Vlog: Lush Kitchen Menu August 1st - 5th 2016

Reviews of the products below:

Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo Bar

Powderpuff Deodorant Powder

Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

Mange Tout Massage Bar (non vegan)

Krystal Deodorant Bar

Lip Lime Lip Balm

Coconut Deodorant Powder (non vegan)

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 

The Sicilian Bath Bomb

I have learnt from many years of experience that I should always expect the unexpected when it comes to trying out new bath bombs from Lush. Before arriving, I will often scout the web and read reviews of the item before they arrive, soaking in as much as I can to build excitement for myself, as well as expand my background knowledge of the item for my future review. Often the research will harvest preconceptions that are quickly broken upon arrival of the product, which leads me to question why I bother to prep myself beforehand to begin with. 

The Sicilian Bath Bomb is a product that I knew would make a big impression on me; I just wasn't prepared for how much I would come to appreciate it. Named after the very oranges that are peeled, sliced and diced for this recipe, this limited edition ballistic is a little slice of summer and should definitely be made a permanent addition to the regular range.

Containing mandarin, tangerine and Brazilian orange oils, this ballistic is super fruity and wonderfully citrusy, although I wouldn't describe The Sicilian as being at all zesty. To me, it smells like freshly sliced oranges, complete with pith and peel to give it a slight tartness, and a healthy dose of neroli and bergamot to add a fruity but grassy note.

Together these ingredients create a unique and very natural-smelling bath bomb. Although there are few Lush ballistics that I would describe as having a synthetic smell, the likes of Fizzbanger and Dragon's Egg still have a component to their fragrance that prevents them from smelling as natural as the ingredients that have gone into creating them. The Sicilian however, is one such item that actually smells like something that's been picked from a tree.

Upon hitting the water, this bath bomb immediately begins to fizz loudly and send out waves of yellow foam that bubbles and hisses on the surface. As the ballistic continues to work its magic, a wave of beautiful, orangey goodness radiates around the bathroom, and this doesn't dissipate for a good few hours after you've left the bath, and indeed the room.

Disappointingly, and perhaps the only qualm I have with this product, is that once the bath bomb has dispersed across the tub, you're not left with much of a change in regards to the colour of the water. While this is not normally a problem for myself, I know that there are those that love bath bombs because of the colour they bring to the tub. If you're one of those people, you may wish to cocktail this with a bubble bar.

What is certain about The Sicilian though, is that the combination of oils present make this one of the most moisturising bath bombs to come from the Kitchen. It also makes it one of the better ones to use for those looking to revive tired and worn out skin. 

I only had to submerge myself under the water for a matter of minutes, for my skin to feel noticeably smoother, and my legs developed somewhat of a shine that stayed with me for the most part of the day. Not only this but my skin, including my complexion, felt really cleansed afterwards, and my skin looked and felt radiant to the touch.

Inside the bath bomb is a fresh slice of orange - something that is supposed to serve as a small decoration on the surface of the water as you're enjoying your bath. However, I found it useful to squeeze the natural juices into the water, to give my skin a little extra goodness while I was bathing. I have also massaged the slice of orange across my face (avoiding my eyes at all cost!) to give my complexion a natural but very powerful cleanse.

Overall, this bath bomb is one of my new favourites. In fact, I regret only getting a small handful to see me through until they make another appearance, and I'll definitely be scouting eBay for a few more to top up my collection. They're beautiful in every way, and the only reason I have not awarded The Sicilian the highest rating, is because of the lack of colour in the tub. Rectify this feature and you would have a near-on perfect bath bomb in my eyes.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Mandarin Oil, Tangerine Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Bergamot Oil, Neroli Oil, Dried Marigold Petals, Gardenia Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Dried Orange Slice. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £3.95 each.
2017 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
Sicilian Bath Bomb
Sunny Citrus Soap

Lush Cocktail: We're Not In Kansas Anymore

Bianca's 'We're Not In Kansas Anymore' Cocktail

Contains:

1 Dorothy Bubble Bar

1 Golden Wonder Ballistic

1 Dreamtime Bath Melt

Video:

Verdict:

Sometimes you just need a hug. Whether that be a physical one between friends or family, or an phycological one in the form of a good feast or a bath. In my case, the bath option always seems the most inviting, and so I set about choosing a cocktail that would suit my mood this evening. 

I chose We're Not In Kansas Anymore for two reasons. Firstly, in my attempt to cut down on my bath collection, I was looking for a cocktail that would utilise more than one product in a single go, and secondly, the title just seemed far too magical for me to ignore it any longer. 

As I stated in the video that coincides with this review, you don't necessarily have to use three full products in this bath - halving or perhaps even quartering each of them would still yield a fantastic bath. However, if you want the 'wow factor' and are looking for something pretty special to share the tub with, using all three of the items would be a good way to go about it. 

Although it was discontinued a few months back now, I was eager to use one of my Dorothy Bubble Bars - a product that I was never interested in when it was around, but annoyingly grew to love and appreciate even more when it was no longer available. This soft, floral fragrance contains a generous helping of ylang ylang and orange to give it a sweet but definite floral aroma.

Unfortunately, despite its wonderful design, this bubble bar doesn't exactly work wonders in the tub - the water becomes a rather murky looking yellow colour that doesn't exactly inspire the best of reactions. Nevertheless, the smell is strong enough to last the entire bath and it leaves the water lovely and soft. 

Up next is the Dreamtime Bath Melt. This gentle chamomile, lavender and ginger melt is wonderfully soft in scent and texture, and turns the water into a thick, nourishing drink for the skin. This luxury bath melt contains a whole host of oils alongside cocoa butter, all rich in antioxidants which help to heal and condition skin; almond oil is an unscented but highly nutritious oil with a high vitamin E content. When used in cosmetics, it helps to smoothen the skin and leave it feeling silky soft; lavender oil can be used to heal skin inflictions and soothe muscular discomfort. Furthermore, it can also calm the mind and aid restful sleep. Alongside cocoa butter, which soothes itchy and irritated skin, this luxury bath melt is a powerhouse of ingredients. 

Finally, Golden Wonder gives this cocktail a wonderful light grape aroma and fills the tub with a beautiful display of blues, whites, pinks and yellows. This Christmas favourite gives the whole bath a lovely crisp, citrus element to it, and while you'd think it wouldn't work with the other components, it actually creates a strong, robust aroma that you can lose yourself within. 

You're left with a lovely rich, turquoise-coloured bath water that not only smells delicious, but really gets to work at nourishing and softening your skin. This was such a welcome break from my usual citrus-dominated cocktails, and until you've experienced how well Golden Wonder and Dreamtime Bath Melt works together, you've not lived!    

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Vegan?: Yes.