Dirty Deals Showder

While it doesn't happen very often, I do appreciate it when a product suddenly appears online - sporting a cause I've never heard of and a fragrance I've never tried before. There is something rather exciting about the unexpected, and when this box of Dirty Deals Showder first reared its head online, I couldn't wait to bring some home and test it out for myself. 

Sporting a recently new format from Lush, this limited edition product doesn't just have 'magical powers' in the shower. In fact, the main purchase of this showder is to raise both an awareness and funds for a very important cause - one that I wouldn't have known about in as much depth had it not been for Lush. 

For the last few years, negotiations have been underway between the European Union and the USA to form a partnership that will dictate the transatlantic trade and put the interests of international corporations above the rights of those who work for these companies. The TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) is the outcome of these talks, and if it comes into play, could not only give the USA more control over European democracy and our economy, but would change the rules and regulations of both importation and privacy - an issue that could have a dramatic effect on the quality and safety of the food we eat and the products we use. 

While I have only scratched the surface of this debate, it is clear that these are all valuable reasons for opposing the formation of the TTIP, and while all profits from this product are donated to the Bold groups across Europe that are fighting to eradicate this deal, the showder has done wonders at exposing myself and many others to a cause that I would have known very little about had it not come about. 

Emitting a fragrance derived from a combination of rose and bergamot oils, Dirty Deals is a force to be reckoned with - a potent scent that makes an immediate impression on the senses and will knock you for six when you discover how beautiful it is for the first time.

While there has been a lot of talk about the product smelling of Rose Jam, and I can vouch that it does has similarities to this popular scent family, it is definitely not strictly one particular scent - instead a combination of everything great that Lush have ever brought out with the rose smell. 

In a way, the showder reminds me very much of Imogen Rose Liquid Perfume - an intoxicating floral fragrance with a slight burnt, musky element to it that makes it quite a heavy smell. However, while the aforementioned perfume is strictly rose-scented, Dirty Deals has other elements to it that pad out the fragrance and gives it a little more depth. Most notably, this showder has the inclusion of bergamot, which adds a slightly tart, bitter citrus note - like the rind of an orange intertwined with the subtlest hint of incense. 

What sets this showder apart is the fact that it changes colour when in contact with water. Much like the other showders that Lush have released, this one works in the same way - foaming up when in contact with a little water and creating a spongey lather that can then be spread across the body to clean yourself with. 

Unfortunately, much like the shower sheets, I found that this product was a little disappointing in the shower. Firstly, it was very difficult to keep this box dry in-between and during uses, and I had to transfer the showder into an old plastic tub to prevent my box from disintegrating. While the idea of recyclable packaging is always great for the environment, it's not clever to wrap things in card when they're going to be handled around liquid. 

Secondly, while you only needed a little of this to create a generous amount of lather (I cupped about a dessertspoon amount in my hand and found that it was enough to wash half of my body), it doesn't leave your skin as silky-soft as I find with most shower gels and jellies that I use regularly.

Finally, while the product doesn't really stain, it can get a little messy when you throw sponges of bright purple foam around the bathroom, and I would highly recommend watching what you're doing when using this to prevent any problems occurring. Although most people would only be handling the product for a matter seconds, I will warn you that this will stain your skin green if you leave it on for more than a minute or two. 

Having said that, I was very impressed to discover that the fragrance of this lingers on the skin for a couple of hours after use, and when paired with Imogen Rose, Voice Of Reason or Rose Jam, it made a lovely accompaniment to wear throughout the day. 

Overall, I found the showder very pleasant - it's a scent I can imagine being really successful in perfume format, and one that I would be happy to buy if it ever did transpire. However, I'm not one hundred per cent bowled over my the idea of showders just yet, and this one wasn't good enough to convince me   

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cornflour, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Disodium Laureth Sulfo succinate, Kaolin, Bergamot Oil, Rose Oil, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, Coumarin, Perfume, Colour 73360.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £12.50 for 400g.

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

Lemon Sherbet Showder

After not being able to secure myself a box of Lemon Sherbet Showder on the opening day of the Oxford Street store, I resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to make another trip in the following weeks/months to grab one after the mass hysteria had wavered a little. Although I didn't make a big deal out of it, this was mostly due to the amount of products I had yet to test and review after my initial visit - a process that has taken me almost five months to complete.

After trudging to the shop on numerous occasions - travelling across London with the sole purpose of grabbing myself a box, and never finding any left with each and every visit, I began to reside in the possibility that maybe I would never acquire a box to enjoy, unless I was willing to part with an extortionate amount of money for the privilege to do so through eBay. 

When Lush finally made it available online, it was the first product I bought - giddy with excitement of finally getting my greedy mitts on the mysterious best seller. What made this showder so popular? And would I be able to justify why it had been flying out of the doors so quickly? I was eager to find out. 

Containing two different lemon oils, a handful of cornflour and some clay, I didn't initially understand how a product so basic could be that good, THAT effective. Yet the second I peeled back the box and took a good, hard sniff of the contents, I knew that I was on to a winner. 

To me, Lemon Sherbet Showder smells like lemon cheesecake - the base and all of the toppings. You get the sweet, zesty citrusy kick of the drizzle, the warm, creamy element of the 'cheese' section, and the buttery goodness of the base. All three of these beautiful notes are very much present in the box, and only serve to expand and elevate with the inclusion of water.

In the box, this product looks a little bit like a mixture of sand and tiny pieces of popped rice - a consistency far different than any of the other showders and scrubs that I have come across from Lush before. While's it's slightly grittier than Candy Floss, and so therefore offers a very delicate scrubbing action when it's being used on the skin, it's not as coarse as Life's A Beach so works as more of a cleanser than a harsh exfoliator. 

The inclusion of kaolin here, helps to clean and remove dead skin cells from the surface, working with the cornflour to soften your body and leave it smelling good enough to eat. The different oils offer an uplifting experience - one that not only wakes you up first thing in the morning, but one that leaves your skin looking noticeably more radiant afterwards. 

What I loved about this showder is that it left me feeling really refreshed after use, and I loved the fact that people complimented on the 'wonderful perfume' that I was wearing - when they were in fact picking up the citrusy goodness of the product instead. 

Unfortunately, it was very difficult to keep this box dry both in between and during uses, and I had to transfer the showder into an old plastic tub to prevent my box from disintegrating. While this isn't a major problem, it is a little annoying and deems the original packaging as pretty much pointless to begin with. 


Secondly, while the showder does react to the water and foam up a little in your hand, as soon as I tried to spread it across my body there was very little product to use because most of it had already been rinsed away with the water. Even when I attempted to use this outside of the flow of the shower, I found that the generous helping I had shaken out, didn't go very far in terms of washing my entire body. For this reason, I cannot imagine the box lasting for as long as a shower gel of the same weight would do. 

Having said that, while I still believe that this product is very much a novelty item (perhaps I'm stating the obvious here), I can still really see myself keeping a box of this handy for those mornings when I just need a little 'pick me up' to help me through the day. 

Although I would say that this box would last me a good 4-6 months, this is mostly due to the fact that I would probably use it only once a week as a treat, rather than because it has the longevity to survive that long with daily use. Easily my favourite showder out of the three available, this is one that everyone should try at least once - if only to smell like lemon cheese cake for a day. While I would have liked this sooner, it was definitely worth the wait.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cornflour (Zea mays), Kaolin, Disodium Lauryl Sulphosuccinate, Sicilian Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Organic Lemon Myrtle Oil (Backhousia Citriodora), Litsea Cubeba Oil *Citral, *Limonene, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £9.95 each (£12.50 online).

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Candy Floss Showder

'Stampede...in the gorge...Simba's down there!'. Okay, so I might have needlessly brought up a childhood trauma that many of you might never forgive me for, but it's also a good description of how I felt the day I visited the Oxford Street store for the first time. The whole experience looked and felt a little like a watering hole at feeding time - the word carnage springing to mind when I think of the determination etched on the faces of those desperately trying to scoop up the exclusive products.

While Lush were prepared for the blitz of bath products - their shelves stacked high and the floor littered with sacks full of the beautiful bombs, they weren't so prepared for the popularity of their shower section. Within ten minutes of the store opening, many of the products had disappeared from the shelves, and while Lush had more stock they were able to bring out, some of these items sold out very quickly. 

Candy Floss Showder was one such item, and while I was lucky enough to grab the last box available, I was less successful with their Lemon Sherbet variation - a product I have yet to acquire even to this day. Designed to look and smell like  a freshly spun batch of the popular confectionary, this limited edition product is the first of it's kind. 

Presented in a box reminiscent of the old-fashioned washing powders, this is one of four showders - each of which is slightly different from the others. While Life's A Beach acts as more of a coarse salt and sand scrub, this showder is less exfoliating but more moisturising on the skin. 

Containing calamine powder, clove bud oil and vanilla absolute, this unique shower companion shares its scent with the Creamy Candy family. The combination of ylang ylang oil and vanilla gives the showder a rich, decadent and very sweet candy-esque aroma, while the inclusion of the clove buds add a gentle level of heat that gives it a wonderful kick - especially when it comes into contact with the heat of the water. 

With the inclusion of granulated sugar to help gently exfoliate and polish the body, and calamine powder to soothe irritated and sensitive skin, Candy Floss acts as a great product that sits between a soap and a scrub. While it doesn't give the impression that it would be particular moisturising, I was pleasantly surprised to find that  it leaves the skin feeling and smelling delicious. 

Unfortunately, much like the shower sheets, I found this product to be a little disappointing in the shower. Firstly, it was very difficult to keep this box dry in-between and during uses, and I had to transfer the showder into an old plastic tub to prevent my box from disintegrating. 

Secondly, while the showder does react to the water and foam up a little in your hand, as soon as I tried to spread it across my body there was very little product to use because most of it had already been rinsed away with the water. Even when I attempted to use this outside of the flow of the shower, I found that the generous helping I had shaken out, didn't go very far in terms of washing my entire body. For this reason, I cannot imagine the box lasting for as long as a shower gel of the same weight would do. 

On the positive side, Candy Floss Showder has a very strong aroma and it definitely leaves its mark on your skin and indeed in the bathroom for a long time afterwards. Furthermore, it does leave your skin looking rather radiant and feeling incredibly soft after you've towelled yourself down. 

However, I cannot see this being something I use on a regular basis. As Lush offer so many amazing shower gels, including Snow Fairy that has a very similar smell to this, I would much rather purchase one of these and know that it'll last me longer, be less messy in the shower and work out better value for money. 

While I really love the design of the box and think that the showders are great fun for the few short weeks that they last, Candy Floss would not be on my list of regular items to purchase, and I'd much rather convert a block of Godmother into a sugar scrub and use this instead. It's an interesting idea but not one I would be interested in buying again. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Granulated Sugar, Calamine Powder, Citric Acid, Cornflour (Zea mays), Disodium Lauryl Sulphosuccinate, Perfume, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Clove Bud Oil (Eugenia caryophyllus), Alpha- Isomethyl ionone, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Scent Family:

Bunny Bubble Bar
Candy Cane Bubble Bar
Candy Floss Showder
Candy Mountain Bubble Bar

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar Slice
Close To You Massage Bar
Creamy Candy Bubble Bar
Creamy Candy Liquid Perfume
Rock Star Soap