Cinders Shower Gel

Out of all of the new exclusive products that make themselves known each Christmas, it is always the shower gels and shower creams that I gravitate towards first. There is nothing more alluring and exciting to me than a new bottle of coloured scented liquid to lather all over my body. And what is great about Lush is that you just never know what fragrances and ideas they have up their sleeves until the products hit the shelves.

Cinders is one of two brand new, limited edition shower gels to make themselves known for Christmas 2018: a vibrant orange product with an ingredients list that reads like a feast. If you’re looking for something that smells both comforting and warming for the upcoming colder season, you may have just stumbled upon it.

I should probably start by saying that this is supposed to share its scent with the discontinued bath bomb of the same name. However, while there are definitely similarities, Cinders Shower Gel has far more complexity than its older sibling, and for this reason may be appreciated more, for those who found the bath bomb to be too simplistic, or less for someone who wants an exact replica.

What intrigued me initially, when it came to Cinders, was the inclusion of both maple syrup and kaolin clay. Neither ingredients are featured very often within Lush’s whole range, especially the latter of the two - which I associate more with what I drizzle on my pancakes than what I rub across my body. However, both ingredients help to make this shower gel wonderfully moisturising: the kaolin cleansing out the pores and replenishing the skin with some extra minerals; the latter helping to plump up the skin and giving the body a natural glow afterwards as well.

Alongside these two components there is also pumpkin seed, cinnamon and Brazilian orange oils - all of which help to create the beautiful smell that this shower gel offers, and provides even more nourishment when used on the skin every day. Aloe vera extract rounds Cinders off by ensuring that all of the spices included in making this fragrance don’t irritate the skin - providing soothing properties to prevent any outbreaks that could occur with daily use. 

What gives Cinders Shower Gel its wintery fragrance is a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove powders. The former ingredient is what stands out the most - giving off a warm and very slightly spicy cinnamon aroma; while the maple syrup wraps itself around this to give the shower gel a sweetness as well. 

Out of the bottle, the nutmeg, allspice, clove and ginger notes make themselves more prominent: offering a more complex and rather exotic scent on the skin. This is where the comparison between the shower gel and Cinders Bath Bomb get a little confusing to explain, because while you can smell the bath bomb when you sniff the Christmas gel, the shower gel has many more layers; is more rounded overall; and the cinnamon present is less spicy than the bath bomb. Those who love the bath bomb will most likely love this shower gel. However, those who found the bomb to be a little too simplistic may find the complexity of this a little more appealing as well.

What is great about this shower gel is that it’s a very thick gel so you only need the smallest amount to create a rich, thick and very creamy foam. I found that mixing it with a little water, just after I had squirted an amount in my hands, helped to create a generous amount to lather across my body, and I was able to clean my entire body with perhaps the equivalent of a penny-sized amount. 

Also appealing for me was the fact that this shower gel left a lovely warm and rather sweet scent on my skin after towelling myself down. A little of both the nutmeg and the cinnamon fragranced my whole body, including my hair, and while it didn’t last all that long when compared to other Lush shower gels, it was a welcome hug to go to bed with this aroma on my skin. 

In regards to how moisturising this was on the body, I cannot say that I personally noticed a huge improvement in the condition of my skin after regular use. However, my body did feel really smooth after each shower, and my partner did comment on how soft my skin felt to him, so perhaps it worked better than I realised myself. 

What I should warn you is that some of the spices tend to separate from the gel over time, and will sink to the bottom of your bottle. It’s definitely worth giving Cinders a good shake every couple of weeks, just so the consistency and the smell remains as strong as it can. 

Cinders Shower Gel is definitely a very warm and well-rounded product: perfect for the colder months that are set to arrive in the coming weeks. However, I cannot imagine enjoying this as much if I was to use it in the warmer months, as the smell is far more wintery in my eyes. Having said that, this is one that I would buy again, and I will no doubt purchase an extra bottle to use across the year.

A 100g bottle survived four intense weeks of both my partner and I using it 2-3 times every day. This should give you some idea of how long your bottle will last you. This is definitely a welcome addition to Lush’s Christmas range, and I hope we see some more products in this scent, in the near future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Fine Sea Salt, Perfume, Organic Pumpkinseed Oil, Maple Syrup, Kaolin, Aloe Vera Extract, Paprika Oleoresin, Almond essential oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cinnamon Powder, Ginger Powder, Nutmeg powder, Allspice Powder, Clove Powder, Carrageenan Extract, Titanium Dioxide, *Eugenol, *Cinnamal, *Limonene, Colour 14700, Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £5.50 for 110g, £10.95 for 260g, £18.25 for 520g.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Scent Family:

Cinders Bath Bomb
Cinders Liquid Perfume
Cinders Naked Shower Gel

Cinders Shower Gel