Avocado Wash Shower Gel (Valentine's 2019 edition)

Having used this every day since it arrived on my doorstep, I can honestly say that I have given the Valentine's Day edition of Avocado Wash Shower Gel a solid chance to prove itself to me. Despite what consumers have already written about this limited edition, I wanted to experience it fully for myself, so I could write a fair and accurate review. And if I'm truly honest: this shower gel is rather a let down.

Back in 2018, Lush released a whole array of limited edition shower gels, as one of their first introductions to the 'community favourites' section on their website. Avocado Wash was one of the fragrances chosen to be made into a shower gel, and the outcome was simply beautiful. Everybody would no doubt agree that the company did well at replicating the scent in the bottled format, and there was a reason why the shower gel sold out so quickly.

Fast forward to the beginning of this month, and fans were elated to find that their favourite shower gel was coming back as part of the Valentine's Day range. Not only would it be more accessible and available for longer, but Lush were also offering it in multiple sizes. A win win, right? 

The problem was that as soon as fans began to use the shower gel in the comfort of their own homes, they realised that the scent was 'off'. The company have since stated that because they've brought it out in greater quantities, they've had to alter the recipe slightly, and this has caused an uproar because it simply doesn't smell like the original Cowash or the original shower shower gel.   

If I'm honest, I've left writing this until near the end of my Valentine's Day reviews, for the sheer fact that there were so many conflicting statements online, and I really wanted to experience this product for myself before I made any comments on how my experience with the limited edition went. 

What I will start by saying is that Avocado Wash Shower Gel does not smell like any of the aforementioned products in the same fragrance family. Yes, there are definitely links between the two, and I think if Lush had bought this out as a completely new product, there would have been a lot of comparisons made between the two. However, the smell of this is not true to the Avocado Cowash family that the community have grown to love.

From the bottle, my first experience was one of burnt caramel, which I was initially excited by. However, once this shower gel is in the palm of your hand and being lathered over your body, the smell has a very burnt note to it, which I don't think compliments the fruity element all that much. To my nose, there is clearly far too much olibanum in the mix here, and rather than offering a warming base underneath, instead takes over and is far too toxic. 

Avocado Wash is really thick so you don't need that much to clean your whole body with. It lathers up really easily; produces lots of fragrant foam to massage across your skin; and leaves a lasting impression on the body afterwards. As far as shower gels go, the consistency is one of the best that I have experienced in a while from Lush, and doesn't separate like the original bottle that came out late last year.

However, if you're a big fan of this aroma, there is a chance that the smell of this will disappoint you, as it's not true to the original scent at all. If you're trying to decide whether to go for the naked shower gel or this, the solid version definitely smells a lot better but this one is far more productive in the water. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Bergamot Oil, Litsea Cubeba Oil, Olibanum Oil, Carrageenan Extract, Organic Avocado Oil, Gardenia Extract, Fresh Avocado, Propylene Glycol, Amyl Cinnamal, *Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Chlorophyllin, Colour 42090:2, Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £5.95 for 100g, £11.95 for 250g, £19.95 for 500g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.