this across your skin before towelling yourself down. This works in much the same way as a body lotion, except that your pores are still open from the heat of the water so a body conditioner can be absorbed a little quicker, and should usually heed more intensive results.
On my skin, American Pie Body Conditioner was really effective at moisturising and nourishing my skin immediately. I could see the beads of water running away from the skin I had applied it to, and there was a slight gleam left across my body, which helped my skin to look and feel radiant as opposed to greasy. Compared to the naked version, this one wasn't as 'oily', and was perhaps a little gentler, so would suit those who don't want something as heavy as the naked bar.
Aside from regular use, I also used this in replacement of my body lotion once a week, and while I had to be careful not to be too generous with how much I applied to the skin, found that it absorbed into the body just like a facial oil, without any part of me left sticky or greasy afterwards. Furthermore, I also found that this could be used as a base for shaving my legs, although some of the product does tend to get stuck in the razor and you will need to tap it against something to clean it out. This product is definitely very versatile.
Overall, American Pie Body Conditioner is a lovely addition to the Valentine's Day range, and I'm sure fans will appreciate another product in this aroma. It works super effectively; you don't need an awful lot to coat your skin; and I definitely noticed that the condition of my skin improved after using this. The only point that let this beauty down is that the fragrance is definitely not nearly as strong as its proven to be in other formats.
Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Almond Oil, Fresh Orange Infusion, Fresh Strawberry Infusion, Organic Jojoba Oil, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Stearic Acid, Cupuacu Butter, Murumuru Butter, Triethanolamine, Vanilla Absolute, Clary Sage Oil, Lavender Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Perfume, Colour 17200.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £8.50 for 100g, £14.95 for 240g.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
Scent Family:
American Cream Body Lotion
American Cream Conditioner
American Cream Liquid Perfume
American Cream Shower Gel
American Cream Solid Perfume
American Cream Naked Shower Gel
American Pie Body Conditioner
American Pie Naked Body Conditioner
American Pie Shower Jelly
Flosty Gritter Bubble Bar
I Am 10 Bubble Bar
Marshmallow World Bath Bomb
Twinkle Bath Ballistic
With the release of the million body lotions not to long ago in the Lush Kitchen, I'm sure that most Lush fans have more than stocked up on their skin care, which is why this little fella might have been lost a little in the stampede to purchase those exclusives. Even I completely forgot about its existence until very recently, and now I only wish I had discovered it sooner.
Holly Berry is a brand new massage bar in the Christmas range this year. While it's minutely smaller than your average regular bar, it's definitely worth an investment, if only for the fragrance alone.
Containing bergamot, buchu and tangerine oils, this limited edition produces a wonderfully sweet and super fruity aroma. To my nose this smells like a glass of fresh tangerine and mango smoothie, blended up together and made into a solid bar. You get the citrus element of the tangerine but the mango softens this a little and adds its own syrupy goodness. It's very bright and beautiful, yet I would also describe the aroma as being very wholesome as well.
What was interesting about Holly Berry was the fact that there was an element of blackcurrant in the aroma as well, which comes from the inclusion of the buchu oil. However, I didn't really notice it all that much until I had massaged the bar across my body, and then these sweet currant notes came forth with the warmth of my skin.
This massage bar glides with ease over the body and leaves a thin, greasy blend of oils to be absorbed into the skin. You don't need to apply much pressure to Holly Berry as it's a very generous bar, melting with ease with the warmth of your skin. In fact, I would be wary of holding this for too long as it does tend to melt instantaneously, and you'll end up with too much oil to contend with. Once you've run this bar across the areas you want moisturising, you can spread the oils and allow them to absorb into the skin. I found that this particular massage bar didn't stay on the skin for too long, and I was able to put my clothes back under ten minutes after initial application.
Yet, despite the speed in which this massage bar seemingly disappeared from my skin, I was left was beautifully soft skin that had a slight radiance to it as well. While I didn't feel as if this massage bar was as intensive as other variations, I did enjoy the light touch in which is worked across my whole body.
My only issue with this bar was the fact that the fragrance wasn't as strong as it could have been. This is not the sort of product that you'll be able to smell when walking into a room, or one that you can make out until you hold the thing against your nose. On my skin, the fragrance also faded rather quickly, and I found myself reusing it a couple of hours later, just to get a hit of the scent.
Lush would do well to release this scent in other formats. While nowhere original or unique, there is something about this combination that I enjoyed very much. As I mentioned above, this is a massage bar suited for those who want a light moisturise as opposed to a heavy, greasy experience. Strangely enough, I would say the scent and productivity of this bar would be more suited for the warmer months of the year, but I still appreciated this a lot as a quick 'pick me up.'
While not a massage bar I would shout from the roof tops about, I really enjoyed using this one and will continue to do so for another couple of months before Holly Berry melts away to nothing. A lovely little present for your partner, if you want to offer them the promise of a massage, and an equally good replacement for a body lotion as well.
Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Illipe Butter, Murumuru Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Mango Butter, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Buchu Oil, Tangerine Oil, Cornflour, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Geraniol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, Chlorophyllin, Colour 47005:1, Colour 42090:2.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £7.95 for each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
When all three of Lush’s new Naked sugar scrubs arrived in the post, I didn’t really know which one to use first. The designs of all three are simply beautiful to look at, and I had to debate over which one I was going to deface first. Given how pretty this one was - in both colour and fragrance - It wasn’t too much of a difficult choice.
Sporting a fragrance almost identical to the that of The Comforter range, Sugar Plum Fairy Naked Lip Scrub has a beautiful, sweet berry scent that’ll have you salivating during application, and may even spur you into wanting to nibble it a little at the same time.
Packed with orange oil to add that fruitiness, and a heap of castor oil to buff away that pesky dry skin, Sugar Plum may not initially convince of its super powers, until you have tried it out for yourself. Alongside both of these components, all three of the seasonal naked scrubs also feature both coconut oil and jojoba oil, which not only keep your lips soft and smooth, but add a little shine that you can wear without applying all balm afterwards.
So what benefits can your reap from using a naked Lip Scrub?
Firstly, the product is much easier to use and less of a hassle to clean up afterwards. Whereas the original lip scrubs would need to be applied with the use of a finger, and you'd often cover yourself in sugar while doing so, these naked versions can be applied in seconds, without the unnecessary mess. Simply massage the block across your lips, applying as much pressure as you want, before either licking away the sugar or rinsing it away with warm water.
Secondly, you can apply more pressure when using these blocks, so you'll find that these naked scrubs are far better at scrubbing away excess skin. Furthermore, you can focus on particular areas of the lips, so if you have a particular stubborn spot, this Scrub will do wonders at removing the dried skin.
Thirdly, there is less sugar to contend with, when it comes to the naked blocks. The condensed form means that there won't be as much sugar as there once was, but it also means that you can feel how nourished your lips feel after application, and this leaves your lips soft, smooth and plump. With the original lip scrubs, I sometimes found that you'd be massaging your lips for ages, unable to see exactly which areas needed a little extra buffering. Furthermore, there is an extra generous helping of butters and oils in the ingredients list, to make this a far more moisturising experience overall.
What I really appreciated about Sugar Plum Naked Lip Scrub was that, despite its small size and 12g weight, I was able to use the tile time and time again without it shrinking all that much. Although I applied quite a bit of pressure when applying this, after a couple of weeks the block had only the smallest dent in one of its corners. With the amount of product I would ‘lose’ all over myself when using the potted version, it’s safe to say that this one is far less messy and far better value for money.
Overall, I will continue to use this as it both tastes nice, buffers well and leaves you skin feeling so smooth and even. As someone who suffers a lot from dry skin and cracked lips, this will be travelling with me wherever I go, so I scrub and condition my lips whilst on the move.
Quantitative Ingredients: Castor Sugar (Sucrose), Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru), Illipe Butter (Shorea stenoptera), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, *Citral, *Limonene, Flavor (Fragrance), Manganese Violet.
Vegan?: Yes.
2017 Price: £5.75 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2017.
Banana Skin is by far my favourite smelling facial cleanser out of all the ones released this month in the Lush labs. Not only this but it also happens to be one of the best, and here’s why...
Containing a generous amount of fresh banana as one of the main ingredients, this fruit is packed full of potassium to moisturise and replenish the skin. Not only this but bananas are known for their ability to soften the skin and give it a natural shine as well.
Alongside this, the inclusion of the various oils and butters, in particular the mango butter, creates a facial oil that is very easy to melt, and very buttery on the skin. I only had to glide this over my face for a few seconds to stimulate enough product to moisturise my whole face. To finish off, Lush have used tapioca starch which helps to settle the oils on the skin, and leave a smooth finish.
What I will say about Banana Skin is that it is quite a heavy moisturiser. The consistency of the oils when they melt are quite thick and greasy on the skin, and they do take a long time to fully absorb. In addition, I found that it took a good twenty minutes for the slightly glossy feeling to leave the surface of my face, which some consumers would probably dislike.
While my skin looked super radiant for the rest of the day, as well as feeling amazingly supple and plump from the very first use, I can imagine that this wouldn’t soon suit those with already quite oily/greasy complexions - especially not on a daily basis. With how heavy this product was when compared to others,
For someone such as myself, who has rather dry skin, this was a godsend - giving my complexion so much life and radiance immediately. Especially as the weather is starting to cool down, I could really notice the difference in how much fresher and vibrant my face looked in the morning, as opposed to the dull shade it was beforehand. Given how dry my complexion is, I was able to use this daily without there being a build up of oils. Neither did I find that my pores became saturated enough to cause a breakout at all, with daily use.
To use, you simply glide the disc across your face, where the warmth of your skin will melt the butters and oils and leave behind a layer of product behind. You could also massage it between your fingers first and then apply, as your hands are usually warmer, and tend to stimulate the oils easier. However, I found that you tend to lose some of the product this way, as it absorbs into your hands before you’ve had a chance to apply it to your face. Having said this, if you want to remove some of Banana Skin’s heaviness, this process would probably help it to be a little less intense.
Smell wise, this little beauty smells of fresh banana custard to me, which a little sprinkle of icing sugar to add a vanillary note alongside this. It’s not a smell that’s overly strong, but there’s enough there to make it a pleasant experience, and the effects it has on the skin more than confirm how wonderful this facial oil is.
Despite its size, this little disc has barely shrunk since I began using it, and would easily last me over three months with daily usage. The price may seem a little much for how small it presents itself as. However, the strength it had to transform my skin in a single use, and the effects it showed me very quickly make it a keeper. I would definitely buy this again, if it ever became available to buy regularly.
Quantitative Ingredients: Murumuru Butter, Organic Illipe Butter, Fresh Banana, Tapioca Starch, Organic Cold Pressed Grapeseed Oil, Cupuacu Butter, Mango Butter, Banana Peel Tincture, Apricot Kernel Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Ambrette Seed Oil, Tonka Absolute, Gardenia Extract, Safflower Petal Extract, *Citral, *Coumarin, *Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £9.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
When you haven't had something, you cant miss it, and this is what I told myself when I missed out on buying the exclusive naked facial oils that Lush brought out earlier this year. While I did manage to grab Sky 79, I tried not let my disappointment of missing out on the others take away from the privileges I was experiencing through travelling. You can imagine my elation then when I saw the little cuties being displayed, and on sale, at the Showcase event earlier this month.
While I am not one to wear make-up, Lush have always been known for the versatility of their products. So I was not put off at all by the fact that Amazon Primer was initially created for those who enjoyed the indulgence of wearing make-up. If anything, the fact that I didn't even wear concealer most of the time meant that I would be able to test out the other uses that this limited edition had to offer.
While the name of this primer is taken from the cupuacu and the murumuru butters being sourced from the Amazon jungle, there is a part of me that links Mark Constantine's feud with the billion pound company of the same name. Somehow I don't think the name of this is just a coincidence.
Having said that, these two ingredients do an amazing job of moisturising and conditioning the skin at the same time. After applying this two to three times throughout the day, I could visibly see how hydrated my complexion was beginning to look, and my skin only took a couple of days before there was an element of vibrancy about my complexion that I hadn't seen in a long time.
Alongside these two ingredients is a dosage of arrowroot powder. This not only prevents the product from being too greasy on the skin, but also allows Amazon Primer to offer a more matte during use. After massaging this across my face, it didn't take more than about twenty seconds for it to be absorbed into my skin - which is perfect for those who then wish to apply concealer and foundation without having it run or not set properly. For me, it was a great way to give my face a little more radiance, without putting too many oils and butters into my pores. The lemon oils helped my skin to appear brighter without looking at all shiny, and worked well to cleanse my pores at the same time.
To apply, you can either melt a little between your fingers and then smooth these across you face, or you can apply the little oval block directly onto your skin. I found that the latter way was much more effective because massaging it between your fingers means that you lose some of the product due to it being absorbed into your hand first. And while the shape isn't the most cleverly designed tool for application to reach in the hardest of places, it's not exactly rocket science to use the primer well.
While this wouldn't apply to me due to the nature of my complexion, Amazon Primer features a green pigment that not only colours the product as we can see, but helps to neutralise flushed cheeks and reduce the appearance of redness, so those with irritated skin should find that this compliments there skin very well - with or without make-up being applied afterwards.
While my nose recognises this scent, my brain is yet to get its act together and figure out the familiar aroma that Amazon Primer offers. What I will say is that the orange and the rosewood are very competitive in this format. You can smell a strong, almost bitter orangey aroma, alongside of which the rosewood throws in a heavy amount of woodiness. This is not exactly the prettiest of smells, which is just as well because the fragrance doesn't last on the skin for long. Although there is also tonka absolute in this facial oil, very little of that made its way to my senses.
Overall, this is a great primer for those looking for a matte base, or hoping to smoothen their skin out before applying their make up. For those like myself who are interested in ways to moisturise our complexion, this is far less intense than some of the naked facial oils, and would definitely suit those with more oiler complexions.
Although the size and the price tag may avert consumers away from the investment, this little oval would most likely last upwards of six months, with family usage. So little is used each time that I reckon I'll be using this for nearly a month before I notice any change in size. This is definitely a winner in my eyes.
Quantitative Ingredients: Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum Murumuru), Maranta Fecula (Maranta arundinacea), Lemongrass Infusion (Cymbopogon Citratus), Japanese Wax (Rhus Succedanea), Carnauba Wax (Copernica Cerifera), Cupuaçu Butter (Theobroma Grandiflorum), Tincture Brazil Crescione Alcohol (Spilanthes Oleracea), Rosewood Essential Oil (Aniba Rosaeodora), Andiroba Oil (Carapa Guaianensis), Tonka Absolute Essence (Dipteryx Odorata), Brazilian Orange Essential Oil (Citrus Sinensis), Aqua (Aqua) , Gardenia Extract (Gardenia Jasminoides) * Benzyl Benzoate, * Citral, * Coumarin, * Geraniol, * Limonene, * Linalool, Perfume, Chlorophyllin (CI 75810) * Naturally present in essential oils.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £9.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
While I consider myself fairly knowledgable when it comes to music of most genres, I'll be honest and say that I had never heard of the band Sky until I decided to research why Lush had decided to name one of their facial oils Sky 79. Needless to say, I've been enjoying their upbeat melodies ever since, which makes the price of this facial oil so much better value for money. You cannot put a price on discovering awesome music.
Sky 79 is one of five facial oils that have been brought out in limited batches at both the Lush White City store, and the recently opened Naked Superstore in Milan. As a collector of all things Lush, I am a little disappointed that I have not been able to get my hands on the other four at this point in time, and I can only hope that make an appearance really soon so I can curb my itch.
Made from a base of illipe butter and murumuru butter, this limited edition already boasts some truly powerful ingredients to improve the condition of your skin. This combination works at creating a base that stays solid at room temperature, but which immediately begins to melt upon contact with the heat of your skin.
What I found interesting about this particular facial oil is that when you initially melt the block down to massage is across your face, the oils seem fairly light on your skin. However, once the oil has had a few seconds to settle and begin absorbing into your skin, there is a short period where the product feels a little heavier. Having said this, I don't wish to put people off by stating this latter fact and letting them think that Sky 79 is going to leave your skin feeling heavy. This feeling is very temporary, and it is because of the inclusion of both the Japan wax and the carnauba wax that the facial oil does this.
What is great about this little oval gem is that is contains a generous helping of chamomile, which is perfect for those with sensitive complexions. This essential oil ensures that redness and irritation will be reduced after using this regularly, and it won't inflict any further reactions because your skin will appear much calmer.
Smell-wise, this little block of oils has a delicate smell made up of both floral and herbal elements. You can smell a gentle sweetness from the geranium and neroli, while the chamomile offers a calming herbal offering, and the guaiacwood brings a soothing layer of woodiness. Whether you like the sound o this fragrance or not, I can honestly say that there is nothing offensive or particularly strong about this facial oil at all. I cannot imagine anyone disliking this smell at all.
After using Sky 79 for a number of days in a row, I began to notice a gentle radiance begin to form around my cheeks and across my forehead. As someone who genuinely suffers from dry skin, no matter how much liquid I ingest throughout the day, I can never get my face to look naturally supple and vibrant. Lotions tend to clog my pores up and make my face feel heavy after use, so I usually just have to accept that I'll rarely enjoy good-looking skin. However, after using this regularly, I could definitely see a difference in the appearance of my skin, and indeed my pores.
What was also impressive was that despite applying these powerful oils to my skin daily, and sometimes twice a day, my skin never looked or felt greasy, and never caused me to break out in spots. When compared to a £30 tub of 'miracle facial moisturiser' that I see lining the local pharmacies, this is definitely much better value for money.
Perhaps I should have pointed out at the beginning that while all of Lush's facial oils appear to be rather small, and extremely light, given their hefty price tag, unless you're biting off chunks and eating it while you're applying the oil, this little token will easily last you upwards of six months, with daily usage.
Ultimately, I am rather impressed with this little block of butters and oils: Lush have yet again proven that naked products can work (and replace) liquid alternatives, and I will continue to use this until I have the pleasure of being presented with some more to try out for myself.
Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Illipe Butter, Murumuru Butter, Meadowsweet Infusion, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Japan Wax, Organic Grapeseed Oil, Carnauba Wax, Safflower oil, Perfume, Organic Evening Primrose Oil, Chamomile Blue Oil, Guaiacwood oil, Geranium Oil, Neroli Oil, Citral, Citronellol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 42090:2.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £9.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
For a large percentage of established Lush fans, the announcement of this bubbleroon probably sent them into a bit of a frenzy to begin with. Knowing how popular Plum Rain Shower Gel is, many people no doubt assumed, as I did, that this limited edition would share the same scent. How disappointed was I then when I discovered that the two products were nothing alike - a sombre feeling which didn't last very long after I actually used the product in the bath.
Inspired by Purple Rain by Prince, this gorgeous bubbleroon is one of three limited edition varieties for this year's Mother's Day range. Unfortunately, neither one of my three bubbleroons arrived with the marbled cream on top. However, to see what they look like is to marvel pure beauty in a bubble bar format.
Featuring peppermint, black pepper and clove bud oil, it is perhaps difficult to envisage what this bubbleroon smells like to begin with. Given that the clove oil featured first, I assumed it would be a spicy collaboration, with a certain level of heat from the black pepper and a refreshing blast of peppermint to finish up. In fact, the components read backwards as far as the ingredients list is concerned.
To my nose, the bubbleroon offered a gentle but very warming bubblegum smell with just a hint of both the clove and the peppermint. In some ways it reminded me of Ladybird Bubble Bar, although far more comforting and not as potent. It was a combination that felt like it didn't quite piece together perfectly, but worked none the less.
Once the bubbleroon had been crumbled under the running tap, the fragrance came out in full force: not so much that I would ever describe it as being potent, but enough that I could smell it for a good hour after I had left the bathroom. It was then that the peppermint made itself known more. Again, this note offered a very warm feeling in the bath. Not once did I ever feel as if the peppermint was at all cooling or refreshing, as it normally is.
All three ingredients create a sweet and very comforting smell - something that reminded me slightly of Witches' Ball Bubble Bar in just how unique it was with the different elements working together in unison. In my mind, this shouldn't work very well, and yet it does.
As with all bubbleroons, this crumbled easily and filled the tub with beautifully-soft water that nourished and replenished my skin within seconds. While there weren't as many bubbles as a regular bubble bar, the bubbles that were created were silky-smooth and fragrant, and I even indulged in using them to clean my body with. The pastel purple colour that the water turned in the beginning stayed just as beautiful throughout the whole experience, and the scent lingered on my skin for a good while before I went to bed. In fact, I remember waking up at various points throughout the night and I was still able to make out the fragrance on my pillow and surrounding duvet cover.
Ultimately, Lush need to consider bringing this out in many format as a body lotion and spray would be incredible in this fragrance. While I can imagine more products being made closer to Halloween and the colder months, as this is definitely more of a wintery scent, I do hope that this is not the last we see of such a beautiful, warming smell. I would buy this again without a doubt.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Murumuru Butter, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Laureth 4, Cornflour, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Clove Bud Oil, Black Pepper Oil, Peppermint Oil, Titanium Dioxide, *Eugenol, *Limonene, Colour 45410:2, Colour 42090:2, Colour 45410, Colour 45380:3, Colour 17200.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £4.75 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
Sometimes you just need a little sunshine in your life, and when you live in England you often have to create this yourself. If there is one scent that lends itself to helping you bring that warmth and happiness to your shower it is lemon.
Lemon Zest is a simple soap - not one that can boast a complex or overly complicated fragrance, nor one that is going to win any awards for its design. Yet there are always times in my life when simplicity appeals to me, especially when I’m looking for something to wake me up in the morning.
While the perfume added to this soap was created with longevity in mind, I found that this was perhaps the weakest out of the four Mother’s Day soap family specials. Sharing its fragrance with Refresher Shower Jelly, this soap features a powerful concoction of lemon oil, fresh lemon peel and lemon myrtle oil. Together, these ingredients offer a refreshing, fruity lemon aroma. Smelling a little like a freshly made lemon meringue pie, or a bag of lemon sherbet, this smell is both zesty and bright.
Rosewood adds a warming undertone that holds the citrusy components together while the cocoa butter and coconut oil help to thicken the scent and give the smell a creaminess that will make you salivate from the very first use.
Part of a new four part floral collection featuring 3D printed designs, Lemon Zest has a shape designed to make it easy to use and just as simple to store. As with the other three limited editions in this series, I found the shape of this meant that I was able to lather myself with ease and didn’t drop it a single time on the shower. Even when the soap had shrunk quite dramatically, I still found that it was easy to grapple with - which helped increase the life-span of each bar a little more than your average soap.
The soap produces a yellow-tinted lather which is both light and fluffy and very easy to massage across your skin. My only qualms with this soap is that I didn’t find it particularly easy to stimulate a lot of suds with Lemon Zest, unless I rubbed it between my palms beforehand. Having said that, I didn’t need a lot of soap to clean my whole body with so I was able to keep this soap out of the way of the running water for most of my shower. Ultimately, this meant that this soap worked out to be one of the longest lasting ones from the collection.
Unlike the other Mother’s Day Soaps, this one didn’t leave its scent on my skin afterwards, which would have cemented this as my favourite if it had done so. What was great about this one however was that it retained its shape for a long time and was rather stubborn to shrink. This meant that the bar lasted me a good month with daily washing before it had even gotten to half of its original size.
After using this, my body felt super clean and crisp, and there was a slight radiance about my skin which lasted a good while through the day. Despite how soft my hands felt, I did need to moisturise afterwards as the spaces between each of my fingers felt a little parched and dry. However, no other part of my body suffered from this and I was able to enjoy smooth legs for the whole day without using a body lotion.
Overall, the smell of this was what won me over the most and I enjoyed how refreshing it made me feel after using this. The longevity was also another positive merit that this soap possessed, and those using it as a hand soap would be able to stretch the life of this out even more. Having said this, I wouldn’t replace my favourite shower gels with this soap as it’s not as nourishing as it could be, and it would be far more impressive if the fragrance lasted longer than simply in the shower.
Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Lemon Oil, Fresh Lemon Peel, *Limonene, Murumuru Butter, Rosewood Oil, Lemon Myrtle Oil, Almond Oil, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Citral, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 47005.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £5.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
Scent Family:
Lemon Zest Soap
Refresher Shower Jelly
UP
American Pie Body Conditioner is a brand new release for the Valentines Day range this year, and follows on from the trend of all of the American Cream scented items that has appeared over the last twelve months. If you're a fan of this fragrance family, you'll be pleased to know that both formats replicate the aroma well, with only mild discrepancies - which I shall document below.
For those who haven't used a body conditioner before, the idea is that you clean yourself in the shower and then spread a little of this across your skin before towelling yourself down. This works in much the same way as a body lotion, except that your pores are still open from the heat of the water so a body conditioner can be absorbed a little quicker, and should usually heed more intensive results.
