Enzynamite Facial Cleanser

When I found out that this product was being made in the Lush Kitchen, I was so excited to get my hands on a tub or two - not because it was a cleanser I was  particularly fussed about trying, but because it was something completely new that hadn't seen the light of day in a good few many years. While I love all of the 'classic' products that have been made multiple times over the expanse of the Kitchen's two year existence, the weekly menus were beginning to get a little stale. 

From the deepest, darkest crevices of the company's vaults, very little is known about Enzynamite Facial Cleanser, unless you were lucky enough to experience it all those years ago when it was a regular product featured in the shops and online. Described as a powerful cleanser, this is supposedly suitable for normal to oily skin, with the ingredients designed to both absorb excess oils and leave you with a toned and radiant looking complexion. 

What sets this apart from all of Lush's current facial cleansers is the emphasis that this needs to be stored in the fridge - something you're normally only expected to do with the company's fresh face masks. Furthermore, the consistency of this product also matches that of a mask as opposed to a cleanser - a factor that confused me a little at first. It seems that Lush have come a long way with their product design over the years... 

Packed full of fresh fruit, you'd imagine that this cleanser would smell incredible, in theory. However, when I removed the lid of the tub for the first time, I was rather taken back by the fragrance that greeted me. While reviews online suggested quite a vast expanse of theories for what this product smelled like, none of them quite prepared me for the aroma of Enzynamite.

To me, this facial cleanser smells very similar to Volcano Foot Mask, with the only difference being that this has a stronger note of pineapple to make it slightly more citrusy, but not by much. While I wouldn't say it is an ideal smell for smothering on your face, it's definitely far from some of the terrifying descriptions that some consumers have reported it as being.

Featuring kaolin to absorb any excess grease, this miracle ingredient also works at leaving your skin soft and smooth to the touch. The various fruits - pineapple, papaya, lime and orange, then work on cleansing the pores and leaving you with a clear and radiant complexion; the wheatgerm oil adding a slightly nutty note to the aroma while supplying the mask with a generous helping of vitamin E to protect and repair the skin. 

Boasting the consistency of lumpy porridge, this cleanser is easy to apply - simply scooping up a small grape-sized amount and massaging it across your face. While there are small flecks throughout the product  this is not a rough cleanser at all so don't expect to get any sort of exfoliation when using this. Once applied, leave it get to work on your skin for a few minutes before rinsing it off under the running water and patting your skin dry with a towel. 

After a few minutes I noticed that my face felt a little taut: not the dry feeling I've often experienced when using many of Lush's soaps, instead similar to how my skin felt after using Dark Angels - a cleanser also designed for oilier skin. As to be expected from the product, it removes excess oils from the complexion, so if like me you don't have a lot of moisture to lose, your face can end up feeling a little 'stiff'.

Having said that, this cleanser did leave my complexion looking smoother and there was definitely a slight glow about my face that I appreciated greatly. Using this may mean I'd have to moisturise most days after drying myself down, but Enzynamite would ensure that my pores were clear at all times, which in turn would keep my skin clean as well as smooth.

While it may not be good enough to replace my favourites; Angels On Bare Face and Buche De Noel, it's definitely more effective on my face than some of the other cleansers from the regular range and I will enjoy using my two tubs over the coming months. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Kaolin, Wheatgerm Oil, Fresh Pineapple, Fresh Papaya, Fresh Lime, Sweet Orange Oil.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £7.95 for 75g.
2016 Price: £6.95 for 75g.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Layer Cake Soap

With only a matter of days before the new season of The Great British Bake Off begins on TV, I thought it was rather relevant to try out this soap for the first time, given that it is inspired by the show itself. Designed to look like the very cakes that have featured across the many series, this soap plays a particular homage to the Mil Hojas that were featured on the last season - a french multi-layered dessert that sandwiches puff pastry between layers of custard and cream.

Packed full of various juices, Layer Cake is a sweet, fruity and very gorgeous smelling soap - one that is perfectly suited for the warmer weather that I hope makes an appearance over the coming weeks - one that will appeal to all of those Lush fans who enjoy Lush's others soaps - most notably Miranda and Sunny Citrus. 

How this soap differs from others is that each layer contains a different juice - a construction that not only makes this a very unique product, but one that is vivid in colour and scent. Together, the different sections smell like a sour starburst sweet - a sweet, zesty offering with clear notes of pineapple, grape and raspberry at the forefront. Imagine Miranda but even more tart - it's wonderful. 

Individually they have their own fragrance. Containing white grape juice in the green layer, pineapple juice in the yellow part, raspberry juice in the red layer, blueberry juice in the purple and orange juice for the orange segment, this is soap that needs to be experienced to be enjoyed. While I found it quite difficult to pinpoint a huge difference between the various colours, there was definitely an array of different smells that came from my small chunk and I look forward to exploring this further. 

What I love about this soap is that it's really refreshing - both the colour and fragrance offering an invigorating and very crisp wake-up call first thing in the morning. The scent tends to drift around you while you're in the shower, leaving you feeling really clean and uplifted, while the soap gets to work at helping to cleanse your skin. 

In the shower, this soap lathers up fairly well - producing a light, fluffy foam what really works at cleaning the skin, leaving it feeling and smelling wonderful. Although I was slightly disappointed that the fragrance didn't seem to strengthen under the water, I was happy to find that I could smell the citrus elements of this for many hours on my skin, albeit fairly faintly.

As many of Lush's soaps tend to do, this one made my hands a little parched after use but I liked how smooth and clean my skin felt and didn't find that it as drying as I was expecting it to be. While it didn't leave my body feeling as soft as a shower gel would, it did a good job at brightening up my skin and leaving me feeling well-pampered for the day ahead. 

This happens to be one of my favourite soaps from Lush's new Oxford Street range - a collection that seems to be impressing me more and more with each new soap. This beautiful, fruity release is easily the brightest looking and smelling release in the shop and will be a big hit one it reaches other stores. I will definitely be buying this again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera), Sorbitol, Perfume, Fresh Grape Juice (Vitis vinifera), Fresh Orange Juice (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), Fresh Pineapple Juice (Ananas sativus), Fresh Blueberry Juice (Vaccinium myrtillus), Fresh Raspberry Juice (Rubus idaeus), Brazilian Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Colour 45350, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 45410. 

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £3.40 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Enzymic Shower Smoothie Roulade

Enzymic Shower Smoothie holds a very valuable place in my heart - for reasons that are quite silly when I think about them, but nevertheless a memory that I cannot seem to shake off. For it was this very product that first gave me a glimpse into the incredible world of Lush Oxford Street. 

Back when the company first leaked those initial pictures of potential new products and verified exclusives, this strange looking green log was the first product that made its way onto my dashboard - an event that sparkled a flurry of excitement and caused my credit card to shrink into the darkest crevices of my already moth-riddled purse. 

While Lush have released shower smoothies before, they haven't released anything that quite looks or feels like this one. Presented as a long 'swiss roll', this product is cut into smaller pieces in store - allowing customers to choose how much or how little they'd like at the time. Furthermore, their nakedness means that they're far cheaper than the likes of Lush Lime or Whitewash because you're not paying for the plastic tub - not to mention the fact that it's better for the environment this way as well. 

What I love about this beautiful green shower smoothie is that it doesn't smell anything like you would expect it to. Initially, I imagined a very clinical smell - a little like Dream Cream or Aqua Marina - a smoothie that didn't possess a very strong fragrance but one that had miracle skin-calming properties aimed at those with sensitive complexions. 

However, I was rather surprised to find that the roulade actually gave off a light fruity scent with a very subtle green note alongside this. An initial sniff presents you with a sort of dampened lime smell intertwined with a clean, fresh grassy note and a slight herbal element to boot. 

Much like Havana Sunrise, Enzymic Shower Smoothie is one of those products that is rather difficult to describe. While there are so many ingredients present in the ingredients list, there's not really a single element that stands out above the rest. So while you can detect the pineapple juice, coconut and brazil nut oil - not to mention the geranium and chamomile oils as well, these elements combine so well together that there's not really a dominant note overall. You just get this strong and very interesting collaboration unlike anything that Lush have ever released before. 

To use any one of Lush's new roulade smoothies, I would recommend that you break off a small piece and use this to clean yourself with. While you could use a whole piece at once, this product is far softer than most of Lush's soaps and I can imagine a 100g chunk would disintegrate and shrink very quickly if exposed to water and left damp in between uses. 

I found that a centimetre piece was enough for each use and I was able to clean most of my body with this. All I did was massage the chunk between my palms and it produced a creamy lather much like a regular soap would. The foam itself was naturally green in colour and painted an interesting picture on skin during use. However, it doesn't stain so will wash away with the water when you rinse.

Much like most of the Lush's other shower smoothies, Enzymic really works hard at cleaning your skin - clearing out unwanted dirt in pores, while the chamomile oil calms the body and supports those with sensitive or irritated skin. However, as with most of their smoothies, I don't find that they moisturise all that well and my skin was left feeling rather taut after using this one. 

While I was impressed with how much the fragrance remained on my skin after I had towelled myself down, I did have to moisturise afterwards which unfortunately thwarted most of the smell that was still lingering on my skin. Furthermore, my hands did feel a little dry after using this and I had to apply quite a lot of hand cream to rectify this problem.

Although I love the fact that this product is naked, that it smells lovely and that it seems to retain its moisture, even if its left out in the open, I didn't leave the shower feeling as soft and nourished as I would when using a normal shower gel. For this reason, I would probably not use this regularly, and only purchase a piece if I felt as if my skin was either stressed or perhaps a little damaged during the hotter months. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Pineapple Juice (Ananas Sativus), Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus: Cocos nucifera), Glycerine, Illipe Butter (Shorea stenoptera), Brazil Nut Oil (Bertholletia excelsa), Perfume, Fresh Papaya Juice (Carica papaya), Sodium Chloride, Fresh Lime (Citrus aurantifolia), Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Hyssop Oil (Hyssopus officinalis), EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Citronellol, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Chlorophyllin (CI 75810).  

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £5 per 100g. 

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Pot O' Gold Shower Jelly

Lush have really outdone themselves this year in regards to their seasonal releases. Not only have they brought out some exceptional new bubble bars and bath bombs, but they've expanded their ranges and offered more than just bath products in all three of the major commercial holidays. While this doesn't quite top the incredible Yummy Mummy Shower Gel, it's not far off. 

Pot O' Gold Shower Jelly looks like a product fit for royalty - a stunning golden beauty that is packed with fresh pineapple juice, sweet orange oil and vanilla absolute. These three ingredients not only give it a fragrance that you'll want to keep going back to again and again, but will leave your skin feeling incredible smooth and wonderfully radiant. 

Sharing it's scent with the Creme Anglais family, this shower jelly gives off the same beautiful fragrance as both Three Gold Rings Bubble Bar and Glorious Mud Body Mask. It's a wonderfully well-rounded aroma - one that is sweet and creamy, yet equally decadent on the senses - an aroma that I happen to think suits this format more than any of the previous renditions. 

You only have to unscrew the lid to appreciate just how much of a luxury this shower jelly is. The wonderful vanilla aroma is quite pronounced at first and the warmth of the water when you're in the shower accentuates this even more. However, don't be mistaken into thinking that this is just another typical vanilla fragrance. In fact, it's quite the opposite. 

The inclusion of myrrh resinoid in the ingredients means that Pot O' Gold has a much stronger and more unique aroma. It reminds me a little of the wonderful smell of melted brown sugar - a fragrance far richer, deeper and more exotic than most of Lush's other vanilla scents - a haven of buttery goodness that keeps on giving throughout the entire experience. 

Behind both of these ingredients is a very subtle mandarin aroma, which gives the overall smell a little boost of orangey goodness. While this element is very faint in the mix, it compliments the main notes and just adds another layer to be enjoyed in the shower or bath.  

There are several ways that you can use the shower jelly. Firstly, you can rub the whole block, or a broken-off piece, directly onto your skin. However, I find that this is fairly ineffective as it does not create much of a lather and the jelly becomes too wet, making it slippery and difficult to hold on to. What I find works for me, is breaking off a grape-sized piece and then rubbing it into a sponge or shower-puff, before lathering all over my body. This tends to help the jelly foam up, wherein the puff them holds the lather whilst you clean yourself.  

After using this, my skin feels really soft and refreshed, and the scent lingers for a while on my skin. Furthermore, I have tried freezing this product and then using it in the shower, and have found that it makes a wonderful addition to your routine when the weather is hot and you need cooling down, while still wanting to clean yourself under hot water.

In the shower, this shower jelly was really easy to lather up and I loved how strong the scent was when it came into contact with the warm water. After massaging it across my body, I was amazed at how wonderfully smooth it left me feeling and I loved how warming the scent was on my senses - this is definitely one for when you're feeling a little under the weather. 

Unfortunately, despite the beautiful fragrance and how soft it left my skin, there were drawbacks to this jelly. Firstly, this is a limited edition product so don't get too attached; you may find you'll only be able to use it once a year! Secondly, and probably the biggest issue, is that shower jellies are often rather fiddly to use in the shower and I often get rather frustrated at how many times I drop or lose my piece of jelly down the plughole. Shower jellies can be slightly harder to use and I always revert back to my shower gels when I can. This is something I've gotten used to over time, but it's never going to be as easy as using a gel. 

Finally, I found that Pot O' Gold was not as rigid as other shower jellies so you may find that it weakens and falls apart a little sooner under the running water. For this reason, you may find that you use this up a little quicker than expected and it may be worth using very small chunks to try and stretch out the life of a 100g pot. 

Having said this, I loved how soft and radiant my skin felt after using this and it's one I'll definitely stock up on before Lush discontinue it after Easter. The only thing that could make this product better was if it was a shower gel - something I can't really hold against it so I shall continue to enjoy this cute seasonal jelly whilst secretly hoping Lush fulfil my plight very soon. A must have for all Lush fans.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Orange Peel Decoction, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Myrrh Resinoid, Sweet Orange Oil, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Gardenia Extract, Radiant Gold Lustre.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.50 for 100g, £6.95 for 250g. 

2016 Price: £7.95 for 250g. 

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Scent Family: 

Bubblegrub Bubbleroon
Creme Anglais Body Lotion
Glorious Mud Body Mask
Pot O' Gold Shower Jelly
Three Gold Rings Bubble Bar

Kalamazoo Beard And Facial Wash

Kalamazoo was one of the first Lush Kitchen products that I heard about, back when the company's new initiative was first forming. At the time, it wasn't something that immediately appealed to me - partly because it's aimed more towards a male audience and partly because I've already perfected my facial routine. However, I couldn't let it pass without trying it out.

Packed full of skin-enriching ingredients, this beard and facial wash claims to cleanse and soften both skin and hair - leaving you ready to start your day. Almond oil acts as the base here, helping to moisturise and repair broken skin whilst apricot oil helps to nourish and provide a protective layer over the skin - keeping in moisture and giving you a natural glow. 

Pineapple Juice is an excellent anti-inflammatory and boosts your skin's natural radiance - giving your complexion a healthy glow; orange oil is also known for it's skin-healing properties and works with all of the ingredients to support and improve the condition of your skin.

Together these ingredients help to create a beautiful smelling facial wash. You can really detect the orange, pineapple and apricot here, and combined they create an uplifting and highly fruity fragrance. Kalamazoo gives off a wonderfully rich and wholesome citrus smell and is now easily one of my favourite zesty smells from Lush. It's like Sunny Citrus Soap meets The Sun perfume meets Celebrate Body Lotion. In the simplest terms, it's gorgeous.

As strange as it is to say, this product does have a slight masculine smell about it. That's not to say it cannot be enjoyed by all, as I will certainly be buying more of this when it becomes a regular product. However, there is something about it that reminds me a little of men's aftershave. Having said that, I think this would be incredible as a perfume so it's more of a unisex fragrance than anything else. 

In the tub, Kalamazoo's consistency is far thicker than a body lotion - somewhere in between Dirty Hair Cream and Sympathy For The Skin Body Lotion. It's quite condensed in this way so you don't need to use a lot with each use, extending the life of the 110g pot that little bit further.

In the shower, simply scoop about a level teaspoon amount into the palm of your hands and lather across your face or massage into your beard. Leave it for the desired amount of time before rinsing away under the running water. If you're using it on your beard, don't expect any foam - this is more of a moisturiser than a soap in that sense.

Initially, this facial wash made my skin a little rigid - much like when a soap removes some of the natural oils in your skin and leaves your complexion a little parched. My face felt very clean but a little too tight for my liking. However, once I had patted my face down and it was dry, my skin began to feel really soft and I could feel a slight radiance omitting from my cheeks and forehead. I could detect a little of the scent afterwards, but it didn't stay around for long. 

My male test subject commented that his beard did feel clean after he had tried it out, but that it didn't provide an experience any better than when he uses a regular shower gel to clean himself. However, he did notice that the smell stayed in his beard a lot longer than it did on my skin, and he could still smell the wash for many hours after use. 

Having used this across the last few days, I have found that I haven't had to moisturise my face afterwards and the condition of my skin has improved slightly with daily use. It's a lovely product to use first thing in the morning as the smell is highly refreshing and invigorating, and it leaves your skin feeling dirt-free and healthy for the whole day. Now is the perfect time to bring this out as it does a great job at making you feel clean and refreshed, even when you're sweating from the excess heat outside.

For £6.50, I think this is great value for money and works out a lot cheaper than investing in a facial moisturiser. It gets rid of debris build up and gives your skin a healthy glow that stays with you through even the hottest of days. I will be investing in this wash in the future and I only hope that more products with this scent are brought out for Lush fans to enjoy. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Perfume, Organic Jojoba Oil, Cupuacu Butter, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

Pineapple Grunt Soap

It's not something I've highly publicised about on my blog, as I don't see it as very relevant to what I'm trying to achieve here, but I've been trying to reduce my Lush stash down to a reasonable amount. With their products not retaining their scent as well as they used to, I've found myself left with many scentless products that just aren't worth the time of day. This point was pressed upon even further, when I was admiring the fresh massage bars, soaps and ballistics in my local shop, and realised that mine just didn't have the same allure, sitting day in, day out on my book shelf. 

Just the other day, I realised that I have used up a rather impressive 350 items from my Lush collection since the beginning of this year; a number that has surpassed my expectation by almost three-fold. However, when I went to find myself a fresh piece of Sandstone Soap the other day, I discovered that, even though every aspect of my collection is being reduced, my soap collection is staying rather stagnant in it's numbers. So expect a lot of upcoming soap reviews over the next few months!  

Pineapple Grunt is a soap that I bought simply because it was vegan and featured in one of Lush's retro ranges last year. When it arrived, I simply added it to my rather large pile of soaps and thought nothing else about it. However, it grabbed my attention recently when I opened my drawer to find a favourite, and picked up a weird and wonderful fruity cocktail that just begged to be used. 

Firstly, this soap is not a straight-down-the-line pineapple-scented soap. In fact, the pineapple element is somewhat thwarted behind a rather strong coconut fragrance. It's a wonderful sensual and warming smell, dominated mostly by the coconut oil, although there is definitely a slight nuttiness to it, which reminds me of almond butter. Furthermore, there is a light sweetness to it's scent which comes from the addition of fresh pineapple juice. However, this note is rather weak in the mix and only tends to showcase itself when being used under hot water. If you're looking for that fruity, tropical experience, you'd be better off trying Carrot Soap, as you won't find it here.

Secondly, with its chunks of fresh, organic pineapple, this soap is as natural as you can get. Containing vetivert oil, known for it's skin-calming properties, and fresh pineapple juice, with its malic and citric acids that purge the skin of dirt and dead skin cells, this is a soap intent on moisturising and cleansing to a high degree. The latter ingredient also helps to brighten the skin's appearance, making it a perfect accompaniment in the summer months. 

In the shower, this soap produces a rich, creamy lather, which instantly softens your skin; it also happens to be one of the easiest soaps to 'foam up', which means that a small 100g block will last you a lot longer than some of the more expensive Lush alternatives. Pineapple Grunt also has a bumpy (but not gritty) texture, which means that it's great at removing dried skin and dirt, without being too harsh on your skin.

The product made me feel clean and fresh; making my skin look rejuvinated and brighter instantaneously. My hands and body were left feeling really smooth and soft, nothing like what you'd expect from a lump of soap. It gave my whole body a slight sun-kissed glow, which was a real bonus for someone as pale as myself. 

A beautiful, warming yet refreshing soap that awakens those tired senses in the morning, and leaves you feeling revitalised for the day ahead. Initially, I was a little dissappointed that this wasn't as fruity as I was hoping. But with Bohemian and Karma being two of just many sweet-scented soaps, it was actually nice to have one a little bit different. A must have; I hope Lush bring this back soon.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua) , Rapeseed Oil , Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocos nucifera) , Propylene Glycol , Glycerine , Fresh Pineapple (Ananas Sativus) , Sodium Stearate , Sodium Hydroxide , Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides) , Sodium Chloride , Perfume , Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides).

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.40 per 100g.
2016 Price: £4.25 per 100g.
2017 Price: £4.25 per 100g.

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Coco Lotion Body Lotion

It was only a few months after I began collecting Lush products, that this product was discontinued from their regular range. At first, I didn't realise that it had removed. It was only when I went to order myself a tub to try out, that I realised it was no longer available, and I was rather disappointed as my flatmate had been raving about it's 'awesomeness' for quite some time. 

What I find a little confusing about Coco Lotion is that it was marketed as an un-fragranced body lotion, which means it would be very popular for the many people who don't like heavy or overpowering fragrances on their skin. However, when I researched into this lotion a little more, I found that most people who had used it, claimed that it possessed a tropical scent, which almost defeated the point of the lotion altogether.

Lush even stated in their description that the lotion was made up of 'ingredients from the Caribbean', claiming that 'the soft scent comes from the oils and herbs in it: toning fresh mandarins, rejuvenating rosemary and fresh pineapple for its naturally skin-brightening enzymes.'

What I found when I first used this lotion,was that I couldn't detect any of the 'Caribbean' influences that I was expecting; it was completely unfragranced with just a hint of 'something' which stopped it from giving off that plastic scent that Lush lotions sometimes do when they're past their shelf life. To me, it smelled like a combination of coconut oil and cocoa butter, but with the sweetness from both of the ingredients removed to give the lotion a very flat but pleasant smell. 

It's consistency was very much like Karma Kream; a fairly thick but light lotion that my skin absorbed almost immediately so I wasn't left greasy or sticky. Coco Lotion made my skin feel really refreshed and hydrated, whilst being light on my skin, which was lovely. 

Looking at what's been added to this product, I can see why this lotion works in this way; there are so many key ingredients here to help your skin. Firstly, Lush have included both extra virgin coconut oil and peanut oil which feed your thirsty skin and hydrate your pores. Organic pumpkin seed oil and organic sesame oil are both extra oil additions which make this lotion a rich, hydrating moisturiser. I'm unsure why so many oils have been added here, but given how nice it makes my skin feel, I'm not going to argue. Furthermore, Mandarin and Rosemary infusions as well as fresh pineapple juice are all added as they are rich in antioxidants and help to perk up the complexion and add a natural glow.

On paper, Coco Lotion sounds like it should be a haven a smells, which is partly why I was a little disappointed that I couldn't pick up any of these amazing ingredients in the mix. However, the main reason why this lotion didn't score top marks for me was due to the rather unpleasant smell that permeated my skin after application. 

While it wasn't a fragrance that made me gag, it wasn't enjoyable either and it definitely wouldn't be one that I'd want lingering around me afterwards. To me, the smell was definitely a combination of coconut and pineapple, but not the sweet, nutty goodness that you'd expect with Big Calm Shower Jelly. Instead, it reminded me of the sickly sweet and rather pungent fragrance you get when drinking the milk of a fresh coconut. 

Having tested a fresh batch as well as a slightly older variation, I found that the potency of the aroma on my skin tended to get stronger, the longer the lotion had been sitting in my room. Furthermore, having researched this product quite a bit when I initially acquired a tub, I found that a large number of Lush consumers had complained of similar smells coming from newly purchased pots of Coco Lotion - some even occurring days after buying a fresh pot in the shops.

Unfortunately, this product just isn't for me. While the consistency is everything I look for in a body lotion and it really does work wonders at leaving your skin feeling nourished, I just cannot deal with the smell left behind. And while it's not strong enough to overpower any perfume, I get an occasional whiff of it when I'm out and about and its enough to put me off using it again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Spring Water, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Mandarin and Rosemary Infusion (Citrus nobilis and Rosmarinus officinalis), Pimento Berry; Nutmeg & Satr Anise decoction (Pimenta officinalis; Myristica fragrans and Illicium verum), Steric Acid, Peanut Oil (Arachis hypogaea), Triethanolimaine, Fresh Pineapple Juice (Ananas sativus), Oorganic Pumpkinseed Oil (Cucurbita), Sesame Oil (Sesamum indicum), Ceteartyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £12.50 for 240g.

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Big Calm Shower Jelly

Despite being an obsessive fan of Lush, it is not very often that I discover a product that is either one of the extremitys - incredible or atrocious. I enjoy most of the purchases that I acquire from Lush, but it's rare that an item surpasses my expectations to the extent that this shower jelly did. When a product leaves such a strong impression on me, I know I've stumbled onto something amazing.

Big Calm Shower Jelly is a product that I've been desperate to get my hands on since I first stumbled upon it's existence a few years back. Described as being a 'Pina Colada' scented jelly, I was worried that my expectations would shroud my judgement when this product arrived and make me like it less than I thought. Luckily, this shower product turned out to be, in my opinion, one of the most incredible-smelling items to grace Lush's shelves in a long while.

Containing a coconut and pineapple infusion, this refreshing shower jelly also uses a combination of carrageenan seaweed and sweet orange oil to give it a strong tropical scent unlike anything you'd expect to find on the high street. To me, most coconut-dominated cosmetics tend to smell very two-dimensional and rather cheap. Not this one. 

An initial sniff offers the user a fresh, fruity pineapple element - it reminds me very much of fresh pineapple juice without the tartness that normally accompanies such a fruit. Intertwined with this, is a beautiful sweet, nutty coconut scent that merges itself with the pineapple fragrance and compliments it perfectly. It's one of those products that compel you to smell it every time you're near it.

Aside from it's wonderful aroma, Big Calm possesses all the characteristics of a perfect shower companion. Firstly, the addition of the seaweed in the ingredients moisturises and conditions your skin wonderfully, whilst the pineapple juice cleanses your skin and flushes out any toxins clogging up your pores. The orange oil not only adds it's sweetness to the overall smell of the shower jelly, but also helps to awaken the senses, while the vetivert oil helps you to unwind and relax. 

I only had to massage it over my skin for a few seconds to notice how smooth and velvety it made my skin look and feel. It instantly conditions your skin and leaves it feeling beautifully soft for the entirety of the day. You definitely don't need to use a body lotion after showering with this bad boy, which makes it fantastic value for money.

It's scent is one of the strongest I've come across in a shower jelly, and this wonderful aroma permeates your skin and leaves you smelling amazing for many hours after your shower.

Big Calm has a rubbery and slightly rough texture in places, but this doesn't effect the productivity of the product at all. In fact - it's consistency means that you can use a lot less each time, as a penny-sized chunk will easily clean your whole body, making it better value for money than other Lush jellies.

Much like Deep Sleep and Party On, this jelly produces a thick, oily lather, which makes your skin feel incredible after use. It also helps that this product doesn't need a lot of coaxing to create any foam, so you don't have to rub it for ages between your palms. I didn't drop any pieces while I was using it, which is probably a first when it comes to my experience with shower jellies. 

Big Calm is the epitome of a summer product - it's design of blue and white swirls paints a beautiful image of crashing waves and fresh surf on the shore. For anyone looking for a product to use after a long 'hard' day at the beach, this one will refreshen your senses, repair sun-kissed skin and leave you smelling like a beach goddess. So if like me, you're not able to spend your summer holidays in the Caribbean, why not bring the Caribbean to your house and indulge in this wonderful product? Lush need to make this a permanent.                 

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Coconut and Pineapple Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Sweet Orange Oil, Vetivert Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 60725, Colour 42090, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £7.95 for 250g.

2016 Price: £8.25 for 250g.

2017 Price: £8.50 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: ?

Scent Family:
Big Calm Body Lotion
Big Calm Shower Jelly

Big Calm Solid Perfume