It's rare for me to find a product that I don't recognise all of the key ingredients in it. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I gravitate to Lush more than any other company; seeing an endless list of components that you've never heard of before only makes me wonder just what these 'things' are doing to my skin and hair. When I first read about Himalaya Liquid Perfume however, that was exactly how I felt.
Containing ylang ylang, spikenard and zanthoxylum oils, this is a perfume that doesn't exactly speak volumes about what it's going to offer your senses. Given that I don't think the latter two ingredients have featured in any Lush products over the last ten years, it's safe to say that I needed to carry out a little research before I experienced this perfume for myself.What I found out was that spikenard is a herb that belongs to the same family as the honeysuckle, and according to Lush has 'carried a sacred aura from its use in religious rites across the centuries and continents.' Zanthoxylum on the other hand is a small berry that has a pungent, citrusy type of smell. Why this perfume is called Himalaya is partly due to the fact that the latter oil was purchased from Lush in Nepal, where it grows in abundance and is harvested sustainably.
From the bottle, I can smell what I would describe as being a resinous floral fragrance. There is something quite rich and musky about the three components, that work together to create a really alluring and powerful aroma. Himalaya is thick, powdery and heady, with the natural sweetness of the ylang ylang coming through to give this perfume an almost playful edge; and an element of woodiness lacing through the smell to ground the components together.
On the skin, the immediate note is quite a bitter and almost green-like berry scent - one very interesting and different from anything I have ever smell from Lush before. In all fairness, I didn't like the initial smell of this perfume, and it took a good twenty minutes for the perfume to settle on my skin, and allow for the other ingredients to come forward a little more.This is a perfume for those who like strong and very unique fragrances. This is definitely not the sort of scent you would find in other commercially successful companies. This is Lush through and through, and that's why I really enjoyed using this one. Ironically, my partner was travelling across Nepal whilst I was indulging in this, and he actually finished his eight day trek across the Himalayas when this review was published.
Originally released in 1993, Himalaya is a perfume that just smells like old-school Lush. And while this description isn't very helpful for newer fans of the brand, retro Lushies should understand what I mean when they spray it for themselves.
My only qualm with this exclusive Gold Label perfume is the fact that its silage is not as impressive as you'd imagine a perfume of such magnitude to be. I found that it had all but disappeared within about three hours on my skin, and I needed to reapply multiple times a day to enjoy the scent whilst I was at work.
Overall, this is a rare piece of Lush history that should definitely be experienced by anyone who can. While not a favourite of mine, this will definitely be coming out when I want something unique and alluring to wear to a big event. I am incredibly grateful that I've had the opportunity to purchase a bottle of this for myself.
Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Ghanaian Ylang Ylang Oil, Spikenard Oil, Zanthoxylum Oil, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Cinnamate, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Cinnamal, *Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, Isoeugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £39 for 30ml.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
