Cocktail Liquid Perfume

When it comes to perfumes, I think it is incredible that a mere six years ago, I had not tried a single perfume, and I was faced with the decision of which one to start with first every time I entered a shop. My young, naive mind saw no reason to dowse myself with wonderfully exotic smells, as I always felt clean enough just having a simple shower and rolling on some deodorant. 

However, it was on the fateful day that I made the decision to invest in a bottle of Karma Perfume that my life changed forever, and my bank account began to waver at the sheer thought of how much money I would journey through to try every single Lush fragrance that has ever been made available to the public...and then some. Luckily, I've never had the ambition to collect perfumes outside of Lush, as I'd probably be living on the streets right about now; sleeping on a bed of empty bottles, but at least I would smell good.

Lush describe Cocktail as a 'perfumed portrait of a Hollywood star's dressing table' - a strangely non-telling but equally descriptive review. Initially, I imagined this fragrance to be quite a crisp and almost clinical smell; in some ways similar to one of my favourite perfumes, Ponche. However, the more I thought about the above comment, the more I began imagining the Hollywood scene in the 20's and 30's, and I began to conjure up a scent that wasn't too far off of what this product actually smells like.

Described as a homage to fresh perfumery, this fragrance gets it's smell from a combination of ingredients, of which have changed over the years. While the modern perfume has jasmine, rose, ylang ylang and ho wood oil as the key components, the original perfume boasted orange blossom, cananga and sandalwood as well, and I think that the older version gives a better indication of the smell you are getting here. 

Whenever Lush release a product featuring rose, I always expect it to dominate it's overall scent. However in Cocktail, it is the fruity elements that carry the main note on the skin, along with a gentle twang of the ylang ylang for good measure.

When I first smelled this perfume, it reminded me a little of 1000 Kisses Perfume, with both it's fresh floral and sweet aroma. Except, unlike the above perfume, this one matures on your skin throughout the day and moulds into a delicate, feminine scent. It is the ylang ylang and orange blossom that dominate this smell, both inside the bottle and on your skin, and it shares its scent with Wash That Man Right Out Of Your Hair Shower Gel.

Cocktail is a bright and very fruity offering - one that reminds me a little of Beautiful but much heavier, with more depth and with a slight hint of woodiness, with floral undertones. While this might sound a little off-putting, this perfume, much like the aforementioned shower gel, reminds me of a rather bitter orange that has been left to 'turn' a little in the sun - giving off a sweet but rather pungent bitter element. 

On first sniff, I could also smell the aroma of the ylang ylang, with just a hint of lavender sitting underneath. While this ingredient does not appear to feature in the ingredients list, I can still detect a hint of its herbal-ness on my skin as the perfume begins to settle. Alongside this, the sultry sweetness of the jasmine and the powdery rose fragrance coming through on my skin as a duo - padding out the overall smell and giving it multiple layers that take it in turns to offer themselves throughout the day.

Cocktail definitely doesn't have the staying power of some of the other Lush perfumes I have tried over the years, but it is definitely one of the strongest ones on offer from the Lush Labs release this month. In fact, I think a lot of fans will quite appreciate the fact that this perfume settles within about 10 minutes, and seems to disperse a little across the skin - so you're able to appreciate the delicate beauty of this fragrance in a much more rounded state.

Despite the nature of the ingredients here, there is nothing to suggest that this is any what of a feminine fragrance. In fact, out of the many smells that I've spoke about above, this one would compliment anyone of any statue: it's ageless and beautiful.

Overall, it's not my favourite perfume by a long shot but it's definitely better than a lot of perfumes I've had the displeasure of trying over the last couple of years. What is great about Cocktail, as with most of Lush's other perfumes, is that it smells similar to a lot of commercially available perfumes, yet it doesn't possess that acidic and rather domineering alcoholic tone that weighs down these sorts of perfumes. 

I definitely won't be rushing out to buy another bottle of this but I'm not opposed to picking up a small sampler to wear every so often when I'm looking for a change. I can see this one proving very popular, especially now with the cold weather looking to make an appearance. This is definitely sunshine in a bottle, and with the English weather being so unpredictable, it may be worth holding onto that sunshine until it next makes an appearance.

Quantative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Water (Aqua), Perfume, *Linalool, Glycerine, Ho Wood Oil, Ghanaian, Ylang Ylang Oil, Coumarin, Jasmine Absolute, Rose Absolute, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Cinnamal, *Citronellol, *Eugenol, Oakmoss Extract, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Isoeugenol, *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £25 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:

Cocktail Liquid Perfume

Cocktail Solid Perfume

Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair Shower Gel

Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair Shower Sheet

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Metamorphosis Liquid Perfume

I've said before in the past that I have no idea how Lush come about choosing the scents that they convert into perfumes: what inspires them to choose a smell that from the outside doesn't seem to be high up in consumer demand. To gain an understanding as to the thought processes behind some of their creations would be a truly magnificent thing.

When Lush threw out a total of six limited edition perfumes yesterday morning, I was initially perplexed by their choice of fragrances, as I was excited. Equally, I was also a little concerned with how I was going to commit to eating food over the next month while also investing in a bottle of each. Ultimately, I reached the conclusion that food need never be a worry as long as you smell good.

What is strange is that the contents of Metamorphosis Liquid Perfume is completely different to the ingredients featured in the bath bomb of the same name. And yet the two appear to share a very similar scent. While the bomb contains tonka, grapefruit and patchouli, the liquid perfume features mandarin, clove and sandalwood, which would suggest that they have completely different smells.

My nose tells me that while they are definitely very similar, Metamorphosis Liquid Perfume is far more woody and grounded, whereas the bath bomb (and Rentless Liquid Perfume) is led by more of a fruity note from the grapefruit. For this reason, I wouldn't state the two as being from the same scent family. Having said that, in simple terms: this perfume is exquisite.

On the skin, the mandarin and clove bud oil dance on the warmth of your skin - merging together to create a crisp but equally warming aroma. The former ingredient isn't at all zesty or citrusy here. Instead, it's like someone has squeezed a mandarin into the air and just captured the fresh, spritz-like aroma of the fruit. It's light and delicate, but defintiely adds a little sunshine to the mix.

The clove bud oil brings a comforting peppery note to the perfume, that wraps itself delicately around the mandarin like a warm hug. The sandalwood acts as the base component here but holds an important role in not only grounding the smell when it's on your skin, but adding its own incense-like woodiness that helps to make this perfume so unique and so beautiful. A generous helping of labdanum rounds the fragrance off with an alluring smokiness that nestles into your skin and helps this perfume to last as long as it does after use. 

Combined, these ingredients create something that will turn heads when you wear it. Metamorphosis, quite simply, is one of those fragrances that is born to be a signature scent. There is nothing ordinary or 'nice' about the aroma: it was born to make a statement, and to be noticed.

Despite the strength of the four key components, I wouldn't describe this perfume as being at all overbearing or potent. Yes, it offers a smell that is going to linger on your skin for hours and hours; yes, there is a level of complexity here that some wearers will find a little too much. However, the perfume settles super quickly on your skin, and only serves to compliment you as opposed to take over and try and run the show.

Lush have described the fragrance as being one that 'speaks of hardship and loss, but also closure: the sense of time passing and wounds healing. It’s reassurance in the face of adversity. And ultimately evolution into something better.' Coincidentally, Metamorphosis was released during one of the hardest times in my life so far, and maybe that is why I have fallen so hard for the smell. 

This is definitely a perfume that consumers need to get their hands on and try for themselves. Lush are known for their unique scents and this is a prime example of an aroma that boasts that 'exquisitey': a fragrance that would never come from any of the generic perfume companies that charge upwards of £50 for something that doesn't smell half as good. Metamorphosis is easily one of my favourite fragrances to come from Lush over the last twelve months, and I can imagine this bottle wont be sticking around for very long. 

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Water (Aqua), Glycerine, *Limonene, *Linalool, Labdanum Resinoid, Sicilian Red Mandarin Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Neroli Oil, Sandalwood Oil, *Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamyl, Alcohol, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Farnesol, *Geraniol.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £25 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Over And Over Liquid Perfume

Growing up, I was always taught the value of money, mostly because my family didn't ever have enough to be anything but scrupulous in their spending. For this reason, when I found myself financially independent at nineteen, I became a little too frivolous with the abundance of cash that I found myself in credit of. It didn't take me long to realise that overspending led to negative consequences, and I was blessed with the common sense to learn from my lesson pretty quickly. 

Strangely however, one of the lessons that has stuck with me even to this day, is that more expensive doesn't necessarily mean better quality. In fact, I've realised this even more whilst on my travels throughout Asia recently - where the cheapest food in the most run-down of places has often turned out to be by far the best tasting food on my trip.  

This has further been proven with the release of Over And Over Liquid Perfume. Coming in at only £19 for 30ml, some would assume that it could not possibly be as complex or as interesting as the other fragrances priced up at double the amount. However, this could not be further from the truth.

While it does share its scent with Over And Over Bath Bomb, there are some differences here that set this liquid perfume apart from its older sibling. From the bottle, this gorgeous fragrance releases a bright and very zesty aroma. Unlike Calacas, the smell of this is super fresh and very natural: it's as if someone has grated the rind of a lime whilst squeezed a little of the juice at the same time.

Alongside this, the inclusion of a little orris oil adds a natural sweetness underneath the lime to ground it a little and keep it on the skin for longer than citrusy smells tend to usually linger for. The orris oil is delicately woody, without taking away from the strong note of lime, whilst the fennel brings a light, fresh herbal note that plays with the heat of your skin and and makes Over And Over a little more interesting on the nose than you would initial expect.

Within an hour of spraying it on myself, the perfume was still very much present on my body. I could still detect the zestiness of the lime peel alongside the delicate herbal note of the fennel. While this isn't one of Lush's more overpowering fragrances, there is something so beautiful about how strong yet equally as delicate it is when on the skin.

It didn't take me very long to fall head over heels in love with this perfume, and while the sun is still attempting to make itself known in England right now, this perfume will bring me sunshine on even the darkest of days. This is definitely worth the price tag that Lush are offering, and I can see me using this far more than any of the other perfumes in my collection.  

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Water (Aqua), Lime Oil, *Limonene, Glycerine, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Linalool, Cypress Oil, Orris Oil, Fennel Oil, Citral, *Geraniol.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £19 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Scent Family: 
Fruit Giant Bombshell
Over And Over Bath Bomb
Over And Over Liquid Perfume

Assassin Liquid Perfume

When I saw the word 'Assassin' underneath the list of perfumes that Lush were going to bring out as part of their Lush Labs release, my heart skipped a beat. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to shower gels, and Assassin Shower Gel completely bowled me over when I first received my order from the Lush Kitchen.

You can imagine my confusion and disappointment then when I first sprayed the perfume on my skin and found myself scrunching up my nose at the rather disgusting smell that greeted my senses. Okay, so perhaps the word disgusting is a little overdramatic when describing this perfume, but you've no doubt understood by now that I am not a fan in the slightest. 

Let me start by saying that the ingredients list looked really promising when I first read about what was inside of this perfume. The fact that the words 'blackcurrant absolute' and 'vanilla absolute' featured as prominent components, excited me to no end. However, the realisation that this perfume was probably very unlikely to share its scent with the shower gel also dawned on me, as they don't have very much in common in terms of key notes.

From the bottle, you initially get a strong, wet note of what I think is comprised of both the blackcurrant and the oakmoss in unison. To put it simply: these two ingredients just don't go well together in my opinion, and the fragrance they gave off reminded me of what it would be like to stick my head in a load of damp weeds, and take a big inhale inwards.

The oakmoss itself offers its usual earthy, moss-like smell, whilst the blackcurrant is sweet, fruity and slightly sour. The juxtaposition of these two layers appears to contradict each other for quite a while on the skin, and for this reason the fragrance just didn't settle for me whilst I was wearing it. 

Alongside this, the pine oil delivers a very delicate crisp, green note, although it hasn't been given the freedom to fully develop its or its character. The same goes for both the lime and the vanilla absolute. I could detect that both ingredients were there - the former more strongly than the latter - but I believe I could only really smell them because I knew that they should be there somewhere.

After a good twenty minutes on the skin, the perfume does settle a little more, and the headiness that first greets your senses does simmer a little on the heat of your skin. When this happens, the blackcurrant comes forth a little more, intertwined with the lime oil to add a little more sourness. However, the oakmoss is still very much present, yet doesn't appear to interlace with the other notes as much as I would expect a perfume to do. 

Ultimately, the dynamics of this perfume just don't work for my nose, although that's not to say that someone else won't find it incredibly beautiful. While I would always encourage Lush to bring out weird and unique smells, there are just some that I'm not prepared to wear on my skin, and this would be one of them.       

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Water (Aqua), Geraniol, Glycerine, Pine Oil, *Limonene, *Linalool, Lime Oil, Neroli Oil, Blackcurrant Absolute, Vanilla Absolute, *Anise Alcohol, *Citral, Oakmoss Extract, *Farnesol.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £29 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Two More Hearts Liquid Perfume

When Lush announced that they would be bringing out a perfume called Two More Hearts, my immediate thought (as with many others) was that it would share its scent with Two Hearts Beating As One Shower Gel. While a popular fragrance amongst the Lush community, it doesn't really inspire much of a positive reaction from me. 

There is just something about the strength of the ylang ylang in the aforementioned gel that just doesn't sit right with my nose, which is why I sold on my bottle earlier last year. However, things began to look a little promising when feedback from the Lush Kitchen revealed that the scent had been tweaked in this new liquid format.

I should start by saying that I'm not really that much of a floral person. It's not that I dislike most floral scents; just that I don't find them particularly interesting, and they don't engage me as much as the more interesting and unique scents that Lush offer. For this reason, if you finding me raving about a floral scent, there has to be something special about it to gage my attention that much.

To put it simply: Two Hearts Liquid Perfume is simply exquisite. From the first spray, you experience a wonderful fresh and sweet floral aroma. The jasmine, ylang ylang and rose dance together like a trio of lovers at a ball. While the jasmine is the stronger of the three, there is nothing potent about what it offers in this perfume, and the ylang ylang laces itself around form a barrage of sweetness that lasts for hours on the skin.

Although there is nothing in the ingredients to suggest this, I would describe the aroma as being rather powdery: there is something about the combination of floral elements that remind me of an expensive baby powder. However, Lush fans shouldn't be put off by this description, as it is far more exquisite and beautiful than that.

While the sandalwood acts as more of a base ingredient, you can detect a slight resinous woody element to the perfume, which I think works perfectly in unison to bring all of the floral components together. The lemon oil however, is almost forgotten about completely, and acts as more of an uplift for the other ingredients than a strong note itself.

What I loved the most about Two More Hearts is that it's so fresh and youthful. With a lot of floral scents, you tend to find that they can come across as quite old-fashioned, and perhaps a little overbearing for the younger generation. However, this liquid perfume is strong and robust on the skin, yet is more optimistic and young.

Out of all of the new Lush perfumes, I found that this one was the strongest on my skin, and I could still detect it some four hours later. After accidentally spraying it on my sofa, I found that I was able to smell it for the most part of the day, whenever I walked into the room.

Overall, this is such a wonderful smell, and if you're a fan of Lush's floral aromas, you definitely need to give this one a go. While floral smells can often come across as quite generic at times, with the amount of them on the market, this one stands out a mile, and definitely one that will turn heads on a night out.

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Oil, Rose Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Sandalwood Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Citral, *Citronellol,*Eugenol, *Farnesol, Geraniol, *Isoeugenol,*Limonene, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £29 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Love 'Atmosphere' Naked Shower Gel

When my four Atmospheres first arrived, I discovered that one of them had burst and leaked over the other three: not only causing a sticky mess that I then had to clean up, but also thwarting the scents of the other three shower gels, which prevented me from being able to sample each of the other fragrances before using them in shower. Having said that, I knew exactly what Love was going to smell like before I'd even began lathering it across my body.

Sharing its scent with the Love family, this alluringly sweet and floral collaboration is a smell that I both relish at times, and resist at others. With siblings including the Fizzbanger Bath Bomb and Whole Lotta Love Bubbleroon from this year's Valentine's range, Love Atmosphere Shower Gel is a strange combination of smells that shouldn't work, but does. 

Containing a combination of lemongrass and bergamot oil, with lashings of rose absolute, this shower gel is an interesting mix of fruity and floral. On first sniff, you can detect a layer of lemongrass, which offers a fruity but also something slightly green-like about the aroma. Coupled with the bergamot, this shower gel gives off a slightly bitter citrusy scent and you can definitely smell a subtle grassiness underneath. Alongside this, the rose absolute brings a floral component to the table, and the ylang ylang offers its own sweet, grassy flavour to the mix.

All of these elements create an interesting fragrance unlike any other. Having said this, it should be said that I found the scent of this to be weaker than any of the other products in this scent family. Furthermore, I was disappointed to discover that many of these notes disappear under the running water, and Love Shower Gel loses a lot of its character when in use.     

For those out of the loop, Love Naked ‘Atmosphere’ is one of four limited edition shower gels that are supposed to heighten your experience in the shower and create more of an experience than a simple wash tool. Each of the Atmopheres have been crafted 

Encased in a thin ‘plastic coating’ made out of seaweed, these limited editions are Lush's new idea at creating naked products. The idea is that the outer layer will dissolve away in the shower, or can be thrown onto a compost heap afterwards, where it will decompose very quickly and leave nothing behind. While I found that the cases weren't so easy to dissolve in the space of a shower, I was able to add these to my ever-growing compost heap, and I did notice that it had become to break down the last time I checked.

As I mentioned in my review of Joy Shower Gel, these releases are rather expensive at £3 a piece, especially as they're rather difficult to lather, and seem to hold a scent far weaker than that of a regular Lush Shower Gel. Having said that, Love Shower Gel was rather moisturising on the skin, and I found that I didn't have to use a body lotion to moisturise with afterwards. 

To use, simply pinch the atmosphere between your fingers and the pod will tear open. Whether you're choosing to use the whole capsule in one go, or you're being a little more reserved, I would highly suggest that you have a container or some sort to rest to pour the shower gel into. Simply breaking it into your hands will leave you to lose it very quickly, and it'll be difficult for you to both wash your entire body and engage with the scent at the same time.

While Mark Constantine suggests that these are one-use shower gels, I could easily get 3-4 showers out of a single pod. Having said that, I feel as if I could have gotten far more uses if the shower gel had lathered up a little more. Unfortunately, the gel was rather difficult to use, and I ended up using more than usual because I didn't feel as clean as I would with a regular gel. In addition, the lack of strength in the smell meant that I couldn't detect the wonderful fragrance on my skin afterwards.  

Lush state that this one is supposed to guide you to 'indulge your nostalgia and shower yourself in love with this tangy concoction of sugar and spice, cutting right to the core of your desire.' While I enjoyed using this one in the shower, I cannot say that it ultimately inspired that much of a reaction from me. 

While I can see fans of the Love scent wanting to stock up on these, or hoping for a bigger version to appear in the near future, I only hope that Lush are able to tweak the recipe for this one a little more. It would definitely be nice to detect the different layers of smells a little more prominently, and I'd Love it to be rather more generous with its lather, so I don't feel the need to use so much.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Calcium Lactate, Fine Sea Salt, Perfume, Lemongrass Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Xanthan Gum, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Citral, Coumarin, Oakmoss Extract, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 77491, Colour 15850:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £3 each (although not currently sold separately)

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Scent Family:
Fizzbanger Bath Bomb
Lonely Hearts Bubble Bar
Love Apple Bubble Bar
Love 'Atmosphere' Shower Gel
Love Island Body Scrub
Love Perfume
Love Potion Massage Bar
Love Soap
Whole Lotta Love Bubbleroon

Karma Shower Bomb

While a shower bomb wont change my life, the slogan 'don’t fear change - revel in it' is definitely something that I have been struggling with a lot these past couple of years. While I love progression, and dislike monotony a lot, there are still aspects of my life that I try to cling to when there isn't any need to. Learning to embrace is a far greater way of getting the most out of life, and unleashing a mountain full of stress that quite simply just doesn't need to exist.  

Offering one of Lush's oldest and most popular scents, Karma Shower Bomb is everything a fan of the fragrance could have possibly asked for. With the familiar blend of patchouli, orange and pine, this shower bomb delivers an aroma that you'll want to relive time and time again the shower. While a single piece won't offer you that much pleasure, this little pyramid of happiness can easily be sliced in half and shared across two separate experiences - sweetening the deal even more.

As with any of Karma's bath products, the fragrance on offer here is a powdery and slightly spicy one: very reminiscent of the Karma Sutra Bath Bomb. The patchouli gives out a strong, spicy and slightly woody smell; the orange sits alongside this and offers a sweet, slightly sherbety scent. Behind these two smells is an offering of pine and lemongrass, which work in perfect harmony with each other. The former adds a subtle herbal note whilst the latter brings about a little thread of green to the mix. Whereas the lotion and bubble bar are slightly sweeter and remind me of old fashioned cola bottles, the aroma is definitely more mature and more patchouli-orientated with Karma Shower Bomb.

As with all of Lush's new shower bombs, the idea is that you hold them under the running water, where they will begin to foam up in the palm of your hand. This foam can then be used much like a shower gel to clean and gently buffer your skin, leaving it super soft and smelling wonderful afterwards. The inclusion of the turmeric powerful in this bomb also helps to purify the pores a little during use, which is probably part of the reason why my skin felt so good afterwards. I could honestly smell this on my skin for a while after exiting the shower, and a little squirt of the perfume would have been a perfect match before bedtime. 

Whilst this is going on, the essential oils featured in the bomb intertwine with the heat and steam of the shower and create an atmosphere that is supposed to help calm and relax you - getting you ready for either a good night's rest, or a long productive, successful day.

As someone who was rather skeptical about the idea of a shower bomb, Karma has definitely gone on to prove that this concept does work, and it is effective at what it does. I would definitely buy this again in the near future, and I look forward to any other shower bombs that may come out in the future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Citric Acid, Potato Starch, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Calcium Lactate, Sodium Alginate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Patchouli Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Lavandin Oil, Pine Oil, Elemi Oil, Water (Aqua), Turmeric Powder, *Citral, *Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 15510, Colour 47005, Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £2.75 each (30g).

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Scent Family:
Bling Crosby Bubble Bar
Double Fast Luck Emotibomb
Karma Ballistic
Karma Bath Melt
Karma Bubble Bar
Karma Dusting Powder
Karma Komba Solid Shampoo Bar
Karma Kream
Karma Liquid Perfume
Karma Massage Bar
Karma Revamped Bubble Bar
Karma Shower Bomb
Karma Shower Gel
Karma Shower Jelly
Karma Soap
Karma Solid Perfume
Karma Sutra Bath Bomb
Lush Bath Bomb

Magic Crystals Shower Scrub

I was in Thailand when I first heard the news about Magic Crystals Shower Scrub. The unreliable wifi meant that I was only able to get a minute glimpse of what it looked like before the internet failed on me again, for the thousandth time that day. The terrible connection meant that I was also only privy to the odd scraping of rumours regarding what the brand new product would smell like: the latest post telling me that it shared its scent with the now discontinued Magic Bath Bomb. And then the island suffered a power cut for the millionth time.

For this reason, when the tub of beautiful purple gunk arrived on my doorstep some two weeks later, I was confused when a wonderfully fresh scent of mint greeted my nose, as opposed to the overpowering herbal smell I was expecting to receive upon lifting the lid. My surprise led to elation as I realised that I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the scrub all that much, had it truly shared the same fragrance as the aforementioned bath bomb.

With a fresh mint infusion as the key ingredient, and an extra helping of both peppermint and spearmint oils further down, it is these three beauties that make this scrub so wonderfully fresh and uplifting. From the tub and indeed in the shower as well, the cool, minty sensation reminds me very much of Wrigly's chewing gum.

While peppermint can come across as rather potent in certain formats, this scrub lets the spearmint act as the most dominant force: mixing with a little sweetness to soften the harsh kick that mint can something offer. While there's nothing in the ingredients list that suggests where that sweetness comes from, you'll know what I mean when you experience it yourself. There is something slightly rounded out the mint elements that you wouldn't get if it was just mint by itself.

The inclusion of the menthol crystals not only offers a scent that helps to clear your airways under the heat of the warm shower, but also leaves your body feeling super cool and clean. In the shower, you'll feel a gentle tingle of the crystals getting to work on your skin but it won't be anywhere as intense as Christingle Body Conditioner, so you don't need to worry about shivering as you exit the shower during the colder months of the year. 

While there is both sage and rosemary infusions in the mix as well, you don't get very much of a herbal element to the fragrance at all. Although I think that both ingredients do make a minor impression on the senses, I wonder whether this is more because I was expecting there to be something with both of them being so prominent in the creation of this scrub. 

Having said this, both herbal components do their job wonderfully by helping to cleanse and tone the skin with their healing properties. Alongside the gentle buffering of the epsom salts, I found that Magic Crystals left my skin feeling and looking super bright and really refreshed.

A little like Rub Rub Rub, this is far from being a coarse scrub, so those with more sensitive skin will find that this shouldn't irritate your pores or cause any rashes to form. You can buffer as hard as you like with this beauty and you wouldn't do much in the way of damage. For this reason, if you're looking for a scrub that'll remove a thousand layers of dead skin, you'd probably need to look elsewhere.

Once I left the shower, I found that my skin felt noticeably soft and clean, and there was a wonderful fragrance that lingered on my body for a good couple of hours afterwards. In fact, I have enjoyed going to bed most nights after using this and finding remnants of this on my pillow and sheets the next day.

I can see why Magic Crystals has been automatically released as a permanent, and why there is quite a buzz surrounding this scrub. With a product this good, Lush didn't have any qualms about how well this would do. For certain I would purchase this again, and indeed I will. In fact, I think I would miss having a tub of this in my shower if I was ever to run out. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Epsom Salts, Fine Sea Salt, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Perfume, Fresh Mint Infusion, Fresh Rosemary Infusion, Fresh Sage Infusion, Propylene, Glycol, Menthol Crystals, Peppermint Oil, Spearmint Oil, Aniseed Oil, Lactic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Lauryl Betaine, *Limonene, Colour 17200, Colour 42090:2.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £10.95 for 300g, 

Year Of Original Release: 2018.