It's only been in the last year or so that I've began to appreciate ginger in its many forms. For the most part of my life, I've always sworn off cosmetics fragranced with this herb, and while I'd always try food that featured it, if it was ginger-heavy, I wouldn't enjoy it all that much. Even the allure of freshly made vegan ginger cake wouldn't have tempted me all that much, because I quite simply just didn't find the taste or the smell of ginger that enjoyable.
Whether its my partner's obsession with making ginger tea every evening before bed; my few weeks in Thailand that saw ginger being a daily feature in my meals; or simply that my tastebuds have developed somewhat over the years, I'm unsure. What I do know is that when I tried Gingerbread Man Sparkle Jar for the first time, I actually enjoyed it: like really liked it!
Made from a variety of different oils and butters, the outer layer of the sparkle box works in the same way that a massage bar does. Upon contact with the warmth of your body, the box begins to melt slowly and leaves a layer of oily residue on your skin. You can then massage these oils across your body in the same way you would a body lotion. The difference between a cream and the pure oils you get in a massage bar is that the latter is far more nourishing. So if like me you have very dry skin, this will replenish that missing moisture and leave your skin looking and feeling much more hydrated. After using any of Lush’s massage bars, I notice that my skin appears much plumper and feels far suppler than it did before.Contain an amalgamation of different butters and oils, the sparkle jars firstly work as massage bars. Simply massage them across your body and the heat will gently melt a thin layer away to moisturise and nourish your skin. I found that this one was really easy to use but only if it was used immediately after a shower or bath - as the heat will help the jar to be a little less stubborn when releasing those oils onto the skin. If used when you’re cold, you could find that the product will leave sticky streaks across your skin, and you may need to rinse yourself and start again.
Once you've massaged the oils into your skin, you can piece the button holes with a sharp knife and sprinkle the dusting powder inside across your skin - massaging it in so that it soaks up any remaining oils on the skin and leaves your body smelling amazing and not sticky in the slightest. There is a little sparkle in the dusting powder as well, so you'll notice a subtle shimmer on your skin afterwards.
Scent-wise, Gingerbread Man Sparkle Jar was a gorgeous combination of ginger and cloves, with a generous helping of cocoa butter underneath to add a creamy layer as well. Not at all spicy, the two main ingredients create a smell that reminds me of gingerbread cookies, or one of those scented candles that you can buy during the winter season, albeit not at all synthetic or plastic-smelling. In addition, there is something slightly lemony about the fragrance as well, which is strange as there doesn't appear to be anything in the ingredients list that could suggest where this is from.
As it features ginger, there is bound to be some comparison between this and the Ginger range. While there is definitely a difference, as this product doesn't feature any of the floral elements that the aforementioned family does, fans of the retro fragrance will probably really enjoy this as well. Ultimately, there is nothing strong about this fragrance that would deter any people from liking the smell, unless of course the scent of ginger is something you abhor in every way.Aside from Gingerbread Man Sparkle Jar being the cutest design that I've seen from Lush in a while, this is a great product to take with you, if you're planning on staying with friends or relatives over the seasonal period. One of these in your cosmetics bag will ensure you have all you need to moisturise your skin, without the worry of a spilt bottle of lotion ruining your journey. Although this is not as moisturising as a lot of Lush's other massage bars, there is enough here to keep your skin pampered over the holidays.
What I loved about the inclusion of this in the seasonal range was the fact that this played a perfect role after a bath, when I simply wanted to wrap myself up warm, enjoy a cup of tea and read a book. Massaging this across my body beforehand meant that I could do all of the above, whilst smelling like a human Christmas cookie at the same time. It was a real treat to indulge in, and this product is definitely one I'll be using in abundance as we get nearer to the festive period.
Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Cornflour, Arrowroot Powder, Magnesium Carbonate, Perfume, Ginger Oil, Pine Needle Absolute, Clove Bud Oil, Guaiacwood Oil, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Propylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Silica Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Cinnamate, *Cinnamal, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 77491, Colour 45410, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.
Vegan?: Yes.
2018 Price: £8.50 for each.
Year Of Original Release: 2018.
Scent Family:
Gingerbread Man Sparkle Jar
Love Token Reusable Bubble Bar
