Retro Tree Bath Melt Tablet

After a scorching hot day out in the sun, it felt rather strange to be coming home to bathe with a Christmas tree. In fact, it's been so hot these last few days that it feels strange even running myself a bath when the weather is so sticky outside. Alas, I was determined to get myself on top of the reviews I had planned to do and the only bath product I had leftmost happened to be a seasonal one. 

In nearly every one of my reviews of these seasonal bath melt tablets, I have explained how little press they received, not to mention how little time they were made available on the website. For this reason, I am probably one of only a handful of lucky people who were able to get their hands on these limited editions, which is a real shame.

Retro Tree Bath Melt Tablet couldn't be any more festive-like if it tried. Sporting a cream base with an orange and green-striped Christmas tree on the front, this limited edition was designed as both a decoration to hang on your tree and a companion for the bath as well. About 9cm in width, 6cm wide and about 5mm thick, this seasonal special also offered a gentle scent that didn't exactly fill the room, but did make an impression if you were sitting close enough.

Sharing its scent with the Floating Island Bath Melt, this particular tablet offers a rich but very gentle aroma: one that presents both a creamy vanilla note and a warming, woody one as well. The tablet smells very much like a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream combined with a subtle woody twist that grounds the overall fragrance a little.

While Retro Tree is sold as a single product, there is not really any need to place the whole tablet into the bath in one go. Cutting the melt in half or even quarters will still offer a really moisturising bath for your skin and you'll still be able to smell the wonderful aroma throughout the whole experience. In fact, you actually run the risk of creating a mess around the tub if you include the whole tablet at once, as the oils and butters don't all tend to dissolve into the water and they stick to the sides instead. Furthermore, I would also recommend that if you're going to use the tablet across multiple baths, it is better to break it into pieces whilst its dry than having to hang and store the used tablet once it's been placed in the water. 

As with nearly all of Lush's bath melts, Retro Tree didn't exactly put on much of a show in the water. The bath melt floated on the surface whilst it slowly dissolved and sent out little splodges of beige-coloured oil into the water, which seemed to disappear fairly quickly and give the water a slightly creamy tinge. 

As with all of the bath melt tablets, Retro Tree presents an impressive range of essential butters and oils to nourish your skin and leave it feeling smooth and replenished. Every so often I found myself massaging the bar itself to release the oils into the water because they were quite thick and resistant to dissolve by themselves. I think if you simply waited for the bath tablet to melt by itself, you'd probably be in the tub for a matter of hours. 

Once the tablet had fully melted, I found that the water was left with next to no colour all, which didn't exactly inspire the most exciting of reactions from myself. However, I had to remind myself that it was indeed a bath melt as opposed to a bath bomb, so it shouldn't be tarnished for doing something it's not designed to do. It did however make an immediate impression on my skin.

Within seconds of submerging myself beneath the water, my skin felt super silky-soft and smooth: as if there was a thin protective layer that was coating my skin and replenishing my body in record speed. My hands and legs took on an almost shiny form during the experience and I could still feel ow supple velvety they felt after I had towelled myself down. This is definitely a bath tablet that goes above and beyond what it's supposed to do.

While the fragrance was present during my time in the bath, I wasn't really able to detect it that well, and whenever I used another product this tended to thwart the aroma altogether. Afterwards, I wasn't surprised to find that the scent barely lingered on my skin much at all and I wasn't able to smell it anymore some twenty minutes after I had exited the bathroom.

If you're looking for a product that is going to offer you a good show in the bath; present you with a strong aroma to enjoy whilst bathing; and linger on your skin afterwards, this bath melt is probably not the best choice to go for. However, if your skin is in need of some serious nourishment and you're happy to couple a chunk of this alongside another product, this is one you should seek out and try. It's definitely better value than the small bath oil you can buy as a regular item!

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Laureth 4, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume, Lauryl Betaine, Titanium Dioxide, Sandalwood Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, *Farnesol, *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Gospels Mouthwash Tabs

Over the last couple of years, Lush have branched out their ideas for new products, with a key focus being to create more naked cosmetics that will not only to reduce the carbon footprint of their customers, but do the same for themselves as a company as well. Their introduction of the solid mouthwash tabs was easily one of their most innovative concepts, and these little beauties have definitely made other companies think about the future of their brand as well. 

Gospels is one of a handful of Lush Showcase exclusive mouthwash tabs that have yet to hit the stores: still under the guise of prototype until the company decide what to do with them. Thanks to a wonderful member of the Lush community, I have managed to get my hands on a few of each to try, and I'm excited to say that these are just as delicious and effective as the releases we have seen so far.

While I'm yet to learn everything about this pastel pink gem, what I do know is that Gospels is made from a combination of rose, myrrh and geranium, which would automatically make you assume that the scent and taste of this one is going to be highly floral. What makes this limited edition so wonderful is that this is not the case at all. 

Smell wise, this mouthwash tab is actually fairly reserved and warming: the inclusion of the myrrh definitely adds a sweet, rounded base with a gentle resinous twinge. Both the geranium and the rose feature as well in fragrance, giving the tabs a slightly powdery floral aroma. From the bottle, I can see why these tabs might come across as quite intimidating as the fragrance is rather potent, and you'd be correct if you assumed this would also mean the taste was quite overwhelming.

As soon as I bit into one of these tabs, my mouth immediately flooded with a taste that somewhere between being really sweet and heavily floral. Both the davana and rose oils work in perfect unison here because had either ingredient been unbalanced, I can only imagine how disgusting these mouthwash tabs would have been.

Imagine the powdery, sweet rose taste of freshly made Turkish delight, with a sultry resinous flavour from the myrrh and yo may begin to understand what Gospels taste like. These are definitely a very acquired taste and one that many consumers may have to 'get used to' before they actually really enjoy these. I know that it took me multiple uses before I truly understood and appreciated the complexity and taste of these mouthwash tabs, and I can imagine that many other people will be the same.

To use a solid mouth wash tab, you simply crunch the tab between your teeth, take a slurp of water and begin swishing. Once you've finished, you then spit the water into the sink and your whole mouth should feel super clean and refreshed: ready to brace the rest of the day without worrying about smelly breath or food from your lunch remaining stuck between your teeth. It's recommended that you keep the mouthwash in your mouth for a good minute. This allows the ingredients to get to work at cleaning the mouth and deodorising the tongue so you get the maximum results possible.  

As you would expect from Lush, the ingredients that have gone into making all three of the mouthwash varieties have also been carefully crafted and serve a purpose. Firstly, they all contain sodium bicarbonate, which is a natural softening ingredient that is also known for its ability to clean and deodorise at the same time. This is a key component that will help to clean your tongue, gums and teeth when you're swishing, and will help to rid your mouth of any strong odours that might be present at the time, freshening your breath in the process.

Each of the mouthwashes also contains xylitol - a natural substance that is found in certain fruits and vegetables and is used in foods and cosmetics as a refined sweetener. This ingredient has been proven to cause none of the harmful effects that sugar can have on the teeth, is perfect for diabetics as it doesn't effect blood sugar levels at all, yet offers the sweetness to help give these tabs their interesting but enjoyable flavours.

Gospels Mouthwash Tabs immediately foamed up in my mouth and the results I experienced was a mouth that felt wonderfully clean and a tongue left without a single bad smell. No matter what you've eaten before using one, these limited editions will remove any unwanted smells and tastes immediately from your palette. However, you will need to be someone who'll appreciate the odd but rather sweet floral fragrance that remains in your mouth for a good couple of hours afterwards, otherwise the outcome of these tabs is pointless.

Ultimately, these mouthwash tabs do exactly what you'd expect them to and are the perfect accompaniment for short excursions and long trips away. They'll slip into a pocket or just about any space you have and can offer a quick solution for those moments when you feel like refreshing your oral health.  

As far as tastes go, I did eventually enjoy the flavour of these mouthwash tabs, although they were never one of my favourite tastes overall. While they worked wonders at cleansing my palette and leaving my teeth feeling super clean and shiny, there are far better tasting alternatives that I think I'd rather choose over Gospels, and for that reason I cannot imagine buying these again when there are so many other flavours on offer. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate Anhydrous, Sodium Bicarbonate, Silica, Citric Acid, Sorbitol, Malic Acid, Glycerine, Organic Cold-pressed Grapeseed Oil, Stevia, Xylitol, Anthocyanin, Menthol Crystals, Rose Oil, Davana Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Citronellal, Eugenol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Flavour, Colour 77491.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £6.50 for 45g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Fantabulosa Liquid Perfume

With the recent release of the Gold Label perfumes, I really feel as if consumers are being given an incredible opportunity to experience a piece of Lush history: one that I genuinely thought was forever lost in the past. Sometimes it's beneficial to bring a little history into the present moment, and this is one of those such occasions.

When I first heard the name Fantabulosa (originally called Ladyboy) my immediate thought went to the popular fizzy drink. The very thought of a perfume encompassing the sweet, juiciness of fizzy orange soda was enough to make me salivate. In fact, I convinced myself so much that this is what the perfume would smell like that, for those who have experienced this retro scent before, you can imagine my confusion when this little beauty finally found its way into my life. To put it simply, this fragrance couldn't be any farther away from what I initially envisaged.

From the bottle, my first impression was that of a perfume overly consumed by a strong thread of oakmoss. There was something very damp and earthy about the fragrance, which made it a very heavy and overpowering. Coupled with a naturally sweet and slightly grassy violet note, the heaviness of the perfume is definitely not one that would appeal to everyone.

Having said that, when the perfume is given the freedom to breathe on your skin, something magic happens. Firstly, the oakmoss takes a little step back, and while it is still there, it offers more of a base for the other components to perform on. Then a strangely alluring but equally sticky-sweet note of banana comes through, which elevates the fragrance overall and gives it so much character. 

As I mentioned above, the violet leaf continues to deliver its sweet but slightly grassy floral notes, but on the skin it softens a little and creates something very comforting and beautiful. Alongside this, the chamomile offers a calming herbal smell that dances between the other notes and brings the perfume together.

Simply put, Fantabulosa is incredibly complex and interesting: a perfume that stands alone as being a truly incredible experience. This is one of those fragrances that takes you on a powerful journey with every wear, and one that I can never being chosen lightly. I don't think even the world's best wordsmith would be able to do this as much justice as trying it out for yourself would. You need to experience it to truly understand when I say that it's a work of art.

As to be expected, the perfume remained on my skin for ages: eventually wearing off some five hours after I had initially applied it. During this time, I received many compliments from strangers in shops and on the streets, and I felt the power and responsibility that comes with wearing such a signature scent. 

Why this perfume was ever relegated to the darkest vaults of Lush's past, and made to sit there going unnoticed, I will never know. I can only hope old and new Lush fans will now have a chance to make this a regular part of their Lush collection, and I only hope it doesn't disappear before I buy myself another couple of large bottles. 

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Chamomile Blue Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Seaweed Absolute, Oakmoss Absolute, Violet Leaf Absolute, Oakmoss Extract, *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £39 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Pansy Liquid Perfume

When I found out that Lush were bringing some of their earliest perfumes back from the vaults of Cosmetics To Go, my excitement was off the chain. As a collector of the company's products, there is nothing more exciting than being given the opportunity to try something out that I always assumed I would never ever get the chance to.

Originally released in 1993, Pansy Liquid Perfume is a fragrance that seems to have strangely divided the Lush community, and I have seen some quite strong reactions from people who have purchased this for themselves. For such a beautifully peaceful-smelling scent, I find this a little hard to understand.

While it is not a direct replica, Pansy does indeed smell almost on par with that of The Olive Branch: so much so that I would class this as being from the same scent family for certain. Yet strangely, the ingredients list of this perfume reads very differently from any other product that features this same aroma.

Containing orange flower absolute as the key ingredient, this exclusive fragrance offers a sweet, delicate, floral aroma, with an almost nutty warmth that acts like huge comforting hug as the perfume dances across your skin. From the bottle, you can smell both the labdanum and galbanum oils, both of which add a rich, sultry and slightly resinous aroma. These work harmoniously with the floral aspect - as well as the very subtle touch of fruitiness that features here - to create a simply beautiful perfume to indulge in.

Whether it's because my nose is familiar with the many other products featuring The Olive Branch scent, or because Lush have included other components here as well, but there is a layer to Pansy that reminds me of expensive olive oil, with all of its wonderful nuttiness. Gentle floral notes infuse with these layers to offer a delicate balance of smells, while there is also something subtly herbal about the fragrance as well, which comes from the inclusion of the rosemary oil. This is a very rich but equally very beautiful fragrance, and one that stands by itself as being exquisitely unique.

What makes this Pansy Liquid Perfume so gorgeous is the fact that the smell deepens and becomes even more rounded when it's sprayed directly onto your skin. One spritz on each wrist in the morning lasted me all of the way into the early afternoon, and I was still able to detect remnants of the fragrance when I reapplied some more around 2pm. While by this point the scent was very subtle, my nose was still able to connect with the perfume for almost 6 hours.

What I loved about Pansy, which I didn't find happen with The Olive Branch Liquid Perfume, was that it acted a little more like the body spray and offered different layers while it was resting on my skin. An initial spray offers a fresh, uplifting collaboration of both the orange flower absolute and the galbanum oils. However, every new burst came with slightly different elements, and I was able to enjoy the sweetness; the nuttiness; and the delicate herbal notes at various times throughout the day.

While the name doesn't necessarily suit the smell of this perfume, and it may prevent some consumers who dislike floral aromas from buying it, if you're a fan of The Olive Branch scent, you'll want to get your hands on this right away. This is definitely my favourite so far of the Gold Label Liquid Perfumes. Simply yummy!


Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Rosemary Oil, Galbanum Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, *Benzyl Benzoate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Citral, Coumarin, Oakmoss Extract, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene,*Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £35 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Iceshoggles Soap

I don't know what it is about Lush and superman right now but everything I see seems to remind me of kryptonite. After the release of Hulder Bath Bomb during the showcase a couple of months back, my mind is set on seemingly unworldly things in the likes of bath bombs and soaps.

Iceshoggles Soap is a product that I think may get looked over quite a bit, but one that I think deserves a closer study of the scent, because it is simply wonderful. As regular readers will know, I love most things fragranced with patchouli oil, and this limited edition certainly has its fair share of this.

In Lush's description it tells us to 'watch the crystal walls of an ice palace rise around you creating a place of grandeur, the place where mysteries are born. Feel the surroundings change as you step into a hot spring in the depths of an ice cave.' This reminded me so much of how I've been feeling lately with the weather changes, and I couldn't wait to jump into a hot shower and try this soap out for size.

What hit my nose almost immediately was the familiar sweet and spicy properties of patchouli. In this product, it's rather thin-laced across the top of the fragrance and appears to be dancing freely by itself, whilst the green notes of the bergamot oil intertwine themselves around each burst of fragrance. Labdanum is also present here, but it acts as more of a grounding component - allowing the bergamot and patchouli to roam free without being lost. 

There is something rather light yet earthy about this aroma: as if you've lifted your nose out of the forest floor and breathed in the crisp, night air for the first time. While I wouldn't say that the likes of Tramp Shower Gel smells identical to this new aroma, there is something familiar about it that plays homage to the aforementioned retro scent family.

What I found great about Iceshoggles was that the scent intensified quite a bit when it was being massaged across my body. The heat of the shower definitely projects the fragrance across the room, and you can also find traces of the aroma on your skin after you've towelled yourself down. While I sometimes suggest using soaps as hand soaps instead, this one is made to be appreciated in the shower for sure.

Impressively, this seasonal soap lathered up a real treat - so much so that I had to remove it from the water because it was producing so much liquid to clean myself with. I only need to dampen my hands to stimulate enough lather to coat my entire body with. The foam that the soap creates is also very light and fluffy as well, so the product spreads easily across your body.

After rinsing the suds away, my skin felt really soft and smooth, and there was an element of radiance that stayed with me long into the day. My hands in particular felt noticeably softer after a single use, and I appreciated that I didn't need to moisturise immediately afterwards.

The soap itself was very sturdy and barely changed shape at all over the few weeks I used this. In fact, my piece is currently sat out to dry and it looks almost the same size as it did when I first bought it. What makes this soap great is the fact that it drys very quickly after use, so you won't have to worry about finding any nasty splodges of colour on your bathroom surfaces. 

While soap is not really my favourite format to use in the shower, I really did enjoy this smell and would love to see it made into other formats. Unfortunately, much like Grandfather Time Soap, this is one that is seemingly being ignored for the more glamorous products on offer in the Christmas range, which is a shame as Iceshoggles is wonderful in many ways.

Quantitiative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Fine Sea Salt, Perfume, Patchouli Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Bergamot Oil, Hop Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, *Benzyl Benzoate, Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £6.95 for each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Tank Battle Liquid Perfume

As I have said in all of my Volume 4 reviews, there are some truly fantastic stories surrounding nearly all of Lush's most recent perfume releases. In fact, it is these very stories that have helped me to fall in love with many of the new fragrances - more so than I would have done if these memories hadn't been attached to the products to begin with. This particular perfume is perhaps my favourite of the lot, and there are many reasons why.

Tank Battle is an interesting name for a perfume - especially one so light and sweet on the senses. While most would probably envisage a dark, smoky and very heavy fragrance, the reality is very far from this. Instead, this perfume is wonderfully sweet and fresh - a breath of fresh air that keeps on giving throughout the day. 

Inspired by a bidding war between a man and his local government, Tank Battle tells the story of Tachowa Covington, and how his home was taken from him after the artist Banksy decided to use the tank Tachowa was living in as a canvas for his latest idea. Self-labelled as ‘self sufficient’, his home was taken from him after the famous artist decorated the side of the tank with his artwork, causing the government to seize the tank and evict Tachowa from his home. 

There is so much more to read about this story and I highly recommend that you do some research into this yourself. It definitely adds perspective to this perfume and will make you appreciate it far more when you wear it, and and is a conversation starter that'll spark some real interest. Which is more valuable? The home made of art or the art piece made from someone's home?

Having said that, I wouldn't say that the scent of this perfume really represents what I would have imagined it smelling like, had I learnt about the inspiration behind it beforehand. I definitely wouldn't describe it as being 'homely' as I was expecting; neither does it have the strong woody notes that I was assuming would represent the tank itself.

Instead, Tank Battle offers a sweet and very rather grassy aroma that grows and changes on your skin over time: to bring you an experience that you'll want to relive again and again. Strangely, the ingredients list don't give you any real indication as to what this fragrance actually smells like, so I'll give my best description.

From the bottle you get quite a dry combination of grass and wood. I'd say the former ingredient is slightly stronger to begin with, and offers a smell reminiscent of hay but without the sweetness present. Alongside this, the woody element intertwines with a subtle spiciness from the patchouli and the gentle warmth of the clove

Despite the ingredients being quite wintery smells, and the fact that it's definitely one of the more 'in your face' perfumes from Lush, the fragrance itself is still quite airy and not so heavy that you cannot wear this in the warmer months of the year as well. 

On the skin, the labdanum grows in strength and you can detect a rich and very sultry-sweet layer that reminds me a little bubblegum, albeit more sophisticated and mature (if that makes any senses!) Alongside this, you can smell - what I can only describe it as being - a note reminiscent of wet grass in the early morning. There is something very fresh and 'wet' about this component, which is part of the reason why this perfume doesn't feel too cloying or heavy on the skin.

Lush describe the scent of this as being like 'bubblegum and rain', and I would agree that this is a pretty solid description of what you get with Tank Battle. However, there is something far richer and more mature about this smell, so it's not in anyway as playful or as youthful as the likes of Snow Fairy or Creamy Candy.            

Despite this being my favourite perfume from Volume 4, Tank Battle is definitely one I have to be in the mood for using it: it doesn't suit every situation. It's not one of Lush's longer lasting perfumes: on clothes, I could still detect this around six hours after spraying it, and on the skin a good 2-3 hours. Having said that, it is one that turns heads and sparks conversations, as I've now experienced many times with passer bus and colleagues. 

This is one I would definitely recommend that you try. It's unique and original for sure and probably one of my favourite perfumes that Lush have ever created. 

Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Water (Aqua), Labdanum Resinoid, Glycerine, Patchouli Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Citral, *Citronellol, *Eugenol, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Isoeugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £25 for 30ml.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Komorebi Soap

What is great about Lush is their ability to help you learn something new with almost every new product they release. Whether it's about a certain ingredient; an environmental campaign; or a political problem, there is always new information to be had alongside an exciting new cosmetic to try out. When it came to this #lushlabs exclusive, a little helping of culture was on offer whilst I was lathering it up in the shower.   

Translated as meaning 'sunlight streaming through the trees', Komorebi is a Japanese word with a beautiful meaning. In particular, it is seen as a light curtain which is more visible after the rain because of the reflecting light from the water vapour, which makes for some stunning pictures if you were to google the phenomenon. The fragrance of this limited edition soap compliments this concept perfectly, and anyone lucky enough to have snagged one from the last Lush Showcase, or indeed from the recent online release, will no doubt agree.

If I'm being honest, the smell of this soap was hard to place at first but it was the ingredients that finally helped me to find a match. Containing ho wood oil and labdanum resinoid, Komorebi shares the same alluring aroma as Hidden Mountain: a soap that made its debut release last Christmas but which unfortunately didn't bowl me over with how drying it was on my skin.

The notes on offer here produce a rather green floral smell with woody undertones that support and pad out of the overall fragrance. Labdanum has a very rich, resinous smell about it and I see this as the dominant note overall. Alongside this, the oakmoss adds an earthy layer with notes of green that give this fragrance something slightly uplifting about it. 

The ho wood adds a gentle, warming woody note as well, which I think helps to bring all of the elements together and round off the smell. While the lavender is definitely present in the overall aroma, it is by far the most gentlest of smells, and I think a part of me only detects the note because I know it is in there. I get the impression that it just helps to add a slight herbal note as well, which helps to thicken the overall scent.

To me, this soap really smells like walking through a forest after it has snowed - the ferns and woodland plants wet and bleeding that earthy, green phosphorus smell into the air; the shrubbery and fallen branches adding a cloudy and quite saturated woody smell. It's definitely not a scent for the faint-hearted, and when you use this you will find the aroma follows you around for hours later.

While the size and design of this suggests that it's closer to a wash card, this is definitely a soap when you begin using it in the shower. It appears a little more rigid than a regular washcard, and also looks and feels a little thicker, which means it lasts longer. 

It lathers up really easily and produces a light but slightly oily lather to wash yourself with. As I was careful to preserve Komorebi for as long as possible, I tended to wet this soap quickly and then remove it immediately from the running water. I found that I was then able to easily massage this between my palms and create a generous amount of foam to clean myself with. Using it this way as opposed to massaging it directly onto the skin meant that I had more control over how much I used, and it also meant that I was able to protect the delicate soap even better.

Impressively, the fragrance present here was the same strength as a regular soap, and the heat of the water brought out all of the key components a little more, which was lovely. I also enjoyed the fact that the smell stayed on my skin afterwards for an hour or so and this really complimented the warmer weather when I was out and about.

Despite its size meaning that it doesn't have a long shelf life (mine lasted about nine days with daily use), the price tag is not too bad when you consider how versatile this little soap can be. If you're travelling for a short holiday, this would be perfect to take with you rather than a bottle of shower gel. And while it isn't as moisturising, it will leave you feeling clean and refreshed for the day/night ahead. 

I actually hope that Lush bring out more soaps in this manner as I much prefer them to the bigger blocks. While not quote as good value for money, these are a fun way to enjoy your showers in the morning, without you having to invest a number of pounds more for a bigger block. I may not be the most responsive person in the mornings but Komorebi brings a little sunshine to my day.       

Quantitative Ingredients: Maple Water,  Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Water (Aqua), Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Ho Wood Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Lavender Oil, Citric Acid, Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, Oakmoss Extract, *Linalool, Colour 19140, Colour 42090, Colour 45350.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £1.50 for 5g.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

Scent Family:
Hidden Mountain Soap

Komorebi Soap

Hidden Mountain Soap

At the risk of repeating myself, most of my readers know that I am not a huge fans of soap at all. Despite Lush creating some incredible scents in this format, they just don't get on with my skin. As someone with quite a dry complexion, I have found that most of the company's soaps leave my body feeling parched, and then I need to moisturise heavily afterwards, which brings about problems of its own.

For this reason, I was not particularly enamoured to see so many new variations in this year's seasonal range. As someone who feels the need to try and review every vegan product Lush offer to consumers, I knew that I would need to work my way through every single one of them - which wasn't going to be the best news for my already winter-touched skin.

Hidden Mountain was the first one I reached for - not because I was overly excited with the scent, but because the premise and design grabbed my attention immediately. If there is one (only) thing I love about the cold weather, it's the brisk through the local woodlands, while wrapped in a million layers to keep myself from freezing to death. I am definitely a country person at heart, and the cold weather brings about a romanticism when I think about exploring woods and forests.

This soap immediately offered a rapport that reminded me of both Needles And Pine Shower Jelly and Tramp Shower Gel. In fact, I have heard rumours that the soap is supposed to be a combination of the latter and Grass, and I can definitely relate to that description as well. Either way, this product is definitely one for those who like grassy, earthy smells.

Containing ho wood oil and labdanum resinoid, Hidden Mountain offers a green floral smell with woody undertones that support and pad out of the overall fragrance. Labdanum has a very rich, resinous smell about it and I see this as the dominant note overall. Despite it being low in the mix, the lavender can be detected, and offers a subtle dry, floral component as well. 

To me, this soap really is like walking through a forest after it has snowed - the ferns and woodland plants wet and bleeding that earthy, green phosphorus smell into the air; the shrubbery and fallen branches adding a cloudy and quite saturated woody smell. It's definitely not a scent for the faint-hearted, and when you use this you will find the aroma follows you around for hours later.

What I enjoyed about Hidden Mountain was that the inclusion of cocoa butter meant that this soap was a little gentler on my skin. While I would never claim that it was moisturising for me, I did use it for successive weeks as a hand soap, and I never once suffered from dry or damaged skin. In fact, the soap brought about a slight clarity to my hands - meaning that there was almost a radiance to my skin after using it. Furthermore, the scent clung to my skin like an icicle on a tree branch, and I was once complimented on my 'perfume' some three hours later, which was impressive. 

For those who appreciate soaps more than I do, and love the fragrance of this one, I should warn you that this shrunk at an alarming rate. After using it around 3-4 times in the shower, the 100g piece I had bought had almost halved in size. For this reason, you need to make sure that it does not come into contact with the running water very often, and that you pat the piece down once you have finished bathing. 

Ultimately, this was never going to be a product I would rave about; neither was it ever going to be one that I bought multiple pieces of. However, I did really appreciate the smell of Hidden Mountain and I can see how someone with skin that's a little less drier than mine might benefit from using this.  

Quantittaive Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Kaolin, Ho Wood Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Lavender Oil, Coarse Sea Salt, Citric Acid, Glycerine, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Iron Oxides, Alpha-Isomethyl ionone, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, Oakmoss Extract, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.40 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017. 

Scent Family:
Hidden Mountain Soap

Komorebi Soap