29 High Street Shower Gel

Lush is full of surprises, which is perhaps one of the reasons that so many consumers find themselves hooked on the company to begin with. Sometimes they reformulate a scent into a product that you'd never expect to see the light of day, and other times they'll withhold certain products that seem an obvious choice for a particular fragrance. Having said that, I know why they do this; when you've spent years perfecting a certain product with its own unique smell, the last thing you'd want to do is transfer it into something else without putting real thought into it before you do. 

Despite the popularity and scarcity of 29 High Street Liquid Perfume, I never expected Lush to go ahead and release the fragrance in a shower gel format. Not that I am opposed to the idea - far from it, but its complexity was something that I just didn't think could be replicated in a gel-like format. Once again, Lush have proven me wrong.

Described by many as the Creme De Le Creme of Lush items, 29 High Street embodies everything that fans love about the company. Using their expertise and a whole range of ingredients, Lush have set about bottling a fragrance that is supposed to mimic the smell you experience while being in a Lush store. The long list of components used to create this scent means that each and every wearer will experience something different, making it pretty magical in my books.

When it came to the shower gel variation, one of the immediate aspects that I noticed about it was that it did not have as many pronounced layers as its older sibling. However, it's important to remember that a perfume is given time to warm on the skin and then mature over time, which is why many wearers experience each and every one of the notes at some point during its use. When it comes to shower gel, there is only a small window in which it can make its impression on the senses.

Sporting a beautiful golden colour, this shower gel is packed with so many ingredients to nourish both the senses and your skin. Containing notes of lemon, ylang ylang, sandalwood, jasmine, lime and tonka, this limited edition would appeal to those who like warming fragrances, of both the fruity and floral kind. 

In the bottle, each of the components work incredibly well together. While the lime, lemon and jasmine are probably the most prevalent notes, it's really difficult to dissect the overall scent because each of the smells are intertwined so well with the others. You can smell the warmth of the tonka without detecting anything too vanillary; the ylang ylang adds its own rich, sweet touch without making the fragrance too floral. This shower gel definitely shares  its scent with the liquid perfume, but more with the smell once the fragrance of the perfume has been left to warm on the skin for a good 15-20 minutes.

When you begin to use 29 High Street in the shower you'll discover that it lathers up really well - creating light, frothy and very fragrant suds to massage across the skin. I found that I didn't have to use much at all to produce the desired amount and a grape-sized amount was more than enough to clean myself with during a single shower.

With a medium consistency, similar to the likes of Calacas and The Comforter, this shower gel flourishes when in contact with warm water. Every one of the components above makes itself known in the heat and I found that each of the notes were far more pronounced during this time. 

After using this solidly for a few weeks, I didn't really notice there being a stronger note than the others, although the lemon and sometimes the jasmine were the ones that I found more prevalent on the skin afterwards. Although I was disappointed to find that 29 High Street didn't leave a particularly strong impression, there were small traces that did stay with me for a short while after exiting the bathroom.

The only other disappointing factor about this shower gel is that I didn't find it anywhere near as softening and nourishing as other Lush shower gels. While it's great for cleaning yourself with, it's not one that is going to leave your skin overly moisturised afterwards. This is not a terrible flaw, as there's no harm in using a conditioner, lotion or massage bar afterwards. However, it is this factor that prevented me from giving the shower gel a full-rated six out of six.

Overall, it's a lovely addition to the Lush family and one that I will enjoy using throughout the year for a unique and very beautiful experience in the shower or bath. It's proven to be a popular new release from the company and I can completely comprehend why. If you've not managed to acquire a bottle just yet, I suggest that you make sure that you do as soon as possible.

Quantitative Ingredients: Jasmine Flower Infusion, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Fresh Lemon Juice, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Propylene Glycol, Ylang Ylang Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Lime Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Tonka Absolute, Lactic Acid, Gardenia Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl ion one, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citral, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexane Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £11.50 for 250g 

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Scent Family:
29 and a Half Soap
29 High Street Liquid Perfume
29 High Street Solid Perfume
29 High Street Shower Gel
HQ Perfume
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