The Guv'ner Solid Deodorant

As I've mentioned in previous deodorant reviews, it is very rare that I have anything bad to say about Lush. Unfortunately, when I do, it's normally to do with one of their less than effective deodorants that often seem to elevate and encourage the very problems they claim to eradicate. 

The Guv'ner is the second to last deodorant from Lush that I have left to review, and as previous experience goes, this product already starts off on uneven standing. Described by the company as a 'hardworking, absorbent deodorant powder that means business', I was expecting something a little more effective than their previous offerings.

This is one of Lush's powdered products and comes in an 80g bottle, which may make it sound rather expensive when priced at £6.25. However, you only need to use a minuscule amount each time, meaning this bottle would probably last you a good six or more months. I was using it twice a day, for almost a month, and the powder barely moved a centimetre away from the top of the bottle.  

The powder is made up of a combination of different ingredients, each bringing their unique scents and properties to the mix. This list includes charcoal, sodium bicarbonate, lavender powder and calamine powder to name just a few. 

The different powders used in this are supposed to absorb sweat and soothe skin while the essential oils keep you smelling good for the whole day. Firstly, there's charcoal powder, which absorbs moisturise and eradicates smells; the lycopodium powder helps to keep the deodorant gentle on your skin, also acting as a cooling element, alongside the patchouli, to keep you feeling fresh; the sage and patchouli are there for their wonderful aroma and also for their antiseptic and astringent qualities. These latter ingredients have been proven to shrink pores, aiding towards the ultimate goal of decreased sweating!

Much like The Greeench Powdered Deodorant, applying the deodorant proved a little difficult. I tend to pour a little on the tips of my fingers and then rub it immediately under my armpits. However, despite my best efforts, I always end up spilling excess powder on my clothes or floor, so it's a little fiddly to say the least. Furthermore, it left a dark powdery layer on my armpits, which although didn't transfer onto my clothes, did leave me feeling rather conscious; it wouldn't be a product I'd be able to wear with short sleeves.

Unlike a lot of synthetic deodorants available in shops, this one is far more natural, meaning it doesn't block off the sweat glands. Although this is definitely a positive attribute, I was also aware that The Guv' ner wouldn't protect me for as long as other anti-perspirants might have done. This fact became all the more apparent when I found myself sweating profusely at work one day and became paranoid that the sweat would permeate my top and show through. However, the deodorant does act as a great repellent of smells, and despite amassing a fair bit of sweat, I couldn't detect any bad smells coming from my body.

The Guv'ner is probably one of the better smelling deodorants, a subtle blend of vetivert, patchouli, sage and lavender. It is this latter ingredient that comes through the most here, although it's a gentle scent so won't overpower any body lotion or perfume that you wish to apply.

Overall, it's far from being a terrible product; I just don't think it's suited to me. As I said in a previous review, I know I look for Lush for solutions in all of my cosmetic needs, but as of yet, they have yet to convince me that I should move away from my regular bottle of Nivea.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Lycopodium Powder, Magnesium Trisilicate, Water (Aqua), Powdered Charcoal, Organic Jojoba Oil, Perfume, Calamine Powder, Lavender Powder, Rose Absolute, Vetivert Oil, Patchouli Powder, *Citronellol, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £8 each (85g).

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Get Closer Solid Deodorant

When the Lush Oxford Street store first opened some five years ago, the company brought out so many new dusting powders: one of which was called Get Closer. While not strictly advertised as a deodorant, most of Lush's dusting powders are versatile enough that they can be used in this way, and this is perhaps the reason why this solid rendition appeared at the Showcase event last year.

What I will say about this solid deodorant is that it does a good job at replicating the scent of the original dusting powder, which features neroli oil, jasmine absolute and lemon oil. Alongside an extra dosage of jojoba oil, this naked block of deodorant is very close in scent to the wonderful Happy Happy Joy Joy Hair Conditioner and Frozen Bath Bomb, albeit slightly lighter and not as floral-dominated. Instead, imagine HHJJ with a heap of calamine and kaolin powders thrown on top, and you may begin to understand what this exclusive smells like.

On the skin, you can definitely detect the neroli - a light and slightly bitter citrusy aroma that intertwines with the lemon oil and intensifies the fruity element. To compliment this, the jasmine adds its own soulful floral aroma that gives the deodorant a slight sweetness, making it delectable and utterly refreshing on the senses.

Alongside these elements, Get Closer then offers a strong herbal note of calamine, coupled with a dry and slightly earthy note of the kaolin, which I happen to think is perhaps a little more prominent in this format: more so than it is in the dusting powder. Either way, the smell you get is definitely not as clinical as many of Lush's other deodorants but there is still something very clean-smelling about this fragrance that I think works well.

At risk of repeating myself, I was initially worried about the strength of this solid deodorant, as I imagined it would just crumble when I applied even the slightest amount of pressure: it is definitely not as resilient as the likes of Aromaco Solid Deodorant by any means. However, it is fairly straight forward to use and the product comes away really easily on the skin, so you don't need to apply much in the way of pressure at all.

What was great about this deodorant was the fact that it was far easier to apply as a block as opposed to bottled powder. Trying to apply a powder without spilling it all over the place is a rather tricky task. However, when it came to The Get Closer Solid Deodorant, I found that simply massaging it gently under my armpits was enough to get what I wanted out of the product. While my armpit was left slightly dusty afterwards, it certainly didn't cause me any problems and I certainly didn't develop any stains on my clothes from it being this way.

Like most of Lush's dusting powders and deodorants, this one has a great level of absorbency - thanks to the inclusion of the kaolin - so any sweat that develops on your skin across the day will be absorbed fairly quickly and your armpits will be left fairly dry.

As I have stated in other reviews, this deodorant is not an antiperspirant, so it will not prevent you from sweating at all. Instead, it just helps to absorb the sweat so it doesn't have time to go stale and develop an odour, and if you sweat quite profusely at times, reduce the amount of 'damp' that remains on your skin.

After using it for near on a month, I found that Get Closer definitely worked at eradicating smells that may have accumulated throughout the day, and it was very easy to reapply the product whenever I felt like I needed to. In a typical day, I felt I needed to reapply about 5-6 times, although this may just have been my desire to be super clean: you may be able to reduce this number by half and preserve the life of the deodorant for longer. 

However, what I should point out is that this solid deodorant wasn't very effective both before and after the gym. As I work out most days, I really noticed that I would start to smell my sweat a little more prominently if I used this deodorant over my usual Nivea variation. As I have found with some of Lush's deodorants, this solid product is not as effective when you're someone who sweats a great deal or when used during a time when you're perspiring a lot because of physical activity. In these moments, I had to reply on my regular shop-bought variation to see me through my workouts.

Ultimately, this solid deodorant is actually quite effective at what is does and offers a rather lovely floral aroma to boot. I honestly think that I just need to continue using this for a few more months and I should hopefully notice even more changes in the way that my body responds to this.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Cornflour, Magnesium Carbonate, Water (Aqua), Calamine Powder, Kaolin, Organic Jojoba Oil, Perfume, Neroli Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Lycopodium Powder, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, *Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Citral, *Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, *Benzyl Cinnamate, *Cinnamal. *Farnesol

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £8 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Warm Sock Bath Oil

While a bit of an odd reference, there has always been a bit of playful banter surrounding socks between myself and my sister. After watching Shoot 'Em Up years ago, and seeing Clive Owen use a warm sock in replacement of a woolly hat for a tiny baby, I have always thought of socks as being rather cute, despite their obvious lack of character. When I discovered that this Christmas Bath Melt was actually going to be a 'thing', I couldn't help but find comfort in the thought of sharing my bath with a tiny rendition of an item of clothing.

Warm Sock Bath Melt is exactly that: a tiny bundle of essential butters and oils, moulded into a golden-shaped sock. While not something that is going to blow you away with its outer design, this little beauty is the perfect s(t)ocking filler, with it's buttery goodness offering a delectable treat that'll benefit your skin without extending your waist line.

With a wonderful combination of orange and cinnamon leaf oil, this beautiful little product happens to share its scent with the Cinders range, which in my mind is the perfect winter smell for frozen bodies. The warming, fruity note of orange offers a perfect balance of sweetness and citrusy goodness, whilst the cinnamon wraps its spicy arms around this and thickens the aroma like a comforting mug of chai tea.

There is something rather delicate about the scent of this, so although it pertains the same smell as the Fireball Bath Bomb, there is definitely something more wholesome and creamy about the overall fragrance. The fact that Warm Sock has an abundance of cocoa and shea butter, not to mention a gentle nutty shout out with its inclusion of almond oil as well, means that the scent of this is richer and far more decadent than the aforementioned bath bomb. 

This delicacy does mean that the smell of the bath oil isn't as prominent as the bath bomb offers in the water, but then the purpose of this limited edition is different, so you wouldn't exactly assume that it would work in the same way. In fact, I chose to use both the bath bomb and the bath oil together, and found that they both complimented each other, and offered something different at the same time.

In the tub, Warm Sock doesn't take very long to start dissolving into the water. In fact, it was only a matter of seconds before I began to notice a thin film of shimmery oils floating above the melt, and slowly dispersing themselves across the surface of the water. Within 5-10 minutes of placing the bath oil into the water, I found that it had become the size of a raisin, which I then squished between my fingers before indulging in a nice long soak.

What I will say is that by itself, this bath oil will not give you a colourful display to indulge in; neither will it offer you a fragrance strong enough to engulf your entire bathroom. However, the inclusion of the lustre does create a beautiful, pulsating shimmer underneath the surface of the water, which when combined with a colourful bath bomb or bubble bar, looks truly beautiful in the tub.

By itself, the shimmer is still very wonderful to look at, so don't feel that you need to combine it with anything to get a lovely experience. Furthermore, you can definitely smell the warming notes of orange and cinnamon in the tub, although they do tend to get thwarted by the scents of other products you use at the same time. 

After bathing in the waters of Warm Sock, I did notice how smooth and moisturised my skin felt afterwards, especially my hands and the chipped areas around my cuticles. I was also pleased to discover that the lustre didn't decorate my skin or the tub after the water had rinsed away. Having said that, I didn't notice much in the way of a fragrance on my skin afterwards, but then it's rare that a bath oil can leave that much of an impression when it's rather small to begin with.

Overall, this wonderful little bath oil is like a creamy, buttery truffle for the skin, and will definitely appeal to those who appreciate cute little cosmetics. Having said that, I do feel that the price tag is slightly over what I would be willing to pay for such an experience. Perhaps a Cinders-scented massage bar would be a better option for those who wish to experience nourished skin whilst also enjoying the wonderful fragrance on offer.         

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Laureth 4, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Perfume, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Corn Oil,Titanium Dioxide, Almond Essential Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Tin Oxide ,*Cinnamal, Eugenol, *Limonene, Colour 77491.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

coming soon!

Penguin Bomb Bomb Bath Bomb

During the colder months of the year, I often find myself gravitating towards the bright, vibrant-coloured bath products, which help to stimulate my psychological understanding that certain colours represent heat and warmth more than others do. To choose a bath bomb that produces a tub full of blue water would probably be one of the last on my list, even if the scent is uplifting and wholesome. 

Yet that's exactly what I did when I decided to use the limited edition Penguin Bomb Bomb for the first time earlier this week. While not exactly what I'd call a complete novelty, this seasonal special does come as two separate bath bombs, so the proviso is that you need to be willing to spend almost £10 on the pair of them if you wish to indulge in them separately, or indeed as one. 

As I have already said in my reviews of the bomb bombs from last year, I can completely understand the consumer demand for products such as this. There is probably a big market for these bath bombs for those looking for a unique (and sometimes adorable) stocking filler. However, it also happens to be quite an investment for someone who doesn't necessarily know whether or not they're really going to enjoy the scent or the experience, that these bath bombs have to offer.

When it comes to Penguin, this little chap offers up a rather subtle smell of orange, and little else. While I would describe the scent as being slightly fruity, delicately powdery, and gently sweet, there is nothing particularly special or outstanding about the fragrance on offer here. This really is a bath bomb for somebody more interested in the 'cuteness' of the penguin, or the vividity of the blue that it creates in the tub. If you're looking for a bath bomb that is going to offer you a strong scent, I would perhaps avoid this one - as the smell disperses pretty quickly, and I wasn't really able to detect much of this bomb bomb when I was in the tub.

Although I used both halves in my bath, I don't think it would necessarily make much of a difference if you only used one of the bombs at a time. In fact, I found that one half of this bomb bomb actually sunk while it was dissolving, and one half floated. This meant that I didn't really get much more of an exciting show from using both pieces at once.

As to be expected, as soon as Penguin hit the water, the bath bombs began to fizz and dissolve immediately - sending out waves of rich, blue colour that painted the water very quickly. Alongside this, little puddles of both white and yellow colour were also formed on the surface, although these dissolved very quickly and didn't leave much of a lasting impression overall. In addition, the abundance of popping candy featured within the bath bomb meant that a loud, crackling orchestra created a wonderful soundtrack to enjoy for a good many minutes whilst the bath bomb was dissolving and beyond that point as well.

What I will say is that the deep shade of blue that this bomb bomb leaves your water is truly stunning. And it is this quality that I believe gives Penguin Bomb Bomb a relevant place within this year's Christmas range. However, the scent of this seasonal special is very average, and it certainly doesn't last a long time past adding these bath bombs to the water. 

Overall, I did find that my skin felt really clean and smooth after exiting the tub, and I didn't need to moisturise heavily afterwards either. However, I wouldn't say that this bath bomb was as nourishing as some of Lush's other bath bombs can be, and I don't feel as if it did anything extra special to improve the condition of my skin. 

If you're looking for a fragrance that will last in the tub, on your skin and beyond, Penguin Bomb Bomb is probably not the bath bomb you'll be wanting to invest in this year. However, if you want to bathe in one of the most beautiful shades of blue, or you just find the bath bomb cute and are not overly worried about the lack of scent, this is one you may wish to try before the year is out.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Popping Candy, Brazilian Orange Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Water (Aqua), Dipropylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 42090, Colour 47005:1 Candy Eyes.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £9.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

coming soon!

Silver Bells Shower Jelly

Sometimes it's nice to shake things up at bit and be faced with a product that doesn't follow any trend, and certainly doesn't sit right with you during the initial few uses. Silver Bells Shower Jelly definitely set me back quite a bit when I first caught a sniff of the brand new seasonal offering, and I cannot say I have quite mastered whether or not I really like it just yet.

As its name suggests, this Christmas special is a silver-coloured jelly that has been carefully crafted to form the shape of a bell. Given the very nature of its design, it does come in a little smaller than the usual 100g shower jellies, and there is something slightly more delicate about this one that I haven't found with the normal jellies.

What I found with Silver Bells is that the base part does tend to 'shred' a little during usage, so you may find that little bits of the jelly fall off during your shower. However, there isn't enough loss to worry about this factor too much, and I would suggest just being a little more gentle with the shower jelly will heed much better results.

On the positive side, this shower jelly is incredibly easy to lather up, and I was most impressed with the amount of fragrant foam that I was able to get from minimal massaging between my palms. When rubbing this across the skin, the shower jelly works magic at cleaning your body and leaving a lasting scent on your skin. In fact, this is perhaps one of the most effective jellies that I have used in a while.


Scent-wise, Silver Bells is definitely an acquired taste. Containing olibanum, lime and orange oils, you might assume that this shower jelly would offer a bright, fruity aroma - like many of the other Christmas goodies available from this year's range. However, the fragrance of this one is supposed to replicate the aroma of the Inhale Perfume Oil, which is an aroma that many might find difficult to adjust to.


To my nose, the smell that greets me from the pot is a fresh, crisp smell, that like for many other people, reminds me of a snowy winter morning out in the forest. The olibanum brings about an almost woody but slightly resinous note, whilst the lime and orange offer a very dry and slightly green-like citrusy note alongside this. I would go ahead and say that there is something delicately herbal about this aroma as well, although I cannot pinpoint exactly where this note might be coming from. 

There is no way that I would describe the smell of this as being at all fruity or warming. It's a very grounded, natural aroma that has a cooling note that you could almost describe as being like the smell of a Galia melon. It's sweet in the way that the aforementioned fruit is, so nothing like any of the citrus smells that the company are offering in multiple other products.

What I will say about Silver Bells is that is works wonderfully as a shower jelly: lathering up with ease and produce super softening foam to massage across your skin. The inclusion of the black sesame seed milk is perhaps what makes it so moisturising, as you can really feel as smooth and shiny it leaves your skin after you've rinsed the suds away. 

Despite it's slightly delicate nature, and the fact that it is minutely smaller than the regular 100g jellies, this product has barely shrunk across the two weeks I have been using it, which makes the price tag seem a little more reasonable than I originally thought.

Ultimately, this is one of those rare products that is either going to inspire you to buy the shop out of tubs before the season is over, or to hold your nose and run a million miles in the opposite direction. It stands out in the Christmas range this year and I feel very privileged that I have had the opportunity to try one out for size. 

I will definitely continue to use this regularly over the winter season. However, I also intend to save it for the summer months so I can appreciate how its cool, crisp nature will refresh my skin after a hot day out in the sun. Silver Bells is a much welcomed new product to the seasonal range this year.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Black Sesame Seed Milk, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Lime Oil, Olibanum Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, *Limonene, Colour 77499.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £6 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.