Thanks to the inclusion of this brand new shower jelly in the Christmas range this year, I haven't gone a day without hearing 'FIIIIVE GOLDEN RINGS' within my mental chatter. In fact, the mere thought of the famous seasonal tune had me thinking that Lush would benefit from actually creating a collection of 12 products to match each of the days, one year.
While a brand new product for the 2019 range, Drummers Drumming Shower Jelly is not in itself completely unique. It both shares its name with a reusable bubble bar that made a fleeting appearance many Christmases ago, and offers the same fragrance as the Peachy Bath Bath Bomb that came out earlier this year.
In fact, it is this latter point that makes this shower jelly rather unique and special within the Christmas range this year. I say this because normally we are inundated with either sweet candy or spicy smells to support the seasonal trend of most cosmetics, and this latest release is neither.
Containing grapefruit, davana, elemi and tagetes oils, this golden shower jelly has a wonderfully sweet yet slightly green fruity smell. There is something almost astringent about it, which reminds me of the pith of the grapefruit, which grounds the aroma and gives it more depth than some of the less charismatic citrusy smells that feature in the range.
While described as a peachy smell, I would say that it reminds me more of the dry fruity smell of an apricot, with a slightly green note underneath. Yet, what I have also found is that if you really engage with the aroma as well, there is something about the aroma underneath all of this that reminds me slightly of cocoa as well. This latter statement may confuse many consumers who have read that it's strictly a fruity smell. However, my nose detects a note of something that reminds me of the rich, sultry note that cocoa can often bring to the table. Perhaps my nose is broken but that's just my experience.
What I will say is that it does smell slightly stronger than the original bath bomb, and it's not as powdery either. However, it does possess the key notes that will make it recognisable for fans of the bath bomb.
Strangely, when I opened the tub I found that there seemed to be quite a lot of space between Drummers Drumming Shower Jelly and the edge of the tub. Usually the shower jellies slot perfectly into the tubs and I actually sometimes struggle to put them back in, once I've finished using them. However, this one seemed to be a little smaller than usual, although I think this is more about the consistency of the jelly as opposed to a factory issue.
What I did find was that it took a little practice to lather this one up, and I still didn't think it was as generous as other shower jellies. Yet, this is probably due to the amount of oil present in the ingredients list, which is why I would describe this one as being a little more on the oily side than the 'foamy' side.
Having said that, once the shower jelly did begin to produce a lather, it was easy to stimulate a little more by massaging it across my skin. Furthermore, I will say that I was really impressed by how instantaneous the shower jelly made my skin feel moisturised, and I didn't need very much for my body to feel clean and nourished. It might also be worth noting that the scent was very prominent throughout my experience, and lingered on my skin and hair for a good while after I had exited the shower.
After using this daily for almost two weeks, the size of the jelly hasn't shrunk very much, which means that this is definitely good value for money. However, it's one of those jellies that can 'crack' very easily, especially if you're a 'squeezer' in the shower, so you may wish to be a little less overzealous on how you massage this across your skin.
Overall, I really enjoyed this shower jelly and felt that Drummers Drumming replicated the Peachy fragrance really well. The shower jelly cleans and nourishes your skin nicely, and leaves a lasting impression in terms of both smell and condition. It's almost a great alternative for those who bore easily of the typical Christmassy fragrances, as this scent could be used at any time throughout the year.
Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Organic Agave Syrup, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Grapefruit Oil, Davana Oil, Elemi Oil, Tagetes Oil, Fresh Peach Juice, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 47005:1, Colour 19140.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £6 for 100g.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
There's always a small part of me that wonders why Lush occasionally changes the fragrance of something, even when it seems as if the original product was popular enough to begin with. Not that I'm complaining, as this particular scent swap is a welcome alteration, but I'd love to know the motivation behind some of these changes.
Argan Dragon was first released at the Showcase event last year, and was one of many brand new shower oils to make themselves known to the community. A fairly new concept at the time, many fans were simply excited that the product happened to sport the Snow Fairy fragrance, and for this reason alone, it proved to be one of the most popular naked oils from the collection.
Fast forward to 2019 and Argan Dragon made a reappearance; this time offering fans of the Happy Bloomin' fragrance another product to enjoy in this scent family. Yet despite its obvious change of smell, the shower oil itself still pertains many of the key features that the original shower oil did.
Lush have described this shower oil as being like the cosmetic version of a superfood, and it is. Packed full of beetroot juice, dragon fruit powder and poppy seeds, this limited edition reads like a smoothie, and possesses the properties to help the skin in the same way that a smoothie would support the body.
The inclusion of dragon fruit powder gives this block a big boost of antioxidants, which not works at making your skin healthier but helps your complexion appear uplifted and perkier. Dragon fruit is also known for being rich in vitamin C, so it helps to brighten the skin as well. Alongside this, beetroot juice is a rich source of iron, vitamins and minerals that not only supports healthy skin but helps to add a wonderful glow to your complexion as well.
Argan Dragon also contains poppy seeds, which you can see under the surface of the product itself. These beauties soothe the skin and and calm any itchiness that you may have from rashes or irritations. The seeds are also known to act as an effective painkiller by relieving the pain caused by skin inflammation. While I don't think there are enough present in this block to do much in the way of this, it cannot not help those with skin that need a little tender loving care.
Unlike the original, this updated product now contains peach kernel oil which helps to deliver the wonderful cherry-scented fragrance that the shower oil offers. Super sweet and very fruity, the Happy Bloomin' scent is in full force here; like the glazed cherry topping on a cheesecake; or as I have said in previous reviews, like the smell of Cherry Drops. It's rich and very sultry to my nose: far more like a decadent dessert than a weak, synthetic cherry smell that you sometimes get with cheaper cosmetics.
How to use a shower oil is down to personal preference, although I have tried a few variations and have discovered the way that works best for me. Much like a body butter, I tend to find that these beauties work better at the end of your shower/bath, when your skin is clean and ready to be moisturised.
Ensure your skin is damp and then step out of the way of the running water. Massage the bar gently, in a circular motion, across the areas of your body that you wish to moisturise. Try not to apply too much pressure as the shower oils are very generous, and I just feel that you'd coat your skin with too much oil and use up the block far quicker this way.
What you will find is that the shower oils will leave a light layer of oils on your skin, which you can then use you hands to massage even deeper into your skin. Unlike a body butter or a body conditioner, the oils are not at all greasy, nor do they feel at all heavy. Instead, it feels and looks as if you've applied a little baby oil to your skin.
This new version of Argan Dragon worked on par with the original: acting very generous on my skin, and melting with ease to create a gentle coating of oils and butters that I was able to massage across my body. My skin felt instantly nourished and looked and felt soft and moisturised for the rest of the day. Not only that but the scent remained very much present on my skin for a good couple of hours after application, and more than anything, it made me wish there was a body spray to match.
There's a reason why this particular product was one of the first to sell out from the Lush Labs. It offers a wonderfully nourishing experience; is great value for money and outlasts that of a tub of body lotion; stores really easily between uses because it dries super quickly; and leaves a wonderful fragrance on your skin for you to enjoy throughout the day. Simply beautiful!
Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cupuaçu Butter, Argan Oil, Sunflower Wax, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Peach Kernel Oil, Perfume, Beetroot Juice Powder, Poppy Seeds, Ylang Ylang Oil, Almond essential oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Dragon Fruit Powder, Titanium Dioxide, Hexyl Cinnamal.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £4.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
The sun had barely welcomed in the beginning of 2019 before I was already throwing myself a bath with an array of Valentine's Day items: wondering if they'll ever be a month when Lush don't release anything new for me to ramble on about on my blog. As far as the last five years have demonstrated, this is very unlikely.
Peachy Bath Bomb is a brand new product for the 2019 seasonal range, and also one of the first products to showcase the beauty of peach as a main scent. Shaped like a rather lovely-looking derriere, this gorgeous limited edition looks like its been painted with watercolours, as a gentle shade of pastel pink merges with a darker pink at the bottom of the bomb. As if that wasn't beautiful enough, Peachy has then been finished with a gentle touch of silver lustre to give it a gleam and make it look like a piece of artwork.
To my nose, the davana oil and peach juice dance the most beautiful of dances: offering a warm, fruity aroma that is both slightly syrupy from the peach juice, but also gently woody from the davana oil. There is something delicate and sherbet-like about the fragrance, which coupled with a delicate note of grapefruit oil, gives the product a bright, uplifting and very slightly citrusy smell.
The fragrance is strong enough to make an impression before, during and after your bath, but it's not what I would call a particularly strong aroma. In its favour, it's one, if not the best rendition of peach I have ever experienced in a cosmetic, and is very far-removed from the synthetic, sticky-sweet versions I have seen from other companies.
Like a warming ray of sunshine, Peachy begins to work immediately in the bath tub. While quite a quiet fizzer, this seasonal special very quickly begins to send out waves of green, white, pink and orange colour across the surface in a frothy, bubbly mess of colour. As the bath bomb settles a little, it creates a few patterns that slowly disperse into the water, while the silver lustre adds a delicate sparkle throughout.
What is left is a beautiful peach-coloured water to bathe in, which although not the best outcome, is definitely suited to the premise of the bath bomb. The water was soft and smooth and left my skin feeing both radiant and very well moisturised. To couple this experience with a body lotion or massage bar of the scent afterwards, would have been exquisite.
On the negative side, I didn't find the fragrance of Peachy to be as prominent in the water as I was hoping. While its presence was there throughout, it was slightly dampened once it had fully dissolved, and the sherbet element was replaced with more of a sultry, fruity experience. Although not in any way a bad product, I would have liked this to have been a little stronger in my tub.
Afterwards, the gentle lashing of peach juice and davana oil lingered on my skin for a short while, and prompted me to realise how much I would appreciate Lush releasing other products in the fragrance, hopefully in the near future. A shower gel would definitely not go amiss amongst the fans in the community.
Ultimately, this is a wonderful release from Lush, and one that has inspired me to believe that the company have lots of original and exciting ideas left in them. Peachy Bath Bomb near enough offers exactly what you'd expect a bath bomb of that name and design to offer, and I am very grateful that I have had something very different to enjoy in my baths as of late.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Oil, Davana Oil, Elemi Oil, Tagetes Oil, Fresh Peach Juice, Cream of Tartar, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Coco Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, DRF Alcohol, Geraniol, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 77491, Colour 15850:1, Colour 45410:1, Colour 15985:1, Colour 19140:1, Colour 45410, Colour 19140, Colour 42090:2.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £3.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
I'll be honest and say that my heart skipped a beat when I saw the Christmas range for the first time this year. Not only was there an array of brand-new exclusive that I never set my eyes on, let alone used, something caught my eye that made me think all of my dreams were about to come true. And then my dreams were dashed, and I cried about it over a shower ladened with Yummy Mummy Shower Cream.
Strawberry Santa Soap was ‘supposed’ to be my Peeping Santa Bubbleroon coming back from the dead. While most years I can handle when Lush choose not to bring back products that have been going for years, the discontinuation of one of my favourite bubble bars was far too much for me to handle. As you can imagine, I established pretty quickly that this product was not going to be a bubble bar, nor act like one for my convenience.
As a stroppy teenager might do, I chose to avoid this exclusive Christmas soap the first few times I went into stores. Although he was cute, with little candy black eyes and a face that said buy me, I wasn't happy to see one of my all-time favourite products replaced by another – especially as Strawberry Santa was a soap, and we all know how little I appreciate soaps when compared to other formats that the company do.
After getting my act together, I finally relented and bought myself one of these cute little limited edition Christmas soaps to try out, and impressed I was. In his defence, this little cutie does actually share the same scent as Yummy Mummy and Peeping Santa – hence why the company decided to bring the soap out to look so much like the after mentioned bubble bar.
A lot of Lush fans can be quite protective over their favourite scents, and are on the constant lookout for new products in their favourite scent. However, many of them don’t always appreciate it when the company sway too far from the original fragrance that they love. What I will say about Strawberry Santa is that this is definitely different to other YM scented products that Lush have released in the past. There is something slightly more wholesome about this fragrance and the floral components seem more compact and rounded than any previous renditions of this aroma.
For those who haven’t experienced this aroma before, it’s a delicious concoction of fresh strawberries; bergamot oil to add a rich, slightly resinous blanket of warmth; and geranium to give this aroma a sweet, musky smell. It’s partly fruity, slightly floral, and super rich and sultry: the perfect blend of three worlds in the many products that have come before this one. If you love Yummy Mummy, you’ll probably really appreciate this light, variation on the smell. If you dislike Yummy Mummy, you probably won't like this any more than your previous experience tells you.
What I loved about Strawberry Santa was the fact that although fairly small, the soap gave an awful lot every time I used it in the shower. Likewise, the limited edition was very generous when in use: producing a light, foamy soap when use in conjunction with the bath; and a thick, slightly oily lather when used in the shower. Given the shape of this soap, this isn't the best product to massage directly onto the skin. I found it far easier to stimulate the foam between the palms of my hands and then massage this across my body.
The inclusion of the many butters and oils that wedged the two pieces of this soap together, and gave it the look of a bubbleroon, is what allows this soap to be more moisturising than many of Lush’s other soaps. I found that my skin felt supple, soft and plump after using this, and I could have easily gotten away without using a body lotion, had I not wanted to lather myself with more Yummy Mummy goodness afterwards.
On the negative side, this soap tended to shrink very quickly, and within 2 to 3 washes I could notice a big change in the size of the soap. However, the soap left a lasting impression on my skin and I could still smell the fragrance an hour after I had left the shower. Furthermore, the soap tended to dry really quickly and didn't leave much of a sticky mess on the side of my bath, so I didn’t have the task of cleaning down the sides of the tub every morning before I could shower myself before work.
This is definitely a cute addition to this year's Christmas range, and one I can imagine being very popular given the smell that it shares and how much it looks like peeping Santa Bubble Bar. Although I would choose my Yummy Mummy Shower Cream over this so any day, I do really appreciate being given the opportunity to try my favourite fragrance in the new format. I can imagine that this will be coming back in the future.
Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Propylene Glycol, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Fresh Strawberries, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Olibanum Oil, Geranium Oil, Peach Kernel Oil, Strawberry Seeds, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Benzyl Alcohol, Hexyl Cinnamal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 17200, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Candy Eye.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £12 for 15ml.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
Scent Family:
D'Fluff Shaving Soap
The Drummers Drumming Reusable Bubble Bar
Fairy Tail Sugar Scrub
Flutterby Bubble Bar
Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar
Mrs Whippy Ballistic
Peeping Santa Bubbleroon
Peeping Santa Liquid Perfume
Roller Bath Bomb
Strawberry Bombshell Lip Tint
Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar
Strawberry Santa Soap
Yummy Mummy Body Conditioner
Yummy Mummy Body Lotion
Yummy Mummy Shower Gel
Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Gel
Yummy Mummy Shower Cream
My memory is starting to fail me. Whether it's because I'm getting older, or simply because there are just far too many Lush products to fit inside one brain, I found myself the other day struggling to think of the Christmas soap that shared its scent with this little newbie. It took me a good ten minutes to figure it out.
While its original in design and shape, Satsuma Soap has graced our presence before in the form of Santa's Post Box Soap: a gorgeous little concept that just didn't end up doing much in the way of impressing me back in 2016. While this latest rendition is perhaps a little cuter, there wasn't much else that I could really say had improved with the updated format.
Sharing its scent with the Satsuma Bath Bomb, not to mention both Satsumo and Dashing Santa as well, this seasonal soap seems more in-keeping with the name and its siblings than the initial rendition of the soap two years ago. Shaped to look like an actual satsuma, and pretty accurate when it comes to its size as well, this limited edition promises to be super fruity and super softening.
Containing Brazilian orange, tangerine and bergamot oils, the ingredients of this version read differently to Santa's Postbox, which initially gave me hope that I would prefer this soap to its older sibling. However, I discovered very quickly that there little else that had changed.
One problem I have with this scent family is that the smell itself is rather weak. If Lush were in some way to strengthen this, I would automatically be much more enamoured with the soap. However, I found myself having to really strain to smell much at all to begin with, and the problem didn't go away when I took Satsuma Soap into the shower with me. Having said that, the scent featured in this soap was definitely far more prominent than with previous renditions. I only hope that Lush continue to strengthen this aroma over time, as I can imagine it being so incredibly beautiful.
As I stated in my review of the older version of this soap, the aroma here is like a gentle fruity kiss. You can smell all three key ingredients in the soap, which work in unison with each other to great a delicious orangey aroma, with a very gentle note of green underneath it all. However, there is something about this fragrance that just doesn't allow it to elevate itself in any way possible, and you end up having to strain your nose just to catch a whiff. As someone who prefers the stronger smelling products, I wasn't overly impressed by how little the fragrance was present with me before and during my showers. I didn't feel as if the aroma of this was elevated all that much by the hot steam, and I was slightly frustrated by its lack of presence when being used.
For someone who isn't particularly keen on strong, citrusy soaps, this might be an option for them. Consumers who also prefer the 'quieter' smelling products might appreciate how gentle this is on the senses. However, I found myself fighting to smell something that just wasn't all that present, and it wouldn't be a soap I would purchase in a hurry.
In its defence, this soap is the perfect shape and size to wash with in the shower, and I found that it lathered up easier between my hands because of its design. Having said that, the inclusion of the extra cocoa butter meant that Satsuma didn't lather up as quickly as other soaps, unless I was in the bath. When it did lather up however, it produced a thick, creamy foam that I was able to wash myself with.
While the cocoa butter makes Satsuma very slightly more gentle on the skin, I've never found soaps to be particularly moisturising, and ultimately I nearly always need to use a body lotion afterwards to replenish the skin. The same could be said for this one, even though I did notice that my hands felt rather smooth and supple after I had towelled myself down. As I said above, this is definitely a step in the right direction: it just wasn't enough for me to be bowled over by.
To add to this, I couldn't detect the scent on my skin afterwards at all, which was not surprising given how weak this was to begin with. And if Satsuma hadn't disappointed me enough, I also found that the soap began to shrink rather quickly after using it for a full week. For £6.95, and the size it was, I was expecting it to be one of the most robust soaps that Lush have ever created, but it was not.
Ultimately, this is probably my least favourite product from the Christmas range, despite how cute it might look before its in use. As an ornament, this would probably go down super well, but I would much rather have a real satsuma to smell and enjoy, than a piece of soap that doesn't really seem to cast the right light on the actual fruit itself.
Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, *Limonene, Glycerine, Perfume, Brazilian Orange Oil, Tangerine Oil, Bergamot Oil, Peach Kernel Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Citral, *Linalool, Colour 45350, Colour 15510, Colour 45410, Colour 42090.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £6.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
Scent Family:
UP
While a brand new product for the 2019 range, Drummers Drumming Shower Jelly is not in itself completely unique. It both shares its name with a reusable bubble bar that made a fleeting appearance many Christmases ago, and offers the same fragrance as the Peachy Bath Bath Bomb that came out earlier this year.
While described as a peachy smell, I would say that it reminds me more of the dry fruity smell of an apricot, with a slightly green note underneath. Yet, what I have also found is that if you really engage with the aroma as well, there is something about the aroma underneath all of this that reminds me slightly of cocoa as well. This latter statement may confuse many consumers who have read that it's strictly a fruity smell. However, my nose detects a note of something that reminds me of the rich, sultry note that cocoa can often bring to the table. Perhaps my nose is broken but that's just my experience. 
Having said that, once the shower jelly did begin to produce a lather, it was easy to stimulate a little more by massaging it across my skin. Furthermore, I will say that I was really impressed by how instantaneous the shower jelly made my skin feel moisturised, and I didn't need very much for my body to feel clean and nourished. It might also be worth noting that the scent was very prominent throughout my experience, and lingered on my skin and hair for a good while after I had exited the shower.
