Peace Massage Bar

Described as a 'massage bar to restore inner peace and help you make sense of the world', this is a product that was originally inspired by the London riots. Sometimes you just need a luxurious bath, a massage or a full body moisturise to rid yourself of the stresses of life. This is where Peace Massage Bar comes in handy...

Using essential oils -  cocoa butter, shea butter and olive oil, this is a massage bar intent on rewarding your skin without smothering it in rubbish; you only have to look at the minimal ingredients list to know that this is a product as natural as they come.  Lush claim that it takes 'a blend of Forgiveness, Acceptance, Calm and Content to bring about Peace', and they've used specific ingredients to replicate this notion. 

So why a massage bar? Firstly, by keeping the ingredients in their solid form, as opposed to a liquid state, it means that Lush don't have to include specific chemicals and preservatives to get the product to remain liquid at room temperature. Secondly, because there are only natural ingredient present in the bars, these products are great for people with sensitive skin and those that don't bode well with heavy moisturisers. Finally, keeping it in it's solid form means it is easier and more cost-effective for the company and consumer, as it requires less packaging to store. 

To use the massage bar, you can do one of two things. I tend to warm my hands up a little before carefully rubbing the bar all over my body. Once I've smeared enough on my skin, I then use my hands to massage it all over evenly. You can also use the warmth of your hands to melt the massage bar somewhat, before using this to smother it all over your skin like you would a normal lotion.

What I love about Peace is it's simplicity; it's scent is a very mild one, reminding me a little of dairy free white chocolate; that creamy, subtle smell that has just a hint of sweetness. It's scent is not overpowering at all, which is perfect who those who want something light and gentle to indulge themselves in.

This massage bar glides across the skin with ease and leaves behind a thin layer of oils that dissolve into your skin quite nicely. I would say be careful when using this bar as if you apply too much, it can take a while for the oils to get absorbed and this may leave your body greasy.

As well as the way this massage bar can restore and relax your soul, the ingredients also echo the sentiments behind it's name. The cocoa butter used here has been harvested from the Peace Villages of San Jose de Apartado in Colombia, an inspirational cooperative who have chosen to step out of their country’s civil war and live peacefully off the land. As with all of the olive oil that Lush use in their products, it comes from Sindyanna Women’s Cooperative in Galilee. Furthermore, all of their ingredients are fair trade so the peace they're trying to spread, expands to every part of the creation process.

Ultimately, this is by no means my favourite massage bar, but it is one I'd use again when I'm looking for something quite subtle to moisturise my skin. A sensual and rather sultry-smelling solid bar, Peace is the epitome of it's name, and one I hope Lush will continue to sell for a long time to come.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Colombian Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Perfume, Fair Trade Olive Oil, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Lush Lime Shower Smoothie

I was lucky enough to win a tub of this on eBay a few years ago, having read about it on the Lush US site and finding myself really excited about the combination of ingredients used. Having only tried two other shower smoothies at this point, Whitewash and the rather wonderful Creamed Almond and Coconut, I was intrigued how this one would compare to both of these.

Lush describe Lush Lime Smoothie as 'a phenomenally fruity smoothie soap to clean, tone and soften your skin with coconut and almond oils, strawberry and butternut squash infusions. Wakes you up with grapefruit, orange and lime.' 

When you read that, it sounds more like a dessert - not something you'd think of smearing all over your body, which is exactly what Lush are aiming for with their smoothie products. They wanted a product that sits between a solid soap and a shower gel; one that's as easy to apply as the latter but also contains lots of key oils and butters to give you that extra moisturising touch. Shower smoothies tend to be creamier than shower gels, and therefore more moisturising. However, they don't lather up like you would expect a shower gel to do, instead working on softening and hydrating your skin instead. 

Lush claim that this product is 'a smooth citrus blast of sunshine' and I can definitely see why. Aside from the different oils which have been added to soften and relax the skin, Lush Lime also has lime juice, fresh strawberries, grapefruit oil and orange flower absolute to give this smoothie a beautiful fresh scent. While the strawberries are slightly stronger than the lime, the citrus element helps to round the overall fragrance of this product and give off a thick, creamy fruity smell. 

Despite the different fruits used, this shower smoothie isn't overly powerful and reminded me a little of the now-discontinued Artemis Cream Lotion; that subtle but creamy fruity fragrance that has the slightest hint of coconut oil coming through to compliment and round off the overall scent. 

The most interesting aspect about this product is the use of fresh butternut squash, an ingredient I haven't seen being used that often in cosmetics. This helps to thicken the smoothie and soften your skin at the same time. You can really see how this ingredient effects the consistency and smell of the smoothie as it was incredibly light and fluffy and there was an element of sweetness that I could only credit the root vegetable for. 

Lush Lime's consistency is a little different from both of the other smoothies I've tried so far; this one is like a thick yoghurt with just the slightest elasticity, which makes it easy to remove from the pot during use. I can't say it's very attractive, presenting itself as on off-white coloured gunk, but it's not an aspect that really matters to me. 

The best way to use this, as with all other smoothies, is to scoop out as much or as little as you want and lather it straight onto the part of your body you want cleansing. Then simply rinse under water and towel dry yourself down. Normally, I tend to use the smoothies as an extra treat once I've used my regular shower gel as I don't always feel fully clean when I use it by itself. As with the array of butter creams that Lush have brought out over the years, I find that these sorts of products are better used as a luxurious finishing touch, rather than for solely cleaning yourself. However, this is a personal preference so you can use your smoothies as you wish. 

What dissappointed me at first with Lush Lime, is that I found it was slightly drying on the skin, and whereas Creamed Almond & Coconut left my body feeling velvety soft after I had gotten out of the shower, this one's effect wore off as soon as the water washed the foam away. Furthermore, the wonderful mellow smell that it possessed in the tub, didn't remain on my skin at all and I still needed to moisturise after my shower. 

However, I realised very quickly that this was due to the age of the product itself and when I had the opportunity to pick up a fresh tub of the smoothie in the Lush Kitchen, I found that it in fact did the very opposite. It left my skin silky smooth and I found that I didn't have to use a lot to clean my entire body. While it didn't leave much of a scent after I had left the shower, the effects that the oils and butters had on my skin was enough for me to appreciate its worth. 

One final problem which effects all of Lush's tubbed shower treats, is that because you have the freedom to scoop out the amount you need, you very often take too much. For this reason, make sure that you're not too greedy when you're using this as you could quite easily polish off an entire pot in under two weeks. 

While my original experience left me feeling rather disappointed with Lush Lime, a fresh pot revealed how effective it was at cleaning, moisturising and softening the body, whilst being really gentle on my skin. While I would have liked it to have pertained a stronger aroma, it does exactly what it says on the tin and I would definitely buy this again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Butternut Squash Infusion, Glycerine, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Fresh Organic Lime Juice, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Fresh Strawberries, Water, Grapefruit Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, *Limonene, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £9.50 for 250g. 

2016 Price: £9.75 for 250g. 

2017 Price: £9.95 for 250g. 

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Vanillary Solid Perfume

Ever since Lush re-released their solid perfumes in new, rather sexy designs, I have been intrigued to try them all out and see which ones are on par with their liquid counterparts, and which ones surpass them. I thought I would start with a product that would have to work exceptionally hard to beat it's liquid opponent - simply because it happens to be one of my all-time favourite perfumes.

There are many reasons why solid perfumes are a good investment. Firstly, they are very easy to transport from place to place. They take up very little space and have no way of leaking, so can be stored in pockets, purses and bags and taken near enough anywhere. Secondly, they are great value for money. This one in particular comes in at £7 for a 12g tub, and while the weight in conjunction with the price may seem rather expensive for perfume, it's far more compact than your typical liquid fragrances so you get a lot more bang for your buck.

Finally, and this is more of personal preference, there's just something really wonderful about the packaging and designs of these solid editions. They're a great little collector's item and when bought in conjunction with others, look rather fantastic on your shelf. 

Vanillary Solid Perfume is one Lush's biggest sellers, and I can hazard a guess as to why. As I've said countless times, I am sick of synthetic, watered-down plastic vanilla scents which seem to dominate the cosmetic market; it's partly the reason I was so hesitant to try this perfume in the first place. Why take something so naturally beautiful and ruin it?

The Vanillary range from Lush is a breath of fresh air - it offers fans of vanilla-scented products the chance to enjoy the naturally sweet, toffee-esque aroma of the vanilla bean, and how glorious that experience is. 

Much like the liquid perfume, this solid edition gives off a wonderfully comforting, creamy, musky aroma that melts onto your skin like liquid gold. With a blend of vanilla absolute, tonka and jasmine, this is a warm, sultry buttery perfume that reminds me of warm pudding and melted caramel. Yet despite the foody element that you get with this fragrance, it's still a sophisticated and rather mature-smelling perfume. 

On the skin, you can immediately pick out the vanilla and tonka, with just a subtle sweetness from the jasmine. Over time, this scent dampens and allows the natural vanilla aroma to come forward and give the wearer a gentle fragrance that lasts for a good couple of hours. While this doesn't have the lasting life of the liquid perfume, it is initially less 'in your face' so I can see why Lush fans would prefer this.                                                                                                                                    What is good about the solid version is that there's less 'loss' when yore applying it. Whereas you'll lose some of the spray through evaporation, this format allows you to apply the perfume directly to the areas of your body that you wish to, so you get to utilise the whole product. Furthermore, you can use this in conjunction with the liquid format - applying the liquid perfume in the morning and then topping up with this throughout the day. 

This is a great perfume to wear as I can guarantee you'll get many a comment about it's presence. While it doesn't have the longevity or the potency of the liquid version, it's still a wonderful perfume in its own right and I cannot imagine a time when I don't have one of these in my handbag. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera), Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum), Tonka Absolute (Dipteryx odorata), Vanilla Pod Powder (Vanilla planifolia) Hydroxycitronellal, Courmarin, Benzyl Cinnamate, Colour 77492.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £7 for 12g.

Scent Family:

Heavanilli Massage Bar
Vanilla Dee-Lite Body Lotion
Vanilla Fountain Ballistic
Vanilla Puff Dusting Powder
Vanillary Liquid Perfume
Vanillary Solid Perfume

Avoshower Shower Jelly

It is only through my love of Lush that I have developed a love for jelly. Most normal people would probably claim that their love for the stuff came from the amount they ate at their friends' parties when they were little. However, I could probably count on the one hand the amount of times in my life that I have eaten it; an indication of how few parties I was invited to when I was younger.

In 2006, way before I even knew what Lush was, Avojelly Shower Jelly was created and released in limited amounts; coinciding with a Lush forum competition. Way back then, the Lush founders would often make products especially for their most loyal fans, and this was the product of one of these online discussions. Sharing its scent with the Avobath ballistic; a real favourite of mine, I was really excited to try it out.

Fast forward to May 2016, and the Lush Kitchen bring out the shower jelly once more, finally allowing new fans the opportunity to try out one of Lush's finest creations. Renaming it Avoshower Shower Jelly, this was the first time the product was available in majestic 240g pots, and the world was a better place because of it.

Firstly, this jelly is stunning; a beautiful emerald green with just the slightest pearly glisten to make it look magical. Avojelly has tiny green specks of green glitter sprinkled within the product, which helps it to look just that little bit more appealing in the tub. Don't worry about the glitter through, it doesn't stick to your skin so you don't have to worry about getting covered in plastic lustre. 

The jelly possesses the most amazing lemongrass scent - a smell that engulfs your senses immediately upon opening the lid, and one that is relentless while you're using it and beyond. It's a fresh, crisp but very sharp citrusy scent - one very similar to Stepping Stone, but with perhaps a little less emphasis on the lemon aspect.

I find that it's slightly sourer than the bath bomb, although it is just as citrusy, sweet and refreshing. This is a great shower product to reenergise those senses first thing in the morning, and I found that it greatly improved my mood after a workout as well. When compared with Avoshower Shower Gel, I found that the jelly was very subtly more fruity, yet when I used them both side by side in the shower, I couldn't really notice a difference. 

The only key difference between Avojelly and Avobath is that there's no moisturising avocado oil in the former. However, you wouldn't realise this as the shower jelly is incredibly soft. Unlike other jellies I have tried, such as Sweetie Pie and Calacas, this one creates a more oily lather, which makes your skin feel incredible after use. Unfortunately, it is this latter that also makes this product rather difficult to use. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have lost pieces down the drain whilst trying to lather this across my body. 

Having said this, I found that this shower jelly could be cut into smaller cubes and massaged into a loofa before being used, although some people choose to use it whole - the choice is yours. You could even cut it into smaller pieces and blend the jelly in a food processor. This produces somewhat of a foamy consistency that works better for those that prefer gels.  

Ultimately, I love the scent of this and would recommend it to everyone. The fragrance stays on my skin for quite a while and it compliments quite a number of my favourite perfumes, including Calacas. I hope Lush choose to bring this back again, as I can see it being very popular - I'd definitely purchase a few tubs to keep me going.

Quantitative Ingredients: Lemongrass infusion, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycerine, Popylene Glycol, Carageenan extract, Lemongrass oil, Bergamot oil, Perfume, Rosewood oil, Gardenia extract, Green Glitter (Lustre holly sparkle), Methylparaben. Citrol, Geraniol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £8.25 for 250g.
2017 Price: £8.25 for 250g.

Scent Family:

Avobath Ballistic
Avojelly Shower Jelly
Avowash/Avoshower Shower Gel
Crackersnap Ballistic
Ghost In The Dark Soap
Luck Of The Irish Bath Bomb

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Milko Soap

As I delve down further into my over-crowded soap drawer, I am beginning to find an array of colourless chunks of soap that have been pushed aside for the more visually pleasing variants. Despite knowing not to judge a product by it's cover, it seems I am not heeding my own advice - which is ironic given that Snowcake is one of my all-time favourite Lush products. 

On first sniff, Milko did remind me a little of the above soap and I wasn't at all surprised to see that benzoin was featured in it's ingredients list. Described as a gentle and comforting soap, this product is comprised of orange and lemon and gives off a sweet, creamy, balsamic aroma. 

Lush describe it's scent as 'orange and lemon ice cream with Chantilly cream on top', and while it's not as richly decadent as I was expecting, it does match this description pretty well. Intertwined with the benzoin gum, I can detect both of the fruits - yet together they give off a smell that's nothing like the typical citrus fragrance you would expect.  

Milko contains both coconut and rapeseed oil as well as soya milk, which experience has taught me makes for a highly creamy and rather moisturising base. In the shower, it's not the easiest of soaps to lather up, but it does product a thick and rather nourishing lather that coats the outside of your skin and leaves it feeling silky smooth. Lush use soya milk as it is full of proteins and minerals and helps to keep your skin tissue healthy, while the orange oil revives and tones the skin.

Unlike a lot of Lush soaps, this one doesn't dry out my skin and instead gives it a slight sheen, which adds radiance to your body. The wonderful aroma intensifies when in contact with the hot water, and the beautiful scent pervades the bathroom and lasts on the skin for many hours after use. 

A final positive about this product is it's shelf life. The block is one of Lush's more solid soaps and this helps it to withstand a lot of use. My 100g block lasted a little over two months - this is with me using it once or twice daily. For this reason, you can expect to share the shower with this product for quite a while. 

Overall, I really like this soap and it's one I would buy again. Despite it's name, this soap is definitely on the sweeter side and would work equally well as a shower gel. Unfortunately, the soap is no longer available at Lush Online, but I would hedge my bets that it will make a reappearance at some point.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Soya Milk (Glycine soja), Sodium Palm Kernelate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Styrax Resinoid (Storax), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £4.10 for 100g.

Quinquireme Of Ninevah Soap

I'll be honest with you when I say that this is one Lush product I had not heard of before they announced it would be coming out in the kitchen. As soon as I read that it was a coconut soap, I was really excited to try it out. Despite really enjoying I Should Coco, I found there was a little too much desiccated coconut present, which made it more of a scrub than a soap. I was hoping that this particular one would be more gentle on the skin.

Quinquireme of Ninevah Soap is quite a mouthful to say, and to begin with I was unsure where exactly Lush got the name from. Research revealed that the original title was inspired from a John Masefield poem in which he describes the Quinquereme's cargo of precious oils and spices - the Quinquereme being a famous warship used throughout the 4th century to carry goods across the seas. 

Some of the very ingredients that have gone into making this soap are examples of ingredients once carried by the very ship the product is named after. Coconut oil and creamed coconut give this soap it's wonderful warming aroma, while benzoin resinoid and vanilla absolute adds a natural sweetness that rounds the scent off wonderfully. 

Unfortunately, Quinquireme is not much to look at. Sporting a white design, this soap would look no different next to the likes of Milko, 17 Cherry Tree Lane and Alkmaar. Yet, the smell immediately has you salivating when you remove the wrapper - it's a really strong smelling soap but not so pungent that it prevents you from enjoying it's nutty, creamy essence. Its smell reminds me very much of Curly Wurly Shampoo - I probably shouldn't have to mention that if you dislike coconut, you'll no doubt dislike this. 

In the shower, this soap lathers up a treat and produces a white, creamy liquid that is very easy to lather over your skin. Strangely, I found that once I was massaging this across my body, I began to feel a slightly gritty texture on my skin and on the soap. Despite not containing any of the desiccated coconut that you'd expect in I Should Coco, there still seems to be little specks of coconut threaded throughout this soap. This means that you still get a gentle exfoliation while you're washing yourself but not so much that you don't feel clean afterwards. 

What I enjoyed about using Quinquireme of Ninevah Soap is that it left a gentle aroma on my skin and hair, which lasted for many hours after I had exited the shower. It wasn't so pungent that it clashed with my perfume, but it did offer me little bursts throughout the day, which was lovely. It also left my skin feeling really clean, although I wouldn't say it was all that moisturising. 

The only downfall that I found was that the soap became quite soft when being used and I can see this 100g block shrinking quite quickly if I don't keep it outside the running water. However, it's a really lovely soap and one I would highly suggest you check out, if you enjoy coconut-scented products. This would be an exceptional companion for those much-needed winter showers. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Propylene Glycol, Creamed Coconut, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Titanium Dioxide, Perfume, Sweet Orange Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.25 for 100g.

2017 Price: £4.25 for 100g.

Snake Oil Scalp Treatment Bar

When I initially purchased this product, I hadn't carried out any research beforehand, so I didn't have a clue about what it was supposed to do or whether or not it was suited to my needs. At the time, all that mattered to me was being able to place an order through the Australian Lush website and pick up some rare items that I couldn't get in the UK. 

While I was waiting (rather impatiently, I may add) for my package to arrive, I had a look into the product's purpose, and realised that it couldn't really offer me anything that I needed in a cosmetic. However, I often find that Lush products can work in multiple ways, so I was hoping this unique item would do the same.

Comprised of tea tree, lavender and peppermint oil, Snake Oil Scalp Treatment is a solid block of carefully selected oils and butters; brought together to work with the scalp and eradicate itchiness and dandruff. This block also contains a combination of shea and cocoa butter, which not only help it to stay solid at room temperature, but also work at softening your head. 

Fortunately, I don't suffer from a dried scalp at all, which is quite surprising given how dry the rest of my skin can get. For this reason, I really didn't know how my scalp or hair would react to this. When it arrived, I was immediately taken back by its scent - this is definitely not a product that holds back, and it's right at the top of my list for 'worst smelling Lush product ever'. Yes, it really is that bad! 

Yet despite it's terrible odour, I find it very difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes this smell so unappealing. You can definitely pick out the peppermint, tea tree and lavender, yet it has a potency that far outstretches all three of these ingredients. My flatmate describes it's scent as being in line with what she can imagine actual poisonous snake venom to smell like. And for once, I wouldn't argue with her sentiment. 

Much like Lush's massage bars, this works by melting it between your hands and building a layer of 'grease' to use on your scalp. I would recommend that you rub this between your fingers, rather than your palms, as it makes it easier to apply. Once you have the desired amount, massage this into your scalp, using as much or as little as you need. I found that I used the bar a total of four times to get enough oil to cover my whole scalp. You then leave it on for 20 minutes to 'work it's magic'.

There were two issues I found when it came to using my treatment bar; Firstly, the bar is extremely greasy and reacts immediately upon contact with your body heat. Therefore, it's vital that you handle it as little as possible. The first time I took this out of the packet to inspect it, my hands ended up covered in grease which was then wasted when I washed my hands afterwards. Secondly, I found that once I had the oil on my fingers, it was a little tricky applying it directly onto my scalp. The first few times I tried this out, I probably had as much product on my hair as I did on my head. 

For the latter reason, I found that after I had washed this product out and used my regular shampoo afterwards, I found that my hair felt rather dry and lifeless; nowhere near the quality I'm used to attaining from my solid shampoo bar. This roughness and almost 'brittle' condition of my hair persisted for a few days, even after I washed and conditioned my hair for the few successive days after initial use. 

Snake Oil Scalp Treatment is supposed to kill off the offending microbes that cause and encourage dandruff, while conditioning the scalp. And while I've heard wonderful success stories from those who have been 'cured' by this solid bar, it's clearly not one that my head wants or needs. 

It is for this reason that I believe I've suffered such a negative experience with this product. I suppose it's a little like buying a car when you don't know how to drive - it's pointless. It's definitely not a product I would buy again, but as I'm in no need for a dandruff eradicator as it is, I consider this to be a good thing. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Cocoa Butter (Theobrama cacao), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Alkanet Extract (Alkanna tinctoria), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), Lavender Oil (Lavandula augustifolia), Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £5.50 each.

Smaragadine Liquid Bubble Bath

I've always considered myself to be a bit of a hippy at heart; being a vegan who's very in touch with nature and preservation means that I demonstrate this side of me practically every day. When I first started purchasing cosmetics from Lush, way before I knew much about them as a company, my initial allure stemmed from the fact that they seemingly made and sold natural products. So for this reason, to begin with, I imagined all of Lush's products smelling like Tramp or Smaragadine.

Described by Lush as a ' bath of purest green', Smaragadine is one of the few liquid bubble baths that Lush have ever released. Created back when the company were known as Cosmetics To Go, this product's name literally means 'emerald' in Greek, and it's certainly that. Much like Tramp Shower Gel, in the bottle this bubble bath is a beautiful deep and natural shade of green.

To coincide with it's colour, this product smells like Lush have taken the forest and trapped it in a bottle. Containing a complex blend of essential oils like patchouli, lavender, rose, sandalwood, ginger and peppermint, this liquid bubble bath comes together to form a strange and rather multi-layered smelling product. 

Separately, these key ingredients each possess a unique scent; ones that you wouldn't automatically combine with some of the other fragrances on show here. However, Lush like to experiment, and what they've come with, seems to work quite well together. To me, Smaragadine smells heavily of patchouli, so those of you who dislike this fragrance would be best avoiding it at all costs. To pad this scent out is a combination of the different herbs and spices alongside the peppermint, which sit underneath the patchouli and give off very subtle waves of fragrance.

This shower gel reminds me of a combination of Tramp and Narcotic, the latter because of the slight 'tea tree' element that Lush have got going on here. Although there's nothing in the ingredients to suggest why it would smell like this, the product gives off an almost disinfectant sort of smell, which is similar. 

The liquid bubble bath is rather runny in consistency so you have to be careful not to pour too much into the bath at once. Although my video demonstrates me adding the Smaragadine in after the water's been added, it works much better if you add it in alongside the running water, as the force of the flow stimulates more bubbles and you'll get more for your 'buck', as they say.

When in action, the bubble bath creates light, fluffy and very velvety bubbles, which are perfect to cocoon yourself in after a long day's work. The bath water turns a lovely light forest green colour, which given that it's my all-time favourite colour, helped give it that extra special touch. The smell was fairly strong and very sensual, with the rose and peppermint coming forth the most here. This combination of smells helped to make the whole experience very relaxing whilst the peppermint added that refreshing element.

Despite leaving my skin feeling rather soft and uplifted, I didn't like the scent all that much and I was not that pleased when I found that it lingered on my skin for a number of hours after use. Smaragadine is definitely an acquired taste, and one which didn't really sit well with me. It's not an awful scent by any means, but it's not one that appeals to me all that much. 

Had I liked the smell, I'd have probably awarded this product a good five out of six; it does exactly what it says on the bottle and offers Lush fans a gorgeous, revigorating bath. However, it's not one I'd use again, and for this reason it cannot be rated as highly as I was hoping. Fans of Tramp will no doubt love this.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Rose Petal, Lavender Flower and Peppermint Leaf Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Patchouli Oil, Organic Orange Peel, Petitgrain Oil, Pimento Berry Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Ginger Oil, Cocamide DEA, Methyl Ionone, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Chlorophyllin, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £11.50 for 250g.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight