Silica Vegan Protein Shampoo

Gone are the days when I used to dye my hair on an almost bi-weekly basis. Although I would still love to try out different colours and styles, the truth is that my locks are extremely malnourished and brittle - all due to the lack of regard that I had for looking after them when I was much younger. While my hair is in a much better place these days, I still have to fight to keep it looking and feeling conditioned, so dyeing, styling or adding too many products, is a luxury I no longer have to play with.

Silica is one of four limited edition vegan protein shampoos that Lush released a couple of months ago in their Lush Labs. Containing a large helping of aquafaba, which is the protein-rich liquid that chickpeas reside in, this shampoo not only promises to strengthen and rebuild your hair, but also to work with those who dye their hair to keep in the colour and help it to last far longer than it usually would.

What is unique about these new shampoo bars is that they are incredibly light yet equally compact and easy to use. I found that Silica was incredibly easy to lather up, so I only needed to massage the bar across my head for a matter of seconds, before storing it somewhere safe to dry. This meant that after nearly two months of using this regularly, the bar has barely shrunk at all. I can really see one of these lasting a good 4-5 months, even with daily use, which makes it even longer-lasting than Lush's other regular solid shampoo bars.

Containing many key ingredients, it was definitely the spearmint that had the strongest impact in regards to the fragrance of this bar. To my nose, there was an element of Dirty Springwash going on with the smell of this - with the minty component combining with the gentle herbal touch of the thyme and lavender, and a note of lemon underneath, which adds a refreshing twist. 

The fragrance of this alone really helped to leave my hair (and senses) feeling clean and refreshed after using it, and while I haven't dyed my hair in years, I was definitely able to notice how the natural redness of my hair did appear to have been boosted a little more after using this. 

What was even more impressive about Silica was that when I rinsed the lather away a couple of minutes, I found that the foam was incredibly softening - almost slightly conditioner like - which meant that I didn't always need to use a conditioner afterwards to keep my hair looking and feeling nourished.

Featuring a large dosage of raspberry seed oil, Silica left my hair with a wonderful natural shine, and there was something about the way it looked that appeared far healthier than it has done in the past. The inclusion of both the horsetail herb and linseed oil supposedly helps to strengthen your hair as well, and I was definitely able to see this in the way that my hair felt when I was brushing it out afterwards.

While I cannot comment from experience on whether or not this protein shampoo holds the dye in people's hair for longer, comments and discussions that I have been a part of suggests that there are many happy customers using this now because of how it prolongs the time in between them dyeing their hair.

Ultimately, this is yet another great example of Lush hair care. While I don't think I would use this regularly - mostly due to the fact that it's not designed with my hair type in mind - it has shown me lots of merits that I think would appeal to many consumers across the globe. Those who dye their hair would benefit immensely from using this regularly, and the price and number of uses you can get out of it, makes it good value for money. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Coco Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Aquafaba, Horsetail Herb Extract, Linseed Extract, Silken Tofu, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Water (Aqua), Linseed oil, Ethyl Macadamiate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Arginine HCL Leucine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Soya Lecithin, Guar Gum, Spearmint Oil, Tarragon Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Lavender Absolute, Neroli Oil, Thyme Absolute, Fresh Organic Lemon Juice, Cold Pressed Raspberry Seed Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Cetrimonium Chloride, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Alpha-Isomethyl, Ionone Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 17200, Colour 45380:3, Colour 77491, Colour 45430:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £ each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Deep Atmosphere Bath Bomb

When the Lush Kitchen was still in full swing, this bath bomb appeared on the menu one week and was thrust into my radar for the first time ever. While I pride myself in knowing about the majority of Lush products released across the years, there are still some that manage to remain hidden until the company unleash them onto the world again. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this product would cement itself as one of my favourite bath bombs of all time - perhaps the only bath product that has genuinely given Lord Of Misrule a run for its money.

Deep Atmosphere has a name that means business. Described be Lush as one for 'acquired tastes', I wasn't initially all that interested in what this bath bomb had to offer. The inclusion of oakmoss absolute, tarragon and chamomile leaf gave me the impression that this would smell similar to that of Tramp Shower Gel - which although something that I enjoy at times, is not a fragrance that bowls me over in any formats. As soon as the bath bomb arrived however, I immediately fell head-over-heels in love with the limited edition, and greatly regretted only buying the handful that I did. 

Despite its ingredients list suggesting otherwise, I would say that this bath bomb is very much like Lord Of Misrule - minus the vanilla but with a sweet, musky layer that must come from the combination of violet leaf absolute and distilled cedar leaf. While I expecting something far more potent and herbal, I was both surprised and incredibly grateful to experience something so beautifully rich and exquisite.

It is the inclusion of the pine that I think not gives this bath bomb a scent similar to Lord Of Misrule, but that which also gives this bath bomb its made note of fragrance. The pine oil offers a sharp, sweet green layer that immediately conjures up images of forests in my mind; the cedar leaf and orris root add a musky sweetness reminiscent of parma violets combined with a touch of floral.   

Not only would say that all of the layers work in unison with each other perfectly, but Deep Atmosphere is one of those bath bombs in which each note is equally matched. While I can pick out every component individually for this review, there is not one that I would say is stronger than the others - before or after it's been added to water.

In the water, this bath bomb immediately begins to fizz and dissolve - sending out waves of spring green across the surface of the water. Within seconds the tub is filled with a bright, uplifting colour that matches the robust aroma that elevates itself around the bathroom, and minutes later the bath bomb is all put dispersed. 

What I noticed immediately, upon stepping into the tub, was that the water was incredibly smooth. Although there is nothing in the ingredients list that suggest the ballistic would be all that moisturising, my skin felt nourished and smooth within minutes of submerging myself under the water. This feeling carried on long after I had exited the bath, along with the scent - that lingered on my skin for a good hour after I had towelled myself down.

The inclusion of the chamomile not only supported the tarragon in giving Deep Atmosphere a delicate but refreshing herbal smell, but helped me make this a very relaxing bath bomb. Once I was settled in the tub, I found it very difficult to want to leave. Moreover, after using one of these a little before I went to bed, gave me a much better sleep than what my body is normally privy to on a daily basis. 

My only qualm with this bath bomb was that it created a greenish-yellow mark around my bath tub afterwards, and I had to scrub away the stain before it became a permanent feature. Having said that, I would (and still have been) using this bath bomb over and over again, as it is easily one of my all-time favourite products. 

While the Lush Kitchen is no longer producing its weekly menus, I very much hope that this little gem makes itself present at some point again in the near future. This is one of only a handful of bath bombs that I would be happy to stock up on, and I would take full advantage of doing so if the opportunity arises. Look out Lord Of Misrule: your number one spot might not be a secure as you think. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Bicarbonate Of Soda, Citric Acid, Perfume, Siberian Pine Oil, Oak Moss Absolute, Cedar Leaf Distilled Over Orris Root, Tarragon Oil, Chamomile Oil, Violet Leaf Absolute, Crocin, Colour 61585.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Coming soon!

Lord Of Goathorn Liquid Perfume

Rarely do I find myself so adverse to a Lush product that my gag reflexes come into play the second I get a whiff of the item. Even my least favourite scent families - Ginger and Skinny Dip being two of them, don't cause a violent reaction anywhere near the one described above. However, when it comes to Lord Of Goathorn Liquid Perfume, I wouldn't describe the aroma as being any less than pure evil.

If there's one thing I love about Lush fragrances, it's the fact that Lush are never afraid to take risks. And in doing their own thing, they have created some of the most beautifully unique and strangely alluring perfumes on the planet. Some of my favourite scents are ones that I would never have even considered using a few years ago, and the thought and effort behind each and every one really shines through when you're wearing these perfumes on your skin.

Lord Of Goathorn is the only perfume from the Volume 2 collection that I didn't buy during its debut release. Aside from Hellstone, which is the only non vegan fragrance in the set, the description of this one just sounded like something that could wait. After waiting almost four years, I finally managed to secure myself a bottle, and thought now was a better time than any to review it and update my blog.

While I believe I have a strong nose when it comes to smells, there is something really quite nasty about this perfume from the get go. In the bottle it gives off a warm, robust combination of liquorice, basil and seaweed. The latter ingredient gives it an almost fishy but equally oily aroma, while the two former ingredients interlace and produce a smell that I can almost imagine being quite enjoyable by itself.

I would actually go as far as to say that this perfume doesn't agree with my sense of smell at all. However, in the bottle, I can almost understand why some consumers would appreciate it, and if that fragrance was what you received after applying it on your skin, I probably wouldn't label the perfume as 'evil' - just not very nice.

Unfortunately, it is when the product has been applied to the skin that I realise how much I genuinely abhor the aroma it offers, and it is then that my gag reflexes kick without warning. For it is at this time that the perfume begins to intensify from the warmth of the skin, and all of the strong aromas that have been combined to create this perfume, come out in full force.

Firstly, an initial sniff offers that of a strong, treacle-like liquorice aroma. It is not a gentle smell that you would expect from fresh fennel; it is very much like bonfire toffee, which is a black treacle toffee that has a strong note of molasses to give it its sultry flavouring. Alongside this is the seaweed, which offers slightly less of a fishy smell outside of the bottle, but is still the component I think ruins this perfume.

On the skin, the seaweed absolute gives off a very metallic aroma - one that reminds me a little of scorched rubber or burning plastic. It's a smell that clings to the inner walls of your nose and is heady enough that it has given me a headache nearly every time I've attempted to use this perfume. To finish off, a combination of tarragon and basil offer a herbal component - one that I found tended to disperse a lot quicker on the skin than the other notes, which was a shame because that would have probably been my favourite element.

In its favour, Lord Of Goathorn stays rather complex on the skin, so you can still experience all of the different layers for quite a while after application. In regards to its longevity, this perfume also stays around for an awfully long time - I found that I could still detect it on my skin some five hours after I had originally applied it. 

There are obviously people out there that appreciate,and perhaps even love this perfume - the fact that it's still available to buy internationally tells me this much is true. However, it is not one I would be willing to wear again for a long time, and I really hope that Lush don't bring out any similar-scented products.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Seaweed Absolute, Tarragon Oil, Basil Oil, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Citronellol, *Isoeugenol, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £36 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2012 

Go Green Liquid Spray

It is not often that I trawl through eBay anymore, as it normally enrages me to see how many sellers have purchased Kitchen items and are trying to sell them for a large profit. However, on a recent scout, I was lucky enough to come across this bottle of body spray, and knew I just had to win it.

Go Green was first brought out in 2007, as both a solid perfume and a liquid body spray. Inspired by environmental activist, Rebecca Lush, this perfume plays homage to her keenness for green transportation and recycling. It's for those that need a pick me up whilst cycling too and from work in the busy traffic, and commuters that need to freshen up in the sweltering heat of the city. Those of us who have perhaps become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life, it's a nice little reminder that there are such things as trees and fields and forests outside of our tower buildings and Starbucks cafes.

As its name suggests, this body spray possesses an incredibly 'green' smell - a multi-layered fragrance that is as uplifting as it is refreshing. With an ingredients list that leaves much to the imagination, this limited edition scent is definitely more of an experience than just a simple perfume.

Unlike its solid counterpart, the liquid format is far more 'in your face' from the word go, and while the aforementioned edition is strong, robust but strangely subtle on the skin, this edition is potent from the start and may be a little overwhelming for the first few uses.

With grapefruit, vetivert, neroli, bergamot, oakmoss, tarragon, fennel and cedar oil all listed as ingredients, it's a wonder this product works at all. There is a lot going on here, yet this multi-layered perfume works really well - offering bursts of fragrance throughout the entire day and well into the evening.

An initial spray reveals that the top notes are definitely the more fruitier ones - grapefruit catches your nose with a burst of sourness, while neroli and bergamot compliments this with their own grassy citrus aroma. Although I have described these elements as being fruity, I'd definitely say that they're more the natural, tart and slightly bitter variation.

Underneath this, vetivert offers a gentle but powerful earthy, smoky element. While this is prominent in the overall spray, it acts a little like resin - giving a strong but sort of capped, oily smell that is softened a little in this mix - not being as dry as it usually is. Alongside this is a generous helping of oakmoss, which grounds the fragrance and gives a deeper, more sensual aroma. This deeper, slightly earthy scent is extended with the likes of tarragon, fennel and cedar oil - offering a herbal smell with a woody, forests undertone.

As I mentioned above, out of the bottle, this is quite a potent perfume, but it soon settles on the skin and gives off gentle bursts of fragrance that last for a good 4-5 hours before they wear off. While it's not my favourite scent form Lush, it's definitely one that would highlight and compliment a warm, spring day, or one that I like to use in the darker, colder months to reminisce of warmer days.

This aromatic offering from Lush is a wonderful, universal smell - one suited for male and female wearers. If you adore Grass Shower Gel, this is the closest thing you're going to get in a perfume format, and I suggest you hunt a bottle down if you can. While it's definitely not something I would hunt down to purchase again, I'll continue to enjoy spraying myself throughout the winter months, and just hope that spring and summer come around as quickly as they can.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi), Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Tarragon Oil (Artemisia dracunculus), Thyme Oil (Thymus vulgaris), Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata), Oakmoss Absolute (Evernia prunastri), Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Cedar Leaf Oil (Thuja occidentalis), Fennel Oil (Foeniculum vulgare), *Benzyl Salicylate, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: ?

Year Of Original Release: 2007.

Scent Family:
Go Green Liquid Body Spray
Go Green Solid Perfume
Green Green Bath Of Foam Bubble Bar
Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo

 

Dirty Solid Perfume

Although it is one of Lush's more popular signature scents, it is not a fragrance that inspired any interest from me to begin with. While I enjoy the smells of all of the ingredients present in this solid edition, not one of them would be considered a personal favourite of mine, and I can certainly never see myself falling head over heels in love with a heavily minty scent (aside from Abominaball).  

As with many of Lush's solid editions, Dirty Solid Perfume replicates the liquid fragrance perfectly - offering consumers a more compact and better value for money edition that sits nicely in a purse or pocket and can be reapplied at any given moment. 

Initially launched in 2011, the original fragrance features lavender, neroli, sandalwood, oak moss, tarragon, thyme and mint; a unique and interesting concoction that boasts multiple layers for wearers to enjoy throughout the entire day. While this edition doesn't seem to feature any oak moss, the smell that leaped out of the tub upon opening was exactly what I was expecting so you won't find any surprises here. 

As I stated above, this is a heavily mint-dominated aroma - one that isn't thwarted by anything sweet to make it more creamy like you would perhaps expect with a lot of other branded cosmetics. This strong, crisp mint smell is refreshing and heady, yet it is not overly potent at all. 

Alongside this is a note of tarragon, which gives the perfume a rather green herby smell - one that has a slight kick to it which reminds me a little of aniseed or liquorice. Coupled with the mint, these two components create a fragrance reminiscent of men's aftershave - just without the horrible cloudy cologne element that you get as an afterthought upon spraying the aerosol. 

Yet despite the nature of this fragrance, Dirty does not come across as a predominantly masculine smell. While many would definitely state it as being the most masculine scent that Lush offers, there is definitely room here for it to be a unisex perfume.    

In fact, all of the ingredients Lush have brought together, compliment each other wonderfully and create a rich and complex fragrance, one that grows with you throughout the day. After applying this to your skin, you can expect to enjoy the perfume for a good 3-4 hours. While this is not as long as the liquid version, and may seem a little short for those who want something with longevity, this is the average life span of most Lush solid perfumes so it is to be expected.

As a solid perfume, you are supposed to apply this to both your pulse points - most notably your neck and wrists. However, you can also apply this to your hair - rubbing a little bit between your fingers and then running them through your hair to give you wonderful fragrant hair to see you through the day. I find that the smell tends to linger longer when used in this way, so I often opt to use my solids as hair care rather than perfume.

Ultimately, this is another good example of a solid perfume from Lush. Although it is far from being my favourite fragrance, I do love how refreshing it is on the senses and how different it is to every other perfume available from the company right now. I tend to use this in the colder months, when I need something powerful to wake me up in the mornings, and I find that this ticks all of the boxes when it comes to giving me that much-desired 'slap in the face'. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera), Perfume, Talc, Tarragon Oil (Artemisia dracunculus), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum viell), Lavender Absolute (Lavandula angustifolia), Neroli Oil ( Citrus Aurantium), Thyme Absolute (Thymus Vulgaris), Cinnamyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Farnesol, Hydroxycitronellal, Methyl Ionone, Colour 77289.  

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £6.50 for 12g.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:

Dirty Body Spray

Dirty Hair Cream

Dirty Liquid Perfume

Dirty Massage Bar
Dirty Soap
Dirty Solid Perfume
Dirty Springwash Naked Shower Gel
Dirty Springwash Shower Gel
Dirty Toothy Tabs
Moustachio Soap

Old Father Time Soap

Every year Lush tend to bring out at least one new soap in their Christmas collection, and if it isn't a brand design, it's at least an old product from the deepest, darkest vaults of the company. However, there hasn't been a soap in a number of years that has incited as much enthusiasm in me as this particular one has done.

Old Father Time is an alluring name for what is easily one of the most exciting, beautiful and gorgeously fragrant soaps to ever come from Lush. You only have to marvel at the product in its complete wheel to know that it is more than just a block of oils to use in the shower - it's a piece of artwork, and a clear statement of the quality of goods that come from my favourite company. 

To begin with, the design is incredible - a deep shade of maroon red, decorated with a golden face and a selection numbers to represent the hands of a clock. Even more impressive is the fact that once you cut the soap open, you'll find cog-shaped clumps of blues and golds threaded throughout the soap which makes it look like the inner workings of an actual clock.

Priced at only £3.50 for 100g, this is a bargain - a steal when you recognise how unique and luxurious the fragrance is, coupled with the quality of the ingredients that go into making it. Containing opopnax - a resin that comes from acacia trees native to warmer parts of America, this soap has a wonderful fragrance that has components of both incense and oriental spice.

While the opopnax offers a warm-balsamic and sweet, honey-like aroma, the myrrh adds a dry, sensual element that gives the soap a more rounded smell. Opopnax is far sweeter, warmer, more powdery and slightly smokier than myrrh, but they do share similar traits, and you can detect both components in the aroma of this beautiful soap. Alongside these ingredients is rosewood - a spicy citrusy and rather woody aroma that gives Old Father Time a slight undertone that reminds me of burnt resin, while the tuberose, which is a sweet, floral and honey-like scent, adds spicy and narcotic elements to make this a rich and highly sultry bar of soap. 

To me, this soap has so many different layers that it's difficult to express exactly how it smells. It reminds me of chai-spiced tea and incense, with a sweet fruity berry note, a dash of herbal tarragon and a sprinkle of powdered sugar that reminds me of the scent of old-fashioned Pink Shrimp sweets. As you can imagine, it's a powerful and very memorable fragrance - one that I know will become a firm favourite amongst Lush fans worldwide.

As if the scent wasn't enough to win me over, this soap works amazingly well in the shower as well. When in contact with water, it produces a thick, creamy and slightly oily lather that glides over the skin and infuses your body with its beautiful aroma. Once the soap suds have been rinsed away, you're left with crisp, clean, smooth feeling skin.

To reiterate what I said earlier, this is more than just a soap. I say this because not only was my body left feeling and smelling pretty amazing, but the fragrance itself left me feeling really calm and relaxed, and I definitely noticed a change in my mood after using this in the shower.

While it is rare for me to stockpile any of Lush's soaps, even if it's one I really like, I will definitely be making sure that I purchase a big slab of this to see me through the winter months into 2016. If this was to be released as a perfume, it would easily be one of my all-time favourite scents from Lush - they've really outdone themselves this time.                                              

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Sage and Thyme Infusion (Salvia officinalis;Thymus vulgaris), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus;Cocos nucifera), Sorbitol, Water (Aqua), Perfume, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Redcurrants (Ribes rubrum), Myrrh Resinoid (Commiphora myrrha), Opoponax Oil, Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Tuberose Absolute (Polianthes Tuberosa), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Radiant Gold Lustre; Gold Glimmer Lustre; Glacier Blue Lustre; Yoshi Yellow Lustre    

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.50 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Bar Humbug Bubble Bar

As far as seasonal bath bombs go, this one doesn't look or sound like your typical Christmas product. Amongst the winter warmers; the sweet and the minty, this one stands out like a sore thumb - a design and fragrance that steps away from the regular winter warmers and their candy-esque counterparts, and carves a new pathway that is both exciting and rewarding.  

Despite sporting the name Bar Humbug Bubble Bar, this unique and very visually stunning new addition would probably not fathom first in your ideas of new product designs for the seasonal period. In fact, aside from its name, this bar wouldn't go amiss in the Mother's Day and Easter ranges as opposed to being exclusively a winter special. 

Sharing its scent with the newly-released Bertie Soap, this gorgeous deep purple beauty has a strong and very grassy liquorice aroma. What sets this product apart from the aforementioned soap is that there is also a clear, distinctive lemon aroma at the forefront, which makes the scent of this bubble bar much fuller and better developed than its older brother.

Out of the packet you can detect a clear sweet, lemony aroma, which sits alongside the fennel and tarragon oil to create a wonderfully rich and powerful herbal liquorice smell. Imagine visiting an old-fashioned sweet shop and ordering some lemon Bon Bons alongside a stick or two of liquorice. If you were to leave them together in a packet, sprinkled with a touch of icing sugar, you may begin to appreciate the fragrance that emanates from this seasonal release. 

As if I wasn't already hooked on the fragrance of this bubble bar, Bar Humbug also proved to be a winner in the bath tub. While it did take a while to crumble the product under the running tap, due to the rigidity of the bar, the result was a tub full of deep purple water and a mountain of silky-soft bubbles that would rival any other bubble bar. 

Despite its size being comparable to the likes of Dorothy or Grass, this medium-sized bubble bar will easily see you through 2-3 good quality baths, and aside from the visual display that it offers the consumer, it also happens to emit a scent that is strong enough to remain prominent throughout the entire bath, but gentle enough that it isn't cloying on the senses. Furthermore, once I had exited the bath, I found that I had a lovely sweet, lemony fragrance on my skin to enjoy throughout the day. 

Not only this, but the water itself with like silk - a thick, creamy consistency that immediately softened my skin and left it feeling incredible smooth and well-nourished. It was very much like having a bath oil or melt present without any of the excess grease or oils that you can sometimes get on the surface of the water.

While this wasn't a bubble bar that I immediately gravitated towards when I saw the Christmas range on display, it's the underdog that I'm sure will become a big seller once consumers have discovered the joys of bathing in its waters. I will definitely be stocking up on these before the season is over. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Cornflour (Zea mays), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Fennel Oil (Foeniculum vulgare), Tarragon Oil (Artemisia dracynculus, Synthetic Fluorphogopite, Silver Glimmer Lustre (Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Colour 77400), Citral, Coumarin, Limonene, Colour 45410, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 77226.  

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.65 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Scent Family: 

Bar Humbug Bubble Bar

Bertie Soap

Bertie Soap

When Lush announced that there would be close to 300 new products coming out in the Oxford Street store, I was pleased to hear that some of them would be revamped versions of older editions - with a few making a comeback from the vaults of the early naughties. 

Bertie Soap is one such product that many may see as a brand new offering, instead of recognising that this product has been around for a good 12 years - just not making an appearance for a very long time. Described as more of an 'instalment' than something you'd want to use on your skin, this soap is one of the most visually stunning ones available at the flagship store. 

Modelled on the famous Liquorice All-sorts candy and named after the person who created the very fragrance that goes into making this multi-coloured block of glycerine, this playful combination of yellow, pink, blue and black is a sight to behold - one you almost feel guilty for using because of how lovely it looks on the shelf. 

Opting for a slice of the black, I was initially surprised by the smell that greeted my nose. While I knew the history of the product, I didn't put two and two together and so was expecting a much sweeter candied smell. Instead, I was blown away by the refreshing, almost clinical fennel smell that dominates the scent of this soap. 

In some reviews I have heard Bertie being describe has having a very strong liquorice smell - something that I don't think really gives you a good impression of this soap at all. While it is heavily laced with fennel, it's a far more grassier, spicy aroma. When I think of liquorice, I think of the confectionary variation, which is much richer and more treacly than the smell of this soap. 

This soap also contains both tarragon and pine oil - both of which give this product a gentle herbal aroma - the former ingredient making more of an impression than the latter. Together, these three ingredients help to make this a very refreshing, detoxifying experience in the shower - one that not only softens the skin but awakens the senses and helps to curb exhaustion. 

In the shower, Bertie is very generous with its lather - producing a very thick and creamy foam that coats the skin and leaves a gentle fragrance on the body. The inclusion of charcoal powder also means that little grains are unleashed with the lather which offers a gentle exfoliation as well as a clean. 

The product leaves your skin feeling really clean and soft, although it did dry my hands out a little when I was massaging this between my palms. I focused mostly on using this soap on my legs and found that it worked as a great alternative to shaving cream. It kept my legs moisturised and lubricated but taut enough that I didn't cut myself whilst shaving. 

I found that cutting it into thin circular pieces (roughly 1cm in width), allowed me to hold the soap easily in the shower and exfoliate in circular motions without dropping my chunk. This also helped me to stimulate a really generous lather quickly and I was able to place the chunk away from the water and use what I had created to clean most of my body. 

My skin felt really smooth after using this and I did appreciate the gritty texture as it helped to banish the dried skin on my legs without being too harsh on my body. Whereas some scrubs can be too forceful at times, this one offered a great balance between cleaning and exfoliating.  

A 100g block will set you back £3.70, which makes it one of the cheapest soaps you can buy from Lush and definitely a bargain given its productivity and fragrance. It is also quite a compact soap so will last a lot longer than the softer variations you can get. If you keep this dry between uses, a chunk could easily last you up to two months, which makes it good value for money. 

While I wouldn't say that the scent of Bertie is a particular favourite of mine, I did really like what it did to my skin and I would happily buy a few more chunks of this to see me through the coming months. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Liquorice Root Infusion (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil: Coconut Oil (Brassica napus: Cocos nucifera), Sorbitol, Water (Aqua), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Sodium Stearate, Powdered Charcoal, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Fennel Oil (Foeniculum vulgare), Tarragon Oil (Artemisia drancunculus), EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 45350, Colour 17200, Colour 15510, Colour 42090, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £3.70 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: unsure. 

Scent Family: 

Bar Humbug Bubble Bar

Bertie Soap

Dirty Massage Bar

In all honesty, I probably wasn't as excited about this massage bar as most other Lush fans around the world were - that being because I'm not overly keen on most mint-scented cosmetics. That's not to say I don't enjoy the scent, just that it wouldn't be the fragrance I would pick if I had a choice. However, the sound of this massage bar was enough to leave me at least optimistic about what it could offer me.

Dirty Massage Bar is a brand new bar, but one that I can imagine has been a long time coming. It's surprising that Lush have not offered this to fans already, given the popularity of the Dirty family. With a perfume and a body spray, not to mention the soap, shower gel, hair cream and toothy tabs to name but a few, this seems like a natural next step for the company. 

What sets this massage bar apart from the other same-fragranced products, not to mention the other massage bars that Lush currently offer, is that this one has an extra layer of chocolately goodness. It's a perfect accompaniment for those of us with a sweet tooth who don't want to overindulge on the edible kind. And let's not forget to mention the fact that the inclusion of it elevates the Dirty scent to a whole new level. 

Dirty Massage Bar is the same size as your average bar and sports a rather lovely tan colour. In the centre is an oval of dark chocolate that protrudes a little from the surface and sports the word 'LUSH' across it's belly. While I find other Dirty products very heavy on the mint, this format is slightly softer and more appealing. The inclusion of both cocoa and shea butter help to dampen the mint element a little and give it an almost creamy fragrance, which is very pleasing. 

What I love about this product is that, from a distance, you can smell a combination of the distinctive herbal, minty aroma from Dirty, woven around an exquisite, rich dark chocolate scent. Yet if you take a closer sniff, you find clear definition of the two notes. The tan coloured bar sports the Dirty fragrance while the darker section is the chocolate scent. This gives you power to choose how much you combine the two smells.

The first time I used this, I only massaged the flat bottom of the bar and was able to pick up the Dirty smell; the second time saw me using both parts and being able to detect the wonderful combination of chocolate, mint and sandalwood. However, please don't assume that this is a typical 'chocolate mint' smell - it's far more sophisticated and fragrant than this. You can smell the sandalwood here as well as the thyme, tarragon and lavender - all three adding a gentle but complex aromatic experience. The sandalwood in particular comes out a lot on your skin and offers a beautiful woody aroma. 

This bar is an easy melter - so be careful not to hold it for too long. I noticed that the second I picked it up, I could already feel it sliding between my fingers. Much like Yes Yes Yes, this bar glides easily across the body and leaves a light trail of oil which absorbs into the skin fairly quickly and leaves you with a beautiful, natural sheen. It doesn't take long for the bar to permeate into the skin and leave it looking, feeling and smelling absolutely gorgeous. Lush have really perfected the usability of the massage bar with this one. 

While some fans may be worried that the chocolate element will paint your skin like Chocolala Massage Bar does, this one is nowhere near as messy. You will find chocolately smears on your skin but there is a lot less for you to contend with and the consistency of the oils helps these to disperse into the skin quickly. Furthermore, as you have the power to determine how much you use the chocolate part, you can control just how Dirty you want to get!

The beautiful fragrance of the bar is really long-lasting and stays with you for hours. The fragrance is definitely more masculine than feminine which is great as there are few massage bars available predominantly for male consumers. While I would still maintain that this is more of a masculine smell, it's definitely not something that cannot be enjoyed by everyone. This is probably my favourite Dirty product to date and one that I hope will be around for a long time. I will be buying this again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Dark Chocolate, Perfume, Lavender Absolute, Neroli Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Tarragon Oil, Thyme Absolute, Cocoa Powder, Oak Moss Extract, Coumarin, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Hydroxycitronellal.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £5.95 each.

Scent Family:

Dirty Body Spray

Dirty Hair Cream

Dirty Liquid Perfume

Dirty Massage Bar
Dirty Soap
Dirty Solid Perfume
Dirty Springwash Naked Shower Gel
Dirty Springwash Shower Gel
Dirty Toothy Tabs
Moustachio Soap