Luck Shower Bomb

I very much believe in making my own luck, although that doesn't mean for one second that I don't recognise the power of circumstance leading to people becoming lucky as well. Just being able to get my hands on this limited edition shower bomb was a result of my own good fortune in having such amazing people around me, and I'm always incredibly grateful for the luck that I have worked for, and the luck that has been presented to me.

Luck is one of the limited edition shower bombs to appear in the Liverpool store earlier this year, and is supposed to represent that of a lucky amulet to take into the shower with you. Whether you see the bomb as a cute little rabbit, or instead an exotic beetle or bug, you cannot deny that the beautiful turquoise shell, painted with a thin layer of silver shimmer isn't a gorgeous design from Lush. What makes it even more interesting is the fragrance that accompanies this.

While the ingredients don't match up to the original perfume, Luck supposedly shares its scent with B Never Too Busy, although I've never experienced this to verify whether this is true. What I will say is that the smell of this does remind me very much of an old-school Lush aroma, and also reminds me a little of when bath bombs get really old and present a sort of sweet, musky frargance.

To my nose, the petitgrain and the patchouli are what greet you first. There is something rather fresh and green about the smell, yet the latter ingredient also adds in a little spiciness, which works really well with the other elements as well. Both the ho wood and the petitgrain also add a gentle layer of woodiness as well, so the scent smells warming and well-rounded, yet light as well. Finally, the ylang ylang adds a sweet floral note as well; giving this shower bomb a wonderfully gentle but equally complex aroma overall.

To use, you simply need to hold Luck 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. Firstly, the heat of the water will 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. 

In this case, Luck is designed to give you a little energy boost if you're struggling with a particular aspect of your life, or if you're looking for a little perk-me-up before an important day. While I used it without either of these in mind, I did find that it helped to relax my over-thinking mind for long enough to mediate for a good hour, which I consider to be a success.

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.

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 it will sting a little because of the open pores.

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, Luck left a lasting impression on the skin: both with how soft my body felt after I had towelled myself down, and with the wonderfully light smell that lingered on my skin for a good forty minutes following my shower.

Given my recent experiences with Lush's shower bombs, I will say that I have found myself much less pessimistic than I was at the start of my journey. While more expensive than a squirt of shower gel, these little things offer both exfoliation and an alternative way to clean yourself; which doesn't make them that bad value for money. 

Luck is a shower bomb that I would very much like to see in all stores, as the scent is very different from any of their bath bombs, and the design is simply gorgeous. I have thoroughly enjoyed using this limited edition in the shower, and I'd love to see more in this fragrance in the future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar, Citric Acid, Potato Starch, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Calcium Lactate Gluconate, Sodium Alginate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Perfume, Ho Wood Oil, Patchouli Oil, Petitgrain Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Irish Moss Powder, Cornstarch, Water, Gardenia Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Maltodextrin, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Hydroxcitronellal, Colour 42090, Colour 19140..

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £2.75 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Flotsam Soap

As someone who has grown up in a coastal village, minutes from the beach, I relate well to products that mimic the scent or the experience of the seaside. Not only do the smells conjure up memories of my childhood, and the many summers that I spent exploring the cliffs and rocky beaches of the island, but they help to take me away from the hustle and bustle of London, which is always a welcome bonus.

Flotsam Soap was definitely a product that won me over on the design itself. While the siege demeanour might not have made it the most colourful of soaps, the fact that it was shaped like a sandcastle gave it a little magic, and made it a little more special. That's not to say that the aroma that hit my nose immediately afterwards didn't dispel this happiness for a few seconds, but I could appreciate it far more once I'd gotten used to it for a while.

Containing lemon and lavender oils, Irish moss gel and seaweed, you can almost imagine the aroma that Flotsam offers. While some consumers have described it as pertaining a fragrance reminiscent of fish, my nose is able to decipher that it smells much more like the dried seaweed smell you get when visiting a beach towards the end of the day.

Sharing its scent with the Big Blue family, the soap offers a fresh, mild lavender scent with a touch of lemon and a little seaweed. Together, they create something that is both herbal and strangely green-like, with the lemon elevating the scent a little and making it a little more uplifting.

What is great about this soap is that the presence of the sand adds a little roughness during use, and your skin can be gently buffered as you massage this across your body. Furthermore, the inclusion of the Irish moss makes this soap a little squidgy to the touch, so it's far easier to create a lather from it than some of the other soaps I have tried.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest aspects that I didn't like about this soap was the fact that it shrunk super quickly, even though the design itself made it slightly more fiddly to use in the shower. When left on the shelf, this soap also has a tendency to dry far quicker than other Lush variations, so this doesn't leave me much hope for what it could do to my skin. In fact, my skin did feel rather taut after using this so I needed to moisturise every time I used this.  

While I enjoyed the smell because of the memories attached to such a fragrance, I cannot say that it was one I was particular excited about washing my skin with, and the smell only served to intensify under the heat of the running water. While I would usually love the Big Blue fragrance, I don't think it worked that well in this format.

On the positive side, this is a soap that does offer a robust smell, both in the shower and afterwards. Having said that, this was not a smell I was hoping would linger around for long. Luckily, it is the lavender and lemon that seems to permeate the skin a little more, and it almost gave me a sense of Sea Vegetable Soap when I smelled it an hour later. 

Overall, this was definitely a great novelty soap when it came to the design and the concept behind it. However, there was nothing here that tempted me to buy another one. A one-off experience is all that is needed here, and I think I would rather use this as a hand soap than a entire body one in the future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Irish Moss, Sand, Lavender Oil, Perfume, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Seaweed Absolute, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, *Linalool, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Citral.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2000.

Scent Family:
Big Blue Ballistic
Big Blue Body Conditioner
Big Blue Egg Bath Bomb
Bubbling Under Bubble Bar
Enchanted Island Bath Melt
Flotsam Soap
Mermaid Ballistic

Sea Vegetable Soap 

Samphire Soap

To say I'm out of the loop when it comes to Lush products is an understatement.  Upon walking into a Lush store yesterday, it shocked me that there were almost 40 products that I hadn't tried: the first time this has happened to me since I first began purchasing Lush some six years ago. While there is a valid reason for my absence, it does feel strange that I am not as educated on the latest releases as I would normally be. 

Through the generosity of the friends around me, I not only have the entire Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Easter range on its way to me as I type this, but I have also managed to acquire nearly all of the Summit exclusives: something I am so incredibly grateful for. Having said that, I now have a mere five days to enjoy and review near on one hundred new Lush products, so I better get started.

Samphire Soap is an odd choice for me to start with. Not only because I've been starved of baths (and hot showers) for almost two months, and I have an abundance of bath bombs and bubble bars to indulge in, but also because my skin is currently rather dry and soaps nearly always make my skin feel parched, especially in the colder weather.

Despite this, some of my more recent experiences with Lush soaps have proven that the company are definitely improving their formulas to match consumer demand. With the inclusion of cocoa butter and carrageenan extract, this soap is far more moisturising than you would expect a soap to be. Since 2014 Lush have been using a process called saponification to create their soap bases, resulting in products that foam far easier and create a much softer, creamier lather to clean yourself with.    

Named after an aromatic European plant of the parsley family, Samphire is a beautifully-designed soap for fans of the more crisp, clean, herbal fragrances. Containing a generous helping of both peppermint and clary sage oil, this soap gives off a cool note of peppermint, with an underlying herbal layer that makes a stronger appearance when you're in the shower.

You can definitely note the presence of both the clary sage and the lavender here. However, neither are particularly dominant, and act as more of a supporting base for the peppermint. In a way, it reminds me slightly of Freeze Shower Gel: not because they share the same scent, but because there is more than just the thread of mint here. There is something subtlety herbal about this soap without there being anything overly dominant. 

What impressed me was that Samphire immediately felt silky-soft when it came into contact with the hot water, and this gave me more faith that it would both clean and soften my skin better than other soaps I have tried in the past. While I wouldn't say that it was particularly generous with its lather, it did produce a thick, oily foam fairly easily, and I could feel the carrageenan extract working with my skin to leave it feeling soft and radiant afterwards. 

After using this soap across my body, I found that the scent lingered on my skin for a good couple of hours afterwards. Furthermore, my body felt really smooth to the touch, and while my hands did feel a little taut after using the soap, I found that they didn't need moisturising once I had towelled myself down.

My only issue with this soap is that it seemed to shrink more than I was expecting it to after a single use. For this reason, I would recommend that you don't keep it exposed to the water too much when in the shower, and that you pat it dry afterwards to prevent it shrinking even further.

Although I really liked the smell of this, as it is incredibly refreshing first thing in the morning, I would probably use this as more of a hand soap. It leaves your skin feeling really crisp and incredibly clean and would look beautiful in your soap dish for sure.      

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerine, Perfume, Fresh Sarcocornia, Clary Sage Oil, Lavender Oil, Peppermint Oil, Oakmoss Absolute, Irish Moss, Fine Sea Salt, Carrageenan Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 42090, Colour 45350, Colour 42053.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £5 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018. 

Plantational Cake Solid Shampoo Bar

My vast experience with Lush has told me never to judge a product based on its colour or description. Whereas many people might run the other way upon seeing a brown lump that resembles a mud pie, I relish in experimenting with the company's weirdest and most wonderful of creations. Some of my most favourite products have come about through experiences that I've had in which I was expecting things to go horribly wrong at first.

Plantational Cake is equally brand new and retro at the same time. Based on Lush's old-school liquid shampoo of the same name, this limited edition solid looks no different than one of my firm favourite products from the Kitchen - Reincarnate Solid Shampoo. In fact, this product may appear very different ingredients wise, but the two share many good qualities that puts them both in the firm favourites category.

To look at, this solid shampoo bar looks like a cross between a badly-baked brownie and a lump of solid mud. You might be surprised to learn then that this limited edition doesn't smell like either of those two itmes. In fact, the smell of this surprised me quite a lot when it first came into contact with my nose.

Containing Brazilian orange oil combined with a nettle and rosemary leaf infusion, this shampoo bar presents a distinctive sweet smell that reminds me very much of sultanas. The inclusions of both the red henna and the labdanum resinoid add to this subtle fruity element - giving the solid bar a gentle layer of spice and rounds the aroma off with a dry but rather more-ish fragrance. In many ways, Plantational does smell very similar to Reincarnate, so if you've been fortunate enough to have tried the aforementioned shampoo bar, you'll have a good idea about the fragrance of this one.

As with most solid shampoo bars, this one works by wetting it a little under the running water and massaging it straight into your wet hair for a short time. It only takes a few seconds for the product to produce a light but thick lather, so you don't need to use it for more than that to cover your entire scalp. I would then recommend using both hands to ensure the shampoo is equally distributed across your locks. 

Depending on how long you have in the shower, I would suggest that you leave it on for a good few minutes before rinsing it away and applying your conditioner. What I found with this solid shampoo is that the henna taints the lather slightly, so don't worry when you rinse it away and find that the water presents itself as brown.

What I loved about Plantational is that it was effective from the very first wash. Unlike a large percentage of Lush's solid shampoo bars, this one moisturised and detangled my hair while I was in the shower, and I felt at times that I could almost have gotten away with not using conditioner afterwards - it was that effective. 

Upon drying my hair, I noticed that this bar left a slight bit of residue that seemed to coat my hair like a protective blanket. Don't get me wrong, my hair was neither greasy or oily afterwards, but there was something about the feel and touch of my locks that told me that the shampoo bar was still present on my hair. Until you try it out for yourself, it may be difficult to understand what I mean. However, it was almost as if the product had put up a slight barrier around every strand, so it felt as if my hair had more moisture present, without it looking or feeling weighed down. 

My experience with this one was very different to any of Lush's other shampoos, liquid and solid. I really felt as if this one added in that much-needed moisture that my dry hair needed, and within 2-3 uses my hair was looking and feeling much less frizzy and far more manageable. Furthermore, I found that I didn't need to straighten my hair that much, as the shampoo supported and accentuated my waves, without leaving it looking frizzy or untamed.  

Having said that, I will mention that your hair should be completely dry before attempting to straighten it after using Plantational. If your locks are even so much as damp when you use the straightening irons on them, this blanket of moisture that coats your hair will turn greasy, and I found that I had to use dry shampoo afterwards to try and settle the excess moisture. 

Overall, this solid shampoo bar has been an absolute pleasure to use. Not only has it rejuvenated my hair and made it feel far less parched than it did before, but the inclusion of the henna supported my natural hair colour - accentuating the highlights and bringing out the different shades of browns and reds that I don't often get to see.

This is definitely one that I would buy again, and I would go as far as to say that this would be a staple in my house if it was a regular item. Whatever condition your hair might be in, I have heard nothing but glowing reviews about this wonderful Kitchen exclusive, and my experience only serves to support and verify that this shampoo bar is a royal treat.         

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Stearic Acid, Nettle And Rosemary Leaf Infusion, Red Henna, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG 100 Stearate, Soya Lecthin, Brazilian Orange Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Irish Moss Powder, Limonene, Citral, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 1999

Foot Soak And Fancy Free Foot Soak

As a teacher, I am on my feet for the most part of the day. This means that they are the part of my body that takes the most flack. Whether it's during my walk to and from work every morning, while I am in the classroom teaching or throughout my heavy workouts that I complete when I get home, my feet are normally exhausted by the time Friday evening comes around. 

This is why I was really excited to try out Lush's new Foot Soak And Fancy Free - a solid foot soak designed to freshen up, soften up and perk up those overworked parts of your body. With only a handful of seemingly natural ingredients, I was intrigued to see just how well it worked on me. With my feet being very hard parts of my body to please, I was expecting a lot. 

Aside from the ingredients added to make the product fizz in the water, Irish Moss is the main ingredient used to improve the condition of your feet. Harvested from the coastlines of Europe, this form of seaweed is known for its amazing softening properties and works especially well for those with sensitive skin. My feet were only submerged in the soak for a few minutes before I could already feel the improvement it had made to my skin, and I put this heavily down to the inclusion of this miracle ingredient. 

As well as moss, FSAFF also contains a generous helping of fine sea salt - a component famous for how beneficial it is on the skin. Acting as a natural cleanser, this mineral also works on softening and moisturising the feet - hydrating and replenishing whilst removing unwanted dead skin without drying them out. 

This product also boasts a combination of chamomile, lavender and tagetes oil - the former two working on nourishing the feet without causing any irritation, while the former uses its natural antimicrobial abilities to remove unwanted bacteria and fungal issues - leaving the feet clean and clear of possible infections. While this soak won't heal ingrained issues, it will prevent the build up of bacteria that could lead to more serious issues. 

How it works is as follows: simply split the tablet in half and add it to a bowl of water. Take up your favourite chair, grab yourself a book and submerge your feet beneath the water. A good 30 minutes is a perfect amount of time to let your feet relax, and after this time I found that my feet felt incredible and very much improved. While my video shows the accumulation of debris on the surface, I can assure you that this sinks pretty quickly and you won't end up having to pick out the seaweed at the end. 

Not only did my feet feel soft and supple between my fingers, but the dryness around a couple of my toes had all but vanished once they had been towelled down. While the soak doesn't have a particularly strong smell - a very gentle jasmine and tagetes aroma if anything, I found that Foot Soak And Fancy Free had all but eradicated the slight odour that had been present before due to my heavy workout.  

This gave me the perfect opportunity to apply Go Faster Feet Foot Lotion and enjoy feet that felt and looked better than they have done so in years. While this is definitely not replacing my much-loved Volcano Foot Mask, this soak will be a product that I will buy regularly and use most weeks. 

For £3.95, this might seem like a rather expensive indulgence - especially given that it's the same price as one of Lush's regular bath bombs. However, you can halve it and get two uses out of it, and I'd even go as far as to say that you could probably third it and still get three top-quality soaks out of it, which is great value for money. This has now become one of my favourite products from the new flagship store and I only hope that they bring out more items like this in the near future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Irish Moss Powder (Chondrus crispus), Fine Sea Salt, Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum), French Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Tagetes oil (Tagetes minuta), Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Perfume. 

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Cream Of Tomato Soap

During the mad dash of Lush's Oxford Street opening, I had to make a fairly quick decision on which of the new soaps I should purchase first. Given that there was a good fifteen or more available, I didn't have the time or the financial resources to get them all at once so opted for the ones that seemed most appealing to me in that moment. 

Cream Of Tomato Soap was actually one that made me grimace to begin with -  one that I didn't even pick up the second time I visited the shop because of how unappealing it seemed to me. While I adore Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup and consider it to be one of my most missed foods as a vegan, the idea of washing myself with its fragrance was revolting. However, after using it across multiple showers, I have come to appreciate and perhaps even slightly relish in the strange and rather unique product. 

To begin with, I must stress that this soap does not smell like the aforementioned soup. While it does have a 'foody' scent, it's not as cloying or as vegetable-orientated as its name suggests. Made using lemon and grapefruit oils, this soap does have a gentle citrus theme running as a base note. It's not very prominent compared to some of the other ingredients, but there's enough there to give the soap a gentle, uplifting element. 

Containing fresh tomatoes and basil oil, it is these two components that have the strongest impression on the senses. The former ingredient gives the soap a slightly sweet but savoury element - much like you would expect from a can of plum tomatoes; the basil oil adds a herbal and slightly peppery aroma that makes it presence known more when its in use under the warm water. To round it all off, the violet leaf infusion just pads out the smell slightly with a very delicate but slightly cloudy floral element. 

In the shower, Cream Of Tomato produces a very thick, oily lather that coats the skin and leaves it feeling soft and clean. The soap itself is very effective at creating its lather so I found that I didn't have to keep it held under the water for too long. This meant that my 100g chunk lasted a long time when compared to other Lush soaps.

After I had exited the shower, I was able to detect a very subtle fragrance on my skin but this was soon lost once I had applied body lotion and perfume. The product left my skin feeling clean and soft, although it did dry my hands out a little when I was massaging it between my palms and my skin had a slight taut feeling about it that had to be rectified with a body lotion afterwards. 

While it's far from a horrible soap, I wasn't blown away by its smell, nor how I felt after I had towel-dried myself down. It's definitely unique in its aroma, I'll give it that, and those that perhaps enjoy savoury or herbal smelling soaps will no doubt find that this works for them well. However, I found it a little underwhelming in the shower and would probably only use this as a hand soap if I found myself with any in the future. I don't think the fragrance of this is strong enough to hold its own in the shower.

For £2.95, it is good value for money, and as I said, it does last a long time and doesn't tend to shrink as quickly as some of Lush's other soaps. Despite this, I would definitely rather pay a little more and enjoy a soap with a much stronger and more interesting fragrance. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil: Coconut Oil (Brassica napus: Cocoa nucifera), Sorbitol, Talc, Perfume, Passata, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Stearate, Grapefruit Oil Citrus paradisi), Sicilian Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Violet Leaf Infusion (Viola odorata), Basil Oil (Ocimum basilicum), Titanium Dioxide, Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus), Fresh Tomato (Lycopersician), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £2.95 for 100g. 

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Waves Solid Shampoo

Cast yourself back a while and you may remember the initial excitement Lush fans felt when a single picture surfaced on the internet of the new haircare counter at the Oxford Street store. Alongside regular items, the particular shot captured three elusive shampoo wheels that stood out as not only being brand new exclusives to pine after, but boasted a first for shampoo designs in this particular format.  

Waves Solid Shampoo is hard to miss - a bright blue clump of ingredients that looks almost like something you'd find washed up on a beach. While the irony of this would suggest the very reason why Lush named it as so, the truth lies more in the components that the company have used to craft this rather delectable product. 

Designed to be used when your hair is in most need of a quick fix, this exclusive item contains a combination of sea salt, Irish moss powder and lavender oil. Together, these key ingredients create a shampoo that will not only leave your hair feeling light and manageable, but one that adds a wonderful and very natural healthy shine to it.   

The inclusion of the salt means that Waves is packed full of natural minerals that both replenish and hydrate the hair and leave it feeling super-soft and silky; the lavender oil moisturises your locks and gives it a very gentle fragrance to carry forth with you for the most part of the day.   

What I love about this shampoo is that it doesn't smell like you would expect it to. With it's blue demeanour and reference to the sea, I was expecting it to smell like Seanik or Big Blue Bath Bomb. However, without the inclusion of any lemon oil, this product has a very basic but rather wonderful fragrance reminiscent of the Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar. In simple terms, this solid shampoo bar offers a gentle and delicately-sweet lavender smell - a comforting and very calming aroma to enjoy in the shower. 

How Waves differs from most of Lush's solid shampoo bars is that it contains a lot of dried seaweed threaded throughout each piece - meaning that this product has a very rough feel to it when you're using it in the shower. To begin with, I was a little worried about the prickly nature of this as I thought it might irritate my scalp or at least deposit the strands of seaweed throughout my hair. As it happened, it did neither of these things and instead gave an enjoyable exfoliation that only served to help remove excess grease and dirt and leave my hair feeling really clean. 

For those who are not familiar with Lush's solid shampoos, you use them in the same way as you would a block of soap - either rubbing it over your wet hair to create a lather, or massaging it between your palms and applying the lather to your hair. Either way, they work just like a normal shampoo would and are often much better for your hair because they aren't full of excess ingredients to maintain their liquid state.

What I found with this particular shampoo was that it was not as sturdy as the circular bars and my chunk broke in half after only the second use. However, once the pieces had broken once, they remained intact for the duration of their use and I didn't experience any more problems with breakages after this point.

What I will say is that this shampoo is amazing - leaving my hair feeling really silky soft and well-nourished from the word go. My hair is quite thin naturally but can often develop a frizzy wave that prevents me from being able to wear my hair down without straightening it first. Waves reduced this frizziness without flattening my natural volume, and I have been able to wear my hair down without using any other products to control the stray strands.

Furthermore, I usually find that I have to wash my hair most days as some shampoos leave it feeling slightly greasy by the end of the day. With this product, I have been able to reduce this down to every other day, which above everything else, saves me money and time and allows a 100g chunk of this to see me through a good two months worth of washing. 

Finally, I have discovered that since using this, my hair has developed a natural shine to it which really brings out my highlights - this is without making it look overly greasy. Since I began using this almost a month ago, I have not noticed any fading of my hair dye and if anything, it's only heightened the different colours that are present.

Waves has definitely cemented itself as one of my go-to shampoos. I love how it makes my hair feel and the gentle, comforting scent that makes it extra pleasurable in the shower. While many of Lush's solid shampoo bars have made a big impression on me, this is definitely one I will be using regularly - especially during the coming summer months. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearic Acid, Water (Aqua), Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate, Hand Harvested Sea Salt, Irish Moss Powder (Chondrus crispus), Soya Lecithin, Perfume, Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Limonene, Colour 42053. 

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £6.50 per 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar

For the past couple of years, I have found myself with an abundance of this particular bubble bar - mostly through the generosity of family and friends who have lavished me with an array of beautiful gift sets every year from Lush's Christmas range. Distracted by the many new products the company spoil us with each time around, I've often brushed this bar aside in favour of the new additions. Recently, I've been feeling a little sorry for my collection of Christmas Eves and felt like it was time to give this bubble bar the spotlight.

Designed by one of Lush's shop managers, this product was not only created to be uplifting and invigorating for hard-working citizens, but equally relaxing so that it could be enjoyed at the end of an evening. Inspired by parents who have to 'work' late on Christmas Eve, filling in as the role of Santa Clause, as well those unlucky people who don't have the seasonal time off, this bubble bar is meant to be an affordable form of escapism for any who need it. 

Although it differs from the original design, this product still displays beautiful shades of yellow and ultramarine blue. When it was first brought out, the bubble bar was made as an entire slab of blue with a yellow moon protruding from the centre. However, Lush have changed it slightly so that the yellow moon is now part of the circular design. I do admit that I prefer the old version better but it's not that much of a big deal.  

Featuring both jasmine absolute and ylang ylang oil, this seasonal beauty has a strong floral smell. The jasmine is definitely at the forefront here but there are other layers of scent that help to pad the overall fragrance. Despite the potency of the bubble bar, it's still a gentle, soothing smell - perfect for an evening treat before bedtime. 

Even though I liked the smell of Christmas Eve, I didn't think it was particularly seasonal so the bubble bar could be sold all year round. Furthermore, I felt that the overall aroma, although pleasant, wasn't unique or interesting enough for me to get too excited over it. For me, it's distinctly average.

Given it's size, this bubble bar could be broken into pieces and used for up to three separate baths. As this is one of the cheapest bubble bars on offer around Christmas, the multiple uses makes this one of the better value ones available as well.

After crumbling this under the tap, Christmas Eve fills your tub with an impressive amount of bubbles. In fact, I haven't seen a bubble bar react in this way for quite some time. It turns the water a wonderful deep blue colour and the bubbles stay with you throughout the majority of your bath, cocooning you in a silky-soft haven that you won't want to leave.

The beautiful smell of jasmine stays prominent throughout your entire experience and you'll find that the aroma lingers around your bathroom for quite a while, as well as permeating your skin and leaving you smelling gorgeous. To add to the experience, the bubble bar leaves the water, and indeed your skin, amazingly soft and conditioned. You can really feel the difference once you've left the bath, and I noticed that it got rid of some of the dry patches of skin I was beginning to notice on my body.

Christmas Eve does leave you feeling rejuvenated as well as calm, and it works wonders at winding you down before you go to bed. Lush even recommend that you use this with your children, as it will help them to release some of that pent up excitement that threatens to keep them up later than usual.

While it's far from being my favourite bubble bar, it does make a wonderful bath and offers you something you can enjoy time and time again. For those that dislike the spicy or sweet offerings that Lush bring out at this time of year, Christmas Eve makes a nice alternative and leaves you feeling gorgeous.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Cocamide DEA, Irish Moss Powder (Chondrus crispus), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Linalool, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Colour 61585, Colour 59040, Iridescent Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate and Acrylates copolymer)

Vegan?: Yes.

2014 Price: £2.95.

Scent Family:

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar

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