Hunny Bear Massage Bar

First of all I should probably state that I have absolutely no reason at all to feel disgruntled by Lush as a whole. Their commitment to veganism, and the amass of items that they've released over the last few years, have surpassed that of any other company that I know of. However, I nearly always feel slightly miffed when a new product comes out containing honey or beeswax. 

When Hunny Bear Massage Bar first made itself known last Mother's Day, I was slightly miffed that I wouldn't be able to try it out for myself. Smothering my body in something that would make me smell like a human dessert is my idea of heaven, and the fact that I'd only be able to observe this one from a distance, much like Scrubee, was a little disappointing. 

Finding out that Lush had removed the honey from the ingredients list this year, and veganised the seasonal massage bar, made me super excited to try it out. In fact, no sooner had it arrived through my door, my skin was already being treated to a full body massage.

Sharing its scent with the Sea Salted Caramel Soap, Hunny Bear smells like a rich caramel pudding, laced with a generous sprinkling of brown sugar and a fresh drizzle of vanilla custard to finish. It is a delicious, sticky sweet smell: one where you can envisage the brown sugar gently bubbling under the heat on the stove, while a warm caramel sauce wraps itself around the fresh vanilla ice cream and melts it into a sickly sweet mess.

What is interesting is that when you first apply this massage bar to your skin, the vetivert is quite heavy in the mix. Therefore, you will find that there is an overpowering smoky smell that lingers around for a matter of minutes. However, once the oils begin to settle into the skin, this note disperses somewhat and the other key ingredients begin to make the fragrance more rounded and more delicious. 

What I loved about Hunny Bear was that the bar was super easy to massage across the skin, and while very easy to melt, it wasn't too much of a problem to apply as much (or as little) as I wanted to use. Once the butters and oils had melted across a surface, I then used my hand to really massage the oils into the skin properly so that they were absorbed as quickly as possible.

As the name suggests, the sole intention of these bars is to replace the liquid oils that someone may use when giving a massage. The consistency of nearly all of Lush's massage bars means that you get the same results, just without having to rely on a product that comes with packaging. 

However, if like me, you don't always have someone to give you a massage, you can also use these bars in replacement of your regular body lotion. Although there is a difference: these solid bars are definitely more oily than a lotion or cream, they offer your skin a chance to absorb some good quality butters and oils, without anything else featured that may clog up your pores.

When using Hunny Bear, I did find that the oils and butters took a short while to absorb into the skin, so you'll need to allow the product at least ten minutes to settle before putting any clothes over the top. However, I found that my skin looked and felt instantly more nourished and soft, and this lasted for the most part of the day.

Scent-wise, the wonderfully sweet aroma also remained present on my skin for a good while, and I did receive a few comments during my day at work about my 'perfume', so it does hold longevity. Pairing this with perhaps Yog Nog or Butterball Liquid Perfume would only serve to intensify this wonderful foodie experience for longer, although there may be people compelled to lick you as you will smell simply divine.

Overall, I am really happy that Lush have veganised this, without seemingly losing any of the skin-softening properties that the original massage bar held. This is definitely one I will be buying a few more of, before the Mother's Day range disappears for another year. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Almond Oil, Perfume, Clove Leaf Oil, Tonka Absolute, Brazilian Vetivert Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Organic Agave Syrup, Vegan Dark Chocolate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, *Anise Alcohol, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 77499.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.