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Showing posts with label blackcurrant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blackcurrant. Show all posts

29 July 2019

Comfort Zone Shower Bomb




When Lush first introduced the term 'shower bomb', I was rather skeptical about whether or not this concept held any worth in the cosmetics industry. Was there any merits to using such a short-life product or would this be another temporary craze that disappeared into obscurity within a few months? As time have passed by and my experience with these little beauties has multiplied, it is safe to say that I am now completely on board with what Lush next have to offer.

Comfort Zone Shower Bomb is a cute little cylinder (that I believe is supposed to represent a blanket) with multiple meanings behind its name. Not only does the title reference how comforting the smell of the product is when in use, but both the ingredients and the name itself also hint at the more political issue of climate change. As Lush have stated on their website: Does the currant climate leave you feeling berry insecure? 

Sharing its scent with The Comforter range, this pretty little shower bomb first started out as a Liverpool exclusive, before being released quite recently as a regular product in stores and online. Featuring blackcurrant absolute and fresh raspberries in the ingredients list, there's no wonder that consumers are finding this berrylicious creation so gorgeous: I certainly have.
A classic scent that has been around for years, The Comforter is a warm, sweet and very fruity aroma. While I would describe the fragrance of this shower bomb to be very berry-like overall, it is the blackcurrant that makes the biggest impression here: creating a deliciously sultry and yet very playful aroma, while the cypress oil adds a layer of soothing sweetness to calm you down and round the fragrance off perfectly.

To my nose, Comfort Zone is perhaps a little lighter and fruitier than the original bubble bar and definitely appears to have a stronger scent as well. When using this in the shower, my senses were completely flooded with the aroma; the smell remained on my skin for hours; and the fragrance lingered quite heavily in the bathroom for a very long time.

To use, you simply need to hold the shower bomb under the running water during your shower, where it will immediately begin to expand and create a fragrant foam in your hand within a matter of seconds. The heat of the water will then help to release the different essential oils that have gone into making the bomb, which is supposed to help alter your mood depending on the purpose of the shower bomb itself. 
In this case, Comfort Zone is designed to help calm your mind and bring you some peace during times when you perhaps feel a little overwhelmed with everything. This shower bomb will offer you the biggest cuddle in the shower and its fragrance will hold you tight for hours afterwards as well, which is the perfect remedy at the end of a long day.

Once the shower bomb has began creating its foam, the idea is that you can lather and massage this across the skin much like you would a shower gel. The inclusion of both the potato starch and the sodium alginate allow the bomb to soften and moisture the skin, while the different oils clean out the pores and leave your skin looking and smelling rather delicious. Furthermore, the inclusion of the chia seeds in Comfort Zone, which you can spot when the shower bomb begins to dissolve under the water, gives this product a soft, gel-like consistency that only serves to make your skin feel even softer when in use.   

If you're someone like me who was worried at first that the inclusion of the sodium bicarbonate and citric acid will irritate your skin, I can assure you that this is not the case at all. In fact, my only piece of advice when using this is to ensure that you haven't shaved after applying this to the skin, as some of Lush's shower bombs can sting a little because of the open pores. Having said that, I didn't experience this at all when using this shower bomb in particular, so it was another added bonus on top of everything else.

While the consistency of the foam is slightly scratchy and not at all like the silkiness of a regular Lush shower gel or jelly, my skin did feel really clean and soft after using the shower bomb. Furthermore, I was able to clean my entire body, from head to foot, and still have product left over afterwards. Because of this, it would be completely reasonable to cut one of these shower bombs in half and use them across two, perhaps even three showers.
As with all of Lush's recent shower bomb releases, Comfort Zone not only left my skin feeling really smooth and clean but the scent lingered for an impressive amount of time afterwards. Despite there not being much of a difference between the smell of this and other Comforter-scented products, I found myself appreciating the scent of this far more than I expected to. This is definitely a shower bomb I would purchase again and I am so glad it has made it into the regular line.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Citric Acid, Potato Starch, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Calcium Lactate, Gluconate, Sodium Alginate, Perfume, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Bergamot Oil, Blackcurrant Absolute, Cypress Oil, Chia Seeds, Fresh Raspberries, Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 17200, Colour 45410:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £2.75 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.





28 April 2019

I Want A Pony Bath Oil




Thanks to Lush's aptly named I Want A Pony Bath Oil, I now have Veruca Salt's pretentious-sounding voice in my head, reminding me that there's so much ugliness to come from greed and being ungrateful. Thankfully, for those who have either read or watched Roald Dahl's famous Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, you'll know that being spoilt has its consequences. 

This brand new edition of Lush's ever increasing bath oil collection is not only super cute but happens to host The Comforter fragrance at the same time. Fans of this classic fruity smell will not only appreciate the fact that their favourite scent has made it into a new format, but will also be excited to hear that it near on replicates the original bubble bar down to a tee. 

When this Lush Labs exclusive arrived, I'll be honest and say that the scent wasn't as strong as some of the other little oils that I have sampled from Lush. However, once this bath oil has been absorbed into the water, the smell you get is far stronger than the initial whiff.

For those who have yet to experience anything in The Comforter scent, I Want A Pony has a musky, fruity blackcurrant scent coupled with a gentle touch of cypress oil to make it slightly even sweeter and warming. There is something so simple about this aroma that makes it one of Lush's most popular smells, and with good reason.

In the water, this little bath oil floated around on the surface, sending out little waves of pink oils from time to time. Once fully dissolved, which took a good twenty minutes, the bath oil had left the water very delicate shade of pink. If you expect your tub to be filled with vibrant-coloured water, you will be sorely disappointed. However, the purposed of Lush's bath oils and melts is to infuse the water with an extra dosage of skin-softening butters, so I wasn't surprised when my water was rather boring to look at.

What I did find was that the oils and butters tended to float across the surface and I needed to swish the water around to help them to absorb. However, once they had disappeared into the water, the water was definitely more moisturising than it would have been without the oil.

Unlike some of Lush's greasier bath oils, I Want A Pony didn't leave any slimy marks around the edge of the tub, and also didn't leave my body greasy at all. Instead, my skin was left feeling super soft and smooth, and while not the most moisturising of bath oils, I did notice a difference to my skin when I towelled myself down.

Unfortunately, the scent in the water didn't last particularly long, and I wasn't able to smell it after about ten minutes. As you would expect, this meant that the fragrance didn't transfer to my skin either, so I left the bath without the beautiful blackcurrant scent that I was hoping for.

To conclude I will say that this is a great edition to Lush’s extensive bath oil collection, and I can imagine fans of The Comforter Bubble Bar will want to add one of these to their already wonderful baths. While I don't think I would choose this over some of Lush's other melts and oils, it was a pleasant experience that I would like to try again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Laureth 4, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume, Lauryl Betaine, Bergamot Oil, Blackcurrant Absolute, Cypress Oil, Titanium Dioxide, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45410:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £2.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.



coming soon!


8 November 2018

The Comforter Bath Bomb




The Comforter is one of those scents that reminds me of the early days, when I first began investing in Lush. Back then everything was new and exciting, and I could never envisage myself buying and trying every product in store, let alone knowing enough about them to start a blog. It amazes me now when I realise that I have tried nearly two thousand products since that period in my life, and could still tell you about nearly every single one of them.

What also amazes me is the fact that The Comforter Bath Bomb is not part of the regular range, having been there since the beginning of time. It's a fragrance that wins over many hearts, especially when consumers are first getting into the company, and would be a great seller for those of us who crave blackcurrant scented products constantly.

One of twelve limited edition bath bombs to come out online recently, this release, along with the new Blackberry Bath Bomb, sports a new 'bobbly' design, and offers a wonderfully strong yet fruity smell that'll win you over very quickly. The fact that it looks like something out of Wonka's chocolate factory only serves to make you salivate over this lovely release.

Containing cassis absolute, as well as bergamot and cypress oils, The Comforter offers a beautifully sweet and powdery fruity smell. The former ingredient brings forth the famous blackcurrant (berry) note, while the cypress oil both adds a rich and slightly resinous undertone, and grounds the whole aroma, so that it doesn't evaporate as quickly as a lot of fruity smells do. This sultry element of the cypress oil is what allows the blackcurrant aroma to be as warming and rounded as it is.


To my nose, The Comforter Bath Bomb is as close to the scent of the original bubble bar as you can get. Obviously, the fact that it's a bath bomb means that there is the dry, powdery edge to the fragrance that you don't really notice in the bubble bar format. If anything, this gives the bomb a gentle sherbety touch, which only serves to make the smell of this even more beautiful.

In the bath, this limited edition was a fast fizzer: dissolving completely in about a minute, albeit for a small disc of white, which carried on going for another five minutes while I was submerged under the water. Once this had also dispersed, I was left with a tub full of bright pink water, which sparkled a little due to the inclusion of a little silver lustre, in the centre of the bath bomb.


The bath bomb itself offered a colourful pink and white display as it was dissolving, and fragrance that was present both during and after its use was wonderful. Although not as strong as some of the other limited edition bath bombs, The Comforter definitely left an impression in the tub, and I was able to smell it very faintly on my skin afterwards.

Given the price of this, I would highly recommend that you give this one a go at least once before it disappears. It leaves your skin feeling really soft and smooth, although not as moisturised as the likes of The Olive Branch or Meluzine. However, my skin did feel both radiant and beautiful after using this bath bomb, and for old times sake it was pleasant to rekindle some memories whilst washing away my week at work.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Bergamot Oil, Cassis Absolute, Cypress Oil, Water (Aqua), Cream of Tartar, Titanium Dioxide, Cornstarch, Sodium Coco Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 45410, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £3.95 for each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.


Oopsie Daisy Bubble Bar
Poppy Soap
Reindeer Rock Soap
Cherie Ripe Massage Bar
Cherie Ripe Body Lotion



21 September 2018

Scrub Scrub Scrub Body Scrub



It has always been a dream of mine to create products for Lush Cosmetics. As someone who loves the arts; has a passion for building and making a variety of crafts; and is in love with every aspect of cooking, the idea of being able to combine different fragrances and manipulate a variety of compound ingredients to create a brand new idea just seems like the ultimate dream. The only downfall would be in not being able to eat it afterwards.

Looking at what has gone into making Scrub Scrub Scrub, it almost reads like a recipe for a high end dessert: blackberry and lime purees, blackcurrant powders and rosemary oil. Yet at the same time, I found it very difficult to decipher what this alluring looking black scrub would actually smell like when it arrived. While rumours circulated about a possible Comforter-scented release, I held out for something a little different, and I was not disappointed. 

In the tub, this dark mess of charcoal and oils does have a strong blackcurrant note that continues to shine during usage in the shower. While I can see why people have made the Comforter link, I find this note of blackcurrant stronger and a little more bitter as well: almost like the blackcurrants you find on the top of a cheesecake. The inclusion of the blackberry puree combines with the blackcurrant here and you can recognise that berry-eque note present alongside. Together, they offer a strong fruity note, that by itself would be rather boring. However, there's so much more to this scrub - which is why it's so interesting. 

Alongside the fruity notes, you get a strong layer of both pine and rosemary. The latter ingredient offers a strong, herbal note, both inside the pot and when the scrub is being used in the shower. In fact, it is the rosemary that lasts the longest on the skin - staying past when the blackcurrant aroma as long gone. The pine oil also adds a very exquisite green note in the tub, and I think it is this particular ingredient that creates the juxtaposition of smells - and the reason why so many people have found the fragrance a little distasteful once they've brought it home from the shop.

There is a slight part of me that feels that these three elements are almost contradicting each other, and to be begin with the scent sat a little uneasy with me as well. However, very quickly I realised the beauty in such a unique pairing of ingredients, and now I cannot get enough of the scrub.

To me, the scrub reminds me very much of Halls Blackcurrant Soothers: there is something slightly medicinal about the smell that may be a little off-putting to some. I also feel as if you can smell the charcoal a little in the mix, so you get a very eclectic array of notes.

Although the scrub itself appears rather thick in the tub, I found it to be quite light when scooping it out, and it definitely wasn't as coarse as I was expecting it to be. In fact, it wasn't far off being as gentle on the skin as Rub Rub Rub, although there was certainly more of a scrubbier side to the product that set it apart from the aforementioned classic. 

In the shower, the scrub massages over your body with ease and you don't need an awful lot to coat every area of your skin. Once applied, exfoliating in a circular motion will gently remove dry skin and dirt, and leave you with super soft skin. Once out of the shower however, only the rosemary lingers on the skin, and this is short-lived as well because I couldn't detect anything without five minutes of drying myself down. 

It would have been lovely to still be able to smell the amalgamation of different ingredients after I had exited the shower, but at least I was able to notice that my skin looked and felt really clear and clean. Scrub Scrub Scrub definitely works at clearing out pores without irritating the skin, and it's great for those with oilier complexions because the charcoal will absorb unwanted grease.

The only downfall about this product is that it can make a bit of a mess around your bathroom. So while it won't stain, it would definitely make your life easier if you were a little careful when using this in the shower, and I'd recommend that you rinse the sides/walls afterwards, to ensure no clumps of black are found later on. 

While this doesn't reach the same level as Cup 'O Coffee, this is definitely a scrub I would buy again. Although it's not as coarse as the products I'd usually go for, there's enough character in the smell, and enough evidence after use, to tell me that this is one that does the job it's set out to do.           

Quantitative Ingredients: Fine Sea Salt, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Blackberry Puree, Lime Puree, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Powdered Charcoal, Propylene, Glycol, Organic Blackcurrant Powder, Blackcurrant Absolute, Buchu Oil, Rosemary Oil, Pine Oil, Lactic Acid, Lauryl Betaine, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £12.95 for 300g, £23.95 for 625g.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.



28 August 2018

Assassin Liquid Perfume



When I saw the word 'Assassin' underneath the list of perfumes that Lush were going to bring out as part of their Lush Labs release, my heart skipped a beat. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to shower gels, and Assassin Shower Gel completely bowled me over when I first received my order from the Lush Kitchen.

You can imagine my confusion and disappointment then when I first sprayed the perfume on my skin and found myself scrunching up my nose at the rather disgusting smell that greeted my senses. Okay, so perhaps the word disgusting is a little overdramatic when describing this perfume, but you've no doubt understood by now that I am not a fan in the slightest. 

Let me start by saying that the ingredients list looked really promising when I first read about what was inside of this perfume. The fact that the words 'blackcurrant absolute' and 'vanilla absolute' featured as prominent components, excited me to no end. However, the realisation that this perfume was probably very unlikely to share its scent with the shower gel also dawned on me, as they don't have very much in common in terms of key notes.

From the bottle, you initially get a strong, wet note of what I think is comprised of both the blackcurrant and the oakmoss in unison. To put it simply: these two ingredients just don't go well together in my opinion, and the fragrance they gave off reminded me of what it would be like to stick my head in a load of damp weeds, and take a big inhale inwards.

The oakmoss itself offers its usual earthy, moss-like smell, whilst the blackcurrant is sweet, fruity and slightly sour. The juxtaposition of these two layers appears to contradict each other for quite a while on the skin, and for this reason the fragrance just didn't settle for me whilst I was wearing it. 

Alongside this, the pine oil delivers a very delicate crisp, green note, although it hasn't been given the freedom to fully develop its or its character. The same goes for both the lime and the vanilla absolute. I could detect that both ingredients were there - the former more strongly than the latter - but I believe I could only really smell them because I knew that they should be there somewhere.

After a good twenty minutes on the skin, the perfume does settle a little more, and the headiness that first greets your senses does simmer a little on the heat of your skin. When this happens, the blackcurrant comes forth a little more, intertwined with the lime oil to add a little more sourness. However, the oakmoss is still very much present, yet doesn't appear to interlace with the other notes as much as I would expect a perfume to do. 

Ultimately, the dynamics of this perfume just don't work for my nose, although that's not to say that someone else won't find it incredibly beautiful. While I would always encourage Lush to bring out weird and unique smells, there are just some that I'm not prepared to wear on my skin, and this would be one of them.       

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Water (Aqua), Geraniol, Glycerine, Pine Oil, *Limonene, *Linalool, Lime Oil, Neroli Oil, Blackcurrant Absolute, Vanilla Absolute, *Anise Alcohol, *Citral, Oakmoss Extract, *Farnesol.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £29 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.


16 May 2018

Poppy Soap



There is something very alluring about the poppy flower: something quite poignant that comes from its association with the battlefields of World War One. The idea of Lush meadows full of vibrant red flowers with their little black centres - swaying in the breeze - is such a calming image. Unfortunately, it is very rare that I ever get to experience these beautiful species in person myself, so I often have to rely on the less interesting poppy seeds being sprinkled on my breakfast.

Having said that, these crunchy little black pellets have amazing qualities that boost the condition of your nails, hair and skin. Aside from the extensive list of health benefits, these little gems are known for not only helping to treat and reduce inflammation, but also to clean and moisturise the body so that the natural vibrance is returned to your skin.

In the case of Poppy Soap, these beauties do both of these through a gentle form of exfoliation. As the soap is being lathered over your body, you'll feel the gentle scratching of these seeds, which clean out the pores without irritating the skin and then helps to moisturise the body so that it feels and looks soft to the touch.

While I am a huge fan of The Comforter, I'll be honest and say that I don't always feign much enthusiasm for new products coming out with the same scent. Most of the time I end up really enjoying them but I think it's down to the format as to whether a product blows me away or not. The fact that Poppy is a soap was a little off-putting at first. However, I cannot deny that the design of this limited edition is perhaps the most beautiful piece of soap that Lush have released in years. 

With blackcurrant, bergamot and cypress oils, I was expecting the usual creamy combination that I've found with most products in the Comforter range. What makes the smell of Poppy stand aside from a lot of Comforter scents is that there is something rather decadent and delicate about the way the blackcurrant aroma intertwines with the creamy, powdery elements alongside it. There is something very light but creamy about the smell of this soap, and I was  amazed that I could detect almost an element of sweet cherries about the product in the shower. 

Lush fans have always wondered what the difference was between Sweetie Pie and The Comforter Shower Jellies, and while I tried my best to differentiate between the two, I definitely think this soap has components that link it more to the former than the latter. While not as strong in scent as either jelly, there is something rather 'comforting' about the delicate nature of this soap,   

The smell of this product is super sweet while also having a slight sugary element to it as well. There is almost something vanilla-like about the afterthought of this fragrance, which as I said in my review of the body conditioner, gives it a smell reminiscent of a blackcurrant compote on top of a cheesecake base. It's quite simply delicious!

wouldn't say that Poppy Soap is the most generous of latherers and it actually works better when stimulated between between your palms first. However,  because of the inclusion of the seeds for exfoliation, you'll probably want to massage it directly onto the area of skin that you're wanting to clean. This will generate a light and very fruity foam that you can clean yourself with with ease.

You don't need to keep massaging this to create surplus soap as the lather it does create is really easy to massage across a large area of space. For this reason, Poppy Soap has lasted me a good while, and I can easily see it lasting between 2-3 months with daily use. In between showers, you'll need to pat this down and store it somewhere dry as it has a tendency to leave red puddles wherever it's been sitting.

Overall, this is a wonderfully designed soap with a gorgeous scent and a little exfoliation as an added bonus. This would no doubt sell really well in Lush stores across the country, and indeed the globe, and I cannot imagine #lushlabs being  the last time this will make an appearance for the company.    

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Water (Aqua), Chia Seed Gel, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Blackcurrant Absolute, Cypress Oil, Poppy Seeds, Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £6.95 for 120g.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.





15 January 2018

Free Rangers Bath Bomb




More often than not, I find myself reserving any judgement of a new concept or product until I have fully engaged with it. It is only when I have figured out its merits and downfalls that I allow myself to state my opinion. Often with certain releases - the naked shower gels and jelly bombs for example, many fans tend to dismiss them before even trying them out. When it came to this seasonal release, I couldn't help but react in a negative way. That was until I realised that my absence from the Lush community had clearly dented my knowledge of Lush's back catalogue, and that what we had here was actually something rather special.

Free Rangers Bath Bomb is an Easter release with a wonderful fragrance and a whole bunch of character to boot. Obviously an upgrade from last year's Chick 'N' Mix, this one sports a new smell; three different coloured designs to choose from; and a candy eye to snack on if you get rather peckish in the tub. No really, you can actually nibble on it - I've tried!

Why I initially moaned about this bath bomb was because I discovered that it shared its scent with the popular Comforter range. Although I am a big fan of this scent family, I had had a discussion only the day before about wanting Lush to bring out products with new aromas, and here they were producing something with a scent that has been used time and time again. 

However, in retrospect I realised that despite the many products sharing this smell, the company have never previously released a bath bomb with the same fragrance. Once I realised my mistake, I began to feel a little guilty and decided I needed to enjoy a bath with this limited edition to rekindle our friendship.

Containing both bergamot oil and blackcurrant absolute, Free Rangers is as beautiful as bath bombs come. The blackcurrant absolute produces a rich, fruity but slightly sherbety note while the bergamot adds a gentle, uplifting thread that elevates the fruitiness even further. Together they produce something very light and sweet: not a scent that's going to win any awards for complexity, but one that fans of Lush's more playful smells will no doubt enjoy.

When compared to other Comforter products, I would say that the smell of this is closest to either the liquid perfume or the original bubble bar, as I find the fragrance more uplifting and slightly powdery, rather than the wholesome, sultry smell that you find in the other formats.     

What is great about this bath bomb is that they're already divided into two generous pieces, so you can easily use this beauty across two separate baths if you so choose. If like me you're a little greedy, you can also opt to use the whole thing in one go, and lay back for some much deserved 'roost' in its beautiful waters.       

Despite its size, Free Rangers is a fairly fast fizzer, and you'll find it fully dissolved within about two minutes. The bath bomb rests on the surface while it fizzes loudly and sends out wave after wave of colour across the bath bomb. Given the colour variation that I chose, streams of orange and purple painted the water until I was left with a warm, peach-coloured bath.

While there's nothing spectacular in the ingredients list that would suggest this bath bomb would be overly moisturising, I was impressed by how soft the water felt as I bathed, and my skin did appear more moisturised when I exited the tub. Although I didn't find that the scent was strong enough to linger on my skin afterwards, it was with me throughout the whole experience, even when I used other more potent cosmetics alongside it.

Despite the vibrancy of the product, Free Rangers did not stain my bath tub or leave any glittery mess that I had to clean up afterwards. Given the weather in the UK at the moment, this bath bomb was a much welcome break from the cold and I look forward to trying out the other colour variations before they're discontinued.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Bergamot Oil, Blackcurrant Absolute, Cypress Oil, Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, *Limonene, Perfume, Candy Eye, Colour 47005, Colour 42090, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Colour 17200, Colour 45350, Colour 77891.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.





coming soon!





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