2019 is officially the year of Golden Pear. Since the release of the original soap, back in 2017, very few other fragrances have caused such a passionate reaction as this particular product has. Such a popular scent family it is, that we have seen a bubble bar, body spray and bath bomb released in quick succession to meet the demands of the newly hungry fans.
Golden Pear Shower Jelly is simply another extension of this family, and to put it simply, is the greatest version of this fragrance that I have had the pleasure of experiencing. However, as I will explain below, the reasons why I think this shower jelly is near on perfect, are perhaps the very same arguments given for why it is the worst rendition to some consumers as well.
Straight from the tub, this limited edition is easily one of the strongest jellies that Lush have ever produced: a rich, sultry combination of juicy pear with a warming, spicy undertone of cardamom to boot. The pear is naturally super sweet and syrup-like, while the cardamom offers a blanket of warmth to finish.
Strangely enough, some Lush fans have described the scent of this as like raspberry bubble gum, and I can understand why they would say this. While this description gives off the wrong impression, and may lead to consumers believing that there is something rather cheap and simplistic about this fragrance, the height in which the juiciness of the pear greets your nose from the tub does could very well be mistaken for this bubble gum aroma.
What is different about Golden Pear is that it's one of the less sturdy shower jellies that Lush have produced, which means that it tends to fall apart far easier than you would normally expect it to. I found that this jelly worked better when I chopped it up into pieces and used a single chunk for each shower. As using it whole may lead to breakage that gets washed down your plughole before you have time to save it.
On the skin, this limited edition jelly produces a wonderfully thick, fragrant foam that coats the skin and leaves it smelling beautifully fruity. Fans who found it too overwhelming in the tub may be pleased to know that the scent does tend to dampen a little while in use, and the sandalwood and cardamom come through a little more under the running water.
Containing both golden linseed mucilage, which sounds rather disgusting but is apparently super hydrating for the skin; and Lush's favourite ingredient at the moment, carrageenan extract, which softens and soothes the skin, Golden Pear Shower Jelly leaves your body feeling like incredible. My skin was radiating warmth and vitality after using this in the shower, and I could smell the scent on my body for hours afterwards.
Compared to the other products in this scent family, I would say that it is closest to the recent Open Your Heart Bubble Bar, as it's fruitier and perhaps a little stronger in scent than the likes of the body spray or bath bomb. I happen to think that this is the best rendition of the fragrance so far, especially given that the smell is coupled with the gorgeous sparkly golden design of the jelly. To see the release of a shower gel with the same strength and colour would be a dream come true.
Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Golden Linseed Mucilage, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Fresh Pear Juice, Cardamom Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Aloe Vera Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Silica, Citronellol, Coumarin, *Limonene, Colour 77491.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £10.95 for 240g.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
Once every so often, Lush bring out a product that completely defies the general constraints of cosmetics, and showcases exactly why this company are at the top of their creative game in the industry. This particular product is artistically stunning and makes you feel almost bad that you have to use it to clean yourself with.
Golden Pear Soap must have caused major excitement when it was first created in the laboratory - a soap that is not only extremely beautiful to look at but also contains so many exquisite ingredients, should be celebrated without a doubt. In fact, each and every time I have used this product, I have felt extremely grateful that the opportunity for me to do so has been there.
First and foremost, this soap contains an entire jar of pear puree - an ingredient that Lush don't use all that often, and certainly not to that extent. This not only brings out the extraordinary scent that I'll describe in a minute, but it also helps to give this soap a wonderful consistency when being used. There is something rather thick and wholesome about the lather that this product produces, and I think the pear puree has a big part to play in that.
As if this wasn't enough, Golden Pear also features both sandalwood and cardamom oils. Neither of these components offer particularly strong notes of fragrance overall, but they do give a warmth that you can feel and smell in the shower. In as many words, this soap is a rich, dessert-like feast for the senses, and you can feel that decadence when using it in the shower.
Surprisingly, I found that the soap was incredibly moisturising from the get-go. In a rare feat from Lush, this soap not only produced a lather that immediately softened my skin, but one that continued to work long after I had exited the shower. In fact, it has only happened to me on two other occasions, that a soap has not dried my skin out or at least made me want to moisturise afterwards. For this reason, the soap is very much revered by me, and there is no doubt that I will be buying many more of these before the season is out.
A combination of coconut oil and cocoa butter help to produce a thick, wholesome lather to wash yourself with. While it can be a little rigid at first, when massaging across your skin, I found that stimulating it between my hands first heeded better results. The inclusion of the murumuru butter that sandwiches both pieces together in the middle, help to add moisture to your experience, and you can feel that while you're massaging it across your body.
What I found most surprising was that, despite its size (which I thought was a little on the small side, given the price tag), the soap didn't seem to shrink as quickly as a lot of the other seasonal soaps that I was using around the same time. In fact, while a 100g chunk normally lasts me no more than a month with daily usage, this one is still sitting in my bathroom after almost two months. Unlike a lot of other soaps that also like to 'bleed' on surfaces, this one dries really quickly, and so you don't have to worry about finding messy glitter trails across your bathroom after you've used this.
To describe this scent is like trying to explain what it must smell like to walk through Wonka's chocolate factory. For such a gentle fragrance, there are so many elements that tantalise the senses. To my nose, the scent is like hot stewed pears and oranges, with a little dash of cardamom to bring a warmth that is very much needed during this time of year. It's super sweet and fruity; sultry and rich - there is something rather succulent about the aroma that gives it a real rounded appeal.
Despite the incredible fragrance that this offers, there were two downsides that I found. Firstly, the scent is not particularly strong to begin with. While some will no doubt appreciate the subtle sweetness that it offers, I would much prefer to enjoy this smell at a more intense level. Secondly, the aroma didn't linger much on the skin afterwards and it was completely masked after I had sprayed perfume on myself.
Overall, I would love to see this fragrance made into a body lotion or a shower gel. While I may have to wait another year to see this become a reality, the wait would be worth it I'm sure. As I stated above, I will be buying more of these, and I highly recommend that you grab yourself one to try before they disappear (hopefully not forever!)
Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Pear Puree, Perfume, Glycerine, Cardamom Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Murumuru Butter, Almond Oil, Organic Agave Syrup, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Iron Oxides Silica, Tin Oxide, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, *Limonene, Colour 45410, Colour 45350, Fair Trade Whole Organic Clove.
Vegan?: Yes.
2017 Price: £6.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2017.
Scent Family:
Golden Pear Bath Bomb
Golden Pear Body Spray
Golden Pear Soap
Open Your Heart Bubble Bar
UP
Golden Pear Shower Jelly is simply another extension of this family, and to put it simply, is the greatest version of this fragrance that I have had the pleasure of experiencing. However, as I will explain below, the reasons why I think this shower jelly is near on perfect, are perhaps the very same arguments given for why it is the worst rendition to some consumers as well.
On the skin, this limited edition jelly produces a wonderfully thick, fragrant foam that coats the skin and leaves it smelling beautifully fruity. Fans who found it too overwhelming in the tub may be pleased to know that the scent does tend to dampen a little while in use, and the sandalwood and cardamom come through a little more under the running water.
