Sparkling Red Slippers Bubble Bar

Way back in 2005, Lush released a bubble bar called Ruby Red Slippers: A homage to the iconic shoes from Wizard Of Oz. Little did the realise that it would become a huge hit amongst the Lush community, most notably because of the wonderful aroma that dazzled consumers during the Christmas period that year. Some 11 years later and Sparkling Slippers Bubble Bar shows up for the Christmas season of 2016, with little changes made aside from the shape of the bar itself.

Sharing the same scent as Potion Body Lotion, Almond Kisses Facial Moisturiser to name a few, this limited edition has been created for those who enjoy a more rounded, old-fashioned floral aroma. Rose, tangerine, carnation and geranium all go into making this fragrance one of the most iconic ones that Lush have ever created - in my opinion. 

A combination of the rose and geranium gives off a strong scent of carnations as the main note in this fragrance. It's a rich and very sensual floral fragrance with just a sprinkling of sweetness from the tangerine oil, which rounds the scent and adds a layer of warmth overall. It's a unique scent that can definitely be classed as a very modern smell. However, there are elements here that play homage to older, more mature smelling floral aromas, which is why I think it would appeal to consumers of all ages.

Much like Ruby Red Slippers, I was expecting Sparkling Red Slippers to offer the same wonderful experience that I had had years before. As with most bubble bars, I tend to crumble them under the tap and this helps me to produce the most amount of bubbles. I then stimulate more bubbles by swishing my hands throughout the water before the tub is completely full. When I did this with half of this bubble bar, I was very surprised to see a surplus amount of bubbles building up across the surface of the water, and these bubble remained mostly with me until the end of my experience.  

To add to the beautiful experience, the bubble bar turned my water a beautiful shade of scarlet red, which although hidden underneath the layers of bubbles, stayed vibrant until the very end. This just made the experience even more magical for me and I really felt like royalty whilst I was bathing.  

The addition of red glitter, which I was worried about in the beginning, only intensified the bathing experience. The glitter tended to immerse itself amongst the bubbles, whilst some floated beautifully on top of the bath water and shimmered under the bathroom light. Thankfully, all of it washed away easily when I pulled the plug and I didn't have to clean up afterwards, aside from rinsing the tub with the shower hose.

One of the aspects that I disliked about Ruby Red Slippers was that it tended to 'age' really quickly when being stored. I found that after only a couple of weeks, the bar was harder than it had been in the beginning, and proved to be a little bit more difficult to use under the running tap. Coincidentally, I found that this was the same for Sparkling Red Slippers as well. I'm guessing the combination of ingredients were similar enough in both products to cause the same reaction to the atmosphere of my room.

Interestingly, the scent of this bubble bar did remain on my skin for a short while after exiting the bath, and I enjoyed the gentle notes of geranium and rose on my body, and on my bedsheets. This is definitely a bubble bar that I would use again: it's certainly very comforting, especially during the winter months.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia), Carnation Absolute (Dianthus caryophyllus), Tangerine Oil (Citrus reticulata), *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 14700, Red Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate).* Occurs naturally in essential oils.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Scent Family:

Almond Kisses Facial Moisturiser 
Holiday Bubble Bar
Potion Body Lotion
Potion Liquid Perfume
Ruby Red Slippers Bubble Bar
Santa Monica Ballistic 

Sparkling Red Slippers Bubble Bar

The Jester Reusable Bubble Bar

It's slightly disconcerting that it's taken me over a year to release that I have not reviewed this (new to 2016) Christmas product yet. In fact, this is one of the first products that I used when I received my haul in the post, back in September 2016. My standards are slipping, clearly.

The Jester Reusable Bubble Bar was not only fun to look at but had an incredible scent to boot. Sharing its fragrance with one of my favourite bubble bars, The Brightside, this limited edition offered a playful variation of the popular bestseller, for those looking at interesting and rather beautiful smelling stocking fillers for their loved ones.

Made using a combination of mandarin and tangerine oils, this limited edition offers a bright, refreshing, citrusy smell. For those who struggle to get out of bed during the colder months of the year, this wonderful fruity fragrance will wake you up gentle and caress you into being ready for the day ahead. The notes of orange and mandarin are beautifully paired together here and smell slightly like a bag of fruity sherbet, which is wonderful.

As with all reusable bubble bars, I found that this one wasn't as moisturising as a regular bubble bar - neither was it as colourful. The Jester produced a combination of yellow, red and pink under the running water, which combined together to create a pale orange colour in the tub. Given that The Brightside is so vibrant in the water, this seasonal release paled quite significantly in comparison.

While I could feel that the water felt mildly softer when I submerged myself underneath it, I didn't find that my skin reacted as positively as it would do for a regular bubble bar. Not only did the scent not linger on my skin at all after towelling myself down, but I needed to moisturise afterwards to soften my skin for the day ahead. While my body didn't feel parched or dry after getting out of the water, I didn't feel like the oils did anything to smoothen or replenish my skin. 

As I always say, when it comes to reusable bubble bars, I find that they are much more useful when paired with a bath bomb or bath melt. The colours produced are always far weaker than a regular bubble bar, as is the smell, so The Jester would go nicely with a fruity, citrusy bath bomb.

On the positive side, this limited edition produced a generous amount of bubbles and they stayed present for a good part of the experience. Furthermore, the smell didn't fade as quickly as they normally do with most reusable bubble bars, and therefore I was able to appreciate this wonderful smell for far longer than I envisaged I would.

For those who wish to conserve their money as much as they can with Lush, this bubble bar can be used across 3-4 baths if you're only using The Jester by itself, or can be stretched even further if you're pairing this with another product alongside it. Having said this, I would still suggest that investing in The Brightside Bubble Bar would be a better choice.

Overall, I see this product as being no more than a novelty release - made for those looking for interesting stocking fillers for their loved ones. It's definitely cute to look at and children will find him simply adorable. However, The Brightside Bubble Bar is already superior in my eyes, and I'd much rather grab one of those next time. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Lauryl Betaine, Tangerine Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Bergamot Oil, *Citral, *Linalool, Colour 47005, Colour 14700, Colour 45410. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Scent Family:
Brightside Body Lotion
Brightside Bubble Bar
Brightside Solid Perfume
Here Comes The Sun Naked Shower Cream
The Jester Reusable Bubble Bar

Sunrise Soap

Snow Fairy FUN Bar

Needless to say, I don't think the Snow Fairy family really needs any sort of introduction - it's one of those products that most fans either fall into Lush because of, or hear about pretty soon after making their first purchase. Surprisingly, you may be interested to know that while the shower gel is a staple member of every Christmas release, and there hasn't been a year gone by when Lush haven't brought out something different in the same fragrance, it's not a particular favourite of many people high up in the company.

Having said this, Snow Fairy is a fantastic gateway into the vast and rather wonderful world of Lush, and it is the original product that inspired me to invest in their products in the first place. The aroma is very easily accessible to most people, and it also happens to be rather sensually pleasing - especially around Christmas time when a lot of consumers are looking to satisfy their sweet-tooth in ways other than food.

For this reason, I wasn't at all surprised when I discovered that Lush were bring out Snow Fairy FUN as part of the seasonal range this year. Alongside Father Christmas Bath Bomb, Snow Fairy Body Conditioner and Fairy Dust, this latest format is just another reminder of how much demand there is for this scent. Despite not being particularly enamoured with the idea, I bought a couple of bars nonetheless, and found that it was actually more enjoyable than I had original envisaged. 

Sporting a pink, white and gold design, this new release is everything as magical as you would expect Snow Fairy FUN to be. I honestly couldn't think of three better colours to use, and it makes a very pretty addition to anyone's Christmas stocking - male or female. Furthermore, the inclusion of a paper wand and wings to add detail to possible sculptures, means that there are hours of fun to be had from this seasonal item.

Impressively, I only had to remove the outer packaging to establish that this FUN bar smelled near on identical to the original shower gel. As with most products in this scent, the sickly-sweet notes of pear drops and bubblegum and candy floss are often lost somewhat, and I find that the fragrance can be both dampened, and not as rich as it is in the shower gel format. However, much like the body conditioner, I found that Snow Fairy FUN offered the same delicious sugary coma that the gel presents, and this excited me even more to try it out.

As with all FUN bars, this one can be used as a shampoo; as a replacement for a shower gel; or crumbled under a running tap to produce bubbles much like a regular bubble bar would. In the latter circumstance, Snow Fairy FUN produces a light pink water, which is nothing to write home about but works as a great base for a bath cocktail. 

As a shower gel, the item works really well - lathering up with ease and producing a light, fluffy lather to clean yourself with. Despite the vividity of the pink and gold sections on the bar, I found that the lather wasn't as colourful as some of the other FUN bars. This I see as a positive because splatters can occur when using any of the FUN bars, and while it doesn't stain your skin or the bath tub, it has been known to leave marks on my walls and towels if left unnoticed.

In use, this seasonal FUN bar boasts the same strength of smell as the shower gel, and I was able to detect delicate hints of sweetness on my skin for a short while after exiting the shower. However, it was by no means as generous as the gel format is when it came to longevity. Neither was it as moisturising on my body as the original gel, although it would definitely benefit those with sensitive skin, as it's far gentler on the skin due to talcum powder and corn starch base.

Overall, a single bar lasted me around six to eight weeks, which is a few weeks short of how long a 100g bottle of the shower gel would see me through. In addition, it was a little trickier to store without exposing it to unwanted moisture, and I had to make a conscious effort to pat it down after each shower to ensure that it didn't shrink in between uses. 

This is not a product that's going to replace the best-selling shower gel any time soon, although it does offer a lot for what is ultimately a bar of talc and perfume. This would make a great stocking filler and bring a little 'FUN' back into bath time routines for those who have children to comprehend with. However, for those who don't need any encouragement to bathe, Snow Fairy Shower Gel is better value for money and the one that I will turn to the next time I need to fix.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Corn Starch (Zea Mays), Talc, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Synthetic Musk, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Fragrance, Radiant Gold, Snowflake and Soft Pink Glimmer Lustre (Mica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides).

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £5.95 for 200g.

Year Of original Release: 2016. 

Sleepy Body Lotion

This year's range has been a struggle to review - not necessarily because there's been a large number of brand new products to get through, but due to the other commitments that have demanded a huge part of my life over the last couple of months. For this reason, this particular review has been almost four months in the making, and I feel as if I've been through one hell of a journey to reach the verdict that I've expressed below.

Sleepy Body Lotion is probably the Christmas product that had me the most intrigued when the seasonal range leaked back in late August. While I'm not as openly obsessed with the Twilight scent as many Lush fans are, it is still up there as one of the favourite fragrances to come from the company. For this reason, the idea of a body lotion that I could lather myself in more than made up for the fact that Celebrate Body Lotion appeared to have been axed from the seasonal collection.

Alongside new addition, Mr Sandman Dusting Powder; my firm-favourite, Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb; and Twilight Shower Gel, Sleepy Body Lotion is yet more evidence that this Christmas has been royally dominated by lavender. While it may not be the most festive of fragrances, it is definitely a welcome change from the sweet and spicy offerings that tend to saturate the market place around this time of year.

Containing an oatmeal infusion as the base ingredient, this lotion is perfect for sensitive skin. Normally used as a gentle exfoliator, this ingredient offers an abundance of  anti-inflammatory properties that work their magic during use - soothing and softening the body, whilst helping to both reduce and eradicate inflamed and irritated skin at the same time.

As if that wasn't enough, Lush have also combined both lavender water and a lavender flower infusion, alongside a helping of tonka absolute, to give this body lotion a wonderfully warming and well-rounded smell. Both of the former ingredients create a natural but very sweet floral aroma that dominate for the most part, while the latter ingredient rounds the lotion off and gives it a thick, sultry and very malty fragrance.

The inclusion of the various butters and oils: almond, jojoba, illipe, cocoa, ylang ylang and lavender oil, also means that Sleepy is bursting with components to nourish and soften winter-kissed and parched skin. Together these ingredients create a body lotion that is of medium consistency - similar to that of Dream Cream, albeit a little thinner. 

The product is easy to apply and works well when massaged in a circular motion across the body. I found that an amount roughly equal to that of a level teaspoon will moisturise each arm, and any more than that can prevent the lotion from absorbing effectively into the skin. Unlike some of Lush's other body lotions, this one doesn't take very long to settle into the skin - I found that I was able to get dressed within 10-15 minutes of applying Sleepy, and my skin wasn't left feeling sticky or clammy at all.

In its favour, I felt as if the body lotion was much more wholesome and beautiful  once it was in use - the different notes were very much brought to life by the warmth of the skin and the aroma stayed with me for a good couple of hours after application. This is one of those body lotions that tends to work better in the evening, not only due too the nature of its fragrance, but because it lasts longer when you're tucked up in bed and can smell its wholesomeness on you as you drift off to sleep.

While my pictures don't showcase this, the body lotion comes topped with a little sprinkling of silver lustre, to give it that extra little bit of sparkle and make it even more magical. Having said this, lustre-phobes will be pleased to know that the decoration can be scraped away with ease, if you're completely opposed to using anything that features lustre in it. Although, I found that I hardly noticed much of a sparkle on my skin after use, and if the lustre is combined in the tub with your fingers, it soon dissipates enough that you wont be able to see it at all.

My only qualm about Sleepy is that I found the results were short-lived when compared to other body lotions. At times, my skin can become very dry, and after my recent bout of surgery, I discovered that I had developed patches of peeling skin from where my bandages had restricted a lot of moisture. After using Sleepy, I found that the immediate results were incredible - the dried patches all but disappeared and I was able to wear tight clothing without worrying about it irritating the area throughout the day. However, the dry patches would return the following morning, and this continued for a matter of days before they began to dissipate.

Overall, this is a much appreciated body lotion, and one I can imagine making an appearance in the Lush Kitchen before next year's seasonal range has been announced. For Twilight fans, it's a must-have because it replicates the scent perfectly, and for those who are looking for something to aid their sleep, this is a great addition to have. I will definitely continue to enjoy the three tubs I bought this Christmas, and look forward to purchasing some fresh ones hopefully next year.

Quantitative Ingredients: Oatmeal Infusion, Almond Oil, Lavender Water, Lavender Flower Infusion, Organic Jojoba Oil, Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Stearic Acid, Illipe Butter, Triethanolamine, Lavender Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Tonka Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Cinnamate, *Coumarin, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Fragrance, Snowflake Lustre, Red 28, Blue 1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £7.95 for 95g, £13.95 for 215g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.


Scent Family:
FUN With A Twist
Luxury Pud Bath Bomb
Mum In A Spin Bubble Spinner
Sleepy Body Lotion
Sleepy Hand Cream
Sleepy Naked Shower Gel
Sleepy Shower Bomb
Sleepy Shower Gel
Twilight Bath Bomb
Twilight Liquid Perfume
Twilight Shower Gel
Twilight Shower Jelly
Twilight Solid Perfume

Twilight Sparkle Jar

Igloo Soap

It was only when I was having a sort out of my Lush collection the other day, that I discovered that I had yet to try (or indeed review) one of the brand new soaps in this year's seasonal range. Surprisingly, this was also one of the products I was privy to seeing during my factory tour earlier in the year, so I felt it only fair that I should host a shower for the sole purpose of trying this out for the first time. 

Perhaps the one to receive the least amount of publicity, Igloo Soap is as much an experience as it is a cosmetic. There is something about its fragrance that reminds me of Christmas, without relying on the typical spicy, cinnamon smells to do so. While it may not be a staple in every household, this soap is modelled on a product that features in many sweet bowls over the festive period, and is something that is often overlooked when people discuss their favourite Christmas foods.  

Turkish Delight is a family of confections that are created using a gently flavoured, glycerine base. The sweets are often then divided into small cubes and dusted with something like icing sugar to prevent them from congealing together. While most people are only familiar with one variety, the name actually encompasses a whole variety of sweets, featuring ingredients such as chopped dates, pistachios, and hazelnuts. Rosewater, lemon and orange are three of the most popular variations around, and it is usually the former two that are featured in the aisles of your local supermarket during the Christmas period.

As the 'difficult vegan', Turkish Delight was something that my family would always have an abundance of around Christmas time. I have fond memories of the chocolate bowl being passed around the room, while I snacked on the delicate box of goodies my parents had gone out their way to buy for me especially. For this reason, the smell, texture and taste pertains a certain level of nostalgia for me, and I was hoping that Igloo Soap would be able to mimic this.   

Interestingly, it is not just the scent of this product that is modelled on these exquisite sweets - the design itself also plays homage with its array of different coloured pieces, stacked on top of each other, and the fact that it has an almost sugary outer consistency in line with the edible versions.

Containing rose absolute and rose oil, it's not surprising that this is the first and indeed the strongest note on offer by the soap. However, neither of these components are in any way overpowering. Instead, they provide Igloo with a very sweet and delicate rose aroma that is identical to what you'd expect Turkish Delight to smell like.

Alongside this is the Sicilian lemon oil, which wraps itself around these floral components to offer a light, fruity and rather uplifting second layer. In a small way, this smell of this does remind me of a far more milder Rose Jam, albeit with the addition of a little more powdery sweetness. While I'm not normally one for gentle smells, it's a credit to Lush for creating an aroma very much like the sweet, and with many interesting layers, yet one that is so subtle, you would barely detect its smell in a Lush shop.

Foaming up with ease, this product is very generous when in contact with water, and it only takes a matter of seconds before you have an abundance of lather in which to clean yourself with. I was also rather impressed to find that after a couple of weeks of using this daily, the block hadn't changed very much at all, and I think it is perhaps one of the longer-lasting seasonal soaps from this years range.

For those who read my blog regularly, you'll know that my skin has an aversion to most soaps - in that I have found very few that don't dry out my skin and leave it feeling parched. For this reason, I was surprised to find that this soap left my skin feeling well-nourished within a matter of seconds. Furthermore, I was fascinated to discover that Igloo left my hands feeling as if there was a thick blanket of moisture coating them for a good while after I had dried them off. This seemed to dramatically improve the condition of my skin and the weathered areas between my fingers all but vanished from the very first use.

Although I didn't notice such an obvious difference with the rest of my body, I found that I didn't need to always use a body lotion after showering with this. In addition, there were times when I refrained from using a perfume afterwards, and was still able to detect the smell of this very gently on my skin.

While I don't see myself buying too much more of this to see me through until next year, I will continue to use my current chunk on an almost daily basis, using it more as a hand wash than a full body clean. I have definitely enjoyed experiencing this and do think it replicates the confectionary it is influenced by really well. With budgets being cut this Christmas, this will work as a less gluttonous replacement for my well-loved confectionary. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Carrageenan Extract in Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Fresh Lemon Juice, Water, Perfume, *Limonene, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Rose Absolute, Rose Oil, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, *Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, *Linalool, Colour 45350, Colour 45410, Colour 14700, Colour 42090, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Santasaurus Reusable Bubble Bar

For most companies, the idea of combining dinosaurs with Christmas would have probably been seen as a ridiculous notion. Yet when it comes to Lush, there are never any holes barred, and the outcome of this can sometimes heed some of the most obscure but equally fantastic creations. With Christmas bringing in the biggest profits, they have to cater for a market that are looking for unique gifts, stocking fillers and secret Santas. Santasaurus Bubble Bar meets all of the criteria above. 

Priced at £5.95 each, this seasonal special caters for consumers of all ages. The  younger audience will love the playful nature of its design, while it'll appeal to the inner children for those a little older. The fact that it also happens to be reusable, which means that this can be utilised across multiple baths, does nothing to harm its sales either. Having managed to heed four full baths out of a single bar, (and I am sure you could stretch this out even further), Santasaurus is definitely good value for money.

Sharing its scent with the Honey I Washed The Kids range, this limited edition bubble bar is packed full of Brazilian orange and bergamot oils, and offers a scent that is perfect for when you're craving another helping of that pudding, and need to find something to remove any temptation that you may have to overindulge.

Santasaurus is a honeyed concoction of fruit and sweetness. Imagine a pan of simmering toffee intertwined with a drop of fresh orange juice and a spoonful of honey to give the fragrance that thick, nectar-like aroma. Add to this the most subtle amount of vanilla and a sprinkling of brown sugar, and you may begin to understand just how decadent and devilish this fragrance is. 

What is good about this particular bubble bar, is that the overall smell is not as strong, nor as sickly as some of the other products in this scent family. While the aroma is still fairly robust both before and during use, I found that it wasn't as overbearing as I was expecting it to be, and this worked to its advantage. Sometimes I have to be in the right mood to enjoy the liquid perfume, just because it can be rather stifling at times. However, this is not the case with this particular bubble bar.

As with most reusable bubble bars, I use mine by holding it under the running tap for up to a minute, and this heeds more than enough bubbles to fill the tub with. While I wouldn't say that this is the most generous bubble bar I have used from Lush, a little swoosh around with your hands creates a mountain of soft, fluffy bubbles that'll keep you company for the most part of your bath.

Despite the wonderful shade of green Santasaurus comes in, I was a little disappointed to find that the colour of the water was not as vibrant as I was expecting. Having said this, I find that this problem seems to happen with most of Lush's reusable bubbles bars - I wonder whether the difference in formula between the normal bubble bars and the reusable ones have anything to do with this absence of colour.

On the positive side, the smell of this product remains a prominent feature throughout the entire bath. I found that I could still detect its gorgeous honeyed aroma even after I added in a bath bomb to cocktail, and it also seemed to work well when I was in the bath, using other products that could have easily masked the bubble bar.

Overall, I wouldn't say that this is a product I will continue to use by itself as I think it is much more suited when combined with a bath bomb or bath melt. While it leaves a subtle lingering aroma on your skin afterwards, I wouldn't say that it is as moisturising as many of the other bubble bars. However, it does leave your skin feeling smooth and radiant afterwards. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Brazilian Orange Oil, Bergamot Oil, Amyl Cinnamal, Lilia,l Citronellol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 47005, Colour 61570, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Scent Family:
Golden Egg Bath Bomb
Gold FUN
Honey I Washed The Kids Bath Bomb
Honey I Washed The Kids Body Spray
Honey I Washed The Kids Liquid Perfume
Honey I Washed The Kids Solid Perfume
Honey I Washed The Kids Soap
Humpy Dumpty Bath Bomb
Ma Bar Bubble Bar
Noni I Washed The Kids Body Lotion
Santasaurus Reusable Bubble Bar
Shoot For The Stars Bath Bomb (2013)
Shoot For The Stars Bath Bomb (2016)
Sugar Mama Sugar Scrub
The Mum Reusable Bubble Bar

Santa's Postbox Soap

As a teacher, you collect and recycle certain aspects of your practice each and every time you begin the year with a new class. Some of this is just a natural progression of who you are as a person, so you don't even realise you're doing it until you have time to reflect on it later. However, some of your daily routines are forged from watching the professionals around you, as well as the children themselves and the class dynamics. 

One of the rules I've always enforced, which stems right back to when I was first training to be a teacher, is that the children are never allowed to use the word 'nice' in any description of theirs; I find myself echoing the sentiment that 'there is always a better way of saying nice' countless times throughout my lessons. Pleasant, enjoyable, charming perhaps. Just never nice. 

Having said this, I found myself breaking my own rules recently, when I experienced Santa's Post Box Soap for the first time. When asked what I thought about the seasonal product, the initial word to tumble from out of my mouth was the word nice. Needless to say, I didn't earn any house points for my descriptive language that day.  


Sharing its scent with the Satsuma Bath Bomb, not to mention both Satsumo and Dashing Santa as well, this seasonal soap is the first non ballistic to be released in this fragrance. Paying homage to the colourful parcels that are sent out each and every year during the Christmas holidays, this seasonal special is for those who want something sweet and delicious, but equally something that isn't as overwhelmingly potent on the senses as a lot of the winter collection.

Containing orange flower absolute, bergamot and Sicilian mandarin oils, this soap is like a gentle fruity kiss. All three of these components combine to form a beautiful, warming aroma that is very natural on the senses, albeit slightly soapy. However, it is the inclusion of the satsuma juice that has the biggest impact when this product comes into contact with warm water. Together, these four ingredients mimic the smell of a freshly-peeled satsuma, just without the tartness that comes from the pith and the skin of the fruit. 

Unfortunately, despite how wonderful the smell of Santa's Postbox is, I was a little underwhelmed with how weak the smell was against my nose. While I recognise that my statement about why Lush have chosen to release something a little gentler-smelling, may be a little contradictory to what I'm about to say. However, as someone who prefers the stronger smelling products, I wasn't overly impressed by how little the fragrance was present with me before and during my showers. I didn't feel as if the aroma of this was elevated all that much by the hot steam, and I was slightly frustrated by its lack of presence when being used.

In its defence, the soap was fairly generous when in use, and with a gentle coax would produce a thick, oily lather to clean yourself with. As far as soaps go, this was also pretty moisturising when compared to others - I found that when I used it on my hands, my skin was left looking vibrant and almost shiny, as if the inclusion of the various oils had replenished my skin and nourished the pores. Furthermore, having used it daily across a matter of weeks, I found that the size of my block didn't diminish all that much, so a 100g piece would last a fair while

For someone who isn't particularly keen on strong, citrusy soaps, this might be an option for them. Consumers who also prefer the 'quieter' smelling products might appreciate how gentle this is on the senses. However, I found myself fighting to smell something that just wasn't all that present, and it wouldn't be a soap I would purchase in a hurry. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Fresh Satsuma Juice, Perfume, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Gardenia Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate, EDTA, Tetrasodium, Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 45410, Colour 45350.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £3.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Scent Family: 

Dashing Santa Bath Bomb

Santa's Postbox Soap

Satsuma Bath Bomb

Satsuma Soap

Satsumo Bath Bomb