Let The Good Times Roll

It was almost seven years ago that I made the choice to dedicate my time and energy into creating the most definitive Lush blog that I possibly could. Little did I know just how much money and time would be needed to fulfil this dream, and create something that has grown and flourished as much as it has over the years. However, little did I also not realise how much the whole experience would mould, change and nurture me as a person as well.

Over the last seven years, I have spent numerous hours budgeting in my many hauls; weeks squatting in bath tubs just to get the best lighting; months spent editing and responding to the pictures that I post on Instagram; and years writing the most comprehensive reviews I could possibly manage. The feedback I have received from the Lush community, and indeed from within the company as well, have left me incredulous thinking about how much of an impact my words have impacted some of your lives as well. And I feel completely blessed that I have found a home within one of the best online communities in the world. 

This blog is my baby. And I am so incredibly proud of what I have managed to create; what this blog has allowed me to experience; and how these words have transcended into the real world, where I have met some of the most wonderful and inspiring people on the entire planet: many of whom I now consider to be some of my greatest friends.

However, change is inevitable and I have reached a stage in my life where I want to explore far more of this world, and in doing so dig far deeper into my own consciousness. This means that I need to let go of the things that are no longer serving me and begin to walk a new, exciting path, and see what life has to offer me when I do. 

For this reason, I will be stepping away from updating this blog completely and will no longer be reviewing Lush products on this platform. This blog will remain out there to hopefully inspire and inform new, wide-eyed Lush fans who are looking for a solid reference point to start from, as well as serve as a memory of my time over the last seven years.

I cannot thank you - the reader - enough for all of your support; your guidance; and your accolade over the years. It's been an absolute pleasure to be considered one of the key voices within the Lush community, and I am forever grateful for having the platform to learn and grow into that role, whilst having a strong sense of support from the community underneath.

I hope that many of you will continue to follow my new adventures on both my Instagram and Youtube platforms. In doing so, I do hope that I can ignite the adventure within you; inspire you to work towards your goals; and incite an excitement in you that will ultimately help you to make your dreams come true.  

I love you all.

And thank you.

Jennifer  

Rudolph Nose Shower Bomb

As part of my healing journey, I have been working very closely with the different fragrances and spices that I consume both internally and externally. With practice, I have been able to both soothe my moods at times, and completely ground myself, simply through the use of a particular essential oil, or a certain spice that I have incorporated into a recipe. It's amazing how simply being aware of what you consume can ultimately support or trigger your emotional and mental health.

When I first read the ingredients list of Rudolph Nose Shower Bomb, I was rather excited about how grounding and soothing the brand new seasonal product sounded on paper. Cedarwood and Ho Wood are two essential oils that I have been using to calm my mind during meditation, and they also both work as an aide to sleep, if you have a busy mind that needs settling.

Upon first sniff, I found that the fragrance of this limited edition happens to be fairly subtle overall, and would definitely get lost if you were trying to gage with the scent in a Lush store. My nose was able to recognise the woodiness of the two ingredients, but also the slightly resinous smokiness of the ho wood oil as well. 

Aside from the aforementioned components, Rudolph Nose also features lemon oil in the ingredients list. I happen to think that this is the key component here, because while the overall aroma has more of a sweet and delicately fruity note, the lemon works at elevating the other fragrances within the shower bomb and offers a fragrance that lasts for a long time on the skin. 

Despite its subtleness, I was able to smell the three ingredients for a good couple of hours after I had towelled myself down, and I can only imagine how much good that did at keeping me feeling calm and grounded throughout the day. 

Having said that, I do think that that this shower bomb would have been more impressive if the fragrance had been stronger in the shower. While the aroma left a lasting impression on my skin afterwards, the smell of the product when it was being used was far less interesting, especially when I was expecting much more of a wholesome scent when the shower bomb hit the hot water.

On the positive side, the shower bomb is super generous when it comes to how easy it is the lather up. In fact, I would highly suggest that you quarter the product beforehand, as you'll end up using far more than you need to if you use this in one go. Unlike some of Lush's other shower bombs, I found that Rudolph Nose didn't react so much to the water, and foam up like I was assuming would happen. Instead, what did come from the shower bomb was a thick, red 'gunk' that was easy to lather across the skin and did produce a little foam, much like a shower gel would offer.

After rinsing away the product, I was impressed to find that my skin felt really smooth and soft, especially around my feet and legs. However, I also noticed that in places there was a slight hint of pink where I think the product may have stained my skin a little. Although it wasn't noticeable enough for anyone to make a comment, it was definitely something that I became wary of when I chose to use the product again the next day.

This latter point is perhaps the main reason why I have given this shower bomb a rating of 3/6, alongside the notion that the fragrance wasn't as powerful in the shower as I felt that it could have been. Having said that, the smell did linger afterwards; my skin was left feeling clean and smooth; and using it before heading to bed no doubt played a part in helping me to unwind a little.

While not a favourite of mine, I did enjoy using Rudolph Nose Shower Bomb and only hope that nobody else experiences the slight tinting that the seasonal product put me though: 'Jennifer the red-bodied human' doesn't quite have the same ring to it as the original Christmas song.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Citric Acid, Potato Starch, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Calcium Lactate Gluconate, Sodium Alginate, DRF Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cedarwood Oil, Ho Wood Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Almond Essential Oil, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, *Citronellol, Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 14700, Colour 77491, Colour 15850:1, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £2.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.