All Things Lush UK: American Cream Liquid Perfume

2 May 2014

American Cream Liquid Perfume

The only regular member of Lush's catalogue that possesses the scent of American Cream is the aptly named conditioner, which for vegan fans is off limits because of the honey that is featured in the ingredients list. I cannot tell you the number of times I have been given strange looks for walking around a Lush store with a bottle of the conditioner, sniffing it whilst browsing before popping it back on the shelf and making a quick exit.

While I love and adore the beautiful, unique scent, I'm just not prepared to break 'vegan-edge' to try some. So when I stumbled upon a brand new bottle of the now-discontinued American Cream Liquid Perfume, I was ecstatically happy that I would now be able to wear the wonderful aroma - no doubt sparing my local Lush employees from having to call the local police station and making a complaint about me.

American Cream is a scent modelled on the creamy vanillary milkshakes popular in diners during the 1950s. Released as a limited edition forum-special at the end of 2010, its scent has been composed carefully to replicate the fresh smell of strawberries and milk, and although I wouldn't say it smells like your typical milkshake, it definitely has a playful, fruity fragrance like no other perfume.

First impressions of the scent are that of a musky vanilla mixed with the sweet, floral undertones of sage and just a hint of lavender. There is a sweetness to the scent that lends itself to the strawberry reference. However, it's not a natural fruity smell that you would immediately associate with the berry. The nuttiness of the vanilla is definitely at the forefront here, and this at least is very natural smelling and fresh. To finish it off, the fragrance also features an underlying herbal note which gives the perfume it's warmth and makes the scent very wholesome.

In all honesty, I actually find this fragrance very difficult to describe as it's unlike any scent I have experienced before. It's definitely a very feminine smell, and one that would be best suited during the colder months of the year. American Cream gives off a very comforting, homely smell, which means that it might come across as rather cloying and heavy during the warmer months.

For those of you that have the privilege of being able to use the American Cream Conditioner, it does indeed smell identical to this; Lush have definitely managed to replicated the famous scent successfully in liquid perfume form. It is by no means as strong as the conditioner, but that's not to say that this gentleness isn't an attribute in itself. While my original bottle only lasted on my skin for about an hour at most, I have discovered that a fresh bottle has much more longevity. Having sprayed it once on my pulse points in the morning, I found that I could still smell the gentle and rather alluring strawberry and vanilla notes on my skin some nine hours later. Very impressive!

For those who enjoy the strength of Lush's perfumes, you may be a little disappointed to learn that this perfume is much more reserved, which means that the scent isn't as 'in your face' - even during the initial smell. Yet there is something rather beautiful about the subtly and warmth of American Cream - something that works well on the skin and is equally uplifting as it is comforting.

While I was rather disappointed with my original purchase, the fresh bottles have won me over, and convinced me that this perfume can work well in this format. I always said that if Lush were to bring American Cream back as a forum special in the coming years, they would have to revamp the fragrance and give it longevity it needs, and these new bottles do exactly that. Gorgeous!

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Clary Sage Oil (Salvia sclarea), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre), Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Coumarin, Methyl Ionone.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £20 for 27g/30ml.