Tramp Solid Perfume

Regular readers will know that Tramp is one of my least favourite scents from Lush. While patchouli is one of my favourite notes in other products, there is just something that doesn't sit well with me when it comes to the collaboration of smells featured in this scent family. Although I have definitely grown to appreciate it more as the years have gone on, it's not one I would gravitate towards, if given the choice.

For this reason, I wasn't all that excited about trying the brand new solid perfume that was up for sale in the Kitchen. Out of the three releases - Snow Fairy, 29 High Street and this one, I was fully expecting this one to be my least favourite. For this reason, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually really liked this perfume - so much so that I dug out my shower gel to use in my showers for the preceding week.

With very few ingredients, it's surprising to discover just how many different layers make up this fragrance - from the initial aroma in the tin, right the way through to how the perfume changes on the body over time. This is a perfume that takes a journey on your skin, and one I feel lucky enough to be able to experience.

As to be expected, both the oakmoss and patchouli dominate this very unique collaboration. From the tub, the smell of the oakmoss is overwhelmingly strong - a dark, green, foresty sort of smell that reminds me of dried dirt and hay combined. It's a smell that by itself would be rather horrible, but is redeemed by the much-needed patchouli.

This latter ingredient rests just below the oakmoss and provides an almost piercingly-sweet but equally spicy note to the solid perfume. This not only gives the other component a much needed lift, but it is this element that matures on the skin and remains present long after the oakmoss had faded into obscurity.

While the perfume didn't appeal to me all that much initially, I appreciated the fact that over the space of 30-40 minutes, Tramp mellowed quite a bit on the skin - the oakmoss taking a back step while the patchouli pushed forward and offered a sweet, warming fragrance to enjoy.

Massaging my finger across the surface, I applied the perfume to my pulse points (on both wrists and neck), and found that the perfume immediately got to work at maturing with the warmth of my skin. Here it remained for a good couple of hours before I could no longer smell it. Having said that, a few colleagues commented that they could smell it at this point - it had just lost its grip on my own senses.

Overall, I was really surprised by how much I actually enjoyed wearing this perfume, and coupled with liquid variation, I have actually started warming a little to the strange but rather alluring ways of Tramp. It's one I have to be in the mood for, so I wont be wearing this very often. However, I can see myself wearing this an awful lot during the warmer months. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, Candelilla Wax, Patchouli Oil, Perfume, Oakmoss Absolute, *Eugenol, Oakmoss Extract, *Isoeugenol.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £9 for 12g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016. 

Scent Family:

Tramp Body Lotion
Tramp Liquid Perfume
Tramp Shower Gel
Tramp Shower Jelly
Tramp Solid Perfume

Vlog: My First Ever Lush Press Box!

Humpty Dumpty Bath Bomb

Humpty Dumpty sat in the tub,

Humpty Dumpty was looking quite smug,

'Til Jen threw him in, filmed his guts, watched them spew, 

All for the sake of her latest review.

On closer inspection of the different seasonal releases, I've released that it is only during the Easter range that Lush opt to bring out the 'bigger' bath bombs. Although I know that they have brought out Valentine and Christmas editions across the years, the larger ballistics have predominantly been featured in the Easter range, at least since I began to buy regularly from Lush all those years ago.

Humpty Dumpty Bath Bomb is no exception - a rather large ovoid shape that may look bigger than the usual bombs from Lush, but one that is hollow inside so doesn't weigh that much more than its older siblings. Having said that, the bomb is not as hollow as the likes of Love Locket and Which Came First?, so you definitely get more for your money. 

One of two larger ballistics featured in the Easter range, this one is brand new this year, but shares its scent, for the most part, with the Honey I Washed The Kids range. Priced up at £6.95, this marvellous release is quite a hefty investment for consumers, and this may stunt the popularity of the little guy when compared to other less expensive alternatives. However, when compared to the price of a good quality chocolate egg, Humpy Dumpty is far more appealing and better value overall.

The idea behind the bath bomb is that you crack it open and use it across multiple baths; with the size of each half being comparable to that of a normal bath bomb. Furthermore, when broken apart, you'll find that there is a miniature bath bomb in the shape of an egg, and this can either be thrown in with one of the halves, or used by itself or as part of a cocktail.

While other bloggers have stated that this bath bomb has the same fragrance as the Honey I Washed The Kids aroma, I would say that there is definitely a slight difference - especially if you were to compare it to the likes of Shoot For The Stars, which is a straight forward replica. There is definitely something unique about this smell that isn't found in other products.

First of all, I could definitely smell the HIWTK fragrance when I removed the bomb from its packaging. This part of Humpty Dumpty offers a sweet and rather sickly combination of orange and caramel - a duo that is both playful and rather sophisticated as well. There is definitely something very unique about this combination, and its presence is there from the get-go with this bath bomb.

Having said this, there is also a rather powdery component to the smell, and you also get a stronger note of bergamot as well. To me, this bath bomb was far more musky smelling and slightly more grassy than your typical HIWTK-scented products, and I appreciated the difference.

In the water, this ballistic is a very fast fizzer, and despite its size, the whole product dissolves in under a minute. As soon as it comes into contact with the water, it sends out waves of vivid blue and pastel pink froth across the surface of the water. As the bomb continues to dissolve, the fried egg in the middle begins to seep through, and both this and the bow on the front offer a little trail of yellow in the mix.

Once the product has fully dissolved, you're left with a sea of blue water to bathe in and a scent that is as strong as it was before the ballistic was used. Both of these features retain their strength throughout the experience and you exit the bath with a gentle sweet toffee-eque scent on your skin afterwards.

While it's not overly nourishing, it's definitely a moisturising bath bomb, and one that gave my skin a lovely soft feel about it. I chose to use the whole bomb at once, and found this offered a really lovely, wholesome experience. Judging by how strong the scent and colour of this bath was, I'm certain that using half will also heed fantastic results.

Overall, I think this is definitely more of a novelty bath bomb - one you would buy as a one-off gift for someone else, or as a treat for yourself - something different from one of the  regular bath bombs. While Humpty Dumpty omits a lovely smell, and definitely a little step away from the typical HIWTK replicas, I still think that Shoot For The Stars is far more visually pleasing and better value for money overall.

For this reason, one is more than enough for me, and this wont be one I stock up on before it disappears. However, it definitely has many merits as a product, and I'm not saying that it's a bad product at all - just that it would be far more appealing if it wasn't such a wallet strain.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Brazilian Orange Oil, Bergamot Oil, Water, *Limonene, *Linalool, Lilial, Citronellol, Perfume, Cornstarch, Colour 42090, Colour 47005, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2016. 

Scent Family:
Golden Egg Bath Bomb
Gold FUN
Honey I Washed The Kids Bath Bomb
Honey I Washed The Kids Body Spray
Honey I Washed The Kids Liquid Perfume
Honey I Washed The Kids Solid Perfume
Honey I Washed The Kids Soap
Humpy Dumpty Bath Bomb
Ma Bar Bubble Bar
Noni I Washed The Kids Body Lotion
Santasaurus Reusable Bubble Bar
Shoot For The Stars Bath Bomb (2013)
Shoot For The Stars Bath Bomb (2016)
Sugar Mama Sugar Scrub
The Mum Reusable Bubble Bar

Lush Cocktail: Singing The Blues

Sari's 'Singing The Blues' Cocktail

Contains:

1 Magic Bath Ballistic

1/2 Blue Skies And Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar

1/2 Big Blue Bath Bomb

1/2 Karma Bath Melt

Lashings Of Lord Of Misrule Shower Cream

Video:

Verdict:

As per usual, I made the decision to not go out for Halloween this year - partly due to my lack of funds in the bank, and partly because I was feeling pretty rotten after a terrible night sleep the night before. To ensure I had at least something slightly magical to do, I decided to root through my cocktail book and find a recipe that sounded like the perfect remedy to scare away those winter blues.

Ironically, Singing The Blues was one of the first to catch my eye - a cocktail so grand and exquisite that it jumped off the page at me, and even convinced me to have my bath early so that I could appreciate its finery, despite the sun still shining outside of the window. 

This cocktail is made up of five distinctly different but equally delicious ingredients, and as I have stated in most of my cocktail reviews, you can always opt to use smaller quantities of each product if you want to conserve your Lush items. This cocktail would work equally well with half of everything listed, and if you were to opt for smaller amounts, it only means you have the ingredients to enjoy a second bath at some point in the near future. 

Firstly, I crumbled the Blue Skies And Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar under the running water. This beautiful blue and white bubble bar is heavily scented with both frankincense and patchouli -  two ingredients that create a very potent but equally very unique combination - a sort of sweet but exotic aroma. 

The product also creates a generous amount of fragrant bubbles and the water turns a shade of pastel blue. This is one of those bars that heeds bubbles with a sort of shimmer to them, and this wonderful effect only helps to make the cocktail look rather amazing later on down the line, when all of the other ingredients have been added.

Next I chose to add the Big Blue Bath Bomb - a product that fizzes and froths immediately upon contact with the water. As waves of blues and whites scattered across the surface of the tub, the wonderful smell of lemon, sea salt and seaweed intertwine with the patchouli and frankincense,  and you get a very heavy yet equally refreshing aroma to contend with. This bath bomb also releases a handful of seaweed into the water, which helps to soften your skin once you're submerged.

Probably the biggest investment is the Magic Bath Ballistic - a limited edition product that most people have a love/hate relationship with because it is a very dominating bath bomb. This Halloween favourite has a fragrance made up of peppermint, rose and parsley - three components that you wouldn't imagine working but do. It's a very strong smell, and it does make the biggest impression in this cocktail. However, it settles a little once in the tub, and compliments the other ingredients, especially the bubble bar.

Finally, I added in half of a Karma Bath Melt - another limited edition product that happens to be the last one in my collection. The patchouli in this matches that of the bubble bar, and the waves of oils, butters and golden lustre help create one the most stunning looking bath cocktails I have ever had the pleasure of trying.

Once I was in the bath, I used Lord Of Misrule Shower Cream to wash myself with, and the patchouli in that also complimented the theme that was running through this entire cocktail. Once I left the bath, I would still smell all of the other elements that I had used in the tub, and my skin was radiant and moisturised.

While I will not be enjoying these regularly, this is only because of the volume of the ingredients used as well as the inclusion of Magic, which is somewhat of a rarity. However, I suddenly came into lots of money and an unlimited supply of Magics, I would be using this weekly.

It may seem like a lot for one bath but it is definitely worth it for that special occasion you've been saving up for. If you should only try one cocktail from my selection, this one would be the one I would recommend! 

Rating: 9.3 out of 10. 

Vegan?: Yes.     

Superdad Bath Bomb

Since heavily submersing myself into the world of Lush, I have always been convinced that I couldn't possibly get any more 'extreme'. Once you've spent almost half of your monthly earnings on a single order from the company, it's difficult to envisage anything reaching that level of madness again. And then you find yourself importing bath bombs from across the globe...

Superdad is a gorgeous bath bomb - one of six limited edition items that have been released to coincide with this year's Father's Day collection. Not only is this exclusive beauty brand new to the Lush family, but it's also part of the company's first ever release for this particular season. Currently only available in Spain, this stunning ballistic is set to arrive in the UK in May - making an appearance to mark our Father's Day, which is being held on June 19th this year.

What immediately grabbed my attention when it came to this bath bomb, was its design. Coming in at roughly 7cm long, 4cm wide and 2cm deep, this is a good sized bath bomb - no bigger than a regular ballistic, but definitely more visually pleasing than a lot of the plain-looking bombs you can get.

This beauty also sports a very interesting and rather unique scent - one that is both gentle and subtle, but also one that sports many prominent layers that give it quite a complex aroma as well. This certainly didn't grab my attention the first time I gave it a sniff, but it was definitely one that had won my heart over by the end of the week.

Containing what appears to be guaiacwood oil, or least a component taken from the bulnesia sarmientoi family, this bath bomb has what I'd describe as a sweet and very pleasant floral aroma. This ingredient, which is not seen very often in Lush products, gives off a soft, sweet hybrid of smells - a powdery rose and violet combination with elements of what I can only describe as being like a powdery floral tea.

Imagine taking a generous amount of hand-picked leaves from both of the flowers, leaving them to dry before adding in a generous dashing of olibanum and some natural, musky vanilla, and you might begin to understand what Superdad smells like. The olibanum oil gives the ballistic a wonderful sweet, almost resin-like note, that rests alongside the floral elements, and it may even be this that gives the bomb its gentle, powdery, vanillary finish.

There is also a very subtle woody element that is present when the bomb is not in use. However, once in the water, this alters into more of a faint, smoky aroma - not one that is very noticeable, but one you are likely to pick up on your skin afterwards.

As far as bath bombs go, I was expecting this one to be a very fast fizzer - usually Lush's flat ballistics tend to dissolve fairly quickly in the water. However, clocking in at close to twenty minutes, I was surprised to find that this was Lush's longest-lasting bath bomb to date. Not only that, but it is perhaps the quietest one as well, which is the perfect combination if you're looking for something super relaxing but equally enthralling.

While its size and generosity suggests that it would be equally as lovely being used across two baths, I chose to use the entire thing so that I could observe its full potential in the water, and what a show it produced. To begin with, the bomb unravelled waves of blue and red foam - sending out branches of colour across the surface of the tub and leaving a light layer of cloudiness in its wake.

As the ballistic began to get smaller, streams of yellow joined the mix and helped to produce a vivid but rather translucent blue-coloured bath water. While not as nourishing as you would expect from a bubble bar or bath melt, Superdad did leave the bath water rather soft and moisturising, and I really felt a difference on my skin afterwards.

Strangely, once the bath bomb had fully dissolved, I was unable to really detect much of the fragrance in the room anymore. Having said this, I was very aware that the aroma was still present in the tub - I just think that it was a little too gentle to really compete with the scents of the other products being used at the time.

What the bath bomb did do though was create a really relaxing and rather comforting experience. I felt emotionally 'warm' throughout, and it raised my spirits up quite a bit, which was just what I needed at the time. The bath bomb had a wonderfully calming effect on my state of mind, and I found that I was able to drift off to sleep fairly quickly after getting into bed that night.

Overall, I really enjoyed using this ballistic and I'm glad that I didn't wait until it came out in England for me to enjoy its healing properties. While it unfortunately didn't leave any lingering aromas on my skin afterwards, I was able to pick up the olibanum in my hair the next day, and I wonder whether there were traces on my body, I just couldn't detect them myself.

This scent would work so well as both a dusting powder and a massage bar, and I really hope to see other products with the same aroma in the near future. While my dad will not be the receiver of such bath bomb this year, I can vouch that I will enjoy these ten times over in his honour.            

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cream of Tartar, Sandalwood Oil, Guiacwood Oil, Olibanum Oil, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, *Limonene, *Linalool, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal, Lilial, Rosie Red Lustre, Cornstarch, Colour 42090, Colour 14700, Colour 47005.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.