Merry Berry Soap

I think it's become a very British thing to invest in The Great British Bakeoff every year: the name itself suggests as much. While I can honestly claim that I watch television perhaps an average of twice a month, most of this is due to me binge-watching the series over a small expanse of time. There is quite literally nothing else on TV that interests me enough to even turn the box on itself.

When I heard that Merry Berry was one of the soaps in this year's Christmas range, I gave a little smile imagining what fragrance the company would go for to represent one of, who I believe is, the sweetest and most talented women on TV. When the soap arrived, I just knew that Lush had gotten this one right.

Containing a whole host of tantalising ingredients for your skin and nose, this limited edition comes as a round slab, with a circumference of roughly seven centimetres and a depth of just over two. This is a big piece of soap, and also rather pretty-looking with its deep red coloured design and creamy white pattern across the top.

From the start, it was both the rose absolute and the lemon oil that made the biggest impression for me. In fact, there is something rather reminiscent of Rose Jam here that I just couldn't shake, even after a few weeks of using this in the shower. While not an exact replica, it does remind me of the popular scent family, albeit far richer and more sophisticated.

My nose could detect a rich, rather indulgent dry rose smell at first, laced with warming dose of lemon oil that entangles itself around the floral components and uplifts the whole smell. Alongside this, a delicate layer of clove oil creates a rich, comforting blanket to ground the whole aroma somewhat. 

Next up, we have a generous helping of dried cranberries and blueberries: both of which add their own sweet and slightly sharp fruitiness, which as Lush suggest in their description, gives this soap an aroma that reminds me very slightly of dried fruit cake. When in use, these berries come forth quite a bit, whereas before coming into contact with water, they're a little more reserved.

What I found with Merry Berry was that it created a different lather depending on how and where you used it. In the bath, this soap will produce a light but rather heavy foam that coats your skin with ease and leaves a wonderfully lingering delicate smell. If you choose to use this in the shower, the lather takes a little more work to stimulate, and what you get instead is a thicker, more oiler lather to wash yourself with. 

Either way, I was impressed that this product actually appeared to moisturise my skin quite well for a soap, which I think is in part to the inclusion of the castor oil in the ingredients list. Furthermore, Merry Berry did leave a warming blend of rose and fruit on my skin after I had towelled myself down. 

My only qualm with this product was the fact that the size and shape made it slightly difficult to lather at first, and some of the berries can be a little scratchy if they poke through the surface whilst you're washing. Having said that, the soap is definitely a lovely addition to this year's Christmas range and I can imagine more products will appear in this scent as time goes on.     

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Sodium Stearate, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Geranium Oil, Rose Absolute, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Citric Acid, Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, *Citral, *Citronellol, Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2018 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.