Snow Fairy Soap

A Christmas period without an abundance of Snow Fairy would almost be the the same as having a birthday party without cake: it just wouldn't feel right. Yet that's not to say that us long-term Lush fans always appreciate the number of products that saturate the seasonal range every year. I'll be honest and say that there hasn't been a Snow Fairy scented product that has ever excited me as much as the original shower gel, and there hasn't ever been a Snow Fairy release that has made me want to buy more than the initial one I've invested in, aside from the potted body conditioner.

Yet this year Lush have decided that the millions of sickly candy-scented products wouldn't be complete without a soap to join their ranks. Last year's cold-pressed version wasn't obviously in agreement with a large percentage of consumers, so this year's rendition is a hexagonal block of bright pink goodness.

Sharing it's design with one of last year's bath bombs, this pink block of solid oils looks like the Barbie version of a snowflake. Yet a difference that I noticed straight away with the fragrance of this was that the inclusion of the marshmallow root seems to give this soap an almost extra powdery note on top of the usual sickly sweet scents that you would expect.

For those who have never tried Snow Fairy, this is easily Lush's most commercial and also their most synthetic fragrance that they have ever produced. You wouldn't be hard-pressed to find something similar to this smell in your regular high street stores: which is why many new Lush fans find themselves hooked on this scent family first.

As I have described in the million and one other reviews of Snow Fairy smelling cosmetics, the scent of this soap is like a playful, youthful candy floss aroma, with hints of raspberry bubblegum and synthetic vanilla alongside this. While the smell is very intense and does last a while on the skin, I wouldn't ever say that this fragrance was particularly complex or interesting.

What I found promising with this soap rendition is that it lathers up wit ease under the running water, and it didn't take more than a matter of seconds to produce enough foam to clean my entire body with. However, because it is rather generous, the block tends to shrink fairly quickly, and I found that after using it for the first week - even when I made a conscious effort to keep it away from too much water - that the a good third of the bar had been used. 

Although I'm only estimating a time frame, I can imagine a 250g bottle of the original shower gel lasting almost quadruple the amount of time that one of these Snow Fairy soaps would last me, and I happen to think that the smell of the shower gel is far better, and far more robust, than what this soap has offered me recently. 

As with most soaps I have tried from Lush, Snow Fairy isn't exactly the most moisturising on my skin, and I did need to moisturise afterwards in order to retain the moisture in my skin. Luckily, Lush have re-released their body conditioner this year so I was able to use that to restore some of the missing moisture. However, this is not something I would usually need to worry about with any of their shower gels and jellies. 

Therefore, if you're in love with the Snow Fairy scent, you will probably appreciate that Lush have created another format to get your eager hands on. However, if you're not particularly bothered by this fragrance family, you may wish to choose an alternative product to try, or stick with the shower gel if you fancy something sweet, but something that is equally moisturising. 

As a stocking filler, this would make a nice little gift, as it looks rather lovely and does have a pretty smell to enjoy. However, the speed in which the soap shrinks; and the lack of moisture that it leaves on your skin afterwards, means that this is not something I would advocate buying many of.

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil, Marshmallow Root Infusion, Water (Aqua), Perfume, Glycerine, Persian Lime Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Synthetic Musk, Sodium Stearate, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, *Limonene, Colour 45410:2, Colour 45410:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £4.50 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Sleepy Soap

Technically, Lush fans should be incredibly happy that - what looked like the biggest selling Lush shower gel, Twilight - is now a fully-fledged permanent member in stores. Problem solved, right? Except to my nose, and many others, while beautiful in its own right, Sleepy Shower Gel is not a direct replica of the Twilight scent. 

There is something about the inclusion of the oat milk, as with this soap as well, that removes some of the sweetness of the tonka absolute, and gives Sleepy a slightly more reserved fragrance overall. Although still a gorgeous aroma in its own right, I am not as enthused about this scent as I am the original.

When it comes to Sleepy Soap, I actually noticed some key differences that meant that this soap smelled closer to the likes of Dream Cream than it did the Twilight aroma. In fact, I feel as though if you removed the chamomile from the aforementioned body lotion, you might actually discover an aroma that matches the scent of this soap. 

Upon first sniff, I was offered a very rich, creamy combination of the lavender oil and the tonka absolute. The former ingredient brings about a very reserved but equally as beautiful natural herbal smell; imagine dried lavender without the sting of the muskiness, and you may begin to understand what I mean by this. 

Alongside this, the tonka absolute injects its own sweetness, while the ylang ylang sprinkles a little floral sweetness of its own as well: creating a warm, comforting and very creamy fragrance. However, it is the inclusion of the oat milk that has the biggest impact. 

Both before and during use, Sleepy Soap had a very prominent note of nuttiness from the oat milk base, which I think is what sets this apart from the Twilight range. There is something slightly 'biscuity' about the smell of this that sets it apart from its older siblings.

What impressed me about this product was the fact that it was super generous when lathering up. In fact, I did find myself being more conscious of using this soap away from the running water, as I imagined it would have been gone by the end of the month if the hot water was in constant contact with it. Having said that, this soap dried very quickly in my soap dish so I wasn't worried that it would shrink between uses. 

While most soaps tend to leave certain parts of my body feeling a little dry, Sleepy did well at making my skin feel really soft after using it, and I didn't find that my hands needed immediate moisturising afterwards, although the soap wasn't nourishing enough that I could opt to not use a shower oil or body conditioner as well. 

Although I could smell this on my skin when I was drying myself down, the fragrance didn't last all too long, and I had to use my Twilight Body Spray to extend my experience with this aroma. Having said that, I don't find that many soaps hold their scent for very long on the skin, so it's not a bad reflection of this soap at all.

Overall, I really enjoyed using this soap but would prefer to the shower gel version instead. While Sleepy has a gorgeously light and gentle scent, in my household it works better as a hand soap than one I would shower with. Despite this, I would definitely recommend this to those who have more sensitive skin, as the oat milk and lavender oil would definitely calm the skin and reduce the appearance of redness and irritation.

Quantitative Ingredients: Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil, Oat Milk, Propylene Glycol, Kaolin, Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Talc, Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Lavender Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Tonka Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Cinnamal, *Coumarin, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap (Egg Free Vegan Version)

Back when I first began buying and collecting Lush, there was a shaving product called Shave The Planet, which was one of my favourite products to buy from the 'retro range', as it was called back then. Just like my much-loved 9 To 5 Facial Cleanser, there was never a day when I didn't use this to give myself the closest shave possible. However, the one big issue I had with this shaving foam was that I always struggled to get the remnants out of my razor between shaving. The product was rather on the thick side and I broke many a blade trying to tap the excess gunk out of the razor.

Fast forward to 2019 and Lush announce that many of their products were now being replaced with egg-free versions instead. Although there were many consumers unhappy with this decision, I found myself suddenly able to buy one of the products that I'd always wanted to try, but hadn't been able to up until that particular moment.

D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap is very unique in that it's the only one of its kind in stores across the globe. Sharing its scent with my favourite fragrance, Yummy Mummy, this pastel pink liquid soap is designed to be used by anybody and everybody, and across any areas of the body that you wish to remove unwanted hair.

While I won't be able to document any experience with shaving beards or moustaches, I can safely say that this wonderful soap is perfect for getting the smoothest, softest legs, armpits and bikini lines. Not only does it make shaving far easier and more effective, but the beautiful fragrance lingers on the skin afterwards as well. 

Quite an odd consistency, you only really need about a grape-sized amount of each leg, and the same again for both the bikini line and the armpits. Make sure the areas of you wish to shave have been softened under the bath water for a few minutes, or exposed to the heat of the running shower water, and then massage the soap across the areas you wish to shave.

D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap will doesn't lather up like a regular soap: instead producing a lather that is slightly soapy but also a little creamy as well. It's hard to explain but this product definitely has a consistency that is different from most gels, creams and soaps, but is equally not that far away from these either. 

Once applied, simply shave as you normally would and then rinse the product away once you have finished. Although not particularly moisturising, this shaving soap does leave the skin feeling really clean and smooth: you can definitely feel the difference it makes, as opposed to if you were to shave without using anything. However, it's hard to explain how that feels unless you try it out for yourself.

As I've only been shaving for twenty years, I still struggle from time to time with catching areas around my knees and ankles with the sharp blade. D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap has all but eradicated this issue for me, and I can safely say that I haven't accidentally made myself a blood donor during any of my showers since buying this product.   

This has definitely become a staple in my household, and I will continue to use this most days to create a clean and close shave. Furthermore, my skin remains really soft and smooth for most of the day after using this in the shower, and I don't always need to shave again the next day, as the results last longer than when using a gel or regular soap to shave with.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil, Golden Syrup, Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Rose Hip Oil, Fresh Strawberries, Aquafaba, Organic Maple Sugar, Vanilla Absolute, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Rose Absolute, Silken Tofu, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Bentone gel, Propylene Glycol, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, *Eugenol, Hexyl Cinnamal, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 16035, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £6.95 for 70g, £12.95 for 150g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Chocolate Easter Egg Soap

It's been many years since I have associated the Easter celebrations with chocolate - this was even before I became vegan and the options for seasonal sweeties was drastically reduced. The truth is that, aside from Christmas, I barely acknowledge other celebrations that occur throughout the year. So this brand new soap is the first time in a while that I've combined such decadence with this time of year.

If I'm going to be honest, Chocolate Easter Egg Soap is a pretty uninspiring name for a product. Lush must have been having a difficult/lazy day in the office when they decided upon giving this limited edition its name. As the company are normally fairly well known for their wittiness and play on words, the simplicity is almost disappointing. However, this isn't really a valid reason for slating a product, and as it turns out, the soap is rather good. 

Sporting a vivid yellow body, with oval red spots and zig-zag green lines, this soap doesn't give you any indication about how it smells from its physical design. In fact, I was almost taken back upon smelling this initially, as it wasn't like anything I was expecting to come from such a bright and colourful product.

Featuring vegan white chocolate as one of the key components, I was hoping this soap would smell good enough to eat, and it didn't take me long in the shower to attempt the little nibble that I'd been possessed to do ever since I smelt the product for the first time. It's easy to recognise the power that the white chocolate has on the aroma, as the soap offers a rich, sickly-sweet fragrance that I associate with the confectionary.

In a small way, this soap reminds me of the Yog Log Roulade that came out last Christmas, albeit less musky smelling and far creamier. The inclusion of the vanilla definitely helps to give Chocolate Easter Egg Soap a rich, sultry smell - one that I would say has an element of caramel to it as well. While it's difficult to make out the grapefruit and lemon oil in the scent, I can appreciate how both of these components no doubt elevate the sultry, foody smell that we're able to appreciate overall. 

I can see why some consumers would be a little disappointed with this product, as I do think that the aroma is rather soft, and not perhaps as strong as you might like if you're into your chocolate. At the same time however, I don't quite know whether or not the smell would be too overpowering and sickly, if it was elevated any more in this format.

What I think works quite well is the fact that the smell is very subtle and gentle - meaning you can really appreciate the richness of the white chocolate and the vanilla in the mix. Much like opening a bar of chocolate, there is enough here to satisfy your tastebuds, without making the scent too overwhelming.

While this is quite stubborn in the shower, it does produce a lovely thick, yellow lather - that smooths over your body with ease and leaves a gentle smell on your skin. This fragrance lingers for a short time after you've towelled yourself down, but tends to fade once you use any other products on your body.

Surprisingly, I did find that my skin felt smooth after using this, although those with dry or sensitive skin may find that this leaves them feeling a little dry afterwards. This worked really well with Formulae Known As, as this discontinued body lotion complimented the chocolate element quite well. 

Overall, this is not a soap that I want to rave about, but it definitely gives chocolate lovers another chance to indulge themselves, especially if they're looking for alternatives that don't involve eating too many easter eggs. Thankfully, this 200g block is really robust and will easily last me until the end of the year, where I can only hope that Lush have released some other decadent products to enjoy until this makes a reappearance the following year. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Perfume, Vegan White Chocolate, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45350, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.20 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Cereology Soap

As someone who places soap far down my list of favourite things from Lush, it's amazing just how many pieces I currently own in my collection. It's also impressive how excitable I get when an old release makes an appearance for the first time, despite knowing that it'll probably only get a handful of uses before being discarded as my focus moves onto something else.

Cereology Soap arrived as a surprise announcement one morning, when I was browsing the website for a bit of pre-work retail therapy. Without reading the description or doing any research on the product prior to my purchase, I secured two pieces with little hesitation and didn't think anything more about it until the soap arrived through my front door.

While I paid little attention to the ingredients list, a quick scan of the soap when it was on the website painted a picture in my head of what this soap was going to smell like. Imagine my surprise when it arrived and I found that it was nothing like I had envisaged it would be. This might have dampened my excitement just a little, if it wasn't for the fact that the soap smelt far better than I had bargained for. 

'Nothing is as it seems' is a phrase that Lush use to describe Cereology Soap, and I couldn't agree more. While the ingredients list suggests something very dry-smelling and green, the reality is very far removed from this. Much like the study of crop circles that this soap is named after, the reference to the unworldly phenomenon stretches far beyond the physical design of this soap.

Featuring a whole array of different ingredients, it is the wheatgrass, wheatgerm and vanilla absolute that make initial contact with your nose. From the start, the former ingredients create a dry, musty and slightly nutty aroma - one that reminds me of the hazy scent you get when dry, weathered haystacks are dishevelled a little from a passing breeze.

Alongside this, the vanilla adds a sugary, almost syrup-like layer that rounds these elements together. The neroli adds a very subtle note of sweet, green honey that gives the vanilla a little more depth, and the lavender emerges itself into the background, rounding the soap off with gentle herbal notes that you might almost miss if you're not looking for them.

There is something about the fragrance of this soap that I find so rich and beautiful, and I love how warming it smells on the skin, while still remaining gentle and non evasive. This is not in any way a sickly scent - this is for those who want something natural with a little added sweetness thrown in for good measure. I have read that people refer to the fragrance of this soap as being like green beans combined with sugar. However, Cereology has far more to offer than that description, and I feel I would be doing it a disservice if I left it at that. 

Alongside the smell, this soap is incredible for your skin, and you can see and feel the results after just one use. Wheat germ is known for being really rich in Vitamin E, which helps to repair and heal damaged skin and scarring; soften out creases and reduce the appearance of stretch marks; support the skin and allow it to look and feel far more youthful and radiant.

I found that this was the perfect soap for me to use in the evening, as my skin felt instantly rejuvenated and I felt as if the product rehydrated my weathered skin following a long day at work. While I haven't tested out my theory yet, I would hazard a guess that Cereology would make a great spring/summer soap as it is so light on the skin and would really compliment the warmer weather.   

Under the water, this soap was incredibly easy to lather up - producing a thick, fluffy foam to massage across the skin. It was most easiest to stimulate between my hands and then transfer this onto my body to wash myself with. While I didn't give it much of an opportunity to do so, I feel as if this soap would shrink quite quickly if kept under the water for a long period of time. For this reason, I made sure that I patted the soap down after each use, and found that a 100g bar could easily last 3-4 months with daly usage. 

Ultimately, this is a soap that I had very little expectations for - yet one that won me over fairly quickly and established itself as a permanent feature of my bathroom. The soap was easy to use, generous with its scent and its lather, and stayed on my skin long enough for a work colleague to make a comment about my 'perfume' some two hours later. While perhaps the best format for Cereology, I would definitely be interested in trying it out in other formats, and I would buy this again if it made another appearance in the Lush Kitchen.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Wheatgerm, Sodium Stearate, Perfume, Fresh Wheatgrass, Organic Wheatgerm Oil, Lavender Oil, Tonka Absolute, Vanilla Absolute, Neroli Oil, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, *Limonene, *Coumarin, Chlorophyllin.

2017 Price: £4.95 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2005.

Scrumptious Shower Smoothie

It's not very often that I don't recognise a product that appears on the Lush Kitchen menu. In fact, since the introduction of the Kitchen some three years ago, there have only ever been two items that have stumped me into having to carry out a little research. The first was Aqua Mirabilis Underwater Body Butter, of which I didn't even realise there were two variations of the same product, and the second was this recent release.

Scrumptious Shower Smoothie reads exactly as it means to go on. While the company are known for using witty puns to name their products, and using tongue-in-cheek taglines to entice their customers, this one is as literal as you can get. At first glance, it could even be accused of being a little presumptuous, and has a lot to live up to given the bold statement that is its name. Thankfully, Lush are fully aware of how to make something both smell and behave scrumptiously, and I cannot stress how amazing this product is.

First released over seventeen years ago, this shower smoothie has been described as being both like a 'blueberry parfait' and a fruit salad. Boasting a myriad of different fruity ingredients, it is no wonder that the outcome is a product that completely blew my mind upon first sniff, and one that I continue to use on an almost daily basis.

With a base made from a blueberry infusion, and a combination of fresh orange juice, mashed bananas, and lemon and lime oil making up the other key components, this shower smoothie smells like the world's greatest desert. From the tub I could immediately smell both the bananas and the blueberries - a pairing that produces a rich, creamy fruity smell, and reminds me a little of homemade ice cream. It's by no means an overly powerful smell, but it's strong enough that you'll be hard-pressed not to want to stick a spoon in the tub and shove a mountain of the smoothie into your mouth. Disclaimer: I should probably add that curiosity got the better of me and I did attempt to eat some, which only heeded disappointing results.

Both the lime and the lemon oils are also present in the aroma of this smoothie. However, there isn't any citrus notes to observe here; it's strictly a fruity smell, and one that is interestingly sweet without being what I would describe as uplifting or zesty in any way. Strangely, you almost get a note of raspberry bubblegum when you smell this in the pot - a factor that just made me fall in love with this product even more.

For those unsure what a shower smoothie is, Scrumptious is like a soap that has been pulverised into a liquid, and had extra oils and butters added to make it more moisturising for the skin. You use it in the same way you would a shower gel - lathering it across your body and then washing it away under running water. 

Impressively, I found that this particular smoothie foamed up a lot better than most of the other ones I have tried from Lush. Usually, I find that they coat the skin but don't work in the same way that both a soap or a shower gel would be expected to do. However, Scrumptious Shower Smoothie lathers up a treat and you need very little to clean your whole body with. For this reason, I would say that this is one of the better valued variations, and lasts a lot longer than most of its siblings. Judging by how much I have used so far, I would say that you could easily get a good 20+ full body washes out, and even more you're only using it on specific areas.     

As if the fragrance wasn't enough to make me fall in love with this product to begin with, I was amazed to find that I could smell it on my skin for a good couple of hours after I had towelled myself down. Moreover, I found that if I used this before I went to bed, the smell of fresh blueberries and banana would still be on my pillow the next morning, which was a welcoming reward first thing in the morning.

I should point out that I would refrain from using this on areas that have recently been shaved, or use this as an alternative to shaving foam, as I found that it irritated my pores and caused them to either sting a little, or come out in a rash for a short white after bathing. However, this rule applies to most of Lush's soap-based products, so I wouldn't expect anything different with this one.

Overall, this is by far my favourite shower smoothie for Lush, and its name really does describe how this product smells and works in the shower. While my skin didn't feel as moisturised as a shower gel would make it, it was definitely a step up from a normal piece of soap, and I feel a smoothness once I had towelled myself down.

Ultimately, I really hope that the Lush Kitchen choose to bring this back in the near future because I'm getting dangerously close to finishing my first tub, and the idea of not having this as a permanent fixture in my bathroom, is a little disheartening.

Quantitative Ingredients: Blueberry Infusion, Walnut Oil, Glycerine, Vegetable Soap, Fresh Orange Juice, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Fresh Banana, Lime Oil, Lemon Oil, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £10.50 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: 1998.

    

Igloo Soap

It was only when I was having a sort out of my Lush collection the other day, that I discovered that I had yet to try (or indeed review) one of the brand new soaps in this year's seasonal range. Surprisingly, this was also one of the products I was privy to seeing during my factory tour earlier in the year, so I felt it only fair that I should host a shower for the sole purpose of trying this out for the first time. 

Perhaps the one to receive the least amount of publicity, Igloo Soap is as much an experience as it is a cosmetic. There is something about its fragrance that reminds me of Christmas, without relying on the typical spicy, cinnamon smells to do so. While it may not be a staple in every household, this soap is modelled on a product that features in many sweet bowls over the festive period, and is something that is often overlooked when people discuss their favourite Christmas foods.  

Turkish Delight is a family of confections that are created using a gently flavoured, glycerine base. The sweets are often then divided into small cubes and dusted with something like icing sugar to prevent them from congealing together. While most people are only familiar with one variety, the name actually encompasses a whole variety of sweets, featuring ingredients such as chopped dates, pistachios, and hazelnuts. Rosewater, lemon and orange are three of the most popular variations around, and it is usually the former two that are featured in the aisles of your local supermarket during the Christmas period.

As the 'difficult vegan', Turkish Delight was something that my family would always have an abundance of around Christmas time. I have fond memories of the chocolate bowl being passed around the room, while I snacked on the delicate box of goodies my parents had gone out their way to buy for me especially. For this reason, the smell, texture and taste pertains a certain level of nostalgia for me, and I was hoping that Igloo Soap would be able to mimic this.   

Interestingly, it is not just the scent of this product that is modelled on these exquisite sweets - the design itself also plays homage with its array of different coloured pieces, stacked on top of each other, and the fact that it has an almost sugary outer consistency in line with the edible versions.

Containing rose absolute and rose oil, it's not surprising that this is the first and indeed the strongest note on offer by the soap. However, neither of these components are in any way overpowering. Instead, they provide Igloo with a very sweet and delicate rose aroma that is identical to what you'd expect Turkish Delight to smell like.

Alongside this is the Sicilian lemon oil, which wraps itself around these floral components to offer a light, fruity and rather uplifting second layer. In a small way, this smell of this does remind me of a far more milder Rose Jam, albeit with the addition of a little more powdery sweetness. While I'm not normally one for gentle smells, it's a credit to Lush for creating an aroma very much like the sweet, and with many interesting layers, yet one that is so subtle, you would barely detect its smell in a Lush shop.

Foaming up with ease, this product is very generous when in contact with water, and it only takes a matter of seconds before you have an abundance of lather in which to clean yourself with. I was also rather impressed to find that after a couple of weeks of using this daily, the block hadn't changed very much at all, and I think it is perhaps one of the longer-lasting seasonal soaps from this years range.

For those who read my blog regularly, you'll know that my skin has an aversion to most soaps - in that I have found very few that don't dry out my skin and leave it feeling parched. For this reason, I was surprised to find that this soap left my skin feeling well-nourished within a matter of seconds. Furthermore, I was fascinated to discover that Igloo left my hands feeling as if there was a thick blanket of moisture coating them for a good while after I had dried them off. This seemed to dramatically improve the condition of my skin and the weathered areas between my fingers all but vanished from the very first use.

Although I didn't notice such an obvious difference with the rest of my body, I found that I didn't need to always use a body lotion after showering with this. In addition, there were times when I refrained from using a perfume afterwards, and was still able to detect the smell of this very gently on my skin.

While I don't see myself buying too much more of this to see me through until next year, I will continue to use my current chunk on an almost daily basis, using it more as a hand wash than a full body clean. I have definitely enjoyed experiencing this and do think it replicates the confectionary it is influenced by really well. With budgets being cut this Christmas, this will work as a less gluttonous replacement for my well-loved confectionary. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Carrageenan Extract in Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Fresh Lemon Juice, Water, Perfume, *Limonene, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Rose Absolute, Rose Oil, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, *Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, *Linalool, Colour 45350, Colour 45410, Colour 14700, Colour 42090, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Candy Cane Roulade Shower Smoothie

One of two new roulades for this year's seasonal range, Candy Cane is probably one of the least talked about products of the year. Sharing its name with both the bubble bar and the previously released soap - two very different products scent wise, I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought and first used the generous chunk I picked up on Oxford Street a couple of weeks back.

Modelled on the popular Christmas sugar-encrusted delicacy, this roulade is closer in smell to the soap but definitely not a direct replica by any means. Containing fresh mint and cypress oil, this shower soap has a gentle and mildly refreshing minty aroma with just a hint of sweetness - one that is nothing as potent or as strong as the likes of Christingle or Freeze but would still appeal to those who like these items. This is for those who want something subtle but equally as invigorating and fresh-feeling as mint products usually are.

Out of its wrapping, this adorable roulade sports a white and red stripy outer layer, which is made from honeydew melon pulp and can be utilised along with the softer inside. when you're cleaning yourself in the shower. This slightly harder outer shell not only protects the product from drying out as quickly as it might have done without it, but also helps to stop this roulade being as slippery and hard-to-hold while in use.

While I wouldn't say this product is as rich or as sugary as the popular edible version, it offers a gentle mint smell with just a hint of sweetness that I associate with the inclusion of both the cocoa butter and cedarwood oil. Yet despite being such a delicate smell, you can smell this roulade throughout your shower and it leaves a lasting, albeit very subtle smell on your skin for a short while after you've towelled yourself down. I feel as if a dusting powder in the same fragrance would be a lovely addition to prolong this smell even further, and I hope that the company choose to branch out this scent family in the near future.

How you use Candy Cane is down to personal preference. Some choose to use the whole chunk at once - massaging it in circular motions across their skin to generate a thick, soapy lather to clean themselves with. This is effective if you're not sure how much you need to use each time, although I would recommend that you pay the slice down once you have finished to prevent any shrinkage when not in use. 

Others such as myself prefer to break off a generous piece and stimulate the lather between our hands, before transferring the creamy suds across the skin as described above. This means that you're not wetting the whole piece and generally seems to generate more lather. Furthermore, I find that using this method gives you more of a chance to stimulate the oils and butters in the roulade and get a really nice thick, creamy coat of soap and fragrance to clean yourself with.

Impressively, I found that this roulade was really moisturising on my skin, and my hands and body felt both sleek and silky-smooth. This is rare for me as I tend to find that most soaps leave my skin feeling clean but rather parched afterwards, and I always have to rely on a moisturiser to bring back some of the oils that have been stripped from my pores. Furthermore, the light, sweet dusting of mint lingers on your skin for a good hour after you've exited the shower and this leaves your skin feeling really invigorated.

This roulade makes an exceptional alternative as a soap, and when used this way I find that it lasts just as long, if not longer, than a normal 100g block from Lush's regular line. In its favour, Candy Cane is more moisturising and easier to use than a block of rigid soap, not to mention more generous with its lather - and for those that find soaps dry out their skin, this would be a great product to get your hands on. 

While I wouldn't rave about this product for its fragrance, and I wouldn't say the design is anything that's going to win any awards, Candy Cane is a product that I feel is going to slip by many this season, and only once its gone will consumers realise that they should have invested a little more in the beauty. Although I was not expecting to purchase any more than my initial chunk, after the positive experience I have had so far, I will be buying another piece to see me through the early winter months of next year. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Soya Milk, Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Corn Syrup, Perfume, Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Cedarwood Oil, Cypress Oil, Fresh Honeydew Melon Pulp,  Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Fresh Mint, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, *Limonene, Citronellol, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £5.95 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.