Candy Rain Liquid Conditioner

Wait, this Lush product actually contains rain water in the ingredients list? I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I first read what went into making this conditioner: I felt very much like I did the time I discovered that you could buy balls of 'nothing' for a comical price of ten pounds. A part of me thought that perhaps had decided to have their April Fools a month earlier, but then I decided to carry out a little research into why.

Depending on where you live, the water flowing from your tap can be either hard or soft. Hard water is very mineralised and contains limestone and chalk deposits, both rich in calcium carbonate. These minerals can dry up the skin and give volume and lightness to hair, especially fine ones. On the contrary, soft water will help the hair to lie flat, which is great when you’re looking for a smoothing effect. Using this fountain of knowledge, Lush decided to use a generous helping of actual rain water to make this conditioner and crown it the aptly named Candy Rain in the process.

Reading like a vegan dessert or a very exquisite non-dairy milk drink, this limited Candy Rain is easily the greatest smelling liquid conditioner that Lush have ever created. Having said that, if you're not a fan of incredibly potent smells, you may find this far too overbearing for your liking..

Sharing its scent with the Mrs Whippy Bath Bomb, this gorgeous product has an intoxicating blend of tonka absolute and buchu oil. While the latter offers a little blackcurrant fruitiness, the tonka takes over like a pan of burnt caramel and gives the conditioner a rich, smoky sweetness that lingers on your hair for what seems like days. In fact, I've never experienced any Lush hair care product act as strongly on the hair, and it definitely takes a little while to adjust to its potency.

Featuring cashew, macadamia and coconut milk, Candy Rain is super hydrating on your hair, and makes a noticeable difference from the very first use. I found that my hair appeared smoother from the head to the tip, and my locks just looked and felt far more hydrated from the very get-go.

This would easily become a staple for me if Lush chose to bring it out as a permanent product. In fact, having fallen in love with this so much, it made me realise just how crazy it appears that the company continue to release hair care products with such a limited window of time to purchase them. I can only hope that Candy Rain makes enough of a impression to secure a place in the regular range.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cashew Cream, Brazil Nut Milk, Coconut Cream, Macadamia Nut Milk, Cetearyl Alcohol, Perfume, Propylene Glycol, Ethyl Macadamiate, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Brazil Nut Oil, Behentrimonium chloride Rain Water, Buchu Oil, Tonka Absolute, Cocoa Absolute, Almond essential oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol Benzyl, Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Coumarin, Eugenol, *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £7.95 for 100g, £15.95 for 250g, £26.95 for 500g, £43.95 for 1kg.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Scent Family:
Candy Rain Liquid Conditioner
Mrs Whippy Bath Bomb

Shield Heat Protecting Hair Serum

As I've mentioned many times before, my hair dislikes me very much; for the years of abuse and neglect that it has had to go through because of my decisions. When I was younger, I was intent on dyeing it almost once a fortnight: bleaching it to the point of no return and then leaving it for days without washing it.

I've gone through nearly ever hair styling product possible during my time: back-combing whilst smothering it in hair spray; moulding and reshaping it multiple times a day with a tonne of hair wax; and spending weeks on end 'throwing it up' without it even meeting the hairbrush that was, by this point, collecting dust in the drawer. So even the thought of trying out some of Lush's new hair styling products made my scalp tingle nervously.

Shield Heat Protecting Hair Serum is pretty self-explanatory in the title. This is designed for those who like to blow dry or straighten their hair regularly, and want to stop their locks from drying out or becoming frazzled from the heat that they're applying to their head and hair. This is also a great product for those, such as myself, that have naturally dry hair, and are looking for something to add a little extra moisture to.

As with many of Lush's hair care range, you can use this in different ways, depending on what you're trying to get out of it. As I'm not someone who blow drys or straightens my hair very often, I chose to apply this after I had towelled my newly-washed hair down. I simply took a small, pea-sized amount, massaged it briefly between my thumbs and fingers, and then massaged this into the tips of my hair to help counteract the dry ends. I then proceeded to indulge in a slightly bigger amount (roughly the size of a small grape); made sure that it coated my whole hands this time, and then simply ran my fingers across and through my hair until I reached the desired effect.

What I found when I used it this was was that the hair felt instantly smoother, and as it dried I noticed that there was an element of shine to it that isn't normally present with my locks. Over the space of a few weeks, I found that the overall condition of my hair improved slightly, and my locks seemed to be slightly tamer than it was before.

As the name suggests, you can also use this before blow-drying or straightening you hair, to give your locks some much needed moisture and protection before doing so. While I tend to straighten my hair a couple of times a year: for very special occasions, I tried using Shield Heat Protecting Hair Serum before and after using the straighteners, and found that my hair, in particularly my ends, looked and felt better than they usually do when I apply so much heat to my bird nest.

What I loved about Shield was firstly the fragrance, which shares it's scent with What Would Love Do Liquid Perfume. Tangerine and lavender go into making the scent of this a wonderful combination of fruity and floral. The lavender offers a delicate, sweet and slightly herbal note, which dances around the fruitiness of the tangerine and brings it together to create a smell that shouldn't work but does. In this format, the smell is really wholesome and beautiful, and perhaps replicates the perfume slightly better than the original fragrance itself.

Secondly, the inclusion of broccoli seed makes this the first ever Lush product that I've ever seen to contain the word broccoli in the ingredients list. My affiliation with this vegetable is on new levels of extreme, so to see it in a hair product is amazing. Alongside the red currants, both of these ingredients also offer a large dosage of biotin, which has been proven to strength the hair, and keep it looking and feeling super healthy.

The inclusion of the coconut oils and milk, and the macadamia nut means that shield is going to moisturise and condition you hair to levels that you might not have reached with your hair in a long while. And I can honestly vouch for this product and say it truly works. While I may not have many products to compare it to, I definitely noticed a difference immediately after using this, and over the few weeks I applied it to my hair daily, I could certainly appreciate the added shine and silkiness that my hair offered me near enough every day.

This is one of those Lush hair care products that will make a huge wave within the industry, once it's been released to the masses. I only hope that it will see the light of day again, as it would definitely be a waste and a shame if this was only offered itself to a handful of lucky consumers at the Showcase event earlier this year.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Coconut and Cashew Milk (Cocos nucifera; Anacardium occidentale), Propylene Glycol, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Silica, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane,Organic Coconut Milk (Cocos nucifera), Perfume, Broccoli Seed Oil (Brassica oleracea italica), Redcurrant Juice (Ribes rubrum), Guar Gum (Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre), Tangerine Oil (Citrus reticulata), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Organic Cold Pressed Grapeseed Oil (Vitis vinifera), Macadamia Nut Oil (Macadamia ternifolia), Safflower Oil (Carthamus tinctorius), Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Phenoxyethanol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Cinnamate, *Cinnamal, *Citral, *Coumarin, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Isoeugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 17200, Colour 45380:3.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2018 Price: unsure each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Scent Family:
Shield Heat Protection Hair Serum

What Would Love Do Liquid Perfume

Saucy Snowcake Soap

Snowcake has a seasonal ticket that sees its return near on every Christmas time. While other products come and go, there is something about this soap that draws the crowds back each and every year. Yet bored of the design it has sported every year, Lush have spent the last two years releasing it in a new guise, unfortunately to little praise.

Renamed Saucy Snowcake for the 2017 range, this most recent rendition was cleverly crafted to look like a rather yummy dessert, with three distinct layers that being something different to the soap. A crunchy bottom layer is made from ground cashew nuts, to exfoliate your skin gently while you’re lathering it across your skin; a middle layer of creamy goodness is what creates the thick, fragrant foam that you use to clean yourself with; and a fruity top layer containing fresh cranberries to cleanse your pores and give your winter-kissed skin an all important burst of antioxidants.

It didn’t take me very long to recognise that this version does smell different from older renditions. Snowcake is known for its warm and very creamy almond aroma, laced with a sweet layer of benzoin resinoid to add extra richness and depth. While Saucy Snowcake has all of these traits as well, there is definitely an extra level of fruitiness that sets it apart from its older siblings. The cranberries give the soap a delicate, refreshing and slightly tart twist that sets it apart from the rest, and perhaps takes away a little of the thickness of the original scent. I can understand why avid fans of the soap may be a little disappointed with this change, as it is noticeable and does change the dynamics of the fragrance.

2017 also saw Lush update their soap formulas so that all of the seasonal range possessed their new gourmet bases. Saucy Snowcake had a combination of soya milk and a clove infusion as part of its base, so as expected it produced a much creamier and noticeably thicker lather in the shower. This new formula is also supposed to be more moisturising on the skin, and I did notice that my hands didn’t feel as dry after using this in the shower. While it is still not as nourishing as a Shower Gel or jelly, it did leave my skin feeling smooth and soft, and there was a radiance that I put down to the inclusion of the cranberries.

After using this in the shower, I found that the scent was potent enough to linger around for a while, and I could still smell it on my skin a couple of hours later, which was lovely. The inclusion of the cashew nuts for exfoliation was definitely an added bonus for me, and I could feel the difference this made to my skin as well.

Disappointingly, I found that the life span of this soap has definitely been shortened since the formula change. Normally I would expect a 100g piece to remain in my shower for a good couple of months, with daily use. However, I found that my piece didn’t last any longer than 6 weeks, which makes it more expensive then one of Lush’s naked shower gels.

Overall, I like this rendition quite a lot and I don’t think the added layer of cranberries took away from the exquisite fragrance that Snowcake lovers love and cherish. However, I wasn’t blown away enough to want to invest in another piece. I’m definitely interested in seeing how this soap is redesigned for the up-and-coming 2018 Christmas range.

Quantitative Ingredients: ?

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.50 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

Lil' Pud Ballistic 
Lush Pud

Marzibain Bubble Bar
Melting Snowman Bath Melt

Perle De Sel Bath Bomb

Puddy Holly Bubbleroon

Saucy Snowcake Soap

Snow Angel Bath Melt
Snowcake Soap

Snowcake Liquid Perfume
Snowcake Shower Gel
Snow On Snow Dusting Powder

Smitten Hand Cream

Handy Gurugu Hand Cream

As with most people's hands, these over-working parts of your body often take most of the brunt of your daily life. Mine have to sift through hours of marking every day, they're rubbed raw in the winter months and neglected in the summer. Recently, I began to notice that I was developing dry patches in-between my fingers, most likely due to a combination of extreme weather conditions and the number of baths they've been made to sit through recently. I realised that I needed to offer them something in return for their hard work, so I bought myself a tub of Lush's Handy Gurugu hand cream. 

Described as a 'powerful super-moisturiser for extra-dry hands', this hand cream sounded like it would do the trick. Packed full of multiple butters, this product is a powerhouse for skin that needs a serious overhaul of moisture. Containing shea butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, pumpkinseed butter and almond butter, Handy Gurugu sounds almost good enough to eat. These butters are amazing at creating a naturally creamy emollient base which helps to moisturise, heal and protect the skin. Furthermore, they're highly nourishing and work well together to help the skin to retain it's moisture, supporting the natural rhythm of your body.

This hand cream also contains almond oil and primrose oil, both of which help to strengthen and nourish the skin. Furthermore, you'll find a combination of rose oil and lemon juice, both of which tone the skin, brightens it and leaves it looking and feeling revitalised.

I found that during the day, my skin became very dry and taut, very similar to how it feels when you're using a particularly drying soap. As I didn't have anything to counteract this, my skin began to get irritated and very quickly I noticed that, aside from the dry patches, I would often find red lumps and bumps in and around the crevices of my fingers.  

Having used Handy Gurugu for only a couple days, I began to notice that the skin on my hands had vastly improved. By the second day, my dried skin patches had all but disappeared and the sore areas had been reduced considerably. You'll need to be careful that you don't apply too much at once; firstly, as it's a very rich moisturiser, a tiny amount will work wonders for skin, so applying too much is simply wasteful. Secondly, because it's such a thick lotion, it takes a while for the skin to absorb it, so if too much is applied, you end up with greasy hands, which doesn't help to serve anyone. 

Handy Gurugu possesses a rather strong scent. Aside from the different butters, the main ingredients here are rose and vanilla, so I was expecting a fragrance that echoes these scents. However, this is not the case at all. To me, it had a very strong herby, floral scent - a little like fresh lavender intertwined with the powdery smell of dried rose petals. It's definitely not an unpleasant smell, but neither is it a scent I fell in love with. To echo the sentiments of other Lush fans, it's a pleasant smell but not one I would want to smear all over my body.

Overall, for those with dry or damaged hands, Handy Gurugu has all the ingredients needed to reverse this. It does moisturise well and leave your hands feeling very soft. However, it is a very greasy hand cream, and one that takes a few minutes to absorb into the skin, even if you heed my advice and use the most minuscule of amounts. Unfortunately, for someone who uses my hands a lot at work, I cannot afford to sit around for five minutes before I can use my hands again after applying this.

Ultimately, this is a good hand cream which leaves the skin feeling really soft and hydrated. The consistency and ingredients list show it to be a rich, highly indulgent cream, and one that effectively relieves feelings of tightness and dryness in weathered hands. Although the smell is not one of my favourites by far, it can be overlooked for the good that it does. My only issue is that it's a little too heavy for my skin which is why I wouldn't buy it again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Rose Water, Shea Butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Organic Almond Oil, Triethanolamine, Fresh Organic Lemon Juice, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Organic Evening Primrose Oil, Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Pumpkinseed Butter, Organic Cashew Butter, Organic Almond Butter, Tincture of Benzoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Chlorophyllin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

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