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

Ro's Argan Gourmet Soap

I'm one of those people, like most collectors no doubt, that like to get the full set as quickly as possible. I remember when I was younger and a promotion would appear on my favourite cereal box - I would anxiously collect the coupons for months, spurring each box to finish so that I could begin the next one and edge ever so slightly closer to my goal of obtaining the 'free' frisbee, or whatever other useless piece of tat that Kelloggs was offering at the time.

When it comes to Lush products, as you can imagine, I am very much the same. If I know there's a product out there that I've yet to get my hands on, I won't rest until I've secured myself said item. Such is the case with Ro's Argan Gourmet Soap.

As far as the flagship Oxford Street store goes, this was the only vegan product in the store that I had yet to try, and the frustration was all the more intense because I knew it would be a product that I would love and cherish when I finally managed to get my greedy mitts on a small chunk.

Sporting a sort of deep, brown-tinged maroon/rosewood colour, you'd be mistaken for thinking this soap was actually a piece of cake, for it both looks like and feels like a heavy piece of sponge. It's wonderful to experience how soft and squishy Ro's Argan is - when compressed between your fingers, it feels like a piece of fruit loaf or a heavy, sticky date cake. 

While it shares some of the ingredients that the other gourmet soaps has, it is at least very unique when it comes to its texture. As with all of Lush's other gourmet soaps, this one is made from a different base to give it far more moisturising properties. However, Ro's Argan yet again stands apart by being made from a different base to the other soaps in the gourmet collection. 

How gourmet soaps stand apart from regular soaps is partly due to the effort that goes into making them, both physically and ethically. On the one hand, the ingredients used are in themselves the reason why the soaps are so much more beneficial for the skin - the impressive range of oils and butters that are included in all of the soaps work to clean, replenish, nourish and moisturise the skin to a very high standard.

Containing argan oil as the main ingredient, this highly softening oil is not only seen as anti-aging, but gives off a wonderful subtle nutty aroma and helps to make it a really creamy experience when in use. With a combination of lemon, rose and geranium oil also present, fans of Rose Jam will be pleased to know that it replicates the popular fragrance perfectly.

Once out of the packet, you can smell that sweet, sticky rose note - one that is made even more beautiful in this format by the inclusion of the granulated sugar. Alongside this, the rose oil lifts the floral aroma and makes it a little fruitier than usual - something that makes it even more special in my mind. I'd say it's more in keeping with the shower gel than the bubbleroon in that sense.

In the shower, this soap isn't the most generous when it comes to its lather - creating a creamy gel that glides over the skin with ease but takes a bit of work to get working. However, with enough water and a little patience, I found it works best to massage between the hands before applying to the rest of the body.

The inclusion of the sugar gives the lather a certain amount of stickiness, which is really what makes this soap stand out for me - not only because it compliments the name and purpose of the product, but just because it makes it very unique from all of the other soaps that I have tried from Lush. This consistency is still easy enough to rinse off afterwards though, so you don't have to worry about your skin being left feeling like it's coated in treacle!

While I cannot imagine ever finding a soap that is as moisturising as a gel or jelly, Ro's Argan Gourmet Soap is definitely one of the better ones, and I did notice a difference in that my skin felt really smooth and clean afterwards. Not only this, but the scent stayed with me for a short while after towelling myself down, and I chose to top it up with some Rose Jam Liquid Perfume to round off a fantastic experience.

Furthermore, as long as it's kept dry in between uses, the soap doesn't shrink particularly fast in and outside of the shower, and a 100g piece should last you a good 5-6 weeks with daily use. Overall, I highly recommend that you grab yourself if and when you can. As the soap's release is limited, I will be enjoying my piece for as long as it permits me to do so, and I only hope that those reading this will enjoy it as much as I have.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Argan Oil (Argania spinosa), Glycerine, Granulated Sugar, Sodium Hydroxide, Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Egyptian Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Rose Oil (Rosa damascena), Perfume, Citric Acid, Limonene, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £7.50 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Scent Family: 
Argan Naked Facial Oil
Black Rose Bath Bomb
Giant Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb
Jason And The Argan Oil Solid Shampoo Bar
Madame Butterfly Reusable Bubble Bar
Pearl Massage Bar
Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
Ro's Argan Gourmet Soap
Ro's Argan Sparkly Naked Body Conditioner
Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb
Rose Jam Bubbleroon 
Rose Jam Liquid Perfume
Rose Jam Naked Shower Gel
Rose Jam Solid Perfume
Rose Jam Shower Gel
Scentenary Soap
The Sparkler Ballistic

Mosquito Gourmet Soap

Although I still feel the urgency every time Lush release a new product to the general public, I am in no way as bad as I was a couple of years ago. Back when I had to own near enough every single item released on eBay, the mere thought of items being unobtainable would have brought me to tears. With the recent release of Lush's gourmet soaps, I have come to accept that patience is a virtue, and that the ground won't swallow me whole if I'm able to buy every something.

Mosquito is one of a handful of gourmet soaps to come from the opening of Lush's flagship store on Oxford Street. These exclusive products not only boast a cast of components chosen to make this the cleanest and most moisturising experience possible, but the ingredients themselves support communities and independent workers across the globe.

As these ingredients come from smaller companies - often independent family-run businesses, it cannot always be guaranteed that the materials will be available regularly, hence the lack of gourmet soaps in the shop for the most part of the year. Lush have to wait patiently for the ingredients to be ready, which means that purchasing a slab of any of the gourmet soaps seems much more like a privilege than a simple investment.

The base of each of the six varieties of gourmet soaps are the same - containing a mixture of extra virgin coconut oil, Fair Trade Cocoa Butter and Organic castor oil - the cocoa butter helping to solidify the soap while also offering fantastic moisturising properties; the coconut oil working on creating a good-quality lather while also replenishing the skin; the caster oil helping to not only make the soap itself creamy, but to also offer silky-soft soap suds to clean yourself with.

On top of this, this particular soap contains a generous helping of baobab oil - an oil extracted from a fruit tree of the same time, and one that emits a slightly nutty aroma that gives this soap one of its main notes. This softening and very moisturising ingredient is a great emollient and gives the soap its golden yellow colour.

To me, Mosquito is one of those products in which you can smell each and every component by itself, yet it's one that also offers a thick and rather robust aroma. Initially, when I smelled this soap, it made me think of unsalted pistachio nuts - there is definitely a strong nutty fragrance to this soap and this is the easiest way for me to describe the smell of this product. 

However, once I had had an opportunity to try this product out in the shower, I discovered that there were multiple layers at play here. Firstly, Lush have included a large dosage of vetivert here, and this gives the soap sweet, woody and slightly smoky element. Alongside this is a very gentle reference to the lemongrass, while the inclusion of citronella gives Mosquito a grassy and slightly floral element.

Aside from the wonderful aroma, the inclusion of the citronella also gives this soap a scent that is supposedly an effective mosquito repellent. Luckily, I don't live anywhere near a problem area so I'll probably never know whether or not this works, but the shea butter, cocoa butter, baobab oil and kalahari melon keep the skin moisturised and well nourished, and this is enough for me.

Compared to all of the soaps that I've tried from Lush, this is definitely one of the softest ones going, and this works to its disadvantage because of the fact that it shrinks fairly quickly when in contact with water. This is one of those soaps that should be massaged across your skin outside of the flow of water if you wish to savour it, and it should be patted down after your shower so that it doesn't shrink between uses.

Having said that, the consistency of the product makes it a very generous soap, and it heeds a thick, foamy lather very quickly, which can then be spread across the skin to soften, moisturise and ultimately clean. Furthermore, the scent lingers on the skin for a short while after you've towelled yourself down and Mosquito helps to give your skin a slight radiant glow, which my winter-kissed skin really appreciated.

Although this soap would not be a regular purchase for me, mostly because it was difficult to acquire a piece in the first place, it's definitely one that I would be happy to buy again, and if you're a fan of Lush soaps to begin with, I think you'll find this one rather delightful.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Granulated Sugar, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobromacacao), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocosnucifera), Fair Trade Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Kalahari Melon Oil (Citrullus lanatus), Baobab Oil (Adansonia digitata), Sodium Hydroxide, Fresh Canteloupe Melon (Cucumis cantalupensis), Organic Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Perfume, Citronella Oil (Cymbopogan winterianus), Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, *Citral, *Citronellol, *Coumarin, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 15510.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £9.60 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Mallorquin Gourmet Soap

Ever since Lush first opened the doors of their flagship store, I have been fighting to get my hands on all of the vegan gourmet soaps that have been advertised in their Lush Times. While I have been in there numerous times since the unveiling of the shop, I have never been able to get my hands on many of the soaps that are on offer - a predicament that is proving to be rather frustrating for someone who likes to get their greedy mitts on 'all things Lush'. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Lush community, I was able to obtain a slab of Mallorquin Gourmet Soap quite recently, and have since spent my mornings relishing in the pleasure of being able to share my showers with such a rich, decadent and highly unique soap.

After my tenth attempt to pick up some of the gourmet soaps, I was beginning to get a little irate - I don't enjoy travelling across London only to find the shelves empty and the staff unsure when the next batch is due in. However, after a very informative discussion with some of the wonderful employees in the store, I discovered the reason why the soaps are not always readily available, and I'm now much more understanding about the situation.

How gourmet soaps stand apart from regular soaps is partly due to the effort that goes into making them, both physically and ethically. On the one hand, the ingredients used are in themselves the reason why the soaps are so much more beneficial for the skin - the impressive range of oils and butters that are included in all of the soaps work to clean, replenish, nourish and moisturise the skin to a very high standard.    

The base of each of the six different soaps is the same - containing a mixture of extra virgin coconut oil, Fair Trade Cocoa Butter and Organic castor oil - the cocoa butter helping to solidify the soap while also offering fantastic moisturising properties; the coconut oil working on creating a good-quality lather while also replenishing the skin; the caster oil helping to not only make the soap itself creamy, but to also offer silky-soft soap suds to clean yourself with. 

On the topic of ingredients, all of Lush's gourmet soaps are also designed to help and support communities across the world - offering them fair working conditions as well as a fair wage. As these ingredients come from smaller companies - often independent family-run businesses, it cannot always be guaranteed that the materials will be available regularly, hence the lack of gourmet soaps in the shop for the most part of the year. Lush have to wait patiently for the ingredients to be ready, which means that purchasing a slab of any of the gourmet soaps seems much more like a privilege than a simple investment. 

Mallorquin Gourmet Soap sounds even more succulent on paper - a product that features all of the wonderful ingredients mentioned above, as well as an impressive amount of almonds to give it its fragrance, consistency and productivity. Containing almond milk, ground almonds and almond syrup, this soap is super soft and sticky - almost like a fresh slice of banana bread with an extra helping of golden syrup. 

While the scent of this soap is definitely dominated by the almonds, it has more than just a nutty smell. The inclusion of granulated sugar gives this product an extra sweet element to it, while the sandalwood and cedarwood offer a light and very subtle smoky note that sits in the background and gives this soap a multi-layered effect. 

Compared to all of the soaps I've tried from Lush, this is definitely one of the softest, yet it also contains flakes of nuts threaded throughout that allow it to work as a gentle exfoliator as well. Under the water, this soap is very easy to lather up - creating a thick, silky lather that glides over the skin with ease and leaves it feeling instantly smooth to the touch. 

After massaging it across my body and rinsing it away, I was left with really smooth and wonderfully fragrant skin. While I didn't think it was as moisturising as most of Lush's shower gels are, and my skin wasn't as soft as I would expect from other products, it definitely wasn't drying at all, and not as parched as regular soaps make me feel.

I loved the fact that the fragrance of this soap lingered on my skin for a while after use and I found the nutty aroma to be very comforting - especially after a long, hard day at work when I was looking for something to soothe my skin before bed. Although this soap will not be a regular purchase for me, mostly because it was difficult to acquire a piece in the first place, it's definitely one I would be happy to buy again, and if you're a fan of Lush soaps to begin with, I think you'll find this one rather delightful. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine, Fair Trade Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Granulated Sugar, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Almond Milk (Prunus!dulcis), Almond Syrup (Prunus dulcis), Coriander Oil (Coriandrum sativum) Almond Essential Oil (Prunus Amygdalus Amara), Cedarwood Oil (Juniperus virginiana), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill), Organic Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, *Citral, *Farnesol, Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £5.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Holy Cacao! Gourmet Soap

When I first discovered Lush's range of gourmet soaps, I was far more excited than I perhaps should have been given that it's just a glorified block of oils. While Lush are known mostly for their range of bath bombs and bubble bars, they've built up an impressive array of soaps over the years - most of which I find leave my skin feeling taut and nowhere near as moisturised as their shower gels and jellies do. 

However, these new creations from my favourite company left me wondering whether there was a chance that I might finally find a range of soaps suitable for my skin type. As it turns out, my experience so far has been a very positive one and I can honestly now say that there are soaps I will be buying on a regular basis. 

Holy Cacao! Gourmet Soap is perhaps one of the least attractive soaps to come from Lush - a dark brown block that looks a little like a chocolate brownie, but one that has been left out in the open to dry. Yet, you only have to give this product a sniff to realise that it's not all about the design - there's far more to this soap than initially meets the eye. 

With a base made up of coconut and baobab oil, not to mention cocoa butter, this soap is far more nourishing on the skin than a regular soap. These three ingredients dictate not only the consistency of the lather that the soap produces in the shower, but also how effective it is at cleaning and softening the skin after use. 

Packed full of cocoa powder as well as two different types of cocoa butter, Holy Cacao! smells like a rich, luxurious dark chocolate pudding. It has the heavy, bitterness that you would normally expect to find when working with cocoa powder but with a gentle creaminess that stops the powder from being too unbearable.

This is far richer than the likes of Formulae Known As Body Lotion and 13 Rabbits Shower Gel; it's not just a typical 'chocolate' smell. Imagine peeling back the wrapper of a rich and very decadent bar of dark chocolate or sniffing a freshly baked tray of dark chocolate fudge, and you might begin to recognise just how strong but equally beautiful this is to experience.

As you would expect from a soap with so many oils and butters, this product is not as easy to lather up as some of Lush's regular products. Rather than a light, fluffy foam that you would normally expect from a soap, this one produces more of a thick, creamy and slightly oily lather that works like a lotion. 

After massaging it across my body and rinsing it away, I was left with really smooth and wonderfully fragrant skin. While I didn't think it was as moisturising as most of Lush's shower gels are, and my skin wasn't as soft as I would expect from other products, it definitely wasn't drying at all, and not as parched as regular soaps make me feel.

In the shower, I found that Holy Cacao! was easy enough to lather but had a tendency to bend and break during use - that was if the piece was too small or too thin. For this reason, I found that I had to use my entire block at once, which meant that I had to pat the soap down to stop it from shrinking between uses. For the price you pay, you certainly don't want it going to waste!

While this soap is definitely on the more expensive side, I happen to love using this as a hand soap. It's helped to banish the dry areas between my fingers and leaves my hands feeling and smelling delicious after every use. While it would be too expensive of an investment to buy this regularly, I have enjoyed using this to the point that I will definitely buy it again - most likely during the winter months when my skin may need some extra tender loving care. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Organic Colombian Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Granulated Sugar, Fair Trade Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Baobab Oil (Adansonia digitata), Cornflour (Zea mays), Sodium Hydroxide, Cocoa Powder (Theobroma cacao), Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Perfume, Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Sesame Absolute (Sesamum indicum), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre), Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoi.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £5.10 for 100g. 

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Olive Tree Gourmet Soap

After I had made my initial visit to the Oxford Street store, I was surprised to hear people talking about the range of 'gourmet soaps' that they had picked up for themselves. While I had not been particularly scrupulous on my debut exploration of the superstore, I thought I would have at least noticed a range of unique soaps such as these. It was only after my second visit that I noticed the strange but rather wonderful array of long soap sticks - wrapped in plastic and sitting by themselves. 

Olive Tree Soap is one of three gourmet soaps - one that is intended to be used as more of a facial soap but one that works equally well on the body as a whole.  Packed full of wonderful and quite strange ingredients, this soap emits a smell unlike anything that Lush have ever brought out before. It's a scent that'll render some people to run in the opposite direction, but one that is obscure enough to attract some dedicated fans as well. 

So what exactly is a gourmet soap? And how does it differ from a regular one? Well according to Lush, this new type of soap is supposed to be more moisturising. Featuring more oils than a regular soap, these beauties are supposed to offer a far more nourishing experience for the skin. Furthermore, the oils and butters featured in each of the three new soaps are supposed to be of a higher calibre than those featured in Lush's regular soaps. For this reason, these soaps should give your skin the best possible treatment going.   

What immediately warmed my heart to each of these three soaps is that not only are they a feast for the skin, but they also represent and support global causes. Olive Tree in particular, is created using ingredients sourced from a not-for-profit organisation in Israel, where Israeli and Palestinian communities work side by side to produce Fair Trade goods. Not only are the ingredients exquisite and highly-effective, but they also support a cause worth mentioning and sharing. 

How this soap differs from most of Lush's regular ones is that it's of the non-foaming variety. Much like Movis Facial Soap, this one is intended to be used to moisturise, heal, restore and hydrate the skin - doing so in a gentle, non-drying way. Olive oil is known for being rich in vitamin E and contains hydroxytyrosol, which is thought to be one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world; Cypress oil works best at adding a wonderful calming fragrance to any product it is featured in, while rose oil nourishes the body and gives a gentle, uplifting aroma to soothe even the most overworked of people. 

What is interesting about this soap is that it also features granulated sugar, black olives and petitgrain - reading almost like a starter than a soap. In fact, it is these three ingredients that help to make up a large part of the product's aroma. 

Out of the packet, Olive Tree smells like a flourishing meadow in the spring time - a grassy, herbal fragrance that is made up of multiple layers - each of which make an appearance at various times during use. On the one hand, this soap has a very strong element of Rooibos or green tea - a gentle and very natural smell that has a very subtle citrus undertone. On the other hand, this soap also smells like a pile of freshly cut flowers - dandelion and tulip spring to mind here. 

In the shower, various other smells make an appearance - the most interesting being a distinctive note of wild sarsaparilla - a wintergreen scent with a slight element of liquorice that went down a treat.   

While it's described as a non-foaming soap, I found that it does produce a very gentle oily lather that coats the skin and quickly gets to work on hydrating and repeating damaged or parched skin. After a single use, I found that the soap had made some impressive improvements - most notably how soft my arms and hands felt after I had rinsed away the oils. 

The ingredients featured here mean that this soap is gentle enough to be used on the face, and I love the fact that after only two days of use, the colour on my cheeks seem slightly radiated and my complexion just appears more radiant in the mirror. 

Despite this, I did find that my hands felt a little taut after use and I had to moisturise them to prevent myself getting dry patches between my fingers. Furthermore, from experience I would suggest that you don't use this directly under the running water as it is a very soft soap and I noticed that it shrunk a lot quicker than regular glycerine-filled soaps. For the price you pay for the privilege of using this, you certainly don't want it to shrink all that quickly! 

Unfortunately, I found that the scent didn't really linger on the skin much beyond the shower, but the benefits saw me through the most part of a the day. For this reason, I will definitely continue using this to clean both my face and body and I look forward to trying out the other two variations that are currently on offer. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Fair Trade Olive Oil, Glycerine, Granulated Sugar, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Black Olives, Cypress Oil, Petitgrain Oil, Rose Oil, Gardenia Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Chlorophyllin.

2015 

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £7.50 for 100g. 

2016 Price: £7.50 for 100g. 

Year Of Original Release: 2015.