Rose Queen Bath Bomb

I've been meaning to try Rose Queen for a long time now; so long in fact that when I finally decided to use the ballistic for the first time, I had to invest in a new one as the one I had bought looked very worse for wear. It's a shame I waited so long to test this one out as I consider it to be one of the most intriguing and interesting experiences available. 

Rose Queen is a lightly scented bath ballistic, so a great choice for anyone who dislikes Lush's more potent-smelling bath products. One of it's main ingredients is Rose Absolute, which gives it a light, refreshing scent, similar to Tisty Tosty but not as over-powering. I actually favour this one over Tisty Tosty as this ballistic possesses much more of a natural scent - I could really pick out the smell of fresh rose petals.

What makes this bath bomb even more interesting, is that it contains a handful of different petals; blue mallow, tiger lily, honeysuckle, apple blossom and amaranth flower, which burst from the ballistic as it fizzes and rests on the surface of the water for the remainder of your bath. This addition of petals gives the whole experience a much more earthy feel to it, which I thoroughly appreciated. The only negative thing I will say about these pieces of flower, is that they tend to stick to you throughout the bath, and I found I had to remove a few from my hair once I had towelled myself dry. Furthermore, a couple of the bigger pieces refused to go down the plughole and I had to collect them up at the end to put them in the bin. However, most of the stems and sprigs were washed away when the plug was pulled and it didn't leave a large mess, which is what I was expecting.  

For such a small ballistic, Rose Queen makes a big impression in the tub, turning the water a rosy pink colour that remains vibrant throughout the entire bathing experience. As the bath bomb is dropped into the water, is fizzes away rather quickly, leaving behind a delicate, feminine scent that helps you to relax.

Aside from giving this product it's scent, the addition of rose absolute is included to lift your mood, which it definitely did for me. Additionally, it's also very beneficial to the skin, helping to moisturise dry or irritated skin and leaving it feeling beautiful and radiant. This sweet, floral ingredient also left it's mark on my skin, giving me a gentle rose scent that stayed with me for a while after the bath. 

Rose Queen is a delicate, decadent product suitable for anyone who wants that extra special indulgence in the bath. It's a beautiful, unique ballistic that would compliment any of the other rose-scented bathing products that Lush offer, including the Rose Jam Bubbleroon and Sex Bomb Ballistic. The only thing that lets it down is that it was a little messy to clean up afterwards, but's a small price to pay for such a wonderful experience.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Water, Rose Absolute, Cistus Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Tiger Lily Petals, Amaranth Flowers, Apple Blossom, Honeysuckle, Blue Mallow Flowers, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Lilial, Hydroxycitronellal, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £2.75 each.

2017 Price: £3.50 each.

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Lily Savon Soap

After my experience with Ghost Shower Gel and jelly - two products that possess the same scent as this soap, I wasn't overly excited about trying this item out. Don't get me wrong - this is far from the worst fragrance family that Lush have ever brought out, but it's definitely one of my least favourites. 

Lily Savon is described as having a 'haunting aroma of lilies, jasmine, ylang ylang and neroli' and these are definitely the most prominent notes on first sniff. To me, the lily head infusion is the most dominant smell - a fresh, light and unique floral aroma that will appeal to anyone looking for a vastly different floral offering than the usual Lush incarnations. The soap offers a gentle and rather feminine fragrance, one that could be described as a little 'old-fashioned' but it's definitely an acquired taste. There is a slight 'soapy' smell to this product, but this soon vanishes once it's come into contact with water.

To look at, this soap isn't the most attractive one I have come across - a pale, creamy yellow block that doesn't have any decoration on top or throughout the middle. However, what is great about it is that it's very withstanding in the water and a 100g block will last you a good two months with daily usage. Despite it's long-lasting nature, it's surprisingly soft to touch and gives way under your fingers when you press down on the surface.

One of the redeeming features of Ghost Shower Gel is the inclusion of joboba oil, which is why it conditions the skin so well. As I didn't see this ingredient in the soap, I was worried that Lily Savon wouldn't be as gentle on the skin. However, Lush have included an array of products that actually make this soap equally, if not better for your skin than the jelly and gel.

The inclusion of jasmine absolute gives a very strong but equally calming fragrance and helps to tone and strengthen your skin; the neroli oil calms sensitivity while the lily head infusion moisturises and nourishes; the ylang ylang oil helps to remove unwanted grease and balance out the skin's natural oil secretions. Together, these ingredients make this a highly effective and wonderfully gentle soap to use. 

What is great about this soap is that it lathers up very easily in the shower, which means that you don't have to use much to clean your whole body. Lily Savon creates a gorgeous soft, fragrant foam that when lathered over your body, leaves it smooth and smelling wonderful. This soap doesn't dry the skin out at all and I was impressed when my hands didn't feel taut after rubbing this between my palms. Furthermore, the soap also leaves it's scent lingering on your skin for hours after use, and this helps you to feel and smell clean for the most part of the day.

I would go as far as to say that Lily Savon Soap has altered my opinion of this scent and has opened up my mind to try other same-scented cosmetics. While it's still not anywhere near at the top of my list of favourites, I can still appreciate the fact that it's a highly effective soap, and one that smells rather lovely to boot. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water (Aqua), Lily Head Infusion (Lilium candidum), Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Neroli Oil (Citrus amara), Sodium Chloride, Glycerine, EDTA, Tetrasodium Editronate, Limonene, Linalool , Hydroxycitronellal, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Colour 18050, Red and Golden Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate).

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £4.25 per 100g.

2016 Price: £5.00 per 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2007.

Scent Family:

Ghost Shower Gel
Ghost Shower Jelly
Lily Savon Liquid Perfume
Lily Savon Soap
Moon On A Stick Bath Bomb

Imperialis Facial Moisturiser

I'm always wary when trying out new facial moisturisers, just because I know how temperamental my skin can be. Even the slightest change in temperature can make my nose greasy or cause my chin to break out in spots. So committing myself to using a lotion on my skin for three months, not knowing how my face will react, makes me rather nervous.

Imperialis is the second to last vegan facial moisturiser left for me try from Lush's range. This product claims to be suitable for all skin types and is supposedly 'great for skins that can't make up their minds', which is exactly how I'd describe my face. 

One aspect of this moisturiser that I appreciate, is that it is quite a light face cream, similar in consistency to Almond Kisses and Celestial. Before I discovered facial moisturisers, I would always use a normal body lotion on my face, and would hate how heavy and cloying it felt against my skin. I know the best way to start the day is by refreshing my face with something hydrating and gentle, so this product bodes well with my routine. 

Infused with an array of different ingredients, this product owes is scent to the mixture of elderflower, lavender, mullein, St John's wort, sweet violet and sunflower extracts that feature in it. All of these wonderful natural, earthy plants have been used for centuries to restore, revive and replenish skin across the ages, so Lush saw it as reason enough to feature them all here. Why fix something that isn't broke, right?

I find Imperialis' scent hard to describe. To me, I can pick out a subtle blossom scent with elements of both lily and orange, all of which intensify when massaged into the skin. The lillies also act as a firming agent alongside the lavender, whose scent I cannot detect in the mix. Lush then use a mixture of olive oil, shea butter and cocoa butter, to act as emulsifiers, helping to thoroughly nourish and moisturise the skin.

This product doesn’t leave a heavy residue behind and is quickly absorbed into the skin, so is great to use as a base for your foundation or concealer. I tend to use this after each and every shower, applying it onto my face after I've used 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion to cleanse my pores. It leaves my skin wonderfully soft and doesn't leave behind any strong lingering smell that may interfere with your perfume or body lotion.

I would definitely use this again as I found that after a week or so, my skin felt really radiant and soft. Across the three months that it took to finish a tub of Imperialis, I found that I rarely broke out in spots and my face remained smooth even on the days when I forgot to use it first thing in the morning. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Lavender Flower Infusion, Mullein Leaf Infusion, Orange Blossom Water, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Stearic Acid, Shea Butter, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Orange Flower Absolute, Brunello Lily Petals, St. John's Wort Extract, Elderflower Extract, Sweet Violet Extract, Sunflower Petal Extract, Alkanet Extract, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £13.95 for 45g.

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The Joy of Jelly Shower Jelly

Rumours have been circulating for a while that Lush plan to phase out all of their shower gels, and only offer jelly alternatives instead. On the outset I really support this idea; it would mean less ingredients needed to preserve the smells and consistency of shower gel; it would also mean products could be sold in completely recyclable containers. The only downfall I see is that the shower jellies do not seem to last as long as their gel counterparts, and collectors such as myself would have less time to store and use rare and retro items.

In all honesty, when I first read about the concept of Lush's shower jellies, I got a feeling it was something I would not like, nor want to try. I conjured up images of myself struggling to hold pieces of slippery jelly in the shower while desperately trying to clean myself - all the whole cursing and wishing I had a shower gel on stand-by.

However, after reading reviews from other sceptical Lushies, I was more than intrigued, and ended up buying a range of rare ones on eBay. One of these rare ones was The Joy Of Jelly - a jelly that possesses the faint allure of jasmine, ylang ylang and rose.

It's a rather strange smell - not something that is instantly sweet like you would expect a floral fragrance to be. Instead, it offers a rather gentle aroma - one that gives a rich but subtle smell that grows on you over time. To me, it has a slight Parma Violets vibe going on with hints of something that smells like fresh flower petals. While it's not a violet-smelling jelly, it does have a muskiness about it that gives that impression. 

The scent is a faint one, but it does tend to linger on your skin for a long time and I can see why this would be really popular for those who like unique floral fragrances. The Shower Jelly also lathers really nicely and is amazingly moisturising - it creates thick and very silky suds that pamper your skin and leave it feeling amazing.It left my skin feeling super clean but not at all dry like alot of other shower products. 

Shower jellies are one of our most innovative products and there are many fun ways to use them. You can crush them into a shower pouf to create a rich lather or rub them directly on your body. Try freezing (or chilling) them for an especially cool, refreshing shower or bath experience. Shower jellies also make great shampoos and add lots of softness and shine to hair. While I've never tried this latter option, I see no reason why Joy Of Jelly could not be used successfully in this way. Alternatively, you can do what I did and chuck a slab in the bath, under the running water, and watch the tub foam up like a regular bubble bar. 

Overall, the product is a good idea and works just like you would expect all of Lush's shower jellies to do. However, I just wasn't overly keen on the smell as I'm not a huge fan of floral smells and this one just stood out as being a little boring. While Chelsea Gardens Ballistic - a product that shares this fragrance, had a sweetness to it that made it more enjoyable for me, this shower jelly didn't leave much of an impression.                                                                                                             It possesses a flowery, jasmine scent which is soft, sexy and girly, and I can see a lot of people enjoying the subtle and rather unique aroma. However, it's not a scent I particularly care for so I would not use again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe barbadensis), Propylene Glycol, Tiger Lily and Red Rose Petal Extract (Lilliam candidum and Rosa centifolia), Perfume, Iota Carrageenan Extract, Ylang Petals Dried (Cananga odorata), Jasmine Flowers (Jasminum officinale), Synthetic Musk, Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Clary Sage Oil (Salvia sclarea), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Red No. 4, D&C Red No. 33, D&C Red No. 27, FD&C Blue No. 1, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes

2016 Price: £8.25 for 250g.

2017 Price: £8.50 for 250g.

Scent Family:

Bada Bing Bada Boom Shower Jelly
Joy Of Jelly Shower Jelly
Love Soap
The North Polar Left The Tap On Soap
Sex Bomb Bath Bomb
Sex Bomb Body Lotion
Sex Bomb Solid Perfume
Tulip Mum Reusable Bubble Bar