Tender Is The Night Naked Shower Cream

Back in 2013, a massage bar called Tender Is The Night made its debut as part of the Valentines' Day range, and won me over within a matter of seconds. While I was (and still am) much more interested in the fruiter, zestier aromas that Lush have to offer, there was something so sweet and yet equally so sophisticated about this brand new fragrance. I ended up buying a handful of the bars right there and then, and still proclaim that this is perhaps my favourite floral scent that Lush have ever created. 

For those who are new to Lush, you might not realise that the massage bar has since been redesigned, and while the scent is still very much the golden ticket, the bar itself is not as interesting or as exquisite. What made the original release so spectacular was that, when you cut the bar open, the centre was a soft, gooey combination of butters and oils to give your skin a rich, nourishing session. Unfortunately, this not only weakened the bar and made it rather messy to use, but also meant that it melted far quicker than other massage bars did, which didn't appear to make it as good value for money as other variations. 

The reason I have stated all of this is that Tender Is The Night Shower Cream reminds me far more of the original massage bar release, than the updated version you can still buy in shops to this day. The scent on offer here is far more wholesome and sickly-sweet, which is what made me fall head over heels for the original massage bar to begin with.

Made from a combination of jasmine and ylang ylang, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this shower cream possesses an aroma like the hundreds of other products that Lush have with these two components as the key ingredients. However, the fragrance you get upon first sniff is one that is both sweet and intoxicating. Both the jasmine infusion and the jasmine absolute offer users a strong, naturally sweet smell, while the ylang ylang creates a heady cloud of floral goodness that thickens the overall fragrance of this and makes it so robust. 

What steals the show though is the inclusion of the vanilla absolute. This magical ingredient adds a rich, succulent base of sugary goodness that wraps itself around the jasmine and ylang ylang and creates a fragrance that is as unique as it is wholesome. There is a heaviness about Tender Is The Night that makes this one of the strongest floral scents that Lush have created. Yet, I wouldn't describe the smell of this as being at all potent or unbearable at all. 

When compared to the modern day massage bar, this shower cream is far stronger to my nose, and therefore far more beautiful to use. If I was allowing myself to stock up on seasonal products, I would definitely buy many of these to see me through the year. Yes - it is THAT good. 

As with all of Lush's naked shower creams, this one boasts zero packaging, and works just as effectively as a liquid version. To use, you simply have to wet the outside of the bottle and then massage it directly across your skin. I found that it's easier and more effective to rub this bottle between your hands to create the lather and then wash yourself with the creamy foam that the product creates. 

Tender Is The Night offered a strong and very beautiful fragrance that stayed just as powerful throughout my showers, and stayed on my skin for a good couple of hours afterwards as well. In fact, my partner made many comments about how good the bathroom smelled when I had one of these bottles in circulation. 

The various oils featured in this naked cream made this limited edition very moisturising on the skin as well, and I didn't feel the need to moisturise afterwards. Having said that, I found that buying the aforementioned massage bar meant that I could prolong my experience with this fragrance for far longer, which is something I was very keen to do. 

Having used many of Lush's new naked gels and creams, I felt that this was one of the longest-lasting. After two months of continuous use, my miniature, gift set-sized bottle hadn't even halved in size, and if there was a liquid variation I could guarantee that this would outlast that. While the price may look initially daunting, I can definitely vouch that it is worth every penny.

Ultimately, this is easily my favourite naked shower product to date, and one that I only hope will make another appearance at some point in the future. This release not only gave me faith that Lush's naked range is fast becoming more and more impressive, but that the Tender Is The Night scent may well be one of my all-time favourite Lush smells as well. Would I buy this again? Silly question really...       

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Stearate, Jasmine Flower Infusion, Ylang Ylang Flower Infusion, Lauryl Betaine, Murumuru Butter, Perfume, Guar Gum, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Water, Titanium Dioxide, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Colour 17200, Colour 45410, Colour 45380:3.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £14.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Scent Family:
Tender Is The Night Bath Bomb
Tender Is The Night Massage Bar
Tender Is The Night Naked Shower Cream