Big Banana Massage Bar

What's not to love about a banana? Funnily enough, for years I opted out of eating bananas in favour of other fruits, only to fall back in love with the big yellow gem when I began training solidly at the gym. There is something so unique about the flavour and texture of this fruit, that I simply couldn't imagine not eating them to the extent that I now do.

When I first discovered that Lush were going to bring out a massage bar called Big Banana, I was really excited to find out how close in scent it was to the fruit itself. Brushing over the cheeky connotations that came up alongside this release, I was super excited to try something that I was told had a similar scent to the Sticky Banana Soap - a product that I'd previously been unable to try due to the inclusion of honey in the ingredients list.  

What I found when my massage bar arrived was that the smell was nothing like I was expecting it to be. As opposed to the sweet, natural banana fragrance I was expecting, I instead found something that almost smelt like a combination of banana and blue bubblegum ice cream. Don't get me wrong, the scent of this is in no way synthetic smelling, and there is no way I'd describe it as being at all playful or childlike. However, I think the inclusion of the clove bud oil was a little too domineering, which pushed the other components to the side and created an odd overall aroma. 

There is definitely a creaminess about this, hence my ice cream comparison, but there is also something rather prominent about the clove which takes away from the smooth, velvety smell that this massage bar could have offered the consumers. Luckily, the clove does tend to disperse a little when massaged across the skin, and there is something quite sultry about the fruity side of this massage bar that comes out more when in contact with the warmth of your body.

As with all of Lush's massage bars, the idea behind this is to use this in replacement of a bottle of massage oil: either gliding this directly across the skin, or massaging between your palms and then using your hands to direct the oils where you'd like them to go. If, like me, your partner doesn't particularly enjoy giving massages, you can also use this bar in replacement of a body lotion, and if will offer similar results when it comes to moisturising your skin.

As far as usability is concerned, Big Banana did melt with ease across my skin, and I found that I didn't need to hold it for long before I had enough oils to work with. These absorbed really quickly into the skin and I was able to put my clothes back on within ten minutes of application. This was especially great after my morning gym session, as I was able to nourish my skin for the whole day, and not have to wait around until I could head into work.

When using it like this, across my whole body, on a daily basis, I was able to stretch the use of this to a little over two months. This makes it great value for money when compared to a pot of body lotion that would probably last a similar amount of time. While not as intense as a body lotion, Big Banana was suffice at keeping my skin looking and feeling really smooth and replenished, and I barely had to reach for a lotion to intensify my experience. 

Having said that, I did find the shape of banana to be a little tricky when trying to apply the oils, and once the massage bar started to shrink in size, it did become a little more difficult to hold the product while it was in use. However, I really appreciated that I was able to use the tip of the banana to stimulate certain muscle areas that were aching after my workouts: something I wouldn't have been able to do with other shaped bars.

Overall, I enjoyed using Big Banana for the short time it graced the shelves of Lush, although I would have appreciated a fragrance that wasn't so heavily doused in clove. While it can be a little oily if too much of the bar is melted at once, it's very easy to apply and leaves your skin feeling lovely and soft afterwards. The only thing that I would say this limited edition is not so good at is penetrating the driest areas, such as the bottom of your feet and your hands, so you may wish to use something else to improve the condition of those parts.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Perfume, Fresh Organic Fair Trade Banana, Ylang Ylang Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Almond essential oil, Brazilian Orange Oil.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.